A/N: I had originally thought of a crack version of this after a frankly bizarre dream, but the more I thought about it the more it worked pretty well for a… less cracky version, so the “summary” as much as it can be called such is for the less cracky but I’ll talk about both.
~
Sailor Shinobi
Fighting evil by moonlight Winning love by daylight Never running from a real fight She is the one named… … Hyuuga Hinata?
Luna has been waiting a long time for the reincarnation of the moon princess, watching the village of warriors grow around the destined location of her rebirth.
Finally she’s found her–as well as the reincarnated guardians, fortunately enough. Now, if only they’d stop sending her back to the Fire Daimyo’s wife.
So cracky version: I was on the topic of Sailor Moon and Dreaming of Sunshine because, well, canonically mentioned. And for some reason my brain was like… is Sasuke Sailor Moon?
Because, see, the Uchiha are the ones connected with the Neko-baa. And Tsukuyomi is related to the moon. And Sailor Moon’s colors are the same as the Uchiha colors.
And you can’t tell me Naruto wouldn’t make a fabulous Sailor Venus in that orange seifuku. (With Shikako as Tuxedo Mask, of course, because of that one art by AngelsFallBeforeUs).
While the idea of Sasuke and Naruto in seifuku with Shikako in a caped tuxedo is absolutely fantastic, I couldn’t really figure out which of the other boys were which scout. And the more I thought about it the more I thought… wouldn’t it work better with Hinata as Sailor Moon?
The Otsutsuki subplot bewilders me, but from what I understand it’s a clan of moon aliens? And they have the Byakugan as well? And the idea of Hinata being timid out of costume and confident in costume just gives me very strong Miraculous Ladybug vibes that I greatly appreciate.
To be honest, picturing Hanabi as Mini Moon really solidified it for me even though I know Chibiusa is Usagi’s daughter from the future. As for the actual scouts there’s Sakura as Mercury, Ino as Venus, Shikako as Mars, and TenTen as Jupiter. Maaaybe Yakumo as Saturn, Anko as Uranus, Isaribi as Neptune, and Kurenai as Pluto??
I don’t know who would have the honor of Tuxedo Mask, though. Do any of the boys have the panache for it? I mean, I know for parallelism sake, it ought to be Naruto. But would Naruto really engage in the secret identity thing? I don’t think so.
As for the plot, well, the fake fic summary does have it concurrently with being shinobi in the DoS ‘verse–though that wouldn’t be very practical, seeing as how shinobi don’t exactly have normal bed times–as opposed to a more “real world” scenario… hm. Maybe Luna/Tora has some kind of teleporting ability? Which, yes, explains why she keeps escaping so damn often, but also maybe the evil things the Sailor Shinobi are supposed to fight are on the ruins of the moon kingdom as opposed to invading the “Earth.”
I dunno.
I do REALLY love the idea of the Sailor Shinobi throwing around sparkling beautiful attacks and smacking down the Akatsuki.
I agree with you anon that Kakashi definitely has the mysterious and hands off vibe of Tuxedo Mask (and the whole show up, do nothing, and walk away pointedly is very Kakashi) but I’m not sure–and not even in a shipping way–if he has a strong enough relationship with ALL of the Sailor Shinobi, in particular Hinata, instead of just Shikako (and now, sort of, Sakura).
I suppose by that logic, Tuxedo Mask might be Iruka-sensei?
…
O_O
Ibiki?
Uh, no nevermind. Well, perhaps for the Sailor Shinobi, Tuxedo Masks need not apply 😛
I totally get you anon. Ino definitely qualifies as Tuxedo Mask and would pull off such a role with style, but I don’t know if she’d choose to be Tuxedo Mask when she can be Sailor Venus, Warrior of Love and Beauty, instead.
Maybe in the Sasuke-is-Sailor-Moon version?
Too true, anon(s?). I think Ino would be more magnificent as Sailor Venus, but I will not deny that if Ino wore a tuxedo and a mask and handed me a rose that I would not swoon from the sheer charisma that she exudes.
InoSaku would be pretty cute in the way you’ve described, anon, but I don’t think it ought to be completely discounted from the Sakura-as-Mercury and Ino-as-Venus configuration. I know Ami/Minako was a rare pair (if it was even a ship at all) but just because they have the same planetary assignments doesn’t mean their relationships have to be the same. I mean, they can still have that bit of a rivalry when they’re Mercury and Venus because Sakura and Ino have that little rivalry–it doesn’t need to parallel the Sailor Moon canon too much.
While I’m sure Shino could pull off the outfit, he’d probably be more comfortable if that cape and hat were a cowl and hood instead.
@jickysilver brought up the idea that maybe the transformation item for Tuxedo Mask is a really innocuous pen that keeps getting picked up by different people. Can you imagine how paranoid the paperwork ninja would get? EVEN THEIR PENS ARE AGAINST THEM.
A/N: I had originally thought of a crack version of this after a frankly bizarre dream, but the more I thought about it the more it worked pretty well for a… less cracky version, so the “summary” as much as it can be called such is for the less cracky but I’ll talk about both.
~
Sailor Shinobi
Fighting evil by moonlight Winning love by daylight Never running from a real fight She is the one named… … Hyuuga Hinata?
Luna has been waiting a long time for the reincarnation of the moon princess, watching the village of warriors grow around the destined location of her rebirth.
Finally she’s found her–as well as the reincarnated guardians, fortunately enough. Now, if only they’d stop sending her back to the Fire Daimyo’s wife.
So cracky version: I was on the topic of Sailor Moon and Dreaming of Sunshine because, well, canonically mentioned. And for some reason my brain was like… is Sasuke Sailor Moon?
Because, see, the Uchiha are the ones connected with the Neko-baa. And Tsukuyomi is related to the moon. And Sailor Moon’s colors are the same as the Uchiha colors.
And you can’t tell me Naruto wouldn’t make a fabulous Sailor Venus in that orange seifuku. (With Shikako as Tuxedo Mask, of course, because of that one art by AngelsFallBeforeUs).
While the idea of Sasuke and Naruto in seifuku with Shikako in a caped tuxedo is absolutely fantastic, I couldn’t really figure out which of the other boys were which scout. And the more I thought about it the more I thought… wouldn’t it work better with Hinata as Sailor Moon?
The Otsutsuki subplot bewilders me, but from what I understand it’s a clan of moon aliens? And they have the Byakugan as well? And the idea of Hinata being timid out of costume and confident in costume just gives me very strong Miraculous Ladybug vibes that I greatly appreciate.
To be honest, picturing Hanabi as Mini Moon really solidified it for me even though I know Chibiusa is Usagi’s daughter from the future. As for the actual scouts there’s Sakura as Mercury, Ino as Venus, Shikako as Mars, and TenTen as Jupiter. Maaaybe Yakumo as Saturn, Anko as Uranus, Isaribi as Neptune, and Kurenai as Pluto??
I don’t know who would have the honor of Tuxedo Mask, though. Do any of the boys have the panache for it? I mean, I know for parallelism sake, it ought to be Naruto. But would Naruto really engage in the secret identity thing? I don’t think so.
As for the plot, well, the fake fic summary does have it concurrently with being shinobi in the DoS ‘verse–though that wouldn’t be very practical, seeing as how shinobi don’t exactly have normal bed times–as opposed to a more “real world” scenario… hm. Maybe Luna/Tora has some kind of teleporting ability? Which, yes, explains why she keeps escaping so damn often, but also maybe the evil things the Sailor Shinobi are supposed to fight are on the ruins of the moon kingdom as opposed to invading the “Earth.”
I dunno.
I do REALLY love the idea of the Sailor Shinobi throwing around sparkling beautiful attacks and smacking down the Akatsuki.
I agree with you anon that Kakashi definitely has the mysterious and hands off vibe of Tuxedo Mask (and the whole show up, do nothing, and walk away pointedly is very Kakashi) but I’m not sure–and not even in a shipping way–if he has a strong enough relationship with ALL of the Sailor Shinobi, in particular Hinata, instead of just Shikako (and now, sort of, Sakura).
I suppose by that logic, Tuxedo Mask might be Iruka-sensei?
…
O_O
Ibiki?
Uh, no nevermind. Well, perhaps for the Sailor Shinobi, Tuxedo Masks need not apply 😛
I totally get you anon. Ino definitely qualifies as Tuxedo Mask and would pull off such a role with style, but I don’t know if she’d choose to be Tuxedo Mask when she can be Sailor Venus, Warrior of Love and Beauty, instead.
Maybe in the Sasuke-is-Sailor-Moon version?
Too true, anon(s?). I think Ino would be more magnificent as Sailor Venus, but I will not deny that if Ino wore a tuxedo and a mask and handed me a rose that I would not swoon from the sheer charisma that she exudes.
InoSaku would be pretty cute in the way you’ve described, anon, but I don’t think it ought to be completely discounted from the Sakura-as-Mercury and Ino-as-Venus configuration. I know Ami/Minako was a rare pair (if it was even a ship at all) but just because they have the same planetary assignments doesn’t mean their relationships have to be the same. I mean, they can still have that bit of a rivalry when they’re Mercury and Venus because Sakura and Ino have that little rivalry–it doesn’t need to parallel the Sailor Moon canon too much.
A/N: I had originally thought of a crack version of this after a frankly bizarre dream, but the more I thought about it the more it worked pretty well for a… less cracky version, so the “summary” as much as it can be called such is for the less cracky but I’ll talk about both.
~
Sailor Shinobi
Fighting evil by moonlight Winning love by daylight Never running from a real fight She is the one named… … Hyuuga Hinata?
Luna has been waiting a long time for the reincarnation of the moon princess, watching the village of warriors grow around the destined location of her rebirth.
Finally she’s found her–as well as the reincarnated guardians, fortunately enough. Now, if only they’d stop sending her back to the Fire Daimyo’s wife.
So cracky version: I was on the topic of Sailor Moon and Dreaming of Sunshine because, well, canonically mentioned. And for some reason my brain was like… is Sasuke Sailor Moon?
Because, see, the Uchiha are the ones connected with the Neko-baa. And Tsukuyomi is related to the moon. And Sailor Moon’s colors are the same as the Uchiha colors.
And you can’t tell me Naruto wouldn’t make a fabulous Sailor Venus in that orange seifuku. (With Shikako as Tuxedo Mask, of course, because of that one art by AngelsFallBeforeUs).
While the idea of Sasuke and Naruto in seifuku with Shikako in a caped tuxedo is absolutely fantastic, I couldn’t really figure out which of the other boys were which scout. And the more I thought about it the more I thought… wouldn’t it work better with Hinata as Sailor Moon?
The Otsutsuki subplot bewilders me, but from what I understand it’s a clan of moon aliens? And they have the Byakugan as well? And the idea of Hinata being timid out of costume and confident in costume just gives me very strong Miraculous Ladybug vibes that I greatly appreciate.
To be honest, picturing Hanabi as Mini Moon really solidified it for me even though I know Chibiusa is Usagi’s daughter from the future. As for the actual scouts there’s Sakura as Mercury, Ino as Venus, Shikako as Mars, and TenTen as Jupiter. Maaaybe Yakumo as Saturn, Anko as Uranus, Isaribi as Neptune, and Kurenai as Pluto??
I don’t know who would have the honor of Tuxedo Mask, though. Do any of the boys have the panache for it? I mean, I know for parallelism sake, it ought to be Naruto. But would Naruto really engage in the secret identity thing? I don’t think so.
As for the plot, well, the fake fic summary does have it concurrently with being shinobi in the DoS ‘verse–though that wouldn’t be very practical, seeing as how shinobi don’t exactly have normal bed times–as opposed to a more “real world” scenario… hm. Maybe Luna/Tora has some kind of teleporting ability? Which, yes, explains why she keeps escaping so damn often, but also maybe the evil things the Sailor Shinobi are supposed to fight are on the ruins of the moon kingdom as opposed to invading the “Earth.”
I dunno.
I do REALLY love the idea of the Sailor Shinobi throwing around sparkling beautiful attacks and smacking down the Akatsuki.
I agree with you anon that Kakashi definitely has the mysterious and hands off vibe of Tuxedo Mask (and the whole show up, do nothing, and walk away pointedly is very Kakashi) but I’m not sure–and not even in a shipping way–if he has a strong enough relationship with ALL of the Sailor Shinobi, in particular Hinata, instead of just Shikako (and now, sort of, Sakura).
I suppose by that logic, Tuxedo Mask might be Iruka-sensei?
…
O_O
Ibiki?
Uh, no nevermind. Well, perhaps for the Sailor Shinobi, Tuxedo Masks need not apply 😛
I totally get you anon. Ino definitely qualifies as Tuxedo Mask and would pull off such a role with style, but I don’t know if she’d choose to be Tuxedo Mask when she can be Sailor Venus, Warrior of Love and Beauty, instead.
A/N: I had originally thought of a crack version of this after a frankly bizarre dream, but the more I thought about it the more it worked pretty well for a… less cracky version, so the “summary” as much as it can be called such is for the less cracky but I’ll talk about both.
~
Sailor Shinobi
Fighting evil by moonlight Winning love by daylight Never running from a real fight She is the one named… … Hyuuga Hinata?
Luna has been waiting a long time for the reincarnation of the moon princess, watching the village of warriors grow around the destined location of her rebirth.
Finally she’s found her–as well as the reincarnated guardians, fortunately enough. Now, if only they’d stop sending her back to the Fire Daimyo’s wife.
So cracky version: I was on the topic of Sailor Moon and Dreaming of Sunshine because, well, canonically mentioned. And for some reason my brain was like… is Sasuke Sailor Moon?
Because, see, the Uchiha are the ones connected with the Neko-baa. And Tsukuyomi is related to the moon. And Sailor Moon’s colors are the same as the Uchiha colors.
And you can’t tell me Naruto wouldn’t make a fabulous Sailor Venus in that orange seifuku. (With Shikako as Tuxedo Mask, of course, because of that one art by AngelsFallBeforeUs).
While the idea of Sasuke and Naruto in seifuku with Shikako in a caped tuxedo is absolutely fantastic, I couldn’t really figure out which of the other boys were which scout. And the more I thought about it the more I thought… wouldn’t it work better with Hinata as Sailor Moon?
The Otsutsuki subplot bewilders me, but from what I understand it’s a clan of moon aliens? And they have the Byakugan as well? And the idea of Hinata being timid out of costume and confident in costume just gives me very strong Miraculous Ladybug vibes that I greatly appreciate.
To be honest, picturing Hanabi as Mini Moon really solidified it for me even though I know Chibiusa is Usagi’s daughter from the future. As for the actual scouts there’s Sakura as Mercury, Ino as Venus, Shikako as Mars, and TenTen as Jupiter. Maaaybe Yakumo as Saturn, Anko as Uranus, Isaribi as Neptune, and Kurenai as Pluto??
I don’t know who would have the honor of Tuxedo Mask, though. Do any of the boys have the panache for it? I mean, I know for parallelism sake, it ought to be Naruto. But would Naruto really engage in the secret identity thing? I don’t think so.
As for the plot, well, the fake fic summary does have it concurrently with being shinobi in the DoS ‘verse–though that wouldn’t be very practical, seeing as how shinobi don’t exactly have normal bed times–as opposed to a more “real world” scenario… hm. Maybe Luna/Tora has some kind of teleporting ability? Which, yes, explains why she keeps escaping so damn often, but also maybe the evil things the Sailor Shinobi are supposed to fight are on the ruins of the moon kingdom as opposed to invading the “Earth.”
I dunno.
I do REALLY love the idea of the Sailor Shinobi throwing around sparkling beautiful attacks and smacking down the Akatsuki.
I agree with you anon that Kakashi definitely has the mysterious and hands off vibe of Tuxedo Mask (and the whole show up, do nothing, and walk away pointedly is very Kakashi) but I’m not sure–and not even in a shipping way–if he has a strong enough relationship with ALL of the Sailor Shinobi, in particular Hinata, instead of just Shikako (and now, sort of, Sakura).
I suppose by that logic, Tuxedo Mask might be Iruka-sensei?
…
O_O
Ibiki?
Uh, no nevermind. Well, perhaps for the Sailor Shinobi, Tuxedo Masks need not apply 😛
(Sorry this took so long, anon, I saw your ask and then spent the entire day at work pondering it and now there’s a huge rant so… enjoy?)
I’m most fond of them BroTP’ing it up as well, anon. Their dynamic is very… hm… buddy cop? Well, no, it’s more like…
I don’t know, anon. Whatever their dynamic is I love it as is, and while I prefer platonic friendship to romance I guess the thought experiment of a ship would be interesting to do, so let’s go?
Shikako/Kankurou as a ship outside of setting or potential fic brainstorming, I think…
For some reason my thought process goes like:
Wouldn’t a Shikako/Kankurou ship just be like the Shikako/Kiba ship (pre-Land of the Moon arc)?
NO!
Why not?
Well…
On the surface, I suppose the Shikako and Kankurou dynamic and the Shikako and Kiba dynamic do look pretty similar. There’s witty banter and respectful acknowledgement of badassery tempered with mutual teasing… but it’s the difference between someone seeing a heretofore unseen side of a childhood friend versus learning a new acquaintance without any prior bias.
I feel like Land of the Moon and Lost Child arcs really convey this. Like, Kiba is not only surprised but almost perturbed by Shikako’s more recent actions. They legit have a philosophical discussion about what the right thing to do is and you can almost feel the way Kiba has to revise his opinions of Shikako. No longer is she the girl who was the tree for their school play, now she’s the girl who will single-handedly reverse a coup.
Whereas, if Kankurou were to witness the same thing he wouldn’t find it strange at all. That’s just part of who she is, as far as he’s concerned. If anything, that would add to what he knows about her, might even help explain some her idiosyncrasies. Like. All powerful shinobi have quirks and while no doubt Shikako tries to embody polite normal Konoha girl, I’m pretty sure everyone who talks to her more than once realizes how weird she is–and I say this in the kindest, fondest way possible–that girl is a weirdo.
Knowing what Shikako’s oh shit/fuck you button is is probably a huge relief to Kankurou because he knows it exists–she blew off a guy’s head!–and at least it’s something that he can avoid. Contrast with Kiba who, having grown up knowing her as Shikamaru’s shy sister, probably never even thought she’d have one.
Anyway. That’s my instinctive answer to that.
Thinking more on it, especially on Shikako’s end, I do think she appreciates that non-expectant aspect of their relationship. She doesn’t have to censor herself around Kankurou, weirdly enough. With fellow Konohans, they’ve known her forever; she’s always been around to help them and be a listening ear (it’s one of the many reasons she’s been so stressed lately) and it’s something she feels obligated to maintain.
Even with Gaara she feels obligated to generate an aura of compassion, as a sort of teach by example thing, while with Temari she thinks she needs to maintain that position of strength she established early on.
Kankurou? She can be snarky. She can have stage fright. When she tries to play the polite professional, he snorts and prods at her to just be herself. Yeah, he’ll challenge her to a theater battle, but he’ll be the first one to clap for her. Challenger and hype man both, constantly and simultaneously impressed and amused and I think there’s something comfortable yet exciting about a relationship like that.
Now as for how I would write a Shikako/Kankurou ship? Hm… in a canon DoS setting this would be another one of those that happens post canon events. There are only a few ships that I can see even possibly happening pre-canon (Gaara, Sasuke, Kiba, Ino) but even those would have to be carefully guided and cultivated toward that.
Erm, so yeah. Shikako/Kankurou would be post-canon events. It’d probably be… for some reason, my brain thinks it should NOT just be a tweaked version of Dreaming of S(omething). I think I’d want to do more of a… the semi-canon AU in which Shikako accidentally becomes a TV star
Well, basically, it’s while she’s doing research on the ruins of the Gelel shrine except with less Indiana Jones style shenanigans? I just want it to be like she’s on a sabbatical in Sand and Kankurou is playing tour guide and he’s helping her through her PTSD and what-do-I-do-now-that-my-life-goal-to-survive-Akatsuki-has-been-completed quarter life crisis but he’s doing so either unintentionally or, more likely, purposefully but subtly.
They both kind of explore who they are outside of being shinobi–he’s a huge Theater Nerd and she’s a huge Regular Nerd and they tease each other for it but they also accept each other and it’s fun and relaxing. (I’m having feels over the idea of these teenaged walking weapons of mass destruction striving to be well adjusted human beings.)
In a more definitively AU setting?
…
… OH! A Parks & Rec AU where Konoha people are the Department of Parks and Recreation and Suna people are a different department in the same ambiguously massive city. Maybe they’re something like the Department of Cultural Affairs?
Anyway, that means Konoha are all still tree-huggers as per canon, and there’s a bit of competition between the two groups, but there’s also future collaborations (open air theaters anyone? The equivalent of Shakespeare in the Park?) And that means the other villages can also be mentioned and hated other departments. (WHICH VILLAGE IS THE DMV?)
Kakashi as Ron Swanson who doesn’t do any work because authority is there to laugh at not respect. Shikako as Leslie Knope who only sleeps three hours a day because she has SO MANY PROJECT IDEAS. Ino as Donna Meagle who runs a far more profitable real estate agency but still works in the department to hang out with her friends. Um, I can’t think of the others right now but it’s not like it has to be a one to one swapping crossover anyway.
At first their departments are antagonistic–fighting over budget, stealing each other’s supply of paper clips, the ongoing war to prank the other department which PISSES THE CUSTODIANS OFF SO MUCH. And then they begin to work together–tentative collaboration on cultural events held in parks, etc–and then that becomes alliance against the other departments, etc. etc.
I suppose this AU setting doesn’t necessarily need to be Shikako/Kankurou, but I do think that this AU would fit that particular ship quite well 😀
*gasp* HE WOULD BE THE DMV. -_-
And all those poor ROOT members can’t even comprehend the idea of having fun. At work? Or having friends. AT WORK? They don’t have names, just numbers corresponding to their windows. T_T
Sai gets forcibly adopted into the Parks & Rec Department.
Yessssss… Rock is definitely Department of Planning and Zoning, still don’t know what Cloud might be, but I have the feeling that Mist is the Department of Health and Vital Records. Which sounds impressive but it’s emphasis on Records and the entire system is a shambles (a deliberate last fuck you from the Uzushio group who had been laid off maybe?) or they’re stuck with the unenviable task of digitizing EVERYTHING which is just the worst thing ever.
(Sorry this took so long, anon, I saw your ask and then spent the entire day at work pondering it and now there’s a huge rant so… enjoy?)
I’m most fond of them BroTP’ing it up as well, anon. Their dynamic is very… hm… buddy cop? Well, no, it’s more like…
I don’t know, anon. Whatever their dynamic is I love it as is, and while I prefer platonic friendship to romance I guess the thought experiment of a ship would be interesting to do, so let’s go?
Shikako/Kankurou as a ship outside of setting or potential fic brainstorming, I think…
For some reason my thought process goes like:
Wouldn’t a Shikako/Kankurou ship just be like the Shikako/Kiba ship (pre-Land of the Moon arc)?
NO!
Why not?
Well…
On the surface, I suppose the Shikako and Kankurou dynamic and the Shikako and Kiba dynamic do look pretty similar. There’s witty banter and respectful acknowledgement of badassery tempered with mutual teasing… but it’s the difference between someone seeing a heretofore unseen side of a childhood friend versus learning a new acquaintance without any prior bias.
I feel like Land of the Moon and Lost Child arcs really convey this. Like, Kiba is not only surprised but almost perturbed by Shikako’s more recent actions. They legit have a philosophical discussion about what the right thing to do is and you can almost feel the way Kiba has to revise his opinions of Shikako. No longer is she the girl who was the tree for their school play, now she’s the girl who will single-handedly reverse a coup.
Whereas, if Kankurou were to witness the same thing he wouldn’t find it strange at all. That’s just part of who she is, as far as he’s concerned. If anything, that would add to what he knows about her, might even help explain some her idiosyncrasies. Like. All powerful shinobi have quirks and while no doubt Shikako tries to embody polite normal Konoha girl, I’m pretty sure everyone who talks to her more than once realizes how weird she is–and I say this in the kindest, fondest way possible–that girl is a weirdo.
Knowing what Shikako’s oh shit/fuck you button is is probably a huge relief to Kankurou because he knows it exists–she blew off a guy’s head!–and at least it’s something that he can avoid. Contrast with Kiba who, having grown up knowing her as Shikamaru’s shy sister, probably never even thought she’d have one.
Anyway. That’s my instinctive answer to that.
Thinking more on it, especially on Shikako’s end, I do think she appreciates that non-expectant aspect of their relationship. She doesn’t have to censor herself around Kankurou, weirdly enough. With fellow Konohans, they’ve known her forever; she’s always been around to help them and be a listening ear (it’s one of the many reasons she’s been so stressed lately) and it’s something she feels obligated to maintain.
Even with Gaara she feels obligated to generate an aura of compassion, as a sort of teach by example thing, while with Temari she thinks she needs to maintain that position of strength she established early on.
Kankurou? She can be snarky. She can have stage fright. When she tries to play the polite professional, he snorts and prods at her to just be herself. Yeah, he’ll challenge her to a theater battle, but he’ll be the first one to clap for her. Challenger and hype man both, constantly and simultaneously impressed and amused and I think there’s something comfortable yet exciting about a relationship like that.
Now as for how I would write a Shikako/Kankurou ship? Hm… in a canon DoS setting this would be another one of those that happens post canon events. There are only a few ships that I can see even possibly happening pre-canon (Gaara, Sasuke, Kiba, Ino) but even those would have to be carefully guided and cultivated toward that.
Erm, so yeah. Shikako/Kankurou would be post-canon events. It’d probably be… for some reason, my brain thinks it should NOT just be a tweaked version of Dreaming of S(omething). I think I’d want to do more of a… the semi-canon AU in which Shikako accidentally becomes a TV star
Well, basically, it’s while she’s doing research on the ruins of the Gelel shrine except with less Indiana Jones style shenanigans? I just want it to be like she’s on a sabbatical in Sand and Kankurou is playing tour guide and he’s helping her through her PTSD and what-do-I-do-now-that-my-life-goal-to-survive-Akatsuki-has-been-completed quarter life crisis but he’s doing so either unintentionally or, more likely, purposefully but subtly.
They both kind of explore who they are outside of being shinobi–he’s a huge Theater Nerd and she’s a huge Regular Nerd and they tease each other for it but they also accept each other and it’s fun and relaxing. (I’m having feels over the idea of these teenaged walking weapons of mass destruction striving to be well adjusted human beings.)
In a more definitively AU setting?
…
… OH! A Parks & Rec AU where Konoha people are the Department of Parks and Recreation and Suna people are a different department in the same ambiguously massive city. Maybe they’re something like the Department of Cultural Affairs?
Anyway, that means Konoha are all still tree-huggers as per canon, and there’s a bit of competition between the two groups, but there’s also future collaborations (open air theaters anyone? The equivalent of Shakespeare in the Park?) And that means the other villages can also be mentioned and hated other departments. (WHICH VILLAGE IS THE DMV?)
Kakashi as Ron Swanson who doesn’t do any work because authority is there to laugh at not respect. Shikako as Leslie Knope who only sleeps three hours a day because she has SO MANY PROJECT IDEAS. Ino as Donna Meagle who runs a far more profitable real estate agency but still works in the department to hang out with her friends. Um, I can’t think of the others right now but it’s not like it has to be a one to one swapping crossover anyway.
At first their departments are antagonistic–fighting over budget, stealing each other’s supply of paper clips, the ongoing war to prank the other department which PISSES THE CUSTODIANS OFF SO MUCH. And then they begin to work together–tentative collaboration on cultural events held in parks, etc–and then that becomes alliance against the other departments, etc. etc.
I suppose this AU setting doesn’t necessarily need to be Shikako/Kankurou, but I do think that this AU would fit that particular ship quite well 😀
*gasp* HE WOULD BE THE DMV. -_-
And all those poor ROOT members can’t even comprehend the idea of having fun. At work? Or having friends. AT WORK? They don’t have names, just numbers corresponding to their windows. T_T
Sai gets forcibly adopted into the Parks & Rec Department.
(Sorry this took so long, anon, I saw your ask and then spent the entire day at work pondering it and now there’s a huge rant so… enjoy?)
I’m most fond of them BroTP’ing it up as well, anon. Their dynamic is very… hm… buddy cop? Well, no, it’s more like…
I don’t know, anon. Whatever their dynamic is I love it as is, and while I prefer platonic friendship to romance I guess the thought experiment of a ship would be interesting to do, so let’s go?
Shikako/Kankurou as a ship outside of setting or potential fic brainstorming, I think…
For some reason my thought process goes like:
Wouldn’t a Shikako/Kankurou ship just be like the Shikako/Kiba ship (pre-Land of the Moon arc)?
NO!
Why not?
Well…
On the surface, I suppose the Shikako and Kankurou dynamic and the Shikako and Kiba dynamic do look pretty similar. There’s witty banter and respectful acknowledgement of badassery tempered with mutual teasing… but it’s the difference between someone seeing a heretofore unseen side of a childhood friend versus learning a new acquaintance without any prior bias.
I feel like Land of the Moon and Lost Child arcs really convey this. Like, Kiba is not only surprised but almost perturbed by Shikako’s more recent actions. They legit have a philosophical discussion about what the right thing to do is and you can almost feel the way Kiba has to revise his opinions of Shikako. No longer is she the girl who was the tree for their school play, now she’s the girl who will single-handedly reverse a coup.
Whereas, if Kankurou were to witness the same thing he wouldn’t find it strange at all. That’s just part of who she is, as far as he’s concerned. If anything, that would add to what he knows about her, might even help explain some her idiosyncrasies. Like. All powerful shinobi have quirks and while no doubt Shikako tries to embody polite normal Konoha girl, I’m pretty sure everyone who talks to her more than once realizes how weird she is–and I say this in the kindest, fondest way possible–that girl is a weirdo.
Knowing what Shikako’s oh shit/fuck you button is is probably a huge relief to Kankurou because he knows it exists–she blew off a guy’s head!–and at least it’s something that he can avoid. Contrast with Kiba who, having grown up knowing her as Shikamaru’s shy sister, probably never even thought she’d have one.
Anyway. That’s my instinctive answer to that.
Thinking more on it, especially on Shikako’s end, I do think she appreciates that non-expectant aspect of their relationship. She doesn’t have to censor herself around Kankurou, weirdly enough. With fellow Konohans, they’ve known her forever; she’s always been around to help them and be a listening ear (it’s one of the many reasons she’s been so stressed lately) and it’s something she feels obligated to maintain.
Even with Gaara she feels obligated to generate an aura of compassion, as a sort of teach by example thing, while with Temari she thinks she needs to maintain that position of strength she established early on.
Kankurou? She can be snarky. She can have stage fright. When she tries to play the polite professional, he snorts and prods at her to just be herself. Yeah, he’ll challenge her to a theater battle, but he’ll be the first one to clap for her. Challenger and hype man both, constantly and simultaneously impressed and amused and I think there’s something comfortable yet exciting about a relationship like that.
Now as for how I would write a Shikako/Kankurou ship? Hm… in a canon DoS setting this would be another one of those that happens post canon events. There are only a few ships that I can see even possibly happening pre-canon (Gaara, Sasuke, Kiba, Ino) but even those would have to be carefully guided and cultivated toward that.
Erm, so yeah. Shikako/Kankurou would be post-canon events. It’d probably be… for some reason, my brain thinks it should NOT just be a tweaked version of Dreaming of S(omething). I think I’d want to do more of a… the semi-canon AU in which Shikako accidentally becomes a TV star
Well, basically, it’s while she’s doing research on the ruins of the Gelel shrine except with less Indiana Jones style shenanigans? I just want it to be like she’s on a sabbatical in Sand and Kankurou is playing tour guide and he’s helping her through her PTSD and what-do-I-do-now-that-my-life-goal-to-survive-Akatsuki-has-been-completed quarter life crisis but he’s doing so either unintentionally or, more likely, purposefully but subtly.
They both kind of explore who they are outside of being shinobi–he’s a huge Theater Nerd and she’s a huge Regular Nerd and they tease each other for it but they also accept each other and it’s fun and relaxing. (I’m having feels over the idea of these teenaged walking weapons of mass destruction striving to be well adjusted human beings.)
In a more definitively AU setting?
…
… OH! A Parks & Rec AU where Konoha people are the Department of Parks and Recreation and Suna people are a different department in the same ambiguously massive city. Maybe they’re something like the Department of Cultural Affairs?
Anyway, that means Konoha are all still tree-huggers as per canon, and there’s a bit of competition between the two groups, but there’s also future collaborations (open air theaters anyone? The equivalent of Shakespeare in the Park?) And that means the other villages can also be mentioned and hated other departments. (WHICH VILLAGE IS THE DMV?)
Kakashi as Ron Swanson who doesn’t do any work because authority is there to laugh at not respect. Shikako as Leslie Knope who only sleeps three hours a day because she has SO MANY PROJECT IDEAS. Ino as Donna Meagle who runs a far more profitable real estate agency but still works in the department to hang out with her friends. Um, I can’t think of the others right now but it’s not like it has to be a one to one swapping crossover anyway.
At first their departments are antagonistic–fighting over budget, stealing each other’s supply of paper clips, the ongoing war to prank the other department which PISSES THE CUSTODIANS OFF SO MUCH. And then they begin to work together–tentative collaboration on cultural events held in parks, etc–and then that becomes alliance against the other departments, etc. etc.
I suppose this AU setting doesn’t necessarily need to be Shikako/Kankurou, but I do think that this AU would fit that particular ship quite well 😀
Oh reeeeeeaaaaaally? Sounds like fun, anon, thanks for letting me know. I’ll check it out!
Well, my head canon regarding Shikako and Kankurou’s relationship is greatly based on their canonical theater war during the Land of the Moon arc. And how, even though Shikako would really very much like not to be on stage, she somehow ends up there and how hilarious Kankurou finds it.
Shikako is very accepting of Kankurou’s not-so-Inner Theater Nerd. It’s not as if others discourage him or anything–because the Puppet Corps are a key part of Suna’s culture and military–but I wonder how many support his passion outside of battle puppets.
And, also, all the weird shit that happens to Shikako is very good source material for his future play.
Oh, perhaps not, anon… I respond to all the asks I get, even with a short answer, so if it’s not in the pokemon tag then probably tumblr ate it?
But yes! Shinobi are like Rangers (the trainer class) in that they’re a more wildlife capable version of police officers. I guess the equivalent would be the Royal Candian Mounted Police vs the more urban police department for specific cities. (I say this with the barest of knowledge that the Vancouver Police Department is different from Mounties).
Uh, I guess a more useful comparison is that the currently extinct Konoha Military Police is what Officer Jenny is, while the general shinobi forces are what Rangers are? KMP focuses on the towns and human-only crimes. The shinobi-rangers are the ones that deal with non-urban areas and anything involving Pokemon. Which is nearly everything in this fusion world…
Shinobi are also the only one who are allowed a full team of six Pokemon (normal citizens only get two–which is why even kids before they graduate from the Academy have Pokemon from their family, etc).
I do like the idea that each team member is specialized for different scenarios, but I also think that uh… Teams (as in with three genin and a jounin) are also specialized as per canon. Obviously Team Eight are trackers/hunters, and Team Gai are bodyguards. I think Team Ten is meant to be like… infiltration/siege/fortress-breakers? And then there’s Team Seven which are, historically, the heavy-hitter frontline fighters.
I mean, obviously, different Teams can do different missions–as in canon–but I think the types of Pokemon that the Teams have do reflect a specialization of their own.
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.
JackSGreyson Says 