This, too...
Chiba stopped and turned back to look at the loft as the sun in the west sank below the halfway point, then slightly raised a hand.
"See you tomorrow. Thanks."
Up in the loft, at the window facing the main gate of the Sarutobi Clan compound, Asuma braced one hand against the windowsill and waved at Chiba with the other. In a voice neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for Chiba to hear, he said, "See you tomorrow."
Chiba waved back, then turned around and started walking.
Every family had its own troubles, he thought as he walked.
Though he had hesitated for a long time, Asuma had ultimately not told him why he wanted to join the Twelve Guardian Ninja. All Chiba could do was leave him with the words, "If you feel it's necessary, there's no harm in giving it a try," before getting up to take his leave.
Those words were merely the deliberately ambiguous response Chiba had come up with after learning of Asuma's circumstances in the original story. No matter what Asuma chose, they would fit, without sounding too presumptuous or subjective. Chiba was certainly curious about why Asuma had joined the Twelve Guardian Ninja and why his relationship with his father, the Third Hokage, had worsened, but Asuma was a companion he could entrust his back to. Even if he was never the most conspicuous one at their gatherings, Chiba trusted him completely, and there was nothing to question about his character. Chiba did not feel right pressing him for answers. If Asuma was willing to tell him, that would be for the best. If not, there was nothing Chiba could do.
Still, Chiba had not expected that hearing those words would seem to give Asuma tremendous inspiration—or perhaps