Chapter Text
Kakashi wasn’t expecting a summon to the Hokage’s office that afternoon. It was supposed to be his day off.
The scroll itself was bold enough to make him pause. It was sealed with the kind of old, dark wax used for diplomatic arrangements, stamped with the Uchiha Fan. His instincts buzzed with a warning, making his hair stand on end as he tore it open. The language was vague. His audience was requested for an urgent and private discussion. Nothing specific mentioned in writing.
Kakashi took his time walking to the tower, trying to think of reasons he’d be summoned using the Uchiha Clan’s official seal. All of them involved Sasuke, and his gut twisted with worry.
Team 7 had only just returned from Wave, and the kid had a rough time of it. There wasn’t a less ideal time for him to present as an omega than in a room hundreds of miles from home in a seaside shack with his alpha teammates. Sasuke was too proud to admit it, but Kakashi knew he was terrified.
He did what he could to help him through it. Sasuke was curled up, clutching his stomach, asking if he was going to die as his organs shifted and his body changed in ways Kakashi was unequipped to explain. He brought warm bottles of water and kept the other genin away.
Sasuke had tried to stay stoic, but he broke down into sobs late at night and begged Kakashi to hold him. “Don’t you dare tell a soul,” Sasuke had snapped the next morning.
Kakashi hadn’t seen him since they got back. He hoped he was alright.
Green tea flooded his senses the moment he entered the office, followed by the tinge of tobacco that always followed the old man. The Hokage sat at his desk wearing his formal robes. He nodded at Kakashi as the door clicked shut.
Fugaku sat on the floor, his back straight as a board.
“Have a seat, Kakashi.” Hiruzen gestured to the cushion across from Fugaku.
A low table was laid out between them. On it were two cups of steaming green tea, each sitting on a mat with a wooden stir stick.
A familiar political formality.
Kakashi had served as a guard for these kinds of meetings more times than he could count. Deals between clan heads, marriage agreements, the kinds of missions he’d wish he could snore through. He’d never sat at the table before, but he strode in with practiced nonchalance, as though he was in his own kitchen.
“Maa, what’s the occasion, Fugaku-san?” Kakashi asked as he slunk down to meet the other man’s gaze. There was enough tension in Fugaku’s brow to string a wire trap.
“I’ve come to you with an offer.”
“Oh?” Kakashi raised his brow. The cup of tea was warm in his glove as he stirred it slowly.
“Sasuke is fond of you,” Fugaku said after a pause. His face softened, just a fraction. “He trusts you.”
Kakashi stopped stirring.
“These are unusual circumstances,” Hiruzen chimed in from his desk. “Unfortunately, Itachi has developed an… unhealthy infatuation with his brother. I’m facilitating a permanent relocation for the boy’s safety.”
If Kakashi had taken a sip, he might have choked. He coughed once and set the cup back down. He couldn’t stop the smell of mint from spiking sharply, his own scent betraying his surprise.
Itachi—what?
Kakashi stared blankly at the Hokage as the words settled into meaning. “Why not remove Itachi from the household?” he asked.
Fugaku shook his head. “Itachi is stubborn. And far too talented to trust. He won’t stop his pursuit unless the boy is claimed by another alpha.”
“Then Itachi should be arrested.” Kakashi kept his voice calm despite the rage in his throat. “He’s hunting a child—“
“Kakashi,” Fugaku interrupted. The smell of wood chips and gunpowder was faint—buried beneath suppressants—but Kakashi could sense Fugaku was anxious from the singed note at the edges. “Sasuke doesn’t want his brother in prison. He’s made that very clear.”
“Which leaves us with relocation,” Hiruzen chimed calmly.
How convenient that the Sandaime gets to keep his most lethal ANBU on roster. He knew better than to argue here. Kakashi didn’t have the sway to change the Hokage’s mind.
“Why me? Why not an alpha his age?”
“Sasuke was given a list of options,” Fugaku explained. “You were not on the list. He refused and chose you by name.”
Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose. “Who was on the list?”
“The only one he considered was Haruno Sakura, but I have my doubts whether her civilian family can keep him safe from Itachi. I’m not sure her alpha claim would be enough to deter his pursuit.”
“And Naruto?” Kakashi asked.
“Absolutely not,” Fugaku interjected.
“This is about Sasuke’s protection,” Hiruzen added. “We’re not suggesting he be impregnated yet. But he must be claimed. Naruto is too immature for that responsibility.”
Kakashi flinched at the word impregnated being thrown around like Sasuke wasn’t still a genin.
“And if I refuse, what would your next step be?”
“We would ask the Haruno family and employ ANBU protection until Itachi is no longer a threat,” Fugaku replied.
Even with protection, the thought of the Harunos trying to fend off Itachi was laughable. “And if that doesn’t work out?”
“Kakashi-san,” Fugaku pleaded. “I know this responsibility is heavy. The boy needs both protection and guidance.“ He bowed his head in a way that almost made him look ashamed. His fists were clenched tight. “Will you accept the honor of taking my son, Uchiha Sasuke, as your omega?”
Kakashi didn’t respond right away. He watched the steam from both their cups dissipate.
Fugaku didn’t rise.
“I want to talk to him first,” Kakashi demanded. “I’m not agreeing to anything until I’m sure he understands.”
Fugaku finally looked up. “That… is a reasonable request.”
The Hokage held his chin and nodded. “With haste, then. Notify my office with a formal arrangement, should you agree.” Hiruzen held out a sealed folder.
Kakashi took it carefully, as though it would burst into flames the moment it touched his palm.
“Come to my residence tonight at the hour of the Rooster,” Fugaku said. “You will be granted a private meeting.”
“And Itachi?” Kakashi glanced at the Hokage.
Hiruzen waved dismissively. “He’s occupied. Out of the village on ANBU duties for at least three more days.”
“I’ll see you this evening, then,” Kakashi said with a nod to Fugaku before vanishing into the hall.
The thought of Sasuke curled up on the floor came to mind again as he walked home, and a spark of warmth flickered in his chest. He was too young to know what it meant to be claimed. He shouldn’t have to make that choice. But if Itachi really did want to take him, there were few in the village who could stop him.
The kid was backed into a corner, and for whatever it was worth, he chose Kakashi to get him out.
“Obito,” Kakashi said as he ran his hand over the boy’s name. “I don’t know what to do.”
He sighed as the sky began to shift to orange above the memorial stone.
“Somehow I ended up with another Uchiha’s life in my hands.” He tilted his head. “Would it make me a monster to protect him the way they want me to?”
Obito never presented. He was likely a beta, or maybe a late-blooming omega. He died before he ever knew his gender. There was a grief there that Kakashi hadn’t let himself examine until now. His heart ached for Obito’s unfinished becoming.
He ran his finger over Minato’s next. “Sensei,” he said softly. “He’s only Naruto’s age. You’d never ask me to do this, if you were still Kage, would you?”
He waited for an answer that didn’t come.
Pink and orange began to fade into darkness. The hour of the Rooster was nearly there, and Sasuke was waiting.
“Well,” Kakashi murmured, pushing to his feet. “I’m late for my date.”
He dusted the top of the stone and headed south towards the Uchiha District.
Bamboo floors creaked beneath their feet as Fugaku led Kakashi down the hall and into what they called the planning den.
Kakashi smelled him before he entered the room. Sasuke’s familiar scent—sweetgrass—but it was spiked with moisture, as though it was rotting.
He was scared.
Citrus peel and burnt sugar met Kakashi’s nose, next—Mikoto’s sweetness tinged with the bitterness of a mother’s worry.
Fugaku held the door of the den open for Kakashi and shut it behind him.
Every corner of the room was lined with decades of Uchiha memorabilia and historical documents. Shelves of scrolls reached the ceiling. An ancient sword glistening with fiery chakra hung above rows of decorated fans on the far wall.
Just beneath it on the floor was Sasuke, tucked into his mother’s arms. His neck was wrapped with thick white bandages, cheeks wet, eyes puffy and swollen.
Kakashi sat cross-legged a few feet away, mindful not to put himself between Sasuke and the door.
Mikoto shifted to leave, but Sasuke’s hand gripped her sweater, pulling her back down.
“Sasuke, hun…” She leaned forward to whisper something in his ear, but Kakashi couldn’t hear.
“Your mother can stay,” Kakashi interjected. “If you’d like her to. I don’t mind.”
Mikoto froze. She looked at her son and waited.
He slowly let go of her sweater. “I’m fine. You can go.”
She nodded and kissed his forehead, holding onto him for a second longer before stepping away. She held Kakashi’s gaze for a beat as she walked past. Her eyes were glossy with unshed tears.
He nodded to her, hoping she knew her son was safe.
As soon as the door clicked shut behind her, Sasuke visibly recoiled. He pulled his knees to his chest and stared at the floorboards.
Kakashi’s throat tightened. He pushed the words out as though they were casual. “Hey, Sasuke.”
Sasuke glanced up without moving his head.
“I came from the tower this morning. Met with your old man and the Hokage. But I want to hear from you about what’s going on.”
Sasuke shifted his weight, and his gaze fell back to the floor. He shrugged.
The kid was shutting down. Open-ended questions weren’t going to work.
“Did Itachi hurt you?”
Sasuke rubbed his neck, his fingers brushing the edges of his bandages. Enough time passed for Kakashi to assume he wasn’t going to answer, until his voice cracked out, “He bit me.”
Kakashi let out a shaky breath.
An incomplete mate bond. No wonder Fugaku was desperate. Sasuke was temporarily bonded to his brother—emotionally, physically, psychologically—the kid’s system had been flooded. It could take weeks for an alpha’s saliva to dissolve, maybe longer for someone like Itachi.
“I know it must feel like hell,” Kakashi said softly. “But it’s not forever. The mark won’t hold.”
Sasuke closed his eyes and shook his head. “You don’t understand.” His words were sluggish, almost slurred. “He won’t give up.”
“If he’s unable to control himself, then he should be arrested. He assaulted you.”
“Shut up!” Sasuke snapped. His head was bowed, but Kakashi could see him baring his teeth.
“You shouldn’t have to leave your home to be safe, Sasuke.”
“This home has never been safe.” The words sounded dead in the boy’s throat. The sword above him pulsed with red light.
“What do you mean?” Kakashi asked.
Sasuke huffed. “Itachi’s always been this way. They only care now because I’m an omega.”
“Has he assaulted you before?”
“Stop saying that word!” He wrapped his arms tight around his shins.
“Okay,” Kakashi lowered his voice. He reined in his scent and his chakra. “I won’t say it again.”
Sasuke was curled in on himself. His voice was muffled. Kakashi could barely hear him. “Father told me he’d move on if I was claimed by another alpha.”
“Is that what you want?”
Sasuke’s scent spiked—sharp and sweet, causing Kakashi’s eye to twitch. His alpha instincts were screaming to comfort him, protect him, touch him. But he didn’t move an inch.
Sasuke peeked up at him from his knees. “I don’t want to be here.”
That’s all Kakashi needed to hear. They’d figure out the rest in time. “Then you won’t be. Do you want to come with me?”
Sasuke lifted his head from his knees. “You’ll claim me?” he asked.
Kakashi exhaled slowly. “No,” he answered honestly. “But I will protect you. Itachi won’t touch you. Not while you’re with me.”
Sasuke’s mouth was open, his brow pinched like he couldn’t believe what he’d heard. He looked hurt. “You don’t want me,” he whispered.
“No, that’s not it.” Kakashi sighed and tried to find the right words to explain. “You shouldn’t have to accept a bond out of necessity. If you’re claimed, it should be because you want to be.”
“And if I told you I wanted you to?” he bit the words out fast.
Kakashi felt his heartbeat in his throat. He didn’t allow himself to consider whether he wanted Sasuke in that way—it felt wrong. That was his student. But all it took was a look at Sasuke in the dimly lit den, cowering beneath the blade of his clan’s legacy to know: he’d do what he had to protect him.
“Yes, I would.” It didn’t feel like a lie on his tongue. “But not like this. Not while you’re cornered and feel like it’s your only way out.”
Sasuke let his knees fall. His scent softened.
“Am I leaving tonight?”
“If that’s what you want. Itachi is gone for now. If you want more time with your mother, you can stay until tomorrow.”
Sasuke scratched at his neck through the bandages.
“Tomorrow,” he decided.
“Okay, tomorrow then,” Kakashi confirmed. “I’ll come by in the afternoon. Pack what you’d like to bring.”
Sasuke nodded, but didn’t move from his spot on the floor.
Kakashi took his time standing up. He leaned away from Sasuke, careful not to tower over him. He felt Sasuke’s eyes on him as he left the planning den.
He didn’t head home right away. He lingered on the rooftops just outside the Uchiha District.
He thought of his minimal, one-bedroom apartment without so much as a throw blanket in the living room. He was no expert, but he was fairly certain that sounded like an omega’s worst nightmare.
There was, of course, the other option he wasn’t letting himself fully consider.
He sighed and headed north.