[kararayn]

Chapter 4 - The place

She yawned, as she took her seat in the backrow the next day. Someone poked her on the head, and she rubbed her forehead after. She looked up into the amused eyes of a certain blonde. "Good morning, Kumi - chan!" Naruto told her. She groaned at his loudness.

"Since when am I a chan?" she asked, grumpily.

"Oh..uh.." he scratched the side of his nose. "Am I not supposed to?" he asked, awkwardly. Realizing she was being a grouch, she sighed.

"Sorry, and good morning Naruto - kun." His eyes lit up at the familiar term, and she smiled. There was a disgruntled grunt from behind her, and she flinched. Turning around, she was forced to meet the onyx eyes of a very angry looking Uchiha.

"Why the fuck did you punch me yesterday?" he growled.

"Eh - heh...Sasuke...?" Naruto sweatdropped. A glare in his direction, however, shut him up.

"Gomenasai...Uchiha - san," she whispered. Standing up, she bowed, and fled.

"Kumi?!" several voices called after her. She scurried into a bush, and buried her face in her knees.

"Where'd she go?" Naruto's voice spoke up nearby.

"What the hell did you do, Uchiha?" Neji was furious.

"All I asked was why she punched me!" Sasuke snapped back. She sighed, and crawled out from behind the bush. She tugged on Neji's hair lightly, and he whipped around.

"Are you okay?" he asked quickly.

"I'm fine..I just needed to get out of class for a moment."

"Why?" Sasuke asked quietly.

"Honestly?" she flinched under his gaze. "I was afraid of you, just then."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Bullshit." he growled.

"Sasuke," Naruto spoke up then. "Chill."

"Come on, Kumi." Neji nudged her.

"It was the look, I was afraid of how you were going to react. Okay?" she admitted from only a foot away.

"Fine." he spoke tensely.

"Gomen.." she whispered and bolted.

"Where is she going...NOW?"

"Home." Neji told them.

"Where?"

She quickly opened her door, and slammed it shut behind herself. She slid to the ground, and was surrounded by worried mews. An orange blur appeared in her lap purring. A white cat nudged her hand, while two meows drew her eyes to a blue and orange pair on her counter. "Life waits for no one, right?" she laughed a little, and fixed four meals before serving it to the cats.

She went out onto her porch, and slipped onto the porch swing. She pulled her legs up to her chest, and buried her face in her knees. "Why are you crying?" a voice asked, as the swing was stopped.

"I'm not..."

"Then what's wrong, Kumi - chan?" Her head snapped up then. She blinked her disbelief at the head of a certain blonde to her right. "Kumi - chan?" She sighed, and rubbed her eyes.

"What are you doing at my house?" she asked.

"The usual." Neji replied.

"I meant them," she nodded to the others.

"Seeing if your okay." Naruto mumbled, embarrassed.

"Well, you got to see my house." Sasuke smirked. "It's only fair that I'd get to see yours."

"Yeah, and are any of you going to walk back in the rain?" she pointed at the sudden downpour behind them.

"Um..w-well.." Naruto stammered. She shook her head and laughed.

"Come on in," she got off the swing, and opened the door. "Just watch out for - "

BAM.

"Mrowwww!"

"Owwwww!"

"...the cats," she finished, and walked over to the swearing form of Naruto on the floor. She scooped up the hissing Hidan, and calmed him down, before picking up her first aid kit, and cleaning the scratches.

"Guard..cat.." Neji said between his laughter. Even Sasuke smirked.

"Very funny." Naruto frowned.

"No. He's being serious." she rolled her eyes and shrugged.

"Damn cat draws blood everytime." Neji snorted.

"How many cats do you have?" Naruto asked.

"Um..well.." she paused. "Tobi's technically the only one that's mine." She pointed to the fluffball at her feet.

"And the others?"

"Well..." she laughed. "Hidan belongs to Mrs. Jas, but he comes over all the time." She pointed to the silver - gray cat. "I don't know who the two on the counter belong to, but they come over too."

"So, four?"

"It used to be five, but Kisame was adopted."

"Did you name all your cats after murderers?" Sasuke asked.

"Yeah, she did." Neji nodded. "And I better go. Have fun." He smirked, and bolted out the door.

"Gee. Thanks!" she yelled after him. He was already headed through his gate. "Grrr..." she grumbled.

"Uh...Kumi - chan?" Naruto spoke up quietly.

"Hm?"

"Would you rather we go?"

"Nah," she shook her head. She pointed out the bedrooms, and then darted for blankets. "Are you hungry?" she asked, coming back with an armful.

"Used to this much?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"I don't have anyone come over anymore." she shook her head, no.

"Why not?"

"Who would I ask?"

"Neji?" Sasuke tried.

"To stay alone in a house with a girl? Mr. Hyuuga would never allow it."

"What are the blankets for?" Naruto poked them.

"I..um..don't have heating." she admitted.

"Oh."

"Hn."

"Yeah.." she rubbed the back of her neck.

"What are we gonna do about clothes?" Naruto asked, and the other two paled.

"Well..." she laughed awkwardly. "I could go get them."

"My house is twelve blocks away." Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"Well...it would work." A knock on the door interrupted them. She answered it, and they all blinked their surprise.

"Itachi?" Sasuke spoke first.

"Apparently you have gone missing." he spoke quietly.

They exchanged looks, and laughed at that. "So, now what?" Sasuke asked.

"We go home." Itachi sighed. "You too, Naruto. I'll give you a ride." He motioned with his hand.

"No way!"

"Why not?" Sasuke looked over at him.

"I wanna try her cooking!" he cheered.

"And how will you get home?" Itachi asked.

"I'll stay here." he chirped happily.

"Very well." Itachi turned to go.

"And clothes?"

"We'll go get some." he nodded, crossing his arms.

"Okay." Sasuke shrugged, and drove away with Itachi.

"Well...let's go." she said, grabbing her keys.

"Go?"

"Clothes?" she laughed.

"Oh..right.." he laughed, and they headed out into the rain. Walking side by side in the downpour, but shrieking and chasing one another on the way there. They raced to his apartment. He unlocked the door, and she laughed the entire time he fetched his clothes. "Ready?" he asked, holding on the bag.

"Yep." They walked back slowly, until the cold made them hurry through the door. She grabbed towels, and they darted into seperate bathrooms to shower, warm up, and change. She took the wet clothes, and tossed them into the washer when they'd come back out.

"Uh..Kumi - chan?"

"Hm?"

"Do you have any ramen?"

"Hungry?"

"Heh." he scratched the side of his nose. "Yeah," he chuckled.

"Sure."

She quick-boiled the veggies: dicing up the corn, peas, and carrots, with cabbage to add. Waiting on the noodles, she diced up chunks of beef and pork, cooking them thoroughly. She added the seasoning first, then the eggs. Stirring quickly, she turned it off, and added the meat and vegetables. She fixed both large bowls, and they cracked the chopsticks.

"It's good!" he told her.

"Thanks." she smiled.

"Nyeh..Kumi - chan?"

"Hm?"

"Why do you live alone?"

"Well.." she paused, thinking how to answer. "My mother passed away." she shrugged, leaving it simple.

"What about other family?" he tilted his head to the side.

"They disowned me a long time ago." she shook her head.

"Oh...sorry.."

"It's okay."

"So, where do I sleep?" he asked, changing the subject, and breaking the silence that had followed.

"Anywhere you want." she laughed.

"Mm. What if i want to sleep with you?" he grinned.

"Eek! Pervert!" she laughed, and waved her hands teasingly.

"I was only kidding!" he ducked and covered his head.

"I know!" she laughed. "I was teasing back.." she shook her head. "I'm not Sakura, I'm not gonna hit you."

He chuckled at that. Scooping her up into his arms, she squeake in surprise. He carried her to the bed, lay her down, and crawled in beside her. She fought the burning in her cheeks, as he bid her goodnight, and flipped over to face away.

"Good night Naruto." she told him.

* * *

"I see you survived the night," a voice spoke up the next morning.

"Yeah," she laughed. "And good morning, Sasuke - san." He frowned, but nodded and sat down behind her.

"So...you and Naruto, huh?"

She tilted her head to the side, feeling confused. "Me and him, what?"

"You know.." he grinned wickedly.

"Um..no, I don't know."

"Oh my god, seriously?" a female voice shrieked, and Kumi found herself being dragged to the front.

"What the hell." she grumbled.

"Spill it." Ino said, sternly, still clinging to her arm. Sakura was grinning from her other side.

"There's nothing to tell.."

"Oh, really?" Sakura raised a brow.

"But Tenten confirmed that you came to school with him alone!" Ino pointed out. "And we know for a fact, his house is several blocks in a different direction!"

"I'm gonna...Tenten is...Ugh!" she walked over, grabbed Naruto by the wrist and pulled him over the girls.

"Kumi - chan?!" he looked at her confused.

"Please tell them the last thing we did together before this morning."

He paused a moment. "We slept together!" he announced loudly. She facepalmed.

"Uh.." Ino sweatdropped. Sakura had gone into shock. Kumi, meanwhile, was beet red. A slap to the back brought her out of her own shock.

"Nice job." Neji was smirking as he patted her head. She groaned slightly in response.

"Kumi - chan, did I say something wrong?" Naruto asked, appearing along her side.

"Not wrong, just..." she mumbled from behind her hands.

"Then what?" he asked, worriedly.

"Um...I..uh.." she stammered.

"Since when are you two going out?" a sleepy voice spoke up.

"Shikamaru.." she shook, and grit her teeth.

"Oh, I see."

"See what, exactly?"

"Uh.." Naruto interrupted with a tap on her shoulder. "So..they?"

"Yep.." she nodded.

"And I..?"

She nodded again.

"I'll fix it." he ran off.

"Wait...!" she tried, even as he went around the corner. "...how?" she grumbled.

"Just believe it." Neji winced.

"I can't believe you said that."

"Neither can I." he shook his head.

"He's rubbing off on you." she laughed.

"Possibly." he shrugged, then turned serious. "Never tell."

"I won't." she nodded as he walked off. She leaned over to Shikamaru. "Tell me you got that!" she grinned.

"Of course." he smiled, and sent the vid to her cell.

"Thank you!" she cheered, emailing it to herself, before deleting.

"Give it!" Neji plucked her phone. He checked it over. "Alright." He handed it back.

* * *

"With Kumi?" Kiba turned after school. "No way." he shook his head. "I've known her as long as Neji, there's no chance."

"But that's what I've been trying to tell everyone!" Naruto protested.

"Has she? Wait...nevermind. Let me guess, she goes tongue - tied?"

Nod.

"Turns red?"

Another nod.

"Figures."

"What am I gonna do?"

"Tell her the truth."

"What's the truth?"

He sighed. "Naruto.."

"Yeah?"

"Your not gonna be able to fix this one."

"Why not?"

"You can't fix her."

"But she wasn't what I was trying to fix..."

"Just a warning."

"Why?"

"You want to be attached."

"Huh?"

"Friends, thickhead!"

"Oh."

Kiba shook his head.