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Leader	By : mannahpierce Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male > Naruto/Sasuke Views: 2163 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.

Chapter List
- 99
- 100
- 101
Thank you to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.
Also thanks to eunmook, SunaoTsuji, Bree, satterb, melissen and Anon for reviewing after chapter 99 was posted. Readers’ feedback, support and comments mean a great deal to me. Feedback keeps me writing.

Particular thank to those who offered encouragement recently. It really helped.

Leader
Part 10: Endgame
100: Beyond

Sasuke woke, uncertain why but with dread churning his guts. Then he felt it as much as heard it; a low rumble. He was out of bed and halfway to the nursery before the siren started. With Naruto and Kiba tanked, it was up to him to get the triplets safely into their pods.
The household shook again as he was entering the nursery. Sasuke’s breath hitched to see it this way, illuminated by the flashing red light. Tsuneo was already at the designated assembly point and was stripping off his night clothes. The girls were halfway there with their tops off.
“Good work,” Sasuke told them as he headed towards where the pods were stored.
The siren died and, immediately, the intercom clicked.
“This is Gai on duty in the control room. Suits and pods. I repeat, suits and pods. All household residents report in via the intercom or radio.”
Reporting would have to wait; getting the triplets into their pods was more important. There was another rumble, this one fainter, as Sasuke opened the panel and pulled out the first pod.
“I can do it, Papa,” Tsuneo told him from where he was sitting cross-legged on the floor.
Sasuke imagined people’s reaction if he was not the first to report in. “Yes, please, Tsu-chan.”
Tsuneo jumped up and dashed to the intercom. He reached up for the button and stood on tiptoe to get his mouth as close as possible to the microphone.
“This is Tsuneo. I am in the nursery with Sasuke-sama, Teruko and Takara.”
Tsuneo shot back to his place and Sasuke smiled his approval of a job well done. Listening with half an ear to those reporting in, he gestured Teruko over and lifted her into the pod. A hug and a kiss later the lid was closed and the pod activated. Takara was next and then Tsuneo.
There had been no further explosions. As he closed the lid on Tsuneo, Sasuke allowed himself to begin thinking. His mind flooded with what had happened the last time: the loved ones they had lost; those who had been injured; those awful divs when it had looked like Naruto would never walk again.
“Sasuke-sama?”
He turned to see Iruka in the doorway. He was in his suit and was carrying another over his arm.
Sasuke slid Tsuneo’s pod back into place before looking up at the counter in the corner of the room. It had been less than four minutes since the alarm had been raised.
Iruka came over and held out the suit. Sasuke stripped off, took it and began climbing in.
“I will not tell Kakashi that you did not get into your suit before podding the children,” Iruka promised.
Adults who had died of explosive decompression could not save anyone. “You were here to back me up,” Sasuke replied.
Yet another intercom click; “This is Dan in the infirmary. No procedures have been interrupted. I have checked Kiba and Naruto in their tanks. I have checked Ryuu, Kuuya, Keizo, Yuki, Kazuki and Ryuka in their pods.”
Until that moment, Sasuke had not considered the consequences of the explosion being in or near the infirmary. He shivered, imagining the possibilities, only to be brought back to the present by Iruka’s hand on his arm.
“They are fine, Sasu-kun. Shall we make our way to the control room?”
On the way Sasuke could not help contrasting this emergency to the last. Despite the reality of the explosions, this one felt like a drill. Everyone was at their designated assembly point and suited but no one’s helmet was closed. There was no breeze to suggest a pressure loss and the floor now felt normal under his feet.
Before they could reach the control room, Gai’s voice came over the intercom. “This is Gai. Everyone is accounted for. I repeat, everyone is accounted for. There have been five small explosions that have caused damage in five discrete places, none of which were occupied. All five have been sealed off. Some systems are down but none that affect life support. Station Control has been informed. There is no sign of attack craft or boarders. We have crawlers on the surface checking for explosive devices and surveying the damage.”
The control room was already overcrowded. Gai was still in command as he had been the person on watch when the emergency was declared. Itachi was at the communications console. Kakashi and Asuma were occupying the available standing room with Kisame outside.
“Sasuke-sama is here,” Kisame announced.
Kakashi and Asuma squashed up to allow him in; it was a tight fit.
Itachi looked up at him. “I have Izuna-sama for you on the hardwired connection from his apartment. Do you want to take it here?”
Them all hanging around the control room was pointless. “No, please put it through to my office. Kakashi-san, we need to know what happened.”
“Hoshi and Five are setting up the incident room. Please keep Kisame with you if Sumaru has not appeared.”
Sasuke did not object; he supposed there was a small chance that the explosions had been a cover for getting an assassin into the household. When it came to it, Kisame was not required; Sumaru was waiting for him in the corridor outside the control room.
He paused. Izuna could wait. Given that everyone was safe, who should he be most worried about? The answer was obvious; Shika and Asuma, both of whom had lost so much last time the household was bombed. Asuma had Kakashi with him. He turned to Iruka; suddenly aware that Iruka had come to find him rather than going to Shikamaru.
“Shika?” he queried.
Iruka nodded. “I will go and check, but I am sure Neji is looking after him.”
Sumaru walked in silence beside him as he made his way to his office. On the way, they passed the incident room. Through the open door he could see Hoshi and Five setting up equipment and connecting it to the hardwired circuits.
Hoshi did not look up from what she was doing but Five was looking at him; doubtless having heard his and Sumaru’s footsteps. Sasuke nodded and gestured for him to carry on.
He wondered where Haru was; probably in his workroom collecting data.
Itachi made the link as soon as his desk was activated. Sasuke took a deep breath. He wanted to be with Hoshi and Haru or checking on Shika, not talking to Izuna.
“Izuna-sama?”
“Sasuke-sama? Good to hear your voice. I understand from Itachi that no one is hurt. Is there anything that I or Kimimaro can do?”
The last thing he needed was Kimimaro and Izuna in the household. “No, nothing. Thank you for offering. It would probably be best if you both stayed in your apartment. I will make sure that Itachi or Ino keeps you updated as to the situation.”
“I understand. Thank you for making time to speak with me. I shall leave you to attend to your family.”
The link was broken from the other end. Sasuke frowned. Why had Izuna insisted on speaking with him when he had nothing to say? He sighed. It was probably because he could; a demonstration of his importance.
He deactivated his desk and headed for the incident room.

Madara broke the link and smiled. That was his and, hopefully, Kimimaro’s alibis established. By now Kimimaro should be heading back. If he was intercepted, the plan was to say that he had thought he had heard an intruder and was investigating.
If Kimimaro was caught with the pod, he would insist that Izuna knew nothing about it. He would say that he had decided to take advantage of the crisis to extract his revenge for being infected with the symbiote.
In the worse scenario, if faced with inescapable evidence, Kimimaro would take the blame for all of it, even the bombs.
It should not come to that. The best thing about bombs was that they could be used to destroy evidence. Madara expected Shikamaru to conclude that five small crawlers had come up the hollow strut, spread out through the voids under the floor and exploded.
In truth only one had arrived that way and it had detonated at the top of the strut. The other four had been planted by Kimimaro at strategic points so that key sections of the security systems would be disabled when they exploded.
Hopefully Kimimaro had found the pod.
Madara resisted the urge to check the chronometer on his desk but could not escape the counter in the corner of the room. It was seventeen minutes since the alarm had been raised.
Unnaturally fast footsteps; Kimimaro entered the room and decelerated more swiftly that should be possible for a purebred.
Not for the first time, Madara wondered what changes Rin had made to his genetic material so that he could tolerate the symbiote, Maybe he was not as purebred as Kimimaro would like to believe.
Kimimaro opened his helmet. He was smiling, which Madara decided was probably a good sign.
“Well?” Madara asked.
“The pod was exactly where you said it would be,” Kimimaro replied.
Madara smiled; Sasuke was a sucker for tradition. Podded prisoners had always been placed in the holding cell behind the Hall.
“And?”
“I made sure the pod could not be opened from the inside and then brought him out of stasis. He will definitely have smothered by now.”
Something more direct would have been preferable but this way it could have been a malfunction. “Good work, Kimimaro-san,” Madara confirmed. “Make sure you do everything you should to recover from the effects of using your symbiote.”
Kimimaro bowed. “It is an honour to serve you, Uchiha-sama.”
“Take your shots and get some sleep,” Madara emphasised and was rewarded with a look from Kimimaro that somehow managed to be loyal, needy and adoring at the same time. “Go. We’ll eat together later.”
Kimimaro bowed, “Thank you, Uchiha-sama.”
Madara was careful to wait until he had left to sigh; sometime soon he would have to take a decision about Kimimaro. Did his loyalty and phenomenal skills outweigh his unpredictability?

Shikamaru had been woken by the siren. He had lain there for a moment, considering the possibilities, before remembering Sumiko. He immediately partitioned away all the speculation and associated analysis; all that mattered was making sure that Su-chan was safe.
By the time he got there she had pulled the pod out, opened it and was climbing in. She stopped as she saw him and pointed to her bed.
There on the mattress was the purse she used to carry Sai.
Shikamaru nodded, confirming that he had received and understood the message.
“You should have your suit on,” she told him, yelling over the siren.
“I’ll put it on once I’ve activated your pod,” he replied, not bothering to shout. People lip-read more than they realised.
“I can do that from inside,” she reminded him. She gave him one of her sternest looks before lying down. “Don’t you dare die.”
Shikamaru understood. “I won’t,” he promised. “Sweet dreams,” he added as he closed the lid.
Neji was behind him, already suited, by the time the pod had activated. “Suit,” he insisted, holding one out.
The siren died and Gai’s voice came over the intercom asking them to report.
Shikamaru took the suit and began putting it on. Like Neji, he was waiting to hear Sasuke’s voice.
“This is Tsuneo. I am in the nursery with Sasuke-sama, Teruko and Takara.”
Despite everything, hearing Tsu-chan being so earnest made Shikamaru smile.
Neji depressed the intercom button. “This is Neji. I am in Sumiko’s bedroom with Shikamaru and Sumiko.”
While Neji was facing the microphone, Shikamaru transferred Sai’s array from the purse to one of the outer pockets of his suit.
They made their way out through the shared area and into the kitchen. Haku was already there directing procedures. On the table was a list, like the one that Shikamaru had made in the playroom eight standards before.
Most of the names were already ticked. As Shikamaru watched, Asuma confirmed that Konan, Hana and Nagato were safe and Haku marked off another four.
Then Dan reported in from the infirmary; Naruto and the others were safe. Shikamaru felt some of the tension leave his body; at least one part of his mind must have been considering an attack on the infirmary.
“The fighters have gone to their positions,” Haku told them. “Sasuke-sama is still in the triplets’ nursery. Iruka-san is with him. Kakashi-san has gone to the control room. Itachi is also there; he intends to take over at communications. Haru, Hoshi and Five are setting up the incident room.”
“I’ll start in our office,” Shikamaru decided. “Until the incident room is up and running.”
Haku nodded. “Take care,” he said.
The intercom fell silent on their way to the office; Shikamaru was almost certain everyone had been reported safe, even before Gai confirmed it. He listened to Gai’s report: five, small separate explosions; easily sealed off; some systems down but not life support; no sign of attack craft or boarders.
He lowered the partitions and re-engaged with the rest of his mind. More than one layer had been busy trying to work out how anyone could get bombs into the Uchiha section of Level 1.
It seemed unlikely that the attack had originated on the surface. There was no sign of ships or missiles and In-san’s sensor network made it impossible for even the smallest crawler to move over the surface unless the plant-based systems recognised it as belonging.
Yet someone had managed to get five bombs into place and detonate them.
“Shika. Shika!”
Someone was shaking his arm. He recognised Neji. What were they doing standing in a corridor?
“You could have waited until we were inside,” Neji complained, pushing him gently towards the door to their office.

Ran’s reaction to the siren had been worrying. Haru had woken to find him scrunched into a corner looking as if he wanted to run. Haru had approached him cautiously and once Ran realised that Haru was not in the least frightened he clung, wanting to share Haru’s confidence that all would be fine.
Later Haru would think about why Ran had responded so badly to the siren when he was usually so calm in a crisis. For now he needed to get him and Ran into suits before starting to collect data to analyse.
They beat Haku-san to the kitchen, which was not surprising as Haku-san had children to pod. Hoshi and Five were already there. Hoshi was getting a crew list from a drawer while Five was finding a pen. Before they had placed either on the table, Kakashi-san strode through.
“Ran, stay here and wait for Haku-san,” he ordered on the way past. “Five, you and Hoshi get the incident room up and running. Haru, I want you up to speed by the time Shika-san is available.”
Papa, or rather Tsuneo, reported in, followed by Neji-san, who was with Shi-chan and Sumiko. Ran grabbed the list and started ticking people off. Five went to the intercom and was still waiting for a gap to report that they were safe when Haku-san swept into the room and sat down at the table.
It was amazing how Haku-san could sweep even when he was wearing a suit rather than a kimono.
Then Five managed to report, which meant that Haru was free to leave the kitchen. He touched his forehead briefly to Ran’s. As he pulled away Ran smiled.
“I’ll be fine now that the siren has stopped,” he promised. “You go.”
So it was something to do with the noise.
A quick check confirmed that the wireless network was down, so he would need Sai’s array as well as his own. Would Shi-chan think of that? Haru didn’t know; sometimes Shi-chan was great during a crisis and other times he got so lost in his mind that he needed Neji-san with him to even function.
He almost went to Sumiko’s room but decided against it. He could not imagine Su-chan going into stasis without giving Sai to Shi-chan.
Instead he went to his workroom. First he opened the door to Shi-chan’s office in case Shi-chan was there but he wasn’t. Then he hardwired an interface into the main network and did a quick scan. All wireless was down, which was a little odd given how much redundancy there was in the system; Haru suspected deliberate interference.
He connected to his data array and began reorganising the existing and incoming data. Normally he would just ask Sai to do it; in comparison using a conventional system was horribly slow.
A movement on the other side of the open doorway; it was Shi-chan and Neji-san. Shi-chan came directly through, taking Sai’s familiar array out of a pocket as he did so.
The hug felt good as well as giving Shi-chan a chance to hand Sai over without Neji-san seeing.
Within a second he had Sai connected.
“Haru,” Sai acknowledged.
Haru was careful to subvocalise; even though Neji-san was in the other room he might notice. “Sorry about that, Sai, the wireless network is down.”
“I know,” Sai replied. “I have all the data that could be collected before my wireless connection was broken. Will Su-chan be in stasis long?”
“I’m not sure yet. It will be sooner if we can be sure what happened. We need a simulation, Sai.”
There was a brief pause. “I have the first approximation for you to study. I have colour coded it according to certainty.”
Haru smiled. “Thank you, Sai.”

Within thirty minutes of the emergency being declared, the key members of the strategy group were in the incident room watching a simulation of the attack. Sasuke glanced sideways at Kakashi. At least he looked as shocked as Sasuke felt. How in known space had Shikamaru and Haru managed to construct a detailed simulation in such a short period of time?
“We are not equally certain of all aspects,” Haru apologised. “The length of the bar at the base denotes the level of certainty.”
“How?” Itachi murmured.
“We have been working on framework simulations that can be populated by data as soon as it is available.” Shikamaru explained.
“Rerun the simulations of the second and third explosions,” Kakashi ordered. “Slowly.”
Haru did so. Sasuke watched, wondering what Kakashi had seen that he had not. He still could not see anything unusual but there was a sharp intake of breath from Shikamaru.
Kakashi swore and stood. “Excuse me, Sasuke-sama, there is something I must check.”
He was out of the door almost before Sasuke gave consent.
“Shall I go with him, Sasuke-sama?” Itachi asked.
“Yes please, Itachi-san.”
Once Itachi had gone, Sasuke turned to Shikamaru. “Well?”
“The blast pattern. There was an area of weakness above each of those three bombs. An area of weakness that should not have been there.”
He still did not see but Haru did. “A hole was cut in the floor.”
It meant that those three bombs had been planted by someone on this side; a person who had been trying to convince them that the bombs had originated in the void beneath the floor.
Then Neji said it. “Kakashi-san has gone to check if the Orochimaru print is still alive.”
Sasuke froze. Izuna had planted and detonated bombs in the Uchiha household; within the clan home. A man who would do that would do anything: collude with the Akatsuki; kidnap Neji; tell Orochimaru when and where the Oak would be; sell Shikamaru to Centre; allow the AHB to release the virus before telling them about it.
He no longer cared if the man was Izuna Uchiha or not; he would kill him. Now, before Izuna could threaten his family again.
Someone was hanging on his arm, impeding his progress. Shikamaru’s voice, “Sasuke, no, think. Please think.”
Sasuke shook him off and continued towards the door. Before him he could see Haru running away. He briefly wondered at that and then refocused on his objective.
He visualised the simulation Haru had shown. In his mind he pictured the most direct route to Izuna’s apartment; one that avoided the areas closed because of the bombs.
Thinking about the bombs, of the people they could have injured or killed, released another surge of fury.
He only slowed once, to input his personal override code to exit the household. As he passed through he heard running footsteps and Kakashi’s voice calling him.
Closing the door behind him, he reset the lock so that it would only open for him and set off down the corridor.
He could hear Kakashi pounding on the door behind him.
Around one corner and then the next; he was close. Down some stairs and sharp right but instead of finding open corridor he ran into an obstacle that should not have been there.
Kisame’s arms closed around him.
“Release me,” Sasuke demanded. “That is an order.”
“I would prefer to die,” Kisame answered.
Sasuke struggled but it was hopeless.
“You know me, Sasu-chan,” Kisame whispered. “I am the one who will do anything for those I love. This is not the way. I could not stop Itachi then but I can stop you now. I will not let you throw everything away.”
“I will kill him,” Sasuke insisted.
“Not today. Not like this. Do I have to knock you out or will you walk with me?”
They retraced Sasuke’s route. When they reached the locked door Kisame looked at him and Sasuke considered refusing to open it.
It would be a pointless gesture. Kisame would break the door down, as he doubtless had others in order to get ahead of him.
Sasuke inputted his code and opened the door. On the other side, sitting on the floor against the corridor wall, was Kakashi.
His right cheek, under his eye, was wet with tears. Sasuke suddenly felt ashamed. He had, as Kisame had pointed out, almost thrown it all away. If he had attacked without challenging, Kimimaro would have killed him. If he had challenged Izuna would have demanded immediate satisfaction. With Kuuya in stasis, a victory for Izuna would have ensured him enough time as leader to destroy everything they had built.
Kakashi surged to his feet and pulled Sasuke to him. Sasuke was sure he did not deserve to be hugged but he did not fight it.
“Thank you, Kisame, thank you,” Kakashi declared once the hug was done.
“It is my pleasure,” Kisame replied. “I suggest you walk before me. Iruka-san would want me to keep an eye on you.”
They walked side by side with Kisame some five paces behind them.
“The print?” Sasuke asked.
“Dead,” Kakashi admitted. “You have a perfect right to be angry.”
“Not if it endangers our family,” Sasuke replied. “How did you know I had gone after Izuna?”
“It might have been something to do with Haru running along the corridor shouting, ‘Papa’s lost his temper and is on his way to kill Izuna-sama.’”
Sasuke imagined it and flushed.
“It was a very effective strategy,” Kakashi pointed out with a smile. “Worthy of a typed-five genius.” Then the smile was gone. “I apologise, Sasuke-sama. By leaving the meeting without explanation or permission, I was not there when you needed me most.”
Sasuke sighed. “No, the blame is mine.”
Kakashi mimicked his sigh. “Perhaps we should share it, as we will doubtless share Ir-chan’s lecture.”
At that moment, with no possibility of Naruto’s arms around him, Sasuke found the prospect surprisingly comforting.
- 99
- 100
- 101
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