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"Watch where you're going, moron!"

I winced and moaned. From my position on the dirt road I could only see the approaching thunderstorm from above the forest just beyond the village. For some reason, all that my mind would think about was the storm. It resembled waves of darkness, rolling over the forest to dip into the bottom of the hill. Like a bull, lowering it's head to rear it up under it's attacker.

The man kicked my back roughly, his friend laughing in front of me. I groaned and pushed myself up onto my knees, glancing up at him with the most annoyed look I could muster. Today was going to be beautiful and I was going to enjoy it and these two idiots were NOT going to make me ruin it by trying (unsuccessfully) to beat them up.

The sun's glare shone into my eyes as I stood to face the man who had kicked me. The other man was behind me, and with the wall of the bread store to my right, there was no escape. The two men were both well built, heavy set and broad shouldered. Their black hair was crew cut and their eyes were thin and narrow. "Watch who you're bumping into, stupid!" the man in front of me said. There were no other people around to help or get help. I brushed my clothes off and sighed heavily. The rain pattered lightly, building up as the seconds passed. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to get lost in it, hearing those waves of darkness rumbling overhead.

The man pushed my shoulder. "Hey, you ignoring us?" he growled.

The push shoved me into the man behind me, who grabbed my wrists none too gently. "Maybe the little brat wants to-"

But I'll never know what I maybe wanted to do, because at that moment my wrists were released and the man disappeared from behind me. There was a loud crash, and I turned to see him sprawled out on his back, his nose profusely bleeding. Sasuke was standing over him with his kunai at his chest. His head was turned away from me, but I could imagine the cool look on his face as he whispered something inaudible to the man. Then he rose and turned to me, staring with blank eyes at the man who had kicked me. I heard him running away and was disgusted that he would leave his comrade bleeding in the mud and rain. But the man soon crawled behind the bakery, leaving Sasuke's gaze to fall upon me.

I walked over to him, blushing. "Thank you," I mumbled. What a dope I must seem.

He only stared. I watched a single raindrop trickle slowly from his forehead, in the circle of his eye, and then drip off his poignant nose. His mouth curved ever so slightly into a smile as he said softly, "Why didn't you hit them like you did me the other day?"

I smiled wryly, remembering the moment. "Because I was too busy enjoying the beginning of the rain." Only after I'd said it did I realize how silly that sounded. I blushed and turned from him. "Thank you again. I have to get some more art supplies."

But before I began walking, I felt his arm around my shoulder and pulling me into him. I looked up at his pale face, but it was staring ahead. I blushed and stared at the ground as he whispered, "I'll accompany you there and to your house."

The rest of the rainy afternoon started out with him carrying my art supplies back home for me, us watching the rain from my low porch, with him watching me paint the angled memory of the rain, and ended with me sleeping on my couch and Sasuke on the floor below me. It was one of the happiest days of my life.