Notes from Author: Yes! The 3rd installment. Let's get the romance rolling! X3 Asuma is a hard character to get to know well. Trying to touch on his personal life and thoughts is something I'm finding quite difficult. I try to imagine everything as if it were in the anime, and if it doesn't seem right, I scrap it. Of course I have to manipulate the characters enough to make a totally different and new story, though. Blarg! (It's a tiny chapter again... nuuuu!)

Winter had seeped its way into Konoha, the rainy autumn receding and leaving behind blustery, nippy days. Snow was not common in the Fire Country, but harsh, destructive winds came around every year, the people ready with shuddered up windows and thick windbreakers over their shoulders. Hanging signs from storefronts, flags of all kinds, and loose possessions were removed or picked up and stored away safely inside. Classes and businesses were even often cancelled due to the unruly winds. The wind was heaving especially hard one night, rattling the windows on the house of Sarutobi. A man lay awake in his bed, too warm and kept awake not only from the noisy windowpanes but from his own whirling mind. The central heating was on and made the house stuffy. Asuma rose out of bed and opened a window letting in a great, freezing gust.

"Whoa!" he cried as he slammed the window shut. He was chilled and lay back under the warmed covers, rubbing away the goosebumps. "Can't sleep," he murmured to himself as he closed his eyes and curled up. It wasn't long before he felt stifled again and was lying sprawled on top of the sheets. He couldn't get his mind to shut down for the night. Certain events, experiences and memories were playing over and over with the same person. Asuma sighed deeply and spoke the name of the one who plagued his mind. "Kurenai."

That ceiling is mighty boring, thought Asuma. He had lit a cigarette and had given up on sleep for the night. Laying flat on his back on his bed he talked aloud to himself over the howling winds. "I'm like a damn kid, for crying out loud... women are far too much trouble." And so he lay, allowing the scenes to play over in his mind while he finished his cigg and hoped that tomorrow he would be far more distracted.

Anko and Kurenai sat outside in the Academy gardens, admiring the hardy winter flowers that dared bloom. The wind had died down for the day and the streets and parks were filled with people glad to be outside again and have a breath of fresh air. The Jounin had prepared bento boxes for each other to trade. Both women remembered doing such things while they were still young girls and thought it would be quite fun to try it again. They sat and gossiped as they would have years ago, giggling to themselves. They were acting completely differently than normal but such escapism from their professions was craved for. Anko sat across from Kurenai at a table while the strange eyed one had her back to a tall row of bushes. On the other side of those same bushes sat Asuma, outside to have his usual smoke (though that's not to say that he had qualms about smoking inside). He hadn't noticed the two over the fence until their laughs had escalated. He has also thought he heard his name.

Stay away from this, he thought wisely to himself. But Anko wasn't exactly keeping her voice down anymore.

"So! Kure-chan. I've been seeing you around with that guy kinda often. Care to indulge me? Hmmm?" laughed Anko, eating a bite of rice with pink dried salmon and flakes of nori sprinkled on.

Asuma sat in the utmost silence.

"Oh." There was a pause. "Yes, you could say that." A tiny laugh.

"'Yes, you could say that,'" mocked Anko in the quiet, shy voice of Kurenai's response. "Well? Is there anything going on between you two, or what?"

Another pause.

Anko sniffed. "Well, then would you consider going on a date with him?"

Yet another pause, but not quite as long. "I don't know?"

"You really are hard to talk to, you know that? Would you, or would you not?" Anko was having a great time teasing her friend. "I mean, it's not like he's bad looking."

"Well, I guess he's just not my type. I mean, he's a good guy and all. But..."

It was too late to back out. Anko had an odd streak of terrorizing people in her. "So he's a 'no-go'. Fine. If you don't snatch him up, maybe I will?"

Another pause, only tense.

"Hey, don't let me stop you. I'm not interested after all, right?" replied Kurenai at last.

At this point Asuma snuffed out his cigarette and left.