A fan’s issues within Naruto-fandom

jacksgreysonLeave a comment

book14reader:

insanescriptist:

To me it seems we’ve got a couple of issues that need to be spoken of.

First is a matter of translation. Idioms, in other words. Most people in our world, have an issue of thinking genius means smart about everything, including personal relationships when clearly that’s not true. You don’t have to go to college to see that, or hang out with the professors. Genii and very smart people sometimes make very stupid mistakes. We know that.

In Konoha and the Elemental Nations, genius refers to shinobi skills and not intelligence. You have genius shinobi galore, a few other genii but by and large they’re all extremely skilled for the most part. Exceptions would be where genius intellect and genius skills meet: Tobirama inventing jutsu, Orochimaru inventing/perfecting jutsu, Minato inventing/perfecting jutsu and so on. See a trend?

Please note that all these genius shinobi inventing/perfect jutsu that can, in theory be used by anyone which is why Hashirama is not on the list with his mokuton jutsu. They don’t just learn them and use them, like it is implied Sarutobi and Kakashi do. Kakashi doesn’t make the earlier list of genius intellect and genius skills because he only made one jutsu when others have made multiple.

Sarutobi and Kakashi are still considered genii. Like Sasuke and Neji are considered genii. Because of their skills. Genius shinobi skills don’t take a genius intellect, but having the latter helps. 

Which means that Konoha has a pointed problem of application of seeing/using genius outside of warfare and skills applicable to war. As does its people.

Next Point:

Even if they don’t admit it, they -everyone in the Elemental Nations- are always focused on war. It’s why Jiraiya and later Naruto are such oddballs because they want to focus on PEACE by NON-VIOLENT METHODS.

Politically speaking, they are politically always at the precipice of war, even during ‘peace’. It doesn’t mean that tragedy/death/trauma doesn’t happen then. It just means that it wasn’t enough to start a war.

Having the Jinchuriki actually does help as a deterrent; they either keep the ‘war(s)’ small-scale and ‘cold’ in that should shinobi here be near shinobi from other place, they’re likely going to try and kill each other without leaving clues to who did it. If they did or were caught at doing so, then war may actually break out.

Point the third:

War happens for a two reasons: resources and ideology.

Resources can be food, people, skilled professionals aka blacksmiths/whatever, water, minerals etc.

Ideology could be for religion, belief that things should be done differently or that this person should rule. Or because you really hate this bastard/group because they killed your brother.

A lot of the Warring Clan Era’s ‘Wars’ happened because of shinobi ideology and personal reasons.

The 4th point:

‘Wars’ during the Warring Clan Era mostly happened between shinobi clans. Most shinobi clans are skilled at being shinobi which makes them very avid consumers to any market. They need weapons, clothing, food etc.

Unless they live in Kaze no Kuni, where resources are at a premium. But that’s a different story.

Which because most of the shinobi aren’t fighting over food, means that they’re fighting for shinobi reasons aka their client, for the money, etc. Because they need money.

The reason the feud between the Senju and Uchiha became so big and infamous because those fights turned from professional to personal over generations. To the point that I wouldn’t be surprised if a few shinobi decided that not getting paid was worth the risk to try and kill a few Senju/Uchiha.

5th Point:

Villages are a new concept, not even a century old. There’s immense changes politically and economically and so on. And generations are a thing.

Generational Mindsets are a thing. Values passed down and so on. See baby-boomers vs Millenials and so on.

So really, you don’t have to look far to see that establishment of shinobi villages changes things. A lot of things, especially for those old enough to remember the village not being there. Which is pretty much anyone older than the young Sandaime, when he was the Nidaime’s student. As Sarutobi was about ten when Konoha was founded, that’s a lot of people.

The first generation born in the village is something I’m going to call Hopes and Dreams. Because that’s what their parents hoped for and so on. We really don’t much about them, being younger than Danzo, Sarutobi and so on but older than the Sanin. They’re just kinda there?

The point being, these were probably the first generation of shinobi to have a stable home-life during their childhood. Not constantly moving around from base to base, camp to camp worried about safety constantly. They were probably trained like their parents were, but due to being more sheltered from war aka not seeing it from the time they were born/walking, they were a bit more traumatized by it. H&D had parents transitioning from shinobi soldiers to parent-trainers/teachers because they had no idea how to parent that didn’t involve teaching them to survive war: because the village was a safe place, so long as people would defend it.

And they would, because they were shinobi.

*

The next generation tags along after this, which is what I’m going to call the genii-boom. Because there were a lot of strong shinobi/genii and most of them went down in a boom of self-destructive habits. Often messily.

Hatake Sakumo is a member of this generation. The Sanin are too. Their parents are either Clan War survivors or part of H&Ds. Which has effects, okay? Sakumo’s parents were probably Clan War Survivors and very much converts to the idea of Konoha, since the idea to avoid war at the cost of comrades apparently did not ever enter his mind. Very admirable on a personal level, very stupid on a political level. Tsunade and Orochimaru’s parents were probably CWS too who may have died in the 1st great shinobi war or shortly after. Jiraya has no parents mentioned, so he doesn’t get the CWS mindset from his parents. Instead, Jiraiya is very much a H&D-child; lots of optimism, still train just in case.

As you can see, because the concept of Village is new-ish, the concept of thinking outside personal politics is also a new thing. Village Reputation now exists and is shown by its shinobi. Which is why Sakumo is reviled by his peers because as a genius shouldn’t he know how his actions effect the village? The fact Sakumo chose to atone for this personally by suicide instead of by other means also speaks to him thinking like a CWS instead of a member of Konoha. The fact that it orphans Kakashi and he doesn’t think it will really matter as Kakashi is a brilliant shinobi already speaks more about this.

The Sanin were pretty much the stars of this generation btw. We also know how this all went. This is when trauma really starts to get noticeably worse, to the point of phobias. Because they’re not used to friends/family/comrades dying in droves like CWS are. War becomes very abhorrent to most of them.

This marks a shift in politics here, at least for Konoha.

They want to try to avoid war.

This is probably when the idea of the Chunin exams came to be.

*

Now the next gen, I will say is the Parent Generation. These are the parents of the majority of Naruto’s cohort in academy and as ninja peers.

Their parents fought in the 2nd Great Ninja War, while they were young. Like, no, daddy’s not here because he’s on the front lines and momma’s been injured real bad so she can’t be a shinobi anymore.

They grew up in war-time, if not at war. There was a break for about a decade and then came the 3rd Great Shinobi War, which they fought in as teens and young adults.

This results in a sort of mental dichotomy. You have parents being loving parents, yet also very capable killers. Most of those shone here are remarkably mentally stable, caring to friends, killers to enemies.

Although nothing really explains the Yondaime’s actions to Naruto except him being a village leader and securing power in Konoha for a future generation. It’s nice that you believe in him, but that is not how you fatherhood.

*

The next generation is the Sensei-generation, being about a decade younger than the Parent Generation.

Raised in war-time, fought in war as young teenagers. Comrades dying and so on. Very terrible, very traumatic. 

Itachi catches the tail-end of this generation, severely traumatized by the one battlefield he saw. To the point he doesn’t want war but wants to dedicate his life to that of pacifism. Itachi makes no sense, really.

Also, Kabuto also is here. As a baby, but he’s here.

*

The next generation is the Kyuubi-generation, being mostly made of Naruto’s peers and a little older. They grew up in peace, and the first death they experienced personal loss for was Asuma’s, followed by Neji’s sacrifice.

Any other death related to enemy-shinobi so that was just business. Even then, they seem remarkably hesitant to kill? Except Sasuke and Gaara.

No one is denying that they’re talented but they’re very soft and underprepared for actual war and death. Like Gaara killing in the Forest of Death freaked Team 8 out a lot.

Sixth Point:

Villages are new. Village politics are new.

Sandaime had two examples to look up to on how to rule Konoha. The Shodai, and Nidaime.

I get the feeling that the Shodai wasn’t much of a policy maker/ruler? Like here, I make village. Laws um… ask my brother.

Now the Nidaime, being a genius can actually apply his genius intellect to ruling. Like bureaucracy, fear him. He probably set up all sorts of regulations, laws and so on. We know he had a hand in creating the Konoha Military Police, he probably created AnBu too.

When the Sandaime took office, both of them were also very dead.

So Sarutobi ends up working international politics, village politics and so on without a mentor or much of a clue to go on. Just saying that Sarutobi earned his Hokage hat in war, finished the war, while trying to figure out how to Hokage. He then raised his students, got married and had kids, and so on while trying to Hokage and parent at the same time, which was more difficult seeing as how Asuma ran to the Daimyo-Guard and his sibling is never mentioned?

Sarutobi also has to deal with the generational shifts and the mindset in his shinobi. Don’t want war?

I’ll see if I can avoid it. Would you be willing to sacrifice one of your members Hyuuga-clan? Thank you. War averted.

See the think about Sarutobi is that he adapted his mindset for when there’s peace vs when there’s war. He became a parent who could be a loving father and a God of Shinobi.

Danzo didn’t. Danzo is still very much a CWS. Survivors don’t make good rulers. They’re too busy working on surviving to rule in any long-term feasible way.

Point Seven:

When you write a Naruto character please pay attention to their world and what it means to them/how it has effected them.

This means generational mind-sets, the history of the world, the ideology of shinobi and how closely a character adheres to that.

I have my issues with the manga and anime itself, but these are the issues I have with fandom. Kishi’s rather terrible with strong female leads but he was very good at showing how generations, history and parents -or lack of- shaped his characters.

Both good and bad.

What say you @blackkatmagic and @hiruma-musouka

@jacksgreysays what do you think?

This is a fantastic read (thanks for tagging me, @book14reader) and I agree with most everything here. There are some clear generational differences in Naruto that do affect characterizations, cross-generational relationships, as well as the reader’s consumption of the manga. There are a few tangents (not arguments because they’re not against what @insanescriptist said, so much as just… sideways) that struck me as I was reading this:

1) clan vs “civilian” shinobi

I’m not sure if this is implied, but the generation midsets that insanescriptist describes best works with clan kids or those who have shinobi parents and become shinobi themselves. It’s not quite analogous to university education or immigration status, but there is this sense of being the first shinobi in the family (or being an orphan and becoming a shinobi) influences how children learn about what it is to be a ninja and how that relates to the village:

Take the Kyuubi-generation: of the Rookie Nine, only Team Seven aren’t part of active shinobi clans with Naruto being an orphan, Sakura being civilian born (… if we’re going by manga instead of anime and even then, they aren’t clan shinobi), and Sasuke having lost his clan at around age seven. Some of Team Eight and Ten are even clan heirs/children of the clan heads!

What this means is that, given their familial duties, the other Rookie Nine are raised to be aware of if not their actions reflecting the entire village, then their respective clans at the very least. Team Seven? Doesn’t really have that. Oh, sure, Sasuke keeps in mind an idealized version of what the Uchiha clan would want, but he doesn’t actually know; he lost them too early to get a real idea of that. Sakura has no clan connections, which means it’s only her teammates/sensei which connects her to the idea of the ninja side of the village–a somewhat mellower version of Naruto’s precious people schtick.

Which partially explains why Team Seven’s team melodrama is literally effecting things like foreign relations–each of them think so much of themselves as individuals that they don’t even bother with how this might look like to the rest of the world. Sasuke never being declared a missing nin and the “kidnapping” Killer B? HOW COULD THIS POSSIBLY GO WRONG?! Oh, Naruto will just talk to the Kumo team so they won’t declare war on Konoha/demand Sasuke’s head–no biggie. Team Seven doesn’t understand the political ramifications of their actions–well, maybe Sakura, only because her shishou is the Hokage–and it has to do with them not being clan kids, not being raised entrenched in this system of group over individual.

Extend that to the other generations–of the genii-boom (Hatake Sakumo and the Sannin) only Tsunade is part of a clan, while Orochimaru is a confirmed orphan and Sakumo and Jiraiya’s parentage is kind of unsure. Orochimaru leaving the village (I mean, despite the whole “crimes against humanity”) means he actually full on left the village–missing nin status, creating a rival village, eventually coming back to kill the Sandaime. It’s a very individualistic take on being a shinobi.

Contrast with Tsunade who–even though her clan is basically now herself, she was raised with the name and the responsibilities–though she leaves, never becomes a liability to Konoha. She never acts against the village. In fact, she comes back when asked to (and sure it took a pathos based argument from Naruto) and becomes the Hokage. Not only is that a point for her motivations–that she never had anything against the village per se–but also for her reputation: even decades of “retirement” couldn’t diminish her power when she stepped into office.

An invasion and recently killed Hokage should have made Konoha prime prey for the other villages–in particular Kumo and Iwa, given their previous historic grudges against Konoha. There should have been a following invasion, especially at that point in time when Killer B and Yugito were so much better trained than Konoha’s singular jinchuuriki.

But I digress.

While I don’t really know what the Hatake family was like or who even Jiraiya’s parents are, I think it’s safe to assume that they probably weren’t from clans or not very big clans at least. So Sakumo failing a mission to save his friends? Makes sense if he’s not a clan kid–he doesn’t have that bigger picture trained into him, his version of the village is through the people he knows (ie his teammates… is this just fanon or canon, but the teammates on that mission were they his genin teammates?).

And Jiraiya? He was asked to be Hokage first before he passed the buck to Tsunade–he rejected even though the village needed a strong shinobi in power ASAP. And, yes, you can argue that he’s head of the spy network, etc, etc, he serves Konoha by being out in the field and anyway it’s time to bring Tsunade back into the fold. Yes. But there’s nothing to say that he couldn’t have delegated his spy network to someone else–or assigned someone else to get Tsunade while he played interim Hokage. No, he was still being too butthurt about the Sandaime preferring Orochimaru over him to step up.

—

2) de-escalation of Kages as killers

I don’t even know where I’m going with this, but I think it’s super neat how (ate least with Suna, Konoha, and Mizu) that the Godaime are all known for not being killers? Because Tsunade is most famous for being a revolutionary medic nin, Terumi Mei for being a politician, and while Gaara is known for being a killer it’s only when he became less homicidal that he became Kazekage.

I mean, sure, it’s not like there were many other choices (given the whole weird Kazekage bloodline thing) but I feel like if Gaara had stayed that crazy loose-cannon, regardless of how powerful he is, they would have gone with Temari as Kazekage with Gaara as her barely leashed weapon of mass destruction. (Though having three out of the five major villages have female rulers would have been super cool).

Then Naruto is basically ninja messiah espousing “peace via non-violent methods” so it’s still following that trend even if he is literally the strongest being in the world.

—

3) Kyuubi-generation is not our generation

Unfortunately? I feel like this is something that didn’t become obvious to me until afterwards because it felt like they should be. They grew up alongside me the reader, so it felt they should be. And there was such a dissonance during the epilogue–similar to, but not as strong as the epilogue for the Harry Potter series–like, an almost disappointment that everyone just paired up and had children and maintained the status quo. With Harry Potter, it was especially disappointing because there are years that match up to the real world and so we know how old everyone would be right this very second if it were real. Naruto series, not so much.

The Kyuubi-generation, despite all their radicalism in their youth, are mostly just perpetuating what they know. Traditionalism of the village lifestyle they grew up in being passed down to their children because, hey, they grew up in peace and maybe we shouldn’t rock the boat. But you know what? They’re still being trained as warriors even though it’s supposed to be world-wide peace. If this really were a successful peacetime, their kids wouldn’t be trained with weapons they’d be trained for healing (always can use more doctors) or sealing or other nonviolent ways to apply chakra. We’ve seen that this is possible–the Fire Temple has monks who don’t use chakra for offensive abilities–but Naruto doesn’t make that change. And, yes, maybe it’s because he doesn’t know how. For all that he is ninja messiah he was raised as a weapon alongside all the other Rookie Nine/Konoha Twelve.

(Also, the women are keeping house and the men are out at work and I hope to god this is not how my generation turns out. Wth, this is some Stepford Wives bullshit).

How do you feel about that Sidestory where Shikako was found cold and unconscious by her mum as a child? I find it interesting, since it’s one of the only glimpses where we can see how she’s initially affected by the nature and atmosphere of this new world that her mind/body’s trying to adapt to. There was this other reincarnation fic where, after completing the plot, the OC’s body stops working and suddenly refuses to accept whatever supernatural elements she has and starts dying. (1)

jacksgreysonLeave a comment
image

I view that chapter more as Yoshino/Konoha’s interpretation of what is happening with Shikako into terms that they already know, a case that has precedents… Actually, I’m now wondering what if previous cases of chakra hypersensitivity were other reincarnated people who may or may not have been able to handle chakra as well. Because, that would be really cool? A little bit like Reincarnation Roulette…

(Maybe this is something for the Team Medic AU!AU, where Shikako researches her own diagnosed condition out of curiosity and discovers a mission/secret society spanning generations… the only other living person with hypersensitivity is in their eighties and couldn’t overcome it enough to become a shinobi, but they have been keeping records of what’s happening in the world to pass on to the next member of their unofficial club)

I do think it’s an issue more of mind over matter–her consciousness is confused by the existence of chakra (much less chakra coils and tenketsu points) that her brain can’t actively process it. Especially given that chakra is a mix of spiritual and physical energy, if half of that–her spirit/soul–doesn’t expect chakra, then it’s like a person’s immune system attacking itself.

I suppose I’d have to read the other reincarnation fic, but I’m not sure I like the idea of the OC’s body ceasing to function after completing the plot. Mostly as a story teller–it brushes into breaking the fourth wall without actually doing so? Because how would the gods/spirits/supernatural elements deem how much interference is enough interference?–but a little but in a morally outraged sense because that’s so unfair! To have to follow a set destiny and then get killed immediately after? I would be pissed off!

I can see how this would work in a time-traveling fic: travel back in time five years, and after five years when you converge with your departure your body just disappears. But for a self insert OC fic, I guess I can’t quite understand why that would be.

I mean… if you were born into a sickly body and pushed through all the plot points out of sheer desperation and determination and only after everything became peaceful your body gives up the ghost then… yes. I can see that. But if you’re in a healthy body that functions well enough through the plot points and then dies? It seems out of nowhere? The best kind of “plot twist” is one that has been hinted at in the very beginning. For example, in Sixth Sense (… spoilers…) it’s established pretty early on that Cole can see dead people. So Dr. Crowe being dead the entire time? That is both thrilling and believable.

A more believable “Shikako’s body breaking down post Madara/the plot” route would be if she somehow overreaches in battle. Like if she turns into shadows and kind of burns out–she can go back to her human form as a thin shell, but she’s mostly shadows inside and she can’t really use chakra because… she is chakra? OR!! (sort of like my Stories of Ancient Gods) if she were somehow “infected” with Kaguya’s genetics, or maybe bijuu chakra and her chakra coils are forever ruined.

So probably something that has an in-world cause, not some kind of fated deadline; that’s kind of against the style of DoS in which Shikako’s existence is one small change that snowballs out of control. She only rarely makes deliberate changes, and even that is more pulling on friendships she’s gradually built than any single moment of action.

(I hope I’m not coming off as dismissive, anon. It is an interesting idea, but I just don’t see it happening in canon DoS or even the recursive fic more grounded in DoS canon. Maybe something like Dreaming of Sunshine Switch by Lady Hallen: like Shikako’s body is kind of unstable in the canon universe and so her chakra is kind of like antimatter? Her existence is so discordant that it can’t sustain itself in the canon universe…

Or, like I said, a time travel fic in DoS–what if everyone fails to stop Madara/Kaguya/whoever so she uses sealing to go back in time and fix her own changes to the universe… So there’s still the same “complete the plot” deadline but the reason for her body turning on itself isn’t reliant on fate/omnipotent writer)

So do you think there would be a lot of expectation/pressure to get married and have kids for Shikako, and Konoha in general? Later in life, closer to 20s I mean.

jacksgreysonLeave a comment

Hm… I feel like for the kids who are clan heirs–rather than seconds–there would be some pressure to get married and have heirs. I mean, as we saw with Shikaku’s chapter of Sunshine Sidestories, there is still a very strong traditionalism–and even though that’s the generation before, I don’t think it would relax so much to allow no heirs whatsoever. In contrast, there is the possibility that heirs with seconds–such as Shikamaru with Shikako, Hana with Kiba, and Chiyako and Shino (who I am still unsure if he is the heir or not, but him being the older brother in a matrilineal clan is something that just resonates with me)–would be exempt from having children if their respective seconds have viable heirs instead (though given the seconds in question that’s kinda unlikely).

However, given that most of the kids are clan heirs and have been raised as such (with the understanding that they enjoy the benefits of the clan because they have duties to the clan) they probably also accept that having children eventually or preparing their heir is one of those duties. I mean, they don’t need to have children in their twenties, but I think if they’re nearing thirty and they’re not even married the elders of each respective clan would be worried…

I wonder about artificial insemination, though, because… like… does that exist in this future or not? Because if so, you’d think that canon!Sasuke would consider that to rebuild his clan? Or some of the more practical minded members of Konoha would want to revive such a powerful bloodline? And it’s not like Konoha as the forerunner of the health industry wouldn’t be able to figure it out?

Then again, given how Shippuden was basically “Uchiha melodrama almost destroys the world,” maybe a practical mind would want to prevent the revival of the Sharingan users.

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Once Then Always (a Descendants x Chronicles of Narnia fanmix)

  1. Once Upon A December by Liz Callaway
  2. Somewhere Only We Know by Keane
  3. The Curse by Agnes Obel
  4. Starting To Turn by Andrew Paul Woodworth
  5. Wolf by First Aid Kit
  6. Iron by Woodkid
  7. Tracks in the Snow by The Civil Wars
  8. Til Kingdom Come by The Autumn Film
  9. Beautiful Ending by Barlow Girl
  10. Home by Dotan
  11. Skyfall by Adele
  12. Woman King by Iron & Wine
  13. King and Lionheart by Of Monsters and Men
  14. Kings and Queens by 30 Seconds To Mars
  15. Empire by Alpines
  16. This is Home by Switchfoot
  17. Time by AD vs Satellite Empire Remix
  18. The Call by Regina Spektor
  19. A Thousand Years by Boyce Avenue
  20. A Thousand Years by Christina Perri

Find it here!
(The link sends you to a mediafire folder, only the zip file is necessary for the entire mix)

~

A/N: As you probably saw earlier, I’m very proud of the album art (and the related “banners”) all of which are included in the zip file download.

So this is the fanmix for the epic fanfiction which I have yet to write, in which the Lost Kids are the Four Rulers of Narnia instead of the Pevensie siblings (and in which Narnia is the distant past of Auradon). I tried to make the songs reflect the flow of the story in hopes that it would inspire me into actually writing the fic. Unfortunately that does not yet seem to be the case.

I also wasn’t sure which version of A Thousand Years to use so I just included two that I had (I also have an instrumental version but… uh…). Enjoy!

Spectra (2016-05-13)

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She startles awake, body jerking, arms flailing wildly enough that she accidentally punches the wall next to her. She gasps, lungs desperately heaving, and doesn’t cry even though her knuckles are in absolute pain.

Nothing that requires Yasmine’s sharp eyes and even sharper bedside manner, but maybe she should lay off any fighting. Pass it on to Violette–she enjoys that sort of thing.

A knock comes from the opposite side of the wall. Cathy, no doubt, awake at this late hour and working on her latest program, curious about the noise of their shared wall.

Tanj knocks back with her other hand, a quick staccato that gives the all clear. She taps back a solid one two in acknowledgement and leaves Tanj to the silence.

Tanj almost wishes she hadn’t, but there’s a limit to how much she’s willing to reveal about herself.

Then again, joining this team has already crossed it.

—

The reason why Tanj goes by that is because she has no idea what her real name is. All she knows is that one day she woke up in a warehouse full of outfits and wigs and make up with the knowledge that everything was hers. According to the deed, the warehouse is a storage facility for T&J Productions which would maybe be right except for how, on further inspection, there is no such thing as T&J Productions.

But it’s a start, enough of one to name herself for it, and that’s the best she’ll let herself hope for.

—

Given her changeable nature and blank origin, nothing about Tanj’s life is certain. Which is why when she shrugs to a question, she’s not being cheeky or insolent or disrespectful–she’s being as honest as she possibly can. Irina is the first op leader to understand that, and so when she broaches the idea of a more permanent team, Tanj doesn’t reject the offer.

That being said, she’s surprised at private everyone is. Nothing on her, of course, because if she doesn’t know her own secrets how could anyone else? But still, it’s damn impressive.

Of the team, Irina was the only one she had ever personally worked with before. Though most everyone in the field has contracted work from Cathy, and she has run into Violette a time or two–not on the same job, but thankfully not on conflicting ones, either. She’s not entirely sure she fully trusts the other two:

Yasmine matches the description of someone who she thought was just an urban legend. The bloody kind. And, frankly, given her skills with a scalpel and a syringe, Tanj wouldn’t put it beyond her.

But Frances? She might as well not have existed before this team.

—

Violette shares her suspicions, though her focus is more on Yasmine’s possible hit count than absence of Frances’ background. Which is fair, Tanj can’t expect everyone to know the importance of nothing–one could say she’s a master of it.

But at least Violette is entertaining her worries, Cathy and Irina don’t seem to see the problem. The former because, if it weren’t for her membership on the team, she’d be the closest thing to a neutral entity in the industry. The latter? Well, it’s almost as if she doesn’t want to see the problem.

Her friend and boss is in love with a liability. Tanj can do nothing to stop the inevitable heartbreak.

—

A part of her worries that she is blowing this out of proportion. Maybe Frances really is just that secretive, and surely all of them have done terrible things in the past like Yasmine. Why would she want to break up such a good thing? For all she knows, maybe the best thing that has happened to her.

But having nothing means being suspicious of everything. Especially someone as empty as her.

~

A/N: Written and posted on my phone because I am traveling and won’t have access to my laptop until tomorrow but I didn’t want another missed post so…

Adventures of Jack and Ness (2016-05-11)

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“It’s just odd is all,” he says to her, voice all low and hesitant like he thinks she’ll attack him for a sudden noise.

“What is?” she murmurs back, letting her fingertips skate across the smooth, metal wall. There has to be a way out. After all, they were thrown in somehow.

On the opposite wall, Jack is doing the same, “That you’d go by a different name than the one your parents gave you.”

And in Ness’ case, she can see his confusion. Other people, those not fond of their parents or their childhood, would be more than happy to shed the name on their birth certificate. Which is an understandable and respectable way of life. But Ness looks back at the past as a place she will always yearn for, no matter the fact that she can never return.

The name her parents gave her is the last she has of them. She hasn’t used it in years.

Ness’ fingertips catch on a seam in the wall, so thin that she can barely dig her nails into it. But barely is just enough, and she rips the panel out, heedlessly tossing it to the floor of their cell with a resounding crash.

Jack, startled, growls but he catches himself mid-shift. His canine snout returns to being a perfectly human face.

In contrast, Ness has let her hands change fully into paws and claws.

“I haven’t been their daughter for a long time.”

—

Neither of them are entirely sure what made them successes out of the thirty experiments in their group. There are a few others who survived the treaments, but none on their level.

It’s not like either of them are genetically predisposed to be metahumans–though that is undoubtedly what they are now.

There’s a doctor who is known for taking in metahumans in need. Maybe she’ll help them.

They never make it to her.

—

Someone finds them first.

—

“Jackal and Lioness,” the woman they once knew as MX18 says while her witch lackey holds them down against the ground invisibly. They are struggling and snarling, only animalistic on the inside, Jack snapping his blunt human teeth and Ness scraping dirt beneath her soft human nails.

Neither of them are in the mood to talk.

That doesn’t stop MX18.

“You didn’t think I’d forgotten about you, did you?”

~

A/N: Some original fic, vaguely related to these two ficlets because… yeah.

Jack and Ness are kinda my catch all for a platonic pair of characters so each installment of the Adventures of Jack and Ness are unrelated to each other.

Hail To The Queen: Or, Some Ways Shikako Never Became The Hokage, 1/? (2016-04-18)

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jacksgreysays:

jacksgreysays:

jacksgreysays:

(one: she who kills the kingslayer)

There was a tradition, in a different land, from a different life, that he who killed the king would then become the king. For if one could kill the king, then hasn’t one already conquered the kingdom?

That is not the case in Konoha, not really. The Shodaime was founder, and the Nidaime his brother, the Sandaime their student, and the Yondaime a war hero. The hat–the crown–passed down amicably, if not peacefully.

But the logic remains, in its own way, and could easily be applied. For if the Hokage is the strongest shinobi of Konoha, then the one who kills him proves they are even stronger: and, by definition, ought to become the next Hokage.

So what does that mean, for the girl who kills the monster that killed the Sandaime Hokage?

—

On her way to the stadium, she observes that the adults are wary, tense and prepared, waiting for something to happen. They know about an impending attack, yes, but they don’t know the details. They know the enemy is Sound and Sand, they even know Orochimaru is involved, but they don’t know the full truth.

Shikako does.

She steers her growing group closer to the Kage’s box, because even if she knows it’s mostly a product of the rigorous desensitization of the Academy, she is still a shinobi of Konoha, sworn to protect it’s leader.

And when the feathers fall, when everyone else is busy shaking off the genjutsu and dodging attacks from disguised Sound and Sand shinobi, Shikako looks up.

The Kazekage, no, Orochimaru has held the Sandaime hostage, has dragged him up to the roof of the stadium to start a battle that Shikako knows will lead to the Hokage’s death if he fights alone.

But the adults know, surely someone will be able react in time? Instead Sand shinobi, no, the Sound Four, rebuff their attempts long enough for the Sandaime to be isolated. Long enough for them to position themselves onto the four corners of the roof–Shikako knows that if they get the barrier up then it really will be all over for the Sandaime. She has to act now!

“Be ready to attack whoever comes here,” she says in a rush, hoping her friends hear her.

A barrier in the shape of a rectangular prism simply cannot exist if one of the four corners is switched out. And Shikako has practiced the Replacement Jutsu an awful lot recently.

The barrier fails and the shock of it is enough that some of the ANBU can engage the Sound Four–the Sound Three, right now–in their distraction while others rush the newly revealed Orochimaru.

But he summons the Shodaime and Nidaime and they were not Hokage for nothing and even the best trained ANBU can fall before legends.

The battle is above Shikako’s ability, truly, for she has grown stronger but not on par with this. But she can pull her chakra in, become invisible, strike when an opening arises.

Orochimaru still kills the Sandaime, despite the additional help, but the Shinigami also still takes away the use of his arms and that is opening enough. He is not expecting a mere genin to sneak behind him and tap the largest, most lethal touch blast she can think of onto his obi, and so that is what she does.

She is not fast enough to get completely outside the blast radius because she didn’t give herself time to do so–it would have given Orochimaru time to escape, somehow, too. And so, as the massive explosion detonates, an enormous fireball of light and heat scorching her eyes, she hopes that this will all be worth it.

Shikako wakes up in a hospital bed, one month later, to Tsunade Senju’s smirking face and is summarily informed that the Slug Sannin has not returned to Konoha to become the Godaime Hokage.

No, she has returned to heal the Godaime Hokage.

~

A/N: Hahahaha… haha… ha… uh. This was supposed to be hella shorter because this wasn’t supposed to actually become a series 😡 this was supposed to be a bunch of tiny drabbles all contained in one post but apparently my brain was like… nah. You gotta make it longer. You just gotta. Goddamnit, brain…

So this one is for you, anon who wanted to see Shikako as Hokage. The first of several ways she will never become Hokage.

Quest For The Queen, 1/6 (2016-04-26)

(one: ending)

The funeral is a miserable thing, somber and serious and everyone wearing black and standing in neat rows. The sky is dark, clouds heavy like the weight on his shoulders, and if Naruto were ever to hate something it would be this.

He never wants to go to another funeral again.

He knows it’s stupid, but he wants to make it so that a funeral never happens again.

He knows death is part of life, he’s not that dumb. He knows that he can’t actually prevent death, but maybe he can become strong enough to prevent this kind of funeral from happening. He’d rather have gone to a funeral after Hokage-jiji died peacefully in his sleep, or from losing too much blood from a giant perverted nose bleed, or something like he ate too much and his stomach exploded.

He hates this helpless feeling, standing around quietly as his inability to protect his precious people is rubbed in his face:

Hokage-jiji and so many other Konoha shinobi dead.

Sasuke back in lockdown in case the curse seal takes advantage of his chakra exhaustion.

Shikako in a medically induced coma, put in the intensive care stasis room because her entire body is covered in third and fourth degree burn–he didn’t even know there was such a thing as fourth degree burns.

All Naruto has to show for the attack are some bandages on his face.

And then it starts raining.

“Why do people do it? Why do they risk their lives for other people?” He blurts out, the questions scratching away at his throat because he’s trying so hard not to cry.

Iruka-sensei answers him, something about people being tied together even after someone passes away. How the memory of that person will still live through their family and friends and loved ones. And if Naruto had been talking about Hokage-jiji it might have helped, but if anything it makes him feel worse because he’s not thinking about Hokage-jiji–he’s thinking about Shikako.

She might be the next funeral he goes to, the thought flickers so quickly through his mind that he can’t even squash it before it registers.

“So we do it because we have to. Sort of,” he says, because that at least makes sense. Shikako tried to save Hokage-jiji, even if that meant fighting the freaky snake bastard who had already beaten all three of them in the forest. She was willing to risk her life for that smallest possibility she could save him, “Still, I’m worried for her.”

Iruka-sensei looks confused for a moment before understanding dawns on his face. His eyes dart away, guilty, for not having interpreted Naruto’s question correctly.

Kakashi-sensei, who snuck in late but was stealthy enough to not make a disturbance, puts a careful hand on Naruto’s shoulder and squeezes. He’s worried, too. Too worried to say anything.

Which means that Naruto has to be the one to speak.

“But Shikako’s strong,” he says, because it’s true. He’s never known her to be anything but strong, “She’ll definitely recover,” he adds because maybe if he says it, that will also become true. “Believe it!” He says, even as he struggles to do the same.

The sun comes out and starts to shine, and Naruto hopes that it’s a sign that things really will be okay.

~

A/N: Okay so… Quest For The Queen will have six parts… I think…

I DUNNO! NARUTO’S VOICE IS SO DIFFICULT! THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING! @book14reader totally knows what I’m talking about.

But I just really want to address Naruto in this series so here’s his spin-off!

Quest for the Queen, 2/6 (2016-04-29)

(two: resolution)

After the memorial, Naruto goes to the training grounds. He doesn’t want to get in the way at the hospital, even though part of him really wants to see Shikako because maybe in the past three hours since he’s last checked they’ve somehow figured out a way to heal her.

Hell, he wouldn’t mind at least being able to talk to Sasuke for five minutes because that way they can be miserable together. But no, both of his teammates are cordoned off to special areas of the hospital that he can’t get to.

He’s not entirely sure why he’s come here, though. It’s not like training is any fun without either of them, and it’s not like he can do much by himself. Maybe he can spar against some of his clones but that seems kind of lonely. And inevitably he’ll summon clones to fight his clones and then he gets confused as to which clones he originally created in the first place.

He would go to Ichiraku’s except he doesn’t feel hungry, not even for ramen. And going by himself, knowing both of his teammates are in the hospital, doesn’t sound appealing at all. So really all Naruto can do is sit on the bridge and stare morosely at the little creek flowing underneath it, trying very hard not to be reminded of that swing hanging just outside the Academy.

Which is how the pervy sage finds him, still in his funeral blacks, kicking his feet back and forth as if that’ll solve anything at all.

“There you are, you brat,” pervy sage says, as if Naruto was late for a planned meeting which, no way, he’s not Kaka-sensei.

“What do you want?” Naruto asks, immediately suspicious, because, sure, last time he hung out with the Jiraiya he did end up summoning a really huge toad but that’s only because the old pervert pushed him off a cliff and he ended up nearly sleeping through the finals so…

“Time to go,” he says, instead of answering Naruto’s question, “why haven’t you changed already? You can’t go on a mission like that.”

“I’m not going on a mission!”

“Not dressed like that, you aren’t,” Jiraiya says completely sidestepping Naruto’s protests, “and with no mission gear? Okay, tell you what, brat, I’ll give you thirty minutes to get ready before we go. Now shoo,”

“I can’t leave,” Naruto says instead of quietly obeying because when has he ever done that?

“Why not?” Jiraiya asks, finally seeming to hear him.

“Because!” he shouts, to give himself time to think, “We just got invaded! The village is going to need all the help it can get to clean up and I’m not going to just leave on some stupid mission with some old pervert! You’ll probably spend the entire time looking at ladies in the baths!”

Naruto hasn’t really known Jiraiya long, but even a few conversations is enough to know that such a statement should at least get the pervert leering stupidly at even the thought of naked ladies. Instead his expression seems to darken, turning stony and solemn and nearly angry.

Naruto’s not afraid, but he is suddenly wary now: this is not the perverted old man who can be tricked with some clones and a henge, this is an S-rank shinobi.

But maybe he is a little bit afraid, enough to show on his face, because Jiraiya seems to soften. Only a little, though.

“I’d have thought you’d want to help your teammate in the hospital,” he begins, musingly. “But if you don’t want to take this mission to find the best healer in the Elemental Nations and heal your friend, well. But if you’d rather sort through rubble then…”

Naruto stares, too surprised and full of hope to speak.

“I thought so,” The pervy sage smirks, victorious, “You’re down to twenty minutes now. I’ll see you at the main gate.”

Naruto has never packed faster in his life.

~

A/N: Paaaaart twoooooo…

Naruto is probably the most difficult for me to write but Jiraiya’s definitely in the top five as well so…

Quest for the Queen, 3/6 (2016-05-10)

(three: confrontation)

For the first few days, Naruto stays quiet. Or, well, quiet for him. He asks the perverted sage all sorts of questions and makes comments on the things they see, the places they go, and the people they meet. On more than one occasion, Jiraiya has told him to shut up, and Naruto tries as best as he can–which means in less than an hour he’ll forget himself and remark on something. But he doesn’t complain.

How can he? He and Jiraiya are going to find an amazing healer to heal Shikako and then everything will be alright! There’s no way he’s gonna complain–not even if, for the most part, the perverted sage makes him stay at the inn because “Like hell I’m going to bring a twelve year old into a brothel.”

Which, gets steadily more and more annoying. Naruto kind of figured a good chunk of their trip would involve the old man being perverted, but they’re wasting time!

It’s on day four that Naruto explodes, just as Jiraiya says he’s going to go to a bar.

“It’s still morning!” Naruto shouts because there’s annoying and then there’s horrible, “You’ve been going in and out of bars and brothels for the past four days and we’re nowhere near closer to this lady!”

Jiraiya’s hand smacks over Naruto’s face, in an attempt to prevent him from yelling more, “Quiet down brat,” he hisses, but Naruto has already squirmed out of his hold.

“I could just make a thousand clones and I’ll find that lady in no time!” Naruto suggests, because if he’s going to be honest this isn’t so much about the perverted sage being a pervert or a drunkard as much as it is about himself. Naruto hasn’t been doing anything productive and he’s feeling antsy.

“And give up the fact that someone’s after her?” Jiraiya scoffs, slapping him upside the head, “Thank, brat. She’ll go to ground in seconds and we’ll never track her down. She’s cured a lot of very influential people, some who wouldn’t mind exchanging sanctuary for a live-in miracle healer. My contacts will help us figure out where she is, but they’re not going to be any help if you’ve made it obvious we’re searching for her.”

Oh. Well… he guesses he never thought about it like that. Shikako would have. She would have caught on way in the beginning instead of spending four days not knowing what was going on. And she would have explained it to him, too, so that he’d understand.

But if she were here, then they wouldn’t even be on this mission to find this healer lady.

“Then what do I do?” Naruto asks, because while it might make sense for the pervert sage to go to bars and brothels, he can’t exactly do the same thing.

Jiraiya hums musingly, glancing thoughtfully at the sky as if in deep thought, dramatically snapping his fingers. “I’m going to teach you a powerful jutsu,” he says, before stretching out his hand. In the center of his palm a swirling ball of chakra appears. He smirks and leans in, as if he’s telling a secret:

“It’s called the Rasengan.”

—

He’ll admit it: he did get distracted by the Rasengan. It is undeniably a cool and powerful jutsu–even if it’s being taught to him by a super pervert (then again, all of his teachers have been perverts of some degree or another)–but still, he should have been more focused on what the mission is even for.

So what if he can pop a water balloon and a rubber ball with chakra? That’s not going to help Shikako!

After a week of training they’ve passed through different towns, but they may as well all be the same because Jiraiya knows where all the bars and bathhouses and brothels are and that’s where he spends his time. Their time. The time they should be using to actually find this healer lady and bring her back to Konoha!

“If this were your teammate you wouldn’t be wasting time like this!” Naruto shouts, finally fed up and impatient, because Shikako has been in the hospital for weeks and what if–what if he never sees her again? what if, before they get back, her condition turns worse? what if it’s all his fault because he didn’t come back in time?

Jiraiya’s irritation swiftly slides into anger: a chilling, stony thing.

“Which teammate are you talking about?” He asks so coldly, “The one that hasn’t been to Konoha in decades, who has run around the Land of Fire doing whatever she wants and ignoring the consequences? Or the one that tried to invade Konoha, and killed our sensei? The one that your teammate killed.”

Naruto gulps, the killing intent a pressure against his spine, behind his eyes. He can’t speak.

“Maybe I should let your teammate die,” he ponders, still so dark and cold, “What’s one more person after everyone who died in the invasion? She went up against an S-rank shinobi, after all, genin don’t survive those kinds of odds.” He finishes pointedly, a not so subtle comparison between the situation now: Jiraiya, an S-rank, and Naruto, a mere genin.

Instead, of being scared of the threat, though, Naruto gets angry: “If you do that, you’re no better than that snake freak. Shikako’s a hero! Ranks didn’t matter to her and they don’t matter to me, either! I’m going to find this healer lady with or without your help!” And because it’s been on his mind lately, he tries to create a Rasengan–except he hasn’t gone on to the last step.

His chakra swirls, smooth and strong, but he doesn’t have control yet. It dissipates in a matter of moments.

Jiraiya snorts derisively, “And how are you going to do that? You haven’t even mastered the Rasengan yet?” In a swift movement, he goes around Naruto and pushes him to the ground, an imperious sandal keeping him there, “You can’t even protect yourself, much less your friend.”

Even though Jiraiya’s tone has gentled, his words hit the mark.

“I know!” Naruto shouts into the dirt, near sobbing with frustration, “I know I’m too weak, I know I can’t protect myself yet. But I can’t just do nothing!” The pressure on his back releases, and Naruto scrambles to his feet, scrubbing furiously at his cheeks, “I don’t care who I have to fight or what I have to do. I’m going to get stronger and I’m not going to let that happen to her again!”

Jiraiya sighs, looking skyward before meeting Naruto’s eyes. “Save me from genin with no self preservation,” he says, exasperated, but no longer a emitting a cloud of killing intent.

They stand in silence; Naruto’s breath heaving, Jiraiya assessing, before he turns around and leads the way, “I’ve heard news that Tsunade might be in this town, so keep your tantrums to yourself.”

“They’re not–!”

“But it’s good, that you’re so loyal to your friend,” he continues, not even looking back at Naruto, “She’ll need that when she wakes up.”

It’s not until they find and talk to Tsunade, does Naruto understand what he meant.

~

A/N: this is a really good spot to end this part but it’s a little early according to what i planned out so…

okay so I’m still pretty sure it’s only going to be six parts but I may have to… shift some things around from my original outline…

also! since this is an AU in which the whole Tsukuyomi debacle has been sidestepped because of ~reasons~ Jiraiya gets to have the “genin with no self preservation” conversation with Naruto instead of Shikako. Although he probably also has that conversation with her… or someone does. Trying to take on an S-rank missing nin? That’s silly, Shikako.

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jacksgreysays:

fanmix album art plus individual crown banners for Once Then Always (aka my Descendants x Chronicles of Narnia crossover/fusion)

~

A/N: … uh… so… I swear I was going to write something! I had even set up some music so I could focus on writing instead of getting distracted by the internet! Except then I got distracted by the music… and then the internet followed swiftly afterwards so…

So, this was sort of nonverbally prompted by @briarberry​​ who recently liked a lot of my Descendants posts and I just kinda remembered for a second that–oh, I haven’t yet written anything for Once Then Always but I would really really like to some day. 

And also maybe a fanmix.

Except all I have right now is the “album art” which I thought looked really cool (though I’m not sure which font I prefer) and then I was like, well, might as well share it so I don’t end up with another Missed Post.

And then I thought, hey, these individual crowns also look pretty cool, so I separated them to make “banners.” Feel free to use them–if anyone’s interested, I can host them on my mediafire account to make them downloadable, just let me know.

Enjoy!

Added some text to the banners because… because.