Summary: Sasuke returns after almost three years to Konoha. He is determined to kill Naruto to prove he can kill his own brother to himself. Orochimaru is after him. Konoha is after him. But on the day he comes to Konoha, he encounters a different Sakura…and is distracted from his plan. A Sasusaku Story (with other couples)

Rainy Days Never Stay

Chapter One

The raven haired boy began his long walk late at night. This would be the first time he would leave Orochimaru's hideout in the Sound. And for Konoha, of all places. But he had his mission, and that was to kill Uzumaki Naruto. "Sasuke…" Orochimaru had said that morning. "Sasuke, it is time." "What?!" yelled Sasuke. "I still have to kill him! He's not dead yet! You said I would!" "Tomorrow," Orochimaru said. "Tomorrow, we will become one."

And that's when Sasuke remembered, the deal he and Orochimaru had made nearly three years ago. Orochimaru would train Sasuke and just before the three years were up, Sasuke would kill Itachi. However, the Akatsuki switched their whereabouts several times, and Orochimaru and Sasuke were never able to find him.

Sasuke knew, that the next day when he woke up, Orochimaru and Kabuto would be searching for him—they probably already knew where he was going. He wanted to test his new jutsus and skills after all, and why not on his old comrade, the one who haunted his dreams and nights? Sasuke had to kill him to forget all of those worthless memories.

Especially after what had happened—the new Squad 7, Naruto, Sakura, and Sai were sent on a mission to retrieve Sasuke. They did not succeed in the mission. They did, however succeed in seeing Sasuke's face after 2 ½ years. He had looked down at them, from the hill above, while Naruto and Sakura were looking passionately and him, from below.

"I should've killed him," Sasuke said to himself, now running through forest. But that nine-tailed fox of his, had told Sasuke that he, "…would regret it." And, he listened. After he disappeared from them, the memories began to haunt him again. Just as they did, but this time, they were far worse.

They were memories of childhood, the pinky promises, Kakashi-sensei, learning the Chidori, leaving Sakura, fighting Naruto in nine-tailed fox form…

Before he knew it, he had arrived at the gates of Konoha.

When he left, her whole world was broken. She wanted to go after him, wished she was stronger so that she, herself could have fought him. But, no. All she could do was cry to Naruto and beg him to bring him back.

2 ½ years later, after training with Jiraiya, Naruto had returned to Konoha to stay. His main mission was to get Sasuke back before the three years were up. It was his promise to Sakura after all. Naruto's return was like a ray of hope for Sakura—finally she could have someone to lean and depend on again.

Everyone had tried to cheer Sakura up. Lee professed his love to her whenever he saw her, and gave her sakura blossoms from the flower shop. Tsunade promised to train her as much as Sakura could handle. And Ino—even Ino—cried along with Sakura in hopes that Sasuke would return. However, when Ino began to like another guy, Sakura was alone again.

She moved out of her parents' house and into a house nearby, to prove that she could be independent, like Naruto and Sasuke, and to prove that she was strong enough to live on her own. But, she was wrong.

It took some getting used to—having to go on missions just to get money for your own food. Yet, Sakura promised herself that she would not give up hope, and that she would grow stronger. That was, until the mission came.

The mission was an A rank one, where Sakura was assigned as a medical ninja for Team Gai. Not thinking, she engaged in combat with the enemy, something that the medical ninja should not do. While she was in the fight, Lee was critically injured, and since Sakura was not able to heal him, Team Gai had to go back to Konoha and the mission failed.

Only then, did she realize how pathetic she was. Sakura stopped going on missions, stopped seeing her friends, ignored Lee's confessions of love, and stopped going outside altogether. Tsunade was only able to train her in the patch of forest behind her house, and during the training sessions, she would also give her food.

Tsunade had warned her the day before Naruto's return. "Naruto is coming back tomorrow—at least that's what Jiraiya said," she said to Sakura after a long day of training. A feeling rushed over Sakura—a feeling that she hadn't had for a long time. Still, her face remained emotionless. "So? I don't care—" Before she was able to finish her sentence, Tsunade had thrown something to her, it was fuzzy and pink. "What is this?"

"A wig," answered Tsunade as she turned around to leave. Just before leaving, she said again, "You might want to wear it. Naruto is expecting the same Sakura as before—you shouldn't let him down."

On the morning of Naruto's expected arrival, after taking a shower, Sakura looked at herself in the mirror.

Her hair, now grown all the way down to the middle of her thighs, looked overgrown and unkept, something that the old Sakura would never let happen. She wore a loose dark blue short dress—the color reminded her of Sasuke—and the traditional black leggings. Almost everything had changed about her—everything except her eyes.

Her eyes, still bright green, still looked full of life, and was the only thing on her that showed that she ever had one. Tsunade would make sure that they never changed every time she visited, for they were a lot like Sakura's symbol.

She sighed at her image, not being able to find the beauty of youth anymore. "Okay," she said to herself, as she put her hair in a high bun and the wig over it. Suddenly, she looked younger again, and just as before. Naruto of all people would never figure out that she wasn't the same person as before.

At that thought, Sakura left her house to walk around town and "find" Naruto.

Sakura walked into the once-familiar streets of Konoha not wearing her blue dress—but wearing an older version of her old red one. That way, it would be easier to find Naruto. And, the sooner she found Naruto, the sooner she would have her shoulder to cry on.

She walked into Tsunade's place casually, as if nothing had ever happened. "Well," said Tsunade, as she stood up and circled around Sakura a few times. "You fooled me." In the distance, they heard a familiar voice: "C'mon! Let's go see granny-Tsunade! I bet she's even older looking now!!" Tsunade made a face, then turned to Sakura and said, "You'll greet him here at the doorway." Then, she left.

"Ehhh?"

Sakura turned around, at those words.

"What?" She pretended to look surprised, and tried to sound just as she did before.

"S-S-Sakura-chan!! It is you!" yelled Naruto, pointing at Sakura. "Look Ero-sennin!"

Jiraiya turned his head. "Ah, I see." So she was able to pull it off after all, Jiraiya thought.

After finally seeing Naruto again, and a "Good night, Sakura-chan!", Sakura threw her wig on her bed, grabbed a kunai and cut her hair bluntly by two inches, and went to her bed. There, she cried.

There were many times when she thought that people would tell Naruto about how she really had been; Especially when they went on a mission with Team Gai to save the Kazekage, Gaara. Sakura kept looking over at Lee—watching his every move with Naurto.

She knew that all he wanted was for her to be protected, to be safe, but surprisingly, he had not said a word to Naruto about her. They instead, talked about stupid things, like "the magnificent Gai-sensei." She was safe.

Sakura awoke from a nightmare—a nightmare of the night when Sasuke left her and knocked her out and told her, "Thank you." He haunted her almost every night. When…when will I be free from you?, Sakura thought to herself, while getting up and staring at herself in the mirror. It hurts…you're the reason why I became like this…Sasuke-kun.. You're the reason why…

There was a knock on the door.

"Ugh." Sakura stood up and walked toward the door. It was probably Tsunade. Tsunade had been checking up on Sakura the past few nights since Team 7's mission to retrieve Sasuke. The mission had failed. Still, the image of Sasuke's face, still as handsome as it was before, looking down at her, it was enough inspiration she needed.

She wanted to go back.

Back to the days when life was simple and it was just Squad 7—Kakashi, Naruto, Sasuke, and herself.

Sakura opened the door. "What is it, Tsu—" "Sakura-san?" Sakura looked up. No, it wasn't Tsunade, it was Sai, the new member of Squad 7, the replacement. She just stared at him, as if in a daze. "Ah! Sai-kun!!" She tried her best at sounding as she did when they first met. However, it didn't work.

"Sakura-san…what happened to your hair…" Then, she remembered that her wig wasn't on. He knew. And then, he'd tell Naruto.

Sasuke walked into the gates of Konoha. It was dark and late at night. Surely, Naruto wouldn't be awake. But, if he killed him while sleeping, it would be easier to get it over with. But what's the fun in that?, thought Sasuke, as he walked into Konoha. I want to see him suffer. He smirked, something he hadn't done in a long time, for the curse mark that Orochimaru gave him erased most of his emotions.

He heard something. A crying sound. It was so familiar…a girl crying. He remembered. The words of Sakura, while crying, and trying to make Sasuke stay.

"Sasuke-kun…if you go, THEN I'LL SCREAM!!"

What a pathetic thing she could say. However, it was her last resort. She wanted to see if he still cared—or ever cared—for her.

Sasuke stopped walking, when he heard the crying suddenly stop. Out of the trees, behind the bench that Sasuke sat on nearly three years ago, two figures appeared. One was Haruno Sakura, and the other Sai.

Okay! That's it for now! Hope you like it (I tried and worked really hard!!)! Anyway, this is just my first one…so…

There's gonna be another one, I'm thinking of killing off someone…hehe.

Just review and do whatever you do!

Shizuka Ai calm:: love