It was three days after that Naruto shot himself forward in bed, clarity of mind entirely restored and body entirely aching in pain. The fabric of the sheets he was under swept over his bare skin and made him flinch- his sensitivity heightened, though he could not miss the wet patch beneath himself as it was a prominent stick against his skin, the fact that his hair was stuck to his head for some reason had Naruto recoil to the gross implications therein. Then his hand clasped fast upon his neck as a steel trap gripping fast upon its next victim, quickened and secured around the juncture. To look at his fingers, there was no blood, but to feel around the area, it was clear to tell swelling from normal skin. Memories came in succession thereafter, sweeping clean and foreboding over his mind; gifting him with the burden of knowledge. Heaving a great sigh, his body collapsed unto the mattress and pillows beneath, he glimpsed with the corner of his eye the knocked out man on his opposite side beside him. Naruto allowed himself the luxury of self-pity of the uncertainty he now beheld, rubbing at his face with the palms of his hands as tears formed, clenched teeth and pained emotions, still he got up and forced his legs to manuver into the bathroom, lingering his azure irises for just a moment at the muscled figure of his Alpha sleeping upon the mattress; his own doubt melancholy in his mind as he acknowledged he would likely not see the man for a long time.

As he closed the door, and heard the shuffling of sheets, he clenched his expression against the familiar sting of rejection and abandonment behind his corneas; he was Uzumaki Naruto after all, he could not expect anything more.

The water down his face was soothing only in the comfort of brief warmth it provided, yet it did not block out the sound of the door closing outwards. Then, just within the banes of familiarity, he was left unto his own survival once more, it sent shutters down into his bones; it was weakness, but he let out a sob as his head smacked against the tile, arms limp by his side for just a second. Then in remembrance, he pushed himself away from the wet wall, shut off the cooling water and grabbed the towel on the rack. To dry, and then putting back on the same dirted clothes had worn previously, he flinched at the fabric then focused on keeping himself away from the burning at his chest. Before he could come to zipping up his jacket however, the misted mirror caught his attention and he spared it a look, to stare at the large, swollen, mark at his juncture; gazing only renewed the tears already prepped for their fall, so he blocked the sight from his view, sniffed in a dignity which he felt vacant, and pulled back his shoulders -making his mark itch momentarily- before stepping out of the bathroom.

The area was absent, as he had presumed, though there was a marked paper he had not anticipated sitting on the double bed, the pillow where Jiraiya had been sleeping. The ink upon it was still wet and made in his mentor's same bulked scrawl, there were two long pages of the writing and though his reading skills weren't greatly improved from his childhood, he had learned enough to understand the entirety of the letter left:

Naruto,

I'm sure you can understand why I left, at least mostly. But for your own sake and mine, let me make it in complete clarity: I know you probably understand our situation just got a lot more complicated, I won't focus on the fact that you're an Omega and never said a word -though it would have been nice not to be caught entirely off my guard. Not focusing on that, both of us were not in clear thought three days ago, nor is it your fault that your heat -probably- came early and there were no damn suppressors in this traditionalist town.

Anyway, I left for two reasons: One, to think on the situation, I'll need time and expect you will too. I did make a clone and henge(d) it to appear like you, so hopefully, the Akatsuki will be off your tail, at least a few weeks; I suggest you use that time to get back to Konoha, the disguise won't last for long especially if Itachi is still the one on your case.

Reason number two: I have a lot of enemies in mercenary companies or assassins leagues hiding around in each of the nations, and much sooner than later, I expect they'll find out I'm bonded; so I need to take out as many of them as I can before they find out who I'm mated to. So, in keeping that in mind; I'll be gone for around a year or so, if not longer. In the meantime, you need to keep everyone- and I mean everyone, even friends, in the dark about our circumstances. Many people in Konoha -mainly citizens but some shinobi, will sell the information should it get around too far, there are a lot of infiltrators sided with the mercenaries or assassin's I mentioned, and should it get out that you are my mate you'll have many ninja vying for your head or capture within a week of the knowledge getting out. Which is why I will be taking out as many of their main camps as quickly as I can.

In regards to Tsunade and the Council, as you might have guessed with your experience with them already. 'Officially' the government needs to know a mated pair. However, you can state that revealing my identity would 'significantly endanger your safety and wellbeing.' Then they won't be able to do a thing for... three years? I think. I'll be back by then anyway. I don't expect Tsunade will take that well, but I'm pretty sure you can deal with her being overbearing for a while, at least until I can get back into the village. Also, do not tell Tsuande! She might be obligated to inform other people and she's on the side of government where even that is a risk.

As for our personal situation, we'll talk about it when I can get back.

Keep yourself safe brat.

Jiraiya

Underneath the swiftly -hastily- written signature was a bad drawing of a smiling toad, and Naruto found himself giggling a little as if a placated child, as it reminded him of Hama-chan, which his mentor had always insisted was too ironic for him to have as a wallet, yet the man had still laughed upon first seeing it. Though it was comforting, as was the entire letter, for he had a solid explanation and reasoning for the man's early departure. Despite the lingering grievance within his mind at the acknowledgement that he was left, to comprehend that it was not for rejection lightened the burden unto his mentality. The notice was written slightly vacant as if it had been made to ensure no particular emotion could be interpreted through the margins, but Naruto himself assumed that was because Jiraiya hadn't known his own mood or emotion while writing.

-------------------------------------------------------

It was under the sign of luck that he had almost come to completing his training priour to their 'unification,' for as it were he was returning home with nearly a full closet of new tricks. His head was weighed down in part by the information he'd gotten by his mentors note. However, that the division between that and possibilities banging about his head as frightful little minnows was most certainly not fifty-fifty in equality. It was only by a self-determination of a barely cognate focus that he managed to keep himself on the main road to Konoha, and see the peaking of the gates just over the treeline with a margin of clarity. They were welcome beacons in spite of the brutal uncertainty he was carrying in his head for his new circumstance. Walking along the memory of the road was different as his mark twitched in feeling while he walked the path, still, ignoring the jibing glares made his way from the men on watch; he managed his own much practiced grin to throw back at them in a theoretical spite. Then stopped as he was halted for questioning by the one carrying a bow, a chunin Naruto personally doubted he had every had the delight to meet; mainly as the man was scowling so fierce at his appearance the blond was internally wondering if his face had stuck that way.

"Uzumaki, wheres' the sanin?" Pinching up his own expression, and forcing himself to remember his own manner of complacency, Naruto blinked at the man a confused pout resting on his lips in the same manner a seduction shinobi might use.

"Jiraiya? He had some business in a different town, sent me on ahead." It had enough merit to warrant his entry, and truth enough that they could not measure his chakra for a lie, still he was growled at briefly as he signed his name in the book and let pass.

It was such a nostalgic sensation, that he let himself skip upon entry, grinning for real at the buildings he remembered around and even as he passed by the irritated village civilians who gave him a dirted look as they walked by; obviously recognizing him for who he was. Naruto managed to skip over a stuck-out leg in his path by mere coincidence, he laughed a little only unto himself for the attempt, commonality became expectation after all. Even so, it did not come to sour his return as he skipped mary on the paths, even as a tinge of discomfort came upon him without the tall, lingering presence of the man he now called his Alpha -it was ardently ignored.- He was practically spinning around whence a familiar, loudly resonant feminine voice reached his ears, therein a blurb of pink was running fast toward him from his north, candidly he recognized it only for one second as a colour before he was tackled into a firm gripped hug. Then, to add upon his un befuddlement he was cried on, and his bonding mark began to sting at the touch; secreting a heavy scent of olive oil and mint -Naruto froze for only a second before understanding the situation, then pushed the clung ball of pink away.

Then tilted his head in confusion as he recognized her bright green eyes and bobbed hairstyle, teeming with a grin with his hand behind his head- while another rested upon his itching neck. "Sakura-chan! I didn't recognize you for a second there, sorry." It was a meek laugh more to disguise the fact that he was embarrassed for not realizing his comrade was an Alpha. She gave him a nervous smile in return, but her eyes rested on where his hand covered the juncture of his neck before she shook her head and tilted her head in an indication to follow.

"I wasn't expecting you to get back so soon Naruto- Tsunade-sama said you'd be gone for another month or so at least. Is there an occasion?" He found it difficult to focus for a moment, as answers buzzed around his head; though the warning from Jiraiya did ring the loudest. Even as he watched one of his oldest friends put her hands behind her back and tilt herself in his direction, an old habit he had realized only she truly did. It made something further clench inward of his chest for the guilt of lying to one who he had trusted for many years of his reclusive life. He swallowed fiercely against the desire to outspeak his secrets, then made himself to focus on the white of the lie he had to tell.

"Kind of, I have to talk to Tsunade actually." He hesitated in using her nickname, laughing internally for how badly ironic it would be if he called her a 'granny' while bound to her ex-teammate.