Summary: After weeks of constant rainfall Team 7 is assigned to a seemingly innocent rescue mission in the Sea of Spirits. The dreary weather is wearing on them all as the group of them deal with the after effects of a series of violent storms while navigating through the ancient folklore of the local villages. Naruto is acting particularly strange and Sasuke finds himself questioning everything while dealing with the onset of new and unfamiliar feelings.

A/N: Hello! It's been a while, but I'm back with another SasuNaru story! The outline is complete...so writing should go fairly smoothly, though there may be some time gaps between posts. I'm going to do my best to finish everything quickly. Also apologies for errors in this first part. My keyboard is acting up and I edited quite quickly.

The Curse of Suijin Shima
Chapter 1: Jakuu

Tsuyu – Day 77

How many weeks has it been now since the rain first started? Ugh. I'm starting to lose count. If not for this journal I probably would have. The days are blurring together. The missions are all the same. Feels like my skin has washed away from my bones at this point. Even a roof over my head doesn't help. I'm exhausted, but restless at the same time, ya know?

Had an awful nightmare last night. But the strange thing is…I can't remember a single thing. I just know I was terrified, and I woke up screaming early in the morning. Felt like I was drowning. Couldn't get back to sleep. It's not the first time. It's…been difficult to keep awake during the days.

Something's wrong. Kurama's not himself. Tsunade-sama says it'll pass, but I'm not so sure. He's been like this before, tired, and gloomy, but usually not for more than a couple of days at a time. I wish I could help him, but he won't talk to me. Stubborn fox.

I think Sasuke's started to notice. We banter like normal, spar and train together, but he watches me differently these days. Like he's studying a scroll. If Sasuke's noticed, Sakura and Kakashi probably have as well. I haven't been completely honest with them. But I'm a bit afraid. I don't want to be a burden on the team, but I can't bear the thought of being considered too weak to fight. They'd…understand, I think. I'm still not gonna tell them. Just in case.

Maybe the sun will rise tomorrow. I hope so.

-Naruto

The puddles splashed beneath his feet as Sasuke strode through Konoha's streets. He tugged his cloak tighter around his body. It was a weak attempt at blocking out the rapidly falling raindrops. They were cold today, and they stung like needles as the wind flung them into his skin. Yet another day of rain. It was beginning to get a bit…intolerable.

The rainy season in these parts usually only lasted a few days at most. Along with the occasional sprinkle here and there. But it'd been weeks since they'd seen a day without gray skies. Sasuke couldn't even remember the last time he spotted a single glimpse of the sun.

He watched as villagers huddled beneath their overhangs, doing their best to protect whatever goods they had for sale. He snagged a tomato from one of the stalls and flipped a coin into the merchant's waiting hands. It tasted watery as he bit into it, lacked the sweetness Sasuke had come to expect from tomatoes grown in this region. He chewed on it regretfully and sighed, quickening his pace. Even the crops were suffering from the endless bouts of rainfall. He recalled the withered up vines in his own garden morosely. At least this one was edible.

Sasuke paused at a street corner, leaning against the frame of the house across from Naruto's apartment. He stared up at it as he finished the tomato before wiping his sticky fingers on the wet fabric at his waist. Not something he would typically deign to do, but the water would wash away any residue anyway.

Naruto's window was open again, and Sasuke frowned at the sight of it.

The idiot.

It was bad enough that he didn't care in the least about intruders, but he had a complete disregard for the weather too. Sasuke could see the rain pattering against the flowing fabric of the curtains, the rest of it flying unobstructed into Naruto's apartment. He probably had half a lake in his room at this point.

It was late morning. Not quite noon. And Sasuke wondered if Naruto was even awake yet. His teammate hadn't been himself lately. His strength was less, his energy significantly lower. The humid air and constant rainfall might have been to blame. But Sasuke wasn't sure. Naruto certainly seemed more affected than anyone else. Their spar the day prior had been particularly worrisome. Naruto missed hits he shouldn't have and at times lacked any kind of spatial awareness. Sasuke thought he might have to carry Naruto home at one point. He hadn't meant to hit him so hard. To be honest, he figured Naruto would have easily dodged his attack. The sudden impact shocked him so much that he felt his heart skip when he saw Naruto lying face down in the dirt seconds later. But Naruto managed to claw his body out of the puddles and shake off the admittedly painful blow he took to the face. He even threw a carefree grin Sasuke's way, but the glazed over look in his eyes remained for their entire walk back into Konoha.

It was dangerous. A shinobi should always have impeccable focus. Even in a rainstorm. And though Naruto often struggled with such things, this amount of obvious distraction was unusual, even for him. Naruto's alertness on their last few missions was somewhat absent as well, to the point that Kakashi had encouraged him to speak with Tsunade-sama about it for good measure. As of yet, it wasn't improving.

He needed to take better care of himself. He needed to rest. But there was simply no time.

The extended rainfall had increased the demand for aid from Konoha. Nearly all of the registered teams were assigned to rescue or assistance missions in nearby villages. It meant fewer days between rotations, and less time to rest between assignments. Team 7 was no exception.

Sasuke grimaced slightly and then slinked out into the street before jumping up towards Naruto's window frame. His feet slid along the slippery wood, and he gripped the edges tightly between his fingers before stepping inside, right into a puddle at the base of the sill. Sasuke glared at the ground, pushing the water to the sides with his sandals. It pooled in cracks in the hardwood, and not for the first time Sasuke wondered why Naruto still opted to live in such a worn down building.

He lifted his head and peered throughout the room, taking note of the mostly full bowl of noodles atop the kitchen table. A rarity indeed. Sasuke raised his eyebrow and turned towards the bed, unsurprised to see Naruto spread out atop the sheets. A blanket was twisted about his legs, and he clutched a large plush frog like his life depended on it. Sasuke's lips lifted slightly at one side, and he pushed aside the blowing curtains to walk closer. The frog's face was pressed up against Naruto's cheek, and the soft surface was somewhat distorted from being squished while Naruto drooled over it.

"Tch, dobe."

He hesitated to wake him. None of them had slept much lately. The missions had been exhausting, and the mood fairly gloomy. And if yesterday was anything to go by, Naruto needed the rest more than any of them. He breathed in deeply and allowed his shoulders to relax. They still had some time.

Sasuke pushed back his sopping hood and brushed the wet strands of hair away from his brow before walking around the rest of the room. It was a bit of a mess. Naruto's weapons and scrolls were strewn about the floor, some of them hung out to dry, while others were clumped together in a wet mass. A journal lay open on his desk, and Sasuke watched the uppermost pages lift in a tiny gust of wind before settling back in place. He glanced at the most recent entry. The words were disjointed and cut out without notice. Almost as if Naruto had passed out in the middle of writing. He must have just managed to crawl into bed.

It was unlike Naruto to maintain something as structured as a journal. And yet…the sentimentality such a possession held was fitting for him. Sasuke's dark gaze shifted to the pencil gently rolling back and forth across one of the pages tauntingly. He nudged it off to the side where it mingled with some coloured pencils and cartoon shaped erasers before staring down at the sloppy writing more intently. His fingers toyed with the edge of the paper. Out of curiosity he lifted the corner and peered at the previous page. The entire spread was full of Naruto's signature scrawl. Little doodles decorated the margins, and a few stray comments filled the edges of the paper, clearly thoughts that Naruto had decided to add after finishing the entry. Sasuke was tempted to read more. He contemplated it for a moment, but eventually let go of the page and closed the book instead.

With a deep sigh, Sasuke pulled the wooden chair away from the desk and turned it around to face the bed before sitting down. It creaked beneath his weight and Sasuke fidgeted atop it, trying to find a comfortable position. His clothes clung to his body, and he twisted against them awkwardly. He longed for the feeling of freshly air dried clothes. For several minutes he did little more than listen to the rain hitting the roof as he watched Naruto's chest rise and fall. The gentle rhythm was calming, and he found a slight amount of peace in the stillness of the moment despite everything.

The better part of an hour passed before Naruto muttered in his sleep and sniffled, flopping onto his back with a groan. Sasuke watched as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes, his dark gaze following each of Naruto's lazy movements. After several bleary eyed blinks, Naruto rolled against the sheets and stared at him dazedly.

"Sasuke?" He yawned broadly and sat up, still rubbing aggressively at his face with a forearm. "What are you doing here?"

"We have a mission," Sasuke grumbled. He flicked at a stray spider clinging to his sleeve and crossed his legs.

"Already? It's only been a few days since the last." Naruto turned on the bed, wiggling his toes to get the feeling back into them before letting them touch the ground. He tapped them against the floorboards and leaned back against the bedding. "What's the assignment? Don't tell me it's crop maintenance again. I'm tired of crawling in mud all day."

Sasuke snorted, but had to agree. Trudging through manure in flooded fields was less than enjoyable. Although what lay ahead of them might not prove much better. "Officially…it's a rescue mission. Konoha is offering aid to the coastal villages in Kaitei, in the Sea of Spirits. They are flooding after a series of natural disasters. There's theft, missing people, and massive housing loss. We have to help families relocate and repair what we can."

Naruto scratched at his belly, tilting his head to the side while Sasuke studied him. He looked better than yesterday. Less sluggish. There was a hint of his usual sunny demeanour, and Sasuke wondered if he'd just been imagining things.

"And…unofficially?"

"Investigating anomalies in the area, and looking into rumours surrounding the rapidly rising water levels and frequent storms, and potentially eradicating whatever is causing it."

Naruto squeezed his eyes shut into slits then pursed his lips together. "How do we know something is causing it?"

"We don't," Sasuke drawled. It was a typical investigative mission for them. Another one of Tusnade's hunches. More often than not, Team 7 was handed a problem with little to no intel, and then tasked with solving it. They were highly capable as a unit. Able to modify techniques to a degree that allowed them to adapt for anything that came their way. And the combination of two sharingan users, a jinchuuriki, and a medic nin trained by one of the Sannin was difficult to beat. It meant they got some of the riskiest missions on the agenda, along with some of the most bizarre. Sometimes, it ended up being nothing. And other times, it was a murderous missing nin with a raging vendetta hell bent on enacting their villainous plan. Usually, Sasuke preferred the latter, purely for interest's sake, but with the incessant deluge ongoing outside, a not so tiny part of him wanted this mission to be easy. Either way, it would be a long one.

"Rank?"

"B, tentatively."

Naruto scrunched up his face in distaste. "Lame," he spat.

Sasuke agreed with that as well. Typically they were assigned to missions of greater risk, but with the high demand, they were getting pushed onto assignments wherever they were needed. There was always the possibility they would encounter a threat that would increase the mission rank, but that was unlikely for a rescue mission like this. Even with the added objective.

"When do we leave?" Naruto asked.

"Tonight. At sunset. Kakashi is hoping to reach the edge of River before we stop to rest."

Naruto gaped at him for a moment, and then he let out a long drawn out groan of frustration. He rubbed at his face and fell back against his blankets. Sasuke smirked and let out a tiny chuckle.

"What?" Naruto spat. He stared through the space between his fingers, sporting a ridiculous pout.

"Sakura had a similar reaction." In fact, the kunoichi had glared at him with such seething rage that Sasuke thought she might take out her anger on him with her fists. Thankfully she'd simply stomped away and hurried to start packing, mumbling obscenities along the way.

"That's a day and a half of travel at least with no sleep," Naruto complained. "And in this weather to boot."

Sasuke acknowledged the comment with a nod, but added, "We've suffered worse."

Naruto sighed heavily and sat back up, pout still visible on his face. His whiskers were downturned slightly, and he looked across at Sasuke morosely. "Doesn't mean I have to like it."

Sasuke shook his head and stood, adjusting his pants and tugging the wet material away from places is should not have been. He grimaced slightly and pulled his hood back over his head. "Get your things together, I'll see you at the gates this evening," Sasuke stated as he inched his leg over the window frame. "Pack for a lengthy mission, no eta for return. Don't forget waterproofing."

"Obviously," Naruto drawled.

"Eat something better than noodles."

Naruto rolled his eyes dramatically. "Yes mother."

"And shut your window, idiot."

"Bastard."

Sasuke had just enough time to witness Naruto flopping backwards on the bed again before he hopped away.

It was a dreary night. As expected.

Sasuke approached their meeting spot at a leisurely pace. He was slightly early. Though not as early as usual. There was no sense standing and waiting in the rain for any longer than necessary. He had plenty of time for that in the coming days. He already felt as though his clothes were soaked through despite the heavy duty poncho wrapped about his form.

It was rather quiet in the streets. The villagers had already tucked away inside their homes to escape the weather. The odd shinobi skipped over the rooftops, but apart from that he was alone as he treaded through the pathways. Up ahead he saw a single figure slumped against the wooden hut just inside Konoha's gates. Sakura no doubt. She was always the first to arrive.

Sasuke mentally went over his checklist as he padded the remaining distance along the wet path. He'd done his best to pack light, but he made sure to include a few changes of clothes, ink, a selection of prepared seals, and a few blank scrolls and tags. He could rely on Naruto for more if necessary. He'd included his standard set of shinobi weapons and tools, restocked just a few days prior. There were some snacks, a couple trinkets he liked to hold onto for longer missions, and a decent sized pouch full of ryo. He had his swords, all three of them, and his fingers gripped the hilt of the chokutou at his waist tightly in affirmation. Then there was his bedroll, a portable tent he'd likely share with Naruto, and his survival kit for long travel. Everything important was securely wrapped or sealed to protect it from moisture and hidden beneath his rain poncho. Sasuke let out a breath of air, confident that he was thoroughly prepared.

As he approached the gates Sasuke caught a glimpse of pink hair, confirming his earlier guess. Sakura's demeanour was not much improved from when he'd last spoken with her. She was shoving a ration bar into her mouth rather aggressively and paused only to nod a greeting in his direction. Sasuke nodded back. His footfalls slowed, the water slapping beneath his boots as he settled against the hut beside her. The two of them waited in silence together.

It was something he'd grown to appreciate about Sakura. She was just as loud and obnoxious as Naruto at times, but unlike Naruto, she also appreciated the necessity of silence. Once she'd grown out of her childhood crush, the two of them had formed a stable friendship. She no longer felt the need to put on an act around him, and as a result, Sasuke no longer felt annoyed by her presence. She was smart too, and oftentimes came up with solutions to problems he never would have considered. A valuable asset to any team.

Soon enough heavy splashes sounded in the distance and Sasuke turned to watch as Naruto skipped down the path towards them. Even beneath his heavy hood Sasuke could see the spiky blond strands bouncing up and down. There was a bit of a jump in his step and Sasuke was glad for it. It wasn't the usual boisterous energy that Naruto often sported before they set out on a mission, but that was understandable considering the atmosphere.

"Hey," Naruto huffed, pausing to catch his breath before letting out a sigh. Sakura grunted at him, and Sasuke gestured indistinctly. Naruto scrunched up his nose in distaste, clearly unenthused to start the mission, and he crouched down and poked at a rock in the mud idly. Unfortunately up close, Sasuke could see some signs of weariness in his movements. The lazy way he moved his arms, and the slight downturn of his mouth. That didn't bode well for the days ahead. Sasuke narrowed his eyes, but feigned indifference when Naruto looked up at him. "Kakashi's late?"

"What else is new," Sakura growled around the food in her mouth. She bit into the last piece of her snack then wiped the crumbs off of her fingers dramatically.

The three of them stood together as the grey skies darkened. The rain continued on and even Naruto didn't seem particularly keen on talking.. Sakura closed her eyes, head lolling back against the hut with a clunk, and Sasuke fidgeted, shifting his weight from one leg to another as he watched rain droplets splash into a puddle.

"Well, aren't we a charming bunch."

The voice caught Sasuke slightly off guard, and he pulled his gaze away from the puddle to look up above. Kakashi sat perched on the wooden slats hanging over the exit. He was just as bundled up as the rest of them, but Sasuke figured his signature book was still clutched in his fingers beneath his coat.

"Piss off," Sakura sneered and Kakashi laughed at them before landing on the ground at their sides.

"Is everyone informed?" He checked. "No forgotten items? It's a long journey, Naruto?"

"I looked over everything five times. I think I got it all this time around. And if I forgot underwear I'll just borrow Sasuke's," Naruto claimed, standing up on his toes with a little bounce.

"Dobe, like hell you will."

Kakashi squinted his visible eye at them cheerfully and clapped his hands together. "Alright, we'll use the usual formation for travel, until signalled otherwise," he started, pausing briefly to make sure each of them was listening. "We shouldn't need to be too wary until we reach the borders of Fire, but keep your guard up. There's no better time for an ambush than in weather like this. We'll move quickly. Mind the slippery surfaces."

"Yosh!" Naruto shouted, and Sakura nodded seriously, her expression shifting as they readied to go.

"Any questions?" Kakashi asked, taking one last look over all of them. His gaze lingered on Naruto for a moment longer, but after a few seconds he straightened and looked out through the open gates.

"Okay. let's go."

The pitter patter against the fabric of the tent might have been soothing under different circumstances. But to Sasuke, in that moment, he wanted nothing more than for it to stop. They'd spent nearly two days sprinting through near constant rainfall, against the wind. No matter how much gear they wore, and how many measures they took, there was only so much one could do to keep their belongings dry in these conditions. He felt like a wrinkled prune.

All he wanted was a day of peace and quiet in a proper room. Heck, he'd take an hour. Just enough time to towel off and get refreshed. Unfortunately, he'd have to settle for this tent. They still had over a week of travel to go. And while some of those nights might be spent at inns, or aboard ships, the vast majority would be spent in the wild.

Sasuke stared up at the socks hanging over his body. There was no chance they'd dry before morning. The best he could hope for was moderately damp. It was the same for his leggings and boots, and just about everything else. They dripped down atop his bedroll, but he couldn't be bothered to care. It wasn't like it'd make a difference to his already shrivelled up skin.

The hanging lantern above swung gently back and forth, casting a strange glow in the space, and Sasuke watched Naruto's shadow sway along the side of the tent as he scratched away in his journal. Thunder rumbled in the distance accompanying the sound of Naruto's pencil running swiftly over the pages.

"You brought that?" Sasuke asked lowly, twisting his head towards him. Naruto nodded, pausing only briefly before returning to jotting down whatever was on his mind. "Aren't you worried it'll get wet?"

Naruto didn't look away from his page, but he reached out to the side to pick up a protective case. It had some kind of activation seal on the outside, probably Naruto's own creation, and Sasuke raised his eyebrow in surprise.

"I'm not totally inept ya know," Naruto commented, peering at Sasuke out of the corner of his eyes.

Sasuke snorted and sat up, swatting at one of his socks as it hit him in the face. It was too bad he couldn't do the same for his sopping wet clothes. "What are you writing about?"

"That Sasuke-bastard is a…," Naruto began. Sasuke pursed his lips and glared at him and Naruto smiled teasingly and turned to look at him. "Not much. Just about the rain, vague stuff about the mission, nothing that gives away any details, don't worry."

Sasuke shifted uncomfortably and glanced away. "I wasn't worried."

Naruto laughed and stuck out his tongue. There was a lengthy pause, and Sasuke thought he might return to writing, however he tapped the end of his pencil against the open page and sighed instead. "It helps," Naruto muttered. "To get it out. I've…been having problems focusing. Tsunade-sama suggested it. Keeps my thoughts from getting out of hand. Helps prevent me from losing control too."

It had happened a few times, more often lately. Naruto had tapped into more power as training increased and he grew used to utilizing a larger amount of the fox's chakra, and the strain of maintaining so much control over such a great amount was difficult. Sasuke had already known that, but his admission to struggling with focus came as a bit of a surprise.

The two of them had gotten closer in recent years. But Naruto was stubborn, and Sasuke was prideful. Both of them tended to avoid talking about personal worries as much as possible. Neither of them wanted to show any sign of weakness in the face of a rival. But they were more than just rivals now. They were teammates. And…friends. Something about his willingness to confide made Sasuke glad. It meant Naruto trusted him. And that was…oddly important to him.

"It's a bit different this time though…," Naruto trailed off. Sasuke blinked at him, sitting up a bit straighter, interest thoroughly piqued.

"How so?"

Naruto fiddled with the pencil between his fingers and avoided meeting his gaze. "I'm…not sure. But something feels strange. Maybe it's the rain, the mist. It makes Kurama restless. He doesn't do well with excessive water. And I've been…feeling off, I guess." Naruto sucked in his lower lip and nibbled on it, and his brows scrunched together and made a crease form between them.

The expression was odd for him. He didn't often look quite so apprehensive. Naruto was always so carefree. If even he was worried, it meant that whatever was going on was deeply concerning. Sasuke waited for him to elaborate.

"I'm tired," Naruto added quietly, and he laughed a bit and scratched at the back of his head. "My bones hurt. Kurama is such an old man."

The smile on his face looked forced, and Sasuke clenched his teeth together. He didn't like this uneasy feeling. Worry. For Naruto no less. It wasn't that he didn't care about his teammates, but Naruto was typically someone he didn't need to have concern for. Because he was capable.

It felt…odd. Foreign. Sasuke wasn't sure what to make of it.

"Neither of us excel with water missions," Sasuke commented offhandedly. It was an attempt to lighten the mood, but it was also laced with truth. Both of them had a certain amount of proficiency with all of the chakra elements, however water was definitely one of their weakest, perhaps just after earth. Sasuke's greatest range in jutsu was in the spectrum of fire, and Naruto was highly proficient in wind. Even Kurama's affinities mimicked their own. The two of them were excellent in land battles on multiple terrains, especially in dry weather. And while they could hold their own in any environment, aptitude in water certainly was not what they were known for. They should probably make a point of training for it when they got back.

"Heh…you're right," Naruto muttered. He returned to writing then, and Sasuke watched him intently. At one point, Naruto struggled to come up with a word, and he stuck his tongue out as he erased a sentence before writing something different in its place.

Naruto peered up at him then from beneath a cascade of bangs and opened his mouth slightly as if he meant to speak. He faltered, swallowed visibly, and then tried again. "You can read it if you're really that curious," Naruto spoke softly.

Something in the way he said it surprised Sasuke. Like Naruto was nervous. Or unsure about even making the offer. They were his private thoughts after all. The fact that he was willing to make them available to Sasuke was startling. And he was reluctant to accept.

Sasuke cleared his throat and looked away. "No thanks," he uttered. "Wouldn't want to get inside your head, who knows what idiocy I'd find."

"Bastard."

Naruto glared at him half-heartedly, and then lifted his pencil in his hands dramatically. "Sasuke-bastard…is…a…los…er. Period."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and slipped back into his bedroll. He turned away, settling his head atop his pillow and listened as the scratching started again. "You should sleep soon. We'll be getting up in a few hours."

"I will."

Sasuke hummed and closed his eyes. Despite his earlier complaints about the drumming rain, it didn't take long for him to begin drifting off.

"I-it uh…," Naruto stuttered suddenly, and Sasuke flinched slightly and opened his eyes. He could hear Naruto shifting atop his bedroll and fiddling with his surroundings. "It helps with the nightmares too, writing before bed."

Sasuke froze. He hadn't even considered nightmares. There was a stretch of time where Naruto had them every single night. Right after he'd merged his chakra with Kurama. The strain of their thoughts and memories mingling had been too much for him. Thousands of years of pain and anguish suddenly crammed into a single human mind. Sasuke foolishly thought they'd stopped.

Naruto would always be somewhat prone to such things to a certain degree. Again something to do with Kurama, and a deeper connection to the chakra realm. Imbalances, anywhere in the world, were deeply felt by Kurama, and in turn, Naruto. Usually it cleared up in a day or so however. He had a feeling this had been ongoing for some time.

Sasuke rolled over to face him in concern. "You've been having them again?"

Naruto breathed in and out deeply and closed the journal before wrapping it up nicely, activating the seal on the case, and tucking it away in his bag. He plopped down beside Sasuke and they stared at each other from just a couple feet apart.

"Started back up again when the rain first came," Naruto admitted. He looked down, his eyelashes obstructing Sasuke's view of his blue irises. "Haven't…stopped."

Sasuke took note of dark circles beneath his eyes. He felt like an idiot. He should have noticed long ago. And now that he started thinking about it, there had been plenty of signs. Naruto volunteering to take extra watches, likely to avoid dreaming, and showing up late to training, from oversleeping after nights without sleep. It was no wonder he was distracted during the day.

"Make sure you let Sakura know if they get to be too much," Sasuke said. Though he had a feeling they were well beyond that point.

Still, Naruto nodded, and then he looked up again, and scratched at his shoulder. "Uh…sorry. If I wake you…or something."

"Dobe, don't worry about that, just sleep."

Naruto blinked at him a few times and grinned slightly, finally letting his eyes slide shut. Sasuke watched as his breathing evened out and studied his face as the muscles relaxed when sleep came. The light flickered across his face, and Sasuke stayed incredibly still, afraid that he might wake him if he moved too soon.

He wondered if there was more to all of this. The nightmares, the rain, Naruto's fatigue. Hopefully it was just a bit of a lull. With any luck, the rain would end soon, and Kurama would get his energy back, allowing Naruto to return to his usual self. Sasuke reached out and tugged the blankets up over Naruto's shoulder as gently as he could manage, and with a weary sigh he stretched out his arm and put out the lantern before sliding back into his bedroll. They had a mission to focus on after all. And he needed sleep if he wanted to survive it.

Suijin Shima: Water God Island
Jakuu: Weak Rain
Tsuyu: Rainy Season

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! Please let me know what you think so far! :)