Best Friend's Brother 19

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any characters from Naruto aside from my OC and any characters associated with her.

The morning rays of sunlight shined through the curtains of Natsumi's room on Sunday morning, prompting the dark haired girl's brown hues to flutter open in annoyance as she glared at the gap in her curtains. Sitting up Natsumi released a tired huff as she stared at the window with her eyes narrowed before she finally stood and walked over to the window to shut the curtains.

"Oh Natsumi you're up" her mother's voice suddenly came catching the girl's attention as she turned to see the woman standing in the door way.

Natsumi's mother wore a pair of black pants with a light purple button up that had the sleeves rolled back and her dark hair twisted into a bun atop her head.

"Hn" Natsumi replied with a nod as she halted in her walk to the window and fully turned to face her mother. "Where are you going mom?" Natsumi asked in a curious tone as she stretched and then released a tired yawn.

"Just to the grocery store dear, I want to make sure you'll have actual food in the house while I'm gone this week" her mother replied giving her daughter a loving smile. "Do you want to come with me or are you going spend your Sunday sleeping?" she asked giving Natsumi an expectant look.

Sensing the impending judgment from her mother's stare if she were to return to bed, Natsumi released a deep breath before running a hand through the tuft of her black locks.

"I'll go with you" Natsumi stated earning a cheery smile from her mother.

"Great I'll meet you down stairs and we can get breakfast before we go shopping" the dark haired woman stated earning a tired nod of understanding from Natsumi before the woman walked off.

Natsumi released a sigh before the dark haired teen girl began to make her way to the bathroom to begin her morning routine.

...

Natsumi's morning was fairly nice as she and her mother went about running errands such as getting breakfast, checking the mail, and looking around several small shops before finally making their way to the local market area and beginning their grocery shopping. The two dark haired females slowly made their way through the various grocery stands of the shopping district, placing items into their basket when the sound of Natsumi's name being called caught the pair's attention as they turned to see none other than Sasuke's mother.

Mikoto wore a black knee length skirt with a white button up shirt and a pair of black shoes.

"Oh it was you" Mikoto said as she approached the pair with a smile before fully turning to face Natsumi's mother and having her smile be replaced with a look of alarm. "Kazumi ... Kazumi Tashio?" she asked looking at Natsumi's mother in surprise.

The dark haired teen curiously looked between the two women, curious as to why Mikoto's expression would change so suddenly, before the look of alarm was replaced with a familiar smile.

"Yes ... it's been a while Mikoto" Natsumi's mother greeted the woman.

"I didn't know you were Natsumi's mother" Mikoto admitted looking between the woman and her daughter with a surprised smile. "But I definitely see the resemblance now" she went on earning a sheepish smile from Natsumi's mother while the dark haired teen raised a brow in contemplation.

"I'm sorry but you two know each other?" Natsumi asked interjecting herself into the conversation with a weary tone.

"We were class mates almost all our lives" Natsumi's mother replied looking to her daughter before turning back to Mikoto. "But we never really kept in touch after I left Konoha" she went on.

"Hn" Natsumi responded with a nod of understanding as she allowed her gaze to drift to the ground.

"Natsumi really is a dead ringer for you" Mikoto said earning a light laugh from Natsumi's mother.

"Maybe but she definitely gets her stubbornness from her father" she replied earning a look of shock from Natsumi.

'She usually doesn't bring up dad so casually' the dark haired teen thought raising her brows at the woman.

"The same could be said for Sasuke and Itachi" Mikoto responded with a light laugh as Natsumi's mother's eyes lit up in realization.

"Sasuke ... of course" Kazumi said. "I should have known ... so you and Fugaku have the two boys?" Natsumi's mother asked.

"Oh yes" Mikoto replied.

'Mom knows Fugaku too ... well that's no surprise, I guess they all grew up together' Natsumi thought as she continued to listen to the conversation between the two women.

"Well they are very well behaved young men" Natsumi's mother complimented Mikoto, whose face lit with a light blush and a smile.

"Oh you're too kind but really Natsumi is quiet the young lady" Mikoto said making the teen blush as her mother gleamed with pride. "We really do enjoy having her over" she went on.

"Thank you and it's a joy when we have Sasuke over, even if it's just for a quick hello" Natsumi's mother replied.

'Oh yes Sasuke is such a joy to be around' Natsumi thought sarcastically as she inwardly rolled her eyes at the thought of her dark haired moody friend.

The two women went on for a while talking as Natsumi stood by awkwardly. In all the time the two had been in Konoha, Mikoto was probably the first classmate of her mother's that Natsumi met. In all honestly Natsumi was not used to occurrences like this as when they lived in Kyoto, the chances of her running into an old classmate was highly unlikely. Natsumi looked at the two women thinking about how other kids would have to endure situations like these and probably feel irritated but she couldn't help but feel happy for her mother being able to socialize (even if it meant she would have to stand by idly as she had no real stake in socializing). It wasn't until the teen noticed the passing traffic of other shoppers who looked over to the trio with curious eyes, which she thought to intervene in the pair's conversation as she felt uneasy with the many eyes.

"Um excuse me I'm sorry to interrupt again but I'm not too sure right now is the best time" Natsumi interjected awkwardly running a hand through her dark locks as the two women turned to look at her before the teen motioned to the small group of patrons who waited patiently to be able to shop at the stand the women stood in front of.

"Oh dear" Mikoto exclaimed placing a hand over her mouth while looking around before releasing a light laugh. "I'm so sorry I didn't mean to interrupt your shopping"

"Oh it was not a problem at all, but it was nice catching up with you ... actually if you'd like we could finish up our shopping now then grab a coffee to discuss more" Natsumi's mother offered making Mikoto's eyes light up in excitement.

Suddenly both women looked to Natsumi as realization set in, giving the teen pleading looks as if to ask her permission for their outing. The dark haired teen released a heavy sigh before nodding in agreement and making both ladies faces light in joy before going about finishing their shopping as a group.

...

After completing their shopping the trio walked out amongst the busy foot traffic of Konoha in discussion (well at least the two women were, but Natsumi simply strolled behind the pair). The two older women each carried a bag while Natsumi held two in her arms.

"Oh that's great to hear" Natsumi heard her mother comment as the women walked ahead of her. "So are you still in touch with anyone else from school ... From what I can recall you and Kushina were fairly close?" Natsumi's mother inquired making Mikoto stiffen.

Sensing the change in mood Natsumi raised a brow in interest as she shifted her gaze between her mother and Mikoto, who now released a heavy sigh before Natsumi's mother gave her a worried look.

"She was in an accident about 13 years ago and ..." Mikoto began before trailing off with a sad look on her face.

"I'm so sorry" Natsumi's mother apologized placing a caring hand on the woman's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. "I had no idea" she continued in a sympathetic tone.

'This is so awkward ... someone mom knew was in an accident and she had no idea since we lived in Kyoto' Natsumi thought as she looked between the two with her brows furrowing in concern.

"It's alright" Mikoto said reassuringly. "It was difficult at the time and the deaths of her and her husband certainly took the community by surprise" she went on shocking Natsumi's mother.

'Oh they died' Natsumi thought with her brows rising in surprise as she waited for Mikoto to continue.

"Oh dear she was with Minato right?" Natsumi's mother asked, earning a nod from Mikoto in response. "That's so sad to hear" she sympathized as Mikoto gave another nod of agreement while Natsumi's mother retracted her hand.

"It certainly is especially since they were so young when it happened, their son was only three at the time I think" Mikoto said surprising Natsumi's mother as her brows rose.

"They had a son?" Natsumi's mother asked in disbelief.

"Yes" Mikoto replied with a nod. "You might actually know him since he's a friend of Natsumi's ... Naruto ... Naruto Uzamaki" she said making the woman's eyes fill with shock before she came to a halt and turned to look back at her teenage daughter.

Natsumi had stopped walking upon hearing the blonde boy's name. Her brown eyes stared directly at the ground as she processed the information. She thought back to the day Sasuke took her to Naruto's house. It was during the tour of the home, that she remembered Naruto showing her the picture of the blonde man and red headed woman holding him as an infant. When he explained the accident that took their lives and how his god father Jiraiya then stepped up to raise him, she hadn't thought she would be hearing about it again. Her mother knew Naruto's parents, the story she heard with the picture now had names given and that left the dark haired teen with an empty feeling.

'So Minato and Kushina ... were Naruto's parents' Natsumi thought, with a blank expression before looking to meet the gaze of her mother and walking to catch up with the two women.

Once the teen girl was closer to the pair of women, the two resumed walking at a steady pace with Natsumi tailing behind. She offered no real input into their conversation, simply staying behind and listening as they talked.

"You didn't know Naruto was their son?" Mikoto asked giving Natsumi's mother a curious look.

"I was rushing out for a flight when Natsumi simply introduced him as her friend Naruto" Natsumi's mother explained. "But now that I think of it he certainly looks a lot like Minato with his blonde hair and blue eyes" she went on as Mikoto nodded in agreement as the trio continued walking through the busy streets.

After this, Natsumi tuned out the rest of their conversation as they walked on, instead keeping herself distracted as she allowed her thoughts to wonder aimlessly, until the sound of a familiar voice caught her attention, automatically making the teen lift her gaze upwards.

"Mother" the male voice said as Natsumi noticed Itachi walking towards to trio.

Natsumi watched as the young man came to a halt in front of the women as he looked from his mother to hers. She saw that he wore a pair of black pants with a grey V-neck long sleeved shirt with a single front pocket and the sleeves pushed back while wearing a pair of black shoes. He offered kind smiles to both women, yet didn't acknowledge Natsumi right away.

"Mrs. Tashio it's a pleasure to see you again" Itachi said nodding to the dark haired woman in greeting. "I came to help my mother with carrying her shopping bags but I could take yours as well" he offered as he held out his arms to take Natsumi's mother's bags from her arms.

"That's not necessary dear" Natsumi's mother said with a kind smile. "But Natsumi may need some help since her hands are a little full" the woman went on motioning back to her teen daughter.

Itachi turned his gaze in the direction of the dark haired teen girl in curiosity before offering her a kind smile as he took in the sight of her. Natsumi wore a pair of black leggings with a dark grey oversized graphic t-shirt and a red flannel tied around her waist with a pair of black shoes.

"Hello Natsumi" Itachi greeted the girl as he approached her. "Interesting shirt" he commented, making the teen look down to see what he meant.

Natsumi's face immediately lit ablaze in the color red as she read and remembered that she had chosen today to wear was a BTS shirt that read 'A Cup of Tae with Suga and a Kookie'.

"Thanks" Natsumi replied looking up from her shirt, to see Itachi reach out to place a hand atop her head before taking one of the two bags from her arms.

Their mother's smiled back at them before Mikoto's eyes suddenly lit up with an idea.

"Itachi" she called catching her son's attention as he turned to look at her. "Do you think you and Natsumi could take the grocery's to the cars and then meet us at the café after, we were in the middle of catching up and we still have a couple things to discuss" Mikoto said earning an obedient nod from her son before he walked over to take the groceries from both ladies.

"I can help" Natsumi offered reaching for one of the three bags Itachi had.

"It's no trouble Natsumi" Itachi said declining her offer with a slight nod and a kind smile.

"What a gentleman" Natsumi's mother complimented the teen as Mikoto gave a proud smile while Natsumi shifted her gaze to the side.

"Thank you" Itachi said looking to Natsumi's mother with a nod before he turned back to the dark haired girl. "Shall we, Natsumi?" he asked earning a simple nod in reply before the pair walked off from their mothers.

...

Natsumi and Itachi walked on in silence through the bustling streets for a while until the girl finally took notice to how the crowd parted to make way for them, or more specifically Itachi. The older Uchiha had an air of confidence about him that immediately caught the attention of the public as they moved from his path and watched him with captivated stares. Yet aside from the looks that he was given, Natsumi soon took notice to the many voices and whispers that spoke about Itachi.

"What a handsome young man"

"Surely he must be an Uchiha"

"Most definitely"

"Just look how he carries himself"

"But who's the girl?"

"She's not an Uchiha"

"Do you think she's his girlfriend?"

"She's pretty but still much too plain to be with him"

"She's lucky" the many voices said in hushed tones as the pair passed.

Natsumi felt her face burn in embarrassment as she listened to the many words of the strangers. The dark haired teen looked down to hide this as she and Itachi walked on, feeling more insecure the more she listened.

'I thought the hallway gossip at school was bad' she thought as she continued to keep her gaze downward, until she suddenly came to a halt as she collided with Itachi's back.

Looking up to the young dark haired man, Natsumi had a surprised look on her face as he suddenly turned around to face her then leaned down to speak to her on her level with a serious expression on his face.

"Don't put too much stalk in what they have to say Natsumi" he instructed in a low voice so only the girl could hear him.

Natsumi tried her best to suppress the blush to her face that Itachi was causing as she stared at him with wide eyes before she gave a small nod of understanding. Itachi smirked at the dark haired girl before stepping to her side so the pair could walk side by side. From this point Natsumi tried her best to tune out the voices of the many on lookers while she and Itachi walked along.

'It's a little hard to ignore them when they keep staring at us or more specifically him' Natsumi thought glancing to Itachi quickly before turning her gaze forward repeatedly.

"Is everything alright?" Itachi asked taking notice to Natsumi's looks from his preferable vision and making the girl stiffen.

"No" Natsumi immediately replied earning a nod from Itachi as the pair continued, with a now awkward silence befalling them.

'Great I made things weird' Natsumi thought releasing a deep breath as she bit the inside of her cheek in thought.

"Natsumi" Itachi suddenly said catching the girl's attention as she turned her head to look at him with curious eyes. "I actually have something to ask you if you don't mind" he stated making Natsumi feel a knot form in her stomach as it did nervous flops.

"Hn" Natsumi replied with a nod as she tried her best to keep a stoic expression as she looked at the young man.

"It's about what you said last week ... when you walked in on The Akatsuki's rehearsal" Itachi informed the teen as his gaze shift away from her warm brown hues slightly. "More over what you said about me not looking up enough while playing" he specified making Natsumi feel embarrassed that he remembered.

"You mean about the eye contact thing?" Natsumi asked wearily as she brought a hand up to brush a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Hn" Itachi replied with a nod as he looked back to the dark haired girl, making her look down as they continued to walk on.

"I'm so sorry Itachi" Natsumi blurted out surprising the young man. "It was rude of me to wonder in on your practice session then have the nerve to critique it" she continued on nervously, as she continued to look everywhere except him and unknowingly making him smirk at her antics.

"Natsumi" he then said catching her attention as she stopped talking and looked to him with worry in her eyes. "You didn't do anything wrong" he stated calmly as the girl was taken aback by his words.

"Oh ..." Natsumi said awkwardly looking down as the Uchiha smirked down at her as the pair continued to walk on.

"You see I was only curious as to how you knew what to critique" Itachi admitted catching Natsumi's attention as she looked back to meet the gaze of his onyx hues.

"What do you mean?" she asked wearily.

"Well everything you said about how stiff Konan and Sasori were, how Deidara threw off the tempo, and my eye contact" he replied earning a confused look from the girl.

"Yeah" Natsumi replied as the pair suddenly approached the area where the vehicles were parked.

"How did you know all of that?" Itachi asked as the pair made their way past a few cars. "Do you have a back ground in music?" he asked curiously as he now noticed the girl stiffen.

The pair walked on in silence for a while, passing more parked cars until they finally came to a halt at Mikoto's car. Itachi gave Natsumi an expectant look before he did anything else, finally getting a reaction from the girl as she released a heavy sigh.

"My father had me taking violin and singing lessons when we lived in Kyoto" Natsumi said solemnly. "He wanted me to be poised with a specific talent that educated me in in the musical arts and ... help with my issue to being in the public eye" she went on, taking a small pause to look up at Itachi before continuing on in a weary voice.

Itachi looked down at Natsumi with a curious look as she finished as he was unsure of what he could say. After all this was not the answer he expected as it seemed to offer much more information, which only raised more questions for the Uchiha.

'You'd never be able to tell that she had trouble with people ... then again that would explain why she slowed down when we walked through the crowds that shopped. I figured she might be used to attention considering her closeness to Sasuke, but finding this out makes me wonder ... does Natsumi aversion to the public really affect her so much when she seems so confident?' the Uchiha thought looking down at the girl.

Feeling the gaze of Itachi, Natsumi could feel the nervous pit in her stomach tighten as she willed herself to look up to meet his onyx eyes with her brown ones.

"My father always thought that my discomfort with crowds would hinder my ability at interaction and voicing myself in public settings ... he was upset when he found out I preferred the violin over singing since I couldn't handle performing in front of crowds." Natsumi said finally looking up to Itachi with a nervous look on her face as she spoke.

"Why were you able to manage playing the violin but not singing?" Itachi asked giving the dark haired girl a softer look.

"Well I mainly kept my focus on my instrument and sheet music ... but when I didn't shutting my eyes was a viable option so I didn't have to pay attention to the crowd ... Singing meant I had to actually interact with an audience more in terms of eye contact and movement and ... since I wasn't able to ignore the crowd I ... I couldn't do it" she admitted looking to the ground as she thought back to the disappointment that her father wore after he learned this.

"Natsumi are you alright?" Itachi asked, catching the girl's attention as she was pulled from her memory and was met with the sight of the Uchiha leaning to the side to catch her gaze.

"Yes" she replied immediately offering the young man a half smile in reassurance, but Natsumi could tell by Itachi's gaze that he didn't buy it.

"If you don't mind my asking ... why was your father so concerned about your aversion to being in the public eye?" he asked curiously.

"My father ... he ... in order to fulfill his wishes for me to assist in running his company, he wants to be sure that I won't lose my nerve in crowds, so I can speak my mind to voice my opinions when important ... sadly my failure to comply in performing means he doesn't have faith in that ability" Natsumi said looking to Itachi with a sad look in her eyes.

Itachi wasn't sure to respond to this information as he stood before the teen girl. All of this information seemed so personal, and considering she was Sasuke's friend, he knew his younger brother would be upset with him for getting to know more about her. Yet something in the Uchiha prompted him to respond, even though the gesture was only a small nod that ended with the teen girl simply looking down to the ground again.

"Um Natsumi" Itachi said catching her attention as she looked up to him again. "I have my mother's keys in my front pocket, if you don't mind could you grab them?" he asked as held up the three bags in his arms to emphasize his purpose for asking her this favor.

Natsumi hoped she was suppressing the blush to her face as she processed Itachi's request. She gave a simple nod in response before using her free hand to reach to the young man's front shirt pocket. Her hand then went in feeling for the object before a look of confusion crossed her face as she discovered the pocket to be empty. Looking to Itachi with her confused look she was about to ask him about the keys when he spoke again.

"Natsumi their actually in my front pants pocket" he clarified, making her face light ablaze in a bright red blush that made him try not to laugh as she retracted her hand to cover her face in embarrassment.

"I'm so sorry" Natsumi apologized shyly as the young man smiled at her, before shaking his head dismissively.

Natsumi took a deep breath to calm her nerves before once again reaching forward and now directing her hand in the direction of his pants pocket. Natsumi stuck her hands into the pocket of his pants, immediately feeling the keys, yet just when she was about to grasp them to pull them out she froze as she heard her name to being called.

"Natsumi I thought that was you!" a feminine voice said suddenly standing alongside the teen. "What are you do- oh" the voice went on before coming to a halt as Natsumi turned to see Sakura.

Natsumi was mortified as she registered the pink haired girl's presence. Making eye contact with her green eyes left the girl feeling like she had just been hit by a truck as she watched Sakura's green orbs travel from Natsumi to where her hand was. Natsumi quickly pulled the keys from Itachi's pocket before promptly standing up and turning to look at the girl.

"Sakura!" Natsumi said in surprise as she tried to regain her composure.

"I'll see you at school" Sakura said abruptly pointing herself away as Natsumi tried to explain.

"I was just-" Natsumi began before the pinkette cut her off.

"We'll talk later" Sakura said with a dismissive wave, before beginning to walk off. "Wow Kiba really doesn't have a chance" she mumbled walking off from the pair of dark haired teens.

After Sakura's departure, Natsumi stood in mortification before the sound of Itachi beginning to laugh caught her attention suddenly.

"It's not funny" Natsumi whined turning to the Uchiha who tried his best to suppress his chuckles but failed terribly. "She's going to get the wrong idea and tell everyone" Natsumi exclaimed in an exasperated tone.

"And what idea might that be?" Itachi asked raising a brow at the dark haired girl as he smiled.

Natsumi gave no response as she felt her face become a dark shade of red under Itachi's gaze.

"Unlock the car Natsumi" he instructed, earning an obedient nod from the teen before she pushed the button that unlocked Mikoto's car.

Itachi then made his way over to the trunk that popped open as he held a foot out under the censor and placed in his mother's two bags of groceries while still holding onto the third bag he held, that was for Natsumi and her mother. Itachi then closed the trunk and turned to Natsumi giving the girl an expectant look and nod, which prompted her to push the button that locked the vehicle before handing the keys back to the young man.

"You shouldn't worry so much about what other's think Natsumi" Itachi suddenly said placing a hand on top of the girl's head as she looked up to him with shocked eyes before he released a light chuckle before removing his hand.

Natsumi's face now glowed with a light pink blush before she shook her head and allowed it to return to its normal shade before leading Itachi in the direction where her mother had parked in the lot. After placing the groceries into the trunk of the vehicle, the teens quickly made their way back to meet their mothers.

...

Meanwhile the two dark haired females sat in the small café in deep conversation on the ongoing events of Konoha that took place after Kazumi had left. The woman laughed and gossiped freely, enjoying one another's company until it was Kazumi's turn to fill Mikoto in on her life thus far. Mikoto sat in shock as she sat across from the woman after hearing her discuss her college time, marriage, divorce, and now her struggle as a newly single mother.

"I'm so sorry Kazumi" Mikoto apologized placing a caring hand on top of the dark haired woman's as she kept the other on the handle of her mug of her drink.

"There's no need to say sorry Mikoto" Kazumi said reassuringly. "It's not your fault, besides I think it was for the best anyways since neither of us was happy ... although Natsumi had to face the biggest readjustment I think she's fairing rather well and I honestly think if it weren't for your son Sasuke, it wouldn't have been so easy for her" she went on making Mikoto's brows raised in surprise.

"Sasuke's not perfect either Kazumi, honestly I've been so worried about him since his actions last year ... but since Natsumi's come into his life I can tell that he's changed for the better" Mikoto said making Natsumi's mother smile. "You're doing amazing with her on your own" Mikoto complimented the woman.

"Even so I just wish I could spend more time with her ... my new schedule has me gone for a couple days to weeks and I know it's taking a toll on Natsumi. I'm glad she's so mature and understanding but I know my daughter and she isn't one to complain." Kazumi said sadly before taking a sip of her coffee as Mikoto gave an understanding nod. "I'm proud of her for managing her feelings and I'm happy she doesn't need to dwell on it since she's busy with things like friends and extra circulars." She went on earning an excited nod from Mikoto.

"Oh yes she's assisting Kakashi Hatake as a teacher's aide right?" Mikoto asked earning a nod from Kazumi.

"Yes she has a high admiration for him ... she's always talking about the workload he entrusts her with and how he said he sees her as a partner rather than a worker" Kazumi said as Mikoto nodded in understanding.

"Sasuke mentioned how she keeps busy; she's especially had a plateful with Homecoming approaching" Mikoto said taking a sip of her own drink.

"Ah yes that is true ... she certainly has taken on a lot" Kazumi's replied taking another sip of her coffee. "I'm not sure I said this but thank you for offering to take her dress shopping and for wanting to help her get ready" she said giving Mikoto a grateful smile.

"There's no need to thank me Kazumi" Mikoto said waving off the woman. "I always wanted to experience these things but when you have two boys, that's not always the case" she went on as Kazumi's brows rose in realization.

"You only have Sasuke and Itachi" Kazumi stated earning a nod from Mikoto.

"I should really be thanking you, if it weren't for Natsumi Sasuke might've gone his whole high school experience not going to a dance" Mikoto said surprising Kazumi.

"He's so handsome, don't tell me he'd have trouble finding a date" Kazumi said earning a light laugh from Mikoto as she waved her hands in front of her.

"It's not that at all ... Sasuke just isn't one to ... interact with the girls he attends school with" she finished wearily as Kazumi nodded in understanding.

"Natsumi and him have that in common then ... she's never been to any school function, had a boyfriend or much less a date" Kazumi stated as Mikoto's eyes lit up in interest.

"Your ex-husband was very strict" Mikoto replied earning a nod of agreement from Kazumi as she sipped her coffee.

"I'm just glad Natsumi's getting the chance to experience a normal teenage life now" Kazumi stated placing her cup down. "Well as normal a life with a divorced mother who works more than anything else" she went on releasing a heavy sigh as she stared at the cup in her hands.

"Kazumi you're doing your best and it's not like you're always gone, weren't you home the past week and half?" Mikoto asked catching Kazumi's attention.

"I was but even so Natsumi and I didn't get to spend much time together. I'm so used to being the one rushing out to work, that I was so off put when it was her leaving early for school and coming home late after fulfilling her responsibilities." Kazumi recounted as Mikoto listened attentively.

"Homecoming is this week so that shouldn't be an issue soon enough" Mikoto said trying to ease the woman's mind with a reassuring tone.

"It would be if I weren't leaving now" Kazumi said sadly.

"How long?" Mikoto asked with her brows furrowing in concern.

"A week or maybe even two ... I'm not too sure considering it all depends on if I can get this next contract to close" Kazumi replied before taking another sip of her coffee.

"It'll be ok" Mikoto tried to reassure the woman. "Natsumi has been doing very well so far" she said encouragingly.

"You might think so Mikoto, but Natsumi has a tendency to get distracted by her work and skip meals like breakfast or dinner" Kazumi responded making Mikoto's eyes light up in surprise. "It was surprise to me that she could so easily forget something that had to do with taking care of herself but I was happy to find out breakfast wasn't so much of an issue since she said she was eating with Kakashi-sensei while they graded papers in the morning" she went on.

"If you would like, we could have Natsumi over every day this week for dinner ... just so you know she was actually having dinner" Mikoto offered taking Kazumi by surprise.

"I couldn't have you do that Mikoto" Kazumi said shaking her head no. "Not after all you already do and especially with all you're already going to be doing for her for Homecoming" she went on.

"I'm a mother Kazumi; it's a natural instinct ... besides since she's a friend of Sasuke's, I feel like she's already like a part of the family, we all love her company" she replied.

"Thank you Mikoto" Kazumi thanked the woman with an appreciative smile. "I can't think of a way to repay your kindness" she went on earning a scoff from Mikoto.

"You don't need to repay anything Kazumi. I'm happy to help" Mikoto said dismissively before taking another sip of her drink.

"I still feel indebted" Kazumi stated before earning a hard stare from Mikoto that prompted her to change the subject. "Who would've thought that two people who never spoke to one another while growing up together would be sitting here now talking about so much?" Kazumi asked with a smile.

"We owe a large part of it to our kids" Mikoto said with a smile. "We might not have been close or even friends but our children certainly make up for that with their relationship" she continued.

"Amazing how their friendship brought us together" Kazumi said in agreement.

"To develop our own friendship" Mikoto stated earning a surprised look from Kazumi before she smiled and nodded in agreement. "And if we're friends, then we can consider each other's' children as our own, so I have no problems with helping to take care of my surrogate daughter Natsumi" Mikoto stated giving Kazumi a knowing smirk, that left the woman in shock.

"I see what you did there" Kazumi said giving a light laugh as Mikoto smiled at her.

"And I know you would do the same for Sasuke or Itachi" Mikoto replied.

"Ah yes ... they would be my 'surrogate sons'?" Kazumi asked raising a brow at Mikoto who now stifled a laugh as she nodded.

"Maybe one day Natsumi won't just be my 'surrogate daughter' though" Mikoto said making Kazumi give her a questionable look. "Maybe one day I could call her my daughter in-law" she went on making Kazumi shake her head dismissively.

"And which of your son's would I call my son in-law?" Kazumi asked sarcastically, earning a confused look from Mikoto before both women broke out into laughter.

They laughed for a while, gaining the attention of other patrons of the small café as they all turned to face the commotion the two women created with their loud laughter.

"Speaking of our kids though, where do you think Natsumi and Itachi are?" Kazumi asked as their laughter died down.

"They should be along soon" Mikoto replied looking to the door of the establishment and now taking notice to the attention the two women had attracted.

Both women grew silent as they now both looked back at the curious eyes awkwardly.

...

Back with Natsumi and Itachi, the pair walked the busy streets in silence, doing their best to quickly make their way to the café, but with noon approaching the foot traffic of the shopping district grew heavier with more people, making it much more difficult for the teens to weave through. Natsumi struggled to keep up with Itachi as they walked on and the many strangers bumped into her until she was suddenly knocked away from the young man and was nearly separated from him when someone rushed between them.

Natsumi felt herself growing nervous as the traffic between the two made her feel lost as she looked after him. With the many people around her, she felt herself beginning to panic at overwhelming proximity. Natsumi didn't consider herself to be claustrophobic, but she was never one to feel comfortable in crowds. She felt her breath quicken as she looked around the many moving bodies and she was sure her heart would burst from her chest as it beat rapidly.

Natsumi tried to take a deep breath to calm herself as she wrapped her hands around herself, when she was suddenly pulled into the embrace of an individual with an all too familiar grey shirt with a front pocket.

"Natsumi are you alright?" Itachi asked as Natsumi looked up to him with worry filled eyes, before pulling the girl to the side and leading her into a small shop.

Upon stepping into the establishment, Itachi released the girl from his hold and took a step back from her. Natsumi looked around the building before noticing how empty it was. Aside from her and Itachi, the only other person there was an old man who simply smiled in greeting to the pair.

"Welcome" the old man said with a cheery closed eyed smile, earning a nod and smile from Itachi before he went about wiping the front counter.

It was a small shop that looked like it didn't usually receive much business as Natsumi noted the many dusty shelves that were filled with stacks upon stacks of old books. The shop had no windows, and seemed much darker than it really was with the walls being a dark shade of grey and having its many dark mahogany bookshelves.

"Do you kids like books?" the old man asked hopefully, stepping around the counter to approach the pair. "I have lots of books, good old fashioned books, none of that fruity fiction stuff like that other store ... you know I heard they offer some stupid discount for couples but if you buy from here, I'll offer a loyal customer discount" he said making Natsumi's brows raise in surprise while Itachi simply waved the man off.

"We're just stopping in for a look for now" Itachi said with a smile.

"Oh well if you change your mind I'll be behind the counter" he said gruffly as he turned to saunter back to his area.

Turning to Natsumi after this, Itachi gave her a weary look before speaking.

"Are you alright?" he asked in a concerned tone.

"Yes" Natsumi replied with a nod as Itachi awkwardly scratched the back of his neck before motioning for the dark haired girl to follow him.

"We should take a minute to look around before we head back out" he stated as the teens began wandering the shelves with Natsumi simply nodding in understanding. "I'm sorry I grabbed you so suddenly" Itachi suddenly said making Natsumi snap her head to look at him in shock. "I noticed you were gone and when I turned back for you, I noticed that you seemed a little overwhelmed with the crowd so I acted without thinking" he explained making Natsumi's eyes widen in surprise as she stared at the young man.

"I-um no ... You don't have to apologize Itachi" she said after finding the way to properly express what she wanted to say. "I should be thanking you actually since you stopped me from having a panic attack" Natsumi went on as she ran a hand through her dark locks.

"Hugging someone who's freaking out about people probably wasn't the right thing to do" Itachi admitted sticking his hands into the pockets of his pants.

"But getting them somewhere to calm down was" Natsumi said fumbling with her hands awkwardly as she her gaze drifted to the side.

Itachi smiled down at the dark haired girl before directing his attention to the shelves and reaching out to pull a book off the shelf.

"I'm going to buy this" he stated suddenly making Natsumi look up as she read the title.

"The Complexity of Different types of relationships" Natsumi read aloud before raising a brow at Itachi. "Why this book"

"I'd feel guilty not buying anything at all" he responded. "How come?" he asked.

"I have a friend who would read something like this" Natsumi stated as she and Itachi walked to the front counter.

The old man rang up the book happily until the door opened again.

"Welcome back Sai" he said alarming Natsumi as she turned around to see the pale boy standing at the entrance.

"Hello" Sai greeted the old man, not taking notice to the girl's presence.

"How'd you like the book?" the old man asked.

"I got punched by one of my friends when I tried to comfort her" Sai replied before finally taking notice to Natsumi. "Speaking of my friend" Sai said approaching the counter.

"Hey Sai" Natsumi greeted the young man awkwardly.

"Natsumi it's surprising to see you here" Sai greeted with a nod before turning to Itachi and studying him before speaking.

'Please don't say anything stupid' Natsumi pleaded internally as she felt her breath hitch as she waited for Sai to speak again.

"Hello my name is Sai, who are you?" the pale boy said holding out a hand to the Uchiha while Natsumi stopped breathing in anticipation of Sai saying something around the lines of his usual dialog.

She watched as Itachi reached out and shook Sai's hand.

"Itachi" the Uchiha introduced himself before releasing Sai's hand before the pale boy spoke again.

"Are you a friend of Natsumi's as well?" Sai asked curiously as Itachi's eyes shifted between him and the dark haired girl. "Or are you pursuing her like our classmate Kiba and the boy Deidara who interns for our art teacher?" he then asked making Natsumi feel her heart stop. "Because if that's the case I understand how it can be intimidating for you with her having a male friend like me, but I assure you that would be the least of your worries as we don't have a close enough relationship like her and her other male friend Sasuke" he explained making Natsumi feel like she could die on the spot as her entire body went rigid.

"Natsumi is a friend of mine as well" Itachi said with a light smile as he tried to suppress a laugh while Natsumi looked between the two boys in mortification.

"I guess that would make us associates since we both know Natsumi then" Sai thought aloud. "That's the next book I needed" Sai stated simply changing the subject as he stared at the book Itachi held in his hands.

"Obviously" Natsumi scoffed as she glared at Sai with narrowed eyes.

"You can have it" Itachi said holding the book out to the young man, much to the surprise of both teens.

"Really?" Sai asked looking from the book to Itachi before the young man nodded, prompting the pale boy to accept it. "In this case then I think I can consider a friend of Natsumi's as my friend. Thank you new friend" Sai said bowing to Itachi in gratitude before turning to Natsumi. "Even though he has just met me, he seems to be better friend since he's given me a gift" Sai said making Natsumi raise a brow in question as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Just something for you to think about Natsumi" Sai said offering the girl one his signature smile before walking past her and making his way to a small table in the corner of the shop to read his new book.

Natsumi stared at the boy in disbelief before Itachi pointed her in the direction of the exit. Once the pair had stepped outside, Itachi further surprised the girl, when he held out his arm for the girl to take before they stepped back into the busy foot traffic on the street.

"Just so we won't separate again" he said earning a nod of understanding from the girl before she took hold of his arm shyly before the teens began walking again.

Natsumi felt awkward walking alongside the older boy with her hand holding onto his arm. She was so close to him she could smell the scent of his cologne and with her grip she could feel the warmth of his body. Before the two could walk in silence with no problems, but holding onto him at such a close proximity almost made the girl want to talk to him. It took a few moments of silence before Natsumi finally worked up the nerve to speak.

"Hey Itachi" Natsumi called as Itachi glanced down to her as they walked.

"Hn?" he asked in acknowledgment.

"The last time I was at your house for dinner, I thought I might see you and The Akatsuki at dinner but we missed you" she said making the Uchiha chuckle.

"My father would've had an aneurism at having them at the table" Itachi replied making Natsumi's brows raise in disbelief.

'I almost forgot his father dislikes his friends' Natsumi thought, mentally berating herself for her choice of small talk that left things even more awkward.

"It was fine though we practiced for a while until Nagato and Zetsu brought a pizza" he said casually as Natsumi gave him a confused look.

"Nagato and Zetsu?" she asked wearily before Itachi's onyx orbs lit up in realization.

"I'm sorry I forgot you haven't met the other members of The Akatsuki" he apologized as Natsumi continued to give him a perplexed look.

"There are other members?" Natsumi asked.

"Hn" Itachi replied with a nod. "You met the main band members, along with head of security being Kisame and our manager Kakuzu, but you haven't met our hype man Tobi, our sound and stage production mangers Nagato and Zetsu who handle everything behind the scenes and then there's Hidan who also does security." Itachi explained as Natsumi looked at him with curious filled eyes.

"Why weren't they at practice that day?" she inquired turning her head to the side.

"Tobi has another life aside from The Akatsuki, while Nagato and Zetsu had evening study groups, and Hidan had a ... religious revival to attend" Itachi explained as Natsumi nodded in understanding as the pair continued on.

They walked for a while with Itachi continuing on about his friends in the Akatsuki until they noticed they stood just outside the café they were supposed to meet their mothers at.

"Looks like we're here" Natsumi stated, letting go of her hold on Itachi's arm.

"Hn" he nodded in response as he reached to open the door, before suddenly stopping and turning to the girl with a serious look.

"Natsumi your father was wrong" Itachi stated alarming the girl at his sudden choice of words. "You might not be the best with crowds but you certainly aren't one to lose your nerve and not speak your mind, if it was otherwise you would've never stood against Sasuke and we wouldn't be here" he stated as Natsumi stared at him in shock.

Natsumi didn't know what to say at first as she looked at Itachi. She pondered his words for a moment before allowing a small smile to grace her lips.

"Thank you Itachi" Natsumi said after a while as she bowed to the young man.

"Let's go" he said simply holding the door open for the girl as he motioned for her to enter.

"There you kids are" Mikoto exclaimed as the pair entered. "We've been waiting for what felt like ages" she went on as the two made their way to sit beside their perspective mothers.

"You wouldn't believe the traffic" Natsumi said honestly, earning a chuckle from Itachi as he sat across from the dark haired girl.

"Itachi go order a couple drinks for you and Natsumi, we have some things to discuss" Mikoto said pointing her son to the counter as Natsumi turned to give her mother a questionable look as she thought.

'I feel worried'.

...

A/N: And that is the chapter! I hope you all liked having Itachi in this one as well as the interacting between Mikoto and Natsumi's mother. I don't know what else to say I just hope you're all pumped for the next chapter since its Homecoming! Until next time xoxo