It All Started With A Smell

One Last Lesson

Asuma's POV:

He looked at his watch before picking up his step. He had spent longer with Kurenai than he had meant to and now had to hope Shikamaru would be ready without warning. He couldn't leave the village without saying goodbye to Kurenai and their baby, since he knew missions were becoming more and more deadly. They had to meet Izumo and Kotetsu but Asuma wanted to find Shikamaru first and give him time to prepare for the mission if need be.

Looking around he spotted Ino and Choji. Not the student he was hoping for but hopefully they would be able to lead him to the one he wanted. Walking up to them he realised that they were in some type of a playful argument.

"Come on, you must know what's going on. Tell me!" Ino demanded with a big grin.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, please. It's obvious." Ino scoffed, rolling her eyes. When she spotted her teacher her eyes lit up. "You must know! Am I right?"

"About what?" Asuma asked, frowning at the blonde.

"About Shikamaru and Naruto."

"Are they finally dating?" Asuma yelped, miffed that Shikamaru hadn't said anything. He watched as Ino's jaw dropped and she looked gleeful whilst Choji groaned.

"Asuma-Sensei!" Choji dropped his head before grabbing Ino's shoulders, stopping her from jumping with excitement. "They aren't dating, and Ino, you better keep this to yourself."

"But they do like each other?" The blonde giggled, her face covered with a wide smile.

"I don't know how Naruto feels," Choji admitted, "Though signs seem to point towards him liking Shikamaru."

"And Shikamaru?" Ino prodded, pouting when Choji didn't answer. "Come on, I'm your team mate and the only one who doesn't know.

Choji sighed, folding to Ino's guilt. "Fine. Shikamaru is in love with him."

"WHAT?!" Yelped Ino and Asuma, hushing their voices when people looked at them.

"Are you sure?" Asuma asked as Ino breathed her own question.

"Seriously, love?"

"Yeah. A drunk Shikamaru confirmed it. He can be chatty. Which is bad when he disappears on me and I find out he was with Naruto.

Ino's eyes widened. "When you say with Naruto do you mean with Naruto?"

"What? No! He went and talked to him and crashed on his couch. Which isn't good cause who knows what he said. And that's all the dirt you are getting off me about them."

"So there is more dirt?" Asuma asked, wondering what he had missed.

"I'm not telling you." Choji clamped a hand over Ino's mouth, stopping her whining. "What can we do for you, Asuma-Sensei?"

"I'm looking for Shikamaru. We have a mission to go on. Do you know where he is?" He watched Ino point down the street, her mouth still covered.

"He left only a couple of minutes ago. He's walking Naruto back to his training grounds."

Asuma nodded, saying goodbye before rushing off. It was lucky that he had walked with Captain Yamato to the training grounds a few days before, discussing their favourite topic of their two teammates. Captain Yamato had enjoyed telling him how Sai had started to question Naruto about his relationship with Shikamaru. Apparently the blonde had blushed red before changing the topic in a not so subtle manner.

He found Izumo and Kotetsu along the way. Apparently they had been looking for him and Shikamaru. Together they headed towards Naruto's training ground. They didn't even reach the trees separating the training area from the rest of the village when they found Shikamaru, paused in the path, speaking with Naruto.