the woods are lovely, dark and deep, (but I have promises to keep)

Chapter Ten: his house is in the village though

His summons, as it turned out, made the travel into Fire Country that much smoother. It also reduced the amount of time he was forced to spend in the company of the complete and utter annoyance which had decided to attach itself to him like a terribly bothersome leech.

Arms wrapped around him from behind – and it was only the fact Sakura knew Izuna was clueless as to his presentation that had him refraining from ripping his arms out of their sockets. Well, that and the fact that harming Izuna was something he'd agreed not to do for the duration of their trip down to his previous homeland. "Sakura-kun!" Izuna purred, peering over his shoulder then at the dinner he was preparing before the campfire they had set up. "Can I help you with anything?"

"Yes, actually," Sakura remarked, smiling as pleasantly as he could, relishing in the look of surprise which flashed across the alpha male's face. "You can fuck off and never show your unsightly face before me again."

"Ouch," Izuna said, still continuing to lean against him, even as Sakura prepared the stew made from deer meat and the few wild vegetables they had managed to scavenge. "You're so cold, Sakura-kun." He pulled back then ever so slowly, undoubtedly acutely aware of how uncomfortable Sakura had been. Though with his limited braincells he would never be able to fathom why. Why Sakura might be so uncomfortable around alphas. "Really though, I think you and my elder sister would get along fabulously. You'd be a match made in heaven," Izuna continued, that sly smirk of his only growing as Sakura cast a few glares his way. "In fact, the only way it would be more fitting is if you were an omega... but then I suppose you wouldn't be as much of a spitfire."

His fingers twitched, the overwhelming urge to punch the obnoxious alpha in the face, chakra-enhanced strength be damned. "Oh my, do omegas suddenly no longer have personalities?" Sakura drawled, glaring his frustrations to the starry sky above them.

"You aren't half protective of your kids, are you?" he murmured, proving he was still blissfully ignorant to his true nature. The fact that he was hovering over the back of an omega. A sneer curled at Sakura's lips. If he knew he'd probably be forced into marriage with Izuna's sister... whoever the hell that was. "Did something happen to your own?"

"I have never... partnered with anyone like that," Sakura said, glaring at him pointedly, tone of the conversation making it clear he wanted no further questions. He had never partnered with anyone willingly nor with the intent to create a child. Izuna didn't seem to care, and Sakura could only grind his teeth together as Izuna crouched down next to him, a smile of his lips as he leered at him.

"Aww," Izuna crooned, and Sakura silently envisioned thumping his fist into that annoying face. "Is Sakura-kyun saving his virginity for someone special?" he asked, and Sakura was incredibly impressed with his own self-control, an imaginary fight he was winning playing out in his mind as he stared at the bothersome alpha before him. "How romantic!"

"I," Sakura hissed through clenched teeth, remembering the many ways he'd been violated time and time again until he had grown strong enough to fight back – to tear their throats out and bathe in their blood, "am no virgin."

Izuna blinked, mouth falling open before closing quietly for once, the alpha having realised he had crossed an unspoken line somewhere with that comment, and Sakura fought against the memories that rose to the surface. They were so much more vivid than usual. He blamed it on the stench of an alpha nearby, similar and yet so different to the scent of the one who had caught him once on a mission long, long ago. The one who had thrown him in a tiny cage. The one who had passed him around like a tool to be used. The one who had auctioned him off to that couple.

"Sakura—"

"We need to move," he growled, and the insipid fool was, for once in the last however many hours, silent. "Gather your things. We leave in five."