I apologize for being sooo late on this. I've been super busy, and it might be like that for a while.
So sorry in advance. Also, this chapter was kind of all my thoughts thrown together quickly...
So it might be a disappointment. Once again, I'm sorry.
But I still hope you enjoy! Review, and please...don't give up on me. :(
I WILL KEEP WRITING...if you still want me to:)

Chapter Six:
When You Find The Rain

"You're always here, suffocating me, under my skin. I can not run away. Fading slowly..."

He watched the water curl and stir, crashing into the land, spitting up cool mist. His jejune eyes simply memorized the ever changing patterns of the waves. The wind was strong and violent, tossing his long peerless hair in every which direction. He was sitting on one of the few benches positioned around the pond outside of a small park. He was toward the outskirts of town, hoping not to be seen by many, but the occasional person would walk by, giving him, at first, a strange look, followed by a sincere smile. He could see them from the corner of his eye, but he never let his vision stray from the water. It was almost...too fascinating.

Ever changing.

But I don't understand.

The Village Hidden in the Leaves wasn't suppose to change. It shouldn't have been any different...nor should the people living in it. But it was. It was unfamiliar...annoying...a feeling Sasuke didn't appreciate much.

His elbows were rested on his knee's, hands dangling, along with his fingers, which would jerk occasionally. He was slouched down, getting small surges of the cooling water spray. It was calming, like usual. But everything else...the shinobi on guard everywhere, the tight security around the Hokage's Mansion...it was all a mess. Konoha was showing no sign of any calm composure. Sure, the people in the village did. They would stroll around at the deepest times of night, take their sweet time in getting from location to location, and pretended like nothing was wrong. Maybe they felt secure. But so...why didn't the shinobi that were supposed to protect this area feel that way?

Maybe they realize they can't just play ninja anymore.

Besides the leaves rustling from a nearby tree, and the waves gurgling...it was quiet. A good place to think. But Sasuke was never really good at that.

It was too late. After what had happened last night...he couldn't just walk away completely unaffected. He didn't remember the smallest details. He really only remembered the dream he had, walking out into the kitchen, having an episode...feeling Sakura heal him...resting his head on her chest...and falling sleep. He really couldn't remember what had been said.

What he said.

What she said.

It was a blur. He had woken up this morning in his bed and had only found a note on his kitchen table. That was all he had to jog his memory.

If you ever need help, go to the hospital, or come see me.

But please make up your mind.

Please make up his mind. Yeah, sure. Easier said than done.

Now, what was he suppose to decide on?

He rested his hand on his neck, right on his curse mark. It was funny, really...how things he claimed to be so unimportant to him...could effect him so much. Funny...or sickening. He let out a deep breathe, and all of a sudden heard a crack through the air. A twig snapping.

His eyes moved over to the left quickly, and widened. His head slowly followed.

And it was also kind of funny...that one of those 'unimportant' things...could pull his attention from the oh-so-important staring at the water.

Up on the hill, right next to the tree with the rustling leaves...was just one more memory he was trying so hard to keep out of his mind.

There stood Kalei, one foot resting on a broken branch, the other one a couple of centimeters behind it. Her hair was slightly longer, flying everywhere in the violent breeze. But he could still make out her face.

Her eyes were wide, lips slightly parted, and she was pale. She looked like a deer in headlights, clearly not expecting to see Sasuke. But they had that same look of shock in common.

Neither moved for a moment, simply staring at each other...taking in what was going on. Sasuke ran his eyes over her. She was wearing a black, long sleeve, turtle neck with her ANBU uniform over that. She had long, black boots that went up to her knees on, and had her headband resting on her neck. The very end of her hair was tied in a long white ribbon, with the ends dancing in the breeze.

Besides her pale, shocked composure...her eyes were cold. Dark. Scared. Alone. Her lips were almost as pale as her skin, and all together...she looked so different. She looked beautiful still, maybe even a bit more so...but it was a different type of beautiful...a corrupt, morbid type of beautiful.

What had happened to her?

He slowly got onto his feet, faced her, and dropped his arm down by his side. They simply stared into each others eyes, the wind consuming them. It just seemed so surreal.

After a moment of, maybe awkwardness, Sasuke slowly parted his lips...waiting for the words to come out...but what he could manage...was so small...

"...Ka-"

"Don't!"

Her high pitched shout filled the skies, disrupting the clear silence. She moved her foot from the branch and took a step back, eyes losing their look of surprise. Her lips formed a tight line, almost to show she was angry. But why? And in turn, Sasuke's eyes only widened. Why did she seem so...afraid of him? Angry?

Her eyes now narrowed, making Sasuke curious. He took a step toward her, and she took another small one back. How strange.

And it upset him a bit. His shocked expression turned into a glare...a soft, not so harsh, glare. But a glare none the less. But she met his angry stare with a solemn one of her own.

"Don't move. Don't speak." She demanded in a cold, monotone voice. Her face was almost emotionless, but you could just feel the tension rising in the air.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes a bit. Who was she to tell him what to do? And what the fuck was her problem?

After another moment, Kalei dropped one foot back and slowly started turning around, ready to walk off. But in one, quick, swift movement, Sasuke appeared behind her and grabbed her wrist tightly right as she reached the opposite direction. He could feel her arm trembling, but why?

A few seconds passed, and then all of a sudden, she dropped hard onto her knee's, back straight, head facing down so her hair covered any point of visibility Sasuke might have. He had her arm pulled up behind her, and after he realized that he was probably hurting her, he slowly released his grip. And her hand slowly slipped through his until their fingers brushed, and then her arm fell limply to the ground, slightly bent behind her. He just watched her, as her hair was splayed all over.

What was going on?

"Kalei."

Her name rolled off his lips, firm and demanding, almost as if just trying to prove a point. The tree above them rustled around, causing leaves to fall around them. All of a sudden, Sasuke noticed her shoulders start shaking a bit, and she dragged her arms up and rested them over her face.

Was she crying?

He could hear her deep, shuddering breathes...like trying to control sobs?

Yeah, more than likely.

"...Why?..."

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard her small, frail voice. Slowly, her shoulders stopped shaking so much...and she seemed to be calming down.

"Why?" She spoke more firmly. "Why are you here? Why are you back? You're just going to leave." The words just poured out of her mouth, stumbling off her lips. Her voice was quiet, and mostly emotionless...but you could hear it in her voice that she wanted to cry.

His expression became stoic, and he simply stood behind her, taking in the situation. Everything felt so off...and her words were gnawing at his mind. And she just kept going...

"You don't want to be here. You're going to leave. You're just going to walk away. You'll lea-"

"-Who said I was leaving?" He cut her off, his words sharp.

He didn't really know what he was saying, and it was only when they fell off his lips, that he even realized he had said it. But seriously...

His eyes pierced through her back, and she slowly brought her hands down a bit from her face, staring wide eyed at the ground...not that Sasuke could see. And it was a few seconds of silence...and then he heard a small, quiet laugh. It was broken apart, and sick. It was her same laugh, but a bit lower...and it sounded sarcastic...as if she was mocking his words. And not only was he getting pissed...he was utterly confused...and a bit worried.

"What..." His voice was hushed and serene...and he wanted so much to ask what had happened to her over the time he had been gone...but it never came out.

And after a few seconds of silence, her creepy laughter stopped.

"...It was her...wasn't it?"

Her words were sharp, and bit at him...

He was no fool.

She meant Sakura.

"She's the reason...you're here. It was her..."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Her? Do you mean...Sakura?" His tone wasn't exactly friendly either...but he was just seeing Kalei after a whole year. He didn't want to talk about the very object of his solicitude.

Kalei slowly raised her head a bit, the wind spinning circles through her hair. "...Sa...ku...ra..." She murmured solemnly, almost as if the words were foreign to her...and for all Sasuke knew, they were. He hadn't exactly left those two on good...nor equal, terms.

He snorted quietly, upset with the way this conversation was going nowhere. "Well...no. She's not the reason."

What else could he do? He wasn't about to tell Kalei he was only here because he fell unconscious under Sakura's supervision and ended up in this pathetic excuse of a home. No...so he just said that.

But then all of a sudden, she dropped her hands in front of her and tilted her head up to the sky, closing her eyes. Now, slightly, her face was in sight for Sasuke.

"I see you haven't changed."

His eyes shot open at her remark, making him curious as to how she meant that.

"She brought you here- I know." She murmured...her voice low...angry...but controlled. Sasuke groaned and glared at her. So she knew he was lying...

"But that isn't the reason. Would I still be here if I had no purpose for staying?" He replied coolly, noticing her open her eyes. She slowly slid her hands along the grass and pushed herself up, almost melting into a standing form. She was graceful, no doubt.

"Reason? You mean fate." She spoke firmly, still not facing him. His long bangs whipped around his face, every so often faltering his view of her.

But really...what did he mean? He didn't really have a reason for staying here...did he?

"Fate?" He asked quietly, earning an exasperated sigh from the girl ahead of him.

"Yes, you know...destiny. But you'd be one to deny that." And she slowly tilted her head back and to the side, meeting his eyes with a passionate stare. Sad. Angry. Corrupt.

Who was she now? What was going on? And who was she to pretend she knew him and his morals so well? He was the one that thought he was born only to kill his older brother. He believed in his purpose. And was she trying to say he was denying his destiny...trying to avoid his meaning?

What the-

"What happened..." He asked, interrupting his own thoughts.

Silence.

Her stare never left his, emotionless and cold...turning his face into one of stoic nature as well. And it felt like hours upon hours of simply memorizing each others eyes.

More silence.

"We left on our paths. Things are breaking. People are fading..." And she slowly moved her head to the front again, leaving him in agony. This wasn't right.

And for some reason...only one thing popped into his head. The one thing he wanted to say so bad. And it was as it started to form on his lips, she took a step forward. Instinctively, he reached out his hand to snatch her wrist, but, learning quickly from previous encounters, she pulled her wrist forward and his fingers only brushed her flesh. He took a step forward as she kept walking, feeling the words lodge in his throat.

It really didn't matter how many steps she put between them...

Words have no distance.

"I never forgot!" He yelled softly...more so a loud statement...and it worked its magic, making her stop in her tracks abruptly. He could just feel the tension swarm around them once again.

Because she knew what he meant...or so he thought.

Awkward silence.

"I...I don't know...what you're talking-"

"Your name." He cut off her stuttering words, hearing her almost inaudible gasp.

Bullshit she didn't know.

More silence...until Sasuke let out a small, satisfied chuckle.

"It was a plus...I even remembered your face." A smirk crossed his lips, curious as to what she was thinking. But he knew he was victorious because he had stopped her ever so apparent, desperate escape.

After a moment, her lips formed a cruel smile, out of Sasuke's vision.

So you think you really remember me?

She shook her head softly muttering a 'no'. Sasuke's smirk faded, a confused look on his face.

"My face...my name...you remember them, yes. But you don't remember me." She said, bending her knee's a bit, reading to jump off. And before Sasuke could say another word, she did just that...leaving him siting there, speechless.

And damn, he didn't like that.

And he didn't like this weird feeling she was giving him...

So now it was close to midnight...ten minutes to, and here he sat...on a bench with no backrest, near old deserted buildings...a wide patch of grass behind him...a tree off to the side, and a giant tower a few blocks away, with an old golden clock up near the top. The pendulum was swinging...swinging.

And his head was throbbing...throbbing.

He had spent almost the whole day by that pond, until he got sick and tired of thinking out his run in with Kalei. So here he sat, trying to clear his mind of her.

He was slouched forward...elbows resting on his knees, hands dangling out in front of him...head bent down, as if admiring the sidewalk below his feet.

Really...why was he still here?

It had been maybe two or three days...and he had really done nothing to leave. Though it might have been hard...it wasn't impossible to find his way out...and it didn't make sense. He didn't actually still care about this place...did he? And what was going on with everybody around here? Naruto was on edge...Kalei was cruel and cold...and Sakura claimed not to love him anymore.

He didn't know what was more upsetting...the fact that all these changes occurred...or the fact that he might actually care.

But whatever the case...some things had to be the same...right?

His eyes never left the sidewalk...but slowly, he heard soft, quiet, paced footsteps approach him, until after a few seconds they stopped, and he could barely see the tips of some body's flip flops standing in front of him. As if the presence wasn't obvious...

It was Sakura.

She was wearing bright pink flip flops with her long baggy white pajama pants. His eyes, very quickly, glanced up and back down, just fast enough to see how she looked. And she hadn't noticed. She was wearing a bright pink tank top as well...the same one as the night so long ago when he had seen her again for the first time.

And he could smell her...a soft vanilla scent with a bit of cherries added in. Very distinct...and kind of sickening how he could tell.

And they just stayed like that, under the clear, starry, deep sky...her staring at him, with her loose, silky hair flowing in the now calmed breeze. Really...he didn't want to argue, and he could have cared less about what she wanted. He was too absorbed in thought.

Moments passed. No words. Until she felt the need to break the silence.

"I didn't know...if you were okay."

Her words were anything but cheerful...but they were concerned, yet relieved. Actually...he couldn't quite put his finger on it...but it was a soothing tone...

And he chose to say nothing, leaving more silence in the air...

"Are you...uh..." Her words trailed off, showing her nervousness with the situation. She was at a complete loss of words...but who could blame her? The night before had been so different from the night before that. It was just as awkward for him as well...unable to sort out everything that was going on. It was too much to deal with...like he was trying to burn both ends of a candle. And it was annoying him ad nauseam.

And the minutes felt like days. How agonizing.

"I don't understand."

Sakura's eyes widened with surprise to hear his voice, so melancholy. And she didn't know what to say...so she just sat there, staring at the back of his head.

It was a calm night, making them being together feel almost...okay...like it all use to be.

"All that's here is a momento mori. I don't take to this place. And you know it...so why do you still bother with that affliction for me?" His words were soft, but were still frozen.

He always needed to chop logic.

"...Why do you still torment yourself? Sometimes...you just...need to surrender..." His eyelids drooped a bit, listening to his own depressing words.

Clearly, he was just telling her to give up. And she didn't like that. Giving up meant you were weak...but in the first place...

"I told you already...I don't...I don't care about you in that way." She spoke, raising one arm up to her chest, tilting her head a bit. "But...still...I can't just let you be sick."

Sure...you say that...but are you lying? Why lie to him? He already knows how you feel...but...that's impossible...when you don't even know how you feel. Do you really mean you don't care about him anymore?

He let out a deep breathe, tracing over the past few days...and his conversation he had with that Taru guy in front of Sakura. There was no reason for her to press that subject...about the Akatsuki leader. He'd tell her eventually. He really left himself no choice...besides...

"Whatever's happening with you...I'll understand. If you...try to leave..." She wanted so bad to stop there...leaving it to his imagination. She didn't want to say it but...really, how else could she prove she harbored no such feelings for him? "...I won't be the one to stop you." She finished sharply. His eyes widened a bit. He was startled, yes...but whatever. If she meant her words...that was what he wanted, right?

A moment of silence passed, and she heard, maybe a small laugh from him?

"Will you keep your word? I'm not so sure you will..." He murmured.

She swallowed hard. "Yes, I always do."

Another moment of silence.

"No, you don't." He retorted, causing her brows to furrow.

"I don't lie, Sasuke."

"You have before..."

"What did I lie about?"

A pause.

"You said you'd wait forever."

Her heart stopped. Literally.

And everything all of a sudden felt heavy and mysterious. He never looked up, and part of her was glad because her mouth was half open, eyes were wide, and her lower lip was trembling.

So he did remember.

She heard a small laugh escape his lip once more, and he brought his head up and tilted it back, to look up into the starry sky. It was like a million diamonds, outlining the end of eternity. The place he could not reach. The darkest timelessness, the purest perpetuity.

And it just happened. The words just came out.

"I seen Kalei today."

Just like that he said it, not caring how she would feel or react. Which was lucky for him...that it snapped her out of her gawking, and made her expression turn somewhat sad. It wasn't a subject she was ready to jump on.

"That was probably a shock for her, ha. She didn't know you were here." A random voice said.

Sakura looked off to her right to see Naruto standing a couple feet over, one hand behind his head, the other by his side...and a fake smile plastered on his face. She simply watched him, reading this as an attempt to make the situation less awkward. But Sasuke's eyes never left the scenery above him, though he had heard Naruto's words.

Really, it was a shock for him too. Seeing Sakura again was one thing...because she seemed to have changed...into something stronger. While Kalei...seemed to have...broken down. Something had happened...

Sakura's eyes turned back to Sasuke's. He was acting so strange. And he knew he was. But he didn't understand. Were things really all that different? He found it all so hard to believe...so...well, why not see?

Naturally, his smart-ass nature got the best of him.

He brought his head down again and let out another deep breathe...and slowly raised his head up to meet Sakura's eyes.

"She looked better than you." He mocked, a smirk sliding onto his lips.

Sakura blinked thrice...and then gave him a small smile. At least he was making jokes. And all the while, Sakura heard Naruto sigh and take a step toward them.

"You two...always arguing..." He laughed out, bringing his other arm down by his side.

Sasuke's smirk grew a bit. He was right. They were always arguing. Because arguing with Sakura...well, it was just fun. And he was sick of awkward moments. So to lighten up the mood...

"I'm serious. She looked better than you." He sneered, causing Sakura to frown...and slowly glare at him.

"Oh, is that so? Really...tell me how?" She snapped, taking a step toward him. Sasuke shrugged, only to infuriate her more. How interesting. Her temper had definitely gotten worse.

"Just did. Look at you." He gave her the once over, knowing that that would do it.

And it did.

She took another step toward him, and as he raised his arm unconsciously as a form of shielding, she snatched his wrist tightly, glaring at him with a malicious tint in her eyes. At first, it hurt...and then...it really hurt. Sasuke tried to pull his wrist back, only earning a tighter grip.

"Let go of me." He spoke calmly, earning a scoff from the angry Sakura. He tugged once more, feeling her grip tighten again. The chalkra wasn't visible yet, but it was there. And damn, did she have strength. "Sakura, let go." Now his words were angry. "Let go!" His voice rose, feeling the pressure grow. And as he raised up his other hand to pull her hand off, she grabbed his other wrist, applying the same force. He bit his bit hard and growled at her. Now he was pissed.

"Say that's not true." She ordered, making him roll his eyes and hold steady as she pulled forward. And with a few more seconds, the chalkra became visible. The pain rose.

"Damn it, Sakura- let go!" He shouted, now pulling back...and as he did, she took advantage of it and pushed him forward hard, causing them both to topple over the back of the bench. And in a split second, with some crashing to the ground, Sakura ended up pinning his wrists up by his ears, straddling him, while his lower legs were still resting up on the bench. She was slouched over him a bit, with a shocked expression on her face, staring at his shocked, and angry, expression.

Wow, this position felt too familiar.

It took a while to realize what had happened, and once Sakura realized she was on top of him, an evil smirk twisted onto her face, making Sasuke blink a couple times. She chuckled a bit.

"Who's on top now?" She sneered victoriously, earning a quick glare from Sasuke. He had half a mind to push her off, but she was holding him tightly to the ground. And really, he didn't want to let her win. So he knew just what to say.

He leaned his head up a bit so their nose's touched, which instantly made Sakura flinch. Apparently, she didn't like his touch. He chuckled softly, his breath fanning over her face.

"Now Sakura, we both know if we were going to do that...I'd be on top." He whispered to her, a smirk ever present on his beautiful features. Sakura immediately gasped, her throat tightening. And it caught her off guard perfectly. Sasuke felt her grip weaken if only for a second, and used his knee's behind her, to buck her off and up above him. He sent her flying a couple feet over him and heard her crash to the ground, giving out a small squeal, followed by a disappointed grunt. He let out a sigh and slowly pushed himself to sit up.

He brought his hands up in front of him and looked at his wrists.

And it was then, that he realized...that she was serious. She really hated him.

His wrists were already bruising...and they looked mangled by her touch. It was the type of injury that would get worse in a few hours. He just stared at them with wide eyes, trying to comprehend what could have possibly been running through her mind. Was she honestly trying to hurt him?

Naruto's laughter broke into the crisp air, causing Sasuke to glance up at him.

"Haha, wow Sakura! You literally just got your ass kicked by Sasuke!" He said, trying to control his laughter, and apparently failing. He turned around and took a few steps away as to not upset them both too much, And as Sasuke looked down at his wrists one last time, he looked over his shoulder at Sakura.

She was siting Indian style, brushing off her arms with a disappointed and angry look on her face. Her lips were in a tight line, her face was red, and her brows were furrowed. He looked back at wrists and his glare disappeared, replaced by a stoic stare. He got up onto his feet and turned around, facing Sakura, who glanced up at him and then back at the dirt like she wanted nothing to do with him.

What was he supposed to say? What was she supposed to say? Why did this all feel so...

"You're annoying." He said plainly, turning around and walking off. "Hn." He said once more, leaving her sitting on the ground.

It was after he got about 7 steps in between them that he heard her call out to him.

"Oh, Sasuke?"

He kept walking.

"Happy Birthday."

He stopped, tightening his jaw.

"How did...why..." His head tilted down a bit.

Sakura stood up and turned around so her back faced him. After a moment of standing like that, Naruto glancing between the two, apparently done with his annoying laughter, Sakura started walking off, and as Sasuke heard her footsteps, he started walking away as well. Naruto didn't know which one to follow, so he only groaned and turned around to walk off in a completely different direction.

With a few more steps, Sasuke heard the clock strike midnight, and the bell ring out through the deserted area. He stopped and looked up at it, eyes watching the pendulum swinging back and forth.

So what would he do now? What was honestly left to do?

Well that was easy. He had to leave.

The sooner, the better.

Right?

Next Chapter

Beyond Good Logic