I listened as Sasuke explained everything. How he had been seeing things his whole life, how he was basically sent here by his parents to "become normal"... how he met me here.

I could tell that Ino was skeptical at first - anyone would be. She didn't walk away or tell him he was lying like I thought she might, though. She just listened. I wanted her to believe what Sasuke was saying more than anything.

When Sasuke was done, she said. "I don't know what to say, except... how am I supposed to believe this? Don't you hear how crazy this sounds?" The bell for class had started half an hour ago, but they didn't seem to care. Talking about me was apparently more important, I noted happily.

Sasuke looked to me in a brief flash. I knew it was going to take awhile to get used to acknowledging I was there around others. I told him what to say to convince Ino, "Last year, you and Sakura had a fight about you ignoring everything for parties. You were supposed to do something that Friday, but you had already said yes to some party at Kiba's house, and Sakura overheard and accused you of not caring. She said you were a selfish person. She's been regretting it ever since, Ino."

It was true, before the night that I had gotten hit by that car, Ino and I had had the worst fight of all, and we had said some terrible things in our anger. I felt so bad about it.

Ino still looked disbelieving, so Sasuke cotinued, "When you and Sakura were twelve your favorite movie was The Princess Bride, you watched it every weekend and acted it out. You're deathly allergic to peanuts. You hate your voice, but Sakura's always been trying to convince you to try out for the musical-"

"It really is her." Ino said, her voice breaking, "But... how...?"

"We don't really know." Sasuke said.

"Tell her I miss her," I said, feeling I could cry too, but the state I was in wouldn't allow it, "and it's not her fault - none of it was. Please, Sasuke."

He told her.

"Sakura." Ino said, "Oh my God, what happened to you?" Her voice was close to a whisper.

Before Sasuke could say anything else, however, a Principal Tsunade found them. "What are you doing?" She eyed them suspiciously.

"Talking." Ino said in a falsely-cheery voice, "I guess we just lost track of time."

Tsunade eyed them suspiciously, but didn't say anything.

They were given detention, but on their way back to class Ino whispered, "We're not done talking, Sasuke." before she went into her classroom.

"Thank you." I told Sasuke, once we were back inside his AP Physics class. He didn't answer, of course, since there were people in there, but I think I saw him nod a little.

I stayed with him for the rest of the day. Usually I would alternate between following him and Ino around, but after Ino knew that I was in this condition, I felt like she needed some time alone to think.

Ino and Sasuke ended up getting detention for an hour and a half after class. I thought it was a little harsh, but ever since Tsunade had become our Principal she had been pretty adamant about students not skipping class. When we (Sasuke and me) walked into the room, Ino was waiting, along with that creepy kid Shino and some other girl I didn't know. Kakashi sat at a desk, reading - definitely not paying attention. It would be boring.

I stayed with them though. Ino seemed to have calmed down a little, and was now looking at Sasuke very pointedly. Sasuke ignored her.

I put my hand on Ino's shoulder, even though I knew she couldn't feel it. "Thank you for believing me." I said, even though common sense told me she wouldn't hear.

I waited through detention with them. It was partly my fault anyway, and I didn't want to leave Ino, now that she knew where I was. When it ended, Ino followed Sasuke out of the room.

"I have a question for Sakura." Ino said, once they were far enough away from everyone else.

"What is it?"

"Was that you in my room a few weeks ago?" Ino said, addressing me now. I wondered how silly she must have felt talking to what appeared to be thin air.

"Yes." Sasuke said, answering for me - he already knew the answer.

"But how did she do that?"

He told her about how I had figured out if I'm emotional enough, and if I concentrate, then I can make objects move or make people hear me. However, he also explained how doing it too much tired me out, and made me feel faint. I couldn't explain it, but it was obvious I wouldn't be able to communicate fluently in that way.

They went along like that - Ino followed Sasuke to Itachi's car in the parking lot (Itachi was gone again, giving Sasuke free use of his car), and wouldn't leave him alone until he answered all of her questions. There were a lot - it took about an hour to get done with some of them.

Finally, Ino said, "We've got to find away to get her back, Sasuke."

"I know," Sasuke said, "We're working on it."

"I'll help too." Ino decided, "We'll figure this out."

"Tell her thank you for me." I said, even though I had been mostly listening through the whole conversation.

Sasuke told her.

Ino had to go then, but she promised that she would look into helping me. "I'm so happy you're okay." She said before she left, "Well, okay. You're not okay. But I'm glad you're not dead at least. We will get you out of this... state or whatever it is, Sakura. Don't worry." I felt comforted, even though I wasn't sure how they were going to accomplish this.

"Thank you." I said again in the car on the way back.

After a moment, Sasuke said, "I think it was going to happen one way or another, so you don't have to thank me."

"No, really." I said earnestly, "Thank you so much for what you're doing for me. I know you came here to get away from... people like me. It really means a lot." I paused and looked out of the window; the sky was gray with clouds, and I was sure it would snow soon. It was both nice and disappointing to not have to dress warm for the cold weather. I mostly just stayed in the same outfit I was in the day I got in the accident - the jeans and t-shirt, not the scandalous outfit from the party, thankfully.

"It's fine." Sasuke insisted. And then, "You're not like the others I've seen. In fact, after I met you I stopped seeing any of the... bad ones." His eyes flickered to me, and then back to the road, "I think it's you."

"What do you mean?"

"I think something about you is keeping them away. So I'm better off than I was before. Thank you."

I shook my head, "But we don't even know if that's me." I was secretly delighted though. We sat in a comfortable silence until I said, "I think we would have been friends if I was normal. It sort of makes me wish it was that way, instead of, well, this."

Sasuke agreed, but said, "You won't be like this forever. Not if I can help it."

Maybe it was because I had been hearing those words a lot today, but I actually believed him.


Karin was back at the lunch table. Apparently she had been sick - I only knew that because she had been boasting about how much weight she'd lost to her friends.

"Why do you have to be friends with her friends?" I complained to Ino, who was talking to Shikamaru. Even though she couldn't hear me, she knew I was there. That was enough for now.

Sasuke and Ino hadn't told Shikamaru about my condition yet. Sasuke said he wanted to do it gradually, and he definitely didn't want everyone to know about his ability to see, well, dead people, and Ino promised she wouldn't tell until he was ready.

Which reminded me, "Why didn't you tell Naruto about seeing these things?" I asked Sasuke, who was currently picking at a salad. Naruto sat next to him, talking loudly to Kiba about some football thing I didn't really care about.

He gave me a look that said later, which I obviously know. "Okay." I said, "But don't think I'm going to forget about this!"

"So Sasuke," Karin simpered, "are you going to Tenten's party this weekend?"

"Er, no." Sasuke said, "I'm not really into going to parties. I mostly just stay home..." Even though I had urged him to feel free to tell her to beat it, Sasuke had opted for a more polite response. Too polite, in my opinion.

Thankfully, before Karin could say anything else, Gaara interrupted - something about Physics blah blah, nothing I hadn't learned before.

Karin continued to try to flirt with Sasuke for the rest of the day; it was both funny and irritating to watch. I wondered if Sasuke had ever dated anyone, because as far as I could tell he had always been bothered by things like me - it was a wonder he kept his 4.0 GPA. But then I realized, now that he couldn't see anything (well, except me), Sasuke could go out with anyone he wanted to.

For some reason, the thought of Sasuke dating someone bothered me. I told myself that it was because he wouldn't have as much time to spend on helping me, which would just waste time.

But still, it bothered me.

Ino followed Sasuke (and me) to Itachi's car after school again that day. "How is Sakura?" she asked, quiet enough so that no one could hear her.

"Fine." I chirped beside Sasuke. He delivered my message wearily - I had been giving him suggestions of what to tell Karin, many of which had gotten me annoyed looks from Sasuke.

"That's it?" Ino complained, "C'mon Sakura, I haven't talked to you in months! What did you think about what Hinata was wearing today?"

I answered her eagerly, until Sasuke finally put a stop to this "girl-talk" as he said.

"Tell her that we're going to talk about her and Shikamaru when I get my body back." I told Sasuke. It came out as a joke, but I was serious. I had to know about how my friends were suddenly dating.

Ino laughed, "Nosey! But okay, I'll definitely tell you all about it."

She had to leave after that, leaving Sasuke and me alone.


"So I was thinking..." I said a few days later when Sasuke was eating dinner (take-out that Naruto had brought him).

"What is it?" Sasuke asked.

"How about you take me to go see my body?"

Sasuke almost choked on his dim sum. "Why would I do that?" He said.

I didn't think he'd react this way, "Because!" I said, "What if I can go back to normal if I see it?" It came out worse than it sounded in my head, but my theory was maybe if I saw/touched my body that was in a coma, I would return to it and be able to live a normal life. Then I could go find my mom, and go to school.

Everything would be so easy.

"I don't know." Sasuke said, "What if it's- I mean, what if you don't like what you see?"

"What?" I was confused, "What do you think would happen?"

"I just don't want you to be disappointed if it doesn't happen." Sasuke said, "I mean, in my research I've never heard of a case in which someone in your state goes back to normal by seeing their body."

"You've never heard of a case like me, period." I pointed out.

"How would we get in the hospital?" Sasuke said, exasperated.

I sighed, "I don't know. I always just got in whenever I went to see my dad; everyone just sort of... knew me. But I don't know how you would get in."

"If you find a way I'll go with you." He said, "If you're so adamant, then why don't you just go yourself?"

"I dunno." I responded, "I guess I'm not ready to see myself like that without anyone with me."

Sasuke nodded. "Why don't we talk to Ino? I'm sure she's been there enough to know where you are."

"Fine." I said, and then, "Have you figured out where my mom went yet?" I had gotten Sasuke to ask Ino about it and her answer wasn't very encouraging:

"I don't know." She had said, "Sakura's mom just kind of disappeared. I think I heard that she went to go live with her sister, but... I don't know. I'm sorry, but we'll find her!"

That was the response I was getting lately, I don't know, but we'll do this. Sometimes I just wished that everything would just solve itself already. Sometimes I was angry with my mom for leaving too, but that usually never solved anything so I tried not to, but it was hard.

"I have to go to the hospital." I insisted, "You need to get Ino to take us - or just me, if you don't want to go. I really don't mind."

Sasuke sighed, "Okay, I'll ask. Just... don't be too upset if nothing happens, okay?"

I promised that I wouldn't.

The next day, I found myself at Leaf Hospital after school. It was where my father used to work, and so I knew that area well. Just the sight of the familiar place was enough to make me long even more for things to go back to normal - not to mention make me miss my father more than I already did.

Ino was wearing a green coat that made her eyes stand out more than ever. She wrapped her scarf tighter around her neck and said, "Are you ready?"

"Let's go." Sasuke replied (he had, in the end, decided to come).

We walked through the automatic doors, into the unknown.


Author's Note: Hello, everyone! Thank you so much for the reviews, a lot of them made me laugh. xD Now that school's started again, I'm extremely busy, but I'm going to try and update somewhat regularly! I tried to write another long chapter to appease you, but I'm afraid it might be a little bit boring compared to the one before, but don't worry! The story's going to get more exciting in the next few chapters!

Anyway, please tell me what you think, hopefully in the form of reviews! I really love reading them! And thanks! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.