In the ninja world Yamanaka Rei lives by two simple tenets. Power is freedom. Freedom is everything. Rei wants freedom and is willing to risk everything for it. OC Self-Insert.
Walk on the Moon
is a Naruto Self-Insert fanfic in the same vein as Dreaming of Sunshine, but with a very important distinction. Upon realizing that she has been reborn in the Narutoverse and as the Yamanaka clan heir, Rei Yamanaka decides that she wants absolutely nothing to do with being a ninja. The problem is, the powers that be won't take no for an answer. So Rei Yamanaka comes up with an audacious plan to escape the ninja world: become an S-Class kunoichi. While everyone else always lived in fear of Hunter-nin and the ninja villages, S-Rank nin could do pretty much whatever they wanted. Oh, and she can't tell anyone.
Walk on the Moon is Darker and Edgier take on Naruto Self-Insert genre, as it explores some of the realistic consequences of living in a militarized society, and what that can do to the people in it. It also has a realistically flawed protagonist who makes real mistakes, and then learns from them the hard way.
Now also hosted on Questionable Questing's SFW Forums.
Walk On The Moon contains examples of:
- Accidental Public Confession: In Chapter 41 Rei accidentally lets it slip that she is attempting to use her relationship with Hinata to influence the Hyuuga clan and end the use of the Caged Bird Seal. Neji is not amused.
- Aloof Big Sister: Rei becomes this, and it annoys Ino to the point that she challenges her older sister to a sparing match in order to make her pay attention again.
- Big Sister Worship: Ino has this for Rei to the point that Rei is terrified of letting Ino down.
- Chekhov's Gun: The conversation about what the dots in a Taijitu represent and Rei's incredible stores of spiritual energy come back during the Rat Summoning Contract Arc, when Rei, who had utterly exhausted her supply of physical energy and thus was out of chakra, transmutes some of her spiritual energy into physical energy, giving her the ability to form chakra again.
- Cold-Blooded Torture: Ibiki does this to Rei after she comes back from getting the Rat summoning contract. Downplayed because Inoichi wouldn't let his daughter be interrogated as hard as Ibiki wanted. Deconstructed in that most of it is entirely psychological, and the physical parts of it look like they could have come out of Zero Dark Thirty.
- Cuddle Bug: Rei. This is particularly noteworthy as physical displays of affection are not done in public in the Elemental Nations. Hinata is later revealed to be one as well, which Rei uses as teasing material.
- Easily Forgiven: Hinata forgives Rei for strangling her, under the reasoning that Rei was just trying to see how Hinata would react, just like clan trainers did. When Rei reveals that she was just doing it for fun and was actually trying to kill Hinata, Hinata forgives her anyway. In a strange example of this trope, it causes Rei to have a Heroic BSoD, as she thought she had crossed the Moral Event Horizon and didn't think she could or deserved to be forgiven, and it actually helps her become a better person.
- Morality Chain: Ino, and later Tenten, are this for Rei. Rei herself at one point mentions that she would probably have gone psychotic without their influence.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Rei does this when she realizes that she is strangling a 10-year old girl to death for no discernible reason other than It Amused Me.
- My Sister Is Off-Limits: Played for Laughs. One of Rei's minor goals is to make sure that Ino never becomes a fangirl like she did in canon.
- No Social Skills: Neji Hyuuga, to the point of coming off as a Jerkass to anyone who doesn't know him, and many people who do.
- Playing with Fire: Rei’s chakra affinity turns out to be this.
- Reports of My Death Were Greatly Exaggerated: Played for Drama. Rei was gone for 2 weeks on her trip to get a summoning contract. People who don't come back in the first few days don't come back at all, and considering that Jounin have a 50% survival rate, and she went as an academy student, everyone had written her off as dead. Ino took it hard enough that Rei thought Ino might have developed abandonment issues. When Rei showed up again, it was a big deal, and not all of it happy.
- Stupid Sexy Flanders: When Rei exited a high end clothing store wearing a very spiffy, tailored suit and she called it her Saber outfit, Sakura asked if this is because it will spear any girl who sees it right through the heart. Sakura turned bright red when she realized she said that out loud and Ino and Rei both heard her.
- Technicolor Eyes: Rei has purple eyes. They change shade slightly when she gets nasty.
- Weak, but Skilled: The general nature of Rei’s summons, rats, explained they aren’t geared for heavy combat like the toads or snakes. They are however very good at stealth and poisons as well as fighting in large numbers. Rei makes use of them to steal information on multiple fire jutsu from the Stone Village.
