Backstage Politics (Naruto Fanfic)

Star Crossed, Possibly

Karura stared down at her medical textbook, tapping her pencil in a rhythm which helped her to memorize the facts her younger brother could spout off at a much younger age. A piece of white fluttered in front of her eyesight and a white envelope appeared on top of her books. One thin finger pointed at the envelope. "What's this?"

The young sandy-haired woman looked up into a pair of indigo eyes that mirrored her own. Yashamaru's perpetual smirk refused to leave, and he rocked back on his heels, his hands behind his back. "That's from Sasori's uncle."

The woman let out a sound of annoyance, before picking up the envelope to read. Karura opened up the letter, slipping out the note. "I wish to make up for the inconvenience my nephew has caused, and as such would like to take you to lunch in order to apologize."

Karura felt a flutter of embarrassment hit her chest hard, her cheeks heating up. Her delicate fingers pushed the edge of the note to her lips, thinking about the invitation. "Come on. It's just lunch, not an actual real date. Plus, this guy's older than you, and the uncle of one of your brother's classmates."

The sunshine on Yashamaru's face broke, and the smile finally fell into a frown. "Nee-san, is something the matter."

"Yes, well..." Karura swallowed, the heat growing in her cheeks. "Sasori's uncle asked me to lunch, to apologize to me for dragging you into their family matter."

Yashamaru's indigo eyes blinked a couple of times, and the bright smile quickly returned. "Oh, sounds more like a date to me."

The woman felt her throat tighten, and a hand reached up to brush away one of her sandy-haired locks. "Exactly. That's exactly why I am going to refuse."

The palms of the eighteen-year-olds hands slammed down, and Yashamaru leaned forward. "You can't!"

"I very well can." Karura glared at her brother, noting the glimmer in his indigo colored eyes.

"Please..."

"I don't have time for dates, plus he's from a major family that has expectations of who he will or won't marry. It's scandalous to think..."

"Rasa-nii's rather nice, though." Yashamaru continued to pressure. "Plus, what harm can one date be? From the way Sasori talks, his uncle's just as bad as you are about not taking a break."

"If you're trying to tell me we're right for each other because of that, that really isn't a compliment you know." Karura folded her fingers in front of her mouth, hoping that the blush on her face would remain hidden. "Plus..."

"It can't hurt."

Karura's eyes snapped shut, a sigh escaping her lips. "Yashamaru, need I remind you that people aren't always the way they seem to be. They may seem, for example, like a nice person, but it's just a mask for their real self. Plus, I don't want any of this stiff etiquette, as I've got enough on my plate."

"Please. You don't have a logical reason to refuse."

"I don't have a logical reason to refuse? Haven't I given him logical arguments against this?" Two indigo eyes closed, trying to muddle through the mess.

"Sis, all your doing is building your social network."

"That's not all that is going on, though." Karura's eyes snapped open. "You're not going to take my refusal back to him, are you."

"You'll have to do it yourself."

"You..." The woman felt her lips push together, her indigo eyes twinkling in amusement. "I do that, and he'll argue that he wishes to make up for..." Karura looked Yashamaru right in the eye, knowing he'd managed to back her into a corner. "Fine. Fine. I'll meet up with him for lunch."