Asuma Yuhi and Kurenai Sarutobi

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Asuma doubled over in such a sudden fit of laughter, he nearly spat out his cigarette. He could always count on Guy for that enthusiasm and sincerity, that was for sure. Warmed his heart, how much his friend was trying for him. Thanks to them, the day had been stupendous, he supposed.

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“Hm? Is it? Small world. I heard the same thing.” Asuma chuckled and grinned around his cigarette. As small a gesture as it was, it meant a lot to Asuma. He certainly couldn’t expect on-time birthday wishes from his father or his brother.

As much as they poked fun, Kakashi was a good friend.

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“Hm?” Hands hanging lazily in his pockets, Asuma strode forward and pulled out his pair of brass-knuckle style trench knives. He tossed them up, spin them lightly in the air like toys. “Pretty gutsy,” He drawled, a hint of laughter in his voice. “Kurenai can do whatever she wants. I don’t decide who she does and doesn’t marry. Even if you could beat me in a duel, I couldn’t promise that it’d win you her heart. That said...” 

Asuma tossed the knives into the air a final time and caught them by the rings, fingers deftly falling into place. The silver blades around his clenched fists shone a shimmery azure.

“You sound pretty damn confident. That’s not the sort of thing to make jokes about.”

The metallic blades gleamed in streaks of wind chakra. He might not be on Guy’s level when it came to raw hand-to-hand combat skill, but Asuma felt like he more than made up for it as Konoha’s forefront master with these. He lifted an arm, a simple, controlled shadowboxing punch, aimed at nothing. The concentrated chakra along its blade lengthened all at once.

A sharp gale shot forward and carved itself into a faraway tree with pinpoint precision, left a perfect A+K drilled through its trunk.

The line of infused wind chakra shrunk back just as impossibly as it had grown out.

“I don’t think you could handle a woman like Kurenai. But if a fight’s all you’re looking for, I’m your man. Anytime, anywhere.”

Kurenai: No. Have you seen Kakashi?

Asuma: Do you think?