Overdue update, I have everything planned out for the next chapter that's going to involve Naruto vs Kiba and the Young Devils Gathering. So much has happened, some of which being planning for future chapters and doing life stuff. Also I'll be going to attend a convention for a few days, and I am very excited for it since it's been over ten years since I left my home state for a long overdue vacation.
I feel like a new me, faster, stronger, and maybe a bit more happy I guess. This is a lot, especially since I for one never thought I'd have the guts to say, "I want to see more of what is out there. I feel like Naruto Namikaze whenever I decide to take a chance and say what I want to do or say what I feel. When I do, I feel like something heavy is lifted. I really wish to feel this way from today onward.
Anyways, to let people know I am still here and still working on fics, I have put together the first part of a side story in FIREBRAND, regarding the question, "What is the story behind Naruto's whisker marks?" Naruto having them is pretty strange, especially since there's no Kurama in the FIREBRANDverse, so how did he get them? This story will be split into two parts, as to not spoil anything.
Also, no, Infernus isn't in this story, for he is elsewhere, still looking for a host.
Over 16 years ago
February 15
Kuoh General Hospital
Kuoh Town
11:48 am
"Let's see here...Your due date is October 10th, Mrs. Namikaze," The doctor told Kushina, who was silent about the news, but then slowly formed a huge smile on her face.
"That's great, ya know!" Kushina says out loud for everyone on the floor she was on to hear. "Oh my god, this is great news! My 2-year old girl Chelsea is going to be so happy to hear she's going to have a little sibling! Thank you for this news Doctor!" The blonde short-haired doctor adjusts her glasses and tells her she was only doing her job, sounding grateful to hear Kushina thank her.
Namikaze Residence
1:25 pm
"I will have...what?" the 2-year old Chelsea said to Kushina, who was sitting with her and watching her read Momotaro by herself.
"A little sibling," Kushina says to her. "It's someone who's younger than you, whom is related to us, and whom you as the older sister must protect and love as much as you love your father and I. It is a huge responsibility. Do you understand?" Chelsea take some time to think about it, putting her right pointing finger to her mouth in a thinking manner, an act that made Kushina gush about how cute she was. Looking at her mother, the young Chelsea told her she understands, and she (Kushina) could trust her with looking after her yet to be born sibling while she's focused on her work, the last part making Kushina look sad. She never had much time for her daughter, save for the first twelve months she spent caring for her up till she was able to speak her first word, it being "Mama".
After her work got in the way of spending quality time with Chelsea, Kushina gave most of the responsibilities to Jiraiya and sometimes Minato, whose schedules made it flexible for them to care for her. This also made Chelsea prefer her Father over her.
"Chelsea..."
"...Where do little siblings come from?" Kushina's eyes grew wide when put on the spot of trying to tell her firstborn where babies came from.
"Like you, your little sibling came from well...me." When asked how, the sweat-faced Kushina wondered if she was really going to give the talk to a 2-year old who was asking real questions at a very early stage of her life. Truly she received her brains from her. "That Chelsea is...really hard to say."
"Why?"
"Because you're not at that age in life where I can. I will eventually, just not now," Kushina said to her daughter, who relents, Kushina wiping the sweat off her face in relief. Hearing a notification sound letting her know it was from work, Chelsea told her she should pick it up. "R-Right...Jiraiya should be in his office. Do you remember where it is?"
"Mmm," Chelsea said with a nod as she focused on reading Momotaro. Before leaving, Kushina hugs Chelsea, telling her she loved her. "I know..."
Ramen Ichiraku (Kuoh Town)
7:15 pm
"Ayame, another bowl of Salt Pork Ramen please..." Kushina told the female cook in a sad tone.
"Whoa, five bowls and still going," said Ayame. "Chelsea again?"
"It really blows having to ditch her for work, and leave her to Minato and Jiraiya's care," Kushina told the server as she made the red-haired woman a new bowl of ramen. "I had this fantasy of cooking and caring for my little baby girl and be her favorite parent, but adult responsibilities can't allow me that chance. I've only had one year with her, and after that, "Mom, I understand the responsibility of being an older sibling, you can let me handle it so you can focus on your important work." Did she really have to say important work? Chelsea, you're more important than work, ya know, right?"
"I don't think she knows," said Ayame, having finished the bowl of ramen for her favorite customer and placed it in front of her. She's still two after all."
"Yet her learning is fast..."
"You both made more than enough stable income, perhaps you can take unpaid leave and let Minato handle making the money, and Jiraiya-sama's books really sell."
"If I leave work, someone may get something wrong," said Kushina. "They rely on me too much for me to just leave. You wouldn't believe how far off my work was without me there during the year I took off to care for Chelsea. All those projects pushed back...I also couldn't let Chelsea go without her Dad. This next leave I plan to have five months from now, I'll make it up to Chelsea, and after this new child is born..."
"...Make sure you don't overwork yourself Kushina. It's not healthy for your next one." With a forced confident smile, she told Ayame she'll make sure not to. "And maybe not eat too much ramen."
"I'll stop after this," Kushina told the female server.
Namikaze Residence
Minato and Kushina's Room
8:04 pm
Minato quietly lays the sleeping Chelsea in the bed and puts her blanket over her, the blond man smiling at how peaceful she looked. As soon as he placed her stuff frog Gama-chan next to her, the two-year old wrapped her arms around it, just as Kushina quietly entered her room. Walking over to her daughter, Kushina smiles as she gently poked at her left cheek.
"She give Jiraiya trouble?" Minato tells his wife Chelsea behaved very well around Jiraiya.
"Glad to hear."
"...Another kid huh...I wonder who they'll take after."
"I hope it's me," Kushina jokes. "Though if they come out with your trait, it'll still be nice. I can tell by now that Chelsea takes after you. Knowing responsibilities and being patient...I don't want to be a parent who never has time for her children growing up. My parents were never around for me. I don't want to do that to her, or our new child that's growing inside of me. I want to tell her that, but I don't want to make Chelsea keep expecting me to be there for her and break promises I want to keep."
"I'm sure Chelsea knows it, in her own way. She has your brain after all, ya know?" Hearing Minato's response, Kushina looked surprised to hear him say 'ya know', then covers her mouth to muffle her joyful laugh. Once her laughing stopped, the now-smiling Kushina agreed their daughter had her brains, adding her verbal tic after her sentence.
"Now that I am in a good mood after feeling down about what Chelsea had told me, what name should we give to this new one?"
"Hmmm...If it's another girl...I'm thinking Mito." Kushina looked surprised to hear he wanted to name the potential daughter after one of her ancestors, wanting to name her Mito as well. "We really are made for each other, ya know."
"Or it's just coincidence," said Minato.
"What if it's a boy?" Kushina asked.
"...I have a good idea on what to call our potential son." After giving her the name he would give him, Kushina asked him where he got it from. "One of characters in Jiraiya-sensei's work in progress book."
"A character from one of his perverted novels?" asked a suspicious Kushina, Minato telling his wife it wasn't from a perverted novel, and that it was unlike any of the work he usually was known for. "I do not believe you. I may need to see it for myself to believe it, ya know."
"I can read some of it to you before bed."
"Great, can't wait."
The days that went by following her new of being pregnant with a second child were normal for a while. As the days that followed continued even on the first day of June, Kushina found herself feeling lightheaded and a little weak in the knees. It didn't bother her at first, thinking it was her body telling her to not overdo it for the baby, Minato, knowing Kushina was always so energetic and not this tired, went with her to see a doctor about it, who came to the conclusion that it was from overwork and stress. After being prescribed medication for her lightheadedness, Kushina spent about 5 hours a day at work each day, and spent the rest sleeping after spending about one to two hours caring for Chelsea. As the days in May went by, Kushina felt herself spending less time at work and with her daughter, leaving Jiraiya to look after her more than usual.
5 months 13 days later
July 28
Bullet Train to Kyoto
10:45 am
Two days after finding out their next baby was a boy, Kushina decided to take a paid week off work to spend time with her husband and their daughter, deciding to go to Kyoto, something Kushina had promised Chelsea she'd do. In the train, Kushina's face sweated a bit, and she was heavily panting to herself as Chelsea and Minato look at her, feeling worried.
"It's...so hot..."
"Mom, water." Kushina thanked her daughter as she took a cup of icy cold water and gulped it down.
"Thank you, Chelsea." Looking down at her big belly, Kushina weakly smiled at it, asking the baby boy inside her if the icy water feels nice.
"Kushina, are you sure you're okay?" Minato asked, Kushina letting him know she was doing fine.
"Its just really hot." Minato, knowing something was wrong, told her the air conditioning in the train was on at max. "Really? How odd...You don't have to worry, Minato. I just need fluids in my body and I and our son will be great."
"Really?" asked Chelsea. Giving Chelsea the biggest smile she could muster, Kushina gave her a thumbs up and tells her, "Mama's strong, ya know."
Kinkakujichō, Kita Ward, Kyoto
2:15 pm
"Look Mom! Dad! That castle is shiny!" Chelsea happily yells as she points at it while looking at her parents.
"That's from the gold leaves that make up the castle's top two floors Kushina informed.
"Gold leaves?"
"Yes," said the red-haired woman. "It involves a very long process of tirelessly beating out and stretching alloy of pure gold with minuscule traces of silver and copper."
"All-...?Sil-?Cop-urrr?"
"Oh, I guess those are new words for you. When you're-...When you're old enough..."
"Kushina?...Kushina...?" Kushina's hearing went deaf as her vision slowly got blurry, and her forehead felt hot. She found herself breathing heavily at rapid paces, dropping to her knees and clutching her chest in pain with her left hand, using her right hand to prevent herself from abruptly dropping on her stomach to prevent harm to the baby inside of her. From her blurry vision, she saw how panicked her husband and daughter looked as they called out to her. Kushina's eyelids got heavy as Minato called for help. The last thing she saw was her daughter looking at her with teary eyes while calling out to her.
To be continued in Part II.
