Quote:Itachi shut the office door behind him after Asuma had gone. He wasDaybreak: Part I, Chapter 11
edging into unsteady ground now, but the abrupt change in the older
jonin's tone when he learned who'd suggested the travel plans hadn't
been his imagination. He continued mulling over the exchange when he ran
into Kakashi in the hall, who had finally seen fit to deliver his
overdue mission reports."Who won?" Itachi politely inquired, stopping to greet him.
"Gai," Kakashi said.
"At what?"
Kakashi
plucked a piece of hardened cake frosting from his hair and flicked it
away with distaste. It was extremely pink and studded with tiny candy
stars. "Taking the secret to my grave. What did Asuma want? He seemed
unusually… perky."
"I'm not sure," Itachi said contemplatively. "But I have an intriguing if unsubstantiated theory."
"Juicy
gossip? I just knew this slumber party was going to be fun," Kakashi
announced. "Afterwards, can we watch one of those awful Fujikaze Yukie
romance flicks and paint our nails?"
Itachi just blinked at him. "Do you want me to tell you or not?"
"Are you kidding? Of course I do," Kakashi said.
"Do you remember how I mentioned Asuma-san has been avoiding me since the end of the school term?"
"Yeah...?"
"I
believe he was under the impression I've been romantically involved
with Kurenai, a misconception that could have been easily dispelled had
he simply asked her."
"So what you're saying..." Kakashi
said slowly, "is that a guy with a thirty-odd million ryo bounty on his
head is too chickenshit to ask a girl out?"
Itachi shrugged. "That was essentially the conclusion I came to, yes."
"Man needs help."
"From you?" Itachi asked, skeptical.
Aaron Nowack