"We will start today's lesson where we left off last class", Granny Yamanaka spoke in her usually dignified tone. "I remember my students had some inquiries regarding the mate selection ceremony"

She sipped her tea. By now Sakura had learnt "the students" (also known as Ino and herself) were not to utter a word until their tutor asked them to do so, which never happened before Granny had finished her first cup of tea.

"Sakura dear, you were wondering why such formalities were established, is that right?", the matriarch asked with a soft smile. Sakura's words had been something closer to "why is it the state's business who and when we fuck?" but that was close enough. The kunoichi nodded in concurrence.

"Well, my summer children… Let's just say I hope you never have to witness the terrifying spectacle of two unrestrained Alphas fighting for an unclaimed Omega in the wild".

"Killing all of you in Konoha… That will be the true restoration of the Uchiha!... And I am going to start with that Omega experiment you have over there"

"Sakura!"

She was burning and freezing at the same time. Her breaths were short and labored. Her neck hurt, and absence of the suffocating hands was anything but a relief.

"Sakura, can you hear me?" a different set of hands shook her. "You, over there. Can you hold onto her?"

No touching!, don't!, don't touch me - "Nn-n…", a twist in her lower back cut her words off, while a cacophony of sounds reverberated on the stone walls.

"It isn't safe to stay here Sakura. You both need to leave, and soon!". Ninja weapons buzzed past her head, and she was barely cognizant enough to avoid them.

"P-ple-ease…" she wheezed. "Please, bite me, and fast" - she wanted to say, but the words didn't escape her mouth. A wave hit her, strong and unrelenting, and she didn't have the strength to remain put. The wrong hands held onto her shoulder.

In the distance, there were voices: "Shut up!… I killed him… Your revenge… Understand… Itachi". Her eyes rolled into her head every time a gust of wind brought the masculine sounding words to her ears.

"My summons will bring you to Yamato. I'll follow you as soon as I can get Naruto out of this mess" The owner of the voice smelled divine. She would take anything, anyone instead of this emptiness inside of her. "Now leave!"

Leave? Why would she leave? She was precisely where she ought to be… waiting… her Alpha would arrive shortly… or was he there already? Don't take me away, please! Something moist rolled down her cheeks. She snatched the hand in front of her, hard. "Not… leaving…" A nearby explosion rattled her teeth.

"Just place her under a genjutsu! These guys will kill us all if we don't go now!" Rays of purple light shone through her lidded eyes, and her overly sensitive nose smelt charred flesh.

"I can't… Omegas in heat are impervious to…" An orange mass flew over them. The sound of screeching birds was close. The alpha nearest to her grabbed her chin and turned her to face him. In a commanding way, he said: "Listen to me"

"A-alpha, please". She needed him. Alpha! Alpha! Her hands were placed on a warm, soft surface. She threw herself onto it, hugging the source of comfort.

"Go and I will follow". The creature beneath her started running, and behind her she felt a new arrival.

"It's time to leave"

She turned her head, enthralled by the new smell. But all she could see was how two dark figures disappeared in a puff of smoke.

The further away from the commotion they went, the clearer Sakura's mind was - and the more in pain she felt. Her lower back was cramping, and the afternoon sun burned her eyes. The ups and downs in the ride put too much pressure - the wrong kind of pressure - between her legs, and her sore breasts continued chafing unbearably against her clothes.

She was uncomfortable, she was aching, but most of all, she felt miserable. The moment they'd left the altercation, this deep sadness had taken over her - the depressing feeling of having parted from a crucial part of her being. She wanted to curl into a ball and cry away her frustration. She wanted to be held into a pair of strong arms. She wanted to be taken, swiftly, forcefully, passionately - but all she had was the lingering feeling of fingers squeezing across her body.

The summons - Kakashi's dogs - swiftly took her and the red-haired girl to where Yamato awaited them. "Yamato-san", the smallest dog pronounced. "Kakashi says you should install the hut". And that's where she found herself now. A wooden, dome-like structure, with nothing but walls and a door with the smallest of windows. Yamato-taichou had left her there, having barely touched her. She could sense the strong seals around the building, protecting her or maybe protecting those around her.

She was fatigued and sorrowful. For now, her logical mind seemed to have returned, but she didn't know for how long. All there was to do was trying to calm down and analyze the situation she found herself in.

"The pill", Sakura mussed. Everything was under control until she'd taken it. Still, she was puzzled: The trials hadn't shown any similar effects on the rats. The male rats had responded positively to the influence, showing mating signs as soon as the female rats were injected, but the does seemed unbothered by the hormones…

"Who cares now". Sakura forced herself to stop thinking. No amount of thinking ever amended things. She looked down on her garments; the ones that weren't ruined by the kunai she'd taken trying to get closer to her target, were soiled by her secretions. The mere thought of that word made her shiver.

Deciding to change into her spare set of clothes, she opened her pouch with sealing scrolls, and found among them the one Kakashi-sensei had given her, seemingly ages ago. "You should always hold onto this", he said. "Save it for a rainy day".

"I guess this is a good time to open it as any". Sakura made the Ram sign to uncover the hidden items inside the scroll. What she found took her aback. A thick blanket, two plush pillows, rations and drinkable water, a picture of team Seven, a pen and notebook, and even her soft and worn-down bunny she used to sleep with as a child. Kakashi must have asked her parents for it. The notion was so mindful of him she couldn't contain her tears anymore, and the ugly crying started once more.

Minutes later, she grabbed the pillows, wrapped herself in the duvet, and with the bunny in one hand and the picture in the other, she laid in the improvised bed. It was gonna be a long night.

"Omegas are able to anticipate their heat. Despite this, it is plausible the symptoms might go unnoticed the first time. In preparation, it is conventional that a 'nest' is built: isolated from the world, and in a safe space, these individuals will put together a secure room in which to spend their fertile window.

A claimed Omega will typically pass these days alongside their Alpha mate. It is most crucial for the individuals to be taken care of, as their delicate state will not allow them to properly attend to their bodily and psychological needs. If the Omega is single, a familiar relation is often chosen to accompany them for the given time - typically their mother, while their Alpha father guards them from outside threats. Great harm can come to an Omega who has to spend their heat alone."

"Kakashi! Kakashi, please!" The scratches on the door, made deeper and deeper with each desperate supplication, wouldn't help her escape that room. Her bleeding fingertips and her scratched vocal chords wouldn't make the wait shorter, the loneliness more bearable. The tears blurred her vision, and she stuck her hand through the small window, trying desperately to get ahold of her teacher. "Please sensei! I can't be alone anymore!"

This was not the first time they'd had this argument.. Hours after being left alone, Sakura recognized the presence of the jonin outside her door. Similar to a pot of water on the stove, smelling him made her reach her boiling point. His pheromones weren't as poignant as Sasuke's or Naruto's - but he was an alpha anyways, warm and healthy and merely meters away from her.

"No can't do, Sakura-chan", he kept refusing. "I'm afraid I'm once more unable to help you". Minutes or hours later, Naruto had joined their seniors. Having him out there was suffocating. To her great embarrassment , she found herself rocking back and forth on one of the innocuous pillows, trying to overcome her desperation. She heard a violent discussion, and her teammate left soon after.

"Naruto, come back, please come back", but her voice was barely a silver of sound; having spent it all first trying to convince her teacher and then letting her passions speak. Her body was begging for a caress, for some pressure, for human touch; but there she laid in solitary confinement, with no one but herself to alleviate her symptoms.

Sakura had never done any of this; the sensations that overcame her were all foreign to her, both the torturous and the delicious ones - and she had to improvise. First, she lightly raked her nails all across her body, but the itching didn't subside. She threw herself on her cot and using the cover and pillows she tightly bound her whole body, trying to use the pressure as a distraction, but the coldness she felt could not be alleviated by any textile.

Her heat came and went in waves, like the ocean: when the tide was low, all she felt was cold and anguish. But when the water flooded her and the desire grew unmistakable, Sakura forgot why she was there at all, she forgot her name, and her home; and all she knew was that she wanted her alpha, and that she wanted him now. So when her anatomy started telling her exactly where she needed the attention the most, she refused to give in - or at least she did for the first minutes or so, before the animal took over the rationale.

In those moments when she found herself at drift, fire pooled in between her legs and images assaulted her from all fronts. Hands groping her, pulling her hair, slapping her buttocks; lips sucking her skin, tongues licking her nipples, breath giving her goosebumps, knees holding her tight; words promising love, words promising pleasure; and when the pinnacle was at her fingertips, teeth biting her neck, so purposefully and so unequivocal her release came simultaneously, leaving her in the limbo between awake and asleep, Heaven and Hell.

The pleasure was short lived, however, as her only company after such instances was guilt and shame, and those lovers were none too generous. She tried hard to forget the pictures in her brain and the satisfaction in her groins - what she would have given for a shower, or even a damp cloth to clean her sins away. Having neither, she made do with the resources at hand. She forced herself to nibble at her food, and drank the tiniest sips of water. She cried for hours, feeling desperate. And whenever she could conjure some soundness of mind, she wrote in the journal - nothing of substance, but the action helped keep the demons away.

Because she was a scientist and all she'd even written in her life were lab logs, most of her entries looked something like this:

Day 2: glands in neck are still swollen - wrist glands seem to fluctuate in sensitivity. Vaginal discharge looks creamy and odorless.

Day 2 (later): makeshift bed smells familiar - easier to fall asleep now. Sleeping pattern is independent from time of day - short naps throughout the day. Deep slumber only after heat peaks.

Sometimes, particularly when she was trying hard not to succumb to her bodily wants, they looked more like this:

HELP HELP HELP HELP

written in big and irregular strokes.

Outside her cot, she felt the presence of Yamato-taichou, rebuilding every part of the room she was able to break down. He'd included a wooden bucket for her to dispose of her body waste, which he could easily absorb and create a new one every time it was used. As grateful as she was for the inconspicuous method, she was still mortified every time she had to make use of it.

Because she was a chakra wielder, and a proficient one at that, she knew Kakashi was outside the lodge even when he hid from her view. Somehow he had concealed his smell, and only when she was desperate enough to beg for his aid would he give any signs of life, and as brief and unsatisfying those were, Sakura was thankful to know someone she trusted was making sure no one could come in and abuse her.

In a moment of lucidity, she wrote:

Kakashi is suspiciously unaffected by heat. Ask later

She had no idea how many of her memories were going to survive the whole ordeal, so she tried writing down as many of her thoughts as possible. The moments of sanity were few and far apart - so most of her thoughts resembled a stream of consciousness which she would hardly recognize as being her own once the whole ordeal was over.

the pill, need to check the pill, my sweat will entice him? Ask Tsunade about similar projects?

Tsunade is dead DEAD! Ask SHIZUNE

mate mate mate mate mate mate mate mate mate mate mate

Sasuke-kun seems different … I think he will deflect the Village

will you come back please will you come back please please please

I'm so cold, i'm so lonely, i need someone, i need him, why won't he bite me… i betrayed him for nothing. Stupid little me - i should have known better

The endocrine system coordinates with the nervous system to control the organs cells of the endocrine system produce molecular signals called hormones endocrine glands may be tissues or may be located in organs or tissues that have functions in addition to hormone production throughout the body and stimulate a response in cells that have receptors able to bind with them the…

Sakura's sexual hallucinations became more and more explicit with each trance, which wasn't kind on her already decaying psyche. She might do her best to fight them, but it was impossible to deny how aroused she was by the sights that visited her.

Sasuke was almost always there; sometimes twiggy and pubescent, hitai-ate on his forehead. When he appeared like so, she was also a genin, and they shared their intimacy under the moonlight, all sweet nothings and mutual inexperience. Those dreams were sweet and fresh like a summer cantaloupe.

Sometimes, he cried blood, and he took her against her will, with hateful words in his mouth that threatened her life. He was forceful, putting her in all fours and taking her innocence in one swift move. As much as she tried to resist him, he would win, sipping on all her sweetness in whichever way he so chose. Those dreams awoke her in a puddle of her own come, half humiliation and half horniness.

Her favorite fantasy had him stripping her bare and kissing each inch of her skin; she, unburdened by her demureness, sitting on his lap, hands in her hair, establishing her preferred rhythm, and he, reverent, like a man who's seen the Divinity, praying and paying tribute to his Goddess. Second before reaching their peak, and not before promising one another everlasting love, they would bite the other's neck, sealing their destiny as fated lovers. Those dreams made her wail - sometimes out of pleasure, sometimes out of pain.

Had she and Sasuke-kun been the only inhabitant of this newfound world of desire, things wouldn't have been so disturbing, but alas; other less welcome alphas found themselves sneaking into her fabrications. Naruto had several starring roles in which he was her white knight in armor, coming at the right second to take her away from harm's way. She would answer in gratitude, and they'd share an evening of love-making. Sometimes he was half beast, and it was left to Sakura to deal with his wildness. And sometimes he was just there, no context required, tan skin and blond hair making him unmistakable.

No method of torture would be gruesome enough to make her admit this, but even her good sensei was part of her debauchery, and not only in rare occasions. Before being an Omega, no matter how many times she'd had to endure Ino going over how sexy that "mysterious and tortured teacher of hers was", she had never seen him as a man. And then her heat happened. Apparently her unconscious had recorded well enough the flex of his muscles under his black shirt, or the musky smell of his hair - and her treacherous mind enjoyed showing her visions of the Hatake ninja undressing while he narrated the dirtiest bits from his beloved novels.

And so the three alphas took turns in her wild imagination, competing for the spotlight. These dreams woke her up with an unbearable pressure between her legs, and unable to deny nature anymore, Sakura gave in and indulged her Omega. Not soon after, her inexperience gave way to bliss.

Her fingers weren't hers anymore, and as they explored every nook and cranny, Sakura pictured herself and her lovers in a far place, away from loneliness and wooden buckets. The digits began their expedition up in her neck and ears, where they transformed into wet tongues which lapped at her scent glands to mark her - "Alpha, alpha, be mine". Then they continued down her torso, pinching her nipples to make them erect before turning into teeth to scratch and gently bite them - "Omega, you're delicious"

By then, she was delirious with lust, and the phantom of her Alpha would enter the room, undressed, to fully make her his. His weight on her assured her, his heat warmed her up, his manhood completed her and took her to new heights. Sometimes the visitors doubled, and she was assaulted in both fronts; sometimes she was many, using every one of her assets to make her partner climax - but the ending was only one: her, lost track of time, enveloped in beloved limbs, smells and words of adoration, moaning her shockingly strong and long orgasms away.

Afterwards, shamed by her wanton visualizations and her unequivocal vocalizations, Sakura would hide underneath the covers in her nest, wishing for the days to pass faster and praying for the cabin to swallow her whole.

In the morning of the fifth day, Yamato finally opened the door. Cloaked in her blanket and defeated by her circumstances, Sakura stepped out, unable to look either of her seniors in the eyes. Beside them, the summon dogs stood guard, and it was obvious from their furrowed brows and scrunched noses that they could smell the pungent smell that enveloped her. Wrapping herself tighter, she walked swiftly by them, hoping they would soon be dismissed.

Sakura was terrified to ask what had happened during the fight. After all, had she not failed, or even tried to take down Sasuke in the first place, her comrades would have been safe. Even if she put aside her emotions and gained the courage to inquire about Naruto and the rest, she knew her sensei wouldn't answer. Neither she nor he were stupid enough to tempt fate.

She was malnourished. She hadn't slept properly nor taken a shower in almost a week. The bags under her eyes were dark and pronounced, and there were scratches along her forearms that could not be bestowed to her fighting. She resembled a bird who's fallen too soon from their nest; not crushed yet, but not ready to fly either. "Ninja go through worse", she repeated like a mantra, "ninja go through much worse".

And now that her mind had fully returned, there was no denying it anymore: Sasuke had been consumed by hatred, and any hope to bring him back was long gone. More shame then for Sakura, who had spent the last five days pretending to be his lover. Like sand through her fingers, reality dissolved once again the hopes she'd been nursing for so long.

A somber Kakashi looked at her for a beat too long, sighed, and then announced: "Konoha awaits". And so they parted.

When you're a ninja, some moments feel like ages: the crouched shinobi, waiting for his enemy to turn the corner. The immature genin, practicing his jutsu over and over again. The defeated warrior, bleeding through his last wound. This was not one of those moments.

The resolute Kage made their choice - 'Shinobi' is now the banner under which they fight. The remaining jinchuriki are sent away. The troops are organized in five battalions, reading themselves to fight the living and the dead.

The Fourth Ninja War is on its way.

"Division 3: Close to Midrange Fighter Division. Division General:

Kakashi Hatake"

This is her battalion. Sakura was grateful to be in the trenches instead of the medical tents. Rock Lee was in the same squadron, as well as Mighty Guy, besides some other ninja she knew by sight. They were all fortunate - if there was someone suitable for the role of Commander, it was her good old sensei.

"All Omega ninja report to the Medical Tent C"

She guessed it was useless to try to hide her denomination now; whoever hadn't seen (or smelled) her arrival to Konoha after her heat, had probably heard about her confrontation with the remaining Uchiha.

All in all, such events had been eclipsed by the upcoming war. Most shinobi were too preoccupied with the fighting to care about Sakura and her personal issues. The one person she was afraid to face was Naruto, and for now he was hidden away with Killer Bee.

"War time is no excuse to look this disheveled, billboard brow", her blonde best friend appeared out of thin air, hands rearranging her pink locks and straightening her jonin vest. "You should always look your best in front of your enemies and besides" she said with a playful wink, "the right gentleman could be around the corner"

Behind her light-hearted words, there was concern. The hectic events of the last week hadn't allowed the two Omegas to get together, but based on her worry, Ino probably knew of Sakura's untimely sexual development. Today, more than ever, the tactful ways of the Yamanaka heir were highly appreciated.

"Don't you have a fiance, you hog?"

"I do! But I also happen to have two eyes, and yum! There's a lot of eye candy around us today". They both approached medical, where a busy Shizune was distributing syringes among the not-quite-ready-yet new medics and nurses.

"Can we help out, Shizune-san?", Sakura said after being injected with her dose of hormone suppressants. Even when Alphas under threat did not typically show any desire to mate, giving all Omegas fertility blockers was a precautionary measure against unwanted heats. Sakura had considered taking a dose before meeting Sasuke, but her sexuality was her only bargaining chip when it came to him, so it would have been completely useless to meet him suppressed.

"You're OK, Sakura! These kids gotta learn anyway!", Hana Inuzuka replied. Sakura guessed injecting dogs was not too different from injecting people. With a wave, she left her colleagues behind.

"Sakura-chan… heal him first"

The entirety of the Shinobi world against two of the remaining three Uchiha and their monster Juubi. The five Kage were down; many of their best fighters, defeated - but the Shinobi Ninja Alliance was strong, and Sakura healed the fallen with all of her might, hoping and praying that it would be enough.

In front of them, Neji was impaled by the enemy, sacrificing his life to protect Naruto.

"You life… is no longer your own"

A warm and orange chakra enveloped every fighter in sight, filling their reserves and improving their attacks. Naruto was sharing the Kyuubi's power with all of his comrades, but Sakura could notice his exhaustion. "At this rate, he'll be sucked dry any moment now…"

"Naruto's chakra has been protecting us non-stop… are you really going to be ok keeping this up…?"

The odds were stacked against them. Her blond teammate was strong, but not even him could keep up with the concentration required to share his vital force with the entire army. Kakashi was away, fighting Obito in their Kamui realm, and everyone was doing their best, shielding the field with Earth release and dodging the monstrous energy commanded by Madara, but they were mere mortals fighting against Shinobi God.

And then, the unexpected happened: Under the Edo Tensei jutsu, the four previous Hokages made their stellar appearance. Hashirama Senju, Tobirama Senju, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and Minato Namikaze joined their ranks.

But it was what she saw next that took Sakura aback the most.

"Fashionably late, huh… Sasuke?"

Having him near her after the events of the previous week made her tremble: if it was fear or desire she didn't want to know. Not under these circumstances, at least. Were they friends, were they foes? How much could his mind change in two weeks?

"Thanks for healing me, Sakura-chan. Now it's your turn to rest"

Apparently some things change easier than others.

"Did you really think I'd just sit back and play the damsel in distress?"

And like so, Team Seven was finally reunited.

I swear the manga parts (which should be the easier to write) take me forever to finish...

If you made it this far, please leave me a comment! I love hearing you guys' thoughts and it makes a world of difference checking my notifications and seeing your praise (and criticism!). I enjoy getting both :)

💜 - I loved this chapter
💔 - Poor Sakura!
- Hot scenes were hot
✏️ - I'm intrigued about that journal
7️⃣ - Team 7 together yay!
❓ - What's going on with Kakashi
- I didn't like this chapter :( (don't worry I still love you ❤️)