Time to meet the parents! [During the summer holidays at Kushina's house. Open to anyone who'd be there, I guess :)]

"You know -" *pant* "You have to" *pant* "mean it to hit me", he teased. Getting her angry meant less control. It also meant more power, but less control.

He'd used that strategy one too many times, though. He'd see a smile for a second or two - and then she launched into one of her routines with five kicks in a row.

One of them nearly got him - he just narrowly missed it and then slipped on the grass, losing his footing and falling to one knee.

- which meant she used the opportunity for several low kicks. Avoiding face/neck area, of course. Going for sides and upper arms. "Come on, up again..." yeah, she teased him right back.

Her grin would probably fade when he caught hold of her foot and twisted it (though gently,) using it as the leverage to get up. "Thanks," he laughed back, going for a lightning fast two-finger jab to her stomach on his way up.

Well. Hoping to catch him off-guard(and knowing she could get up fast if she fell), she utilized him still holding on to her foot, span around to get her foot free, and, while still spinning (she had momentum after all, why let it go to waste?) - another hurricane kick. Only just not falling over, but still, managing to stand up afterwards.

He (of course) dodged it, slipping under her foot and poking her stomach again.

"Really? I got Genma with that one!" she complained. "And he's two or three belts above me!" Well. Now he got his wish. The 'Furious Series' began. Kick after kick after kick, punch after punch, putting all her strength into them.

And he... dodged. Because while he could feel the strength of those attacks, it meant she was not using her speed. So he just stayed away, doing some backflips and quick whirls, landing in the Crane Stance unconsciously.

And she.... Forgot all her anger. It disappeared instantly.

And then she succumbed to a nasty fit of giggles, pointing at him and barely standing upright, doubling over with outright laughter.

He just.. stared. "What?" Still on one leg he shrugged.

"The hell's that?" she managed through her laugh. "It's the single most gayish thing I've ever seen!"

"...the Crane Stance," he mumbled, getting out of it slowly.

"Oh my god..." she finally let herself fall on her butt, still giggling. "You're serious?"

"Very much. It's effective - " the next second, he halted a Whirlwind Kick half an inch from her ear.

She barely flinched, actually. Just glanced up at him. "That's supposed to scare me?"

"No. I don't think anything like this could scare you. But to show you you dropped your guard," said Minato, perhaps just a bit smugly.

"I know you wouldn't kick me when I'm not prepared." she shrugged. "Still. It's kinda a coward's way of fighting, you know. What's the fun in it, really? Just dodging and blocking? and poking?" she raised an eyebrow. "I really can't see it. It's the contact part that's the fun of martial arts."

"That's the point," he said gently, if a little disappointed. He had heard that about a million times before - but not from her. And somehow, it hurt from her. "The point is not to hit you. The point is for me to escape unharmed."

"... Can't see any fun in that. You're kinda supposed to get hurt in martial arts, sometimes. It's fun because it's risky. At least, that's what I think. Fun to actually properly clash with someone, under controlled circumstances. Kicking and punching each other until one party says stop or hits the floor." she shrugged. "There's a reason I chose taekwondo. I love learning all those kicks. And the speed of them. Getting to use just the right combination to take your opponent off guard. As I did with Genma." she smiled. "And even Kakashi. I caught him off guard with the hurricane kicks, too. He didn't know I'd learned them already."

"That's fun, I guess.. but that's not why I learned kung fu. I learned it to not get hit," he said, a little curtly. Then, to show her no hard feelings, "But I understand your viewpoint."

"... Ah." well, now she understood. And bit her lip slightly. "Sorry. It just... At least just that stance, I really can't take it seriously. It looks... Well, not like something used in fights. At all."

"Did you notice that I jabbed you in the stomach?"

"Not really. Barely felt it." she told him honestly, and shrugged. "Used to kicks from the guys in the dojo, after all."

"If I wanted to hurt you, that would have been your eye or throat."