The truth

Chapter 1

Team 7, 8, 9 and 10 were standing at the gate getting ready to leave. They were just waiting on a certain blonde.

He was late for some reason. They mean late because Kakashi had arrived already. Sakura was loudly making it known that she was going to kill Naruto for being late.

Shikamaru just sighed before he rolled his eyes. He knew Naruto would be late.

The poor blonde was probably still preparing himself for the emotional and mental turmoil that this entire thing was going to take place. Giving himself a pep talk in the mirror. Telling himself he could do it. That he could make it through the day without any major problems arising.

He didn't like being around so many people. Alpha's specifically due to growing up in the red light district. It did not settle his nerves that he was one of two Omegas in the whole group even if no one knew it. 

Naruto had arrived a couple of minutes later. Shikamaru wanted to welcome the anxious blonde Omega into his arms. He wanted to calm him down. Sakura, however, was quick to yell at the small boy.

"Naruto-baka! What took you so long! I knew we shouldn't have let you go on you're own! Is it really so hard to do the simple task of packing!" She yelled.

Naruto lightly flinched, but put on his mask as fast as he could and said, "Sorry Sakura-Chan! I was held up by someone in my building."

"Oh, shut up Baka! We don't want your excuses!" Sakura yelled.

"Ne, ne Sakura. Calm down. Naruto is here now so let us get going." Kakashi said.

The pinkette huffed but relented and she was quick to latch onto Sasuke, before they started walking.

It was very quiet. So quiet that everybody thought that they had accidentally left Naruto behind.

They looked back and saw Shikamaru and Naruto walking close to each other with Shikamaru's arm slung over Naruto's shoulder and Naruto's hand was holding onto one of Shikamaru's kunai loops on his vest. They were having a hushed conversation with Shikamaru bending down to listen. Thier faces inches apart from each other.

It looked almost intimate with the way the stood.

They continued walking but looked back occasionally because they weren't used to the blonde bieng so quiet. Sasuke was practically straining his neck with how many times he looked back just to make sure talking was all the two were doing.

They talked amongst themselves. Speculating why Naruto was whispering with Shikamaru was the first topic for the first half hour of thier trip before the moved on to other things.

The first day had gone off without a hitch and it was an hour after the sun had set that the teams had set up camp.

Naruto still wasn't as talkative as he usually was and he was following behind Shikamaru everywhere he went. Shikamaru, who was usually annoyed by people invading his space, didn't look annoyed and just kept working like it was normal.

It was only after they had set up camp fully that they all gathered around the fire Sasuke had made.

Shikamaru had his hand running through Naruto's hair. He enjoyed the silky softness of the blonde's hair.

Sasuke just looked at the scene in front of him and bristled before he got Sakura off of him and moved to sit next to Naruto, shooting a glare at Shikamaru who looked unbothered.

Sasuke hooked his pinky with Naruto's and there was no reaction. No rejection but also no acknowledgement so Sasuke took it as a sort of win.

Kurenai got the Genin's attention by clearing her throat.