Maple Leaves

a SI-OC story.

Prologue: When light fades, the wind howls

So many things could have gone wrong the night Kushina had gone into labor. She was close to death so many times that night despite it being the night she welcomed her children to the world.

But despite everything, she survived with her children and husband. She had felt so helpless lying beside her twins as Minato went off to stall the chakra monster that had been sealed into her for so long. Her son Naruto was wailing in fear with hair as bright as Minato's, three lines running along his cheeks. Her daughter was unusually silent, with an unmarked face and a longer tuft of red hair with color identical to Kushina's.

At the time of their birth, her daughter had still not been given a name. She and Minato couldn't decide on a girls' name even as the date had approached.

But now they were safe with the village on high alert after the Kyuubi was resealed. Tsunade had been very insistent on Kushina recovering after such a stressful night, only allowing Minato and her children to see her. It was a few days after her birth that Minato and Kushina had decided on a name.

The red-haired kunochi was resting in bed with her daughter awake and curiously babbling at her surroundings. It felt like the joy from her baby was the best medicine Kushina would ask for. Though she would not dare say that within hearing distance of the last Senju.

The door opened and Minato came in holding Naruto who was fast asleep. Minato was just as exhausted if not more with dealing with the aftermath of the near-attack and the political effects. But for now he was a new father with his wife, their family safe.

"Minato, are you taking a break?" Kushina greeted, looking up from her spot on the bed.

"Yeah, I've been discussing how to handle the address with the council, but eventually we were just going in circles so I delayed the final decision. Not to mention Naruto seemed to get fussy with his watchers." The Yellow Flash said.

Kushina made a scrunched expression as she never did like the politics involved with the hokage position. Minato managed to laugh as he sat beside her on the chair next to the bed.

"We never did decide on a name for her Kushina." He softly spoke.

Kushina hummed in agreement. She tussled some of the fuzz that was her daughter's hair in thought. Glancing outside she noticed that the trees outside has turned a vivid red , some already falling off the branches.

"Hey Minato." The said person directed his attention to her. "Do you remember the day I beat up that genin? The day I called you out on following me around the village?"

Blushing in embarrassment Minato replied, "Yes, but why are you bringing that up again?"

Chuckling, the Uzumaki said, "I remember all the cherry blossom petals that fell and looking back, they really were beautiful. The same color of your cheeks too!" That only made the blonde jounin blush further.

Trying to save face Minato responded, "Those red leaves remind me of the woman they called the Red Hot Habereno, the one who could easily beat me up."

Now it was Kushina turn to blush in embarrassment. "What are you saying?"

Thinking for a moment, Minato answered, "Well she does have your red hair and she was born on a autumn night. I was thinking about something like that for her name."

Kushina looked out the window again before saying, "What kind of trees are those?"

Minato also turned to the flora outside, "Maple I believe."

With a smile on her face, Kushina said, "How about Kaede?"

Maple trees. The trees with the most vivid red leaves that feel during the fall season. Minato smiled, moving closer to his wife and looking at their daughter who was staring back with bright violet eyes nearly identical to that of her mother's. Soft giggling escaped the infant's mouth.

"...I think it's perfect."

Originally Published: December 25th 2016