My first fanfic, so please don't be too harsh! Any and all reviews are welcome, .

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or any of it's characters!

"Reading what's underneath the underneath. Finding what's Unwritten. That's a ninja's most important task. Every shinobi has to be able to figure out what is really happening in order to prevent unexpected occurrences. It helps the shinobi be successful in their mission and stay alive. Of which is the ultimate goal of all shinobi. But, it applies to more than just being a shinobi, Sasuke." Uchiha Mokito explained softly to her youngest son.

"How so, kaa-san?" the young Uchiha questioned.

"In good time Sasuke, you'll see. Just be patient. Life will tell you when it feels that you're ready to know." Mokito answered.

"But kaa-san!" Sasuke replied hoping his mother would give into his request. All she did was smile back at him with understanding eyes as she stated "Shouldn't you be heading off to the academy?"

"Uhh, yeah." he replied sadly.

"Well, then get going or you'll be late, Sasuke."

Sasuke realized that he had lost the battle for now. So he decided to comply with what his mother told him and set off for the academy. 'I'll try her after class.' he thought. "Bye kaa-san!" "Goodbye Sasuke!"

"I never got to ask again. That was the last conversation I ever had with her," Sasuke said quietly to himself. He was standing next to the marker of which honored Konoha's fallen heroes.

Staring at his parents names as if they were written in some intricate way, he questioned to himself, 'I wish I had known the meaning of kaa-san's words that day. Maybe, just maybe, if I had known what she meant, I wouldn't feel this way. Why? Why did they have to die like that? I should've been able to protect them, but I was scared. Scared of him.'

He was now looking up to the wide, gray, cloud covered sky. All the while with his signature ice cold glare. 'Scared of my own brother, Itachi. I thought he valued us, his own family.'

"Apparently he didn't," he let slip coldly out from under his lips.

"Who didn't what?"

The sudden interruption in Sasuke's quiet state of thought made him jump slightly. Though he'd never admit to it. He was too proud to do something such as admit he was surprised.

He quickly turned around to see who had intruded into his train of thought. Only to find that his 'intruder' was none other than his teammate from his days as a genin, Haruno Sakura.

"No one."

"You sure, Sasuke-kun?"

"Yes, Sakura! I'm sure!"

"Oh, ok" Sakura stated softly as if she was frightened of him. 'Was she? Am I that frightening that I intimidate my own teammate?'

"Anyways, that's beside the point. What are you doing here, Sakura?" Sasuke asked as cold as ever.

"Oh me? Well, I uh I…" she stumbled out. Leaving them in a short lived silence.

"Well, what is it!" Sasuke demanded breaking their silence.

"I, well, I heard from Naruto that you weren't at training with him this morning. And I was, well I, I was worried about you Sasuke-kun." She answered quickly. 'Naruto, that dobe! So it's his fault that she's here. Will he ever learn to keep his mouth shut sometimes? Probably not, but one could hope.' Sasuke added to himself sarcastically.

"It looks as if it'll rain soon, ne Sasuke-kun?" Sakura pondered aloud to Sasuke as she walked over to his side.

"Yeah…" Sasuke said quietly. As if on cue, the clouds above decided it to be the proper time to release their watery load. Letting it fall down rhythmically and land softly on the conversing shinobi.

"Pry a good thing though. This summer's been brutal on the village. I suppose that, well that I'm glad that it's raining. The heat this summer has really put so much stress on everybody. Everyone's so up tight nowadays. Even Tsunade-sama has grown unnerved. She's even taken to pestering Kakashi-sensei about his tardiness. Though she knows that he'll never quit." Sakura added with a small chuckle, trying to lighten up the grim expression that was still showing itself on Sasuke's face.

"Hn…" was all Sasuke could muster out in reply. EndingSakura's efforts in vain.

"Maybe, we should get out of this rain. We might catch a cold, and I think its getting heavier." Sakura suggested.

"No." Sasuke stated as if it was obvious. "You can, but I'm not."

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura trailed off as she realized that it was best for Sasuke that she keep quiet.

'Why did she stop talking?' Sasuke wondered to himself. He contemplated whether or not to turn and ask Sakura why she trailed off. 'Is she frightened again? God, I hope not. I don't think I could handle myself if my own teammate was frightened of me.' 'Well, I guess only one way to find out.' he thought to himself as he turned to his side. However, what he saw was a surprise to both of them. "Sakura…?"

Sakura was sitting down next to the marker on the brown, mud-covered ground. "If you won't leave, then I'll just have to sit here and wait for when you feel ready to return to the village." Sakura stated as if there was no other way to go about it. "Sakura, wha- what are you doing?" Sasuke questioned her.

"Sasuke-kun, are you deaf? I said I'll wait here with you until you're ready to leave. That's what friends do, ne?"

"Uhhh…yeah. Fine, do whatever you want." he stated bluntly as he sat next to her.

"Good." Sakura said triumphantly. 'What! Why is she happy. Is she glad to stay here and wait for me in the rain?'

"You're stubborn as ever, aren't your?" Sasuke said teasingly and with a slight smirk on his face.

"Sasuke-kun! That's cruel!" Sakura said almost at a yell.

"No it's not."

"Yeah it is!"

"Now you really are being stubborn." explained Sasuke in a matter-of-fact way. "Hmph…" Sakura pouted. 'Well, I guess stubborn is better than annoying.' Sasuke chuckled as he thought this.

"You mind telling me what you find so funny Sasuke-kun?" Sakura questioned in more of a demanding tone than an annoyed tone.

"Nothing." he replied.

"Saaassssuuukkkeee-kuuuun, tell me what's so funny!"

"I said nothing."

"SASUKE-KUN!"

"I don't think that it's something you need to know." he said simply. At that Sakura put together another one of her pouts and sat there quietly. Knowing full well there was no way she'd be able to break the Uchiha into telling her. He was just too stubborn for her taste. Or was he?

Before she was able to ponder into it further, it was Sasuke's turn to interrupt her thoughts. "Sakura, what do you find the most important task of a shinobi to be?" This statement surprised Sasuke as much as Sakura. 'Where did that come from? Why did I ask that of all things?'

"Ummm, well, I guess it would be reading what's underneath the underneath. Finding what's Unwritten. 'Cause every shinobi has to be able to figure out what is really happening in order to prevent unexpected occurrences. I feel that that helps the shinobi be successful in their mission and stay alive. Of which is the ultimate goal of all shinobi, ne Sasuke-kun?" Sakura explained.

Sasuke stared into her eyes with astonishment. How could her words be so similar to the words he heard that day? They were exactly word for word, but how? He was so sure Sakura had never met his mother.

So, how could she know those words? Those words that kept his every being on this earth. If not for his loss for understanding them, he wouldn't have even bothered staying in the world of the living.

And yet, aside from her answer being almost word-for-word identical to his mother's, he noticed something else similar. Her eyes, two big pools of jade with a darker shade of ebony in the center. They were full of so much understanding for him. Why hadn't he noticed this before? Had it always been there? Even during her stage of fan-girling over him?

No. She had matured. She was no more the little kunoichi genin he new eight years ago during the time in Team 7. She had grown into a well rounded young woman. Just like his mother. She had become perfect in Sasuke's eyes.

'What are these feelings coming up?' Sasuke wondered. 'Why am I thinking these things about her? Why? Is it because she's reminding me of my mother? Do I, do I love her? I-I think I d-'

"Sasuke-kun, is there something wrong? You look nervous." Sakura asked, interrupting his thoughts for the second time that afternoon. Though he was kind of glad she did.

"It's just, it's just that…" he stopped looking away from her. Too afraid of what she'd think if he told her about those words.

"Sasuke-kun, if there's something bothering you, say so. You know that you can tell me anything." Sakura said soothingly.

"It's, well, what you said earlier. About reading underneath the underneath." Sasuke paused, "Well, its just that m-my mother said something similar the day she was killed." Sakura was now staring at him in awe.

"And well, I'm glad your said it. I-it reminded me of her. And it made me realize something."

"What? What did you realize?" she asked, still stunned that the Uchiha Sasuke was telling her this.

"That I really do love you." He muttered almost so soft that Sakura didn't catch it.

"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura trailed in disbelief. "I still do too." She said almost as soft as Sasuke. As soon as she finished, she could feel his presence coming closer to her. He now was close enough she could feel the warmth of his breath against her cheek. It was so warm. Who would have known that Uchiha Sasuke's breath was this warm. One never would have guessed by the cold exterior he put up even around his teammates.

"Sakura" he said suddenly.

"Yes" she answered anxious for his reply.

"Thank you" he said in the softest tone she had ever heard the Uchiha speak in. So soft, she wouldn't have been able to hear it had he not been so close to her. Before she could question why, he, to the surprise of both of the young shinobi, softly put his lips up to hers. Locking them in a world of soothing, passionate love. Sakura, so thrilled to care how stunned she was, returned Sasuke's kiss with just as much passion.

They held their kiss for what seemed like and eternity of joy, only pulling away for air. Just as they pulled apart, Sakura asked curiously "What are you thanking me for?"

He looked into her eyes intently before he answered with "Because, you helped me find what's Unwritten." She wanted to question what he meant, but before she could, he pulled her into such a sincere hug that she completely forgot about what he was saying.

"Sakura, would you stay with me?" he asked hoping her reply would be what he was hoping for.

"Yes, Sasuke-kun" she replied tenderly. Not knowing that was what the Uchiha was looking for.

"Thank you, Sakura." Sasuke said, for the second that day, with a small amount of joy hinted in his voice. 'Kaa-san, I've begun to believe that I've finally found what meant when you said 'Reading underneath the underneath. Finding what's Unwritten.' With it, I can finally be at peace in life. Along with the one I love, but more importantly, with the memory of you and all you had time to teach me. Thank you, kaa-san.'

And with that, Sasuke deepened his embrace with Sakura as the rain continued to fall onto their connected bodies. Tracing over them like an artist traces his artwork. Covering their bodies, relieving them of the harsh memories of their past together. Reassuring them that memories as such would never have a need to be created between the two again.

However, unbeknownst to the couple, a familiar face was watching from the clouds. 'Sasuke, I'm glad you've discovered what it means to find what's Unwritten. And, I'm proud of what you've become. Your mother is proud of what you have become.'