A/N, WARNINGS, AU, GLOSSARY AND MUSIC
My new story is complete and one chapter will post daily, beginning today. Happy Easter! 15 Chapters.
A Letter from the Author:
Hi, I'm Jess Molly, a.k.a. jmolly (she/her). Canadian (Scottish and British roots), Leftist, LGBTQ ally, Christ-follower (don't trust North American churches), Gen X, Mom of Four.
You can call me Jess or Molly as long as you call me for dinner. It's a pen name. Forgive me for oversharing, it's a chronic affliction. For those of you who don't know me, I used to be a medium size fish in a big pond in the Twilight Fandom and I loved (and still love) all my readers so much. I really enjoyed sharing my life and my passions with them. I still get messages from readers every few weeks saying they miss me and I tell them, "Don't give up on me. I still intend to come back and finish my WiPs." And now? Watch out, here I come!
Six years ago on April 26th, my life fell apart in a violent domestic assault that was too melodramatic for TV. I was too terrified to share. Marriage? Gone. Home? Soon gone. Safety? Gone. Privacy? At least it didn't make the news despite the neighbourhood stir. My doggy soulmate died one year later. I caught Covid in 2023 and nearly died of pneumonia, and lost my singing voice which has not healed. I joke with my friends about Flying Monkey Voodoo Curses. And I'm too old for this shit, eh? I had to leave my city to get free, so I moved to the region I love best: Niagara Falls, Canada. Specific details will not be given. Please don't dox me or my ex. I am in the process of ending my social media silence. Complex PTSD is a real bitch, da 'tteba. But I've always been a fighter.
Guess what? I've never been happier than I am now.
I haven't been able to write for eight years. My stories were all tangled up with my life. Love for my characters—both Twilight and original published fiction—and knowing their paths still did not make it possible to put words on paper. All that passion got sealed up. I'd sit down and try to write, and everything on the paper was crap.
I work in home health care with elderly clients. Seven months ago, I broke my foot and I just found out nine days ago that I have multiple unhealed small fractures that were never diagnosed or treated. Still off work and walking with a cane like an 80-year-old with bursitis. My eldest son has been my rock. He speaks and writes fluent Japanese and is a huge anime fan. We've watched a bunch of anime over the past six years and although I liked it, there were very few series that I would choose to watch on my own. And then about five months ago, he decided it was time for us to watch Naruto. It took a while for it to get my undivided attention. The Pein arc changed all that. Plus, nobody can tell me Naruto's not a love story summed up in two words: Finding Sasuke. The gay coding is enough to drown in. I will happily swim in it. If you don't believe Sasu/Naru or its switch is the canon ship, don't bother opening this story. Additionally, any LGBT hate will be reported.
'Round about the beginning of March, a giant plot bunny hopped into my head and made itself at home. It's a very complicated, pushy bunny and I don't have the chops to write it yet. It will take me months and months of research and I'm Shikamaru-level lazy right now. Too lazy to deal with footnotes and author explanations. The Glossary I've attached below is kind of a monster: totally disorganized and not annotated. Please don't sue me, I'm poor. I'm just too short on energy to be that conscientious. I may fix it someday. Not.
Sunday, March 23, 2025, a smaller, louder, extremely obnoxious bunny barged in and refused to be ignored. And I was scared to pick it up, to be honest. What if my talent, a big part of my identity, was gone forever?
The bunny forced me to open a blank word document. And I wrote a title: Fifteen. And the floodgates opened. A Fanfic waltzed in fully-formed. I have barely stopped typing since. It's disrupted my sleep. I'm ignoring my responsibilities. Thank God I can stay home right now. The return of the muse was so exciting and he has never been stronger. Such a huge relief. And it opened up other bits of me that were closed off. I called a couple of long-lost relatives. I downloaded some sheet music and played the piano (clumsily) for the third time in fifteen years. I sat there and bawled because I could still read notes. My therapist is doing the bloody Snoopy Dance of Joy.
Know what else? I'm hearing my other characters for the first time in years. They're very pushy. They expect to be heard and to say they're mad as hell at me is putting it mildly. Edward Cullen has offered help with revenge a few million times, and that's something that I—like Naruto—do not believe in. So, I will be going back to those stories, but I won't be posting chapters until those stories have been completed. I'm going to avoid the pressure of writing and posting week-to-week, especially because some (unquantified) day I'll be going back to work.
I've also briefly mused about restoring my website and doing maintenance on my Amazon books. I abandoned those tasks three years ago so fixing the issue is gonna take some work. No writer likes marketing.
I want to thank my closest "real life" fandom friends, these gals, who have stuck with me through it all: Ladylibre, 2old2care, LissaBryan, lissaemtb, Booksgalore/Bookishqua, Katmom, Momof2, T. , jmonzey1993, and M. .
To my readers, especially those who have been with me since 2009, thank you for showing up today. Thank you for sharing your affection. I hope you, and new people, will love this story. Maybe it's not any good, I dunno. Regardless, I'm proud of it. First chapter posts today.
Love,
Jess Molly Brown a.k.a jmolly
WARNING: This story contains self-harm, depression, child abuse and neglect, threatened suicide and discussion of its effects, the real perils of coming out, LGBTQ themes and Complex PTSD related to war. If you are suffering, please get help. You are/will be loved again so reach out to somebody. Even me. I will talk to you. Find me on FB (please lemme know that you know me from here. I get hit on a lot so I screen potential friends).
About this Alternate Universe:
If you cry reading this story, and laugh later, I have done my job. #evilauthorgoals
It is an S/N/S Switch, but leans toward Naru-Sasu with heavy Boy Love.
I humbly ask that if you enjoy the story, you review each chapter (even if you only write a smiley face).
The Sasuke Retsuden didn't happen here.
Hatred (prejudice) based on race, gender, religion and sexual orientation is almost unheard of in this world. Prejudice is more common based on ethnicity, group affiliation (especially militarism and family clans), archaic traditional roles and definitions of belonging. And the nin are working on that.
I have not included much basic story background that a fan of the Narutoverse would know. I didn't even provide links to where readers can find the information. I hope you'll decide that you want to read the canon manga. A lot of libraries stock the manga and the anime.
This story takes place five years after Boruto: Two Blue Vortex, Chapter 20. Boruto and Sarada are nearly twenty. Himawari is eighteen. If you haven't read it, this story contains spoilers. There are valid reasons to write off the Borutoverse, but the story development is psychologically sound and Two Blue Vortex is absolutely epic. I adore every kid in this series. As the manga is a work in progress, I am using my imagination. That may make certain of my story details explode like shrapnel away from canon once Kishimoto publishes new chapters. Kishimoto is the G.O.A.T.
In canon, the Uchiha Massacre happened when Sasuke was seven and Itachi was fourteen. In this story, Sasuke was four.
This is a world without plastic. I can dream, right?
I really want this story to be a dōjinshi (fanzine) but I have never tried to draw an anime character and I've never drawn anything on a computer. Plus, I'm left-handed so using the mouse to draw would be a beeyotch. Sigh. I need one of those drawing tablets $$$.
Five beloved characters are going to be badly trashed in this fic. Mea culpa. Only in this fic. I actually adore every member of the Konaha Thirteen but this AU required some very harsh character treatment. Please don't hate me. Their motives aren't always evil and that will come out. Humans are stupid. Orohimaru says so (I heart them in all their incarnations).
The Narutoverse is not Japan, but it's heavily influenced by Japan. I love incorporating culture, everyday items, speech patterns and idioms. This story uses Canadian English (because I'm feeling patriotic right now) and metric (which is used in Japan). I don't speak or write Japanese. Yet. Talk to me in a year, eh? I've only been trying for two months. There is no way on God's green earth that I am asking my son to beta a story with lemons and I don't know anybody in this fandom yet, so there are going to be mistakes. Also, I like to capitalize some words that aren't proper to capitalize, because I hear the emphasis in my head (eg-nicknames or nouns that aren't proper nouns).
The root of this culture is Feudal Japanese but the canon Boruto universe—nations having traded knowledge and technology for the first time—contains anachronisms. There are computers and video games, but no home internet. There is also a hint of Chinese influence because this society expresses emotions more than Japanese people do.
Contains Lemons (GAY ones. You have been warned).
It has taken me far more time to edit (55%) and research (35%) this story than it did to write (10%). Although I adore this part of the process, it is intense. It didn't help that I didn't understand the diacritical marks and there are a zillion errors of Romajī translations online. My son suffered through my endless and untimely questions, taught me the correct diacriticals and explained how the words sound, in addition to explaining a boatload of suffixes and honourifics. He says I'm getting way ahead of myself. What else is new? God, he's good to me. But making corrections on the first draft was a total drag.
I will be posting chapters daily on FFNet, Wattpad and (eventually) on other of my former haunts. Coming back is a process so please be kind.
A Disorganized and Hopefully Entertaining but Unannotated Therefore Dodgy Glossary (Sorry, eh?):
Note on Diacritical Marks: These exist across Romajī (English syllabic translations) to aid in pronunciation. Of course there are diacritics for all languages, you will see them in your dictionary. Common ways to show how Japanese words sound include double letters (stretched out consonant or vowel), straight line above a vowel (same), and placing an apostrophe or hyphen (small gap between saying the two syllables). Also, many words, but not all, written in this story with ō, actually would be written as ou, with the uh sound being subdued. However, that sound is hard for inexperienced speakers to hear so I haven't used it in this story.
Vowels: Japanese to English
A= ah
E= ĕ
I= ē
O= oh
U= ooh
Y=yuh, but is held for less time than in English and without an ee dipthong at the front.
Kanji: writing system created in China and also used in Japan, although the meanings can be different.
Katakana: writing system created in Japan using a boxier form of Hirigana. Used for all foreign words, names, etc.
Hiragana: "Women's language." A writing system created in Japan by women.
Nin: People
Ninja/Shinobi: One who Endures. A person trained in ninjutsu and employed for covert purposes in feudal Japan
Konoichi: female ninja
Hito: Someone, Person
Kodomo: child/children/kids/offspring
Gokage: The Five Kage: The Five Shadows are five elected leaders of hidden shinobi villages, each located within the five great shinobi nations. They are considered the most powerful of the ninja, and oversee the workings of their village, make the tough decisions to keep their people safe, and oversee the missions of the shinobi.
Sasaukage: The Shadow's Shadow, or Supporting Kage, are five undercover shinobi (secret agents) who protect the Kage and do the dirty jobs to protect the people of the village. Usually, they are Jinchuriki. Sasuke, Killer Bee and Kushina were all Shadow Kage. Sasuke is able to use his Susanoo shield to form a protective armour around Naruto when he is in Tailed Beast Mode.
Hokage (Fire Shadow) of Konohagakure no Sato (The Village Hidden in Tree Leaves)
Kazekage (Wind Shadow) of Sunagakure no Sato (The Hidden Sand Village)
Mizukage (Water Shadow) of Kirigakure no Sato (The Village Hidden in the Mist)
Raikage (Lightning Shadow) of Kumogakure no Sato (The Village Hidden in the Clouds)
Tsuchikage (Earth Shadow) of Iwagakure no Sato (The Village Hidden in the Stones)
Uzushiogakure no Sato: The Village Hidden by Whirling Tides (Whirlpools) was home to the Uzumaki Clan.
Otogakure: The Sound Village a.k.a. The Hidden Sound, The Sound.
Sound: a body of water similar to a fjord or inlet, but differing in that it connects to a river that empties into the sea.
Bījū: Tailed Beasts. Ten nearly unstoppable monsters made of spirit and chakra.
Jinchūriki: Nine shinobi who are vessels for the Tailed Beasts. Before a jinchūriki dies, a ceremony is performed to imprison his or her Tailed Beast in a new jinchūriki. All the jinchūriki were hunted down before the Fourth Ninja War and all but Naruto, Gaara and Killer Bee were murdered. Killer Bee was subsequently assassinated. Presumably the freed Tailed Beasts survived in some capacity. Naruto was able to befriend all nine Tailed Beasts and unite them against Obito during the Fourth War. He protected them from being assimilated into the Ten Tails (a monster created to annihilate worlds).
Garaga: Sasuke's first Messenger Hawk
Genko: Since we don't know the name of Sasuke's new Messenger, a Senji Hawk, I have named her Genko, which means String Child. This would convey the fact that he dotes on her and that she maintains communication (a string or cord) between him and Naruto.
Watashi wa: I am
Da 'tteba yō: a made-up, poorly grammatical nonsense-expression that was added to Naruto as something a little kid would say. Vaguely translates to Believe it!
'Tteba: expression meaning Believe me. Fairly rare in daily conversation.
Yō: common expression meaning I believe in what I'm telling you; I'm serious.
Dobe: The lowest score/lowest ranking (eg-on a test). Sasuke is teasing Naruto, a longtime close friend, as the "worst mark". It's not even what the person who achieves the lowest score is called. Naruto's just the worst result (implying it's the worst mark Sasuke could get). Originally, when they were little, Sasuke meant it to be mean.
Teme: a very bad word meaning You. Never say it to an acquaintance or a Japanese friend you haven't known for ten years. You might as well say Hey Fucker. A woman wouldn't say it. Very close male friends may use it as an endearment.
Usuratonkachi: Thin Hammer. Completely useless as it will break if used. Sasuke therefore is calling Naruto "Useless."
Tsukoyomi: A spell used by ninja to put a person or group of people into a dream state (happy or nightmarish) which they normally cannot escape on their own. Sometimes if a ninja makes the spell conditional, the victim can escape if they repent wrongdoing.
Genjutsu: A spell used by ninja to control or hypnotize a person or group of people into doing what they wish them to do. This could include killing others or oneself.
Chibi: Used to describe a certain style of small and cute anime character, but means Little Person, Runt, Pipsqueak. Can be used in annoyance or with affection.
A Nosebleed: It's a running joke in the canon Naruto Universe (and many other anime) that if someone does something to turn a person on, usually unintentionally, the now-horny one gets a nosebleed.
Dō itashimashite: You're welcome/It's my pleasure
Kon ban'nichi wa: Good evening (jocular but not usually used as a greeting between friends).
Ī ne: Nice! That's good!
Kore wa kore wa- Well, well!
Sō desu ne: That is so
To omō: I would think, I think
I'ttattattatta: Ow! Ow! Ow!
Itai: Painful! Ouch!
Un … igai totemo kyōmi bukai: Hmm … unexpected. I'm very interested due to this.
Huh? or Huh!: What! spoken in an offended manner. If you say, "Huh" (English: Is that so?) to a Japanese person, they will apologize for offending you.
Eh?: What? An expression of surprise.
Oi! Hey! Ne?: Right?
Ō!: Wow! Hai: Yes. Okay.
Ha: Yeah Ē: Yeah
Hī: Yep Īe: No
No: No Ī desu: Go ahead. That's okay.
Sō ka: Is that so, I see, I understand, I get it. Un: Yeah, M-hmm, Hmm, U-huh
Mochiron: Of course Wūō'a'ō! Whoa! This may have vowels added to amuse.
Daimon dai: Big problem Mon dainai: No problem
Futon: In the Naruto anime (and this story), the beds shown resemble the heavy, mattress-type futons used on the floor in China and familiar to Westerners. Japanese futons are more like sleeping bags with a thicker bottom, which are also used on the floor. In the Boruto anime, a lot of the characters prefer Western-style mattresses, although Naruto and Hinata have a futon, their kids have mattresses and boxsprings on frames.
Ottoman: A piece of furniture that often appears in Orochimaru's homes in canon. The ottoman is not a piece of furniture used in Japan and there's no Japanese word for it. It's used like a couch, but looks more like a firm mattress on a frame. It's used in Orochimaru's public living spaces to receive guests/subordinates and to meditate.
Shunsoku Shindo: The founding Sensei of Konoha no Jūzō'nin and peer of Sasuke. Nicknamed Shindo of the Five Elements, he possessed enormous chakra as a Genin and unbelievable talent on par with Kakashi. Effectively, at the age of twelve or thirteen, Shindo Sensei was teaching Kakashi, Gai, Asuma and Kurenai. We don't see Shindo much in the anime and we don't see the ninja in a dojo. Canonically, from the manga, we know Shindo was a master of one-handed hand seals and that during the novel Naruto: A Shinobi Story, he taught Naruto how to conjure shadow clones with one hand and use one-handed Wind Technique.
Konoha no Jūzō'nin: Tree Leaf Thirteen People, also called Team Shindo (functionally a Dojo) which comprised all the original members of Konoha no Jū'ichi'nin plus its leaders. Sasuke was the captain and Shindo was the Sensei.
Konoha no Jū'ichi'nin: Tree Leaf Eleven People. Refers to the core kids of Team Kakashi, Team Kurenai, Team Asuma and Team Gai, all of whom were part of Team Shindo. Amusingly, Kiba's ninja dog, Akamaru counts as a member.
Konoha no Nūsan: Tree Leaf Twelve People. The team's name was changed to The Konoha Twelve after Sasuke left the village. It would also have been changed back to this after the loss of Neji.
Anata: Dear. Gender neutral nickname given to one's significant other.
Kimi: You with a cute and affectionate connotation. Commonly said by a man to address his girlfriend. Commonly used in songs because if a singer said Anata, it would be equivalent to telling the entire audience that they're madly in love with each of them.
Kisu: Kiss.
Sumi masen: It will not be over until you excuse me/my behaviour or Please excuse me. Bit more formal. eg-used if you missed something someone said.
Gomen'nasai: I'm sorry for my offence (bit less formal)
Kimono: uncommonly worn (expensive) traditional garment/robe for men or women, which can be short or long and made of either everyday or precious fabric. Most modern Japanese don't own one. Can be worn as an outer or inner garment with or without a jacket or outer kimono, depending upon style. Men might wear one resembling a shirt, and tuck it into a skirt or hakama.
Hakama: a men's wide skirt with divided legs, or baggy trousers, often coming to mid-calf or worn long, often pleated. Tied with a sash. Normally only worn to formal occasions in modern times.
Note: Why is Rock Lee called Lee, and why is Might Gai called Gai? Why are their names not written as Lee Rock and Gai Might in Japanese? Answer: Lee and Gai are their surnames but they are foreign names and addressed as outsiders. Often, other people address them by both names rather than one. Lee's surname is a tribute to Bruce Lee. Rock Lee's canon injury matches one that Bruce Lee once received. Neither was expected to walk again but they overcame their injuries and surpassed their previous achievements. Rock is an English translation that sounds like the Japanese word Blue(s)—the musical style. As for Gai, we all know that some unknown female stork dropped Lee off at his feet fully hatched, on the training grounds, at some point. There's no way that apple didn't fall from Gai's tree, yō. Likewise, Princess Tenten Aphasia de Tempest is a foreigner with the royal title of Princess. We don't have much of her backstory (*boo hiss*). Tenten means Steam Bun. Look at her hair.
Ori gotatsu: an historical, low dining table with a shallow pit under it. You sit with your feet in the pit. A pot of burning charcoal was placed underneath for heat, and a quilt was placed on top of the table in order to cover people's laps and keep the heat in. A tabletop was then placed on top so dishes would not sully the quilt, and a charcoal brazier for cooking might be placed in the middle. Forerunner of the modern, electric Kotatsu, most of which don't have a pit under them, you just sit on the floor.
Itadakimasu!: Let us eat! Thanking a divine entity for the food is implied.
Totemo shiawase desu: I am so happy (with how things are). Such as living conditions.
Ureshī: I am happy (in that moment, for a specific reason)
Yokatta: I'm glad (for you) (past tense of v. Yoi Good
Yochien: Kindergarten, which is optional for kids age 3-5.
Seppuku: An archaic method of unaliving oneself to restore honour. Normally performed by criminals/prisoners whose captor might (mercifully) decapitate them at the same time the person thrust in a dagger.
San'nin: Three Ninja.
Family Names and Suffixes: Note: modern Japanese people are moving today toward gender-neutral language, so the suffixes used with family members' names can vary. As well, when families are tight-knit, suffixes are usually omitted entirely.
Obāchan: Grandmother.
Bāsan/Bāchan: Granny
Tsunade-bāsan: Granny/Old Lady Tsunade.
Okāsan: Mother (formal, upper class).
'Kāsan: Mom (most common modern usage).
'Kāchan: Close to Mommy (casual, used by kids and the lower class)
Mama: Mama. Casual. Standard word used exclusively by little kids because it's easier to pronounce. Sarada still says it to demonstrate to the audience that she's cute. Or that Sakura hasn't taught her properly. I'll go with the first option.
Otōsan: Father (most common modern usage).
'Tōsan: Dad. Common in middle class families.
Otōchan: Daddy (casual).
Papa: Papa. Casual. Standard word used exclusively by little kids because it's easier to pronounce. Sarada still says it to demonstrate to the audience that she's cute.
Ojīchan: Grandpa, Old Man
Oya: Parent(s). This could be used by Mitsuki to say My Parent when talking to other people or to Orochimaru. There is a lot of variation in masculine and feminine suffixes depending on preference. Oyasan would be gender neutral but one might also choose to say Oyachan. Non-binary parents may also just stick to traditional names like Mom or Dad.
Ojisan: Uncle (actual brother of parent).
Ojīsan: Grandfather
Sōfuba: Grandparents, literally Father-great-mother. This is an archaic, rarely used word. Normally grandparents are referred to individually
Nīsan: Brother
Ototo-kun: Little Brother. Most elder brothers would just call their younger brother by his first name. Using Ototo-kun could either be very formal or to tease the brother (eg- implying he'll always be little/inferior)
Nī-san: Big Brother/ Cousin/Family Friend
Otokonoko: Femboy
Musuko: Son
Musume: Daughter
Seinen: A Youth, a young man. Normally of college age.
Maru: Ship builder, circle. When used as the suffix to a name, it means Something Precious (masculine). So Shikamaru means A Precious Deer. His surname, Nara, has multiple, flattering meanings including Good, Excellent, Oak Tree, Comfortable Willow Tree, Flat, Level and Peace. Orochimaru means Precious White Snake.
Tsuki: Let's talk about Mitsuki! I love him. Mi is the zodiac sign for snake. Tsuki is an interesting name, as it is a homonym for both Moon and Vessel (which are spelled using different Kanji). So the first Mitsuki created by Orochimaru was spelled using Kanji which mean Snake Vessel, whereas the younger Mitsuki's name is spelled using Snake Moon. The name Tsuki (Moon) is usually given to girls. Cool, right?
Onisan: to point out a guy of similar age whose name you don't know (very casual).
Nē-chan: Big Sister/Auntie/Cousin/Family Friend.
Nechan: Sister.
Onīchan: Big Brother.
Sama: Sir or Lady; someone who outranks you.
San: Sir/Mister used to address male individuals older than you, acquaintances, etc. When referring to their spouse as a third party in a conversation outside the household, married people often refer to them with -san. Also used by bosses for men and women in their employ.
Chan: Miss/Missy.
Sensei: Teacher, Master
Kun: suffix used by older people to address a young man, or between close male friends. We would translate Sasuke-kun as Master Sasuke. Used by peers as an honourific for someone you respect or have affection for.
Note: honourifics are not always used for peers if you are not well-acquainted with the person or don't hold them in high esteem. So young Sakura said, "Sasuke-kun, Lee-san," but did not initially give Naruto an honourific. She just called him Naruto. Honourifics are often left off within a household, as there is normally no need to verbalize respect to immediate family members. In canon, after the Uchiha were massacred, Sasuke stopped using honourifics entirely, which is why people viewed him as arrogant.
Kawaī: Cute (Do not mispronounce as Kawai: Scary).
Icha Icha Paradisu: Lovey-Dovey Paradise. The Japanese name for Jiraiya's Make Out Paradise books.
Naru: To attain, To become, grow, or reach. It would be unusual for Japanese people to use it as a nickname for Naruto or Naruko, but it is used independently as a given name.
Naruto: The Maelstrom; The Whirlpool. Naruto is likely named after the Naruto Whirlpool in Japan (also the place where narutomaki was created). The name has been bestowed upon many Japanese kids since the manga became so popular. Not narutomaki, the fish cake. Naruto's mother was from The Hidden Whirlpool Village.
A very-misused fandom nickname: Sasu: to pierce, to stab, to thrust, to sting, to bite, to stitch. So, if Naruto were to call Sasuke "Sasu-kun", he would be calling him Mr. Thrust. I've seen lots of fanzines where a person who is not romantically paired with Sasuke calls him this, and it's not meant as a joke or put-down.
Note: Shortened names as nicknames in Japan: the normal way to abbreviate a kindred friend or family member's name would be to use only the first syllable with an honourific. Different honourifics can be used to distinguish between members of the family who have names starting with the same syllable. They can vary based on relative age to the speaker, gender, etc. These are some examples of how I have had the main characters address those closest to them:
Na-kun: Naruto Hi-san: Hinata
Sa-kun: Sasuke Bo-kun: Boruto
Sa-san: Sakura Hi-chan: Himawari
Sa-chan: Sarada Shi-san: Shikamaru
Ka-kun: Kawaki Shi-kun: Shikadai
Mi-kun: Mitsuki O-san: Orochimaru
Ka-san: Kakashi Ro-kun: Rock Lee
Sasuke: an ancient Samurai name that is still popular today, which means The Man Who Protects in Times of Trouble.
Daimyō: Non-military, elite nobleman in charge of certain people and territories. Equivalent to a British Lord.
Kanpai!: Cheers!
Konosuba!: God's blessing upon this wonderful world!
Kitsune: Fox, especially the Red Fox
Kitsune-sama: Lord of the Foxes
Neko: Cat
Neko-sama: Lord of the Cats
Nya: Meow
He is the cat: an antiquated expression from my Edwardian, Scouse grandmother which means, "Don't refer to someone who is standing right beside you using a common pronoun, use their name!" Otherwise, you are excluding them from the conversation, which is very rude.
Furikake: a Japanese seasoning blend of toasted sesame seeds, dried seaweed, sugar, salt, and other savory ingredients.
Kami: The Shinto faith's benevolent Venerated deities, divinities and spirits. Approximately 20% of modern Japanese identify as Shinto. Kami can be elements of the landscape, forces of nature, higher entities and the qualities that these beings express, and/or the spirits of venerated dead people. Sometimes Kami are thought to be ancient ancestors of entire clans. People become Kami when they die instead of staying in limbo or reincarnating if they have embodied the Kamis' virtues and values in life.
Kinga Shin'nen: Happy New Year
Suzu: round, hollow Japanese Shinto Bells that contain pellets that sound when agitated. They are somewhat like a jingle bell in form.
Shinzen kekkon: A Wedding Before the Kami.
Sansan-kudo: Three-three-nine-times-to Deliver Oath. A Shinto purification ritual dating back to the Heian period (794 AD) that incorporates the exchange of sake between the couple before they are married. This cements the alliance between two families. The older ceremony (with a few Narutonian flourishes) will be presented here. Modern versions are usually simpler. The actual marriage ceremony occurs after this with prayers and vows, and ends with traditional speeches and other customs. The whole thing takes about half an hour and time limits are strictly enforced, mostly because almost everyone gets married at a wedding facility, where a wedding planner, bride, groom and bridal party clothes, kimonos for guests, flowers, decorations, food for the offerings, sake and furniture are provided (rented or purchased). There will be multiple weddings in the same hall on one day, thus the time constraints. There is normally no dance at the facility. The couple and their guests will go out to a restaurant or club to dine and/or dance.
Sake: a culturally essential alcoholic drink, taken hot or cold, made of different kinds and concentrations of distilled rice wine, which normally has 15% alcohol and is served either in saucer-like ceramic dishes or little porcelain cups. There are all kinds of varieties including some that don't contain alcohol. It is not bland. The better the sake, the fruitier the flavour, which could be similar to apple, banana, and various other fruits. Each variety has a specific named designation (for example Westerners might compare pinot noir wine to communion wine—totally different usage, notes, purpose and flavour). Some varieties are specifically made for religious ceremonies. Early Shinto weddings were simply a sansan-kudo ceremony without any prayers. Even today, drinking sake with someone is an important occurrence. It is used during business meetings and dinners, any important gatherings, social gatherings, and most ceremonies to mark agreement.
Shamisen: a three-stringed traditional instrument played with a placket.
Shakuhachi: a traditional bamboo flute held vertically.
Hai, onegai shimasu: Yes, please treat me well, or "Please take care of me," but is equivalent to a very polite "yes, please." You're basically saying that you're in somebody's hands. Can be used formally or casually, it's a handy phrase.
Note: I LOVE YOU is rarely said in Japan, and habitually only said if people are about to part for a long time or permanently. Love is conveyed through actions, gifts or (non-public) displays of affection. Love is a verb. There are many, extremely complicated ways to verbalize it that are context-dependent, but saying any of them is uncommon.
Suki desu: I like you. Used to address a new (just started dating) romantic partner or to express love casually between family members (like when you'll be apart a long time)
Daiji ni shite: child to parent: please take care of your health (worried about parent)
Sayonara mata aeru yo ne?: Farewell, we will be able to meet again, right?
Aishiteiru: I love you. Somewhat formal. Expressed solemnly to a romantically-bonded partner. You will hear this in songs.
Anata wo daiji ni shite iru: Dear, I treasure you. Common usage. Can use with romantic partner. Can say to a friend you're worried about who's living in a reckless situation
Anata o totemo aishiteiru: Dear, I am totally in love with you. Extremely rarely said, normally between spouses or people who are engaged. Very formal and stilted, likely awkward-sounding, extremely solemn.
Playlist available on my YouTube Channel: Jmollytwilight2
Playlist Title: S/N/S Jmolly Fanfic Playlist for FIFTEEN
Chapter 1: League of Legends, "Light and Shadow." This version uses AI technology to impersonate the singing of Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura's original Japanese voice actors with added SNS canon conversations. I am obsessed with the breathtaking beauty of this arrangement even though I am leery of AI in general. This is worth your listening time!
Chapter 2: "Attack on Titan Suite," by Hiroyuki Sarano. It's Sarano's masterpiece. 'Nuff said.
Chapter 3: "Illicit Affairs," by Taylor Swift. Angry Version from the Eros Tour. Angst, angst, angst. Delicious.
Shamisen x Heavy Metal, A Thunderous Clash of Tradition and Modern. You will not believe how much I love this (also J-Pop, K-Pop and J-Rap. Gen X, here. Yep, my tastes are eclectic).
Chapter 4: "Love is Blindness," by The Edge. This version is acoustic and sad enough to break your heart.
Chapter 5: "3 Songs" by Wagakki Band/Dai Shinnenkai 2018. Traditional instruments and rock fusion. OMG. I've never seen rock stars jam out in a stadium on New Year's Eve wearing kimonos, with bare feet, before. Having been onstage a long time ago, I would be scared to death to take off my shoes. The stagehands must go over the stage floor with a fine-tooth comb and a magnet before the concert. Love. Love. Love this.
Chapter 6: "Queen of the Night," by Wagakki Band/ Dai Shinnenkai 2024. Ditto, but a slow song.
Chapter 7: "Braveheart," cover by Luca Stricagnoli. Acoustic guitar cover that is just plain gorgeous (unlike the movie), and fun to watch as he plays 2 harmonicas and recorder at the same time as the guitar. Whoa, I could listen to this all day.
Chapter 8: "Fireworks," by Furōbakku (FlowBack). This is currently my favourite pop song. I'm absolutely a fan-mother of these adorable and talented Japanese guys, who recently celebrated their ten-year anniversary. Kawaī! The Japanese name roughly means Backwater, or Eddy (in the current of a river).
Chapter 9: "Make You Feel My Love," by Adele.
Chapter 10: "Bach to the Future," by Trevor Gorden Hall. An original duet for guitar. This is not the theme from the similarly-named movie.
Chapter 11: "Naruto Theme," Version by Ne Prosto Orchestra Just pretend there's a band playing this instead of an orchestra, and that the audience is adding the shouted Hah sounds.
Chapter 12: "Kimi ni Todoke," by MAY
"Crazy Train," Cover by the Louisville Leopard Percussionists. This is why we need music classes in school, yō. I had to play (if you can call it that) the xylophone, a required instrument for school band teachers, during university (which was my anticipated career path). I passed, but in an Uzumaki kind of way. Evidently I do not possess enough coordination to be a percussionist. These kids are amazing!
Chapter 13: "Aishiteiru," Cover by Soko Natsume Yūjinchō
Chapter 14: "Grace Kelly," by MIKA
"Remember the Name," by Fort Minor (Ft. Eminem and 50 Cent)
Chapter 15: "Superman's Song," by Crash Test Dummies
And now, it's time. I hope you enjoy this story as much as I loved writing it. Please share it with your friends. Happy reading!