Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, Masashi Kishimoto does. Nor do I own "If Only Tears Could Bring You Back to me."
Naruto trudged down the streets of Konoha, constantly looking at his feet. The sky was overcast and cloudy. It was going to rain later. Naruto sighed as Sakura joined him in his wandering. Both ninja were clad in only black. No one was happy today, the blond noticed as Hinata joined them as well, her cousin was not far behind. Slowly, every one joined them in wandering about the roads, heads down, grim frowns, and their hands in their pockets.
An hour or so later, Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma, and Gai joined them. Surprisingly, both Lee and Gai were quieter than usual. It had become custom for every one to gather like this and wander the streets for a while before heading into a restaurant and having a quiet meal while they remembered what had transpired four years previous. Occasionally the restaurant would have karaoke and someone would sing a sad song.
Naruto sighed as the group of fifteen entered the restaurant and took seats around a table. Sasuke's leaving had affected him the most. He had tried his hardest to bring the raven-haired boy back, but failed each time. He blamed himself and thought endlessly about it.
The food was served and the waitress left. Naruto remembered someone saying a prayer and people eating around him. He never once touched his food. He hadn't eaten all day and he still wasn't hungry. When every one else was finished, Naruto rose and went over to the small stage that had been set up that day. He handed the DJ a CD and took the microphone. The music started and Naruto sang his heart out.
"How will I startTomorrow without you here
Who's heart will guide me
When all the answers disappear
Is it too late
Are you too far gone to stay
Best friends forever
Should never have to go away
What will I do
You know I'm only half without you
How will I make it through
If only tears could bring you back to me
If only love could find a way
What I would do, what I would give
If you returned to me someday
Somehow, someway
If my tears could bring you back to me
I'd cry you an ocean
If you'd sail on home again
Wings of emotion
Will carry you, I know they can
Just light will guide you
And your heart will chart the course
Soon you'll be drifting
Into the arms of your true north
Look in my eyes
And you will see a million tears have gone by
And still they're not dry
If only tears could bring you back to me
If only love could find a way
What I would do, what I would give
If you returned to me someday
Somehow, someway
If my tears could bring you back to me
I hold you close
And shout the words I only whispered before
For one more chance, for one last dance
There's not a thing that I would not endure
If only tears could bring you back to me
If only love could find a way
What I would do, what I would give
If you returned to me someday
Somehow, someway
If my tears could bring you back to me"The music ended and Naruto retrieved his CD. When he returned to the table, Sakura and Hinata were crying as every one prepared to leave before it rained. Some one paid for the food and every one split up to go home. Naruto took the long way home and was caught in the rain before he got there.
He went inside and changed into his pajamas. Standing in front of the window, staring out to the rainy street, he thought about how appropriate it was for the day. It had rained on this same day last year too, he remembered, and every year before that. Thunder crashed overhead and the blond decided it was best to go to bed.
Several hours passed and Naruto had still failed in sleeping. The thunder was crashing and the wind blew loudly outside his window. The blue-eyed shinobi rolled over and covered his head with a pillow. It was a futile attempt, he knew, but he still tried.
An hour or so later, Naruto had managed to drift into a light slumber, when there was a faint pounding on his front door. It was barely distinguishable amongst the rumbling thunder and the howling wind, and at first Naruto thought nothing of it. But the pounding kept a constant rhythm and Naruto decided it was some one banging on his door.
The blond rose from the bed tiredly and walked to the front door, grumbling. He yawned as he opened the door. Lightning flashed in the sky, illuminating a tall figure leaning heavily on the doorframe. The boy's raven hair was dripping with rain and his clothes were soaked. He was covered in blood, cuts and bruises.
The boy trembled as he raised his head to meet Naruto's gaze. Cerulean and onyx met and Sasuke smiled. "I'm back," he whispered hoarsely, before collapsing into Naruto's arms.
Naruto caught Sasuke in strong arms. He quickly carried Sasuke inside, trembling the whole time, and shut the door. He could tell the raven-haired boy was severely injured and felt his forehead for any fever. He yanked back his hand with a gasp. Despite the freezing rain, Sasuke was burning to the touch.
Naruto carried Sasuke to his room and laid him on the disheveled bed. He returned to the living room quickly to make a call.
Sakura was not having anymore success at sleep than Naruto was. She tossed and turned in her bed. She sat up suddenly when the steady rain and deep crashes of thunder were interrupted by a shrill ringing. She got out of bed and picked up the receiver of the phone.
"Hello?" she said groggily.
"Sakura!" the voice on the other end almost yelled frantically, "he's hurt! Real bad!"
"Naruto," Sakura said firmly, "are you sure you weren't just dreaming again?" It was true, the first year of Sasuke's absence, Naruto had woken up thinking he had returned and had called her to tell her.
"I wasn't dreaming!" Naruto yelled into the phone, "I'm looking right at him, right now! He's seriously hurt! And he has a severely high temperature!" Naruto was almost in tears now.
Sakura dropped the phone. She trembled for a second, then rushed for her medical bag.
"Sakura?" Naruto called through the phone lines, "Sakura!"
Sakura remembered the phone she had dropped and picked it up. "I'll be over in a moment," she said into the speaker, and hung up. She quickly grabbed a raincoat and headed out at top speed.
It didn't take long to get to Naruto's house; Sakura banged on the door loudly. Naruto answered the door and the pink haired girl rushed in.
"Where is he?" she asked, breathlessly.
"He's in the bedroom," Naruto answered, slamming the door shut. He was down the hall in just four steps. Sakura moved into the room and looked over Sasuke with a sweeping gaze.
"Get me some towels," she said over her shoulder, then as an after thought, "and some clean sheets for the bed." Naruto nodded and dashed out of the room. He returned only a moment later, his arms laden with bedding and towels.
Sakura began with drying Sasuke's hair and the areas around his wounds. She worked tediously: cleaning and dressing each and every cut and scrape; numbing the biggest injuries before repairing them. By the time she was done, Sasuke's clothes had dried out and he was breathing easier than before.
She turned to Naruto, who had been standing by the doorway the whole time, watching. "That's as good as I can do for now," she said, "we'll call Tsunade in the morning." Naruto nodded in reply.
Sakura left reluctantly. Looking back she said, "Keep cool wet towels on his forehead, to bring his fever down. And he'll probably be hungry when he wakes up." Naruto nodded again, and the pink haired girl left.
Naruto did as he was told and placed a cool wet towel over Sasuke's forehead. He then went to the kitchen to dig for something he remembered buying a long time ago. The blond set the can of soup on the counter top and pulled out a pan. He wasn't going to make it now; he just didn't want to take too long when Sasuke woke up.
Now that Sakura was gone and everything was quiet, Naruto was tired. Sasuke was not in a terrible condition any more, and the initial panic was over. He walked to the living room, and collapsed on the couch, passing out immediately.