[A.N: Sorry for the confusion! I decided to change the ending of the last chapter and took out the part about the new mission. Thanks for understanding.]
In the Afternoon...
"So, does that mean we don't have any missions right now?" I asked Granny Tsunade as I stood in the Hokage's office.
"That's right, Naruto. It's best for you to stay in the village for now because..."
I cut off Shizune mid-sentence, "Because of the Nine-Tails demon inside me that our enemies are after. But staying in the village won't solve this problem, will it?" I questioned.
"Naruto, for now, you should focus on your training. When the time is right, I'll personally assign you and your team to a mission. But for now, becoming stronger should be your main priority," Tsunade said after a long moment of silence.
"I don't really have a choice, do I?" I asked, feeling a bit frustrated.
"I'm afraid no," she replied as I walked out of the Hokage's office.
I realized I had no option but to stay in the village for a while and do my best to train and improve myself.
Two Days Later...
Ever since I last spoke to Granny Tsunade in the Hokage's office, I've been continuing my training within the village.
It's not like I'm learning some crazy new Jutsu or anything; just sticking to the usual training drills.
Right now, I'm at the training ground, going through my morning routine as always.
I'm focusing on mastering other chakra natures besides Wind style.
During my training with Pervy Sage, I learned the basics of all chakra natures, so starting tomorrow, I plan to work on them. But for today, I'll just finish my current training.
As I walked toward the exit of the training ground, I suddenly sensed a familiar chakra—it was Sakura.
"Hey, Sakura! What are you doing here?" I called out.
"Naruto...!" Her face looked worried, and I could tell something was really wrong.
"You need to come with me!" Sakura said urgently, her voice filled with anxiety.
"What happened, Sakura?" I asked, my tone turning serious.
"There's bad news. Team 10's captain, Asuma-sensei, died during a mission to capture the Akatsuki," she revealed.
After some time, my fellow ninjas and I, along with Asuma-sensei's close friends and family, gathered to mourn his death in front of his grave at the cemetery.
Kurenai-sensei walked up to the grave with flowers in her hand and gently placed them on the grave.
Standing beside me was Konohamaru. I patted him on the back as tears started pouring from my eyes, overwhelmed with grief over losing someone dear.
Even though I wasn't very close to Asuma-sensei, I knew one thing for sure: he was a great ninja who sacrificed his life for the sake of our village. His death wasn't just an ordinary one; it was a noble sacrifice.
And I promise, I won't let his sacrifice be in vain.
I can't see Shikamaru here, I guess he'll needs sometimes to process this situation
[A. N: Thanks for reading, drop Powerstones that will help a lot and drop reviews if you like the story and add to your library]