TITLE: Too Late

SERIES/PAIRING: Naruto; Naruto/Sakura

RATING: K

A/N: Warning- angst and anti-chapter 700.

I've never really been a NaruSaku shipper. If anything, they're a brotp for me. To be honest I shipped SasuSaku at the beginning, because Sakura's my favorite character and if she likes Sasuke then so be it, even if her constant 'Sasuke-kun' annoyed me. I stopped when that hospital rooftop fight happened.

If you've read any of my other Naruto fanfics, you've seen that I usually pair Naruto with Hinata. They're not really an otp of mine, but I like the idea of Hinata's shy, introverted character paired up with the loud and bright and outgoing character of Naruto. However, as I've seen in the manga, if ever there was a pairing that would happen, I've always thought it would be NaruSaku. SasuNaru would have been possible if only if wasn't a Shounen Jump manga. I think NaruHina's cute, but all the parallelism and development between NS supported NaruSaku to the point of no contention (at least for me). I wouldn't get into why I find SS problematic as well. I wrote this for NS supporters, not to bash other pairings.

Why did I write this? Because the latest interview from Kishimoto saddened me. I felt really down after reading 700— too many problematic things happened and more questions were left unanswered and unjustified— but that interview just… ugh.

Anyway, this fanfic is for you, NaruSaku shippers. The journey was wonderful for your ship. You still have that, and of course fanon and fanart and fanfic.

"Too Late"

Oddly enough, it was the guy who was initially—and sometimes still— known as emotionally (and socially) clueless who confronted them about it.

Having just come home from a mission, Sai and his teammates were on a short break. As he had promised, he dropped by the hospital to have lunch with Sakura.

He found her reading a scroll in her office, her hair still pinned up.

"I have our food," Sai said with a smile.

Sakura welcomed him in, and Sai took a seat infront of her desk. It had been two and a half years after the end of the war, and in the past couple of months Sakura had been hard at work to earn the position as second-in-command of the Konoha general hospital. Their whole team was hesitant that Sakura would have to leave them to pursue her new goal, especially, as it was sudden and out of the blue, but they cheered her on nevertheless.

Sai handed a bento box to her, and Sakura accepted it gratefully. He wasn't the best cook, but Sai always made an extra effort to make the lunch packs beautiful and he never forgot to bring miso soup as well.

"Everything went well?" Sakura asked him. She slipped on a pleased smile as she opened her bento box's lid.

"Yes," Sai answered. "It was over fast. Hardly needed a team, to be honest."

"The others?"

"They're fine," Sai answered. "Naruto was bored with the mission, though he enjoyed the trip."

Sai didn't fail to notice the slight change in Sakura's expression. When Sakura caught him looking at her, she smiled— a smile he never thought he'd see again after the war, but it resurfaced recently. He didn't like seeing his friend like this, but he didn't know what to do. Even if he talked to her directly, there was nothing else they could do, really. She had made her decision, and now there was no taking it back.

"Sai?"

He sent her a smile, and she regarded him with suspicion.

"What is it?" Sakura asked.

Should he risk it?

"Sakura," Sai said. "How are you doing?"

His companion was confused, and she stared at him with furrowed brows until she realized what he just meant. She quickly looked away. She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped and shook her head instead.

"You never told him how you really felt," Sai said.

"It's too late, anyway," Sakura said.

"I could tell how you truly feel about him even before it was 'too late'," Sai said. "To tell the truth, I was half expecting one day you two will surprise us that you're already together all these time."

Sakura's hold on her lunch pack tightened, but she didn't say anything.

"Why didn't you say anything, Sakura?" Sai asked.

He was confused. He could clearly see how important Naruto was to Sakura. He knew how Sakura treated her friends, and she and Naruto shared a level of trust and intimacy that he couldn't compare with anyone else.

"No use dwelling on what could have been," Sakura's voice was clipped. "Let's just eat our lunch and talk about other things—"

"Why did you give up, Sakura?"

He knew he was stepping on her boundaries, but he just wanted to understand why his friend would give up on her chance for happiness with the person she loved.

Two untouched bento boxes in his hands, Sai decided to visit the person who changed his mind first.

Sakura didn't give him a clear answer, but based on her scattered rambling as she tried to push him out of her office she didn't want to hurt her friends.

Sai found Naruto in his apartment, eating a plastic cup full of instant ramen.

"That for me?" Naruto brightened at the sight of the lunch packs.

"Yes," Sai smiled at him. "May I come in?"

Naruto opened the door wider and led the way in. Sai took off his sandals and followed Naruto to the dining table. The apartment was a mess, and Sai could already imagine Sakura berating Naruto and dragging him by the ear to clean up while she helped.

It had happened so many times that it had become a routine whenever they'd drop by Naruto's place.

Naruto shouted out his thanks as Sai handed him his lunch pack and started digging in. Sai opened his bento, though he only watched Naruto as he finished half of his meal in just a few seconds.

He still hadn't touched his food as Naruto let out a burp and settled the now empty pack back on the table.

"So, what is it?" Naruto asked, looking at him curiously. "You must've come here for something else if you can't enjoy your food."

Sai set down his chopsticks. Sakura barely gave him any satisfactory answers and even kicked him out of her office. Would Naruto do the same?

"Naruto," Sai started. "Even after the war, you still felt the same for Sakura."

Naruto's expression changed, though he didn't move from his seat.

"Years ago you said you couldn't tell her how you feel for her because you couldn't keep your promise," Sai said. "But you've fulfilled that two years ago. Why didn't you tell Sakura anything?"

Naruto leaned back on his seat, his eyes dark and tired.

"Sakura-chan has been in love with Sasuke since we were little," he answered, his voice hollow. "I used to think that maybe, if I can grant her wish, she'd finally look my way. But when Sasuke was finally back, I realized… that was a stupid thing to expect. She's not obligated to get together with me just because I brought back the guy she loves."

Sai clenched his fists. "But Naruto—"

"It's too late, anyway," Naruto cut him off. "I'm with Hinata now. She's loved me all this time, just like how Sakura-chan loved Sasuke."

Sai got up to his feet. He has read that meddling with other people's relationships and affairs was rude and mostly unwelcome, but Naruto and Sakura were his first friends, and they were the ones who helped him understand bonds and emotions the most.

"Naruto," he said. "I have always thought you had more respect for people than that."

Naruto frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Hinata-san doesn't deserve a pity love," Sai said. "And for a guy who refused to give up, you never even tried. I'm disappointed in you, Naruto."

He knew he deserved the punches and kicks he received, and he didn't complain when he was thrown out through the window. But Sai refused to continue seeing his friends in pain and drift apart, especially when he knew that their feelings weren't one-sided.

He was risking his friendship with Naruto and Sakura, but he wouldn't be a real friend if he didn't help them even just a little.

Perhaps it wasn't completely 'too late' for them.

END