OHMYGOD THAT FIC OF SHIKAKO AS THE QUEEN OF THE LAND OF MOON THOUGH. holy shit. it’s so tragic, but damn, the possibilities! also i really wonder what team 7 (minus naruto)’s reactions were in kakashi’s apartment when they first knelt down before shikako and addressed her as queen. i seriously can’t see anyone being thrilled about an arranged marriage like this, and i imagine kakashi and sasuke (and just about everyone else really) were furious once they found out. i’d love to see more!

Hahahaha, yeah, Hail To The Queen taken literally as a set up for figurative queen = Hokage. I had also considered a kind of convoluted Shikako somehow meets the Fire Daimyo’s bastard son at the Temple of Fire and accidentally inspires him to start his own coup and because he’s grateful to her he basically appoints her Hokage? But that was just… waaaaaaaaaaay out there. So no to that

I’m a little tempted to do a Sasuke POV for this iteration (definitely would be one-sided Sasuke/Shikako) but it’s a lot of pining and “if I had proposed to her, would that get her out of this?” kind of thing and the answer for all of that is no. Like, sure kid, just because you’re the last of a powerful bloodline and a Noble Clan doesn’t mean that’ll match up to the literal royal family of a canonically super wealthy country.

Those who actually know Shikako understand that this is basically one of the worst things for her. Because Queen is a lot of pageantry and responsibility and nowhere near as much power as the title seems. I mean, Land of the Moon literally backed up the minister usurping the previous king so there’s proof that royalty is not all it’s cracked up to be.

I do think, though, seeing as how Shikako literally took out Shabadaba’s coup after one day(? I think) single-handedly that the cabinet is, if not entirely replaced, then hugely cowed and listen to her orders via Michiru (which is a continuation of improving the people’s standard of living)… and also possibly that movie about the Tale of the Gutsy Ninja.

I do wonder how the other nations are reacting to this–mostly bewildered, let’s be honest, and outraged for Rock and Cloud. But I do think the Land of the Moon benefits from Shikako’s connections to the Land of Birds and Land of Snow–like… not many other random shinobi teenager come with international alliances with multiple other kingdoms? Shikako and Naruto are basically it? So Land of Moon pretty much lucked out with their new queen.