The Eccentric Kushina
Kushina, just waking up, blinked in confusion before turning to Minato. "Minato, aren't we… already dead?"
Namikaze Minato frowned deeply. If his guess was correct, this was the Impure World Reincarnation (Edo Tensei), a forbidden technique recorded in the Scroll of Seals.
But his soul had been sealed away with the Yin half of Kurama—so who had broken the Reaper Death Seal (Shiki Fūjin) and revived them?
At that moment, Kushina's gaze fell upon Kakashi and a young man standing beside him. She pointed at Kakashi and exclaimed, "Minato, isn't that Kakashi? How did he get so big? Did he die before us? Has that much time really passed?"
Minato didn't respond right away. His eyes were locked onto the blond young man. There was something unsettling about him—his presence was powerful, even more so than the masked man who had attacked Konoha years ago.
Kushina, however, stepped forward toward Kakashi, her expression softening. "Kakashi, did you bring us back? It's not good to dwell on the past, you know. If my sleep was disturbed for nothing, I'll be really upset."
Kakashi shuddered as Kushina's hair lifted slightly, reminding him of the terror he had felt under her wrath in the past. He quickly waved his hands. "It wasn't me, Kushina-san! Minato-sensei! The one who revived you is… him." He motioned toward Naruto hesitantly. "His identity is… complicated."
"Complicated?" Kushina frowned and turned to the blond young man. "Who are you? And why… why don't I feel any hostility toward you?"
Midway through her words, she trailed off, standing frozen in confusion.
The young man lowered his head slightly, his voice calm yet unreadable. "I have many identities. I am the daimyo of Uzushiogakure, the current head of the Uzumaki Clan, and the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails."
Kushina's eyes widened. Her mouth opened slightly, a mix of emotions crossing her face. "You're… Naruto? Minato's and my child? You've grown so much in the blink of an eye…"
She paused, then turned to Kakashi. "How long has it been since we died?"
Before Kakashi could answer, Naruto spoke. "It's been twelve years since the night of the Nine-Tails attack. Konoha is now in its Fifth Hokage era."
Kushina hesitated. "The Fifth Hokage? Who is it?"
Naruto's voice remained calm. "Three years ago, Jiraiya of the Sannin staged a coup, overthrowing the Third Hokage and taking the title of Fifth Hokage."
Minato's eyes widened in disbelief. "Jiraiya-sensei… overthrew the Third?"
Minato had always known Jiraiya as carefree, someone who avoided responsibility whenever possible. If Jiraiya had truly wanted to be Hokage, he would have taken the position before Minato had.
Kakashi sighed. "People change, Minato-sensei. Jiraiya-sama didn't plan this from the start. He was forced into action… because the Third Hokage had made too many mistakes."
Minato's expression darkened as he processed this revelation. There was so much he didn't understand—Naruto's multiple identities, the cold distance between him and Kakashi, and what exactly had led to Jiraiya's coup.
Sensing Minato's unspoken questions, Kushina stepped forward, smiling gently at Naruto. "Naruto, come with me. I have something to ask you."
Naruto noticed the silent exchange between his parents but didn't refuse. He followed Kushina to a nearby tree, where she leaned against the trunk and gazed at the Hokage Monument in the distance.
"Minato always wanted you to become Hokage, but from what I hear, things didn't quite go that way," she mused, smiling wryly.
Naruto didn't respond, his blue eyes studying her cautiously.
After a brief silence, Kushina turned to him and smiled. "Minato probably wants to ask Kakashi more about you. Even though he died for the village, he still cares about it." Her voice softened. "But you don't have to worry. As long as I'm here, I won't let Minato do anything to hurt you. Whether you want to destroy Konoha or leave it behind, I'll support you."
She grinned. "After all, I'm your wayward Red Hot-Blooded Habanero mother."
Without hesitation, she opened her arms and pulled Naruto into a firm embrace.
Naruto stiffened. He had never experienced this before—parental warmth, unconditional love. He stood frozen, uncertain how to react.
Ten seconds passed before he gently pulled away. His voice was quiet but steady. "Do you want to hear my story? You'll understand me better than Kakashi ever could."
Kushina nodded, watching him intently.
As Naruto recounted his past—his lonely childhood, how the villagers treated him as a demon, and how the Third Hokage did nothing to stop it—Kushina's expression darkened. Her fists clenched. "That old man! He promised Minato and me that he'd take care of you, and he just… stood by and let this happen?"
When Naruto told her about Hinata reaching out to him, Kushina's anger softened into amusement. "Oh? So Naruto likes gentle girls, huh? I always thought you'd go for someone as fiery as me."
Naruto chuckled slightly before continuing.
Then came the story of the Uchiha Massacre.
Kushina sighed. "So the village turned against the Uchiha after all… If Minato had been Hokage, he could've handled it. And Mikoto… she was such a good friend to me." She frowned. "Itachi… that boy had so much talent, but to think he'd turn on his own family…"
"That's not entirely true," Naruto interrupted. "Mikoto-san is alive. I saved her in time, and she's living in Uzushiogakure now."
Kushina's eyes lit up with relief. She no longer seemed as concerned with the rest of the story. "I see. Well, I understand why you left Konoha. If it weren't for Minato, I probably would have defected a long time ago too. I support your decision."
She tilted her head. "But since you left, why did you come back this time?"
Naruto smirked. "To watch the Third Hokage get stabbed in the back by Orochimaru."
Kushina's expression darkened slightly, but then she chuckled. "Alright then, let's watch that old man finally get what's coming to him. I always wanted to see that."
Naruto blinked. He had a much clearer understanding of what kind of person his mother was now.
Kushina Uzumaki—fierce, unpredictable, and utterly devoted to those she loved. She had her own sense of justice, one that was deeply personal rather than objective. She never hesitated to take sides.
And for once, Naruto found himself on the side of someone who truly loved him.
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