It was raining.
Short and blunt.
Nothing out of the ordinary, I guess. The village had a rather warm and humid climate, especially in the spring and summer; so it was nothing to be surprised about. The sky had been overgrown by dark, gloomy clouds, which hung low intimidatingly. Intimidatingly as in 'it's probably going to rain any moment now, I should get inside' ; I'm not the kind of guy to be trembling over some thunderclouds.
Everyone knows how awful it is to suddenly end up in a downpour, with only thin clothing and no sign of umbrella whatsoever. Of course, me being a bit childish and all – I cannot believe I just confessed that –, I love to frolic in the rain as much as any kid, but as soon as the drenched clothing you're unfortunately wearing starts to cling onto your skin and adds about two times as much weight as normal, a warm blanket around you sounds much better than a soaked shirt.
Anyway, back to the rainclouds. I don't think I've ever seen such giant cumuli. They looked like they were already overflowing with water, ready to burst apart any second. Walking along an already empty street, I felt something cold and wet hit my nose. Then, as I looked up, my cheek. A few more drops landed in my hair, so I figured it would be best if I picked up my pace.
The rain became heavier every minute as I ran past closed shops, indicating that most owners were probably already at home, enjoying a quiet evening alone or with their families, playing board games or just looking out the window, watching as Konoha got the regular shower. When my apartment got into view, I couldn't help but smile to myself in relief, as my jacket was slowly becoming rather drenched. My shoes stomped on the little puddles that had begun to form on the dirt path that was now moist from all that water as I ran.
I was searching for a key in my pocket at the same time as I barged up to my door, and I couldn't help but wonder what could have caused this kind of downpour. Even though rain was a perfectly ordinary phenomenon in this time of year, its occurrence was a bit strange, considering that the last couple days were sunny and cloudless. Maybe it was just the weather acting up, I thought.
Finally, I got my door open and swung it aside. Putting off my shoes in a place where they could dry, I removed my jacket, which was still dripping wet, and hung it on a coat rack. Usually I would just throw it somewhere and wouldn't care, but since I was afraid it would smell and basically just dry slower, I figured I could play a clean freak for a day. I trudged into the living room and stopping in the middle, shook my head vigorously, just like a dog when it's wet. I admit, it's animal-like, but it is effective.
With my hair now a bit drier, I slumped down onto my couch and fumbled for the remote. As usual, it was burrowed in the crease of the couch. Flipping over some random channels, I quickly realized that I wouldn't get myself busy with watching television, as most channels were blocked, showed no sign of transition, or just had some boring programs running. It was probably the crappy weather's fault. The thunder rumbled audibly throughout the village, and peering out the window I could see faint flicks of bright light in the distance, indicating that lightning had already become free.
Whoever is outside right now is one unlucky being, I silently said to myself and immediately thought that I'm one lucky being, staying in this warm apartment, and even though my TV isn't working, I still have shelter. There was probably someone wandering along the streets, drenched to the bone and trembling with cold. I kinda felt bad for that person, even though I may not even know him, even though there may not even be anyone in the rain right now.
The pattering sound of raindrops hitting the windowsill made me somewhat relaxed, so I contently laid myself down onto the couch and let my eyes slowly lid shut. Even though it wasn't particularly late, I figured the rain would last an hour or so, so I could just as well take a little nap, since I wouldn't be doing anything else at this time.
I could feel a loud bang echoing inside my head as I was slowly, but miserably, shaken out of my dream-like state. Opening my eyes and peering around the room I still heard the sharp knock, so I reluctantly made my way toward the front door, quite pissed for my sudden awakening. Whoever the person knocking was, he wouldn't have a very good welcoming from Uzumaki Naruto. I opened the door slowly, only to be frozen in my tracks as I saw who was standing before my eyes.
Her head hung low, so her face was unidentifiable, but I recognized her in a millisecond. Her clothes were dripping wet, she had probably stood there for quite a while. I mentally cursed; maybe she was the person walking around in the rain, all alone and freezing. And I was angry because she had awoken me from my nap. She raised her head a bit, and looked a bit surprised when she saw me standing there, my hand still on the doorknob. Maybe she had already succumbed to the fact that nobody was going to open a door for her and just stood there, defeated by disappointment. And rain. Her eyes were brought up to mine and I noticed that they were glassy, almost leaking tears. A sudden urge made me want to reach out and pull her into my arms, but I just stood there, dumbstruck. The only action I managed to do was to form a single word on my lips, the intonation filled with surprise and sympathy.
"Sakura-chan …?"
I was completely unsure of what to do. I just watched solemnly as she blinked, then sniffed, still not saying a word. I figured that she wouldn't plan to, either, so I decided to take the matter into my own hands.
"Do you want to come in?" I suggested, keeping my eyes on her, ready to identify the smallest sign of response. She dipped her head down in a nod, so I gently took her hand and lead her inside.
"You're probably drenched," I pointed out. Her red shirt had turned blood red from all that moisture, and was now clinging to her skin. "Do you want some dry clothes?"
She nodded. I swiftly made my way to the bedroom; opening up my dresser and looking for something that was at least slightly suitable for a female figure, I grabbed a decent-looking gray t-shirt and a pair of jogging trousers. They were a size or two too big, I doubted she would be picky at a situation like this.
"I think these will fit you. You can change in the bathroom," I mumbled and handed the clothes over to her, ignoring the sudden rush of heat to my face. She met my gaze as she took them, and I noticed that they weren't wet anymore, but still a little red; it was now obvious that she had been crying. I wondered why; it couldn't be because of the rain, Sakura-chan wasn't the girl to be weeping over some occasional shower. Something must be on her mind, I thought.
"Thanks," she managed to say, her voice still a bit shaky, though. She gave me a faint smile and disappeared into the bathroom. Whistling, I waited for her.
What a weird day this has been, I thought. After days of endless blue skies and sunshine, it finally turns into a gray, gloomy hell. The television isn't working from all that thunder and stuff, and when I'm trying to sleep while listening to the rain, I get someone knocking on my door. And as I'm pissed off, it's revealed that the poor person is actually Sakura-chan. How ironic.
I was shaken out of my thoughts as I heard a door creak and saw Sakura stepping out, wearing my t-shirt and pants. She didn't look bad at all; comparing to the wet shirt she was wearing moments ago.
"I hung my own clothes on the shower curtain rod … whatever you call it." She chuckled. It seemed like she had cheered up a little, at last. I just hummed in agreement.
"So, what brings you here? Is something wrong?"
The smile now disappeared from her face and her green eyes were starting to tear up once again. She swallowed, trying to hold them back. I gestured her to sit on the couch; and as she slumped down, her resolve slumped as well. Tears started falling from her eyes, which were now squinted closed. I sat next to her, astonished, and without thinking wrapped my arms around her.
Something must've been really messed up. I mean, she's Sakura. She's strong and determined and tough and all those things. Besides, she's older now. She doesn't cry anymore. What on earth could have caused her to crumple like that?
She made a quiet whimpering sound and I pulled her closer to me. Her head rested against my shoulder and I desperately wanted to know the reason behind her sorrow.
"Sakura-chan, please tell me." I whispered as I listened her crying softly. I had never seen her in such a fragile state like that. And there she is; huddled close to me, weeping into my shirt. It was starting to get a little moist from her tears, but really, I didn't even care. If she needed to let out what was piled on top of her heart, then so be it.
After a while, she pulled away, tears still trickling down her cheeks.
"It's … She's … hospital … oh, god. …"
She pressed herself into me and started sobbing again. Maybe I shouldn't have asked. It looked like such a hard thing for her to swallow. But I understood well enough from the words she had managed to let out. Someone was in the hospital, most likely someone dear to her. The rain was quietly pattering outside in a steady pace, giving no sign of stopping. I knew that it was relaxing in the opinion of both of us, as her quiet sobs soon faded into light breathing. I gently stroked her hair, wondering why she had come to me for comfort her at the moment. Me, out of all people. Sure, I was her teammate and friend and all that, but she had never kept it secret that I was annoying and loud and immature. Before, she would beat me to a pulp if I tried to make the smallest physical contact. Now she was cradled in my arms, seemingly calm and content and not shying away from it at all.
I wanted to say something. Say that it was alright. Say that it wasn't her fault. But, somehow, I felt like there was no need to. I felt like she was understanding me through my actions, that I felt sorry for her sadness; so there was no need for words. And even though I didn't wholly know what was wrong with her, I understood that she just had someone close to her in a bad situation and needed comfort. How she had chosen me to be the one, I still had no clue.
She moved away after what seemed like eternity, bringing her jade colored eyes up to my blue ones. Her hand found its way to my cheek, gently rubbing my whisker marks with her thumb. Her fingers were soft to the touch. She moved her other hand so it was behind my head, and before I realized she had captured my lips with her own. My eyes closed immediately when I felt that, and a million feelings rushed through my head at once. Surprise, happiness, enjoyment, excitement, affection, love, gratitude. Gratitude for the rain for bringing us together this night. Surprise for Sakura-chan to do it so quickly, or to do it at all. Affection for her that had always been there. I had felt affection for her for years, even though I knew that she would probably never return it. Now, I was quite sure that for those years, I had been wrong.
She pulled away and smiled. I smiled back. She had let me know that she was thankful for my comfort, and I had responded. Again, there was no need for words.