Disclaimer: I do now own Naruto or any characters in this fan fiction. I do not make money from this fan fiction.

Author's Note: So I had this idea while visiting my family and decided to give it a shot. Please give constructive reviews and no flames. I like lots of reviews, as any author does! I will tell you up front the pairing for Naruto, as in my other stories, is with Hinata. I hope you enjoy the first chapter!

Chapter 1: Welcome Home

Where am I?

What's going on?

Why do I feel so tired?

Who I am?

So tired…

Darkness again enveloped the mind, it had been happening more and more, the brief moments of awakening and sanity. But the moments were beginning to lasting longer each time.

Flashes would enter the mind, memories, a castle on fire, a village taking a small girl in, a blonde haired man with loving eyes, and pain. Pain was always the last memory before the darkness returned.

An unknown amount of time passed in the darkness. No feelings, no emotions, no memories, just darkness. And as her eyes opened she saw around her tubes leading to machines, there were only a few of them and the tubes seemed connected to her.

She breathed slowly as the memories came again. The room was dark, it looked as if it was rarely attended and the lights were dimmed. She tried to move her arms but they barely managed the motion before dropping back to rest beside her. She couldn't complete a thought, her mind was a torrent of unknown and confusion, a haze seemed to be covering her thoughts.

She lay there a few minutes, waiting for the darkness to again envelope her. Her eyes dimmed and then brightened with each breath, the darkness slowly receding but leaving her with no idea of who she was or where she was.

Slowly her hand moved to remove the tubes in her arm. It was slightly painful but she let out a sigh of relief as she felt the needles leave her body. She tried to rise but found herself too weak to do so. She merely managed to move her head to from side to side.

The room she was in was a small cell. Each side was concrete blocks with white paint over them. It was a small room with little more than enough space for her cot, the machines around her, and enough room for a single person to move around comfortably. The door to the room looked unlocked and the outside hallway was dark.

Trying again she managed to raise her head, her mind swimming in confusion at the movement after being in darkness for so long. Her arms were beginning to regain feeling and she ran her fingers down her legs, she could feel her legs and her fingers on the smooth skin. She let out a small sigh of contentment at the touch and the returning of feeling in her body.

Slowly she began to move herself again, each time managing to move a little more. Her body felt enormously heavy and stubbornly refused to move at her command. She had to slowly move each part of her body as feeling returned until she finally managed to move herself into a sitting position and surveyed herself. Her hair was long and hung in a dirty, tangled mess. Her body was covered only by a hospital gown but appeared uninjured. The haze in her mind was beginning to finally clear and her mind began with questions again.

Who am I?

Where am I?

What am I?

I must escape!

The final thought crossed her mind as she tried to stand from her cot only to find her legs had trouble supporting her. Her legs simply didn't have the strength to maintain her body and collapsed underneath her. She fell back to the cot, the cot was made of a single sheet of wood with a small pad for its only comfort and as she fell she felt her body strike the wood underneath. She tried again using her hands on the machines next to her to support her.

She took deep breaths as she tried to walk forward, pushing herself toward the door. One step, a second step, slowly her legs began to remember their function. Her legs trembled and burned in retaliation to their use after so long asleep. She made it to the door but was still struggling to remain standing. She stopped and began to take deep breaths, she had only gone but a few steps and already her legs were protesting that much use. Shaking her head she forced herself to calm down. She tried the doorknob and found it unlocked.

The hallway before her was silent and darkened with a light coat of dirt. The sides of the hallway were made of compacted dirt and the ceiling concrete giving mute testimony that there were more levels above her. The floor beneath her was made of the same concrete. It was hard and rough under her bare feet. She took a deep breath and placed a hand on the wall beside her for support, leaning heavily as she began to walk down the hallway. Occasionally she would pass doors but she ignored them lost in her thoughts.

She had no idea how long had passed but flashes came to her mind, memories surfacing after so long. She saw a place and people, they had red hair and green eyes, they were laughing and smiling. Then she saw a castle in the mountains on fire, people dead and dying, a hand holding hers leading her away from it. She stared in horror at the destruction around her and looked at the man holding her hand.

He smiled at her and squeezed, his brown eyes trying to give her comfort. It was in a flash that she saw the giant gates to a great village, it was gigantic, larger than anything she had ever seen before. She was told she'd be safe there and to be careful with her knowledge of who she was and where she came from. The man with the brown eyes handed her safety over to an older man, he had lines on his face but smiled gently at her, and he radiated strength and confidence and was obviously still in his prime.

The lights in the hallway began to brighten bringing her back to the here and now. Her eyes hurt slightly at the brightened lights but thankfully it wasn't much and her eyes slowly began to slowly adjust. There was still no sound but brighter lights meant this place was more used than the one she came from.

She slowed and took a moment to catch her breath. She hadn't realized how tired her body was from simply walking. After a few minutes to catch her breath she continued on, her eyes wandering over the different doors and paths she could take. But she continued down this corridor, it seemed to be the main one that the others connected too and her body simply wanted to continue in a straight line, it was easier.

Finally she came to crossroads, the corridor she followed branched off going right or left but no indication of which one was the exit. Without knowing it her hands felt the walls, as if on their own accord, and noticed one side was smoother than the other and her feet felt for the slight wear on the fool which indicated that one path was more traversed. And so she chose to go right and follow the instincts of her body.

As she followed the hallway her memories surfaced again, she saw herself in a classroom, she was writing something. She saw a young blonde boy near her who laughed with her and talked to her. Then an older version of the boy became superimposed and she saw the love in his eyes. The image seemed to recede and she saw they were standing on the balcony of a tower and a sense of safety surrounded her in the memory.

Again she was brought back to reality as her nose caught a new scent. She had no way to understand how much time had passed but her body was beginning to hunger, but when she caught a breath of air, it was different. Her nose was used to the cold, stale air around but this was difference. It was fresh air from above.

She looked for the source and saw a doorway she had passed and moved backward and sniffed again, and again she smelled fresh air coming from the door. She opened it to find a stairway leading up and down. The stairway had a few lights but it wasn't much more than the previous hallway and the stairs were made from the same concrete as the hallway. She stood in the hallway for a few minutes allowing herself time to rest before continuing on. Her brow was beaded with sweat and her body was cramping up from the short walk to the stairs.

Following her nose she began to take the stairs upward moving slow as her legs began to burn from the exertion. Her entire body was tired beyond anything she could understand. Her reactions felt sluggish as she forced herself to move up the stairs and her mind seemed to have a constant cloud over it. Her movements were more something made from reflex and reaction than conscious choice.

She followed the stairs as high as they would take her until it came to stop at a doorway. For the fourth time she stopped and breathed heavily, she was so tired and every muscle in her body was burning from the exertion of the climb. She pushed the door open to find herself in a small room with no exit. It was dark and she was confused.

Her nose told her that there was fresh air behind the wall but she couldn't find a way out. She began to unconsciously feel the wall. What her hands were searching for she wasn't sure but eventually her fingers found a spot that wasn't like the others, it was slightly softer, more pliable, it was different. She pressed the point and a small opening appeared in the wall.

She went through the opening and found herself in a supply closet filled with cleaners, brooms, and various other cleaning supplies. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise. She listened and heard voices in the hallway before her. She froze and instinct alone told her to move and through hardwired reflex she flattened herself against the wall next to the door so not as to be discovered.

As the voices passed she breathed slightly easier. She opened the door slightly and saw the light beaming through the crack was brighter than anything she was used too. Her eyes immediately felt pain as if someone had pierced them with a burning nail. She brought her hand up to protect her eyes and silently closed the door. It took her eyes a few minutes before they returned their normal sight to her.

She knew she couldn't remain, her instincts were screaming to keep moving, that staying in that closet would lead to capture. She took several deep breaths and opened the door. She kept her eyes almost entirely closed and a hand to protect them from the harsh light and instead used her free hand on the wall and the feeling over her bare feet to guide her to where her nose said was outside. The hallway she was walking on was brightly lit from ceiling lamps. The floor was tiled and the walls were white washed and cleaned. She began to move quickly following her noise to the scent of the outside.

She broke through a small reception area and she heard several people gasp in her direction. Her mind shut down, she had been discovered, and training and reflex so hard wired in her that it acted without her even telling it to on a conscious level took over. She flung herself to the side near the door and with the door to her back and quickly exited the building.

She heard the sound of more people coming and pressed the door handle opening the door and found herself outside. Her mind wanted nothing more than to stop and stare at the world around her and dozens of people stopped and stared at her. She must have looked like a mad woman with her hair matted and dirty the way it was and wearing nothing but a hospital gown to cover her body.

But then she saw the tower, the one from her memories. The one place that screamed safety in her mind. She was certain he would be there, the blonde man with the blue eyes who held such emotion for her. And again her training took over and her body was forced into a run as she bolted for the tower. She wasn't sure how she was able to run, her primal flight sense had taken over and pushed her body well beyond its limits on pure adrenaline.

She knew she was being followed, she felt it around her, she heard the voices, and she knew the shadows were moving. Her eyes were blinded by the light of the sun and hurt painfully, she simply couldn't see anything but her body knew this path, knew these roads. She moved faster with each step, her body flooded with emotion as memories of the blonde man returned to her. She ran off the power of raw emotion.

Candle lit dinners with him, holding his hand, the feeling of his lips, it all returned in a rush as she took step after step toward the tower. Her heart was racing, her eyes watered and tears escaped, her body was pushed beyond its ability in her weakened state but she felt the doors to the tower with her fingers and pushed her way in before continuing her flight.

Adrenaline pumped through her system as she ran through the corridors. She heard voices shouting to stop her as her mad rush she made it to a reception area. Her eyes were able to see fuzzy shapes and she could just make out the doors before her. Then hands were around her, they were pulling her back from the doors.

And she screamed with all the pain and remorse and terror in her body the one word that came to her as she struggled against the hands pulling her back from the doors, "MINATO!"

Suddenly everyone stopped, they were silent at the cry. They stared at the woman who had fallen to her knee's before them. She sobbed on her knees, tears streaming down her dirty face. They watched her as pan struck their own hearts at the sight and all they could hear saying as she began to crawl toward the door was "Minato" over and over between her sobs as she tried to reach out to the office of the Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

The doors opened as a frantic Hiruzen Sarutobi emerged. The old man wore the white Hokage robes outlined in red. His hat had been left inside next to his pipe on his desk. He had heard the woman scream the name of his predecessor, something he had never expected in the last ten years. In a rush had opened the door to find a crying young woman crawling toward his office. She looked up at him, her eyes barely able to make out his shape and the tears streaming down her dirt covered face. He stopped and gasped at her.

Her hair, it was clean, would be a deep red and long. Her eyes were emerald green and her skin pale from lack of light. She was half naked in her hospital gown and her hands were stretched in a pleading stance as she said Minato's name over and over through her sobs. Her face was thin and gaunt and her body looked as it had been extremely malnourished.

"Everyone, no one is to speak of this. Get this women into my office immediately, send for a team of medics from the hospital, the best we have. I want a futon in my office for this woman to lie down on as well and blankets and tea! I want a contingent of ANBU around my office with the highest security immediately!" The third hokage ordered.

Everyone simply stared at the sobbing and hysterical woman before them before he released an immense amount of killing intent at them, "I SAID NOW! GET MOVING!"

As everyone immediately vacated the area Hiruzen leaned down and picked the woman up and carried her into his office in his own arms. She was still crying hysterically as more and more memories began to surface. A futon was brought into his office immediately along with several blankets and a pot of tea and some brushes and extra clothing. He thanked them for thinking ahead as he laid the woman down on and covered her in the blankets.

She had felt as light as paper to the old man, he couldn't believe she weighed so little. Her lips were dry and cracked and her eyes were slowly regaining a sense of where she was. He lifted a cup of tea to her and she drank sips from it. She had finally calmed down once she was brought into the office, it was somewhere she associated with safety and security. She had tried to lift a cup of tea herself but failed, her bolt to the tower had simply taken everything her body had left and it was shutting down on her, her muscles were giving out from exhaustion now and the hokage helped her lay back against the pillows gently.

She began felt safe here and she knew the old man would keep her safe in this place. She began to relax more and more as her body demanded rest of her. Her mind and body wrapped themselves in the safety of this place, she knew it was safe from anything. She also knew the man before her, he was older but she knew he was the same one who had welcomed her to the village in her memories.

The team of medics arrived within minutes and began to examine. They gave her a sedative which allowed her to promptly fall asleep on the futon. The team went to work and their hands glowed green as they checked her vitals and healed any possible damage from her run to the tower. They took blood samples and had them sent to the lab. It was late in the evening when they finished their examination and gave their reports.

"Her entire body is atrophied, like we see in long term coma patients. Her mind seems to be intact but we have found traces of drugs in her blood which we use to induce medical comas in patients who have been seriously injured and required time and rest to recover. We can't find anything wrong with her aside from horrible malnutrition and the muscle atrophy. We're already working to reconstruct her muscular development and we'll see about removing the remaining traces of the drug before morning. Even with our work on her muscular system she'll need several months of fitness training and good dieting to regain the bulk of her lost weight and muscle tissue. But we should be able to reconstruct it enough to where she won't have to stay in the hospital.

"The drug is probably messing with her mind and memories, for someone to be placed into a medically induced coma like this for so long to allow these symptoms to come about are just horrible! Lord Hokage, it would explain the way she acted when she got here, she probably had some memory of this tower being safe and came to it for protection."

"Thank you, continue your work. I will be remaining here with the woman until she wakes up. You and your team are not to mention this to anyone, understand?" Hiruzen told them.

With a nod and a bow the medic returned to his work as Hiruzen sat and watched. He wouldn't let them out of sight at all.

The Hokage lost himself to his thoughts as he watched the medics work on the woman before him, he was deeply concerned by what this meant.

Kushina Uzumaki, Minato's wife and lover, we thought she was dead these past ten years. She simply disappeared and hasn't been heard from since that day and now here she is. Whatever it means it is going to be a lot of paperwork, the Hokage thought to himself.

It was early morning when the woman awoke again. She found it easier to move and she was laying comfortably on the futon. She raised her head and looked around and saw the old man before her. Her memories were still groggy from the after affects of the drugs used to keep her in the coma but she knew to whom she was speaking.

"Lord Third Hokage, what are you doing here? I-I thought Minato would be here," her voice was merely a whisper as it escaped her lips.

"It's alright Kushina, I'll have some tea brought in immediately, just rest a moment. I want you to tell me everything you can remember and I'll fill in the gaps as best I can. And just call me Hiruzen for now alright?" The third hokage spoke gently to the woman before him, knowing she was still confused and probably didn't have all of her memories back yet.

The tea arrived, it was a special blend from the hokage's own garden and had a very good calming effect on people. He handed a cup to Kushina her took several sips and thanked the hokage.

"Now why don't we start from the beginning, tell me everything, your name, where you're from, and please start from the beginning. This room has been secured from intrusion and I have a contingent of ANBU outside guarding us. I also have a silencing jutsu placed around us so no one can hear our conversation. Your safe here Kushina, I promise." He smiled gently at her and she nodded.

Kushina nodded, "My name is Kushina Uzumaki Namikaze, well, most people know me as Kushina Uzumaki. I was born in the Whirlpool Country which was destroyed and absorbed into the land of fire. I came here when I was young, seven years old, brought by my body guard. I was the only survivor of the royal line but I chose to remain here and go to the academy and become a kunoichi of the leaf village."
The memories had come back with more clarity when she had awoken and she was now sitting on the futon with the blankets wrapped tightly around her as she held the cup of tea in her hands taking sips every so often.

"I fought for the village in the great shinobi war and earned the nickname the Crimson Death. I also met Minato Namikaze, the fourth hokage, while at the academy who helped me through the academy and was my best friend and later my husband. I remember our wedding, it was a quiet wedding with only a few friends, and… I-I remember…" her eyes suddenly shot open, her body froze as the final pieces fell into place and she dropped the cup of tea as she grabbed Hiruzen's robes and pulled her to her face.

"Naruto! My god, where is Naruto! Is he ok? What's happened to him! Where is Minato? He did it didn't he, he sealed the beast in our son and he's gone! That's why you're here and he isn't! Where is Naruto! I have to find him!" Kushina began to rise only to be held back by Hiruzan as he pulled her back to the futon and placed his arm around her in a hug. He was much stronger than she remembered, or she was much weaker.

It was then that Kushina realized how thin she felt as she had tried to rise and brought her hands to her face and saw how thin her arms and body were. She felt her hair and realized how dirty she was. But none of this mattered, the only thing on her mind was Naruto, she had to get to Naruto and make sure he was safe!

"A lot has happened Kushina, please calm down, take some deep breaths, I'll explain everything. Naruto is safe and well, I assure you. Please just give me a moment to collect my thoughts and I'll bring you up to speed," Hiruzen spoke in a claming voice as he held the woman in check by him. He knew she was still terribly weak from her ordeal and would need time to recover but he also knew they needed information on where she had been all these years.

Kushina took several deep breaths as the hokage handed her another cup of tea. He took a moment to allow her to breath and gather herself for what he had to say.

"Minato did seal the Kyubi no Yoko within Naruto that night he was born. That was ten years ago Kushina, we… we thought you were dead. And you're right, that's why Minato isn't here, but I assure you that Naruto is safe and healthy. He is ten years old and if I don't miss my guess he'll grow up to look almost exactly like Minato did. We'll go see him very soon, I know you don't like it but we need to figure a few things out before we leave here. Kushina, where have you been? We thought you were dead and now you suddenly appear, what happened?"

The momentum of the words struck Kushina Uzumaki as if a mountain had been dropped on her. Ten years of her life was gone! Ten years with her son! And Minato was gone as well! She felt the weight of those words press down on her as she struggled to remember that night so many years ago. It had been storming outside, they knew the Kyubi was approaching and Minato didn't have much time.

"I-I had just given birth and Minato was there, he smiled and we were so happy. Even though we knew what was coming we wanted to be a family if just for a moment. Then the ANBU arrived, they told him the Kyubi was nearby and he was needed. He smiled at me and kissed me cheek telling me that he was glad to know Naruto wouldn't grow up alone.

"Then a squad of ANBU arrived shortly after that and I was told they were moving me to a more secure location, something about protecting the roots of the village. I thought it was a term of endearment for their Hokage and his family but as soon as we were outside the hospital I was rendered unconscious. Then the next thing I knew I was in some kind of cell and strapped down to a table and they were taking blood samples and I heard these voices talking about the 'Kyubi containers mother' and wondering if I was a random choice or someone special for my blood. They didn't seem to know I was Minato's wife."

As she talked her memories returned sharper and she recalled the voice, and the face of the man who had imprisoned her.

"I remember! Yes! One of the voices as Danzo! That Son of a Bitch! He did this to me with his ROOT! I-I'LL KILL HIM FOR THIS!" Kushina screamed as her very essence burned with hatred for the man who had stolen ten years of her life, ten years away from her son, and she again tried to rise as her rage took over her as her memories returned from that night.

"No Kushina, I'll handle Danzo, he won't escape justice for this. I promise. From what the medic nin's could find they must have determined nothing special about you and simply put you into a medically induced coma. Also if you were out of the way he would have a much easier chance of taking Naruto as his own and turning the boy into a weapon. If I would guess Danzo probably thought he might be able to use you later as a bargaining chip against Naruto if he ever became like his father but didn't want to leave you alive or awake knowing your reputation," Hiruzen said to calm the raging woman.

"Right now, the most important thing is to get you healthy and return you to your son. I know it's going to be hard for you but I think you need to understand what he's gone through for the past ten years. I know Minato hoped he would treated as a hero…" but as the hokage was about to begin his story Kushina interrupted.

"Minato always put too much faith in the village, I knew our son would be treated badly but I thought I would be there to be with him and hold him and comfort him. I figured if I was there he would be safe from harm and the village would accept him a normal boy a lot easier, I take it that didn't happen?" her voice was filled with rage at being denied her son for so long, missing so many times she could be with him, to push him on the swing, so many birthdays she had missed, and her eyes had tears streaming down them as she felt a wave of regret pass over her.

"I-I'm afraid not, most of the people couldn't tell the difference between the container and the monster contained within. I'm sorry Kushina, I wanted to do more for him, but I passed a law which made it illegal to discuss the kyubi no yoko or its confinement or to harm the boy under pain of death and I have carried out that sentence many times to protect him. Many stores refuse to sell to him, or they charge him higher prices, and the parents told their children to stay away from him. The way I understand it, he's had a very lonely life and I've done my best but there is only so much I can do, I'm sorry Kushina."

He saw Kushin's tears increase as she cried in silence. Her hands clenched into fists and he knew she was close to flying off again.

"But it hasn't been all bad, let me tell you about him before you pass too much judgment. Several clans tried to adopt him when he was found to be an orphan including the Nara's, the branch clan of the Hyuga, Akimichi's, Inuzuka's, they all wanted to keep him safe and honor his father's will. They're children have kind of become friends with Naruto. And you'll know him immediately, he has such faith in humanity Kushina, he's such a caring person, even after everything he wants to become Hokage to protect this village and earn their respect. Reminds me of you when he talks about earning others respects."

"He sounds like my little Naruto, I won't him be alone a moment longer Hiruzen, I want to see him immediately," Kushina said as she rose and felt the blankets begin to slip off her shoulders to reveal her half naked state in the hospital gown. The third hokage had averted his eyes as she blushed and gathered the blankets around her again.

"Um, maybe you should shower and get a change of clothes first and a meal. The medic's said you were in safe condition but malnourished so we need to get you fed," Hiruzen told her as she continued to blush in front of the old man.

She was handed a robe and led to the hokage towers private bathing area for VIP's. Kushina knew exactly what the bathroom was like since she and Minato had come there several times together. She blushed as she thought of Minato's toned body against hers as the hot water rained down on them. She remembered his strong arms holding her to him and her breasts pressed against his firm chest. She sighed at the memories brought back in the room and then depression hit her as she remembered that was more than ten years ago and that she would never hold her love again. But her heart held up by the thought of finally seeing her little Naruto again and she knew nothing would stop her from that moment but she also didn't want to look like a mad woman when he saw her for the first time.

She turned the hot water on and began to scrub her body clean of the dirt and grime which had accumulated over the years. Her hair was the worst part and she was forced to spend nearly an hour untangling it and straightening it out. After scrubbing her skin raw and removing the smells of dirt and decay which had followed her she exited the shower to find a fresh robe and several sets of clothing laid out for her.

She decided on a pair of black pants and a dark green shirt with a black jacket with red swirls on the shoulders. She had thought about a dress as being more appropriate but none had been provided. She quickly dressed and dried her hair, allowing it to hang freely before returning to the Hokage's office.

"You look much better Kushina, are you feeling alright? I had some lunch brought for you, my private chef whipped up your old favorite, Miso Ramen," Hiruzen told her but she shook her head.

"No Hiruzen, I will not eat until I find my Naruto. My first meal will be with him, I want to see him now, it's been longer than I wanted to wait anyway and I won't wait a moment longer. I agreed with you on getting changed and showered before going but now that that's done I will see my son."

The fire in Kushina's eyes was so bright it nearly caused Hiruzen to fall back from his chair. He knew that there was no way this was an imposter, only Kushina Uzumaki would have such a spark inside her. He smiled as it reminded him of Naruto.

"Alright Alright, let's see, by the time we get to the academy he should be getting out of class for lunch anyway. So let's go reunite you with your son Kushina."

With a sharp nod the third hokage left the hokage tower in the presence of the red headed woman who had come bursting in the day before crying for Minato Namikaze. As they walked down the hallway many people stopped and stared at Kushina. Her flight the day before had caused many to wonder at who she was and now that she was cleaned up, even as thin as she was, every recognized the beauty of the woman before them.

As they exited the tower Kushina stared at the changes to the village, things were the same but different. Shops which had been new when she had last visited them showed signs of age and either fortune or hard times.

She felt oddly out of place as she walked with the hokage. For her mere days had passed since walking through this market with Minato. And now things were different and yet the same. She couldn't help feel the loss in her heart as she knew that never again would Minato's smiling face be seen to meet her for ramen or walk with her arm in arm. She looked at the people around her, many not recognizing her as the woman who had fled to the tower the day before as she was lost in thought.

The realization was slowly taking hold of her again and its enormity was overwhelming, Minato was gone and she had missed out on ten years of her son's life. It was gone in the blink of an eye and before she knew it she and hokage had stopped outside the academy and were watching as the children came outside to play. They all looked so happy and glad to be out of class and she immediately picked out the different clan's from the group but she couldn't find her own Naruto's blonde head.

"I don't see him Hiruzen, where is he?" she asked as her entire being was caught in that moment.

The old hokage chuckled, "Watch the black haired girl there and you'll find him."

Kushina looked everywhere for her son but she couldn't find him. She did however see a small black and blue haired girl with pale lavender eyes moving away from the crowd and toward a group of trees. She followed the girl her eyes and found that she was watching something. Curious she followed the girls gaze to a small blonde haired child.

He was sitting alone making a cup of instant ramen far from the other children. He smiled brightly as the ramen finished being made and her heart nearly stopped in her chest. She had seen that smile every day on Minato's face and in her dreams. He was the spitting image of Minato when he was that age and tears began to run down her face.

She took a step forward toward the child before turning the next step into a sprint to the boy. She came to a stop a few feet from him and looked him in wonder. Her green eyes had tears running down them and she could only stare at the blonde haired Naruto before him.

Naruto looked at the red haired woman before him with a bright smile and waved at her, "Um, Hi! I'm Naruto, who are you? Would you like some Ramen?"

She stared speechless at the boy and dropped to a single knee, "I-I, N-Naruto, y-you, your beautiful!"

"Um, thanks I think? Are you ok? You're crying?" he asked with concern in his voice.

Naruto was thoroughly confused by the woman before him and wasn't sure what to make of her.

"Naruto, my little Naruto, you… you look just like him, like your father, I-I'm, my name is Kushina Naruto, Kushina Uzumaki. I-I'm y-your mother my little Naruto."

Kushina's entire heart stopped at that moment as she watched her son's reaction, her entire being had been so afraid of this moment when the hokage had told her she had been gone for so long. She was so afraid he would reject her, so terrified that he would hate her for not being there for him for so many years. He dropped his ramen cup as he looked at her.

A single stuttering word escaped his lips, "M-m-mommy?"

She nodded to him as she was too scared to do anything else and smiled softly at him and began to try and apologize for not being there for him, "I'm so so-"

She started but was forced to stop a blonde bundle suddenly attached himself to her in a fierce hug. He was crying onto her shoulder as she held him there, holding him close to her and refusing to let go. She held her son close to her, refusing to let him go for anything in the world.

"Mommy! I knew you'd come back for me, I knew it!" he said as he cried on her shoulder as the dream he had held for so many years finally came true.

The Third Hokage smiled, it was one of the few times in his entire life he felt like he had managed to do something truly and entirely good. And as he watched on her noticed the small black and blue haired girl had a smile on her face and tears coming down her face.

Welcome Back Kushina, I get the feeling you and Naruto are going to cause a lot of trouble in the future aren't you heh, the hokage thought to himself.

Kushina and Naruto held each other for a long time before they finally broke the embrace and Kushina, holding Naruto in her arms walked back to the Hokage.

"Hey Old Man! I-I have a mom!" Naruto said with excitement the old Hokage.

The hokage chuckled at the boy, "I see that, I'm glad she was able to come back to you Naruto, now why don't the three of us go and get some lunch together, it'll be your mother's first meal in a long time."