Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto

Raindrops were immersing everything. Idly, they gushed over the peaceful village. No lightening or thunder intruded, the only sounds being the slow churning of the water in the streets and gutters, the soft pitter against windows, the thrumming of the rain slashing against homes. Deceptively turning late-afternoon into night, the dark clouds hung above in a reproaching manner, causing most people to be hidden safely away in doors.

Standing inside the Hokage Tower was one such person. The blonde woman sat wearily in her chair, delicate forehead against her desk. Heaving up her head, she bleakly observed the weather outside through her window, muttering under her breath, "Damn rain." Then she threw back a glass's worth of sake into her mouth, feeling the burn slither down her throat. A brunette entered the room, sighing upon seeing the sight before her.

"Lady Tsunade, I really doubt that if people were to see you now, they'd feel the village was in a stable position." Glaring, Tsunade started to pour another drink.

"Yeah, well, I could care less for pristine impressions right now, Shizune." The hokage finished filling the shot glass to the brim with alcohol, gripping it with both hands. But she didn't bring it to her lips, opting to instead stare out the window, and watch the world submerge until the sun came out. The silence held, Shizune looking at her lady's profile.

"You miss him so much, don't you?" Shizune questioned. Tsunade kept deathly still for an agonizing instant.

"More than you could know," she said aloud in an emotionless voice. The Godaime turned her gaze to her cup, its contents holding only empty comfort.

Shizune continued her questioning. "And now, do worry for Naruto? About what will happen to him?" Hands tightening on the glass, Tsunade faced Shizune. "I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know, Lady Tsunade?"

"What I mean is, I don't know. Not a single coherent clue." Her amber eyes became clouded, like wispy smoke was dancing around her pupils.

"He is so much like Jiraiya is…was." A statue sat behind the desk in the office. Words leaked from its hardened mouth like a drip from an old faucet.

"Was."

The words dangled in the air ruthlessly. Only when something dark caught her attention from the corner of her eye did Tsunade stir. She turned herself towards its direction, to discover a simple black glove. It looked sturdy enough, but was obviously battered and worn, as if it had been forced to deconstruct the earth itself. The design and shape itself was slender and feminine almost, made for a small and deceptively delicate hand.

More trickled past her lips. "She is like me as well. How foolish of her."

Shizune waited out her leader's musing. Only when the Tsunade seemed to have forgotten both her and the sake she was holding did Shizune speak.

"So when Naruto leaves for Myobokuzan tomorrow, do you think he will be ready? After all, to learn sage techniques is a vast undertaking."

Leaning her head back, Tsunade diverted her eyes to the ceiling. "That brat has determination times a thousand. He'll do fine. No, he'll do well. Physically and mentally, he is very strong…"

She kneaded her fingers together and placed them behind her head.

"But I wonder about the rest of him. Strong because of so much suffering." Softly spoken out of her heart.

"But couldn't he be just as strong if some of that ache was soothed." She limply whispered .

"Or even healed?"

The beautiful, mournful woman looked like she was molded into her current position, unable to move, Shizune thought. Stuck.

But Tsunade did stir, only to pick up the near-forgotten black glove. She trailed her fingers along the cracked material. "Perhaps, for them it could be different..."

"Lady Tsunade?" The blonde focused on the gentle young woman. "How…will you help Naruto? To heal him?"

Glove still in hand, Tsunade only said, "It won't be me who mends his wounds."

--

Away from the Hokage Tower, on a bridge above slowly over-filling water stood someone drowning. At the moment he waded through the strange murkiness that exists between being a boy and being a man. Steps had to be taken cautiously, for one wrong turn, and in place of the man there would be an animal. A beast.

This almost man, maybe beast watched the violent ripples in the water crash and spread outwards until they infected everything they could before they died. His blue eyes didn't brood like the weather around him though. They were thoughtful, but bright with hope.

"Tomorrow…" The loud-mouth ninja was quiet, a refection of his surroundings. Though Mother Nature was making a gentle racket, no human sound but his own broke through. In the downpour, he stood alone.

"Naruto!"

Or so he thought. Turning to find who else was crazy enough to be outside, he found a cherry blossom carrying an umbrella, coming haughtily in his direction. The wind blew it into his arms.

"Whoa, Sakura! You okay?" Naruto placed both his hands against her petite shoulders, bracing her as she gathered her bearings. He slowly dropped his hands away. A smile was tugged from his face.

"Heh, you can demolish whatever you'd like with your bare hands, but the wind can push you over so easily?" He teased, "Your one true weakness?"

She glared. "It caught me by surprise. I'm fine by the way. The question is, you idiot, what're you doing? It's pouring out!" Locking his eyes with her stern gaze, Sakura huffed, "You're not invincible!"

Naruto just kept on grinning, understanding she was not truly upset. Just a little concerned. "A little shower is nothing for a future hokage!"

Jade eyes scowled. "Oh, I'm sure Konoha will be impressed with your ability to catch pneumonia." However, a slight smirk peaked out as she admonished him.

Sighing, her annoyance dissolved into a puddle, mixing with the raindrops on the ground.

Relaxing against the slick railing, the blonde was unconcerned. "I was just thinking a bit. Besides, the rain is starting to let up. It eased up once you reached the bridge."

Naruto's words were indeed true, and now the gale was leisurely lessening to a sprinkling.

The Rosette was not so easily swayed. Joining him at the railing, she said, "Still, you should be resting, not having a soaked contemplation. After all, tomorrow…" The rest of her sentence was lost, falling into the depths of the water below. The water was colder all of a sudden, a biting, icy needlepoint stab.

Sakura's throat felt drier, despite the moisture surrounding her. She managed to speak nonetheless. "Tomorrow, you leave." Stealing a glance at him, she met his cerulean eyes, which bored into her with their sudden disquiet.

"Sakura-chan, are you feeling alright?" Naruto thought she seemed faded, faint almost.

Seeing his earnestness, the green-eyed teen's lips pulled into fogged up reflection of a smile.

"It doesn't seem like you've been back nearly long enough." The blossom didn't flinch away from the wind's gaze. "You're my closest friend…I'll miss you while you're gone."

That. That simultaneously made him light and weak, like a leaf blowing in the caress of a warm spring breeze. Naruto felt warmth colliding into and around him, even though the dark gunmetal still idled above.

Sakura could see the instant shock in his expressive eyes. Never able stifle anything, it seemed to her. Everything about him, from his energy to his kindness seemed to overflow passionately from Naruto.

Her smile lightened into something more effortless. "What, didn't think I'd be glad to get rid of you, did you?" The rose-haired girl teased with a soft lilt in her voice.

The flaxen ninja grinned down at her, but his surprise still lingered. "Well, you're unpredictable, Sakura-chan. I can never know what you're thinking."

Her lips felt comfortable with her next words. "You can guess what I'm thinking better than most." A sigh trembled out of her. The sound was so tender, and a split-second desire grasped Naruto to catch it as it left his precious friend. Then he chuckled aloud at his strange longing.

"Can't learn, can you?" Naruto thought. "You made a promise, and you never go back on your word. Ever..."

His companion quirked a pink eyebrow. "What joke did I miss?"

The blonde teen twisted around so that his back was towards the railing, tilting his face towards the sky. "Nothing, just a silly impossible wish."

Pale rose petals twisted into a smirk. "Impossible for you? Never thought I'd live to hear it. What could escape your determination?"

Naruto moved, looking upon the visage in front of him. Her shock of pink hair flirted along the tops of her shoulders. Her deep emerald orbs were clear and playful now, contrasting with her creamy skin. Her lithe figure was still propped up against the bridge, like a flower against a fence. Wistfully, he pronounced, "Just something too precious for the likes of me."

His friend frowned. "I doubt that. And you can't have that sort of attitude tomorrow! You're going to learn sage techniques and bring yourself one step closer to becoming hokage and…" Eyes twisting with each other's, a link of pain was shared.

"And to bringing back Sasuke." Naruto finished.

Sakura nodded. She gripped the wood in front of her firmly "So work hard Naruto. Reach even higher. For Jiraiya…become even better than he was." Naruto felt a wrenching pull, but the rosette continued on. "Whatever happens, you are so powerful, so good. Just hold on to that and everything will work itself out." Her smile returned. "So bring on the enthusiasm, idiot."

His eyes seemed to flash electric. The azure-eyed boy twisted to stand facing Sakura, beaming down at her. His arms were raised at his sides, flinging themselves around in the wave of Naruto's animated resolve.

"You're right. I'm going to learn everything the old frog can throw at me! I'll learn super fast, and become the best! I'll be strong enough to protect everyone." His arms descended down to hang at his sides. "And then I can come back."

The girl watched his emotions play out, feeling as if the sun emanated from him, the rays pushing past the downpour and resting upon her. "Of course," she tried to say indifferently, but the warmth still seeped out into her voice.

"I just wish I could come too. You always get to travel to the interesting, exotic locations. Me, I'm stuck with the same old, same old when we're not doing missions."

He spoke cheeringly to her, "Someday you'll get the chance. I'll make sure you do."

"Thank you." She laughed, "I'll hold you to that promise. You'll be sorry when you have to pay for my vacation." Suddenly Sakura stopped, then questioned in surprise, "When did the rain stop?"

Naruto looked away from the cherry blossom, to notice the sunset turning the formerly forlorn sky into a splash of midnight blue, pinks, and gold. "I dunno, I didn't notice." He sniffed the air. "It smells new."

Another laugh flew out of the girl. It was just like him she thought, so honest.

"Well, I suppose we should both head home. You need sleep." She took in his wet appearance. "And a towel," she grumbled.

"Okay," Naruto said agreeably. "I can tell when I need to stop arguing with you."

"Good to know you're not a total moron." She gracefully glided across the bridge feather-lightly. She turned to Naruto when she reached the end. The flower reproached him. "Aren't you going to walk me home?"

Naruto smiled, then dashed across the wooden planks until he reached her, both striding into the coming night

--

Though it was late at night now, the Godaime was still in her office, head bowed. She stayed this way for a long, creeping time, until finally she lifted her head. She strode out the door, only to face her guard. "You there, I need you to bring someone to my office immediately, I don't care how late it is."

"Yes, Godaime, who is it?" the subordinate asked.

"Go find Fukasaku. I want to ask that sage something…."

Well, this is the first chapter of my first big story! Unlike my other submissions before, this will have multiple chapters. I have a plot figured out, but when I actualy go to write the other chapters, not sure how long this story will be.

But I hope you all enjoy this! I plan to have the next chapter up in a week or two. Until then, Review please!! I'd like to know what you all think so far :D

Now I'm off to do homework(collapses into fetal position)