Tired of browsing ff.net and only finding fic about Sasuke wanting to make Naruto his fuckpuppy or Sakura being chased by every male from Konoha to Hidden Sand?
Ever just want to read a really spectacular or provocative action ninja fic that DOESN'T have to do with anyone's love life?
You know, something that actually
resembles the format of the series itself? Try my list of...
Four Naruto Dramatic LongFics You Need To Be Reading But Probably Aren't YetTitle: House Of Leaves
Author: honeyblood
Summary: The mission to retrieve Sasuke goes horribly, horribly right.Link: the pitWhy You Should Read It: ::whistles:: Hot damn. It's been a long time since I've read a multichapter Naruto fic this good-- probably not since
Transition Anchor. Like that fic, House of Leaves has fantastic treatment of a mulititude of characters. And it's
sharp. "Acidic" is probably the best word. This fic grabs you by the waist, rips out you innards, stomps on them, then shoves them back inside the gaping hole that was once your stomach, all the while serenading you with promises and the temptation of hope... and, of all things, a kind of
joy. I read it all this morning and I can't wait for the next chapter. Although it touches on pretty much ALL the characters in some way (whether it's a paragraph or a chapter or just a line, it always hits hard), I have to say that the parts with Kakashi are possibly my favorite portrayal of him in fanfiction so far. But then again I could say the same thing of Naruto, Tsunade, Lee, Neji... just read the damn fic and see for yourself. Oh, and this fic fucks up Sasuke something wicked. Which seems only fair.
Title: The Ripple Effect
Author: rayemars
Summary: Sasuke's return to Konoha, and everything that comes after it. Some people have changed more than they wanted or deserved to.Link: the pitWhy You Should Read It: This one is a bit different. It took a while for me to get into it because it starts off with the characters, especially Naruto, in a very different place than I'm used to thinking about them. But the more I read the more I got sucked in. The pace is slow but steady, gradually building character moment on top of character moment until realize you've been reading plot all along. And now that Stuff happened it's moving faster, and all the nuances the previous chapters worked so hard are coming into play. This fic is dark and serious, but with beloved character moments in between. Primarily it focuses on Team 7's complex friendship, but many other characters appear as well. Also, I find Sasuke a lot more interesting in fanfic than in the series, even when he's being just as much of an ass.
Title: Foxhunt
Author: Saro
Summary: Naruto clutched an Anbu mask so hard it bowed in his grip. It was a fox face, long-eared and grinning, with whiskers painted on its cheeks to match the young man who held it... Shikamaru had no idea how the mask had ruined his morning.Link: the pitWhy You Should Read It: Naruto fics with the younger characters as a adults tend to be very good or very bad. This one is very good. It's primarily a plot-based fic, but has some fascinating characterization, especially for Naruto and Shikamaru. What would they be like as full blown ANBU? Would Naruto's treatment at the hands of the village get better or worse as he gets older (and consequently more dangerous)? Besides addressing these questions, this fic has lots of cool ninja stuff. And we all love the ninja stuff.
Title: After The Dream
Author: agent spielplatz
Summary: It's time to pick up the pieces and move on. Konoha and Team 7 part ways and the past begins to resurface as old mistakes are brought to light.Link: the pitWhy You Should Read It: This, like The Ripple Effect, is really and truly a Team 7 fanfic. Each of the three genin is faced with different problems and conflicts, and each handles it differently. There's probably a bit more focus on Naruto, especially in the early chapters, but it really goes into all three pretty evenly. There's a high angst factor. The writing for this is good, though not quite as jaw-dropping as say House of Leaves. Still, it's good, and more importantly, this fic has a long and complicated plot that I'm actively interested in at this point. A few aspects of the characterization I'm not wild about, particularly with regard to side characters like Itachi, but it's never enough to keep me from enjoying each chapter and awaiting the next one eagerly. There's also some pretty
sweet action scenes in this fic. As one who has trouble writing action, I appreciate that when I come across it. Oh, and it has lots of stuff about the kick-ass-ness of Naruto. Because he seriously kicks ass.
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