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Kushina/Minato Pairing

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This chapter is slightly longer; Christmas gift lol

For those that are interested: My job is going well. I've finished college finals so break is a relief to me.

Drifting Blossom Chapter 7

The first Academy year had come to an end and was quickly coming to the start of Kushina's second year with those that had graduated. To someone that had already gone through the academy though, Kushina found that she wasn't as excited in moving up as she once had been. It was simply moving forward these days.

Over their short break from the academy, Mikoto had introduced her to her parents and surprisingly, they were quite open to the fact that their daughter had made a friend in the young Uzumaki girl. It was, in a sense as well, unexpected because all Kushina had to go off of was the stoic Uchiha that had been the one to kill her.

There was also the fact that Uzumaki weren't well known because they were a Clan located in a secluded area, and so far, it seemed fine with their daughter was around a girl without proof that she was from a well known Clan. It made Kushina grimace though, that the Uchiha clan had pulled away from outside Clan interactions after the Kyuubi attack.

That was something she was very determined to change, especially if she could keep the Uchiha Clan from resorting to a Coup d'état. It was that Clan that Kushina needed to have in the future to help keep Konoha safe as well; just in case she didn't survive, at least they would continue to live.

With a heave, Kushina had her pack for the academy slung over her shoulder and she glanced at Mito, who was looking well worn these days. In her mind, Kushina knew the woman didn't have much longer to live and it made her heart clench. She looked towards the woman for guidance and she was worried about her. Having Mito pass away would leave the girl all alone with an empty compound surrounding her and very much lost in a sense.

Calling out a goodbye, Kushina then proceeded to the academy, knowing that they would be merging students because of dropouts. It was a given that each year, students would drop out or fail the tests to continue on to the next class. It wasn't easy and Kushina could only feel relief that at least they wouldn't find out the hard way that Shinobi's were not all fun and games.

When Kushina had finally arrived at the academy, she found that even though she was quite early, there were plenty of new students and many older students as well, surrounding the bulletin board with classes posted. Moving through the crowd, she finally let her eyes fall upon the lists before her and when she found her name, she quickly scanned the rest of her class, noting that Mikoto was now in her class. Minato was on the list as well, not surprising Kushina at all.

If anything, she would continue to be in his class until they graduated if they kept up their scores.

He was a genius in his own right, but Kushina knew she would either rival him and surpass him in her own subjects of expertise. It was the same for him as well. He would surpass Kushina at what he did best and there was no denying it. She wasn't trying to outdo him, it was just the fact that she had a much larger head start than he did.

Mikoto was the first to find Kushina, bouncing through the crowd and latching onto Kushina's arm with a wide smile.

"I told you we would be in the same class sooner or later!"

Kushina smiled slightly before her head whipped around at the new, but familiar voice.

"I hope you do well this year, Kushina-san."

Mikoto giggled in her ear as Kushina stared at Minato with wide eyes. She hadn't expected him to really start talking to her for a while at least. After her encounter with him at the orphanage, he had been trying to get closer to her, which had the girl picking up on his not so subtle ways of trying to ensnare her in conversations. She had spotted him more times in the shopping district than she expected and she started to notice how his eyes lingered on her with curiosity.

It didn't help that they were both the top students in their classes. She was someone to compete with, a person that was almost on par with him in the Shinobi arts. She gave him something to challenge himself with.

Minato then turned towards Mikoto, smiling politely and bowing. "I am Minato Namikaze, and you are?"

Kushina found herself noting his manners in the back of her mind. He was an orphan that was polite, shy, well mannered, but also learning how to be a Shinobi. It made her weary of him though, for a shinobi's greatest asset was making their opponents underestimate them.

Mikoto giggled again and tugged at Kushina's arm. She knew the girl would be nagging at her at some point later. Having spoken to Mikoto about Minato in the first place, she knew Mikoto would tease her about him, it was just what female friends do, even when they were little. Ino had also teased her about some boys over the course of her training period with Tsunade. That was something Kushina missed, even if it did get on her nerves at times.

"Mikoto Uchiha. Kushina-chan and I will be in your class this year as well!"

Their conversation was interrupted before they could continue, many of the second year students and up being rounded by their sensei's and led to their classrooms.

Like Kushina remembered from long before, they went over the years schedule and she found herself suddenly tuning into something that had not been introduced to her as early as her second year.

Kunoichi classes.

Kushina hadn't had to deal with those classes until her fourth year. Her eyebrows furrowed at the thought of taking those classes so early.

"Kushina Uzumaki?"

At the sound of her name, the redhead looked up in surprise, finding half the class looking at her in curiosity.

"Your lunch, from now on, will be in room two hundred. You'll be joining an upper class dealing with your specialty."

Whispers suddenly erupted and Kushina found Mikoto looking at her in confusion. She hadn't told anyone other than Mito about her decision to go into Sabotage. Glancing towards Minato, she found herself jerking her eyes towards the front when she spotted his calculating gaze. He was a lot more mature than those around their age and knowing that he was like a Nara in a sense, she knew that Minato had realized she was specializing in a certain branch.

If he didn't know now, he'd definitely figure it out at some point this year.

The day passed by quickly and when lunch did come around, Kushina quickly left the room, heading for room number two hundred. Stopping outside of the classroom, she bit the inside of her lip before raising her hand and knocking on the door.

It was swiftly opened by an older boy and as Kushina looked up, she found herself blinking owlishly at the person before her.

The thing about specialties was that anyone, graduated or not, could join the class at the beginning of the year. It was open to those that were training for this type of branch, no matter the rank. Before her stood someone that she did not truly recognize, but she did in a way.

He looked like Hiashi Hyūga, Clan Head in the future.

Surprise flickered across his face before he smiled at her. Kushina could only stare, surprised that this Hyūga seemed so friendly, unlike the man she knew as Hinata's father.

"You must be the younger student Sensei was talking about. Come on, class is about to start." He said before opening the door wider and allowing Kushina to slip past him. What greeted her on the other side was a small group of already graduated students, something that didn't surprise the girl. When she had gone through the Academy, she couldn't recall anyone that had joined any of the specialized classes while they were still in the academy or even after they left.

"Kushina Uzumaki, it's a pleasure to meet such a young student interested in the arts of Sabotage."

Kushina's eyes darted towards the feminine voice and she found her gaze falling upon her sensei for this class. She was a young woman, with light blue hair and eyes a solid black. She was thin, built with a small frame that would let her go unnoticed and very easily underestimated.

"Alright class, sit down!" she called, eyeing everyone before a grin took over her face as she watched all the younger kids scatter for a seat.

"I am Rei Fukui! I will be your Sabotage Instructor until I deem this group ready. This branch is severely undervalued among our peers who usually focus on front line positions. We aim to weaken our opponent through subversion, obstruction, disruption, or destruction. A saboteur conceals their identity at all times on missions, for the consequences of their actions are worse than death. If you have any second thoughts about this line of work, please leave."

The harsh look Rei gave the class had the only other female in the class instantly standing and walking out. Another second passed before an older boy stood up and shrugged his shoulders.

"Guess this type of work isn't for me." And he shoved his hands into his pockets and walked out, sliding the door close behind him.

Rei eyed the rest of the group and Kushina stiffened as she let her gaze fall onto her small frame. The class consisted of about nine other students, not many for the amount of groups they passed each year. Finally, after making sure that no one else was going to leave her class, Rei grinned as she pulled out paper that Kushina recognized.

"Elemental Chakra is absolutely necessary in this line of duty. Earth to infiltrate a camp from within. Lightening to paralyze your enemies. Water to imprison. Fire to corral a large group, and wind can be used to cut down strong holds and other such manmade structures. There are many other uses for elemental jutsu's, but we'll be focusing on imprisonment, destruction, and infiltration the most." Rei stated as she passed out the papers to the nine that sat within her classroom.

"Elemental Chakra is usually held off to those so young, but in this type of work, we teach it as soon as possible. I will help you, guide you, and keep track of your progress. At no points should any of you practice elemental chakra without a spotter. It is dangerous, but I'll be the one to see you through each move." She stated, voice hard and holding no room for argument.

"There will be teams of three, but at the same time, there won't be teams. A team will and can distract you from your mission. In this occupation, working alone has the greatest outcome. The only reason you are sent in teams of three is because, if you fail, they are backup. Since there are so little Saboteurs, we need to keep as many as possible, alive."

Kushina fingered the paper that was given to her and, as Rei told them to concentrate chakra into it, she couldn't help but hesitate. She had never found out her element before, but with a shake of her head, she pushed chakra into the slip of paper.

The paper crumbled between her fingers and fell to the floor.

"Earth I see." Rei stated as she appeared next to Kushina with a large grin. "Perfect. I already know what team to put you with when we have our survival week."

Survival week?

Kushina could only watch as the woman bounded down the steps and to the front of the class to get started on teaching the class.

This was turning out to be a very interesting class.

Oooo

Kushina stood before Kyuubi, who was sitting on his haunches, gazing down at the girl that he thought he had sort of known. Even though she was a new jailor, he still learned about his host through emotions and memories. It was the memories that had his mind stalling. No matter how long he has lived, he had never crossed a time traveler.

"Brat, why is it that after I went searching through your memories, I come to find a whole other life?" he simply stated, causing Kushina to nervously fidget as she looked at him from her spot. She opened her mouth to speak, but the large fox brushed her aside. "I already know what happened, your memories took care of that. I just wonder, why a brat like you, would want to correct the future? Why not leave it be?"

Kushina's fists clenched and she looked down at the golden water she was standing upon.

"To prove to myself that I can fix things and to save those that I love from the pain they don't need." She stated and Kurama eyed her small frame.

"Is that so, Sakura Haruno?"

Kushina flinched and looked away for a couple of seconds before turning her burning gaze back towards the fox.

"I am not Sakura Haruno, nor Kushina Uzumaki… I am a mixture of both, but I am still me. I will protect those that I love and help as much as possible." She responded. She was a different person now, no longer that girl she had once been.

Kyuubi grinned down at the girl, his sharp teeth seemingly giving off a glint. "You do realize that you are not 'Kushina Uzumaki', thus, your 'Naruto' will not be born? That you have caused a rift in this Kushina's life and anything you do changes her future, no matter how insignificant it might seem?" he mused, looking quite pleased with the frown marring the girls face.

He was, after all, a Fox filled with hatred and if he was given the chance to hurt someone, he would do it.

Kushina was a medical ninja to a certain extent, but if it was one thing she had, it was all her memories on everything medical related. Her face paled and tears suddenly welled up as her medical side shoved all the information she needed, to the forefront of her mind.

No matter what angle she looked at it, Kushina could not give birth to the Naruto she knew. Sure, he could have the same name and everything, but he would grow up with a mother and father if she could help it. He would be different, no matter what she did. Cursing herself for not even having thought about it, she glared at the fox before adverting her gaze. It wouldn't help by taking any anger out on him.

She should have thought about that situation, but at the age her body was right now, it mattered very little. Learning anything she could was at the top of her list of things to do. Sure, it caused her heartache, but like she was told, she would have to sacrifice a lot to have a better future.

"Kyuubi, I still wish for us to be friends." She stated and the old fox looked down at her in curiosity before snorting. He had tried to make the girl upset, and he knew he had, but Kushina had quickly changed the subject, something that did annoy him at the very least.

"Still going on about that, Kushina-chan?" he questioned, mocking the girl as he sprawled out on his platform.

"I will succeed one day and maybe you could have as much free reign as I can give you."

The Kyuubi paused, jaw clenching before he grinned at the girl. "Is that so, little time traveler?"

A flash of a memory passed through her mind and the Kyuubi stilled, catching a glimpse of large, golden features that resembled him, and a smiling face of a boy. He remained silent as Kushina disappeared from her mindscape, leaving him to ponder over the chance of having a lot more freedom.

Freedom was something that he had been without for quite a long time, and as he thought about it, he finally admitted to himself that freedom was something he missed. Though, he'd never admit it to the little redheaded pest that was his Jailor.

With a huff, he rested his snout on his paws, glaring at the golden water in thought. Kushina was a time traveler, but merged with a body so it didn't mess with the other girl's life force. Sakura Haruno would be born again, yet , she never would realize just how close the two were.

He had much to sort through as well, if this war had included him and the others of his kind. Siding with the girl was just looking too tempting with everything that was going to happen as she grew up.

He grunted, scoffing at his own train of thought. How could he even let that idea cross his mind? Shrugging it off, he closed his eyes for a well deserved nap, planning to bother his jailor later.

Oooo

Her violet blue eyes clashed with brilliant blue ones and Kushina could only open her mouth and close it a couple of times. It was like déjà vu.

Minato was standing before her with a flushed face, eyes almost closed because of the smile across his face. It looked way too familiar, just not exactly as round as she remembered.

"Kushina-san?" Minato finally questioned after Kushina found no words leaving her mouth. His smile dropped from his face and a frown started to tug at the corner of his mouth. Her vision suddenly became blurry from the tears that had sprung up, but she didn't cry. A lump formed in her throat, and with a jerky nod, she let a smile come across her face.

Minato Namikaze had just asked her to eat Ramen with him.

A relieved look appeared and his smile returned as he reached forward and grasped her hand with his, pulling her along in the market towards the Ramen stand.

They had bumped into one another, but by the subtle way he had stepped into her path, Kushina knew he did it on purpose.

Once they were seated at the bar and already had their orders placed, Minato finally turned to face her.

"How is your extra class, Kushina-san?" he questioned and Kushina inwardly found herself quite amused. She had already seen this happening at some point, but not right away.

"Quite interesting, Minato-san. Our Sensei is quite… enthusiastic about teaching." And Rei was exactly like that. The woman had literally jumped into the deep end with everything and started giving them information that an Academy student wouldn't normally hear.

The glances that she would get had her frowning and Rei had all but scolded the class, saying that if one is to follow this path, there was no downplaying the facts. No matter the age, a Shinobi is a Shinobi and can and will kill if they have to.

Kushina could tell, with a glance at Minato, that he wanted at least an idea of what she was studying and she couldn't help but find it funny to see him try and get her to slip. Pursing her lips in thought, Kushina finally decided to indulge his curiosity.

"I'm in a class with all graduates, all of them older than I." she murmured, watching his brows furrow in thought as a smile tugged at her lips.

"You're not going to tell me, are you?" Minato finally stated, watching her closely with slumped shoulders. Kushina found a laugh leaving her lips as she took in how easily he sulked. With a shrug, she looped a strand of hair around one of her fingers as she sent him a sly look.

"Nope."

"Does anyone know?" he questioned and Kushina could tell that it was a serious question. With a grimace, she nodded, eating another bite of ramen.

"Mito-san knows…" she murmured.

"I'll find out somehow!" he blurted, a smile on his face.

Kushina didn't doubt him for a second.

"I'll hold you to that, Minato-san. Let's see how long it takes, ne?" she said, tilting her head towards him and smiling.

She said goodbye after they finished and as Kushina left the ramen stand, she glanced back, noticing that Minato was watching her from the still visible seats. Pausing in her step, she couldn't help but feel something stir in the pit of her stomach as she finally lifted her hand and waved.

The answering wave from Minato had her grinning as she turned on her heel and went home.

Oooo

A warm hand slid into her own as she sat at Mito's bedside, on a small chair. She had her hair down, something that had surprised Kushina and as she gazed at her, Kushina couldn't help but love the color of Mito's hair.

It was a symbol that indicated which Clan they descended from.

"I don't know how much longer I have, Kushina-chan…" Mito murmured, tightening her grip on the girl's hand. Kushina's airway seemed to constrict from Mito's comment. She knew Mito was growing older and weaker these past few weeks, but she just didn't want to accept it.

"What will I do without you?" she finally blurted, her childish need suddenly sprouting up. No matter how much she tried acting grown up, Kushina was, after all, still a child that needed to be cared for. Mito frowned and brought a hand up to Kushina's cheek, gently running a thumb over one.

"I have written everything I know, down within those scrolls. I am sorry Kushina-chan…but when it is my time to go, you must continue on, for the sake of our Clan and for the people of Konoha. You are the Jinchūriki of the Nine Tailed Fox, a jail that is between him and the village. You will do alright…without me."

"But-" and Mito cut her off, pulling the girl into her bed and wrapping her within her arms.

"Everything will be alright dear. Become strong for me, for those that you love. Your seal is strong, very strong, and I only hope that it gives you the power to protect everyone."

Kushina swallowed the lump in her throat as Mito ran her hand through her long red hair, causing her to drift into a heavy sleep from the pleasant feeling.

"Become a force to be reckoned with, Kushina Uzumaki."

O

Rain.

It was pouring out of the sky, leaving everything wet and large puddles on the ground, mixed with mud. The heavens were pitch black as lightening streaked across the sky, but Kushina didn't care, she had come to love the rain, no matter how heavy or saddening it seemed.

Today was a day spent inside the academy before she made it back to the Senju compound. Mito was teaching her how to create chakra chains out of her hands, which was going quite well. So far, she had learned that producing chakra chains from her hands allows her to quickly restrain an enemy or create a barrier in front of herself.

It might not seem like much, but a Shinobi takes every little skill and uses it to its fullest. Nothing was worthless in this line of duty. As for her chakra control, Kushina had found that meditating had helped and holding her chakra chains had done wonders. The only thing that she could complain about was not being able to create a simple Bunshin. She had never been able to create them in this body anyways.

"Mito-san, is there a way I can…learn some kind of technique that replaces the Bunshin?" she finally broke the silence that had fallen upon the two. Mito, who was reading a book, looked up and with a few seconds of taking in her question, nodded her head.

"There are plenty of options. Water clones, Earth clones, and so on. Depending on how one creates a clone, they can cause it to explode as well."

Hearing about the Earth Clone, she opened her mouth to ask questions on that, but Mito interrupted her.

"I would teach you, but Rei needs to have something for you to learn." She mused, smiling at the eager girl. She had been with Kushina for quite a while now and having learned that the girl picks up techniques pretty quickly, she decided to leave Rei with something to instruct the girl in. She couldn't be taking away the woman's job to teach.

Kushina flushed at Mito's statement and looked away as she bit her lip.

"It's alright Kushina. I am glad that you pick up so quickly on everything that is shown to you. That is a skill worthy of any Shinobi." She mused as she watched golden chains seep from the young girl's hands. They were like liquid as they pooled from the girls limbs, only, once they hit the ground, they created a clinking noise and coiled at her feet.

The thing with these chains though, was that Kushina had the Will to move them at her whim. A simple thought had the chains floating around her form, but it did take a lot of concentration and training to use them as quickly as possible.

With a simple shake of her hand, the chains dispersed, glow fading away as she willed the chains to disappear.

Kushina then stood from the chair she was sitting on and, with a quick goodbye to Mito, she left for the library full of sealing scrolls and more. Browsing through sections and reading as much as she could, Kushina didn't realize how much time had passed and she wasted the day away, storing information away as she went.

It wasn't until she stumbled across a section of Wind Ninjutsu scrolls that she paused in her searching.

Naruto had a Wind affinity and it was obviously not from Kushina.

Gnawing at her bottom lip, she pondered the consequences of Mito finding out she shared information with a boy that she truly didn't know personally.

With a mental debate, Kushina found herself glancing at the Library door before she quickly dug out an empty scroll and swiftly sealed the contents away. At least she was using an Uzumaki blood sealing scroll so only she and Mito could open it. Stuffing the scroll back into her pouch, where it had come from, she quickly grabbed empty scrolls to fill the places the other scrolls took up and left the room. Hopefully Mito will only think that she had borrowed them to keep her busy when she had nothing else to do.

When Kushina ate dinner that evening, she had noticed that the rain had stopped, and debating over the scrolls within her pouch, she finally decided that she would drop by the orphanage to see Minato.

Kushina was out of the house before the older Uzumaki could even utter a sound as she watched the young girl disappear out the door.

The ground was drenched as Kushina walked towards her destination, chakra keeping her feet from sinking into the muddy earth. She remembered getting storms in Konoha, but this was one of the bigger ones, one that she hadn't seen in years. Shaking her head, she kept on going, arriving at the orphanage in no time.

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, she mused, but then again, it might speed things up. Kushina would also have to warn him about practicing Elemental Chakra without someone that could spot them. Maybe Mikoto's parents could come in handy soon.

With a hesitant hand, she finally knocked on the door, watching it open to reveal an older woman. The frown that crossed her face had Kushina shifting awkwardly before she finally spoke.

"I'm looking for Minato Namikaze, I'm a classmate of his."

Understanding dawned in the woman's eyes and she stepped aside, calling for Minato at the same time and leaving Kushina with a spinning head and ringing ears because of how loud she had yelled. It would be surprising if Minato didn't hear her loud voice.

When Minato appeared from around the corner, Kushina had to hold back a chuckle as he paused in bewilderment. This was the first time she had appeared at the Orphanage looking for Minato, if that was anything.

Glancing at the Matron of the Orphanage, she then darted forward, tugging on Minato's hand.

"Lead the way?" she mentioned, glancing at him before he finally took the lead.

"What are you doing here, Kushina-san?" he questioned as he finally came to a stop outside an old, beaten door. Opening it and gesturing for her to follow, Kushina found her gaze landing on a mostly empty room, save for sheets, ninja gear, academy books, and a dresser.

She kept forgetting the boy was an orphan, too similar to Naruto.

"Do you know your element?" she finally questioned and, as Minato gazed at her with open curiosity, she was reminded that he was just a year older than her, physically.

"No…as of right now… We've only just started learning about the Bunshin technique…" he stated, brows furrowed before something lit within his expression.

"You're already learning about elemental chakra? It's from your other class, isn't it?" he concluded, looking smug, but interested in what she was learning. Kushina suppressed herself from showing surprise.

It was scary how smart he happened to be. Sure, she was smart book-wise when she was little, but this was on a totally different level that she wouldn't have understood if she really was mentally his age again.

"I…yes, we are learning about Elemental chakra. I am Earth. Though, I found a few scrolls that seemed like they would fit you…in the Senju compound…" she murmured as she finally pulled out the scroll.

"I can let you look at them, but I must have them back before I leave. Mito-san might be furious if she knew I was letting others outside of the Clan look at these."

Minato's gaze didn't move from Kushina as she unsealed a couple of scrolls, all holding Elemental Ninjutsu for air.

"Why are you…doing this Kushina-san?" he finally questioned, brows furrowed as he watched her. Kushina found herself freezing before she finally locked eyes with Minato, a smile flitting across her face.

"Because you remind me of someone I use to know." And she left it at that as she handed him the first scroll.

"Thank you…Kushina-chan…" Minato murmured as he opened the first scroll after Kushina swiped blood across the seal. Kushina on the other hand, couldn't help a small, fond smile come to her face as she realized that Minato attached himself to people quite quickly once he knew he could trust them.

"Just know that you're not allowed to use any of these moves unless we have an adult watching." She interrupted him, grinning as she stretched and sat down on the floor as Minato started really reading.

Kushina felt like she had done something good that would have an effect on the future, even if it was a simple thing. Having Minato learn about Elemental Ninjutsu this early could open up other doors for him as well.

By the time she arrived back at the Senju Compound, Kushina felt like she had accomplished something important. Sure, it looked like a very small thing, but she doubted that Minato had learned about Elemental chakra until he was a lot older.

If it was one thing, Kushina would make sure that those she grows close to, learned anything they could to grow stronger and protect themselves and others.

She knew she couldn't do this all alone, even if she had the Kyuubi sealed within her. She needed support from people that she could trust.

With a heavy sigh, Kushina proceeded to get ready for bed, knowing that she had the academy tomorrow morning and a bit more training with Mito-san. Even if she didn't look forward to doing the academy over, she did find lessons with Mito-san quite challenging.

Again: I thank those that have reviewed

Note: So, Kushina begins her Sabotage classes. I've already decided on her two other teammates, which one shouldn't surprise you, but the other, after some consideration, took a lot of digging around and crossing off those that were just too young or, funny thing, not even born yet!

As for Kurama, if this interaction isn't satisfying enough, I can somehow (at some point) take it down and try to rework it if its really not that good...

Ann(Guest) Thank you for that review, I know what you are talking about and this story is going to be as real life as I can sort of get it to be? There will be no more interactions between Gods and humans, so as a result, any children produced, even if they look like Naruto, will be totally different. Nature VS Nurture and such as well. I know that it might get some negative thoughts, but it's true. Kushina took her own path, Sakura merged with Kushina messes that up and it had a ripple affect. Many things have changed, so I thank you for bringing this up because it wasn't going to be brought up until later (when she was the right age to be worrying about actually trying to conceive a child)

Tonegawa Rie: I settled on violet blue for Kushina in the beginning, it just (to me anyways) fit her character. As for edited, I seriously try my best, but sometimes I just feel like scrapping the entire chapter because I'm not satisfied with it...