The clouds roared aloud with thunder storming in the sky. The downpour continued. The deluge has barely topped since the last week. Stormy black-grey clouds hovered obsessively over the small village surrounded by the trees, pouring out its misery on the settlement.
The village hidden in the leaves. How appropriate.
The trees - now the leaves wet and sticky like a dog fur - surrounded and hide the place in the vast sea of green. The empty roads were full of mud and puddles. Toads were croaking in obvious delight. The rain continued, without the sign of stopping.
Sasuke loved the rain. The cool wind, the occasional sprinkle of water, the earthy scent, everything. It gave him a sense of placidity. A constant flowing that he couldn't wrap his head around and overthink. Ever since that doleful day, only the rain brought him a way to cope with it. His mother always said that the rain was the world's way of showing grief, to be with the one who was already grieving, to give them the companionship they crave for so much. His father could care less though. He was the clan head - always busy with meetings and police work. Itachi, on the other hand, often agreed to sit with him and watch the rain.
Itachi loved the rain too.
Sasuke frowned. Everything would come back to Itachi no matter how much he tried to forget. His thoughts always deteriorated towards the massacre his family suffered.
Now that he was finally a genin, he was one step closer to avenge his family. The graduation test was last week and he had passed as the top student. It wasn't a surprise. The Uchiha were a smart bunch and often produced remarkable shinobis. He was placed in the team seven under the command of Hatake Kakashi. The guy was a legend in his own right, but he refused to look at them seriously. A bit irritating in his opinion.
He looked at the gray gravestone again.
Sasuke was visiting the cemetery, without any umbrella or even shoes. A bouquet of white flowers was on the gravestone below.
Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto. Beloved Parents.
Raindrops clung to his hair, some slithered down to his chin. His forehead protector was tied proudly, the stylized leaf insignia glistening. Blue shirt and trousers clung to his lean body, sopping wet.
Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating his surrounding for a moment.
He turned around and started walking towards the exit when another flash revealed a figure in the furthest corner. There was no mistake about the person's identity. Only one could wear such an eye-watering orange.
His idiot teammate.
Naruto's back was turned towards him, his forehead protector removed, causing the blonde locks to brush against his cheek. His shoulder sagged and composure one of tiredness. The blonde didn't pay any attention to the raven haired Uchiha behind him, still lost in his own notion.
Sasuke frowned. Normally the boy was loud and an optimist. Always thinking good and smiling and trying to keep the team spirit alive. But his posture here was one of utter defeat as if he had lost all the hope and will to carry on. It was unsettling.
Sasuke knew the boy was orphan, hated in his own village and disliked even among his peers. But that never stopped him from trying.
"Naruto," he muttered lowly.
Naruto's sensitive ears picked it up and he glanced towards Sasuke, fixing his blue eyes on him, dull and lifeless. Sasuke cringed inwardly.
"Sasuke," the blonde greeted back, his voice blank and emotionless.
An awkward silence fell between the two as Naruto returned to his thoughts. Sasuke noticed that his forehead protector was in his hand, clutched like his life depended on it. The boy looked so miserable that even Sasuke felt it.
The rain seemed to pick its pace up. The visual was nearly blurry now. Every sound drowned under the noise of falling rain.
"Visiting you parents, teme?" Naruto's voice came.
"Hn. You?"
"Just thinking."
"Try not to pressure your brain too much," Sasuke muttered with a smirk. But his attempt at humor fell as the blonde merely nodded – without replying hotly.
What's eating him?
"I never knew my parents... So I came here often to talk. Maybe they are here..." Naruto said, voice still blank as a white sheet.
"Did you found anything?" Sasuke asked unsure why he was talking to him at the first place.
Naruto shook his head and turned to gaze back at his forehead protector. With another silence befalling them, Sasuke turned to leave, void of all emotions.
"It must have been wonderful, huh Sasuke?" Naruto's voice stopped him again. "When someone look out for you, cook for you, and take care of you when you are sick, kiss you goodnight, takes pride in your achievement..." he paused. The pain was abundant in his voice. It wavered slightly. "...be there for you..."
Those last words finally made him turn around and Sasuke looked at Naruto, eyes distant.
"Yes," Sasuke murmured. "It was wonderful." A memory played in front of his eyes. "It was indeed wonderful." His voice shook at the end.
"At least you have some memories," his voice wavered. "I envy you teme."
A silence befell them again and Sasuke stared at Naruto, eyes blank. After a brief wavering sound, he heard him. "Go home, Sasuke. Or you will catch a cold."
Sasuke left without any more words. Naruto stayed still. The deluge tasted salty to them as the sky grieved.