SUMMARY: Me? Kushina? What kind of sick joke is that?! Isn't my name supposed to be Lillian Potter, not Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze? AU/ MOD! Harry/Fem!Harry: in which Death decided to swap the soul of his dying Mistress with Kushina's, which broke the Universe. Not a crack fic.

DISCLAIMER: I wished I could own Harry Potter and Naruto, but sadly I don't.

WARNING: Language, plot holes, character deaths.

She was dying. She didn't want to, at least not so soon anyways. She had wanted to marry a decent guy and have many children, who'd live happily like the Weasley family, but she never even got the chance. Not only was she dying, but she was leaving behind poor Teddy to face the world alone –what with Andromeda dead some time ago due to some illness. At least, Hermione and Ron would look after him. She was sure of that. He'd be depressed for some time, but he'd move on after that. Maybe. Possibly.

"Don't go." Teddy said with tears in his eyes as he held her hand gently but firmly. He sobbed as he stared at her with chocolate brown eyes which were now changing into green ones like hers. He had inherited his Metamorphosis abilities from his mother Tonks, though he cannot control it fully, considering he is just a little boy of five. His hair and eyes changes with his emotions, making it harder for him to concentrate to remain in one appearance. She knew he'd get the hang of his abilities one day. Too bad she won't be there to see it. He squeezed his eyes shut and whimpered "Please don't go, Lily."

Her heart went out for the boy who was like her own son. Oh how she wished things didn't have to turn out this way. She wished she hadn't been hit by that blasted forbidden curse that was degrading her body and eating her out alive. She often wondered how her life would've been if she hadn't been hit by some forbidden curse. Maybe she'd have married a decent guy and had some kids, and would've taken better care of Teddy. Even if she hadn't found any decent guy to marry, she'd have traveled around the world with her Godson and enjoyed the rest of her life. But no, here she was, stuck in a bed in St. Mungous, being a burden on everyone. Merlin, her life sucks!

She could feel her body go numb, and her heart slowing down. Still, she fought against her own body to keep her eyes open, and stare at her Godson, who was crying silently and begging her to stay with him. Isn't that what she had done for the last five years? Struggling to stay alive for her Godson, even though she should've died five years ago. During her fight at the Battle of Hogwarts, some stupid death eater hit her with some sort of curse that affected her immunity system that led to her deteriorating health condition. The healers at St. Mungous had declared that she won't even survive for a whole year, but surprisingly, she had been alive for five years now, though to be truthful that was all because Death had extended her time, what with being his Mistress and all.

But even if Death had extended her time for living, her survival had been agonizingly painful. Every breath felt like a thousand ton pressure over her lungs, and every movement of her body made her want to whimper in pain. It was a miracle that she got to live this long now.

But not anymore. Enough was enough. She was at her limit. She can't deal with more pain. She was broken beyond repair, and the pain did nothing to soothe her agony. She just wanted for this pain to stop.

So, giving her all at a final attempt to smile at her godson for one last time, she squeezed his hand gently with the last strength remained within her, she said "I'm sorry." Her voice sounded soft and raspy, but to Teddy it was the most melodic thing he'd ever heard. More tears streamed down his eyes as he kissed the back of her hand softly, wishing he could've spent more time with his Godmother, who has cared for him ever since he was born. "Teddy," She said softly, smiling that beautiful smile of hers. He stared at her green eyes, that glowed better than emeralds, and her flaming red hair that was sprawledout around her. Even in deathbed, she looked beautiful to him. "I want you to be happy." She said, looking deeply into his ever changing eyes, as if staring deep into his soul. "I don't want you to regret anything. I want you to live your life to the fullest, and if you can, live for me too."

"I…" He gulped, though he wasn't eating anything, and closed his eyes. He sniffled and said "I will."

She stared at him proudly. Oh he was such a brave little boy. He'll be sad for sometime, she had no doubt about it, but he'll move on. She just wished that he'd get to have a better and long life, unlike hers. She wished for him to be happy.

And finally with these thoughts in her mind, she closed her heavy eyelids and succumbed to eternal sleep.

Maybe now she will get to meet her parents, Sirius and Remus in her afterlife.

"-Shina."

"Kushina"

"KUSHINA!"

What the-? Startled, she opened her eyes, and found herself drowning in deepdeepdeepdeepdeep blue orbs of a man who had blonde, spiky hair, and was looking at her with sadness, love and pain. He wore weird clothes- what with a dark blue full shirt and pants over there were a green vest. He wore a white coat above all that stuff.

Not that she didn't mind staring at a very gorgeous man-even if he is wearing questionable clothing, she'd like it very much to know who he is before she start flirting with him –or soething. Hey, old habits die hard, okay?

So, she racked her brains to see if she could recognize this man at all. No. Zip. Nada. Nothing.

Who the hell is this guy?

Minato. A sweet voice whispered in her mind. Minato Namikaze. Your husband.

Husband?! She choked up and spat out blood from her mouth. She felt so weak and exhausted, and so much in painpainpainpain –and what the hell is that thing running beneath her skin? It feels odd, but warm, and familiar.

Chakra- her mind supplied.

What the fuck is going on? She opened and closed her mouth, but no words seemed to come to her. Nothing made sense at all. What the hell is this chakra-thing? And husband?! Seriously? She didn't even know this guy! When the bloody hell did she marry? And why didn't anyone tell her that she was married?! Come on, she wouldn't have been stupid enough to not have either Hermione, Ron or Ginny as her witness. So, what is this bullshit about this man being her husband?

Funny thing is, she didn't remember being married, at all. What she remembered was being bedridden for the last five years, and then dying….

Cue freakout.

Oh fuck, how can she forget? She was dead. Yes, yes she was. So then, what the hell is this? This clearly is no heaven or hell, considering she can still feel pain and was breathing normally right now, thank you very much. But…. But she was dead a second ago….. so Wha-? How? Where was she anyway? And what the hell is going on?

She wheezed as pain shot through her abdomen, making her place her arms around her torso and bend down a bit. When she opened her eyes next, they found a little bundle of cloth lying on the ground. It looked up with it's bluebluedeepblue eyes at her, and she immediately melted. The little tuft of blonde hair that seemed to peek out of his head made him look much cuter. It was so cute, and so small. It was a baby. What was it doing out here?

Where was here anyways?

And whose baby is this?!

Yours. The sweet voice whispered in her mind. Yours and Minato's.

She almost had a heart attack. W-W-What? H-How? Husband? Son? She clearly remembered dying a virgin, how come she had a baby when she hadn't even had sex even once in her life? Nothing makes sense anymore! By merlin's sake, would anyone tell her what the bloody hell is going on?!

A tug at her back startled her, and she moved her head a bit to glance back, and then she officially lost it. There were thick chains of adamantine metal protruding from her back –chains people, chains!- and dug deeper into the ground. They came out from the ground some ways back, and held tightly to a hugehugehugehuge –Merlin, is that thing even real?- fox, that had not one but nine tails! Since when do foxes even have not one, but nine tails? The fox was growling in anger and snarling against the chains.

That's it. She had officially lost it. What the fuck is going on?

She took a deep breath so as to calm herself down. Okay, she needed to figure this out soon, or she'll explode the entire area around her with a bout of accidental magic. So, she had died a moment ago, and then ended up here –wherever it is- where she has a husband and a son. Either this is a very well planned joke by George and Ginny, or she was somehow in some alternate reality and had somehow swapped places with her alternate self –it wouldn't have been the first time something like this has happened, but these things usually happened far, far less.

Okay, this is unusual, but not impossible. Let's treat it like how she has always responded to any unfortunate and life threatening coincidences that always happened to her –with a lot of stubbornness and pig headedness and with zero amount self-preservation sense.

Her eyes wandered over the blonde man who stood before her. The blonde man's hands were stuck in a weird hand sign, and he was saying something in a language that wasn't English, but seemed much like Chinese or Japanese. Surprisingly, she actually understood what he was saying. "Kushina," Who the fuck is Kushina? It's you. Me? Kushina? What kind of sick joke is that?! Isn't my name supposed to be Lillian Potter, not Kushina Uzumaki-Namikaze? "Let's believe in him. After all, this child is our son." Not mine, I don't even know his name. Naruto- that sweet voice once again whispered to her, not so helpfully. Shut up. She screamed at it. "After I completed this seal, I will seal your chakra inside of Naruto too. You won't have much time, but I want you to help him try to control the nine tails power as a Jinchurriki." What's a Jinchurriki anyways? A container for a tailed beast. Didn't I tell you to shut up, whoever you are?

She went back through what he said, and froze up. What the fuck-? What kind of father seals a Monster inside his son? Is he out of his mind?! How can someone do that to their own son?

"But he's your son, Minato!" She argued back, and was startled to know that her voice came out fluently in Japanese, not in English. Huh, well, that's new. She didn't know she knew Japanese. Well, now you do. That sweet vice whispered again. She filed it up for later consideration as she tried to make him see her point "Which is exactly why I don't want him to bear such a heavy burden!" She looked up to meet his eyes, but was taken aback by the white spirit hanging behind the man-who was supposed to be her husband. The Spirit glanced at her with emotionless red eyes, and a soul –Minato's soul- was in it's clutches. He held a dagger in his mouth, a beaded necklace in one hand and satchel in another. He looked different than the last time she met him, but she knew he was the same Spirit who had given her the title of his Mistress. It was Death.

"D-Death?" she asked, so startled by his appearance that she didn't even notice that she was speaking in English, though Minato did notice it considering the fact that he was now staring at her as if she was an alien. "Is that you?"

"Yes Mistress." Death answered back to her.

She eyes him from up to down and couldn't help but jab at him "Why are you dressed like a Halloween-costume-gone-wrong?"

He deadpanned at her, not that anyone could see coz of that hideous mask on his face. But she now can differentiate between his different expressions, having tolerated him for five years now.

Wait… why was Death here?

She eyed the Death spirit hovering behind the young blonde, and then her eyes fell on the blue distorted thing in Death's clutches. It was a soul. Minato's soul to be specific. She didn't know much about rituals that are done to summon Death, but she did know that most of such rituals are forbidden and that's because such rituals requires someone's soul as a sacrifice. That'd mean that Minato had summoned Death to do something in exchange for his soul- and considering their situation now it's more likely that Minato has summoned Death to seal the nine tailed fox.

But why would any sane man do that? Exchanging your soul to Death for something, that's a fool's deal! Not only is the ritual forbidden –which means that you have broken many laws of nature, which is never a good thing by the way- but to willingly give up your life for getting something done –granted, that anyone wouldn't summon the Death God unless it's a very crucial, but still, losing your life for the greater good is not worth it. You just hurt your loved once, she'd know, after all, she'd be there and done that.

She couldn't understand how a man like Minato could be so cruel as to seal a beast inside his son, and putting his life on line. It doesn't look like Kushina –the real one, who is supposed to be this man's wife and this child's mother- would be alive to be with Naruto during his life, and now here was this child's father who wanted to give up his life to the Death Spirit in exchange of sealing the nine tailed beast, leaving the child an orphan. Did this man even know how much suffering and hardship he's going to put his son into? Does he have any idea how his decision on sealing the demon inside Naruto would affect his future life? Was he so naive to believe that everything will be rainbows and unicorns after this shit dies down?!

How can someone be so naïve?

On one hand there were her parents who gave up their lives to protect her from a Maniac Murderer who was hell bent on killing her, and here was this foolish man who was ready to give up his life to seal the demon inside his son and doom him to an eternity of pain and loneliness. It'd be like a repeat of the Life of Lillian Potter, but the only change would be that it'd be his own parents who would doom him to such a harsh life, instead of them sacrificing themselves to protect her from the creature.

She'd be damned if she let another person ruin a child's life and let him face things like she had in her miserable life, and die for the very people who scorned him. What the heck did everyone think? That they can scorn us all they want and then still expect us to help them out and sacrifice ourselves for them? Why Us? Why is it always people like her and Naruto to sacrifice everything they have –even their lives- to protect a bunch of idiots who never did anything except hated them their whole lives? Why should they martyr themselves for the sake of the world? Why do they have to sacrifice everything for others? Why can't they have parents, family, friends –people who support them, and not scorn them? Is it really too much to ask? Is it?

If it is, then yes, she is a selfish person down to the core, and she's not gonna let another child be orphaned for the sake of the greater good. She was done with this Greater Good Bullshit.

"And tell me," She said as she clenched her fist, trying to make him see her point and stop him before he does something ridiculously stupid –oh, I don't know, like sealing a demon inside his son in exchange for his soul?- and leave his son orphaned. Yes, she was seething, and it really took all of her restrain to not give into her temper and punch this bastard senseless. "Why sell your soul to the Death God? There's no need for you to die. I'd rather you stay with him and watch over him. I just-" She paused and took a deep breath and continued "I just don't understand why it has to be this way?! Why does Naruto have to be sacrificed for the balance of power among tailed beasts, for his nation, for his village? Why do you have to sacrifice yourself at all just for me?!" She looked at him with pleading eyes and choked up with a sob, with blood dripping down her mouth "Please!"

"To forsake one's nation and one's village is exactly the same as forsaking one's own child." Minato's sharp words cut through her heart, making her feel cold inside. It was like hearing Dumbledore's speeches about greater good, that made a bitter feeling coil down her chest. She had always respected the old Headmaster, but there were times she really hated his willingness to sacrifice everything for greater good. And now, Minato's words once again reminded her of him. Naruto's father was very patriotic, so much that he was willing to sacrifice his son's childhood for the village. Really Naruto, She thought as she glanced wryly at the baby bundled in blankets, Your father is such a bastard. I hope you give him a good punch one day to knock him to senses. Minato, oblivious to her inner ramblings, continued "Your very own homeland was destroyed, so you should know that. A harsh life awaits those without a land to call their home. Besides our family is shinobi."

She zoned in as soon as she heard him say his last statement and was now freaking out inside. Wait what? Shinobi? As in Ninjas? As in black clothes, and assassins at night kinds Ninjas? Seriously?

Minato's voice turned low, and held a soft tone that drew her in. "Finally, even if I were to live, I could never be a substitute for you, his mother."

Her eyes widened, and her breathing hitched. He looked at her with so much passion and love and pain and sadness that it hurtshurtshurtshurts goddammit it hurts! She stared with wide eyes as Minato crouched down and looked at her in the eyes and said "You won't have much time with him, but there's something only you can tell Naruto, something that I just can't. That's a Mother's will. I'm not doing this just for you. I'm doing this for Naruto."

He crouched down next to Naruto and took him in his arms and said "I'd die for my son. It's my duty, as his father."

Hiruzen Sarutobi, tried to help Minato and Kushina out, but the stupid barrier that Kushina had set up with her Uzumaki chains were preventing him from entering the clearing. He had seen Minato using the hand signs for Death Reaper Seal, and was afraid that if Minato uses that seal on the nine tails, he would surely die. And he didn't want him to die so soon. He was so young, and had a whole life in front of him. What is he thinking?

Hiruzen smacked the barrier with the staff in his hand, which was actually the Monkey King Enma transforming as a staff, but the barrier won't budge.

Two Ninjas finally caught up to him and asked "Lord third, what's wrong?"

He punched the barrier again, but it's of no use. He clenched his fist and gritted out "It's no good. We can't get in any closer. This barrier is preventing the nine tails from escaping. Seems like the two of them are planning to take care of the nine tails all by themselves!"

He knew it was impossible, but still, he really wanted Minato and Kushina to stay alive. Please, He prayed to the almighty beings as he glanced up at the sky and thought Please spare their lives.

Tears streamed down her eyes and uncontrollable sobs shook her body. It was all too much –the pain, the conviction, the love….. It was all so similar to the Halloween night when she lost her parents, yet so different. Sure, the circumstances, and the people were different, but some things were still the same. It will be the love this child's parents' has for him that is going to keep him alive this night. The power love holds over everything was so astounding that made her speechless. His words reminded her of so much her own mother Lily Potter, who gave up her life for her, and protected her even in Death. Is that how her mother had felt before she sacrificed herself for her daughter's sake? Is this how much a parent loves it's child?

She shut her eyes and screamed in agony. It was too much, just too much for her. She felt like an intruder. She wasn't supposed to be here. She was supposed to be in her afterlife, joking her with her Godfather Sirius and Remus, and swapping stories with her parents, and meeting her dead friends and teachers, not becoming a part of something where she didn't even belong! She never wanted to be a part of all this shit, and now look, here she was in place where the real Kushina should've been, fighting tooth and nail for a child's happiness, when in actuality she is the one who took away his true happiness- his mother.

Life is such a bitch.

She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth. She never wanted to be here! Why was her soul transferred into this body, when she was clearly supposed to be dead? It wasn't her fault, to be honest. She didn't want to live anymore, so why was she given a second chance when the one who clearly deserved it was possibly dead by now.

And none of this is her fault.

She opened her eyes, and narrowed it at the Death God hovering behind Minato "You Bastard!" she hissed in English, which felt weird on her tongue, but was sososo familiar and came out in accent. "What did you do to me?!" She asked in cold fury.

Minato was startled by the sudden ferocity at which she glared at something behind him –which he had no doubt must be the Shinigami- and the fact that she was speaking in another language made his hackles rise in fear. He didn't know Kushina knew another language, and even if she did why didn't she tell him before? Somehow he had a feeling that something much deeper was going on in here, something that was beyond his mortal understanding.

"You were dying," The Death god replied, surprisingly in English, "I had no choice but to swap your soul with someone else's, though transferring your soul into Kushina Uzumaki's body had been an accident. I had prepared a better body for you, butthings happened, and here you are now."

"Why?" She hissed at him angrily. "Why go so far to let my soul stay in the mortal realm?"

"You are my Master." He answered simply, "You aren't supposed to die so soon."

"You had no right!" she snarled furiously, "Do you know what you have done? You have snatched away a woman's chance to exchange last words with her husband and her son. How can you be so cruel?"

"What's done is done. I do not repent my actions." The Death God said coldly.

She clenched her fists and tried to stop herself from lashing out on the oblivious Death God. "But I do. As your Mistress, I have to make up for your mistakes."

Death immediately understood what she was implying. "You can't." He said sharply. "You can't change the Fate that awaits this child. I already had too much trouble to bargain your life with the Fate –even if you ended up in wrong body, though Fate will skin me alive for this mistake. But if you try anything else, you'll possibly change the future and jeopardize everything, which shouldn't happen for the sake of the balance between every Universe."

"I can and I will." She said with a determined look in her eyes. "Besides, it is your job to keep the balances between the Worlds, it's not my fault you're doing a very poor job of it." She said in a mocking tone.

"Don't." The Death God hissed at her in anger. Finally, some expression other than that cold, emotionless mask of his!

"Too late, you should've wondered about it earlier before deciding on swapping my soul with Kushina's." She shot back at him as she glanced down at the baby sleeping in Minato's arms, and her expression softened. She ignored Minato's bewildered look as she kissed the baby's tiny forehead and whispered to him in Japanese "I promise Naruto, I won't let you suffer like I had, all my life. I know what it feels like to be scorned by everyone, and to have the weight of the World on your shoulders." Tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered the horrible events of her revious life. "I know how much it hurts when you have no one to look after you- no parents, no family, no friends, and when everyone seems to hate your guts." She smiled weakly and said "Your father is naïve, Naruto, but he is a good father and loves you deeply. And your m-mother," she took a deep breath, knowing that it is all her fault that Naruto lost his mother because of her "I hope," she paused and then shook her head, "No, I know your mother loved you more than anything else in this world. She will protect you from everything even after her death."

Minato's eyes widened and he asked "Kushina, why are you-"

He was interrupted by her as she continued on with tears rolling down her cheeks "I hope you don't lose both of your parents tonight, and end up with a bunch of relatives who do nothing but bully you around. I hope you get to know the truth about your parent's death for the first eleven years of your life. I hope you get to be told how wonderful your parents are, and how lucky you are to have them. I hope you stay safe from Mass murderer's whose only goal in their lives is to kill you," She then paused "oh and please stay safe from traitors like Rats and murderers like Snakes. Oh, and if you have a Godfather, then be grateful to have him in your life, and be careful to not lose him for your stupidity." She smiled a sad smile and continued on, "I hope you make friends, a lot of friends. Friends who'd be always there for you, friends that can be Brave like a Lion," Hermione. Ron. Neville. Ginny. George. Fred. "Loyal like a Badger," Cedric. Susan. Hannah. "Clever like an eagle," Luna. Cho. "or Cunning like a Snake." Draco. "Friends who'll stay with you through thick and thin, and won't leave you alone even if you're breaking into a bank or leading a war against a bunch of masked Minions of a certain dark lord." She chuckled weakly as she kissed the sleeping boy's cheeks, and lastly said "Naruto, never give up and always strive to protect your precious people. Never let them down, Naruto."

Minato didn't understand half of the things she said, it was like Kushina was speaking about some other life, and none of it made sense. But he could understand this much that her words had a deeper meaning that she let on. Why was an unsettling feeling of dread pooling in his stomach. Why were his bones getting cold to the core? Why does it feel like Goodbye?

"Kushina, why-? Wha-?" He shook his head and asked "What are you thinking?"

Kushina looked up, but didn't glance at his eyes. Instead she stared down behind him, straight into the eyes of the Death God.

"Release him." She said to the Death God as she gestured towards Minato.

The Death Spirit protested. "You know that I can't-"

Of course she knew that. Releasing Minato's soul would mean messing up with a Forbidden tritual, which always has it's consequences. She knew she'd have to suffer the consequences of messing up with a Forbidden Ritual, but she can't help it. If she had to make things right, she'd have to face the consequences herself, even if it means rotting in hell for all eternity for her actions.

"I. said. Release. him!" She snarled at the Death God, who pursued his lips, but did as he was told. He pulled out the dagger from his mouth released Minato's soul from his hold. Minato felt that the coldness and the empty that he had felt in his soul was gone, and he glanced backwards to see that the Shinigami had released his soul, and was now levitating away from him.

"Give him to me." She muttered as she took Naruto from Minato's hold, startling the man as he glanced back to her, and gaped in horror as he realized that the Death God has now shifted behind her, hovering above her.

"No! Kushina, what did you do?!" Minato asked in a desperate tone as he watched the Shinigami hovering behind her.

"I did the right thing," she answered in his native tongue as she looked back at him. She sighed and said "Get away from here before it gets messier."

"No I can't possibly-" He argued with her, but she pinned him with a sharp look and said-

"I said Go away! You will only get in the way! And don't try to stop me! I know what I'm doing!" She snarled at him.

Minato felt his world shattering. Kushina had somehow appeased the death God to release his soul, in short giving him a chance to live, but he had a bad feeling about this. Kushina won't survive this, her body was already shutting down which was quite visible from her labored breathing and the extensive wounds on her body, not to forget the fact that she had been in labor about only hours ago. Not only would Kushina die, but his son would also be made into jinchurriki, and he'd have to live a life without his mother. Minato can't possibly think about a life without Kushina. It was pure agony to him.

"Please Kushina," he begged her as he realized that he was helpless now, "Don't do this. Please! Let me die instead!" he choked out, with tears rolling down his cheeks.

She shook her head and said "Oh Minato, I have to do this." She knew the nine tails was quite a huge monster, and even for a Runes Master and a Mistress of Death like her, it'd be difficult for her to seal all of the nine tails inside Naruto. She can't seal the other half inside herself, because she is the Mistress of Death, and even if this wasn't her body, her soul still remained in this body, and hence she can't risk the fragile threads of magic and jeopardize the Nature and various Universes by sealing the nine tailed beast inside her. The only option left is Minato, which she didn't want to consider, but it's not life she had any choice. Besides, wasn't he too willing to seal half of the nine tails inside him in exchange to his soul just a minute ago?

She grimaced and explained to him, "I am going to seal half of nine tails inside of you, and the other half inside Naruto."

"No, you don't have enough Chakra!" Minato argued, "You will die during the process." He wiped his tear filled eyes and pleaded "Please, let me do it. Let me seal him."

She was fed up of his bitching. She had heard enough. Wasn't he a minute ago all too willing to die for sealing the nine tails, and hear, hear now he expects her to stop and let him carry on with that stupid plan of his. As if. Tch, Hypocrite.

"Stop whining! You are a man! Start acting like one!" She snapped at him. She then took a deep breath to calm down, and then said in a sad tone. "Besides, I don't mind you know. I was already living on borrowed time."

She chuckled weakly as she turned away from him, and stared straight into the eyes of the nine tails, with a baby in her arms, a a Death god hovering behind her.

"Death," She ordered him, "Seal half of the nine tails inside Minato. Use the three runic barrier seal. I will seal the other half inside Naruto."

"Yes Mistress." The Death Spirit bowed down it's head, and set onto work.

As soon as Kurama's eyes met with her, he knew it wasn't his previous jailer Kushina Uzumaki. The green in those Violet eyes was unmistakable. It was something more powerful than him, a being much more powerful than even the Shinigami. It was the Shinigami's Master. This was something he had only heard in Legends, and hence he had never believed them. But it was true. Shinigami had a Master. And she looked pissed.

Oh boy.

He watched carefully as the Shinigami hovered towards the Fourth Hokage- Minato Namikaze- and stretched it's hand holding the dagger pulled out half of his chakra and sealed it inside the Fourth Hokage, who stumbled a bit at the sudden bit of forceful sealing. The man trembled as the Shinigami's cool fingers ghosted over his now exposed stomach –the cloth around his stomach got ripped off as soon as the Shinigami forced the half of nine tails inside him- and Kurama watched, stunned, as the Shinigami marked a sign over his stomach. On the outermost was a triangle bisected into two by a straight line. Inside the triangle was a circle, just barely touching it on the three sides. He shivered as he remembered it from the Legends. It was the Shinigami's mark –also known as the mark of the 'Deathly hallows.'

My body is going numb. Minato realized as his body trembled when the seal was completed. I can't believe how heavy the nine tail's chakra is! He gasped and tried his best to stay awake as he knelt down on the ground, and stared up at Kushina, who bit her thumb and now was writing something over Naruto's body with her blood. It looked like a seal, but he couldn't make out the language in which she was writing the seal. It wasn't the Uzumaki fuinjutsu he was familiar with. In fact, it looked a whole lot different than Uzumaki sealing Arts.

'She's planning to seal me up again.' Kurama realized as he watched her tap her fingers onto the ground, and an altar rose up from the ground. She placed the baby on it.

He watched, mesmerized as she drew Ancient Blood Runes –the Art of Sealing that was now fairly lost in the Elemental Countries- over the baby's body, and he came to the conclusion that the Shinigami's Mistress was planning on sealing him inside the baby. 'In that baby!' He thought with a scowl. He did not want to spend another few years in a jail, after only escaping for some hours. He had so much to do –like destroying various villages, and stamping on these pathetic humans, and the list goes on and on- he did not want to spend more of his years in a jail sealed away in a human.

Maybe if he kills the baby, then he can escape the hell out of here before the Shinigami's Mistress captures him or something?

With that thought in mind, Kurama –the nine tailed fox- snarled and attacked the baby. "there you are!"

Minato watched in horror as the moment Kushina coughed up blood and stepped backwards from Naruto a bit as her body trembled, the nine tailed fox attacked the baby Naruto. "No!" He screamed as he tried to rush as fast as he could towards his son, but the sealing was too heavy for him, and his body did not cooperate with him. He could only watch in horror as the claw came nearer to Naruto.

And nearer.

And nearer.

"Protego!"

A silver shield shimmered around Naruto, halting the advances of the nine tailed beast.

The beast roared out in anger and frustration as he watched the Shinigami's Mistress standing fiercely in front of the baby, her hands held out and the silvery shimmering shield wisping out from her hands. The backlash from using magic immediately appeared as she felt the flesh over her right arm burn. She whimpered as she glanced down and saw her whole arm covered with three degree burns. She wanted to stop, but she couldn't stop now. If she did, then all this hard work would be for nothing. So, ignoring the pain, she stumbled a bit, but kept the shield up as she stepped towards Naruto. She vanished the shield for a moment. Before Kurama could try again to attack the baby, he was hit by a red light, followed by the cry of "Stupify!" as his body went numb and he was stunned by the spell.

She heaved as she crawled back towards Naruto. Kushina's body was shutting down, hence she didn't have much time to seal the beast. She knew that she was placing a huge responsibility on Naruto's shoulders, but it's not like she had any choice. She was doing her best to not let him suffer as much as she had since her childhood, and she knew she wasn't doing a very good job at it. But, at least Naruto will have his father by his side when he will face his hardships, and won't have to endure abuse of his relatives like she had in her past.

But still, she felt guilty that she was sealing a monster inside a newborn baby who didn't get any choice. He was forever going to suffer for her actions, and she wished things could've been different.

"I'm sorry Naruto." She apologized to the boy for burdening him with such a huge responsibility at a young age. "I hope you have it in your heart to forgive me." She said, and then with a shaky breath, she tapped her hand over the baby's stomach, making him wake up from his sleep and wail out loudly. She said-

"Ancient Runic Art- Death Binding Rune!"

The blood Runes covering the child's body retracted and formed the mark of deathly hallows, as various golden chains darted out from the Runes, and tied themselves tightly around the nine tailed fox and tugged him towards the baby. She stumbled as the Runes licked up her magic greedily, making her feeling dizzy. The nine tailed fox snarled, hissed, roared, and struggled against the chains, but the chains were too powerful for him, and soon, he was sealed inside the baby.

In the end, Minato found his son wailing on the altar, and his wife lying on the ground next to him, and wasn't breathing, with no signs of the nine tailed fox anywhere. The Uzumaki chains disappeared, and the barrier dissipated, and soon the Third Hokage –Hiruzen Sarutobi- rushed forward with a bunch of Ninjas.

Minato staggered towards his family, one of which wasn't breathing and the other was screaming out his lungs. He took in the mark on his son's stomach, which was a triangle cut into two by a straight line, and a circle in the middle. He dropped down next to his wife, Kushina, who wasn't breathing.

"Kushina?" he whispered, fearing the worst. And he wasn't wrong. Kushina did not respond to him.

He placed his hand over the upper left side of her chest where her heart usually beat in a melodic rhythm, only to find that it was slowing down.

"I said I was his father," He said with a sob, with tears streaming down his eyes, "Protecting him was my duty."

She tried her best to open her heavyheavyGoddammitit'ssoheavy eyelids and glanced up at the blurry figure of Minato Namikaze. Yes, she was dying –again- and the pain coursing through her veins made her want to scream at the top of her lungs. Ugh, she really shouldn't have used magic, coz it seems like chakra and magic don't really mix together that well. But there was peace settling in her heart, knowing that she saved a child. A child who was the son of the woman in whose body her soul resides now. She never got the chance to marry in her life and have kids due to her illness, but it felt so warm and fuzzy to be held by a man who loved her –even though it wasn't her he was in love with, he loved the woman whose soul was swapped with hers- and having a child whom she loved with all her heart –which she really does, even though she isn't exactly his mother.

Words tumbled down from her mouth, before she could even think what she was saying "Yes, but I am his mother," She said "It's mine too." Saying this, she let her eyelids droop down, and this time she was sure that she'd get to meet her family in the afterlife, and maybe Kushina –the woman who gave birth to this beautiful baby.

Minato stared in horror as Kushina closed her eyes. "No, please don't!" He gasped out, but too late, she had already closed her eyes and had stopped breathing. Something shattered inside him, as a scream rang out in the clearing, too late he realized that it came from him, along with the wailing of his son.

"KUSHINA!"

Funny, how history repeats itself. Twenty three years ago, on the Halloween night of 1981, Lily Potter-nee-Evans died protecting her daughter, and her love for her child saved the baby from the Killing Curse. And now, on this Fateful night of October 10, another Mother gave up her life for the sake of her child.

It is true after all, isn't it?

A Mother's love knows no bounds.