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moorPAIRING: Itachi/Sakura, age-swapped Sakura/Minato
RATING: M
WARNINGS/SQUICKS: omegaverse, dub-con, non-con, manipulation, coercion, hard lessons learned, first love, loss of virginity, family loss
AUTHOR'S NOTES: The rest of this fic is found on my Patreon, but here's a peek into the first chapter.
In the distance, a raven caught up to Sakura in mid-flight and popped into dust, the sparkling shimmer releasing a sealed amber scroll into her hands. Floating above her, Sasuke watched Sakura dart back down to the ground and slowed his flight, circling her before joining her on the uneven terrain. His wings resettled into his spell-armoured cloak around him as his boots touched down.
“What is it?” he asked.
“A message from Tsunade,” said Sakura thoughtfully, turning the scroll over in her hands as its messenger poofed away. She bit her thumb and touched the parchment, her blood releasing the protective wards. “Something’s going on at the Academy.” Her eyes quickly scanned the content. “She wants me to come teach.”
Sasuke’s eyes narrowed.
Sakura looked up at him to find him glaring at the paper.
“Sasuke,” she began but he turned away.
“It’s fine. They need you.”
“It may not be for long,” she said, rolling up the parchment and tucking it into a concealed inner pocket in her own cloak. “And this way I’ll be able to check on Itachi for you.”
Sasuke’s clenched fists loosened and his shoulders softened.
“Would you?” he asked over his shoulder. “He hates it when I do.”
A corner of Sakura’s lips tugged upwards and she followed Sasuke, bumping shoulders with him as she reached his side. “He’ll be cared for whether he likes it or not.”
Sasuke chuckled under his breath and smirked at her gratefully. “Hn.” He straightened as they turned away from the battlefield they had fought in, side-by-side, years before. “It’s been a while since we saw him.”
Nearly a decade had passed since they and their brothers- and sisters-in-arms had tapped into the well of magic deep in their country’s forests, defending their nation against the Oto monster hoards. One of the most decorated heroes from the battle, Sasuke’s older brother, Itachi, accepted a teaching position following the armistice. For reasons he’d never properly explained, Itachi had distanced himself from his brother thereafter.
Sasuke and Sakura, fellow heroes from the final battle and best friends since childhood, had respected Itachi’s wishes until they found out Itachi had hidden a life-threatening injury during the battle in order to complete his mission. Now it gradually ate away at Itachi’s magical core from the inside; it would likely cripple him within the next decade if he didn’t find a competent healer. Consumed by his guilt at not realising how severely his brother was hurt in battle, Sasuke would do anything to help him.
“Are they tasking you with a house?”
Sakura nodded. “Alocasia.”
“Not the beast barracks?”
She punched him as he snickered. They walked a few minutes, lost in their own thoughts, before Sasuke rolled his shoulders and looked away, out across the still-charred horizon.
“If… If you need anything while you’re there… You can reach out,” said Sasuke. He cleared his throat. “Or, I’m sure Itachi… would help. Since you’ll be in a school, it may be more difficult to find some privacy.”
Sakura nodded, her cheeks only faintly pink. “Thanks.”
###
14-year old Obito raced into his common room in House Alocasia, his robes flapping behind him.
“Hot teacher alert!” he crowed, throwing himself into the sofa beside his classmates, Kakashi and Minato. “I hope she’s our new head of house,” he sighed, a dreamy look on his face.
“We’ll see. It’s not really important as long as they’re competent,” said Kakashi from behind his textbook.
“I may actually need to study now,” mused Obito aloud, grinning at the frescoed ceiling.
Kakashi snorted. “You think an adult will be impressed by mediocre magical skills?”
“Hey! She could be!”
“Who could be,” asked Rin, coming to join them. She took a seat beside Minato.
Kakashi took the opportunity to half-heartedly kick Obito off his sofa.
“Oy!” shouted Obito, landing on the carpeted floor with an awkward thump.
“Obito thinks there’s a new teacher here,” explained Minato. He lifted a tray of snacks. “Hungry?”
“Thank you,” said Rin with a grin. She took a bite of her cookie. “How old is she?”
“Around Master Uchiha’s age, maybe?”
Minato perked up. “I wonder if she fought with him!”
Kakashi turned his page more slowly, paying more attention to Minato.
“In the Last Battle?” asked Rin, eyes wide.
“Yeah. If they’re around the same age, it would make sense. Did you hear her name, Obito?” asked Minato, helping his friend up from the floor.
“Something… Sakumo?”
Kakashi’s head fell back against the couch. “My dad’s name was Sakumo, idiot.”
“Wait,” broke in Minato, sitting up taller and squeezing Obito’s hand unconsciously. His azure eyes lit with excitement. “Haruno? Sakura Haruno?”
Obito yanked his sore hand back, scowling at Minato. “Yeah. That was it.”
“Oh my gods,” gushed Rin, her hands flying up to cover her mouth which had fallen open. “Sakura Haruno is here? Oh my gods, oh my gods, oh my gods…”
Obito looked between Rin and Minato who practically vibrated with sudden energy.
“What?” Obito asked, brow furrowed beneath his curse-revealing goggles. “You know her or something? Who is she?”
“Only the single most decorated battle-mage of her generation, and possibly history,” drawled Kakashi. But there was a touch of awe in his voice that had Obito turning to look at his usually lazy, stoic friend. To his surprise, there were tiny hints of pink on Kakashi’s cheeks and the tips of his ears.
“She’s the one who… oh my gods…” broke off Rin, shaking her head in disbelief. “If it’s really her, I’m going to beg to become her apprentice. Kakashi, will you help me, please?”
“Sure,” sighed Kakashi, turning another page.
“Why is she here, though?” asked Minato, cupping his chin.
“She was one of the headmaster’s only two apprentices; maybe Headmaster Senju invited her to come help out so she could see her student again?” suggested Rin with a shrug. “The headmaster doesn’t have any other family anymore. And Professor Shizune is kind of busy as the headmaster’s assistant and running the Infirmary…”
Minato nodded. “That makes sense. We could head down to supper early to see if anyone else knows more?”
“Maybe we could sit closer to the professors’ table to hear what they say,” said Rin, biting her bottom lip to try and smother her smile.
“Good luck,” huffed Kakashi. He cast a quick time-charm. “If we want a good seat, though, we’ll have to leave now.”
“Let’s go!”
###
“She’s prettier than I thought,” whispered Rin to Minato, blushing.
“I know,” he whispered back, just as excited.
Their little group had not been the only one to seek an early seat at the supper tables that night. Many other students, summoned by the rumours of their potential new professor, had vied for seating positions closer to the head table. Somehow Minato had charmed several upper year students into giving them their seats so they had an up-close-and-personal view of their teachers and staff.
Just as Obito had said, Sakura Haruno was seated at the headmaster’s right side. The powerful women laughed and smacked the table as they clinked mugs in celebration.
“Is she drinking?” asked Obito, squinting.
“Generously,” said Kakashi, deadpan.
“Do you think she’s seeing anyone?” asked Rin, peering up at the table and trying-but-not-trying to stare at her hero.
Minato’s brow furrowed and he cleared his throat. “Uh…”
“I don’t mean I like her like that. I mean, I wonder if she has a mate here at school that she may be visiting,” clarified Rin. “She and Master Uchiha fought together…”
“Almost everyone at the head table fought together, I think,” said Minato thoughtfully. “Master Sabaku, Master Kaguya, Master Hoshigaki…” His voice trailed off. He swallowed, leaning into Rin’s private space. “She… was an omega, wasn’t she?” he asked, cheeks flaming.
“Mm-hmm.”
He swallowed. “D-do you see a ring?”
Rin shook her head before glancing at Minato and failing to hide her grin.
“Does Minato actually have a crush on someone? After five years of being a monk?”
“I’m not a monk,” mumbled Minato defensively. He cleared his throat. “She’s just… a living legend.”
Kakashi held Minato’s eyes over his book, which he’d brought with him from their common room (to hide the lower half of his face while they ate). “She is. You just don’t usually make a fuss. With your family, I thought you would have met her in the past at some shindig your parents organised, before—ow!”
Obito frowned at Kakashi and Rin kicked their younger friend under the table. Kakashi’s voice trailed off and he dipped his chin. “Sorry, Minato,” he murmured.
“It’s okay. It’s been a while,” said Minato. Kakashi wasn’t hurtful, just tactless. Blunt. Honest. Normally correct in his statements 99.99% of the time, as he was at that moment, too.
###
“Told you you’d create a stir,” said Tsunade, topping off her ale.
Sakura rolled her shoulders. “Anyone I should keep an eye on?”
Tsunade snorted in her cup.
“The group in front from House Alocasia. Notice anyone familiar?”
Sakura’s breath caught. “Sakumo’s son? Is that little Kakashi?”
Tsunade nodded.
“I’d recognize that clever little wolf anywhere. And the little blond boy… that couldn’t be…”
“It is.”
“Minato.” Sakura’s heart went out to the pair of young boys who’d lost their families too young.
“They’re very bright, so unfortunately they also get bored easily. And competitive.”
Sakura smiled. “Duly noted.”
“Kakashi started a few years early because honestly he was too smart for his own good; but we must remember that while he’s hyper intelligent, he’s also younger than the other students. Sometimes he needs a gentler hand and a bit more guidance. Kid thinks he knows everything.”
Sakura nodded, memorising her mentor’s notes. “And Minato?”
To her surprise, Tsunade fell into a thoughtful moue.
“He behaves like an omega,” she began. “He is the most compassionate young man I’ve ever met,” said Tsunade, setting down her cutlery. “But I am convinced he is an alpha. He is the natural leader of their group. He’s the House Alocasia representative for his year. He can talk almost anyone into anything with those blue eyes of his,” explained Tsunade dryly. “But there’s a shadow in him. He and Kakashi are too old for their years, in a way. Kakashi would be more of a calm moon while Minato is a burning sun… but there’s a power behind Minato that I haven’t been able to put my finger on, yet.”
Sakura glanced down at Minato and Kakashi’s table only to find them and their friends all staring up at her in awe. Sakura smiled and nodded at them, giving them a little wave. The entire group went beet red in the face and Sakura was sure she heard the young girl in the group gasp, “She looked at me!”
“They’ve all presented,” asked Sakura quietly, concealing her lips behind her cup as she turned back to Tsunade.
The ageless blonde pursed her lips and gave a subtle nod. “They’ve all been through their firsts, except for Minato.”
Sakura’s brows drew together. “Even Kakashi?”
Tsunade groaned. “He was the first. Always was ahead of his time.”
“Then, how are you so sure about Minato being an alpha if he hasn’t… yet?”
“Gut feeling,” said Tsunade.
Sakura’s lips pressed together and she tried not to wince. Tsunade’s ‘gut feelings’ were… unpredictable.
“So they know how to handle their symptoms?”
Tsunade nodded. “Yes. And they know not to pick on Rin. She set them straight. She has a good head on her shoulders, apart from taking a liking to Kakashi.”
“I’m glad they don’t bully her,” said Sakura.
Both women remembered all too well how much Sakura had suffered, coming into her own. No matter how many years passed, the memories of her first heats and their consequences were burned into Sakura. The subject had made her protective of those in similar situations.
It was Tsunade’s turn to study Sakura. “Have you made arrangements for the duration while you’re here?”
“I brought my suppressants, and a few dampeners. Sasuke and I talked before I left, too. I always know ahead of time when it’s coming, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Keep your wits about you,” cautioned Tsunade, looking out over the assembled students. “Sometimes one presenting can set off others; we still have to break up the occasional snarling fight or crying circle,” she sighed, rubbing her temples. “I’m sure having another attractive teacher on staff will make it even more delightful…”
“They’re at that age,” said Sakura. “We’ve all been there.”
“I can’t wait to name a successor,” muttered Tsunade under her breath.
Digging back into her supper, Sakura pressed her lips together to hide her grin.
###
That evening, Sakura tracked her first quarry and attempted to corner him. Unfortunately, his corporeal manifestation dematerialised and poofed like smoke into a flock of crows in front of her, scattering to the rafters of the stone-carved corridor.
Deep chuckling reverberated around her and Sakura crossed her arms, shaking her head.
“Very funny,” she drawled.
“Ah,” came the warm male voice.
The crows poured down into the shape of a man beside her and Sakura shook her head, smiling as Itachi smirked at her.
“For the record, I didn’t fall for it. I knew you were going to pull that again.”
Itachi’s dark eyes danced with mirth, making Sakura laugh under her breath.
“Do you sneak around your students like that?”
“Ah, when they’re up to something.”
“So all the time, then.”
If he’d been a less well-bred man, Itachi would have shrugged. As it was, he offered his elbow for her to take. Sakura wrapped an arm around him instead, pulling him in for a tight hug. He stiffened before relaxing against her.
“It’s good to see you again, Itachi.”
“You too… Sakura.”
Sakura swallowed. Itachi’s voice had always had a certain effect on her. She blamed their statuses. She knew she got away with far more teasing with him than he let anyone else, and presumed it was for the same reason.
“Sasuke says hi and he misses you.”
“Thank you,” said Itachi, returning her hug. It transformed into a cherished embrace. “I have missed you both, too.”
“I never said anything about me missing you.”
His knowing smirk as she tried to pull away quite clearly expressed what he thought of that cheap lie.
“You free to catch up?”
He nodded and they released each other, slowly.
“Tea?” he asked as they entered his private rooms soon after. His sitting room branched off into several other shadowy corridors, their braces soon warming with candle flame.
“Please,” said Sakura. She admired his comfortable, neat room. “Retirement suits you, my spymaster.”
Itachi gave her a cheeky grin. “It’s a working retirement. I think some students are better secret-keepers than our former enemies, at times.”
“Any in particular?”
“Students or enemies?”
“Students,” she grinned.
“Hatake, definitely… and his leader, Namikaze,” said Itachi, offering Sakura a cup of steaming tea.
“You’re the second person to bring that pair up since I arrived this afternoon,” said Sakura.
“They’re frighteningly intelligent,” said Itachi.
“Frightening? How so?”
“Ah,” said Itachi softly. “They’re in House Alocasia, but they could easily be in Dragon, Crested or Crow. I would not be surprised if they both had the rare affinity for A-guador, like you,” he added, sipping his tea. “They aren’t obvious about it, but they’re also driven. Minato is unnaturally successful socially, especially when taking into account his family situation.”
“His father was the same way,” remembered Sakura aloud with a small nod.
Itachi continued. “And Kakashi, while not showing off, does not hide his intelligence. He could easily jump two more years ahead in his education and still be near the head of the class. I think he stays where he is because he is connected to Minato, and to a degree his friends Rin and Obito. They pulled Kakashi into their fold in his first year when others tried to bully him but Kakashi put them all in their place and acted… bored. Minato stepped in to smooth things over and prevent Kakashi from becoming a target.”
Sakura sighed. “Looks like I’m about to have my hands fuller than anticipated.”
Itachi gave her a sympathetic look.
“They don’t intentionally irritate their teachers; trouble follows them, probably because they need a good challenge. Just terrify them into obedience. You’re good at it,” he said lightly, before a knowing grin pulled at the corners of his lips.
“This coming from you,” she scoffed.
Itachi ducked his head, failing to hide his widening smile. “It’s been too long.”
“Well, I’m here for a while. We can catch up sometime,” she offered.
“... I’d like that,” said Itachi softly.
She gave him a sympathetic smile. “Everyone still treating you like a hero instead of a person?”
He sighed. It was all the answer she needed.
Considering her next request carefully, Sakura rolled her cup between her palms, careful not to spill her tea.
“Yes?” he asked when she stalled.
Her expression was rueful. “Do you know what I’m going to ask?”
His deep eyes studied her. “Possibly.”
In the privacy of Itachi’s rooms, Sakura forced herself to relax. It wouldn’t go any further than the two of them. As spymaster, Itachi had known every secret ever spoken—and some not. Keeping every one had been what made him the best.
“I may need to call on an alpha while I’m here, if anything unforeseen happens. It shouldn’t,” she said quickly as he continued watching her. “But… if it does…”
“My door is always open to you, Sakura,” said Itachi gently.
A kind, treasured acceptance flowed between them before he added, “It always has been.”
Their gazes locked, the air becoming heavy. Sakura’s blood began to thrum in her veins. He always did this to her. He could be such a dominant yet undemanding force that it had felt, at times in the past, like his sheer presence had induced her heats. Sasuke probably knew what had happened between her and his brother, but he’d never mentioned it to her. She knew Itachi wouldn’t have brought it up with anyone, even under torture. Especially considering how young she’d been…
Those times would always haunt her, for better or worse; his companionship had always been for the better, though.
“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice suddenly thick.
He gave the slightest nod, still holding his cup between his palms.
“I… there’s one more thing,” said Sakura, trying to focus on the man across from her instead of his alpha-ness. “May I… examine you?”
Itachi stilled.
She wet her lips from the inside. “I only want to help.”
His chest rising and falling in an unfettered rhythm, Itachi regarded Sakura. His breathing was too even, she noted. He was controlling himself, or something in himself.
“Please,” she added.
“I will… consider your request,” he said, lifting his cup to his lips.
“Thank you,” said Sakura, some of the stress easing. “I appreciate it.”
His eyelids lowered to half mast in acceptance and he hummed…
Sakura swallowed, her insides melting. Then she glared at him as his sensual play-teasing and pheromones sank in.
“Stop giving me bedroom eyes, Itachi.”
His warm chuckle made her huff in mock-irritation.
