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Fanfic / Glass Marionette (Naruto)

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On the night Gaara is born, the Ichibi's chakra leaks out into the village, heralding the creation of another jinchuuriki. But this power has an unexpected side-effect on his older brother, unlocking Kankuro's memories of another world. Another life. And of reading a series based upon the very reality that he now finds himself in, cast in the role of Kankuro of the Sand.

Or, as he comes to be known as, Kankuro of the Glass. Because like hell he's going to just stand by and let things play out the exact same way they did before.

Glass Marionette is a Naruto Self-Insert Fic by Haunted Frost focused on Kankuro and the Sand Siblings, as the middle sibling tries using his foreknowledge of the original series to Set Right What Once Went Wrong and see if he can't swing things towards a better future. Of course, not even a puppeteer can control the results of every string he pulls, and his choices have some unexpected effects...

The 'verse also has a side work, Tangled Shards, which features worldbuilding notes, Deleted Scenes and plans that got scrapped along the way.


This fanfic contains examples of:

  • Abusive Parents: Rasa treats his children as nothing more than assets and pawns, and does not take kindly to any defiance or being held responsible for his own actions.
  • Adaptational Sexuality: Kankuro and Kiba eventually become an Official Couple.
  • An Arm and a Leg:
    • Kankuro abruptly gets a hand lopped off while meeting up with Takara and his team.
    • During the final battle, one of Kabuto's snake summons bites off Kankuro's good arm.
  • Apologetic Attacker: Yashamaru repeatedly apologizes for being forced to fight due to Edo Tensei.
  • Bad Guys Do the Dirty Work: Invoked; Kankuro recognizes that he can't deal with his abusive father himself, and thusly resolves to let Orochimaru kill him.
  • Because You Were Nice to Me: Kiba and the rest of Team Eight take an interest in Kankuro after he keeps Gaara from going after them in the Forest of Death.
  • Be Careful What You Wish For: Obito requests a private showing of the Rabbit Princess play in a threatening letter, making clear that their actual goal is discerning how much Kankuro knows. Kankuro gives them exactly what they desire: a special rendition of the play that reveals how Madara orchestrated Rin's death in order to manipulate Obito.
  • Big Brother Instinct:
    • Kankuro has this for Gaara, much to the astonishment of those who struggle to see the latter as anything other than the Ichibi's container. Gaara himself isn't quite sure what to make of it, either.
    • Temari shows this towards Kankuro to a lesser extent; it really starts coming out after Takara lops off his hand.
  • Big Brother Worship: Gaara initially idolizes his siblings, to the point that his Establishing Character Moment is accidentally injuring Temari when he tries making a fan out of sand for her. He drops this after being thoroughly broken by Yashamaru's betrayal, developing a more complicated dynamic with Kankuro.
  • Big Damn Kiss: Played for Laughs; after the final battle, Kankuro notices that Temari and Shikamaru are making out. He also remarks to Kiba that he wants a kiss before Temari ties him to a post inside the Kazekage manor for his own safety; Kiba obliges.
  • Brutal Honesty: Kankuro tends to be very upfront, especially when calling others out on their stupidity.
  • Cassandra Truth: Kankuro warns Gai and Kakashi that his brother is murderous, only to find that they don't particularly trust his word.
  • Chekhov's Boomerang: Kankuro's desire to create a Combination Attack with Gaara and Temari comes into play when he learns that Gaara misinterpreted his glass-making arts as being tailored to defeat him. Much later on, he incorporates his siblings into creating the Eternal Coffin that takes Zetsu down.
  • Combination Attack: One Kankuro wants to coordinate with his siblings is using his lightning to turn Gaara's sand into glass, with Temari sending the shrapnel flying with her wind. He finally gets his wish with a modified version during the final battle.
  • Curb-Stomp Battle: Temari and Gaara versus Takara's team turns out to be a brutal beatdown.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Kankuro isn't afraid to get snarky with others, regardless of their rank.
  • Deadly Euphemism: As it turns out, 'reconsideration of shinobi status' actually means this, as another puppeteer had orders to kill Kankuro if he refused to cooperate.
  • Deal with the Devil:
    • Discussed while Kabuto helps reattach Kankuro's arm, as they note how it's dangerous for one to owe the other a favor.
    • This is the reason why Itachi and Kisame visit Konoha when they do: once Danzo goes missing-nin, Itachi no longer has any guarantee that Danzo will stick to the terms of their deal. Although Danzo had already broken his word by kidnapping Sasuke in the first place...
  • Death by Adaptation: The Konoha Crush attempt ends with Orochimaru dead at the late Sandaime's hands.
  • Didn't Think This Through: Takara apparently failed to consider the possibility that Gaara and Temari might not approve of their actions, given how they attempt to kill Kankuro right in front of his siblings.
  • Dies Differently in Adaptation:
    • Sasori and Deidara are dealt with significantly sooner, via assassination.
    • During the Konoha Crush attempt, Hiruzen successfully pulls a Taking You with Me on Orochimaru via Mutual Kill.
    • Shimura Danzo also meets a different fate: he dies at Itachi's hands after being forced to flee Konoha in the wake of a failed kidnapping attempt.
  • Disappointing Older Sibling: Played With. While Gaara rejects Kankuro's declarations that he should listen to his older brother, he still pays attention to some of his commands.
  • Dragon Ascendant: Downplayed; thanks in no small part to Kankuro's choices, Yakushi Kabuto becomes a major figure among the villains.
  • Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: Downplayed; while explaining Zetsu, Kankuro abruptly realizes that he likely can seal him into something like he was planning, given how that was what happened to Zetsu's 'mother'.
  • Fatal Flaw: Information Broker Kabuto grows increasingly obsessed with the things he doesn't know, particularly when it comes to Kankuro.
  • Foil:
    • Yashamaru and Kankuro both care about Gaara. But where Yashamaru is unwilling to defy the Kazekage's direct command for Gaara's sake, Kankuro loves Gaara more than he fears Rasa's wrath.
    • Yashamaru is also contrasted to Rasa after both are resurrected by Edo Tensei as Kabuto's minions. Yashamaru responds to the various revelations about how the world has developed with grief and remorse, while Rasa reacts with rage.
  • For Want Of A Nail:
    • His brother's persistence in treating him like a younger sibling naturally gets under Gaara's skin, as he struggles to reconcile his confusion over this with his 'mother's' demands for blood.
    • Kankuro realizes a little too late that his canonical counterpart was Properly Paranoid about protecting himself when his friendlier approach backfires and Takara lops off his hand.
    • Rather than immediately forfeiting, Kankuro opts to fight his second match and manages to beat Shino.
    • His attempts to rein Gaara in result in Kankuro getting a turn inside a sand coffin, leaving him with severe sand burns and extensive scarring afterwards.
    • Thanks to Kankuro, Orochimaru isn't able to pull off his Edo Tensei and winds up dying at Hiruzen's hands, though he takes the Sandaime out with him.
    • Due to his out-of-village contact being taken out of the picture, Danzo gets desperate and kidnaps Sasuke himself, leading to his exposure and downfall.
  • Foreshadowing:
    • Kankuro notes early on that he wants to incorporate some kind of recording technology into Tsubaki if he can. He eventually gets his chance to do so, adding a camera which he uses to film Orochimaru's assassination and replacement of his father.
    • Kankuro holds onto his copy of his secret orders for the Chuunin Exam, stating that he wants the paper trail as evidence of his father's shittiness. This comes in handy when it turns out that Rasa didn't keep a copy on file.
    • Takara casually asks Kankuro about his assignment, hoping for a trade-off favor. Turns out he has other reasons for prying.
  • Girlfriend in Canada: Discussed; Kiba's sister believes that he's making up his relationship, claiming to have a 'boy-toy from Suna' rather than admitting that he can't find a date.
  • Glass Cannon: Both of Kankuro's stained glass puppets, with Ajisai being a near-literal example, built to shatter on impact, with later versions having internal explosive seals.
  • Guile Hero: Kankuro has elements of this, combined with Pragmatic Hero.
  • Handicapped Badass: Downplayed after Kankuro loses their hand. While it's quickly reattached, they still have to deal with the recovery and long-term side effects of their injury.
  • Hurl It into the Sun: Becomes the ultimate fate of Black Zetsu, thanks to Obito being freed from his control once he's sealed.
  • In Spite of a Nail:
    • Kankuro is unable to prevent Yashamaru's death, much to his private dismay.
    • Downplayed in the Forest of Death; Gaara still senses Team Eight, but Kankuro takes a stronger stance in talking him down from attacking.
    • Despite being forewarned, Gai still encourages Lee to open the Gates during his fight with Gaara, much to Kankuro's frustration.
    • Hayate still dies during the Chuunin Exams, as Kankuro forgets about their fate until it's too late. This combines with other factors to get him second-guessing whether his choices are having any real impact or making matters better... or worse.
    • Orochimaru's death does not prevent Sasuke's kidnapping; however, the timing and circumstances are dramatically different, leading to Shimura's own demise.
  • Internal Reveal:
    • Chapter 13 is full of them, as Danzo's treachery is exposed, Itachi reveals the truth behind the Uchiha Massacre, Gaara, Temari and Chiyo learn about the secret orders Kankuro refused to follow, along with what happened to Deidara and Sasori. Lampshaded by Temari:
      Temari: (tugging Kankuro's ear) Do you have any other big weird secrets to share, Kankuro?
    • Chapter 17 has the members of Suna's ANBU revealing their secret identities to each other.
    • In Chapter 18, more people are brought into the loop regarding Zetsu and Akatsuki, and Nagato learns that Naruto is an Uzumaki, making the blond his cousin. In addition, more people learn what Rasa ordered Kankuro to do during the Chuunin Exams.
  • Jaw Drop:
    • Kankuro's stunned when Rasa openly discusses having Gaara killed during a family dinner with his two eldest children.
    • Gaara's jaw drops when Kankuro recounts to him how he told their father that he held him responsible for what he'd crafted his youngest son into.
  • Major Injury Underreaction: When Kankuro abruptly loses a hand, they calmly inform their companions that apparently, Takara is trying to assassinate him.
  • Meaningful Name: Kankuro takes on the alias of 'Inu' when he joins Sunagakure's ANBU forces, in reference to his boyfriend Inuzuka Kiba.
  • Misplaced Retribution: Temari blames Yashamaru for causing Kankuro to become self-destructive in his efforts to help Gaara, even slapping him when he's temporarily brought back by Edo Tensei.
  • Monumental Damage: Shimura Danzo causes an explosion that takes out part of Hokage Rock, symbolically destroying a considerable chunk of the Sandaime's face.
  • Mundane Utility: Kankuro uses a storage seal to mail his boyfriend Kiba soup from his favorite stand to keep it fresh and hot. Kiba is in Konoha while Kankuro was stationed outside of Suna. This inspires the stand owner to commission Kankuro for his seals to set up food delivery to break into the Suna market.
  • "Not So Different" Remark: Inverted in that it's Kankuro who compares himself to his adversary:
    Kankuro: Even if it's madness, though, it's the truth. And you'd know plenty about the overlap of truth and madness, wouldn't you, Uchiha Obito?
  • Obfuscating Stupidity: Downplayed; as Kankuro puts it, "I play just dumb enough to not seem like a threat."
  • Offscreen Moment of Awesome: During "Soup and Letters", three are mentioned in one letter: Asuma survived his encounter with Hidan and Kakuzu, Itachi helped clear up the misunderstanding that turned Akatsuki's founders against Konoha, and Sasuke punched his stupid brother in his stupid face.
  • Open Secret: Everyone in Sunagakure is well aware that Gaara is the Ichibi's jinchuuriki. Similarly, all of the adults in Konohagakure know that Naruto is the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki, though Kankuro is shocked by how many treat the boy with open contempt.
  • Poor Communication Kills:
    • Downplayed when Kiba initially assumes that Gaara is responsible for Kankuro's injured arm, as the misconception gets cleared up before he acts on it.
    • As it turns out, Gaara believed that Kankuro developed his glass-making arts specifically to counter his sand. Kankuro is rather annoyed when he learns this.
  • Red Baron: Kankuro comes to be known as 'Kankuro of the Glass', due to his stained-glass puppets Tsubaki and Ajisai, as well as his other handiwork.
  • Rule of Symbolism: When the Hokage Rock is damaged, it's Sarutobi Hiruzen who symbolically loses face, reflecting how he turned a blind eye to much of Danzo's scheming.
  • The Scapegoat: Rasa intends to set Gaara up to be blamed for the invasion attempt if it fails, with either Kankuro or Konoha killing him.
  • Secret Test of Character: Kankuro's special assignment during the Chuunin Exams is to set up his brother as a scapegoat in case the invasion fails, either killing him himself or ensuring his death at others' hands. Kankuro immediately decides he won't do it, unaware that his father anticipated this and has other measures in place to deal with him should he refuse.
  • Skewed Priorities:
    • Played With in the Forest of Death. Faced with his abrupt disarmament, Kankuro is more concerned about keeping Gaara from being set off by the sight of his blood — a reasonable reaction, given how Gaara could easily kill him along with everybody else present, but which leaves Temari with the impression that Kankuro doesn't care nearly enough about his own safety.
    • On a more generalized note, Temari becomes increasingly convinced that Kankuro doesn't value his life nearly enough, focusing on other concerns first and foremost. Concerns that she's not all privy to.
  • Small Role, Big Impact: Mica, who served as Takara's jounin sensei, becomes an Unwitting Instigator of Doom by encouraging his team to take down Kankuro on the misassumption that his siblings wouldn't care. As a result of this, Kankuro gets his hand lopped off, Takara and his teammates are slaughtered, and Mica blames Gaara and his family for everything.
  • Talking the Monster to Death:
    • Kankuro pulls this off against Gaara when he gets him to leave Team Eight alone. He also attempts this to protect Lee, and again when the Konoha Crush begins, resulting in his brief entombment.
    • Naruto naturally specializes in the Talk-no-Jutsu, and gets some backup from Kiba when Gaara traps his brother in his sand coffin.
  • Tempting Fate: When Yashamaru points out that holding the Kazekage responsible for Gaara's situation could be considered treasonous, Kankuro mockingly asks if he's going to get grounded. Instead, he gets pummeled during his training the following day, followed by an awkward family dinner.
  • Theme Naming: Kankuro originally considers calling his glass puppets Yuki and Hi, for Snow and Fire. He later settles on the Floral Theme Naming of Tsubaki and Ajisai, named for camellia and hydrangea.
  • Thicker Than Water: Despite Gaara's mental deterioration and hostility toward Kankuro, Kankuro loves his brother and tries his best to protect him and show that he loves him. Despite Gaara being paranoid that Kankuro wants him dead and nearly killing Kankuro in a sand coffin. When Gaara finally snaps out of his madness, he is horrified with himself and returns his brother's affection.
    • Which is contrasted to Kankuro's contempt for their father, who he blames for Gaara's madness and vocally questions his authority.
  • Verbal Backspace: Played for Laughs when Kankuro bluntly tells Tsunade "I don't know what the fuck is happening," then corrects himself: "Hokage-sama, I don't know what the fuck is happening."
  • Villain Takes an Interest: Kabuto grows increasingly intrigued by Kankuro, to the point that he becomes obsessed with turning him to his side by any means necessary... or, failing that, killing him and forcing the answers out of him through Edo Tensei.
  • Wham Line:
    • The Chuunin Exams take an abrupt turn in "Forest of Not Today Thank You" when Takara lops off Kankuro's hand.
    • One of the letters Kankuro receives in "Soup and Letters" is signed In sincerity, Uchiha Madara, dramatically shifting the tone.
  • What the Hell, Hero?:
    • Baki reams Kankuro out for inventing a new jutsu and testing it out in a sparring match rather than getting it approved and tested by a jounin first. He isn't too pleased when Kankuro claims using it in front of him counts.
    • Kankuro calls Gai on ignoring his warnings about Gaara and encouraging Lee to go all out, nearly getting his student killed in the process.
      Kankuro: These are prelims. Showing off doesn't get you the promotion at this round. And had that been a final round, he would've been taking a sacrifice play for the win — and that wouldn't have gotten him a promotion, either. You have to know that, right?
    • He also gives a rather succinct call-out to Itachi when they meet about being a terrible older brother.
  • Why Did It Have to Be Snakes?: While swatting mosquitoes in the Forest of Death, Kankuro abruptly remembers that unless something dramatically changes, he'll have to face Shino and his weaponized mosquitoes during the tournament.
  • Would Hurt a Child: Rasa would happily see Gaara murdered, ordering others to attempt to assassinate his own child. Including Kankuro, whom he also orders assassinated as a back-up plan.
  • You Have GOT to Be Kidding Me!:
    • Kankuro reacts this way when he overhears vendors in Konoha's marketplace openly sneering about shutting down their stalls while the 'demon brat' passes through.
    • This is also his response when he spots Sasori and Deidara while training for the tournament.
    • A collective one happens in Chapter 13 when Itachi offers to take on the mission to track down the missing-nin Shimura Danzo.

Tangled Shards also provides examples of:

  • Armor-Piercing Response: Kabuto, the Insistent Akatsuki Recruiter has Kakashi interrupt Kankuro's unwanted meeting with Kabuto and Tobi right when he addresses the latter as Uchiha. When he asks who the latter is, Kankuro asks him "Do I need to spell out who the worst possible Uchiha to be miraculously alive and bent on war and destruction would be for you personally?"
    Kakashi: The worst?
    Kankuro: Personally.
    Kakashi: Ah. Well. Carry on, then, Kankuro-kun. I'll be leaving.
    Kankuro: Enjoy your emotional breakdown!
  • Fake Defector: The basic premise of Kankuro no Akatsuki - Obsidian Puppet is that Kankuro accepts Kabuto's offer to join the Akatsuki. He makes sure to leave behind a note for Baki explaining that he's "assigning myself an undercover mission" to dismantle the organization from within.
  • Insistent Terminology: When his partner Itachi starts up his usual "Foolish little brother" spiel with Sasuke, Kankuro corrects him that Sasuke's not foolish, but ignorant — and proceeds to address that by dumping the truth about the Uchiha Massacre on Sasuke's head.
  • Outside-Context Problem: Chapter 3 clarifies that this was the root of Kabuto's obsession with Kankuro: he had no idea how the puppeteer had knowledge that rivaled his own, and had no way of guessing that he was dealing with someone who'd been isakaied from another reality where Naruto was a fictional work.
  • Pass the Popcorn: In The Soap Opera Edition of Kankuro's last encounter with Kabuto, Kiba wishes he had popcorn on hand after watching Temari slap Yashamaru.
  • Plagiarism in Fiction: One way Kankuro has taken advantage of what little he recalls of his former life is by creating his own puppet plays and fiction based off pop culture. Gaara's favorite of these is his brother's take on The Hobbit, while Temari likes his version of Daredevil and Kiba enjoys Jujutsu Kaisen. Kakashi is also noted to be a fan of his takes on The Magnus Archives and The Song of Achilles.
  • Refuge in Audacity: Kankuro cracks this up to whole new levels throughout Kankuro no Akatsuki - Obsidian Puppet:
    • He blithely reveals to Pein and the rest of the organization that he was responsible for Sasori and Deidara going missing.
    • While partnered with Itachi, he casually reveals Tobi's true identity to him, then tells Sasuke that Shimura Danzo ordered the Uchiha Massacre, declaring that he doesn't have any reason to keep Itachi's secrets for him.
    • When the Akatsuki decide to help Kisame aid Mei's uprising, Kankuro asks Tobi outright if he intends to puppeteer both sides.
  • Spanner in the Works:
    • Kankuro no Akatsuki - Obsidian Puppet explores an offshoot where Kankuro 'joins' Akatsuki and proceeds to wreck all kinds of havoc on the various schemes being worked within the organization.
    • Kisame also proves to be one during Obsidian Puppet, by requesting the chance to participate in Mei's rebellion, helping set into motion the circumstances that lead to Zetsu's status as puppetmaster revealed to the rest of the group.
    • And there's also Isobu, who is able to provide confirmation of how Madara was involved in sealing him into Rin, coupled with a compulsion seal turning her into a Death Seeker.
  • Wham Line: In Kankuro no Akatsuki - Obsidian Puppet, everyone present is thrown for a complete loop when Isobu asks Kankuro "Would you object to being my next jinchuuriki?"


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