The next day.
Kushina stood beside the baby's crib, her eyes unmoving as she gazed at the peaceful face of the sleeping child. Her heartbeat was steady and calm. Slowly, almost like a breeze, she reached out and gently touched the golden strands of hair on the baby's head. Her fingers trembled slightly.
"…Naruto," she whispered.
The baby's hair felt like freshly spun silk. Kushina traced the strands with her finger, then gently poked his chubby cheek—it was so soft, like fresh mochi from a sweet shop.
'He's just like in the story… but so much more real,' she thought, filled with a blend of awe and emotion.
In her mind, flashes of the original timeline flickered. Little Naruto—stubborn but sincere… growing up on instant ramen, expired milk, and the bitter laughter of loneliness. Yet still standing strong.
'Strong… just like an Uzumaki should be. But this time, I won't let him be alone.'
Kushina lowered her head and gently pinched Naruto's tiny hand. The baby's fingers curled slightly, then gripped hers—like he understood, like he was saying: "I'm here, Mama."
Her eyes widened, then sparkled like a spring sky.
"Kakashi… Kakashi! He—he's holding my finger!" she exclaimed, almost shouting, but still careful not to wake the baby.
Beside her, Kakashi stood casually leaning against the wall, dressed in his full ANBU uniform. Though his face was hidden behind a mask, his eye narrowed slightly, revealing a rare smile from him.
"He recognizes his mother. That's a good sign," he replied calmly.
Kushina chuckled softly, then sat at the edge of the bed, resting her chin in her hands, staring at the tiny baby face without looking away for a second. Time seemed to stop. Seconds passed, but she was still transfixed.
"He's like... a tiny beam of light from another world," she murmured.
Kakashi turned slightly, watching Kushina with an unreadable gaze. The woman appeared calm, but there was a small storm in her eyes—between wonder, hope, and unresolved trauma.
"What will you do now?" Kakashi finally asked, his voice flat but meaningful.
Kushina sighed, then looked toward the window where soft morning light streamed in. The wind gently stirred the curtain, as if greeting them.
"I haven't decided. Should I return as an active shinobi? Or just… be a good mother?" she said quietly.
After all, Kushina was a Tokubetsu Jōnin.
(Note: there's no official statement from the Naruto manga that explicitly states Kushina is a Jōnin, so for the sake of the plot, let's settle for this middle ground.)
With her experience living in the modern world, it wouldn't be hard for Kushina to make money… but aside from nobles and shinobi, civilians in this world didn't have much voice.
'Maybe what Naruto needs is a mother, not a ninja,' she thought silently.
Then she added in her heart,
'But that doesn't mean I'll let myself rust away.'
After making sure Naruto was truly asleep, Kushina stood, tied her red hair with a ribbon, then turned to Kakashi with a small smile.
"Kakashi, come with me to the training grounds. I need… to stretch these muscles."
Kakashi blinked. "Training ground?" He sounded doubtful. "You just gave birth."
"I'm an Uzumaki," Kushina replied proudly, puffing her chest out. "This body's recovered enough for light exercise. And you know I hate sitting still."
Kakashi sighed softly. "Alright. But only warm-up. Nothing more."
They arrived at a quiet training ground not far from Kushina's home. A wide clearing with a few wooden posts and training dummies still wet with morning dew.
Kushina took a deep breath and started stretching. She stepped firmly, rotated her wrists, then bounced lightly on her toes.
Her movements were still a bit clumsy, but every tug of muscle and breath made her feel more in sync with this body.
Kakashi stood a few meters away, taking a relaxed stance. "Ready?"
"Come at me, Kakashi Hatake," Kushina said with a challenging grin. "Consider this a light spar to keep your skills sharp."
They began exchanging blows—just basic taijutsu, no chakra, no killing intent. But each move carried precision and experience. Though her body had just gotten back into action, Kushina quickly adapted to and synced with its fighting style.
'This body holds memory. I just need to wake it up again.'
"Not bad, Sensei's wife," said Kakashi as he stepped back after blocking her punch.
Kushina smirked. "And you're still holding back. I can feel it."
Kakashi chuckled softly, but didn't deny it.
After several minutes, they stopped. Kushina's breathing had steadied, her face was sweaty but bright.
"Thanks, Kakashi," she said sincerely.
"For what?"
"For keeping me company," she replied. "I think… I can live this life again. Even if everything's changed."
Kakashi looked at her for a moment, then nodded quietly.
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Night fell gently over Konoha.
Kushina sat on the tatami, her back against the wooden pillar in her room, her body wrapped in nothing but a loose, cream-colored yukata. Her long red hair spilled freely over her shoulders—some strands sticking to her damp neck, wet with sweat.
Naruto had fallen fast asleep in the room next door. The night air was chilly, but her body... felt hot. Too hot.
Her fingers slowly brushed the side of her neck, then traced down to her collarbone. Her breathing was soft, drawn out—as if trying to exhale something that had haunted her since the afternoon.
It came without warning—Minato's face.That gentle smile. The one she once held in her final moments.But what stirred within her now wasn't just longing.
No. It was something more primal.
This body—her body—had been aching. A constant, quiet throb deep inside her ever since that day.Ever since she came back to life.
But she wasn't the same Kushina.
She was a man from another world. Trapped inside the body of a grown woman—healthy, sensual... and now, undeniably lonely.
"I…" she whispered.
Her fingers moved to the sash around her waist. A soft tug, and the obi came undone, letting the yukata fall open, revealing a glimpse of her chest and smooth, pale skin beneath.
She turned to glance at her reflection in the small mirror across the room.
A beautiful face.Flushed cheeks.Trembling lips.
"So this is what it feels like... to be a woman," she murmured, voice shaking.
Her fingers moved lower, hesitantly cupping her breast.Warm.Soft.It pulsed lightly in her palm. A soft touch over the peak sent a jolt through her.
Her breath caught.
That first moan—small, involuntary—escaped her lips.
Her hand moved with increasing certainty, stroking, kneading in gentle rhythm. It was unfamiliar, yet intoxicating. At the same time, her thighs began to shift, rubbing together as warmth pooled in her lower belly—heat traveling downward into places she had never dared to explore until now.
'Is this really... me?''Why does it feel so good… and yet so strange?'
With a slow motion, she lay down onto the futon.
Her yukata slipped completely off her shoulders, baring a body sculpted by ninja training, yet still undeniably feminine. Her hips quivered, her eyes half-lidded as her left hand caressed her stomach, slowly sliding downward… until it reached the most intimate part of her.
The first touch there made her bite her lip.
Soft. Warm. And already... wet.
"Minato…" she whispered.
But it wasn't just Minato she saw.
Another figure emerged in her mind's eye—blurred at first, but soon unmistakable.
Kakashi.That distant, sharp-eyed gaze. His calm voice.The quiet strength in his arms when they sparred…His touch, if it ever came, would be—
'No. Don't think. Just feel.'
Her breathing quickened.Her pace grew faster.She arched her back, hips lifting to meet the pressure from her own fingers like a tide rising to meet the moon.
Her body writhed, toes curling on the tatami.One hand gripped her breast, the other moved in circles—sliding, pressing, teasing.
Soft wet sounds began to echo faintly in the quiet room.
She whispered his name again.Or maybe not his.Maybe she just whispered need.
"I… I'm almost—"
Her entire body tensed.
Back arched.Fingers clenched the sheets.Her head turned to the side, lips parted.
And then, release.
It struck like a sudden storm.
A breathy cry escaped her—no name, no word.Just sound. Raw and unfiltered.
She went still.
Her body trembled slightly, then slowly relaxed.Her chest rose and fell with heavy breaths.Her eyes drifted to the ceiling—unfocused, awash in the haze of satisfaction.
The yukata had slipped off completely. Her legs were parted slightly, and a chill from the night air swept across her damp skin.
But she didn't move.Not yet.
She exhaled.
"…crazy," she whispered.
Then she turned to the mirror again.Saw herself—disheveled, flushed, but… at peace.
"This body… might just drive me insane," she said with a tired smile.
A soft cry came from Naruto's room.
Kushina sat up quickly, fixing her yukata and rising to her feet, still slightly shaky. Her body was tired, but her heart—strangely—felt calmer.
That night, she didn't fall asleep with restlessness in her chest.
And for the first time, she truly accepted—She was Kushina Uzumaki now.And this body... was hers.
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Three months had passed.
A gentle wind rustled the treetops around the quiet training field. In the middle of the open area, Kushina stood with calm breath and steady eyes. In her palm, a spiraling mass of chakra spun rapidly, forming a compact ball of energy the size of a basketball.
Her face glowed with satisfaction. A small smile appeared on her lips as she looked at the technique, her eyes full of memory and confidence.
'Finally…' she thought, 'Rasengan.'
She lifted her hand slightly higher, observing the chakra as it spun in harmony—stable and strong.
'From the start, Minato created Rasengan as a gift for me… Back when I couldn't control it. And now… I can use it effortlessly.'
Suddenly, she swung her hand toward a large tree in front of her.
"Rasengan!"
A loud explosion echoed as the ball of energy slammed into the tree trunk. Wood and bark fragments flew, leaving a crater-like scar on the now-broken tree.
Kushina stared at the aftermath, her eyes wide with amazement.
"Wow! Ninjutsu really is amazing!" she exclaimed, laughing lightly while patting her still-warm hands.
Even though she had returned to this world in a body that wasn't originally hers, slowly, Kushina had managed to merge with the combat experience embedded in the original's muscle memory. Every movement now felt more natural. And of course, the Uzumaki chakra flowing through her body gave her near-unlimited stamina.
At least once a week, Kakashi would make time to visit after finishing his missions. They shared updates, sometimes exchanged techniques, or simply talked about the ever-turning world.
But today, Kushina chose something different.
She sat cross-legged on a flat stone in the middle of the field. Her face was calm, her breathing slowing. Her hands rested in her lap as she slowly entered a meditative state.
"It's time I spoke to him…" she murmured, her inner voice hovering between firm and curious.
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted.