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Author P.O.V

Later that day the three siblings handled themselves the best way they could.

Focusing on their lessons came naturally to all of them, but staying by themselves was something newly added to Naruko and Menma's situation, while appreciating the friends they had left was for Naruto's situation. Still, they tried their best not to attract any unwanted attention but it was a lot easier said than done.

Naruko had managed to avoid any contact with TenTen so far but with Karin around it made it increasingly difficult because she would literally NOT give TenTen a break. If they had a class together, which in most cases they do, Karin would wait outside the door and then bombard TenTen with hundreds upon thousands of words and questions.

Yet surprisingly, TenTen responded back promptly, hearing every word that she spoke and Naruko didn't know what she found more annoying, the fact that she was handling her well or the fact her cousin just wouldn't shut up.

"TenTen! Who's that teacher? He is so handsome!"

"TenTen, look at that girl's skirt? Do you think I should make mine that shorter than hers? Boys would like that, right?"

"TenTen! Where are the BOYS!?"

Karin rambled on and on with seeming to end. Reminding Naruko just how boy crazy her cousin was when they were little and she didn't even mind the age.

"TenTen!" Karin beamed as she opened the door and entered the classroom causing Naruko to flinch at the noise while trying to organize her notes. She was feeling as though at some point she'd have PTSD to loud noises if Karin kept this up any longer.

"Karin! Hey again." TenTen replied while smiling fondly back at her as she was used to the outbursts by this point as Rock Lee was just as loud and optimistic.

"I'm super excited for lunch!" Karin beamed as she entered the classroom. "I cannot wait to finally sink my teeth into some food. I swear the last class was torture. The teacher went on and on with the lesson like there was no end and he wasn't in that good looking."

"Awe, sorry to hear that but the education here really is a top priority for us girls so it doesn't really matter how the teachers look, just that they do their jobs, ya know." TenTen replied in a tone that surprised Naruko as she was so calm, but also she used Naruko's tell.

That surely didn't go unnoticed by the blonde as she glanced at her and wondered why'd she do that. Especially as she said it in the same tone and pronunciation as Naruko or her brothers would.

"Ugh, don't tell me about it, you're starting to sound like-" Karin scoffed as she looked across TenTen's seat and noticed Naruko who tried to hid her face with her pigtails and notebook.

"Hm, Naruko!?" Karin yelled, startling some of the girls who still lingered in the room.

"Hm? Ha, hey Karin..." Naruko smiled while slowly lowering her notebook book.

"Ha! Little cousin? Why were you so quiet?" she asked as she sat on Naruko's desk and engaged her into more conversation. "You two really are besties, this is the third class I've seen you in together."

"Ha, right." Naruko replied back with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. "You know, just reminiscing in the little silence I can get."

"What?"

"Nothinh, it's just a poem I read about earlier, ya know." Naruko replied with a cheeky smile that went over Karin's head but TenTen definitely picked it up.

"I wanna be apart of this friendship. So don't you two think just because I'm a newbie that I'm not worth it, trust me I've had friendships for years." Karin declared confidently. "We go all the way back to our childhood days of playing together in school and getting into so much trouble for pulling pranks and cracking jokes."

"Ha, I didn't know you had that type of character." TenTen replied while Naruko tried to ease herself out of the conversation as smoothly as possible as she knew Karin to be a troublemaker that she didn't want to get too involved with.

"Of course, I always know how to have fun." She continued as she threw her arm over Naruko's shoulder and hugged her. "Like when my little cousin over here and her brothers came to my house and she thought she was going to spend the whole holiday reading inside instead. But I was like no, that's not happening and we'd go by the lake and splash around for days ends. Right little cousin?"

"Ha, right that's SO me!" Naruko replied behind gritted teeth.

"She's still a little bookworm though, isn't she TenTen?" Karin asked as she began brushing Naruko's bangs back.

"Ha, right that's SO her." TenTen replied nervously as she didn't really want to place herself into a situation that made Naruko uncomfortable, but she also didn't want to be mean to Karin.

"Ugh, always such a goody goody too. Tell you what, let's have lunch together and work out a day to hangout, it'll be fun. Oh! We could even have a sleepover later, I'm totally down for that too." Karin encouraged. "What about you TenTen?"

"Hm? Uh, yeah. I'd be down for that too." TenTen replied which earned her a look from Naruko that she knew all to well and she immediately pursed her lips. "Um, actually now that I think about-"

"Yes! We could definitely have it at your house Naruko. I'm sure you'll love the company and I haven't seen your family in so long too, and it won't be awkward cause your best friend will be there." Karin promised while still smothering the blonde with unwanted affection and socialization that she didn't want.

"Oh, uh actually Karin about that." Naruko tried to explain as she freed herself from her grasp. "My parents won't be home remember? So it'll just be me and my brothers so that means you can't-"

"That's even better!" She expressed as she started to get excited, earning the attention of the girls in the classroom who gave them all mixed looks. "We can invite over BOYS!"

"Shh, Karin." TenTen whispered as she smiled at them nervously. "People are watching."

"No, no, no there will be no boys and can you please keep it down." Naruko whispered alongside her. "People will get the wrong idea here."

"Why? It's just us girls here in attendance." Karin shrugged. "Just us girl talking about BOYS!"

"Yeah, BUT people might get the wrong idea, ya know?" Naruko tried. "Besides, I have practice later and so does Menma so we'd have to wait by Naruto's school so all of us can leave together."

"Really?" TenTen blurted out of habit.

"Yes, really." Naruko replied too in a strict tone.

"Ya know? Ha, do you guys still have that tell, it's so cute." Karin chuckled as she looked at TenTen who pretended to laugh with her. Which surprised Naruko because she wasn't that close to them to know theit tell, or rather they were not that close to her.

"You really haven't changed much little cousin. Tell you what we'll just wait for you at practice and then we can all head over to Naruto's school and travel together." Karin suggested.

"Um..." Naruko tried to decline, but Karin was too quick with her words.

"Great idea, right?"

"No, not a great idea-" Naruko tried but was once again cut off by Karin.

"Great! So let's get to lunch quickly before all the good food is gone." Karin smiled eagerly as she playfully pulled them both up and threw her arms over their shoulders. "After that it's more classes, then practice and then we can all head home together, it'll be so fun today."

"Isn't it fantastic?!"

"Yeah." TenTen replied awkwardly as Naruko remained quiet and was mentally counting to ten and repeating every time she made it to three.

Naruko was perplexed to say the least and TenTen knew it but tried to play it off with a smile as Karin playfully rocked them from side to side. At the back of the class sat Temari and Kauri who watched the three with annoyance and entertained expressions written on their faces respectively. Since the semester has started they kept their distance between them and Naruko and TenTen as the pairing didn't get along with them any way and now here comes Karin who in their opinion was just aloud and annoying, but Temari enjoyed seeing them suffer because of her.

"Pfft, you've got to be kidding me." Temari chuckled under her breath.

"Who's the newbie again?" Kauri asked as cringed seeing how chirpy she was.

"I heard it was Naruko's older cousin."

"For real? Wait! So there's more of them, shit. As if having those two as student council presidents wasn't already a stressful time, we have another Uzumaki here." Karui sighed while rubbing her temples.

"Haha, you don't even know her and you hate her already." Temari chuckled as her smile softened slightly.

"Tsk, she's an Uzumaki, of course I fucking hate her, besides there's just something about her in particular that I don't like." Karui explained as she look at Karin with close attention. "Apart from her being immensely annoying, there's gotta be something wrong with her for swapping schools in the beginning of fall from only Kaguya where she crawled from."

"Ha, not all of the Uzumaki aren't bad, Karui. You just can't stand Naruko cause she's a goody two shoes but I can hang out with Menma, he's pretty cool." Temari expressed with a smile on her face.

'What are you defending Naruko?" Kauri asked as the two chuckled with each other. "Besides, you only like Menma cause he's like Shikamaru."

"He is not, Menma is an emotional time bomb." Temari pointed out. "He and Kankuro have an even gayer relationship than Kiba and Naruto who are actually gays and neither of them are willing to admit it, and don't say that name to me ever again."

"Ha, whatever you say, but don't act like I don't know you miss him."

"Tsk, as if I'd miss a guy that chooses his lying friends over his girlfriend." Temari shot back while folding her arms over her shoulder and raising her eyebrow intimidatingly. "I'm perfectly content with being a single girl in this shit hole."

"Tsk, how long are you two going to keep this up? We used to all be so close, this can't go on forever." Karui whined while poking her bicep which cause Temari to brush her off in annoyance. "I need to have a another triple date.

"For as long as it keeps up." Temari replied sternly as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I guess you'll just have to do a double with Ino and Sai and just tell me about it later."

"Temari..." Kauri trailed, begging for her to lighten up the situation between her and Shikamaru.

"Karui, you know what choice Naruto made after all that happened, he still got in Sasuke's car with Sakura and Rock after Kiba almost drowned. If Shikamaru wants to side with him then so be it, but I'm not going to pretend like all is well and fine like those two over there." Temari continued as she turned to her. "He made a mistake and I get that, but to still willing go back to the guy after what he did to Sakura and Kiba? Plus, I don't even know what happened to get Rock involved in all of that but there he was too."

"Yeah, but it's not like he could've left him alone. I'm aware he fucked up, but that doesn't mean we have to be mad at him, Sakura and Rock for siding with Sasuke after all that unfolded." Karui explained trying to justify Naruto's actions. "I can't say for certain what Lee has to do with all this but it must be to protect Sakura cause you know he likes her that much, especially after what he said Sasuke did to him the last time."

"Yeah, cause keeping a secret that Naruto was with her man while she was with her man but because she didn't want to believe it at the time is the perfect way for him to win her heart." Temari scoffed in disgust as she began packing her backpack. "If Rock thinks that's the way to way to Sakura's heart then he's just as bad as her, but what would I know cause apparently there's something going on that Shikmaru knows, but guess who he isn't telling."

"Come on Temari, look at it this way." Karui tried getting through to her. "Gaara and Naruko aren't on good terms either but that doesn't stop him from still looking out for his girlfriend's brother."

"Kauri, do you know what Naruko means to him?" Temari replied in a serious tone as memories of Gaara before he met Naruko came back to her. " None of the others can't compare to that, if it wasn't even for her, I don't know what would've become of Gaara."

"I'm sorry, but I was just using it as an example to better justify Shikamaru's decision." Kauri apologized. "I know similar to Gaara and Naruko that Shikamaru meant something to you too, because he was there when you need him."

"..." Temari was speechless as she knew what Kauri meant but tried to not think bout it as it was a touchy topic for her and her siblings. "Yet she's doing great without him. You don't see anyone trying to get her to talk to him. So why should I talk to Shikamaru for siding with the wrong people."

"Naruko isn't talking to anyone." Kauri countered. "Her closest friend wouldn't even tell her that her own brother likes guys and that's the cause of all this so she's rightfully upset and still she doesn't know shit out of the respect we have for Naruto. You can't blame her for that because she just doesn't have any of us she can trust to turn too."

"Well, allow me to be rightfully be upset too just like her then." Temari requested. "So far we're both doing great without our boyfriends and I have you, so we're great."

"No, neither of you are." Karui stressed as she made Temari look her in the eyes. "You're both just repressing your feelings by distracting yourselves or avoiding the problems head on. You two are similar in that nature, it's just that she's acts like little miss perfect and you're just bitchy sometimes."

"Ha, look at you calling me a bitch. If I remember correctly, we got kicked out of that one convenient store because you punched a guy for taking the last cherry milk. What are you a therapist now capable of reading people?" Temari chuckled as she brushed Karui's hand off and handed her backpack.

"I'm your best friend." Kauri replied as she took the bag and started to collect her things as well. "I'm supposed to be your everything for free, besides that guy had it coming, I wanted a treat and he snatched it out of my hand."

"Yeah because you did say that he was a rancid piece of crap with tacky clothing, a receding hairline and balls so musty that his pants are deteriorating thread by thread." Temair reminded her which rendered Kauri speechless for a moment.

"Look, I know what I said, and it was the truth." She replied. "But I'm not talking about me, I'm talking about you and Shikamaru having a conversation despite him siding with our friend, Naruto."

"Ha, and here I thought you hated the Uzumaki but you're defending Naruto." Temari smiled.

"I'm not defending him, I just can't pass any judgement yet because I don't get the full picture of the situation. If I knew why he is still so hitched on Sasuke then that might influence my standing but until then I'm remaining unbiased. Plus, their mom actually knows her way around the kitchen so she gives Uzumaki a good name." Kauri clarified with a little dance in her seat before standing up and fixing her skirt.

"Pfft, Choji has turned you into such a pacifist and a foodie it's hilarious." Temari teased as she played with the hem of skirt causing Kauri to fan her hand away.

"Hm, laugh it up all you want cause I know that hair tie on your wrist belongs to Shikamaru." Kauri shot back with a smile as she started to get ready to leave while Temari looked at her in disbelief causing the two the chuckle with each other shortly afterwards.

"Hm?" Karin stared as she heard their laughter and decided to call out to the duo. "Hey you two at the back?! You guys look friendly, wanna have lunch with us?!"

"NO!" Temari, Kauri, Naruko and TenTen said in unison while Karin looked at all four of them in confusion.

"Come on Karin, let's go. The lunch, remember that thing we're supposed to do now?" Naruko hurried alongside TenTen as they tried to get their things and swiftly get her out of the classroom.

"What's all your problems? Tsk, this is why I can't stand girls they are always so dramatic." Karin sighed as she followed them out the classroom.

"Bitches that say that are always the most conniving bitches I know. So I know for a fact something is off about that girl!" Kauri replied as she dropped her backpack to go confront them until Temari grabbed her.

"Drop it Kauri, ha." Temari chuckled as she tried not to laugh too loud to gain anymore unwanted attention.

"What's so funny?"

"Ha, nothing, nothing at all." She smiled. "You just spend so much time with Choji and Ino that it shows, haha."

///

At Menma's school he was in the middle of class, after arriving late that is, staring at the board to a lesson that has been taught before in the lower grades but he just didn't pay too much attention to it so for less of better words, he was absolutely lost on the whole topic.

The reason he hasn't even fallen asleep yet either is because Kankuro was right behind him and already face down on the desk and he didn't want to be associated with him when the teacher scolds them for once again falling asleep in his classroom.

Like right now.

"Menma, could you please wake your best friend behind you." The teacher asked as he paused his lesson and all eyes fell on Menma.

"I have no best friend." Menma replied without hesitation causing the other boys to chuckle as the two would actually often do this. Whenever they had their little arguments or bicker with each other, they'd declare to each other they were no longer friends, but those cases were alot more simple in comparison to this time around.

"Ha, trouble in paradise once again I see. What is it this time if you don't mind me asking?" The teacher asked in amusement. "Is it one of you beating the other at a video game or perhaps he ate the last of your chips again without asking you?"

"..." Menma remained silent as he now saw how ridiculous the two of them behaved, but he was still upset about it.

"Oh, or is it he's wearing your lucky socks again." He continued despite Menma not answering because it's not like he could. He didn't fully understand it himself either, all he knew was that he had a secret he didn't want to tell him about his own brother that clearly involved Sasuke, that must have something similar to do with Rock Lee.

"A real friend, doesn't keep vital secrets from another." Menma replied simply before kicking the front of Kankuro's desk and startling him awake and causing the other boys to chuckle once more. "So now, I'm a one man band now."

"Hm? WHAT? What time is it?" Kankuro croaked as he looked around and all eyes and chuckled were directed to him.

"Well, Kankuro whatever secret you have to tell Menma please do so while paying attention in my class, thank you to both of you." The teacher informed him before turning around and continuing his lesson.

"Huh?" Kankuro asked in confusion while the class continued, looking to Menma for answers but he had forgotten the reality of the situation.

Menma kept his back to him and tried to get a grasp on the lesson. 

It was actually a topic Kankuro understood and that's why he fell asleep and he knows Menma didn't have a clue what was happening just by how he sat there completely still while staring at the board, even if he was upset. Kankuro just knew these things about him and normally he'd just spin around and copy his answers when the time was right but, this wasn't one of those times.

"Menma..." Kankuro whispered as he tapped on his shoulder to which he only ignored, shrugging off his gesture immediately.

"Dude, can you at least lean back so I can say something? I haven't seen you all summer, bro." He tried again, but to no avail. Menma wasn't going to let go of this. He knew Kankuro knew why he was mad and prolonging it only made it worse for him.

"..." Menma remained quiet, fighting the urge not to explode on him during class and earn himself a week's worth of detention with just the two of them.

"There's a new video game coming out this weekend, you wanna play it? It's the fourth generation of our favorite shooter game." Kankuro tried to entice him but all Menma did was pull his chair further away from Kankuro's desk and that actually hurt him a little bit even though he wouldn't admit to it.

"I guess not..." He mumbled as he leaned back with a feeling of disappointment, it made him wonder if this was how Menma had felt when they all refused to tell him and Naruko about Naruto's secret.

For the rest of the class Menma stared at the board without much knowledge of what was going on because this was not his best subject and Kankuro sat behind him and just stared at the back of his head trying to think of ways to get him to talk to him. He really did miss his best friend and even though Shino told him to just give him time to cool off. 

It was driving him insane waiting for him, the idea of just not being able to talk to him, after all he went through just to be friends with him. It was like those past feelings were slowly creeping up on him again, the feelings that he didn't want to resurface.

When the bell rang signaling it was time for lunch all the boys immediately stood up to leave just as the teacher had finished with the lesson. It was a common thing for them to do that as lunch was what majority of the boys looked forward too on a day to day basis. However, as long as they kept it respectful and their work was complete, it was fine.

However, if they didn't finish their work then they could not leave the room.

That was the case for Menma as he sat their still dumbfounded and struggling to understand what was right in front of him, clear as day. Luckily for him, he wouldn't have to worry about Kankuro as the latter had brought up his work and was granted the access to go and have lunch with the others, leaving Menma alone with another student whom he didn't pay too much attention too.

"Hm, some friend." Menma thought to himself as Kankuro didn't even offer any assistance, not that he would've taken it anyway.

"Alright boys, I'll be by the teacher's lounge when you've finished your work. So just finish up and take it to me and you can be on your way." The teacher announced before collecting the other boy's books and taking them with him.

"Tsk, why the fuck do I have to know what an onomatopoeia is and how to use them in a sentence? The english language is so hard in comparison to literature." Menma spat under his breath.

"Because it's used for literary effects." The other student explained, but Menma didn't turn to look at him as he was desperately trying to bust his brain open to get this thing down. "It makes your stories a lot more interesting by giving them sounds that are associated with certain things."

"Tsk, I see that, but it's hard to understand regardless. This sentence asks for the sound of lightning striking an object or person, in literature I'd describe that as an electric connection releasing an almost explosive sound with a frying sound as it cooled down." Menma explained as he looked at his notes, but he felt like that was too long for this subject.

"Not bad, you pretty good at that man, ha." The student complimented. "But take a look at the example on the board, instead of describing the, you'd instead name it in a simplier way, so in terms of getting struck by lightning, a shorter answer would've been a 'zap'"

"Zap?" Menma replied as he tried to understand what he was explaining to him whilst jutting down the answer. "Alright, thanks, I guess that would make sense. What about this one?"

The boy got up from his seat and moved to the seat next to Menma while looking at his notebook. Menma didn't pay too much attention to this though as he was now focusing on the the work itself as he was now getting the hang of it and that made him very excited and reminded him of how Hinata would sometimes tutor him when she had the chance too.

Once he was focused on something then it was difficult to break him from that.

The boy placed his hand on his shoulder and the other on his desk as he examined what Menma was showing him.

"What sound would a spring make when going down a flight of stairs?" Menma asked as he read the question. "To me, that sounds like a series of iron turning on whatever flooring was used to make the stairs."

"Yeah, but it's less about the stairs and more about the spring, so in this case the sound of the spring would be the answer and for that it would be 'boing'" He replied.

"Boing? That's something you'd hear from old cartoons and those lewd types of animes with girls that have the biggest breasts if you know what I mean, ha." Menma chuckled as he jutted down that answer as well.

"That's a pretty lewd mind you have." The student replied as he started rubbing Menma's shoulder playfully. "I like it."

"Ha, can't help it dude." Menma smiled. "I've been deprived of that kind of attention for a while now."

"I can tell, no guy should be this tense in the shoulders." He replied as he admired his frame, now placing both hands on his shoulders now and massaging them gently. "Although it looks like you work out a lot."

"Not really, I just play a few sports every now and then." Menma chuckled as he welcomed the gesture. "Mostly soccer right now."

"Ah, you're legs must be ripped then man." The student complimented, making Menma feel boastfully as he patted his thigh.

"Ha, don't mean to blow my own horn but I do take a lot of pride in my lower half." He explained as he indulged in the attention he was receiving, completely forgetting he didn't even know who this guy behind him was.

"No, definitely blow your own horn, ha." The student chuckled playfully. "Or better yet get someone that'll blow it for you, if you get what I mean."

"Ha, I get it, a man of culture." Menma chuckled, feeling oddly amused around the guy as he decided to continue with his work. "W-What kind of sound effect does this have?"

"A thud? Like if something heavy falls on the ground it makes that or a boom sound, it depends on the floor and the object though." He replied as he continued to rub circles on Menma's shoulder.

"Okay, I think I understand it a lot better. Damn, when I get tutoring from Hinata I don't learn a thing because she smells so sweet and her face is just so distracting." He expressed as he started imagining her in the sweetest way possible, completely letting his guard down around this guy.

"Hm, sounds like you really like her." The student replied as he began leaning closer to Menma's head.

"Yeah, her presence surely makes me boing a lot and my heart goes badum badum badum." He confessed jokingly, sharing a laugh with the guy.

He still hadn't looked up as all that he could think about was Hinata and he started to doodle their initials into his notebook without realizing it. Maybe it was the place or person but he just felt comfortable talking about her like this, it brought him a lot of peace.

Even when it was around a guy he only knew was in english language class.

"Wow man, you should consider join the soccer team, your hands are like butter on my shoulders." Menma breathed as he leaned back, completely submerged in the student's actions.

"Ha, thanks, I'll consider it." The student chuckled as an oppurtunity had now presented itself as he was graced by Menma's soft yet rugged features. "But you know I have a favorite sound too. It's kind of weird until you really try it a couple times."

"Ha, is it lewd like mine?"

"Depends on what you put it against." The student smirked.

"Hm, that does like something I'd like, what is it?" Menma asked with his eyes closed and comfort surrounding him. He waited patiently for the response, but what he didn't know was the response came with an action.

Without another word Menma suddenly felt the boy's lips on his forehead. His hair lingered with a light scent of sea salt and peppermint but he overall smelt like fresh water in the early morning or like rain falling on dry concrete. The feeling of his face trailing over his own so slightly sent a shiver down Menma's spine and distracted him so much that he hadn't realized the door to the room had just opened.

"Mwah." The boy sounded after placing a kiss against Menma's forehead.

In the midst of his surprise and confusion Menma opened his eyes and turned around to face him, only to be met by the same boy that he met earlier when he arrived at school, their faces were only inches apart as Menma stared at him and the smile on his face grew wider as their eyes finally made contact, again.

"Get it?" He asked playfully. "It's the sound of a kiss on your forehead."

"Menma, I got you lunch! Sai and Neji told me to leave you alone but I'm not-" Kankuro tried but froze as he saw the situation.

"Kankuro, I swear to Kaguya you're hopeless, hm?" Sai questioned as he also stumbled upon the scene of the boy being so close to Menma's face.

"Ha, those are a-lot of snacks. You wouldn't mind sharing with me, would you?" Suigestsu asked as he stood up and the three looked at him with a mixture of different reactions.

Sai was aroused and confused.

Kankuro was confused and hurt.

Menma was confused, somewhat aroused and slowly getting furious.

"Who are you and why were you in Menma's face?" Sai immediately asked, not even pretending he didn't see that while Kankuro tried to back away only for him to drag him forward. "Getr back in here."

"My name is Suigetsu, I'm new and I just couldn't help myself." He blushed as he looked back down at Menma. "We met this morning and I just wanted to meet him again."

Menma still sat there processing his emotions.

He didn't exactly know how to respond as he was more confused than upset and to have his best friend who is gay and his other friend who is bisexual witness that, he didn't want to say anything that would hurt their feelings, but Suigetsu, he didn't really care for him after what he just did. So he stood up slowly after slamming his hands down on the desk and turned to Suigetsu. 

He grabbed him by his collar and made him look him directly in his eyes that were piercing through him like daggers but Suigetsu's smile never faded.

"Don't ever do that again! You got that?!" Menma threatened as he shook him slightly.

"Menma!?" Kankuro and Sai warned in unison a they ran over to help and closed the door the behind them.

"Menma let him go, dude." Kankuro tried to get through to him but Menma didn't even look at him.

"Do you hear me?! DONT YOU EVER FUCKING KISS ME AGAIN!" He repeated, shocking both Sai and Kankuro in the process as they hadn't witnessed that side of him in a long while.

"Hm, it didn't bother you when I touched your shoulders so I just thought that you were just as into it-" Suigetsu tried with a smirk but was cut off as Menma shook him again to keep quiet.

"Don't finish that fucking sentence." Menma warned as he shook him some more and tried to roughly push the others away. "You two get off of me."

"Come on man, calm down first." Kankuro begged as he tried to get through to him.

"Menma, let him go and we'll ease off okay?" Sai tried as they both still held onto him, he could see the rage in Menma's eyes, but also something else, something that he hasn't seen from him since the day they had even met.

"Why does he look so scared..."

"Fuck off, both of you and him! As if you're in position to try and bargain with me after the shit you all pulled this summer!" Menma spat, finally shoving them off and dropping Suigetsu to the ground.

"..." Kankuro remained quiet as the feeling of guilt resurfaced again.

"..." Sai said nothing as he was wondering just what otherwise from that was going through Menma's head as it relates to this new guy.

"I don't know why the fuck I keep attracting all of you faggots around me! This bullshit, ya know!" He continued in rage as he looked at them and they all stood there and just watched him.

"Stop looking at me, damnit!" Menma barked as he suddenly felt off and like he needed to get out of here.

He couldn't understand what just happened had actually happened but just seeing all of them really pissed him off and made him feel so vulnerable. So without a second thought he just grabbed his backpack and left before saying anything else out of mixed feeling he was experiencing.

"Man, if I knew he was homophobic. I wouldn't have done that." Suigetsu tried to apologize as they helped each other up.

"He's not homophobic. He's just going through some shit right now." Kankuro defended as he helped him up. "Because of us."

"How would you know?" Suigetsu asked with a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"Cause I'm his best friend." Kankuro replied in a sad tone as he felt like a failure calling himself that. "He has a girlfriend and everything, and he's fine with me and my boyfriend, Shino. He was even happy for us when we got together but upset that I didn't tell...him."

"..." Suigetsu looked at him in confusion while glancing to Sai who was still thinking about that look on Menma's face

"So trust me when I say he's not homophobic. He's a good guy." Kankuro finished with a pout while rubbing his eyes.

Suigetsu looked genuinely sorry for him while Sai just rolled his eyes at how extremely emotional the two of them can be. He knew Kankuro wasn't even crying but there he was rubbing his dry eyes while surrounded by snacks that he brought to try and make it up to Menma.

"If Menma was homophobic I'd kick him in his tiny dick, don't make such absurd remarks." Sai explained to Suigetsu before rolling his eyes once more and patting Kankuro's back while he pouted like a child. "There, there, you..."

"Hm, so you're both taken is what I'm understanding? Tsk, that's a shame." Suigetsu pouted before turning to Sai. "What about you?"

"Me?" Sai asked before responding promptly. "I'm bisexual but I have a girlfriend who is also the same."

"Ah, I see. Would you two be into threesomes?" Suigetsu asked as they both looked at him. 

Kankuro and Sai then glanced at each other in confusion as Suigetsu smiled at them as he was genuinely serious about that in every way possible.

"Um, maybe we should start with a handshake and introduction." Sai replied while him and Kankuro outstretched their hands.

"I'm Sai."

"I'm Kankuro."

"Nice to meet you both. Once again, I'm Suigetsu, so when can we eat the snacks and talk about that threesome?" He beamed as the two once again shared a look and shrugged it off as him just being overly friendly, if you can even call it that.

"We can eat. But let's leave the threesome off the table, shall we." Sai replied.

"Alright, I'm fine with that."

"You'd have to be because that's where it would end." Sai replied as he helped pick up more of the snacks and offered some to Suigetsu.

Eventually they sat down but Kankuro didn't feel right about Menma leaving so he left Sai and Suigetsu to continue having their lunch in peace while he went off to go and look for his best friend. He couldn't confess the whole situation to him, but that still didn't stop him from trying to make things up to him.

"Hm, are you certain those two are just best friends? They don't seem very friendly to me." Suigestsu asked once Kankuro had left.

"They are, trust me." Sai assured him. "The two of them do everything together and have been inseparable since we started high school."

"You don't say!" Suigetsu beamed, finding that hard to believe. "You must've known them for a long time now then, huh."

"Yeah, we're all buddies with the student president himself too. So it's a pretty big deal kind of friendship." He boasted which made Suigestsu chuckle.

"I can tell. Please tell me more about this big deal kind of friendship, ha." He asked as he took up another snack and indulged in it while Sai began one of his favorite hobbies ever since started dating Ino, non-stop talking.

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