Naruto, 4 recs, Haruno Sakura/various
Fandom Category: Naruto
Pairing: Haruno Sakura/Rock Lee
Fic Title: Need
Author: link no miko
Link: www.fanfiction.net/s/2723950/1/
Rating/Warning(s): G, None
Genre: Drama, Romance
WIP?: No, one-shot at 1,048 words
Setting: before Shippuuden
Special Rec: 21/28
Why This Must Be Read: This fic is a lovely little one-shot that handles Sakura/Lee very well, without ignoring Sakura's obsession with Sasuke, and keeping both her and Lee in-character. ^^
Fandom Category: Naruto
Pairing: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Itachi
Fic Title: Perception
Author: Cynchick
Link: www.fanfiction.net/s/3558308/1/
Rating/Warning(s): NC-17, Character Death, Graphic Sex (thankfully it made it through the recent purge) *knocks on wood*
Genre: Drama, Romance
WIP?: No, complete at 20 chapters, 176,388 words
Setting: AU after chapter 330/volume 38, specifically the death of a certain villain
Special Rec: 22/28
Why This Must Be Read: The Akatsuki decide to capture Sakura for use as Naruto-bait, and it backfires wonderfully. I have to give this author credit: rather than belting out a straight-forward romance fic or PWP, they invested the effort to give us a thought-provoking and painful exploration of how mutual understanding between enemies can make things difficult for both sides. This one is a satisfying read and not for the faint of heart.
Fandom Category: Naruto
Pairing: Haruno Sakura/Deidara
Fic Title: Silver Lining (sequel to Perception above)
Author: Cynchick
Link: www.fanfiction.net/s/3820996/1/
Rating/Warning(s): NC-17, Graphic Sex (also escaped deletion!) *knocks on wood again*
Genre: Romance
WIP?: No, complete at 15 chapters, 126,010 words
Setting: 8 years after events in Silver Lining
Special Rec: 23/28
Why This Must Be Read: This one is a straight-forward romance fic that nicely satisfied my "Am I crazy, or..." wonderings while I was reading the previous fic. It starts angsty and turns rather mushy, but then Sakura is a very passionate person! *shameless grin* Hey, I like fluff sometimes! :D
Fandom Category: Naruto
Pairing: Haruno Sakura/Deidara
Fic Title: Somewhere I Have Never Traveled, Gladly Beyond
Author: Wyntermute
Link: www.fanfiction.net/s/3281376/1/
Rating/Warning(s): PG-13, Some character bashing of Naruto, but it's brief
Genre: Adventure, Romance
WIP?: No, complete at 16 chapters, 82,164 words
Setting: after the Rescue Gaara Shippuuden arc
Special Rec: 24/28
Why This Must Be Read: This fic was my first experience with Sakura/Deidara, and before its summary caught my eye, I'd never considered the pairing. I gave the fic a try, and was glad I did! (Yes, even with the Naruto-bashing.) Sakura and Deidara's uneasy alliance to find their way home after a teleporting-jutsu disaster, dealing with foreign cultures, and all the lovely UST make for a satisfying read.
I'm going away for the weekend, and I've been saving these Naruto recs for the occasion. I'll be back on Tuesday with more het goodness from anime and manga fandoms! X3
Mods, I need ship tags for Haruno Sakura/Rock Lee and Haruno Sakura/Deidara. Thank you, as always!