Chapter Text
Sakura wasn’t exactly sure when everything started going wrong for him. Maybe it was when his parents named him Sakura – a name generally used for females. He’d been teased and tormented by both boys and girls by that fact, along with the fact that his face was faintly feminine. It might have been better or worse had they actually known the reason he looked oh so delicate and fragile.
His secondary gender, his second identity, was that of an omega. One of a steadily lessening presentation. Alphas and omegas had been far more common back in the Warring States Period, where one had to worry about the continuation of bloodlines – alpha and omega pairs were the best hope of that – but in the years gone by more and more betas were presenting… though their presentation of their secondary gender didn’t outright change much. It was only alphas and omegas which complicated things – him more so because he was a male omega. Those were even rarer than females.
His only solace had been in the fact no one knew, and that no one would care too much in a matter of years once they had all matured into somewhat responsible adults. There were no female alphas anywhere near his age, as far as he was aware, and even if there were, they wouldn’t be clan heiresses. In fact, the first female alpha he ever met was Tsunade, when he begged her to train him, and she had known what he was on sight. She had been the one who taught him how to conceal his scent, and every little identifier which would scream omega aside from his ever so slightly feminine face.
Now, at twenty-four years of age, he was incredibly grateful for all those lessons.
He wouldn’t have lasted a minute in the Warring States Period without them. Still, it wasn’t like everything had been smooth sailing, despite Tsunade’s long lectures and warnings about what he should do if he encountered someone of the same presentation as her. But that only mattered if they discovered his status as an omega. Secrecy was key.
Of course, secrecy didn’t involve accidentally getting into a scuffle between five rival clans and accidentally, through some sort of sheer dumb luck, helping them resolve their differences. Maybe the years of hanging around with the blonde numbskull had actually impacted him more than he knew. Naruto would have been even better at forcing blockheaded clan heads to unite under one banner.
Then again, he doubted Naruto would have blurted out the first fake name which came to mind when people started asking him about where he’d come from.
Akatsuki.
He was now Haruno Sakura of the Akatsuki village… which had coincidentally been destroyed, he had told them, by a main proclaiming himself a god. The best cover stories were best rooted in the truth, after all.
Still, despite that little slipup, everything had been going well – fantastically well, and really that should have been the first warning sign because when did anything ever go well for Team Seven – up until the daimyo had sent out a request to some local clans for aid. They had been chosen, purely because they were an alliance of five with a good array of skills. And even then they would be expected to work with another alliance or two.
He couldn’t really refuse the request from the daimyo, so he’d had no choice but to go and help protect the Land of Fire’s borders from the shinobi sent to invade and pillage.
He really hadn’t banked on having to work with the newly-made Senju-Uchiha alliance.
He really hadn’t banked on accidentally attracting the attention of one Uchiha Madara.
It had started out the same as any other mission he had taken with others in that era – hang back, let others speak, listen to the plan of action. Alphas had a tendency to domineer and squabble between themselves, and he would rather not get in the middle of that. If only so none of them would question why he wasn’t releasing alpha pheromones of his own. Blending in was what he was good at. What he had to be good at.
Though it didn’t stop one Senju Tobirama from squinting at him suspiciously whenever he hovered nearby.
He was always fighting the urge to whimper and hide whenever the alpha did that. Omega instincts. Ones which made him want to bare his neck in submission. Sakura had never encountered that many alphas before, thanks to their lessening presentation in the future. After decades of some sort of peace. When clans no longer lived separately, and congregated together instead, meaning their children were more protected and their bloodline more secure.
He wasn’t used to his instincts reacting as strongly as they did, but he kept up with them – quashing them whenever possible. There were an abundance of female alphas his age, or there abouts, and he did not want to have to deal with various clan courting rituals.
Some of them involved kidnapping.
Sakura did not want to be kidnapped. Not even if its purpose was to prove the alpha’s strength. How exactly it did that… Sakura didn’t want to dwell on that topic – he wasn’t going to land himself in that position in the first place.
Letting out a quiet breath, he let the others do the talking, ignoring the looks Senju Tobirama kept sending him. What if he found out? Sakura swallowed the lump in his throat. He could only suspect unless he released the tight hold he had on his scent. Sakura shook his head. Everything would be fine.
It had to be.
Blood coated his fists, sticky and wet. It was something which hadn’t changed – the fact he was still forced to take lives. Only now it was on a ridiculous scale. Sakura had only encountered skirmishes, few and far between in what would now be the future. He was more of a healer by nature, though, as of late he had been a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. It hadn’t helped that he’d been feeling antsy towards the end.
Like someone was staring at him and sizing him up.
Sakura shivered. He was probably just imagining things – he was there as the field medic, not as a combat orientated shinobi. Though saying that, he had taken on an entire group of invaders and come out relatively unscathed. To most that would be an achievement – but Sakura was just grateful he’d mastered the strength of a hundred and the Yin Seal before then. Things wouldn’t have been as easy if he hadn’t.
He washed the worst of the mess off in the nearest river before evening set in, shuddering as he caught sight of Tobirama staring at him yet again. He really wished the alpha would stop watching him so closely. But given he’d probably proven how much of a threat he could be… Sakura smiled ever so slightly. He’d have to try and think of it as a compliment. And to think he’d once been so weak compared to his two teammates.
“How many times do I have to tell you, Hashirama?” a feminine, familiar voice snarled, and Sakura felt himself sigh. There they went again. “I am not interested in your brother. So help me, if you bring this up one more time, I will—”
“Calm down, nee-san,” Uchiha Izuna murmured, placing a soothing hand on her shoulder. “Just ignore the elders’ mutterings for now. You’ve still got plenty of time.”
Sakura blinked, silently wondering about what went on within clans, and what this drama had to do with it. He was so glad sometimes that he hadn’t been born into a clan. They always sounded so needlessly complicated. Shrugging, he walked out of the dense, green forest between their camp and the river, making his way towards his bedding roll.
“It’s not like the clan would ever accept that white-haired bastard as your mate, even if by some horrible circumstance your scents were compatible,” Izuna said matter-of-factly. “You’ll find a good partner, nee-san. Don’t worry.”
“What do you think about pinky?” Madara drawled, and Sakura shivered – the air suddenly feeling that much more chillier all of a sudden.
“He’s strong,” Izuna remarked, and he quashed the pride that threatened to bloom in his chest. Because Uchiha liked strong things. Strong people. Sakura swallowed, shaking his head as he continued to walk at a leisurely pace towards his bedding. “His healing abilities are incredible… Nee-san?” Izuna tilted his head. “Are you thinking—?”
“Oy!” Madara bellowed, and Sakura flinched, cranking his head around slowly. “Pinky! Get over here. I need to discuss something with you,” she declared, and dread hit him in the stomach like a sucker punch. It couldn’t be…
Sakura turned fully, meeting the black eyes fixed on his emerald green ones as he pointed to himself questioningly. Despite being the only pink-haired person there.
Then Madara smirked, and that was when Sakura knew – deep down, somewhere along the line – he had fucked up.
Majorly.