#btb ask

How would Asuma react and/or feel about it if he had lived long enough to find out about their relationship?

I love Btb, btw. I'm so tempted to start a 3rd reread, but I'm swamped with assignments, so it's gonna have to wait😒😭

Hi there, Anon! 🫶🏼

Cheers for dropping by with your ASKS.

Does Shikamaru know about the beef Shikaku had with Neji and that he's aware of their relationship?

Yes, he's aware his father was not best pleased with Neji (to put it lightly). Neji had mentioned it whilst tripping opiate balls in Requiem, which put the issue on Shikamaru's radar. Post UtS, Shikamaru learns more about exactly how 'not best pleased' his dad was after Neji recounts, with grim amusement, the chilling chimera stunt that Shikaku pulled in the Akimichi Armoury.

As you can imagine, Shikamaru was less amused.

Yes, also, to the second part of that question; Shikamaru knows his father is aware of his involvement with Neji, which is both a relief and a stress.

How would Asuma react and/or feel about it if he had lived long enough to find out about their relationship?

Ooh! Well, Asuma would've been somewhat prepared, given the events in BtB when Shikamaru word-vomitted his stress everywhere and accidentally admitted to a mystery "he". Learning that this mystery "he" was in fact Hyūga Neji would've reassured Asuma. He respected Neji, and he'd have understood why he and Shikamaru made sense. That being said...

...Asuma would've processed it fully in private and maybe, if drunk enough, might've solicted Kakashi for one of his 'asking for a friend' talks, knowing full well Kakashi would've known who and what he was talking about...because Kakashi is annoyingly clued in when it comes to things Asuma doesn't want him to know.

I love Btb, btw. I'm so tempted to start a 3rd reread, but I'm swamped with assignments, so it's gonna have to wait😒😭

OHHH IM SO GLAD U LOVE THEM🥹🥹 THEYRE COMING I PROMISE

HERE IS A TINY SNEAK PEEK IN PART TWOOO

Hey there, @apitofvipers

Thanks for taking the time to reach out here on Tumblr, luv. 🫶🏼Appreciated! Firstly, mucho thanks for the warmth, love, and goodwill you've shown my BtB series. I'm super grateful for that support (and kindness) and am super-duper chuffed to learn that you're re-reading the story!

"I [...] wanted to come to your tumblr to express how much this fanfic has quite literally shaken and changed my perspective on shikaneji; id even go as far as to confidently claim your series singlehandedly had been the reason why i adore shikaneji as much as I do..."

You're awesome. 🫶🏼 The mix of what I'm feeling (humility, wonder, excitement, and gratitude) is such a difficult state to communicate in response to what you said. Knowing that my creative madness made a difference to how much you adore this very special pairing is just beyond my capacity to word right now.

Thank. You. 💜

i hope to see the completion of the fifth(?) installment of the series (not soon but definitely wish to BE THERE when it finally finishes) ♥️

😅 Ha, yeah...unfortunately, I suffer from the masochistic affliction known as 'Never Ending Story Syndrome' (now affectionally known as 'Nessy' lol)...in which stories that enter my mental airspace continue to orbit my brain like undying stars, long, long, long after I assume they've burnt through all their headcanon-hydrogen.

My HHU caveat remains: Break to Breathe should most definitely be considered a stand-alone 4-part series starting with BtB and ending with UtS. Heaven Hold Us was/is a BtB-verse pet project that slipped its feeble leash and occasionally manages to wrestle itself free from my brainpan every now and then. Due to several huge and uncompromising factors, I cannot afford HHU the same commitment I did the original series (which I was always going to complete come hell or high water). I never say never regarding updates etc because I know better than to do that when plagued with Nessy.

I imagine Kiba thinking back to Shikamaru's bday and Neji smelling like him🤣Poor Neji, doubt Kiba would toss the chance to give him flak.

Oohh, if Asuma and Inochi were still alive, what would be theirs? Inochi's reaction would be especially interesting considering. Would he be more accepting than he was towards Genma and Naoki?

Also, at what point do NejiShika consider themselves "official". Like, How would they answer being asked when their relationship started. I imagine it'd a "its complicated"😅 They had so many different stages of their relationship.

Heya Anon! ☕️

Ha. Glad you enjoyed those!

Yeah, Lee is pretty standard in his response. Afflicted by The Youthful Feels. 🫠

I imagine Kiba thinking back to Shikamaru's bday and Neji smelling like him.

Oh ho ho! His nose clocked it long before his noggin did.

Oohh, if Asuma and Inochi were still alive, what would be theirs? Inochi's reaction would be especially interesting considering. Would he be more accepting than he was towards Genma and Naoki?

Interesting question re: Inoichi. Probably his initial reaction would be this:

Inoichi:

Suspicion and doubt, an immediate urge to consider the source and do some fact-finding. Again, depends how he learned the information. But yes, after everything with Naoki and Genma, he’d be far more open and accepting after validating the truth.

Asuma:

He’d prioritise how Shikamaru felt about the whole thing. Because Asuma got a hint of Shikamaru’s possible involvement with a potential “He” in BtB, he wouldn’t be super shocked — however, a lot of his response/reaction would be dependent on the impact on Shikamaru.

Also, at what point do NejiShika consider themselves "official".

They don’t explicitly state this. It’s understood privately between them that they are exclusive; but given their day-to-day existence and the urgency of events leading up to the War, they’re not thinking ‘long-term’. They’re far too focused on living stolen moment to stolen moment in between the chaos.

Like, How would they answer being asked when their relationship started. I imagine it'd a "it’s complicated" & they had so many different stages of their relationship.

Ha yes. Definitely complicated. Ino would want all the details and Shikamaru would be like…

Both Shikamaru and Neji are extremely private and protective of what they have. It’s not something either of them would feel comfortable discussing. That’s not out of shame (though Neji would risk more backlash from his clan over this than Shikamaru). I mean, look at how guarded and private Asuma and Kurenai were. It’s partially-societal and particularly due to their private natures. I mean, hell, Shikamaru didn’t even want to talk about the Suna twins! 😜

When did shikamaru first start crushing on neji? The night he chased him down.

When did he first realize he liked guys, or at least was wondering if he did? When he met “Shin” (flashback shows this in Under These Scars) at age 15.

Did he ever tell anyone that he was into guys? No. Given that he was equally attracted to women, it wasn’t something he felt the need to share -- however, if he hadn’t gotten involved with Neji two years after “Shin”, he’d perhaps have had to have faced it later down the line when his peers started to couple up and the pressure to disclose his personal life was on…said pressure resulting from the persistence of a certain Yamanaka loudmouth. ;) That being said, Asuma, Shikaku, Hiashi and Hinata are aware by the last BtB installment…not counting Heaven Hold Us, in which other characters are also aware.

Can we get the answers to these three questions but for Neji?

Hey there, Anon!

Hi! We're marauding through all the old asks and somebody should really compile all of this into a little BtB-lore-pamphlet or something... it's gonna have to be me isn't it... Wait is that even something that would be okay with you?

You know what, that's a solid idea! Might help me keep track of what the bloody hell I have or haven't answered. 😆 Also what I have or haven't shared about the madness that goes on behind the BtB curtain. My luck? Shit will change with the characters and plot and some of those older posts will become moot.😅 I blame the Dastardly BtB Showrunners as they regularly scramble the wiring in my cerebral cortex.

Regarding your ASKS, I'll endeavour to do the same for Neji.

Q1. When did Neji first start crushing on Shikamaru?

I'd say shortly after their altercation in the woods, though 'crushing' isn't the word I'd use for it. 'Crushing' feels too soft given the raw level of attraction and need...plus the somewhat visceral amount of annoyance Neji initially felt about the whole thing 😜.

Q2. When did he first realize he liked guys, or at least was wondering if he did?

Shikamaru was the prime mover. He woke up something in Neji after the events of the forest fight and remained the only guy Neji was interested in.

Q3. Did he ever tell anyone that he was into guys?

Ha. Can you imagine? Pulling teeth would be easier...and way less bloody, possibly.

In universe, in my opinion, KISHIMOTO is so bad at writing female characters he literally cannot let the women in his universe be full fledged people maybe outside of Tusande and Temari. On top of that he doesn't seem to realize that Naruto's fixation on Sasuke could even be read as romantic and vice versa-add the bonus that the way he makes Naruto and Sasuke behave towards their 'soulmates' not have the same intensity or (imo perceived) depths as the fixation/emotions they have on each other lol it's always been hard for me to get behind naruhina and sasusku outside of heartbreak.

Just to be clear, I also recognize that this isn't Kishimotos intent at all lol he's just a misogynist and his own homophobic humour deeps out into Naruto the character. Even separating Kishinoto the author fromm all it, and reading Naruto as just the character in his own universe, I was Always sort of ??? About my reading his (to me) obvious romantic fixation on Haku and then Sasuke, mixed with his homophobia? It really set off a !!! Going through your blog again, and seeing you even mention it in an ask. I think tis just because 'fandom' in general gets very personal/defensive about their characters or can't seem to hold the idea that authors own shit seeps in/but it can also remain separate from your reading of the story internally. I've also never read/heard another person even allude ro Naruto being read as homophobic, something I've always thought interesting about the character himself (not necessarily why Kishinoto would write that way as a joke y'know?).

Idk if this made sense! But love you! Love the series as always!!!

Hi there Anon! 💜Thanks for your message and I hope my response finds you in good spirits as we step into 2025.

I was hoping you could expand on the Naruto homophobic thing you've mentioned a few times in your ask.

I shall endeavour, my dear! I might need you to clarify what specifically you're curious for me to expand on regarding this topic.

You mentioned how you felt Kishimoto's portrayal of women left a lot to be desired. Ha, yes, I agree with you. Very poor execution with a lot of them (Ino, Sakura, Hinata, Anko, Kurenai etc). I felt especially sad for Ino and Kurenai's characters. I agree that Tsunade and Temari showed a bit more promise.

Now, I respect that Kishimoto has admitted he struggles with the romantic element of his storytelling, and in his defense, his wheelhouse is shōnen manga, originally geared towards young boys, so I gotta give the guy some grace here. I wonder if he imagined he'd garner a load of fangirls as part of the Naruto following! Pretty awesome when you consider the vast and diverse reach it had. Fleshing out the romance and playing 'fix it fic' is what we fans do, right? 😉

[...] he doesn't seem to realize that Naruto's fixation on Sasuke could even be read as romantic and vice versa-add the bonus that the way he makes Naruto and Sasuke behave towards their 'soulmates' not have the same intensity or (imo perceived) depths as the fixation/emotions they have on each other lol it's always been hard for me to get behind naruhina and sasusku outside of heartbreak.

Totally agree with you regarding how NaruHina and SasuSaku fail, respectively, to hold a candle to the NaruSasu/SasuNaru dynamic. It pales by comparison and IMHO it weakens Hinata and Sakura considerably. Arguably, the true soulmate dynamic is clearly the one that exists between Naruto and Sasuke, which I'm assuming Kishimoto meant to be platonic. Now, I might be wrong, but I think Kishimoto is quite savvy to the notion of NaruSasu/SasuNaru. I don't believe this is lost on him (he'd have to be completely ignorant to a large percentage of his fanbase). I reckon an argument could be made for a fair bit of queer-baiting when it comes to Naruto and Sasuke, which is both clever and possibly cruel to the diehard shippers 😅. I mean...come on...

Kishimoto could be said to be capitalising on it - and fair play to him. Creating fodder for the yaoi fans without isolating his predominant shōnen fanbase at that time. It worked.

Just to be clear, I also recognize that this isn't Kishimotos intent at all lol he's just a misogynist and his own homophobic humour deeps out into Naruto the character.

Gotcha. What you mentioned about homophobic humour is a fair point. Yep, that plays out in the series. And yes, that plays out in Naruto's character too.

Now, whether that's a product of Kishimoto's personal views, the character's views, the author's/character's cultural values/attitudes, also the time in which Naruto was written (late 90s, early 2000s), or maybe a combination of all of those factors, is open for discussion or clarification from the author himself. I'm sure there are other readers who have way more insight into Kishimoto's personal views than me, so I can't offer much there. My present understanding is that in the late '90s and early 2000s (around the time of Naruto's debut), Japan's view on homosexuality was still progressing, with a mix of traditional with limited awareness and still some social stigma. Kind of struck me that there wasn't a super strong aversion (I might be way off base here), but not wholesale acceptance either. I guess this is why homosexuality is often portrayed in a comical/comedic way, such as in Naruto?

Even separating Kishinoto the author fromm all it, and reading Naruto as just the character in his own universe, I was Always sort of ??? About my reading his (to me) obvious romantic fixation on Haku and then Sasuke, mixed with his homophobia? It really set off a !!!

Thanks for clarifying for me here, Anon! Playing devil's advocate for the canon Naruto, my take is that Naruto believed Haku was a girl, so naturally any romantic feelings or impressions tanked when he realised Haku was in fact a male. As for Naruto's fixation with Sasuke, regardless of how I might personally perceive it (and of course I take fangirl liberty here, unapologetically and with my own interpretation to back it up lol), it would seem to be platonic. Deep and intense and platonic. Like you, I may interpret it as having massive potential for romantic fixation, but in the canon world, that's not the case - so technically (again, playing devil's advocate here), Naruto's apparent homophobia can very much co-exist with his profound bond with Sasuke. Again, this is why fanfiction exists. We get to rearrange the furniture in our headcanons lol. All that said, I do find it hilarious how Naruto reacts so ridiculously to any perceived notion of homoeroticism (it begs 'the lady doth protest too much' 🤭). It also makes it feel divinely just that his first (and second) kiss was with Sasuke.

I give Kishimoto props for that!

Going through your blog again, and seeing you even mention it in an ask. I think tis just because 'fandom' in general gets very personal/defensive about their characters or can't seem to hold the idea that authors own shit seeps in/but it can also remain separate from your reading of the story internally.

Yes, I hear you. Fandoms can contain large percentages of fans who get extremely defensive/obsessive of the characters and their portrayals (sometimes to insane degrees). True, an author's own crap can definitely leak into a character portrayal. The reverse is also true. Just because an author writes a homophobic character, doesn't mean the author holds that view/perspective/belief. In all fairness, it's hard to determine unless one knows the author. My knowledge of Kishimoto is limited, so you may have more insight regarding his personal views. Yes, I salute you on the point about being able to read/experience a story/character independent of the writer. Best way to do it.

I've also never read/heard another person even allude ro Naruto being read as homophobic, something I've always thought interesting about the character himself (not necessarily why Kishinoto would write that way as a joke y'know?).

Ah, really? That's interesting, Anon. I don't consider the series explicitly homophobic and certainly wouldn't intentionally read it that way, but I couldn't ignore the occassional evidence to support Naruto's reactiveness to the concept - or other characters! There are other comedic allusions, including between Izumo and Kotetsu:

Regarding Naruto's character, I haven't kept up with the Boruto series and have no idea whether any of this has changed during Naruto's continued arc. Others would have to weigh in here.

In the BtB-verse, specifically in HHU, Naruto's journey with his feelings for Sasuke would be the closest I've come to writing any kind of internal struggle regarding sexuality in the BtB-verse.

Idk if this made sense! But love you! Love the series as always!!

Aw! Feel the love! 🥰Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this, Anon! I love enaging with readers this way, and find it fascinating what interests them or compels them regarding the fandom. I'm sorry if I haven't answered your ASK properly and failed to expand on what you meant. This might've escaped me, so feel free to clarify if I totally missed the mark.

Hi there, Anon! 💜

Thank you for your super interesting question. Hope my response finds you well, luv.

I had a question about Btb, I'm sorry if this was asked before or if it sounds dumb, but was Hanegakure a made up place? Does it exist in Naruto? I couldn't find information about it so I'm guessing it's non-canon..?

First off, not a dumb question at all! Secondly, yes, it was an original idea made up for purposes of the fic. So yes, non-canon, existing solely in the BtB-verse.

I remember reading those parts with bird noises and forest sounds on the background for atmosphere and it left me with such a great memory, I always remember that place, I just love everything about there so much.

Oh I love that idea, Anon! Full immersion with the ambient sounds. I've often written that way, but not often read that way - I might try this! I'm so happy to know you enjoyed being in the Hanegakure world for a time.💕

I would love if you could maybe give a few more facts about the place, if it's not too troubling..? I think it will always be my favorite segment in the series.

Aw! Not troubling at all, sweetheart, just bear with me for being sparse with details as my brain attempts to dust off the memory. You see, Hanegakure was inspired by a place based in my original works and I've spent more time in the latter world, so it takes me a bit to recalibrate back to the BtB-verse. *grabs tea*

Right! Some facts about BtB-verse Hanegakure that I can recall during the timeline of the mission are:

Originally founded by the First Hokage and shaped/formed by his unique kekkai genkai (Wood Release)

Once stood for Justice based on the founding words by Hashirama Senju "Those who stray from the path of justice have no courage, but under the wing of a strong leader cowardice cannot survive."

The Tsubasa twisted the meaning of this quote to emphasise 'strong leadership' which bred the authoritarian and militant Flock Mentality culture of obedience without question

Birds are sacred to the various clans of Hanegakure

The Tsubasa clan are the dominant ruling clan

They don't eat bird meat

The Tsubasa clan had a specific and spiritual connection to the birds, which expanded into the use of animal-contracts and mind-transference jutsus with their winged companions

Hanegakure predominantly relied upon espionage and covert warfare during Ninja Wars, though their shinobi are very skilled in aerial combat

The Temple of Kin-Washi (The Golden Eagle), originally a holy site, was later bastardised into a place of experimentation for Mind Transference Jutsus - this was restored to its spiritual centre after Ozuku was defeated

The Aviary was another sacred space that became a cage for the birds that were negatively impacted by the mind transference; it has since been repurposed as a training arena for shinobi and their animal counter-parts

Hanegakure is full of birds that have the minds of young children trapped within them as a result of the mind-transference jutsu gone wrong, hence the odd behaviour of some of the animals and the psychotic and declining state of the more severe cases

The village is built into the trees at different levels from the gound up, constructed with intricate networks of aerial bridges, walkways, and overpasses (courtesey of excellent engineering and also the First Hokage's kekkai genkai)

"Fly Free" is an old traditional blessing in Hanegakure, with the palm pressed to the chest then elevated/swept skyward in an arc to indicate the heart being free from the 'cage' of the ribs

The village has an underground network of caves and tunnels carved out by the rebels who were forced underground during the civil war (started by Hibari against his family)

This underground network also homed orphaned children who were rescued after being branded for use in the Mind Transference experimentations

Festivals (though not featured in the fic) involve paying homage to the birds and sky; such events include coloured mandalas made from seeds, egg painting, bird-racing, feathered costumes, kite-flying, falconing, and various other practices and celebrations dating back to the founding of the village and the convenant between the 'sky spirits' (the birds) and the shinobi

The animist beliefs have deep roots in Hanegakure, and prayer is important to the people, though ideological control and subversion was exerted to force conformity and obedience onto the people - this has changed since Fukuro and Ozuku's fall, with many returning to the less dogmatic and more spiritual animist practices of Hanegakure's past

Hanegakure boasts a large repository of covert information on other villages gathered through the huge surveillance jutsu operated via the birds and casters

Singing and music is a huge part of the village's culture, both socially and spiritually

Hanegakure took a big hit during the Fourth Shinobi War and is recovering slowly from the damage

Hope this offers some little tidbits about the village, Anon! 🙏🏼 Thank you for you interest in this part of the BtB-verse. I did so enjoy writing that arc of the story. I'm so chuffed to know it was a place you enjoyed visiting.

Thank you for your great work ❤️❤️