4

Summary:

They don't call Kushina the Red Hot Habanero for nothing

Notes:

I don't actually know anything about babies so I've been googling baby developmental stages, which has led to some really weird ads. I'm suffering for my art.

I am planning for there to be some time skips and stuff soon cuz Naruto as a baby isn't super exciting, but there's just too much that would be weird to go unaddressed for the years it would take for him to be old enough so you all are gonna be stuck with baby Naruto a little longer! And yes I'm kind of doing whatever I want with Kurama's chakra and Naruto's jinchuuriki-ness cuz plot convenience!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

"Come on, Naruto! You can do it!" 

The baby was standing on wobbly legs, clutching the couch cushion and debating whether or not to let go. Kushina held her arms out encouragingly, trying to encourage him to walk to her. He was so close! He could walk while holding onto things, and he could stand, but he had yet to actually take a step on his own. 

Naruto was fussing, babbling a string of vaguely intelligible sounds that almost sounded like a real word. He was close to that, too. She knew that any day now, she'd get a first step and a first word and she couldn't wait. 

Minato, who should have left 30 minutes ago for a meeting, made similarly encouraging comments beside her. Like hell he was going to leave when their son was so close to walking! He'd missed too many firsts, and now that things had finally started to calm down in the village he had a little more leeway to show up a bit late. 

"Come on, you're so close!" She encouraged him again. 

Naruto reached out a hand, making grabbing motions. He was clearly trying to get them to come over and pick him up, but they wanted to give him a chance to walk on his own. Apparently, he didn't agree with the plan, because he started whining and dropped back onto the floor, crawling over to his mother's waiting arms instead. She picked him up anyway, prompting a couple of happy giggles. 

"I really thought he had it that time," Minato commented. 

"Me too." 

They weren't disappointed, they couldn't be. Both of them were just excited about every new development that their son experienced. 

"What do you have planned today?" Minato asked as he stood up and stretched, probably a little stiff after they'd been kneeling on the floor for so long. 

Kushina avoided pointing out that he'd just said he was running late and probably shouldn't be making more small talk, but it did make the corner of her lips twitch with amusement. "Day off. We're going to meet Mikoto and Sasuke at the park shortly." 

"Sounds more fun than all the paperwork I have to do," he groaned. "Wanna trade?" 

"Absolutely not," Kushina snorted. "You've gotten soft, sitting behind that desk of yours. One of us needs to stay sharp," she teased. 

"Hey!" 

The indignation in Minato's voice followed by Kushina's laughter made Naruto giggle happily as well. He wiggled in her arms, indicating that he wanted to be put down, then immediately crawled over to his dad and looked up at him expectantly. Minato complied immediately, picking him up and letting the baby reach out to grasp at his hair. Kushina smiled at the sight. It felt like just yesterday Minato was convinced their son didn't even like him. Unsurprisingly, it only took spending a few days at the Hokage's office with him to lose whatever reservations he'd had. 

"Although," she added to her previous statement, "I guess I've probably gotten pretty soft myself," she admitted. 

It had taken her much longer than expected to recover from her experience with the Kyuubi. By the time she was healed, she had a significant training gap to make up. In the old days that probably would have been no big deal, but now she had Naruto to think about. She couldn't spend weeks away on missions or train until she was too exhausted to move anymore. Well, she probably could, but she didn't want to. She didn't want to give up being a shinobi, but any time she thought too much about going on a lengthy mission, she couldn't help but think about the Naruto in the Kyuubi's timeline that was always alone. Maybe she was being too paranoid or overprotective, but she just didn't want this reality to be anything like that, so that meant being present as much as possible. 

Balancing short term missions and slow, gradual training had been a tough adjustment, but they'd made it work. She had to take missions well below her rank to avoid being sent away too long or too far, and that had left minimal opportunities to hone her skills as well. She wasn't even convinced that she'd be particularly useful in a serious fight. Plus, adjusting to life without the Kyuubi had been another challenge on its own. The well-known Uzumaki chakra reserves that she carried were nothing to scoff at, but that couldn't compare to what she'd been able to access with the Kyuubi. The fox had never been particularly willing to share its powers, but she'd managed to subdue it enough to at least make the demon useful to her. When she looked at Naruto now, she sometimes found herself wondering what his other self had been able to do with the full power of the fox at his fingertips. 

"Well, I won't keep you two from your fun." Minato sighed. "I'll just go to the office by myself, all alone," he whined. 

Kushina elbowed him playfully. "This weekend we can all go out somewhere together. Ok?" 

Her husband's answering grin told her everything she needed to know. They parted after a quick peck on the lips. Minato was out the door first, while Kushina got herself and Naruto ready for the park. They headed out shortly after and started the quick walk to the playground. Naruto was restless, wiggling in her arms and trying to reach out at every person or animal within eyesight. It was honestly a workout on its own trying to keep the squirming baby from jumping out of her arms. Damn, her kid was strong. 

They reached the park quickly, and Kushina started scanning the playground for familiar faces. The weather was nice but it was still early, so there weren't that many people around. She recognized the family by the swingset and waved, but the other people in the park were strangers to her, despite their respectful nods of recognition as the Hokage's wife. 

It didn't take long to find Mikoto. Kushina called out a greeting as she spotted her friend, who was currently kneeling in the sandbox and helping her son dig holes with a plastic shovel. Naruto brightened as he noticed them as well, chirping out a stream of very excited gibberish. He tried to wiggle out of his mother's arms once again, but Kushina managed to set him down gently next to Sasuke before he escaped and injured himself. Immediately, both boys started babbling nonsensically at each other. There were occasional sounds that were almost a real word, but mostly it was just more nonsense. The two of them became very interested in digging their fingers through the soft sand, and Kushina had to stop Naruto from trying to eat it a few times. 

They watched the boys play together, striking up an easy conversation. Kushina glanced around curiously. "Where's Itachi today?" she asked as casually as she could. She still didn't really believe the visions the Kyuubi had shown her all those months ago, but she'd never really stopped having a weird feeling about them. She decided it couldn't hurt to stay aware of what he was up to, just in case. Maybe, if she knew what could happen, she could make sure that it never did. 

"Oh, with one of his cousins." Mikoto smiled. "He's never been very good at making friends, so I was pleasantly surprised when he said he was meeting up with someone." Her smile faltered for a moment. "He's so naturally gifted, he's already flying through the academy. He could be out on real missions before he's even 10 years old," she lamented. "I just wish our kids could actually be kids for a while longer." 

It was the worst curse of their world, to have to force their children to sacrifice their youth to become pawns of war. Kushina glanced at Naruto, thinking about how it would be his turn to start at the academy before they knew it. She watched the two boys giggle and crawl around in the sand, her stomach suddenly clenching uncomfortably at the realization of how little time they would get to spend playing like this, without a care in the world. They'd both probably learn how to hold a weapon before they could learn how to ride a bike. What a cruel world they lived in. 

"I get it," Kushina replied quietly. And she really did. 

Mikoto's smile returned, a little forced. Obviously wanting to talk about something else she asked, "You're going back on missions soon, right? Are you excited?" 

Kushina shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, yes? I've been feeling kind of stir crazy, but it's also weird to think about not being here with Naruto." She'd been so sure when she said she wanted to get put back on longer term missions, but now she was having doubts. Maybe it was too soon. She'd wanted to wait until after Naruto's first birthday, but perhaps that wasn't long enough. 

"This is the longest I've ever known you to stay in the village," Mikoto commented. "I remember you always wanting to be first in line for any mission that took you outside the gates." 

It was true. She'd always felt a certain amount of wanderlust, but the same drive wasn't there anymore. She said as much. "Everything is so different now. We all know that any mission could be our last, and I always accepted that but now…" Kushina looked at her son again, her heart aching as she even thought about leaving him without a mother. 

"I understand," Mikoto agreed, giving her own son the same saddened look. 

"Do you think you'll ever go back?" Kushina asked. 

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "I thought I'd go crazy not going on missions, but it hasn't been so bad. I've been able to be more involved in clan politics and I'm more interested in it than I thought I'd be. Plus," she smiled sadly, "the Kyuubi's attack kind of put into perspective how fragile all of this is. I don't want to lose out on what little time we actually have with our families." 

Kushina nodded, understanding more than her friend could ever know. She spent far too much time thinking about what almost became of them during the Kyuubi's rampage. How it had happened, just in another reality. It could have been their reality too, if not for the courage of the other-Naruto and however he managed to sway the demon fox to his side. Speaking of the demon fox…

It had been remarkably quiet, silent even. No more dreams, no visits to the beast's cage, nothing since their confrontation months ago. She should be grateful, but it was making her antsy. The fox had hinted at this horrible, inevitable future, and then basically vanished after they'd sealed it in Naruto. Then, it had shown her those strange, vivid dreams, but she still didn't understand the significance or what the truth about them was. It had only stopped after Kushina screamed at it following a lifetime of repressed anger and resentment. She didn't know why the fox listened, why the visions stopped, but she had very mixed feelings about it. She realized she should have been more considerate of the one and only lead they probably had about the masked man and whatever other threats the future faced. Now, they were fumbling in the dark. Kushina hadn't told anyone, including Minato, about the dreams, or her visit with the Kyuubi. At first it was because she thought they really were just dreams, but after the confrontation with the beast she just didn't know how to bring it up. It was a bad excuse, but as time went on and the visions didn't return, she saw less reason to say anything. 

Mikoto's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Hard to believe it's almost been a year." Her face suddenly brightened. "Oh! I guess that means it's almost Naruto's birthday too!" 

That brought a genuine smile to Kushina's face. "Honestly, I have a hard time believing that too. He was so tiny, and look at him now!" The two of them looked at their sons, who had abandoned their digging efforts in exchange for grabbing at each other's hair and clothes. 

"Are you planning a party?" 

Kushina shook her head. "No, not really." 

"What? Why not?" Mikoto looked at her curiously. "You've always loved a good party, and it's Naruto's first birthday!" 

Kushina rolled her eyes. "You're one to talk. You didn't have a party for Sasuke, and I don't recall any parties for Itachi either."

Mikoto waved her hand dismissively. "That's because the Uchiha clan hates fun. Parties are considered 'improper'," she explained. 

"Hm, guess you didn't get the memo in your younger days," Kushina teased. 

"Younger days?! How old do you think I am?" She stared at her friend indignantly. "Seriously though, I expected you to have the entire village celebrating." 

"We thought about it, and we will probably still do something small, but given what day it is…" she bit her lip. "We're a little worried, to be honest. I know from experience not everyone can tell the difference between the Kyuubi and its jinchuuriki, y'know?" 

Mikoto winced in sympathy. "I didn't think about that. Do you really think someone would try to hurt Naruto?" 

Kushina admitted, "I'm not sure. I hate to even think about it, but we need to take precautions." She of course didn't mention that most of her cautiousness was related to how violent she saw some of the villagers act toward her son in the Kyuubi's visions. The fear of being targeted as a jinchuuriki had always been there when the fox was sealed inside her, but now it was tenfold knowing it was her precious baby that would be at risk.

"Well, if you decide to do anything, even something small, let me know and we'll be there," Mikoto promised. 

Kushina grinned. "Of course. It wouldn't be a party without you." 

Their conversation was interrupted by a high pitched squawk from Naruto. Sasuke, who was a couple months older and already walking, had stood up and started wobbling away from his friend. Naruto tried to crawl after him, but he seemed displeased that Sasuke was standing upright while he was not. He kept grabbing at the other boy's shirt, eventually throwing off his balance and pulling him over. Sasuke fell backwards, until he was sitting down in the sandbox and blinking at the other boy with a frown on his face. 

Kushina watched as Naruto gripped the older boy's arm and pulled himself upright. He adjusted his grip as he stood, ending up with his hand shoved against Sasuke's face. Sasuke responded with a series of angry sounding babbles that were half muffled against Naruto's hand. 

As Naruto wobbled on his feet and started to shuffle one foot forward, Kushina gasped as she realized what was happening. He was trying to walk! Of course it was when Minato wasn't there to see it happen…

Sure enough, Naruto took a hesitant step forward, still supporting his weight using the other boy's face. It seemed to take him a few moments to find his courage and let go of the support he was using, but eventually he managed. With bated breath, Kushina watched her son take a single unsupported but very shaky step forward. Then another. As expected from any baby taking their first steps, let alone one trying to do it on sand, he quickly lost his balance and tipped forward. Even if it was unlikely he'd be hurt falling onto the soft sand, Kushina still reached forward on instinct to catch him before he fell. 

Except, he never did. With an unnatural grace, Naruto caught himself halfway and jerked back upright. His next few steps were more sure, almost like his feet were rooted to the sand. Those slow steps turned into a series of quick shuffles, until Naruto was bouncing around like he'd been walking for months and not seconds. Kushina swore she felt a brief spark of warmth in her veins, but it vanished quickly. 

"You just saw that, right?" Kushina asked dumbly. 

Mikoto nodded, staring curiously between the two boys. "Yeah. That was…"

"Not normal?" Kushina offered. 

"I mean, not in a bad way, but yes." 

Kushina watched Naruto toddle around Sasuke, laughing wildly. The other boy was pouting, but quickly rose to his feet again and stumbled after his friend. 

She might be a first time parent, but it was logical to assume that a baby's first steps were usually not quite so well-balanced. And how had he managed to keep himself from falling? 

"Is that a jinchuuriki thing?" Mikoto wondered. 

Was it? "Maybe? I was older when I had the Kyuubi sealed in me." The Kyuubi also supposedly offered much more of its power to Naruto than it had to her. What did that mean for his development? "I guess, I don't know, his body and his chakra system are both developing, and I'm not sure if the fox would influence that." 

Mikoto hummed thoughtfully, catching Kushina's attention. "Maybe he'll grow a tail next," she mused. 

"Mikoto!" She glanced nervously at her son. What if she was right and the fox was starting to take over or something? 

She shrugged in response. "What? He's already got those whiskers, is it that unreasonable?" 

"This isn't funny!" Kushina insisted. "What if there's something wrong with him? Or the seal?" 

Mikoto gave her a sympathetic look. "Ok, ok. Sorry. I think you and Minato would probably know better than anyone if something was wrong with the seal." 

"Right…" Kushina knew where she might find an answer, but it wasn't an option she wanted to take. Even though she was probably overdo for a talk with the damn fox anyway, she still balked at the thought of seeking it out again. 

Placing a comforting hand on her friend's arm, Mikoto smiled gently. "I'm sure it will be alright." 

Kushina wasn't actually sure, but she couldn't tell Mikoto the full truth about why. She couldn't tell anyone. Except for the two exceptions the Kyuubi had given them, no one was allowed to know. And they hadn't even managed to tell either of those two yet. Minato had asked Jiraiya to pursue leads on the masked man, not expecting the lack of any progress at all. He'd been kept away from the village since Naruto's birth because of this request, so hadn't met his godson, nor had they had the chance to tell him their secret. And Tsunade? Neither of them had a clue where to find her. Their hope had been that Jiraiya would find a lead quickly, then come back to the village and they could discuss not only the Kyuubi's secret, but also where to find Tsunade as well. If anyone would know, it would be her former teammate. They hadn't expected nearly a year to pass before any progress was made. 

Damn. She was really going to have to talk to the fox for answers, wasn't she? 

She pushed the thought to the back of her mind for the time being, letting Naruto wear himself out with his newfound mobility. It took a while, given his seemingly endless reserves of energy, and Kushina herself felt worn out when Naruto finally passed out in her arms. She'd ended up having to chase him around the park when he spotted a pair of ducks waddling around. They'd just narrowly avoided him following them straight into the pond, but Kushina had to scoop him up at the last minute while he protested very loudly. 

By the time the two friends were parting ways, Kushina was questioning why she had ever been excited for Naruto to start walking in the first place. He was going to get into so much trouble! Fortunately, the baby didn't stir on the walk home, and he let his mother put him to bed without a fuss (which was not the norm for him). That left Kushina to ponder how exactly she'd make her way back to the place where she'd met the Kyuubi all those months ago.

She remembered the mindscape she'd been able to enter at will when the fox was sealed within her. The place where its cage was, where she could speak to it (yell at it mostly) and try to control it. Logically, it would make sense that wherever she saw the fox now, that was Naruto's version of the same thing. What Kushina didn't understand was how she'd been able to visit there. No one else had been able to visit the mindscape when the fox was sealed in her, so she could only assume that this was a new development. It must have something to do with the lingering chakra the Kyuubi left her, but she didn't understand anything beyond that. 

Her best bet was to fall asleep trying to follow the thread of the Kyuubi's chakra, just like when she'd passed out after picking at it. If she was lucky, that would lead her to the fox again. Falling asleep on command was always a challenge, but she had years of practice. If she hadn't been able to find ways to get herself to sleep on missions, she would have been at a disadvantage, being so tired. So with Naruto already drooling and fast asleep in his crib, Kushina made herself comfortable on the couch. She reached inward, feeling the familiar thrum of the Kyuubi's chakra, and it took surprisingly no time at all for her mind to drift. One moment her eyes were heavy and her brain was fuzzy, and then the next she was staring at a very familiar chakra demon.

The fox was curled up in its cage, like usual, but its red eyes were already fixed on Kushina. An ear flicked in acknowledgement. 

"So you've returned." 

Kushina approached the cage, her hands on her hips. "So I have." 

The Kyuubi looked completely uninterested, yawning and showing its massive teeth. "And what is it that you want?" 

It was obviously feigning nonchalance. It had to know why she was here. "What the hell was that today? What did you do to Naruto?" 

Scoffing, the fox regarded her coldly. "I just let him borrow some of my chakra." 

"Well, don't." Kushina retorted. 

The fox rolled its eyes. "Don't lend him some of my chakra? Are you sure about that?" 

"You know what I mean!" she snapped. "Why the hell would you do that in front of someone else? You're the one that wanted to keep your little time travel adventure a secret!" Kushina glared at the demon. "And what was the point anyway?" 

"I have my reasons," the fox grumbled. It appraised her with red, slitted eyes. "Is that what you came here to ask me about?" 

Why was the damn fox so irritatingly cryptic? "I wanted to know what the hell you were up to, yeah. Excuse me for wondering why my baby went from not being able to take a single step to practically dancing around the park." 

Frustratingly, the fox didn't offer any more explanation. "Don't you think you have more pressing matters?" 

"Like what?" 

The Kyuubi growled. "You haven't exactly done much of anything to prevent the future I lived through." 

"I've been a little busy with, you know, raising a baby!" Kushina retorted. "And what the hell have you been doing?" 

The fox glowered at her, baring its teeth. "I tried to help you!" It reminded her. "I showed you my memories so certain events could be prevented, but you just threw them back in my face." 

"Well, they weren't exactly believable," she countered. 

"I will be sure to alter my memories so your feeble human brain can better comprehend them," the Kyuubi snarked. 

Scowling, Kushina retorted, "How about you give me something I can actually work with then?" An idea struck her. "How about the identity of the masked man that attacked Konoha?" 

The request made the Kyuubi narrow its eyes. It considered her words, its tails swishing absentmindedly. "His identity is important", the demon conceded, "but I don't think you would believe me." 

"Probably not," Kushina agreed dryly. "But you should tell me anyway." 

"So I can listen to you throw another tantrum when you don't want to accept the truth?" It snorted. "I'll pass." 

In all of Kushina's memories, she never recalled the fox being so irritatingly petty. Evil, manipulative, and cruel, sure, but not petty. "Ugh, come on you stupid fox! You said you wanted to change the future, didn't you? How do you expect to do that while keeping all the important stuff to yourself?" 

The massive fox grumbled irritably, but it reltented with a sigh that rippled the water around her. "Fine. I will show you the memory of learning his identity." 

Without further warning, the Kyuubi's chakra seemed to leak from its form. Instinctively, Kushina took a step back, but it didn't stop the heat that engulfed her body. She looked into one of the Kyuubi's eyes, blinking heavily as her vision started to shift. The fox's form flickered in front of her, fading between Naruto's mindscape and a war torn battlefield. The change was so jarring it made Kushina's head hurt, and forced her to squeeze her eyes shut. When the pain subsided and she opened her eyes again, she knew she was seeing one of the Kyuubi's supposed memories. 

It was a bit jarring seeing the world through Naruto's perspective again after going so many months without the fox's dreams. Kushina needed to readjust to not being able to move or speak, only observing the world around her. 

When the dream-Naruto's eyes seemed to fall on the masked man, Kushina felt her heart speed up. If the Kyuubi was being truthful, she was about to see who the monster that tried to hurt her family really was. 

Truthfully, Kushina was a bit underwhelmed when the man's mask was removed. She had no idea who she was looking at. The Kyuubi had made it sound like she would instantly know, and it would be someone unexpected or unbelievable. But she'd never seen this guy in her life…right? He looked vaguely familiar, like someone she knew a long time ago maybe, but she couldn't put her finger on it. 

Kushina was desperately trying to figure out where she knew the man from, and why the fox thought she wouldn't believe his identity. When words and sounds slowly became audible in the vision, Kushina listened closely for any clues, but it turned out she didn't have to. The identity of the masked man suddenly became crystal clear, as she watched a memory of a devastated Kakashi facing a ghost. She watched them fight, and she watched Naruto win him to their side, then she watched him die. All the while, she was as helpless as usual to react to the memories, but her mind was screaming. This couldn't be right. 

This man attacked their home. He attacked their family directly, and he almost killed Naruto. It didn't make sense. Even as she heard the words from her son's mouth, even as she watched the name form on the lips of the re-animated version of her husband (and that was a whole other set of baggage to be unpacked), she couldn't believe it. She didn't want to. 

Obito Uchiha . 

The Kyuubi had been right when it said Kushina wouldn't believe it. 

As suddenly as she'd been thrust into the vision, it receded. She lost her balance and fell forward onto her knees as the Kyuubi retrieved its chakra. Kushina was breathing heavily, her whole body shaking from the sudden change. It took her a few moments to collect herself and to fight off a wave of nausea that almost overtook her. Whether that was a side effect of what the Kyuubi had done or related to her raw emotions, she wasn't sure. 

Slowly, Kushina stood and stared the fox down. "You can't seriously think I believe you?" Her voice was shaky, so she took a few breaths to calm herself. 

The Kyuubi snorted, replying lazily, "If you'll recall, I did say that I expected you not to believe me." 

Kushina paced in front of the Kyuubi's cell, a million thoughts running through her mind. "It's insane! Obito was a good kid, he would never hurt anyone!" She gave the fox a flat look. "Also, he's dead, you stupid fox!" 

Rolling its eyes, the Kyuubi grunted, "Did you find a body?" 

"No," she admitted. "But it still doesn't make sense! If he had survived, why wouldn't he come home? He died for this village, for his teammates! Why would he do something to hurt them?" 

"I've long since given up trying to understand why you humans do what you do," the fox retorted. "But in this case, I do know that his actions are being manipulated by another." 

Kushina paused her pacing, stopping in front of the cage bars. She crossed her arms, scowling at the demon. "By someone equally as unbelievable, I'm sure." 

"Yes, actually." 

"If you say Minato's other dead student I swear–" 

The Kyuubi growled to cut her off. "I'm not playing games, Tomato Head. Do you want to know the truth, or not?" 

Kushina laughed bitterly. "Yeah, whatever. Tell me, then. Who is this mysterious figure pulling the strings from the shadows and apparently manipulating dead teenagers into committing mass murder?" 

The fox's ears flattened against its head at her tone. "Enough! I'm trying to help you save the world, you foolish, arrogant human!" 

"If you're so eager to tell me, then do it!" Kushina snapped. 

"Not when you're acting like an insolent child!" The Kyuubi retorted. "I have been nothing but gracious and patient with you, and you can't even give me the same courtesy?" It bared its teeth. "I should just do this on my own. You're only getting in the way." 

"Like hell you will!" she clucked. "You're sealed in my son! I'm not going to just let you run around with his body!" 

The fox was pacing now, its fur ruffled from anger. "We managed just fine without you before!" 

"Right," Kushina snorted. "That's why you had to time travel and beg to have yourself sealed in a newborn baby." She rolled her eyes. "If that's your definition of 'managing fine', no wonder the future is so fucked." 

Enraged, the Kyuubi reached a massive paw through the bars and swiped at Kushina. She leapt out of the way just in time, fixing it with a glare. "Hey, watch it you stupid fox!" 

"I should have shredded you the moment I arrived in this time!" The Kyuubi snapped. "Or better yet, I never should have chosen this time to begin with!" 

"Then why did you?!" Kushina yelled back. "If you're oh-so-perfect on your own, why did you even bother if you had a choice? It's not like anyone wanted you here!" 

The fox took another swipe, but it was far too limited with the cage bars holding it back. "Damn you, Kushina Uzumaki!" It roared. "You want to know the truth? Fine! Madara Uchiha is the one behind the actions of Namikaze's former student." 

Kushina actually doubled over with laughter. It was so ridiculously unbelievable that she needed a few seconds to compose herself. When she looked up at the fox to respond, she lost it again at its infuriated expression. The Kyuubi was snarling at her, all nine of its tails fluffed and swishing with irritation. Apparently it was really going to stick to this insane story. She didn't know why it was bothering to continue with its lies, since Kushina obviously wasn't buying it.  

Collecting herself, Kushina chuckled as she wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "Wow. A ghost manipulating a ghost? That's a pretty good story." Her mood soured as she recalled her paranoia about Mikoto's son over the past few months. All of that was because of the Kyuubi's ridiculous visions. "You really do just hate the Uchiha clan, don't you? Is that what this is really all about?" 

The fox's slitted eyes narrowed. "What are you going on about? Of course I dislike that vile clan, but that has nothing to do with this." 

Apparently it was still going to try to deny it. "Wow, you're good. I really believed you wanted to help us." She shook her head in disbelief. "Of course it was all a lie. I can't believe I was dumb enough to trust you! You're nothing but a lying, murderous, demon!" 

"And you're nothing but an ignorant, selfish, child!" The Kyuubi retorted. "Your pride will lead the world to ruin!" 

She didn't know if her chakra chains would work in Naruto's mindscape, but she was so angry she tried anyway. The fox let out a surprised growl as Kushina's chains wrapped around it, pinning it down. It thrashed wildly, cursing and spitting insults. Kushina took a few steps forward, glowering at the beast. 

"Don't show me any more of those ridiculous dreams. I don't want any more of your lies." Another step forward. "And don't you dare influence my son. Don't talk to him. Don't pull that shit from the park again. Don't bring him here." The chains tightened. "If I catch even one whiff of your chakra, I'll make sure these chains are never loosened again." 

Even with its body pinned, the fox still managed to snarl at her. "I should have let you die," it spat. 

"Guess you're as dumb as you are evil," Kushina countered. 

The Kyuubi thrashed again, but the chains held tight. Kushina smirked at the beast, and turned to walk away. She could wake up anytime and leave the mindscape, but it was satisfying to hear the Kyuubi's struggle. 

"Do you want to know why I chose this time?!" The fox roared. "Naruto gave his life for mine. In return, the least I could do was stop him from being raised alone and hated like he was in my time!" 

Kushina didn't respond to the bait. She wasn't going to listen to the fox's sweet words about her son anymore. Whether or not it really cared about Naruto, it didn't matter. It was a liar and a demon, and its intentions would reflect that. She'd been a fool to ever think otherwise. She let herself start to wake up, to fade from the mindscape. Before she returned to consciousness, she didn't miss the fox's final roar.

The Kyuubi bellowed, "I can see now that I made a mistake. I thought I was protecting Naruto from pain, but now I understand that my actions may have doomed the world. He will never become the hero he was meant to be with his parents around." The demon's words echoed around the mindscape. "How could he, being raised by someone like you?" 

It was too late for Kushina to respond. She whipped round, but the fox was gone. Why did that sting? Of course the Kyuubi was just trying to hurt her, and trying to get a reaction out of her. 

Kushina rolled over on the couch as she returned to consciousness, nearly rolling off the cushions entirely. She rubbed at her eyes with the heel of her palms until she saw stars. This was such a mess. There was just no way the fox was telling the truth about Obito! But…part of her wondered why it didn't pick someone more believable. If it had made up the whole story, why choose the last person they'd expect? 

Dammit, she blew up at the fox again. Even though it was undoubtedly lying about the masked man's identity, she probably overdid it with some of the things she'd said. As her temper finally started to quell, she could acknowledge that she'd been unnecessarily cruel. To the Kyuubi. Wasn't that a strange realization? She shouldn't have told it not to talk to Naruto…and the chains were probably overkill. Ok, they were definitely overkill. Kushina punched a pillow in frustration. Maybe that's why she'd been destined to be the Kyuubi's jinchuuriki; two hotheads, doomed to make each other miserable for eternity. 

Naruto's soft whimpers in the other room temporarily snapped Kushina out of her misery. She shuffled over to his crib, shushing him gently and placing a kiss on his forehead. His face was scrunched up like he was having a bad dream. Guiltily, Kushina wondered if it was related to her fight with the Kyuubi. Maybe the fox's bad mood was influencing Naruto. 

With a sigh, Kushina looked down at Naruto, who blinked up at her sleepily. "I wish I knew how you and the Kyuubi managed to get along so well. I just can't get past our shared history." She leaned over the crib, reaching to let Naruto grab at her fingers. He gummed at her pinky. For a moment, his few teeth felt unusually sharp. 

Kushina startled, but the sensation was gone a few moments later. She wondered if she was imagining things. Regardless, she knew the fox could see and hear the world through Naruto's senses. It felt a little ridiculous, and Kushina bit her lip tentatively, but she found herself addressing the fox directly. Their fight happened only minutes ago, but it almost felt like a lifetime. Kushina wasn't ready to try to visit the mindscape again, but she had more words for the fox. 

By now the fox would have been freed from her chains, since she was no longer in the mindscape. Realistically, it was probably an empty threat to keep it chained up at all, but the intent was enough. "I don't know how to talk to you," she admitted. "What the hell are we doing? How do we get past what we are to each other?" 

Naruto babbled happily, clueless to the meaning of the conversation. He just seemed excited about being talked to. Kushina half-expected a flare of red-orange chakra, or a flash of slitted eyes, but Naruto remained Naruto. Bright blue eyes stared up at her, as human as ever. 

Kushina let Naruto's tiny fingers grasp two of her own. Apparently Naruto made a good buffer, because Kushina could feel a lot of the tension leaving her body. It was easier to have a civil conversation with the Kyuubi when she was looking down at her son's peaceful face. "You have to admit that it sounds crazy. I mean, Obito Uchiha? Really? That's the best you could come up with?" 

"What are you talking about?" 

Kushina bashed her elbow on the side of the crib as she whirled around. Apparently she was so used to Kakashi's presence that she hadn't even registered him approaching. Kakashi was staring at her, his visible eye wide with confusion. He hovered in the doorway awkwardly.

"Oh, uh, nothing!" She replied quickly, far too quickly. "I uh, read in a book that it's a good idea to talk to babies in complete sentences," Kushina lied. "It helps form…neurological connections." 

Kakashi was clearly skeptical, and very concerned. "I heard you say something about Obito." 

Ah, of course Kakashi heard that. She vehemently denied it. "Um, no, I didn't say anything about him. I said, uh…no…burrito?" 

Kakashi stared at her blankly. "Why are you being weird?" 

Kushina laughed awkwardly. "Oh, you know me. Just messing around." 

"Why are you lying to me?" Kakashi sounded genuinely distressed. 

Kushina's heart sank. "I'm not–" 

"I know what I heard," Kakashi insisted. "What's going on?" 

Damn him for being so observant. "Really, it's nothing. I was just reminiscing." 

Still not convinced, Kakashi countered, "Then why didn't you just say so?" He looked at her critically. "And why were you speaking like you were having a conversation?" 

"Really Kakashi, it's nothing–" 

"It doesn't feel like nothing," Kakashi insisted. "I thought you said we were family, so why can't you tell me what's going on?" 

Ouch. Kushina sighed. "It's not that simple." She hated lying to Kakashi, but she had to. 

Kakashi deflated. "Right…" 

"It's not personal, Kakashi. I just can't tell you." 

"But it has something to do with Obito?" 

Truthfully, Kushina didn't want to tell him anyway. The poor boy was still blaming himself for the death of his teammates, it wouldn't do him any good to hear the Kyuubi's bizarre accusations. "Yes–wait, no. I mean, I honestly don't really know. I don't think so but it's a really confusing and complicated situation." She shrugged. "No, it doesn't have anything to do with him. Well, not directly. I guess indirectly it sort of does but–" 

Kakashi was just staring at her, a mix of confusion and hurt on his barely visible face. The look of betrayal was the final straw that made Kushina decide to say "fuck it." At this point, she really didn't have a good explanation for Kakashi, and it wasn't worth making him feel isolated. The Kyuubi might be upset, but that wouldn't be anything new, would it? Maybe she was being a little petty, breaking one of the few ground rules the Kyuubi had established, but she didn't particularly care. She trusted Kakashi with her life. More importantly, she trusted him with Naruto's life. 

Kushina glanced at her son, addressing the Kyuubi. "I'm going to tell him. Throw a tantrum if you want, but I don't care." 

"...what?" Kakashi looked shocked to see her addressing Naruto so curtly. Of course he wouldn't know that she was really talking to the Kyuubi.

She winced at the mistake. "This isn't what it looks like." 

"I honestly have no idea what this looks like." Kakashi admitted. 

"Ok, what I'm about to tell you is going to sound crazy, but I swear it's the truth." Kushina took a deep breath to steady herself. "When the Kyuubi attacked Konoha, it got replaced by a different Kyuubi from the future." She paused. "Wait, no, that's not quite right. The Kyuubi that attacked the village was the same Kyuubi, but then it changed to a different Kyuubi that's friends with Naruto. But not this Naruto." 

Kakashi stared at her blankly. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Is this a bit? Are you doing a bit?" 

"No, this is real!" She insisted. "Let me try again." Another deep breath. "Ok, so, when we were in the barrier, we weren't fighting the Kyuubi. I mean, at first we were, but then suddenly it stopped attacking. It said it was from the future and it wanted to stop the end of the world." 

"...the Kyuubi?" Kakashi asked skeptically. "The demon known for hating humanity and causing massive destruction?" 

Kushina grimaced at the awkwardness. "Yup, that's the one. Apparently, in the future, Naruto made friends with it." 

Kakashi stared disbelievingly at baby Naruto, who was currently trying to chew on his own toe. "Ok…" 

Obviously he wasn't buying it. "I know it sounds insane, and sometimes I still think I'm insane, but it's true. The Kyuubi saved my life that night after it was ripped out of me. It also had the chance to kill us, and Naruto, but it didn't. It asked to be sealed in him, even though it could have escaped."

"Ok…" Kakashi repeated again. He looked at her blankly, then sighed, his shoulders drooping. "I get it."

"You do?" Kushina asked hopefully. 

"Yeah. It's something classified," he replied dryly. "You could've just said that instead of making up this weird story." 

"That's not–" Kushina groaned in frustration. She picked up Naruto, who giggled happily. "Alright you stupid fox, help me out here!" She held the baby under his arms, in front of Kakashi. Naruto smiled, babbling cheerfully and reaching out toward the teen. 

She should've expected that nothing would happen. Either because the Kyuubi was a jerk and wanted her to look like an idiot, or because it was sulking about being yelled at. Either way, Kushina was left looking ridiculous as she held her son in front of her. The Kyuubi's chakra didn't come, Naruto's eyes didn't flash red, nothing. He remained a happy, babbling baby. 

Kakashi reached forward to rescue Naruto from the awkwardness. Naruto latched onto him immediately, so Kushina let him go. "Are you feeling ok? You're not making any sense." He let Naruto babble incoherently, but he gently removed the baby's hand when he tried to pull Kakashi's mask down. 

Kushina placed her hands on her hips, frowning. "I feel perfectly fine." Well, that wasn't quite true, but she felt well enough to know she wasn't having some kind of fever dream or something. "I'm telling you the truth, Kakashi." 

Stepping forward, Kakashi placed the back of his hand against Kushina's forehead. "You don't feel like you have a fever," he murmured, "but maybe I should get Minato-sensei just in case." 

Kushina slapped the teen's hand away. "I'm not delusional!" 

"I never said you were." 

"You're definitely implying it!" 

Before Kakashi could respond, the front door opened and then closed again. There was a familiar call of "I'm home!", followed by soft footsteps. Kakashi's brows were furrowed, and he was looking at Kushina intensely. 

For a moment, Kushina almost panicked. Then she realized that this was exactly what she needed. Smirking, she called out, "We're in here!" 

Moments later, Minato was leaning against the door frame, smiling warmly. "Oh! Guess I almost missed the party." He took Naruto from Kakashi, who immediately switched to teething on any part of his dad's cloak that he could reach. When Minato noticed the tense atmosphere in the room, he blinked in confusion. "What'd I miss?" 

"I told Kakashi," Kushina responded immediately. Kakashi looked almost startled. 

"You told Kakashi…" A look of understanding crossed her husband's face. "What? Why?" 

She scratched at the side of her head. "Er, I sort of had to. He overheard some stuff but–" she shook her head. "He doesn't believe me." 

Minato studied Kakashi carefully. "You can't tell anyone," he said firmly. It was his I'm-giving-you-an-order-as-Hokage voice. 

Kakashi's visible brow was furrowed. "Sensei, don't tell me you're in on this too?" 

Kushina gestured to Kakashi with a motion that was clearly meant to say "see what I'm dealing with?" when he still expressed his disbelief. Maybe at this point it would be best to laugh it off and say it was a joke, but Kushina couldn't make herself do it. Whether it was her pride or a desire to have Kakashi stop looking so sad and betrayed, she couldn't say. 

Minato raised an eyebrow at her, and Kushina shrugged in response. It was too late to take it back, anyway. As an order, Kakashi would keep their secret, but Kushina didn't like the idea of him thinking he was just keeping a prank gone wrong to himself. He deserved better than that. And honestly, it would probably be easier to have Kakashi in on it regardless. Other than his parents, Kakashi spent the most time with Naruto. It would be good to have him aware of the situation. With that thought in mind, Kushina gestured toward Kakashi with a "get on with it" motion. 

The immediate response was a frown and raised eyebrow that Kushina interpreted to mean "we need to talk about this later", but Minato relented. He sighed, then smiled sadly at Naruto, before addressing his student. "It's the truth." 

"Sensei–" 

Minato cut him off. "Kakashi. You know I wouldn't mess with you like this. Whatever Kushina told you, it's true." 

Silence enveloped the room as Kakashi considered his words. The conflict was obvious on his face; on one hand he wholeheartedly believed that Minato would never outright lie like this. On the other hand, the story was obviously difficult to believe. 

"So you're telling me," he finally responded, "the Kyuubi," he shook his head in disbelief, " the Kyuubi saved your life, because it time traveled to…save the world?" 

It sure did sound ridiculous when it was phrased like that, but both Kushina and Minato nodded. They filled Kakashi in on everything they knew, which admittedly wasn't much. Kushina didn't mention the visions the Kyuubi had given her, nor the ominous reveal of Obito's supposed involvement. Fortunately, it seemed like he was so busy processing everything else that he didn't have time to remember Kushina's one-sided conversation that prompted this discussion in the first place. 

When the explanation was done, Kakashi leaned against the nearest wall, looking completely overwhelmed. "I think I need a drink." 

"Kakashi! You're too young to drink!" Minato countered. 

Kakashi gave his sensei a flat look. "How else should I respond to this information?" 

Kushina shrugged. "If you figure it out, tell us. I've been asking myself the same question since that day." 

Suddenly, Kakashi's expression became distressed. "So…you died in the other future?" He asked, his voice sounding smaller than Kushina remembered it being in a long time. 

Minato nodded sadly. "Yes. And I guess the enemy the future Naruto and his team faced was so bad, even the Kyuubi wanted to stop it." 

"Where was I in this future?" the teen asked curiously. 

It occurred to Kushina that Minato wouldn't be able to answer that. She had the Kyuubi's visions claiming that he'd be Naruto's jounin instructor, but she still didn't know what to make of everything it had shown her. "Well…the Kyuubi did say that besides itself, Naruto was the only one left before it came back." It was as much of an answer as she could give. 

"I see." Kakashi looked at Naruto with an unreadable expression. "So…what happens now?" 

"We're still trying to figure that out," Minato admitted. "My thought was to start with figuring out the identity of the man that controlled the Kyuubi, but every lead has been a dead end." 

Kushina had to bite her tongue to stop herself from revealing the conversation she'd had with the Kyuubi. She didn't need to drag anyone else into its web of lies, so she would continue to keep quiet until she had a better idea of what the truth was. Because obviously, the information the Kyuubi had given her about the masked man was nothing but a lie, so there was no reason to get Minato, and now Kakashi, all worked up about nothing.

Notes:

Kurama has a right to be a little petty.