When Lightning Strikes Part 2

Chapter 27

Hatake Natsumi P.O.V.

It's raining hard. Wasabi, Namida and I are standing in front of Hanabi-sensei wet and muddy after finishing a mission. "Learn from this" Hanabi says strictly. "You need to improve your teamwork. If you don't someone could die. I expect more from you all" she says but she looks directly at me. Disappointed I look down at my feet. "Dismissed" she says. Wasabi and Namida leave immediately, but when I want to pass Hanabi-sensei, she lays her hand on my shoulder. "I'm not bullying you Natsumi" Hanabi-sensei says. "I've known you your whole life, I know you  can do better. So I expect more from you" she says. "Yes sensei" I mumble. "Is there something you want to tell me, Natsumi. If there's something going on I need to know" Hanabi-sensei says. "No sensei" I mumble, still not looking at her. Hanabi-sensei sighs. "Okay. Go home before you get sick" silently I leave. I wrap my arms around myself. I'm cold and I'm sore. I just want to go home, crawl in bed. And stay there. "What are you doing?" I look up to see Inojin underneath the pent of Yamanaka flowers. "Walking home" I say. When I see his annoyed expression I quickly say. "I just came back from a mission" I stroke my wet hair behind my ear. "I should get going. It's getting dark" I say. Inojin smiles slightly. "It's not like anyone would do something to you" he says. I sigh deeply and look up at the sky. "If I'm that repulsive, then what are you doing Inojin?" I ask. I wince softly when Inojin grabs my jaw painfully tight. "I already told you" he says with joy in his voice. "But I don't tolerate this attitude" he squeezes harder. "I'm sorry" I whisper quickly. Inojin smiles content. "Inojin!" Ino shouts from inside and he quickly lets go of my jaw. "Get inside, it's pouring" she says. I look at her briefly then quickly walk away before she can say anything.

In a bra and panties I stand in front of a mirror. "Am I really that ugly?" I whisper softly to myself. "Why else would someone say something like that?" I poke and pull my stomach, and after that I do the same to my face. "What are you doing?" I look up and see my brother leaning against the doorframe, smiling amused. "N-nothing" I say and quickly put on a sweater. "Didn't seem like nothing" he says as I put on sweatpants. "What do you want Oniisan?" I ask. "Well, mom sent me because dinner is ready. But now I want to know what you were doing" he crosses his arms. I sigh deeply while looking up at the ceiling . I cross my arms in front of my chest and look at Kaiyo. "I was just wondering why you inherited all the looks" I say slightly annoyed. Kaiyo seems genuinely surprised. "Looks? What are you talking about?" He asks. I scoff. "Never mind" I say. But when I want to walk past him he takes my arm. "Who is telling you that you're ugly?" He asks sharply. "What makes you think someone is saying that to me?" I ask, looking up at me. "Why else would you think that you are anything other than gorgeous?" He asks. Kaiyo seems angry. "Tell me Natsumi" he says. "No one is, Niisan." I look down at my feet. "No one is" I pull my arm back and quickly walk downstairs. "Let me take that from you, beautiful" I hear dad say. I scoff slightly. Why can't Inojin be like that? Dad looks up after he puts the food on the table. "You must feel a whole lot better after that shower" he says smiling. "Yeah kinda" I mumble before sitting down. "What happened? Why do you look so angry?" Mom asks surprised as Kaiyo lets himself fall onto a chair. "Nothing really. The food looks good okaasan!" He says. "Did you two right again?" Dad says placing both his hands on his hips. "We didn't!" Kaiyo and I say quickly and in unison.

"I've got to say I'm worried" I hear Kaiyo say. Silently I sit down on the stairs. "The other day she walked out the Forrest with these strange marks on her jaw, and now she was poking in her stomach and everything"  Kaiyo says. "Well, she's turning twelve in a couple of weeks, it's the age she's starting to get interested in boys and starts paying attention to her own body. Insecurities because of changes might happen" Mom says. "I get that, but that doesn't explain those marks" Kaiyo says. "What do you think that's happening then, Kaiyo?" Dad asks in his regular, calm and soothing voice. "I think maybe a boy is doing this to her" Kaiyo says. I lay my head against the wall and close my eyes because he's obviously right. "Are you certain?" Dad asks. Kaiyo sighs. "No" he mumbles. "You can't do anything based on a hunch sweety" mom says. "I know. That's why I came to you. I don't know what to do, she won't talk to me" Kaiyo says. "Then there's nothing you can do for now but keep an eye on her" Dad says and Kaiyo groans. I sigh deeply before standing up and walking over. "What's with these looks?" I ask as  sit down on the couch. "Nothing really. You seemed really upset when you came home" mom says. "Just had a bad day, that's all" I answer. "That's all?" Dad asks as he sits back and lays his arm around my moms shoulder. "That's all" I repeat. I hear Kaiyo's slight scoff but choose to ignore it. "I just don't seem to sync with my teammates and Hanabi-sensei was dissapointed. I'm just bummed about it" I say. "Was she disappointed in you?" Kaiyo asks. "Not necessarily. But she did say she expected more of me because she knows me" I sigh. "That's fair" dad says and I shrug.