"Team 10, Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, come with me."
A man with a cigarette between his lips walked in, a relaxed look in his eyes, then called out the names of the three children in his team.
"Let's go."
Shikamaru patted Ino on the shoulder, then walked toward Asuma.
"Seriously, why did our teacher have to be a chain-smoker too?!"
Ino felt like crying but had no tears. Her team already had a glutton and a lazybones, and now they had a chain-smoker too.
It's over. Life feels so bleak.
Naruto, however, happily waved to Asuma. This uncle was Grandpa's son, so technically, he was his... Oh, forget it. Gorilla Uncle rolls off the tongue better.
Asuma watched Naruto about to speak, and a sense of impending danger crept over him. Oh no, I forgot about the ticking time bomb that is Naruto!
He moved swiftly, covering Naruto's mouth as the three young Ino-Shika-Cho members watched in bewilderment.
"Ahem, Naruto, just call me Uncle when we're out in public. Leave off the 'Gorilla,' okay?"
Asuma really feared that nickname. The last time he had gone to ask Kurenai out shopping, Naruto had spotted him, and then Kurenai had learned about the nickname.
Well, Kurenai hadn't minded, but Anko, who had been with her, had laughed quite happily.
After that, Anko had gained a means of blackmailing him and swindled him out of the money for several servings of dumplings.
Although he didn't care about that little bit of money, Asuma was very displeased with Anko's smug attitude.
"Oh."
Naruto nodded. Gorilla Uncle sounded very sincere. Then I'll be merciful and let him off.
Beside him, Sasuke's gaze was different from Hinata's curious one. Sasuke knew about Naruto's talent for coming up with strange nicknames. His own Boar Slayer nickname was still