Best Friend's Brother 20

HOMECOMING! Part 1

"Natsumi please don't be so upset" the dark haired girl's mother mused releasing a frustrated sigh as she looked at her daughter.

It was Monday morning and the two dark haired females currently stood in the foyer of their home. Natsumi's mother looked at her daughter with her brows creased and her lips pierced in a straight line. The woman was dressed in a Navy blue pants suit with a white button up underneath and a pair of black heels while her dark hair was partially held back with a black clip. It was the morning of her departure and though the two had been able to share a civil breakfast that morning, she was upset that her teen daughter seemed to show no emotional response to her leaving. Although she knew the purpose of this, she couldn't help but feel angered as she stood before the dark haired teen with her suitcase beside her.

"Don't you have a flight to catch?" Natsumi asked in a monotone voice as she lifted the gaze of her brown orbs from the floor and looked at her mother with a blank stare. "Or am I not at liberty to remind you, just like I can't be trusted to take care of myself while you're gone this week?" Natsumi asked rhetorically, earning a heavy sigh from her mother as she brought a hand up to pinch the bridge of her nose in frustration.

"Natsumi it's not that I don't trust you" her mother began with her eyes closed. "I just want the peace of mind that you're going to be taken care of" her mother continued in a calm tone.

"I've never needed a babysitter before" Natsumi replied in an annoyed huff.

"You're not getting a babysitter Natsumi. You're just going to the Uchiha's for dinner this week, it's not like they're coming here to watch you or you have to stay the night there" her mother explained clasping her hands together.

"What if I wanted to have dinner with a friend this week?" Natsumi asked rhetorically.

"Sasuke is your friend" Natsumi's mother breathed out in frustration as the dark haired teen scoffed in response.

"He tolerates me" Natsumi retorted stubbornly making her mother roll her eyes. "I mean other friends" Natsumi went on, making her mother raise a brow in question.

"Like?" the woman inquired giving her daughter a curious look.

"Naruto, or Hinata, or ..." Natsumi began to list out on her hands before trailing off in silence.

'I guess I'm not really that close to anyone else to hang out with outside of school' Natsumi thought thinking of her friend group and how after all this time she still wasn't exactly branching out of her comfort zone as she couldn't imagine hanging out with any of the others alone.

"Based on what I heard from Mikoto, Naruto may be joining you some nights for dinner" her mother replied.

"That's not the point. I want my freedom to know that I can make that decision if I want" Natsumi argued in an aggravated tone.

"Then do you want to call Mikoto and tell her that you want to reject her offer?!" Natsumi's mother shot back pulling her phone from her pocket and holding it out to the teen.

Natsumi grew silent as she stared at the device in her mother's hand. The teen could feel the uneasiness of being put on the spot as she felt her mother's eyes wander over her.

'I would never want to offend Mikoto for all she does, but I just can't stand the idea of having to be monitored for the week' Natsumi thought with her brows creasing in frustration.

The teen released a deep breath to steady her nerves before she spoke again.

"I'm not making that call" Natsumi said in a defeated tone as her mother placed her phone back in her pocket and placed a hand on her hip. "I just think it's unfair how I'm expected to find a balance between being an adult and being smothered like a child ..." Natsumi went on making her mother release a huff of frustration.

"You need to get used to it Natsumi. I'm sorry that our situation isn't ideal. Your father put a lot of pressure on you but it made you into who you are now. So-" the woman began to explain before being cut off by her daughter.

"Why do you have to bring dad into this?!" Natsumi asked in anger.

"Would you stop talking back and just listen?!" Natsumi's mother snapped back, making the teen jump slightly. "Not everything is going to be fair Natsumi! Life is constantly going to make you feel off balance and you can't complain about it. Right now you need to be responsible and be able to manage your own affairs but you also need to know that I am the parent and you are the child. What I say and do is for your benefit so I highly suggest not fighting me on it. I'm not always going to be around and that hurts to know that you don't want to do something as simple as comply with something that's giving me the peace of mind to know you'll be ok!" Natsumi's mother yelled before the beeping sound of her alarm caught her attention.

Looking from daughter to her device, the woman released a frustrated sigh as she pulled it from her pocket and turned it off. Yet when she looked back to Natsumi, she was surprised to see the girl by passing her with her school bag on her shoulder.

"Have a nice flight" the teen breathed out as she passed her mother and made her way out the door.

"Natsumi-" her mother tried to call after her only to be met with silence as the door shut behind her. "Teenagers" the woman breathed out in a sigh of frustration before pinching the bridge of her nose and closing her eyes to calm herself before making her own departure.

...

With such an eventful start to her week, Natsumi felt a dark aura of aggravation surround her as she made her way to school. Typically the teen kept to herself in her morning walks, keeping a pretty calm demeanor that carried over when she walked the halls at school, but today was different as Natsumi stormed to campus. As the teen stalked the halls of Konoha High, the various onlookers stared in worry as they watched her pass them in her angry huff. She walked in a quicker pace than usual with an angry look on her face and her arms crossed over her chest as her school bag swung behind her on one shoulder.

Natsumi finally came to a halt as she stopped at her locker, quickly putting in her combination before swinging the door open and aggressively pulling books out to shove into her bag.

"Someone looks like their having a rough morning" the calm voice of Kakashi-sensei came from behind the teen girl, making her freeze in her actions before turning around to look at the silver haired man.

"Kakashi-sensei" Natsumi sputtered out in surprise as she saw the man standing with a hand in the pocket of his pants and the other holding up his usual book.

"You know you should be gentler with it, otherwise that much force could cause a tear" he stated turning his head to look at the girl with a dull expression.

'Never fail with the wording sensei' Natsumi thought sweat dropping before shaking the thought from her head and turning back to slam her locker shut. She angrily stuffed the remaining items of the bag downward before firmly zipping it shut, and turning to trudge her way to class.

...

Her mood did not improve the rest of the day as the teen seemed to distance herself from her friends and when questioned on her mood, she simply brushed the question aside. By the end of the day, everyone knew something was wrong with the girl, yet with how uncooperative Natsumi was, they were at a loss of how to help her.

"Do you think she's upset about Homecoming? I don't think anyone has asked her yet" Sakura speculated as she and Ino watched Natsumi swiftly make her way out of the locker room after PE.

"I don't know if Natsumi is one to get upset over something like that" Ino admitted. "I honestly feel like you should be more worried about yourself getting a date than her" the blonde went on making an irk mark appear on the pink haired girl's head as she narrowed her green eyes at her.

"You know I think I would worry but I know a pig like you might not get asked at all" Sakura shot back as Ino now returned her glare.

"You know what billboard brow" the blonde began to retort before being cut off by Sakura.

"Save it Ino-pig ... I'm going to catch up with Natsumi" the pinkette declared beginning to walk off from the blonde girl.

"Wait Sakura!" Ino called stopping Sakura as she looked at Ino over her shoulder. "Don't you think she's still mad at us about the float thing last week?" the blonde questioned, making a look of contemplation cross Sakura's face.

"She might be ..." Sakura admitted looking down. "But right now she needs a friend" the pink haired girl said in a determined voice before starting off again.

Ino looked after Sakura with a brow raised in suspicion.

"Do you actually think she's worried about Natsumi?" a familiar voice asked catching Ino's attention as she turned to see Matsuri standing nearby.

"What?" Ino asked in confusion. "Hold on a minute are you even in this class?" the blonde inquired.

"What if she's only making up with her so everyone will be happy that she made Natsumi feel better?" the brown haired girl replied, ignoring Ino's last question.

"Why would Sakura do that?" Ino asked crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well if Sasuke Uchiha appreciates the gesture of her comforting his friend, he might take an interest in Sakura" Matsuri reasoned, making Ino's eyes widen in alarm before her brows furrowed in contemplation.

"Natsumi isn't just Sasuke's friend though" Ino argued. "I mean none of us are really that close to her but even so ... And another thing Sakura wouldn't so that" Ino went on before feeling herself grow skeptical towards the end.

Ino scoffed as she tried to shake the thought from her head before heading out with her bag.

"Why are you getting involved Matsuri?" Yukata asked walking up to her brown haired friend. "I think Sakura was really worried about her"

"I'm just making sure she won't get in the way of Gaara" Matsuri replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "Besides her having a mood like today means she won't be talking to anyone, much less those two ... I think it was pretty smart of us to sneak in and get involved" the brunette said in a cocky tone.

"I feel like this might back fire" Yukata said lowly earning a scoff from Matsuri in reply before the girl's exited the locker room.

...

Natsumi stuffed her hands in the pockets of her uniform jacket as she walked the halls of Konoha High, keeping her eyes down casted as the hordes of after school traffic passed her. The argument she had had with her mother still fresh in her memory as it was that morning, making her feel an awful pain of guilt.

'This is the first time mom left for a trip with us on bad terms' Natsumi thought feeling her chest clench before suddenly colliding with another.

"Watch where you're going!" a harsh familiar voice said as Natsumi fell back and landed on the ground with a thump.

"Temari" Natsumi exclaimed in surprise as she registered the presence of the blonde girl turning to look at her.

"Oh Natsumi" Temari said with her tone softening as she registered the dark haired girl.

The two girls looked at one another in silence before Natsumi turned to see Kankuro stepping around his sister and offering her a hand to help her up. Natsumi immediately grasped the boy's hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet and nodding to him in thanks after he released her hand.

"See what happens when you're more focused on your brother's life than watching your back" Kankuro chastised Temari as he turned to the girl who glared at him in response. "You're so solid that you knocked poor Natsumi over without moving a muscle ... maybe you should consider going on a diet or something" Kankuro said folding his arms over his chest as an irk mark grew on Temari's forehead.

Natsumi looked between the two siblings with a confused look on her face as she watched them.

"Kankuro" Temari said in a warning tone as she clenched her fists in anger and took a step toward the boy.

"Hey I was only kidding about that second part" he said holding his hands up in defense before his gaze shifted to Natsumi and his eyes lit up. "You haven't even apologized to Natsumi, how rude" he said making Temari stop before turning her head to the dark haired girl who stood by awkwardly.

"You don't have to" Natsumi said shaking her head. "I shouldn't have been looking down while walking" the dark haired girl said awkwardly running a hand through her hair as she tried to walk away.

"No" Temari said fully turning to face Natsumi and bringing the girl to a halt. "I shouldn't have snapped at you like I did so I apologize ... Maybe I would've noticed you coming if it weren't for my idiot brother!" Temari went on, increasing her volume and turning to back to Kankuro only to see him gone.

Temari released a heavy sigh of frustration as she looked down. In the midst of Temari's apology, the brown haired boy had used the opportunity to slip away undetected. Natsumi awkwardly looked at Temari, feeling unsure if she should leave now.

"Are you ok?" Natsumi asked after finally deciding to stay.

"Yeah I'm fine" Temari said with a dismissive wave before bringing a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose.

"Hn" Natsumi said nodding in reply as readjusted her bag and began to walk off.

"Um Natsumi" Temari said bringing Natsumi to a stop as she turned to look at her. "Are you alright? You seemed off today and ... you know what never mind" Temari said shaking her head dismissively.

Natsumi turned to start walking again but couldn't bring her feet to continue on as she stood in thought.

'I can't complain about not having any friends to be close to if I don't put in the effort' Natsumi thought before turning back to Temari in determination.

"Hey Temari" Natsumi said catching the gaze of the girl's blue eyes. "Thank you for worrying ... I'm just not the best with talking about feelings" she said making a small smile cross Temari's face as she nodded in understanding.

"I understand" Temari replied as Natsumi nodded as well. "Um if you aren't busy do you think you could help me grabbing some boxes from upstairs and taking them to the council room?" Temari asked pointing behind her with her thumb.

Natsumi nodded in agreement, making another smile cross Temari's face.

"Great we just have to grab the key from the office" Temari said as she began walking and leading Natsumi in the original direction that the dark haired girl was traveling.

Not long after this a certain pink haired girl came rushing down the hall, with her green eyes scanning the empty hall before she was brought to a sudden halt as she was tackled to the ground.

"What's your angle Sakura?!" Ino asked pinning the girl down.

"Ino!" Sakura exclaimed as she registered the blonde's presence. "What are you talking about? Get off of me!" the pink haired girl demanded, struggling underneath the blonde girl.

"Oh yeah right" Ino said from atop Sakura. "Don't try playing dumb with me Sakura! I know exactly what you're up to" Ino said continuing to hold Sakura down.

"What are you talking about?!" Sakura yelled in anger.

"You were only trying to make Natsumi feel better to make yourself look good to Sasuke" Ino said.

"What?!" Sakura asked taken aback by the accusation. "How does that make any sense?!" Sakura asked.

"Oh so you're not trying to use Natsumi to get to Sasuke?" Ino asked rhetorically.

"How would I look good to Sasuke for comforting Natsumi, when hardly anyone's left on campus, much less Sasuke?" Sakura asked making a look of realization set over Ino's face.

There was a long silence between the girl's as Ino sat on top of Sakura letting the pink haired girl's words sink in further before she finally released her and moved to the side. Sakura glared at Ino as she rose to her knees and finally began to stand.

"I-I'm sorry Sakura" Ino apologized awkwardly as she scratched the back of her head and offered Sakura a closed eyed smile.

This was only met with a school bag to the face.

"What was that for?!" Ino asked in anger.

"You pinned me to the floor!" Sakura yelled back clenching a fist in anger.

"Fair point" Ino said folding her hands over her chest as Sakura picked up her bag.

"Why did you attack me anyways? And what's with accusing me of using Natsumi to get to Sasuke?" Sakura asked skeptically as she raised a brow at Ino.

"It was nothing" Ino said dismissively as she tried to laugh the topic off.

"Ino" Sakura said in a warning tone, making the girl stiffen.

"It was just that girl said" Ino admitted guiltily, as Sakura perked up in curiosity.

"What girl?" Sakura asked in interest.

"The one with short brown, she usually hangs out with that other girl with long black hair ... you know, the ones that follow Gaara around?" Ino explained making Sakura's eyes widen in realization.

"Wait you mean that girl ... Matsuri?" Sakura asked raising a brow.

"Yeah her" Ino said nodding in agreement as Sakura crossed her arms over her chest and a hard look of contemplation crossed her face.

"Something's not right" Sakura thought aloud, before looking back to Ino. "How could you believe her anyways? Do you really think I'm that kind of person?" Sakura asked in offense.

"I only thought you'd do the same if it was me" Ino admitted sheepishly, making Sakura scoff.

"Whatever ... for now we need to focus on what Matsuri was doing ... because if we had had this fight in front of Natsumi, I'm fairly certain we would've done the exact opposite of making her feel better" Sakura went on placing a hand on her chin in thought before the two girls continued on their walk down the hall.

...

Getting the key for the upstairs storage area didn't take long in the office for Temari and Natsumi. Soon enough the pair had made their way up to the upper floor of the school and found their way to the empty classroom that was used for storage for Student Council. After grabbing two large boxes, the two teen girls began to make their way back down to the main level of the school.

"So what are these boxes for anyways?" Natsumi asked curiously as the girls walked the quiet halls.

"Decorations for the dance" Temari replied adjusting her grip on the box she carried.

"Hn" Natsumi replied nodding in understanding.

"Yeah Kankuro was supposed to help me grab them but we got a little side tracked" Temari explained as the girls approached the Student Council room.

"Oh when I ran into you?" Natsumi asked.

"Yeah" Temari said bringing a leg up to balance the box onto her thigh while she held it with one arm and then used the other to open the door.

Upon entering the room, the two girls were met with the sight of Gaara sitting at a desk filling out paperwork while Kankuro casually leaned against the desk in front of him with a smile that quickly fell when his gaze shifted over to Temari.

"Kankuro" Temari said in a low tone that made the boy's face pale as he watched her make her way further into the room with the box in hand.

What happened left Natsumi baffled as Kankuro nervously glanced around the room before diving head first out the nearest opened window. Natsumi sweat dropped at the sight as she turned to see the reactions of his siblings and much to her surprise seeing none. Temari simply shrugged dismissively while Gaara went about filling out his paperwork unaffected.

'So is this normal?' Natsumi thought with her brows rising in astonishment.

Taking notice to Natsumi's alarm, Temari released a light laugh.

"Don't mind him Natsumi, he thinks running away now will save him but he forgets that I could get him back at home" Temari said calmly as Natsumi looked at her.

'Is this just a sibling thing?" Natsumi thought before turning to see Gaara lift his gaze from his paper work.

Gaara had no real readable expression on his blank face as he simply gave a nod before returning to his work. Natsumi sweat dropped before she noticed Temari carrying her box to the back of the room to set down onto a back counter. Natsumi quickly went about beginning to follow her when she felt the box start to slip from her grip. It came to a further surprise to her when Gaara was suddenly standing in front of her, taking the box from her hands.

"Oh thanks" Natsumi said in appreciation before being cut off by the red headed boy.

"We appreciate your help" Gaara replied simply earning a nod from Natsumi as she looked into his serious blue eyes before he walked off with the box.

"Gaara's not the best with people so you have to forgive his social skills" Temari said sensing the growing awkwardness as Gaara stiffened and Natsumi shifted her gaze to the blonde.

"Um no it's fine" Natsumi said as she tried to wave off Temari's words.

'Siblings really have no chill in calling each other out' Natsumi thought looking between the two.

"It's ok Natsumi" Temari said. "Gaara knows and he's working on it" Temari said smiling to the boy who simply rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"If you're done you can go" Gaara said in an annoyed tone.

"Oh come on Gaara don't be so serious" Temari said with a dismissive wave before turning back to Natsumi. "Both of my brothers are a little rough around the edges but they mean well" Temari said earning an awkward smile and nod from Natsumi before her gaze shifted back to the window as she thought she heard a noise. "Kankuro's probably fine" Temari said trying to ease the dark haired girl's mind.

"He told me what you said" Gaara said suddenly catching the girls' attention again.

"Oh" Temari said earning no response from Gaara.

"What was all of that about anyways? If you don't mind me asking" Natsumi inquired pointing to the window as Temari turned back to her.

"I was just reminding Kankuro that he still needs to find a date for Homecoming" Temari replied as she casually folded her arms over her chest and Gaara scoffed. "It's not my fault he got defensive and then ditched me ... if it weren't for Natsumi I'm not sure how I would've managed getting those boxes down here" Temari said turning to Gaara.

"Maybe he'd listen if your methods weren't so violent" Gaara retorted as Temari looked at him with narrowed eyes. "At least that's what he said" Gaara said looking back down to his paperwork.

"Well we don't want a repeat of what he did last year, especially with the rule about council members needing dates" Temari said as Natsumi turned her head to the side in curiosity before her eyes lit up in realization.

"Do you mean when he took a puppet to homecoming?" Natsumi asked surprising Temari as she turned to look at her.

"How did you know about that?" Temari asked. "That happened last year" she stated as Gaara looked up and made eye contact with Natsumi.

"I told her" Gaara said as Temari turned back to him.

"I didn't realize you two were so close" Temari said placing a hand on her hip before her eyes lit up. "Are you taking Natsumi to Homecoming? Is this the surprise date you talked about?" Temari asked in excitement as an awkward silence befell the room.

Natsumi gave Gaara a confused look before hearing another noise from outside and turning her head to the direction of the opened window.

"I'm starting to see the appeal of the window" Gaara said as he looked back to the papers in front of him.

"That's not an answer" Temari said making her red headed brother releasing a deep breath and look back to her.

"No she's not" Gaara said making Temari's smile fall.

"Who is she then?" Temari asked in an annoyed tone.

"That's not the way to find out" Gaara said dismissively turning his gaze away from his sister and making her scoff.

"I have the slightest feeling that you might not have a date at all" Temari said receiving no reaction as Gaara went about writing something down. "And as bad as it was for Kankuro to bring a puppet as a date, you didn't have one at all" Temari said making the red head stiffen as he stopped writing. "There's no need to lie if you don't have a date, I'm sure lots of girls would be thrilled to go with you ... like Natsumi, you know she's never been to a dance before" Temari said turning to the dark haired girl with a smile.

Natsumi sweat dropped as she tried to shake her head to decline as she sensed the awkward tensions grow.

"Natsumi has a date" Gaara said suddenly, catching his sister's attention again as Natsumi breathed a sigh of relief.

"You know you have a lot of nerve criticizing us ... do you even have a date?" Kankuro said suddenly popping up from the window and catching the attention of the other teens.

"What?" Temari asked turning to the boy with a clenched fist.

"You're so caught up with us having dates but I'm almost certain that's because you haven't bullied someone into taking you yet" Kankuro said smugly, before noticing Temari's glare. "You know by the time you get through the hallway and out the front door, I'll be long gone" he said in a cocky tone before turning his attention to Gaara. "And don't think I didn't hear that you told Natsumi about homecoming last year" he said in an annoyed tone.

"I'd be more worried about yourself than Gaara" Temari said in a warning tone as Kankuro turned to look at her with a confused expression.

"What are you talking about?" Kankuro asked before Temari then leaped out the window, jumping at him much to his horror.

Kankuro's screams were heard shortly after, leaving an awkward silence after. Natsumi looked to the window with wide eyes while Gaara shook his head dismissively before face palming in annoyance at the actions of his siblings.

'Wow I really can't imagine having siblings' Natsumi thought with her brows raised in alarm.

...

After the events that took place at the school, Natsumi was surprised when the three siblings offered to treat her to dumplings as thanks for her help. Walking down the busy streets, she and Temari walked a ways behind Kankuro and Gaara.

"So you have a date for Homecoming?" Temari asked as the girl' walked on.

"Hn" Natsumi replied with a nod.

"That's good" Temari said with a smile.

"What about you?" Natsumi asked continuing the conversation.

"Well contrary to my brother's beliefs, I actually do have a date already" Temari said as Natsumi stifled a laugh.

"You and your brothers have a great relationship" Natsumi stated surprising Natsumi.

"You're an only child aren't you?" Temari asked raising a brow at Natsumi.

"Yeah ... why do you ask?" the dark haired girl asked in confusion.

"I'd trade you in a heartbeat" Temari laughed, catching the attention of her brothers who now glanced back with narrowed eyes.

The two girls laughed awkwardly as the boys returned their gazes forward as the group approached the dumpling restaurant. But since the establishment was busy, the teens were told there would be a wait until a table was ready. The boys decided to wait at the establishment while the girls wondered the other shops while continuing to talk about various topics. The girls were currently browsing a local clothing shop. Temari and Natsumi were shifting through various racks of clothing.

"I don't want this to sound the wrong way or anything but you seem a lot better than you did earlier" Temari stated.

"Yeah I feel a lot better" Natsumi admitted as an awkward silence befell the two girls.

"If you don't mind me asking what was wrong?" Temari asked curiously, making Natsumi stiffen.

"I had this fight with my mom before she left for her trip" Natsumi replied wearily. "I just ... I was upset about her arranging for me to have dinner with the Uchiha while she was gone this week ..." Natsumi slowly explained as Temari looked at her with furrowed brows.

"Did you apologize?" Temari asked, surprising Natsumi as she looked at the blonde in disbelief.

"What?" Natsumi asked.

"I'm sorry it's not my place" Temari said with a dismissive wave as Natsumi raised a brow in question before returning to look through the rack in front of her.

"No ... you don't have to apologize" Natsumi said picking up a shirt on a hanger to inspect. "I didn't ... it's not like it's our first fight though ... but it is our first one before she went on a trip" Natsumi said releasing a deep breath. "But it'll be fine, like everyone fights with their mom sometimes right?" Natsumi asked turning to look at Temari and freezing in alarm as she saw the girl with her eyes down casted. "Temari?" Natsumi asked wearily.

"Not everyone" Temari said lifting her gaze as Natsumi's brown eyes filled with concern. "I'd give about anything to argue with mine" the blonde went on as realization hit Natsumi like a bus.

The dark haired girl stood in shock as she stared at Temari with wide alarmed filled eyes and a feeling of terrible guilt.

"Temari I am so sorry I had no idea" Natsumi apologized bringing a hand to her chest.

"It's alright Natsumi" Temari said offering the girl a reassuring smile. "It was a long time ago" Temari went on as Natsumi looked at her with sympathetic eyes.

"I shouldn't have been so-" Natsumi started to explain before being cut off by Temari.

"Hey it's ok" Temari said stopping Natsumi. "There was no way you could have known" Temari said placing a hand onto Natsumi's shoulder.

"I still feel awful" Natsumi replied. "I'm really sorry" she apologized.

"It couldn't have been helped" Temari said calmly.

"What happened?" Natsumi asked curiously as Temari removed her hand. "If you don't mind me asking" she added on as Temari's blue hues returned to the floor.

"She died in child birth" Temari replied making Natsumi's eyes fill with alarm again. "Kankuro and I were only little ... Gaara on the other hand ..." Temari went on, trailing off towards the end. "But like I said it happened a long time ago so there's no need to feel sorry" Temari said looking back to Natsumi.

"Temari I don't know what to say" Natsumi said with a sad look on her face.

"It's ok Natsumi ... but could I give you some advice?" Temari asked automatically earning a nod of agreement from the dark haired girl.

"I miss her and even though I don't seem so affected ... I wish I could have small moments with her even if it was just simple arguments" Temari started making Natsumi feel her heart clench. " I think you should call her and apologize, after all even if her making arrangements with the Uchiha without you was offensive, she did it because she cares about you" Temari said earning a light nod of understanding from Natsumi as silence once again befell the two teen girls before the sound of Temari's phone went off.

Pulling out her device, Temari read a text that informed her that the boys were being seated.

"Looks like we should head back" Temari said earning an earnest nod from Natsumi. "Hey everything's fine" Temari said reassuringly as she smiled at Natsumi before taking her hand and leading her out of the shop.

Natsumi enjoyed her time with the siblings. Temari and Kankuro bickered throughout the meal as Gaara stayed silent and chastised the pair for arguing in public. Together the group conversed, laughed, and conversed, but Natsumi couldn't help but let her eyes wonder over each of the siblings with a sad look in her eyes as she thought back to what Temari said.

'It's really sad to think that they've grown up without their mother in their lives" Natsumi thought as her gaze traveled from the fighting Temari and Kankuro before landing on Gaara. "But it's even sadder to have no memories of a mother at all" Natsumi thought before his blue eyes caught the gaze of her brown hues.

Natsumi immediately looked down in embarrassment as she tried to suppress the blush of red to her face. She used her chop sticks to casually poke at the plate before carefully looking up and much to her horror seeing Gaara still looking at her with his piercing blue eyes. Natsumi felt as if her heart would burst from its chest as the teens made eye contact.

'I really hope Gaara can't read my mind' Natsumi thought continuing to look at Gaara in alarm.

"Natsumi" Gaara spoke her name, making the dark haired girl feel as if her blood suddenly ran cold. "Do you want the last dumpling?" he asked pushing the plate with the final dumping toward her, much to her surprise.

Natsumi immediately felt herself relax as she looked from Gaara to the plate he pushed to her. She gave a light smile before nodding in reply as she felt it would be best if he thought she was looking to all of the teens for this reason rather than that of sympathy. Natsumi swiftly picked up the dumpling with her chopsticks before popping it into her mouth.

"Oh Gaara you gave away the last dumpling!" Kankuro exclaimed earning an eye roll from the red head before the two girls broke in giggles before the teens went about finishing up.

...

Later that evening Natsumi laid on her bed staring at the ceiling of her room with a blank expression on her face as she thought over the events of her day.

'Should I call mom?' Natsumi thought looking to her phone that lay beside her.

Slowly she reached for the device, holding it over her face as she contemplated making the call to her mother. Yet before she could come to a decision, Natsumi's phone began to ring, surprising the teen so much, she dropped it onto her face.

"Ow" Natsumi said removing her phone as she brought a hand to her face, before looking at her device to see who was calling.

'Sasuke' Natsumi read, already envisioning the smirk that would be on his face if she were to tell him what his call had caused.

Releasing a breath of air, Natsumi slid her thumb across the screen of her phone to answer the call.

"Sasuke" she said into her device.

"Natsumi" Naruto's voice came from the other end of the line, much to the girl's surprise as she looked at her phone to double check she had read the caller id correctly.

"Naruto?" she asked in disbelief.

"Believe it!" the eccentric blonde replied loudly from the other line, making jump in surprise as she moved the phone away from her ear. "Oh sorry" he laughed sheepishly. "Sasuke wanted me to call you to let you know that we're coming to get you for dinner" Naruto said as Natsumi sat up from her bed.

"Oh ok" Natsumi replied scooting to the edge of her bed before noticing that she was still in her uniform. "I'm going to change really quick but text me when you guys get here" she said standing from her bed.

"Tell her she should've been ready already" she heard Sasuke from the other line.

"Calm down Sasuke, it's not like we're there yet" Naruto said dismissively.

Natsumi couldn't help but smile at the antics of the two boys before she hung up and made her way to her closet to grab a change of clothes. She had decided to wear a pair of black skinny jeans with a white tank top with an opened grey button up over top while having her hair hanging and with a pair of white shoes. She dressed quickly before hearing her phone beep with the notification of a text message, immediately sending the teen to make her way downstairs to meet Sasuke and Naruto.

...

Natsumi sat between Sasuke and Naruto at the dinner table, as she watched Mikoto pass out the small bowls of rice to the other occupants along with chopsticks. Natsumi started to stand to help the woman retrieve the other items from the kitchen, only to receive a head shake and pointed to remain seated by Mikoto as she made her way back to the kitchen. The boys were currently engaged in a conversation with Fugaku, that Natsumi found no interest in. She sat staring at the table in front of her until Mikoto came back, setting a large dish of curry at the center of the table and then taking her seat beside her husband and sitting across from Sasuke.

"Alright" Mikoto said as she sat, earning thanks for the food before the men of the table started to dig in.

Soon enough the table went about eating and picking up on other topics that revolved around school and work and so forth. And although the meal and discussion were rather enjoyable, Natsumi couldn't help but notice Itachi's absence as the gaze of her brown orbs would sporadically shift toward the unoccupied chair beside Mikoto. Taking notice to the young girl's sign of sight, Fugaku released a heavy sigh that caught the attention of the table before he spoke.

"Itachi is busy with his friends this evening but this is the only night his absence will be excused" Fugaku stated making Natsumi stiffen as she looked to him.

'He knew' Natsumi thought before redirecting her stare to her food, as she now felt the stares of Sasuke and Naruto shift to her.

"I informed him that it would be rude to miss dinner this week especially since we have a guest, but he was prominent in his explanation that this would be the only night he was missing" Fugaku explained making Sasuke huff in annoyance.

The table was left in silence after this as only the sound of chewing was heard.

"That's too bad but we'll definitely see him some other time" Naruto said trying to lighten the mood after a while and earning a glare from Sasuke.

"Hn" Fugaku said nodding in agreement before sipping his tea.

The table once again grew silent after this exchange as the silence now felt awkward, or at least until the loud sound of bang was heard followed by the sound of a door being slammed open with the sound of coughing and soon followed by smoke billowing into the dining room. This immediately prompted a response from the table's occupants as they rose from their seats and rushed in the direction of the disturbances source.

"Tobi is so sorry!" a childlike voice cried, followed by the sound of more coughing as Natsumi and the others approached.

"You dumbass!" another voice said through coughs.

"Calm down Hidan, it's my fault for not keeping an eye on Tobi" a calmer voice said as the coughing persisted.

"I don't give a damn, he shouldn't have touched the fucking thing to begin with!" the angry voice retorted.

"My parents are coming" the familiar voice of Itachi suddenly stated as it cut through the chaos, before the sound of scuffling was heard.

"Tobi will see you all later!" the childlike voice cried.

"You're not going to help us clean up?!" a voice Natsumi recognized as Deidara's said now cutting through followed by more coughing.

When they had finally arrived at the scene, they saw the basement door wide open as more smoke poured out and the members of The Akatsuki were on their hands and knees or leaning against the walls of the hallway as they coughed. Yahiko wore a black pullover hoodie with a pair of blue jeans while he patted Konan on the back as she coughed. The blue haired girl wore a pair of black skinny jeans with a muted blue crop top. Beside them stood Sasori who was leaning on the wall with a hand, he wore a pair of black pants with a red plaid shirt that had the sleeves pushed up. On the floor in front of him was Deidara lurched over in a pair of blue jeans with a faded black t-shirt. Natsumi recognized mostly all of them aside from three young men who kneeled on the floor in a coughing fit and even took notice to the missing presence of Kakuzu.

"What happened?!" Fugaku asked in anger as every member froze before looking up at the man.

Itachi immediately scrambled to his feet from where he leaned was bent over coughing. He wore a pair of dark blue jeans with a grey and black striped V-neck t-shirt.

"Father I am so sorry for the disturbance" Itachi apologized trying to stifle his coughs as Fugaku stared at him with a hard glare as he folded his arms over his chest.

"What happened?" Fugaku asked again in a lower tone that left his question laced with malice.

Itachi looked down ward as more coughs began to escape him and he brought a hand up to cover his mouth. Natsumi watched as the other members of The Akatsuki looked away awkwardly as Fugaku stared down at his oldest son. The intensity of the Uchiha's glare was enough to send anyone running but Itachi stood almost unaffected aside from his coughing.

"Dear maybe now's not the best time" Mikoto tried to intervene as she placed a caring hand on the shoulders of both Fugaku and Itachi.

"I want to know the meaning of this now!" Fugaku demanded harshly, as he continued to stare down at Itachi and paid no mind to his wife's sentence as she now removed her hands.

Itachi opened his mouth to speak only to be cut off as a young man with semi long red hair stepped forward and stood beside the Uchiha.

"It was my fault sir ... There was a malfunction with the fog machine and when the machine back fired, the smoke filled up the basement" he explained as Fugaku turned his gaze to him.

The young man had bright straight red hair that messily hung over one of his eyes and had pale white skin. He was roughly the height of Itachi and wore a pair of black jeans with a black t-shirt as well as an unzipped maroon hoodie. He looked calm as he spoke to Fugaku, which Natsumi found to be impressive as she watched him look up to the man. Fugaku released a sigh before turning to look at Itachi again.

"Open up the windows and doors, I want that basement aired out" Fugaku instructed as the other Akatsuki members released breaths of relief. "And I want all the walls scrubbed clean, I don't want to see any of that residue left over from that fog" he stated sternly as Itachi and others simply nodded in understanding.

Fugaku then turned and began to make his way back to the dining room followed shortly by Mikoto and Sasuke. Yet when Natsumi and Naruto turned to follow, the teens were brought to an abrupt halt as they heard their names being called.

"Natsumi!" Deidara called trying not to cough as the girl turned to see him waving at her with a wide grin on his face.

Natsumi returned the gesture before noticing Naruto make his way over to the red headed boy who had called out to him.

"Hey how are you doing Nagato?" Naruto greeted the young man with a bright smile.

'So his name is Nagato ... He must be the one Itachi mentioned who does the sound and stage production' Natsumi thought looking over the young man.

"Naruto, it's good to see you again" the red head named Nagato said with a small smile before his gaze shifted and he made eye contact Natsumi. "Hi" he greeted awkwardly. "Friend of yours?" he asked looking back to Naruto.

"Yeah this is Natsumi" Naruto said bringing an arm around the girl's shoulders as he spoke and pulled her to his side.

"Hey" Natsumi said nodding in greeting to Nagato.

"This is Nagato" Naruto said gesturing to the young man.

"Well I wish we were meeting under different circumstances" Nagato said holding a hand out to Natsumi to shake.

"Hn" Natsumi replied nodding in agreement as she shook his hand.

"Uh I handle the sound and lights and all the other behind the scenes stuff for the Akatsuki" he said gesturing back to the group as he released Natsumi's hand.

"Oh yeah the sound and stage production manager" she clarified as Nagato's eyes lit up in surprise.

"Uh yeah that's it exactly" Nagato said. "How did you know?" he asked curiously.

Natsumi smiled awkwardly before her gaze quickly shifted in the direction of Itachi. The Uchiha met her gaze immediately, allowing a moment of eye contact before he turned away. Natsumi shyly looked back to Nagato, opening her mouth to reply before another person spoke.

"I'm the other sound and stage manager" a young man with green hair said suddenly popping up alongside Nagato. "I'm Zetsu" he introduced himself looking over to Natsumi.

He was one of the three young men that Natsumi didn't recognize. The young man was tall with piercing yellow eyes. He wore a black long sleeve shirt and a pair of black pants. And he kept his green hair short and spiky.

"I'm Natsumi" the dark haired girl stepping back slightly in surprise.

"Natsumi?" another young man said stepping forward and draping an arm around Zetsu while he eyed Natsumi up and down.

This was the final young man that Natsumi didn't recognize. He was tall with white hair slicked back. He wore a white t-shirt with a black bomber jacket and a pair of dark blue jeans. Something that stood out even more was a silver pendant he wore around his neck that was shaped like a triangle and circle. Natsumi felt immediate discomfort as his eyes traveled over her frame and further off put when a smile found its way to his lips.

"So Deidara, this is the one? A little young for my taste but I think I can see the appeal" he said casually looking back to Deidara who paled at his words. "I'm Hidan by the way" he said in a cocky tone turning back to Natsumi. "Don't mind my asking but are you a virgin?" he asked bluntly as a dark blush crossed Natsumi's face and she subconsciously stepped closer to Naruto.

'Who the hell does this guy think he is?' Natsumi thought looking at Hidan in disbelief before Deidara tackled him from behind.

"Would you shut up hn?!" Deidara yelled angrily from atop the young man before looking to Natsumi nervously. "Don't listen to him Natsumi, he slightly brainwashed by his cult" Deidara explained making Natsumi give him a perplexed look.

"Fuck you! I'm not in a cult! Jashinism is a legitimate religion!" Hidan argued pushing Deidara off of him.

"I'm sorry about them" Nagato said releasing a sigh of disappointment as he shook his head and looked down.

"It's fine" Naruto said turning with Natsumi still under his arm. "I think we better get back now ourselves" the blonde went on starting to pull the girl away.

The other members offered their own goodbyes to the girl with Yahiko and Konan waving while Sasori simply nodded to her. Natsumi smiled and returned their waves, before her eyes shifted to Itachi and the two made eye contact for the slightest moment again.

"See you Natsumi" Itachi called making her smile widen before Naruto completely pulled her away.

The rest of the evening was uneventful as Natsumi and Naruto finished eating with the Uchiha before being driven home by Sasuke.

'Talk about eventful ... and it's only the first day of Homecoming week' Natsumi thought.

...

A/N: And that was part 1 of Homecoming! Sorry I'm updating a little late but it always happens on a Sunday at least lol ... Anyways this chapter had a lot happen. I noticed that in a lot of fanfics I read, the main characters have some really weird relationships with their parents. Like for example they fight all the time and it's abusive or the parents are way too laid back and have no rules. I wanted Natsumi and her mother to have a realistic relationship that wasn't so out of the box. Also in terms of the mother thing, I wanted Temari and Natsumi to have a solid foundation to build their friendship off of so it wouldn't be so superficial because in all honesty you know the friendships are real when you can talk about more meaningful things (And trust me I know this from experience). Finally in meeting the other Akatsuki members, I hope you all enjoyed meeting Zetsu, Nagato and Hidan. If I'm being honest I was a little worried on writing Hidan but after lots of research and videos (and me trying not to get distracted by Kakashi lol) I feel like I did an alright job. Also I wanted to explain that the reason Hidan asked if Natsumi was a virgin was going along the lines of virgin sacrifice lol ... anyways enough of my dark humor, I appreciate all the reviews and look forward to reading more. Please remember to read and review and can't wait for what you guys think lol xoxo