A Couple Steps Back

Merry Christmas

I am not adept at writing bonus chapters, so I apologize.

This does not affect the story, just like the other one did not.

Third person pov

"When I said get a damn Christmas tree," Shikamaru let out a sigh, massaging his temples, "I did not mean go find Captain Yamato."

"Who're you guys again?" The wood-style user questioned, looking down at the three kids. They simply stared up at him, their expressions far too knowing for his liking. The teenage boy risked glancing at Ibiki, who was sipping coffee and reading a newspaper at the dining room table. A man Yamato only mildly recognized say across from it, his silver hair slicked back. He was sharpening a rather odd scythe. It had three blades, and the coloring was quite unique.

"Who we are isn't important." Sasuke said. Naruto nodded rapidly in agreement, a wide grin plastered on his sun-tanned face. Captain Yamato looked well! If he remembered correctly, he'd been a ROOT member a long time ago, or he'd at least done something for Danzo. He was sure the man was in ANBU now. Unless he was a double agent... Naruto really, really wished he'd found out more about Yamato before he died.

"Yeah, we just need you to make us a Christmas tree, believe it!" Naruto exclaimed enthusiastically. The man stared down at Naruto, confused and unsure. How did they know of his wood style? He knew who these kids were, but never would he have thought that they'd have such information! 

Hesitantly, Yamato brought his hands up to make hand signs. He still hadn't perfected his wood style. "H...How big do you want it to be?" He asked, looking at the ceiling. He assumed they wanted it to be reasonably large, but not too large. He didn't want it to break the ceiling. Thinking about it, he probably shouldn't even be doing this. It was a bad idea, overall. He didn't know these people. Not personally, anyway.

"Just make a tree." Shikamaru sighed, resigned. "This is so troublesome." 

"Don't put it in the middle of the damn kitchen, you brats." Ibiki sighed tiredly, taking another sip of his steamy beverage. Hidan looked up from what he was doing. "Go put it in the fucking living room or some shit. Better yet, but the damn plant outside. I don't want it in here."

"You won't dull our Christmas spirit." Naruto scoffed. Sasuke shrugged. "Nice try, though." The Uchiha allowed. The Ex-Akatsuki member only rolled his eyes, going back to taking care of his gleaming weapon. Yamato twitched slightly. What was going on, anyway? He didn't quite understand what all these people were doing in the head interrogator's house. He didn't even know who the other man at the table was. 

"So... this way, then?" Yamato really just wanted to get out of here. This was getting far too weird for his tastes. He could only take so much. "No, no; here is fine!" Naruto smiled. "Sasuke and I wanna chop it down!"

"Then grow it outside." Ibiki grumbled. Hidan threw his hands up in the air, letting them fall back onto the table with a thud. He shook his head. "I fucking said that, but no, nobody listens to the ex-con!"

Suddenly, it clicked. Yamato jumped.

"Y-You're Hidan!" Yamato shrieked, horrified. Ibiki chuckled into his coffee while Hidan simply groaned. The three kids standing before him immediately seemed to panic. They turned to Sasuke. "Wipe his memory!" Shikamaru screeched at the same time Naruto shouted:, "You get the bat, I'll get the body bag!"

"U-Uh." Sasuke panicked too. He wasn't usually one to panic, but other people panicking always made him feel a bit unsure of what to do. "Okay!"

He kicked Yamato in the shin, hard. The boy, his hands still clasped together tight in preparation to create a Christmas tree, fell back. Ibiki seemed unfazed by it all. Hidan, on the other hand, was cursing like a sailor the whole time the boy was falling.

He hit the ground with a poof, only Yamato was no longer there. A teenage-sized Christmas tree was in his place.

"We turned him into a vegetable!" Naruto screamed, horrified. Shikamaru hit his Hokage over the head. "You idiot!" The Nara growled. "It's a tree! He turned into a tree!"

They all stared, wondering what had just occurred. Even Ibiki wasn't quite sure, and that man seemed to know everything. All they could do was stare and wait, expecting the tree to return back into it's natural, very human form at any given moment. Kurama even though that's what would happen, watching with silent amusement as the silence turned awkward. The tree continued to lie there, motionless. 

"...Should I go get the decorations?" Sasuke questioned. Naruto and Shikamaru nodded immediately. "Oh yeah." The Nara said. Naruto kicked the tree lightly, watching a few of it's needles fall. "Grab a camera too." The blond said. "I'll be damned if we ever let him live this down."