Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Year of Change ❯ Chapter 4, Part 1 ( Chapter 15 )

Disclaimer: Naruto, and its cast, does not belong to me. The story on the other hand, does. Should you chose to take it and claim it as your own work, I will find you and tickle you to death.

 

Chapter Four, Part 1: Moving on

 

“Oi, Sabaku. You got some mail.” The guard said as he slide a package through the bars of the cell. The brown haired man on the bottom bed look at the guard before reaching up to take the parcel. It had already been opened for inspection by whoever it was that was in charge of that type of thing. Not that anyone would have seem him anything of that nature.

He turned it over in his hands to see who the sender was and froze.

 T,  K, & G Sabaku
4132 Oak Ave Apt #334
Leaf Village…

Temari, Kankuro and Gaara? His kids? Without another moments thought he ripped open the parcel and looked at the thick envelope and DVD case. There was a small sticky note on the envelope.

“Dear Dad,
   Our “letters” are on the DVD and the pictures are all within the last year. We'll try to visit this year after Gaara graduates High School.
          &nb sp;                         &nb sp;                         &nb sp;                         &nb sp;  ~Tamari”

Blinking, he picked up the envelope and sorted through the picutes. There was one of Kankuro and Gaara sitting in a room full of boxes watching the TV on the other side of the room. Flipping the picture over, he saw a comment in Tamari's neat handwriting: The boys working hard at unpacking. He chuckled and kept going through the pictures. There were tons of pictures of all his kids, some of them at work, some at home and few of Gaara at school. There were a bunch of group pictures, a few single shots and two of Gaara's school photos. One was the normal start of the year portrait while the other was what looked like a homecoming picture of him and a pinked haired girl. There were a few with him and another boy that was labeled `Naruto' on the back of the pictures.

He went through the pictured three more times before setting them to the side. He looked at the DVD case and opened it. A normal DVD was inside with no label. He stood and waved to one of the guards to see if he could get the TV later that day.  It boggled him a little that they would contact him after so long and after what he did. Not that he didn't feel sorry for it. Once he'd been sentence and forced to she a pycologiest, the reality of everything sunk in and feel into a such a state of depression that they had to put him on medication for a few years. He'd wanted to contact his kids and tell them how sorry he was, but contact was forbidden till they were all 18. Gaara, he knew, would be turning 18 this summer.

The rest of the day went as normal for him, save he had pictures of his kids to show to some of the other inmates. He had never been a bragger of his kids, but after getting the package he sure felt like one. In the afternoon when he was scheduled to use the TV, he felt overly excited like a kid on his first trip to the Disney world. There were guards there to make sure he didn't do anything, but he didn't mind. It wasn't like his kids would send him anything he couldn't watch. His little girl was too smart for that.

 

The TV flashed a white color before a close up view of a hand was covering the lens.

“Hey, the red light is on. I think you got it Tamari.” A male voice said.

The owner of the hand backed away from the camera and moved to sit on a sofa that was occupied by two others. Tamari sat on the far left with her hands politely on her crossed legs. Kankuro was leaning forward till his elbows were resting on his knees on the right side of the sofa. Sitting between them was Gaara who was leaning back into the sofa with his arms crossed over his chest. Tamari was the spitting image of her mother while Kankuro looked just like him. Gaara was a mix of the two, although it looked like he's gotten his Grandfather's red hair.

“Hi Daddy.” Tamari said in a chipper voice. “Long time no talk, eh? Sorry we haven't sent you any word about us, but it's been really busy until recently. Anyway, we all have our own letters to give you, but we won't be going back over the tape to change anything or see what the other said. It's all for your ears only. We'll also be showing you some other stuff. Enjoy.”

Tamari got back up to turn the camera off and the close up of her body was replaced with a different.

“Stupid piece of crap.” The new person said. “Why couldn't she get something easier to use? Oh, wait…” Kankuro's face suddenly came into view. He looked into the camera for a moment. “This is my comedy show… Join me?” Kankuro said with a grin before moving to take a seat on his bed.

“Hey dad.” He waved. “So this is our room, Tamari and I. Gaara has his own. We couldn't afforded to get a place with three rooms so we got a master with a spare bedroom. Gaara has too many books to share a room with, so Sis and I bunk. Hopefully we can get a new place in the fall and not share anymore. Anyway…”

Kankuro went on to talk about his job. He'd actually managed to land a job at a Muppet studio after working at a Day Care for so long. It turned out that people were wanted to bring back that art and he was very happy to be part of the team. Kankuro told him that if he watched the show what Muppets were his and was happy to announce that they were going to add one of his own original character to the story. After wards he would drive to the local hospital and entertain the patients there. It was something that made him feel good and he enjoyed it a lot.

“That's all I really have right now. We plan to come down this summer an see you once Gaara get's out of school. Gaara is looking at some colleges out there and coming to see you was his idea. `Since we'll be in the area' were his words. So we'll see you then.”

Kankuro smiled at him before standing up to shut off the camera. There was a black screen for a moment before it turned on again. This time Tamari was moving away, dressed in a bathroom. She yawned and rubbed her eyes before getting comfortable in the sofa he had seen before.

“You'll have to forgive me, Daddy. This is the only time I get the house to myself and Kankuro and Gaara keep trying to spy on me when I try to do this. Kankuro is work and Gaara went to school not to long ago.” She covered up a yawn again before taking a sip of coffee. “Things are good here. Really good. Gaara's made so much improvement. It's almost like he's a new person. Moving out here was a good idea. I wish you could see it here. It's so… green. The sky is beautiful as well. Sometimes at night I go up on the roof and look at the stars. It's also cold. We just finished our first winter here and I learned I don't care much for snow…” She talked about her job working night classes as a space science professor and a tutor part-time. She enjoyed helping people, which seemed be a reoccurring theme with his kids.

She was also seeing someone, but who it was a secret from her brothers. For now anyway. She liked him. She's met him in a tutor session but found out that he didn't lack understanding, but motivation. He's started it by asking that if he passes all his classes that semester with a 4.0 if she would go out to dinner with him. She'd agreed, not thinking he would do it, but he'd shown up later with a report card showing a GPA of 4.0. Chest had proven to be a source of entertainment for both of them, although he normally won.

 

“Heh, I'm babbling now, aren't I?” She blushed. “Anyway, I'll stop for now and pass the camera one. See you later, Daddy.” She turned off the camera.

 

It turned on a second later to the view of a pair of eyes that looked like they did see much sleep. Gaara placed the recorder on something, his hand wavering on the sides to make sure it did fall before moving back to sit on his bed. As Kankuro has stated earlier, there were books on books in his room. He had enough build a little fort. From what he could see, there was a wide range. “Moby Dick” sat on top of “Emma” which sat on top of “Beginners guild to quantum physics.” Gaara himself looked tired, if the dark circles under his eyes were any indication, but his eyes looked sharp and focused.

 

“This… was my therapist idea.” He started. “He said that to help me get over the past the I needed to let it go. What happened with my uncle… I don't think I can get over that…”

 

He looked away from the camera for a moment. Sabaku eyes narrowed for a moment. What was he talking about?

 

Gaara looked at the camera. “But with you I can. I can kind of understand how you would feel if you lost someone you really love. Besides, you were… sick.” Gaara signed, his eyes closed again. His fingers thumped on his knees for a moment. “I don't know what to say really. School is ok. I have some friends now. Good Friends. Naruto, this kids that lives across the way, and I hang out a lot. He's very determined. He wants to go to Serial A, a soccer competition. I also have a girl friend. She's very understanding and kind. Smart too. There's this one kid at school that I have problems with. He has a complex about being the best. I think he's… I donno.” He looked up at the camera. “If I said he was dangerous, that would just be dramatic, but he's really just spoiled. He put a picture of you on the floor after that… incident at the foster place. Everyone thinks I killed you, but I don't really see the point in trying to talk them out of it since I know they won't believe me. I've already got an idea of what to do with him anyway.” He sighed and leaned back and looked around the room. “I don't know what else to say really. I don't really have anything gong on like others. I'll send it for now and see you this summer.” He got up and turned off the recorder.

 

The vision of Gaara was replaced by the sudden view of a pair of bright blue eyes. “This thing is way better then one that we have.”

 

“Did you just turn it on?” Came Gaara's voice.

 

“Errr… I think so… Yeah, the little light is on.” The camera back up a little and Sabaku saw the face of the blond boy from the photos. The image changed as it landed on Gaara who was sitting on the sofa with a pizza on a paper plate and a can of soda on the coffee table in front of him. The TV was blaring on from somewhere.

 

“Don't keep it on too long. The video in it is a family project.”

 

“I won't.” Came Naruto's voice. “Let me check out the zoom and then I'll turn it off.” The camera swirled and then bobbed as the Naruto walked over to the window. The camera zoomed in on a car that had just pulled into the parking lot. A blond woman stepped out of it. Zooming in, the person turned out to be Temari.

 

“Hey, your sister is home.”

 

There was a grunt reply from off screen as the camera zoomed in farther. Another person got out of the car. A youth with dark grey/brown hair in a high spiky pony tail. They talked for a moment before he leaned in to kiss her. She returned the kiss, placing a hand on the back of his head.

 

“Hey, did you ever find out who your sister was dating?” Came Naruto's voice.

 

“No, why?”

 

“I think she's dating Shikamaru.”

 

There was a silence as the camera stayed on the two who were still enthralled with each other. “Why do you say that?”

 

“Because I am watching him kiss her.”

 

There was the sudden stomping sound of feet and then the window opened. Gaara's hand came into view as he leaned out the window.

 

“GET YOUR HANDS OFF MY SISTER!” Gaara yelled down at the pair. They jumped apart looking up at them.

 

“You're on Koniha Camera!” Naruto yelled at them, breaking into fits of laughter afterwards.

 

“You turn that off! We're getting that off the tape!”

 

There was more laughter and then the camera turned off. There was a flick and then he was traveling down a hallway. Walking through a door, Sabaru saw a younger girl with pink hair sitting at a desk deeply engrossed in a book. She was wearing a bright red shirt with white trimming and a black pair of jeans. After a few minutes she looked over at him.

 

She frowned and blushed. “What are you doing?”

 

“Showing off.” Gaara said.

 

“I thought your sister hid that.”

 

“She still thinks I won't look over the stove for stuff.” Gaara chuckled. The camera shifted as Gaara moved to sit in the empty seat next to her. She turned and tried to cover her face up.

 

“This is embarrassing.”

 

“So?”

 

“Give me that.” She reached forward and grabbed the camera from him. It was now pointing at Gaara was looking at it. “How do you like it now?”

 

“I donno. What did you want to do with it?” He wiggled his eyes at her suggestively and had an eraser tossed at him.

 

“Perv.”

 

“You're one to talk.”

 

“Excuse me?” Her dignified voice replied.

 

“I don't keep a box of porn under my bed like you. Yaoi to be exact.”

 

“When did you find that?!”

 

“Not telling.” He said. “Give me that. It's got the video we are sending to my dad in it.” He reached out a hand for it.

 

“We're erasing this!”

 

The camera was suddenly moving all over the place as the two fought over the camera. There was some laughter from Gaara and shrieking from the girl as the battle went on. Again the camera turned off.

 

“Cute kids you have there. You're time is up. You can see the rest tomorrow.” The Guard said as he leaned forward to take the disk out of the player. He sighed and stood up. They escorted him out of the room and back down the hall to his cell. Today was a wonderful day.

 

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

 

“Ugh, you two are so mopy.” Kiba said to Hinata and Gaara. “It's not like they aren't going to come back you know. What is it? Another week? You should be happy that they went to the championships.”

 

Gaara glared at him. Unlike other schools, when this school did sports, they went all the way and did it all at once rather then prolong matches with other schools. It was moving into the third week and he was missing Sakura something dreadful. Hinata was in the same boat. Sitting near them was like sitting near a storm cloud. Gaara suppose that if had bothered to get a cell phone he could at least call Sakura like Hinata did, but he wasn't sure if that would make the loneliness any better or worse.

 

“At least they are coming back next week.” Choji said. “That's something to look forward to, right?”

 

“Hopefully Sakura didn't break any bones this year in the marital arts competition like last year.” Kiba said.

 

“Sakura? I'd be more worried about Lee. Let's hope he didn't take the training weights off. Last time he did that they almost banned him.” Shino said.

 

“Seems like it's taking forever for them to come back.” Hinata said. Gaara agreed with her. He would have to check out some books from the library or something to distract him. Although that was proving to be difficult. Maybe he should study for the finals…

 

Finals.

 

A thought suddenly hit him. Finals. Finals were very close. After that would be college… but first the finals. He didn't have any doubt that he would pass… but…

 

“I need to go.” He said, standing up.

 

“Where are you off to?” Kiba asked.

 

“I want to talk to a teacher about an extra credit assignment.”

 

Kiba grunted. “As if you need it.” Gaara gave them a quick smile before leaving the cafeteria. He was stopped by a teacher on the way out, but hearing his request he let him through. Gaara knew where he wanted to go and didn't waste any time getting there.

 

Carefully he knocked on the door to the music room. There was moment before Mrs. Yuhi opened it. She smiled at him. “Hello Gaara. What Can I do for you?”

 

“I was wondering about my request. If you heard anything about it?”

 

She looked at him for a moment before stepping to the side. “Come inside and lets talk about it.”

 

0o0o0o0o0o0

 

I apologize for the extremely late update. I've had a lot going on here and been very busy.

 

No, Gaara's dad isn't dead. At no point did I state that, although it may have been strongly hinted. I wasn't sure what to do with him till this chapter anyway. I figured it would be good to bring him in for just a short bit.

 

Anyhow, the end of the chapter is near. Four more chapters. I hope you all enjoyed this.