fancake | Entries tagged with fandom: naruto

Fandom: Naruto
Pairings/Characters: Senju Tobirama/Uchiha Madara
Rating: Mature
Length: 6,014 words
Creator Links:

Askerian
Theme: forced marriage, arranged marriage, asexual & demisexual characters

Summary: "Oh," Izuna said -- delicately, while studiously reading his folder, "I'm afraid we need someone with a ... strong personality for Naohime."

"Why's that?" Hashirama replied, just as painfully polite.

The daimyo's mediator kept watching them and scratching little pointy words in his notebook.

"Because if your man doesn't prove that he's dangerous and has the personality to use it on her if she pushes him, it's going to turn abusive," Madara drawled.

Hashirama stared at him for a blank second. The daimyo's envoy stopped writing; even his stone-faced Aburame bodyguard arched her eyebrows over her darkened spectacles.

Tobirama stretched out across the table without another word to take back one of the folders Izuna had spread around him.

--

The daimyo is over the whole Uchiha/Senju war. They're going to become one people if they know what's good for them.

Madara hates it enough without having to marry a woman too.

Reccer's Notes: Fun oneshot! Hot, with a really interesting relationship dynamic, and I also love how it touches on gray asexuality <3

Fanwork Links: What Brings Us Together

kiestan

Fandom: Naruto
Pairings/Characters: Dai-nana-han | Team 7 & Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Itachi & Uchiha Sasuke, Hatake Kakashi & Uchiha Sasuke
Rating: Mature
Length: 312,753 words
Creator Links:

Aethelar
Theme: Trans & Non-Binary Characters, Gen, Action/Adventure, Team as family

Summary: It's a self insert fic. You know the drill.

Featuring a grumpy protagonist who wants mochi, clean socks, and to maintain possession of their life and eyeballs in that order, a troll-dad sensei who's genuinely trying to understand the pint sized weirdos he's been saddled with but isn't sure where to start, and two team mates who are honest to god twelve year olds who canonically didn't mature until after the handy dandy time skip.

Where, please, is the unsubscribe button, because I'd like to request a different afterlife.

Reccer's Notes: I fell in love with the main character. It's a self-insert/original character fic, specifically a SI Sasuke Uchiha fic, and the author writes "you made this decision, now sit with its consequences" so well, so satisfyingly. The found family, inner conflict and ninja action are strong with this one! I did not sleep the minute I started reading all 300k words at one go, and this was one of the first SI/OC fics I've ever experienced, remembered and thoroughly enjoyed.

Fanwork Links: A Lack of Wisdom

eoa

Fandom: Naruto
Pairings/Characters: Nohara Rin/Uchiha Obito, Hatake Kakashi & Uchiha Obito, Hatake Kakashi & Nohara Rin & Uchiha Obito
Rating: Teen and Up
Length: 7215 words
Creator Links: taivasalla on AO3, on FFN
Theme: Fork in the Road AU

Summary: Kakashi-centric. Obito lives; life isn't perfect. Four years after the disaster in Iwa, who they are. One-shot.

Reccer's Notes: I rather like this fic's Kakashi, who's socially stunted more so than as his canon counterpart seemed to be even despite his team surviving. His injuries from the Iwa incident are great icing on the cake as well. Not to mention his relationship to ANBU, which I won't delve deeper into as not to spoil. All in all, in four years presents a nice, succint look at what might've happened had both Obito and Kakashi survived that fateful day.

Fanwork Links: in four years on AO3, on FFN

jetparasol

Fandom: Naruto
Pairings/Characters: Kakashi/Iruka, Yamanaka Ino, Nohara Rin, Uchiha Obito, Yamato | Tenzou
Rating: Not Rated
Length: 44k
Creator Links:

pentapus
Theme: fork-in-the-road AU

Summary: The scarred ninja sighed. "You couldn't have brought them by earlier?"

"No," Asuma-sensei said, and he was still smiling, "I wanted them to get the full Umino experience."

Ino shot a look to her left: Shikamaru's eyes were open wider than their usual droop. What the hell was the Umino experience, those eyes seemed to say.

Reccer's Notes: The fork for this story involves Kakashi's absence from Konoha after a certain point as a child. It's sort of a ninja slice-of-life story with some plot & a twist or two. I love the way it unfurls and the interactions between the characters.

Fanwork Link: The Full Umino Experience by Pentapus on AO3

acheinyou

Fandom: Naruto
Pairings/Characters: Hatake Kakashi/Uzumaki Naruto, Sukea/Uzumaki Naruto
Rating: E
Length: 13,138 words
Creator Links:

RamenDelightful
Theme: Mistaken Identity
Summary: Naruto bumps into Kakashi while shopping, but he's not exactly himself right now.

Reccer's Notes: Featuring my personal favorite Kakashi: guilty Kakashi.

Content Notes: Post-war, so Naruto is 19 and no longer Kakashi's student. Naruto is consistently described as a teen throughout.

Fanwork Links: Say My Name on AO3

jainas

Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Pairings: Itachi, Sasuke
Rating: PG-13
Length: 1061
Creator Links: Solderini
Theme: Pre-AO3 Fic, humor

Summary: Like all good boys, Itachi writes home occasionally.

Reccer's Notes: A short, very cracky fic that was a tremendous success back in 2004. It's all dark humor and random crack: don't expect it to go anywhere... But I still have a soft spot for it. :)

Fanwork Links: Dear Foolish Little Brother

inarticulate

Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Pairings: Kurama/Kakashi, various
Rating: Explicit
Length: 386,633 words
Creator Links:

blackkat
Theme: interspecies stories, families of choice, action/adventure, time travel fix-it

Summary: To make a tragedy, you break something beautiful and frame the pieces. To make a victory, you break something mighty and rebuild it piece by piece. To make a life, you glue the pieces together and hope for the best. Kurama's still getting the hang of this ‘human’ thing, but given that he’s 30 years back in time with catastrophes to prevent and a blond brat to save, he’ll have to figure things out on the fly. Luckily, living with Naruto's been good for his ability to improvise, if nothing else.

Reccer's Notes: Okay, there's little indication from the summary or the pairing(s), but I'd actually class this as a found family action/adventure story first and foremost, with some romance on the side. Family is the major theme. Kurama is a self-proclaimed monster with a strong distaste for most of humanity who, now forced to interact with the world at large, finds himself caring more than he expected about the shitty childhoods of certain human children— and trying to balance that against his given goal of saving the world.

Managed to miss the deadline on interspecies so sneaking it in on the last day of amnesty!

Fanwork Links: reverse

meretricula

Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Pairings: Maito Gai/Umino Iruka
Rating: Explicit
Length: 15k
Creator Links:

thehoyden
Theme: Amnesty, AU: Fork in the Road, Family, Families of Choice, Kidfic: Has/With Kids, Minor Characters, Rare Pairings

Summary: It said something about Gai that Iruka was actually unsure whether that was a line.

Reccer's Notes: Look, I'm going to be honest here, I read one volume of Naruto, didn't like it, and from there on confined my involvement to reading a bunch of Kakashi/Iruka fic. I had to google what Gai even looks like. But this story makes me want to CLAW OFF MY OWN FACE over my feelings about adopted family. Iruka! Loves! His! Kid! So! Much! He and Gai are going to be such incredibly weird, incredibly good dads! Naruto is going to be so much better-adjusted! If you like kidfic, even if you don't know the first thing about Naruto, you should definitely read this fic.

Fanwork Links: A Thoughtful, Moving Exploration of Passionate Youth

imogeneherdman

Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Pairings: Uzumaki Naruto, Umino Iruka, Hatake Kakashi, mentioned Iruka/Kakashi
Rating: PG-13
Length: 2,600
Creator Links:

pentapus
Theme: Interspecies Stories, Crossovers/Fusions, Worldbuilding

Summary: They stop for gas in Ely, Nevada, a small town with three casinos and a restaurant that promises to serve Iruka dinner in an old jail cell. Naruto loves it here, for reasons that probably mean Iruka’s a bad parent. He had to intervene after the first slot machine jackpot; luck is one of the most obvious ways that the demon twisting in Naruto’s stomach affects the world around him.

Reccer's Notes: One of those stories that completely hooks you and then runs off giggling. The world that's built here is SO interesting, and you just get a little peek at it. Still worth it.

Fanwork Links: Host and Hound

jainas

Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Pairings: Gaara/Rock Lee
Rating: M to be safe (I don't quite remember)
Length: Long: 15 chapters
Creator Links: Maldoror_Chant (A03) / Maldoror_gw (Old LJ)
Theme: established relationship + plot, action/adventure, AU: fork in the road, established relationship, kidfic: has/with kids,

Summary: Sequel to the tremendously good Diplomatic Relations
After three year together, Lee and Gaara find themselves faced with a new challenge: taking care of two orphaned kids from Lee's familly.

Reccer's Notes: Incredibbly good (and sometime dark and disturbing, but well, it comes with the territory) Gaara POV ; realistic kids in a shinobi world, and a somewhat dark humor: what's not to love?

Fanwork Links: Kindred (On LJ, as it is not on AO3 yet)

lady81bird

Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Pairings: Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto
Rating: Teen
Length: 3481 words
Creator Links: blackkat
Theme: bodyswap, time travel

Summary: With the Kyuubi’s help, Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke have successfully landed in the past, armed with a completely fleshed-out plan to get rid of the bad guys and save the world. (Again.)
The only problem? When it comes to the transmigration of souls and time-travel jutsus done under the influence, Kurama has absolutely, incredibly terrible aim.

Reccer's Notes: This is short but fun. And I would really-really like to know what happens next, but I can imagine it well enough, I think. There will be a lot of craziness and pranks, for one thing.

Fanwork Links: The Importance of Aiming

lady81bird

Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Pairings: Naruto/Sasuke (later in the fic), Nara Shikamaru/Yamanaka Ino, Haruno Sakura/Rock Lee, Slight Jiraiya/Orochimaru, Slight Kakashi/Obito
Rating: Explicit
Length: 136326 words
Creator Links: blackkat
Theme: amnesty-round, novel-length, competence, au (ar, really), families of choice

Summary: Flashes of an unknown past haunt Naruto, entwining his steps with those of a former life no longer content to stay forgotten. There's a voice on the wind and another lifetime in his head, and it’s time for Uzushio’s Storm God to rise once more.

(The soul of a city is a hard thing to kill. Uzushio is still aware, still waiting. And now, with the rebirth of her greatest Kage, it’s time to call her people home.)

Reccer's Notes: This fic is tagged as Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence on AO3. Naruto is a reincarnation of the last kage of Uzushiogakure and slowly remembers his previous life. I love the way this fic is written, the way things change because of it, the character of Naruto who is and also is not his canon self. I also really like the glimpses of the family and village Naruto creates for himself and those in need of family and sanctuary.

Fanwork Links: Stormborn

lady81bird

Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Pairings: Jiraiya/Orochimaru, Namikaze Minato/Uzumaki Kushina, Hatake Kakashi/Uchiha Obito
Rating: T
Length: 9,768 + 7,976 + 6,966
Creator Links: blackkat
Theme: Time Travel - Fix it
Summary: Redemption is never easy to find, but now that Orochimaru has picked a different path, he won't walk it alone.
Or (by the reccer) Orochimaru gets a do-over.

Reccer's Notes: This is a series consisting of three fics. There might be more in the future but each of the fics is self-contained and together they make up a nice little happy-ending trilogy.

What I like about the series: you know that in anime often times there is a villain/ big bad who is... well, once you find out their back-story you are forced to conclude that if something like that happened to you - you would be batshit crazy and out for revenge too. Naruto anime/ manga seems pretty much to be the king among that kind of anime/ manga series.

Orochimaru, however, is a bit of a different situation. There are reasons, yes, but most of the decisions that mark him as a 'bad guy' are made out of free will and with the understanding of the consequences (morality, on the other hand...), all of which makes blackkat's interpretation of his character a very interesting read.

Fanwork Links: at AO3

lady81bird

Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Pairings: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi/future!Uzumaki Naruto, Namiashi Raidou/Shiranui Genma
Rating: M
Length: 128 352 words
Creator Links: at AO3
Theme: Time Travel Fix-It

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.

Reccer's Notes: I've been on a bit of time-travel wave lately and this is the fic that got me into it. What I like best in this fic is that it is clearly acknowledged that the people Naruto left behind are gone - Naruto understands it, mourns for them and does what needs to be done to keep that future/ world from never happening again.

Fanwork Links: at AO3

slr2moons

Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Pairings: Shizune/Tsunade
Rating: R
Length: one-shot at 5,140 words
Creator Links:

fall_into_life
Theme: femslash, female characters, rare pairings

Summary: In her dreams, Shizune wears the First's necklace and Tsunade wears a smile just for her. (Begins soon after Shizune becomes Hokage)

Reccer's Notes: This is a sweet story about Tsunade realizing it's okay for her to want someone in her life besides Dan. It's good to see Shinune's one-sided love become mutual. Beautifully written!

Fanwork Links: In Another Life by fall_into_life

neqs

Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Pairings: Gaara/Lee
Rating: PG to NC17
Length: approx. 240,000 words
Creator Links:

maldoror_gw @ LJ, Maldoror @ Mediaminer
Theme: Gateway fic, Rare pairings, Minor characters

Summary: Rock Lee: Diplomatic Envoy to Sunagakure. There are so many ways that could go wrong. But Lee is determined to succeed! And to befriend the feared Kazekage too, while he's at it. Good thing Lee loves a challenge...

Reccer's Notes: I recced this fic back during Rare Pairings, and it holds a special place in my heart as the first Naruto fic I ever read. Although I was disappointed to discover that the pairing was in fact an extremely rare pairing in the fandom, the fic also sparked a great love for the fandom. It shows the humor, loyalty, battle scenes, passion, friendship, adventure and obsession that characterise the Naruto fandom. If you've never read Naruto fic before, please step into my parlor and get ready to get hooked! (And don't miss the great sequel [LJ/Mediaminer]!)

Fanwork Links: Diplomatic Relations @ LJ, Diplomatic Relations @ Mediminer

hokuton_punch

Fanwork Type(s): Fic
Fandoms: Naruto
Characters/Pairings: Kakashi/Gai, Kakashi/Yamato
Creator Links:

forgetme
Theme: creator recs

Reccer's Notes:
Forgetme writes one of my favorite smaller pairings in this fandom with grace, humor, and gorgeous heartbreak. Beautiful prose, great characterization - there's nothing not to love!

Favorite Fanworks:
Atë - a devastating but beautifully written fic.

Phoenix - and on the less devastating side of things, a sweeter piece about Kakashi and Gai dealing with the aftermath of Kakashi's death and resurrection during the Pain arc.

Current Mood: excited

chibifukurou

Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Pairings: Deidara/Sasori
Rating: Nc-17
Length: 89,734
Author Links:

kantayra
Theme: Competence

Summary: Sasori had planned his death and his miraculous resurrection into a human body. What he hadn’t planned was how his brand new flesh and blood would affect him once he reunited with his old partner.

Reccer's Notes: This fic does an awesome job of making it clear that Deidara and Sasori are the bad guys, while still letting them kick ass and have amazingly convoluted and effective plans.

Story Links: Flesh and Blood

weisquared

Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Pairings: Hinata, Hanabi, Neji/Hinata
Rating: PG-13
Length: ~6,500
Author Links:

riko
Theme: Family

Summary: Hyuuga Hinata has never understood her sister.

Reccer's Notes: This story is told from Hinata's perspective and looks at the sisterly relationship between Hinata and Hanabi. It's a rather strained relationship, despite Hinata's desire to repair it. While Prison Keys by edenfalling is not necessary to read first in order to understand this story, it's also well worth reading and looks at the relationship from Hanabi's perspective.

Story Links: Prison Keys (And of Course There Is No Key Remix)

weisquared

Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Pairings: Hanabi, Ko, Neji/Hinata
Rating: G
Length: 11,377
Author Links:

hungrytiger |

hungrytiger11 |

hungrytiger11
Theme: Family

Summary: Hanabi is ten when she decides she will never marry. Hyuuga-centric, some Neji/Hina

Reccer's Notes: This story focuses on the dynamics of the Hyuuga Clan, as told from the perspective of Hanabi. It especially looks at the sisterly relation between Hanabi and Hinata, and to a lesser extent, the one between Hanabi and her first cousin (Neji) and more distant cousin (Ko). Unlike some others on this theme, the sisterly relation is one that is genial, yet somewhat distant. The story also examines romantic love in a thoughtful, non-idealistic way. While the story is marks as part of a larger series, it can stand on its own (though the other stories are quite good too).

Story Links: The Space Between Us

masu_trout

Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Pairings: Some Minato/Kushina, but otherwise gen.
Rating: T
Length: 260,000 words
Author Links: Quill of Molliemon
Theme: Mythical Creatures (Werewolves, demons, and fox spirits), Novel-Length Fic, Complete AU

Summary: AU, no bijuu, follows "Fox Moon". Naruto has secrets and Sasuke wants to please his father. Oh, and there's Orochimaru, plotting Kitsune, unfortunate werewolves, assorted demons, mysterious elders, simmering tensions, attempted murder, unhappy mothers...

Reccer's Notes: This is a really fun AU, with the shinobi nations as demon hunters instead of ninja. Naruto is in training to become a demon hunter, which is complicated by the fact that he's a demon himself.

Story Links: Will of Foxfire

masu_trout

Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Pairings: Gen
Rating: M
Length: 20,000 words
Author Links: Gleam
Theme: Mythical Creatures: Eldritch Abominations/Lovecraftian Monsters

Summary: The Ninetails cannot be contained. But it will take a human sacrifice, all the same.

Reccer's Notes: First off, this story is dark. It has lots of body horror, gore, and character death. That said, it's also absolutely amazing if you're in the mood for something creepy; the author has a perfect sense of mood and how to write horror. I've read this fic many, many times, and each time I read I promise myself I never will again. (And then somehow I do.)

Story Links: He Had No Fingers

darlingfox

Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Pairings: Maito Gai (Might Guy)/Umino Iruka
Rating: Explicit
Length: ~15,400 words
Author Links:

thehoyden
Theme: Minor Characters

Summary: It said something about Gai that Iruka was actually unsure whether that was a line.

Reccer's Notes: I have no idea where the author got the idea for this fic and the pairing, but I'm really glad that they did! This is a sort of a 'what if' story: what if Iruka had chosen to take care of little Naruto? They meet Gai and little Lee, that's what happens, and the adults bond over the children, falling in love slowly and in character. I especially liked how Gai wasn't a caricature of himself: there's a solid adult seriousness under the green spandex and Springtime of Youth.

Story Links: A Thoughtful, Moving Exploration of Passionate Youth

illereyn

Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Pairings: Kakashi/Iruka
Rating: PG-13
Length: 9 042 words
Author Links: Livejournal
Theme: Minor Characters

Summary: When Iruka is hunted by a close friend, he survives.

Reccer's Notes: This is a well-written, fast-paced, evocative story that sheds light on the grim, gritty reality of being a ninja, even if you're a minor schoolteacher. Violent and action-packed, with a twist towards the end, it takes Naruto canon and elucidates the complexities of the ninja world.

As the lovely Faineant writes:

"The author wrote one of the best action scenes I’ve seen in fanfic in ages. Her characterization of Iruka is one of the best in ages - yes he’s a kind and caring teacher, but he’s a ninja teacher. With all the ruthlessness and capability that implies. Too many people concentrate on Iruka protesting the decision to test the rookies for chuunin less than a year after they became genin, and forget just how many kids he’s raised to be genin, knowing that they’ll be risking their lives. But, um, this fic isn’t about that. It’s about Iruka’s abilities as a ninja, and it also does a wonderful, wonderful job of capturing the complexities of being a ninja, and having a relationship with ninjas."

Hunter's Moon has a sequel/sidestory Hunter's Moon, End Mission, and has been turned into a doujinshi by Lei-sam on Deviantart.

Story Links:
Hunter's Moon
Hunter's Moon, End Mission
Hunter's Moon Doujinshi by Lei-sam

illereyn

Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Pairings: Umino Iruka and others
Rating: Teens
Length: Stories range from 1 000 to 10 000 words
Author Links: Fanfiction.net
Theme: Minor characters

Summary: You see us every day: the paperwork ninja, who sit behind a desk and push papers around. You may pity us, or hold us in contempt, or ignore us. But you do not know us.

The Paperwork Ninja survive a typical Wednesday. Which are better than Tuesdays. Best not to ask about Tuesdays.

Reccer's Notes: This is a series that is ALL about the True Face of Minor Characters (tm) in the Naruto fandom. A roaring, romping ride guaranteed to make you laugh! Warning: cracky but highly addictive

Features various pairings of minor characters, and nods to various tropes that have built up in the Naruto fandom.

Sadly, the last story in this series is incomplete, and the series is destined never to be finished, but the other stories can be read more-or-less as stand-alones. Highly enjoyable all the same!

Story Links:
PN: True Confessions of a Paperwork Ninja
Paperwork Ninja Memories
Paperwork Ninja: A Day in the Life
Paperwork ninja's revenge: Carbon Copy Ninja [ABANDONED]

illereyn

Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Pairings: Kakashi/Iruka
Rating: M
Length: 52 767
Author Links: Fanfiction.net
Theme: Minor Characters, mythical creatures, kidfic (has kids), established relationship

Summary: Written for a prompt at the LJ kakairu kink meme: "...Iruka's name had to mean that his ancestry wasn't purely Konoha. Mist country tried to kill off the families with demon blood but what if some were missed/escaped?" WARNINGS FOR MPREG.

Reccer's Notes: Don't let the author's summary put you off: this is a lovely, heartwarming story about an unexpected pregnancy bringing two people closer together, despite pressures both internal and external. Though technically an AU (because of the treatment of Sasuke), this fic could conceivably slip unnoticed between Naruto canon. Nice cameos from more well-known Naruto characters too.

Megyal is a great writer; I'd recommend you check out her other stories too!

Story Link: Fanfiction.net

inner_v0ice

Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Pairings: Kakashi/Iruka
Rating: Explicit
Length: 8679 words
Author Links:

thehoyden,

thehoyden
Theme: Pretend Couple

Summary: He was a chuunin academy teacher, not a courtier trained in statecraft and diplomacy.

Reccer's Notes: I absolutely love the levels of pretending going on here. They're not just pretending to be a couple, they're pretending to be a nobleman and his bodyguard having an affair, and being all competent into the bargain. I only wish there were more!

(Side-note: this was written before the Raikage appeared in canon, so the Raikage here is an OC.)

Story Links:
Opening the Roads

inner_v0ice

Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Pairings: Kakashi/Anko, Obito/Rin, Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke
Rating: T
Length: 114,507 words
Author Links: Sarah1281 on FF.n
Theme: Time Travel, Fork-in-the-Road AU

Summary: After receiving a time travel jutsu as payment for a mission, the original four members of Team 7 each get a chance to go back to one event in their life and change it. Surely they will use such an awesome power responsibly...right? Don't count on it.

Reccer's Notes:

[No, you are not seeing double; this fic is indeed a coincidental duplicate rec of the one right below it, posted with mod permission. XD]

This fic is a laugh-out-loud-funny time travel story that nevertheless avoids the temptation of dissolving into crack for crack's sake. Aside from the running jokes, fantastic banter, and Team 7's tendency to outright troll the new timeline (for a good cause, of course!), the story keeps moving forward as well, taking us on a satisfying ride through Team 7's second chance.

Story Links:
It's For a Good Cause, I Swear!

masu_trout

Fandom: Naruto
Characters/Pairings: Mainly Team Seven gen, minor Kakashi/Anko and Obito/Rin.
Rating: T
Length: 114,507
Author Links: Sarah1281
Theme: Time Travel, Kidfic, Female Characters, Rare Pairings

Summary: After receiving a time travel jutsu as payment for a mission, the original four members of Team 7 each get a chance to go back to one event in their life and change it. Surely they will use such an awesome power responsibly...right? Don't count on it.

Reccer's Notes: This fic is my favorite take on all those dramatic "hero goes back in time to save the world fics." In this, (the original) Team Seven goes back in time... well, to have fun, pretty much. And make life a whole lot more chaotic for everyone else.

It's for a Good Cause, I Swear!

inner_v0ice

Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: none
Length: 19,942 words
Author Links:

oroburos69
Theme: Fork-in-the-Road AU, female characters

Summary:
The Wave Mission is a failure. Team Seven is captured. Sasuke is gone. Kakashi is next.
Sakura has no choice but to be a hero.

Reccer's Notes:
I love how Sakura is written in this fic. She's been through hell, she's gone feral and not entirely sane, but at the same time she's resilient and keeping it together and keeping going and ultimately okay. And I love the fact that Oroburos69 so solidly bases this fic's badass-Sakura on the strengths that Sakura was established to have at this early point in her career, before training under Tsunade: intelligence, a knack for genjutsu, and shitloads of repressed aggression under her little pink exterior. It really establishes the fork-in-the-road's temporal location at the Wave mission.

Story Links:
Freedom in the Eyes of Another @AO3

masu_trout

Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Gen
Length: ~60,000 words
Author Links: Kyogre
Theme: Divergent AU, Novel Length

Summary: Naruto of Sunagakure graduates to genin. Unfortunately, no one except Naruto believes he'll last long – especially not with a teammate like Sabaku no Gaara.

Reccer's Notes: What if Naruto were a shinobi of Sunagakure instead of Konohagakure? This is a fantastic friendship fic, focusing on the relationship between Naruto and the unstable, lonely Gaara. The character voices are excellent, and I love the mix of character-driven scenes and action.

Story Links: New Wind Nation

masu_trout

Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Gen
Length: ~70,000 words
Author Links: Orrunan
Theme: Divergent AU, Novel-Length Fic

Summary: Naruto makes a good shinobi, but a lousy weapon. Danzo has finally managed to connive Naruto into Root, or so he believes. Naruto, who will now be within reach of his emotionally inept, traumatized, fanatical devotees. What on earth was he thinking?

Reccer's Notes: The question behind this story is "What if Danzou managed to recruit Naruto into Root?" The answer is, well, exactly what you'd expect from Konoha's Number One Most Inspiring Ninja- basically, friendship, adventures, and a whole lot of headaches for everyone involved.

I love this story because it's really about Naruto- his ability to change people and inspire faith- and because it takes a premise that could easily lead into cheap angst and instead makes it everything but.

Story Links: Uprooted

branchandroot

Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: None
Length: ~70,000
Author Links:

edenfalling, Elizabeth Culmer on ff.n
Theme: Kidfic (as kids), Female Characters, Novel-length

Summary: Ayakawa Yukiko retired from being a ninja, and she's come to terms with that. Then the Third Hokage summons her for an assignment that will change her life. AU story, set six years pre-manga. Social ostracism and discussion thereof.

Reccer's Notes: This is a What-If AU: what if Naruto had been placed with a foster guardian who didn't blame him and who he actually bonded with? The story is absolutely adorable despite the angst of the basic circumstances, and focuses on how these two characters make a family more or less out of sheer stubbornness. There's a wip that follows it, that brings Sasuke into the family, also.

Story Links: DW | FF.N

evanelric

Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: ultimately Kakashi/Iruka/Yamato
Length: cumulatively, 39,656
Author Links:

tucuxi,

tucuxi
Theme: Kidfic (as kids and with kids), Genderfuck, Female Characters, Polyamory

Summary: This all grew out of a prompt on the LJ KakaIru Kink Meme, where someone asked for serious genderbent fic.

And then it ate my brain.

Reccer's Notes: This started as a thing on the kmeme where someone wanted a serious look at what it would be like if Kakashi and Iruka had been born girls, because gender/sex in Naruto is a serious hot mess, and then grew into a formidable series of drabbles and ficlets. tucuxi does a really good job staying true to the characters and making the world seem true to canon, although about a billion times more coherent and cohesive. We start with Kakashi and Iruka as children, and follow them until they are adults and the village demands that Kakashi carry on her family line because she's too good a ninja not to. Love love love this and basically everything tucuxi writes.

Story Links: on ao3 and all but the last three parts are also on lj

qem_chibati

Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Kakashi/OC
Length: 1004
Author Links: Chevira_Lowe
Theme: kidfic

Summary:
The life of a child should be simplicity incarnate, but the life of a ninja is anything but. (Kakashi-centric, pre-Gaiden, hints of child abuse)
Rated: Fiction T - English - Angst

Reccer's Notes: This fic, has such a strong emotional punch, with the perils of being a ninja and some of the terrible missions that, even kids, are put through out of necessity. Definitely not fluff, but focuses very much on Kakashi as a child.

Story Links: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2281607/1/Like_a_Light

illereyn

Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Length: ~19, 000 words
Author Links: LJ or Ff.net
Theme: Kidfic: De-aged, Amnesia
Summary: One moment ten-year-old Umino Iruka is pulling his most daring prank, and the next he's in the middle of a bloody battlefield. What is going on, and who is this strange masked boy with him?
Reccer's Notes: This is a funny, heart-warming story of Kakshi and Iruka as kids, working together to work out what happened and get safely back home.
Story Links: LJ or Ff.net

annotated_em

Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka; Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto; Haruno Sakura/Hyuuga Hinata; Hyuuga Hinata/Hyuuga Neji
Length: 166,861 words (total)
Author Links:

branchandroot;

branch; Ink Burns
Theme: Novel-length Fic (plus bonus attention to Female Characters and Polyamory)

Summary: "This arc is an AU of canon, in which Kakashi dealt with Sasuke differently after the first fight with Itachi and Sasuke never left Konoha. Changes spiral off from that point."

Reccer's Notes: This arc of stories is based around one deliciously long story, "It's Just That Any One of Us Is Half Without Another One Is You," focused on Team Seven. This novel-length fic and its several side stories diverge from the Naruto canon just before the manga shifts gears: Sasuke makes different choices, Sakura is a certified badass, and Naruto takes an alternate route in dealing with Nine-Tails. The arc emphasizes the theme of teamwork that was so important before the manga timeskip and addresses some of more frustrating aspects of the post-timeskip plot. If you like team-focused stories, stories where female characters come into their own, and careful political maneuvering, this story might just be for you!

Story Links: AO3 | Ink Burns | Dreamwidth

qem_chibati

Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Gen
Length: 74,540
Author Links:

Missed Nin
Theme: Novel Length Fics

Summary:

In which Nara Shikamaru is the host of the demon fox Kyuubi. Until Gaara of the Desert arrives in Konoha for the Chuunin examinations, this doesn't disrupt his peaceful, passive life too much. But now: fights, plots, secrets, lies, demons, ninja! How troublesome...

Reccer's Notes: There's something delightful about the irony of having the most troublesome thing of all being inflicted in Shikamaru's life. XD

I really liked the way that this story developed showing alternate pathways for the characters and developing them in interesting ways with this massive change in dynamic. I also liked the way Shikamaru's family remains a part of the picture.

Story Links:
Indifference

Current Mood: calm

boundbooks

Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Gen
Length: 472 words
Author Links:

redbrunja /

redbrunja
Theme: Female Characters

Summary: "Tsunade learned all her best jutsus on the battlefield." Tsunade and her daughters.

Reccer's Notes: I love how this fic is about Tsunade's self-created family, and how she's building her legacy in the women she trains. I also love how this fic explores the idea that what's worked for Tsunade has not always worked for Shizune and Sakura, but how they're tied into Tsunade's life all the same. Truthfully, it's a love bit of exploration about the relationships Tsunade has with her all-but-in-name daughters.

Story Links: Daughters on LJ

tucuxi

Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Length: ~38,000 words
Author Links: Livejournal or Archive of Our Own
Theme: Soulbonding
Summary: Kakashi and Iruka are bonded together, entirely against their wishes. While Iruka begins to deal with it, Kakashi still has... doubts.

Reccer's Notes: Megyal does a fabulous job with characterization, and the shifting pov from Kakashi to Iruka allows for a really good internal dialogue for each character, so you can really see if as they start to gravitate towards each other for more reasons than just the soulbond. Bonus is that you don't really need to know much about Naruto canon to read it - it stands on its own two feet very well.

Story Links: Read The Bijozakura Seal on livejournal
Read The Bijozakura Seal on Archive of Our Own

branchandroot

Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: None
Length: 1600
Author Links:

edenfalling

edenfalling
Theme: Science Fiction
Summary: Uchiha Sasuke joined the Confederated Space Force to hunt pirates, keep order, and prevent tragedies like the one that claimed his entire clan. But military life wasn't quite what he was expecting, and then everything went sideways when he found himself a prisoner on the colony rebel ship the Seven Leaves.

Reccer's Notes: This is a comment-fic and still brilliant. How do you take ninjas and translate them into pirates and still manage to do a slew of nifty technological and political worldbuilding in the background? This is how! Also: ninja pirates in space. What could be better?

Story Links: on LJ

susanna

Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Sasuke/Karin
Length: short-story (less than 10 000 words - estimate)
Author Links: Profile page at AFF.net
Theme: rare pairings
Summary: From Karins POV, written for the “realistic smut challenge”, a gap-filler where Sasuke just has arrived at Orochimaru's lair and catches the eyes of a horny lab technician. M/F

Reccer's Notes: The story is mainly "porn without plot", but the sex scene is very realistic compared to the "perfect dream sex" I have read in a lot of other fanfics.
Rating: X - from eighteen. (It's at AFF.net, so you should not enter there anyway if you are not eighteen.)

Story Links: Pretty Boy at AFF.net

sylvaine

Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Suigetsu/Sasuke
Length: 1869
Author Links:

desfinado
Theme: Rare Pairings
Summary: Today, when Sasuke wades into the river to bathe, he knows he's not alone.

Reccer's Notes: So it turns out one if my favourite authors also used to write Naruto fanfic. And it's absolutely brilliant - Suigetsu is never mentioned by name, never even turns up in human form, but it's still <em>scorching</em> hot.

Story Links: Surge

neqs

Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Gaara/Lee
Length: approx. 240,000 words (according to Mediaminer - def. +80k)
Author Links:

maldoror_gw on Mediaminer
Theme: Rare Pairings
Summary: Rock Lee: Diplomatic Envoy to Sunagakure. There are so many ways that could go wrong. But Lee is determined to succeed! And to befriend the feared Kazekage too, while he's at it. Good thing Lee loves a challenge...

Reccer's Notes: This fic was my first introduction to the Naruto fandom. Imagine my immense surprise and disappointment when I found out afterwards that this is in fact an extremely rare pairing and that there is in fact very little fic about either of these characters. They are marginalized in fandom - Lee for his comedic characterization, Gaara perhaps for his apparent lack of human emotions. And yet, or maybe because of that, they really, really fit together. Diplomatic Relations has plenty of humorous moments (especially the side stories and the first few chapters) but there's plenty of action, growth, vivid imagery, and scorching hotness. The sequel is different in tone and POV, but it's just as amazing and unmissable.

Story Links:
Diplomatic Relations on LJ or at Mediaminer
Also not to be missed: the sequel, Kindred on LJ or at Mediaminer

tani

Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Hinata/Kankuro
Length: 288,000 words
Author Links: kaotic312
Theme: marriage
Summary: Hinata, Hanabi, and Neji are desperate to marry off Hiashi so he'll stop mucking around in their lives. In the meantime, trouble is brewing for Hinata and life will never be the same.

Reccer's Notes: I went into this one with a lot of doubts, but this story really surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. The author does a wonderful job of keeping things fun and interesting and of developing the relationships in a way that makes you really root for the couples, no matter how strange they may seem at first glance. As you may notice, the story is long, but that just makes it perfect for losing a couple days in. And while Hinata/Kankuro is the main pairing, lots of other pairings spring up throughout the story, each with its own quirks and storyline.

If you're a fan of stories with lots of characters and lots of relationships, like I am, then this story might be just up your alley.

Story Links: Marry My Father Please?

tani

Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Kakashi/SexyJutsu!Naruto
Length: about 4,000 words
Author Links:

permetaform
Theme: Genderfuck
Summary: Wherein Naruto has a scheme to remove Kakashi's mask, and Kakashi plays a game of gay chicken (he cheats).

Reccer's Notes: I started this skeptically, but was really blown away. The premise is that is order to get under Kakashi's mask, Naruto uses sexy no jutsu and disguises himself as a call-girl. Given that his target is Kakashi, you can probably imagine that this doesn't go quite the way that Naruto probably expected. Even though the premise is a little silly, I loved the way that Kakashi and Naruto are characterized. This story is actually what convinced me of the possibility of these two as a pairing.

Story Links: Better Than Perfect

anenko

Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Umino Iruka, Hatake Kakashi (currently gen)
Length: Varies (18,066 words total)
Author Links:

tucuxi,

tucuxi
Theme: genderfuck
Summary: Yes, really. Prompted by a post on the kink meme asking for a thoughtful consideration of how things might have gone differently if Kakashi and Iruka were female.

Reccer's Notes: Please note, this is an incomplete series of standalone stories. (I checked with a mod before posting this rec).

I really love what tucuxi does with Kakashi and Iruka in this series. Gender in in the Naruto-verse is fascinating, but isn't something that's explored in canon. Tucuxi follows the characters from childhood into adulthood, showing what would have changed had Kakashi and Iruka been born female. The earlier stories follow canon, while the latest story, "An unusual alternative," branches off into new territory.

The series is primarily gen, although there is some Iruka/OMC in one fic. Future romantic developments remain to be seen.

Story Links: Through the looking-glass: Naruto genderswap!AU (AO3) or Through the looking-glass: Naruto genderswap!AU (LJ)

anenko

Fandom: Naruto
Pairing: Hatake Kakashi/Umino Iruka
Length: 9,812
Author Links:

slashhack, FF.net
Theme: Superpowers
Summary: Iruka has a clean little secret that involves a lot of spandex. Kakashi is intrigued, Tsunade is nosy, Jiraiya is inspired. Guy is Guy.

Reccer's Notes: Oh, do I ever love this story! It's a tremendous amount of fun, funny and sweet in turns. Iruka has a secret identity as the masked crime fighter. . . Ultramarine! Kakashi is both amused and intrigued. I remained thrilled throughout.

Story Links: We Can Be Heroes

There's also a short sequel, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, which focuses more on the romance and less on the superheroics.