Best Friend's Brother 38
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Arriving in Iruka's classroom, Natsumi released a heavy sigh as she crashed into her seat. Sasuke raised a brow at the girl as he looked over to see her bring her head down to rest on her arms.
"What's wrong with you?" Sasuke asked making Natsumi slowly turn to meet his gaze with a dead look in her eyes. "Dramatic much?" Sasuke asked making Natsumi narrow her eyes at him before lifting her head and fully looking at him.
"I don't have time for you right now" Natsumi sighed in annoyance making Sasuke raise a brow.
"Then tell me what's going on with you" Sasuke pointed out.
Natsumi released a huff before looking to her desk as she folded her arms over her chest.
"I didn't have a good fall break" Natsumi said.
"You went to Kyoto to visit your father, right?" Sasuke asked.
"Hn" Natsumi replied with a nod.
"Did something happen?" Sasuke asked.
'You have no idea' Natsumi thought.
While she was glad that she was able to get over the Halloween incident a month ago she couldn't shake the feeling that there was something attracting more problems to her.
"Do you remember that Ski trip I told you about?" Natsumi asked looking back to the boy and earning a single nod. "Well I should've known better than to expect it to go smoothly" the girl said bitterly. "It's always something with him. I basically had babysitting duty the entire time we were out there just so I could keep his partner's kids busy while they enjoyed themselves" Natsumi complained.
"Was he trying to close a deal?" Sasuke asked earning a look from Natsumi that made him go silent.
"That's not the point Sasuke" Natsumi said. "I'm not even at the worst of it though because the kids were awful!" Natsumi exclaimed. "The little girl is only 8 but she's spoiled rotten while her brother was this creep who refused to leave his room during the day but made a million demands through little notes he would leave around the house in the middle of the night" Natsumi explained making Sasuke raise his brows in surprise.
"Well they're just kids" Sasuke said earning another glare from Natsumi.
"The boy was our age" Natsumi said making a bewildered look cross the Uchiha's face for a moment. "And apparently the future CEO of the Nekozawa Group so there was no way I could tell the creep off or I might risk ruining the negotiations they have with my father" Natsumi said.
"You put up with Sai pretty well, what's the worst this kid said to you?" Sasuke asked raising a brow at the girl.
Natsumi sighed heavily before bringing her arms to wrap around herself.
"He wrote me a note saying that I should embrace a servant's role if I wanted to continue to entertain his sister" Natsumi said. "Oh but I can't forget he also left a bottle of perfume outside my door because he thought it was weird that I didn't wear perfume or makeup" Natsumi said.
"But I thought you said he never left his room ... so how would he know that..." Sasuke started to question before Natsumi went on.
"He was creepy!" Natsumi said.
It grew silent for a moment as Sasuke looked at Natsumi unsure of what to say or do.
Somehow as if saved by fate there was no need for the Uchiha to speak as the bell suddenly rang, signaling the beginning of the class period.
"Hello class welcome back from fall break, I hope everyone had a good time" Iruka-sensei said as he looked over his students with a bright smile while Natsumi groaned in despair.
...
After their first hour class Sasuke walked with Natsumi and Naruto as the girl continued to vent about the trip she had until the group neared Asuma-sensei's class and the Uchiha interjected to make his leave.
"You're really dramatic sometimes" Sasuke said earning an annoyed look from the girl.
"I'm sorry for stealing your role" Natsumi immediately snapped back making him roll his eyes and turn to leave.
"Wow you two don't miss a beat with insulting one another" Naruto said looking to Natsumi as he folded his hands behind his head.
"It's just the nature of our friendship" Natsumi replied dismissively.
"Ok" Naruto said with a shrug. "Did you want to keep talking about your break?" the blonde asked before noticing how a dark aura surrounded Natsumi after this.
"I think I'd prefer to hear about yours instead" Natsumi said earning a weary nod from Naruto.
"Well nothing too crazy happened" Naruto said with a shrug. "Every year the old perv takes me bath house hopping with him so it was the same as always" Naruto stated making a perplexed look cross Natsumi's face.
"Bath house hopping?" Natsumi asked.
Naruto's eyes lit up in realization before a light chuckle escaped him.
"Oh I'm sorry I forgot that you wouldn't know about it" Naruto apologized. "Um we call it bath house hopping but in reality the only reason we're hopping is because we get kicked out when the old perv gets caught peeping for his research" Naruto explained making Natsumi pale.
"What?" the girl asked in disbelief as they arrived at Asuma-sensei's class.
Naruto awkwardly scratched the back of his neck as the pair walked into the room.
"Hello Naruto and Natsumi" a shy female voice said catching the pair's attention.
"Oh hey guys, how was your break?" Naruto suddenly asked changing the subject as he looked over to Hinata, Shino, and Kiba.
Natsumi shook her head at the blonde before the others spoke.
"Hello my break was fine" Shino replied as he nodded to the pair.
"My break was nice" Hinata said before the group turned to Kiba.
The brunette was currently sleeping with his head on his desk.
"He spent his break working at his family's clinic" Shino stated.
"Clinic?" Natsumi asked raising a brow in question.
"Kiba's family owns the veterinary clinic" Hinata explained with a nod.
"That explains the wet dog smell" Naruto mumbled just as Kiba raised his head and glared at the blonde.
"A lot of talk from someone who spent their fall break being a pervert" Kiba said making Naruto's face light up in a pink blush.
"Oh yeah ... well at least I wasn't being bossed around all break" Naruto said.
"At least I got paid for working" Kiba stated. "Some of us try to think ahead since our drawing's coming up" Kiba stated making Naruto stiffen.
"For Christmas?" Naruto asked. "I forgot we were doing that today" the blonde admitted making Kiba scoff before he smirked.
"You know we always do it when we get back from fall break" Kiba said smugly.
"Um what drawing?" Natsumi asked curiously as the attention of the group shifted to her.
"Our group's annual Secret Santa drawing" Shino stated making the girl's brows raise in alarm.
"I think we're drawing at lunch today" Hinata added.
"Oh" Natsumi replied before the bell rang and Asuma-sensei entered the room to start class.
...
Natsumi's morning classes were uneventful until lunchtime. When Natsumi walked from her fourth hour she was surprised when she saw Naruto waving her over to the side of the cafeteria.
"Natsumi over here!" the blonde called making the girl cock a brow as she walked up to him.
"Naruto what are you doing?" Natsumi asked.
"I'm letting everyone know that we're eating out here today" Naruto said using his thumb to point around the back of the building.
"Uh why?" Natsumi asked looking past the blonde.
"So we can all eat together" Naruto replied as if it were the most obvious thing.
"Hn" Natsumi replied with a nod.
"Sasuke, Temari, Gaara, and Kankuro are already waiting" Naruto said earning a nod from the girl. "I'm going to let the rest know but Choji and Shikamaru are going to be late since they're getting food for everyone" Naruto informed the girl making a confused look cross her face.
"How are they getting food for everyone?" she asked. "I thought we were only allowed one tray at lunch" she said making Naruto release a light chuckle as he ran his hands through his hair.
"They snuck off campus" Naruto replied. "But don't worry about them getting caught since Choji can sneak any food item in school you know?" Naruto asked. "Like he did with the pumpkin for Halloween" the blonde said reassuringly.
"I guess" Natsumi replied wearily before she started to make her way to the back of the building.
Natsumi's brown robs lit up as she saw her friends sitting under the tree she had eaten under before with Sasuke.
"Hey guys" Natsumi said as she walked up to the teens.
"Hey Natsumi" Temari greeted the girl with a smile. "Sorry I forgot to mention we were eating outside today" she said.
"Oh it's ok but why would you be the one to tell me?" Natsumi asked in a confused tone.
"Because she's bossy" Kankuro mumbled under his breath earning a slap to the back of his head from his sister.
"No, I'm in charge because even though it was Naruto's idea his organization skills are not the greatest" she explained earning a nod of understanding from Natsumi.
"That makes sense" Natsumi replied.
"Come sit on my blanket with me, just so you don't have to get dead grass on your skirt" Temari offered earning a smile and nod from Natsumi.
The dark haired teen went to take a seat when she suddenly heard the approaching voices of two certain girls.
"Move it Sakura! I'm sitting next to Sasuke!" Ino was heard.
"Yeah right Ino-pig! Sasuke is sitting by me!" Sakura was then heard just before the two came into view.
The two appeared to be speed walking while trying to shove past the other. Natsumi's brows rose in alarm before she sat beside Temari and looked over to see an irk mark appear on Sasuke's head. It wasn't long before the two arrived and started fighting over the spot in front of the others. This feud soon ended when the seat was taken by Sai when he slipped past them while the other side was being saved for Naruto. The girls dejectedly sat across from the Uchiha before the others started to arrive.
"Greetings friends!" Lee's energetic voice boomed as the group turned to see the boy approach with Tenten and Neji.
"Hey guys come take a seat" Ino waved the trio over.
Shortly after this Hinata, Kiba, and Shino arrived before Naruto walked over with Shikamaru and Choji as the boys carried over a case of soda and three boxes of pizza. After everyone was seated, the order was Naruto, Sasuke, Sai, Ino, Sakura, Choji, Shikamaru, Shino, Kiba, Tenten, Lee, Neji, Hinata, Natsumi, Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara around the circle.
"Ok everyone we're going to be drawing our names first before we eat" Temari announced as the group grew silent under her assertive tone.
"What a drag, we go to all the trouble of sneaking in the pizza so it'll be fresh and now we have to wait" Shikamaru complained earning a light glare from Temari before she cleared her throat to regain the group's attention. "I put all our names into this bag so we'll hand it around until it's empty, if you pullout your own name, put it back and draw again" Temari instructed earning nods of understanding from the group. "So who wants to go first?" Temari asked placing the red paper bag in the middle of the circle.
"I do!" Lee and Naruto exclaimed.
"I'll go" Tenten said holding her hand up before Temari pushed the bag toward her.
Reaching in the brown haired girl produced a folded up sheet that she quickly read.
"This will be pretty easy" the girl commented before passing the bag to an excited Lee.
"Ah how exciting" Lee said as he stuck his hand into the bag before reading over the name and having a large smile cross his face as he passed the bag to Neji.
The male Hyuga drew a name and showed no reaction before passing it on to Hinata, who then drew and passed it to Natsumi. When Natsumi stuck her hand into the bag she drew out a slip before quickly reading it over and passing the bag to Temari. The bag went around the circle until Kiba was the last to draw.
"Ok so we should be all set" Temari said with a satisfied smile as the others nodded.
"When are we exchanging gifts?" Ino asked.
"Oh yeah and are we doing a price cap?" Sakura asked.
A thoughtful silence crossed the group before the silence was broken by a loud growl from Choji's stomach.
"Sorry guys but I'm starving, can we talk about all this while we eat?" Choji asked making a few chuckles escape some of the friends while others sweat dropped before everyone nodded in agreement.
"It's kind of hard to stay within certain price caps" Tenten pointed out as everyone started eating.
"Yeah that's true" Sakura agreed.
"So why don't we say no cap?" Temari asked.
"But when are we exchanging?" Ino asked again.
"We could do it on Christmas?" Choji offered as he took a bite out of his food.
"I can't, I'm going to be out of town" Tenten replied. "My family is going skiing and we leave the day after we're dismissed for winter break" the brown haired girl went on.
It was quiet as the group processed this information.
"Yeah I think I might be in Kyoto with my dad" Natsumi added.
"I'm going out of town too" Sakura said.
"We'll probably be out of town after Christmas" Kankuro interjected running a hand through his hair.
"I know" Temari exclaimed gaining the group's attention. "What if we do it the last day we're in session?" she asked.
"Yeah we could go to that dumpling restaurant after school" Choji said excitedly.
The group exchanged looks before nodding in agreement and going about further discussing these plans while eating their lunch.
...
Sitting in Kurenai-sensei's art class Natsumi found herself blankly staring at her desk as she listened to her teacher go on about Negative shapes.
'So with this Secret Santa thing, I guess I'll need to focus on getting their gift before doing the other people for my list' Natsumi thought letting her mind drift back to lunch as she contemplated possible gift ideas.
The dark haired was soon pulled from her thoughts though, as she caught Sai leaning into her preferable vision with his usual smile.
"So can I take your silence as an agreement?" Sai asked making Natsumi blink in confusion.
"What?" Natsumi asked.
"To be in our group" Kankuro suddenly said catching the girl's attention as she turned to see him approaching with his school bag.
"What?" Natsumi asked as Kankuro made his way over to the unoccupied desk beside her.
"Weren't you paying attention?" Sai asked as Natsumi turned back to the pale boy. "We're getting into groups for our next art project" Sai stated.
"Oh" Natsumi replied with a nod before Kurenai-sensei spoke.
"Ok guys after your grouped you can go ahead and start discussing the image you're going to be using as a reference but be aware that if you're printing one you need to be sure it isn't too pixelated and it has to be in black and white. After you have it picked out you'll be cutting it into four quarters before folding it into sections and starting to transfer it block by block onto your sheets using the negative spacing and if aligning it with your group to make the full image" the woman said before the class broke into chatter over the topic.
"So do you guys have any idea what you want to use as our reference?" Kankuro asked.
"Hey guys all the other groups have four people" Natsumi pointed out letting her brown eyes wonder the room to see the other groups.
"You really weren't paying attention at all" Kankuro said with a slight laugh.
"It just means one of us is going to need to do two pieces" Sai said making Natsumi's face light up in realization.
"That makes sense" Natsumi admitted with a small sheepish smile as she scratched the back of her head.
"What were you thinking so hard about anyways?" Kankuro asked curiously.
Natsumi blinked as she looked at the boy before glancing to the side.
"Uh Christmas" Natsumi admitted peaking the interest of both boys.
"Oh yeah I guess that must be because the drawing" Kankuro said with a nod. "Don't let it stress you out too much though, even if my sister is a real control freak about things" the boy said. "But speaking of it, who did you guys get?" Kankuro asked looking between Natsumi and Sai.
"Isn't it supposed to be a secret?" Natsumi asked raising a brow at the boy.
Yet before Kankuro could reply, Sai answered.
"Ino" Sai replied simply.
"Oh really? I got Kiba" Kankuro replied before both boys turned to Natsumi with expectant looks.
Natsumi sweat dropped before releasing a sigh.
"Again isn't it supposed to be a secret?" the dark haired girl asked.
"Oh come on Natsumi part of the fun is trying to figure out who has who before we do the exchange" Kankuro said.
"And the other part is watching how fast Kankuro can run from Temari once she finds out he's trying to ruin it" Sai added making Natsumi smile in amusement while Kankuro stiffened.
"Anyways, who do you have?" Kankuro asked looking at Natsumi. "Unless you don't want to say because you have me or Sai" the brown haired boy added.
Natsumi wore a small smile as she shook her head at the boy. She opened her mouth to reply but before she could speak she was suddenly cut off by the voice of another.
"You know that you only have this class period to make a decision" the voice of Sasori said as the teens turned to see the red head approaching with his hands with his pockets.
Sasori wore a dark grey sweater that had the sleeves pushed back along with a white button up that had the collar peeking over the neck of his sweater as well as a pair of dark blue jeans and a pair of black shoes.
"I recommend doing a portrait of a person as it'll be a lot easier to capture the details in black and white" Sasori recommended.
Natsumi gave an appreciative smile to the red head as she nodded.
"Yeah I don't recall us asking for your opinion" Kankuro suddenly said in a cold tone, that caught Natsumi off guard as she turned back to see him staring at Sasori with a narrowed gaze.
"Just trying to help" Sasori said with a blank expression before turning to walk off from the group.
Natsumi's brows furrowed in surprise at the abrupt change in Kankuro's attitude. The boy always seemed to be in such a good mood but the look in his eyes told her he was anything but pleased with Sasori.
"You good?" Natsumi asked gaining Kankuro's attention.
"Fine" Kankuro replied snapping his gaze back to the red head. "I just can't stand that guy" he complained making Natsumi feel even more confused.
"You don't like Sasori?" Natsumi asked.
'Now that I think about it I've never actually seen Kankuro interact much with either of the interns ... he usually just ignores them but why does he seem so pissed at Sasori?' Natsumi pondered as she waited for the boy to reply.
"I get that you're kind of close to them but they aren't exactly on the best terms with others" Kankuro replied making Natsumi raise a brow at him. "Especially Sasori but I don't want to talk about that now" Kankuro said further intriguing Natsumi.
"I have an idea for our project" Sai suddenly said cutting into the discussion and changing the subject as the pair turned to face him.
'I never would have guessed Kankuro had such a sore spot for Sasori ... I wonder what he did ... especially since Kankuro is such a level headed guy' Natsumi thought before shaking the thought from her head and going about discussing the project with the two boys.
...
'What am I going to get for everybody?' Natsumi thought as she walked home.
Looking upwards, the dark haired teen released a heavy sigh before taking notice to the decorated street lights and how some houses already started hanging their lights.
'I wonder if being that festive helps you figure things out faster' Natsumi pondered. 'Let's see I'm going to need to get something for my Secret Santa, mom, dad, hm ... who else?' the teen thought as she ran a hand through her hair.
This question seemed to repeat itself in the girl's head until she arrived home. At this point Natsumi decided to try and brainstorm ideas for her Christmas list while listening to Holiday music.
'Ok I can think about the others on my list later but for now I should try and figure out a gift' Natsumi thought falling back onto her bed as she stared blankly at the ceiling. 'What are some common Christmas gifts?' Natsumi thought. 'I could do a gift card but everyone knows that's usually just a cop out ... maybe headphones or a speaker ... but those seem a little impersonal ...' Natsumi thought.
"Why does this have to be so frustrating?" Natsumi asked herself before releasing a heavy and turning on her side.
'I've never had to worry about things like this Kyoto ... then again I didn't really have any friends to shop for since I only ever had to worry about getting something for mom and dad' Natsumi thought before releasing another sigh. 'Maybe I'm thinking too hard on this ... I should take a break and think about it after I get a snack or something' Natsumi thought as she sat up from her bed.
Standing up, the teen decided to change out of her uniform so she started to undo her tie while making her way to her closet to find a t-shirt to change into. As she opened her closet she began shifting through her hangers of clothes before a certain article caught her attention. Natsumi took hold of one of the hangers at the back of closet and bringing it forward. On the hanger was a cloth bag and as she opened it her eyes lit up before she reached in to pull out a ball of yarn.
"I think I know just the thing" Natsumi thought as a small smile crossed her face.
...
In the course of the next few days the students of Konoha High went about their usual school work and preparations for winter finals that were to take place. Natsumi spent most of her time trying to find a balance between studying and preparing for the upcoming holidays. At this moment Natsumi was making her way to Kurenai-sensei's class where her, Sai and Kankuro agreed to meet at after school to work on their group project for art.
'Ok so if I work on my Secret Santa gift while I study I could probably have it done tonight' Natsumi thought as she walked along the empty halls after school.
"Natsumi" a male voice suddenly said bringing the girl to a halt before she turned to see it belonged to Neji.
The male Hyuga made his way over to the girl from down the hall before coming to a halt in front of her.
"Do you have a moment?" the Hyuga asked adjusting his bag's strap on his shoulder.
"I was just on my way to Kurenai-sensei's to meet Sai and Kankuro ... why?" the girl said pointing over her shoulder.
Neji nodded in understanding before glancing around quickly and leaning in to speak in a lower volume.
"I need your advice on a gift" Neji said, making Natsumi's brows raise in surprise.
"For the Secret Santa?" Natsumi asked earning a nod from the boy. "Oh I guess it kind of depends on who you have" the girl said running a hand through her hair.
'Why would Neji come to me?' Natsumi thought. 'He's known pretty much everyone in the group way longer than I have and if he got one of the girls he could have went to Tenten for advice ... unless he has Tenten ... but then he could just go to Hinata' Natsumi thought before looking to the side with her brows furrowed in thought. 'Maybe he has me and this is his way of asking what I want without being too obvious' Natsumi thought before the Hyuga regained her attention.
"I have Sasuke" Neji said catching Natsumi off guard.
"Really?" Natsumi asked earning a nod from the boy.
"Yes but seeing as we aren't close I came to the conclusion it would be best to ask you or Naruto since you two are closest to him" Neji explained. "But you see the problem with Naruto is ..." Neji started before trailing off.
"Subtlety isn't his strong suit" Natsumi said earning a nod of agreement from Neji. "Yeah I think his hints have made it pretty clear he drew Gaara's name" Natsumi said with a small laugh as Neji again nodded in agreement as an amused smile crossed his face.
"Certainly but not as obvious as Lee" the male Hyuga said as he and Natsumi now walked toward Kurenai-sensei's class.
"Hn" Natsumi replied with a smile. "Well when it comes to Sasuke ... he's very ..." Natsumi started before tailing off as she couldn't think of an appropriate word to describe her friend. "God this is so annoying I can't think of the word" Natsumi thought out loud. "Oh yeah I figured it out!" the dark haired girl exclaimed. "He's kind of like you" she said making Neji raise a brow at her.
"I'm sorry?" Neji asked in confusion.
"I meant that you're both practical" she said with an awkward smile as she scratched the back of her head.
"Go on" Neji said.
"Well you guys are actually pretty similar so a good way to look at it is what would you want as a gift?" Natsumi asked.
Neji placed a hand under his chin in thought.
"Well certainly something that would have a purpose and not just have a use for the holidays" Neji thought aloud before an idea struck him. "I think I know what'll work" he said as Natsumi smiled and nodded. "Thank you Natsumi" Neji said with an appreciative smile before turning to walk off from the teen girl.
Natsumi made her way into her art class only to run right into Kankuro as the boy was leaning toward the doorway appearing to have eavesdropped on the conversation.
"Kankuro what are you doing?" Natsumi asked jumping in surprise as the boy rose with a sheepish grin as he scratched the back of his neck.
"I thought it would be you but when I heard Neji's voice I had a feeling you guys were talking about the Secret Santa thing" he admitted making the girl roll her eyes before walking past him. "So Neji has Sasuke?" he asked following after the girl as she reached for her large folder that held her piece of the art project.
"You know if I help you, Temari is going to kill both of us" she said ignoring his question as she took out her sheet and walked past him to her desk where Sai waited while reading his book.
"Oh come on Natsumi" Kankuro said rushing after the girl. "I already know part of the group ... I think I might even know who has your name if you wanted to know so you could drop some hints" he said making the girl shake her head dismissively.
"I just want to make sure our pieces are lined up so I can go home and study" Natsumi said making a defeated sigh escape the boy.
"Study for what? Finals aren't for another 2 weeks or so" Kankuro pointed out as Natsumi ignored him and started lining up her piece with Sai's two.
"Speaking of finals what do you think we'll be doing for this class?" Sai asked making the teens look to each other before turning to their female teacher who up until this point was busy at her desk.
"Hey teach should we be expecting your final to knock us down a letter grade like the others?" Kankuro asked gaining the woman's attention as she turned to the trio.
Kurenai-sensei released a small laugh before shaking her head and standing to make her way over to the group.
"I'll be giving a small questionnaire but if I'm being honest you should worry more about this project as a final since it'll be the last one of term" she said looking down at the piece. "Wow you guys are actually a lot further than some of your other classmates" she praised the three with a smile as she looked over the combined four sheets that made up a drawing of a man with sunglasses as he adjusted his shirt's collar. "Very well done" she complimented the teens.
"Thank you sensei" Natsumi said appreciatively while Kankuro and Sai nodded in agreement before the woman walked off.
"Well with how much progress we've made, I think we can cut back on how much we're meeting up" Natsumi said looking between the two boys as they nodded in agreement. "I have to get home but I'll see you guys after the weekend" Natsumi said with a small smile as she picked up her piece of the project and made her way to put it away.
"So I'm guessing you're still not going to tell me whose name you drew?" Kankuro asked making Natsumi stop.
"No" Natsumi replied.
"Ok but will you confirm or deny that Neji has Sasuke?" Kankuro asked making the girl scoff before a smile crossed her face.
Natsumi quickly put her piece away while the boys followed. The three walked off campus together talking about their art class when Kankuro suddenly surprised Natsumi when he put a hand around her shoulders.
"By the way I think Kiba has your name since he's been looking for you today" Kankuro said in hushed voice as Natsumi raised a brow at him.
"What?" she asked before another male voice caught her attention.
"Hey Natsumi!" she heard Kiba call.
Turning her head to the side she saw the brunette waving her over as he stood by the front door of the school.
"I'm still not telling you whose name I drew" Natsumi said looking to Kankuro and making the boy's shoulders fall in disappointment before she walked over to Kiba.
...
Meanwhile across town Itachi was making his way into his house after a long day of finals when he noticed Sasuke just arriving home as well. He noted Sasuke seemed to be in bad mood as he exited his car and slammed the door.
"Hello little brother" Itachi greeted his brother as he exited his own car.
Sasuke looked at him with a blank expression before giving a grunt in response.
"Is everything alright?" Itachi asked as both brothers made their way toward the front door of their home.
Sasuke gave no response until the pair arrived through the front door of their home and were met with silence.
"I'm fine" Sasuke replied as he removed his shoes before turning to his brother with his brows furrowed in confusion. "Where's mom?" he asked.
"She's out of town to visit father and do some shopping I believe" Itachi replied as he too removed his shoes and watched Sasuke's brows rise before the younger Uchiha released an annoyed huff. "Did you forget she was going this afternoon?" Itachi asked.
"Hn" Sasuke replied as he and Itachi made their way into the home.
The brother's veered off into the kitchen to grab something as they were used to the habit of snacking thanks to their mother.
"Do you think ..." Sasuke started to ask before trailing off as he set his bag on the counter before shaking his head.
"What is it?" Itachi asked as he opened the fridge.
"Nothing" Sasuke said with a dismissive wave. "Did she leave us anything?" the boy asked changing the subject.
Itachi raised a brow at him before pulling out two box containers labeled with the name of each brother.
"Do you need to talk about something?" Itachi asked setting the tray labeled for Sasuke down in front of him as Sasuke pulled up stool up to sit at the counter.
Sasuke wore a weary look before releasing a heavy sigh.
"I'm supposed to be Natsumi's Secret Santa but I don't know what to get her" Sasuke said.
Itachi raised his brows in surprise.
"You were just going to have mom get it weren't you?" Itachi asked knowingly, making Sasuke give him an annoyed look. "You know she's already going to be getting something for Natsumi and if you asked her to get something else for her in your place, she would just go on about how it'd mean more coming from you" Itachi said making Sasuke scoff as he looked to the side.
"I know that but I ... I need her help" Sasuke said.
Itachi gave his brother a sympathetic look before releasing a heavy sigh.
"You certainly do seem hopeless at times little brother" Itachi said making Sasuke look up just as Itachi reached over the counter to poke him on the fore head.
Sasuke growled and pushed Itachi's hand away while Itachi chuckled slightly.
"I'll help you with Natsumi's gift" Itachi said making Sasuke's brows raise in surprise. "After all she deserves the effort rather than just having the task pushed onto mom" Itachi said making Sasuke roll his eyes.
"Why do you want to help?" Sasuke asked.
"Because I care" Itachi responded making Sasuke raise a brow at him.
"About?" Sasuke asked giving his brother a weary look.
"Don't be foolish brother, you know I value Natsumi since she's brought us back to speaking terms" Itachi said with a genuine smile.
Sasuke's brows rose in surprise as his face reddened in embarrassment.
"Whatever" Sasuke said dismissively looking away as the boys went about eating.
...
Back with Natsumi the dark haired currently walked along side Kiba as the boy led her toward the shopping district.
"I really appreciate you helping me out Natsumi" Kiba said with grateful smile as he walked with his hands folded behind his head.
"No problem" Natsumi said with a small smile. "I had to pick up a few things anyway" she replied as the pair continued on.
It grew silent as the teens walked.
"Um Natsumi" Kiba suddenly said in a more serious tone that caught the girl by surprise. "I've actually been meaning to talk to about something else too" he admitted making the girl furrow her brows in confusion.
"Uh ok" Natsumi said with a nod.
Kiba released a heavy breath before speaking.
"I'm sorry about ditching you on Halloween" Kiba said looking to the ground. "It was a shitty thing to do and I didn't know how to bring it up so now I'm apologizing late" the boy said making a small laugh escape the girl.
Kiba turned to Natsumi in surprise.
"You're all good Kiba, I mean apologizing a month late is a little weird since most people would've just let it go but thanks" she said with an appreciative smile.
"You're not mad?" Kiba asked.
"No" Natsumi replied with a head shake allowing the boy to release a breath of relief before a smile crossed his face. "Is that why you were acting weird for a while?" Natsumi asked making a pink hue dust over the boy's face as he released an awkward chuckle.
"Uh it looks like we're here!" Kiba said changing the subject as the pair arrived at the shopping district.
Natsumi smiled as she shook her head at the antics of the boy before she felt him take hold of her hand and pull her into a random shop.
"So what did you have in mind for her?" Natsumi asked as Kiba and her walked through a clothing shop.
"Uh workout clothes?" Kiba asked earning a look of disbelief from the dark haired girl.
"I feel like that would be a good gift if she doesn't take offense and murder you" Natsumi replied making the boy halt as he paled.
"Uh what about perfume?" the boy asked earning a shrug from the girl before a new thought struck him. "But if I go with that you could pick it out and I'll just pay for it" he said making a confused look cross the girl's face. "I have a sensitive nose and the flowery smells are gonna give me a head ache" the boy explained earning a nod of understanding from the girl.
"I don't think she would like that anyways" Natsumi replied honestly.
Kiba released a huff of annoyance before bringing his free hand up to scratch the back of his head.
"Girls are really hard to shop for" Kiba said as he and Natsumi walked out of the clothing shop.
As the teens made their way down the street, they noticed the many people carrying various shopping bags.
"What would you want?" Kiba asked looking at the dark haired girl as they walked on.
Natsumi wore a thoughtful expression before shaking her head.
"No idea" Natsumi replied making the boy sigh.
"I bet whoever drew your name is having this same problem right now too then" Kiba said.
"Hn" Natsumi replied with a nod before her eyes started to wonder to some of the store's display windows that had been decorated for the holidays.
Suddenly a certain window caught her eyes as she saw big beautiful Christmas tree decorated with an array of color ornaments, a golden garland and an array of presents and toys surrounding it. There was a miniature train running along as certain toys popped out of boxes and it was then a certain stuffed animal that caught her eye.
"You know something funny Natsumi? We kind of look like a coup-" Kiba started to say before he felt the girl's hand slip from his as she made her away from him. "Where are you going?" Kiba asked turning to see the girl make her way into a toy store.
Kiba made his way after the dark haired teen girl before becoming separated from the girl as they entered the crowded store that was filled with children and parents. Kiba's dark eyes ran over the crowd before he caught sight of Natsumi talking to an employee while pointing to the display window.
"I'm really sorry but it's probably the last one and I don't know if we're allowed to sell the display" the employee said making the girl sigh. "But let me ask" the employee said before stepping away as a hopeful look crossed Natsumi's face.
Kiba raised a brow at this before making his way to lean against the wall by the display window while he waited for Natsumi and crossed his arms over his chest. As his eyes ran over the crowded store he noticed a young couple getting chorused into kissing as they stood under mistletoe and he smirked as he had an idea.
"Hey Natsumi!" a familiar voice suddenly shouted catching the attention of practically the entire store as Natsumi turned to see Naruto approaching her followed by a kid with spiky black hair and a middle school uniform on.
"Naruto" the girl greeted the boy as he walked up to her with a large smile.
"Big brother Naruto who's this?" the boy asked looking at Natsumi. "Is she your girlfriend?" the kid asked with a sly grin as Naruto waved off the question.
"No she's not" Naruto said with a light chuckle. "This is Natsumi and she's a friend of mine and Sasuke's" Naruto replied as Natsumi gave the kid a weary smile.
"Oh so she's Big brother Sasuke's girlfriend!" the kid exclaimed making Natsumi face palm before Naruto broke into laughter.
"Yeah right!" Naruto said as he slapped the kid on the back. "I'm sorry about him Natsumi" Naruto apologized looking to the dark haired girl. "This is Konohamaru. He's a kid I started mentoring back when I was in middle school" the blonde explained making Natsumi's brows shoot up in surprise.
"They actually let you mentor a kid?" Natsumi asked in disbelief.
"Yeah I- Hey what do you mean by let me mentor a kid?!" Naruto asked pointing to the girl.
Natsumi rolled her eyes at the blonde as she released a small laugh.
"Hey what are you doing here Naruto?" Kiba suddenly asked interjecting himself into the exchange as the group turned to see him.
"Hi Big brother Kiba" Konohamaru greeted Kiba with a smile and wave. "Naruto said if I got my grades up before finals he'd spend an afternoon hanging out with me" Konohamaru said. "I needed to get a gift for my friend so he recommended coming here" he went on as Kiba nodded in understanding.
"Why are you standing all the way over there?" Naruto asked noting how Kiba had yet to make his way over to the group.
Kiba scoffed before turning his head to the side.
"You say that like you're not standing in the middle of the store" Kiba shot back.
The teens looked around before deciding to join Kiba. They started to make their way over as Kiba motioned for Natsumi to stand to the left of him and she was about to until she felt a pair of hands grasp hers to bring her to a halt.
"Hold on Big sis!" Konohamaru said alarming Natsumi.
'Did he just call me big sis?' Natsumi thought looking to him with raised brows.
"You shouldn't stand on that side of Kiba because there's mistletoe overhead" Konohamaru said pointing up to the plant as his other hand still held Natsumi back.
Kiba stiffened while Naruto gave him a knowing look.
"You think you're so smooth" Naruto mumbled shaking his head disapprovingly at Kiba and earning a narrowed gaze in response.
"Oh thanks Konohamaru" Natsumi said patting the boy on the shoulder as a smile crossed her lips.
"No problem Big sis Natsumi, it would be weird to have to kiss one of your friends" Konohamaru replied with a smile.
"Oh yeah and how do you know she's not my girlfriend?" Kiba asked catching the young boy's attention.
"If she's not dating someone as cool as Big brother Naruto or Sasuke, there's no way she's dating you" Konohamaru replied making Naruto erupt into laughter as Natsumi brought a hand to cover her mouth to stop her laughter while Kiba's mouth dropped open in shock.
It looked like Kiba was ready to explode at the small boy but before he could he was interrupted as the store employee returned.
"Excuse me miss but I just found out I can sell it to you" the employee said making Natsumi's face light up with a smile.
The dark haired girl walked over to the display as the employee traded out the stuffed fox with a teddy bear before handing the orange stuffed animal to Natsumi. She went about paying for it before her and Kiba waved and departed from Naruto and Konohamaru. As they stepped back into the streets Natsumi noticed how embarrassed Kiba seemed but chose not to speak on the matter and instead change the subject as they passed by a couple shops.
"So have you figured out what to get her yet?" Natsumi asked breaking the awkward silence that surrounded her and the brown haired boy.
"Um what about jewelry?" Kiba asked.
"Hn that actually might be perfect for her" Natsumi said making a victorious smile cross Kiba's face before he pointed up ahead to certain store.
As they entered, Natsumi noted how there seemed to be a majority of men in the store, most likely shopping for their significant others. Her and Kiba walked along the glass cases that displayed different types of rings, necklaces and other shiny items before coming to a halt in front of a case that held earrings.
"I think she might like these ones" Natsumi said pointing out a pair of silver studded earrings that were in the shape of crescent moons. "They aren't too flashy and since their not a color she can wear them with whatever" Natsumi explained as Kiba looked over them before giving a nod of approval.
"Hello what can I help you with today?" a woman asked as she walked up with a smile.
Natsumi stepped back to let Kiba talk to the woman while she wondered around looking around until Kiba walked up to her with a gift wrapped package.
"Did you have them wrap it for you?" Natsumi asked.
"Yeah I suck at wrapping" Kiba replied with a sheepish grin as the teens started to make their way out of the store.
"Hn well I'm sure she'll appreciate it" Natsumi said as the pair stepped out into the street's foot traffic.
"Me too" Kiba admitted. "But I really appreciate you coming with me since I was a little worried when I saw her name" the boy said making a smile cross Natsumi's face.
"If I'm being honest I think anyone would've been scared if they drew her name" Natsumi said making a small chuckle escape Kiba as they continued on.
They left the store and as Natsumi gave an excuse of needing to get home to study; when in reality she wanted to begin working on her Secret Santa gift.
'Ok I hope this comes out alright ... we'll see how out of touch I am with this' Natsumi thought as she entered her home and leaned against the door.
...
A/N: And that's the chapter haha ... I'm sorry for the late update since I had a little case of writer's block but I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I remember back when I said Christmas would happen in February but here we are in August and I'm barely starting my holiday chapters' lol. Anyways I think you should all know that the Holiday chapters are probably going to have their own arc once Natsumi and the others are dismissed for winter break because I have a lot of drama for them. But for now thank you to all of you who have read and been commenting and feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts on the chapter. Are you curious about why Kankuro dislikes Sasori so much? Will Kankuro figure out who everyone has for their Secret Santa? How did you like the introduction of Konohamaru? Who do you think Natsumi drew for her Secret Santa? Who did Kiba draw? Lol I hope you all continue to read and review
