A/N: Heh, I was supposed to update some hours ago. But then Kishimoto threw me – and us all – a nice, intriguing curve-ball in the newest chapter and I just had to do so re-writing. (grins) Now the new chapter is as ready as it's gonna get.
BUT, before continuing the story… WOAH! (gasps, blushes and beams) All those reviews…! You guys have seriously baffled me. I could've never imagined that the chapter could get THAT many AMAZING reviews – and I'm thrilled to see how many people love this fantastic couple! (beams again and GLOMPS) So thank you, from the bottom of heart! You guys rock! (hugs once more) The responses to anonymous reviews and those I couldn't PM can be found from underneath the chapter.
Awkay, because I don't think you've come here to read my babbling… Let's go! (gulps nervously) I REALLY hope ya'll enjoy the ride!
Of Yellow Flashes
The next few months after her being rescued weren't exactly pleasant for Kushina. Adults were startled by how close to a disaster things came, and she felt like she'd been a fish in a bowl with how closely they monitored her. Plus, just as she'd feared, the other teens were very curious and excited about the fact that she'd been rescued by none other than Minato.
That early afternoon there were five of them – she, Shikaku Nara, Chōza Akimichi, Inoichi Yamanaka and Yoshino Tokemi – sitting in a recently opened Ichiraku Ramen bar. And hard as she tried Kushina couldn't keep herself from sneaking glances towards the door.
"He's not coming home yet, you know?" There was a knowing look on Inoichi's face. "He'll be on that mission for a couple of more days."
She folded her arms and forced herself to look at anything else than the door. She was much too aware of the blush on her cheeks. "Like I'd care."
Yoshino didn't manage to restrain a snort, and much to her dismay Kushina couldn't really blame her. Since her rescue she and Minato had spent a lot of time together – training, talking or doing nothing at all. So much that it'd caught attention, especially that of their friends and Minato's annoying, jealous fangirls.
Shikaku also snorted. "Yeah, right." He pointed towards her face with a sly grin. "See that look on her face? She's totally Minato's girl."
Seeing her expression and the intense, threatening shade of red rising to her cheeks, Chōza and Inoichi stood hurriedly. "We're going", Inoichi announced. The two disappeared in a flash.
Seeing her twitching eyebrow Shikaku shrugged. "What? I was only stating a fact."
At that moment the Bloody Habanero didn't bother trying to hold herself back. She punched him, hard. "I am not ready to be anybody's 'girl' yet, do you understand?" she hissed as the boy nursed his most likely throbbing cheek. By then she'd caught the attention of pretty much every customer, but in her current state of mind she didn't care.
Yoshino also punched to boy's head far from gently. "Leave her alone, idiot!"
While Shikaku yelped "Stop beating me up!" Kushina took her chance and sneaked towards the counter.
"Something with a lot of sugar", she half-groaned, half-begged. "Now."
Teuchi, the owner's son who worked in Ichiraku to help his father, gave her a look of sympathy. "Love can be tricky sometimes."
She looked away, feeling heat on her cheeks. "Hmph." He was nice, so she chose not to scream at his ear not to talk about love.
As from that day Kushina made the decision to avoid Minato to be spared from such conversations in the future. She stuck to that determination for the total of three months, when her fifteenth birthday was only four months away. Then there was Sakura Festival in Konoha.
Kushina felt absolutely ridiculous as she joined the celebrating people. She'd been ordered to have her hair open. That, combined with the white and red kimono she was wearing, made her feel like she'd been participating to a masquerade.
Kushina Uzumaki didn't do such girly stuff.
She was so worked up by sullen thoughts that she jumped when hearing a much too familiar voice. "Wow", Minato practically gasped. Spinning around, she saw an expression that was nothing short of baffled on his face. "You look…"
Her eyes narrowed as she felt intense bubbling all over her body. "Not another word, Namikaze. I feel stupid enough already."
He shrugged, unfaced by her tone. "You shouldn't. I think you're beautiful."
If possible the heat on her cheeks intensified still, and it took her all not to look away. "Well…" She cleared her throat, feeling ridiculous. "Thanks." She wished she'd been able to ignore that he also looked quite attractive in his black and blue attire. More so than she would've liked.
She quirked an eyebrow when seeing a thoughtful look on his face. "What?"
"It's not perfect yet", Minato declared. He smiled, and placed a very beautiful cherry-flower behind her ear. "It needed that. See? It suits with your hair and dress."
That day she learned that Minato Namikaze's smile was contagious. And as she found herself smiling, she came to a conclusion that there was no point in dodging facts anymore.
So yeah, she was falling alright. But maybe it wasn't a bad thing at all.
Neither noticed that they were holding hands as they eventually became aware of the crowd around them and re-joined the festival. They spent the entire evening together.
At the age of fifteen Minato Namikaze was praised as a genius, a child prodigy, one of the best ninjas Konoha had ever been blessed to see. But there was one thing he was utterly, completely hopeless at. And that thing was women. He remembered that once more one windy afternoon.
Minato wasn't entirely sure how long he'd stood by a tiny river almost outside Konoha when he sensed a presence. "You're late, Jiraiya-sensei."
Jiraiya grinned in his usual manner while stepping out from behind trees. "It's good to give you a little ranbom test every once in a while." The man stood beside him, growing slightly more solemn. "So… How's the task of protecting Kushina going?"
Minato looked away, hoping that the swirling inside him didn't show from his face. It was hard to keep up his usual calm and collected posture when Kushina was in question, he'd discovered. "She… doesn't know what I'm doing. There's been no signs whatsoever of her losing control over Kyuubi. And so far there hasn't been another attempt of capturing her. She's safe – and so is Konoha."
Jiraiya nodded. "That's good."
Minato's eyebrows furrowed as he folded his arms, focusing on the pond nearby. The water looked darker than it should've – or then his imagination was playing tricks on him. "I hate doing this", he confessed, voicing it those words for the first time. He grit teeth, feeling something intense he couldn't name. "I mean… She trusts me completely. And I…" He trailed off, not willing to say the rest aloud. Kushina Uzumaki was the most precious person in his life. He hated hiding things like this from her.
"I know it's not easy", Jiraiya admitted, voice a bit softer than usual. "But she's the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki – she was sent from her own village to here for safety and hiding place. It's not just her safety at stake. If she's captured or loses control Konoha – hell, the whole world – is in danger." He felt the man's eyes sneak towards him for a moment. "What you're doing is important, Minato. Don't forget that."
Minato's eyes narrowed a little against nonexistent light.
The Council had given him the so called mission to guard and keep an eye on Kushina without her knowing it after her kidnap attempt. Back then he'd thought he could do this easily. He'd even been excited about getting to be so close to her – being her secret bodyguard was pretty much as close to her as he could get. It hadn't mattered the slightest that he'd also learned she was the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki, still didn't. But now, when everything had deepened and changed so much…
Minato pulled in a breath. "Guarding her without her knowing would be so much easier if I didn't…" Just then he sensed how Jiraiya stiffened and frowned. "What's wrong?"
Without saying a word the man nodded towards a nearby forestline. Minato felt his blood turn into ice when he saw Kushina standing there. Her smouldering eyes told clearly that she'd heard far more than she should've.
Minato swallowed thickly. "Kushina, I…"
He didn't get a chance to speak any further. Before he could utter another sound Kushina's punch sent the ninja-genius down with stars flashing in his eyes. When he blinked after a moment and his vision cleared Kushina was already walking away. "If guarding me was the only reason we've spent time together, don't bother", she hissed. "I'll do much better on my own."
He got up with some difficulty and attempted to follow her. Jiraiya's hand reached out and grabbed his arm firmly, managing to stop him. "Listen to a man who's been punched by a woman a million times", his sensei adviced with a knowing, serious expression. "When they're in that state of mind, do not follow them."
He gave the man a helpless look. "Then what am I supposed to do?" He looked towards where Kushina had disappeared. "How am I supposed to make up for what I did if I don't even know what I've done?"
Finally letting go of his arm Jiraiya sighed. "Give her time. Women are good at harboring grudges, but none of them stays that mad forever – not even someone as stubborn as Kushina."
He sighed while putting a hand gently to his badly throbbing cheek, hoping dearly that Jiraiya was right. Because he hated the thought of her being pissed off at him. Plus Kushina had definitely developed in ninja-skills – she could strike like a sledgehammer. He didn't want another hit.
It was the first time he got talked and punched down by Kushina. And it wouldn't be the last.
That day, at very least, Minato learned one very important lesson on women. Men should never try to hold secrets from them.
As from those events Kushina gave Minato silent treatment and avoided him as much as she could. Things stayed that way until a certain day about three weeks later.
It was supposed to be a C-ranked mission – even too easy for someone of Minato's skill-level. No one expected it to turn S-ranked and go so badly wrong. No one expected Minato to get seriously injured, trying to protect a teammate.
And Kushina most definitely didn't expect to find herself running madly towards the hospital as soon as she heard the news, feeling more terrified than ever in her life.
There was a chance that Minato might die, they said. Judging by the severity of the damage, it was more than likely. A member of staff who didn't notice her as she rushed past even sighed that it was a miracle they'd managed to bring him home alive.
Those facts didn't strike her until she entered Minato's hospital room. She was fairly sure her heart stopped for a second at what she found.
Minato was unconscious, and looked so pale that it made her shiver. Watching the blond's bare, carefully bandaged chest she came to a conclusion that he wasn't breathing properly, either. She shouldn't have been surprised – she'd heard someone murmur that he'd broken several ribs and they were bothering his lungs. His other arm was also in a thick cast. She wondered just how much of him was broken.
She braced herself with a deep breath, then approached his bed valiantly and slumped down to the chair placed beside it. "You look like shit, Namikaze. You… messed yourself up pretty badly. Like… Really badly." She swallowed thickly, wondering what the lump in her throat was all about. "So, I had to drag my ass all the way here to make sure…" For some reason she couldn't say the rest. She took his good hand clumsily into hers and focused her gaze firmly on it. The fingers didn't move, didn't even twitch. Her voice cracked as she spoke. "At least you could have the decency of letting me know you can hear me."
He didn't – there was no movement, no reaction. But Kushina didn't give up quite that easily. She stayed by his side for five hours, not letting go of his hand for even a second.
It continued that way for over a week, maybe even ten days. She kept visiting him daily, ignoring the teasing she got from others for it, and spoke to him stubbornly although he never replied. Every day she all but stared at his closed eyes, as though trying to open them with her willpower. But nothing happened. Until one early morning when she woke up to a squeeze on her hand. She blinked sluggishly before turning her gaze. Something shuddered inside her when she realized that Minato's eyes were halfway open, bleary but still.
He smiled feebly and licked his lips. "I… was kind of hoping to see you", he croaked.
Her eyes narrowed. "Oh hell no, you're not sweet talking your way out of this, Namikaze", she hissed. And then, so suddenly that it shocked her, her eyes filled with tears. Some of them slid to her cheeks. "You… You could've died, do you understand? You could've been killed!" She hoped dearly her voice hadn't shuddered the way it did then. Her hold on his hand became painfully tight. "I… We could've…!" At those words her voice failed her completely, or perhaps it was her will. I could've lost you!
Minato squeezed her hand as tightly as he could in his current condition. "But you didn't." His voice was just a little bit stronger. "I'm right here. I'll be just fine."
Her eyes flashed a second before she punched the top of his head. "Don't ever do anything that stupid again, understood?" And then she slammed her lips against his with such ferocity that stunned them both.
In that kiss – which was both their first – Kushina realized that she was screwed. She didn't give a damn.
Without them noticing Jiraiya – who'd come to visit Minato – opened the door to see the two of them kissing. He grinned and closed the door soundlessly, deciding to come back much later.
Kushina and Minato didn't really talk about their kiss afterwards – for the time being both preferred pretending it never happened. Once again time passed, until Kushina was almost sixteen.
It was one of those suffocatingly hot days of summer as Kushina sat on a tree-branch, but she didn't even notice the heat. All her attention was locked to what was happening down on the training grounds.
Minato had five very eager, small children gathered around him, all of them excited to learn some of his famous skills.
"No, Obito. Let me show you." With endless patience Minato stepped forward and helped the black-haired child's fingers move until they were dancing perfectly. "Now blow, but be careful so you won't hurt anyone." Obito shifted so that there was no one in the harm's way and blew. The rest of the children gasped when a burst of fire erupted from the boy's mouth. Minato smiled. "See? That's how you do it."
Obito's eyes shone with excitement. "Oh man, thanks! I can't wait to get to show Rin this!"
In a little while the children disappeared, and Kushina would've very much liked to do the same. But before she managed to move Minato was stood almost directly below her with a surprised expression. "Hey. What are you doing up there?"
She was fairly sure her face took a shade of bright red. Her mouth opened several times before sound finally came. "I… it was like…" Nervousness had always had the habit of making her clumsy. And that's what happened this time around as well.
She yelped with startle when her balance broke, sending her falling. The shade of red on her face deepened still when Minato caught her with ease, subconsciously pulling her much closer than would've been necessary.
"Are you okay?" he inquired.
She escaped from his hold that seemed to burn her skin. "Eh… Yeah, I guess." She then cleared her throat and fought the arrange her head for a change of subject. "I… didn't know you teach the kids."
Minato shrugged, then sat down to the grass. She followed his example. "Sometimes they come to me for an advice. It's nice to help them." The man looked towards where the Uchiha-kid had disappeared. "I hope Obito remembers what I taught him later on."
Kushina couldn't help smiling as she looked at Minato. "You know… Working with kids really suits you." Facing his surprised look, she couldn't resist adding. "You'll make a great sensei."
It was one of those few times she saw the calm and collected Namikaze blush, albeit just a little bit. So the great Yellow Flash wasn't good at hearing compliments. A hint of a smile appeared to his lips. "Oh", was what he said in the end, the voice sounding somewhat off.
She looked away, unable to resist a smile of her own. This time she didn't fight back when her hand crawled all the way to his and took a firm hold. "Yeah."
Minato took a deep breath, realizing that it was finally time to talk about what had been bothering them both for a while. He didn't dare to look towards Kushina as he spoke. "Look… You do understand that I'm not around you just because of that… mission, right?" He took a quick glance towards her, noticing that she was staring straight ahead, then went on. "I… I care about you. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't."
It took torturously long before Kushina finally spoke. "I know you care. I just wish you'd been honest with me from the beginning."
He took a deep breath, noticing that it happened easily. "I'm sorry." His voice didn't sound quite like his own.
"Hmh." Then, instead of giving him the hard time he'd been expecting, Kushina smiled. "They could've given me a much worse bodyguard. But the next time you do something like that I'll beat you to a pulp."
He didn't bother resisting the tiny smile that appeared. He had no doubt she'd do just that.
After a couple of moments he gave her a one more glance, his expression a bit more thoughtful. "So… we're okay?"
The bright grin on Kushina's face didn't leave anything to be doubted. "Yeah. We're okay."
Neither dared to mention their kiss at the hospital, which was another still closed matter.
Minato felt how wind pushed the strands of Kushina's hair to his face, filling his mind with their scent of lavendel. He didn't mind at all.
The day was comfortably quiet as they sat there, holding hands.
As from that day Kushina and Minato were pretty much inseparable, whether they noticed it or not. Whenever one of them was on a mission the other appeared lost and miserable. Shikaku went as far as calling them an old married couple – only daring to do so behind Kushina's back, of course.
Two weeks after her sixteenth birthday Kushina sat on the rooftop of her home, a deep frown upon her face.
Minato had promised to be back for her birthday. So where the hell was he?
Sometimes she was almost sure Minato could read thoughts, at least hers. Because just then she heard steps, and before she could do more than turn her gaze the Namikaze was sitting beside her.
She scanned him through with her gaze, half-subconsciously trying to spot any possible signs of injuries. Her stiffened muscles didn't relax until she spotted none.
"Sorry I'm late." Minato's voice sounded gruff and tired – she couldn't help wondering if he'd rushed back home without resting properly. "The mission took longer than any of us expected."
She shrugged and looked away, trying to keep her cool although something was squirming in her stomach. "It's okay. It's not like I'd been waiting, or anything."
It was fortunate, really, that she didn't see the knowing look that crossed Minato's face.
She almost jumped with startle when Minato poked her with something. There was a tiny smile on his face. "What, you thought I didn't get you anything?" Looking down she realized that he was offering her a tiny box. "Go ahead and open it."
Kushina was glad the lack of light concealed the blush that was definitely on her face. "Thank you." Working carefully she opened the box – and gasped at what she found.
It was a stunningly beautiful, silvery bracelet that had some red stones decorating it. The shade of the stones matched perfectly with her hair.
"I saw that, and I couldn't help thinking about you", Minato explained, sounding mildly embarrassed.
If she'd been spared from blushing before, she definitely did so at the moment. "I… Like…" She cleared her throat, feeling like a child. "Thank you – I, like, can't believe you bought something like this for me."
"Hmm." His moves gentle, Minato took the bracelet and her wrist. "Let me help you put it on." She couldn't help but notice that his hand remained on her skin far longer than necessary. And she felt no urge to shake off the touch.
She hated breaking the peaceful silence that followed, but she couldn't control herself. "So…" She looked towards the bracelet that shone beautifully in the moonlight. Her heartbeat was far out of her own control. "What does this mean – are we a couple or something?"
Minato didn't speak a word – instead he chose actions. She emitted a tiny yelp of surprise when all of a sudden his hand grabbed her chin, turning her face gently to meet his. And then he pressed his lips to hers, sealing them into a kiss that made her dizzy and out of breath.
And she didn't have to ask anymore.
That day Kushina was pleased to discover that Minato was as good at kissing as he was at pretty much everything else.
TBC, ne?
(To those wondering… Yup, Kushina really was the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki before Naruto.) (gawks) (I know – I had to read the manga-chapter thrice before I believed it!)
A/N: Soooo…. (swallows thickly and glances around nervously) What's your verdict – was that any good, at all? Worth two more chapters? PLEASE, do shoot me with a review or tell me about your day! By now you've gotta know how much I love hearing from you. (gives puppy's eyes)
In case you guys want more… IN THE NEXT ONE Minato and Kushina have grown up to young adults. 'Red Thread of Fate' keeps leading them on their destined path.
Until next time, folks – with whichever story that may be!
Take care!
I-Like-Pineapples: 'Hope you don't mind me responding this way, but I couldn't PM you so I figured that this is a possibility.
Awww, I'm so glad to hear you liked the chapter – and my writing, too (which means a lot since I'm a non-native)! (beams)
Mega-sized thank yous for the review!
Stay tuned, yeah?
Nobody: Heh, how could I not write more after a comment like that? (grins)
HUGE thank yous for the review!
'Hope I'll c ya around.
Enara6: 'Hope you don't mind me responding this way, but I couldn't PM you so I figured that this is a possibility.
Really? (beams) Awww, thanks!
Mountain sized thank yous for the review!
'Hope you'll also enjoy the ride to come.
kari-yugi: 'Hope you don't mind me responding this way, but I couldn't PM you so I figured that this is a possibility.
I'm thrilled to hear you enjoyed the chapter! (beams)
Colossal thank yous for the review!
Until next time, I hope.
Claws: 'Thrilled to hear you enjoyed the first one! (grins like a madwoman)
Loads and loads of thank yous for the review!
'Hope ya'll find the next chapter worth your expectations.
Hikaristar007: 'Hope you don't mind me responding this way, but I couldn't PM you so I figured that this is a possibility.
'Glad to hear you liked it. (grins from ear to ear) Kids falling in love for the first time is kind of cute, ne? (turns into goo)
Monumental thank yous for the review!
C ya around, I hope.
