Hello my darling readers!

Here is the new chapter.

This is one of my favorite chapters to write. I actually wrote it ages ago but struggled to find its place in the story. Gradually I managed to figure out where to place it, and write things accordingly.

There are no specific warning for this one. You'll see it's a bit of a special one, but I really wanted to write it this way. It's a long one. Heads up: the next one will be shorter.

Hopefully you'll like it too!

Let me know what you think ;)

Chapter 17

Naruto easily dodged the blade of wind flying his way. He retaliated with wind bullets as he kept moving. Naruto laughed: it felt good to just let go and only focus on the fight!

There were not that many wind element masters in Konoha. His dad was one of them, of course. There were two secondary users in the ANBU. And his sensei. Fighting Asuma was always exciting. The man knew his fighting style in and out. Fighting him was always a challenge. His old teacher always pushed him.

Naruto relished being able to fight again. It was absolutely great to stretch his muscles while reacquanting himself with his own style. He knew he couldn't use Kurama's chakra yet. Not with the state the seal was in. But he was excited to test himself for the first time since his soul jumped paths.

Asuma grinned. He had always enjoyed sparring with his old student. Naruto's training with his father was a good challenge to Asuma's own fighting style. It had been a few good years since Naruto had started crafting his own style of fighting, deviating from his family's style as well as from what Asuma taught him. It kept Asuma on his toes.

It had been over a couple months since Asuma had last sparred with the younger blond man. Naruto had come back from a long mission a few weeks before. They'd gone to a restaurant as a team a few days ago, with Shikamaru and Shino, but they hadn't been able to spar. Now that Naruto had been cleared for duty, he had been granted one more week to train before being put on full active duty again. Asuma had thus suggested a team training session, which all three younger men had been happy to agree to.

It had been a long time since he'd taken his students anything but seriously while sparing. They'd become deadly a while ago. Asuma absolutely loved being able to train with them on an equal footing. The day they'd each managed to keep toe to toe with him in a fight had been one of the biggest achievements in his career. Although they each had developed their own style, fighting with them usually held a reassuring sense of familiarity that always brought a deep sentiment on fondness.

Asuma bit down a curse as a wind reinforced kunai nicked his cheek. He hadn't been paying as much attention to the fight as he should have. Naruto had noticed and taken advantage of it. A mistake he wouldn't make again.

As he turned on himself to avoid another vibrating blade, Asuma felt the same as when he was on a mission, or when he was fighting Kakashi. His body was flooded with adrenaline, yet a deep calm had settled in him. Although he was aware there was no true risk to his person considering it was a friendly spar, Asuma held no illusion that any mistake would be paid for painfully.

Naruto had always been a good shinobi. Between his parents and his lifelong closeness to several high caliber shinobis, the blond was practically guaranteed to be great from birth. And he was. But, as he dodged a vicious air current and retaliated with an explosive stream of smoke, Asuma realized there was something different about the way he fought now. He couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Naruto was moving in a completely different way from what Asuma was used to from him. Naruto's fighting style had always been efficient, taking his father's unforgiving style and molding it together with his mother's more flowing moves.

Now though, there was a deadliness in the blond's movements that was entirely new.

It wasn't that Naruto wasn't usually deadly. On a mission, he could be devastating. At home, however, the younger man had always thought of sparring as an exchange between people. He would usually pursue the back and forth rhythm of a friendly spar as much for the fun of it as for the understanding it would bring about the other person's fighting style. He argued that this allowed him to work better with them whenever needed. That approach had resulted in Naruto being extremely appreciated by others when they worked with him, as he would instinctually adapt to their own brand of fighting.

The vicious throbbing in Asuma's right arm from a hasty block told him this fight right now was anything but the easy, if highly complex, almost dance-like exchange they usually worked with. There was no doubt in his mind. Each and every one of Naruto's movements, down to the most minute shift of weight, was tailored towards one thing and one thing only: bringing him down.

Asuma's body was instinctually reacting to the clear threat. He could feel adrenaline and chakra pumping through his muscles. As thrilled as he was to be pushed this way, deep down Asuma wasn't sure he truly enjoyed the feeling.

He knew Naruto would never truly hurt him. But the one thing Asuma was very certain of in that moment was that he would feel very sorry for himself should he give his old student any opening.

A shiver of excitement went up Asuma' spine. He was thoroughly enjoying himself. There was something absolutely exhilarating in letting go and fighting at this level without being against someone who actively wanted to hurt you or worse. Naruto was pushing Asuma beyond what he had expected. His muscles, his whole body was vibrating with the thrill.

Like any shinobi of his caliber, Asuma was an adrenaline junkie. And right now he was now on a high he hadn't thought he'd get.

Naruto was relentless. Armed with his knuckle knives, Asuma was a blur of razor sharp spins and punches. Every time Asuma thought he managed to get himself some breathing space, the younger man was there. A jab, a kick, an elbow, a palm. It didn't matter, Naruto was there. Blow for blow, dancing around his blades and a solid wall of lightening-fast attacks of his own.

As always, Naruto's wind nature was a challenge to Asuma as they were pretty evenly matched. Asuma took full advantage of his secondary fire affinity to devastating effects. Asuma fluidly weaved seals with his hands, his knives easily allowing him the range of movements. He blew a cloud of smoke right into Naruto's face when the blonde tried to punch him, not wasting any time setting it on fire as he took a few steps back. The older jounin's hands flew through more seals, already casting his next attack. Naruto was familiar with his ninjutsu, he knew the smoke attack would not have hindered him much.

Naruto just danced around his attacks, sending them hurling back at him. Asuma didn't even take the time to see if his attacks connected anymore. He couldn't afford to stop moving.

Just like with his taijutsu, Naruto's ninjutsu was like a force of nature: an unmovable power. Despite how much both combatants moved around, Asuma had the clear sensation that he was fighting a mountain, that Naruto only let himself be moved when and where he wanted to. This was both maddening and thrilling.

Asuma's eyes widened in surprise as Naruto's doton technique made him lose his footing and he caught a glimpse of the sequence of seals the blonde was already weaving for his next attack. The usually smoking jounin braced himself for the incoming impact.

The fight was over less than a minute later, a clear victory in Naruto's favor. Asuma accepted his hand, pulling himself up and out of the now hardened ground. Breathing hard he let himself fall gracelessly on the torn up ground a few meters away. Part of his damaged jounin jacket was still smoking from a katon jutsu. That last attack had cost him the fight.

Naruto sat down next to him, chuckling.

They spent a few minutes in comfortable silence, catching their breath. Asuma finally chuckled too, soon followed by his student in a renewed bout of joy.

"-Man, that felt great!

-I'm gonna be feeling it tomorrow. But this was good," Asuma answered with a satisfied grin on his face.

He could feel his bones vibrating from the exertion. No doubt he would be sore in a few places the next day: Naruto had managed to lend quite a few good hits. Asuma had managed to lend just as many, but his old student would be perfectly healed by the end of the day.

They spent a few more minutes in pleasant silence. Asuma fished for a cigarette in one of his pockets. He lit it while his eyes took in the damage they'd dealt to the training field. Luckily, this was one of his family's private ones. He would hate to think how much trouble they would be in had it been a regular training ground.

He frowned as he thought back on the combination of attacks that Naruto had used to end the fight.

"-You've never used that move before."

Naruto turned his head to look at him. Asuma kept looking at the field.

"-Not in a spar I haven't.

-Did you create it?

-We both know I didn't."

No, he hadn't indeed. That move was something Asuma hadn't seen in years. The surprise of seeing it had been as defining to his defeat as the move itself. Naruto turned his gaze back onto the field. When he spoke, his voice held a careful trace of softness.

"-He was a great man. I never told you, but I am sorry for your loss."

Asuma snapped his head towards him, unable to hide the surprise and shock on his face.

"-It wasn't your fault!

-I know it wasn't. It was his choice. But he was your father and you lost him all the same. I am sorry for that.

-I… Thank you."

The pair fell into another silence. Asuma lost himself in his memories as he let his gaze go back to the field in front of him. Naruto's voice was barely above a whisper when he spoke again.

"-I miss him."

Asuma's heart skipped a beat but he didn't move. He frowned. How could Naruto miss someone he had never met before?

Something must have showed on his face because Naruto continued.

"-In another life, it was my father who did the sealing."

Asuma very slowly turned again to face Naruto. The younger man's face was sad, eyes distant, looking at something Asuma couldn't see. The certitude in the blonde's words sent a shiver up the older man's spine. Naruto spoke as if this really had happened.

He sounded far away, voice subdued and low, a hint of longing coloring his tone.

"-Jiji was always nice to me." Asuma's chest tightened at the nickname. He felt confused by the words. "He had his faults. I don't know what happened between you and him. You and I were not that close. But he talked about you a lot. He was always loving to me, in his own way."

Asuma was thoroughly lost. What was Naruto saying?

When he spoke the question out loud, the blonde didn't answer. His eyes seemed lost, out of Asuma's reach, sadness and longing swirling in them.

The jounin suddenly felt his world tilt on its axis. Cigarette completely forgotten, he was a teenager again. A young man faced with wisdom, experience and a calm power he could barely fathom and never match.

Asuma's throat tightened. He silently observed his old student for a few more minutes. The feeling didn't go away.

Something clicked in Asuma's mind. Something his conscious thoughts couldn't express. Somehow, something impossible had happened.

"-Did..." Asuma's voice was rough. He cleared it. "Did he teach you?"

"-Not when I was a kid. But he taught me later, when we needed him to.

-How?

-Well, he was The Professor. He taught us, me, a lot.

-No. How is that possible?

-I told you: in another life."

The blonde's words resonated deep within Asuma, settling in his bones as a truth of nature.

Asuma studied Naruto for several more minutes. There was no trace of mirth or humor on the blonde's face. Only sadness.

"-This has to do with your mission, doesn't it?

-It has to do with what happened after my mission, yes."

Asuma simply nodded and didn't push for any further information. He didn't need to. The details were unimportant. Something had happened to Naruto that somehow made him aware of things that never happened. Things that did happen. Another life.

Asuma closed his eyes and digested the revelation. Maybe one day he would ask for more details but it was not relevant now.

"-You lost him too, didn't you? I'm sorry for your loss. You seem to have cared about him a lot.

-I did. Thank you."

Another few minutes passed in silence again. This was something Asuma really enjoyed with his students: that they all could spend time being silent together. It had been less obvious when they had been younger and he was their teacher. But as Shikamaru, Shino and Naruto rose through the ranks and became his equals, they had developed a profound sense of comfortable comradeship and friendship.

"-Do Shika and Shino know?"

Naruto shifted slightly and just like that, the charm was broken. He was Asuma's friend and equal again.

"-Not really. Not yet. They suspect. I haven't explained anything to them either. I told them this and I'm telling you now: I'm not adverse to you all knowing but it is a long story. If you want to know more, come find me. But knowledge ~

-Has its weight.

-Yes. Sandaime-jiji was a wise man."

Once more Asuma nodded. Another thing he valued about his team: acceptance. He felt no need to ask for more information. And he was sure neither Shino nor Shikamaru would either. Something had happened to Naruto that had changed him. But they accepted it. He was still their friend and teammate. Asuma trusted him to tell them if something needed to be said or if they needed to know anything that would affect him or them.

As if conjured by his thoughts, Asuma could feel Shino and Shikamaru approaching them, coming from the training ground just next to theirs. They looked like they had finished their own spar a little bit before too. Both Naruto and Asuma stood up and brushed the dirt off themselves.

Shikamaru and Shino stopped by the side of the field. Shikamaru looked around him and whistled.

"-Damn. I'm glad I picked Shino as a sparring partner today. Someone had frustrations to work out!

-Actually," Asuma answered as he and Naruto met the pair, "we had fun."

"-It appears it was quite a productive session, was it not?

-Yup! Sensei is getting rusty, I couldn't let that happen!

-Rusty?" Shino sounded surprised. "We have been training intensely since you left for your mission.

-Thank you, Shino." Asuma answered, glad to have one of his old students taking his defense. "I'll have you know we did indeed train a lot while you were gone. And by the looks of it, so did you.

-Not really." Naruto shrugged.

He could feel Shikamaru's sharp eyes on him. After a few seconds, the man shifted his attention away with a shrug. Naruto was like a force of nature: Shikamaru had learnt long ago to just go with the flow and accept anything from him. It was just too troublesome to try anything else.

The group of four casually started walking towards Asuma's home, a small house next to the rest of the collection of small wooden buildings that formed the Sarutobi compound. The streets of the small compound were peaceful. Incense smoke wafted around the houses, the members of the clan always keeping it burning in small altars here and there. Several clan members who were casually wandering about saluted the team. Naruto, Shino and Shikamaru had always been welcomed by the ancient clan.

"-Dad!"

A young voice rang out, pulling Asuma's attention to his left. Mirai, his daughter, was running towards them. Asuma excitedly welcomed her into his arms and spun her around before putting her back down again, a wide smile on both their faces. The six years old quickly hugged the three younger members of the team while Asuma greeted his own mother.

Soon after, the small family and the three younger adults found themselves inside the main House of the compound, enjoying tea and Mirai's delighted tale of her day at a friend's birthday party. The House was more like a big traditional meeting hall where clan members would gather for socializing or to hold more important and formal meetings.

The big structure was entirely built of wood, with a low roof supported by large engraved pillars. There was no walls, allowing everyone to come and go as they pleased. Every surface of the construction was sculpted with mystical creatures and wise monkeys. Incense was burning at the foot of every pillar, the smoke billowing up towards the roof.

Naruto had always loved this place. He had never been here on the path he had left behind, but he had spent a lot of time here on this path. He could now feel the soothing power and serenity of Life running through the polished wood, pulsing with an energy that vibrated in his chest. Hashirama had created this House, he could feel it.

His eyes settled on one of the altars on one side of the hall. The altars were evenly spaced out, honoring the clan members who had passed away through the generations. He found the small statue he knew had been sculpted for the Sandaime. He stood up and slowly walked towards it. Conversations around him dimmed in respect.

Naruto had always made a point of paying his respects to the Hokage who had sacrificed his life for his own. The first time Asuma had brought him here, a few months after they had become a genin team, he'd been very nervous about the clan resenting him. He had asked his teacher if he could speak with the late Hokage. Asuma had accepted despite his surprise. Naruto had slowly walked up to the altar under the curious and silent gaze of the clan members in the Hall. The rest of the clan members must have felt something because very soon, most of them were surrounding the Hall, curious as to what Naruto was up to.

Swallowing his nerves, he had lit an incense stick and gone through the respectful bow his father had taught him during their etiquette lessons. Out loud, the young genin had thanked the Sandaime for his sacrifice and his protection, unknowingly mimicking the traditional formula.

He had thanked the man and promised to value his own life and that of everyone in the village, to uphold his ideals and take over whatever he could from the late Hokage's responsibilities. Silence had welcomed his words before the clan members started shuffling away and going back to their own activities. They all had small smiles on their faces.

Naruto now mimicked his gestures from ten years ago, lighting up the incense stick and bowing low. This time, however, he knelt in front of the small wooden statue and brought his hands to his forehead. His words were silent as he spoke them in his heart.

"-Jiji, I know you didn't expect me here. I'll tell you how it all happened one day, I promise. You're not going to believe it! Or maybe you will. You always seemed to know about this kind of stuff... I wanted to thank you, Jiji. For everything you did. In this life, and the other. You sacrificed yourself here so I could have a family. I can never thank you enough for that. I was grateful to you before but now... Now I can barely find the words for it. You gave me a life I thought I could never have.

I know how much it meant to you. I know you would have done it before too if you could. You told me, remember? Or maybe not. I'm not too sure how this works. But I know this was one of your biggest regrets. We didn't have much time for this the last time we met. But I want you to know I forgave you. For keeping Mom and Dad a secret from me. I understand why you did it. For a long time I wished things had been different. They are now. And it's all thanks to you.

I miss you, Jiji. I wish we had had more time together. But I'm glad you didn't have to live through what I did over there. You deserved peace, and you should have had it. So I hope you are getting it now.

I will tell your story, Jiji. What little I know of it anyways. I remember you growing up. I think Hashirama's memories are seeping through when I focus really hard on them. Ashura's soul must have kept some.And I remember when I was the one growing up and you were the one watching over me. I will tell them. How strong you were, how wise and fair. I will tell Mirai and Aiko and Hiruzen about you. I will tell them about their grandfather. They deserve to know you like I did.

Did you know, in my other life, you named him Konohamaru? He is strong, Jiji. He will make a great Hokage when I retire over there, I'm sure. I won't know for a long time though."

Naruto spoke more to his grandfather figure. He spoke about his losses and his doubts. About his fears and his hopes. About his love for the village they both fought to protect, and how much it hurt to be away from it during all those years. He spoke of a past where both had to fight loved ones, where they had seen their village in ruins. He spoke about the village now, how proud he was to see it standing. He let the emotions flow through him.

In the Hall, Sarutobi clan members had appeared, silently observing the young man. Biwako, old and wise, looked at him, eyes unwavering. She looked around, taking in the sight of her family. Without a word, all present members of the clan knelt down and sat in the traditional way, lining the inexistent walls of the building. They were each holding a smoking stick of incense.

Asuma shuddered. Mirai, seated next to him, squirmed, and looked questioningly around her. Shikamaru reached out and pulled her next to him, hushing her with soft words.

"-What is happening, Shika-nii?

-Shh, they are paying their respects.

-To who?

-To whom. They are honoring the fallen.

-No," Asuma's voice cut through, deep and low. He reached his hand out to put it on the wooden pillar next to him. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "We are honoring the living. Look, Daughter, and open your heart."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at the formal wording but applied the advise all the same. Shikamaru focused and let his senses open to the environment. Incense smoke was wafting around the solemn people in the Hall, rising up to the roof. He could feel the presence of everyone around them, flames of chakra of various sizes. Underlying them all, he felt a deep vibration, a barely-there thrum of something. Imitating Asuma's gesture, he reached out to touch the wood of the pillar. It was warm to the touch. When he removed his hand, his fingers were tingling.

Before Shikamaru could understand the weird trance everyone seemed to have fallen into, Naruto inhaled deeply and sat up from his low bow, weight resting on his heels. He lit up another incense stick and put it at the feet of the small statue. He rose to his feet, bowed one last time and turned around, stopping right in his track as he took in the assembly around him. He inhaled sharply, brows knitted in confusion, then bowed low again. All clan members bowed their head in answer before they all slowly put their incense stick down and started to stand up and gather in small groups, some of them leaving.

The hum of conversation picked up again, breaking the solemn atmosphere. Naruto rose up from his bow and came back to the still seating group. When he reached them, both Asuma and his mother stood up. Naruto offered yet another bow to the old lady.

"-Biwako-sama, I won't claim to understand why you did it, but I thank you for the honor you have extended me.

-I did no such thing, boy, this was all you."

Her tone was warm and deep, not accusatory at all. She studied him a little longer then turned towards her youngest son.

"-Asuma, you did right by this boy. Your father would be proud of you. I have to go. Naruto-boy, I thank you for your respects and your prayers. You will always find a home in this House."

The little old lady saluted the rest of the group and left. Shikamaru sighed.

"-This is troublesome.

-What just happened?"

Naruto shrugged at Shino's question.

"-I'm not too sure."

He looked at his old sensei, who stayed silent and studied him. After a little while, Naruto shrugged again and decided to resolve the mystery later. The group tidied up their tea set and headed out towards their teacher's house.

Once at the small family house, they all went to freshen up a little bit before meeting again in the kitchen. They moved in a well known choreography of habits gained from years of friendship and familiarity. Shino made them tea while Shikamaru set up the table. Asuma and Naruto got started on the meal, while Mirai quietly colored in her book.

Usually, Kurenai would be around, either playing with their daughter or chatting up with them, but the genjutsu specialist was on a two-day field trip with the upper Academy class. Aiko, Mirai's three year old brother, was spending the evening at a cousin's place for a sleep-over. The Sarutobi clan was highly social, and it wasn't rare for even young children to spend the day or night at a relative's place.

The awkward atmosphere from earlier was shaken off by the peacefulness of habits long ingrained within the group. They had spent a lot of time in this house through the years. Dinner soon became a noisy affair, with Mirai providing most of the animation under her father's loving gaze and Naruto's thoughtful but fond one.