They had been playing the same, old game for years.

It wasn't anything new. This attraction that lay dormant, bubbling beneath the surface, unexplored. It was uncharted territory both were unsure to tread into. Both were well aware of the other's feelings, but neither acted upon them. Ever since the incident with Minato rescuing Kushina that faithful night, neither had dared to bring up the matter. No opportunities opened up with Minato getting the opportunity to lead his own team. Jiraiya had continuously teased the two.

They would fight, tease and even flirt. They would get close and then...Retreat. Neither would bother to go as far as they did that one night long ago, no actual contact. Just brushes, smiles and lingering gazes.

It was almost as if they hoped that if they ignored it, the whole thing would just vanish.

But, while Minato seemed fine with this tactic, Kushina was growing tired of it...Not to mention irritated.

She wanted him to notice her and hold her. More than anything, she craved the idea of being with him. As stupid and childish it was, she still had the biggest crush on him, and it bothered her that he seemed to be oblivious to her feelings. They had pushed things aside in the past, mainly because they were kids and love was dismissed as cooties. But now, Kushina was nothing less of a grown woman (close enough anyway, she was already eighteen) and a full fledged ninja. She had all the time in the world to settle things between them. Sure, Minato was now in charge of students, but there would be those rare moments where he'd be free.

Yet, they said nothing.

All things considered, she didn't know why she was waiting for him to make the first move. Maybe it was because he had been the first boy to compliment her hair, therefore be the first man to ask her out? But, most likely, it was her stubborn sort of desire to win this unspoken game of theirs. She couldn't help but let her arrogant and impulsive side show every once in a while. After all this time spent flirting and teasing, she wanted him to be the one to buckle down and admit the truth.

She knew how hard it would be, I mean, he was the famous Yellow Flash after all. But, she liked a challenge. After weeks and weeks of the growing tension, the already impatient teenaged girl was fed up.

They were sparring on the training ground in the forests of the Hidden Leaf. The sun was setting and Jiraiya had promised to take Minato's team out on their mission. The kids were no doubt wondering where their sensei had gone and whining about the perverted drunkard that was supposed to be supervising them. They would be unhappy to find out their sensei had skipped out on a mission with them just for a much needed workout. He wasn't looking forward to explaining his absence the next day.

So, while they assisted in whatever duty the Hokage had assigned them, the jinchūriki and the jōnin held a fierce training session in the secluded field surrounded by trees. The gentle breeze stirred the woman's long, red locks of hair. She smirked, knowing they had absolute privacy to battle it out.

It was the perfect time to strike.

She dodged his Rasengan, feeling the heat emanating from the ball of chakra and Kushina hardly had time to duck as one of his specialized kunai knives flew her way. She slipped under his roundhouse kick, already expecting his appearance and sent out shuriken of her own. He vanished once again, reappearing behind her and hoping to catch her by surprise.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Kushina saw right through his attack, knowing even before he did that it would come to this. She twisted away from the oncoming onslaught of shuriken. The one time she just wanted to talk to him, he decided to take the whole fight seriously. Typical Minato.

The steel weapon nicked one of her thighs and she suppressed a yelp. She glared at him with that poison most feared, getting more irritated when he smirked in response. She absolutely hated it when he won against her at anything. Especially when it was something they shared common ground on. Both of them being shinobi always seemed to be one of the many problems.

Minato's hand opened up, forming another Rasengan in his palm. He leaped up, driving the condensed chakra toward her. She effortlessly avoided it, and followed up with a powerful punch. Kushina hadn't expected the distance between them to be so wide, so she stumbled slightly forward in her counterattack, closing the space between her fist and his chest. Unwittingly, she put a bit too much force behind the punch. He slid back a few meters before finally hitting a tree, his back bouncing off the trunk with a sickening thump that make Kushina flinch.

He raised an eyebrow at her, still sporting an unimpressed, challenging grin. She poked her tongue out at him, which was her way of apologizing. That's what he got for going easy on her.

Pushing himself up, he didn't hesitate to get back on the offensive. However, Kushina had other plans. She had only invited him out to the field under the disguise of a spar so that she could confront him. And she was going to get what she wanted.

Instead of letting one of his thunder kunai land behind her like he expected, she snapped it out of the air with one of her own kunai knives. She agilely flipped over to him, landing right on top of him. His back met the ground and he released a surprised and breathless grunt.

After a few seconds for his mind to comprehend what was happening, he sighed. "Kushina...Get off."

She propped herself up proudly on his chest proudly, straddling him. Her hands rested on either side of his head and their faces were so close she could feel his breath on her lips. She'd been waiting for this moment for a long time.

"No." She frowned, examining the blonde haired teenager. "Not until you talk to me, Minato."

"We can talk as soon as you get off and-"

"No." She repeated sternly. "You never have time to talk. I know you're a busy guy. Can you just hear me out?"

Minato growled, obviously annoyed with the stubbornness of this girl. "Fine." He stopped struggling under her. "Talk to me."

She grinned triumphantly, leaning a little closer. His cheeks flushed, almost as red as her hair, and she relished the feeling of beating him at something. Sure, he was one of the most talented shinobi in the entire village and maybe in all of history, but he was reduced to an awkward teenage boy when she was around. A small part of her was still holding hope that he would break first, that she would actually win a round in their present-yet-not relationship.

"Well, I actually don't have much to say..." She murmured in that captivating tone of hers, inching nearer. He swallowed thickly, and she hovered just a few centimeters from his lips, stopping herself short. She could feel him squirming uneasily beneath her again, his blue eyes avoiding her gaze at all costs.

She had him. She had won.

She was just about to pull away and laugh at this adorable teenage boy, but before she could even comprehend what was happening, he strained his neck up and kissed her gently, closing the gap between their lips.

She melted against him, her arms threatening to give out as he kissed her with a passion that was so new and exciting, she yearned for more. He moved against her and it took every bit of her will to suppress the moan from escaping her lips. She wasn't about to lose to him now, not after she had practically tasted victory. But, she felt her control vanishing and she nearly gave into the sweet, satisfying warmth that had found its way into her veins, corrupting every part of her body. The stubborn part of her still wanted to win more than anything. Sure, she had been winning the battle, but there was still the war to consider.

His arms wrapped around her back and she could hardly contain a groan. He deepened the kiss, flipping them slowly. Kushina barely noticed the change in positions, opting instead to run her fingers through his blonde hair. She still couldn't grasp the fact that the Minato Namikaze was kissing her of all people.

Sure, she forced it on him, but still...

He was pressed to her completely now, and neither seemed to want to stop their embrace. They only pulled away when air became a necessity.

"K-Kushina..." He panted against her lips, his eyes half lidded and dazed. She rested her head in the crook of his neck, her breath on his skin making him shiver. He was breathless. "Kushina."

"Hm?" She hummed innocently, already snatching his collar and yanking him back to her lips. She didn't want to talk anymore. She wanted their actions to say everything she couldn't.

"I-I..." Minato genuinely tried to form a coherent sentence but found himself failing miserably as her intoxicating scent enveloped the air around him once more. Throwing caution to the wind, he rejoined her. This girl was going to be the death of him.

Kushina wanted more than anything to give into the tempting tide, but she couldn't bring herself to let go just yet. She needed him to first. But, he held on tight, keeping the kisses passionate and his caresses light. She itched to touch him, to extinguish the fire that had caught, but doing so would mean certain defeat.

After another lustful kiss, Minato had somehow found his words again.

"Truce...?" He murmured, as if reading into her inner struggle. She blinked at him in shock. Truce? Was that even acceptable at this point?

Was calling of the fight, if even for a moment, even an option?

He ran his fingers down her sides to her hips and she audibly groaned.

"Fine." She sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck and drawing him in again. "Truce."