A/N: Hey...heeyy...how yall doing. This chapter is also written a bit iffy...Idk y. I'm trying but I hope you guys like it! Do let me know ur thoughts and theories!

IFR: Naruto is feeling weird and an odd mark is appearing on his body. We found out who was in the forest and why but out little group doesn't know. Neji didn't play his instrument which can have bad side effects as Hinata stated aaaaaannnnd A NEW ALPHA HAS DROPPED. Three guess who it is! I promise the next chapter you will see.

"You seem...off today." Sasuke commented observing the tan male quietly from his isolated spot in the living room.

Everyone noticed the usual calmness his tone carried despite the sudden recent events...as though he was pondering.

"Off? Off how?~"

"I can't quite put my finger on it. I'm not sure how to explain...just...different."

The small male smiled in response, nursing his arm a bit due to the light soreness and reddening puffiness his skin began to show around the spot he got injected in that morning.

"I felt better than I ever had this morning...until now. I don't get why I needed that injection," Naruto commented as he stood, walking out of the living room to the kitchen. "It's throwing me off..."

He mumbled the last part more to himself, grabbing two mugs from the above cabinet.

"Kakashi and I felt it was best to give you a pheromone decreaser for now. We don't know what have been causing alot of the issues around here, however, it's not safe to rule out that your scent has been discovered. It would explain our new guest to the forest and the issues Sasuke and I have been experiencing. It will make it easier to move you around without detection as well." Itachi answered, nursing his head a bit at the new load of problems that began to present themselves.

The male peeked over at his younger sibling who sat a bit aimlessly on the couch before sighing and also entering the kitchen in search for some pain relief for the headache he could feel approaching.

Sasuke never told him about his experiences with missing parts of the day until he voiced his own to Kakashi that morning. Itachi tried to chalk it up to the time and memory loss but even the slightest suspicious should have been reported to him immediately or they wouldn't be in their current mess.

'This could have all be avoided.'

Another sigh escaped the large male's lips. There was no point dwelling on this. Sasuke being irresponsible was a usual. This was no different. Last night he couldn't even detect intruders which pissed Itachi off immensely.

'And after all the shit He had to say about him planning the change and nonsense about resolve.'

He already felt slight anxiety leaving the omega alone with Sasuke but the wolf seemed incapable of carrying out the basic task he was given in watching and protecting Naruto, and with his lack of accounts for multiple time frames of the day, there was no telling if these guys had been around for awhile scouting.

'I should have beat him last night.'

Itachi didn't go to bed after what happened. He couldn't...but in exchange he found himself in his brother's room and ended up venting his anger at the boy.

Itachi later acknowledged the fault in his actions...but he would never apologize for all he said.

There was no reason for him to hold back how he felt anymore with Sasuke.

Though...he couldn't help but feel a bit proud...even just a little recalling the night before.

Sasuke seemed to have mature just a little after the incident they had. Even in their discu- argument last night he held himself responsible for his fault instead of passing blame and afterward stayed up with him to guard the house while Naruto slept.

Itachi cringed at his own thoughts, shaking his head of any brotherly sentiment he just had.

He would have been none the wiser if not for last night.

'Had Naruto gotten hurt...'

Itachi loosened his grip on the now crushed pills before accepted a cup of coffee poured for him by the cute blonde male, having a seat at the dining table with yet another sigh leaving his chest.

Swallowing down what was left of the two tablets, he pondered on the issues at hand. He ruled out Neji being the culprit as a result of many of the times and dates Sasuke outlined not adding up but there was no one else coming to mind...at least no one that could have found them this fast.

The main problem was that they had no idea who the people in the forest were or who sent them to take offensive action. They had to go into defense to assess the situation before striking back.

Itachi blankly opened the book he brought down with him and flipped through the pages a bit, stopping on the chapters that fancied his interest from last night, still very much in thought.

He was worried but showing such concern would likely affect Naruto. He couldn't allow the fox to be burdened by these worries.

It was sad the cute male had to sit and wait in fear simply over something beyond his control. Itachi would take care of the matter as quietly as possible.

"Anyway. Kakashi says there are no current irregularities with any of us that could be causing the symptoms we've been having these days. None he could detect right now anyway. He said he would look into it further for us. Speaking of which, he was rather enthusiastic today. Something interesting in his research seemed to have occurred so he took the opportunity to also collect more samples to confirm. Hopefully that means at least one thing is going right."

"Right...Hopefully. Will we be moving?" Naruto questioned.

He looked concerned as he walked from the sink to the dining table, abandoning his cup upon it which drew the wolf's attention from his empty stare at an odd illustration of a large fox in the unread chapter.

"We will, but don't think too hard on it. You should worry about your health instead. Let me know if there is anything you need or want. You seem a bit down these days so if there is anything I can do let me know. Don't worry about anything else."

"Are you sure? It really feels like I do nothing around here~" He replied breathily, stopping behind Itachi's seat.

The wolf froze a bit. He halted all thinking, now fully aware of the sexually stimulating omega behind him.

He could feel the smaller male grip his shoulder carefully and begin the rub in a comforting motion, releasing all the tension Itachi didn't notice he had in his neck until now.

It was...odd.

"There must be something..." Itachi felt his hair stand on end a bit upon feeling the other speak softly into his ear. His eyes were starting to feel heavy.

It was warm.

"I can do to relieve all the stress you have~" His hand started to creep lower down the male's arm...slowly and teasingly.

It was hot.

It was over simulating.

It was 'unusual'

"It's fine. I assure you," Itachi bit out, grabbing Naruto's hand to stop and leading it away.

Naruto pouted cutely, walking back around the table to his mug.

For a quick second Itachi felt his thought process becoming clouded. He didn't know what was starting to come over him.

He chuckled it off a bit confused by what just occurred. It felt rather...out of character of the fox for a moment but paying it no mind, he watched the blonde top off his cup with more coffee before burying his face into the book abandoned before him once again.

"Coffee? What happened to your sweet tooth?"

A long pause...

"I've decided to try new things. Something wrong with that? I can't try coffee?"

The alpha peeked over the book at the other in concern of the sudden defensive tone.

"No..." He watched the other stare back at him. An odd emotion Itachi couldn't quite describe twisted the fox's face, "was just curious. I want to know more about you is all. That was at least something I thought I knew...your deep love of sweets."

There was no reply really. Naruto simply turned back to the coffee pot with a chuckled before walking off into the living room where his brother sat staring out the doorway in seeming contemplation, gaining a slight eyeroll from his older counterpart.

Itachi watched through the pathway in the corner of his eye as Naruto took a seat just across from his brother.

He folded his legs into himself like a pretzel, exposing a soft lovely view of smooth tan skin for the brunette to enjoy as his loss pajama pant slipped up toward his thighs.

Another odd situation easily became dismissed in the process as he observed, with slight jealousy, a soft mischievous looking smile upon the other's face.

'How cute. I'd like to see such a smile directed toward me...under me'.

Itachi felt no embarrassment about his sexual attraction to the omega. It was natural. There was no sense feeling guilt about it. He felt it better to embrace it and enjoy it. Over time he came to like the fox quite a bit. The small thing was funny and thoughtful, hard not to adore. It would explain why his friends were so willing to protect him back then. Itachi was a man of his word. He promised to protect Naruto and keep him happy and safe but now it felt like such a resolve had a different fuel now than it's original kindling.

Before it was probably out of pity for the poor defenseless thing...

'but now...'

"I will have to go out and deal with some matters today since I lost all of yesterday somehow" He commented looking at his watch for when he needed to go up and get ready, "...so...Sasuke will be helping you get packed and such today and Neji will stop by a bit later for support incase our guest come back. He will be spending the night. We will keep you safe. There is no need to worry about it." He spoke up, sipping his coffee.

Naruto hummed in reply, looking around the cabin a bit like a new pup.

It was a quiet morning otherwise.

For once the house felt a little bit at peace and still. It had been eight days since Itachi brought Naruto here. It has been chaotic ever since. Everyday felt like a race or a panic. From Naruto being in heat, to Sasuke and him not getting along, to Neji lurking around and more.

But today despite the trouble and new problem...it felt oddly still.

Oddly quiet...

Too quiet.

'How unsettling.'

Sasuke felt eyes on him as he stared through the door watching the sun rise and greet the tree of the foresst. It was probably nearing 7 a.m. since Kakashi arrived for five and left.

"Aui, Bastard."

"What dobe?"

The fox chuckled a bit at the response and sacrifice energy to move across and plop down next to the dark haired alpha across from him.

"Why do you look so serious? You look more bastard than usual. All that moping and glaring is going to ruin that handsome face. Such a waste."

Sasuke over at the omega before side eyeing his brother who sat just in the corner of his peripheral watching the two interact with an ever so slight glare from blank eyes.

Sasuke smirked a bit at this. He could guess why easily.

Naruto's heat ended on abruptly as a result of the medication he was given and since then he has been alone with the fox the most. Since the heat had passed, animalistic lust was no longer a factor in their relationship. Sasuke had the chance to build a genuine relationship with Naruto despite the slight guilt that plagued him on the matter.

The slight fear that his feelings were fabricated by his desire to beat his brother.

Naruto was a jokey fun type of guy that was easy to breathe around. He got flustered at the smallest of things that seemed intimate, even kisses, despite being a stri- entertainer for a living. Although they had gotten a little closer as friends, Sasuke knew for a fact the male didn't properly see him as a love interest anymore over the past week they had gotten to know each other. It was like...the boy's mind slowly went elsewhere.

He started out so loud and bubbled. They talked and joked and hung out but the sexual tension between them began to dwindle a bit in the recent two or so days...at least the parts he remembered.

Itachi was likely concerned about the progression of his relationship with Naruto when the wolf wasn't around... not that there was much after a mere week but...Itachi didn't have to know that.

'And after all that cocky shit he had to say last night.'

"Handsome?" Sasuke teased a bit, leaning into the fox's face to provide a better view, motivated after recollecting the conversation he and Itachi had the night before after the older male stormed into his room. Sasuke felt a slight need to get revenge.

'How immature of me~'

"It's nice to know you think I'm handsome.~ How very honest of you. I guess you don't have eyes for no...thin...g..."

Sasuke expected a blush or some form of cute opposition to the small distance he created between the two...but

Not this...

Deep purple eyes stared into his own, unmoved, unbothered...seductive.

'Suffocating'

"Well...honesty is the best policy~."