The initial greeting had been easy. Asking her for little of her time? A piece of cake. But this, this seemed to be the hardest part of all for Gaara.

Casual conversation.

And now words flowed back and forth between parties and Gaara wasn't entirely sure how he was having a conversation with someone who didn't quite exist. He kept telling him himself this until he realized he was mesmerized by the ghost of words past, leaving such delicate, fleeting words on her lips as she spoke.

That girl is dead and he knows this.

"I'm not sure what you mean?"

"I mean, you're not real. Are you?" Gaara asked once more.

"Of course I am. See?" Sakura proceeded to take a long drink of the iced coffee Gaara had bought for her. "Ouch! The brain freeze is real too." She said, placing the warmth of her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

The two had found themselves talking in a cafe on campus for the last hour, about school, family and other such introductory topics. Each other genuinely curious about the origin of the other. And within that hour Gaara had discovered that Sakura was 20, an only child, partial to chocolate, her favorite color was atypically grey(probably the farthest from her pink hair besides black). He more observantly learned that her smile was addictive like sweet coffee, and her seafoam green eyes were mesmerizing when light from the sun's rays bounced against them ever so casually. Gaara even learned that he, a journalist, could be lost for words when the combination of smile and emerald gaze were combined so frequently together. He learned this all without questions.

But Gaara's latest question seemed to bring an odd impasse in their conversation.

She giggled at the notion of her life's credibility. "Should I take that as your attempt at flirting Gaara? That maybe I'm 'too good to be real?' I'm not sure I know your taste just yet but that's a bit cheesy, no?" Her tone was light hearted as she raised a light brow at him.

Gaara was certain that something was off with the girl. He knew with everything that he had that the girl sitting across from him couldn't possibly be 100% bound to this earth. As certain as he was that the sky was blue or of how grey was dull.

"Hah! Someone's certainly confident in themselves." He said as he worked on sipping his own black coffee. Then the thought occurred to him. Sitting there watching a rosy cheeked smile he wondered perhaps if the sky is only blue because the ocean wishes it to be, and odd thought yes, but he found himself wondering if Sakura found grey enticing, who was he to say it wasn't?

Who was he to say she wasn't? Living that is.

A light thunder shook outside as impending storm clouds began to engulf the campus sky. The slow pitter-patter of rain melded against their window-

side view. Great clouds of sullen grey evicted the previously blue sky of its color.

'Maybe the sky is grey when it wants to be.'

"I really should be going." Sakura said as she looked at the light drizzle of rain tapping against the closed window. "I'll chalk up your unique question to silly journalist talk. Ask me again tomorrow and who knows." She shrugged her shoulders with a parting smile, standing up to leave. "I might just have an answer for you."

"Of course. It was a pleasure speaking with you Miss Haruno. Mind if we do this again sometime? It'd be nice if someone... could show me around."

He's not entirely sure we're this courage was coming from, but the energy she radiates made him want to be in her presence no matter the challenge.

Sakura tilted her head in consideration. Placing A loose hold around the redhead's shoulders in answer. "Smooth for a cheesy homeschool kid. I suppose I wouldn't mind though."

'Maybe I was just seeing things.'

But then Gaara took a moment to reflect on her retreating form. Doubt pushed its way out his mind when she opened the front door. Or rather, when someone else opened the door to the little cafe at the exact same time, a stranger walked in at precisely the same moment she exited. Somehow, their bodies did anything but collide. The sway of her hips did nothing to hinder the path of the man in front of her. Her righteous pink hair did nothing to catch his gaze. Seafoam green eyes did little to distract him from such a mundane task as walking through a door.

She phased through him on her venture as if the man didn't even exist. And just like that, she was gone. She's a ghost, and deep down, he knows this.

'Don't be thick Gaara. The girl's dead.'

"Or I'm going fucking crazy."

xXx

The walk home was an uneventful one. The sky had long been over saturated with heavy clouds but the only thing that came down was the occasional drop that attempted to offend Gaara's thick hair with little success.

"Hey bro!" Gaara was rushed by a wave of blonde energy as Naruto ran up to him, patting him hard on the shoulder. "You look pretty happy to be walking in the rain."

"Oh... Hey Naruto." The redhead was still consumed in his internal struggle, that is until something dawned on him.

'Maybe he knows more.'

"Where'd you disappear to? After class I mean. I must have dozed off, but I figured you would've said something before you left? When I looked up it was just me and ghost girl."

"Haha, ghost girl? I like it." Naruto fell in stride next to his new acquaintance. "Menma was in a hurry to get some food so we left pretty soon after the bell. I tried getting your attention, but I guess finding out the dead still walk the earth kinda takes a minute to process huh?"

"Yeah... to say the least." Gaara shoved his hands into his pockets and tilted his head down to keep out as much of the drizzle as possible. "How are you so ok with this anyway" The level of calm and lack of tact Naruto took at the subject was baffling to the redhead. It's not common for one to talk about such subjects like they're commonplace.

Death was a topic Gaara was sure he could approach carefully if need be, but this? How the Hell does he even touch something like ghost?

"Took time I suppose." Naruto's face remained cheery as he strolled alongside him, his full grin unaffected by the dim weather as he soaked in the rain with his wide swinger walk. "I've known her since we were kids, but she's only been dead maybe a year."

"Can I..." Gaara paused as they found themselves outside his dorm building, an impatient Naruto hanging onto his impending question so he could continue his stroll. "I mean. Could you tell me what happened? Why she's still here I mean."

"Maybe, if I can. Last year sort of all blends together. I remember the doctor declaring her dead in the hospital." Naruto shifted uncomfortably under Gaara's sympathetic gaze. "Then the next thing I know I'm at her funeral, watching behind the crowd as they put her in the ground. There was a whole few days I guess I just wanted to push out of my mind ya know?"

"I think I understand-"

"And that bastard Sasuke didn't even show up. Would've broken her heart if she knew."

"Sasuke? What does he have to do with her?"

Naruto started to walk off again before Gaara could muster more questions. "People are ghost for a reason. But that's a story for another day Red, I'll catch you later." Naruto threw a peace sign over his shoulder as he disappeared around the nearest corner."

xXx

He couldn't shake today's events out of my head. A new school filled with strange people and a slight ghost problem.

A bit extreme for a first day.

Gaara shifted through the crowded, boxed in area of his dorm room as he carefully sorted out his many belongings to occupy his hands. The big pile of junk He'd brought from Suna mostly held things of sentimental value. Drabbles, newspaper articles, stuff that wouldn't really mean much as his writing talent continued to evolve with each passing year.

"I really should've left some of this crap at home." Gaara mumbled as he shifted stuff grumpily about his limited living space.

Besides the occasional tossed note, the process was smooth and by ten he was almost finished entirely putting away his effects. He found himself wondering if perhaps Sakura was stuck in a cycle like this? Living out mundane task day after day. Or how she lived after she'd vanished from the sight of the few that could see her.

A buzzing cellphone caught him off guard. The unknown number even more so.

Unknown: hey man, I'd be careful snooping around that girl.

Gaara looked at his phone in confusion before turning swiftly around in his small one bed dorm to give it the same quizzical once over.

Gaara: ... who's this?

The unknown number took some time to reply. Giving Gaara the opportunity to shut his blinds and situate himself comfortably in bed.

Unknown: Just stay away from her. If you have any questions, you should just ask Uzumaki, or better yet, that d bag Uchiha.

'Alright, who the hell is this guy? Do they know about Sakura too?'

Gaara: Hey listen, idk who you're talking about. But you got the wrong number.

His phone fell quiet for a long time and Gaara thought perhaps they did have the wrong number. He drifted in and out of sleep for a few moments before a final message left his heart pounding against his chest.

Unknown: the girl u watched get a fucking brain freeze in that cafe. If you want to play detective, idc, just don't ask her anything if you value your life.

"What. The. Fuck?"

Gaara tucked his phone away under his pillow in denial. Threats like that don't just happen out of nowhere and there's no reason someone should be out to get him just for talking to a pretty girl.

Right?

He had to leave. His hands fumbled as he began packing together a change of clothes and enough stuff to get through a couple of days. A threat had just been put on his life so he should obviously go home, maybe even tell the police, anything was better than just sitting still.

But his hands stilled as he reached for the door. His retreat stopped as he thought back on what a certain blonde had said.

"People are ghost for a reason." Naruto had said.

' And I have to know why.'

"Get it together Gaara... that's what you're here for." Gaara slapped himself a little to dissipate his shock.

With his mind clear his gears began to wind at the possibilities of it all. His first thoughts landing on the factor he knew the least about.

Sasuke.

What kind of monster he must've been to leave a girls heart so broken as to roam the world even in death. Maybe he found joy in tearing her heart to pieces. Surely he found celebration in each shredded piece of her because what was left was joyous to look at, if you asked Gaara, it was down right beautiful. She didn't quite present like pale pieces on the ground but more like confetti. Tiny pieces of loaded heart spread thinly over this world and the next.

Reach for it and you were sure to pick up a piece of her.

'But what piece could possibly be keeping her here?' He found himself wandering as he plopped down hard to his bed. Open eyes burning with questions for his ceiling.

Sakura Haruno is Dead, and he knows this. What he didn't know, was how he was going to prove it.

A/N: Damn, why didn't anyone tell me I had so many typos?? xD

Also

'Indicates someone's thoughts'