Nugar had a great idea, but it was horribly executed, I thought. Especially the pivotal first scene that Naruto and Hinata had together - it read like it was badly ripped off Fight Club, which it was.

 

My problem with People Lie is that everybody knows Naruto has basically enslaved Hinata. Even Sasuke comments on it. I'm looking for something more subtle, behind the scenes. Although I liked the beggining.

 

Thing is, People Lie-verse is a much darker, grittier world than canon. Ninja are fucking crazy and eccentric and the brass don't much care what goes on as long their ninja do the damn job. Because everyone in that verse if fucked up. Everyone. If you're not, you're liable to get slaughtered.

 

I'm fine with the dark and gritty, what I don't like is how Kakashi is absolutely fine with letting the Hyuuga heir sleep in the same tent as Naruto, and how cringeworthy are some of Naruto's moments, like telling Hinata to lose, or "manipulating Sasuke". It's not all bad, I liked it when he introduced Ibiki to Hinata, it just seems that once in a while has an idea that doesn't really work out well.

 

The whole first arc is horribly cliché and cringe-worthy. It might have been fine when it was first released, but looking back on it today, it's just bad.

Every time I recommend it now, I feel the need to reassure them that it gets better later on - possibly even suggesting to skim the first chapters.

 

I'd like to reccomend this story, it's a for want of a nail fic with the premise that Danzo became Hokage after the Kyuubi attack. It's Sasuke centric, I know that's a huge turn off for some people, but he's pretty well characterized and feels sympathetic. Naruto is a pretty small side character, but I wouldn't be surprised if he takes a more prominent role later on. The other characters are pretty decent as well, with Kiba being my personal favorite. The story is about 50.000 words long now and it looks like the first arc is coming to a close.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10303458/1/Revolutionary

 

I'm curious. Anyone have any good, decent length Naruto/Sakura fics? I used to hate her a lot, but as the series progressed, have come to like her more and more, blaming a lot of her uselessness more on Kishi than anything else. Still, I know she's not everyone's favorite.

 

This is the best one that I've found:

I haven't read many romance fics, but this one was pretty decent.

 

It is. The author has a decent sense of style, and I enjoyed many parts of it, but it's so slooooow. You might have guessed that from the 400k+ word count. It uses all of the romantic drama tropes in the middle of a dark, violent ninja universe. The author has an excellent grasp on her characterisations, which is a feature that I particularly look out for.

I've generally stopped reading Tricksie's fics because they're similar enough to each other and the pay off is always dancing out of reach, so that reading them has become unrewarding. It's at least worth dipping your toe in for the style and angst though.

 

I definitely agree with you on the characterization. I especially like Itachi's characterization.

I'm not sure it will ever be finished though, there's still so much more to resolve in the story and the author doesn't update it often, unfortunately.

 

So I've finally started reading People Lie after seeing the recommendations above and I'm currently at chapter 7.

And I want to kill Naruto so goddamn hard. He's just such a piece of shit.

 

Again, People Lie doesn't get good until the Memories Lie arc. Up until then it's the usual edgy affair. After that it's top three in the fandom.

 

Meh, okay. I'll soldier on

 

I should reread it. Been so long I'm almost scared it hasn't aged well.

If I do recall, at the start it took itself very serious as a dark and gritty fic. But it felt like after being through several really fucked up events, the dark and edginess is dealt with almost in an almost dark humour sort of manner.

I remember it for the bizarre, unique interaction within the team. Naruto occasionally using Sexy no Jutsu to flirt with Sasuke. Hinata being the most terrifying one. Naruto somehow being the least fucked up one there (despite him being at fault for Sasuke and Hinata's change to start with). All three of them always trying to guess what secret "underneath the underneath" lesson Kakashi was trying to give them when there really wasn't any at all. And as Probellum said, a pretty fucked up universe such that all the strong/important figures really don't give a shit about all that.

 

I've only read the first chapter, but I second this recommendation.

 

I just it found a lot of the interactions in People Lie off-putting because the fact that a lot of these characters were twelve kept coming up in my mind. (Definitely not a fan of a lot of the Naruto/Hinata interactions in that fic) But, maybe that's the fic's way of showing just how screwed up the products of a system based around child soldiers would be.

 

I can't pin point why but Revolutionary just doesn't sit well with me. I just feel like the premise isnt fleshed out enough. I don't know not my cup of tea I guess.

 

It's only one rather lengthy chapter so far and future updates are not guaranteed, but I enjoyed what was written.

In this fic, Sakura finds herself in the past and doesn't take the loss of everyone she cared for very well. Using some rather eccentric coping mechanisms, she manages pick herself up and try to make something of a life for herself. Through the power of rationalization she decides not to return to Konoha, but to instead give bounty hunting a try. So, without any village tying her down, Sakura goes around as a not quite stable kunoichi who inadvertently makes a name for herself.

I think the biggest attraction of this fic is reading from Sakura's point of view, especially with the author's rather engaging writing style. Sakura's occasionally unhinged thought process is fun to follow, and the ways the author has her handle her losses are believable and give a unique weirdness to her character. That, and her interactions with people that she knows of from the past are... interesting.

So yeah, it's one of the more entertaining time travel fics I've recently come across and I figured it was worth sharing.

 

Nice find, Joncis. There's a certain charming and endearing feeling to this, which is exactly what I like. It's difficult to find good fics with Sakura as the main character so this was pretty refreshing. Also, while I'd like to see more, the author ended this really well.

 

I enjoyed it. Searching.For.Enadi's other Naruto story is also worth reading: Looking Straight to the Sky.

I'll warn now that it's set around the 3rd Shinobi War and revolves around an OC SI. Canon Naruto characters play only a peripheral role in the story, though increasingly present as time passes.

edit: I just noticed that the author has updated her profile.

Before the update she had half a dozen planned story ideas written up there, some of which were quite intriguing. They revolved around Naruto, Bleach, and Katekyō Hitman Reborn!.