We are in the Prime of Your Youth

Summary: Sometimes Kiba wonders when everyone got so old? When did the village start smelling so awful? Why did everything have to be so damn serious.

A/N: Takes place in the future, past where manga is. Not many spoilers. No real yaoi, none at all really. I don't own anyting except the poem at the end soo don't sue me! Inspired by Indigo's Ocean who is the love of my life. Period.

Read and Review.

--The water is warm,
but its sending me shivers.
A baby is born,
crying out for attention.
Memories fade,
like looking through a fogged mirror
Decisions to decisions are made and not fought
But I thought,
this wouldn't hurt a lot.
I guess not.--MGMT

Sometimes Kiba finds himself shocked by just old Naruto seems, looks, feels, smells, is getting (they all are). Its almost un-noticeable. Almost. Something only seen between the blinks of his eye.

It's a quick flash of the steam from the noodle bowl rising, illuminating well hidden reddened eyes, bags, frown lines. Traces of sorrow only felt in the lonely nights.

Naruto laughs and grins boyishly, his scars stretching across his face and for a moment they resemble the smiling jaws of a wolf.

In this light Naruto looks like he's always looked, like he should look, like they were back in grade school when Kiba had punched Naruto in the face because…well he could. Then anyway. Now if Kiba's honest with himself, he's a little afraid of Naruto. Not enough to stop being his friend but definitely enough to stop hitting him in the face because its Tuesday.

Kiba supposes that's apart of growing up. Like getting taller and your voice getting deeper and everything you knew suddenly feeling the smaller. The smell.

Kiba can't help but notice it. Naruto smells older. Every time they meet, Naruto smells more like despair, like desperation, like salty water, like exhaustion, like blood, like death and dirt and less like Naruto, less like a boy, less like his friend and more like a ninja—like everyone else who was also growing up.

Kiba kind of hates it. The smell. It burns his nose and he still hasn't gotten used to it. Probably won't ever get used to it (well hopefully anyway). Its everywhere, permeating everything.

"Kiba are you even listening?" Naruto's face is scrunched in aggravation and Kiba rolls his eyes. Sometimes he's still just a child begging for attention (they all are really).

"Yeah, yeah" Kiba picks at his chicken and runs a clawed hand through his slightly knotted hair. It was in need of a trim. "What's with you? You seem…" Naruto trails, cocks his head to the side, his blue eyes looking for something. Its…uncomfortable.

Kiba flashes a quick grin, licking his teeth slowly and deliberately. "See somethin' you like blondie?" and Naruto blushes just as Kiba expected he would. "Asshole" they chuckle and Kiba takes a bite of his food, its getting cold. "But as I was saying, do you remember that time we set all those traps at Sasuke's while he was gone?"

Kiba bursts into laughter his eyes shut, almost howling. "Ha, yeah and then we convinced Neji to make the naked Itachi decoy…Sasuke's face, so fucking hilarious. Priceless." Naruto nods with tears running down his face, his noodles almost forgotten. Almost.

He pulls his third bowl over and begins chewing as their laughter subsides to small chuckles. "But you know, now that I look back at it was kinda mean." Kiba's laughter stops completely "Yeah but…" and Naruto shakes his head, puts his check on his palm looking very much like a little Tsunade "No. It was mean. Really mean."

And the smell is back. Stronger than ever.

Kiba thinks, this is what he hates most about growing up. The way things that used to be funny become just plain mean. Things that used to be jokes are suddenly touchy, hurtful, too personal and close to home.

Like with Sasuke. There was a time when, before Sasuke left so that he could feel complete and came back forgetting who he was, before when no one was dying or sad or desperate or reeking with that smell. Before when they were all young with both feet outside the grave and Sasuke would always walk by holding his nose ("you smell like wet dog Inuzuka") and Kiba would shove him gritting out a spiteful "sup fucking prince Uchiha" and it was funny, a joke—almost friendship.

Now they kinda just pass each other and try not to meet each other's eyes. There's too much. Too much stuff not said. Like 'I could have died because of you' or 'I was here for Naruto where were you?' And it too hard, too hurtful. Nothing can be said.

Not even "Sup fucking prince Uchiha" which used to be so funny and used to be a joke and Sasuke would shift his head up and sniff in his well practiced condescending way. But now, now he just holds his head low in shame. Like a king who no longer has his kingdom. It hurts so much, all too much.

There's a silence. A thick, pensive silence and Kiba wonders when Naruto and he changed so much, became so thoughtful. Strange.

"Well there was that one time right? With Chougi." Naruto gives a weak smile trying to change the mood. Kiba raises an eyebrow. "Which one?" They laugh. "The one when we put that exotic pepper from Ino's garden into his cake." They laugh, a little more subdued this time but the image of Chougi's red face was always hilarious.

"But Naruto" Kiba's voice is a little apprehensive "he vomited for two days after that. They almost had to pump his stomach." They stop laughing. Naruto sighs, deep and strained. "I miss Chougi." And Kiba shuts his eyes at the sudden and powerful desire to cry. Strange.

That was another thing. About growing up. They weren't invincible anymore. There was a time when missions were a guarantee, coming back was a guarantee. Getting hurt enough to need to go to the hospital was cool. No one was ever really hurt or gone—not forever. Nothing was permanent except for maybe a few really awesome battle scars.

No battle too big, no wound too deep, everyone guaranteed, lucky—untouchable. There was a time when despite how dangerous the red pills were no one noticed and no one cared and no one was worried when Chougi used them because there wasn't anything Tsunade couldn't fix.

But now things have changed and Chougi has been in a coma for four months and probably won't ever wake up, probably won't ever be a ninja anymore—all out of luck, as vulnerable as they come.

Kiba remembers when even just speaking about Chougi was enough to bring a smile to everyone's face, now they all want to cry. He remembers when it was funny to tease about Shikamaru and Chougi's bromance. Now its just sad.

Sad that Shikamaru doesn't watch clouds anymore. He says he used to look at clouds because he never knew what to expect , for once, he could be surprised…never a step ahead. But now he knows. All he sees, all he ever sees is Chougi. Always just Chougi with his broken and battered butterfly wings. Hopeless, Pointless.

"Oh Kiba I'm sorry I didn't" Kiba shakes his heads, wipes at his eyes "Don't fucking start apologizing Naruto. Its obnoxious. You didn't do anything."

An awkward silence rings, filled with Naruto's slurping as he works on his 6th bowl. "You know what was funny?" Naruto perks up, his eyes full with interest "That time when we put the pink dye…"

"In Neji's showerhead!!" Naruto finishes the sentence, his face pulled in a huge grin, the somber tone of the last moment quickly forgotten. He bounces and continues to grin.

"He was so pissed." Naruto nods in gleefully agreement. "And ha, ha do you remember him running out of the shower?!" Kiba's grin turns feral and full of enjoyment "Turned me on to guys that's for sure." Naruto blushes, and squawks in indignation "Pervert! We were only 14!"

"That's 6 years more than old enough." They laugh and Naruto kicks Kiba under the table in punishment. "And then he had to go to a family meeting!" Naruto slams his hand onto the counter, nodding vigorously "He ,ha, he was so mad. He was all dishonor and disgrace and stuff. Then you were like, you were like…"

Kiba barked at the memory "…yeah its your destiny Neji. Deal with it." Naruto wipes the tears from his eyes, catching his breath. "Hinata was a little mad though. She caught hell for letting him show up like that."

Kiba's face quickly turns stony. It was an unsaid thing that he and Naruto never spoke about Hinata. Never, ever. It was too much. Too hard. They had hated each other once, for awhile (maybe still somewhere). Kiba had been so mad, so angry at Naruto and his oblivious nature, his one track mind for Sasuke. So mad that Hinata could have easily had been killed—and for what? For Naruto?

Which in Naruto's mind was a better reason than for Kiba. Kiba, who had used Hinata, fucked her like he fucked everyone else. Fucked her over like he did everyone else (even himself) everyone and anyone except maybe Shino.

"Oh" Naruto's eyes widen in realization of what he's just said "I didn't mean to bring up, I mean I don't want you to …uh" and Kiba shushes him "Naruto. Let by gones be just that. It been too long, we're 19 now. Not kids anymore. Gotta let it go."

Naruto smiles softly "Alright, ok. Let it go. I can do that."

"You done eating yet?" Naruto shrugs "Almost" Kiba nods "Oh! Do you know the date?" Naruto grumbles in question "The date moron. My mom has this thing at the house and I think its on the 3rd but I don't know what day today is." Naruto mhms, wiping his mouth. "Its April 2nd, day after April Fools."

Kiba looks surprised for a moment "No shit? Man I didn't remember at all yesterday." Naruto shrugs pushing his final bowl away and placing money on the table . He begins to stand up "Don't sweat it. I think we're just too old now for that stuff."

Kiba glances at his watch and is momentarily surprised as Naruto pulls him into a quick hug goodbye. Kiba sighs, feels himself melt a little into the warmth, trying hard to find Naruto's scent (his friend's scent) the one that's spicy and lurking somewhere beneath all those layers—that smell. But he smells nothing. Nothing at all.

"Maybe your right." Naruto smiles a little waves casually and begins to leave the ramen stand. Really Kiba thinks Naruto is right: they are too old for that stuff (all stuff, any stuff). All of them just have always been—too old. There's no hope, the smell won't (can't) ever go away.

--I am the weaver

Spinning the tales of your youth

Of a generation that degenerated all too soon

For the price of your soul

Spun into flimsy gold—Falling Tears of Death