Ino can't stop stealing glances at her young teacher. He appears a stranger to her. With no beard and no cigarette between his lips, it's almost hard to believe he is Asuma-Sensei. At the same time, she sees more resemblance between him and his nephew Konohamaru than ever before. That realization comforts Ino some.
It means he's got to be her teacher all right.
Asuma-Sensei smiles a little bit when he notices her looking. Ino returns it instead of feeling embarrassed that her ten-year-old teacher caught her peeking. He turns his head back around and Ino exhales. She's relieved he's still so much like himself. He's a chill kid in the same way he's a chill adult. It's why she, Choji, and Shikamaru agreed a visit to Yakiniku Q is in order.
For a guy (kid) like Asuma-Sensei to retain their mellowness and be a source of calm for others they need breaks now and then to center themselves and recharge. This was not something he was not getting when left alone with Gai, Kakashi, and (surprisingly) Kurenai. The three don't just brim with energy, they spill it everywhere.
One might think the three would tire each other out, leaving Asuma-Sensei out of their messes, but they don't. Their energies are all different and mingle and react to one another in a way that ratchets them up instead of down. It means poor Asuma-Sensei is dragged into their games and squabbling whether he wants to be or not.
If Ino is honest, it's a miracle their teacher hasn't exploded yet.
She and her team know too well from experience that Asuma-Sensei does have a snapping point. It's not pretty when he reaches it either. For everyone's limbs and soft spots, smuggling him out for a long lunch under the other threes' noses felt like a must.
Internally, Ino sighs. She hopes they don't accidentally add to the stress Asuma-Sensei is under. The three of them aren't always great at controlling their vices. Choji is already going to have a Hell of a time not eating Yakiniku Q out of food.
He's going to have to, though, because Asuma-Sensei is ten. It shouldn't be on his shoulders to apologize for Choji's gluttony. Ino stiffens a bit. It's going to be her job to do it if Choji loses control, won't it? Shikamaru will find it all too "troublesome" to deal with and Choji's never been sorry about eating somebody out of house and home before.
She grits her teeth. 'Great,' she thinks. 'That's just what I wanted to do today.'
"Uh, is this place we're going to one you guys know well?" asks Asuma-Sensei.
Ino blinks a few times as Choji gapes at the boy. Asuma-Sensei doesn't know Yakiniku Q? That's so… odd. The first time he took them there he talked like it's a place he's been eating at since he was young like them.
"Yeah," says Shikamaru when neither she nor Choji answers his question. "You take us there a lot. It's a team favorite."
Asuma-Sensei bobs his head. "My team's tradition is going to this teahouse just outside the Hyuga Compound," he tells them. "My Sensei's super into the stuff. She and the lady who supplies the house with tea can talk for hours about different blends and things if you let them."
"Wow," replies Ino.
She didn't know that. A turn of her head first towards Shikamaru then Choji lets Ino know they also haven't gotten to hear this story about Asuma-Sensei's teacher before either. Then again, Asuma-Sensei doesn't talk a lot about his teacher from when he was a Genin.
His teammates?
Sure. He's got stories for days about Raidō. Asuma-Sensei has even introduced the three of them to the other Jōnin. Not to mention they see him all of the time with Kurenai. Asuma-Sensei is still good friends with them (and more in the case of Kurenai).
But perhaps not his teacher.
Ino doesn't know why but that upsets her a lot. Is that normal? Will Asuma-Sensei stop being someone they come to when they become Chunin and then Jōnin? She swallows.
"Do you… like tea, Asuma-Sensei?" she asks in hopes of getting her mind off the uncomfortable line of thought it's trying to spiral down.
The preteen rubs his chin in a cute and sort of goofy way before he laughs. "You don't gotta call me Sensei," he says. "And it's fine. My teammate, Raidō, likes it the most of the three of us." Asuma-Sensei wrinkles his nose. "He's sort of fussy and strict. He and Sensei actually have fun discussing how to prepare different teas."
Choji picks up his pace a moment so he walks beside Asuma-Sensei. "She doesn't try to bribe you with stuff you like?" he asks while peering down at the boy in surprise.
The boy furrows his dark brows. "No?"
"Oh," replies Choji as he falls back to his typical sedate pace.
Asuma-Sensei whirls around; the overlong end of his baby blue jacket flutters like the tail of a bird. "Is that what I do?" he demands, voice raised and upset.
Choji hunches in on himself as a turtle might when under attack. Shikamaru's expression is taut; he is no doubt affected by Asuma-Sensei's question but instead of addressing it he looks away and sighs. Ino bites her lip in her uncertainty but holds her gaze steady when Asuma-Sensei's hurt eyes turn on her.
Their team is supposed to be helping the preteen right now. Yet, somehow, they've managed to rile up their usually mild teacher. She sucks in a breath and stretches her abused lips into what she hopes is a sweet smile.
"Just as a way to motivate us, silly!" she says as she places her hands on her thighs and leans in. She's at Asuma-Sensei's eye level now and she can see the leery light much better in his gaze from this vantage point. Hope has risen in them too, though, at her chipper words.
It breaks Ino's heart a little.
Poor Asuma-Sensei. Ino can see now he just wants to know he's a good teacher. She suspects maybe his isn't. Which is so sad. Asuma-Sensei tries so hard to do right by them all of the time. It's awful to imagine he didn't have a person like himself in his corner as a kid.
"We know you're not just trying to make your own life easier, Sensei! We can tell you want us all to do well and think giving us things we like will help us improve," she explains to the boy, tilting her head.
He frowns. "Does it?" he demands; attention flitting from Ino to Shikamaru, to Choji, and back to her.
She fights back her grimace. "It doesn't not work," she answers. She forces a chuckle and looks over at her tubby teammate. With a pointed stare, she warns him to keep his cool and says, "In fact, Choji responds really well to your methods."
The teenager twitches and reddens but doesn't argue. Instead, he gives a small "Hmph" and nods.
Asuma-Sensei doesn't relax. Instead, he grows tauter. Ino wants to yell at Choji because it's his damn fault. He should be a better actor than this—
"Yeah?" the boy says, the smallest of quavers to his voice that lets them all know he's going to cry if they don't reassure him now.
Shikamaru finally drops into a crouch next to her with an exhale. Asuma-Sensei's eyes are wide when Shikamaru smirks and puts a hand on top of his head. "It's why we're regulars at Yakiniku Q," he insists. "Choji loves it."
He loosens up a bit but there is still an anxious edge to his jaw as he stares at the two of them. "Do you like it? Ino? Shikamaru?" he asks.
She giggles, high-pitched and girlish in an attempt to comfort her teacher. "Definitely, Asuma-Se— Asuma!" she stutters out.
Asuma-Sensei's focus hones in on Shikamaru.
Ino's teammate huffs in amusement and says, "Yeah, it's good."
The last of the tension runs off Asuma-Sensei and a sunny smile splits across his face. "That's a relief," he replies; a hand finding his chest. "I tell Kurenai all the time if I have students I'm gonna treat them to something they all like!" He ducks his chin into his chest and blushes a bit. "I want my students, you, I guess, to feel heard and cared about."
Ino presses her palms to her mouth. Asuma-Sensei is such a darling. She didn't believe he could ever make her think he was adorable. Now she does, though. Oh, she wishes he could stay a ten-year-old just a little longer. He's so unafraid to share his feelings like this.
She guesses that's what being a kid does for somebody.
"You do a great job, Asuma," Shikamaru tells the boy with a warm cadence to his voice. "We know we're precious to you even when we make you want to chain smoke a whole pack of your cigarettes."
Asuma-Sensei blinks. "I smoke?"
"Oh boy, do you," cries out Choji before he breaks out into cackles.
Thank you so much for reading and let me know your thoughts!