Naruto wished he never said yes to Gaara when he said he wanted to be his boyfriend. He impulsively said yes, because it felt like the right thing at the time. Especially when they pseudo-lived together.

Living like that with Gaara felt like the domestic bliss he'd been searching for his whole life. It was more real than the hotel rooms they shared in Suna. Knowing the alpha would be there when he went to bed was an amazing safety net Naruto needed.

That was the real problem, Naruto needed that feeling. It wasn't a want or a dream. It was a tangible need with words attached to them. Something he could lose now that it had a name.

It meant he had to confront the reality of their doomed relationship. One day he would lose Gaara for real. All this good will built between them would be gone. They might not even be friends when they broke up.

Gaara lived in Suna, and Naruto in Konoha.

Gaara was the Kazekage, and Naruto would be the Hokage.

They were supposed to share a drink together.

Not a bed.

That bed tangled up with limbs, started the mess of everything. It was easier when they didn't have a name. They could slip back into being friends who once shared a bed when duty finally called Naruto to his dream.

It was easier when Naruto didn't love Gaara.

He was already searching on his calendar for a time they could meet up again. There's nothing like the Chunin Exams coming up. Naruto would either need to extend his training or start taking on more jobs if he wanted to keep his apartment.

His chakra nature training was done. The money from the failedmission to save Team 10 would tie him over for a while.

Naruto looked over to his nest that still held the rich scent of his alpha. That too would eventually fade. Before it did, Naruto made sure to lose himself in it.

Naruto felt the fog creep back into his mind. It's what happened last time… right before he couldn't get out of bed for three weeks. Naruto couldn't let that happen again.

It was a new morning.

"Gaara's not here." Naruto reminded himself, "I have to do this on my own."

He hated doing it all on his own. Breakfast without another person around felt tedious. What's the point of eating if there was no one to share it with?

Naruto also missed the early morning make-out sessions. Because they often turned into early morning other thing sessions. It really got Naruto ready for the day.

"Suna needs additional help with-" Lady Tsunade's voice was heard outside the door, "I'll look into sending over someone. Maybe Sakura could teach-

It was only bits and pieces but maybe there was a mission to be had. Naruto burst open the door and said, "Hey old hag! How's it hanging?"

"Naruto, you are speaking to the Hokage." Shizune reminded him.

"Yeah - Yeah." Naruto waved it off, "Are there any new missions available?"

"There might be," She eyed him up and down, "Shizune, leave us alone for a while."

"Of course, Lady Tsunade." She left and the two of them were alone.

"What's the big deal? Is this a super secret mission or something?"

Tsunade circled around him like a shark who just smelled a drop of blood in the water, "I was worried about this."

"What?!" Naruto laughed and immediately covered his mark with his signature neck rub.

"That with your special friend gone it would stop healing. You can move your hand now." Tsunade said, using a pencil to push against Naruto's hand.

"It's fine."

"It was fine. Now I'm worried about it again." She ripped off the bandaid.

It's true it had gotten a bit worse since his last mission. But someone died. He went to a funeral. So of course it would get worse.

Naruto knew his mark was tied to his emotions. It's what's supposed to help an alpha and omega connect to each other. BlahBlahBlah science stuff, his emotions help push out pheromones that call to his alpha so they know when something was wrong, or right, or whatever.

Without an alpha or a pack taking care of him his mark would ooze out the alpha venom. Like it's screaming for help from anyone who's around. They would smell a distressed omega without their mate and become compelled to help. That's not what happened. No amount of distress would change the fact he's still a jinchūriki.

Tsunade said if he just left it like that, there's a chance all the alpha venom would exit his body completely. He would be free of Sasuke's control. However, if that happened, he would suffer one of the worst drops in his life. Even with the Kyuubi he'd need intensive medical care.

Naruto kinda hoped that one would happen. It seemed like the easiest way to get rid of it. It would prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that Sasuke didn't care. If an alpha could be a part of their omega for so long that the body physically rejects the mark. They didn't care about them.

It was always said that an omega couldn't stand the pheromones of non-pack member alphas after they were marked. However, this far along in the rejection phase, that obviously wasn't the case. Gaara could attest to that.

His body seemed to crave Gaara now. The same way it used to-

"Are you listening to me?" Tsunade asked.

He shook his head, "No…"

"I swear, Naruto. You have to start taking care of yourself."

"I do!" Naruto took care of himself all morning. He got up, he brushed his teeth, he ate breakfast, he put on clothes, he took a shower, not in that order. He did fine taking care of himself. He's been doing it since he was five and was kicked out of the orphanage and into his own apartment.

"I mean really take care of yourself. How often do you spend time with your pack?"

"Enough."

"Your mark says otherwise. It's oozing again."

"What do you even know about it anyway?"

"A lot." Tsunade reminded him, while bragging, "One, I'm the top medical ninja in the entire world. A part of the legendary three. And the Hokage."

She loosened her shirt, it looked like she was about to take it off, "Two, I am an omega myself."

Pushing the fabric back she exposed the back of her neck, there was an old calcified mark, "And finally three, I experienced this myself."

"You did?"

"Yes. Remember when I said ninjas die all the time?"

"... Yeah?"

"My alpha was a ninja."

"Oh."

"And I'm not dead. So maybe you should listen to my advice before you get yourself killed." She readjusted her top to cover back up.

"Yeah, but, there's nothing I can really do about it." Naruto said, "Everyone's busy with their own lives. I only really see them on missions… and I try to get as much as I can from then, but you know, I'm working. And so are they. So like, I'm doing my best."

"You've gotta try."

"I am. I don't know… Just give me more meds or something."

"With your stamina you're already at the top dosage. Remember, medical intervention only goes so far."

"Okay… then what do you expect me to do?" Naruto was out of options.

"There's an opening for a part time teaching position in Suna. They are looking for a medical ninja. I was going to send Sakura, but if someone could change the qualifications, it might be open for you."

"You know about that?"

"Yes. And I think it's a good thing."

Naruto had to ask, "Why doesn't he make it worse?"

"Omegas are very resilient. The idea that we're locked to one alpha for our entire lives is a lie they tell to get you to settle. Don't settle, Naruto."

"But what about the village? There's probably a bunch of missions I still have to go on."

"The village will still be here… If you don't go. I'm worried you won't." She held him close.

"It's really that bad?"

She nodded.

"Oh."

"If there's anything important we'll call for you. Besides, it's only a few months." She said as if he already had this job.

Naruto found Sakura sitting on a bench in the park. She had several books and scrolls covering up the bench beside her. So many they were even spilling out of her bag on the ground. The sun setting; it was a peaceful afternoon.

"How's it going, Sakura?!" Naruto shouted.

"Huh?!" Sakura flinched, and looked up, "Oh, it's just you, Naruto."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you're not Ino… or worse Sai."

Naruto didn't know, "Why is Ino bad?"

"I'm mad at her."

"Again?"

"Yes." She continued to read a bit, making the occasional note.

"Well are you mad at me?" Naruto made sure.

"I guess not…"

"Do you care if I join you?"

"Fine, but don't be loud. I'm studying for my next training session with the Hokage." Sakura moved over some books to let Naruto sit.

They sat in silence for a bit. Naruto obviously wanted to say something, but tried his best not to be added to Sakura's hate list of the night.

Eventually while writing, Sakura said, "You and the Kazekage?"

"You heard?" It's like she could read Naruto's mind.

"Everyone heard. You're not subtle."

"Hey!"

"You two were spotted at Ichiraku Ramen three times during his visit." She held up three fingers as if that proved a point.

"That's not new, I'm always there."

"Not like that." She eyed him.

"Okay… So?"

Sakura looked away when she asked, "Does this mean you gave up on Sasuke?"

"I'll still bring him back home." Naruto wanted to keep his promise.

"You know what I mean." Sakura was his romantic rival after all.

"Yeah." Naruto admitted, "I'm done with that… I don't think he liked me that much, anyway."

"You finally learned that?"

"Yeah," Naruto said, "I guess it took me some time."

"You have weird taste in alphas."

Naruto laughed, "Hey! You liked one of them, too!"

"When I was a kid. I've moved on."

"Really?! You have to tell me!" His jaw dropped.

"No, I don't."

"You know mine."

"All of Konoha, and I'm assuming Suna, knows yours."

"So, you still know mine and I don't know yours. That's not fair."

"It doesn't matter, she doesn't like me, anyway. I guess I have a weird taste in alphas too." Sakura sighed, "I really like alphas I have no chance with."

"She?"

"Yeah, she. And don't start thinking too much about it or you'll hurt your brain."

"I just didn't know your type changed that much. A broody emo alpha boy to a she." Naruto had an idea of who this alpha girl could be.

"It never changed. I think I always liked her… I just didn't think we could be together. And now I know we can't."

"Ya' know… You should have told me you liked blondes. In another world maybe we could have dated." Naruto laughed.

Sakura smiled, and gave him a friendly push, "As if."

"Ya' know… You shouldn't give up on her." Love was worth fighting for.

"I think I have to. She's on a date with Sai right now." It seems like her type didn't change. It just morphed with her secondary gender. Sakura's crush still liked broody emo boys.

"Really? Gross."

"Right?!"

They chatted about all the stuff that came to their mind about their new teammate. The world they lived in. Their past. Their future. Everything.

Late into the night on the same park bench, Naruto said, "I'm glad you're my friend, Sakura."

"Yeah, you're not so bad yourself either."

"Would you-" Naruto didn't know how to ask this, "Would you hate me if I left?"

"What? You're doing another training mission or something?"

"Not exactly. But exactly."

"Stop sounding stupid."

Naruto took a deep breath in, and "I'm moving to Suna."

"Like permanently?"

"Like for the next six months."

"Okay, that's not so-

"And then, I don't know…"

"Oh…"

"Yeah."

"You're really serious about him?"

"Yeah."

"Are you giving up on Hokage?"

"I don't know." Naruto said, "I just want to see how this works out."

"Oh…" Sakura thought for a second, "Well let him know if he breaks your heart he has to deal with me."

Naruto laughed, "I'll tell him."