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Being a ninja was never something that Kushina thought of as something honorable or particularly good or bad. It was duty, something she did for survival. Being an Uzumaki, an outcast, and worst of all, the jinchuuriki of the nine-tailed fox, she needed to both know how to protect herself and serve the village she lived in so she would earn their trust.
The last part was never truly fulfilled, it was more like a surveillance. They tolerated her because it was better to have her under their eyes. But they knew, deep down, she was more powerful than they could control. It was a constant fear, going both ways.
With Minato in her life, a lot of her anxiety and fears were pushed aside. Her days beside him were full of laughter, teasing, gentleness, good moments. He went from an annoyance, the little shy boy following her like a shadow, to the most important person in her world.
She liked to think Mito sent him to her. She always did say someone would love Kushina effortlessly, and vice-versa.
Most days were happy, even with the dread of things so out of her control and the future she could never anticipate. She had this constant fear of her world crumbling down, her power exploding everything around her, the domestic quiet life she lead turning into a battlefield.
Missions were a reminder of violence. Of war and terror and the ways everyone, including herself, was tainted. No one was as good as they wanted to be. She wondered if she deserved her peace.
She didn't know why everything felt so slow and out of place on that day in particular. Her body felt heavier, strange. She was sweating more than normal. It wasn't a particularly hot day and her mission gear was light enough.
“Watch out!” Minato called out with a grin, saving her from a sneak attack as he slashed a kunai through the air, sending a ninja sprawling. He laughed and pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head.
She glared at him, trying to focus on the fight. “Minato, stop messing around! Pay attention!” But despite herself, a small smile tugged at her lips.
“Oh, come on, love,” he teased, his voice light, almost playful. “I’m just trying to keep you on your toes. Can’t have you getting too comfortable out here, right?”
She rolled her eyes, refusing to let him distract her. “I can handle myself just fine, thank you very much.” She kicked another opponent, using her elbow to hit them once they grabbed her thigh.
“Yeah, I know. I’m just here for the show,” he quipped, effortlessly disarming another opponent with a well-timed Rasengan. “Besides, who else is going to make sure you don’t get yourself killed? I’m a valuable asset.”
“Valuable asset?” she scoffed, using her chains to incapacitate three ninjas at once. “You mean, show-off?”
Minato grinned wider. “Hey, someone’s gotta look good doing this.”
She cursed herself for thinking he really did look good. All the time, but especially when he was confident like this. Fighting as if it was the easiest task in the world, moving so fast she couldn’t keep up, sending people flying before she could register their presence.
Kushina’s face flushed, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of showing any real fluster. “You’re ridiculous, you know,” she muttered under her breath, charging forward to take down another wave of enemies.
But despite their playful back-and-forth, the battle was beginning to take its toll. The rogue ninjas were relentless, and the more they fought, the more Kushina could feel the pressure building inside her. The nine-tails’ chakra stirred, restless and unpredictable, an ever-present threat in the back of her mind. She had learned to control it, to keep it at bay, but today was different. She could feel the beast's presence growing stronger with every passing moment, its power clawing to be set free.
It was the first day she felt like this. This week has been weird, her body and mind disconnected, the fox's chakra burning as if it was a warning sign. There was something building up, something stirring inside her, and she was too afraid to check. She convinced herself it was just her usual paranoia playing tricks with her mind, even as the feelings and symptoms persisted.
Minato’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Kushina, we need to end this now. There's still a lot of them and more coming. I’ll take the lead. You follow my move, okay?"
She nodded, focusing on him as he prepared his rasengan, his form glowing with golden blue light. “Got it. Let’s finish this.”
They launched their combined attack, the air crackling with their chakra. Minato’s rasengan tore through the enemy ranks, while Kushina’s chains swept across the battlefield, ensnaring anyone left standing. For a moment, it seemed like victory was within their grasp.
But then, it happened.
The nine-tails’ chakra surged uncontrollably, and before she could rein it in, Kushina’s power exploded outward in a surge of crimson light. The chakra tails lashed out in every direction, tearing through the remaining ninjas like a whirlwind. She fought to control the overwhelming force, but the beast inside her refused to be tamed, its strength flooding her veins and sending a shockwave of raw power rippling through the air.
Minato barely had time to react before one of the massive tails struck him, sending him crashing into the ground, unconscious.
“Kushina!” He was the only thing she could hear as the chaos of the fight continued to rage around them. She barely registered the remaining ninjas falling to the ground, incapacitated by the force of her unleashed chakra. She dropped to her knees beside him, her hands shaking as she tried to steady his body.
“Minato, please…no, no, no…” Her voice cracked, the weight of the damage she had caused hitting her all at once. She had lost control. She had hurt him.
She almost crawled to him, the chakra still burning her skin, almost weighing her down. The world seemed to be burning and spinning, her lower belly contracting and cramping in unfamiliar ways.
She got closer to him, sprawled on the ground, his beautiful face serene as if he slept. For a second she froze, the only thought in her mind being that she killed him. She was a monster and did what others thought she would.
Eventually she raised her hand to his face, feeling the air coming out of his nose hitting her finger. She breathed out, choking, her face exploding in tears. She threw herself on him as gently as she could, feeling as if she was in a dream, holding on to the only think she knew could ground her.
"I'm sorry, it was a mistake...I'm sorry, Minato, please. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." She kept chanting until her voice was gone, and she had no notion of time. When her vision went dark, she collapsed on top of him, the both of them coated in powerful chakra.
—————
The faint beeping of monitors filled the silence as Kushina groaned softly, her eyelids fluttering open. She felt an ache deep in her chest — not just physical pain, but something more. Her head swam as fragmented memories of the mission returned to her. She remembered the rage, the red chakra of the Nine-Tails consuming her, and...Minato.
She turned suddenly, a cold shiver traveling down her body, and her breath catching before she rested her gaze on the man laying at the bed beside her.
Minato was laying on his back, blonde hair messy and contrasting against the white sheets under him. His skin was clean, free of the mud and blood from battle, and she could tell by the movement of his chest that he was breathing.
She let out a shaky breath, pressing her eyes close to stop the tears.
She could've hurt him really bad. Worse, she could've lost him. And it would be all her fault. She would be the only one to blame for destroying her own world, her love.
The shock of reality made her feel goosebumps on her skin, her chakra misbehaving inside her again. Her skin was still as heated as it was back in the forest. She felt lightheaded. She knew there was new seals on her body. She was acutely aware of every single part of it. The presence and power of the fox were never as potent when under control as they were now.
She tried the breathing exercises Mito taught her a long time ago while her eyes rested on Minato's sleeping frame.
He was always her peace. She only brought him chaos.
The door opened in front of her, and in a rush Tsunade Senju was walking to her, with her hair flying and her eyes narrowed.
"Are you kids tired of giving me trouble yet?" She sounded rude, but Kushina knew her enough. Tsunade was a hard woman, a wounded one like herself, but loyal and protective of the people around her.
"I wouldn't dream of bothering anyone else." Kushina joked back, failing to offer her a smile.
Tsunade scoffed, walking towards Minato with an attentive look on her face.
"Is he...Is he going to be alright?" Kushina's voice was almost a whisper.
"Of course he will." Tsunade waved her off. "The worst of it was the impact, it knocked him out. There was no trauma though. He's just a lazy ass, he's going to wake up any time now."
As if on cue, Minato's fingers twitched, and a soft groan escaped his lips. His eyelids fluttered open, revealing the familiar cerulean blue of his eyes. He blinked a few times, adjusting to the light, before his gaze settled on Kushina. A slow, lopsided grin spread across his face.
“Are you staring at me, Kushina? Didn’t anyone tell you it’s rude to ogle unconscious people?” he teased, his voice hoarse but playful.
Kushina let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding, her lips trembling as she tried to compose herself. “You idiot,” she muttered, her voice shaky. “Don’t scare me like that again.”
Minato chuckled softly, wincing as he shifted slightly in the bed.
“Scare you? I’m the one who woke up to find the love of my life looking like she was ready to kill someone—again. I think I deserve some sympathy here.”
Kushina narrowed her eyes at him, though the tears threatening to spill betrayed her.
“You think this is funny? I almost lost you, Minato!” She protested, her voice faltering.
The humor in his expression softened as he reached out, his hand finding hers and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Hey, hey. I’m not going anywhere, alright? You’re stuck with me for the long haul. I’d never leave you, Kushina. Not now, not ever.”
Her lip quivered as she gripped his hand tightly, as if afraid he might vanish if she let go.
“You promise?” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
“I promise,” Minato said firmly, pulling her hand to his chest. “You’re my world, Kushina. You’re stuck with me whether you like it or not. You should know that ever since I started following you around like a lost puppy.”
She let out a shaky laugh, wiping at her eyes with her free hand.
“You’re such a sap.” It came out as a sob.
“And you love me still.” he quipped, flashing her a mischievous grin.
Before she could respond, Tsunade cleared her throat loudly, drawing both of their attention. “If you two are done with your little soap opera moment, I have something important to say.”
Kushina sat up straighter, her grip on Minato’s hand still firm. “What is it?” she asked, her voice laced with concern.
Tsunade crossed her arms, her sharp eyes softening ever so slightly as she looked at Kushina. “While I was checking your chakra earlier, I noticed something unusual. At first, I thought it might be a lingering effect from the Nine-Tails’ chakra, but…” She paused for a moment, as if to build suspense.
Kushina’s heart raced. “But what?”
The pause made Kushina feel dread, waiting for news that would devastate her. She knew something had to be wrong, she fought it for that same reason. She refused to admit to herself that something wasn't working right inside her.
She gulped and kept her face up waiting for the blow.
However, she couldn't help but frown at the sigh of Tsunade’s lips curling into a rare, knowing smirk.
“Congratulations, Kushina. You’re pregnant.”
The room fell into a stunned silence. Kushina’s eyes widened, her mind struggling to process the words. “W-What?”
Minato’s face lit up in a mixture of surprise and joy. “We’re having a baby?” he asked, his voice filled with wonder. His blue eyes were sparkling, the surprise a fleeting reaction next to the warmth that seemed to radiate of him.
Kushina’s hands flew to her stomach instinctively. She could feel the warmth of her chakra mingling with something new, something small and fragile yet undeniably alive. Tears welled up in her eyes again, this time for an entirely different reason.
“I’m going to be a mom.” she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion.
It was so scary to even say it. Too sacred. Wonderful.
Minato’s grin grew impossibly wider as he gently cupped her face, his eyes shining with love and excitement. “You’re going to be the most wonderful mom, my love. I'm so happy.""
She let out a watery laugh, leaning into his touch. “I'm sure you’re going to be an okay dad, Minato.” She joked, her giggles following his own.
Tsunade rolled her eyes, though a small smile tugged at her lips. “Alright, lovebirds, save the sappy stuff for later. You’ve got a lot to prepare for, and knowing you two, it’s going to be a wild ride.”
Minato and Kushina exchanged a look, their fingers intertwining as they shared a silent promise. Whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together.