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edenfallingSorry, this is not a new chapter. It's just internet housekeeping time again.
...
Okay, and it's an announcement that I have moved "Guardian" to the top of my to-do list and am actively working on it once more. I am not sure if anyone still cares at this late date, but hey, I want to finish the story for myself as much as for any hypothetical readers. I mean, I still don't know the ending! Not in any great detail, at least. And I really want to know what happens.
So cross your fingers for me, and we'll go find out together. :D
---------------
The Guardian in Spite of Herself: WIP, 72,000 words so far, started Dec. 2005. The reward for a job well done is a bigger job. In this case, Ayakawa Yukiko's new job is a lot more complicated than anyone expected. The Uchiha massacre and its aftermath, in the world of The Way of the Apartment Manager. Post-traumatic stress, extreme familial dysfunction, attempted social/political/military revolution, dubious ethical choices and discussion thereof.
"Guardian" is a darker story than "Apartment Manager," partly because of the subject matter, and partly because I decided to unpick the implications of the socio-cultural and economic system of the ninja villages rather than accept them as the status quo. Also, I structured it the way I would structure an original novel, which may have been a mistake from a fanfiction perspective. In other words, three of my four POV characters are OCs, only two of whom were introduced in the previous story, and the new OC is also meant to be a semi-sympathetic antagonist whose worldview challenges the moral principles of career ninjas.
In contrast to "Apartment Manager," this story has taken (and is still taking, so help me) forever and a day to write. I think that's partly because I wrote most of "Apartment Manager" in the throes of madly passionate new-fandom love, which is not sustainable, and partly because stories with multiple POVs and plot arcs are inherently more complicated than stories that have only one of each.
But I will win eventually. *resolve face*
[Note, 1/3/16: Read the story on AO3 or ff.net. The journal version is a beta draft with all the attendant glitches, though it may be of some minor interest as a historical artifact.]
---------------------------------------------
The Guardian in Spite of Herself - Table of Contents
---------------------------------------------
Chapter 1: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 12/1/2005. Chapter the First, in which Sarutobi Hokage-sama applies a guilt-trip, Sasuke does not want to be helped, Yukiko disapproves of the Uchiha clan's financial organization skills, Naga enjoys a nice day on the Grass Country border, and a wild cliffhanger appears!
Chapter 2: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 12/16/2005. Chapter the Second, in which Naga improvises, Sasuke continues to indulge in deeply worrying behavior, Naruto barges in with some news, and Yukiko sticks her nose into places it doesn't technically belong.
Chapter 3: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 1/7/2006. Chapter the Third, in which Naruto disapproves of his new neighbor, Yukiko receives a mission, Naga and Kakashi have a little heart-to-heart, Yukiko deals with her family, and the plot kicks into gear at last.
Chapter 4: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 2/26/2006. Chapter the Fourth, in which we meet Amane Eiji, Naga argues with her mother, Yukiko has a frustrating conversation with Kakashi, Sasuke overhears precisely the wrong section of that conversation, and Naruto makes a Cunning Plan.
Chapter 5: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 5/18/2006. Chapter the Fifth, in which Yukiko accidentally sets Iruka on Kakashi, Eiji attempts to cook breakfast, Naruto is shocked to learn that Sasuke may not remember how to have fun, and Yukiko meets Seichi's cover persona, to her great annoyance.
Chapter 6: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 7/6/2006. Chapter the Sixth, in which Naga and Iruka visit Kakashi's apartment, Naruto and Sasuke sneak out of town, Yukiko is impressed by Kurenai's genjutsu, Seichi continues to be annoying, and the author is having way too much fun with her world-building.
Chapter 7: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 8/5/2006. Chapter the Seventh, in which Kakashi and Naga talk about summoning, Sasuke has issues, Eiji and Ginji talk about ninja politics, Sasuke has more issues, Naruto continues to make Cunning Plans, and Yukiko gets a temporary break from POV-character duties.
Chapter 8: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 9/26/2006. Chapter the Eighth, in which Naruto and Sasuke successfully hoodwink a grown ninja (who will feel very stupid about the incident later on), Yukiko takes Seichi up on his offer to teach her card games, Naga complains about her mother's idea of appropriate lunch foods, and Eiji has a nice, relaxing family dinner.
Chapter 9: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 12/22/2006. Chapter the Ninth, in which Kurenai and Genma discuss the benefits of learning to cook, Yukiko catches up with an old family friend, Naga meets Kakashi's nin-dogs, and Naruto tries to teach Sasuke how friendship works.
Chapter 10: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 2/25/2007. Chapter the Tenth, in which Naruto and Sasuke are discovered (you didn't seriously think they'd stay hidden all the way to Tengai, right?), Naga and Kakashi continue to do nothing in particular, and a Cloud-nin arrives in Tengai to put Eiji in a moral bind.
Chapter 11: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 7/31/2007. Chapter the Eleventh, in which Naga and Kakashi actually do plot-related stuff instead of just traveling and annoying each other, Yukiko thinks her troubles may be nearly over (how wrong she is...), and Eiji has an excessively melodramatic moral crisis.
Chapter 12: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 12/19/2007. Chapter the Twelfth, in which Naga-tachi begin tracking Itachi northeast, Naruto gets the last word in a fight, Sasuke experiments with unhealthy coping methods, Eiji and Ginji do not appear, and Yukiko really needs a vacation.
Chapter 13: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 5/3/2010. Chapter the Thirteenth, in which the differences between chuunin and trainee ninja are made very clear, Kakashi kindly gives exposition about the Uchiha, Naga and Kafunnokaze are cute, Eiji and Ginji get into hot water, and Sarutobi Hokage-sama attempts to save the author from a horrific plot hole. (Time will tell whether he succeeded.)
Chapter 14: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 1/26/2011. Chapter the Fourteenth, in which, to the author's consternation, Suisen attempts to perform fanservice, Sasuke acts his age, the Amane family will not stop arguing, and Naga fails epically at normal interaction with civilians.
Chapter 15: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 3/2/2012. Chapter the Fifteenth, in which Naruto and Sasuke play cards, the Volcano Country border is treated with greater respect than it possibly deserves, Hidden Cloud requests a more detailed report on the circumstances of their agent's death, and a supposedly deserted patch of forest turns out to be a remarkably popular tourist destination.
Chapter 16: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 12/18/2015. Chapter the Sixteenth, in which Naga and Suisen demonstrate how not to dance with a partner, Yukiko and Seichi discuss assassination and dead relatives, and, to the author's relief, Kakashi's interrogation skills end up irrelevant to the plot.
Chapter 17: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 2/25/2019. Chapter the Seventeenth, in which an unexpected development short-circuits yet another interminable Amane family argument, Sasuke and Yukiko have a very bad afternoon, and Eiji opens negotiations.
Chapter 18: IN PROGRESS!
---------------------------------------------
I suspect "Guardian" will be 30-35 chapters when complete. My current outline lists 28, but my outlines almost inevitably expand in the writing.
...
Okay, and it's an announcement that I have moved "Guardian" to the top of my to-do list and am actively working on it once more. I am not sure if anyone still cares at this late date, but hey, I want to finish the story for myself as much as for any hypothetical readers. I mean, I still don't know the ending! Not in any great detail, at least. And I really want to know what happens.
So cross your fingers for me, and we'll go find out together. :D
---------------
The Guardian in Spite of Herself: WIP, 72,000 words so far, started Dec. 2005. The reward for a job well done is a bigger job. In this case, Ayakawa Yukiko's new job is a lot more complicated than anyone expected. The Uchiha massacre and its aftermath, in the world of The Way of the Apartment Manager. Post-traumatic stress, extreme familial dysfunction, attempted social/political/military revolution, dubious ethical choices and discussion thereof.
"Guardian" is a darker story than "Apartment Manager," partly because of the subject matter, and partly because I decided to unpick the implications of the socio-cultural and economic system of the ninja villages rather than accept them as the status quo. Also, I structured it the way I would structure an original novel, which may have been a mistake from a fanfiction perspective. In other words, three of my four POV characters are OCs, only two of whom were introduced in the previous story, and the new OC is also meant to be a semi-sympathetic antagonist whose worldview challenges the moral principles of career ninjas.
In contrast to "Apartment Manager," this story has taken (and is still taking, so help me) forever and a day to write. I think that's partly because I wrote most of "Apartment Manager" in the throes of madly passionate new-fandom love, which is not sustainable, and partly because stories with multiple POVs and plot arcs are inherently more complicated than stories that have only one of each.
But I will win eventually. *resolve face*
[Note, 1/3/16: Read the story on AO3 or ff.net. The journal version is a beta draft with all the attendant glitches, though it may be of some minor interest as a historical artifact.]
---------------------------------------------
The Guardian in Spite of Herself - Table of Contents
---------------------------------------------
Chapter 1: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 12/1/2005. Chapter the First, in which Sarutobi Hokage-sama applies a guilt-trip, Sasuke does not want to be helped, Yukiko disapproves of the Uchiha clan's financial organization skills, Naga enjoys a nice day on the Grass Country border, and a wild cliffhanger appears!
Chapter 2: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 12/16/2005. Chapter the Second, in which Naga improvises, Sasuke continues to indulge in deeply worrying behavior, Naruto barges in with some news, and Yukiko sticks her nose into places it doesn't technically belong.
Chapter 3: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 1/7/2006. Chapter the Third, in which Naruto disapproves of his new neighbor, Yukiko receives a mission, Naga and Kakashi have a little heart-to-heart, Yukiko deals with her family, and the plot kicks into gear at last.
Chapter 4: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 2/26/2006. Chapter the Fourth, in which we meet Amane Eiji, Naga argues with her mother, Yukiko has a frustrating conversation with Kakashi, Sasuke overhears precisely the wrong section of that conversation, and Naruto makes a Cunning Plan.
Chapter 5: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 5/18/2006. Chapter the Fifth, in which Yukiko accidentally sets Iruka on Kakashi, Eiji attempts to cook breakfast, Naruto is shocked to learn that Sasuke may not remember how to have fun, and Yukiko meets Seichi's cover persona, to her great annoyance.
Chapter 6: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 7/6/2006. Chapter the Sixth, in which Naga and Iruka visit Kakashi's apartment, Naruto and Sasuke sneak out of town, Yukiko is impressed by Kurenai's genjutsu, Seichi continues to be annoying, and the author is having way too much fun with her world-building.
Chapter 7: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 8/5/2006. Chapter the Seventh, in which Kakashi and Naga talk about summoning, Sasuke has issues, Eiji and Ginji talk about ninja politics, Sasuke has more issues, Naruto continues to make Cunning Plans, and Yukiko gets a temporary break from POV-character duties.
Chapter 8: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 9/26/2006. Chapter the Eighth, in which Naruto and Sasuke successfully hoodwink a grown ninja (who will feel very stupid about the incident later on), Yukiko takes Seichi up on his offer to teach her card games, Naga complains about her mother's idea of appropriate lunch foods, and Eiji has a nice, relaxing family dinner.
Chapter 9: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 12/22/2006. Chapter the Ninth, in which Kurenai and Genma discuss the benefits of learning to cook, Yukiko catches up with an old family friend, Naga meets Kakashi's nin-dogs, and Naruto tries to teach Sasuke how friendship works.
Chapter 10: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 2/25/2007. Chapter the Tenth, in which Naruto and Sasuke are discovered (you didn't seriously think they'd stay hidden all the way to Tengai, right?), Naga and Kakashi continue to do nothing in particular, and a Cloud-nin arrives in Tengai to put Eiji in a moral bind.
Chapter 11: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 7/31/2007. Chapter the Eleventh, in which Naga and Kakashi actually do plot-related stuff instead of just traveling and annoying each other, Yukiko thinks her troubles may be nearly over (how wrong she is...), and Eiji has an excessively melodramatic moral crisis.
Chapter 12: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 12/19/2007. Chapter the Twelfth, in which Naga-tachi begin tracking Itachi northeast, Naruto gets the last word in a fight, Sasuke experiments with unhealthy coping methods, Eiji and Ginji do not appear, and Yukiko really needs a vacation.
Chapter 13: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 5/3/2010. Chapter the Thirteenth, in which the differences between chuunin and trainee ninja are made very clear, Kakashi kindly gives exposition about the Uchiha, Naga and Kafunnokaze are cute, Eiji and Ginji get into hot water, and Sarutobi Hokage-sama attempts to save the author from a horrific plot hole. (Time will tell whether he succeeded.)
Chapter 14: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 1/26/2011. Chapter the Fourteenth, in which, to the author's consternation, Suisen attempts to perform fanservice, Sasuke acts his age, the Amane family will not stop arguing, and Naga fails epically at normal interaction with civilians.
Chapter 15: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 3/2/2012. Chapter the Fifteenth, in which Naruto and Sasuke play cards, the Volcano Country border is treated with greater respect than it possibly deserves, Hidden Cloud requests a more detailed report on the circumstances of their agent's death, and a supposedly deserted patch of forest turns out to be a remarkably popular tourist destination.
Chapter 16: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 12/18/2015. Chapter the Sixteenth, in which Naga and Suisen demonstrate how not to dance with a partner, Yukiko and Seichi discuss assassination and dead relatives, and, to the author's relief, Kakashi's interrogation skills end up irrelevant to the plot.
Chapter 17: (AO3 version; ff.net version) 2/25/2019. Chapter the Seventeenth, in which an unexpected development short-circuits yet another interminable Amane family argument, Sasuke and Yukiko have a very bad afternoon, and Eiji opens negotiations.
Chapter 18: IN PROGRESS!
---------------------------------------------
I suspect "Guardian" will be 30-35 chapters when complete. My current outline lists 28, but my outlines almost inevitably expand in the writing.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2015-07-12 10:17 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2015-07-13 09:32 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2015-07-13 04:53 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2015-07-13 09:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2015-07-14 03:41 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2015-07-13 06:01 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2015-07-13 09:58 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2015-07-13 10:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2015-07-14 02:27 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2015-07-22 09:44 pm (UTC)Even after all these years, I've got major love for Yukiko's particular brand of stalwart sensibility (someone in Naruto-verse who uses the sense they were born with, HOLD ME), and your cast of OCs. (Seichi! I totally fell for him as a 15-year-old, and now I'm more curious than ever to see what's really going on with his character.)
TL;DR, I totally care, yes. ;) All good writerly vibes to you!
(no subject)
Date: 2015-07-30 10:52 pm (UTC)The series as a whole was born from my frustration at some of Kishimoto's weirder worldbuilding/logistical choices -- seriously HOW do eleven-year-old kids live on their own and why is this socially accepted??? -- so it's not surprising that there's a certain 'dammit, we will be sensible about this' attitude running through the stories.
Anyway, chapter 16 is not quite halfway done and the non-fight-scenes should go a lot faster, so hopefully I will get that up by mid-August.
(no subject)
Date: 2015-08-01 03:36 am (UTC)Incidentally, speaking of Kakashi, you write him spectacularly, for which I'm exceedingly pleased. He was a weirdly formative character for me as a teenager, and he remains one of my all time faves to this day. ;)
GAMBIT!!! Oh boy, totally my favorite of the X-Men, back in the day. Possibly, I have a fictional character type, heh.
(no subject)
Date: 2015-08-04 04:24 pm (UTC)I like Kakashi a lot -- he is so very interestingly messed up! -- but his canon backstory drives me up the wall.
(no subject)
Date: 2015-08-04 05:27 pm (UTC)But yes, Kakashi (even if our headcanons mean we have to mess with his chronology/backstory a bit, for reasons of... um, logic...), fascinating bundle of issues (and and strengths, and weaknesses, and odd bits of tenderness)! And yet, strangely likable both despite and because of them. He's sufficiently complex -- and opaque in terms of his performance vs. his actual personality/myriad inner demons -- that it's hard to write him well, imo, so kudos to you. ;)