Ino stared at the kitchen table. She blinked, hard, like the fruit bowl in front of her might disappear before her eyes. This had to be Mama's mind game, because it was too easy.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked.

She didn't answer. Without speaking, she flared her chakra. The bowl of tomatoes did not change. Ino and Sasuke's favorite snacks. She ranted about Sasuke's tomato habit one time—

Sasuke stared at the bowl, wide-eyed. His hands twitched towards the fruits on the table. As soon as he noticed Ino's attention, he glanced away. Mama had gone to the shop as soon as she got home, but made them promise to do their homework before going outside. That was fine—with Sasuke here, their homework could be done in a shorter amount of time.

Ino popped a small tomato in her mouth. Sasuke tested the ripeness of a larger tomato. He must have found it good enough, because he took a large bite. His eyes widened. That tiny look of awe had returned. He turned to her expectantly.

This was the moment she'd feared all day. She was supposed to talk. The sleepover was her idea. Ino needed to speak now.

Ino chewed. Swallowed. Opened her mouth.

'LIAR!'

Shut it again. Swallowed.

'Sometimes you might believe you're still being hurt, even if you aren't in real time," Mayu had said one session, after Ino had disappeared into her head while drawing Katsu falling. 'Your body replays a memory, and your mind is in the past.'

Ino swallowed, and her throat spasmed around a blade that had never been there. She wanted to scream, but she kept choking on Kato's blood and Sasuke was staring and she was supposed to talk nownownow why couldn't she talk why couldn't she just talk.

The world tunneled on the wooden table. No matter how hard she breathed, she couldn't get any air. The only thing she could hear was liar. Why did Ino try to help? Why did she lie? She should have gone home. She should have left it alone. Shisui was right.

(What would she tell Sasuke?)

A cold tapping sensation broke through her thoughts. It was slow, with a hesitant rhythm.

Tap Tap Tap. Pause. Tap. Pause. Tap. Pause.

Tap Tap Tap. Pause. Tap. Pause. Tap. Pause.

Tap Tap Tap. Pause. Tap. Pause. Tap. Pause.

Ino blinked rapidly, and there was Sasuke. Her classmate lifted his pencil from her knuckle. "Are you okay?" He asked. She couldn't meet his eyes. Her cheeks burned.

"I'm sorry," she choked out. Her throat closed again, before she could say anything else. If that was the only thing she could say today, she was glad it was an apology. Even if Sasuke didn't understand why.

Sasuke shifted in his chair. He made a face, like he had swallowed something he didn't like, before looking away.

"It happens to me, too."

"What?"

He stared at his kicking feet. "Forgetting where you are. Needing help out of it. It happens to me too."

Ino swallowed painfully. "You tap too?" she managed.

Sasuke shook his head. He looked distinctly uncomfortable now. "You said it helps you focus."

Oh.

Before she could say anything else, Sasuke looked down at his books, like they could solve his problems. "Do you want to do the math homework, while I work on history?"

She gratefully accepted.

They settled into a familiar silence, one from hours of work with Iruka-sensei. Sasuke's tongue stuck out slightly, the way it always did when he was focusing. Ino hadn't realized how much time she had been spending with him recently. In between therapy and after school with Iruka-sensei, there were few people Ino spent as much time with. No one except Shisui, that was.

Maybe it was Sasuke tapping her, maybe it was her unfocused mind, but she forgot herself, and who she was with. As she finished the last division problem, she reached over and tapped Sasuke's knuckle.

Are you almost done? she projected.

Sasuke jumped, and his chair wobbled unsteadily. As he hit the ground, Ino realized her mistake.

He clutched his hand to his chest. Sasuke looked from his hand, to Ino, back to his hand.

"What?" he squeaked.

The shock was enough to make her speak. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to. I thought—" Ino stopped. And stared. "Wait, you heard me?"

Sasuke didn't bother getting off the floor. Judging from how his eyes hadn't gone back to their normal size, maybe he didn't realise. "Your finger got really cold, and you asked if I was done. Without speaking." He said, in almost a whisper. The wonder was back. "Your mouth didn't move."

It didn't make sense. People married into the clan and learned to use the yin link. That's what Mama did. But that took special training. Training Sasuke didn't have. Sasuke wasn't a ghost.

Ino tried to stop her shaking hands. It didn't work.

What if she hurt him? She hadn't meant to—she thought she had gotten used to only talking with her mouth, rather than her mind. She was wrong.

People only got hurt when she used the Yin link. Mama. Kato. What was different about Sasuke?

"Ino?" Did Sasuke sound worried? "Are you—"

"Is everyone alright?" Ino could hear Mama's footsteps. Keeping her yin chakra as close to her body as she could, she grabbed Sasuke's hand, yanking him off the floor. Her classmate hissed under his breath.

Sasuke had just picked up his chair when Mama's head poked into the kitchen. She darted her eyes around, like she was looking for something. "I thought I heard something fall."

"We're okay, right Sasuke?" Ino asked.

Mama looked at her classmate. Sasuke was still staring at her with awe. He snapped himself out of it, turning towards her mother.

"We're okay."

Mama nodded slowly. "If you're sure. Have you finished your work?" she asked. Ino pointed to her completed math, and Sasuke's history sheet. So he had finished. If Ino didn't finish her history and Sasuke didn't finish his math, but Mama didn't need to know that. She stepped away from the wooden table.

"Can we go to the garden now?" Ino asked.

"Okay, Ino. Make sure you come in before dinner!"

Grabbing Sasuke's hand, ignoring his surprise, she ran outside.

As soon as they had made it outside, Ino dropped his hand. They weren't the only ones with the idea to go out — Sasuke could see some students from the Academy running through the fields. A pair of men stood in the greenhouse, tending to a bonsai tree.

"What was that?" Sasuke asked.

"Are you okay?" Pupiless eyes scanned him over frantically. "Are you hurt at all?"

The garden, today, had other visitors: brown and blonde-haired Yamanaka who strolled the gardens, laughing while watering different plants. It was different from the Uchiha compound, where more of his clan focused on training or music practice. Still, the laughter, the shouts…it reminded him of the Compound. Even if few people laughed in the Compound these days.

He shook his head. When Ino touched his arm, her finger grew extremely cold. About as cold as when Shisui put a hand over his head, he thought. Hearing her in his head without her lips moving jolted him the most.

"It's called the Yin link," Ino whispered, wringing her hands. "It's part of the mind-body transmission jutsu. The clan uses it to talk to each other." She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "You can't tell anyone I used it on you. I'll get in trouble."

Trouble? "Why?"

The Yamanaka walking past them looked at them curiously. Ino stayed quiet. They traced a path back to the fountain. The fountain water glittered in the sun, the way the Naka did during spring. She made a face, looking down at the stone steps. "I'm not supposed to anymore. My parents think it'll hurt me."

"Because of your bracelets?" The black bands were once again wrapped around her wrists. Ino tugged at one.

"…Not exactly." Before she could say anything further, a girl walked forward, the only brunette in a group of blonde girls. Brown eyes scanned him from head to toe, in a way that made him feel like an experiment. Or an animal about to be chased.

"Hi, Ino," the girl said, shifting her feet. Sasuke had seen her before, in the Academy. He was sure she was in Fusao's class. "How are you?"

"Hi, Yua." Ino didn't answer the question. There was an off-footed pause, where both girls stared at each other, and Sasuke sensed something was missing. Next to Yua, a blonde rested a hand on her shoulder. A moment later, the two laughed in unison. Ino looked away.

Then, the girl focused back on him. She tucked brown hair behind her ear, smiling brightly. "Hi, Sasuke-kun." He glanced at Ino. She was in the middle of rolling her eyes. With a small grunt, he nodded at Yua.

"Did Ino invite you to the Hanami party?" Yua asked. "It's in a few weeks. You can share a blanket with me, if you want."

Ino still wasn't looking at the group, instead, looking towards the plant nursery. She had never mentioned Hanami parties. "No, thank you," Sasuke said. Yua's grin faltered. She quickly recovered.

"Well, if you change your mind, you can always find me here!" Yua said. "Or in the Flower Shop." With another wave, she was gone, hands linked with her other Yamanaka relatives. Ino muttered under her breath, but Sasuke couldn't catch it.

"What's a Hanami party?" he asked. Choji had mentioned it before, at school.

"It's a tradition for my family," Ino explained. Her eyes looked dull as she watched them leave. She still wasn't looking at him. "Konohanasakuya-hime, our goddess, is supposed to bless the Sakura petals as they fall. The Akimichi clan always cooks for the event, and the Nara come to watch, too." Her lips quirked, but she didn't look happy. "Last year, I brought Sakura."

"Sakura?"

At that, Ino turned to him, frowning. "We saw her today, after class. She has pink hair. How did you forget?"

The name slotted next to Pink Hair's sneer in his mind. For someone who was invited to Ino's clan tradition, Sakura didn't look very happy to see Ino. "You're friends?" he asked.

"No." Ino shook her head, looking down. "Not anymore."

Normally, he wouldn't ask. It was none of his business, keeping track of Ino's many friends. But Ino looked upset, shoulders hunched and blue eyes wobbling. He didn't want anyone to think he made her cry.

"Why?"

Ino shrugged, saying nothing. Once again, Sasuke was left with more questions than answers. She swallowed, and pasted on a smile. It looked pained. "Some of the tomato plants are yellowing. Do you want to help me prune them?"

"That's not a sucker, Sasuke, that's the main part of the plant!"

"How was I supposed to know?"

"It's the bushier part," Ino groused. "Not the axil."

Sasuke didn't even know what an axil was. He held up part of a tomato stem, where small bushy leaves stuck out from the sides.

In the nursery, tomato plants lined the walls. Other plants filled the space—basil, fennel, parsley, and more—neatly tucked into aisles. The other Yamanaka stared at them as they bickered. Sasuke tried to ignore them.

A fine layer of dirt dusted them both. At some point, Ino had smeared dirt on her forehead, and it clung to her face stubbornly. Sasuke wasn't sure she even noticed.

Before, mother would grow tomatoes next to her daisies, just for him. When it came time for the tomatoes to bloom, they'd spend the afternoon in the garden, harvesting. He'd try to sneak some tomatoes, but mother always seemed to know. She'd turn at just the right time, and warn Sasuke of the dirt and bugs that lingered on the fruit. Sasuke never cared, but he listened anyway.

He'd have to grow the tomatoes all on his own, now, but the garden still felt soaked in blood to him.

"Hey, I'm sorry I yelled." He looked up to see Ino in front of him, holding a paper towel. "The stem will grow back, it's okay."

Sasuke took the paper towel, confused. Then he noticed the teardrops on his yellow gardening gloves. Horrified, he turned away from her, scrubbing the paper towel over his face. She thought he was upset over the plant?

"Thanks," he whispered. Ino nodded, and turned back to her own plant. With steady fingers, she pruned a few yellowing leaves, before putting them in a bin. The rest of the plants had been pruned successfully. Sasuke was left with a damaged stem in his flower pot.

"Here."

Ino was holding a red clay pot, where a tomato plant had started to flower. Fuzzy yellow blossoms stared back at him. He accepted the plant and stared at her, confused. "There are no yellowing leaves on this one."

"I know," she replied, "I pruned that one myself."

"Then why do I have it?"

"Because she's yours now," Ino said. "Her name is Satomi."

"You name your plants?"

"You don't?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. He couldn't but stare down at the budding plant. There was no blood on the flowers, nor was there blood in the soil. No death. Just a plant on the cusp of growth.

Maybe Sasuke could start a new garden.

"Satomi will need sunlight, and a support like a stake once she grows out. Water her regularly, but not too much, because her soil will rot," Ino warned. He knew her family ran a flower shop, but Sasuke didn't realize how much she knew about plants. Ino took a bag off a shelf, holding it out. "Feed her with this fertilizer, and she should produce a lot of tomatoes."

He accepted the fertilizer. "Thank you, Ino."

"Don't mention it."

Footsteps caught their attention. "There you two are!" Yamanaka Inoichi said. He stood in an all-gray uniform, complete with buttons.

Ino launched forward into his arms. "Daddy! We pruned the tomatoes."

With a laugh, Inoichi brushed the dirt off his daughter's face. Sasuke pushed aside his jealousy. "Good job," Inoichi said. He looked down at her with pride, and then turned to Sasuke with the same warm grin. "Thank you for helping, Sasuke. Are you both ready for dinner?"

Now that it was mentioned, Sasuke realized he was hungry. He nodded.

"Once you wash up, dinner will be ready for you," Inoichi said as they walked out of the nursery. The sun had set, and the ghosts sparkled around the gardens. For once, he didn't focus on them. He could focus on the living. They reached Ino's house, where Inoichi gestured to the sink, before heading into the kitchen.

Sasuke set his new plant on the counter, before turning on the water. He watched the dirt swirl down the drain, and shook his clean hands off. He stepped back for Ino, who bunched up her sleeves, and began to wash.

He stared.

Five long red lines ran down her arm, from forearm to wrist. It looked like someone had sliced her with a jagged knife, over and over. The marks had barely scabbed over. Ino shook her hands off in the sink.

She's hurt. It's her left.

"What happened to you?" he whispered. How did Shisui even know?

Ino looked at him, then her arm. Her eyes widened before she pulled her orange sleeves down. "Nothing."

His eyebrows rose. Why lie, if he could see it?

"Are you two ready? I made katsudon!" floated down the hallway.

"You can't tell anyone," Ino murmured, stepping away from the sink. "They'll worry. Please, don't."

Here was a difference between them. Sasuke couldn't hide anything from his family. In between them flying through walls, or watching him throughout the village, there was nowhere to hide. Whether it was his mother, or Shisui, or his friends, there was no escape. Sasuke didn't mind—he'd take them in any form they came in, so long as he wasn't alone.

Ino, on the other hand, was stuck with lying. He wondered how often Ino had to lie to her family. Still, he nodded, and they both walked to the table.

His mother stood by the chairs, watching as Nozomi-san placed steaming plates on the table. She smiled as they walked into the kitchen.

"Good! You're here. Let's eat."

Ino walked to her chair, and immediately, she shivered. A cold spot radiated right next to Sasuke's chair.

"Are you alright, Ino?" Her mother asked.

She nodded, sitting down next to Sasuke. Daddy sat across from her, and Mama across from Sasuke. She slid her bracelets off under the table, and blinked, sneaking yin chakra to her eyes.

Behind Sasuke, hovering a few feet above them, was his mother. She was even prettier up close, with long black hair and big black eyes. She looked at Ino and winked, before waving. Her hand stayed in the air.

H-E-L-L-O, she signed. Ino nodded slightly at her. Shisui must have spoken to her, she thought.

"So, how was school today?" Daddy asked.

"Good. Me and Sasuke have to spar soon," she said. Iruka-sensei mentioned that in one of their after-school sessions, they would go outside and test how far their sparring abilities. With the amount of physical training she's done during InoShikaCho training, Ino thought she had a good chance of winning. "I'm gonna win."

Sasuke scoffed. "Not a chance."

"Watch me."

"Oh?" Mama said, a small smile on her face. "You'll both have to tell us how it goes."

Daddy looked up from his chicken. "Sasuke, how is your new house?" he asked. Ino frowned. New house? When did Sasuke move?

"Good," Sasuke replied. "I've unpacked everything., and moved my instruments inside."

"Instruments?" Mama asked. "What instrument do you play?"

"Shakuhachi," Sasuke said. He took a bite and swallowed. "I'm learning how to play the taiko. Afterward, I'll learn the biwa."

"Impressive," Mama replied. "I'd love to hear you play one day."

Sasuke had that look of wonder on his face again, the awe that caused his eyes to widen slightly. "I—Okay," he said. His mother had a wide smile on her face.

Dinner carried on, with Ino and Sasuke going for seconds. Sasuke complimented her parents on the meal. It was like dinners with Sakura all over again, a quiet companion at her side. Sure, her cousins sometimes ate with them, but since her coma, they had stuck to eating by themselves. Where Ino had missed those dinners before, she didn't miss them now. Not with Sasuke's mother and her mother smiling, with Daddy and Sasuke talking quietly. Dinner left Ino relaxing in her chair, stuffed and smiling. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this calm.

At the end of the meal, Ino stood to help her father clean the dishes. Daddy shooed her away.

"I know you want to spend time with Sasuke. I'll handle them, Blossom."

Ino grinned, hugging her father's side. "Thanks, Daddy! Come on, Sasuke." Sasuke's mother, with a smile and another wave, flew through the ceiling and out of the house.

"I know it's a Friday, but don't stay up too late, okay?" Her mother called as they ran up the stairs. At least Sasuke had anticipated it as much as her.

"We won't!" Ino shouted back, knowing very well they probably would.

Ino had never been self-conscious, but as she surveyed her blue room, she felt the need to hide her stuffed animals, or maybe tidy her desk more. A lifetime ago, she had dreamed of Sasuke coming to her house. As he stood, surveying her belongings, she felt more exposed than she had in a while.

"I have a spare futon you can use," she said. Sasuke shook his head, and brought out a seal. He placed it on the ground, flaring his chakra. A futon and clothes sprung out.

"My mother helped me with the seal," Sasuke said quietly. "I made a sound barrier seal as well." Ino's eyes popped. All she knew was how to activate seals, not how to make them. Sasuke pressed the seal to the wall, and the wall flashed bright blue.

"Cool," she breathed.

She walked over to the door, closing it with a quiet click. Then, Ino whipped around.

"How long have you seen them?"

"How do you know Shisui?"

They both paused. She wasn't sure who started it, but suddenly, they were both laughing, cheeks burning from the force of it. Sasuke had a low, near-silent chuckle, but it was there, mixed with her loud laughter. She clutched her sides. To think, this morning she barely wanted to talk.

"You first," she said.

Sasuke stared at her. He had a different way of holding eyes than Sakura. Where her old friend would avoid eye contact, ducking her head to avoid glances, Sasuke held her gaze, unafraid.

"How are you and Shisui so close?"

If only he asked anything else. Ino tried to think of a way to word her answer. "He saved my life," she said. "Then he kept saving me." She would have been dead, multiple times over without him. Whether it was from that original night, or the nights afterward.

"How?" Sasuke leaned closer from his futon. Ino jumped onto her bed, bouncing to give herself time. "How could he save you?"

I'm a ghost too.

Did you know ikiryo go crazy?

"Can the yurei touch you?" she asked instead. At his confused look, she clarified. "The shiryo, onryo, and goryo. Can they touch you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, wide-eyed.

So she explained, the best she could, the different types of ghosts. The abilities she knew. Their power. She had a lot to learn, in Shikari's words, but Sasuke knew even less than her.

(Ino skipped over the ikiryo.)

He looked pained when she described the onryo fading. "Do they come back? Is there a way to make them come back?"

She slowly shook her head. Sasuke looked away. When he spoke again, he sounded hoarse. "Why did you ask if they can touch me?" he scrubbed a rough hand over her eyes, and Ino looked down at her bedsheets, their flower print. She slowly rolled up her sleeve. The cuts from Kato had ached all day.

"Sometimes the yurei get angry," she said softly. Kato's monstrous expression crossed her mind. "And it…it hurts."

"They can touch you?"

She nodded. Ino thought of Asumi crying, Yashiro's decapitation, Chinami's stabbing. Every memory that bashed around in her skull. She didn't blame them, couldn't, after what they had been through. Ino just wished she had no part of that awful night.

She heard rustling, and the bed creaked. Scratchy fabric touched her arm, and she glanced up.

It wasn't fabric at all, but a bandage. Sasuke's weapons pouch was open. He began unraveling a roll of bandages. Slowly, he began wrapping her arm. At her look, he scowled.

"Shisui said someone should look at your arm. I don't want him to tell my mother I didn't do it."

Ino rolled her eyes. "Of course he did."

She couldn't deny the warmth as he continued to work. She knew first aid, but she had been groggy and fearful that morning, washing the cut with water as quietly as she could. Sasuke worked quickly, taping the bandages with practiced hands.

Ino wondered… "You said I didn't hurt you when I touched you, right?"

Sasuke nodded. Ino brought her other arm around, and touched Sasuke's knuckle. She pushed as much gratitude out as she could.

Thanks, Sasuke. she said to his mind.

Sasuke's cheeks flooded with color. "You're welcome." he quickly looked back down, inspecting his work. "I've seen them since that night," he said. "You?"

"Since I woke up from my coma."

"You were in a coma too?" Sasuke whispered. He looked strangely devastated. "That's why you were sick?"

Lump in her throat, Ino nodded. Something like realization washed over him. His head hung. "I'm sorry," he whispered, voice breaking.

"What are you apologizing for? It's not your fault."

Still, Sasuke pressed a hand over his eyes, distraught. She didn't understand what about her coma had made him so upset. Without thinking, Ino reached up and tugged the hand away.

"I'm okay," Ino said. She poked Sasuke's arm. "So are you. We're going to be fine." It was what Mayu-san said, what Mama and Daddy said, and she'd pass it on.

Determination crossed his face. He nodded. "…I guess so."

A knock sounded at the door, jolting them. "You two okay in there?" her mother's voice called from the door. Sasuke and Ino jumped apart. Sasuke just landed on his futon as the door swung open.

Her mother smiled at the two of them. "It sounded a little quiet—I just wanted to check on you. It's almost bedtime."

Bedtime? How long had they been talking? Ino glanced at the clock, and her eyes widened. They had been talking for almost two hours.

Under Mama's watch, Ino and Sasuke began getting ready for bed. After brushing her teeth and slipping on some long-sleeved pajamas, she felt tired enough to sleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Mama flicked off the light, leaving the door open a jar for light to enter. As soon as she left, Ino closed it again.

"What about Naruto's parents?" she whispered into the dark. It had made no sense to her. Shikari's words came floating back to her. "Who are the Uzumaki ghosts?"

Sasuke described the redheads in armor, who visited their class to watch Naruto. How bells chimed as they passed, and how Naruto was a descendant from a clan that used to live in Wave Country. Then, he began to describe how the Fourth Hokage fought the nine-tailed fox.

"They sealed the nine-tailed fox in Naruto," he said. "Everyone knows. Your parents know. All the adults do. That was the last thing the Fourth Hokage did before he died."

"What?" she whispered. "I thought he killed the fox."

"He didn't. He couldn't. Everyone knows, and does nothing," Sasuke said. He sounded angry. "No one is supposed to tell him, and all the adults do is hike up their prices when they see him in the market or tell him to get lost."

"That's why you were upset at dinner," Ino said. She couldn't blame him. She couldn't imagine what it would be like, to live alone, with a being of chakra sealed inside her. But how could the fourth Hokage seal a beast inside a person? Inside a baby?

"If you tell anyone, you'll get in trouble," Sasuke whispered. "No one is supposed to tell him, my mother said."

"But why?"

Sasuke snarled, "The Third Hokage—" but didn't finish, as a glowing figure shot through Ino's window. The ghost let out a painful screech, and Ino and Sasuke both flinched.

Annoying Uchiha Aimi floated in the middle of the room. Her white dress flashed with blood. "Sasuke, someone's breaking into the Compound!"