'Where... am I…?'
The voice came out in a whisper, barely more than a murmur. The world around them was dim, a swirling mix of fiery red light and dark shadows dancing like smoke. The air was thick, reeking of iron and blood.
'Ugh... my stomach…'
A sharp pain stabbed through, and he—or rather, the person she was now—hunched over to look down. Her eyes widened in horror.
'WHAT!?'
A massive claw, radiating dark energy, had pierced her body from behind. Blood gushed out, staining the clothes crimson.
Suddenly, a flood of memories surged into her mind. Images, voices, pain, love, laughter—everything stormed in like a violent typhoon.
'My name... is Uzumaki Kushina…?'
Her body trembled. Not just from the wound, but from the horrifying realization that began to settle in. He, just a regular man from the modern world who had died from overworking… had reincarnated.
Not as some background character. Not as a protagonist. But as Kushina—the mother of Naruto.
Her eyes locked onto a young man with blond hair standing behind her. The man's hands were forming seals, focused on a complex fuinjutsu ritual. In front of her, a small baby cried loudly, golden hair glinting like sunlight.
'That… that's Naruto?'
'Wait. Wait a second! If this is the night of the Nine-Tails attack, and I'm Kushina… then I'm about to—'
Her breath hitched.
'DIE!? Again!?'
Her face turned pale. No—no! She had just died! Why here? Why the Naruto world, of all places—where death could come at any moment?
'This can't be real... I don't want to die again... I haven't even lived this life yet…'
Her thoughts spiraled.
The faces of Nawaki—killed by an explosive tag—and Obito—crushed by fate and manipulation—flashed through her mind. This world, no matter how cool it looked in the anime, was hell in reality.
But just as despair began to take hold, something strange happened.
Her body—the one that had been impaled—began to heal. Regenerating. Flesh and muscle mended, and the bleeding stopped.
'What… is this?'
'Kushina's body is regenerating... maybe because it's received my soul?'
He—no, Kushina's eyes widened.
'This… this might be my only chance!'
With the last of her strength, she lunged forward, pulling her body free from the Nine-Tails' claw.
"Minato!" she shouted, her voice hoarse but filled with determination. "Split the Nine-Tails' chakra! Half to Naruto… and half to me!"
Minato froze. His blue eyes stared at her in shock and disbelief.
"K-Kushina...? You… you're healed?"
She didn't answer immediately. Her gaze stayed firm, trying to appear calm even though her heart raced like a drum.
'God, my acting's terrible, but I hope it's convincing enough…' Kushina thought.
"Minato, I can still fight... I can't let Naruto bear this burden alone... Please, trust me…"
Minato still hesitated. His expression reflected the storm within him—his desire to protect his family clashing with his uncertainty about what was happening. There was something different about this Kushina... but—
There was no time.
"...Alright."
Minato's voice shook. His hands moved quickly, forming seals even as his body weakened.
"If there's even a sliver of hope that you'll live... I'll do anything."
The Nine-Tails' roar split the air, deafening and full of rage at being robbed of freedom.
Amid the chaos, Minato completed the ritual. Blinding light tore through the night. Kurama's chakra was divided into two: one sealed within Kushina's half-healed body—standing, panting, bloodied but alive. The other half was sealed into the crying baby, Naruto.
And then...
Minato smiled.
His final smile.
Peaceful.
Full of love.
"Protect him... Kushina."
And in that moment, the looming shadow of the Reaper appeared. Its cold hand grasped Minato's soul and pulled it into eternal darkness.
Kushina—now with a new soul in her old body—could only watch, her chest tight with sorrow.
"Minato…"
Her voice was soft, drowned by the fading echoes of a crumbling seal and the soft cries of the baby who would one day carry the weight of the world.
She had won.
She had survived.
And then, Kushina fainted.
————————————————————
Gentle light slipped through the window.
Morning sunlight bathed her pale face, and slowly, her eyelids twitched.
"Ugh…"
Her head ached. Her body was weak. But the strangest sensation was… the unfamiliar feeling flowing through this body.
Then a voice greeted her, cheerful and relieved:
"Good, you're awake?"
A young woman in a white medical uniform stood beside the bed. Her smile was sincere and warm, like the morning sun itself.
"Huh…?"
She quickly turned to the voice, her body stiffening.
"This… is a hospital?" she asked, breath still unsteady.
The nurse nodded gently.
"That's right. This is Konoha Hospital."
'WHAT!?'
Her pupils dilated. Everything around her froze. The world flipped upside down.
'Konoha? Konoha Hospital!? The one from… the Naruto anime!?'
Cold sweat trickled down her temple. Her heart pounded like a war drum. She struggled to sit up, gripping the white blanket tightly.
'No way… I'm really in Naruto's world…?'
Fuzzy memories came rushing back—Kurama's claw, the blood, the crying baby, Minato, the seal… and her body regenerating.
Her voice trembled. "W-Where is Naruto? Minato… what happened to Minato?"
The nurse paused. Her eyes dimmed, and her tone softened with regret.
"I'm sorry… Hokage-sama died during the battle that night."
"And… Naruto? Is he okay?" she whispered weakly.
"Is Naruto your child? I'll bring him here."
"Thank you…"
The words came out faintly. She already knew the outcome. But hearing it aloud still crushed her heart.