| [Aug. 10th, 2013|03:16 pm] |
The apartment was small enough that Genma didn’t have to get up to reach for the ashtray, but he did anyway. He evicted a quartet of senbon that had been lying in it, and gave it a thorough wash in the sink. “That should be okay,” he said, as he dried it and set it in the table, “but if your lips feel numb after you use it, let me know.”
Asuma tossed him a little salute and dug out his cigarettes. He lit one, then held the pack out to Genma, who took one for himself and sat back down.
“So what’s this offer you want to refuse? Akimichi Kagura ask you out?” Genma asked.
Asuma chuckled, shaking his head. “I’d take that in a heartbeat,” he said. “No, Hokage-sama gave me an invite from the Daimyou.”
“A what?”
“To join his Guardians. Round ‘em up to twelve.”
The shielded intensity in Asuma’s dark eyes said he wasn’t kidding, even a little.
“Well, shit,” Genma said. “That’s... Shit, man, that’s the big times. What happened? They just deliver you a scroll, or call you into his office or what?”
“Into his office. Sagara-sama and taichou were there, too,” Asuma said. He took a long drag on his cigarette and puffed out a smoke ring that hung like a halo over Kayan’s head. “Still wondering if it isn't just a joke.”
“I’m pretty sure Hyuuga-taichou doesn’t have a sense of humor,” Genma pointed out. Which was uncharitable. Their captain had laughed at something just last week, if Genma remembered rightly.
Asuma snorted.
“Yondaime-sama does,” Genma went on. “But if Sagara-sama was there and the captain, then I’m gonna go with it being legit.” He looked at his friend and frowned. “They must have picked you because of your dad. I mean, not that you aren’t eminently qualified in your own right.”
Asuma rolled his eyes and took a handful of wasabi peas, crunching his disdain.
“Well,” Genma said, munching a handful of the peas himself. “Did they say why they chose you, or was it just one of those, ‘Your village has need of you’ moments? Sounds like they’re giving you a choice, if you’re still considering it.”
Asuma took a drink of his beer and reached a hand over to gave Kayan a slow, absent-minded pat. “To be fair,” he said, “I was too busy going ‘what the fuck is wrong with you?’ to ask a lot of questions. I mean, if they're gonna pick anybody, why not—” He gestured in the air, drawing a look from the loris. “Why not Kakashi? That makes more sense.”
“You’re kidding, right?” Genma said. “He’s way too controversial. The Uchiha would never go for it, and even if they did, he’s not exactly well known for his ability to get along with his peers. The Daimyou’s Guardians are practically brothers. He’d never assimilate.”
“Yeah but I'm not that much better. I invent new ways to piss off taichou daily,” Asuma said.
“I thought the garlic in his shampoo was a nice touch,” Genma said, “Especially since he couldn’t pin it on you. Half the cafeteria heard him bitching at the cooks for under-seasoning the stir-fry.” He drained his beer to half and twirled the bottle on the table, setting its contents swirling and foaming. “Anyway, that’s not the point. Unless taichou’s the one who suggested your name to the Hokage. But even if he did, Minato-sama and Sagara-sama are way too smart to solve a disciplinary problem with a promotion.” |
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