The two of them were in a booth in a tiny little place near the docks. Kushina had brought him here when he confirmed that miso ramen was indeed his favorite food. The restaurant was a little family place, with the father doing most of the cooking, the mother doing the greeting, and the sons and daughters handling the duties of waiter/ waitress / busboy. The ramen was delicious and probably the best he'd ever had outside of Konoha.

"You know I always say that places you've never heard of have the best food." Minato said as he finished up his bowl of ramen.

"Well I guess they have to, otherwise no one would come to them." Kushina pointed out. She was of course dressed in the tiny little orange outfit she'd worn to dinner the other night. She was a woman of her word. "Normally you can also get some privacy at a place like this, but not tonight." She glanced around the crowded restaurant. Everyone was staring at them. Though at least the people had the good manners not to disturb them. She was a bit annoyed at that, she'd been hoping for a little intimate conversation with him. But she felt just a little inhibited with every customer and employee's eyes on them.

Minato was feeling a bit more at ease. "Well you know it's your fault everyone's looking at us."

"Oh really?" She said in a dead voice. "Is that what you think Mr. I am a ninja legend and just singlehandedly took down a fortress with four hundred Iwa nin single handed and could get myself elected king if I wanted?"

He grinned. "Well sure it sounds impressive if you say it like that."

She laughed a little. Despite his reputation and his position as a clan head he was very down to earth. He didn't think he was too good to get cheap food in a little out of the way place or expect people to treat him with any special deference. In most ways he just seemed like a regular guy.

Just a regular guy who could butcher a few hundred Iwa nin.

"Well I come here a lot," Kushina told him. "So I don't think they're looking at me."

His grin turned into one of those huge smiles that she liked. "Have you ever come here dressed like that?"

Actually she had never even put on the tight fitting little orange dress until the other night. She gave him a wink. "Sure, all the time."

"Well in that case I think I'll have to see if I can get a job here."

"O.k., I'll put in a word with the owner and see what I can do." She gave him a serious tone. "But you will owe me."

XXXXXXXXXX

When it was time to go the entire restaurant came to its feet and applauded. The mother, who also ran the register, refused to accept their money. Though she begged Minato to sign one of their menus.

Out in the street as they slowly headed back to the Uzumaki compound they continued to get special treatment. People gave them wide berth and would stop to applaud, cheer, bow, and even burst into tears.

Getting tired of this Kushina finally grabbed his arm and they leapt up onto a roof top so they could get a little privacy.

"You know," she said to him. "This is easily the most trouble I've ever had on a date."

"Well thank you for putting up with me."

She let out an exaggerated sigh. "Just count yourself lucky you're so damn good looking."

"So you think I'm good looking, huh?"

"Well," she paused a little. "You're not too hard on the eyes."

They strolled over the roof tops. Jumping between houses and leaping the streets when they had to. As they began to approach the compound their banter turned just a little more serious.

"What's Konoha like?" Kushina asked. "Are there really trees for hundreds of miles in all directions?"

"There sure are," Minato confirmed. "Fire country is a beautiful green place where everything grows. I love the spring and watching everything come back to life. I have a rose garden in my home; I love to watch the roses bloom."

"You have a rose garden? I don't believe it."

"I do," he said seriously. "It's actually a large one with some of the most beautiful roses in Fire country."

"Well, I'd love to see them some time."

He suddenly reached out and took her hand, bringing her to an abrupt stop. "Come to Konoha and I'll show them to you."

The feel of his strong hand holding hers sent a rush of heat through her. "Don't… don't say that unless you really mean it. I might just show up on your door one day demanding a free tour."

"You'll be welcome any time Kushina-chan," he said gently.

That gentle tone and the caring look in those pale blue eyes made her feel like a little girl. She wanted to squeal with joy.

"Well, I'll consider that an open invitation."

The two of them shared a warm smile. They continued on to the compound still holding hands.

XXXXXXXXXX

The compound had settled into the quiet peace of early evening. No one seemed to be outside training and as they approached the main house only a few lights were on.

"So tell me Minato-kun," she said with a taunting smirk. "How do you usually end your first dates?"

"I usually just say good night at her door."

"What? You don't try and kiss her?" She shook her head in mock disappointment. "You leaf nin aren't very aggressive are you?"

With a playful smile he reached out with both hands and took of her hips, slowly pulling her close. "That's how it's usually done in Konoha," he told her in a pleasant soft voice. "But if the customs here are different I can adapt. I wouldn't want to disappoint you."

She let herself be pulled in until he had her right up against him and his arms were around her back. "That," she said a little breathlessly. "Would depend on the kiss." As he brought his mouth down towards hers she shut her eyes and waited for him to kiss her.

"Sensei!"

"Wha…"

"Huh…"

The two of them instinctively leapt apart and looked around.

"Up here," a voice called.

The two of them looked up to see a still masked Kakashi sticking his head out of a second story window.

"What is Kakashi?" Minato asked. "Is anything wrong?"

Kakashi deliberately turned his gaze to Kushina. "Not anymore, good night sensei, good night Uzumaki-san." He ducked back into his room and shut the window.

Oh! That brat did it on purpose! Kushina thought furiously. If I still pulled pranks you'd wake tomorrow without a single hair on your body!

Minato turned to her looking embarrassed with a hand behind his head. "Sorry about that," he said apologetically. "Well, I guess we should just say good night."

"Heh, yeah, good night Minato-kun." Kushina tried to laugh it off. Kakashi! You ruined a beautiful romantic moment! Suffer my wrath!

XXXXXXXXXX

With the window closed Kakashi headed to bed.

"Well I have to give you credit," Obito said. "Even for you that was a new low."

"Kakashi, you ruined a beautiful romantic moment." Rin reprimanded. "Sensei and Kushina were going to kiss."

"That's why I did it," Kakashi said primly. "Sensei shouldn't waste his time with women who are so far beneath him. It might damage his reputation." The three teammates regularly shared a room whenever they stayed in a hotel. So none of them thought anything about sharing a room here. "I was only doing sensei a favor by helping him avoid needless entanglements."

"Yeah well if I'm ever about to make out with a really beautiful girl please don't do me any favors." Obito said.

Kakashi snorted. "What makes you think any woman would ever want to kiss a cry baby like you? You'll probably end up dying a virgin."

"Jerk!" Obito grabbed a pillow and threw it at him.

Kakashi allowed it to hit him in the head. "Nice shot, I think we've finally found a weapon you have a real talent for."

"Guys," Rin pleaded. "Let's just go to sleep."

Kakashi shrugged and slipped into his bed. Obito grunted his annoyance but also settled in.

XXXXXXXXXX

The following morning at breakfast Kushina came to the table with an old burlap sack with two wooden handles sticking out of it.

"Oh Kakashi," she said sweetly. "Your sensei tells me that you're always looking to learn new techniques and drills to improve your fighting ability. How would you like to train with me using a special method? It's guaranteed to improve sword skills as well as improve balance, dexterity, and stamina. What do you say?" She gave him a grin that a cat might have shown a mouse.

Kakashi sent her a smug glance. "No thanks, I already know how to use a sword." On his back he carried his father's sword, 'White Fang.' "Besides, I'm sure there's nothing you could teach me."

"Kakashi," Minato said in a friendly undertone. "Skills can always be improved, and it's dangerous to assume others don't know things that things you might like to learn."

At the head of the table Naoko spoke up. "Our clan specializes in swordsmanship. Kushina is a fifth level blade master, only I and my brother Saishu have better skills. She could definitely teach you something."

Kushina pulled one of the wooden practice swords from out of the sack. Right there in the kitchen she ran through a quick series of jabs and strikes. The moves themselves were nothing special, but they were executed with speed and expert timing. Everyone, including Kakashi, could see she was clearly very skilled with a sword in her hand.

"I could definitely impart some wisdom to you," Kushina said happily. "Or do you just assume that since I'm from here I couldn't possibly have anything to teach a leaf nin?"

"Konoha ninja are the best in the world," Kakashi said proudly.

"Kakashi," Minato said with an unhappy look. "If we were that much better than everyone else wouldn't the war be over by now?"

"Hai sensei," Kakashi said and bowed slightly in his seat.

"Your student seems to have a real lack of fighting spirit," Kushina said to Minato. "At least when it comes to fighting with anything but words."

"I'm not afraid of anything," Kakashi shot back. "I just don't believe there's anything useful you could teach me. I'm a Chunin after all."

"So what?" Kushina laughed mockingly. "I'm a Jonin and an ANBU captain at that."

"Of Whirlpool."

"Kakashi…" Minato began.

"Yes that's right," Kushina said proudly. "I am of the Uzumaki clan of the village hidden within the whirlpool, and I say my skill with the sword is better than that of any Chunin no matter what village he comes from." Kakashi sent her a furious glare and she could even feel a little killer intent leaking out of him. "Oh I'm sorry, did I upset you?"

"If you really want to see what I can do, then I'll show you."

"Good," she said happily. "That's just what I wanted to here."

XXXXXXXXXX

Following breakfast they all went out into the courtyard. Minato went up to Kushina to have a quiet word with her.

"I know Kakashi has some rough spots, but he's actually a fine ninja and I'm rather fond of him. I'd hate to have anything happen to him during a simple drill."

"Don't worry Minato-kun," she said. "I give you my word I won't kill him or permanently injure him."

"Why does that not put my mind at ease?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"What do you think?" Rin asked quietly.

Obito grinned and bit down on the straw on his mouth. "I think the jerk is going down."

Rin shook her head. "Kakashi's the best, he won't lose."

"Oh yes he will," Naoko said as he came up to watch. "Your Kakashi will definitely lose and what's more he'll lose badly."

"With all due respect Naoko-san, you've never seen Kakashi fight." Rin said.

Naoko smiled down at the pint sized medic nin. "Little girl, hasn't it even occurred to you that you've never seen Kushina fight either?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"So how do we do this?" Kakashi asked.

She tossed him one of the wooden swords and took the other. "It's called a circle drill." With her sword she drew a wide circle around herself. "The rules are simple. Attack me with your sword as hard as you can. All you have to do is force any part of my body outside the circle. When you do that the drill is over."

"That's all?" Kakashi asked.

"That's all."

"This'll be easy." He said.

Kushina immediately began laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing," she said and brought her laughter under control. "I just remembered, I said the same damn thing the first time my brother made me do this." She lifted her sword up into the ready position. "You can begin."

The second she said that he raced in. He would make two feints aiming for her chest and left side before delivering his real strike to take out her feet. He was going to show her what the elite of Konoha could really do. He snapped off his feints and drew her sword up before bringing his back down in a lightning fast strike.

Thwack! The sound of wood striking wood reverberated through the open air.

"I'm sorry dear, did you not hear me?" Kushina said sweetly. His sword had been blocked before even getting within a foot of her. "I said you could start."

"Uh oh," Rin said.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Pathetic…"

Thwack!

"Weak…"

Thwack!

"Ordinary…"

Thwack!

"Is this really the best you can do?" Kushina asked, contempt ringing in her voice. "You know I'm starting to think that except for your sensei you leaf nins don't deserve the reputation you've gotten."

"Yaaah!" Kakashi cried out and just attacked with blind fury hoping to wear her down and somehow break through. Up until now every strike no matter how well delivered had been blocked, and blocked easily. But he would not give up.

Seeing him attack without any plan, just relying on pure emotion to guide his attacks reminded her of some of her own drills against Shinzou. She could see how outclassed the boy was. Chunin or not he was no match for her. Oh he had some skill with the sword, that was obvious. But she was a fifth level blade master, and what's more she was an Uzumaki, part of a clan that made swordsmanship high art. The kid just wasn't on her level.

She still took every opportunity to insult and belittle him. Once she'd been a lot like Kakashi, arrogantly certain that she was the best and that her skills would see her through. Shinzou had taken an almost sadistic pleasure in flattening that pride in an endless series of these drills. She didn't think she would be able to get through the boy's thick skull in just one session. And it wasn't like he was her responsibility anyway. But she would do what she could to try and impart the lesson.

Besides… it was kind of fun treating him like a piñata.

XXXXXXXXXX

They'd been at it for six hours straight. They'd both stopped for water but not for anything else. Panting and drenched in sweat Kakashi fell to one knee, his hands still gripped his sword.

"Don't tell me your tired," Kushina called with a grin. "I can keep going all day."

Kakashi looked up. Despite his exhaustion he forced himself back up to his feet. "I'm not done yet."

"Yes you are," Minato took the practice sword out of his grasp. "This practice has gone on long enough."

"But sensei…"

"I said it's done Kakashi," Minato's voice was stern and would take no back talk. "Go shower and eat, than let Rin take a look at your bruises."

"Hai sensei," Kakashi answered.

Kushina lowered her own sword and stepped out of the circle. "I suppose it's too much to hope for, but did you learn something from all this?"

Kakashi turned to answer her. "No, this was pointless. If this were real combat I would have killed you."

She smiled at him wickedly. "You keep telling yourself that."

With a scowl hidden beneath his mask Kakashi headed inside.

Kushina watched him go with a sad shake of her head. Was I ever that stubborn and proud? It didn't seem possible. "Your student is quite a piece of work."

Minato sighed wearily. "He has his good points, he is brave, tough, a genius, and even you will have to admit he has a lot of determination."

She nodded. "I'll grant you all that, but those strengths don't make up for his weaknesses. He is too proud and stubborn, once he decides what the right path is he won't change from that no matter what. I hope you manage to teach him how to be a little more flexible before he gets himself or his teammates killed."

"I'm trying," he muttered. "Any way, I'm sorry you had to waste so much time on this."

"No problem!" She said with real enthusiasm. "I really liked smacking him, maybe we can do it again some time."