luck
Asuma

You know why I hate playing cards?

"Kakashi! You may have won last time, but there is no way that you, my eternal rival, can beat me in this hand. Feast your eyes on THAT! FULL HOUSE!"

Well, besides that.

"Straight flush." Kakashi said flatly, laying the cards on the table.

Gai clenched his fist and made an unintelligible sound of frustration. "Not again!"

Kakashi turned in my direction. "Asuma, what have you got there?"

I hate playing cards because no matter how much you think, no matter how much you plan, what you draw from the deck is always completely…

"Queen of hearts. King of clubs."

Random.

Gai seemed to brighten. At least he had beaten somebody. "That's it?"

"And a two, a seven, and an eight." I laid the cards out side by side for inspection.

Gai, Kakashi, and I were currently occupying our usual table at our usual bar. The regular crowd of Jounin and Chuunin were scattered about the room, swapping the regular stories and showing off the regular battle scars. The place was crowded and smoky like always, the noise level a dull roar. Just like I liked it. I was slouched comfortably in my chair, resigned to losing the card games long ago. The sting of defeat wasn't as bitter for me as it was for Gai. I had a big glass of beer. Maybe that was why.

I took another swig of said glass of beer while Gai collected my pathetic cards for reshuffling. Kakashi gave what might have been a chuckle, had he put more effort into it. "Well! Better luck next time."

"Yep."

Gai shuffled, and began dealing— he was never satisfied with Kakashi's dealing, and I was just too lazy for the job. I watched him deal our cards with impeccable neatness. It amused me, the perfectly placed cards contrasting sharply with the stained tabletop. I tapped the ash off of my cigarette into the overflowing ashtray.

"So, Asuma, any plans for the weekend?" Gai asked casually, raising one eyebrow.

"Huh? Not really." I took a long drag and collected my cards, regarding them, skeptical. "You?"

"I hear you have a big mission coming up," Gai flashed his gleaming smile to me as he shuffled his five cards around a bit. "C-Rank?"

"Yeah, but it's no big deal." I picked my cards up, and witnessed yet again the phenomena that is my bad luck at poker.

"No big deal?" Gai seemed shocked. "Your team, your precious pupils' first C-rank mission in their entire lives is no big deal to you?"

I shifted slightly in my seat. Looks like my attempt to keep it on the down-low wasn't working. "Well…"

Gai cut me off. "I'm wondering if you're fit to be a teacher, Asuma. Don't you understand that these students of ours are the future of Konoha? Don't you feel any responsibility to help shape them into good shinobi? Teaching isn't just a job, it's a calling."

Kakashi drew a card and gave me a look that said, see what you did now?

"I know all of those things, Gai." I returned, scratching my chin in discomfort. "The only reason I said that it wasn't a big deal is that the mission is... it's painting the Hokage's house." There you go guys, go ahead and make a big deal out of it if you want. Piece of cake mission goes to Hokage's estranged wittle boy.

Kakashi's eye crinkled, amused, but Gai's jaw dropped open just a bit. "And how on earth does that constitute a C-rank mission?"

"I guess they want a good paint job," I shrugged. Let's not talk about why my old man had assigned that mission to me. I didn't even know-- we're not exactly close, to put it mildly-- but I could make a guess. He wants to talk. Whatever. If I wanted to change missions to avoid him some more, I'd have to go ask him anyway, so that would kind of defeat the purpose. I drew three cards, none of which helped my hand any.

"What? That's… that's absurd. Your students must feel sorely disappointed." Gai thumped a fist on the table. "They deserve a true assignment they can use to test their youthful wings!"

"Meh." I puffed a little on my smoke. "Actually, I don't think they mind. I think they'd rather do this mission than some of the other C-rank missions that were available." Like anything that involved actually fighting, running, being in the sun for long periods of time, or carrying heavy objects. Whiners.

"Oh?" Gai's eyes narrowed. "So your students are as lackadaisical as their teacher, eh? Well, I guess that makes my team's exceptional hard work shine all the brighter." He beamed a brilliant white smile. "And, gentlemen: straight flush."

Gai laid his cards out on the table with a triumphant flourish, then leaned back to admire his hand. "Asuma?"

I reached for my beer. "I got nothin'."

Kakashi leaned his head on his hand and tossed his cards out into the middle. "Royal flush."

Upon witnessing this, something between a squawk and a growl escaped Gai. "Just like my eternal rival, to have something even better waiting even when I think I've won. But I haven't given up yet!"

Gai reshuffled. Kakashi yawned. I chugged. It was indeed a typical Friday night. I nodded to myself. Life is good.

"Hey, hey! Look who's back!" Someone near the door called out.

The door swung open and Shiranui Genma entered, ever-present senbon in his teeth. His fellow Special Jounin Gekkou Hayate was just behind him, and the poor guy looked ready to lose his lunch any minute. The two were welcomed by claps on the back, along with some friendly ribbing.

"Oh-ho, guys, looks like the Special Jounin are back from their special mission!"

"I sure wish I was special like that."

Genma chuckled good-naturedly at the jokes and made his way through the Chuunin seated near the entrance. He noticed us and sidled up to our table. He raised a hand in greeting and gave us a grin. "Hey, guys, how's it going?"

"Not bad," I answered Genma, not really able to take my eyes off of the keen shade of greenish yellow Hayate was turning. Hayate seemed to be having difficulty adjusting to the thick smoke in the air. He coughed violently. Gai passed him a glass of water. He took it, his pale hand shaking, and nodded his thanks.

"Here, sit down, man," Gai offered, offering Hayate a chair. The sickly Special Jounin sunk into it weakly. Genma pulled up a chair as well, turning it backwards and straddling the seat.

"Where are you gentlemen back from this time?" Gai asked, ever the cordial one of the three of us. "Anywhere interesting?"

Hayate choked again and murmured into his glass of water, gazing at us with sunken eyes. "Not particularly."

Genma motioned to the bartender for a beer. "Just… well, you know. With the Chuunin exams coming and all, security's been the issue lately. But-- there've some unusual things going on."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, and yet still managed to look bored. "Oh?"

Genma looked around and gave a slight nod. "There's been a heavy increase in enemy activity around our borders." The bartender brought his beer and Genma took a long slow drink before he continued. "The way things are going, I wouldn't be surprised if even you boys will be seeing some patrol duty soon."

"Really." Gai's eyes gleamed. One thing you can say about Gai-- the manenjoys his patrol duty. Even things that might seem mundane, he can get excited about. He puts his all into everything. I kind of envy that sometimes.

"Yep." Genma wiped his mouth and surveyed the room. "Wow. This place is just as unattractive as usual."

Hayatecleared his throatpolitely. "Present company excluded, I hope."

"Right, right." Genma chuckled, patting his partner on the back in reassurance. "But some ladies here and there sure wouldn't hurt."

As if on cue, someone kicked the door in. "Did someone say party?" Mitarashi Anko strutted in, gleeful. "'Cause I am back in town. Oh yeah!"

"ANKO!" A chorus went up from the younger guys near the entrance. Her Special Chuunin associates: Iwashi, Kotetsu, Izumo, and a few others, grinned and waved to her. Anko seemed to revel in the attention.

"Wow. She's in a good mood," noted Kakashi.

"Yeah." Genma nodded, giving a little laugh. "Been like that the whole trip back to the village. Mission went pretty well."

"Friends," Anko announced, placing her hands on her hips and looking stern. "My team and I have ventured to the border. And we found… the beer there sucks. Give us somethin' good to drink!"

Us? I glanced to the dark area behind Anko's petite frame. Had she somehow succeeded in getting Ibiki to come along with her? That was a surprise. No, that wasn't Ibiki, that was…

"Kurenai-san," one of the Chuunin at the bar gasped.

"Kurenai? Where?" Not a few heads turned, necks craning to see who indeed stood behind Anko in the doorway. A glimpse of brunette hair and red lipstick, and I knew that it was indeed Kurenai. I heard a sigh rise from someone at a nearby table as she walked forward into the dusky light of the bar's hanging lamps. Kurenai was dressed just as usual, and her hair looked nice, I guess. Somehow though, perhaps because she had just entered a room full of guys, she seemed more, I don't know. Womanly. Her face was cool and expressionless. In spite of the red she wears, sometimes she looks a little cold.

Anko strutted up to the bar, eager. Sometimes she reminds me a little bit of a squirrel or a ferret or something. Something chipper and cute, and hyper, but with a hard bite you wouldn't want to mess with. I don't know her well, but when I have seen her, she seems to be in constant search of either fun, or violence. For now, her hazel eyes twinkled merrily as she perched on a barstool and guys raced to the bar to buy her drinks. Watching her, I realized for the first time that her whole shirt was just a little see-through and couldn't help feeling a little weird about it.

Kurenai followed her friend through the room, but her way of moving was quite different. She moved more smoothly, calmly. Many of the eyes in the room were fixed directly on her, but she didn't seem totake noteor care at all. Her stride was confident and controlled. It gave her body a gentle rhythm of movement, making it hard not to notice her curvy figure. I think it would be safe to say it was the curves that most of those eyes in the room were watching.

"God damn," I heard a guy at the table behind us say.

"Uh-huh," someone else at his table agreed.

A young dark-haired fellow I recognized as a Chuunin cleared his throat nervously. "Kurenai-san, can I buy you a drink?"

Kurenai looked mildly amused, as though she thought she were being joked with. But she walked on by.

"Ooh," the guys behind us were saying. "Ouch!"

I smiled inwardly to myself. "Looks like our Kurenai-sensei's pretty popular," Kakashi observed.

"She is indeed, and she deserves it," Gai replied. "She is an excellent kunoichi, and a good teacher."

Genma grinned mischieviously at this remark, twirling his toothpick. "I wouldn't mind her teaching me a thing or two."

"And," Gai added with a withering glance at Genma, "Kurenai is a very attractive woman."

Genma grinned wider. "I sure think so."

I looked over at Kurenai. I wondered if she knew that, and I wondered what she would say if she heard Genma say that. I remembered her reaction to my telling her about Ino's first tirade. The Sexy and Cool Kurenai-sensei.

"But," Gai emphasized, his dark eyes stern, "Kurenai doesn't seem to be interested in being recognized for being anything other than an excellent kunoichi, and a good teacher."

Hayate gagged and sipped some more water.

"Oh come on," Genma waved this away. "A woman can be hot and still be a great ninja."

I felt a little funny at this point. I reached for a new cigarette, but then glanced at Hayate and thought the better of it. I glanced up to see that Kakashi's lazy eye was looking at me, slightly amused.

"I doubt that, in this still unequal society, that many kunoichi would enjoy extra attention being drawn to the fact that they are not the same as their male counterparts in battle," Gai stated, reshuffling the cards neatly.

"I don't see why not," Genma replied. "I mean, a pretty girl is a pretty girl. She shouldn't have to hide it if she wants to have a career as a shinobi. She should be equal anyway, whether she's attractive or not, right? So noticing a woman who's good-looking is like, an extra bonus compliment. Or at least, that's what Anko tells me." He snickered and looked off into the distance, twiddling his toothpick. "Then again, Anko is... Anko."

Gai was surprised. "Of course a woman shouldn't hide it if she is good-looking! She should be herself no matter what!" He began to deal the cards again. "But still, I find it hard to imagine that professional women like Kurenai would enjoy being thought of as a dating prospect. She is truly all business."

"Ho-ho, sexual politics, now?" Kakashi drawled, collecting his cards as they were passed to him.

"Don't you think kunoichi seem to want to be treated without consideration of their gender?" Gai asked us, looking for support.

"Don't ask me," Kakashi told him, grinning through his black mask. "I have no idea whatsoever."

"I should have guessed that," Gai replied, his tone dry.

"I still say hot is hot, there's no pretending it away," Genma declared. "And that, as I'm sure anyone will agree," here he nodded towards Kurenai, "is one hot woman."

Kurenai was seated primly next to Anko at the bar, her legs tucked under her. Leaning her chin in her hand, she seemed to be gazing off into the distance. Anko was telling a story of some sort and Kurenai nodded from time to time in reply. When she did so her hair caught the shine from the overhead lights.

"Asuma..." Kakashi was saying in a singsong voice.

"What?"

"Your cards." He pointed. The cards Gai had dealt were still laying in a little pile in front of me. Gai, Genma, and Kakashi were all holding their hand and were waiting. Hayate sniffed and looked on.

"Right." I picked up my cards and fanned them out.

"How many cards?" Gai asked, speaking deliberately as though he were talking to a small child.

"Um… three." I put my discards down and Gai dealt me three new ones. Unfortunately they were even worse than the ones I had given away. Yet again, I had nothing useful.

"One for me," Genma sighed.

"Nothing here." Kakashi looked up at the ceiling.

"I'm taking two," Gai announced, forever careful to show that he wasn't cheating.

"Hello," a voice that was most definitely female said from behind, giving me a bit of a start. I turned to see Kurenai standing behind me. She nodded to us. In the lamplight of the otherwise dark room her skin looked so pale and milky, in sharp contrast to her red lips. Gai looked up and smiled a dazzling smile. "Good evening, Kurenai-sensei."

"Hey," she replied. "What are you boys up to this evening?"

"Cards," I said, as if she couldn't tell. I'm brilliant. I really am.

"I can see that," Kurenai nodded. There was an amused sort of glimmer in her crimson eyes. I took a drink of my beer to have an excuse to look away.

"Kurenai," Genma smiled rakishly and held his hand out to her. Oh, it was all over now. This looked like the Danger Smile, here. Watch out. Hell, he even looked good to me. All the girls are nuts for Genma, anyway. I supposed Kurenai, too, was only destined to fall prey to his devilish charms. "It's been a while! How have you been?"

Yet Kurenai completely ignored the outstretched hand. "Fine," she answered, her expression blank. Meanwhile, Hayate hacked in the background. I wondered if he was going to cough up a lung.

"Hayate, you sound terrible," she observed.

"I'm fine," Hayate croaked, pulling a tissue out of his pocket.

"If you say so," she mused, looking over my shoulder at the card game. "So, what is this? Sensei Poker Night? Is this something you guys do?"

Kakashi picked through his cards. "Every once in a while."

"Want to join us?" Genma asked, sounding hopeful.

"Oh, no," she said, shaking her head. "That's okay."

"You're perfectly welcome to," Gai chimed in. "There's plenty of room."

"Sure is," Genma added, pulling over a chair and bringing out the Danger Smile again. "You can sit by me. I'll show you my cards."

"No, thanks," Kurenai said, point blank. Hayate coughed and blew his nose.

Gai showed his gleaming grin again. "Well, if you would ever like to join us sometime, Kurenai, we'd love to have you."

Kurenai gave Gai a small smile and a nod. "Thank you. I'll remember that." When she spoke, a corner of her shiny red mouth quirked up, and her cheeks brightened. Gai is right, I thought to myself. She is a rather attractive woman. I can't see anything on her that isn't pleasant, I mean.

"Well." Kurenai was saying. "Ready for your C-ranks, Kakashi? Asuma?"

"I guess." Kakashi replied, leaning his chin on his hand. "Ready as I'll ever be."

"What'll you be doing?" she wanted to know.

"Escort mission." Kakashi looked bored. "Just to Wave Country."

"I see," she nodded.

"Excuse me for just a minute," Genma said, slipping away to the bar.

Curiosity got the better of me. "What's yours?" I asked Kurenai.

"We're going to Matsuya," she answered. "Not an escort, just a message delivery. Courier mission."

"Matsuya? Isn't that in the mountains?" I scratched the back of my neck and looked up at her, concerned. "You sure you want to take that?"

Kurenai drew herself up, her posture defensive. "Are you saying I shouldn't?"

"Well, no, it's just that, won't the trip be rough? It's a long way for genin." I wondered aloud. "It sounds kind of like a challenge…"

She folded her arms and stared down at me. "Of course it will be. How else are they supposed to learn? By eating out every day or something?"

Ouch. I spread my hands. "Okay, okay, just asking."

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Kakashi interjected breezily. "What doesn't kill these kids will only make them stronger, right?"

"I guess," I admitted, taking a slow drink of my beer, which was now lukewarm. Kakashi's choice of words made me feel uncomfortable. The silence was awkward and I wasn't sure what else to do. Was there something I should say? I had no idea.

Kurenai's gaze was coolly civil. "I suppose I'll see you in a week or so, then," she said, nodding to us as she turned to go.

"Good luck!" Gai smiled and gave her a cheery thumbs up.

Kurenai turned back to reply to Gai's remark, but I could feel her eyes on me. "Thanks. But I won't be needing it."

And with a toss of dark hair, she was gone. We watched her go, and then turned back to the table, taken aback.

"Well, that was pleasant," Kakashi quipped.

"What happened?" I asked.

"I think you hit a nerve." Kakashi's eyelid half-lowered in amusement. "Good going."

Genma returned from the bar with another beer for himself and some napkins for Hayate. "Wow," he remarked, with a bit of surprise. "I guess the direct approach doesn't work on her, does it?" I wondered how often it happens that Genma finds a girl who doesn't jump at the chance to hook up with him. Judging from what I've heard and from the dumbfounded look on the poor guy's face, I'd say not often.

Kakashi, however,seemed in high spirits. The card game having apparently ended, he took out his book and opened to a dog-eared page. "No, apparently not," he observed, sagely.

Gai glared at Kakashi's choice of reading material with disgust, then began to collect up the cards. Genma swallowed some of his beer and leaned his arms on the back of the chair. "Better luck next time," he mused, making his senbon toothpick stick up. "You guys work with her. What does she like?"

Gai blinked, unable to answer. Kakashi leered through his mask. "Asuma? You know her best."

"Coffee." I pulled out a cigarette and turned it over in my hand. I had refrained because of Hayate's discomfort, but I guess it felt good to hold one in my hand, even if it wasn't lit. "She likes coffee."

Genma raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Maybe I'll invite her to get coffee sometime then. Thanks, man."

"No prob," I said, pocketing my pack again.

At that moment Hayate started coughing rather violently. "You okay, pal?" Genma asked, slapping him on the back.

Hayate tried to make a response. It sounded something like, Hack, hackhork.

I had no idea what hack, hackhork meant, but Genma seemed to. "We had better go," Genma admitted, helping his troubled teammate up. "See you guys around, okay?"

"Right," Gai waved. "Get that man some hot chicken soup or something."

Hayate shook his head feebly. "I'm --hack-- fine."

"Bye bye," Kakashi sang out, turning a page and waving over his shoulder.

I lit up and breathed in deep. Oh thank you, nicotine.

Kakashi spoke up but, didn't look up from his book. "So why'd you tell him that?"

"Tell him what?" I blinked, not understanding his gist.

"That she likes coffee."

"Oh. Heh." I tapped some ash off into the ashtray. "Well… it seemed like he needed all the help he could get," I replied, with a rueful smile.

"Indeed," Gai nodded manfully, his dark eyes sober. "That was very kind of you, Asuma."

"Nahh." I stuffed my hands in my pockets and pushed my chair back from the table with my feet. "I think I'd better be going, too."

"It is getting late," Gai agreed. "Come on, Kakashi. You should stop reading that ridiculous book and try to get a good night's sleep."

"Did you say something?" Kakashi asked, but nevertheless he got up to leave.

I walked outside into the cool night air. "Later, guys."

I could still hear them carrying on their typical banter even as I turned the corner to head towards my place. "Sleep. It's that thing you don't do enough of. And it's necessary for proper health."

"Huh? Is someone talking?"

"Ugh! Kakashi, when will you lose that hip attitude and--"

I smiled to myself and blew a stream of smoke into the air. Gai's chiding voice gradually faded into the distance and then I was alone, my feet crunching in the dead leaves and gravel of the back streets. I could hear the buzz of downtown still, but as I moved farther into the crisscrossing streets of houses and tenements those sounds too were lost, and then it was just me. The night air chilled my ears and my nose. There were heavy clouds moving in from the east. Beyond them, though, the sky was clear and the stars glittered like the sea. I found myself wishing Kurenai was around to see it.

Crap. I pissed her off. Maybe I should explain to her next time I saw her. I honestly didn't mean anything bad. I was just worried they might have trouble. Why did she take a mission that was so difficult? The missions are distributed randomly, she could have declined and asked for a different one if she had wanted to. I've done it before.

I guess I'll just have to trust her judgement.

I walked home looking up at the myriad lights shimmering in the sky and trying not to worry about those black clouds on the horizon. With any luck, the rainy season's first storm would wait a week or two.

Notes:

This was one of the first things I've written and posted with lots of Gai and Kakashi speaking. I was really afraid of making Gai too over-the-top. I hope he was passionate and emphatic, and yet not too "omg that wacky Gai-sensei!"