#Umino family feels
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MY LITTLE DOLPHIN
Kohari gave one final big push.
"It's a boy! Congratulations, Umino-san," the med-nin said.
Kohari flopped back against the pillows, smiling at her husband.
"You are simply incredible," Ikkaku said as he gently swiped hair off his wife's brow. "I love you so very much."
"I love you too," Kohari said tiredly.
Her son was placed in her arms.
"What shall we name him?" Kohari asked as she gently ran a finger over his soft cheek.
"How about Iruka? It was my grandfather's name."
"Hello my little dolphin," Kohari said tearfully.
Finally their wish for a child had come true.
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Downswing
Rating: General
Ao3 | FFN
Summary: Ibiki tells him, "Your feelings don't matter." Iruka thinks about it all night.
Iruka grapples with his identity as a sensei as his kids prepare to graduate.
Iruka focused genfic one shot
Word Count: 2.3k
Written for my writing friend, @elreinodelpurgatorio! Check out their stuff, too <3
The day Iruka witnessed Hinata give Naruto a bento box with the reddest face known to man, he could already feel himself getting tired.
Sakura and Ino were always menaces. He had no issue fielding them and their fawning over Sasuke. It had been a long-standing thing at this point. But once he saw his other students exhibiting feelings for one another, he knew his peace would be limited.
Peace for Iruka was a quiet afternoon with a book, under the sun, but covered by a tree, by a lake. Quiet to contrast the chaos of looking after dozens of preteens all day every day.
Don’t mistake him. He loves his job, there’s a reason he chose it. Watching a little genin perfect their shadow clone, hit the center of a target with their kunai, find out their chakra nature – it’s what he lives for. To see them grow up and be capable little shinobi. Able to defend themselves, the people they care about, and their village. He doesn’t like to think about the horrors that might await them in their future, just hopes that he can impart some semblance of normalcy and care.
But watching horribly awkward 12- and 13-year-olds fumble about their emotions and hormones is both amusing and painful.
It starts with Ino loudly making fun of Shikamaru’s nose and her crying when he calls her Sakura’s signature insult, “pig.” Moves to Kiba trying to sit a little closer to Ino on some days. Naruto tries to give Sakura a cherry blossom, Hinata scaredly leaves a bento on Naruto’s desk, and Sasuke “hangs out” by a tree while he watches Hinata train.
The patterns accumulate, become more elaborate as they go through the months. He’s known these damn kids for years, he’s not ready for the drama. Wants them to keep being stupid little weirdos who make up silly games with their wooden kunai, tell each other jokes that make zero sense, pretend like they have ancient powers that make them immune to being ‘it’ during tag. That’s what he misses most, the peace of nonsense between children.
No, they’re going through weird hormonal transitions and Iruka wishes he could fast forward a year or two.
A meeting in the Hokage tower of available chūnin and jōnin doesn’t help.
A senior jōnin stands at the front of the room, addressing them all about a potential threat that looms over Konoha. Iruka listens carefully, knowing that he needs to pay special attention with the genin exams coming up. The last thing he wants is to promote a bunch of hormonal kids right before a potential war. He’ll hold them all back if he has to, he doesn’t want what happened to his parents to befall these kids. As annoying as they are, they hold a special place in his squishy heart.
It doesn’t seem too terribly serious, so Iruka keeps the information filed away. Makes sure it’s something to keep an eye on and check in about but stays calm. He’ll talk to his kids tomorrow about preparedness and knowing when to move to the defensive. For now, he just keeps those notes tucked in his pocket and breathes a sigh of relief that it isn’t more serious than he initially thought.
In the area outside of the meeting around, there are refreshments. He spots Asuma and Aoba where the gyoza is, Kakashi where the fresh fruit is, and Ibiki and Anko where the drinks are, and decides he can stick around for a bit. He comes up beside Kakashi to grab a napkin to spoon melon into, smiling at him.
“Kakashi,” Iruka acknowledges him first, moving down to the mango. “Ready for your team?”
“Ready as ever,” Kakashi responds, holding the napkin to his chest. “See what we have this year.”
“I’m sure you’ll be impressed.”
Iruka doesn’t like to blow smoke, but he likes the batch he has. Naruto was the hardest one for him, but in the end, he really liked the kid. It’s been a rough time, especially considering the ‘beginning’ of their relationship, but Naruto demonstrated to Iruka that he’s serious. And honestly, he might just hold a soft spot for the poor kid at this point. Sure, little Iruka thought it would be easier on everyone if someone housing a monster, specifically a monster that killed his parents, just….be gone. It took a lot of time for Iruka to reconcile his love of kids and teaching and his hate of the tailed beast that took his parents from him. Made him an orphan as a kid.
Naruto was an orphan from his first few hours of life and housed that same beast.
Naruto irritates Iruka and makes him laugh. Makes him feel sad, angry, happy, and love.
He’s just a kid.
They all are. Iruka reminds himself of this every day. It’s why he does what he does. They’re just kids.
They need someone to guide them, help them, listen to their snotty fits and philosophical questions. His job is their success. A teacher has to love their kids, and he thinks he does.
“Had enough of the runts?”
Anko is the first to crush his worldview at all times, today is no different. She strolls up with some sort of energy drink in hand alongside Ibiki, who stays quiet, for now.
“Not at all,” Iruka responds, looking away as he piles a small bowl with various fruits. “Opposite, even.”
“Yeah, right!” Anko snorts, and soon, the other jōnin are converging on him. Kakashi is smirking under that mask, Asuma and Aoba meander over, and Kurenai and Genma cross from the other side, too, curious as to what’s going on.
“Little hellhounds you’re responsible for,” Aoba comments, popping a piece of gyoza in his maw. Iruka sighs, regretting his decisions as he often does.
“Leave him alone,” Asuma says, scratching at his chest with his lighter in hand, though no cigarette in his mouth. “He’s got it hard enough.”
“They’re cuties,” Kurenai says, arms crossed behind her back while Genma chews a needle. “I’m excited for whoever you put together for my team.”
“Excitement is definitely the wrong emotion.” Genma rolls his eyes, then looks away, clicks his tongue. Just then, a little discussion breaks out between the jōnin over what teams will be formed and who will get what. The jōnin sensei were decided a few months ago, and it’s standard for them to be itching to see who they’ll be assigned.
Iruka finds it all to be noise that hurts his brain. A simple conversation with Kakashi has turned into an interrogation, turned to a gossip fest about his students.
Genin and chūnin exams were the extent of excitement in the village these days. Without attacks or wars or good movies, it was all about the kids who would be the next killing machines.
Iruka tries not to think about his role in that. Tries to think of the good he does. With several other jōnin berating him for contributing to a class of annoying preteens, he finds it hard to focus on their good.
“Your feelings don’t matter,” Ibiki tells Iruka in this flat tone that’s not picked up on by most of the group, only by Aoba and Kakashi, who both look up in surprise. It’s all Ibiki says before setting his half-full cup on the table and taking off for good.
“What d’you think he meant by that?” Aoba asks, stepping to Iruka’s side. Anko notices his abandoned drink and snatches it up.
Iruka thinks about it all night.
“You don’t think I’m being selfish, do you?”
Kakashi perks an eyebrow at his dubious book but doesn’t look up. Iruka’s hunched over, forearms on his knees, restless legs. When he doesn’t respond, Iruka just sighs, pulls at his fatigues to straighten them out.
It’s a Sunday, a few weeks from genin promotion, and Iruka still thinks of the low blow Ibiki dished out to him. Thought about marching into interrogation to ask him just what the hell he meant, why it would ever seem like he was making things about himself. Iruka thinks he’s selfless, to be totally honest.
“I do this job because I care about those kids,” Iruka says, rubbing the pads of his fingers into his forehead. “I know my feelings don’t matter. I’ve never made this job about me.”
Kakashi turns a page but remains silent. It irritates Iruka.
“I mean, I have lost my temper a couple of times. Mostly with Naruto.” Iruka sighs, rubbing his hands over his face. “It’s because I care about them so much. They think becoming ninja, it’s fun. It’s not supposed to be fun.”
Iruka looks up at the sound of Kakashi’s book shutting, watches him readjust his mask while staring out into the distance. Finally, he actually says something. “Your feelings don’t matter.”
Jaw dropped, Iruka reels backward. “That’s really funny coming from you, Hatake.”
“You make it about you and what you’re feeling.” It’s like a dagger to his back hearing something like this from Kakashi of all people. “What are the runts feeling?”
“Excited?” Iruka says with an unsure tone. “Over-confident? Weirdly emotional.” Kakashi raises an eyebrow, rests his book on his chest as he sinks into the seat. He takes it as a sign to keep going. “Hormonal, that’s for sure.” He slumps over, hangs his head. “Curious but some of them are nervous. I’m not ready for them to leave yet.”
Kakashi folds his hands behind his neck. “Jobs not about what you want. Ibiki was right. Your feelings don’t matter.”
A perfect way to enter the new week, with both Ibiki and Kakashi nonchalantly telling him he’s worthless.
It makes him reflect on what all this means; what he’s doing all this for.
If called, Iruka has no doubt he’d be ready and willing to step it up for this village his parents died for. But there’s also a reason he didn’t progress beyond chūnin. This village is his home, and he thinks he services it best when he’s here, in his home.
But…
Is he really just ushering in the newest generation of killing machines?
Is that what his sensei thought of him? What they thought of Hayate, Yugao, and Shisui when they graduated together? That he and they’d be ripe for training to maw their way through any threat, big or small? It’s hard to think he’d be lying if he said he never thought about his kids going into that world and feeling downright frightened.
But if that’s selfish, then maybe he’s selfish. There’s no way someone can tell him he’s wrong for loving those kids.
“Iruka-sensei.”
Torn from the paperwork that sits in front of him, his eyes lift to meet the lightness of his Hyūga girl. One of the ones he worries most for, blinking at him with a sheepish smile. He holds back an exasperated sigh and thinks back to Ibiki and Kakashi. His feelings don’t matter. When it comes to these kids; their feelings matter. He gives her a lopsided smile, nodding at her to continue. “Hi, Hinata.”
“Do you think maybe, ehm, today, w-we could – “ Iruka blinks at her poking fingers, then back up at her. He sits up completely now, rolls his chair towards her to give her his full attention. She smiles a little, shoving her hands to her sides. “M-maybe this week we could have an off d-day? T-to let everyone relax…”
Iruka tilts his head, pondering the proposition.
Of all the kids, besides maybe Sasuke, Hinata was the last he ever once expected to ask for a break.
Must be serious.
Iruka pulls on his last week of being a genin.
Train, training, training.
“I-I’m sorry,” Hinata immediately begins which makes him wave his hand at her, more dismissively than he means to me. He pulls the hand down and turns to her.
“That sounds really nice,” he says it with all the sincerity he can muster. She looks at him curiously, clearly unsure as to whether to trust him. He clasps his hands together, leans forward. “Wednesday, day before the exams. Let’s go to the lake.”
“The lake,” she repeats, eyes unblinking at him. “I like the lake.”
“Me too,” he tells her, smiling a little wider now.
“I-I think the others do, too.”
Iruka feels a little warmer inside.
They do the usual preparations for the week without Iruka telling the rest of the class of the planned break. Makes it all the better on Wednesday, when tired eyes and exasperated sighs greet him, and he tells them to put their packs back on. They’re going to the lake.
With full sun, but plenty of canopy shade. With books and lunches and kunai and notes and bathing gear and sugary sweet drinks.
Iruka’s happy for his students to rush home to dress for the occasion, and he’s in comfortable shorts and a t-shirt when they arrive.
As he settles against the tree, he looks at the class. His kids that he’s loved for a long time. Trains his eye on a certain few, the ones he worked the hardest for. Sees them jump into the lake in bathing suits, scream and yell and laugh. Splash and push each other’s faces into the water. Kick their feet, make up games like they're just the kids they're meant to be. Call each other stupid and cute and crazy. Promise each other things won't change after this.
His chest feels warm.
Iruka pulls his arms behind his head and admires the generation of students he helped usher in.
He’s selfish, he realizes.
These are his kids.
Seeing them succeed is all he’s wanted in his adult life.
A sigh accompanied by shrieks and laughter and snorts and splashes and love surrounds him.
Umino Iruka is alright with being selfish.
#fanfic#naruto fanfic#iruka fanfic#iruka umino#umino iruka#iruka#family feels#realistic view on child ninja soldiers
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kkir fic idea 💡 might write it or someone else can adopt this and run with it
i work at an australian magistrate court as a paralegal and kkir (my ninja dads) remind me of the police prosecution vs defence lawyer negotiation throwdowns. kakashi is literally all the weird and eccentric lawyer i've ever met (you need to be weird to be sane) and iruka just acts like all the other very nice but firm prosecutors at court to me
imagine hotshot perpetually late but so so brilliant defence barrister kakashi (mr hatake) negotiating a better outcome for his clients. he's always laid back because he knows he's that good, dresses in the same suit every time, gets away with wearing a facemask in court and literally only ever fixes his terrible posture at the bar table and whilst in court. he tried to ask the magistrate to let him salute the coat of arms (instead of bowing like everyone else) when he first got transferred down to the lowly magistrates' court but got promptly shot down (the compromise was the mask). he was working as a top queen's counsel for the private city law firm then got mysteriously transferred to their regional branch in a 'mentoring role' (a bunch of graduated law students interning actually quit their postgrad studies because he was really harsh and had really arbitrary rules tbh). so my man's in a bad mood ALL THE TIME (literally unprovoked) and has no personal assigned paralegals because no one can stand him. his assigned clerk has the patience of a saint and the tolerance for no bullshit (it's rin) he makes outrageous plea offers with prosecution and it's the best/worst time down at court. he also cross examines like the person at the mic personally wronged him, which isn't great if it is a protected person in a family violence case, or any witness at all, but very eye opening to see
down at court you have the sweetest man ever sergeant umino ('please call me iruka') in the dog box(what we call the prosecution office). he has a law degree (admittedly from a nowhere regional university but he is admitted to practice as a legal practitioner) and way too overqualified for the police force, but he wants to make a difference before going to teach full time or practising law full time. he's nice about everything (printers, legal advice, referrals, talking to anyone) except for paperwork which he is anal about. he wields stamps like weapons and every time an informant is shown to have filled out their paperwork wrong he calls them up directly (how does he even have their direct line?) to chew them out, but super nicely. adjournments, unmentionable dates, requests - don't need to provide reasons, iruka will approve. he not-so-secretly made copies of his police badge so paralegals can print documents off the police printers. he always gets snacks and coffees for court registrars and referral officers. he has bags of lollies for little kids. iruka teaches community service and justice studies for the vocational college nearby. he also has the occasional stint as a university lecturer only for first year law kiddies, and teaches also senior high school legal studies electives. beyond stamps and paperwork, he is the law down to the letter, sometimes to the spirit. if the facts look bad, especially if it is family violence or egregious failure to appear/warrants then he would be a hardass to lawyers. my man however is not opposed to diversion especially if the accused are kids.
so like fanon, kakashi brings outrageous plea offers to the dog box whenever iruka is in -- 'can you withdraw [most serious charge]' 'you can't prove that she was fearing for her life' 'he's never had a criminal record so can't you give him a slap on the wrist and send him a bond?' iruka shuts that shit down every time. he has a case of bleeding heart-itis so occasionally they CAN collaborate to help truly at risk offenders to reorient their lives. kakashi complains that iruka agreeing without a yelling match feels worthless but deep down he doesn't mind when iruka isn't in full hate mode AT him. kakashi thought that iruka would be all snobbish because police prosecutors who hold law degrees tend to act like they're better than everyone else but iruka is overall down-to-earth, hi-i'm-here-to-help. can't push him around though, but he's all about the learning experience so he encourages postgrad law kids and volunteers to have a go at him. for the real thing, defence lawyers groan good-naturedly when they hear he's in the dog box. kakashi seems to be the only who delights in riling him up, but in the rare instance that everyone agrees BUT the magistrate says otherwise and hands down a harsher sentence, he would be handing up paperwork for a contest hearing SO FAST kakashi wouldn't have time to consult with the client. there's a deal between him and kakashi for a stack of signs form 11As can be dealt out when absolutely needed. despite going at each other's throats on the clock, sooo many people have seen them getting lunch together or just talking about their mutual student naruto.
in this universe naruto did not complete high school, went through to vocational studies, took a pathway to uni instead. somehow he, sakura and sasuke end up at the same law firm (naruto is a bit older than the other two but acts precisely like a teenage eshay ALL THE TIME). why does he want to practise criminal law? because it looks cool and he wants to make the bar. his mum is a judge and his dad is a speaker of the senate/cabinet member so... it runs in the family. sasuke is following alongside the traditional asian career choice: doctor, lawyer or engineer. my man hates maths with a passion so lawyer it is. i know it's weird that sakura would be doing a law degree knowing she could be doing a med degree but hear me out: i met and know and am friends with girls who studied double degree law/biomed, finish their law degree, said fuck it I'll be a lawyer what's so bad, otherwise i can come back, and now making big massive bucks. though i imagine sakura will specialise in personal injury cases as well as mental health tribunals, then might go back to university for her med degree. she will be that cousin who lived 6 lives already - was a doctor and a lawyer and your mother would not stop comparing you to her. she needs a bit of instinct training but her academics are spotless. sasuke is ruthless but can't connect with clients. naruto maybe brash and loud but he plays on people's heartstrings like a conductor when presenting a bail app or plea. everything is the way it is so that iruka can move naruto's admission to become a lawyer when he applies for admission at the supreme court
anyways iruka will retire from police work to teach full time, maybe sign on to work for a community legal centre to appear for bail apps for remanded offenders picked up in the cells. he accidentally yelled at kakashi one day to go out and kakashi thought it was too funny to not go along with. now they raise 8 dogs, 3 full grown adults and all of iruka's students together. they fight about everything, but might slip into really formal legalese (passover aggressive fuck-you) when they're being annoying or really pissed off. naruto sometimes has to adjudicate these fights and he can't stop being scared for his LIFE.
kakashi: your honour, my learned colleague here had erred in his submission that i had, conclusively, not promised such things
iruka immediately pulling out receipts: your honour, may i submit evidence contradicting otherwise
(they were fighting about whose turn it is to do the dishes. there were only oral agreements in place but once you're both lawyers you just get used to writing everything down and signing to bring up in an argument later)
(iruka also cross examines kakashi for funsies, but they mainly shelf this for when arguments are bad and they need to pull out the big guns)
anyways if anyone ends up writing this please tag me
#naruto#naruto shippuden#kakashi hatake#iruka umino#lawyers AU#fic idea#lawyers AND police prosecutor AU#kakairu#kkir#kkiru#pulled from multiple real life sources#naruto uzumaki#sasuke uchiha#team 7#sakura haruno#genin as grad law students
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Summer Heat
Iruka Umino x Pregnant!Reader
Synopsis: In his paternity books, it said that pregnancy makes a woman extremely hot, and it doesn't help that you're in the third trimester in the middle of August.
A/n: I love a pregnant reader, so scroll now if you aren't into sweet tooth-rotting fluff between Iruka and his pregnant wife
“Oh my gods, it’s so hot in here. I’m going to die.”
Iruka looked up from the papers he was grading, eyebrows furrowing as he took in the scene before him. You were spread out on the couch with three fans going all at once, but the August heat in Konoha would be the death of you, that and the child you were currently growing. “Do you want me to get you some ice to chew on? Will that help?”
“No, Ruka, but you turning down the AC would help.”
“Honey, it's already set at 55 degrees.”
“It's still too hot.”
Iruka cocked his head in thought, the AC was as far down as possible, all of the fans you had in the house were pointed your way, and you were currently wearing the bare minimum in terms of clothing. Then an idea came to mind. In one of his “What to Expect When Expecting” books, he read that pregnant women found comfort from the heat while swimming. It was worth a shot.
“Why don't we go swimming at the pool? The book I read says that can help.”
You rolled your head to face him again, hand fanning your sweating face as you took in his words. “That requires moving.”
Iruka chuckled but moved towards you. “Tell you what, if the pool doesn't work, we will get ice cream,” He stated cheerily as he helped you off the couch. You pouted at him, “How about going to the pool and getting ice cream?” An eyebrow shot up at your suggestion, but he wouldn't argue with you. Whatever you wanted, you would get. He quickly kissed your lips before pulling you towards the bedroom to grab your swimsuits.
“I promise you swimming will do the trick. My book has been right so far!
“Iruka, please tell me you have not been referring back to that book throughout this entire pregnancy….”
Iruka’s cheeks heated up as he scratched his neck, “No comment,” he breathed out before pushing you into the bedroom to help you prepare for the pool. You plopped onto the bed, already out of breath and sweating buckets from the short trip. “What swimsuit do you want to wear?” Iruka called out from the closet, causing a soft smile to form on your lips.
“The black one! It will be the only one that’ll fit anyway.”
Silence filled the air as you waited for him to emerge with your clothing. What did you do to even deserve him? The second you laid your eyes on him so many years ago, you knew he was too good to be true, untouchable even for a person like you. But here you were, heavily pregnant with his baby, in your shared house. Something you’ve dreamed of but didn't dare believe could come true.
Iruka entered the room again, holding a yellow sundress and a black swimsuit. His eyebrows furrowed as he looked at the two clothing items, hoping you would agree with what he carefully picked.
“Okay, I grabbed a dress for you as well. But I can grab another one if you do not like the color-”
You stood swiftly from the bed, causing him to jump in shock at your speed, “Is something the matter-”
Your lips collided with his, hands plunging into his hair as you encouraged him to deepen the kiss. The love you felt for him was overwhelming you, more so than the heat was. Once the shock wore off, Iruka melted into it and dropped the clothing, allowing him to cup your face. You sighed into the kiss as he finally deepened it, making you feel lightheaded at how he made you feel.
He pulled back as you let your hands fall from his hair, “What was that all about?” he teased, yet he couldn't hide nor deny that he was blushing intensely at the actions that just transpired. “I just love you, is all. Can't wait to start a family with you.” He smiled brightly at your words, their pure love and adoration making him feel like he was on cloud nine. His hand dropped to your stomach, lightly rubbing it gently, “You two are the best things to have ever happened to me, ya know that?”
“I don't know. If we were, you’d throw in dinner with our little outing.”
He chuckled at that before bending down to get your clothing that he dropped; your pregnant brain was very food oriented, that was for sure. “Sure, we will go swimming, get dinner and then get some ice cream. How does that sound?”
You nodded happily, “I accept your proposition, now, if you’ll excuse me.” You grabbed your clothes with a sweet smile before heading towards the bathroom to get changed. You knew that Iruka had always treated you like the queen you were, and you were excited to see how he would treat your child when they asked for things.
Closing the door, you looked down at your stomach lovingly - “You are one lucky kid, that's for sure. You’ll have your daddy wrapped around your finger as I do.”
#Iruka umino imagine#iruka umino imagines#iruka imagine#iruka imagines#iruka umino x reader#iruka x reader#naruto imagine#naruto imagines#naruto x reader#naruto fanfiction
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This is me requesting both Iruka×Naruto's big sister and her finding out she's a jinkuriki too please!! I need more big sister love with sweet Naruto!!
It Was About Time || Naruto Uzumaki x sister!reader
Part 1 : I've Got You Now 💫
Also Including : Iruka Umino x Uzumaki!fem!reader ( and Kakashi and Yamato )
A/n : Hiiiiii precious ! I'm so happy to finally post this ! It took me some time but I'm real happy with it so it was worth it ( for me at least 😂 ) I hope you'll like it 🌺
A/n 2 : This one is more based on the action and the growth of her and Iruka's relationship. Though I'm still open to ask about this specific series
Warning : Fluff
Masterlist ⚜
I don’t give permission to repost my work, if you want to share it just reblogue it
Words count : 2394
A lot of time had passed since you'd reunited with your little brother years after your separation. Your h/c hair intertwined with red bangs had grown a lot and well as much as you hated to say that Naruto was now taller than you. To say that a lot had happened since your arrival at Konohagakure would be an understatement. The day he discovered he was the Jinchuriki of Kyubi, his entry into team 7, Orochimaru's attack, the death of the IVth Hokage, Sasuke's departure.
He was eternally grateful to have you by his side in those moments. Admittedly, things were different now, and he had many friends, but the comfort of family was of added value to him.
You still lived in Naruto's little apartment. This in itself didn't bother you, since you weren't really home-loving and were always busy together or on your own, being out and about. On the other hand, you hadn't slept with him for a while. In fact, you lasted 1 month, after which you couldn't stand it any longer when he made you fall out of bed rolling around in his sleep. So you put a second bed in the apartment.
When you say you, you mean you and Iruka. In fact, he was the 1st person you met at Konohagakure, the 1st person to earn your trust. You both feel indebted to each other. You because he trusted you and, thanks to him, you found your long lost brother. And he because you gave his favorite student back his zest for life and now he had peace of mind knowing that Naruto was supported and cared for.
Over time, however, this gratitude turned into something else. Both of you knew that gratitude had nothing to do with meeting up in the evenings after his class, in a restaurant or going for a walk in the cool of the night talking about various subjects. You decide to live the thing quietly without questioning or asking questions about your relationship, it's not like you've already kissed right ?
That's what Iruka was thinking. He didn't want to burden you with his emotions, he knew he was clumsy in this kind of situation. He knew that at some point he was going to screw things up. In addition., Naruto had started a training session. Naruto had started a special training with Kakashi and Yamato and Iruka was sure that your brother needed your attention more than he did.
Little did he know that on each of your "dates" you wondered if he'd have the courage to kiss you. With time, however, you realized that he was shy and reserved, especially in this context, and that for that to happen you'd either have to pray to a lucky star or make the first move yourself.
But for the moment you weren't too concerned about that. You accompanied Naruto to his training session of the day, which he had well like every other day with Kakashi and Yamato. By the way, speaking of Yamato, he was nice but he always made funny faces. He'd stare into your eyes sometimes when you used your chakra. At the time, you didn't really understand why. And every time, Kakashi would appear out of nowhere and tell you not to worry, giving you an apologetic smile. But even his smile left you with a funny feeling in the back of your head ( even Naruto could sense something strange in your aura, which reminded him of his own, but he decided not to worry about it, reassuring himself that you were brother and sister )
In any case, today you had come to attend Naruto's training session. He'd told you he'd made a lot of progress. And you were as eager as he was to show you how. That's how you ended up on the training ground with - you must admit - a grandiose waterfall.
But then things took a completely unexpected turn. To perfect his technique, your brother needed to channel a great, great deal of chakra. He therefore had to borrow some from Kyubi. Except that dealing with so much power had its risks, like losing control. And that's exactly what happened before your stunned eyes. You knew that this situation had apparently happened twice before, once on his first mission with the new Team 7, under Yamato's orders, and again during his training with Jiraiya, on his 3-year journey.
When you saw the face of the fox demon your brother was harboring, you panicked. Little by little, you saw the tails appear, just as the toad hermit had described. You counted one, two, three... seven tails... you were speechless, unable to draw your gaze from his lava-red form. He repelled the assaults of Kakashi and Yamato with the greatest ease, it was disconcerting.
What was equally disconcerting for the two men on the ground was the way you were running straight towards the half-transformed form of Kyubi through Naruto's body. You weren't planning on letting him deal with this alone any time soon. Suddenly you saw one of the tails rise up and run towards you. You put your hands towards your face to protect yourself from the blow, which you were sure was going to be of unparalleled force. And as you waited for the pain to arrive, nothing happened. When you opened your eyes again, your body was surrounded by a glowing aura, which served as a kind of protective shell. What the heck was going on ?!?
Clearly you weren't the only one stunned, for you saw the half-Kyubi half-Naruto in front of you freeze, tilting his head to one side for a brief moment. Yamato's eyes widened as his theory was confirmed before his very eyes. Kakashi smirked and said, "Do you think you could give us a hand, Y/n ?"
Your only response was a confident nod. You were unfazed by what had just happened when you saw the state your brother was in. So you took a breath and resuled your run towards him, hoping to catch him and block him before forcing him to become human again. Or else you'd use the brutal method and knock him out.
With each new step you felt the chakra inside you bubble and warm up, in a way you'd never been able to feel before. Deep inside you heard a voice urging you to confront this creature that was torturing your brother's mind. Suddenly, it was as if the link between you and that inner voice solidified, creating a bridge. You felt as if time had stopped as you stood there in your inner self.
You found yourself face to face with a .... erm orange fox ? lying on a kind of large cushion, its two front paws gently crossed in front of it, its head set on them. As you stared at him, intrigued, he surprised you by opening one eye. He looked at you with his red eye before finally speaking in a deep voice "Finally, it was about time ! I thought you were going to let me sleep here for the rest of your life. Even your brother managed to awaken the part of me he was hosting"
You looked at him with round eyes. Could it be that a part of Kyubi was also locked within you ? Without realizing it, tears welled up in your eyes and you began to pour down your cheeks. Minato, your father hadn't used you as a diversion like you always though. He trusted you with this, the proof being the part of Kyubi that had been sealed inside you. You were so happy he hadn't let you down.
"Hey kid, I don't want to spoil your emotional moment, but I think they need you out there" he told you this time, his voice holding an ounce of friendliness. This part of him seemed far less enraged than the one that was inside Naruto.
"Yes, it's true-" and just like that you snapped out of your trance to realize that only a second had passed in the real world. As you continued to dodge the attacks of those tails to reach him, you thought that maybe those two parts of Kyubi weren't purely identical, and that they both had their own temperament. With the incredible amount of chakra he lent you, you were able to skillfully avoid all the attacks and get closer to your brother's body.
Suddenly, you saw an opening, you screamed gathered your chakra in your fist and you reluctantly struck a blow into his torso. Sending him tumbling into a rock, after blowing up a tree in the process. Yamato ran over to Naruto, who could be seen again the more Kyubi's chakra faded. He wanted to make sure he was all right and that Kyubi wouldn't regain control. Kakashi, for his part, walked casually up to you to congratulate you "Hey Y/n good jo-"
He didn't even have time to finish his sentence before you fainted. He barely had time to run and catch you on his back before you collapsed to the ground. He barely caught you and made sure you were secure on his back before standing up. He quickly ran his hand over your pulse to make sure your heart was still beating, and when he turned around he saw Yamato carrying Naruto on his back in the same way he had. It seemed that the siblings were as out as each other.
. . .
"I came as quickly as I could. Is she all right ?" a worried and breathless voice asked.
"But yes don't worry about that. She's just a little groggy, that's all. She deployed a lot of chakra" replied Kakashi in a relaxed tone. He knew you were going to get through this way easier than anyone thought. You were just like your little brother.
"B-but how did that happen ?" he asked stuttering.
"It would seem that Tenzo's theory about her having some of Kyubi's chakra inside her was well-founded-"
"Huh ?!? So that's what I felt ! I-I have to go see her" he said in a hurried tone.
"Well go on what are you doing here ? Go for it" Kakashi replied, pushing him towards your room.
Iruka, under Kakashi's guidance moved towards the door and after taking a deep breath before turning the handle and gently pushing the door open. He was extremely concerned about your well-being. In fact, when he saw you lying like that in bed, he felt his heart clench. He knew his fears were irrational, for you were a strong kunoichi, but he couldn't help the way his heart was beating at that moment.
"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you" he mumbled
"Why are you speaking as if I were dead Iruka ?" you said, turning to him. In fact you'd been awake for a long time, you were just staring out of the window. He yelped and jumped back before retracing his steps closer to your hospital bed. He took you carefully in a loving, longing embrace.
"How do you feel ? Are you feeling well ? You're not dizzy ? Or trouble breathing ? Maybe I'm choking you-"
"Hey relax Iruka" you said as you gently placed your hand on his cheek, looking straight into his eyes for comfort "I swear I feel fine"
At that moment he didn't know what got into him. His gaze dropped for a split second to your lips and it was as if he'd just realized that your mouth looked really soft to kiss. He felt unable to resist any longer. His voice was barely above a whisper.
"Can I-" but you cut him off as if you were thinking the same thing he was "Please."
And the red rose to his cheek as he pressed his lips to yours. Expressing all his love for you. The kiss was kinda sloppy because of his lack of experience, but that didn't take away from how good it felt to finally kiss the man you loved.
After a while, when he stepped back, he was out of breath and flushed. In short, adorably flustered. His hand couldn't stop rubbing his other arm as he looked down at the ground. He couldn't get over how good it felt.
"And now Iruka thanks to you I feel even better" you said smiling mischievously, adding a tinge of red to his flustered face.
"You're welcome" he stammered.
"Tell me, would you help me get even better ?" you teased unsure whether or not he'd play along.
"O-of c-course" he said, leaning towards you and pressing his lips to yours. This time his hands went behind your back and he pressed you a little closer to his chest. As you wrapped your arms around his neck. The kiss seemed much more passionate than last time, as if he had improved in such a short time.
You were just giving a series of sweet pecks on his lips when suddenly the door opened "Hey ! Nii-chan how are youUUUUUUUU ?!? Iruka sensei ! What the hell ?!? Are you kissing my sister ?!?" Naruto's voice dripped with surprise as it took on a high-pitched tone.
Poor Iruka jumped back 2 meters from your bed as he heard Naruto's high pitched scream "It's not what you think ? I came to see if everything was all right..." and as if he wasn't convinced himself, he sheepishly added "Okay, that's what you think, but B-but she means a lot to me. And with your approval, I'd like to see her again" he said, leaning in Naruto's direction. He wished he had Naruto's consent too, but he knew full well that even without it he couldn't help being away from you.
Naruto squinted his eyes at his former teacher "It's up to her to make this choice but I'll never be far away so be very careful" he said with a falsely threatening air that was menacing all the same.
Iruka nodded eagerly before turning his attention back to you. You took his hand and nodded towards him, rubbing your thumb over the back of his hand "It was about time right ?" you said hearing the part of Kyubi you beared chuckled lightly within you.
~
~
A/n : I hope you guys liked it ! 🍰🍣 Again my requests are open 🍞🍮
Taglist : @foxxymunson, @cl0vr, @ilovemanypeople, @glossy1pearl, @jane57sstuff
#naruto#naruto imagine#naruto shippuden#naruto shippuden imagine#naruto uzumaki x reader#naruto uzumaki#naruto uzumaki imagine#naruto uzumaki fluff#iruka sensei x reader#iruka umino x reader#iruka sensei imagine#iruka umino#kakashi hatake#kakshi hatake x reader#yamato tenzo#yamato tenzo x reader#request#fluff#miri-writes
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Don't See Yourself As a Cuckoo
I started reading Chica Umino's March Comes In Like a Lion after years of hearing about its great outlook on characters dealing with a variety of emotional issues. In particular, its main character, Rei Kiriyama and his struggles to come to terms with his past involving a surrogate parental figure who raised him after his family died, but ignored their own kids for the sake of Rei's future.
I see this first hand near the end of the 1st volume when Rei reminisces about the past and how he got into shogi.
It's scary that I felt the same as Rei about 13 years ago. I remember one time where I felt like I was dragging my family down a hell hole when we moved into a new living situation. I was dealing with so much uncertainty and didn't know how to handle it. I think at the time, we had limited resources. I felt that I was selfish because I wanted to move to a better place badly over everyone else's preferences, but my sister reminded me that I wasn't the only one who wanted out. She even said my thinking was warped. I think I was just so afraid of hurting my family and felt they had to do so much for my depression. I wanted them to stop helping me. I felt like a cuckoo despite not actually being a cuckoo.
When I look back at that time now, I realized that I was facing a new situation that I was overreacting to. It's fine to react in ways that make you fearful, but there's a point where it affects your relationships in not-so-healthy ways. You have to be realistic and trust in the people around you despite what your inner critic says.
Rei's quote about being a bird and free of emotional pain reminded me of my experiences with birds. I used to have a pet African finch and felt that he had it much easier than me. He got to eat, sing, fly around, sleep, poop, etc. And then I remember my finch lived in a cage and was taken care of by creatures (i.e. human beings) that he can't exactly communicate with. There's no freedom for him here. And even if my finch was free and roaming, he would have to deal with how vicious wild birds are due to being domesticated. My finch died in 2019 after 11 years of raising him and while I do think he lived a long life for his kind, I have to be careful in saying he lived a good life.
After my finch died, I later discovered an avian center that housed birds of all kinds that were on display while walking on a lunch break from work. There were a variety of them living in a special housing display for everyone to see. All of them were either injured, old, and/or couldn't be raised by regular folks. I had a lot of joy looking at those birds and would walk by to see them almost all the time. Some of them did die over time, but the birds reminded me how important it is to recognize that we deserve people to care for us when life deals us a terrible hand. I still stop by the avian center bird display because all the birds there are precious to me.
I sometimes wished I was a bird because it sucks being sad a good amount. It sucks to cry when you least expect it. And then I think about what that actually will entail. I don't want to anthropomorphize animals because it's hard to compare.
The grand truth is that everyone and everything (humans/animals/plants) goes through pain in some fashion. We decay and wither from time to time. That's how life works. Obviously, some pain isn't worth it. But I feel that we have to appreciate to a certain degree how we learn who we really are through our rough experiences. They make us value what's important in our lives. Despite whatever gaslighting we may get, we can get through the pain and/or live with it in healthy ways.
I will say that one thing I notice about birds is that they're usually together a lot. During the 1st year of COVID, I saw a family of mourning doves living in the back of my place for a short time. It was one of the cutest things I ever saw. The parents would fly away to look for food, while the kids parked themselves at their temporary home. I don't know how they're doing now, but I like to think that they're doing okay out there. Whenever I see families of mourning doves, I think of that one family.
Maybe a part of me still wants to be a bird - soaring into the air and being out in nature, free of modern life constraints. The real cuckoo isn't me; it's those who want us to ignore the interdependence of all things that truly makes human beings feel that they matter.
If you ever feel like you're a cuckoo, it's not your fault. You're a person who deserves the unconditional foundation to live a life full of love to process the pain you unfortunately had to deal with.
Much like what the manga seems to entail, springtime is a time to renew yourself with others around, whether human or animal, after the harshness of winter.
#March Comes In Like a Lion#manga#anime#Rei Kiriyama#depression#solitude#loneliness#birds#psychology of birds
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finally finished birdmen. many thoughts.
overall, it was a fun and interesting read, and a good way to pass the time, but the ending left me feeling dissatisfied. in general, i feel like the last half of the story -- although clearly planned out and interlocking with previous parts of the story -- sort of got away from tanabe yellow's original focus and premise.
in the beginning, birdmen presented itself as a sort of speculative sci-fi story that, among other things, asks questions about what it means to "fit in" with a collective, as well as about humanity's seeming endless tendency to find conflict and do terrible things to each other. it brings up questions about selfishness vs selflessness as well.
now birdmen does this through the driving "conflict" of the story, which is the protagonist and his friends' transformation from human into a different species that is similar to yet different from humanity. birdmen can act as a collective by connecting their minds (hence the questions about "fitting in"); they can hear the voices of other living things, and feel compelled to help them when they are desperate or in pain due to experiencing sympathetic pain themselves (leading to questions about "selfishness vs selflessness" and heroism); and they must regularly engage in combat with monsters formed from the psychological shadows left in their subconscious, which promises to the readers the idea that our main cast of birdmen's psyches will be extremely relevant to the story. later on, different birdmen develop different powers according to their personalities and needs, which once again hinges heavily on the psychology of the individual.
unfortunately, the questions and promises brought about by the first half of the story failed to be carried through in the second. the cast expands from our group of birdmen in japan to cover the entire world, and as a result, the author begins moving the plot quickly to focus on developments across the globe. perhaps because she wanted to wrap up the story in a reasonable number of chapters, she begins focusing more on introducing new characters into the cast and explaining their role in the plot, their motivations, etc rather than focusing in on the group of "birdmen" she introduced in the beginning.
the blackouts don't end up meaning much to the story; defeating them doesn't seem to have any concrete effect on the characters or promise any development (or un-development). it soon becomes more of an afterthought to the story rather than a focus. the main cast members introduced at the beginning fade out of importance in the second half, which feels strange, considering the amount of "screentime" that was dedicated to examining their families, problems, and psychological states that led to the development of their powers.
in the main group, we had an "anti-human" power as well as a "linker" who could connect birdmen and humans as if they were the same "birdmen" species. throughout the story it's stated how this "linker" power is a very important, rare, and potentially dangerous ability. still, we don't really get to see any stories develop around sagisawa's "anti-human" tendencies, nor much focus on umino's "linking" tendencies and continued attachment to humanity. to be clear: this linking ability was used, but the story failed to follow through on its implications for umino's philosophy and worldviews.
we were also given glimpses in the first half about how karasuma, our main character, is a very selfish person who viciously fights for what he considers important to him, which also makes him dangerous. his "bellwether" ability gives him the ability to control others by force. i didn't feel that the story adequately grappled with what that says about him. we had a few moments where he was frightened by his power and what he did with it, but it felt like we were just getting a taste of what was supposed to be a feast. and then the story ended without really delving into it further.
i could name a few more examples, but the long and short of it is that i feel tanabe yellow lost track of what gave the story a lot of its draw in the beginning. which isn't to say it wasn't an enjoyable story. but i feel like it could have been much more. like, if she had used another 100 chapters or so to discuss everything...
but that would take really long to explain my thoughts about so i'll just put a non-exhaustive list of questions that tanabe yellow never finished following through with in the story.
ende having one black wing and one white wing implied two evolutionary paths for the birdmen, and takayama's "evolution" into a white-winged seraph rather than a black-winged one further supports this idea. what does a white wing mean?
ende is a naturally born seraph. when eva escaped, she obtained gene information from ende. it doesn't seem like eden knew about ende, so how were eva and the first generations of seraphs created? are there other natural born seraphs? why or why not?
what did takayama mean when he said there were many worlds? why does he know that?
why did alva say that takayama belonged outside the network of birdmen? are there other individuals like takayama who guide the evolution of other species on other worlds?
if takayama was "born" from eva, who was "born" from ende, why does he have "administrative privileges" over the evolving birdmen race when ende and eva don't seem to exhibit that ability? (as far as we know; it's a possibility they did, but left it to takayama)
what did takayama mean when he said he wanted to rewrite the rules of this world?
for the white haired guy who was following guang feng, he had the ability to create new powers after analyzing and collecting data from many different birdmen. did he ever find another person with the same secondary ability as him, and how far did he go with his vision?
guang feng was shown to be creating a "cult" of sorts where the strong survive (against the blackouts) and the weak are culled; however, when karasuma and his group met up with him, this didn't really get discovered or mentioned. so did he or anyone else ever experience any consequences for that or what
how did the birdmen come to a consensus about the evolution of their species?
takayama said that karasuma didnt have to be one of the seven of the beginning, but that he was part of it now because takayama chose him. what might the evolution of the species have looked like if he'd chosen someone else as the "first"?
takayama seemingly granted maleika a pretty dangerous power, "eraser," which can sort of psychologically "reset" someone. it was commented upon as a very dangerous power... however we never really lean exactly how it works, or its full implications of what it does to a person's mind. does "erasing" someone's emotions make you distant from new experiences that were important to you?
in the first half of the story, it was stated that birdmen tend to become psychologically distant from humans, sort of like humans dont really matter to them. but after that, we don't really see that behavior developing beyond perhaps "the ability to deal with humans calmly" (as opposed to emotionally). and that's not even true a lot of the time, there are a lot of birdmen who still have emotional connections with humans. so where did that psychological distance go?
of the seven of the beginning that takayama chose, why were they, specifically, needed to guide the evolution of the birdmen? if it was merely a matter of broadcasting intents to the world, karasuma and barbara would likely have been enough.
the story introduced "second abilities" (which suggests the ability that third, fourth, etc. abilities can be awakened) but these didn't really play an important role in the story. "firestarter" for example wasn't used to do anything but persuade barbara to come along with karasuma's group to search for the other members of the 7. how do second abilities work & can you develop other birdmen's primary abilities as your second ability?
how does saqr's illusion ability work against blackouts and why is it only visible to birdmen? what happened to his brothers in the end?
does becoming a birdman grant you freedom or separate you from what you once loved?
cat was introduced as a new member of the main group who probably would have been a guide to eden. in the end she played a minor role at best. what did she end up doing? why was she brought into the story?
karasuma's been mentioned before as having a very great anger and hatred. is he capable of directing that towards another birdman? why or why not? (i'm a little sad we didn't see this side of him become a bigger threat to himself/others that needed to be taken care of.)
being exposed to karasuma's feelings of anger and hatred was the first time takayama ever really felt like that too. so we know takayama seems to be missing some fundamental part of human psychology. why is he missing it more than the other birdmen are missing it? after full integration into the species, are birdmen capable of feeling anger or hatred? (i'm also very sad that "takayama learning about negative human feelings" didn't become a bigger problem and threat for others to take care of. it could have been a great opportunity for karasuma and takayama to play off each other...)
there are obviously disagreements between birdmen about how things should be done. however, as a species, they are collaborative and don't fight. is it that they "wont" or that they "cant" fight each other? what are some examples of how their instincts towards each other are different from how humans are different towards each other? is there a way to see what that looks like under pressure or outside stress? if birdmen recognize humans as beings "similar to them" or "something i once was", why do they not have the same instincts towards humans?
will takayama ever manage to explain himself to karasuma?!?!?!
some of these questions, you can probably come up with a reasonable in-universe explanation for them. however, i'm not raising these questions in search of a technical explanation. rather, i'm asking them in order to illustrate how many story elements never got to see the completion of their storyline.
i would have liked to see a longer story that dove more in-depth into these things, and it would have been great if the psychological development of our main beginning cast had had wider implications for the world at large. in the end, though, only karasuma and takayama really had a huge role in things. it's a bit sad.
still, i'm glad they got a nice slice-of-life ending.
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OC PROFILE - KAORI YUMENO
*~*~*
BASICS
Name - Kaori Yumeno
Birthdate - December 21
Age - 13-14 Years (Part 1), 17-18 Years (Shippuden), 20-21 Years (The Last), 21-27 Years (Blank Period), 33-34 Years (Boruto)
Birthplace - Konohagakure (Village Hidden in the Leaves)
Pronouns - She/Her
Nationality - Hinokoku (Land of Fire)
*~*~*
APPEARANCE
Hair Color - Pinkish Wine Red
Eye Color - Pink
Height - 4'10" (~147.32 cm)
*~*~*
PERSONALITY
Best Traits - Determined, Clever, Hardworking, Caring.
Worst Traits - Hot-Headed, Rude, Bottles up thoughts.
Mannerisms - Left-Handed, Crosses arms often.
What they hate the most - Failure, Snobby people.
What's most important to her - Her friends, becoming the best genjutsu user in the world.
Secrets - Cries often. She is constantly questioning herself and feels like a failure. Bottles up these feelings, and sometimes her emotions explode and she takes it out on the people and things around her.
Do they get along with or avoid other people - Avoids, even though she craves friends and attention. Will never admit this, but will always appreciate being included.
*~*~*
FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Parents/Guardians - None (She might get a parent later but I haven't decided yet)
Siblings - None
Significant Other - Rock Lee (Boyfriend in The Last, Husband in Blank Period and onward)
Children - Metal Lee (Son), Jewel Lee (Daughter)
Pets/Animal Companions/Summons - Unnamed Snake Summon (They're a work in progress lmao sorry)
Teacher(s)/Sensei(s) - Suzume (academy sensei [kunoichi instructor]), Iruka Umino (academy sensei), Anko Mitarashi (Genin sensei)
Friends - Tenten, Rock Lee, Neji Hyuga, Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, Ino Yamanaka, Hinata Hyuga, Akua Koizumi, Chihiro Osaka
Best Friend(s) - Tenten, Akua Koizumi, Chihiro Osaka
Enemies - Akatsuki Organization, Orochimaru, Madara Uchiha, Kabuto Yakushi
Acquaintances - Kiba Inuzuka, Akamaru, Shino Aburame, Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akamichi, Kakashi Hatake, Might Guy, Kurenai Yuhi, Asuma Sarutobi, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, Sai Yamanaka, Hanabi Hyuga, Sasuke Uchiha, Hiashi Hyuga
*~*~*
OTHER AND FANDOM SPECIFICS (Naruto)
Occupation - Leaf Shinobi (Ninja, Kunoichi)
Rank - Genin (Part 1), Chunin (Shippuden), Jonin (The Last, Blank Period)
Chakra Nature - Wind
Kekkei Genkai - None
Affiliations - Hinokoku (Land of Fire), Konohagakure (Village Hidden in the Leaves), Allied Shinobi Forces (5th Division), Team Anko
Other Names/Nicknames/Aliases - Kaori Lee, Kaori Yumeno-Lee
Blood Type - AB-
Favorite Food - Ice Cream
Least Favorite Food - Unagi
Hobbies - Flower arranging, rock collecting
*~*~*
Brief Description:
Kaori has reddish-pink hair and pink eyes.
Her academy grades were nothing to look at, with Lee being the only one who scored worse than her during their graduation exam. She has very low stamina, and has little strength. She tries to push herself though, which causes her to pass out often. What she lacks in physical strength, though, she more than makes up in her ability to use Genjutsu. Poisons and Senbon are also incorporated in her abilities, to make her jutsu that more deadly.
Kaori is short-tempered, but it mainly stems from a lack of self esteem in herself. Hates talking about it, so if she's opening up to you, you're special no doubt about it. Really admires Rock Lee and his constant determination and positive outlook on life. Strives to also be like that, but it's hard to change her ways. Will mellow out a bit as she gets older.
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Warm with Hope
Fandom: Naruto
Relationships: Senju Tobirama/Uchiha Madara
Characters: Senju Tobirama, Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Kagami, Umino Iruka
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Adoption, Family Feels, Hurt/Comfort, MadaTobi Week 2023, Day 1, Marriage, Day 2, Teashop
Summary:
“They aren’t coming, are they?” Kagami asked quietly. His cup of juice sat on the table untouched. Iruka shook his head and smiled brightly at him. Kagami hated that smile. It was the same one he gave every kid when they asked when it was their turn was to go home.
The answer, regardless of what Iruka actually said, was always ‘never’.
Word Count: 3,410
Link to it on Ao3
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Tell me your thoughts on any of the following: Jeff Cobb, Shota Umino, Matt Jackson.
i'm gonna give you all three... (¬‿¬)
jeff cobb: oh he's up there for sure. the little guy-big guy dynamic is so simple but it works on me because i have a single horny peanut for a brain. so i love when jeff gets to throw people around or bear hug them. he also has one of the best finishers ever conceived (see: aforementioned reasoning). fanny pack icon. interestingly enough i find him hot for the exact same reasons i find kenny hot, which is that specific beard plus wavy long hair look they have going on
shota umino: he's always been a little dull to me. it feels like he's one of those sequin pillows that someone is scratching at but they just can't make a solid pattern. i enjoy a lot of things about him; i'm super into his idol-like presentation, especially with this new long coat he has going—the light sticks, the bracelets, everything. they need to lean into it even more in fact. his matches can get formulaic fast though... he's largely dependent on what kind of opponent he has, but he's got potential
matt jackson: i'm perpetually scared of giving off the impression that i don't like matt because that's not the case at all. i think reading through killing the business is what endeared me to him the most, especially the segments touching on the responsibility he felt for his family during the indie days, being there for nick during their first tour in japan, stuff like that... i both don't want to know anything about celebs' private lives and value this kind of openness. one more thing: i'm not into the popular fandom characterization of him because that's not where the appeal lies TO ME! much like with his suplexes, he's a guy that tries to lift a little too much sometimes. and there's a lot to him that i feel gets overlooked and flattened. putting the man in a waffle iron and getting rid of his gorgeous curves
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Found Family Tournament Round 1 Part 19 Group 95
Propaganda and further pictures under the cut
Cheer Factory: Goo & Bot
Submissions are still open!
Cheer Factory:
waves at you . hi !!!!! (pastes in my pre made rant and slightly edits and adds onto i
you have NO IDEA how much ‘found family’ energy these two give off (unless yyou do . by coincidence.uhm)
like?? they find out theyre on the pink team and BOTH bot and goo shout “YEAHHH,, PINK TEAM !!” in unison . and then they immediately start getting along throughout the show . they are siblings to me they are the duo ever theyre like so silly theyre like two little kids in a trench coat/pos
okay so let me talk about bot first of all bot is . theyre heavily implied to be trans actually NO not heavily implied it’s practically CANON because bot is supposed to be the robot replica of a dead person named bow but later on they say they “aren’t bow” and that they wanna be a different person !!!! in the newer episodes literally when they were drawing what they wanna look like they put they/them on the paper and it was shown ON SCREEN !!!!!/pos/silly
and in the new episode they GOT their new look and when they noticed their eyelashes were gone and all the other cool details they got they said “it’s so… me !! :D”
ALSO: this small speech they gave
“yknow, lately ive been worried,, if i went by a different name, or maybe even ,, looked a little different.. i wouldnt be me anymore., but you helped me realize that,, no matter what you put out there.. youre still you” UWAHHHHHH/POS
okay now goo second of all goo is like the silliest little goofball ive seen on a web series . he dances with PINECONES and makes weird analogies and made a 3 hour film for bot after they came out he did NOT deserve to be voted out for that i really hope they reunite because they didnt get to talk much before goo’s elimination and not ONLY that but literally goo got eliminated BEFORE he got to see bot’s new look he doesn’t even know that their name is bot he still thinks its tbd as far as i know (also because the only pictures of them together so far are literally before bot got their new look so. im gonna have to separate them when i submit photos💔💔)
and the interaction right before his elimination was like kinda awkward unfortunately but it made me sob/hj
"yeah,, i liked it !! but.. it was,,. a lot :[ listen goo,, i-i dont need this new identity to be such a big grand spectacle , i just want you to treat me like. llike me . with all the uncertainty lately, it helps everything feel just a bit more,, normal , yknow .?"
“oh,, ohfor sure ,! i get it !! it’s like,, you just wanted a slice of cake, and i went and gave you the whole bakery ,:D !!”
“hehe, yyup, nailed it !! ,:)”
↑↑↑ UWAHHHHHHH😭/LH/POS
and third of all their alliance name they are literally called THE CHEER FACTORY because they wanna CHEER PEOPLE UP and they did !!!!! they cheered up clover and the floor ithink yes the floor is a character ssshshshshhsshh
and goo literally lost one of the challengesbecause he laughed at the floor’s joke AND HE DID NOT CARE he was just glad he got to cheer somebody up !!!!!
“another satisfied customer at the,, CHEER FACTORY !!! :D” LITERALLY HE WAS SO HAPPY
and also when they were separated into two seperate teams goo is IMMEDIATELY sad when he notices bot isnt with him “sigh… i guess the cheer factory has become the.., cheer llc. :[“ I FELT SO BAD FOR THE BOTH OF THEM also can you tell whos my favorite/hj/lh
anyways theyre silly theyre blorbos theyre the duo ever and thats why they should be in this competition
(psssssst pstpst hhey im not gonna force you or anything btw but watch this video that interviews goo after he got eliminated from the show please/nf/ ineed to provide more evidence/hj/lh) || https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eb4iAbI2f3s
goo literally made a video that was like 3 hours.long which was dedicated to bot's new identity after they said they were a robot and weren't "bow" and also they both have their own silly little alliance in the show called "The Cheer Factory" ❗❗❗ cmon theyre like. theyre literally like two little kids in a trenchcoat/silly theyrefound family siblings to me
Naruto & Umino:
everyone in the village hated naruto since the day he was born bc of the demon that lives in his insides somewhere (this sounds crazy if you haven't seen the show but trust me here). iruka was his teacher at school. when everyone was graduating, naruto failed and some side character told him that if he stole a secret scroll he'd pass (since he failed). they were using him tho, and were planning on killing him (i think). and then iruka goes after him and finds him with the scroll before the other person did, and was the first person to actively defend naruto, and was the first person to believe him and see him as the person he was (he's like 12 here btw). and then, iruka always acts as a father figure to naruto, and at the very end of the series, when naruto gets married, he asks iruka to be his father at his wedding. i cried like a little bitch and i swear to god i just lvoe them so much. i doubt anyone will submit them butAAAAAA. ALSO IRUKA PASSED HIM IN THE END AND GAVE HIM HIS OWN FUCKING HEADBAND!!! SOBS AND CRIES AND SCREAMS
iruka was the first person to ever believe in naruto. it’s mentioned throughout the story how much of an impact iruka had on naruto just by believing in him, and it’s super sweet. the real kicker is that at the end of the show, naruto asks iruka to play the role of his father at his wedding, and i will never not cry about it!! literally look at them!!! never shutting up about this!!
#tumblr polls#poll#polls#tournament poll#found family#found family tournament 2023#tumblr tournament#tournament#Cheer Factory#Inanimate Insanity#Naruto Uzumaki#Iruka Umino#Naruto#Goo#Bot
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🐶TEAM KIBA🐶
Artist: @microrockets, Writer: @jinxkirin
Title: Dragons of the Lost Kingdom
Word count: 42000
Rating:Teen
Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Tags: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Found Family, Family Feels, Family Secrets, Umino Iruka-centric, Yamato | Tenzou-centric, Knights - Freeform, Knight Kakashi, Witches, Elves, Elf/Human Relationship(s), Elf Gai, Knight Tenzou, Kitsune, kitsune naruto, fighting scenes, BAMF Umino Iruka, Prince Naruto, Snakes, I love snakes I swear, Brief Sensuality, Sexual Tension (if you squint), Non-Graphic Violence, Brief Non-Graphic Body Horror, Spell Failure, Shapeshifting, Death Threats, Non-Graphic Imprisonment, Underwater, Brief Non-Graphic Bad Guy Drowning, reference to past minor character death (loss of a parent) not the focus of the story, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Hatake Kakashi’s Freckles, Kakashi’s Freckes, witch Iruka, Minor Character Death, mention of past kidnapping, Assassination Attempt(s), nothing explicit it is still a teen rated fic, venomous snakes, Hostile Snakes, some snakes die in this fic but none were harmed irl, there was only one bedroll
Summary: A practicing witch accepted the role of a tutor to teach their little prince the ways of magic. He had his own agenda, though, and it didn't involve fleeing to the neighbouring kingdom with said prince on his back and the annoying captain of the royal guard as his pretend-husband, while an ordinary guard with the help of an elf fights off the evil forces that invaded their home.
🐶 Read this Kakairu Reverse Bang Collaboration on Ao3!🐶
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Chapter Update: Linked
Three more chapters down, not many more to go!!!
Linked (70742 words) by demonofabove
Chapters: 25/28
Fandom: Naruto
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Characters: Umino Iruka, Hatake Kakashi, Uzumaki Naruto, Tsunade (Naruto), ANBU (Naruto), Yamato | Tenzou, Shiho (Naruto), Hatake Kakashi's Ninken, Mitarashi Anko, Maito Gai | Might Guy, Shiranui Genma, Hagane Kotetsu, Kamizuki Izumo, Haruno Sakura, Sai (Naruto)
Additional Tags: KakaIru Maze Challenge 2022, Fuuinjutsu Master Umino Iruka, Strange Symbols, Handcuffed Together, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Misunderstandings, Crushes, awkward moments, soft, Domestic, Sharing a Bed, Mystery, Showers, Mutual Masturbation, Interrogation, ninken being dogs, Card Games, kakashi and iruka are embarrassed as hell, Research, Angst, Fear, Guilt, Visions, Memories, Tragedy, Heartbreak, Death, Child Death, Loss, Despair, Hurt/Comfort, Feels, Training, Workout, Flirting, BAMF Hatake Kakashi, Reading, Foreplay, Blow Jobs, Hand Jobs, Photographs, Discoveries, Torture, Nightmares, Missions, Cooking, Domestic Fluff, Family Fluff, Pranks and Practical Jokes, Enemies, Ruins, Grief/Mourning, Rescue, Underwater, Fuuinjutsu, Uzushiogakure | Hidden Eddy Village, The Fall Of Uzushiogakure | Hidden Eddy Village
Summary:
Kakashi and Iruka get handcuffed together in an accident, and the seal that has made the handcuffs indestructible, and is keeping them trapped together, is marked in another language that neither of them know; but for some reason, Iruka feels a strange connection towards the symbols.
As the two of them try to figure out how to break the seal and separate themselves once more, this feeling of Iruka's only grows stronger.
What happened, and why does Iruka feel so connected to the unknown language?
Why does he feel like something is calling out to him?
#kakairu-shrine#kakairu-fanfic#chapter update#kakairu#kkir#kakashi x iruka#hatake kakashi#umino iruka
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Syb Reviews G1 Climax 33 July 21
Oh this one was a card for me I watched a lot of it! LFG! I also have an unfiltered commentary on the match outcomes if people are interested, though there’s more kvetching in that one ;)
1. Yoshi-Hashi vs. Tanga Loa
Skipped this one, no deep connection to either wrestler
2. Ren Narita vs. Gabriel Kidd
GREAT match. Oh I popped so much the way my special boy Narita was the first to watch the tape and catch out Kidd on his sneak attack entrance. Excellent spots by both wrestlers, made me hope that Kidd has some better matchups moving forward in this block (I’ll be watching!). Mixed feelings on the finish, see my notes!
3. El Phantasmo vs. Great-O-Khan
Skipped. My best to the shoot guy behind El Phantasmo though, I hope he can see his family soon :(
4. Hikuleo vs Chase Owens
Skipped. No chase owens match etc
5. Will Ospreay vs. KENTA
The fact that Kenta pulled out the NOAH bullshit for this match overrode my dislike of Ospreay enough to catch this one. It was a good match! I think if you’re a Kenta enjoyer it’s definitely worth seeing, some delicious brutal kicks, nice back and forth, fun spots. Thoughts on the finish in my other notes!
6. Shota Umino vs. Kaito Kiyomiya
DELECTABLE. LOVED THEM. @dansedan described this as sparkly boy vs. sparkly boy and sooo true bestie. I *definitely* want more from this rivalry. Only match that I watched on this card that I thought the finish was perfect for mwahhhh
7. Kazuchika Okada vs. Taichi
Everyone out there saying this is a show-stealer match is SUPER right. Honestly the last three on this card are one banger after another, it’s really hard to pick which one is the must-see. Woaaaww both wrestlers brought it, and it was fun to see Kazu work a little more heel. Mean Preps vs. Terminally Online Goths match. See also my notes about the finish for this match.
8. SANADA vs. Yota Tsuji
HOW IS YOTA SO INSAAAANE IN ALL HIS MATCHES. WoAWWWWW like he’s just??? so???
Ahem. This match was fantastic. The way these two match up on charisma, vibes, wrestling power...the developing history between the Ex-LIJ Champ SANADA and the new-LIJ upstart Tsuji...ough it was SOMETHING ELSE seeing Tsuji be so goddamn over in SANADA’S HOMETOWN. WOW. A++ this match was fantastic, great main event.
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chapter three. >> part two here.
Title: Helping Hands (part 3 of ?) (AO3 Link Here)
Chapter Summary: The Lord and Caretaker settle into their new arrangement, but the shadows of the past remain always in their periphery.
Chapter Word Count: 5,867
Chapter Warnings: alcohol use, implied sexual content, NON-CONSENSUAL VOEYEURISM, character death (canonical), implied violence, fem!MC
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Iruka Umino grew up in a loving household; his father and mother were hardworking, diligent, and precise in everything they did.
And everything included doting on their only child, a boy born with tan skin, dark, unruly hair, and the most beautiful smile either of them had ever seen. Iruka had been a troublemaker as a young child, pulling pranks on his parents at every opportunity. He soon grew out of it, though, when he was old enough to begin following his father out on deliveries. The work they did was vital—delivering food to the many great houses that existed beyond the village limits was important work, and those who performed such duties well-regarded.
Iruka realized he was lucky to know he would one day take over his father’s business; one day be the person responsible for feedings his friends and neighbors and their families.
When he first began delivering to the Hatake Estate, Iruka hated it. The climb was steep, his horse irritable and frothing by the time they made it to the top of the drive. Lord Sakumo Hatake was kind, but strange, and Iruka was never quite sure how to interact with the man.
But the pretty face of the woman who was most often in the kitchen when he made his deliveries helped a little. His ears turned pink when she smiled at him, patted his shoulder. She was kind and easy, not stodgy or easily irritated like so many of the other Housekeepers and Maids he usually dealt with.
He would duck his head and scratch his nose, a nervous habit he developed when he first received the scar there—an unfortunate incident of a horse bucking as he attempted to saddle it when he was a teenager. He’d picked the scab over it so many times that he continued doing so long after it finally healed and the itch abated.
Iruka’s parents could not have known that sending their son to make deliveries on his own would one day have such a profound impact on his life. They noticed, of course, as parents were keen to do, that his deliveries on Wednesdays began to take more and more time, that he would return flushed and happy from his stop at the Hatake Estate.
At first, they worried a little, unsure about who might be there taking up his attentions; after the man who owned the house had died, they heard no rumors of an heir come to take ownership of it.
But then one week a young woman came into their shop in the village, cheeks rosy and hair whipped into a frenzy from her ride, to ask if it would be possible to make some last minute alterations to her upcoming grocery delivery. And as they spoke with her, they noted how easy her smile was, how gentle her laugh, how polite and kind she seemed.
They no longer worried for Iruka, even if perhaps they should have. Of course, what parents could be blamed for not seeing what might be in the heart of the person their child loves? They were blinded by Iruka’s naked affection, and it induced in them a belief that those same feelings must be returned.
For who could not love a man as sweet as Iruka?
Mrs. Umino knew she shouldn’t fall prey to gossip, but she found herself unable to hold her curiosity at bay forever. As she took the strangely robust order for delivery the following day, Mrs. Umino asked quietly, “Is someone expected at the house?”
The woman’s mouth curled up at each end. “Lord Kakashi has already arrived—unannounced—in the middle of the evening,” she whispered, leaning forward conspiratorially.
The older woman could see immediately why her son was spending so much time atop the steep hill where the Hatake Estate was nestled, and she could not blame him.
If she were a young man, she imagined she would be just as stricken with admiration for the woman in charge of the house as her son appeared to be.
Iruka’s mother said nothing to him of Lord Kakashi’s appearance, choosing to allow him to stumble upon the information himself when he made his usual ride up to the Manor. Even when he knit his brows in confusion at the large order and asked about its provenance, Mrs. Umino and her husband—whom she had made privy to the information the preceding evening—only shared a conspiratorial glance and shrugged.
Young love, of course, is a fickle thing. But that was a lesson Iruka would have to learn in time and on his own; his parents were powerless to prevent his heart from being handled carelessly. And the woman he gave his to was incapable of returning that love to him in a way that meant anything—even if she perhaps wished that were not the case.
Still, they continued to meet in the stables after that first time, Iruka and his parents oblivious to the impending disaster.
Every Wednesday, as always, Iruka would complete his other deliveries, leaving the Hatake residence for last. Once he brought the groceries in, he would sneak away to the stables either to wait for the Caretaker, or to find her there already waiting for him.
Her skin smelled like the dry hay they laid on, her mouth tasted like apples when they ripened in the fall, like strawberries in the summer. She felt soft and beautiful in his hands, the way her body arched against his made his mind reel, his heart race.
And he knew he was in love.
Unbeknownst to either Iruka or his lover, the Lord of the mansion the stables belonged to continued to watch them through the cracks in the wood.
Lord Kakashi knew he should be ashamed of spying, but the exhilaration was too great to deny. And though he tried to tell himself he did not seek them out, he knew there was no other reason to account for his newly-divined habit of taking an afternoon walk following his tea, which somehow always managed to bring him close by the stables on Wednesday afternoons.
Sometimes, he only listened—the soft rustling of the hay and the Caretaker’s skirts, the gentle plucking sound of their kisses, the high whine held in her throat as Iruka touched her and the soft grunt when he finished.
Upon one such occasion, Lord Kakashi did not leave quickly enough. Not expecting the Caretaker to jump up almost as soon as Iruka had finished, apologizing for her abrupt departure, but telling him she was quite behind schedule with her chores for the day as she fixed her hair and adjusted her dress.
Iruka, though he was a bit confused, smiled and told her not to worry. She leaned down to give him a kiss on the forehead in thanks and Kakashi realized that where he was standing would be directly in her path back to the house.
He scrambled to appear as if he were only just now walking by the stables, but she was quicker than he expected, and only a moment later, they were face-to-face.
“Oh! Lord Kakashi,” she said, stepping back. Kakashi watched as she swallowed, and though he heard Iruka scrambling out of the hay, he had the decency not to react, even when her panicked eyes flicked toward the stables in response. “Did you need something?”
Lord Kakashi cleared his throat, striving for normalcy out of respect for her dignity as well as deference to his own. “I thought I might… go for a ride,” he said, rather unconvincingly.
Her eyes widened, concerned he might find his way to the stables before Iruka had time enough to leave himself.
She stalled, “I did not think you normally rode in the afternoons.”
Lord Kakashi, aware of her tactics, smiled and took another step closer. “That’s correct, though as Lord of Hatake Manor, I imagine I am allowed to alter my schedule if I should so choose.”
“Yes!” she said, a little too loudly, hoping to camouflage the sound of Iruka climbing into his saddle. “Of course! I just did not think you usually had occasion to be near the stables at this time of day.”
Lord Kakashi grinned, feeling emboldened for reasons he could not pinpoint. Perhaps it was the way her hair was still a little lopsided and obviously tousled from her activities, or the fact that he could clearly hear the pounding of the horse’s hooves as Iruka departed, which left her grimacing.
Whatever the reason, he leaned forward and said, “I find many occasions to be many places, some of them far more intriguing than others.”
With that, Lord Kakashi turned back toward the house, leaving the Caretaker to stare after him in shock. Because suddenly there was no doubt in her mind that Lord Kakashi knew about her encounters with Iruka in the stable—knew them to be of an indecent nature. The smirk he had sported as he spoke said so plainly.
But what startled her most was that while she knew she should feel violated at having been discovered—and perhaps even watched—in an intimate position by the man who owned the house for which she worked, she did not.
Instead, she found all she felt was… exhilarated by the prospect.
Lord Kakashi felt much the same as he retreated into the house, heart still racing from his bold confession.
It had been a very long time since Lord Kakashi found himself in any intimate company and the noise of the young lovers tangled together in the afternoons had always tugged at something in his gut. He missed the feel of another in his bed; wished, perhaps, there was someone he could call to the stables with him.
Not the Caretaker, certainly, but someone.
There were no such companions to be found, however—neither in this land nor the one he left behind. And so he satisfied himself with spying on others’ romance. Satiated his desire to enjoy another’s flesh by reading dirty romance books in his bed at night and calling forth the memories he stole from the stables to satisfy his errant urges.
To live through others must suffice, he told himself. He was not cruel enough to expect anyone to tether their life—their destiny and happiness—to a man still broken by his past, still anchored in the losses he had suffered.
Sometimes, he thought of Rin Nohara and he wondered if they could have built a happy existence together. He wondered if one day their shared grief would no longer have sliced between them, keeping them apart, but wound around them like a blanket against the chill of winter.
He wondered, but it mattered not how often he thought of her.
Rin Nohara was dead, as was her fiancé Obito Uchiha. Both killed by Kakashi’s own inadequacy. Each remained a bloody, broken specter in his dreams, dark red stains on his pale hands.
Kakashi Hatake, at the moment he came to visit his father’s Estate for the first time, was incapable of being the sort of man who could love or marry. His heart had been torn into too many small pieces by the agony of his losses, the precious people who had fled his side into the afterlife.
When Obito Uchiha was washed out to sea, foot caught in a line that should have been secured under his Commander’s watchful eyes, he had taken much of Lord Kakashi with him. His superior officer, his friend, had let him down, sent him to his death. Lord Kakashi watched as Obito’s body flung over the side of their ship, as it rattled and bounced against the wood. Obito’s body was pulverized beyond recognition before it plunged into the sea, beyond Lord Kakashi’s grasp. The wounds the commanding officer had received in return—rope burns over his hands and a searing slice over his eye that nearly blinded him from the line as he attempted in futility to grasp it, to reel Obito back to safety—seemed hardly severe enough admonishment for the misfortune. It was in the wake of that loss that Lord Kakashi took leave from his command to deliver the news to Obito’s intended himself. A beautiful girl with dark brown hair and lovely, warm doe eyes named Rin Nohara.
The last words Obito had ever uttered, as he spilled over the rail of the ship to be broken apart and plummeted below into the dark, inescapable depths, had been, “Take care of Rin.”
(At least, these were the words Lord Kakashi heard. It is impossible, however, to know for certain whether Obito said anything of the kind. The roar of the waves and the storm, the sharp crack of splintering wood, were so loud that not a single curse could have been truly understood over the whole of it. In truth, it is more likely Lord Kakashi simply made up the exclamation as a way to punish himself—one final wish of a dead man to anchor himself to. The problem was that such an anchor may not always be a matter of safety, but sometimes decimation.)
But either way, with those words carved into this heart, Lord Kakashi had endeavored to honor his friend’s last wish. His salary went almost exclusively to Rin’s care—securing her a future and a home as she grieved in agonizing solitude for the man who was meant to be her husband. Once medically and honorably discharged because of the damage to his eye, Lord Kakashi returned home and brought Rin with him, promised himself to her in Obito’s stead—as if he could ever truly be a replacement for the man who had so loved her and whom she had given her heart to willingly rather than from necessity and obligation.
When they were married, Rin cried and Lord Kakashi knew it was not from the happiness of their arrangement.
They had stayed in separate rooms, at his suggestion, and Rin seemed in no haste to be his wife in any way but name. Lord Kakashi, perhaps foolishly, but undoubtedly in desperation, sought other companionship in her place. He spent many long nights drinking and gambling with his tawdrier naval acquaintances, often deciding to hire companionship for an evening or two to satisfy the persistent, lonely ache created by the empty space in his bed.
If he had known what a delicate thing Rin had become in the wake of Obito’s untimely demise, perhaps he would have been more careful. But he was angry, bitter; the loss of his father and his best friend, the marriage undertaken out of sense of duty and not of love, all took their toll. And he made mistakes.
When hadn’t he made mistakes?
Lord Kakashi had not grown up with firearms, but had come to know them in the course of his naval service. He was naturally good with both pistol and rifle, though he preferred the first given the option. He had never discharged his weapon during his time at sea, except to shoot at birds occasionally as the ship he commanded listed on the water waiting for a better wind.
After he left his post in the Navy behind, though, with his left eye half-blind and his mind no longer as clear or precise as it had once been, Lord Kakashi struggled to hit targets—living or clay.
He would often, in those days after his doomed marriage, invite friends to shoot in the afternoons before they undertook their evening plans of gambling and drinking.
He was never drunk when he shot—refused to be because of the danger. Especially with his eye, Lord Kakashi had to concentrate for his aim to be even within range of the clay pigeons or straw men they used for practice.
His discharge revealed itself to be a mercy; Lord Kakashi’s subordinates and peers would laugh at his calamitous attempts to fire his weapon if they could see him try his hand at target practice with his damaged eye.
And then, one afternoon just like all the others, he and his friends had undertaken a few hours of shooting as they often did. They’d been at it for quite some time and the sun was beginning to bow behind the horizon.
"Should we go, Kakashi?" someone asked. He didn’t even remember who the voice belonged to, even as it rang out clear and loud between his ears. The lack of a title meant it must be one of his less dignified acquaintances, though that might have been true of any man on the lawn that day.
Before he could agree it was time to take their leave, something caught Lord Kakashi’s attention, moving just beyond the tree line, and so he shook his head. “Just one more, I think,” he said, lowering his weapon toward the bird flitting between the branches.
He shot, cursing when he missed. But he had at least been close enough to send the creature flying from the branches along with a thousand others—a flock of silent birds once hidden in the shadows revealed in an instant, loud and frenetic as they took to the sky. Lord Kakashi followed the great flock’s movements, gun trained on the massive, synchronized group of birds as it raced away into the deepening sunset. Their screams were high-pitched, panicked.
He would never forget the sound.
“My Lord?”
Bang.
He fired, but the shot rang wide because of his damaged eyesight. He lowered his weapon, gritting his teeth at his inadequacy as not a single bird fell to the ground. The flock soared off into the distance, undeterred by his firing, a thousand pairs of fluttering wings beating through the air. And still, he did not realize the magnitude of what he’d done.
It was not the sound of Rin’s body hitting the grass, but the noise of her choking, gasping breath as the blood pooled in her lungs, that finally dragged his attention away from the stupid birds.
Rin Nohara, coming out onto the lawn to ask if he and his friends would like to stay for dinner at the house, had been pierced by his errant bullet.
His own eyes could not have possibly discerned the way she leaned to the side in order to effectively intercept his aim. Lord Kakashi had no way of knowing that Rin had plodded back and forth along the hall of their shared house for long hours, watching the men in the yard, looking for one she knew could not possibly be among them.
Rin had no way to tell her husband what darkness truly laid in her heart, nor would he have been capable of hearing it if she had made the attempt. So lost were they in their individual grieving, swept away in their regrets and misfortunes, they never could have found their way to one another.
That his wife took a bullet from his own weapon was indeed a great tragedy, but Kakashi Hatake would have lost his wife one way or another eventually, no matter the means. This truth did nothing to ease the pain of the moment, however, nor to assuage the dark shadows of the deed as they followed Lord Kakashi into the future.
Rin Nohara’s heart stopped as she lay in her husband’s arms, coating his hands and his clothes with blood he would never be able to wash away, no matter how often he cleaned them. It took him two days to scrub the sticky red residue of her final moments from beneath his fingernails, the buttons of his jacket; three more than that to bury her and return her belongings to her angry, grieving parents.
And only a week longer for him to flee in his father’s wake, carrying himself and his dogs an ocean away to a house on a hill in the rain, running from every mistake he’d made as if the ghosts he created could be slowed by the ascent of the hill, by the crashing of the waves against the hull of his ship.
If destiny were a thread, Lord Kakashi’s was frayed, tiny fibers stripping off, reaching out toward unattainable destinations. Perhaps his thread was twined with others, where they fell away, he picked up in their stead, tracing their path with unsteady footsteps until the end of the fiber.
He followed that thread into the Navy, followed his father’s path as far as he could before he was afraid he might plummet over the edge of the earth.
He followed Obito’s thread after he drowned, then his father’s again after he killed Rin.
The threads were so braided and knotted, now, it had become entirely unclear to him whose destiny he might yet be tracing.
The Caretaker did not believe in destiny—she hardly believed in thinking to the next day unless it was for work. She woke each morning, completed her duties, fell asleep, and did it again. That was enough. It had to be.
Iruka believed destiny was a person. And in his heart, he came to believe that person was the woman who laid with him in the hay, let him tangle his fingers through her hair after they had tired themselves with their love making. He loved settling his ear against her chest, listening to her heart’s slow, melodic rhythm.
He wondered, sometimes, if she felt even half the same. She seemed more than willing to hold him, to whisper loving words against his ear—even if none of them was ever love itself—but she was always keen enough to remind him when it was time to leave, to send him away with a wave and a smile instead of a tender touch or kiss on the cheek.
Even before Lord Kakashi had arrived, a certain distance remained. A distance which yawned wider in the wake of the young Lord’s removal to the Hatake Estate. Iruka did not miss the fleeting glances between the two and often, perhaps erroneously, wondered where the Caretaker’s attentions might fall on afternoons that were not Wednesday.
It was this fear that might have pushed him toward his decision with greater force than necessary. And Iruka’s parents spurred him to make his intentions fully clear, to tell the women who held his heart to what extent she did; to ask her the only question that mattered. But Iruka was afraid he already knew the answer, afraid it was clasped tightly within the silver locket around her neck, which she had never opened or spoken of in his presence; or that it might be hidden in the strange tilt of Lord Kakashi’s mouth whenever he watched the two of them exchange orders in the kitchen.
Though Iruka was correct in thinking her heart belonged elsewhere, he could not have known to what extent—and never would. Only those who have suffered losses of the heart can fully comprehend them in another.
As Lord Kakashi settled into his new home, so also did it settle around him. The floors that once protested against the thundering paws of his dogs eventually adjusted, the chair he favored for reading quickly took an indent that molded to his form, holding him firmly in place when he relaxed against the cushion, which he did often.
Kakashi Hatake was a voracious reader, happy to fold himself into the chair at any time of day when he did not have other duties to attend to and peruse his late father’s library. He left his more lascivious reading—the tawdry romance novels he coveted so—for his bedroom, where no prying eyes might accidentally rove across the pages.
The Caretaker offered to clean his room, change his bedclothes, but the young Lord declined, too embarrassed of what she might find if he was not careful to keep it secreted away.
She thought the arrangement very strange indeed; she had never worked for anyone who stripped their own bed and left the sheets outside the closed door for her to pick up and launder. Nor did she ever meet a man until Lord Hatake himself so willing to get his hands dirty and calloused in his own home.
Lord Kakashi hammered and sanded, he rehung the crooked shutters and greased the door hinges.
“We should really hire a proper staff now that you’re living here,” she said again. But as happened every time she mentioned doing so, Lord Kakashi waved away her complaints.
“Unless you are planning to leave, we don’t need anyone else.”
She huffed, but accepted his response until the next time she brought it up and he gave her the same answer.
Things continued like this for long weeks. Lord Kakashi rode his horse in the mornings, after taking his breakfast. Where he went, the Caretaker did not know, but he returned always appearing rather irritable and she prepared his afternoon tea without any polite chatter, serving it to him in his study where he sat with his dogs between her cleaning duties for the day.
And the house, in all its strangeness, formed around them, the rugs wearing in the hallway where Lord Kakashi paced in the evenings. His dreams often woke him, peeling open his eyelids with an urgency he could not ignore. And the Caretaker frequently heard him scream or shout in his sleep. Sometimes, she would wake when his door opened and she heard him wandering the house, muttering to himself quietly.
On more than one occasion, she found him asleep in the parlor the following morning, sprawled in his favorite chair with the smallest of his dogs—a pug she now knew to be named Pakkun—curled against his chest, a book on the floor where his grip had loosened on it.
On such mornings, the Caretaker simply created a little more noise as she made her way to the kitchen to prepare their food, allowing Lord Kakashi the dignity of rousing himself and returning to his bedroom to change before they officially greeted one another for the day.
Often, she would ask, “How did you sleep?”
And without fail, he would always reply, “Very well, thank you.”
Though she knew it to be a lie, she would never dare to ask any further, even as she knew she would soon hear him traversing the halls in the dead of evening again, almost like a ghost pacing through the rooms; as unable to leave as he was incapable of resting.
And just as she never mentioned that she at times heard him shout in the night—that his voice would crack like a whip through her dreams to rouse her—Lord Kakashi never mentioned that he sometimes found her standing outside on the grounds, fingers playing delicately with the locket balanced against her collarbone while she stared down the hill, over the rolling green grass toward something he could not see.
It was upon one night such as this, however, that their paths intersected.
Kakashi startled awake from a nightmare. It was a merciful thing. He dreamt that Obito pulled him beneath the dark water with him, limbs tangled together in a deadly embrace, like a nure-onna come to claim him for the depths.
When he finally broke free and kicked his way to the surface, he swam long leagues to the shore and climbed up on the sand, belly scraping over the beach as he dragged himself to land. And as he turned to sit up and looked out at the horizon, it was to discover Rin’s body, brown hair fanned as her corpse bobbed languidly in the waves, blood spiraling into the water around her, soaking the sand where the sea met the beach.
So waking had been a mercy. He streaked his hands over his face, wiping the sweat from his brow and his nose, rubbing his eyes until his vision half-cleared enough for him to make out the snoozing dogs around him, to see the outline of the wardrobe and the posters of his bed; the still-covered mirror.
He wandered the halls, as he always did. Aimlessly, without purpose.
When he made his way to the parlor, just as he was about to collapse into his favorite chair to steal a few hours of fitful sleep only to wake with his back and neck aching from the awkward position, something beyond the windows caught his eye.
The Caretaker stood in the yard, wind whipping at her night dress as she stared out over the unseeable grounds.
Lord Kakashi should have left well enough alone—he knew that. Knew it would be prudent to climb into his chair and pretend he’d never seen her just as she pretended she did not hear him wandering the halls or find him sleeping in the parlor.
But the way her skirt and her hair fluttered in the breeze reminded him too much of how Rin’s had undulated in the waves of his nightmare and he shivered. He needed to make sure she was okay.
The Caretaker noticed his approach long before he met her in the grass. Rather than acknowledge him, she chose to tuck her locket away beneath her night clothes and pinch her robe together at her throat, to protect both privacy and modesty.
“A little late for a stroll, isn’t it?” Lord Kakashi asked as he came up next to her. He maintained a safe distance, almost enough for two other people to stand between them if they wanted. She welcomed the jibe with a self-aware smile, a breathy chuckle almost lost to the breeze.
“I suppose you would know, my Lord, given you are walking also.”
He hummed, throat tightening at the address. Though he understood it to be his proper title, he had disliked it ever since that fateful day on the lawn.
Hearing Rin Nohara’s last words repeated endlessly as a formal and polite address felt like a cruel punishment of the gods.
Realizing he had lost himself in his thoughts and left her response unanswered, Lord Kakashi cleared his throat to shake the grief from his vocal cords. “Not by choice,” he said.
She knew as much. Though she did not expect him to elaborate, she felt that curiosity pulling at her same as it had on nights when she heard him scream down the hall.
“Trouble sleeping?” she prodded gently, but all she received in response was another hum and so she left it.
“What about you?” Lord Kakashi asked after another long silence stretched between them. And then he revealed, “I’ve seen you out here on other evenings, though none quite so late, I think.”
She ducked her head, smiling. Of course the Lord of the Manor had noticed her late night walks; the man spent more evenings awake than not. Still, she found herself embarrassed to have been caught out.
Instinctively, her fingers went to the small lump beneath her clothes, the locket nestled safely against her sternum. “Coming out here reminds me of someone. Someone I like very much to remember.”
Lord Kakashi’s sight was damaged and the darkness of the late evening did not help, but even he could discern the movement of her fingers and know that whoever she was referring to likely resided in that locket and nowhere else.
Not on the living plane, anyway.
Whoever she was thinking of lingered somewhere in the afterlife. Perhaps with Sakumo or Obito or Rin.
They stood there together for a long time, until both of their toes were frozen through.
“Can I escort you back?” Lord Kakashi asked, cordially offering her his arm.
Her eyebrows flew upward, eyes widening. He realized in that moment the move was strange—that someone of his stature was not supposed to offer her his arm.
But when had the social conventions of this strange place—or any other—ever stopped him from doing what he felt was right? Never, and this evening would be no different. Kakashi Hatake was precisely himself every place he’d ever been and in every company he had ever kept—for better and far worse.
“There’s no need, my Lord,” she said, but her companion did not lower his arm.
Rather, he smiled wickedly, knowing she was in no position to refuse him if he pressed the issue. “I insist,” he said, bowing his head.
The Caretaker grit her teeth, recognizing his tenacity for the teasing it was, as she reached out and looped her arm around his. She inclined her head and thanked him politely, and he led her back to the house.
Looking back so much time later, they each would realize that perhaps this small gesture, this innocuous evening was what might have precipitated all that came after, even if none of that would be clear for many moons, yet.
Once they entered the house, the Caretaker removed her arm from Lord Kakashi’s and was about to make her excuses to leave when he offered her a drink.
“A brandy, if you will? I’d hate to drink it alone.” She swallowed, about to decline. “Nothing will chase away the chill like a warm brandy,” he assured her.
Though her excuse weighed heavily on the tip of her tongue, she also knew he was right. Her fingers and toes felt like they’d been carved of ice and the thought of stoking a small fire and warming herself with a brandy before returning to bed was quite welcome.
Seeing her desire to say yes, LordKakashi took the option from her by saying, “Start a fire, if you please, I’ll get the glasses.”
And so it was the two of them sat in comfortable silence, sipping a snifter each of warm brandy while they thawed their feet by the gentle flames of the parlor fireplace, sitting opposite each other in the comfortable armchairs they each preferred for reading.
Though that night was the first they passed in such a way, it was hardly the last. Following that event, the Lord and Caretaker of the house on the hill grew strangely closer. Not in any noticeable way to those who might see them by chance when calling at the Manor on business.
Iruka did not notice any change in the air when he arrived that Wednesday, when she kissed him in the stables. The man who delivered the post, carrying with him weather-beaten letters from Lord Kakashi’s home, did not detect any variation in the man’s demeanor from other days when he had called at the house.
But late at night, the two would often find their way to the parlor to enjoy a finger of brandy or gin in companionable silence—one or both of them might read a book by firelight—before the Caretaker retired to her room for the evening.
Sometimes Lord Kakashi followed soon after, climbing into his bed in search of sleep. More often, though, he whistled sharply and Pakkun ran down the stairs to join him on the chair where he would rest his eyes until the sounds of breakfast being prepared roused him in the morning and he dressed for a new day.
#🍋 mix and match#lemony scribbles#kakashi hatake#kakashi x reader#fem!reader#historical au#historical romance au#tw alcohol#tw character death#chidori as actual birds lmao#long-winded historical au clusterfuck#iruka umino#poor iruka honestly
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Summer of Whump - Loneliness
Fandom: Naruto
Rating: T
Pairing: none; pre-relationship Kakashi/Iruka
WC: ~670
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Additional Tags: Omegaverse, Omega Umino Iruka, Past Mpreg, Original Child Character, Post-Partum Depression, very brief mention of suicidal thoughts, body image issues, parenting woes
A/N: Heyyy I finally finished the draft for my KKIR Reverse Bang fic, and it's off to the beta, so here I am trying to play catch-up 😅 I'm very likely not going to finish this event before the end of the month, considering that the end of the month is 3 days away, but I'll keep going into July to finish up! I love this prompt list so much, and this whole event is near and dear to my heart as it's brought so many wonderful people into my life 🥰🥰🥰
This ficlet is in the Lights Verse and takes place while Hikari is about 4-6 months old.
If you want to be added to the tag list, comment below or send me a message!!
Tagging for Summer of Whump: @atereal @summer-of-whump @stupidbadgers
~
Iruka honestly can’t say which is worse—Kakashi taking Hikari for days at a time, or when he’s gone on a mission and stuck with the pup.
There’s something to be said about getting to be alone. When Kakashi comes to take Hikari for a few days, which he does as often as he can when he’s in the Village, Iruka finds that he’s able to finally clean up stains and lingering spills, to put away toys he’s sworn for days that he was going to do, to vacuum and mop the floors and sanitize her bottles instead of simply washing them out with soap and water. He’s able to leisurely go to the market and restock his pantry, bring home groceries, maybe even pick up a book at the shops while he’s there. He’s able to get so much done that he finally feels accomplished at the end of the day.
Of course, then the end of the day comes. And there’s no Hikari to feed dinner to, or bathe, or read a story with. No long hours of rocking in the chair that Kakashi bought for him soon after learning about Hikari’s birth. There’s no sleepy infant pup purring on his chest while he fights with himself whether he wants to put her in her crib and go to bed or to simply let himself fall asleep in the rocking chair.
Only Iruka. He eats old, cold, leftover rice with carrot sticks, washes up, and goes to bed early. He stares at the ceiling for hours, the echo of the endless silence in the apartment as his only company. It takes him a long time to fall asleep. And when Kakashi comes back with Hikari, he doesn’t comment on how tired Iruka looks, only asks, “Do you want me to take her another day?”
And then there’s the loneliness that comes from being home with a baby all day, every day, though; the kind that he can’t shake simply by going out and being among the other Villagers, or bringing Hikari to a park for a picnic, or even visiting the Hokage Tower and doing an hour or so of work while Hikari is strapped to his chest. This sort of loneliness is a different breed of monster. The kind he can’t fight, the kind that no one can fight. The kind that people scoff at and say things like, “You get to stay at home and raise your pup, your pup’s alpha is financially supporting you both, and you’re complaining??” and, “A thousand omegas would kill to be in your position, grin and enjoy your time with your pup!” and, “She won’t be little forever!!”
Iruka sits in the living room and watches his pup learn to play. He feeds her, changes her, wipes away her drool, and keeps her safe. Hikari is a wonderful little girl, a blessing, truly. But he doesn’t want to be stuck at home all day, privy to the whims of a five-month-old baby.
And it’s so much worse when he does try to take her out, because she’s so little. True, his friends will smile and support him. But the rest of the Village? The people who don’t know him, or his situation, or his family?
The whispers are enough to keep him inside.
“I heard he tried to baby-trap the Copy-Nin; bet he’s regretting that now!”
“I’m surprised he’s bringing that pup outside. She’s so small. What if she gets sick?”
“He needs to start working on losing the baby weight, especially if he’s hoping to get that pup’s father to mate him someday.”
He loves Hikari with every fiber of his being. He wants Kakashi to look at him as more than just the incubator for his pup. But he sits at home, waits on Hikari’s every need, and finds himself more often than not just… staring at a wall.
Trying to remember to breathe, regardless of how much he’d rather not.
#summer of whump#summer of whump 12#loneliness#omegaverse#PPD#past mpreg#umino iruka#lights verse#my writing
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