Are you too late?

Are you too late?
By: Rogue_moonlight

This fic was inspired by the Song “Silver and Cold” by A.F.I, which I might add, I do not own any part of or Naruto for that matter….though if I had it my way I would have jumped him and dragged him into a closet already. *evil grin* MWHAHA!

Rogue: Well here is the second chapter I hope you all like it!
Shorin…*whispers* toke you long enough…
Rogue: What was that? Did you say something Shorin?
Shorin: No, no of course not. Congrats on posting the next chapter. ^_^’ *slowly starts backing away*
Rogue: Come here you! * starts chasing Shorin*
Naruto: Ok well while they are busy here are the review responses.
Rogue: Oh yeah, love to my first nine reviewers!

Review Responses:
Kkie-Thank you for liking my writing style, I was worried nobody would like it.

Hexake-Yes I did say that this story was going to be a one-shot, my mistake, I got it mixed up with another story idea that I am hoping to write on soon that will be a one-shot. But I went back and changed that little mishap.

harlita-Thank you, and don’t worry this chapter is longer and I plan to keep on making all the rest of the chapters long.

Ana La Pana83- I agree I also like to see Naruto in some what of a depressed or angst mood since it seems to be the only time when he shows his true feelings.

Draconayzia-I agree, after so many years of having to put up with what he did, heck I would have broken a lot sooner.

Clemen-Thank you

Reno’s_Lover-Don’t worry someone will be Naruto’s ‘light’ so to speak, and it will be in the sense of a parody. Someone that was once in darkness will become the light as Naruto’s light is shrouded in shadows.

Artemis-Thank you

Eien_no_Ren- Thank you and I want to also see how Naruto deals with his problem too. Seeing s all the details haven’t decided to reveal themselves to me yet.

Now on with the story!

“Talking”
‘Thinking’
~~~~~~~~ Scene change
*~~*~~*~~*~~* Flash back
----------------Time lapse


Chapter 2: The Beginning ….of the end?

Sitting on a higher branch of a tree after some personal training to try and relieve some stress, Naruto relaxed a little as the calm air wafted past him on the late afternoon breeze. It was times like these that Naruto wanted to freeze time and gaze upon the horizon and indulge in its tranquil beauty. But he knew it was not possible to do such a thing, so he enjoyed as much as he could without disturbance. Which did not last as long as he had hoped, he had to meet with the hokage this evening to discuss matters he probably would not care for, something to do with Sasuke as far as he knew.

The thought of his once friend and rival woke memories not but three months old, shortly after he had brought Sasuke back.

About a month after he had brought Sasuke back he had decided to visit the Uchiha to see if he was doing ok and to see if he might want to train. At that time Naruto had assumed that they were still friends, and he thought they might train together like old times and teach each other stuff they had learned over the years and help each other get stronger. Naruto, wanting to help Sasuke to get stronger and maybe even help him kill his brother so that Sasuke could let his obsession go and start living.

But Naruto had assumed wrong.

*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*(flash back)

Naruto walked into the Uchiha grounds with a wide grin hoping to enjoy an afternoon of training with his rival. Continuing through the grounds in the eerie silence Naruto’s grin slowly died away as the faint feeling of decay and sorrow wafted through the atmosphere of the complex, making chills run down Naruto’s back. His muscles tensed and he found himself looking over his shoulder every so often for no reason at all.

He found Sasuke training in the backyard training area behind the main house. Thinking nothing of it and trying to distract himself from the dark mood of the complex, he walked up to Sasuke with a huge smile,

“Hey Sasuke-teme! You want to train together?”

Sasuke stopped in the middle of throwing a kunai, turned towards Naruto and just glared that oh so famous death glare of his.

“What do you want?” he spat.

Naruto just looked at him with surprise, hearing the disgust in his voice; his smile disappearing in an instant.

“I just wanted to see how you where doing and if you wanted to train together, what is your problem you asshole?”

Sasuke’s glare only intensified to hide the other emotions that were trying to surface, as he stood straight and crossed his arms in front of his chest. He couldn’t understand what Naruto was doing there. After everything he had done to him, he figured Naruto would keep his distance. But here he was standing in front of him wanting to train as if nothing had changed. After Naruto had brought him back and practically saved him from the clutches of Orichimaru, even though he would never admit it thanks to his Uchiha pride, he started to realize just how much he really needed Naruto’s friendship to keep his sanity in check.

After talking to both the hokage and Kakashi-sensei he found out just how much Naruto went through to get him back even after most, if not all, of the village had given up on him. And they told him to keep his ears open and listen while he walked down the street and through the market and hear what the people of the village said. He did and was some what shocked to what he heard. More than once the villagers would mention that how much better things were now that the last of the Uchiha clan had returned but then with no seeming hesitation there voice would drip with disgust as they discussed the fact that the demon creature, Naruto as Sasuke later found out, was the one that brought him back, killing Orochimaru in the process and that it would only be a matter of time before the demon would loss control and let loss the fox and kill all in his path. After hearing this Sasuke’s suspicions out the demon fox Kyuubi and Naruto were some how related. Every time Sasuke heard these comments whispered but loud enough for Naruto to hear as would be passing by Sasuke found himself tense and ready to jump the next person who spoke more filth toward Naruto and beat them to a pulp. As this happened multiple times Sasuke started to realize that Naruto’s feelings and his well-being mattered to him, he wanted to protect his rival as Naruto had protect him from Orochimaru. But his goal to kill his brother and have his revenge was still beating within his soul depriving him of sleep some nights. He knew that the Akatsuki were still after Naruto and the fox’s power. He did not want to put Naruto in danger or he would have asked Naruto himself if he wanted to help him kill his brother, but the risk of Naruto being caught was too great for Sasuke to take, so the only alternative he saw was to drive Naruto away from him hoping to keep him safer in the process.
All this ran through his mind as he tried to come across as being more superior.

“I don’t need your help training dobe, just leave me alone.” He grunted. Hoping Naruto would just leave so he wouldn’t have to face him as his emotions threatened to break through his placid mask.

Naruto just glared at Sasuke, his anger rising. ‘What is his problem? He’s just like the villagers it doesn’t matter to him that I risked my neck and rank as an Anbu to come drag his ass back here.’ Naruto breathed slowly and turned away,

“Fine” He grunted. His happier mood completely dissipated and he walked away, completely missing the sad look that passed through the Uchiha’s eyes.

Sasuke just watched him walk away, using a great amount of will power to make sure he didn’t call out to him. He was more than a little surprised that Naruto didn’t call him a basturd and protest loudly like he usually did, something wasn’t right. As he watched Naruto’s back turn and disappear around a corner he noticed how his shoulders seemed to slouch more as he walked outside the complex and into the street,and he realized something. Even after so many years of ignoring the comments and threats with his wide grin that never truly met his eyes Naruto was depressed. The villagers and there ingenuity were actually starting to affect him.
(flash back over)
------------------------------------------------------------------------ (Time lapse)

(One week)
It was that day again…..a day of mourning and then of festivities. It was the anniversary of the day the fox was destroyed and of course Naruto’s birthday, but no one would care about that.

Naruto sighed, sitting on his apartments roof in his Anbu uniform and mask, so has no one would recognize him and give him anymore dirty looks. He was tired. He wanted to be on a mission or on duty of some sort anything to keep him busy and his mind occupied. But the hokage had told him that he needed time off and should spend the day relaxing. He knew she was worried; it shone in her eyes too well. I light wind passed over his lying form, firmly built and toned, and the last of the suns rays flickered off his tanned arms crossed behind his head, and made the scarf adorning his neck to ripple like orange water in the fading light.

Getting up Naruto stretched out his relaxed muscles and turned to face the last of the suns light. Seeing as it was now dark Naruto decided that he would visit the monument with the names of those that were lost in battle, hoping to pay respect to lost friends and the family he never had. Yes, Naruto knows who his parents were. Once he had turned nineteen and earned status of Anbu the hokage thought it time to tell him who his father was and his mother, although not much is known of her. To say Naruto was surprised was an understatement, he was full out shocked but once he and sat down and thought about it, it made sense and with coming to that conclusion Naruto’s goal of becoming hokage was not as important as being able to protect his important people as his father had done.

‘I just hope no one is at the monument. I don’t feel like dealing with people right now.’ Naruto just sighed as he leapt from the roof dancing across the tops of houses like a shadow.

As much as Naruto wanted to be able to pay his respects in peace he was not so fortunate.

‘What are all these people doing here? I thought they would all be at the festival celebrating for good fortune.’ Naruto looked on from his perch high in the braches of one of the trees that surrounded the clearing where the monument stood. And there stood groups of people, there heads bowed in respect, facing the monument. Naruto thought to leave but he wanted to pay his own respects to people that he had lost, he was human after all and the pain of loss was just as strong. Jumping down from his perch, landing without a sound Naruto stood lifting his mask from his face and looked out amongst the groups till he spotted Sakura, Ino, Neji and Hinita. Figuring the villagers would at least let him mourn in peace he headed over to where his friends stood to join them. As he walked by the groups of people he noticed that some of them looked up when he passed by with disbelief in their eyes.

‘Why do they all look like they are surprised to see me here?’ Naruto thought as he continued to his friends.

And then he heard it, his answer.

“What is he doing here? What does he think he is doing cursing this sanctuary for those that have fought and died for this village?”
“What is that demon doing here?”

Naruto stopped walking and stood. He stood and looked up to the sky so as to not have to stare into the faces of those that seemed to think nothing of his humanity. Without stopping to think his hands moved in swift practiced movements and all that was left of his presence was a swirl of burnt orange leaves.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (Scene change)

Naruto stood in his living room staring out the window blankly. In a flash of barely seen yellow and a sudden cracking of glass Naruto stood right in front of that window, his fist having punched through the glass. Slowly bring his hand back in he watched with empty eyes as the glass fragments imbedded in his skin were pushed out and the skin healing leaving no mark behind.

“So much for my humanity….” Naruto went to his bedroom grabbed pen and scroll, sat down and wrote a note pouring what he thought was left of his soul. Finishing the letter he summoned a frog giving the frog the letter he turned to face the wall head held low.

“Take this to Sasuke, my rival, my friend a-a-a...and only true equal.” The frog was gone in a puff of green smoke. Naruto turned towards the door and left not even bothering to lock it as he soared from house to house not noticing the tears that ran down his checks leaving marks along his whiskered scars.


A/N: Well there you go the second chapter. Not as long as I had wanted it but it will do, the next one I am hoping will be longer and a little more action.