The Lives Worth Saving

Chapter 11: Memory of the King

Chapter 11: Memory of the King

"Asuma-sensei are you sure that Haruki is still coming?" Ino asked from her position upside down on a branch of one of the taller trees at the edge of the clearing.

Team 10 had met up at the flower shop like they usually did before the start of every day. When the time came to leave for the training ground though and the red head still hadn't arrived, they began to get concerned. Asuma assured them that Haruki had likely just gotten held up at the Hokage tower and would be along shortly. When they arrived at their training ground he got each of them started on their warm up, but now he was running out of ways to stall.

"Yes, Ino." the bearded jonin replied, "I spoke with him last night remember. He had every intention of being here, and he's not a man to break his word lightly. He was likely caught in his other duties or called away on a mission."

"Still sensei. He's never been late. And from what Naruto tells me he hates being late. He really gives Kakashi sensei a hard time about it." The Nara hanging beside Ino pointed out.

"In any case people are not perfect and if he can't make it this time we will make the most of our training time regardless and go ask him about it later," Asuma replied after taking a long drag of his cigarette before flicking it on the ground and stepping on it.

Privately in his own mind Asuma could not help but echo the same concern his students had. Not that he knew the full extent of Haruki's character, but from what he did know the man was not one to let Kakashi's tardiness rub off on him. And it seemed, for whatever reason, that the training of his students and their friends was something of a priority to him. So then why wasn't he there at the meeting time. He looked up at the sky. 'It must be approaching 11 now,' He thought. 'Not too long ago these three would be moaning as they drug themselves to the flower shop around this time. If Haruki hadn't gotten some motivation in them....'

Just then a cold shiver went down his spine as the smoker realized what the actual problem was. "Shit!" he explained as the implications started to sink in. He had forgotten to tell Haruki about the time change.

In the next moment he heard a voice right behind him chuckle darkly, "Oh you have no idea."

An instinctual shunshin kept Asuma from being cleaved in two. Reappearing on the other side of the clearing in a cold sweat, blades out, Asuma tried to placate the clearly enraged red head that stepped into the clearing and started striding across the grass toward him. "Now Haruki wait just a minute, I can explain." He started before he was cut off by a sudden onslaught from the red head who appeared mid swing, blade coated in chakra. It took all of his concentration to parry the blows and keep his footing. Asuma, headless to the fact that his students hadn't stopped training, too shocked to react, was driven back to where Haruki had started. Weaving between the blurred blade that whirled almost silently through the air Asuma ducked and dodged while the red head seemingly effortlessly slashed and stabbed at the Jonin.

Back flipping away from an upward slash Asuma didn't see the smirk on the red head's face until it was too late. Suddenly feeling a presence behind him. Asuma turned to see a familiar large fist inches from impact. He braced himself as the impact launch him all the way across the clearing into the base of the tree that Shikamaru and Ino were using to train. The impact was enough of a shake to break Ino's connection since her concentration was already divided. With a shout of surprise she began to fall even as Shikamaru tried to catch her. Luckily she fell right into the waiting arms of their sensei's attacker.

"Are you alright Ino?" Haruki asked with concern.

Realizing that he had caught her bridal style and that she was much closer and more vulnerable to the powerful Jonin then she ever had been before she began to blush. " Y-y-yes-s Ha-haruki-sensei." Quickly she squirmed out of his arms even as he set her down gently. His face appearing neutrally kind with perhaps a bit of discomfort.