And another chapter up!

Thanks so much again to wideyedwander! You don't know how much you motivate me with your beautiful words!

And this is just a disclaimer for me, but before anyone wonders, yes, some of the events in Spectral Eyes will reflect canon, but not all. There is no pattern of reason behind it, just what fits with my plot best.

When Sasuke woke the next day, it was to a blond fiend paging through the book he had left on the bedside table, and any hope he might have had of avoiding Naruto vanished with a terrible inevitably, like that of the mast of a ship disappearing over the sea's horizon.

"Good morning," the ghost said cheerfully. "Whatcha gonna do today?"

By way of an answer, Sasuke rolled over in bed and pulled the cover over his head.

"Oh, come on! Don't be like that!" Naruto pulled the cover down again, floating a good two feet above Sasuke's head. "I wanna play!"

Sasuke sat up, fixing Naruto with a heated glare. "Let me make one thing clear to you: I may be able to see you, but that does not automatically make us friends. In fact, yours is a type of personality I can't stand. So, while I have the ability to converse with you, I would prefer not to. This being the case, I would kindly ask you to leave my room right now!" By the end of this, he was shouting, and pointed to the door with a vehement action.

Several emotions flitted across Naruto's face, including shock and hurt, before he settled on anger and his eyes narrowed in challenge. "Then why did you remove the line of salt?"

Sasuke opened his mouth to answer, but stopped before speaking. Had he disposed of the salt the night before? He remembered disturbing it the morning before, but not throwing it away entirely. But, sure enough, when he looked at the door, the line was gone. Perhaps he had removed it absentmindedly while thinking of The Girl and the Stone. If so, it was an action he didn't wish to analyze the reason behind.

To save face, Sasuke squared his shoulders and answered Naruto's challenge with a glare of his own. "Because I knew it wouldn't make any difference, since that was what attracted you in the first place! Besides, yesterday I confirmed that you're a phantom, so I wouldn't have to worry about you attacking me in my sleep anyway."

Completely losing the challenge of earlier, Naruto cocked his head quizzically to one side. "What's a phantom?"

The way the ghost switched from emotion to emotion easier than most people changed their underwear unnerved Sasuke. "You're a ghost; you should know."

"But I don't."

The simple statement gave Sasuke pause. Even specters, for all their limited intelligence, understood the social hierarchy of the spiritual realm. Even though Konoha was noted for its excessive ghost sightings, Sasuke had yet to notice any spirits, other than a few figures, the spectral fisherman, and the menacing aura he had felt. Could it be that the reason for the activity was not, in fact, more ghosts, but the turning of the hierarchy on its head?

Curious in spite of himself, Sasuke couldn't help but ask, "Do you know what a specter is?"

Naruto shook his head.

"A figure?"

Another shake.

"A draugr?"

Another shake.

"You do understand that you're dead?" Sasuke asked with a sinking suspicion.

"Of course I know I'm dead!" Naruto folded his arms across his chest in a cross manner. "I'm not a moron, you know."

"Could've fooled me," Sasuke muttered under his breath.

A shoe hurtled past his head and hit the headboard, even though Naruto was standing still, hands clenched into fists at his sides. "I heard that."

"Whatever."

Sasuke threw the covers back and crawled out of the bed, cringing slightly when his toes encountered the wood floor. It was already June, but the floor still got chilly at night. Floating directly in his path, Naruto once again folded his arms across his chest. "So, are you gonna tell me, or what?"

"Tell you what?" Sasuke tried to walk through Naruto, but he made himself corporeal at the last second, and all Sasuke got for his efforts was cracking his forehead against the floating ghost's jaw.

"About the specters, and the figurines, and whatever!" An affronted look crept into Naruto's gaze. "You can't just dangle that in front of me and then walk away! I want to know!"

Feeling a little like an elementary school teacher heading a particularly stubborn child, Sasuke sat down in the chair and combed a hand through his hair. "Fine. But pay attention, because I'll only say it once."

Naruto immediately sat down cross-legged on the floor, eyes glued attentively to Sasuke, who cleared his throat before speaking. "The three main kinds of ghosts are specters, figures, and draugrs. There's many nuances behind the classifications of each, but the shortened version is that specters haunt a place they lived or worked in, and barely have the mental ability to function as a human would, figures haunt the place where their body lies, and they have about the same mental functions as they did when they were human, and draugrs haunt the place they died, and they have advanced powers like telekinesis and corporeality because of the grudge they harbor against their death. The only dangerous kind is the draugr, and that's because they were often victims of murder, and that's why they're attached to where they died."

Naruto frowned. "But you said I was a phantom. Where does that fit in?"

Fixing his pupil with a glare, Sasuke asked bitingly, "Can't you wait for me to finish?"

To his surprise, Naruto actually flushed. "Sorry."

Feeling slightly guilty, Sasuke continued. "Now, as I was saying, there's those three main types. As far as social order goes, the draugrs are pretty much at the top, because they're the most powerful, then figures, then specters. Phantoms are technically considered a subcategory of specter, because they haunt where they lived or worked, but they have characteristics of the other two types of ghost as well: from the figures, their mental ability, and from the draugrs, their spectral powers."

"If they have characteristics of all three, where do they fit in the hierarchy?"

Sasuke hesitated a bit before answering. "They're very rare, so you're the first one I've actually met. I don't know for sure, but I would guess about equal to draugrs."

Forehead scrunched in thought, Naruto asked, "How rare?"

"About one in ten or twenty thousand."

Naruto jumped up and let out whoop. "Does that mean I'm special? Like, super special?"

"If you want to think of it that way." Sasuke shook his head at the antics of the mischievous ghost. "But you've lived as a phantom for over a century already, I doubt anything I can tell you will make any difference. Just keep doing what you've been doing, and-"

In a change of character so fast Sasuke couldn't have predicted it if paid to, Naruto abruptly seized Sasuke's collar, cutting him off. "How do you know how old I am?"

"What?"

"How did you find out how old I am?" He shook Sasuke vigorously, making his teeth rattle. "No one's supposed to know that! Who told you?"

"I found out myself!" Sasuke finally managed to spit out. The shaking stopped, but Naruto still looked at him with mistrust. "I looked you up in the library yesterday. I found a picture, and worked from there."

Naruto's eyes widened. "There's a picture of me? How old was I?"

"Maybe ten or so? It's hard to tell, since the picture was so old."

Letting go of Sasuke's collar, Naruto sank down on the floor. In a whisper, he admitted, "I'm surprised they didn't burn it."

"Why?"

"Uzumaki." Naruto said it like curse. "That fucking name. It's haunting me, even after death."

Sasuke frowned, not following the logic. "What's your last name got to do with anything?"

"The fox fortune," Naruto explained bitterly. "A few generations before me, the Uzumakis owned an island off the coast where they raised foxes for their pelts. They were filthy rich, and had a reputation to match, but they lost everything when my grandfather died in a fire on the island, one that also killed all the foxes. My mother was the last one, but according to family law, an Uzumaki can never change his or her name, so when she married, she had to keep it, and it had to be given to me as well, when I was born. Even though she lived here, we couldn't shake the reputation that came with the name. The people even rejoiced when we died, and to this day anyone born and raised in this town who finds out that I'm still around tries to get rid of me."

"Does anyone know?"

"Not right now, no," Naruto admitted, "But in the past there have been a few who figured it out. That's why I freaked out when you said how old I was, because it's only a few steps from there to suspecting my identity."

Sasuke didn't quite know what to say. Naruto's backstory was just as tragic as his own issues, except the ghost's had been haunting him for over a century. Just as he was starting to feel sorry for Naruto, the prankster ghost stood up performed a midair flip. "But that doesn't matter, because you're not going to tell anyone, right?"

"Jesus, this is why I can't stand people like you!" Sasuke slammed a hand down on his desk, anger suddenly boiling through his veins, hot and thick. "You switch faces faster than a snake sheds skin, flipping through facades like it's a game! Are you doing it on purpose, or are you just that stupid? Can't you stand still long enough for me to understand you?"

The question hung in the air, unanswered by the shock and hurt shown on Naruto's face. "But…"

"It doesn't matter." Nerves shot, Sasuke laid his head down in his hands so he didn't have to see that bruised look in Naruto's eyes. "Just get out."

Sasuke didn't hear him go, but when he looked up again, Naruto was gone. A heavy weight centered itself in his chest and refused to budge, however much he tried to will it away.

He was an Uchiha, goddammit! And Uchihas didn't feel sorry for ghosts, or talk to them, or even think about harboring the desire to become friends with them. A phantom was outside his area of expertise, but Sasuke had sworn he would do his job as an Uchiha, helping ghosts that were ready pass on, while enjoying his vacation. And that was final.

Quickly, Sasuke got ready for the day and repacked his satchel, gently laying The Girl and the Stone on top and trying to think about how Naruto had paged through it earlier. With a bitter taste in his mouth, he went downstairs, and, feeling too sick to eat, walked out the door in the direction of the library.

By the time Konoha Public Library came into sight, Sasuke felt better, strengthened by the walk and the time not spent dwelling on Naruto. Through the window, he could see Iruka working diligently on something at his desk before he pushed open the door.

Iruka looked up at the tinkle of the bell when Sasuke pushed the door open, and laughed when he saw who it was.

"Back already?"

"You knew I would be," Sasuke accused as he pulled The Girl and the Stone from his satchel and placed in on Iruka's desk. "That's why you gave this masterpiece of literary genius to me."

"And it worked, didn't it?" Iruka asked with a laugh, picking up the book and placing it on a cart labeled To Shelve. "How late did you stay up reading it?"

"Midnight," Sasuke admitted.

Iruka whistled in admiration. "That early, huh? You must be a pretty fast reader. The last kid I gave it to stayed up until three in the morning to finish it. Did it make you cry?"

Sasuke hunched his shoulders, affronted and a little embarrassed. "Of course not!"

"Hm." Iruka's eyes twinkled in a manner that said, you don't fool me. "You want another?"

Relief that the teasing had ended washed through Sasuke. "Yes, please."

Just then Iruka's phone went off, and he glanced at it. "The shelf for original work's that way," he dictated distractedly, jerking a thumb over his shoulder. "I have to take this, so you'll have to get it yourself."

The abrupt dismissal caught Sasuke off guard, but in a guilty sort of way, since he preferred to do these things himself anyway. Iruka answered the phone, so Sasuke moved away, taking the hint that the discussion was over. With careful slept so as not to disturb the librarian, he made his way to the shelf pointed out to him earlier.

Upon closer inspection, it appeared that all the original works had been submitted under pen names, not just Kage Bushin, and while the author of The Girl and the Stone certainly had a large section to himself, comprising of ten novellas and two full length novels, including the one Sasuke had already read, he wasn't the largest supplier. That honor went to someone calling himself Rasengan, who had contributed four compilations of short stories, six novels, fifteen novellas, and, strangely, a compilation of one-act plays and a book of poems. Another author named Chidori was also vying for the top spot, with three books of poetry, seven novellas, and a book of short stories.

The range of material was wide and carried, including the norms Sasuke had already noted, but branching out into other forms of literature. One author, under the name of Shintenshin, had written five full-length, multi-act plays in a Shakespearean style. Next to the plays were a few graphic novels and a history of the beginnings of Konoha told in the style of an epic ballad, with the meter and alliteration of the early Anglo-Saxon Era. There was even a short story illuminated with ink, the way ancient tomes were.

"So, which one are ya gettin'?"

The voice speaking behind him so abruptly caused Sasuke to jump, almost dropping the illuminated book. Turning, he found Naruto floating there, hands folded behind his head and a grin of chilling proportions starching across his face.

"What are you doing here?"

"Sasuke?" From the other side of the library, Iruka finished with his call and looked over in concern. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Sasuke hollered back. In a quieter voice, he hissed to Naruto, "I thought I told you to leave me alone!"

"And I didn't listen." Naruto stuck his tongue out impudently. "I believe this is what people call a 'haunting'. Most don't take it on voluntarily, you know."

Ah, Sasuke thought. If that was the case, al he had to do was ignore Naruto, and eventually he would get bored and move on. He turned to the bookshelf, studiously avoiding any eye contact with the ghost.

"And don't think that ignoring me will make me go away, 'cause it won't. I'm really strong, remember, stronger than a human, and I'm not opposed to using force to get what I want."

Damn. If Naruto did use force, Sasuke was skilled enough to stop him, he was sure of that, but not without a huge commotion that would draw a lot of notice, which was something Sasuke was unwilling to do; he counted his secrecy among his most prized possessions. Naruto had gotten him.

"What do you want?" He asked with a sigh, unwillingly admitting defeat.

Naruto moved up to stand beside Sasuke, trailing a hand along the spines of the shelved books. "Nothing much. I just want you to talk to some people."

"People, or ghosts?"

"Ghosts," Naruto clarified. "I want you to tell them what you told me this morning, about the specters and phantoms and stuff."

Great. More ghosts. "Can't you tell them yourself?"

"Nah, they'd never believe me. I mean, a human who knows more about ghosts than a ghost himself does? As much as I hate to say it, you really are special, Sasuke."

The backhanded compliment did nothing to dampen Sasuke's annoyance. "All I have to do is talk to them, and then you'll leave me alone?"

"It's a promise." Naruto stuck out his hand to shake. "Do we have a deal?"

Sasuke stood for a long moment, considering the hand. Part of his brain was telling him to accept, that he could have a normal vacation after this, while the other part warned him that if he did this, Naruto's world would suck him in and never let go. It was still another part of him, a tiny fraction of his heart, that tipped the balance; the piece wanted to get to know Naruto, to strip away all the masks and see the person underneath.

"Alright." Sasuke held out his hand, ignoring the triumphant flash in Naruto's eye, and the two shook hands firmly.

"What are you doing?" Iruka's voice behind Sasuke made him jump. What was it about people sneaking up on him in this town?

"Sorry." Sasuke flashed what he hoped was a winning smile and grabbed a book at random from the shelf. "I was just thinking aloud."

Iruka didn't look convinced, but let it pass, and Sasuke almost dropped to the floor in relief. "Did you find one to check out?"

"Yes," Sasuke answered, even though he didn't know what book he had in his hand.

"He's sleeping with Kakashi," Naruto announced to no one in particular, though Sasuke was the only one who could hear him.

The abrupt declaration caused Sasuke's eyes to widen as he tried to hide his surprise from the librarian.

"And don't ask how I know. Believe me, it's not something you want to hear."

Iruka, completely oblivious to the one-sided conversation going on in front of him, steered Sasuke toward the front desk, where he checked out the book while Naruto kept talking. "It was really strange how it happened, too. I mean, they don't seem like they'd be alike, but I guess they make it work somehow."

Politely thanking Iruka, Sasuke headed out the door. When the door closed and he was out of earshot of the librarian, Sasuke rounded on Naruto. "You can't just drop a bomb on me like that in front of someone! What if I had let slip that you were there?"

Naruto shrugged. "Not my problem; it's a ghost town, and you're the freak here. Besides," and his eyes narrowed here, "I thought it would be useful for you to know, since he's been reporting back to Kakashi what you've been doing here."

"Really?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if he's on the phone with him now."

Sasuke turned to look back through the window, and indeed saw Iruka on the phone with someone. Feeling a strange chill, he looked down for the first time at the book Iruka had check out to him. Entanglements of Destiny, by Kage Bushin. A smile played at the corners of Sasuke's lips as he put the book in his satchel; destiny, it seemed, did have a funny way of showing up in the least expected places.

Latching on to his arm, Naruto started to pull. "Come on, you promised you'd come with me!"

"I did," Sasuke admitted, starting to wish he hadn't agreed to the deal as the two set of at a breakneck speed, Naruto floating along and pulling the disgruntled Uchiha along behind him.

"Slow down," Sasuke panted. "I can't keep up like this!"

Naruto slowed, but only slightly. "We're close already! Just keep going."

It was true; Naruto slowed to a halt in less than a minute. A small house, more of a shack, really, sat by the side of the road, and Naruto floated up to it. Sasuke tried the handle, but it didn't budge.

"Slight problem," Sasuke intoned.

"What's that?"

Pointing to his body, Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Flesh and blood here."

"Oh!" Naruto blushed, and Sasuke found himself staring at the color in fascination. "I'll get it open for you."

He passed through the locked door while Sasuke waited outside, listening to the scraping sounds of a lock being turned. Finally, the door popped open, just in time to hear a complaint from another inhabitant.

"Naruto, why'd you open the door?"

"We have a guest today, Kiba," Naruto answered, and beckoned Sasuke forward.

Inside the room was a flurry of ghostly activity that ground to a halt as soon as Sasuke stepped through the doorway. The central spirit, a boy with strange red marks on his cheeks, appeared to be the one who had spoken before, and he was holding a ball for a small, white, very alive dog to play with. A boy with dark glasses and clothes that covered his entire body stood over him in a protective manner which turned more threatening when he saw Sasuke. In one corner, another boy with spiky hair swept back into a ponytail appeared to be playing a very intense game of chess against himself, and in another, a boy in a ugly green spandex leotard was aiming kicks at a punching bag.

Even though Naruto was the first phantom Sasuke had met, he had become familiar enough with the pattern of his spiritual energy that he could recognize it, and the auras rolling the four boys were unmistakable.

Aw, shit. How the Hell are there five phantoms in Konoha?