Author's note: "The nail that sticks up gets hammered down" is a Japanese proverb that means (in the way I referenced it) a person that sticks out is going to be mistreated until they do as everyone else is doing. If you did't already know Kyuubi = Nine tailed fox, Honoha = Leaf village, Shinobi = ninja.

It didn't take long for Kushina's classmates to notice the same traits that people who she met throughout her life would notice- her temper, her talkative and tomboyish nature, and her vibrant long red hair. They decided that, because of said traits, she stood out too much. As a figure of speech, she was the nail that stuck up, and there were those who made an effort to hammer her back down. Giving her the nickname Tomato was one of the efforts to get Kushina to know her place. Those who bullied her, however, soon found themselves to be the ones hammered down. It is not a surprising that she is instead remembered as the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero instead of the Tomato- She proved herself far too spicy and dangerous to be a fruit as bland as a tomato.

Kushina's relationship with Minato gained her attention long before that were married or a couple. When Kushina first came to the academy she merely annoyed people by sticking her nose down at Minato, who was respected as being top of the class. Later on classmates wondered why Minato later befriended her instead of making fun of her like everyone else. Minato's fan-girls insisted it was out of pity. By graduation, due to the way Minato's gaze would fall upon Kushina whenever she wasn't looking, it was clear to all but Minato's most delusional admirers that Minato somehow had feelings for Kushina. Nonetheless Minato's fan-girls took comfort in the fact that Kushina either didn't know or didn't care about how Minato felt about her, since they remained just friends.

By the time Kushina reached her teen years her demeanor became more cheerful and level-headed… that is until you made her lose her temper. Kushina's less intimidating attitude and her thinner face help her earn many new friends, and even an admirer or two. When word got out that she had been taken by Kumogakure ninja many were genuinely concerned. To the shock of all (and the great disappointment of some) things between Kushina and Minato were different when she returned. Now for some reason they spent a lot more of their personal time together, and whenever they were together they stood a little closer than they used to. You should've seen the look on the fangirls faces when after Kushina lost her temper Minato simply smiled, sighed, and said, "It's a good thing I love you". Why, I think one of them fainted.

The Kyuubi attack caused a lot of greif in Konoha. Many citizens and fine shinobi were lost. Including, of coarse, Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzuamki. Their friends were told of their tragic fate, especially those close enough to know about Kushina's pregnancy. Most also heard around the village that the new Kyuubi host was a newborn named Naruto Uzuamki.

Those who were more unobservant still tried to plan a funernal for Minato, Kushina, and their "unborn" child.