Do you collect the souls you've lost
in the top of your dresser drawer
count the number of tears displaced
on lonely bedroom floors
where the shape of your heart once was
slowly takes the place of you
will they hold the memories now
of the love I though I knew - Anberlin

"Um" He began again. I don't think Kimura-san and I were being fair cornering him like this but we wanted, no needed to know. Was it fair that he had to choose between us? Not really? Did he have to choose between us? Yep, so why not now?

I really wanted to tell him that he didn't have to answer us but I could tell Kimura-san would object. She wasn't crying as much as before but tears would occasionally roll down her cheek. I guess she had a reason to cry. Her boyfriend saying he didn't love her, and possibly not even liking her. Maybe coming to this town was a mistake. I didn't want to ruin her relationship but it's just that I felt strongly for Naruto. Maybe I even loved him. But that wasn't an excuse for being between these two even if their feelings toward each other wasn't mutual.

I'm feelin' lips
I'm feelin' cherry
I'm feelin' ripe
I'm feelin' (Juicy)

Kimura-san dug in her pocket and drew out a cell phone. I thought it was hers but she tossed it to Naruto who caught it effortless. "Make it quick Naru-kun." He gave her a weak smile and flipped the phone up. "Hello?" I heard a bunch of yelling and Naruto pulled the phone away from his head. Whoever was on the other line was not happy with him. "Hey! Quick yellin' in my ear would ya?" The voice quieted down and Naruto put the phone back up to his ear.

"Okay, okay calm down and stop blubbering." Naruto sounded as though he were talking to a child but there was no way that, that screaming voice was a child's. It was too rough and deep. "What! ...No, no, no, no, no." Naruto said shaking his head. His free hand was running his forehead in I guess an attempt to get rid of the upcoming headache. His hands went through his hair pushing it back in frustration. "Okay, I'll be there in a sec…" He glanced at us "actually forget that. Look you handle the situation and I'll be there as soon as I can." He snapped his phone shut not even giving the other person a chance to respond

"Um…that was my job and there's kinda an emergency, so can I…" He let the sentence lead on. Letting us a chance to fill it in. He wanted to leave. How convenient for him. "Naruto-kun can't you just-" "Just go." I was about to ask him couldn't he just call them back and say he is busy but Kimura-san interrupted me. I thought she would be on my side about this. So when I looked at her in shock she just shrugged.

Naruto smiled. "Really? Thanks!" He didn't say anything else. Just turned and left rounding the corner. No false promises about telling us later, no pretenses about who he loved or liked or anything. "Kimura-san, why would you do that?" She was still watching the spot where Naruto last was. Maybe expecting him to come back and say he liked her. She turned towards me with saddened red eyes. I felt my throat clench at the sight of her tear streaked face. I didn't ever want to hurt people after the incident but it seems I couldn't stop from doing it anyway.

"Last time…" She took a gulp of breath and resumed. "Last time his job called him we were at my place… we were having a good time, but when they called he said he had to go. I begged and pleaded with him to stay but he wouldn't listen." Her voice cracked at the end. She closed her eyes to stop the tears. "I couldn't take him leaving me… but that's what he does." She started to smile. "Just when I think he's mine for the day or night his job takes him away…So I started crying. Wailing, even. I sunk down to the floor in a fetal position. Crying into my hands. When I calmed down I looked up and I was shocked he was crouched there in front of me."

"I couldn't speak. I just stared at him. His hand went and cupped my cheek…I remember thinking how big and warm his hands were." She paused. "He said exactly 'I'll stay, but just this once.' And he smiled the sweetest smile I had ever seen him give me."

"I asked him if he would be there when I woke in the morning and he said yes." My face was full of shock and bewilderment. Staying the night, they didn't do it…did they? "Since we had been secretly dating for only two weeks we didn't do anything but hang out like friends would just add some kissing and cuddling into the mix." She sounded more like her usual self now. "Why were you dating secretly?" I asked her. She broke out of her trance acting as though she forgot I was here. "Strict family."

She just stood there and for a second I thought she wouldn't continue her story. If she didn't I would feel as though it was my fault for breaking her trance. "He kept his word to me…sure enough he was there when I woke up. Though he was thinking so intently, sitting on my bed looking out the window, he hadn't noticed my rousing… I tugged on his shirt and called his name and he looked at me but it was as if he wasn't looking at me at all. His eyes-"She shook her head, looking down, trying to find the word to describe it. She licked her lips even though they weren't dry. She looked up at me finally. "It was like they were dead, empty."

"When he saw I was awake he got off the bed and kissed my forehead saying he had to go to work now… he never broke his promise" She gave a sad smile at the memory. "I'm pretty sure he didn't sleep once that night. But anyways after he left I didn't see him for a week and I couldn't get in contact with him. And when he came back he was quiet for a while, sad, even depressed but he got out of it."

"This happens not often but when it does I think it gets worse. That's why I told him to go because they only time it happens, were he becomes depressed, is when he is late for his job." So that's it. Naruto had even more secrets than what he told me. I felt bad because he being an optimistic sunny person to become depressed something bad must have happened, really bad.

"Where's he work?" I asked her. Maybe I could go there and I don't know do something to cheer Naruto up. She shook her head smiling. "I don't know he never told me and he won't tell me no matter how often I ask." It was weird me and her just got into a fight hours earlier and now he we where acting civilized. "Don't think this makes us friends. Oh and don't worry I'll let my brother know all about this…though you probably don't know him but you will… soon." She turned and left. What did she mean by her brother and soon?

I groaned. This was a really bad today. I continued walking on my own towards the apartments. I walked into the building and went up the stairs. I got my keys out my pocket and put them in the door. Opened my door, and pulled the keys out. If I hadn't slipped on water I probably would've missed the letter but I did notice. I was kneeling on the ground and it was right in front of my face. It wasn't in an envelope just folded. It read:

NEXT TIME IT WILL BE YOURS

Be mine? What did that mean? Wait… water? It wasn't raining it was sunny and bright how did water get into my room. I was still kneeling. I could feel the water around my knees. I touched the water with my hand and looked at it. It wasn't water. For one water wasn't this thick, two water doesn't smell like metal and three-and this was the thing that made it register what I was kneeling in wasn't water at all-water was most defiantly not red.

"Kyaaaaaa-"

"Aaaaahhhhh!!!" His screams didn't bother me. When I was like this nothing really bothered me. His body finally fell to the ground. "Took ya long enough to die." I kicked his body just to make sure. I heard a groan behind me. Some guy was struggling to live a life that was gone. One arm wrapped around his torso and the other laying limp at his side. One of his legs broken so he was hobbling around. He was too far to see my face. "Help…me." I turned all the way around so he could see who I was.

"Oh god…please spare me. I beg of you." He fell to his knees. But since his leg was broken it was more like he was lying on his side. "Well since you asked…no" I said bluntly. If I showed mercy to him then they'd all want mercy. I couldn't do that now could I? Besides they were already dead and the longer they lived the more chance they had to become evil.

"Boss, we're finished over here." I nodded. "Bring the car around!" I yelled at them. They followed my instructions without hesitation because they had learned if they didn't they would suffer…terribly. The car stopped directly next to me. I didn't flinch. I wasn't allowed to show any kind of fear or weakness least I want them to think less of me. The door was opened and I got in. The car was black with tinted windows. They were to take me to the base or the dojo. Since I had gotten here on time, there was no need for him to be mad and take it out on citizens.

I entered the base and went to the last room in the back. I was suppose to report to him after each case. I entered without knocking as I usually did. "Tatsuya." I didn't see him anywhere. I walked further in. I heard a rustle of clothing and turned around but I was too late to stop him. "Ah, Naruto I missed you." He was hugging me while swinging me around in circles. I tried to release myself from his bear hug but some how he kept his grip.

He hugged me for about ten more seconds before he suddenly let go and I dropped to the ground. "So what do you need?" He was still smiling like an idiot. I sighed. He was always forgetting or at least he made it seem that way. "I need you to check the seal." He nodded finally getting serious. He did his usual incantation and checked the seal to make sure it was holding. "It slipped a little today." He said. He recited another incantation to fix that slip or crack.

He finished and we had some green tea on the porch. The outside yard was beautiful. A huge Sakura tree in full bloom with at least four koi ponds. The grass was greener than life. Everything here reflected peace. "Naruto you know you're really doing me a huge favor taking the seal." I didn't say anything. I just kept quiet, besides it's not like I had a choice. Back when I was younger before I left here to find Tsunade and Jiraya, Tatsuya was slowly going insane from the seal. The person who used to mend his seal died and because of the seal he couldn't do the incantation on himself.

When I was thirteen there were more murders going on. The people died in the weirdest way and I immediately knew it was Tatsuya. So I told him if he knew how to give the seal to someone else he could give it to me. I didn't want the seal to break completely because it was already breaking so I sacrificed myself. The job I had now was to destroy all evil spirits and possibly evil spirits. I couldn't do it without Kyuubi because I had no psychic skills and without him I couldn't destroy the evil spirits and also I would've died from the wounds I got if I hadn't had him.

"I know." I sipped the last of my tea and stood to leave. Ever since I had taken the seal Tatsuya had gone back to acting like how he was before the seal. Thinking back to how he acted when he had the seal made me wonder. Would that happen to me some day? "Bye." I ignored him. I needed to get out of here. It just brought back memories I had tried to bury. I got out of the dojo as soon as I could. I took a deep breath and walked away like I was never there in the first place.

I walked all the way to the convenience store and bought some rice balls. I bought five since all that work used a lot of energy I was starving and I didn't feel like eating anything really but rice balls seemed reasonable. I couldn't starve from not eating.

Hmm? Should I walk home or take the train? Walking would be nice but I deserved a break. So the train it is! I walked to the platform, bought a ticket and got on. There were a bunch of seats empty so I sat down. I noticed there were a lot of spirits today. I didn't have to worry about them becoming evil, they were only children spirits. Though I would tell my team about them so the could exorcise them. I ignored them because if they knew I could see them they would cling to me.

I got off the train and started walking. It would only be about two blocks before I got home. I heaved a deep breath. It was getting hard to lie and have no one to confide in. Not even my best friends knew this secret. But if it meant they were safe then I was fine with shouldering this secret myself.

I could see the building now but there was something else. There was a car cop outside the building. I thought they were here for me but its not they could find anything in my room since I never brought my work home with me. I was planning my alibi when I saw something I hadn't noticed before or rather someone.

The person was sitting on the police cars trunk wrapped in a blanket. She was looking in the opposite direction so she hadn't noticed me yet. I ran up to her. "Hinata, what's the matter?" I was in too much panic to call her by her nickname. When she looked at me it scared me. Her eyes that were usually filled with life were empty. Just blank empty orbs. Even if she had lavender eyes and it was hard to see emotion in them in the first place I could still tell. Something terrible must have happened. Her mouth opened as though she wanted to say something but when no words came out she closed it.

She tried again and this time words came out. "Naruto-kun-" She lifted her hand as if to cradle my face but she saw her hands and so did I. Her hand just fell limply at her side. "Hinata, you have blood…on your hands" I tried to grasp the concept. "Why?" I didn't see any injuries on her. That blood wasn't hers. I finally caught her legs. She was still wearing her uniform and her legs and soaks were covered in dried, caked on blood.

"I fell in it." She made it sound so simple but anything involving someone else's blood was not simple. "Whose is it?" I was afraid to ask her. When I had left she and Miyuki were mad at each other. Maybe…? No, she would be handcuffed it that were the case and Hinata was much too nice to kill someone. Which I guess is why we were so different. Her eyes now showing emotion were filled with sadness. "I-I don't know N-Naruto-kun. They haven't t-told me yet." Her beautiful eyes were quickly filling with tears that were threatening to spill over at any time. "It was s-so horrible. I t-thought it was w-water but when I l-looked it w-wasn't."

I walked closer towards her so I was standing right in front of her and I hugged her so her head was in the crook of my neck. She shook before she started crying. I felt her hands circle my torso and grab a fistful of my shirt. I wasn't wearing my school uniform because of work. I was wearing a black t-shirt and jeans. So even if she got blood on this shirt, no one would be able to tell.

Her body stopped trembling from crying but she still kept her arms where they were. She needed comfort and I would be here until she didn't. "Hyuuga-san." Said a voice from behind her. She lifted her head off my shoulder but she still held onto me and I to her. "We've collected a sample of the blood and have cleaned up what was left. We are also taking the note as evidence and we will need a statement from you as soon as we know whose blood this was. I would advise you not stay in your apartment tonight. Do you have relatives that you can stay with?"

Did she? I don't remember her ever really telling me where she lived before coming here. She shook her head. "A-all my family's in Kyoto." The policeman nodded his head. "How about a friend?"

"She can stay with me, though I do live here but I can invite a whole bunch of my friends over, so we'll have a bigger defense." The officer looked thoughtful for a moment before he nodded his head. "Yea, do that. You're ok with that right Hyuuga-san?" She nodded. "Ok, some of my men will be in this area patrolling, so don't worry and if something seems weird just call this number." He handed her a slip of paper but she didn't let go of me so I took it for her. "Thanks." I told the officer.

I unwrapped Hinata's arms from around me and helped her off the trunk of the car. We stood leaning against the building and watched the police leave. "Come on Hina-chan lets go get some of your clothes for the night!" I tried to sound happy and enthusiastic but it failed and she noticed. "Yeah! Let's get ready for this sleep over." She also tried to be happy and just like me failed.

She wasn't moving so I grabbed her hand and we walked up the stairs to her room. She stopped a little on the stairs and I turned around to face her and smiled. "Come on Hina, you heard the cops they cleaned up the blood." She hesitated for a bit more before she gave in. We stood in front of her door. I twisted the handle and opened the door. It smelt like bleach and disinfectant. "You go get whateve' clothes you need and I'll wait out here." She nodded and I let go of her hand.

She disappeared into the back room. I got out my cell phone and called the Teme's number. I got his voicemail. I tried Sakura and also got her voicemail. I didn't want to call anyone else because Hinata might not be close with them and I didn't want to make her uncomfortable.

She came back into the living room with two bags. One I recognized as her school bag and the other I guess held all her clothes that she needed. "Hinata, Teme and Sakura aren't answering their phones so its gonna just be you and me tonight…is that okay?" She smiled. She seemed to be acting more like herself. "It's fine Naruto-kun."

We started up the stairs and into his apartment. I could tell tonight was going to be an awkward night.

Okay guys I've been updating like crazy so don't get made for this cliffhanger. My mom has been getting made because recently she'll find me on the computer at like 3 o'clock in the morning because I'm trying to finish a chapter but not today…well maybe because I wanna get started on the next chap already. Man summer vacation is awesome.