A Spirit of Elements Chapter 38 (Naruto Uzumaki) (Patreon)

"Where am I?" he wondered aloud, his voice echoing through the vast expanse of space. The emptiness was overwhelming, and he felt like he was floating aimlessly, untethered from all he knew. The backdrop was a stark white, with speckles of bright yellow stars that glimmered like diamonds in the distance. Suddenly, he felt his body begin to descend, slowly and steadily, until he touched down on a solid surface. The ground beneath his feet was cool and smooth.

As Naruto stood up in confusion, his mind reeled with questions. He looked around, trying to make sense of his surroundings, but to his surprise, he found no one around him. Nothing but an endless expanse of space, stretching in every direction as far as his eyes could see. He couldn't help but wonder, was he dreaming? Everything felt so surreal, yet at the same time, it all felt so real.

"Naruto." A voice spoke from behind him; Naruto had never heard that voice before. He was sure of it, yet, he felt he recognized it somehow.

As he turned around slowly, his eyes witnessed a sight that made his heart skip a beat. There she was, standing two meters away from him - a woman with long, fiery red hair cascading down her back like a waterfall of flames. Her sweet smile was infectious, and it lit up her face, making her look like an angelic being. But what caught his attention the most were her bright purple eyes.

He stood motionless; the woman before him shone like a bright star in the night sky.

"Wh-who are you?" Naruto asked, his voice cracking. He had never seen her face before, yet, her power felt so familiar, and her face...

Though he had never laid eyes on her before, there was something about the way she carried herself that made him feel as though he had known her for years. As she drew closer, he could feel the warmth of her presence enveloping him like a cozy blanket on a chilly winter's night. Her smile was sweet and gentle, and it lit up her face in a way that reminded him of his mother, Kya, who had always had a way of making him feel safe and loved. Why did this woman give him the same feeling?

"It's so good to finally meet you, Naruto," she spoke with a kind tone, her smile beaming like a sun in a night.

Naruto felt his eyes welling up with tears, with shaky legs moving towards her as he told himself he was dreaming. She couldn't be here.

"Never thought I would need to introduce myself to my son. I'm..." Kushina stopped as Naruto threw his arms around, crying on her shoulder, hugging her close. Kushina's heart swelled with pride and joy as she smiled softly at her son, who had grown up to be a strong and compassionate young man and hugged him back, feeling his warmth and love.

"I-I ha-have wanted to meet you..." The weight of his words hung heavy in the air as Kushina tenderly pat his back, feeling the warmth of his tears against her palm. She knew that her son had grown from the baby she once held in her arms to a young man she could not be more proud of.

"I'm here, my son," she spoke sweetly; her tone reminded him so much of his other mother; it was the same tone she used whenever she talked with him.

After minutes of silence, Kushina held her son close, whispering kind words to him, all of them making him feel better. Naruto slowly pulled away, not daring even to blink. He was sure this was a dream and thought if he blinked, she would disappear, and he would be alone.

"Let me look at you," she said with a broad grin, her finger on his chin, her violet eyes looking at his face from every angle, her eyes analyzing every part of his face, before looking at him from up and down.

"You have your father's eyes and hair, but your cheekbone and everything else is all Mine," She spoke happily, giving Naruto another kiss on the cheek but noticing her son had been quiet and was even avoiding her eyes.

Kushina crouched on the floor, her long, red hair cascading over her shoulders as she tapped the space near her, beckoning him to sit beside her. He hesitated momentarily, unsure of what to do, but eventually gave in to her silent request and lowered himself onto the floor beside her. The air between them was thick with tension as if the slightest sound would shatter the fragile peace they had managed to create. She extended her hand, her fingers touching his face; Kushina saw tears rolling down his cheek, and she gently used her palm to wipe away the tears from his face.

"What's wrong, my son?" She asked, concerned and making him lean closer, his shoulder resting against hers.

"I-I failed Mother, I - I -I..." he stuttered, his voice breaking with each syllable. Without hesitation, Kushina wrapped her arms around her son, pulling him close in a tight embrace. She could feel the tension in his body, the weight of his responsibilities weighing heavily on his young shoulders. Naruto was only eighteen years old, and yet he carried so much weight on his shoulders.

"You haven't failed anyone; it's not your fault," she spoke in his ear, caressing his hair, hoping to convince him that everything that happened was not his fault.

Naruto shook his head in denial; if only he had been stronger, if only I could have been stronger, Naruto said to himself. Asami, My Uncle, my family, If I had been stronger, I could have protected them. I could have protected Asami from Tarrlok. Just the thought of him made Naruto sick. A flash of a man being torn to pieces passed through his eyes. He closed his eyes tightly, to the point that it hurt as if trying to stop the visions, what he had done. How many did I kill? What if I-I...

He felt his mother hugging him close as if knowing what he was thinking. She kissed his cheek softly; Naruto felt like a child again, remembering the many times his other mother would often and still kiss his cheek. In a way that only a mother could.

Naruto stood silent before he backed away and looked at his mother, a part of him wondering how she was in front of him.

"How are you here?" Naruto asked after a long moment of silence.

"Minato, your father, he sealed a small part of my chakra in your seal so that we could talk; I always wanted to meet you, Naruto," She spoke, smiling, knowing she couldn't be here with him for that long.

"What is Chakra?" Naruto couldn't help but ask; Kushina was a little surprised that he didn't know since she could tell he had unlocked his Chakra.

"Well, we have plenty of time here, so..." Kushina went on and explained what Chakra was and how it was used in his world; despite not being there, Kushina somehow knew that he wasn't in the Shinobi World. She still remembered the man with an arrow on his head, promising her that he would take care of her son, and from what she could see, he had kept his word. She wished she could thank him somehow. Then she spoke of the world he comes from and how it worked.

Naruto was a little mortified to hear that from this world, children were taught from a young age how to kill people, and in Chunin Exams, people would gather from all over the country to watch children kill each other and bet on who could win. Naruto didn't say it, but he was glad he hadn't been raised in that world.

"Why am I here?"

"I don't really know for sure. The seal I used was supposed to teleport us to a safe place. I don't know why it teleported us here." Kushina answered.

After explaining everything, Naruto simply nodded. There were way too many things on his mind. She told him everything, what a Village was, and how the Kage was the leader. The blonde wondered why they were called Ninjas. To him, it sounded more like mercenaries for hire, but he kept that thought to himself, but now he understood why he could Airbend. It wasn't really Airbending, but more like his Wind affinity since his mother told him that his Wind Affinity was the superior one.

After Kushina told him everything about Chakra, Naruto stood silent for a moment. Her son was staring at his hand as if he could see something she couldn't when he turned his head to face her.

"Mother, how did you meet Father?" Naruto asked, smiling, his eyes shining like a sun again.

Kushina couldn't help but giggle, covering her mouth with her hand, happy that her son wanted to know about her.

"Mother, you alright?" Naruto asked, concerned he had asked the wrong question, but she just smiled and rubbed her hair in embarrassment.

"Nothing, my son, just lost in thoughts and memories," she answered with a melancholy look.

"I moved to Konoha when I was still very young; Minato and I were still just kids. The first time I saw your father, I thought he looked like a flaky girly boy, not someone who I would take as a serious ninja at all," Kushina said with a joking tone.

"Your kidding, right?" Naruto asked. He was quite curious to know more about his father.

"No, I'm not, but what did I know? I was a young girl who didn't know anything about boys or about being a ninja at all, for that matter," Kushina answered with a giggle.

"Well, I guess he proved you wrong in the end, huh," Naruto said with a smile, his hands behind his head, listening with all his attention.

"Indeed he did. Since I was the new kid, I wanted to make an impression on my first day at the academy. I wanted everyone to remember me. So when they asked me what my dream for the future was, I yelled, 'I'm going to be the first female Hokage!'" Kushina said, letting out a loud laugh at the memory.

Naruto laughed at her first choice of words, becoming the Hokage.

"As you may have guessed, the people in the class didn't like the new kid who wasn't even from their village talking about becoming Hokage, and the boys started making fun of me all the time. They called me 'Tomato,'" Kushina said with a hint of melancholy and anger in her tone.

"Tomato? Sure, you have red hair, but you certainly don't look like a tomato to me," Naruto said; looking at her red hair, Naruto couldn't help but love the color of her hair. He had to admit that she had the most beautiful hair in the world.

"Well, I did back then, I had a very round face, and with my fiery red hair... well, even I had to admit that I looked like one! And it infuriated me!" the redhead said, still laughing slightly at the memory.

"So, did dad stand up to the bullies for you?" Naruto asked, thinking of his father standing up to protect his mother.

"Nope! he just stood there watching; perhaps he himself didn't want to get in trouble, or maybe he was afraid of me or maybe didn't care, but they kept bullying me, so I showed them myself. I beat all of the Bullies Half to Death. Since that day, people knew me by my new nickname. 'The Bloody Habanero!" Kushina said with a small smile, her fist slowly raising, veins almost popping out of her fist.

Naruto had to admit that his mother could be quite scary, something his other mother had in common.

"So what did dad say when they asked him what his dream for the future was?" he asked curiously, wondering if his father had wanted to become Hokage from the very beginning.

"Minato said that he wanted to have everyone in the village acknowledge him and to become a great Hokage," Kushina said with dreamy eyes.

"To have everyone acknowledge him, huh..." Naruto added with a hollow tone as he remembered something.

Kushina noticed his sudden sour mood and leaned closer.

"What happened next?" Naruto interrupted her before she could ask.

Kushina knew he was hiding something but reluctantly decided to continue the story.

"W-when I heard what Minato said, I thought that a goofy-looking flake like him could never become the Hokage; there was absolutely no way it would be possible. But as I said earlier, what did I know? I was young; I looked down my nose at Minato, that was until a certain incident," Kushina said with a small shiver at the end.

"Incident? What happened?" Naruto questioned, noticing the way her face lost color slightly.

"I've always hated my red hair... Until one day, thanks to Minato, I came to like it. My chakra is a bit special, you see. And the Hidden Cloud wanted it badly enough to kidnap me," Kushina said.

Naruto felt his blood boiling. Kidnapping was something that had been done during the 100 years' war, but since the war ended, that rarely happened anymore.

"The old Raikage and the counsel sent a team of Kumo ninjas to kidnap me. I was the last known member of the Uzumaki clan. As they marched me away, I pulled out my hair one strand at a time; I had to be very careful not to be seen. Konoha sent out pursuit squads immediately, but none managed to find me. As we got closer to the border, I started to give up hope of being rescued. But in the end, Minato was the only one who picked up my trail. He was the only one who noticed the trail of red strands. He rescued me from the Kumo ninja and carried me away. He said he noticed my beautiful hair right away as he held me. Suddenly he no longer looked like a goofy flake; he looked like the most magnificent shinobi ever. Like a man who would make all of my dreams come true. My bright red hair had led me to my soul mate. From that day on, I liked my hair, and more importantly, I loved Minato," Kushina said with a reflective look on her face.

Naruto smiled in delight. The way his parents had known each other was amazing. He wondered what his father looked like. He had never seen him. He imagined he had blonde hair just like him.

"Uzumaki, so my full name is Naruto Uzumaki," Naruto said, feeling better about knowing his full name; Kushina nodded, confirming it.

"How did you come up with my name, and which one decided?" Naruto suddenly asked, wondering what they thought of his name. The name 'Naruto' was very unusual and didn't even exist in the world he lived in.

"Jiraiya-sensei wrote a book, your father loved that book, and the main character's name was Naruto; after your father asked Jiraiya-sensei for permission, we gave you the name 'Naruto,' and he became your godfather," Kushina explained with a hint of melancholy.

Naruto wasn't sure how to respond, he didn't know who Jiraiya was, but from the way his mother talked about him, it sounded like he was quite close with his family. Would he have become my family if I was never sent here? Naruto wondered. It seemed Jiraiya would have probably taken care of him before dismissing the thought. The Shinobi World didn't matter to him.

"He sounds like a great man," Naruto said, unsure what else to say about someone he had never met and probably never would. Kushina nodded in agreement.

"How is it like for you here? I would like to know everything about you and if you have found a girlfriend?" Kushina asked, turning her attention back to her son. Naruto blushed the moment his mother said 'girlfriend' before rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

"You have? Tell me everything!" Kushina demanded, picking on the fact almost immediately, kissing her son's cheek, wondering who was the lucky woman that had stolen his heart.

Naruto laughed at her antics before starting from the beginning; Kushina listened intently as her son told her of his childhood. She was happy that he had a happy one, surrounded by people that loved him.

Kushina would really like to talk with Kya, who had raised her son, and the way Naruto spoke, Kushina knew her son loved Kya like a mother.

"Kya sounds like quite a woman." Kushina wondered out loud, feeling gratitude that Kya had raised him. She hadn't been there; Kushina was glad that this Kya had raised her son.

Naruto then told her of his journey and life in The Republic City. When he told her of Asami, Kushina couldn't help but laugh at how similar Asami's personality was to hers. But when her son told her that he was also dating his childhood friend Korra, who happened to be the Avatar, something she didn't quite understand yet.

"I see. Are Asami and Korra comfortable with this?" Kushina asked. From the way Naruto spoke, she knew her son had feelings for both of them, but she hoped he wasn't manipulating them somehow.

"Yes, in fact, it was Asami who suggested that Korra join in. Are you against it?" Naruto asked, looking at his mother, feeling like a kid again.

"No. As long as they're fine. I have nothing against it. I just wish for you to be happy. That's all that matters to me." Kushina said, pinching her son's cheek much to his annoyance, but he held a smile on his face.

Naruto then told her what happened with Amon and Tarrlok, how he had lost control and didn't even know if his loved ones were safe anymore.

"I don't know what to do anymore. This is the second time this has happened. What am I supposed to do?" Naruto asked, looking at his hands in despair. He felt hopeless. He felt his mother's arms sneaking around his shoulder.

"From the way you describe them. I know for sure your family is safe. I know what you're thinking. I was A Jinchuuriki before you, but trust me when I say you're no monster. I know you will face harsh challenges, but remember that you hold Kyuubi inside you. That alone makes you more human than everyone else." Kushina spoke softly, giving her son a side hug and kissing the top of his head to make him feel better.

Naruto enjoyed the way his mother was hugging him. He felt so safe and loved, just like with Kya.

Kushina suddenly felt her chakra running low; she knew her time was running out. She took a deep breath and shook his shoulders slightly to gain Naruto's attention.

"I need to tell you about what happened on the night of the Kyuubi attack nine years ago," Kushina suddenly said in haste. Telling him everything she remembered, she knew it was important.

"While Minato returned You safely home, I was taken by that man, and he was boasting about how despite all of the safety precautions Konoha made to ensure Minato would be able to protect me, he managed to separate us. He then activated his Sharingan and forcefully ripped Kyuubi from my seal," Kushina said.

Naruto felt his anger rise once again; the man was responsible for all of this, his chest burning like fire in anger, but he couldn't help but wonder why she was telling him he was in a different world. The Shinobi world didn't matter anymore.

"That masked man who seemed to have almost complete control over Kyuubi forced him to kill me, saying that 'It was fitting for a Bijuu to kill its previous jinchuuriki,' it almost got me as well, but Minato arrived and saved me. He returned me to the place he had hidden you, Naruto, so I could stay with you while he went back out to fight the man in the mask and, of course, Kyuubi. Minato then left me with you, so I do not know exactly what happened in the village, but I am sure it was horrible," Kushina continued.

"I do not know what happened, but from what I can gather, Minato was able to defeat the masked man and remove Kyuubi from his power because the next time I saw Minato, he was warping both of us to the location of Kyuubi, Minato explained that we needed to seal Kyuubi into you, before being sealed away, Minato sealed Kyuubi using Reaper Death Seal," Kushina finished, feeling her eyes welling up with tears.

"So you just let him use Me as the jinchuuriki?" Naruto asked with a slightly hurt tone.

"Not really; I was damn against the idea, and to make you a jinchuuriki without even having a father was just unthinkable. I couldn't understand it at all; Minato was sacrificing you to keep the balance of the Bijuu between the villages," Kushina said, not baring to look at him.

"Well, what did he say to that?" Naruto asked with a low voice, almost a whisper.

"He said that 'Turning your back on your country is the same as abandoning a child. That he made a promise to protect the village of Konoha and the Land of Fire when he became Hokage, and he couldn't just turn his back on those people. I still didn't like what I was hearing, despite knowing Minato truly believed what he was doing was right. I didn't want my son to grow up alone. But Minato said something that, in the end, I am glad he did because it meant that I was able to meet you. He said that 'Even if he lived, he could never substitute for me; there were things that you need to be told that he could never say." Kushina explained before looking at her son's face again.

"My last words to you were. Don't be a fussy eater; grow up to be big and strong; make sure you bathe every day and sleep well! Make friends; it doesn't matter how many... Just make sure they're real friends, people you always trust and rely on; even a few is enough!" Kushina said, standing up as did Naruto.

"Finally, remember who you are, find a dream, and don't stop trying at it until it comes true! And of course, I couldn't leave you without telling you how much I love you... Naruto, I am so sorry about what happened, we made you into the Kyuubi vessel, and I wasn't there for you while you were growing up. And Live. Please, live a Happy Life you won't regret." Kushina said while wiping a tear from her eyes.

Naruto felt a tear rolling down his cheek. "But I get it now. You both gave your lives for me so I could live. You loved me so I could grow up happy and healthy... I am so glad I am your son," Naruto said sincerely.

Kushina rushed forward to hug Naruto just as she was fading away. "Naruto, I am so happy to hear you say that. Thank you for allowing me to be your mother and Minato to be your father. Thank you for being our son... Thank you!" Kushina sobbed as the tears began to fall freely from her eyes as she faded away into small stars, leaving Naruto alone in peace.

.

.

As Naruto slowly opened his eyes, he felt an overwhelming sense of heaviness that seemed to envelop his entire being, making him feel like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. His body felt like it had been through a grueling battle, with every muscle and bone aching and protesting any movement. He struggled to catch his breath, gasping for air like he had just emerged from the ocean's depths. His vision was blurry, making it hard for him to discern his surroundings, but as he blinked away the haze, he realized that he was lying in a dimly lit room.

The only light source was a dim light attached to the wall. It was so dim that he had to squint his eyes to get a better look at his surroundings. Upon closer inspection, he realized he was tied to a chair - a metallic one at that. His legs were tightly bound to the legs of the chair, and his arms were forced behind his back before being cuffed with the newest version of metal handcuffs.

Naruto couldn't even lift a finger. He noticed the metal wasn't pure. Even a metal bender like Toph would have a hard time bending it. The door in the room suddenly started opening. The sound echoed through the empty room, making him feel uneasy. As the door opened wider, a sliver of light from outside pierced through the darkness, gradually illuminating the space around him. The light was so bright that he had to squint his eyes to adjust to the sudden change. The door of his jail was so thick, almost half a meter thick, a person walked inside, but Naruto recognized her. Despite not liking her, he breathed in relief to see her.

His heart sank, and he felt a knot forming in his stomach as he asked, "Lin, how is my family? How are Korra and Asami?" The concern in his voice was palpable. For a moment, there was silence as Lin looked down at him with a passive expression, and Naruto's mind raced with all the worst-case scenarios. She was holding papers in her right hand.

"Lady Asami's condition is stable, your uncle has a broken wrist, and Korra has a broken arm, but I'm afraid in your anger, you killed over twenty people, over a hundred were wounded, and caused collateral damage worthy of millions of gold coins," Lin answered, not bothering to give him a more softer version.

"Naruto, I'm sorry to say this, but a month later, you will have a trial," Lin informed him with a heavy heart. Despite not having the best friendship with Naruto, she still believed the kid to have a good heart and for something like this to happen to him.

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing that Asami and the rest were alright, his head slumped down, and his body relaxed as if all the tension had been drained out of him, and a small smile formed on his face. But his heart sank when he remembered that a trial would happen a month later.

"A Trial?" Naruto asked, looking up at Lin, who frowned.

"The Leaders of Each Nation will come to decide whether you should be killed or not."