Chapter Text
Four shinobi were taking a break in a clearing. Their ANBU masks reflected the late afternoon light filtering through the trees. The female ANBU, her long red hair tied in a high ponytail, stretched her arms above her head with a groan, stretching side to side.
"Three weeks. This is brutal." Owl grumbled in frustration. Their simple assassination mission was supposed to take a week. Instead it had turned into a chase across half the Land of Fire, including six strip clubs, four onsens and what could only be described as a sex cult before they caught their target.
"I'll fry the intelligence unit for this." Viper growled, his posture rigid with barely contained anger. "The bastards could have told us he had a kekkei-genkei that gave him a perfect henge."
"What have I told you about threatening the intelligence unit?" Hawk's voice cut through the complaint, carrying the weight of repeated warnings.
"Come on, Captain, even you can't defend this." Viper turned to look at their leader. Gesturing broadly around the clearing. "Three weeks chasing a ghost because someone couldn't be assed putting 'shapeshifter' in the mission brief."
"No, they screwed up." his words were delivered without emphasis. "But these things happen. I'll be sure it goes in my report."
The smell hit him mid-sentence; blood and fear. His stomach lurched. Hawk's head whipped in the direction of the scent. Reflexes sharpening.
Signalling with his hand, as one the team began to move. They followed the scent until they came across a distressed omega on the side of the road.
He was leaning against a tree, hand pressed over a bleeding mating mark. The fabric of his shirt was stained dark and even from this distance Hawk could see the trembling in his shoulders.
The Captain's whole body tensed, mouth going dry. Alone. Bleeding. Newly mated. There was only one reason why there would be an omega in this state, cowering on the side of the road.
"Go," he ordered, rage simmering beneath his ribs. "The alpha that did this has to be nearby. Find him and incapacitate him."
They nodded as one disappearing into the trees with barely a whisper of displaced air.
Once they vanished, the raven-haired ANBU turned his full attention to the omega in front of him. The young man was in bad shape; pale, shaking, his eyes unfocused with shock and pain. He was young. Too young. Maybe 17.
"Hey, can you tell me what happened?" approaching slowly, he pitched his voice into a softer register.
The omega just whimpered, squeezing his hand tighter over the mating mark. Fresh blood seeped between his fingers.
"Did someone force this on you?" Crouching down to put himself at eye level, rather than looming over someone who was clearly terrified.
The young man was unable to respond beyond. Behind his eyes was a terror so profound, he couldn’t comprehend its depth.
Hawk sighed, looking around. They couldn't stay out in the open like this, exposed and vulnerable. But in his current state, the omega wouldn’t be able to move. He needed someone he trusted nearby. Trying to physically relocate him would only cause more distress, potentially sending him deeper into shock.
He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, the fabric soft and well-worn from years of use. Carefully, he rubbed off some of the scent blocker from his own neck, just enough to let a small amount of his scent through. He pushed it out deliberately, letting the younger man smell him.
The response was instant. The brunette looked up, eyes red-rimmed and streaming with tears, hope flickering across his expression.
"You're … You’re an omega?" His voice cracked, disbelief and desperate relief warring in his tone.
"I am." Hawk kept his soothing. "And I need to move you somewhere safer. Can you stand?"
The brunette looked slightly less distressed now. There was a comfort in knowing he was with another omega rather than an alpha who might hurt him. He nodded shakily.
Hawk helped the young man to his feet, one hand firm but gentle on his elbow, supporting most of his weight as they began the slow journey back to the clearing they had rested in before. The omega leaned heavily against him, his breathing uneven and labored.
"What's your name?" Hawk asked, partly to keep him conscious and partly to anchor him to something beyond the trauma.
"Kaito." The name came out barely above a whisper. "My name is Kaito."
***
When they got back to the clearing, the rest of the team was already there. A red-faced, angry-looking alpha tied to a tree trunk. The young omega started shaking at the sight, his entire body going rigid.
Hawk felt it a moment before it happened, the way Kaito's breath caught, the way his muscles locked up in Hawk's grip.
Kaito reached up to grip his head and began screaming; a raw, desperate sound that echoed through the trees and seemed to tear itself from somewhere deep within his soul.
The muscles in the raven’s jaw twitched. His arms tightening protectively around the young omega. He forced his breathing to stay even despite every fiber of his being wanting to put a chidori through that bastard's chest.
"I can feel him," Kaito gasped out between sobs, his hands clawing at his own skull as if he could physically tear the unwanted presence out. "He's inside my head. He's suffocating me." He dropped to the ground, tears streaming down his face.
"Knock that piece of shit out," the command was sharp, brooking no argument. “The bond will settle faster if he's conscious."
Wolf was only too happy to oblige, crossing the clearing and whacking the alpha over the head with such force you could hear his skull crack. The alpha slumped against his restraints, unconscious.
Hawk turned back to the distraught omega, crouching down beside him once more. "It's okay, the feeling should ease in a minute. Just breathe." his voice was like an anchor.
It took several minutes before the shaking subsided and he was able to get his breath under control.
"Can you tell me what happened?" he asked gently when the younger man seemed stable enough to speak.
Kaito explained—voice halting and broken—how he had been returning from a trip to see his friend, when he'd gotten lost on the back roads. When he ran into the alpha, he thought the man was offering help with directions. Instead, he'd been dragged into the trees and forcefully bonded.
"I can still feel him," exhaustion laced every word. "It's like my mind is being squeezed under the weight of a thousand boulders. There is this overwhelming need to submit."
"Unfortunately, once bonded you'll always be able to feel him." Hawk didn’t soften the matter. There was no point in lying. "The connection is there now, whether you want it or not."
The young boy's face crumpled, fresh tears welling up.
Hawk turned to his team, his mind already running through the logistics. "We push hard for Konoha. If we can get there before the bond fully settles, the medics can sever it." It would usually take them four or five days to reach Konoha but with the additional people, it would be closer to a week.
"Kaito, I'm going to carry you, okay? It will be quicker."
"How long do we have?" Wolf heaved the unconscious alpha onto his back with a grunt.
"Each bond’s different, it’s impossible to tell" Hawk's voice was grim as he moved to pick up Kaito, careful not to jar him too much. "We don't have time to waste."
The young omega was light and he made a small sound of distress when lifted. "I've got you. You're safe now."
They made the journey toward home at a punishing pace, pushing hard through terrain that would have been challenging even without passengers. H
They traveled well into the night. Eventually exhaustion meant they had to stop. Kaito had been quiet the whole time, having run out of tears hours earlier. Now he just stared at nothing, eyes glassy and distant.
They made camp in a small clearing, defensible enough for a few hours of rest. Hawk set out his bedroll and laid Kaito down carefully, making sure he was positioned somewhere he couldn't see the restrained alpha on the other side of their camp.
They built a fire for warmth more than light; the night was cold enough that their breath misted in the air. Wolf disappeared into the trees to hunt down food, their rations running dangerously low.
The raven-haired captain forced Kaito to eat something small when Wolf returned with a rabbit. Just a few bites of meat and some rice from their dwindling supplies. The omega's hands shook as he ate, unable to comprehend the taste or texture. After, Hawk gave him a mild sedative from his field kit, something to help him sleep without nightmares if possible.
"I'll take first watch," Hawk said once Kaito's breathing had evened out into unconsciousness.
Two hours into his watch, with the moon high and the fire burning low, he woke Owl for her shift.
Settling in beside him for the hand off, her mask tilted toward the sleeping forms scattered around their camp. "Captain, can I ask you something?" her voice shook slightly, something she never did. Owl was usually brash, confident, quick with opinions and quicker with a kunai.
"Go ahead."
"The kid was talking about feeling the alpha in his head and how horrible it was." She paused, choosing her words carefully. "Is that... can you feel the Hokage like that?"
The Captain’s body went stiff, surprised by the question. Everyone who knew his real identity knew he was mated. But no one on the team ever really spoke about it. They respected the privacy that came with ANBU service.
His hand drifted up to touch his mating mark, hidden underneath his turtleneck. Three weeks was too long. The distance made him restless, that constant thread of connection stretched thin even though he could still feel Naruto at the other end, warm and steady and alive.
"I can feel him," Hawk said finally, his voice quiet but steady. "But it's not like that. His presence is... comforting. Like being squeezed in a bear hug that you never want to leave." He paused, thinking about how to explain something so intrinsically right.
"When it’s done for love, a mate bond feels like coming home. For me, his presence in my head feels like safety even when everything else is chaos."
His fingers pressed against the mark, seeking reassurance in the phantom warmth there. Almost home. Just a few more days.
"So it's different when it's forced?"
"Completely." his tone went dead, his hand dropping away from his neck. "What Kaito described, that suffocating pressure, that demand for submission, that's what happens when an alpha forces a bond on someone who doesn't want it. The bond becomes a weapon to be used against them. A cage instead of a home."
Owl was quiet for a long moment, processing. "Thank you for telling me, I was just concerned."
Hawk nodded, understanding what she wasn't saying. The question had been as much about checking on her captain's wellbeing as it was about understanding Kaito's situation. "Get some rest after your watch. We're pushing hard tomorrow."
***
The morning brought a fresh problem.
The scent jolted Hawk from his light slumber. His eyes snapped open and immediately found Kaito across the clearing. The young omega was still asleep but his face was flushed. A light sheen of sweat on his forehead despite the cool morning air.
Shit.
Sitting up his mind raced through all the implications. They couldn't be out in the open with an omega in heat. They would draw too much attention.
A regular heat was hard enough to manage but with the recent forced mating bite, the kid was in for a particularly rough time. The bond would demand he be with his mate, while his conscious mind tore itself apart.
The rest of the team was already stirring. Being betas, they wouldn't be affected by the scent the way an alpha would, but that didn't mean they couldn't smell the change.
"We have a problem," Hawk said quietly, keeping his voice low enough not to wake Kaito yet.
Owl sat up, her nose wrinkling slightly. "Heat, how long do we have?"
"Hours, maybe less." Hawk’s voice was thoughtful. "Wolf, check on the alpha. Make sure he stays unconscious. The last thing we need is him waking up and making this worse."
The anbu nodded, moving immediately to comply.
Looking over at his pack, the Captain began doing the calculations; decision made he walked over to his bag pulling out the small bottle of heat suppressants he always carried on missions. The pills rattled as he tipped one into his palm.
Hawk grabbed the water canteen and made his way over to Kaito, who was just beginning to stir. The omega's movements were restless, his body already responding to the oncoming heat. His breathing had quickened, and when his eyes finally fluttered open, the pupils were dilated and glazed.
"Here, take this." Hawk held out the pill and canteen, crouching down beside him. "It's a heat suppressant. You need to take one every day."
Kaito focused on the pill, his hands shook violently as he reached for it, nearly dropping it twice before he managed to get it to his mouth. He had to try three times to swallow, his throat working convulsively as if even that simple action was difficult. Water dribbled down his chin.
"Thank you,"
"We need to get you back to Konoha. The medical team there can help you. Maybe even sever the bond if we're fast enough."
Kaito's eyes lit up at that last part. "Can they really break it?"
"If it hasn't fully settled, yes."
Hawk glanced back toward where the alpha was tied. Kaito's eyes followed the movement and the omega's body shifted slightly, an involuntary tug towards his mate that made Hawk's stomach turn. Kaito seemed to realize what he was doing and jerked backwards as if slapped.
"Captain," Viper called from across the clearing, his pack already secured and ready. "We should move. That scent is going to carry."
Hawk nodded grimly.
***
They pushed hard, making it to the gates of Konoha in six days. Relief flooded the ensemble as the massive, carved-stone gates came into view. They were sweaty, exhausted and ready to sleep for a month. They stopped just inside the entrance, the sweeping scent of pine and freshly watered earth replacing the sharp, stale air of the wilds.
The two Chūnin on guard snapped to attention at their approach.
"Wolf, Viper…take that bastard to Ibiki" The two ANBU nodded and disappeared into the darkening streets.
Hawk placed Kaito gently onto the ground. "Kaito, Owl is going to take you to the hospital; they will help you, I promise."
"What about you?" the boy asked, his voice shaky, hesitant to be away from the safety of the other omega.
"I need to brief the Hokage on what happened, but I will come visit as soon as I can. I promise,"
Kaito nodded, his hands twisting anxiously in the hem of his shirt as he was escorted away by the masked ANBU.
Hawk made his way to the rooftops, going full speed despite the bone-deep exhaustion that had settled into his muscles. A faint tremor ran through his hands as he landed on the next roof. Just need to make it through the report. Just a little longer.
Knocking twice on the office door he pushed it open with a tired shove.
The blonde Seventh Hokage sat behind his large oak desk with a small frown on his face as he furiously signed documents. The air in the room was thick with the scent of ink, old paper and a potent, familiar alpha musk that hit Sasuke like a breath of fresh air. Responding to the mate it had been pining for, his Omega began to stir. Naruto looked up when he heard the door opening, relief flashing across his blue eyes for a moment before his Hokage mask settled firmly in place.
"Report," Naruto said calmly, watching as the ANBU knelt on the floor, head bowed.
He gave a concise mission report, confirming the successful assassination of the missing-nin and the unexpected encounter with the forcefully bonded omega. He spoke quickly, focusing on tactics and objectives. His body temperature continued to climb, exhaustion making his limbs feel like lead.
"Any injuries or casualties?" Naruto asked.
"None, Hokage-sama. The team is exhausted but intact."
"Good. I will have the team put on three days' leave. Mission successful. That'll be all, Captain." The energy in the room shifted at the words, the professional barrier dissolving.
Sasuke stood, pulling off his porcelain ANBU mask and tucking it into his vest. His Captain persona disappeared as he took a deep, steadying breath, his shoulders finally dropping. The scent of his mate washed over him fully now and he had to resist the urge to simply collapse where he stood.
"Come here," the command washed over him, a low, rumbling frequency that settled his distressed omega and calmed Naruto's anxious alpha. Sasuke made his way around the large desk, settling into Naruto's lap. He threw his arms around his neck, their mouths meeting in a deep kiss that felt like finally being able to breathe again.
"I missed you so much," Naruto whispered, wrapping his arms tightly around the smaller man's waist, his hands running up Sasuke's back as if confirming he was real. "My alpha has been frantic. Everyone keeps sending Shikamaru in when they need something. They're too afraid to come near me."
"I missed you too," Sasuke murmured, cuddling closer to Naruto, pressing his nose into the blonde's powerful scent gland. The grounding, familiar smell was the only thing that could truly calm his nerves after a prolonged absence. Home. Finally home.
Suddenly tensing, Naruto buried his nose into Sasuke’s scent gland.
"Sasuke, you're going into heat.” his expression was dumbfounded.
"The kid was going into heat and with the extended mission, I didn't have enough left for the both of us. I stopped taking them four days ago," Sasuke admitted, feeling a flush creep up his neck.
"That was a huge risk. If you had been even slightly delayed, you would have put yourself and your team in a really bad situation." Arms tightened around Sasuke's waist, pulling him closer.
"I know, but what was I supposed to do? Let the kid go into heat after what happened to him?" A shadow flickered across Sasuke’s face. "It hit too close to home."
Naruto’s scent spiked sharp and protective as his whole body stiffened. He squeezed Sauske so tight he thought he might crack a rib . He pressed his face against Sasuke's neck. Breathing deeply. Grounding them both.
"I'm going to want the full story later," Naruto whispered against his skin. "But right now I’m so glad to have you home"
They sat holding each other for a long time, the bond between them humming with contentment at being close again.
"How long before it fully hits?" Naruto asked, his tone suggesting he knew he wasn't going to like the answer. "I have a few things I need to finish, but I can ask Shikamaru to take over if need be."
The raven shook his head. "It feels like it's still a good few hours away. You stay and finish what you need to. I'm going to go home, take a shower, and try get some sleep before it kicks in.”
He gave his mate one last, lingering kiss before heading for the window. He moved slower than usual, his body already preparing for what was coming. The evening air felt too warm against his flushed skin and he could feel the first subtle pulses of need starting to build low in his belly.
Just need to get home. Shower. Then I can let go.
He landed on the roof of their house with perhaps less grace than usual, his legs trembling slightly as he dropped down to the ground level and let himself in through the front door.
Home.
[end chapter]