Aureolin Hair, Sapphire Eyes
The pain was excruciating.
The birth, the extraction, and then this large gaping hole.
But I don't care about those.
Actually I'm happy to bear it in place of my boys, so that Minato can go on without difficulty, and Naruto will be able to sleep peacefully.
I forced myself to speak, lest I let Minato slip away from me without even knowing about it.
"Minato..."
"Kushina."
The precious voice I won't be hearing for a while, marred with the blood in his mouth.
"We're still going to see each other again, right?"
What a stupid question.
I know very well that whoever casts that jutsu will be locked away forever in the Shinigami's stomach.
Okay, there is one way to get him out of there, but the chances of it happening are so small—it's negligible.
But...
"Yes, I promise."
I wanted to hope that that 'negligible' chance will somehow come true.
And now that he promised me, I'm surer that it will.
"Do you swear that by your name?"
He laughed.
Oh, I'm going to miss that laugh of his, like crystals clinking against each other.
"Yes. I, Namikaze Minato—Konoha's Kiiroi no Senko, Yondaime Hokage..."
All the names and titles he went by in his lifetime.
"And most of all, husband to Uzumaki Kushina and father to Namikaze Naruto, swear by my name."
And suddenly I am reminded of the day he had saved me from Kumo.
An amazingly splendid ninja.
My tears sprang at the memory.
I felt his gentle hand stroke my hair.
Our 'red thread of fate'.
"Kushina, no need to cry... I promised, right? Don't you believe me?"
"I do..."
It sounded to me like I was taking our wedding vows again.
"I really do, Minato."
"That's good to hear. Then I'm going now."
Please don't go.
Please.
How can he be so peaceful? It's as if we weren't impaled by a 6-foot long claw and are presently drifting to our doom.
I to a long, long time of waiting, and him to the Shinigami's stomach.
"But!"
"I hope to see you soon, Kushina, when I find a way to bust from the Shinigami's stomach..."
To actually have gall to joke about his predicament is so like him.
Always able to find the little joys in all things.
"Now isn't the time to joke about that-ttebane!"
"Goodbye, Kushina. I'm sorry. Omae wo aishiteru..."
I didn't want to say goodbye, because it isn't goodbye yet.
Not now, not ever.
But he's gone.
My harbor has drifted far away, out of reach.
Seriously, screw my clan and its longevity.
It's so unfair, dattebane!
To see people you love die ahead of you... such a cruel fate.
Lady Mito suffered the same fate; his husband Shodai Hokage perishing before her.
I glimpsed our little boy Naruto, the only one peaceful after the chaotic night, for the last time.
Then I forced my heavily damaged body and turned around to have a final look at my husband's face.
And there he is, smiling sweetly as ever, eyes closed as if he were only asleep.
He appears just like every night when I would stare at his sleeping face, whenever he would fall asleep before I did from his busy day being a Hokage.
I willed my right hand to move, and touched his face and caressed it like I would, if I could, with Naruto.
It's a shame I didn't get the opportunity to glimpse his sparkling sapphire eyes.
I refused to let my tears blur my vision.
I pressed my forehead against his, and stared into the eyes that will never open again.
"Anata wo aishiteru."
Thank you, for everything you had done for me.
Somewhere, in our next life, we'll find each other again, and live a long and happy life with our son.
It's just that this time isn't our best time.
I love you, beyond 'till death do us part'.
SO, how was it?
Did I successfully drown you in feels?
I hope I did well.
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Tell me about it; send me a review~ :D
