Beta rambles: first things first, yay to some beta work that I have been getting on a regular basis! 2nd...this chapter I'm not to pleased with, why post then? Well, dang some things needed to come out and start making sense right! There be a lot of stuff happening and I want these readers to get what they want! yes!
Okay... I'm taking the beta hat off now.
Welcome back all! I think this chapter is short, but meh, there is still much to happen that is already written, make sense?
Special shout out to BadButt94 who left me a comment on chapter one. You know I would pull you into a big smooch if I could :D 3
Thanks kcisjohan for putting up with me rambling, bitching, whining and all that stuff throughout this chapter! On with the show!
==x00x00x00x00x00x==
Sakura laid the unconscious man down gently in one of the guest bedrooms, taking care to watch his breathing. 'Malnutrition for sure, most likely dehydrated, is all I can see on him currently.' Her mind whizzing through her medical training automatically. She again checked his pulse, watching his breathing, noting that it was raspy and short. Pulling up his shirt, she frowned when she could clearly see his ribs. She knew he was light, since he felt like nothing while she carried him in.
"Hey Sakura. I caught this sce-shit! Who's that!" Kiba came rushing to her side, his brown eyes wide as he looked over the man. "Who is he? Is he okay? Where did he come from?"
"Kiba hush!" Sakura scolded him and kicked out behind her into Kiba's shine.
Kiba whined loudly and grabbed his shin. "Crap woman, do you really have to beat me!" Kiba hissed out more quietly as he hopped on his foot and cradled his now bruised shin with his two hands.
Sakura ignored him for a few more moments while checking the man's vitals. She covered him with a light blanket and pushed Kiba out of the room, following behind him, then dragging him into the sitting room. She pulled a slip of paper out from her pocket and held it up to Kiba. "Read this and tell me what you think." She crossed her arms after Kiba plucked it out of her hands.
"Jeezuz! Seriously? Like hell Sakura, like what- this means-" Kiba slapped his palm on his forehead then ran his fingers through his hair. "Who?" Was the last word Kiba finally got out through his stuttering lips.
Sakura rolled her eyes and exhaled a deep breath, her bangs flying up, emphasizing her annoyance. She grabbed the slip of paper from Kiba before pushing his finger in his chest. "I don't know stupid! It's our address, no duh, but i don't have a clue where that guy," she pointed her thumb over her shoulder, "would have gotten this from!"
Kiba stared dumbfounded at her, his jaw hanging open.
"Look," Sakura got serious. "He came from the corner of the woods, fell and said help his mate before giving me this paper and passing out! He's suffering from malnutrition and dehydration for sure, that's all I have found." She crossed her arms again, tapping her pointer finger on her chin, thinking. "Go get Hinata and check out the woods where he came from, there might be a clue there." Her green eyes narrowed at a still shocked looking Kiba. "NOW!"
Kiba eeped out and then shook his head in agreement, before heading to somewhere else in the house.
Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm dealing with an idiot I swear." She stuck the wrinkled piece of paper back into her pocket. "Better get some water and cleaning supplies," she muttered to herself as she made her way to the kitchen.
Kiba and Hinata rushed outside, the morning sun shining brightly now, above the trees, the morning fog no longer in sight.
"Here is where he fell and you can see Sakura's footprints," Kiba pointed out, Hinata humming in agreement. "And…," Kiba looked past the fall point. "There! Let's go." The pair ran to the edge of the forest, poking their head behind various trees.
"Kiba, over here!" Hinata called out. She stepped carefully around some large trees that were clustered around some rocks. Vines, moss and small bushes encased the rocks but Hinata saw the small form, curled into another. Crouching low, she looked on at the figures before moving forward. The smaller one looked to be almost a child, with filthy matted hair, clothing looked to be torn and dirty, no shoes and wrapped around the other figure. The other figure was larger, older, and Hinata could see she had longer dark purple hair, fair complexion and her arms were protectively wrapped around the smaller form. Both appeared asleep.
"Hey, hello," Hinata called out. No movement. Kiba came up behind her, kneeling next to her. Hinata looked at Kiba, who just nodded in response. Hinata crawled closer to the pair, touching the shoulder of the smaller one. "Hey there, wake up now."
Green eyes flared open, a growl erupted quickly and Hinata found herself falling backwards while the smaller form had thrown himself at her. Surprised, she squeaked out, grabbing hold of the arms holding them back while claws tried to swipe at her. Green eyes glowed feral, the little one tried to bite at her. Thankfully, Kiba had grabbed a hold of the little wolf and pulled him back before he could sink his teeth into Hinata.
"Woah there little one," Kiba grunted out as he fell with the snarling and snapping young wolf. His arms held back the thin ones as Hinata jumped up to assist Kiba. As Kiba held the little wolf back, Hinata knelt in front of him, not to close, "ssshhhh ssshhh, it's okay, we won't hurt you." Hinata released a calming scent, hoping the little wolf would sense they meant him no harm.
Kiba easily kept him in his grasp, since the small wolf felt so frail. His arms were like twigs, and Kiba was certain that his ribs were most likely showing. "Hinata," Kiba called out when the small wolf began to calm. "Check on the other would ya? I got this little guy," he nodded at her.
Hinata saw that the small wolf was tiring quickly. He didn't look well and obviously he was protecting the other. Hinata moved to the still purple haired wolf. She gasped lightly when she moved closer.
The smaller white wolf suddenly thrashed some more when he saw that Hinata was moving towards the other. Kiba squeezed his arms a little tighter, but began to worry as the little wolf didn't seem to settle down and Kiba was afraid he might break something. "Hurry Hinata, this little guy isn't happy you are doing whatever it is your doing."
"Kiba, we need to get them back to the house, now!" Hinata scooped up the purpled haired wolf bridal style and began quickly moving through the trees, cradling the purple head below her chin.
"Wha-? Hinata, hold on, wait!" Kiba struggled slightly to get the little one under control when he whined and snarled, seeing Hinata take the other away. "It's okay now, we are going to help you. Let me help you okay?" Kiba hugged and pulled the little wolf into his arms then moved quickly back to the house before the little wolf knew what was going on.
"Sakura!" Hinata called out, slipping into the house, the unconscious wolf in her arms. Sakura came running immediately and directed Hinata to another room. Kiba was close behind, the little wolf still growling but didn't make any moves to attack anyone since it was apparent they were being helped.
"Grab some warm water, towels, and water to drink Hinata." Sakura barked out orders while overlooking the purple haired omega. She was sweating profusely, panting out way too quickly and burning up. Sakura began checking over the purple haired omega, her face serious and professional. Kiba walked in with the small wolf in his hold, but released him when he struggled to get towards the purple haired omega lying in the bed. The smaller wolf fell to his knees on the floor near the head of the bed, running his small fingers through the purple hair. Sea green eyes peeked through mats of hair at Sakura. Sakura paid him of no mind as she began fussing over the unconscious wolf. Checking vitals, eyes, throat, chest, breathing and finally the large swollen stomach.
Hinata came in with the requested supplies. "Hinata, start cleaning her off gently. Kiba, call Tsunade-sama and ask her to come by." Sakura pulled her stethoscope from her ears, draping them around her neck. Her eyes fell on the small boy that was currently hovering near the pregnant omega's head. Her eyes softened immediately. "Hey, what's your name?" she asked out softly. Sea green eyes just looked at her in response.
"He was with her, in the forest," Hinata whispered out, as she took a warm cloth to the sleeping omega. "He was pretty protective of her, but he hasn't said anything."
"It's possible this is the other's mate that he spoke of before he passed out. I thought I saw him talking to someone before coming towards the house." Sakura began to pull the tattered clothes off the purple haired omega so Hinata could wash her gently. "Hopefully Tsunade-sama can come quickly, she can help me determine the situation here." Sakura pinched her lips together. "From what I can tell she's suffering the same as her possible mate in the other room. Malnutrition and dehydration. But the fever, hmm…" she bit her lip in thought. The purple haired omega began to groan out, her eyes squinted and she fussed about, but not waking. The small wolf beside her began to whimper out, running his palms over her forehead and cheeks.
"Hey now, it's okay," Hinata placed a hand on the wolf's shoulder, but stopped when he flinched suddenly. "We are going to help you and your friends, to get you all better okay?" Hinata gave a warm smile and went down on her knees to face the little wolf. Sea green eyes widened at her from behind his strands of hair. "Sakura here is going to watch over your friend, how about we get you cleaned up? Are you hungry?" Hinata pointed to the door just outside of the room they were in. "Can you tell me if that wolf in the other room is your friend too?" The little wolf looked in the direction of Hinata's finger. "Come," she breathed out softly as she stood, holding out her hand. "I'll take you to him okay?" Slowly slender fingers reached out for hers and Hinata led the small wolf to the other room.
The small wolf gasped at the site of the other wolf who lay unconscious in the other room. He ran, dropped to his knees by the side of the bed, his hand shaking as he went to touch the matted filthy coloured hair. Hinata could hear the sobs escaping the young wolf.
"He's alright, for now. Just needs to rest and some food in him." Hinata tried to comfort the little wolf, she went to crouch on the floor near him. She frowned as the small wolf began sobbing quietly, mumbling something under his breath she couldn't quite make out. "Hey," she whispered out and touched his shoulder. He allowed her touch, or was so emotionally involved he didn't realize it. "We are going to help them, okay? Can I know your name?" she purred out softly and kindly.
Green eyes peeked up at Hinata, rimmed red from crying. "Kimimaro," was the whisper that escaped the cracked lips.
==/\/\==
Sasuke stretched out as the morning light hit his face through a small opening in the curtains. He frowned at the sun, but he could smell the sweet smells of breakfast rising up from the kitchen downstairs. His stomach rumbled lowly, letting him know that it demanded food and Sasuke just rolled his eyes. Running a hand through his hair and scratching at his scalp, he looked about the room. Right, he stayed here, his aniki's home, last night after working the club. His hands patted around the bed for a moment and his head looked about, moving the covers about until he found what he was looking for. His shoulders immediately relaxed. He quickly brought the fabric up to his nose, inhaling the scent from the article of clothing deeply. His omega wolf immediately relaxed and Sasuke felt the calm haze over him. The scent of Naruto was still in the shirt, amazingly enough and he was grateful. Sleeping without the alpha had been a challenge the past 6 weeks, and he really didn't know how much longer his omega would be quelled with just a scent. Rubbing the fabric over his face quickly before shoving it under his pillow and getting up to take a shower.
"Sasuke un, come eat baby!" the blond omega exclaimed out when Sasuke entered the kitchen. Deidara was wandering through the kitchen with his fuzzy slippers, an apron covering the rest of his clothing. Deidara turned to look at Sasuke who in turn raised a brow at the apron's apparent expression written boldly on the front.
"I see your humor hasn't gotten any better," Sasuke snorted out while slipping into a seat at the table.
Deidara huffed and put his hands on his hips. "Humor keeps you young ya know," Deidara huffed out. Sasuke just snorted in response. "Besides, what better way to break the ice!"
Sasuke tilted his head, giving Deidara a quizzical look. "I don't see how saying, 'Do you wanna taco 'bout it' is an icebreaker," Sasuke snorted out again.
"Eat your breakfast pup!" Deidara placed a plate of scrambled eggs, toast and bacon in front of Sasuke's nose before giving him an annoyed grunt and turning his back to him.
Sasuke chuckled slightly. His brother's mate could be so dramatic. "Thanks for the food Deidara," he whispered out before digging in. He smiled slightly when he heard Deidara respond with a welcome.
"Plans today hun?" Deidara broke the silence after a few minutes.
"Hn, I have to get some research done on this term paper and gather up some other materials for a lab." Sasuke was now in his 3rd year of attending university. He didn't know if he would be able to get all the credits required to finish in 4 years, since he had missed so much in the last year, but at least he managed to acquire most of what he needed so far.
Sasuke struggled swallowing a mouthful of eggs, thinking back briefly about the previous year. The memory loss, the kidnapping, Naruto's shooting, the difficult emotional path he and Naruto endured. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice Deidara sitting across from him, snapping his fingers. "Hmm? What?" Sasuke blinked suddenly, realizing Deidara was trying to get his attention.
"You spaced out un. I asked if you needed some help." Deidara propped his head on his hands.
Sasuke pinched his lips together. "Hm, I really don't think so. I'm just going to head home afterwards." He had been at the Uchiha home for about two days now. 'Long enough,' he thought to himself. He was missing his and Naruto's room, where the alpha's scent was the most intense. He would never admit that out loud though. He suppressed a yawn.
"You still tired un? Are you not sleeping well? Are you feeling alright?" Deidara got up and put his hand on Sasuke's forehead. "Hmm, you don't feel warm." Deidara then grabbed both of Sasuke's cheeks, turning his face to the side and up and down. "Your colour doesn't seem to bad," Deidara hummed while his light blue eyes took in Sasuke's face.
"Mmph! Dei!" Sasuke sputtered out between his squished lips. "Wet we go!" Sasuke slapped slightly at Deidara's hands, trying to free himself from the omega's grasp and talk through his lips. He was shocked into submission when Deidara quickly pulled him into a bone crushing hug.
"My pup, how I miss you so much!" Deidara cooed and rocked Sasuke. "It's not the same without your spit fire attitude around here!" Deidara wailed out in exaggerated whines.
"Oh my god Dei. Give the poor pup a break," a voice chuckled through the room.
"Kisame, help-mmph!" Sasuke called out while his face was shoved into Deidara's hair and shoulder. His arms reached out and waved behind Deidara, who still hugged him tight.
Kisame chuckled out again before stepping up and engulfing both of them into his own large arms. "But squirt! I miss you too!" Kisame began to wail out and hugged the two omegas, rocking them erratically. "Oh woah is me! I miss Sasuke!" Kisame howled and sing songed out throughout the kitchen.
Itachi walked into the room and was taken aback slightly, looking at the site before him. Kisame was rocking the two omega's who were locked in his arms, his nose pointing to the ceiling and his lips releasing a horrible sounding wailing noise. Sasuke appeared to be slapping at the big brute's arms yet trapped within his own mate's embrace who sounded to be sobbing slightly, yet trying to match the wailing song of Kisame.
He shuffled to the side, making his way to the coffee machine and keeping the three in his peripheral vision. He shook his head slightly at the antics, grabbed the morning newspaper and took a seat at the table. Making sure he was on the far side of the current trio, heaven forbid he gets accidentally bumped into and his precious coffee becomes a spill. Clearing his throat, he ruffled the paper out and began to sip at his morning coffee.
Kisame couldn't retain his hold as his laughter overtook his ability to hold onto the two omega's any longer. Unceremoniously Sasuke and Deidara plopped to the floor, Sasuke growling under his breath and Deidara just wiping at his tears.
"Dammit Kisame," Sasuke brushed off his arms and legs, moved to stand up and threw a punch into the large beta's arm. "Asshole!" Sasuke grumbled out as Kisame laughed some more, the punch not even causing him to flinch. Sasuke humphed out at him and went back to the table. "Aniki," he spat out while sitting back behind his breakfast.
Itachi's eyes glanced slowly towards the pouting Sasuke, a brow raised in amusement before his dark eyes moved back to the newspaper. His otouto could be so dramatic somedays.
Sasuke made his way to the library, book bag on his shoulder, intent on grabbing the researching materials he required. He was still hesitant about spending time at the library alone, so Deidara decided to join him. Sasuke of course was horrified at the thought of his over zealous brother's mate joining him in a public place, but Deidara insisted that he was just looking for some historical literature to review, and what better place to do it at! Sasuke was too tired to argue, and as long as Deidara remained quiet, he could handle him coming along.
Deidara flowed around the various areas of the massive library. Checking out books on cooking, sewing, and various other household things. It wasn't until his eyes caught a large book, that he stopped and sat at a large arm chair in the area and began flipping through the pages. It wasn't until he noticed the change of the location of the sun coming from the large windows at the other end of the room that he realized he had been studying this book for almost two hours. Amused with himself, he tucked the book under his arm, intent on checking it out. First he needed to find Sasuke, they had been at the library on campus for several hours now, the poor pup must be famished.
Heading towards the area where there were several large oak tables set up for the hundreds of students that grace the library every day, Deidara found the dark haired pup, at the furthest table, tucked into the furthest corner, away from any hustle and bustle that may be occurring, as per usual. Deidara could see the unmistakable blue black spiky hair peeking over several piles of books around him. As he got closer, he noticed that the pup's head was resting on folded arms, on top of his open notebook, a pencil still perched between two fingers. Deidara stopped a moment, looking at the sleeping pup, his shoulders rising ever so evenly, indicating indeed, Sasuke was asleep. For how long? Who knew.
'Odd that Sasuke is so tired though. He is getting enough sleep from what I've seen, heard, and eating alright. Hmm…" Deidara thought to himself, tilting his head to the side and looking at the smooth milky skin. He doesn't look pale, flush or appear to be ill. 'His omega must be missing Naruto so much.' Deidara frowned sadly while running his fingers through the thick black locks, noticing when Sasuke's eyes began to squint and he released a quiet whine.
==dream sequence==
Sasuke walked through the fogged darkness, his eyes wide and searching about. 'Hello?' he called out into the darkness. There was no echo, no other sounds, not even the shuffling of his feet. 'Hello? Naruto? Itachi?'
A maniacal laugh broke through the fog, causing Sasuke to stop, his heart beat quickly in his chest. His lips frowned as he breathed hard through his nose. The laugh started on one side, then moved to circle around him and Sasuke turned, following the sound of the deep maniacal laugh. 'Who are you?' he growled out, fists clenched at his side.
'Sasuke!' Itachi's voice called out through the fog.
'Itachi?' Sasuke called out. 'Where are you?' Sasuke turned about in the fog.
'SASUKE!' It was Naruto.
'Naruto?!' Sasuke began to panic.
'Sasuke! Sasuke! SASUKE!' The voices repeated over and over, and Sasuke began to run through the fog. Each call ripped at his soul, as their voices sounded pained and panicked.
'Naruto! Itachi! Where are you?!' Sasuke called out, as he heard them call his name over and over, each call sounded more like a shriek than the last. 'Itachi! Naru!' Sasuke called over and over, his heart pounding in his ears, his legs burning and he felt that he was running through mud. 'Itachi! Naruto!' Sasuke called out through his breaths.
'Sasuke! Sasuke!' the voices of his mate and brother continued to cry out through the fog and Sasuke's heart began to break. He couldn't reach them, where were they? What's going on? Sasuke dropped to his knees, they burned so much, his hands falling to the cold ground as his mate and brother continued to call into the darkness.
The laugh broke through the fog again, louder, longer and the fog began to lift. The cries of his mate and brother no longer were heard through the maniacal laugh. His dark eyes looking about as the fog lifted, the darkness was still there but a light glowed in the distance. The laughter began to fade and a shadowed figure was standing a distance away, right within the soft glow. Sasuke squinted, trying to focus, but nothing but a shadowed figure stood. 'Who are you!' Sasuke screamed.
A baby's cry pierced through the darkness causing Sasuke to fall back on his knees. The shadowed figure rocked back and forth, the cries of the child still vibrating through Sasuke's ears.
'SASUKE! SASUKE!'
Sasuke stood abruptly, his body on alert again as his brother and mate called out from somewhere around him. His eyes focused on the shadowed figure that began to walk towards him, rocking back and forth. A baby cried between the calls from his mate and brother. 'S-stop it…' Sasuke hissed out. 'S-stop it-stop-it,' he whispered. The maniacal laughter began to rise, the baby cries continued to scream and Naruto and Itachi's voices cried out his name.
Sasuke dropped his head to the ground, his hands covering his ears. "STOP!" he screamed.
"Sasuke un!" Deidara grasped Sasuke's shoulder, jerking him awake when Sasuke started whimpering and clenching his hands.
Sasuke jerked up, his eyes flickering about in fear, his heart pounding so fast he was trying to catch his breath. His pencil broke when his fists clenched tight and he leaned back in his chair, forcing his body to take deep breaths.
"Sasuke un. It's alright, it's me. You were dreaming." Deidara moved into a chair next to Sasuke, rubbing his hand up and down Sasuke's arm.
Sasuke's head moved slightly to Deidara's voice, his eyes flickering about, still trying to focus on the world around him. "W-what? Dreaming? Where-?" He ran his fingers through his sweaty hair, flinching at the feeling. "Fuck," he whispered. "What time is it?" he asked Deidara, who was still rubbing his arm lovingly.
"Late in the afternoon un, we should get going. You okay now to walk?" Deidara got up, holding his hand out.
"Hn, give me a couple minutes. Just need to get this organized." He waved his hand at the various books on the table.
"K, K hun, I'm going to the little boys room. I'll be right back," Deidara planted a kiss on Sasuke's crown, put his book down on the table and wandered off.
Sasuke slouched slightly, remembering the various flashbacks of his dream. "What the hell was that all about?" He rubbed his forehead with the palm of his hand, then brought up his hands to rub at his temples. "I must be more tired than I thought." Brushing the dream off, he got up and began to gather his books. He separated the ones that he needed to check out, the ones he could leave here and picked up the book Deidara had grabbed. His eyes widened at the title. 'The Sh!t No One Tells You About Pregnancy.' He dropped the book quickly and looked over his shoulder, seeing if Deidara had returned yet. 'Could Deidara be…?' He quickly started to shove his things into his bag. He couldn't think about that at this moment, like holy shit! Does Itachi know? He shook his head hard. It was so, he was certain they would tell him when they were ready. Taking a breath, he sat back down, waiting for Deidara to return.
==x00x00x00x00x00x==
'Need a rest yet old man?' Naruto called out through the bond.
'I think we will be good if we could just get over that next ridge,' Kakashi called out in response.
'There is bound to be a place in those rocks for a quick bite to eat.' Naruto sped off on his four paws, his claws slashing through the snow that covered the mountain terrain.
He and Kakashi had been zigzagging through the trees on the mountain sides all afternoon. Though he was in good shape, no doubt Kakashi was as well, running through deep snow in unchartered territory could be quite tiresome. They weren't used to running through such a depth. Slowing down as they reached the ridge, Naruto took in the site as he stood beside Kakashi. Mountains and forests for as far as the eye could see. They were situated in what could almost be called a bowl area. Towering mountains were on either side of them, surrounding them fully, the dense forest down below and thinned out the higher up the mountains it grew.
The Rocky Mountains were immaculate, as they stretched from the southern bottom of the North America's, all the way up to the top. The mountains would begin to taper off in the NorthWest Territories when the land blended with the Canadian Shield. Though Naruto had never seen the country, he at least knew a little about the landscape.
'Still the same old, same old. Let's find somewhere to take a rest,' Kakashi called out as he trotted through the snow.
Naruto followed close behind, taking in the scents and smells of the area. It all smelled the same. Trees, snow, rock and a blend of the local animals. An unfamiliar scent passed his nose and he stopped, looking about and sniffing into the air. 'Do you smell that?' Naruto called out.
Kakashi stopped and looked behind him, seeing the blond wolf sniffing at the air. Curious, he poked his nose up into the air, inhaling deeply. 'RUN!' Kakashi suddenly howled out and took off in a sprint.
Naruto stook shocked for a moment, as he watched the silver and gray wolf take off. The vibrations coming from the ground and tickling his paws brought his vision to look up and behind him. The white clouds that were barrelling towards him and Kakashi at an alarming rate, causing a deep rumble through the earth, had his heart thumping quickly as he bounded off in the direction that Kakashi just went.
Feeling the vibrations behind him, pushing against his body, Naruto pushed his legs as hard as he could through the deep snow. Kakashi was just ahead of him, doing the same as he no doubt, trying to find a place to duck and cover. He didn't dare look behind him, such a move may cause him to slow, but he kept his eyes on the terrain, looking for anything that he and Kakashi could hide in.
'Over here!' Kakashi barked out through the bond. Kakashi adjusted his direction, running, jumping and dodging past small boulders covered in snow. Naruto saw what Kakashi had, a shaded area that housed a small crevice, which could be a cave, but it looked deep enough to hold them both. The vibrations became louder, like a thunderstorm rolling in right over them. Naruto could see the snow vibrating below him, the snow shaking off the boulders all around him and falling gently.
Kakashi took a leap, his body falling hard into the gravel ground and skidding across it, the rocks pushing through the pads on his paws, cutting them open slightly and leaving streaks of blood. Adrenalin was rushing through his body, no time to think about the pain that went through his paws as he struggled to turn around and see if Naruto was right behind him. The walls were vibrating loudly and dust was continuously falling, making it hard to breath and see through the small opening. Blond fur came into view a few meters away from the opening. 'Naruto! HURRY!' Kakashi screamed out, his wolf barking as well. The massive blond wolf ran full speed for the opening, taking a huge leap to go through the opening right when the small cave went black as the wall of snow covered the entrance.
Kakashi pushed his body against the furthest part of the cave wall, it was small, but he could feel the coolness of the snow that covered the entrance. 'Naruto?' he called out. 'NARUTO?' he called out again when nothing but silence answered him. His nose sniffed the air of the small black space, seeking anything, and his heart thumped wildly when he realized that he was alone.
==x00x00x00x00x00x==
Sasuke pulled up to the Uzumaki home, the evening settling in. He could honestly say he felt much more relieved and at peace pulling into the home. His home where his mate and pack lived, though his wolf whined slightly knowing that the apha wasn't here, Sasuke threw his bag over his shoulder and grabbed his armful of books that he had signed out. He then noticed another vehicle parked in the large driveway.
Sure there was Sakura's, Kiba's and Hinata's cars there, but this one was not anyones that he knew of off hand. It was a large gray GMC truck, nothing special, just large. Large enough that it made the other vehicles, including his own, look like matchbox cars. He shook his head with a chuckle, before heading inside. Guess he would find out who it was shortly. Adjusting his books, he opened the door to head inside.
The scents hit him instantly, making him feel a little dizzy suddenly. Throwing up his arm to the wall, he steadied himself as he allowed his wolf senses to sort through the scents before carrying on. His head was spinning and he took deep breaths. Antiseptic was the first scent, as it wafted from the bedrooms. A strong female alpha was present, and Sasuke immediately recognized it as Tsunade. Tsunade and antiseptic couldn't mean anything good. Where was everyone? Was everyone okay? Did something happen? Deeming himself okay as the dizzy spell dissipated, he slipped off his shoes and dropped his bag and books by the door, before making his way towards the main floor bedrooms.
It was when he approached the rooms he noticed new wolf scents. He stopped in the hallway, allowing himself to take in the new scents. A beta and two omegas. He heard voices coming from one of the bedrooms, recognizing it immediately as Sakura and Tsunade. A hand on his shoulder had him yelp out in surprise.
"Shh, it's okay Sasuke! It's me," the soft beta voice whispered.
Sasuke glared at the hand that was on his shoulder briefly before turning around to see the kind face of Hinata smiling at him. "Come with me to the kitchen, let me bring you up to speed on what's happened here." She nodded her head in the other direction before turning around and making her way down the hallway. Sasuke just nodded and followed after her.
Hinata placed a warm cup of tea in front of Sasuke, and took a seat across from him at the kitchen table. She explained what had been happening at the home since the other wolves were found outside their home. "So all we have so far is that the small omega's name is Kimimaro and he hasn't said anything more." She shook her head sadly. "He at least has eaten something, but he refuses to leave the sides of the other two. And the other two haven't woken up yet. Tsunade and Sakura have been examining them for a bit now." She sipped at her own tea. "Have you eaten yet?"
Sasuke nodded a yes to Hinata, since Deidara wouldn't dare let him leave without eating something. "How did they find their way here?" Sasuke frowned as he sipped at the hot tea, it immediately settling his stomach from all the new scents in the home.
"They had our address on a piece of paper, though nothing else." Hinata shook her head slightly. "Someone must have given it to them, but who, we can't figure out. And Kimimaro isn't saying anything else, but we won't push him. They are all in delicate condition but don't appear hostile, so…" she trailed off.
Tsunade and Sakura walked into the kitchen at that moment, Sakura moving to the cupboard to grab some more cups. Tsunade took a seat at the table, between Sasuke and Hinata and frowned at them both. Sasuke just gave her a blank look, since she frowned most of her days anyhow, it didn't faze him at all. He was an Uchiha afterall, and his family's demere didn't compare to Tsunade's. Hinata on the other hand, blushed deeply and dropped her eyes.
"Well little one," Tsunade started by staring at Sasuke. "You're looking pale, have you been eating?" She raised a hand up to Sasuke's forehead, tsking as she did so. She then grabbed his wrist, checking the colour of his skin then feeling his pulse. Sasuke just tsked right back at her but didn't pull away. He respected the alpha woman enough and just let her go about her fussing. She laid his hand down gently on the table and her golden eyes sparkled at him slightly. She then winked at him and turned to face Sakura and Hinata after Sakura had placed a cup of tea in front of her. "Well, the beta, he is definitely malnourished and dehydrated. We set up the IV to replenish his electrolytes and vitamins. His body is absolutely exhausted and his wolf is working hard at trying to bring him back to health, hence that is why he is currently unconscious. Good job Sakura, by the way, getting him set up before I arrived." She nodded approvingly towards the pink haired beta. Sakura just nodded and hummed in response from the praise.
"Is there a time frame when the beta may wake? Kiba and I would make sure we are here when-" Hinata started out.
Tsunade held up her hand, immediately silencing Hinata. "I would suggest a couple days at the longest. With the IV in place, it shouldn't be long now. But the pregnant omega is who I am worried about." She folded her arms across her chest and pinched her lips in thought. "She has a high fever that needs to be monitored. It could be caused due to the malnourished and dehydrated state she is in. Her accelerated breathing is no doubt due to the fever, but without lab work, I won't know for sure if there is anything else. I have set up a fluid IV for her as well, but I want around the clock monitoring for her. Chart her vitals every hour and call me if anything seems alarming. I have a few vials of her blood that I will send to the lab immediately. I have my suspicions but I need to have the cultures I extracted examined first to be sure." She took a sip of tea, flickering her eyes to each of the wolves around the table.
"And Kimimaro?" Sasuke then asked, breaking the silence. He was curious about this omega that was silent but obviously devoted to his pack members. Who was his alpha or was the beta his mate?
Tsunade sighed out while taking another sip of her tea. "He's quite terrified obviously, but he is about the same shape as the other two. Malnourished, dehydrated, could use a few more pounds on him and a good hot bath. But his small nature, he probably didn't need as much as a pregnant omega needed and I would bet my truck that the beta and the little omega did what they could to care for the pregnant omega." She tapped her finger on her chin and looked up briefly, as if she was thinking. "With a little bit of love and attention, I suspect that little omega will open up and let you all know what happened." She then turned her golden eyes to Sasuke. "I think he just needs a friend right now, hmm?" She grabbed Sasuke's hand and gave it a squeeze, smiling softly at him before moving to stand. "I'll take these samples to the lab and I'll call you Sakura with the results." Sakura nodded firmly and walked Tsunade to the front door.
"I'll make up some food for Kimimaro to see if he will eat some more," Hinata spoke, pushing her chair away from the table.
"Hn," Sasuke responded. His mind was full of thoughts. Who were these wolves? What sort of situation did they come from? Why did he suddenly care? He shook his head and finished the last of his tea. He had work to do and figured he should get something done before bed. The nap at the library gave him a little bit of energy but the dream still lingered in his mind. 'What part of his subconscious is that shit coming from?' Sighing to himself he got up from the table, intent on grabbing his books and bag, to head up to his room for the remainder of the night.
The scent of fear tickled his nostrils when he passed the hallway where the strange wolves were. His inner wolf nudged at him, demanding him to investigate. He knew it was little omega Kimimaro, and his heart clenched slightly at the thought of the omega being scared in his home. He stepped slowly down the hallway, coming to the door where Kimimaro was currently sitting in. He saw the small omega, sitting on the floor next to the pregnant omega, who was unconscious on the bed, an IV slowly dripping into her other arm. Kimimaro's one hand was clenching the sleeping purple haired omega's hand, his head resting on his curled up arm. Green eyes widened in fear when he saw Sasuke walk in.
"S'all right. My name is Sasuke," he whispered, stopping just inside the doorway. He tilted his head watching the small omega and took in his features. Soft sea green eyes watched him carefully, his hair was long, matted and looked to be light in colour, but currently covered in mud. His skin was the colour of milk, smooth and his body was slender, but boney. Sasuke could see what she meant, saying he was smaller but could use some more meat on his bones. He could sense how Kimimaro was tense, anxiety radiated off his small form, so Sasuke decided to sit on the floor by the door. His eyes met the green and he let his inner wolf reach out to the other, releasing a soft scent as well. When Kimimaro began to calm down slightly, Sasuke was then curious to know more about the situation.
"Is she your friend or family?" Sasuke whispered out. His head nodded towards the sleeping purple haired omega on the bed. He noticed that Kimimaro twitched slightly and appeared to be in a mental battle with himself as his eyes fell to the floor. Sasuke felt a nudge of success when Kimimaro then nodded his head. "Have you been taking care of her?" he nudged another question as he shuffled himself into a more comfortable position.
"Several months."
The hushed voice was low, but Sasuke heard it. His wolf rolled about, feeling pride as the small omega appeared to respond to Sasuke. 'What's up with you? Knock it off!' Sasuke was annoyed with his wolf, that seemed to be just a little too interested in Kimimaro. "Who's baby's daddy?" Sasuke bit his bottom lip, hoping that he didn't ask this too soon.
"Nagato," Kimimaro whispered out again, a tear slid down his cheek and his eyes looked towards the door behind Sasuke.
"The beta in the other room," Sasuke hummed out, catching the glance Kimimaro gave and understanding immediately. "I think he will be okay," he nodded towards Kimimaro. "Hungry?" The little omega didn't move but peeked up at Sasuke. "I'll go get you some food, you stay and watch over her." Sasuke stood, nodding before leaving the room. He was suddenly feeling like he had succeeded at a quest and getting some substances into the small omega was the most important thing on his mind. Projects and papers were the last things on his mind now.
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Beta end rambles: did i mention that i got to meet with thee Maile Flanagan for a whole half hour this past week? OMG I was on cloud nine :D