Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Boy In The Closet ❯ Planting the Seed of Betrayel ( Chapter 8 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

A.N: Thank you for the reviews. I really should have put this in on Sunday but I was having some kind of bad day.


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If there was one thing Gaara knew about, it was how to annoy people. He had more than enough private lessons from his brother whenever he did things to him on a daily basis. He could remember this one time when Kankuro, took his homework in the middle of the night, changing all the answers he had written down causing him to get a bad mark on it. Gaara often struggled in history and he was so proud of himself when his uncle/nanny checked the work over for him and told him that he did a very good job. He knew it was all correct and then to get the sheet back to find out about the deceit.... His father didn't believe him, he just told him to stop being a liar and that he should learn to ask for help when he needs it. Since then Gaara used pen and locked anything important in his toy chest, wearing the key around his leg so it wouldn't be easily noticed. Even the runt of the pack can learn how to get around the big dogs when the time is needed.

The young boy is now standing behind Sasuke at the kitchen table while the hodge podge family does their homework together. The first boy he unformally met, Lee, came downstairs after he cleaned his face from tears. Gaara felt somewhat bad for him, but not much since he had to go through the same thing with his brothers but unlike Lee he never once shed a tear- if he could help it. Lee seems to be struggling with his work a bit, constantly scratching his head in contemplation, or biting the end of his pencil. The ghost child could spot someone with mediocre grades. Like this one kid he knew at school, Naruto. That brat was always peeking at his papers when they were in class- when he wasn't throwing wads of paper at him. But still..... he wondered if anyone missed him? It may have been negative but attention is attention. Does anyone at school notice that he's gone? Teachers? Those boys that cruise you without letting you know. Did they ever notice him at all aside from picking on him, and calling him names. He liked to think he had at least one friend but even that boy called him by that stupid nickname the before mentioned blond child made up for him, Sandman.

They called him that because of his sleeping disorder. His father told the school about it and somehow word got out. Not to mention its beyond hard to hide the sleep deprivation around his eyes. The rings are so heavy he looks like a panda bear with red hair!

"I'm stuck." He said in defeat.

Sasuke and Neji turned their attention in their middle brothers direction. They're sitting beside each other at the table while Lee is at the head.

"Neji, do you think you could give me a hand with this?" He asked shyly.

Looking rather displeased to have to stop his steady progress to help someone else with their work, he extends a hand. "Slide it over."

Smirking, Gaara leaned through Sasuke; a trick he's getting a little better at, but he's uncertain of walls still feeling as though he'll get stuck within them. But with people they tend to move on their own so there wasn't much of a risk. When the math sheet slid over to the older Hatake, Gaara gave it a bit more of a shove then Lee had sending the paper twirling to the floor. Neji made a sound of annoyance, before leaning over to pick it up.

"Sorry." Lee dipped his head then sat quietly waiting for the explanation that didn't come.

Instead, Neji seemed to take out a sheet of blank paper that he then scribbled on. Sasuke looked over at what Neji was doing. He seemed to be solving all the problems by writing out the work, but he left the answers blank. Once done, he slid the papers over to Lee.

"That should help you." He said before returning to the last sheet of his homework.

Lee started to say something, but then he took it back changing it to a, "Thank you."

Balling his fist, Gaara scowled. His brother never would have helped him, period. Even if it were done in a rude way, he still would have at least liked the offering. Oh he is gonna enjoy destroying this family. But what else can he do? Spotting Lee's legs under the table, he notices that he's swinging them a bit. Stepping over to where he's sitting, Gaara sits down on the boys lap knowing it wouldn't make the difference to be blunt about his movements, though when doing this, he completely missed Lee raising his large brows in question. Swinging his own leg out, he channeled his anger into one solid kick.

Sasuke looked down at the legs of the chair that have been kicked to a croocked angle. "Watch it." He warned.

"Huh?"

"You kicked my seat."

"I didn't feel anything."

"Well, you did. And even if it was on accident, you should be more careful."

"I will. Sorry."

Sasuke then shrugged the whole conversation off. Lee stopped his feet from moving, though, he was sure that he didn't kick Sasuke's chair, it was better to be safe than sorry. Gaara swung his leg back letting the youngest child have it again. But this time Sasuke was a bit more angry since his pen went sliding across his paper, leaving a long black line.

"Damnit Lee!"

"I didn't do it!" He defended quickly.

Sasuke balled his fist in frustration before shaking it off. "Never mind, I'm going upstairs." Gathering his papers and drink, he walks out of the kitchen.

Seeing his older brother cleaning up his space as well; Lee decides to protest. "Neji, don't go too. I didn't kick Sasuke's seat.... It must have been the ghost."

"Being immature enough to kick a chair is one thing, but then you're blaming it on nobody is just sad." Stuffing his things into his backpack, he adds. "And I wasn't leaving because of that, my homework is done and I'd like to read a little before dinner." He walks out of the kitchen with nothing more then a spared glance over his shoulder at an abandoned child.

Happy with his progress, Gaara switched seats to where Sasuke was sitting. Again Lee looked around as though he sensed something. That made the invisible child narrow his eyes. "Don't bother, you can't see me."

"It's you again, isn't it?" He speaks to the air. "You're trying to get me into trouble for some reason. Aren't you?"

Gaara didn't answer, especially because Lee was looking this way and that, clearly unaware if he's talking to someone or not. That lead him to wonder if living people could see him, if he allowed it. Then he could haunt this boy, and get him shunned by his family. He started to concentrate all of his spiritual energy on making himself a visible image but he was startled to a stop when the front door opened and a loud jovial voice came booming in.

"Your favorite parent has returned!!" Announced Gai.

"I'm in the kitchen, otousan!!" Calls Lee. Turning his head in the wrong direction he says to Gaara. "My Dad will believe me about you and when he finds out he'll see to it that you're dispelled from the house by a priest."

Gaara's impassive face scrunched. "You'll never get me out of this house. It's mine." He wasn't sure if Lee heard him since he was already leaving the table to go see his father. Gaara could hear the two of them hugging and speaking in the living room. He wondered if Lee's family really could get him exorsized from the house. How would that be fair when it belongs to him. The living have no respect for the dead.

"What happened to your eye?" Asks Gai, grabbing his son under the chin to examine his sons face. "Did someone hit you?" Without getting an answer the mans eyes whelled. "If someone is picking on a person as great as my Lee I won't forgive them! And I can't hold back in my need for his justice."

Sasuke walked downstairs to say hello to his Dad, just in time to hear his brother lie.

"No, otousan. I got hit on accident in gym. We were playing basket ball and I got elbowed. But it's fine. I don't feel a thing." He laughed it off.

Sasuke wondered how many lies his brother made up over the months he's been coming to this school, or was today the first bruise? Last time he checked he was in gym class with Lee and they did chin ups and climbing.

"You'll still need some ice on it." He smiled. "I remember the injuries I got during my manly test of strength." He seemed ready to lament, but Lee cut him off.

"Can I help you start dinner?" Asks the middle child.

"Of course you can. Sasuke," he grabs him around the shoulders for a quick hug. "How are you doing this fine evening."

"Good. I'm done with my homework if you wanna look it over." He knew it was all correct but Gai might get a kick out of helping him. He seemed to get excited over those sorts of things.

"If you don't mind me peeking at the work of a genius, then of course. Wanna help Lee and me with dinner."

"Okay."

Gaara walked through the living room in a huff before he wretched all over himself. Lee, again, looked after his departure. He knows the ghost is around, he's giving himself away by jingling as he walks around. And that is how Lee intends to catch him.

Shikamaru flipped open his cell phone. Rolling over onto his stomach for comfort, he thumbs down the list of numbers he has inside until it comes upon his best friend Chouji's. Waiting out the rings, his mouth stretched open for a yawn. He hoped the boy wasn't in the tub, soaking, again while eating a large bag of chips. It wasn't a wonder that the kids in school colorfully nick named him 'porkbelly', Chouji ate like he would die if he wasn't at least holding food in his mouth.

"Hey Shikamaru, what's up?" He replied after six rings. The skinny boy could swear he heard sounds from his friend brushing his hand down the crumbs that were no doubt litering his clothes. "Are you done with the English assignment? Man that language is tough. I should have taken Spanish."

"Never mind that, Chouji. And hurry up brushing yourself off, I can hear the fabric moving and its making static over the phone."

"Sorry 'bout that. So what did you call for?"

"I called because I wanted to ask you about the new kid, Hatake Neji, I think it was."

Chouji laughed a moment. "I saw that kid, he's really good looking, maybe not as much as Ino-..."

Shikamaru groaned loudly into the phone. "I told you I don't wanna hear about her, we grew up together. She's like a sister to me, and you too! How can you be so careless as to fall for one of your best friends."

"It wasn't hard, she really grew up over the summer."

"Haven't noticed." He replied quickly. He's beginning to lose his patients with this call. All he wanted was a quick bit of information to go on for when he sees the egotistical male tomorrow at school. It doesn't hurt to have a leg up on your latest catch. It's no secret, if Neji ever asked, he would find out that amongst lounging and taking things easy as far as trouble went, Shikamaru is somewhat of a slut. "So do you have the info or not?"

"Yeah. Hatake Neji is actually Hyuuga Neji from that one family that lives in Kamakura. His family is the creator of the 'Gentle Palm' he could really kick someone's ass if he needed to. You sure you wanna pursue him?"

"More than ever." He had a smile about his tone.

"Aaalright.... Let's see, his father is on death row for killing his charge. I found that out from the news a couple years back. I don't know how I didn't see the resemblance from his Dad's photo, right away."

"Mm."

"And he's color blind, I found that out from Shino." The boy silenced as he thought. "He's single, obviously, and I'm pretty sure he's never been with anyone period because they're all too afraid of him."

"Neji already gave me the brush off once," sitting up, he stretches a bit. "But how long can he say no."

"Hn. A guy like him, probably as long as he needs to." Comments the chubby child. "He's been adopted by the Hatake family. The guys Lee lives with."

"Lee? They're brothers now?"

"Mm hmm. Him and that other boy Sasuke. The one that started that fight with Kiba."

"That much I know, I was there." He thought for a moment. "So he's living with a gay family, that keeps the door open to which way he might swing."

"Who'd deny you, Shikamaru."

A bit disoriented by that, the boy groans again. "I told you about that too." Ever since they were kids, Chouji has been trying to get into Shikamaru's circle of visitations. But it was never going to happen. Much like the girl mentioned before, Ino, he grew up with Chouji and the thought of sleeping with him was just disgusting.

The boy nick named, butabara, chuckled. "Sorry Shika', anyway. They live in the old Sabakan house. You know where that is right?"

"Yeah, I've never been inside but I went there once with Sabakan Kankuro. So I should be able to find it easily from memory. It's in the Gaijin ward, right?"

"Yeah. Shit-" there was a moment of movement and silence on the chubby childs end before he came back on. "Looks like my mom found out about my gym absences."

Shikamaru laughed at that. Chouji could avoid gym class like the best of 'em. From staging appointments with the guidence counselor to agreeing to help out with any teacher that may need things dropped off, and from there he would tend to loiter until gym class was just nearly over in which he would show up change his clothes, say sorry for being late then go back into the change room and leave.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Chouji."

"Yeah bye." He hung up quickly.

"Hatake Neji, huh?" He drops his weight onto his bed, arms behind his head. He starts drifting off, with plans for tomorrow running through his head. Mostly of the older boy Kankuro whom he met when at the park with Kiba while Akamaru was getting his daily walk. The male was interesting to look at, face painted like an idian ready for war, as he sipped casually from a soda can. When in fact he was watching a bit of chaos that he started with a beehive, a rock, and a couple that was unfortunately picnicing under it. Whatever happened to that family that they would move so all of a sudden?

Dinner went well; Kakashi asked Lee about his black eye before grabbing an ice pack for the boy since it seemed that sporting one without an ounce of comfort was Gai's way of saying, 'how manly'. Then the family sat down and ate their second dinner together only this time they had a bit more to talk about than the rules of the house. Sasuke spoke of the aggitation of his day, Naruto, in which Kakashi said he knew the boy because he came in for hair cuts every three weeks and he plays cards with the boys grandfather, whom is the principal of the school, Jiraiya. Sasuke wasn't happy about the blond already knowing his father, it would make him think he has an instant in with him. True, he did plan to give the boy a chance, after Neji's instruction to let someone in, but he refused to date the simpleton and clearly that's what he's after.

Neji talked about his classes, how he passed a test based only by the shocked look on the teachers face. He also talked about a boy that he might concider bringing home for leisure delight, his name is Shino. He then said that he might have a suiter in another boy named Shikamaru. Lee marveled at how well his brothers were doing in a place he concidered to be a tough place to make friends since he currently has none. The punch in the face from his Dad didn't help when he made the comment of,

"Hmm, two friends. Get yourself five more and you'll have caught up to my Lee." He then broke out into a bit of laughter.

Dessert was delicious strawberry and cheese cake flavored donuts that Kakashi had brought home to them after work. And once all the dishes were in the sink from their stir fry meal; Neji and Kakashi washed the dishes, Sasuke and Gai sat in the kitchen looking over his homework, leaving Lee alone in the living room to watch some random show that he wasn't really paying attention to. Neji's words ran through his head from earlier. Was he the man who used the puppet, or is he the puppet? He could easily beat up anyone from school and own the place with a combat fist, but.... last thing he wanted was to be called a hot-headed loser again. He could somewhat deal with fuzzy brows but.... he would not be that guy that makes friends out of fear.

Raising his head to the sound of jingling, he looked around for where it was mostly coming from. The ghost is in the room with him again. Just as Lee was about to open his mouth, he just turned it into a smile.

That's right Lee, talk to a ghost and get looked at funny when someone comes in and catches you talking to thin air. Looking this way and that, he had to question something though. Being a ghost, I wonder if he gets lonely too? No one can see you, so they don't talk to you... Is he stuck in this house or can he come and go as he likes? It was then that he remembered his tape with the ghost talking on it. He could run upstairs and go get it, bring it back down and let his parents listen to it. They'll believe him, they always do. Well, except for that time he beat up that table of kids at school, but this was something that is undeniable!

Just as Lee stands to leave he feels an abrupt shove at his right side. The unknown assualt staggered him right into the kitchen and right into a pile of stacked plates which caused two of them to slide from the stack to the floor, shattering them. Lee grunted when he hit the floor, cutting his elbow on a piece of glass.

"Ite..." he absently whined from the slight pain that is slowly increasing.

"Nobody move," said Gai, getting up from the kitchen table to grab the broom and dust pan.

"Lee, becareful when you walk." Says Kakashi, helping him from the floor. "Otherwise you'll get another blackeye."

"Sorry." He said lamely. He sure has been apologizing a lot today. "But it wasn't me, it was the ghost. I was walking just fine, because I was going to my room, next thing I know someone shoved me."

"A ghost?" Kakashi cocks a brow.

Neji rolled his eyes knowing what was coming next. What was wrong with this kid? Kakashi had told them Lee was an alright kid, but he has yet to see what's alright about him. If anyone asked him, his new brother is a scatter brain who constantly gets minor injuries do to his muddled behavior. Neji's never known anyone like this but he's read about them in books. Not to mention, he noticed that the boy did some conciderable redecorating to his bedroom when he made his trip back inside the house to get the tape recorder. Is this what's known as middle child syndrom? you have to put on these elaberate shows just to be noticed. Now that he thought about it.... Sasuke said that Lee gets picked on at school. And seeing that he came home late he felt put out by him and Sasuke just because the two of them got home first, which is why he decided to bring up this ghost thing. What a strange boy.

"There's a ghost in this house, Chichioya. Remember the first day we moved in here, we heard a loud scream. I think it was the ghost!" Lee explained in all honesty.

Brushing a hand down the boys side, much like he would brush the hair from someone in his shop, Kakashi chuckled a bit. "True it was an odd yell, it doesn't mean it came from a ghost and sound tends to carry from a direction of where it bounced off from, so whose to say it even came from this house." Lee frowned. "You get a band-aid for that cut."

"But it's true." He insisted.

"Of course its true, when you're having fun with it. But Lee, be realistic; ghost don't exist now do they?"

This was getting him nowhere. He should wait until he's alone with his dad to have a serious talk about it. "No, sir."

"All right, then. Go clean that up." He pats the boy on the shoulder.

Turning slowly, so that he doesn't step on his dad's hand, Lee walked out of the kitchen. His head stayed down all the way to the bathroom where the first aid kit is. He opened the little box that he pulled from under the sink when a thought occured to him.

I once got a spy kit for my birthday. I thought the toys were pretty lame but the night vision goggles really worked! I'll bet if anything can see a ghost it's those! Swiping out a handful of band aids and a small tube of anti-biotic wipes to clean it with, he dashed out of the bathroom and downstairs to the basement. He has some searching to do.