Saruto Hyuga: The Last Generation

38.) The Third Generation Team Seven

Saruto walked away from the training grounds once Kakashi started explaining the rules of the Chunin exams. He knew he wasn't going to be taking the exams anytime soon or maybe at all. He might just be an eternal genin like his grandfathers. Just before he crossed the bridge, he stopped.

"What do you think, father?" Saruto says, catching Boruto off-gaurd.

"What do I think of what, exactly?" Boruto asks, brushing off leaves and dirt from his sleeves and moving out of the bushes.

"Will I ever take the Chunin exams?" Boruto pats his son's shoulder and smiles widely.

"You don't want to be stuck a genin like my old man, do you?"

"Well he doesn't have to." A figure emerges from the other side of the bridge.

"Uncle Shikamaru!" Boruto greets his father's friend. Saruto looks down shamefully and Shikamaru takes note.

"You're not still feeling guilty about my grandson, are you?" Shikamaru asks, gaining the boy's attention. "He jumped in front of you, boy. If he saw you right now, he would try to cheer you up. Asuma is a lot like your grandfather and father when they were kids."

"It was my fault, nonetheless. Where was he buried?" Shikamaru froze at the boy's words. He really didn't think that Asuma was dead, did he?

"The things you missed when you were gone..."Shikamaru paused and thought of a great idea. "Follow me child: I want to take you somewhere." Shikamaru jumped through trees and buildings, knowing fully well that Saruto and his father were trailing behind. The two were led to the Konoha shinobi cemetery. Surprisingly, the grave Shikamaru decided to visit was the wrong Asuma.

"Asuma Sarutobi?"

"Asuma Sensei was my generation of Ino-Shika-Cho's team leader. He was a great man, smart and thought very much of each generation. His favorite was always the next ones." Shikamaru laughs. "He named his own daughter "Mirai" or future."

"Asuma was named after your mentor." Shikamaru puts flowers--that Saruto hadn't noticed he had with him--into the holes in the ground near Asuma's gravestone. Boruto and Saruto kept quiet as Shikamaru kneels to bow at his teacher's grave and stands up to bow again.

"Join me?" Saruto only nods and follows the man. In the middle of their trip to an unknown location, Saruto finally asks.

"Where are we going, Sir Shikamaru?" Shikamaru smiles.

"To see Asuma, of course."

.

Shikamaru walks down the hospital hallway and stops in front of a door. Saruto trailed close behind and Boruto a little further back, observing quietly.

"Ah good. He's awake." Shikamaru peeks into the tiny glass window of the sliding hospital door and sees his grandson playing with a videogame and snacking on junk food he wasn't supposed to get his hands on until twenty-four hours later. "I guess you can enter, then." Shikamaru slides the door open and Saruto causiously steps in.

Inside, Asuma sat up on his hospital bed, snacking on a bag of consome-flavored chips and getting his portable video game sticky with grease. On two side chairs was Minakami Hozuki and the group's leader, Mitsuki. The three noticed instantly when the black-haired boy entered the room.

"Saruto?" Asuma grips the bag of potato chips in his hand. Saruto doesn't say anything and runs to give a long-needed hug to his friend.

"I-I thought you were d-dead, Asuma." Saruto says shakingly, squeezing the boy with a lot of force.

"If you squeeze me even more, I might be." Asuma laughs. Saruto finally lets go and apologizes. Asuma looks behind Saruto. "Saruto... is he-?" Saruto looks behind him and smiles.

"I finally did it." Asuma smiles widely and moves to shake Boruto's hand. Instead of taking the boy's hand, Boruto hugs the boy.

"Thank you for taking care of Saruto, Asuma." Asuma slightly blushes.

"Yes sir!" Asuma says and turns to a long laughter. He then pauses. "Does this mean team seven is back together?" The four members all look at each other and nod.

"Yes!" Minakami, Saruto and Mitsuki all respond. Shikamaru moves to remove the bag of chips from Asuma's hands.

"Grampa!" Asuma retaliates and licks his fingers.

"You shouldn't have those only after a few hours of being in a coma, kid." Shikamaru lectures the boy. "Plus you need to get better anyways. Since there are three of you, I'm sure our current Hokage will make sure you three will attend the upcoming Chunin exam."

"But I still feel sleepy!" Asuma whines. "Can I at least have decent food?"

"You brat, that's not how becoming healthy works!" Shikamaru argues with his grandson. "Plus, medical ninjutsu has very much improved to the point that you can be back in the field in a week." Minakami giggles at the sight and locks eyes with Saruto who then turned away in shame.

"I'm sure Mitsuki can get you three submitted in the Chunin exams next month?" Boruto asks, full of hope.

"Of course Uncle Boruto. We just need to train hard!" Asuma says with great confidence. Shikamaru and Boruto smile and then turn to leave. "Can I still have those chips, though?!" Asuma yells from the bed as the two close the door.