[001] Accidental Audio

[redhotmama]

[There is a book laying on a near by table that Kushina doesn't see as she rushes toward the window. The first rustle of wind doesn't even jostle the pages, however when she flings the window open, the book flies open with it. There's a moments pause as Kushina takes in the contents of outside, the chill in the air, the foreign feel. The first thing she deems to greet Luceti with is:]

WHERE IS MINATO!? This isn't..!

[But then her angry heart-felt cry stops, the words dying mid-sentence as a wave of emotion tears into her. Whatever anger she felt quickly faded in lieu of grief. A loud bang against the window's frame and the rattle of glass.]

Naruto... Minato...

[It's quiet and sounds as though Kushina is on the verge of tears, if not already crying.]

This isn't the afterlife, I know it. It doesn't feel right. It's too real. I shouldn't be able to feel pain, y'know!

[Kushina slumps to the floor, the sound reverberating softly in the near-empty room. What was she supposed to do here? What was this place, even? It wasn't where she was supposed to be. Nowhere had ever felt more wrong in her life.]

Comments

[Video]

[erosennin]

[She might be convinced it's not the afterlife, but sometimes, Jiraiya is having trouble believing it. Like right now. Have an old pervert looking much older than you saw him last!]

... Kushina?

[Stare. He can't even immediately make a crack about seeing her; it's been too long, and she's a part of the past he tried too hard to ignore.]

[Video]

[redhotmama]

[Okay where the hell is that voice coming from?! She peers out the window, looking down, though that doesn't feel right. It sounded closer. Like it was coming from behind her.

Kushina wipes the evidence of any tears away before she stands again, and finds the journal open and Jiraiya's picture.

What the--?]

Jiraiya? I always knew you would be published, but I didn't think you would go this far!

[Oh look, even now she has a sense of humor.]

[Video]

[erosennin]

[She always did have a great sense of humor, even in the most unlikely of times. Even with the shock of seeing her again - it really shouldn't surprise him, not when he's dead too - he can still appreciate the joke.]

Ah, these books are special, apparently. This whole place is 'special,' if you ask me. But it's a good way to see old familiar faces.

[Voice]

[breaks_destiny]

Minato? Do you mean Minato Arisato, miss?

[He doesn't know if there are other Minato around.]

Anyway, you're right, this isn't the afterlife. Don't worry the pain will fade soon, if it's the one in your back you're talking about. Eh... Where are you? I can go and pick you up and help you get to the village or get clothes or food or whatever you need.

[redhotmama]

[Another person? Wow this book really was special! Though... the name difference is disheartening and perhaps that comes through in her voice.]

Namikaze Minato. I guess it would make sense not to meet him here, then.

[Kushina sighs softly, maybe a little suddenly frustrated, but whatever that is she keepsit reigned in.]

If you could just tell me what this place is, that would be more help. I'm already somewhere that seems safe.

[breaks_destiny]

Oh, no, no! I don't know Namikaze-san, but in this place you can meet anyone, really. There's no such a thing as "sense" in this place regarding the people that are here, maybe I just have missed him or something, I don't know all the people in Luceti after all.

[Don't get sad, miss. It wasn't his intention.]

That's nice, sometimes people are left in apartments and such but pretty often they are dropped at the forest. Eh... This village is called Luceti and while it's not the afterlife, it's not your world either, probably not even close to it. I can't tell you why you're here, beyond that it's something that happens here, people from many different worlds being pulled here is pretty common. But I can tell you that leaving isn't as easy as arriving, both are equally out of our control though.

[Video]

[niceguypose]

[Something about her seems oddly familiar...]

Excuse me! Miss! Did you mention the name "Naruto"?

[Video]

[redhotmama]

[It's the family resemblance. :D]

Ah?

[Kushina beams at him, into the little portal page of that book she's holding. Lee reminds her of that kid that was always chasing Minato's student, Kakashi, around. So, the familiarity is mutual for different reasons.]

I did... didn't think anyone was listening in on me, though. [Small blush, all bashful-like] Are you one of his friends?

[Video]

[niceguypose]

I apologize. These journals have a way of invading moments of privacy.

But... yes! I would count myself among Naruto-kun's dearest friends, and we are also formidable rivals! I hope to take him on in an all-out fight one day.

video

[selfdoubt]

[She could have sworn this woman said Naruto's name.]

Oh, um, I beg your pardon, but... [She doesn't look like someone from home, or at least someone she knows.] H- How do you know Naruto-kun?

[But probably what bothers her the most is that she mentioned 'afterlife'. Could this mean-]

video

[redhotmama]

[B'aww this girl. She looks so sweet and shy, and she can tell just by looking at her she's one of those Hyuuga kids. Kushina smiles at her, though instead of a regular smile filled with friendliness, this one is brimming with motherly pride.]

He's my son.

video

[selfdoubt]

[Okay, that earns Kushina a very astonished Hyuuga. She very well knows that Naruto was orphaned so that just means, like Asuma and Jiraiya, this woman had come back from the dead.

But for her to actually meet her-] Ah- I apologize if I was rude upon asking- I- I did not realize... [Since none of them ever met his parents.]

1/2

[jinchuuriki]

[He could swear he heard his name called. And by a voice that he made sure was forever engraved into his mind the moment he first heard it, since it was such a short encounter. It had to be seared into his mind. Naruto never wanted to forget it.

That's precisely why he's choking up on his words as he tries to speak them-- yell them. But nothing's coming out, because... that's his mom.]

[jinchuuriki]

[No, wait. He found his words.]

WH-WHERE ARE YOU!?

matching your 2 comments

[redhotmama]

[No, the voice of someone so precious really isn't easily lost. The moment she hears Naruto, Kushina's heart swells to near-bursting point. That kid earlier, he'd been right. Luceti wasn't punishment. Not with so much having gone on already in such a short time.

Kushina had talked to two of Naruto's friends, and even Jiraiya. But now... now this time was different. This was her son talking.]

Naruto?!

[redhotmama]

[There hasn't been faster movement and more attention on someone or something in such a long time, as she stares down at the book in her hands. She's so happy she could cry!]

I'm inside somewhere. Where are you? Are you safe?

[endgames]

[You know, he might have overlooked this if he hadn't, like so many others, caught Naruto's name in that.

It shouldn't be surprising - of course Naruto would have a mother. But years of classmate's and parents whispering in the schoolyard ("that awful boy; he has no parents") can make a guy forget. He'd question how to go about this, but Naruto's response on the journal is openly accepting. Even more so than usual for him.

So screw it. Thinking too much on this is troublesome.]

Ha. So Naruto wasn't dropped off by a stork summon after all, huh?

[redhotmama]

Is that what they're saying in the village?

[Kushina seems amused enough by this, though she knows the cruelty of children and their parents and wouldn't put it past any to have said it. She's smiling brightly, like some self-contained sun. It would be impossible to extinguish that light, given everything at the moment. Luceti might not be home, and she might not know everyone from her village, but who was there already - Naruto especially - she was happy to see.]

Of course he wasn't! He had two very loving, proud parents.

[endgames]

Oh. No, they call him a hero these days. Much like his father, who I found out about recently. [That was a weird experiment though, let's just leave it at that.] I suppose that made you his other half.

[Voice]

[emp3thy]

[Minato was just flipping through the pages after making his own entry today. He definitely wasn't expecting the book to suddenly shout his name, even if it's quickly obvious that this is a stranger and she's not actually looking for him.

But since he's here already, he may as well try to help.]

You aren't dead... but I think you've already been told.

Re: [Voice]

[redhotmama]

[Indeed she has, but what's another friendly face telling her again going to hurt? She likes talking. And the reassurance that she isn't going to fade away at any given moment.]

It's not so bad hearing it again. In fact it's a pretty big improvement over the alternative!

[Voice]

[emp3thy]

I can agree.

Have you been given the guide yet?

voice;

[breezing]

Your wings'll stop hurting eventually! But I bet someone told you already, huh?

voice;

[redhotmama]

You make it sound ten times better, being so cheerful.

voice;

[breezing]

Haha, really? We-ell, I'm Ikki! I've been here a little while but noooooot as long as lots of other people.