"Well..." started Minato.
*Flashback*
A young sun kissed haired boy with piercing blue eyes walked alone through the village that night. He was thinking about a certain red haired girl who caught his attention.
'She has the same dream as me' he thought 'she doesn't let others bring her down, and she's really strong.' He had been fascinated by her.
Though she was known as the girl who beat the boys half to death he couldn't help but think of her character. It was unlike anyone else's, so vibrant, talkative, and demanding. He loved it. He knew that the only reason people gave her a hard time was because of her hair. He vowed one day he would make her feel beautiful and that he would get over his shyness and defend her.
But until that happened he was on his way home from a long night of training when the faintest color of red on the floor caught his attention.
He stared at it.
And stared.
And stared.
And...
'Kushina!' He thought.
He flashed to her house in an instant to check up on her.
He saw no lights on which he did expect because it was night time already, but the door and windows were wide open.
He silently walked to the window and looked through. The moon shone brightly into the house and reflected onto broken glass on the floor.
No one was home.
'Kushina!' He panicked again. He went back to where he had found the red thread and looked for any clues as to where they could've gone.
He stood there holding the strands of red hair. He looked up to the path that led out of the village. Moonlight shone upon it. He looked at the path carefully.
More strands, and more strands, and more until he could no longer see beyond he darkness.
He followed the path of red hair gathering each bunch of stands he passed.
Before he knew it he had been able to see 3 men in triangle form. One on each side and one behind holding a rope of some sort.
He saw where the rope led and what he saw infuriated him.
Kushina was tied with her hands behind her back.
She had tripped. Minato wanted to move and help her but he couldn't just jump out of the shadows, he'd be killed for sure.
"Hurry up and get back up!" He watched as the man with the rope pulled her up like she was nothing but trash.
She was breathing heavily and just when they were about to pass the border line of the land of fire one of the men had fallen.
The other two looked around and just as quickly as they looked around another man had been taken out.
The last one standing took out a weapon.
"Show yourself!" he yelled.
Minato appeared and knocked him out instantly.
Kushina was lying on the floor, weak.
He walked to her and helped her rise to her feet.
She thought 'maybe someone else has found me.' But kept walking as if obvlivious to what had happened around her.
"Are you hurt?" said the voice.
She looked up and saw the most familiar face in the moonlight.
Blonde hair, beautiful blue eyes, a smiled on his face with his hands around her shoulders.
As she inspected him she saw his brave smile.
"I came to save you" he told her.
Kushina smiled gladly and then fell, her energy drained.
But before she could fall Minato went and grabbed her shoulders and held her her up supporting her.
"You'll be alright now" he told her reassuringly.
Minato quickly moved and picked Kushina up bridal style.
"Hey, wait a minute" she tried to protest softly and weakly.
But he took off into the moonlight as if he hadn't heard her, a smile on his face as Kushina stared at him admiringly.
She was full of wonder as her savior carried her from tree to tree smiling softly.
Then she saw it.
Her hair was still in his hand as he held her the few strands blowing along with the breeze.
"That's..." she started out loud.
"Your hair is so beautiful I noticed it right away" Minato told her.
She brightened up for a moment.
Then disbelief struck her.
"But you've always ignored me" she told him looking away.
Minato answered "Because I know you're strong, in body and in spirit."
"But" he continued "This is a fight between two villages, it's different from your other fights so..."
"So?" She waited for him to finish.
"I didn't want to lose you" he told her smiling down at her.
Kushina again couldn't believe her ears and asked "Even if I'm an outsider?"
Minato looked down at her "Why do you say that? You live in the hidden leaf so you're one of us." He smiled sweetly.
At that moment Kushina's feelings towards Minato had changed her.
The red hair she used to hate had brought her the man of her destiny, and it had become the "red thread of fate".
Kushina had learned to love her hair, and she had fallen in love with Minato.
*End Flashback*
Naruto still didn't quite understand.
"Dad how did you know you loved her though" Naruto insisted.
"I wouldn't have gone after her if I didn't. Before I left the village I thought about why I would endanger myself to save Kushina. A girl I was afraid to approach because of her spirit and strength. Then I realized...I couldn't live without her. I realized that even if I didn't talk to her I didn't want her missing out of my life. I wanted to see her, to be with her, to tell her how beautiful she is. That's when I knew I loved her and that I had to go after her." Minato told him how he had felt back when he fell in love.
Naruto looked down.
Had he felt this way about Hinata in any way?
He would admit that now that he knew the truth he knew he didn't want her missing out of his life.
He would admit that life without her couldn't be the same...but love?
Minato looked at his sons expression of thought.
"Naruto, don't worry the time will come where you will know exactly how you feel without having to think about it, and when that time does come make a move."
"Naruto smiled a bit and nodded.
"You got it, dad" He said as he flashed out of the office.
"W-Wait!" said Minato trying to stop Naruto.
But he didn't make it.
"Damn it! I never even told him what I called him down here for." He cursed.
