I don't think we have seen anything from post timeskip, nah. It could happen, and I can think of a few arguments as to it happening, but I reckon it's a bit early yet.

Unless SQ is planning to pull a fast one with the three year gap and kick the Plot off much sooner.

 

To be honest, at the rate of growth we're seeing for Shikako, Naruto and Sasuke are going to be trailing behind her if they rock up to Shippuden with their canon strength. Naruto more than Sasuke, I've got no idea where to place him since he has been with ANBU rather than Orochimaru.

 

I think a lot of people underestimate early Shippuden Naruto. He grows a ton with Jiraiya, its just subtle.


Naruto and Sakura come back from the timeskip and force Kakashi to use his Sharingan in his fight against them. That's not easy. And Naruto isn't going all out in that fight-- he doesn't use Kyuubi at all in that fight. And Shippuden Kakashi is significantly stronger than pre-Shippuden Kakashi, so that's a ton of growth on the part of Naruto and Sakura.

Sasuke grows just as much, though it's more flashy. He refines Chidori and makes a ton of his own techniques, gets super fast, gets better with his Curse Seal, and gets better with his Sharingan (when he suppresses Kyuubi facing Naruto after Naruto fights Orochimaru).

They both grow a ton.


It'll be different in this fic, yeah, but they both grow fast.

Shikako grows more obviously-- she gets flashy techniques, combines old techniques into deadly combos, uses smart strategy, and gets better at sensing. But Naruto and Sasuke focus on their core techniques more-- Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, and their own special abilities-- Kyuubi, Sharingan, Cursed Seal.

 

It's weird as hell seeing Shikako described as flashier than Naruto and Sasuke in her skill set lol.

 

I should be more specific-- Naruto and Sasuke's growth is more subtle, because it builds on old capabilities. Shikako develops new techniques that are pretty different than her old techniques, though as readers we see the continuity.

 

Longtime lurker of DLP and just discovered this fic at the end of term and thought I would throw in my two cents. I was initially beyond hesitant to read a SI fic, but I can honestly say the story has grown into one of, if not, my favorite Naruto fanfiction. SilverQueen does a phenomenal job exploring some of the more mundane, everyday quirks and questions someone who came from our world would have if they found themselves suddenly in the Naruto world. The in-depth worldbuilding is certainly one of the story's strongest aspects. Overall, the characterization of Shikako and others is both believable and the deviations are interesting.

Perhaps my only real qualms with the story is the sometimes glacial pacing. Even though the story and characters are certainly interesting enough to keep me constantly engaged, there is only so much filler I can take at any one time. Luckily I skipped that tripe on the show, but even viewing it with fresh eyes was, at times, tedious. I think the story as a whole may have benefitted from one or even two fewer arcs, or at least shortening some existing ones. Maybe the greatest upside of the pacing is that Shikako's growth in strength is quite believable. I would echo what others said; she will likely be stronger than Naruto and Sasuke by the end of the time-skip, but I expect that to balance itself out rather quickly.

Overall 4.5/5 or 5/5 if I'm not being picky.

 

Dreaming of Sunshine updated with a quiet start to a new arc.

 

Yeah, this update was basically: arrived at Fire Temple, saw some meditation, and nothing else.

It reminds me of another issue I have with the series that I forgot about when the plot was faster, but I remember when the plot slows down:

-how close to canon the fic sticks. Until relatively recently, the fic feels like a retread with Shikako instead of Sakura, no interesting ripples, etc. And part of the reason the recent arcs feel new is because they take place in the blank timeskip and creatively reinterpret filler villains.

-The author has a clear talent for worldbuilding, creative jutsu, etc. but limits herself/himself to a pretty canon plot.

 

She doesn't do any big splashes that some AU stories would do as in "what if Orochimaru was the Hokage", that's true. However, the author very clearly planned to insert Shikako into canon and then make her actions matter as the story went along and in that I think she succeeded enough that it really doesn't feel like a retreat at all. Especially with all the additional depth to make the mess that is the Naruto canon make sense.

There have been changes thanks to Shikako, some big, some small, but while things generally develop as in canon, as the same people try to pull off the same things, the results are different.

Has been a while since I last reread this, so these are simply the changes that come to my mind:

Spoiler

- Karin is dead, and while that seems less huge with Sasuke staying in Konoha and unlikely to form Snake/Hawk, that probably means for less stuff on Orochimaru's end, seeing as she was helping him in one facility at least.

- Sasuke is not going to defect, that alone is a tremendous change that we just have yet to see play out. I mean, getting him back was such a large part of the main characters motivation and the catalyst for so many things, all that will be different.

- Shikamaru was decisively changed, not necessarily for the better, unlikely to be in that catch Akatsuki squad (if that will be even a thing here).

- it seems unlikely that Gaara will loose to Deidara this time around

No doubt there have been more, that will have their own butterfly effects but I just can't remember them right now. Point is, the changes are there and the big ones that were set up have yet to fully unfold. I am guessing that Shippuden will be the point where we will leave the canon trails for a large part.

 

Mostly agreed that going forward, things will be very different. As of now, however, it's not far from canon. It has taken an enormous chunk of fic to get substantial divergence.

 

Fair enough, I can get why that slow pace might be disappointing, and to be fair, it could be faster. I also think that we hardly need every shitty filler episode or movie to be included in this but the author seems to have made up her mind on that.

And yet, I like how deserved the changes will be, that they will be earned. The forging of Team 7, a true team of friends and comrades in arms, where the relationships they built mattered and were deep enough to tie Sasuke to Konoha was believable. It's a really satisfying development for me. The OC wasn't this badass who captured Sasuke in a fight but rather, over their time together as a team, she made it so that Sasuke didn't want to leave, which is significant.

Both would have the same outcome, Sasuke stays in Konoha and all the changes that brings with it, but this was more satisfying and seems more permanent.

So yeah, fair enough on how long it took, longer than it needed to, certainly but I enjoyed the time getting here.

 

Generally, I agree with you. There have been one or two instances though which I felt were unnecessary. That thing with the bounty hunter, I think? That converted filler episode dragged a bit for me and I can't remember anything of significance happening in terms of development.

 

That piece was focused on bringing Sai into the story, and Shikako's efforts to convert him.