Title: The Boy in the Team
Author: Shadenight123
Fandom: Naruto
Rating: M
Genre: Drama/Angst
Chapters: 83
Words: 363,350
Updated: Feb 12, 2014
Published: Sep 4, 2013
Status: Complete
Pairings: None whatsoever currently.
Summary: Sasuke Uchiha is Rookie of the Year and son of the police chief. Naruko Namikaze is prime Kunoichi and hero of Konoha, daughter of the Yondaime Hokage. Hence, the dead last assigned to their team is Shinku Haruno...son of civilians. There is no rising from the lower levels when you're surrounded by prodigies. Just live through the nightmare...and hope to wake up to a better day.
Link:http://www.fanfiction.net/s/9659792/1/The-Boy-in-the-Team


Another excellent fic by Shadenight123 (Author of Harry Dursley and The Chronicles of the King), The Boy in the Team is currently my favorite Naruto fanfic. Shinku, while based somewhat upon Sakura, is an extremely well developed OC in his own right. He is not a gary stu or self insert. Shadenight's portrayal of canon characters is also spot on and his Kakashi is one of the best I've seen in awhile.

The fiction can be a little confusing at times, but I've seen that to be the case with Shadenight's writing. Most people do not tend to observe this in his writing so it is probably just me.

All in all I think this one deserves at least a 4/5 if not 5/5. With 39 chapters and just now getting started on the chuunin exams, I am eager for where Shadenight takes the fic. The Chuunin exams are where most writers tend to fizzle out, so here's hoping that does not happen with this one.


Checked by Minion, February 09, 2015

 

So why the gender change on Naruto? What does it add or subtract from the story that a male Naruto couldn't?

 

Romance interest? Keeping to the two boys one girl format? Does it really matter, man? AU is AU.

Also, I'm afraid the notion that this story is your 'favorite Naruto fanfic' is simply not allowed. Howling Wind or gtfo.

This story's use of 'teme' and 'ttebayo' is rather aggravating.

 

I don't mind 'teme', but 'Uke-chan' makes my fucking eyes hurt. I'm on chapter 2, and it's okay so far, but the author's posted reason for changing the genders makes zero sense at all. Shinku is almost painfully inept and nervous and awkward, but I kind of like it.

3/5 so far.

 

I actually really, really like this. It's got a slow start, but once the madness really kicks in and you realize how fucked up everyone is, it's actually entertaining.

There's a fair bit of bias in here, as well as my personal taste, but I'll give it a 5/5.

 

Heya there.
The answer for the change of gender is...pretty simple.

First off, the reason for writing the story was that 'Sakura' in canon is pretty much...forgotten by Kishi. Kishi says so too, everyone knows that. She's 'meant to be shoulder to shoulder' but what does she do? It's Sasuke and Naruto who fight Madara, Tobi and the likes. She just watches. They gave her a 'Team shot' and that was all.
Wonderful...I wanted to change that.

Looking at the possible combinations, while holding true the fact that it's a two-boys one girl team, with generally the 'top two' staying with the dead-last, I realized I needed something based on Sakura, that however couldn't be Sakura.

First off, I do not believe I will ever have the ability to write a decent female OC. (And frankly, the moment anyone sees 'Female-Oc' it's an immediate "Oh, Mary, there you are...")

So, with the Female Oc out, I had a Male Oc.

Now, follow me for a second.

If I made Shinku the rookie of the year, you'd have a Powerful Oc.
There you go, stinking Mary Sue! Out of the way!

So he couldn't be the Rookie of the Year. He had to be the dead last.
(You can't point your finger at Shinku and say 'He's a Gary!' if he's the dead-last)

Which left me with the conundrum of filling the Kunoichi spot with either Sasuke or Naruto.

Now, I know it might seem 'out of reasons' but...Naruto has the Naruko form. If I say 'naruko' everyone immediately imagines her. If I say 'SasukO'...it hurts, doesn't it?
Especially because I did not have a 'Female-name' for a female sasuke. While Naruto on the other hand does have a 'female variant' that is largely accepted.

Hence, that is the only reason.
I actually abhor shippings. You will probably find teasing, or more, but in the end it's not until the very last chapters that any hint of shipping is confirmed.
And even then, it's mostly to satisfy the readers who followed me until that moment.

As for 'going at it slowly'...eh. I can't appear to make it any faster. Then again, there are thousands of fics with the 'OhwtfI'mgodnowhurray' in a single chapter.
I like slow paces.
*shrugs*

For the Teme-Dattebayo, I suppose I could place the English versions, but 'Uke-chan' is pretty much the nickname-calling of Sasuke by a 'happy-friendly' Naruko.

I mean, the english translation of that would be... 'Submissive Male in a Yaoi Relationship!'
...man, does that hurt.

 

Yes, you can. Sue-ness really doesn't have that much to do with power level. It has more to do with a character's relation to others. You have one side of the spectrum, wherein the Sue is amazing and everyone loves him/her and you should as well. The other side of the spectrum is where the Sue is awful, and Jesus Christ is s/he ugly and a smelly bastard.

In the latter case, it has been pointed out that if the character is so awful and no one likes them, why is he or she the main character? Maintaining a balance is what a proper main character should be.

That's direct translation. In English slang? Call him a faggot or whatever. It means the same thing in general, and isn't as jarring and 'Uke-chan'. People will get the joke, and honestly, more people are going to laugh at an English joke than a Japanese one.

 

Here's the thing. If you want to write Sakura, then write Sakura. If you want a male OC, then write that. There is no reason to assume that each team must have a female on it. There is no reason to gender-bend anyone.

Also, not being the Rookie of the Year does not mean he must be Dead Last.

 

If you look at Konoha rookie teams, they're always two male, one female teams. Naruto/Sasuke/Sakura, Hinata/Kiba/Shino, Ino/Chouji/Shikamaru, Lee/Neji/Ten Ten, Kakashi/Rin/Obito, Jiraiya/Tsunade/Orochimaru all follow that composition. I actually think I saw it justified in the manga, but I don't really recall if it's canon or fanon. The dead last/Rookie of the year thing is the same, being that I think I saw it in the manga, but it's been so long since I went over the early portions that I can't remember if it's actually canon.

Regardless, I think that the team composition has a reasonable assumption behind it, even if it is fanon. In fact, I think the only team that breaks the mould is Samui's team, but again, I can't be absolutely certain.

 

There are plenty of teams that are shown in the Chunin exams that have different gender ratios. I believe there are a couple of all male teams, one from Rain, one from Mist and then there is Kabuto's team as well. Pigeonholing yourself over (what I see as) a trivial thing like that is silly. That sort of rigidity sort of defeats the purpose of writing fanfiction.

 

So basically all anybody really has to complain about i this story is that Naruto is now female. Hm, it really doesn't bother me at all. I love how the authour portrays his characters the development is usually top notch. 5/5 Now if only he could find some time for introverted.

 

Eh, I wasn't particularly impressed. The OC, Shinku, failed to capture my interest.

Barely scrapes a 3/5.

 

A bit too much angst for my liking, but you get used to it. I did like the wave arc though. 4/5 from me.