DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO (MAYBE IF I ASK NICELY I CAN HAVE IT? JK)

Asuma's Reassessment Test

"I can't wait to show Asuma-sensei what I recently learned, I'm feeling confident I won't get my butt kicked this time dattebayo!" Naruto said

"Don't get carried away Naruto, you might regret it later on"

"I guess… Oh well, I still need to work on some kinks" he said as he took out a book from his bag, it was the fuinjutsu book he was reading the other night.

Ino took notice of Naruto, she was rather surprised to see Naruto reading. During their time in the academy, never did she saw Naruto pick up a book. She thought that her eyes were deceiving her, she rubbed her temples but nothing changed.

"Since when did you start to read Naruto? Are you sure you're alright?" she asked

"About a week ago, why? And yes I'm fine"

"I honestly didn't think you were the reading type"

"Neither did I! Haha, glad I tried it out though"

"Fair enough, where is Shino though?"

"I dunno, he must be handling something. He'll be here soon enough, I hope…"

"Sorry for being late, I must have overslept which is rare even for me" Shino said out of nowhere which scared the crap out of the two blondes.

"FOR KAMI'S SAKE! DON'T SCARE US LIKE THAT MAN!" Naruto replied

"Oh… I did not realize I scared the two of you, I apologize" Shino replied in a monotonous manner

"It's okay, but seriously though… We gotta give you a bell or something" Naruto stated

"Shino's not a dog Naruto…" Ino replied

"I was just kidding Ino… Sorry Shino, that joke was probably in poor taste" Naruto offered

"Why are you apologizing, I thought it was funny. I enjoy humor from time to time" he retorted, still in a monotonous voice.

Naruto and Ino were both confused at what Shino just said, "Humor huh? You don't say…" said Naruto.

"How's your day off though guys?" Ino asked

"Well, I did some training here and there and read some scrolls and books last night. Oh! And I did grab lunch at Ichira-" Naruto's thoughts began to wander as he remembered what happened yesterday.

- Flashback -

"That is wise Naruto-kun, good for you. Speaking of Genin, where's your girlfriend though?"

"Girlfriend? Do you mean Ino? She's not my girlfriend!"

"Since when did I say Ino was your girlfriend? You're the one who provided the name, looks like you do like her huh?" she teased

Naruto turned red not because the ramen was spicy but because he was flustered due to Ayame's teasing, "S-Seriously… S-She's not my girlfriend!" Naruto stuttered.

"Why not? Don't you think she's pretty?"

"She is pretty"

"See you like her, then she is your girlfriend. I think I'm gonna cry, our Naruto already has a girlfriend. They grow up so fast" Ayame pretended to cry.

"I SWEAR SHE'S NOT!" Naruto pleaded

- End of Flashback -

That thought made Naruto blush, causing his face to be completely red, "Konoha to Naruto, you there?… Hello?… His brain must've been fried with all the reading" Ino said.

"Perhaps he still hasn't recovered from his injuries" Shino weighed in

"You think it's brain damage?"

"Possibly"

Naruto then snapped out of it and returned to the present. "Huh? What were you saying Ino?" he asked

"Oh good you're back, we thought for a second that you have brain damage. Perhaps you do" Ino teased

"I'm fine I just remembered something is all… And no I don't have brain damage, thank you very much"

"Tell that to yourself earlier Naruto, you just completely zoned out all of a sudden. What did you remember though?" she asked

Naruto became flustered and deflected the question by saying it was nothing. After doing so, she dropped the question and diverted her attention to Shino. She usually talks to Naruto but rarely to Shino, Ino didn't really know what to discuss with Shino at all. When it comes to Naruto, their conversations just come naturally for some reason but she just can't seem to apply the same thing to Shino. Despite being on the same team for about a month, he was still a mystery to her.

"Say Shino… What did you do during your day off"

"Hmmm… Come to think of it, I simply did errands and tended to my bugs"

"That's it?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, don't you have any other hobbies than your bugs?"

Shino contemplated for a bit in an attempt to answer Ino's question. Until finally, he was able to give a response. "I do not have any other interests other than my bugs as far as I know" he stated.

Ino thought to herself that holding a conversation with Shino was harder than it looked with Naruto, but she pressed on to know more about Shino. They were teammates after all, and it's a good thing to know them better.

"I've always wondered where you keep your bugs all the time" the thought of bugs made Ino shiver. Naruto shivered as well, the idea of their tiny little legs crawling all over you is enough to give someone the hibbie jibbies.

"I keep them all inside my clothes" Shino stated despite it being a lie for if he told the truth to his teammates, they would surely freak out.

Both blondes shivered once more as if something just crawled on them. "But… Don't you get weirded out when you feel them crawl all over you?" Naruto asked.

"I do not, I don't really notice it at all"

"Seriously?…"

"Yes, I have nothing to gain if I lie to you about this"

"I for one would lose my mind if I were in your place" Naruto replied

"How do you do it though?" Ino wondered, she knew little to nothing about the Aburame Clan. She did know some stuff about the Naras, Akimichis, Hyugas, and the Inuzukas, but none about the Aburames other than the fact that they use bugs.

"Do what?"

"Y'know… Not finding bugs creepy and shiver when they're on you" Ino restated

"I think you do not want to know the real answer to that question, that I am certain of" Shino replied

"How so?"

"Just trust me on this one Ino" he said

"Okay fine… But do you like... Choose which bugs to control?"

"That I can answer for the answer to that isn't disturbing. When a child is born in our clan, we the members do not pick and choose which species of bug the child will use but the bugs themselves will. There are several species of bugs we use, once one species chooses the child. Both hive and child would then be partners, living in symbiosis from there on out" Shino explained.

Both Ino and Naruto were listening intently, they never knew Shino's clan did stuff like that. It amazed the both of them as a matter of fact, their conversation was cut short though when Asuma arrived.

"Sorry, I'm late kids… Had to deal with some stuff, you know how it is" Asuma said while rubbing the back of his head

Naruto and Ino glared daggers at Asuma for being extremely late this time around but luckily they were able to pass the time by talking and learning something new about their bespectacled teammate.

Ino nudged Naruto and said something to him, "Asuma-sensei was probably with Kurenai-sensei, don't you think?" she asked

"Yeah Ino, Asuma-sensei thinks he's so slick but he's pretty obvious if you ask me. What do you think Shino?" he passed the question to him

"The possibility is there though it does make sense due to Asuma-sensei being late every now and then" he weighed in

A bead of sweat trickled down his face, Asuma then gulped and denied his students' allegations. "I-I don't know what you guys are talking about" he said. He then cleared his throat and asked what they wanted to work on for today, he attempted to change the subject in the hopes that it would get him off the hook.

His students let it slide and said they wanted to have a sparring session first, "Alright then, let's see if you learned anything from your last battle" he said

- At The Training Grounds -

Asuma was facing his three students, 3 vs 1. A test to see how much they learned from their last battle, "Remember the notes I gave you guys before?" he reminded to which they nodded yes. "Okay good, and I am hoping that you have seen some of your shortcomings after that fight you had on our last mission. And from that experience, I expect changes. Keep what works and change what doesn't, am I understood?" he asked and all three of them said yes.

"Before we start, are all of you ready?" he asked

"Wait! Naruto make a clone"

"For what?"

"To guard my body once I land my jutsu remember?"

"Oh! Right, hehe my bad" he said as he made a clone right away

"Ready?"

"Yes/All good/You bet!" they said respectively

"Okay, GO!" he said after which the battle began

Naruto rushed towards Asuma attempting to deliver a right hook, Asuma dodged his fist in response. Naruto quickly followed it by making a clone to punch Asuma, it would have worked if Asuma wasn't fast enough to react. He was already anticipating Naruto to make a clone judging by the seals he was about to make, Asuma caught the fist of his clone and then tossed it away.

Naruto smirked as he took his opportunity to use what he learned, Naruto jumped up to strike Asuma with his knee. Asuma blocked Naruto's knee but was shocked when he felt something, he felt as if his hands were stuck on something sticky. Naruto capitalized on this by striking Asuma with his other knee since he successfully applied chakra to his knee to stick to Asuma's palm. It was a success as Naruto landed a hit on Asuma on his chin, he continued his combo by creating a clone to appear in the air. The clone emerged from the smoke with both hands linked as he swung it and bashed Asuma on the back of the skull knocking him back. But Naruto got too greedy as he went for a spinning kick. Instead of catching Naruto's leg, Asuma simply backed off from Naruto making him hit nothing but air.

'Okay… Didn't expect that from Naruto, since when did he learn to use chakra to stick to things? I haven't even thought them how to walk on trees or water' he said to himself but his analysis was interrupted when Shino threw a swarm of bugs towards him. Asuma was quick on his feet as he dodged each one by doing flips and dashes. "Now Ino" he heard Shino say, behind him was Ino who has a clear shot of her Shintenshin no Jutsu (Mind Body Change Technique).

Asuma quickly did a Kawarimi no Jutsu (Body Replacement Technique), swapping places with a log. Ino almost cast her jutsu but luckily she didn't, cause if she did she would've lost consciousness. Asuma appeared behind her, attempting to hit her by swinging his arm. Ino ducked and performed a sweeping kick but Asuma jumped in time. She took this chance to get some distance away from her sensei by performing a reverse somersault and dashing backward to add more distance.

"Good, never release that jutsu not until you are sure that it'll hit" he said to Ino. He then felt a chakra signature coming from behind, it was Naruto running at high speeds. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu! (Shadow Clone Technique)" Naruto yelled. He made 3 other clones to confuse Asuma about where the original was while he and his clones ran in a random pattern. Asuma then jumped up thus avoiding being grabbed by a pair of arms from beneath the ground.

"Nice try Naruto, but I know you like doing that trick"

"How are you sure I'm not a clone?"

Asuma was quick to realize what that meant as he looked from above, "Bunshin Kaiten Kakato Otoshi! (Clone Spinning Heel Drop)" three Naruto's descending from the sky. "Eat this!" he yelled as he and his clones were about to land on Asuma. To their surprise, their attack landed on a log which caused the piece of wood to shatter into splinters.

"DAMNIT! Asuma-sensei performed a Kawarimi no Jutsu (Body Replacement Technique)" he said in annoyance. Until suddenly he was dragged down to the ground by a pair of hands.

"Doton: Shinju Zanshu no Jutsu (Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique)" Asuma said leaving Naruto's head above the ground. "You're not the only one who can do underground tricks Naruto" Asuma taunted leaving to deal with the others. Naruto struggled but it was no use, he was just too stuck for his own good.

Ino threw shurikens while Asuma wasn't looking but to her dismay, the projectiles hit yet another log. "He did it again!" Ino yelled when out of nowhere she felt a presence behind them.

It was Asuma and he was attempting to land a hit on both Shino and Ino, both of them were able to jump away in time. Ino felt the same presence once more, she spun around to see Asuma behind her once more, Asuma delivered a punch but luckily Ino was able to block. Asuma's punch was heavy, this caused her to slide across the ground though she was still standing.

Shino was watching from afar until he heard rustling from behind. He saw the bush move, as a response he threw shurikens at it but nothing happened when suddenly another Asuma was behind him. "Another lesson, just because you only have one enemy doesn't mean they're not out to get you as well. Always keep your guard up" he said as he delivered a kick, Shino blocked his leg with his arm after which he backed off of him. Asuma was about to pursue him but he smirked instead. Shino knew something was up until he bumped into someone, he turned around to see yet another Asuma. He tried to get away but he was too late as Asuma placed him under a lock.

All that was left was Ino, she and Asuma were performing a series of punches, jabs, and hooks. Ino tried her best to block each attack, but each of Asuma's strikes was heavy and caused her arms to go numb. Ino decided to go for a punch but Asuma caught her arm and held her down to the ground.

"Okay that's good enough" he said to his students as he freed Naruto and dispelled his clone. He then gathered them around him to say a couple of notes.

"Listen up, here are some of my notes again. Let's start with Ino, remember what I said about keeping what works and changing what doesn't?" he asked to which she nodded. "Good, it's nice that your speed and accuracy are improving. Add to the fact that you have restraint when it comes to your jutsu, it was wise of you to cancel your jutsu cause that would have been a grave mistake if it was a real battle. I have noticed that you struggle in close combat as well, you should look for something to help you with that. Maybe try learning to use a weapon other than a kunai, consider using a sword or maybe senbons, or a kusarigama. Anything that will help you fend off your opponents. Not every time you'll be fighting from afar, so always be prepared. Next up is jutsu diversity, you seem to rely too much on your clan's techniques. Granted I am aware that your clan has some offensive techniques, thanks to your father when I see him fight out there. Try learning about your chakra nature and start from there. Other than that you've improved, and well done"

"Shino, well done on setting Ino up for an almost clear shot of her jutsu. It seems that you are getting the hang of setting the battle's pace as a team though you still need to learn to fight alone. Your teammates won't be with you all the time, and you must be able to fend for yourself. Start by improving your aptitude in close combat, it seems to me that is your weakest attribute. Once your enemy finds out, the battle will be a whole lot harder for you. So it is in your best interest to work on it. Also, keep your guard up, there's a right amount of paranoia after all. With how logical and level-headed you are, I am sure you can do that. Nonetheless, good job Shino" Asuma patted his shoulder.

"And now for you Naruto, I'm impressed! You caught me off-guard right there, since when did you learn how to tree-walk and water-walk?" he asked.

"I didn't though…" Naruto replied

"You didn't? But your knee stuck to my hand earlier" Asuma said

"Ah! I used Nebaiken to do that, it this scroll right here" he said as he handed the scroll he was referring to

Asuma then took the scroll and began to read it himself, he was impressed once again that Naruto found a good style that works for him, "I see, this is good Naruto. See? You did find something good in there. And this is perfect actually, soon I'll be teaching you three all about chakra control"

"Are there any questions?" Asuma asked, but no one asked. Asuma took that as a no and dismissed his students saying that was all the training for today.

"Okay then, all of you are dismissed. Except for you Naruto, you stay" he said

"Ohhhhh… Someone's in trouble for kicking Asuma-sensei's chin" Ino teased

"Ha ha very funny Ino, you're not mad about that right Asuma-sensei?… Right?…" he asked in a scared tone

"Of course not, I'm impressed for that matter"

"Okay thank Kami…" he sighed in relief

"We'll be leaving now, bye Asuma-sensei, bye Naruto" she said as she and Shino left the training grounds

"Why do you want me to stay Asuma-sensei?" Naruto asked

"Listen up, You'll be needing more practice when it comes to chakra control kid"

"Huh? But why? We haven't even started yet…"

"I just know you will need more time to practice, not because you're dumb but because you have tons of chakra"

"Okay, but what does having tons of chakra have to do with it? I thought having a large amount of chakra was good?"

"It is, but having large chakra reserves also means other things such as having a difficult time when it comes to chakra control and difficulty with dealing with genjutsus"

"Can you explain why though Asuma-sensei?…"

"Imagine you have a bucket that contains all the ocean's water, and you are asked to water a single flower. It would be difficult to water the flower with just enough water without drowning it in the process. The larger one's reserves are, the more difficult it is to mold and control their chakra. This is why I am telling you this. Once you mastered chakra control, your monstrous chakra reserves would be a force to be reckoned with"

"Woah..."

"But don't worry, I'll help you along the way. Other than that, be sure to inform your teammates to meet me here tomorrow again, Time to do missions again" he said to which Naruto thanked him and said goodbye.

"They're starting to grow, I'm proud of em" he said to no one in particular

(A/N: Thanks for your continued support, I really enjoy writing these, and I am sorry for not uploading that much lately. I really have to handle those documents haha (I wrote this while I was on the road, well I was on a train so yeah hahaha). Also, I saw some comments about seeing other teams and sure I'll do that, that seems doable. The Chunin Exams arc is coming soon haha and I'm excited to get there. I would also like to announce that I am taking a break for a while after dealing with college stuff, I am feeling a bit burnt out lately so yeah. Hope you guys understand, I will reply to the messages I received soon. That is all haha cheers ^^)

P.S. Try looking up where Shino keeps his bugs haha or rewatch the episode in part one of the Anime haha