Disclaimer: All copyrights of Naruto and company belong to Kishimoto
Masashi.
Cigarette smoke wafted around the two, as the man contemplated on his next, excruciating move. Deep in thought, the thin white stick drooped dangerously low from his parted lips. Asuma frowned. Concentration was not one of his better attributes.
Sensing a loss of direction from his teacher, the young one pouted indignantly. "You've lost. Admit it." He hated to waste time, and thought of the meagre struggling by the losing party even more cumbersome.
"Hurry up, Asuma-sensei."
Asuma noticed a vacant spot on the grid calling out to him. He sniggered, changing his position to rest his aching back comfortably against the wall. Right hand outstretched, the bearded man slammed his black seed onto the board deftly with his third over his forefinger, a sign of sheer confidence. He edged more towards the wall and propped his left leg up onto the chair beside him, still smug as he peeled the stick from his lips to flick cigarette ash with a kink of his wrist and fingers. When he was satisfied with the clean stick, he put it back in the wonted crevice between his lips, resting that elbow onto the propped-up knee.
He faced his student haughtily, "Let's see how you surround that." He said, and sucked another draught of smoke.
The boy frowned, his impatient scowl never leaving his smooth face. "Are you sure?"
This familiar question brought the older man down a nerve. He chewed edgily on the cigarette filter, gaze never leaving the brown-griddled board.
"Yes!" He gritted through his teeth.
Shikamaru lowered his hunching form towards the table to support his chin with an open palm, and shrugged. "Ok." And he advanced to drop his white seed onto the worst spot imaginable for Asuma.
"ARGH! I've lost again!" The bearded man roared heartily.
"So today's ramen is on you, again." Shikamaru turned to reach for the menu, only to notice that it wasn't in the rack on the table. The rack was empty. Instead he saw an amused Kakashi with the menu in hand, leaning against the wall opposite his teacher.
"You never learn, Asuma-sensei." The grey-haired man grinned through his mask, pleased to see his generally poised friend in a mortifying situation.
Asuma grunted in response. He stood up from his comfort enough to snatch the menu from Kakashi's hand. The latter's sole eye turned into that happy curve once again, and slid his hands into his side pockets.
Shikamaru mumbled, "Tanuki ramen set." without even taking a glance at the menu, and sat back onto his chair, arms folded and legs crossed, his trademark scowl still intact.
Asuma grinned at his student. "All right. Boss! I'll have a tanuki ramen set and a miso ramen."
".And a cha shiyu ramen, and a Tokyo ramen, and chawamushi and 5 teriyaki donburi sets." Akimichi called out, as he tumbled through the oren-covered entrance, followed by a giggling Ino.
"Can I have some Hisato ramen too?" Ino stopped her giggles long enough to ask her bearded teacher, eyelashes batting.
Asuma stared at the other two who were now standing by his table beside Shikamaru. "How the hell did you two know I was here?"
"We figured that out when it was nearing lunchtime, and both sensei you and Shikamaru are nowhere else to be found in the village." The longhaired girl tittered as she settled beside her dark-faced teammate, whose scowl grew darker as he loathed the female sex to the max. Shikamaru shifted aside to let Ino into his bench, moving the board and the remnants of their game of Go back into its box.
"Women," He grumbled.
"Since you're treating Shikamaru, you should treat us too!" The plumper boy bounced into the space beside his teacher, forcing Asuma to remove his propped leg to give up more chair space for Akimichi.
He crushed the small portion of cigarette butt against the wall, fusing the flame, and flicked it into the wastebasket beside Kakashi's feet. On noticing this, Kakashi had a nagging feeling that his friend missed his initial target.
The bearded man glanced at his three students, and thought them to be the most adorable bunch in the whole ninja academy. He chuckled with gusto. "Oh all right! It's on me!"
"Asuma banzai!" The two hollered, with arms raised in the air. Even Shikamaru had to cover a soft smirk.
Kakashi was about to move back to his table, when a huge crow jetted into the shop, landing on the counter of the bar. Its massive wings blew wind into and through the ramen store, causing all of its occupants to turn up from their meal.
It squawked frantically, head bobbing up and down towards the grey-haired man, eager to send its message and return home for a feast and well- deserved rest.
The jounin sensei had a look of surprise on his face, a rare expression on his usually slack eye. He motioned towards the bird, and it took off from the counter and landed gracefully onto his arm with a swift flap of its powerful wings. He saw a letter attached to the back of its right foot, which said:
"Hatake Kakashi, report to headquarters."
- To be continued -
Cigarette smoke wafted around the two, as the man contemplated on his next, excruciating move. Deep in thought, the thin white stick drooped dangerously low from his parted lips. Asuma frowned. Concentration was not one of his better attributes.
Sensing a loss of direction from his teacher, the young one pouted indignantly. "You've lost. Admit it." He hated to waste time, and thought of the meagre struggling by the losing party even more cumbersome.
"Hurry up, Asuma-sensei."
Asuma noticed a vacant spot on the grid calling out to him. He sniggered, changing his position to rest his aching back comfortably against the wall. Right hand outstretched, the bearded man slammed his black seed onto the board deftly with his third over his forefinger, a sign of sheer confidence. He edged more towards the wall and propped his left leg up onto the chair beside him, still smug as he peeled the stick from his lips to flick cigarette ash with a kink of his wrist and fingers. When he was satisfied with the clean stick, he put it back in the wonted crevice between his lips, resting that elbow onto the propped-up knee.
He faced his student haughtily, "Let's see how you surround that." He said, and sucked another draught of smoke.
The boy frowned, his impatient scowl never leaving his smooth face. "Are you sure?"
This familiar question brought the older man down a nerve. He chewed edgily on the cigarette filter, gaze never leaving the brown-griddled board.
"Yes!" He gritted through his teeth.
Shikamaru lowered his hunching form towards the table to support his chin with an open palm, and shrugged. "Ok." And he advanced to drop his white seed onto the worst spot imaginable for Asuma.
"ARGH! I've lost again!" The bearded man roared heartily.
"So today's ramen is on you, again." Shikamaru turned to reach for the menu, only to notice that it wasn't in the rack on the table. The rack was empty. Instead he saw an amused Kakashi with the menu in hand, leaning against the wall opposite his teacher.
"You never learn, Asuma-sensei." The grey-haired man grinned through his mask, pleased to see his generally poised friend in a mortifying situation.
Asuma grunted in response. He stood up from his comfort enough to snatch the menu from Kakashi's hand. The latter's sole eye turned into that happy curve once again, and slid his hands into his side pockets.
Shikamaru mumbled, "Tanuki ramen set." without even taking a glance at the menu, and sat back onto his chair, arms folded and legs crossed, his trademark scowl still intact.
Asuma grinned at his student. "All right. Boss! I'll have a tanuki ramen set and a miso ramen."
".And a cha shiyu ramen, and a Tokyo ramen, and chawamushi and 5 teriyaki donburi sets." Akimichi called out, as he tumbled through the oren-covered entrance, followed by a giggling Ino.
"Can I have some Hisato ramen too?" Ino stopped her giggles long enough to ask her bearded teacher, eyelashes batting.
Asuma stared at the other two who were now standing by his table beside Shikamaru. "How the hell did you two know I was here?"
"We figured that out when it was nearing lunchtime, and both sensei you and Shikamaru are nowhere else to be found in the village." The longhaired girl tittered as she settled beside her dark-faced teammate, whose scowl grew darker as he loathed the female sex to the max. Shikamaru shifted aside to let Ino into his bench, moving the board and the remnants of their game of Go back into its box.
"Women," He grumbled.
"Since you're treating Shikamaru, you should treat us too!" The plumper boy bounced into the space beside his teacher, forcing Asuma to remove his propped leg to give up more chair space for Akimichi.
He crushed the small portion of cigarette butt against the wall, fusing the flame, and flicked it into the wastebasket beside Kakashi's feet. On noticing this, Kakashi had a nagging feeling that his friend missed his initial target.
The bearded man glanced at his three students, and thought them to be the most adorable bunch in the whole ninja academy. He chuckled with gusto. "Oh all right! It's on me!"
"Asuma banzai!" The two hollered, with arms raised in the air. Even Shikamaru had to cover a soft smirk.
Kakashi was about to move back to his table, when a huge crow jetted into the shop, landing on the counter of the bar. Its massive wings blew wind into and through the ramen store, causing all of its occupants to turn up from their meal.
It squawked frantically, head bobbing up and down towards the grey-haired man, eager to send its message and return home for a feast and well- deserved rest.
The jounin sensei had a look of surprise on his face, a rare expression on his usually slack eye. He motioned towards the bird, and it took off from the counter and landed gracefully onto his arm with a swift flap of its powerful wings. He saw a letter attached to the back of its right foot, which said:
"Hatake Kakashi, report to headquarters."
- To be continued -