Best Friend's Brother 30
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Walking into her house Natsumi immediately felt worried as she tried to quietly shut the door. She heard the faint voices of girlish laughter that somewhat put her mind at ease, so she followed the sound to the dining room to see Sakura and Ino seated with her mother. As the dark haired teen approached she had a sliver of hope that things wouldn't be too bad, but when she moved closer to the table the attention of all three females immediately turned to her. Natsumi froze in her tracks as she looked at the many eyes focused on her and in that moment seeing the weary looks from blue and green, before seeing the flash of relief crosses her mother's face before she earned an expectant look.
"Natsumi" her mother said making the girl inwardly jump as she looked at her mother in worry.
"Uh sorry I'm late" Natsumi apologized sheepishly as she found her gaze shifting to the floor.
After a moment of silence Natsumi worked up enough nerve to lift her gaze again and this time seeing her mother's serious eyes as she crossed her arms over her chest.
"You should really be apologizing to our guests since they were the ones you kept waiting" her mother said making Natsumi stiffen.
"Hn" Natsumi said with a nod of understanding before turning her attention back to Ino and Sakura.
"I'm sorry I'm late" Natsumi said simply.
Sakura opened her mouth to reply but was cut off by Natsumi's mother.
"You would think that your apology would be more sincere considering these guests weren't just waiting for you but taking into account that you were the sole purpose for their visit" Natsumi's mother said. "I know you said you ran into a distraction but that was over an hour ago so you could have at least called" the woman lectured.
Natsumi looked to the side before allowing her eyes to travel to the food on the table and the empty plate placed in the seat for her.
"We went ahead and started without you so why don't you start serving yourself so we can all continue?" her mother asked earning a single nod from Natsumi before she moved to take a seat.
There was a moment of awkward silence as everyone resumed eating. Only chewing was heard but Natsumi was sure that Sakura and Ino could sense the awkwardness after her mother's rant. Finally after what seemed like forever the pink haired girl chose to speak.
"So Natsumi" Sakura said gaining the attention of the room. "Are you excited for this weekend?" Sakura asked trying to lighten the mood of the room.
Natsumi gave her a blank look.
"I'm sure she is" Natsumi's mother then replied when her daughter took too long too reply.
Natsumi resisted the urge to scoff.
"Well ... we have a lot of plans and so far ... we even got Temari, Tenten, and Hinata to come" Ino cut in.
"Oh yeah ... we even thought of inviting Yukata since we all went to Homecoming together ... but none of us really talk to her ... so we thought maybe you might want to invite her since you were the one that got her to go to Homecoming" Sakura explained awkwardly.
"Who's Yukata?" Natsumi's mother asked curiously looking to Natsumi.
"She's this girl that went to Homecoming with my friend Kankuro" Natsumi replied earning a nod from her mother.
"Natsumi set them up" Sakura interjected catching the woman's attention as her eyes lit up in surprise.
"I didn't realize Natsumi was quiet the match maker" the girl's mother said jokingly making the other girl's giggle as Natsumi wore a weary look.
"Well Natsumi if you're still in the business why don't you set me up with Sasuke?" Ino asked winking at Natsumi with a smile.
"Dream on Ino-pig!" Sakura said glaring at the blonde beside her. "If Natsumi is setting anyone up with Sasuke, it's going to be me!" the pinkette declared making Ino scoff.
"Yeah right" Ino retorted. "The only reason I can imagine Natsumi doing that is if you'd agree to advertise her match making service on that big billboard of a forehead" Ino said making Natsumi's mothers mouth drop open in shock.
"Don't worry they do this all the time" Natsumi whispered to her mother as Sakura and Ino went off on insulting one another and making a weary look cross her mother's face.
Natsumi and her mother watched as the two exchanged insults before Sakura caught sight of the shocked look Natsumi's mother wore and realization dawned on her.
"Not the point" Sakura suddenly said holding a hand up to Ino. "We are so sorry" Sakura said bowing her head to Natsumi's mother. "We don't mean to be rude" the pink haired girl went on as Ino's face lit up in realization.
"Sorry" the blonde apologized bowing her head as well. "We do this a lot but it's never too malicious but even so it does seem odd to others sometimes" Ino explained making Natsumi's mother sweat drop.
"Anyways Natsumi I get that this will probably be your first time sleeping at someone else's house but we're willing to do whatever to make you feel more comfortable so it you want we can invite more people or even make it so it'll be just the three of us if that makes it better" Ino offered.
"No" Natsumi immediately said shaking her head no.
'I don't think I could handle being alone with these two ... At least with the others there, they might not get the chance to try to question me about Sasuke' Natsumi thought releasing a sigh of relief as Sakura and Ino nodded in understanding.
"You girl's don't need to worry so much" Natsumi's mother said giving Ino and Sakura a reassuring smile as she waved off the offer.
Sakura and Ino nodded while Natsumi took a sip of her tea.
"Especially since this won't be Natsumi's first time sleeping at someone else's house" her mother went on.
"What do you mean?" Ino asked curiously just before Natsumi broke out into a coughing fit as the liquid traveled down the wrong pipe.
Immediately all three sets of eyes turned to the dark haired teen again. Sakura and Ino wore concerned looks as Natsumi tried to stop coughing before her mother rose from her seat and made her way over to pat her daughter's back.
"Oh dear Natsumi" her mother said as she patted the teen's back.
"Are you alright?" Sakura asked as Natsumi's coughing calmed down.
Natsumi gave a halfhearted nod as her mother returned to her seat.
'The last thing I need is them finding out I spent the night at Sasuke's house ... these two would definitely take it the wrong way and I don't think I can handle all the drama that's going to come with that' Natsumi thought as she cleared her throat. 'Hopefully the conversation doesn't go there though' Natsumi thought as the table resumed with their meal.
"So what did you mean when you said it wouldn't be Natsumi's first time spending the night at someone's house?" Sakura asked making Natsumi stiffen.
"Yeah I thought she wasn't allowed to do a lot of things since your husband was strict" Ino added on.
Immediately Ino earned an elbow to the stomach as Sakura shushed her.
"Ino that's rude!" the pink haired girl pointed out before turning to Natsumi and her mother with an apologetic look. "I am so sorry" Sakura said.
"Oh my bad I didn't mean to come off as rude but it's just ... we kind of thought that this would be Natsumi's first slumber party" Ino explained as she rubbed her now sore stomach.
Natsumi and her mother shared a look, in which Natsumi gave the woman a pleading look that immediately made the woman's eyes light up in realization.
"Oh there's no need to apologize dears" Natsumi's mother said waving off the subject. "My ex-husband certainly was strict when it came to Natsumi's social life so this will be her first slumber party" Natsumi's mother explained.
"Yeah but you said that it wouldn't be her first time sleeping at someone else's house ..." Ino started to ask before being cut off by Natsumi.
"My father focused on other aspects such as etiquette" Natsumi said abruptly. "I'd never dream in a million years to try and bring up such an inappropriate topic at dinner" the teen finished making Ino go silent as she stared at her with a blank look.
"Natsumi" the teen's mother said in a warning tone that made the girl go silent as well. "That's certainly not the way to show your etiquette, especially when you came late" her mother chastised making the teen inwardly scoff before focusing fully on her meal.
There was silence as they all went back to eating with only a few questions and light discussions on school.
"Well Natsumi it looks like we're all done here, why don't you take care of the cleanup?" Natsumi's mother asked as the group finished.
"Hn" Natsumi said with a nod before standing and beginning to go about clearing the table.
Natsumi made quick work of the cleanup while her mother and the two other teen girls discussed the plans for Friday. Afterwards Sakura and Ino wished the mother and daughter a goodnight before embarking into the night and leaving an awkward silence between the two dark haired females.
"Young lady we need to have a talk about your manners and how you act when you have friends over" Natsumi's mother said in a disappointed tone as she turned to her daughter. "First you come late and then you snapped at Ino. Now I understand she was a little pushy with the topic but I still expect better from you" her mother said placing her hands on her hips.
Natsumi released a sigh as she readied herself to hear more of her mother's lecture, but just as the woman opened her mouth to say more; she was interrupted by the ringing of her phone. Immediately both turned their attention to the device that sat on the counter, before Natsumi's mother released a sigh and turned to make her way over to her phone.
'I never thought I'd be happy to hear her phone ring' Natsumi thought in relief.
"It's work" her mother said after looking at her caller ID. "We'll talk more later, why don't you go to your room" her mother said pointing the teen away before sliding her finger across the screen and bringing her phone to her ear as she answered it.
'I guess I'm off the hook then ... Especially since that calls probably going to occupy her until I go to bed ... it's better this way though' Natsumi thought as she made her way upstairs. 'I still need to tell her about what happened with Mitaka though ... I guess it'll have to wait until tomorrow though' Natsumi thought with a shrug.
...
It was lunchtime of the following day when Natsumi sat with her some of her friends wearing a blank expression while they all talked freely. The dark haired teen slowly poked at the salad on her tray with her fork before she was pulled out of her silent trance by the sound of Sakura's voice.
"Natsumi are you alright?" the pink haired girl asked in a gentle voice that made Natsumi lift her gaze from her tray to meet her green orbs.
"Yeah you haven't really touched your tray since you sat down" Ino pointed out.
Natsumi blinked a couple times before opening her mouth to reply but being cut off by Sakura.
"Is this about what happened last night with your mom?" Sakura asked curiously, gaining the attention of the other table's occupants.
Natsumi shut her mouth as she felt the heat rise to her face before turning to see the curious looks from Shikamaru, Choji, Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara.
"I ... I'm fine" Natsumi said wearily as she shifted the gaze of her brown orbs back to the pink haired girl.
"Are you sure?" Ino asked catching Natsumi's attention as she turned to her.
"I'm fine" Natsumi stated more confidently, making the girls' eyes widen in surprise at the harshness of her tone.
Natsumi released a huff as the others directed the conversation elsewhere.
'Mom was upset when I left this morning but I'm sure that has to do with the call she got from work ... and if I didn't already have enough to worry about I still need to meet with Mitaka after school at Ichiraku ... Ugh ... Why does this all have to happen?' Natsumi thought as she subconsciously biting on her lip.
"Hey Natsumi" Shikamaru suddenly said pulling the girl out of her thoughts as she turned to look at the boy.
"Hn" the girl replied.
"Where's Sasuke and Naruto?" the boy asked curiously.
Natsumi's eyes lit up in realization before she turned to the others and earned shrugs.
"That's true ... it's weird how quiet it is without them here" Temari noted earning a nod from Gaara and Kankuro in agreement.
"Now that I think about it, where's Sai?" Sakura pointed out as the others chorused in agreement upon noticing the absence of the pale boy as well.
All eyes turned back to Natsumi, waiting for her reply but the dark haired girl simply shrugged.
"They were in class this morning" Natsumi stated.
Suddenly both the blonde and black haired boy came walking up to take their seats on either side of the dark haired girl.
"Sorry we were late" Naruto apologized as the boys sat with their trays.
"The dobe got us in trouble with Asuma-sensei when he barged into the class too early" Sasuke said giving the blonde an annoyed look.
Naruto gave a sheepish laugh while scratching the back of his neck while the others at the table wore confused looks.
"What were you doing in Asuma-sensei's class?" Natsumi asked curiously as she looked to the blonde boy.
"Picking up Sasuke since my fourth hour is nearby" the blonde replied with a shrug. "But I didn't know Asuma-sensei would be in such a bad mood when I walked in" Naruto went on.
"He's been a little moody since he's having nicotine withdrawals" Shikamaru stated knowingly. "It's such a drag" he complained as the others turned to him.
"Really?" Sakura asked in disbelief.
"Yeah I think he's trying to quit smoking" Shikamaru stated earning shocked looks from around the table.
It was quiet as all the teens stared at Shikamaru.
"Well I guess Kurenai-sensei got tired of kissing an ash tray" Ino said breaking the silence amongst the teens as they all laughed at her small comment.
"Who's kissing an ash tray?" Sai suddenly asked walking up with his tray as he sat down at the table.
"Sai, where have you been?" Sakura asked as the boy sat.
The pale boy opened his mouth to reply before being cut off.
"Hey guys" Kiba said as he walked up to the group.
Everyone turned to see the brown haired young man seat himself between Natsumi and Naruto, much to the blonde's dismay.
"Kiba, what are you doing here?!" Naruto asked in annoyance.
"Can't a guy just stop by to say hi to his friends?" Kiba asked in an offended tone.
Naruto gave him a weary look before Sasuke spoke.
"Maybe if he didn't have any ulterior motives" Sasuke said taking the table by surprise as the teen's turned to him.
"Oh yeah and what's that supposed to mean Uchiha?" Kiba asked leering at the dark haired boy.
"You only came over here to try to ask Natsumi out again" Sasuke stated bluntly making a pink blush cross Kiba's face as the others snickered. "Just own up to it and get it over with so she can turn you down and you can leave because this bench in crowded enough as is" the Uchiha went on now making Natsumi's face light ablaze in red while the others' mouths dropped open in shock.
"Sasuke" Natsumi said shoving the boy in the shoulder before Kiba scoffed.
"What?" the Uchiha asked snidely. "I'm not wrong" the Uchiha said before reaching over the girl and pushing her back slightly so he could make eye contact with Kiba. "And she'll say no since she's going to be busy this weekend with the sleepover with the other girls" Sasuke said in an annoyed tone as he turned to face forward again.
"Well who said I was going to ask her out for the weekend?" Kiba asked challengingly.
Sasuke raised a brow at the boy in question as the others watched with wide eyes.
"So you admit that you came over to ask her out?" Sasuke asked making Kiba shut his mouth.
"Sasuke!" Natsumi said in a chastising tone as she gave the Uchiha a bewildered look. "Stop picking on Kiba, he didn't know about the sleepover" she said making Sasuke roll his eyes.
"Well Kiba hasn't spent the whole week with you" Sasuke stated teasingly. "It's all you girls have been talking about the past week and it's annoying" he said bluntly.
"Oh I'm sorry but excuse us for not wanting to spend the weekend being anti-social" Natsumi retorted in a sarcastic tone that made Sasuke scoff.
"You're just as anti-social as I am" the Uchiha replied making Natsumi's brows shoot up in alarm as the others stared in anticipation of what would happen next.
"You're right" she said shocking the entire table and earning a bewildered look from Sasuke as he stared at the dark haired girl beside him.
"I'm right?" Sasuke asked raising a brow at Natsumi in disbelief.
"I am just as anti-social as you, but since I'm actually making an effort to not close myself off this weekend, then I guess I have a stronger constitution than you" Natsumi said giving the boy a smug smirk that made him stiffen.
"Wait a minute don't try to make it sound like your better than me" Sasuke said.
"Why?" Natsumi asked simply. "We all know it's true, you don't have what it takes to sit through a sleepover with friends since you're such a stick in the mud" Natsumi teased.
"I could" Sasuke argued back narrowing his eyes at the girl's innocent smile.
"Prove it" Natsumi challenged. "While the girls and I are having a sleepover this weekend why don't you and the boys do the same thing?" she asked making Sasuke fall silent as Naruto's eyes lit up in excitement.
"Oh yeah that'd be so much fun!" Naruto exclaimed as he bounced in his seat. "We can play games, order take out, watch movies, eat ramen, and play cards ..." he began to list excitedly before being cut off by Sasuke.
"Hold on a minute" Sasuke said bringing silence to the table. "Where will it be?" Sasuke asked.
"My house" Naruto said using his thumb to point to himself with a wide smile. "Since you were the only one who didn't show up last time it'll be like a do-over" the blonde said with a light laugh.
"Except no one's going to be drinking!" Shikamaru interjected suddenly as the others turned to him with confused looks. "What?" the boy questioned. "I'm not looking forward to spending another Friday night as a babysitter" he said earning laughs from the group as Naruto's face turned to a deep shade of crimson.
"Yeah yeah" Naruto said trying to wave off the topic before he looked at Kiba and his eyes lit up. "Anyways, Kiba why don't you let Neji, Lee, and Shino know about this weekend?" the blonde asked as the attention of the table turned to the brunette.
Kiba looked at Naruto with an annoyed look before grumbling.
"Yeah yeah I'll take care of it" Kiba said dismissively.
Kiba scoffed before rolling his eyes at the blonde and turning his attention to the dark haired girl beside him.
"Anyways Natsumi since we both have plans this weekend now, are you busy afterschool?" the brunette asked leaning toward the girl and giving her a charming grin.
Natsumi immediately leaned back as a closed eyed smile crossed her now face along with a light pink blush.
"Looks like I was right" Sasuke said in a low tone, making Natsumi stiffen as she turned her head to glare at the young man while Sasuke glanced at the girl offering no expression.
Natsumi looked back to Kiba who continued to smile at the girl and she felt a pit of guilt form in her stomach.
"I'm really sorry Kiba but I actually have plans afterschool" Natsumi said making the boy's smile fall.
"Oh I see" Kiba said looking away from the girl.
Awkward silence befell the table for a moment before the brunette rose from his seat.
"Maybe another time, but this just came up yesterday and if I'm being honest I don't want to go so I'd prefer hanging out with you but ..." Natsumi explained before trailing off as she felt the many eyes of her friends boring into her. "Never mind" Natsumi said dismissively as she looked down to the tray in front of her.
'Please let a hole in the floor open up and swallow me' a mortified Natsumi thought.
...
"Oh Kiba's back" Hinata said as the brunette took a seat beside her and Shino.
The group noticed how the boy seemed to wear a distracted look as he continuously glanced over his shoulder to look at Natsumi.
"I assume she said no" Shino stated catching the boy's attention as Kiba turned back to face his table mates.
Kiba scoffed before picking up his fork to stab into the pasta on his plate.
"She said no" Neji said knowingly.
"Neji" Tenten said chastising the young man.
"I see no issue in acknowledging the truth" Neji defended.
"Neji you should have more faith, perhaps she said yes but Kiba is simply playing it cool as not to look too overexcited" Lee said before winking at Kiba and earning a glare. "Perhaps not ... but maybe he comes baring other exciting news" Lee said hopefully.
Kiba scoffed as he continued to play with his food.
"Naruto's having another sleepover this weekend" Kiba stated making Lee's eyes light up in excitement. "So are the girls so that's why Natsumi will be busy this weekend" the boy went on.
"Well I could have told you that" Tenten said bringing the brown haired boy's attention away from his tray as he looked at her in bewilderment. "I'm going to the sleepover at Ino's" she said making an irk mark appear on Kiba's head.
"You knew she'd turn me down and you still let me go ask her out?!" Kiba asked making Tenten jump at the slight increase in the boy's volume.
Tenten sweat dropped as the eyes of the others turned to her.
"W-well I ... I ... Hinata knew too!" Tenten exclaimed worriedly before pointing to the Hyuga girl.
Kiba immediately turned to the dark haired girl beside him whose eye's had grown wide.
"I ... I ... I didn't want to make you lose confidence ..." Hinata mumbled out nervously.
Kiba sighed before addressing the girl beside him.
"It's fine Hinata" Kiba said.
It was silent as the others stared at him.
"Wait a minute" Tenten said angrily. "Just a minute ago you seemed like you were going to chew my head off for not telling you but Hinata didn't tell you either and you're fine" Tenten reasoned out. "That's not fair, why did you try to yell at me?!" the brunette girl asked in an offended tone.
Kiba looked at her but before he could reply, Lee spoke.
"Tenten, now is not the time to make things about you, especially when our dear friend Kiba has experienced such a heart breaking rejection" Lee said placing a hand on Tenten's shoulders while an irk mark appeared on Kiba's head.
"Just ignore him" Shino said in a low voice so only Kiba would hear him as the others directed their attention to Tenten. "There's something else that happened" the boy went on making Kiba release a deep breath.
"After that idiot Naruto said he'd have a sleepover, I asked Natsumi if she was busy afterschool" Kiba stated.
"But don't you have to walk Akamaru?" Shino asked curiously.
"My sister got off early and took him out for me, so I was free this afternoon" Kiba explained earning a nod of understanding from Shino.
"What did she say?" Shino asked.
"She said no ... but the thing is it wasn't like the other times ... she seemed like whatever plans she had she didn't want to do ... I think she might have said yes but whatever it is, it has to be important" Kiba said earning another nod from Shino.
"Well there's always next time" Shino said encouragingly as he placed a hand on the boy's back.
Kiba rolled his eyes before picking up the juice on his tray and opening it to take a sip.
"You know you're right there is always next time, but I still have now" Kiba said as a grin crossed his face.
Shino raised a brow at his friend before realization set in.
"You're not going to follow her to find out what she's doing right?" Shino asked making Kiba turn to him with a confused look.
"I was just going to walk to her house to see if she wanted to hang out after she was done with her plans but that sounds like a pretty good idea too" Kiba said with a smile as Shino sweat dropped.
...
Afterschool Natsumi slowly made her way down the front steps of the school walking alongside Sasuke and Naruto. The blonde talked excitedly about his plans for the weekend, while Sasuke continuously scoffed in annoyance and Natsumi tried to look for a time to escape.
"This is already so annoying" the Uchiha complained making Naruto turn to him with a confused look. "I don't want to go" Sasuke stated folding his arms over his chest before turning to Natsumi. "And I know that you don't really want to go to Ino's either" he said making the girl raise her brows at him.
"Stop trying to back out since you already agreed" Natsumi said making the boy scoff.
"How do I know you're really going to stay at Ino's the whole time? You could always leave and I wouldn't know" Sasuke argued.
"You wouldn't know but if you don't go to Naruto's and I stay at Ino's the whole time then it would prove I was better than the great Sasuke Uchiha" Natsumi shot back sarcastically saying 'great' as she smiled up at the Uchiha.
"Come on guys there's no need to fight" Naruto said stepping between the two teens with his hands up.
"I'm just saying" Sasuke said looking down at Natsumi.
"No you're just trying to get out of hanging out with the others" Natsumi retorted making an irk mark appear on Sasuke's head. "But since it's such an issue then I know how you can be sure I wouldn't skip out on Ino's" Natsumi said with a smirk that made Sasuke raise a brow at her. "You can drop me off and pick me up from Ino's" the girl said crossing her arms over her chest as Sasuke grew silent.
The Uchiha scoffed before running a hand through his hair.
"She makes a point" Naruto laughed placing his hands behind his head.
"She just wants a ride" Sasuke retorted earning an eye roll from Natsumi as she smiled guiltily.
Yet before the girl could retort she caught sight of a certain dark haired boy and used the opportunity to leave Sasuke and Naruto.
"Whatever you say Sasuke ... uh I'll see you guys later, I forgot I needed to talk to Sai about our assignment for Art" she lied as she gave a quick wave to the Uchiha and blonde boy and rushed after the pale boy not too far ahead.
"Hn" Sasuke said in acknowledgment.
"See you Natsumi" Naruto said waving to the girl with a wide grin.
Natsumi quickly made her way to Sai's side before turning to look over her shoulder and seeing Sasuke and Naruto make their way through the parking lot.
"Hey Sai" Natsumi said as she walked by the boy.
"Hello Natsumi" Sai greeted the dark haired girl as he glanced to her. "We don't usually walk together after school" he stated earning a nod from the girl. "This is new" he went on before giving Natsumi his usual smile.
Natsumi smiled before turning forward.
"Typically you seem to spend more time with Sasuke and Naruto but this is nice" he commented making Natsumi shift her gaze back to the pale boy.
"Hn" Natsumi said with a nod as they continued walking.
"So is this going to be something I should become accustomed to or is this only because you're having an off day?" Sai asked bluntly making the girl stiffen as she looked at him in disbelief.
"What?" Natsumi asked taken aback.
"Well you seemed to be distracted today and I can only assume it's because you have something on your mind" he stated. "That and lunchtime" he said making Natsumi come to a halt.
"What do you mean?" Natsumi asked curiously.
"You looked rather upset all day and it wasn't until lunchtime that I think I figured why" Sai stated making the girl raise a brow at him. "A man spoke with me today in regards to my ambitions and future plans. And although I thought it was strange since we're not seniors yet, it was enough to make me falter so I assume you spoke with the same man and thinking about it upset you" Sai explained making Natsumi grow silent.
Natsumi furrowed her brows in thought before realization hit her.
"Sai what did this man look like?" Natsumi asked in a more serious tone.
Sai placed a hand under his chin in thought before looking to the side.
"A tall dark haired man with a grey suit" Sai replied with a shrug.
"When did you talk to him?" Natsumi asked brining Sai's attention to her again.
"This morning on my way to school" Sai replied simply.
"Did he say who he was?" Natsumi asked.
"An art scout" Sai replied earning a weary look from Natsumi.
"Did you get this scout's name?" Natsumi asked.
"I think it was Mr. Mitaka" Sai said making Natsumi stiffen.
Natsumi released a heavy sigh before bringing up a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose.
'I can't believe this' Natsumi thought. 'He's questioning my friends' she thought before turning to see a confused look on Sai's face.
"Thanks for letting me know Sai ... um I'll see you later" Natsumi said before rushing off from the pale boy.
Natsumi quickly made her way to Ichiraku with a new found rigor. There was no containing the disdain she felt and it was only further brought to surface when she arrived to find the source of her anger casually leaning against the side of the building while scrolling through his phone. Mitaka didn't seem to notice the teen. He wore a grey suit as per usual and even had a black brief case in his free hand. As Natsumi came closer she came to a halt in front of the man before clearing her throat loudly to gain his attention.
"Oh hello Ms. Nakamaru" Mitaka greeted the girl with a smile as he lowered his phone.
Natsumi glared at the man making a confused look cross his face.
"Is everything alright miss?" Mitaka asked curiously.
"I'm not sure Mr. Mitaka" Natsumi said folding her arms over her chest. "Is there anything you need to tell me in regards to my friends or more specifically why you've been questioning them about their future?" Natsumi asked making the man's eyes widen.
"I was only following orders" Mitaka stated simply. "But now's really not the time to discuss that, why don't we head inside?" the man offered motioning to the restaurant and earning a sigh from the teen girl before she walked ahead to enter.
"Hello there" Teuchi greeted the pair as they took their seats at the counter in front of him.
"Hello" Mitaka said politely.
"Hi" Natsumi greeted the man with a kind smile.
"So Natsumi the usual?" he asked earning a nod from the girl as her smile widened.
"I'll take whatever she's having" Mitaka stated before Ayame walked up and placed two waters in front of the pair.
"So what did we need to discuss?" Natsumi asked taking a sip from her water after the brown haired woman walked off.
"Well your father had a change in plans in regards to a company trip he was to take next month" Mitaka stated before opening his briefcase and pulling out a brochure for a ski resort.
"From what I understand this was listed on the visitation schedule as something I couldn't go to" Natsumi stated looking over the brochure critically.
"That was until it was changed to include family members" Mitaka said making Natsumi scoff.
"So now I assume I have to?" she asked raising a brow at the man.
Mitaka gave a simply nod before turning to take a sip of his water.
"Nice to know my father is allowing me to have a choice" Natsumi said sarcastically earning a sideways look from Mitaka before she rolled her eyes. "I want to know more about your orders involving my friends" Natsumi stated looking the man straight in the eyes.
Mitaka released a heavy sigh.
"Your father is a bit apprehensive to the associates you have" Mitaka stated. "We've already looked into the Aburame boy but the orph-" Mitaka began to explain before being cut off by Natsumi.
"Sai" Natsumi corrected. "My friend Sai, don't refer to him as anything otherwise" she stated in a commanding tone, earning a weary look from Mitaka before he simply nodded in compliance.
"The main reason your father seems so opposing to Sai ... is because the lack of family history so he had me approach him as an art scout seeing as that is his passion to see if he had any future plans that may be of interest" Mitaka explained making Natsumi raise her brows in shock.
"You have no right to meddle in the lives of my friends" Natsumi said balling her fists as she looked at the man with an offended look.
"Ms. Nakamaru your father was simply worried" Mr. Mitaka said in defense of the teen's father. "He's concerned about your wellbeing" he went on placing a hand on the girl's shoulder, only to have it pushed off.
"If's he's really so worried then why would he do more to push me away?" Natsumi asked making the man close his mouth. "He was the one who did away with the weekly visitations in favor of phone calls, he's the one who refused to let me have friends before or any type of freedom even though he was always busy working and now he chooses to worry?" Natsumi asked raising her brows at the man.
It was silent as Mitaka looked at the teen and although she wore a serious expression, he could see the hurt in her eyes.
"Natsumi ..." he started wearily before earning a glare that made him shake his head. "I apologize ... Ms. Nakamaru you should understand that your father may be strict but this is difficult for him seeing as he never imagined the daughter he always had would now be so far away with a new life that he knows almost nothing about" Mitaka said making Natsumi look to the side. "He doesn't like not being in control so he's doing all he can to mediate since he really has no say" Mitaka went on making the girl's brown orbs soften as she processed what was being said.
'I guess dad is out of his element with all of this as well' Natsumi thought while turning forward just as Teuchi set two steaming bowls of ramen in front of her and Mitaka.
"Order up" the man said with a smile that made the dark haired teen feel more at ease.
"This looks great" Mitaka commented as he thanked the man.
The pair then started eating, leaving them in silence for the most part until Natsumi turned to the man beside her with a serious expression on her face.
"Does he want me to come back to Kyoto?" Natsumi suddenly asked making Mitaka choke on his noodles.
The man choked for a while before bringing his drink to his lips to take a sip and ease his coughing fit. Natsumi raised a brow at the man as she watched the man cough more before clearing his throat several times to calm himself. After a while he stopped, but Natsumi didn't bother to ask if he was ok and instead gave him an expectant look while waiting for him to answer.
"Um I'm sorry I- I don't understand" Mitaka admitted looking at the teen with wide eyes.
Natsumi bit the inside of her cheek as she glanced to the side in thought before releasing a deep breath as she contemplated what she would say.
"He doesn't like my friends, my teachers, my appearance, how much time I have to myself with mom being out ... frankly it seems like he doesn't like me at all but I can't help but think that maybe it's because he's mad that I picked my mom over him" Natsumi explained wearily.
Natsumi continued to stare blankly in front of her before shifting the gaze of her brown orbs to Mitaka and seeing a serious look cross the man's face. Mitaka released a heavy sigh before giving the girl a half smile.
"Natsumi uh Ms. Nakamaru, I see how you might think that but I assure you that your father has your best interest at heart. With everything involving all of his rules and regulations, I don't think it was ever his intention to try to make you come home." Mitaka said honestly.
It was silent as Natsumi processed this information.
'So he doesn't want me back in Kyoto but he still wants to try and control me all he can in Konoha' Natsumi thought before looking back to Mitaka.
"But if you were to want to come back and live with him instead, I could start the paper work and-" Mitaka began before being cut off as Natsumi held a hand up to silence him.
"That's not what I'm saying" Natsumi clarified giving the man a blank stare. "I was just confused" Natsumi stated before turning her attention back to her bowl of ramen.
As the dark haired teen began to eat again she noticed Mitaka nervously drum his fingers beside his bowl.
"What's wrong?" Natsumi asked curiously glancing to the man. "Is there something you're not telling me?" she asked turning the man.
"I actually had more to discuss in regards to the trip" Mitaka stated making Natsumi release a heavy sigh.
"Oh boy, let me guess is it on how I need to behave or the dress code I'll need to follow?" Natsumi asked bitterly.
"A bit of both" Mitaka admitted honestly. "But more specifically how he wants you to socialize with the heiress and heir of the Nekozawa Group while he entertains their father as they go over the terms of their agreements" he said making Natsumi scoff.
"Of course" Natsumi said bitterly. "Apparently a business conference in the workplace isn't enough ... they have to drag their children into it" Natsumi said in a low tone before bringing her water to her lips to take a sip. "Alright" Natsumi said looking at the man in defeat.
Mitaka gave a simple nod before resuming with eating his meal. Natsumi ate at a slower pace as she somewhat lost her appetite after covering the various topics discussed. It was silent and after a while the arrival of other costumers caught the attention of the shop keepers as them being served was the only other noise. While Teuchi chatted with the other patrons, Natsumi continued to poke at her ramen before noticing that Mitaka was finishing his bowl.
"That was great" Mitaka said with a satisfied smile before Teuchi came over to collect his bowl.
"So what did you think?" Teuchi asked with a proud smile.
"Delicious" Mitaka exclaimed earing a chuckle from the man.
"Would you like another bowl?" Teuchi asked.
Mitaka opened his mouth to reply but was cut off as his phone started ringing.
"I'm sorry one moment" Mitaka apologized before answering his phone. "Hello sir. Yes ... Yes I understand ... I just finished discussing the details with Ms. Nakamaru ... Yes ... Right away sir" Mitaka said before hanging up his phone.
"I'm guessing the second bowl will have to happen another time?" Teuchi asked knowingly.
Mitaka gave a guilty smile before nodding and turning to the dark haired girl beside him.
"Ms. Nakamaru I'm sorry but I have to-" he began before the girl held up a hand to silence him.
"I understand that call" Natsumi said before turning to look at the man. "My father needs you but I thought you would be in town for a couple days?" Natsumi asked raising a brow at the man in question.
"I was to stay until you were informed of trip and its importance" he stated.
"Really?" Natsumi asked raising both brows in surprise. "I thought the extra days might be needed to spy on me and my friends" she said making the man stiffen.
"I'm needed back at the Nakamaru Company for a meeting" Mitaka said earning a nod from the girl. "I'd hate to do this but if you're ready to go now then I could drop you off before heading to the airport" he offered making the teen shake her head no.
"I still need to finish up here" she said motioning to her bowl of ramen.
Mitaka wore a conflicted look before nodding and standing from his seat.
"Well until next time Ms. Nakamaru" Mitaka said with a nod to the girl before waving goodbye to Teuchi and Ayame before turning to leave.
Natsumi nodded to the man before releasing a deep breath and looking down at her food.
"You alright Natsumi?" Teuchi asked in a concerned voice.
The dark haired teen slowly looked up before giving him a small smile and nod of reassurance.
"How about a couple egg rolls?" he asked earning a small nod from the girl as she wore a faint smile.
...
Meanwhile Kiba released a heavy sigh as he peaked around the corner of the tea shop that was across the street from Ichiraku Ramen. His dark eyes watched as he saw the tall dark haired man exit, but was pleased to see he was not accompanied by the dark haired girl he'd arrived with.
"Who is that guy?" Kiba wondered out loud as he watched the man rush towards the parking lot.
Kiba sighed once more before running a hand though his brown locks and looking upwards. He couldn't help the feeling of jealousy that enveloped him as he thought about the nature of the man's relationship with Natsumi. From what he had seen the man seemed to be about thirty and seemed to be rather close with Natsumi.
'Wait a minute ... that day she bumped into Gaara she had something in a bag ... was it a gift for him?' Kiba thought stuffing his hands into his pockets as he waked into the street of foot traffic. 'And that day in the hallway, Sasuke said 'If you're doing this all for him, it's not worth it'... were they talking about this guy?' Kiba went on in thought as he looked downward.
"Who is this guy to Natsumi?" Kiba thought out loud as he lifted his head upwards. "I wonder if I could get any information out of Sasuke at Naruto's this weekend" he said.
In that moment the boy closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening his eyes.
'It smells like it's going to rain' Kiba noted.
The brown haired boy came to a halt before looking back to Ichiraku Ramen and having a grin cross his face.
"I could buy an umbrella and walk Natsumi home" Kiba thought excitedly before the sound of his phone ringing made his smile drop.
Pulling the device out of his pocket, Kiba released a groan of annoyance before pinching the bridge of his nose and answering his phone.
"Hello" Kiba spoke.
"Kiba mom wants you home now" his sister's voice came from the other line making the boy sigh.
"Ah man what for?" Kiba asked in an annoyed tone.
"How should I know?" his sister replied from the line. "Just get home, I don't want her to end up in a mood just because you decided to ignore me" she said making the boy sigh again.
"Alright I'll be there soon" Kiba said before hanging up.
The brown haired teen gave one last look over his shoulder before sighing in defeat and rushing in the direction of his house.
'I'll just have to hope she makes it home before the rain starts' Kiba thought as he ran.
...
After finishing up with her meal at Ichiraku Ramen, Natsumi felt somewhat better as she walked along the mostly empty streets on her way home. Maybe not in the sense of having a clear head but she definitely didn't have an empty stomach and it was then she realized she hadn't eaten much at diner the night before or at breakfast this morning or even at lunch today.
"Oh wow this thing with Dad is really getting to me" Natsumi said coming to a halt and bringing her hands to her face. "God I'm so stupid" Natsumi exclaimed in an exasperated tone. "Mom was right I really don't know how to take care of myself with the simplest things sometimes" the teen admitted before releasing a heavy sigh.
Suddenly a drop of water struck the teen on top of her head. Natsumi slowly lowered her hands before gazing up as few more drops came down and stuck her on the face.
"Great now it's raining" Natsumi said with a sigh before bringing her school bag over her head to shield herself from getting more wet.
'I better hurry' Natsumi thought starting to quicken her pace as the rain started to come down harder.
The dark haired teen walked for a while before hearing a car pull up alongside her and bringing the girl to a halt as she registered the car and who it belonged to. As the window rolled down Natsumi met the sight of Itachi looking at her with concerned eyes.
"Hey Natsumi, do you need a ride?" Itachi asked looking to the teen.
Natsumi took in the sight of the Uchiha. He had on a pair of black pants with a grey long sleeved shirt that had a white KU on the right side pocket and a pair of black shoes.
'Wow he always looks great' Natsumi thought before looking down and seeing the soaking wet uniform she dawned and realizing how much of wreck she looked like as he face glowed in embarrassment.
"Hey Itachi" Natsumi said trying to sound calm as she hoped her blush was going away.
"You should probably get in before you get too wet and I'll drive you home Natsumi" Itachi offered with a kind smile that made the girl's heart beat quicken.
Natsumi felt embarrassed as she stood in front of the young man's car. She contemplated telling him it was fine and she didn't mind walking in the rain, but as it began to pour harder there was a sudden clash of thunder shortly followed by the sky being lit up by lightening. The sudden sound made the teen girl jump in surprise before quickly making her way to the passenger side of Itachi's car.
"Are you alright?" Itachi asked as Natsumi slid into his car and adjusted her seat belt.
"Hn" Natsumi replied with a nod before running a hand through her damp locks.
Itachi smiled at the girl before pulling forward to begin the drive.
"Um thanks Itachi" Natsumi said catching the boy's attention as they stopped at a light.
"It's no problem Natsumi" Itachi said dismissively.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything" she said folding her hands together nervously as she glanced at the onyx eyed boy.
"I had to stay late at school to talk with one of my professors, so I was just heading home myself" Itachi replied.
"Oh" Natsumi said with a simple nod as she turned her attention to the window that currently had an array of droplets decorating it.
"Yeah so you're not hanging out with Sasuke today?" Itachi asked casually.
Natsumi looked back to him before glancing away nervously.
"Uh no I had this thing to take care of" Natsumi replied before allowing silence to befall the pair once more.
"Oh that's too bad since mom said she was making tempera tonight" Itachi said glancing to the girl but only receiving a shrug as she gave him an awkward smile before glancing away again.
Itachi raised a brow at the girl before turning his eyes back to the road as Natsumi glanced at him again.
'I need to stop acting so weird around him' Natsumi thought starting to fiddle with the end of her skirt as she looked at her lap.
"Um how have things been with the Akatsuki?" Natsumi suddenly asked catching the boy's attention.
Itachi smiled.
"Rather well" Itachi replied. "Right now Kakuzu is letting us have a little more down time to focus on school while he starts lining up our next gig" Itachi went on making Natsumi's eyes fill with interest.
"Oh that's really cool" Natsumi commented making another smile cross the Uchiha's face. "When do you think you guys are playing again?" she asked curiously.
"Well right now nothing has come up" Itachi admitted making the girl fall silent.
"Oh" Natsumi replied as an awkward silence befell the pair.
'Why do I have to be so stupid?!' Natsumi thought mentally berating herself. 'I'm so awkward that I can't even keep a conversation going' Natsumi thought feeling a cloud of gloom surround her.
"Are you alright Natsumi?" Itachi asked giving the girl a weary look and bringing her out of her thoughts as she realized she had spaced out and been staring blankly at him.
Natsumi's brows shot up as her face burned in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry I was just spacing out" Natsumi apologized quickly.
Itachi chuckled as he used one arm to steer and the other to pat the girl on the head.
"Just checking" he said with a smile. "After all you're usually not this quiet ... Is something bothering you?" he asked as he removed his hand from her head.
Natsumi's brows rose in alarm before nervously running a hand through her hair.
"Just family stuff" Natsumi replied halfheartedly.
"Hn" Itachi replied with a nod of understanding as he kept his eyes on the road. "Did you want to talk about it?" he asked looking back to meet the gaze of her brown eyes and unknowingly making her hold her breath.
"It's ok" Natsumi replied looking away from the boy's concerned onyx eyes as she looked in front of her and noted that they were close to her house.
"I'm always here to help if you need it" Itachi stated as he pulled into the driveway and put the car in park.
Natsumi looked to him and saw the genuine concern in them. She felt a pang of guilt for lying to him about what was bothering her and seemed conflicted on if she might chance trying to tell him the truth. But that moment quickly passed as Sasuke flashed though her mind, making the girl bite the inside of her cheek before looking down to her lap and sighing.
"Maybe we can talk about it later" Natsumi said looking back to Itachi and earning a small nod.
She smiled at him, feeling somewhat at ease until he reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Whenever you need me" he said giving her a smile.
"I'll see you later Itachi" Natsumi said quickly as he removed his hand and the teen turned to exit the car.
Natsumi quickly rushed through the down pour before reaching her door and turning around to see the boy waiting for her to enter before her left. Feeling slightly nervous as she imagined him watching Natsumi fumbled with her house keys before entering and looking out the peep hole to see him leave. The dark haired girl then turned back around to lean against the door and sigh before removing her shoes and heading towards her room.
"Hey Natsu- oh dear you're all wet" her mother greeted her from the couch before stopping as she pointed out the teen's appearance.
Stopping for a moment, Natsumi ran a hand through her locks and realized that when she'd rushed to the door she hadn't held her bag over her head to avoid the water.
"It's raining" Natsumi replied. "I'm going to take a shower" she said before turning to continue up the stairs as her mother raised a brow at her.
Once back in her room Natsumi dropped her bag by her door before beginning to peel off her wet school jacket and hanging it over her chair. She then made her way to her bed before lifting up one of the small decorative pillows and bringing it to her face as she released a muffled scream.
"Getting over him is a lot harder than I thought it would be" Natsumi said hugging the pillow to her chest.
A/N: And that's the chapter! I'm really sorry about not updating this past week and I'm really thankful you guys have been so invested to read and review. I have had a lot going on lately but I will do my best. I don't really have much else to say than stay safe and love you all
