Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

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
- 11
- 12
- 13
With thank to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.
Also thanks to Dawn, maliya, Midnight Essence, liby318, disembodiedvoiceofthedying, melissen, sadie237, lonelylulaby and eunmook (twice) for reviewing after chapter 11 was posted.
I cannot emphasise how much readers’ feedback, support and comments mean to me. Feedback encourages me to keep writing this story.

Leader
Part 2: Preparations
12: Investment

Sasuke studied the cards spread across his desk. On each was written a name or names. He took the one that read ‘Konohamaru, Kamatari, Moegi, Biwako’ and placed it to one side. They would remain his core team in Tarrasade.
Yesterday Keizo had reacted to one of the simulations that Naruto and Shika had designed to test for berserker tendencies. Sasuke had hugged his son and insisted that all would be fine.
He knew it would be; Shikamaru already had a tailored controller ready for him to try.
It was yet another sign that the kits and Ryuu were growing up fast. They may still be under twelve but developmentally they were the equivalent of purebred youngsters of fourteen. The idea that they should wait another two standards before becoming trainees was less tenable with each passing day. In his mind, Sasuke had already accepted that it would be, at most, one.
Which was why he was thinking about rearranging the crew into more flexible teams. Soon they would have to cope with an influx of seven trainees, ten if he allowed Hikaru, Hoshi and Haru to progress alongside their brothers.

Deep inside, he was sad. He had hoped his hybrid sons would be spared Naruto’s burden. Maybe some of them would. Ryuu was physically the most mature yet had shown no reaction to the simulations.

He wrote the names of his captains on separate cards: Kakashi; Asuma; Gai; Inari. After a moment’s consideration he added Iruka’s name under Kakashi’s, Tayuya’s under Inari’s and Tenten’s under Asuma’s.
Sasuke had picked up rumours about Asuma and Tenten from Keitaro before Iruka had told him. It had been a surprise because he had never been sure that Tenten was interested in men. Asuma’s children seemed fine with it; there was no suggestion that they felt Tenten was trying to take their mother’s place.
It had been over four standards.

He then wrote the other family groups and couples on cards.
That left the older children. Ayame got her own card, as did Keizo and Kuuya. Hoshi was with Yuki, Hikaru with Ryuu, Haru with Kazuki, and Yoshimi with Yasushi.
Finally he wrote ‘Sasuke, Naruto, Takara, Teruko, Tsuneo’ on one card and ‘Kiba, Choza’ on another. Now that Kiba had his team and the foetuses, he might not always be available to care for the triplets.
Naruto assured him that Kiba was fine with that. He wasn’t as close to the triplets as he had been to the big litter.

Then, almost as an afterthought he wrote ‘Izuna’ on a card and placed it adjacent to his team in Tarrasade. Izuna-sama was continuing to make excellent progress. Even Rin was convinced that he was suffering from regression. Each day more skills and memories returned, particularly if he or Itachi spent time with him.
They would be home soon; their four-div tour ended. Sasuke had suggested that Izuna would be most comfortable with his own apartment within the household. Izuna had been pleased, even going as far as to pick out the area of the household he would prefer.
Sasuke guessed it was where he had lived but had not asked. Those rooms were not currently occupied and if they were Izuna’s choice then he would have them. Between them, Itachi and Haku had ascertained the layout Izuna would like and the furnishings he would prefer. Instructions had been sent ahead and Asuma had promised to do what he could until Haku and Itachi arrived to supervise.

The door announcer sounded.
Sasuke activated the dedicated intercom. “Yes?”
“It’s Shikamaru.”
For a moment he considered sweeping the cards away but he stopped himself.

As he had anticipated, Shikamaru took one look at his desk and sighed. He did not comment but he did not need to; his expression said it all.
“I usually use the new data management programme,” Sasuke insisted. “This is different. It’s about the family.”
“I can see that,” Shikamaru acknowledged, leaning on the edge of the desk rather than sitting on it as he usually did.

Sasuke knew that Shikamaru never dropped by his office without a reason. “Shika?” he asked.
“I’ve fed more data into Haru’s route finder,” Shikamaru informed him.
Sasuke knew better than to ask where the data had come from. “And?” he encouraged.
“I want you to spend all of Uchiha’s reserves on planets and gates.”
“All of it?” Sasuke squeaked, shocked into not controlling his voice. His heart speeded up. What scheme had Shika concocted? It had to be good or he would not be suggesting taking such a risk.
“I am going to spend every credit I can drum up,” Shikamaru warned him. “Once I place the order for gates the cost of any planet will quadruple and there won’t be any gates available for standards.”
“How many gates?” Sasuke asked, his mind boggling.
“I am suggesting Uchiha buys eleven,” Shika replied.
Sasuke had not known that their reserves would stretch to that. Then he realised that Shikamaru had not answered his question. If Uchiha was buying eleven, how many was Shikamaru buying?
He decided that he did not want to know.
“Show me,” he demanded, handing Shikamaru the portable interface.

It was brilliant; three gated routes opening off existing gated systems. Of the eleven systems involved, five had planets. Four of the planets had been seeded with a standardised ecology. One of the systems along each route could be reached easily from Tarrasade using the improver.
Beyond the new gated routes were even more systems and planets; Uchiha’s future would be assured for generations to come.
“We’re buying all the planets?” he queried.
“I’ve already got most of them. The routes crisscross the outer reaches of first generation Space Hopper explorations. The Central Colonial Service sold those planets to brokers millenniums ago.” Shikamaru shook his head. “Thank the Lady for short-sighted officials.” He smiled. “I’ll sell the planets to Uchiha for what I paid for them rather than what this scheme makes them worth.”
“Thank you,” Sasuke acknowledged. He studied the three routes again. There were two shorter routes and one longer one. The longer one ended with one of the best systems he had ever seen. It had six planets, two of them with a standard ecology. “Is that as good as it looks?” he asked, pointing.
“It might only have one hole,” Shikamaru admitted.
One hole was too easy to block. “Might?” Sasuke queried.
“The map only shows one,” Shikamaru explained. “But it isn’t very detailed. There could easily be another further out. We can look for it when we survey the system.”
Sasuke agreed it was worth a closer look. “These are the best routes I can have for the credit I have?” he checked.
“Of course,” Shikamaru assured him. “I shall always do my best for you, Sasuke-sama.”
“I know you will, Shikamaru-san,” Sasuke acknowledged. He could see no point in delaying. “Go ahead please.”
Shikamaru blinked. “You aren’t going to discuss it with the others?”
“The scheme, yes, whether we buy the gates and the planets, no.” He made himself think past the commercial opportunities. The only problem he could see was if one or more the holes could not be jumped because of a physical phenomenon. “How many of the steps have never been jumped?”
“Six,” Shikamaru admitted. “We’ll have to survey them. I have alternatives to offer you if these routes are blocked.”
Sasuke reconsidered but decided it was a minor risk. Uchiha’s credit would be invested in future gates. Future gates could be moved or sold on to those in the queue to buy one.

His eyes went to the cards. Arranging the crew into teams would speed up surveying the holes. He found himself looking at Haru’s name. “Could you have found all this without Haru’s part of the route finder?” he asked.
Shikamaru shook his head. “Klenn left me the data but without an automated route finder it was close to useless.” He looked away. “This was what we always planned to do when we cracked the problem of the route finder but we never did.”
So the data had been stolen from Centre; Sasuke had suspected as much.
Shikamaru had drawn in on himself as he spoke Klennethon Darrent’s name. Sasuke stood, his hand going to Shika’s back to console him.
For a moment or two Shika leaned into him and Sasuke held him. Then, simultaneously, as if by unspoken agreement, they pulled apart.
“Tea?” he asked.
“No thank you,” Shikamaru replied. “I promised to drop by the playroom.”

They talked a bit more about Shika’s plan as Sasuke made tea for one. Once the tea was poured, Shikamaru took his leave and Sasuke went back to his desk.
The cards had been moved about. Sasuke was about put them back the way they had been when he realised that the arrangement was perfect.
Trust Shika; Sasuke wondered if he had done it deliberately or subconsciously.

He had finished recording the arrangement of the cards when a message arrived from Neji. Sasuke frowned; usually Neji waited until one of their usual meeting times.
He turned the indicator light on Neji’s side of the door from amber to blue.
Neji came through immediately. Sasuke could see that he was agitated.
“May I?” he asked, gesturing to the interface that Shikamaru had abandoned.
Sasuke nodded.
“Shino-san alerted us,” Neji warned. “The story began in Tarrasade but its spreading fast via the light speed data relays. It’s that reporter, Karin.”

Sasuke watched. She had pictures of the pod and was speculating about who might be inside.
“How?” he grumbled.
Neji shook his head slightly. “All I can think of is that it must be a member of the first crew who picked up the signal, the affiliated one.”
“The Connor,” Sasuke supplied. “I suppose so. I am certain it wasn’t a member of the Electron’s crew.” He was confident that the Electron was too loyal.
Then the woman, Karin, mentioned the name Izuna Uchiha. Sasuke flinched.
“Every time the crew go out in public they are asked about it,” Neji told him. “We can block for now but....”
“We will have to think about how to deal with it in the longer term,” Sasuke agreed. “I shall discuss it with Izuna-sama.”
There was the slight puckering of Neji’s brow that indicated a frown. “What if he wants to give an interview?”
Sasuke could not imagine anyone wanting to give an interview. “I shall discuss it with him,” he repeated.
Neji nodded. “Do you want to prepare a statement?”
Sasuke considered. “No. We refuse to comment on any enquires about the pod or its contents.”

Once Neji had gone he found himself incapable of settling. He did not know if it was the media speculation, his excitement at Shika’s scheme or anxiety about Keizo. He made himself a list of people he needed to talk to about reorganising the crew into more flexible teams. He would start with Naruto and then Iruka or Kakashi; perhaps he should speak with Iruka and Kakashi together.
He checked the chronometer. He had promised to visit Izuna before the midmeal. If he were quick, he could catch Naruto first. He grabbed the cards and copied the diagram showing the three systems onto a tablet. Then, almost as an afterthought, he made a copy of the vids that Shino had sent.

As Sasuke had expected, Naruto was in his office. During the tour, he had made four public meetings to HDL facilities and had numerous meetings, most virtual but a few face-to-face. Sasuke knew that he was still trying to integrate all the outcomes.
The piles of papers had spread onto the floor before Iruka had suggested pockets on the wall.
Unlike all the suggestions Sasuke had made over the standards, Naruto had taken to it. One wall was covered in open document pockets, most of which contained paper. On the front of most were scrawled some characters in Naruto’s round, childish script.
It did mean, for the first time ever, there was a choice of chairs to occupy.

When the door slid open it looked like the office was unoccupied. Sasuke was about to turn away when he was captured in long arms and pulled into the room.
Of course Naruto had heard him coming. Lurking at the side of the door to ambush him suggested that Naruto did not mind being disturbed.
The kiss was started light-hearted but quickly deepened. Sasuke reluctantly pulled away.
“I have something I need to discuss with you,” he admitted.
Naruto settled for one last hug before releasing him.

They sat in two of the comfortable chairs to discuss Sasuke’s idea of an interim stage between child and trainee, similar to what had occurred officially for Sumaru and unofficially for Ran.
“I can’t bring myself to make Hikaru and Haru stay in the playroom while the other boys and Hoshi move on,” Sasuke admitted.
Naruto’s eyes sparkled with approval. “Papa-sama,” he observed.
Sasuke felt himself flushing slightly. It was true; this was one of the decisions he was taking as a father rather than as Uchiha-sama.
Naruto leaned over and nuzzled him. “I love you,” he whispered.
The thought of a quickie was tempting, but Izuna was expecting him. “Be good, dobe,” he insisted. “Look at this.” He activated the tablet. “Shika’s latest idea is that we buy eleven gates and all these planets. He linked them together using Haru’s route finder.”
“When did Uchiha get rich enough to buy that many gates?”
“Since Shika has been managing the Uchiha finances for over a decade.”
Naruto studied the schematic. “Some of these systems look awesome.”
Sasuke agreed. “We’ll be stretched but it will be worth it.”

Somehow he managed to pull himself away in time. He made his way to Izuna’s apartment, savouring the taste of Naruto’s last kiss.
He pressed the door announcer and waited for the click of the dedicated intercom.
“Yes?”
“It is Sasuke,” he responded, as usual.
“Let yourself in. I am in my work room.”

They had added a gym and then the work room as Izuna-sama recovered. Three walls of the work room were covered in pin boards that were decorated with sheets of paper or, in a few cases, display frames. One wall was about Uchiha, a second about current affairs and the third historic events.
Izuna was standing when he entered. “Sasuke-sama,” he acknowledged with a small bow.
“Izuna-sama,” Sasuke replied, also bowing. “Should I make tea?” he offered.
Izuna smiled. “That would be excellent, if you do not mind.”
Sasuke always made the tea; Izuna had made it once but it had been so bad that Sasuke had struggled to swallow it rather than spitting it out.

They talked. As usual, Izuna had a list of questions, some of the answers to which were used to annotate the pin boards. Once Sasuke had answered all of them he brought up the media coverage of the pod.
Izuna took the tablet and watched the introduction, Karin’s piece and the discussion afterwards.
“I thought you said that the pod had been found by an Uchiha crew,” Izuna commented.
“An affiliated crew,” Sasuke clarified. “However, it is disappointing that one of the crew talked.”
“Probably boasted to some whore when he had drunk too much,” Izuna suggested.
“That’s no excuse,” Sasuke replied.
“True, but people have weaknesses and there are probably reasons why the crew has remained affiliated rather than rising to allied status,” Izuna pointed out. “Anyway, what is done is done. How would you normally deal with the situation?”
“We would probably give an interview,” Sasuke admitted. “In our own time and on our own terms. Certainly not to this Karin woman, because that would reward her invasion of our privacy, but to a journalist of our choosing.”
Izuna nodded. “I am sure they will soon lose interest in me and go back to their usual obsession with you and Naruto-san.”
Sasuke was not at all sure of that. If anything could distract the media from him, Naruto and the children it would be the resurrection of a mythical hero.
“I shall think about it,” Izuna assured him. He placed his cup on the small table next to his chair and stood up. “Now for my test,” he announced.

They did this each time Sasuke came. Izuna would work through pictures of the crew, trying to recall their names and a few details about each one. Each time he remembered more.
This time he started with the crew in Tarrasade.
“Asuma, senior leader; old Uchiha elite fighter; lost his partner Kurenai in the bombing; three children, Akemi, Keitaro and Misora, all sworn to Uchiha. Inari; rising star; leads missions; partner is Tayuya. Gai; old Uchiha elite fighter; middle leader; reliable. Konohamaru, your foster brother; takes the lead on Tarrasade operations. Shino, your head of communications; in a relationship with Anko. Anko and Tenten; security. Tayuya; pilot. Shizune and Moegi; medicos. You are permitting Moegi to be in a relationship with an outsider. Biwako; retired; Konohamaru’s grandmother. Kamatari, Konohamaru’s assistant.” He smiled. “How did I do?”
“Twelve from twelve,” Sasuke assured him. “Do you want to do the others?”
“Maybe the children,” Izuna suggested, moving towards that section.
Sasuke suspected that Izuna was teasing him by hesitating over the names of the kits; he never actually made a mistake.
“Takara, Teruko and Tsuneo,” he ended and sighed. “That is one of my greatest regrets, that I was not more involved with my children when they were young. The time goes so very quickly.”
Sasuke agreed; it seemed no time at all since Haru had returned to them and the triplets had been born. Talking about the children reminded him of Iruka’s request.
“Iruka-san was wondering if you would consider giving a short talk to the older children, followed by a question and answer session. Perhaps about some of the differences between known space today and then.”
Izuna did not answer immediately; Sasuke thought he may refuse. Then he smiled. “It would be an honour.”
“They enjoy the questions and answers most,” Sasuke hinted, hoping that the lecture would not be too long, but Izuna did not respond.
“Do you know whether Shikamaru-san will be taking up my invitation to visit?” he asked instead.
It took Sasuke a moment to decide what to say. He suspected that Shika reminded Izuna of his beloved. If that was true, Sasuke was not sure if Shika visiting was a good idea. “I will mention it to him,” he replied and stood up. “I must go. I have things to do before the midmeal.”
Izuna also stood. “I understand. Let me show you out.”
“No need,” Sasuke insisted.

.

He leaned back in his chair and watched Sasuke Uchiha depart. The visit had been going well until the end.
Meeting the children would be a problem because, except for the one with deformed ears, he could not tell the fox hybrids apart. He had solved the problem by marking their images and learning which names went with which marks. Unfortunately that solution would not hold when he met them face-to-face.
He walked over and studied the pictures more closely. One had reddish hair. One had no whiskers; he almost looked purebred. The other three would be a problem. To make it worse, those three had very similar names.

Then there was Shikamaru. The nature and quality of his relationship with the genius was crucial; it would define the way in which the plan unfolded.
So far there had only been three short meetings: during his tour of the ship, at the midmeal Iruka had arranged for him to meet the senior crew and when he had been walking in the birch woods.
Each time he had suggested that Shikamaru visit him. So far Shikamaru had not responded.

His information about the genius was limited. Detailed searches had yielded meagre returns: records of a surprisingly ordinary childhood; being recruited as cat at fourteen; officially Uchiha; the genetic parent to Sasuke Uchiha’s son Haru; the death of his parents; guardian to his younger sister.
Orochimaru had more but it was still little considering that Shikamaru and Haru had been in Pein’s hands for five divisions. He suspected that Orochimaru was more interest in torturing his errant acolyte than extracting useful information. Apparently Shikamaru was ‘The Wizard of the Data Streams’, but there was no detail as to what that meant.

He got up, poured the tea away and replaced it with sake. He went to the crew’s notice board and stared at Shikamaru’s image. He was definitely his brother’s type. He would even have liked the contrast between the unassuming exterior and what was apparently one of the best minds in known space.
He knocked back his sake. It would be so much easier if he shared his brother’s attraction to men. Men, preferably young ones, were what you made do with when there were no women available.
At least Shikamaru was not ugly.

He refilled his cup and went back to Shikamaru’s image. Why was he recognised as the genetic parent of one of Sasuke Uchiha’s children? Why were the birch woods called ‘Shikamaru’s level’? Exactly how had Shikamaru escaped from Pein?
Why were Pein’s woman and child with Uchiha, something of which Orochimaru had been unaware?
He allowed himself a small smile. How rich was Uchiha if they could indulge in such frivolity as those woods?
Then any urge to smile vanished. He should spend more time walking in the woods. Even if he did not run into Shikamaru, it would establish that they both liked birch trees.
Not that he did.
He would go to the woods the next day and each day after that until they reached Tarrasade. Once they arrived home he would have to find other ways of interacting with Shikamaru.

He was going home but not to the home he had known. The Uchiha Compound would have changed beyond recognition over the centuries. It would be alien; ruined.
But being there was an essential component of the plan, as was the woman; Karin.

He drained his cup and poured himself another. Overall it was going well.
He was making excellent progress with Sasuke Uchiha, who was ridiculously easy to manipulate. One appalling cup of tea had ensured that the younger man always served him. Saying that he wished to learn about the crew yielded endless opportunities to interrogate him. The notice boards allowed him to think about his plan without leaving an electronic data trail.
Each visit he made sure he got in at least one of the three key messages: he wished he had spent more time with his children when they were young; he regretted not prioritising his lover before death separated them; leadership was about duty and service.
He imagined standards of uttering such mealy-mouthed codswallop and shuddered. Hopefully the opportunity he needed would present itself sooner rather than later.

.
- 11
- 12
- 13
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Leader