The Lost Uzumaki (Kakashi x OC)

Chapter Nine- Secrets and Sunshine

Team Seven had been invited by Mei to a day on the beach. It was an effort to calm nerves and give the team a break from all their hard work. After all, the final phase of the exams were just a day away. She was unsure if Kakashi would join or not, she couldn't remember if he ever went to the beach. Sasuke took some convincing, and Naruto mentioned weird and distant behavior coming from him lately. She figured it had something to do with the curse. Regardless, she wasn't going to push or question anything. Today was about relaxing, and enjoying time together outside of missions.

Naruto had constantly been up before Meilani lately. While he's indeed training from sunrise to past sunset, he's also doing it to get Mei to sleep on the bed instead of their couch. He would sneak in naps on the bed when she's out on a mission or running errands. He figured it's the least he could do until the two finally moved into the more spacious, two-bedroom apartment she found for them.
"Anybody want a soda?" Sakura offered, opening the cooler with chilled refreshments. Today she allowed her hair to be free of any hair band, and wore a red two piece.
"Over here, please. Hey Sasuke," Naruto, wearing orange swim trunks, sat up from his spot between Sakura and Meilani. "Bet I can drink my soda faster than you can finish yours."
"Won't you grow up?" Sasuke rolled his eyes. He sat in his black swim trunks halfway under an umbrella on Mei's right. His elbows rested upon his knees as he watched the waves. "We're about to become Chunin."
Naruto face turned hot. "So? Doesn't mean we can't have fun."
"This is a waste of time." He muttered.
"Boys," Meilani called tiredly. She had lost track of how many times she has stopped name calling and head-butting. How Kakashi did it nearly every day, she had no clue. "Cut it out. We were almost at 20 minutes of peace."
"Why don't we play some volleyball?" Sakura offered.
"No thanks." Sasuke looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here.
"I'll play, Sakura!"
"You two go ahead, I'm still tanning. And take it easy, Naruto. You just got out of the hospital."
Sakura and Naruto walked a little ways ahead before the pink haired Kunoichi set rules in place. Mei shifted her head to the left slightly, watching their game begin before shifting it back and closing her eyes.

Usually, she would have chosen a purple or maybe black swimsuit. Today she chose a two-piece orange bikini that was a shade brighter than Naruto's trunks. Her blue cover up skirt had been discarded to her side before she started tanning.
"You don't have to stay." Sasuke looked over at a content Mei, her curls lying flat beside her.
"I'm serious, I need to flip over in 5 minutes."
He remained quiet, listening to the ocean waves crash. They seemed louder today, loud enough to block out most of Naruto's yelling.
"Meilani-sensei?"
"You can call me Mei, Sasuke."
"Mei, can I ask you something?"
"Of course." Her head moved to the right to face him, yet he continued to watch the waves.
"How are you..... Not filled with hate?" His voice was low. And at the sound of Naruto and Sakura laughing nearby, his fist clenched. Mei waited patiently, listening to the waves before he continued.
"Itachi almost killed you, too. Doesn't that anger you?"
"I was angry." She admitted, brows knitting together. "I felt, rage and embarrassment. Not to mention betrayal. Honestly I felt like the world's biggest dumbass."

His gaze flickered to her side profile as Mei snorted to herself. "Well, I did. Weeks of training from dawn to dusk with him and I was clueless. Anyway, I couldn't just, demand the Hokage to let me take vengeance. Not only did I almost lose my life, Naruto almost lost the only person left that was willing to care for him. It wasn't time for vengeance.
"Plus, if I were to have held onto that anger for years on end, I would have lost myself." She smiled gently. Lifting herself up to her elbows, Mei leaned her head towards him. "You know, despite the Sharingan, you have your mom's eyes."
His eyes widened, finally looking at her. "I do?"
"I see a little bit of her every time I see them." Mei nodded with a beaming smile. "You know, the hardest thing about afterwards wasn't even the scar," she pointed to the left side of her stomach, between her 3rd and 4th rib. "It was the Hokage telling me I couldn't adopt you, and raise you and Naruto together. Stubborn old man thought two toddlers would be too much for 12 year old me." She flipped her hair from the right to the left. "He might've been onto something, you two butt heads so much I don't even feel like stopping you two sometimes."
A quick exhale escaped through Sasuke's nose. It almost resembled a chuckle.
"It's been 5 minutes." Sasuke reminded.
"Oop, thanks." She laid on her stomach, the left side of her face on the towel under her. "So why were you three following your sensei and that performer last week?"
"You didn't hear?" Sasuke turned his head to look at Meilani, but froze. His head snapped away, and he angled his body so that his back was to her. "She was a spy trying to infiltrate the Leaf, and gather information."
"What the hell?"
Sasuke gave a confirming nod. "The Leaf offered to trade her in exchange for one of our Shinobi being held hostage. The deal went bad, but we got them back."
"How do you mean?"
"She ran, and Kakashi-sensei went after her. When we caught up to him, she had already jumped off the cliff."
Meilani pushed her torso up with her arms, her head snapping towards Sasuke.
"She fucking did wha-"
"MEILANI!" Naruto screeched, grabbing his hair before running to his sister. Sakura watched him perplexed, forgetting about the ball plunging towards her head.
"Wha- HEY!" Mei slapped her brothers hands away as he covered her butt with the discarded wrap. "What the hell, twerp?!"
"Don't call me a twerp! What the hell are you wearing?"
"A bikini, you weirdo." Mei shoved the blue fabric off of her.
"With all due respect, Mei," Sasuke made sure to only look at her eyes. "I've already caught 4 perverts staring at you since you've laid on your stomach."
"To hell with the pervs, I need an even tan." She laid back down, her inner eyebrows scrunched towards her nose. "And don't ever talk to me or anyone like that again, Naruto. I can wear what I damn well please."
She was thankful that it was a warmer day to blame for her reddening face. Mei didn't have the intention of showing off her natural curves. But it was as Lady Tsunade would tell her, it was not her place to question the blessings the heavens give her.
"I'm sorry, Mei." Naruto scratched the back of his head. "I just don't want any pervs to-"
"Sakura!" Sasuke yelled.