Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Greek mythology.

Do to loss of interest, I have decided to make this a one-shot. BTW, the guy playing Kushina's dad is made up. I didn't feel that any of the actual characters filled the part.

Once upon a time, many years ago, there was a prosperous kingdom known as Uzushio. They were a powerful people who lived peacefully on their island nation. However, like many of their time, they were superstitious and feared the wrath of the gods, despite their peace. And rightly so- there were so many gods that they could possibly offend:

Offending Tsunade, goddess of the harvest, could result in drought and loss of crops.

Offending Zabuza, god of war, could result in forever losing in times of battle.

Offending Mei, goddess of love, could result in the citizens falling in love with sea turtles or something.

And heaven forbid they offend Minato, the king of the gods and god of the sky. They would be reduced to ashes before anyone could have a chance to apologize.

It was enough to make anyone a nervous wreck, but the Uzu people managed well enough... save the king of Uzushio, Eito Uzumaki. Eito was especially superstitious. If a black cat so much as looked at him funny he would go pray in Minato's temple for no less than a week. He wouldn't even go for a walk in his garden without consulting at least five different oracles and going over the week's horoscopes. He was in constant fear of dooming himself or his kingdom with the wrong action or decision.

"Father, you need to relax!" his daughter, Princess Kushina Uzumaki, would tell him. "All this worrying can't be good for your blood pressure, y'know!"

"I'm just being cautious! I don't want to make a bad decision and end up having Jiraiya wash away our island with a tsunami or be overrun with killer shrimp!" he would reply.

"There's no such thing as killer shrimp, y'know!"

"What did I tell you about ending your sentences like that?!"

Yeah, a lot of their conversations went like that. Since Eito was completely obsessed with his own mortality and the state of his kingdom, a day came when he realized that he was getting rather old. While Uzumakis had strong life-forces and therefore long lifespans, a day would come when he would die and when he did, there would be no one to take the throne. His wife had perished without ever bearing him a son, and while he loved his daughter, his people wouldn't be happy with a woman taking the throne.

Of course, when he told Kushina this she was far from pleased.

"What?!" Kushina complained. "Why can't I take the throne?! I've studied really hard and can do as good a job as any man!"

"Kushina, now is not the time for one of your feminist rants!" Eito scolded her. "Just hear me out, alright dear? My idea was that I could arrange a marriage for you-"

"Father!"

"- and when you bear a son, he can take over the throne. It's as easy as that! You're so beautiful and already have many suitors! We could easily find a rich nobleman here in Uzushio to marry you!"

Kushina tried not to grimace at the thought of her suitors. They were either foolish young men hoping to gain access to her father's fortune through her, creepy old men who wanted more political power through her, or they wanted neither of those things and just wanted a pretty princess as a wife they could show off. The thought of marrying one of them made her skin crawl. She'd told her father hundreds of times she wanted to marry someone of her choosing, but he never listened. And now that his inevitable death had been called into question, her pleas were being doubly ignored.

"Nobleman?" she asked, trying not to sound upset. "Shouldn't I be marrying a prince? Not that I want to, I'm just saying."

"No. That would mean our kingdoms would have to join, and our family barely dodged that spear with your great great aunt Mito and the Senju kingdom. A nobleman would be a good place-holder until my pure-blood Uzushio grandson can take the throne. Clever, eh?"

Kushina crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "Brilliant, Father. There's just one problem with that plan."

"Oh?" Eito asked. He thought it had been very clever. "And what's that?"

"This entire hare-brained scheme rides on me giving birth to a son. For all you know, I could end up only giving birth to girls and then where would you be?" She smiled triumphantly. Heh. Now he'll have to consider making me the king. Or would that be queen? Nah, being king sounds cooler, y'know. At any rate, I won't have to marry one of those jackasses!

The king stroked his beard. "Hmm, you bring up a fair point..."

Kushina smiled hopefully.

"... Guess I'd better consult an oracle to be sure! Thanks for suggesting it, sweetheart!"

Kushina slumped over, a cloud of depression hanging over her head. I should have known.

"I will go to the Oracle of Ame at once!" Eito continued. He took Kushina's hands into his own. "I leave you in charge until my return, Kushina. Farewell."

He exited the room with a twirl of his kingly cape, leaving a dumbfounded Kushina in his wake. The princess blinked in utter confusion for a few seconds as it sunk in.

"... IF YOU TRUST ME TO RULE WHILE YOU TRAVEL, YOU SHOULD JUST HAND ME THE REINS FULL-TIME, Y'KNOW!"

Yet once again, she was ignored. Such was typical in the Uzumaki family.

As he had declared, King Eito made the long and perilous journey to Ame, the patron city of the sun god Obito, where the Great Oracle Konan resided. (Though why Obito would choose the rainiest city in the world as his patron city was anyone's guess.) Konan was the most powerful seer in the world, and was said to have visions of the future given to her straight from the gods themselves. Perhaps it was overkill to visit her for a matter such as the gender of his daughter's future child, but Eito wasn't taking any chances. He had the future of his kingdom riding on this!

He entered the Temple of Obito and bowed humbly before the oracle. "Great Konan, I beseech thee! Will my daughter give birth to a son who can rule my kingdom?"

The oracle, a blue-haired woman in her thirties, sat at a desk covered in sheets of paper with odd markings on them. Without looking at the king, she waved her hands across the papers, scattering them to the floor. But instead of falling randomly, they somehow fell into specific places, forming a new writing as they piled onto each other.

Konan stood up and examined the papers briefly before speaking.

"I have good news and bad news," she said monotonously. "Which do you want first?"

"Uh... bad news?"

"Okay, the bad news is that your wife is actually your mother."

Eito blanched. "WHAT?!"

Konan frowned and examined the papers more closely. She looked back up at the king blankly. "Oops, disregard that. That reading was for the last guy who was here."

"Thank Minato," Eito sighed in relief. He regained his composure. "Lady Konan, I changed my mind. I want the good news first."

"That's fine." Konan held out her hand and one of sheets of paper hovered above it. "The good news is that your daughter will give birth to a son within the year."

"Haha, yes! My throne is secure!" Eito cheered. The joy dimmed as he remembered there was more. "Ah, what's the bad news?"

Konan held up her other hand and another piece of paper. "The bad news is that your grandson will one day kill you."

Eito's heart felt as if it would stop. Had he heard that right? His grandson... was going to kill him?

"What?!" he roared. He grabbed her by the front of her dress. "How- what- why?! Why would my own grandson kill me?! Explain that to me, oracle!"

"I'm sorry, but it's one question per visitor," she explained, unfazed.

"But I don't like the answer you gave!"

"That's not my problem." She pointed to side. "But if you have a grievance, feel free to take it up with my complaint department."

The "complaint department" was two armed, intimidating men- one with red hair and one with orange hair. The orange-haired one was pounding his fist into his palm, but both radiated with such strong killing intent that Eito felt as if he were staring into the pits of Tartarus.

"Do you have a complaint, your majesty?" the red haired one asked with false politeness, holding up a long black pointed staff with... sweet Tsunade, was that blood?

It was on that day that Eito broke the land speed record for exiting a temple, and honestly, no one blamed him for the attempt.

"That's what I thought," the red head said.

That night Eito began making the journey back to Uzushio, and along the way he formulated a plan. He may have wanted to secure an heir, but he had no intention of dying any time soon.

Meanwhile, Kushina had been having a harder time of it, or at least she felt that way in her own mind. It seemed that just when she sent one suitor away, another one showed up with flowers, chocolates, and promises they didn't intend to keep. She was almost certain there was a long line of them that started at the palace gates and went twice around the property. And when she wasn't sending away suitors, she was being micromanaged by her father's advisers who believed she would bring the kingdom to ruin in the mere two weeks her father would be gone. It was enough to drive a woman batty.

After one particularly hard day of saying both "I'm not interested!" and "Get off my back, you old farts!", Kushina went down to the palace's shrine to the gods to pray for strength and peace of mind.

"Sasuke, lord of the Underworld. Jiraiya, lord of the sea. And Minato, lord of the sky," she called out as she clapped her hands three times. "I ask that you give me strength in the coming days. For both dealing with my suitors... and dealing with my overbearing father. If I can't be the king, I should at least get a say in my love life! Why can't my father just get it through his thick skull that I want to marry for love. It's not that hard to understand, y'know!"

Kushina's gaze fell upon the largest of the shrine's statues, the golden statue of Minato. If the statue was accurate, Minato looked like a handsome young man with unruly hair and a somewhat feminine face. The statue was dressed in blue and white robes, with small lightning bolt-shaped earrings dangling from the ears. All in all, it was an attractive picture. Or statue, at any rate.

It took a few seconds for the princess to realize she was blushing. She was quick to banish those thoughts- if any of the rumors of gods'.. conquests were true, being involved with a deity was not a fate a woman deserved. Especially when it came to Minato, who was said to be flighty.

"Still, maybe you could hit my father with a lightning bolt," Kushina muttered to the statue. "The jolts to his brain might make him see sense."

With that Kushina turned and left the shrine, heading straight to the throne room in order to send away whatever suitors had arrived that night. However, upon reaching the throne room, she immediately knew something was up.

One, the usual crowd of suitors was missing, and Kushina knew better than to think they'd finally given up.

Two, her father was back and he wasn't crowing about how he had been right.

Three, there was a large number of guards positioned around her father's throne.

"Father, you're back!" Kushina, exclaimed, forcing cheer. "You look upset, did the oracle have no good news?" Her eyes widened. "Wait, does this mean I get to be king then?"

Eito looked uncomfortable, sitting there on his throne and twiddling his thumbs. "Kushina... the oracle gave me good news and bad news. The good news was that you were supposed to give birth to a son within the year."

Kushina's smile fell. She glared up at the ceiling. Thanks for nothing.

Hold on, she thought. What does he mean, 'were'?

"Were?" she asked. "What do you mean by that? Does it have to do with the bad news?"

"The bad news..." Eito trailed off. He took a deep breath and steeled his expression. "The bad news was that your son would one day kill me."

Kushina's hands flew to cover her mouth in horror.

"I must admit, the news devastated me at first," Eito went on. "But now I have accepted it and will do everything in my power to prevent it."

This horrified Kushina even more.

"Father, I don't like this any more than you do, but you can't go against a direct prophecy from the gods!" Kushina told him. "Avoiding the future always comes back to bite you, y'know!"

"Kushina, I did not spend my entire life being cautious only to have all my efforts become futile! I refuse to give in to death so easily!" Eito argued. "Besides, if the gods really wanted me to submit to this prophecy, they would not have made it so easy to divert!"

"How is it easy?"

"All I have to do is make sure you never marry! Doesn't that make you happy, sweetheart?"

It didn't, actually. Just because Kushina didn't want to marry one of her gross suitors didn't mean she didn't want to get married ever. She just wanted to wait for the right guy to show up.

"I don't think we need to go that far, Father," Kushina tried to reason. "How about a compromise? I can get married one day, but we just won't have any kids. How does that sound?"

"No, that's too risky," Eito disagreed forcefully. "Accidents can happen, after all. I cannot allow you to commit such treason and bring about my death!"

"Treason?! Me having a baby is not treason!"

"It is if that baby will bring about my death!"

"Father, you're being complete irrational! You cannot prevent me from meeting someone!" She laughed bitterly as some of the guards surrounded her. "I mean, what are you going to do, lock me in a tower for the rest of my life?"

Approximately 10 minutes later...

Kushina found herself in small, windowless room with a bed, a bookshelf, a table and chair, and a wooden door with a slot in the bottom. The only light came from a tiny circular opening in the roof.

"Evidently, yes," she said to herself. She immediately ran to the door and started banging on it. "LET ME OUT, RIGHT NOW! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! I'VE DONE NOTHING WRONG, Y'KNOW!"

"I'm sorry, Kushina," Eito apologized from the other side of the door. "But this the only sure-fire way to save my life. Know that your sacrifice will not be in vain."

"WHY DO I HAVE TO BE THE ONE TO MAKE A SACRIFICE?!" Kushina bellowed. "IT'S YOUR DAMN FUTURE! YOU DIDN'T EVEN ASK ME IF I WANTED TO MAKE IT, Y'KNOW! IT'S NOT FAIR!"

"I'm sorry. I know that one day you'll understand."

Kushina heard footsteps move away from the door, meaning her father had chosen to leave.

It did not deter her. Kushina continued to pound on the door and scream as loudly as she could, ranging from swearing to cursing her father's lineage back to its clay ancestors. She did this for hours until her screams had quieted to hoarse rasping and her fists were bloody.

"You... you can't do this... y'know..." she whispered, trying her hardest not to cry. "You can't... leave me... all alone..."

But no one was coming to heed her calls- she knew that now. Heaving one last tired sigh, Kushina stood up and threw herself onto her bed.

When I said I wanted help about the whole marriage thing, this isn't what I wanted. I didn't want to become a prisoner in my own home, she thought. She sat up and gently clasped her battered hands together, finally letting a few tears escape. Please, oh great gods. I have always said my prayers and attended the rituals. If there was ever a time to help me, now would be best. See to it I'm not alone. Please...

Kushina repeated this prayer until she fell asleep, fully expecting to be ignored. She would begin escape preparations in the morning. Though, little did she know, someone was listening, and they were just the answer she was looking for.

*N*N*N*N

As mentioned earlier, the people of Uzushio (or the people of just about any country in the Elemental Nations) both revered and feared the gods- mystical beings of great power who lived on the sacred mountain, Mount Sennin. They controlled nature and the world at large, and the most powerful of the gods was their king, Minato. An imposing figure with hair as yellow as the sun and eyes as blue as the skies he ruled, there were as many rumors about him as there were stars in the sky. Some say he had the power to reduce a nation to ashes, and his anger caused thunderstorms. He moved faster than light and could change his shape. To insult the king of the gods was to bring about doom. He was also said to be quite the ladies' man, seducing human women and goddesses, and had a brood of both mortal and immortal children alike. Though heaven forbid his jealous queen discover them, for that too meant death. He was said to be powerful, cruel, and not one who could be refused. That was what everyone thought.

When Jiraiya heard these rumors, he laughed so hard he caused a tidal wave, while Minato could only blush and look away.

They say legends are derived from truths, and this was no different. Could he move faster than light and create thunderstorms? Yes. Did Minato have the power to eradicate a nation if he so desired? Yes. Did that mean he was actually willing to do it? Hell no. As far as gods went, Minato was a just, reasonable individual. Even if a nation did do something to tick him off, he was smart enough to realize not everyone in said nation was involved. At worst he would send the Furies to torment the accomplices and then smite the ringleader with lightning. In general, he only ever turned his anger on those who broke the divine laws and truly, truly, deserved it. As for his supposed womanizing... this was the rumor that earned Minato the most ridicule. Minato was a handsome god- possibly the most handsome- and that got him plenty of female attention. While he had had a number of relationships with goddesses over the years and that had resulted in several godly children, he had gone into those relationships fully expecting them to be permanent. They never were.

Gods were notoriously dysfunctional in the romance department.

"I have a few bad relationships and they brand me for eternity," Minato had complained once over nectar with Jiraiya.

"I know the feeling," Jiraiya had agreed.

"Hush you, that's a brand you deserve." Minato had run a tired hand through his hair. "And what's all this talk about me having a queen? I've never been able to hold a girlfriend, let alone be with a goddess long enough to marry her!"

"Though marrying one of the mothers of your children would be a good idea!" a voice called out from the other side the gods' palace.

"Let it go, Shizune!" Jiraiya had called back. "The break-up with your parents was mutual!"

Minato had ignored his daughter and friend's banter and rubbed his right temple. "Honestly, where do these rumors even start?"

"Mortals, Minato," Jiraiya had replied, as if that explained everything. "Mortals."

Mortals indeed. Minato wouldn't know, for despite what the rumors claimed, he had never been directly involved with any. The rumors of him seducing human women stemmed from young women who didn't want their parents to kill their boyfriends due to an 'oops baby.' It was easier to say, "It wasn't the baker's boy! I was seduced by Lord Minato!" than own up to to the truth. In reality, Minato didn't hold much of an interest in humans beyond completing his godly duties of ruling them, occasionally answering their prayers, or sending one of the demigod hero offspring of his comrades on the odd quest. They were just kind of there, and Minato was fine with that, no matter what Jiraiya said to convince him otherwise.

That is, until Minato started paying attention to the prayers of a certain human princess.

It had been a coincidence. He'd been in the throne room one day when he'd heard a mortal invoking his name, which gods were always able to sense. This voice had been doing it more frequently lately, so he pulled up his crystal ball to see who it was that was being so persistent. The vision he was given robbed him of his godly breath.

It was her hair, he would decide later, that first caught his eye. It even more of a vivid red than the rosy-fingered dawn, and flowed down her back. She also had fair skin and round eyes that were the exact blue-grey of a stormy sea. She was the most beautiful human- no, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Even Mei couldn't compare to her in his eyes. Captivated, he had sat down on his throne and watched her pray through his crystal ball.

It wasn't long before he wouldn't just watch the woman, Kushina, pray, but throughout her everyday life. Was this stalker-ish? Perhaps, but Minato was a god so he got a free pass. He watched as she sent away her many suitors and got into arguments her father's advisers. He watched as she showed unwavering strength and dedication in ruling the kingdom while her father traveled. He had only seen matched willpower in hardened warriors and heroes, and it impressed Minato to no end. That was why it confounded him that she kept praying to him and the other gods for strength- she already had more than enough to spare. He admired that strength, for it was so rare in humans.

He watched her so often that the other gods started to catch on. Though they didn't start teasing him about it until about two weeks after Kushina's father had left on his journey. He had entered the throne room only to find Mei and Tsunade waiting for him.

"What are you two doing here?" Minato asked. "We're not having a council meeting today."

"Then why are you here, Lord Minato?" Mei purred. "For study, work... or perhaps bird watching?"

"Bird watching?"

"Yes. Word around the mountain is that you spied a pretty redheaded bird a little while ago."

Minato, to his credit, managed to keep his expression neutral. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Mei scoffed and turned to Tsunade. "Told you he still hasn't realized it. Pay up."

Tsunade scowled and begrudgingly handed her a small pouch of gold pieces.

"Realized what?" Minato asked.

"That you have fallen in love with a human princess!" Mei declared joyfully. "Trust me, I'm the goddess of love. I know these things."

"What?!" the sky god shouted. "I'm not in love with Kushina!"

Tsunade raised a finger to her cheek in thought. "So her name's Kushina... odd how we didn't specify a princess, yet your mind just went straight for her."

Minato gulped.

"Don't deny it, milord," Mei went on. "You haven't been able to keep your eyes off her in weeks. If that's not love, than may you strike me down with lightning!"

"Don't tempt him," Tsunade muttered. She turned to Minato. "We're not judging you, Minato. You'd hardly be the first god to fall in love with a human. Just be prepared for any disappointment that comes with it. Humans... more than often not lead to heartbreak."

Her tone became incredibly sad with that last sentence, and Minato winced at the memory of Tsunade's former human lover, Dan. That had been a veritable shipwreck in the end...

"Don't you think you're jumping to conclusions?" Minato tried to deny. "Just because I watch her often and respect her strength and find her beautiful- Styx, that's love, isn't it?"

"You bet it is!" Mei confirmed enthusiastically.

Tsunade patted Minato's shoulder. "Don't worry, we won't tell that old toad Jiraiya."

Minato found himself at a bit of a loss, which, as a god, was a new thing for him. Did he really love Kushina? He thought he had been in love before, but those relationships were shipwrecks in of themselves. And if he was, was he really willing to start something with a human? Tsunade was the poster goddess for god/human-romance-with-a-tragic-end. Not to mention the other goddesses would be insanely furious about how a lowly human woman had caught their king's eye. Kushina could take care of herself, but-

Please...

Minato suddenly stiffened as he heard familiar prayers in his ear. They were different this time though...

"Minato?" Tsunade piped up. "Is something wrong?"

"Is it Kushina?" Mei asked hopefully.

Minato didn't answer. Instead, he willed his crystal ball to materialize in his hand and focused on Kushina. A second later, her image appeared in the orb and the king god's face went as still as stone. Tsunade and Mei leaned over Minato's shoulders to see what had caused such a reaction.

Over the next few minutes they watched as Kushina confronted her father and heard of the oracle's harsh prophecy. The women both growled when they saw the guards drag the princess to the dismal tower room and lock her inside. And with heavy hearts, they watched as Kushina beat on the door and screamed to be set free, only for her to finally give up and pray to not be left alone.

"How dare he treat his own daughter this way!" Tsunade, being a mother herself, raged. "See if I ever bless his harvest again!"

"We really need to talk to Obito about the prophecies he gives his oracle. They cause so much trouble," Mei mused. She turned to Minato. "What do you think, Lord Mina-"

Mei was interrupted by the crystal ball suddenly shattering. Tsunade and Mei jumped back to avoid being hit by the shards.

"Minato, what on Mother Earth-?!" Tsunade began to ask, only to stop herself when she saw Minato's expression.

Minato's face was utterly calm, but his fists were clenched at his sides so tightly golden ichor dripped from them. Not to mention a storm brewed not only in his eyes, but over their heads as well. A violent thunderstorm had completely enveloped Mount Sennin.

"Minato?" Mei spoke up. "Are you...?"

"Leave, both of you," Minato ordered icily.

He was using his or-else-I'll-vaporize-you voice, so Tsunade and Mei all but ran from the throne room without another word. Once they were gone, Minato sat down on his throne and laced his fingers together contemplatively.

He had much to consider.

Kushina sighed as she scratched another tally mark into the wall of her cell (and it was a cell, no matter what her father said) with a chopstick. It had been exactly one month since she had been locked away, and she was starting to lose hope that she would be free. A month might sound too soon for someone to give up hope, especially for someone like Kushina, but she'd had a lot of blows to her confidence as of late which came from her thwarted escape attempts.

Punching out the guard when he came to give her food and steal his keys? Failed when she was caught running in the hall outside her tower. Afterwards her guards bent over to set down the food tray before they opened the slot and took big steps back.

Breaking down the door with a makeshift bed-battering ram? Failed when she was once again caught, though out in the garden instead of the hall, and the door was replaced with a metal one.

Escaping through the hole in the ceiling? Failed because she couldn't make it any bigger and ended up falling on her tailbone hard enough to keep her bedridden for three days.

She'd had at least a dozen other escape attempts, but each failed and only made her living conditions worse. The hole in the ceiling was made even smaller, her bed had been replaced with a large plank, and she didn't have the chairs and table anymore. Anything that could have been useful had been removed, and the comfort they brought went with them. The only comfort she had left were her books and the food, which her father thankfully wasn't skimping on.

Kushina slurped at her lunch, three big bowls of ramen, mournfully. She had officially run out of escape ideas, hence why she was losing hope. Her father was dead set on keeping her there. She was willing to bet that the only reason he hadn't killed her was because the gods really, really didn't like it when family killed family.

At this point, he probably should just kill me, she thought. This is no way to live.

It really wasn't, yet she had to just because her father was a paranoid asshole. Kushina felt her blood boil- why should she have to suffer for her father's stinking prophecy? Heck, what had she done in a past life to make it so she was involved in her father's stinking prophecy?

"THIS SUCKS!" she screamed, throwing her empty bowl against the opposite wall. It didn't shatter though- her father had sprung for more durable tableware after one of her more bloody escape attempts. She jumped to her feet and turned her head to the ceiling. "IF YOU GODS ARE LISTENING, FEEL FREE TO BUTT IN AT ANY TIME! IT WAS YOUR STUPID PROPHECY THAT RUINED MY LIFE, Y'KNOW!"

"Would it help if I apologized?"

Kushina shrieked in surprise, not expecting a reply to come from behind her. She tried to turn around to look at the speaker, but the sudden action made her trip on the end of her dress. She nearly tumbled backward, had a hand not grabbed hers and pulled her upright. The would-be rescuer pulled a bit too hard and Kushina ended up going against their chest.

"Sorry about that," her would-be rescuer said. "I didn't meant to startle you."

Kushina pushed herself away from the speaker and pressed her back against the wall, finally getting a good look at him. He was a young man her age with vibrant blond hair and the bluest eyes she had ever seen. Any other occasion she might have blushed, but at the moment she had other concerns- the primary ones being:

"WHO THE HECK ARE YOU AND HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE?!" Kushina hollered, pointing at him.

The young man smiled, albeit a bit nervously. "I teleported, like this."

In a brief flash of yellow light, he was now standing right next to her. Once again, Kushina jumped back.

"What the hell?!" she yelled.

"I know, right? I thought it was the simplest way in here. Though a friend of mine had this whole shower-of-gold idea..."

"What are you?!" Kushina yelled. "People don't teleport, y'know!"

"They can if they're not human." He took a serious pose. "Come on, you don't recognize me from the temple statues?"

Kushina studied him a little more closely. Huh. Now that she thought about it, he looked kind of like-

She went pale. "You're- You're- You're-"

"Minato, king of the gods," he finished for her. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Kushina."

Kushina wasn't listening. After he had said his name, she had fallen to her knees and pressed her head to the ground, muttering prayers of forgiveness.

It finally happened. I knew the gods would be angry at father for avoiding the prophecy! she thought in terror. Wait, I have been cursing them a lot in the last few weeks. Ugh, what was I thinking?! The gods have disintegrated humans for less! Oh my gods, I even yelled at him! When I said I might as well die, I didn't want it to be like this! Why do all my wishes keep getting misinterpreted?!

Minato frowned at the sight of Kushina prostrating herself. This wasn't going well. He took a deep breath and got down on his knees, placing his hands on her shoulders. He ignored the way she flinched when he did.

"Hey, hey, there's no need for that. Please stop." When she didn't, he forced her to sit up. "I said, stop!"

Kushina flinched again, fear apparent on her face. "I'm sorry, my lord. Please forgive my transgressions."

"Okay, one- don't call me lord. Two- there's nothing to forgive. You haven't done anything wrong."

"What?"

"Your father imprisoned you in here for understandable, but completely unjust reasons. You had every right to curse and scream. I should know- my family spent their childhood in my father's gut, and they certainly cursed the elder deities for all they were worth! I did too!"

Kushina stared at him incredulously. Was this actually the Minato the stories all spoke of, the god known for his power and cruelty? Because he was being awfully kind to someone who had been both praying to him and cursing his name for the last month.

"If.. if you're not here to punish me," Kushina said slowly. "Why... why are you here?"

Minato smirked and placed a hand on her head. "I distinctly remember an upset princess asking the gods to 'butt in.' So I came to help you."

All of sudden, Kushina felt angry. Very, very angry. She would most likely be incinerated for this, but she wanted her feelings to be known.

"I have... been praying for help... for over a month, y'know!" she snapped, smacking away his hand. "I prayed and prayed and prayed! I asked for strength against my suitors and my dad's advisers, and I prayed to not be forced to be punished for my dad's paranoia, y'know! If you're so accommodating, WHY ARE YOU ONLY NOW ANSWERING?! WHY ARE YOU ONLY NOW HELPING?!"

As he watched Kushina pant from exertion, Minato was really glad he placed a soundproof barrier around the cell- Kushina could be shriller than a harpy when she wanted to be. He didn't get angry though, for she had every reason to be upset. He waited for her to cool down before answering.

"I didn't help you before because you didn't need my help."

In an instant, all of Kushina's anger vanished. "... E-Excuse me?"

"I've actually been watching you for a while now. I saw how you took charge against the advisers and sent away every creepy suitor. I even watched all your escape attempts, in case you succeeded." Minato smiled gently and placed a hand over her own. "I never answered until now because I knew you could take care of yourself and that you were strong, both in body and in spirit." He frowned in remorse. "Still, this shouldn't have happened to you. This isn't your fight- it's between your father and the gods. This is different than your other battles, so I came this time."

Kushina felt lightheaded. "But... but why?"

Minato squeezed her hand. "You were losing hope. I didn't want to lose you."

Kushina couldn't believe what she was hearing. No one... no one had ever told her this before. Never had she been praised for her strength and tenacity, for women being strong and tenacious had always been frowned upon. Never had anyone genuinely apologized to her for being dragged into such a terrible experience (her father's early apology didn't count). Never had she been told by someone that they didn't want to lose her- not even her own father had done that. And to have all that come from a god...?

"Y-You... you..." she stuttered. She quickly reached to the side and held up one of her extra food bowls. "You want some ramen?! It's really delicious, y'know!"

Minato blinked in surprise, then started laughing. It was a beautiful laugh, filled with levity and joy.

Kushina flushed a deep crimson that put her hair to shame. What are you doing, Kushina?! You can't just offer the king of the gods ramen! He must think you're an idiot! What was I-?!

Her thoughts were interrupted by Minato removing the bowl from her hands. It was her turn to blink in surprise.

"Ramen," Minato said, giving her that wonderful, gentle smile again, "sounds perfect."

That was how it all began. Minato continued to visit Kushina in her cell whenever he could. He was still the lord of the universe, so he still had duties to fulfill, but he always tried to find time to see Kushina. They both agreed after the first time that it was best if she stayed put, as not to make anyone suspicious, mortal or immortal. Kushina did give Minato permission to smite her father, but seeing as Eito hadn't technically broken any divine laws and Minato wasn't nearly as trigger-happy as some of his brethren, the sky god declined. Kushina didn't mind in the end, because Minato's visits made her punishment far more bearable. Every time he came they had long talks about anything you could imagine.

From how he first saw her-

"My hair first caught your eye?"

"Yes. Your hair is very beautiful, so I noticed it right away."

"Oh..."

- to the exploits of his fellow gods-

"They stuffed him in an urn? You're kidding!"

"Nope. Zabuza's been terrified of jars ever since. Just don't tell him I told you that."

- to Kushina's life in Uzushio before her imprisonment.

"We have these boat races through the whirlpools. They're very exciting."

"If you want exciting whirlpools, I think I can introduce you to one in the sea of monsters."

Kushina looked forward to his visits. At first because it did break up the monotony of living in a cell, but later it was because of Minato himself. He was a god, but he was kind, understanding, and always treated her with the utmost respect. He was nothing like the cruel womanizer the legends painted him to be. In the beginning, she was a bit suspicious that this was a ruse to get into her skirts, but Minato never gave that indication. After the first day, he was sure to let her be the one to initiate contact. He didn't get close unless she wanted him to, and after a few awkward chats she told him to stop being such a flake and sit next to her. Contact and closeness came more easily after that, and Kushina found herself craving more of it. She got the feeling Minato felt the same.

One night during one of Minato's visits two months after they'd met, they were lying on the floor of her room next to each other, looking up at the stars thanks to the god making the ceiling transparent. Kushina hugged his arm as he pointed out all the constellations, saying which ones had been monsters and which ones had been great heroes and which ones he'd placed in the sky personally.

"Can I be a constellation when I die?" she asked.

A pained expression flashed on his face for a second before he gave her a half smile. "If that's what you want."

Kushina giggled and snuggled closer to him. Minato did his best not blush- he had some rep to uphold. They stayed that way for awhile, quietly enjoying the stars and each other's company. Kushina soon spoke up.

"You're different than I expected, y'know," she said softly.

"Oh?" Minato asked. "How so?"

"The legends say you're a violent deity who will court other woman and goddesses even though you have a queen."

The god snorted. "I honestly don't know where humans get this stuff. I will admit to having past flings, but I have never taken a queen."

Kushina's ear twitched. "Never?"

"Never. Not to say I haven't sought out one before, but goddesses... well, suffice to say I could never keep them happy. I love my godly children, but I really should have never pursued their mothers. It wasn't fair to me, and it especially wasn't fair to them."

Kushina didn't hold this against him. She knew how hard it was to find "the right one", and Minato had simply gone about it in a different, more heartbreaking way than her. Plus, he was a god. Gods viewed relationships differently than humans, and Kushina understood that.

"What about the stories of you hooking up with human women?" she asked, faking innocence.

"All lies," Minato replied, staring at the stars. "To be honest, I've never held much interest in humans beyond my godly duties to them. They were just there and I just happened to rule them. That didn't change for me until..." He trailed off.

"Until...?" Kushina prompted.

Minato turned his head to look at her. "... Until I saw you. Until I saw just how brave and beautiful you ordinary humans could be." He grinned. "You changed how I felt about humanity, Kushina, and you've made me a better god because of it. Thank you so, so much."

Kushina felt choked up. Why was he thanking her? She should be the one thanking him. He took away her loneliness and made her feel cared for when no else would. He was a god and she was just an insignificant human- she didn't deserve someone like him, but he insisted on staying.

It was time. She had to know for sure.

"And me?" Kushina blinked away any oncoming tears and placed her hand on Minato's cheek. "Forget humanity for a moment. How do you feel about me?"

Minato's eyes widened, and that was the only hesitation he gave. He reached up to take Kushina's hand off his cheek and kissed her palm.

"About you?" he repeated. He smiled his softest smile yet. "The same as I did the first moment I laid eyes on you. Kushina, I love-"

Kushina didn't let him finish. She cupped her hand behind his head and pressed a tender, caressing kiss against his lips. Minato instinctively wound his arms around her waist, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss, while Kushina wrapped her arms around his neck in turn.

After what felt like too short a time they pulled apart, both wearing the biggest grins they had ever smiled. And this time, Kushina couldn't stop the tears of joy that fell from her eyes.

"I love you too, y'know," Kushina whispered.

Minato wiped away the tears with his thumb. "I know."

To prove that, he crawled on top of her and gave her a deep, passionate, toe-curling kiss. She tasted like ramen, and he wouldn't have had her any other way.

Other acts of love occurred that night, and while exact details will not be given, let's just say that soundproof barrier did prove to be quite handy. Jiraiya would have been very proud.

However, in the heat of the moment, the princess and the god forgot the very reason the former had been locked away; the impending completion of Konan's prophecy. Their actions that night led to the creation of a legend that would be known for centuries to come... but that would be for another time. That night they were just Minato and Kushina, and nothing else mattered except their love.

Let them have that, at least.

That was the first genuine kissing scene I've ever written. How'd I do?

Did you catch all the parallels I made to the manga? See if you can!

Reasoning for character selections:

Minato Namikaze as Zeus- As the Yellow Flash of Konoha and the Fourth Hokage, he was the best choice for the king of the gods. He's also Naruto's dad, and seeing as I'm having Naruto play Perseus, it worked out.

Kushina Uzumaki as Danae- Again, self explanatory. She's Naruto's mom.

Jiraiya as Poseidon- One would think that someone from Kiri would be a better choice, but I stand by this decision. Something about a toad reaching the great sea...?

Sasuke Uchiha as Hades- Well... I may be a fan of the SasuSaku fanfic Quietus... besides, a Sakura/Persephone parallel was too good to pass up.

Obito Uchiha as Apollo, Konan as the Oracle- I'm sorry, but I found the idea of Obito telling Konan and the other Akatsuki leaders what to do even in this universe kind of funny.

Tsunade as Demeter- Again, Quietus, Sakura/Persephone parallel, etc.

Zabuza as Ares- Dude was pretty bloodthirsty, and he did try to start a coup.

Mei Terumi as Aphrodite- This one was chosen for ironic reasons- the best reasons! If you know anything about her character, said reasons should be obvious.

Reasoning for story changes:

Minato not having a queen: If I had given him one, then the story's ending won't go the way I intend. You'll see!

Minato not visiting Kushina as a shower of gold: Zeus did gold shower thing in the original myth, but I couldn't see Minato doing the same. He's not as flashy (though his Hokage coat would suggest otherwise) and he doesn't have a jealous wife to hide from.