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These are recommendations made by Tropers for Naruto Point of Divergence fics, A story in which one small change has a ripple effect, resulting in massive changes. All of which have to be signed to stay on the page. Feel free to add a fanfic of your own to the list, but remember to use the template found here.

You can also add to the current recommendations if you want. Refrain from posting Conversation in the Main Page though; that goes in the discussion page.

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Complete Fanfics

Shinobi Hiden: Missions, Misinformation, and Mind Games by MalayTheDynamo

Recommended by: Zayden
Status: Complete
Synopsis: "Of all the words of pen and tongue, the saddest are 'What Might Have Been' ". But of course, they are also the most interesting.
Comments: When you combine apparent insanity with apparent inanity in a container of humor, throw in a little science and a little metaphor, and make Naruto drink it, you get this hilarious fic that changes small things with large effects.

Above Being A Pawn - The Tale of Dosu Kinuta by Dunstin

Recommended by: Darkfire545, HOSPES_VISITANT
Status: Complete
Synopsis: What if Dosu had bested Gaara before the final rounds and managed to confront Sasuke? Dosu becomes conflicted with his true purpose in life and how to overcome the emotion of knowing he and his team have been nothing but tools their whole lives. In despair, Dosu must choose between returning to his master or finally killing Sasuke Uchiha.

Freedom in the Eyes of Another by Oroburos69

Recommended by: jinjoo88
Status: Complete
Synopsis: "The Wave Mission was a failure. They got caught, captured, taken-it didn't end well. Now Sakura has a half-heard order, uncut fingernails, and more desperation than bravery. One way or another, she's getting Team Seven out today."
Notes: Get's very gory and intense. Poor Sakura!

How to Win Friends, Influence People by sparrowette

Recommended by: Lustheron, Kaiserin Kai, Robinton
Status: Complete
Synopsis: And Start Your Very Own Secret Ninja Organization. Three months into Naruto's training trip Jiraiya must leave him behind to go to check on a situation in Iwa, leaving Naruto to his own devices. Naruto thinks everything he did makes perfect sense, Kiri thinks he is a cult leader and Tsunade thinks she doesn't get paid enough to deal with this.
Notes: Has a sequel, How to Think Without Thinking (Dead).

Konoha: Naruto's Playground by MegaB

Recommended by: Kurtulmak, Kaiserin Kai
Status: Complete
Synopsis: When Naruto finally decides that the Konoha populace doesn't deserve his protection, he moves to another goal... Have fun! But his fun turns to fear when his vow to never fight as a Shinobi is broken.

The Lazy Uchiha by Hibiki54

Recommended by CrowKenobi
Status: Complete
Synopsis: The Uchiha clan were known as genius ninja. But all clans have that one black sheep. Meet Uchiha Itachi, a born genius and the laziest ninja you will ever find!

In Another Life by gen519 Link

Recommended by ThePoarter
Status: Complete
Pairing: Naruto/Hinata
Synopsis: In which Naruto listens to his mother's advice and marries a girl like her. And lives to regret it.
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Be warned this is a romance story that is both heartbreaking and tearjerking. Everyone is still within character which makes it feel so tragic. Naruto's shame and self-loathing easily combines with Hinata's own despair and bitterness. Not for the faint of heart.

The Life Game by TwinTrouble

Recommended by: jinjoo88
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Hatake Sakumo has a kind heart, so he didn't think twice about taking on the orphan child of his old teammate. However, when that child happens to be an Uchiha, things start to get messy as he must balance work, custody battles and his own young son.
- Kakashi and Obito are raised as brothers and it makes everything better.

Lost soul by LD1449

Recommended by: Krow Blood, Shadow AI, FLCNPNCH
Status: Complete
Synopsis: The eve after Kyuubi's attack, Konoha is low on strength. The council agrees to turn Naruto into a living weapon. But years later, after Sarutobi's death, will Konoha's weapon continue to defend it? Or will he poise his blade to carve out their throats?
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Comments: Heavy on the Gray-and-Grey Morality.

Mizukage by Dragon6

Recommended by: Ninmikey01
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Though successful in retrieving Sasuke, Naruto is banished for harming him. Years pass and the Land of Waves disappeared from the world's notice. A new Mizukage and his country will fight in a new war.
Pairing: Naruto/Sakura

A Mother's Love by lord of the land of fire

Recommended by: SAMAS, Clendy82, Nitramy, Wint
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Kushina Uzumaki survives childbirth by sheer force of will (and the timely arrival of Tsunade). Things change.
Pairing: Naruto/Hinata

Naruto's Compensation by DisobedienceWriter

Recommended by: Faraway_2, Kraesil
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Young Naruto is prohibited from being Ninja of the Leaf. Left to his own devices he takes an unusual path to power as a Puppeteer. Smart!Powerful!Wily!Naruto. Lots of conflict with Orochimaru, Sasori and other Akatsuki.
- First-Episode Twist: "They say that when a man loses his sight, his other senses increase to compensate. Naruto won't lose his sight, but rather something just as critical to an active ninja".
Comments: A must-read. Seriously. Very plausible, and that is hard to find with the rampant Super!Naruto fics.

Introverted by Shadenight123

Recommended by: The Roaming Shadow, Leidolf, Kraesil
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Being ignored and gazed at with hatred can lead someone to become a boisterous and loud orange-wearing shinobi, but it can also drive him to become a silent and invisible introvert. Of the two, Naruto takes the logical choice for a future in the Ninja World. Team Sai-Naruto-Sakura.
Comments: A fanfic where Naruto is more quiet and closed off due to Teuchi Ichiraku's death. This Fic practically updates Daily.

An Invincible Summer by ShanaStoryteller

Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis
Status: Complete
Synopsis: When Naruto is five, he's gutted by a drunken civilian and presumed dead. Six months later a girl with ash pale hair and dark blue eyes enters the Academy. Genderfluid!Naruto.
Notes: Has a companion oneshot, Solstice, exploring a What If? diverging at the end of Chapter 1.

The Guardian by SGTBrowncoat

Recommeneded by: Ricochet 2002
Status: Complete
Synopsis: In an alternate universe where the Uchiha Massacre never happened, Itachi Uchiha receives his first mission in ANBU: protecting Naruto Uzumaki. He bonds quickly with the young Jinchuriki, but dark forces rise to threaten Itachi, Naruto, and those they care for most.
Pairing: Itachi/Hana
Notes: Has a sequel, Fall of the Guardian.

Hakumei by Pryotra

Recommended by: Cinderflame, Jomlos, USA Bobcat, Kaiserin Kai, Icyicy00, ahiijny
Status: Complete
Synopsis: A For Want of a Nail that takes the What If? Danzo's bastardry taken to its logical extreme. Danzo kills the Sandaime and takes over the village. Unfortunately, he didn't count on six neglected children to see him.
Notes: Has a sequel, Hakumei: Kakumei.

Hell's Radiance by Angel of the Godless

Recomended by: MissTikilicious
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Fate can be a twisted thing, some only exist in hate. Sakura was one of those, a container of the most feared demon in history, hated by her village. Lost in the darkness, she tried to find a reason for living. Through chance and bad luck, Sakura is chosen as the container of the Kyuubi instead of Naruto. She discovers what has been done to her, decides to restore the Kyuubi to its former glory, bring Konoha to its knees with violence, madness and corruption and make them love every moment of it.
Pairing: Naruto/Sakura

Geniuses of Hard Work by froznfox72

Recommended by: ShadesofGrey18, Unclouded TJ, mumismatist
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Might Guy trades Neji and Tenten to take Naruto and Hinata on his team. Can he take this group of misfits and turn them into a team of geniuses...or will he be forced to give up wearing spandex forever?
Pairings: Naruto/Hinata

Ghost by Onmysignalunleashwords

Recommended by: Blue Stranger
Status: Complete
Synopsis: "Her face. I remember her face." A boy trained to kill is brought into the light. Grey, different Naruto heavily stealth based and Root trained, but not in the traditional sense. How will he cope with that most dangerous of foes: emotion?
Comments: A very original story and redone idea of "What if Naruto was taken in by Danzo and trained in the Root?". Here, Naruto isn't massively overpowered in anyway nor does he go on a long jutsu spam spree or even gain moderate power ups. The author makes a full interpretation of a stealthy Naruto and a true ninja, but also morally compromising due to his upbringing. The characterization is done extremely well for him, the author going as far as to write very controversial actions to stay consistent, especially at the end.

Naruto: Altered History by Geor-sama

Recommended by: Red Viking, boonerunner
Status: Complete
Synopsis: A For Want of a Nail story, as suggested by the title. This story basically explores what would have happened had no one in the village known that the Kyuubi had been sealed inside Naruto.

Naruto Asunder by WrathfulSE

Recommended by: Fellownerd, Jomlos
Status: Complete
Synopsis: The smallest of pebbles can create thousands of ripples. A simple off hand remark can create a lasting message. In the ninja world, these ripples will someday become the tidal waves that will tear the ninja world asunder.

Never Cut Twice by shadowmaster62

Recommended by: Antiguo Nonun, UltraSonikku
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Naruto could not deal how he failed Sakura, Sasuke, Konoha in general, so he decided to become a nuke-nin and find his place in the world. In his travels, he takes Zabusa's sword, finds a harsh but cute Sand Nin, helps Gaara create an Emo epic, fights against mobsters, swordmasters, the Seven of the Mist, Akatsuki, the Fall of Orochimaru and a belligerent Demon God. Also Disco breakdance, Icha Icha Paradise the Movie, Nunekin guitar Duel and Pocky.
Pairing: Naruto/Temari

Nine Tailed Serpent by LT2000

Recommended by: FLCNPNCH
Status: Complete
Synopsis: How Naruto would play out if the titular character Took a Level in Badass, complete with Badass Longcoat and BFS (Zabuza's, to be specific). How, you ask, does that work? Well, THIS Naruto's been aware of and in cahoots with Kyuubi since he was about seven...

Of the River and the Sea by Aleycat4eva

Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Enter the story of Watanabe Ryuishi who is reborn into the Naruto Universe after dying as Cat Frank in the "real world". She isn't born into a nice place like Konoha, nor is she born into a nice time like the peace they show during the first part of canon. She is reborn into Kirigakura no Sato, just before the Third Shinobi World War. She is born as a child of a whore, during the height of the Bloody Mist. It only gets worse from then on.
Notes: Has a collecion of side stories, Songs gone Unsung.

One Hundred Days by Aaron Nowack

Recommended by: Komanda, Serbii, boonerunner
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Naruto leaves on his three-year training trip, and Sakura begins the struggle to improve herself. How much will they have changed when they meet again in one hundred days?
Notes: Has a sequel, One Hundred Weeks (Dead).

One Small Kindness by DigitalTart

Recommended by: BlackAlchemist, Trickdice, Kaiserin Kai, Robinton
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Uchiha Mikoto takes the hand of an outcast child, and with it rewrites the destiny of her clan.
Notes: Has a sequel listed above, Daybreak: Part I.

Perfect Pair by mysterious-mask

Recommended by: TropeKira, Lionheart0
Status: Complete
Synopsis: An AU fanfic that has Naruto adopted by the Haruno family. The series starts before the events of the anime, depicts the events of part 1 and 2 differently as well.

The Point of Divergence by EliadS

Recommended by: Judge King, Memotauro
Status: Complete
Sypnosis: Sasuke died during the battle in the Land of the Waves and the Narutoverse is changed forever. But how radically will one divergence in fate effect the entire Shinobi world? Read and find out.
Pairing: Naruto/Ino
Notes: Has a sequel, Ripples of Destiny (Dead).

Sage by Digitize27

Recommended by: Lord Herobrine
Status: Complete
Synopsis: When Naruto is given a gift considered legendary even in a world where walking on water is a daily occurrence for some, will it lead him on a path towards peace or will the consequences of said gift leave a hole in his heart too large to fill?
Pairing: Naruto/Fuu

Senseless Doneness by Cyrro

Recommended by: Micky02
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Hiruzen has had enough of Konoha's special brand of crazy and wants to go on holiday. But first he must appoint the Fifth Hokage. Naruto, meanwhile, is determined to make chunin BEFORE getting dragged off on a training trip. And what's this about peace with the Hidden Mist?
Notes: Has a prequel that must be read in order to understand the story: Why You Should NEVER Keep all Your S-Rank Files in one Place.
Comments: It's kind of a crack fic, but it's well written, has a lot of humor, and Sasuke isn't all revenge-y.

Avalanche by branchandroot

Recommended by: Sheliak, boonerunner, Kraesil, Pastykake
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Kakashi gives Sasuke a different piece of advice following an early fight with Naruto, and the Sound Five never have a chance to try to get him to defect. Team Seven stays together a bit longer, and when they split up, it's along somewhat different lines than in canon- Naruto is apprenticed to Tsunade in the hopes she can help with his chakra control, Sasuke is sent with Jiraiya, and Sakura goes into Intelligence.
tags: Fluff, AU, Drama, Angst, Action, humor, horror

Blind by Tazaki4

Recommended by: Donomni
Status: Complete
Synopsis: A new twist on the classic Naruto For Want of a Nail story. Two changes occur in the first three years of the story. Hiashi is Naruto's caretaker and Hinata's kidnapping attempt is partially... successful.
Tags: Adventure, Romance
Comments: A Naruto fic that's one of many (read "thousands of") For Want of a Nail stories made regarding the series. What makes it stand out is how a single theft not only causes a war but also produces a bunch of mutant humans that make up a large portion of the enemy army, all looking like something out of Resident Evil.

Blind by ObsidianSickle

Recommended by: Kurtulmak, Nitramy
Status: Complete
Synopsis: It was almost time, Orochimaru was going to take his body as a vessel. He hated being used... He refused to be used. With that thought, he took the kunai in his hand and slashed across his eyes.
Pairing: Sasuke/Sakura
Tags: Romance, Family, Eye trauma, slowburn

Clearing Mist by shadownumera

Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis
Status: Complete
Synopsis: I have the worst luck ever. First off, I die. Then I get reborn into the Naruto universe. Yay right? WRONG. Nobody ever said you get to be reborn into Konoha. Which makes finding out where I am in the story line that much harder. I don't know if I can change anything, or if the bloodbath is far behind me. One thing's official though. I'm screwed.
Pairing: Kisame/OC
Tags: SI-OC, Romance, Humor

The Cost of Living by livezinshadowz

Recommended by: Zeronos Vega
Status: Complete
Synopsis: My response to pudgypudge's Jiongu challenge. Watch as Naruto is mentored by Kakuzu to become a powerful ninja and bounty hunter, and follow him as he discovers that his new life requires a payment in blood to live successfully.
Tags: Jiongu!Naruto, Adventure
Pairing(s): Naruto/Fū
Notes: Has two sequels, Checkmate and Blitzkrieg.

Dawn's Sage by Panory Bro

Recommended by: FTGMinato
Status: Completed
Synopsis: When Gamabunta returned to Mount Myoboku after fighting the Kyuubi, he accidentally brought baby Naruto with him too. Naruto is trained on Mount Myoboku, becoming a master of Sage jutsu, before joining Akatsuki.
Tags: Adventure, Friendship, AU

Daybreak: Part I by DigitalTart

Recommended by: Komuro, Kaiserin Kai, Robinton
Status: Complete
Synopsis: One of Konoha's greatest enemies is long dead, but Akatsuki lives on, and a new threat to peace is rising in the shinobi nations. The question is... who are the heroes, and who are the villains?
Comments: A sequel to One Small Kindness and expands upon that universe in a truly epic fashion.
- Its sequel was cancelled.

Déjà vu no Jutsu by Vixen Tail

Recommended by: Aki-no-hikari, aightaight, Me Myself And I, MizuKitsune10, Dame-Amaryllis
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Take one dead, thirty year old career soldier, stick in the body of a child during the Second Great Shinobi War. Add a mini-Namikaze Minato, ninjas, chakra, tailed beasts, and shake well. Is it any wonder she thought she was insane?
Notes: Has a collection of side stories, Neko-chan's Pawprints, that goes over various scenes requested by reviewers that weren't shown in the main fic.
Tags: Self-Insert Fic, Alternate Universe Fic, Original Character(s), Second Great Shinobi War Era, Third Great Shinobi War Era
Comments: Just. This fic is amazing. Wonderful grammar and language combined with plot twists that you will not believe, Vixen Tail does what Kishimoto failed to do. Even if you're not one for SI/OC/AUs (and this troper should know, they don't really like them themselves), Vixen pulls it off incredibly well.

The Demon in the Hyuga Clan by Dark Sword Mage

Recommended by: Akatsuki Daybreak, ThatIrishReader
Status: Complete
Synopsis: As its name suggests, its a What If? fic in which Hinata is the Kyuubi jinchuriki and both of Naruto's parents are alive and well, with the two of them ending up in the same squad under Kurenai.
Pairing(s): Naruto/Hinata
Tags: Alternate Universe/Timeline
Comments: I second this recommendation but with mixed feelings. This story was somewhat of a guilty pleasure for me mainly for the fact that Hinata turns into a cliche eventually but the interesting AU made me finish the story. However, due to people constantly criticizing the author and comparing the story to ripping off Team 8, another NaruHina fanfic, the author posted one final chapter that was more of a plot outline to end the story. To say the least, it's rare to find someone who liked the chosen ending. Asides from that, the story is practical but entertaining and is well thought-out at some points.

Why You Should NEVER Keep all Your S Rank Files in one Place by Cyrro

Recommended by: Micky02, Robinton
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Team Seven gets bored waiting for Kakashi Sensei to turn up. In an effort to ditch his annoying team mates, Sasuke suggests splitting up to look for him. Sakura finds their sensei quite promptly. Sasuke finds a bowl of soup, and Naruto... well, let's just say it wasn't pretty. — Has a sequel Senseless Doneness
Tags: It's kind of a crack fic, but it's well written, has a lot of humor, and Sasuke isn't all revenge-y.

Two Halves by DameWren

Recommended by: Dragontrapper, Robinton
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Naruto, instead of training with Jiraiya by himself, goes to train with a former student of Tsunade with Hinata for the three years. The entire story takes place in a region to the west of the Ninja regions.
Pairing: Naruto/Hinata

Uchiha Obito, Ghost! by Namikaze Artemis

Recommended by: narutoxhinata09, luciamalpense, LaughterMostInsane
Status: Dead
Synopsis: Naruto isn't exactly alone anymore. A ghost came back to help him along. A ghost named Uchiha Obito. With Obito's help, Konoha's not going to know what hit them.

Echoes (Kagaseo) by Kagaseo

Recommended by: ChessKindred, Storm Of Script, AQZT
Status: Complete
Synopsis: At the battle of Land of Grass, one alternate version of Naruto got his seal twisted by Orochimaru, gaining the power to travel into other alternate realities where he is a girl, a puppeteer, and many other possibilities. However he's also being followed by very unpleasant people...

Uprooted by Orrunan

Recommended by: Quotemarx, Blitz Blast, Kaiserin Kai
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Naruto makes a good shinobi, but a lousy weapon. Danzo has finally managed to connive Naruto into Root, or so he believes. Naruto, who will now be within reach of his emotionally inept, traumatized, fanatical devotees. What on earth was he thinking?

Vapors by ElectraSev5n

Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis
Status: Complete
Synopsis: This ninja business? It isn't for the faint of heart. Luckily Aiko is far from faint, even if she did get stuck with a ridiculously girly name. SI-OC.

Vulpine by Saphroneth

Recommended by: Unclouded TJ, Kraesil, Kaiserin Kai, Robinton
Status: Complete
Synopsis: So, performing a summoning technique without a contract lands you with your most appropriate summon? Naruto sees someone summoning while still in the academy, and gives it a go.
Comments: Mcnickel: Reads less like a story and more like an analysis of how The Stations of the Canon are changed by Naruto getting a summons at an early age. Still, its a good read, at the very least for time killing. Complete at around 100,000 words.

Wakaru? by DoragonkasaiTsubasa

Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Luck is a fickle thing, and not everyone is guaranteed a portion of it. But whoever said you can't make things work? SI-OC.
Notes: Also recommended on the Naruto Oneshot And Short Fics page.

The Way of the Apartment Manager by Elizabeth Culmer

Recommended by: Universalperson, Kraesil, Kaiserin Kai
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Typical AU where an OC adopts Naruto. Only it ends up being much more than that.
Notes: Has a sequel, The Guardian in Spite of Herself, and a collection of side stories, Apartment Manager Sidestories.

A Teacher's Glory by Larry Huss

Recommended by: Angelform, Leid, Mcnickel, Frodo Lives, Kraesil, Kaiserin Kai
Status: Complete — planned sequel canceled because the author is deceased.
Synopsis: Kakashi demonstrates why you shouldn't order a team of miniature assassins to come at you with intent to kill and then not take them seriously. Anko demonstrates how to train a team of messed up miniature assassins.

Team 7's Ascension by Eilyfe

Recommended by: Leid, Dyuran
Status: Complete
Synopsis: To Kakashi, the Genin of Team 7 were morons of the highest order. Despite that, he still saw the potential in each of them and he'd be damned before he let it go to waste. Features a strong Kakashi, a less forgiving Sandaime, and three terrified Genin.
Notes: Has a completed sequel, Lines in the Sand.
Comments: Absolutely fantastic. Has some dark elements and goes into detail about the harsher side of shinobi life.

Clash in the Land of Snow: Legacy Version by FictionReader98

Recommended by: FLCNPNCH, Ramenth, Jomlos, ZeroXSEED
Status: Complete
Synopsis: It's Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow - adapted to the Legacy of the Rasengan universe!
Tags: Adventure
Comments: This story is in response to Tellemicus Sundance's challenge for someone to write a movie version of Naruto: Ninja Clash in the Land of Snow, with his characters from Legacy of the Rasengan.

If I Were Me by Xinthos

Recommended by: Royal Archetype
Status: Complete
Synopsis: There are far-reaching consequences for everyone when Ino doesn't befriend Sakura as a child, not the least of which occurs when Sakura's two personalities disassociate from each other completely. With one convinced she's worthless and the other determined to prove otherwise, they'll have to find a way to live and fight together, if they want to survive.
Tags: Adventure, Romance
Pairing: Ino/Sakura
Comments: Quite possibly one of the best fanfics this troper has ever read. It shows exactly how such a small event playing out differently has far-flung consequences. Takes place entirely before the timeskip and the build up of the relationship between Ino and Sakura is both sweet and believable.

komorebi by tomorrowsrain

Recommended by: ThisIsRidiculous
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Komorebi (n) - sunlight filtering through the trees.
Comments: The summary of the first fic is a more informative: In which Kakashi and Obito survive the Kyuubi attack, get exiled from Konoha, learn how to survive, and still manage to become legends along the way. (The bratty genin are unexpected, though.)

Kurama by cyan96

Recommended by: ThisIsRidiculous
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Namikaze Minato makes a mistake. Uzumaki Kushina makes a choice. Naruto ends up growing up with a red haired, foul tempered older brother who wants Konoha to be atomized, preferably yesterday.
Comments: This is the best Kurama fanfic I have ever read, hands down.

Devil's Advocate by livezinshadowz

Recommended by: Leid, Zeronos Vega
Status: Complete
Synopsis: An accidental meeting brings Zetsu into Naruto's life as his tutor. With Zetsu intending to sway Naruto to his own philosophy of "the only one you can rely on is yourself", Naruto discovers that the world isn't as black and white as his tutor is, that there are at least two sides to every story, and that he has a lot to learn.
Pairing(s): Hinted Naruto/Ino and Naruto/Tenten
Tags: Character study, grey!Naruto, Friendship, Adventure

Iryo-nin Kasa by Vaengir

Recommended by: Hollownerox
Status: Complete
Synopsis: Whoever said death is nothing to be afraid of have likely lived a full life. Though, I suppose the same could be said for the reverse. Those who fear death have never truly lived, but I'm getting a little ahead of myself. My name is Kasa, the idiot who doesn't know how to die properly. And let me tell you, dying hurts. OC Self-insert.
Notes: Has a companion story, Cheating Fate. (last updated January 2015)
Comments: A self-insert fic that really delves into the insecurities and possible mental instability of someone shoved into a world they once thought was fictional. This fic is also unique due to the fact that it has a companion story that is from Obito's perspective of events, revealing that not only is the story a self-insert, but a Peggy Sue fic as well, though the OC herself is unaware of this fact. An interesting change of pace considering most self-inserts make the OC nigh omnipotent in terms of how events run, so it is quite rare to see a story take the plunge and have things occurring outside of the main characters, and by extension the readers, point of view.

What A Big Heart You Have by LullabyKnell

Recommended by: ThisIsRidiculous
Status: Complete
Synopsis: In which a little red fox saves the big white wolf. In which Hatake Sakumo lives.

Jagged Sight by Minato Shi

Recommended by: ThisIsRidiculous
Status: Complete
Synopsis: His whole being has been scooped out of him, leaving something empty behind. He's not sure what's filled it, but Rin isn't worried. He feels he should be, but...He trusts Rin.

Chosen of the Bijuu by CenturionsofRome

Recommended by: This Ridiculous, Robinton
Status: Complete
Synopsis: In one timeline, Madara hunted down and enslaved the Kyuubi no Kitsune to his will, and wielded him against Hashirama. Two hundred years later, Naruto squares off against a man who seeks to turn back time to claim the Juubi. He wins in the sense that the man dies. He looses in that he himself is cast back in time instead, and without Kurama. In this timeline, two now seek the Bijuu, one young, powerful, and driven by hatred; the other beyond ancient, inherently kind, and only seeks to save his oldest friend in the little time he has left, even if said friend no longer remembers him.
Comments: I love the worldbuilding in this series!

Flip The Coin by Inrainbowz

Recommended by: Bliadd Dunn
Status: Complete
Synopsis: "When you think about it, Sasuke, we could be standing in each other's place right now"

Naruto grows up shunned, hated, without support and full of rage.Sasuke grows up determined to step out of his brother's shadow and be recognized for his own merits.In which Naruto is the one who runs and Sasuke does the chasing.

Comments: An AU where Iruka Umino reveals Danzo's plans a few years before the series start, and as a result is not around to support Naruto before he becomes a genin- also the Uchiha clan survives, Itachi doesn't go rogue, and the Third Hokage doesn't have the same degree of power he had in canon. This results in a role reversal AU where Sasuke is the bright optimistic one looking for acknowledgment and Naruto is the brooding angry kid who doesn't want to get close to people. Also, Sakura is not a fangirl and Ino is awesome. The characterisation - especially of Naruto - is phenomenal, and the character relationships will have you binge-reading the entire thing. There's plenty of good world-building and interesting politics as well- it's clearly not a simple retelling of the canon.

The Newest Member (A Naruto-Akatsuki Fanfic) by NaruHinadorable

Recommended by: Na
Status: Complete
Synopsis: After confessing his love to Sakura and finding out her love was for Sasuke only. Naruto delves into a deep depression and is threatened by his fellow villagers for being different: A jinchuuriki. He flees the village with suicide in mind and tries to end his life with a slash of his Kunai, slowly bleeding, he is taken in by those who sought to kill him, The Akatsuki.
Comments:
Pairing(s): Hinata/Naruto
Tags: Drama/Tragedy

Son of the Sannin by Ander Arias

Recommended by: FoxBluereaver, Darth Caesar
Status: Completed
Pairings: Main ones are Jiraiya/Tsunade and Naruto/Hinata, with many other confirmed or hinted to come.
Synopsis: Naruto lost his parents the night of his birth due to the Kyubi escaping, but fortunately Jiraiya and Tsunade are willing to take care of him in their place. Watch how his life unfolds while being raised by the Sannin, and how such actions will change not only Naruto's life, but the lives of those around him.
Comments: This AU takes on a very interesting premise: what if Naruto was raised by Tsunade and Jiraiya, and what if the Sannin were around Konoha during those years he grew up? And while at first it seems like their presence solves many problems and averts many of the canon tragedies, it actually makes way for others like the Uchihas pulling off their coup and attacking Konoha, and Orochimaru getting the Sharingan during the attack, which explores very interesting scenarios, still staying true to the spirit of the series. Furthermore, Naruto and company are trained from much earlier and because of that, they're much more capable. You won't be disappointed.
- Now with a trope page.

Chiaroscuro by boomvroomshroom

Recommended by: mothaibabon
Status: Complete
Synopsis: They say the only thing to fear is fear itself. That, and a motivated Nara. Shikamaru is born with his father's intelligence and his mother's work ethic. The world is turned sideways.
Tags: AU, Adventure

Plan B by JustSpaced

Recommended by VictorioMWolff-Haddock
Status: Complete
Synopsis: A person is reincarnated into Naruto's world with the knowledge of the manga. However, he is reborn as a civilian, meaning he didn't have much chakra to develop. Therefore, he needs a more...indirect way to influence the canon.

Ongoing

Ongoing Fanfics

A Bet of a Lifetime by TheOrangeSpark

Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
Status: Ongoing
Synopsis: A childish challenge between teacher and student triggers a chain of events whose outcomes ripple across the Ninja World. As the dominos fall, crashing on the shoulders of the Child of Prophecy, one question needs to be asked. Will he bear it all, or crumble under the weight of the world?
Comments: Naruto bet Jiraya that if he can write a good novel, Jiraya has to focus more on training him. The writing process makes Naruto smarter and aware of his clone Jutsu's mind link, and the resulting literature causes ripples in Konoha. But this new path also open Naruto's eyes to the darker parts of the world.

Better Left Unsaid by Kenchi618

Recommended by: Unclouded TJ
Status: Ongoing
Synopsis: Mizuki never got to shoot his mouth off at Naruto the night he took the Scroll of Seals. Other than skipping a half-manic monologue from him what exactly did this change for everyone's favorite blond ninja? Who knows?
Pairing: Naruto/Ino
Tags: Rated M for language/later events.

Cascade by Jyn Ryvia

Recommended by: Getting-a-running-start
Status: Dormant; last updated April 2019
Synopsis: Add together the choices you make, the environments you're exposed to, and the instincts inherent to your very being and you then get the sum of yourself. That doesn't change even if you remember a past life. SI Story.
Comments: A self-insert fic in the dreaming of sunshine style, What is setting it apart is that the SI (Shou) was born in Waterfall. It's still pretty new so time will tell if it is really good or not, but it seems promising.

Five Petals by Precarious Sauce

Recommended by: Insane In The Membrane
Status: Ongoing
Synopsis: "Sakura’s elbow slams into Sasuke’s side from an angle he doesn’t anticipate, sending him tumbling end over end off the branch. Sasuke rights himself just a second too late and without checking where he’s going to land– When he does his knee twists, he feels a lightning bolt of pain shoot from his sole to his head, his leg gives out. And Orochimaru’s teeth sink down to the gum in Sakura’s shoulder."
Pairing: Sakura/Sasuke
Tags: Curse Mark Sakura, Not a Fix-It Fic , Sannin Swap , Wood Style Sakura , Double Agent Sakura
Comments: An excellent series in which Sakura recieves the Curse Mark instead of Sasuke during the Chunin Exams and all the angst, body horror and heartwarming moments that entail. Even though the focus mostly features Sasuke and Sakura, I particularly liked how the author writes every character in a manner that is both fresh and realistic, and how the many holes in Naruto canon have been fixed in acceptable ways.

Friendly Neighborhood Nine-Tails by AkumaKami64

Recommended by: VictorioMWolff-Haddock
Status: Ongoing.
Synopsis: Naruto Uzumaki died at the Valley of the Ends. Unfortunately for a certain Uchiha, Naruto the Kyuubi was born as a result of the Chidori impaling the seal. Now Naruto has to get used to living as a walking force of nature while Konoha learns to live with a mountainous fox in their backyard.
Comment: Kurama died and Naruto's body is destroyed, causing the boy to now be stuck as the new Kyuubi, unable to become a ninja, and therefore Hokage, anymore. Despite my description, there's a lot of comedy in this fic.

From The Corner of Your Eye by Chadsuke

Recommended by: Blaidd Dunn
Status: Ongoing
Synopsis: When a misunderstanding prompts Sasuke to take a deeper involvement in the growth of his teammates, no one is quite prepared for the way things... change. Especially Sasuke. The question is - is it for the better?
Comments: A really warm, funny rewrite of the series where the bonds between team 7 are much stronger because Sasuke actually interacts with his teammates. Nobody becomes overpowered, although Sakura catches up to the boys much earlier than in canon. The writing style is really distinctive and funny, and the AU and side characters are really well fleshed out. It is Naruto/Sasuke, but it is a sloooow burn, 53 chapters in and it's still mostly implied- the real star of the show is the importance and depth of the family and platonic relationships, and I am in love with the Ino-Gaara friendship. It's wonderful from start to finish, so much character development, so much worldbuilding, what's not to love?

Kakashi's Kid by Silimaira

Recommended by: Ripplefish
Status: Ongoing
Synopsis: I wasn't asking, but then this guy with gray hair seemed to think he'd found an answer... OC SI.
Comments: A self-insert fic with excellent characterization, humor, wit, and plot.

Kill Your Heroes by Evil Is A Relative Term

Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis
Status: Ongoing
Synopsis: Because, sometimes, we are what our adversaries make of us. Because Gatō only needed Zabuza to neutralize Kakashi. He isn't afraid of one little pink-haired genin. But even mice will bite when cornered. A story of where fear drives the most vulnerable member of Team Seven, from Wave and beyond.

Loyalty by A True Radical Dreamer

Recommended by: Capeclare
Status: Ongoing
Synopsis: Once upon a time Haruno Sakura was recruited as a spy. What follows is a tale of her struggles under all the difficulties this entails.
Comments: In her last year at the academy Sakura is accidentally recruited by Kabuto and is forced to help him him with his spying efforts. This fic sounds like a Sakura sue but nothing could be further from the truth. Sakura's spy efforts are realistic and limited in importance, she basically does the boring trash rooting jobs that Kabuto doesn't want to do. Sakura in this fic is a more scrappy appealing character than in canon as well as more competent. Due to her spying efforts there is also little in the ways on wangst or angst especially after the first chapter is done. This fic also has an original plotline as the author avoids the wave arc and is now heading in a really interesting and original direction.
- A word of warning: this fic is very, very dark.

New Chance by Hektols

Recommended by: KrspaceT
Status: Ongoing
Synopsis: A 10-years-old Naruto meets a man who will change his life and the Ninja Nations, but will it be for good? The Yondaime has returned and he is not happy.
Pairing: Naruto/Hinata
Comments: A truly good story that delves into how Minato's return could impact Naruto and everyone around him. Also, a rare fic where Haku is in fact, male and where NaruHina can be shipped without Sakura and Sasuke being demonized.

Obito-Sensei by Ser Serendipity

Recommended by: Pastykake
Status: Ongoing
Synopsis: During the fateful mission to the Kannabi Bridge, Obito is too slow, and Kakashi ends up paying the price with his life. Years later, Elite Jonin Mangekyou no Obito is placed in charge of a very familiar genin team, determined to keep them safe in a world at peace. But, this is not the world you know; Kakashi's death and Obito's return to Konoha have created ripples upon ripples, resulting in a vastly different setting, with new challenges.

Sugar Plums by SoundlessSleep

Recommended by: Blood Plum
Status: Ongoing
Synopsis: A self-insert fanfiction set in the Dreaming of Sunshine universe but not in Konoha. The main protagonist is a reincarnated girl who has to survive the trials and horrors of life living in Kirigakure, the Village Hidden in the Mist.
Comments: Set almost completely in Kirigakure it follows the implications and fallout of the bloodline genocides, the loss of most of the seven swordsman, the reasons for Zabuza's defection as well as the build up of the rebellion and fallout of the civil war. It also examines the effect of the shinobi system on civilians and how they exist in and outside it. Also very realistic characters but OCs and characters who were never fully fleshed out in canon.

True Potential by DryBonesKing

Recommended by: transparentanswer, Darth Caesar, Happy Man
Status: Ongoing
Sypnosis: One discussion in the academy introduces Naruto to his first real friends and changes his life forever. Together, they will work hard, push each other, and unlock their true potential.
Pairing: Naruto/Hinata
Comments: The nail is that Naruto's much closer friendship with Shikamaru and Hinata puts them in an entirely different team unlike the common "Naruto is in Team 8/Team 10" cliche, which is quiet a fresh change from the "Naruto is in a different team" cliches. And due to this, they were able to get in an alliance with Iwa much faster than canon, partly by befriending Han. The author writes the characters well so please do read it out. It's also one of the few NaruHina fics where Hiashi didn't completely follow Fanon interpretations and where Sasuke and Sakura aren't bashed thoroughly.

Uchiha Heiress Remix by JGResidentEvil and fight2protect.

Recommended by: GeorgieEnkoom
Status: Ongoing.
Synopsis: After a night of training, a slightly more badass Naruto finds out that Sasuke Uchiha is more than the guy he seems to be.
Pairing(s): Naruto/Satsuki/Hinata, Kiba/Tayuya, Kin/Lee, etc...
Tags: Sakura bashing at first. However, she eventually changes.
Comments: What starts out as the adoption of a generic gender-bender Naruto fanfiction surprisingly turns into a much more interesting and original fanfiction. The sheer amount of character development is a major quality, but I also enjoyed the fact that bashed characters are either removed from the picture in the middle of the story or become genuinely interesting villains instead of mere flanderizations of their canon selves. The only problem is, I think, the grammar and some inconsistencies.

When Fighting Monsters by strid

Recommended by: Orchidperson969
Status: Ongoing
Synopsis: "You persecuted their clan, drove them from their home, killed their mother, and you think they want peace?" // AU where Danzo is the Third Hokage.
Comments: This is an excellent AU fic with angst, paranoia, and mystery. It's written in Anachronic Order, so the history of this Konoha since the Uchiha Massacre has not yet been entirely revealed, but everything ties together thus far.

Yeah, Kunai are cool but have you had dessert? by Authorship

Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis
Status: Ongoing
Synopsis: Easy, I thought, like the idiot I still was. Open a bakery and try not to die (again). Seemed pretty simple... until you factor in that I, a civilian, have the last Big Cat Summon. And Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji think I'm their nee-chan. ...I didn't think to factor in the overwhelming force of Shisui's puppy eyes either. Some — rather large — oversights then. Civilian SI/OC.
Notes: Alternate link.
Tags: Self-Insert Fic

hiatus

Author puts it on Hiatus.

Dormant/Hiatus Fanfics

Burn Limits by Taivasalla

Recommended by: Blaidd Dunn
Status: Dormant; last updated March 2020
Synopsis: Sakura grows up in a shinobi household. Haunted by a broken father, she ends up on Team 7 a different person.
Comments: Taivasalla is an author already fairly well known for a previous fic Childhood and this one's arguably even better. The writing itself is top-notch, some of the best I've seen in fanfic and the character arcs are unfolding at a good pace, striking a good balance between enough to keep you interested and few enough that each thing gets properly played out. It's a fairly dark fic, and trigger warnings apply for self-harm, addiction, and torture, but the topics are handled in ways that feel realistic and it's balanced out by the incredibly heartwarming, if precarious, bond between team 7. A really outstanding fic all-round, frankly.

One Eye, Full of Wisdom by Mr Bright 01

Recommended by: Bored_Man, Memotauro, Unclouded TJ
Status: Hiatus
Synopsis: Kakashi survived his losses in spirit as well as in body. Freed from his canon crippling self doubt, he takes on Team Seven and does his best to help them grow into competent and mentally resilient shinobi. But Kakashi is not the only one who has survived his tragic story intact, and several other major characters will show new faces to the world as time goes on.
Comments: One Eye, Full of Wisdom is a Naruto fix-fic that is intended to demonstrate that you can keep the setting interesting without massive power upgrades. A background event that will be covered eventually has resulted in some psychological changes in a few characters, although their outward actions and personalities are generally still within character. The story relies on mind games, subtlety, and skill instead of larger jutsu lists and incredible new powers.

Any Port in a Storm by DasWarSchonKaputt

Recommended by: ThisIsRidiculous
Status: Dormant; last updated January 2018
Synopsis: Dying isn't always painful, Minato is sure. He probably just has really bad luck. (SI) (Minato-centric)

For My Brother by Spoonand John

Recommended by: The Sinful
Status: Dormant; last updated March 2018
Synopsis: At the last minute, Uchiha Itachi decides he can't torture his brother, so he takes the only option available to him. It's going to take years of therapy to deal with this.
Comments: Itachi explains the reasons behind the massacre to Sasuke inside Tsukiyomi rather than torture him then attacks Obito. Though therapy, Sasuke is more emotionally stable but still a bit off (such as taking Inoichi's explanation of why he can't kill Hiashi to mean he has to train himself and Inoichi will give the go ahead when it's time).

Welcome To Tomorrow by Izaranna

Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis
Status: Dormant; last updated July 2018
Synopsis: She's going to beat the stupid right out of the Elemental Nations, one friendship at a time. Shisui, meanwhile, cackles for dramatic effect. Featuring a competent Hokage, adorable Itachi, bubbly Sasuke and exasperated Naruto. Oh, and politics, lots and lots of delicious politics. Uchiha!SI-OC.

A Drop of Poison by Angel of Snapdragons

Recommended by: Angel Form, Mcnickel, ahiijny, LinkSeasonMaster, Robinton
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: Officially the 'nail' is that because Mizuki uses poison on Iruka. Naruto doesn't get promoted after learning the shadow clone jutsu and is forced to repeat the academy. However, the real difference is that Naruto uses shadow clones to their fullest potential, rapidly becoming a one-man army.

Weight of the World by Tsume Yuki

Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis, Robinton
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: Naruto Uzumaki is the saviour, the prophecy child. If there is one body you don't want to get shoved into, it's that one. Suddenly female or not. And as the gods would have it, that's exactly where I ended up. In the body of a blonde, whiskered female child with a mountain of expectations pressing down on me. Brilliant. Self-Insert. Fem!Naruto.

Drifting by AlphaDelta1001

Recommended by: deadman2020, Mcnickel, Wint, Kaiserin Kai
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: Naruto is many things; troublesome, wild, unpredictable, adventurous, untamable, unique. But there's a benefit to being wild and unpredictable; no one has the faintest idea what you're going to do next.
Pairing: Naruto/Harem

Chasing a Legend by Voiceofsummer

Recommended by: KtheCloud
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: During one of the most crucial missions in the history of Konoha, Sakumo is forced to make an all too different decision. The White Fang dies as a hero and not in disgrace. The life of Hatake Kakashi is changed forever.
Tags: AU, Adventure, Friendship

Butterfly Child by KlonoaDreams

Recommended by: Mellini Mintini, Dame-Amaryllis
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: I was never a fan of irony, even more so after died. I should be pretty happy that I was given a second chance at life, except guess who's still irony's b*tch? Yo. My name is Akimichi Chōko and I just wanna live...
Tags: Humor, Adventure, SI-OC
Comments: A self-insert fic that focuses on indirect changes the OC's mere existence causes as opposed to direct changes. And irony...so much of it, that it might as well be part of this story's theme, apart from the Butterfly Effect, which really hits hard as the story progresses. Some examples of the Butterfly Effect, so far, include, apart from character development, Itachi not being the actual cause of the Uchiha Clan Massacre and forced to leave Konoha for different reasons, Haku and Zabuza are alive and now part of Konoha, Sai and Yamato's early appearance, the participation of Kirigakure, Iwagakure, and Kumogakure in the Chuunin Exams, and most notably, Sakura getting the cursed seal instead of Sasuke.

The Reluctant Hokage by Aishuu

Recommended by: Sheliak, Unclouded TJ, ahiijny, Robinton
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: The Sandaime Hokage finds an alternative to ordering the Uchiha Massacre. Each chapter focuses on a different character's reaction to the new Godaime Hokage, Itachi.

Runner by CompYES

Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: Mint is extremely invasive. Mint grows and survives, even when starved and poisoned. Better not to plant it at all. SI-OC.

The Howling Wind by JMenance

Recommended by: Kraesil
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: When demons walk the earth, bending the very forces of nature to their will, there's little humans can do besides fight, run, and die. No matter how big they dream or how loud they shout, the demons always win. Because in the end, what's a boy to a Bijuu? What's a breath to a raging gale?

Indomitable by ShaperV

Recommended by: Khym Chanur, Unclouded TJ
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: A single conversation near the beginning of Naruto's training trip with Jiraiya sends Naruto's training in a vastly different direction, leading to a much more powerful Naruto after the time-skip.
Pairing: Naruto/Harem

Kagemane Complete by Anbu-Dave

Recommended by: Khym Chanur
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: Shikamaru makes a single, different choice at the beginning of the chunin exams. With it he makes a mortal enemy of Orochimaru and must try to outmaneuver the sanin.
Pairing: Shikamaru/Anko
Comments: The nail consists of Shikamaru deciding to get an early start on the second part of the chunin exams by having Ino posses one of the Sound genin before they enter the forest, leading her to learn that they've been sent by Orochimaru to kill one of the test takers.

Metamorphosis by KlonoaDreams

Recommended by: Mellini Mintini
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: It's quite sad to say there are definitely worse things than being covered in bugs, as one victim of circumstance finds out the hard way after being reborn into a fictional world. Of course, fictional, for Aburame Shiki, has now become factual. SI OC.
Comments: A self-insert fic that takes place during Kakashi's generation, focusing on a clan that barely received any attention in canon, with an asthmatic OC who discovers that it is much more difficult to change the future directly. In contrast, indirect changes caused by her mere existence are harder to control as they happen, such as a deviation in the meeting between Rin and Obito. Known for its unique take on the Aburame clan, who are more than they initially appear, and the world building incorporated to fill in the gaps for the current time setting.

Mirage of Kaleidoscopes by Lithosphere

Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: Life is a kaleidoscope full of mirrors and shards that twist and turn creating a mirage of beauty and colour and life is nothing more than a beautiful illusion, just like a kaleidoscope. Uchiha!SI-OC.
Notes: Has a companion collection of alternate POV, Shards of Kaleidoscopes.

Naruto: Captured by EdStargazer

Recommended by: 23, Clendy82, CompleteNerd
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: What if Naruto hadn't been able to steal the Forbidden Scroll? What if that led to the Hokage discovering that Naruto had been sabotaged at the academy? A fairly unique fic that has a pretty mature take on the Naruto universe and Konoha. Features politics, realistic training and some gore and well written chapters with actual drama.

(Nice Dream) by ShirouHokuto

Recommended by: IraeNicole, Haustere
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: Following the Uchiha massacre Itachi refuses to leave Konohoa and his little brother. Sasuke must grow up and deal with the trauma of his family's loss while living with their killer.
Pairing: Naruto/Sasuke

Eternal Legends: Konoha's Transcendent Ninja by Arashi the Solar Phoenix

Recommended by: TacticalFox88
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: Team 7 through an act of fate meet each other in their childhood and become best friends who walk the path of ninja together. Grows the Beard around chapter three or four and hooks you in and doesn't let go.
Pairing: Sasuke/Sakura

The First Flower of Spring by Evil Is A Relative Term

Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: Because every ninja comes from somewhere. Lacking a presence in any ninja village, the Haruno are a clan just the same. Beholden to the traditions of her family, Sakura is changed, as are Team Seven's dynamics. What will become of them?

First Try Series by Lucillia

Recommended by: Koneko Otome, Unclouded TJ, Kraesil, Kaiserin Kai
Status: Dormant
Synopsis:
- First Try Due to a quirk of fate, Naruto passes the Academy Graduation Exam on his first try. Because of this, his life takes an interesting turn before he joins Team 7 after Kakashi poaches him from his sensei. (Complete)
- First Try: Team 7 With Naruto's teammates having made Chunin and there being an odd number of graduates from the Academy that year, Kakashi uses the opportunity to steal an unwilling Naruto from his sensei and place him on his new Genin team. Thus, a wiser and more experienced Naruto is forced onto a team he hadn't wanted to join in the first place. However, as they say, Those who break the rules are trash. Those who abandon their teammates are worse than trash. (Complete)
- First Try: Shippuden It has been three years since Team 7 broke apart and each member went their own way. Now, the Akatsuki are on the move, as is Orochimaru. Problems at home abound as well. (Dormant)

Naruto Sensei by Tyler Marcoz

Recommended by: AMusingWriter, Unclouded TJ
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: Beginning with the ever popular What If, what if Naruto had been born earlier in the timeline, changing his history forever. Having been born three years earlier, into a world where Minato never became the Fourth Hokage, the Third Great Shinobi War never ended, and a chain of events led to none other then Itachi becoming the Fifth Hokage, Naruto is instead a fresh jounin, just as a new batch of genin are graduating from the academy.

The Scorned Son by Calanor

Recommended by: Lustheron, ahiijny
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: They say hell hath no wrath like a woman scorned, but the wrath of a scorned son comes pretty close. The day his brother massacred the Uchiha clan, Sasuke shrugged. None of those people cared about him anyway. Years later he tries to leave his clan's shadow as a loyal shinobi of Konoha.

Rise of the Uchiha by AlphaEph19

Recommended by: Chaosjunction, Grand Prince Paul II, Kraesil, winternightingale
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: In a world where the Uchiha clan, led by Uchiha Madara successfully takes over Konoha, Itachi and Sasuke leave the village, with Itachi vowing to return to save it. Jiraiya smuggles Kiba, Shikamaru, Ino, Sakura, Chouji and Shino to Suna, where they befriend a young Gaara and his siblings. Meanwhile Naruto grows up as Madara's son and heir.

Rising Star by dead witch

Recommended by: kakatana59
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: Another "what if" story... What if Naruto had made contact with the Kyuubi when he was younger? What if there was no ban on Naruto's origins to the younger generation?
Pairing: Naruto/Hinata
Comments: A very good read, though it tends to be wordy, especially in the first real arc. A touching NaruHina at times. Rated M for a reason, though. Getting close to epic length, though not quite there yet.
- I am the author of Rising Star, and I can safely say that it's not dead. It's been a very long year, but I should have a new chapter by the end of January 2015. Keep your eyes peeled.

Worth Dying For by Shadow Rebirth

Recommended by: Mcnickel, Kraesil
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: My name is Uzumaki Naruto. I am a shinobi by profession, an advisor by chance, and a warmonger according to my enemies. My story started with a death god, ended with an empire, and struck up a revolution somewhere along the way.

=''FanFic/WhirlpoolsAmongTheEddies'' by [=CRed1988

Recommended by: Leid
Status: Dormant; last updated January 2019
Synopsis: Leaves spiral in the soft eddy as Naruto meets Karin in the Forest of Death. From that moment on, the two bearing the Clan name carried with them the fate of the Uzumaki and would be forever entwined.
Pairing: Naruto/Karin
Comments: A fic where Karin Uzumaki is saved not by Sasuke, but by Naruto Uzumaki in the Forest of Death. The revelation that she has family leads to her attempting to connect with him during the month of the Chuunin Exams while acting as a spy for Orochimaru.

]

Tis Femina by Sythe

Recommended by: Nogoodnms, Kraesil
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: 'Naruto had gone to his last battle with Madara fully prepared to die with his enemy. He did not think he'd be manipulated by old toad sages and thrown to the far past. He did not expect to wake up in the Senju clan compound either.' Basically, Naruto becomes a girl and gets teleported back in time to when Hashirama was a young man, before he became the badass he is considered in Konoha's history. Warning: This fic is not for the immature. Not because there's a lot of sex, but because there are some things that are just incomprehensible to younger readers. It is very, very dark.
Comments: The Naruto fandom has a lot of fem!Naruto fics. Of the one where Naruto was originally male and not a girl to begin with, this is the only one I know of that actually explores it in-depth, with a plausible reason, and not just the GAH-JUTSU-GONE-WRONG-I-HAZ-BOOBS-NAO part. Also notable for a less-than-stellar portrayal of Senju Hashirama. (In other words, non-canon portrayal.)

To Shape and Change by This is not a FanFiction

Recommended by: The Roaming Shadow
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: After helplessly watching the murder of his son by the hands of the civilians he had sworn to protect, Minato Namikaze breaks inside. When the god of Death, Shinigami, offers the chance to walk among the living once more, he accepts. Only catch is, he has to live in the body of his son, Naruto Uzumaki. How will the world change with the Yellow Flash taking his sons place?

Tale of the Setting Sun by PK Samurai

Recommended by: transparentanswer
Status: Dormant
Sypnosis: Naruto was born with hair as red as his mother's – but with a face and intellect that paralleled his father, the Fourth Hokage. Will the revolution he brings be the world's salvation or destruction?

Team 8 by S'TarKan

Recommended by: Rogue 7, Clendy82, Azuriyuu, Psalm of Fire, Umbreon Messiah, Chuckg, RedSavant, Draga, boonerunner, Unclouded TJ, Ack Sed, Arcane Azmadi, WarriorDrgnMage, HonorableBaldy, Kaiserin Kai, Chaos Knux, Pastykake, Robinton, Ninja857142
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: A what-if fan fiction that places Naruto on Kurenai's team at the beginning, reimagining the series. Currently just moving beyond the Search for Tsunade arc. The nail in question is a mysterious event concerning Kurenai's genin team in the past.
Notes: You can check the update progress here.

Shattered Eyes by Lithius Osmius

Recommended by: Pyro Ninja, Void Herald
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: Naruto awakens a new Transcendent Bloodline: the Kyoukagan, source of all bloodlines and peer of the Rinnegan.

Sinister Chakra by williams5505

Recommended by: litewarior
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: When the Fourth Hokage sealed the Kyuubi into Naruto, Madara got sealed into him as well. Also, Hinata isn't a Hyuuga, but a Senju adopted by the clan.
Pairing: Naruto/Hinata

Of Harrowed Hearts by Sable_Scribe

Recommended by: NightFlowerLuv, Dame-Amaryllis
Status: Dormant (last updated December 2017)
Synopsis: Naruto has been hearing the rumbling growl in the back of his head for as long as he can remember. He’s seven when he tries to talk to it for the first time. He’s the dead last, the failure at everything, so he doesn’t actually expect to succeed. And when he’s suddenly standing, knee deep in murky water and face to face with a demon, he has no idea what to expect. As it turns out, the world could use something unexpected. In which Naruto discovers the real meaning of the word monster, Sasuke discovers power and strength and learns the difference between them, and Sakura discovers that being herself is not as selfish as she thought. Where Kakashi learns to fight again for what he loves, and Obito never stopped.
Tags: Fix-it, Families of Choice, Baby Badasses

Divergences by Praegressus

Recommended by: Semil Ejoka
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: There's a mysterious 'Shovel Guy' making choice corrections to the plot, and letting things go from there. You'd expect it to be an OC story, but it's everything but.
Tags: Gen-fic, Marathon-fic, Adventure
Comment: Gets better and better as you go. Author is quite energetic about feedback. Writes one of the best Wave Arcs I've ever read, and you'll see why 3 chapters in.

Stamping on Butterflies by kjate95

Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: I had a feeling in the back of my mind as if something had changed that day. Had I looked around I would have noticed a shadow lurking in the trees and something change in said persons eyes with interest. I might have regretted revealing so much. But I didn't notice, and so I remained blissfully ignorant. Hyuuga!SI-OC.

The Hope of the Senju Clan by Aragon Potter

Recommended by: autopanda
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: What if instead of Kushina being Naruto's mother and through a trick of fate Naruto's mother was Tsunade after a drunken night with Minato in which Naruto becomes both the heir and hope of the Senju clan. Find out what life would be like now for Naruto.

The Tale of Nagato Uzumaki by YAXON

Recommended by: John Peacekeeper, Happy Man
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: After training the three Orphans from Rain to defend themselves adequately, Jiraiya returns home, confident that they will change the future of the world. Poor Jiraiya has no idea how true that will be, because the Ame Trio doesn't want to part ways. What changes will be brought about when Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan become Shinobi of the Leaf...?
Comments: As the synopsis suggests, in this universe, Nagato, Konan, and Yahiko make the small decision to follow Jiraiya home to the Hidden Leaf Village, and from that point, the entire shinobi history of two generations is rewritten. Nagato not becoming Pain is a given, but the story is not all happiness from then on. The story makes excellent use of Equivalent Exchange: Tsunade is no longer accounted for and has no reason to return; while the Land of Rain allies with the Hidden Leaf Village, relations with some of the other Great Five lands worsen; the Uchiha clan is spared from destruction, but Root is completely wiped out, leaving the Leaf a little more vulnerable in some aspects; and Shisui of the Body Flicker takes Obito's place as Madara's extension. On top of this, some inevitabilities still occur, such as Orochimaru's defection, Madara's plan for the Infinite Tsukuyomi with his own group, the Moon's Eye, Nagato discovering the power of the Six Paths, Minato and Kushina STILL sacrificing themselves to seal Kurama into their newly born son, and Naruto and Sasuke still being the reincarnations of Indra and Asura, to name a few. What really makes the story interesting is how some existences can influence one another in such a way that changes their paths, and yet keeps them very consistent with how their canon selves would be. It is also almost completely free of any sort of Original Character, and those that do appear have minimal importance. Almost the entire cast has existed somewhere in the manga or anime, some more obscurely than others. The story is well written and easy to read while also dynamic and well balanced between humor, action, angst, among other tones, and transitions between them believably, not unlike canon Naruto. Of note, there are actually two heroes of this tale. While Nagato is the protagonist, Naruto (as deuteragonist) is still the same as he has always been, minus an extremely painful childhood. It's a fairly recent work in need of some love, so I highly recommend this if you want a fic that is up to date with what has been revealed in canon up to now.

Naruto: the Secret Songs of the Ninja by Arcane Azmadi

Recommended by: Mr Bright 01
Status: Dormant (last updated December 2017)
Synopsis: Sasuke dies during the mission to the Wave, causing the rest of the story to spiral out from there. With the team coping with his loss and adjusting to a new team member, the timeline changes significantly from canon, leading to some shocking plot twists.

108 Earthly Temptations by Vixen Tail

Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis
Status: Dormant (last updated August 2017)
Synopsis: A character study into why the older generations of shinobi are harsher and less inclined to compromise. SI/OC. Pre-Konoha, Warring States Period. Post-Founding. Part One, the beginnings of Sekanji Terazawa. Poison Mistress, occasional kunoichi Lady, and the aunt of Orochimaru. Part Two, the establishment of Konoha and the character of the village Founders. Part Three, the end.
Notes: Alternate link here.
Tags: In Spite of a Nail, Self-Insert Fic, Worldbuilding

daisies bloom over yonder meadow by XxZuiliu

Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis
Status: Dormant (last updated June 2017)
Synopsis: "Demons aren't born, otou-sama. They're made." (And from the murky depths of your darkest mistakes, your deepest regrets and your own pitiful worthlessness, I draw my first breath.)
Tags: Uchiha!SI-OC, Third War Era, AU, Adventure, Drama

The Butterfly Effect by Euphoria Ranger

Recommended by: Itsuki Shiro
Status: Dormant (last updated January 2017)
Synopsis: A split-second decision changes history, causing a cascade effect that changes the course of time and space. A Naruto world where one person's choice causes a massive distortion in the world. An (as of yet unexplained) aberration in the Naruto canon storyline causes a change in history around the time of the Nine Tails' attack, resulting in Naruto having a family, and an overall more stable world, though Minato's continued existence has caused problems in foreign lands that would not have occurred otherwise.
Tags: AU-Canon Divergence, Action, Family, Adventure
Comments: Some of the changes thus far include Shisui being alive and the leader of Team 8, the apparent death of Itachi before the start of the tale, a complete absence of Kurenai and Asuma from the beginning of the story, and Gaara's seal being fixed by Jiraiya at some point earlier in the narrative, which inverts the relationship between him and his father.

Once More With Feeling by Unstoppable Hanger

Recommended by: Tropeladder
Status: Dormant (last updated April 2017)
Synopsis: 24-year-old computer programmer is reincarnated as a background character. Her first life was nothing special, but she's determined her second one will be. OC Self-insert.
Comments: At 7 chapters, this fic is still in its infancy, but it has a promising start. Notable for its writing (very clear, absolutely no grammatical errors, the occasional literary flourish), interesting main character (incredibly analytical, mildly psychologically damaged), snappy dialogue, and having the OC be weaker than most of the other characters (and having some of her efforts to change things turn out...poorly).

Legacy of Uzushiogakure by Marquis Black

Recommended by: Unclouded TJ, Caellach Tiger Eye, Kaiserin Kai
Status: Dormant (last updated August 2017)
Synopsis: The 2nd Shinobi World War left Uzu destroyed out of fear. Its inhabitants were left slaughtered or scattered. However, what if the members of Uzushio's famed Uzumaki weren't as scattered as people thought? What would it mean for one Uzumaki Naruto?

The Difference A Moment Makes by Sessy-sama

Recommended by: Littlegal100
Status: Dormant (last updated August 2017)
Synopsis: What if Hiashi was the one to die instead of Hizashi? How would the clan react? How would Hinata and Neji grow up? This delves into the world that didn't happen because of one decision.
Tags: Drama, Hyuuga centered begins with child Neji and Hinata.

Illimitable by(Two Chimps Without One)

Recommended by: Prof Fart Burger
Status: Dormant (last updated November 2017)
Synopsis: From the website: From man he was made, possessing nearly all bloodlines in the known world, and a soul stolen from the world beyond. Raised by the greatest trio to have ever lived, this child of uncharted power will change the world, for better and for worse, unraveling secrets kept buried for thousands of years, and rewriting the history of events past and to come. Sapere aude; Dare to know.
Comments: Filled to the brim with OC's and Minato-era canon characters, Illimitable is one of the few stories I've found where there's about as heavy a focus on action and Dragonball Z-style fights as there is on the plot. The author wants strong characters, big, explosive fights, to apply science to the world of Naruto, and also to brutally rip apart canon as best he can. He accomplishes this by giving the main character and many of his enemies as many of canon's bloodlines as possible, and a post-enlightenment proclivity for trying to scientifically understand and figuring out the 'why' of just about everything he comes across - and then taking them to their logical extreme. This leads to some OP characters as time goes on, and many canon characters have thus far been left in the dust, but he balances this out with proportionately powerful enemies showing up to give everyone a hard time, and the supporting cast is starting to pick up on the main character's method of powering up (Read: Copying his tricks and trying to think of things from a scientific perspective). Throw in a doorstopper length (nearly half a million words at 62 chapters as of this writing), a frequent update schedule, a mix of Dragonball Z-style 'Good, Evil, Fight' and semi-hard sci-fi inspired plots, and some left-field plot twists and you've got one of the heaviest action fics in the category.
Tags: AU OC-Insert Self-Insert Action

About Face by wroth_and_ruin

Recommended by: Sophiebybophie
Status: Dormant (last updated April 2017)
Synopsis: A little yellow-haired boy saves Sakura from the bullies. And everything changes.
Tags: Friendship, Family, Fluff, Hurt/comfort, Team 7 - Freeform, Fix-it fic, Co-dependency is bad, Except when its not, Also known as: Tiny!Sakura takes none of nobody's shit, Haruno Sakura-centric

utter your prayer unto me by Minato Shi

Recommended by: ThisIsRidiculous
Status: Dormant
Synopsis: This is a mad world, he knows. A mad, broken world, and he will remake it, this he swears. He can't see her before he fixes everything. In the mean time, he tries to figure out a puzzle. A mind doesn't unravel out of nowhere. He's just not sure whether he wants to fix it or twist it further, this puzzle of his.

Dreaming of Sunshine by Silver Queen

Recommended by: Kalvan, spacemonkey37, star trail, Dame-Amaryllis, Mycomp
Status: Dormant (last updated March 2019)
Synopsis: Life as a ninja. It starts with confusion and terror and doesn't get any better from there.
Tags: OC Self-insert, drama, adventure
Comments: Incredibly good, this fic is most likely the reason behind the recent surge of Naruto OC SIs. The main character is very witty yet believable in her reactions. Suffice to say, pretty much none of them live up to their inspiration.
- Has a slight flaw in its need to feature every single arc ever conceived in Naruto, which keeps with its theme of "actually living in Naruto universe", but also results in a LOT of filler ( Naruto hasn't been present since chapter 87 when he left for the training trip, which is an absence of more than 40 chapters at the time of this review. And the timeskip is nowhere near its end)

Dead

Killed by the Author or haven't updated in two years.

Dead Fanfics

Mission Accomplished by The Authorman

Recommended by: MarxistStruggle
Status: Dead
Synopsis: Sarutobi realizes that Naruto will never have a normal childhood, not when he has the Kyuubi locked inside him. To this end, he assigns ANBU to guard and mentor the boy. After all, they aren't normal.

Make Us Whole Again by MatrixExplosion

Recommended by: Gore17
Status: Dead
Synopsis: There are three tiers of power in the universe; Humans, Demons, and Gods. Jinchuuriki have been created to harness the power of demons. Yet, nobody has been able to successfully harness even a fraction of the power of a god — until now. How was the Kyuubi actually sealed? The Yondaime may have used the Shiku Fuujin, but even he doesn't have enough chakra to match Kyuubi. So he did the only thing he could — use the power and chakra of a God.

The Melody of the Fox, by Jetslinger

Recommended by: X Shouldve Died, Akatsuki Daybreak, templar627
Status: Dead
Synopsis: Tayuya survives the Valley of the End, but not without taking crippling injuries from having a few trees dropped on her. Tsunade drafts her into Konoha's forces at knife point to get information on Orochimaru. Naruto finds himself being shanghaied into being her guard. Hilarity Ensues.
Pairing: Naruto/Tayuya

The Melt by pudgypudge

Recommended by: Ansela, REV 6 Pilot, arrowstorm, Kraesil
Status: Dead
Synopsis: As a child, Naruto is taken in by Sarutobi to be his chosen successor to the mantle of Hokage. He develops a bloodline long thought lost to the world and learns along the way that, though he may be hated for his demon, his Will of Fire will burn brightly.

Juniper by Agent Spielplatz

Recommended by: orpheus-izanagi, Kraesil
Staus: Dead
Synopsis: A conspiracy within Konoha leads to a near fatal encounter for Naruto on the night of the Genin Exams. As he copes, his team struggles to work together and live up to the Hokage's expectations.

Motivation by Durandall

Recommended by: Unclouded TJ, Kraesil
Status: Death because the author Died During Production.
Synopsis: Kakashi made a mistake. Shikamaru is smart. Shino is skilled. Naruto is strong. Maybe something amazing could happen, with the right... motivation.
Notes: Link on the author's website here.

Naruto: Alone by Arganaut

Recommended by: Kurtulmak
Status: Dead
Synopsis: Naruto grows up on the streets of Konoha as a homeless street urchin, stealing to survive, when political pressures prevent the Third from helping him out directly. How will the Street Fox of Konoha survive, and what kind of future awaits him as a ninja?

Naruto: Bijuu Chronicles by YetAnotherAnon

Recommended by: roflMons
Status: Dead
Synopsis: The Bijuu were much more intelligent then assumed, and not nearly as blindly malevolent. In addition, there were two moves before Kage Bunshin on the Forbidden scroll.

Naruto: Chosen Vessel by BlueGlass54

Recommended by: REV 6 Pilot
Status: Dead
Synopsis: Due to some twists of fate, Naruto discovers he's involved in more than one dark plot. Can he push forwards without breaking down and messing everything up?

Legacy of the Rasengan by Tellemicus Sundance

Recommended by: Clendy82, Jomlos, arrowstorm
Status: Dead
Synopsis:
- Legacy of the Rasengan I: Naruto It started as nothing more than a goal, inspired by a dream. It was the only thing he had to keep him going. Now, years later, it has suddenly become something...more. It has become his way of life. (Complete)
- Legacy of the Rasengan II: Makaze Rekadaishi It is a time of intense training. But as the Rookie 9 carry on with their lives and missions, some of them run into a very familiar face... (Complete)
- Legacy of the Rasengan III: Chuuten It is coming. The storm is approaching quickly. Fueled by powers of demonic origins, two of them are destined to rise above the rest. To fly on the wings of angels into heaven itself. (Dead)
Comments: A very good interpretation of the story, told from the very beginning and following the events of the series all the way through. Like many other Naruto fanfics, it makes full use of For Want of a Nail and a Naruto mildly increased in ability. The first volume only has slight changes to the overall plot. The second volume, which takes place during the timeskip, is very much Original Flavor with a completely original story arc. And the third volume and is still in progress, which follows the events beyond the timeskip, follows the main story but begins to branch off to follow its own plots.

Naruto: Demon's Path by Scribe of the Apocalypse

Recmomended by: LinkSeasonMaster, AbZHz101
Status: Dead
Synopsis: A six-year-old Naruto taps into the Kyuubi to save Hinata from a cloud-nin who is being helped by Mizuki. Events force him to flee the village and he eventually apprentices under 'The Demon of Mist' Zabuza.
Comments: At over 300,000 words and 60+ Chapters be ready for a long haul. One can really see the evolution of Scribe's writing style and be ready for a lot of plot twists- some predictable, some not. Warning: Uchiha Bashing.

The Nine Broken Mirrors by Ayien

Recommended by: Akatsuki Daybreak, Yogi, Serbii, Some Poor Sod, The Tambourine Man, arrowstorm, Kraesil
Status: Dead
Synopsis: A tale of Naruto and Gaara joining forces after the Chuunin Exam to gather together the rest of the jinchuriki in order to prevent a future full of carnage.

The Genius Losers of Konoha by Stigma

Recommended by: Donomni
Status: Dead
Synopsis: This is what happens when someone writes Naruto and Hinata to be Teen Geniuses (And rivals, no less) on a level higher than Shikamaru (or the same level but not lazy), and makes it something you can't stop reading. It continues to follow the canon story, but everything you read is behind the scenes.

Genius of Konoha by Mrriddler

Recommended by: RedViking, Kraesil
Status: Dead
Synopsis: An arguably dark fic that answers the question: What would things be like if Naruto were a plan-loving Magnificent Bastard willing to do anything to keep Konoha safe instead of his canon, idealistic self?
Comments: Be forewarned: Anyone Can Die.

One Small Step by Shawny Wong

Recommended by: Chuckg, LinkSeasonMaster, Arcane Azmadi
Status: Dead
Synopsis: AU where Naruto and Hinata become childhood friends at age 7, very early in their tenure in the Ninja Academy.
Notes: Fanart donations have led to Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 of this fic being available as webcomics.
Pairing: Naruto/Hinata

People Lie by Nugar

Recommended by: Gamma Wolf, Xander K, boonerunner, Ack Sed, Jason Carter, amatakamata, Kraesil, feral
Status: Dead
Synopsis: Lies have power. They can change a simple-minded believer into a two-faced schemer and a timid follower into a fanatical devotee. They can change a child angry at the world into a man consumed by more than vengeance. But that power is a lie as well.
Pairing: Naruto/Hinata

Rebirth by FUHRER YISEEKS

Recommended by: FTGMinato
Status: Dead
Synopsis: Princess Kaguya failed to bring peace. Hagoromo failed to seal the Juubi. Madara never met Hashirama. How can all of these changes, seemingly minor on their own, affect the lives of everyone in the ninja world? Can Naruto, as a new Sage, spread Peace to a world ruled by clans and war? Story will get much darker. Rinnegan!Naruto.

The Reflection of Oneself by The White Wanderer

Recommended by: Atryru
Status: Dead
Synopsis: Naruto dies while fighting Sasuke at the Valley of the End and has his DNA stolen by Kabuto for the sake of cloning. Thirteen years later a repentant Sasuke finds himself serving as the Big Brother Mentor for the last remaining clone, Nanikato.

And then suddenly, Ninjas! by The Sage of Toads

Recommended by: Andrew J. Talon, Unclouded TJ, Mcnickel, Duckling
Status: Dead: Last update: 2012
Synopsis: On the day Naruto is born and the Nine-Tailed Fox is sealed inside him, the Third Hokage decides to hide what happened from everyone, claim the fox is dead, and raise him as he would his own son...a decision that will most likely doom him, Konoha, and the Elemental Countries.
Tags: Adventure, Humor
Comments: Written by the author of:

Beautiful Destroyer Sailor Moon, The Key to a Successful Interview and The Merry Killers.

Another Player In The Game by Umei no Mai

Recommended by: Dame-Amaryllis
Status: Dead: Last update: 2014
Synopsis: During the war against Iwa Namikaze Minato nearly died in an ambush, his survival leaving him with a debt on his soul. Years later, Uzumaki Naruto meets a maiko who takes him in and raises him as her own. From such innocent beginnings are mighty changes wrought...
Tags: Adventure, Family
Notes: Has a sort prequel story, Shisui's Sacrifice, and a collection of various scenes that may or may not be canon to the main story, Odds, Ends and Outtakes.

The Art of the Deal by Case13

Recommended by: Kajeet, boonerunner, arrowstorm, Kraesil, Robinton
Status: Dead: Last update: 2008
Synopsis: No one starts on top of the world. Bereft of his dream, or even a chance for it, Uzumaki Naruto starts his own path to the top of the world. Naruto's injured at an early age, preventing him from using chakra. After seeing a stranger barter he decided to try to learn from him. He learns the Art of the Deal.
Tags: Adventure
Comments: He uses it to convince Anko to help him in building a vast large profit empire. They get a reasonable bit of profit buy a ghetto of a town and turn it into a shining metropolis. Along the way he gets his own clan of ninja body guards, and even deals with Yakuza for using his warehouses for drugs... via actually hiring the Akatsuki to take them down. Yes That Akatsuki. Also he and Anko use disguises that are vaguely described to look like Urahara and Yoruichi

Who I Am by TwinTrouble

Recommended by: kjjejones42, Blitz Blast, USA Bobcat, Kraesil, ahiijny
Status: Dead
Synopsis: Naruto has been keeping dangerous secrets for years. A long-forgotten dream that just won't die, an ally he shouldn't know and a friend no one thought he had are what keep him going. Graduating is the least of his problems...

Will of Fire, Heart of Stone by DisobedienceWriter

Recommended by: Much Good Little Time, Jason Carter, Kraesil
Status: Dead
Synopsis: The Hokage faces a terrible potential crisis when the Village Council spreads news of the young jinchuuriki, Naruto. The world changes when a more attentive, forceful Sandaime rears his head and takes back full control of his village. Sarutobi-centric.
Comments: Warning for YMMV. This story is dark, even compared to the violence filled Naruto world, and has several very disturbing elements.

Birth of a Ninja by Captain Enigma

Recommended by: lightace
Status: Dead: Last update: 2014
Synopsis: What does it mean to be a ninja? This is the question that guides Uzumaki Naruto through his life as a shinobi of Konoha. Along that path, witness as he meets friends, fights evil, and keeps his eyes fixed on the ultimate dream... AU focused around Kakashi getting his act together and training the team to be like real ninjas
Tags: AU, Adventure, Drama

Butterfly Wings by Bjorn

Recommended by: capeclare
Status: Dead: Last update: 2007
Synopsis: Years before Uzumaki Naruto was born, one Namikaze Minato convinced one Orochimaru to stay in Konoha. The world changed. They are ninja not samurai a fact that is too often forgotten both in fanfiction and canon.
Tags: Drama
Comments: May be a dead fic but the chapters that are there are just so good.

Curse of a Hanyou, Love of an Angel by Saemon

Recommended by: Supernatural
Status: Dead: Last update: 2012
Synopsis: Cursed mere hours after his birth to wander the world as a Kitsune Hanyou, Naruto Uzumaki is forced to find light in a cruel world. Is it possible to live life as a half-demon and earn the acceptance of those around you. If so, is love also possible?
Pairing(s): Naruto/Hinata
Tags: Adventure, Romance

Cutting Loose by Chengar Qordath

Recommended by: Chuckg, Zeful, Life of Pi
Status: Dead: Last update: 2011
Synopsis: Naruto and Tenten become friends in the academy, and with her help he's able to pass the genin exam a year earlier. He ends up assigned to Team Gai in place of Neji, and with teammates who like him and a sensei who actually works hard at teaching...
Tags: Adventure, Friendship

Danzo's Team by Kosmos00

Recommended by: lostcargo, Unclouded TJ, Kraesil
Status: Dead: Last update: 2013
Synopsis: Danzo asks to be Team 7's Jounin. Follows Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke as they grow into their positions.
Tags: strong!team, AU, Adventure
Comments: Kakashi is still in the fic. A more military take on the Narutoverse, will try to focus on ninja using tricks instead of brute force.
- Notable for being the only fic I have found that actually portrays Danzo close to how he is in Canon.
- This troper will note that with the sheer amount Naruto fic this is not the only one that has Manipulative!Konoha-obsessed!Danzo— Introverted by Shadenight123, for example.

Dead Garden by Aaron Nowack

Recommended by: spacemonkey37, Arcane Azmadi, Nshosha, Kraesil, ahiijny
Status: Dead: Last update: 2012
Synopsis: The Fourth Hokage left a behind a legacy, a cruel burden that would change the fate of a world. It should have gone to a hero, a champion who could mend the broken and save the hopeless. Instead it fell on Haruno Sakura. Good thing she'll have some help.
Tags: Drama, Adventure
Comments: Drafts and discussions can be found here.

Destiny is a Hazy Thing by Calanor

Recommended by: Priopraxis
Status: Dead: Last update: 2014
Synopsis: The Yondaime had a plan, Madara had another. They were not the only ones who wanted their own vision to come to pass, but the future is never certain. When all plans of gods and men fail Naruto is suddenly free to choose his own destiny. A desperate supernatural entity cuts a deal with the sealed 9-tailed-fox, setting off major changes for Naruto when both beings begin communicating with him at age three.
Pairing: Naruto/Hinata
Tags: Drama, Slow-burn

Diary of a Madman: Memoirs of a Nukenin by Bloodreaver Alpha

Recommended by: eternalentity
Status: Dead: last update: 2012
Synopsis: Uchiha Itachi: Missing Nin, Akatsuki member, mass murderer. He has power, and a lot of it. But after an encounter with the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki, he begins to wonder what the point of it all is. What good is power if you've no good reason to use it?
Pairing(s): Naruto/Yugito
Tags: Adventure, Romance

Where the Heart Is by Shana the Short

Recommended by: Dellanotte
Status: Dead
Synopsis: "Well, he did just give you his first born son, after all." In which a ten-year-old Sakura is, along with her extended family, left with the care of her big brother's baby boy. Naturally, the increased responsibility leads to a few changes.

The Whims of Fate by That's Professor Hawke

Recommended by: KantonKage, Unclouded TJ
Status: Dead
Synopsis: What if Naruto had developed a completely different personality? What if the first to enter the world had been Neji's father instead of Hinata's? Even the simplest of fate's whims can change the course of history...

Unmasked by WiseMan24

Recommended by: Danny007, Walking Oedipus
Status: Dead
Synopsis: Minato didn't know that when he shattered Tobi's mask in his fight, he set in motion a series of events that would shake the very foundations of the Shinobi world. AU.
Comments: The author paints the scenario of what could've happened had Minato broken Tobi's mask in their brief fight. The best Obito and Orochimaru characterization I've seen on fanfiction.net, but YMMV as the author does change a lot of things from canon.
- Walking Oedipus: Seconded, as of now it's really really good- I hope it stays this way- and a breath of fresh air in the stale Naruto fanfiction section. Orochimaru is a Magnificent Bastard, but I like it.

That Most Heinous of Crimes by Andrew Joshua Talon

Recommended by: Frodo Lives
Status: Dead
Synopsis: Team 7 is led by Andoryuu, the Spider Sage. Due to a series of unexpected events involving a spider summon, cross-team training, and a soccer ball, Team 7 end up having adventures on the Plane of Spiders.

Suiren by Eimii

Recommended by: Anowack, Clendy82
Status: Dead
Synopsis: In the midst of the Chuunin Exam, Sakura recalls the promise she made to herself and comes to a realization about her own ninja way...
Pairing: Anko/Sakura

Scorpion Disciple by nobody102

Recommended by: Quote Marx, Bored Australian, Unclouded TJ
Status: Dead
Synopsis: Orochimaru's resignation from Akatsuki is more intense than in canon, resulting in a meeting between young Naruto and Sasori.

Senju Naruto by Baal of Yarns

Recommended by Akatsuki Daybreak, Psalm of Fire, boonerunner
Status: Dead
Synopsis: An AU fic in which Tsunade is Naruto's mother, with an exploration into how Naruto would turn out raised outside of Konoha with a Sannin mother and a bloodline competing with the demon inside of him.

Something to Die For by Macavity the Mystery Cat

Recommended by: Anowack, Kraesil
Status: Dead
Synopsis: Morino Ibiki was thought to be the last choice for a jonin sensei, but thanks to the efforts of Umino Iruka, he finds himself saddled with a familiar team of new genin...

Drops in the Bucket by Kereea

Recommended by: ThisIsRidiculous
Status: Dead; last updated October 2017
Synopsis: Obito came onto a scene not of Rin impaled on lightning, but Rin struggling to keep Kakashi conscious. This time Kakashi has to control a demon, Obito has to try and remember what he forgot, and they both are going to need each other.

Existence by Denim88

Recommended by: REV 6 Pilot
Status: Dead
Synopsis: After the battle on the Wave bridge, Naruto runs off, thinking the Kyuubi's seal is weakening. His defection eventually takes him to the Land of Wind, and to a completely new future.
Pairing: Naruto/Temari

Expectations of Development by kiraiakuma

Recommended by: Nitramy, boonerunner
Status: Dead
Synopsis: One year of easy missions. That's all Sakura wanted. Instead she gets Zabuza and Orochimaru. Well, if fate wants to throw her head first into the ninja world, she'll oblige. Even if she has to sacrifice her innocence.

A Fox and a Shark Walk into a Bar by Gigabomb

Recommended by: Bon Us
Status: Dead
Synopsis: In a universe where Itachi and Kisame succeeded in capturing Naruto, an Akatsuki delegation is sent to Konoha to negotiate a treaty in the midst of war. The only problem is, everyone in Konoha thinks Naruto is dead. In a nutshell, Naruto was successfully captured by Itachi and Kisame, but instead of having the Kyuubi extracted from him, Naruto is made to join the organization.

Fox Identity: by Arkhe

Recommended by: Antiguo Nonun
Status: Dead
Synopsis: An alternate universe where Naruto discovered he was the Jail of the Kyuubi at a very young age but with the catch that believes he is the Kyuubi. This caused an entire shift of his personality, creating the facade of a buffoon while researching a way to regain its former body and bring its revenge to Konoha. All would be going its merry way if it wasn't for those annoying feelings and its teammates.

Fox of Konoha by CrazyLikeAnko

Recommended by: da fox22, Blue Magicite
Status: Dead
Synopsis: The Kyuubi attack never happened, the hero of the village never died, and a child sits in the forest alone, waiting to show the world his power.

The Ghost and the Darkness by Kirsdarkenvar

Recommended by: Cherico, Serbii, Akatsuki Daybreak, Void Herald, Kraesil
Status: Dead
Synopsis: Sasuke meets Naruto after the Uchiha massacre. Naruto has issues and they end up having a codependent relationship.

Glory by Eiruiel

Recommended by: Vyse Vyrtue
Status: Dead
Synopsis: A SI-OC fic. Someone wakes up on the wrong side of the wrong bed... in the wrong body. Things are probably going to get worse.
Notes: This story has been discontinued and is being rewritten here.

Houses of the Holy by HowdyU

Recommended by: av12971, Kraesil
Status: Dead
Synopsis: Spirited away from Konoha at an early age, Naruto finds a new family amid the strife of a battlefield as old as the shinobi nations. But what will he do when his new allies' ambition is to change the world through a baptism by fire?
Pairing: Naruto/Yugito

Konoha's Legacy: An Alternate Version by The Gemini Project

Recommended by: Clendy82
Status: Dead
Synopsis: Taking place in an alternate world where the Fourth Hokage is alive and well, and the Nine-Tailed Fox never attacked Konoha, the story follows the events of the series as they are altered through the Fourth's presence.

Kumogakure Ninja by Iron Monkey Fist

Recommended by: FellowNerd
Status: Dead
Synopsis: Pushed to his limits at a young age, Naruto flees the Hidden Leaf. A perhaps fated encounter with Kirabi leads to the birth of a new legend. The path to greatness is paved with blood and tears. Gradually becomes darker in content. Gradually gets better.
Pairing: Naruto/Yugito

The Lavender Beast of Konoha by Mark Hoherty

Recommended by: capeclare, Dermonster
Status: Dead
Synopsis: In a fit of hubris, Hiashi forced Hinata to attend the same Academy class as Neji. Having never been in the same class as Naruto, who shall serve as her inspiration to grow stronger? AU Team Gai: Lee, Tenten, Hinata. Gen for now. Surprisingly not crack.

Catch Your Breath by Lang Noi

Recommended by: Mellini Mintini
Status: Dead; last updated July 2019
Synopsis: Ripples turn into waves and crash upon the shores of what is and what could be, and I was just someone else who got pulled under. I didn't realize that even a drowning person makes waves of their own.
tags: Humor, Drama, A SI-OC story.
Comments: Inspired by Dreaming of Sunshine, Catch Your Breath is a self-insert that manages to be something more than just a blind copy of the genre.
- Has a side-story - The B-Plot (Ongoing)

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