A/N – I really hate this Naruto-trapped-in-Konohagakure arc; it's very hard for me to write if I have to be honest. I just want to step away from all this angst shit because I feel as if I'm just going on-and-on about Naruto's depression and his faith in finding his family again. I'm just going to ask this once: is it boring you to read about Naruto's struggles in Konohagakure? Is that interesting enough for you readers? Do you want to read that? I know these chapters haven't been all that great and things are kind of slow and I don't update as much as I'd like to but… ah, I'm rambling. I bet you all have a clear understanding of my insecurities by this point. Well, that's about it for now. My exams are over and I'm in my second semester so hopefully there will be more chapters. So, here's to a new chapter!

Every day was the same for him, every single fucking day.

Naruto would sit up in his bed, more exhausted than when he had laid down the night before. Immediately, the ten-year-old boy would be bombarded with the sense of paranoia, remembering all those eyes following his every move. They peeped from the tree line and in the leaves above his small temporary home or standing outside of his door. It's only been about a month and a half since this house – isn't it just another holding cell, his mind out this – had been provided for him and he's hated it ever since.

The blond-haired swordsman would slide out of bed to start his day by the bathroom. In the bathroom of white tiles and without a window, Naruto could feel somewhat at peace for this is the one place the eyes outside couldn't physically see him. He's sure they could sense his chakra every step of the way but being seen in any light can create a certain sort of distrust, especially for him. The Momochi boy would hop in the shower, sometimes talking with Kurama or simply reliving what's happened in the past before stuffing it back down memory lane. On days like that, he'd hurriedly thinking of something else like what training he might do later, if any at all.

Naruto could work on some muscle training, doing pushups or sit-ups on the floor. The eyes outside were considerate enough to allow him that, staying just beyond the windows and doors. Muscle training seemed pretty good since he didn't have that luxury while in that underground dungeon. The blond-haired boy might even set up that homemade punching bag he made the other day by using all the rice in the kitchen closet and fill up one of his pillow cases with it. He could create a clone and spar a little bit but that might cause suspicion since chakra could lead to the ANBU walking in and taking him back to that interrogation room he'd been in several months ago.

Naruto refused to go back there.

He could head back to the mindscape and communicate with Kurama, trying to find any way to get them out of Konohagakure. However, that usually ended up with arguments and frustration. He was never sure whether he wanted to put himself through that mental strain. While it could be beneficial to him, there were days when he simply had no mental energy to do so.

So far in this hideaway, he'd found that the only thing he felt like he could do for hours to simply pass the time was meditating. It honestly helped with his instability both mentally and emotionally. It helped Naruto calm down if he ever woke up from a nightmare or simply felt too upset throughout the day. It helped him after an argument with Kurama or simply being too caught up with his thoughts, mind spiraling out-of-control. It allowed the Momochi boy to relax, to think without any mental barriers…

To let him breathe.

There were weeks where Naruto would just sit there for days just meditating, body not registering the hunger and thirst he needed to survive. He'd sit and simply breathe in-and-out, brainwaves being a simple line of contentment because, for Naruto, this was his life now. He had no other aspirations besides getting back to his family, something that could be helped and thought about now but the future decided whether he'd achieve his goal or not. The boy could continue his swordsmanship but the silent fear that the eyes outside would take the Nuibari from him stopped him from training outside of his mindscape. He could try to escape but being thrown back into the dungeon was yet another quaking thought.

But here, sitting on his bed with his legs crossed and loosened fists on his knees… here he could breathe. He could take it all in and simply just remember without all the hurt. He could look back into the past without the pain and guilt tearing at his heart. Naruto could forget about his hardships and simply remember a time where everything was fine. A time where loved ones didn't die and others didn't leave him to the cruel world, one where he wasn't taken from a family that could very well have died that day. The blond-haired child could hear the laughter and think back to the smiles that would brighten his day, pushing him to get back out into the world and stop hiding behind these walls keeping him in Konohagakure.

However, all great things must come to an end.

Naruto knew that he could never stay meditating forever, in a world he'd conjure up to put his heart and mind at peace to the crippling world around him. If he stayed like that for too long – days, days that went by so fast that the boy wished for more time to just lounge there forever – the eyes outside knocked down his doors, threatening him to quit that or he'd have handcuffs on his wrists once more. It was either the watchers beyond the tree lines or it was Kurama's booming voice, calling him to eat something so that he wouldn't perish right then and there. Both were options that startled Naruto, broke his concentration and pulled him back to the cruel world that had taken his life and destroyed it.

He couldn't stay there, never.

Instead, the Momochi boy would get up and find something else to do, anything to pass the time. He needed to get back into building some more muscle mass if he was going to escape here. Naruto also needed to build his stamina and dexterity back up if he had to run for days. There was also the problem of saving up the food in this poor hovel for the long journey back to his family. He had stop laying down with his thoughts and get back up, ready to take the world on. He should stop meditating, even if it had brought him a little bit of inner peace. If Naruto doesn't stop now, he won't ever be able to leave Konohagakure and find his family… if they are even alive.

His day ends with troubled thoughts, furrowed eyebrows, and a deep frown. Eyes gleaming with a maturity far too old for his age, one that should be on an older man not a ten-year-old child. The Momochi boy would lay down with twisting thoughts and an irregular heartbeat. He'd be very aware of the stares on the back on his neck, window just above his bed. The wind would pick up the sounds of soles touching the grass outside of his temporary home. The fear that they would take him away was very much there, hidden behind hopeful thoughts that Naruto would be back with his family in no time.

However, hope fades fast as you get older and reality sinks in much quicker than one would like to admit.

Kushina was there once again, body hidden by the overgrowth and any noise made drowned out by howling animals crawling amongst the forest floors. They had a specific tree to meet up at, the tallest and thickest branch the two could find on it. She was heading there now, a basket in hand. Glowing eyes pierced the Forest of Death, snarling and growling coming from overgrowth around her. The mother of two didn't mind or care since she knew she could handle herself should anything happen, if any at all.

Kushina smiled to herself, approaching the tree. She could see a little dash of color in the thicket of leaves above her, Naruto somewhere up there on the branch awaiting her presence. The redhead did not stand and stare, simply placing her foot on the trunk of the tree. By using chakra to keep her ground, Kushina walked up at a steady pace to see her son.

He was staring down at her and, once she was up high enough, he called to her, "Huh, you actually came."

She chuckled to herself, cupping her hand to her mouth, hoping the half-circle allowed her to be louder, "Of course, I did." Kushina walked the rest of the way, seating herself in front of the blond-haired child. She placed the basket in between the two, getting a strange look from the other. "Thought you might want something different from beansprouts and rice noodles." The older woman supplied.

"You remembered?" Naruto blinked, peeping into the basket to see what she'd brought.

"Well, yeah. You complained most of the time the last time I saw you about how you've only been able to eat beansprouts and rice noodles for the last month." Kushina pulled out two bowls from the basket, handing the kid in front of her one, "Thought you might want something different for a change."

Naruto held the covered bowl in his hands, a more prominent smile on his face. He took the cover off and, in a soft and content whisper, he looked at her, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She smiled back at him, handing him chopsticks, "I also made extra for you to take back with you."

He pulled the wooden chopsticks apart and took a small bite, letting the flavor settle on his tongue. The Momochi boy hummed, drinking some of the broth as well. Kushina watched for a second or two to see his reaction. Pulling the bowl from his lips, Naruto flashed his sharpened teeth, grinning up at her, "This is really good! What is it?!"

Kushina laughed aloud at his reaction, "It's called ramen. It's my favorite food, thought you might want to try it."

"It's so different from the food in Kiri and when we were on the road." He admitted, stuffing some noodles in his mouth.

"Really?" She titled her head, starting to eat from her own bowl, "What kinds of food did you usually eat?"

"Well, there wasn't a lot of trade with Rice country when I lived in Kiri, so we usually only ate noodles. There weren't a lot of colorful vegetables since the soil in Kiri was always too moist and rainy for any plants to get any sun. My uncle taught me that!" He spoke quickly, waving around a chopstick every now and then, "Most of our diet consisted of fish and chicken since there was an abundance of ocean to fish at and chickens were low maintenance."

Kushina nodded her heads, nearly half-way done with her ramen, "What'd you eat while on the road?"

"Anything we could find, really." Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, "We usually had soups or stews. Most of them had mushrooms that we'd find on the way from one place to another. The only meat I can really remember eating was squirrel and wild boar, maybe a bird or two."

"Any good?" She questioned, slurping up the broth at the bottom of the bowl, finished with her serving.

"Some birds just taste like chicken and squirrel is a little tough but I think Kisame-sensei just cooked it too long. Wild boar is a weird tasting but not bad… none of it really was." The ten-year-old shrugged, finishing his ramen as well, "It kept us fed so there really wasn't too much of an issue with it."

"Ah, I see." She mumbled, placing her bowl back in the basket, leaning back. It grew silent between the two, a lingering awkwardness falling over them after their conversation ended slightly. It wasn't a terrible thing, per say, just a little different. Kushina wasn't sure what to talk about, having usually been the one to start conversations in her friend group and then drone on forever after she got started. However, with Naruto – her child that she'd only just met several months ago after ten years apart – she wasn't exactly sure what she should say.

"You look conflicted." Naruto pointed out, cupping his face with his hands that balanced on his crossed legs.

Kushina chuckled, shaking her head slightly, "Man, you catch everything, don't you?"

"I guess so." He allowed a smile to grace his features, staring into her dark colored eyes, "So? What's up with you?"

"Well, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure what to talk about." She admitted.

Naruto bobbed his head, "Well, do you just want to… I don't know, ask each other things?"

"Are you okay with that?" The older woman questioned, raising an eyebrow, surprised by the suggestion.

"I mean… I don't want to leave yet so, anything is good at this point." He shrugged, sinking into his hands, glancing at her, "Favorite color?"

"Red. What about you?" Kushina answered quickly, pointing the question back at him.

Naruto looked up as if in thought, "Not sure, haven't thought about it much. Green or… is burnt orange a color?"

She laughed at the odd color, "I'm pretty sure it is."

"Well, then I guess it'll have to be that one." He shrugged, "Hm… you said ramen is your favorite food, right?"

"Yep!" She grinned, "What about you?"

"Probably fruits or pasta. I ate that a lot when I was younger." Naruto stated, glancing at his hands, "…do you have a favorite season?"

"Not really, summer is pretty cool but it's kind of boring in Konoha," Kushina said.

"I like winter; the snow in Kiri is awesome." He smiled, remembering many winters ago when he was smaller, younger and people were still around.

"Konoha hasn't had a winter in about four years." She supplied, tapping her chin, "Well, I really like dogs, what about you? Got a favorite animal?"

"Ah, I'm not sure… maybe foxes?" He shrugged.

"That better be your favorite animal." A slurred voice called from the mindscape.

"K-Kurama!" Naruto mentally squeaked, "I thought you were sleeping?"

He could feel the demon fox rolling his eyes, "I was, just happened to hear you two blabbering off."

"Sorry."

"Stop apologizing, brat… just keep it down, alright?" Kurama grumbled, voice quieting down.

"Alright." He thought back, looking to Kushina, "Favorite flower?"

"Definitely sunflowers! They're so bright and colorful!" She chirped up, smiling brightly, "We get them a lot during the summertime."

"I'd have to say morning glories, the blues ones with the black markings on them," Naruto stated, waving a hand around.

Kushina tilted her head, red locks flowing over her shoulder, "Why's that?"

"Well, we saw them a lot after we left Kiri. At night, they'd be closed but in the morning, they'd be covered in dew and smell nice." His mind drifted to when Ameyuri explained how these flowers worked the first time he saw them with his own eyes.

"That's so cool." The redhead mumbled to herself, thinking about a question to ask him, "How about this? Weather."

"Huh?"

"Like what weather do you enjoy the most?" She further explained.

"I… hm…" He thought about it for a second, "It rained a lot in Kiri when I used to live there but it was kind of annoying and Chōjūrō used to get sick a lot. But… maybe a drizzle? It always sounded nice on the roof. What about you?"

"I like when it's storming with lightning and thunder!" She flashed her hands around and imitated the boom of thunder. The older woman tapped her chin once more, a comfortable silence hovering over them as they both thought of something to ask the other. "Do you happen to have a favorite drink? I like raspberry lemonade from this BBQ restaurant I went to once." Kushina questioned, not sure about the question.

"I don't think this counts as a favorite but I prefer water with a little bit of lime." Naruto said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly, "This might sound weird, but ah… got a favorite time of day? Mine's dawn."

"What a coincidence, mine is dusk." She chuckled at this, getting a smile out of her son.

"How old are you?" He raised an eyebrow, the question having suddenly popped into his head.

"You don't just ask a woman's age out of nowhere, you might make them self-conscious." The redhead shook her head, wagging a finger in his direction.

Naruto gave an 'are-you-kidding-me' look, crossing his arms, "Why's that?"

"Because it's rude." Kushina rolled her eyes, "But… I am turning 34 soon."

"When's your birthday?" The Momochi boy questioned.

"July 10th." She responded smoothly.

He bobbed his head, "Mine is October 16th."

Kushina froze and stared at her boy. She stopped herself from correcting his birthday, remembering that Zabuza had no idea of the day he was born upon coming across Naruto as a baby. It was only natural for the day of him finding her son to be the day Zabuza celebrated his birthday. She spoke after a few seconds, "You're going to be… how old?"

"Eleven," Naruto stated, eyes darkening abruptly.

The mother of two noticed immediately, "Hey, you alright?"

"…how long have I… been here?" He didn't look at her.

Kushina sighed, glancing down at her clasped hands, "Almost four months…"

"Sorry." Naruto suddenly whispered, looking up, sadden eyes meeting her own, "I was just remembering something and I just… I had to ask. It feels like I've been here forever."

"It's okay, Naruto. You don't have to apologize." She took a deep breath, "What happened to you… what my husband did to you was horrible and completely uncalled for. You deserve to be happy… even if that's not with us."

"And you're sure that there's nothing you can't do to g-get me out?" His eyes were wide and pleading.

The older woman gave him a grim look, "If I knew how to get you far away from this place, I would tell you in a heartbeat but… I'm not sure what I could do."

Naruto nodded his head dejectedly, "It's okay… I'll get out of here one day."

"I know you will." Her son stared into her eyes with an understanding and hope, "Plus, you've got to tell your dad that he raised a fine young man for me when you find him again."

The Momochi boy chuckled, rubbing his cheek reassuringly, "Why are you so nice to me?"

"Because, whether you see me like one or not, I'm your mother and you deserve all the happiness in the world even if it's just a simple hangout session in the woods." Kushina smiled, "I want to get to know you and maybe, one day… maybe one day we'll be friends."

He nodded slowly, looking up at the leaves above their heads, "Your turn."

She was quiet for a while, mulling over what she could ask him. The older woman could simply ask him more about his favorites or his hobbies but the conversation had taken a very serious tone and she didn't think they'd have a conversation like this again. "Well, why do you tolerate me? You obviously hate my husband who is your birth father but… you seem to not share the same hate for me." Kushina asked in a soft voice.

"You weren't the one to order ninja to attack my family and kidnap me. You weren't the one to send me to a dungeon for who-knows-how-long. Plus, when we first met, you didn't try to… to pressure me into being your son." His bottom lip quivered, "You were understanding of my situation a-and you wanted to know… about them, about my family… the family that raised me and loved me." He glanced away, "Kushina, I… don't see you as my m-mother…"

Her heart thumped to a stop for a split-second, breaking at his words.

"However, you wanted to get to know me as – well, you kind of said this earlier – but as a friend… and I really appreciated that." Naruto raised his head and smiled brightly.

"There's still hope for everything." She thought to herself, a small smile of her own spreading across her face, the two staring into each other's eyes. She wasn't quite sure what to say in response to that, "You're turn."

"Do you have any other family here?" The blond-haired child questioned.

"Sadly, other than my husband, my second son, and your godparents… there's no one." She admitted.

"I…" The swordsman froze, eyes widened, "I… have a b-brother?"

Kushina nodded her head, "Yeah, his name is Aleck, he's turning three soon." Wheels were starting to turn in her son's head, bad thoughts and a troubling mindset. "Hey." She called out, "Listen… I'm not entirely sure what you're thinking right now, but… Aleck was a surprise. We didn't want to have any more kids until we found you… d-dead or alive." Naruto looked at her with sad and confused eyes. "He didn't replace you. We looked everywhere for you, keeping track of anything and everything because we love you – we love both you and your brother – and we just wanted you to come back to us so we'd be a whole family… but…" Kushina took a deep breath, "Not like this. Not with you stuck here. Not with you away from Zabuza and everyone else. Not like this."

"I'm not even sure why I care so much." Naruto whispered out harshly, "I've only known you for a few months… but hearing about a kid that's my b-brother, I just… you don't think d-dad would replace me with some other kid, r-right?"

So that's what that look was about. Kushina shook her head immediately, "Of course not, Naruto. Just like how Minato and I tried our best to find you, Zabuza and your family are doing their hardest to get you back. I wouldn't be surprised if they marched into Konoha and started wreaking havoc, just to get you back."

"You sure?"

"Absolutely." She smiled, giving him a sympathetic look, "You okay?"

"Yeah, I guess so." He pulled his knees up to his chest, laying his head on top of them, "What happened to your parents? Don't you have any?"

Kushina sighed, "I used to but that was a long time ago."

"What happened?" He raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Do you know of Uzushiogakure?" She asked him, getting a shake of his head, "Well, that's probably because it has been erased."

"Erased?"

"Yep. Uzu is the only village to have ever been eradicated in the entirety of ninja history. This is because people feared the Uzumaki clan – my clan, my family – that lived in Uzushiogakure." Kushina stared up, imagining a vast sky of a thousand stars lighting up above them, "In the end, my village was destroyed and I was taken to Konoha to take upon the burden of holding the Kyuubi no Kitsune."

Naruto froze and looked at her with wide eyes, "Y-You… you were kidnapped, too?"

"Sort of." She stated, glancing at him before shutting her eyes, "I was young and I had no one left to go to. My Uzumaki brothers and sisters scattered the earth and no one wanted to take up a kid. Konoha would have given me a home, a place to belong… but it was all for their benefit." There was a dark look in her eyes once she opened them but disappeared quickly upon glancing at her son. "Mito Uzumaki – the previous holder of the Kyuubi no Kitsune and wife to the first Hokage – was dying. If she died, the demon would be released or would die with her, only to return later in time. Konoha couldn't have that and needed another Uzumaki to bear the burden." Kushina placed a hand on her chest, "I felt obligated to take on this burden since Konoha was going to take up a burden like me… It was painful and people were not nice but I rose above them and became someone great. I wasn't just a Jinchuriki, I became Kushina Uzumaki, a badass kunoichi." She rubbed the back of her neck, pink rising in her cheeks, "Ah, sorry about the life story."

"You're… you're the same as me." Naruto whispered out.

"Well, I guess in some respects… yeah, we're pretty similar." Kushina smiled, but faltered slightly, "That doesn't bother you… right?"

He shook his head, "Not at all…" There was the barest smile on his face.

A warmth spread in her chest, "I'm glad."

Somewhere else in the world, conflict is arising and the tension thickens.

Q&A:

#52: Welcome back and Happy New Year! Anyway, this is a great chapter but what does the owner of those red eyes be doing? Watching or planning something involved with the seven swordsmen, or not. Also, what would kushina do for her sons train'em or teaches them skills to use against enemies outside and/or within the village? Because there are enemies that are power hungry and greedy, and some corrupted politicians in the story.

swordsmanwielder from Fanfiction (.net) asked this:

The owner of the pair of red eyes is classified… for now, or at least this chapter and maybe the next one. I can't answer your second question since it contributes to the next chapter, so… do you think you can wait until then?

#53: I kinda feel for Minato. He fucked up I'll be the one to say that. So Naruto is getting trained by someone? Is he training with his sword or I he afraid of Konoha taking it?

FunnyKittens from Wattpad asked this:

Naruto is sort of being mentored by Kurama but that's about it. He's just getting support from a few others. However, as this chapter suggests, Naruto is afraid to train with his sword since it could be taken at any moment the minute he summons it.

If you have any questions, comment them and they will be answered in the next chapter.