When the Rain Falls

A/N: A two-in-one story involving SasuSaku and NaruHina. Rain doesn't exactly make my hair so great, but it sure gives me some ideas for fan fiction.

Note: Thanks to Unices for the suggestion of background.

---Prologue---

Sasuke continued throwing kunai knives and shuriken at the three trees that stood at different angles. He breathed heavily, and kept himself from falling to the ground.

"Why I am I like this?" Sasuke thought. "I killed him…but just barely escaped from my own death…I'm still weak…What would I do in a more deadly decision?

At the time, the sun shined bright, and no clouds were in the sky. He looked up, and deeply sighed. He'll never forget that fateful day…and the outcome. He remembered him falling to the ground, and him walking away with very little strength, and collapsed. Nobody found him for three hours, and when he was found by Sakura and Naruto, they were frightened by his barely-alive look. Clothes tattered, pale skin, blood gushing out from different places.

Sasuke was happy that Itachi was finally dead, yet highly disappointed from his own state after the fight, believing that he wouldn't break a sweat during the fight. All the years of training paid off, but he needed to train more…

------

Naruto sat unusually quiet at the local Konoha park. Looking at the clear sky and flying birds made him think about his future love life. Would he even have one? His chances with Sakura have dropped to zero, after blurting out a unnecessary comment that she'll never win Sasuke's heart.

Then he thought about Hinata.

"Hmm," he thought. "Hinata's always been a good person to me…she's there when I get hurt, when I'm down…I can never understand her, though."

He also thought about the times when she always blushed when he talked to her. Her face always turned from different shades of pink to fire red. Why is that? Did she have a crush on him or something?

Or was it another feeling…?

"No, can't be," Naruto thought again. "Could she really be…?"

------

At the time when the two ninja thought about two separate things, dark grey clouds began to cover the sky, and soon enough, the rain began to fall.

---The Story---

The rained poured hard down on Konoha. Mostly everybody was out of it, taking shelter anywhere and everywhere. Except for one person. Naruto stood emotionless deep in the middle of one of the forests in the village. He just stood there, doing nothing. He looked up at the rain showering him, and the very dark grey clouds that are providing it. Naruto looked down again, as he heard someone stand behind him.

"You'll get sick if you don't stay out of the rain," Naruto said, not turning around to see a shy, short-haired kunoichi waiting for him.

"Y-you'll get s-s-sick, too," Hinata stammered. "Please…get out of the rain, and o-out of this forest, N-Naruto…"

"I don't want to," said a stubborn Naruto.

Hinata flinched. She wasn't sure what to say next, for the usually hyperactive ninja was sounding pretty emotional and down.

"U-u-umm, Naruto…p-please…" Hinata finally blurted out.

"I said, I don't want to!" Naruto said, raising his voice and turning around. Hinata stepped back. "Why do think that you can control me when you want to?! Who do you think you are?!"

Hinata began to cry, but then a small booming sound was heard and a cloud of smoke had vanished the shy ninja, and appeared a pink-haired Sakura. Naruto gasped, and soon, the cloud of smoke surrounded him, and it turned out to be Sasuke, instead of Naruto.

---Elsewhere---

The rain continued to soak Konoha. The real Hinata took shelter at Ichiraku's, and she decided to order something to eat, since she wanted to fill herself up so she wouldn't have to eat again if the rain kept falling. She slowly sucked the noodles into her mouth, when Naruto came in and ordered himself a few bowls. Hinata almost choked, and blushed at the sight of the boy with the bright orange outfit and blonde hair.

"Hey, Hinata!" Naruto greeted happily, waving. "Sure is rainy out here…"

Hinata was, as usual, speechless. She stuttered a few um's and uh's when at last she finally said, "H-hi…N-Naruto."

Naruto chuckled back and grinned, then plopped down on the seat and wolfed down his ramen. It wasn't long for him to finish three, while Hinata was barely done with hers.

"Hey, Hinata…" Naruto began to say after a while, being a little more serious than before. "I have something to ask you…"

The shy girl sat extremely still as he said these words. "Y-y-yeah, what?"

"Are you in love with me?"

------

"How did you know it was me?" Sasuke flatly asked.

Sakura, having tears roll down her face, answered, "Naruto wouldn't act in such a way…"

"Great," he said. "Why must you always bother me?"

"Sasuke, please stop…" said Sakura tearfully.

"Stop what, ignoring you? Am I being so distant from everyone I know? Well, I'm sorry, but there is nothing that can change me! You can't control-"

"JUST STOP IT!" she shouted. "DON'T YOU REALIZE HOW MUCH I AM IN LOVE WITH YOU?! YOU JUST ACT LIKE SUCH A CARELESS PERSON BECAUSE YOU NEVER WANT TO SHOW YOUR-"

"FEELINGS?!" Sasuke finished, shouting at her, as well. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU CARE ABOUT MY FEELINGS?! THEY DON'T MATTER TO YOU, OR TO ANYBODY ELSE!"

Sakura stopped herself from screaming back at Sasuke. What good would it do if she kept up? She realized that Sasuke will never return her feelings. The tears rolled down faster, while she quickly ran away from the guy that she'd been in love with for so long.

------

Hinata was about to faint when Naruto asked this in a soft, serious tone. She cringed, and her fingers touched her lips, wondering what she was going to say to Naruto.

"I need to know," said he. "Are you in love with me?"

The timid female couldn't do anything else…except cry. Her face was covered in tears, and Naruto didn't change his expression. He came closer to her. She continued crying.

"Hinata…do you love me?" Naruto for the third time.

Still no answer. Hinata's crying transited to sniffling, and Naruto sighed. He held her in his arms at that time, and her sniffling amazingly ceased to lightly breathing. She blushed with a shade of pink, and Naruto had an expression of love and compassion.

"I know you love me, Hinata…" Naruto finally said. "I just know you do."

Hinata breathed heavily, as she was about to say something. "I-I…"

"You…?"

"I…I love you, Naruto," Hinata had said, after all these years of these feelings about him locked up inside her heart. Her head was on his chest, and she heard the sound of his beating heart. He embraced her even tighter, and the warmth inside her increased.

"I love you, too…Hinata…" said Naruto, "And I always will."

The two looked at each other, with eyes telling each other that they love each other so much. They seal that statement with a kiss, and all is well. The rain continued as they continued embracing.

------

A soaking-wet Sakura ran away from Sasuke, taking turns and twists about the forest she is in. Tears were streaming, but blended in with the rain that douses her face. What was she to do? There's always that special someone for somebody out there…always. But her…Sakura, believes that Sasuke would be the one and only. Apparently she'd have to change this statement-

Wait, a sudden turn of events.

Sakura abruptly stopped when someone grabbed her by the wrist. She turned around, tears still flowing. It was Sasuke. His expression was still emotionless, and wasn't making eye contact.

"What do you want?" Sakura demanded, forcing him to let go of her. He didn't. "You seriously are an-"

Conversation stopped. Sasuke kissed her. Her eyes remained open in absolute shock, and relaxed herself. Sasuke put his arms around her, and tears fell down from him, too.

"Why…are you crying?" Sakura asked, wiping away her tears.

Sasuke wiped his, as well. "You don't know…how much…I love you…"

Sakura felt doubt. "I don't believe you."

Sasuke looked at her with sorrow. "Do you know how hard it is for me to fall in love?"

"Why didn't you show it before? After all these years…"

"I…was scared," Sasuke answered. "I was afraid to love. What would I do if something ever happened to you? If anything did, I probably won't be able to love again."

The rain slowly died down, ready to come to an end.

"There's always something to be scared about, Sasuke…" said Sakura. "You are the one that takes away all my fears…"

"And you do so for me, as well," Sasuke said back. The two kissed again, and Sakura's head lay on Sasuke's shoulder as he wrapped his hands around her.

At that moment, the falling rain came to an end. The sun slowly came out, and shined down both on the two pairs that embraced each other. At the same time, too, said to each other these three words:

"I love you."

End.

A/N: Nyeh, more crying and romance is just another addition to my collection of my drama fics. -random-

Review please! I accept any kind.