Naruto is not mine, but all that imagination... Fully in my head
Contrary to popular belief, the first time Minato saw the future Red Hot Habanero, he did not fall in love at first sight. The new girl stands in front of the entire class, nervousness hidden behind a scowl and a determined set of lips. Her face is pale and round and in a dimly lit classroom looks like a pancake.
"My name is Uzumaki Kushina, and I am going to become the first female Hokage!" she announces.
As expected, after a moment of shocked silence, the room bursts into a roar of laughter. Kushina sets her jaw and walks to the seat. When she passes the windows, sunrays catch her hair and - whoa. Never in his short life has he seen such a colour, alive and fierce and as if screaming - I am here, I am now, I am.
Well, aside from the red-red mane living on her head, Kushina is interesting herself, just as fierce and alive. She scoffs at the soft-eyed boy who got the nerve to have the same goal as she does. She does not try to befriend him, and neither does Minato - he has enough people claiming his attention to fight for respect of such a rebellious character.
...
Kushina seethes, stomping through the training grounds. Some freak with really creepy eyes scoffed at her, seizing her up and down like she was some kind of-of thing! She won't take it lightly, and he will learn that-
"Hey, tomato!"
She whirls on her heels, a little cloud of dust at her feet, messy hair falling heavily on her back and shoulders.
"Look, she responds!" three boys and one feral girl look at her with a violent amusement of children. Kushina growls and fists her hair, tying it into a messy knot. She shrugs and stomps away, under the eyes of the teachers and other painfully young and obviously cruel children. The wimp with a dandelion for hair is among them, following her with calm and observant eyes.
She has to wait for exactly five thousand and three seconds. She counts to keep herself from snickering evilly as the various scenarios run through her imagination.
They never see her coming, pouncing like a wild cat at them from her hiding spot. The first victim falls from just one punch - strong and aimed perfectly at solar plexus. The second boy tries to catch her hair, but Kushina pulls her dishevelled braid and then jerks her head sharply, whipping the boy across the face. Her evil cackles promise doom to the yet unharmed duo. The boy is dumbstruck and pale, looking at his fallen comrades with fear, and the girl grins madly at Kushina.
They circle each other for a few heartbeats, before pouncing. In a few minutes of growling and pulling at each other's hair and clothes, they manage to gather quite a crowd and finally are pulled apart by three of their teachers no less.
From the moment their duo glares and frowns at offending crowd, chins held high in the air, Tsume and Kushina are mates.
The next day Kushina stares down the creepy-eyed freak and wins.
Hiashi is scarred for the next three weeks.
So, here's my awfully long A/N. First, biggest thanks to kawaiisuzu for her encouragement and being amazing.
Next is one big SHUT UP to Kishimoto, because, seriously, Jiraiya did not remember Kushina's name and appearance? Kushina as in his pupil's friend, and girlfriend, and wife?! Kushina the Red Habanero - and nobody remembers her or her last name?
Damn it, that's a BS, and although it's an often occurrence when an author makes up a story as it goes, but seriously.
Look - here we got some boy with a last name being Uzumaki - just like the Fourth's wife had, and he is looking like the Fourth, and was born the day they died, what a coincidence, REALLY! Everybody knows who Konohamaru is, but no one remembers the woman who was called a Red Habanero since her first days in the Academy?
Oh, I am so angry.
So this is going to be one serious AU. Kishimoto is amazing just by creating those awesome two, the pairing over which I am still absolutely heartbroken, top in my list, higher than Soul and Maka (my inspiration for three years). And Naruto deserves every damn second, every tiny bit of his parents, that kind, lion hearted boy. And them - well. They're just amazing. And it's unfair that they were ripped from each other so cruelly. I am heartbroken.