Naruto should have known that, being who she is, she'd have an ANBU guard watching her. It explains everything regarding Hound's actions on the day she first met him. Everything else that came after—she has no fucking clue, because this shouldn't be happening. It shouldn't…but it is, because Hound has decided that she can't be trusted to take care of herself. And really, she can't.
But it still doesn't make her feel any better, with how she keeps seeing Kakashi's face behind that mask. Denial has its limits and she has long since reached them. She still tries, because giving up is an option she'll only consider once she has exhausted herself.
It takes Naruto a full seven days to realize that Hound isn't going to leave her alone. Seven days in which Hound has made her breakfast, lunch, and dinner. He refuses to let her eat any instant ramen, her cupboard now empty of any packages containing such. He also refuses to let her to skip out on any meals, as she had done previously due to her forgetful nature.
With a refrigerator full of recently bought groceries and a brand new rice cooker taking up a spot next to the portable stove, Naruto is at a complete loss for words when she tries to make something out of her situation. She hasn't spoken much since her first encounter with Hound. He doesn't speak much, either…but he still says something from time to time.
"Did you sleep well?" he begins to ask her each morning when he wakes her. No longer is Naruto allowed to sleep in. She is immensely annoyed, giving Hound the harshest glare she can manage while in such a drowsy state. She's not even sure she's looking right at him, because her vision is so blurry. And, for a brief moment, she swears she can hear Hound chuckling before he ruffles her hair.
It's so unreal, Naruto thinks. But then she realizes just how normal her situation has become once enough days have passed for everything to fall into routine (and for her to stop freaking out when she sees Hound's mask first thing every morning). Almost a month has passed since the day Hound had decided that he wasn't going to leave her alone—like ever. He is never too far out of sight, even on days when Naruto leaves her apartment.
It isn't the best decision he's made in quite a while, but Kakashi feels that it is the best he can do to help Naruto adjust to his presence. She's much safer in his presence, after all. So the Sandaime shouldn't have any reason to complain. Or so Maneki Neko has told him. She knows quite a lot about these things—she knows because she often makes use of the loopholes she can find.
It is something that Kakashi has picked up from her. It's not bad, he thinks as he helps Naruto take her clothes to the nearest laundromat. It certainly isn't bad, he later adds when he places a hand on Naruto's shoulder in his attempts to reassure her when he sees her stiffen. They aren't alone in the laundromat—there are other people doing their laundry.
For the most part, no one pays much attention to Naruto. They are too busy tending to their own business. That's how things usually are—it certainly feels that way for Kakashi, since this is part of his life during his days off. It should be the same for Naruto, but she is still so hesitant to be around others—namely, adults.
Kakashi notices how cautious Naruto is whenever she leaves his side for a few minutes. She is almost clingy…but then they leave the laundromat and almost immediately, Naruto returns to her usually distant self. She says nothing when he asks her about it and Kakashi decides that maybe it's too soon for him to pry too much into her life. He still has a ways to go, after all.
For now, this is fine. They're getting somewhere. They are certainly doing much better than they did when the two first began to interact. Naruto is finally breaking out of her nasty sleeping habits.
With a smile on his face that is hidden behind his mask, Kakashi takes a moment to ruffle Naruto's hair. She lets out an annoyed whine that almost makes him laugh.
Baby steps…
…
…
It's another day into a new month and Naruto is happily munching on the fried rice Hound has made her for lunch.
"You haven't been outside in a while," he says one day out of the blue.
Naruto is in the middle of eating the fried rice Hound has made her for lunch. She looks at him as she chews her food. Has it really been that long since she went outside?
Didn't I go to the bathhouse to take a bath?
Naruto certainly remembers doing that…a few days ago. Which is exactly how long it has been since she last went outside.
Huh, I guess he's right…
"Why don't you take a short walk today?" Hound suggests.
Naruto mulls over Hound's suggestion as she continues to chew. After a few seconds, she swallows and gives her response, "I bet that'll take twenty years off my life."
Sarcasm is the last thing Hound expects, but it is not exactly unwelcomed. Naruto is talking to him—rather comfortably at that—and she didn't exactly reject his suggestion.
"Progress," Hound certainly thinks.
Naruto leaves as soon as she is finished with her lunch. Hound is not at all worried when he watches her leave out the door. Maneki Neko is on the job, after all. Which gives him enough free time to do some cleaning now that Naruto is out and about. He starts off by grabbing Naruto's empty plate off the table and walking over to the kitchen sink to wash some dishes.
There aren't that many dishes to begin with, but Hound prefers to keep everything clean. Maybe one day he'll start urging Naruto to help out. Just not today, since he managed to convince Naruto to go take a short walk. It isn't much, but he knows from experience that it's a goddamn start.
…
…
Less than fifteen minutes have passed when Naruto returns home. She is greeted by the sight of Hound when she opens the door to her apartment. She doesn't say much when she closes the door behind her.
"Oh! That was re—" Hound never has a chance to finish his sentence because Naruto decides at that very moment to suddenly say, "The bet."
She says it all too seriously, as if she just had a realization. It raises a few questions that Hound wants to ask as he stares at Naruto. She looks over her shoulder at him, with a look on her face that makes her appear much older than she is.
"I've won…but at what cost?" Naruto was never one for being dramatic, but today, she feels that she is justified. She might have confused the hell out of Hound, but at the very least, she could make the most out of her situation. It's not every day that she can make jokes about her reincarnation so casually without even thinking about it. Her only lament is that, to anyone else but her, the joke won't make any sense.
Whatever…
Naruto isn't too disappointed…though she is slightly chilly. Well, that's her fault for leaving without her jacket. At the very least, she is wearing leggings with her shorts, so it wasn't as cold as it could have been for her when she was outside. Still… "Meh, I'm going to bed."
"Isn't it a little early for bed?" Hound doesn't even need to look at the clock to know that it is too damn early for Naruto to go to bed.
"I'm not going to sleep, I'm just cold." Although, Naruto can't guarantee that she won't fall asleep. It depends on how comfortable she gets. But otherwise, she just wants an excuse to stay under the covers and do nothing. "It's not as if I have anything better to do."
"Is that so?" Hound stares at Naruto for a moment before nodding his head. "Hey, have you taken a bath recently?"
Naruto feels her face heat up as she tries to avoid making any sort of eye contact with Hound. She doesn't feel like answering Hound's question. Partially because she's embarrassed to admit the truth and partially because she feels that it's none of his damn business.
"Ah, so you haven't." Not that it really matters, because Hound knows. He fucking knows. "Well, then…"
"Huh?" It happened far too quickly for Naruto to even react, that it takes her a couple of seconds to process what had just happened. She blinks a few times, a small bead of sweat rolling down the side of her face when she notices that Hound's mask is mere centimeters away from her face. "C-Close!"
"We should probably fix that!" Hound's tone is disturbingly cheery as he gives Naruto's nose a light tap.
"Hmm…" Naruto makes a face, wanting nothing more than to tell Hound to screw off. And she would have, were it not for the fact that Hound currently has her dangling in the air by the back of her shirt.
"Maa, maa, don't make such a face—it's just a bath!" Hound gives Naruto's nose another light tap. "Now let's get going…"
In all honesty, Naruto feels as though she should have expected what would happen next. Too bad she didn't, because for a moment, she forgot that shinobi had various techniques to get them places. One such technique is the Shunshin no Jutsu, or the Body Flicker Technique. It just so happens to be the technique Hound used to take Naruto to the hot springs district.
Naruto can certainly see the convenience behind the technique for mundane uses. At the same time, she feels like throwing up from how unpleasant that felt. She collapses to the ground when Hound finally puts her down.
"You'll get used to it," Hound reassures her.
Naruto huffs a laugh. How funny…Hound speaks as though there will be a next time— "Wait…"
It takes every fiber of her being to keep herself from slapping herself. Of course there will be a next time—Hound will ensure that in some way or form.
"It might take a while, but don't let it keep you from using this technique in the future." There is also that. "It is quite useful."
"Good to know that the shinobi life is in my future…" Naruto isn't even surprised. She expected it—she just doesn't know when. "Whatever…"
…
…
An elderly woman with faded blue hair greets Hound and Naruto when they enter the bathhouse. Her name is Izumi and she is the attendant who runs the bathhouse. "Just the two of you…?"
"Just this one." Hound gestures at Naruto. "Go on—get cleaned."
Naruto sputters when Hound gives her a light shove towards the women's side of the bathhouse. She is uncomfortable with this, because she's not sure if it's empty. She doesn't want people to stare at her, because they do—as if they're waiting for her to act up. She wants to protest and she tries—but her mouth shuts itself when she sees that white mask staring at her.
"F-Fine…" Naruto finally says. She decides that the faster she gets it done, the faster she can get back home. She doesn't have much of a choice with Hound around, anyways…
…
…
Kakashi pays Izumi for Naruto's entrance and then disappears as quickly as he had appeared. Izumi thinks nothing of the sight, finding it common after years of service to many of the shinobi who live in this village. The mask is certainly an interesting sight, but she leaves it at that. Instead, she goes directly back to work.
"How can I help you?" Izumi reacts quickly when an eleven-year-old boy with dark, spiky hair appears in front of her. He appears in a similar manner as the masked man before him, the two of them most likely making use of the same technique.
"I know this is weird, but have you seen a girl with red hair?" Distinctive onyx black eyes denote that the boy is from the Uchiha clan. He wears the typical high-collared attire that they're known to wear.
Izumi wouldn't be surprised to see a symbol of a fan on the back of his shirt if he were to turn around. She takes his question into consideration and decides to make the most out of it, since she knows this boy in particular. "That depends if you're here as a customer."
"Izumi~!" he whines.
…
…
Kakashi takes a moment to observe his surroundings. He needs to ensure that he has some privacy so he can summon one of his ninken. He picks Pakkun, for various reasons regarding his small size, speed, and keen sense of smell. It only takes a couple of seconds to summon the brown pug.
"I need you to keep an eye on Naruto while I'm gone," Kakashi informs Pakkun. It will take a while for Maneki Neko to locate Naruto, since he disappeared with her all too suddenly. He…might be hearing a few complaints from her when night falls and he joins her side. "You can do that, right?"
Pakkun scowls. "What makes you think I can't?"
"Excellent!" It amuses Kakashi with how prideful Pakkun can be. It makes his job all the more easier when he's giving the pug a task. "Don't hesitate to come to me if anything goes wrong. And keep an eye out for Maneki Neko—she's on her way."
Pakkun doesn't even bother to respond when Kakashi leaves. He knows he walked right into that one, so he might as well do as he's told (at the very least, he was given a heads-up about Maneki Neko). It shouldn't be that difficult of a task, anyways…
He sniffs the air a few times and then starts walking towards a particular scent. He notices a change in the scent, in that it doesn't smell completely of instant ramen this time around. It's still there, but it's more than just that now.
"Just what have you been doing, Kakashi?" Pakkun can only wonder.
…
"Are you waiting for someone?" Pakkun doesn't bother staying out of sight and, as a result, it doesn't take long for the bathhouse attendant, Izumi, to spot him. "I'm sure they'll be out soon."
Pakkun says nothing and just continues waiting. He has a job to do, after all. Distractions are the last thing he needs…or so he initially thinks, before the scent of dried meat catches his attention. It is at that moment when a strip of dried meat is dropped at his feet, courtesy of Izumi, who smiles warmly at him.
"You work hard, yes?" Izumi taps at her forehead, as if referring to the hitai-ate Pakkun wears on his head. "Hard workers deserve to be rewarded."
Pakkun snorts, but says nothing. He appreciates the thought and decides that it would be too distracting to leave the dried meat as is. And it's not as if he can't continue his job while he's eating…
The dried meat provides Pakkun with a pleasant distraction to pass the time as he waits for Naruto to finish bathing. He is placid enough to not mind the children that take a moment to pat his head as they either leave or enter the bathhouse alongside their parents. And he is more than content when he finally finishes eating the strip of dried meat. He sighs in satisfaction and notices that it's just in time, because Naruto has left the women's side of the bathhouse.
Pakkun takes in her new scent, noticing how much cleaner she smells. It's certainly better than smelling of instant ramen. He takes a moment to stretch when he stands up, not really caring much when Naruto's eyes are focused on him. He was told to watch her, not stay out of sight.
Although, the distress on Naruto's face makes Pakkun think twice. "Is she afraid of dogs?"
It takes Pakkun a few seconds to realize that Naruto's distress had a different cause, just after an eleven-year-old boy appears in front of her. The boy stands at a height much taller than Naruto, with dark hair that's nowhere near spiky as hers. He has made use of the Shunshin no Jutsu, which makes him anything but a typical civilian. And the symbol of a fan emblazoned on the back of the boy's shirt further proves that.
"An Uchiha…" Pakkun has no idea what an Uchiha would want with Naruto, although…he can't help but find something familiar about this Uchiha in particular. "Why is that?"
"You—you're coming with me!" the young Uchiha loudly exclaims as he lifts Naruto off the ground without any warning. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"
"Wh-Wha?!" Naruto is absolutely confused. Of all the things to happen now—this isn't one she had expected.
"I had to take a bath because of you!" The young Uchiha is purposely oblivious to all that is going on around him. He has found who he has been looking for—that's all that matters to him. He knows he has the right person, too, with her whiskered cheeks and distinctive red hair. "See ya around, Izumi!"
"Wait, let me—" Naruto is cut off by the sudden disappearance of her and the Uchiha.
Pakkun starts growling when he realizes what had happened. "Dammit!"
Kakashi is certainly going to be cross with him…
"Ahh, I'm sorry—I didn't think Shisui-kun would do something like this!" Izumi catches Pakkun by surprise with her comment. "Sorry, sorry!"
"Shisui…" Pakkun stops growling. He knows that name, but where— "His brother!"
Has it been that long since he's last seen Shisui? Pakkun is surprised with how much the boy has grown…but now is not the time for him to be reminiscing. Kakashi needs to know now of what just happened.
"Son of a bitch—I just found you two!" Ahh, it seems Maneki Neko has arrived…rather late at that.
"You're late!" Pakkun almost snarls.
"Tell Inushi to give me a heads up next time—do you have any idea how many bathhouses are in this village?!" Maneki Neko is practically seething with rage. She gives absolutely no fucks about her composure in front of others. Professionalism be damned, she's mad. "I have limits with my shadow clones, dammit!"
"I'll let you touch my paw pads if you—" Pakkun almost yelps when Maneki Neko suddenly sweeps him into her arms.
"No take-backsies!" Maneki Neko is far too happy for Pakkun's comfort, but at the very least, she's managed to calm down. "Sorry about the outburst, Izumi!"
Izumi only nods her head and smiles. She does not mind the disturbance at all. She rather welcomes it, since it gives her a break from boredom. She only hopes that Shisui doesn't suffer in any shape or form from his abrupt actions.
…
…
This time, Naruto does throw up after being subjected to a second helping of the Shunshin no Jutsu. The acid burns her throat and stomach most unpleasantly and it is thanks to the boy's quick reflexes that prevent him from getting covered in the half-digested remains of what was once fried rice.
"Eeeugh…" The boy's face contorts into one of disgust. He sticks his tongue out as he holds Naruto as far away as possible from himself. He's somewhat wary of her, in case she manages to throw up again. "Okay, that's definitely my bad…"
"No shit…" Naruto wipes her mouth on the back of her hand. Everything feels so uncomfortable. She is far from home in a location she doesn't recognize with someone she doesn't know. Her stomach is still churning and she just…wants to cry.
"Hey, don't cry—it's okay!" The boy tries his best to keep Naruto from crying. He holds her closely against his chest and pats her reassuringly on the back. It isn't doing much, but at the very least, it's keeping her grounded. "Shh—it's okay! Please don't cry…"
All his efforts to keep Naruto from crying are rendered useless when she ends up crying anyways. This is the last thing he needs because now everyone is looking at them. Beads of sweat roll down his face when he hears people whispering too each other. It…probably wasn't that good of an idea to bring Naruto to this area of the Uchiha District, now that he actually thinks about it. She sticks out so much with her fiery-red hair that he can hear a few children in the background commenting on it.
"Sasuke, you owe me big time…" The boy sighs heavily and starts walking at a brisk pace. For Naruto's sake, he avoids using the Shunshin no Jutsu. "Come on—there's someone who wants to see you."
He tries giving her a small smile and resists the urge to laugh when she tries glaring at him. Had she not been crying, then maybe he would have taken her a little seriously. He still feels rather bad, because it's his fault she's crying.
"I've heard a lot about you, ya know…" the boy continues. "Like, a lot…"
Naruto sniffs a few times, her hands gripping the fabric of the boy's shirt rather tightly. She does not like the sound of that. "R-Really…?"
"Yeah, Sasuke wouldn't shut up about you!" The boy is too happy for his own good, with a smile that irritates the hell out of her. He just fucking kidnapped her—why is he happy?! Wait a second…
"Did he just…" Oh no…
"So I decided to track you down and see if he shuts up when he sees you again!" It's not the best idea he's ever thought of, but at the very least, he hopes it gets the job done. Sasuke needs to interact with more children his age anyways, instead of just him and Itachi. "Say, I'm Uchiha Shisui—it's nice to meet you!"
Shisui hopes for Naruto to introduce herself. Instead, he gets the shock of his life when she suddenly starts sobbing again. The poor girl sounds so distressed and he cannot even begin to understand why, when she had only started to calm down.
He knows nothing of the vivid image Naruto has of him, where he's older than he is now and is missing an eye. Where he then removes his remaining eye and then commits suicide in front of Itachi. He is so blissfully unaware of the tragedy that lies ahead in his future.
But Naruto is not so lucky, because she knows—so she starts crying for him. Because she doesn't feel comfortable interacting with someone she knows is going to die—she hates it.
Hate, hate, hate, hate…
She hates how nauseous she's gotten from just even thinking about his death. She doesn't even know him personally, but it's still fucking her up so badly that she can't help but cry about it.
I wanna go home!
At least Hound was a far better introduction into her life than someone who is going to fucking die!
"Haa…" Shisui tries his hardest to keep his cool as the girl in his arms continues to cry. She is rather loud, but that's probably his fault for putting her in such a distressed state. "I might have gone too far…"
Hic!
Yeah, now she's hiccupping.
"I'm sorry…" Shisui knows that apologizing won't fix the mess he's created, but it's the most he can do. He's being genuine about it and he'll do just about anything to make up for it. "I didn't mean to make you cry…"
He never meant to make her cry…
…
…
Sasuke is in the middle of his studies when Shisui suddenly enters the room and drops a very familiar red-haired girl in front of him. He blinks a few times and then promptly pushes his books, pencils, and papers off the table. A wide grin crosses his face as he crawls over to the red-haired girl, not taking her distressed state into consideration until he's looking right into her face.
"Hey, it's you!" Sasuke says all too loudly. "Hey—are you crying?"
Naruto wants so desperately to tell Sasuke to fuck off—except she can't. She's too much of a blubbering mess to say anything, because holy fuck, WHY is she here?! Why is she in the Uchiha clan compound and why the fuck is she seeing Sasuke again?!
"Ahhh, ahhhh….ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…" Naruto feels sick…she feels really, really sick. Her stomach is burning and her body is shaking so hard. Her eyes widen when she feels something hot and wet pool under her. She doesn't even need to look down to know what happened.
I just…took a bath…
Her face heats up with a visible blush when she sees Sasuke backing away from her so quickly. She doesn't even know how to react when he looks at her again. He says nothing—he just continues to stare.
It is Shisui who breaks the silence between them when he realizes how much more the situation had managed to escalate. "Well, then…that was unexpected."
His words have the unintended side effect of making Naruto cry yet again. Shisui cringes when he hears how loud Naruto is. Yeah, they're definitely going to hear her. It's only a matter of seconds before the door is urgently forced open with much more strength than is needed by Uchiha Mikoto.
"What happened?!" Mikoto frantically asks, looking around the room for the source of the crying. Her blood runs cold when her eyes come across a familiar shade of red that she hasn't seen in years. "Wh-Wha?"
"Okaa-san, Naruto had an accident!" Sasuke's tactless comment only manages to make Naruto cry even louder, because fucking hell—she didn't need him to point out the obvious.
"N-Naruto…" Mikoto repeats the name as she takes in the sight of the crying red-haired girl with whiskered cheeks and ochre skin. "Wh-Why…?"
"Uhhh…I have a lot to explain…" Shisui jolts in his spot when Mikoto suddenly looks at him.
"Yes…you do—tell me everything after you've cleaned up this mess." Mikoto's tone is firm, but not nearly as harsh as Shisui was expecting. He lets out a loud sigh in relief and walks past Mikoto to fetch some cleaning supplies. It is only after Shisui is out of sight that Mikoto walks over to Naruto. She hesitates for a moment before kneeling down and placing a gentle hand on Naruto's head. "Come on, let's get you cleaned up…"
…
…
Half an hour later, Naruto finds herself huddled up in the corner of a room, with her knees brought up to her chest. She is dressed in a dark blue kimono that Mikoto has lent her while her clothes are being washed. Her cheeks burn from embarrassment when she recalls the accident she had earlier.
"So embarrassing…" She's not exactly happy with what had happened, especially since she was made to take another bath. At the very least, Sasuke left her alone after that.
"Hey…" And speak of the devil, there he is. "You okay now?"
Naruto tenses when Sasuke's face suddenly pops up in front of hers. He appears to have little to no knowledge about personal space from the way he so nonchalantly invades hers. He stares at her for a few seconds before moving away, allowing Naruto the chance to release the breath she didn't know she was holding. Her relief is short-lived though, because Sasuke decides to sit right next to her.
"Accidents happen," Sasuke states as a matter-of-factly. He gives Naruto a small pat on the head, because he's seen his mother do that to her as a way of cheering her up. It has the opposite effect that he hopes it would on her, so he puffs up his cheeks in annoyance. "Hmph…"
So much for that…
"Hey, do you like daifuku?" Sasuke wonders if this will cheer her up. He's not a fan of sweets, but maybe Naruto is, so… "Do you want one?"
Sasuke holds a plate of colorful confections for Naruto to see. He feels his heart skip a beat when he sees her perk up a bit. A smile crosses his face when she reaches out a grabs a green-colored daifuku. She's not talking to him, but she's not completely ignoring him, so that has to be an improvement!
"Hey, hey—I'm Uchiha Sasuke!" Sasuke introduces himself for a second time. He stares expectantly at Naruto, waiting for a response. Even though he already knows who she is, he wants to hear it from her.
"U-Uzumaki Naruto…" And when he hears her say her name, he starts to laugh.
And even though it isn't the first time they have met, Sasuke still says, "It's nice to meet you!"
Because he really does mean it, with the hope that maybe—just maybe…they'll become friends.
…
…
Translation of chapter title: "Nice to meet you!"
…
…
…
A/N Before anything, a HUGE shout out to skyfloe for making a small comic for this fic that I have made canon in this chapter (if you're wondering what it is, it's the scene with the walks, the bet, and the "but at what cost?"). I'll post up the links to the comic eventually, but you can find it on my tumblr under the tag, skyfloe, and que sera sera (fanfic). Seriously though, check it out because skyfloe is hella amazing (I have them to thank for Butterfly Child's new cover)!
Anyways, it's been a while since my last update and holy shit, update on my life COLLEGE IS KICKING THE CRAP OUT OF ME! Because guess who added chemistry as a second major? Yoooooo.
I'm also taking a tax training session and word of advice, NEVER take one when you have chemistry and precalculus—it's fucking hell. But hey, at least I can get some money out of this when I'm done with it and I am in such a desperate need for moneys because there be Pokémon, Kingdom Hearts (KHUX is still an obsession and I have dragged down many friends with me, so beware!), and Persona 5 in the future!
Speaking of Persona, kurobook (who is to thank for this story's GLORIOUS cover) and I are currently going through Façade and editing the shit out of it if anyone needs to know. For that reason, I've deleted every chapter after chapter 3, but if anyone is interested in looking at the old copy, I posted it on my profile (which you'll have to go to my tumblr at klonoadreams to access the links under fanfiction stuff).
Moving along, here you have Naruto slowly adjusting to having Hound (Kakashi) in her life. And then Shisui comes the fuck out of nowhere because Sasuke wouldn't shut up. And because of that, you have Mikoto meeting Naruto.
Don't know what to tell you about how Naruto was in this chapter, except hey—she's a mess. And she's also physically four, so she is a child. Do try to keep that in mind, adult mentality be damned (I'll have you know it means nothing). There's also the fact that, being an SI, Naruto ALSO happens to have inherited my anxiety and depression. So if you're wondering how someone can be that much of a mess, there you go. (I'm back in counseling if one must know.)
Time for shout outs!
Reviewer #30: DarkDust27 (you…I like your shipping suggestions)
Reviewer #33: xenocanaan
Reviewer #40: Anonymous reviewer LeEvilOne
Reviewer #44: Evanescentfacade
Reviewer #50: Hakuei Shirei
Honorable mentions: Tanner Clark, Madrigal-in-training, Plouton, RarissimaAvis, Rae Kid, Astral and Celestial
ALSO, to clarify from the previous chapter, Kakashi had a crush on both Minato and Obito. He hasn't moved on from either, but Minato is more noteworthy because he never had a chance. And also, non-romantic ships are a thing—there are people who are designated to that position (one such example being Kakashi, in case anyone was worried).
Moving on, since this fic has now moved into harem/polyamory territory, I'm loving the support for Hinata amongst Sasuke and Itachi. Gaara has been mentioned and Deidara too. And maybe even Neji?
Fun fact: QSS!Naruto could possibly have Uzumaki-Hyuuga children if she were to pair up with Neji, being not only Hinata's cousin but also, genetically, her half-brother (their parents being identical twins makes them genetically siblings). Meaning that Boruto and Himawari are not completely lost to this setting, but ehh, it depends on how this story turns out. Just wanted to point that out because I thought it was interesting.
Feel free to continue giving out your suggestions! After all, we got a long ways to go before we get anywhere, so we might as well have fun, no?
I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! Don't feel too shy to drop by and say something—I'm always all ears to see what you have to say about this story, so long as it isn't about updates! It's almost 3 AM and I have class in a few hours, so I'm kinda pushing it right now (there's also the fact that I have a five page research paper that's a few days late I need to turn it, but DETAILS). Until next time, everyone! KD out! XD