A/N: Yeah, I know I've already written a drabble about this exact moment. I just wanted to do another, because that scene was the greatest day of my life :) Hope you like it.
That was the end of it. It was done.
But there was still a hole, a wound set deep in his heart that he wasn't sure would ever heal completely. A hole that he knew could never be replaced.
A deer stepped forward to his left and began to dig into the ground with its hoof. He glanced at it curiously, wondering what it could be doing. After a moment, a gleam of silver shone from the dirt. He smiled, bending over to pick it up. He flipped the cap open with his thumb and tried to spark the flame. It died out three timed before finally catching. Once it caught, it burned strong and bright. He watched the flame solemnly, allowing himself to reminisce for a brief moment. He remembered what Asuma had told him with his final breath, what he had asked him to do.
He took a deep breath and then let it out slowly, turning his gaze upward from the flame to the clouds just visible through the canopy of leaves. He thought of how much of his life had been spent simply watching those clouds, letting the breeze take them where it would. He had always wished to be a cloud, carefree and not weighed down by worries or responsibilities. What a drag life had been back then.
After Asuma's death, he had been completely torn apart. Nothing had seemed to matter anymore. But now…even though he had died, Asuma would always live on in their hearts. Him, Choji, Ino, Kurenai, even Naruto. Everyone. They would never forget.
He was beginning to see that life didn't always have to be such a drag. There were still things that were important to him, things that mattered, things that he had always taken for granted in the past.
Asuma had been one of those things, something that he had always taken for granted. He realized that, the closer you got to something, the harder it was to see it's true value to you. The old team ten, all of his friends and comrades, they all meant something to him, something that could never be replaced. He would never again take any of them for granted.
He looked back at the lighter, noticing that the flame had burned itself out. His throat tightened, but he was beginning to learn to accept his feelings, and the fact that his sensei was gone. Instead of suppressing his emotions he was beginning to accept them, knowing that Asuma wouldn't want him to tear himself up over his death. It was hard, but he knew that he could do it.
He sighed contentedly, capping the lighter and putting it safely back in his pocket.
A/N: ...Yes. Yes, I did use the theme song as an inspiration for this story. Kudos to those of you who noticed the line. I like that song :)
Hoped you thought this was okay. I've had this for a while, I've just been too lazy to post it...and I haven't seen the episode for a while now, so I wasn't sure if this was totally accurate. Hope it was okay anyway, since I was too lazy to check.
PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE REVIEW! If you review you will be my best friend forever and ever :)