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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
- 17
- 18
- 19
My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.
Also thanks to richon, disembodiedvoiceofthedying, melissen, cynagan, eunmook, sadie237 and Dawn for reviewing after chapter 17 was posted.
Readers’ feedback, support and comments mean a great deal to me. Feedback keeps me writing.

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Part 2: Preparations
18: Departures

Shikamaru stood in the docking bay, his hands thrust deep into his pockets. The last shuttle was about to depart for the Oak and Haru would be on it.
Neji was giving him sideways looks. Shikamaru knew what they meant; Neji thought that Sumiko should be reminded not to go near the edge but did not think it was his place to do so.
Shikamaru didn’t think it necessary; Sumiko was naturally cautious and it wasn’t her first time in the docking bay.

Instead he watched Sumiko saying goodbye to Haru. The two of them were getting along, which was nice. Haru had put all the stuff Sumiko might need to control her story sims onto a tablet, which Su-chan was insisting on carrying with her like Haru did. It was rather sweet.
They finished talking and came over.
“I wish you were coming with us,” Haru admitted.
Shikamaru couldn’t have agreed more. “It won’t be that long,” he replied. “You must give me an update each day via the minigate link,” he added.
“I shall,” Haru agreed and moved closer.
Shikamaru recognised the signs. It was one of the rare times Haru wanted a hug. He pulled his hands from his pockets and tried to make it a good one.
Haru’s body felt so small. These days they worked together, treating each other as equals. It was easy to forget that he was a young twelve; not even into his adolescent growth spurt.
“You look after Na-chan and your Papa for me,” Shikamaru whispered.
“I will. Don’t let Su-chan bully you,” Haru replied.
Then Haru was gone, summoned by Inari who was leading the last batch of crew to join the Oak.

They walked back to the crew room. The rest of today and the start of tomorrow wouldn’t be too bad; the Maple was not due to leave until the next afternoon. Unexpectedly, the thought caused shifts in the currents below the surface in his mind. He dipped down into them and found himself focusing on Kakashi. Was there something he should tell Kakashi before he left?
Within a second he had what it was. Why that? He had decided not to mention that to anyone; some stones were better left unturned.
“Shika?”
Neji was calling him and Shikamaru realised that he had stopped walking.
“I need to speak to Kakashi,” he heard himself say. Had he made the decision?
“I think he’s on the Maple,” Neji replied. “He’ll be back for the evening meal. Iruka wants the remaining crew to eat together. Where are you going?”
Shikamaru had to think about why he had turned around and was walking in the other direction. “To the control room. I won’t be long.”
Behind him he heard Sumiko. “Is Nii-san all right?”
“He’s just thinking about something, Su-chan,” Neji replied.

Telling Kakashi that he had something to tell him settled Shikamaru’s mind. He was able to rejoin Neji and Sumiko for drinks and cookies with Choza in the kitchen.
Kiba was there looking miserable; it was probably beginning to sink in that both his litters were gone. Shikamaru decided to ask about the new babies. Kiba perked up and told him that Sumaru had chosen their names to reflect their genetic origins. The girls were Natsuko and Hokuto; the boys Mizura, Yokata, Shiso and Akahoshi.
Shikamaru committed the names to memory, so that he could ask about them as individuals. By that time Neji had caught on and started a conversation about the orphanage in Sublevel C; another topic that was certain to distract Kiba from thinking about the litters.
Choza gave them a grateful smile and brought out a cake rather than cookies.

As he sipped his coffee and ate his cake, Shikamaru found himself focusing on Sumiko. What was she going to do now that the only other child was Nagato?
“Do you have plans for the rest of this afternoon?” he asked her.
"I have a new schedule," she told him proudly.
“Why don’t you show Shika, Su-chan?” Neji suggested.
It was reassuringly full. There were sessions with Biwako in the playroom. Tenten had agreed to oversee her physical training and Moegi was going to make time to teach her about being a medico. She had regular slots to work with Konan in hydroponics, with Inryoku in his laboratory and with Choza in the kitchen.
He noticed that she had trebled the time she spent in her simulations but Shikamaru wasn’t going to object if she had managed to get Neji’s approval.
“This looks good, Su-chan,” he acknowledged. “You’ll have loads to tell me every evening.”
“I’m going to have my evemeal with you and the other grown-ups,” Sumiko told him.
“I look forward to it,” he assured her.
“And you and I are going to the park together for the second half of each third afternoon,” she informed him. “If you can’t make it, we’ll swap for another time when you can.”
“I have put it into your schedule,” Neji added.
That meant an alarm from his wrist chronometer would remind him. “Good,” Shikamaru acknowledged.

He left Neji talking to Choza, saw Sumiko off to her session with Biwako and went to the office to plan the first of his daily messages to Haru.
Over a decade corresponding with Klenn had given him a huge repertoire of puzzles and games to choose from; he was determined to come up with something they would both enjoy.

He had almost finished reviewing his collection of puzzles when someone gave his chair a shake. Lifting his goggles revealed Kakashi.
“So what is so urgent, Shika-kun?” he demanded.
Shikamaru was glad to hear the ‘kun’; it meant Kakashi wasn’t annoyed by his demand for a last-minute meeting. “There is something about Izuna Uchiha I must tell you,” he admitted.
Kakashi pulled up the chair Haru usually used and sat down.
Shikamaru decided just to say it. “He was never declared dead.”
Kakashi blinked at him. “And how long have you known this?” he asked.
He felt himself flush. “Since I was researching the pod. It was hard to uncover. I wasn’t going to tell anyone. I don’t think anyone else knows.”
“You haven’t told Sasuke?”
“I haven’t told anyone. I wasn’t going to. Then, today, I got one of those thoughts that bubble up from somewhere deep and I knew I had to tell you.”
“Specifically me?” Kakashi checked.
“You,” Shikamaru confirmed. “It could take me divs to work out why and why now and why you.”
Kakashi nodded. “Don’t bother,” he advised.
“You won’t tell Sasuke?” Shikamaru asked.
“I won’t tell Sasuke,” Kakashi confirmed. He looked slightly distant for a moment. “You shouldn’t either. What do you think of Izuna?”
Shikamaru had not expected the question. He was Izuna Uchiha. A legend. A hero. Did he tell Kakashi that Izuna was hitting on him? No; there was a small chance that Kakashi would overreact. “He isn’t like I expected,” he admitted.
“More guarded,” Kakashi suggested.
“Deeper and more complex,” Shikamaru volunteered.
“Darker,” Kakashi added. “There are times when he makes my flesh creep. Iruka thinks it is because he reminds me of Fugaku-kyou but I wonder.”
“Sasuke likes him,” Shikamaru pointed out. Na-chan didn’t, but mentioning that would lead to him admitting that Izuna was pursuing him.
“Sasuke is enamoured by Izuna Uchiha and perhaps Izuna-sama is careful to keep it that way,” Kakashi replied. He sighed. “So Izuna Uchiha is more complicated and less pleasant than in the stories.”
“Which is not surprising,” Shikamaru suggested.
“Which is not surprising,” Kakashi agreed. “I expect you to stay in contact with me as well as Sasuke, Shika-san.”
Shikamaru nodded.
“Good. Now let’s go and find Iruka, who is looking forward to one more evening with you.”

.

Madara walked into the kitchen to find that the table had shrunk somewhat. He hovered; uncertain where to sit but unwilling to ask.
“Izuna-sama,” Iruka acknowledged, indicating the place opposite him.
So Iruka, as head of Sasuke’s household, took priority. Izuna took his allotted place. Perhaps Shikamaru would be assigned to the seat next to him.
He was not. Asuma was on his right and Konohamaru on his left. Shikamaru sat between Iruka and Sumiko.

The child had not been at previous evemeals and Madara realised that this was the first time he had looked at her properly. Physically, she was as similar to Shikamaru as was possible for a person who was eight and female.
Perhaps he should spend time with her. If he claimed Shikamaru he would have to accommodate the child. Izuna had liked children; it would be in character to show interest in her.

There were voices from beyond the doorway. The younger adults entered. With them was a stranger; a scrawny young man with limp brown hair.
“Izuna-sama, I do not believe you have met Udon-san,” Iruka said.
The Scavenger; he was expected to sit at a table and eat with a Scavenger. Sasuke had always warned him when the Scavenger was going to be present, giving him the option to excuse himself.
The young man bowed. “Izuna-sama.”
Madara could not bring himself to bow in return. He concentrated on how Izuna would have behaved; his brother could tolerate anyone, however disgusting. Somehow he managed a quiet but dignified, “Udon-san,” although the honorific almost choked him.
Iruka would pay for forcing him into this situation.

He made himself ignore the Scavenger’s presence by considering in turn those who would remain once the Maple had departed.
Asuma, Choza and Tatsuji had been sworn to Uchiha since birth; they would obey him without thought. Kiba and Kamatari were hybrids; they and the women were, by their natures, followers. Other than Shikamaru and Neji, that left Sumaru, who had been ordered by Sasuke to protect him, Konohamaru, Zetsu and Keitaro.
Zetsu was insane and Keitaro was little more than a child; Madara dismissed them.
Only Konohamaru, Shikamaru and Neji remained.

He checked the conversation, but it was about a subject in which he had no interest, namely the charitable project in Sublevel C that the Scavenger managed.
His thoughts turned instead to Neji. The man was an asset but he was also an obstacle; a barrier between him and Shikamaru.
Unlike Shikamaru, Neji was not irreplaceable. There were other Hyuga but the spacer in him baulked at the thought of paying the equivalent of a decent planet each standard to hire one.
Perhaps there was an alternative.
According to Karin, the Hyuga wanted Neji back very badly. There was the possibility that he could demand a two, perhaps even a five, decade contract in exchange for Neji’s return.
Not that Uchiha could be seen to hand members of its crew over to others.
Perhaps a bungled contract kidnapping. Neji could either be dead or declared dead; which made no difference to Madara. The Hyuga could express their regret that their attempt to regain a lost Hyuga had failed. Uchiha could demand reparations, which could be the new contract.
Yes, that would do nicely. He would write an outline and send it to Karin.

They had started talking about the survey so Madara resumed listening. It was the type of conversation during which they might speak about the innovations that set Uchiha apart: the miniature Mulligan drive; the improver; the minigate strings; the modular space stations; the route finder.
He was still struggling with the notion that Uchiha could afford eleven gates and eighteen planets, five of which were habitable. Nothing Orochimaru had told him had suggested that Uchiha was that wealthy.
Had having the improvers and creating the minigate communication system earned Uchiha so much?
Also, how had they obtained the new routes? Not by Space Hopping, or a survey would not be necessary. It had to be the route finder. Was that an Uchiha monopoly, like the minigates, or was it a service they obtained from a third party, like the miniature Mulligan drives and the improvers?
For now all he could do was listen and ask the occasional question.

The meal ended and he excused himself, determined to spend as little time in the Scavenger’s company as possible. To his surprise, Konohamaru offered to walk with him back to his apartment.
“Life in the household is less formal while Sasuke-sama is not in residence, Izuna-sama,” Konohamaru warned him. “You may be more comfortable eating in your apartment. Choza would be happy to send meals. Keitaro could bring them.”
So Konohamaru had noticed his reaction to the Scavenger. “I shall keep what you say in mind, Konohamaru-san.” Perhaps this was an opportunity to investigate possibilities for the kidnapping. “Once the interview is over, do you think it would be possible for me to occasionally leave the household?”
“I think you may be underestimating the media’s obsession with Uchiha,” Konohamaru replied. He paused before continuing. “There is the concert hall. Sasuke-sama has been there on occasion. Its security is admirable. The other parts of the Uchiha compound are also secure. If you want a venue to meet outsiders, you could use the headquarters or it may be possible to hire a private room in the restaurant above Prime.”
“Outsiders, Konohamaru-san?” he queried.
“May I speak frankly, Izuna-sama?”
“Please do, Konohamaru-san.”
“You may struggle to find company among the crew, particularly after Neji-san and Shikamaru-san have left. You may wish to follow up some of the invitations that will flood in once the interview has been broadcast.”

“I shall consider your recommendation,” Madara replied. “They had reached the outer door to his apartment. “Could I persuade you to come in for a drink, Konohamaru-san?”
He bowed. “I am honoured by the invitation, Izuna-sama, but I have a prior commitment.”
Madara inclined his head in return. “Konohamaru-san.”
He watched the young man walk away, not at all displeased that his invitation had been declined.
He had a kidnapping to plan.

.

Sumiko was on a high after her first evening meal with the adults. For once Shikamaru did not need Neji’s warning looks; either he calmed her down or it would be a disturbed night followed by a whole day of grumpy Su-chan.
“Why don’t you wash and get into your pyjamas?” he suggested. “Then you can come and sit with me and Ne-chan.” He could see her about to object. “Ne-chan could brush your hair and I could tell you a story,” he added.
“Shower tomorrow rather than bath tonight?” she proposed.
“Whichever you prefer, Su-chan,” he agreed.

“Bath would have been better,” Neji observed as soon as she was in her room undressing. “It relaxes her more.”
“Fighting over it doesn’t,” Shikamaru pointed out. “I’ll make some new bath bubbles for her. Then she’ll be happy taking baths for a while.”
Neji said nothing.
It was an eloquent silence. When it came to Sumiko, Shikamaru bargained when Neji would have insisted. As Shikamaru was Su-chan’s Nii-san, there was much more bargaining than insisting.
Sumiko danced out of her room, waving her hairbrush. “Ready!” she declared.
Neji gave him another look.

He let her stay up until she felt asleep on the couch. Then he carried her through and tucked her into her bed. He was about to move away, relieved that it had worked, when he realised that she was awake.
“Go back to sleep, Su-chan,” he said; more a plea than a command.
She blinked sleepily. “Night-night, Nii-san,” she agreed.
“Night-night, Su-chan,” he replied.

“She is eight,” Neji pointed out once the door was closed. “Couldn’t we have a routine in the evenings? She copes well enough with it during the day.”
Shikamaru did not want to discuss it now. He sat back down on the couch. “I’ll think about it. Then I’ll talk to her about it.”
Neji sighed.
There was something about the tone of the sigh. “Ne-chan?” he queried.
“Naruto talked to me before he left,” Neji told him.
It was not the reply he had expected. One of the few problems of having Na-chan as a best friend was that he occasionally took it upon himself to talk to Neji. “And?” he asked, hoping that Neji wasn’t going to make him guess.
“When were you going to tell me that Izuna-sama is trying to seduce you?”
“Never?” Shikamaru suggested hopefully.
The uncharacteristic flash in Neji’s eyes confirmed that he hadn’t picked the safest answer.
“I wasn’t sure that it wasn’t all in my head, so I asked Na-chan,” Shikamaru explained. “He...”
Neji cut him off. “Naruto gave me all the details,” he confirmed.
Shikamaru squirmed, knowing Naruto that had included the fact that he found Izuna attractive. “Nothing is going to come of it.”
“Because Naruto says he’s not right for you,” Neji challenged.
“Yes, but not just because of that.” There were a multitude of reasons; as many of them were about staying with Neji as they were about staying away from Izuna.
“That’s consoling,” Neji retorted; his voice laced with sarcasm.
Were they having a fight? He had never fought with Neji so Shikamaru wasn’t sure. He remembered his parents’ fights; his Ma yelling and his Pa’s silence. Was he meant to yell or be silent? Would any doors be slammed?
“Shika,” Neji whispered.
Shikamaru realised that he was hunched up with his eyes screwed shut. He opened one eye cautiously.
Neji sighed. “Come here,” he encouraged, offering a hug.
Shikamaru slid along the couch and settled against Neji’s chest.
“I wish I had heard it from you and not Naruto,” he explained. “You should have said something once you and Naruto had figured out what was going on.” He smiled. “I should have guessed that something was up when I discovered Su-chan was on a sleepover and we were spending the evening in the onsen.”
Shikamaru felt himself flush. “Naruto said I wasn’t working hard enough on our relationship and he was right.”
Neji’s arm tightened around him. “It takes two, Shika.”
He felt awful. “I am sorry, I’ll try...”
Neji silenced him with a brief kiss. “I didn’t mean it that way. I should work harder as well. What could I do that would help?”
“Fuck me when and where I don’t expect it?” Shikamaru suggested. “Not only in our bed every third night?”
Neji smiled. “I’ll see what I can do. Not in our office though,” he added quickly.
Shikamaru’s mind went from one venue to another; having so many people away opened up new possibilities. “Sasuke’s office,” he suggested.
“Shika,” Neji warned.
Shikamaru was on a roll. “Haku’s closet.”
Neji growled and started to tickle him.
“Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei’s bed,” he added before Neji settled to his task in earnest and it was all he could do not to shriek and wake Su-chan.
Next thing he knew he was slung over Neji’s shoulder and on his way into their bedroom.
Which would certainly do for now.
- 17
- 18
- 19
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