Natsume smiled for the first time on the fifty-ninth day after her birth.
Sasuke remembered it as one of the most memorable moments of his life. That evening, he'd barely managed to untangle the little girl from a tangle of blankets after a walk, and she'd suddenly stretched sweetly and smiled, looking him straight in the eyes. If Naruto had been there, he would have seen Sasuke shamefully rubbing his cheek against his daughter's belly, wiping his tears away.
From that moment on, Natsume smiled more and more often, and life itself somehow became ten times brighter.
By the end of the second month, Natsu suddenly discovered she had arms—from then on, she loved watching them, waving them in front of her and drooling thoughtfully. Her movements became more fluid, so that she no longer resembled a helpless, upside-down beetle... although she still loved to kick her legs, as if she couldn't wait to get up and run. When Sasuke laid her belly down on the mattress, she busily raked the folds of the blanket with her limbs, for which Naruto never tired of calling her "froggie."
Natsume grew up curious. She loved looking at the fire in the fireplace. At the snow falling outside the window. At Sakura's soft pink hair. At Naruto's bright green, jingling wallet.
She really enjoyed looking at Sasuke—looking and smiling at him, meowing something in her own language. And Sasuke enjoyed looking at her.
Omega loved his daughter.
He dissolved into her.
The bond that had begun to form when she had taken up residence within him continued to grow stronger with each passing day. Even though Sasuke had once longed for the day when they could finally exist apart, he still didn't feel like it had actually happened. Natsume remained an extension of Sasuke—his flesh and blood. It was difficult to determine where he ended and where she began. Perhaps that was why the omega found every moment without his daughter so difficult... hell, he couldn't even go to the bathroom without anxiety!
His day began when Natsume's began and ended when she did. He thought of practically nothing but his daughter, caring only about how to ensure her maximum comfort. With each passing day, the omega became less and less "Sasuke" and more and more "Natsume's dad."
In the brief moments of clarity this thought scared the hell out of him, but he could no longer stop.
Being Sasuke was painful... but he seemed to be doing well as Natsume's dad .
Oddly enough, it was the dreams that brought him back to reality. Icy, cruel, filled with the scent of blood. Sasuke couldn't shake them off even after so long, despite the fact that he and Naruto were now sleeping together, and his presence should have been a saving grace... but it didn't. The Omega still woke up shivering, filled with self-loathing, and at those moments he had an overwhelming urge to run to the lake and finish what had failed last time.
"What do you want, to leave your daughter without a father?!"
No… no, of course not.
Sasuke just wanted it to be over as soon as possible.
Nothing specific - just everything.
Once the omega had overcome exhaustion and pneumonia, he now had to contend with lack of sleep and raging hormones, sending him into fits of tears, anger, and even outbursts of some kind of abnormal happiness. His head was pounding. His neck itched. His nose itched from the smells, which had suddenly become an order of magnitude stronger, driving Sasuke crazy. The most irritating, oddly enough, was Kakashi's scent, which evoked such a visceral rage in the omega that he wanted to pour a bucket of bleach on his sensei—anything to stop him from stinking up the whole house!
And lately—probably for a week now—he'd been suffering from aching in his limbs. Pain in his lower abdomen. And the pain wasn't... no, it wasn't his scar that ached, but something deep inside. A heavy, crushing feeling, as if someone had shoved a large iron ball inside Sasuke, dragging him down.
The omega hissed when Sakura pressed too hard.
- Sorry, sorry, I'm careful...
In fact, he'd gone into the kitchen to grab a bottle for Natsume, and Sakura was drinking tea, so he'd simply wondered if he should be worried... and then Sasuke was standing in the middle of the room, his sweater lifted, staring sullenly out the window while the beta felt his stomach. The stranger's hands, though warm and very soft, felt unpleasant. He'd left the bawling Natsume with Naruto, but now the living room was suspiciously quiet, and the omega felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. What was going on? Was she okay?
- Well?
Sakura pulled away, looking away from the scar that resembled a sinister smile. Sasuke bit his lip—even he found it unpleasant to see. The skin, now so loose it almost obscured his abs… those dreaded pink stretch marks. Disgusting.
"Nothing critical," Beta concluded. "The body continues to recover."
- I thought you restored everything two months ago.
"Yes, but... what you did to yourself, I'm sorry, was far from professional medical surgery," Sakura chuckled, frowning. "You caused serious damage to your uterus, and considering I didn't start treatment right away, some tissue has already died, and... well, your heat cycles should resume by the third month, and your body is currently working hard to prepare for that moment."
Sasuke's face twisted uncontrollably. Heat. Damn it. He hadn't had one for almost a year, and honestly? He didn't miss them one bit! And he wasn't ready for their return. Sasuke had barely regained his footing, and the very thought of walking around with a wet bottom, sweating like a pig, and hating the world twice as much as usual terrified him…
At least this time Naruto would be completely at his disposal.
Omega swallowed the viscous saliva.
No, never.
The last time he and the alpha had sex, they'd ended up with Natsume. If there was even the slightest chance their sex would result in another pregnancy… Sasuke wouldn't have sex for the rest of his life!
"After three months..." he snorted. "Isn't that too early? Natsu hasn't even learned to crawl yet."
"Nature is cruel," Sakura sighed. "In any case, your uterus was damaged... like, really badly . So the pain could be a sign that you won't have any heats at all. Although even if you do..."
She fell silent, biting her lip, and the omega was surprised to see a glimmer of guilt in her eyes.
- What? Sakura.
- Sorry, I should have told you earlier... but you were already feeling bad, so I thought...
"Enough," Sasuke waved him off. "You don't need all this. Just say it."
Beta sighed heavily and clasped her hands together in agitation.
- Most likely, you can no longer have children.
A loud sigh of relief escaped Sasuke. His breathing became much easier, and he felt the weight of the weight that had been holding him in a vice all this time being lifted from his soul.
"Most likely?" he asked hopefully. "What are the odds?"
If he found out he was still fertile after all… should he ask Sakura to remove his uterus? It's trash. He'd feel so much better without it.
— Ninety percent... no, probably even ninety-nine.
Sasuke snorted incredulously. Someone had once told the omega he was ninety-nine percent sterile. And what happened? Boom. He had no idea how Naruto had managed to pull that off in just five measly minutes. What if he could do it again?
— How can I get the remaining percentage?
Sakura's eyes widened. She stared at him silently for a few seconds, processing the question, then looked away in disappointment.
"So many people are just begging for the chance to have children, Sasuke-kun, and you just go and refuse it..."
Sasuke pursed his lips. Betas. Neither here nor there.
"I'm sorry, but children were never what I wanted," he said frankly. "I'd like to pass this curse on to someone else. You or Naruto—he seems to be jealous of my womb… I'll never understand that freak. Anyway, whoever wants them, have them to their heart's content."
Sakura smiled reluctantly.
"You know... I don't think things like this just happen," she said thoughtfully and sighed. "I mean, it's who we were born to be. And when you talk about yourself like that... it's not nice at all. If you're an omega, then it was meant to be."
"Like hell," Sasuke muttered and adjusted his sweater. "It's a punishment."
"Not at all! It's a possibility!" Sakura protested, her eyes darting around the room, trying to come up with an argument. "For example, if you were an alpha or a beta, you and Naruto would never have had Natsume!"
A shiver ran down Sasuke's spine. Of course, he would have lived happily ever after without children, but now that the omega had fallen so deeply in love with his Natsu, he couldn't imagine a world without her. There was something about it—the way she connected him and Naruto. "She's perfect ," the alpha's loving voice rang in his head, causing Sasuke to soften.
"If I'd been born an alpha, who knows... maybe Naruto would have been an omega. It would have been much more logical, all this crap suits him," he sighed and, taking the bottle, began pouring baby formula into it: one spoonful, two, half.
"But you too...!" Sakura objected, pulling herself together and shyly stirring her cold tea. "Um, I mean... you are who you are, right? And it doesn't matter what it looks like."
Sasuke rubbed the bridge of his nose wearily. There was some truth to what the girl said, but she didn't see it the way the omega did. Betas have it a little easier because no one cares about them—be whoever you want, it doesn't matter. But omegas? Sasuke could list the rules and responsibilities Fugaku had laid out for him… enough to fill a whole book.
Everything was fine until Natsume showed up. Sasuke was confident he was doing everything right. He enjoyed how different he was from other omegas—strong, independent, with a great goal in mind. He knew where he was going and what he had to do. And then the pregnancy happened… and, frankly, he was confused. About who he was, what he wanted, and why he was created.
- Sasuke-kun?
The omega winced, realizing he'd frozen with a baby bottle in his hand. Sakura was looking at him sympathetically from across the table.
"We accept you for who you are," she said softly. "Both sensei and I. And Naruto... especially Naruto."
There were still people in the world who were willing to accept Sasuke. Even if he was confused, even if he was full of shit. A salty lump rose in his throat. His eyes watered. Damn those damn hormones.
"Thank you, Sakura," he said, finally able to speak. "For what you did for Natsume."
— I tried for you too...
- Yes, but she's... more important, you know. Thank you.
Screwing the cap back on the bottle, he hurried out of the kitchen, lest he get too sentimental. The pain in his womb was making it hard to walk… please, let it not be heat. Please, not so soon. Sasuke was so exhausted by the omega body's antics—it literally wouldn't let him rest!
The living room remained eerily quiet. Sasuke cautiously opened the door, but quickly relaxed, leaning against the doorframe and admiring the scene unfolding before him.
Naruto lay in front of the fireplace, sprawled on his back like a starfish. Natsume was fussing on his broad chest, cooing softly, lifting her head and drooling profusely onto her father's sweatshirt. The Alpha watched his daughter tenderly, pouting in a goofy expression and cooing in a squeaky voice.
Sasuke sighed. Sometimes he felt like he had two children after all.
The alpha beamed when he saw him.
"Look, Natsu, our paa-chan has arrived," he sang to the little one. "He's showing off his sour face again! Maybe you could at least teach him to smile?"
Rolling his eyes, the omega stepped closer and picked up Natsume, turning her around. As soon as she met her father's gaze, she broke into a toothless smile and clutched his shoulder. The little girl had an unusually tenacious grip—she loved to grab onto anything.
"Smiling without reason is a sign of foolishness, Natsume," Sasuke said gently. "At least in adults."
Naruto snorted, stuck his tongue out at him, and suddenly became serious.
— What did Sakura say? About your pain.
"Good news: I won't have any more children."
He probably shouldn't have told Naruto. At least, not now. Sasuke had no idea what kind of castles in the air the Alpha had already built for himself, but he decided it was too early for them to broach such topics—about the future, about family, about them. The Omega sensed that in some respects their views would diverge in starkly different directions.
"Just a painful recovery," he shrugged and turned his attention to his daughter, holding the bottle to her mouth. "Come on, Natsu. You're probably hungry?"
The baby made a soft "goo" sound as she wrapped her lips around the pacifier, caught the omega's gaze, and smiled again. Despite the dim light in the room late in the afternoon, her black eyes were filled with a shimmer. Naruto hadn't been wrong when he'd called her a star .
"Her clothes are barely buttoned," the alpha who sat down next to her nodded at the jumpsuit, which was stretched at the buttons. "It's about to burst at the seams."
"She's growing up fast," Sasuke agreed with a sigh. "We should ask Kakashi to buy her some more clothes to give her room to grow into..."
They fell silent, admiring Natsume's voracious appetite as she devoured the formula. She truly was growing by leaps and bounds, radiating an incredible amount of chakra. If it were visible to the naked eye, the baby would have lit up the room like a light bulb... no, like a chandelier! Sasuke hadn't told anyone about his daughter's remarkable feat, though Kakashi had likely figured it out himself thanks to his Sharingan.
The feeling of a warm mouth on his finger pulled the omega from his thoughts, and he looked down. Losing interest in the bottle, Natsume switched to his hand, sucking on his knuckle and lapping at it with her pink gums.
"Look at this," he snorted, and Naruto burst out laughing.
- Hey, Natsu, don't bite daddy!
Sasuke tried to push her mouth back into place, but after chewing for a few seconds, the little girl returned to her father's finger. The corners of Sasuke's lips twitched slightly. Honestly, Natsume was damn funny sometimes.
- She probably likes your smell.
The Uchiha looked at the alpha in surprise. He collapsed onto the couch next to him, his arm slung suspiciously over the omega's shoulder.
"Smell?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding what they were talking about.
"You haven't noticed?" Naruto was surprised now. "Your scent has returned... about two weeks ago, I think."
Sasuke took a deep breath, but smelled nothing but the alpha's intoxicating scent. Now, as they sat so close, it felt as if it were all over him, inside and out. Naruto's scent always brought calm, and even now, just inhaling it, the omega closed his eyes intoxicatedly.
"Hn. I can't feel myself," he unconsciously moved closer.
"Oh, well," Uzumaki thought. "There's definitely a scent, I can smell it. And Natsu can too. Although she likes my scent too..."
Sasuke hummed contentedly. It made sense—a parent's scent should give a child a feeling of comfort and security. Until Natsu matured and began producing pheromones on her own, she would smell like them. "We should smell like one," a strange, disconcerting thought flashed through the omega's mind.
Opening his eyes, he met Naruto's intense gaze. It seemed he hadn't stopped staring at the omega this whole time. His pupils dilated, forcing the deep blue into a narrow ring around the edges of his irises. Sasuke felt himself instantly falling into an abyss.
- We should exchange smells.
The alpha's eyebrows rose up onto his forehead.
— What? Why?
"Because Natsume likes it," the omega glanced at her briefly. "If our scents mingle... she'll like it."
It has to be that way. He and Naruto shouldn't be separate for her. They should smell like each other.
"Okay," the guy agreed, blushing slightly. "Go ahead."
Without thinking, the omega approached his face—slowly, with languid anticipation. He closed his eyes and inhaled again. Yes, that scent. Right in front of him, so strong, unlike any other alpha's. The only one he wanted to taste. The only one he wanted to leave on himself.
His lips pressed against his striped cheek, and the omega mentally trembled at how soft his alpha's skin was. There were so many soft things about Naruto—his hands, his cheeks, his smiles. Sometimes Sasuke felt so wild with the desire to subjugate that softness.
He rubbed his cheek against the Alpha, not understanding where the affection came from. Sasuke didn't like being affectionate; he thought it made him look stupid. But Naruto... well, Naruto always evoked a reaction in him. Some days he wanted to tease him. Enrage him, irritate him, provoke him into a fight until first blood was drawn. Other days, he wanted to be calm and peaceful, allowing himself to be teased. And now... now he wanted to play with the Alpha .
Naruto's hand suddenly came to life, landing on the omega's waist. He gave it a gentle squeeze. Coming out of his stupor, he rubbed his cheek against Sasuke's in response, then unceremoniously nuzzled his neck, inhaling deeply. The omega, emboldened, buried his nose in the alpha's neck—where the coveted scent was loudest.
"This is terrible," he heard Naruto grumble discontentedly. " You smell so good..."
Sasuke felt hot, wet breath, a slightly wet nose, smearing on his skin.
"Don't wipe your snot on me," he said indignantly, but contrary to his own words, he pressed on the blond's back of the head, pressing him even tighter to himself.
Fine.
It felt so good. So calming. Omega felt every cell in his body relax, releasing the tension pent up over the months. The storm in his head gradually turned to calm. The shackles fell from his hands.
Sasuke was finally at peace. Completely safe. Shielded from all troubles, fears, and sorrows. Because this alpha was by his side—an alpha who simply didn't want him to be hurt.
And as soon as Sasuke's muscles relaxed, as soon as he closed his eyes, it was as if he were floating in zero gravity...
He didn't understand how. He didn't understand when exactly.
But... damn, seriously? Why now?!
"Naruto..." he breathed out, staring ahead in disbelief. "Naruto, go get Sakura. Now!"
"What?" He pulled away from the omega abruptly, looking from him to Natsu, searching for the cause of the commotion. "What's wrong? Are you in pain?!"
Sasuke slowly ran his hand over the wet spot on his sweater, his eyes wide.
— Milk... has appeared...
Naruto turned white. Natsume squealed suspiciously happily.
This was something that finally allowed Sasuke to feel like a full-fledged father. Not just a nanny who bathed, diapered, and bottle-fed Natsu because that was all there was to it. No, now he fed her like all normal omegas. With milk that was several times more filling than the store-bought junk. It wasn't embarrassing, it wasn't strange. It was perfect.
"Say thank you to Naruto," Sakura said, finishing her examination. "No, I'm serious."
Sasuke had a hard time tearing his gaze away from Natsume, who was smacking her lips sweetly, and turned his gaze to the alpha, who was standing shyly in the corner – red as a lobster.
"M-me?" he stammered, picking at the splinters in the wall.
Idiot. Most likely, the alpha would lick his chest during sex, bite and suck his nipples (because he was a pervert, like all alphas). But when his chest was being used for its intended purpose, he was embarrassed to even look.
"Him?" the omega asked, raising an eyebrow demonstratively.
"To this pathetic, stuttering idiot?"
"Sometimes psychological comfort becomes the deciding factor," the beta spread her hands, removing her disposable gloves. "When the omega is confident she can devote herself entirely to caring for the child, leaving everything else to the alpha. And the milk... well, it's apparently been building up little by little since you started eating properly, and it's just a matter of one plus one."
Sasuke started showing more interest in food when Naruto and Kakashi started bringing back elk, boar, and rabbits from their hunts. Mmm... Sasuke developed a taste for rabbit. The Alpha fed him so much that his ribs were no longer visible through his skin... he needed to start exercising. He didn't want to get fat.
"I'll thank him," Sasuke chuckled. "If he dares to look me in the eye, of course."
Naruto shot Sasuke a bold look, which immediately traveled lower—to where Natsume clung to the omega's chest as if it were the only thing that existed in the world. His cheeks flushed with renewed intensity.
"Well, I'm sorry!" he blurted out, finally coming closer. "I've never seen anything like this, ttebayo!"
"Now you'll see it all the time," Sasuke snorted. "Grow up!"
"Sasuke-kun is right, Naruto," Sakura chuckled. "What's natural isn't ugly."
"Yeah, I get it, I get it..." the alpha muttered, slowly approaching the sofa and sitting down on its edge. "It's just... really surprising to me, okay?"
"For me too," the omega looked down at his daughter with a loving gaze. "But isn't that great?"
Naruto overcame his embarrassment and looked in her direction again. In fact, Natsume was pressed so tightly against the omega that nothing was visible except the hunger with which her plump cheeks were working. And her chest remained flat, not at all feminine (though Naruto would have laughed at Sasuke walking around with Grandma Tsunade's bust). Okay. Okay... actually, it's not that weird? If you get used to it, it's even kind of... cute?
"That's great," the alpha agreed, smiling faintly. "In fact, this is the first time I've seen you so happy."
Sasuke let out a warm "hn." He felt so good right now that he didn't want to be naughty—he shouldn't have let out his barbs when Natsume was so close. Sasuke half-reclined, sprawled across the sofa, hugging his daughter with both arms and listening to the tugging sensation in her nipple. Painful, but bearable. He was so elated right now that he wanted to kiss both Naruto and Sakura, and that mood came to him... well, a little more often than never.
Beta backed toward the exit. The door closed behind her with a soft creak, and both fathers exchanged glances.
"I feel like I'm finally being useful," Sasuke admitted, so happy that he could allow himself to be frank.
"You've already been useful! You haven't left Natsu's side for two months!"
"No, that's different," the omega clicked his tongue. "Stupid alpha, you wouldn't understand. Now everything is as it should be, that's all."
"If you say so, then fine," Uzumaki smiled, his hand reaching out to Sasuke's face of its own accord and then pausing hesitantly. "I... uh, your hair's falling into your eyes. Can I...?"
They'd grown out. The longest strands now reached Sasuke's shoulders, and the buzz cut at the back of his head had practically ceased to be a buzz cut. The omega had no time to properly groom himself—he barely had time to take a bath, let alone get a haircut.
"Don't ask permission for such idiotic things," he rolled his eyes. "Flailing doesn't suit you."
"Well, screw you," the alpha said, embarrassed, finally reaching out and brushing the hair from his pale face. "I won't ask permission for anything anymore. Let's see how quickly you can start singing that I'm just as much of a moron as all the other alphas..."
"Well, you're such a moron, I can tell you that," Sasuke chuckled, watching with pleasure as Naruto lost his temper.
- Sasuke, you're so...
The Alpha grabbed his shoulder, leaned in, and suddenly kissed him—fervently, passionately, so intensely that the world around Sasuke instantly turned upside down and back again. A wave of heat coursed through his body. Two months under the same roof, and they'd so rarely indulged in kisses that each time felt like the first.
"You're the idiot, that's what," Naruto smirked and pulled away.
Omega watched him with a satisfied look – a cat who had eaten his fill of sour cream.
It seemed that life was getting better.
—
It's not that Sasuke wasn't used to bathing his daughter himself, but sometimes it became a real challenge!
- Natsu, please, stop... you're going to cause a flood.
He sat on his knees on the bathroom floor and tried to rinse his blond head without getting water into his eyes and ears.
Natsu splashed around in the shallow basin, screaming so loudly that Sasuke was seriously worried about his eardrums. The little girl hated baths, and even after all this time, the moment she was in the water, she would start kicking and screaming like crazy.
Holding her by the back, the omega poured warm water over his daughter from his palm, squinting as the water splashed onto her face. Her sweater was already soaking wet, and her pant legs were stuck in the huge puddle that had formed under her basin.
"You can't do this, Natsu," Sasuke muttered wearily, struggling to keep his foam-slicked body in check. "Otherwise you'll grow up to be a pig..."
Natsume responded with an indignant shriek when a little soapy water finally got into her mouth. Omega quickly rinsed her lips.
He preferred not to remember the day he'd first decided to bathe Natsume alone, thinking he was skilled enough. Needless to say, his overconfidence had nearly led to disaster. That time, the little girl had slipped from her father's arms, plopped into the basin, and gone underwater… he had no idea how, as there was only water at the bottom! It was still a mystery to Sasuke how his heart didn't burst with fear, but he reacted instantly and pulled Natsume back out, preparing to resuscitate her. Fortunately, she escaped with little more than a fright, but the omega lay awake all night, imagining the worst possible outcomes.
No, seriously: how could a higher power have given him the ability to bear children? How could anyone have entrusted him with something so fragile?
What about that time Natsume nearly choked on her formula? Sasuke, in a panic, flipped her over and gave her two hard slaps on the back. The little girl coughed and then cried for a long time... probably because he misjudged the force of his slaps. He was so ashamed.
Or that night when he was very tired and swaddled her too loosely, and she took it, untangled herself from the swaddling, and buried her face in it... If Sasuke hadn't woken up, guided by intuition, she would have suffocated!
In general, the higher powers laughed in the omega's face.
Another splash of soap hit his eyes, and Sasuke winced.
"Uchiha Natsume, watch your behavior," he ordered sternly, barely rinsing the foam off his daughter. "Uchihas don't act like capricious little pigs... although Naruto would probably call you a cute frog."
He finally pulled her out of the water and wrapped her in the towel he'd prepared. The baby quieted down for a moment, taking a break from screaming…
"Yeah? You like being a frog?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Then maybe you should live in a swamp?"
...the break was over. Omega sighed heavily. Sometimes he felt like Natsume truly understood every word he said.
"Okay, okay, sorry... of course, you won't be living in the swamp," he muttered, quickly drying his hands and feet. "You'll have a cozy room. With a crib, toys... and all that."
"When are we going to get to that?" he thought sadly, picking up Natsu and leaving the bathroom. It was the third month, and his daughter was still sleeping on the floor. Instead of a proper baby bath, she had an old basin, and her only toy was a rattle shaped like Naruto's wallet. And yet Sasuke had so wanted her to have more toys...
Once outside, he walked toward the entrance of the house, examining the thawed patches along the way. The peak of winter had passed, it had practically vanished, and withered grass was emerging from under the snowdrifts. It was getting warmer every day, and although the island was shrouded in dense fog most of the time, the number of sunny days had increased... according to his calculations, the rainy season would soon begin.
Sasuke pulled the door handle and almost bumped his nose into Naruto.
"Wow," the alpha barely avoided the collision and, seeing Natsume, broke into a goofy grin. "Hey, star! Or should I say 'frog'?" He turned his gaze to the drenched Sasuke and chuckled. "Yeah, I see she didn't feel sorry for you."
"As always," he shrugged. "Going to chop wood?"
The boy looked at the axe in his hand.
- Yeah, because our supplies are almost gone... Do you need some help?
"With what?" Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Chop your own firewood."
The alpha tried to kiss him on the cheek, but the omega dodged with a disgruntled growl, muttering something along the lines of "Veal tenderness!" and heading toward the living room. Naruto's soft laughter could be heard behind him, making his heart flutter.
By the third month, their life together had become so routine that he didn't know how he'd ever managed without it. When it came to himself, Naruto could be a real slacker, but when it came to Natsume? He was the most sensitive, responsible person. A role model for all alpha fathers.
However, Sasuke himself also tried to keep up.
Entering the room, he changed into dry clothes, untangled his daughter from the towel, smoothed her thick head of golden hair and began to change her clothes.
"Let's try to sleep without hysterics tonight," he whispered, seeing that Natsu had no plans to calm down. "Haven't you been screaming all day? Are you really sleep-deprived?"
Sasuke was desperate. Natsume was cranky all day, only falling asleep after being breastfed—she now flatly refused formula. But the omega wasn't... how can I say... endless , so they had to take breaks. He ended up sleeping for an hour and a half, interrupted by four-hour stretches of wakefulness, so the sleep didn't even feel like sleep. Early in the morning, Sasuke even wrapped the baby up and went off with her to run laps around the island, so that at least Naruto could get some sleep.
"Where do you get all this energy?" the omega asked angrily, pacing the living room with Natsume and trying to rock her to sleep. "Would you like to share a secret?"
After all this time, his chakra had practically returned to its former level, though sometimes Sasuke felt it elusively leaking out of him, like a cracked vessel. Was Natsume still draining his father's power, as she had done in the womb? The Sharingan couldn't detect such things because she was no longer inside him. Perhaps Sasuke should consult with Kakashi?
"Natsu, please..." he groaned, feeling the little girl scratching his chest, her fingers tangling under the open collar of his shirt. "You literally ate half an hour ago. If you keep eating so much, they'll mistake you for an Akimichi brat."
Addicted to omega milk, she gained a pound of weight so rapidly in just a week that Sasuke even stopped trying to zip up her jumpsuit. Kakashi, who'd gone to town, was supposed to bring more clothes...
"Natsu," he sighed again, watching her chew on his forearm through the fabric, leaving a drool stain on it. "If I feed you, promise me you'll sleep for at least three hours. Uninterrupted!"
Natsume squealed.
- Great, we have an agreement.
Sasuke plopped down on the couch in irritation, pulled his shirt down, hugged the baby to his chest, and… as soon as she fell silent, the omega's eyes slammed shut. Drowsiness came almost immediately. He felt a small, greedy mouth working him so hard it hurt. Somewhere outside, the sound of an axe could be heard.
Sasuke thought sleepily that he, too, would like to chop wood. To have a good slash at trees with an axe. To go hunting, to chase wild boars. Anything to help loosen his cobwebbed muscles. He needed to get back to training. At least for short stretches. If he could muster up the courage, he could tear Natsume away from his heart, leave her with Naruto for half an hour… nothing bad would happen, right?
The front door slammed, and the omega listened: the walls of the house were thick, but full of cracks, so he could easily hear Kakashi's voice. Excellent. Sasuke hoped he'd brought baby clothes and fresh vegetables. Now that he could feed Natsume himself, he intended to eat the most filling and healthy food.
Opening his eyes, he checked on the baby. As expected, she'd passed out immediately after latching onto her daddy, even faster than from a walk in the fresh air. A very useful tool, after all, the breast. Just don't overuse it... Sighing, Sasuke pulled Natsu away from him and quickly shoved the pacifier inside her. Unaware of the change, she began sweetly smacking her lips in her sleep, eliciting a weary smile from the omega. Finally.
Having placed it in its nest, he rose on tiptoe and glided toward the door. Sasuke hadn't eaten dinner yet, and if sensei had brought something tasty and healthy, he wouldn't mind a snack before bed…
However, as soon as Sasuke reached the door, he heard Kakashi's words:
"So, the good news is that Konoha hasn't put us on the wanted list. Apparently, they don't want to make a big deal about a missing jinchūriki—that would make them look ridiculous."
Sasuke swallowed, involuntarily stopping, and strained his ears. For some reason, whenever he approached closed doors, he always managed to overhear something important.
"I hate it when they say 'good news,'" Naruto grumbled, putting something heavy down on the floor, most likely a bundle of firewood. "Because then the bad news always follows..."
"I wish I could say you're wrong, but..." the senior alpha's sigh was audible even through the thick wall. "We're out of money for food. The last few times I've had to steal from the shelves... I'm not at all proud of it."
Omega bit his lip guiltily. He hadn't even suspected that his sensei had resorted to stealing for him. After all, it wasn't a noble deed for a shinobi, even humiliating. Everyone in this house had gone out of their way to take care of Sasuke, and the thought made him feel guilty.
"Well, I think the locals figured it out this time. I'm no longer welcome in this town, and there are no other settlements nearby," Kakashi said even more gloomily. "We need to prepare for our rations to be reduced to whatever we can find in the forest soon. Food for Natsume..."
"But Sasuke has milk!" Naruto assured him with unexpected pride in his voice. "So Natsume will be fine."
"Two weeks ago he was too embarrassed to even look, and now he's bragging as if he's breastfeeding," the omega rolled his eyes mentally.
"But he needs to keep eating well," Sakura objected worriedly. "He can't live on meat and cranberries alone!"
Sasuke mentally said goodbye to his dream of fresh vegetables.
"We'll figure something out," Naruto said confidently. "We'll hunt in pairs, expand our range. Maybe we'll run into some roadside traders..."
"And we're going to rob the poor devils?" the man asked with a sad smile in his voice. "This can't go on forever, Naruto. We've been sitting here for three months, doing nothing, without a plan. How much longer can we delay our return?"
Return. A brief feeling of nausea rose in the omega's throat.
"I asked Sasuke to forget about Konoha for a while. He, Sakura, and I can barely keep track of Natsume, so it's best if Sasuke doesn't think about anything else for now."
"Then let him not think about it. But what about us?" The sounds began to fade toward the kitchen, and the omega opened the door slightly to better hear. "We have no idea what's going on in Konoha right now. If we don't stop Danzo now... no one will stop him from doing whatever he wants."
- Yeah. If only I knew what he even wants...
"Oh my god, Naruto, are you completely stupid?" Sakura responded with displeasure. "Do you even know why they sent us to Suna almost every two weeks?"
— I know! To hinder my search for Sasuke!
— You were present at every business meeting, but you didn't even listen?!
— I was thinking about Sasuke!
The omega's cheeks warmed. Insufferable idiot.
"Konoha was strengthening ties with its allies! And do you know what the diplomats were talking about while you were daydreaming? About uniting in case of war!"
"What war?!" Naruto shouted. "Where did this come from?! What nonsense!"
"No, it's not nonsense," the sensei sighed again. "Danzo thinks in terms of war. It's all he knows about peace, a universal answer to all questions. Not tomorrow, not in a month, and maybe not in a year, but as long as he remains in power, war is inevitable. Why? To strengthen Konoha's power and position. This scheme is as old as time."
Omega stood in the doorway, his heartbeat racing. His fingers clenched the wood until his knuckles turned white. He'd tried so hard to push thoughts of Konoha away, but then one unfortunate overheard conversation brought them back, driving him mad. By going looking for him, Naruto had left a very dangerous man in power.
Deep down, the omega knew it would be like this. That if you close your eyes to something, it won't disappear. And who knows, when you dare look at it again—wouldn't it only grow bigger?
"Sasuke will not return to Konoha," Naruto said firmly. "In winter, with a baby in his arms... To meet those who want to kill him. No. Never."
"I understand your concern. I truly do. But what will change when spring comes?" Kakashi asked wearily. "When Natsume is four months old, a year old, two. Are you planning to hide Sasuke here for the rest of his life?"
"Well, that doesn't sound so bad..." the omega suddenly thought dreamily. This house is big, sturdy, and with a little bit of tweaking, it could become quite cozy. Natsume will grow up safe, the omega will take care of her, and Naruto will bring home rabbits from his hunts...
...when Natsu grows up, she should have friends.
Sasuke pursed his lips.
Natsume will need to go to kindergarten, then school. She's so inquisitive, she'll definitely want to know everything. She'll want to see the seas, the mountains, the deserts... after all, their world is so beautiful and wondrous. Why the hell should Sasuke hide her in some remote place, living in constant fear of being discovered?
Within seconds, his heart was filled with a new dose of hatred for those who had forced him to shamefully cower in a corner, to live the life of a rat.
"He'll come back. But only when it's one hundred percent safe!"
— And when do you think this will be? When Danzo dies of old age?
Naruto remained silent, and then chuckled softly.
- Well... not necessarily from old age.
For a few seconds, silence fell over the entire house. Sasuke glanced over his shoulder to make sure Natsu was still asleep, then pricked up his ears again.
"Tell me honestly, Naruto..." Sakura asked cautiously. "Sensei says we don't have a plan, but the only solution in this situation is to kill Danzo. Right?"
"He's not acting alone," the alpha sighed heavily. "I hate to admit it, but Itachi's right: the elders must know something. He couldn't give orders without considering their opinions. So either they're involved, or this all happened with their tacit consent."
- So, we need to kill them too?
"Kill," Uzumaki winced, judging by his voice. "Is that really the only way?"
"I'll say it again: Danzo speaks the language of violence," Kakashi sighed. "He's not the type to give up his principles after a hard conversation. You should understand that."
And here's the thing – Naruto wasn't a softie. Sasuke knew he could kill. No, really, he could… it's just that there was always so much more light in Naruto, and the omega didn't want him to tarnish his image with some crazy old bastard. Killing never made anyone better. Sasuke had killed Kabuto and Orochimaru, and even though he felt no pity for either of them, he was still haunted by the sticky feeling of blood on his hands. It was so sad that those dirty hands had touched the pure, innocent Natsume... Sasuke didn't want Naruto to have the same.
If someone had to be killed, it would be better if Sasuke sank even deeper into this rot.
"Killing someone is very easy, actually," Naruto said quietly, breaking the omega out of his thoughts. "Now that I've become stronger, I understand that it's true. The world would be a simpler place if problems could just be swatted away like flies. It's much harder to actually try to solve them. Anyone can kill Danzo, but restoring justice..."
- Okay, so be it. In that case, what are you going to do?
- Well, I... I don't know, if we had more information...
Sasuke could imagine Naruto clutching his head and pacing back and forth in worry.
"Half a month," Kakashi decided. "I'll give us half a month for Sasuke to finally get back on his feet, and then we'll think about returning. With or without him."
- I won't leave him here!
- Yes, but you can't take him with you? Make up your mind already.
"Actually, Sasuke-kun isn't a thing or a pet to talk about like that," Sakura rightly rebuked them. "I think he's capable of deciding for himself whether to stay or go back."
They continued talking, but the omega no longer wanted to listen. Closing the door, he returned to the couch and collapsed onto it, staring blankly at the ceiling. Damn it. If he could, he would kill Danzo himself, but... his gaze slid to Natsume—she'd recently developed hamster cheeks that wiggled as she sucked on her pacifier in her sleep.
Omega could hardly leave his daughter with Naruto for five minutes to take a bath. What kind of murder could he possibly be talking about if it would require him to abandon her for much longer?
"It's all so complicated," he thought wearily, feeling his insides twist with anxiety. "It seems my decision has created a problem I don't even know how to approach."
— Are you still awake?
The Omega glanced up from the ceiling at Naruto as he entered. He quietly approached the fireplace and placed an armful of chopped firewood next to it. The Alpha's expression was blank, and he didn't even try to force a smile. So, things really were bad.
"No. I overheard you," Sasuke sighed, deciding not to keep it a secret.
"Okay," the alpha added a couple of logs to the ever-blazing fireplace and shrugged hesitantly. "So what do you think?"
The omega took a deep breath through his nose. His heart was pounding, and he desperately needed to smell Naruto as close as possible. Apparently, he'd become addicted. It was so hard to relax without the alpha by his side now...
"I think about how wonderful it would be if time stood still and we didn't have to solve any problems. We could just hang out here and live our lives."
Naruto chuckled softly and lay down next to him. The sofa was small, and the two of them could only lie close together, so their legs were intertwined, the alpha's hand on Sasuke, and his face right in front of him.
- Well, if time freezes, Natsume will never grow up.
- And will be forever chained to my chest.
There were quiet, forced chuckles. Sasuke, confused, ran the back of his hand over Naruto's warm cheek. A sense of weakness and melancholy was now overwhelming him, making it difficult to think clearly.
"I would kill Danzo," he said. "I would destroy Konoha."
Alpha pursed his lips in disappointment.
- Sasuke, Konoha is your homeland.
"My homeland was wiped off the face of the earth," he closed his eyes to block out that expression. "Something alien took its place. Konoha hates me. It wants to kill me and take our daughter to make a weapon out of her."
Naruto wanted to stroke his cheek in response, but he reacted nervously - he jerked his head, frowning, and whispered:
"I want to rip Danzo's guts out and wrap them around my fist," his imagination painted the scene so vividly that satisfaction spread through the omega's chest. "I want to give him something precious. I want to make him love it as much as he can. And then kill it. Trample it, tear it to pieces, burn it to ashes. I want Danzo to watch this... I would hold his eyelids so he doesn't blink."
- Sasuke...
— And those shinobi who chased me in the forest...
"It's just an omega," the hateful voice sounded in his memory, and Sasuke realized he was trembling.
"No..." Naruto quickly pulled him closer, catching the other's trembling with his body. "Itachi already dealt with them. They got what they deserved."
"Well, maybe Itachi will finish off the rest?" Sasuke snorted, trying to relax in his beloved's embrace. "He can come back here any other day. Damn it, nowhere in this world is safe."
"I'll make it safe for you," Naruto promised, kissing the omega's jaw tenderly. "I'll bring back the Konoha you loved."
— I don't want to return anything. I want to burn everything.
Sasuke felt the alpha rise up on his elbows, and he opened his eyes, meeting his gaze. Oh, he knew that look well. The same look he'd seen that night when Naruto had pulled him out of the lake. A look that warned him they weren't going to stand on ceremony with you. Power.
"You gave up too quickly, Sasuke," the alpha said firmly. "Some bastard is remaking our Konoha to suit himself, and you're ready to just give it up. You say your homeland has been wiped off the face of the earth, but in reality, it's still there, under the rubble."
"I'm an enemy of the people, Naruto," the omega shook his head. "They won't accept me anymore."
— I was also once an enemy of the people, if you remember. A monster.
"And no one paid for it. They despised you, and then suddenly they changed their tune, and you simply forgave everyone."
"Because I'm not a monster," Naruto smiled bitterly, giving her another kiss. "No matter how many times they call me that, I'm not one. And neither are you. You know you're not one, so don't try to conform to someone else's opinion."
While Sasuke was morally deteriorating in Orochimaru's company, Naruto had found a way to become a better person in every way. And now he stood before him, radiating his superiority, so much so that the omega was almost envious that he couldn't see the world through his eyes. When Sasuke himself looked around, he saw only darkness and danger. For a while, he didn't even want to see anything else. He believed he didn't deserve it.
"You have to be strong, Sasuke. I know you can."
"I know that too," Sasuke sighed and kissed Naruto back, lightly and simply. "It's just that Natsume is still so little... and she needs me."
"No one will take you from her. Or her from you. I won't let..."
…the house suddenly shook from a loud knock on the front door.
Natsume shuddered in her nest and began to cry loudly.