Chapter 4

As Kushina washed her balmy hands, she pondered whether Mikoto was trying to match make her with Kizashi. Sure she had liked the idea of meeting a fine man near her age one day, become friends and then more. But for now she was only interested in men as friends.

She noticed the tissue holder on the wall and started pulling out tissues from the tissue holder. Wiping her forehead, she hoped that Mikoto would not have anything against her acting all nervous towards Kizashi. She hoped that her nervousness and sudden departure from the cafe would not be interpreted as being nervous, maybe implying that Kushina liked Kizashi.

Stop overthinking Kushina, you can't help what Mikoto thinks about you. Kushina scolded herself.

Kushina was surprised that Mikoto was trying to match make her with one of her friends. Actually thinking back, was Mikoto really trying to match her up? Or was Mikoto trying to introduce Kushina to all her friends. Kushina thought back about their conversation just before they went to the cafe. Mikoto had asked about her single status and then she told Kushina about wanting her to meet her friend. Maybe Kushina had misread Mikoto's intentions. Kushina laughed and hoped that Mikoto was merely introducing her to friends. Kushina dumped the used paper towel into the rubbish bin and washed her hands.

It was not really Kizashi making her nervous, it was meeting someone with the prospect of more than friendship. The final bomb was when he praised about her red hair. Not many guys appreciated her red hair, though women were always admiring her long red hair. Kushina sighed again, in the face of intimidation, she had reasoned that flight was better than fight. Therefore she had departed for the washing room to quell her nervousness. But now, as she had recollected her thoughts on the situation, she decided that it was time to head back. Kushina wondered whether her tendency to overthink and be easily excited be inherited by her offspring one day. Smiling she chuckled inside, she had not even met her prospective boyfriend and she was thinking of her offsprings already.

Taking a final look at her composed reflection, Kushina made her way back to the toilet. As she was walking out of the toilet, a cleaner called for her.

"Ma'am, please be careful. I just mopped the floor, but I haven't put out the warning sign yet."

Kushina nodded and smiled at the cleaner. "Oh, okay. Thank you for the warning." Kushina walked slowly, she was not too scared of falling as her ballerina flat shoes had rubber soles and therefore were less likely to sleep, unless she ran like the wind.

"Well, I will tell you when I will be free. I am really sorry that he had to wait, so long…" said a man, walking and talking while on a phone.

Kushina looked at his way and saw a blonde haired man walking quickly heading towards the toilet's entrance. Kushina was just about to warn the rushing man about the wet floor, when he slipped. Then he fell with a loud thud as Kushina's eyes popped out at the sight of him falling. She watched as the man fell on his bum and yelled "Ouch!"

"Ooooopps!" she let slip her surprised expression.

"Ahhhh," he said.

Kushina quickly walked beside him and asked him, "can you stand?"

"Wait, I am not sure. I need to try..."

The cleaner arrived and brought along a WET FLOOR warning sign. "Oh no, I am sorry sir. I did not put up the sign as soon as possible. Are you ok?"

"I need to stand first." The blonde haired guy tried getting up, he pushed himself off the floor but suddenly flinched "Oucha…."

Kushina quickly held his wrist and pulled him up as he steadies himself. He looked up as he felt her holding his wallet. Their eyes met, two pairs of blue eyes met, one lighter than the other. Time stopped for a moment.

"Aaaa," the cleaner said. Then he broke the moment by asking, "Sir, you are standing? So are you ok?"

The blond man looked at the cleaner and then at himself, he was indeed standing steadily with his arms on Kushina's shoulders while Kushina was holding his wrists.

"Maybe you could stand on your own now." Kushina blushed but calmly she let go of his wrists and smoothed her skirt.

"Well, thank you." Minato shook his legs and after making sure that the was no real pain involved, he looked at the cleaner, " No worries, I am ok." He flashed a thumbs up sign at the cleaner and continued. "You don't have to worry about anything."

"Well, I need to move to the other floor anyway. I am sorry sir, please forgive me."

The blond man quickly spoke, "I was in the wrong too, I should have known that the area near a toilet would be cleaned around this time. How long have i been coming here after all."

"I better get going, thank you sir." the cleaner went placed the sign and went away.

"So, are you really okay?" Kushina as she looked at the man who was about half a foot taller than her.

"Oh, I don't really feel any pain except for the sore on my, ummm…" he looked at his backside. Kushina too followed him looking to that area and noticed that his white pants was now wet with a little dirt.

"That's a small matter, I am changing clothes anyway. Have, have you seen where my phone fell to?" The blond man looked at Kushina as he smiled.

Suddenly Kushina's heart beat a little harder. She felt more blood rushing to her face, "I think it's around here," Kushina turned around and saw the phone hiding behind a potted plant.

"There it is," she said. She quickly walked to it, picked it up and took out some tissue from her bag to wipe it. "I hope it is usable." She turned to walk back to him but he was already standing beside her.

Minato took the phone from Kushina and their fingers brushed, Kushina reddened further. However she was not thinking about running at all, somehow meeting this guy felt comfortable.

"Thank you miss, my name is Minato. He extended his hand to her.

"Kushina," she offered her name.

"Are you free after this, maybe we can have a drink." Minato flashed her a toothy grin.

Kushina giggled, "I am actually having lunch with a friend at the Wind Art Cafe."

"Well, well, well, I am heading there too. But wait for me. I have to go answer some nature calls, see you there anyway."

Kushina blushed again, a little redder. She walked away, all forgotten about her qualms regarding her being match-maked and Kizashi.

Kushina was feeling relaxed talking to Kizashi and Mikoto. She had not said anything about her earlier demeanour upon meeting Kizashi, and Mikoto did not ask, so she decided to drop the subject.

She then remembered about Minato and wondered if he would even come, she decided that she wouldn't care if he didn't come. Konoha was a large city after all, and Minato would probably forgot about her by now.

Kizashi told another funny story and then mentioned a girlfriend.

A girlfriend? So Mikoto wasn't really match-making me with him. Kushina smiled widely at her inner monologue and the realization that she had it all wrong. She smiled and then joined Mikoto laughing at Kizashi's story.

After about five minutes, Minato walked into the cafe. Kushina quickly turned around and admired his figure. He was not built huge like a bodybuilder, but he had a nicely shaped body, with a little bit of muscles at the right places.

He walked towards their table and put a hand on Kizashi's shoulder. "Hey there Haruno."

Kizashi turned around, "Well man, I haven't seen you in months. Ladies, the sculptor is here. Now you can ask him what those weird things meant, Kizashi pointed to some weird looking sculptures not far away from him."

"Hey Minato, I thought you'd be at the Art Center," Mikoto asked after she had hugged her friend.

"Well, I dirtied my suit and I think Sarutobi already seen enough of me, let Orochimaru take the limelight for the rest of the day."

"Hey, lady from before. Kushina, looks like you have met my friends."

Mikoto looked surprised at Minato's words, "I smell something fishy here. You two know each other?"

"Well," Kushina started.

"I fell on the floor, slipped on wet tiles. She was there. She helped me."

Mikoto and Kizashi both looked at them, and Kizashi spoke. "Well pull a chair, sit beside her. You two can talk more, I need to check on the kitchen anyway."

Kizashi walked away and Mikoto took no spare second to ask, "So is Orochimaru still after the position?"

"Yes he is and I think he deserved to be Sarutobi's replacement," he said. "I have more years compared to him."

"You could have been the youngest Art Gallery owner ever in Konoha's history," Mikoto picked on a fries and munched it.

"Yes, and I intend to make it on my own time." He pulled a chair and sat beside Kushina. Kushina glanced at the man's yellow corn hair and and blue sea eyes.

"You are too patient Minato?" Mikoto sighed. "Kushina, this is the friend i wanted you to meet. Mikoto arched an eyebrow meaningfully at Kushina.

"Yes, we have met."

"Do you like art?" Mikoto asked.

"I can like it, if I have time to admire it. I had not exactly any exposure to the world of arts ever since I graduated and worked."

Mikoto leaned forward and said, "Well then, welcome to the art quartet of Konoha, as we were known among our friends, Minato the sculptor, Kizashi the painter and me the writer. Mebuki, she's not here is our resident PR. We help push each other works. I always recommend them among my journalist peers."

"Wait, you are a journalist?" Kushina looked at Mikoto surprised.

"Oh, I have forgotten to mention that to you did I. Minato please explain about us."

Minato put a hand on the table and started.

"Me, Kizashi and Mikoto went to the same alma mater. Me and Kizashi took art courses at the School of Art, while Mikoto attended the School of Communication and Media Studies. Our old school friend, Fugaku..."

Kushina alerted by the name, interjected, "Mr Uchiha? He is also your friend?"

"Yep, that one. His best friend actually." Mikoto nodded as she bit on more fries.

"Well, he was a friend from my childhood days, he was on study break from Malaysia, having studied Law at an International University there. So, he came home and met Kushina and old family acquaintance. They invited us to a party held by the Uchihas, you should go to an Uchiha party. They, the Uchiha might appear icy on normal days, but they throw the best party around. And we argued that Konoha art scene was needing young blood and there was not exposure enough about the art world. So we made a vow that night to change the face of art and its exposure in and around Konoha."

"But," Kushina asked. She looked at Mikoto, "are not you a stay at home mom?" And then she looked apologetic, "Well, i mean don't raising a child take all of your time?"

"Well, there are times when we slow down. But I arranged with my friends to spread the words periodically, making sure the art scene's exposure never went quiet at all. We made some viral videos over the years, and blamed it on keyboard warriors. That pushed the art scene along."

"Well," Kushina said. "I was a bit surprised that Fugaku was involved somehow."

"My husband is the greatest, maybe you should join us Kushina. It is just a hobby, you offer an outsider's view, and a fresh one at that. Since you don't have that many knowledge regarding art. Right Minato?"

Minato flashed the most brightest smile at Kushina. The red haired woman swore that she had been abducted by an alien, as she admired the smile, she had never fallen for someone hard like this. Minato's smile was delicious.

"Where do I sign?" she said, flashing her winning smile at Minato, and then at Mikoto.