A/N: Hi guys! This started off as a headcanon that I had on Tumblr and now it has become a fic. This is my first fanfic so constructive critiscism is welcomed! I hope that they are not too OOC and that you guys enjoy this. Honestly, I don't know where I am going with this so I am going along for the ride with you guys. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the character or places named in the story. If I did, SasuNaru would be canon by now. but yeah, this guy, Masashi Kishimoto-sensei, owns them.
Photograph
One day, Uchiha Sasuke had been wandering around the house searching for his older brother to train with. Looking through the various rooms of the house, he caught a glimpse of his mother in the master bedroom, her face turned away from him. Being the curious child that he was, he walked towards to where she was sitting. Upon closer inspection, he saw that she was holding a photograph; a photograph of a woman with long, beautiful red hair and an enormous belly. The woman in the photo was smiling widely and her arms were wrapped around her midsection. Her hair reminded him of a tomato.
"Mom? Who's that?" Sasuke asked.
Shocked that she was found, Mikoto turned her head to find her youngest son peering at the photograph in her hands. She looked at her son and her mind wandered back to a time when she and the woman with the long, beautiful red hair were joking about her pregnancy - the same time when the woman actually had met Sasuke.
Mikoto stared at her youngest son for awhile before she turned her head back down to look at the photograph in her hands. Her eyes had watered - so she blinked her tears away and forced a smile on her face before turning back to her youngest and said, "My best friend." Looking back at the photograph she added, "You'll have a best friend like that too, Sasuke."
Sasuke blinked once and then raised an eyebrow. "A best friend? I don't have time for that. Training is more important than having a best friend. I have to get better so I can become strong like big brother," he replied.
Mikoto turned to look back, just in time to catch her son scampering away. But just before fully exiting the room, Sasuke lingered close by the door and turned his head back to look at his mother.
"What's her name?"
Mikoto's eyes widened slightly. She hesitated before giving her son an answer. "…Kushina."
"Where is she? How come she's never visited before?"
Mikoto felt uneasy. She knew what the price was for speaking about the incident that caused Kushina's life. She had to skirt around the question with an answer that her son would take so he won't ask any more. The best she came up with was, "She moved away to another village."
"Oh… What was she like?"
Mikoto sighed in relief. Sasuke hadn't questioned any further about Kushina's whereabouts. She thought about his current question and giggled to herself as memories of her Genin days with Kushina flooded into her mind. "She was loud, tough, and full of life. She was like the Sun," she replied between her giggles.
Sasuke looked at his mother with confusion in his eyes. He couldn't understand what was so funny. "Well, I don't know about the Sun, but she looks like a tomato," he replied. He turned his head forward and waved back to his mother and said, "Well, I am going to look for big brother. See you later, mom!"
And with that, he left the room. If he had stayed back and continued to look at his mother, he would have seen her eyes widen and her hands coming up to her mouth to stop the laughter that was building up from escaping. If Kushina had heard that, Mikoto thought to herself.
This time she couldn't control herself and she burst out laughing, hoping that no one had heard her. She remembered how her friend would react to that nickname; nothing short from a powerful punch to the head – she wasn't named the "Red Hot Habanero" for nothing. After she calmed herself down, she looked once more at the photograph and smiled warmly at Kushina. She gently placed her finger on Kushina's belly.
I hope they become best friends too, Kushina.
