Ascending (Sequel to Rock Bottom)

Chapter 28 - When Weasels Are Actually Moles In Disguise

 "Sorry we're late. The old blacksmith shop closed so we had to find a new one." Gaara said as he entered the Uchiha main living space, paying no mind to the crowd of people already inside.

"And then the stupid human wouldn't stop screeching so we had to knock him out." Shukaku added on as he pushed a large block of metal through the doorway. It made an unpleasant screeching noise as it grated against the wooden flooring.

It only took the two of them a moment to notice the thick tension suffocating the room. Or at least Gaara did.

"Hey! It's you! The weasel guy! Sorry about incapacitating your kunai supplier. I'd give you a refund but ehh, it's not my business...See what I did there?" Shukaku grinned cheekily, and he would've slapped his knee if his front paw could reach it.

Sakura walked up to Gaara with a grin, ignoring his Bijuu's bad pun.

"Wow, a block of metal? You really know how to make a girl feel special." The corners of Gaara's lips turned upwards.

"Only the best, for the best." Naruto aww-ed from behind the two of them, but stopped when he was was slapped on the head gently by Sasuke.

"So this is the almighty One-Tail." A new voice rang through the establishment. And it belonged to the one and only Uchiha Itachi. All eyes were now trained on him...Until Shukaku opened his mouth again.

"Aw hell yeah! Someone finally knows how to show respect!" The Ichibi puffed out his chest for emphasis.

"Honestly, I was expecting something a bit more grand." Shukaku's snout crinkled up in what Naruto assumed was the equivalent of a glare.

"Nobody asked you anyway,"

Sasuke nodded slowly, "Why are you here anyway, Itachi?"

Itachi smiled at his brother, "I just wanted to talk to you, alone."

Sasuke shook his head, "Anything you want to say to me, you can say to my team as well."

Itachi shrugged, "Suit yourself." The older Uchiha's face morphed into a small but cheeky smile, "Now Sasuke, I heard about your recent...activities, and I just wanted to prepare you."

Sakura bit back a laugh. She already had an idea of where this conversation was going to go. Sasuke didn't, however, much to her amusement.

"So, when two people love each other very much, and the two people are guys, one of them sticks their-"

"Okay STOP," Sasuke all but shouted, his face a bright red. His brother had just embarrassed him in front of basically the entire Uchiha clan. "Just...Just go to your room. I'll meet you up there,"

Itachi's smirk didn't falter, "Of course, kaa-san." And with that, he shinshined out of the living area, leaving his younger brother to deal with several shocked Uchiha and a team that found the whole situation hilarious.

As soon as Itachi was gone, Sakura burst out laughing, and Kakashi soon followed suit. Even some of the Uchiha let out chuckles at Sasuke's expense.

"Shut up," Sasuke grumbled before walking towards his brother's old room.

.

.

.

"I hope they didn't give you too much trouble?" Itachi said, his eyes not leaving the window as Sasuke entered.

"We both know you couldn't care less about my dignity." The younger Uchiha's words held no malice. It was as if he was stating a fact, and nothing more.

Itachi tilted his head slightly, as if to say touché. "Your life is more important in my opinion." Then he turned away from the window to face Sasuke, "So why are you here? I told you what was going to happen, yet you still came, and brought your entire team with you."

Sasuke hesitated for a moment before replying, "...Konoha may be the shittiest of all the Hidden Villages, but that doesn't change the fact that I grew up here...I want to protect this place." he managed to spit out.

Itachi let out a quiet chuckle after hearing his brother's reply, "I don't even think you believe what you just said." Sasuke held back a small smile. He looked like he was constipated, but Itachi didn't feel like pointing it out and instead he continued, "So tell me why you're really here,"

The younger Uchiha sighed quietly, moving to stand next to his brother, "Gaara wanted us to tie up some loose ends. He didn't know about what was going on here. It's my fault for not steering them away before we got sucked into this mess."

"It would've been inevitable either way." Itachi said, shaking his head. Sasuke raised an eyebrow as he continued, "I did some more digging, and it seems like everything we discussed last year is true."

"Y-you mean Pein is..." The eldest Uchiha nodded in confirmation.

Sasuke's face twisted into a bitter smile, "So that explains the Kekkei Genkai..." Sasuke trailed off as he remembered something that Naruto had brought to his attention some time ago regarding a certain two Otogakure ANBU, "That's gonna be one hell of a family reunion,"

"Oh? You mean her parents." 

Before Sasuke could ask how he figured it out, Itachi cut him off, "It doesn't take a genius, Sasuke. All of the Harunos are terrible at fake names."

A random memory of Sakura introducing herself as "Sakura Hamanaka" on the first day of the Academy popped into Sasuke's brain. He let out a small, involuntary laugh, "That's true,"

"Also, I saw the way you were looking at that blonde...Naruto was his name, right? I approve." Sasuke's face turned bright red as the conversation took a drastic turn.

"Shut up," he grumbled, looking away to hide his blush.

Itachi did not shut up. In fact, their conversation about Sasuke's love life stretched on until the sun had began to set. So that was about half an hour of Sasuke being teased by his brother.

"I better get going before they become suspicious," Itachi said to a very flushed Sasuke.

"Good. Go." The younger Uchiha replied, making Itachi smile teasingly,

"Sasuke, you gave all your love to Naruto and left none for me. I'm hurt,"

"Yeah, whatever. Just go." Sasuke snapped, not denying his brother's statement.

Itachi finally complied. And before he shunshined out, he turned to face Sasuke one last time.

"Remember what I said...Oh and Sasuke? You really should tell Sakura about her parents,"