Chapter Nine

Naruto stared down at the package and puzzled over the words written on the small card.

Happy Tenth Birthday Naruto.

He bit his lip- what he couldn't understand was, what had been so happy about that birthday? He barely remembered it; his birthday happened during the Fall Festival- They spent most of the week tormenting him, and Sasuke had taken to tying him up. There was no happiness there- there never had been, and he couldn't understand why Kaori would write such a thing. His eyes narrowed. Unless, she had sent it to mock him- make fun of him, to remind him that his tenth birthday was nothing more than another year living in his own wretched existence.

"What's in there?" Sasuke's voice made him jump, and he looked back at his roommate. Sasuke had been searching the whole compound for hidden scrolls that he believed his relatives might have hidden, and judging by the pale sheen of sweat that lay over his skin, the search had not been pleasant. But the dark-haired boy was good at pretending he wasn't bothered, and instead he stood there with calm eyes, and an empty face. "Is that the present Kaori never gave you?" he asked, his dark eyes falling on the package with interest.

Naruto gave a small shrug. "She mocks me," he muttered, and Sasuke frowned at him before picking up the package and tearing through the plastic. The contents revealed to be a black sweater, thinner of fabric and smaller than he usually wore, with a red swirl on the back. Sasuke tossed it to him but he moved out of the way, and they both watched as it flopped to the wooden floor.

"Oh that's real nice," Sasuke remarked, giving him a flat stare as he leaned down and picked up the sweater, shaking it.

"It's dirty," Naruto replied, moving away, lest the dust and filth get all over him.

"It's brand new Naruto!" Sasuke snapped, then tossed the sweater onto the bed. "The girls' dead for gods' sake! The least you could do is wear the damn thing!" and he stormed out of the room.

Naruto eyed the sweater, then picked it up with his thumb and index finger, and quickly rushed toward the laundry room, but not before dodging into a closet when he spotted Sasuke's mother coming out of a room.

By that evening, he had tentatively put the black sweater on, and had to swallow the bile that rose in his throat as he did so.

-----------

Kakashi stepped through the gates of the compound and shuddered as the cool, almost dead-seeming wind snuck its way through his vest. He had recently reviewed Haruno Sakura's profile after three days of waiting for an Academy student to qualify, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to go through the process of getting acquainted again. It was too soon in his opinion, to introduce a new member three days after the previous one had passed- but he knew that Sasuke would be anxious to get back to training and missions, and Naruto- well, he wasn't sure what Naruto would feel about meeting someone new. But it was his duty to notify his Team of changes, and this would be a big one. The only thing that he was hopeful about was Sakura's more social personality; perhaps his Team wouldn't be so antisocial anymore.

He slipped through the door of the main house, nose crinkling at the sharp cleanser atmosphere, and walked toward the sound of soft plates clattering. He stopped in the doorway of the kitchen and watched as Sasuke polished off the rest of his meal, and Naruto sat across from him, sulking like a five year old unhappy with the meal his mother had made him. Before him was what looked like a bowl of soup, through it had something slightly thick and white floating in it. Every few seconds Sasuke would glance at Naruto with a glare, and in response the blond would would pick up his spoon and sip reluctantly at the soup. The very atmosphere felt heavy with a type of melancholy repetition, there was no talking, or joking, or any emotion between the two that might say that they enjoyed one another's company.

He coughed to get their attention, and Sasuke immediately surged to his feet, hand slipping down and gripping the katana that had been leaning against his chair. His dark eyes were wide with surprise, then alarmed as he turned them to Naruto. The blond was still in his seat, but he was shaking and gripping the spoon so tightly that it was cutting into his skin. The boy's eyes were fluttering widely under his lashes while they settled on him, and his skin turned an alarming shade of white.

"Go to the room, Naruto," Sasuke commanded, and within seconds the blond was out of his chair and down the hall. Sasuke sighed, then glared at him. "You can't come here, Naruto doesn't like it. You'll make him crazy."

Kakashi stepped into the kitchen and peered at the bowl of soup, raising a brow in question.

"It's chicken broth with pieces of bread in it," Sasuke answered with a sigh, and picked up the bowl, pouring it into the sink. He cleared off the table silently then looked up at him in question.

"We've got a new replacement Team member, so let's meet at the top of the roof like the last time," he watched as Sasuke's face darkened at his words. "We should be back to missions by the day after tomorrow. We'll spend tomorrow getting to know each other."

"Who's our new Team-mate?"

"Haruno-"

"Fuck," Sasuke breathed in clear frustration, running a hand through his hair in agitation.

Kakashi shook his head. "Little boys shouldn't be using such language," this earned him a glare. "I'm guessing you know her."

"She's useless," Sasuke snapped, "and Naruto can't stand her."

"Ah," Kakashi ran a finger along the table top, peering at his dust free finger. "This is bad news for him then."

The Uchiha scowled. "I'm not telling him anything tonight- or I'll never get him out of here tomorrow." His eyes narrowed. "And don't come back here. If there's something you need to tell us- knock on the door. I can't let anyone in here- Naruto doesn't like it."

Kakashi gave a wry smile and nodded, and as he turned to leave, he gestured to the windows.

"Why is there newspaper on the windows?" Sasuke looked at the windows and shrugged.

"Don't know, don't care."

Kakashi gave a wry smile and exited the home, glanced around at the gloom, felt a chill run through him, and wondered if he had passed through a ghost. This place sure felt like one more and more.

----------

Sakura was nervous. It was ten in the morning and she had been on the roof of the Academy since seven, which had been the time she was given. Now, her mind was running through all the scenarios in which might be happening, the worst of them being that her reunion with Sasuke was too good to be true, and it was all an elaborate prank on her. Though she couldn't imagine Iruka-sensei pulling such a thing. Another was that she must be going crazy, and somehow dreamt this all up, and was now having problems differentiating reality from fiction. Her brain was making her work up a sweat, and she was now tugging at her hair in anxiety.

Just when she was about to leap up and run home, the door to the stairway opened, and out strolled Sasuke, looking absolutely handsome in his blue shirt and white knee-length shorts. Strapped to his back was a short bladed katana, something she had never seen at the Academy The very air about him possessed confidence and power, something he always had, and she resisted the urge to leap up and jump to his side.

Just behind him was Uzumaki, in a black hoodie and gray pants, also with a katana strapped to him, and the moment her green eyes connected with his accusing blue ones, she felt dread as his pale face tightened, and he paused. Sasuke glanced back and murmured something to him, and the blond turned those accusing eyes to him. Sasuke scowled and replied lowly, and then the two approached her.

"Hi Sasuke-kun," she stuttered, blushing as he sat down near her. He frowned and nodded in her direction, then settled for staring at nothing. Next to him, Uzumaki had his head down, locks of blond hair shielding his expression from view.

Already she had decided how she would handle Naruto- she would be sweet, and kind, and compliment him during training. She'd even share her lunch with him (boys liked to eat) and soon he would have no excuse to not like her. And if he liked her, then Sasuke-kun would like her too. Sakura suppressed a smile. It was a simple plan, easy to follow, with maximum results.

"I didn't know we were supposed to meet here at ten," she commented, and watched as Sasuke shrugged in reply. She leaned forward so she could see around Sasuke. "How are you this morning, Naruto?"

The blond didn't even look up. That was okay, eventually, he would cave.

Fifteen minutes later, a grey haired jounin popped up onto the rooftop, wandering over like he had all the time in the world. His one revealed eye ran over the three of them as he leaned against the wall.

"Ok...so I'm guessing we should introduce ourselves- again, being that we have a new member. I'll start. I'm your sensei, Hatake Kakashi, I enjoy many things as much as dislike them, by dreams and ambitions- well you'll just have to discover them for yourself-" he seemed to cut himself off and point at her. Sakura smiled weakly and swallowed.

"I'm Haruno Sakura, and I like-" She glanced at Sasuke, then quickly stopped what she was about to say. "My dream is to become a a great kunoichi. My dislikes are..." she paused, her mind running though Ino to Naruto, to many other things that bugged her that she was sure Sasuke cared not to hear. "Well, it doesn't matter," she waved her hand weakly, blushing when she noticed Sasuke was staring at her, his face stoic and empty.

"Alright. Go on Sasuke."

Sakura turned to him and smiled.

"I'm Uchiha Sasuke. I like training, anything to do with jutsu, and I hate useless people who hold us back," Sakura swallowed when his dark eyes paused on her for a second. She would never hold him back! In fact, she would encourage him to be the best everyday! "My ambition is to kill a certain man and restore my clan."

Sakura felt a chill run through her body. Kill a man? Kakashi-sensei nodded, apparently having heard this before, and looked at the third member. "What about you Naruto? Wanna say something this time?"

Wow...Naruto still ignored his sensei's? She had been sure he would start to interact once he was out of the classroom- but apparently not. She sniffed in disdain. If she were his sensei, she would kick him off the Team as a defective member. She leaned forward so she could see said blond, and he was still staring down at the cement roof; she noticed a single finger tapping against his knee where his hands rested. There was silence as they seemed to wait to see if the hooded blond would say anything. And then, quite suddenly, he spoke, and this was the first time she had heard him say anything.

"I like Sasuke," she was surprised by the cool rasp of his voice, but more stunned by his words- though it appeared by the shocked look on Sasuke's face, he was more stunned than she. Even Kakashi-sensei looked a bit surprised. "I dislike..." and here he paused, rubbing his palms against his knees, as if nervous, though he hadn't looked up once. "Everything. I have no dreams or ambitions."

She watched Sasuke stare at his friend, his normally cold face still morphed in surprise.

"That's..." Kakashi-sensei gave a slight frown. "great, Naruto."

Sasuke looked at the jounin, opened his mouth to say something, but instead turned back to stare at Uzumaki. Sakura was starting to think this was weird- of course Uzumaki liked Sasuke, he practically clung to him everyday! They were always together, so why was Sasuke so surprised? Geez! The way Sasuke was reacting, one would think Naruto had confessed his undying love or something! Her eyes narrowed. He hadn't, right? She peered at the blond, taking in his pale, bony features. No, his expression didn't scream embarrassment, elation, or any of those emotions involved in a confession. In fact, Naruto looked downright miserable- which was his usual expression. No, it hadn't been a confession- it was more likely that Naruto really didn't like anything or anyone, but felt like he had to say he liked something. So he had said he liked Sasuke, and that's all it was.

"Tomorrow we get a miss-"

"Can't we get one today?" Sasuke interrupted, and the jounin sent him a thoughtful look.

"I suppose, if you really want one..." he watched as she nodded her head in enthusiasm. Finally! She was a real ninja, about to do a real mission. Kakashi-sensei straightened from his leaning position and headed for the stairway door. "Come on then," he gestured, and both she and Sasuke got to their feet immediately. Naruto was slower to his, and he trudged after them sullenly.

They made their way to the Hokage's Tower, where missions were being handed out. To Sakura's surprise, the one handing the missions was Iruka-sensei, who smiled when they approached his desk.

"Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto, how are you all doing?" he asked with a pleasant yet concerned smile, his eyes running over Sasuke and Naruto. To her surprise, the corner of Sasuke's mouth turned up as he shrugged, hands buried in his pockets. Naruto glanced up from his inspection of the floor, but that was all the acknowledgment he gave. She greeted her old sensei and was pleased when they were handed a mission- though she felt it a bit ridiculous when they were told what it entailed. Catching the Fire Lord wife's cat. Wow. She could tell by the barely concealed frown on Sasuke's face that he too was annoyed. Naruto, was still staring at the floor...

When they headed into the forest Kakashi-sensei split them, he with Sasuke, and to her horror, she with Naruto. They went in opposite directions, and she followed Naruto; he was as she remembered in the Academy, quick, light, and silent as they moved through the foliage, searching for the feline.

"Here kitty, kitty," she called at intervals, making cat meows in a hopes of attracting the animal. At one point, Naruto paused and looked back at her, the accusing eyes she hated so much in full mode. "W-what?" she stuttered, flushing and feeling the heat of it in her ears. "You got a better idea?" The hooded blond continued to stare at her, and as she opened her mouth to snap at him, he turned from her and continued on. She scowled at his back. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty!"

For an hour they searched, and by then she had stopped calling for the stupid animal, so it was a relief when Sasuke's voice crackled through the headset, "We found him. Head back to the designated meeting area."

Naruto abruptly turned and walked around her, heading back through the foliage, then stiffened so suddenly that she stumbled against his back, the sheathed katana hurting her chest. "Ow," she muttered and glared at Naruto, whose head drifted up and he seemed to be staring up into the canopy. "What is it?" asked, eyes darting up to take in the leaves and branches. "Did you see something?" She moved to the side so she could get a better look at his face, and stared at his pale blue eyes- the pupils seemed to stand out so sharply against the color, and they seemed unusually large. An expression came over his face- at first it was a strange look, one she could not decipher, and then his face turned dangerous. His eyes narrowed, his head lowered so he was staring at the ground, and a foot worried at the dirt. Sakura swallowed.

"Hey, Naruto?" she didn't know why she dared to ask this now, of all times, but Naruto's head was still staring at the dirt, foot digging into it. "How did your teammate die? Who was she- Yoshina Kaoru? Kaori?"

Naruto's foot stopped moving, and his head drifted up, and the usual accusing eyes were upon her again. He smoothed his hood down, sending a nervous look up into the trees.

"Beaten...to death," he rasped, and she nodded grimly, ready to move on, but was alarmed when Naruto mouth opened again, and more words came forth. "Broken and twisted, rotting and fading." She felt her face drain of blood as his eyes took on that weird look again and drifted up towards the canopy again. "The world is full of the dead," he mumbled.

"Hey Naruto, where are you?" Sasuke's voice made both of them jump, and Naruto immediately moved off toward the meeting area. Sakura paused, sending nervous looks up into the trees before reluctantly following the hooded blond.

Why did Naruto have to be so creepy?

-------

They'd been racking up missions for a full month now, all D-rank- they did three to four of them a day, on his persistence, because he had heard Inuzuka bragging about how many missions Team Eight had done, and he wanted to top that. But what really got him pacing around the bedroom that evening was that Kiba had boasted about a C-rank mission they had finished, and the very idea that the others were experiencing actual ninja duties, almost drove him up the walls.

So Sasuke had decided that the first thing tomorrow, he would demand a higher mission from Kakashi-sensei, and they would not leave the Tower until they had one. He was sick of cleaning peoples houses, or milking cows, or any of the lousy shit that they were coerced into doing. He wanted a real fight, a real battle- real duties. He and Naruto both needed this! And he supposed Sakura too. She was actually sort of taking everything seriously, and she didn't bug Naruto as much as he orginally had thought she would. She still talked too much though.

He stomped down the stairs and spotted Naruto in the kitchen, creating a bunshin, and he watched as the physical clone popped into existence. That one jutsu had made a world of a difference in the mornings. Things got done faster and more efficiently, Naruto had more energy and did better in their daily spars. He was very grateful that Kakashi-sensei had shown it to him. Naruto getting a new jutsu had spurred him on to finding more of his own. He had searched the compound several times, digging through houses, jumping at creaks and strange noises all the while, avoiding bloodstains and marks where someone had tried to put up a fight. The more he searched, the more he was reminded of that horrible day.

Shaking his head to rid himself of the dark thoughts, he peered at his blond companion.

"How many bunshin can you create, Naruto?"

The blond looked up at him as the bunshin began to wipe the table top rather nervously. Naruto had the look he got when he was having one of his head aches, pinched and barely lucid.

"Two," he rasped, and rubbed a hand against his forehead.

Sasuke moved farther into the kitchen. "You've got decent chakra control, but you don't really try to pull on it, do you? Try," he suggested, and the blond put his hands together to make the seals. "Pull all the chakra you have, and make as many as possible." Naruto's lips pursed, Sasuke felt the strong flow of his chakra, could even see it, a pale blue.

"Kage bunshin no jutsu!" Seven bunshin popped into existence, all of them looking alarmed. Then three more, and five more, until Sasuke had to back up to the kitchen door as they crowded into the kitchen.

"Ok," he called, alarmed at the constant flow of chakra coming from the blond, and that more bunshin began to appear, so that some of them had to move into the living rooms. "You can stop now!" he all but shouted, because now he could see that something was wrong. Naruto's eyes were wide with terror, and he was practically hyperventilating. And then the color and feel of his chakra changed, going from pale blue to an angry purple, then a bloody red. The stench of blood filled the room, and a wave of pure killing intent crashed through him. Many of the clones cried out in terror and immediately dissipated, and Sasuke was physically pushed back. Was this the Kyuubi? Was his demon side finally showing?

"Too much!" Naruto cried, his voice breaking in terror and what sounded like pain. "Too much!" he wailed, and Sasuke could barely see him through the raging torrent of demonic chakra.

"Naruto!" he cried, and leaped forward, but the moment he touched the chakra, he was tossed back through the doorway and onto the stairs, breaking the wooden railings. He tumbled down a few steps, his head cracking against the edges until he rested at the bottom, gasping for air. Most of his body felt numb, and there was a constant high pitched keening ringing in his ears. Where was that coming from? Pain blossomed all over his body and he groaned, turning over onto his side just as the keening abruptly stopped.

His wandering eyes managed to focus, and he could see the living room from where he was, and Naruto- was that Naruto? Yes, it was him, and he was hovering by the couch, blue eyes wide, shaking, and staring at something. Was there someone in the house? He knew Naruto hated people in the house. He opened his mouth to yell at Kakashi-sensei to leave, but warm liquid filled his mouth and he spit out- blood..? ah- his mouth did hurt a lot. How had he gotten on the floor again?

"Hey Naruto," he slurred in confusion. "What happened?"

Naruto's frightened eyes turned to him from the living room, and then he popped away, disappearing. Sasuke frowned and slowly sat up, feeling his ribs cry out in pain, and his leg, and his shoulder, and especially his head. He groaned and cradled his head, feeling faint, and then he noticed that he was at the bottom of the stairs, and that half of the railing was was broken all over the staircase. He pushed a piece of wood off of him, and that was when he noticed that the table in the kitchen was smoking. And next to the table, was Naruto, lying on his back, rasping for air.

Memory returned, and he staggered to his feet, almost crying out from the pain in his legs and chest, and he felt like vomiting, but he staggered over to his roommate and almost gasped at the sight of him. It looked like someone had punched him in the face, but instead of swelling, his face simply bruised, ugly purples, reds, and black blotches that surrounded his mouth and cheeks, trailed down his throat and under his shirt.

Sasuke's dropped down to his knees and turned Naruto onto his side, for it sounded like there was blood trapped in his throat. Sure enough, Naruto gave some very ugly coughs and blood sprinkled the linoleum. Some of the capillaries in his eyes had popped, and bloody tears streaked down his face.

"Dammit," Sasuke hissed, and wrapping an arm under Naruto, slowly and painfully pulled the blond to his feet, but it was clear that he was barely conscious. Taking a deep, pain- filled breath, Sasuke took the task of dragging his friend up the stairs and into his room, where he placed him on the bed and dropped onto the floor in a bout of extreme exhaustion. Before he knew it, he was out.

--------

SSSSAAAASSSUUUKKKEEE.

Someone was saying his name.

SSSSAAAASSSUUUKKKEEE.

He felt a chill run through him, and felt his brain struggle to wake him. The voice frightened him, terrified him actually, and he knew he had to open his eyes, knew he had to look and see who was calling him, but he didn't want to. He really didn't.

SSSSAAAASSSUUUKKKEEE, and this time there was a warm whiff of blood that touched his face. Sasuke's eyes shot opened and he gave a strangled cry deep in his throat.

Naruto's face was inches from his, right side against the carpet. He was on his knees so that his butt was in the air, with his head pressed to the carpet, his arms laying at his sides limply. His blue eyes were wide, very wide, with blotches of broken capillaries within them, so most of the white was red and bleeding into his blue iris's. His mouth was twisted up in the most maniacal grin Sasuke had ever seen, and was staring directly into his eyes.

Sasuke wanted to jump away, but his body was too sluggish and unresponsive, and all he could do was stare back into those wide, unfamiliar eyes, as they stared into his. Blood trickled through the blond's teeth as he continued to grin, continued to stare.

WAKE NOW, SASUKE? The voice didn't match the bruised face- the voice was too high- and at the same time, too deep. There was too much madness and cruelty in that voice- he could smell the evil coming from its mouth. All he could do was lie there and give a weak nod against the carpet, feeling his brain slosh in his cranium, and he felt a wave of nausea rush through him.

Naruto's head turned, face pressed into the carpet, head turning away, and the prone body gave a rather vicious shudder, then Naruto's head turned back, and the wide eyes were gone, the grin had disappeared, and all that was left was the familiar boy he knew, looking frightened and in pain. His legs straightened out until he was lying flat on the carpet, and his blue eyes glazed over, blood still trickling from his mouth.

Sasuke took a deep breath and slowly sat up, back rubbing against the bed, nausea roaring over him and causing his eyes to water. He knew this feeling. He had a concussion, and he had lost consciousness, which he knew was a no-no when having a concussion. Had Naruto- or whatever that was, awakened him from a possible coma- or death? He blinked at the blond, taking his appearance in, noticing the ugly bruising on his arms, where most of his sweater had been ripped away. What day was it? Was it still the same day? How long had he been unconscious- both times? Putting his arm on the bed for support, Sasuke slowly and painfully pulled himself to his feet. His whole body hurt. After standing up straight and taking a few deep breaths, hoping nothing was broken, he turned Naruto over and slowly pulled him back onto the bed that had blood smeared along the sheets. He pulled the kunai out from under his pillow and sliced away the rest of his gray sweater, and stared down at the deep bruising covering all of Naruto's chest, stomach, and arms.

"What's this?" he croaked, and stared at the spiral tattoo marking that shown darkly on Naruto's bruised stomach.

"Seal," Naruto gurgled, startling him, for he had thought the boy was unconscious. Naruto lifted a hand and flopped it down on his stomach.

"Seal? Seal for what? The Kyuubi?" Naruto shuddered at the name but gave a weak nod. Sasuke frowned. "W- You mean it's inside of you?" Naruto nodded again. "You mean, you're not Kyuubi- its been sealed inside of you?" Instead of a nod Naruto's hands flew to his ears.

"What?!" he cried, his voice in literal tatters. "Why won't she stop screaming?" Naruto began to writhe on the bed. "Make her stop- make her stop, Sasuke!"

"What are you talking about?!" Sasuke was starting to feel frantic, spinning about the room but seeing no one there, only making his headache and nausea worse. "Who are you talking about?! No one is here!"

Naruto removed a hand from his ear and pointed to a picture on the wall before replacing his hand on his ear and giving a low, broken keen. Sasuke stared at the portrait. It was a family portrait, but he had cut Itachi out of it, leaving only his father and his mother with him. He stared at the picture, then looked down at the bloody blond. He wanted to spit, wanted to punch him, scream at him that it wasn't funny, that how dare he insinuate...

He stopped breathing. Naruto running from areas of the house, Naruto walking around empty spaces as if someone were there, Naruto staring at odd things...Naruto somehow knowing about Kaori's father when he knew the girl hadn't said anything about her home life, knew this because Naruto had always been with him, and he would have heard her, if she had said such.

Naruto...could see...the dead..?

Sasuke blinked several times, letting this knowledge run through him, then looked down at the blond, who had become very quiet, and saw that he had stopped writhing, instead staring emptily at the ceiling, body sporting a fine tremble. Naruto could see the dead- which meant he must see his mother and father.

"Naruto!" he leaned over and shook the blond by his shoulders. "Where is she? Is she here? Is she in this room?" Naruto's head flopped about with each shake, but he didn't reply, eyes remaining empty. Sasuke shook him once more, before releasing him and dashing out of the room and into the hallway. "Mom!" he called, and rushed through every room, calling her name, and finding no evidence of her. Then he left the house and ran the streets of the Uchiha compound, calling out the names of aunts and cousins, uncles, nieces, and nephews.

But no one answered.

Pain and exhaustion finally overcame his adrenaline rush, and he slumped down onto a porch, and rested his aching head on his knees.

This place was a tomb.

--------

He returned to find that Naruto was as he had left him, and he began to clean up his companion. Naruto didn't have any surface wounds, all of the bleeding was under the skin, and after he had cleaned him up, Naruto seemed to regain some life, just enough so that he could crawl into his corner and curl up into a ball, facing the wall.

Then he turned to himself, and touched the tender and swollen parts of his body. Nothing felt broken, but he had three large bumps on the back and sides of his head. He had a few splinters stuck under his skin as well, and he carefully removed those too, all the while his mind whirled about what Naruto had told him- it was almost too much to handle.

Naruto wasn't Kyuubi- the fox was sealed inside of him, making them two separate entities. That mean person he thought Naruto was always talking to when he whispered to himself, must in fact be the Nine Tailed Fox demon. He felt a chill run through him.

And then, there was Naruto seeing dead people. Had he seen Kaori? Did he really see his mother? No, it couldn't be true- then his own thoughts gave him pause. Maybe it was true, and that the reason he could see them was because the Fox could see the dead. That made sense. But why hadn't Naruto said anything about it all this time?

Because you wouldn't have believed him, his mind whispered to him, and he flushed with shame. Naruto wasn't a liar- why would he lie about something so sensitive? He hadn't lied about the villagers being after him, and it had taken a brick through the window to get Sasuke to believe him.

So...Naruto could see the dead.

His eyes fell on his katana, which was leaning against a dresser, and he could not help the grin that grew on his face. Naruto could see the dead, talk to the dead...learn from the dead.

Oh, the possibilities! Sasuke choked on his laughter before giving in, roaring out loud in his delight, missing the flinch that ran through Naruto's body. He laughed until his ribs told him to shut up, and he went down to the kitchen to make a cup of coffee, needing the caffeine to keep him from falling asleep.

He never stopped grinning, though.

-----------

Sakura wasn't surprised to hear her name called upon as she passed the flower shop, and even turned with a smile as she spotted Ino in the doorway.

"Hey forehead girl," Ino greeted smugly as Sakura approached, "haven't seen you in a while. How's that Team of yours?"

"Which one?" Sakura replied, enjoying the look of surprise and confusion that graced the blond's face.

"You have more than one?" she asked with a cocked brow, moving to stand behind the register, leaning forward in interest.

"Nah," she waved her hand dismissively. "I was with these two losers that were so bad, they got sent back to the Academy. I had to wait a few days, but then I got on," and she paused here, watching Ino's wide eyes, then gushed, "Sasuke-kun's Team."

She expected Ino to looked pissed, jealous, and start to insult her about her looks, but Ino simply straightened from leaning on the counter and gave her an almost pitying look.

"Wow, that must suck, huh?" the blond said. "I mean, with what happened and all." The girl looked quite serious as she stared at her.

Sakura shrugged. "Yeah, I heard that the other girl died from a beating- but we get along great," she assured hurriedly, watching Ino's face. The blond actually looked worried. "What?"

Ino sighed, and leaned against the counter, glancing at the one other customer browsing for chrysanthemums in the back. "You weren't there, you know, when she went missing, but we all got called out to look for her. My Team, and Team Eight. We searched everywhere, but it was Uzumaki and Shikamaru who found her. She was on the bank, dead for days." Ino shuddered at the memory, her voice lowering enough that Sakura had unconsciously leaned forward to hear her. "The story was, her father killed her." Sakura gasped, and Ino nodded in reply. "But the creepiest thing was, that Uzumaki didn't even seem to care that she was dead. He just stood by her body like it was a dead frog or something." Sakura paled considerably. "Shikamaru was really weirded out, you know? I mean, what kind of guy doesn't care if his Teammate is dead? You better watch out for him, Sakura. He's the kind of guy that won't go out of his way to help you in a fight. He's the kind who will watch you die and not care as long as you don't get in his way." Sakura straightened from leaning forward and stared at her ex-friend. Ino ran a strand of her blond hair through her fingers, inspecting it before looking at back at her. "And you watch out for Sasuke too. He wasn't exactly broken up either, and you know how weird he's gotten since Naruto showed up. You watch your back."

Sakura's eyes roved over the store, taking in the beautiful flowers, the air teaming with floral life, her finger tapping against the counter. Then she looked back at the blond. "Okay," she said, and calmly exited the shop.