Best Friend's Brother 37

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

Lying awake in her bed, Natsumi stared up at her ceiling with a blank expression. She couldn't sleep throughout the night as her mind raced over the events of the party.

After making their way back to Naruto's car, Sasuke listened as Natsumi slowly went about explaining what had transpired between her and the older boy before Tobi and Neji intervened. She tried her best to keep calm throughout the talk, not wanting to start crying all over again as she didn't want to worry Sasuke (especially if she triggered another panic attack) so whenever she felt like if it was becoming hard to speak, she would take a second to compose herself before going on. Taking notice to these small pauses, Sasuke would never comment and let her take her time explaining the story. By the end, Natsumi had felt incredibly uncomfortable as she finished and waited for Sasuke to react. There was a small part of her that expected him to lecture her for going off on her own, but she was pleasantly surprised when he instead gave a simple nod. Not long after this the others started to make their way back from the party, some stumbling along with the help of others while laughing about all the fun they had had.

Turning on her side for the umpteenth time, she reached out for her phone to check the time before releasing a heavy sigh.

'The sun is going to come up soon' Natsumi thought rolling onto her stomach and burying her face in her pillow. 'I can't believe I spent the whole night tossing and turning while thinking about it' Natsumi thought releasing a huff of annoyance.

It continued like this for a couple more hours until the gleam of the sun's rays shined in through the cracks of Natsumi's curtains.

'At this point I might as well get up' Natsumi thought sitting up and starting to make her way out of bed.

Natsumi walked through her quiet home, slowly going about her typical morning routine before making her way downstairs to pour herself a bowl of cereal for breakfast. She spent a majority of the morning mindlessly flipping through the channels on the TV as she sat in the living room holding her bowl while she sat comfortably on the couch in her pajama pants and a loose grey t-shirt. After some time Natsumi finished her cereal before wrapping herself in one of the throw blankets on the sofa's corner and drifting off for a couple hours.

When she awoke, Natsumi heard the sound of knocking coming from the front door, immediately making her sit up and rub her eyes before making her way to answer it.

'Who could that be?' Natsumi wondered as she reached the door.

Opening it her brown eyes lit up in surprise when she was met with the sight of Hinata standing before her. Hinata wore a simple white dress with an opened grey cardigan over top and a pair of white shoes.

"Hinata" Natsumi said with her brows rising in surprise.

"Hi Natsumi" Hinata said with a small smile as she played with the hem of her sleeve.

"What are you doing here?" Natsumi asked.

"Oh um Brother Neji and his friends invited me to spend the day with them so I was hoping that you could join us" Hinata said shyly.

"Um I was kind of hoping to just stay home today" Natsumi replied with a weary look.

"Natsumi I really want you to come" Hinata said looking Natsumi straight in the eyes and surprising her with her confidence.

'It's not like Hinata to be so pushy' Natsumi thought before looking to the side and releasing a small breath.

"Ok I'll go ... but I have to change first" Natsumi replied making a small smile cross Hinata's lips.

Natsumi took a step back and motioned for Hinata to enter.

"You can come in if you don't mind waiting" Natsumi said awkwardly.

Hinata gave her a smile before turning around and waving to a parked white car that Natsumi recognized as Neji's.

"Is Neji with you?" Natsumi asked as Hinata turned back and stepped into her home before nodding in reply. "You know he could wait inside if he wants" Natsumi offered.

"That's very considerate of you Natsumi, but I'm sure he'll be fine" Hinata replied.

Natsumi gave a nod of understanding before beginning to lead the female Hyuga to the living room. Natsumi had Hinata take a seat while she rushed up to her room to change and wash her face again. Natsumi was quick in the tasks before stepping out in a pair of blue high waisted jeans and loose cropped sweater with a pair of high tops while her dark hair was hanging freely.

After this the two girls made their way out to the white car and began to enter the back seat. Neji sat in the driver's seat wearing a pair of dark blue jeans a white button up and a black denim jacket over top. Before Natsumi could start to greet the boy though, she was interrupted by the passenger.

"Good morning Natsumi!" Lee boomed in his usually loud voice as he caught sight of the dark haired girl.

Natsumi jumped in surprise before noticing Lee. Lee was smiling brightly at the girl. Lee wore a green hoodie with the school's leaf symbol across the front with a pair of black joggers.

"Oh hey Lee" Natsumi greeted the boy in surprise. "I'm sorry I didn't know you were waiting outside too" Natsumi apologized awkwardly.

"Ah it is not an issue, but I do appreciate your concern" Lee said giving the girl a thumb up and earning a nod of understanding from Natsumi before her gaze shifted to the boy in the driver's seat.

"Morning Neji" Natsumi said.

Neji didn't turn around to face her, instead shifting his gaze to see her through the reflection of the rearview mirror.

"Morning" Neji said stiffly, making Natsumi feel awkward.

'With everything that happened last night, I can't say I'm too surprised that things would be weird but wow' Natsumi thought as Neji shifted his gaze forward again while she and Hinata put on their belts.

"Are we going to pick up Tenten now?" Hinata asked curiously as Neji began to pull out of the Nakamaru's driveway.

"Yes, I believe she said she would be ready by now" Neji replied keeping his eyes on the road.

"Ah yes she spent the night with Ino and Sakura correct?" Lee asked with a sparkle in his eyes as he spoke the pinkette's name.

Natsumi noticed from the rearview mirror, Neji rolled his eyes in annoyance before replying.

"Yes but it's only because she insisted on taking care of those two fools after they drank so much last night" Neji said disapprovingly as he continued to drive.

"Neji my friend, you must not place such harsh critique on our friends as they were simply enjoying their youth to the fullest extent!" Lee exclaimed holding a finger up enthusiastically. "After all what was to be expected when we attended such a fun party last night!" Lee said making Neji scoff.

"They're carelessness is nothing to defend!" Neji retorted making Lee's smile drop as his brows furrowed.

The entire car suddenly felt tense at the abrupt harshness in Neji's tone, leaving the teens in silence until they arrived out of Ino's house.

'I wonder if Neji thinks I was careless last night' Natsumi thought as they waited for Tenten. 'Maybe he wouldn't be wrong' Natsumi thought letting her gaze fall to her lap as she folded her hands together.

Moments later Tenten was spotted making her way down the steps from Ino's apartment with a small backpack slung over her shoulder. The brunette wore a pair of black leggings with a maroon turtle neck that had a blue denim jacket over top with a pair of white shoes. Rushing over to the car, the brunette wore a wide grin before making her way to open the back door on the passenger side.

"Hey guys" Tenten greeted everyone with a smile as she opened the door.

"Hello" Neji replied not bothering to turn around.

"Good Morning" Hinata said.

"Hey Tenten" Natsumi said as she slid to the middle seat as Tenten entered the car.

"Good Morning Tenten!" Lee said loudly as he turned in his seat to face his female friend. "How did you enjoy your evening in the company of Ino and Sakura?" Lee asked eagerly.

Tenten rolled her eyes before releasing a light laugh.

"Well great if you enjoy holding back Ino's hair while she pukes and keeping Sakura from drunk texting Naruto to try to get Sasuke's number" Tenten replied sarcastically as everyone's eyes widened a bit in surprise (except for Lee whose smile once again fell before he furrowed his brows in thought).

"It seems I may need to rethink my strategy for winning her heart" Lee mumbled thoughtfully as he turned back to face forward in his seat while Tenten shook her head dismissively.

Not long after this Tenten began to ramble on about her complaints in babysitting the two girls, while Lee continued to think in silence, Neji drove quietly, Hinata listened with a blush of second hand embarrassment, and Natsumi tuned her out while offering the occasional 'hn' and hums to make it seem like she was listening.

When the car came to a stop, Natsumi noticed that they had arrived at the parking lot of the shopping district, making a confused look cross her face as everyone began to exit.

"We're going to be doing some shopping and browsing" Hinata said catching sight of Natsumi's confused expression as they stepped out.

"Hn" Natsumi replied with a nod of understanding before the teens started towards the shops.

Shopping wasn't really something Natsumi considered to be too awful, granted who she went with. For example her mother Mikoto liked to look around which could be time consuming, while Temari had a get to the point and get out mentality, and Ino and Sakura seemed to enjoy not only looking around but trying things on and debating on them. As of now she could tell that Hinata and Tenten seemed to be a mix of all three. The girls had a plan going into a store but Tenten would get side tracked and Hinata would debate on asking an employee if she could try something on.

'Wow I never would have thought that these two would be ones to take so long' Natsumi thought before glancing around to see how the boys were fairing.

Lee didn't seem to care as he preoccupied himself with the jumpsuits in the workout section while Neji sat off in the obligatory 'boyfriend chairs' staring at his phone with a blank expression.

As they continued on, this trend seemed to repeat itself a number of times. By the time they left their fourth store, Natsumi noted that the group seemed to fall into a certain routine. If Hinata or Tenten were to purchase something, Neji would insist on carrying Hinata's bags while Lee would be forced to carry Tenten's. When the teens had grown tired of shopping, they decided they would occupy their time until going to lunch at the arcade.

Neji and Lee veered off from the girls for a while to make a stop at the car while the girl's started toward the arcade. In this time Natsumi found herself spacing out as the trio walked in silence or at least until Hinata spoke.

"Um Tenten do you think you could ask the guy at the snack counter to break a twenty for me?" Hinata asked before the girls entered the building.

"Oh Hinata you know I don't mind but you should really try to come out of your shell more" Tenten replied with a kind smile before Hinata handed her the bill and the brunette walked off from the two dark haired teens.

"Natsumi" Hinata suddenly said turning to Natsumi with a more serious look on her face.

"Yeah?" Natsumi asked wearily.

"Um I'm sorry but we don't have a lot of time so I just wanted to make sure you were doing alright" Hinata said making Natsumi raise her brows in surprise.

"What do you mean?" Natsumi asked.

"Well I know you probably wouldn't be comfortable talking in front of the others but I noticed that you seem a little different today" Hinata said.

Natsumi blinked in surprise before glancing over to see Tenten talking to the guy at the counter before looking back to the worried look Hinata wore.

"I'm not too sure what happened last night ... but I know you seem off" Hinata started making a shocked look cross Natsumi's face.

'Neji didn't tell her what happened?!' Natsumi thought in disbelief.

"... So I wanted to let you know that whatever it is I'm here for you" Hinata admitted shyly looking to the side. "Even if you don't want to talk about it with me, I figured spending time together would help take your mind off of it to make you feel better" Hinata said.

Natsumi took a second to process this before a small genuine smile crept onto her lips.

"Thank you Hinata" Natsumi said making Hinata look back to her. "You're honestly the nicest person I've ever met" Natsumi said making Hinata's face erupt with a blush of embarrassment before Tenten rushed over.

"Alright Hinata here you go" Tenten said holding out the bills to the female Hyuga before turning her attention to the door. "And it looks like the boys finally got her" she said waving them over.

"Tenten let us compete in a youthful game of air hockey against one another!" Lee announced as he rushed to the group.

"Oh yeah did Neji already turn you down?" Tenten asked knowingly.

Lee gave a sheepish grin before winking at the girl and holding a thumb up.

"He said 'Not now' but that does not mean 'Not at all'" Lee said with a smile that made the other teens sweat drop while Neji crossed his arms over his chest and rolled his eyes. "So until he is prepared, you and I should partake in the sweet spring of youth as we compete against one another" Lee said making Tenten scoff before smiling in defeat and nodding.

Lee smiled brightly before beginning to lead the brunette to a change machine before coming to a halt and turning to Hinata.

"Ah yes Hinata I would very much appreciate you standing by to act as a referee for our matches" Lee said making the female Hyuga's eyes light up in surprise.

"R-really?" Hinata asked in disbelief.

"Of course" Lee replied holding a thumb up as he gave the girl his signature smile. "Especially since Tenten has a tendency to get violent when she loses" Lee mumbled sending a wink to Hinata before Tenten's eyes lit up in rage.

"Excuse me?!" Tenten asked making Lee flinch before taking hold of Hinata's wrist and pulling her between him and Tenten to act as a human shield.

Natsumi watched as the pair dragged Hinata away, with a small amused smile on her face until she realized she was left alone with Neji. Slowly her brown orbs shifted to the boy before he brought a hand to his mouth and cleared his throat.

"If I may have a moment" Neji inquired earning a nod from Natsumi before he motioned for the girl to follow him.

...

Neji led Natsumi toward one of the empty tables at the far end of the arcade before taking a seat in one of the chairs and looking at her expectantly. Following his lead Natsumi took a seat as well before the male Hyuga began to speak.

"I wanted to talk to you about last night" Neji stated.

"Hn" Natsumi replied with a nod.

There was silence between the teens for a moment as Neji seemed to be thinking about what he was going to say.

"I um ... I noticed you didn't tell Hinata about what happened" Natsumi said abruptly, making Neji's eyes widen a bit in surprise before he gave a single nod.

"It wasn't my place to tell her" Neji said simply.

"Hn" Natsumi replied with a nod. "I appreciate that Neji" Natsumi said with a small appreciative smile.

"Well you should know she is worried" Neji stated.

Natsumi nodded.

"I know" Natsumi said. "And I'm going to tell her" she said glancing to where Hinata stood off by Lee and Tenten with an encouraging smile as she cheered on both parties at the game they played.

"Are you doing alright?" Neji asked regaining Natsumi's attention as she looked back to him.

Natsumi furrowed her brows in thought before giving a nod. It was silent once more between the pair.

"Hey Neji" Natsumi said making the boy raise a brow at her. "I ... I never got the chance to thank you for last night so I just wanted to-" Natsumi started before being cut off.

"You don't need to thank me" Neji said dismissively. "I simply acted according to what any decent person would do. I just ... I apologize I didn't come sooner or that I wasn't able to be of more help when you ..." Neji started before trailing off.

There was an awkward silence between the pair.

"You don't need to apologize" Natsumi said waving her hands in front of her as she shook her head. "I should've known better than to be outside by myself" she said looking down to the table in front of her. "You came when I needed you to ... because when everything happened with that guy and Tobi ... I felt like I couldn't move" Natsumi admitted balling her fists together in front of her on the table. "And then when we got away ... I-I'm just sorry you had to see me like that" Natsumi said looking back to the male Hyuga.

"Nonsense" Neji said. "There is no need to explain yourself as your response was to be expected after what happened or could have" Neji said bluntly. "It was a good thing Itachi Uchiha was there to calm you down when I couldn't" Neji said making Natsumi suck in a sharp breath.

"Hn" Natsumi replied with a nod.

"But you see I think I should tell you the real reason I was the one to go out after you" Neji said making Natsumi raise a brow in interest. "Yesterday when we were heading to lunch I made a comment on how indecent some of the girls were dressed compared to Lady Hinata" Neji said earning a nod of understanding from Natsumi before he went on. "Well I was hoping that you weren't under the impression that I was referring to you because after you left Lady Hinata said I should apologize in case I offended you" Neji said making Natsumi's brows rise in surprise. "So I planned to apologize last night but there never seemed to be a right time as we were surrounded by the others. When I noticed you head outside I thought it would the perfect time until-" Neji started to explain more before being cut off as Lee rushed over to the pair.

"Neji!" Lee called slamming his hands down on the table. "I have defeated Tenten!" Lee exclaimed loudly.

"Lee now is not the time!" Neji replied as Natsumi brought her hand to her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

Lee took hold of Neji's wrist before pulling the boy to his feet abruptly.

"Neji" Natsumi called making the boy halt as he turned to look back at her.

"I never took offense to the comment but thank you" Natsumi said with a small smile.

"What comment?" Lee asked curiously.

Neji gave Natsumi a small smile and nod before turning to Lee.

"It's none of your concern Lee" Neji said dismissively.

"Nonsense! You will tell me if I defeat you in a game!" Lee declared holding a finger up, before continuing to pull Neji along while Natsumi lightly laughed at the exchange.

...

It was Monday morning as Natsumi made her way down the halls of Konoha High. It was still early so not many other students were around. It didn't take the girl long to make her way to her locker to exchange the books she would need. As she shut her locker she was surprised to see Kakashi-sensei slowly making his way down the hall with one hand in the pocket of his pants while his other held his book to his face.

'It's a wonder he doesn't bump into anything' Natsumi thought before the silver haired man lifted his gaze and looked at her.

Natsumi felt embarrassed for getting caught staring as she quickly turned to look away.

"Good morning Natsumi" the silver haired man said bringing Natsumi to a halt as she turned back to see him now walking toward her.

"Morning sensei" Natsumi greeted the man with an awkward smile.

"You're just who I was looking for" Kakashi said casually as he closed his book.

"Oh why?" Natsumi asked.

"How was your Halloween?" Kakashi asked ignoring Natsumi's question.

Natsumi's smile fell, making the silver haired man raise a brow.

"It was interesting" Natsumi wearily.

"Different than what you're used to in Kyoto?" Kakashi asked.

"You have no idea" Natsumi replied looking to the side and catching sight of Shino and Kiba.

Natsumi smiled while waving to the pair. Shino gave her a nod while Kiba seemed to stiffen before looking away.

'What's his problem?' Natsumi thought before Kakashi-sensei regained her attention by clearing his throat.

"I need a favor for tomorrow" Kakashi said making Natsumi sweat drop.

'So asking about my Halloween was just casual small talk to soften me up for whatever he wants' Natsumi thought cynically.

"I heard there's going to be a limited screening for this movie I've been wanting to see but it conflicts with the time I'm supposed to take my dog for his daily walk so I was hoping you wouldn't mind doing it" Kakashi said giving Natsumi one of his signature closed eyed smiles while Natsumi wore a stoic expression.

"Are you serious sensei?" Natsumi asked making a small chuckle escape the silver haired man before she released a heavy sigh and nodded.

"Thank you Natsumi I knew I could count on you" Kakashi said patting the girl on the shoulder before opening his book and walking off with a smile.

...

Meanwhile Shino shook his head disapprovingly at Kiba as the boys continued down the hall.

"Acting like that is only going to make things worst" Shino pointed out as Kiba face palmed.

"Do you think she looked mad?" Kiba asked worriedly.

"She wouldn't have bothered waving at us if she was" Shino stated.

Kiba released a sigh as he folded his arms behind his head while the boys walked.

"I can't believe I ditched her on Friday. It was my one shot to get some alone time with Natsumi and I let some college girl drag me away." Kiba complained.

"Stop dwelling on it" Shino said in annoyance.

"That's easy for you to say" Kiba retorted.

"If it's bothering you that much, you should go and apologize" Shino said making Kiba roll his eyes.

"You know it'd be nice if you'd say something a little more useful" Kiba replied.

Shino had an irk mark form on his head as he looked at Kiba.

"You're right apologizing would be futile if it's not sincere and you sure didn't seem too worried about Natsumi when your tongue was down that other girl's throat" Shino said bluntly making Kiba stop walking as he stiffened.

"You're not serious right?" Kiba asked rushing to catch up with Shino.

"Do you not remember?" Shino asked raising a brow at the brunette.

"The last thing I remember is Choji carrying me over his shoulder" Kiba admitted making Shino scoff. "Did Natsumi see me with the other girl?" Kiba asked.

"Everyone saw a lot more than we needed to" Shino replied making Kiba pale. "But I think Natsumi was already back at the cars with Sasuke" Shino said allowing Kiba to release a breath of relief before relieving what Shino had said.

"Why were they alone?" Kiba asked. "Was Uchiha drunk?" Kiba asked.

Yet before he could get a reply, the sound of someone clearing their throat behind the pair made them turn to the source to see Sasuke.

"That's none of your business" Sasuke said before by passing the pair.

Kiba narrowed his at the Uchiha while Shino rolled his eyes at Kiba.

"You're irritating" Shino said walking ahead of Kiba.

"Hey Shino wait up!" Kiba called rushing after the boy.

...

Natsumi was sitting in her History class with a bored expression on her face as she waited for class to start. She had walked to class alone as Naruto was not present in Homeroom. Every now and then her brown orbs would shift to the doorway as a student walked in before looking back to the clock on the wall. When Hinata entered with Shino and Kiba, Natsumi wore a small smile as she waved to the trio. Hinata waved back with her own smile while Shino once again nodded to her as Kiba averted his gaze from her. Natsumi didn't pay much mind to this, simply thinking the boy was having an off day. As the bell rang Asuma-sensei stood from his seat just as a certain blonde rushed in.

"Cutting it a little close Naruto" Asuma-sensei commented earning a sheepish grin from Naruto as he ran a hand through his messy locks.

Naruto rushed to his seat beside Natsumi who gave him a questionable look before he sat.

"I slept in and missed my alarm" Naruto said as he slid into his seat.

"Let's quiet down and start class" Asuma-sensei announced bringing the room to silence and stopping Naruto from explaining further as the room faced their teacher. "Today we're going to be covering current events. So I'll be playing this morning's broadcast while you all take note of three different headlines and their details. When everyone has finished you may use the rest of the period pairing off to read chapter 17" Asuma-sensei said earning a few groans from the class before he proceeded to turn off the lights and turn on the projector. "Make sure to keep quiet so your classmates can focus on the news" Asuma said just before pushing play.

"Well starting off today we have three missing person's reports filed for three Konoha University students as of this morning. These students were last seen Friday evening with friends. It is unclear if these cases are connected to the string of disappearances from neighboring towns as local officials have yet to comment on the matter. We're going to go to our field reporter with exclusive word from the friends and family of the missing." The reporter spoke before Natsumi felt a tap on her shoulder.

Looking to the side she saw Naruto staring ahead at the screen while trying to inconspicuously hand the girl a donut. Natsumi raised a brow at the boy before reaching over to accept it. Naruto gave the girl a smile before popping another into his mouth while Natsumi turned back to face the screen. The rest of the stories weren't too eye catching as the first. They mainly focused on local vandalism, a small explosion at Konoha University due to some faulty wiring in one of the frat houses, the local wildlife and what to do when they wonder into town, a few hikers getting lost in the woods, and a community group that was seeking more volunteers. By the end of the broadcast Natsumi quickly finished off her donut from Naruto before writing out her notes and taking them to the front to place on Asuma's desk.

"Hey Natsumi partners?" Naruto asked as Natsumi returned to her seat.

"Hn" Natsumi replied with a nod before Naruto smiled widely before rushing to turn in his notes.

Natsumi was pleased that it didn't take her and Naruto long to read through the chapter. When they finished Naruto released a dramatic sigh while Natsumi allowed her eyes to wonder to see who else had finished with the assignment. As her brown eyes traveled over the room she met the gaze of Kiba's dark eyes, making the boy's face redden before turning back around in his seat. Natsumi raised a brow at this but was quickly distracted when Naruto gained her attention.

"Hey Natsumi" Naruto said surprising the girl with the seriousness of his tone.

"Yeah" Natsumi replied.

Naruto gave the girl a small smile leaning toward her and speaking in a low voice.

"I'm sorry" Naruto said making Natsumi's brows raise in alarm.

"What are you apologizing for to begin with?" Natsumi asked scooting her chair closer to Naruto's as she lowered her voice.

Naruto furrowed his brows as he looked to the side before looking back at Natsumi with a sad look.

"I shouldn't have ditched you on Friday" Naruto said. "I uh ... I know what happened after I got pulled away by that girl" he admitted making Natsumi's breath hitch in her throat as she felt the color drain from her face.

"How did you find out?" Natsumi asked in a voice that was just above a whisper.

"I kind of got an earful from Sasuke and Itachi when I woke up on Saturday" Naruto replied. "I thought teme was just upset about having to drive for me when I was supposed to be DD but he was way more heated about me leaving you alone" Naruto explained.

Natsumi balled her fist in anger as she stared downward.

"I'm going to kill him" Natsumi said just before Naruto heard approaching footsteps and turned to see Kiba slowly making his way up with his hands in his pockets.

"Hey Natsumi do you think we could talk?" Kiba asked just before the bell sounded.

"Not now" Natsumi replied as she quickly stood and shoved her book into her bag as she walked past the brunette.

"What did you say to her?!" Kiba asked looking to Naruto with angry eyes.

Naruto gave the boy an annoyed look before crossing his arms over his chest.

"Like I'd tell you" the blonde retorted before his blue eyes lit up in realization. "Wait a minute now that I think about it, you started everything when you ditched Natsumi" Naruto said making Kiba's eyes widen in panic.

"Is she upset?!" Kiba asked worriedly.

Naruto opened his mouth to reply before being cut off by another male voice.

"Naruto!" the harsh voice of Iruka-sensei called, making the blonde stiffen as he turned to see the man standing in the doorway of Asuma's class. "We need to talk about you ditching my class" Iruka said as Naruto began to sweat.

"Ah man" Naruto complained as Kiba turned to walk away from the blonde.

...

Sasuke slowly made his way toward Orochimaru's classroom when he heard the familiar female voice of a certain dark haired girl that made him stop.

"Sasuke Uchiha!" Natsumi called.

Sasuke raised a brow at the girl in question as she stormed over to him.

"What do you want?" the Uchiha asked bluntly.

"You told Naruto what happened on Friday" Natsumi said with her brows furrowed and a small frown on her lips.

Sasuke looked to the side as he ran a hand through his hair.

"The dobe wasn't supposed to tell you" Sasuke said making Natsumi ball her fists in anger.

"It wasn't something you should've told him" Natsumi snapped.

Sasuke scoffed.

"He wasn't taking it seriously until he knew" Sasuke retorted.

"Why did you tell him?" Natsumi asked.

"Listen if this is going to be a lecture I already got my fill with Itachi" Sasuke replied making Natsumi's brows raise in alarm.

"What?" she asked.

It grew silent between the pair, before Sasuke scoffed and looked to the side. Natsumi internally debated on what to do so instead the dark haired girl reached out to take hold of the boy's sleeve and began to pull him toward their science class.

"We better hurry or Orochimaru-sensei will lecture us for being late" Natsumi said making an irk mark appear on Sasuke's head.

"So you're suddenly not mad anymore?" Sasuke asked raising a brow.

Natsumi didn't reply making the boy's brow twitch in annoyance before they arrived at Orochimaru's classroom. When they had arrived at their lab station Sasuke pulled his arm back from Natsumi.

"Oh so just because Itachi took care of it, you don't care anymore?" Sasuke said making Natsumi pale.

"Knock it off Sasuke" Natsumi said giving Sasuke a dismissive wave before turning to take a seat in her stool.

"Don't tell me it's because he's older than us because it's only by a couple years" the Uchiha said making the girl sweat drop as he sat in his seat beside her.

Thankfully there was no need for Natsumi to reply as the bell then sounded signaling the beginning the class as Orochimaru-sensei stood from his seat to make his way to the front of the room.

...

The rest of the period was rather uneventful for Natsumi as it progressed. At lunch her friends seemed to happily discuss the party from Friday while Natsumi seemed to let her mind wonder to the events.

'I'm glad not too many people know. And aside from Naruto and Hinata, the only ones who know are the ones who were there and I'm pretty positive that no one will tell anyone ... I know them all pretty well to trust them ... well except Tobi' Natsumi contemplated as she sat at lunch. 'I don't even know what he looks like without the mask, much less if he'll tell anyone ... he was so different after he hit his head ... Maybe I need to talk to him ... I should thank him anyways but how will I see him?' Natsumi pondered before being pulled from her thoughts as Naruto waved a hand in front of her face.

"Hey Natsumi are you in?" Naruto asked making the girl blink in confusion.

"What?" Natsumi asked in confusion.

"We're all going to see a movie tonight do you want me to pick you up or are you going to catch a ride with Sasuke?" Naruto asked.

Natsumi's brows rose in alarm before glancing around the table to see everyone's eyes on her. Swallowing a lump in her throat before glancing over to Sasuke and seeing the Uchiha paying no mind to the conversation as he scrolled through his phone while eating.

"I guess I'll catch a ride with Sasuke" Natsumi replied looking back to Naruto.

The blonde nodded in understanding before Sakura and Ino cut in.

"Ah Sasuke do you think I could get a ride too?" Sakura and Ino asked in unison before turning to glare at one another.

"Tch no" Sasuke replied making the pair look down with sad expressions before Naruto redirected the conversation to the night's plan.

Natsumi rolled her eyes at the antics of Sasuke's fans before a new thought struck her.

'If the Akatsuki are practicing today, I can talk to Tobi' Natsumi thought before turning to Sasuke.

"Can I come over today?" Natsumi asked in low voice as not to gain the attention of the others.

"Hn" Sasuke replied not bothering to look up at her.

'Great' Natsumi thought. 'Maybe I should bring him something' the girl thought before turning to Sasuke once again.

"Hey can we stop at the store after school?" Natsumi asked making Sasuke look up from his device as he turned to her with a raised brow.

"Why?" Sasuke asked.

"Half priced Halloween candy" Natsumi replied making the boy roll his eyes.

"Fine" he said making a small smile cross Natsumi's face before she turned her attention to the tray in front of her.

...

After finishing their homework, Natsumi excused herself from Sasuke's room while the boy was on his phone to start making her way down to the basement. Holding the blue paper bag with Halloween candy inside, she took a deep breath before opening the basement door. When she saw that the lights were on she felt a bit of relief, knowing that the Akatsuki were actually present and this was only further confirmed when she heard their voices as she made her way down the stairs.

"So what happened?!" Kakuzu's voice asked angrily.

"Calm down Kakuzu we're all upset" Yahiko's voice was heard trying to calm the situation.

"Shut up Yahiko!" Kakuzu snapped. "I want answers now!" he demanded, bringing Natsumi to a halt. "Do you have any idea how bad this situation is? The whole thing could compromise the image of the Akatsuki!" he yelled.

"Is she alright?" Natsumi heard Konan ask.

"Hn" Natsumi heard Itachi reply. "She was a little shaken up but that was to be expected" Itachi went on making Natsumi's heart drop to her stomach as she realized that they were talking about her.

'So much for keeping it low profile' Natsumi thought dejectedly.

"God damn it Itachi I said I need answers!" Kakuzu said angrily.

"There's no need to worry Kakuzu, the situation has been handled" Itachi's voice said calmly.

"Ha yeah if you call Tobi breaking that fucker's arm handled" Hidan was heard laughing.

"Tobi is a good boy!" the enthusiastic voice of Tobi was heard.

"Shut up Tobi!" Kakuzu snapped. "This whole thing is a mess!" Kakuzu yelled.

"Well it's a good thing the bastard isn't pressing charges right un?" Deidara asked.

"Don't you start with me Deidara! You're lucky you didn't get caught for setting off that bomb in his room!" Kakuzu snapped.

"Well technically it can't be traced back to Deidara since the official cause was faulty wiring" Sasori's voice cut in making Natsumi's brows raise in alarm as she thought back to the news reports in her second hour class.

'It was Deidara' she thought bringing a hand to her mouth as she continued to listen.

"That's not the point!" Kakuzu said.

"Well Itachi got the kid kicked out of school" Deidara suddenly argued.

"That can't be proven" Itachi replied calmly.

"Do none of you understand how bad this can look of any of it gets traced back to us?!" Kakuzu asked.

"He shouldn't have done something to cross the Akatsuki" Natsumi heard Kisame say with a light chuckle.

She heard Kakuzu release a heavy sigh before speaking again.

"Yeah maybe you should back check the fuckers you hire instead of just focusing on how cheap they are" Hidan said.

"Guys let's focus on the positives" Yahiko's voice was heard again. "Yeah a lot of bad things happened to this guy at the expense of the Akatsuki but on the bright side nothing bad happened to Natsumi" the boy's voice said.

"You have a point; it would've been a lot worst if something did happen to her." Kakuzu said as the others agreed. "For now I want all of you to keep your heads low and if anyone comes around asking questions about Friday night, you don't know anything" Kakuzu instructed the group earning another round of agreements.

It grew quiet after a while before Natsumi heard Kakuzu send everyone back to work. She waited for a moment as to not let them know that she had heard so much before making her way the rest of the way down the stairs. When she reached the bottom, she noted the alarmed looks as the eyes of the Akatsuki fell to her. Yahiko wore a pair of blue jeans with an opened grey flannel and a black Simple Plan t-shirt underneath. Konan had on a black skater skirt with black tights and a loose grey crop top with a black beanie. Deidara wore a pair of grey sweats with a black hoodie. Sasori was wearing a pair of black pants with a maroon button up and a black bomber jacket. Itachi had on a pair of black pants with a plain grey t-shirt. Nagato had on a pair of black pants with a dark grey hoodie. Zetsu wore a black button up with blue jeans. Hidan was wearing a black track jacket with a pair of dark blue pants. Kisame had on black joggers with a navy blue long sleeve shirt. Kakuzu was wearing a black suit with a white button up. Tobi wore a pair of black pants with a blue long sleeve and his usual mask.

"Hi" Natsumi said with a small wave and smile.

She noticed the looks of pity some of them had when returning the gesture, before Kakuzu made his way up to her.

"Natsumi we weren't expecting you" the man stated.

She could tell by his tone that he was worried she had overheard their conversation.

"I'm sorry" Natsumi apologized. "Um I just wanted to talk to Tobi" she said making every head turn to the masked man who was currently crouched in the corner.

"Does that mean Tobi can come out of timeout?" Tobi asked excitedly.

The room grew silent as the Akatsuki exchanged looks.

"Natsumi if you don't mind I'd like to have a word with you first if that's alright?" Itachi asked breaking the silence as he motioned for Natsumi to begin heading up the stairs. "Tobi you can wait until we're finished" Itachi said turning to the masked man and earning an enthusiastic nod while Natsumi turned back to the door.

"Find out if she knows anything" Kakuzu said in low voice as Itachi passed him but the Uchiha gave no response as he walked up the stairs.

Once they made it up the stairs there was an awkward silence that grew between them as Natsumi held the bag tightly to her chest while Itachi looked over her for a few seconds before releasing a soft sigh.

"Well Natsumi it certainly is a surprise to see you today as we didn't expect to see you at one of our practices so soon" Itachi said. "I'd like to ask you a couple questions if that's alright?" he asked earning a small nod from the girl.

"How are you feeling?" Itachi asked.

"Fine" Natsumi replied in a small voice.

"Natsumi" Itachi said in knowing voice.

"I think I'm ok" Natsumi said looking to meet the gaze of the boy's onyx orbs. "I can't believe it happened so I guess I'm still a little shocked" she admitted.

It grew silent for a moment.

"Did you hear anything?" Itachi asked bluntly, making Natsumi raise a brow at him.

"Like what?" Natsumi asked turning her head to the side innocently as her brows furrowed in confusion.

Itachi stared at her, trying to tell if she was lying before shaking his head.

Natsumi looked to the side as she released a deep breath before speaking.

"Hey Itachi ... I wanted to thank you for Friday" Natsumi said looking back to Itachi.

"What for?" Itachi asked wearily.

"Well if you hadn't calmed me down ... I don't think Neji would have been able to" Natsumi said looking to the side. "So thank you for ... for helping me" she said as she slightly bowed to the boy.

"Natsumi you don't have to thank me" Itachi said as the girl rose.

"I know but it's your second time ..." Natsumi started before trailing off and shaking her head. "But there's also something else" she said making the boy stiffen. "I heard you got mad at Sasuke for telling Naruto what happened" she said.

"It wasn't Sasuke's place to tell" Itachi said.

"Thank you for trying to keep it private" Natsumi said. "It was annoying to hear that Sasuke told Naruto" the girl said.

Itachi gave a light chuckle before replying.

"Sasuke just tries to help in his own ways" Itachi stated.

Both smiled and chuckled at the expense of Sasuke before just staring at each other smiling.

"Well ... um I guess you should get back now" Natsumi said breaking the silence.

"Hn" Itachi replied with a nod before turning away from the girl and making his way back down stairs.

Natsumi released a breath that she didn't realize she was holding. For some reason she felt so on edge having that conversation as it was nothing like any other discussion she had had with Itachi.

'Oh boy why do I feel so weird?' she thought before the door suddenly swung open as Tobi jumped in front of her.

"Hi Natsumi!" Tobi greeted her kindly with a wave.

Natsumi jumped in surprise before smiling at Tobi before bowing to him.

"Thank you for Friday" Natsumi said as she rose to face him.

"Why is Natsumi thanking Tobi?" Tobi asked curiously.

"Tobi I really appreciate you coming to my rescue" Natsumi said.

"Tobi was just protecting Natsumi" Tobi said giving a dismissive wave.

Natsumi smiled at the masked man before holding out the blue bag to him.

"Did Natsumi get a present for Tobi?" Tobi asked excitedly as he accepted the bag.

"Well I remember you saying you liked candy so-" Natsumi started to explain before being cut off by an excited gasp from Tobi.

"Tobi loves candy!" Tobi exclaimed before surprising the girl as he pulled her into a tight embrace. "Thank you Natsumi!" Tobi said squeezing the girl tightly.

Natsumi felt like her air supply was suddenly cut short as Tobi held her closely. And when he finally released, she took in a big breath before a familiar scent hit her.

'It's his cologne' Natsumi noted as she took a step back and looked at Tobi with furrowed brows.

She's seen Tobi before but never this close to note certain things. Like his smell or height or how familiar he felt to her.

'It's like a know him' Natsumi thought before Tobi took notice to her expression.

"W-Well Tobi needs to get back to practice but thank you again for the candy Natsumi!" Tobi said giving the girl a small wave before disappearing behind the door.

'Odd' Natsumi thought.

...

A/N: That was the chapter. Thank you so much for all the comments on my last chapter as I was a little nervous about it being a little dark. Anyways let me know your thoughts on this chapter as I love reading your comments. Well until next time friends, stay safe and I love you all