Okay, the reason for me re-writing this is that well... I want to write this a lot better. I'm writing this now a week after the release of Naruto 499. I could quite easily change my plot I had planned to fit with the current (and very exciting) revelations about Kushina's character. I had a plan from the get-go, a cunning one at that. I may well add details which I think are not too important to the overall plot of my own fic from the cannon series. But they'd only really be references. I've worked hard on this story; I want this to be a good one. So I hope you like it and if you do please do review. Even if you hate it, tell me so!

So yeah guys, I'm re-writing my chapters and I will continue this story once I catch up.

I'm really very sorry about the long wait. I'm really thankful, grateful and honored with all of your responses in reviews, private messages, and favourites. Even now, after all of this time, I'm still receiving responses. I used to get really upset that I had very few reviews when I just got started. But I'm an avid reader and I don't usually choose to read incomplete stories unless they're sequels so... in short... that this is gonna be another thank you. Thank you for reading. Thank you for following. Thank you for spending your time with this. Peace.

Lonski

Chapter one.

Where it all began.

The baking sun beamed high above the Village; a constant guardian to the people below who regard it simply as a small part of life. A small part which both illuminates and shadows the angular faces etched in stone of the leaders' faces both past and present

There was a great view from where she was sat. She hung, quite precariously on a dried out piece of wood stolen from a fence. The wind tickled the rope and made her feet sway a little as they dangled freely beneath her. She considered with a smirk if it would be a good idea to slip off a sandal and see if it is anyone on the head. Would it hurt from up here?

"Add another layer or not...?" She muttered to herself as she peered upwards to her masterpiece. "Would it stay on if it rained or would it just run down and make the rock all red and yellow and pink and... like a rainbow? That would look pretty cool."

She felt completely at ease from this height. The occasional breeze which swayed her perch, how her clothes wafted as she swung her legs and ho her toes tingled when she wiggled them. How the clouds made the earth seem to move beneath her as she remained anchored to her seat. Weightless. Floating. Free.

She was young, just about the average age of a recent graduate of the Academy. She wore a large orange and black striped top with baggy sleeves. With A thick multi-layered black skirt with simple orange stitch work at the hem in thick twine. On her legs she wore simple black socks which reached up to her mid-thigh, just a few inches beneath her skirt. Her sandals were plain black and matched with her ninja headband on her arm and the bandanna in her red hair.

"Marvellous. Brilliant. Fantastic." The words tumbled from her mouth with a smile. She didn't often say those kinds of words but her pride in her work called for it. She had never pained such a good nosebleed.

"Oi Kushina!" A curious young boy called from the distance above.

With a heavy sigh she blew a strand of hair from her face and looked up. "WHAT?" suddenly she felt a wave of anger as it sank in that she had been found out.

"What are you doing?" The unbroken boy's voice asked softly.

"'DOES IT LOOK LIKE 'M DOIN?" Kushina yelled as she frantically painted away in the attempt to finish the last part of the nosebleed before anyone else arrived.

"Hmm... From here... it looks like you've let paint from up here and poured it down their faces. Defacing the Hokage monument. Painting. But that wasn't your question now was it? You were implying the question why are you doing this?" He stopped and peered down to her and waited patiently for her to reply.

After a moment of contemplation Kushina said, "Well," She had forgotten all about being angry with him, "People just look at this rock to remember what the leaders of this Village looked like. They don't see what they did to get there. They just see the faces."

The blonde boy fiddled with his nails as he lay on his stomach on the ledge, "So... you're painting on them?"

"So they see something else!" She yelled at him, as if it was the most obvious thing to him.

He continued to look confused as he muttered, "I see."

There was a long pause as she returned to her work and ignored him as she dabbed away with her straw brush. There was still time. All seemed to go well until a rock smacked her on the back of the head as it fell from where he lay. "Damn idiot!" She cursed under her breath as she tried to ignore him as best as she could. That was until he scared her half to death by dropped suddenly down to sit beside her. He had slid down one of the rope on her seat and he made the perch jerk suddenly to the side. Kushina grabbed onto his jacket for support as he grabbed onto her arm and held her steady.

"'CHA DOING EH MINATO? TRYING TO KILL ME YEAH? YOU MAD BLOODY SON OF A SHOE!" She yelled at him in a bloody rage as she clung for dear life onto his arm.

He turned to her as he wiggled for balance on her seat next to her and quipped with a cheesy grin, "No. Helping you I guess. Is that okay?" Without waiting for a reply, he grabbed a spare paintbrush from her pouch and began to swipe wistfully at the stone. Adding some more blood to the third's goatee. "Kinda looks odd from this angle. Does his nose look bigger to you, d'think?"

She hung her head low as she scowled at him; this was supposed to be her gig. "His nose seems a lot bigger then normal. OF COURSE IT'S BIGGER!"

He huffed in response, "'Thought you wanted to finish this? I'm only helping." He pulled a face at her which made her feel quite guilty and harsh to him.

Kushina spluttered, "I – you – don't turn this on me! You're always trying to help. And it always gets me into more trouble when you do."

He looked thoughtful and added, "I never understand why they do that –"

The read-head crossed her arms and added her own huff, "Well I do. You're a goodie-two-shoes and a kiss-ass to boot. They think I'm trying to ruin your reputation out of jealousy because you're the future Hokage's favourite student which means to them that you're gonna be the... sixth Hokage after him which you're not coz I AM NOT YOU kiss-ass once they realise how great at being a Ninja I am compared to you." Kushina gasped for breath and Minato simply looked at her with shocked cerulean eyes.

"Whoa..." Was all he managed for a moment before he added, "He's not gonna be the future Hokage and you really shouldn't ..." Minato lowered his voice a little, "become Hokage if the only reason is to make a point like that." He looked at her expression before he hastily replied, "I mean, you've got good reason to want to prove them wrong but... is that it? You said before... you want people to see beneath what this rock looks like and see what it means. So maybe you should try and make people see how great you are... because you're great and not because you want to point and laugh at them."

Kushina simply looked at him for a moment before she asked lightly, "You think I'm great at being a ninja?" Her eyes glimmered as she smiled sweetly at him, she was touched. He looked away, suddenly feeling very shy.

"Err... yeah. But don't forget. I'm the favourite student of the 'Future Hokage' remember? You've gotta beat me first if you want to be Hokage." He grinned.

He may act like a flaky and nervous person most of the time, but there was always this voice of confidence that fought to break free. It was... nice to be in his company.

"Sure. But we know already who will win though. It's obvious." She grinned at him.

Minato simply shook his head and laughed with a smile, "Yeah, sure we do."

"Minato!" A young female voice called from the distance, the pair turned to see a dark-haired girl of the same age as them calling at them with a scowl.

Kushina sighed, 'It was only a matter of time I guess' "Oh look, it's your girlfriend." She commented tonelessly as she waved with a clearly fake smile at the girl. The brunette growled back at her in response.

"She's not my girlfriend!" The blonde said to her as he spun away from his teammate.

Kushina turned her fake smile onto him and gasped, "You made it official then? When's the wedding?"

"I – She's – !" He hissed to Kushina, careful not to let the other girl hear. It would only cause more pain and embarrassment later.

Kushina backed down with a proper, "Okay touchy, little tetchy there for someone who is free, single and most defiantly not dating their teammate. Its fine if you are though, I don't mind."She added with a hint of honesty in her thick tone of sarcasm seeped through. "You're funeral now though, I mean... You're always gonna have me to ruin your reputation. But if you get with her, she'll ruin your life."

Minato had been looking at the gathering crowd on the rooftops around them. Below them both was a sheer drop which eventually came to a square, he spun around at her words.

"Do you really think so?" He asked with astonishment on his face.

"Yeah, have you seen how she claws at your arm and begs for attent-"

He flushed, "No I mean... About you... Being there?"

Kushina frowned, 'He's acting like that's a good thing' She answered slowly, still a little baffled, "Yeah, sure. Why not? You're not bad for a kiss-ass yanno."

"What are you doing with her there?" The zealous girl continued to complain.

"I see what you mean about her ruining my life... My head-"

More annoying cried fromother people wafted from the rooftops. "Minato, come down from there. She's a bad influence, that one!"

"What do you think you're doing there Uzumaki? You being dishonour to our people you red-haired demon!"

Kushina scowled and muttered, trying to sound disinterested and breezy, "Yeah, sure play the hair card." Minato looked at Kushina with an apologetic expression. She continued her rant and turned to face the Villager and yelled, "At least my face doesn't look like an ass!"

Minato scoffed, unable to hide his laughter and turned to Kushina and looked as though he was about to scold her regardless but paused and instead asked, "Could you pass me the red, I want to finish the Hokage's nosebleed before we're stopped."

They laughed.

Author's notes.

Okay... so this is like the third version of this chapter and I am FINALLY happy with it. I haven't let this story die completely. I've just been busy with a lot of other things. Uni, moving out, having a social life (no longer a recluse yay!). Also, well I'm working on an ORIGINAL film script. You'll find some bits and pieces of this story on my account. A link will be provided eventually but you can ask me for it if you're interested enough in it.

So... yay for the summer hols!

Anyway, thank you from the bottom of my heart, for reading and maybe even if you're even more fantastic then even my overly imaginative mind can comprehend... you'll review. Be it detailed or just a little note telling me what you think.

Anyway, onto chapter two - !

Lonski