"Happy birthday, Ino-pig. And - I'm so sorry". Ino stopped arranging - for the 6th time - her flower bouquet to look at her.

"Sorry for what exactly?" It was September 23rd of Sakura's best friend's sixteenth year. And Ino was an Omega. The only Omega in their generation - or at least the only one until her own late and unexpected development two summers ago. Omegas were a rare breed and, from Sakura's previous understanding at least, only happened in renowned clans. There were many Alphas in each generation (there had been at least six in their class), mostly male: not a surprise in the least, given their origins and their profession. But it was extremely rare for civilians or low ranking ninjas to be anything besides Betas, with their aversion to risk and their pack mentality.

Sakura was, as far as she was aware, the only Omega in town who knew nothing about how to be one. And such, at the late age of fifteen, she was given a swift introduction to everything Ino had been studying for most of her life: from her rights as a protected citizen, to her duties as a child bride.

"For the umpteenth time, I am not a child bride, Sakura! Listen, I know you're completely oblivious to reality, and not surprisingly, seeing who your teacher and teammate are ". By now, thanks to Naruto's repeated speeches against what he called the "stupid laws of sex molestation", his stance on the subject was widely known by every ninja who was unlucky enough to have crossed him on a drunken night.

Ino continued. "But I'll repeat it for the last time: Being an Omega is the most powerful tool you'll ever have, more so than all your training under the Fifth, so try and learn something today". Sakura rolled her eyes, and Ino threw a thorned rose over her head. By "today" she meant the archaic, circus-like ceremony they were attending in a couple of hours, in which selected male Alphas under the age of thirty-two ("Double your age, Ino!") were invited to participate in a tournament to "claim" their prize: a virginal Omega, bound to his will and state, once the affair was over. Thankfully, they were prohibited by law to lay a claim on their "property" until she was of age (why they were allowed to kill men but not bed them until 18 was a strange conundrum Sakura was very confused by).

Because in Konoha, sex was illegal. Or at least that's what Kakashi had told them the first time Team 7 had spent the night out on a mission. So they had better not be touching each other or even thinking funny thoughts - this he had said looking straight into Sakura's eyes. And Sakura had believed him, since she had only ever seen civilians being somewhat sexual - but never the ninjas. Not even the Beta ninjas. And even though all her romance novels (which she'd stashed under her bed with a booby trap protecting them) had taught her about the wild sexual desires of every Alpha in sight and the frail willpower of an excited Omega; she had never really seen it with her own two eyes, so what option had she besides believing her teacher? Her teacher with a disgusting habit of reading porn while talking to his 12-years-old students (at least she had the decency to read her erotica novels under the cover of dark).

Sakura wasn't twelve anymore, and judging by the fact that an unwed Kurenai had been walking around with a very noticeable pregnant belly for months now and hadn't been sent to jail, it was safe to conclude that sexual relations outside of marriage were not indeed illegal. But from not illegal to socially acceptable there was a long stretch, and at least in terms of openness, it wasn't as if hookups or one night stands were the norm. Not that she had been interested in them, but once her new status had been confirmed, her general understanding of sexuality had been thoroughly questioned, starting by: "Tsunade-shishou, how will I keep all the horny Alphas away from me?!"

Tsunade had scoffed, and without looking up from the documents she was signing, she reached out into the bookcase next to her desk and taken out a thick book, which she promptly tossed in Sakura's general direction. It read "The Access of Omega Individuals to Sexual Protection and Justice", and the student grimaced.

"You'll find most of your answers there - and the ones you won't, you should be able to clear out with your Yamanaka friend." Finally, Tsunade put her pen on the table, and cracking her neck, continued: "You are a protected individual under regional and international law. However, we both know there's plenty of people with no concern for its ruling. Read that book, and then we'll talk".

"Omega individuals, which are female in 95% of the cases, are almost exclusively found in notorious clans. Although there are recorded cases of multiple women in the same family or age group sharing the denomination, one female Omega per generation it's been observed throughout history as the most prolific presentation of this sexual characteristic.

Omegas are both intensely sexually attractive and fertile. Their monthly cycles are similar to those of Alpha and Beta women, with the distinction that they experience sexual trances which correspond to their ovulation, also known as "going into heat", in which they are unable to rational thinking or to oppose the advances of unmated Alphas who might be around.

Alpha men can sense the presence of Omegas from the time of their early presentation (around the ages of five or six years-old) but they do not experience sexual attraction until the latter has reached puberty. Sexual compulsions begin after the Omega has their first heat, which happens at the age of sixteen. There are recorded cases of Alphas not going into rut unless there's an available Omega nearby; this is not true for their sexual counterparts, who will go into heat monthly regardless of their surroundings. Sexual awakening might happen earlier for both sexes, which is driven by the appearance of a sexually compatible mate."

Sakura groaned. Why did Tsunade think this book was going to help her at all? She was not from a 'notorious clan', she had not presented in her infancy, and she was most definitely not 'intensely sexually attractive'. She didn't need to stand in front of a mirror, analyzing her looks, to know that. She had small boobs, and from what she'd seen from other girls her age, they didn't even have a particularly nice shape. Her hips were narrow, and even if her ass was cute, it was not noticeably big. She wouldn't call herself 'ugly', but that was mainly thanks to her green eyes and oddly colored hair; however, these were the type of things other women noticed, not Alpha men. Years of training had shaped her physique into a balanced combination of well-defined muscle and lean extremities, but something was certain: she did not possess the body of a woman capable of making men fight over her.

She'd always looked like she was supposed to: like a normal, beta girl. And she was painfully aware of this. Back in her academy days, it was one of the reasons why she admired and hated Ino at the same time: she was beautiful - and everybody knew it.

The day Iruka had handed them the results of their blood tests confirming their secondary sex, Ino's status as the only Omega girl in the class was finally cemented. "Look everyone! I knew it!". Sakura remembered that day as if it was yesterday; the big, ugly letters:

"Sakura Haruno

Age: 6

Status: BETA"

She had been silent at dinner that night. Besides her (normal, according to her mother) issues with her appearance, she had had a happy and content life so far. No family tragedies, no murdering brothers, no self-sacrificing parents. "What's wrong with you, sweetheart?", her mother had asked.

"It is painfully obvious that Sasuke-kun is an Alpha", she had repeated the same biting words and intonation she'd heard one of her classmates mumble earlier in the day, although the words felt foreign in her mouth. Her parents had shared a meaningful look. 'Sasuke-kun' was a repeating topic in their daily meals. Even then, and especially before the massacre, they must have known it was impossible for Sakura to ever achieve her dreams of marrying him. However, cruelty had never suited them, and both were kind enough never to cut the feeble wings of a little girl's romantic dreams.

"And what about it?" had her father replied, paying much more attention to the bowl of stew in front of him than it deserved. Sakura huffed, trying hard not to let the tears escape her already glassy eyes. Unwilling to speak it into existence, she reached for her backpack and handed the big, spiteful test result to her mom. She didn't need to read it. All three of them had known what was on the page before it even existed.

"Oh, honey". Sakura cried her heart out that night.

As it turns out, the legal aspect of the book was considerably more useful than its descriptive part. Sakura gathered three crucial pieces of information: firstly, a sexual offense against an Omega individual was highly punishable - particularly if it happened in the duration of her heat. Secondly, as a way to protect the dignity and physical well-being of the Omega, as well as avoiding an unruly battle of hormonal Alphas trying to claim her, she must be married by her sixteenth birthday and mutually marked by the eighteenth. Finally, an unclaimed Omega was to be guarded at all times by her Alpha father (or closest ascending relative of such denomination) during her heat. Which came as a slight problem, given the fact that Sakura had none.

She was not sixteen yet, being one of the younger girls in her generation, and for the first time in her life she was grateful for this fact. As miserable as the whole affair regarding her best friend's incoming wedding was, at least it would give her the chance to be better prepared for hers, 6 months down the line.

As far as Sakura was concerned, Ino was walking into the destruction of herself, the annihilation of her dignity, the disappearance of her independence and worst of all - the suffocation of her dreams. Because it hadn't been that long ago when Ino had made her wedding invitations - featuring her and the Top Alpha of their class, Sasuke Uchiha. It hadn't been that long ago when she had run over to Sakura's house to tell her about her unequivocal and soon-to-be status as his betrothed, seeing how she was the most beautiful girl and only Omega of their age, and "he would never settle for less than perfect". It hadn't been that long ago when she had cried her eyes out, talking about how much shame it would bring to her Clan if she were to marry a deserter - and thus allowing Sakura to have him "if she didn't mind the spoiled goods". And even if Ino wouldn't take Sasuke when (if) he returned, she had always been a romantic, and what's romantic about marrying a person you've only ever seen from the steps of an arena?

"Can't you at least marry someone you know?" Sakura had asked her, tears in her swollen eyes, the night Ino sat her down to explain what was expected of her as the daughter of the Clan head.

But Ino was not the same girl, not after Asuma was killed. "I could, if I wanted to. But I've seen what your kind of love does to people - and I'd rather pass".

In the end, Ino married a second son from the Hyūga clan: Kō Hyūga, a man 9 years her senior, who had been closely related to Hiashi Hyūga and his daughter, Hinata. In front of everyone, he and Ino had been sealed together, in a ceremony that protected her from any sexual advances until their union as man and woman, two years down the line, and prevented him from going into rut for the given time. Due to her Clan role and against tradition, he was to take her last name and become a Yamanaka. "It is not shameful when you're with an Omega", Ino had explained that night while Sakura was undoing the intricate braids in her hair. "He's proven his might in front of the entire village, secured a better companion he would have under any other circumstances, and is able to escape the oppressive tyranny that is the lower branches of his natal Clan". Her nails were impeccable by now, but she kept filing away.

"I thought you wanted to marry the strongest man in the entire village", Sakura's fingers pulling through Ino's tresses with playful force.

"I did - but that meant being part of his clan, and I couldn't do that to my father. I am his only daughter, after all." She sighed, and looked out of the window. Sakura knew her friend well enough to bite down a sarcastic remark: Ino had something important to say. "My mother was barely a Yamanaka when she was born - her father and grandfather before him both married civilian women. She was expected to live the simplest of lives. Tend to her flowers, never leaving far from home. But against all odds, my father wanted to marry her: a civilian Beta girl." The blonde girl stood up from the ornate chair, yawned, and walked towards her bed.

"I always thought it romantic, how they chose to be together. But the price was high: my mother had three miscarriages before they could have me. Ironically, had she been an Omega and I had brothers and sisters, maybe I would also have the luxury to be with the love of my life, whoever he might be". Sakura knew it was her time to leave, so she stepped on the window frame, intending to jump away from Ino's room. And when she was about to, she heard in the faintest voice she'd ever heard from her friend:

"Duty is as good a partner as anyone else".

It had all began a year ago. The day when it all changed. They had all been there - Kakashi, Naruto, Sai, Yamato, Sakura - and surprisingly so, they'd found their old teammate. Tsunade said it was his Alpha voice that had altered her biology, making her an Omega. She wouldn't have noticed the shift herself, but Kakashi was there too, and he smelled the change.

"Minutes before that, she was the same Beta girl I'd known for two years. But in that moment, her pheromones went from barely there to so noticeable I wouldn't be surprised to know he'd gone into rut as well". This was his report to Tsunade, while Sakura sat there, a puzzled expression on her face.

"But I thought denomination was determined at bi-"

"Yes", Tsunade interrupted her, "it is. Sakura, Maemi-san is expecting you in the lab to conduct your blood tests. Please meet her there. I'll call you when I have the results". Maemi-san spent her entire afternoon in the lab, and it wasn't necessary for a medic-nin like Sakura to have her blood drawn by a technician anyway, but she understood the underlying message: "Leave us alone to discuss this", and so she did.

She respected and adored both her shishou and sensei, and would have followed whatever command they sent her way, but she couldn't say she also wasn't relieved to leave for more egotistical reasons. She rushed out the room, not without bowing respectfully to her elders, and then took off. There were exactly 656 steps from the Hokage office to the hospital doors, plus 124 more including the two sets of stairs that took her to the lab, where Maemi-san was making herself a cup of coffee, which added an unexpected 3 minutes to her already too long 6 minute walk, alone with her thoughts. She started counting the tile on the backsplash - 64. She counted how many times the coffee was stirred - 7. The milliliters of blood drawn - 12.

No use. There wasn't enough counting in the world that could keep her from thinking about Sasuke Uchiha. From his sensual voice whispering her name from above. From the way he pinned her down with his stoic gaze. Time stood still. She could see it all, exactly as if she were reliving it. His long fingers, flexing as if urging to squeeze the air around them. His broad jawline, paired with broad shoulders. His muscular yet lean calves. A drop of sweat languidly sliding from his neck, down to his pectorals, into the low cut of his cotton shirt, a most generous gift from the humid Kusagakure weather. Her mouth going dry.

For the first time in her entire life, she had felt animal. Instinctual. She, who had always been think-it-through Sakura, sensible Sakura, whose best asset was between her ears; Sakura, whose love proclamation had been calculated, and in battle, she had always a plan Z laying somewhere. She, unknown and renewed Sakura, desired to be ravished by him - to be consumed by his flame, to be torn apart, left in the sun to dry, made into the most delicious fruit, and savored - by him only, forever.

Never in her life had she experienced this. Her old fantasies, consisting of stolen kisses, purred love declarations, wedded lovers shyly exploring each other's bodies - they all disappeared in a plume of smoke. Suddenly, clearer than she'd ever felt it before, she knew what she wanted: him. Unaltered, unfiltered, bloody, sweaty, grotesque and wild.

And then the fight had begun.

"Sakura-san, your results should be ready by tomorrow morning. Is there anything else I can help you with today?". Sakura was snapped away from her recollections by the technician, feeling both gratitude and a deep awkwardness which was surely reflected in her burning cheeks. She shook her head. "These will be sent directly to Tsunade-sama's office first thing in the morning, so make sure to check your results with her. Have a great day!"

The next day, the print was the following:

"Sakura Haruno

Age: 15

Status: OMEGA"

A big, fat drop fell on the paper. Sakura looked up to the gray sky. She'd woken up hours ago, after a long night of tossing and turning. Anticipating the rain, the girl had headed to the training grounds, where a satisfactory routine of stone smashing and tree uprooting had taken her mind off her mental ramblings for a while.

After three hours, unable to postpone it for any longer, she had headed out for the Hokage's office, to receive the news she so anxiously expected. Tsunade made no comment on her unkempt appearance, but there was an apologetic twinge of something in her eyes when she shared the not so news.

Sakura asked, "What now?" when what she truly wanted to know was "How am I supposed to feel about this?"

"Kakashi is away on a mission in Kirigakure. Let's wait to hear his assessment of this. For now, I've sent word to Ino Yamanaka. She and her grandmother will be your teachers for now. I…" Noticeably swallowing, Tsunade looked conflicted. It was a rare sight, to witness her teacher hesitate. Sakura took the lead.

"Don't worry shishou, I'll learn everything there is to learn". Seeing the apprehension on the Godaime's face hadn't gone away, she continued. "I'll learn it quickly. Don't worry"

"Who said anything about worry? Make sure you keep this information to yourself. Go on your way now". And she was ready to do so, when she remembered…

"Tsunade-shishou, how will I keep all the horny Alphas away from me?!"

Between her book and the Yamanaka women, Sakura was able to make sense of her situation in no time. Omegas were quite a secretive bunch, but between her her young self desire to be one, her growing up next to Ino, and the fantastic literature she enjoyed reading ("Which is not realistic, and quite offensive", had her best friend commented) it wasn't long before her teachers were satisfied with her progress.

The Hokage had requested secrecy regarding her hypothesis behind Sakura's change of denomination, and when Ino had inquired, her best friend had been as honest as she was allowed to be: "I'm sorry Ino. But it's classified". Still, she could see the blonde's machinations behind her pale eyes everytime the pair was together for their lessons. And everytime the subject of marriage was broached, Sakura made sure not to fidget or give her anxiety away.

But outside the classroom, she couldn't contain her excitement, her child-like imagination roaming freely. "I'll get to marry Sasuke-kun", she whispered to herself before falling asleep most nights. "He'll come back, and he'll be my mate, forever". Other times, she was hardly that positive: "I have less than a year. He'll never come back in time". And on special nights, she was downright depressed: "He'd never have me. Even if he came in time".

Two months after her lessons had begun, she was called into her shishou's office, to discuss her newest mission.

"How's your training going?" had an affectionate Kakashi asked her, standing up from his chair to ruffle her hair, but before she could answer, Tsunade barked:

"Who cares!" Sakura was used to her leader's ways, so no offense was taken. "Sakura, we have important issues to discuss. Sit". Like children playing in a seesaw, the moment Sakura touched the chair, the Godaime stood up and looked out of the window.

"Begin, Kakashi", Tsunade ordered. Kakashi sighed and moved to the front of the room, leaning on his leader's desk.

"We're here to discuss your status as an Omega"

"Obviously", the blonde woman sneered.

"Obviously", Kakashi conceded. "We've spent these last couple of months trying to figure out exactly what happened, and even though the answer isn't crystal clear, we think…"

"You bore me with your roundabouts. Sakura, what's the prerequisite for the existence of Alphas?"

"Emm," She did not expect this to become a questionnaire for her lessons. "Alphas are dependent on the Omega population around them. The first son from any notorious clan is always one, but any other males with high testosterone levels might prove to be Alphas on their first testing"

"And what's the status difference between the firstborn and any other Alphas?"

"Firstborns in a clan are considered Top Alphas and are expected to lead the pack. Regular Alphas experience the same hormonal changes but are submissive to their leadership"

"What happens if a Top Alpha passes away?"

"The next in line will go into rut to transform into the new Top Alpha".

"Who were the candidates for the position of Fourth Hokage?" This question caught her completely off guard.

"Minato-sama and… Orochimaru?" She was shooting in the dark here.

"When it came down to it, yes. But the preliminary list included Hiashi Hyūga, Tsume Inuzuka, Shikaku Nara, Ibiki Morino… And Itachi Uchiha". A dead silence took over the room. Sakura's mind was working at full speed trying to connect the dots. All of these ninjas were Top Alphas in their clans, except…

"Wouldn't Fugaku Uchiha be the Top Alpha in his Clan? Itachi couldn't have been out of the Academy yet"

"He was a jonin already. But that's neither here nor there. The point I'm trying to make is Itachi already was one of the most powerful and influential ninjas of his generation, while most of his peers were still learning to tie their shoes."

Sakura looked at Kakashi, trying to find an explanation in his eyes. Whatever the Hokage was implying, it was flying right over her head. Thankfully, her sensei took pity on her, and indulged her with a simpler explanation. "The catalyst for your change in denomination must have been encountering Sasuke. That's the only variable that makes any kind of sense. And if Itachi was arguably the strongest Alpha in the village, Sasuke should have been submissive to him, which clearly hasn't happened."

"And how exactly does all of this involve me?" She hated discussing anything Uchiha related without her former teammate present - it felt like a defiling of something sacred.

"This is not taught openly, but there's another type of Alpha leader: their goal is to revolutionize the pack."

Tsunade added: "My grandfather's brother, the Nidaime, was one. We have reason to believe Madara Uchiha was one too". For the second time in five minutes, the room went completely silent. Nothing good could come when that name was uttered out loud.

"True Alphas". Finally, it all came crashing down. Behind her instructors' back, Sakura had done her own research. Being the Hokage's apprentice came with its perks, after all, and she had access to the most restricted scrolls in the entire country.

She knew what True Alphas were. Her failing to associate her situation to what she had read felt stupid now. True Alphas threatened the entire community's organization. True Alphas played by their rules, and had no issue going against their own leaders - their biological objective was to seize power, after all. True Alphas were dangerous. And Sakura said exactly that.

"Yes, they're dangerous. But their power can be harnessed for good, too." By now, Tsunade had finished her third cup of sake. Looking at the pictures of the previous Hokages, she nodded. "They can be convinced to work with their equals, but never forced into it. My dear grandfather told me dozens of stories featuring his dear brother. They were a great force to be reckoned with, but Tobirama never submitted as a lesser Alpha".

Kakashi picked a little black book from the table. A bingo book. "The latest news is that Sasuke has gotten rid of Orochimaru, and is now after Itachi. Collaborating with his brother is clearly off the table - so consciously or unconsciously, Sasuke is building his own pack. And it seems like you've been selected as his Omega" That was way too much information in a single sentence, but in Sakura's mind, all that stuck was "his Omega".

"What we're about to ask you here is illegal, highly unethical, and extremely dangerous. Sakura, we cannot force you to take this mission, so think very carefully before agreeing to do it."

"And yet", Kakashi said with a smile beneath his mask, "I think you'll find it to your liking"

Tsunade turned, and looked her straight in the eyes. "How badly do you want the Uchiha bastard to return?"