The preparations for her wedding passed in a blur for Sakura. Between the flurry of securing a venue that was both secure and ostentatious enough for the Five Kage, being fitted for her various ceremonial dresses and the Kazehime's robes, ordering a million and one things for the reception and actual ceremony and putting together a guest list while keeping clan and international politics in mind, Sakura was certain that she had forgotten to sleep once or twice. It was fortunate that her mother and most of her yearmates stepped up to the plate and offered to help out in their own ways, with Ino there to wrangle it all. It would have been much easier to secure a professional planner for the wedding, but just about every one they approached had blanched at the sheer responsibility of planning for what was effectively the wedding of one Kage to another Kage's daughter; it would be a feather in their cap if they managed to pull it off, but the consequences of failure were much, much greater, and probably not worth their lives in exchange.
"What are your plans for your wedding night?" Tenten had asked whilst they were in a shop picking out the ceremonial sake set, which Sakura was convinced they should skip because neither her nor Gaara were of legal drinking age; but traditions still had to be observed.
Ino dove forward in time to catch the porcelain lid that tipped off the (very expensive) sake pot, and Hinata had caught Sakura's hands in time to stop her from dropping said pot altogether. However, neither of them could do anything about Sakura's tomato-red complexion as she gaped and opened her mouth to speak; except not a single word came out from her parted lips, only a weak-sounding "eep".
After prying the sake pot out of her hand, Ino snapped her fingers in front of Sakura's face. When the pink-haired kunoichi failed to respond, Ino turned towards Tenten and said solemnly, "I think you fried her last working brain cell, Tenten."
"S-should we be t-talking about this in public?" Hinata fretted even as she paled significantly.
Oh, stars. How could she forget about the wedding night? The last wedding she attended was a distant cousin's, and her great-grandaunt had hoarsely proclaimed in a surprisingly loud voice that while they would forgo the more crass practice of witnessing the actual act of consummation, they still insisted on checking the bedsheets the next morning for the bloody proof of the bride's chastity. The civilians of Konoha tended to be more conservative in their outlook, and considered sex before marriage a poor reflection on the bride's upbringing, and consequently, her family's reputation.
Was the same expected of her? Shinobi did not prize their chastity as much, but she was the only shinobi in their entire family in generations; that might mean their expectation of Sakura still ran towards the more traditional ones, which might include checking that she was pure until the night of her marriage. And to say nothing of what her new Suna relatives and council would ask of her, given how poorly Omegas were regarded in their culture. That's right. Gaara's siblings are his only living relatives, she recalled with a grim downturn of her lips. She knew that she could count on Temari and Kankurou as allies as they were both fairly rebellious in nature and would fight against such an outdated practice, not to mention their easy friendship in the years prior. But could she say the same for the finicky old Suna councilmen? Would she be able to stop herself from pummeling them if they made such a demand of her?
"We should go to the lingerie shop afterwards!" Ino's loud declaration seemed to shake Sakura out of her stupor, and she blanched at her friend's betrayal. She had reduced the amount of Beta pheromones in her scent patches enough that the tartness of her souring scent was easier to pick up in times of stress, which meant right now.
"I'm not mentally prepared!" Sakura shrieked, and a pause later, she added softly, "For any of this at all."
Ino turned to look at her, and she suppressed the urge to sigh out loud. Hinata and Tenten had no idea that Sakura was hoping to break her soul bond with Gaara. As far as they knew, Sakura's marriage and subsequent mating to the Kazekage was something that was always going to happen, given their respective standing as Alpha and Omega and the unique nature of their bond; it was just the way the world worked when an Alpha found a destined Omega, and Tenten's squeal of delight when she learnt that Sakura had found herself in a dream-like soul bond had been loud enough to send a very concerned Lee running to their group.
At least he has the good manners to not crash headlong into the ladies' public baths, and instead had an extremely loud conversation with Tenten over the walls. By the end of that night, news of her betrothal to the Kazekage had spread to all corners of the village, and her parents spent the following day thanking well-wishers while she hid away with her wedding responsibilities.
"What? Did you expect you'd stay a virgin forever, Forehead Girl? He's going to want his marital rights, and if what I heard about redheads is true, you're not going to be able to walk straight the next day!" Ino's teasing tone was obvious to the trio, but underneath that cheeky smile, Sakura could see a hint of sorrow in the blonde's eyes. Although Sakura had no idea how to even go about breaking a soul bond, she had at least held out the hope that she'd find the means to do so before her next heat (which she was expected to spend with Gaara, since they were to be wedded by then). If she managed to do so, there was a chance that she could escape with her chastity intact.
There was no way she could work out how to do that in less than two weeks, especially given all the preparations she had to undertake for their wedding ceremony.
Steeling herself, she squared her shoulders and turned to face Hinata and Tenten with a smile. "Of course I didn't forget about it. I was just wondering how to make it a night we will both remember. After all, he's going to be my first."
Sakura did not expect her face to fall so despondently in front of her friends when she finished speaking, and she knew the slight quiver in the set of her mouth was a tell-tale sign of her true feelings. Her friends glanced nervously at each other, none of them knowing how to bring up Sasuke's name without upsetting Sakura further.
For a kunoichi, Haruno Sakura was surprisingly easy to read. If there was one glaring fault that anyone had to point to in order to highlight her unsuitability for her chosen career path, it was the fact that she wore her heart on her sleeve. When she herself confessed this failing of hers to Tsunade, the Hokage simply laughed uproariously and told her to never gamble if she did not have a poker face, then leaned over and whispered, "But seriously, don't get into gambling. Debt collectors have started hiring shinobi to track down gambling debts, and it really sucks when you have to punch one of your own."
"Sakura, you cannot let yourself live in the past any longer."
When she lifted her head towards the speaker, it was to see a stern-looking Tenten with her hands on her hips. Both Hinata and Ino appeared surprised by Tenten's words, and they waited with bated breath for her to resume. "While it is admirable to be loyal to your teammates, you know just as well as we do that he made the choice to leave. There was nothing any of us could have offered or done to change his mind, and you saw what happened when our boys went after him."
Well, that definitely brought back a surge of memories. Lee - who had been so badly injured that his shinobi career was all but over - had chased after Naruto, Kiba, Shikamaru, Neji and Chouji the moment he could walk. Even when Naruto was laid up in bed and bandaged up like a mummy, he still grinned and told her that he would keep his promise to bring Sasuke back, no matter how long it would take. She had visited the other members of the mission as well, and their varying levels of injuries had only convinced her to quit her shinobi career, a burden as she was to them all. Had she not met Tsunade on the day when she was planning to turn in her gear, had Tsunade refused to train her… She would now be nothing more than a simple civilian girl who once played at being a kunoichi who could not even keep her team together.
Tenten's harsh tone cut through the fog of her thoughts. "You have always been the smartest girl in the academy, and you are now probably the second-best medic-nin in Konoha. If he never saw these qualities in you, or your potential, then why waste it on him? Lee only ever has good things to say about Gaara. Ok, granted, Lee only ever has good things to say about anyone, but they must be true if his village is willing to make a Jinchuuriki their Kage."
There was no suppressing her wince as Sakura realised the truth in Tenten's words. Yes, Gaara was not the first Jinchuuriki to become a Kage; the Mizukage Yagura was the first, but his reign had been so bloody and disastrous that he had been cited by most of the shinobi world as a good example as to why a Jinchuuriki should not be crowned the Kage. Not only did Gaara have to deal with that legacy, he had to take ownership of the failed invasion of Konoha and reposition Suna to become both an economic and military powerhouse in their own right. Plus,Tsunade did only ever have glowing reviews for his reign, short as it has been.
Objectively, Gaara was the better choice.
Then again, anyone was a better choice than a missing nin. Objectively speaking once more.
"A soul bond, Sakura," Tenten emphasised, and she pumped her fist energetically, "The complete compatibility of both the Alpha and Omega's mind and body. You cannot fight something so perfectly arranged by nature. You'll come to see that he is the best thing that has happened to you."
Ino cocked an eyebrow. "You are so invested in this, Tenten. I swear, you should just marry the Kazekage instead."
"Don't be silly. I'm a Beta. And even if I were an Omega, I doubt I'd get so flustered just hearing his name."
Slapping her hands over her heated cheeks, Sakura was mortified to realise that she had indeed been growing increasingly red-cheeked as her mind lingered on Gaara's visage.
Red hair, red kanji, and red robes.
Sabaku no Gaara. The Fifth Kazekage.
Her Alpha.
Her Soul Mate.
Was she being bone-headed as Ino had said when she declared her intention to break the bond? Was she truly being foolish, fighting against such impossible odds? Would it be so bad to give herself physically to Gaara, seeing how they seemed to fall together so effortlessly after a kiss or several?
As long as she kept her heart guarded, there was no harm in making their union easier for them both. She had offered to go to him as a rut partner; he simply offered her a more fitting title for her station instead. Functionally, she was still fulfilling the exact same arrangement she herself had offered up. It was time to stop being wishy-washy, and accept the choice that she had made.
And if that meant seducing her husband-to-be, that was the most basic duty she had as his wife, right?
Sakura signalled to the shopkeeper and arranged for the delivery of the ceremonial sake set she had been holding - on the Kazekage's tab, naturally - before pointing towards the door. Ino saw the firm set of Sakura's jaws, and she gave her best friend an encouraging smile. "So, the lingerie shop next?"
"Come on, Ino-pig. Help me find something that will make me look good." Sakura mirrored her friend's grin.
Laughing, Ino looped her arm with Sakura's and all but dragged her down the streets, hooting out, "Look good? Forehead Girl, when I'm done with you, we're going to need to book your honeymoon suite for a full week instead!"
Gaara had been busy in his own way as well. His council was outraged to learn that the wedding would only take place in Konoha, and that Suna would have to settle for a smaller ceremonial presentation of the Kazehime instead; they promised him an earful once they made the long trip to Konohagakure together with his siblings. For now, their disgruntlement was conveyed through a string of messenger birds being sent back and forth, and in-between, Gaara was being approached by Sakura's friends one after the other. Some like Rock Lee had greeted him with a fountain of tears and mild threats of violence should he ever make Sakura cry; others like Naruto resulted in the demolition of several of Konoha's training grounds as they 'conversed' over sparring matches. There was also the matter of making sure that he was there to greet the other three visiting Kage as they arrived, to reassure them that this marriage to the Hokage's apprentice was not a means of keeping the villages of Kiri, Iwa and Kumo at an arm's length while securing a permanent alliance with the strongest shinobi village in the world.
Raikage A had been the most suspicious about the circumstances surrounding the Kazekage's too-fortuitous meeting with an Omega immediately upon coming into his Alpha designation, and how likely were the odds that his destined Omega was the Hokage's apprentice? Mizukage Mei had fretted over the youthful age of their union, and wondered aloud if he would be bringing a baby to the next Five Kage Summit. When Gaara awkwardly mentioned that his education on human reproduction was complete and he knew ways to keep from impregnating his wife, she seemed simultaneously relieved and disappointed. As for the Tsuchikage Ohnoki, he simply shrugged and said he was too old to be bothered by the wedding of two individuals who could not even legally drink alcohol, provided the status quo of village relations stayed the same.
So when Gaara was suddenly asked to attend a meeting with the Konoha council, he had secretly heaved a sigh of relief at escaping the scrutiny of his fellow Kage. His own councilmen would be arriving shortly, and the Daimyo from their respective countries arriving only on the day of the ceremony itself. He was not looking forward to meeting either party, especially when their respective councils arrived and negotiations started - the wedding of a Kage was as good a time as any to renew treaties after all.
The first thing he noticed about the entrance to the Konoha council's meeting room was that it was buried away in a corner of the Hokage building, and that it was completely unremarkable compared to the Suna council's conference room. Detecting a familiar chakra signature from within, he lifted his fist to rap firmly against the door.
The next thing he noticed when the doors swung open from the inside was that aside from the four ANBU members standing guard, the only other occupants of the room were a trio of councilmen - two much older than the bandaged one sitting closest to the door - and the Hokage herself. The furniture in the room surprised him in their modesty - several couches and armchairs surrounded the rectangular table that looked more like a coffee table than one meant for a meeting - and he looked to Tsunade for directions. "Kazekage," she greeted, and she gestured to the empty armchair which she was adjacent to.
Was this all that the Konoha council consisted of? Three councilmen and the Hokage herself? Suna was a much smaller village, and their population a fraction of Konoha's but somehow Gaara had four times the number of councilmen and ten times the headache from wrangling them. This was something he would have to revisit when he returned home, and he nodded to Tsunade before taking the proffered seat.
As he crossed the room to reach the chair, he drew in a subtle lungful of air, scenting the occupants of the room as he did so. Tsunade's Beta designation was not new to him, and two of the ANBU were clearly Alphas who were suppressing their pheromone levels to avoid appearing confrontational when in his presence. Everyone else in the room was a Beta except…
Ah. One of the Konoha councilmen was an Omega, he realised with a small start. Gaara allowed his eyes to linger on the two elders as he took his seat, and looked away before he could be caught staring. The old woman was the sole Omega in the room, and though her scent was much weaker due to her being past her breeding years, there was no mistaking the slight softness to her form that Omegas usually bore even in her advanced age. Omega pheromones were supposed to be calming for anyone who scented them including Betas, and he supposed it made sense to have an Omega on the council to quell hotter tempers. It seemed like a good idea to implement for his own council, except for the fact that Omegas were not allowed to hold such high office in Suna; reason being that their heats and pheromones could compromise the rest of the councilmen.
Gaara snorted to himself. Foolish, archaic notions. They won't dare to deny Sakura access to council meetings, not when she is the Kazehime. She had been the Hokage's apprentice since she was a genin, and would have valuable insight to share that could help push our village towards greater progress.
"...Kazekage?"
Gaara stopped himself from blinking in surprise at being caught unawares, and calmly turned his head towards Tsunade. He tipped his head in a small nod to her, and Tsunade suppressed her own sigh at Gaara's inattentiveness; but she supposed she could not fault him, as he had been hounded mercilessly by both his own council and their fellow Kage for the past few days.
"The reason we have sought this meeting, Kazekage, is that we have certain concerns regarding Haruno Sakura," the elderly man next to the Omega councilwoman spoke up, and he waited for Gaara to meet his gaze before resuming, "She has been serving as the Hokage's apprentice for many years, and knows much about the inner workings of our village and shinobi matters. We trust that our Suna allies will not exploit that knowledge, but the same cannot be said for those who would attempt to capture her when she is no longer under Konoha's banner and protection."
This time, he could not completely suppress the urge to snarl, though he did manage to temper it into a low growl as he glared at the councilman. At his bristling, the ANBU in the room tensed up, and they were poised to react should he attack Homura. Koharu lowered her gaze in the face of his Alpha annoyance, but in her body language he could see that she was attempting to release more of her pheromones into the room in a call for cooler heads, deliberately exposing the scent gland at the nape of her neck to do so. It would be very poor form on his part to force an elderly Omega into taking on such a role, and Gaara forced himself to draw in a calming breath before he asked curtly, "Do you doubt my ability to protect my wife?"
Tsunade bit back a smirk. She only recently made peace with the fact that Sakura was going to leave Konoha to marry Gaara, and she had feared that the young Kazekage would view the addition of a spouse as a burden. The fact that he saw her as someone to cherish and protect was a sign of his honourable nature, and that he would stop at nothing to ensure her well-being.
That, and referring to her as his wife before the ceremony itself… Ah, Sakura, he's going to be good for you. Perhaps you need to rethink your plan to undo the soul bond…
"I don't mean to imply weakness on your part, Kazekage-" The fact that Homura had used the term 'weakness' did not escape Gaara's notice, and he sat up a little straight as he kept his gaze locked with the old man. "-But you are a Kage, and that means responsibilities. We do not expect you to keep Sakura by your side at all times, and I understand she is to serve as a trainer as well? Do you mean to shadow her every move personally?"
"I have my own ANBU security detail. The Kazehime will get one as well."
"Be that as it may…" Koharu started speaking up, but the bandaged man at the armchair across from Gaara raised a hand to ask for silence, and she leaned back into the couch once more.
"Esteemed Kazekage, we have no doubt your shinobi will protect their Kage's wife to the best of their abilities, but Konoha will be remiss if we do not offer our services. As the Fifth Hokage's apprentice, Sakura is a tempting target for anyone seeking information about both villages. Not to mention, Sakura is the killer of a S-rank Akatsuki member, so she is now a prime target for their attacks as well. She will require a shinobi of exceptional calibre to watch over her at all times, which you cannot do for want of running your village."
"Services," Gaara's lips pressed into a thin line, and he glowered, "It sounds like you want to embed your shinobi inside Suna's walls, councilman…?"
"Danzo is my name, Kazekage. And you are both right and wrong. Though Sakura is valuable to us, we cannot afford to send an entire army to protect her, either," Danzo's expression remained neutral even as Tsunade directed a mean glare at him. "We are offering to send one of our most elite shinobi to go with her as her personal guard, to grant you a peace of mind that your wife will come to no harm under his watch."
Several different thoughts jumped at Gaara at once. A single shinobi was a reasonable offer, but who was this elite supposed to be? Why did the Konoha council not voice this concern until the wedding preparations were well underway? And If this person was as remarkable as they made him out to be, he would be too valuable to let go of, no matter his rank or designation.
"Do I know this individual?" Jade-green eyes swept across the room, lingering briefly on each of the ANBU as they stood stock-still. Could it be one of these men here that they wanted to send to Suna to watch over Sakura, or more accurately, to spy on him? Gaara was no fool - this supposed bodyguard for Sakura was meant to study Suna's inner workings as much as he was to protect the Kazehime, perhaps even more so of the former. He would much prefer it to be someone in Konoha that he was not a complete stranger to, but those individuals could be counted on one hand, and all of them too important to Konoha to send away.
"We have narrowed down our choices to half a dozen shinobi, and expect to finalise it before the wedding." Danzo's lips quirked up in the tiniest of smiles, and there was nothing remotely friendly about it; Gaara was reminded of a snake smiling before it lunged at its prey.
"And how long do you plan to keep your Konoha plant?" Gaara did not mince his words. If the Konoha council was so barefaced in their plans for this supposed bodyguard, there was no need to dance around the subject - how long would this spy stay in Sunagakure until their desire for foreign intelligence was sated?
Tsunade glared at her council, and in her grim expression, Gaara could see his frustrations with his own council mirrored. He bore her no grudge, knowing that she was outvoted in this situation, and likely torn in her desire to ensure Sakura's safety as well. Akatsuki did manage to kill him once in order to take his Bijuu, but they could just as well seek to dispose of him permanently (this time) to further their ambitions. In such a scenario, it was only natural that Konoha would want to see one of their most promising kunoichi safe. Raising her voice as if daring her councilmen to correct her, Tsunade said sternly, "Sakura's bodyguard will be expected to return to Konoha once the Akatsuki threat has been neutralised."
Danzo looked like he wanted to add more to Tsunade's statement, but she turned to face him fully, and the strength of her glare was forceful enough to make him settle back into his seat.
"A reasonable arrangement, Hokage. I would like to meet this shinobi once he has been chosen," Gaara nodded to Tsunade, then he turned around in his armchair to look at one of ANBU members stationed behind him and asked, "And now that we have addressed that situation, does your ANBU have anything in particular to add?"
As one, every pair of eyes in the room turned towards the ANBU that Gaara was facing. The Kazekage himself kept his gaze locked on the stoat mask, his expression carefully blank as he wondered to himself the reason for this Alpha ANBU's scent of salt water to sharpen so much. Tsunade frowned, and she signalled the ANBU to remove his mask.
It took Gaara several moments to place a name to the face that greeted him under the mask, though he immediately recognised the hereditary lilac eyes that stared back at him. "Hyuuga Neji," he greeted neutrally, "Would you like to say your piece?"
Neji glanced at Tsunade, and he waited for her nod before he returned his attention to Gaara. "I have known Sakura since our academy days, and while I have nothing to add to her upcoming nuptials, I have to say that rather than a bodyguard, she needs a friend to watch over her instead."
Gaara raised a naked brow. His encounters with Neji had been limited to a few times while Lee was playing chaperone in Konoha, and the silent Alpha had always struck him as a man who took great pride in serving his village. And yet here he was, offering to essentially give up his high post in Konoha's shinobi ranks to play bodyguard. There was also the fact that the man was an Alpha, and thus considered an inappropriate choice for an Omega's bodyguard. Still, he had to ask, "Are you volunteering?"
"Outrageous!" Homura slammed a fist against the table, and he glared back and forth between Gaara to Neji, "You are taking the Hokage's apprentice and one of our best medic-nin already, and now you want the Byakugan as well? That is too much to ask for! Why not give him the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki while you are at it, Tsunade!"
"That's 'Hokage' to you," Tsunade snapped back, and she scowled at Neji, "Denied. Homura is correct, we cannot simply send one of our Alpha ANBU to Suna on a long-term mission with no end in sight. And as for your Byakugan… you know the laws, Neji."
Neji's brows knitted together, and he bowed while speaking, "I had to speak up for Sakura, Hokage-sama. I apologise if it was out of place for me to do that, but I was sincere in my offer."
Gaara bristled, a voice inside of him whispering that the Hyuuga male standing before him was eyeing his Omega, hoping to get close to her while watching over her under the guise of friendship. That voice was interrupted when Tsunade sighed deeply and muttered, "And you're not the first to do that, either. Kakashi volunteered to go to Suna as her bodyguard as well a few days ago, after she agreed to be your rut partner, Kazekage. Despite her hiding her Omega side from everyone else, it appears that she had garnered a lot of attention from the Alphas around her."
Tsunade's small smirk that was directed at Gaara caused him to frown. If she was implying that Sakura had no lack of suitors, it was a hint to him that if he ever did anything to chase Sakura aside from his side, she would have no trouble finding another Alpha who would take her in - soul bond or not.
Meanwhile, Koharu was outright boggling, and she sputtered, "The Copy Nin as well?! What kind of a magical cunt does your student have, Hokage? Are we to lose all of our best shinobi because she needs a-"
A dozen shrapnels made of hardened sand levelled at Koharu and hovering menacing in front of her face cut her off at once, and Gaara gave the councilwoman a withering glare as he bared his teeth. "Do not speak of the Kazehime that way, councilwoman. Omegas naturally inspire the desire to protect from Alphas around them, and you will find me a very devoted husband."
When it was clear that Koharu was stunned silent by the threat of violence that continued to hover in front of her, Danzo cleared his throat to garner everyone else's attention, and he said crisply, "We will find a candidate who is not driven by their designation's instincts, Kazekage, and I can promise you that their loyalty towards Sakura will not transcend professionalism."
Tsunade and Gaara exchanged glances, and she gave him a pinched look as her way of apologising for Koharu's outburst. Neji and the other Alpha ANBU in the room were visibly tensed, their fighting instincts stirred up by Gaara's spiking scent of copper and blood as he simmered and scowled.
"You should go check on Sakura, Kazekage," Tsunade suggested. It would not do for a Kage-level Alpha to be running around with such heightened pheromone levels that would upset even the mildest of Betas, thus he needed his Omega's scent to soothe his temper.
Gaara nodded, rose to his feet, and was gone in a vortex of sand.
It was the closing of a chapter in her life, Sakura realised, as she quietly dismantled her nest and started folding up all the clothes that it was once made out of to return to their owners - all of which belonged to one Hatake Kakashi.
An Omega's nest is their private sanctuary of solitude, a way to escape the pressures of the outside world when it becomes too great for their delicate senses. The nest is always made from their pack Alpha's scented clothing or similar items, though biological family members' scents will have a similar, if milder effect of calming them. Primarily used during their heat cycles, an Omega who rests often in their nest outside of those times will find their emotions and pheromones less likely to spike in stressful situations.
Sakura stifled a snort at recollecting how the textbooks had described an Omega's nesting habits. When she first presented, the urge to sleep in her nest every night had gnawed at her. It was a pathetic-looking pile made up of one of Kakashi's quilts and three freshly laundered shirts, the stingy jonin refusing her more as he argued that he did not have many spares to give. She had gathered them around herself in her heat room and tried to fall asleep on them; she ended up waking up with a backache and a twinged elbow. Coupled with her parents' fretting about her absence from her bedroom, she reluctantly decided to go back to sleeping in her own bed ever since.
It took her three weeks to realise - while doing Kakashi's laundry and hanging them out to dry - that she was washing his third set of bedding and that the wardrobe in the spare room consisted of nothing but piles of his shinobi attire that he had put away as he outgrew them, never quite outgrowing his sense of sentimentality enough to throw them out. When she confronted him about it, Kakashi gave her one of his good-natured smiles, ruffled her hair, and asked in a contrastingly sinister tone, "And why are you succumbing to your Omega instincts when you are trying to blend in as a Beta, Sakura-chan?"
Training. It had always been about training her to refuse her Omega desires, and to present herself perfectly as a Beta kunoichi. Someone who does not pine for her Alpha's scent every night to ground herself, instead finding that strength within her to confront difficulties instead of relying on another person's protection.
In the end, Kakashi had not been stingy when it counted; he left a spare futon and a dozen of his shirts out for her to bring back to her nest when he smelt her approaching heat cycle, and between the two of them, they came to an unspoken arrangement to swap out her nesting material for newly-scented ones every three months.
His fresh earth and mineral oil scent lingered on her tongue, coating her throat throughout her heat cycles over the years - a constant reminder of his presence and protection even when he was not physically in front of her. As she grew older and went on more missions outside the village, there had been a few hostile encounters with enemy shinobi which ended in them tucking their tails and bolting once they sniffed the air around her. Their reaction had confused her until one of them snarled out Kakashi's name as he drew his kunai, and the Copy Nin was not among her teammates then.
"Ah," Kakashi had scratched the back of his head sheepishly when confronted afterwards, "You have to forgive me, Sakura-chan, but my Alpha just wants to ensure your safety, and what better way to do it than to stake my claim with my pheromones on you?"
She had slapped her hand over the back of her neck in surprise at that declaration, her decoy scent patch brushing against her fingertips. Her pack Alpha always scented her by rubbing his wrist glands against her cheeks, foregoing the more intimate practice of brushing his cheek against hers. She then recalled the few times his hand had strayed and lingered on the scent patch, and perhaps those have not been accidental touches, but a deliberate attempt to smear his pheromones on her (covered) scent gland. An Omega's neck scent gland was considered taboo for anyone who was not a family member or pack Alpha to touch because of how sensitive it was - mixing with the scent of anyone who touched it often enough that it changed an Omega's scent as a means of broadcasting that they were under the protection of a pack - and somehow, Kakashi had managed to stake his claim on her without her realising it.
With a start, Sakura realised that she had stopped folding the clothes, and her hand was rubbing the back of her neck; she yanked it away as if scalded.
When Gaara had rubbed his pheromones directly on her scent gland several days ago, he had tactfully replaced her patch afterwards and made no mention of her small breakdown, and she had thus far managed to avoid thinking about the incident, embarrassing as it was. Yet even as she practically bathed herself in Kakashi's scent in the process of putting away his clothes, the familiar smell of fresh earth did not cause a bone-numbing sense of calm to settle over her as much as it used to.
It was almost as if her body knew that she now belonged to another, and she shook her head, stubborning bringing one of Kakashi's shirts right up against her nose to inhale. Her former pack Alpha had noted that her scent had begun changing soon after her private time with Gaara in his office, insinuating that Gaara had mate-marked her. But as it turned out, things were much more complicated, the change beginning from the moment their chakra systems became intertwined, lacing his Alpha scent with hers soon after.
Fresh earth. Mineral oil.
Not the fragrance of sandalwood soaked by the falling spring rain. No tang of iron as if a weapon was being forged by a blacksmith's swinging hammer. Shuriken meeting in mid-air. The scrap of a sword against another. The clang of blades ricocheting against the ribs over her heart.
She clicked her tongue, disappointed by her body's betrayal; her preference for her new pack Alpha's scent was obvious to her now. Though Gaara had agreed not to complete the mating bond by cutting his teeth into her neck, she was as good as his - a mate in all ways but simply lacking the physical proof of their union.
"The Suna council expects me to mark you, as proof of your permanent allegiance to me. But we are both aware of the fruits that come from a completed mating. As a compromise, I'd like to call you my mate in front of them even if I have not marked you, if that is agreeable?" He had proposed to her while holding her in his arms, his nose pressed against her forehead as she clung to his robe, finding security in his presence as her trembling finally faded.
A wife for politics, and a mate for children.
Gaara had not said it out loud, but it was clear from his proposal that he made no such distinction in his mind about the roles of wife and mate - to him, they were one and the same. But because not everyone on his council shared that view, he had to claim Sakura as both publicly, to stop them from thinking that they could force Sakura into relinquishing either role and possibly unseating her from the title of Kazehime; it was traditionally the title for the mother of the Kazekage's (legitimate) heirs, which meant the Kazekage's spouse did not legally hold that title until she bore him children; Gaara had insisted on an exception to that rule with his council, ruffling more than a handful of feathers in the process.
He was breaking so many traditions for my sake, Sakura frowned in understanding, and here I am, trying to undo everything when I don't even know if it is possible.
She did not love him, and she could not say if she could come to love him, either. So much of her life had been wrapped up around her hopes of becoming an Uchiha that Sakura had barely begun to make peace with the fact that she was going to become Suna royalty in a matter of days. Earlier today, she had crossed paths with Shikamaru. The Nara heir caught her eye and looked to the sky - a signal that his researches have not yielded any results. Sakura in turn looked away, disappointment hidden behind the biting of her lower lip.
"Are you ok with there being no answer to your question?" Shikamaru quietly asked her when they bumped shoulders at Ichiraku a few days ago. Naruto had dragged her out for ramen, insisting that he had to treat her to as much ramen as possible because the ramen in Suna "sucks balls". Sakura quickly checked that their conversation was not being eavesdropped upon, and expelled her answer in a soft voice, "I am a kunoichi. My place is not to ask questions, but to serve to the best of my abilities."
"Ino is helping me with some of the work, so hopefully we will cover more ground faster," Shikamaru clapped her shoulder, his fingers flexing in a tighter grip briefly, and he murmured without looking at her, "Though, most of what I have discovered so far tells me that who have lost love are the ones who will cherish it the most when they finally find it anew."
With the cryptic remark, the brunet walked away. Sakura could only blink in confusion at his retreating form. Was he telling her that although she had lost Sasuke, she could find love with the Kazekage instead? Or was it in reference to Gaara, who bore the symbol for love on his forehead while living life as a shunned Jinchuuriki having found his Omega in her?
A series of quiet knocks on the door startled Sakura out of her reflections, and she started directing some of her probing chakra towards it to find out who had come to her nest. She glanced quickly around the room, making sure that nothing incriminating was lying out (such as one sexual aid item that she refused to acknowledge still, but had secreted away in a smaller bag of personal items). There were only a few people in the entire village who knew about the existence of this room, and even fewer who would dare approach it.
"Sakura."
Gaara's voice was muffled by the wooden door, but there was no mistaking the firm timbre and quiet authority that she always knew to be his since they were children. Drawing her chakra back to herself, she tucked the last piece of Kakashi's clothing into one of the two duffle bags she had prepared, and she went to unlock the door.
She was not prepared for the rush of sandalwood and iron flooding her senses the moment she threw the door open, and to hide her agreeability to his scent, withdrew back into the room and to her task. Gaara quirked a naked brow at her action, and he watched her for a few moments before removing his shoes to step into the room.
How dare she turn her back to you without first seeking your permission, his Alpha glowered, Put this little Omega in her place.
I am a man, not a beast, he countered firmly.
And yet he felt the stirrings of aggravation once he closed the distance between them, and he could finally see what Sakura was doing. Or more specifically, what she was handling.
On the one hand, she was deliberately coating herself in another Alpha's scent in the process of taking apart her nest; on the other, she was effectively removing her former Alpha from her life by returning his clothes to him.
The Alpha inside of Gaara gnashed its teeth together, and Gaara had to stop himself from doing the same thing on the outside. His claim on Sakura was new, whilst Kakashi's had time to grow and latch into Sakura's scent - he could still pick up traces of gunpowder whenever Sakura was upset, and it was easy for him to discern that such an out-of-place smell on this kunoichi was never naturally hers.
Sakura almost jumped out of her skin when she felt something touch her forearm, and she whipped her head around to see Gaara had reached for her; she only just managed to suppress the punch she had readied out of instinct.
"I'd like to scent you, please." Jade-green eyes met her emerald-green ones, and then darted down to linger on her upturned wrist.
Rare was the Alpha that asked for consent before scenting their packmate; it was considered their birthright to have access to their pack member's scent glands, whether it was to mark them, or to coat themselves in their packmate's scents in an act of reassurance. Even Kakashi failed to ask for permission at times, instead falling back to his Alpha default of taking what was deemed his. To be fair, she never questioned Kakashi either, simply assuming that as an older, more seasoned Alpha, he was simply in the position to know what was best for them both.
"Yes."
Gaara released the breath that was trapped inside his lungs, and drew Sakura's hand up to his cheek, turning to face her palm as he brought her touch against his sand-covered flesh. He nosed her wrist, skin brushing against the leather glove that hid her wrist gland from him, and drew in a purposeful lungful of her sweetness.
His next exhale came out as a rumble of pleasure, and Sakura had to fight the urge to yank her hand back in mortification.
Honey and pomegranates. Lucious and tempting and reassuring all at the same time, and his eyes were slightly glazed when he finally opened them, causing Sakura's breath to hitch when she recognised the mounting desire in him. And when he pressed a kiss into the centre of her palm in gratitude, she subconsciously squeezed her thighs together.
Gaara saw the gesture, but said nothing. Instead, he stood up and jerked his head in the direction of the duffle bags. "Let me help you with those."
Sakura took a moment to study her husband-to-be. Between the time when he first came to the door and now, his shoulders had lost a considerable amount of tension, and his jaws were not clenched like before. A thrilling spark of heat raced through her at the realisation that oh, it was she who did this to him; her Omega had managed to soothe whatever that was bothering his Alpha. It was never like this with Kakashi, with whom she always kept a semblance of distance out of respect for her former teacher-turned-Alpha. Never had she seen her Omega pheromones have such an effect on her former Alpha, and seeing the peace that it brought Gaara, it struck home how important her position as his pack Omega was; how important she was to him.
Sakura shook her head, trying to focus on the present. "I'm bringing these clothes back to Kakashi-sensei. I thought you didn't like his scent."
Although Alphas could tolerate each others' presence, it was asking the impossible when they were vying over the same Omega - that much she understood. Kakashi might have relinquished his claim to her, but Gaara's instincts as a new Alpha were on high alert at the proximity of a powerful Alpha; he did not need to be handling anything that belonged to her former Alpha anytime soon.
He stubbornly shook his head, and before Sakura's eyes a platform of sand materialised. "I insist."
"You're not implying that I am weak, are you?" Sakura half-joked as she hoisted one bag over her shoulder, and held it over the sand platform as if considering if she should put it down or not.
"I would never think of you as weak." The conviction in his voice surprised even himself, and Gaara kept his expression carefully neutral even as he realised how he had almost revealed his admiration for Sakura's formidable chakra-enhanced strength and keen intelligence.
"Ok, then. I'll show you to Kakashi-sensei's place." She allowed the first bag to fall heavily onto the platform, causing it to dip briefly before it rose back into the air at its previous hovering height. The next bag she dropped on it did not cause the same effect once Gaara adjusted his previous expectations.
A very strong Omega.
They walked out of the Hokage building and down the streets of Konoha side-by-side, a polite distance between them both so they did not risk an accidental touch. A few passer-bys looked at them in curiosity, and a few nosier ones outright craned their necks to watch them as they passed. Gaara kept his eyes facing forward, acknowledging those who greeted him with a small nod and nothing more; Sakura supposed he was used to being stared at, both as the Kazekage and as a Jinchuuriki in the past. Throughout it all, he kept his pace measured such that he was never in danger of outstriping her strides, carefully keeping her by his side.
Political decorum, male chivalry, or Alpha instincts?
Sakura wondered which of those ideals were guiding him when they first walked the corridors of the Kazekage building together, and which was guiding him now.
The route they were taking to Kakashi's was one that she rarely used, partially because she usually headed to his place directly from the hospital or the training grounds, but mostly because this path took her directly past a certain bench that she found herself waking up on after failing to stop Sasuke's defection.
His first gentle, sincere smile that was meant for her and only her, only to be followed by a cruel blow that still echoed against her heart and made her eyes itch with unshed tears. The first few months after his departure, Sakura made a conscious effort to avoid even walking near this park. Years later, the ache had dulled, but not the memories.
Don't look at it, she reminded herself, and she kept her eyes forward, resolutely suppressing the urge to glance at that wooden bench that was no more remarkable than any other in the entirety of Konohagakure.
Yet as they drew closer to said bench, there was no hiding the fact that her scent had soured like overly ripe berries left out in the sun; it caused Gaara to turn to her, head tilted in askance. Unable to find her voice and wanting to just continue on their errand uninterrupted, she quickened her pace and strode right past the bench.
It took Sakura several heartbeats to realise that the platform carrying Kakashi's clothes was no longer trailing behind her; nor Gaara, for that matter. Whipping around, she saw that Gaara had paused directly in front of the offending bench, and his gaze was clearly fixed on it.
Strange, Gaara thought to himself, and he pressed two fingers to the left of his sternum. Sakura was clearly bothered by this bench, but he could not discern anything sinister about its presence. Yet there was no mistaking the fact that her negative emotions had spiked as they approached it, and even if she did her best to keep her expression neutral, his unusually keen sense of smell had picked up on her distress. There was also the matter of a sudden, sharp tugging sensation on his heart the closer they were to the bench, culminating in an irritating pinching sensation as he stopped right in front of it. Something must have happened here that still upsets her.
"Are you coming?" Sakura did her best to keep her tone breezy as she waved to him; the sooner she got him away, the lesser chance of him discovering the mental connection that a soul bond afforded him, and her expression darkened for a fraction of a second when she realised how careless she had been to expose her memories of Sasuke across their bond.
Gaara made a sound of acknowledgement and he caught up to her, chancing a sideways glance at her once more. Sakura forced herself to think of other things - the life cycle of a leech, the colour of Konoha's autumn skies, and almost unwillingly, the creamy, woodsy scent that belonged to her husband-to-be; that one calmed her down the fastest. In his eyes she could see the questions he had for her, and she was not certain that she had answers for him, either.
"The Konoha council has informed me that they would like to send a bodyguard with you to Suna," he flicked his gaze up at her, and in that moment he saw confusion first in her expression, followed by righteous indignation at what she probably saw was a slight on her ability to protect herself. He carefully shook his head to stop her from interrupting, and continued, "While I understand you are upset at possibly having your freedom curtailed by the presence of a bodyguard, your village and Hokage obviously care very much for you, and only want you safe."
"I can take care of myself," Sakura said tersely.
"As can I. And yet, I am assigned a full security detail as the Kazekage, just as you would be when you become my wife."
"Is that why you left Suna without alerting your ANBU? To escape their constant watch?" Sakura blinked in realisation as she recalled that Gaara had arrived in Konohagakure without announcing himself prior. Surely then he must understand how inconvenient it was to be under surveillance all the time, right?
"I can move fast enough to escape my ANBU if I really want to, but no matter where I go, they eventually fall in line behind me." He cast a glance backwards out of the corner of his eye, and Sakura stiffened. Gaara had been in the village for a week now, and his security detail must have since tracked him down and have been silently protecting him ever since. From what threat within an ally village, who was to say, but ANBU assigned to Kage protection duty were among the best at concealing themselves. No wonder she never noticed them until Gaara had pointed out the fact.
Observing the dejection in her eyes, Gaara cleared his throat to gain her attention. When Sakura lifted her head up, he spoke quietly, "We are not complete savages in Suna, Sakura. They will not be allowed within observing distance from the Kazekage Manor, because I have established a system of defences around it already. And they know better than to spy on either of us when we are in want of a quiet moment together."
A look of shock flickered across Sakura's face before heat started rising to her cheeks as she abruptly realised what Gaara was referring to.
At least it was good to know that they would not be required to perform to the satisfaction of his council.
Then another thought struck her. "I…" Gaara stopped in his steps, and he turned to give her his undivided attention. Sakura resisted the urge to fidget, and she asked, "I will be given a place to nest that is all my own, right?"
A place where even you can't come into without my consent.
The redhead paused as if considering the matter for the first time ever, but he soon nodded. "Of course. You will have a private room in my wing of the manor. We use chakra-based locks as well, and you will be the only one with access to your nest."
No ANBU spies and no bodyguard to violate her private sanctuary. No husband to barge in, making demands of her outside of their cycles.
She could make it work.
"You don't have to sleep in my bed since you will have your own chambers, but I'd like it if I could scent you at least once each day." At this confession, Gaara and Sakura made a deliberate effort to not look at each other as they continued walking. "It would help keep my Alpha contented, and my pheromones under control."
As a newly minted Alpha, Gaara's control of his pheromones was practically non-existent. Meditating to level them out only worked if he could concentrate or spare the time to make the effort; it would be much easier to have his Omega quell them for him until his Alpha tutors taught him the necessary techniques.
It was as clear as day to Sakura, now.
He needs me.
That recognition of her power over the strongest shinobi in the Land of Wind should not cause a rush of endorphins to race through her flesh. Power was a dangerous thing - driving shinobi of all calibre into seeking it. But only she who wielded it in the domain of life and death understood the responsibility of grasping it all, and the desire to use it only for healing far outweighed anything else in her psyche; there was a reason why although she was quite capable of using poison as a means of offence, Sakura preferred to keep it in her back pocket.
The Kazekage needed her, and she would answer that call.
"Of course, Gaara." She nodded. "And I entrust myself into your care, as well."
The smile that grew and spread on Gaara's face made her heart squeeze in a brief stutter, and the answering warmth that seeped into her face prompted her to mirror the smile.
They could make it work.