Till The Wind Changes ✔

II. Frontiers

"Thoughts and feelings change sometimes, as one crosses the frontiers."

-Auguste Villiers de l'Isle-Adam.

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"Shikamaru stop looking at the clouds and get your lazy ass here!"

Ino lousily waved at Shikamaru pointing him to get there faster while Asuma-Sensei and Choji stood beside her. His Sensei stood calm against Yakiniku Q's wall smoking a cigarette. Shikamaru didn't know how but his sensei always had one of them resting in his mouth, leaving an endless smoke trace wherever he went. No matter how much time they had spent together he hadn't got used to the odour of cigarettes, neither did he think he would. Unsurprisingly Choji had already eaten a full bag of chips and was already going through the second one.

"Well, look, we are all here now," Asuma said while he straightened up. "Now, who wants some Barbecue?"

"Great, I am starving!" said Choji, who had just finished his second bag of chips. Without wasting more time he stood up and headed into Yakiniku Q.

"Choji, you have already eaten two bags of these!" Ino said while following him into the restaurant. "Really, just seeing you eat that much makes me sick."

As he saw this scene Asuma smiled and looked towards Shikamaru waiting for him to go after his peers. However, the young Nara took some seconds before continuing.

"Sensei, isn't it too soon to eat? I mean, it's not even midday." Shikamaru asked. Even though most people already had breakfast early on in the morning it still, definitely, wasn't time for lunch.

"You know Shikamaru if I had learned something over this time leading the team is that there is no wrong time for food." He answered with a chuckle. "Especially when you got an Akimichi in it."

Seemingly satisfied with Asuma's reply, Shikamaru followed him into the restaurant. Ino and Choji had already sat down on a table by the only window in the place.

"Ten orders of ribs please!" Choji yelled at the waiter as Ino looked at him disgusted.

It didn't take long for the smell of roasted meat to invade the table. Each time a new order was delivered Choji would wait for the ribs to be on point only to then lunge himself into the grill taking at least half of the ribs onto his plate. Thus, every now and then, the blond kunoichi would scold him by screaming that he would end up in the hospital if he continued.

"As you know the Chunin Exams are ahead of us," Asuma-Sensei said calmly, lighting another cigarette. "Most likely the Hokage will announce them today. The exams are expected to take place this summer, and I want you to participate. All of you."

The three looked at each other. There was a trace of personal doubt in all their faces. None of them thought they were ready for such a challenge. It just felt like it was just yesterday when they had graduated from the academy and were paired up into Team 10. It just felt like it was yesterday that they had met Asuma-Sensei.

"Come on Choji! Looks like I am only fighting Shikamaru!" Ino said. The three of them were in the forest while Asuma-Sensei looked from afar. This was the test that would define if they could be a genin or not. If they won the battle they would assure themselves that spot if not, that would mean they had to go back to the academy.

"Yeah, but if I do that I am just gonna hurt you Ino," said Choji dismayed. He cautiously paused to look at his hand. "I am stronger than you guys think. Sorry but I just don't want to hurt either one of you."

"You really think you can fight better than any of us," Ino replied, clearly offended by Choji's excuse. "Then go ahead, just try to hurt us. Bring it on. Come on!"