A Couple Steps Back

Chapter 32

Third person pov

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Shikamaru whispered. Sasuke shrugged vaguely, a clear sign that he really didn't care anymore. Shikamaru sighed. He supposed it really didn't matter. Their whole cause was fucked at this point. Too many people were coming back in time, and Shikamaru was sure it wouldn't be long before his dad came looking for him here. They'd have to hide out. Maybe they could crawl under the floorboards...

"So to be a part of your club I need to find you a meeting place?" Shisui scratched the top of his head. "What about this place?"

Ibiki snorted, rolling his eyes and sipping at his coffee, which was no longer nearly as hot as he liked it. He drank it anyway. "This is my house. Like hell you're all meeting here. Besides, it's only a matter of time before these brats get caught." The interrogator said. Hidan nodded sagely in agreement, sipping from his mug as well. Shisui stared.

"You've gotta find us somewhere secret. Like, a cave or abandoned place." Naruto provided. Gaara gave a nod as well, his face oddly stoic for a kid his age. Shisui didn't really care how old these kids were. They wanted Danzo dead, and they were far smarter than they seemed, so he'd roll with it for now. He'd just rat them out if anything too shady happened. They were already on the verge of getting caught.

"What if it isn't abandoned?" Shisui had a few places in mind, but they were public places. Like, the attics of stores. He had a lot of favors stocked up and that he could easily cash in. He wanted to get this show on the road already. He needed to find out not only what they knew, but what they planned to do with the information they had.

"It's gotta be private and shit like that, obviously. It's a secret club you fucking brat. We can't meet in public." Hidan scoffed, standing up and stretching. Naruto gave a rapid nod, bouncing to his feet enthusiastically. Shikamaru let out a heavy sigh, massaging his temples. Sasuke was pretty much done.

"Um, why not my office or something." The Kazekage shrugged. "I can just tell people to fuck off or something. Who here knows how to make portals?"

"That would be a good idea if portals actually existed, you idiot." Ibiki didn't care if this was the Kazekage. He didn't really care about anything anymore. This was his second go at life, and he really wasn't looking forward to it. He was far from suicidal, but he wouldn't have minded staying dead. Maybe that would have been better. Everyone had died, and it sucked, but at least it had been over.

"Stay here. I think I know where to go. How long can you guys wait? Do you have like... a bedtime or so-"

"Shisui, go." Sasuke growled, glaring up at the boy. The teen tensed and nodded, turning on his heel and marching right out the door in an almost robotic way. Sasuke watched his every move, only turning to face him comrades once the door was securely shut and he was sure Shisui wasn't standing there with his ear pressed up to the slab of wood. The one armed Uchiha looked thoroughly annoyed.

"Great. How're we going to get him off our back?" Shikamaru groaned, wondering when his father was going to work out that he was here. The Uchiha clan was probably going to be out for blood soon. With the lie they'd spun, they were sure to go berserk when they realized that Sasuke was no longer in his room. And Shikamaru had run off with the Kazekage and his son, too. The Hokage probably had ANBU scouring the entire village.

"We need to put up wards." Gaara grumbled, his voice not nearly as gravelly as it had been. Naruto nodded, suddenly turning serious. The Kazekage just teetered back and forth on his heels, unsure of what to do with himself. 

"Ibiki, you should go sit by the window. Keep watch or something. Hidan, you'll need to go into the bedroom we've been forced to share. I'll be warding that one first." The blonde took a natural lead that made both Shikamaru and Sasuke perk up and stand at attention. The blonde gave them orders too. "You guys need to start working out how to kill Danzo. Shikamaru, you've seen the inside of ROOT headquarters, and Sasuke has fought him. You can come in the room with Hidan and I. I've got spare paper."

"What about me?" Rasa wanted to kick ass and take names, because that's the sort of mood he was in right now. With his new brothers in arms at his side, he felt indestructible, even if he knew he was the odd one out. A Kage, one who had been a real dick in the past. He still wanted to bond with Gaara, but the little redhead just acted annoyed by his antics! That, and nobody was taking him seriously. He could legitimately murder some bitches with his golden dust.

"Gaara, watch him." Shikamaru gave the order, and Naruto gave his nod of approval. "Come in here with us, too. Your chakra's are too large to go unnoticed. We can move the bed out of the room if we need the space. Think of a way we can... fix the fact that I practically kidnapped you. It's not going to be easy to explain. It may even be impossible."

"Hai."

"Well shit I thought we were gonna do the crush crush with the sand sand to kill some shits but this is cool too."

"Shut up, father."