"Kushina!" her mother yelled, bursting through the door with a horrified expression.
"Oh my god what happened!" she got on her feet on reflex. Sasuke and Naruto stared up expectantly, wondering what all the commotion was.
"I need you to make some juice; dad's friends are coming over."
"Now?! Are they being serious!" She stomped away, picking up random objects sprawled on the floor she had thrown at both of them not so long ago and disappeared into the kitchen.
Kushina, after piling mini-muffins onto a tray, poured juice into tall glass cups. She yelled a restrictive threat to Naruto, who reached for the icing on one of them, and sighed when Sasuke slapped his hand away.
They had a glaring contest, ignorant of the redhead running between them ever so often and kept themselves from blinking even.
"They're here! Naruto, go get dressed," their mother said quickly, while picking up the trays. Naruto shot one last, hard glare at Sasuke before slipping away after his mother.
"Apparently he gets the darn company," Kushina affirmed, "I don't care though, less trouble for meh."
She walked to the door and pressed her ear, squinting her eyes before laughing, "Ah there's like five of them!" She stood and stared seriously at him, "Prepare yourself, we shall take refuge in my room,"
He raised a brow, "What's with the army-talk?"
"Listen you...thing I will leave you here alone and without food and, and...cold! Yeah, and you're gonna freeze and shit so..." she stared confused at him.
"My house is down the block."
She stuck her tongue out at him and ran off.
The Uzumaki girl stuck to a wall and stared at the chatting, suited-figures, and as soon as all weren't paying any heed, she bolted into her room and closed the door. She did a little victory dance, before being pinned to the ground by her boyfriend.
"Look," he dangled a familiar looking key with a spider keychain, "I locked the door,"
"Don't you d-" he pressed his lips to hers, and held her thrashing self with his shins to hers.
She gave up and let him do whatever, watching his closed eyes with interest at his dominant nature. Kushina knew he loved to prove himself, but her tough attitude did not allow him any acknowledgement no matter how hard he tried, just like Sakura had said.
A few days after Naruto's breakup, the pink-haired girl had sent her a long email on how and why her own relationship with Sasuke would never work. Kushina had shrugged it off as bitter envy, and took it as a minor threat, that was before a small section of Sakura's rant had some light in it.
And you know what Kushina? Sasuke-kun deserves way better than someone who pushes him away all the time. Every little thing he does to show his care, you ignore and be critical about it, and have YOU ever showed any care to him? And don't think I haven't noticed him say 'I love you' and whatever, it doesn't matter. Because you always say you hate him, and carry on, not paying any heed to his broken heart. I see it in his eyes, he trails behind you with saddened and hopeful eyes, waiting for you to turn and return his feelings. I bet he gets surprised whenever you say it yourself.
Sasuke pushed off her, fearing her sudden stillness indicated disappointment, just to be pulled back in and receive an equally sweeter kiss from the-
"Kushina?" He got off her, his heart breaking at the sight of her crying. She clenched her teeth and balled her fists, angry at herself for being such a jerk to him, and even angrier when he moved to comfort her despite himself.
"Don't," she whispered, "leave me.."
Sasuke's eyes widened when he registered her words, not understanding her now random breakdown over nothing, his fingers caressed her wet cheek.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm sorry," she breathed, "I promise to change, I really love you Sasuke."
And when he stopped touching her and looked much more in shock than he already was, she broke down into sobs and hugged herself bitterly,
Sakura was right.
She was a monster.
"Hey mom," Kushina started as she entered the kitchen, "do I have a curfew?"
Her mother blinked, "are you okay? You're all dressed and-"
"I'm going to the Uchihas, what's so surprising about that?"
"...everything..."
Kushina rolled her eyes, a small smile on her face, "I'll be back before midnight okay?"
"Yeah," her mother shook her head as she left quietly, wondering what in the world made her daughter act so perky.
Mikoto peeked through the door, and when she found the redhead Uzumaki looked delirious as she let her enter.
"Kushina dear, why are you here?"
She sighed, wondering how she managed to confuse both the mothers in one day, "I'm here for Sasuke,"
Like clockwork, said teen jogged down the stairs with a bag of chips, ready to tell his mother he'd be back late, before he found Kushina swaying on her heels.
As soon as he got her seated comfortably in his room and his door was locked, he turned with a suspicious look before folding his arms.
"How much?"
"Huh? I don't need money,"
"Oh so it's a body then?"
"What- Sasuke, I did not kill anybody, I just want- I mean I thought if...you aren't busy- do you want to play videogames with me?"
Sasuke stared at her, an odd smile on his face coupled with delirious eyes, then he remembered her sobbing as he frantically tried to calm her, and chose his words as carefully as he could.
"I'm never busy when it comes to you,"
Kushina stared at her clasped hands trying to subdue the pain in her chest, once again proving Sakura completely right. No matter, she thought, her outspoken attitude resurfacing with a new goal, she'd force herself for Sasuke's sake.
And so they played till midnight and Sasuke walked her home, sighing slightly when she gave him a soft peck and ran off. He hadn't been comfortable around her like usual, since she was being way too polite for his liking (he had in fact questioned his mentality when he first had feelings for her). Something had happened, and he was sure she was in a sickly state of depression. With pocketed hands, he turned to walk home with sudden burdened shoulders, and for once, she wasn't the cause of it.
And he didn't like it one bit.