KURENAI


    Despite the tickle of concern in the back of her mind, Kurenai is leisurely waiting in her favorite tea shop. It was his idea, which made her suspect, if anything, that he wanted her in a good mood. The question of why he wants her in an amiable mood doesn''t fill her with a wonderful feeling.


    If she listens to her minor feeling of dread, it tells her clearly, ''he''s trying to soften the blow,'' which, at times, makes Kurenai hate her psychology training.


    She''s been working with her genin teamHinata in particrfor a week now and though there hasn''t been many setbacks, she hasn''t witnessed any progress beyond what one might expect of heirs of great ns. Hinata, herself, barely speaks and when she does it''s always clipped and hyper-formal.


    Even with the beautiful girl staying in her home, it''s hard to get her to open up about much of anything.


    The gruff, broad-shouldered Asuma arrives then, expressing minimal remorse in his usual non-cavalier manner. "Sorry I''mte."


    The way hisrge frame casually settles forfort rather than proper posture makes her smile as shements, "so long as I don''t see you reading a little orange book next time, I think I can forgive you."


    He chuckles at the ludicrous insinuation before he orders the finest tea in the shop, something of a warning sign in her eyes, but she only smiles. He then tells her, "I just came from Hokage Tower. Princess Tomoko will be visiting the vige."


    Kurenai listens intently but her mind is moving a mile a minute.


    Being the son of the Hokage, who''s also closely acquainted with the nation''s Daimyo, the Lord of Fire country naturally entertained the notion of joining their families to strengthen their power; the Hokage''s son with one of his daughters, princesses of Fire country.


    It''s the reason Asuma never truly connected with her, or at least that''s what he told her. He wanted to spare her the unavoidable heartache should the whimsical Daimyo ever decide to follow through with his ideas of union-through-marriage.


    Kurenai told herself it made sense, and he informed her early on when they first started dating. It hadn''t stopped him from being with other women but Kurenai was the only one that earned the heart of the truth from him.


    Though Asuma ended it before they had be too serious, Kurenai always held out hope that the gruff Sarutobi heir would finally be free to lead his own romantic life. So it hurt her every time she heard about one of his notable escapades or saw him with a loveless beauty of the night.


    Never being one for a purely physical rtionship with a man, Kurenai herself had tried to date others, shinobi and civilian alike. Unlike her dear friend Anko, Kurenai found it hard to connect emotionally as well as intellectually with anyone she may be seeing.


    She just couldn''t help thinking about Asumacouldn''t helpparing whoever she was with to the smoking Jnin. Couldn''t help thinking, ''what was he doing? What would he think? Would it hurt him to see or hear about me with another man as much as it does her when she sees or hears about his rtions?''


    With her looks, Kurenaies across many interested men. That was never the problem. She tried to focus on their positives and if the sex was good, the rtionship wouldst longer.


    But after some time, she would always find faults with them, then fixate on that like a ring red warning sign signaling the doom toe before ending it. It was almost like she was ending things with others so as to not hurt them in the same manner Asuma does in his rtions.


    When she realized that, Kurenai had to stop. Consequently, thest time she had sex was a solid year ago, the exact time she decided to simply put forth all her abundant energy into being promoted to Jnin.


    More often than not, marriages among the elite were generally based on alliances for mary gain or political maneuvering to avoid war. Marriage for love is a distant concern, if at all addressed. Happiness was not a reason to get married.


    And now a beautiful princess of Fire country ising to the vige, in all likelihood to meet her future husband, the same man that''s already imed Kurenai''s heart. At Asuma''sment, Kurenai said nothing, raising her fragrant and scintiting tea to her lips for a sip.


    "I''ll be honest," Asuma continues. "By the end of her visit, I''ll know more or less what my future looks like. Kurenai, I know this isn''t fair, but I hope you''ll be apart of my life no matter what way this thingnds. You know I''ll do my duty if I have to, but if it doesn''t have toe to that...


    I think I feel that would make me happy," he tells her with his gruff smirk.


    She almost returned a smile, but if this didn''t pan out the way they both want, that would lead to a hope that would hurt worse than any other time before. "Why don''t we just enjoy our tea and catch up," she says, preferring to wait and see instead of diving into what ifs.


    "We''ve been so busy, it''s been a spell since I''ve seen you. How''s your team? Please tell me you''re not smoking around them."


    "If you saw what I was dealing with, you''d light one up too," he returns with a small measure of exasperation. "Not a single one is motivated to train. Shikamaru only cares about napping and sky gazing. It''s like he skipped adolescence, adulthood, and went straight into elderly.


    Ino only cares about her figure and the Uchiha bratbossy as hell too. Choji''s a sweet kidmade us all celebration dango to celebrate forming the teambut even his own n might think he eats too much and he lets Ino walk all over him."


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    /ck_Zetsu


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