A/N: Hey guys, another chapter here!
Also, I've gotten a lot of questions concerning Alpha/Beta/Omega dynamics, which is the name of the trope I'm using here. It's a really popular format on Archive of Our own and one of my favorites. For those of you wondering, I'll explain the version that I'm using.
Every person has a unique scent and the different types of people can be distinguished by a certain edge to theirs - meaning someone like Sakura has her own scent even when suppressing with chakra, but she is hiding the extra layer that marks her as an Omega. In this world it isn't uncommon for an Omega to have multiple Alphas, since all it takes to add another is for them to be bitten. Too many Alphas results in a pretty chaotic home environment, but Omega hormones can both distract and pacify them.
An Alpha's biology makes Omegas very desirable since most of them are female and very fertile - although a male Omega or a female Alpha are not totally unheard of. When these two dispositions mate the Alpha leaves a bite on the Omega that doesn't fade until the Alpha in question dies. Individuals who are mated find each other very physically pleasant and are most at ease when in contact with each other. They can track each other via smell no matter the distance and the loss of a mate usually drives them into a deep depression and makes life unbearable for them. Since the Omega is the uniting factor in larger groups it's important for them to scent the Alphas to bind them together as a unit.
Betas are the closest to regular people and can find either disposition desirable based on personal preference - they just don't have the same uncontrollable instincts.
I think this covers the really big details... If I left anything out feel free to ask questions! Anyways, on to the next chapter! Enjoy!
Birds chirped merrily overhead as Kakashi's shoes scuffed across the road. Hands in his pockets, he sighed deeply in frustration. This was all wrong, so very wrong.
He was actually about to be on time for a meeting with Tsunade, whereas he would've usually popped in through the window about half an hour late. But that wasn't what was so wrong - Sakura had been missing for two days now, and he couldn't help feeling worried for her. Her being able to take care of herself wasn't about to stop that, and it certainly couldn't prevent Naruto from tearing apart the village to find her. Jiraiya's apprentice had resorted to throwing rocks at Tsunade's window to get her attention and she had finally relented by summoning Kakashi this morning, which would be the third day of the kunoichi's disappearance.
His knuckles rapped against the Hokage's door in false nonchalance and he entered when bid to.
She stood at the window with her back to him, arms crossed and her shoulders set in a stressed line. Speaking to Tsunade was always very strange for Kakashi as she was one of the only female alphas he could remember meeting. There was something about her that distinctly discouraged nonsense - which was one of his subtler skills, he'd admit - and as an alpha who found the female form very pleasing he was never sure how to behave near her.
"You called?" He asked.
Tsunade turned, frowning, and leaned against the windowsill. "I'm sure you know why. Sakura has not returned to the village. Two days ago I sent her out to collect some medicinal samples for research. It was an easy job, far below her capabilities, and she should have returned by now."
Her lips thinned. "As her teacher, I would give her the benefit of the doubt and allowed her to return in her own time. I know what she can do. As close to the village as she was sent, I anticipated nothing that she could not handle."
"What has changed?" Kakashi asked in growing unease.
"Jiraiya has just informed me that the Akatsuki were spotted not too far from where Sakura was sent. No one else in the area could have delayed her like this."
Uh-oh. Bad, this was very bad!
"Scenario one, Sakura has been killed by them." Tsunade said angrily. "Which would not accept unless there were a completed autopsy on a recovered body. Scenario two, they have captured her and currently hold her prisoner. In which case she will be retrieved."
Silence.
Kakashi said quietly, "There is a third option."
"That is the one I fear most." She confessed. "I summoned you today not only because you were part of her team, but because I knew I could trust you with this information. How long have you known?"
"Since the day I met her."
It was true. Kakashi was perceptive - he did not merely observe with his nose. He had to admit that Sakura was stupendous at suppressing her scent, but that was not the only indicator of an omega. There was a certain length of limb, a softness around the eyes, and a wariness of others that could give them away if one knew what to look for. A medic of Tsunade's caliber certainly would.
And there was a special shot, designed for alphas traveling incognito on missions where instinct had no place. It inhibited production of the hormone injected by an alpha's mating bite, removing the urge to claim any omega that happened across. They would be no less pleasing to be around, but the matter could be solely in the realm of the alpha's self-control rather than being a biological imperative. The herbal components of it weren't easy to come by, so it wasn't on the general market, but if a jounin instructor found themselves training an omega they could request it. It simply wouldn't be professional otherwise.
However, many alphas enjoyed unleashing themselves on the world and he could imagine that a group of S-ranked criminals like the Akatsuki would see no need for inhibiting themselves in such a manner.
"You had the shot?" Tsunade asked. He nodded. "Our own training was taxing on Sakura's chakra reserves, especially at the beginning. It was only a matter of time until she would've slipped, even if I didn't know already. How many Akatsuki members are confirmed alphas?"
"Itachi Uchiha's file listed him." Kakashi said, then thought back to his other encounters. "And his partner, Kisame Hoshigaki. The two involved in the Kazekage's abduction were alphas as well. I would not be surprised if there were more."
"If Sakura engaged in combat with them, there is no doubt that her chakra would end up depleted. In that case, they would have discovered what she was." Tsunade said. "She may very likely have been bitten. In which case I really don't know what to do. Her mates will be enemies of the village."
"But no matter what her brain dictates, there's no helping it if they bit her." Kakashi said quietly. "She would never be the same after their deaths."
"No." Tsunade agreed. "But I must choose between acting as her friend or as the leader of this village. Speaking as the Hokage, it is likely that the Akatsuki have stolen one of my kunoichi. They are enemies that must be neutralized and she is an asset that we cannot lose. She has up-to-date intel on the inner workings of Konoha and the strengths and weaknesses of a number of its shinobi. On top of that, she is a close friend of the kyuubi vessel and would be easy bait to lure Naruto out. Can we risk that?"
He wasn't forced to answer that question, since the Hokage continued to speak. "However, speaking as her mentor, there is a high likelihood that she would take her own life at such a loss. There must be some middle ground."
Tsunade pinched the bridge of her nose, considering the situation. Kakashi himself was conflicted. Yes, it was in the life of a shinobi to sacrifice, to choose between happiness and duty. But he couldn't just abandon Sakura in such a way - for him to allow his students the hope of Sasuke's return, after all he had done, but to condemn Sakura for a situation that she could not help… It would be the worst kind of favoritism. At a loss, he waited to hear what the Hokage would say.
"As of now," She said. "We must expect possibility three as the most likely. Here is what we must do. You will receive a double dose of the shot and lead a team of betas to retrieve Sakura. You understand the situation, and I leave it to you - your team will be notified that this is a highly classified mission, and you will not inform them of the specifics until you are closing in."
"Naruto will want to join the team."
She grimaced. "He will not join you. He is too emotional for this situation, too invested - and as an alpha he would try to kill the Akatsuki, who are looking for him. Even a shot would not prevent him from making poor decisions and running off on his own."
Kakashi agreed, but knew what kind of reaction the blond-haired teen would have. "He'll raise hell. How do you know he won't follow us?"
Tsunade smiled slowly. "Naruto will be delivering a sealed message to Sasuke Uchiha."
That afternoon saw Kakashi met at the gates of the village by a mismatched group consisting of TenTen, Shino Aburame, and Shikamaru Nara. They were a good fit for the mission with each being unlikely to gossip and able to remain less emotional where Sakura was concerned - and their skill sets lent themselves well to a situation where restraint and subterfuge would be very necessary. When Gai had learned that Kakashi was borrowing one of his students he tearfully wrote him a guide to all of her likes and dislikes, imploring him to "treat her gently for me, my rival."
The plan was to begin the search within the area where Sakura had been assigned to gather samples. From there, if the worst case was indeed true, Kakashi was to catch her scent and track her from there. He was to inform his team of the situation as soon as her scent became identifiable as that of an omega.
Of the young shinobi following him, only TenTen was visibly curious. Yet while Shikamaru's face gave nothing away, Kakashi was certain that the gears in his mind were at work and closing in on possible reasons why Sakura might be missing. As usual Shino could not be deciphered in the least.
"Do you think Sakura is okay?" TenTen asked.
"Okay… Likely." Kakashi pondered aloud. "Certainly alive, if my guesses are correct."
Shikamaru grumbled, "And when do you plan to share those?"
"Soon enough."
They arrived to the particular forest regionin question, where the plants Sakura were gathering had a tendency to grow. With his back to the others, Kakashi very slightly lifted his mask to allow fresh air to meet his nostrils - his mask had the advantages of being both very stylish and blocking unpleasant smells from his sensitive nose. He breathed in… Yes… There were traces that suggested people had been here, but he could scarcely make out a single person's aroma - this close to Konoha, many shinobi surely trained or traveled here.
He summoned Pakkun and pulled a handkerchief from one of the pouches on his hip. "We're looking for Sakura. Can you tell if she was here?"
"Hmmmm… Not here, but nearby. Let's go!"
They followed the ninja dog as he rapidly sought their friend's presence and led them through the tall trees, twisting and turning. It appeared as though he were leading them in a circle, but closing in on its center. After a while of traveling like this Pakkun halted. Ahead of them the trees abruptly thinned and laying innocently at the foot of a tree was Sakura's pack.
"She left her things here." TenTen said. "Why would she do that?"
And then they saw the craters in the clearing just ahead. Kakashi spoke up, "Let's make sure she isn't somewhere in there."
They fanned out, peering into the holes and shifting rubble, but nothing turned up the missing kunoichi. He almost wished she was there if only to make their decisions concerning her much easier. But that thought made him immediately feel guilty. He hadn't begrudged Sasuke the difficulty of trying to retrieve him. He certainly shouldn't do that to Sakura.
Then he smelled it.
It was the edge of sweetness that Sakura's scent had lacked for as long as he'd known her - the complete opposite of the musk that tended to surround an alpha's odor. He'd never been more glad to have avoided encountering it before, as it was alarmingly appealing… Like flowers… Or plucking a ripe peach from a tree and sinking your teeth into it-
Yes, he was very thankful for the double dosage Tsunade had injected him with.
At that point their fears had been confirmed - there was no way that an alpha, Akatsuki or not, could smell that and not pursue. It would be less consuming now if she had indeed been bitten, but if she were to lose those alphas her biology would produce it all over again.
Shikamaru was the first to notice it aside from him, stiffening. As a beta he could detect the omega flavor to the scent and even find it pleasant, but it would not rattle his instincts in quite the same way it would an alpha.
"Is this what you neglected to tell us?" He asked as their team gathered around. "You've gotta be kidding me. Of all the people…"
"Yes, it is an unexpected development, but that is why the three of you were so necessary. I won't sugarcoat things - the Akatsuki were spotted not far from here. If this battlefield is any indication, they ran into Sakura. And judging by the scent…"
"Not good at all." Shikamaru said, eyes widening slightly. "I wouldn't wish that on anyone."
"So that means… The Akatsuki- they're not… alphas, are they?"
Two sets of eyes and a pair of shades watched his every expression. TenTen looked almost pleading, hoping and praying that he could prove her wrong. He could see the way Shikamaru's brain had hit overdrive, working itself to the limit with the information it had to try and find a solution - exactly why he was chosen, because if anyone besides Tsunade could figure something out it was him. Even Shino appeared taken aback, if the imperceptible slackness in his jaw was anything to judge by.
Kakashi scratched his nose. "Unfortunately, all known members are."
There was outcry at that.
"We've got to do something!" TenTen cringed. "We can't just let them run off with her and-and…"
She didn't finish the thought. Kakashi neglected to mention that Sakura was likely being treated a thousand times better than any other captive would have been - if she could even be considered a captive.
Instead he said gently, "That is why we are retrieving her. After that the Hokage will decide how to proceed. We should continue on."
As they followed the tracks, not to mention the smell, Shikamaru ran beside him. "I don't doubt you, but… Are you going to be okay?"
"What do you mean?" He knew exactly what the chuunin was insinuating.
Uncomfortably, he said. "Won't this be even more difficult for you? Y'know… Don't make me say it."
"I've had an extra large dosage of the shot we use on missions." Kakashi continued darkly, "I was chosen because I already knew Sakura's secret… You can trust me to control myself."
Where Sakura was concerned, yes… But he wasn't so sure how the alpha in him would respond to the Akatsuki themselves - especially not if they really had bitten her.