I don't own Naruto or any of its characters. They belong to their owners.

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Kushina dropped one strand after the other, hoping that for once her bright red Uzumaki hair would stand out, leading someone from Konoha with it. The seconds turned to minutes, minutes into hours, hours into days, and yet Kushina didn't see anyone coming.

If they had, why weren't they there yet? The Shinobi could have caught up in an hour or so, with the slow pace the Kumo Shinobi were walking at.

The Kumo were becoming more relaxed, thinking that almost being at the border would make sure that no ninja would come after them. The group stopped to rest once, and one of the Shinobi grinned at the captive girl and told her, "You want some water, girl?" Kushina glared at him with violet-blue eyes. "Well ya can't have it!" The man laughed loudly, splashing water on Kushina and scaring the birds away.

That was one day ago, and still no one came.

The rain splashed on some days, the leaves shivered in the sun on the others, but Kushina couldn't care any less. No one was coming for her; she was just like she was told. An outcaste, an outcaste that people could care less about.

Kushina kept on dropping the hair though, a feeling in her heart told her it wasn't all in vain. So one strand after the other fell onto the muddy dirt path, marking a way from the main town of Konoha, to where ever she was in the wilderness.

OOOoOOoOOoOOO

Minato ran away from the noise, the bustle of the city. What the Hokage said couldn't be true. Kushina Uzumaki couldn't have been kidnapped. Minato told himself when he heard the news that Kushina would just pop up and say that she was just getting ready for a prank or something like that.

But the speech went on leaving Minato to gaze with sapphire eyes, for someone who wasn't there. The blonde boy ran away from the Hokage, not wanting to listen to the voice telling him the truth.

The Namikaze ran to Kushina's house, which he knew she used to share with Mito Uzumaki. Old Mito had passed away a year or so ago, so now the house didn't have the same lively feel to it.

Minato knocked on the old wooden door, hoping Kushina would open the door and yell at him for some random reason. She never came. Minato knocked again, but this time the door swung open on squeaky hinges. The blonde haired boy stuck his head into the small house, and tensely called in, "Hello? Uzumaki-san- Are you there?"

No answer.

Minato glanced around the abandoned clearing Kushina lived in, and saw no one there. He quickly entered Kushina's house.

Minato had to admit, it was nicely furnished with things that probably came from Kushina's home village, the Village of Whirlpool.

He had entered a small hallway, with left over shoes by the door and umbrellas, jackets, and hats hanging on hooks on the right wall. Pictures decorated the walls, and Minato walked down the small hall.

Minato didn't recognize anyone in the photos, until he saw Kushina in one. She was surrounded by other people with red hair, and Minato could see Mito behind her. Minato blinked and looked closer at the photo.

It wasn't taken any place he knew, so it must have been taken in Whirlpool. Kushina had a tall man next to her, smiling and laughing at some unknown joke, a woman was leaning against the man, laughing with him. Other men and woman surrounded them, all laughing at the joke.

For all Minato knew, they could have been laughing at him.

Minato looked at the next photo down the hall, one with Kushina fishing in a lake. She couldn't have been older than five, but waved happily and showed the camera the fish she had caught.

The boy left the picture, and ducked into the first room he found. It was the living room, with two red couches and a small table in the middle. A piano was in the corner, with bookcases and a fireplace on the side. A small chandelier hung from the ceiling, but it was covered in dust and cobwebs, much like the rest of the house.

Minato frowned, he was getting sidetracked. He then entered the kitchen.

It was small, with random little ramen packets hanging about. Minato opened the fridge and saw that some of it had gone bad, showing that either A. Kushina didn't eat any of the stuff, or B. The Hokage was lying and that Kushina had been gone longer than they thought.

Minato didn't know which one to choose. A dining room table was pushed up against the back wall, a window showing a small pond with a swing attached to one of the trees.

Minato pushed open the door and saw he had entered Kushina's room next. The gir's room was just like he imagined it. Messy and not a speck of pink. There was a large brown bed against the wall, with little pictures of friends and family back at Whirlpool covering the side table. A desk was on the left, with a small bookcase on the right. Several weapons hung on the walls.

But it didn't show any kinds of struggle.

Minato then entered the bathroom and two extra bedrooms, figuring out that one of them had to have belonged to Mito.

Minato left the abandoned house, feeling that he hadn't accomplished anything. The blue eyed boy sighed and covered his eyes, before looking at the ground.

He blinked. Then he blinked again. After the third blink Minato exclaimed to himself, "Bingo!"

There was a red piece of hair on the ground, and the only red head Minato knew was, "Kushina!" Minato grinned at Kushina's thinking. That was so Kushina to leave a trail like that.

Now he could find her and help!

OOOoOOoOOoOOO

Kushina felt like she was moving through something thick and heavy. Her hands and feet were tied up so tight; it hurt to walk like she was made to do. They put a chakra represent on her, making her defenseless. The red haired girl hadn't eaten in days, and a small amount of water was given to her each day.

Kushina had just about given up on Konoha. If she was still in Whirlpool, they would have sent out help and found her days ago. The people of Whirlpool wouldn't let their Jinchūriki or friend die from the Nine-Tails extraction.

The sun rose high in the air, turning the sky one color after the next. The trees covered most of the forest, with some random bushes and animals around. Kushina glanced around at one of the trees, hearing something moving around in it.

The tree stilled, and the inanimate object seemed to have been having a staring contest with the girl. The Kumo Shinobi continued to laugh and walk around the forest, confident in their abilities and the safety of the border.

Kushina brought her violet eyes back to the ground in front of her, sighing when her hope squashed in her chest. 'If someone was coming for me, they would have come a long time ago.' The girl told herself, not wanting to seem weak for wanting someone else to rescue her.

Uzumaki Kushina took one more step until one of the men grabbed her. "Girly- I wonder why Boss wants ya?" The man acted and smelled drunk, but Kushina hadn't seen him drink anything. "You are quite pretty-" The man reached out to touch her. He never did, for a kunai came out and slit his throat, making the man gasp for breath before falling dead to the ground.

Kushina gasped and looked as three more kunai's came at the men in full speed. "No way-" said the men in denial, before dying on the spot.

Kushina looked at her savior. She blinked, but smiled happily at the boy. "M-Minato-kun." Minato Namikaze blushed and rubbed the back of his head. "I saw you left a trail of your beautiful hair from your house. I decided to follow it and help you…" Both the children blushed.

Minato came and took one of his kunai's, and cut off the ropes from Kushina's arms and legs. He then grabbed the chakra represent collar around Kushina's neck and pulled it off her. Kushina fell to the ground, the rush of power and drowsiness making it hard for her to stand up.

Before she touched the ground, however, Minato grabbed the red haired girl and picked her up bridal

Style. "Don't hurt yourself; spending days without unleashing the chakra is dangerous and tiring." Kushina didn't yell at him, but instead leaned into his touch. She sleepily told him, "You don't have to help me… I can walk on my own…"

Minato snorted and shook his head. "Don't lie. You're falling asleep as we speak." Kushina didn't disagree, and closed her eyes. The shock of being kidnapped, rescued, and no food or sleep for five days had hurt her.

Minato started running away from the dead kidnappers, trying to ignore the feeling of Kushina resting on his chest. He ran from the afternoon onward, the sun turning pink and purple, before finally switching places with the moon.

Minato arrived at Kushina's house at just about ten o'clock. Kushina had woken up from her nap and had tried to run with him, but the boy disagreed. "I can help myself, Dattebane!" Kushina scolded him. Minato shook his head and kept the girl in his arms, telling her, "Rest a bit. Maybe then you can run." Kushina scrunched up her nose but agreed, and the two children continued.

Minato set Kushina down when they arrived at her house. Minato had long sense been panting, and Kushina worriedly told him, "Rest you Baka, after running miles and carrying me you should have burning muscles right about now." Minato shook his head and weakly tried to tell the girl he was fine.

Kushina didn't take no for an answer, and had him soon lying down on the bed in the guest room with a promise of ramen. Minato glanced around the room, blinking when he realized that that was the second time that day he had been in the room. Kushina then bustled into the room, holding two cups of instant ramen.

"Here you go, Minato-kun." Minato blinked. That was the second time she had called him Minato. He then grinned cheekily. "Does that mean I can now call you Kushina-chan?" Kushina glared at him. "Call me 'chan' and you will be dead before we go back to our Sensei's." Minato laughed and the two children quietly ate their ramen, wondering if everything was real.

Minato ended up falling asleep at Kushina's house, making him blush in embarrassment. When Minato had tried to pay her back Kushina hit him hard over the head and said, "You Baka! You don't owe me anything. Plus think of it as even for saving me. 'ttebane!" Minato had told Kushina in the morning about how the Hokage had announced to the village that she was missing, and that no one could find a trail leading to her.

Kushina nodded in fake seriousness. "So you found my hair and left without back up and no one knowing where you went, to go get me." Minato chuckled nervously. Kushina then did what he thought she would do. Minato got his fourth hit of the day, but got a surprise. Kushina blushed slightly as she pulled away from the hug she gave him.

"Arigato, Minato-kun. But I am still going to be the first female Hokage. Believe it!"

Minato and Kushina laughed and set off to go inform the Hokage that Kushina Uzumaki was back. But then Kushina asked Minato a question.

"Why do you like my hair?"

Minato blushed and ran a hand through his own blonde spiky hair.

"It beautiful, you have such long red hair that is so exotic and different. Just like you-" Minato cut himself off.

Kushina laughed and bumped into him, hiding her face so he didn't see her blush.

"I hope that was a compliment!"

The children quickly told the Hokage that they were back, and after a quick tongue lashing the two were sent off with a warning that if they ever did that again, the two could kiss their lives goodbye.

Kushina then did something Minato would never forget. With a faint blush dotting her cheeks, Kushina told him, "Thanks again Minato-kun!" She then hesitated before quickly pressing her lips to his cheeks and ran off. Both Minato and Kushina blushed before turning back and waving at each other.

And they all lived happily ever after…

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Thanks for reading! If you would like, I could turn this into a story instead of a one-shot.

Arigato!
Aqua-chan