The next day Team Jiraiya made an early start and now that Kushina knew the pace awaiting her, she was able to split up her resources better than the day before. When they stopped for a short lunch break, she was not as breathless as the day before and although she was quite hungry, she didn't depend on Minato's ration again.

»We're in time«, Jiraiya said joyfully. »If we keep up the pace, we're at the border tomorrow at lunchtime.«

»And what's awaiting us in Uzu no Kuni, Jiraiya-Sensei?«, Ryosuke asked surprisingly not in a completely bored voice.

»Well, what do you think is going to happen? We will go to the main village and deliver the scroll to the leader, of course. Then we hit back.« Jiraiya saw Kushina's disappointed face and added quickly: »This sounds like an easy-peasy mission, but the Hokage told me over and over again that no-one, but the clan leader may lay a hand on this scroll!«

»But couldn't we stay a little longer?«, Kushina asked and if Minato didn't knew better, he would have even called it begging.

»Hokage-sama awaits us back in six days.«, Jiraiya pointed out and Kushina looked to the ground disappointed again. »After all our country is right now in quite dangerous political situations.«

Kushina knew he was right. There were tensions building up between Konohagakure and smaller villages like Amegakure, already ending in battles. The last war ended 20 years ago but a new one seemed to come up in near future. Konoha would need all her shinobi forces if a war was breaking out.

»Why should we stay there longer?« Ryosuke looked at her disparagingly. »What's there to see anyway?«

Kushina's head shot up again, looking at Ryosuke with anger. »You've got no idea! Uzu no Kuni is beautiful, dattebane! There are waterfalls as high as the Hokage tower! And in this time of the year the sea is turquoise blue! There is a market on Saturday in Uzushiogakure with the best food ever! And there are small canals everywhere with little boats on them and the harbor is one of the most beautiful places in the village!«

»Sounds like you've been there before, Kushina-chan.«, Minato remarked and Kushina looked down at the ground again in embarrassment.

»I- I grew up there.«, she admitted and thought back to the time with her family. Sometimes her mother wrote some letters but would she still recognize Kushina if she stood in front of her now? Seven years were a long time after all.

»You are from Uzushiogakure?« Surprised Ryosuke lifted his eyebrows and narrowed them in understanding again. »That's why Hokage-sama wanted you to come with us instead of Teuchi!«

»You've never mentioned that, Kushina-chan.«, Minato said and Kushina gave him a stern look.

»Well, nobody asked me, dattebane!«

Ryosuke actually wanted to tell her, that she was the least person to small talk to, but Minato quickly shook his head and lifted his hands defensively, telling him with this gesture not to provoke an argument again.

»I've just been to Uzushiogakure twice I think.«, Jiraiya tried to save the situation. »I should have known better: Uzumaki is a famous name in Uzushiogakure after all!«

»Really?« Ryosuke gave him a skeptical look. »She doesn't act like being born into an noble clan at all.« Of course this statement made Kushina even more furious but she was taken by surprise when Jiraiya started laughing in a roar and Ryosuke grinned triumphantly. What were those idiots thinking? The Uzumaki-family was highly regarded not only in Uzushiogakure but in whole Uzu-no-Kuni!

»You know, Ryo-kun, there is a saying in Uzushiogakure«, Jiraiya chuckled and leaned closer to his subordinate. »Never ever rattle an Uzumaki's cage.«

Now it was Kushina laughing into Ryosuke's face, who just rolled his eyes again. In contrast to Kushina he wasn't getting furious easily, but he was a nature in annoying other people. Even Minato had lost his temper with Ryosuke at some point and Jiraiya had called this occasion a miracle because usually Namikaze Minato never lost his sunshine-attitude just because someone was mocking him. And Jiraiya knew that, he had tried. A lot.

»Does your family still live there?«, Minato tried to get the conversation back to easier ground. He didn't want to seem too curious, although he obviously was, but Kushina didn't understand his question like an investigation and nodded with a smile on her face.

»I don't get it. Why are you living in Konoha and the rest of your family in Uzushio?«, Ryosuke pointed out the most sensible part again. »Did they want to get rid of you?«

»No, that was not the point!«, Kushina hissed and Jiraiya took a mental note, that this girl's temper changed from second to second. He almost felt sorry for the poor lad who'd end up being her husband. His teammate Tsunade popped up in his mind and he wondered if all women were like them.

»What else is there to see in Uzu no Kuni?«, Minato tried to light up the atmosphere again, an innocent smile on his lips. She looked at him suspiciously but then gave in and thought about it. Ryosuke on the other hand rolled his eyes again, saying: »What about eddies, Minato?«

»The whole land does not consist of eddies!«, Kushina protested.

»But they are there, aren't they?«, Ryosuke fired back. Jiraiya sighted – This would be a long travel with those two brats! Why did he always get the complicated ones?

And again it was Minato who cheered up the general mood by asking something, that caught even Jiraiya by surprise: »What are eddies?«

For one moment, they just looked at Minato startled. Then Jiraiya and Ryosuke started roaring and Kushina observed confused, that Minato joined their laughing still a bit embarrassed. Kushina gave everyone who laughed at her a punch on the nose, so why was Minato laughing, too?

»I know it sounds ridiculous«, he grinned and scratched the back of his head. »And I know that eddies are currents in the sea but I've never seen one before.«

»Of course you have!«, Ryosuke contradicted. »You've never removed the plug in the bathing tube?«

»That's the same like in the sea of Uzu no Kuni? But where does the water go? Are there holes in the sea ground?«

»Well… No.« All of the sudden Jiraiya had to admit that Minato's question wasn't that stupid at all. »Well… There are different currents in the sea of Uzu no Kuni because of the U-shape of the coast in the southwest and the northwest. So the coast diverts the water and the different currents collide. The different water temperatures between the warm coastal water and the cold water of the ocean is causing eddies at particular places in the sea.«

»So they are not everywhere?«, Minato tried to understand his sensei's explanation. »Are we going to see some?«

»Of course we are.« Jiraiya beamed at him. »There are eddies in the bathing areas of Uzu no Kuni, too! If you want, you can join me, Mina-chan! We could tell everyone you are my cute little son again, that was quite successful last time...«

»Well I-«, sweat dropped from Minato's forehead when remembering that day with Jiraiya-Sensei in the bathing house, »I had hoped to see some in the sea…«

»Well I guess in this time of the year it's not too likely to see an eddy.« Jiraiya looked up to the sky thoughtfully. »As long as there won't be a thunderstorm, we should be able to cross the sea safely.«

Kushina furrowed her eyebrows. As far as she knew the eddies of Uzu no Kuni were always active and always unpredictable, but she didn't want to offend the foreign sensei by correcting him. »No worries, Minato, I can find some eddies for you for sure!«, she promised instead and Minato beamed at her again.

»That'd be great, Kushina-chan! Thank you!«

»And if not you both can still join me in the bathing house«, Jiraiya said which caused Ryosuke to roll his eyes again and Minato to sigh even if Kushina didn't understand why.

Inspired by the thought of a nice day in the bathing houses in the village hidden-by-the-eddies Jiraiya urged his team to their maximum pace so that they reached the strait between Hi no Kuni and Uzu no Kuni already in the evening. They were all tired and worn out this time, which made a proper conversation at the fireplace impossible. Soon they went to sleep, leaving the first watch to Minato who complained silently about it but then moved away from the camp and climbed up a big, old tree. Leaning against the trunk, Minato settled down for a long night covered by the shadows of the branches. The sea was so close that Minato meant to hear it roar but maybe it was just the soft rustling of the leaves. The rest of the world was silent, and Minato wondered how he could make himself stay awake in those circumstances.

Yawning he shifted in a more comfortable position and thought, that he must not fall asleep like his sensei. Sometimes – no, most of the time Jiraiya-Sensei was simply incorrigible but Minato respected his teacher deeply. Instead of telling his students how to do things, Jiraiya just watched them training and interfered only, when they were about to hurt themselves. Ryosuke claimed that Jiraiya was simply lazy but Minato liked to think that their sensei just wanted to educate them about independence, too. Everything Minato had learned in the past years he had taught himself with just a little bit of help here and there from his sensei and he was proud of it. This method of training didn't seem to fit for Teuchi however, Minato had to admit. He tried a lot and gave his best but even with Minato helping him, Teuchi didn't progress that much. »Small steps count, too!«, Jiraiya encourages him whenever Teuchi loses hope. »If it was that easy to become a proper shinobi, we wouldn't suffer staff shortages.«

A soft wind caressed Minato's blond locks and he closed his eyes for a second. No one had believed in him to become a shinobi, but he had proven them all wrong…

»The sea is close.« The voice came from the ground and Minato heard quiet steps in the wet grass coming closer. The branch he was currently sitting on started shaking under Kushinas suddenly added weight. He hadn't noticed her presence before and a part of him wondered for how long he actually had closed his eyes.

»You should sleep. Aren't you tired?«, Minato asked leaning back against the tree trunk again.

»No. We are so close to the sea, I can almost smell it. It makes me all excited.« Kushina grinned and settled down on the branch, too. The soles of his feet touched her, and Minato drew up his legs immediately in a reflex. »I'm so close to get home again.« The smile stood out in her voice and it made Minato's lips curl up, too.

»The sea remembers me at home, too.«, he admitted and let his legs fall down to each side of the branch. Softly they swung in the air while he looked up to the dark roof of rustling leaves in the wind. A single star blinked down at him in between the branches and leaves. A star. Or a glowworm…

»Your home?« Suddenly Kushina's voice sounded skeptical. »Why does the sea remember you of Konoha? When I think of Konoha I think of the Hokage- mountain, the trees, the forests and all the green meadows. But the sea is miles away!«

»Yeah Konoha, that's forests and mountains and Ichiraku's.« Grinning, Minato closed his eyes and remembered the smell of Misoramen. »But Kameru is the sea and sails and smelly fishes.«

»Kameru?«

»The village I was born in.«

At this statement, Kushina almost fell from the tree brunch. »WHAT? But I thought… I thought you're from Konoha! You said… You've always been a part of everything! They are all your friends and the teachers know your name and the people on the street are greeting you and-«

»Are you following me around?«

»No!« Luckily it was dark and Minato couldn't see Kushina's red face. Of course she was observing him since he had saved her. She had followed him around the village trying to find the perfect moment to thank him, the perfect moment to ask him to be her friend but never had the courage to do so. »But you are so popular, it's impossible not to notice, dattebane!«

»Really?« Minato thought about it for a moment while Kushina found the sudden silence odd and wondered, if he intended to make her feel that way.

»Where is Kameru?«, she finally gave in.

»In the south close to the peninsula.«, he answered happily. »It's a very small fishermen's town. I haven't found it on any map, yet.«

»The peninsula? That's not that far away anymore.« Thoughtfully Kushina chocked her head to one side. »Why have you been born there? Were your parent degraded there? Was there a mission they had to complete in the anglers' town? Did they had to protect someone? Or did they had to run away and hide there?« She leaned closer letting her fantasy spin adventurous stories about Minato's parents finding shelter in the small town when shinobi from Sunagakure hunted them down. Minato listened to her stories for a while in amusement but then he interrupted her thoughts with his soft, low voice.

»I'm sorry to disappoint you. My father was a fisherman, my mother a housewife.«

»But then…« Kushina frowned.

»But then?«

»But… This can't be true!« Kushina rose in one quick motion and the branch started shaking dangerously. »EVERYONE in Konoha is talking about your incredible talent! They call you a genius and you are not even fourteen years old, yet! And then… You can't be the son of an ordinary fisherman! You have to be born a fighter! Was your grandfather a shinobi? Your grand grandfather?«

»Not as far as I know…«

»This is simply .SIBLE!«, Kushina said, pointing with one finger at him. »You are lying, trying to make yourself more important, dattebane!«

Minato jumped up quickly and covered Kushina mouth with one hand. »Quiet! We are too close to the border and you could wake up the others!«, he hushed. Kushina smashed away his hand angrily but stayed quiet nevertheless. Listening carefully they tried to figure out if someone had overheard their little argument, but everything they noticed was again the soft rustling of the leaves.

»You can't be a fisherman's son.«, Kushina said again and crossed her arms over her chest.

Minato sighed leaning back on the tree trunk. »But it is the truth, believe it or not!«

»Why are you no fisherman then?«, she asked quite aggressively and Minato lowered his gaze, scratching the back of his head not knowing where to start his explanation. Kushina's look made him insecure about himself somehow and he had the feeling that no matter what he'd say, she'd think it was a lie anyway. Nevertheless, he started talking.

»I… I don't like water. I mean… When I was little my father took me with him on his fishing boat. I fell over board and almost drowned. I can't remember all of it but since that day I don't like the sea anymore. To me, it's the big, awful monster that wanted to eat me. But all of my friends went for a swim every day at the beach… I've just been following them and watching them, never entering the water. But I was so jealous…«

Kushina furrowed her brows again. This was a lie for sure, she had seen Minato, Ryosuke and Teuchi swimming together in the small river near Konoha once. Someone who hated swimming in the sea didn't go for a swim with friends in a river just like that, right?

»Then one day shinobi came to our town. They just walked over the sea like it was nothing! I remember it well: I was sitting at the waterfront and they just came closer and closer. We've never seen shinobi before so all children in town were exited to meet them and our parents were, too. The shinobi stayed for a day, they actually wanted to go to another small town for a mission.«

»Shinobi from Konoha?« Kushina decided to at least try and believe him. »Who exactly?«

And Minato grinned. »It was Dan-Sensei and his team. Although eight years ago, he was not the jounin he is now.«

Kushina's eyes widened to the size of salad bowls. Katou Dan has been to the town where Minato was born? Her sensei had met Minato so many years ago already and never mentioned anything about it? Could this be true?

»And… And how did you end up in Konoha?«, she finally managed to asked although her voice still sounded a little bit suspicious.

»I was so excited about the shinobi and their ability to walk on water. I thought if I could walk on water I wouldn't have to be afraid of the sea anymore. Then I could go playing with my friends again and sailing with my father. So, I visited the shinobi and asked them how they did it. Their sensei, Takimo-san explained it to me even though it was very hard for me to understand. I had never heard anything about chakra before and it was somewhat impossible for me to comprehend how to control such a power… Dan and his teammates told their sensei he should stop confusing me because they thought just like you that I was nothing but a fisherman's son. The whole explanation was confusing, but in some way, it also made sense to me and I decided to learn it.

»When the shinobi left our town the next morning I started practicing. For hours. Every day, no matter if it rained or the sun was shining I was at the beach, standing in the water with bare feet. My parents started worrying and my friends laughed at me, but I didn't give up. I just wanted to walk on water so badly.«

Kushina nodded. She understood Minato's stubbornness and his attitude not to give up hope. She was the same and she liked to think that they had something in common after all. But she also remembered herself trying to learn how to walk on water together with her mother. In the Land of Eddies walking on water was essential for surviving and it was the first thing children had to learn when being taught about chakra control. She remembered the hardship of the task; how difficult it had seemed to walk on the always-moving seawater.

»It took me two weeks, then I made it!«

»Two weeks!?« Kushina's eyes widened even more. »That's impossible!«

Minato laughed. »That's what Dan-sensei and his team said when they returned from their mission and passed our town again, too. I showed them, walking up and down the quay and I think they were just as shocked as you are now.«

Kushina bit her lips. It was obviously true what they all said about Namikaze Minato: He was a genius. Mastering the task of walking on water within two weeks without any knowledge of chakra control was actually impossible. Kushina herself had practiced at least two weeks before she didn't get wet feet anymore. Minato was a genius, a born shinobi. And a fisherman's son.

»I was young, maybe six or seven years old. Takimo-Sensei asked me if I could imagine myself becoming shinobi of the hidden leaf. To my town and me the shinobi were heroes who protected our land and lives. Of course, I wanted to be a hero, too! I was young and didn't realize that there was more to being a shinobi than throwing shuriken and kunai. But I wanted this so much more than being a fisherman. I never loved the sea and I probably never will. But I loved the training and practicing for walking on water. When the shinobi asked me to come with them I immediately agreed without thinking about my parents. Later I became aware of the fact, that I had to leave them behind. They had no work in Konoha, no future. But I wanted to become a shinobi.« Minato sighed and ran a hand through his hair. »I went with them. I'd do it again. I had to leave my family and friends behind but this is the live I have chosen for myself and I don't regret a second of it.«

Kushina swallowed hard, impressed by the story that Minato just told her. She thought about her travel to Konoha, about her father who has told her that she had to stay there all alone without having a choice. »Your parents just let you go?« Just like mine left me behind.

»Takimo-Sensei convinced them about my talent. My father was thrilled about it. He made me promise to become the strongest shinobi the world has ever seen.« A bittersweet smile appeared on Minato's lips. »He was so proud of me. The whole town was. They all came to say goodbye and wish me luck. They called me their pride and joy. Just because I was able to walk on water! I still remember how ridiculous I thought it was.«

»And now you are Konoha's pride and joy.« Kushina couldn't stop her voice from sounding bitter and she hated herself for it. She didn't want to envy Minato; he had talent and no one, even not he himself could change that. But that they all admired him like that for things which came all natural for him…

»It wasn't like that from the beginning. And I think there are stronger shinobi in our village than me.« Even in the darkness she could see him looking at her and she felt her cheeks blushing again. For a moment they stayed quiet and the before soft chirping of the crickets was getting more dominant now that the wind had stopped.

»How was it for you when you came to Konoha?«, Kushina finally asked a bit nervous. She remembered the embarrassing moment in front of her school class on her first day in the academy. Minato thought about it for a moment and then said simply one word: »Overwhelming.«

»Why?«

»Because it was loud and big and there were so many people!« Minato chuckled. »There was just so much to see! I didn't know where to look first and Takimo-Sensei's team laughed at me all the time. Especially when I asked them where the ships were.«

Kushina chuckled, too, and tried to remember her first day in Konoha. She didn't see that much of it being immediately guided by an ANBU and the Hokage to Mito-sans home… That was when she realized that this was no ordinary visit in a befriended shinobi village like her father kept saying. The next time she took a walk through the village she saw only the differences between Uzu and her new home. She hated it, every stone, every pillar, everything. And when her first day in the academy ended in a disaster, too, she hated the hidden leaf even more.

»But how did you manage to find so many friends?«, she finally asked.

»That was easy.« Minato took a step closer to her and reached out with one hand for her. »I said: Hi, I'm Minato. Let's be friends.«

For one moment, Kushina frowned, stared at his outstretched hand that awaited hers and didn't know what to do or where to look, while Minato stayed still, looking at her directly, waiting for her answer. Did he really do just that? And why hadn't she done that when she came to Konoha?

Ashamed Kushina turned around and jumped down from the tree. This was probably Minato's way of telling her, that she had done everything wrong. Instead of searching allies, she had made enemies from the beginning and tried to defeat them. If she could turn back time and relive that first day in the academy, she'd know now exactly what she would do…

»Hey!« Minato followed her when Kushina started walking. »Where are you going? The camp is in the other direction-«

»You think I am stupid, don't you?«, she interrupted him still with her back facing him, her hands balled to fists.

»No…«, Minato said confused.

»You think I am ill-mannered!«

»No!« Now he was getting furious about her presumptions and took another step closer.

»You think I am a naïve, little child-«

»Stop this, Kushina!« Minato grabbed her shoulder and turned her around. She didn't look at him and Minato forced himself not to take a step back. »I am not your enemy, Kushina.«, he said, his voice calmer again, trying to lift up her mood.

»Not my enemy, huh?« She looked aside biting her lips. She didn't know if he was mocking her even if his face was serious. She didn't know him that well. If she could just look inside his pretty head… For another couple of seconds she fought with herself and Minato narrowed his brows trying to figure out what was bothering her. Then she breathed in, looked him in the eyes and said quietly: »Hi, I'm Kushina. Let's be friends.«

The wind came back and bellowed her hair that was almost black in the darkness of the forest. For an instant, the rustling of the leaves and the chirping of the crickets were the only sounds in the forest while Kushina hold on her breath and Minato was left speechless.

Then a smile appeared on his lips and he shook his head. Kushina felt her heart sink and tears fill up her eyes. How could she think that the genius wanted her to be her friend? How could she be so pathetic?

»We already ARE friends, Kushina-chan.«, Minto said and grabbed her hands. Kushina gasped for breath and looked at him doubtfully. Her heart was bumping frightened in her chest while she waited for the moment when Minato would take his words back and laugh at her. But he didn't say another word, just hold her hands in his and finally she found the courage to ask: »B-best friends?«

He nodded, giving her a warm smile and Kushina couldn't hold back a triumphant grin anymore. She finally had made it all by herself: She had made a friend.

Waves crashed against the rocks and little drops of saltwater sprinkled in the air, drizzling down on the young shinobis in a soft rain. Kushina stood at the edge of the cliff and couldn't stop taking in the sight in front of her. When was the last time she had seen the sea like this? When was the last time she tried to figure out the horizon to separate the clear blue sky from the deep blue sea, when was the last time she observed the seagulls sailing in the air and tasted the salt of the water on her lips? When was the last time she had seen her home from this point, looking at the evergreen islands of Uzu no Kuni in the turquoise blue waters? Kushina couldn't stop gazing; It was just as beautiful as she remembered, maybe even more and the smile on her face increased.

For a couple of moments all Minato could do was standing still and stare. Not at the beautiful nature in front of him, but the kunoichi's wide and happy smile, her blushed cheeks, her hair blowing in the wind. This was where Kushina belonged, right here at this cliff on this wonderful day and he couldn't hold back a smile himself. He was so happy for her, so glad that she was determined to go on this mission with them. It was this moment that Minato finally understood how much this really meant to Kushina.

She turned around, smiling blissfully and took Minatos hand without a warning. »Look!«, she said and stretched their both arms in front of them, causing Mintao to step even closer. »Uzu no Kuni is so close, we can almost touch it!«

He laughed about her statement because the island was still far away, but he understood what she wanted to say: They had come so far and this strait was nothing more than a stone's throw. »You're nervous?«, he asked and holt on to her hand.

»No, not at all! Walking on water is the easy part, but don't worry, I'll make sure you'll arrive the shore save and sound.«, she joked not admitting that, yes, she was nervous. Meeting her family again after all these years was a big deal to her, even if she didn't want her teammates to know. A grunt behind them made Minato and Kushina turn around to Jiraiya and Ryosuke. While his sense grinned at Minato widely and gave him a wink, Ryosuke looked at them annoyed and grumbled: »Can't you save your sweet nothings for later?«

Quickly Minato let go of Kushina's hand.

»You're just jealous!«, Kushina hissed, shooting lightening out of her eyes at Ryosuke who was rather unimpressed.

»Why? Because Mina-chan is allowed to hold your hand?« He rolled his eyes in annoyance. »Who wants to hold your hand anyway, Tomato?« As far as Minato knew, Ryo was the only one of their former classmates, who still used this cruel nickname for the young girl and Kushina had beaten him several times for it. Even now anger was boiling in Kushina's stomach and her face was getting red – as red as a tomato.

»No, you are just jealous because girls like Minato more than they're ever going to like you, dattebane!«, she shouted. »You are nothing but a pain in the ass!«

»Okay guys«, Jiraiya tried to calm down the situation, »let's just keep going and-«

»As if I ever wanted to go out with someone like you anyway!«, Ryosuke fired back.

»Then don't talk to me ever again!«

»I didn't talk to you first!«

»Yes you did!«

»No I didn't! I'd never do that!«

Sighing Jiraiya dropped his head and then started moving silently towards the cliff. He jumped, landing light-footedly on the surface of a soft wave and then started walking. Minato gave Kushina and Ryosuke another look, then he followed his sensei. They were already a few meters ahead when the two squabbles noticed their disappearance and followed them.

»Sensei, you said we have to stay together!«, Ryosuke complained when they finally caught up with Jiraiya and Minato.

»That's the reason I'm usually not working with girls.«, Jiraiya said more to himself than to his team. »They have quickly changing moods and they cloud your mind…«

»I don't have ›moods‹!«, Kushina grumbled.

»She doesn't cloud my mind!«, Ryosuke protested.

»You are lost, kid!«, Jiraiya said and shook his head sadly.

»As far as I've heard Team Jiraiya is a boys-only-team because your sensei mustn't have contact to girls.«, Kushina said defensively. »But maybe it was also because Hokage-sama knew what a puke you are, Ryosuke!«

This could actually be true, Minato thought and gave his sensei, who was now pouting about Kushina's comment, a quick look. Minato had never actually thought about it, he just thought the teams were put together so that their abilities would support each other the best way possible. But oddly Team Jiraiya was the only male team and Kushina's had two girls instead, so it could not be caused by a simple lack of girls in their graduation class. He didn't complain though, Minato liked his team. Teuchi was sometimes a bit slowly and simpleminded, but together they compensated Ryosukes always bored and annoyed attitude by joking about it. However, Ryosukes negative and vicious remarks sometimes stirred up his teammates to their best form, so the Nara was the engine and the break of the team at the same time. The best was that Minato knew he could rely on his teammates and sometimes he just had to give Ryosuke's or Teuchi's face a quick look to read their minds.

Kushina's team didn't fit together that great as far as Minato heard. Uchia Mikoto was a nice girl but she always complained to him about Kushinas temper and the mostly silent Shibi didn't seem to be a great help when the two girls had an argument again. If he'd imagine missions always to be like that with two squabbles like Kushina and Ryosuke, he felt even more grateful for Hokage-samas Team matchups.

»Luckily we are a boys-only-team!«, Ryosuke said what Minato thought, glaring at Kushina with annoyance. »If I imagine having a pain in the neck like you on every mission- Ahh!« A punch from Kushina on Ryosuke's head made the boy stumble and shout out in pain.

»You kind of deserved that, you know?«, Minato mumbled while passing him together with Kushina and his sensei. Ryosuke just never knew when enough was enough and when it was better to keep his mouth shut. He was awfully clever but also awfully cruel and for a second Minato wondered, if a punch from Kushina now and then could actually change Ryosuke for the better.

»Teasing is a sign of affection.«, Jiraiya remarked cheeky and Kushina glared at him maliciously in response.

»Not in a thousand years!«

»We should speed-up if you want to visit the bathing house this evening, Sensei.«, Minato tried to change the subject. He heard Ryosuke catching up with them again and started to run faster.

»Ahh the bathing houses…« Jiraiya grinned suggestively and ran after Minato when suddenly another cry behind them occurred. Ryosuke was just a few meters behind him, but he lost balance when the sea suddenly didn't move in the usual up and down around him, but started rotating in a circle where he was running. On all fourth he stared at the water surface, not knowing what was happening and how he could escape this water carousel. Sliding on the water the other three shinobi stopped, and Minato just wanted to start running towards his friend to help him, when Kushina shouted: »Back! Back!«. She grabbed one of his arms and jumped with him about three meters further away. In fact the eddy expanded in milliseconds to the very spot he had been standing. By now Ryosuke was dragged down by the sea into a faster and faster rotating circle and didn't know, what to do. He couldn't run on the surface without losing balance again, but doing nothing he'd probably drown the moment the eddy sucked him into the water.

»We have to rescue him!« Minato looked expectantly at his sensei, but Kushina already started running. She made a curve around the eddy in the opposite direction of the current to build up enough momentum, then she ran into the eddy to Ryosuke never changing her direction. For not getting floated away by the current she concentrated most of her chakra on her feet and ran in a spiral deeper and deeper into the eddy until she could reach Ryosuke. The boy was already a bit green in his face, but he managed to hold on to Kushina's hand when she grabbed him. With all the power she had she pulled on Ryosukes hand, span around herself and hurled him into the air as high as possible. For just a second, he reached above the eddy and Jiraiya reacted immediately. He ran, jumped and grabbed Ryosuke mid-air before landing with the boy in his arms on the other side of the eddy.

But now Kushina was caught in the middle of the eddy and Minato wondered how he could help her when Kushina started running again, this time with the direction of the current. The spiral she ran brought her deeper and deeper into the eddy and she built up even more momentum for her next maneuver. She took a deep breath, gathered chakra and then jumped with full force ahead into the water. It hit her like a wall but she had enough momentum to escape the suction into depth for a moment. Immediately she started swimming as fast and as far away as she could. Repeatedly she felt the sucking current of the eddy and she knew, she had to reach the surface as fast as possible. The saltwater brunt in her eyes and the pressure on her ears didn't fade. There were shadows on the surface, maybe just seaweed but maybe also her teammates. When she reached the surface, she snapped for air and again felt the current sucking on her feet. Quickly she gathered chakra in her hands, trying to push herself out of the water, but the waves and the current were too strong. Her head drowned again and she knew, all she could hope for was for the eddy to be over soon now, when somebody grabbed her outstretched arm and pulled her out of the water. Kushina coughed but didn't have time to rub the saltwater out of her eyes when Jiraiya already lifted her up and jumped with her in his arms another few meters away from the eddy. They landed next to Minato and Ryosuke who were currently running backwards like on a treadmill for not getting transported by the water surface into the eddy again.

As suddenly as the eddy appeared it vanished into nothing as well and after a few seconds the sea was calm and peaceful again. They stopped walking and Jiraiya put Kushina down on her own feet again. »You okay?«, he asked looking from the coughing Kushina to the still green Ryosuke.

»Sure.«, Kushina answered, straightening herself again.

»What was THAT?«, Ryosuke asked still a bit shocked.

»An eddy, what else?« Jiraiya shrugged.

»I thought we'd be save today, Sensei!«

»You are never save in the waters of Uzu no Kuni.«, Kushina said and rolled her eyes mimicking Ryosukes attitude and Minato had to chuckle. Then he saw other people coming closer and pointed out to them. »Sensei, there are people coming!«

Kushina gave them just a quick look. »They are fishermen. They want to get the fishes the eddy has lured. They probably think we plunder their waters. Let's get going.«

»Yeah, out of this this monstrous sea« For the first time Ryosuke agreed with something Kushina had said and the shinobi started running again.

»The fishermen of Uzu can walk on water as well?«, Minato asked and Kushina heard the surprise in his voice and the emotions dwelling inside him.

»It's essential to know how to walk on water living at the islands of the Eddies.«, Kushina said. »And it's worthwhile using the eddies for fishing. They whirl up the ground mixing plants and other things the fishes eat with the water. So where the eddies disappear you'll find tons of fishes.«, she explained and Minato was pretty impressed. He knew that Uzu no Kuni was one of the smallest countries surrounding the Land of Fire but it was surprising that they had the staff for teaching the whole population chakra manipulation.

»And they can fish here anytime?«, Ryosuke asked. »So there is no season for the eddies?«

»There are seasons for the fishes but not for the eddies.«, Kushina said and chewed on her bottom lip for a moment. »And we should probably keep left… I think there is going to be an eddy ahead.«

»What? Where?« Ryosuke stopped immediately and Minato looked at the water in front of them suspiciously, too. It looked all normal to him.

»Why do you think that?«, Jiraiya asked and Kushina pointed at a small spot in the water. »When the eddies are forming, there are more waves breaking in the sea until they disappear suddenly and the eddy starts swirling.«

Given that explanation, Minato could actually see what she meant. There was a white foam on the surface, which suddenly disappeared. »Let's go.«, Kushina said and the team followed her to the left. When Minato looked over his shoulder again, there was indeed another, small eddy swirling in the water.

»Why didn't you warn us before?«, Ryosuke asked and this time he didn't just look annoyed but truly furious.

»Because Jiraiya-Sensei is the leader.«, Kushina answered shrugging her shoulders. »I thought he had a plan.«

»You know, Kushina-chan«, Jiraiya sighed, »I think you guiding us through this monstrous sea was Hokage-sama's plan. Let's stick to his plan.«