Cursed Saint

19 - Family

Before anyone had the chance to voice their agreement, a loud rumbling spread across the clearing. Ryu blinked, realizing the noise had come from behind Asuma. Directly were Chouji was standing, his arms cross and his eyes narrowed into slits.

"I'm not training anymore until I have food," Chouji declared.

Asuma studied him for a moment before giving a decisive nod. "I say Chouji is right. Training is dismissed for today. We'll meet back here tomorrow at noon. Until then, everyone is dismissed!"

*~*~*~

If he moved his Gold General, it would be a pointless sacrifice.

If he moved his Lance, it would be a pointless sacrifice.

If he moved his rook, it would be yet another pointless sacrifice.

Ryu was about ready to bash his head off the wooden board resting between him and the ponytailed Nara. It had been twenty minutes of over thinking the tiniest move, and nearly an hour or two before that of losing miserably.

It didn't seem this game would prove any better.

"You look just about ready to give up. And Shikamaru, it is rude to fall asleep when playing someone."

Ryu frowned while Shikamaru simply yawned. "Not my fault he's taking forever," he replied as he straightened himself up. "Waiting for so long is such a drag."

Rolling his eyes, Ryu moved his Gold General. As he figured, Shikamaru made his move instantly, taking the piece out of the game. Ryu sighed and dropped his head.

"There are rare times I can beat Asuma, but man," Ryu said. "You're just impossible to beat."

Shikamaru's eyes were closed, but he smiled slightly. "But you're going to keep trying, aren't you, Sarutobi?"

It was very rare that Shikamaru used Ryu's surname, but every time he did, Ryu grinned. He had come to learn more about Shikamaru since he had started joining Asuma and Ryu's get-togethers. One of the habits he had picked up was sometimes calling Ryu by Sarutobi to signify he was joking around.

Ryu could only figure it was much less energy wasting to just give a small grin and change his name than to actually give the full look of amusement.

"I take it that you give up then?" Asuma said as he leaned against the wall of his house. When Ryu nodded, Asuma continued, "Good. Because the food should be done again."

Shikamaru peered in Asuma's direction. "Did you make Soba again?"

Asuma had partially turned, giving Ryu a full view of his small grin. "Nope. Decided to make boiled eggs today."

The boy's expression grew slightly livelier as he glared at his sensei's back. "You know, I play you next, Asuma-sensei. And now you're tempting me not to hold back." Either trusting Asuma was just joking or not caring, Shikamaru rose to his feet.

Ryu hesitated, watching the backs of Asuma and Shikamaru as they headed toward the door leading inside. It had now been about two months since they had returned from Morigakure. Things had changed quite a bit since then. Team Ten had grown more consistent with practice and took up missions quite often, so they were around each other most days. Shikamaru now visited Asuma outside of practice, and therefore sometimes Ryu.

If he looked at it with a darker sense of reality, they were a team created to protect their countries, even if that meant cruel means.

But instead Ryu couldn't help but feel a familial sense from Team Ten rather than cold hearted ninjas.

It was an uplifting feeling, seeing just how much his new family in Konoha was expanding. Sadly, the image in his head of his family in Konoha – Naruto, Hiruzen, Asuma, team ten, and Sakura – faded, replaced by a face that had been shown to him recently.

The face of his brother.

"Ryu?"

The boy blinked, reality shattering his mental picture and replacing it with the bored, yet curious, gaze of Shikamaru. One of his eyebrows was raised while one hand was in midair after waving to get his attention.

"You coming?" Shikamaru asked.

Ryu stared at him for a moment before nodding. "Yeah. Sorry about that," Ryu chuckled as he hopped up.

Shikamaru shook his head. "You're a real freak at times, Sarutobi."

"You're one to talk," Ryu shot back.

A threat from Asuma to eat everything himself caused Ryu to jog for the dining room, Shikamaru trudging along behind him grumbling there had better not be boiled eggs.

The night proceeded quite the same, with Ryu goofing around while Shikamaru did as little as needed when he was made to retort, all while Asuma laughed and joined in at poking fun of both his students.  And both Sarutobis paying by the crushing defeats Shikamaru performed in Shogi.

It was definitely an environment of a family.

*~*~*~*~

Yeah, short.  Yeah, I didn't quite meet my countdown.  Yeah, the ending sucked..  There are reasons for this.  Short because I already know what two scenes happen next and didn't want to bog down two chapters with so many different scenes.  Four scene changes in one chapter just didn't appeal to me, ya know?  Plus I just wanted to have a chapter of Team Ten because, well.  They do have a bond, you know :P  As for the countdown, life.  Simple as that.  Don't want to really get into it right now XD And the ending... I just could not figure out for the life at me at 12:50 AM, but I wanted to get this out, dang nab it!

Anyway, hiatus is over.  Summer has begun.  I will mostly focus on this fanfiction :) I'm just curious.  During the "reality shattering his mental picture" did anyone get what I was symbolizing?

Please vote if you enjoyed and let me know in the comments just what it was you enjoyed.  Your reviews fuel me.