"What happens when you want a kid?"
"I was found in a fishing net near the goose farm. They had been fishing in the ocean for King fish" Minato chuckled at this, not sure where it was going. "I was five years old and apparently dead. The farmer took me home and his wife came to see me, she was a nurse in her youth and could see I was alive. After many day's I woke up." Kushina paused at the memory then continued. "There was another woman there, with striking red hair. She was Tsuri's mother, now deceased by the way. She identified me as an Uzumaki, from my hair colour and my chakra and took me away from the farm."
Minato was silent willing her to continue her odd story.
"Tsuri's mother could see into the future. She had had a dream that portrayed a water nymph being found in a net with Uzumaki features, if the nymph was treated well by the Uzumaki the curse of Ebisu would be lifted. If the opposite occurred then Whirlpool would be destroyed and all it's occupants would die."
"Tsuri's mother believed I was that water nymph and that I was the reincarnation of the Uzumaki mother. A red haired water nymph whom married Ebisu. And that I had come to try and save her 'children'" Kushina finished there. "Personally I think its a load of crap." She suddenly added.
"Tsuri's mother died when I was six and no one believed in her dream. They just saw me as a nobody who was brought into the Uzumaki clan on a whim because of my similar red hair and special chakra"
"You said it's a load of crap, yet you don't believe your human. How come?" Minato asked her simply.
"I believe that part, just not the part about Whirlpool being destroyed. All the island dweller's despite having different family names, are all relatives of Uzumaki in some way. I've been treated like a monster by the islanders all my life and Whirlpool is still standing. Recently the Kyuubi has been put in me and I've been outcasted even more. Yet Whirlpool prospers." She spat out harshly.
"Isn't that a good thing?" Minato said flatly. He knew deep down that she cared for her home despite the ridicule she lived through.
"I never said it wasn't, I'm just saying Tsuri's mother was partly wrong."
"How do you know your a water nymph? Well apart from Tsuri's mother claiming you to be one." Minato asked while wiggling his eyebrows around so she could feel it on her head.
They had been in this tangled position for a long time. Neither of them had found it awkward until that moment. Kushina sat up right and looked out to the horizon. It was very dark out, she hadn't noticed as she delved into her past. Neither had Minato, he was intent on listening to her. He had never found someone so interesting.
"I know because... I fell into the ocean once, I was at the goose farm. I was playing with the farmer's children when one of them pushed me into a deep pond. I didn't sink or feel ill, but as a five year old, I couldn't swim. Tsuri's mother was there and saw me struggling to swim. She saved me by jumping in but from then onwards she was very sick. She was bedridden for a year until her death."
Kushina's voice was shaky but she didn't stop. It was all coming out now. "It's my fault she died, she saved me. The thing is I never got sick from it or even felt heavy and I was in the water for a long time until she got me to me."
Kushina was hidden behind her hair again. Minato was studying her sagging form and hitched breathing. His hand sat idly between his legs. He leaned forward until he could see his reflection in the dark waters. From here he could see Kushina's reflection too. Her eye's were scrunched shut and her face displayed a stricken look of deep regret.
He put his hand to her back and rubbed up and down soothingly. Kushina shivered at his touch but made no indication to move away.
"Oba-san told me I was like Ondine, a water nymph. When I turned twenty I stopped ageing, you see. Unlike the Uzumaki's who age like humans, but live longer."
Minato put his other hand to his chin as his other was rubbing Kushina's back soothingly. "Ondine? I've heard of her. Ondine was a water nymph. She was very beautiful and, like all nymphs, immortal." Kushina nodded sullenly.
Minato carried on in his story teller voice "She fell in love and had a child with a mortal man and because of this, she aged like a mortal woman. He cheated on her with a younger woman and she found out. So she put a curse on him. Or something along those lines"
"When a nymph mates with a human they become human themselves, they lose their Godly immortality, power and beauty. I was chosen to be the next Kyuubi host due to my special chakra and immortality. I will live forever, meaning the clan will always have a hold over the most powerful tailed beast... I'm being used but I am granted respect from the main member's like Jinzuk and Oba-san..." She began trailing her sentences, realizing how pathetic and shallow they sounded out loud.
"What happens when you want a kid?" Minato blurted out.
"I don't want a kid." She retorted hotly
"Never?" He teased.
"No!"
"Considering you're going to live forever, don't you think your mind might change in the future?" He tackled with a smirk.
"No" She said curtly. A blush had crept up on her cheek, thankfully hidden by her hair. Unfortunately Minato had decided he would lift her curtain of hair. He stared blankly at her noticing the blush. "Get off me!" she shrieked and snapped her head round so her hair covered her once more.
Minato was quiet and smiled at the back of her head as he dangled his feet over the water. The silence was short lived as a Shinobi came up behind them. Minato identified it as Jinzuk. Kushina hadn't noticed his presence yet.
"Kushina!" He barked her name startling her so she looked up and pushed all her hair out of her face.
"Yes, Jinzuk-sama?" Her face had become like stone and her eyes cold.
"What the hell do you think you're doing all the way out here?" His eyes narrowed but his body remained still. Minato broke into their conversation. "It's my fault, I asked her to come over here to eat lunch with me."
Jinzuk regarded the blonde. "Lunch? It's 10:30PM! I've been looking for you both since this afternoon!" He exploded angrily. Realizing he was getting annoyed, he calmed himself as best he could. "Look, you two, Kushina. I don't know what lovey-dovey stuff is going on here, but don't let it happen again."
Jinzuk combed his hand through his hair. He could see the blank look on Minato's face. "Sorry, it's just all that's happened with Tsuri today. I was with her and it happened just after I left aswell." He started going off, talking to himself, while trying to explain the source of his anger.
Minato found it odd Jinzuk told Kushina off for being with him and being 'lovey-dovey' her love life or his for that matter was none of Jin's business.
"Kushina, Tsuri can't make the mission with Minato, she's far to sick. You'll be accompanying him instead." Jinzuk nodded to them both. Minato decided Jinzuk's reaction earlier was due to stress and worry as to where Kushina was and so he mentally forgave him for his out burst.
"You'll need to report to Oba-san Fukurou tomorrow at 0800 o'clock." Minato nodded at him and he left without another word, but not before giving Kushina an odd look.
Minato felt somewhat protective over Kushina now he knew her story. He looked over her impassive face which was once open and full of dark whirling emotions. She was good. If Minato didn't know any better he would have said she was mentally stable.
He knew now that she carried with her a sack of emotional baggage and anguish heavier than even he could begin to imagine.
A/N: If it's choppy, you don't understand what's going on, they are OOC, then sorry o_0 If you didn't understand something either read over it or ask me!
Right..what else was I going to say. Ah yes, recap time. Okay some of it I haven't told you yet so it's not completely 'recap'
Oba-san Fukurou: Her name literally means: Aunt Owl. She was once a powerful Uzushio ninja. She resembles a hamster. She is kind and very wise but doesn't always act like it.
Jinzuk: The first person Minato met. He is an Uzumaki and Uzushio ninja with the strength equivalent to a Konoha ANBU Captain. He has short blood red hair and looks down on people below him though is friendly towards people he respects. He is a genius and makes a lot of decisions for the clan. Such as trying to get Minato to marry an Uzumaki, preferably to Tsuri. His age is around twenty-five
Tsuri: Has short hair and killer high heels as she is quite short. Tsuri is next in line for clan leader due to her grandmother being Mito Uzumaki. She moved to Uzushio from Konoha when she was a baby and is now Minato's age, sixteen. They wish to have her as the clan leader when she becomes a few years older. Used to be mean to Kushina when they were kids.
Tsuri's mother: Looked out for Kushina and was very kind. She was able to tell the future. Became sick and died for being in the water for too long after saving Kushina.
That's everyone new! Tsuri's mother is unlikely to come back and I won't talk too much about Oba-san :3