A/N: Hey, mina-san! Long time no write, I know, but the manga had given me a huge writer's block. I just could not get in the zone… Kishimoto made me sad… ::sighs:: BUT… Here's the new chappie and I hope it pleases you. Thank you wonderful people for reading and, as always, extra thanks and e-huggies to my reviewers. ^.^ On a personal note, I feel the need to give my HUGE thanks to xox-'.'-K-A-G-O-M-E-'.'-xox for listening to my endless rants about all the ways that the manga is just killing me. I also feel the need to shamelessly advertise her wonderful story Blood Stained Breaths that has made my days and nights- because it's SasuNaru and Sasuke suffers enough… ah, the fluffiness~! ^.^ You guys- who bother with my author's notes…- should definitely check it out. It's a keeper. :-)

My anon. readers: Hoshi no… Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaiiiit! You're not anon, just having a Sasuke moment with your password. ^.^ I hope you got everything back, but in the mean time thank you so much for your review! Small change is Hinata is not on the team, because it got too crowded… Explanations follow. ;-) Kakashi's Dog- You insist on remaining anon after all this time. ;-) I'm glad you like my Kakashi and Sasuke… and- muahahahahaha- YES! You WILL like LEE! It's like, my mission in this world. Lol Kiki – I probably mentioned Sai somewhere, but he won't be on this chapter… sorry.. I hope you enjoy Mo - Kakashi making Sasuke freak out about Pakkun was a scene I had a LOT of fun writing so I'm happy you enjoyed it. ^.^ Thank you for letting me know! :-)

Disclaimer: Sticking to the way of the Budha, I own nothing on this world. … Maybe eventually I won't mind either. ;-)

The Sun and the Rainfall

Games of the Mind

Missions had taken him away from Konoha for weeks at a time- the worst of them for months, but there were only a couple of those that he could readily recall. Being away had always come with a feeling of urgency to go back home- because he had a home. By that he did not think of just the walls around him and the roof over his head, but the feeling of being home, having someone to come home to- someone who missed him when he was away, who would worry if he was late coming back. It was unfair that the worry of his friends had never quite given him that feeling. Unfair to them- because they had been there when he was not. They had taken him in, when he had chosen a path that had taken him far, far way from anything that could be called home- the roof, the walls, the village… him.

Naruto landed a bit harder on the next branch, trying to push those thoughts out of his mind. All he did was further hurt himself, going round and round in that mental carousel that only emphasized that right then he wasn't missed, no one was counting the minutes and hours until he returned to Konoha.

At least not Sasuke…

And because it wasn't Sasuke- it couldn't be Sasuke, because the Uchiha didn't remember him, didn't know that, one night, he had confessed that he felt the same each time he had been away- it didn't matter who it was that was missing him. Unfair, unfair, unfair. Unfair, but true. Uzumaki Naruto was a terrible liar and he couldn't lie to himself any more than he could lie to others.

A spectral image of the Uchiha rushed ahead of him, in a speed that he could never match no matter how much he would hasten his pace. The ghostly Sasuke looked at him over his shoulder with a stern expression. "Usuratonkachi… you're distracted again."

"You know that the world is not what is used to be when a guy like you can go quiet for so long." Kiba's voice was moderately playful, somewhat reprimanding and more than a little concerned, as Akamaru matched his speed.

The voice startled him. It was amazing that his imaginary best friend had felt more real to him than his own companions. The Inuzuka boy's canine smirk floated at the edge of his field of vision, but he kept his gaze straight ahead, into the forest. Sasuke wasn't there now, but he had made his point. "I'll be damned if I fall for the same trap twice."

The comment earned him a bark from Akamaru- being a man's best friend and all. "Oh…" Kiba arched a brow. "Is that your subtle way of telling me to shut my mouth and use my nose?"

Naruto scoffed. "Don't be an idiot." he paused on the next branch. "You don't want what happened to Sasuke, happening to you… Maybe I'd point and laugh at your stupidity, but others would get hurt." He added meaningfully, his eyes darting back momentarily to check on the rest of his team. Shikamaru had just mumbled something that had made Ino chuckle. "And others might be unsurprisingly okay with it. Like Neji."

That last part earned him a frown, more than likely because what he had said was all too true. Neji had taken to stabbing Kiba with glares and not letting him out of his sight- Konoha's "Most Wanted" had received nicer treatment by the Hyuuga than him. It had all been quite mystifying to Naruto, until he had noticed that the Hyuuga heiress would often interlace her fingers with her teammate's and sometimes even rest her head on his shoulder. It hadn't been quite as unexpected as Sakura and Lee, but harder to put two and two together- because he was rarely around both of them- so maybe Sasuke had been right that he had been the last to notice. Now he knew that his friend had a serious crush on Hinata- who was the only other person that Akamaru would take for a ride. Crush… Not quite fitting, since Kiba seemed to have eyes for no other- and probably never had had before. Kiba and Lee were entirely different breeds, yet somehow both of them had always known who their heart had encompassed. Things hadn't been quite as obvious to him. In his defense, it had to be marginally less complicated when the object of one's affections was a member of the opposite sex.

"Sasuke will be alright. You couldn't take that bastard down with an army." The Inuzuka boy said rolling his eyes theatrically, then added a little more quietly as he probably noticed that the blonde wasn't laughing. "You know that, right?"

Naruto's lips thinned into a tight line. "… Yeah." He nodded with no real conviction.

Yes, he knew it. It wasn't that he didn't believe it- he really did. And that's why it hurt, however assuring the concept. Sasuke would be okay with or without him, whereas the idea that what they had was lost- not because of choice or a terrible argument or death, but just like that- would always eat away at him. The idea that Sasuke might never remember what had made their bond so strong, filled his heart with panic. The emotion was too strong for a single person to bear- it required both of them, both him and Sasuke- or it might crush him.

Imaginary Sasuke had been crouching on the branch beside him, but stood at that, privy to his inner dialogue. "Do you really believe that?" he asked in a voice that no one else could hear, as it carried with annoyance and undertone hurt. "Everything we've been through- all we've done- has not been enough for you. I don't get you. You believed, when no one else would and now your faith wavers."

"Why did we stop?" Ino asked, scanning the forest around them. "Are we here?"

Naruto ignored the spectral accusations and pointed at a small opening ahead. "That's where I had found Sasuke." He said softly, feeling three sets of sympathetic eyes on him. Was he really so obvious or did his friends naturally infer that he would be torn considering that the Uchiha was supposed to be his best friend? Right then, he knew that he should, but honestly didn't care how transparent he was. "Kiba, Akamaru."

The other boy dismounted his oversized dog and closed his eyes, allowing his already honed sense of smell to be augmented, already aware of what he had to do. "Hai, hai." He acknowledged in a deliberately light tone, as he took a big whiff of the scents on the ground- he knew Sasuke's, knew Naruto's. "Gotcha." He smirked as he pinpointed their target's scent. That would serve as his beacon as he tried to locate him.

Kiba usually worked better if left alone and not pressured, so he crouched on the branch and closed his eyes, taking several breaths before he opened them again and looked straight ahead to the small glade he had indicated. That ninja should have died then and, even though he was thankful for whatever information they would extract that might help Sasuke, the fact remained that he had screwed up. The idea had been to kill that guy and he had failed. What had he missed? Had he been in such a hurry to get the Uchiha home that he had forgotten about the objective of his mission?

The Uchiha smirked, materializing beside him once again. "What an amateur mistake…" he reprimanded half seriously. But he was at least half-serious. "A genin knows better than that, Dobe."

"I made the same amateur mistakes in every rank when it came to you, Teme." He muttered under his breath, finally giving up on his insane urge to respond to the incorporeal being beside him and got a small sense of satisfaction at the way that his response wiped that haughty smirk. "You have always come first to me."

Shikamaru squatted next to him. "How is Sasuke doing?" he asked.

Naruto's eyes snapped to his left, the timely question making him wonder if perhaps the genius could see the Uchiha that was currently glaring at him. How was Sasuke doing? He had left before the other boy was up and his behavior the previous night was full of mixed messages- other than that breakdown. The breakdown was the only thing that he had known how to deal with.

"He seems to have recalled some of the massacre." The blonde responded, then added. "Bits and pieces."

"Was it a good idea to leave him then?" Ino's voice carried with confusion. "You're his…" she paused for a moment then rephrased. "You're the closest to him."

"Sasuke doesn't remember that." He retorted somewhat curtly.

His retort drew a small gasp from the blond girl, whose blue eyes widened a little with concern. It wasn't just her- Shikamaru was frowning at him. Apparently he had rather marginalized how people around him perceived his attachment to Sasuke- how words like those seemed unthinkable with regards to his best friend. You're the closest to him. Ino was right. He should have stayed behind and let his comrades handle this – his friends, who would make sure that the mission was a success, because they did care about Sasuke; and they cared about how much he cared about Sasuke.

This time he didn't steal a glance, didn't want to know what had registered on that perfect face that he loved so much. "Relax guys." he added, forcing a smile that did not seem to convince anyone. "Kakashi-sensei is with him. It's fine."

It was cowardice- for the first time in his life, he had been a coward and had run away instead of dealing with the issue staring at him in the face. Staring at him through eyes that showed little, if any, of their familiar spark, unaware of their history, their bond, their emotions. He had run from that, had run from the hurt, from the frustration- the helplessness- and into this forest, looking for a half-dead ninja that might have one last ace up his sleeve. For the first time in both their lives, it had been Naruto that was running away- not avoiding a confrontation, but really running away- from Sasuke.

Sasuke's chuckle surprised him. "Is that what you call running? You're practically dragging me along for this." He said, sounding amused. Naruto thought that if he really wanted to run, maybe he should go to him for advice. That thought seemed to shut him up very agreeably.

"Who are you really punishing, Naruto?" Shikamaru asked evenly, his dark, clever eyes fixed on his face, his frown deepening a little as he probably caught the nuances of his expression, even as he had no idea about his inner dialogue. "Sasuke for getting himself into this… or yourself for not being there to stop it from happening?"

It was a particularly astute question. Nothing less could be expected of Konoha's Ace, after all. The answer was both- because Sasuke did have a tendency to get himself, and then drag everyone else, into all sorts of messes. However, that was something that Naruto had known very well when he let himself be talked into leaving him behind. Fortunately, he wouldn't have to continue with this, because Kiba had at last spotted their target.

"I found him." he announced.

Naruto got to his feet, his muscles flexing as his body prepared for action. He really had to find something to do with all that red-hot energy he had been carting around. Something physical would always work best. Really physical. Like a good ol' life-or-death fight. "Where?"

"About half a mile north." he replied, then a twinge of hesitation flickered in his eyes. "But… almost as strong as his scent is the smell of blood on him. Naruto… unless he killed someone very recently he could be bleeding to death…"

That was enough to redirect his energy to a very productive and speedy advance towards their target. If the guy died, all of this would have been for nothing. All of this would have brought them no closer to the way in which that cursed jutsu could be reversed. Such a thing was unacceptable. His mind was playing tricks on him again, because he was sure that Sasuke's voice has cautioned him to be careful.

"We don't know anything about that ninja, other than that he's trouble." Shikamaru offered from right behind them. "Don't do anything… rush."

Naruto appreciated that the genius was very conservative with words like 'stupid'. "Hai." He confirmed. "I go in first, then you keep him in place while Ino checks on him."

The other boy smirked a little. "I'm relieved that you remember the plan." he said with no real amusement, before addressing the remaining two member of the team. "Kiba, Ino, fall back for now. He may need to be tended to after we secure him."

Ino's features showed some of her frustration. She hated being the fifth wheel and, considering how hard she had worked to become strong, she hated finding herself in that position. Kiba squeezed her shoulder reassuringly and, just like that, with no words, she smiled again. The canine boy would aften surprise him with his understanding and his ability to make people smile.

With a sigh, he shook his head. Blue eyes blinked as he noticed that something didn't seem to quite match nature's tapestry. "There." He said quietly, bringing his teammates to a halt. "He's right there."

Iwao. That was the name of the man who lay against a tree trunk, breathing heavily in the quiet of the forest. Though his face was buried nose-high into a dusty, gray scarf, his eyes tired and half-closed, though his clothes were torn and blood stained, the team halted in apprehension. Five people had been sent out to capture one- five very skilled people. It would take skill to capture him alive- Kiba was there to track down, Naruto to beat down, Shikamaru to hold down and Ino to tend to anyone who went down. The Godaime was hell-bent on not taking the chance of having another amnesiac ninja or wasting a valuable source of information as to how this jutsu could be reversed. And Sasuke's ghost? Well, he had Naruto's personal invitation and was tagging along just to annoy him- just because he was so lame that he couldn't be without him and even an imaginary Sasuke was better than no Sasuke.

Naruto's eyes narrowed- at the man, at himself. This guy was supposed to have died a couple of days before, but he hadn't and could have escaped- by all accounts should have- yet there he was, very close to where he and Sasuke had fought. Where he had beaten Sasuke. Was it arrogance? No. He was far too beaten to be arrogant.

"I know you're there." He said then and got to his feet using the tree for support. "Let's get this over with."

No reason to hide, if he already knew they were there. As he moved, he thought that Shikamaru had started to say something, but he didn't really get what it was. All he wanted was to get this over with- find an answer, even if that meant that whatever had happened to Sasuke couldn't be reversed. Even if it meant that he was stuck, bearing the weight of their history alone, even if it meant that the Uchiha would never remember how he used to feel about him- all that was okay, as long as he had a definitive answer. Impatience would one day be his fall, much like pride had always been the raven's sin.

Folding his arms, imaginary Sasuke looked at him, very much the way real Sasuke had, before he had told him that he could handle Iwao. "Don't get yourself killed, Dobe."

Right, Teme… In one swift jump, be landed a few feet from their target. Blue eyes narrowing, back foot sweeping back as his kunai came up, ready to attack. "How about you come along willingly and make this easier on all of us?" he offered tersely.

Iwao arched a white brow, then cackled unpleasantly. "Well… what do we have here?" he straightened his body, pulling a jagged katana from its sheath on his back. "Wasn't killing me once enough for you, boy?"

"You're pretty chatty for a dead man." Naruto observed, his eyes quickly scanning for Ino and Shikamaru. Maybe he should have listened more carefully. "The Hokage has a couple of questions for you. Answer them and you might cut yourself a deal."

"Oh?" the older man stared back at him through emerald eyes that seemed almost feline- more so as they crinkled with amusement. "The Hokage is willing to cut me a deal even after damaging her Uchiha? To my understanding he's the last of his kind."

Maybe he should have listened to what Shikamaru had to say, instead of responding to his imaginary friend- or just maybe having a brain of his own might have come in handy in situations like these. Because it was an obvious coax and yet he took the bait like an amateur, lunging at him full of openings that his enemy could use against him. Would he have been this emotional about anyone else? He didn't want to think about that, because if he were to admit that the Uchiha had become his weakness, reason would urge him to do something about it. Good thing he wasn't big on reason.

Metal clang against metal, punches were traded and kicks flew and each time that he'd think that he had the other man cornered, he's slip past him, countering with attacks that weren't meant to cause him any serious amount of damage. "Come on!" he just about yelled frustrated. Frustrated that he was being toyed with. "Come at me, you bastard."

"Come at you?" that same cackle filled the air between them. "If I cheated death, if I beat an Uchiha at his own game, what chance do you think you stand against me kid?"

That was right. He seemed to have cheated death. And apparently, he had beaten an Uchiha. But. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that a shadow grew in Iwao's direction. I see… "My chances are not too bad actually." He smiled a little as the shadow started to wrap around the man's legs.

By the time Iwao realized what had happened it was already too late. Maybe if he hadn't been weakened by blood-loss, his reflexes would have been better. Maybe he might have been able to break the jutsu. However, between Shikamaru's skill and his own punching power, the guy didn't stand a real chance there and then. So, this was the boogey-man that had gotten to Sasuke. Part of him wished that this fight would have somehow explained how it was possible, instead it had left him with more questions.

"Kage Kubi Shibari no Jutsu complete." Shikamaru announced, as he stepped out from behind the bush, then added a rather disgruntled, "Took you long enough…", before calling over his shoulder, "Clear."

Kiba, Akamaru and Ino materialized beside him. One of the best things about having been teamed up with Sasuke for so long- and even before their relationship took a sharp turn to intimacy- had been the way that they intuitively, wordlessly knew how to move around each other. The times that they had verbally formulated a plan of action could be counted in the fingers of one hand. The worst thing about being used to that extraordinary connection was that he often forgot that he didn't have that with anyone else. He had to communicate, he had to listen. By being impulsive like that, he could have put the rest of his team at risk. Shikamaru didn't have to say all that.

Ino walked to Iwao, her hands lighting up with chakra as she inspected his body for injuries and chakra flow. A golden frown formed over her eyes. "Unless I heal him, he won't make it back to the village." she reported.

Shikamaru nodded. "Careful though." He cautioned. "And no eye contact. Assuming that Sasuke used his Sharingan on him, he has to have some kind of powerful eye technique to counter it."

The older man cackled again, then suddenly started coughing violently, his body shaking with effort. Ino lowered his scarf, then instinctively backed away at the sight, allowing the rest of her team to see as well. The man's square jaw was covered in a thick layer of what looked like drying blood, but was abnormally dark. He coughed again and the liquid- whatever it was- fell on the g

round sludgy and black.

Iwao looked up with those emerald eyes that sparked with determination in spite of his state. "What makes you clowns think I'm gonna help with anything, huh?" he spat. "Heal me and you'll have to watch your backs all the way to Konoha."

"He's right." Kiba said and folded his arms. "He's made no promises to help. He can't be trusted."

"Then again… if you don't heal me, I'll die and your little Uchiha will stay just the way he is. I'm the only person alive who knows the workings of this jutsu." Those green, gemstone eyes trained to Naruto's almost knowingly. "And you want him back, don't you?"

Naruto held his gaze for a moment before stepping away wordlessly. It was true- very, very true- and, though he had no intention to actually confirm it to a guy like him, he had never been convincing at denying it either. Yes, he wanted Sasuke back- his heart, his body, his soul ached for him. The feeling consumed him and he and he couldn't quite remember how he used to cope with the raven's absence, before all this.

Shikamaru's dark eyes followed him for a moment, but if he had any thought on the matter, he didn't share them with the rest of the class. "Ino." He said, conveying a wordless order.

The blonde girl nodded, "Hai.", and started working on their enemy's wounds.

"You're a gullible bunch, aren't you?" Iwao snorted. "What makes you think I'm even going to tell you the truth? I'm dying, I have nothing to lose…" he closed his eyes and smiled unpleasantly. "But maybe, I'm a vindictive bastard and I will use this last chance to take from you, what you've already taken from me- my partner. Maybe that's what's keeping me alive and you're about to make it a whole lot easier for me."

In one swift move, the blade of Naruto's kunai pressed against the man's jugular. Ino, jumped back instinctively, looking at him through startled eyes. "Naruto, wha-?" she started, reaching for him, but stoped when he turned to her.

Had his expression darkened so that it had alarmed the girl? Ino wasn't used to Naruto being like this- no one was really, including Naruto himself. It seemed that deep inside, he carried his own dark side and woe to the person that would manage to bring it out. In the past, he had thought that that demon was the Kyuubi, but as time went by and his leash on the Fox became firmer, he realized that the dark mirror that Sasuke had faced- and almost became during his mad hunt for Itachi- was in him too. He realized that if someone took Sasuke from him, that darkness might jump out of the mirror and choke the world.

"There." Iwao smirked, the cold steel against his neck had not been enough of a deterrent. "The panic. Not really knowing if I can help your friend or just want one more chance to turn his brain to mush."

"That's enough." He didn't have to look back and see Shikamaru's expression to know that the genius was frowning at him. "Naruto." He warned.

Iwao was obviously messing with him and he was making it far too easy by jumping through the hoops with every verbal snare. "Do you have any idea what you've done?" he heard himself snarl.

Those emerald eyes, were no longer amused as the man looked back. "Maybe." He replied simply.

Sasuke's ghostly hand, closed around his wrist. It was obviously his imagination, but even so those charcoal eyes made his will budge. "That's enough." He said in that quiet voice that he rarely used with anyone but him. "You do want me back, don't you?"

Ah, the voice of reason. The uncertainty he had seen in Tsunade's eyes had spoken volumes about her confusion and frustration over the jutsu. She could not understand it and that meant that, if sasuke were to stand a chance, they'd have to take that chance with their enemy. And hopefully, the Hokage would come up with some kind of leverage.

Naruto closed his eyes and pulled back. "… More than anything…" he whispered his reply to the beloved specter.

His sense of hearing had been blunted, but he was certain that Shikamaru had ordered Ino to resume and called his name. Naruto was pretty sure that he had replied that he'd be back in a moment, but then again he might have just thought he had. It was all catching up to him fast, because now Sasuke wasn't there to occupy his mind with how helpless he seemed, because the mission was over. Now he'd be reduced to waiting and hoping and praying that whatever may come would not be a terrible fiasco.

Kiba halted him placing a hand on his shoulder. Those strange eyes of his conveyed concern. Perhaps understanding as well. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yeah…" he said quickly. "I just need a moment to clear my head."

"Naruto…" Kiba started and would have probably said something quite accurate or painfully true.

It wasn't anything he wanted to hear right then, because he was already suffocating and anything more would simply further weigh him down. "I'll be right there. In a moment."

The other boy nodded, his features still tense with concern, and walked away. Naruto was thankful to him for not arguing. Running from Konoha had been very much like trying to swim towards the surface of a horrific body of water- he thought that the further he'd get, the closer to the surface he'd be and if he were far enough, he might even breathe. It wasn't so, though, and more and more his chest hurt as his air was running out.

"Deep breaths, Usuratonkachi…" imaginary Sasuke advised, his dark, liquid eyes pooling with concern and a hue of sympathy.

Naruto smirked a little sourly at the apparition. "You always have been much nicer in my head than you really are, Teme." He jibed, but then grimed. "That's how I know that you're not here."

Uncharacteristically, the Uchiha did not argue the truth of his existence or the nature of his character, but rather smirked back quite haughtily, that same way that drove the blonde insane. "Well… I can't be all bad, if you want me back more than anything, Dobe."

Naruto closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them again Sasuke was gone and he realized that he could breath again. A smile spread on his lips that he couldn't help- because even the thought of Sasuke had such an effect on him- and it broke his heart- because in order to keep Sasuke in his life, he would learn to deal with this new reality if it came to be permanent. Because there was no incarnation of Sasuke that he wouldn't love. Sasuke had given him the breath of life- before him, he was breathing just a little and calling it life.

"Not half-bad…" he smiled a little. "… Sasuke."

And so the chapter is finally over… ::sighs and plops on the bed:: I'm really sorry it took so long… The manga just depressed me. :-P Okay, next chapter is Sasuke. And Naruto is wrong about our little Uchiha not missing him… ^.^

Huggies~! Ja!

M.