Best Friend's Brother 50

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

It was the first day back from Winter Break. Natsumi enjoyed the peace and quiet that seemed foreign to her since her arrival and seemed to further itself from her as a result of her choice of friends. So the quiet was nice, and something she knew wouldn't last as she could only attribute it to it being so early that not many people were on campus yet.

'This silence won't last' Natsumi thought dejectedly as she heard the voices of others up ahead.

Yet as soon as she turned the corner and came into view of these classmates, the chatter of their conversation died. The few groups that were amassed in the hall immediately moved to the sides to allow Natsumi to walk down the hall. This was normal, something that's been happening since she and Sasuke became friends, but what was off at least now was the quick glances the people were taking of Natsumi before looking back to their phone screens.

Natsumi's brows slightly upturned in confusion but she brushed it off as it brought another to her mind.

'There's always going to be some sort of rumor ... In a way it's my own fault because of the friends I choose to make, and the rumors associated with them' she thought before her mind wondered back to New Years and the conversation she shared with Sakura. 'That rumor, the one that started it all' Natsumi thought releasing a sigh as she continued on.

A shrill of excited squeals pulled Natsumi out of her thoughts as an amused smile crossed her lips.

'Sasuke just got here' Natsumi thought.

"Natsumi!" she heard her name being called, bringing her to a halt before turning around to look to the source.

It was Neji, prompting a smile to cross Natsumi's lips until she noticed the look of worry on the Hyuga's face.

"Morning Neji" Natsumi greeted the boy in a confused tone as he came to an immediate halt in front of her. "Everything ok?" Natsumi asked slightly turned her head in confusion.

"Natsumi I'm so sorry" Neji apologized further confusing the dark haired girl as her brows now rose in astonishment.

"What are you talking about?" Natsumi questioned making a shocked look cross Neji's face.

"You haven't seen it?" Neji asked.

The blank look on the girl's face gave Neji his answer before the boy went about retrieving his phone from his pocket. He unlocked it, having a conflicted look on his face before holding it out for Natsumi. Her brown eyes immediately lit up upon recognizing the two figures illuminating the screen.

It was her and Neji on New Year's when he'd gifted a hairpin to her as thanks for her being his date on Christmas.

She slowly reached out taking the device from Neji's hand, scrolling down to see the article written and how it detailed a farfetched tale on the extravagance of the secret relationship being played out between one of the young Hyuga's and his mystery girlfriend. It went on discussing how inside sources claimed that this wasn't the two's first outing as they were seen together on Christmas as well.

Natsumi stopped reading, feeling her stomach turn and the feeling of bile rising to her mouth as she looked around and saw the eyes of others trained on her.

'So this is what everyone was whispering about' Natsumi thought before glancing back to the phone in her hands.

She scrolled back to the picture, looking at it with a more critical eye and remembering the moment it was taken. Right after she opened the gift and held up the pin, it lit up with a flash, something she and Neji at the time attributed to being from Sakura's phone when she came looking for Natsumi, but now she realized it must have come from the flash of a camera as a photographer captured this moment.

"I can't believe this" Natsumi breathed out as she handed the device back to Neji.

The look of worry was evident as she looked to the ground with furrowed brows and Neji felt a pain of guilt for having to be the one to break the news to Natsumi.

"Natsumi I'm so sorry, but if it's any consolation your name wasn't released so aside from your picture, you're basically anonymous" Neji said trying to offer some comfort to the girl before reaching out and placing a comforting hand on Natsumi's shoulder. "I'm going to make sure this is fixed. I assure you on my honor as a Hyuga, this is not something that won't plague you longer than it needs to. I'll be sure to have my uncle take care of it" Neji said giving Natsumi a reassuring smile that she finally looked up to meet.

"Thank you Neji" Natsumi replied with a nod.

"We can talk later" Neji said removing his hand, but before Natsumi could reply she was suddenly pulled away by a very rushed looking Sasuke.

"Sasuke!" Natsumi said in an alarmed tone as the Uchiha continued to pull her along by her wrist, leading her away from a very confused Neji who looked after them.

"It'll get worse if you two are seen together" Sasuke said coming to a halt and turning to face Natsumi with a serious look. "The Hyuga haven't had a scandal in years. They've always made sure to keep a clean image and having they're kids upholding that means a lot to them. You're new and unknown so if the press thinks they can dig up a story about you and Neji then they'll do everything in their power to get one. Even if it means twisting the truth a bit because it won't matter ... Neji can come out of this but you ..." Sasuke started before trailing off with a sigh.

Natsumi pulled her wrist out of Sasuke's grasp. She released a frustrated sigh before running a hand through her hair.

"I understand ... Thanks for worrying Sasuke but I think we should get to class" Natsumi suggested taking a breath to relieve her nerves and reaching out to turn Sasuke around and begin pushing him in the direction of their homeroom.

...

The first three class periods were torture. Everything about them seemed off as she felt the prying stares of her classmates and heard the hushed voices that she knew were about her, even her teachers seemed to be looking at her with pitied stares while her friends who tried to help still seemed to look at her with looks that made her want to crawl under a rock. She understood that they cared but the looks of pity almost seemed unbearable.

Right now she was alone in Kakashi-sensei's class and she couldn't be more thankful as she enjoyed the break from having to pretend that she didn't notice the looks and whispers.

Her thoughts traveled back to the article of her and Neji before the worry about the situation sunk in.

'What if dad finds out?' she pondered as her rate accelerated and her stomach turned. 'How would he find out though? It's not like he would see the article for a gossip tabloid in Konoha ... an article that was online ... but Neji said it was just my picture, they don't have my name so ... so maybe I shouldn't worry' Natsumi reasoned. 'But what if dad does find out? What will he think and what will he say?'

'Natsumi this is very irresponsible, how could you be so careless and think to compromise the image of the Nakamaru Company with a scandal like this' she imagined him saying.

Natsumi sighed heavily; thinking about her father put a sour taste in her mouth. She ran a hand through her hair before dropping her head into her arms on the desk.

"I came to check on you to make sure you were doing alright but from the looks of it, you aren't managing as well as you appear to be" Kakashi's voice said making the dark haired girl immediately sit up with a start.

"Kakashi-sensei" Natsumi said looking up to see the silver haired teacher standing in the doorway of the classroom with his arms crossed over his chest. He wore a light blue button up underneath a dark grey sweater with a pair of black pants and black shoes. "I didn't think I'd see you this hour" Natsumi said rising from the seat at his desk.

"Well Obito decided to let me go sooner since I needed to stop by here" Kakashi said closing the door as he stepped into the room. "You can sit back down I'm just going to be a minute" Kakashi offered motioning towards the chair and earning a slow nod from Natsumi.

Natsumi sat back down, while Kakashi walked around her to retrieve his coat that was hung on the back of the chair.

"I have an appointment at noon" Kakashi informed the girl.

"Is everything alright?" Natsumi asked turning to see the silver haired putting the black coat on and noticing the familiar grey scarf around the top.

"Just an eye appointment" Kakashi said adjusting the scarf.

"Hn" Natsumi replied turning her attention to the empty desk in front of her.

"But I have some time if you want to talk" Kakashi offered.

"I'm sure you don't need to be any later than usual" Natsumi joked before realizing how off handed the comment was.

She immediately turned to Kakashi with an apologetic look but was surprised to see the man offering her one of his typical closed eyed smiles.

"With a comment like that it seems you're not doing as bad as I thought" Kakashi joked walking around the desk.

"Sorry sensei" Natsumi apologized.

"It's fine, I'm just glad I could help in some way" Kakashi said with a dismissive wave. "Are you sure you don't want to talk?" Kakashi asked.

"It's fine Sensei" Natsumi replied with a nod. "I just ... I'm not exactly looking forward to lunch" Natsumi admitted.

Kakashi nodded in understanding.

"I heard about the article with you and Neji" Kakashi stated.

"I'm pretty sure the whole school has heard about it" Natsumi said with a sigh.

"You're right, and I know it's probably been tough with all the attention it's gained you" Kakashi said stuffing his hands into his pockets. "And I think I know you well enough to know that you probably don't want to spend a your lunch surrounded by the curious eyes of your peers so if you don't mind skipping I think I can help" Kakashi offered pulling out a small set of silver keys and tossing them to Natsumi.

She was slightly caught off guard but caught them none the less, looking at them for a second before giving Kakashi a confused look.

"Those are my faculty keys" Kakashi stated. "Sometimes when I have a rough day, I like to head up to the roof since it's a good place to get some air and also a place you're guaranteed to be alone since it's usually locked for students" he explained making Natsumi's eyes light up as a small smile crossed her lips.

"Thank you sensei" Natsumi thanked the man.

"Don't mention it" Kakashi said before hearing the ringing of his phone.

Pulling his device from his pocket, he read over the screen.

"Well there's my reminder for my appointment" Kakashi sighed. "I should go but I'll be back at the end of lunch if you want to drop off my keys then" he stated before earning a nod from the dark haired teen and being sent off with a wave.

...

The ongoing chatter of the lunch room went on, much to the dismay of Matsuri. The brunette heaved a sigh as her attention turned away from her friend, Yukata and allowed her gaze to drift to a particular table. Her eyes ran over the table's occupants, mentally noting the missing people and how off the entire atmosphere seemed.

"Is everything alright, Matsuri?" Yukata asked regaining her friend's attention with a tentative voice.

"I'm fine" Matsuri replied turning back to her dark haired friend with a dismissive wave.

Yukata's brows furrowed as worry filled her eyes.

"You keep looking at their table" Yukata pointed out, making Matsuri sigh.

Matsuri had a conflicted look on her face for a moment, quickly glancing back to the table in search of a certain redhead.

"Are you looking for Gaara?" Yukata asked.

"Well who else would I be looking for?" Matsuri asked rhetorically, releasing a disappointed huff as she noted he was still absent from his usual table. "It's really unfair" Matsuri exclaimed.

"What is?" Yukata asked in a confused tone.

Matsuri scoffed.

"I told you what I saw on New Year's" Matsuri stated.

"You mean with Gaara giving something to Natsumi?" Yukata asked.

"I know a confession when I see one!" Matsuri snapped.

It grew quiet as the other occupants of their table side eyed the girls. Yukata gave an apologetic smile, while Matsuri rolled her eyes. Both girls stayed quiet until the others looked away wearily.

"Matsuri, I still think that you misunderstood" Yukata said in a hushed voice that earned another scoff for Matsuri. "I mean, I get how you could since he gave her something, but ... I just don't think it was what you think" Yukata tried to explain before falling silent under Matsuri's glare.

"I'm telling you it was a charm. It had to have been a relationship charm." Matsuri retorted earning a weary look from Yukata.

"Yeah but if Gaara was in a relationship with Natsumi, then how do you explain the article about her spending Christmas and New Years with Neji Hyuga?" Yukata asked putting emphasis on the 'and' before pulling her phone out with the picture of Natsumi with the male Hyuga. "Gaara is a nice guy, but letting your girlfriend spend two major holidays with another boy is borderline push over" Yukata pointed out.

"Exactly!" Matsuri exclaimed. "Everyone knows that Gaara is a nice guy so I wouldn't put it past Natsumi to take advantage of him by leading him and that Neji boy on" Matsuri reasoned.

"I don't understand how she could do that though" Yukata stated slowly picking up her chocolate milk on her tray and taking a small sip.

Matsuri released another frustrated sigh.

"I'm just saying" Yukata defended herself with a hand up while the other placed her drink back down. "It just doesn't make any sense with all of them being in the same friend group" Yukata stated.

"You're not looking at the bigger picture" Matsuri said with an eye roll.

"Do you think Gaara would be a good boyfriend?" Yukata asked in a more serious tone.

Matsuri gave her a look of disbelief.

"How could you even think to ask me that?" Matsuri asked in an offended tone. "Of course he would! He'd be the perfect boyfriend!" Matsuri exclaimed.

Yukata reached across the table taking hold of Matsuri's hand and giving it a tentative squeeze.

"Then why isn't he with her? Don't you think that the perfect boyfriend would be with his girlfriend on her worst day?" Yukata asked. "Right now the only one's missing from that table are Natsumi, Sasuke, and Naruto" Yukata stated.

Matsuri pulled her hand back. The brunette quickly turned her gaze back to the table just ask said red head was arriving with his two siblings. Her heart beat sped up, allowing her the smallest amount of relief before noticing the gloomy mood over Gaara and his friends. Of course she could attribute this to them being worried about Natsumi but her insecurity gave her another theory.

"What if ..." Matsuri started before quickly turning her attention back to Yukata. "What if she broke his heart?" Matsuri asked bringing silence to the two girls before the brunette abruptly rose from her seat.

Yukata watched with wide eyes as Matsuri marched towards Gaara's table, prompting her to follow hastily.

"Matsuri wait! What are you doing?" Yukata hissed at her friend who gave no answer until both girls came to a halt at the table.

"Excuse me!" Matsuri said making the present members turn towards the pair with blank stares.

"Yes Matsuri, what can I do for you?" Temari asked looking over the pair.

"If you came to ask about that stupid article, then you should know even if it's none of your business, that it's fake!" a blonde girl with a ponytail spat looking at the two girls.

"That's a little harsh Ino" a boy brown haired boy stated as he placed a chip into his mouth.

"What? I'm tired of people coming up and asking us just so they can gossip about it" the girl replied.

"Ino does have a point" a boy with his spiky hair pulled into a ponytail interjected. "Anything going on with Natsumi and her love life isn't anyone's concern" he went on before releasing a yawn.

"Yeah I agree with Shikamaru on that one. Just last period I had six girls ask me if the article meant Sasuke was on the market" the pink haired girl added.

"I didn't think the Uchiha Company was going under to be sold" a pale boy stated earning an annoyed look from the pink haired girl. "Unless they were speaking in terms of human trafficking ... could that be the reason Sasuke isn't here? It's terrible to think he could've been sold but I wonder what price he went for. Is that the reason Naruto is gone as well? Maybe whoever bought Sasuke got a two for one deal with Naruto" Sai thought aloud before being hit by the pinkette.

"You idiot! Sasuke and Naruto snuck off campus to head to the tabloid's office!" Ino snapped before her blue eyes lit up in realization and she slapped a hand over her mouth.

"That was supposed to be a secret" the pink haired girl hissed.

"How troublesome, you guys are the worst at covering" the boy named Shikamaru said with a sigh.

"Where is Natsumi?" Matsuri suddenly asked regaining the attention of the table as they all turned to the brown haired girl with confused looks.

"Why are you asking?" the pink haired girl asked with a skeptic look on her face.

"Relax Sakura" Temari said holding a hand up. "These two are harmless" Temari pointed out.

"Yeah you know Yukata wouldn't hurt a fly" Kankuro added.

Matsuri watched the pink haired girl roll her eyes.

"That's true if you think stalking is harmless" Sai added making Matsuri slightly stiffen before the boy was shoved by the pinkette beside him.

"Shut up Sai" Sakura said in an annoyed tone.

Gaara released a breath before turning to Matsuri.

"I'm sorry Matsuri but Natsumi isn't in the mood for company right now" Gaara explained.

'Why is he protecting her?' Matsuri thought feeling a slight sting to her pride.

Matsuri gave a nod of understanding before walking off.

"She ... We were just worried" Yukata cut in before nodding in thanks to the group and rushing after her friend and leaving the group with weary looks.

It didn't take long to catch up with Matsuri as Yukata walked briskly through the empty halls.

"Matsuri wait!" Yukata called. "Where are you going?!" Yukata asked grabbing Matsuri's arm.

"Where do you think Yukata?" Matsuri asked continuing on. "I'm going to find Natsumi! There are only so many places to hide in this school so I'm going to check all of them" Matsuri declared.

Yukata ended up being dragged along by Matsuri as the brunette searched the library, behind the school, and even the few empty classrooms she knew that were unlocked until it struck her.

"The roof!" Matsuri exclaimed before charging forward to the staircase.

"How would that make any sense? Students aren't allowed on the roof" Yukata reasoned.

"But there's nothing saying that they can't hang out on the staircase to it! Think about it, it would be one of the most secluded areas especially during lunch" Matsuri argued.

"Matsuri you really need to stop! What are you even going to do when you find her?!" Yukata asked.

"Don't try to stop me Yukata!" Matsuri snapped. "I'm going to the roof to give that bitch a peace of my mind for trampling all over Gaara's heart!" Matsuri said angrily. "Didn't you see how hurt he looked?!" Matsuri asked motioning back in the direction of the cafeteria.

Yukata wore a look of disbelief as she came to a halt. Matsuri pulled back from Yukata's hold before bounding up the stairs. Quickly snapping out of her silence, Yukata raced after Matsuri.

"All of her friends were upset!" Yukata called after Matsuri. "It wasn't heartbreak, it was worry!" Yukata yelled. "And yelling at her about it won't make today any better for her!" the black haired girl said.

"She'll be lucky if I only yell!" Matsuri yelled back as she continued up the stairs. "I have half a mind to throw her off the roof!" she went on making Yukata's eyes widen in horror.

"You're talking crazy Matsuri!" Yukata yelled as she continued to chase her friend up the stairs.

Matsuri had a head start and seemed to be taking the stairs two at a time. Yukata felt like her legs would buckle from trying to keep pace with her friend, but she knew stopping would mean running the risk of her friend doing something she would surely regret.

'Matsuri isn't thinking straight' Yukata thought. 'She's jealous ... she's always been jealous of Natsumi even though Natsumi has been nothing but a friend to Gaara' Yukata thought worriedly looking up at the brown haired girl in front of her. 'Matsuri isn't listening to reason so I have to stop her!' Yukata thought continuing on as her legs burned.

As they approached the highest floor before the staircase that led to the roof, Yukata hoped they wouldn't run into Natsumi. She hoped that by some miracle that Natsumi had decided to head down and go to an empty class or the bathroom. But when the creak of a door from up above was heard, Yukata felt her heart drop to her stomach. Somehow Yukata found the will power to boost herself to run faster, catching up with Matsuri, just as Natsumi came into view as she started to come down the last flight of stairs.

"Natsumi!" Yukata and Matsuri yelled in the same breath.

Natsumi stopped as she reached the bottom, looking up from the ground and giving the two girls a stoic stare. But even through this blank look, Yukata could see the puffiness around Natsumi's brown eyes and the flushed blush on her cheeks.

'She's been crying' Yukata thought with her brows furrowing in worry.

"You have a lot of nerve!" Matsuri said making Natsumi raise a brow in question. "I don't know why you couldn't stay in your own lane! You know almost every girl in school hates you!" Matsuri yelled making Natsumi's confused look turn to one of disdain.

"Ok and you're the committee chair that they elected to tell me?" Natsumi retorted in a sarcastic tone.

Yukata's mouth slightly dropped open in shock before she shifted to gaze to see Matsuri seething.

"Matsuri maybe we should just go" Yukata suggested only to be ignored by her brown haired friend.

"Who do you think you are?!" Matsuri asked angrily. "You can't talk to me like that!" Matsuri yelled making Natsumi scoff as she rolled her eyes.

"I don't have time for this" Natsumi said giving a dismissive head shake before brushing past the brunette.

"Wait!" Matsuri called bringing Natsumi to a halt. "You don't get to just walk all over me like you do with the others!" Matsuri declared making Natsumi turn back to her with a perplexed look.

"What are you talking about?" Natsumi asked bluntly.

Matsuri quickly turned around to face her.

"Everyone!" Matsuri said clenching her fists together. "Everyone who falls for your stupid act and how easy it is for you to make guys like Sasuke Uchiha or Neji Hyuga or even ... even Gaara fall for you! Heck even that loser who danced with you all of homecoming!" Matsuri snapped.

Natsumi's brows rose in alarm at this statement before settling into a glare.

"Wow and I thought Sasuke's fan club was insane" Natsumi said before turning away to walk away again.

"You're not even going to deny it?!" Matsuri asked before Yukata rushed in front of her.

"Matsuri stop" Yukata said trying to calm her friend only to be pushed aside.

"Why are you ignoring me?!" Matsuri yelled at Natsumi as she took her first step down the stairs.

Natsumi stopped, placing one hand on the railing before looking back to the brunette.

"You're not worth explaining anything to because it's none of your business" Natsumi stated striking a nerve with the girl.

"You can drop that whole 'too cool' act!" Matsuri snapped only to earn another scoff from Natsumi.

"And if you would drop your obsession with Gaara maybe you could be something besides a nuisance" Natsumi shot back.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch period, also snapping Matsuri out of her daze and sending her charging forward, only to be stopped as Yukata jumped between her and Natsumi.

"Knock it off!" Yukata yelled pushing Matsuri back.

"Move Yukata!" Matsuri warned grabbing Yukata by the shoulders.

"No!" Yukata yelled before being pushed back and feeling herself collide with another.

Yukata's brown orbs widened in horror as she realized what happened. She quickly turned around but it was too late. In the midst of her shoving contest with Matsuri, they'd pushed Natsumi.

Down the flight of stairs.

...

It all happened so quickly.

One moment her feet were on the stairs and the next she was falling.

When she hit the ground, it only took a second before the pain hit. A sharp pain that shot through her, leaving her breathless as she immediately reached for the source.

The sound of footsteps rushing up the stairs made the panic set in.

Natsumi prompted herself to sit up, looking up at the two who caused this ordeal and seeing both girls frozen in shock. Yukata had both hands over her mouth with tears running down her face while Matsuri's eyes were wide with her hands holding the sides of her face.

It was at this moment Natsumi felt her own tears streaming down her face as she didn't realize that she was crying.

The sound of the approaching footsteps brought her attention back to her where her hand held her ankle. The pain was immense but the risk of being seen in such a pitiful state willed her to attempt to stand.

But she couldn't, which brought on more panic as now looked over to see a familiar head of black hair, shortly followed by blonde and then silver.

The mortification set in as all three met her gaze.

"Natsumi!" Naruto yelled.

"Are you alright? We heard yelling" Kakashi stated making his way over to his student before looking up and seeing the two shocked girls standing at the staircase above.

It didn't take a genius to add up what happened.

Naruto kneeled down besides Natsumi trying to ask if she was ok but it was like she shut down, looking down to her lap and refusing to lift her head to meet his gaze. Frankly she was worried that hearing, 'Are you ok?' with Naruto's genuine concern would make her cry harder and she couldn't put herself in that situation.

"What did you do?!" Sasuke demanded taking a few menacing steps towards the girls that made them jump in fear.

The Uchiha was stopped when Kakashi placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"I'll handle this Sasuke" Kakashi said. "Natsumi needs to have her leg looked at. Naruto can take her things and meet you guys at the nurse's office. I'll notify your teachers where you guys went." Kakashi said making Sasuke glance back to see his blonde friend struggle to get Natsumi to look at him.

Sasuke sighed before giving a nod of understanding and turning to walk towards the pair.

"Natsumi?" Naruto asked tilting his head to get into the view of the girl until noticing Sasuke watching. "Hey teme I'm real worried about Natsumi. She hasn't said anything to me." Naruto asked in a worried tone.

"Go get her stuff together and meet me at the nurse's office" Sasuke instructed as Naruto nodded back.

"Alright teme I'll catch up with you guys in a bit" Naruto replied as he rose from his spot and began to gather Natsumi's things.

"Natsumi" Sasuke said placing a hand on Natsumi's shoulder.

"I know you hurt your leg so I need you to get on my back for me to take you to the nurse, alright?" Sasuke asked waiting until he earned a nod of understanding before removing his hand and turning to have his back to the girl.

...

It was slow, and hearing her hiss in pain made him contemplate if piggybacking her was the right call, but when he felt her arms wrap around his neck, he knew it would be too late to change. Securing his hold on her legs took a moment before rising with her on his back and starting the decent to the main floor.

'Figures' Sasuke thought with a huff. 'She's had a long enough day already and this is just the cherry on top' the Uchiha thought feeling Natsumi's grip on him tighten.

Natsumi didn't speak a word the whole trip there and Sasuke didn't pry. When they arrived at the nurse's office, Sasuke set Natsumi down on the edge of one of the mattresses before starting to step away.

"Great I think the nurse just went to lunch" Sasuke complained breaking the silence between the two. "Hang on maybe Principle Tsunade can come take a look at it" The Uchiha mused before hearing Natsumi speak.

"Can you stay until she gets here?" Natsumi asked bringing Sasuke to halt before he reached the door.

"Hn" Sasuke said giving a single nod before turning back to Natsumi and seeing her looking down to her lap.

Sasuke slowly made his way over to her bed, taking a seat on the side.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Sasuke asked filling the silence between the two.

Natsumi sniffled again.

"Natsumi?" Sasuke asked. "We can talk about it if you want" the Uchiha stated.

"It's never been a choice before" Natsumi said making Sasuke raise his brows in surprise. "It's always been a demand" Natsumi stated not looking up to the boy.

Sasuke blinked taken aback by the girl's harsh words.

"Natsumi I-" Sasuke started to say before being cut off by the girl.

"No Sasuke!" Natsumi snapped. "I-I never get a choice because you always ... you always make me talk about what's going on but you never do! I let you keep things to yourself but you never extend that option to me!" Natsumi went on as he could hear her start to cry more. "It's not fair Sasuke!" Natsumi cried as she brought a hand up to wipe her tears. "You don't talk ... I talk. I communicate with you. I try to give you all that a good friend can. Do you have any idea how difficult it's been? I've changed so much and I keep working to be better and ... and this is what I get?" Natsumi asked more to herself than Sasuke as she continued to cry.

There was no response that he could give her to satisfy these questions and he knew that whatever he said would result in more frustrated yelling. So he stayed quiet. Natsumi had been through a lot since moving to Konoha and she was right about all the changes she had underwent since then. She was no longer speaking but much his horror she was sobbing and Sasuke had no idea what to do.

She'd cried in front of him before. She'd been vulnerable with him before and he had been able to place a hand on her shoulder for comfort but this cry was different. It made Sasuke feel panicked because emotions weren't his strong point.

"Maybe I never should have come to Konoha" Natsumi sobbed bringing her hands to her face.

Sasuke knew she needed comfort but he didn't know how to offer it.

"Natsumi" Sasuke started in a calm voice as he began to reach a hand out to her before freezing as the door swung open.

"I got her bag!" Naruto announced entering the room with Natsumi's bag held up like a trophy. "What's wrong?" Naruto asked taking notice to Natsumi's frail state and making Sasuke drop his hand.

Naruto didn't hesitate to make his way over to the crying girl. Sasuke immediately scooted back as Naruto took a seat between him and Natsumi. He watched as Naruto reached out, pulling the girl in for a tight hug and allowing her to cry into his shoulder.

"You don't usually cry Natsumi but it's alright. Don't worry about what happened today because you have friends you can count on, you know?" Naruto asked in a reassuring tone.

It didn't take long for Naruto to calm Natsumi down.

The entire ordeal left an uncomfortable feeling in Sasuke. He couldn't do that. He couldn't calm Natsumi down the way Naruto could. He couldn't handle emotions or even manage them the way Naruto could. A lot of the time that didn't matter, but right now in this moment Sasuke felt like he was coming up shorthanded. He needed Naruto to calm down his best friend because he couldn't.

It reminded him of how he felt with Itachi and that in turn brought him back to Halloween. Natsumi was in trouble and he wasn't there, Neji was and when she had a panic attack over the ordeal, he wasn't there, Itachi was. He'd never been great with emotions or understanding what to do in these situations, so here he was, sitting off to the side while Naruto was there for her.

'Always second best' Sasuke thought dejectedly before shaking the thought from his head. 'No I can't do that. Now's not the time for self-pity I need to be there for Natsumi.' Sasuke thought as he looked back to Natsumi and Naruto.

'I can't be there for Natsumi on an emotional level ... it's not who I am ... but it's who I can be' Sasuke thought.

...

The next day, Sasuke and Naruto walked through the halls ignoring the usual onslaught of female attention from Sasuke's followers as well as the many whispers that circulated as the boys passed by.

"Can you believe what happened to Natsumi yesterday?"

"You mean with the Neji article?"

"No I mean with her getting hurt?"

"What happened?"

"I heard she was in the nurse's office until her mom came to get her"

"Yeah she missed all her afternoon classes"

"Someone said it seemed like she hurt her leg"

"Maybe she broke it"

"Maybe one of Sasuke's fang girl's broke it" various voices gossiped.

Sasuke scoffed as Naruto folded his arms behind his head.

"Man the rumors about yesterday sucked but they're nothing compared to what everyone's saying today" Naruto complained as he Sasuke continued down the hall.

Making their way around the corner they turned toward the direction of their home room until they heard it, or stopped hearing it. The gossip, the whispers, the stares, all at once it seemed like everyone's attention was turned away from the boys, leading them to turn to the source.

Then they saw her.

"Natsumi!" Naruto exclaimed happily as both boys took in the sight of Natsumi on crutches.

"Hey guys" Natsumi greeted the two with an awkward smile as she came to a halt in front of them.

"Your leg!" Naruto exclaimed motioning to her wrapped foot with his brows furrowed in worry.

"Shut up and let her talk dobe" Sasuke said slightly nudging the blonde with his bag.

Natsumi smiled to repress a laugh.

"How are you feeling?" Sasuke asked turning back to the girl.

Natsumi let out a sigh as a small smile crossed her lips and her gaze shifted downwards.

"The doctors said I was lucky because it's just a sprain" Natsumi informed the boys. "I'm gonna take some time to get back on my feet so I'll need the crutches for a while" Natsumi went on lifter her head to see the look of relief on both boys' faces.

"That's good to hear" Sasuke said with a small smile while Naruto's eyes lit up and his mouth dropped open in a grin.

"That's great Natsumi!" Naruto exclaimed taking a step toward the girl with his arms held open for a hug, but stopped when Sasuke placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

"She's on crutches dobe" Sasuke said nodding to Natsumi.

"Yeah yeah I get it" Naruto said folding his hands behind his head again before his eyes lit up in realization. "Do you want me to carry your bag?" Naruto offered.

Natsumi shook her head no.

"But I did want to thank you two for all your help yesterday" Natsumi said with grateful smile as she looked at the two boys.

"You don't have to thank us Natsumi" Sasuke said. "We're friends" the Uchiha stated making girl's smile widen before being pulled to Naruto's side as the blonde slung an arm over his shoulder.

"Aw teme, I didn't think you'd get so warm and gushy after Natsumi fell down some stairs" Naruto joked earning stoic stares from both dark haired teens. "Too soon?" Naruto asked earning more silence until he nodded in understanding and was pushed away from Sasuke. "Ok my bad but I have some good news" Naruto announced before a knowing grin crossed his lips.

"Oh yeah?" Natsumi asked raising a brow in question.

"Believe it!" Naruto exclaimed with a huge smile. "That article about you and Neji was taken down" Naruto announced.

"The tabloid was retracted?" Natsumi asked with a smile of disbelief.

Naruto gave a nod making Natsumi breathe out with a smile.

"Yeah we found out this morning so I guess -" Naruto started to say until being nudged by the Uchiha and making a confused look cross his face.

"We should get to class" Sasuke suggested earning a nod from the blonde before turning to Natsumi.

"Yeah" the dark haired girl agreed prompting the trio to start walking to their homeroom at a slow pace for Natsumi to keep up with.

...

The school day proceeded as normal, well as normal as it could with the exception of the ongoing stares and whispers of the previous day's drama. But fortunately for Natsumi, she had friends to not only dispute these rumors but also keep her distracted with the antics of their assisting her.

The teachers all came to the mutual agreement of releasing Natsumi earlier than usual to allow her the time to get to each class, and somehow whichever friend she had in that class also managed to talk their way into receiving the same early dismissal as her, so she won't feel "lonely". It started with Naruto in Homeroom who in his attempt to be helpful offered to not only carry her bag to their history class, but to carry her (which of course was denied as Natsumi didn't want to feel like she was helpless). Next, there was the argument that broke out between Naruto and Kiba in History over who would take her to her science class, which ultimately resulted in Hinata taking her. From science, Sasuke took Natsumi to her fourth class as Kakashi's aid where the silver haired man allowed her to turn in her interview and not count it as late (especially on account of the event). Before lunch, Natsumi was surprised when Sasuke knocked on the door to the class, claiming he was given permission to leave early with her so they could avoid the line. After lunch Kankuro volunteered to walk Natsumi to their art class then to English, where they were now.

Since their teacher was late, the class was currently in uproar of conversations and laughter.

"Sorry I'm late everyone" Kakashi-sensei's voice suddenly rang out, bringing the room to silence before students scrambled into their seats.

The silver haired man was currently setting down a stack of books much to the curiosity of the class. The man wore a dark green button up with a black neck tie with black pants and shoes.

"Late again from reading that dirty book of yours" Naruto stated loudly, earning a few laughs from the other students before silence was once again brought by an annoyed look from Kakashi-sensei.

"Actually I was in the library getting the materials for your next unit" Kakashi said motioning to the stack of books on his desk and earning groans of protest from his class.

Kakashi raised a hand to silence the complaints before walking around to the front of his desk leaning against it as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"This is a lot of complaining, considering you guys don't know what the lesson is yet" Kakashi said with a sigh.

Kakashi ran a hand through his silver hair before picking up one of the books on his desk and holding it up for the class to read.

"Poetry" Kakashi announced with one of his typical closed eyed smiles, shortly followed by groans of protest from the students.

"Really sensei?" Naruto complained.

"What happened to our Interview papers?" Sakura asked raising a hand as she spoke.

"Yeah I thought we would spend more time going over them before moving onto something new" Naruto went on before the class began to chorus in agreement.

"Well I need time to read them" Kakashi said sweat dropping.

"But that's not fair to us" Ino called out.

"I agree especially considering how hard I worked on mine" Sai stated.

"Really? Who did you interview Sai?" Ino asked.

"I went to the hospital over winter break and spoke with a doctor on the on goings of our hormones" Sai explained. "I actually talked to a few specialists who answered all of my questions before sending me home with a paper bag full of-" the pale boy proceeded to explain before being cut off by their teacher.

"We don't need to hear anymore Sai" Kakashi said as a few students caught onto what the pale boy was talking about and started to laugh.

"Are you certain?" Sai asked. "Because according to the doctors, young people should hear more about 'safe sex practices' or they would run the risk of raising the teen pregnancy rate or spreading STDs" Sai said using his hands to quote the words as Kakashi sighed while pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Well feel free to prepare a presentation for the class some other time" Kakashi said with a dismissive wave before trying to redirect the attention of the class to his original topic. "But in the meantime, I figured that while you guys are reading plays, I can read your papers" Kakashi announced earning more groans from his students.

"Can't we just watch a movie?" Naruto asked raising a hand as he spoke.

"Do you want to write an essay on a movie?" Kakashi asked making the blonde's hand drop. "Thought so" Kakashi said with a sigh. "Come on guys it won't be that bad, especially since you'll be reading with partners" Kakashi announced making the class perk up in interest.

Natsumi sighed as a mob of girls was immediately formed around Sasuke's desk.

"Hey Sasuke, do you want to be partners?" Ino asked, before being shoved aside by Sakura.

"Or we could be partners?" Sakura suggested before being pushed aside by Ino again.

"I'm sure Sakura can find another partner after all her forehead offers a lot of advertisement space" Ino said aggressively elbowing the pinkette before having her foot stepped on.

'Jesus Christ' Natsumi thought watching the scene play out with her brows raised in surprise. 'This happens almost every time but it's still insane to watch considering that Ino and Sakura are friends' Natsumi thought. 'You would think half of these girls would give up by now since Sasuke's never said yes to any of them and he prefers to work alone' Natsumi thought as her eyes remained glued to the scene.

"Hey Natsumi, do you want to work together?" Naruto's loud voice suddenly called out over the chaos, bringing silence to the room and making the dark haired girl stiffen in alarm before turning to the blonde beside her.

"Really you're asking me?" Natsumi asked in disbelief as her brown eyes quickly shifted to Sakura.

"Sure!" Naruto said with a smile. "I'm not the best with understanding the whole Shakespeare thing but it'll probably be more fun to work with than your usual partner" Naruto joked, earning a glare from Sasuke. "What do you say?" Naruto asked with a toothy grin.

"Hold on a minute guys" Kakashi called from the front. "I've actually decided your partners for you" the silver haired man announced bringing groans to the class. "I'm sorry but if you pick your partners, then it's not a guarantee for you staying on task" Kakashi explained before prompting the mob of girls to return to their desks before starting to call out the pairs.

Natsumi had tuned out after the first few names, as the gaze of her brown hues drifted to the side to the blonde boy beside her.

'Why would Naruto ask to be my partner?' Natsumi thought. 'He always asks Sakura' Natsumi thought before letting her gaze wonder to the pink haired girl a few rows ahead. 'Now that I think of it, Naruto hasn't been himself with Sakura lately. I usually hear a lot more about her from him and even catch him staring at her on occasion, but that wasn't the case today ... maybe oh no' Natsumi thought before her gaze immediately shifted back to the blonde. 'Did she reject him on New Year's?' Natsumi wondered before Naruto suddenly looked up to meet her gaze and smiled.

Natsumi had a sad look on her face before she too gave a small smile to the blonde before turning forward in her seat.

'Poor Naruto ... Confessing is a hard thing to do ... but I'm proud of him for at least having the nerve to do so' Natsumi thought before feeling her heart clench as she thought about a certain older onyx eyed boy and sighed.

...

"Stop complaining so much, the headache you'll give me will be worse than the sprain to my ankle" Natsumi stated as she shifted through the books in her locker and earned a glare from the dark haired Uchiha that leaned against the locker beside hers.

"That's easy for you to say, you didn't get partnered with Ino" Sasuke said in an annoyed tone. "Do you have any idea how annoying she was especially when she talked about how she wanted to do one Shakespeare's romantic plays" the Uchiha complained.

"We all heard her brag about getting partnered with you" Natsumi breathed as she dropped a book into her bag.

"It's so stupid, I'm just glad that Kakashi-sensei assigned the plays too, because I can't imagine doing something like Romeo and Juliet with her" Sasuke complained.

"Yeah sucks for Naruto and Sai" Natsumi said as she ran a hand over the books in her locker in thought.

"It doesn't seem like you're that bothered by the whole thing" Sasuke stated.

Natsumi shrugged as she shut her locker door.

"I work well with my partner" Natsumi replied. "You know Kankuro and I are actually going to be working on our next art project together too" the girl informed Sasuke, only to receive an annoyed huff.

Natsumi rolled her eyes before trying to swing her bag over her shoulder, only to be stopped by Sasuke taking hold of the strap.

"What are you doing?" Natsumi asked as Sasuke attempted to pull her bag from her grasp only to be meant with resistance as she refused to let go.

"Helping you" Sasuke explained making Natsumi's mouth drop open in shock.

"Well I don't need the help Sasuke, I can manage it fine on my own" Natsumi argued back.

"It'd be easier for you if I just take your bag" Sasuke replied as he lightly tugged on the bag.

"Sasuke its fine, I've managed to carry it all day without any help so I doubt wearing it home will cause anymore issues" Natsumi retorted tugging the bag herself.

Before Sasuke retorted, he bit his tongue and took a deep breath.

"Alright I'm sorry I just wanted to help" Sasuke said making Natsumi give him a look of bewilderment.

"Uh ok" Natsumi replied almost uncertain before adjusting her bag on her back.

Sasuke began to walk off, earning a confused look from Natsumi before she began to use her crutches to go after him. It was silent as they made their way through the hall until Sasuke spoke near the entrance.

"You're pretty fast" Sasuke said. "But I doubt this would count as proper exercise considering that you missed Guy-sensei's class and you're going to be excused until your ankle is better" Sasuke said earning another annoyed look from Natsumi as the two proceeded to the exit of the school.

"Yeah and I'll probably end up going through hell when I get back" Natsumi shot back. "But do you really think I wanted to have my time taken to do paperwork for Guy-sensei?" Natsumi asked.

"You're just trying to justify what you did" Sasuke retorted.

"It's not like I asked Kakashi-sensei to bail me out" Natsumi defended herself.

"Must be nice being the teacher's pet" Sasuke joked earning a glare from Natsumi. "Now if you could only use that power to get me a better English partner" Sasuke said earning an eye roll as the two came to the front doors.

They stopped as they both looked down at the small flight of stairs outside the front of the school.

"We should've gone out the side entrance with the ramp" Natsumi sighed.

"Just hurry up" Sasuke said starting down the stairs before coming to a halt. "Unless you need help down?" Sasuke asked turning back to the girl.

"How humble of you to offer" Natsumi joked making the Uchiha roll his eyes. "I've got it" Natsumi said before beginning the descent on her own as Sasuke watched with a cautious eye.

"Good job on not falling" Sasuke said as he too now made it to the bottom.

"Well I wasn't pushed this time" Natsumi joked only to be met with silence.

"Stupid girls" Sasuke breathed out with a shake of his head.

"Hey it's fine" Natsumi said leaning into the boy's eye line.

"You're on crutches" Sasuke pointed out.

"Yeah and they're suspended" Natsumi stated.

"They deserved worst" Sasuke said.

"Aw you do care" Natsumi joked making the Uchiha glare at her again and causing a small laugh to escape her.

"Whatever let's just get to the car" Sasuke said now beginning to head in the direction of the parking lot.

"But my mom's supposed to pick me up" Natsumi called after the boy.

Sasuke came to a halt before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone. He unlocked it before handing it to Natsumi to read.

Hello would it be alright if I brought Natsumi home today?

Of course Sasuke

Alright thank you

No thank you! If anything it would probably mean much more to her to have a friend bring her home.

Yes.

"That's weird" Natsumi stated after reading over the messages displayed to her.

"What that I actually do care?" Sasuke asked in a sarcastic tone.

Natsumi handed his phone back to him.

"No that you're texting my mom" Natsumi stated giving the boy a weirded out look that made him scoff.

When the teens were in Sasuke's car, Natsumi noticed how much stiffer Sasuke was than usual. After turning on the car and allowing Natsumi to connect her phone, he gripped the steering wheel with both hands before releasing a deep breath. Natsumi raised a brow in question.

"Everything alright Sasuke?" Natsumi asked.

It was silent for a moment.

"I haven't been the best friend" Sasuke said looking forward with a blank stare. "And I think that's because I've always been so used to keeping people at an arm's length away" Sasuke went on. "I've never been able to really think of anyone besides the dobe as a close friend. But then you came along and ... well things are different. I think of you as someone that I can rely on and when something is wrong with you, I want to fix it" Sasuke said as the girl's brows furrowed in confusion. "And I realized that the best way to fix a lot of your problems is to make you understand that you're being heard ... even if I have to make you talk when you don't want to" Sasuke said as Natsumi's eyes now lit up in realization.

"Sasuke ..." Natsumi started to say before the boy continued on.

"I'm not the best at talking about my own issues or even my own feelings but I don't want you to think it's because I don't see you as an equal, I just ... I struggle with communicating those types of things" Sasuke admitted as Natsumi's brows were raised in alarm.

"Sasuke if this is about what I said yesterday, I'm sorry I got mad at you. I just blew up because I was frustrated about everything that happened" Natsumi explained.

"You were upset but you didn't lie" Sasuke stated. "You're a good person and you show people you care but it's not fair if your best friend can't do the same" Sasuke said.

He now turned to face her.

"I'm sorry but I'm not emotional" Sasuke stated. "But I can do other things so..." Sasuke started before trailing off.

He turned his attention to the car, putting it in reverse and beginning to drive out of the lot.

"I'm going to be driving you to and from school from now on" Sasuke declared making the girl's eyes widen.

"Are you only doing it because I'm injured?" Natsumi asked.

Sasuke shook his head as his gaze remained ahead.

"It's not on account of your injury, it's on account of you being my friend" Sasuke stated.

"But you're only going to be doing it until my ankle heals?" Natsumi asked.

Sasuke once again shook his head.

"I'll do it until the end of the year" Sasuke said leaving the two in silence.

It was quiet for a moment until Sasuke heard a small snort from the girl beside him, to which Sasuke gave Natsumi a confused look.

"So it's kind of like your New Year's resolution?" Natsumi joked making Sasuke scoff as a smile crossed his lips.

"Shut up Natsumi" Sasuke said looking back to the road as the girl continued to laugh.

...

The older Uchiha arrived home, immediately starting to make his way to the staircase to his room, when his father suddenly called out to him.

"Itachi" Fugaku's voice called out.

"Yes father" Itachi said turning to see the man with a black button up, and a grey suit, "Did you just get finished with work?" Itachi asked.

"Hn" Fugaku replied with a single nod. "And you've finished with the university for the day?" Fugaku asked looking over his son's attire.

Itachi wore a white long sleeved shirt underneath a black leather jacket with dark blue jeans and black fingerless gloves.

"Yes father" Itachi replied with a nod.

"I need to speak with you unless you have... any other prior commitments?" Fugaku asked before tailing off in thought before completing his question.

Itachi knew he was referring to the Akatsuki, as his father still refused to acknowledge them as his friends.

"Rehearsal was moved back a couple hours so I do have time father" Itachi said.

"I see" Fugaku said with a nod of understanding. "Well in that case, I'd like to discuss your trip to the tabloid office yesterday" Fugaku stated, stepping aside and motioning for Itachi to head toward his office.

Itachi raised a brow in question.

"I never went to the tabloid office yesterday" Itachi stated making Fugaku turn back to him with a questioning look.

"Itachi, there is no need to lie to me. I was made aware that my son went down there yesterday and made quiet the threat for having the article about the Hyuga scandal taken down" Fugaku stated.

Itachi's brows rose in alarm as he remembered the exact article his father was talking about. The Hyuga scandal had been the talk of the town yesterday. He remembered how he'd found out as Sasori and Deidara had been in one of their usual arguments during lunch when the blonde exploded about Sasori not telling him that Natsumi was at the event he worked. The group was at lunch in the University's café at a table near the back.

"I was working" Sasori snapped in annoyance.

"Well if she had a boyfriend, a head's up would've been nice hn" Deidara retorted.

"I'm not allowed to talk about the things I see at those parties" Sasori stated with a shrug. "Besides I doubt it's her boyfriend, otherwise she wouldn't have gone with Itachi's brother to the Uchiha New Year's party" Sasori explained earning a scoff from Deidara.

"Itachi, did you know hn?" Deidara asked holding his phone up to the Uchiha.

Itachi's eyes ran over the article, before pulling out his own phone and typing in the website, rereading and allowing himself a breath of relief when he noted that her name was left out.

"I'm sure it's just a rumor" Itachi stated with a dismissive wave.

"That won't stop kids from her school from recognizing her though" Konan pointed out before releasing a sigh. "I hope she's doing ok" Konan said before Yahiko placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Hey I'm sure she'll be fine. She has her friends and the Hyuga will probably have the article taken down by the end of the week" Yahiko went on.

"Plus I'm pretty sure Kakuzu doesn't want us getting involved in anymore drama since what happened on Halloween" Nagato added.

"Yeah so don't go setting off any explosions at the tabloid office" Kisame snickered as he draped an arm over Deidara's shoulders.

Itachi sighed. 'That's true but that doesn't mean I can't call over and quicken the process' Itachi thought.

Meanwhile the blonde had a brow twitch in annoyance before pushing off the tall boy's arm, which ultimately resulted in a shoving match that ended with Itachi's phone being knocked out of his hand and hitting ground with a crash.

The group grew quiet as Sasori reached out to pick up the device and revealed the shattered screen.

"Itachi" Fugaku said pulling his son out of his flashback. "The Hyuga called to thank us. I just want to be aware of the entire situation before I accept" the man went on. "We can talk more in my office" Fugaku stated.

"But I didn't have anything to do with the article getting taken down" Itachi stated bringing his father to a halt.

"It was me" a familiar voice called out gaining the attention of both males as they turned to see Sasuke standing off to the side in his school uniform with his bag slung over his shoulders.

"Sasuke" Itachi said in acknowledgment of the younger boy before he stepped forward to stand directly in front of their father.

"I went down to the tabloid office during lunch and spoke with the head of the paper" Sasuke admitted with his hands in his pockets.

Fugaku was taken aback, taking a moment to blink and take in this revelation. Itachi expected his father to go on a lecture about involving the Uchiha in a needless endeavor, before anything of the sorts could occur, he was met with a small smile crossed that his father's lips as he surprised both boys by placing a hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"Resolving a press issue in a day?" Fugaku asked before removing his hand. "Well done we can talk more in my office" Fugaku said before turning to lead his youngest son away from a still surprised Itachi.

'So Sasuke took care of it ... well done in deed little brother' Itachi thought looking after the dark haired teen with a proud smile before turning back to make his way to his room.

...

A/N: And that is chapter 50. I've actually had it done for like 2 weeks but I haven't been able to find the time to write the Author's Note and that's my bad. Recently I've made the decision to go back to school so I'm going to be a lot busier than usual but I will do my best to update as often as possible. Right now things are just a little hectic so I'm slightly struggling with getting my life together. Anyways though thanks for all the support and I hope you liked the new chapter. What are your thoughts on all the drama that occurred? Sasuke stepped up more in a way that a friend would to show concern as he is having character development! It's so exciting and also kind of stressful because his characterization isn't the most emotional and compassionate, showing he cares means showing it differently than usual. Also in terms of character development, I hope you all enjoyed seeing the development between Sasuke and his father in their relationship. So much happened this chapter so please let me know your thoughts and until next time stay safe guys!