A/N: Hey mina-san! It's been forever and a day, I know. Those of you who had to listen to my whining during T&E know that my bad back gives me trouble now and then, for those of you new to my whining fits on the matter, that's why I've been awol. No, I have not abandoned the story. ;-) Thank you for asking though, and I hope you enjoy the longer chapter… otherwise known as my attempt to kiss up to you guys. Hehe As always, my readers have my thanks and utter appreciation for sticking with my ramblings of stories. Extra smooches to all you guys who took the time to review. Thank you, thank you, thank you! 3

My anon. readers: Kakashi's Dog – Thank you. You are always so kind with your praise… and very effective with your threats. Lol I hope you enjoy this one. ;-) CuppyKate – Thank you. ^.^ I do hope that the future chapters KEEP you interested. ^.^ Mo – Thank you! ^.^ Will most definitely try~! Caddie – Thank you for you kind, kind words- they really warm my heart. I try to have a general draft in my mind about what should happen in a story, but you give me more credit than I deserve- most times even I don't know the details until I start typing. ^.^ I'm happy you're enjoying it and I'll do my best so that the feeling will ring as true in the future. :-)

Disclaimer: I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul- but don't own Naruto. I'd trade fate and soul for the kind of income that's knocking on Kishimoto's door on a monthly basis. ^.^

The Sun and the Rainfall

Waiting for the Night

According to physiology, the eyelid was a thin fold of skin that covered and protected the eye, but he knew that the definition couldn't be accurate. Those thin folds of skin over his eyes felt lead heavy and glued shut. Then again maybe it was just him. Maybe that was so, because his sleep had been unsurprisingly restless with cropped images of memories, each overlapping the other in a cacophony of half uttered sentences and uncomprehending expressions. Defying all that, his exhausted body had managed to kayo him into a near comatose state. In fact, he doubted that he had even moved, considering how his limbs tingled as he stretched. What time was it? His eyelids were heavy enough over his eyes, but- true to definition in this respect- too thin to block out the light.

"Yare, yare…" a smooth baritone noted. "You are alive."

Charcoal eyes defied the weight of their lids and snapped open in alarm. Across from him, perched on the window sill, sat a silver-haired man wearing a mask and a cloth with a small, worn metallic plaque that drooped over his left eye. The man was holding a book- the cover of which read the suspicious title Icha Icha something- and hadn't bothered to look up from it. Was he so predictable that there was no need to check his reaction? Sasuke arched a brow at him.

Apparently, the other man had an extra eye hidden somewhere, because he responded to the quizzical look he was receiving. "You haven't moved as long as I've been here." He explained with no real interest in his voice. "I figure that you'd either wake up soon or the smell would really set in. In any case… you should always take a shower after a mission. Even ones that you don't recall."

Was he being made fun of? That was rather unwise- his nerves were entirely shot and right about then he could kick a puppy. Sasuke's eyes moved to the spot next to him, intending to have Naruto make the introductions, but the bed was empty. A small folded note on the pillow had replaced the blonde's form. It wasn't nearly as comforting and it actually made his heart clench in anxious anticipation for some reason. A memory..? Or maybe plain trepidation about the contents of the note after the previous night. For whatever reason, he didn't reach for it, but simply stared back at the other man, who still hadn't graced him with so mach as a glace.

"Naruto left early in the morning." He said a little too knowingly. "He's leading a mission to capture the ninja who did this to you. Apparently he wasn't quite as dead as he thought."

Sasuke's brows creased into a frown. "That ninja… he sounds dangerous."

"He must be, if he did this to you." The man agreed.

It took him more than a moment to gather the nerve in order to ask his next question, pretty sure that he wouldn't like the answer. "Can he do it to Naruto?"

"Chances are." He supplied a little too casually considering the significance of what the query.

"Then you should have stopped him." He said quite edgily, but quickly tempered it with, "No reason to possibly have two people in this state."

With a drawn-out sigh, the silver-haired man closed his book and got to his feet. "History has taught us to stay out of Naruto's way when it comes to you."

His scowl was a moment shy of becoming a permanent addition to his face, but, instead, he forced his features to smooth over to a disinterested expression. "And you would be..?" he changed the subject, feeling a little wary of the other man's easy-going- if not outright lazy- attitude.

"Name is Hatake Kakashi." He said. "Your village-appointed baby-sitter."

His village-appointed what? "Excuse me?"

If the man noticed the indignation in his tone, apparently he paid it no mind because his voice carried in the same idle manner. "Well, the general concession is that you should not be alone and I have some experience looking after you."

He didn't even bother to hide just how unconvinced he was. Maybe he hadn't been blatant enough. "You do?"

The man probably smiled, because his visible eye turned upwards to an amused crescent. "It'll come to you." He dismissed. "For now, get dressed."

Considering the previous night, he didn't feel nearly ready to be around people- but that was not something he wanted to admit to to a man that obviously wasn't taking him too seriously. "Where are we going?"

"Out. Boy meets world. Again." He replied simply, then added meaningfully. "You do want your memories back, right?"

Sasuke didn't try to suppress his scowl this time, as he watched the older man leave the room, before he rose and went through his closet picking out a shirt and pants very similar to his attire from the previous night. He opted for a shower first, deciding that since the other man had suggested it, he could also wait until he was done taking him up on the suggestion. Besides, he was in no particular hurry to meet world.

The water hit his body like a thousand needles- cold at first, then slowly warming to what was almost relaxing heat, before becoming uncomfortably hot. It took him a moment to realize that his skin was protesting to the temperature in the form of a flustered hue that spread all across his body. It was reason enough to adjust the water hot/cold ratio to more humane levels. He was about to reach for his shower gel when he realized that there were two of them there. Without really thinking, he took one on each hand and popped the caps, taking a whiff of both scents. One was a strange mixture of jasmine and juniper- somewhat flowery, but a little bitter- which was oddly familiar, making him decide that it was his. It surprised him that he could even name the scents, but he assumed that it all went back to that woman's theory that his memory was suppressed and his skills, his knowledge was still there.

Charcoal eyes moved to the second container more than a little hesitantly, but, after taking a deep breath, he brought it to his nose. Cotton flowers and honeysuckle. It made him think of warm, sunny days, it gave him a feeling of intimacy and safety. He closed and cap and put the bottle back on the metallic rack, resolving that he would have never picked this for himself. Pretending that it didn't remind him of Naruto- because, underneath all those welcome notions and impressions, lay something unmistakably and deeply erotic. It was something he was unprepared for and unwilling to explore. It was something that he let trickle down with the water- out of his mind- in steady streams that soaked his hair before continuing down his body.

When he stepped back into the room, his eyes fell on the orange robe that had fallen on the floor. He picked it up and placed it back inside his closet, carefully avoiding any thoughts about what he was doing or why. He got dressed and paused to look at the still-folded note. He stood there, staring at it on its place on the pillow, like a prized possession. His jaw-line finally set and he picked it up, putting it in his pocket- again without reading it.

A few steps from the front door he heard indistinct conversations. Was someone joining them? Part of him hoped so, because if the older man meant to continue with that sardonic attitude, things would start hitting the fan very soon and would not be evenly distributed. Taking a deep breath, he squared his shoulders and stepped out with an air of self-confidence that he didn't feel. At first he thought he had been hallucinating because no one was there aside from that man. After a moment, and several steps closer he noticed a small pug that was wearing a similar cloth on its head as the guy- Kakashi, was it?- over his eye and a blue vest. He made a conscious effort not to laugh at. Was that the village's mascot or something? That dog looked ridiculous.

"Yo, Sasuke." The pug greeted dully. "Up to no good again?"

The talking dog made Sasuke pause dead on his tracks. Okay- now he was hallucinating. He looked at Kakashi. "Is that your dog?"

The silver haired man arched a brow. "In the most general sense of the word."

Even asking seemed absurd. "… Does it speak?"

Kakashi's visible eye widened in surprise and he took a step towards him. "You can hear him speak?" he asked incredulously.

That's it- I lost it… Sasuke was about to start hyperventilating as, apparently, the older man had no idea what he was talking about. Apparently, only he could hear the dog speak human. And mock him too. That was pretty abnormal, wasn't it? As in "serious mental condition" abnormal? Right then, though, the main symptom of his mental meltdown snorted rather disgruntled and gave Kakashi what seemed like a glare.

"Kakashi." The pug warned. "Don't mess with the boy's head." Then added, amused. "He doesn't need your help with that."

He decided that he could kick this puppy. "It does speak." He deadpanned, allowing accusation to infuse his words.

The other man was unphased. "Never said he didn't." he said reasonably and thoroughly ignored the death-glare he was getting. "This is Pakkun." He introduced and the pug mock-saluted in acknowledgement. "He will let the Hokage know that you're up and your situation unchanged."

He watched the small dog disappear on the roofs and took a deep breath, tempering his annoyance. Though he did not remember Kakashi, he had to trust that he was someone that he had been close to, in that past life that he couldn't rightly recall, that allowed this kind of teasing and talk. Everyone had been walking around him in eggshells thus far- even Naruto, even in that mysterious way- and it sickened him, made him feel fragile. But this guy treated him like he could take all that ill humor. Kakashi treated him like he wasn't going to crack and break at the mere shadow of a wrong word. It filled him with relief.

All that, he would not admit out loud- he didn't feel that he had to- as they started walking. Nonetheless, soon as they were out of the compound, that Naruto had referred to as the Uchiha mansion, he felt rather insecure and exposed. It hadn't been quite this bad the previous day and he had to wonder why. The day before he had been entirely empty, he didn't know anyone, didn't feel anything of what had been lost. After the previous night he knew that there were people that he had loved and lost, people that he was attached to in the present. People that annoyed him. He chanced a look at Kakashi who had gone back to reading his book.

"Aren't you supposed to be showing me around… or something?" he asked, surprising himself with the need to talk.

Kakashi, however, didn't even look up, but stated in a monotone. "Bookstore to your right, grocery store to your left, restaurants are further down the road."

"Yes, I can read signs." The raven said gruffly. "What is your part here?"

The older man stared at him then, in a way that made his outburst subside. There was something very knowing and serious in those eyes and he immediately decided that he preferred the 'lackadaisical Kakashi' to this- this dark reflection that resonated with him in all the wrong ways. Something inside him knew that they were alike in some way, but it was a mirror he wasn't ready to look into quite yet.

"My part here is to make sure you keep it together, if something happens." He began simply. "Your job is to try to remember. Let's hope that you can do yours, without me having to do mine."

And with that, as though he hadn't just delivered a grim forecast, he opened the book and started walking indolently down the street, once again. They passed by restaurants and, in a couple of instances, something appeared a little more familiar, but the feeling dissipated when he had tried to grasp it. Everything he was and had been was floating around him like soap-bubbles, bursting at the merest touch. It was unfair and frustrating. It was enough to make him want to go home- and he had been about to ask the older man to take him back- but then he spotted a street vendor- or close enough to that. The stand was small and smelled rather unappetizing. The sign read "Ichiraku's Ramen".

"Are you hungry?" Kakashi asked.

Hungry? He hadn't even realized that his feet had come to a halt in front of the place. No, he really wasn't hungry, but the embarrassing way his stomach protested, made it impossible to make a convincing case. "I suppose…" he admitted, wondering when had been the last time that he had eaten. It wasn't yesterday evening or night, after he had come to.

"Come on." The other man said and lifted the small drape, revealing a few plain stools. The raven noticed that Kakashi's brow creased a little and then amusement crinkled in his visible eye. Before he had the chance to ask anything, Pakkun jumped a few feet from them and seemed to gesture at the ninja to come closer. "I'll be there in a moment." Kakashi excused himself.

Sasuke shrugged and settled down, looking at the menu. Ramen, ramen, ramen, ramen and… more ramen. He supposed that with such originality demonstrated by the amount of choice, Ichiraku could only be the name of the owner. He also felt as though as he was being stared at. Trying mot to come across as overly paranoid, he looked up from the menu and to his left. As it turned out, he wasn't overly paranoid, because, at the far end of the small kiosk, sat a pale guy with long brown hair and lavender eyes, dressed in white. Said guy was currently glaring daggers at him. Though he did try his best to ignore it, the persistent glare made it impossible to focus even on the menu.

Finally, he gave up and faced the other boy. "Excuse me- what exactly is your problem?" he asked impatiently.

The other boy scoffed and looked away. "It was your idea to try and act civil around each other- for Naruto's sake." He replied loftily. "I do not consider being ignored as sticking to your part of the deal."

Sasuke arched a brow. From the sounds of it, he had never gotten along with this one, but had been willing to strike a pack with him for Naruto. Which meant that the blonde was one thing they did have in common. And maybe he could get some information out of him on the matter.

"Ohayo, Sasuke-kun!" a young brunette greeted him from behind the tall counter. "Will it be your usual?"

So he had been coming here often enough to have a usual. "Yes- thank you." He said, trying to sound like he knew what she was talking about and, after she disappeared into the back, he turned to the boy that he had unintentionally offended. "Listen-"

"You're not the only one with humility issues." The guy cut in, narrowing his strange eyes. "I suppose Naruto isn't quite reason enough for you to move past your pride, after all."

Okay, he had to ignore the little jibe about the blonde for now, because his accuser was getting waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay ahead of himself. "I can promise you that I have a couple more issues than you right about now. I-"

"Are you going to turn this into a contest?" afore-mentioned accuser went on with his verbal jabbing.

If they continued like this, he wouldn't get a word out. However tempted he was to simply tell the annoying guy off, he had to admit that he didn't know anything about anything or anyone at that point, so he tried- really tried- to remain focused on the matter at hand. It's just that he wasn't getting any co-operation. For Kami's sake… Sasuke sighed. "Can you shut up for two seconds?"

The other boy's eyes widened, his expression flabbergasted. Something about him screamed of nobility and some sort of high status. All the same, the guy's reaction also told him that his phrasing had been uncharacteristic of him. After several moments that those pale eyes considered him, he nodded. "Fine."

Sasuke exhaled in mild relief that he didn't have to argue further in order to explain himself. "Thank you." He said, attempting to amend the previous curtness, but the boy's arched brows informed him that this wasn't like him either. "I currently have no memory of my past…" he offered, with the uncomfortable sensation of a wounded pride. He didn't want to admit weakness- especially not to that person that felt like an antagonist. "I didn't ignore you, I just don't remember you."

Arched brows drew together in a scowl. "What happened?" he asked with unexpected concern.

Maybe they weren't friends per se, but the change in attitude helped him relax just a little. He shrugged. "From what I've been told, something went wrong during my last mission with Naruto-"

"Is Naruto hurt?" he interrupted again.

Not 'are you' okay, but 'is Naruto okay'. It could be that he was paranoid after all, reading into things- because he certainly wasn't oversensitive. That question was logical- since him being there answered about his well being- but,in that moment, Sasuke suspected that the source of his concern wasn't really him, but Naruto. Perhaps him as well, but as an extension to Naruto's well-being. They must have had a pretty close relationship- at least he assumed that much and realized that he felt curiously territorial. Imagine that…

"Naruto is fine, Neji." A new voice supplied in a chastising tone.

A girl with brown hair pulled up in tight buns settled next to the unpleasant guy- a.k.a. Neji- accompanied by the pink haired girl from the hospital- Sakura?- and another guy in green spandex. Sakura sat next to him and the green-spandex boy filled the space between her and the brunette. It all made Sasuke feel crowded- crammed in a very small place and all he wanted to do was escape. Mentally, he wished he had gone along with his initial plan to return home and cursed at Kakashi for taking forever and a day with his dog. Outwardly, he simply shifted his eyes from Neji to the newcomers, nodding in acknowledgement.

"Sakura told us what happened on our way here." The girl explained, then shot Neji a look that didn't seem to affect him. "Obviously we didn't make it in time to keep my teammate here from making an ass of himself."

Neji blinked, his face conveying some annoyance and definite familiarity with the girl. "I resent that." He said, sounding peeved, though not too much.

It would have probably turned into a long argument that would have run several circles around itself, if the topic hadn't shifted with the next words. "How are you feeling Sasuke-san?" the green-spandex guy asked, voice and eyes conveying honest interest in his well being. The boy's dark eyes widened, before he quickly added, "I am Rock Lee. I am Sakura's, uh-" he frowned a little, mentally slapping himself, before comically pointing with both hands at the pink-haired girl, "- this is Sakura- her boyfriend." And he blushed a little, then frowned a little again. "Uh- Sakura used to be your teammate-"

Everyone else had quieted down and simply watched as Lee tried to explain, reference after reference, what should have ended with his introduction. Better yet, it should have ended right after he had asked the Uchiha that question pertaining to his well-being. Now the boy seemed simple enough, speaking his mind very plainly and directly- it was after he mentioned the word 'boyfriend' that he had started to unravel.

"I'm not doing too bad, all things considered." He said, trying to ignore his own discomfort at the situation in light of how embarrassed Lee was getting with each sentence that left his lips.

"I saw Naruto before he left in the morning." Sakura said, her hand closing over her boyfriend's, before adding for his ears alone. "He said you had a difficult time last night and that you remembered some things about…" she hesitated. "… your past."

Why would Naruto tell her? An old teammate. Was that enough? Who was that girl to him- to them? To him and Naruto. "Now is not the time to discuss that." He said tightly, as a feeling of betrayal crawled to his expression that the girl seemed able to read with exceptional ease.

She rolled her eyes. "I am the Hokage's aide, Sasuke." She reminded him. "I was there when Naruto reported to her and got debriefed for his mission.

The brunette materialized a bowl of foul smelling noodle soup right in front of him. "I hope you enjoy!" she said exuberantly and started taking orders from the rest.

Sakura let Lee order for her, which he did indulgently, so that she may continue with her conversation. The way that the boy carried himself was remarkably dignified and gentlemanly. "But in any case… I'll kick your ass and make you eat your words when you're back to normal."

It all made Sasuke wonder what the hell a guy like that was doing with a girl like her. Probably burning bad karma… he thought dourly at the creepy smile on her face that made the fine hair on the back of his neck stand. "I didn't say anything." He protested, hoping that he didn't sound alarmed. At least not as alarmed as he was feeling.

"You didn't have to." She replied with that same smile. "Anyway, the good news is that we have a better idea about what you came across so the mission should run smoother. You probably wouldn't know who is who, but the people with Naruto are strong and reliable."

"What that guy does is not my concern." He said and sounded as though he believed it- as if his heart hadn't clenched when the mission came up, as if he wasn't carrying the folded note in is pocket, afraid of what it might say.

Sakura actually chuckled at that. "Yeah- right." She said with unadorned disbelief. "I'll remind you you said that when you get your memories back."

Instead of further pursuing information about the mission, about Naruto's skill, about the level of competence of the outbound team, be busied himself with his food. Really, no assurance would have been good enough for him right then. He brought the noodles and some obscure toppings to his mouth and immediately regretted it. It was dreadful- simply dreadful! What in the world was he thinking, being a regular in a place like that? Maybe he used to have his memories back then, but he obviously lacked a brain. This stuff was nasty!

"You never could finish this without Naruto's help." Sakura said and this time her smile was almost gentle.

There were so many questions that he wanted to ask about that, but already knew he wouldn't have so he didn't mind too much when Kakashi interrupted them, stepping next to him. It seemed as though as he was most revered among those people, because the air was suddenly filled with respectful greetings and one might think that everyone was holding their breath, waiting for the older man to speak. When he spoke though, it was significantly less impressive than pearls of wisdom- to Sasuke, at least.

"Apparently, Tsunade-sama believes that exposure therapy is a bad idea after last night." He said a little awkwardly at his charge's sour expression. "She thinks that it's best to allow you to digest things while we're waiting for Naruto to return."

Waiting for Naruto to return. It filled him with a sense of relief, because it almost sounded as though the blonde's return was a certainty with a definite timetable. "That's fine." He said dryly, keeping his emotions to himself. "I'm done here anyway."

As he rose, Sakura turned to face him. "You've always been terrible at failing, Sasuke- it's not you. I know you'll be fine, whether you get your memories back or not." She said matter-of-factly. "And try to keep in mind that what matters the most is not who you have lost, but who is here for you now. Who loves you."

There was some hidden meaning in her words that his fractured mind could not piece together, but he appreciated the sentiment. Maybe Lee was on to something, after all. "Thank you." He said simply. "Sakura."

The pink haired girl smiled and took a deep breath before turning around and giving her full attention to the boy beside her. Her eyes danced with happiness and contentment even though Lee was simply pointing at the menu- was that love? If it was, he wondered what the emotion had been in Naruto's eyes that first time that he had said his name the previous night. It wasn't anything like what he was seeing in Sakura's emerald eyes, but rather the rumble of something deep and powerful that entirely eluded him. Or perhaps he didn't want- wasn't ready- to approach. The unpleasant guy had also mellowed out, his features open and soft as the girl with the buns spoke about something lost to him. Had he ever caught himself feeling like this around someone- just watching, mystified and spellbound by nothing at all.

"Ready?" Kakashi probed.

He had probably been standing there for a short while. "Yeah." He replied tiredly.

On the way home, the silver haired man was quiet beside him- not reading his filthy book, but simply walking next to him in companionable silence. Did he know him so well that he could tell when he didn't want to talk? Who is here for you. Maybe Sakura had a point and it would be that thought that would pull him down to a restful sleep this night. Who loves you. Unconsciously, he fumbled for the note in his pocket and closed his eyes for a moment.

Before he knew it they were back. It amazed him because it really had seemed so much longer on the way out. Also, he had somehow lost track of time, because the sun was hanging low on the horizon and the nightfall was crawling at the edge of the horizon. It all added up, he supposed, considering that he had woken up late and they had walked around quite a bit. Kakashi mentioned something about sleeping in one of the many rooms of his house, close enough to his, in case he needed anything, but he didn't pay too much attention. He was still tired, still a stranger to his own life- and already sick of the feeling.

Dropping his shirt on the floor, he sat at the edge of his bed, on the side that Naruto had slept the previous night. It just hit him that it was the blonde's side after he had settled there, without intentionally choosing to do so- but it was somehow comforting and he would swear that he could still feel the other boy's warmth on the covers. Sasuke lay down there, staring at the ceiling for several moments, before he sighed and reached into his pocket, fishing out the folded note. Charcoal eyes studied it, as though there was something intricate about it and then he unfolded it- finally summoning up the courage to confront with Naruto's words.

It read simply, Be back soon, and his breath caught in his lungs. It had been all he had wanted to hear- all he had wanted to know.

"You better." He whispered to no one and closed his eyes.

As he held the small piece of paper in his hand, the rumble of that unknown emotion sounded closer and his heart beckoned to whatever it was- to come closer, to remember, to embrace.

Sasuke's dark eyes opened slowly, choking in them the last rays of sunlight, before the night fell heavy and encompassing. "Enough." He said- to himself, to his heart, to the ghostly vision of the blonde beside him. "That's enough now…"

And that's the new chappie that took forever… You like? I hope so! Drop me a line- I love hearing from you guys! ^.^ Next chapter will be Naruto on his mission- along with Ino, Kiba, Hinata and Shikamaru. Yup, that's the team. I promise I will try to write and update soon! Huggies to all!

Ja!

M.