Tsunade Can Hear My Inner Voice

Barbecue Restaurant.

On the sizzling grill, strips of beautifully marbled beef lay roasting, their tantalizing aroma stimulating the senses and making mouths water. The cycle of cooking and eating only intensified the hunger in the air.

"Why aren’t you eating?" Asuma grinned at the three members of the Ino-Shika-Chō trio sitting across from him—his natural allies.

"Chōji, you’ve only had three plates? That’s not like you at all!"

"Ino, you should eat more too. You’re still growing. If you want a perfect figure like Kurenai’s someday, you’ve gotta fill up now!"

"And you, Shikamaru! A sharp brain burns a lot of energy—dig in!"

Faced with Asuma’s enthusiasm, the three exchanged silent glances. Eventually, Chōji started eating while Ino took over the grilling.

Shikamaru mentally cursed his irresponsible teammates before turning to Asuma. "Sensei, where did you go during your absence?"

Asuma slapped his forehead. "Ah, right! I haven’t told you yet. With everything happening lately, I felt my abilities were lacking, so I went to train with Enma to master the Summoning Jutsu."

"So, you succeeded, right?" Shikamaru studied Asuma closely. His sharp instincts told him that Asuma had undergone a drastic change since his departure, though his current level of skill made it hard to pinpoint exactly what was different.

"Of course I succeeded! And let me tell you, the gains were huge." Realizing his words might sound hollow, Asuma quickly added, "Enma has high standards, so you three should train hard. Once you meet the requirements, I won’t hold back in teaching you."

There. That should shut them up, he thought.