A Lifetime
Quick side note: I know it's been awhile since I've written anything and I haven't forgotten the other stories I left. I wanted to try something different since it was on my mind and I was watching older Shippuden episodes. Please show this story the same amount of love as the others stories I've written. I don't own Naruto/Naruto Shippuden sadly.
Prologue: Uncertainty
Pain…
Unbearable, excruciating pain shooting through her limbs was the only thing registering in her mind. Blinking, moving, even breathing felt as if it were an unmeasurable task she couldn't complete. Fighting the darkness threatening to overcast her vision, her gaze focused on the motionless body just a short distance off from her.
Blood soaked through his flak jacket as well as his haori, the gaping hole through his abdomen almost obstruct with the amount of blood overflowing. Tears blurred her vision as a trembling pale hand reached out to him, dry, chapped lips quivering as her fingers grazed over his bruised jaw. Dried blood caked along the corners of his ashen lips.
"Minato," Her voice hoarse from the lack of use, her face scrunching in pain as she tried to shift closer to the cold body. "Wake up…you can't take the easy way out of becoming a parent." Tears dribbled down her dirty face as she ran her fingers through his mess of blond spikes. "Naruto needs you…I need you," The distressed wailing of a newborn filled the silence as she waited. A sign of life from her love, a twitch of a finger, and the quiver of his lips…that adorable lopsided grin she fell in love with. "Who's going to scold Naruto when I spoil him? Teach him proper jutsu? Minato—"
Her shallow breath quickened as she struggled to stay afloat. "He looks so much like you, yeah. Beautiful." Kushina brought her other hand up to the identical extensive hole in her stomach, trying in vain to block off the river of blood seeping through her clothes.
"I love you Minato-kun. I…I know it's been far too long since I've said it when you can say it regularly. Baka," Her fingers swept the fringe of blond locks from his face, giving her a better view of his beautiful face. "I wish you would open your eyes and say how much in love with me you are like you would every morning. That cute pout you would give me whenever I'd fix ramen instead of a proper bento for you…you would look at me and say "Don't be ashamed of your cooking, I love your burn onigiri too Kushina." You always were far too kind to me when I did nothing but cause you countless headaches you know."
Her forehead caressed his, her petite frame hovering over him. "I pray Naruto ends up just like you my love." Her tears pelted against his face, mingling along his lashes. It was as if he was weeping. "I'll be joining you soon enough so don't go off too far, yeah." Her slanted violet eyes crinkled at the corners as a pain stricken smile lined her mouth. "Although it hurts to leave Naruto, I've just met him and have to part from him."
A strained chuckle escaped her. "I sound selfish but I love him dearly. He's a piece of you Minato...something I was blessed enough to bring into this corrupted world and for that I cannot thank you enough. I wish we could spend just a moment longer with you, just to learn more about you Naruto-kun. Never think that we did not love you." Blood bubbled at the corners of her lips as her vision grew hazy. Her fingers crept to swipe away the rose droplets sprinkling his tanned face, smearing it along his broad nose as her vision darkened.
Throwing a last fleeting glance to her child, Kushina exhaled slowly before collapsing against Minato. "He'll become the savior of this world, my Naruto."
….
Her eyes found him, slanting in annoyance as he performed the shadow clone jutsu to perfection. Namikaze Minato.
The perfect genius, a prodigy child in a sense, and a child that could do no wrong in the eyes of her peers and sensei. Every evaluation the academy had given them to test their abilities he received top scores, further angering Kushina, who could barely make one clone. Everything he seemed to excel in, she would struggle and it, infuriated her. Couldn't he be a failure like her for once?
Taijutsu, Ninjutsu, Summoning jutsu, even his speed alone could rival a Jounin. Why he even stuck around the academy as long as he had been puzzled her. With every new chakra technique they were taught, Minato would only have to watch the demonstration once before perfecting it, earning him a flock of fans. As he dissipated of his two other clones, Kushina crossed her arms glaring daggers into his back. Their last names were nowhere near each other alphabetically and yet she always ended up after him when it came to performing what she learned.
She hadn't realized she was still glowering at the adept Namikaze, flinching as his calm gaze met hers. His face soon split into a crooked grin, giving her a thumbs up as he stalked from the center of the group. She cut her eyes, sticking her tongue out in a childish manner.
He was her rival.
After announcing that he wanted to become Hokage just as she so badly wanted to become, Kushina branded him as her competition.
Approaching the center of the room, Kushina tried not to focus on the eyes of her classmates that were undoubtedly snickering behind her back as she began weaving hand signs. Snapping her eyes shut she built up as much chakra as she could, a small cloud of smoke and a small pop occurred next to her. Hesitantly she pried an eye open to peek beside her, her cheeks inflamed at the sight of a ghostly, mouth sunken in, ashen clone of herself flopped around on the ground. Burst of laughter erupted behind her, Kushina's shoulders visibly shaking with rage as the clone receded. "I knew the tomato wouldn't have been able to pull off the shadow clone jutsu!" A young boy quipped, earning more laughs from his peers.
Kushina whirled around, finding the source of her mistreatment as her fingers curled at her sides. "I will get it right, dattebane!" Her eyes found the calculated gaze of her rival, her own narrowing as she stalked out of the classroom.
….
Every challenge the academy gave out, Kushina would try her hardest to outshine Minato, on more than one occasion finding herself the brunt of her classmates' jokes. While Minato's shuriken hit their mark, Kushina's would be skew around the training ground, some embedded in the earth and trees. Gritting her teeth, she glanced over to the stump aligned with hers that had shuriken lined perfectly down the center. Yet again Minato had found a way to outshine her.
Her eyes followed him as he tugged the weapons from the stump and carefully placing the back in his holster soon moving to her stump to collect her weapons. He was always doing weird things like that, helping her whenever she would just openly glare at him or say hurtful things, that infuriating cheeky grin plastered on his lips as he approached her. Without much thought she slapped the weapons from his hands, a faint flush dusting her cheeks.
"You dolt, don't belittle me Namikaze. I don't need your help with anything, I can become stronger than you and I will, yeah." The smile holding his lips slackened as he bent to retrieve her scattered weapons. He then set out to put them away, snapping the weapon holster attached to her thigh open.
"It wasn't my intention to belittle you Kushina…I just wanted to help. The paths we have chosen are one in the same and rather than becoming Hokage by ignoring the ones who have potential to be my competition I'd rather help them so we could compete on equal ground." He glanced up to her, that infectious lopsided grin returning. Her gaze shifted, her face reddening further not only from his cold fingers against her thigh.
No one had ever compared her or thought of her as their equal.
She fought boys at the academy regularly just to earn her respect among them as a ninja of the leaf, quickly earning the title Red hot blooded Habanero among her classmates. To hear Minato, the prowess child, say she had potential was a feet. It gave her a surge of pride. Kushina hadn't realized that she secretly craved for his acceptance. She wanted him to see exactly how hard she had been working even if he was her rival. As he rose, her gaze aligned with his, a smile marring her pink mouth as she grasped his hand.
"Let's work had to achieve our dreams together," She felt his fingers curl round her hand, his gentle squeeze causing warmth to spread throughout her body. "Minato."
…..
"Lord Third, they're both dead," ANBU lined the vicinity, Sarutobi Hiruzen breaking through the sturdy line they created. "The child survived." Aging eyes took in the scene before him, Kushina's lifeless form crouching over Minato, looking every bit of the loving couple even in death. He soon steered in the direction of the weeping child, angry tears welling up as he cradled the child.
"Is this what you wanted Madara," He nestled the child against his neck, the tears freely flowing. "Forgive me Minato, Kushina…I wasn't fast enough."
His large hand rubbed along Naruto's naked back, trying to soothe both himself and the child. The ANBU that had been checking both Minato and Kushina rose, joining the others that waited patiently for orders. "Both you and Kushina sacrificed your lives to protect Naruto I—" A choking sob broke his speech, tightening his hold on the child for strength. "I'll protect Naruto with my life."
…
"Focus, you'll never be able to control your chakra if you're distracted." Kushina's brows furrowed, her grip tightening on her knees. She had been receiving help from the last person she expected, Namikaze Minato. He had proven to be a rigorous teacher, pushing her to the brink of exhaustion. They often argued over his training methods, Kushina pumbling him with her fists of fury and Minato crouching over just receiving her beating without a fight.
She hated to admit it but she had improved tremendously after balking and accepting his request to help her perfect her spiking chakra. "I'm trying, not everyone is born with perfect chakra control like you, yeah."
"I wasn't born with it; I just do because I concentrated." He sat cross legged across from her, watching her face contort in frustration, her eyes still shut.
"I'd concentrate better if you'd shut that loud mouth of yours." The scowl lining his lips deepened as he tried to hold back his own frustration with the fire cracker across from him. He wasn't necessarily a malicious person unless it came down to it during a mission but somehow, whenever he was near Uzumaki Kushina he would break character.
From her loud hair to her equally loud mouth, Kushina was definitely different from the females of Konoha. She wasn't afraid of speaking her mind or how people perceived her which he found refreshing. Many of the girls he grew up with were either superficial or gossiped as if their life depended on it. After that fated day at the academy they had been inseparable, only parting for missions or sleep. But as of lately they hadn't spent as much time together since his swift promotion to Jounin. Whenever he did up and surprise her with a trip to Ichiraku ramen, she would clobber him with her inhuman strength before suffocating him with drawn out hugs. Much between them had changed since the days at the academy where they had been two awkward twelve year olds playing ninja.
The one sided rivalry grew into a mutual friendship to the point Kushina grew restless and even lonely during the months Minato was away on missions. Even her best friend Uchiha Mikoto would taunt her to no end over their shared dango, referring to her as "Minato's lover". On many occasions she would be at the massive gates, eager to greet Minato once he crossed the threshold. She couldn't help that Minato had somehow wove his way right into her life. He had become her best friend, the only person who cared when she had been kidnapped so long ago.
His eyes trailed her face, noting the way her ruby hair framed her angular face. He was relieved her eyes were closed so he could openly admire her beauty without getting beat up for gawking. She had always been beautiful in his eyes from the moment he laid eyes on her six years ago, even more so now that she was maturing into a young woman. She wasn't the same spit-fire tomboy he had countless challenges with when he had been a genin but in turn she still had the will of fire he adored.
He was falling in love with her.
The thought alone brought butterflies to his gut as he restrained himself from running his thumb along those pouty lips he wanted so desperately to kiss.
"Minato," Those same full lips he had been focused intensely on called out to him, drawing him from his thoughts. His cheeks flushed under her heavy stare, slightly embarrassed at the thought of being caught openly pinning off her essence. Either she was oblivious to his lingering eyes or she simply ignored it which he was thankful for.
"How long will your mission with Jiraiya sensei last this time?" Minato leaned back, resting his weight against his hands. "I'm not sure honestly," His ears perked at the distinct sound of her shuffling, warmth soon invading his side as she leaned against him, her head resting against the crook of his neck. "If you're worried about me not making it back in time for your birthday, don't fret. I've…already made special plans for you before I leave."
Her gaze shifted, noting that his ears were crimson with embarrassment. He wouldn't meet her quizzical gaze, a tiny smile splitting her lips at the image of a flustered Minato.
He was utterly adorable.
"Aw Minato-kun planned a date for me?"
"Yeah," At his brief response, Kushina's teasing died down, finding his eyes on her. His cerulean eyes altered to a darker hue, the seriousness within their depths causing her voice to clog within her throat. "I didn't know how long I would be gone. We barely spend time together as it is…I-I just wanted to plan something special for you Kushina."
Her cheeks reddened as his fingers wove through her hair, bringing the wispy strands to his lips. "Minato," His eyebrow quirked, signaling that he was listening. "I…" Her teeth worried over her lower lip, her heart pounding. "Thank you." Minato leaned forward, his nose butting hers. Their cheeks each dusting pink at the proximity, his hand cradling her cheek. Her eyes dipped to his mouth, her throat becoming unbearably dry as his fingers tipped her lips. His breath fanned over her flaming cheeks, his nose trailing her smooth flesh to nestle within her hair.
He felt her breath hitch in anticipation, his own coming out in shallow puffs. The pad of his thumb smeared over her bottom lip. "Never let your guard down Kushina. Perfect chakra control comes with concentration."