Early on a Hidden Leaf Village morning…

"YRAAAGH!"

"Shut up, Naruto!"

"YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!"

Having run into her servant before school, Sakura decided to forcibly drag him with her to the Memorial Stone to see Rin. After all, who better a partner than her servant?

...And maybe it was also because Rin spoke to Naruto but not to her.

"Sakura-chan, you have me now!" The blond struggled to break out of her iron grasp at every step they took. "You don't need to play with your imaginary friends anymore!"

The pleasant music of birds chirping filled the air as the pinkette tugged him into walking another step. "She's not imaginary! Stop saying that!" The more the people around her convinced her she was crazy, the more she started to believe it.

Was it all just a dream? No, how else would I know Nako? And how else would I see all these spirits wandering the streets?

It was getting tiring to keep convincing herself of her sanity; of the ability that only she had. So when Naruto called out to her this morning, she knew it was the perfect chance to confirm her vision. I'm not crazy. I'm not just dreaming this up. This is really happening.

Upon approaching the Memorial Stone, Sakura was half-relieved and half-skeptical of the girl sitting atop the rock. The brunette was swinging her legs and nodding her head as usual, hollow eyes glancing left and right, waiting for a friend that would never arrive. "There. It's nee-chan."

The blue-eyed boy made a show of searching for the spirit. "Huh? Someone's here? Whereee?" He put his hand adjacent to his forehead, covering his eyes, and looked around dramatically.

Sakura wasted no time in bopping him over the head. "Stop making fun of me."

"Hehehe." Rin was looking directly at Naruto now. The pinkette had little to no doubt that the older girl was reacting to the blond's silly antics and felt the green monster called envy creeping up inside her. How come she only reacts to him and not me? He can't even see her.

Caw. A crow sounded as it flew in and landed on a branch near them, looking directly into Sakura's eyes. Caw.

She stretched her lips into a tight, polite smile that did not mirror her humorless eyes.

It tilted its head. Caw. The bird flapped its wings urgently, pacing back and forth.

"...Anyway," Deciding that she had little time to decipher bird-speak, she turned back to her human companion. "Nee-chan just laughed at what you did."

The whiskered boy pointed his nose into the air proudly. "I am funny."

"But why does she talk to you and not me?" The girl asked impatiently, glaring at Rin. The brunette had ceased all movement and was staring at Naruto with a small quirk to her lips as if amused by something. "I'm the one that can see her."

"Cause I'm funnier?" Naruto earned another whack to his head with this comment. "Ow! Stop hitting me!"

"Then start taking me seriously!" Sakura retorted, raising her hand to hit him again.

Caw! The same crow from earlier sounded urgently, flying in small circles over the duo.

"What is-" Sakura made to scold the bird but a firm grip on her forearm interrupted her spiel. "Hey!'

"Shh!" Naruto placed a finger over his lips urgently, ducking behind a thick bush and beckoning her to do the same. The pinkette obeyed though she was confused. "What?" She whispered.

"Someone's coming." Was all the information Naruto provided for her before flattening himself, pressing his stomach against the grass, and quieting his breath. The urgency of the crow's unintelligible message combined with Naruto's quiet fear sent chills down her spine.

Stay quiet, every nerve in her body told her. Getting onto her knees, she stayed low but couldn't help letting her eyes stay above the leaves. What were they hiding from?

Crunch. Crunch. The sound of footsteps got closer. Rin smiled at the intruder. Sakura's curious green orbs locked onto the newcomer.

...It's just an old man. Indeed, the person who'd caused fear to her and her partner was just an old man with silver hair. What kind of uniform is that? There were two strange swirly lines tattooed onto his well-muscled arm.

Rin hopped off the stone and reached for the much taller man's cheek. The pinkette couldn't help but notice the tenderness with which the teen caressed the man's face. "Are you happy?"

That's the most I've ever heard her say… Glaring, the pinkette studied the scene before her harder. Was that old man her father? Her grandfather? Who was he to her that she'd speak to him?

And, for that matter, who is Naruto to her?

The old man, predictably, didn't notice Rin's presence nor did he respond to her question. The brunette retracted her hand, now stained with...blood?

While Sakura squinted closer in confusion, the brunette spirit glanced at her hand casually, as if the blood pouring off her hand was just a speck of dirt that she could flick away. Horrified into silence, Sakura covered her mouth with her hands when the same red liquid began pouring from Rin's mouth and chest wound.

Caw. Snapping out of her trance, she heard the same crow from earlier calling out to her. It flapped its wings but did not take off from the branch, beady eyes locking with hers. This time, Sakura was able to decipher the message.

Get out.

"Let's go, Naruto," Sakura murmured, lowering herself down beside him. She attempted to steady her furiously beating heart. "It's just an old man."

"No way," The blond shook his head fearfully? "He's not just any old man. I can feel it."

Caw. The crow flapped its wings, a bit more demanding this time around.

"Shut up, stupid! Let's go already before we're late for school." Sakura got onto all fours and, staying out of view of the old man, crawled out of the grove and began running. It didn't take long for Naruto to follow.

{notice} New skill: Stealth.

Kakashi stayed still as a scarecrow until the children left.

Once he could sense them arrive at the Academy safely, he released the tension from his shoulders and exhaled softly.

Every day I breathe is another day I might spill blood and finally meet you, my precious family…

But no. No matter how many S-ranked missions he led, no matter how many missing-nin he fought, he never sustained fatal injuries. Was it just a cruel trick of fate? To force him to stay in this world when everyone he would ever love had already passed on?

Yet I know the reason.

And said reason for his being alive was none other than a little blond named Uzumaki Naruto. That child, a spitting image of his teacher with the fiery personality of his mother figure, rampaged around the village every day and wreaked harmless havoc onto the townspeople.

He silently thought that Naruto brought more flavor to the Hokage Monument with his paint, but he was sure the genin team assigned to clean it wouldn't appreciate his two cents.

The silver-haired man scanned the stone and confirmed all the names on it for the nth time. He'd come here every day since their deaths but felt no better each visit. It was like a brand on his mind; like the ANBU tattoo on his skin. He forced himself to remember their deaths every day, especially those of his teammates. Who but him would remember the children who'd lost their lives amidst the chaos?

Amidst the chaos that his own father created?

"I can't be happy," He murmured as if compelled by some unknown force. "I wish I knew what happiness was. How can I be when you've all left me alone?" He could almost feel the blood dripping off his face and down to the ground. "I can't ever forget that."

And if he couldn't leave the dead behind, he definitely couldn't forget the walking reminder that his precious people had once walked the same earth.

Uzumaki Naruto, the only son of his beloved teacher and his lover, had just enrolled in the Academy upon turning six. At the same time, he'd moved out and into his own apartment that was rarely cleaned or maintained. What can you expect from a six-year-old? Though the villagers treated him as less than dirt (a fact that Kakashi sometimes wished he could rectify himself), the tyke had recently gained a companion by the name of Haruno Sakura.

Of course, this incident had immediately been reported to the Hokage and a background diagnostic had been run. She was ordinary in every single way and had no motive to befriend the village's jinchuriki. The little pink-haired girl seemed to be nothing of note. But…

"Ow! Stop hitting me, Sakura-chan!"

"Then start taking me seriously!" His dark gaze that had been apathetic just a moment ago turned into a dangerous glare when he saw her raise her hand against the blond.

Is that what constitutes a 'friend' these days? Unknowingly, he leaked some killing intent. That girl is no different than the villagers.

Yet imagine his surprise when Naruto pulled her into the bushes and hissed at her to be quiet. "Someone's coming."

At age six, the utterly unimpressive orphan was able to sense his killing intent from a distance where he couldn't even see the threat yet. Kakashi was...mildly impressed.

I suppose if he cares about her, then it doesn't matter. Better one friend than none; easily agitated or not.

He refused to acknowledge the flowers blooming in his chest at the thought of his teacher's son no longer spending his days alone.

"I swear that guy wasn't just any old man," Naruto kept talking about him the entire way to the Academy. "I could feel it! He wanted to hurt us."

"He didn't even know we were there," Sakura retorted in disbelief, shaking her head. "Besides, why would he want to hurt us? We're just children."

After leaving the Memorial Stone, the duo was taking their sweet time heading toward the Academy. Neither of them were particularly interested in learning about the founding of their great village...again.

"I could feel it! I'm good at this kinda stuff cuz, you know." Naruto kept insisting that he was right. "I can tell if someone wants to hurt me. And that guy's dangerous. You shouldn't go there anymore, Sakura-chan."

"No! We need to go back!" The pinkette had a very different opinion than the blond. "Rin-nee only talks when you or that old man is around! I think you must be related somehow."

"Sakura-chan, aren't you taking this too far? Your nee-chan doesn't exist!" Like this, they bickered back and forth all the way to the Academy. Once they finally arrived, Sakura sat next to Hinata and Naruto next to her, so that the bluette was sandwiched between them.

"Good morning, Hinata."

"Hey Hinata."

"G-good morning…"

Another boring, uneventful day went by at the learning institution. There was nothing Iruka-sensei said that Sakura hadn't already memorized from reading ahead in their textbook, so she opted to doodle in her notebook instead. No matter how little effort she put in, she was confident that she'd remain the top female student in the class.

Naruto doesn't believe me, and I don't think anyone will. At this point, I need to help myself.

I need to find out more information.

The tinkering of the plates in the restaurant sounded pleasantly in Sakura's ears as she stuffed an entire dumpling into her mouth. It was rare that she ever went out anymore; her life had just turned into...well, whatever this was.

"These dumplings are so good," She spoke through a mouthful of meat as she reached for another. It was true; the dumplings contained just the right ratio of meat to vegetables and had thin, delectable skin. This afternoon would be rather enjoyable if not for-

"HNGHHH!"

That.

At the moment, Sakura was watching Lee scarf down his third bowl of udon through eyes full of tears. The pinkette grimaced when snot began leaking from his nose and he inhaled it back in and swallowed it along with his meal.

She couldn't help but think that this may be the reason the tables were empty around them.

"...Lee-san, if you keep eating so quickly, you'll choke," Sakura pushed a warm cup of tea in his direction. "Drink some tea. It's good for you."

Sniffing again, the braided boy tilted his head back until he'd swallowed the last of the soup and slammed the bowl onto the table. His tears had slowed but were still brimming at the corners of his eyes; his sleeves stained dark with dried tears. The girl awkwardly offered him a tissue. "Are you okay now?"

"I'm sorry you had to see me in such a state, Sakura-san." He accepted the tissue and loudly blew his nose into it. "I don't want to be a burden to you."

"No! I'm glad to help." Rather, she was impressed with how articulate he was seconds after his crying fit. If it were her in his place, she'd still be clinging to her parents and babbling like an infant. "Are you ready to talk about it now?"

After school let out, Sakura was ready to train with Lee like usual but had second thoughts when she found him crying. Having never seen him anything but excited, she was confused about what she should do but ultimately decided to try and cheer him up. "We don't have to train today," She'd said. "Let's go somewhere you'd like." And he brought her to his favorite restaurant where he began stress-eating.

Currently, the boy was spewing unfiltered and unintelligible words through his mouth, but he was so passionate that the pinkette didn't feel it appropriate to interrupt him.

"And even after I started training with you, Sakura-san," He finally slowed down enough for her to understand his words. "I can't get strong enough to beat him. For someone like me, who can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu, it's impossible to beat a natural-born genius like him." His fists clenched on the table. "He's right. Even if I train harder than anyone; even if I do everything I can..." He smiled the most self-deprecating smile Sakura had ever seen on anyone. "I'm just a loser in the end."

The pinkette's jaw dropped to the ground.

...Is this the same Lee I know?

And the fact that he sounded like the Sakura before she met Ino left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"This isn't you," Sakura grabbed his hands in hers. His head shot up from his lap and he blinked owlishly at her. "Who's 'him'? Because he's stupid! Why would he tell you that your hard work doesn't mean anything?!"

She took a breath and continued. "He doesn't know anything about you! But I do. I watch you try your best every day and put everything into your training. Don't listen to that guy! He'll regret being a snob when you surpass him. And when that time comes, it'll be your turn to tell him that 'even if you're a natural-born genius, you can't beat the results of hard work'."

Lee was actually in a very similar situation to her before. When Ami and the other girls harassed her for having a big forehead, she let those words get to her and bring her down. She cried every night and regretted trying to be a ninja; loathed waking up in the morning to go to school. And whether she wanted to admit it or not, Ino was the reason she was as hard-headed as she was today.

"Ignore those girls. You're super cute. Don't try to hide your forehead anymore!"

"Ignore that guy. Your efforts will pay off. Don't listen to him anymore, okay?"

Upon finishing her rant, Sakura released his hands and took a long sip of tea. I accidentally got riled up because he reminded me of me... She peeked over at Lee. I hope he doesn't think I'm weird.

She sweatdropped when she saw his eyes sparkling in adoration.

"Sakura-san, I didn't know you believed in me this much!" Tears were welling up in his round eyes again. "I'll work hard to become a shinobi worthy of you, genius or not!"

"Yeah yeah." She didn't dwell on his words, opting to finish the last dumpling. "Are you still hungry or can we go home already?"

The pinkette's eyes widened in dread when the boy called over a waiter and ordered five more bowls of noodles.

By the time they finally left the restaurant, Lee's stomach had multiplied in size, and the pinkette's once round wallet had flattened into a pancake. The boy had simply ordered too much to pay for it all, and Sakura didn't really have anything to buy with her weekly allowance anyway. The moon, high in the sky, cast shadows on the ground where they walked.

"I'm so sorry, Sakura-san!" Lee apologized for the nth time. "I didn't realize how late it was getting."

And you didn't realize how much food you ordered either. "It's fine," Sakura chose to say, mourning the lightness of her wallet. "I'm glad you feel better."

"You know…" Lee was uncharacteristically shy tonight, fiddling with his fingers and struggling to speak. "I, towards you…"

Crunch.

Sakura glanced up at the sound of dry leaves and noticed a boy watching them from the shadow of a building. With a quick once-over on her part, she deduced that he couldn't be much older than her. The strange boy was standing with his hands covering his ears.

"Hello?" Sakura normally wouldn't have engaged with a creepy kid like that, but she was a bit annoyed. What kind of weirdo just stares at people? "Can we help you?"

"Sakura-san? Who're you talking to?" Lee also paused in walking and looked at her strangely.

Unfazed, the pinkette crossed her arms and inclined her head towards their one-man audience. "That kid's been watching us for a while now."

"..." He stepped out from the shadows.

The girl's heart dropped when she saw his death-black eyes.

"Sakura-san? Nobody's there…" Lee's concerned voice went in one ear and out the other. Her heart began pounding against her chest.

"Uh," She said intelligently, trying to figure out what the spirit wanted from her. Besides Nako, she'd never met a spirit that directly sought her out like this. What does he want? She wiped her sweaty palms on the sides of her shorts.

The boy pulled his hands away from his ears.

Sakura watched in silent terror as his head fell off his shoulders and into his waiting arms.

"K-" Clamping her hands over her own mouth, she forced a silent shriek. Tears were threatening to claw their way out of her eyes. Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic-

The decapitated head was still watching her, blinking slowly.

"Sakura-san, what's wrong?" Lee grabbed her shoulders and stepped into her field of vision, forcibly making her face him. His thick brows knitted with worry at the sight of her teary eyes. "Are you okay?"

The shadow moved behind him. There was no more time to think.

Sakura pushed him off and ran toward it.

"Sakura-san!"

Ignoring the calls of her companion, the pinkette took off after the headless spirit and chased it through the empty streets. She imagined that everyone was home eating dinner now. A fleeting thought of her parents passed through her mind.

When the spirit ran through the iron gates surrounding the edge of Konoha, Sakura merely held her breath and sucked in her stomach, squeezing through the bars of the gate and continuing to tail the spirit. She was getting lightheaded from the intense sprint.

Where was the spirit going? How far would she have to follow? Panting, Sakura hunched over and placed her hands on her knees, desperately catching her breath. Where is he taking me?

Without warning, a chill ran through her body. Someone's breath puffed against the back of her neck.

She spun around.

Just the sway of tree branches.

Operation: SURVIVE! {ongoing}

"Just the breeze...just the breeze…" She repeated to herself like a mantra, squeezing her eyes shut and hypnotizing herself into believing her words. "Nobody's out here but me…" After another minute of cowering in place, she found the courage to begin walking.

Her sandals sounded with a crunch and crackle at every step she took. Her heart was pounding so loudly she thought that all the forest critters must be able to hear it too. Was it too late to regret not listening to Lee?

Crack...crack...Minutes went by. The longer she walked, the more she was sure she'd been forsaken by the spirit. Why was she walking anyway?

You walk with a mortal who talks to the moon.

Sakura's heart stopped a beat.

It's the Shinigami's voice.

She was sure with how hard her heart was beating, she'd wind up in the hospital by the end of the night. Okay. Calm down. When he talks to me, it's because I'm about to meet a spirit who needs help, right?

She stopped walking.

Caw. A crow soared out of the shadows, circling over her agitatedly.

The pinkette closed her eyes, imagining the pieces of the puzzle before her. I walk with someone who talks to the moon? A person who talks to the moon…

A rustle of leaves sounded behind her.

Her emerald eyes snapped open as adrenaline pumped through every limb in her body.

A warning.

Sakura's legs began running too late.

I'm not alone!

A hand clamped over her mouth before the scream could leave her lips.

A/N: Leave a review to let me know what you'd like to see!

The huge difference in which she treats Lee and Naruto is evident.

'Talking to the moon' symbolizes someone who lives alone and exists alone with absolutely nobody to listen to them...but the moon.