#shinnogi

[kiigan]

@shinnogi/Sasuke said: The moment he saw the other one at home, the little boy rushed to him. Little feet making pit-a-pat sounds against lavish wooden floors. “Nii-san, nii-san!”he exclaimed, promptly throwing himself at Itachi once he was close enough. Draping himself all over his brother’s lap. “Ne, nii-san, will you play with me today?” Sasuke whined, big black eyes looking up at Itachi adoringly. He just wanted to play with his big brother. He couldn’t understand what made Itachi so busy all the time. It was annoying. “We can play ninja! Or! Or! I could show you my new toys!” Sasuke was growing excited by the second, little hands clutching Itachi’s uniform in fear the older boy would vanish before his eyes. “Please? Pleeeeease?”

ㅤThere was barely time to slide the front door closed again, before his little brother basically attempted to tackle him and nearly had them both falling over. Same thing every day — the kind of thing to give meaning to a life. «Hello to you, too,» Itachi said in a playful tone, never resisting the urge to tease the younger boy. Further proof lied in how he took his time to remove his backpack and place it on the floor for the time being, and then to take a sit on the elevated step of the genkan so that he could remove his sandals and dutifully place them aside as well. And only then he fully turned to face Sasuke, reaching with a hand to gently muss his hair.

«You have new toys?»

ㅤThe question was... a calculated one, admittedly. A subtle way to gain a few extra seconds with which to weigh his options. Ideally, Itachi would have come home only to drop his belongings and then leave again soon after, for the afternoon training — either with Shisui, if his best friend was available, or on his own. But... how to explain this to his brother, especially in face of such enthusiasm? How to explain that, as much as he would have loved to spend the entire day with him, he was doing this for Sasuke's sake? So that he could become stronger and be able to always protect him and their parents? So that he would never have to watch any of them being ripped in half like Tenma had been, so recently. How do you explain that you never have free time because you are working for the sake of a greater good, to such a young child? — asked Itachi, clearly a grown old man himself and not equally a child at all.

ㅤ«Let's see—» You don't, that's what. Not him, anyway. This time, he wouldn't have the heart for it. And... he could always catch up with training later on, he supposed. Maybe even after dinner, if needed. Training was simple enough to rearrange and reschedule, he should take the chance that he wasn't assigned to any missions for the time being — those, definitely, could not be anything other than absolute priority. «First things, did you behave? Did you eat lunch without fussing? Did you remember to brush your teeth, after?»

[zealgut]

－－ ｓｔａｒｔｅｒ ｆｏｒ @shinnogi （ ｋａｋｕｚｕ ． ）

ＶＩＣＴＯＲＹ wasn't anything new to either of them. with every step, move, cut, death- each action & inaction inevitably always brought them closer to their goal. really, the perpetual cycle of living & living & fuck, living, grew almost tiresome at times- languidly pushing and pulling against the tide of what could be a quick legacy. but these two were condemned, cursed, blessed to have years on top of years over everybody they encountered. sometimes such a thing was looked down upon, as if immortality was a curse. something to escape.

but today was not that day.

winning never felt so good, hidan regarded fondly, flexing and unflexing curled digits as distinctive purple hues cherished the sight of the man laid out in front of him. a man so sure that he'd finally hold the key to hidan's death, finally rid the world of his preachings but- ah.. doesn't he know? doesn't he know what it feels like to be God's favorite? to be divinely protected? with the way his body curls, lifeless, not a slick quip retorted post losing- hidan is gonna guess, no, he doesn't.

but these are the kinds of things that await heathens ignorant to the pain of others. not an ounce of his body feels regret, or anything really, besides the pure bliss of shared death with someone who sought out his own. but he doesn't relish in this feeling as long as he usually would- he could spend hours here, a drooling mess, but there are more important things to tend to that isn't the death of one (1) shikamaru nara.

potentially, the death of someone else.

that's right. urgh. hidan's palm slaps ungracefully against his temple, chastising himself for even allowing the situation to play out this way. he had been tricked, again, by this fucking kid, again, and this time the consequences were the loss of his partner's heart. something he's sure, if kakuzu survived, he'll hear about for the next week if not month. he groans - loudly, stretching out his body following several reverberating cracks that seemed to echo in this forest. the same body that had been seconds from getting blown to bits. but in the end, he won. in the end, they always won.

well, that he had to make sure of.

phlegmatic limbs make their way back to the last place the fight had picked up. tired. achey. for both their sakes, he hopes the battle is over, and they can hurry up and go get something to eat. killing people really made him so fucking hungry. surprisingly, when he returns, it's silent. none of the little pup kids were running around screaming or being strangled, from what he could see and hear. orbs surveyed the area, gaze falling on the way most of the dust has settled by now. which can only mean two things.

he opts to call out, hands cupping around his mouth to amplify his voice-

❝ oi- kakuzu, did you survive or what? come on, look, i came back for you and everything. don't go dying on me now. sheesh... this is so embarrassing...❞ 

[asparkleofmuses]

@shinnogi asked: [07] chouji @ shikamaru (x)

Shikamaru tried not to move his head as Chouji slowly combed through his wildly tangled hair. The mission they were in had taken them to the border with Hot Water Country, which meant to, after a first day of hard work, at least they got to stay in an in with an onsen. Only, Shikamaru's hair was so messy he couldn't even get his hair tie off to wash it properly.

Chouji, bless his soul, had simply offered to help out as soon as he saw him struggling, so now they were here. He never considered how nice this felt, though. He would have to return the favor someday.

"If you keep that up, I'm going to fall asleep"

[kiigan]

question prompts

@shinnogi/Kisame asked: “ you’ve been so quiet. what’s on your mind? ”

My mind is on my mind, could easily have been the answer.

ㅤRain was ever the most ambivalent weather. By default, it tended to make his bones and joints ache dully like the poorly oiled, rusty gates of a haunted house; and the haunted house, too, could be his mind. It made travelling difficult, or at least cumbersome, for someone whose physical health and strength by far were not his best qualities; the heavy water-soaked coat, the mud along the dirt paths, the hair sticking to his face and to his neck and everywhere it touched, basically.

ㅤAdd to this the very peculiar climate of the lands surrounding Takigakure — the abundance of large trees and dense greenery and the water-heavy environment making it almost monsoonal — and it was small wonder that Itachi, at present, felt more like a wet sponge dropped at the bottom of the sink. The general warmth was surely welcome, but his body couldn't be pleased by anything, it seemed; not constantly cold for once but, on the other hand, the consequent dilation of the blood vessels had him feeling faint and lightheaded throughout most of the day. He just couldn't win, that much was a fact; no rest for the wicked, as they say.

ㅤHence, the seemingly distracted state that his partner did not fail to notice. «Nothing, really,» was the reply offered, and it wasn't a lie. He wasn't necessarily overthinking one specific thing. Until receiving new orders on the target they were supposed to eliminate and turn in for the hefty bounty, the duo found themselves with unexpected free time on their hands. Which translated into little moments such as the current one, with Kisame so patiently/so carefully brushing Itachi's hair for him [yet another reason to dislike humidity, it was a plight on such long hair]. While the Uchiha himself basically enjoyed it like a lazy cat, elbow on the inn room's windowsill and chin rested on that palm, simply observing the rain falling outside.

«I feel like stale bread.» That summed it up, pretty much.

[kiigan]

non-sexual acts of dominance

@shinnogi/Sasori provides: [ order ] your muse ordering for mine at a restaurant or bar .

ㅤPlenty of times he'd been here before, visiting Sunagakure for the sake of missions or otherwise errands, and yet — to be here with Sasori now, in what felt like a completely different lifetime [and, in a way, it was; if they both had cheated death, did that not qualify as a life reborn?], everything was so new. The sights couldn't be appreciated anymore, alas, but what lavished the rest of his senses more than made up for it. The sensation of tiny mounds of sand crackling under his feet, the heavy but wonderful smell of spices filling the air, the sound of that beautiful language all around him and enveloping him like a soft blanket.

ㅤAnd, of course... the touch of a hand in his own; a hand that was once cold and inanimate and inorganic, yet now was a little beacon of warmth pulsating with life. Fingers entangled with his own, as Sasori guided him through what he imagined to be labyrinthine streets and alleyways, occasionally tugging a bit too enthusiastically and leaving the fondest of smiles on Itachi's lips. Where they were headed he had no idea, having only been promised a surprise and a special location — as though being in the other man's presence wasn't special enough in itself, really. Maybe it was just him being sappy.

ㅤAfter a few minutes of walking, the lively crowd seemed to be left behind, hustle and bustle gradually dwindling into cozy quietness — until Sasori now helped him past the front door of a building and up a couple of small steps. A restaurant or a bar or something else of the like, the Uchiha could guess from the very characteristic clinking of glasses and porcelain. Soon to be confirmed as his lover this time helped him to sit down among some very comfy cushions and pillows, with a low table before them. Wasting no time to speak to someone else in that same language — the designated waiter, more than likely — and place some sort of very specific order for the both of them. Something that Itachi was perfectly fine with, taking the cue, once they were on their own, to scoot closer and happily snuggle into Sasori's shorter frame.

«Should I be worried, with how much of a mystery you're making out of this?»

[kiigan]

non-sexual acts of dominance

@shinnogi/Neji provides: [ teach ] your muse taking control of mine’s hand , arm , hips , etc . to make sure they do something correctly .

ㅤEver since he'd started practicing it, Itachi would catch himself wondering if this was why the juken was so often associated with the yin yang symbol. This balance and interconnectedness of opposing forces in the universe. Because... not to be that person, but it truly felt as thought it'd been made specifically for himself and Neji. What better collision of opposing forces to form a beautiful, balanced whole? The kind of sappy thoughts that would have Ryuu gagging at him, no doubt.

«Like this?»

ㅤThe main stance was not difficult to master at all — very simple, very elegant. And, ironically... one might think that, given their personalities, their respective choice of taijutsu style would reflect that same contrast. One couldn't have been any more wrong, however. For all his calm and tranquility while off duty, Itachi's gokyoken was nothing short of diabolical in its speed, agility, and, of course, enough dramatic acrobatics to make any Uchiha ancestor proud. Main reason, perhaps, why he currently seemed to be struggling a little to follow Neji's precise instructions. So different from what he was used to.

Or, to be fair...

ㅤItachi was pretty sure he had the position down accurately. It was impossible not to, he'd been correcting it nearly millimeter by millimeter for the last whole three minutes. But one time his husband would tell him the hand was too low, then that same hand was too high up, then it was his front foot that needed to be placed more to the left, then more to the right, then it was his actual back that needed to be more straight, then next he was too stiff— ...if he didn't know any better, he'd say Neji was doing it on purpose. Just to mess with him.

ㅤJust as he was about to huff in impatience, however, that same Neji scurried behind him and apparently took matters in his own hands — literally so. Hands, strong and firm and carrying no ounce of hesitation; one going to rest on Itachi's hip and the other catching his arm right under the elbow. And the huff that'd been so ready to come out suddenly morphed into a little gasp, both out of surprise and out of... immediately reacting to his beloved's presence suddenly, so thoroughly in his personal space. Yes, please.

«...Fine, show me then. Since clearly I am so incompetent on my own.»

[kiigan]

incorrect quotes

@shinnogi/Homura said: ❛ i’m not superstitious… but i am a little stitious. ❜

ㅤHis smile felt almost too wide for his face. Like it couldn't be contained. Like their son's cuteness was too much to be humanly possible, like his entire heart was about to take flight from how happy it was.

«'Stitious' is not a word, sweetheart.»

ㅤIt did not stop Itachi from passing on valuable life lessons, however - proper use of vocabulary being one of them. At the same time, he snuggled Homura's small frame more into his own, clearly feeling how the toddler was still slightly apprehensive about the... dangerous fiend by the other end of the couch. The dangerous fiend being a black kitten with big, curious, green eyes staring back at them in that kind of majestic superiority that only cats could muster. Neji had yet to be told about the unexpected new member of the family, but that could wait a moment longer. For the time being, the priority was to get Homura to understand there was nothing to be scared of.

«Whoever told you that black kitties mean bad luck, they were wrong. That is silly superstition.»

ㅤWhoever told their son such non-sense better start running, as well, because, as soon as Itachi found out one or more names, they were about to get the harsh scolding of a lifetime. Imagine filling an innocent child's head with such unscientific foolishness. Tenderly, he pressed a kiss to the side of Homura's head.

«Kitties are loving animals if we know how to treat them with respect. Watch-»

ㅤSaying so, he slowly extended an arm out towards said little cat, as to not spook out either the feline baby nor the human one, and wiggled his fingers playfully. Immediately, the cat's interest was piqued and she approached, studying the humans one last time before giving into temptation and swatting with a tiny paw at Itachi's fingers. Repeat a couple times more and soon the kitty was boldly climbing onto his palm, like the two of them had been friends for life. Smiling, Itachi brought that hand just a tad-bit closer, looking at Homura.

«Would you like to pet her? The fur is very fluffy.»

[kiigan]

@shinnogi The bathroom light was too bright. Neji gritted his teeth, fingers trembling as the needle slipped again, the suture thread sticky with blood. He’d locked the door, turned the faucet on to muffle the sound, but every movement sent fresh fire through his side. The wound was worse than he’d thought—deep, jagged, bleeding in pulses that matched his struggling heartbeat. Just a little longer. Just a little longer… He hissed as the needle pierced his skin again, his breath coming in shallow bursts. The reflection in the mirror was pale, sweat-slicked, his lips tinged with blue. Not good. Not good at all. Then—knocking. Followed by Itachi’s voice muffled through the door, laced with sleep asking if he was okay. Neji’s hands stilled. He forced his voice steady, light. “Yeah, yeah. Just… dropped something. Go back to bed, love.” A pause. Then the doorknob turned, testing the lock. The same sleepy voice asked him about the locked door. The door Neji had locked to prevent this from happening. Shit. “Habit,” the Hyuuga lied, fingers fumbling to wipe blood from the sink. “I’ll be out in a sec.” Another beat of silence. Then— A demand. Open the door. Neji exhaled, dizzy. He could feel warmth trickling down his leg, pooling on the tiles. He needed to stand, to clean up, but his limbs were leaden. “Neji. Now.” The urgency in his husband’s voice made his chest ache. He reached for the lock, fingers slipping, but managed to twist it open. The door swung inward. Itachi stood there, hair mussed from sleep, eyes sharpening as they took in the scene—the bloodied towels, the needle still clutched in Neji’s shaking hand, the dark rivulets creeping across the floor, inching toward his bare feet. For a heartbeat, neither moved. Then Neji smiled, soft, nowhere near as reassuring as he wanted to be. “It’s not as bad as it looks.” A drop of blood hit the tile between them.

ㅤThe only lucky one, right there and then, was the door - because it had just barely avoided being ripped off the hinges, should Neji have taken a moment longer to unlock it. Was there ever a more ominous clue about what was hiding on the other side? No one locked themselves in the bathroom at 3:17 AM to craft paper flowers or to knit a scarf.

ㅤAs it finally moved out of the way and Itachi stepped in, the pungent smell of blood hit him first; before even his still sleep-drowsy eyes could process what they were seeing. And the only thing that saved him from gagging was muscle memory from the days of the merciless ANBU training. Regardless, he was caught in actual shock for a couple of seconds - gaze in disbelief and dropping from his husband's all too pale features to the crimsom-stained floor, up to the leaking gash on Neji's side, down to the floor again. Almost as if he couldn't decide what part was more horrifying. To the point where he had to absently reach for the door frame to steady himself with a hand, before shock could turn into actual fainting.

ㅤWith pure instinct pushing through, however, the visceral urge to protect / care for / keep safe, Itachi quickly composed himself; he could have a panic attack over it later, for now there were far more essential things to do. «Don't. Just don't.» Don't try to justify this, basically. Don't try to act like everything is fine, don't resist getting help - or else. Fierce love was pure love, just as much; especially when it came to an Uchiha.

ㅤCatching his long hair out of the way in a swift move, Itachi reached for what was closer at hand - ironically, a beautiful hairpin that Neji had brought him from his last visit to Sunagakure - and caught it at the top of his head for the time being. He then grabbed the bottle of disinfectant from inside the bathroom cabinet and liberally sprayed it over his hands, even over half his forearms after also rolling up the long sleeves of his night tunic. With everything prepared, he brought his husband carefully over to sit on top of the toilet and knelt on the floor beside him; stoically ignoring the sensation of his beloved's blood soaking up the fabric of his night pants. With one hand peeling off the ruined clothing as gently [and steadily] as possible, he brough the other one to hang over the wound so that chakra could pool at the palm and begin mending the flesh.