AN: Here we are with another chapter. I'm sorry this one took awhile, I believe you'll understand why when you read.

She was standing before him, all warmth and quiet reassurance. She was calm.

Minato might have found it strange before, having Kushina Uzumaki of all people react rationally to insolence, but that seemed to be just the case.

And there he was, the exact opposite, quiet anger seething below the worry. There had been nothing level-headed about his reaction earlier upon hearing the man's words. Rage had blinded him, thick and burning and he had found himself at her side without thinking - infuriated with the injustice of the cruel words, with the insult, with the implied actions of moments ago.

Despite his reputation, Minato couldn't honestly consider himself a violent man; but the events of the evening had for the first time in a long while had him exercise restraint despite the drunken stupor of her assailants.

And it had been her calmness that had rooted him, her touch jolting him, steadying him, her fingers still holding onto his haori sleeve discreetly.

He had to squash the impulse to take her hand in his own as he swallowed past his irrational concern. Of course she was well. She was more than capable of handling three intoxicated fools.

"They are not worth the breath you spare them, ya know." she said quietly and he exhaled, nodding once in assent.

She was right, of course. He knew it. A part of him was acknowledging the absurdity of finding himself in a situation where his fiery friend would have to calm him down. Somehow he couldn't help picturing his sensei having a good laugh about it; This girl has you malfunctioning, he would say and Minato had to reluctantly admit that no one was as capable of burning through his rationality quite as well as Kushina Uzumaki.

She was looking at him now with mild surprise, said calmness settled resolutely in her eyes. There was a fire in her look, an unwavering emotion brought to the forefront.

"I… thank you. I had things under control-" she started saying before breaking off her own sentence, seemingly feeling rather than seeing the looks boring into them despite the Uchihas' best attempts to get the crowd moving.

He did his best not to react as he felt her fingers slip away from his sleeve, Kushina taking a modest step away from him. Her eyes briefly jumped to the people about them, a frown blossoming on her face before her hands shot up to her hair, trying to smooth it out with a low groan.

"Great, more rumours to be had. It's times like these that make me want to disappear altogether, ya know." she said through mild annoyance and Minato couldn't stop his own lopsided smile.

"You know, I'm kind of an expert at just that." he said mildly and the gleam in her eyes was dangerously disarming.

Her lips quirked up in a mischievous smile and he felt the worry and anger of earlier dissipating in her easy mirth.

"I might take you up on that offer."

He chanced a quick glance in Shikaku's direction over her head, only to see the Konoha police had made their way to where his friends were standing. His eyes skimmed over the dark-haired man who just smiled at him, ushering Yoshino-san down the street, before landing on Inoichi and Choza. His blonde friend seemed to sigh, shrugging his shoulders and motioning ahead.

Minato was no mind-reader, unlike Inoichi himself, but he knew a thing or two about reading people. His smile held every apology as he nodded at them before turning back to Kushina.

"Any preferences?" he quipped and his casual tone seemed to make her chuckle.

"After a day like this one, somewhere near a wardrobe with more practical clothing would be ideal, ya know."

Minato huffed in amusement, casting his senses out for his Hiraishin markers and finding the nearest one to her home; it was still some streets away, but hopefully far enough from the festival to offer some peace and quiet. Within moments he had extended a hand, palm up, a clear invitation.

Her choice; always her choice.

She sighed, reaching forward and brushing her fingers against his. He briefly wondered if the warmth of her touch would ever stop delighting him, feeling his lips quirk up in response as he pulled them both forward through space and time.

The familiar constriction was over in an instant and he found himself in a calm alleyway next to an intersection, Kushina exhaling a pent-up breath from beside him.

"Better?"

"Much. Thank you. Though I've just come to realise that disappearing into thin air with a man would probably not help ease the rumours, ya know."

His eyes widened as he understood what she was implying and he couldn't help the warmth that sneaked up his neck, one hand shooting up to rub the back of his head.

"Ah… I didn't… I didn't think…"

Her soft laughter silenced his ramblings.

"Relax, Mina-chan. It's worth the escape. And they'd talk anyway, what with your daring rescues, ya know." she said, aiming a light punch at his arm, grin never leaving her face.

She looked about as she spoke, recognition lighting in her eyes, just as he sighed in mock-exasperation.

"You'll never drop the Mina-chan, will you?"

"Nope." she said in a sing-song voice as she made to head for her home and he fell into step without thinking, shaking his head with a smile.

Gamariki-san had ruined this one long ago.

"You said once you had left your tags at important locations in Konoha." she said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind one ear and Minato could have sworn there was a nervous edge in her voice.

Was she remembering the conversation they had had so many months ago, in between the chorus of summer cicadas?

"Yes?"

"I guess I was just wondering what's significant about that alley. No offence to Konoha's picturesque architecture, ya know…"

He laughed (and by Gods, wasn't he doing that constantly when he was around her?), finally grasping what she was going for.

"I left some at intersections in the different quadrants too. In case an emergency necessitated quick movement about the village."

"Ah. Like when a friend finds herself in an embarrassing situation, ya know?"

"Amongst other emergencies, yes." he said before his smile faltered, a tint of seriousness entering his voice with the following quiet words. "What happened earlier?"

She shrugged, walking ahead without glancing at him.

"A bit too forward with their advances, ya know. Not too bright, to force their touch on someone in a village full of shinobi."

And just like that the anger was back, Minato stilling by her side. He had assumed it was something along those lines, but hearing it somehow felt worse. An image came to him uninvited, of rough hands grabbing her wrist, pulling her forward forcefully and something lurched inside, tearing at him from the inside. His eyes once again landed on the loose strands of her braid, now dancing with the breeze, and the hana kanzashi that had skewered sideways in her outburst.

He didn't even realise his hand had balled in a fist until he noticed Kushina had stopped beside him too, glancing at his hands before meeting his look once again.

"Minato… you do know I could have handled them, right?"

"I know." he said, swallowing thickly, grasping for the rationality that eluded him as his mind kept coming back to the cruel insults. "I didn't step in because I thought you couldn't… I just…"

He exhaled, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. She was looking at him quietly, expectantly, head leaned to one side, and he forced himself to exhale the pent up breath he had been holding.

"I've known you can handle trouble since the day I met you." he said, small smile gracing his lips, "But this was different, what that man said, I… I didn't think, I was furious... I just reacted."

Kushina was quiet for awhile as she held his look, a wavering emotion settling in the folds of her eyes, fragile and elusive in her silences. Within moments it was gone, a teasing smile gracing her lips instead.

"The ever sensible Minato Namikaze, losing control over a drunk's potty mouth?"

I've been losing control since the day I met you, he wanted to say, but he swallowed past the words uncomfortably.

Did she know it? Did she have any idea what she meant to him? Did she know how radiant she was, fiery hair coming to life in the dusk under the soft glow of the lanterns, flickering light playing in her locks, captivating eyes spelling out mischief even when she was wrapped in the elegance of her kimono?

"You give me too much credit. My control is not nearly as infallible as you make it out to be." he heard himself say quietly before reason caught up with him.

The look she flashed him then was entirely too knowing, her breath catching with his words, and he found himself inwardly cursing those two cups of sake he had had along Choza and Inoichi earlier in the night.

"Beats mine." was her whispered reply as she fixed the ground with a frown and he felt his heart skip a beat.

Before he could contemplate what her words could mean she had squared her shoulders, looking up with some new-found resolve.

Her next words caught him completely off guard.

"Do you want to train?"

The surprise gave him pause as he beheld her, so graceful in her traditional wear, all flowing elegance and subtle fire, now asking him to spend the remainder of Hanami sparring. Leave it to her to find a way to solve any conundrum with a fist.

And it was so very Kushina that he thought it was the most unsurprising startling thing that she could have said.

Laughter bubbled to his lips and before he knew it he was laughing merrily, the redhead staring at him with wide eyes.

"Now?"

She shrugged. "As good a time as any."

He couldn't help his further chuckles, throwing an unguarded look down her otherwise lovely kimono and she frowned as she grasped the implication.

"I can change, though you should know I can kick your ass in a kimono just as well, ya know."

He hmmed quietly, tilting his head with an amused smile, the challenge clear in his eyes and she simply quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh you're on." she said and he grinned, feeling excitement rush down his body.

It had been too long.

"Where?"

He could see it only then dawned on her that the training fields were mostly occupied by the festival goers.

It was tradition to spend the Yozakura outside below the cherry trees for whoever favoured the old customs, staying up to welcome the first light of the spring day. The clearings of the training fields made for excellent picnic spots on the very day that most active shinobi took off as well.

Hanami was generally not a day to train. But then again the fiery woman before him was anything but traditional.

"How about the dojos?" she said and he had no sooner considered it before the lopsided smile had returned to his lips.

The shared training halls were just as readily available for shinobi at any time of the day as the fields, although they were mostly favoured in days of severe weather conditions, if at all - ninja weren't fond of enclosed spaces, even if the dojos were spacious enough to accommodate an active spar.

And even if they were neatly maintained by the newly-minted genin who suffered through their D-ranks - as he had found out the hard-way in the early days of his team, polishing the halls' floors with Mikoto and Tora while Jiraya sipped his tea outside - the use of ninjutsu was mostly frowned upon inside.

So it would have to be taijutsu then. The thought must have occurred to her too, for her smile had turned mischievous - she was good at taijutsu and she knew it. Her stamina could put most shinobi to shame.

But then he wasn't half bad either.

"Race you there?" he said, the thrill of anticipation curling in his voice.

"What sane person would ever race you anywhere?" she said, but she was already turning, dashing ahead, and he laughed, activating his Hiraishin.

Tsunade sighed, fastening the straps of her backpack. Before her loomed the northern gates of Konoha, guarded by the few unlucky shinobi who hadn't been able to take a night off despite the Hanami festival, now turned Yozakura in the late hours of the day.

She hadn't exactly planned on attending so the abrupt mission had bothered her very little, which was more than she could say for her four teammates who seemed most displeased with their urgent assignment.

Still, it couldn't be helped. They had lost two more medics as their supply lines had been hit in a successful enemy infiltration mission. Konoha had reciprocated by sending their own team behind enemy lines, lead by Konoha's White Fang.

In light of it all Jiraya had left earlier during the day while she had requested her own appointment. Thankfully it had been swiftly granted under the circumstances.

Which was good, because she might have left anyway if the mission desk had delayed - it was Dan's team that had been affected after all. She hadn't been able to go to him during the last critical skirmish at the Tokutsukai Pass on account of being elbow-deep in a man's torso, trying to get his heart running at that time; medical emergencies rarely agreed with personal commitments, but this time they somehow had. She wouldn't sit out again.

She had to suppress the urge to sigh as she contemplated how very typical for Dan it was that he would always find himself in life-threatening situations. He barely thought of himself, always rushing to aid others instead.

But then wasn't that a part of why she loved him so?

And the very reason why he would make Hokage one day?

She glanced back one last time and headed towards the open gates in a firm step, followed by her team. If all went well, they should be back soon, along with Dan by her side. His return was long due.

"Marry me, Tsume."

She rolled her eyes, catching the last dango ball between her teeth and flicking the thin stick at the nearby wooden beam. It struck sharply, imbedding itself right beside her previous throws, thrumming in place with the momentum.

He was leaning casually on the wooden bench across from her, arms spread languidly over the backrest as he eyed her through a disarming grin. His yukata was loosened at his waist, displaying the well-toned upper part of his torso and her eyes kept wandering down as he no doubt intended.

There was an unmistakable easy bravado to everything he did, a sharp confidence that was about him even when he was simply observing her with alcohol-fueled lust. It would have been enough to pique her interest, but then he was handsome to boot. His ruggish charm and sharp wit had won her over, along with his bark of a laughter that he demonstrated often, with no remorse.

He laughed at her crass jokes and made crude comments too, rarely keeping his hands to himself. He was unapologetically forward and nonchalant and she had taken him to bed most willingly, more eager than with any of her previous partners.

She hadn't exactly planned on keeping him around.

But the one night had turned to many and she was soon meeting him for lunch. Before long he was spending the night and she had started seriously debating cutting him out of her life before she got too attached, when the incident happened.

She had heard that the kunoichi pills issued regularly to all active female shinobi were not infallible, but she had never thought she'd end up in that dreadful two percent margin. Not until one morning had found her on her knees in an alley, throwing up so violently that she thought she might have brought up remains from the feast she had had a month past.

And here they were now, in a most unexpected situation. If she had been from any other clan she might have been disowned, but thankfully the Inuzukas had always been mostly slack with customs, gleefully laughing in the face of tradition.

Still, a child out of wedlock might be pushing it. Oh he'd marry her alright. But on her terms.

"What makes you think I want to wed you?" she said, smirk widening to show her canines.

Most men would flinch. He only grinned harder and she had to wonder if there had ever been a challenge that he hadn't met with a lackadaisical smile.

"Because our son would like having me around."

She quirked an eyebrow.

"Oh? A son, huh?"

"Of course. He'll be as strong as his father, you'll see. He already kicked those pills in the balls. He'll be unstoppable, I'm telling you."

Her look darted to his bare chest, eyeing how the muscles rippled just so when he shifted his weight as he spoke.

"Oh the little leech is strong, I'll give it that. Which is why it'll be a girl."

His deep laughter reverberated in his chest, good-natured chuckles showing off a set of brilliant teeth.

"A girl then. A little flower."*

"A thorny one. She'll be an Inuzuka after all."

His grin had turned predatory as his eyes so clearly wandered down her body.

"Don't I know it." he said, finishing off his sake cup in one quick move. "So what do you think, Kuromaru? Have I got her now?"

Her companion lifted his head lazily and gave a short bark before returning to his contented rest beside their table.

She wondered if she would have even spared the man a second glance if her canine friend hadn't liked the arrogant shit. But Kuromaru had taken to him like fish to water, much as she herself had.

"So? What say you, beautiful?"

Her grin was as sharp as fangs.

"Why not? You'll have to take my clan's name though. Wolf blood flows through my veins and it won't change anytime soon."

"I expected nothing else." he said and the victorious gleam in his eyes was enough to melt even her wild heart.

The strict-looking lady who was minding the training halls didn't seem at all surprised to see her as Kushina entered the shared premises and she soon understood why - the dojos were not as deserted as she would have expected them to be. Other shinobi who didn't favour the festival seemed to have had the same brilliant idea and she heard the quiet swish of clothing from behind the slammed shoji of a couple of halls - people running through katas and sparring lightly over the soft wooden floors.

Her own footsteps were silent as she padded down the corridor, her movement slowing down with each step she took. Her hands twitched, opening and closing, agitation burning at the very the tip of her fingers, coursing through her. A sense of foreboding had overcome her, a frazzled feeling zinging on the inside as if she was staring in the face of an uncontrollable storm.

She heard the distant thuds even before she reached the following shoji left ajar, and she knew that unlike the previous open ones this hall wouldn't be empty.

Minato was already there, having arrived first, as she knew he no doubt would. The subtle scent of cherry blossoms reached her as she entered the room, pausing to take off her sandals at the door, besides his own.

The opposite paper screens had been thrown open in the mild spring time, revealing the modest engawa beyond and the large yard where the blooming trees were scattering their petals all about.

Minato was leaning on one of the wooden beams of the porch, twirling a three-pronged kunai deftly in his fingers.

A final flick and he grasped the handle swiftly, throwing it with merciless accuracy at the largest tree some yards away in the garden. Its blade embedded itself beside three other kunai with a now-familiar thud.

As he did so he turned, clearly having felt her approach and his crooked smile upon seeing her was enough to make her heart skip a beat.

His untamable hair was even more tousled in his rush, bangs falling freely in his eyes in the absence of a forehead protector, giving him a carefree look. He had stopped by his place, evidently, now having changed in his standard shinobi blues. But his signature arm bands were missing, sleeves rolled up instead, and she felt a twinge of satisfaction at knowing that at least he had been in a rush. He didn't think her that slow. Perhaps she could have stood a chance too, if she hadn't also taken the time to change into her training lightwear.

Then again perhaps not, she thought as her eyes jumped to the Hiraishin-marked kunai outside. Darn his inhumane speed.

"I was beginning to wonder whether you'd changed your mind." he quipped casually and she rolled her eyes despite the smile that sprung to her lips.

"Hardy-har." she said, sliding the shoji door closed behind her as she went, padding barefoot ahead. "Why, were you hoping for an easy win, ya know?"

"Not at all." he answered mildly, pleasantly, as she approached. "Ground rules?"

She considered, sweeping the room with a glance. It was suitable for friendly skirmishes, mostly bare save for a large table for personal items beside the entrance, which was adorned with a lavish ikebana. Not much, but probably precious, even if well away from the area designated for sparring. Better not to go wild.

"No nin." she said and he nodded, clearly having expected as much.

"How about seals?" he asked and his ever-present smile had acquired a mischievous tint.

Her answering smirk had an edge to it. Oh this would be a showdown that would be interesting to behold. Her sealing mastery had long reached expert levels under the tutelage of both her parents, but Minato didn't seem to have fallen far behind. And even if they had discussed ideas and ran techniques past each other in their recent travels, Kushina had barely scratched the surface of what she knew. Somehow she was certain the same could be said for him.

But much like ninjutsu, fuinjutsu could get plenty messy and wonderfully explosive with enough agency and with two Seal Masters at hand. It was a spar best left for another time.

And wouldn't it be interesting to see how he did without his signature move.

"None. Strictly tai." she said, lips still quirked up.

Minato simply nodded. He was too smart to be taken off guard, already having guessed at her choice. And yet he didn't seem one bit worried, anticipation coiled in his look instead as he pushed away from the beam he had been leaning on.

His steps were measured, unhurried, not taking his eyes off her as he stood across from her in the training hall, smile slowly slipping from his face, replaced with a calculating look. Within seconds he had taken a combat stance and Kushina realised with a pang that it was an unfamiliar one, his taijutsu clearly having changed with the years as had he.

Interesting.

Her one hand dipped in the kunai pouch strapped to her leg and she swiftly took out a blade, raising it before her face while he readied a three-pronged one.

She could feel a thrill run through her in the hush, raising the fine hairs on the back of her neck as if in static.

And then, Minato disappeared.

He came at her from the side, his base speed being good enough even without Hiraishin to almost catch her off-guard.

Almost.

He saw her eyes widen fractionally, body reacting in instinct as she swiveled in the last moment, bringing an arm up to block his hit. Minato was already flowing sideways in his momentum, leg brought up for a sidekick and he felt her chakra rush forward, coursing brightly through her body as she blocked firmly with a chakra-infused hand, trying to throw him off-balance and gain leverage.

He jumped back instead, neatly landing in a crouch some meters away.

"Yellow Flash, huh? I wonder how that came about."

He couldn't help the smile that sprung to his lips as he rose.

"My turn." she said and she was on him in an agile leap, kunai raised for a stab.

He dodged easily, lightly sidestepping her, and tried for a flank attack. This time she was prepared, switching stances fluidly to keep up with him and he could feel his lips quirking up; she was adjusting quickly, already having grasped his pattern to avoid frontal attacks, using his superior speed for taking enemies unawares.

Her stance was solid, but mobile enough to allow her agility in close combat; her taijutsu had become more aggressive through the years as she seemed to have made full use of her abnormal chakra quantities, enhancing her blows. Her movements were fiery, strikes sharp and powerful, interspersed with high kicks, bleeding chakra and swishing past alarmingly, but his style was well-suited to hers.

While she relied on power and stamina, his ace was swiftness, sidestepping her, waiting for an opening and relying on his speed to make use of each one such.

She seemed to have grasped as much, suddenly cutting him off with a feign, weapon brought up for a horizontal slash and he reciprocated, their kunais clashing with a spark.

A small smile appeared on his lips as her blade lodged between two prongs of his unusual one and he twisted his kunai to the side, sending her own flying a few feet away from them with ease.

She didn't pause, her now-free hand grasping his armed one as she aimed a crippling punch to his kidney with her left. He intercepted it instantly, fluidly parrying her blow and locking her other arm with his, eyes falling on her face in the brief stillness of their impasse.

Determination was burning in her eyes, face flushed in their spar, breath coming out in huffs through her parted lips and he felt a different kind of excitement swirl through him momentarily, coiling thick in the pit of his stomach.

Her smirk was the only indication of what might follow then as she took advantage of his pause. His eyes widened as she brought a knee up, aiming a merciless blow at his now unprotected crotch.

Only his instantaneous reflexes saved him from the ridiculous amount of pain she would have put him in as he let go of her arm, pushing it well away from his torso. His palm blocked her kick in the last second, impact jarring up his arm, and he jumped away from her grasp with a chakra-infused leap.

"Now that's playing dirty." he said and her lopsided smirk deepened.

"No one said we're playing fair."

She didn't let him catch his breath, dashing forwards again and Minato found himself momentarily pressed on the defensive as they flowed through stances, trading blows rhythmically. His mind was racing ahead, noting every detail of her moves and twisting them, appraising them, connecting patterns and mapping out her style in his head.

Before long he had stopped her advances, making use of small openings that couldn't match his speed. He saw her following attack coming in advance, anticipating the high kick and he easily glided out of touch, using this chance to counter.

Her momentum carried her ahead in a whirl, ponytail whipping about her as she went and he dived forward nimbly. She tensed, breaking her own move mid-spin and leaping away in a catflip, but not before his kunai clipped her hair in her turn.

His eyes absently followed the lock of scarlet strands that swirled to the floor, Kushina landing in a crouch some feet away, steadying herself with a hand on the ground. The hairband holding her tresses back had torn, letting her hair spill out in a wild jumble of fiery red and Minato felt the hairs on his arms raise - in that single moment of time she looked feral, untamable, a force of nature framed in flames.

She was glorious.

He felt his body shift forward without thinking in response, giving in to instinct as he lunged at her in a swift move, a new primal agitation driving him. She leapt back intuitively, barely keeping up with his moves as their dynamic shifted and he pressed on the offensive now, a recklessness seeping in him despite the oncoming weariness.

If he could only reach her, touch her, grasp that flame that was driving her-

In no time they had crossed the hall in her retreat and her eyes widened as she realised he had cornered her, back pressed against the wall. Her momentary surprise was all that he needed as he dodged a fiery punch, leaping sideways and aiming his three-pronged kunai at her exposed side.

It all happened within an instance.

She saw him move and realised he had caught her off-guard, stance not allowing for an easy block. And then her eyes narrowed as her chakra flared, almost blinding in its intensity. Solid chakra chains shot out of her side, rattling in the silence, extending between them in a flash.

His hand slammed in the newly-formed invisible barrier, the blade grinding sideways along its surface with a ringing noise and twisting out of his fingers as his knuckles connected painfully with impenetrable thick air. If he hadn't slowed down his thrust to avoid actually stabbing her he might have broken his hand right there and then.

A ripple ran along the barrier's surface and he found himself thrown back, landing forcefully on one knee some distance away, directing a stunned look at her.

She could physically manifest her chakra? And she hadn't mentioned it once.

"I thought we said no nin." he panted, and she shrugged, a victorious smirk dancing on her face.

His lips quirked up in response and his hand dove in his holster with lightning speed, coming up with a three-pronged blade. He saw her eyes widen again as she sensed what might follow, but she had no time to react; the Hiraishin kunai he had given her all those months ago was still in her weapons pouch, thrumming familiarly with his seal and within a fraction of a second he had pulled himself across the distance right before her, pinning her against the wall with a blade at her throat.

They both froze, a stillness settling about them with the sudden hush, broken only by the distant whisper of the leaves outside.

Kushina was staring up at him with wide eyes, the fire of their spar still burning in her look. Her throat moved silently against the light kiss of the steel blade as she barely shifted her weight against him. A drop of sweat slid down her temple and past the shell of her ear, following the curve of her neck where her pulse measured hurriedly in the hollow of her throat, and he found himself transfixed.

He was suddenly all too aware just how close they were standing, pressed against her as he was in his attempt to disarm her. He could feel the heat of her skin, her face flushed from their spar, lips parted in quick shallow breaths. Her maddening scent that seemed to cling to her very skin and hair was all about him, engulfing him, and he swallowed thickly past a dry throat.

"I thought we said no seals." she said quietly, barely audibly, eyes never leaving his.

"I remember someone said we weren't playing fair."

His voice had come out huskier than he had intended and her breath caught, an imperceptible shiver running through her. Her heart had gone flying again as she bit her lip in habit, and his eyes flickered down on their own accord. Desire swirled low in his stomach and he could have groaned, fire running through him as he swayed in one place.

But he had sworn he'd never do this, never take from her. Never force his touch on her.

He didn't know if he had masked the pained look on his face as he willed himself to close his eyes, even if her lips kept dancing before him, imprinted in his mindscape for constant torment. His senses, so acutely tuned in on her, kept spelling her out, her drumming heart deafening in the stillness, the intoxicating scent of her hair and her heat painting her anew, her breath whispering against his skin.

She'd drive him mad.

And the effort it took to pull away from her in that instant might have been the hardest thing he'd done.

Within a heartbeat the kunai disappeared from her throat and he had jumped back as if burned, finding himself a few good meters from her in a flash.

Kushina didn't budge, glued as she was to the wall, staring at him through wide eyes, breathing heavily.

"I... Forgive me." he managed through a hoarse throat, gulping past the dryness. "I didn't mean… I'll go."

His moves were rigid, agitated, as he made for the door, passing by her in a rush.

"Don't."

The quiet word froze him in his tracks and Minato rooted to the spot, an involuntary tremor running through his hand. He felt chills running down his spine, his mask slipping as he turned.

"You know-" he started, meeting her fiery look, "You must know how I…"

Her eyes were pained, conflicted, wild in her agonizing silences.

"I know."

The rustle of clothing and she shifted, stepping forward deliberately, slowly, as if stealing each step. A desperation was burning in her look now and he felt himself waver on the spot, the thin thread holding his composure near-tearing.

"Tell me it's not reciprocated." he heard himself say, almost pleading with her. Give me one reason... "Tell me to leave."

A hundred emotions seemed to flicker over her face just then as her lips parted wordlessly, breath coming out in huffs. Her eyes were liquid fire, voice barely a whisper, a sigh upon her lips.

"I can't."

He stepped forward without thinking, closing the distance between them within a heartbeat; and then his lips were on hers with an aching desperation, his hand cupping the curve of her neck. Her surprise lasted but a second and then a muffled sigh escaped her as she pressed herself against him, burying her fingers in his hair.

She tasted of wild cherries and of lilac, of orange blossoms and of cassias, and he felt himself dissolve against her lips, commiting her to memory with his touch. His hand slipped down to her waist, fingers brushing against the slip of bare skin below her training top and she whimpered in their kiss.

It was like pouring oil over fire, the flames burning him, erasing any rational thought. His hold on her tightened as he shifted forward and she somehow found herself lifted against the table by the door, the ikebana vase toppling and crashing audibly to the side, forgotten.

His mouth was on hers again, urgently, demandingly, and Kushina responded in kind, pouring a year-worth of yearning in a kiss so long-overdue, her fingers clutching tightly at his collar.

Her legs were about him now, his one hand in her hair, the other slipping down to her hips and pulling her closer; a groan escaped him, drowned in her lips as he felt her pressed against him, and she broke the kiss, panting for air, eyes fluttering open in a wild look. And then his lips were on her neck, trailing kisses to the soft skin below her ear, right beside her fiery locks, and she arched her back most wonderfully.

A soft moan broke through her lips, his name rolling out in a whisper and he felt his knees grow weak, the very room seeming to spin in the heady fire coursing through him as he steadied himself with a hand on the table-

The new chakra imprint burned brightly through his addled mind and he froze, taking much too long to grasp what was happening, his supposedly genius brain thrown into blissful confusion, just as the shoji beside them started opening in a firm grasp.

His eyes locked with Kushina's startled ones for a fraction of a second and then instinct kicked in as he threw them both forward, reaching blindly for the nearest marker he could find.

The shoji slammed open from up ahead with a dull thud just as his reckless Hiraishin teleported them behind the tree in the yard where he had aimed his kunai earlier.

The sour-looking patroness stormed in the training hall with the murderous look of someone who absolutely would not forgive having public property shattered in delirious passionate outbursts.

He paid it no heed, frozen in place with the fiery woman before him, her back pressed against the rough tree bark, hands still clutching his shinobi blues. Her eyes were wide, startled, as if she couldn't quite believe what had just occurred, her breath coming out hard and erratic, much as his own.

"As I said, not nearly as infallible."

His words were a whisper against her skin and she bit her lip through a smile. Of all the habits she had to have, Kushina had ended up with the most maddening one. If only the patroness hadn't entered when she did…

She was warm in his arms now, chakra swirling in frazzled energy, red mane tangled wildly about her and between them.

She was beautiful.

And in that moment he knew, his heart fluttering in his chest - he'd never want anything but the untamable woman before him. Her searing lips had locked a piece of him that would never, could never, be brought back.

The red thread of fate they called it. He felt himself entangled in it; had been, for the longest time.

And then the smile slipped from her face, replaced with a dawning pained grimace, something akin to horror twisting her look.

"I…" she whispered, swallowing past a dry throat and pressing herself back in the tree as much as she could, as if to escape him. "I shouldn't… We shouldn't have done that."

His eyes widened as he took a small step away from her, feeling a chill seep through him. If she had punched him he might have been less winded than with her sudden words.

"Did I…" he started, but she was already shaking her head.

"No. But you and I… we shouldn't... I can't…" she was saying, erratic, voice rushing in oncoming terror as her breathing picked up again for different reasons.

He felt his eyebrows mash in confusion.

"Why?"

Her mouth opened as if to speak, but no words came out, look spelling out a tempest. And then she had side-stepped him, chakra raging below her skin.

"Kushina-" he started, grasping her hand instinctively, but she tore it from his fingers in a swift move.

"Don't. Please don't."

And in a swirl of chakra she had shunshinned away from him, leaving him stunned, staring disbelievingly at the spot where she had just stood.

AN: Well, this is it, the moment. Kind of, pre-confession time, but I've been building up to this for… what is it now, seven years with the HIATUS break? Wow, it's been awhile. So here we are now, finally. I hope I did it justice. I went through so many things in my head over time, through all the great cliches like dramatic rescues and the likes, but then I decided to settle for a simpler one (even if still cliched). I cannot tell you how many times I rewrote this. It's a relatively short chapter, but it was quite hard to write, because I wanted to do it justice without going over the top. And this is why I took a month, I hope you'll forgive me. And I hope that you enjoyed it!

I'd be happy to hear what you think, feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts! And as always, thank you tremendously for all your support! I am passionate about this story, yes, but your kind words make me even more so, knowing I can make people smile!

*My little flower - Because Tsume's daughter's name is Hana, which means "flower" in Japanese. So I thought this might be the inspiration behind her name. (because I couldn't for the life of me figure out why tough-as-balls Tsume Inuzuka would call her daughter "flower" :D )

Ja ne~

Glossary:

engawa: the covered version of a Japanese porch, usually made out of bamboo and supported by wooden pillars, usually running around the house in traditional Japanese houses.

shoji: a door, window or room divider consisting of translucent paper

nin: from ninjutsu - one of the main technique categories - ninjutsu are the ones that require chakra and are quite flashy. Could be neutral (like shadow clones), or elemental affinity bound with earth, fire, air, water or lightning release.

tai: from taijustu - one of the main technique categories - taijutsu refers to any techniques involving martial arts and physical fights.

shunshin: or Body Flicker Technique, which allows the user to move over short distances at great speed.