Disclaimer: I only wish I owned Naruto.

Chapter 2

"But officer –"

"No 'buts', kid," The large cop said, "I caught you in a prohibited area, trespassing. I gotta call your parents."

"But, please!" I pleaded, "Let me explain!"

"Alright," He sighed, "What were you doing at a graveyard at eight o'clock, on Halloween night?"

"I…I," I stuttered, "I was…visiting a family member!" A light bulb flashed over my head.

"Uh huh…"

"It's true!" I lied, making sure to look him in the eye. Good liars look people in the eye, I mentally chided. "My, uh, my aunt, officer!"

"Really…"

I nodded, trying not to shake my head too vigorously.

"I need a break," He suddenly muttered to himself, "I'll be right back. I need some coffee."

I watched the fat policeman walk through the steal door, locking me inside this small, cramped interrogation room.

I needed to make a call. I needed to call Neji. Sakura, maybe. Heck, even Ino and Kiba could work!

"I'm so screwed," I muttered.

"My, my, what foul language."

I gasped. I was the only one here! What the heck?!

I looked around the empty, gray room. There wasn't much in it, just the metal table with many dents – and was that a bloodstain I saw? – and cracks, two chairs, with a few more in a corner. Did I mention this room was empty?

"I'm right here." There was it again. I turned to the sound frantically, eyes wide. Nothing there.

"Oh, my God," I muttered, rubbing my temples, "I'm going crazy."

"It certainly seems like it."

"You're my conscience, aren't you?" I whisper, "You're here to chastise me for flunking that math test and sneaking into that graveyard to see that scary ghost, aren't you?!"

"I'm scary?" Was the amused reply.

"Holy shit!" I covered my mouth in surprised, gasping.

"I never knew shit was holy, miss."

"Okay, ghost!" I whispered, looking around, "Show yourself!"

"Whatever you want."

"Ah!" I fall over my chair back first at the immense proximity of his face, and my nose.

"Do you want the police to think you're crazy?" He raised an eyebrow, "I'm pretty sure he's watching you."

"What?! Disappear! He might see you! Then he'll get a heart attack and I'll be the murderer!"

"Relax, woman," He rolled his eyes, "He can't see me."

I lifted myself onto the uncomfortable metal chair, scooting backwards a little as to create some distance between the ghost and me.

"W-what?" I stuttered.

"You're not deaf," He shrugged. "The only ones who can see a ghost are the ones who summoned him/her. In this case, only you and your friends are graced with my presence."

I decided not to mention how incredibly self centered that sounded.

"I suggest you look like a normal human being," The ghost said nonchalantly, "The guy will probably label you as clinically insane."

I bit my lip, annoyed. "Why the heck are you stalking me?"

"I prefer checking in on you," He shrugged. "The word 'stalking' makes me feel like a crazy person."

"Ugh," I rolled my eyes. "Go ask Neji or Tenten or something to go take you back to the graveyard. Unless you're here to help me, I really need some sanity right now."

His eyes narrowed – I was suddenly afraid I angered him. A frown tugged at his lips.

And then he did the unthinkable.

I rubbed my forehead, dazed. "Did you just touch me?!"

"Well, no. I flicked you, technically."

"How were you able to do that?!"

"What? Flicking you?" His eyebrow rose. "It's quite easy, actual –"

"No! Touching me!"

"I flicked you," He corrected me, "And the word 'touching' makes me feel like I'm molesting you. Don't say it."

"Okay, fine!" I said irritably, "Ghosts are supposed to be…all ghost-like! You're not supposed to be a solid!"

"Ghosts may like to walk through walls and shit, but they can be solid when they want to," He huffed, "How do you think they move things around?"

"B-but…"

"This is all new to you, isn't it?" He sighed. "Jeez, you are no fun."

"I—"

"Hi," I was interrupted. I immediately turned around to face a different cop; a female one with short spiky hair, "I'm Mitarashi Anko. Sorry 'bout Bob over there, but he's such a loser, 'specially on Halloween."

"O-oh…"

"So what were you doing in the graveyard, miss…?"

"Hinata." I could see a hint of a frown in her eyes. She wanted me to admit my last name, considering she'd said hers.

"Hinata," She nodded, "Right."

"I was just, you know…saying some words to my…my aunt…"

"Really?" She smirked. "Bob found you in the Uchiha section. They've been dead for 'bout a hundred years. I'm pretty sure, telling by your eyes, that you're a Hyuuga."

"U-uh, n-no!" I stammered. The woman cop waved me off.

"It's alright," She shrugged, "We get trespassers every year, trying to summon some ghosts. I'm pretty sure they never work, though."

"Oh, uh…yeah," I said uncomfortably. The ghost beside me snorted. I'm guessing by that action, non summon-ers can't hear him, either.

"I do need your guardian to come get you, though. Law is law, after all."

My shoulders slumped. "Alright," I sighed.

"Come on. Want some candy, too? I took some Reses cups from a couple delinquent trick-or-treaters."

"Um…no thanks…"

"Reses cups sound…disgusting," The ghost beside me frowned as the woman led me out of the room, few feet away.

"It's chocolate." I whispered.

"What was that?" Anko asked.

"Uh, nothing!"

I was led to Anko's candy filled desk. She wasn't kidding about the trick-or-treating delinquents.

The black haired cop cleared the desk, stuffing it into a random drawer.

"Use my phone to call," She instructed.

"Hey, Anko! We got more Halloween-ers!"

She sighed. "Bob can't do shit with Halloween criminals," She muttered, "I'll be right back."

Once she left I immediately headed for the black plastic phone.

"Hello?"

"Neji!" I hissed.

"Hinata!" He sighed in relief, "Where the hell are you?"

"I'm in the police station."

"How the hell did you get there?!" The voice switched from Neji's to Kiba's.

"You guys left me..."

"Oh! Damn, sorry, Hina-chan!"

The ghost snorted.

"What nice friends you have, human."

"Shut up," I muttered.

"Did you just tell me to shut up, Hina-chan?"

"No! Not you! Sorry." I backtracked, "Help me get out of here!"

"Okay, okay. Do they know who you are?" Kiba asked.

"Obviously."

"Damn, this is going to be harder than I thought," He sighed. I idly wondered if he'd done this before.

"Listen, Hina-chan, just run. The cop was fat. He can't catch you. Oh, and leave some money. There're always corrupt people there."

I digged in my pocket. I only had thirty-three dollars and two cents, lint, and a candy wrapper.

"Will thirty-two dollars work?"

"Yeah. Now go!"

He hung up on me.

I stared at the phone incredulously. Did he actually want me to bribe a police officer?

"I suggest you do it now, while no one's looking, human." The ghost suggested.

"Right," I set the money on the cheap metal desk. "Come on."

It was lucky for me that it was a short sprint down the back stairs. I burst out of the building, into an alleyway.

I emerged into a street close to Sarutobi High. Not slowing down, I sprinted to Ino's house. There were still people about, wandering. I shoved past through a small group of young teens, probably twelve or thirteen.

"Hey! Watch it, lady!"

"Sorry!" I called back, not looking back.

"I think it's safe for you to walk, human." The ghost said nonchalantly, his dark eyes watching me in amusement.

I decided it was safe, that no one was coming after me. Slowing down, panting, I turned to look at him. "Call me Hinata, ghostie."

"Don't call me ghostie," The black haired man wrinkled his nose, "It's Sasuke."

"Fine," I panted a little more, straightening.

"So where are we going?" He crossed his arms, following me.

"I'm going to Ino's house." I said, "You're going back to your grave."

"Not possible." He retorted, "You haven't dismissed me. Without a dismissal, I can't rest."

"What?! So I'm stuck with you?!"

"You should learn some manners, Hinata-san," He flicked my forehead. I still held my forehead in amazement. It was still dizzying how he could touch me.

"I see your little friends," Sasuke announced, "They're a bit surprised to see me."

"Hina-chan!" Ino yelled, "You're okay!"
I waved. "Kiba's knowledge of bribing cops was a big help," I smiled sheepishly.

Neji narrowed his eyes, turning to Kiba. "I don't want you hanging around Hinata anymore," He pointed his index finger at him.

Kiba laughed nervously.

"Um, guys, we have a problem," I pointed at Sasuke.

"Excuse me, I'm right here. That's offending," He crossed his arms in an annoyed manner, flipping a bang over his eyes.

"How's he still here?" Tenten asked.

"As I explained to Hinata numerous times," he sighed, "I can't leave until you dismiss me. So long story short: your summoning is still in session."

"Let's dismiss you, then," Sakura suggested.

"I'm afraid you don't want to go to the cemetary...?"

"Sakura," She offered.

"Right," He waved her off. "You need to dismiss me at exactly where I was summoned."

"Any exceptions?" Shino asked.

"No. If not I wouldn't be here, now would I?"

"No need for a snarky attitude, jeez," Naruto muttered.

"Do you even know what snarky means, blondie?" Sasuke smirked.

"...No..."

"Exactly."

I sighed. "Maybe we should go inside," I suggested, "We...we could sort this out inside, right?"

"Yeah, we look weird standing around talking to a ghost," Temari agreed.

-x-

"So...we can see you, but no one else can?" Shikamaru clarified.

"What is this, twenty questions?" He sighed.

"We're interested." He shrugged.

"So what are we going to do?" Sakura asked, "We obviously can't go back to the cemetary anytime soon..."

"I say we keep him!" Ino snickered. "He's cool."

"I am not a dog, Ino-san," He muttered.

"Sorry, sorry."

Naruto yawned. "I'm tired. Nighty night."

I sweat dropped.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled, "You can't sleep over! You're a guy! WAKE UP!"

Nothing.

"Stupid idiot!" Ino muttered, hitting him with a red couch pillow.

Tenten poked him curiously.

Sasuke turned to me.

"You have a weird choice in friends, Hinata-san."