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
- 23
- 24
- 25
AFF doesn’t do email alerts but I have an email list and I personally send out an alert every time I post a chapter. You will need to drop me a message. My email address is mannahpierce@ntlworld.com.

My gratitude to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.

Thank you so much to Lonelylulaby (welcome back!), v (also welcome back!), sadie237, disembodiedvoiceofthedying and melissen for reviewing after chapter 23 was posted.
It is readers’ reviews that encourage me to continue writing this story. Whenever I am stuck or dissatisfied with what I am producing (which is most of the time at the moment) it is the reviews that make the difference.
Hits are nice. Rating a story is welcome. Reviews are like a cold drink on a hot, draining day.

Leader
Part 3: Betrayal
24: Waiting

Shikamaru checked again, despite having an alarm set to alert him to any incoming message.
Word from the Oak was late.
There could be a multitude of mundane or trivial reasons. Even so, Shikamaru knew there was a problem. It wasn’t instinct, or a gut feeling, or foreboding; it was the way his mind worked.
It was pointless discussing his worries to Neji. Neji would list all the probable reasons for the Oak’s silence and, in reply, Shikamaru would not be able to explain how he knew that they were irrelevant.
Instead he decided to act. He sent new orders from Chaaruzu-san for Tennyos One, Four and Six.
Tennyo One would arrive at the Oak’s last jump point in twenty-two days’ time.

He decided to keep himself busy by thinking of tasks and partitioning his mind to think on them. Three parts were assigned to the Tennyos’ new missions, checking details. Another began listing all possible reasons why the Oak had not sent a message.
A fifth was considering Karin, the investigative reporter. She had turned her attention from Uchiha’s holdings to Izuna Uchiha. Each report she made contained a new titbit of information, which had won her frequent slots in the broadcast schedule.
The sixth concentrated on the preacher. There was something about the new religion that did not fit. He had his best operative on it. Tennyo Three was still living in the apartment with its exits in Levels 4, 5 and 1. Her Arella identity had joined the new religion.
A seventh...
Someone was calling him.
It was Neji and he didn’t look happy. He was spending most of each day working with, or rather for, Izuna and Shikamaru knew he disliked it.
“Where’s Su-chan?” he asked, his tone ominous.
Shikamaru checked the chronometer. He should have gone to the playroom to fetch Sumiko ages ago; it was almost time for the evening meal. “I got distracted,” he admitted.
Neji did not bother to scold him. Instead he turned and left.
Shikamaru ran after him.

Sumiko was still in the simulator, which did not help; Shikamaru knew that there would be another ‘discussion’ about allowing her to spend too much time in her imaginary world.
Sumiko gave Neji her best smile as she emerged. “Thank you for letting me spend extra time in my sim, Ne-chan.”
Shikamaru flinched. It was typical Su-chan; it never occurred to her that by avoiding the blame it was likely to fall on another.
He saw Neji inhale, calming himself. “You are welcome, Su-chan. Now we must be swift so that we are not late for the evening meal.”
“Can I see the message from the Oak?” she asked as they walked back to the crew room.
“It hasn’t arrived,” Shikamaru answered. He knew he should add the word ‘yet’ but he could not bring himself to do so.
Sumiko frowned. “Why not?”
“I don’t know, Su-chan,” he replied.
“Maybe the minigate is giving them a few problems,” Neji suggested. “Or perhaps one of the light speed data relays has failed. I am sure it is just a communication glitch and they are fine.”
Shikamaru could feel Neji’s eyes on him, willing him to contribute to the reassurance but he couldn’t.

Izuna was at the evening meal, which was unusual; he had barely attended since Sasuke’s departure. It caused a half-hearted effort at formality but with neither Iruka nor Haku present it was unimpressive.
Shikamaru half expected Neji to step into the breach but he didn’t.
“There is a message from the Silver Leaf, confirming that they haven’t been able to make contact with the Oak,” Keitaro told them.
That eliminated most of the explanations for the Oak’s silence; now there were only the three systems at the end of the route to consider.
“How long before we should start worrying, Shika-san?” Asuma asked.
Shikamaru did not look at Neji. “Now. It takes so long to get there. Better to set off and turn back if it proves to be a false alarm.”
Asuma considered. “I shall contact Kakashi this evening. Shika-san, Neji-san, perhaps we could have a brief meeting after the meal.”
“Can I be of assistance, Asuma-san?” Izuna asked.
“Not at this time, Izuna-sama, but we are honoured that you should offer,” Asuma replied.
Shikamaru watched Izuna’s reaction; the slight tightening around his eyes and lips that always followed Asuma refusing to involve him. Perhaps it was not surprising; it was in Izuna’s nature to lead.

.

Madara managed to control himself until he was back in his apartment. Once there he vented his fury on the training dummy he had requested and Sumaru had provided.
At least he had what he required; confirmation that the trap had been sprung. It was not perfect, one of the targets was not inside, but he could adapt.
Perhaps Hikaru would prove useful.

Once he was calm he reconsidered his plan.
Asuma would not send Shikamaru on the Dart; the man might be irritating but he was not foolish. Madara did not care who else was dispatched. Asuma himself would be excellent, but that was too much to ask.
Neji would be a little inconvenient but the Hyuga would wait; they were good at that.
The negotiations with the Hyuga had gone well. Despite not revealing his identify, he had been able to negotiate the promise of a two-decade contract for Neji’s return.

Orochimaru was organising the kidnapping. They had decided the location, the Arts Centre below Sublevel A, and the date; a concert in two days’ time.
The plan was based on greed. An operative had approached one of the workers in the ticket office and suggested that people would pay greatly over the odds to be in the same room as Izuna Uchiha.
The worker knew that she was being paid to change the identity to which the ticket had been assigned. She did not know that she was assigning tickets to prints intent on mayhem and kidnap.
Madara allowed himself a short daydream in which Asuma was with him at the concert and was a casualty. Maybe it could be more than a fantasy. Tenten liked music.

More immediate was the need to establish his claim to Uchiha. Now that the trap had been sprung, that part of the plan could move forward. He penned a series of coded instructions and sent a shuttle down the strut to Level 6.

.

As he woke, Shikamaru’s eyes went to his wrist chronometer where it sat on the table by the bed. He had programmed it so that one of the indicators would light up if there was a message from the Oak.
It was unlit.
It had been two days.
He rolled out of bed and headed for the shower.

Asuma had gone with Shikamaru’s recommendation. The Dart had been launched that first evening; piloted by Tatsuji with Inryoku and Enerugi accompanying him.
They had heard back from Kakashi the day after. He backed Asuma’s decision.
By that time Neji had stopped arguing. Shikamaru guessed he had realised what Kakashi and Asuma were thinking. If Sasuke and all the other children were dead, they had to make sure that Hikaru and Ryuu were safe.

Shikamaru refused to dwell on that possibility. He chose to concentrate on them being alive but trapped and isolated. It could be a problem with the Oak or a problem with the hole. If it was the Oak, the Dart would be able to jump through the hole.
If it was the hole, finding a solution could be tricky.

He and Sasuke had known that it was risky jumping into a system with only one known hole. Shikamaru had hoped that the survey would reveal another.
Perhaps Sasuke was looking for it now or, maybe, he no longer had the means to look.
With that in mind, Shikamaru was attempting something that had never been done before; he was trying to find a hole by telescope. Holes did not come and go. It would not matter that the electromagnetic radiation reaching the telescope had left the system hundreds, thousands or even millions of standards ago. By collecting and analysing it, Shikamaru would look for other holes.
He was commissioning over five thousand astronomers across three hundred and twenty eight systems to focus their telescopes on the system.

Su-chan was already up and dressed by the time he was dressed. She was sitting on the couch in their sitting room.
“Have you got any further with The Plan, Nii-san?” she asked.
Shikamaru had explained to her what he was doing; conversations about that were easier than ones that dwelt on reasons for the Oak’s silence.
“I am still collecting together available data about that region of space,” he told her.
She looked at him. “I am going to look at another part of space. I’ve picked one with lots of data. I am going to see if there is a pattern that cor-rel-ates to where the holes are.”
Shikamaru blinked. Haru said stuff like that, not Sumiko. “That’s good, Su-chan. I’ve started doing that too. We can both try.”
She looked pleased. “Ne-chan!” she called. “Nii-san and I are ready to go to breakfast.”

They joined Konohamaru, Moegi and Kamatari at the breakfast table. Shikamaru sipped his coffee and studied Sumiko. Was she really analysing data or was it make-believe? He was about to ask her some questions to find out when Keitaro rushed in.
“That reporter, Karin, is on the morning news,” he gabbled. He was casting his eyes around the kitchen, trying to decide who was most senior of those present. He settled on Neji. “Neji-san, may I switch on the projector?”
Neji gestured that he should proceed.
A news presenter’s face appeared. “..agog at Karin-san’s revelation. We now turn to Shiho-san, our expert on the spacer code. Shiho-san, what does this mean?”
A blond woman straightened her eyeglasses. “Spacer clans consider anyone who has been lost for a decade to be dead. The person is declared dead, their heirs inherit and the clan moves on. According to Karin-san, Izuna Uchiha was never declared dead.”
Shikamaru cringed; at least he had told Kakashi.
“Does that mean that he is the owner of the Uchiha compound, Shiho-san?”
“No, because the Uchiha compound is owned by the clan as a whole. It could be argued, however, that he is still Uchiha-sama, which means that the decision whether to sell the compound would rest with him.”
“Where does that leave Sasuke Uchiha, Shiho-san?”
“They do say possession is all. Sasuke Uchiha is the current Uchiha-sama.”
The presenter smiled. “Two Uchiha-samas. How exciting. How do you see the situation resolving, Shiho-san?”
The blond ‘expert’ laughed. “Well, traditionally, leadership disputes are resolved by combat. And we do know that Sasuke Uchiha has resolved disputes traditionally in the past.”
There was a clip of Sasuke cutting Deidara’s throat. Shikamaru was shocked; even though they cut away before the blood spurted, such images were never shown on the media in the morning. He glanced across the Neji, who was frowning.
“This is bad,” Konohamaru stated. “Especially as Sasuke is not available to comment.”
Neji was looking at him. “Tell us Karin is wrong, Shika.”
Shikamaru took a deep breath. “She isn’t. Izuna Uchiha was never declared dead.”

They sent Sumiko off to the playroom to be with Biwako-san and despatched Keitaro to tell Asuma. Asuma responded by summoning Neji, Konohamaru and Shikamaru to a meeting.
For once he was absolutely serious with no trace of his usual humour.
“Kakashi knows,” he checked.
Shikamaru nodded.
“We can’t wait to consult with Kakashi-san,” Neji pointed out. “We have to release a statement today or tomorrow at the latest.”
“Perhaps Izuna-sama should make a statement,” Konohamaru suggested.
“Only if it is ‘I have absolutely no interest in being Uchiha-sama,’” Asuma growled. “Neji, don’t you and Izuna-sama have a meeting this morning about his upcoming appointments?”
Neji nodded.
“Take Shikamaru with you. Make sure Izuna-sama knows what is happening and sound him out about his position.”
Shikamaru had been avoiding Izuna. “But...”
Asuma cut him off. “No buts, Shika-san. I want you to do the talking so that Neji can concentrate on watching his reactions. Shake him up a bit. You are good at that.”
“Kono...”
“No. Konohamaru will be making calls. It might be a good day to visit your grandfather, Kono-kun.”
Konohamaru nodded. “He’s probably already expecting me to contact him.”

Neji’s meeting with Izuna was early; Shikamaru found himself following Neji towards Izuna’s apartment before he had wrapped his head about what he would say.
Izuna kept Neji waiting in the corridor; something that Sasuke would never do. Finally the door was unlocked remotely, admitting them to the apartment’s hallway.
At least there was somewhere to sit; Shikamaru took advantage of it while Neji chose to stand.
“Neji-san,” Izuna acknowledged curtly when he opened the door to his office. Then he smiled warmly. “Shikamaru-san, what a pleasant surprise.”
Shikamaru’s stomach flip-flopped and he felt himself flushing; by the Lady, why did he have to have a crush on someone he didn’t even like? “Izuna-sama,” he murmured.
“I see you have been following his morning’s developments, Izuna-sama,” Neji observed, gesturing towards the projection over Izuna’s desk.
Shikamaru sighed; so much for letting him do the talking.
Izuna frowned. “Yes, very unexpected. Were my sons so remiss or is Reporter Karin mistaken?”
“It’s true,” Shikamaru told him bluntly.
“When Sasuke-sama returns we will discuss it,” Izuna replied. “Is there any news of the Oak?”
Shikamaru felt himself relax a little, which was strange. “No. Uchiha will have to release a statement, Izuna-sama.”
Izuna looked thoughtful. “What about something along the lines of ‘Uchiha is looking into Reporter Karin’s suggestion’?”
It was suitably neutral. “It might do as a holding statement,” Shikamaru agreed. “You have a number of upcoming engagements, Izuna-sama. Have you thought what you will say when you are asked about it?”
Izuna’s smile was a little less convincing. “Not yet. I shall think on it. Will you be accompanying us to the concert this evening, Shikamaru-san?”
The concert was to be held in Klenn’s Arts Centre; Izuna was guest of honour. “No, Izuna-sama. If you recall, Sasuke-sama forbade me from leaving the compound.”
“That is a shame.” He turned to Neji. “Perhaps Asuma-san would reconsider his decision not to attend. I believe that Tenten-san would enjoy the music.”
Shikamaru resolved to speak to Asuma; given this morning’s developments, it would be best to demonstrate a united front.
“I shall speak with him on the matter, Izuna-sama,” Neji replied. “Should we move on to discuss today and tomorrow’s engagements?”
Izuna’s attention was already back on Shikamaru. “Later. I would like to know more about what you are doing to find out what has happened to the Oak. Shikamaru-san?”
Shikamaru was determined to keep the discussion brief. “The Dart is on its way to rendezvous with the Silver Leaf. Once that happens, Inari-san will take command of the mission. I imagine he will begin by jumping into the next system and investigating the nearside of the hole.”
“Will Hikaru-kun and Ryuu-kun remain on the Silver Leaf?” Izuna asked. “Won’t that be safer for them?”
“That will be up to Inari-san,” Shikamaru pointed out. “He will be in the best place to evaluate the relative risks.”
“And the Maple?”
“We are keeping Kakashi-san informed,” Shikamaru replied. Kakashi was on his way home but something stopped him from mentioning that.
“I confess to being surprised that you are so calm about it, Shikamaru-san, given how close you are to Naruto-san and Haru-kun.”
Unbidden, Shikamaru’s mind threw up all the ways in which they could have died; he was suddenly teetering on the edge of an abyss.
“Shika is trying to remain positive, Izuna-sama,” Neji retorted sharply.
Izuna gave a small bow. “Of course. I apologise if I upset you, Shikamaru-san. Would you like some tea? I am sure Neji-san could make us some.”
Shikamaru made himself move away from the void and partition it away. “No thank you, Izuna-sama.” He stood up. “Please excuse me. I shall leave you and Neji to your meeting.”

He went to find Asuma, who was in his office with Konohamaru. They were watching two of the news channels, both of which seemed incapable of moving off the subject of Izuna Uchiha for more than thirty seconds.
“Well?” Asuma asked.
“Izuna-sama suggested ’Uchiha is looking into Reporter Karin’s suggestion’.”
“Could be worse,” Asuma admitted. “Nice and brief. We’ll go with that for now.”
“Maybe you should go this evening,” Shikamaru suggested.
Asuma sighed. “Kono-kun said the same. So who will be going? Izuna-sama will insist on Neji accompanying him as usual. Sumaru will be bodyguard.”
“Tenten would love it,” Konohamaru reminded him.
“Tenten would enjoy the concert greatly,” Asuma conceded. “Very well; Izuna-sama, Sumaru, Neji, Tenten and me.”

.

Madara dressed for the outing and checked the view from a variety of angles; there would be cameras everywhere and, once the events of the evening unfolded, the images they captured would be shown again and again.
Finally he opened the box Sasuke had left for him and put on the ear clips that matched Sumaru’s tags.

When he reached the lobby of the household he was delighted to see Asuma instead of Konohamaru. Madara’s heart sped up. Asuma’s presence increased the risk of the plan failing because he was an elite fighter. On the other hand, the opportunity to put Asuma out of action was a bonus not to be missed.
Tenten was with him, which was good; Asuma would automatically protect her.

Not for the first time, Madara wondered what he saw in her. He could understand Asuma’s attraction to his children’s mother; he had seen images and Kurenai had been beautiful. In contrast, Tenten was plain and unwomanly.

Security in Level 1 and on the Tube was admirable. They were delivered to a secure room off the foyer of the concert hall where they made their final checks; he and Neji had in-ear speakers and throat microphones so that Neji could brief him on anyone they should meet.
He had Neji on his left and Sumaru on his right. Asuma and Tenten were behind him.
The doors slid open and they walked out into the foyer

The best place for the attack was midway between the Tube and their private box. Too soon and they would be able to retreat to the Tube. Too late and they would make it into the box and drop the security shutter.
He recognised the signs only because he was aware of the plan. A woman shouted, “There he is,” and there was a surge of bodies across the foyer towards them.
“It is not right,” Neji exclaimed. “Tube! Now!”
Then the shooting started. A laser hit him on the upper arm. It was a precise hit in the expected place but it still hurt. He pretended to stagger and fell; Neji’s swift alert meant that he had to delay their flight.
The smell of cauterised flesh; his own and others’. Then the screaming and panicking started.
Sumaru lifted him by his uninjured arm and placed him on his feet. The youngster’s symbiote was already activated. He was abnormally strong; his movements inhumanly fast.
Madara checked where the others were. Bodies were already between him and Neji. Asuma was hit but still on his feet.
He began running through the space Sumaru was creating for him; doing anything else would seem suspicious. Print after print sacrificed himself to delay Sumaru’s progress.
He heard a soft grunt through his earpiece as Neji collapsed; success.

Then he and Sumaru were inside the secure room, alone.
“The Tube is safe. The JSF can be trusted.” Sumaru told him. He looked towards the camera. “Please deliver Izuna-sama to the Uchiha compound.”
The doors to the Tube slid open revealing an empty car. Madara hesitated. He could order Sumaru to accompany him but Izuna would have never done that. He would have insisted Sumaru assisted his crewmates.
“Go,” he ordered, stepping into the car. “Bring them home, Sumaru-san.” He would have to hope that the prints had already got Neji away.

.

Shikamaru was trying to get Sumiko to admit she was sleepy. Su-chan was determined to avoid going to bed until Neji was home.
He had managed to get her into her pyjamas, robe and slippers. She was sitting on the couch in the sitting room, sipping some of Choza’s fabulous cocoa.
They were creating a story. Sumiko would have an idea and he would run with it. Occasionally she would make a contribution and he would have to adapt to accommodate it.
This evening she was full of suggestions, determine to convince him that she was wide awake.

They had got as far as people who lived in trees that grew as high as the clouds and rode birds when there was a quiet knock at the door.
“I’ll get it, Nii-san,” she declared, placing her cocoa carefully on the small table beside the couch.

It was Kiba. He smiled at Sumiko. Shikamaru steeled himself for the ‘What in known space is she doing up?’ look but it did not come.
“You are needed, Shika-san,” he said. “I will look after Su-chan.”
His tone was too gentle; his eyes too sympathetic. Shikamaru felt as if he had been punched in the gut. They must have heard something and it was not good news.
He looked at his wrist chronometer. The indicator was still unlit. There was no message from the Oak.
“Shika-san,” Kiba repeated. “I’ll stay with Su-chan. You are needed.”
He pulled himself together and stood. “Su-chan, you be good for Kiba-san.”
She was looking up at him anxiously. He tried to smile and she gave a small nod. “I’ll be good. I’ll finish my cocoa, clean my teeth and go to bed.”

He passed Kiba and went out the open door, sliding it shut behind him, and then looked across the shared area into the kitchen.
Izuna was there. He was sitting on a chair, stripped to the waist. Biwako was examining a nasty laser burn to his upper arm.
Why was Izuna here? Where was everyone else?
“Where’s Neji?” he demanded. He could feel panic bubbling up from somewhere deep. He partitioned it away.
“Sumaru threw me into a Tube car. I told him to go back for the others,” Izuna answered.
That made some sense. Shikamaru switched on the projector and dug an interface from his pocket. Maybe there would be something on the news channels.
“Konohamaru and Keitaro are in the control room,” Biwako told him. “Moegi and Kamatari are mobilising a medical response. Choza is talking to the JSF.”
Shikamaru did not know what to do. He did not want to use the intercom, because Su-chan would hear. Should he go to the control room? Or follow Choza?

The interface made the connection. Both news channels were showing the Arts Centre. Whatever had happened was over. Expensively dressed men and women were wandering about aimlessly or sitting on the ground. Some people were receiving medical treatment.
There were bodies.
People had died.
Neji might be dead. Like Pa and Klenn. Just as Haru might be dead, and Na-chan, and Sasuke, and...

Someone had his arm and was guiding him to a chair. For one crazy moment he thought it was Sasuke but it wasn’t.
“I hate you,” he heard himself say, which surprised him.
Izuna’s mouth tightened and his eyes narrowed. “I shall forget you said that, Shikamaru-san. You are upset.”

There was movement in the doorway. Shikamaru made himself be present and focused. It was Sumaru. He was white with pain; a sure sign that he had used his symbiote and driven himself past his limits. He bowed; first to Izuna and then to him.
“I apologise for abandoning you, Izuna-sama. Shika-san, I am sorry. They took Neji-san. I did not see them take him but I spoke to many who did.”
Took? What did ‘took’ mean?
“Asuma-san?” Izuna asked. “Tenten-san?”
“Asuma-san was hit several times. He was tanked at the scene and the tank is already here in the infirmary. Tenten-san has a few relatively minor injuries and is receiving treatment.”
“Was he dead?” Shikamaru asked.
Sumaru would not make eye contact. “I do not know. None of the witnesses mentioned an injury.”
Izuna’s hand on his arm again. “Think, Shikamaru-san. Why would they take a body?”
Shikamaru twisted away. “The Hyuga have a price on his head. They would pay for his body.” If it were the Hyuga, Neji might be better off dead. He knew Neji thought so.
If it were a kidnapping, those who carried it out would need to deliver Neji to whoever had paid for it. He stood up. “Someone should be trying to track them.” He bowed. “Please excuse me, Izuna-sama. Sumaru-kun, I know it is a lot to ask, but could you take a painkiller and assist me?”
Sumaru nodded. “Moegi gave me a shot. It’s already beginning to kick in.”

By the middle of station night, Shikamaru had some grasp of what had happened.
Sumaru had given him an excellent account; when he was using the symbiote he had sharper senses and made more detailed memories. The JSF were being meticulously thorough in taking witness statements and documenting the scene. Every time a fresh piece of video of the attack emerged on a media channel or in the data streams, he made a copy and examined it for clues. He already had the data from all the sensors and detectors in the Arts Centre.
He had Tennyo Three on it using her Angela identity. She was following up leads.
It was most likely that the attackers had hid amongst the fleeing audience. No one had tried to stop people leaving. Many taxis and shuttles had docked in quick succession at each of the nine airlocks.
He had tried tracking each one but the data was not available.

The bodies whose identities did not check out were being kept for investigation. Two had already been scanned. They had mindnets; they were printed clones.
It was the Akatsuki; Orochimaru.
He felt a glimmer of hope; Orochimaru might want Neji alive.
Then, without warning, he was back watching the projection of Itachi being raped by the bullmen. He could see the images; hear the sounds.
He felt sick. He had promised Neji he was safe; that nothing like that would ever happen to him again.
Neji had trusted him and he had betrayed that trust; broken his promise.
For once his mind was still; every thought silenced. All that remained was grief and despair.

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