Disclaimer: These characters belong to a man named Masashi Kishimoto. I do not own any of the characters used nor do I gain any profit from writing this story.

WARNING! Rated T for language and some violence.

EXPECT: Weekly updates because Fruity is aiming to be good for this month so Santa would give her a gift. YOSH!

-OoO-

CHAPTER 1

-OoO-

That woman. There was something wrong with that woman.

He concluded mentally as he stared at the ominous lady. His lavender eyes were glued to this rather strange person, who remained unmoving in her little corner. She didn't even care as people passed her by, didn't flinch when a passing vehicle honked and screeched, and didn't even look up once.

And he knew.

Oh yes, he knew.

That if he kept watching her like this, she'd feel it. And that would mean trouble. The moment she would sense him, she would never leave him. So his instincts told him to close his eyes or maybe look away, because if he continued staring, he'd only be inviting more problems.

So he did.

He closed his eyes and counted to ten.

But then, they would traitorously seek her and remain fixed on her, as if they were magically pulled to this enigma. His mind continued chanting, telling him to stop, don't let her know you can see her, this is so scary, look away, look away, look away! NOW!

And then she swivelled her head to his direction, the action causing her neck to snap sharply. He flinched uncontrollably as her eyes, red and bulging, studied him just as he had with her. She tilted her head in unconcealed wonder, and when he took an involuntary step back, she gave a splitting, deranged smile that shook him to the core.

It was a mistake! Making eye contact with this malicious entity was a mistake, his mind screamed.

And now she was coming to get him.

Creepy, feral smile in place, she was getting nearer and nearer to him. So near that he could already notice her abnormally pale skin, her bedraggled hair, her yellowing fingernails. Her feet never touched the ground, he noticed; instead, she was floating in midair as she crossed the distance.

Hurry! Run! Don't let her touch you! Every bit of his senses ordered, and yet, his body refused to move an inch. He was transfixed at the sight of this woman, because he was so scared. He didn't know what to do, because he was so frightened.

And her smile grew wider. Wider than what was normal. And then he realized that her lips had been cut.

He stifled a scream.

Because in an instant, she was an arm's length away from him and he was trapped. Trapped by his own cowardice. He wanted to look away now, he wanted to run as fast as his legs could carry him, he wanted to scream as she reached for him, her fingernails long and chipped...

But he couldn't.

Instead, he only shivered in his place, his vocal chords refusing to produce any sound as her fingers reached for his neck to strangle him.

The woman was close, so close to hurting him, and she knew, because she grinned maliciously at his terror. Just one more snap, and he was gone. He clenched his fists as he waited for his inevitable demise. But it never happened.

Because, and fortunately for the boy, someone had grabbed his shoulders before the ghost could scare him some more. This effectively stopped the woman's advances, and with a ghostly wail, she vanished with a puff of smoke.

Slowly, the boy opened his eyes, realizing that he had actually closed them in fear, and came face-to-face with orbs so very similar to his. The boy immediately smiled when he recognized his savior.

"Calm down, my son," his father soothed, hands gently grasping his son's shoulders as he kneeled down to reach the boy's level. "Always remember what I told you, my little one."

"Don't be scared because they can never hurt me." The boy dutifully answered, making his father ruffle his head lovingly. He laughed and playfully swatted his father's hand away from his soft, coffee brown, locks.

"That's my Neji!" The older man praised as he scooped his six-year-old son effortlessly. "You're daddy's little genius, aren't you?"

Young Neji beamed with pride as his father continued singing praises to him. They continued talking about mundane things that made both of them laugh, until they were finally a few feet away from the area rumoured to be haunted by a vengeful woman.

Stories tell that she was a victim of abuse, left to die after she was robbed and stabbed by her attacker. The perpetrator was never caught, unfortunately, and now, this ghostly apparition would show herself to unsuspecting victims, claiming life after life the same way hers was so cruelly taken away. What used to be a cry for revenge now became a perverted source of entertainment for that ghost.

She was one of those that Neji's father called a corrupted soul. A soul bound to the earth because of an unfinished business or an unresolved problem.

Those types of souls needed to be evaded as much as possible because they were malevolent. They no longer hold any human conscience. They were the same as monsters.

"Always remember, Neji," his father suddenly spoke, and his son was quick to snap his attention. "You are my precious son. And I will always be here for you."

Neji tilted his head curiously, brows scrunching up as he wondered, "How do you do that, dad?"

The sun was beginning to set, and both father and son paused to watch as the sun's rays turned orange before completely disappearing from sight. The older man smiled as he once more crouched to his son's height, before pointing at Neji's chest.

"I'll always be here," he explained to the boy. "Know now, my son, that I will always watch over you. Because I am in your heart. Just as much as you are in mine."

The little boy looked excited. "Really dad?!"

The older man nodded and smiled kindly. "That's a promise, Neji."

-OoO-

Resident ghosts spared him curious glances before looking away nonchalantly. There was nothing special about him now. He was merely a regular visitor in this quiet place. He was just a lonely boy, seeking his father's warmth and his mother's embrace because he refused to believe that they were both gone.

Gone forever since the day that deranged man decided to pull the trigger.

Wisps, which were spirits who have forgotten their original forms, danced merrily around his unmoving form with a coo before the gentle breeze swept them away. The boy didn't give them any attention though for he was much too focused on the graves in front of him to care about anything else.

"Hello, father." He finally spoke, addressing the marker on his right. Then he bowed to his left respectfully. "Hello, mother."

Silence met his greetings. Only the wind blew softly.

"It's another year for me," he said conversationally, "it will be my last year in high school. Can you believe it?"

Some of the ghosts mingling around smiled at his declaration, but his lips were set in a grim line. Right now, he wanted his parents' reactions, not theirs. Just a simple congratulations would have worked wonders for his seeking heart, but neither his father nor his mother ever appeared to praise him for a job well done.

The silence always made him feel so depressed; however, he was still foolishly clinging to hope, so he continued.

"Uncle Hiashi also thinks that Hinata should attend my school, instead of being homeschooled." He grimaced slightly at the thought of his clumsy and overly shy cousin. "Apparently, I'm tasked as her babysitter."

He heard snickers coming from those eavesdropping spirits and turned to glare at them. Some grinned apologetically while a few others taunted him before disappearing from his sight. He grunted slightly before resuming his one-sided conversation with his parents.

"Personally, I think it's a bad idea," he confessed as he shrugged a bit, "but uncle is adamant that Hinata should experience life being in a co-ed school. He thinks it will help build her character."

He paused and expectantly waited for any reply, but as always, only silence followed. He sighed softly before bending just a bit to retrieve his bag.

"It's almost time for school. I have to go now." He explained and bowed respectfully at both graves. "I'll see you two tomorrow."

His strides were long and quick and not once did he look back.

It would not matter anyway. It was not like his father or mother was there, waving him a goodbye. They were gone now, and even when he visited their graves every day, neither of his parents ever made any effort to visit him back.

He was Hyuuga Neji and he was all alone now. It was his fate.

-OoO-

Neji resisted the urge to scream his frustrations.

All throughout the morning, Hinata clung to his arm like a defenseless baby koala. Her lavender eyes darted left and right frequently, as if expecting a huge catastrophe just lurking in the corners to suddenly rear its ugly head. She also had this tendency to jump and squeak every time someone shouted or talked loudly, before clutching her cousin's arm and squeezing harder.

Neji briefly wondered if he would still be able to move his right hand after this. His poor appendage had been deprived of circulation for minutes now, what with Hinata's constant panic attacks at every sound she heard and at every action the people around her made. It didn't help that students were quite excited for today, as it was the first day of school.

He was about to reprimand his younger cousin to at least try and be a little bit brave because this was high school and high school was really just a jungle, when he realized that they finally reached their destination - the principal's office.

"Go inside," Neji urged as he pushed Hinata lightly. "Ask for Shizune-san. She's the principal's assistant, and she'll be the one to give you your schedule."

He watched as Hinata nodded, although she had yet to relinquish her grip on her cousin's arm. She slowly let go and moved toward the door sluggishly, her shoulders hunched and her eyes focused on the school's tiled floor. She was visibly shaking like a leaf, and when she reached for the doorknob, the thing rattled as Hinata continued to shiver. Said girl took a big gulp, knocked on the door so softly that Neji doubted anyone could hear, and proceeded to enter the room and left Neji outside to wait for her.

Neji, on the other hand, sighed softly and wondered how exactly Hinata was going to survive this sudden change in her environment.

Sighing once more, the Hyuuga turned and looked around, wondering to himself how he was going to give a tour to his cousin without her clutching his arm like a lost little girl in the mall during an all-out sale. It was going to be a hard one, he realized. Not to mention, his mind was already overly stressed right now and the only logical answer it could supply was to bluntly tell Hinata to stop being such a big and helpless baby all the time.

Neji quickly shook the idea out of his mind because not only was it a stupid idea, it was also going to result to a crying Hinata. And Neji hated having to console a crying Hinata - it was a goddamn tiresome job!

He closed his eyes, pinched the bridge of his nose, and grumbled incoherently under his breath. Without noticing, the loud huff that he made drew someone's attention and that someone immediately rushed to his side.

"Hey, is something wrong?"

Lavender eyes opened, and Neji turned to face the owner of the voice. He immediately found himself staring at a pretty girl, her long brown hair unbound, flowing and reaching the middle of her back. Her expressive eyes, a lighter shade compared to her hair, were blinking at him as she tilted her head curiously. Her skin was pale - abnormally pale - and it took Neji a moment to conclude that she wasn't exactly pale as he first thought she was... She was actually see-through!

A quick assessment of her legs proved his realization - her feet were not touching the ground! She was floating, which only meant that either she was telekinetic or she was a ghost. The answer, of course, was a no brainer, so Neji did what he always does when it concerned the nonliving. He looked away very quickly and pretended not to see anything.

The girl quickly pouted as Neji turned away.

"Hey!" The girl complained. "I was talking to you!"

Neji said nothing. The brunette ghost floated in front of him, waving her ghostly hand in front of his face.

"You can see me, can't you?! I know you can! Quit ignoring me!"

Again, the Hyuuga said nothing, hoping she'd go away. The ghost girl proved to be quite a determined one though.

"Please, you have to help me!" The girl begged. "I-I don't know where I am and I don't even know my—"

She was cut off when the door to the principal's office opened, and out came Hinata, who stumbled a bit as she closed the door behind her. The pale-eyed girl abruptly stopped when she noticed the ghost girl hovering in front of her cousin Neji and she gripped her schedule tightly. The poor paper crinkled loudly in the Hyuuga's hands.

"Wh-wh-what..." Hinata stuttered uncontrollably, her body shaking nonstop. The ghost girl did not seem to notice Hinata's nervousness for she immediately flew closer to the shaking Hyuuga, a huge smile on her lips.

"Hey, you're that girl from before!" The ghost said excitedly. "You can see me too, right?"

Before Hinata could answer (or worse, faint like a narcoleptic), Neji swiftly grabbed his cousin's wrist and dragged her away from the scheming ghost. Said ghost let out a squeak of surprise before calling Neji a jerk when she realized that the boy was simply ignoring her.

-OoO-

"Here's your room," Neji spoke once they were in front of Class 1A's doors. In his peripheral vision, he saw Hinata nod her head, wheezing just a bit as they did pick up their pace in hopes of losing the ghost girl.

Their plan seemed to have work though, since the ghost girl wasn't with them anymore.

"You don't have to worry about changing rooms," Neji continued. "Here in Konoha High, the students are limited to their respective section's classroom, while the teachers switch every end of the subject's period."

He held his hand up, a silent gesture for Hinata to give her schedule for him to check. Without hesitation, his cousin followed his command and whimpered just a bit when Neji raised a brow at the offered crumpled paper.

Neji quickly smoothened out the paper and studied it meticulously.

"You have History with Umino Iruka-sensei first," Neji said, and at Hinata's questioning glance, he elaborated some more. "He's a patient and kind man. You don't have to worry about him."

Hinata heaved a sigh of relief as she relaxed her tensed shoulders. Meanwhile, Neji neatly folded Hinata's schedule and handed it back to its owner, who took it with a mumbled thank you.

Neji nodded once and gestured toward the door, telling Hinata to go inside and try to blend in. Hinata meekly answered in affirmation as she reached for her classroom's door, once again shaking now that she was about to enter another unfamiliar territory.

She was only able to open a fraction of the door when someone called her name, making her jump a bit. Hinata turned to the speaker and found herself facing at a familiar face. She blinked unsurely before an instant smile, her first real one since she entered the school, made its way to her face.

"Kiba-kun!" She exclaimed eagerly, and seeing the boy beside Kiba, Hinata beamed even brighter. "Shino-kun!"

The boy called Kiba grinned wolfishly as he neared Hinata and slung an arm around her shoulders casually the moment he reached her. Shino's form of greeting, on the other hand, was a curt nod at both Hyuugas before he adjusted his dark glasses.

"I am surprised to see you here, Hinata." The boy called Shino started. "Why? Because your father always opts to have you homeschooled."

Aburame Shino, aged fifteen, stood and stayed silent after he spoke. For anyone unfamiliar with the way Shino communicated, he or she would find the silence to be rather awkward and would start distancing himself/herself from the bespectacled boy. But in Hinata's case, as she knew him since their diaper days, she only smiled shyly at him and relayed to Shino of her father's plans of having Hinata learn how to interact with other kids her age.

Shino seemed content with the answer, although one could hardly tell as Shino's eyes were hidden behind his thick black shades. Kiba snickered at what Hinata said and poked the girl's cheeks playfully, making Hinata blush like a steamed lobster.

"Your father actually suggested you have more friends, Hinata?" He suddenly laughed loudly in amusement. "Oh God! Who is he and what has he done to the real Hyuuga Hiashi?!" He guffawed at his own joke, while Hinata blushed some more. Neji and Shino only stared at him coolly, neither finding Kiba's joke to be funny.

Inuzuka Kiba, aged fifteen, was another childhood friend of Hinata. A rather outgoing fellow, Kiba was the heart and soul of their little group, and all the pranks they pulled and the games they played when they were kids were all masterminded by him. He was also fiercely loyal to his two friends, and he found it his job to protect the two from danger (Hinata) and from the possibility of dying a virgin (Shino).

"Ki-Kiba-kun! That's n-not nice!" Hinata reprimanded although there was a small smile on her lips.

Kiba opened his mouth to say something else but was cut off when Neji suddenly coughed. The three turned to look at him expectantly.

"I take it you two are in Class 1A as well?" Neji questioned and at Kiba's and Shino's nods, he closed his eyes in relief. "Good. At least Hinata has someone familiar with her. I'm sure you can handle yourself from here, Hinata?"

"Yes, bi-big brother." Hinata answered. "Th-thank you for e-escorting me all the wa-way here."

"Yeah, don'cha worry about a thing, Neji!" Kiba piped in with a grin, his arm still slung around Hinata snugly. "Me and Shino'll take good care of Hinata!"

Neji eyed the roguish boy warily, before turning to Shino. "I'm counting on you."

Kiba instantly bristled at what Neji was implying. "Oi! What the hell are you trying to imply, you jackass?!"

Shino nodded solemnly. "Of course, Neji-san."

"The fuck?! Shino, you bastard! Why are you taking his side?!" Kiba roared, but Shino only looked away and told Hinata that they should get to class soon. Neji, meanwhile, was already off to his own classroom too. "Quit ignoring me, you little-! Shino, you are so dead, man!"

-OoO-

"I found you!" A cheery voice suddenly cried out, snapping Neji out of his musings. The Hyuuga grunted, clearly displeased by the intrusion. And he did not even have to turn around to know who the speaker was.

Granted, he did not know her name nor did he have any intention to know, but he had to salute her somehow - the girl truly was determined. Yet he was still not going to aid her though. Not even when she was hovering around him like this, desperately calling his attention like a deprived five year old spoiled brat.

"Hey, come on! Talk to me!" The ghost girl complained and frowned when Neji continued to ignore her. She huffed and then decided a new approach. "Ni jiao shenme mingzi?" (1)

Shocked, Neji turned to her, brows raised. The ghost girl smiled victoriously.

"Finally! I have your attention!" She placed a hand on her chest and sighed in relief. Neji immediately scowled.

"What," he hissed dangerously, making it a point to lower his voice so no one else could hear him, "do you want?"

The ghost girl did not look afraid, even when Neji's eyes flashed with anger. Instead, she gave a bow and in a firm voice, she asked, "I need your help. Please."

-OoO-

"And then, Hinata had no choice but to become an awesome distraction while Shino and me ran off before any of the adults coud see us!"

A round of laughter ensued.

Hinata feared that her new life as a regular high school student was going to be hard and stressful. Instead, she found herself enjoying every bit of it, and it was all thanks to Kiba-kun and Shino-kun.

Like they promised Neji, both really took good care of her. They, or rather Kiba as Shino was content to just stand beside her, were quick to make her feel at home by introducing her to some of their old friends who were, as Kiba explained, also their classmates way back in elementary and junior high school years.

"Oi, dog-breath!" One loud blonde by the name of Uzumaki Naruto suddenly bellowed out. "Why the hell didn't you introduce me to Hinata-chan earlier?! She's a really nice girl!"

Hinata blushed prettily at being called "Hinata-chan" by someone she just met minutes ago, while Kiba grinned widely.

"I just told you, stupid! Hinata's father is a really scary person who guards Hinata and her sister like a hawk! B'sides, you live on the other side of town, remember?"

Naruto did not look amused. "What the hell did you just call me, dog-boy?!"

"I called you stupid, stupid. Why? Want me to spell it out for ya?"

"Why you-!"

Shino immediately steered Hinata away before another Inuzuka—Uzumaki brawl was about to begin. Hinata followed her friend without question, but in her carelessness, she accidentally bumped against someone.

Hinata quickly apologized.

"O-oh my go-goodness!" She started in panic. "I-I'm so sorry! I wa-wasn't looking and paying at-attention to where I was go-going!"

The person she had bumped against chuckled and placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder, earning the girl's attention. The Hyuuga's eyes widened before she blinked rapidly.

"You don't have to apologize. It's alright," the stunning girl soothed, her deep dark eyes shining with kindness. "I wasn't paying attention myself. I apologize as well, okay?"

Hinata could only nod, speechless as she was in front of such a very attractive person. The beauty smiled prettily once more before making her way to her own seat, leaving Hinata standing there, mouth agape and eyes wide. A hand on her shoulders jarred Hinata from her thoughts.

"Tsuchi Kin," said Shino monotonously as he adjusted his glasses. "Be extra careful around her Hinata. Why? Because she's a ruthless person."

The Hyuuga looked confused before she shook her head fervently. "Yo-you must be mistaken, Shino-kun. She lo-looks really friendly."

Shino paused for a second and adjusted his glasses once more as he gave his own advice. "Looks can be deceiving, Hinata." He stared at Kin who was laughing at something a friend said. "Very, very deceiving."

-OoO-

NOTES:

1) Translates to: What is your name? Fruity actually took Mandarin way back. I know it's supposed to have tones but I got lazy putting them. Sorry.

2) This is still going to be NejiTen (because I'm FruitySmell!) but if you have any ideas for side pairings, let me know.

Anyway, hello again to everyone! Yes, as promised, this is the first chapter of my high school fic, which revolves around ghosts in an effort to make things a little bit unique. Besides, isn't ghost! Tenten so adorable?! xD

Also, I would like to thank everyone who supported my other multi-chaptered fic called "The Puppy Situation". I actually had some guest reviewers, and hoping you're reading this too, allow me to thank you for reading and leaving reviews for my other story. One of you pointed out that said story involved victim blaming. I apologize if that was how you perceived it; however, I actually based Tenten's behaviour from the interviews I conducted with women who had a miscarriage. Most, if not all, of the women tend to blame themselves for the tragedy, and I wanted my readers to know what these women go through so they could also understand the coping mechanisms of women who had undergone an abortion. Also, what Tenten meant as her big mistake wasn't the premarital sex, it was her complete disregard for her child which eventually led to its death. I hope I explained it well.

AND AS ALWAYS!

Reviews are always loved, constructive criticisms are always appreciated, and flames are given to those who want to lose weight so they could burn their excess fats or whatnot.