A/N: So this is just something I wrote after watching the episode where Shikamaru beats Hidan (...That's his name, right?). So anyway. That was one of my favorite episodes. It was awesome :)
...I've actually had this written for a while now...I just haven't posted it until now. Sorry. But anyway, I hope you enjoy!
They had set out for revenge, and he had achieved it, even though he hadn't technically killed his enemy. Still, he figured he was more deserving of eternal pain than the release of death, and that was good enough for him. That murderer deserved the worst the universe had to offer.
But still, nothing had changed. Even after all that, the pain in his heart hadn't been relieved. He was still hurting. But after seeing Asuma and hearing what he had to say, he was beginning to learn to accept things for what they were. Asuma was dead—he couldn't change that, no matter how much he wanted to. But there was something he could change.
He knew now that the king of the village wasn't really the Hokage, like he had first thought. The most important piece on the board was the children, the foundation. They were the future of the Hidden Leaf, the hope for what was to come. He remembered Asuma's wish, the final thing he had asked him to do.
"Don't worry, Asuma," he whispered into the flame. "I know I couldn't save you, but…but I will protect your child if it drives me to the grave. I'll be his teacher. And I'll be here to guide him, to help him give rise to the next generation. I'll be here to protect your king."
A/N: Hope you liked it. I wasn't really sure about this one, and since I haven't seen that episode for a while now, I wasn't sure if it was totally...I don't know, accurate. But I decided to just trust my instincts and post it anyway. Sorry if my instincts were wrong :)
Please please PLEASE review! I need to know if it sucked or not! I can't become a better writer unless I get feedback! So please review!