"Your soldiers, huh?" Ino scoffed, hands on her hips.
"Aww man... this sensei's going to be such a drag..." Shikamaru complained, falling back against the railing.
Chouji said nothing, he merely munched on his chips.
"Well, sit down everyone, and let's get to know each other a little better. You know, likes, dislikes, hobbies, ambitions..." Asuma began.
"I'll go first. Like I already told you all, the name's Sarutobi Asuma. What I like..."
Asuma patted one of his Jounin pockets and pulled out a pack of cigarettes.
"I don't like smart aleck kids, or kids who think they're better than I am. Because I've got news for 'em. They're not. When they get a Jounin vest, then we'll talk. Hobbies... err, I don't have to explain that to you. As for my ambitions... that as well is none of your business."
"Well, that was useful," Ino snorted, rolling her eyes.
Asuma ignored her, pointing at Chouji.
"Your turn, you with the chips."
"Uh... My name's Akamichi Chouji, I like... munch, munch... Korean Barbeque, and, crunch, snacks. I don't like, chomp, munch, diets. Hobbies of mine are trying new foods, and my ambition is to, munch, munch, try every food in the world."
"Okay, you, the blonde."
"I'm Yamanaka Ino! I like cosmos, and Sasuke-kun! I don't like Sakura-chan, and never, ever will she get Sasuke!" Ino began to ramble on about how much she would make Sasuke hers and Sakura would be jealous.
"What a troublesome woman... to waste her time on love..." Shikamaru stated dully.
"... Anyways, my hobbies include taunting Sakura and staring at Sasuke-"
"Don't you mean "stalking" Sasuke?" Shikamaru asked, a hint of a smile on his otherwise bored complexion.
"Shut up, Shikamaru! My ambition is to-"
"Make this Sasuke kid your man, right?" Asuma droned, instantly finding the lit end of his cigarette insteresting.
Apparently, Shikamaru wasn't the only one who was fed up with Ino's constant Sasuke ramblings.
Ino looked insulted as she began to sulk.
"Alright, you, the boy who looks thrilled to be here."
"Yeah, yeah... I'm Nara Shikamaru, I occasionally watch clouds and stars, but that's about all I like. I don't like to move around a lot... it's too troublesome. As for hobbies... Watching clouds, I suppose... and my ambition is to have an ambition."
"Alright then... that was very informative..." Asuma retorted.
Shikamaru ignored him and yawned.
"Lastly, you, the quiet one."
"Well... I'm Noemi Yuri. I like flowers, cloud watching and stargazing... I don't like people who intentionally hurt others feeling, just to upgrade their own reputation. My hobbies are... watching clouds and stars, and I like to help people. My ambition... is to be able to prove to everyone that I can become an exceptional shinobi, if just given the chance."
Asuma was quiet a moment, staring at her with interest while he puffed on his cigarette.
"I see," He finally replied, his eyes softening for the first time since he'd met the Genin. "It sounds to me like you'd make a good medical-nin, Yuri, is it?"
Yuri shrugged, tossing the idea around in her head.
"However, I don't want to be a medic-nin. I want to become a good ninja, not necessarily Hokage, but someone others know they can depends on, at least."
A grin broke across their new sensei's face.
"So, you kids seem to have straight head on your shoulders... except for Ino over there, who seems more interested in boys than she is her shinobi skills."
Ino huffed and folded her arms across her chest angrily.
Asuma chuckled, shaking his head.
"Anyways... it's getting late, so you kids can go ahead and go home. But tomorrow, I want to see you guys back here, six a.m. sharp. Don't be late."
"What are we going to be doing that early in the morning?" Ino grumbled.
She picked at her rice ball, which only had one bite out of it, before throwing it out onto the grass, much to Chouji's dismay.
"Aww man... what a drag..." Shikamaru complained, shoving his hands into his pockets.
Chouji made no comment, only munched on his rice ball.
Yuri finished her rice ball, then brushed her hands off.
"I'll explain tomorrow," Asuma replied. "Oh, and another thing-- don't eat, alright? Not unless you wanna be sick."
"Shikamaru, you're late," Asuma lectured, crossing his arms.
It was six forty-three. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and shoved his hands into his pockets.
"So what?" He demanded. "That's what you get for expecting so much out of me."
Asuma gave him an exasperated look.
"I only asked you to be here at six."
"Exactly."
Ino giggled, but shut up immediately after Asuma gave her an evil stare.
"Well, because you're the only one who showed up late, the whole team will suffer, Shikamaru."
Chouji gaped. Ino shrieked, balling her hand into a fist. Yuri hung her head.
"I don't care," Shikamaru replied.
Ino lunged at him and covered his mouth with her hands.
"Ehe he he... I'm sure he didn't really mean to say that, Asuma-sensei! He cares! Boy, does he ever care, don't you, Shikamaru? Don't you?"
A muffled "No!" could be heard through Ino's grasp as he struggled to get free. Ino laughed nervously and forced him to nod yes.
Asuma put his index finger to his chin and acted as if he were thinking.
"Well, I suppose, since Shikamaru seems so sincere, I might be able to let the four of you off the hook..."
"Really!?" Ino exclaimed, releasing Shikamaru.
Shikamaru glared at her. If looks could kill, she'd be six feet under.
"Sure, why not. Alright, here's the deal."
Asuma pulled out four cups of ramen, along with chopsticks. All of the genins' faces lit up, especially Chouji's. To their shock, he threw them up into four trees. Chouji's face drooped. Shikamaru groaned.
"So that's our punishment? I'm late, so you throw our food into the highest point of the tree. How troublesome..."
Asuma grinned. He then reached into his bag and pulled out four lengths of rope, stroking them menacingly.
"What are you waiting for?" Asuma laughed, sitting on a boulder happily snacking on his own ramen.
"Better go get it before it gets cold!!"
"As soon as I can get up, I'll get that food!" Ino screeched, struggling to stand without the use of her arms.
She wriggled around helplessly on her back.
"And then, I'm going to beat you senseless, Asuma-sensei!"
"What a hassle..." Shikamaru groaned.
"I'm hungry..." Chouji whined.
Asuma had tied the four genin's arms behind their backs, pushed them over onto their butts, and then told them if they wanted to eat badly enough, then they would find a way to get to their own ramen.
"Let me guess... is this why you told us not to eat?" Yuri asked, scooting across the field towards Shikamaru.
"Yep. Call it... "motivation", if you will," Asuma replied cheerily.
"What are you doing?" Shikamaru demanded when he noticed Yuri pressing her back to hers.
"We're going to have to work together if we're going to get our food," She grinned.
Shikamaru smirked, instantly catching on.
"Teamwork, huh?" He mused aloud. "If that's what I've got to do, then whatever."
The two pressed their backs together and slowly brought their feet together, standing up.
Ino realized what she had to do after watching Shikamaru and Yuri, then scooted over to Chouji.
"Push back!" She barked.
"I'm trying!" Chouji whined.
"Uhggg... that would be so much easier if you weren't such a fatass!" Ino snapped.
"I'm not fat! I'm just a little chubby!" Chouji screeched.
Finally, the two were standing up, but only when Yuri and Shikamaru "troublesomely" helped.
"It's about time," Asuma chuckled.
"You just wait until I eat!" Ino shrieked. "I'm going to pummel you, sensei!"
Ino ran to the tree with her ramen stuck in its branches, then backed up before attempting to run up it. Unfortunately, she only ran approximately two feet up the tree before she slid down and smacked her head on the ground, her feet halfway up its trunk. She had wound up on her back again.
"Arrgg! Stupid tree!" She shrieked, kicking at the trunk madly.
Asuma chuckled, while Shikamaru roared with laughter. Yuri smiled. She'd never seen such a side of Shikamaru. Then again, she thought, he and Ino didn't seem to get along all that well. He probably would've laugh at anything that put her in peril. Shikamaru settled down as he walked over to his tree, which was right beside Ino's. Just like with Yuri, Shikamaru pressed his back against the tree, then tried to prop his feet on Ino's tree. The gap between the trees was too wide.
"Damn it..." He groaned.
He looked over at Yuri. Yuri smiled as she walked over to him, placing her back to his. They then placed their feet on the trunk of the tree, then slowly, they inched their way up the tree.
"What are you doing?" Ino demanded.
Shikamaru didn't answer; partially because Ino would see in a moment, partially because he was afraid that if he spoke, he'd fall down the tree. He was almost to the branch that contained his ramen, when Yuri started to slip.
"Don't you dare fall! This is troublesome enough as it is!" Shikamaru snapped at her.
Soon, they had reached the branch with their ramen, and the two wrapped their legs around opposite branches and swung themselves onto them. Yuri and Shikamaru stood up, then grinned at one another. Shikamaru kicked Ino's ramen onto the ground, which earned a snide comment from Ino. He then jump to the next tree, and picked his ramen up with his teeth. He then jumped down from the branch, as did Yuri, Chouji and her ramen secured in the ropes behind her back.
"Hey Asuma-sensei... we got the ramen. Now how about getting these ropes off me, ne?" Shikamaru asked, adopting his usual monotone voice.
Asuma released the four and gave them their chopsticks. He then cracked his knuckles, turning to Ino.
"So, what were you saying about giving me a good pummeling?"
Ino slurped on her ramen, her eyes closed, completely ignoring her sensei. Asuma laughed, taking out his pack of cigarettes.
"Good answer."
Lighting his cigarette, he gazed over at Shikamaru.
"That was good teamwork, Yuri, Shikamaru," Asuma complimented, watching his new team eat.
Yuri smiled, and Chouji ate as if he hadn't eaten in years.
"And now, I don't have to send you all back to the academy."
Shikamaru nearly choked on his ramen.
"Send us back to the academy? When'd you say that?"
"You showed up late. I had already told the others."
Shikamaru opened his mouth to say something, but Asuma spoke again.
"We're going to have our first mission tomorrow. I hope you all will be ready."
Six D-missions and four C-missions later...
"What a drag... and you people call these bothersome tasks "missions" ?" Shikamaru asked, adjusting his headset.
"Quit complaining, Shikamaru!" Ino barked. "Just do what you're told!"
"And who died and made you boss, eh?"
"Both of you, knock it off!" Asuma ordered. He sighed.
"This teamwork thing isn't going anywhere..."
"Hey, when do we eat...?" Chouji groaned.
"There! I see it!" Yuri exclaimed.
"Where?" Chouji asked.
"I don't see anything!" Ino snapped.
"Are you guys blind? It's right there!" Shikamaru hissed.
"I got it!" Ino screeched, pouncing on the poor puppy.
The dog whimpered under the weight of the girl, and Ino gathered the pup in her arms.
Back at the Town Hall, the owner of the dog cradled her beloved pet, nearly choking it.
"If I were that dog, I would have made a runaway attempt, too," Ino whispered to the rest of her team.
"Whatever. These missions are a drag..." Shikamaru complained.
"I think you kids deserve a more challenging mission," Asuma replied. "It'll teach you a lesson to appreciate the missions you have."
"Well, I think I might be able to make an exception... to a higher C-ranked mission," The Hokage added, taking a puff from his pipe.
"Really?" Ino asked, clasping her hands together.
"Really," Shikamaru pouted. "A higher ranked mission means a harder mission, right? Man, what a drag..."
"So you don't want it?" The Hokage asked, removing his pipe from his mouth.
"Yes! We do! We want the mission, Hokage-sama!" Ino cheered, smacking Shikamaru upside his head.
"Troublesome woman... if you hit me again, I'm going to... ah whatever. You're not even worth it."
"Well, then, what is the mission, Hokage-sama?" Asuma inquired.
"Merely escorting Mamoru here to his home in the Land of Earth."
A scruffy looking man walked out from behind the door. He had long unkempt burgundy hair and wore work clothes with holes in the knees and elbows.
"Him and some others from his village are working on a road that will connect the barren lands to the city so that the Land of Earth will have more commerce and trade, not to mention a greater water supply," The Hokage explained.
"So, where do we come in?" Ino asked.
"You will simply escort Mamoru to his village in the Land of Earth. Then you will return to Konoha."
"Easy enough," Asuma replied.
"So, when do we leave?"
"Tomorrow morning," The Hokage replied.
"You can leave, but tomorrow morning at seven, you all will return here, ready to leave."
"Seven sharp, Shikamaru, not seven forty-three," Asuma taunted.
"Yeah, yeah," Shikamaru replied, leaving the others.
"The Land of Earth," Yuri thought excitedly. "I've never been out of the village. This is going to be great!"
Yeah yeah, I know, unoriginal. But I don't want Naruto and his team hogging all of the fun! By the way, "Mamoru" means "Earth". Suiting for someone from the Land of Earth, eh?