A Couple Steps Back

Chapter 27

Third person pov

Rasa was on the floor in the hallway.

It had been around three hours, and Temari and Kankuro weren't back. It was just Rasa and Gaara, or it would be if Gaara would move. Rasa just wanted to connect with his currently-malicious redheaded son. Was that really too much to ask? He had been a bad father the first time around. Some may even call him the worst, sending assassins after his own son. That was pretty low, Rasa would have to admit. That's why he absolutely, without a doubt, had to be a good father this time around. There was no question about that.

Worming forward, on his side, Rasa let his head stick through the doorway. The floor was cold against his ear, but Rasa would brave any floor if it meant connecting with Gaara, no matter how cold or disgusting. "Hey, Gaara." Rasa said casually. "Wanna have lunch? I made bread and cookies that look like small cacti." 

Gaara ignored him, flipping another page in his book.

"I frosted them." 

Gaara wrote something down, taking a sip of something that smelled an awful lot like coffee. Rasa decided to put it aside.

"They're still warm."

Gaara looked up from his work, his right eye twitching slightly. Rasa, his father, was trying too hard. He hadn't even known Gaara well enough in the past life to recognize that he too was from the future. As a kid, Gaara had spent his days kicking a ball up against a wall all alone. He'd made animals from his sand, watching them prance about. He'd been a kid, one that was rather sad, but still a kid. He was nothing like he was now. 

"Leave." Gaara had work to do. Not only did he need to study to current politics of Suna, but he also had to figure out just what had happened. Shukaku kept laughing about the blonde brat, meaning Naruto had probably done something, although Gaara had absolutely no idea what. He couldn't figure it out for the life of him, and he was having no luck in solving Shukaku's riddles. The tanuki's hints meant nothing, and his ramblings led nowhere. Gaara was at a loss. 

"But Gaara," Rasa sat up, crisscross. "I was going to invite you to my super secret Kazekage meeting that's in like, ten minutes!"

Gaara's head snapped up, his sand swirling around him slightly, helping him to stand up without moving much.

"I'm listening."

~

Shikaku had been reluctant to leave, but he had at the intense glares Inoichi sent his way. However, the look in his eyes told Shikamaru he'd be in for a serious talk later. He envied Sasuke and Naruto: especially Naruto. The man had a guardian who was from the future, a smart one that would give the boy access to a lot of very important, very restricted information. Shikamaru wanted that. Maybe, after this whole Hidan thing blew over, he could convince his dad to let him have a sleepover with the blonde.

"I have issues." Naruto raised his hand as though Inoichi might need help locating him. The Yamanaka nodded in an understanding way. It was normal to feel things were wrong with you after going through all Naruto had gone through. "I'm a monster, apparently. Oh, and I was totally like, raped! Like actually, literally raped. I didn't think it was ever something that could happen!" 

"My arm got cut off, and you're not a monster." Sasuke scoffed, his eyes moving to Naruto's stomach. Inoichi stilled slightly, his breath hitching in his throat. They knew about him, about Naruto. It made sense. After being called a monster so much, surely someone had eventually told him the truth. Why wouldn't he share that with his closest friends? He'd been through hell and back with them; it would be odd not to tell them. 

"So, Sasuke, Shikamaru, you know." It wasn't a question, but rather a statement. "What is your opinion on the fox and Naruto?"

"Naruto's an idiot." Sasuke said immediately with zero hesitation. Inoichi's lips twitched up slightly when the blonde rolled his eyes, elbowing his Uchiha friend slightly. Sasuke elbowed him right back, clicking his tongue as though he were annoyed. Inoichi could see, however, the amusement dancing in the young boy's eyes. 

"The fox is pretty nice I guess." Shikamaru shrugged. Naruto and Sasuke's heads snapped in his direction, their eyes wide. What the hell was he doing?! "He's sorta just there. We're lucky he came out when he did, and that he helped save us."

It clicked for Sasuke, but Naruto was left blinking.

"Yeah," Sasuke ignored Inoichi's shocked, breathless look. "He carried us out, I guess. Or his chakra. He can't come out of Naruto all the way, but he told us he was sorry he couldn't get out sooner, and that we'd be okay."

"Shit, they're tarnishing my name." Kurama piped up inside Naruto. "Don't let them make me do anything too mushy."

"Hey, he says to stop tarnishing his name." Naruto relayed. Shikamaru rolled his eyes, and Sasuke scoffed. Of course Kurama'd say something like that. The two heirs did have to admit that they missed his sarcasm and wit. He was a blunt creature that really didn't understand modern culture all that well. He was in awe of a Q-tip when he saw one. 

"You... can talk to him." Inoichi stood up suddenly, his clipboard clattering to the ground. His eyes were wide. "You can talk to him?!"

"Too soon?" Shikamaru looked to his two friends, who shrugged, because he was supposed to be the smart one here. Shikamaru nodded too. They needed Naruto to be able to train, since he was the strongest out of them, and therefore the best fighter. He was heavy hitting, and the sooner he was beefed up, the better. Telling them about the chakra was a good way to speed that up. They'd definitely want him to learn to control it as soon as possible.

Shikamaru grinned. 

It was all going according to plan.