New chapter is here! I'm so happy with all the reviews…they made me type faster. Please keep on reviewing, and enjoy this new chapter! Please read the Author's Note at the end, it's important for the story!

When Naruto finally got home at 2:30, he collapsed into bed. It had been a long night, and he was tired. But he couldn't sleep well at all; all his dreams were filled with the visions of pink haired wraiths and roses. He awoke in a cold sweat, and had to resort to taking his sleeping pills for the first time in months. Drifting into distant unconsciousness, Naruto's final thought was to wonder about what his question would be tomorrow.

At 10:00 pm sharp, Naruto found himself blearily staring up at the gates of Konoha Cemetery. The rain had spent itself during the day, leaving a clear summer night. Sighing, he repeated his actions from the previous night. He focused carefully on his actions, trying not to think about his dreams and his fears. Being in a cemetery was one thing; being in a haunted cemetery was quite another. All the same, Naruto didn't want to loose his job over some nutcase. He resolved to deal with her properly tonight, providing that she actually showed up. And he really hoped that she wouldn't.

Clutching his flashlight in a death grip, Naruto began his route around the cemetery. Only this time, he took the long way around. He started from the gate and went to the tombs, and past the newer graves. He even paused to spend a few minutes with his mother, making sure her grave was as neat and tidy as ever. When he had been younger, he had brought some crayon drawings and handfuls of weeds, but nowadays he was empty- handed. He had stopped believing that his mother could receive his material presents, and now he dedicated only his thoughts and prayers to her. These, he had reasoned, were the only things light enough to float all the way up to heaven.

Naruto left the grave with a sad smile and kept walking. His heart felt a little lighter, so he didn't react as badly when he saw the woman again. This time, she even acknowledged his presence by glancing up at him. Calming himself and remembering his resolve, Naruto took a seat beside her on the worn bench.

"You're coming from the opposite direction today." Her tone was still hollow and her eyes were still dull. Nothing had changed from yesterday.

"I wasn't sure if you would be here today, you know?" Naruto's voice shook a little.

"Why? You were scared, weren't you? Of me, probably." Her hands were still pale and lovely; she had a new bouquet to shred today.

"Well, yeah. I mean, the whole ghost thing was a bit freaky. But I wasn't scared. Just surprised. It's creepy here, and it was dark…you know. I don't scare easily, believe it." As soon as Naruto said these words, he could feel his usual bravado returning. The situation was strange, but he could handle it.

"So you're not scared of ghosts?" She was definitely amused now. "Fine. But we're still playing. It's your turn to start today."

Naruto grinned as he recited his question. He had planned this while waiting to close the main gates. "Okay. If you are really a ghost, this should be ok. Would you prove that you are a ghost to me right now?"

The woman stared at him, the roses forgotten for the time being. "I suppose I could. Though I don't understand why you couldn't just believe me."

She stood gracefully and motioned for him to follow. Naruto got up automatically and walked behind her as she threaded her way through the graves. They were in a newer area, where the more recently deceased had been buried. The grass was still short and patchy over the recently upturned earth. The lady stood next to a grave and simply pointed.

Peering closer in the light of his flashlight, Naruto could make out a gravestone. There was a picture of a smiling pink haired girl on the front. The photo very much resembled the woman standing next to him, but the feeling that it gave off was happier and sweeter. The 'ghost' was more melancholy and distant. Naruto read the name on the grave: Sakura Haruno. There were dates inscribed, letting him know that the woman was only 25 when she had died. Below the dates was the inscription, which consisted of only three words.

Wait for me.

Naruto shivered a little as he regarded the pale woman next to him. He wasn't sure if this was actually Sakura Haruno's ghost that was beside him. She could be an imposter, and she definitely seemed crazier by the second. There was no way that he was going to believe that the woman next to him was actually the ghost of the corpse in the grave in front of him. It didn't seem to make sense. Ghosts were impossible.

He huffed, and watched Sakura walk back to the bench. He followed her quickly, and the duo resumed their positions on the bench. Naruto immediately began to speak.

"So, you're telling me that you're the ghost of Haruno Sakura?" Naruto tried unsuccessfully to keep the disbelief out of his voice.

The figure nodded once as it resumed shredding its flowers.

"I asked you to prove that you were a ghost. And I'm not convinced." He was definitely pushing his luck, but he couldn't take back his words. He almost wished he could, because he was sure that he couldn't deal with an angry ghost. Or any ghost, for that matter. All his previous resolve had vanished into the silent night.

"I am Sakura. If you really want me to prove I'm a ghost…well, there isn't much I can do. I can't really control my actions as much as I want to. Even talking with you is such a great effort." Sakura's voice was wistful as she spoke.

Naruto felt very tired all of a sudden. He wanted to go home and curl up under his blankets to forget his ghostly encounters. But he knew she would follow him into his dreams until his every thought was haunted by her. He had to know. He just had to know.

"Prove it." It was a direct challenge. He wasn't going to back down to her.

"Fine." She seemed to grow impatient. Sakura lifted a pale hand and pushed it right through his chest. Naruto's mouth opened in surprise as he felt an unnatural cold enveloping his beating heart. It only lasted for a second; Sakura had withdrawn her hand as quickly as she had put it in. She just sat there now, watching Naruto trying to regain his composure. As he sat there gasping for breath, Sakura spoke again.

"Who were you talking to before you came tonight?" Her voice was low, as if she was trying not to frighten him anymore.

Naruto scrunched up his face as he tried to recall. Whom did she mean? Only when his heart rate and breathing returned to normal could he remember. It was an easy question. "I was talking to my mother. Her name was Kushina Uzumaki. She died when I was born, and she was buried here. I like to visit her sometimes."

Sakura nodded once as she regarded him with her sad eyes. She seemed to understand. Naruto was glad for her sympathy, even if the loss was an old one. He still missed his mother and had always regretted being the tool for her death. He had asked forgiveness a thousand times with tears and penance. He still wasn't sure if he stopped blaming himself, but he was sure that he would always feel the painful guilt until his dying day. Still, the sympathy of a ghost was still sympathy. Besides Sakura had been human once, so she would have known.

Turning to face her, Naruto was met with emptiness. For the second night in a row, he had failed to notice her absence until it was too late. But he was filled with the conviction that she would be back tomorrow, and he would be there to ask her another question. The thought was comforting rather than threatening. All in all, Naruto was taking his first supernatural encounter quite well. Feeling elated, he restarted his guard duty. As he walked through the graves, Naruto began to ponder on tomorrow's question.

x-x-x

The next night seemed to take forever to arrive. The moon was starting to wane from the full moon it had been yesterday. Naruto noticed this as he waited by the main gates. Even so, the moonlight was bright and silvery, catching the fluttering leaves of the nearby trees. Without even waiting for the alarm, he closed the gates a few minutes early and practically ran to the bench where Sakura was waiting.

She was there, and this time, there was something different. Tonight, she was facing him as he ran towards her, and she nodded at him as he finally reached her. Her hands were still working on her flowers; tearing them apart with methodical precision. But most of her attention was focused on him.

Naruto took a seat and greeted her. "Hi Sakura."

Sakura nodded again as she acknowledged the greeting. "Hello Naruto. I believe it's my turn to start today."

"Sure." They were definitely falling into a pattern with this game. Tonight, Naruto was genuinely curious; his fear had faded slowly during the day.

"Tell me…about your family." There was a definite wistfulness to her tone.

Naruto considered the question for a few minutes while Sakura waited patiently. He wasn't sure what to tell her and what to leave out. After carefully editing his response, he began to tell her all about his family.

"When I was born, I killed my mother. The doctors couldn't save both me and her, so she decided t sacrifice herself to save her baby. My father was in the military…but he's dead now too. I live with my two uncles who adopted me legally."

Naruto shrugged, hoping that it was long enough for her, but she still looked curious. He could also see a twinge of pity in her eyes that hadn't been there before. Naruto was used to the look, and didn't let it bother him as much as it should have. He asked his question before she could say anything.

"My turn. I want to know…who are you waiting for?" Naruto didn't want to sound too curious, but he had been wondering about it for a whole day. The inscriptions on the graves were usually more traditional, like Loving Mother, Sister or Friend. He was wondering about the circumstances that would prompt such a unique inscription on Sakura's grave.

Sakura stiffened and stopped plucking at the roses. Her eyes immediately filled with tears that refused to fall. Seeing her like this, so vulnerable and confused, Naruto couldn't help but reach out to her. He pulled her into his embrace, trying to comfort her sadness.

This story might be longer than I planned originally…the pace will pick up soon. ) As always, please review. It would make my day. Also, if you're reading Red Rum,I'm sorry for starting a new story, but I have writer's block. And this idea has been eating away at me for a while.

And now, the big question: Neji vs. Sasuke. Who should be Sakura be waiting for? Please tell me…I'm having a hard time deciding. I've always wanted to write some NejixSaku, but SasuxSaku would be easier to write. Please tell me in a review! Thanks!