Berry

Just updated for the pookies

Sorry babe here's a sneak peek of the Chapter 15, which does exist and is almost done, final project season is just eating my ass A World Without You: Chapter 15 (sneakle peekle):

Naruto has always had very few scars.

Marks aren't left easily on his skin. Growing up, it's one of the few benefits having Kurama sealed in him gave. He never got sick, the physical attacks thrown at him never left anything lasting, and his energy levels made him capable of running as far and as hard as he needed to in order to get away. Having the fox in him got him shunned, but it gave him the fortitude he needed to survive.

Almost every injury he's ever gotten has faded. Even the deep ones seem to sink away over time, melting away into the tan of his skin. Usually, Naruto sees that as a blessing. It's easier to leave hard times behind when there's no tangible reminder forever marring your skin.

Now, though... it's not that Naruto is pouting. He's really not! He's just also... not not pouting, that's all.

It isn't the biggest deal in the world. He's not trying to be dramatic or anything, because this is truly as first world as any one person's problem can get. He just can't help but frown at his own reflection when he sees it, his head tilted ever so slightly to the side as he traced his eyes up and down the mirror image of his own skin.

His missing arm isn't something that'll ever be truly fixed, but it hardly bothers him anyway. It had been a small price to pay ultimately, and Naruto was satisfied having paid it. That's not the problem. The problem is--

It's his neck. Or more specifically, the growing lack of marks on it. 

The only one left is the deep bite Kashi had given him, teeth sinking in far enough to draw blood. At the time, Naruto had been fairly confident it would stick around so long as Kurama didn't consciously focus his chakra around it like he did for most of Naruto's injuries. And like, it had, for a time. Just not long enough.

Naruto had wanted it to be permanent! Not because he's weird, but because... uh. Because! Like, Kashi had given it to him specifically. He could've chosen to bite anyone, but he chose to bite Naruto. It was the first one, and that felt important. Binding. When Kakashi had bitten him, it had felt like a promise.

Only now that promise is fading away and Naruto doesn't like it. He gets that what they have goes beyond the need for physical proof, but that doesn't mean Naruto hadn't enjoyed seeing it anyway. Feeling the ache anytime he turned his head, running his fingers over the slightly raised skin, catching Kakashi staring, like he wanted to do it again.

He hadn't yet, of course. Naruto's got no idea why. They both love each other and like Kurama said, Kashi totally want to bang. Pretty badly, apparently. But... why hadn't he? Was he feeling shy or something? Because he'd already bit Naruto once-- the least he could do was do it again.

"This blows." Naruto's cheeks puffed out. The bite mark was nothing more than a slight discoloration now. "How do I get it to stay? Kurama, you said it would stick around!" 

Behind him, Kakashi didn't seem to notice Naruto's intense scrutinizing of himself, nor did he react to his outburst. He was too busy humming to himself, cheerfully toweling the dampness from Naruto's hair. The gentle motion felt good enough that Naruto almost forgot why he was even upset to begin with. Almost, but not quite.

"I said that with the full expectation that he'd be biting you again, in the same spot, multiple times. Like the fucking fiend he is." Kurama sounded utterly disgusted at the mere thought. "Honestly, his restraint is surprising. I expected him to get a taste and immediately be unable to help himself. I'm kind of impressed."

"I'm not." Naruto whined. "Is it really so much to ask for? He already said yes to the dining room table!" 

And I love you 🫃 mwah

-Shikamaru doesn't even try to hide it. He doesn't see the point. Every time he pushes a little further, Naruto gives way with a big smile. He's rubber, malleable and easygoing, and nothing Shikamaru does fazes him. As long as he has a friend, he doesn't even care.

-Is it a little weird that the first time Shikamaru comes over, he goes into the bathroom and sniffs every bottle of soap, shampoo and conditioner? Checks his toothpaste brand? Opens all his cabinets and digs through his dishes? Looks at every single article of clothing in his closet and dresser, and unscrews the cap of his detergent just to sniff that too?

-Like, yeah. But Shikamaru is his friend, so obviously it's fine. He probably has a good reason

-His good reason is a slowly rising obsession that gets worse and worse. Because at first, there's plentiful information to be learned. So many new things to find out and discover, but what happens when that starts to slow down? When he kinda knows everything? When he picks apart every piece of Naruto's life and existence?

-He still wants more.

-So then it moves into wanting to know the shape of Naruto's teeth, and the best way to know that would be to trace them with his tongue. He wants to know what he tastes like all over. He wants to know the feel of his skin. What do his muscles feel like when they ripple? How far can he bend? What noises would be make if—

-The point is, Shikamaru starts to run out of things to learn. And he wants to know it all. Happy Naruto, sad, angry, hurt, overjoyed, emotional, confused, pleased. Every facet of him, Shikamaru wants to swallow it whole and commit it to memory.

-He brings Naruto new foods just to see how he reacts to them, what he likes, doesn't like, the faces he makes as he considers it. Naruto thinks it's a bit weird that Shikamaru wants him to describe what the food tastes like to him out loud, but he does his best to explain anyway.

-Shikamaru buys him new clothes in a million different colors too, all to see what Naruto looks like in them, what he thinks of the fabric, how they flow on his body when he moves. He has Naruto describe that too.

-Naruto never even really asks why. Just kind of squints at him and is like "well, if you insist. Anyway so these shorts like—"

-It helps that Naruto can talk for hours upon hours nonstop. Shikamaru wants to hear everything he has to say, no matter how mundane. Anything Naruto wants to jabber on about, Shikamaru is right there ready to absorb every word.

-Naruto going about his life while Shikamaru is just there, shadowing him every step of the way and watching his every move.

-Naruto's friends listening to Naruto talk while Shikamaru casually pokes, prods, tugs at him, runs his hands through his hair, etc: 🧍

-And Naruto is just like "Oh, don't worry! He's just putting his hands on either side of my neck so he can feel the way it flexes when I pronounce words!"

-Like... baby, that's freak behavior.

-Naruto thinking this is normal best friend behavior because he has absolutely no good frame of reference for what a best friend is aside from Sasuke, who he now admits is a pretty shit example.

-It doesn't help that Naruto is like "isn't that a little weird?" and Shikamaru just straight up lies and is like "Nah, all really good friends do this."

-If Naruto needs something, Shikamaru already has it. He's so in tune with Naruto that he can just predict and tell.

-A few people ask Shikamaru's parents if they're concerned but they just shrug it off like ah, Nara Fixation. What can you do?

-Shikamaru is always wary of taking it too far but also, in his head he and Naruto are already married.

-Basically just Shikamaru being weirdly obsessive, borderline stalkerish (but with boundaries?), and wanting that cookie. Thank you for coming to my TED talk 💖

THANK YOUUUU

@narutothoughts us core

THANK YOUUUU!!! I can't ever imagine Naruto losing the core, goofy part of who he is. I know trauma can change people, but Naruto went through so much just as a kid and still came out the other end with a heart ten sizes too large. I (personally) don't believe he'd ever go stone-cold or full angst— at least not permanently. I definitely tried for the "I'm on my last marble and if I don't laugh, I'll cry" angle.

That being said, I love to see other takes on him. He's a very malleable character! The people who do morph and change him as a result of his trauma into something more harsh are incredibly talented and I love their takes too! This one is just mine 💪

Thank you 😭 they're all in my drafts and have at least two chapters, most more, I just know I'd fall behind and wouldn't be able to keep up if I started posting them so they stay in my drafts where I can giggle at them instead