Disclaimer – I don't own Naruto. This story was written for Wattpad's twenty-third fanfic contest Different World's where the goal was to remove a character by either having them never exist, or by killing them off, then exploring how the canon would change. I knew the prompt wasn't something I could do within the word limit, so since they allow stories to be continued I went ahead and simply wrote a few chapters which fell into the word limit. This one ended up being one of the winners.

The character I choose to remove was Naruto, where he never existed within the story. The first thought which popped into my mind was, if Naruto never existed, his parents never would have died, and that would in turn change other things as well.

A Grain of Sand Among the Leaves
The Way the World Curses Us

"I'm sorry."

The words rang hollow, eating away at Kushina's soul, her eyes fixed on the wall in front of her as her fingers gripped the bench tightly, turning her knuckles white. The apology came from one of the medical-nin months ago, and yet she found herself unable to erase the words from her mind.

"It was a false positive," was soon followed up with the news she couldn't have children. At first, she thought to blame the spirit sealed inside of her for her fate, but realized the luck she had couldn't be blamed on the fox; the previous host had, in fact, had children, plenty of them. Kushina never thought she'd want to be a mother, but the false promise and seeing her best friend Mikoto's two children created a strange ache that wouldn't go away.

A thump drew her mind away from her own troubles, her violet eyes taking in the white haired youth sitting on the bench near her, his foot having kicked the bench in irritation. A smirk spread across her face as she lunged at the arm of the fourteen-year-old arm, attaching herself firmly, the urge to tease him chasing away the doldrums. "Let's hit the hot-springs when Minato's done with the Kazekage, alright?"

"Ew, no." Kakashi shrugged her arm away, a blush spreading across his cheeks and ears, made even more evident with his white hair. "How come you've become more clingy lately?"

The tone of the young jonin's voice was strained, his dark eyes darting away as his mouth moved under the mask as his lips pushed into a frown. Kushina ignored his question, and instead latched herself to his arm. "Come on. You, me, Minato. We're family, right, so it's not a problem."

"I'm not a little kid anymore! Sheesh!" The fourteen-year-old shrugged her off again, then muttered under his breath. "It would have been fun, though, if..." Kakashi stopped, his eyes closing, his Adam's apple visibly bobbing. The teen leaned back, raising up his fingers to twiddle them in a nervous manner. Kushina pulled back, looking up at the ceiling as the negative feelings came hurtling back. "Thank you for trying to cheer me up, though."

"We shouldn't have told you."

Kushina remembered how the young man's eyes lit up when she and Minato told the young jonin that they were expecting, but also how they darkened upon finding out the mistake. The two watched as Kakashi ranted about how it wasn't fair, that two people who would make wonderful parents would be denied such a joy.

Her eyes drifted to the other side of the small hallway at the two small children huddled together, their small feet hanging from the bench. Kushina watched their hands clench together, their small faces filled with worry. The young female leaned forward, smiling. "Don't worry you two, your mother and the baby will be alright. Your uncle Yashamaru and the Hokage are both in there, so things will be fine."

The eyes of the two children widened, and Kakashi lets out a laugh. "Little kids are afraid of you." Kushina's lips pushed together, the side of her hand coming down on the top of the young jonin's head. "Ouch!"

…

The situation they were in started simple enough.

The Kazekage's brother-in-law greeted them at the entrance to Suna, Minato managed to smile, never faltering in his role as Hokage. Both Kushina and Kakashi, however, didn't smile, although the fact wasn't obvious on the younger due to the mask he always wore. Anyone looking at the pair could see their eyes drifting away, but also dull from boredom and melancholy.

"Why did Minato pick me over one of the Anbu for his personal bodyguard on this political meeting with Suna?" The question from Kakashi never got answered, as all three knew that the young man wasn't picked just because of his skill, although said skill was a selling point. Kushina remembered Minato telling her he thought all three of them needed a change of scenery after the news.

Yashamaru gave them a weak smile, the circles under his eyes all too evident. "I'm glad that you were able to come here for the discussions Lord Hokage. It's not the best time for me to be away right now."

Minato's hand reached up to touch his hat, a smile spreading across his lips. "What's Rasa up to now?"

The look in Yashamaru's indigo colored eyes told both Kushina and Minato that the young man didn't wish to talk about whatever Rasa was up to, or at least not there. Kakashi's head jolted around. "Wait. You're on first name basis with the Kazekage, sensei?"

"Well, he's not that much older than me. It's complicated really, but both Kushina and I are on friendly terms with the Kazekage and his wife." Minato smiled. "How is your sister? Isn't a third child on the way?"

The Konoha shinobi watched as the color drained from Yashamaru's face. "Perhaps we should find somewhere private to speak."

Kakashi's eyes blinked in confusion, only for the young jonin to shrug his shoulders as he followed after the adults to the residence of the Kazekage. Two small children came running up to Yashamaru, their eyes wide. Minato bent down. "Hello Lady Temari, Lord Kankuro." Out of his pocket, the Hokage fetched some sweets, passing them into the hands of the small children so they took off. He turned his head towards Kakashi, his eyes dark despite the mirthful smile on his face. "Could you watch the Kazekage's children so I can speak to Lord Yashimaru?"

"But..." The young jonin looked rather betrayed, but Yashamaru came to the Hokage's rescue.

"Please. This isn't something they should be hearing, and there aren't many people I would trust with the lives of my niece and nephew." Yashamaru's whisper made the eyes of the young jonin widen, but then he turned towards the children. "Lady Temari, Lord Kankuro, why don't you show some of your toys to the Hokage's personal bodyguard while we talk."

"You're the personal bodyguard of the Hokage?" The little girl's eyes widened. "You're so young, though!"

The boy removed a sticky hand from his mouth and grabbed Kakashi's hand dragging the rather shocked teen away. "Puppets. Puppets."

"Kankuro likes puppets. He likes them a lot."

Yashamaru let out a sigh of relief but said nothing. Minato sat down on the couch, Kushina sitting next to him. "What has Suna's council pressured Rasa into this time that has you worried about your sister this time?"

The sandy-haired young man sat across from them, his head hanging low. "I'm not just worried about her this time, but also the baby." Yashamaru swallowed. "You're aware of the fact the council wanted to try to make Lady Temari and Lord Kankuro the next jinchuriki for Shukaku, but they weren't compatible?"

"So they want to try and make this child a jinchuriki?" Minato let out a sigh.

Kushina's mouth twisted into a smile. "I told you before, everything will be fine. The child will be a good jinchuriki as long as they're shown the love they need. It will give Minato and me an excuse to come and visit more, to see the mini jinchuriki, right."

She elbowed her husband in the ribs, not expecting Yashamaru's next comment. "They're making nii-sama seal Shukaku in the child before it's born. The sealing is actually occurring right as we speak."

The red-haired female felt the color drain from her face, and looking at her husband she could see he felt the same way. Minato cleared his throat, trying to remain calm. "Surely things aren't that bad in Suna."

"Things are that bad in Suna."

The cruelty of the world hit Kushina hard. If the world didn't curse one by taking away a particular chance or opportunity naturally, the people of the world found ways to crush things which should have been filled with joy for their own selfish gains. She opened her mouth to say something, only for a knock to jar the words into silence.

Yashamaru went to the door, taking the message before coming back, the color drained from his face. "There have been complications. I need to go to the hospital. My medical ninjitsu is needed."

Minato's smiled weakly at him. "I'll come and see if I can be of help as well." Her husband turned to her, his beautiful blue eyes filled with sadness. "Kushina, could you bring Kakashi and the children to the hospital. Try not to let onto how serious the situation is."

…

There she and Kakashi were, attempting to alleviate the anxieties of a pair of toddlers while struggling with their own form of despair. The words "your uncle Yashamaru and the Hokage are both in there, so things will be fine" rang hollow, and the reaction of Temari and Kankuro honestly didn't help.

The door finally opened, and Minato stepped out, a frown on his face. Her head shot up, and she opened her mouth only for her husband to pull her away. "Karura and the baby..."

"The babies name is Gaara. That's what Karura called him. She's not doing too well, though."

"Don't tell me..." Kushina felt her breath draw short, a hand reaching up to her chest.

"She's not going to die, but..." Minato's blue eyes darted away, his mouth twisted into a frown. "It's going to take her a long time to recover from this, and Rasa hanging over her like he is honestly isn't going to help. She's so weak she can't even hold the baby."

"Um..." Her head turned to look at the two children. "You should probably tell them. I mean..."

Yashamaru slipped out of the room then, his entire body collapsing against the wall as his body slunk down, his eyes wide. Temari and Kankuro noticed, and both burst into tears. The shock Yashamaru felt disappeared, and he pushed his tired body up so he could move over to the two children, a smile on his face, one hand reaching out to brush away a lock of hair away from Temari's forehead, only to stop upon seeing how messy they were.

"Your mama and baby brother are going to be fine." The sandy-haired man let out a sigh. "I'm just very tired, and so is your mama and papa. This means you'll need to be on your best behavior for them, particularly your mama as it's going to be some time before she's able to do things with you two like she used to."

Kakuro's cheeks puffed out. "I hate baby!" Even Kakashi's eyes widened as the child's legs continued to kick out. "I hate baby! I hate him! I hate him!"

Kushina's stomach lurched, her own problems seeming so small in comparison. She opened her mouth to say something, forgetting the fact the Kazekage's children were wary of her, only for the door to open as Lady Chiyo opened the door. "The Lord Kazekage wishes to speak to you Lord Hokage, and your wife, along with Lord Yashamaru. Mind you, I don't agree with their decision, but..."

The old woman became silent, before heading over to the two children, her hands washed. She spoke in a whisper, managing to comfort and calm down Kankuro as Minato took Kushina's arm and dragged her into the room. Rasa turned to look at them, his facial features showing emotion, something she'd rarely seen from the man outside of what Karura could muster out of the auburn-haired man. "I..."

"Do you want to hold him Kushina?" Karura's voice was barely audible as Kushina stepped forward.

"I'd love to. He..." Her violet eyes widened at how small the auburn-haired child was, smaller than any other baby she'd seen. "He's precious! So tiny, and fragile."

"I know."

Gently she lifted the child up, cradling him in her arms, letting him grasp one of her fingers. She watched Rasa step closer, and a growl escaped her lips. "Don't you dare get near my baby or my Karura, you bastard!"

One of the few emotions she'd seen from Rasa, his temper, flashed across his eyes. The man stepped forward, his chakra spiking out of control with killing intent only for Yashamaru and Minato to pull him back as Rasa's teeth ground together. Yashamaru let out a sigh. "Nii-sama, you rather had that one coming you know."

Kushina smirked, knowing full good temperament wise her and the Kazekage had never gotten along, only for a small movement to draw her attention back to the infant. "He is so adorable. So precious. You're so lucky."

"I'd like you to take care of him for me, you and Minato."

Out of the corner of her eye, Kushina watched Minato's body go slack, his jaw dropping, his blue eyes showing he was as confused as her. Yashamaru's facial features twisted up in panic, turning to his brother-in-law. "What is the meaning of this? I could take care of Gaara."

Rasa looked away, his arms folding across his chest. "You'll have enough on your hands with your council duties, and taking care of your sister until she recovers." Yashamaru's eyes flashed, almost as if he planned on attacking the Kazekage. "I'm not happy with this either, but it is Karura's decision."

"Why?" Yashamaru turned to look at his sister, almost as if he were going to cry.

"Was it not you Kushina who told me that to overcome the trials of being a jinchuriki that one needs love?" Karura's eyes closed, dull and distant due to pain and weakness. "This little one needs the love of a mother, and I can't give that to him right now. Plus, who better to teach a jinchuriki to be a jinchuriki than another jinchuriki."

"It doesn't feel right." Kushina glanced down at the small child in her arms. "Gaara is your little one."

"I want that little one to devour as much love as possible so that he can survive. He's special, the first jinchuriki to be born a jinchuriki. You're already like a sister, so it works out. Plus, I'm not giving up on being his mother. I'm just doing what is best for him because I love him."

Minato rubbed the back of his head, his smile returned despite the intense situation. "You do know the council won't be happy about this, as will the people of Suna."

"I don't want this child pulled into the politics here. I want him to be a child, where nobody knows what he is."

Kushina took a deep breath, before taking Karura's hand, watching the sandy-haired woman fall asleep, holding the infant the mother couldn't. "Why does this scream this being the wrong thing to do, and yet the right thing to do at the same time?"