Naruto Fanfiction Recommendation List

[cynchick]

This is my Naruto fanfiction reccomended reading list. The list is mostly for my own reference, but I'm happy to share what I think are some of the best naruto fics out there with anyone who wants to read them. 

Things to Know About This List:

1. I don't list discontinued or abandoned fics, so others who read it won't be disappointed like I was. If a fic on this list goes without update for a year or is labeled abandoned/hiatus by the author it will be removed. I only read het fics. I also don't read high school or vampire fics, and "real world" AU's are very rare.

2. There are no ratings listed, but most are rated T-M, and many contain lemons. Regardless of the smut factor, I've found that higher rated fics tend to be more mature and have better plot and character development. Besides, sex happens, and I'm an adult that can deal with that. If you're not, or can't, then don't read them. 

3. I update the list periodically as I find new fics, and new entries will be marked in a different color. Completed fics are marked with an asterisk.

That being said....On to the List!

green asterisk = completed fics
magenta = my personal favorites
blue = new additions


General / Random Pairing:

Ingress *
Troubling New Developments *
Sainen *(YamaSakuPein)
Uchiha Shisui Stars in: Who Died and Made You Lolita? *
The World *(Sasuke, Itachi)
A Justifiable Excuse *(Itachi centric)
Underneath *(Jiraiya, Kakashi)
Surrogate *(Deidara, Konan)
Akatsuki Public Library  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
The World is Ending, but I'm Eighteen (Tenten-centric)*
No Further than Before (Kurenai-centric) *
Alta Marea (Itachi, Sasuke) *
Apropos of the Wet Snow (Naruto, Pein) *
Creaking, Broken, Wet * (Kisame-centric)
Quotidian * (Temari, Hidan)
Shinobi * (Itachi-centric)

Deidara / Sakura

Found *
Tourniquet *
Suds *
PlayDoh *
Evanescent Perfection *
Grandeur *
Somewhere I Have Never Travelled, Gladly Beyond *
Abendrot *
Piccassoid Forms *
Embers *
Vested Interest *
Afterimage *
Hers *

Gaara / Sakura:

Creatures of the Wind *
How and Why *
In Stone *
Wild Card *
untitled #1 *
Cold Comfort *
Kinenhin *
A Change in the Wind *
Sunagakure Belly Dance *
Equilibrium *
A Lesson in Trust *

Itachi / Sakura:

Loophole *
Genshi *(sequel to Loophole)
The Hour *
Role Reversal *
Version of Love *
The Vicarious Life *
Blood Limit *
Hokage *
Flowers Grow *
The Ninth Night * Pt 1, Pt 2
The Way of the Wind
Ramen *
Disturbia *
Here is How You Will Forget to be Human, Again *
Requiem *

Kakashi / Sakura:

Fourteen Dates *
Push Pops  *
Questions *
The Window *
Duty Before Honor *
Three Blossoms *
A Lesson in Chemistry *
Fated *
The Nature of the Game *
Crash Into Me *
His Fault *
Respect and Understanding *
Coming Clean *
Dirty Deeds
Kakashi & Sakura Drabble Challenges *
The Way of the Shinobi *
Simple Things 
Missive *
A Book of Five Rings *
Imminence *
How About Now? *
Angel of the Rain *
11 Ways to Change a Mind *
Improvised Innuendo *
Drag You Down With Me *
Coffee Shop *
Not as Intended *
Sabotage *
Canonization *
The Price *
Equilibrium *
Icha Icha Sakura *
Festivals, Fireworks, and Fuzzies *
Grateful *
Rain *
Spring Rain and Winter Storms
A Poor Imitation *
Reality *
Hokage Sama *
Stripped Bare
A Series of Firsts *
Nymph *
Echoes of Tiny Bells *
Still on the Horizon *
Kaidan - Ghost Story *
All Her Fault *
Mizuage
House of Crows
Immoderation *
Three Things Kakashi Has Forgotten About War *
Hiding Behind Masks *
The Ronin and the Queen *
Widdershins *
Five Times Kakashi Touched Sakura's Ass *
Cold Comfort *

Minato/Kushina

Stormy Days: Tales of Wind and Thunder 
The Romance of the Uzumaki
Minato, In Love *
Defenestration *

Pein / Konan:

Afterthoughts *
Place *
Vanish and Senescence *
Words are Meaningless *
Diem ex Dei *
Shards of the Dying Sun
Ash Lilies *
Senbazuru *
Soterion *
Watch the Weather Change *

Sai / Sakura:

Glorious *
Wake Up Call *
Ink Me *
Add Me Color *
Paint Against Skin *
Bonded *
Tourniquet *
Home *
Loathing *

Sasuke / Sakura:

Just Persuasion *
Sick Cycle Carousel *
Such a Sadist *
Lateral Geniculate Nucleus *
Those Who Chase the Sun *
Questionable Motives *
Marionette *
Indecent Proposals *
Anthology  (#13) *
Its Not About That *
I Think *
Eclipse *
A Series of Annoyances *
Through the Glass Half Empty: Fragments *

Shikamaru / Temari:

Catch 22 *
Chocolate Chip Pancakes *
The Tease *
Hidden Sheen *
Synaesthesia *
The World of Dating, According to Shikamaru *
Half a Thousand *

Team Seven:

Blood Equals Thicker *
Technicolored Memories *
Break Even *
Fade Away *
Fixed Points *
The Art of Concealment *

Yamato / Sakura:

One Touch, One Word *
Lines *(pt 1 of a series)
Breakfast *(pt 1.5)
First *(pt 2, hints of kakasakuyama)
Synergy *(kakasakuyama)
Giftwrapped *(kakasakuyama)

 

Comments

Re: From KathH

[vermelli.livejournal.com]

Excuse me for butting in (so late, actually), but I have to share with you my immense joy. You're one of my favourite writers with amazing Itachi's intuition (the most important thing for me, if you please) and year ago, when I was pondering really hard if to read Hanaka's fics I considered even asking you for opinion on it. Because, rape, gods save me. Itachi's character evaporates on sight, with no traces left. And it was only a prelude to main theme of her productions: shallow smecks. My brain died and it took me three months to continue with this trilogy. Nice action and actually good style of writing bought me for some time, but after finishing it was only getting worse. There is something as recollection, reviving the scenes from stories and whilst good fiction leaves good taste as time passes, bad fiction leaves...bad taste in your mouth. No point in repeating what you've already wrote, just let me quote extraordinary sentence "little more than bad OC's with well-known names". Yes. And this oversmecksed atmosphere. Total OOCness and personally - just awful and shallow. I regret ever reading her fics. And I really, really don't understand why she is so popular... So many good stories go unnoticed and here, a spotlight. That just isn't fair. But what to do.

*radiates positive energy*
*and belatedly, hugs*

Re: From KathH

[cynchick.livejournal.com]

I think she's popular because the majority of Naruto fandom is very young, 14-17, and they are 1) very forgiving/naive about what makes skilled writing and good fiction, who have probably only read books like Twilight and Harry Potter (not that those books are bad, but you get my drfit), and 2) having a juvenile, high-school mentality, they thrive on over-the-top drama and the "OMG!" factor.

Also, many of these fangirls haven't even read the manga, or even watched Shipuuden, so all they know of Naruto is what they get from fandom and are, again, forgiving (to put it nicely).

However, my fans seem to be the more mature bunch, nestled in a tiny little corner of the fandom, and I'm grateful for them. I've noticed that Lady Hanaka and I are both popular ItaSaku & DeiSaku writers, but we have very few shared fans/readers. I don't mind that because I'd rather have more intelligent readers who expect quality from me rather than hordes of mindless fangirls who only want to read about Sakura screwing any of the hot guys in the series.

As far as her horrible OOC tendencies, I don't think she will ever change/improve, precisely because she's popular. She doesn't even know how bad it is, and one or two voices in the mass of fan-drones won't even register.

Characters can be made to shift, or make adjustments to their behavior based on a believable set of circumstances the author sets, but some things are hard-wired and can't be changed. Itachi would never rape someone, it's beneath him. Sakura would never allow herself to be raped (hello? she can smash a skull with her index finger, how the hell is she gonna get raped?). Deidara would never cow down to Itachi and follow a girl around like a lovesick fool (don't even get me started on the puppy...)

It's too bad, really. She could have a lot of potential if she just takes a step back and looks at her work, rereads the manga, and stops making every character say and do things they would never do.

Haha that became a mini rant. I'm just glad to find people who agree about that. :D

Re: From KathH

[vermelli.livejournal.com]

That's so true what you've wrote, but still it's no less depressing. Notice that one doesn't have to know the series to recognise a piece worth reading, but if style is edible and story has a semblance of interesting plot, it will pass. And nice wrapping always attracts.

Well, haha, agree. If Lady Hanaka is content with her writing, her readers and her popularity, there isn't any reason for her to change. She seems to anyway repeat the schemes and her every creation left me with the same impression (darkhotsmexomg, unncessary violence to make The Impression, literally stuffing to stories profanities--to have the rating M??), and here I have the feeling it will always stay with her, no matter how much "IC" she will write. As a side note, she's of mature age (something before the college), that would be the time when one knows what one wants to write or what message to convey. Because of that fact, I have little hopes for her future stuff.

It's an awesome thing when someone with skill alters characters that if need be needs to be changed, to make them more mature or suting to plotline/personal beliefs - and keeps everything in the borders of canon - but that has tendency to happen very rarely. Then again, it's a pleasure of a discoverer finding such gems, even if this hobby has a risk of reading too many unwanted words.

Ah, a terrorist-bomber and a puppy. One doesn't need to be a fan of Deidara to see that this guy is everything but... Besides the mentioned, I was also awe-struck with Kisame's pet name for Sakura, 'kitten'. And so many other things.
But as much as I despise her writing, she really does have a talent for words and creating scenes. And when one searches for an easy entertainment, it's more than perfect.

Lady Hanaka reads the manga allright! She always knew Itachi was a good boy and she is depressed with Sasuke biting Karin.
Forgive me the dripping sarcasm, I really need a good reason to call a product of hers *good*.

Btw. Poor Sakura, because of her flexibility, she's usually the victim of fangirlish imagination. ._. That girl is incredible just as she is and omg, that's a material for another long rant, so let's end here XD

Exactly the reason for my rant :3 You're like the third person who I know and know for sure is not deceived by Lady Hanaka ;)
And I support your pursuit for quality <3

Re: From KathH

[cynchick.livejournal.com]

I agree about Sakura. She's the most realistic, most "Human" character in the entire series, which is what makes her so popular with some, and so hated with others. She's a bitch, but she's a nurterer to the few people she cares about. She's moody, tempermental and violent, slightly superficial (though not as bad as she used to be), and has confidence and self-esteem issues (which she's overcoming). And she's smart as hell and will kick asses and take names. She's awesome.

But because of her versatility and thoroughness of character, she can be(and IS) paired with just about everyone. She can work with most of them, but the key is that it has to be done right, believably. She's not going to be with Itachi because she got upset that no one in Konoha likes her and simply runs away to Akatsuki to be with people who appreciate her. Which, if I remember right, wasn't that the underlying premise of LH's fic? Lol.

Heh, I know several people who are baffled by LH's popularity and positively seethe at some of the elements in her stories. Interestingly, almost all of them are authors themselves, and quite well known and popular in their respective pairings niches.

Re: From KathH

[vermelli.livejournal.com]

I don't necessarily like her being bitchy and violent (matter of preference, me thinks), but it's a fact that she is intelligent, strong and stubborn, and will always have her way. And because of her other side and her flaws - she's still a caring, beautiful, easy to hurt girl, who can cry and feel depressed, but also in every moment of her life, fight - she's exactly a girl you could meet in real life. Which is indeed awesome.

Yeah, that was the drill in LH's plotline. Sakura's strong emotional connection to Konoha and its people is a nice angst/drama factor and a base to start, but it requires a good will to use it properly and believably.
Sometimes I think of going on a crusade, but then, there's no point. Niche is nice&cosy :3

Btw. May I recommend something? :D Two drama oneshots about Kakashi, one with Rin, second about Yondaime.
Delicate
Underneath
Little pieces, but very good, in my opinion.

Re: From KathH

[cynchick.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I'll definitely check those out. :)