Chapter 01: Omega

Sunday night

Sakura tossed her hair aside, sighing heavily. It was unsettling. How would she deal with it? Really? How many omegas did become kunoichi's? It was a very small number. And she wasn't expecting it. Neither was her family. Haruno Sayuri was an Alpha it made her a strong kunoichi, one that would be remember for generations as the Hell Lily of Konoha. Haruno Ren was a Beta, unlike his wife, he was a civilian. A monk. So, an Omega daughter was something that no one could have expected. And when her mother had informed it to her of this, she cried.

Unlike some villages, like Iwa and Kiri, Konoha didn't forbid Omegas from becoming shinobis. But they didn't encourage them to. There had always been some who prejudiced against them. In the shinobi world, being an Alpha made you seen as a leader, a strong and powerful shinobi. Being a Beta marked you as common, and Kami knew that there was Beta shinobi that could wipe some Alpha ass anytime of the year. But being an Omega marked you out of the game, there wasn't such a thing as a strong Omega.

Damn! How didn't she didn't see it coming? Her reflex was the slipped image of an Omega. Her body was too curvy for a 12 years old Beta or Alpha, her features too soft, her hair was pink — well, she blames her mother's gene pool for it —, her body had the early growth spurt, and her very own chakra didn't grow as a normal one. People would eventually catch up and perceive it. And people talked. Everyone in that Academy thought that Omegas didn't make strong shinobi. Even Uchiha Sasuke had pointed it out to the entire class once.

"And I have a crush in this idiot… What's my fucking problem?"

Clenching her jaw, she knew she had to make a choice by tomorrow. She could either start using hormonal suppressors, or she could give up and be a good girl and get married to an Alpha.

"Well. Mother always said that good girls don't make history."

Giving one last glance at her own reflection she picked a vial on her night stand and popped a pill in her mouth swallowing it. She was going to be a ninja. She knew what her classmates thought about an Omega shinobi. She knew what the teachers thought about Omega shinobi. And she knew what Sasuke thought about them. How much weaker they were.

"If I'm twice as weak as them, then I will try three times harder than any of them," She thought as she looked at her reflection. "It's time to prove them wrong."

Friday morning

Two days prior

"As if Sasuke-kun would ever look at a forehead like you!" Ino said with a loud voice.

"As if anyone would ever look at a pig like you, Ino." Sakura said with the same tone. "Besides I'm smarter than you. And prettier." She smirked.

As always Ino and Sakura were bickering about Uchiha Sasuke over the morning. It was fun for Sakura, at least. When she was younger she was too shy to bicker, and say things like this out loud. Being created in a Shinto shrine made one too passive to the ninja life, but with Ino's help she had grown confident.

Sakura was like almost all girls in her class. Fresh, boy-obsessed, and naïve.

When the boy with raven hair entered the class room she sighed like every girl. He was dreamy and even the sight of him made her legs shake.

"One day I will marry him!" She thought with a dreamy smile while watching him.

During classes she felt her body growing weak, but dismissed any worry thinking it might just be a fever. She managed to do all tests and receive the grades and congratulations to become a gennin. Once it was over she walked to her home — a house in the shrine near one of the south forest of Konoha — she felt strange. Her body growing weaker, heavier, her legs shaking, she felt dizzy, and as if her mind was spinning, and she had a fever that hit her nape.

"What is happening?" She thought as she fell into the ground.

"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan!" She heard a voice, Yakumo? Probably. "Sakura-chan?" He held her.

"Yakumo-chan, what is happening?" She asked weakly.

"I… I think you are having a wakening." He said while picking her up.

"But I'm a Beta, right?"

"I'm sorry Sakura-chan… But I think you're not." A needy feeling possessed her and she moaned causing him to swear.

"Hey! Monks aren't supposed to swear! Or I thought they didn't."

"I think Kami-sama can let it slip this time." He ran to a house behind the temple, in a reserved space of the shrine. "Ren-sama… Sayuri-sama! Sakura-chan is…" The door opened immediately revealing a beautiful woman with pink hair and eyes.

"Yakumo… What?" The worried eyes looked at her daughter's small form.

"She's awakening."

"Oh! Kami!"

"Where can I put her?" He asked and Sayuri shook her head, picking Sakura from his arms.

"You can go home, Yakumo." Before the young man could protest she spoke again. "Thank you for your self-control." The boy nodded and left hurriedly.

Hours passed and everything Sakura felt warm and fuzzy and something gluing in her body, making her weak and needy. She was really confused. Her rational side, knew exactly what was happening, she was awakening as an Omega, which meant that everything she wanted was her primal instinct. Her irrational side, the emotional one, was sad and longing for company, Sasuke's company… Closing her eyes she tried to focus on everything chakra related that she had already read at least once in her lifetime.

When the night time sky came she was exhausted. After about four hours she could feel her body aching. She wasn't in her room, no. She was in the waiting room of the temple. The shrine had been designed to accommodate Omegas in heat. The waiting room, was a small room with small windows protected with grids and a door, the center had a futon and herbal incenses were burning in all four corners of the room.

She tried to get back on her own two feet and make it to the door.

"Mom! Dad!"

The door opening revealing her father with a worry expression. Her face frowned and he sighed.

"Your first heat. I think we should talk."

After that, her father tried to convince her to drop the ninja life. Arguing with every fact he could, she went to sleep thinking about it. Nothing else was on her mind. But by the morning her mother came to her with three books.

Ωmegas: the frail anatomy

Omegas: behind the frail looks

The Thorns of a Flower

Every book was about Omegas. The first explained about her body: the awakening, the heating cycles, her chakra reserves and physical strength. She noticed that every world was very judgmental, but dismissed it, focusing on the academic information. Obviously, an Alpha wrote the book.

The second book was about shinobi Omegas. It came with interviews with them. There were tips on how to delay heats, hide scents, make the chakra reserves grow and even get more physical strength. She noticed that it was written by a Beta.

The third book was not the academic type. It was an autobiography of an Omega that had been subjugated all her life. Jaya was the only omega daughter of a warrior family, once she had her first heat her parents made her marry an Alpha of another warrior family to strength the bonds between the families. Len, the Alpha in question, was abusive and controlling, and one-night Jaya had got enough and killed him. The description was very graphic. Including of the pain of the death of a mate. After that she had been expelled from both clans, being forbidden to see her own children and forced to leave everything she held dear. She became a warrior herself, stronger than anyone else could have ever predicted, till she met a monk Alpha and gave up her sword and mated him,

The three books made her think. The last one was the main one on her mind. Sakura had always assumed that Alphas didn't abuse their Omega mates, but it had been proved wrong. Surely, he didn't hurt her physically, but she knew that emotional and psychological abuse could do even worse. Jaya had explained how she had been attracted to Len when they were younger, the mindless attraction and Sakura couldn't stop, but compare with her own attraction to Sasuke. She shivered. Was it her Omega instinct acting even before the awakening? Possible! Sasuke was one of the strongest Alpha males around her age.

"If you had been attracted to an Alpha before the awakening don't go straight to him. You may not really love him. The Omega instinct can start kicking in years prior the awakening. But it doesn't mean that you should act like a stupid child. Be strong and resist the temptation. Analyze. See if the Alpha is worthy of you. Sometimes the irrational Omega's will only look for power, so it's your rational self that will have to seek character.

— Katura Jaya, The Thorns of a Flower"

Her hands traced the words, carefully.

"Your father wants me to prohibit you from becoming a kunoichi, you know?" Her mother told her, leaning in her doorframe. Sakura frowned at this.

"Will you?"

"When I thought you were a Beta I let you become a kunoichi because you are smart enough to survive. But then I perceived that you were focusing more in a boy than on training. Now I know it is because of your Omega." Sakura eyes turned downcast.

"Those books, you gave me them in the exact order. One had been written by an Alpha, the other by a Beta and the last by an Omega. Why?"

"My father was an Omega, he gave me those. These are the general thoughts of the people. Alphas will classify you as a frail, weak being. Some will look down at you if you stay as a kunoichi. Betas will be willing to give you a shot, for them you are someone that has to work harder. Omegas… They are the only ones that will really understand you. I could have chosen any book about Omegas to you. I could have given you 'The awakening of a bloody moon' or 'Behind the glass'; they are books about strong Omegas, but they weren't written by Omegas. She's the one I want you to understand. Tell me, what do you think of her Sakura?"

"She had always been strong, just underestimated."

"Exactly. As an Omega, you will always be underestimated. But I know that despite being an Omega you can be strong. But it won't happen if you don't train if you waste your time after a boy that doesn't want you." Sakura flinched as her mother talked but still looked at the pink eyes. "I want to know: if I let you become a kunoichi, will you take it seriously? Because as a Beta you could have fooled around without any consequence, but as an Omega… It will not be easy."

Sakura's eyes never left her mother's. The clash between Green emeralds and pink sapphires lasted for minutes as Sakura thought about what her mother said. She had never thought about being an Omega. After reading Katura Jaya's like, would she be able to take it seriously?

"'It isn't easy. Being an Omega isn't easy. But we can manage it. They will always judge and look down at you. Let them. Make it your strength. Let them underestimate your strengths and overestimate your weakness. It will be their funeral.'" Sakura quoted from the book. And Sayuri arched an eyebrow. "I will do it. If this book is right then Jaya gave me a good piece of her mind. I will be strong because I don't want to be viewed as a frail, weak thing."

"Good. I will buy you hormonally and heat suppressors and you can start training." Sayuri said with a victorious smirk. "Did you know my father had been the only known Omega made jounin? Don't let them put you down Sakura. Ever!"

Present day

The next day she showed up at the Academy with a happy expression. The discovery that she was an Omega made her realize a lot of things. One of the things is that she should stop actively pursuing Sasuke, she wouldn't have time for it, and with her being an Omega if they ever mated she knew he would make her quit being a ninja. He clearly stated what he thought about Omega shinobi once. Now she wouldn't pursue anyone. In fact, she would change her ways. It's past time now.

She sat in a place between two betas: Hyuuga Hinata and Katanabe Kito. She had spent her whole weekend reading about how to camouflage the Omega scent. The hormone suppressors would only do a part of the job, the rest she would have to work for it, using lotions and shampoos with strong scents, mixing with betas or other Omegas so her scent wouldn't stand and maybe, later, she would try to apply chakra to the pulse points, where the smell was stronger, but first she really had to increase it.

"Now the teams are…" Her eyes turned to her Iruka-sensei. Waiting for her team. Once, when she believed to be a Beta, she dreamed to be on Sasuke's team. But now… She could only hope that her team would be composed by female Alphas or only Betas. "Team seven: Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto" she cringed, without making any noise, and hoped that the next would be a Beta. "and Uchiha Sasuke. Jounin leader: Hatake Kakashi." Of course, it wouldn't.

"Hey! Sensei! Why does an amazing shinobi like me have to be stuck with a teme like Sasuke."? Naruto yelled and Sakura frowned. She knew that a team with only Alphas would never work, for nature they compete for leadership — it was a reason why there was at least a Beta in all teams —, and to put two Alphas that already bickered all the time was a very bad idea.

"Naruto, you had the worst score in all tests and Sasuke the highest, is a politic in the Academy to put the strongest Alpha with the worst Alpha to balance the team," Iruka-sensei said and Sakura sighed, it was a very bad idea.

"Sit down, dobe." Sasuke said with a smirk on his face and Sakura rolled her eyes as she saw the girls in her class droll over it and frowned again. Why wasn't she drooling like them? As an Omega shouldn't she be attracted to the strongest Alpha around? She shook her head as Iruka returned to the team announcements.

"Damn it!" She thought. "It will be so hard to hide it now."

During lunch, she sat on a stone bench to eat her bento alone. It was a healthy one, not the diet thing she used to eat. Her mother had explained to her the importance of a good alimentation for a shinobi, especially an Omega. That was when she saw Sasuke glaring at her and frowned, she had seen him go into the cafeteria.

"Sakura, your forehead is so big and charming that I want to kiss it." He said and she narrowed her eyes.

"Did I step in an alternate dimension?" Was the first thing that crossed her mind and then she paled "Is my scent spilling out? But the hormone suppressors work for days…" The panic rise in her bile and she tried to concentrate. Panic wasn't a good answer. It made her hormone produce even more scent.

"Of course, that is something that Naruto would say." He said and she almost sighed in relief, covering it with a laugh.

"I don't know…" She started playfully. "You almost made me believe it Sasuke." She said dropping the -kun prefix. It was when the wind hit her making her smell his scent. Strong, warm and dangerous. She remembered that one day she had sat beside him, his scent was strong and warm, yes, but it was like burned eucalyptus and spicy. This was like mint and earth, it was fresh, but beneath it, there was something spicy and dangerous. This wasn't Sasuke. It was Naruto.

"Sakura what do you think of him?" Her eyebrow rose. "Naruto." She sighed heavily.

"He is an Alpha, like you. So, he is strong. He has a big chakra reserve, but zero control over it. He is all brute strength. Why?"

"I wasn't asking like a ninja…" He started to sweat and she smirked knowingly.

"On a personal level? I don't know. He has a strong personality, but I have one too, it can be a crash actually. He is a little reckless and possible stupid at times, but I think he can overcome it if he actually stops to think sometimes." She answered. "But you didn't need to henge as Sasuke to ask me this Naruto… I would have given you the same exact answer."

The henge disappeared revealing a bashful Naruto.

"Your scent gave you away." She answered.

"Eh! You are awesome Sakura-chan." Her smile took him away but then he started running away for some strange reason.

She chuckled when she perceived that he was running to the bathroom. And returned her attention to her bento. Her mind was floating away when the Uchiha. The real Uchiha came from the other side.

"Sakura, have you seen Naruto?"

"I think he is in the bathroom, why?" She asked hiding her smirk.

"Not of your business." He said rudely and she rolled her eyes.

"Rude…" She murmured before stuffing the last maki in her mouth. His eyes turned to her irritated.

"What?!"

"You heard me. Rude!" She after finishing her meal. "You should try work on your diplomacy if you want to be made a chunin anytime soon." She got up and picked her things. "See you in classroom."

"You don't know anything about me, Sakura. Do not judge me."

"No, I don't." She agreed. "But it would be lovely to actually know my team." She stated with a small smile as the boy turned her back at her.

"Annoying." She heard his murmur, but smirked. Jaya was right. She should really start looking analyzing the Alphas instead of just accepting them.

After lunch she perceived the teams being called by their sensei's while her team stood there. Hours passed. In those hours she observed her team mates. Sasuke looked bored while sat on a chair and Naruto was growing impatient. She was sat crisscross on top of the teacher table and tried to meditate. In one of the books her mother had handed to her stated that meditation was one mind exercise that could develop one's chakra reserve. But it was difficult. Not the chakra part, but the concentration part. Focus her chakra was almost easy, but concentrate in the nothingness that was necessary to meditate, that was another history. Principally with Naruto shouting at every five minutes.

"He is late!" Complained the blonde.

"Naruto, you should sit down," Sakura said rolling her eyes.

"But Sakura-chan! How can our sensei be the only one that is late?! I'm ready for action! Everyone had already met their sensei and even got to live some adventures. Even Iruka-sensei is gone!" The boy rambled and she just watched as he picked an eraser and pressing it in the door frame with the door.

"What do you think you're doing?" She asked.

"A little gift for being late. Surprise!" The boy said and Sakura could hear and practically feel the misfit in his voice.

"Okay!" Sakura said rolling her eyes. "It will be fun!"

"Our sensei is a jounin, an elite ninja! Do you really think he is going fall for that?"

"I'm counting on it," Sakura thought.

Seconds later the door opened and the eraser fell on top of the stranger. She narrowed her eyes, her mother had told her that jounin shinobi were always aware of their surroundings, so they would never be surprised in a battle. Maybe the man dropped his guard because they were gennin? Anyway, she laughed right along with Naruto.

"See he fell for it!" Naruto all but yelled and Sakura saw the mortification on Sasuke's face.

"How should I say it?" The man said lazily. "… My first impression of you, guys is… I hate you." The tiny moment of embarrassment hit all of them before the man ordered them to go to the rooftop.

Kakashi observed his new team. They were… an odd bunch to put lightly. Naruto was an energy ball. Sasuke a loner. Sakura a scaredy cat. That was his thought of them. After he presented himself he let them speak.

"Dattebayo! My name is Uzumaki Naruto! And I like ramen, and I like it so much that Iruka-sensei takes me to eat at the Ichiraku. I hate the three minutes that I have to wait for it to finish being cooked so I can eat. My hobbies are pranks and eating different types of ramen. And my dream to the future is to become the greatest Hokage so that everyone in the Village will stop despising me and treat me with respect." The boy said in one animated lone breath.

"He grew up interesting." He thought. He pointed his chin to the only female member of the team and ordered her.

"My name is Haruno Sakura. I like cheesecakes, principally strawberry flavored. I don't like bullies. My hobbies are reading and help my father with the gardening. Everyone always classify me as weak… My dream for the future? Prove them all wrong!" She said crossing her arms before her chest.

"Ambitious dream for someone so young… And an unusual one for a girl so young too." His eyes locked in the Uchiha of the group. "You next."

"I'm Uchiha Sasuke. I dislike many things and don't like anything in particular. What I have is not a dream, is an ambition and I will turn it into a reality. I will kill a certain someone and rebuild my clan." The boy said in an indifferent voice.

"Like I thought." Kakashi mused once again. He perceived the girl's frowned face and discomfort and the tentative of hiding it. It peaked his interest. Did the boy bloodlust unsettle her? Why? "Great. Each of you has your own personalities and ideas. We will have our first mission tomorrow morning."

"What kind of mission, sensei?" Naruto asked, too excited.

"The mission that the four of us are going to partake in is a survival exercise." He saw the frowned faces of his possible to be students. "Well, it wasn't a mission, actually. More like a training." He laughed at their faces, principally after Naruto complaint.

"Naruto's question is very pertinent: what kind of training we are going to have, sensei?" Asked the girl seriously.

"Okay… But you are not going to like the answer!" The pink eyebrow rose defiantly and he sighed. "Out of the 27 students that had passed only 9 will be accepted as genin. The other 18 will be either return to the Academy or be completely excluded from the program. That's the final test of the Academy. The approbation rate is 33%." At the sight of darkened faces, he smirked. "I told that you wouldn't like."

"That's not fair! We all worked hard to be here. It wasn't a walk in the park. What was the graduation test for?"

"It was a mean to sort who had the ability and who hadn't. I decide if you will pass or not. Be in the designated place to the training at five AM and bring all your equipment. That's all, you're dismissed. That's true… It's better if you don't eat breakfast tomorrow, or you're going to throw up."

The last thing he saw before disappearing was the still defiant eyebrow of the one Haruno Sakura.

Hello, guys!

I hope you have liked the first chapter!

Kisses!

10/21/2017:

I would like to say that there is a lot of OC characters, including Sakura's parents... Yes I know about Kizashi and Mebuki, but I choose to write Ren and Sayuri for a reason.

This chapter have been beta-ed.

I will be unable to post chapters for till december. Sorry!