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frankencanon · 7 months

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I think it'd be funny if we made Kakashi even younger.

Can you imagine Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura finding out that Kakashi is only a handful of years older than them?!

I mean, with how little we see of his face it's extremely difficult to tell how old he is...

It was one thing when he was prepubescent and short with an unbroken voice, but once his voice dropped and he reached an average adult height... How would anyone be able to tell?

He's strong, highly ranked, mature for his age, and the proper height for an adult with an adult voice. Anyone who didn't already know his age would be liable to mistakenly assume he's older than he actually is, especially with the grey hair.

And it's not like it's out of the realm of possibility for a teenager to be a jounin sensei—take Minato, for example. He was, what, seventeen? And as talented as Minato was, he's nothing compared to Kakashi when it comes to rising through the ranks at a young age.

I'm pretty sure Kakashi broke literally every record there was when it came to "youngest ever [blank]". Academy student, genin, chūnin, jōnin, ANBU, ANBU Captain... Sure, Itachi eventually beat him in one or two of those, but at the time Kakashi was the sole record-holder; There'd never been anyone like him before.

If we just modify Kakashi's already contradictory timeline... Unimportant info below about the details for just how this could potentially work in canon!!

—WAIT. FORGET ALL THAT.

If you want to read my calculations as to how this could canonically work you may direct your attention below, however I have just come up with a far better and far simpler and also quite possibly both funnier and sadder idea:

Time-travel, but not in any way you're thinking...

Most people assume the reason why they didn't hear much of Kakashi's exploits over the years is because he was in ANBU and so everything was Top Secret and extremely covert...

But what if the real reason was because Kakashi had somehow been sent about a decade into the future? Hence explaining how he could be a teenager still when he was once the Yondaime's student.

Also possible: Kakashi was somehow held in stasis for the past decade—sealed, perhaps? Trapped? Or maybe the work of a foreign shinobi's jutsu (kekkei genkai?) that took about a decade or so to break/deactivate...

Or, my personal favorite:

He was investigating the Uzushiogakure ruins and got caught in one of their defensive seals — one that would seal him for a maximum of ten years, with the intention of giving Uzushio shinobi as much time as possible to deal with whatever intruder(s) got caught in the trap.

Without Kushina or Minato or any other Uzumaki seal experts however, deactivating the seal would be basically impossible — luckily, the seal was set up so that once time ran out Kakashi would be automatically released.

And he was! Ten years later, with little baby Naruto all grown up and almost ready to be placed on a genin team — his genin team.

—

AFFOREMENTIONED DUMB CALCULATIONS FOR HOW THIS COULD POTENTIALLY FIT INTO THE CANONICAL TIMELINE BELOW 👇

—

It's probably boring!! You don't have to read it!!

⚠️ You have been warned!! ⚠️

(It's mostly just me brainstorming, honestly...)

—

Genin at five, chūnin at six... Then he stalls at chūnin for a while before eventually advancing to jōnin at twelve (wherein Obito "dies").

He's approximately thirteen when Rin is killed leading to him joining ANBU, and then fourteen when Naruto is born and the Kyūbi is unleashed on the village, causing Minato and Kushina to sacrifice themselves.

In canon, he is then twenty-six years old when he becomes Team 7's jōnin sensei...

For starters, I vote we cut those six years of chūnin limbo before Kakashi becomes jōnin, dropping him to about twenty-or-so.

Then again, this is fanfic—who cares about canon timelines?

If we put him on the hyper-speed fast-track...

4: Academy student

5: Genin

6: Chūnin

7. Jōnin (Obito dies)

8. ANBU (Rin dies)

9. Naruto's birth (Minato & Kushina die)

Is this ridiculous? Yes! But who cares?

9+12=21

Hm... That's not right.

Alright, this is getting a bit annoyingly complicated.

Even if I downgrade Naruto to eleven (because for a long time I was convinced for some reason that Naruto was eleven while the rest of his peers were twelve, and I still have absolutely no clue where I got that idea from) that would still make Kakashi about twenty. Hm...

Ugh, I'll figure this out later. Can't we just hand-wave it?

—No wait, I have an idea:

While modifying his canon timeline to make him younger is a hassle and a half, the fact remains that until we saw Kakashi Gaiden we didn't actually have any details on his backstory...

In other words? The beginning of the series managed just fine without it, so why don't we just throw it out entirely?

Afterall, this fic is about jōnin-sensei Kakashi—the details of his traumatic childhood are irrelevant, and it's not like early fans had that information to work with anyway.

Naruto is canonically younger than Sasuke (who was a baby during the Kyūbi attack) so we shall put him at eleven to give us some leeway.

Now let's say we wanted to make Kakashi somewhere around sixteen to eighteen during canon—that would require him to be five to seven years old when Minato dies.

Now let's compress his timeline some more:

Considering the Konoha 9 all attended the very first chūnin exams after they graduated, I don't see any reason why Kakashi couldn't do the same—and unlike them he's a prodigy so it's basically guaranteed that he'd pass. (And that's assuming he didn't get a field promotion...)

Give him up to a year to become jōnin, and then have him join ANBU almost immediately after.

Some months later, Naruto is born and the Yondaime dies.

To compress it further, I am making his graduation even more ridiculous:

Academy student at three, genin and then chūnin at four, jōnin and ANBU at five. God, can you imagine a five-year-old ANBU? That'd be terrifying. Naruto is born around the time he turns six, and eleven years later Kakashi passes a genin team for the first time and is made a jōnin-sensei at seventeen, just like Minato-sensei was.

It'll take Team 7 a while to realize that, however.

...WAIT A MINUTE.***

Why am I even bothering to promote him prior to Minato's death? Am I, perhaps, an idiot?

Minato becomes his sensei as soon as he graduates to genin at five years old, but before that Kakashi spent a lot of time as his apprentice and they bonded. Shortly after Team 7 is formed the Kyūbi attack happens and Minato dies — the how doesn't matter, so don't worry about it.

The war is over so instead of Kannabi Bridge they go on some other dangerous mission with the same results, except this time the reason Minato isn't there is because he's dead.

They send some other inadequate chūnin or jōnin in his place, but they promptly get killed early on in the mission, perhaps at the same time that Rin gets kidnapped.

Kakashi is chūnin at this point so he naturally takes charge, despite being a five or six year old and Obito being — I don't know, twelve? Significantly older.

Obito dies, then Rin, and this time it's the stupid Sandaime that sticks Kakashi in ANBU like he's an annoying unwanted child that he wants to keep out of sight and thoroughly occupied — at least, until he needs a jōnin sensei for the Kyūbi's Jinchūriki and the Last Uchiha...

So, final version:

Five years old when Minato dies and Naruto is born, and about five or six years old when Obito and Rin die and Kakashi gets stuck in ANBU, followed by eleven years of Naruto growing up while Kakashi's in ANBU makes him... About sixteen to seventeen years old when Kakashi becomes Team 7's jōnin sensei.

To Kakashi, this feels almost poetic. (Same age as Minato-sensei was...)

#hatake kakashi #kakashi hatake #kakashi sensei #kakashi #naruto #team 7 #au #naruto au #fanfic idea #fanfic prompt #fan fic ideas #fanfiction ideas #fanfiction prompts #fan fiction idea #naruto fic #naruto fanfiction #kakashi fanfiction #kakashi fic #kakashi gaiden

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r3dlif3 · 3 months

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1, 9, 11, 13 👀

1. Most overrated character ?

to me in naruto characters are overrated in different ways because most of the ones that you would consider are just becausetheir fanon selves are the most popular. Ignoring that though imo it's rock lee because he basically does nothing in shippunden even counting the kazekage arc and he just gets reduced to comedic relief. Even then he's only known for his potential and his fight with gaara i do like him in part one but i cannot think of anything he's memorable for in part two aside from his reaction to nejis death.

9. Which naruto fandom words are you allergic to ?

Found family, Bootlicker (some of the characters people say arent bootlickers are and vice versa), war criminal, misogyny in cases when it just isnt its just purposeful writing good or bad.

11. Is Itachi a martyr, victim or perpetrator?

I think there's different cases for each. Itachi was a victim of konoha's manipulation from a young age due to his skills along with being an uchiha so expectations of him would always be high. but he isn't a helpless case even if you think he is mentally insane because of what he does to sasuke past the massacre with him implementing idea of hate he into sasuke to grow stronger so he's able to kill him. He was also technically a martyr because he voluntarily dies by sasuke's hands and wanted judgement to be passed onto him by another uchiha for the massacre he committed. But, he's also a perpetrator as he was apart of the killing involved in massacre even if obito did do the majority of the work with itachi only killing his parents. it's still a war crime he was apart of committing because of it being a genocide of the entire clan.

Idk there's reasons for each i personally think he's a mix of all three but the victim part only applies to him in relation to konoha and his childhood.i can't just say one because of how complex itachi is and just placing him in one box undervalues alot about him.

13. Was Kakashi trying his best/ was he a good sensei?

Kakashi was a horrible sensei to all three of his students but i do think he did what he thought he could with what was handed to him at the time, he cared about his students but it just wasn't enough. The reality is that his help was mediocre at best, especially with how he was trying to do better than minato with how his team ended up so he was practically going off of nothing. I just don't think he was projecting as much as people like to insinuate, especially with sasuke. People like to point out the post hospital fight to say he was but i would argue he was just trying to reach sasuke in any way and that just included relating to his situation in a way. It even worked for a period of time before the sound of four appeared solidifying sasuke's decision in stone.

I also don't think kakashi envisions his dead team in team 7 just that some of their actions remind him of them eg narutos passion to become hokage aligning with obito ( especially with how naruto and obito are purposefully meant to mirror eachother).

He was a really bad teacher though he didnt even teach them teamwork he just pointed out how its the basics of being a shinobi and left them to it. Not to mention how the only thing he truly taught anyone in team 7 is chidori to a 12 year old sasuke which is an assassination technique he made. I know he thought sasuke would use it for the greater good and reinvent its purpose/meaning but that just did not work at all 💀

#asks #naruto ramblings #naruto

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madara-fate · 3 years

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(This is long and I’m not a native speaker so wanted to warn beforehand)

I don’t agree with most of what they wrote about the shipppuden part where they claimed madara, obito and nagato was right (although I don’t really agree with their motives I believe thay had %100 rights about being angry at the village and the system) But You cannot honestly deny that most of the part I in naruto and the flashbacks it’s always naruto that starts to lash out violently at sasuke (when he doesn’t get to show off or couldn’t manage to throw shurikens as good as sasuke does) and sasuke just doesn’t cara he doesn’t even fight back he just dodges and naruto feels even more humiliated because of sasuke, it’s not sasuke’s fault that he feels inferior also sasuke could’ve bolted from orochimaru in the forest of death it was clear that even if he fought he couldn’t have beaten him and backup was coming if they would have tried to run maybe sasuke wouldn’t have get bitten (I’m not sayin it could have worked but it was a more reasonable solution than let’s fight the creppy snake dude who wants sasuke’s magic sharingan eyes and his pretty body) but you see naruto thought his pride and the exam was more important than his comrades he gave some encouragement and then passed out leaving sasuke to fight such dangerous person and sakura called him a coward that naruto at least does something and she didn’teven do anything whatsoever just watched while the love of his life nearly got killed??? ( don’t get me wrong i like sakura and she did placed herself against gaara and sasuke was prepared to die for him and she got plenty better afterwards and I would never deny her growth that’s why she is my second favorite character but at the forest of death she did nothing and accuse someone who always does the most work of doing nothing) back to the point is i don’t understand why naruto feels it’s sasuke’s fault when he clearly is the one who starts the fights oh and don’t give me that ‘but naruto was 6 hes a child of course he gonna get jealous’ card kakashi was chunnin at that age which brings to another set of problems being that how can they send children to a war and such when they are so young and inexperienced

Look at it from that perceptive your father commits suicide because he saves his comrades instead of doing the mission wich if he was able to save his comrades that must mean they can’t have been that much of a large number (why send so little people to such a dangerous mission in the firs place even if it was a stealth mission and there was war going on why can’t you prioritize your ninjas lives over mission why can’t you have teams that can back them up now I understand sacrifice for the better good but to a village that always brags about teamwork and comrades it sounds too hypocritical to me) Sakumo feels shame not because he saved his comrades but because his status falled ridiculously so much and he was mocked despised for his decision (that was the reason he died because of people he couldn’t take it that was the said reason in cannon) but for some reason kakashi instead of feeling resentment to the village that took his family becomes their most loyal trusted asset I understand why people feel disappointed at his character that doesn’t mean he can’t be loyal to something but he never once doesn’t seem to question why the purpose to all of this loss (please don’t talk about children they send them to wars when it’s convenient to maintain the status quo cuz they have to show their power it wouldn’t stop once there’s peace if there’s any war they still would send them.The strongest village, I remember someone said about Konoha that it’s the biggest ninja village and have the most ninja population so there can’t be that much civilians and kids that aren’t ninja Konoha makes the most money from missions it’s a ninja village not an civilized village)

Now I myself like naruto and kakashi I just don’t like what they represent that you must be ready to sacrifice everything for the village and if someone you care about dies along the way you have no right to be angry at the village because ya know that’s treason I think that anon wasn’t especially angry at naruto himself more than his fans. His fans that doesn’t see a broken child born out of neglect that’s ready to do everything for acknowledgement,bonds,family and friends that he’s blind to what lays underneath but thay see this perfect being that could do no wrong who had it worse than everyone but now he is just an perfect hero no longer that lonely child

Our problem with naruto isn’t naruto himself but people who refuse to see his arrogance (that even itachi pointed out in the war) that they are too far gone they undermine all others pain and suffering to uplift naruto (their precious self-insert)

That’s what i think anyway i’m not trying to impose my opinion on anyone but I just wanted to hear your opinion on those matters but feel free to ignore it if you don’t have anything to say on those matters I understand that not everyone would want to delve that deep into fiction it’s for our enjoyment at the end of the day and everyone could interpret fiction in their own way some might not want to deal with them by saying it in a fictional world it doesn’t work like ours so children going to war is okay there because the narrative doesn’t make a big deal out of it but I don’t believe that I think every fiction mirrors our own world and problems somehow but I get that it’s an escapism and you want to keep that away from that fictional world that has no flaws,it’s different for everyone and i don’t mind honestly

So you created an account just to say this? *Sigh*, okay then.

I'll begin by saying how I have a lot less to say about your ask in comparison to the original Anon, because the original's was just filled to the brim with utter nonsense, while yours isn't. However there are still several things wrong here.

You cannot honestly deny that most of the part I in naruto and the flashbacks it’s always naruto that starts to lash out violently at sasuke (when he doesn’t get to show off or couldn’t manage to throw shurikens as good as sasuke does) and sasuke just doesn’t cara he doesn’t even fight back he just dodges and naruto feels even more humiliated because of sasuke, it’s not sasuke’s fault that he feels inferior

Yeah that's true, but do you think that makes Naruto a terrible person or something? Or a "detestable child" as the other Anon so eloquently put it? No one with a good head on their shoulders thinks that Naruto was a saint as a child. He was a troublemaker with a bad attitude who got up to no good, people know and acknowledge that. However, we also acknowledge the reasons he became that way, and don't form conclusions regarding his worth as a person based on his juvenile antics as a child who was starving for any form of attention.

but you see naruto thought his pride and the exam was more important than his comrades he gave some encouragement and then passed out leaving sasuke to fight such dangerous person

Explain to me how on earth you reached the conclusion that Naruto apparently thought that his pride and the exams were more important than his comrades from this? Please explain that to me. How does Naruto fighting back against Orochimaru, giving Sasuke a pep talk, and then passing out, somehow equate to him prioritising his pride and the exams above the lives of his comrades? That makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Quite frankly, that is a preposterous conclusion to reach from that scenario. Opting to fight rather than flee does not automatically equate to caring more about your pride than the lives of your friends. I also love how you word it as Naruto "leaving" Sasuke to fight such a dangerous person, as if that was his intention - To get Orochimaru riled up, and then just leave Sasuke to deal with the consequences because he's just such a prick. Yeah that's not what happened.

and sakura called him a coward that naruto at least does something and she didn’t even do anything whatsoever just watched while the love of his life nearly got killed??? ( don’t get me wrong i like sakura and she did placed herself against gaara and sasuke was prepared to die for him and she got plenty better afterwards and I would never deny her growth that’s why she is my second favorite character but at the forest of death she did nothing and accuse someone who always does the most work of doing nothing)

This I agree with and I've made this point before - about how wrong it was for Sakura to have called Sasuke a coward in that situation, despite the fact that he was the one fighting while she was doing nothing. However, I've still always remained firm that Naruto had the right to label Sasuke as a coward in that situation (just as Sasuke had the right to label Naruto as a coward previously during the Land of waves). Naruto was right to do so, Sakura wasn't.

back to the point is i don’t understand why naruto feels it’s sasuke’s fault when he clearly is the one who starts the fights oh and don’t give me that ‘but naruto was 6 hes a child of course he gonna get jealous’ card kakashi was chunnin at that age which brings to another set of problems being that how can they send children to a war and such when they are so young and inexperienced

You don't understand why Naruto feels that what is Sasuke's fault? Naruto never once expressed the idea that Sasuke was at fault for any of their confrontations at the Academy. Furthermore, I can very much give you the "Naruto was just a child" card. You think using Kakashi's maturity at the same age justifies your assertion that people can't use that excuse? As if everyone was just like Kakashi when they were 6 years old? No it doesn't work that way. Naruto was behaving how you'd expect a 6 year old child with no parents to behave. Kakashi was the anomaly here, not the rule of behaviour.

I'm also not gonna get into the whole "child soldiers" debate because that's a whole other discussion and was never part of the original topic. The point of this was to address the original Anon's absurd claims regarding Naruto, and that's where we'll stay. So everything you said about the child soldiers was interesting, but is for another day. What I'll say regarding Kakashi and Sakumo though, is that Sakumo's treatment at the hands of the village following his mission's failure was never portrayed positively. You asked...

but for some reason kakashi instead of feeling resentment to the village that took his family becomes their most loyal trusted asset

Well I'll tell you why - It's for exactly the same reason why Sasuke eventually became one of Konoha's top protectors despite the ordeal with the Uchiha massacre. It's because the people who are currently residing in the village, are not the same people who wronged Kakashi's father. The current village has nothing to do with Sakumo's suicide, just like how the village itself was not responsible for the Uchiha massacre. The current village no longer abides by those outdated beliefs that the mission must be prioritised above all else. So why would Kakashi feel resentment towards those who had absolutely nothing to do with his father's suicide? There's something you can ask yourself. The village as it is now, is not the same village it was back then; people come and go, as do ideals.

That is not a view that has ever been highlighted in the series, so I really don't know where you got that one from. No one ever stated or indicated that you can't be angry or frustrated with the village hierarchy when a comrade dies during a mission because that would apparently be seen as treacherous. It's actually very ironic that you would say this in an ask criticising Naruto, because Naruto is actually the one who disproves your assertion in this case. If you recall, when Naruto was informed of Jiraiya's passing, he went on a tirade against Tsunade, saying that it was her fault he died, berating her for sending him to such a dangerous place alone etc.

Now during this entire ordeal, was Naruto ever depicted as the one in the wrong? No, he was portrayed as the sympathetic figure who was deeply grieving the loss of his beloved master. Everyone who saw Naruto as he was mourning, acknowledged that he had every right to feel that way, so of course no one was going to reprimand him for lashing out at Tsunade in the manner that he did.

I think that anon wasn’t especially angry at naruto himself more than his fans. His fans that doesn’t see a broken child born out of neglect that’s ready to do everything for acknowledgement, bonds, family and friends that he’s blind to what lays underneath but thay see this perfect being that could do no wrong who had it worse than everyone but now he is just an perfect hero no longer that lonely child

Well as I said before, those with a good head on their shoulders know that Naruto is far from a perfect being, but also know that everything the previous Anon was saying about him was bullshit, simple as that. That being said, I'd rather you didn't speak for that other Anon, because according to everything they said, they most definitely did have a major problem with Naruto himself.

That’s what i think anyway i’m not trying to impose my opinion on anyone but I just wanted to hear your opinion on those matters but feel free to ignore it if you don’t have anything to say on those matters I understand that not everyone would want to delve that deep into fiction it’s for our enjoyment at the end of the day and everyone could interpret fiction in their own way some might not want to deal with them by saying it in a fictional world it doesn’t work like ours so children going to war is okay there because the narrative doesn’t make a big deal out of it but I don’t believe that I think every fiction mirrors our own world and problems somehow but I get that it’s an escapism and you want to keep that away from that fictional world that has no flaws, it’s different for everyone and i don’t mind honestly.

I won't ignore what you said. I asked for someone to respond with their account and you did, so the least I can do is give credit where credit is due, and fulfil my end of the agreement. I had some things to say on the matter as well, but I'll reiterate that the child soldier stuff is far too big a topic to delve into here, and it would be going on a tangent that I'd like to avoid. All I wanted to do here was to see someone actually try to explain and justify the ridiculous accusations the initial Anon was throwing in Naruto's direction, but you didn't actually do that, you took a more understandable approach which I can appreciate, despite still finding issues with a lot of what you said.

#Naruto Uzumaki #Kakashi Hatake #Sasuke Uchiha

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saskaykun · 4 years

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Taka’s members’ bond with Sasuke. (For Taka team’s stans, this one’s for you.)

I don't think there's any point in introducing the Taka team again.

But as today's point is to prove the link as a point of complementarity with Sasuke. I'm going to take a look at the personal lives of each of them.

Ps: sorry for the typos, english is not my mother tongue.

SUIGETSU:

We are going to start with Suigetsu, like Sasuke, Suigetsu had a big brother, pretty strong and skilled because Mangetsu was the only one of the 7 swordsmen of the mist to master the 7 swords of Kiri. Suigetsu's dream was to become as strong as his big brother to enter the 7 swordsmen assassins club, whom he admired a lot, but Mangetsu died rather prematurely while protecting his little brother Suigetsu. Suigetsu trained hard to barely match half of his big brother's sword skills. He also comes from a known clan from the village of Kiri, the clan Hozūki, and owns a Kekkei Genkai, which allows him to liquefy his body from flesh to water. Pretty handy for a swordsman, isn't it? No blade can pierce his body. That's also why Orochimaru was interested in him and kept him prisoner in his laboratories for so many years. Doesn't that remind you of Sasuke? The story of the big brother to be surpassed in abilities, even though he was so admired by the little one? Sasuke had to kill Itachi because he had to avenge his clan, Suigetsu had to become much better than Mangetsu because he promised him before Mangetsu died, that he would take back the title of "Kijin no Sairai" - "the second coming of the demon" (as far as my translation is concerned), so he got it into his head to collect all the swords from Kiri village, in order to take back his brother's inheritance. It's rather cute when you think about it. Suigetsu, in spite of appearances, is not a deeply evil person even if he spent most of his life training to become an assassin. Of all the times he made fun of Karin for her feelings towards Sasuke and Karin hit him, he never twisted back once. Suigetsu doesn't have a family anymore, like Sasuke, he's the last survivor of his clan. Moreover, I wanted to add that Suigetsu, sometimes appears like a coward but is actually very competent, and he is certainly a better swordsman than Sasuke. At the same age, (at 16 years old) Suigetsu had already done 2 - D rank missions, 33 - C rank missions - 40 - B rank missions, 13 - A rank missions and finally 4 - S rank missions originally reserved for jônin, can he be considered as such?

KARIN:

What do we know about Karin?

At first, not much is said, except that she is a very competent sensory ninja, that Sasuke, with Suigetsu came personally to look for. He chose her, among many other competent ninjas. He acknowledged her as the best in her field. That's a canon fact.

Another true thing, Sasuke, who came personally to pick her up, confessed that he needed her to reach his goal.

"I need you, Karin", really happened.

He wasn't forced to do it, on the contrary, Suigetsu, who wasn't a big fan of Karin, spent his time dissuading Sasuke from going to pick her up and take her on the team, but Sasuke insisted.

They saved each other's lives several times. Karin healed him with her "Heal Bite" and he during their fight against Killer Bee, awakened a new power from his Mangekyō Sharingan: Kagutsuchi. He was able to extinguish the flames of the Amaterasu that had touched Karin. His face, scared of losing his teammate, proves how much Sasuke cares about his Taka teammates but especially about Karin. After I will not go on betting that he cares about her, romantically or just friendly because that's not the point and nothing in the manga proves that he did it romantically or kindly, I just want to emphasize this point: he was willing to die, and put Juugo's and Suigetsu's lives in danger in order to save Karin.

We learn a little more about Karin, during the Edotensei scene with Itachi and Sasuke against Kabuto. Kabuto then talks about Taka team members and reveals to Sasuke that Karin is indeed part of the Uzumaki clan, like Naruto, and that's why she has a huge chakra cluster. She regenerates quickly her own wounds but she can help others to regenerate and heal themselves by sharing her chakra, by biting her because it's the fastest way: in fact, the injured person drinks Karin's chakra and regenerates herself/himself in a few moments.

Besides the fact that Karin was used by Sasuke to locate Itachi through her powerful chakra and to warn him of his possible enemies, and of course to heal him in case he would be seriously wounded, she is not an exceptional ninja in combat, she must even very often be saved either by Sasuke or by Suigetsu. Sasuke knew that very well. He was never shocked that Karin might be a weight for them in their adventures. He chose her by himself, nobody forced Karin to be there and decided to protect her.

The scene where Sasuke "sacrifices" Karin to kill Danzō is totally a scene to be taken with extenuating circumstances. Sasuke finally being in front of the person who ruined his life, who ordered the massacre of the Uchiha clan, he couldn't do otherwise, he was forced by all means to kill him. Karin being in his field of action because she wanted to help him, was also pierced by Sasuke's chidori blade. Don't forget though, that he didn't really sacrifice her because she didn't die, since he didn't aim at Karin's vital points.

I still want to thank Sakura for helping Karin with her medical ninjutsu, she is still part of Karin's healing process, without Sakura's intervention, she might have had a hard time healing this time.

I also wanted to point out, on the scene following Karin's famous "sacrifice":

Karin thus finds herself on the ground, dying slowly, Obito then proposes to Sasuke to finish her off, properly because she knows too much about their plan. Sasuke doesn't even take the time to answer him. During this scene, Sasuke takes an exceptional time to load his chidori, giving Team 7 time to arrive on the scene, another proof that deep down he really didn't want to kill her. It is finally on Sakura that Sasuke decides to use his chidori, and not on Karin. Karin then dissuades him... but Sakura is really not far from being killed this time by Sasuke.

This scene is powerful, but it shows the total disinterest of Team 7 in the eyes of Sasuke, at least the disinterest he has in Sakura's life. Sakura being a burden, and considering her as the enemy, had to be eliminated as soon as possible. He was also never afraid to confront Kakashi. The only one for which he has doubts, a certain apprehension that he tries indirectly to hide, remains definitely for Naruto, but again, he does not hesitate to threaten him if Naruto still chases after him.

To finish with Karin, she is part of the Uzumaki clan, one of the oldest clans in the Shinobi world, and derived from the Senju clan, there are not many members of the clan left, at least to our knowledge except Karin, Naruto and Nagato. At the end of the war, only Karin and Naruto remain. She shares this fact with Sasuke. She also had lost her entire family during the previous war, her mother was used for medical purposes, literally having her chakra sucked until her death. She became an orphan at a very young age, left to live on her own, abused by others until she met Orochimaru. She has no one left.When she meets Sasuke, she falls in love with him for his beauty, he is pretty handsome, but as a sensory ninja, she found that he has a beautiful and attractive chakra, she realized right away that Sasuke is not as bad as he pretends to be. She took a close interest in him, and I think the interest was mutual.

JŪGO:

Jūgo, is certainly the only member where we are poorly with information about him.

Jūgo is a deeply kind and loving boy but is possessed by a heavy weight that overwhelms him: the cursed seal. He is the first holder of the cursed seal, it is with his DNA that Orochimaru started his experiments. The poor man, being unable to control his murderous impulses, preferred to die rather than to leave his cell when Sasuke, Suigetsu and Karin came to get him. Sasuke promised to hold him, Jūgo, usually not confident, agrees to come with them because Kimimaro had acknowledged Sasuke. Jūgo, in addition to his incredible physical strength when possessed by the cursed seal, is able to communicate with the birds. Sasuke uses Jūgo through this ability so that his birds can locate the Akatsukis' hideout and that he can create a map from the information transmitted by these birds. Also, Jūgo is an orphan, and since Kimimaro died, he was literally alone in the world. He has no known family, and his affiliation to a particular clan is unknown. Another peculiarity that Sasuke shares with his teammates.

I consider Jūgo as Sasuke/Suigetsu/Karin’s big brother. He took care of them. There also is a scene where he puts Sasuke in his futon after having treated him and bandaged him, because Sasuke had fallen asleep sitting, from exhaustion.

This boy is soooooo cute and gentle. His bipolar side contrasts enormously. His murderous personality with his soft and wise side.

Well, Sasuke's plan was perfect and well thought out.

To answer the question I was asked, "What do they do as Team Taka, besides help Sasuke enter into darkness?"

I, for one, don't hold Team Taka members responsible for Sasuke's entry into the darkness. Far from it. Sasuke was motivated by his hatred for killing Itachi, and after the final battle with his brother, motivated by revenge for those who led to his downfall. Don't get me wrong, I always feel that when it comes to Sasuke, the people who interact with him are responsible for his actions. No, Sasuke most certainly suffers from PTSD, living in unresolved grief since the death of his family, in hatred and constant pain, doesn't need anyone to think for him. He's an intelligent boy, he knows his purpose, he knows he would sacrifice himself to restore honor to those he has lost. His goal was just that. I sincerely think that deep down Sasuke wanted to change the Shinobi world, build new foundations, and achieve peace, so that what he experienced would never happen again, but it was a kind of pipe dream because he really thought he would die in his next confrontation with Naruto. He expected no less.

It really pisses me off that people think that Sasuke is acting according to the actions of others. I don't remember hearing Suigetsu, Karin or Jugo suggest a plan of action to kill someone or do something. He was the leader of this team. The others were acting on his behalf and not the other way around. He was the one who came to find them, he was the one who surrounded himself with these shinobis to help him achieve his goal. You let yourself be influenced by Naruto “talk no jutsu” in Gaiden who dares to tell the Taka team to mind their own business when he himself spent years to mind Sasuke's business, without even understanding the reason for his actions.

Gaiden makes the Taka team look like the villains who helped Sasuke carry out the actions of his hatred, but look closer, they did nothing so exceptional except help him find Itachi and obey Akatsuki's orders to attack Killer B.

It even seems to me that the Taka team were, in the end, the only ones who listened sincerely to Sasuke, to meet his expectations, to try to understand him.

A non-canon fact unfortunately, in a novel about Sasuke, after Itachi's death, Sasuke makes a kind of pilgrimage to learn more about his brother, during his Akatsuki period, and then meets two brothers, who were preparing drops for Itachi's eyes, and they make him think about him and Itachi when they were kids. ... I'm going to skip over the real story of this novel, although it's very well written for a non-canon novel, and we find Sasuke on his scene, by the sea, where he desperately lets go of all his pain in a torrent of tears, and decides to rename Hebi team into Taka team.

Karin, Suigetsu and Jugo were present during one of the worst moments of Sasuke's life: Itachi's death and thus the mourning of his older brother.

In spite of Itachi's terrible actions and choices to raise Sasuke's power, Sasuke still considers him as his beloved older brother who sacrificed himself for a village that never gave them the chance to live, properly...

Again, as I already said in another post, I truly think that all the people close to Sasuke tried to control his choices and his life, without asking his opinion.

Itachi made it clear that he tried to trace Sasuke's life from his childhood to what he became and finally disappointed to have failed... but what the hell did he expect?

Naruto, who absolutely wants Sasuke to go back to Konoha, but why? He knew very well that the people in Konoha would bully him for his actions, when he was already bullied enough to be an Uchiha in Konoha. So Naruto claims to know what's best for Sasuke. What?!

Sakura... is Sakura.

Kakashi and Jiraya tried to dissuade Sakura and Naruto from desperately pursuing a guy who clearly wanted to get the hell out of this village: Sasuke is not worth it.

Decidedly, Sasuke doesn't get much grace from people. Between those who think he's a sulky, who always makes moods because he has some problems in his life and those who judge him without knowing a second of his existence and his journey, he's really badly surrounded.

The Taka team is the only one that hasn't gone into the details and is following Sasuke, even before he decides to explain to them the reasons for this gathering.

I like their complicity. I like their dynamics. They help each other.

Team Taka is the one that Sasuke chose on his own, Team 7 is the one that was imposed on him. Don't forget that.

At least, I didn’t even use your post, but thank you again @justsasuke ! It was kind of you :)

Ps: I found this pic very cute. They are all awesome.

#team taka meta #karin #suigetsu #juugo #sasuke #taka #team taka

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yahboobeh · 4 years

Text

Matters of State UPDATE

Renamed In the Palace of Fire

Here’s the first chapter I promised! All tagged parings will eventually happen but this is mainly a NejiTen fic.

“Different roads sometimes lead to the same castle.” - Jon Snow, A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

Chapter One

December 1510

Candlelight flickered. In the hearth, a fire cracked and popped as flames licked at the logs and spread warmth into the room.

Thick, lush fabrics and carpets decorated the room and dampened the chill, which seeped in from the stone walls and single-pane windows. Each piece was intricate, painstakingly woven, and boasted the wealth of the man who owned them.

The owner sat in an elegantly carved chair close to the fire, a goblet of wine in his hand. He drank deeply from the cup and relaxed further into the chair. Hiashi Hyuga, the Duke of Moon, had endured an eventful day.

Next to him sat his brother - his twin, born just minutes after him, rolling a grape between his fingers.

Between them on a small table was a platter of fresh fruits, cheeses, and a half-drunk pitcher of wine.

The two chatted absentmindedly, chuckling as they discussed the events of the day.

"Lady Hinata had quite a busy day," the younger brother mused, "It was certainly a birthday fit for Your Grace's daughter."

The Duke polished off his goblet and placed it down on the table. His brother refilled it.

"Ah, it was quite an event for a child of nine. I was happy to have her received by the King. When she is older, I would like her to become a lady-in-waiting to her majesty."

"The queen should be lucky to have someone so kind-hearted as Hinata in her service, my lord."

"Yes…" Hiashi trailed off and turned his attention to the fire, nursing his cup of wine before speaking again. "Hizashi, how is your son?"

"He is in good spirits, quite happy to have been in the presence of Your Grace's family for the Lady's birthday today."

Hiashi downed his wine and sat in silence, watching as Hizashi chewed on the grape he had been toying with absentmindedly. Realizing his brother's cup was empty, Hizashi reached for the pitcher to refill it. Hiashi held up his hand, and his brother halted, placing the pitcher back on the table.

"You are lucky, brother," Hiashi finally admitted.

"May I inquire as to how so, my lord?" Hizashi popped another grape into his mouth and chased it down with the last of his wine.

"You have a son."

Hizashi frowned. Yes, he did have a son, someone to pass his titles and lands to, someone to keep the Hyuuga name alive. But it had cost him his wife who had died days later, stricken with childbed fever.

"Hiashi, you and the Duchess are still young, there is plenty of time to have a son."

"Perhaps."

"There is. If the Father is willing, then the Mother will grant you a son."

"Yes," Hiashi tapped his fingers on the table. "I am just overthinking. Neji came so easily to you; I must admit I am envious."

"Surely-"Hizashi halted, mid-sentence, and looked across the apartment.

"You heard it too?"

Both men abruptly rose from their chairs, wood scraping across the stone. They rushed out of the room and towards Hinata's bed-chamber.

The door slammed open, and they met a cloaked figure halfway towards Hinata's bed, knife gripped in hand.

"Halt!" Hiashi's voice was stern and commanding. He drew his sword and held it out to the cloaked figure.

Hizashi drew his sword as well, pointing it at the intruder. The man spun around and backed up, growing closer to Hinata.

The twins advanced on him, but the intruder had anticipated this and used their advance to create enough space between the two men and the door.

The intruder dashed across the room and avoided slashes before slipping out the door. Hiashi ran after him. Hizashi turned and called out to a servant.

A young boy, no older than fourteen, appeared at his side, bowing low.

"Yes, my lord?"

"Keep guard over Lady Hinata, do not let anyone near her, understood, Kō?"

Kō bowed again.

"With my life, my lord."

Hizashi ran out of the room, following in his brother's footsteps. His elegant slippers scraped softly against the stone of the palace halls as he chased after his brother.

He heard the clash of metal and the grunt and groan of a man meeting his mortality. He ran further down the hall and found his brother standing over the dead intruder.

"Who was it?" Hizashi panted, coming to rest at his brother's side.

Hiashi bent over and pulled the hood off of the cloaked man.

The stocky jet black hair and strong jawline were that of an Uchiha.

Hizashi cursed and drew a cross across his chest. Tensions between the Hyuga and Uchiha had always existed. It was no secret that many Uchiha thought the King a pretender. However, much to everyone's relief, the Uchiha family lacked the resources needed to plot against the King successfully.

Without support to overthrow the King, his second-best option was marriage. And while Hiashi pined for a son, the Duke of Ryuchi wanted a daughter. One to marry the prince, and reclaim their place near the crown.

But Hiashi was a stern supporter and more senior advisor to the King than Fugaku Uchiha. The eventuality that Hiashi's daughter could become Queen was a genuine threat to the Uchiha family.

Whether the boy acted on his own or under the order of his uncle, Hizashi did not know.

He did know that his brother had killed the boy, and the Duke would demand justice.

And with no evidence besides their word, Hizashi realized the King would be inclined to side with the Uchiha family.

If the boy had died in their chambers, there would be no question, but in the dimly lit hall with no witnesses, the cards were not stacked in their favor.

"Your Grace," Hizashi whispered. When Hiashi did not respond, Hizashi repeated himself louder. The sounds of guards approaching reminded them of the urgency of their situation.

"Your Grace!" Said Hizashi, "Take my sword."

Hizashi pressed the sword into his brother's hand. The Duke's face was pale, and his fingers trembled as they wrapped around the pommel. Hizashi then pulled his brother's sword out of the boy's stomach. The thick blood clung eerily to the steel and glowed ominously in the candlelight.

The guards approached.

"Halt! In the name of the King!"

The twins looked up and found themselves quickly surrounded.

"Your Grace," said the captain, "what has happened here?"

Hiashi flicked his glance over to Hizashi. Whether it was to give his brother permission to speak or seek guidance, Hizashi wasn't sure, but he spoke up anyway.

"I killed the boy."

Hizashi was grabbed roughly by two guards, and he dropped the sword. It clattered loudly off of the stone floor.

"Sir," the captain's voice quivered, "that is a serious confession. What reason do you have to commit such a crime?"

"I heard an intruder in his grace's apartment. I should have just detained the boy, but I chased him out here and stabbed him. He was by the Lady Hinata's bed with a dagger drawn."

"And what proof do you have?"

Hizashi looked to his brother as if to say goodbye before glancing back at his interrogator.

"I have none but my word."

Hizashi was yanked backward by the guards as he said a silent goodbye to his brother for the last time.

January 1511

Kakashi clenched his fists. The cathedral was packed, but he suspected only a handful of mourners were genuinely affected by Obito's loss.

Murdered in cold blood, they said, but his killer was captured and locked away in the dungeon. The trial had been intense, two dukes demanding their version of justice. In the end, the judges had sided with Uchiha, and the next time Hizashi Hyuga would see the light of day would be on his march to the scaffold.

But Kakashi knew the truth, Obito would never have acted on his own. The Duke of Ryuchi had sent his kin on a suicide mission. Kakashi hated him.

Beside Kakashi sat Rin, his intended. She rested her hand gently on his forearm. The warmth of her skin on his softened his anger, and he relaxed his clenched fists.

Obito had been so excited to be invited to court and attend on his uncle. Kakashi had been skeptical and had no desire to see his friend leave.

But his engagement to Rin had left Obito sore and jealous. Kakashi couldn't blame him for wanting to go.

But none of them expected Obito would only return home to attend his funeral.

Kakashi laced his fingers into Rin's, and together they listened to the priest presiding over the funeral mass.

---

February 1511

"Sweetheart," the man's voice was slick with concern. "You should return to your mother. I do not know what possessed me to bring you here, but I have decided you should not stay."

His voice was barely audible over the crowds that had gathered on the prison grounds. A scaffold stood before them with a telltale block front and center.

The girl tightened her cloak around her and kept her eyes on the scaffold.

"But father," she said, "you promised to teach me the realities of our world."

"This, though..." He placed his hand on her shoulder and squeezed tightly, and she winced. "This is too much."

"I don't want to be sheltered."

"You are not ready for this sweet Tenten."

Tenten frowned. She didn't understand the appeal of public executions, especially on such a frigid day, but she wanted to learn. Her parents had gone through great lengths to make sure she was educated just as well as any boy, and their efforts had given rise to her curious nature. She no longer felt content with books; she wanted to learn first hand.

While she understood the concept of execution, Tenten had yet to grasp the grim finality of death.

She pushed up onto her toes and peered through the crowds of people wondering if the Duke of Moon would be present to witness his brother's execution.

She found the rigid body of the Duke about fifteen feet away. Standing at his side was a boy who appeared to be her age. She couldn't see his face but felt an aura of sadness radiate off of him. Her stomach dropped with the realization that Hizashi's son was standing tall, waiting for his father to die.

The crowd erupted, and Tenten suspected that the prisoner had arrived. She craned her neck to see over the adults' shoulders and found the haggard features of Hizashi Hyuuga as the guards pushed him forward. He stumbled up the steps of the scaffolding. He stood behind the block and addressed the crowd when he regained his composure (though one could argue that he'd barely lost it at all).

"Good people of the Fire Kingdom!" His voice rose above the crowds, ringing brightly and subduing those who had gathered to watch. "I have come here today to die, as I have been rightfully judged to by His Majesty and the law. May the Father protect the King, as he is a kind and just ruler. I beseech you to offer your prayers unto me, as I am afraid in my hour of death. O Reconciler have mercy on me, for it is to you I commend my soul."

Hizashi blessed himself, and the crowd prayed with him, a handful offering their blessing to the man.

Hizashi then knelt behind the block.

"Tenten, we should leave."

"Father, please. I am fine."

Hizashi looked up at the executioner.

"Do you forgive me?" Asked the executioner.

"Yes."

Gently, Hizashi laid his head down upon the block.

The last thing Tenten saw was how Hizashi closed his eyes, face pale, and stretched out his arms, which shook with anxiety.

Tenten felt her arm yanked back as her father pulled her through the crowd. She could no longer see the scaffold or the boy. She heard the sickening sound of metal slicing through flesh and the heavy thunk as the ax sunk into the wood. The softer thunk his body falling away was swallowed up in the gasps and cheers and wails of the crowd.

Tenten tripped over her skirts as her father pulled her through the throngs of people. He gripped the fabric and pulled it up in her tiny fist, revealing mud-stained shoes. Her tights were stained as well. The maids would scold her, but she didn't care.

—

July 1512

Kakashi felt sick. His head throbbed, his chest ached, and his eyes watered.

"You should request that a priest attends to her."

Kakashi could not meet the eye of the physician without risking coming completely undone. He kept his fists clenched tightly to ground himself.

"Why can you not cure her?"

"I have done what I can. The Lady's fate is in the hands of the Father."

Kakashi slammed his fist on the table next to him.

"Fuck the Father!"

The doctor's mouth hung open as he quickly blessed himself.

"Cure her!"

"I am sorry, we still don't understand this sickness well enough. I have done what I can."

"Then, get out!"

"Yes, my lord."

The man bowed quickly and scurried out of the room, out of the house and into the street to make his way to his next patient.

Kakashi dropped back into the chair he'd been waiting in while the doctor attended to Rin.

The physician immediately instructed everyone in the household to stay as far away from Rin as possible, as the disease was extremely deadly and contagious. Kakashi had done his best to keep his distance while the doctor was there. But, if she was going to die, what did it matter if he did too?

The room was quiet around him, and a whimper came from behind the door to their bed-chamber.

He slammed his fists into the table again and screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Would someone find me a fucking priest?!"

A maid, who had come to check on him trembled in shock. She squeaked out a response, turned, and ran to appease his request.

Kakashi pushed himself up and made his way to the bed-chamber.

Rin was sickeningly pale. Splotches of blood bloomed across the sheets, a testament to the clumsy bleeding the doctor had administered.

She had been radiant and full of life only two days ago, a smile full on her lips and a twinkle in her eye.

Now a thin sheen of sweat covered her entire body. The sound of her struggling to breathe made him anxious. When she did look up at him, her eyes were dull and lifeless.

He sat on the edge of the bed and held her hand in his own, stroking it comfortingly. She seemed to relax under his touch and closed her eyes.

He didn't look when the priest entered the room to administer her last rights.

The familiar prayer to the Reconciler sat oddly in his ears, and he felt dizzy as he struggled to comprehend his reality.

Kakashi blessed himself and curled over his wife's hand, still grasped tightly in his own. The only sound he allowed to escape was the heavy sniffle as he relinquished himself into his tears and vowed that no woman would ever replace her.

—-

February 1516

"There was only one survivor."

"His own family!"

"The Duke's son!"

Naruto strained his ears to listen to the whisperings in the hall.

"Your Highness," Irkua scolded.

"Yes, yes, I know. Pay attention."

Naruto looked back down at his studies; a map of the world lay before him. The two sat at a spacious table in one of the royal libraries. Books and a blank sheet surrounded them. Iruka had hidden all of the other maps from Naruto's prying eyes, knowing he would try and cheat.

Sunlight filtered through the thick glass of the windows, and Iruka was grateful that they didn't need to burn any candles.

Today's lesson was geography, and Naruto was to label the great Kingdoms and their Kings' names on the map.

He knew his own King and his own country, why he needed to know more he didn't know or care.

He tapped his quill against the paper and listened to the light way the tip scratched the parchment. He wrote the word "fire" and the name "Hiruzen Sarutobi" inside the outline of their country and abandoned the rest when he heard the whispering of court gossip. He'd heard the rumors, but he wasn't sure if any of them were right.

"Sir," he asked his professor, "What happened to the Duke of Ryuchi and his family?"

Iruka sighed. It was clear that Naruto would not finish his lesson today.

"If Your Grace had focused more on his history lessons, you might remember when I told you how our first king, King Hashirama, came to power. After many years of war and unrest, the King helped bring peace to our young country with the aid of his friend and closest advisor, His Grace Mandra, Duke of Ryuchi, and Lord High Steward to His Majesty."

Naruto's eyes began to glaze over, and Iruka snapped his fingers at the child, regaining his attention. It was a risky move; however, the little prince loved Iruka, and he was not concerned about the boy tattling on him.

"However, the Duke became resentful, and their friendship dissolved. There was a plot to overtake the throne. The Duke and his supporters were all arrested and convicted of high treason before being executed. There have been whisperings that some of his descendants still hold on to that same resentment. Last night, the Duke's son, Itachi, is said to have slain his entire family except for his younger brother, Sasuke."

Naruto gasped.

"Where is Itachi now?"

"Missing," said Iruka.

"Why did he do it?"

"No one knows."

"Does this mean that Sasuke will become the new Duke of Ryuchi?"

"Yes, your highness. And we shall address Sasuke as such."

"And how do you address a duke again?" Naruto scratched his head as if trying to recall a memory.

"You are to address him as your grace, highness."

"But aren't I sometimes called your grace?"

"Yes, but a Duke is also referred to the same way."

"But, I am a prince!"

"Which is why we also call you Your Highness."

"Is anyone allowed to call Sasuke your highness?"

"No, your grace, they are not."

"Good."

"Highness, we need to refocus on your studies."

"But you were technically teaching me history, Sir."

"Technically is quite the vocabulary for you, dear prince. Perhaps you have been listening."

"Do you think Sasuke would want to join my household?" Naruto mused. "As a gentleman of my bedchamber?"

"I am not sure, highness, but I do not see why he should oppose your most generous offer."

"Good. Now that Sasuke is alone, he will need companionship."

"Another big word, your grace."

Naruto grinned and laughed.

"Invite Sasuke to visit, and I shall offer him a position."

Iruka chuckled.

"As you wish."

—

March 16, 1516

Tenten grunted as she was yanked and jostled around the dressing room by her maid. The woman was dressing her, albeit rather roughly. Tenten's maid yanked her stockings up and helped her step into her shoes before securing her petticoats in place. A sapphire blue skirt was pulled over her head and synched at the waist.

Tenten instinctively fisted her arms in front of her for the maid to put on her kirtle. It was the same blue as her skirts. The piece was laced up the back and pulled tight, causing Tenten to gasp. The low cut square neckline allowed her cleavage to show, and the tightening of the laces pulled the piece closer to her, flattening her silhouette and pushing her breasts up. With each breath, they rose prominently, swelling over the collar.

Sleeves were tied on. They pressed tight against Tenten's biceps and fanned out at the elbow, dripping low to the floor.

Satisfied with the way the dress sat against Tenten's body, the maid began to brush her hair.

Tenten looked at her reflection in the mirror and marveled at the outfit she now wore. It was a birthday present from her parents, and she needed to look her best, as she was to be presented to the Queen today.

"May I wear my hair as I usually do?" She asked.

"No, my lady, her grace has requested you wear your hair more elegantly today."

Tenten frowned. "But I like my buns."

"It is not appropriate for a maiden, let alone one meeting the Queen, my lady."

Tenten sighed. At home, she could wear whatever she wanted. The only exception was when they entertained guests, and even then, Tenten was allowed more freedom.

She chose not to protest and allowed the woman to smooth her loose curls and weave a few small braids into her hair. A rounded hood of matching blue and trimmed with gold lace was pinned to her head, as was the fashion.

Next, she reached for a heavily jeweled necklace and fastened it around Tenten's neck. Matching earrings dangled from her earlobes. Lastly, a red rouge was spread across her lips and onto her cheeks.

On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Tenten's mother had sat her down and explained that now she was old enough to start attracting men at court. Tenten knew this, but hearing the words from her mother's mouth made her anxious.

The door opened, and a man entered the room. Tenten turned and curtsied along with her maids. The man approached, and Tenten rose from her curtsy and smiled up at him.

"Father!" She spun around, showing off her dress. "How do I look?"

Her father smiled down at her, laughing lightly.

"All the ladies at court are sure to envy you."

Tenten bit back a self-deprecating comment and smiled.

"Thank you."

Her father held out his arm, and Tenten slipped her hand into the crook of her father's elbow.

"Now," he said, "your mother tells me you two need a moment alone before we head out."

Tenten wasn't sure what her mother wanted, but the vagueness her father used suggested it was something he would not approve of, which was not unusual. Her mother was bold, unabashed, and unashamed of her ideals and practices, protected only by her husband's love for her. Tenten's father was Marquess of Storms and Lord High Constable to the King. Those who wielded any power to force the Marchioness to remember her supposed standing in this life were few.

She was guided out of her room and to the main chamber of their palace apartment. Tenten's mother sat at the table, waiting.

"You look as beautiful as ever," she said as Tenten detached herself from her father's arm and sat down.

"Thank you, mother."

"I need to gather my notes for the council meeting," interrupted her father. Tenten felt his disapproving gaze on her mother, who met his gaze without so much as a flinch. "Keep it quick."

"Of course, my lord," she said with a smile and just a hint of sarcasm. The Marchioness tended to slip into a more formal speech when she disagreed with her husband.

He mumbled something about watching her tongue, laced with frustration and concern before retreating to their bedroom.

With her husband gone, the Marchioness of Storms softened her gaze, which Tenten met with an excited smile.

"What is today's lesson?"

"There is no lesson today, Tenten, just a decision."

Tenten furrowed her brows.

"A decision?"

"Yes."

"On what?"

"Your future."

Tenten looked down at the small box of carved wood that sat on the table between them.

"I'm not sure I-"

"Open it."

Her mother pushed it towards her, and Tenten lifted the lid. Glints of silver and pewter flashed before her. It was a pile of charms and trinkets. Tenten knew it well.

"Will we cast the charms today?" She asked.

"In a way," her mother's calm demeanor was tinged with excitement. "You will pick just one, though. This charm will be the most important one you ever cast, as today it will set the course of your future."

Tenten thought about what kind of future she wanted but try as she might, she couldn't envision what life on her own would look like as she peered into the box of charms. There were nearly 30 possibilities with endless possibilities.

"What do I need to know?"

"When you're ready, close the box and give it a good shake. Then, close your eyes, whisper a prayer to the Dreamer, and pick a charm."

Tenten nodded and followed her mother's instructions. The ring of metal on wood pinched her ears and rattled away at her confidence. The future always felt so final.

She set the box down and closed her eyes as she flipped up the lid and pressed her fingers into the mess of charms. Some were rough, some smooth, all cool to the touch. Something sleek and rounded fell between her fingers, and she pulled it out. She heard a snap and opened her eyes. Tenten's mother had closed the lid and withdrew the box. There was no turning back, no second picks, and no looking to see what she had missed.

The charm rolled into her palm, where the weight was light but sturdy, and she looked down as her fingers stretched out.

"A heart?" She was disappointed and knew that if her mother hadn't snatched away the box, she would have dug back in looking for a sign of adventure - like the little sword charm, that one was her favorite.

"A heart." She agreed.

"But," Tenten frowned, "love is so… cliche…"

"It was your choice, Tenten."

"But, I wanted something exciting!" She put the charm down on the table. "An adventure, a new way of life, not the same thing every other woman pines for!"

"Love is an adventure, Tenten."

"Another cliche."

"Only because you've not yet experienced it yourself." She felt her mother's gaze on her and looked up to meet it. "Tenten, most love is not a story from a fairy tale where a daring prince swoops in to rescue a maiden from a tower; it's so much more complicated than that. I had hoped that you would know that from seeing your father and me."

"But to have this on the day, I'm to be presented to the Queen? I know that father arranged this to secure a good marriage and-"

"Marriage and love are not the same, Tenten, not in our positions anyway. You should be happy to know that you will experience love in place of politics."

"As if you'd let father agree to a marriage of political convenience anyway."

"My influence only goes so far. I have a hand in decisions with your father, yes, but if the decision is up to the King…"

"I know."

Tenten felt the warmth of her mother's hand on her own in a gesture of comfort and strength before taking the small silver heart and inspected it.

The charm was old and tarnished. Tenten's mother polished it with a napkin that had been left on the table and strung it on a long silver chain.

"Wear it on you like a protection charm. Always." She handed it back, and Tenten draped it over her head and tucked it into her dress. It was cold against her sternum, and when they rose from their chairs to leave, Tenten could feel it tap against her with an even and steady rhythm.

Some subjects seldom crossed Tenten's mind, and love was at the bottom of that list. Tenten swallowed her displeasure and let her father lead them from their apartment and through the twists and turns of the palace. Down these stairs, and then up those. Go down the hall, take a left, and then a right. Double back again. Her head spun. How was she supposed to navigate this maze on her own?

Eventually, they arrived at a set of ornate double doors that stretched to the ceiling. They towered over the guards, and as they swung open, even the hinges seemed to hiss an impending finality at her.

——

Hiashi hated waiting. It was the worst part of the council meetings. As President of the Council, and practical man, Hiashi expected the meetings to start on time, maybe even a little early. But councils were often made-up of self-inflated lords used to being in charge. And while this council was better, but not perfect, and Hiashi resisted the urge to drum his fingers on the table as the last members drifted into the King's privy chamber.

King Hiruzen was punctual, at least, a trait that came with age. Nara and Inuzuka were the worst. But Danzo Shimura was a runner up. As Lord Steward, the only man who outranked him was the King himself. Danzo was not late so often as to be considered generally tardy. When he was late, there was a reason inflated with his sense of superiority. The King never questioned his steward.

But today, the last person to take their seat was the Lord High Constable, Hiroto Moriyama. Hiashi liked Moriyama. He was practical, quiet, and punctual.

"My apologies, Lords," he sighed as he sat in his chair, "I was presenting the Marchioness and my daughter to Her Majesty."

"No apology needed," said Hiruzen, "My dear wife enjoys conversation. It is quite easy to lose an afternoon in her presence."

"Thank you, majesty."

Hiashi cleared his throat.

"Now, my lords, with your majesty's permission, I would like to begin."

"Granted."

"Thank you, sir. Now, what news have we to report?"

"The faith recently appointed a new high priest," said Shikaku. "As we lack one here, I have begun preparations to bring him to court."

"Good." Hiashi then addressed each Lord, starting with Danzo and ending with Shibi Aburame, the Lord High Admiral.

The news of the kingdom changed little these days. While there were some happenings, nothing compared to the aftermath still surrounding the death of Fugaku Uchiha and his wife.

Uchiha's seat sat empty on the other side of the table. Moiyama and Yamanaka had sat on either side of the Lord Privy Seal and had offered a calm balance to the often argumentative man. How he had managed to have a title of such honor disgusted Hiashi.

"What news do we have of his son?"

Hiroto cleared his throat.

"Nothing much yet, sir. We have a few leads, but the boy seems to have vanished."

"Keep looking then,"

"Of course."

Hiashi had only as much interest in bringing Fugaku's son to justice, as was required by his title.

"Now, I presume we will be granting his son the title of Duke?"

"It is his title to inherit," said Shikaku, the Lord High Chancellor.

"Of course," Hiashi paused. It was the right time for his proposition. And while he had carefully planned out what he'd wanted to say and how he'd go about saying it, he found himself running through his speech one last time. "Would his majesty prefer a ceremony or a private appointment?"

The King pondered for a moment, stroking his beard.

"The Uchiha family has been shaken to its very core. Sasuke is young, and others may try to stake a claim on his title. To avoid strife, as those Uchihas always seem to attract, he should have a proper ceremony. If not for his reassurance, then to show the realm that the crown has his back."

The council murmured their approval, and Hiashi made his move.

"I would be honored if his majesty would consider my nephew worthy of a title."

Hiashi heard Danzo scoff.

"You seek to use your position to so blatantly elevate your family? At least Uchiha had tact."

"Uchiha," Hiashi grit his teeth, "ordered the kidnapping of my daughter. And my brother died for it."

"That is quite the accusation. What proof do you have?" Danzo sneered at him.

Hiroto spoke up.

"It was the Duke's nephew who attempted. And with the Duke gone, I think we can speak plainly. Each family had a loss and-"

"Now is not the time to pretend at justice, Moriyama," Hiashi hissed. "You know as well as I did that my brother died to prevent more violence. While he was to inherit my title, I now have my children, and Neji should not have to suffer-"

"You would let a daughter take your name?" Quipped Danzo.

"I have yet to decide, my Lord. And there is still the chance that the duchess will bear me a son. Neji is getting too old to be my ward. He deserves more than this."

"And when your wife leaves you with two daughters, he can snatch up a second title?"

"Enough, Shimura," said the King. "I would hear more from the duke."

"Your grace is too kind," said Hiashi. "There is a small plot of land, east of the Storms. The Earl died with no heir two years ago, and his assets were returned to the crown, as your Lord Treasurer can confirm."

"I will need to look back through your majesty's accounts, but that sounds correct," said Inoichi.

"If your majesty's accounts reflect this," said Hiashi, "he will need to appoint a new Earl of Birds."

#naruto #nejiten #naruhina #sasusaku #saiino #shikatema #my fic #my writing #fanfic #naruto fanfiction #booh writes

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eat0crow · 4 years

Text

So, Sasori is his soulmate?

Huh, Deidara didn't think his karma was that bad. But, he really must have pissed Fate off if it took dying, being resurrected against his will, and forced to fight along side Kohona, to realize, he's been partnered with his soulmate for years.

~~~

My gift for @paigyloli, as part of the @akatsuki-gift-exchange gift exchange.

(I didn't know your AO3 handle, feel free to shoot me a message so I can gift this to you.)

I hope you like! I took your prompts 'anything with Sasori' and 'something like red string of fate, or soulmate', and welp, here we are. Sorry, it's a bit late!!!

Jump Ship

Deidara really, really hates the Edo Tensei.

Because Deidara had died, he had lived, and died, exactly how he always wanted to. Existing in a single moment, more beautiful than anything this mockery of life could create. Sure, it might be marginally better, now that he’s free of Tobi-Madara-Obito-whatever’s control, but it still sucks.

Tobi stole his death from him, his most beautiful creation. His masterpiece. He stole it, and forced Deidara into a cold, unfeeling, empty bastardization of everything he believes in.

Deidara really hates Tobi. Sure, he hadn’t liked him much before, but now? Now, there aren’t words to describe just how much Deidara wants to murder him. Even if the thought of allying with Konoha shinobi kills him, he’ll do it. He’ll do anything to increase his chances of going toe to toe with the masked bastard. Deidara wants to make him beg for death.

Sasori is his partner again. It’s not a surprising development. Most of the former Akatsuki—the ones who switched sides—had been kept together. Naruto might be convinced there’s good in them, but that doesn’t mean there’s any trust between the Allied Shinobi Forces and Naruto’s group of undead missing nins. Deidara thinks it’s funny, in some weird, twisted way, that even in death, he’s still stuck with Sasori.

They work well together, years of relying on each other, and only each other, pay off. They could be soulmates, well, assuming Deidara had ever seen his mark reflected across Sasori’s chest. The delicate interweaving lattice, intersected with small shapes that could have been scorpions for all Deidara knew, had never been anywhere on Sasori’s vessel. Deidara knows, he’s seen Sasori naked enough times.

At thirteen Deidara had torn the mark open, cutting into his chest without a second thought, creating his most beautiful work of art. It was only fitting for him, after all, to tear apart the one thing on his body that never changed.

It made coming into his new vessel a shock, because, while his jutsu is gone, his soulmark lays flat over his heart. Deidara guesses that makes sense, in some bizarre, twisted way. He’s a soul inhabiting a paper husk, Sasori hadn’t come back as a puppet. Instead, he came back as the shadow of flesh and blood he was, before he started experimenting.

~~~

“I hate it here, yeah,” Deidara says, throwing himself down onto the cot in Sasori and his shared tent. His body doesn’t need sleep, it just makes everyone feel better to have the former Akatsuki members cordoned off at night. “Honestly, I don’t know how anyone does it. Hell, I don’t know how I did it, but answering to a Kage is bullshit. I’ll take being a missing nin any day.”

“I hardly find that surprising,” Sasori says, not even bothering to turn around or look up from where he’s bent over his desk. “You’re much too wild to serve under any real authority.”

“Harsh, Danna. I served under Pein just fine.”

“Please, even when Nagato was maintaining the illusion of leadership, it hardly qualified. He demanded tasks of us, yes, but he was more than happy to leave us alone between assignments.”

“Ugh, why do you always have to be right,” Deidara whines. “I can’t even say that if I lived my life over again, I would do things differently, because I'm living my life over again, and I’m dying to desert, yeah.”

“Yeah,” Sasori says sarcastically, turning around to face Deidara with one brow lifted. “I commanded a network of spies, I can tell when someone won’t submit to orders. You’re one of the few shinobi who truly has no master.”

Deidara feels his mouth dry up the second Sasori turns to look him fully, it’s the first time he’s seen him shirtless since they’ve come back. It hasn’t come up, and Deidara can’t be more thankful that this moment happened in private. He wouldn’t have been able to handle an audience. He’s not sure he’ll even be able to handle it now when it’s just the two of them. Because, standing out against the stark, white of Sasori’s skin is his mark, mirrored perfectly back to him.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Deidara forces himself to ask, “How long have you had that mark for?” It may seem stupid, but Deidara has been partners with Sasori for years, and he’s never seen it before.

Sasori looks puzzled for a moment, before following Deidara’s line of sight to his chest. “You mean my soulmark?”

“No, I mean your kidney scar. Of course, I mean your soulmark, you fucking idiot!” Deidara says fervently, carefully keeping his voice lowered to avoid drawing an unwanted audience.

“Forever, I suppose.” There’s a pause, before Sasori continues, “I forgot about it.”

“How can you forget about a soulmark?” There’s a lot of thinly, veiled anger in his voice, Deidara might not have poured much faith into the system, but it still burned to hear that he could be discarded without a second thought.

“I didn’t feel the need to include it into my puppet’s body,” Sasori says, carefully neutral. “It was an unnecessary reminder of the humanity I wanted to leave behind. It hasn’t been a part of me in almost twenty years, and even before then, my soulmate hadn’t been born when I transferred vessels.”

“Oh.” Deidara hasn’t thought about their age difference in—ever. Maybe at first, he did, but Sasori’s stuck in a sixteen-year-old’s body, it’s unspeakably easy for Deidara to forget that Sasori had stopped aging the year he was born.

Things make a lot of sense now, Deidara’s always felt a form of stasis from his mark, it’s not the cold, empty feeling of a severed bond, it’s perfectly numb, the one thing in both of Deidara’s lives that’s unchanging.

“It’s hardly of consequence,” Sasori says, a hint of frustration creeping into his voice. “I can’t feel anything from them, the connection is numb, and I don’t understand it. They’re not dead, the bond isn’t empty, and they’re alive now. I can tell, but everything is static. I hate it.”

“I thought true art was enduring, yeah. You know, something that stays perfectly the same forever,” Deidara says cheekily. He’s being a bit of a bastard, but Sasori deserves a taste of what Deidara has had to live with for nineteen years.

“This isn’t art, this is annoying,” Sasori bites back. “If anything, this is proof of the Edo Tensei’s inferiority.”

“You’re missing the obvious, my man,” Deidara says, pushing himself up into a sitting position. He picks at the scratchy fabric of the blanket. It’s not easy to say, despite having years to have crafted the conversation in his head. “Clearly, your soulmate’s jumped ship and gotten himself another vessel. Hey, maybe he decided to follow in your footsteps, and get a nice puppet one, yeah. That would be cool. Karma, you know?”

Sasori scowls, it's cute now that Deidara can see his brow pinch. His puppet was never great at facial expressions. They always fell flat, the wood refusing to move much past it’s carefully neutral, resting face. Deidara gets up, kicking a discarded pile of puppet parts aside, Sasori’s frown deepens at the action, but he doesn’t say anything.

“Listen,” Deidara starts, tugging off his cloak, and throwing it down. It lands somewhere next to a pile of rejected legs. He’ll have Sasori get it for him later, he might not be able to be poisoned anymore, but his touch is nowhere near gentle enough for the puppets. “You can’t make a big deal out of this. It doesn’t change anything, okay?”

“I’ve seen your mark Deidara,” Sasori says, turning his head away in dismissal. He reaches down, grabbing the third Kazekage’s puppet, turning its glassy, unseeing eyes on him.

There’s history there, Deidara doesn’t want to get into it. Especially now, when he can see the small wistful expression that crosses Sasori’s face as he handles the puppet. Everyone has their flaws.

“You really haven’t.” Because, Sasori has seen his mark, yes, but he’s only seen the bastardized version of it. The mark looks completely different, now that it's not being held closed by stitches and lacks a mouth. “Like I said, it changes nothing.”

Slowly, with careful, precise movements, Deidara lifts his shirt over his head, letting it fall to the ground.

There’s a moment of dead silence, the tension in the air painfully thick as Sasori takes him in, as he closes the gap between them. Tentatively, Sasori reaches out, and traces over the mark on Deidara’s chest, skimming the edges with feather-light touches. Deidara lets him. He can't feel anything in this body, this vessel, the sentiment is still there though.

“It’s different,” Sasori says.

“It’s a match,” Deidara says back, reaching up to grab Sasori's hand, placing it more firmly against his heart—against where his heart was. “We’re dead, that’s why it feels numb. Our corpses are decaying, well, yours is. Mine’s disintegrated.”

“You felt this.” Sasori pulls back, just a little, enough to meet Deidara’s eyes without straining to look up. “You felt this static for years. No wonder you’re insane.”

“Ouch. That hurt.” Deidara lets Sasori’s hand fall, instead, he brings his own up to run through his hair, it’s a nervous habit. “But, yeah, it sucked ass. I hadn’t thought about it before, but the numbness was probably because your puppet’s body didn’t exactly feel things. Now, it’s probably because these husks are glorified paper mache.”

“Right,” Sasori says, and this time Deidara swears he sounds sad. “That would make sense. As shades, we lack a physical presence to influence the bond. My previous vessel was very much the same.”

“Hmm,” Deidara hums, it doesn’t do either of them any good to focus on the past, all they’ll do is dwell on regrets. “Well, you live and learn. Though, I guess, we’re not exactly living at the moment. We’re just sort of possessing vessels, yeah.”

“Possessing vessels.” Sasori chews on the words, rolling them back and forth across his tongue. His eyes drift down to the pile of parts Deidara had kicked less than five minutes ago.

Deidara sees the gleam in Sasori’s eyes as he reaches down into the pile, and reflexively, takes a step back. The tricky thing about Sasori is, that at first glance, he doesn’t appear dangerous, but then you see the ruthless look of pure, chaotic energy bubbling in his eyes, and you realize, Sasori is as morally bankrupt as they come.

Deidara gulps as Sasori takes a step closer. “Sasori, my man—”

Sasori is undeterred, pausing only minutely to toss Deidara a spare arm. Deidara catches it, if only thanks to years of practice dodging puppet parts. “Do you think you could transfer your kinjutsu into that?”

He weighs the hand, turning it over with a critical eye. “Maybe, if it wasn’t wooden. You might not know this, but explosives don’t exactly play nice with chakra infused timber.”

“Porcelain, then,” Sasori says, moving toward his workbench. “Maybe a non-conductive metal.”

“I’m missing something here,” Deidara proclaims, throwing the arm at the back of Sasori’s head. He doesn’t bother catching it, instead, Sasori lets it rip through him.

“You very rarely aren’t.” Sasori dismisses.

The Third Kazekage loses an arm to Sasori’s hunt. Deidara gets far more satisfaction than he should watching Sasori disassemble the puppet. He’s on a hunt, it’ll be awhile before Deidara can pull him out of whatever project he’s just thought up. Hell, with these new vessels—ones that don’t require even the pseudo rest Sasori’s last one did—it might be weeks before he’ll be able to steal any attention.

“Why must you insult me?” Deidara asks rhetorically. “Can you, at least, fill me in? Before you jump down whatever rabbit hole your brain’s decided on.”

Sasori seems to debate for a moment, but Deidara’s not the only one who knows his partner well. Sasori knows that if he doesn’t tell Deidara something now, he’ll never get any peace later.

“You said you wanted to be a missing nin again.”

#naruto #crow writes #akatsuki #sasori #deidara #deidara/sasori #soulmate #alternative universe canon divergence #alternative universe #sasori/deidara

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crystallized-shadow · 4 years

Link

Chapter: 1/1 Rating: Mature Pairing: Madara/Tobirama Word Count: 2567 Warnings: Swearing, blood, betrayal, character death, forced to take part in a ritual Summary: It's been over 1000 years since Tobirama and Madara spent the Winter Solstice together and Tobirama swears it won't end like last time. But can Tobirama keep such a promise?

Ko-Fi // Commission Info

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As happy as Tobirama was that his summer was back, he realized he might have forced the awakening too soon. Madara was neither the god he'd loved for innumerable ages nor the human reincarnation, but something in between the two. The winter god knew it was painful for the summer god, all too aware of his missing power but unable to reclaim it. That being said, Madara's idea was stupid and he wasn't going to let it happen.

"No."

"You can't tell me no," Madara huffs, crossing his arms over his chest as he glares his eternal partner, "I'm still the master in this relationship, you are my summon."

"You were never my master," Tobirama points out, getting right in Madara's personal space, "you are mine and I will not lose you to those monsters again."

"Tobirama," Madara sighs, "I can't not go, I've gone every year."

"That was before you reawakened the powers they originally stole from you." Tobirama states, seeing the flame in Madara's eyes waver just enough that he knows he's getting through to him. "Please my summer," he pleads, pressing their foreheads together and staring deep into the other's eyes, "I've already lost you once, I won't survive losing you a second time."

Madara closes his eyes for a long moment before reopens them, his sad gaze finding Tobirama's easily. "I am so sorry I put you through that my winter, but I have to go," the summer god mutters, pressing their lips together in a chaste kiss, "not only would it be odd for my human half to miss it, but I need to get my power back, this half revival is killing me."

"There must be another way."

"There isn't and you know it."

"If you go I won't talk to you for the next millennia," Tobirama states with a huff, turning away from Madara to avoid the summer god seeing just how hurt he is right now.

"If I don't go I won't be around in a millennia," Madara points out, rolling his eyes, "I need my power back or I'll just die again."

Tobirama goes rigid, hating that Madara has a very valid point. Rather than admit he's wrong, Tobirama disappears in a swirl of snow, leaving Madara alone in the human's living room.

Madara just sighs, shaking his head at Tobirama's childish actions before he goes to gather the few things he'll need for the trip. It wasn't as if he didn't understand Tobirama's hesitance to let him near the Uchiha, he didn't want to be on the same plane as them, let alone trapped in a room with them, but he truly had no choice. True reincarnation, especially for a god as powerful as himself, took millennia upon millennia to happen naturally. Normally it would have taken at least another 9 millennia or so before his fellow seasons should have been able to sense him; at which point they would have been able to help him reclaim his lost powers. However since Tobirama had found him so much earlier, and reawakened his soul, Madara had little choice but to speed the process up or risk starting it all over again. Without the other gods able to sense him, and Hashirama currently pissed at him for stealing Tobirama, Madara knew the only god he might get help from is Tobirama, if the winter god can stop pouting long enough to actually be helpful.

Much too soon for Madara's liking he's standing before the Uchiha's meeting place. Now that he remembered his past, he couldn't help but admire the amount of balls Tajima must have had to select here of all places for the Uchiha's "ancestral shrine". The fact that this place had survived Tobirama's rage for over 1000 years is even more impressive, he knew his death site was always the epicenter of a truly horrifying blizzard each year. Steeling his nerves, Madara takes a deep breath and walks into what he hoped wouldn't turn into his grave again.

Everything goes smoothly at first, no one suspects that Madara is anything but human, until it's his turn to "present an issue" to the clan. Finding himself in the center of the room where he had once died, it takes every ounce of willpower he has to keep his voice steady as he speaks.

"Honorable elders," Madara greets with a proper bow, his father had beaten manners into him at a young age, "thank you for agreeing to hear my rather unorthodox request."

"It's rare you wish to speak to us at all," the oldest elder mutters, drawing a puff from his pipe despite his wife's frown, "for someone rumored to be the great Tajima's reincarnation you don't usually take an active part in our clan."

"Cut the boy some slack dear," his wife chides, "he's still young enough that clan politics probably bore him to tears."

"What did you wish to speak with us about Brother?" Obito questions, drawing Madara's eyes to his older brother's scarred face; the elder Uchiha had been caught in one of Tobirama's avalanches and would always bare the marks. Fitting Madara found himself thinking, since Obito acted more like Tajima than he ever had.

"I met the God of Winter," Madara states, his tone even and his eyes hard, "he claims our powers weren't freely given, but stolen from the God of Summer. Our clan is responsible for the seasons being thrown out of balance; we need to return our power to the gods."

"You are aware of what you're asking us, correct?" Obito asks, his lone eye flat in a way that makes Madara nervous.

"I am, but we are already a strong clan, returning what was stolen won't hurt us." For a long moment no one speaks and Madara resists the urge to fidget under the unimpressed looks the elders are sending him. He was beginning to regret not listening to Tobirama.

"How do you know the seasons are off balance?" Obito asks instead, making Madara's brows furrow in confusion.

"What do you mean Brother? The ancient texts Father made us read talk about it."

"You mean the ancient texts that no Uchiha has ever been able to decipher?" Obito presses and Madara feels his blood run cold. "Why would the winter god appear before someone from the clan it hates?"

"What are you saying?" Madara mutters, pulling his weakening magic to his fingertips, ready to launch enough fireballs to escape.

"What I'm saying," Obito begins with a cruel smirk, a flare of his magic activating the runes around Madara, "is we've known the truth about you since you were a child; our little summer come back to strengthen us once more."

The runes glow brightly, and Madara feels a very familiar flash of horror, before his magic is forcibly shoved back into his core and a scream is torn from his throat as he collapses to his knees. "Please...Brother, don't do this..." Madara pants, glancing up at his brother through his bangs, praying he can reach the older man.

Obito's face remains impassive as he leaves his elevated perch and walks down to stand above Madara. "You have never been my brother," he states, disgust tainting his words, "you're nothing more than fodder to strengthen my great clan."

Terror grips Madara's soul as the truth crashes into him like a tidal wave; the elders had always known the truth. His clan had never forgotten how they got their power; instead they were just waiting for him to do this so they could repeat Tajima's actions once more. Darkness licks at the corners of Madara's vision as he feels Obito flare his magic once more. The glowing runes around him slowly crawl onto his skin, burning like brands, and Madara bites through his lip in an effort to hold back a blood curdling scream. When unconsciousness mercifully pulls at him, Madara just lets himself fall.

Madara comes to some time later with a scream, a burning knife stabbing through his wrists and pinning him to the center of the rune circle that still haunts his nightmares. It takes him a second to remember his family betraying him, but when he does, Madara just looks up into his brother's cold eye, resigned.

"Not going to fight me?" Obito sneers, crouched beside Madara with the ceremonial dagger in one hand.

Madara doesn't bother to answer, doesn't see the point; his magic was sealed and without Tobirama at his side he was done for. "You won't survive winter," he mutters because he knows Tobirama will wipe the Uchiha clan off the face of the earth before he succumbs to the madness he'd threatened early.

"We'll take its power too," Obito chuckles, "all the seasons will fall to us."

"Will we now?" An icy voice mutters, the tone making every Uchiha shudder in fear while Madara can't help but grin. Obito slowly turns to face the newcomer, unsure of what to make of the pale man leaning against the wall just outside the reach of the runes binding Madara.

"And who the fuck are you?" He demands, frowning at the sound of wind rattling through frozen trees that greets his question. It takes him a moment to realize the pale bastard is laughing at him.

"I am the God of Winter," Tobirama chuckles, his grin as sharp as the ice he commands, "and you have something of mine."

"Summer belongs to the Uchiha!" Obito growls, standing up to face the god, "once we take its power again we'll take yours too!"

"Have you ever wondered why Summer's power can be stolen only on this day?" Tobirama questions, raising one pale eyebrow when the Uchiha glare at him.

"Summer is weakest on the Winter Solstice, everyone knows that!"

"That is true, because Winter is strongest today," Tobirama points out, freezing the ground with barely a spark of magic. As the ice slowly creeps up the Uchiha's legs, Tobirama finally pushes off the wall and walks toward Obito. "Your despicable ancestors stole Summer from me once, you won't steal him again."

"Fuck you!" Obito snarls, a great blast of fire bursting from him, melting the ice holding him. He catches Tobirama by surprise, the god hadn't expected anyone with fire magic that strong, and he manages to graze the god's cheek with his dagger. "I will make you pay for mocking my clan!"

Tobirama braces himself for another blast of fire, ready to counter it this time, however it never comes. Instead the ball of fire melts away the ice covering the runes around Madara just as Obito activates them. Madara's scream as his magic is torn away stabs right through Tobirama's heart and before he can stop himself, he is lunging for Madara, his ice breaking the circle once more.

"Too easy," Obito mocks, plunging his dagger into Tobirama's exposed back. Or at least he tries too, surprised when a spike of black ice suddenly impales him. Obito's eye travels from the ice to Madara as the dagger clatters uselessly to the ground. "H-how...?"

"I won't let you..." Madara pants from his half-crouched from, wrists bloody and torn from escaping the knife, "touch my winter..." Madara sways, collapsing into Tobirama's waiting arms.

"Always so reckless my summer," Tobirama mummers, gently easing his magic into Madara to heal his wounds even as he fully encases the Uchiha in ice. The bastards wouldn't die yet, not with their stolen fire magic, but Madara needed them alive to extract his power.

"You came..." Madara mutters, nuzzling into the fur surrounding his lover's neck, "thought you were mad at me."

"I’m furious," Tobirama states, carding a hand through Madara's wild mane, "but that doesn't mean I'd let you die."

"Thank you."

The two lapse into an easy silence as Tobirama heals Madara's wounds and gets the branded runes off him. Once the summer god is steady on his feet again, he looks at the people he thought were his family.

"You brought this on yourself Brother," Madara mumbles before he gathers his magic once more, muttering an ancient spell in a language only Tobirama understands.

Tobirama watches as the spell works, watches the stolen magic finally return to its original owner. The changes happen more slowly, first Tobirama feels the bound that had held him as Madara's summon fade away after all a god had no use for a summon. Next pale skin darkens to the sun scorched color only Madara had ever possessed, a lovely shade Tobirama had missed dearly, while dark hair loses the rigidity only humans had. The moment Tobirama knows his summer is back is the when molten eyes slowly blink open and find his.

“Welcome back,” Tobirama murmurs, afraid this is just another dream.

“My winter,” Madara grins, teeth sharp as familiar glowing symbols appear on the visible skin, “thank you…”

Tobirama’s heart beats painfully as he drinks in the sight of his summer, it had been too long since he’d seen his eternal partner in all his glory. His joy quickly turns to worry when Madara sways again and only his arm around the older god’s waist keeps him up right. “Madara!?”

“I’m fine,” the summer god mutters, even as he leans heavily on Tobirama, “just tired…”

“Ah, I suppose you really can’t feel the power you just got back,” Tobirama chuckles, though it sounds a little strained even to his own ears. It would make sense that Madara’s power was still largely absent, it was still Tobirama’s solstice after all, but he was still concerned about his eternal partner.

“Take me home?” Madara requests, his voice quiet in a way that suggests a deeper hurt.

“Of course my winter,” Tobirama mutters, brushing a kiss against the other’s forehead. It’s very telling when Madara doesn’t fight being swept up into a bridal-style hold; if Tobirama shatters the Uchiha icicles in his anger, well Madara doesn’t seem to notice. The two gods disappear in a swirl of snow before a record shattering storm wipes the entire compound off the face of the earth.

Madara barely stirs as they reappear in his human house, and Tobirama frowns as he lays the newly reborn god on the bed. It was clear Madara had been deeply hurt by the Uchiha, betrayed by the ones he thought he loved, and he would need some time away from the other gods to heal. Tobirama is just selfish enough to hide away both their magics, he wanted to keep Madara to himself for a little longer.

“You’re thinking too loudly,” Madara grumbles, cracking one eye open to glare at his partner, “I’m trying to sleep.”

“Now who said you get to sleep?” Tobirama chuckles, gracefully dropping down on the bed and pinning the weaker god under him. “I seem to recall making you a promise on the last solstice we spent together.”

“You did?” Madara mutters, his brows furrowing in confusion. It takes him a few moments to remember the last time he’d been with his winter like this, so many centuries ago, but when he remembers a lovely blush colors his cheeks. “With how tired I am, you might be able to keep me out until Spring, if you’re lucky.”

“One day you will learn to stop doubting my skills,” Tobirama chuckles, leaning down and claiming Madara’s lips in a searing kiss that chases all the bad thoughts away.

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365daysofsasuhina · 5 years

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[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day Two Hundred Seventy-Two: Future ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: A Light Amongst Shadows ] [ AO3 Link ]

Many years ago, Uchiha Sasuke did not consider the future outside of a singular idea. That being the vengeance gained for his slaughtered clan when he finally eliminated their murderer: his elder brother, Itachi. A secondary goal to restore his clan was...vague and half-hearted at best. Partially because he didn’t yet realize just what such a goal would take. Partially because he knew full well that he may die in pursuit of his revenge.

And partially because he had no romantic inclinations until late into his teens.

Sasuke spent nearly every day after his release from Konoha’s hospital a few days after the massacre training, one way or another. Be it practicing his taijutsu, his bukijutsu, his ninjutsu. Or doing extensive study on any subject that offered an inkling of advantage. Seals, chakra rationing, even the history of Konoha and his clan. He couldn’t waste a single moment...because every one he let slip away was another spent with his clan in turmoil, surely trapped in a kind of limbo while they awaited justice for their untimely deaths, from elders to children.

He wouldn’t - couldn’t - let them down.

Beyond his eventual goal, Sasuke took life one day at a time. Get up, eat, train, eat, clean himself up, sleep...repeat. Barely any variation save for whatever obstacles life threw at him. His time at the Academy was spent obsessively studying and practicing. Upon being assigned a genin team, he felt held back by immature missions, and even more immature teammates. Even his sensei seemed too aloof, not giving his goal true consideration. Kakashi didn’t seem to care that Sasuke was so driven. He still held him to the same standards - the same routines - as the dead-last and the annoying girl that was far more focused on him than her shinobi career.

He became so blinkered, that any interruption - any waste of time - was unforgivable. Naruto’s incessant bickering was infuriating. Sakura’s attempts to distract him for her own selfish desires were aggravating. Kakashi’s lack of drive and refusal to take him seriously was a source of constant irritation. Naruto called himself his friend. Sakura claimed to love him. Kakashi, once things got bad enough, tried to relate to Sasuke and his own childhood actions.

But none of them...none of them truly understood. And it was clear in their actions. In no way did they attempt to help him. Instead, they impeded him at every given opportunity.

And yet…

...and yet…

Buried beneath the anger, the hurt, the obsession...was the same caring little boy that fed stray cats in the Uchiha compound, and spoke softly to his classmates, and eagerly vied for the attention of his peers and betters. Because at the root of Uchiha Sasuke’s character...was a deep and unbreakable caring for people.

Why else would be try so hard for people now dead? Because he loved them. Because their deaths were a grave injustice. Everything else? The hatred, the fury, the drive? Was to shelter and protect that ideal from the corruption of his brother. He had to hate him. Had to be angry. Had to strive every moment of every day, or he would fail.

Fail them.

So, despite the aggravations they caused him, despite the impediment of his goals, despite his overall annoyance toward his team...they were his team. They were, in some sense, like family. It’s why he threw himself between Haku’s needles and Naruto. Why he fought so hard against Gaara to save Sakura’s life. Why he tried so hard when Kakashi finally took him for solo training. These people, whether he liked them or not, were tied to him. And he couldn’t deny that.

Not even when he left.

They were the first glimmers of hope for a future. That maybe something could exist for him when all was said and done. When the Uchiha were avenged, maybe...he could shed his layers he’d built up to protect that core.

But until then, to save himself - to save them - he cut his ties. Nothing could hold him back from this destiny. This goal. This purpose that had become the center of his very being.

And just as he thought justice was his - just as Itachi lay dead at his feet - everything shattered.

...everything.

Itachi was not the culprit. He was the puppet. The puppet of the village Sasuke had been born in, grown in. They had betrayed their own, ignoring their abuse and their wants for freedom...and met them instead with blades and subterfuge.

...and what did his team do when they learned this truth?

Nothing.

That...had been a blow almost akin to learning that truth. The betrayal Sasuke felt when Naruto knew that Konoha had killed his clan, and yet still tried to drag him ‘home’. The audacity of Sakura trying to end his path for justice by killing him, to put him out of his misery…? The sheer hypocrisy of Kakashi, too loyal to a bloody-handed village to see why Sasuke abandoned them - they who chose Konoha over their teammate, friend, love, student - was too much.

In that moment...he truly did hate them.

And those dreams of that future died in the fires of that hate.

How dare they…? How dare they?! How dare any of them uphold a system that produced the most virulent ‘villains’ of the ages? Madara, Obito, even Sasuke himself in some minds...all products of the shinobi system and its broken ideas of loyalty and servitude to the state...even if it means wiping out a bloodline long used and abused by the village they helped create.

So Sasuke saw a new future. One with a slate wiped clean. Dead kage, dismantled villages...whatever it took to destroy that which had made his monster.

And who would stop him...but Naruto?

Even with the ultimate powers granted to him, Sasuke still couldn’t best him. It felt cruel. To be once again shackled to Konoha, to the system of shinobi. It was either that, or death. And death was no future.

So...he gave in.

...but not completely.

Upon the return of Itachi, raised from the grave, Sasuke found - at last - his final calling. To see Konoha’s shadows burned in the light of truth and justice. They would confront the council. They would reveal the truth behind the massacre. Itachi would be pardoned and seen for the hero he truly was: someone forced to make an impossible choice by killing the few to save the many. Neither of them were perfect, and neither claimed to be. But both were done wrong by the village they’d been born in. Given so much of their lives to.

And if Sasuke could not change the world...he would change Konoha.

They had allies. The Hyūga stood with them, debts owed thrice over to one of their own. Cousin clans stood together to shed light on the past.

And it was that act that revealed to Sasuke - even if time would have to pass before he realized - the largest part of his true future.

Hinata had been a virtual stranger. There had been brief meetings during clan talks, and they’d attended the Academy together. Took their first chūnin exams together. But they had never really talked. Sasuke had no recollection of her, really, upon his return to Konoha outside a vague impression of a quiet, shy, but seemingly good-hearted little girl.

A girl who had grown into a fierce defender of what she believed in, and the people she cared for. Whose gentle nature was backed by an iron will. In some ways...she reminded him of himself. He had a basic respect for her, especially as she worked with their clan to help bolster them in their singular numbers. She wasn’t overbearing like many of her clansmen, but instead warm and diligent, paying close attention to the needs and comforts of others.

She was...calming. Quiet, like himself, they could sit in a companionable silence when brought together: be it for clan business, or being dragged along by shared friends or acquaintances. Her temper meshed against his own almost shockingly well. And while everyone else walked on eggshells, she simply went on like business as usual.

It was unbelievably refreshing.

For the first time, he felt he could be heard. He didn’t have to bicker with her like Naruto. He didn’t have to know he wasn’t being listened to like with Sakura. She treated him like she treated everyone else. And their parallels served as a basis of understanding he’d really found in no one else, not even Naruto.

Once he realized how well they got on...he sought her out like a plant in a dark room, reaching for a crack bleeding light. Everything about her just felt...right. Comforting. Comfortable. Nothing forced, nothing expected, just...someone who listened. Who understood.

...and then he realized that he loved her. In his nineteen years, he’d never felt love like that before. Love for family, yes. Love for friends, sure. But love in another half? In someone who made him feel...whole?

...he was terrified.

Partly due to inexperience. Partly due to a fear of driving her away. But mostly due to fearing his reputation’s effect on her own.

But Hinata, of course, refuted it as soon as he brought it up. Her life had nearly been lost so many times...and several times in pursuit of a love never returned. But now, she had someone who made her feel seen. Who she didn’t have to fight for his attention. She and Sasuke just...worked. Never had she felt so connected to and understood by someone. There would be - could be - no one else. And she would gladly risk her reputation - or her life - for such a love.

...so he agreed. And together, they took their first steps into a future for two.

.oOo.

Phew, finally done with this one! I'm still technically a day late (and probably will be for...quite some time as I do another ship month for October), but at least I'm more caught up than I was lol This piece is more...narrative and introspective. I love love LOVE getting inside Sasuke's mind. He's such an intriguing character to me. Even more so, admittedly, than Hinata (though I still love her to pieces). I love thinking about and studying his story, and imagining how it could go post-war in another verse with Hinata. Even recently I've changed a small portion of my view of him yet again - seems he's still evolving for me, even after all this time. There's just so much potential for expansion for him...and so much of it wasted in canon by Kishi just sweeping everything tidily after 699. It really irks me xD But, it's late and I'm rambling! Thanks for reading!

#sasuhina #uchiha sasuke #hyūga hinata #a light amongst shadows [ canon verse ]#365daysofsasuhina

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grecoisms · 7 years

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title: to deserve a spring (3/3) pairing: Kakashi Hatake / Sakura Haruno rating: M summary: “

Still for @ninjas-in-love and @neonanything. THANK YOU FOR EVERY REBLOG AND LIKES AHHHHH!

Let us go forth together to the spring: Love must be this, if it be anything.

xxii.

Kakashi awakes to the sound of his regrets in a form of a headache the size of Konoha, the smell of tea and eggs, and Sakura's voice. He dares not open his eyes yet, so instead, he opens his mouth.

"Yo" he wants to say, but it comes out as "Ugh". The tongue in his mouth feels dry and heavy, as if he had swallowed sand.

It is when he sits up that he realizes he has been sleeping on the floor, fully clothed, using the carpet as a blanket.

The left rim of his vision is a blur, a window on rainy days, with the slight difference of feeling like it is on fire. The dead skin beneath his scar is pulsing.

There is a stench in the air.

"Good morning." greets Sakura, whom he still cannot see. Not even a patch of pink.

"Where are you?" he asks, and touches his own face, alarmed.

"Your mask is on" the voice says, and finally, Sakura's face glide into his world, from behind him. The cup of tea she places on his old, white table is steaming, the eggs are scrambled. "You smell like distillery and dogpiss."

"My aesthetic." he groans. She laughs, but not unkindly.

"Want me to carry you to the table?"

"I think I completely razed my reputation as it is, so why not."

As she helps him up, he notices that Sakura has her flak jacket on, and that her equipment await her next to the door.

"Is this how you usually deal with hospital bureaucracy?" Standing up is especially hard now. The room is a vertigo, but her grip on his arm is gentle steel.

Her eyes follow his. She makes a brushing movement, as if trying to cast aside the question.

"I have Saturdays off. Besides, "and her voice is a little too light now. "One of the med nins in Neji's team has fallen ill. Shikamaru asked me to step in. Just this once. I told Tsunade and she consented."

The table and chair are finally in his reach, but he refuses to sit down now. And while Sakura is still holding his right hand, his left grabs the back the chair.

"Neji and Shikamaru are ANBU."

Sakura licks her lips.

"Yes." her voice is soft.

The realization dawns.

"No." Kakashi says. Suddenly, the room is too bright and sharp, just when the sharingan is alive. Fear makes him alert.

"They asked me nicely."

"Refuse it nicely, then." he knows he is being stubborn and childish. He has not felt this stupid since he left Naruto follow Sasuke and then he decided on acting like a hermit.

Sakura puts her hands on her hips.

"I can decide for good what I really want. ANBU is not the end of the world."

"ANBU is death."

"ANBU is a choice and has the potential of protecting people too." Her eyes are darker now, a shade of dark forest. "You have served in it for years and became wiser for it."

Kakashi wants to say, ANBU was an escape for me. He wants to say, you can take a shinobi out of ANBU, but you cannot take ANBU out of that person anymore.

He does not wish this fate for Sakura. But he wants her to make her own choices.

"The hospital is safer space." he says then, factual and cold. "I think ANBU a mistake."

"I am not Rin." she says then, suddenly. Her hands are not on her hips anymore, but palms open and against her sides.

Kakashi goes very still.

The clock on the wall sets a rhythm to the silence. From this close, Kakashi can see that Sakura has some freckles, even though it is winter. She is not angry but sad, rather, and that makes the stubborness in him melt. Sakura is climbing through his fences, he realizes.

"I know" he says, but the tone of it does not ring quite sincere. " I just -"

He does not know how to finish so instead he sits down and buries his head in his hands.

Her voice is impossibly calm and very kind.

"It was not your choice or responsibility then. And it is not now. Rin knew what she was doing. And I know what I am doing."

Looking up, Kakashi smiles. But this time, the look in his eyes is bitter, the smile is an old facade, the one that reminds her of olden times. She hated that smile then and resents it still. It is a construction meant to deceive.

"She had known and she died nevertheless."

"Her. Decision." She is adamant. He blinks.

"Is this only about the mission?"

She does not miss a beat with the answer.

"Are you ready for another conversation?"

Checkmate.

He does not answer, so she puts on her heavy shinobi boots, collects her gears and before she slips out of the door says,

"See you."

"Be safe" he mumbles, but she is already gone.

xxiii.

First snow falls the next day.

For most part of the week, he vacillates between taking up an S-mission himself or simply lie down and wait for eternal rest to claim him.

Instead, he scrubs the floor six times and washes all of his clothes and sharpens and polishes all his weapons, gives them names and puts them away in alphabetical order. He cleans the windows. He waxes every wooden material. He performs rituals to forbid his mind from wandering and wondering where Sakura is.

Winter has its difficulties, so he takes his team on patrols. He takes them mountain climbing, which means while they freeze their ass off, his students clean the icicles off of the Hokages' noses. Umma is careful - Doctor Haruno is not in town and she would not let another medic nin near her.

Snow reminds Kakashi of their very first mission together, when Naruto and Sasuke and Sakura had to face what being a shinobi really means.

Shinobi, said Zabuza before he died, arms limp and useless against his sides. Use or be used. You are no ninjas until you awoke and slept with the smell of blood. Shinobi is not a shadow. It is a weapon.

The memory sends a chill down his spine.

"Sensei!" Tassun shouts, way above him. "Can't we use some jutsu? Please?"

Kakashi forbids it. He also forbids himself to compare Tassun to Obito. Even though he is prides himself to be a rational man, he is above all a nostalgic men, draped in melancholy.

Rule twenty-five.

Never show your tears.

But Zabuza was not a melancholic man and still, he wept when Haku died. Naruto was - is - like that, but his tears are a way of giving in. Gives all things their due tears. His tears are invert in nature.

Sakura's tears are efficient: she is an emotional being and knows the worth of that. Her tears are public for a reason. She could easily remember and recite the rules while crying for Sasuke when she believed him dead. It did not faze her. Thus her greatest power lies in knowing this compassion is no weakness.

Shedding tears as a lesson.

Kakashi has not cried since they buried Minato, and swore he never would. He used to believe that was something to take pride in - something that makes one mature. He does not remember seeing Sasuke shed a tear either and how much respect he felt for him. Now he looks at Sasuke, all hollow; and regards himself, preserving sanity with total denial (hiding after all, is denial. He is a coward but not a liar) and wonders how could he ever think what they done has been venerable.

He thinks; Sakura must be smiling now, with snow in her hair.

He also wonders whether Sakura smiles with the knowledeg about the unmitigated power she possesses, topping them all in her wake.

xxiv.

News comes on Friday.

The smell of hot chocolate is everywhere, because Umma has spilled half of its content on her vest and the other half on Kakashi's. Then her student stops and points at the opposite direction they are heading.

"Look, it is the crabby man." And truly, Neji is standing at the corner of Konoha's main street with Hinata accompanying him. He seems okay, apart from wearing the ugliest coat in the history of Konoha and the ugliest frown too.

Hinata spots them, and waves. She has her a coat similar to Neji's, but the snow washes out her features.

Kakashi has to get to the lake, but wants - needs - to know about the mission and especially about Sakura's wellbeing.

They are standing far away.

Kakashi might have a premature stroke.

"Umma," he says. "Can you ask crabby man about Sakura? I will run to the lake and bring Koshi back, then we will get lunch."

"Okay." she grimaces. "But we eat at Dango's."

xxiv.

No lunch on Friday. And no drink for that matter. Not now or ever.

Because instead of Umma waiting for them and Sakura standing there with her all-teeth smile and snow in her hair saying, Are you getting senile in your old age, Hatake? See, here I am. Safe and sound; it is Neji and Hinata and Tsunade who wait for him.

Kakashi cannot read Tsunade's face, and Neji's frown is absolute and deep, but it is Hinata who makes him freeze. She is the one wearing true grief. She is pale, she, who always blushes. Paleness means sorrow for Hinata and Kakashi's heart sinks, his mind empties.

Koshi whistles at the sight of the three leaders.

"Go home now, Koshi." he says. The boy looks up at him and he does not joke the order away. He does not even look back as he runs home.

Neji and Hinata lock eyes as Kakashi reaches them. Tsunade looks up at him and this nearness allows Kakashi to see that Tsunade is livid, her eyes have that legendary flame she has cradled since a very young age. Her passion is a heritage of blood.

Kakashi hides his hands behind his back to hide the fact he is shivering, trembling.

"Is she dead?" he asks, slowly. He looks at Tsunade but it is Neji who answers, truthful and cruel.

"We don't know."

xxv.

It happens like this. Sakura Haruno and Shikamaru Nara with the leadership of Neji Hyuuga complete their S-ranked mission in a perfect three-day tempo, in relative ease. Aim of the mission is to secure a perimeter around Kusa and the border of the Land of the Grass so to ensure the safety of an Iwa convoy. There are no complications, the convoy sends hawk they arrived to their destination in peace and by Captain Hyuuga's orders they are to return home.

However, before leaving, Shikamaru Nara and Sakura Haruno visit Kusa in hopes of obtaining some aliment and some information. This is a tradition among shinobi. When time, make sure to use it wisely. Information is weapon in war, the knife of knowledge wounds deeper than any sword. Neji approves, so he lets them mingle among the villagers.

There is no food, and only one rumour, dominant in the city. Two men, two legendary shinobis, are said to have been spotted around the ruins of Kezuma, a former satellite hideout not so far from Eika's base. One is said to be the lost Uchiha heir. The other one is the fox demon of Konoha. They have been said to be disguised as beggars.

It happens like this: a decision needs to be made. To have a second, greater mission without backup or not to have, not to pry, not to try.

Shikamaru Nara votes to have. Neji Hyuuga votes to have. Sakura Haruno votes to have.

Their chakras are full, power and energy not spent. Captain Hyuuga sends a coded telegram home to his cousin, Hinata Hyuuga, who, after transcribing, runs to the Godaime at once with the news. Tsunade Senju does not write anything, because Neji Hyuuga has written: Already on route. No contact.

It is Wednesday dawn when they set out for the ruins, hope in their hearts. For Naruto Uzumaki has this power over them all. Neji thinks of his actions, Shikamaru his eyes, Sakura his words.

They are close. And find them they do.

It happens like this: The two lost ninjas are fleeting from Iwa. Naruto is unconscious, Sasuke is half dragging, half holding him when the three of them find them. Uchiha mistakes them for foes and manages to wound Captain Hyuuga on both legs, when finally Uchiha recognizes Sakura Haruno and ceases his attack.

The medic ninja then insists on healing both Hyuuga and Uzumaki. Uchiha informs them that he is being hunted down by the Explosion Corps and they have no time. Sakura Haruno begins the healing process despite Uchiha's argument and Neji Hyuuga asks Shikamaru Nara to strategize the fastest escape plan he can come up with. Nara insists on a defensive stance until Uzumaki and the Captain is down. Uchiha and Hyuuga agree.

No sooner Nara draws up a plan where they move onto a higher ground - Kezuma used to be three watchtowers of which one remained intact - the assailants arrive. Twenty-five against five. Naruto is almost healed, but unconscious. Hyuuga cannot get up properly. Shikamaru, Uchiha and Haruno fight for a while and the two of them manage to decimate the opponents. Nara then picks up Captain Hyuuga who orders them to retreat at once. Hyuuga tells Uchiha specifically to get Uzumaki and Haruno both.

Haruno screams for them to remain together. Just as Hyuuga and Nara disappear in the bushes, backup arrives. Haruno begins to attack them once again and Uchiha Sasuke makes the choice of using Haruno as bait. According to him, he has had to choose, and he choose Naruto Uzumaki, leaving Haruno on the battlefield, leaving to fate and chance and her own wit to survive.

And the four men - one unconscious, one healed, one fuming, one cursed - return to Konoha without the healer.

xxvi.

Much to Kakashi's dismay, almost all of the villagers are out on the streets, enveloping the main street as Naruto Uzumaki - limping and pale - accompanies Sasuke Uchiha - shackled and back bent - to the shinobi headquarters where judgement awaits him and the mission they completely fucked up. Some villagers spit on the road, some cheer, others are silent as the cenotaph Kakashi has forgotten to visit for a fortnight now.

Within the council, that acts both as judge and jury, are such people as Tsunade (because she is the Hokage and head of this village), Neji (Captain and Commander of said ANBU mission), Shikamaru (a witness), Hinata (head of the greatest clan presently thriving in Konoha), and Kakashi (former sensei and theoretically unbiased outsider).

The room is cold in temperature and color. Behind the table the council is seated, Shizune is attempting to strike a fire with matches, but her hands seem to tremble too much and so any chance for some warmth must be postponed. Self-inflicted exile and revenge has done no good to Sasuke's complexion. There is a sunken demeanor, a broken angle on his face that transformed him effectively unsightly. Naruto does not live his side. They are both standing.

The first part of the hearing is about Sasuke's tour around the world in order to kill Itachi and overrule the Shinobi countries. Sasuke gives one-word answers. Naruto tries to defend him by quoting Orochimaru and Karin and Sakura and basically half Konoha from the times Sasuke was still a genin prodigy. By the time Tsunade and Naruto finish arguing whether Sasuke Uchiha truly committed treason, it is already two in the afternoon. They started the hearings early morning.

Now comes the hardest part. The events of the last mission.

"Captain Hyuuga informed me that the ANBU team found you close to the Kezuma ruins." says the Godaime. "Is that correct?"

Sasuke looks at Neji. Clears his throat.

"We were around five miles from the watchtowers."

"Did you hide within the ruins prior to the meeting?"

"Yes.”

"For how much time?"

"Two weeks."

"For what reasons?"

It is a milisecond, but Naruto and Sasuke exchange a look that makes everyone rather uncomfortable. Shinobis at this caliber can read each other easily.

Tsunade wants none of it.

"Were you injured?"

"We wanted to rest. Naruto had found me in the very West regions of Tsuchi. After convincing me to return, we have been on the road for more than a month."

"Were you resting or hiding, Uchiha?" Tsunade's voice is now sharp.

Sasuke jaws clench and Naruto puts his hand on the shoulder of his friend.

"We knew I was being followed. We tried to outmaneuver them with no success. I killed some of them, but seems like their resources exceeded my calculations."

Shikamaru Nara mutters something. Sounds like "No fucking shit".

Naruto cuts in.

"We guessed an open confrontation would finish it. But I got injured and knew we had to reach Konoha at once."

To everyone's surprise, Hinata raises her hand, demanding the right to query. Her eyes, though milky, have a sharp tip.

"Sasuke" her voice is not timid. "Why did you attack my cousin?"

Neji, next to her, crosses his arms.

"We almost got killed a minute before" Sasuke seems downright bored. "I was sure he was enemy too."

"Sharingan." says Hinata simply. Sasuke reddens.

A beat of silence.

"You are going blind" continues Hinata gently. "Don't you?"

Neji's glare competes with Tsunade's.

"It is not relevant." Sasuke says simply.

"You irresponsible, selfish fuck." This is Shikamaru, voice pleasant despite the profanity. "You endangered all of our lives by giving us orders while we were trying to save your life."

"We were wasting time."

"We tried to fix the damage you have done. What else we could do with two teammate on the ground, one you put there?"

"I told Sakura - "

Neji prevents Sasuke from finishing.

"Sakura did not follow your orders."

It is useless for Naruto to keep his hands on him, because Sasuke tears himself from his clutch.

"She followed no one's. I told her we cannot waste time and yet she made her choice and started to heal you on the spot."

"Are you saying it is Sakura's fault she got captured?" it is the first time Kakashi speaks up, voice quiet.

Sasuke looks haughty.

"I am saying she put her energy in the wrong place at the wrong time."

He stands up. Sasuke is stronger than him, stockier even in his weakened state, but Kakashi is taller by almost an inch, all wire and sinew. He moves around the table elegantly, straight like a knife. Faces Uchiha, whom he taught as a mentor and loved as a father a long time ago.

"Is that why you left her behind?" his voice is still very soft, not showing the horrible fury he feels.

Sasuke stares at him, expression plain.

"Sakura is just a medic nin."

There was a time when thirteen year old Sasuke, angry and hurt and tied to a tree, spit at him, saying; What if I killed the people most important to you? Wouldn’t you care? Kakashi smiled then and answered. Impossible. Everyone I cared about had already died.

And Kakashi Hatake has killed many people in his life, but he has never wanted to kill anyone more clearly than Sasuke Uchiha at that very moment, that cold winter afternoon, in that Konoha council room full of people. Wonders if Sasuke even suspects the possibility of fulfilling an old promise.

And there must be something the way he looks at the boy, the way his voice sounds, because Sasuke is taking a step back and Naruto steps in front of Sasuke. Behind him, each member of the council stand as a precaution.

His voice sounds foreign to him, heavy and dead.

Impossible, impossible. Old - technically young - Kakashi would just smile.

"Get him out of here."

xxvii.

After Naruto pushes Sasuke out, Hinata and Shikamaru leave as well - she touches his back, he nods, both an act of sympathy - and Tsunade, Neji and him remain.

"Rescue mission." he says the moment the door closes.

Neji is looking out the window, on the main square where snow locks the cobblestones deep under dead weight. Tsunade has her head cradled in her hands and sends Shizune for some alcohol before she answers.

"Kakashi" her voice is cautious, warning him to not strain this too much.

"The more we wait the less chance we have." It is a fact. He looks at Neji who still avoids his gaze. Tsunade also refuses to look up.

"I know this. But Sasuke is right and Sakura is a medic nin and one of the brightest in the village. She is a survivor."

"She might be seriously injured, if not dead."

"If she is half the woman I know - and she is, believe me - she will claw and crawl her way out of anything. I taught her well."

"Then let me volunteer for an individual mission. "His voice now has an impatient tinge in it. "Let me have that at lea-"

"ENOUGH." bellows Tsunade and slams both her hands on the table that creaks under her anger. "Do you think I do not care because I did not kill Uchiha Sasuke outright? That it is a weakness or cruelty or disloyalty that I had not opened his guts with my bare hands the moment he stepped into Konoha again? That I was not aware that he is alive through abandoning her and this has not affected me? Because I do not make a public display of my own doubts and fears of what will happen to my most promising heir? Do you think I am made of stone? That I do not fear for Sakura's life and sanity as wholly as you?"

She crosses the space between them. Neji and Kakashi freeze in terror.

"Let me tell you something, Hatake." She just points at his chest, not even touching, but accusing him in all her physicality. "Sasuke abandoned her first. Then Naruto. Then you. You abandoned her too. Remember that? Because I do. She came to me, because she had no mentor left, even though you lived in the same. Fucking. Village." She is unrelenting, not even taking a breath. "Two streets across. And you decided to fuck it all, because there is no worth in helping a girl like Sakura, right? She came to me because you did not find time and energy for her. Not between an Uchiha boy and an Uzumaki prodigy."

She is taking a deep breath now, Tsunade. Then she deflates. Looks exhausted and truly fifty years old.

"Truth is - " she is not even looking at him now. "I think all the guilt you feel fuels this anger excellently against Uchiha. Rotten, the both of you. Worthless."

She turns away from him. Kakashi's legs are stone. He looks at a point, way above all of their heads. In the corner of his eyes, Neji is looking at his boots now, tactful and silent.

Shizune returns and Tsunade does not even need the glass, she gulps the liquor straight from the sake bottle. She still has her back to the both of them when she opens her mouth again.

"I already sent an ambassador to Iwa. They will talk to the Corps and we can have an agreement. This is my hope."

She wipes her mouth and finally turns to them. Him.

"You should congratulate me on my levelheadedness, Kakashi. I knew I would not be able to count on you now."

Her eyes are full of pity.

xxviii.

A box arrives four days later. It is addressed to Sasuke Uchiha. The box contains the head of the Konoha envoy. Iwa claims they do not have anyone named Haruno among their prisoners.

A week after the assembly, Sakura's smell is fading from his flat, the plant is withering in the corner. Kakashi sharpens his knives. Shines his shoes. Washes his uniform until his arm goes numb and his fingers weazen under the water. Washes himself carefully, with care.

Nothing is as satisfying as a clean kill.

xxix.

Just as Kakashi is checking the content of his bag, there are several footsteps on the stairs, small and swift. The children.

Umma's voice is hysterical.

"Sensei" she might have wanted to knock, but Koshi and Tassun simply fall through the whole door, bringing its hinges with them.

"Please" he says, wanting to say, not now. "The mission is in two hours." But he is taken aback. All of them are crying.

"What" he says, voice thick. All three of them.

"Sak- Sakura" Tassun says.

Kakashi does not need another word. He jumps through the sad remnants of his door, slides down the stairs in an inhuman speed and runs, flies like a man losing the last of his wits.

Hinata is the first one who he bumps into. She does not say anything, just points to the quarters on the right, Tsunade's home. Where people go to live or die.

He sees him, Rock Lee, at the door.

Someone is screaming.

It is him.

"Is she alive?" he asks, shouts, screams.

xxx.

"I was at my post when I saw her" Lee's voice is wavering, even now. They have been waiting for Tsunade to come out from the room where she is treating her, Sakura, with the outmost care. "Just a figure, slanting, in the distance. Like a shadow in the snow. Then her hair gave her away, under all that red. I ran to her as fast as I could and she was so relieved upon seeing me."

"Did she say something?"

His heart is beating so loudly it might deafen the corridor. He is trying to contain himself, but finds that he has lost this ability when it comes to Sakura some time ago.

Rock Lee shakes his head.

"She tried to clean the blood off her. She was covered in it." he waits a bit, in shock. "Wouldn't let go of her kunai."

The door opens and Tsunade steps out of the room.

Now, Kakashi Hatake has not cried since Minato was buried. Rule twenty-five. Shinobi, the shadow, the weapon. Impossible, impossible.

But upon hearing that Sakura Haruno lives, he excuses himself, wanders into the room where Sakura sleeps now. Her hair spills like a halo around her battered face an there are scars on her neck. Her knuckles are bloody and raw. But she is here now, alive and safe and in peace. So Kakashi simply falls down on his knees, puts his head onto the bed, very close to her fully bandaged right hand, and begins to weep like a child.

xxxi.

It is at dawn she wakes. Her hand jerks a bit and he is there, sliding to the floor from his seat.

"Kakashi" she states, in the semi-darkness, voice raspy. Her right hand flies into what feels like an abysmal space between them. He catches it very tenderly.

"Are you in pain?"

Sakura's eyes open up and focus. He wonders whether she has a fever. Her eyes are very bright though the light is scarce.

"Just very thirsty." A confession.

Turns out even with her hands healed she cannot really use them. But maybe because she is Sakura and he is Kakashi, they manage. She tilts her head and lets him pour the water into her mouth. Her palms and her wrists have fresh bandages. She must have literally beat her way out of Kezuma.

It takes a nod of her head for him to know that she had enough. Kakashi wants to let her sleep, but she does not let his hand go and as the sun rises, they look into each other's eyes; seeing the unseen; a different chain of confession.

"I am sorry for doubting you." he says finally. Softly. That is all he wishes for her now and wished for her since a long time.

"You were afraid" Sakura says. One of her molar teeth on the left is missing. A proof of her tenacity. She is made of sterner stuff than him, because he wants to cry again.

"Terrified."

Nothing in Kakashi's life turned out how he used to imagine it - fate or taken roads denied him in a way that he gave up trying to predict the course of his life altogether - but when Sakura leans to kiss his cheeks, the surprise feels like a blessing, and not a curse.

The angle is awkard. It does not matter.

"But here I am" and she smiles then, all-teeth, pearlwhite. The sensation of her goes straight into his head. He feels light and carefree and he is still terrified of the very notion of rushing this - whatever - they have.

He cannot say anything grandiose. He cannot, for the life of him, begin to unravel and murmur what he feels for her. But Sakura does not need grandiose, because when he tries to mutter and fails, she touches his cheeks, lightly and carefully.

He kisses the top of her head, because even in sitting he is slightly taller than her. Sakura looks up, expectant and smiling, like she did in Suna months ago, back when Kakashi has realized he wanted her.

Her smile is not teasing, it is welcoming and patient. He wonders if she can hear his heartbeat as her palms move from his jaw to his chest, just above his heart, below and between the collarbones. He wonders if he feels his heart beating its cage at the sight of her face.

And it seems Sakura might hear and know now, because she leans in again, and brushes his chin with the tip of her nose, careful.

"Hey" she whispers, breathes. There is no other sound then, except their heartbeat, and he feels like fainting, the way she looks at him now. "I know. I know."

He places hands on her own, fingers grazing fingers and he leads her hands to the hem, the edge of his mask. Sakura stares, mesmerizes. Kakashi feels his mouth going dry, his own tongue heavy with something called desire as they peel off this shield, this hideaway he has kept up for years. It is the most intimate act either of them has ever witnessed or done.

The unveiling reveals a long, slightly bent nose, a wide mouth with some crooked teeth. All dimples, as he smiles and his scar dances with this movement, his whole face a dazzling, wondrous movement. Just at the left fold of his chin there is a beauty spot. He has some stubbles and he smells clean, clear, all too human and beautiful. He is beautiful.

Aaaand, she just said this out loud.

"Two of us then" he laughs. Sakura laughs too, a heavenly sound, and he feels so weak as she draws him in the bed with her, bringing his body onto her own.

He envelopes her altogether.

"You are also bad influence."

"Am I now?" Another laugh from Sakura, but it feels breathless now, something that makes him greedy and a little too desperate for more. He feels possessive and reverent at the same time. Thinks it selfish.

"Am I hurting you?"

She shakes her head and turns their position, so Kakashi is under her now, the world upside down. It has never felt so right.

And maybe because he is Kakashi and she is Sakura, and although they are both automatic at killing, they are slow and unsure at lovemaking, so they take their time to memorize this moment at the beginning of the day.

She kisses the patch of discolored skin at his jaw and he sighs while his fingers travels at her hips, his palms spreading around the curve of her belly. She tastes a bit like blood and medication and almonds - her kisses are intense, too much teeth and tongue, but it is so Sakura-like that it makes both of his eyes flutter at the sensation. He is already hard but this is no surprise either.

She has that intention and attention that makes him unravel and when he slips one long finger past the elastic of her underwear, the warmth and the wet he finds there makes them both moan.

There is a confidence with which he meets her eyes and they converse nonverbally - do you want this, do you want me, do you want me now, gods, yesyesyes - and the way she inhales now is a sure signal that she enjoys how he slips another two fingers inside her. His black pants whisper and rustle in the silence just as she slips them from his waist. The white hospital shirt is two times larger than her size - it is easy to slide it a bit down so he can kiss her breasts.

He wants to smile - maybe crack a joke - but his mouth is full and her blunt nails cut onto his scalp and the pain and the pleasure merge like electricity.

They take their time positioning - Kakashi asks, Sakura responds; they are open and shameless communicators after all - and her thighs are strong and sure when they are wrapped around his hips; a feeling so natural it is almost scary. And just as her legs are strong, so are her hands as she leads him to her entrance. She sinks, falls, gives in, and then he is inside of her; hot and content. His fingers find her waist and spine and he groans with pleasure.

She swears. Or maybe it is him.

The material of his shirt tousle when she clenches it by starting to move. She must like the way the wool touches and rubs at the skin of her breasts, he thinks, and is mesmerized how her hair chooses to dance across her temple and around her neck. He thinks of deities and says her name.

They are in no hurry. Sakura is rocking back and forth like a mantra, like a prayer and he wants to brand this image, the image of her altar-like body into his eyes and brain as she bears her weight and her pleasure down on him.

"Maybe you are tiring after all." he breathes. Her eyes are closed, lids heavy with passion. She sticks her tongue out as an answer.

"Not my fault" she whispers, opens her eyes. Then arches her hips in a way that his whole body goes stiff and he almost comes then and there.

He sits up in retaliation, and embraces her closely and carefully, so that there is not an inch separating them. It is a support of a kind, this framing of her body; she is magnificent in her unwinding.

It could be him deciphering her, but Kakashi has seen through Sakura a long time ago just as she solved him a decade ago, not as a riddle, but as a poem, all loveliness, good deeds.

Some of the pink tint from her cheek travels downwards; toward her belly and in-between her thighs. She is getting close and when she fastens the pace, there is a pressure at the base of his back presaging his own orgasm. Her thrusts are haphazardous now, no true angles, but this incidental pain, yet again, comes with a jarring-searing like pleasure that makes him see double.

Kakashi thinks, pull out, but Sakura clenches around him, arms around his neck, strong and decisive and he is hit with her pleasure, this unrelenting phenomenon, that makes him come and he empties himself in her. It is a trading of treasure; a purge, a cleansing, a confession. Pleasure comes in loud waves, white-hot thunders, the salt-sweat feels sweet in the valley of her breasts when he opens his mouth to taste her skin for what he fears will be the last time. He is a cynic, above all. Even in the greatest pleasures.

She is resting her head on his a bit after and he touches the damp fistful of magenta hair at the base of her neck, the one he always dreamt of before. The bed is very small, but he decides to roll himself all up around her afterwards. Sakura is the first to talk. She is braver than him, always.

"You better not think I did this in a fit of feverish instinct." She sounds sleepy and content. Peaceful. She is drawing tiny circles on his wrist.

"Do you not care about Tsunade killing me in the morning?" he also feels in peace. Either way, Sakura will make a choice and he is either going to endure life as it is or be the happiest he has been for a long while. She shots him a look. The sun is up now, burning it is wake. The snow outside will melt in a week.

"She knows it would bother me a bit. Tsunade holds my interests close to her heart."

"Ah, a bit. So I have a chance after all."

"Chance?"

"To survive."

Sakura laughs. Kakashi remains serious and lowers his voice. He has to be brave too, now.

"But living might be better."

Sakura stops laughing. Her expression displays sudden shyness, as if he told her what she wanted to hear. He feels shy too, like an adolescent. In a certain way, in this case, in love, he feels lacking and sheepish.

Then Sakura, whom he has respected for years and loved for a while and may marry soon, looks up and says;

"What are the chances of living together?"

He kisses her knuckles that saved many lives, including his, and fought and conquered even more, again, including his, all victorious.

Answers lightly, all dimples:

"I would say the chances are great."

#kakasaku #kakashi x sakura #kakashi hatake #sakura haruno #my writing #waiting is wasting #otp: complicated thing #AYYY

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