Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Gathering Storm ❯ Gathering Storm ( One-Shot )

[ A - All Readers ]

Title: Gathering Storm

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto, not me. I do not profit off anything I write, so please don’t sue me!!!

Summary: They always said a little rain never hurt anyone, but Naruto calls them all liars. SasuNaru.

A/N: Okay, then. This is completely rewritten because I wasn’t satisfied with the way it was before. Hopefully this version is a helluva lot better than the original. So, please review. I’m starting to get frustrated with the lack of reviews, because I need to know if I should change anything! So clickie on that little review button and tell me what you thought. That’s why it’s there. Ja!

Azure eyes regarded the rolling clouds with furrowed eyebrows, the scent of a gathering storm clinging to the air like frost on a window. His shoulders slumped forward as he remembered the last time he was caught out in the rain-when he had lost his best friend. Even though Sasuke had come back-three years too late, actually-it still felt like he was back in Sound with Orochimaru. Everything just felt different. The Uchiha was more closed off than he had been all those years ago, and there was no emotion behind his dark eyes. It made Naruto shiver to think back to the last mission, where Sasuke seemed to look right through him.

Naruto stared over the fire at Sasuke, his blue eyes narrowed at the taller boy. The Uchiha’s eyes were vacant, holding no feeling, and he was staring absently at the growth of trees in the distance.

“Oi, bastard.” Naruto growled, his eyes burning holes into the side of Sasuke’s head. When the Uchiha turned to look at him, the blond was stunned into silence. For a moment he saw something in Sasuke’s eyes that he hadn’t seen in them for a long time. But it was just a quick glimpse, and in mere seconds those dark eyes reverted back to their usual emptiness, staring right through him.

Sakura looked up from what she was doing and watched her two teammates glare at each other. She didn’t like the new Sasuke, of course, but the way he was affecting Naruto…she liked it even less. She had grown to like-hell, even love-the blond idiot. She was worried.

“If this is how you’re gonna be, maybe you’re better off in sound! Hell, you don’t even care about us!” Naruto clenched his hands at his sides and stared unwaveringly into Sasuke’s dark, vacant eyes. He wouldn’t admit it to anybody, but the vacancy he saw in the other boy’s eyes really unnerved him. It was like watching Yamato die all over again. And there had been so much blood.

Sasuke didn’t reply as he stared calmly at his teammate, caught between wanting the conversation to end quickly and wanting to shut the blond up himself.

“You’ve got nothing to say to that, bastard?” Naruto growled.

Sasuke stayed silent.

Naruto stood with shaking fists, thinking up ways to kill the arrogant bastard without really killing him; there was no need to cause himself more distress. So he opted for silently fuming while Sasuke turned his head, staring off in the distance at something the kyuubi-vessel couldn’t see.

“Just tell me one thing, then, Sasuke. That’s all I ask.” When the blond had the other boy’s attention, he took a step forward, fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. “Was it all worth it?” His voice was soft, barely above a whisper, and something flickered in the brunet’s eyes.

Even without hearing a word, Naruto had gotten his answer.

Something twisted in his stomach, a pain that hadn’t been there before, and suddenly he was hurtling through the trees, ignoring Sakura’s calls of his name. There were tears stinging the backs of his eyes and he knew, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself otherwise, that he would never be able to hate Sasuke. Too much of himself had already been lost to the Uchiha.

Naruto’s breath stuck in his chest as an arm caught him around his middle, a familiar voice rumbling in the chest pressed against his back.

“You can’t let him get to you, Naruto.” Kakashi insisted. He removed his arms from his student’s waist and took a step back, making room for the blond to drop onto his knees. Naruto’s hands went to clutch his face, trying to stop the tears that were dripping down his chin. The silver haired man stood silently behind him, hand frozen in the air, unsure of what to do. “Naruto, listen. Sasuke is-he’s trying to get used to being in a team again. He was on his own for three years, with no allies, and-“

The Jounin was cut off with a choked sob and the words he was going to say caught in his throat. He had never felt so useless in his life.

“He’s not the Sasuke that I-“ The blond cut himself off, a fresh batch of tears spilling down his cheeks. He couldn’t hold it in anymore. What did he mean by that, exactly? The Sasuke that he was best friends with? The Sasuke that he had grown to care about, in another way besides friendship? Of course not!

“It’s okay, Naruto.” Kakashi told him, reaching out a hand to pat the blond’s head. There was a soft sniffle, and then watery, blue eyes looked up at him. The silver haired man smiled down at him, affection clear in his one visible eye. “Everything is going to be fine. Trust me.”

And Naruto just sniffed and nodded, hoping his sensei was right. He didn’t think he could survive losing Sasuke a second time. With a curt nod he stood up, hastily wiped the evidence of his tears on his sleeve, and trudged back to camp with Kakashi. Neither Sasuke nor Sakura were aware of his little episode and continued with what they were doing as if nothing had ever happened. But their sensei knew better than that, if the looks Sasuke kept shooting at Naruto were anything to go by.

A drop of rain hit Naruto’s nose, blending in with the loan tear making its way down his face. He paid no attention to the rain, or the thunder crashing above his head. He didn't even move when the rain started to come down hard, soaking through his jacket and pants. Out in the rain and sitting in the dock, it calmed him somewhat. Granted, he used to sit there with Sasuke and talk to the Uchiha about his future plans, but remembering those times set his mind at ease.

"Stupid rain..." The blond mumbled, running a hand through his soaked hair. The blond mass atop his head sent little sprinkles of water cascading over his face as he moved his fingers through it.

Naruto looked out across the lake, face scrunched up as lightning zigzagged over his head. There was a sickening crack of thunder that followed, like the bolt of electricity had hit a tree. He involuntarily flinched at the echo it made, his thoughts drifting to dark eyes.

"You're not scared, are you, loser?"

But he just sat there, the rain soaking through to his skin.

XxX

The rain just kept coming and Naruto was still sitting out there, hands resting limply in his lap. He had given up on trying not to think because it only made him think more. His clothes were completely soaked through and his fingers were so numb, he couldn't feel them shaking.

This is Sasuke's fault. If he wasn't such a bastard, I wouldn't be so depressed.

Just as Naruto thought that, though, the rain had seemed to stop. At least, that's what it looked like to him. But when he stuck his hand out, he could feel the little droplets hit his hand. And there was someone behind him...

The blond tilted his head back, blue eyes widening as Sasuke stared back at him. The Uchiha's eyes were empty, and the half smirk on his face didn't reach them. Naruto swallowed around the lump in his throat.

"What do you want, bastard?" The blond snarled, knowing that the other boy would most likely ignore his question altogether. Naruto averted his eyes, opting to stare at the waves rippling across the lake. He felt his heart clench a little at the way the waves reminded him of Sasuke: always changing.

There was movement behind him as Sasuke sat down on his right side, draping his umbrella over the both of them. He was silent for a moment before he cleared his throat.

"I have to tell you something." Naruto's head whipped around, eyes widening for the second time in three minutes. Well, it looked like Sasuke wasn't completely mute…

"Well, you said plenty last week." Naruto couldn't help himself. It was begging to be said, and once it had, he didn't feel bad for it. "Heard you fucking loud and clear, asshole."

"Can I talk now?" The Uchiha snapped, venom lacing his voice. He shifted against the blond, bringing them closer together underneath the small umbrella. He seemed oblivious to the shiver that he had caused to go up his teammate's spine.

"So..." Naruto sighed. "Why aren't you talking?"

Sasuke scowled at him, "I'm getting there."

"Right."

"...I'm sorry." Naruto opened his mouth to respond, but the dark haired boy slapped a hand over his mouth and shook his head. "Don't say anything stupid."

"I wasn't going to, jerk! You think I'm just going to accept your apology that easily?! Well, you can forget it! After the way you've been-mmph!" A warm mouth sealed over his, cutting off the rest of his tirade. Naruto was frozen in shock as the other boy's lips moved against his, gentle and rough all at the same time. After what seemed like forever-which was only like three minutes later-Sasuke pulled away, eyes glazed over.

"So..." The Uchiha whispered, out of breath. "Can I finish?"

"Um...s-sure, no problem. Just-" Naruto reached out and grabbed the other boy's face, kissing him with pent-up anger and everything else that had been building up over the years. After a while the two pulled away to catch their breaths, and Sasuke managed a tiny smile at his teammate.

"You’re a pretty good kisser for a loser."

“Shut up, bastard. I haven’t forgiven you.” The blond grumbled. Naruto looked up at the sky, noticing the thin strip of blue in the otherwise gloomy sky. There was hope for nice weather yet. “So is that all you came here to say, or is there more?”

“There’s more.”

“Well…?”

“During the mission you asked me if what I did was worth it. My answer is yes, because if it had never happened, then we wouldn’t be here right now.”

“And what if one of us had died?!” Naruto shouted, anger boiling in the pit of his stomach. How the hell was this an apology? Sasuke just flat-out admitted he didn’t care! Then why…?

“But neither of us did. And if I hadn’t left, do you really think we’d be sitting here, in the rain, after I just kissed you?” Sasuke turned towards him, eyes overflowing with emotions that Naruto couldn’t pick apart. His teammate had always been hard to read. “But everything was worth it, because I wouldn’t have driven myself crazy in Sound hoping you hadn’t died!”

“Why?! So you could get to me first?!”

“I love you, you idiot!” Sasuke turned away, his whole body shaking with his anger. He wanted to take back everything he had just said, only because he wasn’t ready for such an onslaught on emotions. He was angry and hurt, but somehow still happy that the blond boy next to him cared so much.

Naruto didn’t say anything for a while, too stunned to formulate some sort of response. But what he wanted to say was so painfully obvious.

Sasuke reached over to squeeze his hand, a tiny smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. “You should get inside before you catch cold.”

“…Yeah.” The blond stood up, his clothes heavy from the rain. He watched the other boy as he stood up, still holding the umbrella over both of their heads. They were standing so close together that he could feel the warmth from Sasuke’s arm as it brushed against his. With shaking hands he reached up and cupped the Uchiha’s face, pulling the other boy’s head down until their lips met.

I love you, too, bastard.

~Owari~