Facing Bad Tropes with Naruko-chan 7 (Patreon)

Facing Bad Tropes with Naruko-chan 7 - (Naruto AU, SI)

If there is something that those last few years have taught me is to be wary of red flags.

After all, my situation was just precarious by housing Naruko in my humble abode and hiring her as my delivery girl. I wouldn’t say I regretted it, but I was also worried of what would happen once someone started to take notice of her similarities with the current ‘ruling house’ in Konoha.

When that cat was out of the bag (not if, but when) then things were going to get rough all around. The best scenario was ‘leaving’ if it came down to that, but I have a feeling that Naruko’s status as Jinchuriki would prevent that from ever happening.

Ironically, the red flag that made me question the need to create a potential Plan B was part of the hurdles that would prevent that sort of scenario: Shimura Danzou himself.

Now, it was tough to say if he was ‘Troped’ too, but he hadn’t killed me. And I kind of have a feeling he was actually keeping track of us for his own ‘sillier’ reasons. Like an old man staring at a building being constructed from a bench.

Except it was me trying to handle Naruko, Menma and other kids that visited the place since I was getting more popular. And as I was gearing up to face some terrifying situations in the near future, I was blindsided by an invitation from the Uchiha Clan.

This was the real shit.

The arsenal of tropes behind that sort of situation was jarring- the Uchiha are good? Are they corrupt? Are they misguided? In truth they are just loyal and a bit assholish with others?

The list was long, tedious and not always tending to one side of the ‘good and bad’ scales. The cringe and the blessed could easily culminate into some blursed shit. The first bit being tied to Sasuke being a girl, being Naruko’s first friend (and Ruruko being hers in return), and the fact that the invitation was not forwarded by Uchiha Fugaku, but his wife, Mikoto.

Uchiha Mikoto is, without any doubt, one of the most controversial entities within the series. In most part due to her clashing depictions in both the canon and the fandom. In the former she is depicted as a ‘good’ Uchiha that kind of got screwed by the overall majority of Uchihas getting ‘illusioned’ into doing the naughty plot to screw Konoha by Obito/Madara, in the latter she is… well, what isn’t Mikoto would be a better way to tackle this.

Mikoto has been used in so many formats that it was fair to say that she became the ‘good Female non-genderswapped Uchiha’ sort of deal. She is seen by many as Kushina’s bestest friend, someone that actually ‘tried’ to help her kids and someone that isn’t just a middling kunoichi.

Thus, as dictated by the Tropes God, Mikoto was not a shitty person in this realm of existence, as I was soon to learn as the dinner came and went quite smoothly. I wouldn’t say that it was perfect as it was clear Fugaku was ‘upset’ that my daughter was hanging around his daughter.

Something something nobility bullshit.

Mikoto acted as glue/matriarch/lovable individual. And one that I could tell had understood Ruruko was indeed her former best friend’s daughter. I just couldn’t fail to notice this as she asked a few questions to the blonde over how she felt living with just me.

“Dad can be busy most of the time, but he makes some space if we have to do stuff together. He’s the best daddy ever!”

That was an achievement I would always harbor to my heart. There was just something so… wonderful about being seen like that by someone you have nurtured properly as your own kid. My kid.

What I didn’t take notice of was, however, that someone got to listen to this declaration and, to some extent, ended up ‘tasting’ some of that affection in a rather limited way.

Uchiha Itachi was the heiress to the clan. She was just 15 and was introduced through praise for her former training as a frontline ninja at a young age and then being inducted into the ANBU program also at a reasonably young age.

Through the praising, I could see the fake smile was a masterful mask that persisted through the interaction. It was a pain-born one. I couldn’t fault her- it was tough to be able to stand up to not only parental expectations, but also personal ones born from those.

Still, Mikoto made it clear this dinner wasn’t just about introducing each other. She was making her stance clear about me taking care of Naruko, but also… use this position to leverage something that could help her family out of a particular spot.

“From my understanding you have held back from sending your daughter to some of the more distant districts out of… well, fear of her being targeted by some unpleasant fellows.”

“That’s a thing, yes,” I admitted, but I could sense a ‘solution’. “But I believe you are asking me something else, Mikoto-san.”

Fugaku rolled his eyes, yet didn’t speak as he looked away- they had this conversation before, and he had lost that battle from the looks of it as the woman smiled and went forth.

“I would be interested to know if you were willing to take an experienced former kunoichi as a delivery girl.”

…

“What?”

“Mother, this is not-” Itachi moved to interject, but Mikoto huffed.

“Itachi-chan, you have been slacking off in regard to what I have asked you to do,” The motherly woman remarked dryly, then glanced back at me. “What I mean is that Itachi-chan has recently been discharged from ANBU as the Hokage has relented on the Civilian Council’s request to ‘limit any potential Uchiha Nepotism’.”

“Which is ridiculous,” Fugaku half-snarled, “Itachi has been working hard to show her true potential- and those civilians think they are some sort of geniuses in dictating laws on Ninja-only affairs.”

“I have noticed a worryingly growing trend in that regard,” I nodded in agreement. “I don’t get why they would be given means to just outright ask someone to retire because of their family name. Wouldn’t that be some sort of ‘anti-nepotism’ rather than a proper response?”

“In a way, that would be the case, but it’s not a reversible change, I am afraid,” Mikoto answered truthfully. “Which is why I asked my daughter to find herself a job and… it’s been a month.”

“I see…” I muttered quietly, thinking about this peculiar situation.

On the one hand, it’s Itachi. It would be nice to build some more personality for her to not feel compelled to pull some mass-murdering in the near future.

On the other hand, it’s Itachi. We are talking about the same person that would pretty much create a big ass mess in the long run if she was utilized as a tool by Konoha.

Unless she had another vocation and decided to not take the call.

That was something that really pushed my decision onto a specific answer, and it was a rather interesting one.

“Have you explored Konoha to the point of knowing it perfectly?”

Itachi appeared surprised for a moment, then shook her head.

“In a week, if you are interested in the job, you shall come to the pizzeria. I will put you through a test over the various districts and quarters of Konoha. You pass it, you are in- you fail, and you can go back home and I will tell your parents you are indeed a slacker.”

Her jaw dropped at that last bit, her cheeks flushing as her mother giggled and her father snorted but appeared amused. Satsuki rolled her eyes while Naruko beamed at the ‘test’ I gave her potential ‘colleague’.

I don’t know if Itachi got ‘frightened’ by the idea of disappointing her parents that way, the cheeky prodding, or something else, but I can say one thing for sure. She passed the test with flying colors, got the job and even a head pat for the good effort.

I think that last thing, however, may have triggered something as her face was beet-red through the reminder of the day and she had a strangely pleased and honest smile plastered all over.

I really don’t get why people are like this at times…

—-------d-d-d-d—-----

AN

Next time… The Hyuuga-Uchiha feud is rekindled by a new clashing point and… a certain fox decides to make a big game to make her presence ‘known’ to a certain pizza-man.