Blood of the Broken, Scars of the Spiral (there are whirlpools in our veins)

Prologue

Kushina, if anything, was angry. White-hot rage coursing through her veins as blood spilled from her abdomen.

If the masked bastard just had to release the Kyuubi, he could have, at the very least, waited for her to get her goddamn baby out of her womb before attacking.

Now here she was, alone in this godsforsaken cave, surrounding her were the bodies of dead ANBU and poor Biwako who had been brutally murdered while trying to push a baby into the world.

Another scream echoed through the walls as ripples of fresh pain washed over her like a river, leaving her convulsing on the ground.

Somewhere, she could faintly feel the vile chakra of the Kyuubi flaring in the distance, and some hazy part of her mind warned her that it was close, too close.

Kushina never did study healing chakra, as she never had the need to, the demon fox provided her with all the healing she could ever need. But now here she was, the Kyuubi was gone, and she had far too much blood pouring out of her, yet still no baby.

She was hit with another contraction and it had her screaming as if her body was being ripped to shreds. It was worse than any pain she had ever felt before. Even more so than when the bastard had ripped the Kyuubi out of her.

And now she could feel her baby's chakra flickering unsteadily, unnaturally, the raging stormy sea that had grown inside her was nothing but a light rain shower compared to its former glory. Her baby was dying inside her and Kushina was lying in a pool of her own blood as the terrible creature she once called her prisoner wreaked havoc on the village her most precious people called home, that her husband would die fighting for, hell, she didn't even know if she would survive.

It took a few more contractions and worthless, feeble attempts at pushing before she realized her body was numbing, no longer could she feel her fingers or toes. A small sliver of her wanted to believe it was her Uzumaki healing coming into play, but she knew that was wishful thinking.

No, she was dying, dying completely and utterly alone except for the tiny chakra presence in her rounded tummy— and Kushina could feel her heart stop when she noticed for the first time, in her confused state, that the chakra presence of her baby was gone.

She doesn't allow herself a moment of hesitation. Not even for a second. She lunged at the closest kunai and used it to slash open her stomach. Barely even noticing any pain as she butchered herself like a slab of meat to free her baby from the womb that was now suffocating it.

It was small, pink skinned and silent as death, Kushina stared heartbroken at the still, silent baby, at her precious, beloved son, she quickly realised that the red of the baby's hair was blood, he hadn't inherited her fiery crimson locks. But it didn't matter because he was so clearly Uzushio, and in him she could see the spirits of the family she lost. Now there was another Uzumaki and she was going to lose him too.

No. Not again, never again. She couldn't accept it, she refused. She would not lose her family, not if she could do anything to stop it. "Wake up!" Kushina whispered fiercely, almost a hiss. She could feel the beginning of a whimper climb up her throat. She did her best to force what little chakra she had left into her newborn babe "You are a prince! You are an Uzumaki! Damnit, you are MY CHILD and you will live!"

And her son let out a shocked cry, brilliant violet-blue eyes shooting open. Kushina didn't bother to hide the fresh wave of tears that streamed down her soot covered face. Her body collapsed back onto the ground, holding her precious son to her heart as she lay in a puddle of her own blood. But finally she could feel his chakra once more, the fiery energy that was the very essence of the Uzumaki, heavy and raging, swirling, spiraling, like a tempest, and she knew her baby would survive.

"My little storm," she whispered hoarsely to her son, her beautiful Uzumaki son, "Mama's brave, beautiful boy." Her baby was gasping as if in shock, terrified wails torn from delicate little lungs, big ocean colored eyes staring up at her in confusion and bewilderment.

Kushina smiled miserably back down at him through her tears, through the bile she could taste at the back of her throat, through the icy-cold claw of death creeping through her limbs.

"I'm so sorry I'm not going to be here for you," she said, choking out the words despite her exhaustion. "I'm so sorry you're going to have to survive this cruel world without me. But I know you'll grow strong. You will survive because you are an Uzumaki.... you will be the one of the last Uzumaki out there. You are my child, the Prince of Eddies, and when I'm gone," Her glassy eyes shone with sadness "when I'm gone, you will be the last Heir to the Whirlpool."

"I wish I could be here to teach you what that means, to teach you what being a child of Uzushiogakure means... I wish I could teach you our history, our customs, because I know that Konoha won't teach you, I just know," Kushina couldn't help her bitter laugh, or the pulse of anger in her chest that came with it. "All they'll care about is your loyalty to their village, not a dead one that they failed to protect.You will be the last of our clan, the last of the Uzumaki... the last to hold the flame of Uzushio inside you. Don't lose that spark... no matter what happens, please don't lose that flame... because you'll be the last..."

Kushina fell silent, taking her time to use her rapidly failing strength to hold her son close. Her son... she and Minato had chosen his name long before he was born.

Kushina changed the angle of her head slightly so she could press her lips against her son's forehead, ignoring how she left a bloody smudge against the baby's tart-pink skin. She found herself murmuring, "Naruto... your name is Uzumaki Naruto."

They chose the name Naruto, after the main character in Jiraiya's novel (and a little bit after her favourite ramen topping, if she was being honest).

'Maelstrom'... she wasn't sure why but it seemed right, maybe it was the sudden shock of his stormy chakra, or his deep blue eyes, like the swirling depths of a spiral... whatever it was, it just sounded right.

"Naruto, my little maelstrom," she brushed a single strand of blonde hair out of his face, and slowly her eyes shut.

Despite her expectations, she didn't die there, but Kushina was correct in her grim certainty that she wouldn't get to raise her child. But she did live to hold the Kyuubi down, she did survive to witness Minato seal the demon-fox into her infant son for the sake of a village she couldn't help but spend her last moments hating with every gods-be-damned fiber of her being, and she survived to watch as the seal etched onto Naruto stomach glowed, before finally she was laid to rest.

A/N

This is my first fanfic so please don't judge too harshly, I'm always open to constructive criticism though :)

Comments and voting are heavily encouraged. 

Remember you are loved and appreciated, drink lots of water, and treat yourself sometimes, you deserve it.

Anyway have a nice day/night.

Disclaimer

I Do NOT own the Naruto series, that belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, I own only my original characters and the plot.