Ascending (Sequel to Rock Bottom)

Chapter 30 - Gardening Gone Wrong

"What do you mean he is her family 'ttebayo? I thought Sakura didn't have any family other than her parents." Sasuke sighed, they didn't have time for this.

"Well apparently not. Itachi took a hair sample. Whoever Pein is, he's definitely a Haruno."

Naruto let out an "oh" and the three of them got ready to leave the compound.

Sasuke and Naruto went back up to their rooms to grab some weapons, and when they returned back downstairs Gaara was leaning against the doorframe.

"Where are we going exactly?" he asked.

"The place where me, Sasuke, Sakura, and Kakashi met for the first time." Naruto replied as he henged himself into a young child that looked no older than eight. Sasuke followed the blonde's lead and henged into an elderly man.

The kazekage raised an eyebrow but henged into a middle-aged man nonetheless.

"Oh no you don't. You gotta get with the theme Gaara!" Gaara sighed and after a moment of hesitation he henged into an old woman. Naruto's henged face lit up into a cheeky grin,

"That looks perfect. Now, let's go baa-chan," Naruto slid his tiny hand into Sasuke's wrinkly one and the two of them proceeded to exit the compound. With a sigh, Gaara followed them.

Nobody spared the three of them a second glance as they walked, thankfully. And after some time, they arrived in the red light district.

"You lived here?" Gaara asked, badly hidden disgust in his tone.

Naruto nodded, having just dropped the henge, "Yep! Man-" The blonde inhaled deeply as they entered his, Sasuke's, and Sakura's old shared apartment, "It smells like...like-"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, "Like stale instant ramen and old hair products."

Naruto glared half-heartedly at his teammate, "I was going to say nostalgia,"

Sasuke chuckled and patted the blonde's head, "That's a big word. Don't try to strain your brain too much."

"Are you calling me stupid?!"

"No, I'm just being a good boyfr...teammate and looking out for you," The Sharingan user replied as he fought the growing blush spreading across his face.

Meanwhile, Gaara was slowly inching away from the scene. Don't get him wrong, he definitely thought those two needed to make it official ASAP. He just wished they wouldn't flirt so blatantly in front of him at such a bad time.

"Can we get going?" He asked after clearing his throat, drawing the two ninja's attention away from each other.

Naruto shrugged, "Yeah sure, you sense Kakashi anywhere?" Gaara paused for a moment.

"I sense two chakra signatures coming from over there," He said as he pointed at a door on the far side of the apartment. Naruto's eyes brightened.

"That's probably him and Sakura dattebayo!" He rushed into the far bedroom before Sasuke and Gaara could react. There was a large crash and a loud "EH?!" that sounded less than pleased.

Without thinking Sasuke sprinted in the same direction Naruto went and flung the door open. The blonde was rooted to his spot as Sasuke scanned the room, expecting to see either Sakura or Kakashi. He was not expecting, however, to see his brother standing in a corner and to have a bandaged sword pointed at his face.

"Fancy seeing you here," Kisame began, his sharklike teeth bared in a sinister smile. Sasuke's gaze darkened as his Mangekyo activated, and without warning he ducked under Samehada and aimed a punch at Kisame's abdomen.
The nukenin's grin grew wider as he stepped aside to avoid the attack. He then used the ravenette's own momentum against himself to slam him into the wall. The impact itself did little to faze him, but it caused the nearby furniture to rattle, which then led to something falling off the shelf and onto his head.