Best Friend's Brother 26
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any characters used aside from my OC and the OC's associated with her.
The tension was thick. Natsumi sat at the dining room table nervously shifting her gaze between her mother and father who sat at separate ends of the table. Both adults were silently sipping the tea her mother had prepared. The silence made Natsumi feel like she was suffocating.
"You both seem to have settled in rather well" her father commented breaking the silence as he set his cup down in front of him.
"Hn" Natsumi's mother replied with a nod as she set her cup down as well. "You must forgive the mess, we weren't expecting a guest so suddenly" her mother went on sarcastically, making the man scoff.
"Well keeping house was never you forte" he replied making the woman clench her fist.
"Why are you here?" Natsumi cut in catching the attention of her father before her mother could retort.
"A father can't worry about his daughter?" the man asked raising a brow at the girl. "It seems like I was right to though, you're obviously losing your etiquette to think it's proper to speak in that tone" he commented making Natsumi stiffen.
"Hn" the teen replied simply moving her gaze to the table as another awkward silence took place.
"She has every right to inquire" her mother said breaking the silence again as Natsumi's father looked at her with narrowed eyes.
"It's not surprising you'd see it that way, considering you must be the source for her defiance" the man shot back. "She's changed a lot" he commented looking back to Natsumi.
The dark haired teen held her breath in anticipation of his critique.
'It's only been a few months ... what could have changed?' Natsumi thought looking back to meet her father's gaze. 'But it's not like it even matters, he always finds something' she thought.
"You've put on weight" he said making the teen release a breath to remain calm. "You always kept busy with athletics in Kyoto, but I see with how little there is to do here, you've used it as an excuse to get out of shape" he said making Natsumi's mother stiffen.
'Have I really let myself go that much?' Natsumi thought furrowing her brows. 'Dad's not one to pull his punches, but I don't think it's that bad ... granted I don't work out much aside from PE ... could I still tie with Sasuke and Naruto if I were to race them again?' Natsumi began to over think before feeling the cold chill of her mother's glare directed at her father.
"Hn, I didn't notice the change too much" Natsumi admitted earning a nod from her father.
"Well do you participate in any athletics such as tennis?" he asked earning a head shake no. "Well are you at least taking a self-defense class like you were in Kyoto?" he asked earning another head shake from the teen.
"I didn't think it was too necessary considering we no longer live in such a large city" Natsumi said making the man scoff.
"Regardless of that Natsumi, the world is a dangerous place full of people who can't be trusted so you should be taking every precaution." He lectured making Natsumi nod before releasing another breath.
"You have a lot of nerve springing a lecture on her with your unannounced arrival" her mother cut in.
"Well life is full of surprises" the man retorted narrowing his eyes at the woman.
Natsumi's mother creased her brows as she opened her mouth to respond, yet before she could speak, she was stopped when Natsumi placed a hand over her shoulder.
"It's surprising to see you" Natsumi said calmly trying to maintain her stoic expression as she looked to her father.
"I had business a few hours away" he replied earning a nod from the teen. "I wanted to check in and see what Konoha had to offer" he went on.
"I hope the trip wasn't too far out of the way for you" Natsumi replied politely.
"It wasn't an issue Natsumi" he replied simply picking up his tea to take another sip as the teen girl nodded in reply. "After all I was curious considering how little you would say in our calls" he said making the teen inwardly groan.
"I see" she replied with a nod once more. "Forgive my shock father, but I didn't consider the probability of a surprise visit considering the constraints of your schedule" Natsumi said bluntly, making the man stiffen. "How pleasant" she said with a fake smile.
"This venture wasn't something I intentionally planned Natsumi" he replied after regaining his composure. "But since I am here, I figured you would do the noble thing and clear your schedule for me" he said making the girl notably stiffen as she balled her fists in anger.
'You want me to clear my schedule for you but we both know that wouldn't be the case if it were the other way around' Natsumi thought in anger, before she felt her mother place a hand over hers and squeeze tightly to comfort the teen.
"I see" Natsumi said calmly as her mother removed her hand. "How long will you be staying?" she asked looking to the man.
"Just today" he replied simply earning a nod from the girl. "I was actually hoping you might show me the charms of this small town" he said surprising Natsumi at the sincerity of his tone.
"Really?" she asked with her brows rising in surprise.
"Of course dear, perhaps even introduce me to these friends of yours" he said taking a sip of his tea and making Natsumi scoff.
"Still haven't gotten your background checks?" she asked suddenly dropping her kind tone as her words dripped with disdain.
Taken aback by the change in his daughter's voice, her father choked on his tea before his gaze shifted between the teen and her mother.
"Background checks?!" Her mother asked angrily rising from the table as she looked down at the man. "You tried to get background checks on our daughter's friends?!" she asked in disbelief as her voice rose.
"What did you expect me to do?!" the man snapped back. "She's in a foreign place full of strangers! These people could be taking advantage of her and leading her down a path that would tarnish her reputation!" he went on making the woman's mouth drop open in shock.
"Who do you think she's associating with?!" she snapped back.
"Heaven only knows!" he replied angrily. "I know you don't since you're too busy with work!" he said making the woman stiffen.
"You are the last person to criticize anyone on that Gakuho!" she snapped back immediately. "How dare you!" she yelled. "The nerve of you to say something after all the late nights you pulled, after all the holidays you missed, and considering you only ever got close to our daughter to try to trick her into an arranged marriage with one of your colleague's sons!" she fumed before clamping a hand over her mouth and worriedly looking to her daughter.
Hearing her mother's outburst, brought back all the pain of situation as Natsumi stared at her lap and felt the weight of the world fall onto her shoulders.
'Mom has every right to be pissed ... but her outburst is only rubbing salt in the wound' Natsumi thought feeling her chest grow heavy.
The dark haired teen was silent as she tried to blink back the tears that begin to form, before taking notice to how her parents stopped arguing. Looking up she was met with the sight of both watching her intently, as if to wait for her to break down.
"My friends are busy today" Natsumi stated, surprising her parents with her calm tone.
"Hn" her father replied with a nod as he looked to the cup in his hand while Natsumi's mother excused herself from the room.
With silence befalling her and her father, Natsumi felt awkward as the two sat for a while.
"Does Konoha have a movie theater?" he suddenly asked making his daughter look up to meet the gaze of his dark orbs.
"Yes" she replied earning a nod from the man as silence befell the pair yet again.
"We can start with that" he said earning a confused look from his daughter. "Then you can go about showing me around this town" he said making Natsumi raise a brow at him.
"Alright" she replied with a nod as she began to stand from her seat.
"But after you change of course" he said making his daughter freeze, "I'll wait here until you're ready" he said earning a nod from Natsumi before she released a heavy sigh and made her way out of the room.
Walking into the living room, Natsumi was surprised when she saw her mother pacing back and forth with her hands over her face.
"Mom?" Natsumi called brining the woman to a stop as she looked to Natsumi.
"Natsumi" she said before walking over and pulling the girl into a tight embrace as she released a heavy sigh. "I'm so sorry" she said sincerely.
"It's ok" Natsumi said patting the woman on the back. "You were worked up and it slipped out" she said as her mother released her.
"I know how sensitive you are about your father" her mother said with her brows furrowed.
"It's fine mom" Natsumi said with a straight face. "Dad's taking me to a movie and then I'm going to show him around Konoha" she informed the woman making her brows rise in interest. "I just have to change first" Natsumi said making her mother sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I almost forgot about his standards for having you be presentable" she said earning a nod from the teen.
"Yeah ... my hairs not supposed to be hanging and he prefers I wear a dress or skirt" Natsumi said.
"I love you dear" her mother said making Natsumi smile.
"I love you too mom" the teen replied before making her way to the stairs so she could go to her room to change.
...
On the drive to the theater, Natsumi stared out the window with a blank expression as she listened to her father instruct the driver.
"Go ahead and park a block away, and we'll walk the rest of the way" the man said.
"Are you sure sir? It wouldn't be an issue to drop you off up front" the driver said looking to the man through the rearview mirror for a moment.
"Of course, there's no need for us to have the extra attention anyways" he said turning his gaze to his daughter who looked to him with a stoic expression.
"Yes sir" the driver replied. "Shall I pick you up out front afterwards or wait until you call sir?" the driver asked.
"Konoha is a relatively small town, so I don't see the need to be shuttled every block or so" Natsumi's father replied. "We'll play things by ear for now but go ahead and keep your phone on" he said sternly earning a nod from his driver while Natsumi inwardly scoffed.
'How humble' the teen thought sarcastically.
Returning her attention to the window, Natsumi watched as they bypassed some local shops like Ino's family's flower shop, before taking in the sight of more buildings and catching sight of Ichiraku Ramen. Natsumi watched the streets fill with patrons who made their way through to do their shopping and noticed how many more people there seemed to be with them nearing the middle of town.
Natsumi stood from her seat in her father's car smoothing out the black pleated skirt she wore, before following her father out the car door his driver held open. Her brown eyes travelled over the man as they exited into the busy streets of Konoha. He stretched before pulling out his phone, seemingly checking his emails while walking ahead without the worry of anyone bumping into him.
'To have that confidence ... to know that people will part for you ... it kind of reminds me of Sasuke' Natsumi thought as her father made his way to the ticket booth to purchase their tickets, before the light vibrations of her phone in her purse caught her attention.
Natsumi quickly opened up her purse, taking hold of the device and seeing the Uchiha's name lighting up the screen. She nervously glanced in her father's direction, seeing him making his way back to her before declining the call and then seeing him raise a brow at her.
"Who was that?" he asked skeptically as he watched Natsumi stuff her phone back into her purse.
"Probably just a scam caller" Natsumi said dismissively, earning a blank stare then a nod from the man as they continued going into the building.
"So what else does this town have to offer?" he asked making a look of contemplation cross the teen's face as her gaze shifted to the side as they entered the theater to take their seats.
"We could take a stroll through the park after this, then go looking through the shopping district" Natsumi offered earning a nod from the man as the teen also nodded before the pair turned their attention to the screen.
...
Sasuke scoffed as he took his phone away from his ear.
'She usually answers ... leave it to her to forget her stupid heels and then not answer ... idiot' The Uchiha thought as he grabbed a bottled water from the fridge.
"Is everything alright?" his mother asked as Sasuke unscrewed the lid from the bottle.
"Hn" he replied with a nod before turning back to leave the kitchen.
"Ok dear" Mikoto said before seeing her younger son disappear from view.
Walking through the house, Sasuke began to make his way back to his room but when he was back at his door, he was stopped when his older brother caught his attention.
"Sasuke" Itachi said making the younger boy stiffen as he turned to face him.
"Itachi" Sasuke said.
"We didn't get to talk much during breakfast" Itachi said walking to standing in front of the young man with his hands in his pockets.
Itachi wore a pair of black joggers with a red hoodie pullover with Konoha University written across the front in black letters.
"Hn" Sasuke replied with a nod.
"Well I was going to go for a run now but I was kind of hopping to hear about how you and Natsumi enjoyed your night ... you could come with me if you'd like?" Itachi offered making Sasuke narrow his eyes at him.
"I thought I told you that anything concerning my friends and I –" Sasuke began to retort before stopping midway through as he remembered Natsumi's words.
'Have you even ever stopped to think about what Itachi thinks of this? He's not trying to make things hard for you, but you're so caught up in this competition that you can't see that'
"Never mind" Sasuke said growing silent as Itachi raised a brow at him.
It was silent between the two male Uchiha's until Itachi chose to speak.
"Would you like to come with me?" Itachi asked ignoring Sasuke's previous outburst as he looked at his younger brother with hopeful eyes.
Sasuke turned his gaze to the side, in an attempt to brush off the question as it grew silent between the pair yet again.
"I can buy you dumplings afterwards" Itachi offered making Sasuke scoff as he returned his gaze to the older boy.
"I'm not a child" Sasuke said making Itachi smile. "Fine I'll go" Sasuke said as he crossed his arms over his chest making Itachi's eyes widen.
"I'll wait for you downstairs" he said.
Sasuke watched as Itachi made his way down the stairs, before he turned to make his way into his room.
'Great now I have to change' Sasuke thought running a hand through his dark locks before turning to make his way to his closet.
...
Meanwhile Natsumi and her father got out of the theater before deciding to head to the park. Once there they slowly walked through the park. For the most part the man discussed how business with the Nakamaru Company was progressing while the dark haired teen listened, offering nods and hums to show she was listening or at least pretending to listen.
"But that's enough about the company for now" he suddenly said surprising his daughter as she turned to him with alarm filled eyes.
"What?" Natsumi asked taken aback by his statement and making him raise a brow at her.
"I'd like to hear more about your time in Konoha" he stated. "Tell me about how you occupy your time in and out of school and these friends ... especially this dark haired young man Mr. Mitaka mentioned" he said making the teen tense up.
'The dark haired young man Mr. Mitaka mentioned ... Sasuke?' Natsumi thought looking at her father with a confused look on her face.
Her father looked at Natsumi expectantly, waiting on her to respond before a large white dog suddenly ran up to the pair. Immediately the man pushed Natsumi behind him as the dog came to a halt in front of the pair.
'Akamaru' Natsumi thought as she recognized the dog as Kiba's, and in turn making her shift her gaze around nervously as she looked for the brown haired boy.
"What is the meaning of this? Does this park not have a rule to have pets on leashes?" her father asked in an annoyed tone while looking at the large white dog.
"It's ok Dad" Natsumi said moving his arm to his side as she stepped around him to pet the white dog. "He's friendly" she said petting the dog who happily greeted her with a lick to her arm as she continued to pet him.
"So it appears" her father said skeptically before taking notice to the collar the large animal wore.
While Natsumi preoccupied the dog, he bent down slightly, turning the collar to find the tag.
"Akamaru" he read aloud, before turning the tag over. "Looks like his owner Kiba has his number listed" he stated as Natsumi gave no response.
Her father stood back at his full height, taking out his phone to dial the number listed on the collar before his phone started ringing. This made Natsumi turn around, giving her father expectant look as she waited for him to act. After releasing a heavy sigh, the man pinched the bridge of his nose before speaking.
"I'm going to have to take this, wait here and call that number" he instructed earning a nod from the teen before he walked off and answered his device.
Natsumi released a heavy sigh as her father left before stepping off the sidewalk and onto the grass to kneel beside Akamaru as she continued to pet him.
"I should expect this to happen more often since I know how much his work means to him, but I can't help feel disappointed" Natsumi admitted to Akamaru as the animal tuned his head to the side while she talked. "I'm sorry Akamaru, I know I shouldn't complain so much when Kiba's probably worried about you ... Where is he anyways?" she asked looking around for any sign of the brown haired boy.
'Weird if Akamaru is around, Kiba's usually not too far behind' Natsumi thought furrowing her brows in thought.
"Did you run away?" she asked looking back to Akamaru just as the dog licked her on the cheek. "Well don't you know how to make someone feel better?" Natsumi laughed wiping her cheek as she stood to her full height and began to dig through the contents of her purse before bringing out her phone and noticing Akamaru starting to wonder again. "Hey Akamaru, stay put until after I get ahold of Kiba" Natsumi said making the dog immediately sit down.
'Huh I'm surprised he listens to others' the dark haired girl thought as she started to turn her attention back to her device to scroll through her contacts for the brunette's number.
Yet just as Natsumi was about to make the call, she heard Akamaru start barking and stand as his tail wagged excitedly. Looking to the source, she expected to see Kiba approaching but to her surprise it was a different young man.
"Shino!" Natsumi called waving to the young man to gain his attention.
Shino immediately turned to meet the teen girl's gaze before making his way over to her and Akamaru. Natsumi noticed he seemed tired as he approached slowly. He was wearing a pair of black pants with a large grey hoodie that had the hood down with his usual sunglasses. His hair was seemingly unkempt and it didn't seem like he had much sleep the previous night.
"Hello Natsumi" he said in his usual calm tone as he stood before the teen girl.
"Are you alright?" Natsumi asked before a yawn escaped the young man.
"Yes" he replied simply. "Unfortunately I didn't get much sleep last night since I had to babysit Kiba at the after party" he admitted making Natsumi's brows raise in interest.
"What happened?" Natsumi asked curiously.
"He had too much to drink because of some stupid contest he got into with Naruto" Shino replied as Natsumi's brows rose.
"Wow I can't really say I'm surprised that Naruto would start something so ..." Natsumi began to say before trailing off as she tried to think of a word to use.
"Reckless" Shino replied finishing her sentence and making the girl smirk before nodding in agreement.
"Well that's Naruto" Natsumi said with a smile as Shino now nodded in agreement. "Anyways are you meeting with Kiba?" Natsumi asked as the teens turned their attention to Akamaru.
"Yes, after last night's events, a lot of us stayed the night at Naruto's so our parents wouldn't know about the drinking" he replied. "But Kiba's mother is pretty strict about him being responsible for walking Akamaru every day, so he left when he woke up and asked me to meet him here with medicine for his headache" Shino explained earning another nod of understanding from Natsumi.
"Well that explains why he wasn't running around with Akamaru" Natsumi said looking back to the large white dog that looked between the two teens with his tongue out. "I just hope his hangover isn't killing him" Natsumi said bending down and petting Akamaru again.
"He should be fine" Shino said dismissively. "Besides maybe it'll teach him a lesson on self-control" he said making Natsumi smile.
'Shino's always been so blunt' Natsumi thought before standing back to her feet as she smoothed out her skirt.
"Well I guess I can leave Akamaru with you ... maybe he can lead you back to Kiba" Natsumi said earning a nod from Shino.
"I suppose that seems like the most logical course of action, but what are you doing with Akamaru to begin with?" Shino asked curiously.
"Oh he just ran up to me while I was on a walk with ..." Natsumi began before trailing off as she started to look around for her father.
'Where is he?' Natsumi thought.
"Is everything alright Natsumi?" Shino asked catching the girl's attention as she turned back to him and nodded with a reassuring smile before her father's voice was heard making her stiffen as he approached her and Shino.
"Ah Natsumi, did you manage to get a hold of this dog's owner?" her father asked standing alongside his daughter and looking at Shino with a raised brow.
"Actually-" Natsumi began before being cut off by her father.
"I take it you are Kiba" her father said looking at Shino. "You know you should really be more attentive to your pet especially since he's not on a leash" he said beginning a lecture as Natsumi tried to stop him.
"No sir" Shino replied ignoring the man's abruptness to cutting off the dark haired girl.
"Really?" Natsumi's father asked cocking a brow at the young man.
"We should go" Natsumi stated trying to interject again as Shino gave her a curious look.
"Hold on Natsumi" her father said raising a hand to silence the teen girl. "It wouldn't be proper to leave this animal with a stranger" he said. "Did you call the number on the tag?" he asked looking to his daughter.
"No but its ok because-" the teen girl began to explain before being cut off by her father again.
"You were given one simple request" her father said in disappointment. "Were you really willing to pawn the task off on this young man? I already told you that not everyone can be trusted and here you are about to leave this animal with a stranger" her father chastised making Natsumi grow silent as she pursed her lips in a straight line.
Shino wasn't sure what to make of the situation as he watched the man lecture Natsumi.
"Shino's not a stranger" Natsumi said interrupting her father's rant as she spoke.
"Excuse me?" her father asked raising a brow at the girl as Shino quietly observed.
"Shino is a friend from school, he's here to meet with Kiba so there is no issue with him taking Akamaru" Natsumi explained trying to keep a calm tone as she looked to the ground.
Natsumi's father wearily looked from his daughter to the dark haired young man before giving the teen boy an uncertain look.
"Hn" her father said nodding in understanding before holding out a hand to the young man. "You must forgive my brashness young man, but I am Natsumi's father Gakuho Nakamaru" the man introduced himself as Shino took ahold of his hand and shook it.
"Hello sir my name is Shino Aburame" Shino said in a serious tone before the man released his hand.
"Hn" her father said nodding in understanding. "Well Shino you're the first of my daughter's friends I'm meeting are you busy?" he asked.
"He has plans with Kiba" Natsumi said cutting in.
"Natsumi allow your friend to reply" he said giving his daughter a disapproving look before turning his gaze back to Shino. "Tell me young man, are you too busy to accompany my daughter and I for a short stroll; I'd like to use the time to get to learn more about you" her father said making Natsumi inwardly face palm as she tried to maintain a calm composure on the outside.
"No one really ever bothers to learn much about me" Shino said making Natsumi face palm.
'Now's not the time Shino' Natsumi thought releasing a breath as her father began walking alongside the young man while she and Akamaru trailed behind.
"Well for starters I am a from the Aburame clan, who have been prominent members of Konoha for a few generations. My father's name is Shibi Aburame and he is an Entomologist." Shino said.
"An Entomologist?" Natsumi's father inquired earning a nod from the young man.
"He studies insects at a research lab here in Konoha" Shino replied as Natsumi's father nodded. "My mother stays home and I have an adoptive brother named Torune. I was born on January 23." Shino stated as Natsumi inwardly groaned.
'Dad doesn't really care, but with how much Shino is talking he's saving him on doing a back ground check ... wait a minute now that I think of it I don't think I've heard Shino talk this much before' the dark haired girl thought tuning back into the conversation.
"Please do go on" her father said as Shino nodded.
"My favorite color is moss green, I enjoy Salads with herbs and I especially like winter melon, I enjoy insect collecting in my free time and my blood type is AB" Shino went on, making Natsumi inwardly face palm again.
'Yeah he's definitely saving Dad on doing a back ground check.' Natsumi thought as she watched her father take in this information as they continued on their walk to the exit of the park.
...
Sasuke and Itachi ran through the outskirts of Konoha in silence before they found themselves making their way out of the tree line and entering into the park. The boys decided to walk and use the time to catch their breath as they observed others going about their day.
"Shall we take a break?" Itachi asked motioning to a small hill.
"I'm fine to keep going" Sasuke replied simply.
"You shouldn't push yourself so much after the workout we did, you might end up hurting yourself" Itachi lectured earning an eye roll from Sasuke before the teen scoffed and nodded.
Both brothers made their way over to the hill before taking a seat while finishing off the water they brought and then leaning back to look at the blue sky above.
"It's a nice day" Itachi said breaking the silence again.
"Hn" Sasuke replied with a nod while he folded his hands behind his head.
"We haven't done this in a while" Itachi stated trying to start a conversation but only earning silence as he shifted the gaze of his onyx eyes to see the stoic expression Sasuke wore.
"You've been busy" Sasuke replied in a cold tone as he continued to stare upwards.
There was now awkward silence enveloping the two Uchiha brothers before Itachi chose to speak again.
"I'm sorry Sasuke" Itachi said surprising the teen with the sincerity of his tone.
Sasuke turned to Itachi with his brows raised.
"I admit that we haven't spent a lot of time together and much of that falls on my part. I guess it started when I started high school and couldn't manage my responsibilities with our relationship" he admitted.
"It started before that" Sasuke said catching Itachi's attention as he turned to him.
"I guess it did" Itachi said looking away again. "Regardless of when it happened though, I never intended on pushing you away so much" Itachi said closing his eyes as he released a sigh.
Sasuke looked at his brother in shock before turning his gaze to the sky as well.
"Now I'm in college and you're in high school and it feels like too much time has passed to try and rebuild that bond" Itachi said opening his eyes again as he looked over a cloud passing over head.
"That doesn't matter" Sasuke suddenly said surprising Itachi as the older boy looked to the teenager again. "I mean I am mad at you for always being busy but ..." Sasuke began before trailing off.
"What is it?" Itachi asked curiously.
"Never mind forget it" Sasuke said dismissively as he sat up and turned his head to the side to crack his neck.
Itachi gave Sasuke a weary look before releasing another sigh.
"You can tell me anything" Itachi said sitting up as well while Sasuke turned his gaze elsewhere.
"Whatever" the teen boy said stubbornly.
"Alright why don't we change the subject?" Itachi asked.
"Fine" Sasuke said with a nod of agreement.
"How did you enjoy your night?" Itachi asked casually.
"It was fine" Sasuke replied simply.
"Oh did you have fun with your friends?" Itachi asked trying to maintain the discussion.
"Hn" Sasuke replied with a simple nod earning a smile from his brother.
"That's good" Itachi replied as silence befell the pair yet again.
"Did you like being there with the Akatsuki?" Sasuke asked surprising his brother with his curiosity.
"I did" Itachi replied with a nod. "I was pretty pleased with how well we did with the sets and I'm glad that Kakuzu didn't have much to complain about" Itachi went on with a smile as Sasuke listened intently. "Well aside from the cursing Hidan did but that was pretty much expected" Itachi went on before he thought back to the nights events and he remembered that Hidan wasn't the only one to break Kakuzu's no cussing rule.
"You seem like you enjoyed it more than I did" Sasuke stated bringing the boy out of his thoughts as he shook his head with a smile.
"It's always eventful when with the Akatsuki" Itachi said turning back to his brother who had a brow raised in question.
"Hn" Sasuke said with a nod.
"But what did you think of how we played?" Itachi asked catching Sasuke off guard.
"It was good" Sasuke replied honestly. "Natsumi kept naming the songs when she would sit with me" Sasuke admitted making Itachi chuckle before he thought back to his threat to Deidara if he were to interfere with Natsumi and Sasuke.
"Did you have a nice time with Natsumi?" Itachi asked slowly, making Sasuke raise a brow at him.
"You sound like mom" Sasuke stated bluntly making his brother grow silent.
"I mean there were no interruptions to your evening?" Itachi inquired earning a confused look from his brother.
Sasuke contemplated this question for a while before releasing a sigh.
"What is it?" Itachi asked curiously, internally deciding on whether or not he had to talk with Deidara.
"I might've upset her when I asked about ... the day you two ran into Sai ... she told me what happened when the crowd got too intense for her" Sasuke explained wearily, surprising Itachi.
'I meant interruptions from outside sources' Itachi thought as he waited for Sasuke to continue.
"Natsumi doesn't do well with large groups" Sasuke said slowly. "At first I was kind of mad that she didn't tell me she was with you, but I know it's hard for her to talk about her issues so..." Sasuke began before trailing off.
Itachi watched as Sasuke furrowed his brows in contemplation as he looked to the side.
"I appreciate you being there for her" Sasuke finally managed to mumble out under his breath after a while, leaving Itachi with a shocked look on his face. It was quiet between the pair for a few moments until Sasuke rolled his eyes and turned to Itachi to speak.
"Stop looking at me like that" Sasuke said in an annoyed tone.
"Natsumi is changing you" Itachi said making Sasuke crease his brows.
"No she's not" Sasuke replied stubbornly.
"It's not a bad thing Sasuke" Itachi said reassuringly. "Relationships tend to bring out the best parts of ourselves" he started before being cut off by the boy.
"Now you sound like dad" Sasuke said in an annoyed tone. "We're not in a relationship" Sasuke said with a huff.
"I'm sorry that's not what I meant by 'relationship'" Itachi apologized as silence befell the pair yet again. "I don't mean to come off as father does, but I can tell you've been different thanks to her ... so even though you two aren't together in that way, if you were to find yourself liking her, you could talk to me" Itachi offered making Sasuke scoff.
"I don't like Natsumi though" Sasuke said. "She's annoying, stubborn, and likes to argue too much" Sasuke replied. "I don't think I could ever picture myself liking someone like her especially since I see her the same way I see Naruto" Sasuke explained folding his arms over his chest.
"Didn't you kiss Naruto?" Itachi asked making Sasuke stiffen.
"Shut up!" Sasuke yelled angrily looking at Itachi.
"I'm simply saying that just because you don't see her that way now, it doesn't mean you have to shut down the idea completely" Itachi said holding up his hands in defense. "Natsumi is a nice girl" he defended the dark haired teen, making Sasuke scoff.
"If you like her so much, why don't you date her?" Sasuke asked rhetorically turning his gaze away.
"Maybe I will" Itachi replied with a smirk as Sasuke turned back to him and using that opportunity, Itachi flicked the boy in the forehead.
"Hey!" Sasuke said bringing a hand to his forehead as he narrowed his gazed at Itachi who now laughed.
Itachi watched as Sasuke turned away from him with a huff, before turning his attention to the area around them, especially when he heard the voices of two males speaking rather loudly. Both brothers turned to the source to see a boy with dark brown hair and sunglasses in a hoodie, walking alongside another boy with brown hair wearing grey sweats, a white t-shirt and a black hoodie that was zipped open, also with a large white dog walking between the teens. Itachi noticed the way Sasuke seemed to take a more attentive notice to the pair as they spoke.
"I can't believe you and Akamaru ran into Natsumi!" Kiba exclaimed in an upset tone, catching Sasuke's attention at the mention of the girl's name.
"It was better that you weren't there" Shino said reassuringly. "I don't think it would have made the best impression on her father seeing as your hung over" Shino went on making Sasuke sit up immediately.
"Don't remind me" Kiba complained. "I don't want to get involved in anymore drinking games with Naruto again" he complained bringing a hand to his head.
"Sasuke is everything alright?" Itachi asked noticing Sasuke's change in demeanor before following his gaze to Shino and Kiba. "Did you want to go say hi to your friends while I filled up our water's at the drinking fountain?" Itachi asked rising to his feet as the two boys suddenly took notice to Sasuke.
Itachi watched Sasuke close his eyes releasing a deep breath before holding his empty bottle out to him. The older boy accepted it before turning to leave Sasuke with the two other boys.
'I wonder what those two had to say about Natsumi to make Sasuke approach them' Itachi contemplated.
The older Uchiha walked to the drinking fountain, unscrewing the lid off of Sasuke's bottle to begin filling it before moving onto his own. Itachi glanced over to where his brother stood talking to the boys, taking notice to how the brunette talked with his hands before seeing Sasuke turn completely to the other boy as he tensed up. After finishing, Itachi made his way back over to Sasuke in time to see him walking off from the boys before coming to an abrupt halt in front of him.
"What's wrong?" Itachi asked noticing his brother's stiffness.
"Natsumi's father is in town" Sasuke replied as they resumed walking.
"Alright and what's wrong with that?" Itachi asked curiously.
"It can't be a good thing" Sasuke replied. "I need to call her and see what's going on" he went on beginning to pullout his phone before Itachi stopped him by taking his phone from his hand.
"Hold on Sasuke" Itachi said in a calming voice. "Why do you seem so panicked?" Itachi asked.
"Whenever it involves her father, she ends up upset" Sasuke replied. "Give me my phone Itachi" Sasuke said reaching for his phone as Itachi pulled back. "Damn it Itachi we don't have time for this" Sasuke complained. "I need to call her and-" he began before being cut off by his older brother.
"And what Sasuke?" Itachi asked in a serious tone. "Stop trying to act so brashly and take a moment to think about this logically." Itachi said as Sasuke tried to reach for his phone again.
"You don't understand" Sasuke argued growing irritant with Itachi.
"Then take a minute to calm down and explain it to me" Itachi stated, making Sasuke release a sigh. "I can see that you're worried about your friend, but trying to get involved in her family's affairs won't help her." Itachi said.
"Her father had me followed to get information on Natsumi's life in Konoha" Sasuke said making a look of bewilderment cross Itachi's face as he processed this information. "His attorney tailed me for a couple days, taking pictures of my car and plates to get a background check on me since I'm Natsumi's friend" Sasuke explained.
"Why?" Itachi asked raising a brow at Sasuke.
"He wants to keep tabs on who she associates with so it won't affect the business dealings he has in Kyoto" Sasuke replied catching Itachi off guard and snatching his phone back abruptly.
"Sasuke stop" Itachi commanded as Sasuke unlocked the device.
"I told you what was happening" Sasuke replied trying to scroll to Natsumi's contact information before being stopped by Itachi again.
"There's nothing you can do" Itachi said making Sasuke freeze.
"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked in disbelief as he looked at Itachi.
"Regardless of Natsumi's relationship with her father you can't do anything about it" Itachi said simply.
"What do you know?" Sasuke asked narrowing his eyes at his brother.
"Listen to me Sasuke" Itachi said in a calmer tone. "I can't say his actions are justifiable, but we both know her father's not the only one to do so" he went on.
"What do you mean?" Sasuke asked wearily.
"Father did background checks on each of my friends from the Akatsuki" Itachi said making Sasuke scoff as he rolled his eyes. "And he did the same thing with that group you hung out with last year" he said, striking a nerve with Sasuke.
"None of that matters right now!" Sasuke snapped back at the older boy. "Do you ever get tired of always trying to be right?!" Sasuke asked rhetorically.
Itachi flinched slightly at the abrupt change in Sasuke's mood before trying to interject.
"Sasuke it's not like that" Itachi tried in a calming tone before being cut off.
"I don't need your advice right now, I'm going to help my friend without you getting involved" Sasuke seethed before storming off.
"Sasuke wait!" Itachi yelled after the teen that disappeared from his sight as he rushed through the park.
It was quiet for moment as Itachi watched Sasuke leave as he stood on top of the hill.
'This run did not work out as well as I thought it would ... perhaps he just needs time to cool off on his own' Itachi thought as he slowly started to make his way to the park exit.
...
As Natsumi and her father walked the busy streets of Konoha they found themselves in another awkward silence.
"So I take it Shino is the young man Mitaka saw you with?" her father asked breaking the silence between the pair.
Natsumi gave her father a look of disbelief before rolling her eyes.
"No" Natsumi replied curtly. "Is that the only reason you took an interest in him?" she asked rhetorically making the man scoff.
"Natsumi I could do without the attitude now you can answer the question or I can call Mitaka and have him confirm the boy's features" the man replied making his daughter clench a fist in anger.
"And I have answered, he's not" Natsumi replied earning a heavy sigh from her father.
"I'd like to meet more of your friends" her father stated as Natsumi crossed her arms over her chest while looking to the side.
It was silent between the pair until an oncoming disturbance caught their attention.
"Today I will prevail in this bike ride my rival!" a loud familiar voice boomed.
"Guy watch out for people on the sidewalk!" another all too familiar voice warned from behind.
"You worry too much rival; I know that's just a simple trick to pass me!" Guy yelled.
Natsumi's eyes grew wide as she saw Guy-sensei wearing a pair of green shorts and a green tank top. peddling fast in the direction of her and her father while looking back at Kakashi sensei who had on a pair of black joggers with a faded blue sweat shirt with Konoha University written across the front. By the time Guy turned to face forward he was unable to slow himself down as his eyes widened upon seeing Natsumi and her father. Taking notice Kakashi's eyes filled with alarm, making him act quickly to bypass Guy and turn his bike to collide with the black haired mans. In the midst of the chaos, Natsumi's father wrapped his arms around the dark haired teen turning her away from the collision so his back would face it.
"Damn it Guy!" Kakashi chastised the man as he rose from the wreckage of the two bikes and looked down at his friend with an irk mark on his head.
"What is wrong with you people?!" Natsumi's father snapped catching the attention of both men as he turned away from Natsumi to face them with a scowl.
Kakashi turned to the man offering him an awkward smile (through his mask) as he scratched the back of his head before taking notice to the dark haired girl peeking out from behind the man.
"Natsumi?" Kakashi asked curiously as the girl stepped into view.
Her father's brows shot up upon hearing the silver haired young man utter his daughter's name.
"What is your association with this young man?" Natsumi's father asked turning back to his daughter and making her sweat drop, before he turned back to face Kakashi.
Natsumi felt sick to her stomach as she watched her father study Kakashi's features. The silver haired man's hair was unruly as ever and with the sleeves of his sweat shirt pushed back, Natsumi could see that he had scraped himself in the impact with Guy.
"You know college students have no business socializing with high schoolers" her father said crossing his arms over his chest as he spoke to Kakashi.
'He thinks Kakashi-sensei is still in college?' Natsumi thought raising a brow at her father. 'I get that he's young looking but jeez' the teen thought before seeing Guy-sensei jump to his feet to stand beside Kakashi-sensei.
"Now hold on a minute sir" Guy said holding his hands up to calm Natsumi's father.
"Oh I see, listen kid, having your private trainer protect you isn't going to save you from a lecture on your recklessness" her father said, making Guy-sensei do an anime fall while Kakashi's brows rose in disbelief.
"Dad stop!" Natsumi cut in as she felt her face burn in embarrassment.
"Not now Natsumi" the man snapped at the teen girl before looking back to Kakashi. "I don't care who you think you are, but my daughter's underage and shouldn't be referred to so casually" he criticized the silver haired man and earning a confused look.
Natsumi felt like she could die on the spot as she watched Kakashi's dark orbs shift between her father and her before she decided to try and speak again.
'This can't be happening' Natsumi thought bringing her hands to her face as she thought of how red she must be.
Finally Natsumi released a deep breath to calm her nerves before stepping beside her father and bowing to Kakashi and bringing silence to her father's lecture as he gave his daughter a bewildered look.
"I am so sorry Kakashi-sensei! This is a huge misunderstanding!" Natsumi said before standing back up.
"Did you just say sensei?" her father asked cocking a brow in interest.
"There's no need to apologize Natsumi" Kakashi said patting the girl on the shoulder as she kept her gaze on the ground.
"This is my father Gakuho Nakamaru" she said motioning to the man beside her. "Dad this is Kakashi Hatake, he's my math and English teacher as well as the teacher I work with as a teacher's aide" Natsumi explained turning to her father.
She watched as her father's eyes lit up in realization before he abruptly held out a hand to Kakashi.
"My sincerest regards Mr. Hatake" her father said as Kakashi shook his hand. "I'm afraid I wasn't expecting to meet one of my daughter's educators under these circumstances, especially when he was so ..." her father began before trailing off as he used his free hand to motion to Kakashi's attire of workout clothes.
"Um disheveled?" Kakashi offered awkwardly as he brought a hand to his silver hair.
"Young" Natsumi's father clarified sternly as he released Kakashi's hand. "Is this your first year out of college?" he asked as a bit of pink appeared from above Kakashi's masked face as he smiled. "Because I assume that would be the only explanation for your juvenile behavior and appearance" he said making Kakashi stiffen. "You realize this behavior is unbefitting of someone in charge of molding young minds" he said as Natsumi face palmed in the back ground.
'Kami kill me now' Natsumi pleaded internally as Guy sensei once again jumped up from the ground.
"He has a point rival" Guy said in a cocky tone as he smiled to the silver haired male. "By the way I am Natsumi's PE teacher Might Guy!" Guy introduced himself with a large shiny smile as he pointed to himself with his thumb.
"Oh you're the one doing inadequate work?" her father asked making Guy's smile fall as his mouth dropped open in shock. "My daughter always maintained a certain build when in Kyoto thanks to the athletics departments and various activities she participated in, but since arriving here, I see that you don't hold that same standard" he said raising a brow. "You know it's admirable that you take the time to work out on weekends yourself, but you should really consider assigning similar work to the students, think about it you could work them hard for five days straight but with two off, all the progress doesn't mean much" her father said closing his eyes as he sighed.
"That is a marvelous idea!" Guy suddenly exclaimed shaking Natsumi's father's hand with a large smile. "Parents don't usually voice their opinions when it comes to my subject, but I admire your bite" Guy said.
'Great now the whole PE class is going to kill me' Natsumi thought releasing a breath of air.
"Are you alright Natsumi?" Kakashi asked in a worried tone after slipping away from Guy and Natsumi's father.
"Yeah" Natsumi said dejectedly as she stared downward before Kakashi placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
Looking up she was met with his usual closed eyed smile, allowing her to feel at ease before noticing blood trickle down his arm.
"You're bleeding" Natsumi pointed out, making Kakashi open his eyes as he looked over his arm.
"I guess I am" he said in acknowledgement. "It's just a scrape" he said dismissively with a shrug before Natsumi went about rummaging through the contents of her purse again.
Immediately Natsumi produced a handkerchief wiping the blood away from the scratch before sticking a Band-Aid over it.
"Thank you Natsumi" Kakashi said looking at it.
"I'm sorry about everything sensei" Natsumi said bowing to him once more before noticing a look her father gave her, telling her it was time to go.
Natsumi rushed after her father walking alongside him as they continued on their walk to the shopping district.
"You seem rather close to your teacher's considering how informal you were in addressing one another" her father commented earning a blank stare from the girl. "And what you just did with the Band-Aid for him didn't seem too appropriate for 'working together'" her father went on making Natsumi feel her stomach drop.
"Hn" Natsumi replied simply to let him know she was listening.
"I've never seen such behavior between collogues in calling one another 'rivals' and seeming so close to their students is highly disturbing" he went on making Natsumi cringe.
'It's not like Kakashi-sensei and I are as close as Guy-sensei and Lee' the teen thought tuning her gaze to her feet as they walked.
Upon arrival they made their way through a variety of shops with Natsumi's father offering to purchase a number of things and each time having the offer turned down by Natsumi.
"Why not at least get another dress?" her father asked as he looked at the dark haired teen.
"I don't need another dress" Natsumi replied with a huff.
"I'm trying to bond with you" her father admitted with a sigh as his daughter rolled her eyes.
"No you're trying to buy me" Natsumi corrected him making him give her an annoyed look before they exited onto the street again.
By now more people began to fill the streets, but Natsumi didn't want to focus on this so she tried to keep her mind on how upset she was with how her father persisted in his attempts to spend time with Natsumi. She released a breath of frustration as she walked and closed her eyes, but in doing so soon found herself colliding with another. She felt herself stumble back before being caught by the person she collided with and when she opened to her eyes she felt her heart stop.
"Oh Natsumi, you realize walking with your eyes closed is unorthodox unless you want to crash into someone" Sai said as Natsumi stepped back and nervously glanced to the side to see her father raise a brow at her.
"Sai" Natsumi said looking back to the pale boy with a look of worry on her face.
'Please for the love of all that is good in this world, don't say anything embarrassing' Natsumi prayed.
"You don't have a pleasant look on your face" Sai pointed out. "Are the hormones bothering you again?" Sai asked making Natsumi stiffen as he father now wore a bewildered look.
'Don't say anything more embarrassing' Natsumi thought looking at Sai as she felt her heart clench in her chest.
Sai continued to stare down at Natsumi, waiting for a reply before he shifted the gaze of his dark hues to the man standing behind her.
"Hello my name is Sai and I am a friend of Natsumi's" Sai said turning to the man as the he held out a hand.
Natsumi held her breath as she watched her father shake Sai's hand.
"My name is Gakuho Nakamaru and I'm Natsumi's father" the man replied as Sai nodded in understanding.
"I'm sorry but I was under the impression that Natsumi only had her mother in her life" Sai stated as the man released the man's hand.
Slightly taken aback by Sai's blunt statement, Natsumi's father blinked before speaking again.
"Ah yes Natsumi lives with my ex-wife but I am still involved in her life" he replied. "Not that it would really be any of your concern" he went on gruffly.
"She doesn't talk about you" Sai stated simply.
"Your parents haven't versed you on proper conversation" her father replied narrowing his gaze at the teen boy.
"Not at all" Sai replied with his usual smile. "I don't have parents; I'm an orphan." He stated making Natsumi's father's eyes widen a fraction.
"How unfortunate" her father managed to reply awkwardly.
Natsumi watched as Sai continued to smile at her father while the man stared at him in disbelief as the pale boy suddenly produced a book and began thumbing through its contents before his eyes lit up in realization.
"Since I don't have parents I learn a lot of my social cues from reading ... I guess I see what you mean ... since this is our first meeting talking about family issues isn't a typical ice breaker" Sai read aloud before looking back to the man and offering him another smile.
Feeling slightly off put by the young man, Natsumi's father nodded to the young man before grasping his daughter's wrist and promptly walking away.
"It was nice making your acquaintance Mr. Nakamaru!" Sai called after the pair.
'Looks like Sai made Dad uncomfortable' Natsumi thought as her father pulled her along.
'I'd really prefer if we'd stop running into people and for this day to just end!'
...
A/N: So that's the chapter! I'm not too sure what to say ... this chapter was a little more serious than some of the others and it was a little weird to hold off on having the Naruto characters during the beginning. All of the stuff going on with Natsumi is a lot, especially since her father is a difficult character to write because although he's kind of terrible, he still cares for her. It was really hard to try to portray that and on top of that figure how he would affect other characters aside from her mother ... overall I think I didn't do too bad. I was really happy to include Shino since he's usually overlooked and I love writing Sai and Kakashi scenes (and Guy added an extra flare lol). Also I'm happy that this chapter also took some time to show Itachi and Sasuke trying to fix their bond (even if it didn't go as planned) because the brothers are still very important. Anyways feel free to let me know your thoughts on the events of this chapter. Reading the comments really makes my day so I want to thank everyone for their support and I hope you continue to read and review. I love this story and I'm so happy you guys seem to too so please stay safe friends and until next time xoxo
