I
"We are so dead!" Ino shrilled into her comrades ears. They stood before their late captain. She had found him lying there at noon, and now dusk was approaching. As a team, they did everything together, and so they mourned in this fashion until the daylight had left them. With a familiar groan Shikamaru lifted himself off of the mossy rock where he had settled himself on hours ago. From the tone of her voice, she didn't sound to be worried about some sort of physical danger that lingered in their captain's defeat. No, he knew her all to well, and her true reasons for crying were social. Out of their fellow Academy graduates Team 10 was the first to have a member die in battle.
Their Jounin Commander no less, the most well rounded and experienced companion they had. Shikamaru's mind found itself back in the ER hall in Konoha…It was a scene he visited often, never willingly. Bent and broken over a bench he had waited hours, it seemed like months, waiting for news on his beaten comrades. That night, years ago it was now, he never wished to repeat, or any scenario that bore its resemblance. He wouldn't have to carry his master to any ward, but a morgue. He felt sick, but he was the leader in times of Asuma's absence. Shikamaru was no longer a substitute.
"Ino, what do you mean?" He asked her. Sweeping her platinum locks out of her teary eyes she hesitated to answer.
"Asuma-sensei had plans, important ones…" She trailed off. At these words Chouji appeared from behind one of the dead trees that surrounded them. He looked dented and unsure of their plight. "He was to host a meeting regarding the Akatsuki we have been tracking. 4 other squads, and even the Hokage are set to be there."
"I'm guessing that it won't go over well with the rest of the village if they learn that the information we've been gathering for weeks all died with sensei." Shikamaru nodded. "Yes, I think that we might be quite looked down upon for this." he admitted sadly. Chouji leaned against the tree with a look of distain on his face.
"No matter how good we are as a team, without Asuma-sensei as our figure head we'll look like fools compared to the rest of our class." he moaned. Things were looking grim for the surviving team ten.
"Lady Tsunade will probably give the missions she had in mind for us to Team Seven now, even with Sasuke lost and their sensei bedridden, the name Kakashi is more valuable to clients than Shika-Ino-Chou." This struck a cord with the boys, they each felt guilty for the failure to capture Sasuke years ago. Shikamaru felt haunted, that first attempt at leadership had proven nearly fatale to his subordinates, was he ready to lead them now? Barely three summers had gone by, and what had he learnt? How to file a cabinet of chuunin exam applicants for one, but nothing close to that futile chase. He needed more time to prepare, and finally he understood.
"Time! We need to stall a turn or two!" he said, as if he was still playing board games in the shade with his master. Chouji stepped forward.
"What do you mean?"
"The news of Asuma's death hasn't reached any ears save ours yet. All we need do is hide it from the village until a better plan can be devised." His friends stood shocked at this idea.
"w-would that even work? I mean how would we-" Chouji fumbled.
"How long would we need to hide him? Where do we say he's gone?" Ino inquired. Those decisions would make or brake this chance.
"I'd say the weekend at least," Shikamaru bit his thumb. "As to where he is, the safest place is always with us." Chouji scratched his head.
"what do you mean with us? He's all limp…" he managed to lift one of his sensei's arms, letting it drop as he let go of it. Ino winched.
"I've thought of two possible moves for that," Shikamaru began to explain. "If we simply need for Asuma to hold a pose, nothing difficult, I can use my Kagemane to hold him in a position. For more risky situations, we can use your Shintenshin, right Ino?" She nodded.
"But it will look obvious if we hold our seals around him, we'll blow our cover really quick if one of us is always next to him using our skills." Chouji pointed out.
"Ah, I've thought that out too, we'll simply take shifts disappearing conveniently when we need to posses him. Hopefully though, we can keep him hidden from the public for the majority of the time I need to think things over."
"When was Asuma's meeting going to be?" Chouji asked. Ino Gasped,
"Two days from now! We'll have to host a entire report like that? Man, this is looking really hopeless." She slouched. Shikamaru laid his hand on her shoulder,
"Two days from now we'll have the whole village believing that Asuma-sensei is the biggest party animal in Konoha! Trust me, this will be our first mission without his guidance, I promise we won't fail it. How else are we going to prove to the Hokage that we can manage even without a Jounin."
"I suppose, if your leading us Shikamaru." she stammered. "Well, it's getting late, we'd better start practicing, but where?"
"My family's forest is hidden well enough, not a single danger to be found, well meaning or vile. Let's move him…" Shikamaru decided. Chouji picked up his teachers body and held him over his shoulder. His weight was no burden on Chouji's body, except maybe his heart. The remaining members of Team Ten sprang off into the dark, homeward bound. Together they would survive their losses.
