Well, I finally got off my lazy ass and decided to write the next chapter of a brief alliance. I kinda ran out of inspiration when I started my second story, but now I need to get away from that one and work on this one a little more. So yea, heres the next chapter! Enjoy!

Thanks goes to

Naughty sensei: yet again, she has read both my stories and review! My most loyal fan yet!awww…..i'm your faithful servant forever!

Crimson koibito: who I just realised has also read both my fics, so hugs for you too! Thanx for your review!

So those are the only reviews I got for this story so far……..oh well! I'm still glad you review! Plz keep reading! Love you all!

Disclaimer: Well, we all lnow it, and most of us are in terrible states of denial and mourning, but naruto doesn't belong to me, a fact which I'm still trying to deal with. At least no one can sue me now…….

Warnings: violence, swearing, and love. That's right, love. Shounen ai, to be more specific. Can't say I didn't warn you….but there's also girlxboy as well (whats the Japanese term for het couples anyway? Can anyone tell me?) Anyway, moving on…..here's chapter two!

Oh and by the way, there's going to be song lyrics included randomly because I love song lyrics and poems- a strange obsession I know, but there you go!


Chapter 2: Daunting prospects

Life it seems, will fade away

Drifting further every day

Getting lost within myself

Nothing matters, no one else

I have lost the will to live

Simply nothing more to give

There is nothing more for me

Need the end to set me free

Jiraiya puffed on his pipe again, before meeting Naruto's eyes squarely.

"The Akatsuki are on the move again. The time we've been waiting for has finally begun" he mused quietly.

Naruto absorbed this, not really shocked at all. It had been years ago that Itachi and his partner had come for him. After Sasuke had left, Jiraiya had explained about that dreaded organization, and more specifically, why they were after him. The expected attacks had not come. Information sources had been wrong it seemed; they had never attacked after three years of waiting. Either that or the Akatsuki had discovered the leak, and decided to wait. It was not important though.

"Does Gaara of the sand know?" Naruto asked Jiraiya.

"He does. It was his village which informed us of their emergence." Was the answer.

"Why didn't they tell me?"

"I suppose it's because they want to confirm for themselves before getting you involved. It could be a false alarm of course."

"That or they still don't trust me." Naruto paused. "You sound as if you don't agree with them?"

"That's because I don't. I think you should have been told. Forewarned is forearmed. Or so they say. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to wait for orders. I have duties and responsibilities to attend to. I can't just desert them. Until then, I'd better fit some training in hadn't I?"

Jiraiya looked at him with a hint of sadness in his eyes.

"Awhile back you would've been the first to charge off looking for a fight, and a challenge." He commented.

Naruto stood up, a small smile tugging the corner of his mouth.

"Yeah, well, awhile ago, things were different. Thanks for the warning, ero-sennin." Was his reply before disappearing into the darkness once more.

Naruto dismissed his Anbu members from the long and tedious briefing. He rubbed his eyes, feeling a painful headache coming on. It had been a long, tiring day, and despite his exhaustion, he knew he would not get much sleep that night. His insomnia had not improved over the past week, but he hadn't expected his condition to go away anytime soon.

"Captain," a voice interrupted his thoughts and he looked up into Neji's pale eye.

"Why so formal Neji? We've been friends for years now and you know how I feel about this." Naruto said, running a hand through his messy hair.

"You are the Captain now, Naruto. You deserve the respect."

"You sound as if you disapprove of my being captain Neji." Naruto commented looking once more into the pale eyes.

Neji hesitated for the briefest of moments until deciding to explain himself.

"Its just that…I don't think you should be working so hard. You're not sleeping well and…"

"It's okay, Neji, I can handle it." Naruto said, smiling.

"To be brutally honest, I don't think you can. You're exhausted, mentally, physically, and…emotionally."

"You doubt me Neji? I hope you're not planning to have me removed?" Naruto said, joking half-heartedly and deciding to ignore Neji's prognosis.

"Naruto-kun. You know that I'm completely loyal to you, and I am happy to serve under you. But there's a reason why there has never been an Anbu captain as young as you before. I just don't understand why you're driving yourself so hard."

Naruto looked away out the window, as he felt the familiar tightness in his chest and the lump in his throat.

"Because there are people who depend on me Neji, and I won't let them down."

Naruto stood up.

"This is about that mission isn't it?" Neji asked, as if realizing something for the first time.

"What mission?" Naruto asked as he feigned indifference and turned away to clean the blackboard.

"With Sasuke. Isn't it about time you forget about him? Its been seven years, Naruto! You can't hang onto the past forever!"

Naruto stiffened when Neji said his name and turned around. His eyes were incredibly cold, reminding Neji of ice. These were words that Naruto had told himself, over and over again to no avail. He had tried so hard. It hadn't worked. Nothing had.

"I have forgotten him Neji."

I've forgotten what it feels like when he's around. I've forgotten his touch, his scent, his rare smiles. Yes I've forgotten. And I never realized until he was gone that I was in love with him. Too late…………

"No you haven't Naruto. Why do your eyes go so cold and angry when his name is said? Why do you never talk of him, and change the topic whenever people talk of him?" Neji asked gently, watching him.

Naruto swung on his black Anbu cloak, feeling cold and vulnerable. His throat was almost impossible tight, and memories were threatened to overwhelm him. If Neji hadn't been there he probably would've destroyed something. His tears had long since dried up. But his heart was still weeping at the loss. Great rivers of sorrow, which coursed through his soul, tormenting him.

"I'm speaking as a friend Naruto. It's for your own good." Neji continued. "He's not coming back. He is gone. Forget him, because he's certainly forgotten you."

"Shut up!" Naruto exploded, letting his anger take over for once. Those were the words he had not said to himself, the thoughts he'd denied for so long.

He's forgotten you………

"Just shut up!"

Naruto had Neji pinned against the wall now, gripping his clothes so tightly his fist were shaking and white. Hot venom flooded through his body, his gut clenching painfully.

"You don't know what you're talking about! You will never know what its like so don't act like you do!" Naruto hissed.

"But it's the truth and we both know it," Neji whispered, softly, his eyes gentle and sad. A fist made his head slam against the wall, and he slid down to the ground groggily. Those pale, all seeing eyes looked up at an irate Naruto, as he trembled with rage.

"Look at you. This is not the reaction of one who's in control Naruto." Neji said as he sat up and held his throbbing jaw.

Naruto felt his rage dimming and receding, leaving him empty and drained. He turned towards the door, placing his mask in place.

"You can't hide behind that mask forever, Naruto, nor can you keep running." Neji told him, standing at last.

"What am I supposed to do, Neji? What am I supposed to do?" Naruto whispered dully, disappearing out the door.

He ran. And he kept running. He ran as if he could escape his past, s if he could leave it all behind through the simple act of running. He ran until his heart pounded painfully, his breath rasped dryly in his lungs and his muscles begged for mercy. He ran until he could run no further.

Things are not what they used to be

Missing one inside of me

Deathly lost, this can't be real

Cannot stand this hell I feel

Emptiness is filling me

To the point of agony

Growing darkness taking dawn

I was me but now he's gone

Finally, he collapsed in the middle of a clearing, the silence enclosing all around him. Neji's words would not leave him. They would not stop echoing in his mind. He knew Neji was right. In his heart, he knew. But how was he supposed to move on? How was he supposed to leave it all behind when such a large part of his life was missing?

Breathing harshly, he rolled onto his back and stared up at the sky. Clouds were gathering. It would rain tonight, he realized.

Now that he had stopped running, he began to shiver as his body cooled down.

Was he making a big deal out of nothing? Was he being melodramatic, or was it really that easy to forget? To move on?

Maybe……..maybe, he didn't have to forget. He had people he cared about, and people who cared about him. He had close friends, almost an adoptive family. He had a job, an important one he enjoyed the majority of the time.

Naruto blinked, as it all began to fall into place. He had been trying to find a replacement for Sasuke, something to fill the void which he had left behind. But there was no one like him, and there never would be again. There was no point in trying to replace him. It was impossible. He had his memories of him, the times they'd shared. No one could take them away. Remembering would not bring him back- nothing would. But that didn't mean he his life was completely empty, much less over. He had his duties, and he had his friends. That would be enough for now. He had by no means found a way to move on. The pain was still there, and the sorrow. But perhaps, if he was patient enough, a solution would come to him. If he concentrated on the little things right now, and not think about the past, it would help a little and he would learnt to cope, to live with the pain. It bought nothing but trouble if he constantly lived in the past. It brought too much pain. It was too troublesome.

Naruto smiled slightly. I'm starting to sound like shikamaru.

He was a fool. He had been ignoring all the good things he had, and the offers of comfort from other so he could wallow in self pity and memories. He'd been holding onto a ghost, a wisp of smoke which had long since been lost to the wind.

Sitting up, he shivered again, the cold wind chilling him through. He should get back. Dark was falling and a drizzle was falling, coating everything in dampness. He needed to find Neji and appologise. And to thank his friend for bringing him to his senses and making him see the truth.

Naruto looked up at the sky and squinted to stop drizzled getting into his eyes. Now, how to get back to Konoha? He'd run so fast and far that he'd gotten himself lost. Typical. Sighing he picked a direction and started off.

Naruto had gone straight home once reaching Konoha and had taken a quick shower and changed into a clean set of clothes.

Now, he was at the door of Neji's house on the Hyuuga estate.

Hanabi, Hinata's younger sister and Neji's cousin opened the door and blinked at him in surprise. Naruto smiled at her. He knew her well, seeing as two of her family were among his closest friends.

"Hi hanabi. Is Neji here?" he asked

"He's not here at the moment. He came home a short while ago then left again. Said something about a dinner?" Hanabi said, scrunching up her face in thought.

Dinner? What dinner? Wait………Sakura said something…No! Sakura and lee are having a dinner tonight! Some announcement or something. I remember now! I wasn't going to go, but I think….maybe I will. I'd like to see them all. Its been awhile.

His mind made up, he smiled at Hanabi and wished her a goodnight before dashing off.


Phhewww! Another chapter done! There you go! Imight actually post another one tonight. Who knows? The song I used in this chapter is Fade to black by Metallica. A great song and I will tell you the names of all the other songs when I use them, so if you like the lyrics you can download them yourself. I do that all the time! Anyways, Hope you enjoyed! Reiview!