a/n: this, takes place on a "what if" kushina really brings kyuubi down with her, leaving minato and naruto safe and sound. i have made this since a long time ago but i'm afraid to post this because…this fic is a failure and depressing. oh, just think that minato is not injured or something lol because i really have no idea how to connect hospital's scene into the story, so.
masashi k. (owns) this fandom, not me okay?
yesterday and today
Yesterday she was still here. But today, she was not here anymore.
A new day without Kushina was so strange.
At the morning, she would make toasted bread with pineapple jam while cheerfully scolding him for leaving the breakfast unfinished, because he was usually so late to his work that he would just eat the half of it. Her amethyst eyes would gleam with anger as she sat in front him, eating her own breakfast while saying that she hated him.
And now, as he was eating his burnt bread for breakfast, he stared at the empty chair that's always preoccupied before. Even yesterday, that chair was still preoccupied by its noisy owner.
His breakfast time was always so boisterous and merry, but when things started to be really quiet like this, he just realized it.
That, from this day onward, that chair would always be empty.
Everyday without Kushina would always be strange.
This Uzumaki, was always picking on his side everytime. She was so loud and annoying sometimes, made him lose tempers so quickly. They would fight over something that was not so important, like—I want ramen for lunch! she stated. But you can't eat ramen every minute, every hour, everyday! he exclaimed. The hell with that! I want to eat ramen and that's final!. He would lose the arguments they had, but unconsciously felt that without arguing like this, he would feel as if there was something that missing.
Yes, loudness and Kushina were whole, unfortunately.
There was a time where he just wished she would shut up and being a good and silent woman once in a while, instead of being cheeky and incompliant female that she was.
But now, when he finally got silence he ever wanted, this silence was just too overbearing.
He was quiet, didn't speak a word. His food was left unfinished. Their too small dining room even felt overly large now. He could picture how she would blabber about so many little things to him today, about weather, her students, food—anything.
That's right.
His eyes widened slightly.
They had been together for that long, hadn't they?
This silence would be finally replaced with a new loudness someday, but Minato knew, it would never be same again.
Today was Kushina's day.
But not even citizens of this village would attend her most important day, as people were horrified to find that this girl—this loud Uzumaki was the jinchuuriki who kept monster inside her body. And then, to avoid hysteria inside the village, this funeral had been held far away from the village.
Sandaime had told him that, if he wanted to pay respect to her, it's better to do it secretly, since their marriage had been kept in clandestine and of course, he wouldn't want to deal with angry citizens.
That's why, here he was, wearing long cloaks to cover his body and head, while holding their son in his arm, trying to comfort the crying baby, who wept as if he knew that today was his mother's funeral.
"Yeah, I know how that feels too," he whispered to Naruto while rocking him slowly.
He had known how that felt to lose comrades or student in the war, but he never knew how that felt to lose someone who was always so close to him, someone who had been practically a part of his daily life.
There in front of him, laid her body in a coffin, tucked so soundly as if she was just sleeping inside. Those pale features, broad smile that's painted on her lips, her red tresses that he had always loved…..he would remember all of these. Burning the image into his mind, he then felt tears were stinging on the sides of his eyelids.
Don't cry, idiot. He knew that she would scold him like that while grinning
Just smile. Smile like you always do.
That's why he quickly brought a hand to wipe the tears that unconsciously came. A pained smile appeared on his lips as he could practically imagine Kushina was smiling at him
"You know Kushina? I won't ever forget you. Never," he whispered softly, as he stared for the last time at the person he had always loved the most.
Yesterday, she was here. And today, she was not here anymore.
But he knew deep down, in his deepest heart, she would always be alive. The chair in front of him would probably always stay empty and their house would no longer be as warm as before, however he knew, as long as she stayed in his heart, it would not be as painful.
As he watched her body was slowly blended into one with warm earth below, he could hear her voice ringing cheerfully in the air.
I won't ever forget you too.