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sazzafraz · 3 years

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ects snippet one

I don’t see this bit changing a lot so its spoiler freeeeeee

He thinks of acid and bile first. His tongue is on the points of his teeth searching for the stale carrot taste. Dead bodies in a lake almost make him hungry. Like soup, Kyuubi says, now, should add some salt. Naruto thinks of their families and draws from Konoha shinobi standard what he should do next. The Uchiha graves are the only ones he’s seen up close. Found and burned away by his Sasuke years ago, not yet warded against yin spirits. Those small piles had been lumped together too close to the houses at first and then reburied in a Konoha approved location when Sasuke became Konoha’s only Private Citizen. Now they’re done by matrilineal lines and decorated with Uzumaki shells and ribbons from Lightning. When Naruto was asked, allowed, to come Sasuke had him press strawberry seedlings into the ground. Sasuke had been messily eating from a different bowl and had pulp smeared across his mouth and jaw. Then, Naruto had wondered if he was allowed to sweep them away with his tongue, if people did that sort of thing in graveyards. Now Naruto knows that the dead do not appreciate love or lust.

People soup. Naruto counts twice and draws a grid on the shallow shore with his foot.

Monkey Leader is inattentive to Naruto’s actions. He sits between them and their merchants keeping his gaze on the horses. Only one of them likes Naruto. A chestnut mare with a band of white around her mouth and eyes that make her seem mean -she’s downplaying exactly how vicious she is, but she likes him, and that's more than he was expecting. Naruto pulls the body into the grid and starts with the teeth. Pulls back molars for the guys in T&I. The skin sloughs off the dead man's face, puddles down into his wet clothes. Naruto burns it off with Kyuubi’s power, excellent as always for getting rid of evidence. Molars should be enough.

He has a sort of frustrated passion about this. See, Naruto knows intellectually that this has to be done, is done regardless, because you can’t have dead bodies in waterways. They bloat and rot and make people sick. The kind of sick that people like Giri come to fix and then leverage into destabilising the entirety of the Elemental Nations. Naruto also knows that a missing tooth is a decent price for the families of these poor dead to get closure. The third, worst thing Naruto knows is that things come to see dead bodies, things like him. Ninja like him. Spirits like him. Sons of Oceans and Mountains and tall white pillars to the underworld, like him. None of them, really, should be looking at these dead bodies.

Six teeth. Naruto eyes a leaf moving out of sequence with the wind. Tanuki, an earth specialist. Tanuki nods and quiet as a mouse the bodies sink into the shore.

Sunagakure welcomes them and their trophies at dawn. They sneak in over the sand tide-line two to a row before even the most thrifty merchant has set their wares. Gaara’s office will not be officially open for another three hours, not even his Twilight Guard will accept a visitor now. So Naruto does what he does, cracks his back and makes a loud exclamation about finding a place to sleep. Monkey Leader sets them on a course through Suna’s cruisy districts and around the intelligence quarter. The Konoha away barracks are part of their recent trade deal. A cushy thing on their end and Naruto knows where his room is. After the Summit, before the War, Naruto quietly moved all the things he previously left in Gaara’s spare bedroom to a Jounin room with an ensuite. This room is at the end of the hall with no windows, nothing in or out. A dead end. Monkey Leader espys him but does not comment.

In the room Naruto turns off the radio left playing on the dresser. His old book lies with its spine cracked, a pair of pants he left to wash last time crumpled on the bed. His single pillow looks lonely. Someone has been in since he was here last, the footprints in the thick carpet aren’t his own. Following this probably-not-a-stranger he sees that his personals have been restocked in the bathroom, laid on the rim of the strange standing bathtub. The grates have been cleaned. Naruto runs a bath and dumps a satchel with Sakura’s clean, neat writing into the water. A small bag sits next to it and he recalls a short conversation at dinner some nights ago. Sasuke and Kakashi had been having one of their weird bonding moments over Naka rocks. Kakashi would run his bandaged fingers over them looking for some indefinable flaw. Sasuke would say that’s not the point and hand him another. He and Sakura watch this for a few minutes, giggling into their beers. Sakura had just shaved her hair down again and the elfin lines of her face were so perfect he’d had trouble not telling her so.

“Naruto,” Sasuke says in his low clear voice, “what are you thinking about?”

“Sakura’s pretty,” he blurts out. Sakura lowers her eyelashes for a moment, laughing.

“Yes.” Sasuke agrees. “But what are you thinking?”

“‘Bout rocks?” Naruto shifts his gaze carefully. He’s bowled over often by how much he loves looking at Sasuke. If he does it too fast the soft pink of his mouth and thin scar that meets his ear makes him drool. “Dunno, that one.” He picks one from the pile and holds it triumphant.

“Idiot,” Sakura says. She too picks a rock. “Momentos? Right?”

Sasuke flushes from his heart upwards, making the pink of his lips plush. Sakura keeps her rock, eventually Kakashi meets his proteges standards and departs with his own. Naruto pockets his but forgets it in the wash. Here it is again in Sunagakure with Sasuke’s hair ribbon around it.

In reality Naruto does not now nor has he ever had momentos. He has moments and memories aplenty. Long, too long sketches of Konoha night in the main thoroughfare in the early morning. The drift and drag of everyone's footsteps lying in the dirt, on the street, leading to the houses they share with people that want them there. Swing sets. Shrine steps. Stoops. All of them empty, at least when he’s there. A city is a lonely place in his experience.

Things are better now. He has Sasuke, when they aren’t fighting. Sakura, when she’s capable of acting without compromise. Kakashi, when he isn’t fighting a cold war alone. His other friends, when time allows. Allowance is better too. Assured at the very least.

Compromise is a word he knows now. A strange little door into the way life actually works.

See, Naruto’s first idea of how things work is formed at 4pm, 2am on weekdays and 7-11am on Saturdays. There’s a little alcove outside one of the curving windows of Konoha’s Library, high above the main hall near one of the old study nooks not even ANBU use. On rainy days the water sloshes off the side. On sunny days the heat only touches the edges. There is enough room for a boy to escape with a little apple and the free water from the front desk. The window is permanently cracked open to let out the musty air. When Konoha’s long hot days and nights were too much for even the most dogged badgering Naruto would skin himself raw heaving his body into it. A radio plays all day in the library, old records and ads for toilet paper. Like everyone else Naruto drowns out the patriot tunes and concentrates on the old radio head that chooses which stories play at the end of the school day. Hashirama and the Seven Headed Snake, Subaru and the Stolen Sword, Himawari Sunrise, Nariko Ascending. He’s heard them all at some point, drifted away to the tales of heroes and Hokages.

Naruto’s met Hashirama now and he’s a whole different deal. Tsunade makes more sense when you know that that was her first idea of a hero.

In The Seven Headed Snake Hashirama does not speak. He does wield a sword of redwood through the thick neck of a serpent so big it blots the sky. His heroism is in his quiet dutiful battle. The way the man telling the story describes his strong back and long hair. That’s your back, he says. That’s Konoha’s back. It sounds so absurd, even to a child training to be a ninja: cut through the sky, mold the earth, call forth life to do your bidding alone. The snake’s carcass, the narrator informs them, is as long as the Naka river, and buried somewhere near the big swell the Uchiha worship. On dark nights its eyes watch the village, warily, for Hashirama’s redwoods stand sentinel. Not even in death can he be escaped.

People don’t let things like Naruto in their houses. This he knows before he can speak. There is something in him people don't want on their doorsteps. Later he knows it's the Kyuubi. After that he knows that it’s the Uzamaki blood. Even later, when he came home from a war that crushed out the light he thought he could carry anywhere, he knew it was simple mortal fear. Something inside Naruto will never die, and anything more mortal than him knows that. Well, except Sasuke.

In the warm bath water he caresses his leg, not letting it go any further. Far from home he misses his love. There’s an edge in Naruto, sharp as his chipped tooth, that’s only soothed by long dark hair and a softening body. Naruto leans up to look at the scents and staples Gaara’s left in his room. Sweet aloe and greens. Salt and fresh made sand. He thinks of Sasuke’s skin and Sasuke’s soft smile and how he cuddles close to warmth. Naruto’s had grim reason to be grateful for how hot he runs, this last winter when Sasuke’s feud with their electricity provider cut their power mid cold-snap he’s had happier, hornier reasons to be joyful.

Sasuke has a vicious glee about domesticity that is deeply adorable. He loves arguing with the cashier about his coupons and going to PTA meetings and making trendy sandwiches. He does it with a soft violence that Naruto absolutely does not relate to but finds charming. Never has a man wanted for mass murder been so invested in a collect-a-coin newspaper competition. He plays music and cooks food. He goes to town halls and puts up with the mean crooked smile in their fruit vendors eyes. Naruto loves him so much when he makes noise. Naruto loves him more when it’s quiet at home. Naruto loves when Sasuke will talk to him about things he cares for: plants, dumplings, people. Here, far away from his love, Naruto loves that he doesn’t have to lie to him.

Naruto drags his hand up to his stomach and uncorks the bath. The soft slush of water is the last noise in the room.

#ects #snippet #welp #trying not to make a room a metaphor for anything

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ladyxxdaydream · 3 years

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a year-in-review meme - for writers!

I thought up this writing meme for fic writers who might have been staring at the artists having their lovely and well-deserved collages of their work through the year - and wanted to join in the fun! also this works as a great reminder for those of you (and me) who’ve been thinking that they haven’t been writing as much as they want to, and allows you to go back to enjoy your old fic ;D

Rules: pick your favourite sentence from a work you posted / wrote during a month of 2020! if you didn’t write anything in any particular month, don’t worry! tell us what you were doing or use it as free space for runner-up sentences. after that, tag 8 people or more to do the meme!

That being said, here’s mine:

Tagged by: @rikacain !!

I’m tagging -- @flailinginlove @aviss @kiitsvne @stupidbadgers and @tea-blitz who doesn’t use tumblr anymore but WHATEVER. and anyone else who wants to do it! <3

~~~

JAN: (from Heavy Weight)

“Iruka felt Kakashi’s eye on him. Most people feared the Sharingan, and for good reason, but Iruka feared his real eye, his own eye. It had a way of seeing straight past Iruka’s defenses, no dōjutsu required, and deep into his soul.“

FEB: (from Old Pine)

“Do you want children?” Iruka asked, feeling like the timing was right.

Kakashi was quiet for a few moments. Iruka had learned to read Kakashi’s silences for what they were. It wasn’t hesitation like he had initially thought. Kakashi simply liked to think things through before answering immediately. Iruka liked that about him.

“I think we have four already,” Kakashi said, eyeing Sasuke, Naruto, Ino, and Sakura through the glass door.

Iruka laughed, but refrained from clarifying. He knew Kakashi understood what he meant and would answer him shortly. Iruka had also learned that Kakashi had a tendency to be indirect, before he got around to what he actually wanted to say.

MARCH: (from Mouthful)

“So, Kakashi.” Iruka said, unable to stand still any longer. “We both like what we see. Now what?”

He wasn’t usually this forward, but he was feeling it tonight. All of this playful banter was riling him up—it was his favorite way to flirt.

“I like a man whose direct,” Kakashi said, shifting his stance to lean an elbow on the table. “But hmm,” he hummed. “I don’t know.”

He gave Iruka a seemingly bored look, as if the obvious invitation to leave together was lost on him.

“Well, I like a man whose decisive, so I guess that rules you out.”

Kakashi let out a hard, surprised laugh. He downed the rest of his beer, and took Iruka by the hand, pulling him out of the bar without a word.

APRIL: (from A New Chapter)

“I don’t know how to put this,” Sakumo started, “but… what the hell is that?”

Kakashi looked at where his Father was pointing.

“Uh… a diaper…?” Kakashi guessed, not sure where this was going. They had about a million others, in every color and pattern you could imagine, folded and stacked in the closet. Iruka wanted to go the re-usable route, and several of his students mother’s were eager to gift them. Kakashi had been less than thrilled by the extra laundry.

“Yes. It’s a diaper, Kakashi. Very good. Tell me, did you have both eyes closed when you put it on?”

MAY: (From Cake Substitution No Jutsu)

“What’s this?” Iruka asked as Kakashi entered the kitchen, a fully dressed Tomo whizzing past them both.

“Ah, it’s a backpack,” Kakashi said, crossing over to Iruka excitedly. “I saw it on display in a shop window while doing Gai’s scavenger hunt. Its arms and legs are the straps, so when you wear it, it looks like it’s riding on your back.”

Iruka smiled, turning it around in his hands, noticing the zipper and a few pockets.

“That’s actually pretty ador—”

Iruka stopped speaking. The tail was tightly curled up inside plastic casing still.

“Kakashi,” Iruka said, feeling his eyebrow twitch. “Is this… is this a leash?”

“No. It’s a Puppy Pal… with an exceptionally long tail.”

“It’s a leash,” Iruka deadpanned. “A leash for a child.”

“You put Tomo inside a barrier the other day as a playpen,” Kakashi said, a matter of factly. “Why can’t I have some help controlling her?”

“That’s… that’s different!” Iruka exclaimed, feeling his cheeks heat in contradiction. “Would you like it if I put you on a leash, Kakashi?”

Iruka regretted it the second it came out of his mouth. He could practically see the wolfish grin forming beneath Kakashi’s mask.

JUNE: (from Use Your Imagination)

They laid in silence for a while, listening to the sounds of the night through the cracked window—distant cars on the street, a lone dog barking, upbeat music wafting from a floor below them.

Kakashi never wished for time to stop. In fact, he tried to keep himself as busy as possible—he chose a career that ate up most of his life for a reason. But right now? He wished time didn’t exist, hyperaware of how quickly it would pass before Iruka was back on a plane tomorrow.

He traced circles into Iruka’s lower back, watching as the brown skin pressed against his broke out in a wave of goosebumps. Iruka shivered, and then shifted, and Kakashi wondered if he was falling asleep.

He selfishly continued his adorations, wanting to keep Iruka in this realm with him for a little while longer. He expanded his rake, sliding his fingers up Iruka’s spine, skirting around his scar, and back down again.

Kakashi wasn’t one to believe in divine intervention, or soulmates. He’d acted in enough corny films to almost make him hate the notion entirely. But the fact that a man as perfect as Iruka had come into his life so serendipitously—and just as scarred as he was—was something he couldn’t overlook.

It made Kakashi’s heart ache with want, before that ache traveled down, and curled into his gut.

JULY: (from Love Me As You Are)

“And then you demeaned their lives by calling them your soldiers—”

“—is that not what they are?!” Kakashi cut across him, getting upset. “You’re as much a part of this system as I am, sensei! We both know the truth of it, whether we like it or not. I just called it by it’s name.”

“But they’re people too, Kakashi! Kids. They’re so much more than soldiers…”

“That’s not how I was treated,” Kakashi said before he could catch himself.

Iruka’s mouth fell open with a punched sound.

“Kakashi…”

His tone was soft and free of the anger it held a moment ago.

“Forget I said that,” Kakashi said, turning away, his cheeks heating up—the last thing he wanted was Iruka’s pity. “It doesn’t matter.”

“No,” Iruka said, shaking his head as he took a step towards him. “I’m not going to forget you said that. It does matter because you matter. You deserved to have somebody stand up for you too, Kakashi. I’m so sorry Konoha failed you.”

Kakashi’s eyes burned with tears—he bit his tongue, refusing to let them fall. Those words pierced him straight through the heart. It was everything he never knew he needed to hear.

AUG:

um I didn’t write anything this month because my wife and I separated annnd my whole life was uprooted as I moved to a different country ksjdhgkdsj

SEPT: (from I’ll Fall, If You Do)

Their relationship was going really well. There were days where Kakashi still turned him away, usually corresponding with the mornings he had therapy. It was frustrating, because Iruka just wanted to be there for him, for Kakashi to open up to him completely, but he didn’t push. He knew that would only make it worse. They didn’t fight anymore, but Iruka regularly had to correct the language Kakashi used towards himself, and sometimes it was irritating for the both of them.

But mostly… it was amazing. Their chemistry was incredible. Electric. And not just in the bedroom—they were never far from each other, drawn in like magnets, grounded by a simple touch or brush of hands. Kakashi hadn’t even left the room twenty minutes ago, and already Iruka felt the pull.

He jumped up from his seat and went to go find him.

OCT: (From Language Gap)

Iruka glanced out the bus window, his body instinctively knowing where they were about to pass. The building was still empty twenty years later, the brick still scorched, and Iruka’s nightmares were still plagued by the fire despite not being there when it broke out. He’d been sent on a delivery on foot — one steaming container of karē udon — two blocks away. He delivered to the same old lady everyday, and she always kept him longer than necessary, pressing sweets into his palm. When he had come back, the noodle shop was aflame. In his shocked state, he distantly heard something about a grease fire, before he was whisked away by the hand by his childhood friend Asuma, living with him and his father from that day on.

Iruka sighed and stood up, making his way towards the door since his stop was next. He really wished the city would do something about the building. Every time he saw it, it made him feel oddly exposed and vulnerable, like his past was staring straight at him.

He shook his head a little and stepped off the bus.

NOV: (From Brand New Sound)

Kakashi watched in stunned silence for a moment, trying to get his heartbeat under control as color effortlessly flowed from the artist’s hand onto the brick. Whoever this was, they had sort of become one of Kakashi’s heroes. People always said meeting your heroes was never a good idea—bound to be disappointing—because it brought them down to a human level.

But that was precisely what attracted Kakashi to this artist in the first place—the sheer, raw, humanness. The way they tackled hard emotions and vulnerability, baring everything through their work for others to see. It was honest and transformative, and Kakashi spent more nights than he could ever count wandering the streets when he couldn’t sleep, hoping to catch a mural he’d never seen before it was painted over. Sometimes he did, and sometimes he’d sit in front of ones he already knew and found new meaning in them.

DEC: (from Perks of Promotion)

“But why now?” Iruka insisted. “Why ask me out now? Right after I’ve made tokubetsu jounin? When we’ve known each other for years?”

Oh.

Kakashi paused, the realization dawning on him. He didn’t blame Iruka for being suspicious of his intentions; he’d heard the way people said ‘the chuunin sensei’ or ‘the chuunin desk worker’ like it was some kind of insult. It always pissed him off.

Kakashi stared at his feet for a moment before lifting his head again, leveling Iruka with a serious stare. “Because I didn't think I’d live past 21. Because it took me an obscenely long time to become a barely functioning adult. Because I never had the guts before… I-I still don’t, not really, if you can’t tell by how much I’m fumbling around here,” he said with a nervous laugh.

#kakairu #my fic #hatake kakashi/umino iruka #this is VERY long #i dont expect ppl to read it lmao #but it was really fun #*sweats* yeah i picked one sentence.....#also WOW #i published something every month (sometimes twice!!)#except for august #which is... understandable #this was a really cool idea #thanks for tagging me rika :D #writer meme

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tumblingxelian · 3 years

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Golden Arms

Ever since the encounter with the demon brothers Sakura had been a knot of anxiety and stress. 'Kakashi-Sensei saw! He saw me use the Sacred Arts! He had to!' Was he lying when he just wanted to see if they were after the client? Was this all a Konoha trick? Sakura didn't know, but the mission was carrying on, more tensely than before. She'd thought at first that it was just the mission, but the boys were acting strange too, Sasuke kept looking at her with confusion and Naruto, for all his spirit and vigor was strangely glum, rubbing his belly and looking at her. 'Its especially obvious now,' she thought as they sat around a camp fire and were dusting off a meal when Kakashi-Sensei snapped his book shut and sat up with a sigh. "I'm a little disappointed, Sakura-Chan, team mates shouldn't keep things from each-other you know, it can be dangerous." Sakura swallowed and shrugged, "Do you tell us every Jutsu you know Sensei?" Kakashi-Sensei did his eye-smile thing and said, "That would take too many hours in the day, but I am lightning aligned and have a preference for very destructive charged lightning attacks designed to pierce through any defense while enchancing speed." he tilted his head, and hummed, "So, want to share what that was with us?" Sakura pulled her legs up against her chest and half hid her face behind her knees, watching the boys and her teacher warily as Tazuna sat in increasingly uncomfortable silence. Finally she spoke, voice tough and raw, "Sensei... You said those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum... What if, what if you abandon your comrades to Konoha rather than another village?" There's an awkward sucking in of breath from someone, Naruto looks confused, Sasuke suspicious beyond belief and Kakashi... Contemplative. "Hey hey what does that mean, Sakura-Chan? we're all from Konoha right!?" He cheered. "Is it a foreign Jutsu, are you working for someone?" Sasuke pressed suddenly very staring. Sakura's biting her lip so hard she can taste copper while watching her teacher and finally Kakashi answers. "I love Konoha, its my home, but if it threatened one of my comrades I would protect them, even the little comrades," He tilts his head with that endearing little quirk he does like a dog and eye smiles. "I just want to know what my cute little Genin can do so we can look out for each other better, I'll keep this between us, OK?" He then looks at the boys, "That means no tattling OK?" He waits for wary and confused affirmation before looking back to her, "Does that help, Sakura-Chan?" Sakura lets out a low breath, 'I don't have any choice anyway but...' "It does help... A little Sensei," She sucks in a breath and faced him, "What I used today wasn't a Jutsu, not as you'd call it, its was... a Gift, its a divine blessing, something only I can do now." That last word is tacked on with no small amount of bitterness and Sasuke seems to flinch. "Is it like some cool Hiden," Naruto asked, leaning forward despite his prior discomfort, "Like how Shikimaru can make his shadow go all wobbly?" A part of her coils and tightens and hisses at the very thought, a voice in her head looming and large and heavy rings out in refusal of such a meager designation. Sakura presses it down and answers, "Not quite, but close, maybe. How much do you know about the Fire Temple?" The boys look at each other and shrug, making Tazuna scoff, "you Ninja are so ignorant." "Says the lying old man!" Naruto snaps. "Tazuna-San, can you tell them what you know?" Sakura chirps, still wanting to order her thoughts, "I've not heard not heard of Wave's temples before." "We don't got temples," he said with an airy wave, "Our little country bounces between different Diamyo and now Gato so I know some just by proxy." Corking his bottle he waves it around, "In ages past before you ninja were even a thing, there were temples to all the gods across the lands, both big and small, gentle and cruel. It was them who picked the Diamyo's wand what's it, looking for divine blood and such." Sasuke scoffs. "Shut it brat," Tazuna snapped and Sakura sends him a scathing look he did not expect as Tazuna continued. "Anyway, the Land of Fire's greatest goddess was Ametsaru of the sun, but she like all the other gods left the world for one reason or another, some say she got sealed away or locked herself away, and then you ninja popped up and the rest is history." "That would be the warring clans period," Sakura hummed, "Its how things were before the villages." Kakashi chuckled good naturedly, "A bit brief but that is one of the less popular tellings I know but it hits all the main marks save the unique Chakra's." "But what does that mean?" Sasuke stressed, and Kakashi looked to her. Sighing she said, "The temples had, have power, they guard they often serve as a counterbalance to the hidden villages, they support the Diamyo's and conduct important ceremonies." Seeing she was losing Naruto she added, "They're like rivals of the hidden villages, not enemies but they compete, like you and Sasuke." That made the boy say, "Ah, i get cha Sakura-Chan but whats Chakra?" Sakura wanted to bang her head on something, hard. "Its what we use to make Jutsu, idiot," sasuke said, "Like your clones, those are made of Chakra," He added at Naruto's schreech, in that oddly teasing and fond way Sasuke only spoke to Naruto at times. "Oooh that stuff, right, right, so wait, does Salkura-Chan have goddess Chakra?" his eyes then shot to his belly again for some reason like he was having a realization. "Not... Quite, Naruto-Kun," she said haltingly, "But not far off. Its called the Gift of the Sages and its a uniquely blessed Chakra that only a chosen few have ever wield in a generation, gifted by the temple itself and to people like me we think its patron deity." "You're a priestess?" He asked, blinking. "Apprentice," she says quietly, "I was an apprentice there with my parents. It was... It was meant to be a great day, Champion Chiriku had returned from his stint guarding the Diamyo but." An ugly sort of snarl escapes her lip, "That monster came. He was a Ninja. He smashed down the holy gates and killed the guards. Chiriku-Sama was stronger he beat him and won but then..." She sucked in a tight breath, and was surprised to feel Kakashi pat her head, having moved at some point to sit by her side. Nodding in thanks she pressed on, "Chiriku-Sama went to perform last rights on him, he should have been dead, he blew out his chest! But then," She hisses the memory still clear as day, "The Missing Nin shot up and tore out his throat when he wasn't ready. He... He killed everyone and destroyed the temple, mom and dad... They hid me when everything was collapsing and..." She sucks in a breath, "When I crawled out everyone was dead or had run I... I buried who I could, trying to perform last rights and sealing away the scrolls, the artifacts and weapons just like I'd been taught to if anyone ever came." She licked her lips, "I was the last loyal priestess so the Gift of the Sages passed onto me, I can't use it very well yet, its meant to make you unbeatable, a thousand golden arms of divine might to strike your foe!" She looked down and huffed, "I can only call up two and no statue either." Kakashi patted her head again and cut in, "The Diamyo sent some ninja to investigate why the temple went quuet and some Konoha Ninja found Sakura and brought her to Konoha where she now lives." "Then why are you afraid of Konoha?" Naruto asks slowly. She looks to Kakashi and he nodded, letting her speak. "Clans hide their techniques or protect their bloodlines, can't the temple do the same?" She asked, "Konoha wants me to un-seal the scrolls and divine artifacts because they can't, not without the Gift of the Sages, and if they know I have it..." She sucks in a breath, "They'll make me do it, I barely hid it from them when they brought me to Konoha, they had me with the Yamanaka, I couldn't hide it forever but then..." "Jiji wouldn't make you!" Naruto insisted. She was chocking up a little and Kakashi thankfully stepped in. "One of our Ninja worked for the temple, Sarutobi Asuma, he's been sworn to secrecy and won't reveal its secrets even to his father, he's loyal like that," Kakashi said appreciatively. "He was very cross when he heard about Sakura's situation and got her somewhere else to live alone, no nosy neighbors either." Naruto blinked in surprise, apparently familiar with the name as Kakashi continued, "Anyway, the long and short of it is, regardless of what you believe about Chakra or gods. Sakura is under a lot of pressure to surrender the last of her people's secrets to the village and while it would be neat to have all those secrets, I respect why she doesn't want to give up what is hers. The problem," he stressed as Sasuke looked ready to speak. "Is that unlike Saruboti Asuma, Sakura is not the Hokage's son or a Jounin who can just leave the village on a whim and never come back, she's young and if they pushed too hard..." He sounds cross, which for Kakashi is probably violently angry Sakura thinks. "Well I think we'd all rather not see what happens then," he finished with a chirp, "So we keep this secret yes? You all have your own dreams and duties and Sakura does too, so let's work together to help her develop her gift while keeping it quiet, hmm?" Sasuke looked at her with a strange gaze before nodding, "Clans have secrets, I understand," before flopping onto his back and looking at the stars. "I don't like it," Naruto mumbles, "The whole thing feels off to me, but if its important to Sakura-Chan her shiny gold arms stay secret then I'll keep it secret, promise of a lifetime, believe it!" Sakura swallowed down the burning in her throat and smiled, wiping her eyes, "Thanks, I... Thank you." She sleeps just a little better that night.

#Naruto #onehsot #I had thoughts

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itachis-hoe · 4 years

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listen, kiba wouldn’t leave me alone until I wrote something for him. enjoy~~ feel free to request, I love writing angst and fluff and smut

inspired by “best friend” by rex orange county

i wanna be your favorite boy

Her hands were broken, no—her wrists were completely snapped, she could feel the itchiness of her fingers, the nerves struggling to connect as the dull pain shot up her arms in waves. She couldn’t do any jutsu and she certainly couldn’t free herself now. She knew the blood seeping through her pants was from the pole stabbing itself through her side, or maybe it was the piece of rubble crushing her left leg. It was impossible to move—impossible to do anything except lay there and die. Her voice long gone and hoarse from the screams of agony, the warm tears slid down the paths of previous ones. Her vision was spotty. In her condition, she was lucky to have been alive that long—the pain had been unbearable. Now?

She couldn’t feel much, an uncomfortable pinch in her back, but beyond that, she could feel nothing. She could do nothing.

Nothing, but give in to oblivion and die.

Would they find her? Put her name on the memorial stone for her friends to stare at. She wondered if he would visit her grave. Probably. He was a good person.

It’s why she loved him.

She loved...

Her eyelids felt heavy, sleep taking over her, like a warm blanket. It reminded her of falling asleep in her parent’s bed when she was younger. Her mother’s cool hand on a feverish forehead, the tender brush of hands that loved her dearly. She missed her mother.

Just a little bit...

Her eyes fluttered closed, she could hear her name on the wind, maybe it was her imagination. She was dying. It was the end. There was nothing left. She only wished she could have seen him one last time, maybe told him she loved him. But it was over now. And she was going. And he’d never know.

She thought of him one last time with a weak smile on her face, and his name creaking out from her chapped and bloodied lips.

Her eyes shot open, her whole body felt light, and when she shot up from the ground, it felt like she was coming up from underwater. The first thought she had was that she was dead and that this was the afterlife. But as her senses came back one by one, she blinked and realized she was somewhere else entirely. Her hands went to her body, almost on instinct to try and free—

She was using her hands, her body was light...she wasn’t trapped...

Her surroundings came into focus. The village was still in ruins, but her comrades—the ones with broken bodies and glazed over expressions...they were up. Up and helping others like her. She shifted, whipping herself around and blinking quick as if everything would go away. Maybe it was all a genjutsu... but then...no, she would have been able to break something...

“_______!”

Her head whipped in the direction of her name, a bark echoed the exclamation and as soon as she could blink, a blur of white fur cane crashing into her chest. A warm tongue lapping excitedly at her face, as she fell onto her back, from the force of the large dog’s attack. She pushed on the creature’s fluffy mane and a laugh bubbled out of her lips, before a sharp whistle.

“Akamaru! C’mon, let up,” the boy in his familiar war paint and leather jacket ushered his companion to relax. When the dog responded almost instantly, she pushed herself back up, resting on her forearms, a lopsided grin on her lips. She stared up at her childhood friend, Kiba Inuzuka with a wave of relief washing over her. The raw emotion of seeing him squat down beside Akamaru, a boyish smile as he ruffled the panting dog’s mane. He was like fresh air after holding your breath for forever. Her eyes watered and a sob erupted from her chest, she went to lay back down her hands covering her face as the sounds around her blurred into white noise.

“_______!? What’s wrong?!” Kiba and Akamaru rushes to her side, and she felt him propping her back up, an affectionate hand rubbing her back through the ripped chuunin vest. She let out a shaky laugh, wiping at her eyes, looking mad, “I-I’m fine, I’m fine, really. I’m...I’m just so relieved, Kiba.”

When she calmed herself to look at her cute as sin best friend, her arms went to wrap around his neck, “I’m...s-so glad we’re okay, Kiba.”

His arms went around her waist and she could feel Akamaru judging his way in between them as if to say he was jealous enough to want to weasel his way in to the embrace. The two friends gave into the emotions of the whole day and sat quite exhausted from the weight of the battle. She moved her legs slowly, unsure of her every move and testing how her body would react. The damage had seemingly disappeared and she was still in shock. If Kiba noticed, he made no effort to acknowledge it. The Shinobi was quick to break the silence, a solemn expression on his features. It was foreign, but in these circumstances, you said nothing, “I...we thought you were dead.”

You couldn’t possibly fathom a suitable response.

“Akamuru found you...in the rubble. I-I...they said you were...they told me you were g-gone...I—“

“Kiba...I’m okay now,” she said with a gentle smile, and a hand over his clenched fists that had taken residence on his thighs. He was so emotional it almost made her worry—he was usually much cooler than this. “And I don’t know what happened but I’m glad to have seen my best friend first.”

She didn’t notice the way his lips tugged down for a microsecond, the knee jerk reaction at her proclamation of friendship. Instead she nibbles on her bottom lip. Deep in thought about her next words.

He loved when she did that. It was cute.

“Kiba...did...is Naruto okay?”

She had a red tinge to the top of her cheeks when she asked. Her crush for Naruto had rivaled that of Hinata. He’d known her for all his life and she was a smart girl—smarter than most girls he’d ever met. She wasn’t overtly cute, or brash, or even flirtatious. In fact, if anything, he realized she was very different than the girls in his class. But they were neighbors and had been friends since they could walk. A simple beginning stemming for the fact that she wandered into his house chasing one of the many family hounds.

When they’d finally become aquatinted after her mother and father were apologizing for their daughter’s curiosity. He realized she was like a cat. Wandering around town as a little kid, climbing into places she shouldn’t be and observing in silence. He steamrolled into her life with a boastful greeting and she accepted him almost too easily—but she was curious. He thought that maybe she’d end up liking Shikamaru. He was almost exactly like a cat. Bristly and brooding, but cool as a cucumber and a genius to boot. Or maybe Sasuke—every girl loved Sasuke. (Now that seemed crazy...)

But her sights had been set on Konaha’s infamous hyperactive ninja—Naruto Uzumaki. She would always say he was interesting—an orphan with no one else, but a smile to brighten a room. He saw her fall hard for his bright blue eyes and her curiosity probably blossomed into romantic feelings when she grew older. It didn’t help that Naruto left for three years and came back a whole foot taller. It was almost unfair, he thought. She blushed so hard when he came back he’d punched a wall.

She was head over heels for Naruto but so was his teammate, Hinata. Stuck in the middle of that little awkward fact, he chose to say nothing about it.

Except now...

She’ll cry if I tell her.

Then, I’ll be there for her.

She’s not gonna fall for me, just quit dreaming. Dumbass.

Kiba wanted her. She liked Naruto. Hinata loved Naruto. Naruto was...well, he was Naruto. (It was all very unfortunate.) Akamaru responded with a bark and she laughed, one she hid with the back of her hand. He would had let out a sigh if he weren’t already beaten down by life and love and everything else.

“Naruto’s...last we heard Naruto went off to fight Pain himself. But...I should tell you—“

“Why would he do something so stupid? This is Naruto...of course he would...” she held a hand to her forehead, shaking the bad thoughts away. No, he was fine. Naruto was always fine.

“Hinata...”

Her eyes found his, warm, but painted in different desires. She blinked at his incomplete thought. Her attention fully focused on him. “Is Hinata okay?”

“She’ll be alright, but...Hinata tried to protect Naruto, and Pain...he hurt her. Naruto kind of...he flipped out. It’s why he chased Pain down. ______, she told him. She told him—“

“Stop...stop talking, Kiba,” he noticed the tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. She felt herself bubbling up inside. It was...relief.

To Kiba he was seeing the girl of his dreams weep over the boy of hers. That wasn’t him. It was Naruto. It was always Naruto.

“Are you okay...?”

She wiped at her eyes. He felt powerless and Akamaru whines at the sight, wiggling closer to her shoulders, nudging himself into her face, trying to lap up her sadness.

“I-I’m f-fine,” she said. Akamaru wagged his tail, at the sight of her looking back at him with a smile. She was bruised and exhausted and absolutely stunning even in her state. And Kiba wanted to hate Naruto. “I’m crying because I’m glad she’s okay.”

“_______, you don’t have to be strong. I know...I know you have feelings for Naruto. And it’s alright to—“

“What?”

He stopped when he saw the confusion etched on her features. He repeated himself. And she furrowed her brows together.

“I don’t have feelings for Naruto. I mean, I love him but like a sister loves her brother. I’ve been worried about him for as long as I can remember.”

“But...you’ve always liked Naruto.”

“No, I might have thought he was cute. But, Kiba, I wouldn’t do that to Hinata.”

Her hand went back to his and she pulled it into both of hers, filling the space between them. Her smile blossomed into a full blown grin, reaching her watery eyes. They were close. Close enough...

“I always thought...”

Without hesitation, she pulled his hand to her face, her cheek directly in his now sweating palm. He had never been that close to her face—always maintained a respectful distance between him and her. Never crossing that boundary—he was a loyal friend. A friend. She relaxed into his hand, closing her eyes and relishing his warmth. “Kiba.”

“Y-Yeah?” He was unusually quiet in his answer, shocked by the events unfolding too quickly before him.

“It was always you.”

Cue the fireworks in his heart. The absolutely blackout of his brain. From the moment she had smiled up at him at four years old, to the time when she decided she’d be the best kunoichi, to the time she cried about being on another team than him in their genin years. He was so sure that she’d never liked him. How could she...

“It’s always been you, Kiba. I wanted to see you one last time when I thought I was a goner. Gosh, I’ve been in love with you since I was six—“

He was so quick to kiss her. Kiba moves his free hand to cradle the back of her neck, pulling her up, his kiss was tender but passionate. Innocent but teetering on indecent. When he pulled away, her own hands flew to the brown of his hair, lacing together with his headbands long strips, she was nearly as frantic as he was as if they both felt that this was their first and last kiss before the end of the world. When she opened her mouth, his lips mirrored the action, their tongues shyly touching and tasting each other. It was embarrassingly tender.

And when they finally broke away, Kiba rested his forehead against hers, pulling her closer into his chest, she all but fell into him as they tumbled backwards against the earth. She fell into his chest and they stayed that way before Akamaru wriggled underneath Kiba’s head, propping his up like a giant fluffy pillow. His tail wrapped around them.

“I think Akamaru approves,” he smirked.

“I would hope he did.”

“______...”

“You don’t have to say anything right now Kiba.”

“I just...”

“Kiba,” she looked up at him through her dark lashes, “it’s okay. We’ll talk about it later. Right now I just want you to kiss me.”

“If you had told me sooner, I’d have done it a long time ago.”

#kiba inuzuka #kiba inuzuka imagine #naruto imagine #kiba x reader #you already know i have a bunch of these back logged #itachis-hoe imagine #how does rinne rebirth work #i dunno I did this for angst so just accept that it does work like THAT lol

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fiction-queen-blog · 7 years

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Zookeeper #chapter 3

Read chapter 1 Read chapter 2

Chapter 3 “Drunk”

“Aww sweetie. Here I was thinking I would lose you” Naruto rubbed his cheek against Sarabi’s who remained having a neutral expression on her face. “Sarabi, I am sure you are going to be fine! You are young and strong and you are my baby girl after all!”

“You weren’t exaggerating this guy”

Naruto looked up, hearing an unfamiliar voice from behind the bars of the cage.

“Uhu” Sasuke confirmed before indicating to Naruto to come to them. The zookeeper walked out of the cage and just stood in front of the opening, blocking the path of the lions so they wouldn’t wander off.

“Mr. Uzumaki, this is Kakashi Hatake. He and I will be working together. ” Sasuke introduced his partner. Naruto extended his hand, shaking the man’s hand.

“You have no idea how grateful I am. I was so afraid they would give her away.”

“It is nice meeting this lion-whisperer. Or Lion-daddy as Sasuke likes to call you”

Naruto could see Sasuke turn his head to the grey haired man with an annoyed expression in them. So, turns out the Uchiha did like talking about him.

“I didn’t know Sasuke liked calling me daddy” Naruto wiggled his eyebrows, but he suddenly recalled last night and he stopped immediately. “Uhm...So..You two know each other from Vet school?”

“Actually we have met during Veterinarians without borders. We have spend many years saving animals, mostly in the land of Stone.”

“My lions are from there, dattebayo” Naruto chuckled, “when they were cubs. Then they came here”

“We have to get going. There a preparations to be made” Sasuke said.

“It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr Uzumaki” Kakashi said, shaking the man's hand one more time.

“Oh, call me Naruto” The blond said with a smile.

“See you later” Sasuke said as he wanted to walk away, but Naruto suddenly grabbed his arm.

“Uhm wait...About...Yesterday..”

“It is alright, really” The Uchiha said, pulling his arm back.

“Really…I feel so bad..I was just so happy-”

“It is fine, Uzumaki. Don’t waste your brain worrying about it” The Uchiha commented before heading off.

“...Did he...Just call me stupid?” Naruto muttered to himself.

Oxoxox

“Damn girls, you poop too much!” Naurto sighed, used a shovel to get the poop out of the cage. It was not like the lions were with him. They were in the exclosure, probably running around. It did make the work go faster since they weren’t there to distract him.

“Excuse me”

Naruto turned his head, seeing a handsome man standing there.

“Hello..” The blond said, eyeing the man quickly. He reminded him an awful lot of….Sasuke, “Are you related to the vet?” He put the shovel away and put his full attention on the man.

“Yes, I am his brother” the man said, “I am looking for him. I couldn’t find him in his office. Did you see him?”

“Not since this morning...I thought his shift ended by now. Maybe he went home..Or his boyfriend?” Naruto muttered the last part as he grabbed the shovel again. The man suddenly had a rather uncomfortable look on his face.

“Uhm, I am Itachi by the way. Nice meeting you...Naruto, was it?”

“I would love to shake your hand, but...My hands are in the shit…” Suddenly Naruto’s eyes widened, “How did you know my name?”

“Sasuke talks very fondly about you and your..Lions” Itachi said with a smile spread across his face.

“He does...Wow..I always get the impression I am bugging him..I have known the guys for three days” The blond sighed, and he had already made an embarrassment out of himself.

“Let me wash my hands and then I will help you look for him. He might be checking the pandas-”

“Checking the panda’s? That is odd his favourite animals are lions if he would be checking out any animal it would probably be lions”

“I meant...Medically checking out, dattebayo” Naruto said, closing the cage before washing his hands in the sink.

“That does make more sense…” Itachi muttered.

“I didn’t know he liked lions” Naruto said, as he dried his hands and walked next to Itachi.”I would think somebody who liked liones would like to come near them to pat them...Concious” Naruto said the last word with a bitter tone.

“Oh Sasuke loves lions. When he was a kid he constantly watched the Lion King and loved going to the zoo. He would even raw like a lion. It was very cute. He always wanted to work with them. It is just unfortunate my father never did see the need of animals. They weren’t really on the same page…”

Naruto wondered if Itachi was aware of how little his brother wanted to share about his life. Meanwhile Itachi gave away all the information Naruto had wished to hear days ago.

“Niisan!”

Both Naruto and Itachi turned their heads, seeing Sasuke stand there, looking rather annoyed.

“Otouto~” Itachi went to hug his brother, but Sasuke didn’t let him.

“What do you think you are doing?” The young Uchiha asked rather pissed.

“Checking on my brother who apparently called my fiancé and restricted his plus one on my wedding day. Why didn’t you call me? Text me? Wrote me? Emailed me?”

“Shisui...Fucking snitch” Sasuke muttered.

“Lovely brother you got there...Dr.Uchiha” Naruto said.

Both Sasuke and Itachi suddenly looked at the blond.

“Oh, are you a vet too?” Naruto asked Itachi.

“Sort of...But my expertise are humans and...Sasukes” he poked his little brother’s cheek.

“God fucking damn you…” Sasuke hissed, “I have an elephant to examine. Please if it ain’t your dog dying then please don’t bother me.”

Itachi looked confused.

“I don’t have a dog..Are you talking about husband-to-be”

“Indeed, I am” The young Uchiha wanted to walk away

“Sasuke, are you being this moody because you and Madara broke up?” Itachi asked, causing the vet to stiffen. He had this hateful expression in his eyes.

“It was mutual” Sasuke answered after a few seconds.

“Sasuke, come on. I took the day off so why don’t we both just go home, eat ice cream and watch dirty dancing or something..Y’know...What people do when they break up with somebody they have been together with for five years-”

“Niisan, as much as I appreciate the time you made for me. I don’t need it….I am fine. Plus an elephant is waiting for me” He said, walking off.

“He is a tough one, though” Naruto commented.

“...Uhm...Can you do me favor. Could you..Keep an eye on him and uhm...Tell him he should come to my place”

“I get it.. I will” Naruto said. Even when he knew Sasuke for a couple of days. It wasn’t at all an odd idea that the man didn’t like receiving the help of others. “Don’t worry, dattebayo. I will keep an eye out for him”

“Thank you..He probably doesn’t want to see me...” he sighed.

Oxoxo

“Uhm...Sasuke?” Naruto opened the door of the white building. It was dark and it seemed deserted. The entire zoo seemed like that. But that was to be expected when the clock hit ten. The blond had looked all around the place for the third time now. He knew Sasuke had to be somewhere here. His car was the only one in the parking lot.

He was about to leave the medical unit, before hearing a sniff. It was very soft and for a moment Naruto thought he had imagined it. He walked towards the table and saw Sasuke sitting against it, looking ahead of him with half a bottle of scotch in his hand.

“Sasuke..” Naruto sat down next to the raven. He reeked of boost. The blond slowly reached for the bottle, wanting to take it away from him. He reached for the neck of the bottle. Sasuke slowly turned his head to Naruto. It seemed he was looking right through him. Naruto grabbed the bottle and slowly put it on the table

. “You wanna talk..Dattebayo?” Naruto asked, putting his hand on Sasuke’s shoulder. He squeezed in it to catch the other’s attention. “Why are you here? Why aren’t you home? Your shift ended hours ago”

“Home?” Sasuke whispered, “I live with my boyfriend...Ex-boyfriend”

“I thought...You two had a mutual break-up”

“Mutual break-up my ass!”Sasuke hissed, but he calmed down fast. “I can’t even go back home”

“Your brother said you should go to him-”

“Fuck him…” Sasuke hissed.

“Itachi seemed pretty nice-”

“Not him!”Sasuke interrupted the blond “Fucking Madara..I have been so...So stupid..” Sasuke mumbled before chuckling. He sighed deeply.

“You will think I have enough self-respect to break up with some fucker when he cheats on you once. No….I had to make it last a year. The guts that asshole had…” Sasuke shook his head.

“Alright, Sasuke...Come..Sit up” Naruto wrapped his arms around Sasuke, helping him sit straight.

“I used to work for Vets without borders, y’know” Sasuke grabbed Naruto’s face with both hand, looking right at the blue eyes. “I was gone for months. On missions. I saved...So many animals. Whales...Tigers...Wolves...Elephants...Lions. It felt like I ..I made the difference y’know...So I thought.”

“Let’s get you out of that coat...It smells bad” Naruto said, taking Sasuke’s lab coat off and throwing it behind him. “You need some coffee or water?” His question got ignored.

“I thought...I could proof my father wrong...That being a veterinarian had a purpose. He wanted me to be like brother. But I hate humans...Human hurt….Animals don’t fucking judge!” Sasuke hissed. “I cannot imagine how people start to judge me...My boyfriend..The guy I wasted five years of my life with. The man I was going to engage...Cheated on me...Repeatedly….And I...I blamed myself. “ Sasuke shook his head before looking up at Naruto.

“You didn’t deserve that” The blond lowered his eyes.

“No, I did! I thought...Of course he was going to get lonely...When I was gone for work and all. I figured...As long as it is just sex...I wouldn’t mind.” Sasuke suddenly grabbed Naruto by his arm.

“ But then I was home, and it didn’t stop. You know how hurtful it is to call his work and hear the receptionist say he left hours ago...He comes home late...Dinner is cold...He is not hungry..He says he was at work...And when you hug him...He has this different smell...Perfume...I don’t use that cheap kind..Neither does he...But I smelled it on him….I saw the lipstick on his collar...And I choose to ignore it. I was home...I wasn’t gone to work. My next expedition was a month later. And he didn’t stop. You know what that is called?”

“An asshole act?” Naruto guessed, feeling Sasuke’s grip around his arm tighten.

“No...Low self esteem.” He grinded his teeth.

“Owh ...Calm down...Take a deep breath, dattebayo” Naruto had to pull his arm back. His fingers started to feel numb.

“ I blame my parents...They always made me feel like I was not good enough to be loved. My brother was always better. He deserved to be loved...Not me. Madara was my first serious relationship...And even then...I thought...It was my fault.. I couldn’t be loved. Maybe I was boring..Or not good in bed..Not a good lover...I don’t know...I kept blaming myself” Sasuke shook his head.

“Ha...Even then...I didn’t even dare to kiss you. I was tempted...Maybe if I kissed you. And he would find out..He would know how much it hurts. But I couldn’t...Knowing how much it hurts. I didn’t want that for him. Before I know it..I came home and I see a bitch lying in my bed...Wearing my shirt...Riding the dick I am supposed to be riding!” He clenched a fist.

“I don’t have a lot of respect , alright . Fuck I am scum...But fucking a hoe in my bed...Letting that hoe wear my shirt...No...Just...No..” Sasuke sighed, “even scum has that much self-respect”

“Sasuke…” Naruto sighed. What was he supposed to tell this drunk, talkative, emotional mostly closed off person? The blond wrapped an arm around him. “Nobody deserves that. Your ex, he is an jackass, an asshole.He never deserved you. I mean...Look at you. You are not only super hot, you are smart...You care… You make funny comments. I mean..That jerk didn’t know what he had”

“You really think I am pretty?” Sasuke asked, turning his head to look at Naruto. He had a pouting expression and Naruto wondered if the mostly closed-off vet was kidnapped by aliens and replaced by some clone.

“That is not even a question, dattebayo” Naruto smiled kindly. He suddenly felt Sasuke pinch Naruto’s cheek, leaning in.

“You’re just saying that to make me feel better” Sasuke muttered something in his native language.

“Did I not try to kiss you last night?”Naruto felt slightly awkward mentioning that.

“...I owe you that much..” Sasuke cupped Naruto’s cheek before capturing his lips with his own. The blond quickly backed off after the first contact of their lips.

“Oh wow..Sasuke...I know..You are drunk-” Naruto got shushed by Sasuke.

“I am am also a depressed puddle of my own pathetic tears. I want this. Bitch, I need this” Sasuke grabbed Naruto by his collar, looking the blond right in the eyes.

“Uhm...Fine-” Naruto couldn’t finish his sentence. He closed his eyes feeling the Uchiha’s soft lips on his. Sasuke wrapped his other arm around Naruto’s neck, his fingers moving to his hair. He could feel the raven move, placing himself on the blond’s lab. It was hard for Naruto to imagine anyone ever cheating on the vet. He was just perfect.

How his lips nibbled down Naruto’s bottom lip, his hips moving over the zookeeper’s croch. His hand in the blond hair, grabbing a fist full of hair, puttling it lighting. His other hand on the blond’s chest, pulling a bit on the collar of his shirt. It is like he wanted to rip it.

“Sa-sasuke” Naruto broke the kiss. A moan escaped his lips when he felt Sasuke’s tongue slide over his neck and roughly dig his teeth on the base of the neck before licking over the injured skin.

“Well fuck” Naruto hissed. The mood was getting pretty hot now.

“Yeah, exactly” Sasuke whispered in the blond’s ear, feeling the zookeeper’s hand on his butt, reaching inside the back pockets.

“You will hate me for this, but screw it”

“What? I want to screw you. I won’t hate you for-” Sasuke yelped as Naruto got up and threw Sasuke over his shoulder. “I am going to take you to your brother. I am sorry Sasuke”

“Uzumaki Naruto let me go!” Sasuke kicked his legs in the air.

“It is for your own good! Thank God you keep your car keys in your back pocket...God knows how long I could keep that up” Naruto muttered the last part. His pants did feel very tight at this moment.

“Let me go!” Sasuke kept shouting.

“No you need this confrontation. Dude you got issues!” Naruto shouted, opening the car and placing Sasuke in the back seat, putting the seatbelt on. It was as if he was dealing with a child right now.

“Don’t..If you are going to play the good guy..Just...Drop me off a motel...No, I take that back. Those are dirty, take me to a hotel, three stars or more-”

“Why...Shouldn’t I just drop you off at your brother’s?” Naruto sighed, sitting in the driver's seat.

“Because....He doesn’t know”

“He didn’t know your boyfriend was cheating on you and you knew about it?”

“That” Sasuke said, “That is why I like animals, they don’t judge”

“I am not judging...Sasuke. I am….I am angry for you. Hearing this makes me want to punch this guy right in the face”

“Please...Hotel... “

“You know what...I have a guest room. You can stay there”

“I don’t need your help!”Sasuke shouted. A silence filled the car and Naruto sighed deeply.

“I need you dick” Sasuke added sarcastically.

“DATTEBAYO!” Naruto shouted, throwing his hand in the air, “you are getting the fucking guestroom. Fucking deal with it. I never have you near alcohol again! You are dangerous! Damn I liked you more rude than like this!” He suddenly hissed, feeling nails scratch the back of his arm. He turned his head.

“Bad! Sasuke! Bad!” Naruto said in a strict tone. Causing the Uchiha to pout and sit in the corner. He was really the human form of Kiara. No doubt.

“Could you drive me to my brother…” Sasuke whispered, leaning his head against the window.

“Sure thing” Naruto said before looking ahead of him. “Uhm...I don’t know where your brother lives...And this is your car-”

“BROTHER!” Sasuke shouted.

“Can I keep the car for the night?”

“No”

“Fuck you!” Naruto hissed.

“IF WE DID THAT, WE WOULDN’T BE IN THIS!” The Uchiha shouted.

“NO! BAD GIRL! I mean...Sasuke...BAD SASUKE!”

read chapter 4

#Naruto #Sasuke #Narusasu #Drunk Sasuke #Vet sasuke #zookeeper naruto #fanfcition #zookeeper #chapter 3 #I wasn't so sure about this chapter #but I figured whatever it is shitty story anyway so who is gonna take is seriously right xD

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luna-orlha · 7 years

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Title: Ivy is poisonous Fandom: Naruto Genre: hurt & Comfort, family Ship: Itachi & Sakura Word count: 3,070 Triggers(s):-- Rating: T Additional Tags: -- Summary: Massacre!AU. Instead of killing all the Uchiha & Haruno to prevent the coup, Itachi chooses to let Sasuke & Sakura walk free.

Author Notes: *gasp* I finally finished this. I really wanted to write an ItaSaku and then the idea on expanding on Haruno Sakura gave birth to this. Sadly, it didn’t end the way I wanted it to and the characters were rather resistant to me god-writing to just kiss already! I’m just going to pretend that they kissed and finally got together in the end and had Haruno Ivy in their house.

----

He lifts his blade, flicking it hard to remove the blood coating his ninjato before sheathing it. Itachi turns and freezes imperceptibly at the sight of Sasuke. Not just Sasuke. His otouto’s team are standing behind him. He’s heard of his younger brother’s defected from Konoha, had his informant been lying? It wouldn’t matter, Itachi supposes. Even with Kakashi as his otouto’s back up, he wouldn’t have enough strength yet.

“Itachi!” There is raw anger in his otouto’s voice and oddly sadness. Itachi turns his eyes from Sasuke, gazing across the other two - No! Sakura is here too. He quells the frisson of fear that crawls up his spine at the sight of her.

“Why?” Sasuke demands.

There are many answers to that. Danzo, the coup, the clan, Root, the impulsion placed on him by Fu, Orochimaru. All perfectly acceptable but not the decisive one.

----

She is only a young girl playing with her brother then. Still a civilian, her sensor abilities has not been noticed yet until she notices him in the tree. She shouldn’t have, not with his chakra suppressed and his presence cloaked, but she did. She slips from the adult’s watch, a feat that a four year old should have not been able to accomplish from the chuunin caretakers, and clambers up the tree where he hid to offer him a single ivy flower.

“Ivy is poisonous, you know?” he says as he plucks it from her hand.

She shrugs and smiles shyly, “but they’re ‘retty.”

She doesn’t know the meaning of them, doesn’t realise that she shouldn’t not have been able to detect him.

“How did you find me?”

“You f-feel like Sas’ka-kun,” she points at his little brother who has now realised that his playmate has disappeared. “You were watching for a long time,” she pitches in a low voice and Itachi finds the edges of his lips twitching upward. “You should just j-join us instead of sitting in the t-tree.”

Below the chuunin watching the Harunos is starting to panic. “Come, your babysitter is getting worried.” Itachi picks her up and jumps off the tree.

“Chi’ki-san is boring, he doesn’t play with us.”

----

Itachi knows the choice he made isn’t the fairest. The weight of one life versus many would never be fair. He lifts his red eyes to drink in the sight of Sakura. Her green eyes, that had once so earnestly stared back him, no longer meet his, but they’re still the same green that haunts him in his dreams.

----

He is lying on a branch in a tree, enjoying the rare moment of his off-day. His brother had been harangued by their mother into doing temple duties for a prank he had committed just yesterday. No good shinobi would have been caught doing a prank, his younger brother has much to learn. Pity Shisui isn’t around to teach him the finer points of pranking and not getting caught.

He doesn’t sense her until she’s almost behind him, briefly flaring her pint-sized chakra as a courtesy - he had taught her that after he and Shisui had almost killed her.

“Your cloaking skills are coming along well,” he says, not bothering to open his eyes as she shuffles into a comfortable spot on the branch next to him.

“Papa has been getting annoyingly vig-vig-”

“Vigilant,” he offers helpfully.

“Vigilant about catching Ino-chan and I from going out.”

“Me-” Itachi corrects. Her vocabulary for five year old is unsurprisingly good considering her intelligence though it is painfully obvious she doesn’t speak enough to practice the art of enunciating the words. Though he can’t fault her for he is guilty of that too.

“Me…?” She puzzles over it. He can hear her hands toying with flowers, judging by the fragrance, as she considers his correction. “Ino-chan and me from going out,” she repeats it with a satisfied tone. “So we’ve been practising it extra hard. Ino-chan still gets caught.”

She plops the thing she has been fiddling with onto his head and he sighs, cracking one eye open. “Ivy is poisonous, you know?”

“But they’re pretty.”

He’ll admit to being partial to the purplish-blue flowers, not because they’re pretty but because they mean everlasting friendship and since he knows she goes to kinouchi lessons, he knows she now knows their meaning.

“Besides, these are the Haruno special. They’re not poisonous.” The Haruno clan are Konoha’s poison speciality. There’s a reason why people often say, never cross an Aburame and never backstab a Haruno, after all.

----

He has made his decision and now he’ll lie in bed with it. Itachi averts his eyes, away from the dreams of he had of her, the future that he wishes he could have. The single lone dark grey eye of his once ANBU captain.

----

“If you had to make the decision to protect the one you love over others, would you do it?” he asks his captain one night while in-between the lull of missions.

“Yes.”

“Even if means never having that one person?”

The dog mask seemed to regard him with a certain emotion that Itachi isn’t sure he knows what it is. He’s never been terribly good at reading people’s expression. Socially awkward that’s what Shisui had called him before he passed.

“Always.”

He thinks of the eight year old pink-haired girl who spars with his otouto. He thinks of the spitfire she’ll become when she grows out of the young Yamanaka’s shadow. He thinks of all the pink-haired clan members he’ll have to kill to protect her, all the people who had treated him less like a prodigy, less like an heir but more of a person, a kid that he was never allowed to be in the Uchiha compound.

----

Itachi wonders if Kakashi had managed to link the conversation up. All the shinobi and civilians he has slaughtered to protect two children. There is an unspoken promise to look after his brother, he trusts and knows that Kakashi has looked after Sasuke in his own awkward way. And contrary to everyone’s assumptions, he did not put Kakashi under the Tsukiyomi to torture him, he would never hurt a fellow Konoha shinobi even if Itachi is supposed to be a missing-nin. It was simply unfortunate that his simple questions on how his brother was in the sharingan-weaved genjutsu had knocked Kakashi out of commission for a month, but it had been entirely unintentional.

Though Sasuke was protected, the way Itachi knew he would be, Sakura was not. Kakashi had seen it through for him. Ridiculously overprotective of her in some ways and crippling her growth in others but he had made sure she would be okay.

----

He steels himself as he stands before the compound. How many more must he kill before he can stop?

“You were always a kind boy,” his mother whispers from the pool of her own blood.

He must persist, he must protect Konoha, he must protect Sasuke, he must protect Sakura.

Sakura is awake when he slides through her window. She is the strongest sensor Itachi has ever met and for her to not notice the quickly disappearing chakra presence around her would be nigh impossible.

“Itachi-kun.” There is fear in her eyes, fear that has never been directed at him but would be after tonight. It must be the blood across his face that makes her hesitate before padding towards him. She lifts a trembling hand to touch his puffy eyes.

“Sakura… chan.”

Her eyes widen in surprise. He has always been adamant about calling her san. She’s a Haruno and Harunos have to be treated with respect. Now there are no more Harunos except her, no more poison experts.

“Are you leaving?”

He nods, preparing himself for more lies and the act of betrayal he has to perform. Her hand slips, gripping his sleeve. “Promise to come back soon?” she says to him.

“I will,” he promises. In a body scroll, he doesn’t add. He pulls her into his arms, reminding himself of why he has killed the others. There is a hot, searing heat in his eyes, heavy from the weight of unshed tears. Itachi pulls himself from her, his dark eyes gleaming into the dull red shine. “Goodbye Sakura… chan.” Then he spins her into a deep genjutsu sleep. He brushes the pink locks from her face, pressing a kiss on her forehead. “Sleep well.”

----

“Why did you kill Father and Mother?”

Sakura places a hand on Sasuke’s shaking arm. “No,” her voice crisp in the silence that follows his otouto’s words, ringing with confidence that he knows she doesn’t have. All these years, she’s become a better liar. “The question is why was he the one made to carry it out?”

Itachi feels an involuntary twitch on his lips at her words, a mix of pleasure and strangely, relief floods him. Sakura inclines her head to him, the smile that she gives him is taut and tight.

“It wasn’t really because you wanted to know if you were the best, was it?”

“Sakura… what are you talking about?” Sasuke growls, his hand tightening around the hilt of his sword.

His otouto was never the sort cut out to be more than a shinobi. Father had seen it in him and had been disappointed that Sasuke would never be a good military police and Itachi would never want it. However the head of MP would always have to be someone from the main family, how Father hated shackling either of them to something they would not want.

“We talked about this, Sasuke.”

Itachi notices the lack of honorifics between them. Perhaps if he had the opportunity to turn back time, he might be the one sharing the lack of honorifics with her.

“If Itachi-kun wanted to test his abilities, he would have gone for Hokage-sama or Kakashi-sensei. Would that not have been the most obvious choices?”

Kun. She had called him kun. After all he had done, he doesn’t deserve the endearment behind his name.

“Yet he didn’t. He had gone for your clan and mine. It’s true that the Uchihas were known for the strength and power while the Harunos were known for their slyness, but no one doubted whether he could have beaten them.”

If he gives them anymore time, Sasuke might be dissuaded to fight him properly. Itachi coughs a rib shaking cough. It’s worse than any cough he has had. Now that they’ve arrived, he can finally sleep, he thinks.

He raises his tanto, flashing several discrete ANBU signs that only Kakashi would know.

Thank you. No harm. Good bye.

Itachi shunshins towards his otouto. Sasuke leaps, pushing Sakura to away as he unsheathes sword. He grabs his otouto’s right wrist, still his downward motion.

“Still not strong enough,” he taunts. Sasuke roars, twisting around to kick his chin. Itachi disperses in a murder of crows, reappearing behind his brother. Sasuke reacts the way Itachi has expected, he swings his chidori sword into Itachi without a moment of conscious thought.

He coughs. The jag of agony that Itachi has tried to prepare himself for is nowhere close to his imagination. Dying hurts more than he expects.

“Aniki…” Sasuke whispers.

Itachi twists his lips into a faint smile, blood dribbling from his lips. “Take care of Sakura. Okay?”

He can’t breathe and muscling through sheer will, he pokes his otouto’s forehead for the last time then his body gives out, collapsing onto him. He hears Sasuke cry, feels the hot liquid drop on his face.

Then he lets the black take him.

----

She is twelve. Her chin thrust defiantly at the air. He knows that look anywhere, even four years after he’s left, he still knows it. How he wishes he could be there with the crowd of proud parents, be there waiting for his otouto and Sakura. Instead, he sits in the treetops with Deidara who is awfully silent despite being a chatty person.

“It’s her, isn’t it?” Deidara says, tracking the pink girl as she walks down the road with his brother. Itachi only raises an eyebrow at his question. “The reason why you killed all those people,” Deidara clarifies.

He fiddles with the bit of clay in his hands, forming tiny birds then tiny flowers that Itachi has never seen him make. “The Harunos were planning to assist the Uchiha in the coup. There were buckets of lethal poison in their safehouse. They were planning to poison the waters and let Uchiha take charge. That’s why your village ordered them to be killed. I read the files while you were stalking your brother. ” Deidara looks up, his face stark of his usual mischievous grin. “What I don’t get is… why you? And why them?”

Unwilling to explain, Itachi drops from the tree and slides into the shadow of another. He tucks his chakra deep within himself, knowing that Sakura would not be able to detect him even if he was close to her that way.

Kakashi is at the memorial stone as he always is. Though he says nothing, Itachi knows that Kakashi knows he’s there. After all, he has not hidden his scent.

“I’ll take care of them,” Kakashi says out loud as though speaking to the stone, but Itachi knows it’s to him.

Itachi steps half out of the shadow and nods at him.

Take care. Kakashi signs.

Go strong. Itachi replies with the traditional ANBU response then he finds Deidara.

“Because it was the only way to protect them,” he tells Deidara, many months later. It confuses Deidara for weeks to come before he figures out the question.

----

He hurts. His throat screams with each shallow gasp he takes. His chest is a scorching field of agony. He’s used to pain, used to so much pain that Itachi sometimes can’t tell if it’s a new hurt or an old hurt, this pain, however, is definitely something brand new.

“Come back to me... you promised me.”

He blinks and finds himself gazing into green eyes. His mouth is gulping, frozen in a rictus of suffering.

“Stupid Itachi!” Sakura hugs him as tightly as his injuries allow him. “Stupid, stupid, stupid! We’re not kids anymore! We don’t need you to protect us anymore.”

His brother stands behind her, his eyes are watery, face pale and lips thin from stemming what emotions his brother must be feeling. Sasuke always had a bad poker face. “We’re not going to kill you, nii-san. Stop trying, okay?”

\W/ \W/ \W/

When Itachi wakes again, it’s to a white room and a fluffy white blanket tucked around him. He can smell the cloying scent of Hashirama trees through the window, the taste of unshed rain in the distance and though the crowds of people are in the distant, he who had gotten used to the silence of isolated bases can hear their murmuring, not precise words but the low grade of buzz.

So he’s finally home.

“You were really close,” the blond standing at the foot of the bed tells Itachi. She saunters towards him and taps him hard on the head with the medical chart.

Itachi blinks at her, taking in the pigtails. “Hokage-sama,” he says simply. How have she let a missing-nin like him enter Konoha again? Why is he still alive? Are they not going to execute him? The questions lie at the back of his throat like ash.

“No, we’re not going to execute you.” Tsunade flips through the records and places a glowing green hand on his shoulder. “That would have made the time my apprentice and shinobi incurred in tracking you down nulled, you know.”

He feels the coolness of her chakra flowing through his lungs, fixing where his breaths used to hurt.

“They searched through the records for all your mission files and worked their way through every other corresponding one. It was quite an impressive case the two put together.”

Itachi frowns at her, unsure how to respond. Tsunade grunts. “It means you’re free. Danzo was found guilty for treason and executed while you have been acquitted as you were a scapegoat. Now, your lungs need another six more months before they are recovered and your eyes will need a year of treatment. I would say that you are prohibited from training, but that’s going to be a waste of my breath. Instead, you can train only when your primary physician is overseeing. You understand?”

He nods mutely. The idea of not dying to his disease is strange and unbelievable, let alone being not blind and free. Free!

Itachi lets out a bark of amused laughter when he is finally alone again.

Free.

He’s not dreaming is he? Itachi turns and watches the Hashirama trees sway their leaves in the wind and thinks, maybe he’s not.

\W/ \W/ \W/

There are blue ivy flowers spilling across the garden when Itachi and Kakashi finally rounds the bend to the Uchiha compound.

“Are they married?” Itachi asks Kakashi.

“Ew, no.” Sasuke makes a disgusted face as he catches Itachi question while opening the door. “Sakura is like my sister. Kakashi-sensei are eating tonight?” He leads the duo through the doors and Kakashi slips on a pair of well-worn slippers from the genkan.

“We all live together. Team Orphans,” Sasuke explains.

Itachi winces at Sasuke’s words. Sasuke and Sakura wouldn’t have been orphans had it not been for him. Sasuke pokes him on the forehead. “That’s quite enough. I can hear the self-loathing wafting through the air. Sakura and I don’t hate you for what you did. Had their coup not been stopped, Konoha would have had a long civil war.”

Sasuke slides the shoji door to reveal the dining room. The same wooden chairs though the table has been expanded and set for seven.

Sakura drops a flower crown on Itachi’s head as he walks in and smiles. “Welcome back.”

It’s the same ivy that sprawls in the front yard, the same trademark Haruno ivy that Sakura used to play with when was younger. “Ivy is poisonous, you know?” Itachi says with a twitch of lips before he can stop the words.

“But they’re pretty.” She replies like she knows. “And they mean everlasting fidelity.”

#fanfiction #naruto #uchiha itachi #haruno sakura #uchiha sasuke

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recentanimenews · 5 years

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THE GREAT CRUNCHYROLL NARUTO REWATCH Sees Four BIG Returns In Episodes 120-126!

Welcome back to the Great Crunchyroll Naruto Rewatch! I'm Jared Clemons, and I'll be your host this week as we make our way through all 220 episodes of the original Naruto. Last week, we covered Episodes 113-119, where Shikamaru’s newly assembled team faced off against the Sound Four and we saw Choji and Neji fight for their lives against two very tough opponents.

This week we keep the rewatch moving with Episodes 120-126 which saw FOUR big returns from Rock Lee and the Sand Siblings of Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro who are now on the side of Leaf Village. Naruto’s very angry and sends a bunch of shadow clones to fight against some body horror while Kiba and Shikamaru have their own fights against the rest of the Sound Four. How will these big returns help out the remaining members of Shikamaru’s squad and are they able to break free to find a way to get to Sasuke while he continues to be carried in his box?

It’s been nice that both times I’ve hosted the rewatch, we’ve got to see Rock Lee come in and do something cool, even if this time his return might have been a tad rushed. Plus, seeing the Sand Siblings return was perhaps the biggest shock I’ve gotten from this show so far. So, what did the other members of the Crunchyroll Features team think of Shikamaru, Kiba, and Naruto’s fights or the four big returns? How about what they think about what will happen with next week’s big main event showdown between Naruto and Sasuke?

Let's check in with the Crunchyroll Features team and see what they thought about this week's batch of episodes.

We start off these episodes with Kiba taking on Sakon & Ukon while Shikamaru has his hands full with Tayuya and her flute solos. How did you feel about these two fights after the ones we just saw with Choji and Neji? Were they too similar in nature or did they do enough to be different?

Paul: While I appreciate that Kiba was willing to straight up shank himself in order to stab his enemy, I could have done with less strategic ninja peeing on the part of Akamaru. Likewise, while I enjoyed Shikamaru's intense planning, once again his strategy ultimately proves inadequate in the face of raw power and he has to rely on someone else saving his bacon at the last minute. For me, Choji and Neji's fights were more engaging, even if all of these fights are treading similar ground.

Kevin: Choji’s fight is in a different category for me, since it is the culmination of his characterization to that point. None of the other fights have been treated with the same weight as Choji finally giving it his all. For the other fights, they’re narratively similar to each other, but all manage to stand apart by having different mechanics and narratives. Kiba’s constantly on the run, Shikamaru’s hiding and plotting while Neji was being attacked from all angles constantly.

Carolyn: I agree. I did like seeing Shikamaru at a loss for what to do for a hot minute. But it seemed like overall, last week’s fights were a lot more intense and were intercut with character growth and Choji and Neji’s friends learning their strengths. That was definitely more compelling for me.

Danni: It felt a lot less compelling watching these fights, honestly. A lot less actually happened. Seeing Shikamaru plot fifteen steps ahead is always cool in action, but the lead up to it was a lot of him running around. Kiba’s fight was mostly canned footage reminiscing about how much he loves his dog. It’s sweet, but come on. Who doesn’t love dogs.

Joseph: The constant back and forth between these fights was fun but made each episode feel the same. Out of the main showdowns I dug the first half of Shikamaru’s the most, but it lost me a little when it became a long-form shadow hug-out.

David: I think this is the start of where the huge power imbalances in this show start to get in the way of the fights being satisfying. Like Paul mentioned, it really doesn’t matter how well-planned a strategy is when the enemy’s power is so overwhelmingly strong you need someone like Temari to bail you out with a single swing of her fan.

Noelle: Definitely agree with the rest here, Shikamaru at a loss of what to do when being brute-forced by an enemy is pretty interesting to see. Wits can absolutely help you in a pinch, but sometimes it just isn’t enough. I think the fights all do cover different things—they have similarities, but they’re different enough to not feel like complete repeats. I did think that last week’s was much more action-heavy though.

Kara: I really like both Kiba and Shikamaru, so I was ready for some epic action with these two in the vein of last week. I didn’t mind the Akamaru reminiscing all that much because Dogs Are Just That Good, but I do feel like they kind of got the short end of the stick. I do, however, appreciate Shikamaru memorizing Tayuya’s hand movements to account for his lack of musical knowledge.

Naruto slightly gives into the Nine Tails side and we see that side of him pop out again. However, it doesn’t really seem to bother Kimimaro as he just plays his own version of Dynasty Warriors with Naruto’s clones. Should Naruto have implemented a different strategy here or was he too blinded by rage to come up with anything different?

Paul: Perhaps it's my penchant for all things lycanthropic, but I keep hoping they'll do more with Naruto and his partial fox transformations. Instead we got four or five episodes of Naruto tossing Shadow Clones at a guy who made short work of them with a bone-sword (ewwwwww!), and that is not terribly dramatic staging for a duel to the death. I didn't gather that Naruto was supposed to be blinded by rage; it just felt like they were stalling for time.

Kevin: He was probably too blind to think clearly, but he also isn’t the kind of character to come up with much of a plan. Outside of the Shadow Clone Shuriken jutsu from the Zabuza fight, his strategies pretty much all come down to “make clones, punch the enemy a lot,” with the new addition of “make clones, use Rasengan.”

Carolyn: I honestly just could not get over the little “pew” sound every time a clone was taken out.

Danni: The first time we saw Beast mode Naruto was against Haku, and in that fight he actually fought like a feral beast. It was rad, and the fact that nothing of the sort has happened since has been an utter disappointment.

Joseph: Naruto has proven in the past that he can have one or two really clever ideas so his reliance on Shadow Clones is kind of disappointing. I could give it a pass as a way to test an enemy before facing them, but he doesn’t seem to come up with much beyond it when facing these stronger characters.

David: He probably could have come up with a more interesting plan, but honestly I’m not even sure what he could have done in that situation 1-on-1, especially once we see what Kimimaro can do against Lee and Gaara later.

Noelle: He’s blinded by rage, but I didn’t think that it was too jarring. Naruto can be creative, but strategy definitely isn’t one of his stronger points. It’s hard to think clearly when you’re running on mostly instinct.

Kara: I really like the Shadow Clones when they’re used as a basis for something else—like I’ve said before, I think it’s such a good metaphor for more mundane differences in learning styles in the real world. I hesitate to say he “should have done more” or “could have done better” because I sure as heck can’t think of what he should have done.

Rock Lee makes his return to help Naruto out in his fight with Kimimaro and debuts a new fighting style by accidentally getting hammered. What did you think of his new drunken style? Do you think the speed of his recovery back into fighting shape matches up with him being able to fight at all given the last time we saw him he wanted to just climb stairs?

Paul: Drunken Boxing is probably my favorite cinematic kung fu style, and I liked that the animation got a little loosey-goosey to go along with Lee's inebriated state, but it's really hard to pull off that martial arts style within the constraints of TV anime production. What we got was a little bit Jackie Chan, a little bit Bruce Lee, and a little bit of “The Sleeping Wizard” from John Woo's Last Hurrah for Chivalry. As for Lee's recovery, it was a lot of build-up for very little pay-off. After all of that business about having a nearly 50/50 chance to live or die, Lee has the surgery off-screen, and he's mostly fine afterwards!

Kevin: I would find Drunken Fist way more entertaining if it was in basically any other part of the narrative. Seeing Lee not being allowed to climb stairs earlier the same day really doesn’t work well with how fluidly he fights, especially before becoming drunk. If he can still do a modified Leaf Hurricane, I’m not sure why Tsunade was holding him back. That being said, Guy’s cutaways to the restaurant when Lee went out of control still got me to laugh a little, so clearly something is working correctly.

Carolyn: Rock Lee! It is weird that he’s OK already. But I don’t care. Give me more Rock Lee. Rock Lee all day every day. Honestly, not sure I care for drunk Rock Lee. It’s a new version of him, that’s for sure. But I like goofy, socially awkward, good boy Rock Lee.

Danni: It REALLY bothered me when he showed up out of nowhere, but then we got an awesomely animated taijutsu battle. Then we got to see freaking Drunken Fist Rock Lee and I forgave any and all plot contrivances that had led up to that moment. It was stupid and cool in all the best ways. Now I really wanna watch Drunken Master.

Joseph: I thought the whole point was that he wasn’t okay but was there anyway. Getting drunk was a good way to mitigate any potential issues with fighting stiffly and injuring himself further. I would have rather they planted the seed for this earlier, though. It would have been more satisfying if we had seen his restaurant destruction as a goof in a previous episode rather than Guy shoehorning the whole alcohol issue in right before this went down.

With that said, I still love Rock Lee and enjoyed his fight! The animation wasn’t quite capable of handling drunken style fighting, and I wish he didn’t sober up so quickly, but it did the trick.

David: I really don’t mind how quick the turnover was from when we last saw him and now, because the journey from his fight with Gaara to his recovery took way too long in the first place; we’re just making up for lost time, really. Also, taijutsu is the coolest stuff in Naruto, so I’ll take any excuse to see two ninja really duking it out.

Noelle: Drunken fist is such a classic martial arts cinema thing, and I am always here for that. It’s a great and fun battle! As for his turnover time, it is pretty fast all things considering, but it doesn’t matter to me- we get more Lee. Enough said.

Kara: As soon as I saw we were getting Drunken Fist action, I could not have been happier. That was freaking awesome. My thought going into this week was that I wouldn’t mind his ridiculously speedy recovery provided it was in aid of getting to see something really cool. That’s kind of how it worked out, so I’m happy.

This set of episodes is return-palooza as we also get the return of the Sand trio of Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro. They’re also now babyfaces having transitioned from being heels by aligning with the Leaf village. This return was perhaps the biggest shock I’ve had so far in watching Naruto, but what did you think of how their return was handled? Should we consider them true allies or more in the vein of mercenaries who will go help anyone for the right price?

Paul: This was another big reveal that was spoiled for me because I had to scroll through the list of episodes to find where I'd left off last week, and the episode titles and thumbnails give away that the Sand Siblings are back and antagonistic to the Sound Five. I wish I hadn't known that going in. As for their loyalties, they seem fine so far, and Gaara especially seems to have absorbed the lessons that Naruto lovingly walloped into him. Do I spot the first sparks of romance between Shikamaru and Temari?

Kevin: I have no idea how to answer, and that’s probably my biggest problem with these episodes. We never got a scene with Tsunade debating whether to send help, or a cutaway to what the Sand Ninja were doing, or anything else that would’ve hinted at them returning in any way, then they just show up as full on allies. If they were mercenaries, that would actually make MORE sense and would be an interesting plot point, since whether to tell their village how weak the Leaf is at the moment would serve as a character moment for them, testing whether they were truly just in it for the money or if they were truly becoming allies.

Carolyn: It was very strange to me to see Gaara and Rock Lee fighting together like everything is hunky dory after Gaara broke Rock Lee and then returned to try to kill him while he was stuck in the HOSPITAL.

Danni: I definitely spoiled myself on this by scrolling ahead to see what episode to stop on, but their appearance was still one of the coolest things in this batch. It also just makes sense to me. They’re soldiers acting on orders. Yesterday’s enemy can be today’s ally. Interestingly, Gaara of all people seems to feel the most sympathy for the Hidden Village shinobi now. I can’t wait to see how this plays out.

Joseph: I loved it. I knew it was coming but they each had such cool entrances I didn’t care!

David: They are some of my favorite characters, so I was happy they showed up—I’d completely forgotten they were in this arc, actually. However, they also represent the power disparity I mentioned in an earlier question, so it’s a double-edged sword. Lee shows up and kicks butt, but when whatever he can do is basically immediately rendered moot by Gaara’s powers, it’s kind of disheartening.

Noelle: What can I say but the power of friendship. I like the sand siblings a lot, so I was just really happy when they reappeared. They do appear at extremely convenient times, which can feel a little anticlimactic, but I’m glad they’re around. Gaara! I missed you, Gaara.

Kara: I’m divided. On the one hand, I’m not a big fan of badasses being saved from certain doom by badasses who arrived slightly later. On the other, I’m all about getting to see these sand kiddos as allies. Also, Gaara’s got a sort of Season 3 Zuko vibe going on (or maybe Season 3 Zuko had a Sasuke Recovery Mission Arc Gaara vibe going on).

We are building toward Naruto vs. Sasuke happening for real next week. For you first time watchers, what are you expecting from this fight and for those who have watched, has the build matched what you remember?

Paul: If I were writing the show, I would have Naruto suffer his first serious defeat by having him be unable to convince or conquer Sasuke. This would force Naruto into a deep moment of introspection and require him to examine what it truly means for him to follow his own “Ninja Way” in his efforts to become the next Hokage. I have no idea how it will actually play out, though.

Kevin: Having watched before, I actually thought that the Sound Ninja Four stuff went by more quickly. I seriously thought that we were going to end this week at the climax of Naruto vs. Sasuke. Instead, I hope you like Kiba bleeding to death, Shikamaru sitting in a tree, and Naruto running through trees, because you’re going to keep cutting from one of those options to one of the others for the majority of the runtime, with the occasional reminder that Lee’s somehow not killing himself by fighting.

Carolyn: I thought the hospital roof fight came about inorganically. “You must fight me!” This time it does feel like there’s much more of a reason for a showdown. Sasuke’s gone rogue!

Danni: I’m expecting some real cool-looking animation from this fight, some flashbacks, and a whole lot of “SAAAAASUKEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!”

Joseph: I know what to expect from reading the manga but it’s been just long enough for me to not be totally sure I remember it correctly, so I’m excited! I do know how it shakes out, but that’s fine. This is going to be another good batch.

David: It feels like it’s happening sooner than I remember, but in a good way?

Kara: I’ll be shocked if Naruto bests Sasuke right away. There’s just too much going on here for it to be one and done. Plus, so much of his motivation has been about how he stacks up against Sasuke, I feel like beating him in this state would settle the score way too easily. I could be wrong, obviously. I’ve been wrong before.

Finally, what were your high points and low points for these episodes?

Paul: My high point is Gaara using his sand to gently cradle Lee and protect him from harm, which was a very satisfying reversal of what happened when last they met and also a welcome evolution of Gaara's character. My low point is the sheer incredulity I felt when I realized that Sakon and Ukon were slain by a glorified game of Pop-Up Pirate(TM). Talk about going out like a complete chump!

Kevin: High: The Sand Ninja assisting the Leaf. Why they’re there is a complete mystery, but I loved seeing them absolutely dominate the Sound Four/Five. Most people already know that the Naruto franchise pretty much drops its ninja credibility over time in favor of insane power scaling and everyone basically being a wizard, and we’re starting to see the power creep get to the point of changing the landscape. The kid in me loves the sheer wanton destruction, so I have fun with this kind of escalation. Low: Lee fighting. As a Lee fan, I love seeing him back in action flying all over the place with crazy Taijutsu. Narratively though, he’s what, a day out of major surgery? The simpler motivation of just wanting to climb stairs would’ve been a great story to progress over time. There are 100 episodes left, every 10 episodes just give a scene with Lee to show noticeable progress from the last time we’ve seen him.

Carolyn: I actually loved Kiba promising to protect his perfect doggie in the future. That’s my high point. Good boy doggo saving the day and good boy Kiba wanting to do right by his pupper. Low point, sadly, probably drunk Rock Lee. Just because I love him as he is and there is no reason for him to change and I completely agree that his struggle is more compelling than this goofy arc.

Danni: High point is easily Drunken Fist-style Rock Lee. It’s the dumbest plot contrivance used for the best purpose: turning Rock Lee into a drunk badass. It’s so transparent that it’s laudable, and the resulting fight just looked real good. Low point was the complete drag watching Kiba and Shikamaru fight was. I watched every episode hoping the Sand shinobi would just show up already.

Joseph: I, too, love drunk Lee, no matter how stupid it may be. That’s my high point along with the story about his restaurant destruction. For my low point, it would have to be Naruto basically gawking as Kimimaro musou-style thrashes his clones. Such a dull way to kill time and a little too on brand for our tactics-adverse ninja boy.

David: My high point is also drunk Lee, with the best part being when he ‘wakes up’ and realizes he was drunk because he has a headache and an injury he doesn’t recall having before. Low point is, also, the Naruto fight, simply for being the only downright boring segment this week.

Noelle: Gaara and Rock Lee teamup still makes me so hyped, even after all this time. Some things don’t let you down! The Naruto clone musou segment felt a little dull- I don’t recall feeling that when reading the manga, but I definitely felt it here.

Kara: High point was the Black Ant. Oh my God. Kankuro’s puppet skills have always been super creepy to me, but dang. It was quick, efficient, and absolutely horrifying. Low point was Akamaru’s aerial pee ballets. He’s a good boy and I love him but you’re gonna put someone’s eye out.

COUNTERS:

Nothing new this week!

Total so far:

Bowls of Ramen: 42 bowls, 3 cups

“I'm Gonna be Hokage!”: 52

Shadow Clones Created: 352

And that's everything for this week! Remember that you're always welcome to join us for this rewatch, especially if you haven't watched the original Naruto! Watch Naruto today!

CATCH UP ON THE REWATCH!

Episodes 113-119: Operation Rescue Sasuke

Episodes 106-112: Sasuke Goes Rogue

Episodes 99-105: Trouble in the Land of Tea

Episodes 92-98: Clash of the Sannin

Episodes 85-91: A Life-Changing Decision

Episodes 78-84: The Fall of a Legend

Episodes 71-77: Sands of Sorrow

Episodes 64-70: Crashing the Chunin Exam

Episodes 57-63: Family Feud

Episodes 50-56: Rock Lee Rally

Episodes 43-49: The Gate

Episodes 36-42: Through the Woods

Episodes 29-35: Sakura Unleashed

Episodes 22-28: Chunin Exams Kickoff

Episodes 15-21: Leaving the Land of Waves

Episodes 8-14: Beginners' Battle

Episodes 1-7: I'm Gonna Be the Hokage!

Here's our upcoming schedule:

- May 24th, NICOLE MEJIAS plays referee for Naruto vs. Sasuke, Round 2!

- May 31st, NOELLE OGAWA will start us off on a journey back into the land of filler.

- June 7th, DAVID LYNN keeps us going as we get even deeper into filler.

Thank you for joining us for the Great Crunchyroll Naruto Rewatch! Have a great weekend, and we'll see you all next time!

Have anything to say about our thoughts on Episodes 120-126? Let us know in the comments! Don't forget, we're also accepting questions and comments for next week, so don't be shy and feel free to ask away!

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Jared Clemons is a writer and podcaster for Seasonal Anime Checkup. He can be found on Twitter @ragbag.

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