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keepyourpantsongohan · 5 months

Text

Married, Colleagues, Divorced

This thought would enter his mind: Something about it is definitely different. (Gaara Hiden, Ch. 1) | Ten Days of Tenzo (@tendaysoftenzo) Day 5: Kakashi | AO3 |

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Yamato to Kakashi of the Two Normal Eyes: Kakashi. Can I ask you a question...?

Kakashi to Colleague I Think About Such a Normal Amount: Yes, Tenzō?

Yamato: Did you date Iruka?

Kakashi: Why do u ask?

Yamato: Something Naruto said about going on outings with the two of you. Apparently, you even paid.

Kakashi: We are amicably divorced

Yamato: Elaborate.

Kakashi: The outings are part of our custody arrangement. The ramen is alimony

Yamato: I understand all of these words but not in this order.

Kakashi: What’s not to understand. It’s important to model healthy separation for the kids

Yamato: So you two did date?

Kakashi: No. Next question

Kakashi to Standing Tenzōvation: Come sit here

Yamato to Hatake a Bow: I’ll come find you after. We’re going to get in trouble for texting during jōnin council deliberation again.

Kakashi: I tried talking to u with Anbu hand signals. U said those were too obvious

Yamato: They are too obvious; you should see the message Genma sent me after the last council. Why do I need to sit there anyway?

Kakashi: I want to eat with u today and if I’m not already occupied after we finish I will be caught in a meeting vortex

Yamato: Comes with the new job-title, Rokudaime-sama.

Kakashi: Not until next week, officially. And I didn’t enjoy any part of that sentence.

Yamato: Well, aren’t you emotionally forthright today? It’s refreshing.

Kakashi: Does that mean u will buy lunch?

Yamato: You’re the one who just got a promotion. Hokage’s treat?

Kakashi: I’ll spar u for it

Yamato: You’re on.

Kakashi to Magic Mountain: Soup on your windowsill

Yamato to Lord Sixth Flags: Thank you. You could come in, you know.

Kakashi: U need some rest. Plus I have been assigned a mission to have tea with Hyuga-san 2nite

Yamato: That’s a new one. Who assigned that?

Kakashi: Me. 😔 I’ve been told clan relations are my problem now

Yamato: I can hardly wrap my head around you being a politician.

Kakashi: I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around u nearly getting chakra exhaustion from a spar

Yamato: How many times have YOU gotten chakra exhaustion?

Kakashi: I haven’t kept a count

Yamato: I have. 16.

Kakashi: That’s not bad. 1.4% of missions. Point is that’s what I expect from me, not u

Yamato: Give me a break. I’ve only ever fought you when you had your sharingan. I didn’t account for how much stamina you’d have without it. My hospital check-up was quick and painless.

Kakashi: Easy for u to say, u weren’t awake for the berating when I hauled u in

Yamato: Tsunade-sama or Sakura?

Kakashi: Sakura, thankfully. She still feels bad about hitting me, unlike her shishō

Yamato: Are we in trouble?

Kakashi: Don’t think so. The killing intent stopped after u woke up

Kakashi: Sakura threatened to abandon her post and become a rogue ninja if we ever do it again, but I have a plan for that

Yamato: Do you anticipate Sakura leaving Konoha?

Kakashi: Not really. But after Sasuke I figured the other two should have contingencies, and I kept adding as u and Sai joined

Yamato: Are you saying you have a plan for a scenario where all five other members of our team abandon the village?

Kakashi: Don’t take this the wrong way but I have a 14-step-plan for that scenario

Yamato: Both impressive and concerning.

Kakashi: That’s what they tell me in ninja therapy

Yamato: You have a therapist?

Kakashi: Yeah. Don’t u?

Yamato: Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’ve never been more attracted to you.

Kakashi: Hm. What’s your average amount of attraction to me?

Yamato: I abstain from the question.

Kakashi: 🤔😈㊙️❓

Sakura to Team Thanks for Pardoning Sasuke, Sensei: reminder that our new team photo will be taken tomorrow. naruto buy a hairbrush. sensei and sasuke remember to show up on time

Naruto: i own a hairbrush!! it just doesn’t work on my hair y’know

Sakura: bring it and i’ll help. i’m not breaking another one of my combs

Sasuke: Why do I get lumped in with Kakashi? I’m on time.

Sakura: you missed the last three years of team meetings

Sasuke: Touché.

Sai: Do Yamato-taichō and I need to do anything?

Sakura: i think you’ll both be fine. don’t worry too much about what kind of smile you need. be natural

Sai: I will join you early so we can practice being natural.

Sakura: that’s not what i meant. but sure we can get breakfast

Naruto: me too!!!!

Sakura: NOT ichiraku.

Naruto disliked “NOT ichiraku.”

Sasuke liked “NOT ichiraku.”

Naruto: :(((((((((((( ok

Yamato: Kakashi and I will both have a meeting about the new housing developments first thing. I can make sure we get there.

Naruto: should u be spending so much time together?

Naruto: i don’t want yamato-taichō to catch ur chakra exaustion again kaka-sensei

Kakashi: For the last time, I did not GIVE Yamato chakra exhaustion. U can’t catch it

Sakura: debatable.

Sai: Sakura does offer medical credibility to Naruto’s theory.

Kakashi: Tenzō, tell them.

Yamato: I haven’t ruled it out.

Naruto: SEE. ur contagious sensei

Kakashi: I miss when u all found me intimidating

Sasuke: We never found you intimidating.

Sakura liked “We never found you intimidating.”

Naruto liked “We never found you intimidating.”

Yamato: Didn’t you make them homemade bento on their first day? Not your most menacing tactic.

Naruto: tbh iruka-sensei and jiraiya-sensei had a lot more rules than u

Naruto: ur gonna have to work on that as Hokage!

Sai: If you would like, I can pretend to find you intimidating. I’m a very good actor.

Kakashi: Thank u, Sai. 😔🤘

Anko to Jōnin Gone Wild: @Shiranui Genma, Married, Colleagues, Divorce: Gai, Raidō, Aoba

Genma: Easy. Marry Raidō, Colleagues Gai, Divorce Aoba

Aoba: I understand

Gai: You have ALWAYS been an EXCELLENT Colleague, my friend!!!

Raidō: 👌

Yamato: What kind of a game is this?

Anko: Kakashi invented it. Something about it being a therapy exercise

Kakashi: Actually, my therapist advised against it. But I’m glad we have a new game. Shizune was 2 good at online mahjong

Shizune: You would be too if you grew up with Tsunade-sama. Also your next meeting is 5 minutes. I’ll bring the briefing when I’m upstairs

Kurenai: You know, as Hokage, technically Kakashi is responsible for all active shinobi. He shouldn’t be allowed to date any of his colleagues

Anko: Hahahah, government-mandated celibacy

Kakashi: I’ve been Hokage for like 3 days and none of u respect authority anyways

Kurenai: Are you saying you DO want to date a jōnin?

Anko emphasized, “Are you saying you DO want to date a jōnin?”

Yamato emphasized, “Are you saying you DO want to date a jōnin?”

Kakashi: U think I don’t know a trap when I see one

Shizune: He has a picture of gljljLKHGLJ

Shizune: I would like everyone to know that Kakashi-sama grabbed my phone when I was writing that message.

Kakashi: Aiming for meeting brief. New depth perception with 2 eyes. Talk later bye

Yamato to Celibacy Senpai: Explain to me how the game works again. Since we’re colleagues, we can’t be married or divorced?

Kakashi to Comrade Featured in Several GROUP Photos: It’s more of a state of mind

Kakashi: Take for example, if I had u, Yugao and Ibiki. I’d Colleagues Yugao, Divorce Ibiki and Marry u.

Yamato: That implies you were married to Ibiki before me.

Kakashi: Would it affect ur interest in marrying me?

Yamato: No, but I’d wonder why we didn’t get married first. We get along more.

Kakashi: We prioritized our friendship over other potential kinds of bonds

Yamato: I think we've got a pretty good track record for adapting. Besides, spouses should be friends. Anyway, none of this answers the question of why you’d suddenly marry someone else.

Kakashi: We were separated by a tsunami. U lost ur memory and I couldn’t find u so Ibiki and I got together so the kids could have another role model

Yamato: How long was I gone before you moved on?

Kakashi: We co-parented but I didn’t move on. That’s why u and I get married

Yamato: What if I’m more of a long-term-romantic-roommates kind of guy?

Kakashi: I’d make that work

Yamato: In the game?

Kakashi: Sure. In the game

Naruto to Team Congratulations Chūbu Sai: i went 2 the yamanaka flower shop for plant food after we met up and u’ll never guess what i saw!! u know the bandana guy?

Yamato: Genma?

Kakashi: Ibiki?

Sakura: Ebisu-sensei?

Naruto: no. sasuke hair

Kakashi: Izumo

Yamato: Izumo.

Naruto: yeah him!! he was buying flowers for that other guy. big stick.

Sakura: 🤨

Kakashi: That’s Kotetsu. And?

Naruto: he was BUYING FLOWERS. for that GUY. for a DATE!!!!!

Sai: Ino tells me it is customary to bring your partner gifts like flowers to show your affection.

Naruto: I DIDN’T KNOW THAT WAS AN OPTION!!

Kakashi: Dating Kotetsu? It isn’t. He’s in a relationship. And he’s too old for u

Naruto: DATING A GUY!!

Yamato: Why didn’t you think it was an option, Naruto?

Naruto: i mean, everyone thinks that way about guys and girls and everyone

Naruto: but no one DOES IT, y’know

Sai questioned “i mean, everyone thinks that way about guys and girls and everyone.”

Sai: Is that true?

Sakura: i think this is the wrong chat to ask that question in

Yamato emphasized, “i think this is the wrong chat to ask that question in.”

Sai: Why?

Kakashi: I can give u a book that will explain it, Sai. Anyway Naruto, people can date anyone they want, within reason. As long as the people involved like each other

Naruto: anyone?

Kakashi: Yeah. Even more than one person at once. Right, Sasuke? 👨🏻‍🎤

Sasuke: What’s that emoji supposed to mean?

Kakashi: I just like to make sure ur phone is on.

Naruto: i gotta go for a walk

Yamato to It’s Kakamplicated: I’m going to tell him.

Kakashi to Konoha’s Next Top Anbu (Not a Sex Thing. Maybe A Sex Thing): Give him a few more days, he’ll figure it out

Yamato: …How long did it take you to figure it out?

Kakashi: I abstain from the question

Yamato: 🙄

Kakashi: Fine. 19.

Yamato: Age or years?

Kakashi: Definitely one of those two things. Next question

Iruka to Senseis R Us: What have you been telling Naruto?

Kakashi: U’ll have to be more specific

Iruka: Why did Naruto say he was going to hang out with my ex-husband?!

Kakashi: What makes u think I have anything to do with it

Iruka: I didn’t say I was talking to you. However, he was going to see your team and I don’t think Yamato-san is responsible for this!!

Yamato: I’m going to leave this one in Kakashi’s capable hands.

Iruka: Kakashi. What is wrong with you?

Yamato: Becoming a chunin at the age of 6, a strangely public black ops career, a possible attachment disorder and some very interesting tan lines.

Kakashi: That’s the kunai calling the shuriken sharp.

Kakashi: Also I’ll show u some interesting tan lines

Yamato loved “Also I’ll show u some interesting tan lines.”

Kakashi: Anyway. I didn’t say much, Naruto was just curious about our history

Iruka: We don’t have a history??

Kakashi: What about when I reupholstered your sofa?

Iruka: Was that... a romantic activity for you?

Kakashi: This is why we’d never work out, Iruka.

Iruka: Because you text like a member of the cypher corps?

Yamato: It’s not so bad. His birthday messages are very heartfelt.

Kakashi loved “It’s not so bad. His birthday messages are very heartfelt.”

Kakashi: Thank you, Tenzō.

Iruka: Who’s Tenzō?

Yamato liked “Who’s Tenzō?”

Kakashi loved “Who’s Tenzō?”

Iruka: This is going on your performance review as an ex-husband.

Kakashi: That’s fair

Yamato to Kakashinova: Have you seen my uniform belt?

Kakashi to Some Kind of Wooderful: I have not. U do keep taking it off every time we eat if that helps?

Yamato: I can’t get used to the placement. But I’ll need to find it or order another one before my next check-in. You know how they are about item counts.

Kakashi: U can use one of mine if u want

Yamato: Your black belt which has Rokudaime Hokage stitched on the inside? I’ll pass, thanks.

Kakashi: I don’t know why they keep putting that on everything. But u can’t see that part while ur wearing it anyway. It’s the same belt

Yamato: Yes, but the Anbu would know it was your belt. I get enough heat for how much time we spend together as it is.

Kakashi: Favouritism?

Yamato: More like wisecracks about holding a torch for you.

Kakashi: Haha why. Do you have a crush on me, Tenzō?

Yamato: You know the answer to this one. Next question.

Kakashi: What makes u think I know the answer?

Yamato: You’re the smartest person in this village. And we see each other every day.

Kakashi: We all have our Shodaime’s nipple

Yamato: Some of us more than most. Let’s try a different question. How many times have we kissed each other?

Kakashi: 7. 9 and a half if u count missions

Yamato: Where are you getting the half from?

Kakashi: CPR

Yamato: Ah. So, in those nine-and-a-half moments... You didn’t have any suppositions? Inferences? Lessons gleaned from experience?

Kakashi: Four and a half of them we’d need to discount for recall, and the last few are harder to report on due to observer bias

Yamato: The observer bias in you gauging my romantic feelings.

Kakashi: Yes

Yamato: Because you would like?

Kakashi: You

Yamato: Me to what?

Kakashi: Long-term romantic roommates, eventually

Yamato: Oh.

Kakashi: Yeah. Do you mind?

Yamato: No, I don’t mind. Maybe we can start with dinner and a walk first?

Yamato: And Kakashi? I long-term romantic roommates you too.

Kakashi: That’s a funny way to ask me on a date. 💘 See u in an hour?

Yamato: It’s on.

#kakashi hatake #yamato tenzo #kakayama #tendaysoftenzo #tenzashi #naruto series #mine #fanfiction #long post #team 7 #ayesha talks anime #as always. i'll ignore that some of u are late if u ignore that i am the latest ;)#one day i hope the couch reupholstering story will see the light of day #i will make no apologies for my sense of humour LMAO #except to iruka. i love u mineral water <3

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vote-gaara · 5 months

Note

Why didn't you like Gaara Hiden?

My feelings for Gaara Hiden are complicated.

Oh, and if you haven't read the English Translations here they are. Someone formatted it from the Tumblr post that was originally on Cacatua's blog.

Now what was I saying?

Oh yes, my feelings for Gaara Hiden...Complicated. Very, very very complicated. I don't hate the story, but I don't really like it either.

Now before I absolutely lampoon this novel, here are some things I do liked about it:

Gaara content in which he stayed in character!

The story was more or less unnecessary (more on this later).

Gaara's fixation on how Naruto saved him took a back seat to other things going on, which was a breath of fresh air as it allowed the story to focus on other aspects of Gaara's life.

Sand sibling interactions are always welcome :)

Socially awkward Gaara is amazing, especially around romantic themes. Also, we love when Gaara can go off about his hobbies.

Strong things I dislike about the novel:

Gaara came across as really cold which irritated me, but also didn't surprise me. Gaara is a really complex character to write. He's simultaneously sassy, pessimistic and a bit of a meanie while turning around and being the most genuine, wholesome and inspirational character you would ever get to know. I'm not even saying Gaara was out of character, because they did a really good job of keeping him pretty true to who he is, but I wished the novel would have forced him to interact with other people as a normal person, rather than as Kazekage, which the entire book proceeded to do and thus we lost out on seeing Gaara's true personality. Like the book handled him floundering with Hakuto really well, but how he treated Shijima in comparison was just...Not good. It was boring. BORING! It was like watching a coworker talking to their boss the entire time, which just did not make for good reading and Shijima ended up coming across as very flat as a result. And I KNOW this is because they were on a mission, I KNOW they were just being "shinobi" but...like....I just wanted more of the genuine, good and wholesome "Gaara trying to interact with people" rather than "Gaara being Kazekage and acting like Kazekage and everyone treats him like he's the Kazekage."

We learned that Temari and Kankuro took a backseat in Gaara's life - The book did Kankuro dirty more than Temari. After I read the scene when Gaara and Kankuro are talking (which was like half a page long), and it said something like "this was the longest conversation Gaara had had with his brother in 6 months" I could not describe the amount of anger I felt. I know the sand siblings are busy, but 6 MONTHS???? WHAT??

Kazekage Clan - Crap. Crap, crap, crap and utter garbage. I think I wrote about this in a different post (on one of my other blogs, maybe? I don't remember now) but the "Kazekage clan" pretty much vetoed any meaning behind Gaara's speech to Kankuro when Gaara was like "I want to become Kazekage one day." In the beginning of the series, a person could've figured that becoming Kazekage would operate a lot like becoming Hokage, where only the strongest, smartest and most hardworking individual was selected, and that working towards that title was something not to be taken lightly. Assuming this, when you look at Gaara's speech to Kankuro, where he's professing that he wants to become special to others, to repair and heal the damage and pain he caused, and to connect to others, you imagine that Gaara has nothing but this treacherous, mountainous, up-hill battle to fight...Not only is it difficult to become Kazekage, but as Kankuro put it "the jonin don't think highly of you and people are as scared of you as ever." It had meaning to it. It meant that there was a lot at stake. And because of that, it meant so much when you discovered that Gaara did become Kazekage....But then oops, they just ruined that by making the position a family title. It just cheapened the whole thing, and it made no sense as to why Gaara tried so hard in the first place if it was just gonna be passed down to him anyways, since his siblings weren't interested in the title....Idk, just felt like it ruined any meaning behind Gaara's character development which just gutted me cause WHY WOULD THEY DO THAT???

The story was pointless - Okay, so I'm kinda thankful the story was pointless because I was hoping Gaara would remain single. (I know, I know, I KNOW and I'm sorry. Gaara deserves that romantic love, but also it's kind nice to have him be an ace/aro icon too). I just think it was realistic for him to just be by himself and to find happiness doing whatever Gaara does. HOWEVER, I also have a thing where I'm like...."Why tell a story that serves no purpose?" Which sounds so mean, and maybe it is, because I love any and all Gaara content, but also I don't know if I really got anything from this novel, either? Like it didn't develop Gaara's character and he was pretty much...stagnant the whole time, which is an interesting way to write a story. They could have gone in so many directions that would've had Gaara learn how to interact with people and to connect with others on a more personal level....Small changes that wouldn't have even been very hard to disprove in canon, but instead Gaara just....didn't change the whole time. He didn't learn anything and he just....was.

All the "gotcha" moments - Plot twists are only clever when there's proper foreshadowing (in my opinion). A lot of the "And then Gaara revealed that he knew about the person following him/the betrayal/the setup/the motive the whole time!!" was just....so....um...not good. It just felt like I was the constant victim of an ass-pull the whole time. In fact, the only plot twist/reveal the novel did well was unveiling that Gaara and Kankuro were in cahoots the whole time about Kankuro trying to take over being Kazekage, and believe it or not, that was because the novel took the time to set that up. They made you pay attention to it with relevant details. Meanwhile, in the end scene where Gaara stabs that dude that had apparently been following them the whole time just was a giant wtf to me, honestly lol. I was halfway expecting a T-Rex to burst from the earth crust and Santa clause to rain down from the sky just randomly, because why not at that point if we're just gonna make stuff up willy nilly? IDK maybe I'm wrong and maybe I missed some clever writing in it, but mostly I was just kinda underwhelmed.

That being said, Gaara content is Gaara content, so I am obligated to like Gaara hiden.

#also another ask that took me 4 years to respond to #gaara

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tamelee · 1 year

Note

Hi tamelee ❤️ can you do an analysis/review of Kishimoto's recent popularity poll art? I saw a hashimada shipper comment on how Kishimoto drew Madara and Hashirama on exact opposite sides of each other + his love for symmetry and I was wondering if you noticed anything interesting in the illustration (just general observations, doesn't have to be about shipping 😊)

Hi Nonee, sure 🧡!

Long post - Image heavy:

Well, first my eye was drawn to the brightest part of the drawing. Promptly in the middle, big, foreshortening technique used on Minato's arm leading you to his face secondly where the colors gradually get darker and more saturated. As are the colors surrounding the NinJutsu to make it stand out more. Every line on this drawing illustrates Kishimoto's experience, talent and hard work regarding his knowledge on composition.

Then..

Sakura is holding the same type of axe-weapon she was also holding in an illustration for Chapter 15.

Naruto has a slightly different one on Volume Cover 33 too. (I'm obsessed tbh- LOOK AT THE KURAMA-TEETH ON THE SCROLL)

As you pointed out Madara and Hashirama are on opposites of the illustration, almost as if they're battling each other! But also look at how Kurama's tails embrace them, how that enhances the movement and expression of their battle-intent + the Rasengan twirls!! 😱 AND the weaponry that both come from behind their heads at the same spot. (Omg I love Kishimoto so much.)

(Of course on these sides too!)

Naruto and Sasuke are paralleled on either side of the illustration too! (And so are Kurama and Shukaku 🤭..)

Speaking of Shukaku, Gaara is holding what looks like the "Tea Kettle" he was sealed in. The former Jinchuuriki 'Bunpuku' and the beast were inspired by a Japanese folktale 'Bunbuku Chagama' where the creature in the tale is a raccoon dog, like Shukaku.

I think that's a really nice addition. (Especially since I saw this legendary creature used as a toy by this mini-Hinata look-a-like gremlin in 'Boruto'.. what's up with that anyway..)

I think Kakashi's weapon is kind of like the Kamui Shuriken he used when they fought Kaguya?

Furthermore:

I'm glad Kakashi and Sakumo are together on this.. also, Obito's goggles have made a comeback ;-;🥹! It's funny to me that Kishimoto started to draw Naruto with goggles (a way to cover himself and hide as he did in Chapter 1)

..but then said in a later interview that it was too much work. (I tried a few panels drawing them and I totally get it...) Anyway I digress-

We can also see Shisui wielding a sword/drill that looks like it was designed with his supposed(?) Susanoo in mind. This was seen in Ninja Storm the game.

NOW I'M NOT SURE ABOUT ITACHI'S SWORD... BUT:

It loooooooooks like a masamune sword, but I'm not sure.

I'm no expert on weapons. If anyone recognizes it...

Long-ass Indra's arrow-bow.. in physical form.. legendary!!! So fine 🤌 I also love how Kurama's tail frames him in the background. Orange looks good on you Sasuke.

The way the Rasengan swirl pulls your attention on him (and the characters in general) + the Chakra/energy sparks are all placed so nicely *-*! It really communicates more movement and liveliness into the illustration.

Neji is holding what looks like Chakram/Chalikar weaponry? These are throwing knives used for.. well throwing AND close combat. At least that's what I thought at first but then I was thinking about it more and the Hyuuga's "gentle fist" is based on "Baguazhang". This is a martial art style which uses a lot of rotation style techniques. (Hence.. "eight trigram palm" is real because that's what it literally means.)

There are special Baguazhang Crescent Moon knives/Deer horn knives that look like this:

I think that's what these are, which are perfect for rotation-based combat.

In the same category, Baguazhang in practice used a double-edged sword called 'Jian'. It was known as the "gentleman of weapons" in Chinese Folklore. Early Japanese swords known as 'Ken' or 'Tsurugi' are often based on 'Jian'.

It does seem a bit unusual since most of them don't have a guard like that, but they exist as Changjian, or longsword.

What she has could be a Tsurugi though not sure.

Regardless, it seems pretty heavy for her 😁?

Naruto and Jiraiya both stand very wide, using an open, boisterous body-language that Kishimoto often uses for the both of them in many of his previous art. This over-the-top, theatrical design and visual representation is based on 'Kabuki' which is a traditional form of Japanese theatre, dramatic performance/dance. The umbrella is called a 'wagasa', often used in these plays/ceremonies.

I'm happy these two made it!:

A sword made from the tail of Sasori's puppet, Hiruko? That goes so hard!! It kinda reminds me of Renji's (character from Bleach) sword. I always thought that design was so cool, but this one also has that poison..

Not sure how those clay mask bombs work wrapped around a string, but you gotta admit, they're pretty artful! Perhaps it's like wire binding infused with Chakra.. Or what if, once he has put them on you, your head explodes or something..

Additionally:

I love how Kishimoto just added Guy (and Kurama) because he wanted to but also because having Lee and Guy together on the illustration just seems right.

Shikamaru with Asuma's Chakra blades of course~ (He uses them for his Shadows Imitation Shuriken techniques... but I read he gave them away to Mirai?)

I might be missing many things but..

The more I look at it, the more nods to earlier work I see, tbh I could go on and on. I really appreciate it.

Oh and.. no there is no shipping-intent and hints/clue's at all that's also not what this is made for.

Don't let anyone fool you. Naruto is looking up to the banner he's holding lol. It's a shame that the first thing people look for is things like that and then discard the entire thing when it is made with passion, love and hard work..

Anyway thankyou for this ask, this was so fun 🥰

#asktamelee #kishimoto #naruto talk #naruto analysis #narutop99

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jacksgreysays · 19 days

Note

So I was wandering back through the tags to read more of Primadonna Girl and look into Sabaku no Shinki, and I noticed that one bit where Shikako was pregnant and could FEEL the baby's interaction with her chakra--so ... do you think Shikako "cloning is easy" Nara pioneered some external womb seal-tech after that, so that under NO CIRCUMSTANCES would she EVER have to do that again?

This kind of touches on this post in which an anon asked about why I didn’t have Shikako and Gaara have biological kids with each other, but obviously less cringe-inducing. I think Shikako would make—or massively contribute to or, at the very least, consult the pioneers behind it—a seal/tech-based external womb not for her own benefit (because I do maintain SHE doesn’t necessarily want [more] children) but for someone else.

The first go to that comes to mind would be Risshuu Shingon and Saidai Nara (aka, Ritsu Shingon’s parents from the Sunshine Sidestories) who have, as you previously said and which I still find absolutely hilarious, “incompatible meatware” to have biological children of their own. We literally see their wedding in the side story so that they can build a stable domestic household for their daughter. But we also see how nervous Risshuu is about it and even Saidai, in his Nara way, given he wanted to get the wedding done IMMEDIATELY, because even though he was reassuring Risshuu the whole time, he must have also felt that if he didn’t seize the opportunity NOW, with the clan heirs being acting clan heads, then they may not be able to do it UNTIL the clan heirs ACTUALLY because clan heads — a decade or more, he said.

All that being said: I would think after some time of letting the concept of being legally married settle in their brains, when they’re no longer so worried of it being taken away from them, they would want to consider having another child. And, like, obviously they’re considering adoption or surrogacy because… you know… that’s what’s available… but I do like the idea of Shikako hearing about it (maybe from Ritsu, who’s old enough to understand what’s happening, but not old enough to know not to tell her hero intimate family details) and then showing up at their house during breakfast and sitting down—just really giving Risshuu deja vu—and dropping the “Do you want biological kids?”

And, well, they’re not going to say no to that. They just… didn’t think it was an option.

And Shikako does say—well, it’s not an option… YET.

And then she sweeps into the next Sealing Group meeting and just throws this topic into the ring and everyone just goes all in on this. It’s the exact overlap of sealing and medicine and “impossible” with further/alternate applications. Because I think the steps to make a functional external womb which WOULDN’T require constant concentration or exact chakra control could also lead into things like… how do bacta tanks work in Star Wars? Or stasis/travel seals to bring injured patients from the field back to a more incorporated hospital.

And, you know, there are probably a bunch of OTHER people who would appreciate an external womb: other couples with incompatible meatware, fertility issues in general. The more, uh, “corporate” equivalent would be clans with members who are reluctant to have kids but are the prime example of their blood limits so if the clan agrees to take care of the kid, they don’t mind donating their genetic material. Or even maybe civilian nobility? But that gets iffy.

Anyway, I don’t think Shikako knows enough by herself, but she definitely has access to and influence over people who cumulatively have the knowledge to pull this off.

#jacksgreyson #loveelemental #asks #answers #dreaming of sunshine #sunshine sidestories #shikako nara

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thekingofwinterblog · 4 months

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If we allready talking bout Naruto:

Thoughts on the infamous Itachi retcon? Think it was planned by the time Itachi was shown to be crying? Or that by the Valley of the End flashback Itachi was "a good guy* or still a more interesting villian that snapped in the most horible way that was human deep down even after all that

It was certainly not the plan back when the entire thing was first shown i can tell you that.

There are only two things pre timeskip, where there was suggested to be anything more than what itachi claimed it to be, and it's 1. that ANBU jacket and outfit he's wearing, and 2. that middle panel on the page above, where Itachi looks just slightly perturbed by Sasuke's question, judging by his lips.

I can believe that Kishimoto had some twist in mind, where it was revealed that elements inside the ANBU put Itachi up to this, and that morphed into Danzo's involvement.

I do not believe for a second, that Itachi was planned as any form of good person. Itachi murdered his entire family, men, women, children except for his brother. He butchered babes in their cribs. He was a monster, who regardless of wheter this was entierly his own idea, or he was offered a chance to do what he'd been planing or considering for a while, he made the choice to take it.

Not only is the entire thing a gigantic pile of nonsensical retcons, all for the purpose of making Itachi look better, but it's a sloppy one at that.

This is how Itachi killed his parents according to the retcon.

It was quick, clean stab in the back, and they were facing the same way, on their knees.

This is how they were killed in the original flashback of this scene.

there was clearly a struggle here, with blood all over the floor, and with his parents bodies splayed out in such a way that it suggests his dad was trying to protect his wife.

Unless Itachi speciffically posed them like that, it's impossible for their bodies to have gotten to this position naturally from how he killed them.

The fact is that Kishimoto didnt know where to go with Sasuke once he killed Itachi... So when he realised that, he decided to retcon his entire backstory to let him go into an entierly different direction, rather than exploring Sasuke in a post Itachi world.

And in the process, he completely rewrote Itachi's personality and character, and instead presented him as the second coming of chritst, as a messiah like figure who could do no wrong, and had only the best intentions.

He wasn't the only one who got this treatment in Naruto's later years either.

Gaara's backstory, as it was originally portrayed was a very tragic tale, that encompassed what the Naruto world was actually about.

This is the world of the Shinobi, a world full of tragedies, and personal sacrifices, hate, love, and the broken children it left in it's wake.

the story of Naruto as it was originally presented, and shown before the pain saga ended at one of the worst turning points in manga history, was the story of the broken children this world left behind. Naruto, Gaara, Sasuke, Pain, Lee, Kakashi, Obito, Zabusa, Hinata, Neji, and on and on and on it went.

This moment, where Gaara's uncle, the one person he thought loved him lays out the truth, is a powerful, tragic moment that showcases the reality of treating children like superpowered nukes.

It destroyed this entire family. It destroyed gaara's mother by taking her life, destroyed his uncle by forcing him to try to love a child he never could, and it destroyed his entire family outside of it, by making the relationship between gaara and his siblings into one fear and hate.

It's very, very poignant. It would be a real shame if it was completely retconned, and his uncle actually only said these things on order from his dad, completely removing the entire point of the scene.

and That is exactly what happened.

I could go on, but the big, big problem with later naruto, is that when confronted with the question of how Naruto would change this brutal, cruel world, rather than have him come up with a real answer, the very fabric of the setting changed.

The 5 hidden villages were united against a cartoonishly evil villain, who used a cartoonish army of cloned henchmen and ressurected zombies. The fact that the problem was always the ninja system itself as it existed, and not the existence of the 5 superpowers and their direct animosity with each other was never adressed, and villains and black and grey figures were suddenly given the white brush, and would make moral heelturns as worst excemplified by Itachi and Orochimaru.

Addmitingly a lot of everything related to the Itachi Retcons started a bit earlier than Pain ressurecting everyone(thus destroying the entire point of the arc, and setting the stage for cheap non deaths from here on), but that only goes to show that while that was the decisive turning point, it began a bit earlier than that.

#naruto #itachi uchiha #sasuke uchiha #gaara #pain #meta #retcons #questions and answers

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riversimmone · 6 months

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No More Goodbyes

RiverOfTheSand

Summary:

She watched them saying goodbye for the umpteenth time, wondering how dense Gaara had to be to not notice Sakura's feelings for him. The way Tsunade saw it, she had two choices: get drunk on sakē for the rest of the day, or force Sakura into confessing her undying love to the Kazekage... decisions, decisions. *post-war*

Notes:

Cross-posted from fanfiction.net. This one-shot has been an effort and a half. It has everything I love about GaaSaku; heart, soul, reasonable doubt, elucidation and that burning need that can drive a person crazy... well, me at least. ;) Rated T. Hope you all enjoy. :)

A light breeze grazed the top slip of paper on the small pile of documents in front of her, and she frowned at it. Like an invisible hand was lifting it, the movement reminded her of something she'd seen before. Her office was getting draughty again.

"Naruto," she murmured. "Go away."

The future Rokudaime scratched his head. "What are you going on about baa-chan? I'm supposed to be–"

"It's too early for me to care about that."

"Granny, aren't you forgetting something?"

Tsunade looked up at Naruto. He was staring at her intently, the slight tilt of his head indicating his confusion and she wondered what the hell he was talking about.

"Gaara's leaving again soon," the knucklehead stated matter-of-factly. "Aren't you going to see him off, as the Hokage?"

She smiled. "No Naruto, I passed that on six months ago."

"Huh?"

"Didn't you notice?"

"Uh... no."

Tsunade sighed. "I decided to leave that up to Sakura."

"Huh?" Naruto looked pained. "Are you sure that was wise granny? You know how she feels about him."

"Yes Naruto, it's caught my attention. But Sakura isn't going to be able to move past this if she doesn't do or say anything about it. It's been six months since the end of the Fourth Great Shinobi War, and neither of them have said anything about it. I'm not sure what's going through Gaara's head, but knowing Sakura, she won't be able to keep her feelings to herself for much longer."

"I don't know baa-chan; she went through a lot to to get over Sasuke. I'm not sure she has it in her to confess her feelings like that to anyone ever again."

He wanted to believe she would, but the broken young woman who was his best friend had clammed up emotionally, and Naruto was scared for her. He told her he understood, that he would support her no matter what she did, but he was getting tired of watching her sulk over Gaara. He wasn't entirely sure what the former jinchuriki would do if Sakura confessed her undying love for him, but he knew that guy at least cared for her–she was his best friend after all. Even if he didn't like her the way she wanted him to, she needed to get this off her chest.

"We'll see Naruto, now get out of here–I still have paperwork to finalise."

"Yeah, yeah: I'll be back later, whether you like it or not."

The Hokage just scoffed, and swivelled in her chair to look out the window as Naruto left.

She stared out over Konoha, her eyes resting on the figure of her fellow Kage as he very slowly made his way toward the main gates–two ANBU trailing behind him. Sometimes, Temari or Kankuro would accompany him on one of his trips, but even they got tired of the back and forth. Tsunade often wondered about Gaara's excuses for coming here, and hoped he really did like Sakura–as much as she would miss her kouhai, she wanted her to be happy more than anything else in the world. She deserved someone who loved her as much as she loved him, no matter what village he came from.

She continued to watch Gaara, her fingers itching to just guzzle the unopened sakē hidden under the top drawer of her desk in one go. If he wasn't a Kage, she'd kick his arse for causing her adopted daughter such grief. So now she had a decision to make, and the sweet scent of the untouched elixir mere inches from her hand was telling her to make it hurt.

– No More Goodbyes –

"Step forward prisoner 727853-824442."

Sakura Haruno sighed inwardly. 'Not him again.'

Kotetsu Hagane glanced at Sakura before giving his full attention to process the prisoner. The dishevelled man wouldn't look at her, as usual, only responding to his guard enough to avoid receiving a jolt from a Raiton jutsu–all at the guard's whim. Sakura didn't want to be here anymore than this guy wanted her to; he always acted like she came here just to lord it over him that he'd lost and they'd kicked his arse in the end. But really, she'd let go of the notion that she had anything to gloat about.

It was overdue for him to do the same.

But he never would, she knew he never would.

Sakura sighed inwardly, preferring not to show him how much he still affected her. That chapter of her life was over now.

"You're hurt."

Sakura looked up, realising she'd been staring absentmindedly at the clipboard in her hands–it held the medical information for the man in front of her. She was at the prison only as a precaution, since there had been a few viral outbreaks recently–nothing catastrophic, but when acting in conjunction with prisoners who spent most of the day labouring in the hot sun and potentially cutting themselves with sharp instruments, it increased the risk of infections. And from the look of most of them, they needed all the hygiene they could get their grubby hands on.

The owner of the voice interrupting her thoughts was Izumo Kamizuki–the other guard standing to Sakura's left. His dark eyes were examining the prisoner closely, and narrowed at the sight of a gash on his arm. Said prisoner did nothing other than clench his fist imperceptibly before glancing toward the door that would elicit his freedom from his guards and medic. He didn't want their help, which wasn't surprising, but they were responsible for him all the same.

Reluctantly, Sakura tucked the chart under her arm and stepped toward the prisoner. He made no move to pull away from her and she healed his wound without physically touching him, but as usual, she was trembling inside... even after everything, he still scared her. She probably should've done that without moving from her spot–to save herself some heart palpitations–but that idea always came to her too late, also accompanied by an image of Kabuto doing something similar a long time ago, when Naruto's Kyuubi chakra had hurt her.

She hated herself for how much she still dwelled on those days.

Without a word, she returned to her position and averted her eyes from the prisoner once again... gazing unseeingly at the chart instead.

Kotetsu gave the prisoner another look over–this one a little more thorough, to make sure there were no more wounds. The man did have a habit of pretending he was alright, and had spent time isolated from the other prisoners for his stupidity–not that that seemed to have taught him anything–to ensure his infections weren't contagious.

Idiot.

Sakura watched him as he reacted to the invasion of his personal space, as stiff as ever, lamenting on how things had turned out, as she always did. If she had her way, she'd wipe her name from the list of "volunteers" and never have to come to the Konoha prison ever again. Unfortunately, Lady Tsunade had decided that all medics were obligated to sign up for this complete and utter waste of time. If these weren't war prisoners, and each and every one of them guilty of heinous crimes, it could be mistaken for charity. Sakura did not want to waste time on these people, when she could be in the hospital, helping sickly children or whatnot.

'Who am I kidding?' She thought grumpily. 'There aren't enough patients to go around over there.'

Ironically, the number of healers outweighed the need for them these days. If it wasn't for Tsunade's new missive, Sakura might very well not be able to pay her rent this week.

"Lady Sakura."

The voice to her right startled her–an ANBU carrying a message scroll... unusual here at the prison. Surely whatever it was could wait.

"Thank-you," she said softly, and the man disappeared in a cloud of smoke. She thought she recognised the chakra, but gave it no mind. Sakura opened the scroll as her companions now went through the items the angsty prisoner had brought with him–it was a weekly, routine thing, to make sure there was nothing missing. It had something to do with security, but she didn't care.

Sakura's eyes widened as she read the scroll, her stomach churning suddenly, and painfully.

'No...'

But really, she shouldn't be surprised. Again and again, she took this news to heart; Sakura ignored the suddenly curious stare of the prisoner as she struggled not to break down. The message scroll went unread by the rest of the room, so she could only imagine they worried what it said to make her pale on command. She hated herself for this, and the fact that this news hit her so hard every time. She cleared her throat, rolled the scroll back up and looked up at the curious guards, forcing a smile past her lips.

"Later," she said, grateful that her voice was firm and detached.

She didn't wait for a response, instead ambling on her way out of the prison. This wasn't the place she'd rather be of course, and since life in Konoha was so ridiculously peaceful now, even normal missions were spread a bit more thinly. She supposed she should be grateful–the fifth Hokage and her imminent successor were cleaning up the mess that was the Fourth Shinobi War so efficiently that mission casualties were non-existent right now–it was just a strange feeling, not to be needed.

Naruto had however, told her that peace was merely a step between the problems, and they must be ever vigilant to prevent the next great war, no matter how easy things seemed to be right now. He was starting to sound like Lee.

"Shit." Sakura groaned, hastening her pace now, as she realised she'd been lost in delirium for a few minutes, and according to the message scroll, it was happening now. "I'm going to be late."

She had one thing to look forward to these days, above all others–the monthly visits from the Kazekage. Gaara came to Konoha under the guise of friendship with Naruto (or whatever political things they were preparing for, since it wouldn't be long now, before the blonde took the title of the Rokudaime Hokage), and Sakura took advantage of each and every single one. She loved him, she knew it, and even Naruto had seen it as her feelings blossomed during the war. Sakura felt so desperately drawn to Gaara that she wasn't surprised when he turned out to be just like Sasuke–he didn't like her that way anymore than the Uchiha did.

She was sure Gaara only saw her as a friend.

So Sakura spent the war hiding her feelings. The only people who knew were Naruto, her shishou and Ino. But once the fighting was over, she could've killed herself with the fear and despair when he went back to his village as though there was nothing between them. She remembered the day that had made her realise that he had no interest in her as anything other than an acquaintance because she happened to be Naruto's best friend.

...Flashback...

"You going to find a nice guy and settle down Sakura?"

The older sister of the Kazekage had called her over to the apartment she was sharing with her brothers, and Sakura was beginning to suspect it was because she was dying to tell someone that Shikamaru had finally made their relationship official–they just needed to go public.

"Yeah," the pinkette said wistfully, forcing herself not to look at Gaara as he and Kankuro sat three feet away, playing shōgi. Kankuro had challenged Shikamaru to that game numerous times over the course of the war, determined to beat him (and failing each and every time), and was now using Gaara as a guinea pig to see where he was going wrong. Unfortunately, for the puppet master, he'd chosen an opponent who was more than capable of kicking his arse.

Meanwhile, Temari was nervously wiping her iron fan, even though it clearly didn't need cleaning. Sakura sipped her tea thoughtfully, knowing the blonde wanted a much more detailed answer from her before she spilled her own beans on the subject.

She swallowed heavily. "I don't know who it'll be with but... I will, I suppose."

"You suppose?"

"It's the accepted norm," Kankuro said wisely, his eyes glued to the shōgi board. "Everyone expects that getting married and raising some hell raisers is what everyone should be doing."

"That's for civilians," Gaara countered, also keeping his eyes on the game. "Shinobi are different."

"How so, little bro?"

"Despite the fact that we live longer naturally, through our consistent use of chakra, we actually die sooner for the most part, due to missions, wars, or whatever. Such things are deterrents to people who do not wish to burden a spouse or marital partner with the knowledge that the next mission might be their last."

"And the clans," Kankuro said. "What about them?"

Gaara reached out almost tentatively, pushing one of his pieces along the board, earning a grunt from his older brother. "Their leaders are obligated to keep their kekkei genkai, or the jutsu their clan is known for, alive through arranged marriages, and in the case of the bloodline limits, in the family. The clan members have little to no choice but to choose a suitable mate to keep the traditions going–it has nothing to do with societal views or life expectancy."

"Well I'm getting married," Kankuro said cheerfully, his eyes lifting from the shōgi board. "There are lots of girls out there, just ripe for the picking."

"I definitely won't be," Gaara murmured softly.

Hands clasping her tea cup tightly, Sakura stiffened unperceptively. She knew that Suna didn't have the marriage policy for their Kazekage in place anymore–really, it wasn't like they were a monarch, and therefore producing offspring was his civic duty–but it was surprising to hear Gaara say he had no plans to settle down. Her heart plummeted at these words, realising once and for all that she had no chance with him, but at the same time, the fact that he had no-one else in mind was a small comfort... ridiculously so.

Still, Sakura fought back the disappointment in her voice as she replied to his comment. "You don't know you never will."

"Waste of time," Gaara grunted softly, now ignoring her. Kankuro gave his brother a Cheshire grin, and took his turn... and lost the smirk when Gaara immediately retaliated. "Check-mate," the redhead said calmly, and stood immediately. He headed toward the bathroom as Kankuro gaped distastefully at the shōgi board.

"Well, it's been fun," Sakura lied, placing her tea cup down and standing up. "But I have some work to do. Congratulations on the relationship with Shikamaru, Temari. Bye."

Sakura was half-way out the door when Kankuro's booming voice cried out: "WHAT RELATIONSHIP?"

Sakura left quickly, flash-stepping toward her apartment the moment her sandals hit the roof of the hotel. She wasn't paying attention to what she was doing, just getting inside the seals as she normally did–habitual movements and muscle memory. Her mind was blank as she kicked off her shoes, stripped off her weapons (it was standard procedure to carry weapons, being a ninja), and headed straight for her bathroom.

She wasn't thinking clearly, that was it; Sakura forewent undressing and just stepped into her shower. The water was scalding hot, but she didn't care. She didn't register the tears, the sobs, or the grating sound of her fingernails scraping at the shower tiles. All she could feel was cold despite the scalding water, fear despite being in the comfort of her own home, and gut wrenching pain...

Half an hour later, Sakura wrung out her wet shirt absentmindedly, her hands still shaking. How the hell could she have let this happen to her, again? First she spent an inordinate amount of time daydreaming over Sasuke, who then became a missing-nin and tried to kill her, now she was pining after Gaara... and who knew what was going on in that head of his? She was a sucker for unrequited love, and she was sick to death of it.

...End Flashback...

That had been mere days after the end of the war, and less than two weeks later, Gaara had begun his monthly trips to Konoha. Her shishou had placed her on the roster to escort the Kazekage through the village, and she secretly hated her for it. Still, Gaara became more pleasant to speak with, and he never raised the issue with her that had upset her in the first place–not that he knew it had–and she started to look forward to his visits, instead of dreading being in the presence of someone who would never return her feelings. She'd just decided to take what she could get.

After all, if he had no intention of settling down, she had no-one to be jealous over...

Sakura stopped suddenly, realising she'd arrived at the main gates without noticing. Shading her eyes from the sun, she looked up and around–Gaara wasn't here yet, so she wasn't late after all. The guards on duty... their names escaped her right now ...waved to her and she returned the gesture out of habit more than anything, and etiquette.

She was stronger than the stupid girl who'd sobbed and begged Sasuke not to abandon the village, and vowed she'd cried over Gaara for the last time. But unlike with Sasuke, Gaara didn't know about her feelings, so she only had herself to blame for the lack of resolution for said feelings. She supposed, today was as good as any. It would be more humiliating to tell Gaara she was in love with him immediately before having to spend several days seeing to his needs when he wasn't in meetings with leaf officials–it wasn't like she trailed around after him.

And, despite her desire to spend more time with him, Sakura didn't want to do this again. She'd stood at the gates to Konoha, like the good little dignitary she was, and seen Gaara off every time his visit came to its inevitable end. She would smile, he was polite, and yet neither of them seemed to want to make eye contact. She had to say goodbye, and Sakura wasn't sure she had it in her to do this all over again.

No, there would be no more goodbyes after this.

– No More Goodbyes –

The cold always left him in pain. He supposed he was just used to the heat of Suna, but even the warmth of Konoha left him wanting. A cool breeze, much like the hint of winter, swept through his hotel room as Gaara absentmindedly packed. He felt lonely even when surrounded, so trips to the leaf with only ANBU as company were that and boring. He only came here to see Sakura, after all, and she didn't even know it.

Temari was the only person who knew about his infatuation. He had worked alongside her in the war, as she'd been assigned as his personal medic a few times, but it was her temper and his own stubbornness during those times that stood out the most.

Gaara sighed.

He was thinking about her a lot lately, and it was driving him insane. He had no idea how to go about changing the nature of their relationship, especially considering the only time they'd both been part of the same conversation involving romantic futures he'd ridiculed the idea of wanting someone by his side. He hadn't understood at the time, just how good it could feel, to want someone, or be wanted, outside the friend context.

But did he really get it, now? When he stopped to think about what it was he wanted from the feisty pinkette, all that came to mind was her time and attention. Sexuality and romantic situations only occurred to him after talking to others. Kankuro asked him when he was going to go ahead and finally get laid. Temari asked him when he was going to go ahead and finally ask Sakura out–or confess his love, whatever. He never answered them.

"Are you ready, Lord Kazekage?"

Gaara nodded to his ANBU guard and allowed the man to carry his bag for him. Like he needed him to. This was something he didn't think he'd ever get used to. He looked up at the Hokage Tower before turning his attention toward the main gates. Lost in his thoughts, Gaara relied on muscle memory and habit to steer him where he needed to go.

The Godaime Hokage had not allowed him to see Sakura so much this visit, so Gaara had sulked in his room a lot–though he would never let anyone, even his siblings, to see him pout over a girl. Sakura had given him his diplomatically demanded medical check-up every other time he'd come to Konoha, but this time, Tsunade was adamant about him keeping his distance. What the hell was going on? That mouse of a woman, Shizune… something, was the one who had seen to him this time, not that he'd really needed medical attention. Being a Kage meant that he should. It was both standard procedure and good politics.

But the question of what was going on was buzzing around in Gaara's head.

It wasn't like the Hokage owed him an explanation–the treaty between their nations didn't stipulate that a specific doctor had to see to him every time. And Gaara did feel a little foolish having looked forward to his physical exams when the pinkette was doing them. That other woman had cold hands.

Gaara shivered involuntarily at that thought, looking up as he realised he was close enough to the gates to see that Sakura was already waiting for him. Seeing her always brought back memories of the times he was too stupid to realise his interest in her was more than professional.

...Flashback...

It had started with him saving her life, escalated into an argument–about all the reasons why she hadn't needed saving and he was not stronger than her–and ended with him wishing he'd just left her to the mercy of those Zetsu clones. It wasn't like he was expecting a confession of undying love, let alone a ridiculously corny Valentine's card, but would it kill her to say "thank-you" in return for him not letting her get skewered?

Apparently, it would've.

That was when he finally understood what Shikamaru had been going on about for years, and why Naruto was waiting to start dating Hinata until the war was over–women were nothing but a nuisance.

But as the Regimental Leader of the Allied Shinobi Forces, he had to at least appear like he cared if she had broken her nail beating the crap out of Naruto. Not that she verbally complained, but he caught her staring forlornly at her cuticles a number of times, as though her disappointment would magically grow them back. And they fought over everything, argued every day, and barely spoke unless doing either–his medical check-ups notwithstanding.

The allied forces even had a bet going on who would snap and kill the other first.

It was toward the end of the war, one specific day, that had turned them around. Gaara fought and sealed his resurrected father. Sakura caught him crying in his tent. He'd sobbed on the battlefield, which was bad enough, but the quite tears were the ones that ended up on display. But instead of making some snappy retort (like he'd feared she would, though Naruto had insisted to him later that Sakura would never do such a thing, no matter how much she hated him), she'd knelt down beside him. Gaara could still remember the feeling of her breast against his cheek as she held him.

Just being there, being his friend, she'd affected him more than she would ever know. More than he would know either–until the war was over, he was finally back in Suna, and he quickly discovered that he actually missed that insufferable Kunoichi.

...End Flashback...

And so began his visits to see her, making up excuse after excuse so that even Kankuro was suspicious of his reasons. But this back and forth was tormenting him. He needed to decide on what to do about this attachment he'd developed and clear things up once and for all.

– No More Goodbyes –

"Hey, Gaara."

Gaara nodded to Sakura, as he always did, and motioned to his ANBU guards–they disappeared from sight, now waiting for him along the path out of Konoha. Sakura looked startled at this, but quickly covered it with a smile.

"I suppose this is goodbye again," she said, fiddling with her thumbs nervously.

He smiled genially at this, not sure what it was she wanted him to say. But he spoke with conviction, remembering every visit he'd ever made to Konoha, in an attempt to let her know how he felt, had ended the same way. "We always seem to be saying goodbye, don't we?"

She nodded. "Uh... Gaara?"

"Yes?"

Sakura swallowed back the bile threatening to sear her throat and clenched her fists. 'Get a grip, Sakura!'

She really needed to do this before she lost her nerve. "I've been thinking... um..." She shifted uncomfortably. "I wanted to tell you... I love you." Her eyes fell to the ground.

Great... she'd evolved her love confessions from becoming a sobbing mess to pretending her shoes were more interesting than the object of said confession. Sakura forced herself, rather painfully, to look up at Gaara. The shock was obvious... was that a good or bad thing? At least he didn't look disgusted.

"I've loved you for a long time," she heard herself saying–rambling; she couldn't stop herself. "And I completely understand if you don't feel the same way–who would, right?–it's just I can't do this anymore, the whole escorting you thing. I can't be around you anymore, not like this. So it's best if–"

She ignored the sudden intake of breath from the nearby, tactless guards as Gaara interrupted her rambling to kiss her. His lips were warm, slightly parted, and enticing as she immediately and unconsciously leant into him, returning the kiss. Gaara's hands were unobtrusive as they slid up her sides; his right hand slipped down behind her, falling to the small of her back, while his left hand ran through her hair, pulling her more tightly to him.

Sakura parted her lips, letting him in and just enjoying being held by the Kazekage as he took control. It was the most amazing feeling–she'd never kissed anyone before! Her heart was racing, but not painfully so, and the feel of his body pressed against hers only added to the tingling sensation ripping through her as she lost herself to the delirium.

She was breathless when Gaara finally pulled away, barely able to stand on her own two feet. There were no words to describe that... he'd literally stolen her breath away, and she had nothing left to use. She tried, but couldn't speak.

So Sakura just lowered her head to his chest, holding tightly to the front of his Kazekage robes. Gaara chuckled, the light reverberation no more than a purr in his chest as she inhaled his scent. Sakura looked up at him, her eyes locking with his, losing their fear as he smiled back at her.

"Promise me," she said breathily. "You won't leave me again."

"No more goodbyes," he promised.

– No More Goodbyes –

High above and on the other side of the village, she watched them saying goodbye for the umpteenth time, wondering how dense Gaara had to be to not notice Sakura's feelings for him. The way Tsunade saw it, she had two choices: get drunk on sakē for the rest of the day, or force Sakura into confessing her undying love to the Kazekage... decisions, decisions.

Hm...

Like always, she could see everything from her open window, spying on her fellow ninja, just like countless Hokage before her (though each had their own methods). She'd attempted to change the dynamic of their encounters this time around, by keeping Gaara from Sakura's side, since it was human nature to be lulled into a comfortable routine, rather than work up the nerve to break that monotony. So far, she'd seen a grumpier Gaara, more depressed Sakura, startled Naruto, and an increase in her own consumption of sakē. This gave her the hope that the Kazekage was missing the pinkette's company, and would respond more favourably to a confession from the young woman.

Hopefully.

Finally making her decision, Tsunade grabbed the sakē bottle from under her desk, keeping her eyes on the distant forms of the two lovebirds as they embraced. And then she smiled slightly before turning away from the sight. "Sakē it is."

–XXX–

#gaasaku #gaara x sakura #fanfiction #my ao3 #All images are not mine

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depressedhatakekakashi · 4 months

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Check-In

Gai's Birthday Bingo 2023

Prompt: Mask

Words: 3,760

Character: Maito Gai, Yamato, Hatake Kakashi

Notes: Post- Chunin Exams

“A month?” Tenzo just about choked on his tea when he heard the timeline his Senpai had given him for Sasuke’s training. He’d known that Kakashi had plans to focus on his student’s training in preparation for his next chunin exam fight, but to be told that he’d be out of contact for a month seemed a little extreme. In all of the years they’d known each other he’d never known Kakashi to take even a day away from training, but now here he was telling him that he’d be taking an entire month. “What if there’s a mission? Or an attack?”

“I’ll be just outside the village,” Kakashi dismissed his questions with swift answers while stirring the minuscule remains of his tea. “If anyone needs to contact me they’ll be able to. Whether I answer or not will be determined by how important I think the issue is.”

“But-”

“There are no buts,” his Senpai continued over him. “Sasuke’s being pitted against that Gaara kid from Suna. Not only did that kid break Itachi’s record for finishing the forest of death, but he just about killed Lee in their battle. If Gai hadn’t stepped in…” his words drifted off, but the weight of what he refused to say still lingered over them.

If Gai hadn’t stepped in, Lee would have died.

Tenzo hadn’t been there to see the fights himself, but he’d heard all about them from Asuma when they met up for drinks shortly after. Every detail had been spilled over Sake, from Asuma’s disappointment over Choji and Ino’s loss’ to his surprise at Naruto’s win.

The fight that he’d talked about, though, was Rock Lee’s. Not a single detail had been spared and by the end of the night, Tenzo could feel the concern that radiated off of Asuma. He’d even expressed some fear about Shikamaru’s upcoming fight against the Suna girl, Temari, but it was nothing compared to his concern about his student facing off against Gaara.

That was the fear of a sensei who didn’t have his student going up against Gaara, though. For his Senpai, the reality was very different. Not only was Sasuke set up to face Gaara in his next match, but according to Kakashi, he was woefully unprepared.

“I have to make sure he does alright,” Kakashi whispered, his eyes focused on the swirling tea in his cup. “I put them into this exam. I need to help them survive, no matter what. Even if it means I ignore missions for a little while.”

Tenzo understood his Senpai’s concerns. Every shinobi in Konoha faced the chunin exams, but it seemed that the risks in these exams were far more than when Kakashi had anticipated. Not only was there the threat that the Gaara kid posed but there was also Orochimaru.

A sannin seeking to steal Sasuke, one of Kakashi’s precious students, and use for their own gain.

The world was stacking the odds against Kakashi and all he could do was try his best to protect his students.

“What about the others?” Tenzo asked, his mind wandering to the other two students Kakashi had taken on. Whenever he spoke of them Kakashi seemed to have nothing but praise. Although he’d been forced into the job, it seemed to Tenzo that he’d taken to it quite well.

His students were his pride and joy and he made sure to remind Tenzo of that fact every time they saw each other.

“Naruto needs to work on his chakra control,” Kakashi answered with ease. “I’ve spoken to Ebisu about training him while I’m helping Sasuke. If he can improve in that area I’m sure he’ll do well in his next match. He is Konoha’s number one unpredictable ninja, after all. No one expected him to make it this far, but here he is.”

Tenzo couldn’t help but laugh at the terrible nickname his Senpai had given Naruto. “Isn’t he going against one of Gai-san’s students? Hyuga Neji, correct?” Kakashi nodded. “I’ve heard a bit about him. Seems like he could pose a bit of a problem to Naruto.”

“He can,” Kakashi confirmed. “But there’s not much I can do for Naruto until he improves his chakra control, and Ebisu’s a better teacher in that regard than I am. Besides, as dangerous as Neji is he’s not going to kill Naruto.”

“Are you sure about that?” Another story he’d heard from Asuma was about Neji’s fight against Hyuga Hinata, and that was a story that said the exact opposite of what his Senpai was telling him.

“Neji is hard, but not that bad,” Kakashi confirmed. “He’s also Gai’s student. I trust that if things get out of hand, Gai will step in if I’m not there too.”

“True,” There was no one who knew Kakashi’s struggles better than Gai. Even Tenzo didn’t know the true extent of what his Senpai had suffered in his life, but he had learned enough over the years to know that he’d do everything in his power to protect Kakashi from more pain. There was no doubt in his mind that Gai felt the same way. “So Naruto will be trained by Ebisu and Sakura?”

“A month without training won’t kill her,” Kakashi sighed. “She’ll have to take care of her training for the time, but I’ll make it up to them all when the exams are done and everything has settled. Once I can breathe then I’ll kick into gear.”

Tenzo cringed at the saying. During his time in team Ro with Kakashi he’d come to understand that ‘Kick into gear’ really meant ‘drive them into the ground until they can’t move, and then do it again’.

Sakura was going to need the month-long break to prepare for what was coming her way.

“So a month,” he sighed, circling back to the beginning of the conversation. “That’s going to be a pretty boring month for me. Though, I guess I can focus a bit more on missions while you’re occupied.”

“Actually,” straightening up, Kakashi locked eyes with Tenzo. “I have a request.”

Gai’s apartment was easy to locate. Not only did Tenzo have the apartment number that his Senpai had written down on a small piece of paper for him, three-zero-five written in giant blocky letters so that he wouldn’t misread any of the numbers, but there was also a sign hanging on the front of the door that announced who was living there with pride.

A simple wooden sign that Tenzo recalled making himself just a few years ago for Gai’s birthday. He hadn’t known what to get for the overly energetic Jonin until his Senpai had shown him a picture of his tortoise summon that he’d snuck during one of his outings as ‘Sukea’. Now here it was, staring back at Tenzo after a year. Telling him exactly what he needed to know.

He was in the right place.

Now all he had to do was knock.

“Come on,” he lifted his right hand and took a deep breath, but nothing happened. His hand refused to move. “You can do it, Tenzo. It’s just a quick check-up. Poke your head in, make sure he’s alive and functioning, and go. That’s all. It’s easy.”

He took another deep, slow breath, but still nothing happened.

His hand just hovered there in front of the door, neither lowering nor reaching out to knock. Stuck in a limbo of inactivity that Tenzo couldn’t seem to force it out of.

“Just one knock,” he whispered, cringing when his hand refused to move. “Come on. He’s not going to hurt you.”

Gai was a good man. Stranger and perhaps a little too much for Tenzo to handle most days, but a good man. Short of harming Kakashi, which he would never think of doing, or one of his students, there was nothing Tenzo could think of that he could do to upset Gai.

Even if there was, Checking up on him certainly wasn’t on the list.

“Just go,” he insisted. “One knock and-”

Before he could finish that train of thought the door swung open and he found himself face to face with Maito Gai.

Smiley, energetic, always pleasant Maito Gai.

Except, none of those descriptors seemed to fit the man that he was staring at today. Not because Gai wasn’t trying to portray himself as the exact same person he always with, with a smile that spread across his entire face, but because that smile didn’t match at all with the tired, defeated look in his eyes.

“You look…”

“Great?” Gai cheered, though his voice sounded a little flatter than usual. “Wonderful? Ready to jump out and greet the day with the full power of my youth?”

Tenzo shook his head. “Awful.”

As soon as the word left his mouth the smile dropped off of Gai’s face and his shoulders slumped. “You’re learning from Kakashi, aren’t you?” he sighed, all of his usual energy missing from his voice. “

“I am a trained Anbu operative,” Tenzo argued, just a little insulted by the implication that he would need his Senpai to tell him what to look out for when he approached Gai. His Senpai had, of course, given him a few hints of what to keep an eye out for, but that didn’t matter. He was trained to read people’s emotions and body language. To look deeper and see all of the subtle signals that they were trying to hide from him.

“Ah,” waving off his protests, Gai leaned forward and peered down the hallway. “He’s not with you, is he?”

Tenzo could only sigh. “He’s out training Sasuke for his next match,” he assured the green-clad dork that his Senpai called ‘rival’. “That’s why I’m here.”

“To check up on me?” jutting his bottom lip out, Gai huffed. “I’m fine. I don’t need someone to pop in and make sure everything is alright. I’m not-”

He stopped himself, but Tenzo knew exactly what he wanted to say.

I’m not Kakashi.

A low blow, but a rather deserved one. In the twenty years that he’d known his Senpai one undeniable fact that Tenzo had learned was that his Senpai didn’t handle loss or disaster well. He would always put on a front, masking his emotions behind an aloof attitude, but deep down he was spiraling.

Tenzo didn’t think Gai would have the same reaction. His experiences with pain, as far as Tenzo knew, were different than Kakashi’s and his personality was almost the complete opposite.

That didn’t stop him from worrying, though. Everyone had a breaking point and although he hadn’t met any of Gai’s students, he’d heard enough about them to know just how much Gai cared about Lee.

If there was someone out there in the world whose death would cause Gai to crumble, it was either Kakashi or Lee. Kakashi because of their long-standing friendship and rivalry, and Lee because of how much Gai had come to care about him in such a short amount of time.

Tenzo wasn’t keen to find out which one it was anytime soon. The energy that Gai brought to the village was strange but comforting. The world needed more of the bright, youthful energy and less destroyed, irreparable spirits.

“I see,” shoving those thoughts to the side for the moment, he leaned to the right just enough to get a view into the room behind Gai. The layout was the same as every other Jonin apartment in the building but with a few weights laying out on the floor and a workout mat half haphazardly thrown into the corner beside Gai’s desk. On the desk, there was a bit more of a mess, with dishes piling up on the back near the wall and three books of various sizes spread open along the desk. “And what is it you’re reading about?”

“Uh, well,” glancing back over his shoulder, Gai cringed. “I was just looking up some information. It’s important to keep up to date with our knowledge.”

There it was again. That wide, toothy grin that Gai always wore on his face.

A grin that Tenzo had once viewed with caution, but which he’d come to enjoy over the years.

“Stop it.”

“Stop what?” Gai blinked, the smile dropping away for just a split second, only to return as soon as Gai realized it was gone. “Stop reading?”

“Smiling.” Tenzo huffed, hating the words that were coming out of his mouth. As much as he liked to complain about Gai’s seemingly endless amounts of energy, he had genuinely come to love his smile.

It was one of the brightest, most genuine smiles he had ever seen in his life, and whenever Gai turned it toward him he felt a strange warmth spreading in his chest. Kakashi had laughed at him the first time he talked about it and told him that everyone felt that way about Gai’s smile, but he hadn’t believed him.

Now, though, that warmth was missing. He couldn’t look at Gai’s smile and feel happy to see it because deep down he knew it was a lie. A mask that Gai was using to hide away the pain he was experiencing.

“I don’t-”

Deciding to make a daring move, Tenzo pushed past Gai into his apartment and headed straight for the desk. His goal was the pile of dishes that sat at the back of the desk, but as he reached out for them he couldn’t help but gaze down at the books.

Medical books, all turned to pages with detailed pictures of leg muscles or leg bones.

Kakashi had been right to ask him to check in on Gai.

“You’re worried,” he noted, focusing his attention back on the dishes and slowly starting to move them from the desk into a small space between his left arm and chest.. “You’re overthinking Lee’s condition and trying to make up for your lack of knowledge on the subject by studying as much as you can.”

“What are you, an interrogator?” Gai huffed.

“No,’ That line of work had been a part of Tenzo’s job once, a long time ago, but it was rare for him to take on that role in Anbu. “I’m a friend,” placing the last dish on the pile that now teetered in his arm, he maneuvered his right arm around it for a bit more support and turned toward the kitchen. “A friend who has specifically been sent by another friend to check in on you.”

“Always straight to the point,” Gai sighed as he followed Tenzo toward the kitchen, dragging his feet along the floor. “And what are you doing with my dishes?”

“Cleaning them, obviously,” coming to a stop in front of the sink, he leaned down and carefully placed the dishes down so they didn’t topple over. The last thing he wanted to do today was go shopping for a new set of dishes after destroying all of the ones Gai had. “Since you’re too focused on improving your knowledge pool someone has to make sure you’re going to be eating off of clean plates.”

“I can-” turning his head, he glared straight at Gai. “N-never mind.”

“That’s what I thought,” with that argument sufficiently killed he focused back on the daunting task he’d taken on. “Well, I’m doing the dishes maybe you can make some tea?”

“Tea?”

“Yes,” Tezno confirmed. “You do still remember what tea is, right?”

Gai sputtered, tripping over his words a few times before finally taking a deep breath. “Green tea?” His voice came out strained, but the question was quickly followed by the sound of feet shuffling and cupboards being pulled open.

“Green tea is fine,” Tenzo confirmed. Turning on the tap he watched as water flowed into the sink. The pile he’d collected was taller than anything he’d ever tackled before, but he was certain that it was a task he could finish in under ten minutes. Just enough time for Gai to make them some tea. Once the dishes were clean and the two of them were seated with their drink, then he would start asking the questions that were already swirling around in his mind.

How long has it been since you went outside?

When was the last time you got yourself some dango?

How is he doing?

Those were questions that would have to wait till later, though. Things he would ask when the two of them were sitting face to face with their hands wrapped around a warm cup of tea.

Until then, they would continue swirling around in his mind demanding an answer to the nagging concerns that came with each one of them.

“You don’t have to worry, you know,” Gai spoke as he stepped up to Tenzo’s side and held out his kettle to him. Taking the kettle, Tenzo popped it open and placed it under the tap. Once it was about halfway full he pulled it back and returned it to Gai. “I’m fine.”

“Fine,” he couldn’t help but laugh. Every moment he’d heard Kakashi say that exact line to him came rushing back to him. Bombarding him with memories of exhausted, haunted eyes staring through him as if he wasn’t even there. “Your student is in the hospital.”

“I know that.” Snatching the kettle back, Gai turned away with a huff. Instead of making his way toward the stove, though, he just stood there. His back facing Tenzo and his kettle clutched in his hand. “I know that…”

At that moment, Tenzo regretted agreeing to his Senpai’s request.

If he’d been smart he would have insisted Kakashi come instead. He would have pressured his Senpai to put off Sasuke’s training for just a few hours to check in on his friend. It was Kakashi, not Tenzo, who knew how best to support Gai.

He hadn’t, though.

Instead, he’d promised to take care of it. Assured his Senpai that he would make sure Gai was taken care of when he couldn’t be there for him. Now he was stuck with a pile of dishes higher than he’d ever seen, with no idea what to say next.

Well, there was one thing he could say. Something that he was certain he would never dare to utter in front of anyone else, even under threat of torture, but which seemed fitting in this moment.

“If it was Kakashi-Senpai, I’d be a mess.”

Gai spun round, an expression of utter horror on his face as he stared at Tenzo. “What?”

Grabbing the first dish from the pile he took a deep breath and started cleaning. “If it was Kakashi-Senpai in the hospital,” he continued. “I would be a mess. Or even Yugao, or you.”

It was difficult for him to admit, but all of his years of being trained to cut himself off from others and deny himself any emotional bonds had failed. Part of it was because of his Senpai’s insistence on friendship, which had rubbed off on him over the years, but there was also a piece of him that knew he never would have been able to succeed.

His friends were important to him. No matter how much he wanted to cut himself off from them, he couldn’t. It’s exactly the weakness that Kakashi had exploited when he found out about Tenzo’s mission to kill him, and what had led to him going against Danzo’s orders for the first time in his life.

If any of his friends were stuck in the hospital with an injury that might never be healed, he would throw himself into his work much like Kakashi always did. There wouldn’t be a pile of dishes growing on his desk or open medical textbooks, but his mental health would take a turn for the worst.

And if or when that happened, he knew two things for certain.

Kakashi would show up at his door dragging him outside for some fresh air insisting that he can’t give up, and Gai would be right behind him with that brilliant smile and promises of dango and spars to cheer him up.

“All I’m saying is…” finishing with the first bowl he placed it under the tap to wash away the leftover soap and placed it into the small drying rack beside the sink. “I get it. You don’t have to pretend to be alright for me, Gai.”

For a second the two of them just stood there. Gai holding onto his kettle full of water, and Tenzo washing dishes. The only sound that echoed in the small apartment was running water and the light clink of dishes as Tenzo added them to the drying rack.

Then, without any warning, Gai set the kettle down on the counter, threw his arms around Tenzo’s shoulders, and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug.

“Gai-” Tenzo croaked out as his bones cried out in pain. Immediately the Jonin loosened his hold, though he still kept Tenzo pinned against his body as he buried his face into his right shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered into Tenzo’s shirt. “No apologies,” placing his hand on Gai’s arm, he ignored the water dripping from his fingers. There wasn’t much for him to say at the moment. Comforting other people wasn’t something he was good at, and he wasn’t about to pretend to be.

Comfort wasn’t what Gai needed, though. Kind words wouldn’t wash away the reality of the situation his student was in. They wouldn’t rid him of the memories of Lee’s battle, or the sight of his student laying in a hospital bed lucky that he had survived but with little hope for a continued life as a shinobi.

Kind words would do nothing for Gai during this time, so Tenzo didn’t bother to try and come up with any. Instead, he simply stood there and let Gai hide his face in his shoulder while he hugged him.

‘Just be there for him,’ Kakashi had told him when he’d asked why he wanted him to go check in on his best friend. ‘He needs someone right now. Usually, I would go, but I only have a month to prepare Sasuke for this next fight. So go in my place, please.’

So, that’s what Tenzo resolved to do.

Be there for Gai.

Ask him questions, check in on his well-being, and just listen.

There was nothing he could say to make the situation better, but if Kakashi was right he wouldn’t need to. All Gai needed was company, and that was something Tenzo could provide in spades.

#GaiBirthdayBingo #Gaibirthdaybingo2023 #Maito Gai #Yamato #Tenzo #Hatake Kakashi #Fic #A focus on Gai and Yamato's friendship for a change #let them have a moment <3 #Even if it is because Kakashi asked Yamato to check in on Gai #It's still their moment

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mizuseyebrows · 2 months

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Blue Eye Samurai characters as ATLA non/benders part 2

🏜️; Ringo —Sandbender

every pic in this post is from pinterest, I just did the collages

He’s a little more difficult to place in a single element. I even thought he might be a non-bender, but that came more from internalized ableist thinking, and I feel horrible for that. Ringo would definitely be a bender, but I'm starting to wonder which one to put him in.

He has the versatility and adaptability of a waterbender, my baby can function in any scenario and I love him for that. He also has the spirituality, lightness and fluidity of an airbender, he can be anyone's spiritual guide, because of his enormous sense of hindsight and optimism. Have I told you that I love him? At the same time, he also has the resilience, strength, patience, and ability to listen and wait for the right moment of an earthbender. I also consider that he has the liveliness and burning spirit of a firebender... perhaps Ringo can be the avatar?

It would be interesting to see an all-powerful avatar who managed to overcome his disability. In ATLK we had Ming Hua, she not only had no hands, she had no arms, and yet she is one of the most powerful waterbenders we have seen so far in the avatar universe. What can stop Ringo from achieving something similar? nothing, just himself. But we already have a character who does not allow his "limitations" to be an impediment to achieving what he wants.

However, I don't want to name anyone an avatar in my theories. I feel it is not necessary to emphasize how powerful benders they could be. So, I was thinking about some element or sub-art that could compact all the characteristics of Ringo's personality.

And that's when I got to sandbending. It is an elemental art that caught my attention ever since I saw the episode of Appa's kidnapping. It is a sub-art that has a little bit of everything. It has the fluidity and speed/agility of airbending. The bending techniques are very similar to those we see in waterbending, plus it is a branch derived from earthbending. I think it would be the perfect element for Ringo.

While I'm sure Ringo would be a competent earthbender, I feel like this sub-art fits who he is much better. A unique elemental art for a unique character. Yes, give me three.

Furthermore, after having the most powerful god and owner of my insides, Gaara of the Desert, we can have an idea of how potent and advantageous it could be to have control of an element as changeable, light and potentially dangerous as sand.

And if we continue with my theory of Mizu being a waterbending prodigy, this duo would become a real threat to everyone. Just imagine Mizu teaching all the water techniques to Ringo so that he can improve his sand control, homie will be unstoppable.

Sidenote, if Ringo were a non-bender, he would be a descendant of the air nomads, which would explain his enormous connection to the spirit world. Additionally, he could have the recessive airbending gene. It would also be interesting if his story was based on Ringo trying to learn the history of his ancestors.

Ringo's potential backstory in the world of ATLA during the hundred years’ war

A diamond in the rough that just needs a little polishing

I don't think his story will change that much. His father's restaurant could be in one of those isolated desert villages. That idiot may not even know that his son is a bender, his little head can’t conceive that someone without hands could achieve anything in life.

Maybe Ringo learned a little from watching the desert bandits who stop by from time to time for a nice bowl of soba. He could look forward to the sandstorms, so he could measure how much his control has improved.

One day he met a strange traveler, with a strong and stubborn spirit, with exceptional control of water. Ringo knew that his story to greatness began that same day and decided to follow that strange man so he could learn from him.

Although at first the relationship was cold and a little uncomfortable, over time everything improved and they became an unstoppable duo.

Ringo was filled with Mizu's physical wisdom, and Mizu was filled with Ringo's spiritual wisdom. You could say that they were meant to come together and complete each other, creating a good balance between them.

here's Mizu

#blue eye samurai #ringo blue eye samurai #ringo #ringo bes #bes #sandbending #sandbender #avatar the last airbender #atla

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ikemenomegas · 1 year

Note

Any thoughts to shake loose on any of your Naruto guys, Io? I like your mun-name!! 💕

From the notebook

Loose leaf ideas:

I'm so sorry, I have no idea what a mun-name is but thank you anyways 😅. Also sorry it's taken so long, I was trying to do the Make a Wish prompts, which I've finally gotten mostly bullet pointed out. Lucky thing because I all but finished one of the last two and then lost it due to my own stupidity... so I've been sadly trying to rewrite it /sigh. I decided to finally shake free those ideas in the mean time, since I haven't posted any writing in a while

Yamato (Tenzo, but this name is for private use)

Because he was raised in Root, he mostly emotes via micro expressions so his Alpha has learned to be really good at reading those looks. His Alpha can literally stare at his face for hours while they talk. Yamato stares right back. Please ask for a booth if you go to a restaurant with him. Everyone thinks you're making bedroom eyes at each other when you're figuring out your next week's meal prep. Actual bedroom eyes are near lethal levels.

He's a pretty tall guy so when you first started spending time at his place, all the cups and plates and things are also really high up. He barely used any of his lower cupboards. When you first move in together, he asks you where all of your stuff is and you think he's joking until you realize he genuinely doesn't check any of those cabinets or drawers that he doesn't use...

All of his furniture is handmade, as in through the wood style. It's all very functional, lots of squares, but elegant. If want different shapes he's really willing and eager to learn how intricate he can get with his jutsu. He's got a remarkably artistic streak, despite his serious demeanor. You'll never have to buy a new bookshelf again, he'll just make them.

Yamato likes quality time and gifts as his receiving love languages. He works really hard for the village and having someone focused on him and appreciative of his hard work and attentive to his needs is key to being a good partner for him

You can't go wrong if you show your appreciation by making him things that he likes, ie a craft, homemade item, or really involved food. He's also not opposed to an evening of pampering where he has your full undivided attention after a day spent sight seeing.

Gaara

He doesn't make the first move in a relationship, which leaves him in a fun lil' stalemate for a while with his eventual mate, because you can't make moves on the Kazekage and he's thinking "I'm the Kazekage, it would be an unfair power dynamic to tell them I think about them every time I write poetry lately..." On a trip back to Suna, Temari takes one look at him and you and then scolds Kankuro because "I can't be the one to manage both kinds of diplomatic relations. Please do something to make my life a little easier." Kankuro then attempts to organize scenarios for you and Gaara to meet. These go poorly in the way of all comedic anime interludes but do result in the two of you bonding more closely.

Gaara was raised to be the leader of a military nation, but he winds down by engaging in more traditional artistic pursuits. All three of the siblings actually have a talent in at least one area of the more refined arts. Gaara is very accomplished at calligraphy, and I'm not kidding about the poetry, he really does compose different works and a lot of them are very good. He even worked hard at some point during his courtship to create a public stone garden in the village which he sometimes alters during festivals so it has different designs.

He is very responsible when it comes to Kazekage duties. He's also been performing them since before he turned 15, and has almost no penchant for mischief. However, he can be easily coaxed away from his office in the name of training his children/students, where he can be further tricked into simply enjoying himself. He's actually a really patient, insightful teacher.

He has an unfortunate habit, only slightly curbed by age, of being willing to drag everyone into a goal he decides is worthwhile. While he mostly used credible threats to get what he wanted as a child, he's since become very adept at manipulation. Mostly, he's genuine and persistent, but he also knows how to get other people to want to follow him. This includes knowing the exact Look to give his mate whenever he wants something.

I think you could easily write him as demiromantic/aromantic. He isn't romantically attracted to anyone right away, and if he does develop those feelings they aren't all-consuming, but there are certain people he can see himself partnering with for the rest of his life, and certain triggers for kicking those feelings off with his alpha.

Nagato

The more I research him, the more it is clear his canon outcome is the bad-end version of the shonen trio trope. Yahiko and Konan were in love with one another, and Nagato was the one who loved them both enough to follow them to the ends of the earth. Nothing in any world was ever going to deter him from that, so his Alpha needs to be pointed in the same direction, ideally devoted to Yahiko and his original Akatsuki as well.

Nagato is the one who guides his Alpha in believing in the ideals of Akatsuki. Before the original trio falls apart, this is done without any ultimatum or ulterior motive. Nagato genuinely believes in the dream Yahiko has, and felt very motivated to bring that hope to his Alpha. It was only afterwards that he truly started to fall in love with them, although that was the original spark.

He likes to read, although he seldom has the time or opportunity to do so. Jiraiya's taught all of the Ame orphans to read and write. He truly enjoys ready philosophical treatises and dialogues. He is a fan of fiction but very slow when reading these because he prefers to experience the world himself first hand, interacting with people and places. He once dreamed of traveling throughout Amegakure and the surrounding nations as a kind of pilgrim.

Nagato nearly died after he fought Hanzo for the first time, not because of his injuries, but because chakra depletion left him unable to sense his Alpha. Believing them dead while he was near delirious, he himself nearly died from the grief of losing Yahiko, and them on top of this loss, despite Yahiko's final wish.

In a version of the world where his Alpha does not survive Obito's slaughter of the original Akatsuki members, Nagato recovers their body and turns it into the Preta Path of Pain, appropriate given the path's callback to possessiveness and desire, and representation of the Hungry Ghost Realm. In the version where his Alpha survives, Nagato becomes very possessive over them, only willing to let them take missions for the Akatsuki alongside Konan, alone, or preferably not at all as you three nurse your grief within Amegakure.

Shisui

You know I love those Uchiha men. They just have a vibe... Shisui in particular. His appearances never make me think first of his death, but of his kindness and his protectiveness over the people he cares for; he dies smiling. Unfortunately, Shisui's path really only works in a non-massacre scenario, since he is approximately sixteen when he dies, which is too young for him to have a mating bond, although I do HC him as considering courting someone at the time the coup starts to take over his life. The with-massacre scenario is one in which Itachi is able to get Shisui out of the village, possibly that he secretly survives the fall thanks to his summons.

Shisui's parents were either not ninjas, or are individuals who have had to retire for the corp for some reason. What we know about him says he was the family breadwinner after he was made a jounin, which leads me to lean towards non-ninja parents. This is particularly interesting for Uchiha clan members, since we don't get to see what the civilian members of clan families do in the Naruto world and most assume the Uchiha clan is shinobi-dominated. It's doubly intriguing when we also know the famous Kagami Uchiha was his ancestor (likely grandfather > great grandfather if we base off other known generations). Since we don't have canon confirmation of this stuff, I guess it counts as a HC?

Given the above, he's the most likely of the Uchiha on my list to willingly and happily take on a civilian Alpha. While I haven't totally fleshed out the background for this pairing, I have toyed around with the idea of an acid-tongued relative of someone from the Daimyo's court whom Shisui met on a mission catching his attention. This oc is a bit of a tsundere with an infamous temper who only Shisui with his notable empathetic and pleasant demeanor is immune to. They become one of the Land of Fire ambassadors and Shisui travels with them on a sort of long-term assignment before they eventually settle together in the village.

The reason they settle in the village is that Shisui decides he wants to have kids and knows that the Uchiha will never risk the sharingan passing into the control of another family or political body. His alpha has to sign a bunch of paperwork relinquishing their ability to inherit anything that might give their family power over their and Shisui's children, but enjoys arguing enough that they remain an ambassador even after settling in Konoha so they can wipe the floor with anyone who has anything to say about Shisui being the reason for their departure.

In the survive-the-fall scenario, Shisui remains blind, retires from being a ninja, and lives with his Alpha in a civilian city, where they help hide his identity and spoil him as much as he will allow. There's potential in this scenario for a path which probably fixes Sasuke btw. There's a lot of options here.

Sai

He intentionally emotes more than Yamato, however while Yamato mostly keeps his facial expressions hidden, his reactions to his Alpha are almost always honest. Sai explicitly cultivates his ability to make facial expressions because he was trying to fit in with normal people, throw them off guard, and do his job as a spy better. This makes it more difficult for his Alpha to tell whether Sai is actually showing that he likes something or not. It takes a long time to figure it out. Eventually, his reactions naturally start to correspond with his emotions around family and friends so it's easier on everyone.

His Alpha thinks that Sai really doesn't like them at the beginning. Although he doesn't necessarily understand why, he picks up on this very quickly and tries to fix the situation throughout the next few months, to varying degrees of success. Eventually, he decides to show you how he feels by painting a portrait of you as he sees you. It's exactly as intimate as you'd think it would be. For better or worse, Sai eventually has to come out and say he can't come up with any courting gift more genuine than the portrait to show you how he feels about you personally, which will tip his Alpha off that he is interested in them.

Because he has difficulties showing his emotions, and also in understanding the nuances behind others' reactions, he likes straightforward methods of communication. He trusts his Alpha implicitly and is incredibly perceptive so he is able to read their responses to him. He enjoys words of affirmation the most and appreciates when his Alpha takes the time to talk through things with him. He also likes physical contact, craves it even, but can quickly become overstimulated depending on the situation. He genuinely wants people to like him and to have sincere connections with the people he meets by acting like himself. Although Sai works hard to "earn" his place among the other people in his generation, it takes him a long time to see that everyone has already accepted him, and to understand that relationships take time and hard work.

For many years, he believes he physically can't have children because Root made all of its operatives starting about 5 years before Sai joined infertile. This insights conflicting feelings in him. On the one hand he never has to worry about accidentally becoming pregnant, which is very nice when he starts navigating his physical desires with his mate. On the other hand, he will never have the option and that hurts, because so much was taken from him in the way of choice and this is another one of those things. The procedure may be reversible in some members because I can see Root forcing long-term operatives to have families with their targets to get closer to them, or being gross enough to try and breed operatives, but Sai doesn't know this.

He likes swimming. He has a favorite swimming spot on the Konoha river. It's the kind of activity that sincerely has no purpose, and he finds a serenity in it, in a similar way that lots of people find a zone of focus when running.

#captain yamato #gaara #uzumaki nagato #uchiha shisui #sai #omega!yamato #omega!gaara #omega!nagato #omega!shisui #omega!sai #alpha!reader #naruto #headcanons #omegaverse #ask answered #from the notebook #io.omegas

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