A/N: I'm back! I hope you liked this interlude. Let me know if you would like more of these shifts in POV. I had fun writing Kushina POV. Want to read more POV shifts? Let me know!

Humiya's story will continue soon!

Happy Reading.

To Change Fate

Interlude Part 2: Kushina

The rest of Kushina's journey was in silence. The wagon shifted from quiet streets to busy intersections. After what felt like hours, they finally reached the forestry outskirts of the Hidden Leaf Village. Kushina leaned back and basked in the coolness the shade of the overhanging trees gave them. She knew that she would have gotten there faster if she ran, but traveling the civilian way felt a lot calmer than the usual ninja rush from mission to mission. It was also better for Naruto who was sound asleep in her arms.

Hearing familiar rustling in the trees, she looked up and saw a few ninjas tree hop by. This made Kushina look ahead and notice a few buildings in the distance, the hostels. They made it.

The pair of rundown wooden buildings stood lopsided with tin roofs, the Uchiha symbol hanging proudly on the sign in front. Even though many people passed through the village, the Southern point was a more popular entry with its clutter of shops and hotels; it left the commodities on the northern side neglected. It was a wonder the buildings survived the attack. It seemed like this was the only part of the village that was left practically unscathed.

Kushina couldn't help but grimace. The Uchiha clan used to be a small village all on its own but was now reduced to this few.

The wagon stopped at the front entrance. The man helped Kushina and his daughter off it. Among the few passersby, Kushina saw no one familiar. Everyone seemed to be keeping their distance, pretending to mind their own business while giving her small glances. This reminded her of when Mikoto told her how many members of the Uchiha were actually very talkative, contrary to popular belief. Unchiha parents tended to drill into their children's heads to keep conversations behind closed doors and only with those they most trusted. A familiar ache returned to her chest. Gone were the days when she would talk with Mikoto for hours on end from everything to nothing in particular. Now that she thought about it, she wasn't even sure that Mikoto would even want to talk to her. She hadn't replied to any of her letters. No one did.

"I will meet you back at our room," he told his daughter before bowing goodbye to Kushina.

"I never got your name, ya know!" Kushina called as everyone got off the wagon.

The man smiled slightly.

"Daiki. I hope you find your friend," he said before going around back.

"I hope you find your friend as well. And thanks again for the bar. It was really good," Izumi said as well before giving her a hug.

"Me too," Kushina whispered, returning it.

"Bye Kushina! Bye Naruto!" Izumi said, about to walk away, but paused.

"Itachi!" she gasped, sprinting down the dirt road.

Kushina's eyes widened in the direction Izumi ran and there he was, Mikoto's oldest walking toward them with an older boy in tow. The five year old boy limped slowly, leaning against a crutch due to his bandaged leg. He had a haunted look on his face, an expression that should be reserved for traumatized ninja.

"Itachi!" she called as well, following the little girl to the pair.

"Izumi and… Mrs. Uzumaki?" he greeted, not bothering to hide his surprise.

"I was looking all over for you!" Izumi cried, hugging him.

Itachi patted her back and looked up at Kushina, his eyes widening when his eyes drifted to baby Naruto.

"This is Naruto," Kushina said to Itachi and Shisui. "I am happy that you are all alright,"

Kushina smiled at the reunion before looking at the older Uchiha boy. He was slightly taller than Itachi, his short black hair spiky. She eyed the Head band that gleamed on his forehead. Based on his headband alone, she would assume that he was at least twelve or thirteen, but he was much too small. She realized that the little boy before her was the child prodigy people have been raving about, Shisui. The child genius who, like Kakashi, graduated early due to the Third Ninja War. Much too early in Kushina's opinion.

He smirked at her, but his eyes could not hide his exhaustion.

"When I saw the bridge collapse, I thought you didn't make it," Izumi cried, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

"You don't have to worry about Itachi here," Shisui chuckled as he ruffled Itachi's hair. "He's a lot stronger than he looks,"

"I look weak?" Itachi asked, clutching his crutch.

"Of course not!" Izumi huffed, glaring at Shisui. "Itachi is one of the strongest ninjas I know. Who are you to call him that?"

"I am Shisui," he said. "How do you know Itachi?"

"He saved my life! He brought me to safety during the attack with Humiya and Sasuke on his back. It was so cool!" Izumi said, her eyes sparkling.

She looked around and behind the boys.

"Where is Humiya and Sasuke, anyway?"

"Yes, I also want to know where they are. I brought you all gifts," Kushina added.

She dug into her bag and took out a pink dinosaur plush, a bronze flower hair pin, and a box of dango before handing the items to Itachi.

"Here, I am sure Sasuke would love this plush as much as his green one and Humiya would adore another pin. I know how much you love dango,"

Itachi stared at the gifts, his eyes beginning to water.

"Thank you for the gifts. They would have loved them. I will…I will put them on their graves," he whispered.

Kushina covered her mouth in shock, the information piercing her worse than getting her pressure points stabbed by poisoned senbon needles.

"Humiya and Sasuke… gone?" Izumi whimpered, still trying to grasp what she just heard.

"We were so close to the shelters, but I failed them. They were swept away in the river, their bodies not found, and the rock crushed my leg. I lost a few toes. The healer told me that it will permanently hinder my balance."

Itachi held the gifts against his chest.

"Despite this handicap, I promise to become the strongest ninja. I will find the man who did this and destroy him,"

Kushina saw Itachi's expression in many of her comrades during the war. All making a personal vow to take revenge even if it killed them. It never ended well, their fate was to go off alone and become a shell of who they once were with that singular purpose. She knew the pain that was etched into his soul. She could not bear to see Mikoto's son go down that path. Her friend lost so much already.

Kushina kneeled to his eye level and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Itachi, if everyone who lost their loved ones to that man thought the same way you do, who would be left to protect those who survived? Who would protect the village?"

Itachi was silent, clenching his fists.

Kushina put her hand over his injured leg and concentrated her chakra on it. The burst of energy transferred into Itachi's leg, healing it. Itachi unwrapped the bandages and she saw his foot healed, but his first three toes were still missing.

Itachi struggled a little before standing upright before stumbling a little.

"Why can't I find balance?"

"You are strong, Itachi. Even if your balance is permanently damaged, you have the makings of becoming a powerful ninja. Soon, this will only be a small hindrance," Kushina said. "Remember that one of the core values of being a ninja is teamwork,"

"Yeah!" Izumi said, "I am going to be a ninja too and bring the one who killed my mom to justice,"

"You got to grow a little first," Shisui said, ruffling Izumi's hair.

"Hey, you became a ninja young. Why can't I,"

"It's a long, boring story, Izumi." Shisui said.

"I want to hear it as well," Itachi mumbled. "We both want to be a strong as you,"

Kushina smiled at the trio. She knew that they were going to be an amazing team. She said her goodbyes to them and left.

Kushina grimaced the whole way to the Sarutobi Main House. After the pep talk, she gave it to Itachi and his group, she couldn't bring herself to meet with Mikoto. The feeling that she sent Humiya and Sasuke to their deaths was overwhelming.

The round building seemingly untouched by the catastrophe that happened. It looked like many of the other homes in the neighborhood, pipes running through the wooden roof of the circular building. She walked up to the house's front door and knocked at the door.

A few moments later, the door opened to reveal Biwako's son at the door holding a small hammer.

Kushina put on a fake smile, trying to hide her mourning.

"Asuma, you've grown!" she cheered.

"It is good to see you too, Aunt Kushina," he replied, allowing her inside.

Kushina looked at the house, it being the same as was when she left with its cream walls and hardwood flooring. She took off her shoes and put them into the shoe cabinet.

"So, this is Naruto," Asuma said as he put the hammer down on the shoe cabinet, staring at the sleeping baby. "He… looks just like Lord Fourth,"

"Yes," Kushina replied, feeling the awkward tension in the room, a part of her wondered if it could cut butter. "Would you like to hold him?"

Asuma put his hands up, his whole body tensing as if he wanted to say no.

"Okay,"

Kushina couldn't help but chuckle at that before loosening her sling and tying it onto him.

"Just hold him like this. There you go,"

She watched Asuma as he held Naruto securely, watching her baby still sleep soundly. She wondered if her walk to the Compound was too much for her little boy.

"I will come back to check on you two in a bit," she told him, handing him her scroll filled with baby supplies. "Come to me if there is a problem,"

Kushina then walked past him and went to her room. She opened the door and saw that it was a lot smaller than she remembered. It had the same neatly made twin size bed and small cabinet across from it. The old end table that was situated next to her bed was replaced with a small crib that was not quite finished being assembled, the scroll with the instruction and pieces still sprawled on the floor.

"I should thank him later," she said to herself as she opened the cabinet to see clothes neatly hung and folded in it.

Lastly, she looked at the large chest on the end of her bed that had a note stuck to it. She noticed that it was in Biwako's neat handwriting.

Kushina,

Within this chest contains what we could salvage from your house and Minato's belongings from his office.

Biwako.

Kushina gasped as she read it before quickly opening the chest to see a pile of scrolls. The neat stack of scrolls was all labeled with different things from Kitchen items to ninja tools. Nothing seemed to really catch her eye until she noticed a scroll that made her hands tremble.

"Minato…" she whispered as she quickly took out the sealed thin scroll.

She concentrated her chakra to her finger and ran it down his swirly text to undo the seal to read it.

My Beloved Kushina,

If you are reading this, I am no longer in this world. First, I would like to apologize for not being strong enough to continue to be there for you. To share our joys and sorrows, to help raise Naruto.

There are many possibilities to how I died, so I have written multiple wills for as many as I could think of and a letter for you to not be seen by the courts. This pertains to if I died from an enemy attack which caused significant damage to the village and our property.

How to distribute our assets will be read aloud in the courts, but I sealed another copy at the end of the letter in case the one I have given is tampered with.

My Beloved, I know you are in pain and that you want to avenge my death. But I implore you to not sacrifice yourself and do so alone. I will only be able to rest in peace if you raise Naruto to be strong and help the village.

Sincerely,

Minato

By the end of reading the short letter, drops of Kushina's tears littered it, messing up the ink. She placed it away from her to cause no more damage.

"But you will never rest in peace in the stomach of the Shinigami. You not only sacrificed your body but also your soul," she wept.

Kushina felt so weak and numb, she clenched her fists so hard that her nails dug into her skin. She had lost so much; the village had lost so much. It was because of one nameless man. She vowed with all her being to raise her son to be the best he could be and contribute in any way she could to strengthen the village to combat the evil that was that masked man.

She collapsed onto her bed, and she cried herself to sleep.

In a dream, Kushina was no longer the stubborn and strong young woman but a feeble little girl, covered in cuts and bruises in a dense forest. She washed her wounds in a running creek. Her red hair only went down to her waist, oily as if she hadn't bathed in days. Fear dulled the usual vibrance in her violet eyes.

Kushina heard a twig snap which ushered her to run further down the woods. It was dark, but she knew whoever was chasing her was nearby. She stumbled upon a rundown temple that seemed to have been abandoned ages ago. She scurried into it to hide. It was drafty, the worn wood rotten in some places and walls peeling. The only place in the small building that looked oddly well-kept was a wall adorned with demon masks, some with horns and others with sharp teeth. Kushina wanted to do nothing more but cower.

The door to the place then opened to reveal an old woman wearing a priestess attire, her clothing though ripped in some places, she carried more elegance and precision than any royalty. Her hair was white with streaks of red still in it with her eyes a pale lilac due to a white sheen of blindness.

"G-Grandma?" Kushina cried.

It was at that moment that she realized that this wasn't some nightmare, but a memory. A memory buried so deep into her mind that she thought she had forgotten it. She wasn't in some old forgotten temple, but the reminisce of the once great Uzumaki Temple.

"Grandma!"

Kushina stood up and ran over to the blind woman and held her as if her life depended on it.

"I followed what you said, ya know! I followed the Naka river out of sight like you told me to escape danger. There were so many bad men,"

Kushina's voice was muffled as she snuggled into her grandma's embrace.

"I-I thought you wouldn't make it,"

"Of course, I made it out alive. I foretold it, did I not?"

Her grandma rubbed her back.

"What do they want from us?"

"They want you, Kushina. I prayed to the spirits to change your fate, but all fell on deaf ears. You were chosen, my child. To become the next jinchuriki,"

Grandma heaved as she coughed heavily.

"Grandma…"

"I am fine for now. Let me sit down,"

Kushina led her to a ripped cushion next to the altar of masks.

"I don't wanna be a jinchuriki!" Kushina whispered as she laid her head on her lap. "You have to get better. You're all I have left!

"I will not be for long. I have little time left…Soon, you will have many people in your life who will love and care for you as I have. I saw it all in my dreams," her grandma insisted as she petted her hair.

"But—"

"Hush now. I need to tell you something important. Do you see those masks hanging there on display? Those are why we are called Mortals Above Gods, Kushina. I need you to always remember them. Especially the one in the middle, the strongest, The Shinigami.,"

Kushina stared at the Shinigami mask. The same Shinigami that now tortured Minato's soul. Its twisted smile looked as if it was mocking, its sharp yellow teeth contrasted with its white face.

"Long ago, before either of us were born, Gods were among us, wreaking havoc and blessing miracles. Their powers were so great that people all around would worship them. Some even loved us mortals and made great clans. Our ancestors wanted that power, and they got it,"

"We caught all of them?" Kushina asked.

"Once the Uzumaki captured the Shinigami, it did not take long for us to also take its brethren," her grandma chuckled. "But for a price. A price has to be paid when putting on the mask. That is why even in this state, no one has dared to touch them. For most, it is their life and soul. For us Uzumaki, it is only an inch of your life,"

Grandma opened her palm and traced a line on it.

"Uzumaki are known for their long lifelines, so a few years gone is nothing for us,"

Her grandma then took her necklace off and gave it to her.

"Here,"

"Your amulet?" Kushina asked. "But you never take that off,"

A black jewel the size of an eyeball was situated in the middle of a bronze plate necklace with ancient seal markings around it. It the center, a red lotus was etched on it.

"Remember to keep it safe. The one who this belongs to searches for it still and you must never let them have it back," she warned.

Before she could ask why, the door opened, and Hidden Leaf ninja began to pour in. Before they could get her, she awoke with a gasp.

Kushina looked around and saw Naruto sleeping peacefully in his now finished crib. She got up slowly and made sure not to disturb him and went back to the chest. She found the scroll labeled jewelry to make sure the amulet was there. It was. She stared down at it. Kushina could not believe that her memories of her grandma were so faint until now. Kushina never saw her again after that night. She died shortly after Kushina became the jinchuriki. She might not have been able to save her grandma, but she must save her husband's soul.

"Minato, I will free you," she whispered to herself.

A week passed before Kushina regained most of her strength. She spent most of her time taking care of Naruto. Before long, Kushina found an opportunity to slip out of the Sarutobi house and go to the Uzumaki Temple. She made sure to wear the amulet. Luckily, luckily was able to make Asuma play babysitter again and be off on her merry way.

Kushina might have regained her stamina, but just to be safe, she hitched a ride on a wagon to get mostly there by a couple of friendly farmers.

When she got off, she saw the beginning of the familiar dirt path of her youth. Kushina stared at the overgrowth before beginning down the path. The farther she walked, the more she sensed that someone was following her. Her ninja senses were ringing like alarm bells.

Kushina continued down the path, pretending not to notice. The chakra signature felt familiar. Of someone who watched over her a lot while she was pregnant. After a few minutes of walking, she found the shrine.

It was more run down than she remembered with the entrance barely visible with the roof weight caving in. Kushina gathered her bearings before she entered the temple. Inside, the only thing that looked untouched was the masks that adorned the wall. Not even dust touched them. She took a deep breath before going to grab the Shinigami mask and put it over her face.

Immediately after, she felt the demon's presence.

"An Uzumaki, interesting. The last imbecile who put on my mask was swiftly killed," an eerie voice whispered in her head.

"Release my husband, now." she screamed, knife in hand.

Laughter erupted in her head.

"You dare order me with that weak body of yours. Be grateful your soul is still intact," the god said.

"But my husband…" Kushina faltered, lowering the knife. "I was told you would release the spirits in your stomach if you possessed a body and cut their stomach. This can't be for nothing!"
"Interesting. You actually believe that. I can do that for someone who is strong. If I even tried to possess you, you would die on the spot," he said. "But there is a way, I suppose. Let's make a deal,"

Kushina is silent for a moment.

"A deal? How do I know you would keep your end of it?" she asked.

"And how would I know if you keep your end of it? It is the risk of the deal and why they are so powerful," he said. "If you free me from this mask, I will set everyone in my stomach free. Do you have a deal?"

Kushina was hesitant, thinking of the consequences of setting a death god out into the world.

"I may be a merciful god, but I am not a patient one. Choose,"

As Kushina stood there quietly, the screams of the souls in his stomach rang in her head, Minato's being the most pronounced.

"I'll do it!" she screamed before prying off the mask. Inside it, there was a seal.

Kushina bit into her thumb and drew blood before writing the universal sign to undo a seal. The mask then crumbled in her hands and the Shinigami spread his arms out before her and opened his mouth.

Hundreds, maybe thousands of souls flowed out of his mouth and away from her. She quickly looked around for Minato but could not find them. Then she heard an eruption of laughter.

The other masks on the wall began to crumble and the other demons started floating away.

"Pleasure doing business with you," the Shinigami laughed and was about to go through her, but a flash of light stopped him. It came from the jewel in her necklace.

"So, you, her eye. Interesting," The Shinigami said as he whirled around her. "We will meet again," he then left with all the other demons.

Kushina legs went heavy and fell on her knees, feeling the weight of what she had released out into the world. She looked up at the remaining fiery soul and held her hands out to it. It was Minato. She could feel him.

"Minato, you're free, ya know," she whispered before she collapsed onto the floor, feeling the strain from how much chakra it took out of her.

Instead of landing on the floor, she felt a ball of warmth surrounding her. Kushina reached out for it.

"Can you stay with me, just, just for a little while?"

She heard Minato's voice.

"My love, all of me cannot stay by your side, but a piece of me still lives in you," Minato echoed. "Thank you,"

A part of her thought it was just her imagination that she could hear his voice, feel his warm embrace. And with him, everything went dark.