A/N: I realized when I was writing this chapter that what I write will shape what everybody's view of Kushina. It's really kinda scary.
If some of you missed the announcement before, VFSNAKE is my beta and now he can't get mad at me. :P
There were some questions last time.
1) narutofan1465- Will this be all about Naruto's mom or will you be going AU and retelling Naruto's childhood?
I will respond to the first part with a question to the readers and reviewers: Do you want me to write quick little glimpses of her childhood and the beginning of her ninja career and that too, or do you want me to write out her whole life story? I can go either way. It's up to you.
The second part: Read the story description. It says AFTER the Chuunin exams so then I won't be going AU. I'll just leave Naruto's childhood as is then I will start in between the Exams and Sasuke Retieval (Sasuke will still escape).
2) Belle-san- Will this story follow Kushina or Naruto? I'm assuming that Naruto is still oblivious to his heratage.
This story will follow bolth parties. It will transfer over to the other part when I'm done writing Kushina's part.Yes he is oblivious to his father's side but not his mother's when he gets the letter to the Uzumaki clan.
Thats all the questions I got, so hopefully, it awnsered some of yours too. Now R+R and enjoy!
Disclaimer: 1- I'm not Japanese. 2- I'm not a guy. 3-Therefore I cannot own Naruto.
Chapter 3 – The Future Hokage
The silver haired ANBU Captain looked up at the huge gates, one word reverberated in his head.
'Home,' thought the ANBU.
"Hey! Open up!" He yelled up to the guards. The doors slowly began to open to admit the team to the Village Hidden in the Leaves.
When Kushina saw the sheer size of the gates she was amazed. When she saw what was inside though, her eyes nearly popped out of her head.
The group entered. "Welcome, Kushina, to Konoha."
This was much more than the girl had imagined. The local village was small; It had a few restaurants, various stores and even a small brothel. Here, everywhere you looked, there were dango stalls, restaurants, shops of every kind, anything and everything you could imagine, it was here. Unfortunately for her, this was only the front of the "village".
Once they were at the other side, Kushina saw the tallest building she had ever seen, the Hokage tower, but what had made her nearly faint was that there were three faces carved into the cliff face above.
Falcon stood behind the frozen child and put a hand on her head. "Magnificent, isn't it?"
"I…bu-…s-…wh-…"
He chuckled at her loss for words. "Come on. You must come and see Hokage-sama."
Up in the Hokage's office, Kushina saw a middle aged man sitting behind a desk, doing paperwork.
"Hokage-sama" The ANBU team bowed.
The Hokage looked up and rose form his seat. The little girl noticed that somehow, this man's face and the third face on the cliff was the same man.
"The mission was a success, I suppose?" said the Hokage at the ANBU
"Hai, Hokage-sama," said the ANBU nodding his head.
The man then looked down at the girl, a small smile on his face. "Kushina, isn't it?" he squatted down to her eye level. "My name is Sarutobi. I am the Hokage of Konoha and I will do what I can to make you happy here, Kushina." He stood up. "You are all dismissed, but leave her belonging here."
"Hai, Hokage-sama." The four ANBU disappeared in a cloud of ninja smoke.
The Hokage took the girl's smaller hand in his larger one. "Come. I'll show you to your room that you'll be staying in for tonight. Then, I'll give you a tour of the village. Tomorrow, you'll meet the family that has adopted you." He summoned up a group of ninja chimpanzees. "Each of you take a bag and follow us to her room. After that, you guys can go." The primates gave an affirmative nod and picked up a bag each.
A few minutes later, near the top of the tower, Sarutobi unlocked and opened the door to Kushina's temporary room. Inside, it wasn't very big, a bed, a full bathroom, a tiny kitchen and a living area, but the view made up for that, It looked out over the while village and you could just barely see the gates in between the buildings.
The girl zoomed over to the sliding glass door that led to the balcony. Kushina yanked the door open, ran out, leaned over the railing and screamed with delight.
Passersby on the ground gave odd looks upwards at the Hokage tower, wondering what on earth was going on up there.
Sarutobi smiled when he saw her approval. " I guess you like your room, don't you?"
She turned around, eyes twinkling. "Yeah yeah yeah yeah!"
"Now, why don't we go on that tour?"
Kushina's response was to run out the door, pulling the Hokage along by the hand.
Downstairs, outside and safely on the ground, the expedition began. "Ok Kushina," Sarutobi gestured toward the Hokage faces." This is the memorial to the current and past Hokage's. A Hokage is the leader of Konoha and also is the most powerful ninja in the village. I am the third Hokage, also known as the Sandaime. My face is the third on the cliff." The girl absorbed all of this information with a hunger. "The tower is the Hokage tower, the office of the Hokage and mission briefing and debriefing rooms." He took her hand once again, like a father would do to their child. "There's much more to Konoha than Hokage's you know. Let's go and see the rest of it." And the pair started off.
They went up and down the streets, Sarutobi pointing out a good restaurant or two, ninja gear stores and some of those odd stores too. They passed clan complexes, likes the Hyuuga, Uchiha, Akimichi and such, the Sandaime giving a small history about each.
"I have a question for you, Kushina."
"What is it?"
"Do you want to become a ninja?"
This caught her off guard. "O-of course! I want to be like my mommy and daddy and be strong!"
They had rounded a corner and were looking at the Ninja Academy. "Then, when you're 8, you will go there to learn how to be one. That two years from now." He looked to horizon. "The sun is going down. We better get back to the tower. I have some paperwork I need to get done."
They were passing Ichiraku Ramen when,
"Erm, Sarutobi-kun? I'm hungry."
He looked at the stand. "Does ramen sound good to you?"
"I have no idea what that is, but I guess I'll try it." Came the reply.
Inside, "Two miso ramen's please."
A blonde boy sat down on the stool next to Kushina." One shrimp ramen please Mr. Ichiraku!"
Sarutobi recognized the voice. "Minato, you need to stop using you allowance for ramen. I'm going to tell your mother soon."
Minato jumped. "S-Sarutobi-san! I didn't see you there," said Minato acting a little sheepish at being caught by the Fire Shadow.
Kushina looked at the boy. He had messy blonde hair, a loud obnoxious voice and a smile that could lighten up anybody's day. Yet, there was something about him. Maybe it was those eyes, those bright sky blue eyes. She really couldn't tell.
"Here's your ramen Hokage –san and here's yours, little miss." A young Teuchi set the two bowls down in front of them.
"Hey, who are you?" Minato had finally noticed Kushina after seeing two bowls being set down, not one.
"My name's Kushina. I'm new here. Sarutobi kun showed me the village today," said Kushina before she broke her chopsticks, and started on her ramen.
Cautiously lifting the noodles to her mouth, she took a slow bite. A light suddenly went off in her head. "Wow, this stuff is really good!"
"You mean you've never had ramen before?" Minato asked innocently as the girl inhaled the rest of her bowl. His was placed in front of him and he started.
"Mmm Nnn." She managed to get out from bulging cheeks. Kushina swallowed the rest of her ramen and continued. "Back home, we never had any sort of fast food. Mommy-chan said it was something about being unhealthy."
Minato suddenly had an idea. "Hey, Sarutobi-san? Can I take Kushina-chan here around Konoha? Give her my own tour?"
"Of course. Just get her back here to my office at sunset."
The blonde ramen-addict shoved the rest of his noodles down his throat and pulled Kushina from her stool outside onto the street and they started walking.
"First of all, what did Sarutobi-san show you already?"
"Well, he showed me some clans like the Uchiha, I think it was called, something like that. The only cool thing he showed me was the Ninja Academy. He told me I can go there when I'm bigger and learn how to become a ninja! I'm going to go, no matter what!"
"Really? Me too! But he hasn't shown you any of the cool hidden spots in the village?"
"No."
"Great! I've been everywhere, so I know where they are and I've also found a few myself."
Kushina jumped up and down. "Show me!"
He smirked. "Just keep up."
"Hey, I was the fastest of all the kids back home. If I can beat them, I can beat you."
"Oh really? We'll see about that!" And Minato took off.
"Hey that's not fair!" Even if he didn't use what few ninja skills he had, he was well on his way to earning his future nickname, the Yellow Flash.
"I don't hear anything else going on up there. One of you go and check it out."
Myuri raised his hand. "I'll go."
When he was outside, he couldn't believe his eyes. There were bodies everywhere. Tsuzei laid in the middle of it all, his corpse bloody and broken. Speechless, Myuri ran back quickly to the chamber and brought everyone else outside.
The elders were stunned and shocked, at the scene before them. Crying out in despair for their lost loved ones, they ran to their dead sons and daughters, cradling them in their arms.
Shisuse could not believe her eyes as she walked between the bodies, slowly making her way towards her husband. Upon seeing her lifelong lover and partner in front of her, she flung herself on him, crying his name out to the heavens.
"It was horrible." The voice frightened the old woman enough to look up so quickly and suddenly that a loud crack could be heard form her neck.
"How...?" Shisuse began.
"I knew that the fight wasn't ours the second I saw those two." replied the young Uzumaki. "So I did not fight and I cast a genjutsu around the area I was hiding in to conceal myself."
"So you saw the battle?" The person nodded. "Tell me what happened." The person opened their mouth to begin but was silenced by the elder. "Later, once the bodies have been brought in." She wiped her tears away, stood and turned around. "Now we must rely on Kushina." She announced to everybody. "Our time here is over, for if Pain learns he has not destroyed this clan entirely, he will return and eradicate us for good. We will have to repair this complex and we will lay low until he is dead" Thus the Uzumaki clan disappeared, being all but extinct.
"Get on my back and close your eyes." Minato shot the girl a look. "No peeking!"
Kushina giggled. "Okay ,okay." And did what she was told. The two were at the side of the Hokage monument, near the Shodaime's head.
"Hang on tight!" He knew he couldn't fail running up the sheer rock face with his chakra feet, like his father had taught him. Beginning up the cliff, Minato clenched his newfound friend's legs tightly in fear of dropping her.
A minute after he began, the scary experience was over. "Are your eyes still closed?" asked the boy.
"Yeah, but what did you just do? I almost let go." Replied Kushina as she dropped off his back.
"You'll find out when you open your eyes." He said with a smile. "Go on, open them."
She opened her eyes, but all she saw was a grinning Minato. "Where a-…" she began as she turned around. Konoha lay sprawling before her, herself looking down from the First's head, the village all lit up for the night life. "Minato-" the blonde stepped up to her side.
"Out of all the secret places in Konoha, this is the coolest one and my favorite. I love it up here. It just feels so open, like you could do anything." He said looking out. He checked the position of the sun, which was halfway below the horizon. He looked over at an awestruck Kushina.
"How…How did you find this place? It's amazing."
Minato did that foxy grin again and folded his arms behind his head like a future someone would. "My dad showed me up here once." He checked the sun again. Almost below the horizon. "Aw man!"
Kushina put on a confused look. "What?"
"I got to get you back to the tower by sunset and the sun is nearly gone! Hurry! Get on my back!"
The girl obeyed and the pair was soon back in the village, running at full speed towards the Hokage tower. Just as the last of the sun disappeared, the skidded to a halt in front of the gates.
"I... think…we…made…it." Kushina managed to get out in between several lungfulls of air.
Up in the tower, Sarutobi watched them from his office window. 'That boy will never let you down, that's for sure,' thought the Hokage and went downstairs to greet the two children.
"I'm glad I can depend on you Minato. I thought you two wouldn't be here until long after the sun went down. I'll remember this in the future." He looked at Kushina. "I have a few things to tell you once you're inside. Now say goodbye."
She turned to Minato. "Let's meet at the playground tomorrow."
"Ok. See you there."
Kushina ran back to Sarutobi and they walked back into the tower. "Bye Minato!"
"Bye Kushina!" replied the blonde as he began to run home.
Back upstairs in the Hokage's office, Sarutobi began. "Tomorrow, you will move out of your current room here into the household of your foster family. This will happen early in the morning once you are dressed and have something to eat. You won't be able to play with Minato until this is done. An ANBU will show you the way to your new family's house." Sarutobi got up from his chair. "Now go to bed, you'll need your rest for tomorrow."
Kushina was up before the sun was in her excitement. With nothing better to do, she sat on the edge of the balcony watching the sun rise. The higher it rose, the more her excitement built. The ball of fire had cleared the horizon when her stomach finally made contact with her brain, demanding food. She gave in and went into the small kitchen, rummaging through the lower drawers and cabinets until she found a loaf of bread. Tearing the package open, Kushina ate two slices and put the rest on the counter.
A quick glance at the clock told the girl it was 8 AM. "Better start getting ready." she said to herself. Rummaging through the bag that held all her clothes, she pulled out a pair of dark green caprice, a dullish orange hoodie with dark green sleeves and a simple black t-shirt.
Kushina put these on and stuffed her pj's back in. After brushing her teeth and hair, she returned to her previous spot on the balcony, waiting for the ANBU to pick her up.
Finally, around 9:30, someone knocked on the door. The excited girl leapt up and yanked the door open to find her dog-masked mover and guide behind it.
"Where are your possessions?" he asked.
Kushina jabbed a thumb behind her. "Back there." Without asking for permission, he went inside and somehow managed to carry everything except for one small bag.
"You can carry that. Once you got it, follow me to your new family." He walked straight out the door.
Ten minutes later, "Where are we?"
"Near the outside of the village. Your new place is the one up ahead with the blue roofs." The two were walking down a street in a nice neighborhood and Kushina had a spring in her step, her shoulder length hair bouncing with each one. The 'place with the blue roofs' looked like a small clan complex, with a wall surrounding the lot and a main doorway in the middle of the wall that was facing the street. A large symbol of a bottom half of a circle with short lines spreading out from the bottom like a sun was painted neatly on the wall to the right of the doorway. There was no sign above the entrance stating the clan's name.
The ANBU pulled a bell that hung from the side of the entrance. After a minute of waiting, a brown haired man appeared by the door. "What is your name?" he asked.
The ninja replied for her. "Her name is Uzumaki Kushina."
"Oh yes. We were expecting you." He stood aside. "Come in."
They entered and walked down a covered pathway that was above a large pond that reached from one end of the complex to the other, covered in lily pads. Some very large koi and goldfish poked their heads above the water to take a look at the newcomers. At the end of the pathway, they soon encountered an open hallway.
The man took them down the left branch and continued until they rounded a corner and were standing in front of a sliding door. Voices could be heard behind it and one was definitely a woman's. He opened it and they walked into a kitchen. Yes, there was a blonde woman at the stove making breakfast. The other person was at the table, eating cereal. Kushina's eyes went wide in disbelief as she recognized the face.
"Minato?"
A/N: Please please pleaseeeee awnser the question I asked in the A/N above! It needs to be awnsered for the sake of this story!
More questions:
1) Suprise suprise! Kushina stays with Minato! Like or no like?
haha.. thats all the questions I can think of now.
Maybe not next chapter, but in the future, I will say songs that remind me of the chapter I post. (If theres a song in the first A/N, theres probably going to be some fluff later in the chapter or angst.)
Next chapter: Kushina is staying with Minato? At the playground, she meets her future best friend.
Please review! I'll give you guys my extra halloween candy if you do! Au revoir!
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