Minato Namikaze POV
'Love at first sight' is a mistaken idea.
None of us loves anything at first glance. We might feel a connection, because of similar tastes, hobbies, or ambitions. But that's attraction, that's infatuation.
Loving someone or something isn't the first thing to appear, because love comes from the desire to protect the other person, to be in sync and understand their inner state, and to truly wish the best for them.
And it's because of love and what comes with it that everything changes; it's like the whole world shifts when we love. It's a strange feeling that can make even the most sensible person act like a fool if they don't know how to handle it.
So where does love begin?
With curiosity.
* Flashback *
(My curiosity started on a Wednesday that was supposed to be like any other at the Academy...)
My classmates were restless. The start time for class had already passed, but the sensei still hadn't arrived.
It didn't take long for everyone to leave their seats and gather with those they got along with, whether to chat or just pass the time, since we couldn't leave the classroom.
It was the start of another school year at the Academy, and it was my first year in a different class than before, so I didn't know many people there the only ones were Shikaku and Fugaku, thanks to our parents since we were little.
Even after their deaths in the Second Great Ninja War, the three of us remained close and grew even tighter. Fugaku and Shikaku had their differences, but I liked them, I enjoyed both their company.
The Nara was already resting his head on his arms, which were crossed on his desk, clearly getting ready to sleep. Shikaku was smart, a real genius. But no one seeing him for the first time would say that.
Fugaku was the son of the current Uchiha clan head and, of course, his father's successor for the position. Like the members of his clan, he was extremely skilled, especially for someone so young. He was the one I liked training with the most, and it seemed the same for him with me.
The classroom door suddenly opened, making all the students who were out of their seats quickly return to them.
The sensei was the first to enter the room, but he wasn't the only one – as always. My gaze stuck to the girl accompanying him and the first thing that caught my attention was her red hair: It was like looking at fire, intense and blazing.
Her skin was fair, without a sign of any imperfection or even a scar. And her eyes were a dark bluish tone, which I only noticed better when they fixed on me for a brief moment.
She stopped beside the sensei and he momentarily placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, clearly to reassure her. She seemed a little nervous, but it didn't seem to me out of shame for being in front of everyone.
– Alright – the sensei finally spoke – Today we have a new transfer student who will study at our Academy – And he had barely finished speaking when the girl raised her voice.
– I'm Kushina Uzumaki, dattebane! – The girl, who I now knew was named Kushina, announced quickly.
But the moment she said the last word, she covered her mouth with one hand, clearly embarrassed. And the other students weren't slow to start chattering.
– Look at her hair color – The boy to my left said to his friend who sat at the desk behind us.
– How can someone have hair like that? – The boy behind asked and the two laughed.
– How did you make it so red? – Another boy, sitting further forward in the room, asked.
– What weird hair! – Another student, on the other side of the room, spoke louder.
And although I knew who was talking, my gaze still held onto Kushina. She momentarily touched one of the front strands of her hair, then lowered her eyes.
– I'd never leave the house with hair like that – One of the boys further back in the room spoke up and the others laughed again.
– Hey! Quiet! – The sensei scolded them – Behave!
Kushina didn't show any disturbance from the students' comments, but her expression was serious. She raised her closed hands, stopping them near her chest.
– I'm going to... – She started speaking softly, but soon continued louder – I'm going to become the village's first Hokage!
And that was enough to make everyone in the room fall silent, even if they remained open-mouthed.
(It's from curiosity that you discover what you have in common with the other person. Wanting to be Hokage... My dream and Kushina's were the same, even though each of us sought it for different reasons. And just like the redhead, who didn't show her discontent at that moment about the mean comments from our classmates, I also didn't let my surprise about her show, even though I had expressed my own desire for the title...)
I calmly stood up from where I was sitting, raising my closed fist to my chest with a sincere smile on my face. Kushina soon brought her eyes to me.
– I want to become a great Hokage, who will be admired by everyone in the village.
My intention with that statement wasn't to show Uzumaki that we could end up being rivals competing for the position of Hokage, but rather to welcome her, to show there was someone like her who yearned for the village's well-being and its inhabitants.
But from her slightly pouty expression afterward, I realized the redhead hadn't understood my way of thinking.
__________________________________________________________________________
Classes continued as usual and soon the break began. Fugaku and I were arranging our next training session together, since Shikaku was again taking the chance to nap.
– Tomato! – One of our classmates said loudly, which made Fugaku and I look his way.
Five boys were surrounding Kushina, who remained silent and didn't look at them.
– From now on we'll call you Tomato! – The same boy said and they pointed at Uzumaki with mocking smiles – You have a fat, round face and red hair. Just like a tomato!
– As if a tomato could become Hokage! – Another one mocked and they laughed – I hate tomatoes!
– Me too! I never eat them in my salad! – A third one made a disgusted face.
– A tomato that everyone hates could never be accepted as Hokage! – The first boy, clearly their leader, spoke again.
And for the first time I saw the girl look at something, or rather, at someone. Her blue eyes came in my direction and I just kept my gaze against hers. There wasn't a plea for help there, but it still seemed like that to me...
She averted her eyes next, lowering her head a little. Pride..., I pondered. Maybe that's why she didn't show a request for help...
– You're getting even redder! – Another of the boys said louder, which made Kushina look at him.
The same boy grabbed one of Uzumaki's hair strands, pulling it while laughing.
– It's the Tomato festival! Harvest time!
And this time something in me wanted to interfere. There was a limit to the teasing and they were overstepping it. But to my total surprise, Kushina closed off her expression and grabbed the wrist of the boy pulling her hair.
– Who are you calling Tomato? – Uzumaki asked, the irritation clear in her tone – Now, listen – She squeezed the boy's wrist tighter, making him let go of her hair – I hate tomatoes too, 'ttebane!
In that moment I witnessed something unique inside the classroom: Kushina holding the boy's wrist and using him to hit the other four boys who were bothering her, knocking all of them down.
Their leader fell closer to Uzumaki and she went over to him, sitting on his back and starting to hit his head.
– Stop calling me Tomato... – She started punching him with both hands – Or else you'll see, 'ttebane!
Even though I wasn't a fan of unnecessary violence, at that moment it seemed well employed and I couldn't help but laugh along with Fugaku.
– What are you laughing at? – Kushina asked and I saw her eyes on me.
Whatever could be said, the irritation and threat in those blue eyes was so strong I felt intimidated. I shrugged and looked forward, even though I ended up glancing sideways at Uzumaki one more time.
(After curiosity and discovering similarities with the other person, fascination and admiration are born, where we seek out the other. We want to learn about them, know more... On the first day Kushina arrived in the village, and I coincidentally met her at the Academy, I had already gone through these stages.
It's from there that infatuation is born.
You start trying to understand the other, why they do what they do, why they think what they think. You seek to appreciate the same ideals and end up identifying with them. And you start to see life and the world as the other sees them...)
Thanks to the stance Kushina took in class on her first day at the Academy, the boys stopped calling her Tomato. But a new nickname inevitably emerged:
The Red Hot Habanero.
The red-haired girl who beat up all the boys.
Even though it was an unhealthy kind of nickname, since it was an offensive way to define Kushina, the nickname suited her most of the time: Always fighting, acting irritable and reckless.
By spending all my time away and observing her, I ended up convincing myself that everything Uzumaki did was just to try and deal with her own inner problems.
I had tried to find out more about her and discovered that, just like me, she no longer had her parents alive. She had been brought to Konoha just before her village, in the Land of Whirlpools, was destroyed in the war.
The members of the Uzumaki clan had been, almost entirely, wiped out. And the girl was one of only two in Konoha – the wife of the First Hokage, Mito, was the other.
Kushina had no one. She had no friends and the few who might try to get close to her ended up too intimidated to try – I was one of those. She was so full of life, yet so alone at the same time...
And that came to the surface for the first time when I was heading out for one of my training sessions with Fugaku and Shikaku – even with the Nara complaining about it.
We had all become genin and were placed on different teams, but we still met up periodically to train and spend time together on our days off.
Shikaku was complaining, once again, about something and Fugaku was arguing with him, when I felt a strong chakra nearby. And it didn't take me a minute to recognize it, since it had become almost unique to me.
It's Kushina..., I thought, looking around. She's using her chakra, but why? We're in a common area of the village, she wouldn't train around here...
Without wasting time, I told Fugaku and Shikaku I'd be right back. Possibly both had confused expressions as I started running in the direction where I felt Kushina's chakra.
Uzumaki's chakra was extremely strong, so whenever she used it, it was easy to recognize. And internally I felt like something was wrong...
I entered a more wooded area and thanks to the beginning of spring, the blooms predominated on the trees there. And I soon saw Kushina, due to her hair which stood out anywhere.
But the situation Uzumaki was in confirmed my earlier feeling of an imminent problem:
She was on her knees on the ground, with two boys near her, one of them our former classmate from the Academy and the other I soon deduced was a genin, due to the headband on his forehead – and the latter was holding her by the hair.
– You don't even know what a Substitution Jutsu is? – The genin asked in a presumptuous tone – You're just a kid! Your hair is too red and all tangled. Hair like that is ugly!
– It suits you! – Our former classmate said and started laughing.
I was a calm person, but at that moment I felt anger, like never before. What they were doing was inconceivable. I was going to climb down from the tree where I was, but what I saw, along with the two boys, made me freeze: Kushina crying.
– I-I... – She said softly – I don't like my hair either!
The redhead stood up and tried to move away from the boys, but the genin pulled her by her hair, which he still held. But she didn't stop, on the contrary, she kept walking, even as her strands were pulled in the opposite direction.
And she only broke free from the genin when a handful of her hair was ripped out and remained in the boy's hand.
Her first punch hit the genin's stomach, leaving him stunned before Uzumaki. Next, a kick to his chin that made him stagger back a few steps. And finally Kushina jumped, landing another kick on him, this time right on top of his head.
The genin fell to the ground and the redhead stopped over him, landing numerous punches on his face.
– But...! – She said, her voice choked with tears, those of anger and sadness – Even with hair like this, I'm still me! What choice do I have?!
– Ah! It's the Red Hot Habanero! – Our former classmate ran off screaming.
A few moments later Kushina moved minimally away from the genin, breathing irregularly. The boy looked at her with disgust and threw the strands of her hair he had ripped out earlier in her direction.
– Foreigner! – He stood up a bit unsteadily – As if a foreigner could become Hokage!
The genin turned and started running away, leaving Uzumaki behind. I brought my eyes back to the girl, who watched the genin running away, her hands clenched.
And to my surprise, the next moment she brought her eyes to me. Her expression became even more irritated, even though it still showed part of the sadness she felt at that instant.
– You're not going to help me just because I'm a foreigner?! – She asked.
– I... – But she didn't even give me time to start speaking properly.
– I bet you agree with them!
And she started running away from near me, crying again.
(It was on that day that I decided with myself that there was something that should be done: I wanted to protect Kushina. I wanted to try to show her that she wasn't alone, that she had someone to support her when she was helpless.
You might ask why I wanted to do this for her, since she herself didn't even allow me to get close. The answer was very simple, although I still didn't truly understand it:
Her pain was my own pain.
And this is where true love begins. When you start to feel the same as the other and don't mind putting them before yourself for that someone's well-being.
You just want the person not to be alone for everything they might face.)
I was returning with Jiraya-sensei and my teammates to the village after a mission, but my head was far away. More specifically, on a girl with long red hair and intense blue eyes.
I have to work up the courage to talk to her, I thought. Only then can I try to get close to her and offer to help her. Yes, I'll do that, I affirmed confidently.
But as soon as we passed through the village gates to head to the Hokage's office to report the mission's completion, I noticed unusual movement among the chunin and jonin around there.
– What happened? – I heard Jiraya-sensei asking one of the jonin passing by.
– The Kyuubi's jinchuuriki has been kidnapped! – The man stated without delay – And...
But I didn't hear the rest of what he said because before I knew it I was already running towards the house where Uzumaki lived, in the more remote area of the village. A bad feeling grew in my chest and anxiety began to take over me.
I entered the place without any ceremony and my eyes quickly scanned the rooms, trying to find any sign or clue about who had taken Kushina.
But there was nothing. Nothing out of place, any marks on the floor, or even signs of a struggle. The anxiety in me began to increase, soon giving way for anger to emerge.
I hurriedly left the residence and took a deep breath as I stopped on the porch, eyes closed, trying not to get irritated. I needed to have my mind as calm as possible at that moment.
It was when I opened my eyes again that I noticed something further ahead, something that clearly shouldn't be among the small grasses growing there.
I approached, picking up the pieces of red strands that were there. And it was then that I understood what it was. Kushina's hair! I jumped to my feet and set about looking for other strands.
(There have only been two times in my life when I ran so fast: When Kushina had been kidnapped and when I found out that you and your team had possibly been led into an enemy trap at the lab.
And this incident with Kushina was one of the few where I acted without thinking too much. I should have informed the village supervisors that she was leaving her hair as clues to her whereabouts while being taken, but my fear of losing her overwhelmed me and I acted following the demands of my mind to just go after her.)
Night had already fallen while I was still looking for Kushina. Thanks to the vivid color of her hair, it was easy for me to spot it.
I was at the border of the Land of Fire and on the verge of going crazy thinking it might be too late to find Uzumaki, but when I noticed some tall figures walking with someone shorter among them, I couldn't help but smile, even if just a little.
Although it was a moonlit night, clouds occasionally covered the luminosity created by the celestial body, as had just happened, which served me to advance against the enemy – whom I recognized from their uniforms as ninja from the Village Hidden in the Clouds.
The first shinobi I hit was the one following at the back of the group. My speed and silence in movement were my greatest advantage at that moment. Hitting the right spot on the back of the man's neck, he passed out.
He had barely hit the ground and I had already moved away, proceeding to the next attack. When the other two shinobi noticed their companion's state, looking back, I landed a kick to the head of the man on the right, knocking him out.
I took distance again and the last shinobi did the same. But I wouldn't give him time to think of a way to deal with me. I appeared to his left, throwing him with all the strength I could muster against the trunk of the nearest tree.
From the impact, the man was just dazed, but he ended up hitting the ground, which made him lose his senses completely. I quickly looked around to see if there was anyone else and then returned to the ground.
Kushina had her hair loose from the clip she used to keep her bangs from covering the headband and her expression was dejected, so much so that she was still walking slowly, even though no one was guiding her. It's as if she had lost hope of getting help..., I thought sadly.
– Are you hurt? – I asked.
The cloud that had covered the moonlight when I set out to neutralize the Cloud ninja finally passed, allowing the clarity to take over the environment. Kushina stopped her steps and brought her eyes in my direction.
– I came to save you – I informed her.
Uzumaki gave a weak smile and then fell to her knees. At the same moment I ran to her, catching her before she could hit the ground.
I hurried to free her from the rope binding her wrists and Uzumaki brought her gaze to me, as if trying to make sure I was real.
– Everything will be okay now – I reassured her and smiled tenderly.
Then, I passed one hand under her legs, while the other supported her back, and lifted her into my arms to carry her.
– Hey, wait a minute... – Kushina protested in a low voice, but didn't try to break free from me.
I climbed with Uzumaki to the treetops to return to the village. Enemies could still be around and from up there I could watch our surroundings, as well as guide myself back to Konoha more easily.
It took me a while to notice, but I felt the silly smile on my lips. I was happy, relieved... Kushina was okay and I had managed to rescue her. And she was still there with me, in my arms, me protecting her...
– That is... – Uzumaki commented and I brought my eyes to her, and then to what the redhead was observing.
The strands of her hair that had been left behind were still in my hand and I hadn't even realized it.
– Your hair is beautiful – I admitted, turning my gaze forward – That's why I noticed right away.
– But you always ignored me – Kushina said after a few moments, and more quietly.
– Because I know you're strong – And I let myself smile again – In body and mind.
I stopped with the redhead in one of the treetops to be able to face her and talk properly.
– But this is a fight between two villages – I explained a bit more seriously – It's different from your other fights, so...
However, I ended up stopping what I would say next. Should I work up the courage and say how I felt? Or should I wait?
– So...? – The redhead asked, encouraging me to continue.
(And before our feelings are truly laid out on the table, our hearts in these moments make us act like real fools for declaring what we guard so well deep inside. We can try to fight it, hold back and keep it to ourselves, but...
It only takes a small spark for the fire to start.
And so when my eyes met hers in that moment, the blue that always seems such a cold color seemed to transform into flames, and just like it, burned away every last bit of hesitation in me.)
– I didn't want to lose you – I finally confessed.
My heart pounded in my chest. My body felt like it might collapse at any moment. And I tried to understand where all that courage to declare to Kushina how I felt about her had come from.
But seeing her blush immediately after made my heart skip a beat – or two maybe. Surprise was the first thing present in her expression, but there was also something else there...
– Even though I'm a foreigner? – She asked quietly again, as if fearing my answer.
– Why are you saying that? – I asked calmly – You live in Konoha, so you're one of us.
And my earlier self-questioning about there being something else in Uzumaki's expression became clear:
Relief.
It was the first time I saw Kushina express that. Laughing was the first thing Uzumaki did. Not because she found something funny, but because she was feeling relieved, truly well. And I could only smile at that.
– Minato... – She looked at me and smiled sweetly – Thank you.
(That was Kushina's first smile directed at me. I think I could never erase it from my memory or the feeling of the moment, of how happy I felt with her.
And it was from there that my story and Kushina's emerged, becoming one.
We discovered love together. We experienced it and grew with it. I loved Kushina and she loved me too. And our feelings remain the same, or even stronger, to this day...)