Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Pairing: NaruSasu.

Warning: Violence. Angst. Spoilers from Naruto manga.

Author: Mabu

Rain

1. Don't let go

A rock was dropped into the tiny lake as the one throwing it looked at it with a contemplating expression that argued between tense or frustrated. The water splashed as it took the hit and fell apart before the drops of water landed on the same surface.

Watching the water fall apart but, still come back to the lake did wonders to his brain's thinking process. He sighed and looked away, scolding himself for thinking too much. How come when he was nervous, it wasn't as easy to get distracted but when he actually was determined to talk, something just had to come to his mind?

He groaned loudly as he raked both hands through his hair and started rubbing them together in frustration. "Ah, this isn't working!"

His friend, the target of his disgruntlement looked at him and raised an eyebrow because that was what he always did when it came to asking question that didn't concern him whatsoever.

If Naruto had been as insensitive to such important things, he would probably feel like he had no heart or life. It didn't matter what others would say or think, not being able to respond to his friend's obvious impediment just damn near caused more.

"I'm just wondering," He started with obvious ire, not able to stop himself anymore. "when you're going to date her."

Sasuke's questioning eyebrow first dipped down in confusion before it raised in realization and turned into an, dare he say, adorable scowl that bordered over pissed-off and solicitous.

"I refused, didn't I? Why do we keep going over this?" His supposedly best friend sighed, gave a breath out in aggravation before turning to look at him dead in the eye. "Naruto, I'm not going out with her, will never go out with her. Get that in your thick brain."

"Bastard," Naruto muttered with a scowl as he crossed his arms and chanted a mantra of 'You can do it', 'Be more stubborn', or 'threaten him!' before speaking. "Look, Sasuke. I just think you shouldn't stay single for long or the whole village will know that you're about to go and kill someone."

Sasuke looked like he wanted to sigh again but, seemed to have heaved in the urge. "I won't—"

Naruto was always very good at cutting others off so there wasn't much surprise for his friend when he was border lined cut in half and practically yelled over

"YOU ARE!" The blond didn't want to over-react and he knew he was, if his friend's look of bafflement wasn't enough indication. "You're getting older, Sasuke— and Kakashi- even Iruka says that it's not healthy for to not have any interest in sexual gratification. I mean, don't you ever, ever masturbate?"

Naruto wasn't sure what was more comical; Sasuke's surprised expression or his pissed-off scowl. But he cared about him enough to bring this subject out. He really knew that Kakashi had tried to tell the guy that impotency was a disease that— if on a maniac individual like Sasuke— could kill millions of people if it wasn't healed. And while Naruto didn't believe that such a thing would happen, he chose to reconsider and bring his friend to blind dates.

The blind dates were great (Naruto stalked them wherever they went to see how Sasuke was doing. Sasuke was the politest of bastards when with those girls and he would act with all the manners that he never showed to his blond friend but afterwards, at the end of the day, there was the good bye and no physical interaction. The broody boy didn't even want to see her again the next day, much less give a good-bye kiss!

It just was frustrating because you were dating, everyone around was dating, blooming buds in the season of spring and the bastard was stuck upon brooding and pouting.

"Naruto." Sasuke started again and this time, it felt like he wasn't about to say some intelligible remark or something, it sounded like the exasperated version of saying: 'I'm defeated, let's get this over with'.

"Did you ever really think that maybe, sexual relationship aren't important to a person?"

Naruto rolled his eyes, pushed his mouth high like a bird's beak and spoke: "Of course, I do. Sex isn't important but you never had any intimate relationship with just about anyone-" normal. He decided to not say the last.

"Not that it's any of your business," Sasuke started in a monotone voice that spoke of beaches and balloons dying of heavy clouds. "But I think we should concentrate more on our kids than, these sexual-related activities."

Our kids…Our kids? The guy was a numb-skull. He had to be if he thought that those kids were his own.

"They're not yours." He retorted, the peak of his mouth going higher. "They're stupid students who are nothing but a pain in the ass."

Sasuke was staring at him, with apprehension before speaking: "I thought you loved kids."

Naruto humph'ed childishly and turned away, "I do!" Just not yours, he would like to add but Sasuke doesn't give him the chance.

Instead, Sasuke says: "Look, I'm already as busy as I can be with my assigned students and they're just genin kids right now so I have to make them realize a lot of things. You know how it was like, right? Those kids need us to learn valuable lessons. Like Kakashi-sensei." he added uncomfortably.

Naruto looked back at him with narrowing eyes and a pout, "I wasn't saying otherwise."

He was ready to goad on about the 'Remember Konohamaru' story that many had heard a lot of times before but, shut his mouth up quickly when he noticed Sasuke looking at the waterfalls with a concentrated expression, his mouth was turned down and eyebrows burrowed.

Naruto knew that look very well; he was picking something up again. The bastard-

"Who's there?" asked Naruto, just out of curiosity though his voice was more edged towards annoyance at being interrupted from the discussion.

Sasuke completely ignored his question and stood up from sitting on the ground. He walked closer to the waterfall and narrowed his eyes.

"Stop hiding." He demanded, eying the waterfall distastefully.

The blond blinked up at the waterfall and suddenly, the splashing water right in between was cut off, splashes formed and foamed and with slow instigations, a linear figure bonded over with the water and while Naruto was in a daze at the sight in front of him, Sasuke had walked past him without a look of surprise on his face.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, while the blond looked from his raven-haired friend to the male— who was previously in the rushing water— standing on top of the lake's surface.

Naruto blinked again, trying not to show his awe by staring; the guy just came out of the water—No, more like, He was the water and then, he turned into a human. That was-

The male in front of him had white hairs with light-blue tints in them, purple eyes and wore a colorful matching attire.

His eyes glinted in mischief, his tooth were like fangs when they showed as he grinned. "I wanted to meet you since we realized you couldn't be bothered to come back and visit us yourself."

Blond eyebrows raised at that; Sasuke knew the guy?

"Us?" If Naruto hadn't known Sasuke as long as he had, he wouldn't have been able to figure out that the Uchiha sounded confused because he always hid it well under his impassive mask. "She's still with you?"

"Nah, we split up." The strange man shrugged, a smug smile playing on his lips as he walked up to them. "You already know how Karin and I didn't get along. She's just too much for me to take without you and Juugo."

Juugo? That name made Naruto's eyebrow arch in recognition as he realized that the name was something he'd heard before; Kiba- his shaggy-haired friend had defeated him in a match of death. He was also, a member of Sasuke's team, Taka.

And with what he'd been hearing, he figured this guy was one of Sasuke's former team-mates. A twinge of agitation went over his stomach but he covered it up with a hesitant smile.

"So, who's this?" He asked, feeling like he was interrupting something since his black-haired friend was staring hard into the other guy's purple eyes.

"No-one you need to know." He hissed harshly, glaring almost furiously.

Naruto winced. "Hey, cool off." he said calmly, uncertain.

He hadn't seen Sasuke this angry since- well, a long time ago. It had already been five or more years since Sasuke came back and settled in Konoha but seeing the look in Sasuke's eyes now made his stomach give a few disconcerting tugs.

"Yeah, Sasuke, cool off." The white-haired guy said with a smile before winking at the blond and ambling over at Sasuke's side, moving his arms over the raven's shoulder, grinning as the Uchiha stiffened under his hold.

"Hey—" He started to warn the guy that holding Sasuke, the uptight asshole, was a bad idea but before he could as much as utter it, the guy had done something that made his tongue freeze and his mouth go dry.

He licked on Sasuke's face like a cat, sliding it over the pale cheek before pressing his lips breathlessly over them.

He felt an unfamiliar heat at the gesture and he shook the feeling off as his eyes focused on Sasuke who was clenching his fists in anger.

"Sas-"

He was starting to move forward but, was too late since Sasuke grabbed and gripped the guy's neck, looking murderous. The strange man started to turn into water suddenly and was splashing down on the ground as if it were the most natural thing.

Naruto looked down at the ground with heated cheeks, feeling slightly embarrassed at what he saw before he looked up and saw his friend walking away with a daunting demeanor.

It was official, Sasuke was royally pissed-off.

He winced again at what he saw there and before he could even prepare himself to focus, he was again, taken aback when the water on the ground turned up into the guy from before.

"Boo." The guy said with an unaffected smile and Naruto backed away, feeling a little wary of that individual.

"Who are you?" Okay, so he had pretty much the idea who that guy was. He had gotten information on Team Taka's potential since they were preparing to ambush them but then again, things didn't go as planned and he wasn't able to meet any one of Sasuke's team members. Though, he had been able to meet Sasuke on the first chance of chasing and that was also why, the bastard was here and not lurking away outside like a lost soul.

He had saved him and brought him back. It was only right to feel insecure and scared when one of his friend's former team-mates came.

And right now, this guy seemed to be wreaking havoc on his heavenly spring season.

The pervert just smirked "Nuh-uh-uh, I'm not telling my name unless I know yours."

The defiance on the guy's face made him feel like punching but, he wasn't sure if it would feel nice punching water because that would mean, no pain for the other person and that, he really wanted.

"Naruto," His jaw slackened as he bit out his name with narrowed eyes. "Uzumaki Naruto."

At the mention of his name, the guy's smirk widened further and he let out a confident murmur with appeased, twinkling eyes: "Suigetsu. Hozuki Suigetsu." He uttered narrowing his own purple eyes, a shadow passed over them before he spoke: "Sasuke's former companion."

Naruto nodded out of politeness, taking a few steps back to keep a distance from the man across him. "I guessed as much."

Suigetsu's twinkling eyes danced in mirth as he spoke: "Funny. I guessed the same for you."

Naruto glared up at him, he didn't like the guy for obvious reasons. "The same what? That I'm Naruto or Sasuke's former companion because for the latter, I am not."

The man glanced at the woods surrounding the lake before he shook his head and inhaled, "You used to be."

"Five years ago." he retorted, a bitter edge taking over his tone.

"Five years ago, eh?" He repeated Naruto's words with a frown and sighed. "It's been long."

"Yes, it has." Naruto agreed before watching the lake with crossed arms. "I don't know why you're here but, since you've been a missing criminal, I don't think it's safe to be hanging around us Shinobi because I can capture you and take you to Konoha's cell. I'm sure Roots would love to have you there."

"Not that I don't mind-" Suigetsu said in light-hearted tone as he backed away warily, hands up in a motion of self-surrender. "But I was only here to greet our leader. Since he seems fine enough, I shall be heading off. Bye!" He said as quickly as possible while jumping off into the water and disappearing quite casually.

Naruto wasn't an idiot, he could see the blue chakra flowing off the lake but, decided he didn't need to go through the trouble of catching the guy. He didn't seem like a threat- or was he?

He wondered thoughtfully after he had turned and walked away from the lake, he stopped mid-step on his way and his mouth turned down into a frown.

"Maybe, I should've captured him." He muttered under his breath but, didn't go back since Suigetsu looked smart enough to have left already. He advanced out of that area and tredged deeper into the woods, where he had seen Sasuke go last before.

"Sasuke." He called in a lazy voice because he really wasn't in the best of moods and he just wanted to go home after that mentally strenuous meeting. He'd have had worse meetings but, this one just tugged at his heart until he actually wanted to pull it off himself. Something was hurting, something was wrong and he wasn't sure what it was. Not that he wanted to pry. He would just go and find Sasuke and then, they'd go back to Konoha. Give Kakashi the report for their mission and then, he and Sasuke would go and eat Ramen and things would be like usual.

The fact that the previous meeting bothered him wouldn't trouble him as much if he had ramen in his system and he was anxious to see Sasuke act like his usual self. Not as angry and not as cold but still, serene and scowling like a cute pouting child.

"Sasuke." He called again, looking around the woods and trying to sense the man's chakra but, it wasn't visible nor was he able to tell the man's physical presence. His friend man was always capable of manipulating his chakra to hide it but why would he need to do it now? "Sasuke, it's not the time to act like a child. Come out, already!"

"He's not here." A female voice murmured from a distance. He froze, catching her words and snapped his head up to look at her.

His jaw tightened at the edges, "What?"

"Sasuke's gone." The woman said, leaning against a tree. Her hairs were red, falling over her shoulders; she was wearing glasses as she looked down at the ground with an attentive expression. "He's not here."

Naruto glowered, not being able to hold the anxiety at her words. "What do you mean by that?"

She whipped her head up to him and glared, "Just what I said, Sasuke's not here." She looked unsettled- furious even as she looked at him with an expression that mirrored his in the matter of concern.

Something howled inside him as he clenched his fists. "I don't believe you." he let go of his fist as he turned and glanced around everywhere. "He's got to be here. He can't leave without me, I would've known. He can't—" His breath halted as he choked on his own words "—leave." he heaved out with a chaotic furrow on his brows. He didn't know why he was getting so hurt over just the matter of Sasuke leaving without him but, he was.

"Don't believe me if you don't want to." She shrugged as she stepped away from leaning on the tree and straightened her posture. "I'm a sensor, if he'd be even a hundred miles away, I would've been able to sense him but he's not around. I can't sense him." She muttered with a sigh as she paced back and forth with boisterous stomps on the woody branch.

Naruto's startling blue eyes narrowed fiercely. "Who the heck are you anyway?"

She stopped in her unusually agitated pace and slowly turned to give him a rough stare. He stared back with his own glare, not backing down at graving over his hatred at her even though, he had no idea who she was.

"Oh, I see that you've already met Karin." a pleasant voice said, pulling them out of their glaring contest as they turned to look back at the him standing on the other tree, grinning as he asked: "Now, would one of you tell me where Sasuke, our uptight leader and in your case, friend, is?"

He was the strange man from before who attempted to molest his best friend. Naruto glared.

Karin, as the man had mentioned before, huffed. "Honestly, can't you keep an eye on him? He disappeared out of nowhere while I was waiting for him."

"What?" Suigetsu looked just as unsettled as she had. They both knew that Sasuke wouldn't leave asudden just because of a nauseatingly inappropriate encounter with his former friend. For all Naruto knew though, Sasuke former team-mates did that all the time. Sasuke's reaction though, said it was very new to him.

"Orochimaru." she uttered out of nowhere and looked as shocked as them at mentioning the name without warning. "I sensed him just before Sasuke disappeared. I thought perhaps, I was hallucinating but-" she looked up, studying their expressions before her features darkened at the seriousness of the situation. "It was a different sensation though, but definitely Orochimaru-sama's chakra- not a cursed seal too because it seems more-" she hesitated. "More like Orochimaru." this time, she didn't add the suffix for her previous master but what she had said before bothered him. Did she still consider the freak as her master?

She turned to stare at Suigetsu meaningfully as they both talked through their eyes while Naruto waited for them impatiently to get it because he already had.

"Is it-" She started, looking certain by the minute of her suspicions. Naruto decided to help the process a bit.

"It's Kabuto."

They both snapped their heads to look at him before Suigetsu scrunched his nose, "Likely. That guy's always been obsessed with Orochimaru so why not go after the one person his master had been pursuing and wasn't able to get."

"You're right. A grudge, maybe." Karin nodded

"Hello," Naruto said, waving a mocking hand at them as he spoke, "Aren't you forgetting that Sasuke is extremely powerful and cannot be beaten by some weird freak-like Orochimaru-mimicker?"

Suigetsu snorted and Karin glared at them both. "Sasuke is not defeated, he's captured. My guess is that Kabuto came here and used some teleportation jutsu while Sasuke was busy blustering over Suigetsu's actions." She had obviously, also witnessed the pervert's 'actions', as she put it and was unhappy about it. Naruto was pleased to say he empathized.

"Even so," Naruto pressed. "Even if he was busy being angry over that, he would never let down his guard. Me, being his best friend can't let him go down on his guard. I don't think he'll be caught off-guard just like that and by Kabuto, no less."

She turned to glare at him but there was a depth of understanding in her fierce gaze. "I think he can. There are various things that can distract him and one of them is molesting—"

"Okay, can you guys please stop emphasizing on that." Suigetsu said in weary voice and sighed, crossing his arms. "Geez, I was just teasing him. Don't need to get all jealous just because you didn't get to kiss him and I did." he sounded petulant.

Naruto's face scrunched up while Karin's fist clenched and trembled in rage before she muttered menacingly: "Suigetsu." and there went a particularly heavy-looking punch at the water-boy who split in half with water splashing all over. "DIE!" she shouted while stomping all over the water as if she did that kind of thing all the time.

Naruto wondered if she had some type of experience in dealing with the pervert and if so, that, did it hurt the water-boy or not? Because he deserved to get hurt.

Inside, his mind had started to sigh in relief of somewhat that at least, Sasuke's first kiss had most likely been with Naruto, if nothing else. Albeit, accidental, it would still make Sasuke feel better about his misfortune of always getting sexually harassing contact from unusual men: Orochimaru was in the suspected list of how many man had tried to put their hands on Sasuke. Thus, the reason why Sasuke was extremely wound-up and asexual. It couldn't be healthy for having a brother as a supposed instigator too.

-0-

Our bond wasn't simple. If it was simple, I'd think things wouldn't be as complicated or as intense as they are between us. Something about the way we interacted, something about the way we fought, something about the way we looked at each other, something about the way we smiled at one another, and something about the way we both were so inseparable without even knowing; it's different, it's special, it's deep and it's beautiful.

I wish we don't get separated like before.

I wish, we'll stay together- hand in hand- smiling at each other while never letting go.