Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Year of Change ❯ Chapter2, Part 3 ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the coolness that goes with it. I just write fanfiction for it in hopes that it can live up to the awesomeness of the actual thing. That being said, everything else is mine. I am not making any money from this nor am I trying to rip anyone off. Tis for pure enjoyment only.

 

Chapter 2, Part Three: The Plot Thickens

 

 

Karin looked up at Sasuke with adoration. She had worked hard to do this for him and she hoped that he would be pleased with her efforts. She sat on her knees in front of him on her knees while resting her forearms on his knees. His eyes were moving over the paper she had worked so hard to gather for him. What she had brought him at the start of the school year hadn't really been anything for him. But this… this was big. She knew that he would be able to use this… and he would be so pleased with her.

 

It wasn't what the school assessment had said that had tipped her off to look for this delicious bit of information. Rather what it didn't say. Medical history withheld at the request of his guardians. And there was nothing in the world that she couldn't find out, it was just a little tricky getting her hands on it now and then. This particular bit of information had been difficult to get, but well worth it.

 

“Are you sure that this is all true?” He looked down at her. “Absolutely sure?”

 

She nodded eagerly at him. “I'm positive. I took it straight from the doctor's personal database.”

 

Sasuke looked at the paper again, this time with a more thoughtful look on his face.

 

“So, what are you going to do?” A white haired boy leaning against the wall said. “I haven't seen you this riled up since you were competing with Naruto in our sophomore year… only you didn't do well with that, did you?”

 

Sasuke glared at the other youth, who grimaced a little before turning his head away. Looking back at the bits of paper, Sasuke permitted a slow grin to cross his face.

 

“This is going to be fun.”

 

0o0o0o0o0

 

Sakura yawned and put the book that they had been going over to one side.

 

“Tired?” Gaara set aside his own book, his eyes watching her curiously.

 

They'd come up to the roof of their apartment to study; Sakura's idea. With the mid-terms coming up right after the Chirstmas break, she had suggested that start working on it now while they had time.Both of them had brought their books, but Gaara had thought a head to bring a few blankets with them. The sun was still up when they had come up a little after getting home from school, and now it was too dark for either of them read the book.

 

“A little. I was up late last night.” She crawled over to him and curled herself into him, resting her head on his chest. He moved his legs on either side of her and softly wrapped his arms around her. “Aren't you tired?”

 

“Sometimes.”

 

She lifted her head up at him. Her eyes looked amused. “Sometimes?”

 

“Sometimes.” He said again.

 

Sakura looked at him for a moment longer before resting her head on his chest again. He moved his head to rest his chin on top of her head. He tilted his eyes up to look at the sky.

 

“What are you going to do when school is out? Go to college?”

 

“I think asking all those study questions has put you in a curious mood.” He `oof'ed when she poked him in the stomach.

 

“Don't avoid the question.”

 

He was silent for a while. “I don't know. Haven't really thought about it. What about you?”

 

“I want to be a doctor.” She said automatically. “My parents want me to pursue something else, because medically school is really expensive, but I'll waitress tables if I have to.”

 

Gaara had a brief image pop into his head. Sakura in a little waitress outfit, someone grouping her and then them flying out the window. “I don't think you are cut out for being a waitress.”

 

“Well, we'll find out in the spring, won't we?”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“We have the job assessment exams then. They are suppose to tell you what you would be really good at and what not. I've seen some students get picked up right after they graduate.” She looked up at him again. “Didn't you know?”

 

Gaara frowned. “No, they didn't mention that when I registered.”

 

“Well… you should be allowed to take it. Not that I think you'll have a problem getting into any college with your grades. Besides, the test is required for all the- You're not listening to me.” She gave him a small mock glare.

 

He blinked at her. “Course I am.”

 

“You're staring at my mouth.”

 

“It's a pretty mouth.”

 

“Un-hun…” She lifted herself up a little higher to give him a small kiss on the mouth before settling down again. They were silent for a long time, the sky slowly becoming darker and darker and the stars started to come out one by one. Gaara watched as a play high up in the air fly by, its small lights blinking. He liked this simple content he was feeling.

 

Never had he ever imagine that he would be like this. If anyone had ever told him that this is what he would be doing, he would have laughed. Amused that anyone would have let him back out into normal society again. Thinking back on it… Gaara considered himself lucky to be here at all, and even luckier to have what he had.

 

“I think…” He said after a moment. “I think I was to do something… useful. I don't want to do something that doesn't have any meaning behind it. When I'm old, I want to be able to look back on my life and feel like I was actually able to do something then simply getting by.”

 

He waited for her to say something.

 

“Sakura?”

 

Gaara tilted his head a little bit to try and see her face. She murmured a little bit and repositioned herself against him slightly. She had fallen asleep.

 

“You're not listening to me.” A small smile touched his lips. He pulled the blanket closer around them and rested his chin on the top of her head. Her body was a comfortable weight against his and her breath was warm on his chest.

 

0o0o0o0o0

 

He had been right.

 

That woman had been up to something.

 

Although he had worried about a little, he hadn't really put any actual thought into what it would be that she was do.. Looking back on as he walked down the hallway… he should have expected this from the start. He opened the door to the music room and was greeted from looks of both puzzlement and curiosity.

 

Mrs. Yuhi gave him a bright smile and beckoned him forward. Standing next to her, Hinata looked liked the first he had see her; nervous and unsure. The whole room was filled with the school chorus class, all of them sitting on their benches. He felt like he was on some display at a zoo. Gaara walked over to the teacher and handed her the note that had been brought to him by one of the office aids.

 

“I'm glade you could make it.” Mrs Yuhi smiled at him brightly. She was standing next to the piano, although there was someone that he didn't know sitting there instead of her. “We should be able to get a good practice in before the concert.”

 

He blinked. “The what?”

 

“The concert for the school. Tomorrow. I thought it would be a good idea to get you two in here to practice with everyone else just so we can work out the kinks…” She kept on talking, but Gaara wasn't listening anymore. His mind had gone somewhat numb and he now understood the look on Hinata's face.

 

She was completely terrified.

 

And now he was to.

 

“No.”

 

The teacher stopped talking and gave him a look. “No?”

 

“No. You didn't say anything to either of us about a concert or…” He heard some giggles and chuckles from the other students and felt his face flush.

 

Mrs. Yuhi walked over to him and realized for the first time that she was actually taller then him. She leaned down a little bit so their eyes met. “You two will only being singing two solos.”

 

They stared at each other for a moment longer before she held up the sheet music. His flicked over to Hinata and saw that she was already holding her own copy. He gave the paper a dirty look and took it, telling himself that he was only sticking around so Hinata wouldn't have to sing alone.

 

“Perfect. Now you two stand here…” She ushered the two of them in the center area. “… and it will be just like practice.”

 

Sadly… it was not just like practice. Hinata had a sudden self conscious attack and lost her volume. The teacher kept asking her to sing louder and she Hinata was almost to the point of tears when the teacher called for a lunch break. The rest of the students walked out while the two of them took a seat on the now vacant benches. The teacher and the pianist had also stepped out of the room for a moment, leaving the two of them alone. Hinata sniffed and pretended that she wasn't crying, although it didn't help that the tears were still running down her face. Not sure what to do, Gaara reached over and held her hand.

 

“She got us.” He said after a moment.

 

She let out something between a laugh and a sob. “She got us good.”

 

He let go of her hand to pick up the sheet music again. Opening it, Gaara read the words to the song again. Actually reading them, not just flicking his eyes over them.

 

We were strangers starting out on our journey
Never dreaming what we'd have to go through
Now here we are and I'm suddenly standing
At the beginning with you

No one told me I was going to find you
Unexpected what you did to my heart
When I lost hope you were there to remind me
This is the start

(chorus)
And Life is a road and I want to keep going
Love is a river I want to keep flowing
Life is a road now and forever
A Wonderful journey

I'll be there when the world stops turning
I'll be there when the storm is through
In the end I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you

We were strangers on a crazy adventure
Never dreaming how our dreams would come true
Now here we stand unafraid of the future
At the beginning with you

(chorus)

I knew there was somebody somewhere
Like me alone in the dark
I know that my dream will live on
I've been waiting so long
Nothing's gonna tear us apart

(chorus)

In the end I wanna be standing at the beginning with you

 

An image popped into his head after reading the words. Him and Sakura sitting on the roof, her sleeping in his arms and him holding her. It gave him an idea.

 

“Pretend…” He said slowly. “Pretend you are singing for Naruto.” He held the music up. “You have all this memorized, right?”

 

She nodded.

 

“Well… close your eyes and pretend that you just singing for him. Just him.”

 

“I don't know…” She started to play with her fingers again. “It's kind of hard to do with a whole room of people…”

 

“If you can pretend he's a good mini golf player, then you can pretend it's just you two in a room.”

 

That got a small giggle out of her. Hinata wiped her eyes one last time before sitting straight in her chair, her eyes closed. She took a few deep breaths, letting them out slowly. When she opened them, she looked better. Less scared.

“You think if I mess up, he'll take me out for ice cream?” She asked in good humor.

 

“I think if you mess up, he'll jump up on the stage and make a fool of himself so no one notices.” It was really easy for him to imagine. He could see it happen in his head… Hinata would mess up, get all flustered and off pace… people in the audience would start to wonder what was going and then Naruto would burst on to the stage, strike a few poses and then run off into the night.

 

She smiled, “He would too.” Hinata looked determined suddenly. “I'll try my best.”

 

When the rest of the students came back in, Hinata was looking much better and even he was feeling a little better.

 

“Alright you two…” Mrs. Yuhi held up her hands, signally all of them to stand up. “Let's see if we can do better.”

 

AN:

 

I'm sorry this is shorter then what I normally do. It has just been really difficult to write the last two days. I really wanted to do it today, but wasn't able to because a promise I made to someone to help them with something. Plus, Gaara and I had a mental argument about something that happens later on in the story. Go figure. Anyhow, it's sorted out now. Onward!!

 

If there are any errors in this, please let me know so I can go and fix them right away.