Author's Note: For those that have not watched the Naruto anime/read the manga (if you haven't, highly encouraged) note that there will be spoilers!

The story is set during the Second Shinobi War, taking place right after Minato saved Kushina from the Kumogakure Cloud Ninja at the Land of Fire boarder. This prologue chapter will be a bit on the shorter side but it will set the base for the story and provide context here-and-there before we really delve into the plot I have planned out.

I am in no-way-shape-or-form an expert on the Naruto-verse (though I wish I was lol), so please bear with me here. I tried to do as much research as I could while mapping out my plans for the story, but there's bound to be inconsistencies and plot holes. A heads up, I have added filler characters here-and-there to support the story and its direction, but I will try to stay as true to the OG Naruto characters as I can (if I am or am not, please let me know!)

I am predicting that I might get some BIG questions on the timeline in terms of the ages/skills of OG Characters, Shinobi ranking and team formation. Please know that many of the decisions are intentional and may have been due to lack of Naruto-verse intel, contradicting fan theories and/or to cater to my plot.

That being said, constructive feedback is 100% welcome and strongly encouraged, so please let me know your thoughts! As the story progresses and I continue to upload chapters, I will take each review/feedback into consideration and revise older chapters; this will be grammatical errors or obvious plot holes that need to be altered for the sake of continuing the story and/or making for a better read.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the OG Naruto characters or plot/ideas.

Your hair is beautiful...

...

...so I noticed it right away...

...

Snap!

Slate grey-violet eyes flutter open at the sudden sound, and my vision is filled with a darkened star-filled sky shrouded by the green canopy of the unfamiliar forest surrounding me. I hastily press my palms flat against the cold ground and propped myself upright, the sudden motion prompting an intense throbbing to spread throughout my body. The disorienting sensation sends my stomach turning and catches me off guard, nearly sending me spiralling back down to kiss the dirt and grass that I had been laying on.

"W-what in the hell-!?" I frantically stumble from my butt to my knees, struggling to make it to my feet in an unceremonious manner; the display would be considered ungraceful for a kunoichi- but I didn't care.

What's going on? Where am I?!

Pushing past the fatigue and nausea, I decide to conduct a quick scan of the area, hoping for a familiar landmark, signage, or trail to give me a clue as to where I was.

Nothing.

I realize that I'm trapped in the middle of a dense and endless mass of trees and foliage, the forest closing in on me from every direction. My eyes dart around from the ground to the highest tree tops, searching for any threatening movement or sounds from the shadows to indicate the presence of another-

Snap!

Someone's coming!

I blindly pivot towards the sound coming from behind me while instinctively reaching for the weapons holster fashioned to my-

"Shit!" My right-hand brushes against the smooth nylon fabric of my knee-length stocking, fingers twitching anxiously where the holster carrying a well-placed kunai should have been.

Fine. Fists it is then.

Sliding into a defensive taijutsu stance and hone in on my target, prepared to strike with lethal force. However, rather than the enemy ninja I had been expecting, I find myself coming face-to-face with the small, black-feathered perpetrator, watching him cock his head at me curiously from atop a nearby tree branch. It mockingly flicks its feathers in my direction, as if to rudely flip me off, before taking flight into the quiet night sky.

I shakily release the breath I didn't realize I had been holding and scoff at my own paranoia, "damn, stupid crow...".

That's right. Save yourself a humiliating defeat at my hands and fly away to live another day.

I square my shoulders, stand up straight, and almost let my guard down, but the slightest flicker of movement, just barely noticeable out of the corner of my eye, was enough to kickstart my reflexes once again. Without so much as a thought as to who or what would be on the receiving end of my attack this time, be it an enemy ninja or a cocky woodland creature, I sent my elbow barreling behind me.

I've got you now!

I feel the impact; it's quick and hard, but not at all what I had intended.

A strong hand expertly catches my elbow mid-attack and, before I can even attempt to counter, shifts the firm grip to my forearm. Their hand applies the slightest pressure, forcing my arm behind my back in one skillfully fluid motion, catching me completely by surprise. They are quick to respond to my other arm as well, not giving it any time to move before wrapping their other arm around my midsection, restricting my movements from behind.

Damn. Whoever they are, they're fast. And apparently stilled at grappling too; there's no slack or openings in his hold...but there's...something off...

Despite the deadly position, I sense no bloodlust or aggression coming from my captor, nor is there added strain on the hold to cause any intentional pain or discomfort. I gasp quietly as I feel a subtle shift behind me, their chest brushing up against my back as they draw me in closer by the arm hooked around my stomach.

"W-what?-"

"Relax, Kushina. It's me."

That voice…There's no mistaking it.

The recognition is enough for a pink flush to make its way from deep in my chest and up my neck to colour my cheeks. I take a quick and shallow breath before tilting my head to look over my left shoulder, and our eyes finally meet.

The first thing to catch my attention are the sky-blue eyes shining vibrant in the darkness, narrowed, and searching my own with concern and care pooling inside of them. Then, his sunshine-yellow hair, the tousled spikes blown about in all directions from the slight breeze in the air. Lastly, his mouth, which has settled into the gentle smile that I know all too well, seeming to reassure me without the need for words. My dry lip's part and the voice that comes through them is unfamiliar, being much softer and quieter than I'm used to.

"M-Minato?" Less of a statement and more of a question; my tone even having the tiniest bit of insecurity and doubt, as if anything too brash or firm would cause him to release his hold and disappear.

What in the...why is he doing here?

Minato must've picked up on this too, because his eyes seem to twinkle even brighter at the sound of his name, and the concern on his features is replaced with something else, something that I've seen before. My eyes remain so captivated by his, that I barely notice that he had already released his hold on my arm, letting it fall limply at my side. As for his other arm, it remains wrapped around my torso and over my black obi, continuing to hold me in place as he stands tall behind me.

"It's all right. You're safe." Contrary to my voice, Minato's is strong and determined, without a hint of doubt or deceit in them. It is as if those words alone can save me; they can pull me free from all the fear, the loss, and the pain.

I didn't want to lose you...

...

That's right...he came for me.

Minato came to save me.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." Minato's soft voice sends me back into the present, and I quickly become fully aware that I'm still wrapped securely in his arms, the now-embrace becoming far more intimate than anything I've ever experienced before. "Are you alright, Kushina?"

So, I panicked...and I may have overreacted. Just a little.

What am I doing?! And what the hell is he doing?!

"L-let me go, ya know!" I quickly whirl around in Minato's arms, press my palms flat against his chest and, mustering what little strength I have left, I shove him away to create some much-needed distance between us.

This is too close! Much too close...

Minato doesn't resist. In fact, it was as if he had been expecting to get a riled reaction out of me, because he takes an agile half-step back before my arms can even apply any pressure to him. With this, my whole-body jerks forward unexpectedly and I stumble in a struggle to gain my footing, nearly landing right back into his waiting arms. The spontaneous aggression on my end must have been quite amusing, as a light chuckle is heard from the blonde as he peers down at me.

Damn him!

"Just what the hell are you laughing at?!" I place one hand on my hip, and the other jabs right into Minato's chest, stabbing into the fabric of his mesh shirt with the petty intention of poking straight through his heart.

"N-no, Kushina, I-"

"And I wasn't scared!"I don't extend the courtesy of giving him time to retort in his own defence, launching into one of my signature full-blown unrelenting tirades that earned me the nickname 'Red Hot Habanero'. "You just caught me off guard is all!"

"But I-"

"And sneaking up behind me like that?! You have a death-wish, idiot? I could've killed you, ya know!" My index finger digs in a little deeper into the cloth as I start taking several steps forward, forcing him to match my step.

Minato sheepishly raises his hands in mock-defence and continues to back up, his light chuckles now mixed with the stuttering of "I-I can explain" and "that's not what I meant". Even in the blazing heat of facing my wrath head-on, he still has his lips quirked into that annoyingly charming smile.

Darn it! Why does Minato have to look at me like that!? It was so much easier yelling at him when he would run away, but now...it's almost like he's amused by it.

"And where did you go? Huh?! Was that your plan all along? Were you just going to leave me out here to die?! I thought...the last thing...I remember...I...I-"

I don't feel...so good...

The fatigue quickly catches up to me, and the forest begins to spin in a nauseating wave that turns my stomach, and the ground, on its side. I feel myself falling forward but my legs make no move to steady themselves, leaving my knees buckling weakly. Even keeping my eyes open seems like an impossible task, so they inevitably fall shut and I let gravity carry my body down.

"Kushina-"

Minato caught me for the second time that night.

Strong arms wrap around my back to cushion my untimely fall into his embrace, and my cheek gently meets the rough fabric of his shirt. Arms pull me in closer and, without having the strength to argue or fight back, I lean against his chest and rely on him to keep me upright. My hands, caged between his stomach and mine, weakly grasp his shirt for support while I wait for the nausea to wash over.

The second I land in Minato's arms, I'm shrouded by warmth and a pleasantly musky smell that I can't quite compare to anything; it's so him.

"Hold on..." Minato's arms wrap around my back, fingers burying themselves in my long red hair, and the tips of hair framing his face brush lightly against my cheeks, "...please, don't overexert yourself. It's been a long night; you need to rest."

"A long night..." I mumble into his shirt to myself, finally taking the time to reflect and recall everything that has happened this fateful night.

I had finished a late mission with my team and returned to the Senju compound in Konoha where I have been residing since arriving in Konohagakure four years ago. Hidden Cloud ninja were in the shadows waiting for me. They didn't kill me, like they had killed the hired housekeepers and the rotating security that stands guard outside the community gate. Their mission was obvious; they came for the nine tails, and the chakra that I possess to keep him contained within me.

They tied me up with rope and forced me out of the village and through the forest, telling me that they would shove a kunai down my throat if I screamed or fought. I had been walking most of the night without food, water, or rest. If I had been walking too slow, they would kick the back of my legs, shove against trees or push me to the ground. Their mission was likely to bring me back alive, but the condition didn't seem to matter, not to them.

While walking, for what had been at least 5-6 hours, I heard my captors discussing amongst themselves that we were approaching the Land of Fire boarder and boasted that their mission had been successful. I thought all hope was lost, that, if we had made it that far, surely nobody had come to save me.

But Minato did.

He quickly disposed of the Cloud Ninja, taking them out one-by-one from the shadows with deadly skills I hadn't realized he possessed, always seeming to be a total flake when it came to combat back at the academy. Yet despite these initial thoughts I had about him, he freed me from my confines, secured me safely in his arms and leapt up to the tree tops. It was there that he made his bold declaration of his admiration for my strength and became the first person to complement my hair.

Then, we were on the move. Minato silently carried me through the forest, expertly maneuvering from branch-to-branch without so much as a pant or grunt; if he was tired, he was really good at not showing it. The exhaustion must've caught up to me though, because I found myself dozing off in his arms not long after. The next thing I knew, I was waking up alone on the forest floor-

Minato jerks me from my thoughts as he places his hands on my shoulders, holding me at arms length while peering down at me with a thoughtful expression. "We've been travelling for about thirty minutes or so, and you fell asleep not long after I found you..."

I watch with my mouth agape and eyes wide, probably looking dumbfounded, as Minato meticulously straightens the collar of my tan kimono and plucks a few blades of grass from the fabric. He even goes as far as to reach up to caress my hair, moving a stray piece that had fallen out of place to refasten it to the side using my hair clip. He lowers his hands and nods in approval, seeming satisfied with his work while innocently oblivious to my reaction to his touch.

"Here..." Just as I open my mouth to question him, he reaches a hand behind him where his weapons pouch is fastened to his waist. He fiddles one-handed with the fastening clip before reaching inside and pulling out a small water flask. He holds it out to me expectantly, "...drink this."

Water? Thank god.

I offer him a grateful nod and use both hands to take the flask from him, doing my best to ignore the pounding in my chest as my fingers subtly brush against his. I uncap the flask and hold it to my lips, letting cool water run down my dry throat; it's the first drink I've had all night. I didn't realize I had been so thirsty, but I take the entire flask in one gulp, not caring that there are small wet trails of water running down my chin and neck.

"There's a stream just on the other side of the bushes over there..." I glance back at Minato as he raises a hand, gesturing his thumb over his shoulder to point behind him. "I went to get you water but when I heard you -erm- cussing over here, I was worried that something may have happened to you. I rushed back as quickly as I could-"

"Cussing? What? Really? You got a problem with the way I talk, ya know?" I hold the flask in one hand and raise the other to wipe my damp mouth with the back of my hand, the frown not leaving my lips.

What were all those complements from before?...did he really mean what he said? Is that really how he feels about me? Or was it a lie?

"No! Not at all. Actually, Kushina, I kind of like the-"

"You don't have to worry about me, ya know. I can take care of myself." My cold words cut Minato off quickly. I'm certain that I know what he wants say but I am worried of how I may react, and how it might further complicate things between us.

What is he doing? Why does he have to make this so-

"I know you can, Kushina, but that doesn't mean that you can't have people care about you." He gives me a lopsided grin, as if not put off by my curt response in the slightest, and takes the no empty flask from me to tuck back into his pouch.

People that care about me? Huh...I could count on one hand the amount of people that give a damn about me, and Namikaze Minato has certainly never made that list.

Not until now I suppose...

Minato straightens his white track jacket and gives his arms and legs a quick stretch, prepping his muscles for what I can imagine to be a long trek back to the village. I attempt to walk around him, readying myself for the journey as well, but he steps out in front of me, blocking my path. I watch him curiously as he turns his back to me and drops down on one knee, settling into a well-balanced position before looking back at me from over his shoulder.

"Climb on...", he uses both hands to gesture to his back while giving me an encouraging smile and nod, "...we need to get moving again."

I can make this hard on him. I can say that he's using the piggyback as an excuse to 'feel-me-up', or that I'm strong enough to run on my own, but I know deep down that neither of those things are true.

"Fine." I step forward and slide onto Minato's back, placing both hands on his shoulders and propping my legs up on his hips. His hands shift to grip the back of my thighs and, after letting me shift around to get settled, he takes off in a sprint into the shadows.

Finally. We're heading home.