i'd still choose you. naruto uzumaki x reader

✤ Team 10

⬆️ @ jiraiya

CHAPTER 24

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The bald man waved at Kakuzu's back as he walked away. "Hope to see you with another corpse soon, sir."

"Sorry to say," Kakuzu began, shuffling his fingers around the handle of the briefcase he held. "But you won't. We're heading to Konoha to look for a jinchuuriki."

The bald man hesitated before he spoke, afraid today would be the day he gets struck down, "I'll give you one bit of advice, though. You should probably ditch that partner of yours. Can't say he looks all that interested in money."

Kakuzu was quiet momentarily, "...I'm well aware." He said, sounding the slightest bit disappointed.

=

Asuma led his team through the trees, each of them jumping from branch to branch, each one being one step closer to the infamous akatsuki members.

Shikamaru had been eyeballing Asuma ever since the interaction back at the temple Asuma was familiar with. He'd been running through his mind, trying to remember if the Chiriku guy was ever brought up in one of their chess games or while they were eating barbeque with Choji and Ino. He came up empty handed. "Asuma Sensei."

Asuma hummed, telling Shikamaru he was listening.

"What kind of relationship did you have with that Chiriku guy anyway?" Shikamaru asked, causing Asuma to look at him with a small smile.

"What's this all of a sudden?" He asked, amused by the question he thought Shikamaru of all people would never ask.

"Heavy a smoker as you are, you haven't lit up in two whale days. I mean," Shikamaru paused, "Whenever you quit, it's always because something's happened."

Asuma smirked as his amusement of his student grew. Sometimes, Asuma thought it was possible Shikamaru paid too much attention to some things despite his lazy antics. "You've always been observant. If you're seeing through me like that, looks like I'm not hiding things well enough."

"Actually, whenever we play chess, I'm always reading you like a book." Shikamaru mentioned as he hopped over a high branch. "But quitting like this is the first time since the third died."

Asuma's features hardened at the reminder of the third. Anybody could see his shoulders visibly tense up with his features. Nobody said anything for a short while, the wind blowing past their ears occupied the silence. "Chikiru and I both served together as members of the 'Twelve Shinobi Guardsmen." Asuma finally said, glancing at Shikarmu who seemed unbothered by the information. "To put it easier, we were pretty much like you and Chouji."

Shikamaru's eyes widened a bit and he was quick to look away from his sensei. "You know.." He said after a moment. "Smoking's just one of those habits that just doesn't break."

"Asuma sensei!!"

The team didn't stop when they heard (Y/N)'s voice approach them.

"(Y/N)? What're you doing here?" Shikamaru asked as (Y/N) ventured to his side.

"Lady Tsunade sent me. All she said was that she had a bad feeling about this." (Y/N) told them. "She told be veugly what was happening, there's no need to explain anything further to me."

Asuma was pleased Tsunade sent (Y/N) who did not require every detail within the situation. "Good! Cause we're almost there. And Shikamaru, I'm touched that you're worried about me and all, but the reason I stopped smoking wasn't because of Chiriku. His expression suddenly went dark, his eyebrows furrowing together with a certain power behind his eyes. "It's the fact that the Akatsuki were strong enough to take him out. Which means they have serious skills. (Y/N), you faced off against two members once, did you not?"