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Author's Note:
First, I would like to apologize for the shortness of the last chapter. I was in the mood to write but couldn't think of what I had planned next. However, I figured that Naruto and Sasuke's next day's conversation would help get you ready for what's about to come. Also, I hope you can enjoy this one, too; it's another short and sweet chapter. Please let me know what you think. Enjoy!
Warnings: explicit language.
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Chapter 104: A New Reason
Normal P.O.V.
The winter sun was a natural alarm clock Sasuke. He opened his eyes and saw small traces of the sun's rays peek through their curtains. Behind him, Naruto's soft snores and incredible body heat let the raven know that he was not alone. And, like most mornings when he wakes up like this, Sasuke gave a gentle smile before rolling onto his back.
Finally, after five days, Sasuke's heat passed. It was one of the most intense feelings he had ever experienced. Unlike his first heat, where he didn't know what was going on, he was susceptible to all Naruto's advances. Everything about the blond, from his scent, clothes, how he talked, or the light touches they shared, sent them into a mating frenzy. Luckily, they had enough sense to pull apart long enough to eat and bathe. However, those moments didn't last long either. A blush dusted pale cheeks at the realization that Naruto effectively fucked him in every room in their apartment at least twice. Although Sasuke made a mental note that their bedroom, the bathroom, the couch, and the kitchen were Naruto's favorite places. And, thanks to Naruto's enthusiasm, Sasuke would have no doubt that he might end up pregnant again.
The raven carefully removed himself from their bed with a quiet sigh, replaced himself with his pillow for Naruto, and made his way to the bathroom to clean up. With quick glances in the mirror, Sasuke saw all the love bites and scratches Naruto made during their many rounds of mating. A proud smile graced his handsome face when he thought about his own claw and bite marks along tan skin. Luckily, his heat was finally over, and he could safely say they were done having sex… at least for the next day or two. But he digressed. After he brushed his teeth, he took a quick shower and applied more ointment to his backside before getting dressed.
Quietly, he slipped into dark boxers, thermal leggings, and a long-sleeved sweater. He used two fingers to pull back the curtain enough to look outside. Although there was no snow, Sasuke knew that it would be a cold one from the frost on the window. He tsked as he closed the curtain and folded his arms. He hated the cold and would climb back into bed with his human heater instead. But unfortunately, they had tasks to complete today.
Since Sasuke's heat was over, Naruto must return to work. This gave Sasuke time to think about his plans. He was an S-ranked missing-nin whose entire life revolved around his clan's revenge and his insanity. Fortunately for him, Naruto knocked the sense back into his head before it was too late. However, now that the war was over and he was a free man, Sasuke wasn't sure what he wanted to do. Did he want to join a team and go on missions? Did he want to work side-by-side with his mate and further aid the village? Did he even deserve to work for the village and the Hokage anymore? His status as an Uchiha and Naruto's mate was the only thing currently keeping him alive. But it was also what might lead to his demise. And now that he and Naruto are well enough to return to work, the weight of the pressure felt heavy. He knew for sure that he was never leaving Naruto's side again. Even if it was not in the Hidden Leaf, Sasuke Uchiha finally found his home, and he would do whatever it took to protect him. Sasuke sighed as he pushed off the wall next to the window. Although these were important decisions, they could wait until after breakfast. Finally, with one last look at his sleeping, large mate, the raven feline made his way to the kitchen.
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About 10 minutes into breakfast being made, a sleepy Naruto wandered into the kitchen, wrapped his arms around his slender mate, and rested his chin on Sasuke's shoulder.
"Well, good morning to you too. Did you recover from me wearing you out?" The raven teased.
Naruto grunted but didn't move. "That's funny, considering that I was doing most of the work."
"Touché. Now, why don't you go brush your teeth and get dressed. Breakfast will be done in a moment."
A lazy blond fox groaned as he reluctantly left his mate to do as he was commanded. Finally, after 20 minutes, the blond was dressed in his regular orange pants with a black short-sleeved shirt. He yawned again as Sasuke put his plate down.
"Man., I need to get new clothes. I think I hit another growth spurt." He complained as he sat down and grinned when he received his food. "Thanks, babe."
The raven grunted in reply before the two ate silently. However, it didn't take long before the silence was broken.
"So, how are you feeling today?"
"Fine, I guess. I would say better than the last few days." He shrugged.
"That's good. That must mean your heat is over then, huh?"
"I guess so, especially since you don't want to jump me for just staring at you."
"Hey, no fair! You're acting like you didn't jump me every time I walked past you."
"I was under the influence of my heat, so I get a pass."
"That makes two of us. Can't say I didn't enjoy it. I'm sad to see your bite and claw marks healing on me already. You'll have to give me some more later ton~."
"Finish that sentence, and you won't have a dick anymore." Sasuke threatened without looking at him.
"You know your threats are empty when it comes to me. But I suppose you do need your rest. I'll make sure to catch you off guard next time." He winked before finishing his breakfast.
After they were done, Naruto grabbed their plates and washed them in the sink. "So, what do you have planned for the day? Are you going to miss me while I'm gone?"
"The same way I miss having a skin rash." Sasuke chuckled, earning a glare from his somewhat hurt mate. "No, I don't really have any plans. But I might stop by and say high to Suigetsu and Jugo if they're home. I haven't really seen them since after the war. But I must see Lady Tsunade before that."
"Oh yeah? What do you need to see obaasan about? Does it have to do with your heat?"
"Yeah. She told me to see her immediately for a checkup afterward."
"Are you… nervous?"
"No. Like I said, it is too early to tell anyway. It'll just be a simple examination. Plus, I must talk to her about my future."
"Oh yeah? What did you decide?" Naruto nervously asked.
"Don't worry, I don't plan to leave the village. You're my home, and my home is here. I promise that I will do everything in my power to protect it. But, no, I just need to figure out how I will proudly serve our home and its future leaders. It's… a big decision…."
"You're not seriously thinking of giving up being a ninja, are you?'
"Not sure yet. I mean, being a shinobi was what we both were trained for. However, a new age of peace is coming. Will there really be any place for a villain like me?" Sasuke shrugged as he leaned onto the table.
Sadness and pity flooded Naruto's senses as he walked over and comforted his mate. "There will always be a place for you, even if I have to make one myself. I promise to never let you feel undesired again. You are my world, and I will support anything you do… except going on a new reign of terror across the Five Nations."
The joke caused both of them to laugh and lightened the mood. Then, with a smile still on his face, Sasuke turned his body enough to look at his childish mate. The blond gave him a quick kiss before the raven poked a tan forehead.
"Go get ready, dobe. We have to leave soon." Naruto smiled as he left. "And make sure to wear warm clothes. You may be a walking furnace, but I refuse to care for you if you get sick again."
"One time, Sasuke! One time and that was when we were 12! So why can't you let it go!"
Sasuke chuckled as he listened to his mate's groans in their bedroom.
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It was about 9 o'clock when the couple entered the Hokage office.
"Ah, so you two live. I thought I would have to come there and tear you apart." Tsunade smirked as she drank something from her cup.
"Ha, ha, ha. Very funny. How many cups of sake did it take to come up with that one?" Naruto said with an eye roll.
"None. In fact, I'm drinking tea this morning. Thank you very much."
"Damn. The world must be ending or something for you to be drinking tea instead of alcohol." Naruto grinned before dodging the cup thrown at him. "Ha! Missed me."
"And I was having such a good morning too. So, what do you want, brat?" She groaned while massaging her temples.
"Um, to work, remember? You said I could report after Sasuke's heat was finished?"
"Oh, that's right. Yes, yes, now I remember. Well, it's great to have you back. It'll be almost time for Kakashi to take over for me, but I know he and Shikamaru will need all the help they can get. Besides, it'll be good training for your time as Hokage."
"Just fucking great. And just when I thought I was done with that bullshit. Where are they?" Naruto sighed.
"In the File Room. They're organizing and reviewing documents. I'm sure they would love to have you with them. Why don't you join them while I have a visit with little Sasuke?" She evilly smiled while Naruto glared.
"You're an evil witch, you know that?" The blond kissed the raven goodbye as he shoved his hands in his pockets. "I should be home at a decent hour. Try not to miss me too much, babe."
"Hn. I'll be counting the seconds of silence until you return."
Naruto left the room while flipping the bird to his obaasan and mate."
"I hope you are actually doing that. I tried to give you as much recovery time as I could. Now come and have a seat. I can tell we need to talk." Sasuke did as he was told while Tsunade got out his chart. "So, tell me, how did it go?"
"Interesting, to say the least."
"If I recall correctly, this was technically your first heat cycle, right? And the first one was about two months before you left, correct? Were there any similarities?"
Sasuke shook his head. "None that I could think of other than me being hot. If anything, this heat cycle was worse than the last, but we knew that already."
Tsunade hummed as she jotted down notes into his chart, "You are right. Although the hormone blockers Orochimaru and Karin had you on made you skip your heat cycles for the past three years. I'm actually surprised that there wasn't more damage done to your body. I hate to admit it, but that damned snake was good at what he did."
Sasuke's traced her pen as she wrote in his chart. Only the sound of a pen scratching paper filled the room. It didn't take long before he broke the silence. "So, what now?"
"Well, since you had your cycle, which tells me that your body is regulating itself. You should start experiencing regular cycles within the next few months."
"That's good."
"But that also depends on if you become pregnant or not."
"Do you think~."
"It's a possibility? Hard to say. You are an enigma that I would love to study. Since you and Naruto mated before you experienced your first heat, it eased your symptoms to the point you barely noticed them. But, immediately afterward, you got pregnant, survived a battle with an enraged Naruto, had an abortion, and were placed on hormone blockers for 3 years. And now, you just had your first heat within a short time. It wouldn't surprise me if you did become pregnant after this time. So, tell me, Sasuke, how long did your symptoms last? What were your symptoms? What was Naruto's? Please give me every detail you can think of."
"My cycle lasted about five days. After that, I was conscious and aware of what had happened. However, my body felt like it was on fire, and everything Naruto did made us attracted to the other. Yesterday was the first day I saw relief from my symptoms. Both of us were still somewhat affected, but not too much. When we woke up this morning, we were okay. Naruto's dominant alpha side appeared, and we couldn't stay away from each other. That's about it."
Tsunade hummed again as she continued to write. Once finished, she put her pen down and leaned back in her office chair. "Everything you described was that of an omega's first heat. But, as I stated before, your symptoms were different because of your situation. All of this is good to know for future examinations."
"What would you recommend?" He asked.
"Nothing. Just go about your typical day as planned but keep your stress levels down. That shouldn't be a problem for you. However, if you're feeling any different, come find me immediately. If you don't, I'll kill you."
"Noted." Sasuke chuckled as he stood up to leave, but Tsunade stopped him.
"Hold it. There's one more matter to discuss." Sasuke's pulse quickened, and he suddenly stunk of fear and anxiety. "Calm yourself, brat. I'm not here to interrogate you. I just want to know what you plan on doing with your life. Now that the war is over, how will the Great Sasuke Uchiha fill the rest of his days?"
Subconsciously, Sasuke bit his bottom lip as he wiped his sweaty palms on his thermal leggings. "I've… been giving it a lot of thought. But, to be honest, I didn't think I would live to see the end of the war. I knew I wasn't making it out alive. Whether I was executed for my crimes or died during the war. It's funny how wrong I was. Now… I'm not sure what I want to do. Trust me when I say that I will stay within the village and no longer have the desire for revenge. Now comes the argument of if I'm worthy enough to fight and protect the village."
"Why would you think you would not be worthy?" Tsunade asked as she tilted her head.
"I'm sure I do not have to spell it out for you, Lady Hokage." He nervously smirked.
"Hn. If we had this conversation almost a year ago, I would have jumped over my desk and tried to kill you with my bare hands. But you have to come to terms with that you're not that person anymore, Sasuke. Instead, you are Sasuke Uchiha: war hero, prodigy, Hidden Leaf shinobi, the last Uchiha, a powerful omega, and the mate of a future Hokage. That's nothing to sneeze at." She said as she looked at the younger male with soft eyes. "Sasuke, I want you to understand something. Did you temporarily go down a dark path and almost cause the world's end? Absolutely. However, that is in the past now. Let it sit there. Move on and start a new life. You got a second chance where some don't even get a first one."
Sasuke's breath hitched as he placed a hand over his stomach. Memories of his unborn child flooded back to him. Luckily, he pulled himself together before Tsunade noticed.
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade. I'll… take your words into consideration."
And with that, the raven got up, bowed, and turned to leave until a soft voice stopped him.
"I don't know about that brat, Naruto, but I would love to have a powerhouse like you running missions for me again."
A gentle smile appeared as he closed the door behind him and left the Hokage Tower.
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It was still morning when Sasuke made his way to his former teammate's apartment. Before he could knock, Suigetsu swung the door open and gave his best smirk.
"Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes. Come in and stay awhile. The big guy has been asking about ya. Jugo! Sasuke's here! Come say hi, you big boulder!"
"I see you're just as loud as before." Sasuke smirked as he removed his sandals and jacket.
"Ha. You sound like Karin. Thank the gods that she is pulling more hours at the hospital lately. She was unbearable for a while. Jugo almost threw us out of the apartment one day."
"Rightfully so. You two know he doesn't like loud noises." And just like that, said alpha male entered the room. "Hello, Jugo," Sasuke nodded.
"Hello, Sasuke. I see you are faring well enough."
"Yes. I am fortunate to say that these times are doing well for me. How about you? Are you two doing after the war?"
"Things suuuuuuuccccccckkkkkkkkk!" Suigetsu groaned, and he led them into the kitchen.
Jugo made tea as Sasuke and Suigetsu sat at the kitchen table.
"I take it Anko-sensei is giving you a run for your money?" Sasuke smirked.
"You have no idea. I think the bitch is crazy. And, to make things worse, she's like a drill sergeant of some kind. I don't know how anyone puts up with her."
"She's always been like that. That's why she's excellent at her job. I still remember the first time I met her. She was one of the overseers for the Chunin Exams when I was younger. It seems she still lives up to her reputation."
"Yeah, well, she can kiss my ass if she thinks I'm doing any more missions with or for her."
"Oh? Are you planning on leaving the village then?" Sasuke asked as he took the cup from Jugo.
"Probably. I still want to collect my swords and travel, but I don't really have a destination in mind. So figured I'd start there and see where life takes me." Suigetsu shrugged.
"Hn. What about you, Jugo? Will you leave the village too?"
Jugo didn't say anything immediately. Instead, he stared into his cup and thought for a moment.
"I… haven't given it much thought. When we first met, I vowed to give my life protecting you, even though I knew you didn't really need it. But now that you're back with your mate and friends… I don't see a path for me…. Tell me, Sasuke… What would you have me do?"
Sasuke chuckled deep in his throat, surprising his former teammates. "I can't answer that question when I don't know myself."
"Wait, I'm confused. Don't you want to stay here with your blond pretty boy fox?"
"His name is Naruto, and of course, I want to stay here. He's my alpha, after all. It's just that I'm not sure if I want to continue wielding my sword outside of protection. Lady Tsunade said she would like me to continue doing missions for her. Naruto doesn't care which path I choose as long as I'm happy."
"But what does Sasuke want?" Jugo asked.
"That's the thing, I don't know. I know I want to stay here. I'm just not sure if I want to participate in any more missions. At least for the time being."
"It seems that you have more time to think about it." Jugo said as he sipped his tea.
"It seems you're right." Sasuke smiled into his cup before finishing sip.
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"Ugh! I'm so glad I'm home!" Naruto groaned as he approached his door.
Because it was winter, the sunset was as early as 16:30-17 o'clock. Effectively making a grueling day of work seem longer to Naruto. Luckily, he had someone waiting on him.
"I'm home!"
"You don't have to shout. I'm right here." Sasuke teased as he appeared from their bedroom. He walked toward Naruto, who gave him a kiss after taking off his sandals. "How was your day?"
"Long and hard. I never realized how many files were hidden in the Hokage Tower. I don't know, Sasuke. I'm starting to think obaasan isn't neglecting her paperwork after all. Well, most of the time." Naruto joked as they walked further into their living room.
"Don't let her hear you say that, or you'll get more added to your plate."
Naruto started to say something but stopped when he noticed something in Sasuke's hand. "What are you doing with your sword?"
"I'm putting it away."
The blond watched as his mate walked over to a makeshift shrine. Sasuke carefully placed his sword on the hooks on the wall before stepping back. Below it was a few small candles and pictures of his family and younger self.
"What's all this?"
"A reminder. I may not know what I want to do right now. But I have a new ambition driving me. I used my sword to kill and hurt so many people. Now, I want to protect them. But unfortunately, I couldn't save my family, Itachi, the Hidden Leaf, you, or myself. I didn't think myself worthy enough to do it, so I chose to walk the path of ruin. I let my anger and hatred consume me to being lost. But you found me. You saved me. Itachi protected me. My parents loved me. Some of the villagers actually value me despite what I did. Now, is that because of you or my efforts in the war; I don't know. I just know that I won't make the same mistakes again. Instead, I plan to use my powers and strength to become what I should have been before: a protector."
"That's great, Sasuke. I'm proud of you." Naruto smiled as he stood beside his mate and pulled him close.
"I just hope they'll be proud of me."
"I'm sure they are. And, with their pictures, here will remind you what's important. And hopefully, we can add more pictures to it later?"
The hopeful smile on the blond's face sparked something warm inside of the raven male. With a light blush dusting his cheeks, Sasuke leaned in closer and basked in the moment.
"Maybe…"
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To Be Continued…