A/N: I don't how long this will go on for, probably until I get bored of it though. I owe you a better summary. xX

Full Summary: Sasuke is found, unconscious, in a field outside of Konoha one night in a storm. His mind seems to have completely gone from him and his fears are overpowering his determination. But how did he get there in the first place? How is the rain connected to him? And why are snakes following the people Sasuke once loved and protected to kill them? Sasuke is leaving us, not physically but mentally, be careful around him.


Naruto stared out the window of his bedroom. Outside, rain poured, it came in torrents, the thunder and lightning seemed like nothing compared to the size of the droplets hitting his window. It had been a few years now, two or three, the exact number, Naruto didn't remember, since that boy left. He sighed and stood, grabbing his jacket.

He ran through the torrential rain, closing his eyes tightly, an umbrella tucked under one arm, unused. He'd felt an unusual chakra pulse earlier, and had decided just now to find what the source of it was. Reaching the outskirts of the village of Konohagakure, he saw a body, just lying in the over-drenched golden colored grasses.

He ran over to the body, recognizing it instantly as his old friend – the one who left him here, alone – Sasuke, the single survivor of the Uchiha Massacre, so long ago on Valentine's Day. The blond boy dropped his knees. "Sasuke…" He murmured, opening the umbrella and sheltering the Uchiha from the rain. He ran his fingers along Sasuke's collarbone and cheek, gently.

Dark eyes opened as Naruto moved his hand away. "Sasuke…?" The boy on the ground sat up, Naruto shifted so he was still under the umbrella. "What…what happened?" Naruto asked, for a moment the Uchiha was silent. The dark eyes looked at Naruto's blue ones.

"Why…why help me?" He asked, he looked surprised, scared. Naruto reached out to touch his face again; Sasuke drew back suddenly as though Naruto were contaminated. "Why?!" He asked again, Naruto moved his hand back to his side. "I betrayed you! And this village! Why are you helping me!?" Sasuke had scrambled backwards quite a ways in his panic, and he was under the torrential rain drops again.

"Because I never gave up hope." Sasuke's mood calmed as Naruto spoke. They were both drenched, Naruto stood up and walked a few steps so he was closer to Sasuke, and held out his hand. "I'll always be your friend, Sasuke." Dark eyes gazed up, their size rivaled dinner plates.

"Hope…always…" he murmured, as though the words were foreign, and they might have been, to him, he'd grown up so alone after his elder brother had killed his family, his parent's right in front of the young Sasuke. "Always." He reached up and took Naruto's hand, being pulled up into a standing position.

"Can you walk?" Naruto asked, the Uchiha nodded. He seemed so weak, so drained of his old fire. Fire… Naruto thought wistfully, remembering all the times Sasuke had used his fire style jutsu's, amazing his teachers, and his classmates. Naruto smiled and handed Sasuke the umbrella.

"What..?" He looked slightly confused, and was even more so – as well as embarrassed – when Naruto picked him up, bridal style. He blushed. "I…I said I could…walk!" He said, almost forgetting his words. Naruto shook his head.

"No you can't. Trust me, you can scream all you like, I won't put you down." He said, the Uchiha in his arms quieted down and held the umbrella up, keeping them slightly drier.

The walk back to Naruto's apartment was a silent one. Sasuke stared at his thighs, and Naruto's chest, while Naruto just kept his eyes on the route home. The Uchiha liked the sound of that, for three years, he hadn't had a 'home' he'd wandered around, not associating himself with Konoha, or Oto, he'd lead his team, the fearless leader who harbored more secret fears than a small child.

Am I home…now? Why didn't he give up hope…? The apartment was warm and dry, so not like what Sasuke had gotten used to. While in Oto, Orochimaru had given him a prison cell like room. The window was only bars into concrete walls, a mattress on the floor with no sheets or pillows, and a barred door that locked from the outside. Will I be trapped here too..?

He felt his body being placed on a tatami floor, and a fluffy towel being tossed over his head. "Dry off, Sasuke-kun." Naruto's voice penetrated his thoughts. He dried his hair quickly, he could hear the sounds of a futon being dragged out somewhere in the room he was in, as best he could, he dried the rest of his body and draped the towel around his shoulders to keep warm for a while.

Right away though, he was picked right back up, and carried into the kitchen. He could smell rice being cooked, and saw a cup ramen sitting on the table. His dark eyes widened again. It all smelled good, better than what his teammates had eaten, which had caused Sasuke to lose even more weight.

"Eat, then we'll find you some drier and warmer clothing." Naruto smiled, and passed him a bowl of still steaming rice. He grabbed his cup ramen and a pair of chopsticks, handing Sasuke a pair as well. The Uchiha ate ravenously, remembering how good rice tasted. Naruto watched, smiling. When they'd both finished, Naruto carried Sasuke upstairs to his room, setting him on the bed he'd had for years now.

"N-Naruto…" He tested the name out shakily; the blond boy looked up from the drawer he was rummaging in. Sasuke hadn't spoken much at all, Naruto smiled as he looked over to the thin, cute boy sitting timidly on his bed. "Naruto is…is this…home…now?" He asked, in a confused manner, Naruto's smile faltered, but stayed planted on his face, he straightened and walked over to Sasuke, kneeling again when he was next to him.

"Yes." He said, reaching up to stroke Sasuke's messy black hair. "Yes, Sasuke-kun, this is home. You're safe now…" He said forcing himself to look away as tears rolled down his cheeks. He couldn't dare tell Sasuke what they'd done to the old Uchiha compound. Sasuke nodded.

"Home…" Sasuke murmured. Naruto looked back at Sasuke and moved so he was beside him on the bed. "Home…and I'm safe…? Naruto…why are you crying…?" Naruto pulled Sasuke into a protective hug.

"It's horrible, but I could never break your heart that way." Sasuke squirmed a bit so he could look up at Naruto. Naruto stroked the black locks; he just sat there holding Sasuke gently, protectively.

"My…heart?" Sasuke asked, until now, they'd forgotten about the rain and thunder and lightning outside, but now, the thunder was becoming more pronounced over the downfall, and Sasuke jumped when it sounded. He whimpered.

Naruto hugged him tighter. "We'll stay up here tonight, together…" He mumbled, shifting, and laying down, Sasuke curled up right next to him, clinging tightly, for his life. "I won't anything hurt you, ever…" He murmured as Sasuke fell asleep, finally able to sleep normally, after three years in a prison cell-room, and out, under the stars.

Naruto watched the Uchiha as he slept no one else but he knew Sasuke was home, how would everyone take this when they found out? The future Hokage sighed, he'd deal with it in the morning, and he fell asleep, his dreams threatening to come true.