Entries tagged with fandom: naruto

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Twenty Times Uzumaki Naruto Didn't Die by Kraken's Ghost (Mature)

Title: Twenty Times Uzumaki Naruto Didn't Die
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: gen
Categories: ~~five~~ twenty things, future fic, darkfic, gore
Length: Medium, 14,849 words
Warnings: Blood, torture, gore, body horror and then some. Character deaths. Attempted suicide.

Author on Livejournal: n/a?
Author Website: Kraken's Ghost on fanfiction.net

Summary: Over time, Naruto learns what it means to be a Jinchuuriki.

Review: Had anyone bothered to search, they could've found shrapnel from the log almost a mile away. The boom is loud enough to scare birds into flight three miles away. An orange piece of fabric that used to be part of Naruto's distinctive suit drifts on the winds all the way to Lightning Country.

I love the device of writing a complete story composed of interconnected themed ficlets, whether it's five things or twenty things. This gruesome and thought-provoking what-if? fails to kill off Naruto multiple times in a variety of different ways as it addresses the consequences of being the host of a Jinchuuriki.

It's one of those stories that's told on a much larger scale than its word count should contain, rolling out enough emotion and imagination for a novel. The timeframe it's told over covers years, with the lives and deaths of other characters embedded in the tale along the way, leading to the most chilling of conclusions.

This is an old fic and was a future-fic at the time it was written. I've not read/seen Naruto-the-manga/anime since a while after the timeskip, so I can't attest to how it stands with where canon is now, but I doubt it could ever not still be worth reading.

The fic is linked by its format and a few references to two others by the author, but is not part of a series in a linear sense.

Twenty Times Uzumaki Naruto Didn't Die

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Suspicious Behavior by saucykate (G)

Title: Suspicious Behavior
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Naruto/Sasuke
Genres: Romance, Humour, Crack
Length: Medium (3,754 words)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: saucykate @ FF.net

Author's Summary:
In which Naruto trips over Sasuke, Sasuke turns various different colors, and there is a lot of arguing over the size of crushes. Now with 40 percent more insults!

Review:
Oblivious!Naruto slowly notices that Sasuke seems to be everywhere, turning up in his apartment, giving him weird looks, and acting strangely when Naruto exits the shower. This is a super-cute and funny get together fic with no canon-related angst in sight, containing a pining Sasuke who is miraculously still in character!

Suspicious Behavior

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Cloud on My Tongue by desolate butterfly (R)

Title: Cloud on My Tongue
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Zabuza/Haku
Genres: Pre-Canon, Drama
Length: Short (1,315 words)
Warnings: Underage (thoughts, nothing is acted upon.)

Author on LJ:

des_solace
Author Website: desolate butterfly @ FF.net

Author's Summary:
Zabuza's stopped touching Haku, and meeting his eyes. Haku tries to puzzle out why.

Review:
A melancholy little fic outlining Zabuza and Haku's strange co-dependent relationship. It's just as disturbing and unequal and yet somehow sweet as their canon relationship seemed to be.

Cloud on My Tongue

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Before The Dawn by Lady Silvamord (NC-17)

Title: Before The Dawn
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Itachi/Sakura
Genres: AU, Humour, Romance, Travel, Hurt/Comfort, First time, Coming of age
Length: Super!Epic (250,455 words)
Warnings: Gore, attempted rape

Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: Lady Silvamord @ FF.net

Author's Summary:
Fifteen-year-old Sakura never expected to become a traitor to her village, but in a Konoha ruled by Danzou, she has no other choice. Finding her path entangling with the village's most infamous renegade, though, was another story entirely.

Review:
In an AU Konoha, Danzou takes control, resulting in the capture or escape of many loyal nins, Sakura being one of them. Travelling on her own as a missing-nin for hire, she bumps into Itachi - and then she bumps into him again, again, and again. It's a bit of a meet-cute, but not obnoxious enough to make me scoff. It's for a reason too - I can't think of many ways you could get a character as aloof as Itachi to want strange company without making him completely OOC.

That's a common problem with Itachi romance fics - he's so often OOC. In this fic he's not doting or fluffy or even that protective - and that's actually a good thing. It's great to see a fic wherein Itachi's closer to normal rather than psychotic or saintlike. He isn't here to protect and cherish Sakura (though the cherishing bit does build, never fear!), as she's perfectly capable of protecting herself. That's another reason I like this fic. Sakura is a good mix of scared fifteen year old and badass kunoichi, and she works with Itachi rather than being protected by him.

The romance is of course a slow build as both of them have to work through their issues, and Sakura has to grow up. This is also a coming of age fic, with Sakura torn between her idyllic memories of her Konohan life, and an Itachi who both wants nothing to do with the village that he once belonged to and is still a staunch member of Akatsuki. Though at times I just wanted Sakura to make up her mind, the authors reasons for her dithering were so convincing I had to cut her some slack, and there is a satisfying ending to make up for it.

Before The Dawn

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Locker Room Therapy by Asuka Kureru (R)

Title: Locker Room Therapy
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Sasuke/Naruto
Genres: AU, Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Length: Medium (6,726 words)
Warnings: Past rape, homophobia

Author on LJ:

askerian
Author Website: Asuka Kureru @ AO3

Author's Summary:
He'd rather think about Sasuke punching him, kissing him. It's weird, but normal-weird. It's not waking up handcuffed to a lead pipe and being held down as a psycho with his father's face calls him 'my son' and carves up his cheeks.

Review:
This is a fic with enough angst to be an emotionally harrowing read, while at the same time containing just enough humour and hope for the future that it's not completely depressing. Asuka Kureru has come up with an interesting concept, with AU Naruto gaining his scars from the Kyuubi, yes - but in this fic Kyuubi is entirely human, Minato's twin brother, and entirely insane. The hurt/comfort of this fic comes from none other than the ever-insensitive Sasuke, who uses his own questionable therapy methods to help Naruto in the aftermath of Kyuubi's attack. I highly doubt his methods are something you should do at home, but Naruto and Sasuke's love/hate relationship keeps the angst from getting too angsty, and their interactions with each other are delightfully in character.

Locker Room Therapy

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Cheaters Prosper by drakenis (PG)

Title: Cheaters Prosper
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: None
Categories: Gen, Humor
Length: Medium (3,178)
Warnings: None

Author on LJ: None
Author Website: FF.net

Author's Summary:
What's with all this fighting fair? Naruto's going to win ninja-fashion, by hook by crook and all within the rules... technically.

Review:
Admittedly, this is mostly cute as well as being good for a quick laugh. This takes place during the chuunin exam and Naruto has basically decided that cheating is as good a way as any to pass the test. It definitely works out for him, much to the chagrin of the other characters.

It's light, it's fast, and it's fun. Naruto's cheating, but to great effect. He definitely gets what he needs to do done. It's blunt and in your face, but it works (much like Naruto himself, haha). It's just flat out enjoyable to read. The fic does end a bit abruptly, but you don't really need more than what is given, and what you see is basically what you get.

Don't expect anything too deep; it's just a little fic packed full of fun.

Cheaters Prosper

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backslide by blackkat (R)

Title: backslide
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Kakashi/Future!Naruto (main pairing), Future!Sasuke/Future!Naruto, Present!Sasuke/Present!Naruto (minor)
Categories: Time travel, Angst, Humor, Family feels, Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Action/Adventure
Length: Super Epic (128,352)
Warnings: Violence

Author on LJ:

black_k_kat
Author Website: FF.net | AO3

Author's Summary:
Naruto’s friends are gone, his lover is dying, Konoha is destroyed, and Madara’s second return has pushed the entire world to the brink. Hunted and harried, Naruto is sent back in time to upend Madara’s plan before it even starts, and sets about changing everything. Butterfly effect nothing: the world is at stake, and Naruto is hardly about to let it fall to ruin once more. Not while he’s still breathing.

Review:
Here. Have something that's completely amazing and long and plotty and did I mention amazing yet? Include a trope I absolutely love (time travel!), the fact that it's over 100k words, and that it's actually complete (do any of you have any idea how hard it is to find a complete time traveling fic. Do you. I didn't think so.) and you have the recipe for something truly special.

This fic. This fic just punches you in the gut with the angst and then the fluff and so many make shift happy families that make you (well, me) squeeze your pillow in joy because there's nobody else near enough for you to half-strangle in your glee. It starts off depressing what with Naruto sending himself back into time and yet leaving Sasuke behind because there's no other choice if they want to make things better, and ugh, your heart starts hurting from the beginning. Naruto sends himself back to the time just before the genin teams are assembled, and makes himself at home in Konoha under a new name (Kurama; he's called this for the rest of the fic) as he pretends to be an Uzumaki survivor.

It's a fix-it fic. It fixes just about everything and it does it unashamedly and with so much fluff. There is angst to balance out the fluff, but it's such a... bonding fic. Not just romance wise (which comes slowly), but friendships! Families that aren't blood related! If you want a sure-fire way to rocket a fic into my heart it would be make-shift families that love each other.

This doesn't happen quickly. You have Kurama (future!Naruto, remember) slowly getting the ball rolling. He collects Naruto and somehow collects Sasuke and Sakura and they learn how to be a true team as Kakashi and Kurama teach them. The friendships that form, the way that they're so much stronger together than apart, is just really heart warming.

The romance is sloooow. But is awesome. Kurama was in love with Sasuke (future!), but there's absolutely no way he'll get that relationship back, and the fact that both he and future!Sasuke acknowledge that actually made me flat out not want Kurama in a relationship for a while. But somehow the author manages to make the fic and relationships progress enough that it felt natural that Kurama and Kakashi grow closer and fall in love with one another.

It does feel self-indulgent, but in the best of ways and without going too crazy. It's fun. It's sometimes silly, sometimes sad, and just rather fluffy. If fluff isn't your cup of tea then I'd steer clear because this really ramps up the warm fuzzies after a while. It's a fic that turns the team into a family and manages to make everything better, and sometimes that's all that you want to read. This more than delivers.

backslide

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If Only by Mari Falcon (R)

Title: If Only
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Gen
Genres: AU, Family, Drama, Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Length: Super!Epic (115,771 words)
Warnings: Self-mutilation (non-suicidal)

Author on LJ: N/A
Author Website: Mari Falcon @ FF.net

Author's Summary:
Naruto and Sasuke stumble across a strange object in the woods. It lets out a sudden burst of power and Naruto is knocked unconscious. He wakes up to find everything is wrong. Is it genjutsu? A concussion? Hallucinations? Or something else?

Review:
Naruto is transported to another dimension by a MacGuffin, finding himself in what looks to be a perfect world. His parents are alive, he has loving siblings, and Konoha is thriving. He's not sure how to get back to his own world, or if he even wants to. This choice is where most of the angst (and a bit of melodrama) in this fic comes from; namely, the choice between duty and happiness. Naruto has to constantly lie to this perfect new family to keep his origins under wraps, and at the same time is second guessing his decisions and agonising over his fate. The decision he eventually comes to is very much in character, with the climactic chapters in the fic a delicious mix of drama, angst and badassery.

This fic contains a lot of OCs, most notably the AU Kushina's family. Thankfully none of them are Mary Sues, and in fact their unique culture the author has created is both interesting and an important part of the plot. Just enough screentime is given to Naruto's OC siblings to flesh them out as fully realised characters, whilst the authors focus is kept on Minato. One of my favourite things about time/dimension travel Naruto fics is the ample opportunities for Minato and Naruto interaction, and this fic delivers this in funny and touching ways.

The premise for why Naruto is suddenly sent dimension hopping is weak, as it usually is in fics like this. In the end it's not the travel itself that really matters, but rather the interaction between canon Naruto and the AU world - this is the case for pretty much all of the (many) Naruto time/dimension travel fics out there. So if it's interpersonal and family drama that you're looking for this fic is definitely right up your alley. If you're looking for a fic about the intricacies of dimension travel you'll have to look elsewhere.

An aside: ignore the final few paragraphs of the last chapter, after the line break. This the a set up for a not so good sequel and doesn't fit with the rest of the fic.

If Only

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Merging by AthenaAlpha (NC-17)

Title: Merging
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Categories: Angst, AU, Drama, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Length: Epic (63, 632)
Warnings: sexy times between SasuNaru and a jealous Sasuke

Author on LJ: N/A
Author's Website: Fanfiction.net

Author's Summary: As partners, Sasuke and Naruto created one of the most powerful businesses in Japan. Now they have a chance to make it even stronger. But when their new business partner shows interest in Naruto, will Sasuke be able to go through with it? AU Yaoi

Review: I love the Naruto fandom, it was where I first discovered my first yaoi pairing (SasuNaru. :P) And while I love fanfics that stay in the Naruto world, canon becomes increasingly depressing so I try to find AU fics. This is one that I have unearthed from the piles of fanfiction over at FF.net, and I loved every word of it. The writing is very lively and upbeat which matches the mood of the fic perfectly.

Sasuke and Naruto are business partner who are complete opposites, Naruto with his careless, disorganized self and Sasuke's perfectionism. Somehow, they work well together. And here comes Gaara strolling along, squishing himself into Sasuke and Naruto's happy bubble of not-togetherness. Naruto's interested, Sasuke is jealous. Oh no! What happens next? Well, there's no way to know but to read it. :) But I assure you, it's a happy ending.

Merging

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Merging by AthenaAlpha (NC-17)

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La Bestia by Imperial Mint (PG)

Title: La Bestia
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: La Bestia/Naruto, Uchicha Itachi/Uzumaki Naruto
Categories: AU, creature/wing, mystery, dark-ish but not really :)
Length: Medium (9,071)
Warnings: This is not bestiality. I repeat, there is no bestiality. :) But there are guns, cards, blood and tigers.

Author on LJ:

flypaw
Author's Website: AO3/Y! Gallery/Tumblr

Author's Summary: Lost to a wager, Naruto is sentenced to life (or death) under La Bestia, a man who is more animal than human. Abandoned by his father, with a murdered mother, Naruto cannot go back, but what sort of life is waiting for him under the paw of The Beast?

Review: This fic is Beauty and the Beast redefined. It's starts with a sense of mystery and it keeps that mysterious sense with it all throughout the fic. I love how Imperial Mint manages to make the setting believable, how she manages to make it seem all real. I love how the romance between La Bestia and Naruto happened, slow and steady with each passing night.I love how she portrayed La Bestia's vulnerabilty, it made the ending that much more believable.

What I don't like is how Naruto seems like a typical damsel-in-distress. There's none of that fiery personality that makes up the Naruto that we know. But then, this fic is an AU.

Note: The author herself says that the core of this fic is Beauty and the Beast but she leaned heavily on 'The Tiger's Bride' by Angela Carter.

La Bestia

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La Bestia by Imperial Mint (PG)

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La Bestia by Imperial Mint (PG)

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La Bestia by Imperial Mint (PG)

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Smiling Games by Loud-Little-Thing (G)

Title: Smiling Games
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Gen
Categories: Angst, Kids, Friendship
Length: Short (833 words)
Warnings: Be prepared to want to give Naruto a hug. :'(

Author on LJ: N/A
Author's Website: Loud-Little-Thing on FFnet

Author's Summary: Naruto plays invented games because that’s one of the first things a lonely child learns to do.

Review:
As short as this fic is, it leaves as impression on you that lasts. There's something in me that believes that this is canon, something that happened in the sidelines. Naruto's best feature is his smile but what if that smile is fake? Where is the Naruto that we 'know'? It's not just a fanfiction, it makes you think about the people you see everyday, it makes you wonder if they are playing 'Smiling Games' too.

After reading a fic like this, your heart will ache. Whether for Naruto, for yourself, or for the people you know.

Smiling Games

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Smiling Games by Loud-Little-Thing (G)

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Smiling Games by Loud-Little-Thing (G)

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Smiling Games by Loud-Little-Thing (G)

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In Bond and Blood by The Hoyden (NC-17)

Title: In Bond and Blood.
Fandom: Naruto.
Pairing: Kakashi/Iruka.
Categories: Family, Marriage of Convenience.
Length: Long.
Warnings: None.

Author on LJ:

thehoyden
Author Website: thehoyden @ AO3

Review:
Kakashi wants to make Naruto his heir, but since Iruka has adopted him that means marrying Iruka first...

A lot of the time "Marriage of Convenience" fics are in fact forced marriage fics, where one or both characters has no or little choice on whether to accept the union or not. "In Bond and Blood" shows a true scenario of convenince: Kakashi wants Naruto as his heir and in exchange for having him and Iruka as his family offers financial security and companionship to the Chunnin. But of course, what starts as a practical arrangement soon gains very different dimensions...

As usual, The Hoyden manages to portray the characters and their relationships with each other (be they romantic, familial or of friendship) perefectly. The combination of the great characterization, interesting plot and the many wonderful details (such as the procedures of the Shinobi wedding cerimony and Kakashi's "bento of sufficiently embarrassing love") scattered throughout the story make this a lovely example of the MoC genre.

In Bond and Blood

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In Bond and Blood by The Hoyden (NC-17)

Title: In Bond and Blood.
Fandom: Naruto.
Pairing: Kakashi/Iruka.
Categories: Family, Marriage of Convenience.
Length: Long.
Warnings: None.

Author on LJ: