"'Bout as fast as you dodge issues," Asuma shot back, drawing level. He shoved the boring less necessary details about enemy ninja to the back of his mind (two, four, eight--whatever, just so long as he got to hit someone) and focused on the much more interesting problem of Inuzuka Tsume. "How nasty a jutsu? Can you fight at all?"

He threw on a burst of speed, still following the unwavering trail line, and leapt ahead, answering her question and asking a new one with the same easy tree-top run.

"Can you keep up?"