[Fic] "Tides AU" index page - Naruto
"Tides" is a Naruto AU series, which currently contains one finished multi-part fic, one long one-shot, and a fragment of another, mostly unwritten multi-part fic. It goes AU from the manga shortly after the timeskip. The basic idea is that Gaara was rescued before his tailed beast was removed, Kakashi wasn't wiped out by the mission, Sakura didn't learn about Sasori's spy, and Team 7 promptly kidnapped Sasuke from Hidden Sound before Orochimaru's plans matured, with no involvement from either Sai or Yamato.
Then things get complicated. *grin*
I wrote the first story on the assumption that Itachi was a villain, though my outlines for the unwritten parts have been adjusted in an attempt to at least pay lip service to the idea that he's a double agent for Konoha. I still think he is incredibly fucked in the head though, and nobody is ever going to convince me otherwise.
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Tides AU - Table of Contents
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PART ONE: TIDES -- 17,000 words, March 2005-June 2005. Three years have changed them and their world, and it takes time to put friendships back together. Team 7, AU after the timeskip. (Assume they rescued Gaara before his demon was removed, and then Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi kidnapped Sasuke from Hidden Sound before Orochimaru's plans matured.) Implied familial dysfunction.
Tension, Before: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 1,075 words, 3/27/05. Seeing Sasuke again after all these years is strange, and Sakura's not quite sure what to feel.
First Steps: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 2,225 words, 4/2/05. Darkness swirls and ebbs, and Sasuke can hear himself breathing. Faint echoes return to his ears; he's inside, in a small room. He's flat on his back, and he's alive.
Tame: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 1,825 words, 4/8/05. Sasuke's heavy for someone so thin, but most ninja are heavy for their size. Chakra only goes so far without muscle to back it up, and muscle isn't light. Of course, Naruto could carry Sasuke three times over without getting tired, but the extra weight still slows him down.
Threads: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 1,500 words, 4/13/05. Sasuke refuses to let her within two feet of his body. He offers no explanation, but Sakura knows he's wary of seals, wary of the way she can shut down his mind and body with a single touch.
Contracts: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 1,900 words, 4/18/05. Wave Country is very different from Sasuke's memories. The mainland port is bursting with life, as people move food, spices, cloth, pots, furniture, stone, wood, art, rugs, and hundreds of other likely and unlikely trade items back and forth over the Great Naruto Bridge.
Spring Cleaning: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 1,225 words, 5/11/05. Inari may have stopped proclaiming doom and death to everyone he runs across, but he's still a supremely irritating brat and he can not keep his nose out of other people's business. By the end of the first day, Naruto's ready to strangle the kid, and as soon as Sakura finishes restocking their supplies, he drags his teammates out the door.
Forward and Back: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 1,525 words, 5/16/05. Naruto, who seems to have worked a ridiculous number of odd jobs to finance his trip and Jiraiya-san's perversions, takes charge of the rebuilding project. Sakura doesn't protest. She's learned not to doubt him when he says he can do something.
As the Gentle Rain: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 1,975 words, 6/2/05. The world is painted in lines and edges and dyed with a red watercolor wash. The slightest hint of movement rips across the fragmented lines, disturbing the patterns and calling Sasuke's attention. The slightest breath of chakra lights the pale red into neon swirls. Nothing escapes his notice. ...And somehow Naruto still manages to surprise him.
Set the Bait: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 1,775 words, 6/28/05. Sakura stops two steps inside the bar and makes a face. "Are you sure this is the right place?"
Naruto sighs. "Yeah. It's kinda illegal to hire missing-nin, you know? So they can't afford to attract official attention, and as long as they're breaking one law, they might as well break lots."
Wings: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 2,250 words, 6/29/05. Three months since they left Konoha, Sakura thinks to herself as she rolls up her seal diagrams and calculations. One week to Wave Country, two and a half months at Zabuza's hideout, and one week to find a contract and a boat. Three months in hiding, three months preparing to play bait for Itachi. She touches the ribbon in her hair and misses the weight of her forehead protector.
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INTERLUDE
Undertow: ( AO3 version; ff.net version) 7,500 words, 9/28/09. Chouryuukei Tsukimaru thinks he is playing a game with a helpless girl as his toy. He is very, very wrong. AU Team 7 fic, semi-sequel to "Tides."
This story contains assassination for money, implied past sexual abuse and murder of several young women, familial dysfunction, and coercion into a sexual relationship. (There is, however, no rape within the actual story.)
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PART TWO: LEAVES
AKA, the story that doesn't exist. Alas!
If it existed, this fic would take Team 7 back to Wave Country for a brief and inconclusive confrontation with Itachi and Kisame, after which they would return to Konoha to verify some vague and confusing things Itachi says about the Uchiha massacre. Sasuke would be trapped under house arrest while Sakura and Naruto tried to get access to classified documents; possibly there would be some kind of subplot involving Danzo and Root. Eventually they would learn at least some of the truth about Madara, be unable to get the council to let them do anything useful, and escape to become missing-nin again.
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PART THREE: SPARKS
AKA, the story that I wrote one fragment of because Sakura's awesomeness compelled me.
This fic would pick up with Team 7 going to kill Orochimaru and Kabuto (partly for their own satisfaction, partly so Tsunade will have an excuse to order off any pursuit), continue through some stuff with Akatsuki, and probably deal with their efforts to make the rest of the ninja world get serious about confronting Akatsuki.
Troy in Reverse: (AO3 version) 1,075 words, 4/28/10. Sakura is perfectly happy to let Sasuke and Naruto fight Orochimaru on their own. She trusts them, and she has the wrong skills for a battle between three ninjutsu specialists. She fights close-in, not at mid-range.
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And just for fun, an AU of the AU, with special bonus crossover action! *grin*
An Alternate Solution to the Problem of Madara: (AO3 version) 1,450 words, 11/16/13. The wilds of Sound Country are the next best thing to the middle of nowhere. Travelers are few and far between. Unexpected meetings are thus narratively inevitable. Naruto/Chronicles of Narnia crossover. [gift!fic for
sabriel]
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*declares victory, at least for now*
You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth, where there are currently (
comments)
Then things get complicated. *grin*
I wrote the first story on the assumption that Itachi was a villain, though my outlines for the unwritten parts have been adjusted in an attempt to at least pay lip service to the idea that he's a double agent for Konoha. I still think he is incredibly fucked in the head though, and nobody is ever going to convince me otherwise.
---------------------------------------------
Tides AU - Table of Contents
---------------------------------------------
PART ONE: TIDES -- 17,000 words, March 2005-June 2005. Three years have changed them and their world, and it takes time to put friendships back together. Team 7, AU after the timeskip. (Assume they rescued Gaara before his demon was removed, and then Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi kidnapped Sasuke from Hidden Sound before Orochimaru's plans matured.) Implied familial dysfunction.
Tension, Before: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 1,075 words, 3/27/05. Seeing Sasuke again after all these years is strange, and Sakura's not quite sure what to feel.
First Steps: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 2,225 words, 4/2/05. Darkness swirls and ebbs, and Sasuke can hear himself breathing. Faint echoes return to his ears; he's inside, in a small room. He's flat on his back, and he's alive.
Tame: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 1,825 words, 4/8/05. Sasuke's heavy for someone so thin, but most ninja are heavy for their size. Chakra only goes so far without muscle to back it up, and muscle isn't light. Of course, Naruto could carry Sasuke three times over without getting tired, but the extra weight still slows him down.
Threads: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 1,500 words, 4/13/05. Sasuke refuses to let her within two feet of his body. He offers no explanation, but Sakura knows he's wary of seals, wary of the way she can shut down his mind and body with a single touch.
Contracts: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 1,900 words, 4/18/05. Wave Country is very different from Sasuke's memories. The mainland port is bursting with life, as people move food, spices, cloth, pots, furniture, stone, wood, art, rugs, and hundreds of other likely and unlikely trade items back and forth over the Great Naruto Bridge.
Spring Cleaning: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 1,225 words, 5/11/05. Inari may have stopped proclaiming doom and death to everyone he runs across, but he's still a supremely irritating brat and he can not keep his nose out of other people's business. By the end of the first day, Naruto's ready to strangle the kid, and as soon as Sakura finishes restocking their supplies, he drags his teammates out the door.
Forward and Back: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 1,525 words, 5/16/05. Naruto, who seems to have worked a ridiculous number of odd jobs to finance his trip and Jiraiya-san's perversions, takes charge of the rebuilding project. Sakura doesn't protest. She's learned not to doubt him when he says he can do something.
As the Gentle Rain: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 1,975 words, 6/2/05. The world is painted in lines and edges and dyed with a red watercolor wash. The slightest hint of movement rips across the fragmented lines, disturbing the patterns and calling Sasuke's attention. The slightest breath of chakra lights the pale red into neon swirls. Nothing escapes his notice. ...And somehow Naruto still manages to surprise him.
Set the Bait: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 1,775 words, 6/28/05. Sakura stops two steps inside the bar and makes a face. "Are you sure this is the right place?"
Naruto sighs. "Yeah. It's kinda illegal to hire missing-nin, you know? So they can't afford to attract official attention, and as long as they're breaking one law, they might as well break lots."
Wings: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 2,250 words, 6/29/05. Three months since they left Konoha, Sakura thinks to herself as she rolls up her seal diagrams and calculations. One week to Wave Country, two and a half months at Zabuza's hideout, and one week to find a contract and a boat. Three months in hiding, three months preparing to play bait for Itachi. She touches the ribbon in her hair and misses the weight of her forehead protector.
---------------
INTERLUDE
Undertow: ( AO3 version; ff.net version) 7,500 words, 9/28/09. Chouryuukei Tsukimaru thinks he is playing a game with a helpless girl as his toy. He is very, very wrong. AU Team 7 fic, semi-sequel to "Tides."
This story contains assassination for money, implied past sexual abuse and murder of several young women, familial dysfunction, and coercion into a sexual relationship. (There is, however, no rape within the actual story.)
---------------
PART TWO: LEAVES
AKA, the story that doesn't exist. Alas!
If it existed, this fic would take Team 7 back to Wave Country for a brief and inconclusive confrontation with Itachi and Kisame, after which they would return to Konoha to verify some vague and confusing things Itachi says about the Uchiha massacre. Sasuke would be trapped under house arrest while Sakura and Naruto tried to get access to classified documents; possibly there would be some kind of subplot involving Danzo and Root. Eventually they would learn at least some of the truth about Madara, be unable to get the council to let them do anything useful, and escape to become missing-nin again.
---------------
PART THREE: SPARKS
AKA, the story that I wrote one fragment of because Sakura's awesomeness compelled me.
This fic would pick up with Team 7 going to kill Orochimaru and Kabuto (partly for their own satisfaction, partly so Tsunade will have an excuse to order off any pursuit), continue through some stuff with Akatsuki, and probably deal with their efforts to make the rest of the ninja world get serious about confronting Akatsuki.
Troy in Reverse: (AO3 version) 1,075 words, 4/28/10. Sakura is perfectly happy to let Sasuke and Naruto fight Orochimaru on their own. She trusts them, and she has the wrong skills for a battle between three ninjutsu specialists. She fights close-in, not at mid-range.
---------------
And just for fun, an AU of the AU, with special bonus crossover action! *grin*
An Alternate Solution to the Problem of Madara: (AO3 version) 1,450 words, 11/16/13. The wilds of Sound Country are the next best thing to the middle of nowhere. Travelers are few and far between. Unexpected meetings are thus narratively inevitable. Naruto/Chronicles of Narnia crossover. [gift!fic for
sabriel]
---------------------------------------------
*declares victory, at least for now*
You can also read this entry on Dreamwidth, where there are currently (
comments)