Kiba frowned at his phone. "Can't anything nice happen in the news?"

"Hmm?" Hinata looked up.

Kiba turned his phone to show an article and picture. "I hate how people drive in this city."

Hinata glanced up, not all that interested in hearing about another tragedy, but she took a double take at the picture. "That's the little girl from yesterday."

Kiba's face scrunched up. "That can't be. This happened last week."

Hinata took his phone. He was right. The date of the article was last week. She scrolled back to the picture. That definitely was the girl from the day before, pink hair, school uniform, and all. If she was dead… did she see her ghost? How come she didn't feel sick? "Maybe I didn't see her." Hinata handed Kiba back the phone and looked out the window, almost expecting the girl to be there waiting to be noticed.

Hinata watched the streetlight change and frowned as it turned green, was it green when that girl was crossing? She waited a moment too long before feeling a cold hand reach into her pocket.

"Are you afraid?" Itachi stood there with her as the light changed back to red.

"No, sorry, I was thinking," Hinata mumbled as people passed them by. She was getting used to talking to nothing in public.

Itachi's hand tightened around hers as they waited. It did nothing to help her freezing fingers, but it felt safe. As he walked her home, questions plagued her.

"I think I saw another ghost." Hinata started once they were clear from the more crowded streets. "But it didn't look or feel like the other one. This one just looked normal."

"The soul hasn't had time to rot yet." Itachi filled in.

"Does that mean you can get to her before it does?" Hinata started up the stairs.

Itachi didn't take long to think about it. "I doubt the soul will willingly go with me."

"Because if I saw her, she likely ran from whoever was meant to collect her?" Itachi nodded. "She was so young."

"It's possible that you could help her." Itachi reached for her door before she got her keys out, saving her from fighting with the door. "Humans usually reject death if they have something they desperately want to finish. Sometimes they accept that it won't happen, but if they are young, angry, or determined, they don't always come to that conclusion on their own."

"So if I find what's keeping her here, maybe she can let go?" Hinata pulled off her coat as he let her inside, closing the door behind them. Itachi nodded. "First, I will have to get her to stop and talk to me."

"She may come to you. If you are aware of her, she is likely aware of you." Itachi waited for her as she did her usual putting on the kettle. "Do you want to help her?"

"You suggested it." Hinata reminded him.

"I said it was possible. Just because you can, doesn't mean that it's an obligation." Itachi opened the cabinet and got two cups down.

Was he giving up telling her he didn't eat? "I guess."

Hinata didn't want to leave her to rot. There was a deep pit in her stomach that wondered if Hanabi went with her reaper, or did she stay to suffer until there was nothing resembling what she was before she left?

Hinata took out her keys and flicked through them for the one to the store, but before she could get into the store, she heard footsteps that made her turn her head.

"Excuse me." The girl from before tucked her hands behind her back as she approached her. "Can you see me?"

Hinata blinked at her. Itachi was right. "Yes." If the article was correct, her name was Sakura.

Sakura nodded. "Can you do something for me, please?" She put her hands in front of her to beg. "My mom was waiting for me to come home with my report card, but my backpack was left behind. Can you get it back to her? I just want her to know I worked hard."

Hinata pulled the keys back out of the door. "Where is it?"

"This way!" Sakura bounced and appeared across the street.

Hinata dusted off the pink backpack that had a mixture of charms dangling on it. Sakura pointed it out in the ditch along the side of the road, but there was no other side of an accident left there as children crossed on their way to school and cars raced past on their way to work. Hinata set the bag up against the door Sakura led her to.

"Are you ready to go now?" Itachi's voice spooked Hinata as he appeared behind them.

Sakura nodded, hopping off the step and into Hinata's legs. "Thank you!"

Itachi put a hand on her head, and she was gone.

"That was easier than I thought it would be." Hinata headed back down the street.

"Children usually want to stay for simple reasons," Itachi explained.

"Do you help them?" Hinata wondered.

Itachi shook his head. "It's not my job to make them feel at peace."

So literal. "Then it was nice that you let me help her."

"I only did it, so she wouldn't run." Itachi lifted his head to look at the lamps that were starting to turn off as the morning sun finally peeked over to light up the sky.

Hinata sighed. "I don't believe you." Itachi tilted his head at her. "You like a happy ending because you don't see it much."

Itachi's eyebrows knit together. Hinata was either horribly wrong and confused him, or she was completely correct, and he didn't understand how. Either way, the face he made was cute and made her laugh.

"Sorry, I'm late," Hinata called in as she returned to the shop.

"In the back," Shino called.

Hinata unloaded her bag, turned to get the inventory clipboard, and bumped her rib right into the middle of the counter. The noise she made was inhuman. She clamped a hand over her mouth as she turned to deal with the pain, but it was too late. Shino was already through the door, looking for the source of the sound.

"Are you okay?" Shino tried to put his hand around her rib cage to hold her up, but he was stopped when she flinched, shoving his hand back.

"I'm fine. I'm fine." Hinata pushed him away.

"You are not okay." Shino tried to help again, but this time, it wasn't her who pushed him away. A box slid on its own under his legs, making him stumble into the wall.

Hinata stood up against the pain to reach out and steady him. Shino looked down at the box. "Kiba must have left that out." Hinata excused trying not to glare over her shoulder at the real culprit.

Shino straightened his jacket and kicked the box back into place. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I just hit the corner. Hurt more than I was expecting." Hinata waved him off. "Don't worry about it."

Shino gave her an odd look as he retreated to the back room to do whatever he was doing before, while Hinata whipped her head around to Itachi, looking entirely too disinterested in anger toward him.

"I feel like there is something about that you're not allowed to do," Hinata whispered to him.

Itachi shrugged. "He was going to hurt you."

"Not intentionally!" Hinata let the pain on her face show. It really hurt.

Itachi rounded the counter and put his hand inside her jacket across her rib to soothe the pain. "If it were intentional, I wouldn't have only tripped him."

Hinata huffed. There was no use arguing with him. She bent down past him to get what she meant to the first time.

Hinata picked at the cake that Shino ordered for her. He knew she liked cake. He didn't know she didn't like strawberries, but she felt bad. Both Shino and Itachi were just trying to help, so this was her fault for running into the counter.

"Did… someone hurt you?" Shino asked, looking into his cup. "I know you really open up much, but… you've been flinching and looking out the window like you expect something to be there." Hinata flushed. She didn't really think he would notice. "And then… how you reacted earlier."

What did she tell him? How much did she tell him? "I…"

"Please don't tell me you're fine." Shino interrupted her. "I understand you don't talk about your life, but this is not the past. This is now, and I'm worried."

Hinata pressed her lips in a line. There really was no easy way out of it. "I broke a rib… a couple of weeks ago. It's still sore."

"How?" Shino pressed.

Did she tell him she fell, then what would be her reason for hiding it? Embarrassment didn't seem like a good enough reason. "I was shoved on my home one night."

Shino's face lost its tension as his fears were confirmed. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I didn't need you to fuss." The look on his face hurt. "I didn't want you to worry when I walked home. I didn't want to be checked on. I was fine."

Shino tried to wipe the hurt expression off his face. "I don't want you to feel like you have to hide things from us."

Hinata knew that it went deeper than just this. "I'm okay. A few bruises and an ice pack at night. I'm almost better." An ice pack that stayed until she woke up and then tried to act like he wasn't there.

"I guess now, if I asked to walk you home, you're going to see it as an insult." Shino sighed. "Even if I just wanted to."

Hinata felt the guilt creep in. Shino did just want to be nice. "Just tonight."

Itachi was waiting for Hinata when she closed the door. She was not happy with him, but she put on the kettle even though she just came from having coffee with the shop man. "You lied to him," Itachi told her. "You do like to be checked up on."

Hinata paused to frown at him and yelped as her hand touched the kettle. Accident-prone. Itachi caught her hand before she could put it under the tap. His cold was useful only to her. Hinata hissed uncomfortably as her fingers cooled down in his hand. With a small flicker of time, they would feel no more pain, but she left her fingers in his hand as relief washed over her face.

"You don't want to be cared for, but you crave it." Itachi continued. Hinata gave him the guarded look he was used to. Her hands were warm and always available. She never shied away. Never wary. Even when she didn't know what he was. She looked for him. She desperately needed someone to understand, even if she pushed the world away.

The kettle whistled, making them both realize how close Itachi had come down to her lips. Hinata's eyes went from lidded to blinking widely at him and then an empty space as he disappeared.

Itachi huffed in the cold air as he felt an uncomfortable rush where his heart would be. How did she do that? Make things happen that weren't meant to?