Fanfic / Fly Free

From FanFiction.Net: Robin knows what it is like to live a hard life. When she finds that Kuma has sent her to a town called Konoha, she becomes an unofficial therapist for the town's troubled children. After all, only a broken bird can teach these children how to fly again.

A planned-to-be epic length fic, the story is much more in-depth character exploration than it is action adventure like much of the two source manga, but manages to serve both purposes besides. The author occasionally succumbs to certain cliches, but generally manages to pull out of it with a twist that you don't see coming.

She's also prone to inserting very large amounts of shiptease, large author's notes, and occasionally large rants.

Fly Free by phoenixyfriend, otherwise known as Phoenix.

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This fanfiction series contains examples of:

• A Mind Is a Terrible Thing to Read: Ino's attempted Mind-Transfer Jutsu against Gaara didn't end very well for either party. If Inner Sakura could drive Ino out, who knows what Shukaku put her through.
  • Possibly subverted, as of Chapter 30: Gaara is somehow no longer able to hear Shukaku's voice.
• Ax-Crazy: The first true example to appear is the diminutive Original Character in the Chunin Exam arc, Ketsueki Daiya. And by diminutive, we mean she looks like she's nine.
• Bonding over Missing Parents: One of Robin's methods of helping the kids is showing them that there's always someone that understands, and in Sasuke's case it's bonding over the fact that they both lost everyone, especially their parents.
• Casual Danger Dialogue: Robin tries to distract Zabuza with small talk on their first meeting. It works for a short while, but then they get back to killing one another.
• Chest Burster: Robin and Kakashi discuss the idea in conjunction with Robin's powers.
• Clean Cut: Averted. Some reviewers feared that Asuma, with his wind-enhanced blades, would be able to slice through the seastone lock like hot butter, after Robin asks Kakashi if he knows anyone that might be able to cut through diamond. Fortunately for said reviewers, Asuma comments afterward on how surprisingly long it takes to cut through.
• Crossover: Naruto and One Piece.
• Curb-Stomp Battle: Robin to Gato's mercenaries.
• For Want Of A Nail: Robin's presence and influence will make changes to the Naruto story, the most notable so far is Haku and Zabuza surviving the Land of Waves arc.
• Ghost Story: Robin becomes one in the weeks following Wave.
• Gossipy Hens: In chapter 16, we have this exchange:
  Hiashi: (deadpan) "You appear to have convinced half the nukenin on the continent that you're a descendant of the Devil himself. On top of which, they believe you to be capable of sending them to an afterlife full of pain and suffering, surrounded by a forest of blood-drenched hands."
  Robin: "Quite the gossip, aren't you?"
• Hurt/Comfort Fic: As implied by the synopsis.
• Innocuously Important Episode: The chapter where Robin meets the Hyuuga is seemingly just filler... but then you get to the Author's Note explicitly saying that it's probably one of the most important events thus far, and that we'll know why once she writes it up.
• In Spite of a Nail: The author has said, despite the For Want Of A Nail that will be in the story, some events are going to play out as they should. The events that would be Episode 1 still play out as they did in the canon, even though Robin had been established in Naruto's life.
• Life-or-Limb Decision: Zabuza is forced to cut off Haku's arm before Orochimaru's poison can spread to the rest of his body. Even though Haku himself told him to do this, Zabuza still does not take it well.
• Meaningful Name: Following the tradition of canon, the Original Characters all get a similar treatment, and each name is explained in the Author's Notes at the bottom of chapter 22.
• Neck Snap: Robin does this... to seventy mercenaries at once in Chapter 14.
• Nightmare Fuel Station Attendant: Robin and Kakashi. They even weaponize it to get rid of snoopy genin. Also Robin and Gaara have what is implied to be a very creepy talk about killing people. Actually, Robin in general.
• O.C. Stand-in: Hanabi's character is expanded quite a bit.
• Only Sane Man: Among the four OCs that show up in the Chunin Exam arc, Torame seems to be the only one that's even close to normal.
• Original Character: There's four of them, a traveling mercenary team, during the Chunin Exams. Phoenix is very clear about the fact that making them likeable was not originally part of her plan.
• The Reveal: Sasuke lets Robin look at some old Uchiha writings, including the legends of the Juubi, aka the God Tree, and it’s chakra fruit that empowered humanity. Robin readily notes the parallels between this and the important trees and fruits on her world.
• She's Not My Girlfriend: A mutual declaration by Hanabi and Konohamaru upon meeting Kankuro. He finds it so funny that he's left doubled over laughing for several minutes.
• Shipper on Deck: Team Seven seems to be convinced that Kakashi and Robin should be a couple. Sakura and Ino have spied on the "dates" before in an effort to catch some "evidence".
  • Ship Sinking: Word of God has stated repeatedly that, other than perhaps the canonical Asuma/Kurenai, there will be NO shipping in this fic whatsoever.
• Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids!: Despite the fact that the story focuses on terrible pasts so often, it's surprisingly idealistic. Then Daiten Kinishi comes along and acts far more bitter and cynical than any other character shown so far, despite the fact that so many of them have reason to do so.
• Slave Liberation: Robin does this preemptively, destroying the Auction House as it is being rebuilt.
• Sole Survivor: Robin helps Sasuke by telling her own story ending in such a fate. (Respectively, the last of Ohara and of the Uchiha Clan).
  • Then there's Daiya, apparently the last of her own clan, the Ketsueki, though she apparently didn't cope nearly as well as the canon characters and went insane instead. She's not even technically full-Ketsueki, only half.
• Spared by the Adaptation: Haku and Zabuza. (Well, most of Haku, anyway.)
• Stalker with a Test Tube: Orochimaru's initial intent for Haku was to repopulate his bloodline and thus have access to his Kekkei Genkai.
• Stations of the Canon: Well aware of them, and is very clear on often doing them because they're "tradition"... and frequently making them better as a result, or telling them from a point of view completely removed from whatever originally happened.
  • The mobbing scene. Not technically canon, but very well entrenched in fanon, and one of the few instances of such where it isn't played as well as it could be.
  • Mizuki's alternate graduation exam. Played with, as we see Naruto leading up to where Mizuki approaches him... and then nothing. Robin and Kakashi hear people panicking about it, and later Robin and Naruto talk about what having the Kyuubi means, but we see nothing of the main event itself.
  • The Wave Arc. Once again, played with. Robin is there... but all the important parts are skipped or later recapped or some similar method of glossing over or watching from the side.
  • The Kankuro and Konohamaru lead-in for the meeting with the Suna Team. Phoenix's true moment of glory when it comes to the stations, as the entire scene is revamped to reference the original scene but completely subvert it and all associated fandom clichés.
• Team Dad: Kakashi fills this position much better than in canon.
• Team Mom: And Robin fills this position in return, with a few shades of Cool Big Sis.
• Very Loosely Based on a True Story: See Ghost Story.