Hey everybody! Patriot-112 here, bringing you another chapter of Regret and Redemption. In this chapter, Kushina and Naruto finally come out of the bedroom, the latter is reunited with his surrogate older sister, Shippo is searching the village for our favorite Jinchuriki, Kairi gets something for Naruto as a late birthday present, and Minato faces his moment of truth. Enjoy!

Chapter 3

Healing Hearts

Purple/blue eyes fluttered open and the owner of said eyes smiled softly as they brush the spiky blonde hair of Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze. Kushina looked at her currently sleeping son with adoration, happy to finally to have one of her children back home where he belonged. She frowned a bit as she rubbed her shoulder where her son bit her. The force of the bite was like a wolf clamping down on it's prey, and it left deep teeth marks, and some bruising.

She didn't blame Naruto though. She blamed only herself, and the idiot villagers who made her son's life a living hell. She felt her prodigal son moving and giving out a sound like a whimper.

"No...please no...," the blonde said in his sleep, and Kushina realized he was having a dream, but that thought quickly changed as he began to wince, "Please, don't lock me up...I-I'm not a monster..No don't!"

The former Jinchuriki's eyes shedded tears as she heard that. Apparently, he still feared of being locked up like a caged animal, with no hope of being released.

She then gently began to shake Naruto, in order to wake him from the nightmare he was having.

"Naruto! Sochi wake up! You're having a nightmare, wake up!" she said and Naruto's eyes jolted open and he saw his mother, looking at him with concern.

"K...Kaa-san," the new Jinchuriki said in a whisper, as the woman gently placed her hand on his cheek. Naruto tensed at the touch as words begin to come out of his mouth, "Why did you fear me?"

Kushina was startled by that question.

"Why were you and Tou-san so afraid of me and tried to lock me up? I didn't do anything wrong...why?"

Kushina didn't say anything, as tears came to her eyes. Officially, she and Minato didn't want Naruto to become a ninja, because of the threat of Akatsuki. But in truth, she was afraid, not of Naruto, but the Bijuu inside of him. They feared that if Naruto ever got angry enough, say for instance, a very special person of his getting hurt. He would go berserk and destroy anything and anyone in his path.

The former native of Uzushio felt disgusted with herself for thinking that way. She then lifted Naruto up and embraced him.

"I don't know what to say to you Sochi," she said, "But I promise you, I won't ever did what we've done to you ever again,"

She then released her son and looked at him. It will take time for her to fully get his trust back. But she won't stop until she did. The two then heard a grumbling noise coming from their stomachs and the two blushed in embarassment at that.

"Are you hungry?" Kushina said, and the younger blonde nodded, "I'll make us something to eat then. You can come out with me or you can stay and wait here if you want to,"

Naruto was silent as he just stayed put where he was. Kushina nodded in understanding, and got up and left her son's room and headed to the kitchen. She left door open, knowing Naruto couldn't get out of his room through the window because of the Locking Seal.

Naruto sat on his bed as he drew his legs in and wrapped his arms around them. How could he have so easily break down and let himself find comfort in his mother. Maybe it was the words she said, or maybe it was just the fact like most children his age, he craved for the love of a mother.

Shaking his head at those thoughts he looked out the window of his bedroom, seeing some of the village outside. A place he swore he would never come back to, and rather kill himself. But, that would be the Coward's Way Out.

He then thought about Shippo, and where he was. Did he go to get help from his family at the den, or did he come alone?

He prayed that his companion didn't come because knowing Konoha's hostility toward foxes after the attack 11 years ago, anything that looked remotely vulpine was hunted down and killed. He was an unfortunate witness to one of those hunts. The villagers showed no mercy to a family of red foxes, who strayed into the village and were ruthlessly killed and skinned.

He couldn't help but imagine that happening to Shippo and his family, and immediately became afraid for his friend.

'Please Kami, don't let Shippo get spotted by the villagers,' he thought to himself, and then smelled something coming from downstairs in the kitchen. He recognized it all too well as his mother's home cooking.

Despite the situation he has with his family, he could never forget how his mother's cooking tasted so good. She made the best Ramen, and many other dishes.

He didn't know what was going to happen to him, but at least he knew that Shippo was going to bust him somehow.

Meanwhile, with Kairi

The youngest child of the Yellow Flash and the Red Hot-Blooded Habenero came out of, what looked a Surplus Store a smile on her smile as she held a brown paper wrapped package in her arms.

"I hope he likes this," she said to herself, "If he doesn't forgive me right away, at least will be a good first step,"

She then looked at the sign on the building she came out of.

Shinobi International Surplus.

This kind of store came a year before Naruto left, and at first, most people, mainly shinobi, tended to stay clear from this type of store, due to deeming the ninja equipment being sold here questionable. That included Flak Jackets from all the other Hidden Villages, except the Land of Snow, the Land of Rice, and Kumo. But then people decided to give it a shot, and the results showed many satisfied customers among the civilian and Shinobi Ranks, mostly Academy students and Genin.

She smiled as she looked at the item she had. It was something that was custom made by the manager of the store, who was a former shinobi from Shimogakure.

"Well, I better get home and give this to Naruto," she said and proceeded back to her home, before a voice got her attention.

"Hey Namikaze!"

Kairi groaned as she didn't want to deal with this prick NOW of all times.

"What you want Kamo Shiri?" (Trans: Duck ass) she said with irritation, as Sasuke Uchiha, the former Rookie of the Year, sneered at her.

"I heard your Demon of a brother is back in Konoha. I heard it from my father, and he hopes, as well as me, that your naive fool of a father will see facts and lock him up for life," the Uchiha said arrogantly, making the redhead growl at the little prick.

"You better shut up, Teme. Cause if you insult my brother, one more time, I'm gonna make you piss blood," she snarled out, her eyes showing that she meant it.

Of course, Sasuke was too damn proud of himself to see.

"You forget that I'm an Uchiha, an Elite, and I could say whatever I want about your Demon Bro-," before he could finish...

BAM!

...he recieved a fast left hook from the now pissed off sister of Naruto, who now sported a devious smile on her face as she saw Sasuke shaking his head after getting nailed by the sucker punch. This caught the attention of many villagers who stopped to see the spectacle.

"Well gee, would you look at that...," Kairi said sarcastically, "One punch and your 'Elite' arrogant ass is down,"

Sasuke stood up as he spit out some blood, and a tooth, "You little bitch!" he yelled as he tried to attack her, only to be stopped as he was restrained by a certain purple haired ANBU.

"What the hell are you doing Uchiha?," Yugao said as he kept the youngest son of the main family of the Clan in a Full Nelson Hold.

"Let go of me! I need to teach this bitch a lesso-agh!" Sasuke didn't get to finish as she put pressure on the hold.

"No. Now go home, and cool off, or I will have to put you in jail for threatening the Hokage's daughter. Now beat it!" she then released the hold and pushed him in the direction of the Uchiha Clan compund. The raven haired youth then glared at Kairi.

"You'll pay for this Namikaze. Your whole family will," he then stormed back home.

"You alright Kairi?" Yugao said, and the girl nodded, "Yeah, thanks Neko-san,"

Yugao nodded at that.

"It was no problem. Now let's get you home," she said, and began to walk Kairi home.

From the young girl's experiences with the woman, Yugao was very protective of Naruto, and had the training to back it up. She was also her mother's student, back when the former was still a Genin.

2 days fter Naruto left, Yugao became furious with Kushina, calling her a traitor for a mother. The two hadn't talked in years, but Kairi hoped that the two could reconcile soon, now that her brother is back home. It was then Yugao spoke to her.

"I heard your brother is back home in the village," the female ANBU operative said, and Kairi nodded.

"Yeah, I found out last night," she then bowed her head a bit, "He's...not very trusting with us right now. He is though getting along with Kaa-san, since she was hit the hardest when he left,"

Yugao listened to what the Yondaime's daughter was saying. When she heard that her surrogate brother had ran away, she immediately knew the reason, so she stormed to the estate, and after barging in past Minato she proceeded to yell at her teacher for abandoning her son. She didn't take notice of Kushina's sorrowful state during her rant, and after she did, the kunoichi told her old sensei that she didn't want to speak to her for a while, and quietly left the house.

"I see," she said, "Has he seen you or your father, yet?"

Kairi shook her head, "No, he hasn't," she said, "Of course, I wouldn't blame him if he hated me and tou-san for adding to the misery that he suffered," her grip then tightened on the package, "But I hope my late birthday gift will help get me a few good points from him,"

Yugao could only nod as the two continued on their way back to Uzumaki-Namikaze family home.

With Minato

Minato sighed as he arrived at his front door. He got off early after making a couple of shadow clones to deal with the paper work. It was time he confronted his sins against his son. Truth be told, he is expecting to be yelled at by his eldest for taking away his dream of being a shinobi and giving it to his daughter just so she could keep the Kyuubi at bay from taking over the young blonde.

Knowing that it was now or never, the Yondaime opened the door and walked into the house. He smelled the recently cooked food that Kushina made, and made a knowing guess, it was for Naruto. Judging by the smell, it was rice with a dash of green onion mixed along with orange chicken and sweet orange chili sauce.

Minato smiled, knowing it was one of Naruto's favorite foods cooked by his mother. With her ramen being at the top of the list.

Taking a breath he walked to the staircase before walking up the steps. As he asceneded, he could hear the voices of his wife and son. Smiling softly, he thanked the heavens that Naruto was at least giving his mother a shot in mending her relationship with him.

He arrived at the door to his son's room, and then hesitated before thinking.

'Well, it's time. The moment of truth,' with that he stepped in the doorway, and after basking in seeing Kushina and Naruto talking, he knocked on the door, getting their attention.

Naruto's eyes slightly widened as he saw his father, while Kushina began to look between the two of them in concern. It was Minato who broke the tense silence.

"Hey kiddo,"

And done! Sorry this is so short, yet again, but for a fic like this, I like to keep it's chapters short and manageable. I hope everyone is enjoying this so far, and I can't believe the popularity it's already getting! Also, if any of you, have any wise advice of how I should proceed in the next chapter, please do so, but do it by PM only. Now if they're no more opinions, I must be off!

Ciao!