A Couple Steps Back

Chapter 51

Third person pov

"Baa-chan, I can explain!" Naruto shrieked immediately, sliding off Rasa's lap to hold his hands up in surrender. The Third Hokage gaped openly at his long lost student as she stomped into the lobby, her fists clenched so hard veins were bulging out on her hands. A dangerous sort of aura seemed to radiate from her as she stomped past the frozen Shikaku. Fugaku pressed his lips into a thin line.

"Look what you did!" She shrieked at him. She gestured to the three men sitting there, including the frozen Kakashi. "It was basically over, and look what you shits did! I was happy being dead, you know! And now we're back to square one. Obito is back and he's here to kill us all and destroy Konoha! Joy!"

"Obito?!" Naruto shrieked. 

"You didn't know?!" Shikamaru gaped at him. "We literally said he's back! Who else could "he" be?!" Naruto was such a fucking idiot what the fuck-

"I thought he meant Kabuto or something! It's not like he said anything about it! He just barged in!" Naruto pointed an accusing finger at Orochimaru, who threw his hands up in the air out of exasperation. 

"Hidan was dying! Literally dying!" The Sannin screamed.

"Thanks, Obama." They honestly did not need Rasa's two cents, but he gave it anyway. Gaara and Sasuke both let out loud groans. This whole time travel thing has seriously fucked him up in the head somehow. They almost wished the asshole, sharp-minded Kazekage was back. Not whatever the fuck this thing was. Like, seriously, they needed all the help they could get.

"Where is he anyway? That would definitely be a good thing to know, yes?" Kurama propped his head up on his paw, grinning lazily at the chaos ensuing before him. Everyone was screaming, and the Hokage, Fugaku, Kakashi and Shikaku had no idea what to say. They were far to blown away. 

"Where is he?" Naruto gasped. "We don't know where he is, do we?!" 

"Oh my God, we're all going to die." Shikamaru groaned, putting his face in his hands. "We should have let Hidan bleed out on that floor. It would have spared him. Look at this. Do you see us? I see us." The Nara was going to have a mental breakdown. They were so fucked. They were a force made up of powerful ninja. Too bad they were all too dumb to do anything.

"I'm surrounded by imbeciles." Tsunade grumbled, slapping Naruto over the head. The boy let out a defiant screech, and Gaara groaned again. He had no words. They had failed spectacularly, that was for sure. They were still failing, even now. All they'd done was... well, they'd banded together, which was something. It wasn't that productive but at least they weren't trying to kill each other... well, not yet. Tsunade seemed pretty upset.

"Tsunade... what... what are you doing here? You knew about this?" The Third asked breathlessly. His students, for the first time in a long time, were about to be all gathered in the same place. Willingly. They probably wouldn't be trying to kill each other! That was something. He felt excited, but severely confused as well.

"I... Did you say Obito?" Kakashi croaked weakly, his mind spinning. He felt dizzy, like maybe he'd been drugged, or hit really hard in the head with a baseball hat. He had no idea what was going on. He wasn't sure he wanted to know. He sure hoped they'd meant a different Obito. If not, things were about to get even weirder.

"Stay out of it, Hatake." Tsunade lifted Naruto by the scruff of his jacket. The boy didn't even try and resist. He knew it would be futile. "Your friend is dying somewhere, right? Take me to him so we can go. I don't doubt that Obito knows we're here." Tsunade said.

"Obito?" Fugaku knew that name well. 

"Yeah, who the fuck is that?" Rasa had died way too early to actually know. Nobody bothered to even look at him. If they explained, he'd somehow turn it into a joke. Or he'd make a joke about it. Or he'd make a reference to his wheeled shoes, or a casserole.

"It's nobody, father. But Tsunade-sama is right. We need to get out of here." Gaara slid off his father's lap. Sasuke and Shikamaru followed in suit, and Orochimaru stood. He didn't know how they were going to pull this off, but then again, he really didn't care. He didn't have much else to do with his time. He would just follow these guys around until something cool happened.

"Well, if he's so salty, maybe a casserole would make him feel better." Rasa didn't know who Obito was, but he made a casserole reference anyway. Gaara kicked him in the shin.

"Shut up, father!" He hissed. "I've had enough of whatever you happen to be now! An imbecile, a child, I don't know! Just shut up and follow us. Quietly." Gaara demanded. This Rasa was too much. Way too much.

"Man, you woke as fuck." Rasa said. 

"Wait a moment, you still haven't explained, and Jiraiya still hasn't gotten here!" The Hokage stood up. Tsunade let out a loud groan, and Orochimaru scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. Shikaku stood too, shakily, and Fugaku joined them. He stared expectantly at Sasuke, as though the Uchiha were meant to do something. 

Shikaku didn't know what he was doing. None of this seemed real. All of it was just so farfetched, like some tall tell an old drunk would tell to his buddies at the bar. He hated it. He couldn't figure anything out, and felt so helpless. His son was choosing some shady snake sannin who had pedophilic tendencies over his father! He wasn't sure what was more wrong, that, or the fact that the four year old didn't mind being covered in blood.

"We don't have time for this." Tsunade scoffed, tucking Naruto under her arm like he was a pillow or a bag. He hung limply. He was done.

"Hidan should be this way." Rasa hummed. "I can sense the tingles."

"Father, stop."

"Don't toucha my spaghett!" He shrieked in retaliation. His son groaned.