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ship_manifestoTitle: Promise Me
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ypaladinofchaos
Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Uzumaki Naruto/Haruno Sakura
Word Count: 4897
Spoilers: Up to the latest manga chapters.
Notes: I’ve drawn this canon from the manga, so none of the anime filler will be used.
Author:
ypaladinofchaos Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Uzumaki Naruto/Haruno Sakura
Word Count: 4897
Spoilers: Up to the latest manga chapters.
Notes: I’ve drawn this canon from the manga, so none of the anime filler will be used.
Weaving A Story/History
Naruto, as a series, is truly a phenomenon. Already quite popular in America even before the Cartoon Network showings, it is a series that is incredibly deep with such a diverse and complex cast of characters whose relationships are equally deep. However, as with all stories, there are a few key characters central to the plot, the hero and his closest companions.
I, personally, stumbled into the Naruto fandom after a brief fling with the Evangelion fandom and a few months of wandering from anime fandom to fandom. Though the popular pairing was and still is Naruto/Hinata, I just didn’t feel right while reading it.
So, I started looking around. I found most of the other pairings the same way, even if I enjoyed them a little. Finally, however, I decided to go with the first impulse I usually have with a new series.
To ship the lead male and the lead female.
The lead male, of course, was Naruto.
And the lead female had to be the most prominent, featured female of the series, Sakura.
As I read through more and more of the series, especially the Naruto II arc, I grew more and more attached to the pairing.
But why should you give a damn about Naruto/Sakura? Why not ship something else, like the more popular Naruto/Hinata and Sasuke/Sakura?
Well, that’s a good question.
So let’s start with the basics.
The Hero/And Demon
Uzumaki Naruto, the Number One Hyperactive and most unpredictable ninja. At first glance, Naruto’s hair is about the only thing bright about him. At Ninja Academy, he was the worst student, and even as time goes on, he still has moments of bewildering foolishness. Of course, what makes him unpredictable is the short, but amazingly brilliant, off the wall plans he comes up with in battle. Even more amazing than these short bursts of genius is his ability to affect people into changing themselves, which will be discussed in depth later on.
However, it is not his bursts of genius that make him such a dynamic and magnetic character, but his willpower. Naruto’s willpower is shown, time and time again, to be incredibly strong, often allowing him to stand up after taking blows that would kill a lesser man. He never gives up, and once he gives his word, he refuses to take it back, declaring that “That’s my ninja way!”
Naruto, like most main characters, has a dream. His dream is to become Hokage, the leader of the Hidden Village of the Leaf. He does this, not out of wanting of prestige, but because he wants people to acknowledge and respect him, and because he wants to protect the people the village.
And of course, what makes him even more unique (besides his infamous love of ramen), is the demon living in his gut.
Yeah, you heard me. A demon. A giant, red eyed demon fox with nine tails, more commonly called the Kyubi no Youma, or just Kyubi.
The Kyubi is incredibly important to the story, and to Naruto’s own growth. To cut a story short, the Kyubi is a demon who attacked the Village of the Hidden Leaf on the night Naruto was born. The Fourth Hokage, the current leader of the village, sealed the demon away into Naruto.
Kyubi is far from finished by being sealed, however, and shows just how powerful it is when Naruto is in over his head, often giving the blonde more power than he can handle. For the first arc of the story, the Kyubi becomes Naruto’s weapon, and the blonde becomes reliant on that power. Using that power and his own charismatic nature, he literally saves two unstable psychotics, Hyuuga Neji and Gaara of the Desert, from their own inner darkness.
However, in the opening stages of Naruto II, we begin to see a change.
The Kyubi, we discover, is actually killing Naruto with each usage of its power, and, after a certain point, actually takes over Naruto’s body and turns him into a mindless killing machine. During one mission, Yamato, Naruto’s temporary commander, tells him that relying upon the demon’s strength is foolish, and that he should learn to use his own strength to fight.
Naruto still has a long way to go, and this moment cannot make that any clearer.
Still, despite his immaturity and, as we see in Naruto II, tendencies toward perversion and flying into a rage, Naruto is very much a hero in the definition of the word. Not only has he changed people he fights, he also changes others simply by fighting- such as Tsunade, who had become a wandering gambler who was bitter at the world for losing her lover and brother, to Inari, who had lost his foster father and who now thought there were no heroes left in the world, and of course, his teammate, Sakura.
Naruto’s inspiring nature comes from his hard childhood. As a boy, no one reached out to him because they feared him to be the Kyubi incarnate, instead of its vessel. The parents warned their children away from him, telling them that Naruto was dangerous. He had no parents of his own and no one to take care of him.
The only thing that saved him from the darkness was, first, a few kind gestures from the Sandaime Hokage, the formerly retired leader of the village who took over when the Yondaime died, and secondly, the actions of Umino Iruka, Naruto’s Academy instructor.
Iruka lost his parents to the Kyubi, the demon living inside Naruto. However, Naruto’s hardships moved Iruka into remembering how hard it is for an orphan, and so, Naruto received a fatherly figure into his life- a pillar of support that would remain with Naruto for the rest of the series.
As the series progresses, Naruto makes more friends among his peers as well as his elders (and a bevy of enemies to boot), slowly being accepted by the world. However, one of the last relationships to blossom, ironically, is the one with his love interest.
The Heroine/Because She’s No Damsel, Not Anymore
Haruno Sakura, the love interest. In an interview, Kishimoto Masashi, the series creator, comments that the story began with just the hero, Naruto. Later in the creation of the story, however, he added two companions- the rival character and the love interest.
And quite early on, it is defined that Uchiha Sasuke is most definitely the rival character.
Sakura, unlike nearly every other character in her age group, has no childhood tragedy weighing her down. In fact, she is very much unlikable in the opening of the series, being very spiteful toward Naruto and overtly affectionate toward Uchiha Sasuke, the class prodigy. It is a characterization that, sadly, a portion of the fandom never sees past.
One of the most amusing things about Sakura’s character is her “Inner” Sakura, who speaks out what Sakura is really feeling in her head while Sakura herself is speaking politely.
Sakura may not have had a terrible childhood like Naruto, but she had troubles nonetheless. As a younger girl, she was very shy and timid, often bullied and ridiculed because of her large forehead.
It was only until the popular and much more outgoing Yamanaka Ino approached her, and befriended her, that Sakura began to change. Ino gives Sakura a ribbon and tells her not to hide her forehead. Sakura looks up to Ino in the same way Naruto looks up to Sasuke (something that will be discussed later), but at times, feels inferior to her much more popular friend. Eventually, Sakura tries to break free from Ino’s shadow, ending their friendship because they are both infatuated with Uchiha Sasuke.
Her infatuation with Sasuke damages this friendship, and severely halts the growth of Sakura’s relationship with Naruto, as well as her own personal growth. In a carelessly cruel moment, she comments that Naruto must love not having parents.
And then Sasuke, who is also an orphan, actually berates her for the comment, telling her she has no idea what she’s talking about. It drives home the idea that, for the moment, Sakura isn’t a very dynamic character.
Despite telling herself to treat Naruto better, she fails. Sakura still fixates upon Sasuke, who does not return her affections. It is only after Sasuke begins to fall into darkness that Sakura starts to realize how strong Naruto has become, and becomes reliant upon his strength when Sasuke leaves them.
This leads to the key moment in the series, in which Naruto’s priorities shift from aiming to become Hokage, which will be discussed later on this essay. However, for the moment, it is enough to state this.
Naruto promises to bring Sasuke back after Sakura asks him to, and Sakura comes to the realization that, not only does she believe Naruto can do it, she trusts him to do it completely.
But when Naruto returns, having been defeated by Sasuke and failing to bring him back, Sakura realizes that, no matter how much she trusts Naruto, she can’t just rely on him.
Thus, Sakura vows to become stronger and to protect both Naruto and Sasuke, and does so by apprenticing herself to the legendary medic ninja, Tsunade.
When Naruto II begins, we see that Sakura has made good on that promise. She has become strong, with the potential to surpass even her master. Her growth is tremendous, and she has truly blossomed into her own, even, with help from another ninja, Chiyo, defeating an S-Class (the most dangerous class) criminal.
Not only has her own abilities grown, but it is clear that Sakura’s grown into a more confident, mature woman. She no longer has an Inner Sakura, it appears, but has made a balance between the vulgar Inner Sakura and her previous docile nature. It is seen that she empathizes heavily with Naruto’s pain, and is trying hard to keep up her vows.
The Third Wheel/Or, That Brooding Guy In The Corner With Psychological Baggage
What many NaruSaku-ers fail to account for is the importance Uchiha Sasuke, the third wheel and third part of this relationship. They dismiss him, or have Naruto and Sakura hating the Uchiha.
Neither of these, unfortunately, is accurate.
Sasuke has an impact on this relationship, no matter how you look at it. He is both the catalyst and the impediment to Naruto and Sakura’s relationship.
With Sakura, Sasuke is a main deterrent to the growth of the relationship, though not because of any action on his part. Sakura’s affections for him blind her to Naruto’s own growth- something that severely hampers their relationship for most of the series.
Yet at the same time, Sasuke helps in small, often indirect ways. It is Sasuke who first forces Sakura to consider that maybe she’s treating Naruto unfairly- and it is Sasuke’s fall to darkness that opens Sakura’s eyes to Naruto’s strength.
To Naruto, Sasuke is a rival, a friend, and a brother. Naruto grows stronger and stronger because, much like with Ino and Sakura, Naruto feels inferior to Sasuke, who, though alone, is acknowledge by everyone. At the same time, however, Sasuke is Naruto’s secret inspiration, the person Naruto respects and wants to be acknowledged by.
And of course, Sasuke is- unwillingly- Naruto’s rival for Sakura’s affections.
At The Beginning/Love Takes Time
Sakura and Naruto’s relationship at the beginning is a mixture of one sided crush (on Naruto’s end) and indifferent annoyance (on Sakura’s end). Naruto repeatedly attempts to get Sakura to date him- attempts which are rebuffed constantly. Together with Sasuke and their sensei, Hatake Kakashi, they are formed into Team Seven. Even after they are put on the same team, however, Sakura and Naruto’s relationship still refuses to grow.
One of the key moments in the beginning, however, first lays the foundation of change between the two.
In this moment, Team Seven has just come out of its first encounter with enemy ninja. Sasuke, unsurprisingly, performed well, and Sakura managed to hold herself together, even if she was unable to fight back. Naruto, on the other hand, froze up and got poisoned as a result.
Kakashi suggests they end the mission and return Naruto to the village to get treatment.
Naruto, furious at his own weakness, refuses to be helped and stabs himself in the hand in order to remove the poison. Raising his bleeding hand, he vows to never hesitate in battle again.
Sakura, watching, is impressed. And, afterward, shows real concern in the form of violent anger when they realize that Naruto could easily bleed out from the wound. Of course, with Naruto’s demon occupant, the wound is actually healed almost instantaneously.
Unfortunately, that foundation is left to gather dust for quite some time.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura are entered into the Chuunin Exams, an exam designed to promote lower level ninja, genin, to a higher rank, chuunin. During the first portion of the exam, the trio is attacked by Orochimaru, a legendary ninja who is quite clearly out of their league.
But Naruto doesn’t give up, even when Sasuke is paralyzed by fear and willing to surrender. Even after Orochimaru’s giant snake smashes Naruto into the ground, he refuses to surrender, and, with a little demonic power, literally smashes the snake’s head in with his fist.
This is the first time Sakura has born witness to even a tiny amount of Naruto’s demonic power, and it leaves a lasting impression. What’s more, when Orochimaru diverts his snake to attack Sasuke, Naruto intercepts that blow selflessly.
Amazingly, when Naruto is defeated by Orocihmaru handily, Sakura actually saves Naruto from falling, and then proceeds to shout at Sasuke, even calling him a coward.
“Sasuke-kun! It’s true that unlike you, Naruto is clumsy and can get in the way but... at least he’s not a coward! Right!!!”
Though it is said in order to snap Sasuke out of his fear induced funk, it is a turning point for the Sasuke-obsessed girl. She acknowledges Naruto’s fearlessness in the face of overwhelming defeat- something even Sasuke does not posses.
In the second portion of the exam, Sakura actively roots for Naruto as he battles another Leaf ninja, Inuzaka Kiba. Though weakened by Orochimaru and severely outmatched in speed and power, Sakura truly believes Naruto will win- which he does, much to the surprise of nearly everyone in the crowd.
However, once again, it is only after a long period of time of standing still that Naruto and Sakura’s relationship grows again- of course, Sakura happens to be unconscious for it.
Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura have begun a battle against Gaara of the Desert, another demon vessel like Naruto. Sasuke has been defeated, and Sakura is trapped by Gaara’s sand technique, unconscious. Only Naruto is left standing.
He tries to fight Gaara on his own, despite his fear of the other demon vessel. Naruto, after meeting Gaara, has become convinced that the only way to become stronger is to fight for yourself and only yourself, the ideals that the immensely powerful Gaara holds to.
However, Naruto is beaten back. Sasuke tries to stand, and tells Naruto to run and take Sakura with him, promising to hold Gaara off for as long as possible.
It is at this moment that Naruto grows up again, and realizes that fighting for others makes you stronger, not weaker, as he watches Sasuke struggle to stand. Naruto, in a moment of impressive power and force, vows to protect Sakura at all costs as he performs two of his best techniques at a level he’s never been at before.
Naruto’s affection for Sakura in this moment grows far beyond a mere crush. He is putting himself on the line, risking his life to save her life in a show of amazing selflessness. He pushes his body to the absolute limit, and, even bleeding from the head and totally exhausted, he still drags himself toward Gaara, willing to continue the fight.
After the battle, Sakura at first believes it is Sasuke who saves her- however, Sasuke himself admits that Naruto saved her, a point that drives an inferiority complex into Sasuke, where it once resided in Naruto.
Sakura, realizing that Naruto must really have become stronger (having missed nearly every showing of his power), decides that she should be nicer to him (and this time, tries hard to keep that promise).
However, just as things start to look up, as Naruto becomes stronger, Sakura acknowledging that strength, and Sasuke- despite his feelings of inferiority to Naruto- still considers both him and Sakura to be his precious teammates, everything falls apart.
A visit from Sasuke’s immensely powerful and dangerously sociopathic brother Itachi leaves Sasuke in the hospital after enduring the equivalent of three days of psychological torture and drives the final nail in the coffin of Team Seven.
When Sasuke is finally healed up, it is already too late for the trio.
I Promise You/No Matter What
As Sasuke tries to leave the village to go to Orochimaru, who has promised him power, Sakura confronts him. She begs him not to leave, to break up the team. She promises to make his life fun and happy for the rest of their days- she tells him she loves him- even though, at her age, she couldn’t understand what love really means.
When that doesn’t work, she even offers to come with him.
Sasuke, in one of the oddest touching moments ever, says:
“You’re really annoying.”
Afterwards, when she threatens to scream and alert the village security, Sasuke knocks her out, with his last words to her:
“Sakura... thank you.”
These lines can be interpreted so many ways, and have been. The idea I have come to believe is that Sasuke is really, genuinely touched by the gesture, but he simply cannot return those feelings, tied as he is to his quest for vengeance.
His words are the most honest Sasuke has ever been with Sakura.
He tells her that he’s not like Naruto or her- that he’s starting his own path, and so are they, and those paths are separate. And, as he has done so many times, he illustrates the driving force behind his survival- vengeance.
Sakura tells him that vengeance won’t make anyone happy- Sasuke knows this, and knows he could be happy with his friends in the village.
But that’s not what he wants.
And so, Sakura wakes up the next morning as Naruto discovers Sasuke is gone. And as he prepares to leave to go after him, she comes before Naruto in the defining moment in the series.
Sakura: “Naruto! I beg you! Please... please bring Sasuke back! I couldn’t do it... I couldn’t stop him! The only person... who can probably save Sasuke-kun is you, Naruto. Only you...”
Naruto: “... Sakura-chan, you really like Sasuke, huh? I know how much pain you’re in because of Sasuke. I can understand.”
(Sakura’s flashback)
Naruto, posing as Sasuke: “Sakura, I’ve got one thing to ask.”
Sakura: “Huh?”
Naruto posing as Sasuke: “Naruto... what do you think of him?”
Sakura: “He has now really become the troublemaker and disrupter of my love life... he seems to enjoy watching me troubled. He doesn’t understand anything about me... he’s just annoying.”
(Flashback ends)
Sakura: “Naruto... thank you.”
Naruto: “Don’t worry, I’ll bring him back! Promise of a lifetime!”
This is the true point of change. Sakura understands that Naruto has always been there for her, and that she can trusts him immensely. She understands that Naruto does in fact, understand her, and what’s more, is much more than just an annoying teammate- but a friend.
What’s more, it shows an amazing amount of maturity on Naruto’s part.
He understands Sakura’s pain at being left behind by Sasuke, and, what’s more, wants to make sure she’s happy- to do that, he needs to bring Sasuke back. It doesn’t matter if Sakura isn’t going to fall in love with him, or that he could easily die trying.
All that matters is that her happiness is protected, even if its at the cost of his own.
When Naruto returns, battered and bruised and defeated by Sasuke, Sakura doesn’t scream. She doesn’t blame him.
What she does is blame herself. She can’t blame Naruto- Naruto is the stronger of the two of them, Naruto is the one whom Sasuke truly respects. She wasn’t strong enough, she wasn’t good enough to help Naruto. Her trust in Naruto is not shaken one bit- if anything, it grows.
So she makes her own promise.
A promise that cements her life for the next two years.
“Next time, we’ll do it together!”
Reunion/Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder
It is Naruto II, the second half of the series, that truly deepens the relationship between Naruto and Sakura. As soon as they meet, you can see the dynamic has changed.
The first thing Sakura asks is not about Sasuke, or even about Naruto’s training. Instead, Sakura shyly asks if she looks more like a woman now, subtly asking Naruto how she looks.
To which an oblivious Naruto simply replies that she looks the same as ever, something that irritates Sakura greatly. She cares about how she looks in the eyes of Naruto- he’s someone important to her, even if he’s been gone for two years.
The next thing is even odder- Sakura realizes Naruto (having previously been the shortest genin of their year) is taller than her.
She’s taking notice of his appearance. She notices him.
It’s a definite change of pace.
Sakura reflects that Naruto has probably grown up a lot- become so strong while he’s been away, which makes her feel sad.
And when Naruto is unimpressed and almost disdainful of a younger boy, Konohamaru’s Sexy no Jutsu (A technique Naruto himself created and taught to the boy), Sakura believes Naruto has matured and is actively blushing as she looks at him.
Once again, Naruto ruins the moment by declaring he has created something even more perverted than the Sexy no Jutsu- and Sakura shows just how much she has grown by punching Naruto into the ground.
After a test that shows the growth of Sakura and Naruto’s abilities, Naruto proceeds to do what he had been doing two years ago, and asks Sakura out on a date.
Before he finishes the word date, Sakura does something highly unexpected.
She agrees to go out with him, on the condition that he pays.
Once again, an amazing change from the Sakura who would simply turn Naruto down.
Their relationship grows again in an amazingly short time when Naruto, Sakura, after being reunited with their sensei Kakashi, are dispatched to the village of the Sand, to rescue the reformed Gaara of the Desert, who, in Naruto’s absence, has become the leader of the Sand village (a fact that makes Naruto rather jealous for a while).
Gaara, as another demon vessel, is, like Naruto, the target of a mysterious organization known as Akatsuki. Akatsuki’s members include Sasuke’s brother Itachi, the man who eventually drove Sasuke away to seek power. Gaara has been kidnaped by Akatsuki, and, chances are that they will kill him in due time.
Naruto’s empathy and feeling of kinship with his fellow demon vessel is incredibly touching, and, without hesitation, he tells Sakura that he too, possesses a demon, the Kyubi, a secret he has never openly talked about with anyone before. Later, Chiyo, an elderly woman who was the one to put the demon into Gaara, much like the Fourth Hokage did with Naruto, reveals that the demon can never be taken out of the vessel- if it is, the vessel dies.
Sakura begins to cry.
Naruto calmly tells her that Gaara will be fine- but it’s not Gaara Sakura’s crying for.
She cries because Naruto can never be free from his burden.
Later, when they are confronted by a clone of Itachi, Sasuke’s brother, Sakura is enraged at the man, knowing that this man hurt Sasuke and wants to hurt Naruto.
Once again, Naruto factors into everything she does, every thought she possesses.
After saving Gaara and receiving some information about Orochimaru, Naruto and Sakura, along with a new teammate, Sai, and a temporary commander, Yamato, are dispatched to meet with an Akatsuki spy in Orochimaru’s ranks.
Before they meet the spy, their new, odd teammate, Sai, makes a few rude comments about Sasuke- for which Sakura stops Naruto from assaulting Sai, and then promptly punches the other boy into the ground, warning him not to talk about Sasuke like that.
Naruto and Sai’s differences only escalate, and Sakura comments that she should have already hit Sai for commenting about Sasuke again.
Sai, however, notes that while Sakura is violent to him, she is very kind toward Naruto- once again, a definite change of pace from the first half of the story.
Soon enough, however, it is time for them to meet with the spy.
This turns out to be a trap, however, and Orochimaru himself appears. Naruto becomes enraged as Orochimaru talks about Sasuke, and Sakura is shown, for the first time, the full extent of Naruto’s demonic power as Naruto literally starts to beat the Hell out of Orochimaru, even tearing off one of the legendary ninja’s arms.
Her reaction is similar to a previous moment in the first arc of the series. In this, Sasuke has just been marked by Orochimaru’s Curse Seal, a marking that fills him with dark energy and makes him into a murderous, nearly unstoppable warrior. Filled with this dark power, Sasuke is about to kill a man- but Sakura cries out and grabs him, stopping him. She is afraid for him.
When Naruto stares at her, his body enshrouded in demonic light, Sakura shows that same fear, this time for Naruto. She can feel the terrible force of this power- and knows that Naruto can’t possibly control it.
And, just as she realizes this, Naruto proves he cannot.
He goes berserk, and undergoes a horrific transformation in which he becomes a four tailed miniature demon fox, proceeding to fight Orochimaru to a standstill, while at the same time knocking out Sakura, who is caught in one of Naruto’s shockwaves. Sakura wakes to see Naruto in this form, uncontrolled, and realizes that he is doing this in order to keep his promise.
The promise he made to her.
When she realizes this, Sakura cries out again, trying to run to him like she did with Sasuke, telling him that she will help him bring Sasuke back, that he doesn’t have to bear the burden on his own.
But Naruto is too far gone, and lashes out at her, striking her with one of his demonic tails. Sakura is knocked down and injured, but still, all she wants to do is stop Naruto from harming himself anymore. In fact, as Yamato finally seals the demonic power and Naruto slumps, unconscious, she asks if she can learn how to seal that demonic power- to help Naruto.
She cannot learn that technique however, and Sakura starts to cry once again.
Sakura, with tears in her eyes: “The things I can do for Naruto are so small.”
Yamato: “It’s not a problem of small or big. What’s important is the strength of the feelings you have for Naruto.”
Sakura looks at him, shocked.
Yamato: “Heh... Sakura... I can tell by looking at you... In reality you...”
We don’t find out what Yamato can tell, as Naruto wakes up- ruining yet another moment, a pattern that has many NaruSaku shippers nearly screaming.
So, Why NaruSaku?/Because Fairy Tales Are Nice
Naruto and Sakura’s relationship is built around promises, trust, and around friendship. It takes time, takes a lot of work, and makes both people better because of it, which is what love really is. Naruto has proven time and again that he cares deeply for Sakura and has pushed himself to the limit to keep her safe and to make her happy.
Sakura, on the other hand, has grown immensely in order to help Naruto, because of Naruto, where, with Sasuke, she had been stuck, always being protected. Both of them benefit from the relationship- both of them grow stronger when they’re together.
Sakura can trust Naruto, she knows that. She trusts him completely, above everything else, a sentiment that she has never expressed toward Sasuke, and she believes in Naruto.
And if there’s one thing Naruto has always wanted, it is the belief and the trust of the people around him.
Sakura is strong; her affection for Naruto is so strong that she tries to stop a berserk Naruto after he’s nearly killed one of the strongest ninja in the world. It proves she’s strong enough to handle Naruto, whose temper has shortened as his power increased. She’s not afraid to put him in line, and, even in the second arc, is often chastising him for various infractions, usually of the lecherous sort.
And Naruto needs that sort of influence in his life. Inspirational, powerful he may be, Naruto’s temper has worsened and he still has more growing up to do. Sakura is a stabilizing influence on him.
But when Sakura feels weak, it is Naruto who gives her strength, puts her back up on her feet.
Sakura provides him with balance- he provides her with strength.
Together, they are so much stronger, even if they’re already strong apart.
Links
naruxsaku - Liverjournal Community for NaruSaku shippers.
Heaven & Earth- A NaruSaku forum and fanfiction library.
Heaven & Earth C2 Community
Lifelong Promise- NaruSaku shrine.
Fanfic Recommendations
One Hundred Days by Aaron Nowack
Single Ninja on the Town by Arkhe
Training for the Job by Desaix
Something Red by roterritter
Letterbox by Chrystaline
Pitfalls by sharingank
Rewind Lost by Crystalazer
The Changes They See by link no miko
There are so many more, especially in the one shot category that I could name, but I simply don't have the time and this has probably gone on long enough. Still, be sure to check out the Heaven & Earth C2 for more NaruSaku goodness.
Naruto, as a series, is truly a phenomenon. Already quite popular in America even before the Cartoon Network showings, it is a series that is incredibly deep with such a diverse and complex cast of characters whose relationships are equally deep. However, as with all stories, there are a few key characters central to the plot, the hero and his closest companions.
I, personally, stumbled into the Naruto fandom after a brief fling with the Evangelion fandom and a few months of wandering from anime fandom to fandom. Though the popular pairing was and still is Naruto/Hinata, I just didn’t feel right while reading it.
So, I started looking around. I found most of the other pairings the same way, even if I enjoyed them a little. Finally, however, I decided to go with the first impulse I usually have with a new series.
To ship the lead male and the lead female.
The lead male, of course, was Naruto.
And the lead female had to be the most prominent, featured female of the series, Sakura.
As I read through more and more of the series, especially the Naruto II arc, I grew more and more attached to the pairing.
But why should you give a damn about Naruto/Sakura? Why not ship something else, like the more popular Naruto/Hinata and Sasuke/Sakura?
Well, that’s a good question.
So let’s start with the basics.
The Hero/And Demon
Uzumaki Naruto, the Number One Hyperactive and most unpredictable ninja. At first glance, Naruto’s hair is about the only thing bright about him. At Ninja Academy, he was the worst student, and even as time goes on, he still has moments of bewildering foolishness. Of course, what makes him unpredictable is the short, but amazingly brilliant, off the wall plans he comes up with in battle. Even more amazing than these short bursts of genius is his ability to affect people into changing themselves, which will be discussed in depth later on.
However, it is not his bursts of genius that make him such a dynamic and magnetic character, but his willpower. Naruto’s willpower is shown, time and time again, to be incredibly strong, often allowing him to stand up after taking blows that would kill a lesser man. He never gives up, and once he gives his word, he refuses to take it back, declaring that “That’s my ninja way!”
Naruto, like most main characters, has a dream. His dream is to become Hokage, the leader of the Hidden Village of the Leaf. He does this, not out of wanting of prestige, but because he wants people to acknowledge and respect him, and because he wants to protect the people the village.
And of course, what makes him even more unique (besides his infamous love of ramen), is the demon living in his gut.
Yeah, you heard me. A demon. A giant, red eyed demon fox with nine tails, more commonly called the Kyubi no Youma, or just Kyubi.
The Kyubi is incredibly important to the story, and to Naruto’s own growth. To cut a story short, the Kyubi is a demon who attacked the Village of the Hidden Leaf on the night Naruto was born. The Fourth Hokage, the current leader of the village, sealed the demon away into Naruto.
Kyubi is far from finished by being sealed, however, and shows just how powerful it is when Naruto is in over his head, often giving the blonde more power than he can handle. For the first arc of the story, the Kyubi becomes Naruto’s weapon, and the blonde becomes reliant on that power. Using that power and his own charismatic nature, he literally saves two unstable psychotics, Hyuuga Neji and Gaara of the Desert, from their own inner darkness.
However, in the opening stages of Naruto II, we begin to see a change.
The Kyubi, we discover, is actually killing Naruto with each usage of its power, and, after a certain point, actually takes over Naruto’s body and turns him into a mindless killing machine. During one mission, Yamato, Naruto’s temporary commander, tells him that relying upon the demon’s strength is foolish, and that he should learn to use his own strength to fight.
Naruto still has a long way to go, and this moment cannot make that any clearer.
Still, despite his immaturity and, as we see in Naruto II, tendencies toward perversion and flying into a rage, Naruto is very much a hero in the definition of the word. Not only has he changed people he fights, he also changes others simply by fighting- such as Tsunade, who had become a wandering gambler who was bitter at the world for losing her lover and brother, to Inari, who had lost his foster father and who now thought there were no heroes left in the world, and of course, his teammate, Sakura.
Naruto’s inspiring nature comes from his hard childhood. As a boy, no one reached out to him because they feared him to be the Kyubi incarnate, instead of its vessel. The parents warned their children away from him, telling them that Naruto was dangerous. He had no parents of his own and no one to take care of him.
The only thing that saved him from the darkness was, first, a few kind gestures from the Sandaime Hokage, the formerly retired leader of the village who took over when the Yondaime died, and secondly, the actions of Umino Iruka, Naruto’s Academy instructor.
Iruka lost his parents to the Kyubi, the demon living inside Naruto. However, Naruto’s hardships moved Iruka into remembering how hard it is for an orphan, and so, Naruto received a fatherly figure into his life- a pillar of support that would remain with Naruto for the rest of the series.
As the series progresses, Naruto makes more friends among his peers as well as his elders (and a bevy of enemies to boot), slowly being accepted by the world. However, one of the last relationships to blossom, ironically, is the one with his love interest.
The Heroine/Because She’s No Damsel, Not Anymore
Haruno Sakura, the love interest. In an interview, Kishimoto Masashi, the series creator, comments that the story began with just the hero, Naruto. Later in the creation of the story, however, he added two companions- the rival character and the love interest.
And quite early on, it is defined that Uchiha Sasuke is most definitely the rival character.
Sakura, unlike nearly every other character in her age group, has no childhood tragedy weighing her down. In fact, she is very much unlikable in the opening of the series, being very spiteful toward Naruto and overtly affectionate toward Uchiha Sasuke, the class prodigy. It is a characterization that, sadly, a portion of the fandom never sees past.
One of the most amusing things about Sakura’s character is her “Inner” Sakura, who speaks out what Sakura is really feeling in her head while Sakura herself is speaking politely.
Sakura may not have had a terrible childhood like Naruto, but she had troubles nonetheless. As a younger girl, she was very shy and timid, often bullied and ridiculed because of her large forehead.
It was only until the popular and much more outgoing Yamanaka Ino approached her, and befriended her, that Sakura began to change. Ino gives Sakura a ribbon and tells her not to hide her forehead. Sakura looks up to Ino in the same way Naruto looks up to Sasuke (something that will be discussed later), but at times, feels inferior to her much more popular friend. Eventually, Sakura tries to break free from Ino’s shadow, ending their friendship because they are both infatuated with Uchiha Sasuke.
Her infatuation with Sasuke damages this friendship, and severely halts the growth of Sakura’s relationship with Naruto, as well as her own personal growth. In a carelessly cruel moment, she comments that Naruto must love not having parents.
And then Sasuke, who is also an orphan, actually berates her for the comment, telling her she has no idea what she’s talking about. It drives home the idea that, for the moment, Sakura isn’t a very dynamic character.
Despite telling herself to treat Naruto better, she fails. Sakura still fixates upon Sasuke, who does not return her affections. It is only after Sasuke begins to fall into darkness that Sakura starts to realize how strong Naruto has become, and becomes reliant upon his strength when Sasuke leaves them.
This leads to the key moment in the series, in which Naruto’s priorities shift from aiming to become Hokage, which will be discussed later on this essay. However, for the moment, it is enough to state this.
Naruto promises to bring Sasuke back after Sakura asks him to, and Sakura comes to the realization that, not only does she believe Naruto can do it, she trusts him to do it completely.
But when Naruto returns, having been defeated by Sasuke and failing to bring him back, Sakura realizes that, no matter how much she trusts Naruto, she can’t just rely on him.
Thus, Sakura vows to become stronger and to protect both Naruto and Sasuke, and does so by apprenticing herself to the legendary medic ninja, Tsunade.
When Naruto II begins, we see that Sakura has made good on that promise. She has become strong, with the potential to surpass even her master. Her growth is tremendous, and she has truly blossomed into her own, even, with help from another ninja, Chiyo, defeating an S-Class (the most dangerous class) criminal.
Not only has her own abilities grown, but it is clear that Sakura’s grown into a more confident, mature woman. She no longer has an Inner Sakura, it appears, but has made a balance between the vulgar Inner Sakura and her previous docile nature. It is seen that she empathizes heavily with Naruto’s pain, and is trying hard to keep up her vows.
The Third Wheel/Or, That Brooding Guy In The Corner With Psychological Baggage
What many NaruSaku-ers fail to account for is the importance Uchiha Sasuke, the third wheel and third part of this relationship. They dismiss him, or have Naruto and Sakura hating the Uchiha.
Neither of these, unfortunately, is accurate.
Sasuke has an impact on this relationship, no matter how you look at it. He is both the catalyst and the impediment to Naruto and Sakura’s relationship.
With Sakura, Sasuke is a main deterrent to the growth of the relationship, though not because of any action on his part. Sakura’s affections for him blind her to Naruto’s own growth- something that severely hampers their relationship for most of the series.
Yet at the same time, Sasuke helps in small, often indirect ways. It is Sasuke who first forces Sakura to consider that maybe she’s treating Naruto unfairly- and it is Sasuke’s fall to darkness that opens Sakura’s eyes to Naruto’s strength.
To Naruto, Sasuke is a rival, a friend, and a brother. Naruto grows stronger and stronger because, much like with Ino and Sakura, Naruto feels inferior to Sasuke, who, though alone, is acknowledge by everyone. At the same time, however, Sasuke is Naruto’s secret inspiration, the person Naruto respects and wants to be acknowledged by.
And of course, Sasuke is- unwillingly- Naruto’s rival for Sakura’s affections.
At The Beginning/Love Takes Time
Sakura and Naruto’s relationship at the beginning is a mixture of one sided crush (on Naruto’s end) and indifferent annoyance (on Sakura’s end). Naruto repeatedly attempts to get Sakura to date him- attempts which are rebuffed constantly. Together with Sasuke and their sensei, Hatake Kakashi, they are formed into Team Seven. Even after they are put on the same team, however, Sakura and Naruto’s relationship still refuses to grow.
One of the key moments in the beginning, however, first lays the foundation of change between the two.
In this moment, Team Seven has just come out of its first encounter with enemy ninja. Sasuke, unsurprisingly, performed well, and Sakura managed to hold herself together, even if she was unable to fight back. Naruto, on the other hand, froze up and got poisoned as a result.
Kakashi suggests they end the mission and return Naruto to the village to get treatment.
Naruto, furious at his own weakness, refuses to be helped and stabs himself in the hand in order to remove the poison. Raising his bleeding hand, he vows to never hesitate in battle again.
Sakura, watching, is impressed. And, afterward, shows real concern in the form of violent anger when they realize that Naruto could easily bleed out from the wound. Of course, with Naruto’s demon occupant, the wound is actually healed almost instantaneously.
Unfortunately, that foundation is left to gather dust for quite some time.
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura are entered into the Chuunin Exams, an exam designed to promote lower level ninja, genin, to a higher rank, chuunin. During the first portion of the exam, the trio is attacked by Orochimaru, a legendary ninja who is quite clearly out of their league.
But Naruto doesn’t give up, even when Sasuke is paralyzed by fear and willing to surrender. Even after Orochimaru’s giant snake smashes Naruto into the ground, he refuses to surrender, and, with a little demonic power, literally smashes the snake’s head in with his fist.
This is the first time Sakura has born witness to even a tiny amount of Naruto’s demonic power, and it leaves a lasting impression. What’s more, when Orochimaru diverts his snake to attack Sasuke, Naruto intercepts that blow selflessly.
Amazingly, when Naruto is defeated by Orocihmaru handily, Sakura actually saves Naruto from falling, and then proceeds to shout at Sasuke, even calling him a coward.
“Sasuke-kun! It’s true that unlike you, Naruto is clumsy and can get in the way but... at least he’s not a coward! Right!!!”
Though it is said in order to snap Sasuke out of his fear induced funk, it is a turning point for the Sasuke-obsessed girl. She acknowledges Naruto’s fearlessness in the face of overwhelming defeat- something even Sasuke does not posses.
In the second portion of the exam, Sakura actively roots for Naruto as he battles another Leaf ninja, Inuzaka Kiba. Though weakened by Orochimaru and severely outmatched in speed and power, Sakura truly believes Naruto will win- which he does, much to the surprise of nearly everyone in the crowd.
However, once again, it is only after a long period of time of standing still that Naruto and Sakura’s relationship grows again- of course, Sakura happens to be unconscious for it.
Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura have begun a battle against Gaara of the Desert, another demon vessel like Naruto. Sasuke has been defeated, and Sakura is trapped by Gaara’s sand technique, unconscious. Only Naruto is left standing.
He tries to fight Gaara on his own, despite his fear of the other demon vessel. Naruto, after meeting Gaara, has become convinced that the only way to become stronger is to fight for yourself and only yourself, the ideals that the immensely powerful Gaara holds to.
However, Naruto is beaten back. Sasuke tries to stand, and tells Naruto to run and take Sakura with him, promising to hold Gaara off for as long as possible.
It is at this moment that Naruto grows up again, and realizes that fighting for others makes you stronger, not weaker, as he watches Sasuke struggle to stand. Naruto, in a moment of impressive power and force, vows to protect Sakura at all costs as he performs two of his best techniques at a level he’s never been at before.
Naruto’s affection for Sakura in this moment grows far beyond a mere crush. He is putting himself on the line, risking his life to save her life in a show of amazing selflessness. He pushes his body to the absolute limit, and, even bleeding from the head and totally exhausted, he still drags himself toward Gaara, willing to continue the fight.
After the battle, Sakura at first believes it is Sasuke who saves her- however, Sasuke himself admits that Naruto saved her, a point that drives an inferiority complex into Sasuke, where it once resided in Naruto.
Sakura, realizing that Naruto must really have become stronger (having missed nearly every showing of his power), decides that she should be nicer to him (and this time, tries hard to keep that promise).
However, just as things start to look up, as Naruto becomes stronger, Sakura acknowledging that strength, and Sasuke- despite his feelings of inferiority to Naruto- still considers both him and Sakura to be his precious teammates, everything falls apart.
A visit from Sasuke’s immensely powerful and dangerously sociopathic brother Itachi leaves Sasuke in the hospital after enduring the equivalent of three days of psychological torture and drives the final nail in the coffin of Team Seven.
When Sasuke is finally healed up, it is already too late for the trio.
I Promise You/No Matter What
As Sasuke tries to leave the village to go to Orochimaru, who has promised him power, Sakura confronts him. She begs him not to leave, to break up the team. She promises to make his life fun and happy for the rest of their days- she tells him she loves him- even though, at her age, she couldn’t understand what love really means.
When that doesn’t work, she even offers to come with him.
Sasuke, in one of the oddest touching moments ever, says:
“You’re really annoying.”
Afterwards, when she threatens to scream and alert the village security, Sasuke knocks her out, with his last words to her:
“Sakura... thank you.”
These lines can be interpreted so many ways, and have been. The idea I have come to believe is that Sasuke is really, genuinely touched by the gesture, but he simply cannot return those feelings, tied as he is to his quest for vengeance.
His words are the most honest Sasuke has ever been with Sakura.
He tells her that he’s not like Naruto or her- that he’s starting his own path, and so are they, and those paths are separate. And, as he has done so many times, he illustrates the driving force behind his survival- vengeance.
Sakura tells him that vengeance won’t make anyone happy- Sasuke knows this, and knows he could be happy with his friends in the village.
But that’s not what he wants.
And so, Sakura wakes up the next morning as Naruto discovers Sasuke is gone. And as he prepares to leave to go after him, she comes before Naruto in the defining moment in the series.
Sakura: “Naruto! I beg you! Please... please bring Sasuke back! I couldn’t do it... I couldn’t stop him! The only person... who can probably save Sasuke-kun is you, Naruto. Only you...”
Naruto: “... Sakura-chan, you really like Sasuke, huh? I know how much pain you’re in because of Sasuke. I can understand.”
(Sakura’s flashback)
Naruto, posing as Sasuke: “Sakura, I’ve got one thing to ask.”
Sakura: “Huh?”
Naruto posing as Sasuke: “Naruto... what do you think of him?”
Sakura: “He has now really become the troublemaker and disrupter of my love life... he seems to enjoy watching me troubled. He doesn’t understand anything about me... he’s just annoying.”
(Flashback ends)
Sakura: “Naruto... thank you.”
Naruto: “Don’t worry, I’ll bring him back! Promise of a lifetime!”
This is the true point of change. Sakura understands that Naruto has always been there for her, and that she can trusts him immensely. She understands that Naruto does in fact, understand her, and what’s more, is much more than just an annoying teammate- but a friend.
What’s more, it shows an amazing amount of maturity on Naruto’s part.
He understands Sakura’s pain at being left behind by Sasuke, and, what’s more, wants to make sure she’s happy- to do that, he needs to bring Sasuke back. It doesn’t matter if Sakura isn’t going to fall in love with him, or that he could easily die trying.
All that matters is that her happiness is protected, even if its at the cost of his own.
When Naruto returns, battered and bruised and defeated by Sasuke, Sakura doesn’t scream. She doesn’t blame him.
What she does is blame herself. She can’t blame Naruto- Naruto is the stronger of the two of them, Naruto is the one whom Sasuke truly respects. She wasn’t strong enough, she wasn’t good enough to help Naruto. Her trust in Naruto is not shaken one bit- if anything, it grows.
So she makes her own promise.
A promise that cements her life for the next two years.
“Next time, we’ll do it together!”
Reunion/Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder
It is Naruto II, the second half of the series, that truly deepens the relationship between Naruto and Sakura. As soon as they meet, you can see the dynamic has changed.
The first thing Sakura asks is not about Sasuke, or even about Naruto’s training. Instead, Sakura shyly asks if she looks more like a woman now, subtly asking Naruto how she looks.
To which an oblivious Naruto simply replies that she looks the same as ever, something that irritates Sakura greatly. She cares about how she looks in the eyes of Naruto- he’s someone important to her, even if he’s been gone for two years.
The next thing is even odder- Sakura realizes Naruto (having previously been the shortest genin of their year) is taller than her.
She’s taking notice of his appearance. She notices him.
It’s a definite change of pace.
Sakura reflects that Naruto has probably grown up a lot- become so strong while he’s been away, which makes her feel sad.
And when Naruto is unimpressed and almost disdainful of a younger boy, Konohamaru’s Sexy no Jutsu (A technique Naruto himself created and taught to the boy), Sakura believes Naruto has matured and is actively blushing as she looks at him.
Once again, Naruto ruins the moment by declaring he has created something even more perverted than the Sexy no Jutsu- and Sakura shows just how much she has grown by punching Naruto into the ground.
After a test that shows the growth of Sakura and Naruto’s abilities, Naruto proceeds to do what he had been doing two years ago, and asks Sakura out on a date.
Before he finishes the word date, Sakura does something highly unexpected.
She agrees to go out with him, on the condition that he pays.
Once again, an amazing change from the Sakura who would simply turn Naruto down.
Their relationship grows again in an amazingly short time when Naruto, Sakura, after being reunited with their sensei Kakashi, are dispatched to the village of the Sand, to rescue the reformed Gaara of the Desert, who, in Naruto’s absence, has become the leader of the Sand village (a fact that makes Naruto rather jealous for a while).
Gaara, as another demon vessel, is, like Naruto, the target of a mysterious organization known as Akatsuki. Akatsuki’s members include Sasuke’s brother Itachi, the man who eventually drove Sasuke away to seek power. Gaara has been kidnaped by Akatsuki, and, chances are that they will kill him in due time.
Naruto’s empathy and feeling of kinship with his fellow demon vessel is incredibly touching, and, without hesitation, he tells Sakura that he too, possesses a demon, the Kyubi, a secret he has never openly talked about with anyone before. Later, Chiyo, an elderly woman who was the one to put the demon into Gaara, much like the Fourth Hokage did with Naruto, reveals that the demon can never be taken out of the vessel- if it is, the vessel dies.
Sakura begins to cry.
Naruto calmly tells her that Gaara will be fine- but it’s not Gaara Sakura’s crying for.
She cries because Naruto can never be free from his burden.
Later, when they are confronted by a clone of Itachi, Sasuke’s brother, Sakura is enraged at the man, knowing that this man hurt Sasuke and wants to hurt Naruto.
Once again, Naruto factors into everything she does, every thought she possesses.
After saving Gaara and receiving some information about Orochimaru, Naruto and Sakura, along with a new teammate, Sai, and a temporary commander, Yamato, are dispatched to meet with an Akatsuki spy in Orochimaru’s ranks.
Before they meet the spy, their new, odd teammate, Sai, makes a few rude comments about Sasuke- for which Sakura stops Naruto from assaulting Sai, and then promptly punches the other boy into the ground, warning him not to talk about Sasuke like that.
Naruto and Sai’s differences only escalate, and Sakura comments that she should have already hit Sai for commenting about Sasuke again.
Sai, however, notes that while Sakura is violent to him, she is very kind toward Naruto- once again, a definite change of pace from the first half of the story.
Soon enough, however, it is time for them to meet with the spy.
This turns out to be a trap, however, and Orochimaru himself appears. Naruto becomes enraged as Orochimaru talks about Sasuke, and Sakura is shown, for the first time, the full extent of Naruto’s demonic power as Naruto literally starts to beat the Hell out of Orochimaru, even tearing off one of the legendary ninja’s arms.
Her reaction is similar to a previous moment in the first arc of the series. In this, Sasuke has just been marked by Orochimaru’s Curse Seal, a marking that fills him with dark energy and makes him into a murderous, nearly unstoppable warrior. Filled with this dark power, Sasuke is about to kill a man- but Sakura cries out and grabs him, stopping him. She is afraid for him.
When Naruto stares at her, his body enshrouded in demonic light, Sakura shows that same fear, this time for Naruto. She can feel the terrible force of this power- and knows that Naruto can’t possibly control it.
And, just as she realizes this, Naruto proves he cannot.
He goes berserk, and undergoes a horrific transformation in which he becomes a four tailed miniature demon fox, proceeding to fight Orochimaru to a standstill, while at the same time knocking out Sakura, who is caught in one of Naruto’s shockwaves. Sakura wakes to see Naruto in this form, uncontrolled, and realizes that he is doing this in order to keep his promise.
The promise he made to her.
When she realizes this, Sakura cries out again, trying to run to him like she did with Sasuke, telling him that she will help him bring Sasuke back, that he doesn’t have to bear the burden on his own.
But Naruto is too far gone, and lashes out at her, striking her with one of his demonic tails. Sakura is knocked down and injured, but still, all she wants to do is stop Naruto from harming himself anymore. In fact, as Yamato finally seals the demonic power and Naruto slumps, unconscious, she asks if she can learn how to seal that demonic power- to help Naruto.
She cannot learn that technique however, and Sakura starts to cry once again.
Sakura, with tears in her eyes: “The things I can do for Naruto are so small.”
Yamato: “It’s not a problem of small or big. What’s important is the strength of the feelings you have for Naruto.”
Sakura looks at him, shocked.
Yamato: “Heh... Sakura... I can tell by looking at you... In reality you...”
We don’t find out what Yamato can tell, as Naruto wakes up- ruining yet another moment, a pattern that has many NaruSaku shippers nearly screaming.
So, Why NaruSaku?/Because Fairy Tales Are Nice
Naruto and Sakura’s relationship is built around promises, trust, and around friendship. It takes time, takes a lot of work, and makes both people better because of it, which is what love really is. Naruto has proven time and again that he cares deeply for Sakura and has pushed himself to the limit to keep her safe and to make her happy.
Sakura, on the other hand, has grown immensely in order to help Naruto, because of Naruto, where, with Sasuke, she had been stuck, always being protected. Both of them benefit from the relationship- both of them grow stronger when they’re together.
Sakura can trust Naruto, she knows that. She trusts him completely, above everything else, a sentiment that she has never expressed toward Sasuke, and she believes in Naruto.
And if there’s one thing Naruto has always wanted, it is the belief and the trust of the people around him.
Sakura is strong; her affection for Naruto is so strong that she tries to stop a berserk Naruto after he’s nearly killed one of the strongest ninja in the world. It proves she’s strong enough to handle Naruto, whose temper has shortened as his power increased. She’s not afraid to put him in line, and, even in the second arc, is often chastising him for various infractions, usually of the lecherous sort.
And Naruto needs that sort of influence in his life. Inspirational, powerful he may be, Naruto’s temper has worsened and he still has more growing up to do. Sakura is a stabilizing influence on him.
But when Sakura feels weak, it is Naruto who gives her strength, puts her back up on her feet.
Sakura provides him with balance- he provides her with strength.
Together, they are so much stronger, even if they’re already strong apart.
Links
naruxsaku - Liverjournal Community for NaruSaku shippers. Heaven & Earth- A NaruSaku forum and fanfiction library.
Heaven & Earth C2 Community
Lifelong Promise- NaruSaku shrine.
Fanfic Recommendations
One Hundred Days by Aaron Nowack
Single Ninja on the Town by Arkhe
Training for the Job by Desaix
Something Red by roterritter
Letterbox by Chrystaline
Pitfalls by sharingank
Rewind Lost by Crystalazer
The Changes They See by link no miko
There are so many more, especially in the one shot category that I could name, but I simply don't have the time and this has probably gone on long enough. Still, be sure to check out the Heaven & Earth C2 for more NaruSaku goodness.
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Date: 2006-03-30 08:12 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-30 03:44 pm (UTC)Btw, lovely icon.
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Date: 2006-03-30 05:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-30 09:37 am (UTC)PS -- Are you an H&E member, by any chance? I mod there, so I'm curious.
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Date: 2006-03-30 03:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-30 03:46 pm (UTC)And actually I am quite a fan of Team 7 OT3. Oftentimes I can't bear to see anyone left out. Friendship or threesome, I like both.
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Date: 2006-03-31 12:26 am (UTC)Too right. Team 7 is too intertwined to completely exclude any member, but people seem to forget this. And poor Sakura is mangled, ignored, side-shipped away, or bashed in NaruSasu.
/And actually I am quite a fan of Team 7 OT3. Oftentimes I can't bear to see anyone left out. Friendship or threesome, I like both./
Heeeeeeeeee. Another one! Come join us on the NaruSasuSaku side, we have booze and parties celebrating the Team 7 love everday!
*Tempts you, tempts, tempts.*
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Date: 2006-03-31 01:05 am (UTC)Oh, who am I kidding. Team 7 love is just awesome. I love it.
But, I will maintain my love for NaruSaku love especially.
*chants* My will is strong.
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Date: 2006-04-02 05:03 am (UTC)Thou shalt not tempt me!
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Date: 2006-03-30 12:35 pm (UTC)More or Less (http://community.livejournal.com/30_kisses/604203.html)
Ghosts (http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2435996/1/)
Kisses and Kettles (http://community.livejournal.com/30_kisses/72229.html)
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Date: 2006-03-30 03:47 pm (UTC)And, I too occasionally enjoy NaruSakuSasu... though without Kakashi. Although... that sounds interesting.
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Date: 2006-03-30 03:55 pm (UTC)Sadly, the team seven ot4 hasn't been done often.
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Date: 2006-03-31 05:10 am (UTC)And then I read that second rec and very nearly cried. Thanks. (not hint of sarcasm intended)
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Date: 2006-03-31 11:54 am (UTC)Which is why the three of them are the best ot3 since harry/ron/hermione.
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Date: 2006-03-30 07:29 pm (UTC)I never believed, and still have a hard time accepting SasuSaku, mainly because Sasuke seems more of a catalyst to the development of Sakura and Naruto's relationship instead. He plays a big part in how the both change, and that change is what helps them stay together. Very lovely, and I'm gonna add this to my memories. *wave narusaku flag*
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Date: 2006-03-31 01:02 am (UTC)And yes, I usually find it hard to swallow SasuSaku, and rarely (I could probably count on one hand the number) read any. Instead, I like how Sasuke has really helped NaruSaku grow- which to me is just amusing as hell.
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Date: 2006-03-30 11:30 pm (UTC)I was so hoping someone would write a ship manifesto on these two, they really deserve so much more love than they get. D: But the way you wrote everything was so very eloquent and beautiful and just so them. Thanks so much for doing them justice and reminding me why I love this ship so much. ♥
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Date: 2006-03-31 01:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-31 12:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-31 01:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-31 01:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-31 02:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-31 05:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-04 09:56 pm (UTC)and i'm glad you didn't toss sasuke aside like many naruto/sakura shippers do. you're right, he is very important to their relationship.
heh, i should write an essay on hyuugacest....hehe.
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Date: 2006-04-08 07:43 pm (UTC)A little late on the hyuugacest essay though- someone already beat you to it, I'm afraid.
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Date: 2006-04-16 12:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-04-29 10:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-06-27 03:21 am (UTC)I JUST NOW got to read this - man, I have to get with the times! - and I must say it's very well done!! Sound evidence and a well-written essay. Yaaaay NaruSaku! *waves little flag*
And thank you so much for recommending my fic!! *O* I'm very flattered!! ♥ ♥ ♥
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Date: 2006-06-27 03:51 am (UTC)Thank you very much. Glad you liked my little manifesto. *also waves NaruSaku flag*
You're welcome for the recc, but it was really nothing. I enjoyed your fic a lot, and as a NaruSaku fic, it definitely deserved mention, that's all.
*holds a NaruSaku flag with pride*
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Date: 2007-12-30 02:06 am (UTC)The last three lines were simply <3.
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Date: 2007-12-30 08:44 am (UTC)Although, one comment kinda of bothered me.
"even though, at her age, she couldn’t understand what love really means."
I disagree. I think maturity in attitude is more important than maturity in age.