Best Friend's Brother 14

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters used aside from my OC.

After the events at Ichiraku, the group of teens paid for the remaining amount of the bill before disbursing to go home, all but Naruto and Natsumi of course, as the pair found themselves awkwardly walking around in search of Sasuke. The dark haired teen gave no indication of where he could have stormed off to, as he did not pick up his phone and when his mother was called, she simply said he had yet to return home.

"At this point we're better off asking people of the street if they've seen a moody teenage boy storm by?" Natsumi said releasing a heavy sigh as she and Naruto walked on.

The blonde let out a slight laugh at this as he folded his hands behind his head.

"Sasuke would kill us if we did that" the blonde commented with a light chuckle.

"Oh and if it were the other way around, don't you think he'd do the same?" Natsumi asked rhetorically with an eye roll.

"It has" Naruto responded, surprising the dark haired girl as she turned to meet the serious gaze of his bright blue orbs.

"What do you mean?" Natsumi asked curiously.

"Back when we were 13 or 14, before Sasuke and I became friends we were partnered for this project at school but the day before we were supposed to work on it, I played these pranks on a few people who ... didn't get the joke, so a bunch of older boys got together to 'teach me a lesson'" Naruto said using quotes around the end as Natsumi's brows rose in interest. "Well one day they tried to catch me when we got out of school so I took off running and Sasuke came after me." Naruto went on. "I heard he went to almost everyone in Konoha asking if 'a goofy looking boy about my age came through' until he found me." Naruto said smiling at the memory.

"What about the other boys?" Natsumi asked intrigued by the story.

"Once they found out Sasuke was Itachi's younger brother, they let it go" Naruto replied with a smile.

Natsumi simply nodded in understanding as she took in this new information.

'That must've hurt Sasuke's pride' Natsumi thought as she glanced to the ground.

The teens walked on in silence past a couple more shops before Naruto spoke again.

"I think I might know where Sasuke is" Naruto said suddenly coming to a halt.

"Where?" Natsumi asked as she stopped and looked at the boy.

"Follow me" Naruto said before leading the dark haired girl out of the shopping district to an area that was more secluded with a flight of stairs that went down a grassy hill to a lake with a small dock, and sure enough there Sasuke sat at the end of the dock.

Slowly the teens approached the young man, silent as they watched him stare out over the water.

"Go away" Sasuke said abruptly bringing the two to a standstill as they looked at him. "Just go home Naruto" the dark haired teen said tossing a rock across the surface of the water.

Naruto and Natsumi stayed still with nervous gazes shifting among each other before the blonde pushed Natsumi forward.

"Ok I'll see you tomorrow Sasuke" the blonde said as Natsumi regained her footing and looked over her shoulder to glare at the young boy.

Naruto gave the girl a closed eyed smile with a thumb up before placing his hands in his pockets as he turned to leave. Taking notice to this, Sasuke turned his head to the side just as Natsumi turned to face him.

"So" she started awkwardly, earning a 'tsk' from the Uchiha. "What?" she asked sticking her hands in the pockets of school jacket while walking up to stand beside him.

Sasuke simply gave the girl a blank stare as she looked at him before rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"You told Naruto to go home, not me" she pointed out letting her gaze fall to the water.

"I thought he was alone" Sasuke countered making the girl scoff.

"Well Naruto isn't your only friend" she said taking the boy by surprise as looked at her as she sat beside him. "What?" Natsumi asked in an annoyed tone, making Sasuke turn his head away from her.

There were so words as silence befell the teens. They sat for a while watching the water's surface become still as it reflected the afternoon sky with the many floating clouds. Not much was heard beside the sound of birds around in the trees. Soon the afternoon sky gave way to the evening as it turned from blue to the various darker shades of orange and purple as the sun began to set.

"It's getting late" Sasuke said breaking the silence as the two continued to stare out over the water.

"Hn" Natsumi said in agreement as her eyes shifted to the side to see the boy now looking in the opposite direction of her.

"You should go home" Sasuke said still refusing to meet the gaze of Natsumi as he stared to the side.

"And you should learn some manners" Natsumi retorted with an annoyed huff as Sasuke turned his head to glare at the teen girl. "I'm not wrong and you know it" Natsumi said returning Sasuke's glare before he looked back to the water.

"No, you're annoying" Sasuke replied snidely, making the girl scoff, before striking him on the arm.

Alarmed by the sudden action, Sasuke turned back to face her.

"What is your problem Uchiha?!" Natsumi asked raising her voice in anger. "I get that you have a complicated family life and you think a large part of that is because your brother, but taking it out on the people who care about you isn't going to do anything but make you look like a bigger ass!" she chastised the young man.

Taken aback by her outburst, Sasuke stared down at the girl, unsure of what to say next. A long moment of silence passed as Sasuke processed what she had said.

"Well aren't you going to say anything?" Natsumi asked in a tone of frustration.

"You wouldn't understand, you're an only child!" Sasuke finally shot back.

"Understand what Sasuke?" Natsumi asked rhetorically. "Parents are always going to be setting their expectations higher, regardless of any petty sibling rivalries. Have you even ever stopped to think about what Itachi thinks of this? He's not trying to make things hard for you, but you're so caught up in this competition that you can't see that" Natsumi went on.

"How would you know that?!" Sasuke asked raising his voice. "How can you not see it? He has my parents in the palm of his hand. They don't like his friends at all yet my father is renovating the basement for them to practice in. They'll be over more often and then they'll like his friends more than mine" the dark haired boy argued.

Natsumi immediately thought back to her car ride with Itachi a couple weeks ago, when he had said his father was most likely doing the renovation to keep an eye on his friends, but how could she bring that up with Sasuke? She knew upon hearing 'Itachi said', he'd automatically believe she was taking the older Uchiha's side. Releasing a heavy sigh as turned away from the dark haired boy, Natsumi contemplated how she should respond before she spoke.

"You sound insane" Natsumi said calmly looking ahead as Sasuke scoffed. "Having his friends over more, doesn't mean that they'll like them more" she stated as she turned to meet the gaze of Sasuke.

"Oh yeah, then why put in so much effort to have them over?" Sasuke asked snidely.

"You said it yourself" Natsumi said running a hand through her hair. "They don't like them at all, so maybe they're doing all of this to keep an eye on them" she went on bringing a look of alarm to Sasuke's onyx orbs as the idea struck him. "They probably figured that they couldn't get into much trouble if they're at the house, you know?" Natsumi asked shifting her gaze to the side as she spoke.

"Well if that's the case, it doesn't mean they won't start to like them more" Sasuke said stubbornly as he turned his gaze to the side.

"So what if they do?" Natsumi said with another roll of her eyes as Sasuke shifted his gaze to her with narrowed eyes. "Who cares if your parents start to like his friends?" she asked looking Sasuke dead in the eye. "And if it bothers you that much then have your friends over more" she said dismissively as Sasuke scoffed.

"You have all the answers" he said sarcastically gazing out at the water again as it now glowed orange as the sun became lower.

"You know I'm right" Natsumi said with a huff. "You act like Naruto doesn't love going to your house and last I checked I'm on a first name basis with your mom" she went on as Sasuke's brows rose as he took in this information.

"So what? I'm supposed to have you and the dobe over all the time now? I can barely stand the two of you as is" Sasuke said gruffly, making Natsumi release a breath of frustration.

"Then make more friends" Natsumi said back.

"Like who?" Sasuke asked looking at the girl with a scowl.

"You have a fucking fan club!" Natsumi said as if it was the most obvious thing.

"I can't stand them!" Sasuke yelled back in an aggravated tone. "I can't stand a lot of people because they all want something" he admitted starring down to his lap as he released a heavy sigh.

"I can name 5 people who don't want anything from you" Natsumi stated confidently, making the Uchiha raise a brow at her in question for her to continue.

"Who?" He asked staring at the dark haired girl.

"Hinata" she said proudly looking to the onyx eyed boy with a smirk.

"No" he said making a look of confusion cross the girl's face.

"What could she want from you?" Natsumi asked with an annoyed look.

"Naruto" he replied simply, making Natsumi's mouth open to argue back before closing as she thought.

"She's not that kind of person" Natsumi finally argued after Sasuke gave her a smug look before facing forward.

"Next" Sasuke said dismissively as Natsumi gave an annoyed huff.

"Neji" she said catching the boy off guard as he turned to look at her.

Sasuke took a moment to think before he fell silent and Natsumi smiled triumphantly.

"Don't get so cocky, you're first choice was a no" Sasuke said making the girl roll her eyes.

"Shikamaru" Natsumi said looking over Sasuke's face as he processed what she said before releasing a sigh of defeat that brought another smile to the young girl's face.

"Shut up Natsumi" Sasuke said as the girl began to snicker.

"Ok um Choji" she said as Sasuke thought over it.

It was silent for a while before the Uchiha finally spoke again.

"No" he said wearily.

"Why? What would Choji want?" Natsumi asked with a pout.

"Food" Sasuke replied making the girl scoff.

"Choji comes with snacks" Natsumi replied holding up a finger to the Uchiha as he rolled his eyes, making the girl smile once more. "So that's a yes?" she asked smugly before the dark haired boy gave her an annoyed look.

"Final name" Sasuke said getting to the point as Natsumi gave a light laugh, but that soon ended as she racked her mind for another individual who could not want something from the Uchiha.

'I know someone who would be perfect but I'm pulling a blank on his name' Natsumi inwardly chastised herself before she felt Sasuke's gaze boring into her. 'He hangs out with Kiba' she thought biting her cheek.

"I'm waiting" Sasuke said impatiently, making the teen girl grow nervous.

"Kiba ... he hangs out with -" she said wearily before being cut off by a scoff from the Uchiha.

"No" he said bluntly, making the girl's brows raise in alarm.

"I wasn't done" she tried to argue. "But why no to Kiba? What would he want from you?" Natsumi asked with a confused expression.

"You" Sasuke said simply, making a blush cross Natsumi's face before she scoffed. "He likes you" Sasuke said bluntly.

"That's not the point Sasuke, but even if it was, he's not my type" Natsumi said shaking her head dismissively.

"Oh yeah you like old guys" Sasuke said in a teasing tone, as Natsumi's head snapped to the side to glare at him.

"Would you shut up?" she asked in annoyance, earning a smirk from the dark haired boy that made her roll her eyes.

"What did you mean when you said you weren't done?" Sasuke asked curiously as Natsumi's face lit up in realization.

"I wasn't talking about Kiba earlier" she said as Sasuke raised a brow at her in confusion. "I meant to say Shino" the girl said proudly as she remembered the quiet young man.

"Hn I forgot about him" Sasuke admitted looking at Natsumi who gave him an 'are you serious?' look. "You forgot him too!" Sasuke argued back making the girl stiffen.

"I'm counting that as a yes" Natsumi said stubbornly turning her gaze away from Sasuke as he gave her a knowing look.

"Hn" Sasuke replied turning to see the last sliver of sunlight fade, leaving the sky a warm orange, red, and purple.

"So 4/5 isn't so bad" Natsumi said smugly catching the dark haired boy's attention as he glanced at her.

"4/6" he corrected as Natsumi turned to him with an irk mark appearing on her head before he sighed deeply, bringing a type of seriousness back to the conversation.

"What is it?" Natsumi asked furrowing her brows in concern.

"Itachi" he said simply, making the girl's breath hitch in her throat out of frustration.

"Sasuke, why are you so stupid?" Natsumi asked rhetorically as she face palmed, immediately earning an annoyed look from the boy. "Your brother is not the problem" she stated now pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Even if I make more friends and bring them over as much as he brings his, that's not a guarantee he won't win them over like my parents" he said Natsumi stare at him in astonishment.

"It's not like your friends are going to ditch you for him" Natsumi said reassuringly as Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"He's already trying" Sasuke said, making Natsumi furrow her brows in curiosity. "When he paid for our portion at Ichiraku" he went on making the dark haired girl scoff.

"You're being ridiculous" she said with a dismissive wave.

"Then what would you call it?" Sasuke asked with a serious expression.

"He was trying to be nice" Natsumi said.

"It was a power move" Sasuke said making the girl scoff again.

"And you're being paranoid" Natsumi retorted earning a glare from the dark haired boy.

"Can you look me in the eye and say you haven't thought he was better than me?" Sasuke asked looking the young teen dead in the eyes.

Natsumi could feel her heart rate increase under his prying gaze as she thought back to all the times she thought the older Uchiha was kinder than Sasuke. But knowing if she were to admit that, Sasuke could be set off all over again and this time she would have to follow without the assistance of Naruto. She could feel the sweat form in her hands as she contemplated her response with a blank face.

"That's not fair" she finally said after a while making the Uchiha raise a brow at her in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked.

"Itachi and you are different people to me" Natsumi said slowly, as not to misword anything. "Itachi is kind but you're my best friend" Natsumi said making a look of surprise cross Sasuke's face as he stared at her.

After this there was a long silence as the sun fully set and the night sky came into full view with the many dazzling stars in its dark blue depth.

'Say something' Natsumi thought as she stared at her lap, hoping Sasuke wouldn't push the fact that she had admitted Itachi was kind.

"Let's go to my house" Sasuke said abruptly as he stood from his spot. "We have homework"

'He's just not going to say anything?' Natsumi thought lifting her gaze from her lap as she watched the Uchiha extend a hand to help her up. 'Maybe it's for the best' she thought accepting his hand as he pulled her to her feet and the teens left the dock.

...

Arriving at Sasuke's house, the dark haired male entered first immediately being met with the warm embrace of his mother.

"Sasuke, I was so worried!" the dark haired woman said as Sasuke stiffened. "Natsumi and Naruto called earlier asking if you were home, and I thought you were with them, so I was wondering where you went" she explained as Natsumi entered behind her son with wide eyes.

'What did I just walk into?' she thought raising a brow at the scene, before Mikoto noticed her, releasing an excited squeal before letting go of her son to pull the dark haired girl in for a hug.

"Natsumi" she said as she tightened her grip on the teen that was now losing oxygen from the tight embrace. "You found him. I'm so happy to see you again" Mikoto went on as Natsumi shot a pleading look to Sasuke who simply smirked at the girl before turning to leave.

"It's good to see you too Mikoto" Natsumi said returning the woman's hug before being able to breath as she was released.

"We have homework to do" Sasuke said reaching to pull Natsumi away from his mother, before being called over by his father.

"Sasuke we have something to discuss" Fugaku said motioning over his dark haired teen son.

Sasuke immediately gave a nod in response before turning his attention back to Natsumi.

"I'll meet you in my room" he said as the dark haired girl nodded in response before he turned to follow his father to his office.

"Would you like a snack Natsumi?" Mikoto asked regaining the attention of the teen girl as her son exited.

"I'm fine but thank you" Natsumi replied with an appreciative smile. "We stopped at Ichiraku after school with some friends" she went on as Mikoto gave her a weary look.

"Oh then maybe a dessert and some tea" Mikoto offered catching the teen's attention at the mention of sweets.

"Um it's ok" Natsumi tried again before, Mikoto gave her a knowing look that resulted in the teen nodding in defeat.

"Perfect come to the kitchen with me and tell me about your day while I get that ready for you" Mikoto said as Natsumi complied.

...

"That sounds like quite the day" Mikoto commented as she sipped her tea across from Natsumi in the living room.

"Hn" Natsumi replied with a nod as she poured more.

"What was that meeting for though?" Mikoto asked as Natsumi brought the new cup to her lips.

"Planning Homecoming" Natsumi replied taking a sip before Mikoto gave an excited squeal.

Looking at the woman with alarm filled eyes; Natsumi was surprised to see the woman had spilt her tea as she quickly set down her cup.

"Is everything alright?" Natsumi asked in alarm as she watching Mikoto regain her composure.

"Yes, I'm sorry dear" Mikoto apologized as she used a handkerchief to wipe up the small spill. "Just a bit of excitement" she said as Natsumi simply nodded. "Are you planning on going?" Mikoto asked surprising the teen with the question.

"I'll attend whatever events Kakashi-sensei volunteers me for" Natsumi replied awkwardly.

"Oh I'm sorry I meant the dance" Mikoto said as Natsumi took another sip of her tea.

In all honestly Natsumi was unsure if she would be attending. Never before was she allowed to attend school dances unless her father was allowed to select her escort. When it came down to it Natsumi could care less if she had a date, but she was curious as to what a function as such could be like. Yet another issue that arose was on what she would wear, as she was sure with her mother's new schedule, the woman would have no time to go and pick out a dress.

'I could always go next year' Natsumi thought as Mikoto waited anxiously for an answer.

"I'm actually not sure. I've never been to a school dance." Natsumi replied honestly, making the woman's face light in excitement.

"You know Sasuke refuses to go to school dances" Mikoto said making one of Natsumi's brows raise in suspicion.

"There's a reason for that" came the voice of said Uchiha as both women turned their attention to him as he walked up to the pair with his hands in the pockets of his pants. "Everyone there is so annoying" he went on making his mother's shoulder's drop in disappointment.

"Yes but depending on whom you go with can make all the difference" Mikoto said as both teens gave her questionable looks.

"What are you implying?" Both dark haired teens asked in unison, as the woman gave a bashful smile.

"Honey, you should go this year" Mikoto suggested earning a confused look from her son. "I would love to get some cute pictures of you and your date" she went on as both teens looked at each other before looking to her.

"And who would this date be?" Sasuke asked in a monotone voice.

"Yeah especially since Sasuke can't stand anyone" Natsumi agreed, earning a glare from the teen boy.

"Well you always say you can tolerate Natsumi" Mikoto said as she scratched the back of her head.

"No" both teens replied in unison.

"It would be so perfect though" the woman argued with a pleading look. "Sasuke, you've never gone to a dance and neither has Natsumi" she went on as the teens stared at her blankly.

"No" Natsumi and Sasuke replied in unison again.

"Sasuke would you really not do this for your mother? I don't have any pictures of you for school dances and it would make me so happy" Mikoto pleaded as she looked to the dark haired teen male. "And Natsumi you've never been, so what's better than going with a friend?" she asked looking to the teen girl.

Sasuke gave a heavy sigh as his onyx eyes shifted between Natsumi and his mother, before closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Fine" Sasuke said with a huff as his mother cheered, before looking to Natsumi for her response.

"I'm sorry but my mother's work schedule will have her so busy that I won't have her to help with a dress or getting ready or anything" Natsumi replied making Mikoto's eyes light up.

"I have nothing but boys" Mikoto said placing a caring hand over Natsumi's as she spoke. "I always thought I'd never get the chance to do the dress shopping and getting ready with a daughter, so I'd be more than happy to do all of that with you dear" Mikoto said with watery eyes and a smile.

Natsumi felt a pang of guilt as she looked over the woman as she processed what she was told. By saying no, would she also be denying Mikoto of an experience?

"Ok" Natsumi finally replied after a while as the woman clapped excitedly.

"Thank you so much" Mikoto gushed suddenly pulling both teens in for a tight embrace.

"Mom we have homework!" Sasuke said after enduring a minute of the hug.

After this the dark haired woman released the teens as she busied herself in cleaning up the spilled tea while the pair made their way to Sasuke's room.

...

The teens worked in silence on Sasuke's bed for what felt like forever before Natsumi finally decided to break the silence.

"So ..." she began awkwardly as Sasuke looked up while he wrote.

"We're not talking about it" Sasuke stated simply bringing about more silence as he returned his gaze to his work as he wrote.

"Hn" Natsumi replied with a nod of understanding before she returned her gaze to her own work before the dry cotton feeling in her mouth caught her attention. "I think I'm going to go grab a drink, do you want one?" Natsumi asked as she stood smoothing out her skirt.

"No" Sasuke responded not taking his eyes off his work as Natsumi made her way to the exit of his bedroom.

"Ok" Natsumi called back making her way out of the door.

She closed her eyes while she stretched as she slowly made her way to the staircase.

"Hello Natsumi" Itachi said making the teen open her eyes as she saw him coming up the stairs. He wore a pair of grey sweat pants with a white long sleeve shirt.

"Itachi" she said with small wave as the pair came face to face on the staircase as she stepped down.

"Studying with Sasuke?" he asked casually adjusting the strap of his back pack as he spoke.

"Yeah we're just finishing up but I was going to get a drink" she replied.

"Hn" he replied nodding in understanding. "Well it was nice seeing you again" he commented before side stepping the teen girl to pass her.

"Um Itachi" she said bringing the young man to a halt as he looked to the side to look down at her as they stood on the same step.

"Yes?" he asked as she turned to meet his gaze.

"I'm sorry about how Sasuke was earlier" she apologized, shocking the teen at her words. "He was rude and it was completely uncalled for" she went on before a hand was placed on top of her head, silencing her.

"You're apologizing to me about my own brother? It should really be the other way around" Itachi said as Natsumi looked at him with wide eyes.

Itachi simply smiled at the girl before removing his hand and further surprising her as he stepped back to bow.

"I apologize for my brother's behavior" he said politely before offering the girl another kind smile before taking his leave.

Natsumi stood in shock for a moment before a small smile found its way to her lips.

'He really is so kind' she thought as he stood and offered the girl a smile.

"See you around Natsumi" Itachi said before continuing on his way.

"See you later Itachi" Natsumi said to the young man before continuing on her way down the staircase.

Natsumi quickly made her way to the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water before heading back upstairs to finish her study session with Sasuke for the night.

...

The next day Natsumi walked through the halls of Konoha High. She kept her eyes forward as she made her way through the halls beginning to fill with the morning traffic as she clutched the white paper bag to her chest.

"Hey Natsumi" Kiba called waving to the dark haired girl with a large smile, approaching from the opposite direction with Shino at his side.

"Hey Kiba, Hey Shino" Natsumi said back looking to the boys for a moment before bumping into another.

Taken aback by the collision, Natsumi stumbled back a couple steps before being grabbed by her arm to stop her from falling, and making her drop the bag she held to the floor. She immediately looked up to see who she had run into and saw pale blue eyes staring down at her.

"Are you alright?" he asked as Natsumi stood looking up at the tall young man.

"Yeah sorry Gaara" she apologized steadying herself as he released his hold on her arm.

"Its fine" he stated simply in his raspy voice before looking down at the white bag that the dark haired girl had dropped, reaching down to the bag he noticed the contents had slightly spilled out revealing a dark grey hoodie.

He wasn't the only one to notice this as both Kiba and Shino watched him push the fabric back into the bag before standing to hand it back to the dark haired girl.

"Here you go" Gaara said as Natsumi accepted the bag with a polite nod before side stepping the young man and rushing down the hall.

"Hey Gaara what was in the bag?" Kiba asked curiously as the red headed teen turned to face him.

"Nothing of our concern" he replied before turning his attention forward as he continued on his way down the hall.

"What a jerk" Kiba commented with an annoyed huff.

"He has a point" Shino said in his usual clam tone. "It's nothing that concerns us" he went on as Kiba rolled his eyes.

"Aren't you the least bit curious though?" Kiba asked looking over his shoulder to look back at Natsumi's retreating figure.

"No" Shino stated simply with his hands in his pockets as he resumed walking.

"Hey wait up" Kiba called after the young man rushing to catch up with him.

Meanwhile two girls watched intently from down the hall grasping onto one another in anticipation. One with short brown hair wearing her uniform with the addition of black thigh high socks, while the second girl had long black hair with only the skirt of her uniform being switched out for a black mini skirt instead of the usual pleated, along with a pair of black stockings.

"Who was that, Matsuri?" the one with long hair asked looking in the direction of Natsumi.

"She's that girl who hangs out with Naruto Uzamaki and Sasuke Uchiha" the brown haired one replied narrowing her eyes at the young girl.

"Oh" the black haired one replied staring after the teen. "The one with pretty hair?" she asked turning to her friend while blinking her large brown orbs innocently.

"Yukata that's not important" Matsuri snapped at her black haired friend who flinched at her harsh tone.

"It was just a question Matsuri" Yukata pouted glancing to the floor.

"You only think she has pretty hair because it looks like yours" Matsuri said in annoyed tone as she looked at her friend.

"Well I'm not the only one, she's so lucky" Yukata said with a sigh as her friend looked at her with a raised brow. "To think she got to have lunch with Gaara starting on her first day" she went on making her brown haired friend scoff.

"Well her lucks sure to run out if she doesn't mind her place" Matsuri said as Yukata gave her a confused look.

"What do you mean Matsuri?" Yukata asked curiously.

"Haven't you heard the rumors about her? No one knows if that girl is dating Sasuke or not" she replied.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Yukata asked in further confusion.

"Gaara doesn't need to be dragged into that girl's drama" Matsuri replied as her black haired friend nodded in understanding.

"So what are we going to do?" Yukata asked furrowing her brows in concern.

"Nothing for now" the brunette replied turning away. "But if she does anything that could tarnish Gaara's image, then I'll do whatever it takes to make sure she regrets it" the girl continued clenching a fist as she spoke.

"Me too" Yukata agreed standing beside her friend. "Are we going to keep following Gaara now?" she asked curiously turning to Matsuri.

"Don't say that so loudly Yukata!" Matsuri said turning to the black haired girl with an alarmed look.

"Did you hear that Sakura?" A certain blonde said making the pair stiffen before turning to see Ino and Sakura look at the pair with judgmental looks on their faces as they approached them in the hall.

"Some people can be so pathetic when they like someone" Sakura commented as the two girls shrunk back in embarrassment.

"To think they'd go as far as following the boy they like" Ino replied shaking her head.

"Looks like Gaara has a couple stalkers" Sakura said as she and Ino passed the girls, who were now nervously watching them pass.

"Sasuke just got to school!" a random girl called out, making the blonde and pink haired girl freeze in their tracks before turning and rushing to the entrance on the school while the black and brown haired girls watched while sweat dropping.

...

Meanwhile Natsumi had managed to make her way to Kakashi-sensei's classroom. She quickly opened the door to discover the silver haired male leaning against his desk as he read from his book. Her brown eyes ran over his figure, taking in the appearance of his dark navy blue button shirt with the sleeves rolled back and a pair of black pants and shoes. He paid the teen girl no mind as she entered, keeping his eyes focused on his book's pages.

'He always seems so cool' Natsumi thought continuing to study the man as she approached him. 'Then again it's a wonder he can keep such a straight face while reading the things in that book' Natsumi thought feeling her face heat up at the memory of when she thumbed through its contents.

"Good Morning Natsumi" Kakashi suddenly said in his casual tone as he kept his eyes glued to the page of his book.

Natsumi jumped back slightly in surprise upon hearing his greeting, as she wasn't used to him taking notice of her until after she spoke at least twice.

"G-good morning Kakashi-sensei" Natsumi sputtered out quickly as she regained her composure and shifted her gaze to the floor, hoping the blush that crossed her face was fading.

There was no response to this, making the girl lift her gaze to be met with the sight of the silver haired man turning the page in his book. She watched as his dark eyes shifted across the words of the page, before suddenly stopping as they met the gaze of her brown hues.

"Is there anything I can help you with Natsumi?" Kakashi asked as Natsumi immediately looked down to the white bag she held against her chest.

'Nice job getting caught staring like a creep" Natsumi inwardly chastised before holding out the object to the intrigued teacher who now set down his book.

Kakashi looked over the white paper bag with curious eyes before a thought struck him.

"What do we have here?" he asked as Natsumi raised her head to look at him again. "This isn't some kind of prank where a paint bomb goes off when I open it right?" he asked as he pictured white paint shooting out to hit him in the face, as Natsumi gave him a confused look.

"No" she replied raising a brow as Kakashi looked at the bag with uncertainty.

"There won't be something that pops out and punches me in the face right?" Kakashi asked as he thought of a boxing glove attached to a spring that would activate upon his opening of the bag.

At this point Natsumi face fully showed the confusion she had as she stared at Kakashi. Taking notice to this look he gave a light chuckle before accepting the bag.

"I'm sorry it's just that I'm a little weary of these types of things since Naruto likes to play pranks" he responded awkwardly scratching the back of his neck as he offered the dark haired girl one of his typical closed eyed smiles.

Natsumi didn't know how to reply, so she simply gave the man an understanding nod before watching him slowly open the white bag to reveal his dark grey hoodie. His eyes immediately lit up as he pulled it from the bag.

"My hoodie" he said as he unfolded the object to look over it. "Thank you Natsumi" Kakashi said giving the girl a grateful look.

Natsumi returned the smile with a nod before letting herself study the man further. Kakashi looked over the object with what she guessed was a smile under the medical mask that he wore every day. At this point the teen had gotten used to the cover, it was almost as much a part of the man as his silver gravity defying hair and onyx eyes. These traits of his, at first left the girl in awe of the male teacher, but somehow within the past two weeks she found herself to be less mystified by his appearance. Of course Natsumi could admit she still found the silver haired man to be attractive, but she also knew that with the extra time spent with him, she found herself growing more comfortable with the man. She no longer saw him to be on such a high pedestal, as she came to know his flaws and with this new information she was able to admit that her infatuation was nothing more than that of a mere school girl crush. In fact over the past two weeks she hardly found herself in thoughts of her feelings and emotions towards Kakashi as she busied herself with the work he'd given her. And with all of this taken into consideration, Natsumi knew she would eventually be able to say she no longer liked the man romantically.

"I apologize for returning it so late" she said as she bowed her head to him respectfully, earning a light laugh from Kakashi that made the dark haired teen girl give him a confused look.

"It's alright Natsumi" Kakashi said as he reached under his desk to pull out his briefcase and then folding the article of clothing over the top of his case before placing it back under again.

"Hn" Natsumi replied giving a nod of understanding before her gaze traveled to the floor again.

'Oh I can figure out my crush will go away overtime but not what I'm doing wrong as an aide' she thought inwardly berating herself, while Kakashi wondered why his student was staring so intensely at the floor.

"Natsumi" Kakashi called to his student who was now completely engulfed in her thoughts.

Reaching out he gave light tap on her arm before speaking again.

"Natsumi is everything alright?" Kakashi asked as Natsumi snapped out of her daze.

"Um y-yes" the dark haired teen replied nervously offering the man a smile that he knew was insincere.

"Is there anything I could help you with?" Kakashi then asked, catching the girl off guard as she blinked at the man.

"What?" she asked taken aback by his question with a look of astonishment.

Had Kakashi been able to read her mind? Did he somehow find out about the budding feelings she thought she did well to conceal? Was she that obvious? Or was he just that perceptive to be able to read the girl's expressions to know what she thought? These questions raced through Natsumi's head as Kakashi waited for her response in silence.

"Are you ok?" Kakashi asked once again bringing the teen out of her thoughts as she faced him with the slightest blush of pink dusting her cheeks as she looked at him.

"Yeah" Natsumi lied trying to suppress her blush from darkening as she felt Kakashi's eyes run over her.

"Alright" Kakashi said wearily as he shrugged his shoulders before picking his book back up from his desk, to start finding his place again.

"Hn" Natsumi replied stepping back from his desk as she quietly made her way to the classroom's exit, but upon reaching the door she found herself unable to open it as she stood with her hand on the door as she contemplated a new thought: her evaluation.

Taking notice to his student's stillness, Kakashi glanced in the direction of his door to see Natsumi frozen in place.

"Kakashi-sensei I have something to discuss with you" Natsumi stated in a serious tone before turning around to face the silver haired man.

Kakashi immediately set his book down again as he looked to Natsumi a curious look.

"Alright" he said folding his fingers in front of him as he watched her make her way to the front of his desk with a determined look on her face.

"In the past two weeks, I preformed TA duties on a Saturday, completed every assigned task, and managed your email account, as well as been a go between for you and Obito-sensei" Natsumi stated as she held her hands in front of her. "I heard a rumor that you've had 6 TA's I the past two years and although I do not know the exact details of those events, I do know I've put my best foot forward in the work I've done" she said confidently unfolding her hands as she spoke.

"What seems to be the problem?" Kakashi asked with an intrigued look.

"I want to know the reason behind me receiving a C on my evaluation" she said as Kakashi nodded.

"A test" Kakashi replied simply making a look of confusion cross Natsumi's face.

'A test?' Natsumi thought looking over the blank expression Kakashi wore. 'What does he mean? Did I make a mistake when grading? No, that can't be it because I always used a key and double checked with him. Did I input a test grade in the wrong way? No, that's not it either; I know how to use the program...' Natsumi went over all the possibilities before thinking of ways that would be wrong and leaving the dark haired teen with even more confusion, until a new thought struck her.

"This is a test" Natsumi stated with a look of realization setting in as she looked at Kakashi with a shocked expression.

Kakashi offered the dark haired teen girl another of his typical closed eyed smile as she stared at him in disbelief.

"I never did anything wrong" she said letting that sink in as she spoke. "The evaluation was a fluke" Natsumi said now looking at the desk in front of her.

"Not a fluke" Kakashi corrected catching the teen's attention as she looked up to meet his gaze. "It was a test" he stated as Natsumi raised a brow in question. "And you passed" Kakashi said making the teen feel like doing an anime fall as she stared at the man. "Every year I give a grade to my TA's that they can accept with doubts or have the choice to come speak with me about it. And every year they choice the cop out, but you are the first to actually confront me" he informed the teen.

"What?" Natsumi asked in disbelief.

"I do this because I want to know that you believe in the work you're putting in. As my teacher's aide, you aren't just working for me but with me. This is a partnership Natsumi and I wanted to be sure that you could be confident enough in your work as I am." Kakashi said as the teen felt a huge weight lift off her shoulders and a red blush cross her face as she registered his compliment.

"Thank you sensei" Natsumi finally said after a while, unable to help the smile that crossed her face as she bowed to the man.

"You're definitely starting things off right Natsumi and I look forward to continuing the year with you" Kakashi said holding his hand out to the girl.

Raising her head she looked at the man for a moment before grasping his hand and the two shook in agreement before a thought struck Natsumi.

"You're going to redo my evaluation for Shizune-sensei right?" Natsumi asked raising a brow at the man.

"I'll take care of it" Kakashi said reassuringly.

"As long as it's not done too late" Natsumi said making Kakashi laugh nervously, before the warning bell for Homeroom started.

"Speaking of being late, make sure you make it to homeroom on time" Kakashi said as he released Natsumi's hand and earned a weary look from the dark haired teen before she took her leave to start her school day.

A/N: Ok chapter 14 is done. Please read and review