A Couple Steps Back

Chapter 64

I have decided not to do a Q&A as not many people seemed to have questions. Is there something else you suggest I might do?

Third person pov

Finding the Akatsuki was proving to be far harder than Hidan thought it would be. He forgot how hard it was to find their secret hideouts when you weren't give a very specific description of where it was. It meant he had to start from scratch. By that, he meant he had to camp himself out in a town to try and listen to rumors. That also meant he'd be stuck with Shisui for longer than he thought.

"We're staying here for the night." Hidan grumbled. He didn't fancy sharing a room with this brat, but money was tight. "You stay on your side. Cross that line and I kill you. Slowly."

Shisui stared at the line Hidan had ripped into the carpet with his scythe with a frown. He looked to Hidan like a kicked puppy, his eyes big and shiny with what seemed like tears. Hidan didn't respond, his glare firm. Shisui had glued himself to Hidan's side on the trip there, and former cultist certainly hadn't enjoyed it. It was an invasion of his personal space he couldn't ignore. Several lines were crossed, and so Hidan was drawing a new one. A visual one, since Shisui was apparently too dumb to see the proverbial ones.

"Can't we share?" Shisui finally spoke. Hidan's brows furrowed.

"Share what? The fuck are you talking about?" The man's nose scrunched up.

"A bed." Shisui said with a frown as though it were the most normal thing in the world. Hidan's body went rigid, his shoulders tensing and his back straightening. He awkwardly cleared his throat, giving Shisui the most weirded out look he could possibly rustle up. The Uchiha either didn't notice it or chose to ignore it, his eyes sad yet hopeful.

"Uh... why?" Hidan decided to ask.

"For body heat." Shisui said immediately, his cheeks reddening. "There's no heating in here. Sorry, I should have explained. That totally came out uh... wrong." Shisui tried to save it once he realized how fucking odd he'd sounded. It didn't work.

"Not happening." Hidan said before Shisui could continue. The teenager immediately slumped, going back to looking like a kicked puppy. Hidan tried to suppress the shiver than ran down his spine. God, he had a bad feeling.

~

"Is he gay or European?" The Hokage asked drunkenly. They had, ironically, ended up in the exact LGBTQ bar Obito had tried to rape Shisui in not all that long ago. It was full again, and there were strippers of every gender, sexuality and race there. How Shikaku, Fugaku, and the Third had ended up there was a mystery.

"Legally blonde." Shikaku said. Next to him, Fugaku let out a burp, groaning. He was so hammered. The last time he'd gotten this drunk was... well, he'd never been this drunk. Not even as an irresponsible teenager. He'd drank before, sure, and he'd gone to a bar with a few friends in the distant past, but he'd never downed shots of vodka like they were nothing more than little cups of water.

"If he is..sss gay... why'sesses?" Fugaku slurred, not making any sense whatsoever.

"I don't know." Shikaku groaned. "Don't ask me."

"You're the smartester one, Shikaku." The Third chuckled, patting the man's back. The Nara sniffled, tears welling in his eyes. He didn't want to be the smartester one anymore. It was too hard. First they asked him what two plus two was, and now this? It was borderline abuse. Shikaku was seconds away from contacting child services. 

"Do you gentlemen need anything?" The bartender tonight was a woman, and to say she was concerned was an understatement.

"A lawyer." Fugaku said immediately, suddenly becoming serious. "I'm suing myself."

"...I'll get you three an escort."

~

Temari and Kankuro had, somehow, managed to escape. Unfortunately for Gaara, that meant Rasa had migrated back over to his little corner of the world to annoy his son further. Gaara was doing his best to study so he could take over for his mentally-impaired father as soon as possible. So far, it wasn't going to well. Between the sudden song outbursts and Rasa's seemingly constant need for attention, Gaara found he wasn't getting much done.

"I have a son." Rasa said. "A son son son."

"Stop." Gaara groaned.

"He's a good son." Rasa continued.

"Shut up."

"My son is my son." Rasa ignored Gaara completely, rolling past the boy idly. 

"If you don't-"

"So n."

Gaara sand slammed into the man. 

~

It was official. Itachi was gone forever. They were never finding him. They'd been searching for hours now to no avail. At one point, they passed Naruto and Shikamaru. They hadn't had much luck either. Not that they seemed to be trying all that hard. Instead, they were playing a card game. Not only that, but Orochimaru was still acting like he was some sort of detective. Sasuke was ready to chop the snake-like man's head off with a dull spork.

"He's not in a nursing home, Orochimaru." Sasuke said. Orochimaru opened his mouth. "And no, he isn't in the attic of a dentist's office."

"Silence, Watson. You know not of what you speak. Follow me over yonder. We will yee our haws, and ride into the sunset with your brother in tow." Orochimaru said woefully. Sasuke's expression twisted immediately into one of disgust, confusion, and hopelessness. His older brother was going to die because of this. He could barely fathom it.

"What the fuck?" Sasuke finally said, not sure what else was warranted in this situation. Orochimaru didn't respond, bounding into the nursing home despite Sasuke's words. The Uchiha groaned, feeling like breaking down. If Orochimaru didn't get his shit together soon, Sasuke wouldn't be the only one missing an arm.