#sasuke is my muse after all

[bakugoushotwife]

The Honeymoon // sasuke uchiha

a/n: this was a great request! i hope i did it justice :)

pairing: sasuke uchiha x female!reader

summary: sasuke makes love to his wife for the first time on their wedding night.

cw: fingering (female receiving), biting/marking, a little blood, nipple play, unportected penetrative sex (m + f), breeding

wc: 3.2k

You can hear your heart pounding in your ears. Your face was growing warm, especially under his amorous yet still cool stare. You stand in front of him, bare except for the white silk slip made to serve as your wedding night lingerie. You bite the inside of your lip, waiting with bated breath for any verbal indication of his enjoyment. The two of you had been…somewhat intimate in the years leading up to your ceremony, but this was different. This meant something, it meant your marriage was real and undeniable. He had felt the outline of your body beneath his hand before, seen the valley between your soft mounds and caressed over them. He has placed sweet kisses on your lips and on the blank canvas that was your neck, but this time would be the first real time, where he gets to claim his wife as his. 

His body was warm too, his complexion just kept it a secret. His shirt was already off, the act of undressing each other after the party was hasty and clumsy, but now he stood across from you without knowing where to begin. The dress clung to the sweet dips of your body, your nipples poking through the delicate fabric due to the slight chill in the air and your own excitement. Your hair was still hanging around your face so perfectly he didn’t know if there were words in existence to describe your beauty. The makeup you wore was minimal, in his opinion, lovely. You were naturally stunning, a fact that was never more obvious to him than right now. 

The moon was high in the sky, dancing across your skin and making your eyes glow brighter than his own sharingan. The tension was growing thick, the slight tingle he felt spreading across his body the only reason he hadn’t spoken yet; he was nervous what may tumble from his lips. His wife, her body so beautiful and waiting for him. He didn’t know what to do with himself and he certainly knew he didn’t deserve this, but he’s able to hold off his self-loathing for now; for the vision of you, breasts spilling over the neckline of that skimpy dress, sharp teeth nibbling on a perfectly pouty lip, is enough to make the world stop turning. 

You fold your arms behind your back, holding your hands. It only made your dress slide up and your tits more noticeable. You tilt your head to the side and blink at him, shifting your weight to your other hip. “Is..do you not like it?” 

He’s almost startled by the sound of your voice, but his brows pinch together so you know he’s heard you. He shakes his head, the one side of his mouth drawing up in amusement. “That’s not it at all, my dear. I’m sure you’ve noticed that you’ve left me speechless.” 

Your cheeks darken, and you coyly tuck a piece of hair behind your ear. “Oh, I…I’m glad to have that effect on you.” You smooth your hands down the silky fabric that stops just below the large swells of your ass. 

He steps forward, placing his hand on the dip of your waist. “And so many more effects, my love.” He muses, moving that same right hand to cup your jaw, the rough callus of his thumbpad swiping over your soft bottom lip. 

Watching it sink in around his digit combined with your doe eyed stare sends a pulse to his cock, and he knows touches like this won’t last him any longer. His eyes gloss over with a new desire, and he comes closer until his hips press against yours. You bite at your lip again at the feeling of his semi pressing into your pelvis. Your arms snake around his neck, and his possessive hold on your face draws your eyes upwards to look at him. His lips hint at a smile. 

“I think it’s time to properly make you an Uchiha.” He rasps, his deep voice even thicker as you back up, falling back onto the mattress. He watches you the entire time, obsidian gaze trained on your every move. You can see his chest begin to heave before he’s even really touched you. The way you scoot back on the bed, propping yourself up on the pillows and spreading your legs for him was enough to do him in, any modicum of self-control he’d managed to hold onto long gone. 

It’s overkill when you smile. Your affection is so clear, the hazy lust clouding your eyes is just too much to bear. Your lips part so sweetly when you challenge him. “Then take me, Sasuke.” 

This time he does smile, though most would consider this a smirk. He hated the stiff dress pants he was in anyways, and so did his now throbbing cock. It was easy to shove them off, hissing when his length slaps up against his dark happy trail. You bite down on your lip once more at the sight of him, feeling a pulse in your cunt immediately. It was almost embarrassing, how wet you could feel yourself getting, blushing as it slicks the insides of your thighs. You sit up to remove your slip, surprised by the lewd way he spits into his hand before stroking himself. His dick was as pretty as the rest of him; he was long and curved at the end, the tip closer to a blueish purple than pink. He sighs in relief at the pressure, putting his knees down on the bed and walking towards your now completely naked form. He lets go of his pretty shaft in favor of feeling your chest, seeing all of you for the first time. He turns his sharingan on, smirking at you as he does so. 

“I want to remember this one, sweetheart.” He coos, calloused but nimble fingers rolling your perky buds in between his index and thumb. He grins as your hips move, your body so responsive to even his smallest of touches. “I…want to make sure I do this right.” 

His voice is soft, but still husky with his need for you. Even his face is softer, less stoic and anxious. He leans over you, letting his frame dwarf yours, chest on chest and lips on lips. He closes his eyes to enjoy the feeling, your mouth was healing, it felt like the first sip of water after an exhausting fight. It felt like recovery, like a fresh start. Your fingers tugging on the ends of his soft hair felt even better, he loved knowing you wanted more of him, needed him closer. He’s happy to give that to you, his tongue sliding against yours. He relishes the little gasp you give out as he shows you how dominant he can really be, pinning your tongue easily before sucking on it. He only did what came natural to him, and he wanted to taste every part of you. He was unafraid to show this desperation, that’s why he married you, you could read him like a book and let everything flow from there. He feels your body melt into the sheets, your mind surrendering to his will with no questions asked. He groans at how obedient you are, even without a word being said. He bites at your bottom lip, grunting when he tastes a bit of blood. 

He really is supposedly a changed man, and for the most part, his dark urges have left him be. But watching his pretty little wife writhe beneath him and succumb with just his kiss…it makes him wonder what else he can do to you, what you would enjoy and all the things you get to try now. Tasting your blood on his tongue followed by the sultry moan that slips out as he bites you only drives him further. 

“Oh? Is that something you enjoy, lover?” He almost teases, though you catch his genuine interest. His face is inches from yours. His eyes flickering to the pulse jumping in your neck. You nod, and his smile becomes wicked. “What do you like?” 

You know he’s stroking his ego now, wanting to make you ask even if he desires nothing more than marking the canvas that is your neck. It makes you smile, even if you’re a little breathless from his teasing. “I like…biting. I trust you..” 

He nods, needing no more encouragement to sink his teeth into your dainty flesh, eyes fluttering shut again when you hiss and arch off the bed. The taste of your skin was nothing new, but it felt like uncharted territory now that you bear his last name. He would never hurt you, and he knew how to read your signals. But for now, he sucks deep bruises down the side of your neck, his languid tongue soothing over any sore spots. Your moans egg him on, his hand groping at your chest again. 

You like the way it feels, the burning sensation mixed with the sweet satisfaction only soaked the sheets beneath you, your hips moving against nothing, poor puckering hole left with nothing to clench around. He chuckles at the sight of you, impossibly needy and moments away from begging for more. He was wise enough not to bite too deeply, but part of him was growing unruly. He knew he needed to restrain himself to keep from hurting you, and as if you could sense his unease, you whine for him. 

“Sasuke…don’t have to be easy, we’ve done all this before..” 

“I know, I just want to make you feel good–”

“Feels good when you bite hard, wan’ you to feel good too–even if I bleed.” You mumble, grabbing his wrist and dragging it towards your bucking hips. He gets the hint, though his gaze is still trained on you as he lays beside you. He’s warped by your words, knowing he can push a little further than he’d been before. He knows you trust him to stop when necessary, and he can’t help but think you want to feel him let loose too. He grins, giving your neck a few gentle pecks as he slides his body just a little lower. He knew your neck was good and marked already, and far too dangerous to draw blood from. So he distracts you a little, sliding his fingers along your middle and sighing at the soaking mess he finds there. He draws up some of your slick so his digits glide in circles around your cute clit, the shaky gasp you make only makes his grin spread. You whine with every move he makes, eyes closed with pleasure. His fingers work you perfectly, your stomach sinking in the best way possible. Your mouth hangs open, and you’re useless already. You can only move your hips in rhythm to his strokes, chasing your own high. His cock pounds at the sight of you, and he sees the stickiness of his own pre-arousal glistening on your hip from where he’s pressed against your side. He moves the curled tresses of your hair, clearing a path to his ideal target, your neglected chest. He leans in, suckling on the nipple while his fingers snuck into your tight hole. He groans against your skin and your moaning pitches up. 

Even his sinewy fingers stretch you open, and the feeling burns for a second before it turns into pleasure. He loves the sensation of your silky walls clenching down on his digits, his palm still nudging your button with every pump. He’s grateful he sat up this way, his body angled to worship your chest and cunt simultaneously. He shudders at the thought of what he was trying to do, working you up to your peak. His tongue moves over to a random patch of skin above your saliva-coated bud, teeth scraping at it periodically. You can feel a light sheen of sweat cover your body, hips bucking into his hand wildly. 

“S-Sa-Sasuke—I’m close…wanna cum for my husband..” You purr, your brain a white-hot wasteland of pleasure. At your words, he can’t help but sink his teeth into your skin, groaning at the sounds you make. His fingers fuck into you faster, his teeth burrowing deeper until that tang of iron seeps into his mouth. You don’t cry out in pain, in fact, your legs shake around his hand and clasp around him, hips stilling. You whine and whimper and squirm, the sudden flood he feels around his index and middle confirms that his bite sent you over the edge. He grins, his tongue lapping at the shallow wound he left, fingers slow to a stop as your mewling does. He leans up, his lips gently pressing into your cheek. 

“Did you like that?” He asks, the subtle anxiety of losing your shared virginity creeps back into his mind, maybe he took it too far despite your insisting. You grin though, parting your legs again and letting your head flop over to meet eyes with him. 

“It was perfect, honey…can’t imagine what this is gonna feel like.” You whisper, jutting your chin in a way that tells him to get on top of you. He hums, kissing your temple again as he gets to his knees in the opening you gave him, lifting your leg to dangle by his hips. It gives him the perfect view of you, your gorgeous cunt glistening with the orgasm he brought you. It makes a sense of pride and need throbs through his body, his cock aches. He grunts again at the sight of his cockhead sliding around in your slick and prodding at your clit, sending jolts through your body. You watch him, mouth still agape, just admiring how the tufts of his black hair point in all directions because of your fingers carding through and tugging at it, his eyes are hungry and half-lidded as they stare down at you, lips swollen and red from intense kisses and sucking at your skin. He looks like a god, pale skin and lean, strong frame, a big hand keeping your leg against him as teases your entrance. 

You moan and jump, every squeal of yours prickling the back of his neck and making the tips of his ears turn red. He couldn’t take it anymore. He had to have you. You were just too perfect, the marks he’s left on your skin driving him insane. You love his crazy possessiveness, and he had the desire to possess you in every way. How much better could that be than by letting you walk around with the evidence of his carnal craving? Could he be so lucky to give you a honeymoon baby? You had big plans to rebuild his clan, he knows, you’re insatiable need for a baby almost worse than his to put one in you. He groans as you wiggle closer, trying desperately to get him to slip inside. He can’t help but chuckle at that. 

“You’re adorable, Mrs. Uchiha. Be patient.” He hums, moving his hips so he could slide right in, the mess you’ve made is more than enough to lubricate you both. He stops at the hilt, watching your face scrunch at the adjustment. His sharingan takes in the scene, memorizing your face changing from pain at the tight fit to unimaginable pleasure once he starts to move. His head falls back with a groan, the impossibly tight and warm squeeze made his balls twitch immediately. “So good for me, god you feel incredible.” 

Your mouth drops open to speak, but you know you can’t, only gripping at the ripples of his biceps and tugging him closer. It feels like you’re being split in half, the length of him allowing him access to your spongy spot just by sinking all the way in. He obliges you, leaning forward so you can hold him, grinning at the neediness drawing up your eyebrows and leaving you speechless. His slow rolls turn into sloppier ruts, the shakiness of your breath and the way you claw at his back the indicators he needs to know he’s fucking you good. You wrap your legs around his hips, eyes rolling back in your head. You begin to shake like you did earlier, and that tells him you’re close. 

He hums, sitting up from your hold and spitting on your pussy, letting his thumb spread the saliva over your clit again. He smiles when you jerk, the sight of your pleasure more than enough to send him spiraling. You can feel his cock jump inside you, causing you to clench down on him.

“Nngh~” He groans, hand holding your hip still. “My good girl’s gonna make me cum.” He husks, the desire in his tone giving you goosebumps. “And she’s gonna keep it inside, right? So she can give me a kid?” He asks, to which you can only nod vigorously. He hums, shaking his head in gratitude of your obedience, feeling your cunt gripping and letting go in sporadic spasms, he can’t hold himself back anymore, groaning as his hot load floods your womb and stuffs you full. He keeps rocking into you slowly, noticing your hips still working yourself down. “My beautiful wife.” He sighs lovingly once you both still. 

You beam, chest still heaving. He reaches out to push your perfectly styled hair—now a perfectly styled mess—out of your face. He leans down to kiss you softly, as full of love as everything else. 

“You really do look so gorgeous like this…now that I’ve had you I don’t understand how I can be expected to do much else.” He smirks softly, admiring your fucked out expression and lovebites one more time. “I’m so happy we’re finally married. I never thought…I never thought I would be happy. Much less like this.” 

He smiles warmly down at you, letting your legs fall. He doesn’t care if you two make a mess of the suite, this is what it was meant for. He kisses your forehead one last time, letting his weight fall to the side of you instead. 

You giggle at his remark, having been on cloud nine all day long. The love you’ve nursed since childhood has blossomed into the love you will know for the rest of your life. He lifts his arm up, signaling for you to lay on his chest. He loves holding you like this, and you feel so safe tucked in his arm. You lay your head on his pec, hand over his heart. He smiles, and kisses the crown of your head. He truly never imagines a life where he was a married man, worshiping his wife on their wedding day. He was sure he was bound to a sour future, full of loneliness and darkness. Your voice brings him back, the weight of you against his body reminds him of what is real. 

“You think you’re happy now? Just wait until you watch me swell with the baby you gave me tonight.” You hum, looking up at him so adorably that he wants nothing more than that. He squeezes you to him, and in a way, his touches tell you more than his words ever can. You know you’ve turned him on again by the statement—and the way his hand kneads the plush of your ass—but…it is your honeymoon after all.

#naruto x reader #kyleewritesnaruto #sasuke smut #sasuke x reader #sasuke uchiha #uchiha sasuke #sasuke uchiha x reader

[itachianon]

itachi hcs with a pregnant s/o:

itachi was the happiest man on earth when he got to know that you're pregnant. he truly did love you a lot. despite the uchihas being ill-famous for promoting clan marriages and arranged marriages; itachi did none of those things. he married someone not from his clan. all the backlash he received was brutally stomped by the uchiha when he claimed the title of the hokage. people did talk behind his back about it, but it didn't bother him. he had two goals -- keep his family safe, keep konoha safe.

it was one of the few times you saw itachi's eyes glossed, when you braced yourself for a reaction from him after sharing the news. "that- you blessed me today, my angel." he happily declares, pulling you close and kissing you softly, there weren't any emotions he could muster up except unadulterated, unfiltered and sort of overwhelming love for you.

the whole pregnancy was kept a secret, only the closest of people knew. mikoto, fugaku, sasuke, your family, shisui maybe. that's all. itachi was presumed as someone who stretched his working hours but ever since you had been pregnant, he always left work on time. not a minute late. anything else can wait, absolutely urgent things can be handled accordingly. nothing is as urgent as his wife and unborn child.

itachi is a master chef, he makes sure he masters things to the point of perfection. no matter what he tried. culinary skills were one of them. creating diet-plans and extensively following them. you had a filled pantry for all your mood swings. you had the best breakfast and dinner. lunch you could manage for yourself and your man. though itachi never obligated you to.

itachi has always given you flowers every week, this only changed to the quantity of them doubled. he needs to gift the child the flowers too. you don't know this but one of the flowers are always placed on itachi's hokage desk so he knows when it's time to change them. he also tends to them when he's at home with you. easy to observe.

when you start gaining weight and feeling insecure about it, itachi is more than happy to give you a ted-talk, and if needed… show you how perfect you are by loving you. of course he has read he needs to be slow and gentler while making love. your unhinged thirst and his unhinged lust that comes out at times needs to, and has to wait for now.

itachi brings you monthly gifts to commemorate your pregnancy, every month a little trinket of appreciation for his wife. some days it can be extremely materialistic, some days it's a beautifully handwritten letter from itachi that he wrote while you were asleep.

itachi loves to talk to the baby, leaning against the headboard while you lean against his chest, he rubs your belly and muses, talking to them about how this world is something he promises would be a safe space. how they don't have to be a ninja if they don't want to. how he will try to balance his work duties and the duties of being the 'best' otou san!

when you feel nausea and the joint pain, itachi is there for relief. always bringing foods that reduce the restlessness. since you can't be too dependent on the medications as a pregnant lady.

itachi loves taking bubble baths with you, soothingly massage your body and just let you relax. he's figured out which scented candle you like during pregnancy mostly by the ick in your facial expressions alone. DAMN HE'S THE BEST MAN EVER I WOULD CRY

#itachi #itachi uchiha #naruto #naruto shippuden #itachi imagines #itachi x reader #uchiha x reader #itachi fluff #uchiha fluff #naruto x reader #naruto hcs #itachi hcs #uchiha hcs #naruto shippuden x reader

[sasukes-tomathoes]

Dissecting Naruto’s Ending in Good Faith

Let's consider the possibility that Kishimoto's ending was deliberate—that things ended how they should've, and some plots weren't mistakes (looking at you, Kaguya).

Okay, hear me out. By assuming this, we can explore the series with a good-faith reading. Recently, I’ve been reflecting on the series as an adult, and it’s shaken up many of my beliefs and perceptions—it's somewhat distressing, so I’ve been processing all this in therapy too, and coming to key conclusions. I think It's crucial to understand the motivations behind Kishimoto's choices, not just within the Narutoverse but also within the Kishiverse. Why did he make the decisions he did?

Why did he suddenly introduce reincarnations and fate? Aliens? Why the couples that seemingly came out of nowhere? Why doesn't Naruto quite change the system, or help the Hyugas? The final arc, overall, just seemed quite jarring, with some plots (like fate) seemingly subverting the message of the series.

I wonder, then, if Kishimoto's ending shows more of a realistic world rather than an idealized one. Reality often unfolds messily and sadly, devoid of perfect resolutions. Whether intentional or not, Kishimoto's storytelling may reflect his acknowledgment of the imperfect nature of existence. His reality bleeds into his creation, and he's subject to the same harsh realities his characters face.

Fate, Justice, and Change

In this unideal depiction, Naruto and Sasuke's actions are tied to fate rather than free will, Sasuke doesn't achieve his revolution, Naruto doesn't dismantle the shinobi system, and both end up in marriages that seem sudden and unsatisfactory.

If Kishimoto indeed intended this, why? Well, change often takes time, and sometimes change doesn’t even happen at all. People can become tired of fighting for a cause in certain ways, and settle for smaller victories. Relationships may not always align with desires, leading to compromises for convenience.

It's intriguing that Kishimoto explores themes of defying fate while ultimately making Naruto destined to save the world anyway. By making even the protagonists constrained by destiny, Kishimoto echoes historical cycles of rise and fall. Perhaps there's something inevitable about human love and hatred. We can begin to see Kishimoto's philosophical musings on how the universe came to be—the First Cause theory, that there's a divine Creator behind the universe. Or, perhaps, no matter the circumstances or our destinies, we must try to make our own decisions.

And, Sasuke's lack of revolution may not be a complete surrender. He doesn't fully support the system, remaining detached from the bureaucratic and familial norms by traveling. He pursues justice by roaming the world as a vagabond, championing justice as a vigilante. Sasuke has never been one to adhere strictly to Konoha's rules; he eschews the headband and prioritizes loyalty to his morals and loved ones. His rebellion does not manifest as he initially envisioned because his youthful idealism inevitably wanes. But this doesn’t take away from his fight, because Kishimoto portrays him as insightful and intelligent, showing that Sasuke can recognize the pragmatic benefits of partial conformity. He forever remains committed to his pursuit of justice by traveling and aiding others. Thus, his true surrender lies in acknowledging that he can be loved without compromising his strength, refuting the notion of love as a weakness.

As for Naruto, he isn't ignorant—he does comprehend the situation fully, sharing a deep understanding with Sasuke that transcends words (“I know your heart, and you mine” telepathic conversations). While it doesn't seem like much has changed, the events in Boruto unfold merely two decades after Naruto's era, a short span in historical terms. Significant societal transformations typically require centuries, not mere decades. Nevertheless, Naruto succeeds in establishing an era of peace, which Kishimoto shows through the relatively low stakes in Boruto. And when there are threats, they often manifest on a cosmic scale involving gods and extraterrestrial beings. While Naruto and Sasuke have brokered peace among nations, they acknowledge the inevitability of conflicts and warfare. Naruto's focus shifts towards fortifying the system itself, striving for safety within the constraints of reality.

Unexpected and Reluctant Couples

To thoroughly analyze the series, we must also examine the role of romance, as Kishimoto's introduction of romantic pairings significantly impacts plot themes, character development, and motivations. Whether we embrace it or not, these pairings alter the essence of characters in ways previously unseen.

In the canon material (manga and anime main story only), Sasuke and Naruto exhibit no romantic interest in Sakura and Hinata throughout the series. In fact, neither actively pursues romance in general. Sasuke states as such to Kakashi, and Naruto tells Jiraiya he’s not interested in girls. While Naruto initially does have feelings for Sakura, he eventually relinquishes them. Both protagonists prioritize their ideological missions above all else, with exceptions made for their friendship with each other. Sasuke, for instance, abandons his vendetta against Itachi when he sacrifices himself for Naruto in the Land of Waves, while Naruto is willing to forsake his dream of becoming Hokage to die to save Sasuke from loneliness and hatred.

So, how does Kishimoto portray their eventual marriages? Sakura pursues Sasuke persistently, repeatedly confessing her feelings until he ultimately relents and agrees to a family life with her. Meanwhile, Naruto displays no romantic interest in Hinata, even disregarding her confession during the battle with Pain. When he eventually marries her and starts a family, it feels contrived and dispassionate, a jarring image contrasting the boisterous Naruto we know. These relationships seem to emerge out of duty and resignation rather than genuine affection. Both Sasuke and Naruto appear worn down by their wives' persistence, leading them to reluctantly accept their marriages.

These couples have sparked considerable debate within the fandom, and rightly so, because they are not healthy or truly romantic relationships; rather, the depiction reflects the harsh realities of many real-life relationships. Kishimoto portrays Naruto and Sasuke's marriages with little prior development; perhaps a deliberate narrative choice rather than an oversight, highlighting their dissatisfaction through their roles as absentee fathers.

And in terms of specifics, Naruto's marriage seems to revolve more around Hinata than anything else. Consider this: why is Naruto portrayed as uncharacteristically serious and subdued when interacting with Hinata? Even during the pivotal moment when he finally confesses his love to her, his demeanor remains stoic and solemn. Where is the goofy and expressive Naruto we know and love? Additionally, why does Kishimoto include comments from other characters urging Naruto to "treat her well"? Because Naruto's marriage is not primarily about him; Hinata simply happened to be there, and it’s his duty to follow up on that.

And for Sasuke, why do we see panels like the family dinner in Boruto where Sasuke appears utterly miserable? Why is Sasuke never around? Why didn’t Kishimoto even give them a kiss scene? Why does Sasuke mostly display emotions when he's engaged in combat or interacting with Naruto? It's because Sasuke finds purpose and vitality in fighting for his beliefs, and Naruto is the only character depicted by Kishimoto who truly understands Sasuke's innermost thoughts and feelings. Sakura doesn't get Sasuke's essence. Isn't a marriage supposed to be built on true understanding, and progression?

One way we can see it is, Kishimoto, as an artist, is deliberate with his drawings, and these details are not mistakes. Canonically, both Sasuke and Naruto are depicted as tired or subdued in their relationships. Despite Kishimoto drawing them blushing in various situations before, neither of them ever exhibits such reactions when interacting with their wives. This deliberate choice by Kishimoto, despite them being his beloved main characters, shows that Sasuke and Naruto are not in love with Sakura and Hinata.

Love and (lack of) Romance

Sasuke and Naruto are not portrayed as romantic individuals; rather, they are depicted as traumatized fighters and idealists driven by a desire to change the world.

Kishimoto remains true to this characterization throughout the series, extending into Boruto. While Naruto is largely a series about love, it's not focused on romantic love. Instead, it delves into the concept of transcendent love and optimism amidst adversity, encompassing love found in seeking revenge, striving to change the world, and fostering bonds of friendship and loyalty. The relationship between Naruto and Sasuke is the one Kishimoto gives the most development to in the series, and embodies nuances of love, rivalry, loyalty, and compromise. This love isn’t necessarily romantic, but it can also be anything because it is transcendent love. This part is up to you to decide and I believe doesn’t take away from their story either way.

Another question that arises is, does Kishimoto really just suck at writing romance? Well, not really. He’s demonstrated his ability to craft compelling romances, such as those between Minato and Kushina, and Asuma and Kurenai. However, he chose not to apply this to Naruto and Hinata or Sasuke and Sakura. Although, he does show that Sasuke cares for Karin at one point, even awakening a new power for her, but takes it back as their relationship ultimately falls victim to Sasuke's madness at the time (although I believe this relationship, along with Naruto x Sasuke, can tentatively be argued for, but I digress for now).

These decisions reflect 1) the fact that Naruto and Sasuke's characters are not about romantic love; their goals and convictions for justice are prioritized above all else 2) Hinata and Sakura are not The Ones for them. Thus, their seemingly unhappy relationships serve as a reflection of their de-prioritization of romantic love in favor of their greater missions.

Further, realistically, people don't always end up with their ideal partners. Many people settle in relationships because they desire families or because they are pursued by others, rather than actively seeking out their soulmates. Kishimoto chooses to depict Naruto and Sasuke with a lack of emotional expression with their respective spouses. Even in the presence of their own children, Naruto and Sasuke are not depicted with joyful expressions, suggesting a lack of fulfillment in their familial roles.

The Whitepill

Ultimately, the way things turned out seems disheartening at first because shows are meant to inspire and provide an escape from reality. Throughout the series, Kishimoto led us to believe in the possibility of an ideal ending, where change is attainable and love conquers all.

But, Kishimoto's decision to depict Naruto and Sasuke's inability to achieve 100% of what we desire is, in fact, profound. The truth is, we can't always get exactly what we want, but we can make small compromises and strive for justice in whatever ways we can. This struggle is something humanity has faced throughout its history. Our world is far from ideal. But, we are still able to achieve bits of justice in ways we can; we get just enough to keep us going, to leave us with the thirst for more.

Naruto and Sasuke's best efforts serve as inspiration for us to take up the mantle and continue the fight.

Perhaps Kishimoto portrays Sasuke's surrender not because he believes Naruto is unequivocally right, but because Sasuke wants to choose love, and is inherently kind and idealistic. He cares deeply about his friend and desires to see positive change in the world. Sasuke's journey leads him to become a protector of not just Konoha, but all villages, reflecting his compassion for people everywhere.

Similarly, Kishimoto may depict Naruto continuing on as part of the existing system not because Naruto is complacent, but because he's someone who seeks to work within established frameworks rather than tearing them down completely. This approach doesn't diminish Naruto's convictions or his commitment to change; rather, it reflects his pragmatic approach to achieving his goals while minimizing disruption

Ideal World and Optimism

Despite this, Naruto’s ending does not really make sense in an ideal world. In an ideal world, there would be a more perfect compromise, we wouldn't be bound by our fate, and the oppressive shinobi system would be dismantled. Naruto and Sasuke would have more time to heal and explore the world alone, and eventually find fulfillment in their love lives; Sasuke would find someone who truly understands him, while Naruto would enjoy a relationship where he can be his true, expressive self. Sakura would be able to move past her childhood infatuation and grow personally, while Hinata would gain confidence and develop her own identity.

Therefore, reading from a purely Narutoverse standpoint, the issues I mentioned do, in fact, undermine the themes and relationships built over the course of the narrative. Maybe Kishimoto fumbled after all, and Boruto sucks, and is simply a cash grab. Or, he intentionally wanted to troll us—suddenly breaking all conventional storytelling rules is suspicious, right? But, there are many influences that led to this, and Kishimoto's mindscape and reality surely play a vital role.

Regardless, Kishimoto's big mistake is being too subtle and abrupt in introducing the new concepts at the end. However, in doing so, he has successfully sparked ongoing disagreement and discourse that persists even a decade after the series concluded.

In this sense, he has effectively brought attention to the messages: make love, not war; seek change, not complacency; and find The One, don’t settle. And even if I’m wrong in everything and this whole essay is just a copium, it's a lot better to believe in my ideals than to accept defeat. Because, Naruto taught me one invaluable lesson—no matter the odds, never give up.

#thoughts #I finally broke and wrote down all my thoughts #naruto meta #meta #naruto #sasuke #konoha #naruto ending #naruto analysis #essay #naruto essay #pro sasuke #pro naruto #anti sasusaku #anti naruhina #media analysis #writing #mine #op #my essays

[anerdinallherglory]

Approaching Sun (35)

Author’s Note:  I had planned on delivering more this chapter, but the wordcount got a little out of hand and it made the most sense to stop it here. I’ll be working on the next chapter in advance so I can still write the good parts while my muse is present. For those that are still with me reading this story, I would suggest listening to Runaway by AURORA for Sakura’s pov in these chapters and Don’t Worry by Boon for Sasuke’s second pov. Special shouthout to my Optom husband who was happy to lend me his medical knowledge for this chapter. As always, let me know your thoughts. Thank you for your patience. I promise it will pay off. 

Pairing: SasuSaku

Previous Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34

Chapter 35: No Help Needed

Sakura’s trail was cold. Beyond their shared bedroom and her departing letter, there was nothing. Like a released bowstring, Sasuke had sprung forth into the night in the direction of the only detail he was certain about her plan: Tanigakure. He had plucked this detail from Mako’s memories like a healer digs out pieces of metal in a flesh wound. The physical toll of traveling nonstop overnight while chakra-depleted had cost the Uchiha, and he had been tempted several times to just pop another chakra pill into his mouth. However, he couldn’t risk taking it in case he came upon a situation where he would need it in combat. So, Sasuke had trudged through the sand all night, wrapping his hair and face with the black cloth of his turban, pulling the hood of his traveling poncho up and over his hair to better disguise himself; Sasuke didn’t want to even waste chakra on a simple transformation jutsu. He ‘had to be discreet,’ after all.

Sasuke arrived at the jagged mountainous ribcage surrounding Tanigakure the following evening, gaining entrance easily as an unrecognizable traveler in a world of peace. His eyes searched for any flash of pink and he stopped at every place he could think where Sakura might start her search for the organization bent on killing her: the hospital she made Sasuke stay at just so she could visit the medical facilities here, and even their old hotel room, but there was no sign of her. After hours of staking out with no word or sign, Sasuke cursed himself for not gathering more information about her plan from Kakashi before pursuing her. His inability to find even a trace of her just went to show that Sasuke was always a little too confident in himself and still found himself habitually underestimating Sakura’s skill. 

As the sun began to set, Sasuke wanted nothing more than to approach every single soul crowding the streets in the evening lantern-lit dusk and ask if anyone had seen her, but Sasuke couldn’t risk the suspicion it would rouse about his own identity. Who was he and why did he want to know? How did he know her and where could they find him if they did see her? He could already hear the questions and he didn’t want any rumors to make it to the leadership of this village. Discretion turned out to be a lot more difficult when you were panicking.

And so, Sasuke perched himself on the roof above a crowded izakaya, where many individuals were flocking to participate in nighttime drinking and he did the only thing he could think of: watch and wait for a word, a clue, the breath of her name or description between the boisterous laughter of intoxicated patrons. In the darkness of night, when the starlight outshone the dimming lanterns, Sasuke even became desperate for the crickets to sigh but a syllable of her name. But like everyone else, they gave him nothing. Sasuke released a frustrated sigh, adding another useless sound to the nightscape around him as he jumped down from the building, too restless to do anything but pace the streets and wonder how he ever ended up like this.  

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Sakura fingered her dark hair in the reflection of the ink-stained water in the bucket at her feet. She scrubbed at the lingering residue of black dye running past her hairline and wrapped the towel in her hands quickly around her short hair. When Sakura heard the crack of the door, she flashed the woman who entered a quick grin. 

“You dyed it!?” the youngest girl of the group, Tabi exclaimed, falling to her knees beside Sakura with her hands covering her mouth. “But it’s your best feature! You would attract the attention of everyone!”

Sakura shook her head, wanting to say something along the lines of ‘that’s exactly the point,’ but she didn’t for the obvious reason of blowing her cover. And despite what she had told the headmistress of the bathhouse, Sakura didn’t plan on being here long—just long enough to gather the intel she needed in order to move into the next phase of her plan. 

“Mother will not be happy,” the girl stated, reaching over to finger a stray lock of jet that escaped from the bundle atop Sakura’s head. 

“Mother,” Sakura responded, using the same honorific for the headmistress, “will hopefully understand my reasons. I don’t want to stand out too much.” 

Tabi shook her head, saying, “Is it permanent? How long will it last? Will the steam from the bath ruin it?”

Sakura shook her head, grateful she could be honest with the young girl with at least one thing. “It should hold for a couple of days, if not more.”

“The sooner it fades back to rose, the better.” Tabi stated matter-of-factly, rising to move to the other side of the room that they shared to begin the evening ritual of preparing for the night’s work. 

Sakura copied her experienced movements, powdering her face while her hair dried, carefully concealing the purple diamond between her brows. Infiltrating this job had been easier than Sakura had anticipated given the reputation of difficulty in this line of work. Sakura had approached the headmistress as a ‘transfer’ from another establishment. Due to Tanigakure’s exclusive nature from the outside world, it was not difficult to acquire fabricated copies of the necessary paperwork indicating a ‘private transfer’ from another village, and Sakura easily produced the medical assessments of her health that was also required. It also didn’t hurt that Sakura’s coloring was considered rare and possibly desirable by some; in other words, she would be highly profitable. Sakura promised the headmistress a steep percentage for every patron she ‘pleased.’ Or would allegedly please. 

No, Sakura did not plan to violate herself in order to gain the information she was looking for. She had never stooped into this role before in all her mission activity, but Ino had once used the disguise in order to slip into minds of her targets more easily once she got them isolated and no harm could befall her body once she performed the jutsu. 

Sakura had only acquired empty leads since she had arrived in Tanigakure. All Sakura needed to do was assess, learn what she could from the right people, and transition into the next step of her plan. The infiltration was the easy part, but this next part was dangerous, and Sakura would have to tread so very carefully. 

“Why are you here, Tabi?” Sakura couldn’t resist asking, wondering how such a lovely girl ended up servicing despicable men at one of the secretive bath house locations in the shinobi world. “How did you end up in a place like this?”

Tabi eyed Sakura curiously for a second before laughing. “I could ask the same about you.” And then she didn’t talk to Sakura for the rest of the evening as they prepped for the night.

Sakura followed the other girls into the establishment, a building disguised as a common bathhouse in the front section, advertising the typical bathhouse amenities, but concealing the back half which included private baths and rooms. When a section of the wall slid back to reveal a dark sitting room, Sakura had to steal herself and conceal an inner cringe under the stares of the lounging men who were already expecting them in the luxury-style waiting room. Sakura never felt so disgusted in her entire life than she did in that moment under the predatory gazes of those who only sought to devour others and pleasure themselves. Sakura immediately found herself second guessing this step. Maybe this hadn’t been such a clever idea. But she had no other choice. The members of the organization had been able to conceal themselves in a “neutral” territory long enough to gain numbers and begin operation. To Sakura, this meant one of three things. The first and most unlikely option was that this anti-peace organization had managed to keep their activity low enough to avoid detection and that Tanikage was truly focused on other things. Sakura doubted this one. The village was simply too small to have as many members as Mako had claimed go undetected. Or there was a very real possibility that the Kage and Council were already aware and didn’t take action because powerful figures were involved, maybe even leadership, or they simply did not care.

When the door was shut behind them, Sakura watched the other girls disappear into the noisy room hazed with pipe smoke, making their way toward familiar patrons. Socialization seemed to be a part of the selection process, to intensify the excitement, and Sakura planned to take advantage of it. She held her breath as she navigated, walking up to Tabi who had already familiarly climbed into the lap of one of the younger men, apparently a returning patron of hers. 

“Is this a new friend,” the man drawled thickly through a handful of Tabi’s hair that he had twirled throughout his fingers and pressed to his mouth. 

At Tabi’s sudden wide-eyed expression at Sakura’s appearance, Sakura answered for herself, soothing Tabi’s fears in the same sentence. Sakura knew the look of someone who felt threatened by her presence, and Tabi was giving her a warning stare for approaching her patron. “Yes. Guta Hae, sir,” Sakura introduced with a bow. “I am new. Perhaps you could introduce me to any friends that you might be in company with.”

Around her, the socialization had already begun and men who had already found their women for the evening, began to mingle with their associates, the girls clinging to their arms like trophies. Several of them appraised Sakura from a distance, naturally curious at the new face. But Sakura wasn’t going to just be picked from the lot like a prized animal ripe for butcher. No. Instead, Sakura would be choosing amongst them in the form of an introduction, just as she had planned. 

Tabi nodded, exclaiming, “Yes. This is her first night so she doesn’t know anyone,” Tabi smiled back at the man who was running his hands possessively over her leg in the dim light around them as he debated whether this unexpected disturbance would be beneficial in some way, or if he should just whisk Tabi away to their private room. “Could you introduce her to some friends, Toka-san?”

“Hmm,” Toka smirked, “any favor for you, dear,” he murmured into Tabi’s hair. “If you’re willing to return it.” 

The words dropped into Sakura’s stomach to spoil like rotten food. This wasn’t good. Sakura didn’t want anyone to suffer anything personally from her meddling, especially not a woman as nice to her as Tabi had been. Just as she was fixing to retract her request, intent to say nevermind, Tabi was helping the man in the lounge chair to his feet, twirling his arm around her neck as they walked toward the crowd gathering in the back of the room. 

The haze grew thicker around the smoking men as they lounged against the shadow-cloaked walls, and Sakura bowed to them when Toka stopped and held out his hand smoothly for Sakura to take. Masking her face to conceal her repulsion, Sakura slid her fingers into Toka’s waiting palm and he held her hand above her head to spin her in a half pirouette in front of his curious counterparts. The way each of their eyes clung to different parts of her body had Sakura feeling like she might wretch. 

“Guta Hae,” Toka introduced, dropping her hand as if he were a gentleman. Sakura knew he was anything but. “She’s new here. Tabi asked that I introduce her to you all.”   

Sakura’s eyes fluttered as she feigned shyness, bringing her shoulders innocently up for a small second. 

There were exchanged smiles amongst some of the men as they debated their current choices, but Sakura’s eyes assessed them back, weighing her options and gathering what little intel she could gather from them. At the center of the pack, Sakura’s medical eye immediately located a man with his eyes tightly bound with bandaging. He was quiet as he tilted his ear to appraise her, solemn with two girls on each of his knees as he sat in one of the red, luxuriously tufted high-back chairs. And Sakura marked him as someone of little interest to her despite the initial surprise of his blindness. His injuries could mean several things, either good or bad for her purposes, but Sakura also could tell that whatever had happened to him had potentially wisened him, and Sakura didn’t need to approach that type of person. The fact that his injury potentially revealed his status as a former ninja, put him on Sakura’s radar; but, she also believed he might be worth investigating at a distance. Sakura’s eyes scanned over the rest of their smoking and laughing personas. 

“New in what way?” one of the men joked loudly as the rest of them snickered with shiny, interested eyes. “New here? Or…new, new?”

Sakura wanted to sneer at such a suggestive question, curl her lip and let her inner Sakura bleed through her teeth and down into her firsts. “I’m from the Land of Fire,” she revealed, weighing the various reactions to such a revelation. And several eyes flickered to her, assessing her differently. 

“The Land of Fire?” asked the loud man again as he crossed his arms. “Can’t be Konoha. I’ve never heard of such an establishment in the Leaf. Not recently, anyway.”

The others agreed around him, but Sakura didn’t reveal that answer. She had made her cast, throwing the lure out onto the smoke-infused water, dangling the bait in the crocodile faces of six influential men. By smiling and shrugging her shoulders and keeping the mystery of her origin concealed, Sakura was reeling in that line and establish her own draw.

Sakura moved toward the loud one, painting a saccharine grin on her face. He was going to be the one to spill secrets, Sakura could tell. He had a mouth on him like Naruto. “Are you familiar with Konoha?” Sakura asked him sweetly as she moved into his inner circle, receiving a glare from the woman on his arm. “I’ve never been to the Leaf, but had many patrons from there,” she continued. 

Before she even learned the man’s name, Sakura’s fingers were grasped carefully once again, the same application of force that Toka had just touched her with, and she was being tugged back around to face the group of men. The rougher man with the bandaging around his eyes had stood to retrieve her, reeling her in towards him as if she were the bait on the line. “Don’t waste your time on him. He’s a clown.”

Sakura’s instinctual reaction was to become solid, send chakra to her feet and become as immovable as her inhuman strength would allow her to be. It took her only a millisecond to resolve herself, to recommit to her plan, and Sakura became supple despite her annoyance with the man who felt too important to be overlooked by her. 

The two women who had once sat on his lap were gone and he replaced them with her, pulling her down to sit on his right knee. She still stiffened despite her resolve, realizing once again how dangerous the people were whom she was trying to play with. This guy was lucky, so incredibly lucky that Sakura’s purpose here was not to kill every single one of them. 

“I can tell you about Konoha,” he spoke lowly, a whisper as the conversation resumed around them, as he bent his head into her blackened hair. Sakura could feel the rumble of his voice in his chest as he said, “What is it that you want to know?”

Sakura couldn’t help herself. She turned her left shoulder into him to create more distance as she watched him carefully. “Are you from there?” she asked, wary that this man might be able to recognize her despite her careful disguise. 

“No,” he answered, “but I know several men who are.”

“Are you a ninja?” she questioned again, trying with everything in her to relax into this man’s embrace. Where their bodies touched, Sakura felt as if he were like a boiling acid, searing and burning at the connection points. 

“Have you been with a ninja?” he countered, and Sakura recognized his attempt to avoid answering the question. 

“Who do you think visited my previous establishment in the Land of Fire?” 

He chuckled, a mirthful laugh that lasted a little too long to make anyone comfortable. His next words sent an electricity through her blood. “What I wouldn’t give to see your face as you lie to everyone around you that you’re a sex worker like the rest of them.”

Her eyes grew wide as she checked to see if anyone heard what he had said. Most of the couples had already retired to their rooms, so Sakura forced her breathing into a steady cadence of ease and indifference. She turned to him slowly. “I don’t know what you mean.” 

Her hand was taken lightly into his and she resisted the urge to snatch it back as he guided it to his cheek, splaying her fingers across the side of his head with his own as he grinned wickedly. “Your face was the last thing that I saw before I lost my vision. I’ll never forget the sound of your voice, Haruno Sakura.”

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When the door closed behind them, Sakura snatched her hand from the blind man who had lead her privately to one of the sauna rooms where extracurriculars were expected to take place. Sakura’s initial plan for this part was immediately interrupted. Pulling a kunai from her tightly-fitted silk attire, Sakura spun and pinned the mysterious man against the black wood of the closed door, kunai flush against the flesh of his throat. Beyond the slight tilt of his chin skyward, the man had no reaction. 

“Who are you?” she hissed, all pretenses and disguises temporarily dropped. 

The man chuckled against her blade. “It’s not surprising you don’t remember me. The battlefield of the war was so gruesome and so many men at your mercy, my face was one in a sea of millions.”

Sakura couldn’t help but think of Satou, Isao’s father, and Satou’s wife, whom Sakura had failed to save. Isao’s mother, too, had been one of millions. Sakura desperately searched for any recognition and came up blank. She remembered healing hundreds of visual injuries—this man had only been one of them. A heavy weight settled in her gut as she realized, that like all those others, his injuries had most likely been passed off to others because of the minority of them in comparison to those on the brink of dying. Severed appendages, organ damage, bleeding. Going blind was unfortunate, but not life threatening.  

Sakura asked the next obvious question. “Are you one of the people out to kill me?”

“Yes, actually.” He admitted and Sakura pressed the blade deeper, contemplating the pros and cons of killing him on the spot. “But,” he added lightly, avoiding the dipping of his throat against the bite of her kunai’s sharpness. “Since I was lucky enough to find you first, I will make you a deal.”

“Why should I even believe a word out of your mouth?”

“Because you have something that I want,” he answered, a hand coming up to grip her own. But he couldn’t move the fisted blade away because Sakura’s hand was as unmovable as steal as she no longer suppressed her immaculate strength. 

“And what is that?” she interrogated, unperturbed by his words. 

“Your abilities,” he smiled. “Heal my eyes completely, and I’ll help you.”

“I’ve been betrayed once already by a fellow member of yours,” Sakura revealed. “I won’t make the same mistake twice. Trusting you is the last thing I am going to do.”

Another chuckle reverberated up his chest like the swell of a wave in a turbulent ocean. “Then don’t trust me. But I am afraid that you have no other choice to work with me.”

“And why is that?”

“Because all of your friends are being watched carefully. And to your soon-to-be dismay, a certain Uchiha has been identified here within Tanigakure, and he is looking for you. The Zenshin’s plans for him aren’t a part of your plans, are they?”

Sakura’s kunai bounced as her hand shook in surprise at his words and it nicked his throat once before she steadied it. He hissed and pulled harder against her hand, but it still didn’t move. 

“He is here?” Sakura asked in a whisper, a myriad of paths of possibility spidering out from the revelation. Sasuke had followed her. Despite her wishes and despite Kakashi’s promises of keeping Naruto and Sasuke preoccupied, Sasuke had followed her. Not Naruto, but Sasuke. Even if it was out of concern for her, why? Why did he continue to doubt her abilities? Sakura pushed those feelings to the back of her mind as a new thought formed around the name of the organization that wanted to kill her and many others: Zenshin. To advance. Progression. The exact same word that Mako had declared to her in the desert wind only nights ago. She finally had the name. 

“Here and unsuccessful in his search for you, is what I have heard,” came the blind man’s sultry response in her face. “We knew you had to be close if he was here sniffing for you.” 

Damn it. Her plans were already starting to unravel. She was banking on the fact that they might not believe her brave enough to confront them, alone and in their own territory.  “On the off chance you’re actually telling the truth,” Sakura growled, “you lot are absolute fools to underestimate Sasuke. He and Naruto are singlehandedly the strongest shinobi to have ever walked this earth. He will mow you down just as Madara did to the shinobi alliance.”

“What about you?” he asked, a smirk tugging on the corner of his mouth despite the knife still secured against his flesh, nearly vibrating with the energy it was taking Sakura not to silence him permanently. “How strong are you?”

In the next movement, Sakura sheathed the weapon and relaxed her face into a smile of her own. “I am not far behind them.”

The blind man instinctively rubbed his neck where her kunai had been, smearing the pinpricks of blood there. “You’re lucky that even blind, my senses are sharper than my companions’,” he spoke, seriousness replacing the nervous humor of his previous persona. “By claiming you first, I have saved you from the lions you were prowling amongst just outside.” 

“Which ones in the sitting room are a part of ‘Zenshin’?” Sakura asked, and her eyes grew terribly wide at the next admission from his mouth.  

“Why, all of them,” he laughed once again. 

All of them? If the man had been able to see, he would have noticed that Sakura’s face had drained of all color. Sakura’s mental efforts doubled as she began to cross out steps of her plan and recalculate, following the conceptual intricate spiderweb of possible effects from each detour she could potentially plan for. 

He took a step toward her. “And all of them were already suspecting your identity the very minute Toka introduced you. I happen to be the only one present who has ever heard your voice. My actions to grab your attention will have interested them even more. I’ll have to explain what I did tonight. Your next move will determine the words that will come out of my mouth.” 

Sakura nodded, still silently assessing her options, before she said, “remove the bandage.”

The man hesitated, as if he was almost unsure if he wanted her to see what lie beneath. He only hesitated for a moment before fingering the white bandage. He walked toward her until he was only a few feet ahead of her. When the bandage slipped down to reveal his eye sockets, Sakura frowned at the unblemished nature of them. Not an external injury that could be healed, then. She had been hoping for cataracts or some other resolvable issue via procedure.

He flinched as she touched his temples, tilting his head back so Sakura could peer into them. She summoned her chakra to her fingertips and pressed exploratory chakra into them. He gasped at the invasion when her chakra made contact with his flesh, and his hand came up to grasp on to Sakura’s wrist.

“I’m only investigating the injury,” Sakura reassured him.    

“I know,” he frowned. “You did so once before. You told me there was little that could be done.”

Sakura nodded, feeling dread at her past self’s words. If she had not been able to heal them, she suspected no one could. Sakura suddenly recalled the shinobi war and Kakashi sensei, whose eye had been torn from his eye socket by Madara and then restored by Naruto, through his perfected Ying-Yang release through the sun seal given to him by Hagoromo. Naruto was not only able to restore Kakashi’s eye from nothing, but he had also been able to revive Obito after the extractions of the Ten Tales, and accomplish other grand healing feats during the war in the duration of which he had possessed the seal. Both Naruto and Sasuke relinquished their Sun and Moon seals when they sealed Kaguya. That sort of healing power was gone now. 

Sakura possessed and could control both Yin and Yang chakra due to her healing training under Tsunade and her natural affinity for genjutsus. Even with Sakura’s near perfect control of chakra, she could not use Yin and Yang simultaneously as Naruto had done with Hagoromo’s seal.  

“Are you able to see anything at all? Lights? Shadows? Shapes?” There was a big difference between being blind and being visually impaired. While others saw nothing but darkness, some could still make out some glimpses of their surroundings.  

“Nothing. Not since the war.”

Sakura frowned as she searched the eyes with her chakra. The eyes themselves were undamaged. The optic nerves intact. The retinas whole. They were clear in appearance, with startling dark irises. Black, like Sasuke’s. No clouding. There was only one possible cause left: brain damage.

Sakura frowned at how hopeless the situation was. “Do you have any pain?”

“No,” he answered. “Would pain be a good sign? That the body is trying to heal?”

Sakura winced at his train of thought. People often believed that pain meant the body was trying to repair itself, and that if there was no pain, it meant one of two things: the body was not damaged, or whatever healing was to be done was complete. This was not the case for many injuries. If he was experiencing pain, it might just indicate a different type of injury. Saying he had no pain was just strengthening Sakura’s suspicion.

Reaching to cup the back of his head, Sakura pushed her fingertips into his scalp. He winced at the contact. 

“Were you hit in the back of the head during the war? Is that how you lost your vision?”

He nodded, grinding down his teeth as she determined the truth he hadn’t offered freely. Brain damage was irreversible. Sakura could not create new pathways for nerves. She felt the dead-end her chakra reached after traveling down the optic nerves. The visual cortexes of the occipital lobe at the very back of the brain was no longer receiving signals from the eye. Sakura suspected that he probably had been told this by multiple healers and was hoping she would arrive at a different conclusion. 

“What’s your name?” she asked, feigning medical indifference to his injury. She wasn’t ready to reveal her deductions while he was still in the mood to answer her questions.

“You can call me Rugo. It’s what the others call me.” 

Sakura nodded, understanding why he wasn’t going to divulge his real identity to her. She decided not to ask what village he was from originally, which was going to be her next question. Tanigakure had been neutral in the war, and since he had allegedly fought in the war, he had either migrated here after the war, or he came to be a part of Zenshin mission, specifically. 

“How many members of Zenshin are ninja from other villages?” she questioned instead while she still had the opportunity. 

He hesitated for a moment, before admitting. “Most of them.” Sakura frowned at that. Just how many ninja had been unsatisfied with their lives after the war that they believed healing the grievances of the next generation stood in the way of progression?

“Is your vision loss why you joined Zenshin?” she asked boldly, trying her best to understand his particular motives. Something as significant as blindness could make the kindest of people bitter. If that was the source of his bitterness, Sakura didn’t understand why he wanted to allow such anger spread for the sake of strength and progression in the next generation of ninja.

He did not answer at first, but then said. “Yes. It is the reason. But I did not join Zenshin to prevent you and others from healing the trauma of ninja. I joined to find you. You are the only one who can help me now.” 

Sakura sighed at his confession and pulled her hands away, but Rugo caught them desperately, a sharp contrast to his cocky charisma. “If you can heal them, I’ll help you. Don’t tell me what the other healers say. I know that you can fix this.”

Sakura pulled her hands free, hesitant to disappoint him. She fumbled silently in her pocket for an item that she had prepared for the next phase of this night once she was alone in this room with whichever man was unlucky enough to become her recipient, even though it hadn’t exactly happened how she had planned.

“I am sorry Rugo. Brain damage cannot be reveresed. I cannot heal them.”

The man frowned deeply at her words, shaking his head. He was not expecting the sharp prick in his neck that came next. Sakura pushed down on the plunger that pushed the harmless sedative into his bloodstream. Ironically, as a medic, Sakura couldn’t help but notice the widening of his eyes as the muscles registered his surprise, which indicated that the cerebellum, the separate part of the brain in control of muscles still operated perfectly. He crashed to his knees before falling forward as she caught him. 

She wished she had the time to tell him that he was lucky, so incredibly lucky to only have lost his vision from the type of head injury that he had received. If any other parts of the brain had been damaged, he would have likely lost his ability to speak, to control his muscles, to walk; he could have become paralyzed. Maybe, if he were still alive, they could have this conversation in the future after she executed her plan. 

Sakura was only a little disappointed that she hadn’t been able to accept Rugo’s offer of assistance as an inside source, after all. Whether or not he had intended to, the Zenshin member had already given her the information she was looking for. And Sakura never really needed anyone’s help anyway. Not Rugo’s. And not Sasuke’s, either.

Only when Sakura turned on the tap water for the bath that wouldn’t be used after all, and she was certain the sound of it would keep her from being disturbed by the head matron, did Sakura bite into her flesh. Blood pooling at the tip of her finger, Sakura placed her thumb against her palm and pushed her five fingers into the ground, performing the summoning technique. 

“Lady Katsuyu,” Sakura greeted the small slug, 1/1000th of her original body, that began to climb its way over the legs of the man she had just incapacitated. 

Sakura knelt, using her blood smeared finger to trace an intricate symbol on Rugo’s temple. The blood pooling where she had traced, and small trails hastily dissected from the main paths to trickle down into the hair at his temples. “You’re certain this will work?” Sakura asked the human-size slug that reached up to cover the man’s unmoving face with her body. 

“It should,” Katuyu reassured her. “The blood is just an extra step of assurance. I should be able to do this on my own without it.”

Sakura nodded, sparing the little extra chakra it took to stop the blood flowing freely from her thumb without completely healing it. She was going to have to repeatedly break the skin there as the night continued, so growing new skin was not needed.  “This is the first of many.”

“Sakura, dear,” Katsuyu responded as the slug divided into an even smaller version of herself and slipped into Sakura’s outstretched palm while the main body completely consumed the man Sakura had incapacitated.  “Please be careful.”

 “Of course, milady. I’m sorry for what you will witness from this moment on.” She tucked the slug away into the hem of her robe’s neckline. 

Sakura opened the door to her room and turned to stare down the hallway at all the closed doors concealing the fellow members of Zenshin. 

.

.

.

It was the sheer lack of activity that he was witnessing in his observation spots that first alerted Sasuke that something wasn’t quite right. In every town, if someone positioned themselves correctly, there would be brawling to spectate, scandals to witness, information to gather, but not in Tanigakure, apparently. The last twenty-four hours had been surprisingly uneventful in comparison to his first pass through when Sasuke and Sakura had been ambushed in their sleep. It was odd, how quickly they had been identified the first time in Tanigakure, but Sasuke had yet to be approached. Yes, he had been more discreet than before, but Sasuke was starting to feel annoyed both with his lack of progress in finding Sakura’s whereabouts and this organizations inability to notice his whereabouts. 

That was, until he noticed that nothing around him was particularly noticeable. Ah, he realized. So I have been discovered. It was the only explanation for how fruitless his efforts had been to acquire any real intel about an organization fixated on killing his friend. Sasuke realized immediately that he was purposefully not being fed anything helpful. It only unnerved him when he realized just how many people must be in this group if the multitudes of people he currently watched from above were being intentionally silent. Sasuke also surmised that whatever organization this was, they were also dodging interest from the leaders of Tanigakure. They, too, were trying to fly under the radar.

And so, Sasuke waited in the night, perched above the noisy izakaya once more, rain pattering against his cloak and bouncing from the brim of his black hood, content to play his role while he schemed. He contemplated doing something unexpected just to shake things up, but what would they consider unexpected? Sasuke tried to see this situation for their perspective. This organization knew that Sasuke had followed his pink-haired friend here, and that he was searching for her. They knew that Sasuke had retreated the last time he was here, whisking Sakura away in order to protect them both. They knew he was trying to be discreet so as not to cause any problems for Konoha. With that information, Sasuke deduced that they expected him to continue to look for Sakura, sit and listen discreetly until he located her, interrupt her mission to take her away. They were allowing him to do just as they expected him to in order not to alert him. 

To their extreme disappointment, Sasuke was smarter than everyone involved in this ridiculous plan to distract him. 

And so, Sasuke covered his face tightly. He planned to throw a wrench into the plan, discreetly, while still sending a very strong message to those he assumed lurked in the rain-cloaked shadows. And it wasn’t going to cost him very much chakra. 

Unfortunately for them, thunder rumbled above him, and Sasuke inhaled the energy of the surrounding atmosphere. Unlike in his battle with Itachi, Sasuke did not have to manipulate the air with Amaterasu in order to manipulate the cumulonimbus clouds into existence. They brooded over him regardless, as if his very frustration manifested into the storm that now cast the village in a torrential downpour. For once, Sasuke saw it as a sign that the universe might actually be on his side, that his decision regarding a future with Sakura might have been the right one. One worth destroying a few buildings for. 

And he did exactly that. Sasuke wasn’t entirely his former revenge-seeking self, one bent on the destruction of an entire village, but he smirked dangerously as a flash of lightning struck the infuriatingly useless izakaya. A lightning bolt strikes in 1/1000th of a second, and the explosion happened first. Sasuke waited on the sound to follow before he let out one quick laugh to himself. Sasuke inhaled as if it were the first real breath he had in a long while; it felt so good to let go, to cave to destruction. To push things back into motion and take control of a situation. 

As expected, people ran from the building, some attempting to put out the small fire in the ceiling, while others ducked for cover back into other structures and away from the smoking rooftop. The heavy rain assisted in putting it out very quickly, causing minimal damage. 

It wouldn’t draw enough attention from those who didn’t know that the lightning wasn’t entirely one of nature’s unfortunate disasters. Only those who were watching him as closely as he was suspecting, would realize that Sasuke was done waiting. 

When two ninja landed on either side of him, Sasuke’s Sharningan glowed in the dark as he leaned his head back against the building, arm slung forward over one reclined knee. His Sharingan darted to each of the two men, seeing what no one else could see in the blinding shower and muddled night. Two shinobi, faces covered, stood before him, proudly adorning two headbands with that insufferable five-spiral symbol he’d seen the last time he was here and more recently glimpsed from Mako’s memories. 

“Finally,” the Uchiha breathed as he rolled his neck. 

At his words, the two ninja, obviously assigned to monitor him, glanced at each other in surprise. Sasuke saw it cross their faces: the moment they realized they had been outplayed and forced to show themselves. 

The air, now electrified, lashed out on its own and more lightning crackled in the air above them. In one lightning flash, Sasuke sat unmoving against the building’s side. In the very next, he had swapped with one of the men, teleporting places with him. Timing his movements with the crash of thunder, Sasuke grabbed the second by the neck and hurtled him into the first, smashing their bodies together. Sasuke justified his next actions based on two things: his low levels of chakra and the fact that he had one arm to handle two ninja at once. His katana spun free of its sheath before either men could even react to their sudden collision, and Sasuke skewered them on his blade, penetrating one through the shoulder and the other through the bicep until they were pinned together against the elevated section of the roof. They cried out in unison but their noises didn’t echo beyond the very next crack of lightning that Sasuke generated somewhere in the distance, its very purpose to disguise their screams. 

Releasing the blade, Sasuke knelt before them in the pouring blackness, just so that they could see a glaring set of red and purple irises. He wouldn’t waste his limited chakra combing through their deranged minds, so Sasuke planned to interrogate his preferred way and do it thoroughly. “Where is she?”

“We don’t know who you’re talking ab—,” came the automatic lie, and Sasuke twisted the blade immediately in disguised fury. He was not in the mood to listen to deceptions. The thunder boomed. 

Sasuke sighed. Sometimes it was the most predictable outcomes that tipped Sasuke over into an all-consuming sea of annoyance. If he treaded this sea too long, Sasuke would tire and eventually sink, and the Uchiha was already too well-acquainted with the depths of anger. If he hit the bottom, people would begin to die. And Sasuke didn’t want to be a murderer anymore if he could help it. Steadying himself, Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose and said lowly, “I would advise not bothering to waste my time with more lies. It won’t end well for you.”

“We don’t know,” spat the first man as he clutched at the katana penetrating through his arm. “The lightshow is unnecessary. Someone needs to put you in your place, Uchiha, for using your power in this village.” 

So that was it. As long as Sasuke was laying low, they were planning to leave him to his futile attempts to find Sakura. They didn’t want the real authority alerted to his presence because then Sasuke would talk, explain his presence and involve the real people in charge of this village. That, or there was deal with the higherups. If the village leaders knew of this organzaiton’s activity, they had allowed it to transpire as long as it remained inconspicuous. All of this information told Sasuke that the less evident of a profile this organization could keep, the better. Sasuke suspected that Tanigakure didn’t want multiple villages involved, but were somehow benefiting personally from this arrangement. Sasuke guessed that this secret organization also wanted to eliminate more reputable individuals off their list before they were confronted by multiple parties. It was a testament to their lack of experience and firepower if they had yet to eliminate Number 1 and had already pissed off two out of the five Kage. 

“Last chance to be honest,” Sasuke hissed, twisting the blade deeper into both of their bodies, relishing the squelch of the blade’s movements in their flesh.

“We lost her!” the man in the very back hissed, spitting out rainwater, holding his partner very still with his clenched fists to keep him from jostling the weapon any further. “And many of our men, with her.”

Sasuke unfeelingly blinked at that confession. 

“Shut your mouth,” the front man said to the fellow soldier behind him, jostling the both of them as he tried to shift in order to look back at him. 

“Stop moving!” the man in the back hissed, grabbing more firmly to the man seated practically in his lap. 

They had already located and lost her? The mention of other members of their organization going missing was the part that had Sasuke’s mind trying to make connections. Sasuke wasn’t sure if this was a trap. He had expected it to be a lot more difficult to receive any answers from anyone. So, what was the angle? Did they intend to follow Sasuke to her after telling him that? There would be no chance of that happening; Sasuke would quickly ensure it. 

Inhaling, filling his lungs with electric energy, Sasuke reached forward and gripped the hilt of his katana. The current came from his lungs when he exhaled and it snaked around his arm in a circuiting slither, crisscrossing down the blade until a surge of electricity connected with their open wounds. Another crack of lightning, closer this time. More screaming. 

It had been a very long time since Sasuke had used this technique to simultaneously torture and weaken his captive. He remembered performing this very move on Yamato, the temporary squad leader for Team 7 when they had come searching for Sasuke in one of Orochimaru’s underground hideouts. How ironic that he had once felt the same level of annoyance that he was now, but it had been directed at Team 7. And now. Now, it was because these imbeciles had the absolute audacity to come after one of them, as if any member of Team 7 could be taken down by such dirt beneath their feet. As if Sasuke didn’t have the absolute power to obliterate every single one of them without a second thought. 

“Enough,” Sasuke growled lowly, forcing himself to talk more than he was usually inclined to do. “This current will intensify over the course of two minutes until you are essentially executed by electrocution. Which means you have two minutes to answer my questions without lying. If I even suspect a lie, lightning will travel straight to your heart before two minutes is even up.”  

Their eyes widened, and Sasuke moved out of the path of the rain running down the slope of the roof towards him, until he was free of any electrified water that connected with their bodies. 

“First question,” Sasuke began, thickening the electricity traveling through his arm to his blade. “Where was her last known location?”

“The bathhouse,” groaned the man in the back, the more talkative of the two. “The brothel.”

Despite his usual collected countenance, Sasuke’s red and purple eyes widened marginally at such a word. A brothel? A brothel? A new fire quickly formed in Sasuke’s chest at the revelation, and it was not the lightning-style chakra centralized there. It was a fire of panic and rage. 

“When?” Sasuke asked next, amping up the voltage once more. The man in front, the first to receive electrical current, slumped forward unconscious.

“Earlier in the night,” the guy mumbled, lips beginning to numb with the rest of his body. His words still came out in a rush, however, eager to meet Sasuke’s deadline, before he, too, ended up like his partner. “Our leaders failed to give us our next orders at our usual rendezvous point. We arrived at the bathhouse, their last known location, to investigate—the other girls. They told us she had taken them.” 

“Where is this bathhouse?” came Sasuke’s final question.

“Promise you will spare me, first,” the man pleaded, but Sasuke’s frustration only grew at the begging. Instead of assuring the man, Sasuke twisted his blade again. 

After the scream, came the answer to his question. “On the eastside, against the mountain.” This man, too, fell unconscious, slumping against his partner, when Sasuke poured more electricity into his chest cavity. Sasuke ripped his blade free from their bodies. 

He left them there in the rain, feeling absolutely no guilt at all because they would at least eventually wake up. Unlike every man who had occupied Sakura’s space in a godforsaken brothel, these two men were lucky because they would keep their lives. 

#naruto #ssfanfiction #naruto fanfiction #approaching sun #sasusakufanfiction #sasusaku #narutoshippuden #naruto gaiden #sasuke shinden #sasuke retsuden #sakura hiden #sakura haruno #sakura uchiha #sasuke uchiha

[sasusakucoded]

When Sasuke is traveling and he wants to talk to someone but doesn't want to bother his family, he summons Aoda. The first time he did that, the snake was so confused because he didn't feel any danger. It was the first incident that he was called by anyone just to talk about random things. Sasuke, on the other hand, didn't expect that Aoda is actually sensible and would respond wisely to his musings. From then on, it became a habit for Sasuke to summon him. He'd rather talk to his beast friend than to annoying, judgmental people.

Sasuke: Summoning jutsu!

Aoda: *appears* Lord Sasuke, your desire?

Sasuke: I hope I didn't disturb your night, Aoda.

Aoda: Not at all. It's Aoda's pleasure to be summoned by Lord Sasuke.

Sasuke: *nods*

Aoda: So, Lord Sasuke is traveling again.

Sasuke: Yes..

Aoda: Traveling is a weird concept to us. The whole family stays in one den. We only go out when we're summoned.

Sasuke: Yeah. I remember when Sarada was very young.. She probably doesn't remember.. But she asked me about it too.

Aoda: Ah, Lady Sarada.. Even snakes don't have a good memory.. What did she ask Lord Sasuke?

Sasuke: She asked.. 'Papa, why do you travel so much?' During that time, I was only going from our house to another place in the village. But she calls that traveling.

Aoda: The world is bigger in a youngling's eyes.

Sasuke: That's true. But on that day, I was going to leave the village for a long time. She repeated the question.. As if I didn't hear it the first time.

Aoda: And what was Lord Sasuke's answer?

Sasuke: I told her that I had to go to protect her and Sakura.. And the village.

Aoda: Lord Sasuke's intentions are pure but hard to grasp even for Aoda.

Sasuke: I know.. She asked me again.. 'Papa, if I'd be strong like you and like Mama.. If I'm strong enough to protect myself, will you stay here for good?'

Aoda: That's a logical question.

Sasuke: Yeah, but you know it's not as easy as that, Aoda.. It was very hard for me.. I continued packing my things. I pretended I didn't hear her because— Because..

Aoda: Because you wouldn't be able to leave.

Sasuke: Right. And just last week, we were able to talk about it again.

Aoda: About that same question?

Sasuke: Yeah. But this time, I was the one who wanted to talk about it. I wanted to apologize.

Aoda: I haven't heard Lord Sasuke apologize to anyone.

Sasuke: You said your memory is not that good..

Aoda: Fair point. Go on.

Sasuke: But before I could even start, she went 'Papa, I understand. I could see your sacrifices and I know you also suffered much. We are shinobi. As sad as it might be for the younger me, you just did what you were supposed to do.'

Aoda: Lady Sarada is wise like his father.

Sasuke: I don't think she takes after me on that aspect but.. Yeah. She's very wise for her age.

Aoda: A wise offspring is very ideal.

Sasuke: *nods*

Aoda: I hope that lifted some guilt from Lord Sasuke's absence in Lady Sarada's earlier years.

Sasuke: It did. I should've talked to her about it sooner.

Aoda: I agree but you still did good. As expected from you.

Sasuke: Thanks for thinking highly of me. I think highly of you too.

Aoda: My pleasure. I consider Lord Sasuke, Lady Sakura, and Lady Sarada as snakes. As familial relations, I mean.

Sasuke: *smiles* I appreciate that.. So.. Aoda.. Tell me about your new offspring.

Aoda: Gladly..

#sasusaku #sasusaku headcanon #ss headcanon #aoda #uchihas #sasuke sarada #sscoded no 243

[dreadsuitsamus]

Sacrifice | Itachi Uchiha x Reader |

author's note: this is not my usual genre of either smut or fluff. please do not read if you do not like unhappy endings. itachi and reader are also young adults in this (i didn't give a specific age but i imaged them at 19 just for the marriage and pregnancy to make sense) but everything else is as it was in canon

pairing: itachi uchiha x fem!reader

warnings: uchiha clan massacre, pregnancy, graphic suicide

You sit on your knees at the coffee table, your back to the front door. Your eyes are closed and you wait for the inevitable arrival of Itachi. You feared that something like this might come to pass, and with the chill in the air and the sounds of violence and screams in the neighborhood, you understand your fears have come true.

You wait patiently for Itachi to come home, listening intently to your surroundings. And all it takes is the sound of one irregular wisp of the wind for you to know he's arrived. "Itachi." You hum softly, his presence now before you.

He doesn't dare speak your name. He's got one spot left after this, and from there he's doomed to a life with the Akatsuki, forever a terrorist. He'd stopped sharing as much about his meetings with the village leaders, and he knew you were intelligent enough to know he was purposefully leaving information out. His eyes well up with tears and go back to black.

"So the clan was going to go ahead with the revolt." You conclude, finally looking up at him.

"Yes." He says softly. "I failed… And now…"

You shake your head. "You don't have to say it."

"They're only letting me save Sasuke." He whispers. "I-"

"I know you fought to spare me." You say solemnly.

"I could not understand why. You are only an Uchiha in name." He speaks slowly.

"Not quite. I am an Uchiha through our marriage, yes, but there are reasons they seek my execution. For one, I am carrying an Uchiha."

Itachi closes his eyes and ducks his head. He'd feared it would happen; his love would cost you your life. "No…"

"I could not tell you why they're willing to spare Sasuke and not our unborn child. But if I had to guess, they must feel that I would raise the child to go against Konoha and seek to destroy it for all it has done to me. A pity that they believe I'd ruin the sacrifice you've made tonight for my own personal vendetta. It is true that I would love nothing more than to destroy this village into nothing… But only for you, would I leave it pristine."

Itachi drops to his knees before you, bowing his head. "I… Cannot do it."

"You have to, Itachi. If you don't, we all die. Everyone else but your parents are dead. You cannot turn back now."

"I won't kill my wife and child."

You sigh and look out the window. The moon is full and bright. "Tell me, 'Tachi. Where will you go when this massacre ends?"

"The Akatsuki." He murmurs. "I've been promised a place with them. It will allow me to watch from the shadows and make sure Sasuke is safe."

"I do not know of this organization. Will you be safe?"

"Yes."

Your lip twitches up. "You never could lie to me. Promise your wife you'll stay alive to see Sasuke grow up."

"I don't like to lie to you." Itachi says, ignoring your request.

"Then don't." You say simply. "Stay alive. That's all I will ask of you. As my dying wish, tell me you'll stay alive and protect Sasuke."

Itachi breathes in slowly, shuddering at your words of 'dying wish'. His knuckles are clenched tightly around his ANBU sword at his side, but it feels like lead in his hands that he's too weak to move.

"Legacy: what is a legacy?" You muse softly. "I wonder how they'll remember us. The great Fourth Hokage died for this village too, and to other nations we've gloated that he was the strongest of us all. You'll be remembered as a stain on Konoha, instead of the bravest and most selfless man they could've ever had the privilege of speaking about. You're saving their lives at the cost of nearly everyone you have ever loved. Your legacy will be nothing but a lie a young man had to tell for problems that the cowardly politicians should've fixed themselves."

Itachi trembles at your words, following up on where you were headed. "Sasuke must hate me to become strong. He and the village can never know the truth."

You look back at him. "I wish you'd let Sasuke decide what's best for him."

Itachi freezes under your stare. "I have to protect my little brother and Konoha."

You hum to yourself, and Itachi recognizes it as an Uchiha clan lullaby. His heart constricts in his chest as you place your hand over your lightly rounding belly. "This village doesn't deserve you, love."

Itachi doesn't have an answer to that, so instead he allows his Sharingan to burn bright again. He stands once more, heart hammering in his chest so much he may die before he can even lift his sword. And damn that look on your face, the one of understanding and love and forgiveness for what he's about to do to you and your child.

"Don't put me in an illusion." You ask softly. "I want the real you to be the last face I see."

It's swift. Even with his Sharingan he can only barely register what you've done. The moonlight glints off the metal of the kunai, and time slows as you drag the metal tip across your own jugular, slicing yourself open and throwing the kunai aside in your final action. You fall back and your eyes are heavy as you bleed out and begin to fade.

Your hearing is gone, and the last thing you see is the movement of your husband's lips.

I'm sorry.

#itachi x reader #itachi x you #naruto #naruto shippuden #tw suicide #itachi uchiha #itachi uchiha x reader #itachi uchiha x you #fic

[livinglouderx3]

SNStober Day 20 - Adult SasuNaru

„Maybe we should finally plant those tomato plants we have been talking about.”

“You have been talking about them”, Sasuke leaned back against the doorframe, watching Naruto’s back as he just stood there – looking onto their small and currently still mostly bare garden. “I don’t particularly care.”

“Yeah, yeah, sure you don’t.”, Naruto mocked him, raising his bandaged hand to give him a disapproving thumbs down. “I think I’ll get some seeds tomorrow and get started.”

A breeze of wind passed them by, tousling Naruto’s blonde hair – he had been finally letting it grow longer again after Sasuke had told him to do so some weeks ago.  They were silent for a while.

“Naruto.”, Sasuke eventually sighed. “You know, you don’t have to do this-“

“It’s time.” Naruto interrupted him, his voice barely a whisper. “It’s time, Sasuke.” He repeated himself, putting some more confidence into his voice. Then, finally he turned around, letting their eyes meet. They weren’t talking about the tomato plants any longer. Sasuke expected to be met with sadness, with some sort of grief. Yet, Naruto’s blue eyes seemed even brighter than before, filled with so much life once again – this Naruto before him finally resembling the one in Sasuke’s memory, the one from all those years ago when so many things had been different, better.

“I’ve made up my mind.” Naruto gave him a smile, a true one, “I’ll step down from being Hokage.”

Naruto had already told him about this decision about a week ago. At that time, everything had been set in motion already, Konohamaru was of course willing to take over - all the necessary preparations have been nearly completed. Sasuke had been shocked to say the least, and even now, even if this was Naruto’s last evening as Hokage he could barely get his mind around it.

Yet it would happen. Naruto had decided to. He wanted this.

Sasuke suddenly felt a hand cup his cheek, Naruto was still smiling at him – the glint in his eyes nearly blinding. He had missed this so much.

“Taking care of our tomato plants will be a nice hobby.”, Naruto mused, “Now that I’ll be having that much free time again, you know.”

Sasuke only shook his head in disbelief, before slowly leaning into Naruto’s palm, “I can’t believe you. You’re such an idiot.”

“I know.”, Naruto laughed.

#snsmonth23 #sns #naruto #naruto fic #snstober #naruto uzumaki #sns fanfic #sasuke #sasuke uchiha #sasunaru #naruto x sasuke #narusasu #sasunarumonth23

[managician]

9pm musings: if you think about it Ina11 areori timeline where Tenma never gets passionate about soccer would make perfect sense.

By "if you think about it" I mean, I thought too hard about it and spent like 2h typing all this, so here's my ideas under the cut. Maybe someday I'll make a fic with this?? Who knows

With Orion Foundation being a thing I think the adults would try a lot harder to make sure No Evil Organization tries to take over soccer again right under their noses, so Fifth Sector, reasonably, wouldn't get to exist, or at the very least gather as much power as it did in GO.

No Fifth Sector means no promise of money for Yuuichi's surgery, which means Tsurugi probably straight up gets obsessed with becoming a top tier famous striker who can make enough money instead. Raimon will still be the most prestigious jr high school for that so it's safe to imagine he'll end up attending there.

(If the accident even happens, that is. If we go the 'everything is fine' route the way areori fixed Atsuya and Hiroto's deaths, both Tsurugi and Yuuichi would enroll in Raimon due to their admiration of Gouenji and become an amazing striker duo.

Because yeah might as well bend Yuuichi's age so they can play together if we're fixing everything!)

The rest of GO Raimon started playing soccer for their own reasons, as far as we know, so the team would be formed normally, with or without addition of Yuuichi. Holy Road can work without Tenma, especially without any need to make a revolution.

Now, CS, it gets a bit messier but it can still work. It's mentioned in the season that Tenma was a bit of the 'beginning' of the Second Stage Children genes, but surely there are other talented players that caused it, so Feida vs El Dorado conflict would still end up happening.

Rather than Tenma, at the start of CS Fei would end up saving either Shindou (he's the captain, he has good head on his shoulders) or Tsurugi (probably has the strongest passion for soccer). Either of them can reasonably work as protagonists — I'm leaning towards Tsurugi because I think he'd be able to bond with Fei more closely, with both of them being somewhat loner/aloof type.

The real problem comes with gathering Chrono Storm. Would the timeline simply adjust to Tenma's absence and make someone else able to get King Arthur's miximax, or would they be forever missing that single ideal player...? In a meta sense it's tragic, but fitting, if he just gets replaced (since he was never there to begin with).

With how strong the Chrono Storm lineup is, I think they would be able to win, even if they really were missing a player. They'd just train extra hard to overcompensate that fact.

Which brings us to Galaxy. Literally the ONLY point in history where it would actually make sense for Tenma to develop any kind of liking for soccer. He's the right age for the tournament, he's got a Soul in his body. Heck, he even still attends Raimon, since his parents would send him to Inazuma with Aki because they're swamped with work in Okinawa.

Coach Kuroiwa needs him. There's a reason he picked the specific members he did, so Tenma has to be part of the equation, whether he's played soccer before or not.

But what kind of person would a soccer-less Tenma be? Let me tell you, probably not the chirpy guy we know.

In GO timeline, it's shown he practiced soccer alone with Sasuke, so it's safe to assume he honestly didn't have any friends who wanted to play with him. He's a bit of a "weird kid". The one friend we know he made in elementary was Aoi, and she got interested in him after she caught him playing soccer and grew to admire his passion.

No soccer means no close friendship with Aoi right off the bat, which would make adapting to Inazuma feel more lonely. No soccer means he's got nothing to show his parents that he's doing well while they're away and paying for all his expenses, either.

In the soccer-less world he's part of the /calligraphy/ club of all things, clearly roped in by Aoi, so it's not far-fetched to assume that a soccer-less Tenma just kind of... wouldn't know what to do with himself in the grand scheme of things.

He might've tried things here and there. I mean, he's Okinawan, so he might've liked swimming or surfing when he was a kid (sorry for the stereotype, but hey to be fair Tsunami did it too!). He looks like he'd generally be an athletic person, even if he doesn't dedicate himself fully to anything.

And that's realistic, too. It's a situation many teenagers go through. Seeing everyone be enthusiastic or passionate about something, while you don't even know if there's anything that you want to be doing in life. In this case, with no close friends and without your parents' reassurance or presence, on top of that.

So his condition to join Inazuma Japan could be something as simple as "I want enough money to be able to try out every activity/career/etc. that could interest me". What he REALLY wants is to find something that makes him passionate and lets him make friends — but he doesn't know yet that soccer will become exactly that for him.

The Moment he sees Shindou and Tsurugi do a Hissatsu together, though, completely in sync and with full trust in each other, is when he would think to himself that 'soccer can make people grow /that/ close, huh...' and inevitably get attracted to the idea of playing the sport.

Except, you know. In early Galaxy Shindou fucking hates everyone and he would be no exception. Any attempt to make friends with them and play real soccer with them would be met unkindly.

However, there's also the fact that Shindou can only rely on himself & Tsurugi for scoring this time around — and you need at least 2 players to pass the ball, so he can't hang back and play defensively like in normal Galaxy.

With 3 out of 4 of InaJapan's DF having never played a sport at all, and the 4th one being an injured ex-boxer, Tenma is the least irritating person to trust with defending. As much as it still irritates Shindou to have to trust anyone from this team.

And... you know Shindou and Ibuki's arc, with Ibuki trying to prove himself to Shindou? Yeah, in this BOTH Ibuki and Tenma would be trying to prove themselves to him askskdkdkfkf. I could imagine them ending up having some sort of rivalry to see who can become useful to the Raimon duo faster.

I don't know but the idea of Tenma just... getting to develop a close friendship with Tsurugi and Shindou way later than usual, but it ending up feeling completely natural for all of them, would be so sweet and sad at the same time,,,. almost to the point they feel there was something "missing" in their lives before getting to meet each other 🥲

I have no idea how the season as a whole would develop, especially regarding the Tsurugi kidnapping and 'betrayal' stuff, since Tenma plays a key role in it originally, but... that's for future me or someone else to figure out

Either way: my point is that I still think Tenma wouldn't grow to like soccer itself to a crazy degree like his GO self. Rather, he loves the connections that it lets him make, and thankfully fate allowed him to get to play the sport :>

#idk what possessed me to type all this but I've been having Thoughts about areori timeline go cast #matsukaze tenma #inago #inazuma eleven #long post #.txt

[yunarise]

𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐍𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐀 𝐋𝐎𝐓 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐈𝐄𝐑.

𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄: jules. 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐍: she / her. 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌: discord. 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐒: too many to list. xiao, morax, dan heng/feng are the most active currently. i also used to write sasuke, tomura, merlin (bbc) etc. etc. 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄: making some very very good friends who've stuck with my reclusive ass for years now. 𝐑𝐏 𝐏𝐄𝐓 𝐏𝐄𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐒: purple prose. i'm very glad to see that this trend seems to have died down, but my god. descriptions are great, fantastic even, but there's a limit. keep your thesaurus away from me. ghosting. if you vanish without warning, especially after leaning on me for emotional support, you instantly lose all my respect. I respect your time, so I expect you to also respect me and mine. 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒: the dichotomy between duty/expectation and personal freedom, healing from trauma, depression, learning to be loved. and, loathe as i am to say it, daddy issues. 𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐑 𝐌𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐒: memes for getting started, plotting for after we've passed each other's vibe check. 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐑 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒: whatever makes most sense for the thread! i dislike length for the sake of length but also dislike brief responses that lack anything to go off of when replying. put in what needs to be there. 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄: typically after three days of rest and without obligations or at 2am when on the brink of delirium and several coffees deep. 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄: there's usually at least a part of myself reflected in how I write my muses. some more than others, of course. 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐆𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐘: @basbousah 𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐆: anyone who wants to do it and hasn't yet.

#––– ❛ dashgames 【 all. 】 #––– ❛ 【 ooc. 】

[adelinevw7]

fluency

“I love you, Sasuke-kun.”

It was tradition at this point, her nighttime greeting. The way that she would exhale the words, as natural as anything. He had come to expect this of her, even rely upon her doing it.

And yet, this evening he felt compelled to break the routine; instead of merely receiving her affection, he dared to voice his curiosity.

“Why do you tell me this all the time?” Sasuke stared at the ceiling as his question sank in, hyperaware of the woman beside him. Perhaps, as much as he wanted to know her answer, he was also afraid.

What query or demand was she making of him, each time she told him that she loved him? And was it something he could answer—he, who was profoundly wounded and sorely lacking, especially when it came to matters of the heart?

She finally pulled him back from his tortured musings with a sigh, half fond and half wistful. Sasuke felt her snuggling closer, curling her body against him.

“It’s not like there has to be a reason, you know?” There was a smile in her voice now. “I just wanted to remind you, as many times as I can.”

“Even if I don’t always respond?”

He was still a novice at this language, after all. However much he wanted to be fluent in this easy affection, sometimes his tongue simply sat like lead in his mouth.

She merely laughed at him. “But you do!”

Sakura moved even closer, and he wrapped his arm around her without even thinking twice about it. She looked up at him then, eyes bright—as if citing this as proof.

“You always do, my darling. And I hear you loud and clear.”

.

.

.

[read more snippets here]

#sasusaku #sasusaku fic #sssnippetaday #haruno sakura #uchiha sasuke #blank period

[pinkhairedlily]

perks of a wallflower

for sasusaku shoujo week 2023. prompts: high school, festivals, love confessions, accidental kiss, kabedon, wallflower. sasuke first person pov

here's an accompaniment to your reading

I, Uchiha Sasuke, seventeen years of age, only want nothing but peace in the last year of my high school life. So far, I have been successful ducking away from high-energy (like Uzumaki Naruto who I think takes five energy drinks in a day the way he’s always loud-mouthed and laughing and screaming in the hallways), and high-activity people (like Haruno Sakura, student council member since freshman and is now the current president. She probably has magical time management skills because I don’t know how she can fit everything in her schedule).

I am simply content in acing the expectations set by my family name.

Excellent grades.

First place in exams.

Official representative in academic competitions.

The successor of the alumnus with distinction, Uchiha Itachi.

The official top rank nobody in Konoha High, in other words.

Except I’m not.

Not really.

Not when President Sakura is always near second to me, short only by one point or two. And maybe it’s because she’s juggling everything in those two dainty hands of hers that she can’t be perfect all the time.

It’s not that I pay attention. It’s just that her hands are tiny.

And soft.

She grabbed my arm when classes broke for lunch one time and told me to go to the clinic.

“You’re hot.”

I wouldn’t know how to respond if I wasn’t running a 40 degree. “Gee, thanks,” I sloppily replied.

“No, but really. You need to go to the doctor.” Her face was painted with concern. There was nothing different about it; she dons this exact same expression to all her constituents. 

It was the fact that she saw me, in the midst of class, battling a fever I thought I perfectly hid.

She didn’t wait for my response then. She dragged me towards the room, and pulled me into her orbit.

There’s a phenomenon called Zero Shadow Day when the sun is at the zenith and its rays fall perpendicular to an object. The shadow, usually cast behind it, falls directly under. Being skin-close to her is exactly that kind of phenomenon; I become engulfed in her.

My brother never fell in love in high school, but I did with Haruno Sakura.

xxxx

“Sasuke, you still don’t have a role.” The teacher taps his pen on the bound script. “Naruto beat you in signing up for the tree.”

“We have district finals!” screams the blonde baseball captain.

I clear my throat, but it just attracts even more unwanted attention. “What’s left?”

A beat passes which is more suffocating than the irritated throat I have now. “An understudy.”

“Great—”

“—of the princess.”

I could hear the blonde stifle his laughter behind me.

“Okay,” I sigh, “so long as the real princess shows up.”

After rehearsals, the prince comes up to me and taps my shoulder. I wish she wouldn’t untether me from the ground.

“I know you’re only doing this because they made it mandatory for graduation, but I’m still glad you’re with us,” Sakura says with a grin. 

“Yeah, sure.”

Shouldn’t I have more words in my arsenal?

“Do you want some bread with mulberry jam? I finished half of it already.”

“That’s a lot.”

“I tend to devour food when I’m nervous.”

“Nice.”

That’s a horrible reply, Uchiha Sasuke.

xxxx

It’s a slow rehearsal, but I’m privileged to endure the multiple ‘back-to-the-start’ behind the curtains, against the wall, mindlessly scrolling through pages of dialogue. A big  figure surprises me out of my musings—and oh my God, why is Sakura so close?

“I need my personal space,” I manage to croak out, but that made me sound more like a douchebag than a guy panicking over his crush standing a few inches away from him. It’s hard to breathe but I somehow manage to smell the faint jasmine in her hair and the strawberry on her lips.

Sakura complies in good spirit, rather too quickly for my liking (aren’t you panicking @/self?!). “Just practicing for the last scene.”

“I’m a spare.”

“You never know when it’ll come in handy, Sasuke. Besides, familiarizing this proximity lessens the ick-factor for you eventually.”

I’m pretty flexible when her mouth curls up in corners. The bound papers fall to my side, as a prop, as it should be, and I retrace the steps she took earlier. In my hazy vision, she wavers in her stance when in fact she stays rooted on the floor. It’s me who’s losing footing.

I reach her, approximately three inches away, and I breathe her in again uninhibited, along with her verdant eyes that learned not to look away. It’s a role I’m supposed to play. “This close?”

Her green eyes capture me in still frame. My mind makes up the vision of her throat closing up and her breath hitching. “Closer.”

My foot feels like lead. It’s just one step, I tell myself.

“—Break time’s over everyone!”

xxxx

My luck strikes on the day of the cultural festival wherein our little production happens to be the culminating activity in the gala night. This is so much fun (sarcastic).

Normally, I wouldn’t get too hung up about this, considering I am only an understudy, but lo and behold, the teacher informs me thirty minutes before the second act that the princess is sick.

“No.”

“Yes.”

“What do you mean by 'the princess is sick'?”

“Her stomach pain has become unbearable so you need to do what you are tasked to do, Uchiha.”

“I am an understudy.”

“Of the princess.”

“....”

“The princess is just lying down most of the time for this act, Sasuke. Your dialogue is literally on the last part.”

Which I didn’t know by heart.

 I swear.

“Okay fine.”

The story is one you are already familiar with. The princess tries to escape her fate by going on an adventure but somehow gets cursed to fall asleep indefinitely until she is awakened by the true love’s kiss. We don’t know anything about the prince, but we know that it’s the person the princess loves the most.

It’s the opposite in my  case, as I lie rigid and stoic against the greatest battle waged in the princess’ journey. No one knows who I am, but I know who I love the most.

Sakura is cool, judging by the cheers and almost-fanchant screams in the audience. I keep my eyes shut (I don’t think I’ll ever recover when I find her hovering above me, inches away), and all sounds fall mute to my drowning ears.

I hear the strings of words I’ve memorized from behind the stage, even the liminal pauses in between where her breath rests. I think of the patterns in her footsteps—ten until she gets to my deathbed on the center of the stage. What I’m not prepared for is the graze of her stray strands against my cheek. I take my fill of her scent and all her emotions suspended in the silence she closes the distance in.

There’s a slight shift in the background. A raucous scraping against the wooden stage, and I zero in on Naruto moving a little earlier than expected, and one of his very very long branches hit Sakura on the back.

A yelp becomes the next line.

I open my eyes the exact moment I taste strawberry.

xxxx

The cultural festival ends with the traditional dance around the bonfire.

It’s momentous in the sense that anyone can get a free pass to spill their guts in the dancing flames to their person of affections and expertly hide their pained expressions in the shadows.

I choose the bright lit classroom on the fourth floor where President Sakura spends the last hour of the night as my tragedy milieu.

For some weird reason, I kept the costume on, minus the hair in case this Ancient Greek montage goes either way. I am Snow White with the same ebony hair and pale skin. I offer an apple sans the poison and apologize.

“The great Uchiha Sasuke saying sorry!” She shrugs and bites down on the apple. “Shouldn’t you be the one who’s angry?”

“The student body thinks I defiled the perfect prince.”

She shakes her head, breaking in a chuckle, “It was theater, and they were just overreacting.”

“Still, I don’t think it’s proper.” I brace for the truth. “It might have been your first kiss and I took it away.”

“It’s all right. Maybe it’s the same for you? Aren’t you bothered by it?”

It’s hard to focus and stay serious when Sakura is ahead of me in her nonchalant grace, eating my attention away in every bite. “I’m all right with you as my first kiss.” Maybe if I tell the truth, she wouldn’t hear it over the mulch.

She wipes the juice from her lips as they transform into a smile. “Then that makes the two of us.”

I’m the one who chokes on the imaginary fruit. “What?”

“I said that makes the two of us.” No more munching this time.

I think I’m having problem swallowing. No way. All those people, and she likes me?

And I think I said my thoughts out loud.

She laughs, and the melody turns her redder than the almost fully consumed apple in her hand.

“Are you still playing along?” I seldom have my heart on my sleeve, but I’m wearing mine on the roses embroidered on the chest.

“It’s not part of the script, Sasuke.” The pale core of the apple makes a stark contrast against her cheeks.

“I like you.” I tell her the lines I rehearsed over and over again this past year. “It’s not part of the dialogue.”

“You look so silly saying that in a princess dress.” She laughs again, and this time she couldn’t stop. I’m not sure if this is going the right way. “You know, I’m not sure if you’d notice, but that only means I did a good job hiding it.”

What’s the proper response for that? “My head hurts.”

My disconnected reply does not deter her own confession. “I like you, Sasuke.” Her gaze lands on anywhere but me. “For a long time now. How else would I know you have a fever that day?”

Actors get stuck on lines. They forget the next words. Some people depend on off-stage prompters, others improvise. I’m not an actor, no matter how much I practice and make up scenarios which I would rather describe as overthinking, but I choose the latter.

My steps are still too heavy for all the nervousness that holds me down, but I reach her soon enough. “I think the student council president deserves a last dance for her last cultural festival.”

She quickly finds her spaces within the expanse of my arms. Maybe that’s what happens when I’ve carved out the place for her.

“This is not part of the play,” I whisper.

“It is,” she replies, “The teacher just cut it out because of the runtime.”

She steps on the hem of my dress, and the resulting sidestepping makes her double down in another fit of laughter. She’s closer to me now, much closer than the three inches we practiced.

“Oh Sasuke, I have another confession.”

I don’t think I’m  ready—

“It wasn’t Naruto’s fault.” She’s breathless. “It wasn’t an accident.”

“Oh.”

I make a step, an attempt at fumbling. She holds me steady at my waist. I learn that my hands can cradle her entire face while hers seep cold against the fabric of my dress. This time, I taste apples as I bend down. “This one isn’t too.”

I, Uchiha Sasuke, want nothing but peace in the last year of my high school life. So far, I managed to find and keep it.

ao3 link | buy me coffee ☕

#sasusaku #ss shoujo week 2023 #uchiha sasuke #haruno sakura #sasuke #sakura #ss fic #high school au #fic!pseudolily #fic!pinkhairedlily

[the12thnightproject]

For the flash canon:

Shingen + Youkai please!

Hi @houseoftitans thank you for the ask.

Ok I have an idea here, but the question really is, can I flash canon a detective story with the ten minute limit...

Deep breath...

When Kenshin's sake seemed to be disappearing faster than Kenshin claimed to be drinking it, Shingen didn't think anything of it at first.

After all, Kenshin's sake consumption was nearly as legendary as his prowess on the battlefield.

His (as Sasuke put it) 'frenemy' was probably just drinking more than he realized.

But then the maids began whispering that they'd seen a Tanuki wandering about.

Now, Shingen, being a strategist, and a (former) theological student (seriously, no matter what Kennyo claimed, Shingen had been doing more than just drinking and flirting during those years), was not inclined to count out any explanation, even one that involved a racoon-dog with abnormally large testicles, but... how does one go about outsmarting a shapeshifter?

Especially as he would prefer not to become a victim himself.

Finally he decided that if the sake thief was indeed a tanuki, his best tactic would be to negotiate with the being.

As a lure an offering, Shingen set a jar of sake just inside the door to his room, and set about waiting.

Soon after the moonrise, he heard the tap tapping of little feet (and the sliding of the creature's testicles across the tatami mat), and sure enough moments later, a tanuki crept into his room, and grabbed onto the jar of sake.

As soon as that occurred, Shingen lit a candle, and casually greeted the tanuki. "Welcome. You are free to pass, though I do realize you do not need my permission to go where you please."

At first the tanuki was startled to be spoken to, but it sensed that Shingen only wanted to talk, so it nodded its head. "What is your wish?"

"Well, you've been taking my friend's best sake, which again, I admit, we cannot stop you from doing, however... when my friend is with his sake, he gets..." Shingen paused, then decided that once again, Sasuke's word best suited the situation. "Stabby. And since the rest of us here would prefer not to have holes poked in us on a daily basis, I was hoping that we could find another solution."

The tanuki shrugged. "This is not my problem. Or my concern."

"What if I told you that on the other side of the country, in Azuchi, there is someone who is partially responsible for the loss of your forestland to war."

"Azuchi is a long way off," the tanuki pointed out.

"And if I mentioned that the someone is a kitsune?" Shingen hoped the tanuki would be incentivized to go... for that would not only solve the sake issue, but it would cause problems for a certain silver haired sneak.

"Azuchi is actually nice this time of year." With a wink, the tanuki grabbed the jar of sake, and melted into the night.

Well, that was a job well done, although, Shingen mused, it seemed less than fair that he had never encountered one of the Youkai who shapeshifted into a beautiful woman.

... that he was aware of...

#asks answered #flash canon #shingen takeda #fanfic #ok this ended up more as headcanon theater

[greatideas-badwriter]

Worth The Risk Chapter 14

Mature Content Warning!

BTW sh*t's about to hit the fan!

'Is there a word stronger than humiliated?' Sakura thought while sitting in the back row of a lecture, 'Mortified. Embarrassed. Ashamed.' She couldn't focus on the professor teaching at the front of the room.

'Terrified. I'm scared, and I'm exhausted. I'm at my goddamn wit's end.'

It was Tuesday, four days after the big incident after Sai's party. Like a knight in shiny black armor, Sasuke found and cared for her in such a way that she almost believed the alcohol had made her hallucinate.

'He's been a sweetheart since then, too," the woman frowned at her blank notebook, twirling her pencil anxiously between two fingers, 'I know it's because he thinks I'm crazy. This is the second time I've sworn someone was following me. They couldn't find anyone both times.'

But Sakura knew better. Maybe the Akatsuki couldn't find the person following her home, but the blonde man from the party had definitely followed her out into the streets.

The phone in her purse vibrated with a notification, and she bent down to pull it out, recalling how her old one shattered against the concrete and broke. Luckily, the store was able to transfer the number to her new device.

'Sasuke bought this for me, too,' she mused, the guilt eating her heart and leaving a raw ache. She doesn't remember getting home that night, but when she woke up, she'd been put into some of his pajamas, and he'd been cuddling her to keep her warm, even in his sleep. The scuffs on her palms and knees were also cleaned and bandaged.

On Saturday, the day after the party, he purchased the new phone as a Christmas gift for her as thanks for the one she'd gotten him.

Green eyes dully read a text from Ino, 'Have you seen the new guy on campus yet? Major hottie alert!'

Sakura didn't bother responding.

She was as low as low could be. Not only was she positive someone was after her, but no one believed it. If she met up with Ino, she'd definitely spill the beans about what happened, and that'd be just another person thinking she's insane.

'Maybe I'm crazy. Maybe I imagined it all, and it's just PTSD from everything that happened.' The thought didn't make her feel any better. In fact, it made things worse because there wasn't a doubt that it'd happen again, and she'd be just as distressed.

Shortly after, right before the end of the lecture, she received another message. The woman opened it on auto-pilot, under the impression it was from someone at the party she may have drunkenly given her number out to, all of which being girls she wanted to befriend. Two had reached out already.

'Drunk me is better at socializing than sober me. It's almost funny.'

The woman sat straighter in her chair when photo after photo began popping up in the chat box of the text sender. They were from her ex-boyfriend's number. Chest heaving with panic, she looked around to ensure no one was close enough to see over her shoulder before peeking at it again.

It was Akatsuki members, incriminating snapshots of them, to be exact. Most of them were Sasuke, but there was at least one for each of the gang's core members.

Once the messages stopped, she texted back because it wasn't only her being affected, 'Why are you doing this? Just leave me alone!'

Rather than receiving a text back, more pictures began coming in. This time, they were of her. Photos of Sakura at school, with Sasuke, with Ino or Karin, and even a few of her at the Akatsuki house, which appeared to have been taken from a distance through a window.

Feeling like she was about to be sick, Sakura snatched up her belongings and rushed out of the lecture hall, only to empty her stomach in the nearest ladies' room. 'Oh, God. He's been watching me for weeks!' Rinsing her mouth out in the sink, she angled her body toward the entrance just in case while checking to see if the person had responded. They hadn't.

So, she called Sasuke. 'I have to tell him about this immediately. He'll have to believe me, now!'

The Uchiha didn't answer, which shouldn't have surprised her because he was in class. Not wanting to alarm him too much since it might be a little while before they see one another, she texted him, 'I need to talk to you as soon as your class ends. It's important.'

It was both of their last class of the day, so all she had to do was manage her panic and anxiety for another twenty minutes, and then she'd have no choice but to come clean to the man about her past because it'd finally caught up to her.

A message from him quickly came, 'What's up?'

It'd be foolish to send him anything regarding the situation because there's no telling who he was around or how he'd react to receiving something so incriminating out of nowhere, so the woman replied, 'In person.'

After rinsing her mouth again, Sakura left the restroom and walked toward the staircase to the third floor, where the library was located. Upon reaching the first step, though, her phone began to ring. Looking down at it, she expected it to be Sasuke calling to demand an explanation. Impatience is one of his most significant faults. It wasn't him, though. No, it was her ex.

Trembling, the woman answered but said nothing. The voice on the other end of the line sent shivers down her spine, "I told you I'd find you, didn't I?"

Sakura stumbled before shakily sitting on the steps with wide, watery eyes, "H-How?"

"Saku, this isn't some movie. If I tell you, you'll run again and hide better."

She gritted her teeth, brow furrowing. No words would come out. She couldn't speak.

"Here's what's going to happen. I'm going to be starting school at your college tomorrow, and you'll act like nothing's wrong. You'll go back to being my sweet, devoted girlfriend, or I'll send all those photos to the police."

"No, I'm not-" "You are. We'll finish the school year in Oto and return to Konoha in the summer to get married."

'Married?! I can't marry him! I'll be dead by twenty-five!'

He must've taken her silence for what it was, defiance, because he threatened, "I know the people you're living with are more dangerous than me. Imagine how they'll react when I send them records of this call and our messages. When they find out you're the reason they're all going to prison, you'll be hunted and murdered, Sakura."

'...He's right, damn it. It doesn't matter if I give in because I care about them or because I'm scared they'll kill me. One way or another, I have to surrender.' Tears slid heavily down her cheeks as she closed her eyes, voice small and weak, "I-I understand."

The man sounded like a completely different person, then. His voice was bright and cheerful, "That's my girl! I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

She made a barely audible sound of confirmation, and they both hung up.

When Sasuke's class ended, he wordlessly left. After receiving those texts from Sakura, he couldn't focus on the lesson anymore. 'What could it be this time? Is she gonna tell me she's being fucking followed again?' The man wasn't angry at her, but he was getting irritated at the situation because he didn't know what to do to fix things.

He saw her pastel pink hair in the hallway and weaved through the crowd in time to exit the building at her side, "So, what's up?"

Sakura's entire body jolted, her eyes wide and face pale as she turned to him, "You scared me!"

Sasuke chuckled, grabbing her hand with his free one so she'd walk more closely, "What'd you need to tell me?"

Her thin fingers gently squeezed his hand more tightly, an odd, unfamiliar expression coming across her features before she quickly blocked it, shaking her head, "Oh, right. That. It's nothing," she gave him a big, fake grin, "Sorry. I thought I saw someone, but I'm probably imagining things again."

'She's the worst liar I've ever met.'

Once in the car and on the road toward home, he warned, "Babe. Don't fucking lie to me. What really happened?" 'Something's off. She won't even look at me.'

Sakura shook her head yet again, lowering her gaze to her lap, "I'm serious, Sasuke. I-I've just been on edge lately. That's probably why I'm like this. I'll try to relax, okay?"

The Uchiha man wasn't fooled. Not at all. That said, the increasingly familiar warmth in his chest arose when she didn't correct him for using a pet name.

'Maybe I'll keep doing it. It makes her blush.'

There was only one way he knew for sure would get her to be honest because it worked last time. So, he unpacked his backpack when they got to the house and entered their rooms. When he turned, intending to go to her room, he was surprised to see her standing in his doorway with a red face.

He opened his mouth to speak, but the woman cut him off, "Do you want to, um, have a drink?" When he was too stunned to answer, she averted her gaze awkwardly to the floor, "I-I know it's the middle of the week, but I just thought-" "Alright. Go get it and come back here."

Sakura's mouth shut, her eyes jumping up to meet his again before she nodded and disappeared downstairs.

'If I'm correct, she's trying to find a way to tell me something.'

'What the fuck did I just do? Why did I say that?'

Sakura took the stairs as slowly as possible, an entire bottle of tequila in her possession. She'd grabbed the alcohol with the highest percentage, so it'd get her drunk faster.

Truthfully, the woman knew exactly why she asked the Uchiha man to drink with her.

Tomorrow at school, her personal hell will be reawakened. After that, whatever hot and cold, flirty or not-flirty thing they have is going to be totally and completely over. They'll both be in danger if she doesn't cut him out. With that thought in mind, Sakura had become desperate. She wanted to break things off with him; that's why she wanted to get tipsy. It was too scary to do sober.

Sasuke looked as apprehensive as she expected when she returned to his room and shut the door. He didn't say anything, but they both knew her actions were out of character. The man was simply waiting things out to find out what was happening.

So, the pair passed the clear alcohol back and forth, a random movie playing on the television mounted on the wall. When the pinkette finally considered herself suitably intoxicated, the sun had set, and the film was in its final half.

She glanced over to admire Sasuke's profile. They were sitting side by side under the covers as they had the day she was sick that they hung out.

'God, he's so handsome when focused on something.'

The way his jaw unconsciously flexed and his eyes would narrow or widen was enamoring. Personally, Sakura felt she could stare at him for hours and not get bored, not that she'd ever tell him that. 'His ego's already massive. If it gets any bigger, it'll swallow him whole.'

"If you keep staring, I don't know what I'll do," Sasuke suddenly said, not changing his expression or looking her way.

Blush heated Sakura's face, thought it'd already been warm from the booze, "Sorry…."

He smirked, finally turning to meet her gaze, "I should be the one apologizing." In a blink, the woman's hair was splayed messily over the pillows, and his body was between her legs as he kissed her. After a moment, he pulled back enough to add, "But I won't."

'What…? Why am I letting this happen? I'm supposed to be breaking things off with him! … But this feels so….'

Skilled hands removed her clothes, one article at a time, and she helped the man with his, too. It was hot under the covers with the stunning man. Both were covered with a thin sheen of sweat as they deeply kissed, hands exploring one another's bodies with an eagerness as though there was a time limit.

Sakura's breath hitched when the hand holding her hip slid between her legs, long fingers searching and quickly finding that sweet spot. Her eyes crept open, brow furrowing in response to his expert teasing.

Sasuke pulled his lips from hers, dark eyes burning with unguarded desire, "If you're gonna stop me, do it now because I won't later."

'What an asshole thing to say. He knows that I understand how his mind works by now, I guess, so there's no need to pretend to be a nice guy.'

The man lifted a sleek brow, eyes looking down between them as he stopped massaging her and grabbed the base of his cock, lining himself up. She didn't stop him.

'I know it's wrong to give him hope like this, but, for once in my life, I want to be selfish. I want to have a positive sexual experience, and I want it to be with him.'

She bent her legs further, spreading them apart enough that Sasuke understood the situation. He was bigger than her ex. That was something she figured out last week when they hooked up. It still came as a surprise when a slight pain, similar to that of losing one's virginity but not quite as intense, met her core as he steadily thrusted in. Her brow furrowed, and he noticed, but neither said anything.

Once fully inside, he paused before straightening his spine enough that his weight shifted to his knees and freed his hands. Gripping her thighs, Sasuke began moving slowly to gauge her reaction and then adjusting in speed, angle, and strength as he figured out her likes and dislikes.

Sakura couldn't meet his eye because she was so embarrassed at being seen and touched like this. Her face burnt with a wildfire blush, and she kept her head turned, eyes half-lidded as they glazed over.

This was the first time in her life she genuinely enjoyed the sex.

It felt good.

It felt excellent.

So much, in fact, that she found herself unable to bite back soft moans and gasps. All she could do was try to keep them as quiet as possible. If she made the wrong move or sound, the man atop her would likely call her out on it, and she might not survive that level of humiliation.

They'd only been at it for a minute before Sasuke ran a hand up her middle to grab her jaw and force her to meet his gaze. His voice was low and gentle, though his grip was not, "Were you a virgin? Don't lie."

Sakura shook her head, eyes dancing from his face to his body, to where his sex was meeting hers, and back up. She didn't have to ask because he said, "Babe, you're so fuckin' tight."

The Uchiha man's hold on her jaw became less harsh as he bent further to give her a chaste kiss, pulling back to whisper, "And you look uncomfortable. If you aren't feeling good, say something."

"N-No, it feels amazing!" She drunkenly reassured him, hands leaving the sheets to touch his chest.

His dark eyes narrowed, obviously suspecting her of lying again. Sakura squeezed her eyes closed, admitting, "It's just…I've never really enjoyed this type of thing, so I'm not sure how I'm supposed to act. I thought if I just kept still, you at least wouldn't laugh at me."

'Did I hear that correctly? She's never…?' "You said you slept with one other person," Sasuke said, the question insinuated.

The tight, hot sensation around his dick was unbelievable, but he had to focus on Sakura's words because having her be anything but a hot, bothered mess beneath him was unacceptable. He wanted to see her body tremble and shake with pleasure, to hear the irresistible, sensual sounds she could make. He refused to leave this tryst without it.

"I have. It's just…Well, um, I didn't…." She trailed off, obviously struggling to maintain eye contact because she was so embarrassed.

"He didn't get you off," he bluntly said. Her bewildered expression, followed by a mortified groan, was all the answer he needed.

Something came over Sasuke, then. It was like his obsession with her manifested into dominance because his mouth moved with words before he could stop it, "I'll make you cum so hard, you'll never be able to forget me."

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise, her mouth opening slightly because she obviously had no idea how to react to such a bold statement. The man continued, though, his movements more decisive, "And do whatever the fuck you feel like doing. I don't give a damn."

The woman tightened around his sex, making his jaw flex and a jolt of excited pleasure roll up his abdomen.

"But what if I-" "Babe, you could bite me til I bleed, and I'd think it's sexy. Stop thinking and let me fuck you."

Finally, she relented with a slight nod, "Okay…."

Sasuke needed no other confirmation. He smirked, releasing her jaw and rising to his knees with his back straight up, moving inside her with every ounce of his lust fueling him. It was gradual, but the hold on both of their controls began to slip.

Over the next few minutes, the pink-haired woman went from gritting her teeth and feeling self-conscious about every little thing to grasping the sheets with her back arched, toes curled, and mouth open as she panted and moaned. It was all music to Sasuke's ears and gorgeous satisfaction to his eyes.

'Fuck, what is this? It's never felt like this. I don't want to cum. I want to watch her for hours.'

The woman beneath him was enticing. The glisten of sweat on her pale, scarred skin was impossible to ignore. He had to touch every inch. Large hands felt her humble curves, her perky breasts, her legs. And inside her was just as incredible. It was electric, the sensation the man felt with each movement. It almost seemed inhuman.

"S-Sasuke, that-!" The man focused on Sakura's face. A delicious, submissive, and desperate emotion flooded her pretty features.

He repeated what he'd done to pull such a face from her, a quiet moan rumbling through his chest when the muscles surrounding his cock flexed in response, the woman moaning helplessly. Dark eyes studied the picture before him in hopes of memorizing it.

'That's what I wanted to see. She's barely holding on.'

Sasuke eagerly gave in to his selfish desire to steal Sakura's sanity.

He put his weight on one hand on the bed near her head, the other flat against her back to hold her up as his knees moved under her, lifting the bottom half of her body off the bed as he pounded into her recklessly.

The tight muscles of her abdomen flexed attractively as her head fell back. The woman's eyes filled with tears as she fumbled to grab onto him, one hand around his wrist near her head and the other grasping his shoulder so tightly that her nails dug into the skin. Then she fell over the edge. Sasuke felt it, a breathy, quiet sound of relief slipping past his lips as Sakura's insides quaked around him, a beautiful moan meeting his ears.

Sasuke's hand on her back held her chest to his once her orgasm ended, and he effortlessly switched their position so she straddled his hips. He continued to move in and out, dark eyes wild and locked onto hers in a way that made it impossible to look away.

Drunkenly, Sakura breathed out, her spine straightening as she allowed her body to react naturally to his movements, "Is it like that every time?"

Usually, he'd chuckle at such a question, but he didn't. He moved his hands to her hips and guided her movements so she could learn what he liked, "We're not done."

The woman adapted eagerly because it felt nice. She was lost in the excited, sweaty, sensual mood. Any other time, she'd be too timid to press her hands to such a sexy man's chest and stare into his eyes like this.

If Sasuke said something like that to her in a regular situation, it'd be terrifying, but it only made the heat between her legs rise in temperature. It also strangely made her want to try harder to please him as if to match his serious energy.

With that thought in mind, Sakura released the last of her inhibitions and came forward, her hands on his shoulders. Moving her knees further apart so they weren't touching his sides anymore, she adjusted how her hips moved. Long fingers gripped her hips and ass, a barely-audible sound leaving Sasuke's mouth as his brow furrowed.

Sweating and breathless, the woman didn't give in. No, she swiftly reached up to pull her long hair over one shoulder so it wouldn't fall into her face before doubling down and settling in to continue the act as long as needed for the man beneath her to succumb to her as she had for him.

'I've never actually wanted to do this. It's always been torture to be on top, so why does it feel so good?'

Of course, it was because of her overwhelming attraction to Sasuke, but also because she didn't have to worry that her partner would hurt her for making even the most minor mistake. Sakura felt free, though it was a little odd that it happened while riding the sexy Uchiha man like a bull.

"Damn…!" A deep, forced voice met her ears, and she focused on Sasuke's face, the desire in her lower regions flaring at his tortured expression. He was at his limit. She could feel his sex flex and twitch within her despite how quickly they were moving.

Something came over her that she'd never be able to explain. Sakura slid one hand up his jaw, so her thumb was near his temple and her fingers were on his neck, "Do it inside." The husky, confident voice that left her mouth was unexpected to both parties.

Suddenly, the woman was pulled down to Sasuke's chest, strong arms wrapping around her body to hold her tightly there as his hips thrusted up roughly, making her gasp until he froze, entirely inside her and pressing as hard as possible. The man's cock pulsated as a heated sensation met Sakura's lower abdomen.

After a moment, the air was filled with the sounds of their heavy breathing, and the duo remained still in that position. Still drunk, Sakura asked, her lips brushing the sweaty skin of his shoulder, "Should I get off of you?"

She found herself face down with handfuls of pillow as Sasuke kissed her back, shoulders, and neck. He was becoming hard again, the organ rubbing against her backside as the Uchiha held one of her hips. The woman couldn't speak. She thought they were done and were going to go to sleep, but she was oh so wrong.

Soon, the Uchiha man slid into her again, pressing her legs together with his knees before grinding deep into her with a hand atop each of hers on the bed. His hot breath tickled her damp skin as he said, "Does it feel good?"

Sakura hummed warmly, the feeling of his sweaty body hitting hers as addicting as nicotine.

"Tell me out loud," Sasuke's fingers curled around hers, voice more demanding.

The order sent an odd sensation of thrill between her legs, "I like it!"

Lips pressed into the back of her shoulder again, the man's voice prideful, "Just wait until I'm done. You'll be ruined. No one else will be able to make you feel like this."

Sakura couldn't respond because she was too busy holding onto her sanity for dear life as he picked up his efforts, though she did think, 'I'm pretty sure that's already the case.'

#sakura #sakura uchiha #haruno sakura #naruto #naruto shippuden #narutofanfiction #naruto fanfiction #narutofanfic #sakura haruno #sasusaku fic #sasusaku fanfiction #uchiha sasuke #sasuke #sasusaku #sasuke uchiha

[motheryoon]

“let’s start over. on a clean slate,” sakura said, a soft smile painting her lips. the evening sun cast an orange hue on her visage, making her glow.

sasuke blinked at her in confusion. start over?

she held out her hand to him, the gentle smile still there.

“hi. my name is haruno sakura. it’s nice to meet you,” she introduced herself, her hand still suspended in mid-air, in the space between them. sasuke blinked again, brows easing out from their furrow, beginning to understanding.

so she wanted to start over, he mused.

well. it certainly wouldn’t be enough to rid them of the wounds of their past, their history—but it was something. the start of something new, perhaps.

sasuke wouldn’t miss the chance to try and fix things—to do something right this time.

and so he slowly lifted his hand, grasping her much smaller one in his, all at once remembering why he used to find so much comfort in her touch. why, as a genin, he used to always unconsciously reach for her hand, her wrist, her arm—anything.

she felt like home, even then.

“…uchiha sasuke,” he said, his voice low and hoarse, “it’s…nice to meet you too.”

her smile widened at his words, the corners of her eyes creasing with the width of it. “maybe…maybe we can be friends,” she said, still holding his hand, “what do you think, sasuke-san?”

his heart stuttered at the unfamiliar—formal—name, so used to her voice calling him with an endearment that he’d grown to become fond of. and his breath caught in his throat at the notion of friendship, because he wanted to be more than that; he wanted to be her everything.

but this was okay, he quietly thought as his lips unconsciously lifted at the corners and a warm feeling encased his heart. this was okay.

because they had all the time in the world now. they could start over. he could do things right this time—the way he had always wanted to.

“…sure,” he said softly after a moment, looking into her eyes. he knew that he would always want more with her, that this wouldn’t last, that he would always love her. but this was perfect for now.

they had time to grow.

“yes. friends.”

#naruto #sakura haruno #uchiha sasuke #sasuke #sakura #sasusaku #sasuke x sakura #sssnippetaday #blank period #friends to lovers #starting over #motheryoon

[flimflam707]

Hekima: The interogations

The welcome wasn't the warmest one she could have received when she met the oda forces again after 2 years. Although she had anticipated that outcome, it did make her uneasy. The trip to her room wasn't a very pretty one either, for every hall she passed every servant glared at her. It felt so uneasy that she had to stare down at the floor the whole trip, although her smile never faltered. Hekima was seen to her room and was currently sitting up in her futon looking at her hands. The hands she once used for sewing were now bruised, with broken fingers and torn nails and occasionally cuts, some deep, some not. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door as it slid open to reveal two people. A rather odd combo. She thought as she saw Mitsuhide accompanied by none other than the ceiling ninja.

“Sasuke. Mitsuhide.” She greeted them with all the politeness she was able to muster at the time, her hands and gaze steady. It was more than she owed most of them, but she couldn’t help but feel some form of warmth towards those who were probably the only two people who didn’t actively display distaste for her. She flexed her hands a little, a subconscious act that she knew would inevitably start straining the scabs, but she was used to keeping her hands in use - if not for sewing, then for her alchemy. “Did you need something? Or has everyone finally gotten sick of my lack of answers and sent you two as their last resort?” Mitsuhide calmly walked into the room, Sasuke closely following behind. "Well, well, our little seamstress came running back to us. And with some backtalk as well." He continued walking, step by step, and bent down slightly so he was merely centimeters away from her face. "I'm not gonna ask you to tell me everything." A small grin spread across his lips. "You will tell me everything on your own." His grin widened. Seemingly telling the message that he has his ways to make people talk.

"I believe that Nobunaga-sama gave an order not to hurt his - ahum" Sasuke cleared his throat. "- lucky charm?" He swiftly moved to her side. He held a first-aid box in his hands. It was filled with bandages, creams and serums. "May I see your hands?" He quietly asked her while extending his hand in anticipation of her hand. Mitsuhide straightened his back. "I'm well aware. He has nothing to worry about. I won't do anything rash." He lowered his body, sitting across from Hekima. "However, he also instructed me to get answers from our little mouse." His voice got a teasing tone at those last two words. "So, Hekima... Why? Why betray us?" Mitsuhide was excellent at reading people, his instincts never let him down. So, he knew that she wouldn't betray them for that shitty noble. So, why? Why claim that she did?

"Why?" She huffed "Because I had my reasons to. And I'm not obligated to tell those to anyone" She said plainly. "Hm-" Mitsuhide stared at her. His eyes glanced over her body. "Can’t be because you work for that noble. Look at how he treated you." He moved his hand up and down to vaguely indicate her beaten and bruised body. "So, what is the reason? Did he put you to use after you proved to be no longer necessary? Maybe you fell in someone else's hands? Or maybe, you were protecting someone?" He continued to muse. Meanwhile, Sasuke gently grabbed her right hand to begin treating it. He didn't say a word. Either to let Mitsuhide do his job or just because he was fanboying over seeing him in action.

"Hmm..." She seemed to be in thought, tapping one finger on her chin. Although how she did it seemed to be more in a mocking way. "Come to think of it." She smiled at him, "You really never confessed as well. So then, why must I be obliged to tell you everything?"

She smiled and turned her face to Sasuke, "Sasuke, you shouldn't waste your time on me." She gave him an apologetic, yet genuine look. "They won't work on me, and besides, I suppose you have better, more important things to be doing? Also, I'm sorry for the way I talked to you last time." She bowed to him the best she could while beaten and bruised.

Sasuke slightly nodded his head, "No need to worry. We all do what we need to do, and I presume you have your reasons." He finished putting antiseptic on her most recent wounds and began wrapping it in bandages. He brushed over the 'they don't work on me' comment. Most likely because he didn't know what she meant. "My lord sent me here as well as a representative of Echigo. He wouldn't say it, but I think, like everyone, that he is worried about you as well." The last part was whispered. Which was pretty useless since Mitsuhide was sitting right across from them, so he heard it clearly. However, he took the hint and didn't mention the last comment.

"There's no need to worry about me. I'm fine, really." She smiled as she talked, "And I don't think you'll get any answers from me." Was all she said as she closed her eyes. "Very well," Mitsuhide responded. It was clear that Hekima wasn't going to talk willingly and he was explicitly instructed not to use his preferred methods for getting people to talk. (Not that he really wanted to do that to her of all people anyway) So, he backed off. "I'll get my information in due time. For now, there are other people wanting to talk to you." A sound could be heard from the other side of the door.

As soon as she opened her eyes to look at the door, it flew open, and there he was. Hideyoshi, followed by Mitsunari, standing in the doorway. It seemed that Hideyoshi came here in a hurry, but now? Now, he was frozen in place. Mitsunari, who was behind his Lord this whole time, poked his head out from behind his shoulder, his eyes lighting up when he saw Hekima, giving her a big smile, although it didn't quite reach his eyes. Perhaps he was conflicted as well? Well, it didn't matter anyway. "Hideyoshi. Mitsunari." She greeted them in the same manner as she did to the two previous men. "Are you guys planning to come in groups of two or something? Who's next, Nobunaga and Kenshin?" She jokingly added.

“Ah, there they are." Was Mitsuhide's reaction to the two of them barging in. "Hekima!" Hideyoshi swiftly entered the room, Mitsunari following close behind. His eyes widened for just a second when he saw the state she was in, worry flashed in his eyes for a moment. However, it was accompanied by a look of suspicion and curiosity. "What happened to you?" He finally asked, breaking his frozen state, "You just left one day, don't you realize how worried I - we were?"

“Were you tho?" She asked, "Didn't you feel the slightest bit of anger when you heard I betrayed you? I was sure you'd kill me for real when I'd make it back" She said those words with a smile on her lips.

Hideyoshi was slightly taken aback. Obviously, he was furious the moment he found out, he had a job to protect his lord. However, he couldn't help but find it very strange. After she ran away, they did a thorough investigation (led by Mistuhide), but they didn't find any evidence of her being involved with the noble before this incident. "Of course we were, Hekima. I'd never seen Mitsunari so dejected before." "Hey-" they heard behind them. It seems he didn't like being called out like that. "My Lord would like to speak to you as well, personally. He's asked me to bring you to his chambers." "Hmm...well, that's pretty tough" She mused, "But no matter. Tell him I'll be there in a bit" She smiled, "Is there anything else you'd like to inform me about?"

To be honest, she didn't want to leave her room, the trip from the audience chamber to her room was a nightmare, every maid and servant she passed glared at her. It was clear that she wasn't welcome and they made sure to get the message across . Needless to say, she felt suffocated.

"I-" Hideyoshi started, but he quickly closed his mouth again. "I will inform my Lord that you are on your way." He turned on his heel and gave Mitsuhide a look: "Bring her over when you are done." "Will do." Mitsuhide replied, clearly amused. "Hm." Hideyoshi left the room, Mitsunari following behind him. He himself seemed to be conflicted about the situation as well. However, after a quick look he didn't say anything and just left.

After a while, as promised, she was making her way over to the tenshu. As expected, it was hard. Hard for her to move as every inch of her body screamed at the slightest movements, and every maid she passed seemed to talk behind her back. It's suffocating. So, so, very suffocating. She didn't like it. She'd rather stay in her room all day, but alas, everyone must leave their comfort zones at some point. She didn't even register what Mitsuhide, who was walking beside her, said until he lightly tapped her shoulders. "Huh? Sorry I wasn't paying attention." Mitsuhide smirked, "Of course, I could see that." He said in a mocking, almost displeased, tone. "I asked if you're okay. You're walking rather....funny." "Yes, I'm okay." She said with a smile, "No need to worry about me."

After that bit of exchange, he asked no more, and neither did she say anything anymore. Though occasionally, she could feel his gaze linger on her. 

When she finally reached the tenshu, Mitsuhide was dismissed and so it was just Nobunaga and Hekima in the room. For a long moment they said nothing but kept staring at each other.

Nobunaga was sitting in front of her. A teacup was placed before him, and another one was placed in front of his companion. He picked up the porcelain cup and brought it to his lips. Silently, he took a sip with closed eyes. The air was thick, and suspense filled the room. After what felt like ages, he put down the cup, opened his eyes, and locked eyes with the woman sitting across from him. Finally, he spoke, "Hekima, you've been busy." A cold chill crept into the room as those words were spoken. "Certainly, my Lord." She didn't let the chill get to her. Even if she loves mortals, she isn't going to cower before one. She replied to him rather nonchalantly, "Things have been rather hectic for the both of us, it seems" She said.

"Seems so." He curtly responded, "It was quite a hassle when one of our own seamstresses leaked valuable information to our enemies. And more so-" he paused for a brief moment, "when our investigation team couldn't find any ties between you and that noble. I'm sure you know how talented our ninjas are." He added, to further add to his point. "Not talented enough, it seems." She said with a certain coldness to her voice. "Well, when are you, or rather, how are you planning to get rid of me?" She asked nonchalantly, as if this was an everyday occurrence to her. If being distant to them is what it took to keep them safe, then so be it, she will be distant. She's not going to let any of them get in her way. After all, she still needs to get rid of the noble.

Nobunaga sighed, it seemed that his ‘lucky charm’ wasn't willing to bend. He understood that he had no choice. "If you truly aren't willing to explain your actions, then we have nothing further to discuss. You will be thrown into the dungeons and questioned by Mitsuhide." His voice sounded direct, like a leader's voice should. However, a little bit of doubt was noticeable. She smiled at him, as if expecting this outcome. "Alright, go ahead. But, I assure you, that you won't get anything out of it." She stood up and was about to leave when she turned around to look him in the eyes once more, her smile faded to reveal a serious expression. "I've endured much worse than this." She gave him a mocking smile, "What makes you think something so childish will make me confess?" A slight hint of sorrow flashed across Nobunaga's face as he turned to one of his attendants by the door. He nodded to them and as instructed, the man walked to Hekima and instructed her to follow him.

She was led back to her room and was now laying in bed, gazing up at her hands once more. She hated herself. She hated how she talked to her friends, her family, if you would. She hated herself so much for it, and she had to keep up the act for God knows how long. She had no sleep that night and the morning was even worse. The bath wasn't as warm and the food was never announced when it arrived. Not to mention that she will be sent to the dungeons in a bit.

Later, Hekima was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling, when someone opened her door. "Hey lass, I heard you're gonna be sent to the dungeons. I thought my lord would go easier on you." It was Masamune, he stepped into the room. Seems he was still a little apprehensive, he had a strange look on his face. "He was rather fond of you, you know." She didn't even spare him a glance, "Okay....and?" She said in the most nonchalant way possible. She had to kill these feelings. She has done it before, so it shouldn't be any harder now. Just don't look at any of them and act as harsh as possible. "He should've seen it coming, honestly. You shouldn't just trust someone who saved your life." Hekima said, after a moment she laughed, "It seems hideyoshi was right. You guys should've listened to him after all." 

Masamune sighed, "Seems Mitsuhide was telling the truth. You have no interest in rekindling bonds. Anyhow, I was instructed in escorting you to your cell. Please follow me." He waited for her to get up and walk out the door, before he himself also exited the room. Together they walked to the dungeons. It was still pretty early, the halls were bathed in an orange light and fresh dew was dripping off the leaves of the flowers outside. Hekima didn't look over at Masamune, not even once. She looked at the sun, the grass, the little birds. Things she won't see anymore when she'll be in the dungeon. Am I doing the right thing? She thought to herself, … what are you? Stupid? You can’t change anything now! You’ve gone too far, you idiot! Now you must go through with your plan. She gave herself some pep talk and kept on walking, doing her best to match Masamune's pace

After marching to those cold cells, Hekima was put into one of the cells furthest in the back. She felt the cold floor under her feet and smelled the dusty air that invaded her lungs. "Well -" Masamune started. He always seemed to know what to say, a reckless speaker. But at this moment, he took his time to search for the right words. "Seems like you will have plenty of time to think. I know that you must have your reasons for doing what you did, but that doesn't mean that we can just accept you feeding that noble information. However, "He paused to look her in the eyes, "Know that if you are in trouble, we would still come running." He gave her a conflicted, but honest smile. "Maybe you cursed us, because it seems that protecting you is ingrained in our bones. We can't help ourselves." Those last words were muttered quietly.

"Ah, so you've been fed lies as well?" She stated rather plainly as if it were normal. "I see how it is." The last thing she heard of him were his footsteps, as he turned and walked away into the darkness. Now, she was alone. As soon as he left, she took a deep sigh that she didn't even realize that she was holding. "Alright," She said to herself, "Let's get a good place to sleep first." She picked a relatively dark and dry corner to lay herself down. "First, I'll get adequate rest and then I'll make my escape." She said, as she laid down and curled up in a ball in her dark corner and lulled herself to sleep.

Masterlist

(This fic is written by me and by @sh0jun, please give them love as well!)

#ikemen sengoku #ikesen #ikesen oc #oc #ikesen Hekima #oc Hekima #Hekima #original character #ikesen fanfic #fanfiction #fanfic

[riversimmone]

Morning Light

Morning Light

RiverOfTheSand

Summary:

The morning sun streamed over her face, silhouetting her body against the dance of light and colour. Now more than ever, she was his guiding light: his way out of the dark. SasuSaku.

Notes:

Cross-posted from fanfiction.net. Original Author's Notes: Just a quick one-shot that came out of nowhere, as the damned things are prone to do. This is me musing. My new favourite concept: silence in solace. Enjoy. :) Rated T. Hope you all enjoy. :)

He woke to the smell of dust. Every morning for the past six months, it had proven a surprising comfort to him. For so long, he'd been broken and angry, clinging to whatever he could in vain hope of escaping the monotony of his existence. Day after day, he fell into the same routine, the same rush of denial, of anger and resentment. He dwelled on what he'd lost; so much that even he was becoming frustrated by his own moodiness. The rush of excitement from controlling everything in his life was a dream long dead and after all this time, he was still as deluded as ever, no matter what he told himself. He was fate's bitch, and destiny had a twisted, sick sense of humour.

A now familiar sensation of instability coupled with the ache of his waking body reminded him he was alone and naked. The unseasonal cool air drifting in the window had woken him up early; sunrise was half an hour away.

Sasuke Uchiha rolled out of bed, fumbled around in his closet as he did when she wasn't there to help him, dressed himself methodically, and gingerly made his way out of the room. He inched toward the top of the banister, gripping the elegant statue adorning the top of the stairs, and inhaled deeply, preparing himself. The first step was always the most difficult.

The wood of the banister was rough under his calloused hands; it hadn't been polished in years, but he didn't mind really, since he was just as abrasive himself. He preferred it this way. At least he didn't have to look at it.

Sasuke made his way down the staircase, his grip on the wood firm and fleeting as he pictured it in his mind's eye; occasionally running his fingers along the well-worn wood; the only memories from this place that plagued him now were something more akin to screaming children and stern, disapproving parents. This house wasn't the home he'd grown up in of course, but the flashes of memory suited him fine: he didn't really care where they belonged, just that they still came to him. The details were a little fuzzy though.

At the base of the stairs, he paused, wondering what he thought he was doing; he wasn't hungry, thirsty, tired or bored, really. So he decided to go for a walk, knowing his self-appointed carer would find him quickly enough once she realised he was up and around. The front door was ten feet away from the foot of the internal staircase, and he remembered the hallway closet nearby had a few coats he could choose from.

But once he opened the closet, he realised there was nothing to distinguish one coat from the next. They must have been missed in the rush Sakura had pushed him in to colour code the tags. He had no idea what to do with them.

So he left his home without a coat, ignoring the ice cold goose bumps forming on his exposed skin. He held a hand out, feeling for the edge of the porch and once he found it, Sasuke managed to descend the three steps to the ground quickly.

Sasuke walked. He kept going, using childhood memories to guide his path toward the familiar, the soothing, and the secluded; a place Sakura had insisted he visit often, it seemed to spark his memories strongest, especially since the house he grew up in was destroyed in Pein's attack. But the grounds were the same, barring renovations, and he never stumbled or faltered.

The smell of the small lake on his family's property drove him on and before he knew it, the grass beneath his bare feet made way for the granite he always associated with that of seaside sand. He felt his way along the shore, not opening his eyes, not daring to look at the water now lapping at his feet. He tested the water, dipping his foot in to the toes, and scrunched up his face at the cold.

Fate was cruel; all he could do was struggle as it pulled him down, like an undercurrent, and he hated it ‒ the delusion of an Uchiha.

Sasuke sighed and found a dry patch of sand to sit down on. This place had changed too much: there was no pier, and the ground itself was more uneven, rugged, and depreciated. He couldn't hear any animals, smell the smouldering after effects of his family's Katon no jutsu, nor feel the natural rising heat that made this place the perfect spot to practise his fire jutsu when he was younger. Despite the presence of water, the humidity always used to be above average, even in the middle of the night.

In his musings and internal grumblings, he almost didn't sense the incoming chakra signal. Strawberry and vanilla wafted over him and a moment later, he could feel her against him. No words were exchanged – no words were necessary – as she got comfortable against him. He imagined she was curling her toes against the sandy shore, enjoying the rising sun.

Sakura didn't dwell on her picturesque surroundings for long. Her right hand moved with his as he directed it to the side of his face; her fingers twitched under his, gently probing his unseeing eyes with her chakra. He kept them tightly shut, perhaps defiantly, stubbornly and vainly fighting what he could never control. She would coax them open eventually, but for now, he hung onto his pride. His dignity was the only thing he had left that ever went his way anymore, despite his condition.

And that was the lie he kept telling himself every day since she saved him.

Throughout this entire exchange, Sasuke had kept resolutely facing forward. Now, he turned to face her, lifting his other hand warily; she shifted next to him as he touched the other side of her face gingerly. His forefinger traced her profile, and he took a deep breath, like he was preparing for battle. Finally, Sasuke opened his eyes, what little light he could make out piercing his eyelids with relentless cruelty. The light of the sun streamed over Sakura's face however, and she stared at him, silhouetted against the dance of light and colour.

He hissed painfully, slamming his eyes shut again as she pulled him closer to her; Sakura held him to her breast, waiting for him to try again. The pain receded from his eyes and he forced his chakra down – it was thrashing like a spoilt child. The pinkette half cradling him was patient, running her hands soothingly through his raven locks and kissing the crown of his head gently.

She murmured his name as he pulled away and Sasuke grabbed her roughly, crashing his mouth down onto hers.

His tongue played along her lips and she parted them instinctively; his grip on her tightened as he opened his eyes again. This time the light didn't hurt him. It intensified, faltered, and then simmered; all awhile, Sakura's eyes remained tightly shut. She was in the moment, her arms now around his neck, her body humming as it reacted to her lover. Sasuke pushed her gently, eliciting a familiar, arousing mewl from her.

Small waves surged toward the shoreline, cascading outward, shifting with an unseen tide, and climaxing with a loud, unexpected crash that went ignored by the lovers at its edge.

And as the morning light of the sun disappeared, Sasuke refused to close his eyes. The stream of light illuminating Sakura's body for him was the last thing he saw before the blood red light faded once more.

–XXX–

#sasusaku #sasuke x sakura #fanfiction #my ao3 #All images are not mine