This fic can also be called "the fic that was supposed to have shoujo-ai or girl/girl... on a softer level, but didn't have it in the end."
Yes, this fic was supposed to have some partially fluffy girl/girl. But it just didn't... make it. I suppose that I'll be fiddling around shoujo-ai some more. Someday.
Uzumaki Kushina was turning Konoha upside down. And not even her father could stop her.
Kushina seemed pretty ordinary for a ninja, a young one at that. She was eccentric and was loud about it, too. She was obsessed over something – ramen, in particular. She wasn't ladylike at all, which was most likely why her father didn't often take her with him to diplomatic meetings.
She was the only child of the current head of the Hidden Village of Whirlpool.
She liked beating up boys who were brawnier and seemingly tougher than her. She had what seemed to be the foulest mouth around. She liked to play practical jokes that sent people positively crazy. Her hair was unruly and was cut short. She was taller than most girls her age.
She was practically a boy.
That, however, could be attributed that she was the only child and her parents had expected a son to be their first-born. Not at all a girl. So perhaps they'd raised her up more like a boy than a girl. One couldn't blame them from hoping too much.
Things didn't stop there, of course.
Whirlpool was trying to make its alliances with the other ninja villages more powerful so many of their ninjas were sent to those villages to mingle with its people and show them that Whirlpool meant peace.
Konoha was one of those villages. Kushina was one of the ninja that had been assigned there.
She was irritating, but she could be rather endearing. Soon enough, every person that had seen her dashing through the streets and making noise had gotten use to it all. She, too, had gotten used to Konoha. Still, that didn't stop her from doing what she did in her home in here. It also didn't stop her from getting a habit. Hobby, really.
And that was stealing the hearts of girls.
Idiomatically speaking, of course. Because if she did that in Konoha, the people would maul and maim her.
Why the sudden interest in girls? Because not a lot of girls were interested in other girls romantically.
Kushina liked being special and being in the limelight. That idea seemed to be her ticket to become the person of the moment. Or perhaps even more than a moment if things worked fine.
... So then perhaps that really wasn't the reason. Kushina liked attention, but not to that extent.
She was bored though and she loathed being bored. She would do almost anything to keep herself amused. And so, loving other girls and making other girls love her was what had popped up into her mind. She had never been the most organized of people and most of the things that she did were on a whim.
Making up her mind, she decided to start by proclaiming that she was interested in girls. Very interested.
This had led others to be wary of her. At first, at least.
But then she started stalking a girl. Giving her presents and giving her love notes. And then formally wooing her. This girl, in the end, got hooked to the madwoman that was Uzumaki Kushina.
Soon enough, everyone else got used to it. They were pretty much sure that it was just a one-week-thing or something along those lines. After all, that was how long a whim usually lasted. The people of Konoha nodded their heads, figuratively or idiomatically or literally speaking, feeling comfort in that idea that Kushina would go back to being her insane, not-lesbian self.
Unfortunately for them, Kushina had the tendency to mess everything up and not follow by the norms of society.
Uchiha Mikoto was an only child. Her father was too busy to attend to her and her mother wasn't there.
She was brilliant. She was the Rookie of her year. She was quiet and well-mannered – as expected of a woman of the Uchiha. She had long black hair and dark eyes. Everyone liked her.
She was pretty and smart and smelled nice. She would make a great housewife.
So it was only natural that rowdy Kushina would be attracted to her.
Kushina had been, after all, looking for the perfect girl. And there was possibly no one more perfect than Uchiha Mikoto in her opinion.
Of course, Kushina was well aware of the fact that it might be hard to woo Mikoto. After all, the girl was an Uchiha. With those people, it was either the person itself or the relatives that had issues. So far the only obstacle Kushina had seen was Mikoto's family.
She hadn't expected that Mikoto would be an extremely unwilling participant.
Who was this Hyuuga Hizashi anyway and what was so great about him that he was the one who got to Mikoto's heart first?!
"You're Namikaze Minato, aren't 'ya?" Kushina asked.
Everyone had told her that if she was to ask anything that couldn't be asked to the Hokage or to the Council or found in the library, she should ask some blond named Namikaze Minato. Everyone had said that he had the answers to almost everything.
A blond looked up from the book that he was reading.
"Yes," he said. "And you're...?"
Kushina faintly felt angry. The guy didn't even know who she was. And here she was thinking that all of the village had heard of her and her girl-getting escapades.
"Kushina," she said, "and you know this Hizashi, right?"
"Which Hizashi?" Minato asked, putting his book away with the thought that the conversation might take long.
"Hyuuga Hizashi." It was said in the way that implied that there could possibly be no other Hizashi than Hyuuga Hizashi.
Minato merely inwardly shrugged. He knew a lot of people that had the name Hizashi.
"Yes, yes I do," Minato said.
"Tell me everything you know about him," Kushina all but snarled into his face as she grabbed the collar of his shirt.
He, obviously unaffected by her actions, slowly pried her hands off his collar. Which was now wrinkled. It really was quite a petty. The shirt had just been ironed, too.
"Hyuuga Hizashi," he started, "is the younger brother of Hyuuga Hiashi. He's a Branch Member of the Hyuuga Clan."
"EVERYONE KNOWS THAT!" Kushina exclaimed. "I want the dirt!"
"Well then, you're looking for the impossible... Kushina-san."
"It's not impossible! Everything's possible! That man can't be a saint for crying out loud!"
"Hizashi-san keeps to himself. If you want this so-called dirt, you should go and ask him."
"... That just fucking takes away the point of everything, yanno?!"
"Why do you even want to find a flaw in Hizashi-san?"
"Revenge."
"Oh, then can't you use that thing that he did that made you want to take revenge on him? It's most likely a bad thing because you're out for blood."
Minato had always liked talking with, giving advice to, and getting information out of random passers-by which everyone commonly knew as strangers.
Kushina let out a frustrated shout. She should've known that this Minato would be of no use to her. No use at all! It was as if the boy was completely oblivious to everything happening around him. He didn't know her name, he didn't know that she wanted Uchiha Mikoto who was in love with Hyuuga Hizashi, he didn't know anything.
He probably knew tons more of jutsu than he did people!
... Well, talk about a nerd.
She stomped away.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Kushina-san," Minato said.
"Yeah, yeah!" she said.
She just had to keep walking around. She'd most likely find something bad about that... that bastard Hizashi. She just had to. The love of her new love interest was in jeopardy!
Minato went back to reading his book.
"You... are Hyuuga Hiashi," Kushina said.
Hiashi looked at her, placing down the tea cup that he was holding on the tea tray placed beside him. He was sitting on a bench that overlooked a lake. It was hanami season and that place was where he usually spent hanami.
"Yes, I am," he said, "and who might you be?"
"Kushina," she said. "Listen up, I heard that you didn't like your brother."
Hiashi pursed his lips.
"I don't completely dislike my brother," he said, "we are merely in a... disagreement right now. I expect it to be resolved come next week."
"Yeah, whatever," she said.
Hiashi frowned. This woman was definitely rude. Outright rude and not even ashamed of it. The nerve, really.
"Since you're in a disagreement," the way that she said 'disagreement' sounded extremely mocking to him, "with your brother, wanna share some dirt on him?"
"Do you expect me to betray a kin?" he asked, looking positively aghast. "That's outrageous!"
"It's for revenge! Revenge! Don't you want that?!"
Was everyone in Konoha a moralist or something?
"I wouldn't want revenge in such a dishonest way," Hiashi said. "That sort of revenge that you're implying isn't fitted for noble clan members such as I."
... This was just fucking preposterous. That was what was going through Kushina's head at that moment. It was official. All men were either pompous or just didn't give a damn. It was obvious that she had to do things on her own. She would just have to try harder.
Uchiha Mikoto would be hers.
Mikoto blinked.
Her sushi were arranged in a way that they would resemble a heart. Last time she came to the restaurant, they didn't do such sushi arrangement.
And then Uzumaki Kushina sat in front of her with a grin.
"How'd you like that?" Kushina asked.
Mikoto blinked some more.
"It's nice," she said.
Kushina grinned some more.
"Be mine?" she asked.
"... Excuse me?" Mikoto asked.
"Be my girl?"
Mikoto smiled at Kushina.
"You're looking for the wrong girl, Uzumaki-san," she said.
And then she walked out just like that. Kushina never felt more heartbroken than before. Though this encounter did raise her resolve even more. Surely... surely... such a challenge was worth it!
When Mikoto had been the one to take the mail for her family for today, she was surprised – and partially not surprised, too – that most of the mail there was for her. When she opened the mail, they all had a few things in common. First was that they were written by someone with atrocious, chicken-scratch-like handwriting. Second, they were made by Uzumaki Kushina. And third, she would eventually come to the words "I love you" while reading them.
She wasn't surprised when she ended up using various fire techniques in excess a few minutes later.
Kushina, who was watching all proceedings from afar, was left heartbroken yet again.
Mikoto had just come back from a mission when, all of a sudden, Kushina jumped out of nowhere holding a bouquet and a rather large gift box. Mikoto, having been surprised and having just returned from a particularly dangerous mission, had almost broken Kushina's arm.
... And Kushina fell in love all over again.
Mikoto soon released her arm and apologized.
"I really didn't think that you'd pop out of nowhere," Mikoto said.
"I like surprising people!" Kushina said.
"I'll keep that in mind, Uzumaki-san."
"Call me Kushina."
"Okay then... Kushina-san."
For some reason, Kushina felt as if she'd heard that some place else. She merely shrugged the feeling away. All that was important was that Mikoto was talking to her.
"Here!" Kushina cheerfully said.
She neared her little gifts to Mikoto even more.
Mikoto, being the polite girl that she was, accepted them.
She opened the box. Dark, beady eyes were the first things that she saw. And then dark blue fur and a pink nose. It was... a kitten. A very cute kitten at that. And Mikoto had a penchant for cute things. She cooed at it and lightly poked its forehead. It meowed.
"Thank you so much, Kushina-san," Mikoto said, her voice barely hiding her excitement at having such a cute pet.
Kushina looked away, suddenly embarrassed and nodded.
"Isn't there possibly anything I can do for you in exchange?" Mikoto asked.
Kushina looked at her.
"Anything?" Kushina asked.
"Anything that won't put both of our reputations down the drain, of course. Or anything that won't lead to either of us being reported to the Hokage," Mikoto said.
Kushina thought long and hard. She bit her lower lip lightly. Then she grinned.
"Go on a date with me," she said.
Mikoto frowned a bit at that. She really wasn't interested in Kushina-san, but she was a woman that held to her promises.
"When and where should we meet?" she asked.
Kushina had never felt happier than before.
It was Saturday and it was the day of their date. Kushina was patiently sitting at Ichiraku Ramen Stand, waiting for Mikoto to show up.
A few minutes later and there was Uchiha. She sat beside her, wearing the cutest dress Kushina had ever seen. It fitted such a lovely person as Mikoto.
"Are you sure that you'd want to... spend a date her?" Mikoto asked.
Kushina nodded. There was no better place than Ichiraku to spend a date with a person she had done so many things just to go out with her.
"Two large beef ramen – beef is alright with you, right? – old man!" she shouted.
"Gotcha there," the old man, who wasn't really that old, said.
Mikoto looked around the place they were going to be eating. It looked alright. It was clean. But she wasn't used to eating in such places. Uchiha didn't usually pop up in such small establishments. They were higher than that. Perhaps she should take this as some sort of experience then. It was always much better to look at the better side of things instead of seeing them in a negative light.
"Do you eat here often, Kushina-san?" she asked.
"Yep. Sure do," Kushina proudly said. "Twice on normal days, in fact."
"Okay..."
Now this was really awkward. At least on Mikoto's part.
She had never met a person that ate ramen, since that was the only food that the place seemed to sell, twice nearly everyday. How could they live that way? How could they even be excellent ninja?
Uzumaki Kushina was truly a mystery.
Their orders soon came to them. And then Kushina started talking about... everything. From food to the people that she met to her missions. And then she started asking Mikoto things. About her life, her missions, the people that she met.
And Mikoto, of course, answered them.
It was... talking to Kushina felt as if one was really communicating with someone. It was like talking with someone who listened and answered to what one said.
Mikoto liked it very much.
Perhaps Kushina wasn't as awful as she seemed to be.
Mikoto found herself enjoying their little date.
And at the end of their little date, Kushina asked, "Would you kiss me?"
Mikoto blinked. And then smiled. Then she kissed Kushina on the cheek.
"It was really fun being with you," Mikoto said.
"... Really?" Kushina asked, sounding rather hopeful.
"I like you, Kushina-san."
Mikoto was smiling here. Kushina had never felt more nervous than before. The world stopped for a moment.
"I felt as if you were truly conversing with me," Mikoto said, "and I've only ever felt that twice in my life. But you're the first female to do that with me."
... It was here that Kushina had the realization that Uchiha Mikoto was most likley more masculine than even her. Not that that was important or anything.
"I would love it if–" Mikoto started.
Kushina held her breath in anticipation. This was it! She could just feel it in the air!
"–you and I became friends," Mikoto finished.
That was the biggest let-down Kushina had ever felt in her life.
She should've heeded the words of the other Konoha folk. The Uchiha were truly... a clan full of heartbreakers. Drop-dead gorgeous heartbreakers. Some of which – most, really – didn't even know that they were breaking hearts.
Namikaze Minato soon found himself standing in front of the door of a house that he'd never been into in his whole life. He soon found himself knocking on the wood of the door of that same house.
The door slid open and his eyes met the visage of one Uchiha Mikoto.
"Hello, Namikaze-kun," she greeted.
"Hello, Uchiha-chan," Minato greeted in the same way. "I've a message for you."
Most of the people of their not-so-little and not-so-peaceful village found them a cute pair. Sadly, it wasn't going to happen soon as they only thought of each other as friends.
"A message? From whom?" Mikoto asked.
"From Kushina-san," Minato replied.
"Why didn't she just tell it to me herself?"
"She said something about... doing something. She said no other specifics."
"Oh, okay then. What did she tell you to tell me?"
"That she wouldn't be giving up," he said in a tone that suggested that he felt a bit out of place saying it.
"Not give up on what?"
"I didn't quite understand it myself."
"Oh."
They looked at each other, blinking all the while. This Uzumaki Kushina endlessly baffled them.
"Would you like to come in for some tea, Namikaze-kun?" Mikoto asked after a few minutes of silence.
"That would be nice," Minato said.
Dear Bastard, that was how the letter first started. It ended with, Eternally Damning You, Kushina. That was how Hiashi got the gist that that letter was for his beloved younger brother – they'd made up yesterday – Hizashi.
Of course he gave the letter to his younger brother. He had no right to butt into this war that Uzumaki Kushina was starting with his brother.
Hizashi's reaction to the letter was a mere blink and then a trip to the nearest trash bin.
... So then Hizashi did not know his own opponent? Hiashi was a bit disappointed.
He also found it a bit funny.
Uzumaki Kushina was turning Konoha upside-down. And the people who were supposed to react the most didn't know that at all.
Um... um... if you got this far, thank you ever so much for reading! (I wouldn't be surprised if you stopped reading only with the first paragraph) It means so much to me. Really.