Three hours and he still hasn't been able to catch her. He is the fastest man in Konoha - the Yellow Flash, for heaven's sake - and he can't even manage to catch a kunoichi with half his speed and a quarter of his brilliance in a simple game of tag. Or, supposed brilliance, to be more accurate. It is, quite literally, child's play, and yet he is utterly confounded. The afternoon sun, beating down through the green foliage overhead, warms the top of his head and shoulders, causing sweat to bead across his forehead, and Minato has to stop and catch his breath in a clearing. He glances up as Kushina lands nimbly on a branch above him.
"Need a time out?" she asks teasingly, straightening up to stand, long legs akimbo and one hand on her hip. She's smug, and he thinks he's never been more annoyed or more in love in his entire life as she grins impishly at him, her jade eyes brimming with mischief.
Minato wipes the sweat from his brow and smiles charmingly back at her. "I just thought I would allow you some time to recuperate before I dazzle you with my superior tagging skills." In all honesty, he is beginning to feel tired, the back of his shirt sticking to his skin in the bright midsummer heat. No matter how fast he moves, she is always just out of his reach - strands of long red hair whipping around a tree trunk, giggling from a branch several feet away…it's like there are multiple Kushina's appearing and reappearing in various locations…
Minato, you're an idiot.
Kushina snorts at his statement and lifts a hand to examine her fingernails. "I think you're the one in need of recuperation, buster, I mean you said the exact same thing ten minutes…" She starts as the blonde shinobi appears directly behind her, blowing a puff of hot air onto the back of her neck.
"How did you…?" Her puzzled statement trails off as she turns to look up into Minato's deeply amused face. He is at least six inches taller than her, and she has to tilt her head back slightly to meet his eyes.
"You were using kage bunshins, weren't you?" Though his voice is accusatory, his bright blue eyes twinkle playfully. Kushina grins guiltily up at him.
"Cheater!" Minato jabs her none too lightly in the shoulder, and she takes a step backwards, rubbing ruefully at the spot where he punched her.
"Give me a break! How else was I supposed to keep up with Konoha's Yellow Flash?" Laughing brightly, she nonchalantly flips a long strand of auburn hair over her shoulder and shrugs. "Besides, you never said we couldn't use clones."
Minato chuckles and bends down to kiss her lightly on the lips. She smells like sweat and dappled sunshine. "Touché" he murmurs, and kisses her deeper.