Chapter Text
Naruto wasn’t sure where he was going, exactly, but he’d seen the gate in passing and knew the maps of Konoha well enough for his feet to find their way to the neighborhood that smelled like ash and wood.
Kakashi’s apartment had been empty all week. No one had seen him or Sasuke for days. Even Sakura was suspicious of their “medical leave”, and she was usually right about that kind of stuff. Something weird was going on, and Naruto refused to sit idly by while half his team was missing.
Once he found the gate, he stopped dead in his tracks. The large wooden pillars adorned with fans loomed high, like a warning. Shinobi were already looking at him as he approached, watching his every move before he’d even crossed the border. Undeterred, Naruto kept his head high as he wandered through the streets of the Uchiha District.
The district was larger than he had expected. He tried to ignore the blatant stares and the window blinds snapping shut as people spotted him. He didn’t know where Sasuke lived exactly… He knew his dad was clan head… did that mean they lived in the middle?
Only a few blocks in, and someone stepped in front of him. A tall Uchiha with a police badge on his vest leaned over him with a deep frown set on his face. “State your business.”
“I’m looking for my teammate, Uchiha Sasuke,” Naruto replied with his chest puffed up. He wasn’t scared.
“Sasuke-kun, huh? Does Fugaku-sama know you’re coming to his residence?”
Naruto tilted his head. “Who?”
“Tsk. Get lost, demon child,” the officer barked.
Naruto stomped his foot and put his hands on his hips. “I’m not going anywhere until I see Sasuke!”
“Is there a problem here?” A different voice called from behind. Naruto spun around. A younger Uchiha, maybe twenty or so, stood with his hands in the pockets of his flak jacket and a bored expression on his face.
“Shisui,” the police officer greeted. “No problem. Just a nosy brat sniffing around the district.”
“Oh?” Shisui tilted his head and took a step closer to Naruto. “I don’t mind escorting him out,” the man offered.
“Oi, I said I’m not leaving until—“
“Yeah, yeah,” Shisui interrupted as he grabbed Naruto by the back of his jumpsuit, tinging the boy’s nose with the scent of charcoal as he was dragged up. “I heard you the first time.”
“Hey!” Naruto yelled as he thrashed, kicking his feet that now hung helplessly in the air. “Put me down!”
Shisui said goodbye to the other shinobi, paying no mind to Naruto as he dragged the squealing child away. “Quiet down, will you?” Shisui complained as he released Naruto suddenly enough to make him stumble. “You’re Sasuke’s teammate?” he asked.
Naruto dusted off his pants and snapped his head back up. “Yeah. He’s been out all week, and I wanna see him.”
“You’re worried about him,” Shisui assessed with a smirk.
“No!” Naruto exclaimed, a blush warming his cheeks. “I’m not worried! I just… I don’t believe what they’re telling us. Something isn’t right.”
Shisui considered him for a moment, then smiled. “You’re a smarter kid than they give you credit for, you know.”
Naruto frowned. Was that supposed to be a compliment?
“Sasuke isn’t here,” Shisui continued. “And before you ask—no, I don’t know where he is, and anyone who does wouldn’t tell you anyway.”
“Why?!” Naruto exclaimed. “Is he in trouble? Why is Kakashi-sensei missing too!?”
“Kakashi-san is out?” Shisui’s eyebrow shot up. “Interesting…” He squatted to meet Naruto’s gaze. “For how long?”
“I’m not telling you anything else until you tell me where Sasuke is.” Naruto crossed his arms.
Shisui had the audacity to laugh.
“I genuinely have no idea where he is,” he said, still chuckling. “But he’s not here, that I can assure you. So I suggest you leave soon, you’re drawing a lot of attention.”
“I didn’t do anything but walk down the street,” Naruto grumbled.
“Yeah, well, Uchiha aren’t exactly fond of outsiders wandering without escort.”
“So it’s fine if someone’s with me?” He asked, a grin breaking out on his face.
“Hold on, I didn’t say—“
“Can you please take me to Sasuke’s house. I just want to talk to his parents or his brother or someone who can tell me if he’s okay or not.”
“I just told you—“
“You don’t even know where he is! How can I trust you to know he isn’t here?”
“You can trust me when I tell you this: Fugaku-san is going to make you leave the moment you step on his porch. You’re not going to talk to his wife or his son.”
Naruto groaned. It was always the same. Everyone told him to get lost before they even heard him out.
“Would they talk to Sakura-chan?”
“Who?”
“Our other teammate, Haruno Sakura. I know everybody hates me or whatever, but maybe they’d talk to her instead? She’s worried, too.”
“Hmm…” Shisui rubbed his chin as though considering the proposal. “So you admit you are worried, then?”
“Gah!” Naruto covered his face with his hands. “That’s not the point! Are you gonna help me or not?”
“There’s nothing to help with, kid. Sasuke isn’t in danger. He just needs some time. You’ll see him again soon, and then you’ll feel so silly for trying to stalk his family.”
“I’m not stalking anybody! You’re the one who manhandled me,” Naruto grumbled. “You mean it? Like, you swear that you know for a fact that he’s okay?”
Shisui held Naruto’s gaze as he reassured him, “I know for a fact that he’s alive.”
“Is that really the best you've got?” Naruto complained.
“I’m not kept in the loop of his well-being, alright? He’s alive, and he’s not here. That’s all I know, and that’s all anyone here can tell you.”
Naruto narrowed his eyes. When Shisui made it clear he wasn’t phased, Naruto finally let out a sigh. “Okay, fine,” he relented. “I guess I’ll leave, then.”
“Good. And for the record,” Shisui added as he stood up. “Not everybody hates you, or whatever. I think you’re pretty alright. Thanks for caring so much about my little cousin.” Shisui ruffled the top of Naruto’s hair hard enough to leave it a mess before turning and walking away.
Naruto was glad Shisui didn’t look back, because his stunned expression left his mouth open and his feet locked in place until the jōnin’s back turned a corner.
“Sasuke’s family is weird,” Naruto muttered to himself and dragged his feet out of the district.
Sakura had every intention of putting the mystery to rest for the day. She’d spent every morning and evening since they went missing checking Kakashi’s apartment, and his neighbors were beginning to notice.
Everyone was making it seem like she was the crazy one for being worried, even though half of Team 7 disappeared out of nowhere. Yesterday, Asuma had asked her if she needed anything from the window of his own unit. When she explained she was looking for Kakashi, he simply shrugged and told her, “If he wanted to be found, he would be. He’ll show up eventually.”
Totally not helpful.
All that to say, she planned on taking the day off from thinking about it. Ino scheduled a girls’ day with Hinata and Tenten, and the four of them were going shopping. How Ino convinced Tenten to come, she had no idea, but the bigger the crowd, the better. Ino was usually nicer when others were around.
Sakura was looking forward to it. Really. Truly. Or… probably.
But Naruto had left her a note that morning saying he was going to the Uchiha District to look for Sasuke, and she couldn’t help but feel that it was a bad idea. She hadn’t bothered trying to stop him, though. Naruto was too stubborn to redirect once he’d made up his mind, and besides, part of her did want to know if he’d actually learn something.
“Back on track!” Inner Sakura reminded her. “We’re nearly to Ino’s flower shop!”
Right. Girls’ day.
As the only alpha in the group, Sakura had felt a little out of step with the other girls since her presentation. Ino, a very proud omega, had giggled and said she wasn’t surprised at Sakura’s alpha status. “You’ve always been a bit… aggressive,” she teased.
Hinata hadn’t presented yet, though Sakura was certain she was an omega, too. She used to smell like fresh linens, but the sweetness of honey was beginning to follow her now, and Sakura’s newfound instincts were lighting up like a wildfire every time she got too close.
Tenten hadn’t either, though Sakura was certain she was not an omega, since she smelled of cloves and ironwood. Sakura had hoped she’d present as an alpha, too, just to feel a bit less lonely. But it would have happened by now. She was probably a beta.
The flower shop sign, hand-painted and creaking in the wind with curly brass hinges, finally came into view.
Sakura had barely opened the door—the bell of the shop hadn’t even finished ringing when Ino jumped from behind the counter and yelled, “Sakura! Oh my gods, have you heard?” Ino gripped Sakura by the shoulders, flooding her nose with lavender and hints of sweet cream. “You better not have, because if you had heard, you would have told me yourself!”
Tenten rolled her eyes from where she was leaning casually against the counter. She had her arms crossed and an unusually serious look on her face.
“Ino,” Sakura addressed calmly as she pushed her friend two steps back. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Ino grinned and bit her lip, practically bouncing on her heels.
“Spit it out!” Sakura demanded.
“Sasuke is being courted!”
Sakura blinked. “Huh?”
“Sasuke,” Ino repeated, slower. “Is being courted. He was seen last night with an older alpha.”
Sakura opened her mouth to ask who, how, where, what, why, anything, but her jaw just snapped shut again.
“I’m so jealous!” Ino wailed dramatically, throwing her hand over her forehead. “The Uchiha clan is so traditional—pulling Sasuke off of duty for a proper courting! It’s so romantic…”
“We’re not positive that’s what happened, Ino,” Tenten added. “You’re also forgetting to mention the important part.”
“Oh, right!” Ino put her hands together and snapped her eyes back to Sakura. “The alpha in question.”
Sakura stiffened. She didn’t want to know. She had to know, and Ino wouldn’t spare her either way, but she braced against it. When Sasuke presented as an omega, Sakura spent several nights obsessively weighing how it affected her chances. Whether or not she could possibly be the kind of alpha he’d want.
She had no idea her dream would be ripped away so soon.
Ino bit her lip and waited just long enough for Sakura to get irritated again before blurting, “It’s Kakashi!”
What? Sakura blinked again. “What?”
“I know it sounds crazy—“
“Completely ludicrous.”
“—but they were seen on a date last night in the northern market. Kakashi had his arm around him, and they even ate together!”
“Who is telling you all this? How—I mean, Kakashi is our sensei, it’s not weird for them to be seen together—“
“Kakashi scent marked him! Sasuke was literally clinging to him!“ Ino argued.
“Again!” Sakura interrupted, her voice getting louder and more aggravated. “Says who?”
“Says Guy-sensei,” Tenten deadpanned.
“S-seriously?” Sakura stammered.
“Seriously,” Ino and Tenten replied in unison.
“He went on a whole rant about the beauty of youthful love,” Tenten explained with a bored tone, examining her nails absentmindedly. “And how happy he is that Kakashi won’t die alone. He was crying.”
“And!” Ino cut in, bouncing with enough excitement to make her ponytail swing. Truly, nothing got her going more than gossip. “It’s been verified through the civilian rumor mill. Some women came into the shop this morning, giggling about it. I’m lucky Tenten told me earlier, or I would have freaked out!”
“Tenten!” Sakura shouted. “You guys knew I’ve been worried sick about him for days. Why didn’t you tell me as soon as you knew he was okay?”
Tenten winced. “I’m sorry, Saku-chan, really! I wanted to tell you first. But I was worried how you’d take it. Also, I didn’t want to trust Guy without a fact-check. But Ino hearing the same thing from strangers kinda confirmed it… I figured it’d be better if we talked to you together.”
“Oh, Sakura,” Ino’s voice softened, her scent shifting to a light, soothing lavender that made Sakura’s shoulders drop. “I should have realized you’d take this hard.”
“I’m fine,” Sakura said sternly, though she wasn’t sure it was true. She rubbed her arm mechanically, trying to distract herself from the pit in her stomach. “I just hope this is what Sasuke really wants.”
“It does seem odd, doesn’t it?” Tenten added. “Sasuke doesn’t seem like the type to jump into a relationship as soon as he’s presented. And with his sensei? I mean… that’s kinda…”
“Messy?” Ino supplied. “Scandalous? Risky? Unbelievable, even?”
“All of the above, I suppose.”
Sakura groaned. “This can’t be happening!”
“You need a distraction,” Ino asserted. “Let’s get the shopping spree started, yeah? We can go anywhere you want, your pick!”
Sakura couldn’t hide the surprise in her expression. Ino rarely let others take the lead. “Alright,” Sakura agreed with a nod. “Let’s go to the textile store, then. I need a new kimono. Mine is too small.”
Ino shrieked in excitement and pulled Sakura by the wrist, dragging her out into the street. Tenten followed close behind.
“Where’s Hinata?” Sakura asked, not bothering to try to pull her arm from Ino’s iron grip.
“She couldn’t make it,” Ino replied, her tone dipping into a more serious register. “She's… under the weather.”
Sakura's eyes widened. Her nose was right, then. “I see.”
“We’ll have to take her out for a special treat when she’s feeling better!” Tenten said.
Sakura nodded in agreement, though her mind was still occupied with Sasuke and Kakashi.
Being seen together made sense. She’d already suspected they were out somewhere together, given they both disappeared at the same time. She expected a secret mission, something only the two of them could do.
She… hadn’t considered courting to be a possibility. She still didn’t want to believe it. Partly from blatant jealousy, which she was willing to admit to herself, but also, it just didn’t seem right. It frightened her to see Sasuke jumping into this so quickly. It seemed so out of character.
She’d never forget the way he sounded that night in the Land of Waves. He’d just nearly died fighting Haku, and even after everything they’d been through as a team, he still yelled at all of them to stay away from him while he was sobbing himself through pain. He had refused comfort from anyone.
Or, so she thought. Kakashi had spent more time alone with him than with her or Naruto. Maybe Kakashi had gotten through to him, somehow. It still seemed like such a stretch for Sasuke to choose him as a mate so soon.
Ino finally let go of Sakura's wrist once they were in downtown Konoha. The buildings narrowed, and the shopfronts blended into rows of boutiques, salons, and various specialty stores.
“Is this the one you wanted, Sakura?” Ino asked, slowing near a bright red door with gold koi fish painted on it. The window next to it had a mannequin wearing a highly decorated kimono with silver ornamentation over vivid, dark blue fabric.
“No, I’ve never been here,” she said curiously. “But it looks nice.”
Sakura opened the door for the other girls and stepped to the side. “Oh, thank you,” Ino said with a smile as she went in. Tenten followed suit with a nod as thanks.
The shop wasn't large, but every inch of it was occupied. Bolts of fabric climbed the walls nearly to the ceiling, and narrow aisles wound between crowded clothing racks.
Ino became quiet and focused, pulling different robes and holding them up to Sakura, then putting them back without comment. Tenten drifted to a section of hair ribbons and pins, leaving Sakura with Ino’s determination.
Sakura preferred it this way, anyway. She didn’t particularly like shopping. She enjoyed wearing pretty things, though, and was grateful to have a friend who loved to hunt for the prettiest thing she could find on a budget.
“We could go pink, obviously, but only if it's a cool pink because we can’t have it clashing with your hair. Or we could do a sage green to complement your eyes. You look great in red, but you always wear red, so I’d like to get something different… OH! We could try a soft yellow or orange to bring out your skin tone…”
Sakura blushed at Ino dropping a blatant compliment in the middle of her rant. She wasn’t sure Ino even noticed. Did she really look that good in red?
“This one!” Ino all but shouted. She held up a light orange kimono with white, gold, and magenta floral outlines.
Sakura gasped. “It’s beautiful…”
“Not yet, it’s not,” Ino said with a smirk. She pushed it into Sakura’s hands and nudged her towards the back of the store. “They have a fitting room, go try it on!”
The “fitting room” was a tiny cloth curtain along the back wall of the store. Sakura had to hold the wall while dressing, and had nowhere to place her other clothes but the floor. The kimono was a snug fit, hugging her waist but flowing generously at her legs and arms.
The moment her eyes landed on the mirror, she froze. She almost didn’t recognize herself. Even with no makeup on and her hair thrown in a casual ponytail, she looked good. The color was perfect. The warmth brought out the flush of her cheeks, her green eyes bright against the sunset shades of florals.
Sakura opened the curtain and caught Ino’s gaze just in time to see her eyes widen, and a smile creep onto her lips. “That’s it, Sakura!” She rushed forward with her hands clasped, squealing in excitement.
Tenten whistled from behind her.
Sakura grinned and spun around, catching her reflection again. She never thoguhy orange would look good on her. The shade was much lighter and softer than Naruto’s offensive jumpsuit, which was what she usually imagined when she thought of orange.
“Oh fuck,” Sakura blurted. “I forgot about Naruto!”
Ino’s smile fell as she took a step back. Sakura stumbled towards the fitting room, fumbling for her wallet from the discarded pile of clothes in the corner. She began frantically counting coins and bills and glancing at the price tag of the kimono.
“Don’t worry about it,” Ino said with a wave of her hand. “It was going to be my treat anyway.”
“What? No way, it’s too expensive—“
“You must not care that much about finding Naruto if you’re stopping to argue with me about this,” Ino replied, already on her way to the counter.
Sakura huffed, but didn’t bite back. She’d have to make it up to her later.
Bundling her clothes in a tight pile to her chest, she realized she should probably get dressed. She’d look crazy for wearing this out in town—
“Leave it! You’re wasting time. Besides, it’s cute!” Inner Sakura chimed.
“It really is pretty, Saku-chan,” Tenten said from behind, as though she could read Sakura’s mind. She’d been using that nickname more often, lately.
Sakura gave her a warm smile. “Thank you, Tenten.”
“Okay, here.” Ino handed Sakura the receipt. “Now go. So much for a full day of shopping.”
“Thanks, Ino. And, I’m sorry for bailing early. I’ll catch up with you guys again, I promise.”
Ino rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, good luck with your team drama.” She shoved Sakura towards the door with more force than expected.
Sakura waved goodbye one more time before taking off down the street.
Naruto decided to take his mind off of Sasuke for a bit. Or, tried to, at least.
That was why he was in Ichiraku in the first place. Teuchi had been giving him extra pork belly since Sasuke disappeared, always with a comment about how Naruto’s smile wasn’t the same. He was inhaling it with vigor when Iruka strolled in.
“Naruto,” he greeted cheerfully and slid into the seat beside him. “I should have expected to see you here.”
Naruto slurped up his noodles and grinned. “Iruka-sensei!” His smile fell quicker than usual. The ramen wasn’t distracting him as well as he’d hoped, and even seeing his teacher wasn’t enough to keep the concern off his face.
“What’s wrong?” Iruka asked just as Ayama brought out his usual and placed it in front of him.
“I’m just worried about Sasuke,” Naruto admitted. Now that Shisui had all but forced him to acknowledge that feeling out loud, the worry was consuming him. Vague reassurance from a stranger wasn’t good enough. Naruto needed to know where Sasuke was. “And Kakashi, too, I guess,” he added as an afterthought.
Iruka hummed. “I know it can be frustrating, not knowing what’s going on. I’m sure they’ll show up soon.”
Naruto slurped up another bite. Iruka seemed a little too calm. He was usually a worrywart about these kinds of things. Especially about Kakashi… Naruto frowned, turning his attention back to Iruka. “Do you know where they are, sensei?” he asked point-blank.
“Nope!” Iruka blurted just a little too quickly.
Naruto put his chopsticks down. “You’re a terrible liar for a shinobi, ya know that?”
“Perhaps. But only to my precious people,” Iruka admitted. “I don’t want to keep things from you, Naruto, believe me. It’s just… not my secret to tell.”
“Where are they? Are they okay? When are they coming back?” Naruto leaned closer with every question until Iruka was leaning back in his seat to keep their faces apart.
“Whoa, whoa, okay, calm down. They’re fine, I promise—”
“Oh, let me guess! ‘They’re fine, I just can’t tell you where they are. But I promise you they’re fine!’ Is that it?” Naruto mocked.
“Um… well, yes?”
Naruto groaned. Before he could argue again, the curtain behind them swung out so fast it felt like wind hit his face.
“Naruto!” Sakura exclaimed. She was out of breath, clutching her red dress to her chest. Was she in a kimono? An orange kimono?
Naruto’s eyes widened.
Her face was flushed, her brows furrowed. She hesitated once her eyes found Naruto’s, as though she’d lost the words she was about to say. Was she about to confess her feelings? Why else would she come looking for him in such a fancy outfit—his favorite color, no less.
His mind raced with a million possibilities of how this conversation could go. His crush on her had faded since they both presented as alphas. But she was still so pretty. Two alphas could be together, right? Did he really still like her that way?
“S-Sakura-chan,” he stammered. “You look.. I mean, you’re uh—”
“Never mind that, I have to talk to you,” she blurted quickly. “Hi, Iruka-sensei,” she added, and he gave her a small wave. She turned back to Naruto and slid into the seat on his other side. His eyes followed her, and she never broke eye contact with him. She swallowed and tapped her hands against the bar nervously.
“Is everything okay?” Naruto asked.
“Ino and Tenten told me… that Guy-sensei saw Sasuke and Kakashi last night at the northern market.”
Naruto sat up straighter. “Really? They’re in the village?” That pivot felt like whiplash. Not what he was expecting. At all. But, good news was good news.
She nodded slowly, her brows knitted together tightly.
“That… is good, isn’t it?” he asked, confused by her serious expression.
“I don’t want to believe this part is true,” she said, her voice softening. “But… they said that Kakashi scent marked him, and they were… close. Like, closer than a teacher should be. Ino thinks Kakashi is courting him.”
Naruto tilted his head. “What’s courting?”
Sakura rolled her eyes so hard it looked like she was passing out. She sighed and pinched her nose, but before she could respond, Iruka chimed in.
“Courting is an old-fashioned tradition where an alpha publicly spends time with an omega before mate bonding,” he explained. “It’s not practiced much anymore.”
“What?” Naruto was nearly yelling at Sakura. “Kakashi-sensei is… You’re saying they’re a couple?!”
Iruka coughed awkwardly and let his chopsticks fall into his bowl. He cursed under his breath.
Naruto’s head snapped back to him. “Is this true?” he asked. “Iruka-sensei, tell me she’s got it wrong. There’s no way Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke would… There’s just no way, right?”
Iruka made a point to avoid Naruto’s gaze as he fished his chopsticks from the broth and wiped them down with a napkin. “I wouldn’t know anything about that, Naruto.”
“Ugh! You’re still such a bad liar!”
Sakura stood up abruptly and sprinted to Iruka’s other side. She slammed her palm on the table next to his bowl and leaned close. “Tell us what you know, sensei.”
Iruka swallowed, and a single bead of sweat fell down his temple. Naruto was amazed that Sakura was able to make the chūnin nervous.
“I’m under no obligation to share anything with you, Sakura. Or you!” He turned to look at Naruto, then back to his bowl. “If they were seen at the market together, then that means they are safe. That’s what you really wanted to know, wasn’t it?”
Naruto opened his mouth, then closed it again. “I guess you’re right,” Sakura said as she took a step back, her hand falling from the bar.
“I just don’t understand why Sasuke would choose this so soon. He hasn’t exactly had an easy time accepting his gender,” she vented, using that tone she saved for thinking through a problem out loud. “And why would Kakashi-sensei do this? Surely he must know this looks really bad.”
Iruka nodded thoughtfully. “It makes sense you’d want your teammates to make good choices.”
“There’s no way this is a good choice,” Naruto complained. “Kakashi is old. He’s our teacher for fucks sake—“
“Language,” Iruka interrupted, though his voice didn’t carry the same authority as usual.
“Sorry,” Naruto mumbled. “But seriously, Sasuke is good-looking enough to have any alpha he wants, and he ends up with Kakashi?”
Sakura huffed. “Did you just call Sasuke good-looking? You know he’d kill you if he heard you say that.”
Naruto’s face flushed with so much heat he felt like his cheeks were on fire. “Then don’t tell him. That’s beside the point, anyway. The point is that Kakashi is twice our age.”
“I get how you feel,” Sakura admitted as she sank back down into the seat next to Naruto, apparently done threatening their academy teacher. “I thought you and I would be rivals after Sasuke’s heart, but neither of us even had a chance.”
Naruto froze.
He didn’t like Sasuke that way. Or, he didn’t think he did. Maybe it was assumed that two alpha teammates would naturally compete for an omega’s attention… But Naruto wasn’t really in the running like Sakura was. But she thought he was, and that was enough to make his ears burn.
His misunderstanding about her kimono felt infinitely sillier, now. He looked at her, really looked at her, maybe for the first time since her presentation. She was still beautiful. But what he noticed more than her appearance was her scent—iron and cherries—carrying a hint of rust that smelled like sadness. He saw it clearly, how hurt she was.
He hated seeing his friends sad.
“I’d rather it be you than Kakashi-sensei,” Naruto muttered, trying to make her laugh. “Kakashi’s never even shown his face. What if he’s ugly?”
Sakura’s laugh was loud and sharp, the first genuine flicker of joy he’d seen from her since their conversation began. Sweet victory. But when her smile fell a moment later, her eyes unfocused into a distant stare on the kitchen door.
“What if he has?” she asked.
“What?”
“Shown Sasuke his face.”
Naruto frowned. “Well… if they’re a couple now, it’d be weird if he hadn’t, right?”
The three of them had spent days hunting down Kakashi’s face together. Now, Sasuke’s probably seen it more than anyone else. That thought made the pit in Naruto’s stomach deepen.
“It’s all weird!” Sakura snapped. Her usual composure shattered, her skin damp with sweat, her voice cracking as she shouted, “Sasuke is our teammate. He’s supposed to be on the same level as us. We’re supposed to be a team…”
Naruto’s shoulders sagged. She was right. Everything would be different now.
He didn’t know much about mate bonds, having no family to role model them while growing up. Most of his caregivers were single shinobi.
Like Iruka.
But he’d seen enough movies to get the idea. Once an alpha and omega were bonded, there was some kind of invisible link between them. He imagined Sasuke and Kakashi glancing at each other, sharing a secret language only they could hear, and his stomach churned.
“Oh no…” Naruto cringed as he kept making connections he didn’t want to think about. “Do you think they’ve kissed?”
Sakura groaned. “I don’t know! I don’t care!” She put her head in her hands. “Or I care too much. I don’t want to know!”
“For the sake of both of your sanities,” Iruka interrupted, “you should avoid speculating on what you don’t know. They’re still your teammates. They’ll tell you where they’ve been when they’re ready.”
Naruto sighed and picked his chopsticks back up. His ramen was getting cold. “I hope they turn up soon. Some teammates they are, going out into the market before even telling us they’re okay.”
Sakura sighed, too, and put her head in her hands. Teuchi came by and asked her if she wanted anything, and she politely declined. He brought her some green tea, anyway.
“So…” Naruto said with his mouth full, broth dripping down his chin. “What’s with the dress?”
Sakura slapped him in the back of the head, causing him to spit his food back out. It wasn’t hard enough to hurt, but he pretended like it was.
“I just like wearing it,” she mumbled.
Naruto grinned. He remembered telling her the same thing when she questioned his jumpsuit. “Orange just has that effect, doesn’t it?” He said playfully.
Sakura laughed again, loud and sharp.
“I guess it does.”
Kakashi spent most of his morning securing the perimeter of the house. Lining wire traps, setting chakra sensors, using genjutsu on the trail, he was careful to cover all bases. Maybe it was overkill, but Itachi would be on his way back to the village soon, and he didn’t want to take any chances of their safe house being found.
He took frequent breaks to check on Sasuke, who slept soundly for the entire morning, even snoring for most of it. The kid slept like a rock, not even stirring when Kakashi accidentally triggered an explosive tag outside that wasn’t sealed correctly.
It was just before noon when Kakashi came back into the house to find the amber chair empty. The shower turned on a moment later, and Kakashi sighed in relief. Hopefully, after thirteen hours of sleep and a shower, he’d feel a bit better.
Kakashi had anticipated a crash after the panic attack in the market. He hadn’t quite expected Sasuke to collapse the moment he walked through the door, though.
The symptoms were intense, but he shouldn’t be surprised. The books made it sound like having an unwanted, incomplete mate bond was like the flu. Awful, but temporary. Sasuke was battling biology that was brand new to him, with his brother’s saliva still in his neck. Of course, he was unstable.
He’d expected Sasuke to be moody, and he was. But more than that, he was worn thin, his armor cracking with illness and exhaustion. He was still clinging to his pride, though, and that was a good sign.
He was still Sasuke. If just a bit disoriented.
A bird tapped the kitchen window. Iruka’s bird. Kakashi let it in and pulled the scroll from its leg.
“If your goal was to get people talking, you succeeded. Guy has apparently told his team you’re courting Sasuke, which made its way to Sakura.
Naruto and Sakura are taking this news hard. They are both worried. Consider contacting them soon, if possible.
I hope Sasuke is doing well. Please give him my regards.
As always, inform me if you need anything.
Write more.
- U.I.”
Kakashi sighed and rolled the scroll back up.
That news traveled fast. Courting wasn’t a word he was expecting to see, though he supposed it made sense. The Uchiha Clan was among the last (along with the Hyuuga) to honor the old tradition. If an Uchiha omega was pulled off duty and was seen with an older alpha, he supposed it made sense to draw that conclusion.
That worked in their favor, all things considered. It was strange to be perceived as someone trying to win over Sasuke’s affection when he was just trying to make sure his student didn’t fall apart.
He read over the letter again, the reality of what they were pulling fully sinking in. He meant what he’d said the night before. His reputation wasn’t important right now. But he did need to consider what he was going to say when asked about Sasuke. What was their public story? Why would they be a couple, realistically?
There wasn’t a good answer.
Sasuke needed to lead that conversation at the end of the day. Anything Kakashi tried to explain wouldn’t land. It had to be Sasuke’s choice, and it was. A coerced choice under stress and trauma. But a choice, nevertheless.
He hoped Sasuke was prepared to explain that choice to his team, but something told him the omega wasn’t thinking about them at all right now.
The bathroom door stayed shut for a long time after the water turned off. Kakashi listened closely for any noise or sign of distress, but all was quiet save for the steady pulse of chakra that Kakashi sensed through the door.
Kakashi folded the note and put it in the kitchen junk drawer. He usually burned messages after reading them, but he figured he should show that one to Sasuke.
He waited in the living room with two cups of tea. “Feeling any better?” he rehearsed in his head, reminding himself to take things slow. He didn’t have to get into all of the weeds right now.
But Sasuke didn’t come. When the bathroom door finally opened, his bedroom door slammed shut shortly after.
Kakashi signed and took a sip of tea. “Don’t hover,” he muttered to himself, recalling that old librarian’s advice. He picked up one of the books from the pile and leaned back on the couch. “He’ll come around when he’s ready.”
He opened the book to a section about chemical stages of bonding and took another sip of tea.