Author's Notes: Since 'Tooth' got so much positive feedback, I decided to write another Minato/Kushina/Kakashi family fanfic. While 'Tooth' featured Minato and Kakashi, this one focuses on Kushina and Kakashi more. Read and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING!

A New Family

Minato drummed his fingers on the table as he watched the boy across from him. The child was looking just as bored while they were waiting for a certain redhead. He wondered, not for the first time that day, why women always took so long to get ready and seemed to take an eternity to get from one place to another. He looked out the window of the tacky restaurant. His-their- apartment was right there across the street. His student cupped his cheek in his hand and rested his elbow on the table.

"Where is she, Minato-sensei?" He couldn't answer that question… not when he was wondering about that himself.

"She'll be here, soon," Hopefully… he added mentally when he heard the loud grumbling noises his stomach was making as it churned, begging for something, anything, to digest. He smiled at the silver-haired Chuunin but received an even louder grumble from the other's stomach in reply. The little boy had the decency to look embarrassed while Minato chuckled. A man with broad shoulders entered with a woman who had black, long hair. Between them, a kid-no older than the child seated in front of him- held onto their hands as he swung back and forth. He smiled as the family passed by them to sit on the table behind them. His smile widened when laughter reached his ears from the family.

"You know, Sensei," Kakashi started, "I'm no longer hungry… I think I'll go home now," The blond looked disbelievingly at his charge.

"Your stomach was grumbling just minutes ago," Minato stated, but his student gave him an apologetic look before scurrying out of the place. The teacher considered going after him once a few minutes had passed, but he couldn't. The late woman had finally arrived.

"Sorry for being late, dattebane!" she said, but she didn't sound regretful at all, "Where's Kakashi? I thought he was going to eat with us," the redhead scratched the back of her head as she took the same seat Kakashi had just occupied.

"Ah… I don't know why, but he decided he wanted to go home… Just like that, out of the blue," he explained, "Why were you late, Kushina? We starved as we waited for you," he complained, but Kushina was not listening to him, she seemed to be looking at something behind him.

"I think I know why he decided to leave," she said after a while, completely ignoring the man's question, "I'll be right back, dattebane!" she didn't give the blond a chance to respond before she exited and took a turn. Minato sighed loudly as he leaned back in his chair. What was wrong with those two? They'll be back… he told himself, I'll get a few appetizers while I wait. He nodded to himself and called a waiter. If they didn't want to eat with him, then he wasn't going to force them. He felt his saliva threatening to drool out of his mouth when the first dish was served. He barely had time to thank the waiter before he started eating.

Kushina made a beeline to her fiancée's student's apartment. She had a feeling she knew the exact reason behind Kakashi's sudden departure. If what she thought was true, then the kid definitely needed someone to talk to. Despite her not even being remotely related to the boy, she felt deeply responsible for him, like a mother would her child. That's why, she didn't even think about sending Minato to talk to him. He would make it even worse, she thought to herself, especially since he didn't even seem to have a clue why Kakashi left. She plastered a grin on her face as she faced the door. She took a deep breath and knocked three times.

"Hey, Kakashi, it's Kushina. Will you open the door, please?" the redhead talked loudly when the door didn't open after the fifth time of knocking. She pursed her lips. There were two possibilities that could explain the still shut door. The first was that Kakashi didn't come home after getting out of the restaurant. The second was that Kakashi was home but just plain ignoring her. Now, Kushina never liked being ignored. Even if the one ignoring her was a six-year-old not even half her size. She tried turning the doorknob, but the door was locked. Well, she was glad that Kakashi knew that he had to lock the door. She went outside the building and used chakra to reach the boy's window. The Jinchuuriki, then, proceeded to remove the numerous traps. She marveled at some of them and decided to come help with most of them later.

"I'm coming in," she called as she opened the window and squeezed through. Kushina scanned the small apartment in record time. The kid was nowhere in sight, though. Kushina scratched her chin thoughtfully. If I were Kakashi where would I be? She asked herself and thought for all but a second before it dawned on her. She quickly got out of the apartment and reset the traps. Without wasting any more time, she set off.

Minato glared at the empty seats all around him. I'll be right back, dattebane! he mimicked mockingly in his head. Where were his fiancée and his sort-of-but-not-quite son? He tapped his hand on the table in annoyance. A sharp cry shook him out of his thoughts. He turned to see the mother cradling her son in her lap, whispering soothing words. The father turned to their side of the table to hug the two close to him. Minato smiled again at the scene. Someday, he wished he and Kushina could have a happy family.

He stood up suddenly… Family… Happy family… That's why…! He looked in the direction of the door before putting a sum of money on the table and running off. Stupid, stupid, stupid! How could I not realize that? He didn't bother with his student's door, he got rid of the traps on the window, promising himself that he would help with them later, and entered the apartment. When he couldn't find his student anywhere, he quickly tried to think of where the small Hatake could be.

Kakashi pulled his knees to his chest as he sat on the Second Hokage's head. For some reason, sitting here where he could see the whole village calmed him. He could see the many shops littering the big area. He could make out the playground where he used to play with his father's dogs, the Academy his mother dropped him off at while wishing him the best. And if he really, really focused, he could distantly see the Hatake complex. The house where his mother peacefully withered away on the bed that looked too huge for her, all the while telling her young Kakashi that he didn't need her anymore; the same house where his father decided that no one needed him anymore and killed himself right in the middle of his study.

They were both wrong. He did need them, and he did miss them. And he did want them to be here. He did want to have a family like everyone else. He didn't want them to leave. He never wanted them to leave. Not even when his mother slapped him to keep him away from her. Not even when his father saved his comrades, knowing full well that both his and his son's lives would be set in jeopardy once he failed the mission.

In the end, though, he knew both of them did what they did so that he could live… happily. His mother hit him, that was true… but that was because she didn't want to pass on her sickness… she didn't want her only son to suffer as he died because of her when she could have prevented that. His father inflicted an even deeper wound when he took his own life… but he realized that once he did, people started looking at him as Kakashi and not as Sakumo's kid or as that traitor's son… he was sure his father knew that that was what was going to happen once he was gone.

He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey," Kushina said softly as she sat down beside him. She dried his face with a tissue, and Kakashi realized that he was crying. He turned his head out of her reach and rubbed angrily at his eyes. He sniffled a few times and took the offered tissue. He did not want to appear weak in front of anyone. Not even Kushina.

"Is everything okay?" he asked in an attempt to show strength… it would have worked if his voice wasn't cracking. Kushina smiled at him as she shook her head. She passed an arm over his shoulders and pulled him closer to her. The two were now sitting side-by-side as the redhead rubbed his arm affectionately.

"It's okay to cry sometimes, y'know?" Kushina started, but Kakashi refused to look at her, "I know I did a lot when I first got here," He didn't turn to acknowledge that he heard her, but Kushina knew he was listening anyways, "When I had to leave Whirlpool and come to a new Hidden Village, I was so nervous!"

I twirled my hated red hair with my fingers as the guy from the Hidden Leaf tried to reassure me with a smile. We were that close to the gates, but I just couldn't help myself. I missed my village and everyone there already! The Hokage was there, waiting for us, his kind face looking down at me when I reached the gate. I tried to smile back, but found that I couldn't. I didn't want to be here. I didn't even know why they sent me here in the first place! The Hokage personally led me around the village, trying to strike up conversation with me, yet I never answered anything he asked. Until…

"You know, the Academy year will start soon," he started, "How would you feel about enrolling there?" I looked at him for the first time since entering the village then, "You'll be able to make new friends! It'll be fun!" I mulled over the idea. It sure would be nice to have friends my own age. It would help with the whole unexpected moving thing.

"Sure," I said and cracked the first smile that day. Entering the Academy, however, wasn't as great as I thought it would be. On the first day, I was supposed to introduce myself. My classmates didn't look at all interested in what I was saying. I don't know what came over me or why I said it, but I did.

"I'm going to be the first female Hokage ever!" I proclaimed… rather loudly. The whole class erupted into a fit of giggles. I could feel my cheeks burning up as the teacher tried unsuccessfully to stop the laughter. I wished that the ground would split up and eat me right then and there. At the same time, I felt like crying.

"Tomato! Tomato! Tomato!" they chanted over and over and over. Instead of crying though, I waited till after class and pummeled each and every one of them. With that, I blew all my chances at making any friends. Thus, this was the way I spent the first semester of the year. Utterly alone. Taking the class's mocking during periods; then, pounding them for it after to cry it all out at night by myself in my apartment.

Then, one day, I was informed about why I was brought to Konoha in the first place. I had a very special type of chakra, and the Hidden Leaf needed it, Whirlpool was more than ready to oblige.

"Why did the Hidden Leaf need your chakra?" Kushina smiled.

"Sorry, but that's one thing I can't tell you," Kushina said then added, "Until much, much later,"

That's when one of the elders, Mito Uzumaki, told me what I needed to live with my new responsibility.

"Love," she said. But I couldn't for the life of me discover any way to make friends with any of the kids, much more find love. Thus, I remained alone. No one tried to help me. No one even knew I was that sad.

Then, one day after I became a Genin, it happened. Ninja from the Cloud snuck into the village and took me away. My kidnappers tied my hands around my back and told me to keep walking. I obeyed, but unbeknownst to them, I still had some fight left in me. I carefully plucked strands of my hair and dropped them on the ground. I didn't know why, I didn't have anyone who would want to help me. I had no doubt that this was it; I was going to be taken unwillingly to another village again.

However, when I thought that all hope was lost, a yellow blur came out of nowhere and got me away from the kidnappers.

It was Minato.

"Your red hair is beautiful, I just couldn't not notice it," he said with a smile. Then was the moment I found a friend. I had found love. Always, when I felt down, Minato was there to help me up. And I was more than happy to return the favor.

"That's how I learned that bottling it all up inside… will not do any good," Kushina said, hand still rubbing the boy's shoulder, "You need to let it out every once in a while, Kakashi, and I'll be glad if you let me help, dattebane!" Kushina smiled widely. Kakashi smiled back. It had been a long time since he felt warm. That feeling had not crossed his heart since his parents went and left him behind.

"I'm okay, now," he said, "Thank you, Kushina-san," The redhead hugged the little boy. She was happy when his little arms encircled her, too.

"Guys! There you are!" Minato said, looking frantic as he approached the two, "I was so worried!" He held the two smaller frames against him.

"You missed all the action, Minato, dattebane!" Kushina said as she snickered lightly. Minato mock-pouted and the two argued half-heartedly.

Kakashi thought, as he watched the two continue their baseless argument, if his parents would mind if he found happiness with a new family, with a new Tou-san and Kaa-san.

No, he thought he heard his parents say, live and be happy.

Author's Notes: Aw… I especially liked the ending, what about you? I know this story is more Kushina-centric than anything, but it didn't seem to fit any other way. Hope you liked it! Please review!