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The sun shone a warm light over the flowers in the window as Shikamaru sat contemplating on the porch. It had been a year since Asuma died in the battle with Hidan. Shikamaru knew the realities of high-level shinobi battle, that this was an expected outcome sooner or later. Still, he missed his sensei.
The days following his passing had been tough, and Shikamaru had struggled with his composure at first. Sure, he had eventually managed to bury Hidan and finish the job, but finishing the job doesn’t heal the heart. He had spent countless days sitting at the shogi board, imagining himself sitting together with Asuma, like he had done for so long before. Eventually, he had managed to reset the pieces and move on from that final game they had had before he passed. It was a tough decision, but the only way to move on and stop mourning. It let him keep going and work to keep the village safe.
Now, he was sitting on his porch with a steaming teacup beside him and a commemorative cigarette in his mouth. He didn’t smoke and hadn’t had the taste of cigarettes in his mouth since fighting against Hidan, but it reminded him of Asuma and today, it felt appropriate. A light breeze blew through his hair and threw the smoke in his eyes. “Typical”, he thought, but the ashy pain didn’t linger for long. Shikamaru looked up at the sun and thought of when he had met Kurenai at Asuma’s grave. She had been crying as he arrived, but quickly composed herself as they discussed her husband. Her child, Mirai, had been born later that autumn following Pain’s destruction of Konoha. She was still nothing more than an infant, but Shikamaru saw in her the future of Konoha.
Shikamaru felt tears form in his eyes as he thought of them. He reminded himself of his sensei. It wasn’t the same of course, seeing as she was Asuma’s child, but he couldn’t help but think of Asuma’s parting words. The hope he felt as he looked at the children of Konoha reminded him of why he kept fighting despite a part of him wanting to just laze about. They were the future of the village, and the future of the shinobi world, and he would die to protect them, as was his duty.
Shikamaru wiped away his tears and finished his tea before he rose from the warm porch. He was headed to Asuma’s grave to pay him a visit and tell him how he missed him. On the way, he would meet up with Ino to pick up some suitable flowers, and Choji to accompany him. It felt appropriate to visit the grave together, even though he wanted some time alone there as well. They had been together when they first met him as genin, and so they should visit again together. The cigarette in his mouth had burnt out, so he smiled and replaced it with a freshly lit one as he headed off.