Best Friend's Brother 28

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

Kakashi held the door open for Natsumi as she stepped out of Obito-sensei's classroom.

"So what exactly did you have on your mind?" Kakashi asked casually as he and Natsumi begin walking the empty halls.

Although Natsumi wore a stoic expression, she felt a pit of nervousness form in her stomach at the question.

'Oh boy I hope Obito-sensei was right ... This seems like such an awkward thing to talk about' Natsumi thought running a nervous hand through her dark locks.

"Natsumi?" Kakashi called gaining the girl's attention.

"Sensei, about what happened with my father ..." Natsumi began shifting the gaze of her brown orbs to the ground. "I-" Natsumi said before being cut off by the silver haired man.

"If this is another apology, it's not necessary, Natsumi" Kakashi said offering the girl his usual closed eyed smile as she turned to look at him.

"But sensei I-" Natsumi started to argue before being cut off by the man again.

"You know I find what you're doing quite enduring, but like I said before it's not necessary" Kakashi said placing a hand on Natsumi's head and ruffling her hair.

Taken aback by the man's actions, Natsumi came to a halt as her face lit ablaze in red.

"Oh I don't mean to embarrass you" Kakashi said with a light laugh as he removed his hand.

"It's fine sensei" Natsumi said running a hand through her hair to fix the mess he made as he smiled at her. "But I actually wasn't apologizing; I wanted to talk to you about what happened with him" Natsumi clarified making a serious look cross the man's face.

"Alright" Kakashi said standing up straight and sticking his hands in his pockets.

"My father can be a difficult man ... and when it comes to my personal life he can be overbearing ..." Natsumi said folding her hands together as she looked at Kakashi. "He had a few choice words in regards to how ..." Natsumi trailed off before growing silent as she contemplated her word choice.

"How what?" Kakashi asked after a moment of silence passed.

"He doesn't approve of how close we seem" Natsumi stated making Kakashi's eyes widen a fraction in surprise. "He didn't like how casual we were when speaking and when I put a band aide on your arm and ... with the type of man my father is, I know he's going to look into it ... you" she went on feeling herself run out of breath as she rambled. "He's going to be getting a background check on you" Natsumi said closing her eyes and releasing a breath as she finished.

It was silent as she waited for his reply. When she finally opened her eyes she was surprised to see the silver haired man had an amused look in his eyes as he looked at her before giving her his usual closed eyed smile.

"Kakashi-sensei ..." Natsumi said in a confused tone as she looked at the man.

"You really worry too much sometimes" Kakashi said placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I appreciate your concern Natsumi but trust me that everything is going to be alright" the man said in a reassuring tone as the girl stared at him with a look of disbelief.

'How can he be so calm?' Natsumi thought looking at the silver haired male.

A moment of silence passed between the pair until Kakashi removed his hand and returned it to his pocket.

"Is everything alright?" Kakashi asked.

"Yeah" Natsumi replied wearily. "It's just ... why are you so calm about this?" Natsumi asked raising a brow at the man.

Kakashi gave Natsumi a closed eyed smile before starting to walk again. Natsumi gave the man a baffled look before rushing to catch up with him.

"You know Natsumi, if you spend all your time fretting over the small inconveniences of life, you'll end up missing out on the important things" Kakashi said earning a quizzical look from the teen. "For one you know your father's actions can't be helped so instead of letting it stress you, you should try to put your mind at ease because regardless of any background check, you trust the people you know." He said calmly.

Natsumi looked down as she processed the silver haired man's words.

"Hn" Natsumi replied with a nod after a while earning another smile from the man.

It was silent as the pair continued walking.

"You still seem troubled" Kakashi stated receiving a guilty look from the dark haired girl. "I understand you won't feel at ease immediately but is there anything else I can help you with?" Kakashi asked.

Natsumi shook her head no.

"Do you think we have an inappropriate relationship?" Kakashi suddenly asked making the girl look to him in surprise.

"N-no" Natsumi replied taken aback by the seriousness of his tone.

"Then you have nothing to worry about" Kakashi said patting the girl on the head as he gave her another reassuring smile.

The pair came to another halt as Natsumi stared at Kakashi, unsure of what to say until a smile crossed her face and they resumed walking once more.

"Sensei?" Natsumi asked as they neared her first period.

"Yes?" Kakashi asked looking to the teen girl.

"I appreciate everything you had to say and I do feel a lot better, but I can't say I'm completely unfazed" she admitted earning a nod of understanding from the silver haired man.

"I can understand that" Kakashi said. "I'm guessing you weren't just worried about me getting a background check?" Kakashi asked looking down at Natsumi as they came to a halt outside of Iruka's classroom.

"Yeah ... he's most likely going to be looking into Shino and Sai as well" Natsumi replied making Kakashi raise a brow in intrigue.

"I wouldn't worry too much about Shino, I mean they're both good boys but ... how did your father come to know them?" Kakashi asked curiously.

Natsumi bit the inside of her cheek as she looked to the side.

"It's kind of a long story" Natsumi replied wearily.

"Well we can discuss it later, for now we should get to our classes since we're both late..." Kakashi joked earning a blank look from the teen girl.

'Wow I completely forgot he has a class this hour and now I'm his excuse too' Natsumi thought as Kakashi gave a light chuckle before continuing.

"But do me a favor and don't let it distract you too much" Kakashi said earning a nod from Natsumi before he smiled to her and turned to open the door for her.

Stepping into the class late, immediately earned Natsumi the entire attention of the room as she stepped in with the silver haired teacher. As Kakashi explained her tardiness, the dark haired girl couldn't help but listen to the many hushed whispers of the room.

"Does she really think it's ok to come late just because she's a teacher's aide?"

"Talk about special treatment"

"It must be nice to have no consequence"

"She sure is picking up Kakashi's late habit" she heard the various voices say in hushed tone before stopping herself from listening as a thought ran through her mind.

'"You shouldn't worry so much about what other's think Natsumi"'

Natsumi felt her heart beat increase at the memory of Itachi giving her this advice before Kakashi and Iruka caught her attention.

"Alright Natsumi you can go ahead and take a seat" Iruka said nodding in the direction of her seat.

Natsumi nodded in reply.

"See you around" Kakashi said with a small wave before turning to leave.

Natsumi went to her seat, sitting down with a stoic face and earning a look from Sasuke.

"What?" the girl asked quietly as Iruka started talking.

"You were late" Sasuke stated simply.

"Obviously" Natsumi replied sarcastically, earning a blank look from Sasuke before both turned to the front.

"Never mind" Sasuke scoffed as they tuned into Iruka's lesson.

...

Although the dark haired girl tried her best to avoid thoughts of her father and his impending background checks on her friends, she kept finding herself sinking into her thoughts, especially when she thought of those it would affect. Her first period class wasn't too much of an issue, but when she sat in her history class, she continuously found the gaze of her brown orbs shifting to Shino.

'I wonder if I should warn him.' Natsumi thought as she rested her cheek on the palm of her hand that was propped up by her elbow on the desk. 'Then again that might do more harm than good, especially since he seemed really happy about dad wanting to get to know him ... but then again shouldn't he know that was just an act?' Natsumi thought furrowing her brows in thought until, Asuma-sensei caught her attention as he spoke.

"Alright students now you're going to be reading the rest of the chapter with a partner so go ahead and pair off" Asuma stated.

Immediately students begin to look around for who they would want.

"Natsumi!" Naruto and Kiba called at the same time as both boys looked to the dark haired girl.

The dark haired girl looked awkwardly between the two boys as the rest of the class turned to her to see who she would pick.

"Shino" Natsumi said catching everyone by surprise as they all turned their attention to the young man who looked at the girl in disbelief. "Partners?" Natsumi asked as the boy looked at her.

It was silent as she waited for the boy's response.

"Alright" Shino replied simply earning a small breath of relief from Natsumi as she picked up her book to make her way over to the boy. Yet before she could rise from her seat, she couldn't help but notice the confused look being given to her from Naruto.

"Maybe you and Kiba can work together" the girl offered with an awkward smile and a shrug before starting to make her way over to Shino.

Naruto and Kiba shared a glare before the brunette rolled his eyes and Naruto crossed his arms over his chest as he scoffed.

"Like I want to work with that guy" Naruto complained loudly.

"Man I wish Hinata was here today" Kiba said just as loudly. "At least she doesn't have stupid ideas"

"Coming from the loser" Naruto shot back.

"Guys quiet down and start reading, everyone else had already paired up" Asuma-sensei cut in making both boys grumble in defeat.

Natsumi shook her head at the antics of the pair as she took a seat next to Shino. It didn't take the pair long to complete the reading for the chapter before they found themselves sitting in silence.

"Hey Shino" Natsumi said breaking the silence as he turned his gaze to her.

"Yes?" Shino asked.

"I was kind of hoping to talk to you about what happened on Saturday" Natsumi replied slowly.

Shino looked at her, making her feel uneasy as she thought about how she might specify what she wanted to talk about.

"Is it about your father?" Shino asked simply.

Natsumi felt her breath hitch in her throat before she replied.

"Hn" Natsumi said with a small nod.

"It wasn't hard to figure that out considering Sasuke's reaction when we told him he was in town" Shino said making Natsumi's brows rise in alarm.

"Hn" Natsumi replied with a nod once more before finding her gaze traveling to the desk in front of her. "Well I wanted to talk about what happened" Natsumi admitted.

Yet just as the dark haired girl opened her mouth to say more, the bell rang and the students began rushing to pack their things and exit the room. Natsumi internally face palmed at her timing before tossing her text book into her bag.

"I can walk you to your next class" Shino offered earning a small of appreciation from the girl before the two stood to leave class together, but this did not go unnoticed by the others, especially a certain brunette.

Stepping out into the hall Natsumi and Shino walked side by side.

"So what did you want to discuss about your father?" Shino asked getting to the point.

Natsumi bit the inside of her cheek in thought.

"I just wanted to apologize for everything that happened with my father" Natsumi said awkwardly looking to the side.

"That's really not necessary Natsumi" Shino said catching the girl's attention. "It was nice being the center of attention for a while" Shino admitted making Natsumi feel a pang of guilt for the boy as she looked at him with sympathetic eyes. "But something tells me it might not have been for the best reason" Shino said looking at Natsumi and making the girl come to a halt.

Shino stopped to look at the girl, unsure of what she might say, but was surprised when she suddenly bowed to him.

"I am so sorry Shino" Natsumi said as she rose and looked at the boy.

It was silent between the pair with only the passing by traffic making noise.

"You should know my father is overbearing and when it comes to my social life he thinks background checks are essential so ..." Natsumi started to explain before looking to the side. "He'll be trying to fact check everything you told him" Natsumi said as she looked back up to Shino.

At first the young man offered no response instead opting to stay quiet as he processed the girl's words.

"We should get going" Shino said breaking the silence as he turned to walk.

Natsumi nodded wearily before walking alongside him.

"I'm alright with everything you said" Shino said as the pair continued walking and earning a confused look from Natsumi.

"Why?" Natsumi asked.

"It not like it's something that can really be helped" Shino said simply. "And I'm not too worried about anything he'll be finding" Shino went on.

'That's a good way to look at it' Natsumi thought as the pair walked on.

They walked for a while in silence until coming to a halt in front of Orochimaru's doorway.

"Hey Shino ... if you could keep this between us before I have to tell the others it would be great because ... it's kind of a lot" Natsumi said playing with hem of her shirt.

"I understand" Shino replied simply.

"Hn" Natsumi said with an appreciative nod before watching the boy turn to leave.

...

The rest of Natsumi's morning classes were rather uneventful. When lunchtime came around she was surprised when the table's occupants filled with everyone except Sai.

'Where is he?' Natsumi thought turning her head from side to side to look for the pale boy.

"What's wrong Natsumi?" Naruto asked looking at the dark haired girl beside him.

Natsumi looked to the blonde, taking notice to how the group's eyes fell to her.

"Uh nothing" Natsumi replied casually with a closed eyed smile.

"Are you sure?" Naruto asked in concern.

"Yeah" Natsumi replied reassuringly trying to wave off the subject.

"Alright" Naruto said wearily before turning his attention back to the group. "Well anyways like I was saying the party was awesome!" the blonde said excitedly.

"Of course you would say that, you weren't the one trying to keep you standing after you drank too much" Shikamaru said making a light blush cross Naruto's face as the blonde chuckled sheepishly.

"Why'd you have to bring that up?" Naruto asked in a defeated tone as the other's chorused in laughter.

"It's not like anyone asked you to start a drinking competition with Kiba" Choji cut in.

"At least I wasn't just eating the entire time!" Naruto argued looking at Choji.

"Hey they had good snacks" Choji said in defense.

"We ate before we got there!" Naruto shot back.

"Leave it to you boys to only talk about the food and drinks" Ino cut in as she released a sigh.

The attention of the table immediately turned to her.

"Oh do you mean how you made out with Sai?" Sakura asked making the blonde stiffen as she turned to her.

The table erupted into laughter while Natsumi wore a look of bewilderment.

'She what?' Natsumi thought in shock as she watched Ino's blue orbs widen before shifting nervously to Sasuke who didn't care. 'Does this mean Sai has had his first kiss before me?' Natsumi thought with her brows furrowing in thought.

"W-well what did you expect in a game of truth or dare, Billboard Brow?!" Ino asked in alarm. "It was just for the game" Ino clarified turning to Sasuke who was looking down at his tray.

"Yeah right Ino-pig, it's not like it's the first time it's happened!" Sakura teased making Ino's face light ablaze in embarrassment.

The table of teens chorused in laughter as Sakura gave Ino a smug smile.

"O-oh yeah, well at least I didn't end up kissing Naruto by the end of the night!" Ino argued making Sakura's mouth drop open.

"That wasn't a kiss, it was mouth to mouth!" Sakura argued.

"What are you guys talking about?" Naruto asked in a confused tone as the table grew quiet.

Natsumi looked around seeing Shikamaru and the others wearing guilty expressions as they avoided Naruto's gaze.

'What the heck happened at this party?!' Natsumi thought in alarm.

"Well you see Naruto, I turned my back on you for a second and you fell into the pool" Shikamaru explained while scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"Yeah and I heard Sai pulled you out" Kankuro interjected earning a nod of confirmation from Choji.

"What?!" Naruto asked taken aback by the new information.

"He did" Shikamaru said. "Afterwards Sakura gave you CPR and not long after the party ended" the boy went on further alarming the blonde.

"You really don't remember?" Choji asked looking at the blonde.

Naruto closed his eyes in thought as he gave off a thoughtful hum.

"That explains why I was wet when we got back to my house!" Naruto exclaimed as the others laughed.

"That's also why Sai's not here today, I think he might have caught a cold from jumping in after you" Sakura said catching the table's attention.

As the others went on about different stories from Friday's party, Natsumi couldn't help but feel a bit left out. Not that she was much for public gatherings but she had never been to a party so she was still curious on what it was like.

'It's not like I would've been able to have much fun though, especially since I was in such a bad mood following everything that happened at the dance' Natsumi thought furrowing her brows in thought.

"Yeah you guys definitely missed out so you definitely need to come to the next one" the blonde said looking the Natsumi and Sasuke.

Natsumi smiled at the blonde before Sasuke spoke.

"I ca barely stand you when you're sober so makes you think I want to babysit you when you're drunk?" Sasuke asked rhetorically as he looked at Naruto.

"Who said you'd be babysitting me huh?" Naruto asked angrily.

"Oh yeah, because I'm the one who's going to be acting like a drunk idiot?" Sasuke asked sarcastically earning a glare from Naruto.

"For all we know you might not be able to handle your liquor Sasuke" Naruto argued now making Sasuke narrow his eyes at the boy.

Natsumi released a sigh sitting in between the pair.

"Why the glum face Natsumi?" Temari asked looking to the dark haired girl.

"Do you want try sitting between two idiots?" Natsumi asked making the table's occupants laugh as Sasuke and Naruto grew silent.

"Who are you calling an idiot?!" both boys asked in unison as Natsumi released a small laugh.

"Where did you guys go anyways? We were all supposed to meet at the barbeque place but you two totally flaked" Naruto said crossing his arms over his chest.

Natsumi and Sasuke shared a looked before both simply shrugged, earning an annoyed huff from Naruto.

"Anyways now that I think about it ... Natsumi have you ever even been to a party?" Naruto asked bringing the attention to the dark haired girl.

"No" Natsumi replied simply looking to Naruto.

It was silent.

"What a stupid question, you should have known she wouldn't have been" Sasuke said looking at Naruto.

"Wait you've never been to a party?" Sakura asked in surprise.

"Whoa your parents must have been super strict" Ino said.

"I didn't really get the chance to do much in Kyoto" Natsumi said as the girls stared at her in alarm.

"So you've never drank?" Sakura asked.

"Or played any party games?" Ino asked.

Sasuke glared at the two making them go silent as Natsumi's gaze shifted to the table in front of her in discomfort.

"You know it's not that big of a deal" Temari said catching Natsumi's attention with a kind smile.

"Yeah trust me you haven't missed much besides seeing your classmates make fools of themselves" Shikamaru added.

Natsumi smiled at how her friends tried to make her feel better before Naruto suddenly placed a hand around her shoulders.

"It's ok Natsumi, because you'll just go to the next one" Naruto said with a large smile.

"But before that maybe you could get warmed up to the idea through something smaller!" Ino suddenly exclaimed with her blue eyes lighting up in excitement. "Have you ever been to a sleepover?" the blonde girl asked pointing to Natsumi.

The dark haired girl blinked before shaking her head no.

"Well then that settles it; I'll have a slumber party at my house this weekend!" Ino exclaimed happily.

"Yeah that sounds like fun!" Naruto said excitedly.

"It's for girls only idiots!" Ino yelled making Naruto go silent.

"Oh you guys are no fun" Naruto said in a glum tone.

"Say what you might, but I rather not end up on the bad side of Ino's dad" Shikamaru said earning a solemn nod from Choji.

"That's true Inoichi can be a scary guy at times" Choji said stuffing a handful of chips into his mouth.

The others laughed while Ino and Sakura began discussing all the details for planning the event. Meanwhile Natsumi watched in silence.

'Oh boy, I just hope I didn't just bite off more than I could chew with these girls' Natsumi thought worriedly.

...

Over the next few days talk of Ino's slumber party grew as Friday approached. Within that time, Natsumi found it to be getting a little easier to handle the burden on her mind from her father's visit as she focused on school. It was Wednesday when Sai returned to school, as the others talked during lunch Natsumi found herself wondering how she might bring up the topic of her father.

'I can't really word it too carelessly; otherwise Sai might not understand what I mean to say' Natsumi thought biting the inside of her cheek in thought.

Suddenly she was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt Sasuke slightly bump her with his shoulder to gain her attention.

"You look distracted" the Uchiha stated in a low voice so only Natsumi would hear him.

"Hn I'm fine" Natsumi responded quietly as to not gain the attention of the other table mates.

Sasuke gave Natsumi a weary look that made her shift under his gaze.

"Would you knock it off?" Natsumi asked with the irritation growing in her voice.

"Whatever" Sasuke scoffed looking back to his tray as Natsumi released a breath to steady her temper.

Both were silent as they ate, neither really paying much attention to the discussion that the others were having, until Naruto turned and looked around the table with expectant eyes.

"Well are you guys in or are you going to flake like you did after Homecoming?" the blonde asked earning blank stares from the dark haired teens. "We're all going to hang out after school and grab a bite at Ichiraku's" Naruto said. "Oh come on guys it'll be our first time all together since Sai is finally back" Naruto said trying to encourage them to join.

Natsumi didn't feel up for hanging out, in all honesty with everything on her mind, she was actually looking forward to being alone to listen to some music while she thought everything over. Slowly the gaze of her brown shifted to meet onyx as she waited for Sasuke to decline first.

"I can't I have plans after school" Sasuke stated simply before turning to his tray and picking his drink up to take a sip. Sasuke wasn't really one to explain himself so he was off the hook.

Naruto's eyes shifted from Sasuke to Natsumi as he eagerly awaited her response.

'Naruto's not going to take no for an answer if I tell him I just want to be alone' Natsumi contemplated as she watched him give her a hopeful look.

Natsumi thought about how she might get out of it before an idea struck her.

"I can't, I ... I'm going with Sasuke" Natsumi lied catching the Uchiha's attention.

Sasuke choked on his drink before looking at the girl and earning a small smile.

"Are you ok Sasuke?" Sakura and Ino asked in unison with worry evident in their tones.

Sasuke used the back of his hand to wipe his mouth, before Natsumi patted his back.

"Oh no you should really be careful" the girl said sarcastically earning a blank stare from the boy, before Naruto spoke and caught the group's attention again.

"Oh come on" Naruto whined. "You're both going to skip out on us again? What are you guys doing anyways?" he persisted making the attention of the group shift back to the pair.

Natsumi looked to Sasuke.

"Something for my family" Sasuke replied simply.

Naruto released a huff of annoyance at the short reply.

"Really?" Naruto asked. "Why does Natsumi need to go to?" Natsumi complained folding his arms over his chest.

Sasuke looked to Natsumi with a raised brow.

"Mikoto is expecting me" the girl lied making Naruto sigh while Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her in suspicion.

"Oh that sucks" Naruto said in disappointment before turning to the others for their replies.

While Naruto talked with everyone else, Natsumi felt the glare Sasuke's eyes boring into her. She turned to him giving him a blank stare before the boy scoffed and looked away.

"You realize it's rude to intrude on other's plans" Sasuke said in low voice so only Natsumi would hear him.

Natsumi rolled her eyes.

'Act however you want Uchiha, it's not like I'm actually going to go with you, I just needed a good excuse to get out of Naruto's plans' Natsumi thought before going about eating her lunch.

As lunch neared the end the dark haired girl followed Sai out before rushing to walk with the pale boy. Meanwhile Kiba walked after Shino.

"Come on Shino it's been days, just tell me what you and Natsumi were talking about on Monday" Kiba whined to the boy. "At least give me a hint" Kiba pleaded.

"Drop it" Shino said in a commanding tone.

"People are saying you asked her out but she apologized when she turned you down" Kiba said.

"Those are just rumors" Shino argued in annoyance.

"Then you should tell me what you guys talked about" Kiba complained.

Shino gave an annoyed groan as he walked ahead of the brunette.

"I already told you I'm not at liberty to discuss it" Shino said in an annoyed tone.

"What about Guy Code?!" Kiba asked trailing behind the boy as Shino tried to quicken his pace to avoid Kiba.

"I think the integrity of my promise to her more important than some stupid rule you have" Shino said making Kiba's eyes light up.

"A promise?" Kiba asked curiously. "Were you guys talking about me or something?" Kiba asked with a grin that made Shino scoff.

"Don't flatter yourself" Shino stated simply as he continued walking.

Kiba groaned loudly before rushing to walk alongside Shino and continue to bombard him with questions.

"You really are a nuisance sometimes" Shino complained as he and Kiba made their way to their lockers to gather their things for their next classes.

...

Sitting in art class with Sai, Natsumi and the pale boy discussed his week so far.

"It really was quiet unfortunate to be bed ridden over the past few days' Sai said earning a nod from the girl.

"I bet, but if you were feeling sick, what were you doing out on Saturday?" Natsumi asked curiously.

Sai opened his mouth to reply before being cut off by Deidara as the blonde placed his hand on the desk between the pair.

"I might be an artist, but your beauty is the real piece of art here" Deidara said giving Natsumi a grin.

The blonde young man wore a pair of dark blue denim pants with a grey long sleeve that had the sleeves pushed back. Sasori immediately face palmed before grabbing Deidara by the back of his shirt and pulling him back. The red head wore a pair of black pants with a black long sleeve that had the sleeves pushed up with a short sleeved red button up over top that was undone.

Deidara glared at the redhead with narrowed eyes before speaking.

"Would you stop butting in to our conversation un?!" Deidara asked in an annoyed tone.

Natsumi sweat dropped as the boys started fighting.

"Hey guys can we all get back to work?" Kurenai-sensei asked cutting the boys off as she made her way to stand in front of Natsumi and Sai's desks.

The pair immediately halted in their actions. The teens went back to work on their pieces while Sasori and Deidara walked off.

'I guess I'll just have to find another time to talk with Sai' Natsumi thought as class continued.

After class had ended Natsumi walked to Kakashi-sensei's class with Sai.

"So why were you out on Saturday?" Natsumi asked revamping her question from earlier as the pair walked the halls.

"To get medicine of course" Sai replied simply with his usual smile.

"Hn" Natsumi replied with a nod of understanding as the pair walked on.

"Why do you ask?" Sai asked curiously. "Were you concerned for my well-being since we are friends?" Sai asked looking at Natsumi with wonder filled eyes.

"Uh I guess that's one way to see it" Natsumi said awkwardly shifting her gaze away from the pale boy.

Natsumi was surprised when Sai suddenly placed an arm around her shoulders and pulled her towards him before wrapping another arm around her.

"What are you doing?" Natsumi asked in a monotone voice as the pair came to a halt.

"Offering the friendly gesture of a hug to my friend to reassure the bond of our relationship and offer thanks for their concern" Sai recited as if he were reading from his book.

Natsumi narrowed her eyes in annoyance before taking notice to the many eyes of onlookers that watched as they passed Natsumi and Sai.

"Ok Sai I think I get the point so let go" Natsumi said.

Yet instead of offering the dark haired girl a reply, Sai gave her his usual smile, that prompted an irk mark to appear on the girl's head.

'I'm going to kill this kid' Natsumi thought angrily as she debated on whether or not to punch the pale boy.

In the end Natsumi managed to keep her temper in check long enough, until Sai released her from his awkward hug and the pair resumed walking to Kakashi-sensei's classroom.

"So Sai ..." Natsumi began awkwardly after the pair started walking.

"Yes" he replied.

"About my dad ..." Natsumi started before trailing off and releasing a heavy breath as she ran a hand through her dark locks nervously. "Listen I don't want to overcomplicate things so I'm just going to get straight to the point ... he's overprotective and that means he'll probably be getting a background check on you" Natsumi explained feeling a nervous knot form in her stomach.

Natsumi looked up unsure of how Sai would be processing this information and much to her surprise the boy wore a blank look.

'Oh god he doesn't understand' Natsumi thought worriedly. 'What else should I say? Should I try to reword it differently? He always lets me know when he doesn't understand something, but right now he's not even asking me to explain it ... did he understand?' Natsumi thought furrowing her brows as she stared up at Sai. 'He doesn't look confused ... He doesn't really have an expression' Natsumi thought clenching the strap of her bag as she adjusted it. 'Is Sai mad?' Natsumi thought.

"Is this what was troubling you at lunch time?" Sai suddenly asked bringing Natsumi out of her thoughts as she looked at him a shock.

"What?" Natsumi asked in disbelief.

"You seemed to be troubled by something during lunch but I read that emotional issues shouldn't be brought up during group discussions and rather saved for private moments to ensure a safe and caring environment" Sai stated as Natsumi raised a brow at him. "Do you need another hug?" Sai asked placing a hand on the girl's shoulder as he leaned down to meet her eye level.

Natsumi blinked in disbelief before pushing off Sai's hand.

"Uh I'm sorry Sai ... I didn't expect you to ... never mind ... um ... I don't know what to say" Natsumi admitted honestly.

Sai gave her his usual smile to try and put her at ease and earned a small laugh from the girl.

"You're a good friend Sai" Natsumi said as the pair continued walking.

"Oh good the books are working" Sai replied cheerfully earning another laugh from Natsumi.

Sai gave her confused look making her laughter cease.

"Oh that wasn't a joke?" Natsumi asked.

"Was it funny?" Sai asked seriously, making Natsumi stiffen in discomfort.

"Um anyways ... thank you for not bringing up that I looked upset at lunch" Natsumi said changing the subject as she looked straight ahead.

"It's no problem Natsumi, besides I figured Sasuke would console you since you two were talking in hushed voices" Sai replied earning a weary look from Natsumi.

'Sai sure is observant' Natsumi thought releasing a breath.

"I'm really sorry about my dad though" Natsumi said catching the boy's attention.

"Why?" Sai asked curiously.

"It's not fair that you're being looked into because we're friends" Natsumi replied.

Sai looked down as he processed this.

"I don't know it's really dumb and sometimes I wish I could have a normal father" Natsumi admitted releasing a heavy sigh.

It was quiet as the teens continued walking.

"I wish had a father in general" Sai admitted making Natsumi stiffen as they came to a halt outside Kakashi-sensei's door.

"Sai I'm so sorry I didn't mean to say that ... I just-" Natsumi started to apologize before stopping as she noticed Sai smiling down at her. "You're smiling" Natsumi pointed out furrowing her brows in concern.

"Yes" Sai confirmed continuing to smile down at Natsumi.

After a while the smile made Natsumi shift in discomfort before she decided to speak again.

"Why?" Natsumi asked bluntly.

"To reassure you that everything is alight" Sai replied making Natsumi scoff before a smile crossed her face.

"Thank you Sai I really appreciate it but why don't we head in?" Natsumi asked motioning to the door.

Sai nodded before opening the door for Natsumi to enter first.

'Wow Sai is really shaping up into such a great guy' Natsumi thought as she entered the room. 'I feel really happy that I have such a great friend like him' the girl thought as Sai entered behind her.

"By the way Natsumi if you ever need to talk about anything else I'm willing to listen, I've even read some books on reproduction and hormonal impulses if you wanted to talk about the discomfort of hormones" Sai offered happily.

Natsumi went rigid as her face burned bright red and the class chorused in laughter.

'Then again he really needs to get punched in the mouth sometimes' Natsumi thought turning back to the boy with rage filled eyes.

...

After school Natsumi stuck her earbuds in as she prepared to walk off campus. She selected the playlist she wanted to listen to before starting to head down the front steps of the school, but just when she came to the last step, she was halted when she felt a hand encase her arm and began to pull her in the direction of the parking lot. Looking to the source, Natsumi released an annoyed huff when she saw Sasuke.

"What are you doing?" Natsumi asked pulling an earbud out as she paused her music and was pulled.

"You said you were coming with me" Sasuke said simply as he continued to pull her along.

Natsumi scoffed before trying to pull her arm from his grip and failing.

"You didn't seem like you wanted me to go!" Natsumi argued trying again.

Sasuke rolled his eyes before coming to a halt as they stopped at his car. The Uchiha reached into his pocket, pulling out his keys to unlock the car before pushing Natsumi toward the passenger door.

"Hey you said it's rude to intrude in other's plans" Natsumi whined.

"I already called my mom and said I'd bring you" Sasuke said making his way to the other side of the car.

Natsumi released a huff, taking a moment to cross her arms over her chest as she stared stubbornly at Sasuke.

"I was going to go home" Natsumi said trying to get out of going.

"I already called her so it's too late" Sasuke retorted staring back at Natsumi with a blank look.

Natsumi looked to the side in frustration as she thought about her predicament.

'Damn it, he knows I can't say no when it comes to his mom' Natsumi thought releasing a heavy sigh before hanging her head in defeat.

Natsumi opened the door and entered the car.

"I don't see the point in you being so stubborn if you just give in anyways" Sasuke commented as he slid into the driver's seat and the pair put on their belts.

Natsumi immediately turned to him with a glare, earning a smirk from the Uchiha before he started the car. As the pulled out of the school parking lot, it was quiet until Natsumi noticed that they weren't taking the usual route to the Uchiha residence.

"I thought we were going to your house" Natsumi said turning to Sasuke with a confused look.

Sasuke glanced at her briefly before returning his attention to the road ahead.

"I told you I had plans" he stated simply.

"Ok then why couldn't I go home until your mother was expecting me later?" Natsumi complained.

"Have you considered the fact that we could be going to meet her now?" Sasuke asked.

Natsumi bit the inside of her cheek in thought before releasing a sigh of defeat.

"Ok good point" Natsumi admitted making Sasuke smile to repress a laugh.

"But we're not" Sasuke said making Natsumi give him a bewildered look.

"You're such an ass, where are we going then?!" Natsumi demanded.

Sasuke was quiet for a while prompting an annoyed hum to escape Natsumi as she looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"Konoha University" Sasuke stated simply.

Natsumi's glare quickly fell as her brows shot up in surprise.

'Konoha University?!' Natsumi thought in alarm. 'Why?' Natsumi thought curiously.

"Why?" Natsumi asked casually, hoping to not sound too interested.

Sasuke glanced at her before he scoffed and returned his attention to the road. The Uchiha was quiet for a while before he released a heavy sigh and replied.

"To pick up Itachi" Sasuke said, making Natsumi feel her heart drop to her stomach.

'Itachi' the dark haired teen girl thought.

"Why?" Natsumi asked before she could think.

She immediately regretted it following the intense stare Sasuke gave her when they stopped at a red light. Natsumi felt like her stomach was doing flips and she waited for him to speak.

"His car is getting some work done today so I was told to pick him up" Sasuke explained simply as he turned his attention back to the road as the light turned green.

"Hn" Natsumi replied with a nod as she too looked forward awkwardly.

It was quiet as the drive went on and the pair finally pulled past the large sign that read Konoha University and the many large buildings that were on campus before pulling into a parking lot outside a library. Natsumi looked around in awe of the school and all the students walking around before a thought struck her.

'Itachi goes here ... with all these people' Natsumi thought looking at some of the attractive faces of the students. 'Everyone is so attractive and put together and mature ... I wonder if he has a girlfriend' Natsumi thought as a group of girls walked by.

Natsumi couldn't help the feeling of an ache that developed from the bottom of her chest. Her brows furrowed in thought as her gaze fell to her lap.

'Why am I thinking this?' Natsumi thought. 'I'm supposed to be trying to get over him, but here I am putting myself through the worry of him being in a relationship ... UGH why am I so stupid?!' Natsumi thought feeling a gloom of darkness surround her.

"You have this look on your face" Sasuke suddenly said bringing Natsumi out of her thoughts as she looked at him.

Natsumi's brows rose in alarm before a sheepish smile crossed her face.

"I think I know why" Sasuke said releasing a sigh. "You're worried about being in a car with me and Itachi" the boy said making Natsumi inwardly shatter as her eyes lit up in shock.

"N-No" Natsumi tried to defend herself before being cut off by Sasuke.

"It's fine" Sasuke said simply.

'Does he know?' Natsumi thought feeling her heart beat increase. 'Should I start apologizing now?' she thought as Sasuke then turned to look at her with a serious expression.

"I know it's probably because you think that there's going to be this weird tension between us since we had that disagreement on Saturday" Sasuke said allowing Natsumi to release a breath she didn't realize she was holding.

She watched as Sasuke turned his gaze to the side to avert their eyes from meeting.

"Well you don't have to worry about that, because ..." Sasuke started before trailing off.

Sasuke released an annoyed huff as he gripped the steering wheel and turned his head completely away from Natsumi in embarrassment.

"I apologized to Itachi" Sasuke muttered, making Natsumi's brows raise in shock.

Natsumi stared at Sasuke in shock unsure if she had heard him right.

"Really?" Natsumi asked in disbelief. "No way" Natsumi went on.

Sasuke immediately turned back to her with a glare.

"I did" he stated simply with an annoyed tone.

"Why?" Natsumi asked with shock.

Now Sasuke's brows rose in disbelief.

"You told me to!" Sasuke shot back angrily.

Natsumi stared at him in shock before she released a huff and a smile crossed her face.

"You actually listened to me?" Natsumi asked with a smile.

Sasuke scoffed before turning his gaze to the side with a huff. Natsumi continued to smile at him, preparing to tease him further when her door suddenly opened.

"Oh Natsumi" Itachi's voice came in surprise as she turned to the older boy and her mind went blank.

Itachi wore a pair of dark blue denim jeans with a grey long sleeved shirt that said Konoha across the front in bold black letters with a pair of black high tops and his black back pack slung over his right shoulder.

"Itachi" Natsumi exclaimed in greeting feeling her heart skip a beat as she stared at his onyx orbs.

"I'm sorry I didn't realize you'd be with Sasuke, allow me to sit in the back" the boy began, starting to close the door before being stopped as Natsumi waved her hands on front of her.

"No!" Natsumi said quickly earning a confused look from both Itachi and Sasuke.

Feeling the intensity of being under the eyes of both brothers, Natsumi's face burned in embarrassment. It was silent for a moment before she finally spoke.

"I can sit in the back" Natsumi offered before removing her belt and scrambling to exit the vehicle as Sasuke raised a brow at her and Itachi stepped back in surprise.

Stepping out of the car, Natsumi immediately caught the unwanted eyes of a certain group.

"Who is that?" the voice of a girl rang out.

"She has a high school uniform on" one of the girl's pointed out.

"Why is she with Itachi?" another girl's voice questioned.

Looking to the source Natsumi saw a group of girls intensely watching her with hawk eyes as she stood with by Itachi. There was something familiar about the way they looked at her and it only took a moment before her eyes lit up in realization.

'This must be Itachi's fan club' Natsumi thought shifting her gaze downward. 'It's not surprising he has one but it's a little more intimidating than Sasuke's since they are college girls' Natsumi thought feeling somewhat self-conscious as she looked over her uniform and focused on the leaf symbol on her school jacket.

Suddenly the scrutiny of their stares diminished as she felt a hand on top of her head. As she looked up her brown orbs met onyx as Itachi smiled at her in reassurance. Natsumi felt her heart beat increase erratically as she looked up at him.

"Hey Itachi!" one of the girl's yelled catching the older boy's attention and waving as he turned to the group.

Itachi gave a light smile and small wave in acknowledgment of the group, prompting excited responses from them. Natsumi raised a brow at their antics before they spoke again.

"Who is she?" one of the girls asked pointing to Natsumi.

Natsumi nervously looked downward.

"She's a friend of my younger brother" Itachi replied simply, prompting another round of excited responses from the girls.

"Oh she's with your brother?"

"I heard he looks a lot like you"

"Is he the one picking you up?" the girls spoke approaching the car and looking in to see an annoyed Sasuke set his head against the wheel.

Itachi smiled politely at the girls before placing a hand on Natsumi's back and opening the back door for her to enter. Natsumi gave a small smile and nod in appreciation before entering and Itachi closed the door. She sat down, placed on her seat belt and turned to see Sasuke release a sigh.

"You don't look too happy" Natsumi pointed out catching Sasuke's attention as he turned to look at her.

"This is going to take forever just because he's 'nice'" Sasuke said bitterly as he used his fingers around the words 'nice' at the end.

Natsumi raised a brow at the boy.

"Wow if only he treated them as well as you treat your fan club" Natsumi said sarcastically, earning a glare from Sasuke as he looked back at her.

Natsumi gave the boy a blank stare.

"Why did you offer to move to the back?" Sasuke suddenly asked making Natsumi feel her breath hitch in her throat.

She opened her mouth to reply but was interrupted as Itachi entered the vehicle.

"Alright see you all later" Itachi said to the group before closing the door and putting on his belt.

Itachi turned to Sasuke with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry that took a while" Itachi said making Sasuke scoff before pulling off.

It was silent in the car as they exited the campus. Natsumi looked between Sasuke and Itachi before her eyes landed on her phone that she had left in the cup holder up front. The dark haired girl contemplated reaching for the device while Sasuke caught sight of Natsumi's gaze from the rear view mirror.

"Did you want your phone to play music?" Sasuke asked making her jump in surprise.

"Hn" Natsumi replied with a nod.

She expected Sasuke to hand her phone back to her, but to her horror he simply pushed the media button and her phone automatically connected to his car's Bluetooth before playing Serendipity by BTS.

'My phone's on the playlist for thinking about my feelings' Natsumi thought with her brows rising in alarm.

She felt like her heart dropped to her stomach.

"Um could I see my phone?" Natsumi asked hoping she didn't sound worried.

Sasuke raised a brow at her in the rear view mirror.

"I thought you liked BTS?" Sasuke suddenly asked making Natsumi stiffen.

'Oh so he does listen' Natsumi thought feeling her brow twitch in annoyance.

"I don't mind listening to this" Itachi suddenly said turning around to face Natsumi with a kind smile.

Natsumi hoped the heat rushing to her face, was kept neutral as her beat quickened and she gave a simple nod before Itachi turned back around.

'Well I guess I'm going to be listening to my emotional playlist with Sasuke and Itachi ... great' Natsumi thought sarcastically as she released a heavy sigh and looked down to her lap as her hands folded together.

...

A/N: Hey guys I'm super sorry about not updating this past week and now updating late but due to some personal issues and a case of writer's block, I wasn't able to post. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience especially since it was so abrupt. I appreciate all of you for your support in the story so far and I hope that can continue. Life has been a lately but I'm going to try my best to prevail. For now feel free to let me know your thoughts thus far in the story and if not that maybe give me some ideas for sleepover antics (whether it be for the boys or girls) in the comments. Well I can't really think of much else to say but please continue to read and review I love you all and remember to stay safe until next time xoxo.