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42 + Sasuke and Shikako + Time Loop!AU

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I would love you more
if you were someone who could love me.
…
(buy your love by playing make believe)

—

The first go around, Shikako doesn’t trust him. Not completely.

That’s fine–Sasuke doesn’t trust her completely either. (Not yet)

He wants power more than he wants her trust, and so he succumbs to the temptation. Takes the serpent’s offer. Follows the destined, straying path.

He becomes more powerful than he could ever dream.

The first go around, he hasn’t yet learned that Shikako’s trust will make him even more so.

///

The second go around, he’s in shock.

He must be.

That can be the only explanation for why he lets his family die.

It’s less about revenge and more about self-destruction when he follows that same, straying destiny.

///

The third go around is when he starts trying to change things. Hope, like poison, coursing through his veins.

But for all his suffering he doesn’t know enough (not yet) and so it’s all just empty flailing.

///

Fourth through sixth he starts to suspect that he’s not the only one who knows what’s going on.

Shikako reacts differently from everyone else, reacts the way someone whose expectations have gone unfulfilled.

Which means she has expectations.

Beyond the expectations for Sasuke Uchiha, youngest son of Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha. Beyond the expectations for Sasuke Uchiha, Itachi Uchiha’s younger brother. Beyond the expectations for Sasuke Uchiha, best fighter, most popular boy, and second ranked student of his class.

She knows something.

And as he’s learned over and over again, knowledge is what he desperately needs.

///

The seventh, Shikako disappears.

He only speaks to her once: two children on a playground, not even at the Academy yet, no possible threat to anyone.

The official report is that Cloud ninja took her, but Sasuke isn’t that foolish boy he once was.

(It was Danzo, of course it was; he’s the only one Shikako ever truly feared. And for good reason.)

He never forgives himself for that one.

///

Eighth is about atonement.

(Aren’t they all about atonement?)

He focuses on his friends, on their happiness and their safety.

He is kind and he is loved and he is killed very early on.

(But not after Shikako, this he makes certain)

The world is not a peaceful place. (Not yet)

He has to make it so.

///

After a while, it becomes less about succeeding–whatever that might mean–and more about learning.

He learns, in depth, about the Uchiha clan politics (and later decides not to revive the system)

He learns, no matter how heartbreaking, about his brother’s internal struggles (after so many lives, he knows that Itachi was just a child torn in too many directions).

He learns, to his own surprise, about the ghosts of Kakashi’s past (the traumas as much a part of him as the Sharingan in his eye socket).

He learns, pieced together from crumbs and rubble, far more about Naruto’s heritage than he himself ever does (how much grief would they all be spared if Sasuke could actually travel through time instead of just loop).

But most of all, he learns about Shikako.

///

Power is nothing without wisdom.

~

A/N: … this was going to be a very different ficlet, anon, about Sasuke and Shikako’s relationship in different loops. Except then I realized that I have the Down Every Road series and a lot of the things I was coming up with would fit better there rather than in a specific ‘verse in which Sasuke was looping.

And also it’d get kinda skeezy after a while.

Erm. But it does kinda make this anticlimactic, I suppose…

:/

It was a lovely prompt, anon, I’m just sorry I couldn’t do it justice.

Number + Character/Ship + (optional) AU –> my ask box

[If anyone else wants to do a softer world prompt that isn’t on the list, you can just send the page id number for the original comic instead.]

I just wanted to say I love all your AU snippets. I can’t really think of one that I, personally would really want to see. But I love reading the ones you’ve written. Thank you for all the effort you’ve put into this!

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Thanks, anon! AUs are so fun to play around with on the writer’s side, but I always worry that they’re not very fun on the reader’s end, so I’m relieved that you enjoy them 😀

23, with the Shika Twins (Not romantic, obviously)

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We talk in the dark as we fall asleep,
and we are objects in the night sky
outside of time.
(it is the exact opposite of alone.)

—

(Remember To Sleep)

“It’s been a while,” Shikamaru says, once the table has been cleared, the two of them washing up afterwards just as they always have ever since they were old enough to be given chores.

Everyone else has relocated to the living room with little plates of dessert and cups of tea, Naruto exclaiming flattery over food he can’t really taste.

“Yes,” Shikako responds simply enough, and tries not to break the glass between her soapy hands.

Not that it would be difficult–she’s not the one with the cybernetic arm.

“You don’t have to keep punishing yourself,” he says, “It wasn’t your fault.”

Shikako bites back the denial, the frustrated honesty that wants to sting, wants to make herself miserable even at the cost of her brother’s happiness.

“Okay,” she says instead, still light and terribly brittle.

Shikamaru sighs. It’s resigned more than frustrated–he’s beyond the temper of his teenaged years. “I’m glad you joined us tonight.”

This, at least, is not a controversial statement.

“I am too.”

///

(Dreaming of Sunshine Switch by Lady Hallen and Fragile Dreams)

“We have a little brother,” the woman who both is but also isn’t his sister says, “Kinokawa Nara.”

“After mum’s family,” Shikamaru responds, the connection coming easily: the recent appearance of one family member made researching the rest relevant. How many secrets have been kept from him? How many siblings is he missing?

“Bingo,” Shikako says, smile gentle and warm. He wonders if she’s like that with the other him. Her actual brother. Or if it’s just because of the age difference. “He likes you better,” she says, “though he’s in his terrible twos now, so I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or not.”

The calculation is easy, but he doesn’t want to get his hopes up without confirmation.

“It’s not time yet,” Shikamaru leads, hesitant but still eager to know, “he hasn’t been born yet.”

Shikako’s expression falters, slightly, perhaps realizing the extent of the desperation in his tone, on his face. “Things are different,” she hedges, “Your parents are different people. Have experienced different things. They may not…”

They may not want to try for a third child, after losing one already.

“… Alternate universe. I certainly don’t remember meeting a time traveling version of my sibling.”

And, of course, Shikamaru is an only child in this one.

~

A/N: OH MY GOD, THIS IS DEFINITELY NOT WHAT YOU WANTED, ANON, I AM SO SORRY FOR THIS ANGST.

ANGST, EVERYWHERE. WHY DO I DO THIS? T_T

Dreaming of Sunshine Switch is by Lady Hallen & Fragile Dreams and is about DoS!Sasuke and Shikako swapping places with canon!Sasuke (and no one because there is no canon!Shikako… OR IS THERE?)

It’s full of deliciously sad Nara family feels and I just recently reread it, so it was very much so on my mind.

Number + Character/Ship + (optional) AU –> my ask box

[If anyone else wants to do a softer world prompt that isn’t on the list, you can just send the page id number for the original comic instead.]

14 – Poly!Lucky Sevens

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…
I think I’ve got fireflies
where my caution should be.
(Instead of slowing down, I just shine brighter)

—

(Insuperable)

She’s thrown through a wall–one, two, three–comes to a rolling, tumbling stop against the crumpled steel of a dumpster.

She groans, body shrieking in pain–her floating ribs are probably broken, shit, and her vision is hazy with a definite concussion–but at least she’s still alive. Her armor has held up well: TenTen is definitely getting a raise.

A roar sounds through the streets, reverberating and ominous, straight out of her childhood nightmares of monsters under her bed.

What she wouldn’t give to be asleep in her bed right now.

Shikako coughs, brick dust and rubble in the air, ribs protesting angrily. She steels herself. Flipping onto her hands and knees nearly makes her weep.

She can’t do this.

Human criminals are one thing–she’s better trained and better equipped than anyone on the street–but creatures of this size? Rogues with superhuman abilities? Magic and other things beyond the laws of physics?

She can’t do this alone.

—

An extraterrestrial object crashes into Konoha’s Central Park during an R&D presentation to the board–Shikako’s presence is mandatory no matter how many wide-eyed looks of panic she exchanges with TenTen.

And so when the alien emerges, blindfolded and shackled but rampaging madly, it’s not The Dark Knight that makes first contact, but a graffiti artist on the run from the cops.

A graffiti artist that also happens to be a demigod.

By the time the presentation is over–rushed through as quickly as possible, but still far too long–the rampage turned battle has expanded to downtown Konoha.

Shikako arrives on scene and curses, futilely: there are news cameras–stupid and brave–and a ring of police cars–less stupid, but braver–lights spinning a dizzying red and blue.

Most of her power comes from reputation, the growing rumors of an urban legend that haunts the nights and minds of criminals. This is so public, too public, out in the bright glaring sunshine.

The officers that spot her, rumbling motorcycle engine loud and impatient, face their weapons her way for a moment. The Dark Knight, after all, is still a wanted vigilante–one that has caused conflicting opinions within the force. But their captain is quick to brush them off, in part for her benefit, but mostly for theirs.

“I hope you have better firepower than we do,” the captain says, opening up the barrier with a wave, “Because both of them are bulletproof.”

She does, but that’s not what is going to resolve this.

She goes through, prepared to enter the fray even if it means surrounding herself by people who want to throw her in prison, because maybe there’s a way to salvage this situation.

~

A/N: … I didn’t get to the actual relationship so much as it is the set up to it? Sorry, anon… 

Also I did try to write a third section to this but it didn’t fit so well and I already felt like this was taking too long so there’s a paragraph under the cut. I may use that eventually if I write more Insuperable, but so I don’t lose it I’ll just hide it here.

Number + Character/Ship + (optional) AU –> my ask box

[If anyone else wants to do a softer world prompt that isn’t on the list, you can just send the page id number for the original comic instead.]

The walls of their headquarters are covered in paint. Vibrant swirling colors and symbols that don’t match any living language. Naruto sees these shapes in his dreams, grasping at images that evaporate during his waking hours.

He is desperate for any hint of his past.

Sasuke wishes he could forget his own.

I’m kind of curious here, how do three d6 get a 23? Don’t three d6 get a sum between 3 to 18?

jacksgreysonLeave a comment

Oh, whoops, it’d be plus whatever the related skill/stat is. I guess I forgot to include that (let me do that now). Like for example if you’re trying to outrun an explosion and you roll three 6s and ALSO have 5 in speed, you’d get a 23 total which is an EPIC SUCCESS. (… which means you run so fast that the explosion is trying to escape you?)

So not only do you totally succeed in outrunning the explosion, the triple 6s gives you a boost/advantage, AND the “epic” part means… I don’t know… you get to declare a story detail or something?

9, Platonic Kakashi/Shikako? If you’re cool with that, of course.

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CAN’T STOP
WON’T STOP
NOT SURE HOW TO STOP
(WHY STOP)

—

“You’re getting out of hand,” the Hokage says, irritated furrow in between her brows.

The both of them stand in front of her desk, backs straight and eyes forward.

Kakashi doesn’t respond.

“This isn’t what either of them would have wanted,” Tsunade tries instead, gaze settling on Shikako, “Surely you realize that.”

She doesn’t know why people assume she’s someone who can be reasoned with. She’s logical, sure, but not nearly as much as she is determined.

And plus, it doesn’t really matter what either Naruto or Sasuke would have wanted them to do.

They’re dead.

Shikako doesn’t respond either.

Tsunade sighs, resigned and heartbroken, before signing off on their requests for admission.

“Like teacher like student.”

Singular student. Which is the entire problem.

—

Naruto and Sasuke die.

Maybe it’s apart–thousands of miles away–completely unrelated incidents; Naruto with his high risk training, Sasuke on his dangerous assignments.

Maybe it’s together, battling side by side, giving their all and sacrificing themselves for the good of the world.

Maybe it’s in the middle of the night, assassination, unexpected attacks in the middle of Konoha where they thought they’d be safe.

It doesn’t really matter, does it?

Only Shikako and Kakashi are left.

—

Wolf was a legend in ANBU. An open secret. The honing of the blade that would become Sharingan no Kakashi, internationally renowned.

It was a time in his life when he needed the mask. Needed the danger. Needed to know that even if everything he touched died then at the very least he could make that talent useful.

That’s not who he is anymore.

The mask he gets this time has sharper marks; the facsimile of a thinner face with smiling teeth and three whiskers on either cheek.

Kakashi has a lot to atone for.

Fox is another open secret.

—

Shikako’s choice in mask is even more of one:

ANBU Hawk is smaller, not as strong but just as fast, and no longer in possession of a Sharingan.

Still, Hawk flies once more.

~

A/N:… um… my bad, anon…

I did honestly try to think of a light hearted version but this one was the only one that my brain would work with.

Number + Character/Ship + (optional) AU –> my ask box

[If anyone else wants to do a softer world prompt that isn’t on the list, you can just send the page id number for the original comic instead.]

if bijuus are an earth phenomena, would that mean other jinchuriki also exists? (from another planet, maybe?) and would they also be half-gems or would their gems have the special ability to contain jinchuurikis?

jacksgreysonLeave a comment

I’m not sure, actually. Hm…

The idea with the Kyuubi was that as Home World began turning Earth into a colony, it was a group of Obsidians who woke it up in the heart of a volcano and led to its angry rampage causing Home World to retreat…

I was keeping Strong In The Real Way fairly close to Konoha–both the human town that Naruto and Kakashi live in and Home World are full of Konoha characters–so I hadn’t thought about the other villages.

…Actually, now that I think of it, I don’t think my timelines work out very well?

Naruto is only a teenager but Shikako has been with the Nara clan for generations?

Oh, unless the Obsidians were sacrificed to contain the Kyuubi for several centuries or so, and there were a lot of gems left behind in the scramble to get off planet. Then when the seal broke on the Kyuubi, Kushina and Minato were the one to deal with it.

Mikoto and Kushina were probably friends and Mikoto asked her to keep Sasuke safe (which is why he was bubbled in the house).

The administration of gem kindergartens left with the evacuation so Shikako’s belated “hatching” went unnoticed and she just hung out with the Nara clan?

Hm…

So yeah, I think there are a lot more half gems than just Naruto. Or, actually, maybe Naruto is the only half gem but the other jinchuuriki are part gems? Their gem ancestry are several generations back, while Naruto’s is more directly his mom?

Like with the theory going on that Connie might have gem ancestry since, not only was she able to fuse with Steve, but she brought up the idea that maybe there have been other half human half gems in the past.

in the strong in the real way verse, how would sasuke, shikako, and naruto feel about fusion? (and maybe kakashi too?)

jacksgreysonLeave a comment

I guess it depends on what Sasuke and Shikako, as the two full gems, know or don’t know about fusion. And whether or not they know Home World’s opinion of it (which I’m not even sure what that opinion is in this AU, anyway)

I feel like Sasuke and Shikako both know about fusion in theory but have never fused before–Shikako because, as far as she knew, she was the only gem left on the planet; Sasuke because he was the youngest obsidian (and obsidians generally didn’t need to fuse anyway). But I also feel like the first time any of them fuse it’s Sasuke and Naruto and on accident and more about the fact that Naruto is half gem half human.

Shikako is far more interested in the technicals of fusion involving a half gem half human and what that means for the two species. Kakashi is frankly weirded out that fusion is even a thing. Naruto is excited because he has been having trouble with his gem powers (wasn’t even sure he had gem powers). 

And Sasuke meets the Kyuubi.

Internally, of course. Externally, Carnelian is more mystified at existing than anything else.

4 with your favorite platonic ship

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i don’t know what the fuck true love even is
but i do want to hang out with you
for basically the rest of my life.
(let’s hang out – TO THE DEATH)

—

Kankurou’s arrival in Konoha is quiet, understated, and nearly overlooked.

“Which just figures,” he says with a shrug, straddling that line between self-deprecation and wry complaint. He’s nowhere near as loud a personality as either of his siblings and he knows it, but something would be terribly wrong if he let an opportunity to take a dig at Leaf pass him by.

He’s put under Shikako’s watch because supervising a friendly ally is the height of light duty and whenever he speaks, Tsunade frequently gets the urge to take him by the scruff and shake him like an unruly dog.

“That means she likes you,” Shikako assures him, well out of earshot of the Hokage.

Kankurou raises an eyebrow.

“Well, tolerates you,” she corrects, “She doesn’t want to punch you in the face full strength?”

Tsunade’s strength is an international legend. Kankurou shudders and accepts the compliment.

The two of them get looks as they walk down the street, not more than when she was with Sasuke or by herself, but there’s a different flavor to them. Kankurou is an oddity in the village, not an overt novelty anymore, but not outrightly familiar either. People are curious and surprised to see him, and in comparison they don’t much care about the Nara girl beside him.

Her shoulders are relaxed.

—

Sand is their ally, but Sand is recovering from internal strife and recession and their greatest strength is having a near unassailable defense. Kankurou’s presence is more than generous given the circumstances. Shikako, as a highly connected shinobi of Konoha, is very grateful.

Shikako, as a person, is even more so.

Kankurou doesn’t ask about the cane. He doesn’t ask about the light duty or the lack of armor or the way people look at her then refuse to meet her eye.

He doesn’t even ask about the way Sasuke checks in on her a few times a day, even though he’s no longer her bodyguard and must be far too busy to do so.

He does ask about explosions, though.

“Damn, Sparky, it’s been a whole week and not one thing blown up. This must be some kind of record for you,” Kankurou says, flipping a pen round and round his fingers.

She freezes, eyes staring almost desperately at the reports beneath her hands.

They’ve both been authorized to share a rough approximation of their respective villages’ forces and resources (not the exact or entire report, god no, alliance or not, that’s just unheard of) and to come up with inter-village strategies in case of certain situations. Shared border patrols and multi-village platoons, maintaining and protecting the trade routes between Wind and Fire, etc.

Now she’s just stalling.

“Um.”

It’s not his fault that explosions are kind of her specialty. How would he know it’s become a touchy subject for her?

Kankurou waits.

Then again, this is Kankurou she’s talking about: no doubt he’s heard the rumors flying around and put the puzzle pieces together.

“I just. It’s not really the right atmosphere for it, you know? And I can’t really experiment with them safely, not so close to the village.”

Neither of them bring up the barren, rocky flatlands just two hours outside of Konoha.

Kankurou hums, “Well, whenever you want to try for some large scale bangs, you can come over to the desert. There’s nothing but fucking sand out there. Go wild.”

It’s probably the nicest thing she’s ever heard him say.

It’s also the most absurdly optimistic, given there’s an impending war, but maybe if they both survive and the offer’s still open she’ll take him up on that.

—

A world war turned international alliance against an S-rank organization of missing nin later–wounds and scars and even more and touchier subjects later–Shikako goes out to the desert and goes wild.

“First The Garden and now whatever this is,” Kankurou says, honestly admiring of what can only be called a canyon made of glass, “Sparky, you are great for Wind’s tourism industry.”

~

A/N: Normally, when I’m given a prompt that doesn’t specify DoS I like to expand to other series. But, anon, you asked for my FAVORITE platonic ship and I cannot deny the amazing BroTP of Kankurou and Shikako 😀

I guess this is sort of inspired by Dreaming of S(omething) and Chapter 134

Number + Character/Ship + (optional) AU –> my ask box

[If anyone else wants to do a softer world prompt that isn’t on the list, you can just send the page id number for the original comic instead.]

Hey, which stat would you put Sakura’s medical jutsu under? I’m not entirely certain where it would end up, but none of the stats seemed to have the kind of jump I would have expected form Tsunade’s tutoring.

jacksgreysonLeave a comment

I get what you’re saying, lionheadbookends… the different stat options are both too vague and too specific to really show that apprenticeship. I tried to represent the medic training by putting it in ninjutsu and intelligence–which itself I interpreted as a blend of academic knowledge, experience, and “natural” mental ability.

So Sakura’s INT stat doesn’t change numerically from her canon data, mostly because I figure in DoS while she does get more academic knowledge she has less of that experience from not being on Team Seven. But, considering what you’ve said (and comparing to Shizune who would be a more realistic analogy for Sakura in Shippuden) I did increase her ninjutsu for both “Second” and “Third” instances.

Thanks for catching that, lionheadbookends! I’ll make sure to include it in the cleaned up version 🙂

—

image

Hell yeah meticulous quantification for fun! *high fives back*

I did also make charts for my / @kuipernebula’s other characters in the Naruto world (namely Team Medic–which has a Sakura with, yet again, different stats from her canon self–Externality, and Counterpoise.) I might post those up if I need a break from writing and if anyone’s interested in those series.

[I might also do charts for my team (In)Difference if I have yet another sleepless night, though I am a little reluctant to do so because that team is contemporaries with the Sannin as genin and I think that means I’d have to do charts for the young Sannin too, then, to make sure I’m staying realistic.]