Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto/Naruto Shippuden. I only wish I did!
Chapter Two
A week had passed since Minato had left for his mission, and in that time Kushina had made sure to distract herself with busy work. These days she rarely went on her own missions, but she didn't mind it. She liked tending to the apartment and she liked being able to welcome her husband when he arrived back from longer missions. So, seven days after Minato had left, the woman had decided to go out and do a bit of grocery shopping.
As she walked through the village, hands full of bags, she couldn't help but smile up at the shining sun in the blue sky—but the smile was merely just a façade; deep down inside, Kushina had a terrible feeling in her gut.
Deciding not to dwell on the strange sense of fear she had, Kushina began to walk ahead, but as she did so, she stopped, noticing a familiar patch of gray hair. Her gaze softened as she stared at a lone boy in the distance, his masked face hiding the empty expression he seemed to be wearing as of late.
"Kakashi-kun!" Said young jonin glanced up before he watched his sensei's wife approach him with a wide smile across her face. He blinked before he bowed his head in respect, Kushina chuckling. "What a nice surprise, seeing you today!"
"Ah, you too." It was half-hearted and hollow, but Kushina didn't expect anything more than that; he was still mourning everything he had lost.
It seemed there were rare days that Kakashi had to enjoy himself lately—not that he really enjoyed anything anymore. But, since he had been given the day off from any missions, he was free to do as he pleased. So, instead of cooping himself inside of his home, the 11 year old decided to visit her grave again.
Rin's grave.
Gazing down at Kakashi with a soft stare, Kushina began to smile as she held her index finger up with an idea. "When Minato comes back from his mission, feel free to come and eat dinner with us!" The ANBU blinked as he looked up at Kushina, the woman's grin nearly contagious. She chuckled to herself as Kakashi hesitated. Before an answer could be made, a figure appeared behind Kushina, catching both of their attention.
Kushina raised a brow before her gaze hardened. "Shikuro."
"Minato-san and Hokaga-sama are waiting for you in the Hokage Residence." Kushina blinked, slightly taken aback by the statement; she hadn't been expecting that. Looking over her shoulder to take one last look at Kakashi, she smiled as the boy stared back at her.
"Think about what I said!" And with that, Kushina was off. Kakashi watched from a distance, noticing quickly the way his sensei's wife's smile disappeared.
What was going on?
§
Kushina's steps echoed through the eerily quiet hall as she tried to come up with some sort of scenario in her head. Minato was waiting with the Sandaime, which meant he was safe. And whether he failed or completed his mission successfully wouldn't have had anything to do with her—so that couldn't be the reason as to why she was being summoned. So then, what was it? She couldn't seem to figure it out. And by the silence Shikuro gave off as he walked in front of her, she knew that he would be giving her no answers.
Opening the door for her, Shikuro let Kushina walk by before he bowed to the Hokage, walking out and shutting the door quietly as he left. The redheaded woman glanced back for a moment at the shut door before she turned her attention to her village leader. She quickly bowed before standing up tall with a smile.
"You wanted to see me?" she asked as Hiruzen nodded, glancing at Minato.
"There is something you need to see." That had caused the woman to feel uneasy.
"What is it?"
"Kushina," Minato began as he smiled; the news he had to tell her was not bad news, yet it wasn't quite good news either. "There's someone you need to meet." The woman blinked as she raised a brow before the door to the Hokage's office opened. The three looked and watched as two ANBU members walked in, a tiny shadow hiding behind them.
"What—"
"A few months ago, I had heard that Iwagakure ninja had gotten their hands on a secret weapon. Since the destruction of Kannabi Bridge, the war has turned in our favor, and in a desperate attempt to change the tides, they had come across her." Kushina's eyes widened as the two ANBU shinobi stepped aside, revealing a young girl. The Third turned to Minato as he continued the explanation.
"I was sent to apprehend the weapon and make sure no trouble came from the rock ninja," Minato explained gently as Kushina trembled, her light onyx eyes gazing into a pair of bright amethyst eyes. "She was sealed in a wooden barrel. They must have traveled great lengths in order to capture her."
"Wh—Who is she?"
"We don't know. But the reason I thought you should be here and know this information is because..." Minato stepped forward towards the child as he knelt down in order to sit at eye-level with her. He motioned for her to turn around, and hesitantly, the young girl did as told. Kushina's world froze as her eyes widened, the crest on the back of the girl's dirty and torn shirt causing her voice to crack.
"O—Oh my god…" The crest on the girl's shirt was the crest of her own clan.
"Although your village is no longer existent, there are survivors that are scattered across the lands. It seemed that the Iwagakure shinobi were planning to use her sealing abilities and her chakra against us," Hiruzen explained gently as the girl turned back around, staring up at Kushina with a stale gaze. Kushina stared back at her with a more astonished stare, never once breaking eye contact with the young girl.
"…What's her name?"
"That's the problem." Minato frowned before he turned back to the girl with a sweet smile. She glanced at him as she tried not to frown, the jonin waiting patiently as he gently placed his hand on her shoulder in a way to show her comfort. Kushina watched intently as the little child hesitantly opened her mouth, sticking out her tongue; the woman was shocked.
"Th—That's—" Upon the girl's tongue was a seal mark.
"She performed a sealing jutsu on herself. She can't speak at all, even if she wanted to—nothing will come out," Minato explained quietly before he smiled down at the girl and stood to his feet.
She couldn't have been any older than perhaps six or seven, and yet this little girl had the strength to perform a sealing jutsu so intricate and so strong on herself? Kushina couldn't find the right words to describe how she was feeling. All she could do was stare down at the little Uzumaki, the young stranger staring back up at her.
"And she won't release the seal?" Minato shook his head at his wife's question as he sighed.
"She's still a bit fragile and confused. I think she thinks we're the enemy, and no matter how hard I try to convince her that we're not, she still refuses to even acknowledge our requests," the blond explained as Kushina glanced down at the girl; she understood why she had been summoned.
"Hello there." Kushina knelt down as she held her hand out to the young girl. She smiled widely as the little girl watched with a raised brow. "My name is Kushina Uzumaki." That had caught the former prisoner's full attention.
"…You and I, we're a lot alike, you know?" The little girl shrugged into her shoulders, as if she was trying to hide from the world. Kushina's gaze softened as her smile brightened. She gently grabbed the girl's hand and placed it in her own as she shook it. "It's really nice to meet you." The married woman watched carefully as the little girl slowly began to shake her hand before bowing her head down low; it seemed she had issues with authority figures.
Trying not to frown, Kushina pulled her hand away from the girl's as she placed them on her shoulders. "Do you mind if I release your jutsu? I'd really like to know your name." The girl gave no reply as she merely stared before taking a step away. Minato watched carefully as the little girl stared at Kushina's eyes; there was a gleam she had never seen before.
Kindness.
Blinking, the jinchuriki watched carefully as the little girl created hand signs before opening her mouth. The ink on her tongue began to fade as she began to cough, nearly falling over. She would have hit the ground had it not been for Kushina's quick reflexes. The woman quickly reached out and caught the girl as Minato jerked forward but relaxed. He watched as his wife held the girl safely in her arms, closing her eyes and rubbing her back.
"There, there. It's alright. You're safe." The young girl quivered in Kushina's arms as she kept her eyes squeezed tightly shut.
It had been a long time since she had felt the warmth of another. She couldn't even remember what another person's touch had felt like. The only thing she really knew was the walls of the barrel she had been stuck in. It was almost a bit overwhelming for her, but she tried to take it all in strides. Because, even though she didn't trust these people, they were still kind to her. And that had been more than what those other ninja had been like. Even if it was all a trick—just for a few seconds, she wanted to believe in the safety of this woman's arms and the gentleness of the man who had released her from her prison.
"Can you tell me your name?" Kushina asked as the little girl stared up at her with puppy-like eyes. She blinked before she gasped and shook her head, hiding herself in Kushina's chest. The red headed woman blinked before she chuckled, patting her softly on the head. "That's alright. We can wait." Looking up at the Hokage and Minato, she gave them a serious stare; she was going to make them wait until the girl was comfortable to get their answers.
Chuckling, Minato looked back at Hiruzen, the Hokage smiling as he nodded. "For the time being we'll place the girl—"
"Wait!" Kushina scooped the trembling stranger into her arms with ease as she stood to her feet. She looked back at the Third and Minato as they blinked, waiting curiously for the kunoichi to speak. "Instead of placing her under the care of the ANBU, we can take her, right, Minato?" Said man was unsure whether his wife was actually asking him or using a rhetorical question. Either way, he didn't want to risk his own safety, so he merely smiled weakly as he nodded; they had room for the young girl anyways.
Hiruzen hesitated as he glanced at the young girl. Though she looked harmless, there had been a reason why the Iwagakure hidden village sought her out. Just by standing in the same room with her, the Third could feel the enormous amount of chakra she held in that tiny body; she was much like Kushina in that way. But, the little girl had been clearly held against her will—she'd even gone as far as to seal her own lips and voice in order to keep from helping those who had captured her in the first place. So he knew she held no loyalty to them.
For the girl's safety, the Hokage had planned to put her with his best and most personal ANBU members, but as he stared into Kushina's pleading eyes and glanced over at Minato's patient smile, he had second-guessed himself; perhaps the girl needed—not protection, but stability and affection.
"If she is to stay with you then there must be someone with her at all times. I also want a weekly report of her condition." Kushina's face lit up as Minato let a sigh of relief slip past his lips; he knew his wife well enough to know she wouldn't have settled for anything other than yes.
"And if she decides to tell you anything…" Kushina and Minato glanced at each other before they nodded, the Hokage smiling.
"Then she is yours for now. Thank you for your hard work."
"Ah, thank you, Sandaime!"
With the young girl still in her arms, Kushina and Minato walked out, leaving the Hokage and his two ninja in the room. Hiruzen stared after them for a moment before he smiled to himself and sat down; this would be a good turning point for everyone.
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She had fallen asleep with ease as Kushina carried her back to her home. She didn't mind though; after everything she must have been through, the jinchuriki understood that she needed a bit of rest.
Walking into their apartment, Minato flipped the light switch and watched as Kushina walked into the spare bedroom; the sun was already beginning to set. He slipped his sandals off as he unzipped his vest, sliding it off and hanging it on the back of the kitchen chair. He then ventured towards the open door to the bedroom, watching as his wife gently tucked the sleeping child into the sheets. His gaze softened as he stared at Kushina, a gentle and sweet smile appearing across her lips.
"There. She's fine now," Kushina stated after shutting the bedroom door. She sighed as she took a seat across from Minato at the table, a cup of tea already waiting for her. With a content breath, the young woman sat and sipped her tea, Minato chuckling at her. She glanced up at her husband before she set her cup down, a guilty look coming over her.
"I'm sorry." That had caught Minato off guard.
"Sorry for what, Kushina?" the Namikaze blinked innocently as he watched his wife stare down at her tea.
"I know that it was a rash decision for me to just have her come stay with us…but…" Looking up, Kushina's small and nervous smile touched Minato's soul. "She and I are the same. We're both…and I just couldn't leave her like that."
Reaching his hand across the table, Minato cupped Kushina's as he smiled. "I know. It's alright. You did the right thing, Kushina. And that's one of the things I've always loved about you." The woman blushed before she grinned, squeezing her husband's hand back; he was always so good at making her feel special.
"The truth will come to pass soon enough. And then everything will be alright."
Chapter two is up. And who is to know what will happen next! Like I've said before, I do plan on keeping to the overall timeline of Naruto and I do plan on keeping very important and main events from the series in this story. The extra parts that I write will work around that though, and hopefully everything will all end up melding together nicely! Not a lot has happened yet, and I will be honest and say that the beginning is going to be peaceful and slower. It won't be until further into the story where chapters will be action-packed! So if whoever is reading this can bear with me until then, you won't regret it...I hope!
Thank you so much for giving this story a read. Hopefully you have all enjoyed. And if not, I'm terribly sorry, and I can only hope that my hard work will pay off and you will end up liking this story more the further you go. I promise you, I definitely have been putting my all into this, so I truly hope it shows! And if there is something you would like me to do or fix, don't hesitate to contact me through any means :) I am very open-minded and I am always looking to grow as a writer. Your advice and critiques are what I need to do that!
Reviews:
BROTH3R MENACE: Hello! And thank you very much for your kind words :D More will definitely be coming, and I truly do hope that you will read and enjoy what is posted! I will work my hardest!
earendil18: Hi there! First off, thank you for reading! And second, Kushina is listed just because I believe she plays a large role in this story. I would have listed Minato as well, but I'm afraid the website wouldn't let me :\ If you continue to read, you will find she is a significant character to the story, and that is why I listed her! Just like Naruto and Kakashi shall both play significant roles as well! Please, if you have anything else you would like to ask or know, don't hesitate to ask :) Thank you for reading!
NaruHina Fan: Well, hi! I would like to start by saying I am also a Naru/Hina fan! I was never much a fan of Naru/Saku. I personally get irritated by Sakura's character, although I will say her growth is obvious and great in Naruto Shippuden! Anyways, I'm glad you have enjoyed what I have posted so far! He hasn't been fully integrated into this story yet, but that is definitely coming up shortly, so just hang in there! Thank you so much for reading and leaving a review! And I hope you enjoy this chapter.
Vmorales: Hello there, and I would like to say thank you! I'm so genuinely glad to see that you have liked the first two chapters thus far, and I hope that you will only continue to enjoy the future posts! Hopefully it'll be to your taste and hopefully my efforts will show in the planning of the story and the writing! Thank you again, and I hope you enjoy :)