AN: Hello everyone! My name is Tempest, and welcome to my very first fanfic! I've always thought Asuma was super cool and I wanted our resident knucklehead to be inspired by him too! Updates will be extremely few and far between and I apologize for that. It's just my motivation for writing is a fleeting feeling. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy the first installment and hopefully the next won't be too far away!

Konohagakure - Night Time

A man in his early twenties slowly walks towards the village gates he called home. Asuma Sarutobi has brown eyes, light brown skin, short black spiky hair and a beard. He wore a standard jonin flak jacket and a black shirt and pants. His hitai-ate was tied around his forehead, and he wears a sash that had the kanji for "Fire" marked on it around his waist.

Asuma had just completed his time as one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja; the group had been disbanded after it was discovered that half the group was plotting to assassinate the Hokage of Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi, Asuma's father. He reached into one of his breast pockets, taking out a cigarette and lighting it with a lighter. He approached the chunin at the gates, taking out his identification papers.

"Sarutobi Asuma, returning from my time as one of the Twelve Guardian Ninja."

"Welcome back, Sarutobi-san," the chunin replied, stamping the papers and handing them back. "Sandaime-sama told us to direct you to his office immediately upon your arrival."

"Geez, already?" Asuma questioned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Alright, thanks for the info." Asuma had been hoping to get back to his apartment and sleep, but the Sandaime needed him. Asuma slowly walked through the streets of Konoha. While the place was familiar, it had changed in the many years he was gone. The nostalgic feeling slowly crept into his heart, and a small smile made its way onto his face. It felt good to be back. He could finally relax.

Deciding not to make the Hokage wait any longer, Asuma took to the rooftops, cutting the travel time to the Hokage Tower by a lot. Entering the building, he made his way up the stairs, past the receptionist, and stopped in front of the office door. He knocked softly three times and waited, only opening the door when he heard an "Enter."

"Hello, Sandaime-sama. You wanted to see me?" Asuma asked, walking in.

Hiruzen Sarutobi breathed out a tobacco filled sigh. "I am your father, Asuma. I would appreciate it if you could treat me as such."

"I'm currently working, it would be disrespectful."

"No one else is in the room, it would be okay," Hiruzen smiled. "Welcome home, son. I'm glad to have you back in the village. I'm sure you've grown exponentially since you were here last."

"I can't wait to show you, old man. And this time, I'll beat your ass in shogi too," Asuma laughed.

Hiruzen laughed along with him. "I may be old, but I haven't lost my mind yet. Would you like a drink? I want you to rest for a little while before I send you out on missions."

"I could kill for some sake, yeah." Asuma pulled a chair up to the desk as Hiruzen poured the two of them shots. "Speaking of, I was thinking. About what you told me of the shogi pieces. I think I've found out what you meant by 'finding my king.'"

"Oh? What's that?"

"It's the children. The children who will grow up to take care of the leaf. The ones we protect to inherit the will of fire. They are the kings we so desperately protect."

"What a beautiful answer. Yes, that was the answer I came upon as well. The future generations of Konoha that will protect their own kings in the future."

"I think I wanna try out being a jounin sensei. I won't be great, but I wanna be a helping hand in developing more shinobi for Konoha," Asuma said, catching his father off guard.

"Are you sure? It'll be hard work and you'd have to study what it means to be a teacher."

"It'll be worth it dad. I just know it."

"Well let me know when you are ready to get started. I will be behind you 100 percent."

Asuma took one last shot before standing up. "I should go, I'm starting to get tired. Is my old apartment still available?"

"It is, yes. And I had cleaners come by a few days ago, so it should be nice and ready for you to get home." Hiruzen reached into a drawer and took out a key, handing it to Asuma. "Good night, son. And please, rest for a few days. You've earned it."

Asuma smiled as he grabbed the key. "I will dad, thanks." The younger Sarutobi exited the tower and back onto the streets, walking to his apartment. The man stared at the stores on either side of the street, many have stayed the same, yet some were new. He made a mental note of different stores he wanted to visit in the future as he walked. Suddenly, while taking a curious peek down a darkened alley, Asuma spotted an out of place color. He walked into the alley and found a small blond boy, curled up in a ball and covered in newspaper.

"Hey, kid, are you lost? Where's your home?" Asuma asked, kneeling down to him.

"S-stay away," the blond-haired boy said, backing up slowly. His bright blue eyes stared at Asuma.

"I'm not gonna hurt you, kiddo. What's your name?"

"Uzumaki Naruto," the young boy replied.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Sarutobi Asuma. Do you have a home, Naruto?" Asuma asked. Naruto shook his head, and a small ping hit Asuma's heart. He just talked to his father about protecting the next generation, and here Naruto was, a young boy who needed protection. "Do you want to live with me? I'll give you a warm bed to sleep in."

"Are you related to Hokage-jiji?" Naruto asked innocently.

Asuma could barely hold back a small laugh. "Hokage-jiji? Yeah, I am. I'm his son actually. Are you two close?"

Naruto nodded. "He used to visit me at the orphanage, but he stopped coming by, so they kicked me out."

This made Asuma angry. "Don't you worry kid. I'll make sure you're never kicked out again." He held his arms out to carry Naruto should the young boy want to be carried.

Naruto hesitated for just a second before slowly entering the jounin's arms. "Thank you…" he said meekly.

"I've got your back, Naruto. From this day forward, I'll protect you."

The Next Day

Naruto slowly woke up with an unfamiliar feeling. The feeling below him was soft and plump. Above him, he was greeted by warmth and comfort. Opening his eyes, he found himself in bed, surrounded by plain white walls with a desk in the corner and a window with curtains drawn shut. Sitting up, Naruto slowly remembered the encounter with Asuma, the man who promised to protect him. This made Naruto smile. If Asuma was serious, then Naruto wouldn't be alone anymore.

A soft knock came from the door, "Naruto? Are you awake yet?"

"Yeah," the blond boy answered.

The door opened as Asuma walked in. "Good morning, kiddo. Would you like some breakfast? I just bought some food from the place across the street."

"Yes please," Naruto answered, getting out of bed. Naruto followed Asuma out to the main apartment area, taking a seat at the dining table. Asuma placed a small bowl of rice, some miso soup, tamagoyaki, and some grilled fish in front of Naruto, along with a glass of water.

"Eat up, there's plenty to go around," Asuma smiled, grabbing his own small bowl of rice.

"Thank you, Asuma-san. Itadakimasu!" Naruto exclaimed before digging in ferociously. Asuma watched Naruto, making sure the boy really did eat a lot. The young boy looked small, so he was probably malnourished.

"Hey Naruto, you know my old man, huh?" Asuma asked, taking a bite of fish and rice.

"Yeah! Hokage-jiji is super cool and strong! He makes me wanna be Hokage, 'ttebayo!"

Asuma cocked his head to the side at the end of Naruto's exclamation. "So, you wanna be Hokage huh? That's a lot of hard work."

"I can do it. I'll work hard, get strong, and become Hokage! Then everyone will have to see me!"

Asuma laughed. "Hey, listen, I have a meeting to go to after we eat, but you can stay here and watch TV. I shouldn't be more than a few hours, alright?"

"Got it!" Naruto said. "Thanks again, Asuma-san!"

"Yeah, of course."

The two continued to eat, asking each other questions to get to know the other better. After he finished eating, Asuma quickly washed the dishes they used before telling Naruto he was going to that meeting. He exited the door and locked the apartment. He needed to see the Hokage pronto.

Asuma jumped from rooftop to rooftop at a quick speed, making his way to the Hokage tower.

He came upon the office door again, knocking three times and entering, not bothering to wait for the Hokage to tell him to enter.

"Asuma? I thought I told you to rest for a few days."

"Cut the crap dad, I'm so beyond conflicted right now."

Hiruzen looked confused. "Well, tell me what's conflicting you, and let's work it out together. Sit."

"I can't," the younger Sarutobi said. "Uzumaki Naruto. Who is that kid?"

Hiruzen's face slowly dropped. "You met him?"

"Yeah. He's in my apartment right now. Who is he? How are you two so familiar?"

Hiruzen activated the privacy seals hidden around his office. "What I am about to tell you must not leave this room, understood?"

"What? Yeah, okay."

"Naruto-kun is the jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Seven years ago, the Yondaime Hokage sealed the demon fox into Naruto-kun."

"What...? He's the jinchuuriki? But he's just a child!"

"I know, Asuma. But that was the only option he had."

"And what happened to visiting him at the orphanage huh? Why'd you stop showing up? They kicked him out after!"

"Asuma, I became busy, I am the Hokage. I wish I could spend more time with Naruto, but I also have a village to look after."

"You have a King right in front of you, and you ABANDONED HIM!" Asuma yelled. "HE NEEDED YOU AND YOU LEFT HIM! HE WAS SLEEPING IN AN ALLEY WITH NEWSPAPERS AS A BLANKET. WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR TALK ABOUT PROTECTING FUTURE GENERATIONS?! WAS THAT ALL A LIE?"

"Calm yourself, Asuma! You think I don't regret my actions? I am too old to babysit him. No one else will take him in."

"I will. He can stay in my guest room. I'll take him in. Adopt him. Protect him. He will grow up in a home that will nourish his talents. He will be a great shinobi, and a better damn Hokage than you because he won't turn his back from his king!"

"Asuma, please, think about what you are doing," Hiruzen said. "Your emotions are high right now. Understandably so, but I cannot have you compromising your own development as a shinobi."

"I'm taking him, whether you like it or not," Asuma said seriously. "I am his guardian, and I will do everything in my power to make him the best shinobi he can be."

Asuma turned around and exited the office with a loud bang as the door slammed shut. He reached into his pocket and took out a cigarette, taking a long drag once it was lit. He made his way to the market district. There were some things he needed to buy.

A few hours later

Naruto was on the couch, minding his business when the door opened. Asuma stepped in, carrying a few shopping bags, setting them on the kitchen counter.

"I'm home, Naruto," Asuma said with a smile.

"Welcome back! What did you get?"

"Just some groceries for us. Now, I got you some instant ramen bowls-" Asuma started, but was cut off by Naruto's celebration.

"Listen, Naruto. I only got you a few, and I won't be buying you any more for a month, got it? If you finish these, you won't get any more until next month."

"What?! But then I have to ration my ramen! What else am I gonna eat? I'm gonna starve!"

"I'll make us food, don't worry. I'm making you healthy and balanced meals. Eating nothing but ramen will stunt your growth."

"Aw man! But I love ramen!"

"I know Naruto, that's why I got you some." Asuma chuckled. There was a knock on the door, and Asuma squinted his eyes. He wasn't expecting visitors yet. He opened the door and was greeted by an Anbu member.

"Sarutobi Asuma, I was told to deliver this message from Hokage-sama as well as a congratulations," the Anbu said before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Asuma looked at the letter confused, closing the door. He opened the envelope and unfolded the letters.

"Hey Naruto, listen to this!" Asuma said excitedly.

"What is it?"

"I, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure, officially grant Sarutobi Asuma with the adoption of one Uzumaki Naruto, making him the legal parent and guardian of said party," Asuma read off.

"Adopted…? Y-you're my dad now...?" Naruto asked.

Asuma smiled, "Isn't that great?"

"S-so I can c-call you Tou-chan?"

Asuma chuckled. "If you want to, yeah."

"Yatta!" Naruto jumped for joy. "I have a dad now, dattebayo!"

"Actually, Naruto. As your new dad, there's something I wanna teach you, alright?" Asuma said, grabbing a scroll and kunai from his many groceries. "Sit with me." He pointed to the chair across from him.

Naruto climbed into the chair and sat at the table, watching Asuma intently.

"Now this is the most important thing I'm going to teach you, okay? If there's only one thing you need to remember, it's this."

"I will, Tou-chan."

Asuma smiled. He opened the scroll, revealing an empty sealing matrix. "This is a storage scroll, that means it can hold things. Some bigger ones can hold bigger things, like swords. But this one is pretty basic." Asuma placed the kunai on the empty area of the matrix. "Now, kunai are dangerous. Extremely dangerous. However, if I add chakra into the seal." A puff of smoke covered the immediate surroundings before dissipating, the kunai nowhere to be seen.

"Where'd it go?!" Naruto yelled.

Asuma didn't answer Naruto, only rolling the scroll back up. "Hey, Naruto, what was this thing again?"

"You said it was a scroll," he answered confused.

"But there is a kunai sealed in here, right? Are you sure it's not a kunai?"

Naruto giggled. "Yeah, that looks nothing like a kunai."

"Good, I want you to remember that. Always, got it?"

"I got it, Tou-chan! Things sealed into scrolls do not make the scroll that thing. But can you teach me how to do that? That's super cool to do!"

"Well, using storage scrolls are easy, you just channel chakra into the scroll. I'll teach you how to do that soon."

"No, not how to use one. How to make one!"

Asuma paled. "Oh man, honestly, kiddo, I actually don't know how they're made. I'm not all that educated in fuinjutsu. Not a lot of people are considered seal masters. There's only one living seal master from Konoha I believe, but no one's seen him in years."

"Then I'll be the fuinjutsu hokage! I'll learn it, master it, and then make it easier for people to understand! That's my goal, dattebayo!"

Asuma chuckled. "Are you sure Naruto? It'll take a lot of hard work. Fuinjutsu requires a lot of chakra, prep time, and absolutely perfect brush strokes. Even a millimeter off and it could be disastrous."

Naruto hesitated. "I mean, I have a long time to learn?"

Asuma could only laugh at his newly adopted son's antics. "We can take it one step at a time, starting with the brush strokes, yeah?"