Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter 1

Naruto peeked around the pillar to make sure no guards were walking on this section of the castle. He’d spotted a garden when he and all the other omegas were arriving and had been trying to find it for the better part of the day. 

After the most uncomfortable meet and greet he’d ever had with other Omegas in his life, he’d decided that this little game of “which would be the best mate” that he was signed up to attend was simply not something he wanted to be a part of. So with too many heads to keep track of, he snuck out on the chaperones who were ordered to keep them all in their assigned area. 

He’d gotten side tracked walking around, the gold trim on the crown moldings, pictures of centuries back of the beautiful family as well as additional one in a life time pieces adorned the walls. 

The Uchiha Monoarch was known for their beauty, but also their exceptional way of ruling. Their history states a small start, of a clan that made use of their genius and beauty to slowly expand and take over the Konoha region. Skillful and even vicious fighters came from this line. Usurping the throne from cruel and unjust rulers many centuries ago, and then by persuasion of the people, establishing themselves to rule. They were constantly implored by nearby villages to assist with escaping the tyranny that they were experiencing, coming in and freeing the people from those bent on abusing them, and then establishing themselves as ruler. 

Their family consisted mostly of Alphas, though the reason for that was unknown. Some said that it was to prevent inbreding so that they would have to go outside of the clan to gain a bride, other’s said that the forefathers made a deal with some spirits long ago to ensure that the family comprised of mostly alphas to ensure they would be able to prevent themselves from becoming enslaved by another clan ever again, others say that they had an old practice of their midwifes killing any baby born that did was not an alpha. Regardless of what the reason may be, the Queen would always have plenty of Alpha children. 

This year, reasons unknown, the eldest son was to select a bride from the villages that fell under their domain. Omegas as young as 16 and older were offered from families vying for a chance of being part of the family, and also to have their child be next in line to rule, sent their omegas in for a week-long stay so that the eldest son may meet and pick from them. 

The eldest son, Itachi, did not seem to be in a hurry to marry, and the family was known to never really push their children. But the council had implored them to at least prepare, in case something were to befall Fukagu and Mikoto. 

Naruto had originally declined, being the representative for his family after his parents’ abrupt passing, but he was told it would be advantageous to secure a marriage somewhere. Even if it wasn’t with the royal family, maybe they had connections that would help their village. 

His parents had governed over their small town for years, and the townspeople considered him their own baby when he was born. 

Tsuanade had mentioned that it would at least help the village if he considered it. Jiraya had argued that it was his own decision to make, but having him be married to a strong alpha would help the town. Orochimaru argued that his being an omega was not a curse, and he could still protect the village as his parents did, but it wouldn’t hurt to put himself out there since he was of age. 

He’d begrudgingly accepted when the invite was sent and decided it would at least be nice to travel, even if nothing came from this.

Once he’d arrived, he thought that the other omegas would at least be kind, build bonds with other villages via his fellow O, and expand in that way. Overall, it went well, except for Sakura and Ino being here. 

He’d met Sakura once when he was younger; she’d shouted that she’d never seen an omega as ugly as him with all the marks on his face, and he probably was never going to get anyone who could stand to look at him. That sealed the fate of there never truly being a bond established between their villages after that. Ino was kinder, but when around Sakura, tended to become someone she wasn’t. 

There were a few male omegas around, but he knew that he was part of a rarer class. Either people loved them or they hated them; there was no in between. 

He’d gotten along with each male omega, though. Kisame was huge and from a water village. Like Naruto, he was brought up with the ambition of hunting, fighting, and protecting. His designation did not deter him from wanting to be more than just a child-bearer. 

Sakura and Ino latched onto mocking the two of them immediately. The other male O’s were at least soft and blemish-free. Hands having never seen labor and skin just clearly shielded from the sun. 

After having to deal with that on his first day, Naruto quickly wrote the whole thing off and just concentrated on escaping and exploring. Kisame said he’d give it a fair chance. He was around 30, far past the typical age for an omega to settle down, and saw no reason not to throw his ‘bait’ in with the rest. 

Naruto kept looking around as he walked. He’d gone hunting with Jiraya and Orochimaru enough to pick up if he was being trailed, but it never hurt to be cautious. Especially since they were all told to stay with the group. 

He gasped as he took in the view of the garden from the opening on his side. Speeding up to find a door that would take him to the other side.  He picked the lock, looking from side to side as he slowly eased the door open. The smells and views of all the marriads of colors caused him to smile. 

“I’ve got to find their groundskeeper and get some tips from him.” He mumbled, running his fingertips across the flowers and leaves as he walked through the grass. He frowned as he nodded some tomatoes with a vine plant covering the roots. “Maybe I won’t ask.” 

“...Why would he do this?” He grumbled, resisting the urge to pull the other plant away from the flooring on the tomatoes. He turned and headed for the bench that was close to the pond. He already wasn’t suppose to be here, let alone rearranging the plants. Noting the colorful Koi fish came to the surface. 

He sat, pulling out a large wad of paper that had some of the food that they’d been given earlier wrapped inside.

Omegas were encouraged to maintain a slim and light figure, which meant no heavy meats, starch, or fats. So they’d been getting salads and such for dinner and then again for breakfast. Kisame and he had thankfully snuck in some snacks and were keeping themselves full with those instead. But he figured the salads and fruits would come in handy at some point. 

Naruto ripped up the lettuce and broke the other solid pieces of food into smaller pieces, fanning out the food over the water as he threw them. Maybe he’d speak to the groundskeeper about the koi instead. 

Sasuke glanced around, his alpha hell bent on following the smell that was lingering in the hallways. 

He’d been strategic in avoiding all the omegas that had arrived to see Itachi; he was already dreading when the time came for this to be held again for his own bridal search.

He’d caught some gossip of the omegas when they arrived, each squealing about the fact that they were thankful the clan couldn’t produce omegas, giving them a chance to become part of the family. He’d rolled his eyes at the statement. He knew that there were plenty of rumors going around about them, but he didn’t realize that people actually believed them. 

Like all other families, they also made a nice variety of designations. The main family line, his, just had a tendency towards alpha, but the other branches had a bunch of betas and omegas. Really, Itachi had gone along with this because he had encountered an omega during his travel and hadn’t gotten a name, his parents had forbade him from traveling again, but he’d gotten so restless that they had suggested this. 

So now a slew of omegas were going to be in his home for at least a week. Sasuke had complained and scowled, but his brother paid him no mind for once. Even suggesting that he might find someone. 

He’d rolled his eyes and made it clear that he didn’t intend to do a damn thing, going as far as having the doctors make some oils and wipes to hide his scent so he wouldn’t be noticed too much as he wandered around. 

While avoiding their area, he’d been heading to the library when he caught a smell, a new smell. He looked around and couldn’t find it, ready to give up and just go into hiding in his favorite spot. But his alpha wouldn’t stop nagging at him. He snapped his head to look out the second-floor opening to see a figure sitting in his garden. A head of blond hair with an orange Yukata was throwing what he guessed was food to his fish. 

“Omega,”  His hands clenched the walls under his hands, claws extending into the structure. 

Could he make a jump and land from the second floor….maybe. But risking getting hurt and being haunted by this smell even more was not an option. He took off, running to get to the stairway leading to the garden. 

Mikoto watched her son run past her, eyes too red and focused to even notice her on his side, as he sprinted towards the end of the hall and then down the stairs. She resisted the urge to follow him and instead walked over to the wall’s opening, leaning against the railing to see Sasuke slowly open the door to the garden and stare at the person sitting on the bench who seemed oblivious to the chaos he had caused. 

She smiled, knowing that signature blonde hair anywhere. His sire may no longer be here, but he stood as an identical copy. She knew for sure his mother’s personality was what he had, even with his looks. 'Maybe we would be able to kill two birds with one stone this time around.' 

Sasuke watched, his alpha clawing inside him to get closer, to breathe deeper, to take in the smell that was now only a few steps away. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to stand straight with his head up, and started towards the blond who had his back to him. 

As he got closer, he took in lines on his cheek, and a red colored cloth around the arm opening under his orange Yukata. He cleared his throat as he got closer, trying to will his fangs back into his gums, his mouth filling too much with the venom. 

The blond turned and gave him a small grin. “Hey, trying to get away from everyone too.” He waved him over, moving to allow him space on the bench. 

“Come sit with me.” Sasuke willed himself not to run over, but to continue his slow walk and slowly sit down beside him. 

“I don’t think I got to meet you earlier when we came in. But that makes sense because there were so many of us. It’s a little overwhelming, honestly. I don’t think I’ve been around so many scents before; some of them are so strong I don’t even know how they're real. But I did hear that the clan is super into dominant smells, so I guess a dominant omega smell makes sense. I don’t know. Anyway, I never introduced myself, name’s Naruto.” He’d never been more thankful to have someone chatter on in his life, giving him time for all of him to calm down. Sasuke took a couple of deep breaths, his alpha purring in the back of his head now that he’s found what he was looking for. 

“Sasuke,” he finally answered, after a minute too long of silence. Naruto’s grin turned into a full smile, and he’d never been so happy to say his name in his entire life. 

“So glad to make another friend here.” Sasuke felt the need to snarl. He was absolutely not another ‘friend’. 

“How did you find this place?” The garden was technically off-limits to anyone who wasn’t family. Not even the hallways leading to it allowed access to people outside of the clan. But he was glad that he didn’t have to go searching for him in that crowd. 

A blush rose on Naruto’s cheeks as he started scratching his head. “Well, the door was technically open.” He said sheepishly, looking away. 

Sasuke turned to glance at the door before glancing back at him. He smirked. “The door was open, or you opened it?” 

The blush deepened, and so did Naruto’s scent. Sasuke swayed forward slightly, greedy to take in as much as he could get. 

“If they didn’t want anyone to get in, they should have had someone guarding it then.” He grumbled, crossing his arms over is chest and looking away. 

Sasuke couldn’t help but laugh. It looks like he and his alpha were going to be in for an exciting life. 

Naruto gave a shy smile, glancing back over to the fish. Sasuke resisted the urge to line his nose up to his neck gland, didn’t want to appear rude and scare him off. 

“Are you enjoying your time?” He wanted to pry. Itachi hadn’t mentioned what the omega he was looking for looked like, and he hadn’t thought to ask. Now he suddenly felt the need to scowl at his lack of forethought. 

Naruto shrugged, offering a few of the foods in his hand for Sasuke to also be able to feed the koi fish. Sasuke made sure to move slowly, slightly allowing the gland on their wrist to rub together simply to be able to carry the smell with him. The smell of wood sage and sea salt is intensifying slightly. 

“Sorry.” He mumbled, at least wanting to keep the pretense of not overstepping, a slight blush dusted Naruto’s cheeks. 

“It’s been ok…..I guess.” He mumbled. “I mean….I know I’m supposed to be trying hard to get noticed by the prince, but….I’m not always people’s cup of tea.” He trailed off. 

Sasuke frowned, about to argue because Naruto may be a chatterbox, but he was indeed handsome. 

“I mean, some people aren’t really big fans of male omegas anyway. Especially if you don’t fit what they want you to look like. As a male omega, you kinda have to make up for the fact that you’re male by at least being pretty. You know, like you. There are so many pretty male omegas here, I doubt I’d be missed in the crowd anyway.” 

Sasuke blinked, the words slowly registering. “You think I’m pretty?”

His family has always made comments about his brother and him favoring his mother, but no one has ever called him pretty. As a child, he’d been told he was going to grow up to be a handsome young man by many older people. 

Naruto smiled, turning more towards him. “Absolutely. You’ve got such pretty eyes, and your smile just makes your face light up even more-” 

“I’m not pretty, I might be handsome, but not pretty.” Sasuke interrupted, now angry that he had used the wipes and oils to hide his scent. 

For Alpha and Omega compatibility, smell was a huge part. It wasn’t the only thing that people based their opinions on, but his family did. They had a tendency to fall in love with the smell and then the person, because on some level their inner designation knew from that alone that that person was made for them. Each Uchiha tended to be led to their mate based on very literally following their scent to get to them. 

Without Naruto being able to smell him, it was worsening his chance of impressing him, and being considered pretty was making it even worse.

Sasuke felt the frown on his face deepen, considering whether he should use the pond water to attempt to wash off some of the blockers on him. 

A rough hand touched his cheek, and he unconsciously turned toward it, his eyes closing as the sea salt and wood sage were now even closer to him. His alpha is letting out a low purr. 

“Actually,” Naruto’s voice was soft, causing Sasuke to slightly open his eyes to look at him. “You’re beautiful.” 

Maybe his not being able to smell Sasuke wasn’t going to be a problem. Sasuke resisted the urge to fight about being called beautiful in lieu of handsome again. 

“...Were you on a hunt for an omega yourself?” He teased, rubbing his cheeks into Naruto’s hand. He was glad the pull was reciprocated. 

The blush on his cheeks darkened, spreading down into his neck. Naruto pulled back his hand, tucking them both into his yukata. Sasuke felt a twitch in his eye at the loss. 

“No…You’re just…” Naruto trailed off. 

The door to the other side of the garden opened, revealing his personal guard. His grey hair up in its normal spikes, a mask covering half his face as he walked in. Kakashi looked between the two, Sasuke trying to signal for him to leave. 

“....I wasn’t aware there was going to be a private event here.” Sasuke could practically see the smirk under his mask. 

“We were simply wandering around and stumbled upon this garden, but we’ll be heading in for a snack shortly.” He stood, addressing Kakashi. 

Kakashi looked at him, glanced back at Naruto, and looked back at him again. He prayed that Kakashi was not about to make a scene. 

“...Yes…well, the queen had some snacks set up and would like you two escorted there.” 

Sasuke sighed, clearly, Itachi was not going to be the only person interrogated by his parents tonight. He looked to Naruto to see him looking between the two, clearly waiting for the next step. 

“Are you hungry?” He finally asked. 

Naruto smiled, his smile feeling like seeing the sun. He would be worth any questions he had to answer tonight. 

“I didn’t even know you could talk for that long.” Kakashi joked, escorting him to a private family tea room. 

Each evening, as a family custom, they all meet together for tea and enjoy each other's company. It was a practice set by his parents. His father didn’t want to be so consumed with ruling that he didn’t know anything about his children. So they would meet, wind down for the evening, either talking, playing games, or simply all reading their own book. 

Kakashi had escorted both Naruto and Sasuke to the semi-private tea room used when meeting with guests and remained with them the entire time, no matter how much Sasuke said he could leave. 

Naruto and he simply talked about anything and everything that came to mind. Naruto didn’t seem fixated on designation, stating that while he didn’t come here specifically omega hunting, he wasn’t stuck up on getting himself an alpha. They talked about childhood, their likes, Naruto’s love for gardening, Sasuke’s love for playing instruments, their ideas of a good mate and partner, and what their ideal family would look like. 

Kakashi interrupted at some point to highlight that the omegas were to turn in early due to the scheduled plans for tomorrow. Sasuke made sure to tell Naruto to meet in the library to spend another day together and that Kakashi would be escorting him. Then, he dropped him off in the room he was assigned to. 

Sasuke picked up his pace, determined to lose Kakashi as they walked. 

Kakashi laughed, sparing him for once. “Good night, my lord, I’ll make sure he gets to your date safely.” 

Sasuke arrived at the room, greeting the guards standing at attention as they opened the door for him. 

His parent were already seated, taking small sips of their tea as they spoke in hushed tones. Itachi is absent for now. His mother turned as he entered, a soft smile on her face. He couldn’t help but smile in return, ducking his head as he approached. 

“How was your tea time?” Mikoto asked slyly, grabbing one of the small sandwiches on the table near her and her mate. 

His father looked at her in surprise before looking over to Sasuke. “What tea time?” 

He sighed, heading towards the large chair near her to sit down. “It was good.” his voice was low as his mother moved around preparing his tea. 

“What was go-” Fugaku turned to see Itachi now walking in, his eyes dazed as he plopped into the chair beside him. 

Mikoto gave a giggle, handing Saskue his cup before placing her hands over her husband's. “Seems like we’ll only be hosting one bridal hunt this year.” 

Sasuke and Itachi locked eyes. “Wait, you found someone?” 

“How about we allow Itachi to start, and then Sasuke can share.” Fugaku needed more than vague comments, especially with the way his family was acting today. 

Itachi settled down into the chair, his hands fiddling with his own teacup as he smiled. “He was here. That’s why I’m late.” 

Itachi massaged his temples as he walked towards the lake. He’d snuck out of the castle walls, letting Deidara know that he needed a break from the onslaught of smells and people,  and headed towards the lake that separated the castle’s lands from the forest. A small bridge had been built that very few, even in the royal family, knew about. 

He’d been accosted left and right by O’s all day. Each pouring their scents out, suffocating him in the ballroom. Undercutting each other while attempting to prop themselves up. It was a verbal bloodbath. He’d honestly been in brawls with more integrity. 

He was naturally slow to judgment, but he was already feeling out of sorts, and it had only been one day. He’d hoped that he would immediately smell the Omega that he’d encountered while he was making that trip across the land to the next kingdom. 

While rare, he’d been able to convince his father to let him break bread with a kingdom they were trying to build a treaty with. Unable to provide an agreement through marriage due to the only Alpha already being mated, Itachi pleaded to go covertly and represent them. Discreet so as to avoid others knowing their plans and to also test the few council members who knew. They were aware they had a rat in their midst, but it’d been proving difficult to identify them. It was a risk, but Itachi felt capable. 

On his travels, he’d stayed at a small town where he encountered an omega, his scent drawing him there, and they fell in step together. Names never truly exchanged, Itachi not wanting to open any room for a possible attack, and the omega not willing to give his name because it didn’t seem fair to only know one name. They continued to travel together for a while, and both had defended the village from a group of bandits attempting to attack the people. 

The omega had commended him on a good fight, wishing him luck on his journey and never once giving his name. Itachi had resolved the next morning to exchange names, not wanting to risk what felt like a once-in-a-lifetime chance, yet the next morning, the omega was gone. The scent stayed with Itachi since, haunting his dreams. 

Itachi allowed the smell of the water to greet him, replacing all the other smells that were overpowering his nose earlier. He couldn’t help but take a deeper breath, the smell reminding him more of the omega with notes of jasmine and earth mixed with a salty tone. 

Crunch 

He quickly turned towards the bridge to see a tall figure walking back from the forest, with white calla lilies and iris in their hands. Itachi’s shoulders dropped as the figure came closer….as the scent he’d been looking for came closer. 

A smile of razor-sharp teeth greeted him, both walking towards each other and meeting on the bridge. 

“I could smell you on the invitation and hoped I was right.” Words spoken softly, as he extended the flowers forward. “I remember you told that pup that you liked flowers.” 

Itachi reached up, cupping Kisame’s face. “You came.” 

“... Technically, you did call.” 

“I ended up spending the rest of the time with him. He went into the forest, and he had come across a nice little ledge for us to sit on, and we’ve been there ever since. He even caught us some fish and made a little fire, so we hadn't felt the need to return just yet.” 

Mikoto smiled as Fugaku placed a hand on Itachi’s shoulders. “This truly was a success.” 

“I’m so happy you were able to find him, Itachi. I’m sorry we couldn’t allow you to go back when you asked; it simply wasn’t safe enough.”

Itachi rarely argued, typically always being very rational, but the three of them had discussed at length his wanting to go look for Kisame. Mikoto was broken-hearted for her son but couldn’t risk losing him needlessly. 

“Yes, it seemed like it worked out.” A scent of contentment filled the room as he started fiddling with a red and blue resin ring on his left hand.

“Is that a ring?” The three looked at the ring before looking back at Itachi. 

“I haven’t agreed to anything.” He argued. “He just said he kept thinking of me after we met and ended up making this ring with me in mind and wanted me to have it.” 

Fugaku sighed, happy but stressed at how quickly this was developing. “There are still 5 days left.” 

Sasuke snorted as Mikoto giggled. 

“I know….But I can’t promise that I’ll be able to entertain any of the others since he’s here.” 

“And we would never ask that of you.” Mikoto placed her hand atop her husband's. “We’ll figure something out.” 

“What’s your story?” Itachi looked up from his ring to Sasuke. 

Sasuke sighed before talking about his day and his plans for tomorrow. 

“So does he not know you’re an Alpha?” 

Sasuke grumbled, playing around with the teacup handle. “He hasn’t really assumed anything, and I haven’t told him….So no.” 

“Sasuke, all worthwhile bonds are built on honesty. It seems like things have started off very well. I don’t think it will go badly when you tell him tomorrow.” Mikoto said, taking away the option for him to even consider dragging this out. 

“And you said you weren’t going to find anyone.” Itachi teased. 

Sasuke glared in response, slouching in his chair and crossing his arms. 

“While not how we envisioned this going, I’m glad to see you’ve both found your mates. How we navigate the next steps is crucial for clan relations. We won’t ask you two to hide your hearts for that, though. So let’s discuss the plan for the next 5 days.”

Chapter Text

Chapter 2

Sasuke growled as he walked to the library. During the conversation last night with his parent’s it was decided that they keep an image in order by not simply allowing Naruto to be absent from all the omega obligated activities that the families agreed to when they accepted the invitation, simply because of Sasuke’s interest. 

Sasuke had attempted to argue, but Itachi had brought up how Kisame mentioned Naruto in passing and how he’s absence was noticed. 

So, in solidarity with Itachi also being deprived of having his omega with him for the day, the two brothers maintained their preset obligations for the day. 

It was finally midday, and announcements had been made to allow the omegas more leniency with how they spent their day, to decrease suspicion on both Kisame and Naruto. As long as both brothers could be discreet, then the private courting could continue. 

Sasuke had immediately had Kakashi let Naruto know about him having to meet later, and was thankful when Naruto had accepted the new time. 

Sasuke fidgeted, adjusting his custom yukata as he walked. Naruto did not seem like the type to be dazzled by things, but it didn’t hurt to show that with this mating, he would be provided for. He’d also made sure to avoid any neutralizing items while getting ready, not wanting to hide himself as he did yesterday. 

He slowed as he got closer to the library, hearing higher-pitched voices and getting a smell of more concentrated floral smells coming from around the corner. 

“Would you like me to go first?” Kakashi asked behind him, having kept up with his pace. 

Sasuke stopped, turning to look over at him. The goal may have been to entice Naruto with his smell, but he did not want to deal in any capacity with any of the other omegas that were in attendance. He was almost tempted to say that their library was off-limits, but knew that the clear favoritism would tip anyone who was paying attention off. 

“I-” 

“Can you believe him?” He heard as he started to respond.

“Sakura, don’t you think that was a little harsh? He’s clearly not trying to be a problem today.” Another voice spoke. 

“That wasn’t harsh. I’m trying to help him. I’m helping him see that he needs to not waste anyone's time and hurry along home. There’s no way someone’s going to waste time picking him as a mate. You see how he looks, Ino. The Uchiha are a family with some of the most stunning faces; they would never allow someone like him in. Plus, what kind of Alpha wants an omega that looks like they are going to fight them? He’s not even small. He and that other oversized water village idiot need to leave. Honestly, there should have been a vetting process for this. It’s ridiculous how they have them here with the rest of us.” 

“I don’t remember this being a part of the castle that the omegas were told they could explore. To prevent being sent home, I’m going to ask once for you two to get away from here.” Kakashi’s voice, stern for once, spoke. 

Sasuke looked to see that Kakashi had left him on that side of the wall and must have walked over while the two girls were talking. 

“Oh well, if that’s the case-” Ino started, only for Sakura to place a hand over her mouth.  

“Thank you so much, sir. We will get going.” Sakura caught Ino’s arm, pulling her along the hallway. 

“You remember what they looked like, right?” Sasuke asked as he walked to stand beside Kakashi. 

“Yes,” Kakashi’s dark grey eyes tracking them as they disappeared around the corner. 

“Please report this to my mother.” As tempted as Sasuke was to follow them and explain exactly where they stood amongst their fellow omega, he knew that checking on Naruto was the primary focus. 

“Gladly. I’ll have another guard stand at the doors to make sure no one comes in.” Kakashi nodded before starting on his way. 

Sasuke took a few breaths, not wanting his anger to be perceived by Naruto as though it was against him. 

He opened the library door slowly, and the smell of sea salt and wood sage lessened in the room and gave way to the smell of turbulent waters. He walked in slowly, closing the door behind him. Not wanting to cause too much shock, he concentrated on following where the smell was strongest, walking quietly through the library. 

He arrived at the corner of the vast library, seeing Naruto sitting on the nook facing the lake behind his castle, a book opened and placed face down beside him, pillows amassed around him, and him holding his chin in his hands as he looked out with a frown on his face. 

“Am I interrupting?” He questioned, making his presence known. 

Naruto turned, his scent lightening up as he took in Sasuke.  

“You’re here.” His voice hushed. “I thought you weren’t going to come anymore.” 

Sasuke released more of his own pomegranate and spices to fill the room. He watched as Naruto’s iris widened, pushing the blue back. He smirked, moving the pillows and taking a seat beside him. 

“Why wouldn’t I come?” He grabbed onto one of the hands Naruto had placed on his lap. 

Naruto’s eyes tracked the motion, watching as Sasuke brought his hand up and placed a kiss on his inner wrist: his breath hitching, sage and sea salt combining with the pomegranate. 

“I…I just figured you might have gotten caught up with another one of the omegas….” Blue eyes finally shifted to stare into onyx. “You’re not one of the omegas here for the prince, are you?”  

Sasuke squeezed his hand and held on tighter, preparing for him to make a run, possibly. “....No.” 

Naruto’s free hand trailed against his face, watching as Sasuke leaned into it while the hold on his other hand felt even firmer. 

“Who are you?” His voice was a whisper, while he fought to resist the thrill that his omega was desperately trying to push out. 

“I’m hoping to be your alpha soon. For now, I’m the second son of Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha.” The words slowly washed over Naruto, his body tensing and his eyes widening in shock. Naruto pulled back, only for Sasuke to use his being off balance to bring him in and place his face against the glands on his neck. 

“Please let me explain.” 

“You’re not supposed to be here….I’m not supposed to be here. You’re not supposed to be here with me!” Anxiety seeping into his tone as his smell shifted to the odor of red tide on the ocean shore. 

Sasuke released more of his own scent, slowly adjusting Naruto, placing him into a more sitting position in his lap, his legs folded on either side of Sasuke’s hips, and his arms held in a hug. He kept nuzzling into his neck, making low chirps to help him calm down. 

Slowly, the tension in Naruto’s body eased off, his shoulders dropping down, his head falling into Sasuke’s neck, his arms wrapping around Sasuke’s waist as much as they could with the restriction.

“I wasn’t aware Itachi even had a brother.” His words slurred as he relaxed more into Sasuke. 

“I originally intended to avoid the group of omegas invited to meet my brother, but I just couldn’t ignore you, no matter how hard I tried. So I didn’t. I wanted to tell you yesterday, but I was enjoying you just being Naruto and me being Sasuke that I didn’t get around to it.” 

Naruto tensed up slightly. “Are you even allowed to do this?” 

“My parents know about my interest in you.” Naruto pulled back, and Sasuke released his hold slightly, allowing them to sit face to face. 

“You told the King and Queen?” 

Sasuke smiled, “They are my parents before they are that. I’m interested, and since you haven't hit me to get away from me, I’m guessing you are too.” 

Naruto blushed, turning to look away. They both knew if he wanted, he could easily break free of this hold. “...Isn’t it customary for you to have a bunch of omegas to choose from? Shouldn’t you look around before you make such a permanent decision?” 

The invitation sent to the omegas made it clear that whichever omega was chosen by the prince was to move into the castle immediately, the courting would be the time spent during the week-long stay, and then they would be engaged by the end of the stay. The Uchiha clan was not known for long engagements; within a month's time, they would be married. 

Sasuke sighed, trying to think of how to explain that Itachi was simply looking for Kisame, and his parents were attempting to cast a wide net to find him without making it clear that if Kisame wasn’t here, Itachi would end the week without a mate. 

“I mean, there are a lot of amazing omegas here, so I could understand if you’re reconsidering. I mean, I’m not the only omega in the region, that’s for sure. I’d get it if it means you have to look around, you could have anyone.” Naruto started to ramble, the silence giving his mind too much time to wander. “I mean, if it’s a male omega you want, there are quite a few here, and they are super soft, you know. Super demure, polite, mindful, well-trained omegas. I could see-” 

Sasuke pulled Naruto back towards him, allowing their lips to lightly brush, his eyes dilating as he took in Naruto’s dazed look. 

“I have no interest in a single one of the other omegas in this building, let alone the region. I want you. If you would like me to go waste both my time and others’ time giving false hope, I can, though I’d hate every second of it.” Sasuke leaned forward again, allowing their lips to linger on each other in a soft kiss. “Or I can focus on what I feel deserves my time and get to know my chosen intended….Please,” He leaned his forehead against Naruto’s, his control was not too well under control for him to be pushing his alpha’s boundaries with no witnesses around. 

Naruto allowed his body weight to move against his, placing more of himself against Sasuke. “Your chosen intended, huh?” 

Sasuke smiled. “Would you like to spend the rest of the day with me?” 

“Please” 

“I’m not sure this was what my parents had in mind when they suggested a less suspicious outing.” Itachi teased, looking down at the hand that was being held tightly by Kisame as they snuck out of the palace walls. He kept his other hand clutching his hood to prevent it from falling down as they moved. 

Kisame laughed. Itachi did his best to explain that while he did not want to show practicality he’s priority among the omegas was him, but due to not wanting to be too lenient, his parents did not want him to be overly demonstrative. So Kisame had stated he understood, and when Itachi had a longer period of open time, he would come up with a way to decrease the odds of getting caught. 

Which resulted in this plan, Kisame placing a cloak drenched in his scent over Itachi and using a backdoor to get them out of the castle and into town without being found out. Oblivious to the fact that Itachis Alpha was now fighting the urge to claim an Omega who had clearly placed his own claim on him. 

With all the rumors that circulated around regarding the Uchiha clan, very few seemed to be ignorant of the fact that the Alphas were naturally drawn to strong partners regardless of designation. Madara and Hashirama, Obito with Kakashi, his own father with his mother. It was typically always a mate that was their equal, whether it be in battle or intellectually. Someone who would be a challenge for their entire marriage until they were reunited again in another life. 

Kisame, being a warrior for his people and a fighter in general, had already cemented his decision, but making a plan to somehow successfully bypass all the guards to leave the castle to take Itachi out, he would have the mating items prepared by tomorrow morning at this rate. 

“It’s a quick trip,  I remember you complementing the grandma in the village who had taken in all the orphans and found someone who made similar food. I figured you could use something a little hardier.” 

Itachi remained in step, moving as quickly as Kisame did to use the setting of the sun to avoid being spotted through the back alley they were going through. 

“Should I be worried about you being able to find ways out of the castle so quickly?” 

Kisame gave another hardy laugh. “My mother said a good omega has planned for the safety of her family upon meeting them. I wouldn’t be worthy of you if I hadn’t found all the weak spots of the castle and made note of them to be addressed. I’ve already given your guard a copy to give to your parents to have them looked into.” 

Itachi’s alpha yowled. He needed to cut this courting to less than 5 days. 

They arrived in the town, keeping their heads low. Kisame was moving them through the crowd as though this was their normal routine. Occasionally haggling with a few vendors to get Itachi to try some hot food items, buying Itachi a new hair piece “to keep your back without pulling too much, I remember you having a headache when we first met”, even grabbing new paint items “you said your brother liked to make prints of animals paws that he’s captured, can never have too much”. 

Itachi felt his fangs drop and scrape his bottom lip, fighting to keep the excessive venom that kept accumulating in his mouth from coming out. Keep him from biting the gland on the back of Kisame’s neck that would peek out of the clock when he turned just right. 

‘5 days, hold on for 5 days.’ His mind chanted as his alpha seemed to pace impatiently. 

“Ok, we’ve arrived.” They came to a stop at the end of the street, a hole in the wall with a few patrons sitting outside talking. Kisame gave a small bow, speaking in their dialect to get to seats further back. They walked through the little eatery towards the corner, a pillar hiding the seat facing the people. Kisame directed him to the corner and slowly lowered his clock. 

“No one should spot us here, so no need for you to keep that up while we’re inside.” 

Itachi swallowed, working on getting his fangs to retract. “Thank you.” He garbled, the fangs making it difficult to speak. 

A waitress came to the table, Kisame ordering for them and then turning his attention back to him. 

“Please let me know when you want to leave.” Kisame finally said, his voice slightly hesitant. 

Itachi looked up, taking in Kisame. Eyes slightly to the side, hands no longer holding his, but instead tapping on the table, his scent giving off slight undertones of anxiety.

His alpha was angry that he hadn’t already shown his omega how he felt. 

Itachi reached out, taking Kisame’s hand and letting their wrist glands rest on each other, and wrapping his fingers around his forearms. 

“This is not something I ever want to leave.” 

Kisame’s eyes took on a slight goldish tone around the iris. “...Good.” 

Mikoto gave another sigh, her husband smiling at her as she watched her impatiently stare at the door, fingers drumming on the armrest of her chair. 

Both boys were running late for their family wind-down tea time. He was positive that once both mates could also attend, this new onset of late arrivals would come to an end. 

He lightly placed his own hands on top of hers. 

“We both know how easy it is to get sidetracked when we are with one another. I’m sure they’ll be here soon.” 

Mikoto smiled. 

Finally, they watched the door open, Itachi walking in covered with a dark black cloak and smelling strongly of another, and Sasuke trailing behind his own scent muted compared to what clung to him.

“Hopefully, there aren’t any unplanned matings today?” She teased. 

Both boys groaned, sinking into their chairs as they sat, keeping their eyes on the door. 

“Kisame is certainly a formidable mate. I wasn’t aware of so many weak spots in our guard rotation.” Fugaku redirected. He and Mikoto had been reviewing the list they received from Diadara all day, checking the sites themselves and noting a clear lack of security at the times stated. 

Sasuke glanced over at Itachi. 

“Kisame wrote down all the areas enemies could sneak in around the castle. He said that he and Naruto had taken to wandering around at night when they couldn’t sleep and noticed some things they wanted us to be aware of.” 

Sasuke’s chest puffed out slightly, hearing about his mate’s natural instinct to protect. 

“He did mention that.” He agreed. 

“So how were the courting days today?” Redirecting to knowing how the two have progressed. 

Itachi cleared his throat, playing with the gifted hairpiece. 

“...I’m very excited to have him as my mate and the mother of our future pups.” 

Mikoto squealed while Fugaku handed out their teas. 

“We seem to agree on the things that matter. He’s a little more forceful with keeping us safe and how he wants to deal with any future misdealings, but I can’t say that I mind too much.” He finished, taking a sip of his tea to prevent any more speaking. 

Mikoto turned to her youngest. 

“And you?” 

“He wishes to be a part of the army when they fight, he said it’s important to him to be able to physically defend me. It’s what his parents did for each other, and he can see why when he considers our joining. We’ve made agreements, and I will only allow it if it’s accompanied by when Itachi also goes out.” 

An omega in their army was pretty common practice; a royal omega wasn’t as prevalent, but it did happen with all the strong-minded individuals that tended to marry in. 

Mikoto nodded, being able to tell from Sasuke’s sour scent that it wasn’t what he wanted but a compromise between the two. 

“Did Kakashi tell you about those two girls?” 

“Yes, and Deidara mentioned how they were actually bullying quite a few of the others. The goal is to get the competition to remove itself. Even going after Kisame with their taunts.” 

“Kisame hasn’t told me about this.” 

“Naruto didn’t tell me either. I caught them after they had spoken to him.” 

Mikoto placed her hands out to keep the two seated. Two possessive alpha’s going off to solve problems was not part of the plan. 

“We keep the plan the same.” She ordered. “You two have chosen. I do think it might be best to start preparing the proposal items. It seems clear there is no varying off for either of you. We will adjust as needed.” 

“They cannot be allowed to demean others simply because they can,” Itachi argued, wanting to do more than ignore. 

“I can promise both of you. I already have something in mind for them both. For now, keep you’re sights on your mates. Behavior like that will not be rewarded.”