Chapter 3

"Come take a seat dattebane." The beautiful red-haired woman said, motioning for Sakura to sit next to her.

"Dattebane, that sounds like something Naruto would say." Sakura thought as she hesitantly walked forward.

The man ,who she recently had found out was the Yondaime Hokage and Naruto's father scooted over allowing Sakura to sit between the two of them.

"So Sakura what happened? When I left everything seemed fine." Minato said curious as to why Sakura was there.

"Well Sasuke...killed me," Sakura bluntly answered.

"What! Why would he do that!?" Minato asked getting upset.

"Wait Sasuke, as in Sasuke Uchiha?" The red-haired woman asked.

"Yeah, do you know him?" Sakura asked, the woman was starting to gain her interest.

"No, not really, but I did knew his mom, Mikoto Uchiha." The woman replied, piquing Sakura's interest.

"Excuse me for asking, but who exactly are you?" Sakura asked wanting to know who this is mystery woman is.

"Me, I'm Kushina Uzumaki!" The woman said proudly.

"Uzumaki! Do you know, Naruto?" Sakura continued her questioning.

"Know him, I'm his mother dattebane!." Kushina said with pride in her voice.

"M-mother!" Sakura stammered out, stunned this beautiful woman was Naruto's mother.

"Kami with a mom and dad as good looking as them, no wonder Naruto is so hot...Where the hell did that come from!?" Sakura thought, but she was interrupted by someone she hadn't heard from in along time.

"Well, well, well look who's finally noticing her feelings." Inner Sakura said in a knowing tone.

"You, I thought you were long gone, and what the hell are you talking about?" Sakura thought surprised to hear from her Inner Self.

"Oh I wasn't gone, dormant is the term I'd use. And I was talking about your feelings for Naruto, you idiot ." Inner Sakura said scolding her outer self.

"W-what are you talking a-about!?" Sakura stammered out, her face turning red.

"You know you love him. You have for a long time. You just had to push past your childish obsession with Sasuke." Inner Sakura said, her words ringing in Sakura's mind.

"Hello! Sakura are you alright!?" Kushina said, snapping her fingers in front of Sakura's face.

"Just think about it." Inner Sakura said before she cut off their connection.

"Uh, I'm fine Mrs. Uzumaki. I just spaced out for a minute there." Sakura said getting back into the conversation.

"Oh it's alright dear, dying kinda has that effect on you. Also please call me Kushina," The red-haired woman said with a smile. "Sooo, Sakura what's this Minato was telling me about you being my son's girlfriend." Kushina said in a sing song voice.

"W-what!?" Sakura almost yelled glaring at Minato.

"Now, now dear don't embarrass the girl." Minato said trying to stop his wife before Sakura beat him. He may be dead, but that didn't mean he couldn't feel pain.

"Awww come on Minato-kun I wanna talk to my sochi's girlfriend," Kushina whined.

"I-I'm not Naruto's girlfriend, we're just really close friends." Sakura said trying to deny what Kushina was saying.

"Really that's surprising. When I first spoke with Naruto, all he talked about was you," Kushina said surprised.

"R-really." Sakura said, her heart fluttering and her face turning red.

"Yeah he went on and on about you. He only had the nicest things to say about 'his' Sakura-chan." Kushina said, again Sakura's heart fluttered again hearing that Naruto thought so much of her.

"I-I just don't know what to feel around Naruto. He makes me feel all weird and bubbly whenever I'm around him." Sakura said as she ran her hands through her hair.

"Well let's see if we can help you recognize your true feelings for our son." Minato said as he snapped his fingers.

Instantly a misty like haze appeared in front of them.

"What is that?" Sakura asked as she stood up and walked toward the haze.

"This," Kushina said gesturing towards the mist. "Will allow you to see peoples memories."

"Really?" Sakura asked feeling skeptical.

"Yep!" Kushina said happily. "Let's try it out on you first."

Instantly the mist was filled with images from Sakura's life. It showed her worst and her best moments. Sakura felt terrible watching herself hit and berate Naruto with his parents right in front of her. But instead of getting angry Kushina was laughing and giggling whenever Sakura hit him.

"You aren't mad I hit Naruto?" Sakura asked, surprised Kushina wasn't trying to strangle her.

"No, Naruto deserved a good smack most of the time. Plus I would have done the same thing if I were in your position." Kushina laughed, but she stopped when a certain memory flashed into the mist.

When Sakura looked at the memory, she was filled with regret. It was the memory of her confession in the Land of Iron. As the scene played out Sakura tried to hide her tears of regret. But she was unsuccessful, as tears started to freely fall from her eyes. Sakura was surprised to feel someone wiping away her tears. When she looked she saw Kushina smiling at her.

"Why aren't you furious at me? I broke Naruto's heart there." Sakura said gesturing towards the images.

"Because as I watched that confession, even though it was mostly a lie, I could tell deep down that you were telling the truth," Kushina said as she gripped Sakura's shoulder. "Call it a mother's intuition."

Sakura couldn't help but think back to that day. She couldn't deny that when she held Naruto, that it felt right to have him in her arms. That the words 'I love you' flowed out so naturally when directed towards Naruto. Was Kushina right, did she really love Naruto?

"Plus there's this." Minato said again gesturing towards the mist.

This time the memory was of her fighting desperately to save Naruto's life during the war, even resorting to manually pumping his heart.

"That right there proves to me how far you're willing to go for my son," Minato said with a smile.

Things started to click in Sakura's mind. Pieces started to fall into place, she was starting to understand her true feelings for Naruto.

"Now let's look at Naruto's memories." Minato said as again the images changed, but this time they were from Naruto's point of view.

As the images flew by Sakura couldn't help but smile at how close Naruto and her had become. She watched all the intimate moments they shared, and her heart beat faster every time Naruto complimented her or saved her from danger. A few memories caught her attention though.

Like when he first returned with Jiraiya, she watched as Naruto said she hadn't changed at all. That had irritated her when she first heard that. But seeing it from Naruto's perspective, it gave her a new viewpoint. She realized that Naruto had meant that she was still as beautiful as ever, and she hadn't changed in his eyes.

Then there was the time he saved her from Sasuke, as he prepared to kill her. She felt the fear in his heart, at the prospect of losing her. She saw how determined he was to save her, just after she had nearly broken his heart. Seeing this made Sakura feel like a piece of shit, for everything she did to him.

But the memory that made her heart skip a beat, was a memory from way back when Team 7 was first formed.

"Wait stop here!" Sakura said wanting to watch this memory unfold.

She watched as Naruto beat and tied up Sasuke. But when she saw him henge into Sasuke, everything clicked into place. Her eyes widened as she watched the scene that had made her cling to Sasuke unfold. It was Naruto who had called her forehead charming. It was Naruto who made her feel so loved and special that day. It was Naruto, who she truly loved.

Her eyes were now opened and she had seen the light. That light was her true love, Naruto Uzumaki.

"You stupid baka," Sakura thought as tears feel from her eyes. "Why did you never tell me that was you, it could have been you I was chasing after."

"Now do you see? If you want to find out why he never told you keep watching." Inner Sakura said as again cut off their connection.

Sakura wiped her tears, and turned back towards the mist.

This time it was a memory of them returning after a mission. She watched as she walked off, with Naruto standing with Sai. Then as she watched the scene unfold, her heart ached again. It was that damn selfish, immature promise that stopped Naruto from confessing his feelings for her. Again tears sprung from her eyes, it was her fault Naruto and her weren't together.

"Kami I'm such a selfish bitch!" Sakura yelled in her head pissed at her stupidity.

"Yep, you sure are." Inner Sakura chimed in.

"Kami shut up!" Sakura yelled cutting of their connection.

"So Sakura did that help you realize your feelings?" Minato asked.

"Yes, yes it did. Thank you for that, I needed it," Sakura said

"So what are your feelings for my little sochi." Kushina asked with a hopeful smile on her face.

"I-I do love Naruto." Sakura said as she clutched her her fluttering heart, the words sounding so right as she said them.

"AHHH! That's so good to hear!" Kushina squealed happy that her son had followed her dying wish. He had found a woman just like her.

"But I'm dead, so none of this matters." Sakura sighed in frustration. Of course just as she recognizes her feeling for Naruto, she goes and dies.

"On the contrary you might have your chance at love after all." Minato said with a smile as he gestured for Sakura to look at yourself.

Sakura looked down and she was slightly glowing.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked scared of what was going to happen.

"Looks like it wasn't your time yet, you're being called back." Minato said as he gripped Sakura's shoulder.

As Sakura started to fade away she heard Kushina call out to her.

"Oh, Sakura when you get back make sure to tell Naruto how you feel right away," Kushina yelled. "I want to be a grandma soon, and tell Mebuki I said hi."

"What!? You knew my mom?" Sakura asked in surprise.

"Yeah Mikoto, her, and I were best friends!" Kushina yelled out.

Sakura never got to respond as she faded away and was gone.

When Sakura was gone Minato turned and wrapped his arms around his wife's waist.

"I have a feeling she won't be the only one going after our son." Minato said as he slowly rubbed Kushina's back.

"Ah, I think your right on that one. But even though our son will likely have many loves, that girl will be closest to his heart, that will never change." Kushina said as she wrapped her arms around Minato's neck.

"Now my dear husband why don't you show me the reason they call you the Yellow Flash." Kushina said as she looked at Minato with lust filled violet eyes.

Minato just sweat dropped and obliged.

"Man Kushina is truly insatiable. I mean we did it four times before Sakura even got here." Minato thought as he pulled his wife in for a kiss.

When Sakura opened her eyes, she felt a strong pair of arms around her. She looked up to see Naruto looking down at her. But what shocked her was one of his eyes held a blue tomoed rinnegan.

"Naruto"