Author's Note: This chapter contains, or rather, is made almost exclusively of, a lime leaning towards a lemon. Reader discretion is advised among those of the chibi sort.

A new feeling was building inside of me, like the friendship or love I felt towards Minato, but this one I could place. It was called lust.

I had cared for him before, when we were children, but this was something new. When I saw him, tall and handsome with his piercing blue eyes, I wanted him. Not just a desire to be around him, but a new, strange desire that I knew of only from Jiraiya-sensei's dirty books. This, I knew, must be the final stage of my mental transformation into a human. In desperation, I made a decision.

I told Minato and Jiraiya that an urgent call had come from home requiring me to leave immediately. I smiled distracted at Minato, and my last sight as I slipped away into the forest was of him with his hand still outstretched where I had pulled mine away.

As soon as I was out of sight of Konoha, I ran, morphing midstep into a giant tiger. I poured my strength into my legs, letting the forest fly by on either side of me. I lost myself in the exhilaration of the running until I changed into my kyuubi form, and then I kept on running, my powerful, enourmous strides easily covering the distance to the cave where I had once lived.

Standing at the brink of the whirlpool, I hesitated a moment, reluctant to reenter the home I had left. But I needed to seek council.

I took a deep breath and plunged over the edge.

Of course he was out. Father's visits were rare, especially now that only four of my sisters remained at home—Go had been sent out by now. So I had never really expected him to be home when I arrived.

But it was with the greatest impatience that I waited for the next four months.

I was upon Father the moment her arrived, my nine tails swirling around him as I spoke, so fast that I was unintelligible. Irritated, he flung me back from him using pure force of spiritual energy. I flew through the air until my body hit the far wall, then fell to the floor beneath. Father stood over me, looking slightly amused.

"So, what is of such great importance that my prodigal daughter must return, seeking my advice?"

I pulled myself to my feet and shook vigourously, sending debris flying from my heavy coat. "I have been living in the human world for the past seven years, Father."

"I know. I am a god, after all."

"During that time, I met a young male human, and, well…"

"You have begun to lust after him."

"Yes."

He paused a moment. "I assume that you were in human form when this occurred?" I nodded. "You have probably noticed that while you assume that shape, you are just as suspect to the needs to eat, drink, sleep, and relieve yourself as any other human. It works the same way with the human need for reproduction, which leads to the human desire for sexuality. There is no harm in following this urge, just as there is no harm in eating or drinking while in your human form. There is no harm in sleeping with this human, though if reproduction is you aim, I fear that you will fail, as you will not be able to hold your human form for long enough to bear the child to term. There is one precaution you should take, though."

"What is it?" My brain was still buzzing with the idea that it was alright to sleep with Minato. I could have what I desired.

"Do not fall in love with him. Don't delude yourself that you can ever be together as equals. He could never love you, knowing what you are, and you, loving him, could never keep such a secret from him. Never forget this, and never let yourself love him."

"Yes, Father." If only he knew that it was already too late.

Minato

I was in my flat when Kushina returned, reading over the profiles of the team of twelve-year-olds I was to lead. She crept in silently while I read, with her stealth that seemed superhuman at times. So quiet was she, and so absorbed was I in my reading, that I didn't notice her until she stood in the doorway to my study and said very softly "Minato".

"Kushina." Standing, I strode swiftly over to her, smiling warmly.

What happened next took me completely by surprise. No sooner had I reached Kushina then she had wrapped her arms around my neck, pulled my face to hers, and kissed me, deep and fiercely.

For a moment, I stiffened with shock, but then my male instincts took over and I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer to me, eliminating any semblance of space between us. One hand gripped her fiery hair while the other slid down her lower back in a desperate attempt to bring her closer yet to me. She broke free to gasp for air, and I pressed my lips to her collarbone, breathing in the sweet aroma of her flesh. She made use of my preoccupation to slide her cool fingers up my shirt, dancing playfully along my chest. I hesitated a moment as the magnitude of Kushina's desires began to dawn on me, but then her nose traced up my jaw and her lips brushed my earlobe, and I lost myself again in her passion.

Kushina's hands continued up and around my back, then entangled themselves in the fabric of my shirt and pulled it up over my head, mussing up my hair.

"Kushina…" I gripped her face between my hands and stared into her eyes. "Kushina, we can't do this."

She grinned wickedly. "And why not? We're both adults, we know what we're doing. And Minato, I love you," she breathed, closing her eyes in the ecstasy of her words.

"Kushina."

"I love you, Minato. I love you!" She had an almost childlike excitement in her voice, as if the words somehow liberated her. "I love you." She grabbed my shoulders, and, with remarkable strength, threw me down onto my bed. "I love you, and I want you." She pulled her shirt over her head and then unzipped her shorts and tugged them off.

"I do, too," I gasped, my voice full of an almost painful longing. "But—but we can't—because—because—" I was sure that I'd had good arguments, but I couldn't seem to remember them. The sight of Kushina standing before me, barely dressed, had driven all other thoughts from my mind.

Sensing my weakness like some great predator, Kushina climbed atop me and leaned in to kiss me ferociously, her teeth nearly drawing blood from my lips. My hands reached up tentatively to the back of her bra while hers were occupied with the button and zipper of my pants. With my final ounce of willpower, I tried to take my hands away, but the battle was lost. Unable to undo the clasp, I broke it off and threw it from me. Her bra fell away, and I pulled her bare chest to mine. I could feel her heartbeat through her breast, pulsing fast as adrenaline surged through her. Only one barrier now stood between us and what we wanted, and we pulled it away, not caring how we tore the undergarments from each other's bodies. At last, we pressed together uninhibitedly, our breath coming in erratic gasps as our hands struggled to touch as much skin as possible. Kushina dug her fingers deep into my hair and locked her mouth on mine. In the brief, yet painfully long moments when we pulled apart, only one phrase escaped her rosy lips.

"Minato—I love you."