2 years later
"You are a terrible braider, Kakashi."
"I think given the fact I have no prior experience, you should give me a little credit for not having your hair in knots, little one."
"You know, I really wish you would stop calling me that." Sakura snickered as she stared out into the forest, sitting between Kakashi's legs as he ran his fingers through her hair, undoing the failed braid he had attempted to make with her pink locks. She closed her eyes at the feeling of his hands running through them, finding it very therapeutic.
"Mmmm, well what would I call you then if not little one? It's what I've always called you," he retorted, finishing untangling her braid and twirling a lock of hair in his fingers, "You don't find it endearing?"
"Well considering I'm 18 now…" she began, bringing herself up from him and brushing the leaves and dirt of the forest floor off from her bottom, "It sounds a little degrading, don't you think?" she asked with a grin and put a hand on her hip.
He frowned, "I don't see it that way," looking up at her from his seated position and crossing his arms.
Sakura scoffed, turning her back towards him and turning her attention to the forest in front of them. She had just turned eighteen yesterday. She spent the past two years training under Lady Tsunade, the Alpha female of the pack. Both Tsunade and Kakashi thought it would be wise if Sakura were to become something of the camp if not a wolf, so they found the next best thing. Tsunade took her under her wing to teach her about human and wolf anatomy, as well as medicines and tonics; which she was an expert at. Sakura enjoyed the subject and learned quite a lot, but it prevented her and Kakashi from spending time together. He was tasked with missions that she knew very little about and it irked her, having that information hidden.
Over the past two years she had also noticed the younger wolves opening themselves up to her more, and she became good friends with a female wolf named Ino. She was a bit intense and headstrong, but it came in handy when the other wolves would sneer at her or say something under their breaths that Sakura wouldn't catch, prompting Ino to ask if they had a problem, immediately diffusing the situation.
Despite that she still felt lonely. Though they had never spoken about it again, her thoughts would often drift to that one night when she had visited him. She found herself feeling that familiar loneliness when she was without him, or if he was upset with her. She felt a heat in her belly that she wasn't unfamiliar with. Sakura had delved into that part of her and pleased herself before. But she longed for him. She wanted to feel his hands on her instead of her own. She wanted to feel his touch all over her burning body and quell that ache she felt for him.
So that night she allowed her legs to carry her to his cabin to seek it out, and though he gave in at first, he ultimately rejected her. Cast her out. Told her no. She had ignored him for a week but found she couldn't bear to be apart from him. She would take being with him platonically over not at all. And it was like that for the past two years.
She was eighteen now, and she wasn't a child. She was an adult in every sense of the word. Her body blossomed to fruition and she had a luscious head of hair. She had grown into her hips and her breasts, finding more often than she'd like to admit admiring her naked form in the mirror. She'd often wonder what Kakashi would think upon seeing her now. Would he still see her as the child he found in the woods? Would he only see her in that way?
She shook her head, rooting herself in the present and turned back towards him.
"Whatever," she said with a wave of her hand, "My birthday was yesterday and you promised you would teach me more about the pack."
He sighed and brought his gaze down to the ground, shaking his head and grinning, "You don't miss a thing, do you? I'm pretty sure I said that when you were still 16," he said and brought himself up from his seated position, bringing himself closer to her. She looked up at him defiantly, challenging him and daring him to take back what he had promised her.
"Later, pup," he said, bringing a hand to hold her shoulder and giving it a pat, "I have orders from Lady Tsunade to do some recon. I should be back at camp before the sun rises tomorrow morning."
She pouted and shrugged, "Guess that's better than a 'no'," she said and he ruffled her hair, giving her a reassuring look before bringing her forehead to his mouth and giving it a chaste kiss. He turned from her and gave her a wink before heading back towards camp, hands stuffed in his pockets and leaving her alone to wait for his return.
Again.
Halfblood…
Sakura let out a groan and rolled her emerald eyes. She sat herself down on the stump next to her newly acquainted friend, Ino, in front of the raging bonfire in the middle of camp. It was one of the many nights she found she was by herself, waiting for Kakashi's return. She would walk around camp aimlessly, trying to fill her boredom which is how she found herself there, in front of the bonfire next to her blonde- haired friend. She sighed as she looked left and right, catching some members staring at her and abruptly turning their heads back to their friends, resuming whatever conversations they were having. She uncomfortably turned her attention to her friend and gave her small smile, trying to ignore the looks and comments like she had always done.
She had heard that term being thrown around more often than she'd like to admit. It had always come from the older members of the pack, and she still didn't even know what it meant. She could assume half as much. That maybe she was part wolf and part human but it was obvious she wasn't a wolf, at least not yet.
She sighed as she turned towards Ino who returned her smile, "Kakashi on a mission again today?" she asked and handed her a lid from her canteen, pouring Sakura whatever contents were in it. Sakura nodded, taking the cup and bringing it to her nose, pleased to find that she was smelling hot chocolate.
"He still hasn't told me what he's been send to do. He just disappears randomly; usually just for a night but sometimes it's days," she said, a forlorn feeling in her chest that Ino could pick up. Sakura took a small sip of the hot chocolate and immediately found herself in a coughing fit.
"Ino!" she shrieked, looking over towards her friend who was giving her a sardonic smile.
"Oh there's just a little bit of whiskey in it, Sakura, common now," Ino said in between snickers and gave her friend some pats on the back. Sakura blushed, feeling a little embarrassed but soon found she didn't mind the taste, carefully nursing the cup against her chest.
"Why do you hang around him so much? I mean… I get he's sort of your guardian but you're old enough to do things on your own now technically…" Ino said, keeping her gaze ahead too. Sakura shrugged.
"He's familiar to me…" she began, "not that I'm not thankful for our friendship, but there's something about Kakashi that makes me feel safe and secure. I suppose it's because he's all I know…"
"Well… we were all going to go into the village later today if you wanted to join us. Might be good for you to get out of these woods…?" Ino asked, giving Sakura an expectant look.
Sakura sighed. She loved the idea of being able to go out and socialize with the others but it was already late and her plans with Kakashi were too much of a priority to her. Whether it came off as odd to the others, she didn't really care. She looked over to Ino and gave her an apologetic look.
"I don't know… I'll admit it's tempting but Kakashi is supposed to be back tomorrow morning and I want to make sure I'm ready for when he returns. We have some things planned," Sakura said, bringing herself to a stand, "Maybe next time."
"You always say that, Sakura," Ino said with an annoyed gruff and Sakura winced, feeling transparent and uncomfortable.
"I promise next time, Ino, okay? I'm sorry but I really should be headed to bed," Sakura said, placing her cup down on the stump she was sitting on and turned on her heel, heading towards the cabin she shared with her friend to make sure she was well rested for a certain white-haired Alpha she was eager to see come morning.
Just one more sleep.
It had taken Kakashi a day longer to return and Sakura felt like a damn fool.
Just one more sleep, she told herself only to find that she had to go through an extra day and night before she finally saw Kakashi again. He had returned to camp to find her not terribly pleased with him, but he seemed to already sense he'd be in some sort of trouble since he had returned with a gift. He apologized, bringing her a bouquet of her favorite flowers; cherry blossoms from the trees that grew in a meadow they would often visit together.
She found herself sitting outside her cabin, wrapping the flowers together and building them into a crown. It soon became a thing; him bringing her flowers and Sakura building them into something she could wear. She hummed to herself as she strung the flowers together until she heard a figure padding towards her. She brought her gaze up and smiled warmly, watching Kakashi walk up towards her cabin. He had changed into his normal clothing, wearing a grey t-shirt, a flannel button down and jeans that he stuffed into some hiking boots. She preferred the more rugged look on him and it always made her heart skip a beat. He had his hands stuffed in his pockets and he leaned himself against the porch, looking down at her crown.
"You know why I always bring you those?" he asked and she nodded, finishing up her crown and placing it on her head, finding it fit perfectly. He smiled and gave her a look that made her blush.
"Beautiful…" he said and she blinked, wondering where that sudden tone of tenderness had come from. He coughed, stepping away from the porch railing and started walking backwards away from her, gesturing for her to follow him, "Time to make due on my promise," he said with a wink and she bolted up, bounding down the stairs of her porch and waltzing towards him, wrapping her arm around his as he led them to the forest and away from camp.
They had been walking side by side for about a half a mile in comfortable silence. It was around noon and the sun was high in the sky. It made her hair shine and accent the petals that decorated her head. She looked towards Kakashi every now and then to find him staring down at her. He didn't seem too bothered by the fact that she would catch him and it'd make her blush.
Her thoughts were then interrupted by their impending conversation and she took the initiative to jump start it, placing her hands behind her back and clasping them together as she cleared her throat.
"Kakashi… why do people keep calling me halfblood?" she asked, keeping her leisurely pace next to his as they walked deeper into the forest and towards the meadow they would visit together. Kakashi raised a quizzical brow at her, as if he was just as surprised to hear it come from her mouth as she had from the other members of the pack.
"Who have you been hearing that from?" he asked, voice filled with an appropriate amount of concern. She shrugged.
"I dunno. Mostly whispers around camp or someone will say it under their breath as I walk by. I didn't catch it at first but then Ino mentioned it on day…" she trailed off, casting her gaze down and to the side. They continued walking, Kakashi bringing his hand up to his chin and rubbing it in thought.
"Well… it means you were bred from a human and a wolf," he said and she rolled her eyes, knowing he was just stating the obvious.
"Yeah but what does it mean? There must be something about it that's making people say it to me like I have some sort of disease."
He sighed, stilling his movements which caused her to look up at him. The position the sun held in the sky had the same affect on his hair that it did on hers, making it look more white than silver. He had been gone a few days so the stubble on his face was beginning to show. She found it more attractive than she'd like to admit, maybe even preferring the rougher look on him and it took a bit of restraint to not reach out and caress his cheek to feel just how rough.
"There's some discrimination against half-breeds, if I'm to be honest," he said, looking up to the sky, "I'm not proud of it, and I'm trying to get the pack to become more inclusive but the clan is made up of entirely full blood werewolves. We haven't seen a halfblood since… well…" he said, trailing off and bringing a hand to the back of his neck, rubbing it as if he were tense.
"Since, what?" Sakura asked, urging for him to continue and sensing his nervousness.
"Well since the last Omega. She was a halfblood," he finished, giving her a questionable look. She just mouthed 'oh' to him and they continued walking. He had given her a quick run down on wolves and their different designations. Betas made up the majority and Alphas were a little more rare. Omegas were all but extinct from what his kind were led to believe. Kakashi had never met an Omega in all of his life but knew they were once an Alpha's one true pair. She found herself feeling sorry for him, that he would never find a mate that was quite literally biologically made for him.
"Also, halfbloods tend not to experience their first shift until their teenage years," he said, breaking her out of her thoughts, "so I'm wondering if maybe these people are calling you a halfblood since you haven't shifted. Though, it's quite obvious now that you won't," he said and she couldn't help but wince, hearing a slight tinge of disappointment in his voice.
It had been 6 years since she had been bitten. It was such an anomaly to the camp. Lady Tsunade had all but given up about a year ago, choking it up to being a different kind of bite even though it was obvious to the Alpha female that it wasn't. Sakura couldn't help but feel guilty, like she was wasting their time and taking up too much space but the Alpha female found new purpose for her. Sakura quickly became her apprentice and could now help out around their small makeshift hospital to tend to any wounded or sick. The extra help definitely benefited Tsunade as well as the rest of camp.
Sakura looked up towards Kakashi as they continued walking, grabbing his hand and forcing him to look at her.
"You'll still teach me about the clan though… won't you?" she asked, anticipation in her voice that she hoped he could detect. He looked down at her and nodded, a warm smile on his face, but he narrowed his eyes at her which commanded her full attention.
"Sakura, I want you to know… you don't have to choose this life. I made a vow to myself that I will be your guardian for as long as you choose to remain here. But I won't force you… I can't," he assured, putting a hand on her shoulder and giving her a knowing look. It was true, she supposed, but how could she just leave when she knew nothing about her previous life? She had no desire to know, really, and it honestly scared her.
"You're 18 now and there is a life for humans like you outside of these woods. I need you to understand this," he said and she nodded. She hesitated and stared out towards the forest, internalizing his words and continuing with her train of thought. The camp was all she knew. She was aware of life outside these woods but she never had the desire to explore any further other than when Ino would invite her, and even then, she'd have to admit she'd only want to go if Kakashi went. The village was a place for members of the pack to get supplies or just hang out. They weren't unwelcome and were quite unassuming in their human forms but still, she didn't feel a pull to go and venture out.
She brought her gaze to him and grasped his hand, making sure to focus her emerald gaze in his dark depths.
"Kakashi, I want to stay. As far as I'm aware, you are the one person in my life who has always been there and I'm not about to go out into a world where I'm alone and don't even know what I'm looking for. What I want is right here, in front of me," she said, resisting the blush that was threatening to creep up.
She wasn't going to deny the fact that she felt something deeper for Kakashi, and she had no reservations against conveying that from time to time and observing his different reactions, because she knew deep down he felt something for her too.
Kakashi returned her deep stare and nodded slowly, processing what she had said and let go of her hand, resuming their traipse through the woods. He walked forward and she followed closely behind him, resisting the urge to reach out and walk hand in hand.
They soon found themselves crossing the threshold of trees that acted as a barrier to the meadow. It was a breathtaking sight when you first broke through it. She was immediately met with the fresh scent of grass that was being blown by the soft wind. There was a small stream that ran through the meadow as well that was so clear you could see the bottom. Trees lined the stream that grew beautiful flowers like the ones Sakura wore on her head. There were many times they found themselves wasting the day away by the river and napping under the tress.
It was paradise.
Kakashi led her towards the stream where he scooped her up and lifted them both over to the other side. Though he wasn't in his wolf form he still possessed some abilities when he was in his human form and jumped over the stream with ease, gently placing her on her feet once they were at the other side and she took her place under one of the trees. He sat down next to her, grabbing his pack and digging through. He extracted a couple apples and granola bars for them to snack on and she grabbed them eagerly, finding herself a bit famished from their journey.
She ripped open the plastic around the granola bar and took a bite, munching it down quickly before turning to him, "So… shoot?" she asked with a mouthful of granola bar and he chuckled, shaking his head and leaning back against the tree, taking a bite from one of the apples. She delighted in the crisp sound of him biting into it and licking the residual juices off his lips.
He sighed, bringing a hand to the back of his head and rested against it, thinking of where to start, "This clan is hundreds of years old… it's all I've ever known," he began, sounding a bit wistful.
"My father used to lead this clan; you know. They called him the White Fang. He broke a sacred rule and attacked a woman, so he was banished and killed himself not too long after," he continued, taking a deep sigh, "I never knew my mother… so I suppose I understand how you feel when you say you want to stay. This pack is all I know and they've become my family," he finished and she kept her focused gaze on him.
"They cast me out too, for a time. Hearing your father, no less the leader of your pack, attacking a woman and being cast out… I went through many years of torment. It's why I try and remind you to not let the others get to you. You'll earn their respect soon enough," he said and she nodded, pausing and taking another bite of her granola bar.
"Do you miss him?" Sakura found herself asking and he shrugged, "I've been alive for 32 years. I didn't even know him for a third of it. I miss the idea but… him? I'm not sure…" he said, looking towards her and she scooted closer, gesturing for him to lay his head in her lap. There were times where she felt she may be going too far with him, but she sensed his uneasiness and wanted to comfort him. He scooted his way over, laying himself down and placing his head down on her lap, allowing her to brush her hands through his hair. She saw him promptly close his eyes and immerse himself in her touch.
She tutted, smacking his forehead, "Hey! No falling asleep on me," she said with a huff and he chuckled, cracking his eye open, "Well maybe you shouldn't make me feel so good then," he said and she looked away, hiding her blush. She hated when he did that.
"I suppose you know about the village, Konoha," he said and she nodded, resuming her ministrations and he shrugged, "there isn't much to know except it's the closest place of civilization to camp. It's where we get the supplies we need to keep the camp running. We have some members of the pack who prefer living there rather than hidden away here. We make it their choice whether they want to be here or not. We just request that they stay during the full moon since things can get a bit… primordial," he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows and a toothy grin.
Sakura blushed, brushing a lock of hair away from her face as a gust blew past them. She wasn't a stranger to sex. Hell, she knew what kind of activity the full moon brought. For the most part she would stay holed up in her cabin with a book and trying to block out the sounds of the pack on the rowdiest night of the month. She took comfort in knowing Kakashi didn't participate, or at least that's what she told herself.
"But I don't go there too often," he said, breaking her out of her thoughts. She knew he didn't but wasn't sure why. When she asked he just shrugged, "It's not really my scene. Never really was. Plus, it's hard for me to remain inconspicuous," he said, pointing to his hair and she raised her brow.
"Hiding from someone?" she asked and he paused, looking away as if maybe he shouldn't have said that. It only made her more curious and she kept her stare on him, hoping he felt it.
"Well…" he said and hesitated, working his jaw in thought, unsure of how he wanted to tell her.
"Hey- you promised you'd tell me everything," she pointed and he sighed, nodding his head.
"I know, I know… There's this… rival group of wolves my clan has been at odds with for centuries. They're a bit…different," he said, cautious of the words he used. Technically this all was confidential and members of the pack not involved weren't allowed to know. But he trusted Sakura not to go spilling her mouth out, since that wasn't her.
"Different, how?" she pressed, slowing her movement in his hair.
"You know how I mentioned Omegas are nearly extinct?" he asked and she nodded, suddenly feeling an uneasiness in her belly, "Well… lately we've been receiving reports that this particular pack has been preying on women, biting them and luring them back to their camp and waiting to see if they turn, since legend says Omegas were halfbloods," he said, a hint of disgust in his voice.
Sakura flinched but then started putting the pieces together, "So those are the mission you've been going on?" she asked and he nodded his head, "We've tracked them to a camp a few hours away from here. We're not sure what's been happening to these women, since we've yet to see one leave the cave."
"Do you think maybe…?" she continued and he immediately shook his head, "This didn't start happening until a few years ago, but in any situation, you would've turned by now."
Sakura nodded her head, trying to wrap her mind around everything he was saying. Her head was swimming with all of this new information but she kept herself rooted in the fact that whatever had bit her had done so six years ago. It was clear now that there was no chance she'd turn, and she wasn't sure why but it brought a pang of disappointment. She wanted to be like the others. She wanted to be like Kakashi. But she knew if she were to ask him to bite her it would only end in him calling her foolish and a child.
"So, what do you think happened to me then…?" she asked quietly and he shrugged.
"I honestly haven't the slightest idea, Sakura," he said with a heavy sigh, "you're as much a mystery to me as Omegas…" he said and closed his eyes, finding himself tired of talking, allowing himself to immerse in the calming environment and the woman who was trailing her gentle fingers through his hair.
