Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine. He belongs to Mabo (Masashi Kishimoto's nickname by
his father).
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Clouds are brewing in the sky,
Shielding the Sun's beautiful light.
"Eh?" a young Hyuuga, barely nine, said as she looked to the sky. It was darkening as storm clouds brew. Since she was a baby, she had always loved the sun. She didn't understand why it had to rain. The rain always marred the Sun's beauty. It always cloaked the Sun and it's gorgeous rays. There was only a handful of things to do when it rained, while the possibilities are endless under the Sun. The winds were picking up. She turned around and bumped into someone.
That someone just had to be a ten-years-old Sarutobi. 'This is not my day,' groaned the Hyuuga inwardly. "Watch where you're going, Sarutobi," the Hyuuga snapped. The usually cheerful Sarutobi was not wearing his trademark cheesy grin. "Isn't it your fault if you bump into someone, ne Hyuuga?" asked the Sarutobi. 'This is not the time, Sarutobi. And who are you to lecture me?" demanded the Hyuuga. "You're right. I'm bored with arguing with you. I thought you might want to stay and watch the rain." "Why?"
The sky is crying unstoppable tears,
The beauty of the water washes your fears.
"You see, the rain has always comforted me. I don't have to cry 'cos sometimes, the rain cries for me. Just watching it makes me feel I can wash away the problems."
That was exactly what I told Hyuuga last year. The rain has always comforted me. Like when kaa-san and tou-san died. The sky is crying now. I stand alone in front of the Old Man's grave. Now I only have Asuma-jii-san. I looked up at the sky. The water splashed on my face. So wet, so cooling.
"Konohamaru, come in from the rain. There's no point crying anymore," said the Sandaime. "Jii-san, I'm not crying." "I know you'll miss your parents but catching a cold won't help them. Konohamaru, you can stop crying now. Look. The sky is already crying for you..." "Really, jii-san?" "Yeah. Come on, now. You can stop crying." "Jii-san, I've already stopped crying." The Sandaime smiled. "Well, it's hard to know when you're standing in the rain."
"Ne, Sarutobi. Stop being a crybaby." That was what I heard as i felt an arm on my shoulder. "Hanabi, I told you... I'm not cryin'. Besides, The sky's already cryin' for me." "Sarutobi, what're you doing?"
Like crystals falling, you want it,
But you'll never have it.
"Ne, Hanabi... I'm trying to catch the rain."
Right now, Asuma-jii-san's gone. I don't feel like crying anymore. Well, at least I still have Kurenai-baa-san, Iruka-sensei, Naruto-nii-san, Sakura-nee-chan, Udon ad Moegi... "Konohamaru, gomen for your loss." A familiar voice awakened me from my thoughts. "It's alright Hanabi. We're shinobi, aren't we? We'll have to deal with losses some times." I felt an arm on my shoulder. It was even more comforting than the rain. At least I knew someone cared about me. I didn't even realize my hand on top of her hand.
"The rain is beautiful, ne?" asked Hanabi, from behind me. "I thought you didn't like rain?" "Nah, It's not too bad," she said. I spun around. She was a centimeter taller than me. "Your eyes remind me of the rain..." "Why?" 'Cos I can never catch the rain, like I'll never catch up to you. "The rain is beautiful," I agreed. "You remind me of the rain too," she said. "Why?"
Sometimes it's the matter of live or die,
I have never been able to live my life.
"Nevermind, Konohamaru. You won't get it anyway."
The rain was pouring outside Hyuuga Hanabi's bedroom. The fourteen-years-old lay curled on her bed. Her father has forced her to train even harder because Hinata-nee-chan has been improving alot. She picked up her hitae-ate and tied it around her forehead. She was about to sleep to relieve the headache but there was a knock on her window.
Until you came and changed it all,
Now I can laugh even when I fall.
Hyuuga Hanabi opened her bedroom window and in came a throughly soaked boy. Where he stood was now a puddle on the floor. "Are you mad or something, Konohamaru?" she asked. "Well, sorry 'Nabi, for caring 'bout you enough to stand outside in a storm." "Shut up." the Sarutobi quickly dried himself up as the Hyuuga returned to her bed. After drying himself, he sat at the edge of her bed. "So..." he started. "Mind telling me why you cancelled the AWSOME-EST MISSION EVER?" emphasizing on the last three words. "I had something up," said Hanabi simply.
"Why are you wearing your hitae-ate on your forehead?" "Because it's a forehead-protector. Seriously, you are getting stupid-er every year, Konohamaru." "Then you won't mind if I do this, 'Nabi," he said before ripping it off. On her Forehead was a glowing green seal. "I guess you know now," said Hanabi. "Yeah... But I never thought..." "I'd get a branch member seal?" she tried. "No, I'd never thought... you'd be so whacked to get a tattoo on your forehead," he said before chuckling. "Idiot," she said as she hit him playfully with a pillow before laughing. "You know, 'Nabi...
But if you were kind enough to ask,
I'd give my life to you with no regrets.
"I promise to take care of you 'til my dying breathe."
"Kono, you didn't have to do that, you know?" "I know," I breathed, barely able to see. "Then why did you do it?" "'Nabi, I'm eighteen. I'm old enough to do whatever I want." "But, Kono, you didn't have to take out that guy and save me." "Yeah... What I did was pretty stupid..." the pain in my abdomen was fading... I can hear Hanabi mutter something, but I can't hear it. The rain drops on my face was barely noticeable.
"It's only something I promised to you..."