Best Friend's Brother 24

HOMECOMING! Part 5

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

A/N: I know this chapter is really long but please don't expect the others to be like this lol. A lot needed to happen so that's the only reason why. Also this is the only reason I'm writing an Author's Note at the beginning so it's like a warning, Finally highly recommend listening to the acoustic version of With Ears to See and Eyes to Hear by Sleeping With Sirens when reading towards the end (trust me)

It didn't take long for Sasuke and Natsumi to get their pictures done, and thanks to all the pictures they took with his mother earlier there was no awkwardness in finding a pose. The teens stood facing one another with Sasuke placing his hands on Natsumi's waist while she rested her hands on top of his to better display her corsage as they gave fake smiles to the camera.

"You guys are a good looking couple" the photographer commented earning scoffs from the teens as they're smiles fell.

"We're not a couple" they corrected him as they stepped away from one another.

The photographer gave the pair a confused look before he turned his head to the side as Naruto suddenly came rushing forward.

"We're ready!" he called rushing to Natsumi and Sasuke as the other members of their friend group followed behind shortly.

"Naruto was pretty persistent in saying we all needed to have a group picture" Shikamaru said walking up with his hands in his pants pockets.

The boy was wearing a white button up and a loose dark purple neck tie and a black jacket with black shoes.

"Hn" Sasuke said with a nod. "Sounds about right for the dobe" he added on earning a slight laugh from Natsumi as Shikamaru smirked before nodding in agreement.

"Hey what's that supposed to mean?!" Naruto asked angrily as the group continued on in laughter.

"What did I miss?" Temari asked walking up and standing alongside Shikamaru.

Natsumi grew quiet as she took in the girl's presence. Temari wore a strapless fitted light purple dress with a dark purple belt around her waist with a matching shawl. She had her hair in two buns instead of the usual four, wearing a purple necklace with a pair of matching stud earrings and a pair of black high heels. She looked so confident and beautiful, but she noticed she didn't wear a corsage.

"Wow you look great" Natsumi commented earning a smile from the blonde girl.

"Thanks" Temari replied. "But you look amazing" she said making Natsumi smile shyly.

"Hey what's the big idea in leaving your date behind idiot?" Sakura's voice suddenly said as she stormed over, grabbing Naruto by the collar.

The pink haired girl wore a red dress. It was a fitted to her waist until flaring out a few inches above her knee. The top was more intricate as the solid fabric formed a sweet heart neckline at her bust before a sheer fabric went further up to her neck. She wore a pair of diamond stud earrings that were fully displayed since she had worn her pink hair in a high ponytail. Her corsage was two red roses with silver jewels sticking out in various places. Even though she radiated terror as she threatened Naruto, there was denying that she looked amazing. Yet something that put Natsumi off further was the tall stilettos that the girl wore.

'Her feet are going to be killing her later tonight' Natsumi thought awe struck by Sakura's shoes.

Catching sight of the look of surprise Natsumi wore; Sasuke followed her line of sight down to Sakura's shoes.

"Oh Sasuke do you like what I'm wearing?" Sakura asked pushing Naruto away abruptly before striking a pose with one of her hands on the side of her head while the other held her clutch behind her hip.

Sasuke gave no reply, instead opting to turn his attention back to Natsumi.

"The dobe will probably offer to rub her feet later when she gets sick of those shoes" he said making Natsumi raise a brow at him.

"So?" she asked.

"Don't expect me to do the same" he said, making Natsumi scoff before sticking her tongue out at the boy.

Sasuke rolled his eyes while the others laughed, well aside from Sakura whose mouth dropped in shock.

"Don't look so surprised Sakura" Ino suddenly said catching the group's attention as she approached with a hand hooked with Sai's arm. "After all no one's really going to notice you after seeing me" the blonde said in a confident tone that earned her a glare from the pinkette.

Ino wore the same dress Natsumi had seen from her mother's pictures. The blonde looked as incredible as ever in the fitted silhouette. It was only better complimented with the corsage Natsumi had helped Sai order, along with the pair of silver dangly earrings and her black heels.

"Ino-pig" Sakura said in a low tone of annoyance prompting a glare from the blonde while the others watched awkwardly.

"Hello everyone" Sai greeted with a smile, immediately gaining the group's attention.

Sai wore a black button up with a pair of black pants and shoes.

"Are we all here?" Choji asked walking up to the group.

He wore a white button up with a black neck tie and black pants with black shoes.

"Don't think you're leaving us out!" another voice said catching the teen's attention as they turned to see Kiba, Shino, and Hinata make their way over.

Shino wore black suit with a black neck tie and white button up with black shoes while Hinata wore a white dress that hugged her tightly at the top before flaring out at her waist. Overtop she wore a light grey cardigan and a pearl necklace along with a pair of black flats.

The shy girl nervously held onto to Kiba's arm as if trying to pull him back.

"Kiba we shouldn't intrude on their group picture" she said shyly.

"Oh hey guys" Naruto greeted the teens. "It's no problem as long as you all pitch in for the bigger package" he said with a slight chuckle.

"I figured you might say that" Kiba said looking at Naruto. "Especially knowing how cheap you can be" he said making the blonde's smile falter.

"Hey who are you calling cheap?!" Naruto asked angrily.

"Do you really not expect me to get that idea when you only want our company to help split a bill?" Kiba asked raising his voice slightly.

"It's called being fair stupid!" Naruto shot back raising his voice as well.

"Who do you think you're calling stupid?!" Kiba asked angrily.

The others in the group released sighs of annoyance at the boys' argument. As Naruto and Kiba continued their screaming match, Natsumi made her way over to Hinata.

"Hey Hinata you look really nice" she complimented the Hyuga, earning a small smile and blush.

"Thank you Natsumi" Hinata said. "You look beautiful" she said with a smile making Natsumi laugh.

"So you came in a group with Kiba and Shino?" Natsumi asked earning a small nod from Hinata.

"We do every year, well Kiba thought it would different this year but ..." Hinata started before trailing off as Natsumi gave a blank stare.

"Oh" Natsumi said guiltily with a dark gloom now surrounding her.

She was quickly brought out of this when a hand was placed around her shoulders.

"Don't feel too bad Natsumi, I'm actually surprised you didn't turn down more guys" Temari commented making Natsumi stiffen. "Wait did you?!" the blonde girl asked excitedly, earning a dark blush from Natsumi.

"Well not technically" she said wearily, as she thought back to when Deidara mentioned it being ok to go with Alumni.

'It's not like that was really him saying he wanted to go' Natsumi thought as Temari gave her a knowing grin.

"Who was it?" she asked with a smirk, before Natsumi shook her head abruptly to wave off the topic.

Temari wasn't going to let her off so easily, but thankfully Natsumi didn't need to answer as the arrival of three others caught the group's attention.

"Friends!" Lee said suddenly doing a flip to the front of the teens.

The eccentric boy wore a white button up with a black bow tie and a pair of black pants and shoes.

"Lee!" the teens said in surprise of the young man's entry.

"That was some entry" Natsumi commented, earning nods of agreement from Hinata and Temari as they watched the boy then abruptly turn to face Sakura.

"Sakura you look lovely!" Lee exclaimed pointing to the pink haired girl before giving her a smile and thumb up.

"Would you slow down Lee?!" another voice then asked as the teens turned to see Tenten approach with Neji.

Tenten wore a white dress with thin straps and a black belt that synched her waist. At the center of the belt was a large buckle that was surrounded by large stones. She also wore a silver necklace that had a flower shaped charm. She wore black flats and had a matching black purse. Meanwhile Neji wore a pair of black pants with black shoes and a black button up with a white neck tie.

"Oh yes, I am sorry for leaving you behind" Lee said bowing to the pair. "I wanted to make sure I told Sakura she looked lovely" he said earning an eye roll from Tenten and Neji.

"Um excuse me, but are you kids ready to take your pictures because I have a line?" the photographer interjected nervously pointing to the many annoyed looking teens who glared at the group.

"My brothers still aren't here" Temari stated, making Naruto's eyes light up in realization.

"Oh yeah Gaara and Kankuro aren't here yet" Naruto said exclaimed before turning to the photographer. "We're still waiting on a few people" he said awkwardly scratching the back of his neck as the other teens in line broke into annoyed yelling.

"Oh come on!" a random voice complained.

"That's not fair!"

"We've been waiting forever!" the voices of the various furious classmates went on.

Natsumi shifted uncomfortably under the intense stares of the other teens before taking notice to how her friends didn't seem to care, aside from Naruto who awkwardly smiled and apologized.

"We are sincerely sorry for the inconvenience!" Lee apologized pointing to the people in line and making them grow silent. "I will personally make it up to each and every one of you afterwards by sharing a dance with every one of you!" he said offering the bystanders a big smile and wink with a thumb up.

"Uh you know what, I'm not even that mad about it"

"Yeah take all the time you guys need"

"That's really unnecessary"

"We don't mind waiting" the various voices chorused, making Naruto's group of friends smirk and giggle, while Lee wore a confused look.

Not long after this Kankuro walked up wearing a black suit with a white button up and a pink neck tie with black shoes while Yukata held onto his arm. The girl wore her hair down as she usually did with a silver necklace with three pink jewels. Her dress was a strapless light pink one that hugged her curves to her hips before flaring out in pink tulle that went above her knee. She complimented this with a matching pair of pink flats and a corsage that held a single pink rose.

"Hey guys" Kankuro greeted walking to the group with Yukata who smiled at everyone.

"Where's Gaara?" Temari asked curiously earning a shrug from Kankuro that made her scoff. "I knew he didn't have a date" she said folding her arms over her chest with a huff of frustration.

Temari closed her eyes taking another deep breath as Gaara quietly entered.

"He didn't need to lie and say it was a surprise" Temari said.

"Uh Temari" Kankuro said to try and gain the girl's attention.

"Not now" she said now pinching the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "This whole time I thought I should be worried about you when I should've paid more attention to him" she said making Kankuro scoff.

"Temari" Shikamaru said now trying to interject as Gaara stood with the group.

"I can't believe he lied to me" she said ignoring Shikamaru.

"Temari!" Natsumi said making the blonde turn to face her before her eyes lit up.

"I knew he should've gone with you Natsumi" she said making Natsumi's face light ablaze in red as Gaara stood behind his sister with a perplexed look.

The group was silent as they watched to see what would happen next. Everyone expected Gaara to speak at this point, but was completely taken aback when he wasn't.

"Yeah because it's not like Natsumi already had a date" Sasuke said sarcastically, earning surprised looks from the entire group as the Uchiha never made comments like this.

Everyone looked at him in disbelief before Natsumi decided to be the one to break the silence.

"Too bad no one else's mom made them take me" Natsumi retorted in the same sarcastic tone as Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Sorry" Temari apologized looking between Sasuke and Natsumi before releasing a heavy sigh. "I'm just venting about my brother" she said before Gaara finally cleared his throat loudly to catch her attention.

Temari stiffened before slowly turning around to see the glare Gaara directed at her.

"Gaara" Temari said looking at the red head nervously, before a young girl who was much shorter than the others walked up and hooked her arm with Gaara's, making Temari's eyes widen in shock.

"Fu?" the blonde asked in disbelief, as the girl smiled brightly at her before turning to wave at the others.

"Hello everyone!" she said happily. "My name's Fu and I hope we can all be friends!" she said with a bright smile.

Fu was short (actually shorter than Natsumi) she had tan skin, with bright orange eyes and short mint blue hair. She wore a white dress that synched in at her small waist before flaring out in three layers of tulle with a white ribbon at the end of each layer. She completed her look with a pair of matching white flats and a white clutch, as well as a white rose corsage. The girl radiated happiness as she beamed up at the others.

"Fu what are you doing here?" Temari asked in confusion as the group looked at each other with wide eyes.

"Oh Gaara said he would need a date for Homecoming" Fu replied with a smile. "And since he said you can bring dates from other schools, I thought it would be super fun and a great time to make more friends!" she said enthusiastically.

The others looked at her curiously before Gaara simply nodded to confirm her story.

"We met at a leadership convention but we can talk more about that later" the red head said before the photographer cut in.

"Are you kids ready yet?" the photographer asked bringing the group's attention away from the new arrivals as they looked at him.

"Believe it!" Naruto exclaimed with a fist to the air.

The teens made their way to stand in front of the photographer's back drop. After finishing with their various group pictures that contained all of them and then one with all boys and one with all girls, the group paid before returning to the dance.

Some of the teens chose to dance while others socialized. Sasuke and Natsumi currently stood by the refreshments table talking with Kankuro, Yukata, and Naruto.

"No I'm telling you the new DLC is way better" Kankuro insisted earning a scoffs from Naruto and Sasuke.

'Oh they're talking about video games' Natsumi thought, then turning her attention to the main stage as she watched the Akatsuki perform. 'They're great' Natsumi thought as the group seemed to lose themselves in the song, radiating a sense of fun that spread to the crowd.

"Alright we're gonna take a little break, while you guys enjoy some prerecorded music and then we'll be right back!" Yahiko announced earning applause before he and the other members exited off the stage.

Natsumi smiled as she watched the audience applaud until a new song started. The beat immediately made the dark haired teen's brows rise as she listened and upon hearing the first line, she couldn't help but release an excited squeal as she recognized the song.

"It's Waste It On Me!" she said excitedly before shutting her mouth as she nervously looked around to the many judgmental looks she received.

She felt her entire face go red as she registered the many odd looks she received from onlookers following her outburst. Sasuke rolled his eyes at her before bringing an arm around her shoulders to shield her from the gazes she received.

"You're an idiot" he mumbled as Natsumi kept her gaze glued to the floor in embarrassment.

"Shut up" she said pushing off his arm as Kankuro and Naruto chuckled at her antics.

"You like BTS too?" Yukata suddenly asked making Natsumi lift her gaze from the floor as Yukata smiled excitedly at her.

"Yeah" Natsumi replied wearily before Yukata then squealed and took hold of one of her hands as she jumped up and down.

All the boys glanced over, until Natsumi noticed and pulled her hand back and made the girl stop jumping as she steadied her by the shoulders.

"I love them!" Yukata said happily as Natsumi removed her hands from the girl's shoulders. "Who's your bias?" she asked eagerly.

To say the boys were confused was an understatement as they watched Yukata smile excitedly while a blush crossed Natsumi's face.

"What the hell is a bias?" Kankuro whispered leaning towards Naruto and Sasuke.

Naruto simply shrugged while Sasuke face palmed before answering.

"It's a K-pop thing" the Uchiha replied lowly making Kankuro raise a brow in confusion before the boys turned back as Natsumi replied.

"Namjoon" Natsumi said shyly, as Yukata's eyes lit up in excitement.

"Really?" she asked. "I would've thought you were more of a Yoongi" she admitted with a light laugh.

"Oh really?" Natsumi asked with a blush still crossing her cheeks.

"Yeah!" Yukata said excitedly. "I love Hobi" she then said earning a smile and nod of understanding from Natsumi.

"What the fuck is a Hobi?" Kankuro asked raising a brow at Sasuke who now pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"It's all K-pop stuff" Sasuke said releasing a heavy sigh.

"How do you know all this stuff?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Because Natsumi is an idiot" Sasuke said unmoving from his posture as Naruto and Kankuro gave him looks of confusion.

"You guys know this song?!" Fu then asked popping up between Natsumi and Yukata much to the teen girls' surprise.

The boys watched as the girls gave slow nods before Fu's face lit up excitedly.

"Then why aren't we dancing?!" she asked suddenly taking hold of both girls by the wrists and pulling them to the dance floor.

...

"There goes my date" Kankuro said watching as Yukata disappeared into the crowd.

"That's why I didn't bring a date" Choji said walking up to the boys and grabbing a small sandwich off the table behind the boys and popping it into his mouth.

Sasuke smirked to suppress a laugh.

"So did Fu steal your guys' dates too?" Shikamaru asked walking up to the group.

"I finally get a date with Sakura and I don't even get to spend time with her" Naruto said glumly.

"We go through the trouble of getting dressed up and bringing them here just to get ditched ... What a drag" Shikamaru said earning nods from all the boys except Sasuke.

"They'll be back when a slow song starts" Gaara said walking up to the group.

The boys turned to see the red head approach with his hands in his pockets. He was wearing a black suit with a white button up and black neck tie. Shortly after this Sai walked up with his usual smile as he looked around the group of boys and holding a various number of purses and clutches.

"Hello friends" he greeted with a small wave. "I was told to hold most of our dates' things while they danced, but I think this responsibility would be best divided among all of us since I didn't escort all the girls" he said caching the groups' attention with the passive aggressiveness in his tone. "But if you still don't want to help me, might I suggest we move to a table to better accommodate the inconvenience?" he asked with the same cheery smile.

"Uh sure" Kankuro replied awkwardly, as the group of boys now made their way to a vacant table before being stopped by Lee.

The boy with a bowl hair cut stood directly in front of the teen boys, holding up a hand to bring them to a halt.

"Gentlemen we should not waste our youth at a table holding our date's stuff when we could be out there dancing alongside them!" He said as the boys looked at him with raised brows.

"Get out of the way Bushy Brows" Naruto said in an annoyed tone.

"Naruto I understand you are upset over having Sakura swept away from you, but you must get used to it" he said pointing to the blonde.

Naruto was silent as he processed what Lee said, immediately making his face light up in realization before he narrowed his eyes at the teen boy.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Naruto asked angrily.

"We are romantic rivals and although you might have exceeded in this battle that doesn't mean you've won the war!" Lee said placing a hand on his hip while the other pointed upwards dramatically.

"Oh yeah?" Naruto asked in an annoyed tone.

"Excuse me" Sai said interjecting himself into the conversation. "My arms are growing tired and last I checked I'm the one holding Sakura's bag, so unless one of you plans on carrying it might I suggest moving your argument to the side?" Sai asked bringing silence to Naruto and Lee as they looked at him.

"Would you butt out Sai?!" Naruto asked in an annoyed tone as he looked to the pale boy.

"I have the perfect solution!" Lee exclaimed catching the boys' attention again. "I challenge you to see who can dance more with Sakura throughout the night!" he said pointing to Naruto.

"Lee stop issuing challenges to everyone!" Neji said in an irritated tone as he approached the group.

"Fine, you can all waste your time at a table while I dance with our female companions!" Lee said before rushing off to the crowd.

The others looked after him awkwardly before sweat dropping. Neji released a sigh before looking to the others.

"I already have a table if you'd all like to sit" the male Hyuga offered leading the boys to a round table where each boy took a seat.

First Naruto then to his left Sasuke and beside him Kankuro then Gaara, Neji, Sai, Choji and Shikamaru before looping back to Naruto. The boys began talking on a new subject when they were then interrupted by the arrival of two more.

"Where's Natsumi?" Kiba asked immediately looking to Sasuke who sat between Naruto and Kankuro.

The Uchiha simply rolled his eyes before nodding in the general direction of the large crowd on the dance floor. Kiba scoffed in annoyance as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I told you she wouldn't be with Sasuke. Fu probably took her before she grabbed Hinata" Shino stated, earning no response from Kiba.

The brunette released a heavy sigh before pulling a chair from another table and scooting between Neji and Gaara and then being followed in his actions by Shino.

"Something's telling me you guys aren't enjoying your night" Shikamaru pointed out earning solemn nods from the pair.

"Why did she have to come with you?" Kiba abruptly asked looking across the table to Sasuke as the others grew silent.

The Uchiha rolled his eyes again, making Kiba growl in annoyance.

"I'm being serious Uchiha" he said in a low tone as he narrowed his eyes at the dark haired boy. "You don't like her do you?" he asked making the eyes of the others shift to Sasuke for a response.

"No I don't" Sasuke said back in a serious tone as he stared at Kiba.

"Then what's your problem?" Kiba asked in an annoyed tone. "How do you expect either of you to be happy when you keep ruining things for each other?" Kiba asked making the Uchiha raise a brow at him.

"It's not my fault that anyone who likes her is too much of a coward to make a move" Sasuke said striking a nerve with Kiba as he immediately rose from his chair.

Sasuke glared at the boy giving him a stare that further prompted anger from Kiba before Shino chose to interject.

"Now's not the time Kiba" Shino said in a warning tone. "Sit down" he commanded.

Kiba balled his fists in anger before complying with his friend's request and sitting down again as the other boys watched intently.

"What do you expect to do when you get a girlfriend?" Kiba asked looking to Sasuke with a brow raised.

Sasuke scoffed at the question before folding his arms over his chest.

"Like I'd want to put myself in that annoying situation" The Uchiha replied coldly.

"Ok but what about when Natsumi gets a boyfriend?" Kiba asked, making Sasuke roll his eyes as he smiled.

"Why would I care?" Sasuke replied making the other boys smile to suppress their laughter as Kiba did an anime fall.

"It's like I said before Kiba, why would a girl like Natsumi want to date a guy like you?" Naruto asked making a blush cross Kiba's face.

"Shut up Naruto! No one asked you!" he yelled at the blonde as the others laughed.

"You know what, forget it" Kiba said dismissively turning his gaze away from the Uchiha with a huff as the table grew awkwardly quiet.

"You guys sure know how to take fun out of the atmosphere" Shikamaru said resting his cheek on his palm as he leaned on his elbow.

"I'm confused" Sai said leaning toward Choji who simply nodded in agreement as the table remained silent.

"This is exactly why I don't involve myself in needless drama like relationships" Neji said catching the group's attention.

"Really? I thought it was because no girl could fit your high standards" Naruto said scratching his cheek in thought while the Hyuga glared at him.

"Coming from the guy with two dates or are you only counting Lee since he 'officially' asked you?" Kiba commented making the other boys laugh.

"Regardless of that, at least I'm not a dense idiot" Neji shot back, making Naruto and Kiba stiffen.

"Hey who are you calling a dense idiot?!" Naruto and Kiba asked in unison angrily.

"I think I agree with Neji, relationships have way too much needless drama" Choji interjected as Naruto turned to him with a confused expression.

"You don't even have a date!" the blonde said pointing to Choji.

"And yet you're both at a table full of guys on Homecoming like last year" Sai stated earning a glare from Naruto.

"No one asked you Sai!" Naruto said angrily as the table once again broke into laughter.

"Wait a minute why did you bother coming if you didn't have a date anyways?" Kiba asked looking to Choji.

"You don't have a date either" Sai said earning a glare from Kiba while the others laughed.

"Well if I'm being honest I knew because we'd be getting food afterwards" Choji replied catching the group's attention and making the boys at the table sweat drop.

"Why did you come if you didn't have a date?" Sai asked curiously, recycling Kiba's question to Choji as the table turned to him for a reply.

"Because getting turned down once publicly by Natsumi wasn't enough" Shino said making the boys break into laughter as Kiba blushed in embarrassment.

"Would you shut up?!" Kiba asked Shino angrily as the laughter persisted.

...

Meanwhile Fu had managed to gather almost every girl (and Lee) into a large dance circle. They all danced swaying their hips to the music as they sang along to some of their favorite songs. At this point the circle was so large, it included girl's Natsumi didn't even know.

"Who is this girl?" a random voice rang out referring to Fu as the girl twirled around the center of the circle.

"I don't know she just pulled me up and said let's be friends"

"I think she said her name was Fu?"

"She doesn't even go here" the various female voices rang out.

Natsumi watched as Fu abruptly turned to the source of the last voice and pointed to the random girl.

"I love that movie!" Fu exclaimed with a smile, making other girl's chorus in agreement.

"I love that movie too!" various voices rang out beginning to quote other lines as they continued to laugh and dance.

Natsumi watched Fu spin around happily before pulling a random girl out to the center with her.

'Fu is so cool' Natsumi thought looking to the blue haired teen with admiration. 'She handles others talking about her and being the center of attention so well' Natsumi went on praising the girl with a sad smile as she thought back to how nervous she grew when under scrutiny.

"Are you ok?" Fu suddenly asked standing in front of Natsumi with her brows furrowed in concern.

'How did I not notice her walk up to me?' Natsumi thought in alarm.

"I think I just need a little break from dancing" Natsumi lied with a Sai like smile.

"Ok but after this song ok?" she asked with a smile, earning a nod from Natsumi before suddenly taking her by the hand and pulling her to the center.

...

Deidara sighed heavily as he sat at the edge of the stage, staring at a certain dark haired girl.

"Stop staring its creepy" Sasori said walking up to the blonde and tossing a water bottle to him.

Deidara glared at him as he caught it. He twisted the cap off, taking a sip before speaking.

"And why are you staring at me un?" Deidara asked making Sasori roll his eyes.

The blonde narrowed his gaze at the red head before bringing the bottle back to his lips as he closed his eyes.

"Oh look, Natsumi's jumping" Sasori said making Deidara snap his head to the side immediately and causing the water he drank to dribble out of his mouth before he started choking.

"Fucking Liar!" Deidara managed to spurt out after a few coughs.

Sasori smirked before rolling his eyes.

"Hey I thought Hidan would be the only one with this problem, but no cussing!" Kakuzu said approaching the pair while shaking a finger at Deidara. "I don't need to remind you guys this is a school and I don't want vulgar behavior being a reason we get a bad review or worse docked pay" he said beginning a lecture before Hidan cut in.

"That's bullshit!" Hidan exclaimed catching Kakuzu's attention. "All he said was 'fucking liar'!" he went on, making the older man face palm.

"Disrespectful youths have no idea how to act on a job" Kakuzu mumbled making his way over to the loud mouthed Hidan.

"You're pathetic" Sasori said looking at Deidara.

The blonde opened his mouth to retort before he caught sight of Natsumi making her away from the large group she was with.

"Natsumi's by herself!" Deidara said jumping to his feet before tossing his water bottle to Sasori and beginning to make his way over to the dark haired girl.

"Just like a predator going to corner his prey after it separated from the pack" Sasori said loudly, earning a finger from Deidara as he continued walking.

"Damn it Deidara!" Kakuzu yelled after the blonde.

"You just said Damn it!" Hidan said catching the man's attention. "That shit's so unfair!" he exclaimed before being grabbed by the collar as Kakuzu shook him angrily.

...

As the girls finished dancing they decided they needed a group trip to the bathroom (just missing a scuffle between a certain blonde and redhead) where they all stood around the mirrors gazing over there reflections and doing various touch ups where needed.

"Does anyone have any hairspray?" Ino asked loudly to the group.

"Got it!" Tenten called suddenly pulling a can from her purse much to the other girls' surprise as it was a rather large bottle.

"Oh no!" Hinata suddenly exclaimed catching the attention of the others as they turned their heads to the Hyuga. "There's a hole in the pocket of my cardigan!" Hinata said furrowing her brows in worry.

"Don't worry I have a mini sewing kit!" Tenten said pulling it out of her small clutch with a smile as she tossed it to the Hyuga.

"Thank you" Hinata said nodding to the brunette with an appreciative smile.

"Wow you have everything" Sakura said looking at the girl who simply smiled back.

"I just made sure to pack the essentials" Tenten replied grabbing the back of her neck as the other girls laughed.

"Do you have a lip gloss?" Ino asked walking over as Tenten pulled another from her small purse.

"Oh nice" the blonde commented, taking the tube from the brunette.

"Whoa, what about gum?" Natsumi asked stepping up to Tenten.

"Mint or bubblegum?" she asked holding up two packs from her purse.

Natsumi selected mint just before another girl rushed in and gained the rooms attention.

"Hey guys The Akatsuki are playing a slow song!" a random voice called out prompting the females to scurry out of the restroom in haste to find their dates except for one who came out of the stall.

Yukata exited the stall giving off a heavy sigh as she saw the empty restroom. The girl made her way over to the sink to start washing her hands. As she ran her rubbed her soapy hands together, she was surprised when another girl exited the stall and made her way to the neighboring sink.

"Matsuri!" Yukata said in greeting to the girl with short hair.

Matsuri wore an off the shoulder Caribbean blue dress that synched in at her waste before flowing out to her knees. This was accompanied with a black choker that had a simple blue stone hanging from the center and a pair of black high heels.

"Yukata" Matsuri said simply looking to the dark haired girl with a nod as she went about washing her hands.

The girls were silent as they continued with this action.

"So did you come with a date?" Yukata asked as the girls rinsed their hands.

"What do you think?" Matsuri shot back in an annoyed tone, earning a confused look from Yukata. "No, I didn't unlike some people I'm faithful to a plan" she said.

"Oh but Gaara came with a date" Yukata said earning a glare from the brunette. "Her name is Fu and she's really nice" she said awkwardly looking to the side as she turned off the sink.

"Really?" Matsuri asked sarcastically as Yukata smiled and eagerly nodded. "Nice like all your other friends were when they ditched you?" she asked making the dark haired girl grow silent as she looked down sadly.

"They were just excited about dancing with their dates" Yukata replied.

"Oh yeah ... dates ... and wasn't your date Gaara's brother?" Matsuri asked.

"Yeah Kankuro, he's really cool and funny" Yukata said earning an eye roll from the brunette. "Stop" Yukata said surprising Matsuri as she looked at her. "He's a nice guy and I'm glad I came with him" Yukata said in defense.

"What about Gaara?" Matsuri asked turning to the girl with a serious expression.

"Was our whole friendship built to revolve around Gaara?" Yukata asked making Matsuri stiffen as she turned to grab paper towel to dry her hands.

There was a long moment of silence before Matsuri spoke.

"No" she said as Yukata turned back to her. "But I always thought that if we stayed loyal in liking him, we'd always have something to keep us together" she admitted with a huff as she looked to the side.

She was surprised when Yukata suddenly rushed forward and pulled her into a hug.

"No matter who we like, we'll always be best friends" Yukata said as Matsuri smiled. "Are we done fighting now?" Yukata asked pulling back from the hug and looking at Matsuri with hopeful eyes.

"Yes" she said making Yukata's smile widen. "I'm sorry for being such a jerk" she said turning back to the sink with a light blush of embarrassment on her face. "Anyways do you want to hang out after this?" she asked changing the subject.

Yukata's face lit up in excitement before releasing a disappointed sigh.

"We're all supposed to leave early to grab a bite afterwards" Yukata said looking downwards.

"Oh" Matsuri replied as an awkward silence befell the pair.

"But you can come with us!" Yukata exclaimed excitedly.

"I don't know" Matsuri said wearily as she turned off the sink.

"Please it'll be a lot of fun" Yukata pleaded.

Matsuri remained silent until giving in after seeing her pleading eyes.

"Fine" Matsuri replied making Yukata sequel in joy.

"Ok great I'll let the others know and I'll see you later" Yukata said tossing her paper towel into the trash and turning to leave.

Yukata was happy she made up with her friend. But she couldn't help but feel a bit of sadness at the fact that she was left alone by the other girls. She sighed heavily as she stepped out of the restroom and turned to head back to dance, when she stopped in surprise. Natsumi was casually leaning against the wall around the corner scrolling through her phone.

"Natsumi" Yukata said making the dark haired girl lift her gaze from her device. "Were you waiting for me?" Yukata asked curiously, earning a simple nod from the girl that made her smile.

"The others wanted to wait too, but I told them I could wait by myself while they went to dance with their dates" Natsumi replied motioning to the dance.

"What about your date?" Yukata asked making Natsumi scoff.

"Yeah Sasuke and I aren't looking forward to the slow songs like the rest of you" Natsumi said earning a small giggle before Yukata nodded in understanding. "Do you want to head back now?" Natsumi asked earning another nod from Yukata before the girls made their way to the dance.

...

Upon stepping back into the lively atmosphere, Natsumi wasn't surprised when Yukata immediately rushed over to Kankuro's side.

'I'm glad they're having a nice time' Natsumi thought with a smile, before Kiba suddenly stepped in front of her.

"Hey Natsumi, you missed the slow song" the boy said with a bit of disappointment.

"Oh I was waiting for Yukata" Natsumi replied pointing over her shoulder with her thumb as the boy smiled down at her before running a hand through his hair.

"I was kind of hoping to ask you to dance" Kiba admitted with a blush. "But definitely for the next slow song?" he asked with a confident smirk.

"Hey Kiba, did Naruto and Sakura dance together during the last song?" Natsumi asked curiously, making a look of confusion replace Kiba's smile.

"Uh I don't think so, I mean he asked her but she said she wanted to see if you would dance with Sasuke" he replied.

Natsumi huffed in annoyance as she looked over to where the pinkette sat, staring at the Uchiha who was talking to Suigetsu, who wore a plain white button up with black pants.

'When did he get here?' Natsumi thought curiously before shaking her head and turning back to Kiba.

She glanced around the room seeing Hinata sitting alone as she glanced at Naruto who kept trying to get the pinkette to dance with him when a thought struck her.

"Hey Kiba I have this idea but I'm going to need your help" Natsumi said as the boy rose a brow interest before the girl went about explaining which the boy was all for just so he could get a dance with Natsumi.

...

After finishing talking to Kiba, Natsumi waited until Naruto rushed off from Sakura before going to talk with the pinkette to explain her plan. As soon as she was done, Natsumi quickly made her way to the refreshments table before making her way to where Sasuke sat carrying two cups of punch.

"Hey Suigetsu" she greeted the white haired boy as she neared, ceasing his laughter as he glance at her.

"Oh Natsumi" Suigetsu said in greeting as Sasuke turned his head to the side as Natsumi took the seat beside him.

"I didn't think I'd see you here" Natsumi said as she sat.

"Oh yeah Jugo wanted to check it out" he replied as Natsumi's brows rose.

"You're here with Jugo?" she asked curiously shifting her gaze around the room.

"Um yeah I actually better get back to him but I'll see you guys later" Suigetsu said standing from his seat. "By the way Natsumi, he's really sorry about what happened the last time" he said awkwardly before walking off as Natsumi wore a blank expression.

"You alright?" Sasuke asked looking to the teen girl beside him, who simply nodded before pushing the other cup of punch in her hand to him.

Sasuke gave her a weary look before accepting it and taking a sip.

"So are you having a nice time?" Natsumi asked looking to the Uchiha.

"Hn it's alright" Sasuke said with a shrug of his shoulders as he took another sip of his drink.

"You don't have to try to act so cool" Natsumi said catching the boy by surprise. "I saw you talking and laughing with the other boys earlier" she admitted making Sasuke roll his eyes before a smirk crossed his face.

"That's surprising since you've been busy running around with the girls" he said making Natsumi huff at how he tried to change the topic.

"Don't try to act like you're not having a nice time" Natsumi said poking the Uchiha in the arm and earning a blank stare. "Admit you don't hate it as much as you thought you would" she said making the boy roll his eyes.

"It's not as annoying as I thought it would be" he admitted making Natsumi grin triumphantly. "Whenever a girl starts to walk up to me I say I'm waiting on my date and they leave" he said making Natsumi scoff as she rolled her eyes.

"Wow" she said leaning back in her chair. "Well I guess it's a good thing your mom made you take me or else you wouldn't be able to use me as an excuse to avoid your fans" she said sarcastically.

"Hn" Sasuke said nodding in agreement as Natsumi once again rolled her eyes. "Kiba told me he was going to ask you to dance" Sasuke suddenly stated gaining Natsumi's attention. "I told him I didn't care" he stated earning a weary look from Natsumi.

"He mentioned it but I was busy waiting for Yukata" Natsumi replied as Sasuke only nodded. "I actually had an idea about that though" she said making Sasuke raise a brow in interest. "I want Naruto to dance with Hinata" she stated, making Sasuke smirk to repress a laugh.

"Good luck with that" he said sarcastically before taking a sip of his drink.

"Well it could work ... If Kiba asks Hinata to dance and I ask Naruto, and then we switch" she explained as Sasuke scoffed.

"Real arrogant of you to assume Naruto will dance with you when he came with Sakura" Sasuke stated earning a glare from Natsumi as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well I picked up the trait from my friend" Natsumi shot back as Sasuke narrowed his gaze at her. "Anyways, I already talked to Sakura and she said she would be fine with me borrowing Naruto for one song" Natsumi said as Sasuke rolled his eyes before looking away in disinterest. "Especially since that would leave you and her alone ..." Natsumi trailed off quietly, immediately making Sasuke turn back to her.

"No" he stated.

"Please?" Natsumi asked clasping her hands together.

"No" Sasuke said again.

"But if you keep her busy then me borrowing Naruto will go a lot smoother" Natsumi explained, before earning a blank stare from Sasuke.

"No" Sasuke said simply.

"Come on Sasuke" Natsumi pleaded. "You owe me one from when I had to go in the flower shop alone!" she exclaimed pointing to the corsage she wore as a bewildered look crossed Sasuke's face.

"You took forever though!" Sasuke argued back earning a pout from the girl as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"It still counts" she said stubbornly as Sasuke released a heavy sigh.

"Fine" he said in an annoyed tone as Natsumi smiled brightly.

...

When the next slow song started Natsumi immediately made her way to where Naruto sat with Sakura.

"Hey guys" Natsumi greeted the pair as Sakura turned to her with urgent eyes and earning a simple nod cross the pinkette's face. "Do you want to dance Naruto?" Natsumi asked pointing to the dance floor with her thumb.

Naruto gave the girl a confused look before he turned to face Sakura and he took a moment to process the question.

"Uh I don't know Natsumi ... I mean I want to but I came with Sakura and it might be a little rude to-" he started before being cut off by the dark haired teen.

"I already asked Sakura and she said she would be ok with it" Natsumi said as the pink haired girl placed a hand on the boy's arm and gave him a reassuring nod.

"I don't know" Naruto said wearily. "This feels like a test and I don't want to fail" he said folding his arms over his chest as an irk mark appeared on both girls' heads.

"Would you just go already?!" Sakura suddenly said pushing the blonde out of his chair angrily.

Naruto stumbled towards Natsumi nervously as he looked back at Sakura with eyes widened in fear.

"Uh ok Sakura" he said quickly grabbing Natsumi's hand and rushing away.

Natsumi placed her hands on Naruto's shoulders as the blonde took hold of her waist. As the two began turning, she studied her surroundings to see Sakura wave at her happily before rushing over to the table Sasuke sat at. Then she began busying herself with finding Hinata and Kiba in the crowd of couples that surrounded her and the blonde boy, before becoming distracted when she noticed the boy looking down and trying to stifle his laughter.

"Naruto what are doing?" Natsumi asked raising a brow at the boy as he looked up to meet her gaze.

"Uh nothing" he said with a smile to keep him from laughing.

"Naruto" Natsumi said in a warning tone.

"I'm not looking at your chest" he said defensively, making Natsumi narrow her eyes at him.

"Naruto!" she said in anger.

"No I'm serious!" he said.

"Why would you even say that?" Natsumi asked giving the boy a weary look.

"Because I didn't want you to think that's what I was doing" he replied earning a blank look.

"What were you laughing at?" Natsumi asked curiously.

"That I got to dance with Sasuke's dance before him" the blonde chuckled making the girl roll her eyes before a smile crossed her face. "That and Kiba wanted to dance with you but now I beat him to it too" the blonde said continuing to laugh, as his last statement caught Natsumi's attention.

"What?" she asked.

"Kiba" Naruto replied. "It's kind of funny because now he's dancing with Hinata" Naruto said nodding toward the pair behind Natsumi.

Immediately Natsumi turned her and Naruto so she could see Kiba over the blonde's shoulder. Upon making eye contact the brunette's eyes lit up. Natsumi nodded to the boy before using her finger to motion into a spin and earning a nod from Kiba.

"Hey Naruto can you twirl me?" Natsumi asked looking back to the blonde.

"Huh? Uh yeah I guess" he replied grabbing one of her hands before spinning her. "Like this?" he asked before bringing her back to him.

"Yeah but let's turn that way" she instructed earning a confused look from the boy.

"Why?" Naruto asked curiously as he looked at Natsumi.

Taking a moment to think she saw Kiba giving her a nod indicating it was time and making her grow flustered.

"So Sasuke will see ..." Natsumi said wearily, making Naruto's eyes light up in excitement as a wide smile crossed his face.

"Ok!" Naruto said obeying her orders and twirling her as he turned around.

In that moment Kiba did the same, sending Hinata in the same direction. Natsumi acted quickly to disconnect her hand from Naruto's as Kiba let go of Hinata's and the girl's switched. Natsumi soon found herself wrapped securely in Kiba's arms before looking back to see Hinata being steadied in Naruto's grasp. The shy girl looked up nervously with blush as she processed the situation.

"Oh hey Hinata" Naruto greeted the girl with a smile. "Did you see where Natsumi went?" Naruto asked curiously looking around to see the dark haired girl give him an awkward smile and shrug as Kiba placed his hands around her waist. "Hey Kiba, what's the big idea?" Naruto called to the boy who simply smirked at him before turning his back to him as Natsumi placed her hands on his shoulders. "The nerve of that guy ... Well I guess we'll just have to finish this dance together" Naruto said looking back to Hinata who was now fully red. "Are you ok Hinata?" the blonde asked in concern.

"Yes N-Naruto" she replied trying to calm her blush as she felt her heart beat increase.

"Ok ... if you want we can stop so you can get some air" Naruto offered in a worried tone.

"N-no it's fine" she said shyly looking down as the pair continued their dance.

...

Natsumi finished her dance with Kiba just before being pulled away by Fu who as more upbeat songs began to play. Throughout the night the dark haired teen enjoyed her time with her friends and even spent time with Sasuke when her feet needed rest. She found herself running between the dance floor and where Sasuke sat until she finally felt like her feet might explode. Sasuke looked at her as she slowly made her way to sit down, releasing a small whimper as she sat, telling him she would probably be with him for a while.

"Ugh my feet are killing me" Natsumi stated as she leaned back in her chair.

"You shouldn't have worn those shoes" Sasuke commented making Natsumi scoff before removing her shoes to give her feet relief.

Placing her shoes under the table, Natsumi released a deep breath before the hype man for the Akatsuki gained the attention of the room. The man was tall with dark hair and an orange mask covering his face. Throughout the night he did well to excite the crowd and run around the stage but now he seemed to be more serious.

"Attention everyone" he called loudly into the mic, making the crowd grow silent in anticipation. "Tobi wants to hear how much you all loved hearing from The Akatsuki this evening!" he said then holding the mic up high as he motioned to the band behind him and earned a heavy uproar of applause.

"I wonder who's under that mask" Natsumi said looking at the man as he brought the mic to his face again before stepping to the edge of the stage and doing a back flip that further excited the teens.

"Alright Tobi!" Yahiko said into his mic as he stepped back to the center stage. "Ok we're going to play one more song before we take a little break again" the orange haired teen said as Itachi began to strum a familiar melody.

"I can't believe they're doing an All Time Low cover!" Natsumi exclaimed in excitement as she bounced in her seat.

"You're such a dork" Sasuke said earning a blank stare from the girl before she turned to start arguing back, which seemed to trigger a banter between the two until the song ended.

As the Akatsuki drew the song to a close, Kakuzu motioned for him to say something encouraging until the group returned, making the orange haired boy grow nervous as he thought what he said earlier would be sufficient enough.

"Um I hope you all enjoyed that song" he said into the mic, earning applause and cheers. "Well we're going to go on break right now" he said with an awkward closed eyed smile, earning a face palm from Kakuzu. "But first can we take a minute to show some appreciation to those who aren't in the band but still did a lot to make this happen tonight?" he asked earning some more cheers. "Alright first let's hear it for our manager Kakuzu" he said pointing to the side as the others cheered. "Next our security Hidan and Kisame" he said as the pair raised their hands from the side. "Then our sound and stage managers Nagato and Zetsu" he said looking to the pair before Kakuzu gave him the signal to wrap it up. "Ok and well that's it ... um aside from that we can only thank the actual band and all of you for being our first audience ..." he said earning applause. "Well actually our first audience was a girl names Nats-" he began before being cut off as Itachi strung his guitar and caught his attention.

Natsumi felt her breath hitch in her throat as she watched Yahiko turn around to give the older Uchiha a confused look before Itachi spoke into his own mic.

"The point is we're thankful for everyone's help and we look forward to playing more after our break" he said smoothly earning cheers from the crowd before the band turned to exit the stage.

Natsumi breathed out in relief as Sasuke stared at her with a blank expression.

"I'll be right back" she said stepping back into her shoes as she stood.

"Whatever" Sasuke said in disinterest.

Natsumi began to make her way over to the where the group stood on the side of the stage before being pulled away by the arm as another slow song started. Looking up in surprise, Natsumi was met with Kiba's smirk as he stared down at her.

"I hope you don't mind me grabbing you for another dance" he said as Natsumi gave him a blank look.

"I mean it would've been nice to be given a choice" Natsumi replied awkwardly as the boy grasped her waist.

...

Meanwhile Deidara seethed in anger at the sight of Natsumi wrapped tightly in the brown haired boy's arms as the pair swayed.

"I can't believe this, who is that kid anyways?" Deidara fumed motioning to the pair from where he sat beside Sasori.

Sasori gazed over to where the blonde motioned to, before scoffing as he rolled his eyes.

"Leave her alone and let her enjoy her homecoming" the redhead said earning a huff from Deidara.

"She looks so hot tonight" Deidara said. "How can you not expect me to be mad?!" he asked as the others tuned out in disinterest.

"SHE'S UNDERAGE!" Sasori said loudly in annoyance.

"Deidara is such a creep" Nagato said in disbelief, earning laughs from the others.

"Talk about a pedo" Kisame said prompting more laughter from the group as the blonde blushed in embarrassment.

"Would you all shut up?!" Deidara asked angrily.

"Alright guys we've all had our fun" Yahiko said standing up with his hands raised in defense as he walked over and slapped a hand onto Deidara's back. "Don't worry buddy, you can act as dumb as you want over your little crush and I'll still be here for you" the orange haired boy said with a large smile.

"Like you're one to talk!" Deidara cried pushing his hand off as Yahiko looked at him in shock.

"Oh yeah and what's that supposed to mean?!" the orange haired male asked earning snickers of laughter from the other members.

"Calm down guys" Konan said stepping between the two holding her hands up. "We're all friends and we're only having a little fun that we don't want to go too far with" she said looking over to Yahiko who looked away with a huff. "And we can all admit Natsumi is actually pretty cute" she said looking back to Deidara before turning to Yahiko. "You think she's cute right?" she asked making the male stiffen.

'This feels like a trap' he thought nervously looking at her before trying to answer.

"Well yes ... I guess she can be seen that way to certain people ... but personally I think we all are a little pretty cute" he said awkwardly as Konan raised a brow at him in question. "I mean like we all look good and she looks as good as everyone else but I see how Deidara likes her ... not to say that I would like her because even though she's cute it's a touchy subject" he said trying to salvage his explanation.

"I wouldn't use touchy to describe the subject" Zetsu commented making Yahiko do an anime fall.

"Ok the point is ... Natsumi is cute ... to Deidara ... but it's a fine line" the boy sputtered out as he gave a nervous laugh as he looked back to Konan.

"She's cute as fuck but I don't give a damn about that when crossing that fine line could mean a federal offense" Hidan chimed in, making the group break in laughter again.

"Hidan no cussing!" Kakuzu yelled further driving the group into hysterics.

Deidara rolled his eyes at this before glancing back over to where Natsumi danced with the brown haired boy.

"You know just because she came with Itachi's younger brother, doesn't mean she has to leave with him" Deidara said turning back to Sasori with a sly smirk.

Itachi heard this. The dark haired boy stiffened before slowly rising from where he leaned against the wall next to Kisame and making his way over to the blonde.

"If you do anything to interfere with their night Deidara, I have no problem in ruining your night" the Uchiha said in a low voice as he stared down at Deidara with his dark orbs.

Everyone grew quiet as Itachi wasn't usually one to pick a fight, but they all knew that the boy's family (especially his younger brother) was a touchy subject. Itachi radiated a dangerous aura as he looked at Deidara and no one dared to interfere, well of course until Tobi cut in.

"No!" Tobi cried dramatically jumping into the blondes lap. "Don't hurt Deidara please!" he pleaded looking up at Itachi. "Tobi loves Deidara!" he said hugging the blonde tightly as Itachi simply shook his head before turning to return to his spot.

"Get away from me Tobi!" Deidara said trying to pry the mask wearing figure from him as the others laughed and the atmosphere lightened.

...

Meanwhile a few more songs played while the Akatsuki were on break. Sasuke sat quietly on his phone until Sai walked up to the table and took a seat across from the Uchiha and waved in greeting before pulling out a large book.

'What's with the book?' Sasuke thought as read over the title. 'The Complexity of Different types of relationships' the Uchiha read looking over it with a raised brow before Sai caught his stare.

"Oh do you like my book?" he asked looking to Sasuke as he held it up for the Uchiha to see from a better angle. "It was a gift from a friend" Sai said proudly.

"Hn" Sasuke replied with a nod.

"Yes he gave this to me when I ran into him and Natsumi in my favorite bookstore" Sai said sparking Sasuke's interest upon hearing Natsumi's name.

"He was nice and him giving me a gift on our first meeting was a very good display of friendship" Sai went on happily. "His name was Itachi" he said with his usual smile as Sasuke stiffened.

"Was it him?" the Uchiha asked after a while pointing to where the Akatsuki socialized on the side of the stage.

Turning around Sai's eyes grew wide in surprise.

"It is! I wonder how I didn't notice him earlier" Sai confirmed, making Sasuke grow annoyed. "I think I'll go say hi" Sai said standing to begin making his way over.

'What the hell was Natsumi doing hanging around Itachi?' Sasuke thought angrily as he folded his arms over his chest. 'I know she's friendly with the Akatsuki but I never thought she'd hang out with Itachi on her own ... and why were they in a book store?' The Uchiha pondered.

"Hey Sasuke" Kakashi suddenly said alarming the young man as he placed a hand on his shoulder from behind him. "Do you have a minute to talk?" the silver haired man asked taking a seat beside the young Uchiha.

"Hn" Sasuke said turning to the teacher with a blank expression.

"You alright? You seem upset" Kakashi commented earning a blank stare from Sasuke before he replied.

"I'm fine" Sasuke said in a cold tone.

"Well I noticed you came with Natsumi but you haven't danced with her once" Kakashi said surprising Sasuke as he raised a brow at the silver haired man.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Sasuke asked defensively.

"I'm just pointing it out" Kakashi said holding his hands up in defense. "I just thought I would try to encourage you to ask her for one before the end of the night" Kakashi admitted with his signature closed eyed smile.

"Why would you care?" Sasuke asked gruffly.

"I'm just a teacher trying to make sure my students are having a nice time" Kakashi said innocently. "It seems you're both enjoying yourselves in your own ways but keep in mind that thanks to how guarded Natsumi grew up, this is her first school dance, so it might be nice if she at least got to dance with the boy she came with" Kakashi said making Sasuke feel a pain of guilt as he looked away.

"Whatever" Sasuke said trying to sound disinterested. "She's danced enough with everyone else" he said dismissively.

"I know that Sasuke and it wouldn't take a genius to see the way others jump at the opportunity, but you're closer to her than anyone else so you know that it doesn't matter to her. She's not seeking to be the center of attention; she wants real dependable friendships that hold real meaning. And what better way to show that then offering her one dance?" the silver haired male asked making Sasuke shift uncomfortably before looking in the direction of the dark haired teen.

He saw her and Sai walk up to where the Akatsuki, greeting each member with a smile. Following Sasuke's gaze, Kakashi smiled, before a thought struck him.

"It's too bad you feel that way" Kakashi said rising from his seat as Sasuke turned back to him, relieved that he was leaving. "Maybe Itachi wouldn't mind filling in for you with the gesture" Kakashi said making Sasuke notably stiffen. "Well see you around" the silver haired teacher said with a smile before walking off with his hands in his pockets as Sasuke looked down in thought.

...

After finishing with visiting with the Akatsuki, Natsumi made her way to the refreshment table, pouring herself a cup of punch before she felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning to the source she was surprised when she saw Kabuto smiling down at her.

The young man wore a white button up and a pair of black pants with black shoes and a black neck tie.

"You look exquisite Natsumi" Kabuto complimented the girl as she smiled in thanks.

"Thanks Kabuto" she said. "So you're here to take over Orochimaru-sensei's shift?" she asked curiously, earning a nod from the silver haired male. "Oh I haven't seen him at all tonight" Natsumi said thinking back to her evening.

"Oh he was here" Kabuto said assumingly. "He mentioned you and Sasuke seemed to be having a nice time" he said with a smile that made Natsumi slightly uncomfortable.

'That's kind of creepy to think he was watching Sasuke and I from the shadows somewhere' Natsumi thought in alarm before turning back to Kabuto with an awkward smile.

"Well I better get back to Sasuke" Natsumi said stepping away with her cup still in hand.

Making her way to the table Sasuke occupied earlier she was surprised to see the table empty.

'Where is he?' Natsumi thought before she heard a throat being cleared.

"Looks like your date skipped out on you" Kabuto said as Natsumi turned back to him in surprise.

'Did he follow me?!' she thought in shock.

"He probably just went to the bathroom" Natsumi said taking a seat besides Sasuke's empty chair.

Much to her surprise, Kabuto also took a seat.

"I'll keep you company until he gets back" he said with a smile, as Natsumi awkwardly smiled in return as she nodded.

'Where are you Sasuke?' she thought.

"So how are you enjoying the night?" Kabuto asked.

"It's alright" Natsumi said. "What about you? I'm sure you probably had other things you preferred to do than chaperone a dance" she said with an awkward laugh.

"No I don't really make other plans aside from studying and my experiments" Kabuto said earning a nod of understanding from the teen girl.

"Hn that makes sense" she said as silence befell them.

Natsumi nervously sipped from her cup as she felt Kabuto's gaze bore into her. She tried to distract herself from showing discomfort by listening to the songs played by the Akatsuki. She found herself focusing on Itachi's guitar, trying to envision his fingers running along the strings on the neck of his guitar while he strummed with his pick in the other. They played a couple songs, and although Natsumi stayed calm on the outside, she felt panicked on the inside as Sasuke still didn't return.

"Hey guys we're going to go ahead and slow things down if that alright" Yahiko suddenly announced earning cheers of agreement from the crowd that made the orange haired boy look down and smile. "Alright for this next one I want to bring our lead guitarist, Itachi, up to sit with me while he switches over to an acoustic" he said earning more cheers (mainly from the females) as Zetsu quickly placed two wooden stools in the center of the stage.

Natsumi watched as he rushed off and Itachi handed his guitar off to Nagato before reaching down to pick up an acoustic one as the red head went about hooking it up to the sound system. The older Uchiha then made his way over to the front of the stage, taking a seat beside Yahiko as a light brought more attention to them while they continued trying to set up.

"Shall we?" Kabuto suddenly asked holding a hand out to the teen as she turned to look at him.

"What?" Natsumi asked taken aback by his offer as she looked at him in disbelief.

"Well I did ask you to save me a dance, remember?" Kabuto said suddenly taking her by the hand and pulling her to her feet.

"Uh yeah but I don't think I want to ... I'm a little worried since I don't know where Sasuke is" Natsumi said pulling her hand back to her side.

"Natsumi I can't believe it" Kabuto said making a confused look cross the girl's face. "You don't like him right? That would be a shame if a smart girl like you were to fall into the same band wagon as his other idiotic fans" he stated hurting the girl's pride.

"I don't like him" she replied back abruptly, making a smile cross the young man's face.

"So you still have common sense" Kabuto said taking the girl by the arm. "That's good and since that's the case I'm sure he won't mind waiting on you while we enjoy a dance" he said now beginning to pull the girl toward the floor.

Natsumi was pulled two steps forward before a hand suddenly came down on Kabuto's shoulder, bringing him to a halt as he turned to the source.

"You know Kabuto, when you agreed to take over Orochimaru's shift that entailed following the same behavior standard the rest of us do and just because you're a little closer in age to the students it doesn't make it any less uncomfortable than if me or Guy were to ask them to dance" Kakashi said calmly with a smile that made the young man stiffen.

Natsumi couldn't help the smile of relief that crossed her face at the arrival of her silver haired teacher.

"Kakashi-sensei" Natsumi said catching the man's attention as he turned his gaze to her.

"Ah Natsumi, I believe Sasuke went to the restroom but I think I saw him looking for you" he said pointing over his shoulder.

Sure enough there was the Uchiha wondering around looking around until he turned and met her gaze. As he approached, Kabuto released the hold he had on Natsumi's arm as Kakashi casually slung an arm over his shoulders.

"Why don't we let the kids enjoy their homecoming while you run an outside patrol with Guy and I?" Kakashi asked with a closed eyed smile while he led the boy away.

"Alright sorry it took a while to hook up the guitar but we're ready when you guys are!" Yahiko said into the mic as the teens cheered.

Natsumi turned back to the table as Sasuke made his way over. As she sat and removed her shoes, she heard Itachi's first few notes and her eyes lit up in excitement as she recognized the song as With Ears to see and Eyes to Hear by Sleeping with Sirens.

"Do you want to dance?" Sasuke asked standing in front of her with his hands in his pockets.

"What?" Natsumi asked looking at the boy in disbelief.

"You heard me" he said narrowing his eyes at her in annoyance.

"Are you feeling alright?" Natsumi asked, standing to her feet and standing on her tippy toes as she reached up to feel Sasuke's head for a fever.

Scoffing at her action, Sasuke grabbed Natsumi by the hand before leading her to the floor.

"Hey I don't have my shoes on!" Natsumi protested as Sasuke continued to pull her.

"So?" he asked looking back at her. "You said they were hurting your feet" he pointed out.

"I don't want to lose a toe just because I bitched out of wearing my heels while Ino and Sakura probably have theirs still" Natsumi argued earning an eye roll from the boy as they came to a halt and he brought her to face him.

"Why does any of that matter?" he asked raising a brow at the girl.

"Because it's going to hurt if someone steps on my foot!" Natsumi said angrily.

Sasuke looked to the side with a huff before lifting Natsumi onto his shoes. He took hold of her waist, surprising her as she looked at him in shock before placing her hands around his shoulders. As the teens began to sway they both looked elsewhere, simply listening to the song before Sasuke finally chose to speak.

"Sai mentioned he got a book from Itachi and you" he stated simply.

Natsumi felt her heart drop to her stomach at this. Immediately she turned to look at Sasuke and met the stare of his cold onyx eyes drilling into her.

"What?" she asked trying to maintain a straight face.

"Sai told me he ran into you and my brother in one his favorite bookstores. Then Itachi gave him a book, but I don't recall you telling me you two were spending time together" he said continuing to look at Natsumi who felt her stomach tighten in knots of nerves.

'Damn it Sai' she thought as she looked back at Sasuke.

"I didn't know I was at liberty to inform you on every little meaningless thing" Natsumi replied calmly. "It happened a while back when he and I had to carry our mothers' bags to the cars" she said as Sasuke seemed to be studying her to tell if she was lying. "On our way back to meet them, we stopped in that shop ..." she started to explain before she thought back to that day.

'Itachi saved me from having a panic attack' she thought thinking back to how the masses of people overwhelmed her and the older Uchiha calmed her with a hug before whisking her into the small shop.

"Are you ok?" Sasuke asked looking at Natsumi suspiciously.

"There were so many people and I ... I was overwhelmed" she admitted surprising Sasuke as a sad look crossed her eyes. "I almost had a panic attack so we stopped" she said looking down in shame and embarrassment.

Sasuke soon regretted his decision for bringing up this topic.

"It ... It was nothing" Natsumi managed to say after a while as she looked back to Sasuke.

"Alright" The Uchiha said simply, making her inwardly explode.

'That's it?!' she thought staring at him in disbelief.

Noticing her look, Sasuke looked to the side as he rolled his eyes.

"If you say it's nothing then it's nothing" he said in an annoyed tone as he still refused to meet her gaze. "We're friends and I trust you" he said further surprising the girl at his words.

'Did he really just say something nice to me?!' Natsumi thought in surprise as she stared at Sasuke.

"Stop looking at me like that! It's annoying!" he hissed turning back to her with narrowed eyes.

Natsumi smiled before looking away as they continued turning. She heard him huff and continue to sway with her to the music. Her brown orbs couldn't help but wonder before eventually landing on the stage where Yahiko sang and Itachi played the guitar.

'It was nothing' her words replayed in her head as she looked over the older boy, suddenly feeling her palms getting sweaty. 'He just saved me from a public breakdown but it's nothing ...' she thought watching him play, feeling her heart beat a little faster. 'He's been nothing but nice to me but it's nothing' she thought while feeling her stomach tighten. 'Like when he gave me a ride to school, or gave me his jacket, or calmed me down, or tried to make me feel better about my height ... or even when he stopped Yahiko from saying my name because he knows I hate attention ... it's nothing' she thought feeling time slow down as she looked up at him.

Her heart beat faltered and she felt her palms grow even sweatier before the thought hit her like a bus as she saw him look up and smile.

'It's definitely not nothing ... I like Itachi'

...

A/N: So that's the chapter lol I worked really hard on it and I hope you all love it. So much happened and I know it can be a lot to process but it's all in good fun. I did a lot of overthinking on this lol, like to the point where it seemed a little excessive but I digress. For one thing the scene with the Yukata and Natsumi talking about BTS, because I really wanted there to be something else to bring them closer together so I did a little out sourcing ... and asked (who I consider an expert) on who their biases would be. Of course I had an easier time picking Yukata's then giving myself a headache over picking Natsumi's just because I didn't want to share a bias with her (Btw I stan Suga and if you'd like to you could let me know your bias in the comments lol) before I finally made a decision.

Next the scene with the boys because I wanted Sasuke to not act like such a tool the entire time. I mean how lame would it be if he just sat around and ignored everyone? Sasuke is definitely a frustrating character to write for and I had this huge fight with my editor over why I decided to write something with him as the best friend when there were a ton of other likeable and more approachable characters. But after taking a moment to calm down, I came to the conclusion that even though Sasuke is difficult, he was still a better match for Natsumi's best friend than any others since he gives her the space she needs rather than overwhelming her with emotions. And he doesn't need to stay the same because over time he and Natsumi will change each other.

Then I learned what the word 'simp' meant and had the realization that Kiba and Deidara were simps. And in the final edit my editor said Naruto was a simp and I lost it lol.

But could we just take a minute to appreciate Fu like she's adorable and the way she responded to being talked about is confidence I aspire to have lol.

I actually had a whole moment where I was overthinking the song for the slow dance between Natsumi and Sasuke. I originally wanted to use another All Time Low song because Remembering Sunday and Therapy have amazing guitar intros that could be immediately recognized, but when YouTube auto played With Ears to See and Eyes to Hear by Sleeping with Sirens, I was like 'Oh my god this is perfect'. And even though it didn't exactly fall in my idea for Yahiko's vocal range, I felt like the overall message of the song and the lyrics (especially the beginning) that talk about lies had me thinking about how perfectly it fit into the situation with Natsumi lying to Sasuke by downplaying her interactions with Itachi when in the end 'it's nothing' wasn't the case since all of it led to her liking Itachi.

Maybe I put too much thought into it but hey it's fine lol... Anyways I hope you all enjoy what happened. Also if you are interested in seeing what the girls' Homecoming Dresses looked like feel free to check them out on the Instagram account ashlynnrae98. Please remember to read and review because I love hearing from you guys. I hope all is well with all of you. And I'm sorry that this Author's Note is so long. But please stay safe guys and until next time xoxo