Beacon of Hope

Darkness

Another month had passed, and one morning in May, as I was walking to the clinic, the drizzle turned into a terrible downpour. Passersby were running to find a roof to protect themselves from the water and avoid ruining their clothes; I did the same for at least two blocks until my feet stopped moving and I stopped over a puddle in which I was reflected.

I turned my hand to see the palm of my hand and perceived the exact moment when the raindrops fell and burst on my skin. This cold and shivering sensation made me travel to another dimension, little by little I started to get completely soaked, but I didn't care. I didn't care that my hair was ruined or that my makeup was running, I raised my face to feel the impact of the water and closed my eyes.

A part of me wanted to calculate exactly how long it had been since Sasuke had last been in the middle of a storm. Or at least know when it had been since he had seen rain? Unfortunately, his eyes, born with the privilege of possessing a unique technique, were punished by giving them darkness in return.

I learned to love Sasuke when I understood his pain. When I looked beyond a physique and delved into his history and his way of being; when I stopped caring about the girlish game of winning his love and exchanged it for his own happiness.

"Sakura!"

My eyelids vibrated and my eyes lifted as the water stopped falling on my body, I looked at the dark waterproof fabric covering me and then at the hand holding the umbrella. His bushy eyebrows raised and a smile almost formed on his lips, but it died at the last moment when he saw something in my face that must have looked sad to him.

"Lee, long time no see, you're back from your missions in Suna."

His lips trembled before opening but at the end he let out a noise similar to a laugh, one of those that arise as if to lessen the tension in the atmosphere.

"Yes, I just got back last night and today I'm going to deliver some reports to the Hokage. Sorry to tell you, but you shouldn't be getting wet in the rain, you could get sick."

I looked at the rest of my clothes, at that moment having an umbrella protecting me from the rain was useless because I was completely wet.

"I'm sorry," I replied apologetically and with my hands I squeezed the hem of my blouse, "I had a long time without getting wet in the rain, for some reason I thought it was funny. But I'm a little old to be doing such things, aren't I?"

Lee wrinkled his eyebrows and his lips tightened, at times I imagined he was going to scold me for being so reckless.

"It's true, Guy sensei always tells me: 'youth is a flame that should not be extinguished by even the slightest drop of water'. So it's good that you do what you like, Sakura."

I couldn't help but smile, his jokes were sometimes an oasis in the desert. Lee offered to take me to the clinic, but our paths were on opposite sides and I didn't see the point in delaying him any longer when I was already soaking wet.

At some point the intensity of the rain decreased and that's when I decided to leave.

"I think this is where we say goodbye, I have to get to work soon," I said. He shook his head as a gesture of acceptance.

"I'll see you later, Sakura."

He ran with his umbrella and I lost sight of him. I turned on my heels and headed for the health clinic where a long day awaited me.

*

My fingers ran along the rim of my cup of steaming coffee, my eyeballs amused as I watched the steam drift away as it rose. The door to the office opened and I saw Ino taking off her robe to hang it on the rack on the wall, her expression was not the most cheerful and I guessed she was having a bad day.