Here is the next chapter and I hope I didn't keep you all waiting for this. Essentially it is the same as the original but with a few tweaks to include Sakura in it instead of Ino. Hope you enjoy it.

Previously,

Everyting seemed to slow down, Asuma was falling forward and Shikamaru watched as his eyes watered. He was running but he couldn't get to him fast enough.

Asuma fell forwards and lied motionless on the ground while his student cried out in distress, "Asuma!"

Desperately, Shikamaru ran to where Asuma was but due to his exhaustion, he tripped and fell to the ground. While he was on the ground, he stretched out his hand towards his teacher.

In despair, he mumbled, "Asuma…"

Then Hidan's skin turned back to normal and he pulled out the spike and his scythe out of his body.

He said to Kakuzu, "I'm done here."

Kakuzu replied, "And I'm about finished here."

Kotetsu and Izumo were still immobilized; being in a chokehold by Kakuzu.

Trembling with anger, Shikamaru slowly stood up again muttering, "Damn you…!"

Then he shouted, "You son of a bitch!"

Kakuzu saw him, so he used Izumo to hit Shikamaru and then had both skidding on the ground.

Shikamaru thought helplessly, "Damn it! I'm so powerless!"

But then he looked up and saw black feathers all around them. Then Kakuzu and Hidan were surrounded by crows obscuring their vision.

Hidan shouted, "You think that you can stop us with these crows?"

Kakuzu commented, "Trying to hinder our vision huh?"

Then Raido came up close to Kakuzu with sword out.

"A black sword…" Kakuzu thought as he narrowly dodged the blade which caused him to let go of Kotetsu and Izumo. As Hidan and Kakuzu were distracted, Chouji got Asuma away from the fight and then jumped up onto the roof of the building.

Then after Kakuzu let go of Kotetsu and Izumo, Sakura came yelling, "Shannarro!"

She struck at Kakuzu and he blocked her punch even though it made stagger a bit.

Kakuzu commented to himself, "Inhuman strength for a girl."

When Chouji got Asuma on top of the building, Aoba said to him, "Keep your guard up, Chouji."

Then he controlled the crows to surround Hidan and Kakuzu and had the crows explode into a smokescreen, to block their vision. Then on the roof, Chouji looked down at Asuma in worry, he muttered, "Asuma-sensei…"

Then Sakura helped Shikamaru up to the roof and then both knelt next to Asuma. Shikamaru put his ear to Asuma's chest, listening for a sign of life, while his other teammates watched. Then he heard it, a weak heartbeat; indicating that he is alive.

"It's faint, but there's a heartbeat!" Shikamaru thought.

Then he said to his teammates, "Chouji, take Asuma-sensei to Konoha Hospital immediately! Sakura, accompany him and use your medical ninjutsu to heal him as much as you can! Hurry!"

They both agreed but then Kakuzu jumped up on the roof and then he stated, "I'm not giving up my bounty."

"Shit!" Shikamaru cursed.

Aoba then intervened, "We'll deal with them while you guys get Asuma-san out of here!"

Then Aoba engaged Kakuzu in taijutsu, while Hidan was left with Raido and Kotetsu.

Then Hidan said to them, "You can struggle all you want, but in the end you'll all be sacrificed to God! That's why…"

But then he stopped and Kakuzu seemed distracted as well.

Hidan asked, as if he was talking to someone, "Can it wait a little longer? Seriously, we're right at the best part."

Then somewhere far away from the Fire Country, on a building designed to look like a man, on the tongue of it, sat a man in Akatsuki robes, overlooking the buildings.

"It's time to seal the Nibi; that takes priority. Return immediately." The man impatiently ordered.

Hidan replied in annoyance, "Come on! All I'm asking for is like another minute!"

"Knock it off, Hidan," Kakuzu retorted.

As everyone was watching them, they were all wondering the same thing, "Are they communicating with someone?"

Then Kakuzu said to them, "We'll be right back, make sure that you are ready."

Then the man that they were communicating with had stated, "You two really test my patience."

Kakuzu picked up Hidan's hitai-ate and then said, "Let's go, Hidan."

Hidan complained, "That stupid leader… Next time I'm cursing him!"

Then Asuma coughed up more blood, alarming his students.

Sakura cried, "Sensei!"

"Asuma-sensei!" Chouji added.

Shikamaru shouted, "Sakura, Chouji, hurry up and get Asuma out of here, now!"

But Hidan yelled, "Hey! We told you to stay here until we get back! He's about to die anyway!"

Shikamaru grit his teeth in anger, while Hidan shouted crudely, "Later, bitches!"

Then both Hidan and Kakuzu disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Shikamaru lifted Asuma's head off of the roof and hurriedly said, "Sakura, Chouji, get going!"

"I'll use my medical ninjutsu!" Sakura exclaimed.

But then they heard a quiet voice mumur, "Don't…"

All three of them gasped in shock as they looked down at their teacher and then Asuma added, "I'm done for… Even I… can tell… You three should realize it too."

Shikamaru retorted, "Shut up! Don't speak! Sakura!"

"Right!" Sakura said as she moved to the other side of Asuma and started her medical ninjutsu. Her hands were glowing green and her brow was furrowed in concentration.

Chouji asked nervously, "Sakura?"

She moved her hands to find the injuries.

"Here…" she thought as she found the spots and then moved her hands again and then thought, "And here too! They got four vital organs!"

She was slightly trembling and had tears stinging the corners of her eyes as she thought in despair, "There's nothing more I can do…"

Shikamaru saw the sadness in Sakura's expression and then closed his eyes in defeat.

Asuma continued weakly, "I think I finally understand why the Third did what he did… But, like always, I took too long… to figure it out."

He coughed before adding, "Sakura, Chouji, Shikamaru… I have one last thing to tell you."

Chouji replied, "Sensei, you shouldn't talk anymore…"

"Chouji!" Shikamaru cut him off.

"And Sakura," he added.

There was thunder rumbling in the distance as there was a small silence between the members of Team Ten.

Shikamaru continued, "These are Asuma-sensei's last words; just listen."

Asuma whispered, "Sakura…"

Sakura answered, "Yes?"

Asuma tilted his head towards her before saying, "You're responsible, dependable, and courageous. You've certainly gained many abilities from Tsunade-sama. I daresay you will surpass her. Chouji and Shikamaru are total goof offs, keep them out of trouble."

Sakura started to have tears trickle down her cheeks as she answered, "I will."

Asuma added, "And never give up on your goals whether they are in ninjutsu or in love."

Shakily, Sakura replied, "I won't."

Asuma lightly smiled at her before turning his attention to Chouji.

Asuma murmured, "Chouji, you're a kind man who cares for his comrades. That's why… you'll become a shinobi more powerful than anyone else. Have more confidence in yourself."

Chouji wiped some of his tears away from his eyes as he mumbled, "Yeah."

Then Asuma added, "And… maybe diet a little."

"That maybe too much but I'll give it my best shot," Chouji replied while trying to stop his tears.

Asuma chuckled a bit and then he turned to Shikamaru last.

"And Shikamaru. You're so smart… and have great sense as a shinobi. You could definitely become Hokage. But… you're too lazy…You'd probably hate it. I never even beat you at shogi… That's right… Do you remember of our talk about the King?" Asuma mumbled.

Shikamaru widened his eyes in recognition; it was what they had about before coming on this mission.

Asuma continued, "I'll tell you who it is; come closer."

Shikamaru brought his head down so that he can hear what Asuma was whispering in his ear. When Asuma finished, Shikamaru's widened and he blurted out in shock, "Asuma! You… but-"

"I'm counting on you, Shikamaru," Asuma mumbled.

Then he added, "It doesn't matter now, does it? Even though I quit… They're in my pouch; I want one last smoke…"

Shikamaru then helped put the cigarette between Asuma's lips and then used his lighter to light it. As the teenage shinobi watch their sensei in his final minutes, they remember the happy and fun memories that they all shared together. Sakura and Chouji were trying hard to hold back their tears while Shikamaru was silent and hadn't cried at all. The cigarette had burned and then disentagrated, it slowly fell from Asuma's lips, landing on the roof. Asumas's eyes were lidded; showing that there wasn't any light in them. His breathing stopped, his last breath gone with the smoke that he breathed out. Asuma… was dead.

"Asuma-sensei!" Sakura cried in agony.

She brought her head down to Asuma's chest and cried her heart out. Chouji wasn't any better; he muffled his sobs in his hand but no less in pain.

Overhead of them, the rain poured down; perfect weather to represent the sadness of their loss.

Raido covered Asuma's head and upper body with his black cloak and said, "He died a true shinobi."

Shikamaru stood up and walked away from the group, clutching Asuma's lighter in his hand. The smoke of the cigarette blew past his nose and he coughed but then he sniffled.

"I really, really hate cigarettes," he murmurred.

As the rain poured over him, you couldn't tell that he was indeed crying and continued, "The smoke always makes my eyes water."

The group of shinobi had stayed there in silence, mourning the loss of a skilled shinobi, a teacher, a friend; Asuma Sarutobi.

There is the chapter and I hope you liked it. Please feel free to leave a review. I hope to have the next chapter out soon and Ino should be back in it soon.