Okay, this is very vague, but perhaps someone can find it anyway. Hope springs eternal and all that.

I've been looking for a fic that is probably older but that I've read only a few weeks ago and still can't find again. The specific scene I remember and the reason I'm looking in the first place:

During the Wave Arc, when the Demon Brothers attack, Naruto freezes for a moment. In this fic, the explanation for that is that Naruto is used to killing intent and generally attempts to kill him because of the villagers, but he was always told to never retaliate.

Despite how that may sound, I don't think it was a badfic with mob chasings or somesuch. It may even have been a throwaway scene and the killing intent freeze may never have been mentioned again in the fic.

But I do think this fic may have been the only one to pick up that line of thought at all. Of course if you can think of any other fics that do utilize something along these lines, please rec them.

On a similar note, I'd like to read a few... let's call it consequences fic. Like how in canon Naruto ignoring his darker emotions resulted in Yami Naruto down the road. Something like that. For example, there is this fic on ffnet, called Like Me, where Orochimaru plays mindgames with the Rookie 9 by comparing Naruto to himself, pointing out similarities, and poses the question: what will happen when the time comes and Naruto, despite everything, is not named Hokage? If the fic then had a scene where we see just that, that would qualify.

Or a fic where we see the consequences of Naruto's seemingly eternal genin status (though this would probably then be a decidedly non-canon fic, considering). Perhaps someone questioning why he wasn't promoted after the invasion, or why he was never entered into another chuunin exams or field promoted.

Just, whether it's something from canon or something the author introduces, as long as it's got a reasonable consequence that is explored, I'll be happy. I just like psychological "all actions have corresponding re-actions" type of thing derailing events.

Can anyone remember a fic or two to fit?

 

The only fic I remember talking about why he wasn't promoted after the invasion was Chunin Exam Day. I recommend reading that, if only because misery loves company. That's not to say there aren't others, of course. That said, this fic is definitely one to check out if you're interested in stretching that 'eternal genin' status a little further.

 

Thank you, Moridin, for your reply. Especially the link to Menace's fic. Hadn't seen that yet for some unfathomable reason, so I'll read it right away.

And oh dear god, no, I've read Chuunin Exam Day, once, years ago, because it kept getting recommended all over the internet, and I got curious. NOT an experience I want to repeat, thank you. *shudders* Definitely not my cup of tea. It's true what they say, it's either a hate-it-or-love-it fic, no in-between. No, the fic I'm looking for is definitely not that one.

In truth, it's less about Naruto's eternal genin status and more the fact that the ridiculousness of it seldom gets touched upon unless it's crackfic, more often than not bad crackfic at that. (Exception like that one from Menace are rare, as you know.) I mean, for heaven's sake, even Sakura the useless got promoted in canon (never mind how often she gets a bamf upgrade in fanfic, often to the detriment of the other members of Team 7, especially Naruto).

And generally it's just disappointing that, be it the little-but-big-things like that in canon, or some plot device an author uses, the consequences, namely psychologically, physically, and in form of the events that unfold are seldom touched upon. Like, for example, the author will have written a timetravel story, and then still everything is as it was in canon, up to and including the supposedly random chuunin exam prelims matches? Or they will prevent the Uchiha massacre, but not one word about the consequent civil war that then should happen, because miraculously the coup isn't on the table anymore for no reason at all?

Basically it doesn't matter whether it's about something in canon, or some plot device of the author's, I'm interested in fics where the author is resolute in showing reasonable, common sense consequences of actions taken or not taken. (Because in fact, I'm generally very interested in common sense in fic when canon --and not just in Naruto, sadly-- often lacks it.)

I don't know how to really describe what I mean better, sorry.

(By the way, any fics that answer the question, "What happens if, after everything, Naruto is not named Hokage"?)

 

The World's Greatest Chunin Exam Team


I wonder if you are looking for something like this?

 

For example, yes. Thank you!

 

You are a monster, Moridin.