A/N: Hey all. Wrote this when I woke up one morning and couldn't go back to sleep, so I decided to write instead. Just wanted to play around with the strange (im)balance of mania and indifference in Sasuke.
Disclaimer: Naruto was created by Kishimoto.
Smoldering to Ash by KyuuketsukiShounen
Sasuke will never say it, but the rain has never been the same again. And the worst part since then has always been the initial patter patter patter before the clouds tear open. Living mostly underground for three years made it easier to hide from such phenomena, though living the in Country of Field, whose very economy and existence depended on copious rain made it somewhat difficult to escape from completely.
By now he doesn't give much a damn about it. Mostly. Except, like the shape of a moon so full it aches to wane, the rain has acquired the taste of ruin. Except, while it washes the world clean, it still can't manage to wipe away a few measly life-breaking scars. Battles in the rain still happen when they must, and he charges through the falling curtain with little hesitation.
Karin suggests that the rain must be dampening his fire element. She can sense the way he shrinks. But she knows well enough not to press further than that, only enough to warn him. It is a splendid notion, and perhaps not completely false. Sasuke almost hopes for it to rain on the day he returns. On the day his old home crumbles in his palm. On the day they will bruise knuckles on each other's jaws one more time. Flames smoldering to ash.
Certainly Naruto will be the last one standing to protect his precious Konoha, even if, by all accounts, there are at least two dozen other ninjas in the village that technically are stronger, not the least of them being the Fifth Hokage. And for a second time, he will walk away from Naruto.
And damn it. When it rains, he can still remember the smell of his wet hair.
A/N: Okay, so that didn't turn out quite like I wanted it to, but it's still pretty damn close. Hope you enjoyed it, and please tell me what you thought!