Fandom: Naruto
Characters: Konoha 12, OC future genin, Neji/Sakura, Naruto/Hinata, Shikamaru/Temari, Kiba/Ino
Length/Type: Multi-chapter (7 chapters, approx. 78,000 words), Future fic, slight AU

Author's Summary: Rite of passage. Mark of progress. Things change; adapt or die.

♥ I've always enjoyed future fics that are more than just a couple years down the line, where there's some distance from the canon storyline. This one portrays a lot of what I like about this genre. The characters have matured in a very believable way, almost like it's a natural progression of their canon selves - and I mean this in both their personalities/characteristics and where they are in life, what they've been doing.

But that's only one part of it. Did I just make the story sound a little slice-of-life and mundane? Because it most definitely is not. This is a good example of a story that successfully combines multiple elements: drama, mystery and suspense, action, romance, friendship, family, and even a bit of adventure and politics thrown in. Of course, it definitely helps that it's fabulously written, has an interesting well-conceived plot that just comes together, and then combined with good storytelling.

Story: Examination [Rating: R] - by DrerrRedclaw
(note: rated for violence and gore-ish details, as opposed to smut or anything of the sort)