Fandom #18: Naruto
Naruto fandom, for me, is the fault of Askerian and Maldoror. I don't know who started writing in it first, but I followed them both from Gundam Wing to this.
You see, the Naruto fandom to me is all about Naruto himself. I think the canon post-timeskip is screwing him over, and I like the opportunities fandom gives him. So, I'm open to most pairings, het or slash, but I prefer Naruto to be one of the two(/three, etc.) in the coupling, and to be the main or a main character. Caveat: for me to read a Hinata/Naruto or Sakura/Naruto, they've gotta be pretty great. I default to non-canon or un-suggested by canon pairings. Besides that, I also read & rec gen.
Authors & Sites:
~ Obviously, check out Maldoror and Askerian, in my Author Recs! Slash and polyamory - Asuka really likes Naruto/Sasuke/Sakura. Maldoror prefers Gaara/Lee, and her series are the seminal fics for that pairing.
~ Try out Tonko-Ni, and her stuff. She's at http://tonko-ni.livejournal.com/8828.html#cutid1. She mostly goes for Naruto/Neji slash. DON'T MISS: her crossover with Anne McCaffrey's Pern.
~ Try Hidden Village Archives, at http://tentative.net/JBMcDragon/Hidden_Village/index.html.
~ Check out Legendary Archives at http://www.variable.nine-tales.net/legendary/main.html.
~ See Sennen Goroshi, the recs site, at http://thejewelrycasket.com/naruto/index.html.
~ TONFA, a.k.a. The Original Naruto Fanfiction Archive, at http://www.narutofic.org/.
Fic (Dead or Stalled)
~ A Twist of Chance, by MockV. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3598487/1/A_Twist_of_Chance. Gen. Actually good.
~ Crimson Edge, by Fosfor. Read it at http://www.ficwad.com/story/47383. Crossover with Bleach. Gen, with implied het. Naruto as the reincarnation of Urahara. Possibly good - many typos.
~ One of the Cool Kids, by Firefly. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3094580/1/One_of_the_Cool_Kids. Gen, Akatsuki-centric. Actually GREAT; hilarious, pre-spoiler about Tobi.
~ Remnants of a Forgotten Dream, by Fastforward and Poisson d'Avril. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3318992/1/. Crossover with Bleach. Gen. Hitsugaya and Naruto = BFF. Possibly good.
~ Something to Die For, by Macavity the Mystery Cat. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3003800/1/Something_to_Die_For. Gen. Ibiki teaches team 7 instead of Kakashi. Actually good.
~ Sunrise, Sunset, by Wings of a Wolf. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3365158/1/. One of those Naruto-gets-through-to-Itachi-with-the-power-of-his-character fics. Slash, Itachi/Naruto. Possibly good. Pre-Tobi spoiler.
~ Tales of the FoxCat, by Ozzallos. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2685072/1/Tales_of_the_FoxCat. Crossover with Ranma 1/2. Gen. *Obviously* Naruto and Ranma would get on like a house on fire... and that's before the Oiroke! Actually good.
~ Team 8, by S'tarKan. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2731239/1/. Gen, implied het, Hinata --> Naruto UST, possibly future Hinata/Naruto. Actually GREAT - if ever I was willing to read a Hinata/Naruto, this would be IT. What would happen if Kurenai actually requested for Naruto to join team 8, instead of Kiba... this author does it right. Mind you, I would be ecstatic if this actually became a Shino/Hinata/Naruto, but a threesome is unlikely, and at least Shino gets his dues in characterization.
~ Tempered in Water, by HitokiriOTD. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3183054/1/. Gen, possibly future het. Naruto saves Haku (who is, as often in fandom, actually female. When will I get Haku/Naruto *slash*?), who comes back to Konoha with team 7. Actually GREAT.
~ The Art of the Deal, by Case13. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3524043/1/. Gen, implied het. Naruto is not a ninja, but instead... he's an aggressive, 21st-century-style-smarts businessman. Actually good.
Fic (WIPs that are active, as of early '10)
~ An Alternative Path, by Zessei. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3790310/1/An_Alternative_Path. Gen. Kakashi wises up and actually tries to teach team 7 skills. Possibly good.
~ Bittersweet Sixteen, by Astra M. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3287408/1/. Het, Ino + Naruto leads to Sakura <--> Naruto and Shikamaru --> Ino. One of those old-fashioned romantic comedies, involving jealousy. Mind you, I would've prefered the end result to be Ino/Naruto, but hey. Actually good.
~ Diplomacy, by Riikitikitavi. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4003590/1/Diplomacy. Gen, implied het ---> het. A sequel to another great fic that you need to read first, so scroll down to the Finished Fic for "Vessel". The future couple is Sakura/Deidara, which only works in this fic! Actually GREAT.
~ Juniper, by Agent Spielplatz. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2580061/1/Juniper. Gen. Naruto is permanently injured by Mizuki, and team 7 has to learn to adjust before they even begin. Actually good.
~ No Longer Alone, by Iced Blood. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2636740/1/. Gen. Konoha and Suna trade: Sasuke for Gaara. Years later, you get a team with Hinata, Naruto and Gaara... Actually good. Slow updates, though.
~ The Great Romantic, by MogtheGnome. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3810394/1/The_Great_Romantic. Heehee. Het, humor fic. Tenten --> Naruto, and she may well catch him. Naruto has a habit of collecting powerful weapons, and giving them away to Tenten. She is, of course, grateful, and she as well as Konoha thinks that they are courting gifts.
~ The Guardian In Spite of Herself, by Elizabeth Culmer. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2684700/1/The_Guardian_in_Spite_of_Herself. Gen. Follow-up to "The Way of the Apartment Manager". As that was, so this is: Actually GREAT. Yukiko works, and time goes on, post-Uchiha massacre. Sasuke comes to live at the apartments.
~ The Melody of the Fox, by Jetslinger. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3481273/1/. Gen, heading towards het; if so, it will be Tayuya/Naruto. Tayuya survives, though not without cost, and Naruto works his characteristic magic on her spirits. Actually good.
~ The Nine Broken Mirrors, by Ayien. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3687756/1/The_Nine_Broken_Mirrors. Gen. The Jinchuuriki band together on Naruto's urging, and withdraw from the Hidden Villages. Timeline diverges precisely post Naruto's fight with Gaara; you see, the Kyuubi shows him two futures and makes him choose which path to follow. Actually GREAT. There may never be another such moving portrayal of the cost to Jinchuuriki of existing.
~ The Tragedy of Repetition, by Ruruoni12065. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3536141/1/The_Tragedy_of_Repetition. Gen, a time-travel with a twist. Naruto doesn't even want to skip over the years - he lives through everything again, from the reign of the Third to young!Naruto's Chuunin exams. He's buddies with Anko, and a mentor to young!Naruto - and he's concealed his past identity. Actually good.
~ Tsunade's Heir, by FunkmasterJo. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3082320/1/. Gen. Tsunade adopts Naruto, and brings him up. Most of the story is just okay, but the Omakes involving gambling are so funny, that sometimes I just re-read those. Possibly good.
Fic (Finished)
~ See Eyeshield 21 Recs for a crossover/fusion. Slash, implied, Sasuke/Hiruma. Actually good.
~ 20 Reasons Itachi Does the Shopping For Akatsuki, by Domlandbubbles. Read it at http://domlandbubbles.livejournal.com/79373.html. Gen, humor. Of *course* Itachi was the shopper - look at how everyone else would've fared! Actually GREAT.
~ 20 Truths About Jiraiya and Umino Iruka, by Hey-Diddle-Diddle. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2867620/1/Twenty_Truths_About_Jiraiya_and_Umino_Iruka. Mostly gen, with one slashy one-night stand. Jiraiya and Iruka are friends - or maybe acquaintances. Actually good.
~ 20 Truths (Uzumaki Naruto), by Jitka Taylor. Read it at http://jitkajaylor.livejournal.com/21341.html#cutid4. Gen. Suzumi is who taught Naruto Oiroke! (Psst: she's one of the indistinguishable backup chuunin teachers.) Naruto is smarter than he looks! I love the idea, and the possible alteration to timeskip canon this implies. Actually good.
~ A Justifiable Excuse, by Reimars. Read it at http://reimars.livejournal.com/18551.html. Gen. "There is no sin in killing your family, when they are only imposters." An Itachi fic that makes him both insane, yet sympathetic - it's not his fault that he's been damaged... and in the end, this is a far more likely reason for his actions than any others I've heard. Actually GREAT.
~ All The Broken Pieces, by Princess Tyler Briefs. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3151454/1/. Slash. An Iruka and Kakashi courtship. Actually good.
~ Believe, by Bugpimp. Read it at http://community.livejournal.com/naruto_fanworks/81786.html. Gen. Naruto spurns the acceptance of fair-weather friends; he knows whose support was the most important. Warning: character death. A sad piece. Actually good.
~ Five Reasons, by Eminyet. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3543709/1/Five_Reasons. A set of drabbles in each chapter, centered around different themes. Mostly, an underlying idea that Naruto is neither so stupid nor so forgiving as canon suggests. Actually good - though some chapters are better than others.
~ From the Ashes, by Peppymint. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3217416/1/. Gen. Naruto doesn't get mad - he gets even. An OC betrays him, and Naruto becomes a missing-nin, presumed dead. He works with a realistic Grass Missing-nin OC. Actually good.
~ If Only, by Mari Falcon. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3442027/1/If_Only. Gen. Naruto switches with an AU-version of himself, and gets to experience a family. Actually good.
~ Inamorato, by Firefly. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3486211/1/. Gen, maybe implied slash; humor. Tobi gives all of Akatsuki character-appropriate Valentines. Ahahahah! Actually GREAT.
~ It Takes A Village, by Aishuu. Read it at http://community.livejournal.com/quillofferings/50707.html. Gen. "It takes a village to raise a child - but no one said the village would raise them well." A set of drabbles, about the Rookie Nine and Team Gai. What it means to be the product of a ninja village. Actually GREAT.
~ Lessons Learnt Along the Way, by Jamjar. Read it at http://jamjar.livejournal.com/75701.html. Gen. A series of vignettes about Naruto's travels with Jiraiya. Actually GREAT.
~ Naruto, by Fastforward. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3619954/1/. Slash, implied, Naruto/Sasuke. Naruto has been in a coma for years, and the ninja world is his fantasy. How things change when he wakes... Actually good.
~ Necromancer, by V-chan2k6. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3105605/1/Necromancer. Gen, but het UST between Tenten and Sasuke. Man, I would never have looked for a fic with so little Naruto in it, but I'm so glad I read this! Tenten reminds Sasuke of family... and over time, pre-chuunin exams, she manages to reach him, and change his mind. The author doesn't gloss over character development, or hesitate to show how Tenten still wasn't enough to stop Sasuke's defection... until suddenly she *was*. Actually GREAT.
~ Not Heaven, by Almighty-Frog. Read it at http://almighty-frog.insanejournal.com/103503.html. Gen --> slash. Naruto/Gaara. "Maybe this world's not heaven, but (Naruto thinks, at the end of his courtship/pre-dating *thing* with Gaara) it's as close as two demons are ever going to get." Sweet, and a good alternative had Gaara not lost the One-tail, nor the post-timeskip canon occurred. It *was* written pre-skip, anyways. Actually GREAT.
~ Nothing Gold Can Stay, by Ayien. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3726257/1/Nothing_Gold_Can_Stay. Gen. Yugito Nii centric. She was the Two-tails, killed quickly by Akatsuki. Actually good.
~ Persistence of Vision, by sna. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2385795/1/. Gen, some implied het. Kakashi's teammates are always looking out for him. Actually good.
~ Reconstruction by Erisabesu. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3336799/1/. Slash, UST --> Naruto/Sai, Sasuke <--> Naruto; implied but somewhat explicit at times. Sasuke has returned - but Sai doesn't give in, and speeds up his romancing of Naruto instead. Sai wins, but Sasuke's given a second chance should he get his act together. The pragmatist in me says they should just have a threesome... but that's up to Naruto. Actually good.
~ Shame and Fame, by ckret2. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3540410/1/Shame_and_Fame. Gen, implied het. Obito was a stronger influence on Itachi than anyone else... and the careless words of a babysitter have long-term ramifications. I love the reasoning here - Itachi imprints so hard on Obito, as a smart but young child would, and he does not forgive his loss. He vows to keep his promise with Obito: "We'll make the Uchiha special/great again, or die trying!" Problem: Obito tells him how ninja become great... and it's not by being good. Actually GREAT.
~ Spying no Jutsu, by Daniel-Gudman. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2859078/1/. Ahahah - gen, with het and femslash undertones. Naruto is given a special mission, requiring Oiroke no Jutsu. Mm-hmm. "She" entrances both Sasuke and Yugito (the Two-tails). But there's plenty of mission stuff, too - and an Iruka polygon of het UST. Actually good.
~ Strong and Strike, by CollaneR. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3744648/1/Strong_and_Strike. Gen, implied slash. Gaara/Lee ---> Gaara/Naruto. Two immortal jinchuuriki meet to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Kazekage. Actually GREAT.
~ Swallowed a Fly, by Ronsard. Read it at http://ronsard.livejournal.com/14207.html. Slash, and femslash, implied. Naruto/Jiraiya; Tsunade/Shizune in background. This was the best story ever! *steps off glee-pedestal* Seriously, I love how Ronsard made a poetic and moving picture of Naruto going from Sakura, to Sasuke, and ending up with Jiraiya as the person who understands him the most. He won't give up, even when Jiraiya tells him to beat it. The age difference isn't brushed off either - and by the time I reached the end, I loved the pairing and wished there were more fic of it. Actually GREAT. {Note: Ronsard went back and changed one of my favorite lines! Wah! I saved the old version to disk, though. :)}
~ Team Gai: Chronicles, by Erisabesu. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3336882/1/. Gen --> Het, Slash, Polyamory. Tenten/Neji/Lee, with background Ino/Chouji/Shikamaru and Sakura/Naruto/Sasuke. Team Gai grows up and grows together. Actually good.
~ The Great Landscaping Crisis, by MogtheGnome. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3629398/1/The_Great_Landscaping_Crisis. Ahahah, gen, humor. Some authors let Naruto learn how to make exploding bunshin... but really, what of the consequences? Actually GREAT.
~ The Night the House of Cards Was Built, by Drakensis. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3480341/1/. Gen, femslash implied; humor. Six-year-old Naruto makes his way into Konoha's Poker Night. His luck takes care of the rest. Appearances by most of the Konoha clans (as of that time), Kurenai, and Anko. A follow-up chapter, for the morning after, is fun but not required. Actually GREAT.
~ The Way of the Apartment Manager, by Elizabeth Culmer. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/2422891/1/The_Way_of_the_Apartment_Manager. An OC, one of the best I've ever read, survives the Kyuubi, and years later is in the position of leasing to Naruto. She ends up seriously changed by his influence on her life. Actually GREAT - it's a classic in the fandom.
~ To Broken Men, by MuffyTaj. Read it at http://muffytaj.livejournal.com/278969.html#cutid1. Het --> slash, polyamory. Sakura and Naruto snag Kakashi, and then Sasuke. Actually good.
~ Training Kakashi, by Ranty Rie. Read it at http://ranty-rie.livejournal.com/82902.html. Slash, possibly explicit. One of the Iruka/Kakashi fics, and fairly long. I've forgotten the specifics. Possibly good.
~ A Three Part Set: 1) Twenty Matters of Pride to Hyuuga Neji, at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3242305/1/. 2) Twenty Unknown Secrets of Maito Gai, at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3742433/1/Twenty_Unknown_Secrets_of_Maito_Gai. 3) Twenty Times Uzumaki Naruto Didn't Die, at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4027929/1/Twenty_Times_Uzumaki_Naruto_Didnt_Die. All by Kraken's Ghost. Gen, implied het (Most characters marry in background; suggested Sakura/Sasuke and Naruto/OFC who is a Hyuuga). An awesome take on what it means to be Neji, Gai and Naruto. The fics are all moving, and quite serious. A nod to the theory about the ninjaverse as a post-apocalyptic Earth. Actually GREAT.
~ Under Cobwebs, by Crinklescofftrip. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3249671/1/. Gen. An exploration of Itachi's pysche. uses the Tobito theory, but sparingly. Actually good.
~ Unstoppable Meets Unbreakable, by MuffyTaj. Read it at http://muffytaj.livejournal.com/280187.html?style=mine. AHAHAH. Gen, implied het (sly mention of Snape --> Lily). HUMOR, humor, in conclusion humor. A crossover with Harry Potter. Telling any more would be spoiling, so I'll just say: Snape and Gai get on like a real house on fire... screaming, people fleeing, etc. Actually GREAT.
~ Vessel, by Riikitikitavi. Read it at http://www.fanfiction.net/s/3718684/1/Vessel. Gen, het implied, UST Deidara --> Sakura. Akatsuki kidnap Sakura, planning to use her as the mother of a jinchuuriki. Deidara is selected as the father. Neither cooperates, and by the end Akatsuki is effectively divided. (No pregnancies occurred in this fic, guys.) Actually GREAT.