A Couple Steps Back

Chapter 34

Third person pov

They ran through the woods surrounded Ibiki's secluded house, keeping low and avoid stepping on any dry leaves. They stayed in a single file line, Sasuke in the lead, and Naruto bringing up the rear to make sure nothing went wrong. Shikamaru was in the center, having sandwiched himself between the Kazekage and a very annoyed Hidan, who looked ready to chop the world leader's head off. Shikamaru was pretty close to doing that too, but he knew they needed Rasa, no matter how annoying he was.

"Does anyone sense Shisui?" Naruto's voice was barely loud enough for everyone to hear, but they managed. Shikamaru shook his head immediately, and so did Sasuke and Gaara. They looked to the adults. As children, their senses were still dull, so they had to rely on the two people who were ironically the most immature ones here. Hidan seemed to think about it for a moment, but chakra sensing had never been his strong suit.

"Yeah, he's up ahead I think." Rasa's response didn't spark hope in any of them. The man didn't sound to confident in himself. But that's all they had to go on. If Shisui hadn't found a place, Naruto wasn't sure what their next step would be. They were walking on eggshells. Eggshells placed over the thinnest layer of ice in the history of ice layers. Things were scarily close to falling apart all around the group of time travelers.

"There you guys are." Shisui leapt down and in front of Sasuke, who nearly planted a kunai right in his cousin's leg. Shisui didn't seem too fazed by it. He grinned at the group of six before him. "I found a place. Come on, the Uchiha are sweeping the area. I saw Shikaku going towards Ibiki's, so I said I'd take this portion of the woods. Stay close."

They stayed silent and low, doing as they were told. They darted after Shisui as he circled the village, goings towards the more rural part. Gaara frowned as he looked around. He knew this place. They had one just like it in Suna. This was the red light district. This area was sparse, especially in the children category. It was actually the perfect place to meet if you thought about it. After what had supposedly "happened" to Shikamaru, Naruto and Sasuke, you'd think they'd avoid this part of town. 

"Dude what the fuck there are strippers everywhere." Rasa whispered. Shikamaru whacked his arm in response, smiling brightly to a sleazily dressed woman smoking a cigar. Hidan's eyes raked up and down the woman's body as they passed, and Shikamaru thought he saw the man's hand twitch towards his scythe. But the Ex-Jashinist made no moves, and the woman returned Shikamaru's smile with a much kinder, much sadder one.

"Here." Shisui stopped walking, glancing around. People were looking at them, but for good reason. Two grown men had brought a teenager and four kids to a bar, one that was regular for the LGBTQ portion of Konoha. That, and Rasa still had on his Kazekage hat, which of course didn't stand out at all. Not even a little. Why would it?

"Dude this is where the gays hang out." Rasa didn't sound revolted, but rather in awe. "This is my jam."

Gaara gave him an odd look before grabbing the man's sleeve and dragging him in after Shisui. It reeked of smoke and a mixture of other drugs none of them could really name. Rasa was looking around in search of male strippers, as he happily announced. Hidan was just laughing over the fact that Rasa was looking for naked men. 

"Hurry, Shisui." Sasuke urged as they weaved their way through the crowds of dancing people, most of which were too drunk to notice them. The ones who did shrugged it off with relative ease. Naruto was comforted by how fucking hammered all of them were. There's no way they'd clearly remember seeing them. The air was too foggy for them to really get a good look, anyway. This place was perfect.

"You, Shisui. This the group you were talking about?" They stopped at the bar in the back. A dark skinned man with square shaped spectacles perched on his nose stood there. His dreadlocks, some with beads pulled onto them, were up in a ponytail. He was cleaning a glass idly, his eyes naturally droopy. Shisui gave confident grin and a thumbs up.

"This is them!" Shisui chirped. 

"Dude, how do you know the owner of an unofficial LGBTQ bar?" Rasa whispered, eyeing the Uchiha. Shisui gave a vague shrug that made Sasuke's nose scrunch up. The boy shared a look with Shikamaru and Naruto, who were patting the back of a very embarrassed Gaara. Hidan still hadn't stopped laughing. He was finding this all hysterical.

"Well, go on up I guess. Don't make a mess." The man gave Shisui a pointed look. The curly-haired boy nodded rapidly before urging the odd group towards the stairs. People were beginning to notice them. The "sober" friends tasked with walking their companions home stared with furrowed eyebrows, looking at their waters and sniffing them to see if there were maybe drugs in them.

"I saw a male stripper!" Rasa suddenly stopped, putting his hands around his mouth and calling out, "Daddy, I'm here-" 

Gaara shoved the man, his face burning. Hidan fell into a fresh fit of laughter all over again.