Whoo! Loving this AU. Please write more of it ASAP,

After that ending, honestly I just want more Itachi. Anyway, Thanks for Writing!

Nice

DO IT! Alt. PoVs are always intriguing to read.
Your characterization of Itachi was amazing, by the by. The parallels were perfect! And Shikako's line, "Love makes us all blind but yours sealed my fate
who do you think has Shisui's Koatsukotakami?"
Direct hit! so many feels

so much of this SiS stuff is new and all of it is amazing 3! (also ouch, straight to the heart)

Amazing, it got me hooked from start to finish.
The flow of the story, the characters, everything was very well written.
I would love to read more of it if you're willing to continue!

Yay! So glad to see this. I'd love to see more of this! Be tempted!

Omfggggg damn I got shivers. This is amazing. The friendship I never knew I needed

Ahhhh this is great! Well worth the wait :) I'm glad we also know that Itachi and Shikako were able to reconcile later on (but I would love to see that actual first re-encounter/meeting)

A civilian POV sounds like an awesome idea! It is nice to see all these different perspectives on Shikako. Orochimaru would also be interesting as well.
Some ideas for civ POV: A newcomerr to Oto attracted to it's rapid growth. Someone on the civilian council. Merchants, 'foodies', the wives/husband's of someone there on a business trip!

That's a really cool idea! Also awesome chapter.

I absolutely adore the last 2 chapters! Seeing a bit more of what Shikamaru is doing to get his lost twin sister back. For him to find out even a little bit about how much he doesn't know about her life. It's easy to think that she's completely brainwashed by Orochimaru. In some ways she has definitely been affected by his teachings and actions. At the same time she still is her own person, barely at times, but she has plans to protect her family, village, and the world. So seeing Itachi struggle with her existence and affect on him is delightful to read. He's still so very damaged and broken coming fresh off the loss of his clan. Part of him wants that friend or someone who can understand him in some way. Maybe he can save her since he can't save himself. The ending was so sad to read and I desperately hope Itachi and 'Kumori' made up before his death.

Fuck why would you leave it like this my evening is ruined I am crying fuck why I just want them both to be happy can’t they just talk philosophy at a tiny cottage at the end of the world surrounded by adopted stray animals

More ideas for this verse you say?

Team InoShikaCho infiltrate Sound despite the danger. Not that it's real, because Shikako realized they were there right away, and is having her ninja softly push them out without setting off any alarms.

A quick vignette of how Shikako met all of her students.

A nobles perspective of the founding of Sound as he notices this little girl following around the new Kage. Weirdly, the Kage has her doing all these tasks and she's really competent. (Like creating stuff with seals and organising the layout of the village streets and stuff).

Some other villages intelligence on 'The Shadow of the Snake'. Or even Konoha's if they have any on her? She's got to have been on some peoples radar from her time in Akatsuki and during the early days of Sound, doesn't mean they have to have figured her origins out. I love the idea of everyone just going "Yup, that's Orochimaru's daughter right there, would question who was willing to get that close to him, but he's a scientist, he probably made her in a test tube or something creepy".
Maybe it's some kind of debriefing with someone who's just had a significant encounter and they're updating her profile. I really like the hints of her political thoughts from this chapter, and how as someone from a different society she has a different understanding of morality, that might be a good place to start. The ninja trying to figure her out just fundamentally don't get her philosophies, which leads to a lot of subtly wrong information which they have to change later as she's managed to fool their analysts again!

Oooor maybe Shikako and Danzo get into a shadow war over some random political thing? Maybe do it from her students perspective on her freaking out but also understanding his character and plans and resources in ways they just don't understand. Or maybe go all mastermind style where both of them are in a room together because he's visiting Orochimaru and they're both trading thinly veiled insults and comments that cut to Shikako's agents just completely outplaying and even subverting his operatives (no way has she not taught them to weaponize kindness). Or more in keeping with their three personalities, Danzo and Orochi are talking and she's just there keeping quiet as usualy, but inside she's laughing and possibly so is Orochimaru who knows what she's been up to and approves.

How about her experience with Orochimaru that keeps her with him? This latest chapter seems to indicate that while he's a villain, she has a conflicting image of him or something. So what's up there? Did he show a rare moment of understanding when she was young? Do they care about each other in a stunted way? What's her endgame with him, and what's his endgame with her? Actually, that would be a great perspective. What does Orochimaru think about his little shadow? (Obviously he's still evil and creepy and him not being there would, from an outside perspective be so much better for her, but I live off that messy emotional stuff. Why be 2d?)

As for advancing the story, I think we can assume Gin gets back to Sound? Do things go back to normal, or are there complications? With Itachi having saved him? With Orochimaru? With Konoha? What Does Shikamaru say? Nothing? Enough to continue the search? Enough to lead them towards Akatsuki (to find out more)? Too much? Does Danzo catch wind of this stuff?

If none of the above happens, maybe we jump forward to when Naruto returns, when he, Sakura, and Sai go looking for Sasuke. We haven't had any Team 7 perspectives, and this could be pretty interesting.
Also, how is Shikako going to react to Sai now, knowing he's Danzo's operative, but not having the trust, the kindness, or the time to free him, and knowing he could cause her families death. What if Shikamaru manages to worm his way onto the Sasuke retrieval mission? She would quite possibly do her best to kill Sai before he can return with whatever incriminating information Shikamaru blurts out as soon as he sees her. If she succeeds, she could make a great villain for Team 7. Just to muddy the waters, what if she then gives them Sasuke for some reason.
Or not, that last bit is starting to sound a little OOC. But I definitely think there is a lot of interesting stuff that can be done with the Shippuden arcs. Maybe. I haven't read most of them in years, fanfic usually sticks to the early stuff lol.

Anyway, loved this chapter to bits (those last parting burns, not to mention the emotion in that scene, dang), I'mma go read it again. Hit me up if you liked these ideas and want more?

I love love love this Itachi perspective. Just when he gets hope, it comes crashing down around his ears. It’s too bad he can’t have nice things. But I’m glad they both have a friend in each other. It’s a sign of best friendhood when you know which words will hurt the most.

But, omg, AU where Shikako is an author and Itachi is her editor and they go make a Harrry Potter movie.

I did not cry...much. Okay i was a ball of emotions with how they parted.
Their friendship is so beautiful but without a doubt there is this gap inbetween now.
I hope it can be mended, but my god the emotions! w( TTwTT)w
It's beautiful.