Chapter 1: It's Painful
"It will hurt." Mikoto had wanted to say to Kushina, before she was ushered away by the Sandaime's wife. "It will be the worse pain you've ever experience, but it will all be worth it the moment you see Naruto's eyes."
But those words were never uttered out loud, all she could do was watch her very pregnant friend be lead away and give her an encouraging smile. Mikoto didn't know where Kushina was being taken—even she wasn't trusted with such sensitive information—but she had full confidence that when Kushina returned it would be with her beautiful baby boy.
"Your best friend will be born soon, Sasu-chan," Mikoto whispered, gently stroking the infant's cheek. "I'm not sure what he'll be like or how he will behave, but I'm sure you two will the best of friends in no time."
As she continued on her way to the market, she thoughts kept wandering to Kushina's future son. She wondered who he would look like. Her own sons both resembled her in appearance, but seemed closer to their father in personality, and wondered if the same would be true for Naruto. Would he have his mother's crimson hair, but his father's calm nature? For the parent's sake, she hoped he would be a calm baby, otherwise they'd be up all hours of the day and constantly on guard for his mischief.
Not that having Kushina's personality was a bad thing. In many ways, Mikoto was jealous of her friend's loud and dauntless personality. Although, she got into many fights and often got them into sticky situations, Kushina was always genuine in her thoughts and feelings. Something that was refreshing, compared to Mikoto's world of everything and everyone having to be perfect. Even at home, Mikoto had to be the perfect mother and the perfect housewife. A housewife who really should get started on dinner.
"Ano, Itachi-kun? What would you like for dinner today?" She sweetly asked her eldest son.
"Me? Shouldn't you or Otousan decide?" He asked, his 5-year-old eyes puzzled.
"Your father isn't here right now and there's just so many delicious meals we could eat. Saba Shioyaki, Yakitori, Tonkatsu… Unagi?" She sang the last suggestion, making his eyes bulge and him to stick out his tongue in disgust.
"Anything but unagi! I hate eel!" Itachi complained.
"Are you sure? It's so healthy, It will help you turn into a big strong shinobi." She teased.
"I'll find another way." Itachi promised.
"What's wrong, Musuko?" Mikoto asked, with a playful glint in her eyes. "Are you afraid of a little eel?"
"Little?! Do you know how big they can get, Kaasan?! They can grow as large as—Ack! Nooo!" Itachi's rant got interrupted as his mother mercilessly began to tickle him, relishing in her son's laughter. Itachi was so mature for his age, always too grim and proper for a child. It made her happy whenever she got to see him act his age. "Stop! Please stop!" He begged and Mikoto released him.
"Did you make a decision yet?" Mikoto hummed, but waited for Itachi to get his bearings back.
"Can we have Okonomiyaki?" Itachi asked hesitantly. Mikoto thought it over before giving a brisk nod. "Really?"
Okonomiyaki was not the typically type of dinner that the Uchiha usually had. Fugaku especially preferred a more elegant meal while many saw okonomiyaki as simple comfort food. "Hai. I said you could pick whatever you wanted. Plus, we're celebrating! Kushina-obasan will soon be having your future cousin. We will be making this meal in their honor."
Itachi smiled at that. "Obasan would really love the okonomiyaki, huh? Maybe when we see her again we can make her some?"
Mikoto smiled wider and gently hugged her two boys. "That's so thoughtful, Itachi. I'm sure she will love it! Now come on, I'm going to need your help to pick out the freshest and the best ingredients for tonight!"
Having Itachi in the kitchen with her always made cooking more enjoyable. The boy would follow her cooking orders diligently, and when she had no tasks for him to do he would occupy himself by playing with his baby brother. She loved hearing Itachi tell her about his day, about how his classes were going and what he had Shishui were getting into. Whenever Itachi ran out of things to say about himself, he'd ask her about her days as a genin with Kushina, and laugh as she'd tell of the mischief that his naughty aunt would get them into.
Cooking was never stressful for them. What was stressful was the delivery and the judgement from the head of the household.
"Okaerinasai." Itachi said, greeting his father as he came into the door while his mother frantically finished setting up the table.
Fugaku stared at the meal, unimpressed. "What's this?"
"O-okonomiyaki, Otousan. Okaasan let me pick dinner tonight. She said it was for celebration."
"Celebration? I was not aware that we had anything to celebrate tonight."
Mikoto blushed. "It's an early celebration. For when Kushina gives birth."
"Is she due already?" Fugaku asked, but his voice shared his disinterest.
"Soon." Was all Mikoto supplied. Kushina had begged her not to reveal the exact due date to anyone, and she felt that Kushina meant more specifically her husband and her clan elders. She had no idea why her friend wanted things so secretive but she had to respect her wishes.
"Soon only?" Her husband said, dissatisfied. "Then aren't we celebrating too early?"
She forced herself not to recoil at his harsh tone and instead offered him a timid smile. "Please sit down. You don't want the food to get cold."
Fugaku did sit and they ate their meal in silence. Poor Itachi try to sink low into his seat, embarrassed by his choice in the meal, but that only incurred the wrath of his father, who yelled at him not to slouch and to sit straight. Both mother and son were relieved when Fugaku got up after his single serving, excusing himself so that he could go into his study and finish his paperwork from the station. Once he was out of sight, Mikoto looked back at Itachi and whispered. "Dinner was delicious. I'm glad you picked Okonomiyaki."
Itachi's frown only deepened. "Otousan didn't think so."
"Your father is a big asshole." Is what Kushina would have said, but Mikoto knew she couldn't get away with such an accusation. Or that type of language. "Your father is just tired and under a lot of stress. It's not easy being a father and being a leader. When you are older, you will understand."
Itachi's eyes roamed to Sasuke, who was slumbering peacefully in his crib. "I never want to be like him." He muttered, and Mikoto pretend she didn't hear his bitter words, but instead continue to eat the pleasant meal until they both ate their share.
"Come on, Ita-kun. Help me collect the dishes. You can put away the leftovers, I'll do the dishes, and when we are done we can have mochi for dessert!" Itachi nodded, not really caring about the promise of a sugary reward, and silently worked alongside her. She wished there was a way to assure her son that his father loved him, but she couldn't find the words. 'I'm sure he'll understand when he's older.'
She smiled at him as he put away the last of the leftovers, and reached into the freezer to hand him his reward. "Matcha mochi just as promised!"
"Arigato." Itachi said meekly, starting at the mocha, as if wondering what he was expected to do with it.
"Go ahead, eat it." She encouraged. "If you don't I will."
Itachi eyed her suspiciously. "You wouldn't."
"Mhmmm. Matcha is my favorite flavor." She leaned her face down lower, inches away from the snack, and dramatically opened her mouth wide. She was about to take a small nibble when she felt the overpowering presence of killing intent. The anger and hostility was palpable; it hung in the air and felt thick as syrup, coating every orifice of her body, suffocating her. Mikoto forced herself to calm down and to breathe normally, but both her sons already knew something was wrong. Sensing her panic, baby Sasuke began to cry, and even Itachi turned paler than usual.
"Kaasan, what's going on?"
Before Mikoto could speak up, her husband came barreling out of the room. He took one swift look around the kitchen and glared coldly at his wife. "There's an emergency, I'm needed at the station. I assume you can take control of the home situation and keep the children calm?"
Mikoto's mouth closed to a thin, firm line, and she nodded in response. Not wasting further time, Fugaku Shunshin to where he was needed. Once he was gone, Mikoto was able to fully regain her bearings and went over to Sasuke and tried to calm him down. "It's okay, Sasu-chan. It's okay. Kaasan is here. Kaasan won't let anybody hurt you."
"Kaasan, what's going on?" Itachi demanded.
"I don't know," Mikoto admitted. "But your father is on the case, so it will be fixed in no time."
"But what's going on? Is it the war again?" Itachi questioned, moving over to the nearby window to investigate, ignoring his mother's warnings to stay out of sight.
"Kaasan, why is there a giant fox monster outside?"
Mikoto froze and her body went limp momentarily, only jumping back into action when she felt Sasuke start to slip from her arms. "A fox?"
"Hai. But it is really big and it has more than one tail.
'The Kyuubi!' Mikoto realized in horror.
Knowledge of Kushina's status as a jinchuuriki was an S-class secret, forbidden by most shinobi. Mikoto was only aware of it because…well frankly Kushina was awful at keeping secrets. She had needed a confidant to talk to, someone that would be able to care about her without her mask, who was able to see the girl that was harboring the beast. Mikoto was even aware that there might be some issues with her seal when she went into labor. However, for the Kyuubi to be fully released could only mean one thing.
"Kushina!" Mikoto bemoaned, aghast of what might have befallen her best friend. Sasuke began to squirm, crying louder, while Itachi remained transfixed by the monster outside. Balancing Sasuke on one arm, she used the other to grab Itachi by the back of the shirt and drag him away from the window. "Itachi get away from there!"
She relinquished her hold on Itachi in favor of gently rocking Sasuke, as she tried to sort through her turmoil thoughts. She knew that she was expected to stay with the children, keep them safe, but her emotions were screaming at her to check on Kushina. Her best friend couldn't be dead! She turned her attention to Itachi, her brave boy. He was always so mature for his age, even now he was trying to comfort little Sasuke, doing his best to speak to the baby in a calming voice.
"Here, Itachi, hold Sasuke." She gently lowered the baby into his brother's caring arms. "Itachi, can I trust you to take good care of your brother?"
"H-hai. Kaa-san, what's going on?"
Mikoto began rummaging through the kitchen drawers, until she found her hidden kunai. She carefully placed the kunai in a pouch and placed that pouch inside of Itachi's pocket. "Use that only if you are in danger, do you understand me?"
"H-h-hai." Itachi's voice trembled as he tried to mask his fear.
Mikoto ran to her bedroom closet, and sorted through her clothes until she found her old jounin uniform. It was tighter than she remembered, and she was grateful that her vest managed to hide the muffin top that her body was doing in protest of her new outfit choice. Although it was to be expected after two pregnancies, Mikoto still felt the shame, and decided that once this was all over she and Kushina would need to do an exercise regime to get her back into shape.
Itachi's eyes widen when she finally returned to the kitchen, he had never seen his mother in full ninja gear before. "What's going on? Where are you going?"
"I need to make sure that Kushina-obasan is alright. I'll be back soon, I promise."
Itachi looked at her with wavering eyes. "It's dangerous, isn't it? What if you don't come back?!"
"Shhhh," Mikoto whispered, kneeling down to her son and pressing her forehead against her son. She ignored the shiver Itachi released as the cold metal of her headband brushed against his forehead, in favor of wiping away his stray tears. "Listen to me. I will be coming back home. I love you and I love Sasuke so much. I promise, that love is going to lead me back home to the both of you."
"I love you too." Itachi sniffled and Mikoto kissed her boys each on the forehead.
"Stay safe, I will be back in no time." And just like her husband, she Shunshined away.
Sharigan eyes blazing crimson, Mikoto leaped from tree to tree, desperate to catch sight of her best friend's chakra signature. Although, the Sharigan was not as skilled as the Byakugan for seeing chakra through anything it was remarkably good at finding well known chakra signatures. Luckily for Mikoto, Kushina always had a very vibrant and unique chakra signature, so she was confident that she could still find her friend despite the chaos going on around her. Her feet carried her nimbly through the fray, dodging falling debris as she moved, and ignoring the cries going on around her. If she stopped to save every victim then she would have no time to save Kushina, so with a heavy heart she ignored them in favor of pressing forward.
Mikoto only paused when she felt the air around her shift, and the pressure of the Kyuubi malevolent essence lift. She looked around and noticed that the tailed beast had been relocated. "Minato?"
Mikoto picked up her pace, assured that wherever Minato was that Kushina would be with him. She continued searching until she picked up the faint shine of Minato's chakra pattern and raced off in that direction. Only once her lungs were screaming for air did she reach a barrier. From down below she could see the colossal form of Kyuubi—who seemed to be chained down with Kushina's chakra. Good, that meant that her beloved friend was still alive. She could also make out the blond shade that was Minato. She could even make out the red shine of Kushina's long hair.
"I finally find you." Mikoto thought in relief, slowly climbing down the tree so that she could get a better view of the scene. She gasped when she saw how beat up Kushina looked, and the Sharigan revealed that her chakra levels were mortally depleted. She looked around, wondering what the Yondaime was doing to save his wife, when she noticed the ceremonial table. "Good. They can still seal the monster back into Kushina. That should revive her chakra." But on closer inspection, and much to Mikoto's bewilderment, there was something small squirming on the table top. "That can't be… Naruto?"
Kushina and Minato seemed to be arguing about something, but Mikoto was too far away to make out the words. Suddenly the hair on the back of Mikoto's neck stood on end as she felt another ominous presence enter the scene, and watched in stunned horror as a Shinigami warped itself into existence behind Minato. "What is he doing?!" Mikoto screamed inside her head, watching in horror as the Shinigami reached into Minato and attached onto his life force. "Is he suicidal?"
Kushina seemed to agree with Mikoto that the Yondaime was crazy and started to yell at him some more. Mikoto was so distracted by their little spat and the death god that she didn't notice the Kyuubi slowly getting loose, but her special eyes picked up—with awful clarity—the single claw that the monster shot forward towards the innocent baby on the table. In slow motion, she could see the parents throw themselves in front of their child, and she screamed in revulsion, knowing with absolute certainty what would happen next. She tried to scream them a warning, but her mouth moved so much slower than her eyes. So she watched on with trepidation, knowing they would inevitably impale themselves on the beasts claw.
She knew all of this but still sobbed as she witnessed it unfold, bawling so hard that her lungs felt like they were shriveling up, and her supernatural eyes glazing over from the tears. She was unaware of the sealing ceremony that the dying Yondaime finished, or how the baby was crying now. She paid no attention to the fact that the barrier was now down, and that other shinobi were rushing onto the scene.
She was completely unaware that her Sharigan had fully developed into the Mangekyō Sharingan. The only thought running through her mind was that it wasn't supposed to hurt this much.
Thank you guys so much for reading! This is my first Naruto fanfiction, and I've only gotten back into the Naruto craze recently after a 3 year absence. I wanted to write another one of those what ifs stories, you know what if Naruto and Sasuke had a better life from the beginning, but I wanted it to be different from all the other great fics that are already out there. While trying to figure out what to do, and what really hasn't been done, I realized that the Naruto series really ignore one character who could have been vital in the storyline. Mikoto! I mean we know almost nothing about the woman! Yet this woman could have easily altered the lives of Naruto and the Uchiha brothers, if she was brave enough to do so. With Enough we will explore Mikoto's tale and the influence she could have had.
Questions You might have:
Why does Mikoto have the Sharigan?
Well she is listed as jounin status, and it would make sense that the wife of the clan head should be one of the strongest kuniochis of her clan. Also it explains more why both of her sons are so badass.
Why did Mikoto try to find Kushina?
Both the manga and the anime list Itachi watching over Sasuke while both parents are missing in action. Fugaku is obviously dealing with police related stuff, but we don't know what Mikoto is doing. I feel like if the retired ninja left her sons behind, she should better be looking for her best friend who is dying.
Why does Mikoto know about the Kyuubi and Kushina's due date?
Honestly, Mikoto is way too calm with Kushina is lead away and acts like nothing strange is going on. To me, that means that Kushina already told her the due date. Also, I'm assuming that both women were on the same genin team and that's why they are so close to each other, and Kushina needed someone to talk to whenever she felt the burden of being a jinchuuriki. It probably took years for Kushina to admit it, but I doubt the girl would have been able to keep it a secret forever. Also imagine the horror Kushina felt when she realized that Kyuubi's seal would be weakened when she gave birth, she probably would want to talk it over with a girl friend.
Feel free to ask more questions and I hope to see you all in the next chapter! I hope to get it out by 7/17! Reviews are welcomed and highly appreciated.
