The classroom still carried the echo of laughter. Choji's mimicry of Naruto and Sasuke's accidental kiss had been ridiculous enough to break the tension, even earning reluctant snickers from Sasuke and a near-smile from Kakashi, watching from the window. But the room quickly sobered as Iruka stepped forward, clipboard in hand and expression stern.
"Alright. Team placements begin now. Everyone, settle down."
His voice cut clean through the buzz. Chairs scraped. Backbones straightened.
Iruka looked over the class with that familiar mix of pride and exhaustion. "Team 7: Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Sasuke Uchiha."
Naruto shot up. "EHH?! Why am I with him?!"
Iruka didn't flinch. "Because Sasuke was the top student, and you were… the bottom."
A silence fell. Naruto deflated, grumbling as his head sank into his arms.
"I wanted to be with Choji and Shikamaru…"
Choji turned, offering him a grin and a reassuring thumbs-up. "Don't worry, Naruto. We'll still train together in the mornings. That won't change."
Naruto looked up, eyes wide and hopeful. "Really?"
"Of course," Choji said. "We're nakama, right?"
Naruto's grin returned full-force, and he reached out to fist bump Choji. "Yeah!"
"Don't drag me into this," Shikamaru mumbled beside them. "You two are madmen. I need peace, not bruises."
Naruto and Choji both burst into laughter, a wild, carefree sound that made a few others chuckle too.
On the other side of the room, Ino stood abruptly. "Why can't I be with Sasuke?!"
Sakura didn't miss the opportunity. She smiled smugly. "Because fate's on my side."
"Settle down!" Iruka barked.
Everyone flinched and quieted again.
"Team 8: Kiba Inuzuka, Hinata Hyuga, and Shino Aburame. Kurenai Yuhi will be your jōnin instructor."
Hinata glanced over at Naruto briefly, then lowered her eyes, hiding a soft sigh behind her collar.
"Team 9 is already in commission. Now—Team 10: Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and Choji Akimichi."
"Called it," Shikamaru muttered, not even surprised.
Ino groaned. "Ugh… it's you two?"
"Hey," Choji said, grinning. "You'll learn to love us."
The classroom door slid open. A tall man with broad shoulders, stubbled chin, and a lit cigarette dangling from his lips stepped inside with an air of casual command.
"Yo," he greeted. "I'm Asuma Sarutobi. Team 10, you're with me."
Iruka nodded respectfully. "They're all yours."
Behind Asuma, Kurenai appeared. "Team 8, come."
As she led her team away, Asuma shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down at the three kids. "Well. First mission?"
Ino leaned forward. "What is it?"
A beat passed.
"Barbecue."
Choji's face lit up like a sunrise. "YES!"
Asuma smirked. "My treat. Come on."
Yakiniku Q – Sizzle and Smoke
The air was thick with the aroma of grilled meat and crackling oil. Choji was in heaven.
The skewers hissed on the grill as he expertly turned them, a satisfied smile on his face. This was his rhythm, his battlefield—one where he was already a master. His straw hat tilted back on his head, leaf headband tied like a sash at his waist, he looked like a boy who'd found freedom in flame and flavor.
"You've done this before," Asuma observed, taking a puff from his cigarette.
"Many times," Choji replied, flipping pork belly with the grace of a shinobi wielding a kunai.
Ino glanced at Asuma, watching the soft plume of smoke curl upward. The smell hit her nose—a bitter, stale scent that made her wrinkle it ever so slightly. She didn't like it. Not even a little. It reminded her of burnt leaves, not some warm childhood memory. Her father was a ninja, and even he never smoked near her or the shop. They were supposed to be examples, future clan heads, not kids loitering behind the academy.
He shouldn't be smoking around them. Around her.
She opened her mouth—then shut it. Saying something would make her seem uptight, or worse, disrespectful. But inwardly, her opinion of him dimmed. A teacher should know better. And if he was trying to look cool? It wasn't working. Not for her.
Asuma seemed to notice the glances but said nothing. He just exhaled lazily and leaned back, the smoke curling like lazy clouds above his head.
After the first round of food—barbecue sizzling, meat juices dripping, and Choji's face lit with bliss—Asuma wiped his fingers on a napkin and leaned forward.
"Let's get to know each other properly," he said, voice gruff but casual. "We'll go around—likes, dislikes, and your dreams. Starting with me."
He tapped the ash into the tray with practiced ease. "I'm Asuma Sarutobi, son of the Third Hokage. I like smoking, late-night games, and sleeping in. I dislike being told not to smoke."
His tone had an arrogant ease, like he didn't care who judged him. As if the world's opinion was smoke itself—easy to blow away. Ino raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Shikamaru rolled his eyes and muttered something under his breath. Choji just munched happily, not missing a beat.
"My dream?" Asuma continued, gaze fixed on the dim ember of his cigarette. "To see my students grow into something worthy… even if I'm not sure I am."
His voice dipped at the end, almost too quiet. But the table caught it. A sliver of vulnerability beneath the arrogance. Then he nodded at them.
"Your turn."
Ino straightened in her seat, brushing imaginary dust from her skirt. "I'm Ino Yamanaka. I like gardening, fashion, and… shopping." Her tone was proud, but there was depth in her poise. "I don't like being underestimated or ignored. I'm the heir to the Yamanaka clan, and my dream is to become a respected kunoichi—and eventually, marry a strong and handsome man."
Shikamaru groaned quietly. "Shikamaru Nara. I like cloud watching. I dislike movement." He stretched out a leg like this was already too much effort. "My dream is to marry a woman who's not too troublesome, live a quiet life, and watch the clouds until I die."
Ino slapped her forehead. "Seriously?"
"Every word," Shikamaru muttered without blinking.
Finally, the attention shifted to Choji.
He finished chewing, wiped his mouth politely, and sat straighter than usual.
"I'm Choji Akimichi. I like meat—grilled, fried, roasted, you name it." He smiled wide, eyes bright. "I like laughing with my friends. I like mornings where the sky's blue and nothing's too loud. I like being full… and being free."
He paused. The table expected another joke, something simple.
Instead, his voice dropped slightly, softer than before.
"My dream is to live freely. To go where I want. Eat what I love. Protect the people I care about. To never be someone else's shadow. To never be told who I have to be. I want to live… as me."
He laughed at the end. But it wasn't goofy or wild. It was warm. Real. Like the heat from a campfire in winter.
Shikamaru blinked.
Ino's lips parted, stunned.
Even Asuma tilted his head, eyes narrowing with sudden curiosity.
Something in that laugh—it wasn't loud, but it resonated. As if, for one golden moment, Choji had pulled aside a curtain and showed them his soul. And what they saw wasn't a boy always trailing behind his friends, but someone powerful, rooted, and free.
Asuma finally exhaled, nodding once.
"That… is a damn good dream, kid."
Choji grinned, clearly pleased, and popped another piece of grilled chicken into his mouth.
The moment lingered. Something had shifted. Something quiet but profound.
Then Asuma stood.
"Alright. That was the good part."
He stretched his arms with a small yawn.
"Now comes the test."
Shikamaru groaned. "Troublesome."
Ino blinked. "Test?"
Choji paused mid-bite. "What kind?"
Asuma's grin turned sharp.
"A survival test. Team compatibility. You pass, you're real genin. You fail… you go back to the academy."
A beat of stunned silence.
"WHAT?!" Ino nearly shrieked.
"When?" Shikamaru asked flatly, already regretting the question.
Asuma crushed his cigarette into the ashtray.
"Now."
End of Chapter.....