Hello everyone! A huge thanks to everyone who favorited, followed, and, especially, reviewed. I really appreciate it and it keeps me motivated to write. I hope you continue to enjoy the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Rated M for mature, dark, and sexual content.

Too Little Too Late

Sakura slowly and painfully walked down the streets of Konaha, her bare feet trudging through mud and puddles as she went. The blossom haired kunoichi's head hung low, her silky locks hiding her face from the pelting rain as she gradually made her way through the village.

"Where should I go?" she thought to herself wretchedly. "I can't see my parents just yet, I'm not ready to explain what happened. Kami knows I can't stay with Ino, she'd question me all night, not to mention spread the news around the village like wild fire. Kakashi-sensei would probably be so disappointed, I can't see him either…" Sakura swallowed thickly, her throat constricting against her will as she steadily made her way through the pouring rain, thunder still rumbling overhead.

"I…I really need Naruto," she inwardly whimpered, yearning for the comfort of her always loving and faithful teammate. "He's been seeing Hinata lately though…would it be wrong to go to him now?" Sakura worried, biting her lip as she raised her head to the sky, as if the dark, tumultuous clouds somehow had the answer. She stood there for a moment, alone in the pelting rain, thinking on what she should do now that she no longer had a home of her own. Finally, she clenched her jaw and forced herself to walk forwards through the flooded streets, her bare feet splashing in dark puddles with each step.

"I don't know if it's wrong, and I don't care" Sakura thought grittily, picking up her pace until she was slowly running. "I'm going to be selfish tonight."

…..

Naruto sat at his small dinner table, papers spread all over the wooden surface in a cluttered mess. Pens, ink, and textbooks were scattered all about his feet, evidence that although he was maturing, he hadn't yet broken his messy habits. He was trying to study how to assign missions, handle finances, and other tedious tasks the Hokage was required to preform, but he just didn't excel at these things. He had been staring at the paperwork for hours, barely making any progress, much to his frustration. The blond man turned his head to look at the clock on his oven, the green numbers slightly blurred in his tired eyes.

"It's after two already?" he grumbled, rubbing his eyes with the palms of his hands. He turned back to look at the papers before him, their black writing all a blur. "I'm never going to get this…"Naruto said dejectedly, resting his head heavily on the table. After a few moments had passed the former jinjuriki sat up quickly, his senses on high alert. His crystalline blue eyes narrowed as he sensed someone approaching his door, preparing himself for possible confrontation. However, he quickly lowered his defenses as the person drew closer, recognizing their all too familiar chakra signature. A soft knock sounded from the door and, with a start, Naruto scrambled up from his table and made his way to the source of the sound. Swiftly grabbing the handle with his bandage covered hand, Naruto opened the door.

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto said softly, confused by the sight before him.

Sakura stood outside of his home, completely drenched, and looking absolutely and utterly lost. Her hair hung in wet ringlets, framing her lovely, pale face that now held a look of complete betrayal. Normally glittering green eyes were replaced by dull, lifeless orbs, so different from what they were before. Naruto's eyes scanned her entire frame, taking in her red-rimmed eyes, grimacing mouth, her arms cradling herself, her bare feet.

"What happened, Sakura-chan?" he asked hurriedly, grabbing her by the arms and pulling her into his home. Naruto held her by the shoulders and looked her over for injuries, and upon finding none, gently grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up at him. Shimmering emerald eyes rose to meet his gaze, and Naruto's heart seemed to stop for a moment. Sakura's face held so much hurt and sorrow that he was at a loss for words. It had been a very long time since he had seen her so beaten down, and when he had it had to do with their third teammate.

"Is it Sasuke…?" Naruto prodded softly, attempting to find the source of his beloved teammate's pain. Sakura was quiet for a moment, then inhaled a shaky breath, her whole body trembling.

"Naruto can we…can I stay here for the night? I just really need somewhere to rest and I…" he voice trailed off softly as she averted her gaze to the floor. The whiskered man frowned, drawing Sakura in for a strong embrace, not caring that she was soaked to the bone.

"Of course, you know you're always welcome here. You should shower and get warm while I set up a bed for you" he told her, and she mutely nodded in response against his chest. Pulling her away and grasping her by the shoulders, Naruto looked into her eyes.

"I won't ask tonight, but tomorrow morning I really need you to tell me what happened. I can't stand to see you like this," Naruto commanded firmly, his gaze not wavering as he stared into her large, jade eyes.

"Thank you, Naruto," Sakura replied softly, a minute smile gracing her lips for a moment. The blond smiled half-heartedly in return and ushered her down the hall.

"You know where the shower is and I'll give you something to sleep in. My bed is a wreck, so you'll probably be more comfortable on the couch…"Naruto explained, slightly embarrassed.

"Naruto…" Sakura said softly as the two came to a stop by the bathroom "Thank you," she said, gently grasping his hand. Naruto smiled thinly, and nodded, watching her enter the bathroom and slowly close the door. As soon as he heard the door click, the blond's smile quickly faded.

"Something is terribly wrong with Sakura-chan…."

….

Sakura showered slowly, savoring the rush of hot water rolling over her cold skin. At some point she heard the door open then quickly shut as Naruto left clothes for her on the counter.

Sighing, the rested her head in her hands as the steaming water rushed over her, feeling completely overwhelmed.

"He's too kind to me…" she whispered softly into her palms.

When she finished cleansing herself, Sakura stepped out and dried off with one of Naruto's mismatched towels, taking her time to rub herself slowly and softly. She savored the feel of the fuzzy cloth on her silken skin, its feather-soft touches comforting her as s he dried. Looking around, she spotted a small pile of poorly folded clothes resting on the sink. A small smile crossed her face as she reached out and grabbed the provided linens, unfolding them to see what she had been given.

Naruto had provided her with a very large white t-shirt with the red Uzamaki crest on the back and a small pair of baby blue boxers. Sakura gave a little chuckle in spite of herself as she pulled the undergarments over her legs, loving how relaxed her relationship with Naruto was. He was her closest and dearest friend, no question.

Donning the shirt, Sakura stepped out into the hallway, her feet treading lightly on the floor. When she entered the living room, she spotted Naruto seated at his table, a pen in hand as he furiously scribbled away. Turning her head, she saw the couch and made her way towards it, her eyelids growing heavier with each step. She lifted the blankets Naruto had draped over the sofa and let herself fall onto the cushions, quickly being enveloped in the soft material. As soon as she cocooned herself within the blankets Sakura was fast asleep, both physically and emotionally exhausted. Her sleep was heavy and deep, so she couldn't have felt the light caress of bandaged fingers on her check as she dreamt.

…..

Sakura swallowed thickly as she prepared herself to reveal to Naruto the events that had occurred the night before. He sat next to her on the couch, dressed in a pair of black sweatpants, a white t-shirt, and a grim frown. The morning sun shone softly through curtained windows, its warm light enveloping the two as they sat together on the couch. Sakura sat in the middle of the sofa, blankets still wrapped around her legs, as if shielding her from the outside world. He slender hands grasped a mug of coffee as it sat in her lap, the burning black liquid sending constant wisps of steam rolling upwards to caress her face in soft waves.

Naruto sat beside her, half slouched against the arm of the couch, one hand hanging off of the side. His legs were spread with both feet flat on the floor, one knee almost brushing against Sakura. Almost, but not quite. The blond was being very careful to be comforting, while also giving Sakura space. He attempted to feign being totally relaxed, as if the situation was normal, but his frowning face gave away his concern.

Shoulder's heaving with a heavy sigh, Sakura took a deep breath.

"Last night I came home from a mission two days earlier than expected," Sakura began, hands tightly gripping the coffee mug as she spoke. Naruto's only reaction was a slight stiffening of his shoulders, so Sakura continued.

"I entered the house and took off my gear, trying to be as quiet as possible. I knew Sasuke was scheduled to be home, and I didn't want to wake him," Sakura whispered quietly, her grip steadily intensifying on the small cup, causing the contents to ripple.

"I was exhausted after my mission and I just wanted to sleep…I was so tired…I almost fell asleep on the couch, but decided to go join Sasuke in bed," she said, with a small, sarcastic smile on her lips. Naruto's brow furrowed with confusion, but didn't interrupt his friend.

"As I prepared to go upstairs I heard…noises…" Sakura whispered, her knuckles turning white as she clenched the coffee mug tighter, the liquid rippling violently within it.

"…What noises?" Naruto asked after a long pause, leaning in a bit closer to his teammate, hands gripping his knees.

"I heard a woman moaning," Sakura ground out, her jaw clenching as she relived the previous night, her mental wounds still very fresh . Naruto inhaled sharply and sat back, his mouth curling into a slight snarl.

"No…" he growled, slowly shaking his head.

"Yes," Sakura spat, her emerald eyes glittering with anger. "I forced myself to go upstairs and I found him having sex with another woman, in our bed!" Sakura cried, the coffee mug finally shattering within her hands, spilling the burning liquid onto her pale skin. Naruto gasped and quickly grabbed her hands in concern, but Sakura was already pooling healing chakra into her palms, her burns and cuts already being mended. Naruto sat back with a soft sigh, still holding her hand's within his.

"Ha, sorry…I overreacted," he explained sheepishly. Sakura looked at him for the first time all morning, giving him a sad smile. Sighing, she continued her story.

"He was having sex with that red haired woman, Karin. I confronted them and asked how long he had been having the affair. Sasuke tried to comfort me, but I refused to listen, of course. Then he told me he had been seeing her for eight months," she said venomously, her anger building within her with each word she spoke.

"Sakura, I-"

"Eight months, Naruto!" Sakura interrupted, hot, angry tears spilling out onto her cheeks as she ripped her hands out of his. "I've been living at that damned house by myself for over a year, just waiting for those few nights I could spend with him! I've been alone, just waiting and he…and he was spending his nights with her! I…I am his wife and he can't even…Oh, fuck him!" the furious kunoichi finished, her chest heaving with emotion as she wrapped her arms around herself.

Naruto let her calm down for a moment, then, yearning to comfort her, gently touched her shoulder. After a few moments Sakura's breathing evened out, and she slowly sat up, taking a deep breath.

"I can't live like this anymore," she whispered lowly, staring at the floor. "I left the divorce papers on the counter early this morning…and I already signed."

Naruto's blue eyes widened in complete shock as Sakura's words washed over him. To be perfectly honest, the blond hadn't even noticed she had snuck out this morning, and if he had he never would have guessed that it was to get divorce papers. This went against everything he knew about his friend's feelings.

"You're…leaving him? But Sakura-chan…you love-"

"Yes…yes I do…I did…but I can't live my entire life waiting for him and forgiving him for everything he does. I won't do it. I deserve to be happy too," Sakura said softly, raising her gaze to meet Naruto's, her crystalline eyes brimming with determination. Naruto swallowed and tried to take in what he had just heard. He watched as Sakura lowered her gaze and rose from the couch, still wearing his shirt as she walked away.

"I'm going to go to my parent's house to tell them what happened…I'll probably be staying with them for a while. At least until I can get my own home," she called over her shoulder, addressing the confused man on the couch. "I'll come talk to you later tonight…if that's ok," she said tentevily, turning so she was once again facing him. Naruto could only nod mutely, still too shell shocked to form coherent sentences. Smiling Sakura turned and continued down the hall, only to stop and turn back for a moment.

"And Naruto…thank you," she called softly. Turning on her heel, Sakura then continued down the hall to retrieve her clothing.

Naruto could only sit there on the couch in shocked silence, suddenly fascinated by the way the Uzamaki crest looked on Sakura's back.

…

"She's divorcing you?"

Sasuke's mouth twitched with irritation as he silently starred at the papers on the table before him, fingers laced together in front of his mouth. The red headed woman in front of him smiled and laughed, bouncing energetically around his kitchen.

"Sasuke-kun, this is perfect! You don't need to keep up this façade anymore! Just sign the papers and we can be together officially," Karin purred, taking off her glasses and leaning over the table, fully exposing her chest through her low cut shirt.

"You shouldn't be here. She may return," Sasuke replied lowly, completely ignoring his mistress as she attempted to grab his attention. Huffing, Karin straightened and sauntered around the table, encircling her arms around the Uchiha's neck.

"You don't need to worry about her, Sasuke-kun," she whispered against him, her tongue lightly gracing the outer shell of his ear as her hands roamed the expanse of his chest through his shirt. "You only need to worry about me."

"You need to go," Sasuke said stiffly, his eyes still fixated on the papers before him. Karin sat up agitatedly and pushed her glasses back onto her nose.

"Fine. You'd better come see me tonight," she chided as she promenaded out of the room. Upon hearing the door slide closed, Sasuke let out a heavy sigh and sat back in his chair. He sat there, alone, in the heavy silence of his house trying to wrap his mind about what was happening.

"She's…not serious about this, is she?" he pondered to himself, still in a slight state of shock. He sat there at his table until he lost track of time, the hours passing slowly, the sun continuously setting. He just couldn't seem to rip his eyes from the papers that were spread before him.

Suddenly, the raven haired man heard the front door slide open, then closed. "I told Karin to leave. Why must she keep hanging around?" he growled inwardly, preparing himself to send her away once again. However his anger was quickly replaced with surprise when his wife walked into the room.

Sasuke's onyx eyes widened slightly as Sakura strode in wearing her usual red dress and black heels, the now evening sun shining on her porcelain skin. However it wasn't her clothing that surprised him, it was the expression she was wearing.

She looked at him with a look of absolute contempt and disdain, with no sign of adoration or love. Swallowing, Sasuke straightened his back, and looked into her sparkling jade eyes.

"Would you like to discuss what happened last night?" he asked coolly, gesturing to the chair across from him. However, Sakura simply leaned back against the wall and curtly shook her head, pink hair swaying as she did.

"There is nothing to discuss. You were cheating on me, I caught you, and I'm divorcing you. End of story. Have you signed the papers?" Sakura replied evenly, her crystalline gaze never leaving his.

Sasuke sat at the table for a moment, fingers once again laced in front of his mouth, hiding his grimace. His eyes searched hers for some trace of hesitation, regret, need. Yet all he found was deep resentment hiding in her emerald pools.

"She's serious about this…" Sasuke realized, his whole world being turned on its head. He quickly changed tactics, suddenly, inexplicably needing her to stay.

"You won't get the house or any of the money. If you leave you are no longer a member of the Uchiha clan," Sasuke persuaded, resting his hands on the table. "We can work through this, it will be fine. You don't want to end this marriage." Sakura starred at him for a few moments with an unreadable expression before giving a short laugh and a shake of her head. She stood from the wall and walked towards him, stopping as her thighs touched the table.

"Uchiha Sasuke, you know nothing about me. Do you think I give a damn about the money, your name, this house? I don't. All I ever wanted from you was affection, and you see where that got me. Now, all I want from you is to sign these papers," Sakura coldly stated, leaning onto the table so she was looking down into his miss-matched eyes. He met her gaze evenly, not wavering for a second. The two ninja remained like that for a few moments before Sasuke slowly stood and walked around the table, towering over Sakura. His hair fell and covered his Rinnegan, but his still visible eye bored into hers.

They stood chest to chest for a moment, with nothing but silence between them. Suddenly the raven-haired man swiftly grabbed Sakura around her waist, thrusting her onto the table, his hips wedged between hers. Her back hit the tabletop with a loud bang, pink haired splayed about as Sasuke leaned over her, hands slamming down on either side of her head. They stared into each other's eyes for a fraction of a second before Sasuke crushed his lips onto hers, grinding his hip roughly against her as he pressed forwards onto Sakura.

"You will not leave me," he growled inwardly, grabbing a fistful of her soft, blossom colored locks as his lips plundered hers more aggressively. Then, in an instant, Sasuke was hurled to the side as Sakura's palm collided with his cheek, sending him staggering. He hissed through his clenched teeth, a hand lightly caressing his burning jaw as he hit a wall. He looked back at his assailant and his heart skipped a beat when he saw the look of pure fury across his wife's face. Sakura had always been one to wear her heart on her sleeve, so there was no question as to what she was feeling, especially when she was angry.

Sasuke stood slowly, still rubbing his face where she had struck him, slightly out of breath from their kiss. Sakura rose from the table, her entire body trembling with fury as she strode towards him.

"What the hell gives you the right to touch me?" she growled lowly, jabbing a gloved finger in his direction, her chakra flaring menacingly.

"You're my wife," Sasuke responded quietly, his voice not quite as emotionless as usual. Sakura straightened and starred back at him, her mouth opening, then quickly closing. Her anger transitioned into something the Uchiha couldn't quite read, something that frightened him.

"You should have remembered that when you were defiling our bed with her," Sakura whispered harshly, her voice reverberating with emotion. For a moment a genuine look of hurt and regret flashed over her features, giving Sasuke an inkling of hope that he could still persuade her.

"Sakura, you're right. I'm sorry, I sh-"

"Stop…just stop," Sakura interrupted quietly, turning her head to the side, no longer able to meet her estranged husband's gaze. Sasuke sensed her swelling emotions and took a step towards her, only to have her back away, still refusing to look at him. Sasuke stopped and felt a slight pang in his chest at being rejected so harshly by his lover, who was clearly in a highly emotional state.

"Sakura…" he whispered, his voice almost seeming to be pleading.

"Please…just sign the papers," Sakura whispered, her voice wavering as she swiftly turned and left the room, pink hair whirling as she went. Sasuke saw that she quickly set something on the counter before rushing out. He stood in his now empty kitchen, feeling a strange pain in his chest, one he couldn't quite describe.

Swallowing he slowly made his way to the counter, hand gripping his shirt tightly where the pain was throbbing from within him. As he grew closer and closer, something glinted in the fading sunlight coming in through the curtains, sending a chill down the Uchiha's spine. Finally, he reached the counter and looked down at the object sparkling against the black marble surface. Sasuke inhaled a sharp breath through clenched teeth as his hand gripped his chest, the pain suddenly intensifying.

There, shining in the light of the rapidly fading sunset was Sakura's engagement ring, accompanied by a small golden wedding band. Sasuke recoiled from the small rings and fell heavily against the wall, hand still clenched over his chest as realization finally dawned on him.

"She's gone…" he whispered to his empty house, his voice seeming to echo throughout the vacant halls.

…..

Sakura ran home, quickly wiping away stray tears as she gasped for breath.

"It wasn't supposed to happen like this!" she lamented as she dashed into her parent's house, rapidly ascending the stairs and slamming her bedroom door closed. She stood there with her hands covering her mouth, emerald eyes wide as her back hit the door. Hearing her husbands pleading voice and seeing his pained expression had truly shaken Sakura to her core, almost making her lose her resolve.

"I don't understand, what's wrong with me?" she questioned as she sank to the ground, resting her forehead on her knees. "Why won't he just cooperate? He obviously isn't interesting in a marriage." Sakura groaned, heaving a heavy sigh.

"Well, I did it. The pain will go away eventually…I'll be okay after a while. I'll be okay," she told herself, a small smile tugging at her lips as she thought of never being unhappy because of Sasuke again. Proudly, she sat up and wiped her eyes with the palms of her hands, her smile growing wider.

"I don't need him."

Sakura was so absorbed in her emotions that she never realized she was being watched by a dark entity just outside of her home.

….

Hello everyone! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know it's a bit short, but this is where I wanted to end it. Yes, there will be NaruSaku moments, but ultimately that will not be the pairing, so don't fret. Next chapter things will be picking up and taking a darker turn, so you are forewarned.

Feel free to leave a review, tell me what you think, or shoot me story ideas. I always love hearing what you have to say!