Standard disclaimer applied.
The rain shot down at the earth with conviction, penetrating the ground before it had a chance to soften for impact. Sakura pulled up her cloak around her chin and tried her best to ignore the headache that was pounding at her.
Kakashi had stopped moving and the rest of the team followed, taking the opportunity to seek shelter beneath a leafy tree and pull on the necks of their cloaks in a desperate attempt to breathe normally once more; the offending cloaks had become so rain soaked that they did them nothing but weigh them down and suffocate them. Naruto tore his off in a tantrum, raising a fist to the sky, cursing and shouting only to have a peel of thunder interrupt him as he did.
Sakura kneeled beside Sai, resting on the firm ground beneath her. She scooted closer to him, hoping he would offer her a bit of warmth but the cloak prevented that. With a frustration akin to Naruto's, Sakura fumbled with the clasp and let the offending garment pool around her with a squelch. She was still cold, but the air turned out to be more humid than she expected but did not stop her from shivering. Sakura closed her eyes and leaned on Sai, not expecting him to let her do so in the first place, but he did anyway.
Sakura woke up to Yamato nudging her gently. She jolted awake with an alarm that could only come from realizing that she'd overslept or, for that matter, fallen asleep in the first place. Sakura looked up to see that the gray sky had darkened but calmed. The occasional water pelt falling from the tree leaves indicated that the rain had only just stopped. Sakura leaned her head back against the dark bark of the tree and closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling the moist air in an attempt to wash away the grogginess that threatened her eyes.
Sakura stood, brushing off the caked mud on the back of her skirt, noting that it was, for whatever reason, damp. Sakura looked down to see that, unlike the rest of her team, her cloak remained soaked; she could see her reflection in a pool of water that had formed in between the folds. Everyone remained silent as Sakura threw her head back and let out a groan of frustration. She picked the offending article of clothing off the ground and shook it violently, water spraying in all directions as she did. It billowed loudly as she threw it over her shoulders and fastened it. And then, they were off.
The sky began to rumble once more and each jump off a tree limb brought them closer to the eye of the storm. Everyone moved as they should with only their cloaks rustling in the wind. But Sakura's cloak was heavy and slapped violently whenever the wind got the best of it, resembling the thunder that would soon arrive. Each wet clap brought Sakura down bit by bit until her teammates were jumping much higher than she remembered. The prophesized thundered had finally arrived as the quick flash of lightning blinded the world with white for a moment. Sakura felt relieved as the stormy skies finally favored her disguise as they approached Amegakure.
"We'll split up from here."
Sakura's ears perked at the familiar drawl of Kakashi and stopped on the nearest branch. Her cloak brought her down faster.
"Naruto, you go with Yamato, Sai with Sakura. I'll be with Pakkun."
Sakura leaned against the trunk of the tree and look and Sai. They were always partnered together and, generally, it did not bother Sakura. What bothered her was the fact that she did not know if it bothered Sai at all. She stared and stared until her gaze went past his papery face and focused on the hazy outline of their intended destination. She half-listened as Kakashi continued.
"Do not engage anyone you come across; we have to stay as amiable as possible. The country is still war-torn and volatile and our presence should not do anything to escalate their current state."
It was their last mission. Not together, but to Sakura it might as well be. She knew it was weak of her to have that mindset, but she could not help it. Everyone had their exceptions and right now, Team 7 was in pursuit of it.
Everyone was silent. Sakura didn't bother looking up because she could feel their stares; they were almost as heavy as the cloak around her shoulders.
"We meet back here before dark. Don't do anything stupid." Kakashi looked at Sakura before turning to Naruto.
Then they were off.
It began to rain not long after and Sakura's cloak weighed her down with a renewed vengeance. Her back ached and she fought the urge to stop and nurse it. But her thoughts of the future kept her moving.
Being partnered with Sai as often as she was had its perks. He never really said anything because there was nothing to be said in the first place. He never berated her with remarks of the past or offered her a vision of the future sans a certain someone. He'd offer a few suggestions here and there, but after a few disasters Sakura decided that it was best for everyone if Sai kept his opinions regarding human emotions to himself. He agreed with his silence.
It was not long before they reached a clearing and began to run across a vast expanse of rippling water. The plip-plop of their feet and the sky echoed in Sakura's mind. The sun began to move behind the clouds and Sakura and Sai found themselves chasing after the remnants of light in the horizon. The rain had not alleviated in the slightest and the air grew chilly in the growing absence of the sun. Soon, the cold, gray water was illuminated. The sun poked its head out of the clouds, as though it was waving a final good bye as it took with it dreams that had been nursed for five years already. Sakura's pace quickened effortlessly; she was chasing after her heart now.
It seemed to go on forever, the water. A quick glance in either direction had Sakura feeling lost, as though any direction had a chance of being right or wrong. But they continued forward, west, towards the sun. Running after time as it so effortlessly ran from them. Sakura's steps grew to be almost as heavy as her cloak; her breath was soon to follow. The sky behind them began to blend blues, blacks, and purples, pulling them back towards it like a temptress. The sun was a mere speck in the distance, a small bit of glowing red that shrank with every breath, every heartbeat. The rain refused to stop and Sakura felt no different.
No force in the world could have prepared her for when the sun finally broke free of her grasping fingers. She stopped just as that was happening and let the rain beat down on her. Sai stopped a few feet ahead of her and looked back in question. But Sakura looked past him to the fading red and the blue and purple clouds threatening to engulf it. Sai turned to follow her gaze and he saw it too; the black silhouette.
Sakura walked forward, her cloak heavier than ever before. Each step pushed the light behind him further and further. She kept walking until she could see him in full. The sun had disappeared behind the vast expanse of rippling water. The hour of twilight quickly began to fade and the world grew darker and darker each passing moment.
She saw him and only him. She stood there, unmoving, letting only her eyes wander over him. He looked as though he were waiting for someone, something. He looked at her with eyes that glowed like the sun that had just left them. He did not make to run away or towards her. His hands were limp at his sides. He lowered his gaze slightly and started walking towards her. Sai remained in the background, observing.
The rain made his shirt cling to him like a memory; it moved with him, almost as though they did not affect him at all. The rain made Sakura's cloak heavy, the memories seeping into her skin, weighing her down until she could not move.
She licked her perplexingly dry lips and tried to speak.
"Sakura," he said first.
And the world ruptured around Sakura. A flash of lightning broke through the clouds and chased after the sun in the distance, lighting up the world for a moment.
"Sasuke," she said at last.
The wind began to howl again and pushed Sakura's cloak behind her. It began to whip and crack like thunder again. The water beneath her feet pushed her back, forward, as though it were as confused by the memories as she was.
The rain refused to stop.
A/N: I am so behind with everything! I swear, when I have time, I shall get everything done.
Thank you to all who added my other two pieces of work to your favorites/alert. Even more thanks to those who reviewed/gave feedback. I said I wanted to write a multichapter fic one day and here it is! Big thank you to those who helped.
I, uhhh, don't know when the next update will be.
Please, review! I'm curious to see whether or not you're curious.