4AN:
I forgot to add a disclaimer before, so here I go: I don't own Naruto or anything else you read in my story. I only take credit for my own, original ideas.
This is my first story in the Naruto genre and only my second story ever. Well, not that my first was even considered a story (I should probably take that down). Anyways, by no means will this be a regular sized chapter, as I'm more of a 5k-10k word updater. This is going to be a short update so that I can get the essential framework for my story out of the way, which revolves somewhat around the relationship between Asuma and the Sandaime, as well as their individual relationships with Naruto. The other side, which I chose not to name in my summary, will show up.
This is a Naruto/Ino, though that's not going to happen for a bit. I'll introduce the other crew to the story soon enough and the actual plot will begin to develop. I hope you enjoy.
Chapter 2
When Asuma walked into the clearing the next afternoon, he was more than prepared to wait at least an hour for the slow and lazy Naruto to arrive. For this reason, his cigarette dropped from his lips when he found Naruto holding not one leaf, but three leaves from different areas of his body.
"N-Naruto? How in the hell..." he coughed, trying to remember that he was speaking to a ten year old, "When did you learn to do that?" His much more sensible question clearly belied the shocked look on his face, which Naruto noticed with an ecstatic grin.
"I talked to the old man, Saru-sensei, and he helped me out." At this Asuma's face fell into a frown. It could have been the fact that his student was getting help from another person, or it could have just been the fact that that other person was his father. Either way, Asuma let his mouth get ahead of his brain.
"Naruto, I never want you going to someone else for help on something I teach you ever again! It is my job to train you, and if you can't learn from me then I will be the one to decide if you can learn from someone else! Have I made myself clear?" His burst of anger led Naruto's face through a series of emotions. First shock, then anger, then hurt. By the time Asuma noticed the extent to which his rage had affected Naruto, the young blond had already turned tail and ran.
All that was left were the three leaves he had been miraculously working with slowly floating to the ground and blowing away in a sudden, harsh wind.
Asuma, suddenly realizing who he was taking his frustrations with his father out on, could only collapse backwards against the tree. Reaching for a cigarette blindly, his hand stopped around the pack. Grabbing it, he crushed it in his hands and threw it to the ground.
"Fuck!"
Jumping up, Asuma raised his hands up into a Tora seal and released his Chakra outwards. He quickly found the recognizable Chakra that only Naruto could have, turning and rushing in that direction at speeds only a Jounin could manage.
A sniffling Naruto sat clutching at clumps of grass, absentmindedly rubbing his fingers across the now familiar texture. He'd skipped the Academy just to work on the leaf exercise and when he finally showed his sensei this was what he got!
Staring out at the glistening pond in front of him, he picked up a rock and chucked it. The splash and ripples of water did little for his frustration, but then again he didn't think such a big deal was worth such a little rock. Plopping back down onto his butt, he fell backwards and stared up at the clouds. Shikamaru had to have a reason for watching them, right?
"Naruto!" Said blond jumped at his voice, turning and quickly glaring at his sensei who stood there looking sorely out of place.
"What do you want?" Naruto asked with all the sourness he could put into his voice. The jerk deserved it! Asuma just scratched his head and opened his mouth, only to close it again as he tried to figure out just what to say.
"Look, Naruto," he finally started before wincing, "I … well, the thing is … look, I'm sorry, alright? You know my father and I don't get along so when you say something like that, it sets me off. What did he tell you, anyways?" At this, his voice once again became petulant, memories of his past flying quickly across his mind.
Naruto stood there, wondering if he should say anything at all as Asuma waited for a reply. Finally, he rushed out,
"I asked him if I was just someone who couldn't use Chakra right like you all can. He said, and I don't get this, that I was lucky I didn't ever have to use Chakra before I was this age." Naruto shook his head as Asuma's jaw dropped, wondering how he had so thoroughly warped Naruto's reply with his own bitterness.
"I don't really get why that's important," Naruto continued with a shrug and a light blush, "but what he said next makes sense even to me! He said that the Yondaime gave everything he had to make sure that everyone in Konoha, including me, could live how he couldn't! If I can do the same, bleed for the people who come after me, then maybe no one will ever have to live like I do! That's why I'm going to practice as hard as I can to become the best Shinobi I can be!"
Asuma's face, throughout the conversation, had slowly warped into a small smile. Walking forward, he got down on a knee and pulled Naruto into a hug. The boy froze for a moment, wondering how his day had gone from so good, to so bad, then back again. Finally he wrapped his own arms around the man and hugged back.
"Naruto," Asuma said as he pulled away, "I was one of the Elite Guardians for the Daimyo of Hi no Kuni, yet I'll never have the same fire in me that you do." He pulled at the cloth tied around his waist, a symbol of his past and decided then and there that he couldn't run away any longer. Standing up, he ruffled Naruto's hair. "I've got someone I need to talk to, but I'll be back soon. Wait for me at our regular spot and keep up with your training, alright?" The blond nodded, smiling up at his sensei before running back the way they had come with a much happier gait.
Asuma watched him go until his orange figure disappeared in the tree line before turning and making his way back towards the village, all the while wondering how he of all people had been landed with such a special little punk.
Thunk
Wood vibrated as a fist came into full contact with the pole.
Thunk
Naruto grunted with effort, his hands stinging as they made contact for nearly the seventieth time. He usually just went to fifty each set, but he had swore to himself that he would take Asuma's Five-Hundred Punches and change it to Naruto's One-Thousand Punches.
All the while, nearly ten leaves sat vertically on his body, stuck to his hands and arms as he went through the grueling exercise.
"Naruto, is that you?" Turning his head and letting the leaves fall from his arms, Naruto saw his teacher, Umino Iruka standing there with his stance firmly showing his annoyance. "And why weren't you at school today, Naruto? Slacking off is not going to get you Rookie of the Year, you know?" Naruto scratched the back of his head, laughing nervously while trying to come up with a quick excuse,
"I … uh … got lost in … ah … a really good bowl of Ramen?" he half-asked, blushing despite himself. Iruka's head slowly seemed to grow as he stalked forward, his infamous school-yard jutsu coming in to play.
"What kind of excuse is that?! You slack off of my class and tell me you got lost in noodles! Come with me!" He grabbed Naruto's ear, pulling him back towards the village.
"H-hey! Let me go, you jerk! Stop pulling at my ear! Iruka!"
Two hours later, a very tired Naruto came back smelling of stale gum and rubbing alcohol. Asuma was sitting against a rock, slowly polishing his knife.
"Sorry for being so late, Saru-sensei. Iruka found me and he sure wasn't happy about me skippi…." Naruto stopped dead, suddenly realizing he hadn't told Asuma either. He gulped when the man's gaze slowly rose from his knife, but was surprised when it was rather serene and relaxed.
"Think about it this way, Naruto. Would I rather you skip Academy to go and make some prank or train to become a better ninja?" Stunned for a moment at a much different response then the one he was getting, Naruto suddenly burst into smiles.
"So does that …"
"No."
"But…"
"No."
Asuma just smiled as Naruto pouted quietly to himself. The kid sure could be a handful, but it was worth it.