Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I own several volumes of the manga, but no rights to anything.

This is the first in what will likely become a long series of one-shot drabbles. These drabbles are things that I would dearly love to read, but am not able to give the time or creative energy I feel they deserve. So, each one-shot chapter comes with its own challenge! Challenge rules are listed at the bottom.

Uzumaki Kushina: Godaime Hokage

Uzumaki Kushina was having trouble processing what was happening. It was supposed to be the happiest day of her life and it had turned into such a nightmare. She'd had the life of her newborn son threatened, had been abducted, had the most powerful demon in the world extracted and set upon her village, and now her husband, Namikaze Minato the Yondaime Hokage, was set to perform a suicide jutsu to make her baby boy into a jinchuuriki. She'd tried to argue, but Minato had just given her that look of his. The one he got when he disagreed with her and was simply waiting for her to run out of steam before he calmly picked her argument to pieces. It was likely the last time she would ever get to chew him out for being an idiot, and he'd once again picked it apart in that calm infuriating manner of his that had pissed her off since their academy days. How he could be so infuriating and so sweet at the same time, she would never be able to understand. Normally, Kushina could win their arguments with sheer force of personality, but even she couldn't argue with the fact that, this time, Minato was right.

"Dying to make a better life for his son... That's the stuff you let the father handle."

Kushina wanted to protest more even though she knew it was too late. The bargain had been struck when he'd summoned the Shinigami, and all that was left was for Minato to direct its effects to what he wanted sealed.

The grisly arm of the shinigami stretched from her husband's stomach to grasp the Kyuubi. Minato spoke the single word "Seal!" as the Kyuubi roared in agony from where Kushina kept it bound in her special chakra chains with her waning strength.

"Now for the Eight Trigrams Seal!" Minato said as he called forth the ceremonial altar necessary for such a strong seal. "I'm going to seal the Kyuubi inside Naruto.

Kushina watched the Kyuubi's face register recognition of what was going to happen as Minato places Naruto on the altar. In another universe, Kushina's waning chakra caused her to falter, allowing just enough slack into her chakra chains for the Kyuubi to make an attempt on Naruto's life that she and her husband would block with their very bodies. In this one, she steeled her will and kept the giant demon fox immobile as her husband sealed it.

He first called forth Gamatora to have him take the seal's key to Jiraiya for safekeeping before turning to her. "It's time for me to go Kushina... If you have anything left to say... now's the time."

"Naruto..." she began, crawling over to her son, all the time believing that she had to cram everything she'd ever need to tell her son into these precious few moments, "don't be a fussy eater... Eat a lot and grow up to be a big boy! Take your bath every day... go to bed early and sleep well! Make friends... it doesn't matter how many... Just make sure they're real friends... people you can trust... Even a few is enough! And study your ninjutsu... I was never very good at it, maybe you will be... Everyone has things they're good at and things they're not... Don't feel bad if you can't do it all. Make sure you listen to your teachers... at the academy. And remember, avoid the three vices of Shinobi... Don't borrow money if you can help it. Save what you earn from missions... No drinking alcohol until you're 20, and don't overdo it or you'll ruin your body. And as for women... well, I'm a woman so I don't know what to say, but there are only men and women in this world, and you'll want a girlfriend someday... Just try not to pick a weird one... Try to find someone like your mother... And the fourth warning... watch out for Jiraiya-sensei!" Kushina could see Minato chuckle at that out of the corner of her eye. "Naruto... you're going to experience a lot of pain and suffering... Remember who you are! Find a goal... a dream... and don't stop trying until it comes true! There's... there's so much more I want to say... to teach you about... I want to stay with you... I love you... I'm sorry Minato... I took all our time..."

"It's okay," he said as he knelt beside her. "Naruto, this is your dad. Listen... to your motor-mouth mother." Kushina wanted to bop her husband over the head for the comment, but her tears wouldn't stop coming as she heard him finish the technique and felt her remaining chakra being pulled from her and into her son. "Eight Trigrams Seal!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage, who had been watching the proceedings from just outside the barrier Minato had put up, dashed forward the instant the containing barrier went down. He went straight for the young Naruto, as making sure he was secure was the first priority. He didn't honestly believe that either Minato or Kushina were alive. He knew enough about sealing to recognize what was happening, but he sent his ninja to check on them nonetheless. Hopeless or not, it was still procedure.

However, he underestimated the degree to which Kushina possessed the legendary Uzumaki vitality. Even after giving birth, having the Kyuubi forcibly ripped from her, restraining the same beast, and having her chakra sealed in her newborn son with the demon's and her husband's, but suffering no other injury...

"Sandaime-sama! She's still alive!"

"What?" he asked in utter shock.

"It's extremely faint, but her heart is beating!"

"Don't just sit there!" he yelled, disturbing Naruto and causing him to start crying, "get her to the hospital! On the double! I don't care who you have to run down to do so, but get her there immediately!"

"Yes sir!" came the hasty reply as the jonin picked up Kushina and shunshined away.

He looked to the others who were examining Minato, just in case there were two miracles today, only to receive the expected sorrowful shaking of the head from them.

The aged former, now current he reminded himself, Hokage sighed before turning to the infant Naruto in his arms. "Well, young man, let's get you to the hospital too," he said to the wailing baby. "We need to get you looked over and your mother will want to see you when she wakes up."

Kushina felt sore all over. Which was really odd to her. She was certain the afterlife wouldn't come with things like physical pain. After a few minutes she deduced that her eyes were closed, so she carefully opened them. It was a good thing too because the sudden light was nearly blinding to her.

'Funny...' she thought, 'the afterlife looks alot like a Konoha hospital room...'

As more of her mind began functioning, she realized that there was a steady beeping sound in the room. Looking over towards the source, she found a heart monitor that was hooked up to her. Right beside it was an IV bag connected to her arm. Shifting in the hospital bed, she confirmed that there was a bedpan under her.

'If this is the Shinigami's idea of a joke...' she considered to herself, 'I'm kind of impressed.'

She studied the room for several minutes before she decided that if noone was going to welcome her to the afterlife, then she was going to go find someone. Hopefully whoever she found could tell her where Minato was hiding. However, just as she was about to get up, someone walked into the room.

'Huh, whoever is in charge really went all out. This spirit looks just like a nurse.'

"Oh!" the nurse said in surprise, "you're awake! Hold on, I need to inform Hokage-sama. He wanted to know the moment you came to."

Kushina just blinked as the nurse exited the room. 'Why would... oh! I guess Minato-kun wanted to greet me himself. That's nice of them to let him do so. Wonder why they call him Hokage here though... I thought such titles didn't mean anything in the afterlife.'

Kushina pressed a button on the side of the bed that angled it so she could sit up better. She was still really tired, which was rather puzzling to her. Could you really get tired in the afterlife?

Several minutes later the door opened again, several ANBU marching into the room ahead of perhaps the last Hokage she was expecting.

"Hokage-jiji! Did you die too?" she blurted out.

The aged Hokage blinked at the statement and started to chuckle. "No, I have not died yet. And neither have you," he said. Her astonishment must have been clear because he continued. "I suppose it is understandable. Few individuals could have survived even half as much stress as you did on that day a week ago. Yes," he said in response to her shock, "you've been asleep for a week. I'm glad you're awake now because there's a certain someone who's been really cranky waiting for you to wake up."

Kushina was a little confused at this, but she saw one of the ANBU move over to an object in the room she hadn't noticed. It looked like one of those hospital cribs they used for newborn... babies...

She watched as the ANBU picked up a tiny blond infant and gently carried it over to her. She took the tiny form into her arms and looked on the adorable face of her son. His hair just like his father's, and so atypical of the Uzumaki, and those adorable whisker marks on his cheeks... She wasn't sure when she started crying, nor for how long, she just happily rocked her sleeping son as she held him in her arms. She was alive! Her son was alive! Minato was... At this thought, she turned to Sarutobi. "Did Minato...?"

The look on his face was all she needed to understand that her husband didn't make it. Of course he didn't. The Dead Demon Seal demanded the life of the caster. No exceptions. But, by some miracle, she had. 'Don't worry Minato-kun,' she thought, 'I'll raise our son as best I can. And then when I see you again, I'll make up all of our time apart to you. Hopefully with lots of stories for you about our son, and, Kami-sama willing, his own children.'

"I apologize for interrupting your time with your son Kushina-san, but there are things we have to discuss," Sarutobi began, only to be cut off as Naruto woke up and began crying and flailing his tiny arms. "However, it seems that they will have to wait until after young Naruto has been fed. Please let the nurse know when you are finished and we can continue our discussion."

Feeding Naruto had been a very... interesting experience for her, though not an entirely unpleasant one. She was immensely thankful that the nurse helped her through it as she had nearly no clue what to do and was terrified that she'd do something wrong. But thanks to the calm and simple instructions, she'd managed to get Naruto fed, burped, and settled down.

She was gazing into her son's eyes, so much like Minato's, as he stared at her curiously. She found that she actually had nothing to say, so she just smiled at him content with her life despite everything.

"I do hope I'm not interrupting," came the amused voice of Sarutobi.

"Oh!" she started, realizing that she'd completely forgotten about Sarutobi, "I'm sorry!"

"No worries," he said dismissively. "When my first born was placed in my hands for the first time, you couldn't have gotten my attention with anything less than an immediate threat to Konoha, and I'm not entirely sure that would have done it either."

"So, what did you need to speak with me about?" she asked.

"It concerns Minato's last will and testament," he said solemnly. Kushina understood completely. Any shinobi worth their headband above the rank of genin regularly made certain their affairs were in order in case the worst happened. She and Minato had revised their wills every four months, even if it was to only log a fresh copy, and she knew several shinobi who did so as often as every month.

"As you can probably guess, he left you and Naruto everything save for some money and a few mementos to his surviving student, Hatake Kakashi, and his former teacher, Jiraiya." Kushina was not surprised in the least. Kakashi and Jiraiya were the only two people aside from her who were truly close to Minato and still alive after the last war.

"However, there is a final portion of his will that I need to oversee personally that concerns you. He left in my care this letter for you specifically," the Sandaime Hokage continued, pulling out a scroll from his robes, "and I must ask you to read it in its entirety before making a decision."

Kushina hesitantly took the scroll, somewhat curious as to what it might contain, and also a little apprehensive. Taking a deep breath, she broke the blood seal Minato had left to ensure none save her could open it, and began to read.

Dearest Kushina-chan,

If you are reading this, then I'm afraid I'm dead. I'm truly sorry that I am leaving you alone and even sorrier that I won't get to see Naruto when he's born, much less watch him grow up. I can only hope that you will be around long enough to raise him properly and keep him from becoming too out of control. Kami-sama knows I could never really keep you in line (not that I minded, particularly on our honeymoon) and I have a feeling that our son will take after you a bit more than he will me. While I am leaving you our properties and the money I've saved over my life, I know that it won't last forever without new income if we want anything left to leave Naruto when he grows up. While I know you would have no problem with taking on new missions, I have a feeling that you don't want to leave Naruto alone in the village. So I have a proposition for you, something I know you've wanted since we first met. My only regret is presenting it to you in this fashion. I would like you to take over as the Godaime Hokage. Of all the shinobi in Konoha, you are the most qualified for the position right now. I looked at the list of candidates for Yondaime after I was appointed and your name was just below my own! The job pays well and will let you remain in the village close to Naruto. And if any of those tightwads on the council object to having a jinchuuriki as Hokage, then you have my permission to punt them over the horizon.

With all my love,

Namikaze Minato

P.S. And remember, if you accept, our faces will be next to each other on the monument for all time. How awesome would that be?

Kushina felt numb. She hadn't thought that Minato even remembered her old dream of being the Hokage. And she certainly didn't want to get the position by losing the man she loved. She hadn't really been all that bitter over not getting the position. She'd been too in love with him to begrudge him his success. If she had to lose out to anyone, she would have wanted it to be him anyway. She was a little surprised over how close she was to getting the position anyway. The council would have had everyone believe that Orochimaru, who turned traitor soon after, was the second choice. She felt that the snake sannin would have a coronary if he were to learn that he had been no higher than third on the list of choices. Hmmm... maybe she should arrange for him to learn that little piece of information?

She really missed Minato right then. She wanted to smack him for being his usual cheeky self, and then kiss him until the sun came up for being so thoughtful.

She looked at Naruto in her arms who was clumsily grasping at the bottom of the scroll, utterly fascinated with it. "Your father is such an amazing baka, you know that Naruto-kun?" she cooed at her son, getting a happy burble from him that she took as agreement, even though she knew he had no idea what she was saying.

"Have you made your decision, Kushina-san?" the voice of the Sandaime Hokage cut into her thoughts.

Kushina turned to look at him. The calm, expectant look on his face told her that he knew exactly what the letter contained. Of course he did. Such a proposal needed to be witnessed in order to be legal and who better to serve as witness to something like this than the previous Hokage?

Kushina took a deep breath and looked back at her son. Minato had died for his country, his village, and their son. And he was asking her to carry on in protecting all three in his place. What other decision could she make?

"I accept, Sandaime-sama," she said in an uncharacteristically formal tone.

"Excellent," Sarutobi smiled. "Though, if you don't mind, we'll leave off the formal inauguration until after your maternity leave.

Kushina smirked. "I'd appreciate that. Give the council some time to sweat while they wonder who it is."

Sarutobi gave her a conspiratorial wink as he stood to leave. "Indeed."

*Omake*

Kushina watched as her son ripped open the present he'd gotten from Hinata-chan. She was so immensely glad that she's introduced the two to each other. Hinata had confided in her that she'd had a great deal of trouble picking out a gift for Naruto until one of her own clan elders had suggested something in particular, claiming it was perfect.

When Naruto pulled out the red plush fox, Kushina knew exactly what the Hyuuga elder was attempting to do. She decided that she'd discretely find out which elder it was, and find a time to properly wring their neck before...

"Wow! Thanks Hina-chan!" Naruto said excitedly, hugging the Hyuuga heiress who turned a shade of red to match the toy she'd given him in response.

Or maybe she'd just tell the elder that Naruto loved the gift and thank him for suggesting it. That should make the old fart turn all sorts of interesting colors.

*Omake*

"Hokage-sama!" came the frantic call. Over the past several years, Uzumaki Kushina had gotten quite good at recognizing the subtle tones of frantic ninja. This one was the 'Naruto pulled another prank' tone. "It's your son!"

Yep, right on the nose. "What did he do this time?" she said, trying not to smirk in anticipation. She tried very hard not to encourage Naruto's little escapades, considering that they did often cause a fair amount of disruption in the village, but they were just so funny!

In response, the ninja simply pointed out the window behind her.

Kushina turned around and had to hand it to her son. Painting the Hokage momument took balls. Doing it without anyone noticing until he was finishing up took some serious stealth skill.

The Shodaime's face looked like it had been caught in a blizzard of giant sakura petals, the Nidaime's was painted with a gaping mouth and panting tongue like he'd just finished one of Maito Gai's workouts, the Sandaime's face was sporting twin rivers of tears and a massive nosebleed, her late husband's face has a massive blush and wide eyes looking to his left where her own face was apparently making 'bedroom eyes' at the Yondaime.

Kushina stood there for a full minute.

"Hokage-sama?"

She couldn't take it anymore, and the shinobi who'd come to inform her was treated to the sight of the Godaime Hokage laughing her ass off. She wouldn't stop for almost an hour.

Uzumaki Kushina: Godaime Hokage Challenge Rules:

0. Kushina is made the Godaime Hokage. (And Minato is still dead of course.)

1. Kushina kept her family name when she married Minato, and remains Uzumaki Kushina and not Namikaze Kushina (nor does she remarry). Naruto thus also maintains the Uzumaki name, but he has the option to grant the Namikaze name to some of his children if he likes. (The first part is rare, but it does happen. My own parents in real life are proof of this. As for the second part, Naruto is inheriting two clans and he can thus split that inheritance between his children, essentially having two clan heirs instead of one. He does not require a harem to do this. Unless you really want to write it that way.)

2. Kushina's chakra is still in the seal. (Her survival does not negate either of the failsafes Minato put in Naruto's seal)

3. Her hobby is trying to set her son up with girls his age. (I'd prefer a Naruto/Hinata pairing, but so long as the two are at least friends in the academy you can pair Naruto up with whichever girl you like. Provided they are within five years of him agewise.)

4. Uchiha Mikoto openly opposes her husband when he tries to organize a coup against her best friend. (How this alters the Uchiha massacre I leave to you)

5. Regardless of what happens, Naruto is friends with Sasuke. (Sasuke learns fast that his 'obaasan', or 'aunt', has little tolerance for emo brooding.)

6. Naruto knows Kakashi prior to being put on his genin team. (How they know each other I'll leave to you.)

7. Naruto knows his manners. (He doesn't necessarily use them all that often, but he can if he has to.)

8. Naruto is still a prankster. (If his mother could stop laughing when he pulled them, he might not do it as often. Naruto painting the monument so his mom's face is making eyes at his dad's is highly suggested.)

9. Naruto calls Kushina 'Hokaasan'. (A mish-mash of 'Hokage', or 'Fire Shadow', and 'okaasan', which means 'mother')

Any other changes I leave to your discretion.

Some Suggestions, but not mandatory:

Kushina had a genin team around the same time Minato did.

Her hair still rises in nine masses when she's angry.

Major friction between her and Danzo.

Nagato learns that she's a relative of his.

She makes Tsunade come back to run the hospital and a medic-nin training program.

Orochimaru is scared of her (not that he'd admit to it...).

Kushina often tries to hook shinobi other than her son up with members of the opposite gender, such as Iruka or Kakashi.

Kakashi babysits Naruto.

ANBU often babysit Naruto.

Please, send me a link if you decide to take up this challenge. I would love to read it and I'll put a link up in my profile!

AN: While I do own a fair number of the Naruto manga, I find it much easier to reference online scans when I'm writing an event straight from the manga. This should explain any discrepancies in dialogue.

The letter to Kushina was obviously written prior to Naruto's birth, and Minato assumed when he was writing it that, if he died, it would be before Naruto was born.