Disclaimer: I don't own naruto.
Uchiha Sasuke can only feel fear and a terrifying kind of pain. Why is this happening? Why Aniki? Why? There is betrayal, and a world of red and black and red all over again.
The yellow tape stands watch over the closed doors of the place you called home, a silent sentinel warning the young boy that he is no longer dreaming, that it isn't a lie. You do not heed its warning, and as the rain falls all around you, there is only silence, emptiness. For a moment, feet padding cold wooden floors, you dare to hope. Because there is sound, dissolving this empty, silent world around you.
Kaa-san?!
There is desperation in your voice. Your feet move quickly now, rushing madly. Your fingers clench tightly, as if trying to hold onto the past, fisting your hope. It slips through your fingers, pouring out like rain. The cat hisses and leaps away. You are alone. Your feet tread old and new memories until you find yourself in the room, and the water falling from the sky can't seem to wash away the red stains on the floor. Your tears can't seem to do it either, no matter how much sadness pools in your eyes. The sky is mourning the loss of a boy who had gazed up at it with sunny smiles and whispered secrets and promises no one else could hear. He is falling onto the despair and failure held within his parents' blood along with the tears sliding down his face.
You watch, mouth hung in disbelief. There is a monster, all tan skin, and swirling sand. Yellow eyes lit with hatred and the promise of destruction. There is a frog, all red skin, and swishing kimono. Yellow eyes lit with annoyance and the promise of protection. Then there is Naruto, standing on top of the frog. His blue (red) eyes are lit with more power than he should ever have.
It is raining, you realize between the pain of the cursed seal burned against your skin, and the pain of Sakura being slowly crushed to death beside you, while you can only watch.Her pink hair seems to blur and change in the rain, until it is your mother's; the sand becomes your father, lying over her. Just like before, you find you cannot move as their blood trickles towards you. Then your vision clears, and Sakura's hair is still pink, her face is not your mother's. The unsteady breath trickling from her lungs isn't blood dripping from her skin.
The frog jumps, and the rain comes again, falling around you. It does not wash away your weakness, nor does it soothe the painful aching of your heart. Why can't you do anything? Why is Naruto so strong? Why?!
The water falling from the sky cannot answer your questions; it cannot wash away your sins.
The Hokage is dead, the invasion is over, and many other Konoha shinobi were also killed. You find it's harder to care for their sacrifices than it should be. The rain agrees with you, speaking in pitter-patter words and half-heard whispers. It says that Orochimaru is still alive, and that you have to train harder. It tells you that it was all a fluke, that Naruto is still a dead-last loser. The rain's words are comforting as they fall lightly from the sky. Many would say the sky is crying for the dead, but you know better. The sky cries for those who cannot gaze upward and smile, who cannot hope for better weather, or dream of flying. The sky cries for you.
You can only feel hatred and a terrifying kind of rage, as your chidori sputters and dies in your hand. Its whispered words quieted by the futility of your attack. You scream in pain as Itachi breaks your wrist. "You're a bother." There is a different kind of pain, as his gaze turns towards Naruto. "You bastard…I'll kill you!" You charge again, too much hatred and fury for your words to be anything but the truth.
Itachi is fast, faster than you ever remembered him being. As his blows rain down on you, it's as if the rain is pouring down upon you again, in that silent, empty world. Because everything is just so wrong.
Why? Why are you weak? Why is Itachi's back still so far away? He whispers the answer in your ear, "There is not enough hatred in your blood." You cling desperately to his words, drinking in every syllable reverently. The world goes back to black and red and red all over again.
Pain curses through your veins, your body straining to keep up with the backlash of using the second level of the cursed seal. It is raining now, as you fall to your knees, coughing blood from your mouth. You can only stare at his face…Naruto. It would be easy to kill him now, to once again place your hand across his neck and squeeze. You know you can't though, you know that he doesn't deserve to die just so you can possess the Mankekyou. The water sliding down your body is cold, painful, as you leave your former comrade beneath the pouring sky with only a scratched Hitaite and a broken promise.
Moving towards the darkness, you make a new promise, above the sound of the pouring rain. A promise to gain power in your own way, and to not become like Itachi. The rain soaks you to the bone, and pierces your being with its stinging words, cold and sharp in your chest. It says only one thing though, before you are too far into the darkness to feel it.
"Liar…."
Reviews would be great.
Oh, and where I say its raining in the gaara fight. In case you couldn't get it, the rain is coming from gamabunta's water toad bullet, colliding with shukaku's ball of air. I prefer the anime for part 1, and in it, it was raining for a little while on sasuke in the way I described. This fic isn't AU at all, so no, Sakura does not die either.