A/N: I present my first ever attempt at writing. It is not canon compliant and will be AU since I will be manipulating the timeline as i wish. English is not my first language. Constructive criticism is welcomed but don't be rude. I am writing for fun and hope you enjoy as well.

I don't own Naruto and never will.

"Emphsis"

characters thinking/a simple narration

AN IMPORTANT PART

"characters speaking"

Pay attention to the chapter names as they sometimes signify a deeper meaning...

Chapter 7: Tears

A panting naruto collapsed in a cave just outside the borders of the Leaf village. She had sensed for a hirashin marker that was just outside the border but still in a certain vicinity of the village. She took deep gulps of air and put her hand on her chest as if to calm down her racing heart. She knew breathing will always remain painful for her because there is not a single breath when she doesn't remember them all but she didn't quite grasp that she will stop breathing, like no oxygen AT ALL.

"Well" she thinks "that's how beautiful mom was" like heart-stopping beautiful

Flashback starts

She had only planned to watch for a moment but had frozen on the spot when she had caught sight of that lovely red hair. Then her breathing had stopped when she realized mom was coming towards her direction. And when she was close enough her heart had soared with so much happiness because she could feel Kurama's chakra enter into her but had dropped in equal measure when she saw her mom fall onto her knees.

And that's when she remembered with increasing dread that a Jinjuriki cannot survive his tailed beast extraction. She was killing her mom and ohmygod I have to get out of here- she had stumbled and immediately locked eyes with Kushina. So casting a last loving and longing glance at her mother and life-long companion, she flashed the hell out of the alleyway to spare the both of them more pain.

Flashback ends

Entering into her mindscape, she ran and fell on her knees, smiling so wide that her eyes closed when she was greeted by a small ball of Kurama's chakra. She did not touch it but oh how much she wanted to embrace him right now because she understood what Kurama meant by "I will be finding you first". She knows her mom will not die, because she believes in him that he will not kill her mother. She just has to avoid her mother till Kurama is able siphon enough chakra to get a conscience outside of his previous seal.

For the first time since she arrived here in the past, she let a tear fall, waiting for her friend that never stopped looking after her. She will be patient and will wait for him first and then together they will plan and plot and save the world.

"It's a promise of a lifetime" She declares.

"After all I have nine loyal partners with me in this mission" She bumps her fist to the sky as her eyes shine with all the nine colors of the biju's chakra. As if they are also making the same promise and agreeing with her.

Unbeknownst to everyone, the world had just then tilted on its axis. A new timeline was formed then and there; this world will never reach its end because this time the child of prophecy and her friends will live to see to that.

Minato sensed his security wards allowing Kushina entry into the apartment.

"Welcome home" He stood up to greet her but got concerned when he saw her frown.

"Hey what happened?" He cupped her cheeks with both hands and asked.

"I think there is something wrong with the seal Minato" She whispered bringing her hand on top of his. And then she told him everything from Kyubi swearing in the morning, the red chakra thread, the pain from the seal, to the encounter with THOSE EYES

"I tried asking the Kyubi but it did not answer me which was expected but I can feel the frustration radiating off of him." She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly to keep her calm after talking herself into a panic. She looked up to meet his eyes and was surprised to see how similar his looked to THOSE EYES.

"What? This is serious Kushina, Let's check the seal first" She shook the previous thought as he tugged at her hand incessantly towards their living room "Come on"

"Yes, coming –tebane" She went and lay down on the couch, pulling up her shirt so that he could examine the seal.

After five minutes of continuous poking and prodding, Minato stiffened.

"What's wrong Minato?" Kushina asked worriedly.

"Kushina, look for yourself" He pointed out the problem in the seal. She was also a seal master but trusted Minato to find out the problem She sat up and looked at where his finger was pointing at and gasped "But how is this possible?" She asked wide eyed. There was a symbol that had appeared on her seal out of nowhere, a Kanji for CONNECT

"This can only mean two things Kushina and you also know it" Minato said coming out his stupor and whispering as if someone might hear him.

"Either the fox is willingly giving his chakra away" continued Minato with sharp eyes trying to figure out the truth as if it will appear before his eyes by merely looking at the seal.

"Or there is an exact same seal on someone which is open and without a key" Kushina finished saying the second possibility. Minato nodded.

"But it is impossible, the seal was designed by Mito-sama personally and only an Uzumaki will be able to hold it" She desperately tried to think of something to contradict what was being left unsaid. She did not know whether to laugh or to cry because this means that there is an Uzumaki alive somewhere she wanted to jump in joy and announce to the whole world that she still has family but he/she is going to die soon because the fox's cage in their seal is left open and it will destroy anyone for his freedom.

She is always reaching out to her family but there is just no one left to help. And it's been very long since she has continuously been searching and when she finds them, it's as if finding an oasis in a vast desert but it was just a mirage she realizes because they are on their last breath and she can do nothing to save them. So yes, she decided she is going to cry tears of horror and longing and lost love, because she has just lost another family member.

TBC

Signing out

Yuki Race