In Which Aishuu Explores the Possibilities of Uchiha Mikoto
So, the Mikoto fic is finally up for the Itachikage-verse. Read the fic before reading this, since this won't make sense otherwise.
So, it's no secret that I feel that Kishimoto really sucks when it comes to writing strong female characters. The only out-and-out-consistently-awesome female is Temari. Mei has potential, Chiyo was pretty decent, and maybe the Inuzuka females, but the rest of the females might have tones of awesome, but most are weakened by waiting for a guy to save them or for a guy to get involved (Hinata, Sakura, Tsunade, Konan, etc.) The females can't exist independently, not like the guys can.
So we come to Mikoto, who we know is a jounin-ranked kunoichi. However, like every other female who has a child (with the exception of Tsume), she appears to have lost all her power as a kunoichi to become a mother (I'm thinking Kushina and Kurenai, although they are pregnant so that might be excused).
The issue I have with kunoichi is that they're not really differentiated between shinobi. We do know they're given special lessons (flower arranging?), but nothing much is ever really done with it. Fanon assumes sex is a part of it, but in canon, Tsunade is the most powerful kunoichi - she's of the mold that can go head-to-head with the guys.
This doesn't make a ton of sense, because it would seem to imply that the only way kunoichi can become powerful is to be able to fight with the big boys. This gets down into the major misconception of the Naruto world: that the fighters are really ninja. Another fan pointed out that they're really shock troops, lacking the subtlety of ninja (yes, I'm thinking of Kakashi's "chidori" as an assassination jutsu!).
I'm thinking it makes more sense for kunoichi to be more subtle. I like the idea of kunoichi being experts in the use of soft power.
So while I was working on the Itachikage verse, I realized things are going a bit too nicely for him, since he seems to be winning every confrontation. It's no secret that his family was going to be the problem, but I decided to invert the stereotype of Fugaku as powerful, controlling father figure and make Mikoto the one really pulling the strings.
Sometimes we get caught up in the fanon and forget to explore other possibilities. I've never seen Mikoto portrayed as anything but maternal in fandom. It's likely this is what Kishimoto has in mind (given his track record with females), but there's a possibility that she could be more layered.
In a way, portraying her as the real heir of Madara is about taking away the victimization of Mikoto, Mikoto as Japanese housewife, Mikoto as the "other" parent who died because she stood by.
The other thing I was hoping to do with this is create dimensionality for the Uchiha clan... Mikoto isn't evil, but she is willing to kill her child for the good of her clan. It will break her heart, but she'll do it.
The Mikoto fic has the potential to become some of my headcanon for the Uchiha. It's also setting things up for some kinda cool comparisons between Tsunade (whom I love but I whom I think of as more shinobi than kunoichi) and Mikoto. They're the granddaughters of Shodaime and Madara, and I like to explore what that could possibly mean.
Despite their bloodline's inherent skills, most of the Uchiha don't seem to have done subtle very well, with the exception of Itachi's plots in the second canon arc to manipulate Sasuke into killing him for Sasuke's own sake - it's something Sasuke would never think of, since Sasuke tends to confront things head-on. Sasuke, I think, is Fugaku's son. Itachi is Mikoto's in this universe.I
So, it's no secret that I feel that Kishimoto really sucks when it comes to writing strong female characters. The only out-and-out-consistently-awesome female is Temari. Mei has potential, Chiyo was pretty decent, and maybe the Inuzuka females, but the rest of the females might have tones of awesome, but most are weakened by waiting for a guy to save them or for a guy to get involved (Hinata, Sakura, Tsunade, Konan, etc.) The females can't exist independently, not like the guys can.
So we come to Mikoto, who we know is a jounin-ranked kunoichi. However, like every other female who has a child (with the exception of Tsume), she appears to have lost all her power as a kunoichi to become a mother (I'm thinking Kushina and Kurenai, although they are pregnant so that might be excused).
The issue I have with kunoichi is that they're not really differentiated between shinobi. We do know they're given special lessons (flower arranging?), but nothing much is ever really done with it. Fanon assumes sex is a part of it, but in canon, Tsunade is the most powerful kunoichi - she's of the mold that can go head-to-head with the guys.
This doesn't make a ton of sense, because it would seem to imply that the only way kunoichi can become powerful is to be able to fight with the big boys. This gets down into the major misconception of the Naruto world: that the fighters are really ninja. Another fan pointed out that they're really shock troops, lacking the subtlety of ninja (yes, I'm thinking of Kakashi's "chidori" as an assassination jutsu!).
I'm thinking it makes more sense for kunoichi to be more subtle. I like the idea of kunoichi being experts in the use of soft power.
So while I was working on the Itachikage verse, I realized things are going a bit too nicely for him, since he seems to be winning every confrontation. It's no secret that his family was going to be the problem, but I decided to invert the stereotype of Fugaku as powerful, controlling father figure and make Mikoto the one really pulling the strings.
Sometimes we get caught up in the fanon and forget to explore other possibilities. I've never seen Mikoto portrayed as anything but maternal in fandom. It's likely this is what Kishimoto has in mind (given his track record with females), but there's a possibility that she could be more layered.
In a way, portraying her as the real heir of Madara is about taking away the victimization of Mikoto, Mikoto as Japanese housewife, Mikoto as the "other" parent who died because she stood by.
The other thing I was hoping to do with this is create dimensionality for the Uchiha clan... Mikoto isn't evil, but she is willing to kill her child for the good of her clan. It will break her heart, but she'll do it.
The Mikoto fic has the potential to become some of my headcanon for the Uchiha. It's also setting things up for some kinda cool comparisons between Tsunade (whom I love but I whom I think of as more shinobi than kunoichi) and Mikoto. They're the granddaughters of Shodaime and Madara, and I like to explore what that could possibly mean.
Despite their bloodline's inherent skills, most of the Uchiha don't seem to have done subtle very well, with the exception of Itachi's plots in the second canon arc to manipulate Sasuke into killing him for Sasuke's own sake - it's something Sasuke would never think of, since Sasuke tends to confront things head-on. Sasuke, I think, is Fugaku's son. Itachi is Mikoto's in this universe.I