The suicidal guy- what was his name? -was staring at Naruto.

Alright. Naruto will just stare back.

After a tense moment, the guy finally speaks. "That's what you have to say to me? Right now!?"

Naruto threw his arms back, the tension gone. "And that's how you respond!? Listen dude, I've got a shit ton of questions for you that I need answered! Firstly– !"

Before Naruto could continue, Tracksuit Guy suddenly shoved Naruto to the ground. Naruto yelped, and was more than eager to express his annoyance, but he didn't get the chance to as Tracksuit Guy suddenly started grappling with the giant blue frog. Jeez. If the dude didn't wanna talk to me that much, he could've just said so.

Tracksuit Guy- he needs a better name -tore off one of the frog's limbs, tossing it down the far side of the field. The frog immediately rushed after the detached leg, warbling in panic. Tracksuit Guy just sighed, dusting off his jacket. "Ayakashi strangely enough have a good sense of self-care. Wonder what that says about me." Tracksuit Guy muttered.

Before Naruto could even say anything, there was a hand on the back of his jacket and suddenly Naruto was being dragged across the field, the opposite direction the frog was at. Before Naruto knew it, they were on a street, and Tracksuit Guy hadn't let go. It didn't take much math for Naruto to recognize where he was and that the dude was taking him home.

Oh yeah. Naruto did vaguely remember seeing Tracksuit Guy in his room the other night, but he wasn't sure if that spoke more about how dangerous this dude was or what Naruto's preferences were. Or maybe Naruto was just that desperate?

'Did I really just think that?'

Naruto cleared his throat. Tracksuit Guy didn't stop, so Naruto tried to slap the guy's hand off his jacket. Nothing. Man had a grip of steel. Okay. Naruto proceeded to hug the second closest thing to him: a tree. Tracksuit Guy gave him an unimpressed look and something in Naruto's gut told him the dude could probably pry him off the tree if he wanted. Tracksuit Guy didn't though, so oh well.

"What?" Tracksuit Guy asked, annoyed.

"I've still got some questions for you." Naruto said stubbornly.

Tracksuit Guy dragged a hand across his face. After a moment of groaning in what was probably exasperation, he said, "Fine."

"Yay. So for one, why do I have a tail?" Naruto jerked his head at the twitching appendage, which glowed faintly in the dark. Ack. Ghost tail.

"That's your soul." Tracksuit Guy said bluntly.

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. "You're saying my soul is a flipping tail? Can I say that's a a little mid? Cus it really REALLY is."

Tracksuit Guy gave him a flat smile. "I'm not even sure that's actually your soul, though. From what I can tell, you're alive. For the most part. If you can touch a tree that seriously, then you're more of a living spirit." Naruto immediately let go of the tree, silently apologizing for his disrespect. "And if you can already see and hear the beings of the Far Shore, then you're definitely stuck. Like, in the middle. But I haven't seen your body, so I'm not sure if this is your wacko version of the afterlife or some creepy spell gone wrong. There is something I'd like to check though…" Tracksuit Guy rubbed his chin thoughtfully, staring at Naruto's tail.

Naruto raised his eyebrows, curious. "What is it?"

Without responding, Tracksuit Guy suddenly grabbed Naruto's tail, and pulled. Hard.

Immediately, Naruto let out a shriek of both shock and pain. His vision swam with stars and sparks ran up and around his head, burning hot with light and heat. The first touch was like waving your hand inside an oven, dangerously there but not hurting. The squeeze and pull was like slapping the inside of an oven. Searing.

Alright, maybe Naruto exaggerated it a little but he was gonna have to make sure no one touched his tail again cus that shit hurt. Like, a lot.

Tracksuit Guy had at least let go already in the first 3 seconds, but not quickly enough or like he was concerned by Naruto's pain. Which… fit the guy really well for some reason.

Tracksuit Guy hummed thoughtfully. He commented, "Ya know, if there was ever a sadist or someone with a shriek kink out there they would totally go to you."

Naruto went along with the banter. "One, don't kink shame people. Two, are you offering?"

Tracksuit Guy made a face. He held his hands up and backed away immediately. "Haha, no. But I know someone who might. Are you accepting?"

"No." Naruto stood up. He crossed his arms. "So, did you learn something from our little 'session'?"

Tracksuit Guy cringed. "Don't say that word please. And yeah. I did. That tail?" He waved a hand at the offending appendage. "Not a tail. That's actually a lifeline. It's what keeps you connected to the Near Shore. Basically, it's like your cable line, it's what lets you walk on this side while still having a place on the other."

Naruto waved a hand beside his ear. "Alright, you say things, and I don't understand them. What the heck is the Near Shore and… whatever else you said it was."

Tracksuit Guy sighed loudly. "Alright, I don't have time to explain it all, but basically, that tail," Tracksuit Guy pointed at the tail. "means you're technically not dead, which means you've still got a body, and it's probably snoozing away on some curb or possibly in the back of some guy's van. Who knows?" Tracksuit Guy shrugged.

Naruto slumped. "Alright, so I've gotta find my body?"

Tracksuit Guy shrugged. "Yap."

"What's your name?" Naruto asked suddenly.

Tracksuit Guy narrowed his eyes. "I ain't tellin' you."

"Why not?" Naruto retorted.

"Because~" Tracksuit Guy waved a finger at Naruto, as though pointing at all of him. "You're a buncha trouble that I don't need. I've been trying very hard not to peek at your name since I got your wallet and if I tell you my name all that hard work will be ruined."

Naruto gasped. "Wait– you've got my wallet!?"

"Oh yeah. I completely forgot about that." Tracksuit Guy pulled out Naruto's floppy frog wallet and tossed it to him nonchalantly. "Anyway, telling you my name will lead to just… a whole lot of trouble that both you and I won't wanna deal with. Hah. See? I know grammar. Take that, Daikoku."

Naruto looked at Tracksuit Guy, his strange outfit and bizarre eyes and purple hair. The stuff he's gone through in one day belonged in a dark fantasy manga. Glowing tails and frogs. Weird guys who can mind wipe people. Weird voices in the middle of the night. Getting hit by a bus and coming out with no injuries but instead a flipping other-spirit form?

Maybe Naruto's seen too much anime or has read too many fantasy stories, but usually in moments like these, when they happen, that means there's a whole other world out there. Or, at least a completely different side to the world than what was previously seen. Maybe Naruto's life is a bit more crappy than he'd like, and he wants to see if there's any room for him in this new supposed side. 'Or maybe I'm just bored out of my mind.'

Maybe Naruto's so bored and pathetic he wants to make friends with glowing frogs and weird dudes dressed in smelly jerseys.

Naruto looks at Tracksuit Guy's dirty clothes, wrinkly boots, and torn towel-scarf, and makes an educated decision. "I'll give you money."

Tracksuit Guy's eyes snap open at the word 'money', and he looks at Naruto with a new interest. "Money?"

"Yeah. How much?" Naruto said, quietly cursing himself for offering up money. It's not like he was in a position to give away much. Still, he fingers the few bills in his wallet but doesn't take them out in case Tracksuit Guy gets too attached to what he sees and raises his price.

"5 yen." Tracksuit Guy says.

Naruto pulls out a ¥10 coin. "Now tell me your name."

"Pay up first." Tracksuit Guy shoots back.

After a mild staring contest, Naruto yields and passes over the ¥10. Tracksuit Guy takes it begrudgingly. After another moment, he says, "My name is Yato. Pleasure doing business with you."

"Hold on. You said it only cost 5 yen, right?"

Yato nodded.

Naruto pointed accusingly. "That means you owe me another favor!"

Yato groaned. "Aw come on, kid! Gimme a break!"

"Hey! I paid up! Now you pay up too!" Naruto said, shooting up onto his feet. Apparently that was the wrong move. Because suddenly a wave of exhaustion hits him, and he has to sway, grabbing onto a railing. Yato didn't seem to pay him any mind, still groaning and complaining.

"Fine, fine! You friggin' brat. I'll do your stupid errand. Now tell me what it is before you pass out."

Naruto grabbed onto Yato's sleeve, his vision dimming at an alarming rate as his knees started to buckle. His muscles quickly gave up, and his head bumped against Yato's torso. He was too tired to be embarrassed. His tongue felt heavy.

"Jush… help me find ma body. Ples?" Naruto's vision went dark, and he was out.