sai – Page 3 – JackSGreyson Says

Okay that Colour Time AU cleared up my acne and also saved my soul. I, too, am here for Sai’s colourful animals THROWING THEMSELVES AT THE WALL in the most colourful nO YOUTHFUL DEATH EVER OKAY BUT TEAM GAI HELPING OUT AT COLOUR TIME

February 22, 2017 jacksgreysonLeave a comment

OF COURSE TEAM GAI WOULD BE ON COLOUR TIME! 😀

Lee, learning that Art isn’t about quantity or speed–there’s no competition in art–it’s about getting in touch with your emotions. Which is his JAM. Neji somehow despite all the paint flying around, remaining perfectly spotless. TenTen taking on Naruto’s challenge for most interesting methods to paint with a FLURRY OF PAINT COVERED WEAPONRY.

Now I’m not saying TenTen invents the Naruto world’s equivalent of paintball, but I’m also not NOT saying that.

Gai, unsurprisingly, is uncannily talented. At heart he is a True Artist. Martial arts, painting, singing, etc. ~~He possibly teaches or shows up during kunoichi classes as a prime example of the “nine in one” ultimate kunoichi?~~

But yes. Colour Time. I’m sure everyone makes a cameo in Colour Time at some point or another. Unsurprisingly, Yakumo is a recurring guest. Possibly Kino-chan and his genin team are the most frequently recurring team as well.

‘paint with all the colours of the wind’ Sai; Naruto

February 22, 2017 jacksgreysonLeave a comment

I know what this is referencing, but for some reason I just cannot get this Teen Wolf fic out of my head. More specifically the fake children’s TV show that Scott and Stiles have and the catchphrase in which Scott says “I have rainbows in my daydreams,” and the audience is meant to shout back “Paint the world!”

I guess in the accidental-television-celebrity ‘verse that has Shikako as the equivalent of Indiana Jones and Bear Grylls I would totally want Sai and Naruto to have a kids show that’s a little bit like the one Scott and Stiles have in that fic.

A little Reading Rainbow meets Bob Ross, I suppose, with the adorable epic friendship of Troy and Abed from Community… relationship?

Also, in my defense, Naruto has already made his media debut in the same movie Shikako did. Except where she got the my older brother is dead action-adventure potential sequel subplot, Naruto got to hit the bad guy with a Rasengan of RAINBOW CHAKRA and if that isn’t a potential spinoff of it’s own about defeating negativity with colors and art and friendship then…

I lost track of where I was going with that.

So basically anon:

Paint With All The Colours Of The Wind

According to Naruto, every episode of Colour Time is their best episode ever. According to Sai that is a denotationally impossible statement.

Regardless of who is right, they’re both having fun and that’s all that matters.

(The ratings are nice, too)

Like with Shikako, they probably stumble into children’s television stardom accidentally–Team Seven luck holding strong and all that–I’m thinking Naruto and the Konohamaru corps are trying to explain the painting things for fun. Sai doesn’t quite get it because, not only are his paintings practical literal weapons, but also graffiti is against the law and won’t the Hokage be mad at them?

The Hokage is mad at them, but the Hokage is also wilier than them (not sure if I’m talking about Tsunade or Kakashi at this time but it applies to both) and not only has them clean up the mess but also has them tagged for all the painting related D-ranks in perpetuity.

Murals everywhere.

The Konohamaru corps are probably also punished alongside them for the “first episode” but after that it’s always a different genin team.

And I guess they go around painting fences and houses and etc with charming murals (there was a lot of rebuilding, wasn’t there? Functionality was prioritized over aesthetics, but better late than never right?)

And because Team Seven luck, something always goes… sideways with these punishment D-rank missions. Nothing DANGEROUS, but definitely weird. And, of course, the power of art saves the day?

Like, early on the problems are actually pretty small. Two of the genin are fighting and Art and Friendship helps resolve their differences. Then at one point there’s two businesses who can’t agree on their shared wall or are rivals or something and because Art and Naruto’s empathy and Sai’s more practical problem solving they join up and are now a combination bakery and blacksmith. Which is not a thing one would think would go together but is unsurprisingly very popular in Konoha.

And it escalates.

They don’t really leave Land of Fire (not as well traveled as Shikako’s bizarre fuinjutsu trips) but they do move beyond Konoha. Possibly even to the Daimyo’s court where somehow the bitter decision of succession is solved when all of the Daimyo’s heirs just… paint it out? And realize they all love each other as siblings? And most of them realize they don’t want to be daimyo or only like part of the responsibilities and, hey, how convenient that they’re all complementary parts. I don’t know.

Like Shikako’s adventures, Colour Time starts pretty low-tech. Photos of the respective murals and the murals being popular installments of art, the painting process (with Naruto’s more creative methods including but not limited to: paint balloons, wind jutsu, just throwing an entire paint can at the wall, bodily rolling in paint and using his clothes as a roller, his hair once and never again, Rasengan pretty frequently until the Hokage made him stop, etc) getting recorded and uploaded by the respective genin teams. Sai just tends to use brushes at first. Until he becomes more comfortable with himself and makes COLORFUL PAINT ANIMALS WHO THROW THEMSELVES AT THE WALL and thus beats all methods Naruto has used thus far.

I think I’ve gotten off track?

I guess maybe if graffiti artists were also children’s television hosts that’s what Colour Time would be. And ninja.

fake fic, dos, “seven deadly sins”

February 21, 2017 jacksgreysonLeave a comment

Seven Deadly Sins

Even heroes have flaws. Team Seven just happens to have more than most.

Oh anon, this has to be an extended Team Seven character study right? Like with each of the members as a respective deadly sin. I mean, I don’t know what else would match so perfectly? Let me just figure out which character is which sin, I guess?

I mean, I suppose it doesn’t necessarily have to be canon DoS extended Team Seven. Perhaps this is set in the Friendship Is A (Mutual) Con ‘verse? Regardless it’d still be character studies of sorts, perhaps different POVs of a greater heist/mission…

Actually, yeah lets go with that.

It starts with Sai, dressed up as a waiter with a platter of hors d’oeuvres. Gluttony. In his mind he’s thinking about how he’s empty. How he’s always hungry. No matter what he does or what he eats it all just tastes like ink on his tongue. Nothing can sate him. He’s a yawning black hole that consumes and consumes.

He holds the platter out, watches as a man takes one unheedingly and begins to eat. Begins to choke. The hors d’oeuvres have scallops in it and the man is allergic to shellfish. The man also has access to the building’s security system.

It’s okay, there’s a medical student in the crowd, she can mitigate the allergic reaction, and if she hands off the man’s key card to Sai while opening his shirt collar so he can breathe? Well, who notices the waitstaff?

Paramedics show up, take the man away–just in case–and Sakura is the darling of the gala just as planned. “Your necklace is beautiful,” she says to the CEO who comes to thank the hero of the hour in person.

Envy for Sakura, then. At having to play distraction. At having to stay in this relatively safe and boring role. DoS or not, she wanted to be more involved. She wants to be a proper field agent, like Shikako, wants to be where the action is not outside as decorative and useless as a flower.

Better than getting ogled and groped by ladies (and men) old enough to be his grandparent, Sasuke thinks, drifting closer and closer to the guarded doors. Lust. Probably some wordplay to make that bloodlust, too, because while he can’t exactly go around punching rich old ladies (and men) at the very least he gets to “drunkenly” fight the security team, enough for the rest of Team Seven to go through.

He gets a very stern talking to, which ought to have been getting booted out of the gala, but he does look very nice in his suit so…

Over the comms, Naruto laughs, his own outfit less formal and more “cat burglar.” Sai has control of the cameras, has been narrating the goings on of everyone for intel and for fun, as well as some of the alarms, but there’s a field of lasers and pressure sensors that can only be turned off in the morning or by a panel on the other side of the room. It’s okay, Naruto’s got this. Pride. He’s the best.

After a no doubt amazing montage of Naruto breakdancing out of the way of lasers and disarming the room for Shikako to scuttle through. There’s a vault and between the two of them they open it quickly. Inside the vault, though… they’re only supposed to take the contents of one of the boxes–the one Kakashi-sensei told them to–but somewhere in here are the blueprints for prosthetics that have been bogged down by red tape because it’s not profitable enough. Greed. She needs it for her brother.

Cut to Tenzou, arm around another guard’s neck, slowly lowering them to the ground as they fall unconscious. Sloth. He’s only supposed to be back up, doesn’t approve of this job really, why are they taking so long? They should have been in and out minutes ago.

And along comes Kakashi, sauntering in, subtly waving Sasuke and Sakura away. Eying one of the security cameras, knowing Sai will pass on the order. He wasn’t supposed to be on site, not really. It’s his job but he’s too emotionally invested. This was the company that killed Obito–and Rin, years later, when she began asking too many questions. Kakashi goes to the CEO and dispenses his Wrath.

… So… if you’ve ever watched Leverage (which I highly recommend, it’s on Netflix and maybe Hulu too?) you probably know exactly what I’m imagining here…

Shikamaru, DOS, “Babysitting”

February 17, 2017 jacksgreysonLeave a comment

Babysitting

Doing a favor for his sister probably shouldn’t feel so much like doing a D-rank mission, but apparently–despite being S-rank war heroes–Team Seven really might as well be a bunch of children.

(Or, that ONE TIME Shikako asked her brother to look after her team for a week and he STUPIDLY agreed)

The funny thing is, I’m pretty sure that Shikamaru is actually really fond of actual children. The eagerness to help out with Baby Kino, the fact that his “dream” includes having two kids. If it didn’t require so much effort, he’d probably want to be an Academy teacher.

Shikamaru loves kids. He does not love overpowered idiots who act like kids. Poor Shikamaru, the title is not literal.

I don’t exactly know what would happen in this fic except for a bunch of The Hangover-esque shenanigans. I don’t even know why Shikako needs Shikamaru to watch her team.

Probably the rest of Team Ten is helping, too, but it’s very possible that Ino and Chouji contribute to the chaos: Ino and Sai have decided to paint floral murals on the administrative building, Chouji has brought all of Kakashi’s ninken to an all you can eat barbecue restaurant. Asuma (because… maybe he’s alive I don’t know) and Naruto are trying to outdo each other with wind ninjutsu and have managed to blow off the roofs of some buildings. They might also be having an ongoing heart to heart about their vastly differing emotions regarding the Sandaime. Sasuke keeps getting into fights with the chuunin on patrol. All of them. Every chuunin, every patrol. Shikamaru can’t find Kakashi ANYWHERE.

(Kakashi is definitely the child that wanders off in the grocery store and is only found when the PA system announces a clean up is needed in aisle four, will someone please collect their strange grey-haired child)

I think maybe it’s Shikako and Yakumo’s genjutsu-fuinjutsu collaboration. Or like a seal that’s meant to self-activate whenever a genjutsu is cast on the person (like an automatic kai) except it kind of backfired and now Team Seven think they’re in a genjutsu? Actually, now that I think about it… maybe they are actual literal children via temporary de-aging? Mentally, at least 😀

Basically, it’s Shikamaru running around trying to herd the worst cats and his own team making things EVEN WORSE.

When Shikako comes back he swears never again.

I really love them just BroTP’ing it up, but since everything ends in shipping… what’s your opinion on Shikako/Kankurou?

January 13, 2017 jacksgreysonLeave a comment

jacksgreysays:

(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

(… oh snap, is this what you were referring to when you meant The Arts, anon? My bad…)

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.

Not sure if you follow it, but there was a recent spate of ‘Shikako and Kankurou have a theatre war’ headcanons/ficlets over on the forum (and I think I remember you expressing something about them and The Arts at some point…)

January 12, 2017 jacksgreysonLeave a comment

jacksgreysays:

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.~~

I think, given Killer Bee, that rap already exists in Lightning Country to some extent that Shikako wouldn’t be the one to come up with rap musicals. Especially with… okay, don’t get me wrong, I love Hamilton, but I don’t think Shikako would bring that into the Naruto world even if she knew it (seeing as how the timing of when SQ began the story doesn’t match up)?

It’s very much so based in Our World, and even though it has seen success internationally, Hamilton is still the story about the American Revolution and that’s very… Hamilton is sensational, but it’s not a story that can easily be told in the Naruto World. And if rap originates from Lightning Country, then surely there are already (or at least the foundation for) epic stories told in rap form? Shikako doesn’t really need to be involved in the process.

I love Galavant, too! It’s fantastic, isn’t it? Galavant, I think, would be easier for her to “translate” in the Naruto World, but I have to wonder if she even would? Or, rather, if she would be more involved than telling someone else about the idea and then passing the responsibility onto that person instead.

All we have in canon to base this on is that time she told Sai about Sailor Moon, and it was very much so a one to one kind of experience. I myself have expounded on that idea with Dreaming of S(tories) in that she performs impromptu shadow puppet shows for the kids of Sand and one of the stories is a remake of Little Red Riding Hood called Akako and the Wolf. But that’s still a very small informal experience. Anything bigger, as seen with the theater battle against Kankurou, and she doesn’t feel comfortable.

Sorry, @kristinaxx0, I didn’t mean to rain on your parade per se. I suppose if you mean produce in the same way film producers invest in the idea and have the director take over, then yes I can definitely see Shikako doing that (especially if it’s Sai because she supports him doing anything that isn’t ROOT).

HOLY SHIT THAT IS SUPER CREEPY AND I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON BUT I LOVE IT

December 22, 2016 jacksgreysonLeave a comment

A/N1: Nyehehehehe… Part Three! 😀

Also, now with title, “Lies Beyond The Morning”

Something is wrong.

Shikako blinks. Dark then light.

Across the room stand three creatures, so colorful and defiant against the stark impossible room.

She doesn’t want to approach them.

They do not move and do not speak.

She doesn’t want to break them.

“What do I do now?” she asks, though she knows the not-Sai creature will not say anything.

He only smiles at her, sad and apologetic.

“Upwards and onwards,” she says, walking forward.

There is only one way to go.

If she has to spend an eternity in this strange place, she will not spend it waiting for nothing to happen.

—

She comes to a stop in front the three familiar creatures, not-Sai following behind her.

“I’m sorry,” she says to the creature that is not Ino, reaching out for its hands. The creature is neither warm nor cold, lifeless and empty like the room around them.

But as she pulls at its hands, its arms move. No longer is not-Ino covering its mouth.

Shikako blinks. Dark then light.

Something has changed.

In not-Ino’s eyes pale blue eyes are a matching set of thin slit pupils.

—

She steps sideways, in front of the creature that is not her brother. Here, she hesitates.

Under her fingers, not-Shikamaru is lifeless and empty, neither warm nor cold. But at least he’s whole.

She doesn’t want to break him again.

Sensing her hesitation, not-Sai moves, walks around these fake Ino-Shika-Cho and stands opposite from her.

Sad and apologetic, he no longer smiles.

She pulls at not-Shikamaru’s hands, its arms moves. Not-Sai nods, silent.

No longer is the creature covering its eyes.

“I’m sorry,” she says, turning away, tears forming in her eyes.

Shikako blinks. Dark then light.

Her cheeks are wet.

There is only one hand in her own.

—

Another step to the side, and not-Sai follows, an inky reflection defiant against the stark white room.

Between them stands not-Chouji, hands over its ears, face blank and empty and lifeless.

Nothing like the real Chouji.

She hasn’t broken him.

Not yet, anyway.

There is only one way to go. Upwards and onwards.

She takes its hands in hers and pulls until it is no longer covering its ears.

Shikako blinks. Dark then light.

Nothing changes.

—

The silence spreads.

“I don’t understand,” she says, looking around.

There is nothing here. Not-Sai watches her, waiting.

“What do I do now?”

—

“Upwards and onwards,” a voice says.

Startled, Shikako springs away.

In this strange eternal place, there are only two sounds: the noise, like gears in a machine, and her own voice.

Something is happening.

“What?” she asks, glancing around. The fake Ino-Shika-Cho have not moved.

Neither has not-Sai, who stands and waits, watching.

This is different.

“Fight,” says not Chouji. But not the not-Chouji that is silent and lifeless and empty.

“Who–?” –are you–do I fight–have I forgotten–is doing this to me–

“That old fool,” the not-not-Chouji voice says, sad and apologetic.

“Fight,” it continues, as a noise, like gears in a machine, sounds off.

The doorway appears, and not-Sai walks toward it, waving her forward.

She follows. She remembers what happened in the room with not-Sakura.

But on that first starlight step, she looks back.

Ino-Shika-Cho, unmoving, broken.

“Upwards and onwards,” the voice finishes, as the doorway seals itself shut, impossible room lost to the eternal void.

—

Shikako blinks. Dark then light.

Not-Sai walks ahead of her on stairs neither stone nor metal.

Something is happening. Something is wrong.

But it’s not her.

Above her the helix spirals forever, but in front they appear only a few steps ahead.

Starlight and the endless void of space.

Colorless, lifeless, silent.

It’s different, and yet…

“I’ve already been here,” she says out loud.

“This has happened to me before.”

Or near enough.

At the top step, not-Sai waits for her, sad and apologetic smile on his face.

“I understand,” she says out loud.

Not-Sai looks at her, startled.

“You’re not Sai,” she continues, catching up.

“You’re his brother.”

—

In front of her is an invisible wall where a doorway will appear. Beside her is a ghost.

Not-Sai… Sai’s brother fades, image changing as he does. Instead of the familiar ink dark features, she sees dimming starlight and a smile that is no longer sad or apologetic.

“Thank you,” she says as he dissipates, “Thank you for helping me this far.”

Sai’s brother nods, as kind in death as he must have been in life.

A noise, like gears in a machine.

Shikako blinks. Dark then light.

The doorway appears as well as the last impossible room.

—

She is not surprised by what she sees, the worst of it yet.

A tableau of her nightmares meant to break her and stop her and keep her trapped.

Across the room are two figures, frozen in time: mid battle, mid death blow.

Sasuke as he might have been, Curse Seal fully bloomed across his skin.

Naruto partially transformed, caustic red chakra cloaked around him.

Chidori against Rasengan.

These are not her teammates.

She walks toward them, neither move, as empty and lifeless as the room.

The corruption of natural chakra should claw at her skin, should burn in her lungs, but it does not.

Because none of this is real.

These empty creatures, this strange place. Impossible starlight and eternal voids. Ink and color like defiance.

Something is wrong.

Just not here. There is nothing for her here and so there is nothing here to be wrong.

Something is happening.

Out in the real world.

“Kotoamatsukami”

—

Shikako blinks. Light then dark.

Im the haunted house anon! THAT was super awesome & freaky, thank you!!! It had this gradual sense of loss, and it’s even more frightening b/c Shikako’s going through this madness blind. Like, it feels really ominous, aaaa. HOly cow, I can’t wait for part 2 * v *

December 21, 2016 jacksgreysonLeave a comment

A/N1: I’m glad you liked it anon! 😀 Freaky and ominous was what I was going for. I hope you enjoy part two as well 🙂

“Sai?”

Shikako looks around, the two of them standing on impossible stairs. Smooth not-stone not-metal steps.

Starlight against the void of space.

“What is happening?” she asks him, reaching out.

For some reason, she feels alone. She wants to confirm she isn’t.

But Sai steps back, away, silent. Shakes his head.

He gives her a smile, one far more emotionally eloquent than he’s usually capable:

A little apologetic, a lot sad.

He climbs the stairs and waves at her. Upwards and onwards, he doesn’t say.

She follows.

—

“You’re not Sai,” Shikako says, as they climb impossible starlight stairs.

“But you’re not like that not-Kiba,” she continues.

She doesn’t know where she is, or what is going on, but she’s exhausted.

She feels like she’s been here for a long time. An eternity.

Maybe she’s gone mad, maybe this is her breaking point.

“This isn’t real.”

The not-Sai ahead of her stops, looks at her. Shakes his head.

Confirmation or denial, and for which statement, she’s not sure. Doesn’t have the time to ask.

A noise, like gears in a machine, and a doorway opens in front of them.

—

A stark white room that goes on forever. Smooth floor neither stone or metal, and walls she can never reach.

Not-Sai’s dark hair and dark clothes stand out defiant, even his pale skin somehow contrasting.

He stands behind her, even as she walks as far as she can, forever.

Silence spreads.

Something is wrong.

—

Shikako blinks. Dark then light.

Across the room, a riot of color. Pink and green and red and black.

Sakura. Not-Sakura.

Not the Sakura she’s come to know.

Pink hair cropped short, armored gloves but no medic’s uniform.

This is the Sakura she replaced.

But this creature with Sakura’s face doesn’t move, doesn’t attack.

Shikako steps forward. Not-Sai behind her.

Something is happening.

This is… different.

“Sakura?” she calls out, but the creature does not respond.

Behind her, the not-Sai figure stands his ground.

Silence.

Where is the doorway?

—

Maybe this is different for a reason.

Maybe there’s a reason why not-Sakura isn’t attacking her.

Not-Kiba did so immediately, as well as the previous encounters against ~~[|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||]~~…

… something was wrong, then.

Which means it is not wrong now?

“Come with us,” she tries, reaching out to touch not-Sakura, but stopping short of contact.

The creature’s face remains blank and empty.

A part of her is afraid. That as soon as she touches not-Sakura, it will spring to life, try to kill her.

And she will have to kill it instead. Just like ~~[||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||]~~…

… Shikako is exhausted.

She doesn’t want to fight anymore.

—

“Please,” she tries again, and this time commits, hand curving around not-Sakura’s arm.

Beneath her fingers, the creature is neither warm nor cold. As lifeless and empty as the room around them.

Not-Sakura doesn’t move.

But a noise sounds off, the only other noise here besides her own voice, and the doorway appears.

Not-Sai leaves his position and walks to the doorway, starlight stairs already assembling.

On the first step, upwards and onwards, he stops and waves toward her.

“Please, Sakura, come with us!” she tries one last time, tugging, futilely, as if against a statue.

A noise, like gears in a machine.

Something is wrong.

On the other side of the closing doorway, not-Sai waves at her impatiently, frantic.

Scared.

There is nothing for her here.

Shikako runs.

—

On starlight stairs in an endless void, Shikako stands.

Breathless.

Exhausted.

Crying.

A few steps ahead, not-Sai watches. Sad and apologetic.

—

Shikako blinks. Dark then light.

Something is happening.

Her cheeks are wet, and she wipes the moisture away. Droplets falling into eternity.

She moves. Upwards and onwards, there is only one way to go.

Not-Sai watches her. Stopped ahead, waiting. Sad and apologetic for some reason.

She catches up. Then keeps going.

Not-Sai follows silently behind her.

—

On the top step, before the invisible wall and the noise and the doorway, Shikako turns to not-Sai.

“It’s going to be worse, isn’t it?” she asks, already dreading it.

Not-Sai nods, confirmation, ever sad and apologetic.

“Why can’t you speak?” she asks. Perhaps, if she were not so exhausted, she would be angry.

But she has been here for an eternity, and she just wants to hear something besides her own voice and that–

Not-Sai sticks his tongue out, black ink on pink flesh

–noise, like gears in a machine.

The doorway appears.

—

This is different.

The room is the same–an impossibility of stark endless white–but inside, immediately, it is not empty.

Across the room, like colorful statues, are three unmoving silent figures.

Ino-Shika-Cho

But not hers. Just like the not-Sakura from before wasn’t hers.

The creature that is not Chouji stands, hands over its ears, face blank and empty.

Not-Ino stands next to it, hands over its mouth, eyes a solid intact blue.

Between them is her brother. Or, rather, the creature that is not her brother, eyes covered by two hands.

This Ino-Shika-Cho is not hers, because hers are broken.

She was the one who broke them.

—

Shikako blinks. Dark then light.

Nothing has changed.

She tries again. Dark then light.

Still no change.

She doesn’t want to do this.

She turns around to where not-Sai stands behind her. Surely because he followed her in, the doorway would still be there.

But behind him is an endless expanse, no stairs spiraling down and away.

No escape. There is only one way to go.

She’s exhausted.

Something is wrong.

“What do I do now?”

That something might be her.

A/N2: … I guess there will be a part three to finish this off?

I once had this weird dream, where Shikako & Co. are on a haunted house mission. Turns out there’s an actual ghost taking people away into a parallel space, so Shikako starts panicking when she starts feeling chakra signatures just disappearing, one by one. Haha, I really can’t remember further than that, but I’d love to see if this can be extended?

December 20, 2016 jacksgreysonLeave a comment

A/N: I’m a bit late for your prompt, anon, because I considered it for few days and slept on it as well–which seemed to be in the spirit of it–and this is what my own weird dream shook out, so I hope you enjoy!

Shikako blinks. Dark then light.

Three kunai headed her way, she darts to the side.

Where is she? What’s happening?

More kunai follow. Trace the flight path. Keep moving.

Across the way is a smudge of color against the stark white room. Pink and brown and red. TenTen?

Ah, a spar, that makes sense.

She should pay attention.

TenTen isn’t saying anything, but that makes sense. Neither of them are particularly chatty.

She unfurls a scroll–a serious spar then.

“Earth Style: Earth Wall!” she calls out, chakra flaring, but nothing happens. The strange smooth floor is unchanged.

Where are they? Something is happening.

Shikako makes the sign for a timeout, but TenTen keeps going. She tries again with a forfeit sign, “Stop!”

That fails, too.

TenTen releases her armory, Shikako drops her resistance seals and runs.

Something is wrong.

They aren’t sparring, they’re fighting.

To the death, apparently.

—

Shikako wins. TenTen loses.

Which means TenTen dies.

Except.

Something is happening.

Shikako rushes over because, despite the fight, they are friends and she is so confused. In her arms, TenTen–still so strangely silent–begins to disintegrate.

“I didn’t mean to,” she says as particles of TenTen fade away into the expanse of the room, “I don’t understand.”

Before the body disappears completely, Shikako has one last thought:

Something is wrong.

—

Shikako blinks. Dark then light.

She’s on her knees in an impossible room, so empty and endless.

What was she doing?

There is a noise, like gears in a machine, and a doorway opens in front of her. Stairs.

There’s nothing for her here, and so she leaves.

Behind her, that same noise, the impossible room seals itself shut. Gone to the void like it never existed.

Upwards, onwards.

The stairs are smooth, white, surrounded by a void. They spiral up and up, unconnected steps of not stone and not metal.

A few more steps and the stairs just stop, nothing ahead but more darkness.

She extends a hand forward, meets resistance, and a noise like gears in a machine opens a doorway in front of her.

Another impossible room.

She looks back, there’s nothing there.

She goes in.

—

Shikako blinks. Dark then light.

Dodges out of the way of a chakra covered hand aimed at her heart.

“Neji?” She asks, startled, bewildered.

He doesn’t answer, but the silence makes sense. He isn’t particularly talkative.

But what is going on?

That was definitely a killing blow.

Of course he’d want to kill her, she thinks, she did just kill ~~[||||||||||||||]~~…

… what was she doing?

He makes another move–no doubt as lethal as the last–and somehow Shikako knows better than to try and reason with him.

Taijutsu is out of the question, she would surely lose (would surely die?) but she’s always been better at a distance.

—

This time (was there any other time?) Shikako watches silently as Neji dissipates. In comparison to the room, even his white clothes and pale skin stand out, the black of his hair a long tail of defiance.

Even then, the room wins out. And she watches in mute horror as he fades away.

Something is wrong.

She feels like she had that thought before.

—

Shikako blinks. Dark then light.

A noise. Then a doorway. Then a curving set of stairs.

Upwards, onwards. There is nothing for her here.

The stairs are continuous, spiraling for eternity. If she looks up, she can see the helix continue.

But if she looks ahead, there are only a few steps in front of her. A new one being added for each one she advances.

What a strange place. How did she get here?

The stairs come to a halt, impossibly, nothing in front of her.

And yet.

She reaches out. A noise. Then a doorway. Then an impossible room.

—

Shikako blinks. Dark then light.

She knows immediately that the creature in front of her is not Lee. Oh it looks like him, its green and orange outfit almost blinding in this stark emptiness, but it is not him.

Never mind that it is trying to kick her head off her shoulders, clearly trying to kill her. She knows this is not him because its face is blank and empty.

If this were a spar, Lee would be smiling. If this were a death match, he would be angry.

The real Lee would be furious at her for killing ~~[|||||||]~~ and ~~[||||||||||||||]~~…

… why does she think Lee should be angry at her?

No matter. This obviously isn’t Lee, which means that she has nothing stopping her from going all out.

It is faster than her, like the real Lee, but she has a few tricks up her sleeve still.

—

She doesn’t feel remorse as this not-Lee creature fades away. Particles and pigments disappearing as if it were never there.

If it were really him, then she would. She would be sick and horrified at herself.

But it is not him, she is sure of it.

Something is happening.

A certainty that has been building ever since she fought ~~[||||||||||||||]~~ and ~~[|||||||]~~, cemented further after her fight with ~~[||||||]~~…

… something is wrong.

—

Shikako blinks. Dark then light.

A doorway is open ahead of her, an impossible exit from an impossible space. Stairs leading upwards and onwards.

She stays put.

“I don’t understand,” she says, looking around, “This doesn’t make sense.”

Nothing changes.

“What’s happening?” she asks, instead.

Nothing changes.

Shikako blinks. Dark then light.

A doorway is open ahead of her, an impossible exit from an impossible place. Stairs leading upwards and onwards.

She leaves the room.

There is nothing here.

—

After an uncountable number of stairs, steps spiraling for an eternity upwards and yet never complete ahead of her, Shikako stops.

The steps appearing for every one she advances also stop.

“No,” she says.

“Something is wrong,” she says.

She stays put.

—

Shikako blinks. Dark then light.

She is on a set of stairs, smooth and pale and impossible like starlight. They spiral upwards and onwards in the void.

On the step in front of her is a little ink bird, black like defiance.

It hops about and flutters its wings but doesn’t make a noise.

She picks it up and sets it on her shoulder.

She begins climbing the stairs until she can no longer, the steps ending at an invisible wall.

She reaches out, meeting resistance, before a noise like gears in a machine sounds off.

A doorway opens.

Shikako walks through.

—

In this room empty of anything, with smooth floors that are not stone and stark walls she cannot perceive, only Shikako and the ink bird exist.

No matter how far she walks, there is no end. An impossible room.

Shikako blinks. Dark then light.

Immediately rolls out of the way of a swarm of tiny creatures.

The ink bird remains on her shoulder, but it tugs on her hair, impatiently. Frantic.

Scared?

Something is wrong.

Across the room is Shino. Or a creature that looks like Shino. It hasn’t moved and it hasn’t spoken and maybe that isn’t unlike the real Shino, but she learned her lesson with ~~[||||||]~~…

… the swarm attacks her again, and she backs away, confused.

The swarm of creatures, dark against the starkness of the room, somehow feel strange. Wrong.

They are not like her ink bird, a different sort of defiance. They are not like real kikaichu either.

These aren’t kikaichu and that isn’t Shino.

Which means she won’t feel guilty when she destroys them all.

—

The room is immaculate despite the battle.

The creatures that were not Shino and his kikaichu disappear, as if they never existed.

The ink bird on her shoulder remains. Now that she has the time and space to give it attention, it has stopped its antics.

Shikako blinks. Dark then light.

A black blur whizzes past her face. Reflexively, she ducks to the side, but nothing follows.

Bizarrely, it didn’t come from behind her, it came from her shoulder.

An ink bird flies ahead of her, a single point of defiance in this impossible room.

It flutters its wings and hops about, as if waiting, impatiently.

A noise. A doorway. Stairs.

The bird flies ahead, upwards and onwards.

Shikako follows.

—

Upwards and onwards, Shikako follows the bird. Against the void, it is difficult to see, but there is only one direction for it to go.

After an eternity it stops, landing on a step made of starlight. Waiting impatiently.

When she reaches the top step, it flutters to her shoulder.

Together they watch as a doorway appears.

Together they walk through.

—

Shikako blinks. Dark then light.

The chakra covered hand aimed at her heart almost seems familiar. As does the movement to get out of the way.

A creature that looks like Hinata stares at her blankly, before moving to attack once more.

If it were really Hinata, Shikako would hesitate.

If it were really Hinata, they wouldn’t be fighting.

The ink bird on her shoulder tugs at her hair.

But none of them (none of who?) were really themselves.

In comparison to ~~[||||||]~~…

… no matter.

This creature that is not Hinata is trying to kill her.

There is no hesitation.

—

It is not Hinata, but Shikako still looks away as it dies silently.

Something is wrong.

She does not feel horror, nor remorse, but there is still a sense of familiarity.

Of exhaustion.

Shikako blinks. Dark then light.

She cannot remember how long she has been in this room, but it feels like a very long time.

A noise. A doorway. Stairs.

The ink bird on her shoulder flies ahead and she follows.

There is nothing good for her here.

—

The stairs are a helix continuing upwards and onwards.

Even with the little ink bird, it feels as if she is alone. A small, insignificant existence against the impossibility of this place.

Void and starlight and a spiral to eternity.

Where is she? How did she get here?

Something is happening.

What is happening?

Something wrong.

—

At the last step, the ink bird stops and waits for her.

It hops and flutters and, when she catches up, flies to perch on her shoulder.

A noise. A doorway. An impossible room.

She doesn’t enter.

The ink bird tugs at her hair.

As she steps through, she thinks:

Haven’t I done this before?

—

Next (after what?) is Kiba. Or not-Kiba as the case may be.

“You’ve gotten shoddy,” Shikako says to the creature that is not Kiba, as it swipes a clawed hand at her face.

“Where is Akamaru?” she asks, dodging and weaving away.

The ink bird on her shoulder tugs at her hair. Impatient and frantic and not-scared.

Probably.

If it were scared, it would fly away, wouldn’t it?

“You’re not even trying!” Shikako shouts at it. Something is wrong.

“You don’t even know how an Inuzuka fights!”

Without their ninken, Inuzuka are half of themselves. It’s part of the reason why they can’t be ANBU, too loyal and honest to a fault.

The creature that is not Kiba stops.

So does she.

A noise, like gears in a machine, and a doorway opens behind it.

The ink bird leaves her shoulder and flies past the not-Kiba creature. It remains still.

Shikako circles around it, confused, but follows after the ink bird to the stairs.

As she begins to climb, she looks back.

The doorway is closing, but she can still see the not-Kiba creature standing perfectly still in that impossible room.

—

“That’s not how that usually goes,” she calls ahead to the ink bird.

It stops and lands on a step, waiting for her to catch up.

“The other fights. Before not-Kiba. The ones I had with ~~[|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||]~~…

”… why did that happen? I remember Kiba. Because I didn’t kill the creature that looked like him?“

The ink bird hops and flutters.

“Why can’t you be more useful?” she shouts.

Shikako blinks. Dark then light.

She is on starlight stairs in an eternal void.

She is not alone.

“Sai?”

A/N2: This is longer than I thought it would be so here’s part one for now, and I should have part two up tomorrow.

But I suppose I ought to explain a little bit. I considered your prompt, anon, and I pondered the idea of the haunted house and I figured that DoS already covered it in a literal sense with the whole chameleon summons castle thing, and a more Scooby Doo interpretation with the Land of Birds. But I liked the idea of Shikako losing people and went a slightly more cerebral route a la Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories.

In part because my brain went Shikako & Co. is Konoha Thirteen… Organization Thirteen? And then, hey wait, Sai was with her on both the chameleon castle mission and the Land of Birds mission. Does that make Sai Namine? Yes, yes it does.

Could I request more Shikasuke? Maybe more of that falling-in-love-during-missions scenario? Like, they start saving/covering for each other left and right since they’re kinda suddenly hyper-aware of each other (cause love) while simultaneously being kinda absentminded bout themselves (cause love (also as absentminded as a shinobi could be, I guess lol)), and they can’t help but appreciate the other for how much they’re there for them. Haha, I’d just like to order some Shikasuke fluff, please.<3

December 11, 2016 jacksgreysonLeave a comment

A/N1: As part of the ask box advent calendar event, I am self-obligated to fill all asks for this month to the best of my ability, whether that means as actual writing fills or brainstorms of how I would fill it or rants about why I am unable to.

This one is pretty generic enough to be fillable, anon, so I appreciate that… If anything, it might be too generic? So I’m going to fill it as a ANBU partners!AU aka:

Further Down Road Three, (2016-12-10)

Sheep and Weasel are part of the newest batch of ANBU recruits, small and young and inexperienced. But no less powerful for the lack.

Even with hoods and masks and codenames, it’s an open secret within The Org who Sheep and Weasel are street side. And who their sensei is. Wolf has given his students fangs, and the closest to a security blanket ANBU can provide.

Supposedly, Raccoon was planning to retire–from The Org, at least–and return to general forces. But Wolf had asked him to stay a little longer–the Hokage seconded it–and so Sheep and Weasel never go on missions unless Raccoon is captain.

Their first mission is guard duty, hiding in the rafters of the Hokage’s office under the cover of a genjutsu.

Sasuke thinks this is no better than constant border patrol. Sheep is well trained not to complain out loud.

Weasel wouldn’t complain even if she were less trained, because Shikako knows what Tsunade-sama is playing at:

During a meeting with Councilman Danzo, Raccoon-taicho tenses minutely. So does Crow, their fourth, who has a familiar chakra signature and a second seal on his tongue.

—

Somehow, despite all the silence–maybe because of it–the two of them learn to communicate better.

On their third mission, this one outside of Konoha, Weasel purposefully turns her back on an enemy. Sheep will defeat his foe in time, will reach her in time, will protect her.

In return, she seals up the contents of one of Orochimaru’s auxiliary labs and razes the entire compound to the ground.

Soot-covered, sweaty, exhausted, Shikako smiles at Sheep from behind her mask and extends a hand.

Sasuke reaches back.

—

During kenjutsu training–sparring more than training, at this point, given the skill levels of both his students–Kakashi calls for a break.

One moment, his two students have swords drawn, each trying to score first blood on the other, banter exchanged nearly as quick as their blows. The next moment, they have sheathed their weapons, wordlessly in sync, shoulders pressed together and for all intents and purposes… cuddling.

He understands, though it’s odd to see from the outside: increased physical intimacy is a common side affect of being part of The Org. There are a number of cuddle sessions that he had with Gai that he certainly wouldn’t own up to if asked now.

Not that he would be asked. Anyone who would know enough to ask, knows better than to do so.

Still, seeing his students press their foreheads together–the only way for ANBU teammates to see each other’s eyes while masked–he feels…

Hm, maybe he’ll let Gai challenge him to a race today.

—

It’s honestly a little hilarious that, as Shikako her security clearance isn’t high enough to know what she, as Weasel, collects on missions.

And by hilarious, she means frustrating and annoying as hell.

It nags at her, over the week, while she’s on an Intel mission with Aoba-senpai. It’s to maintain cover, which means for the next week Sasuke is on patrol duty.

It’s not ideal for either of them, the two of them now trained as a pair, as a set, best together.

Shikako returns to Konoha with another scar; at the gate, Sasuke meets her with tired bags under his eyes.

—

Weasel takes a sword to the back and falls to the ground, still. Sheep doesn’t falter, goes after their enemies with the same, clear-headed assault as before.

If his enemies stumble over shadows, well, who are they going to tell? They’re dead.

Raccoon-taichou circles back around, his own nukenin corpse slung over his shoulder. He glances at Weasel’s skewered body, turns to Sheep and nods.

Sasuke pulls the sword out of Shikako’s back and helps her to her feet. They say nothing, but his grip around her hand is firm.

Crow returns, intentionally belated. After a pause, he says-confirms-vows, “I saw nothing.”

Danzo is not allowed to have any of this–secret abilities or otherwise.

A/N2: … this might not be what you’re looking for, anon, but I hoped you enjoyed it 🙂

Also, HAPPY 1000th POST TO MYSELF!