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
- 33
- 34
- 35
If you wish to be on my email alert lists for ‘Leader; or ‘Jason’ (under Originals), please send an email to mannahpierce@ntlworld.com. I send out an email each time I post a chapter.

Thank you to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.
Also thanks to eunmook, sadie237, melissen, Aflyingmonkey and disembodiedvoiceofthedying for reviewing after chapter 33 was posted. Readers’ feedback, support and comments mean a great deal to me. Feedback keeps me writing.
Hits are nice. Ratings are welcome. Reviews encourage and inspire.

Leader
Part 4: Parry
34: Bonds

Sasuke stared at Yasushi’s pod.
They had began heading back to the hole as soon as they had realised Yoshimi’s pod was missing.
Yoshimi was with the Orochimaru print. It had focused Sasuke’s mind. Pursuing the original Orochimaru could wait. They needed to link up with the rest of Uchiha and plan on how to rescue Yoshimi and the others who were trapped.
They had faced impossible situations before. Shikamaru had always come up with a solution. He would this time, Sasuke was certain of it.
He looked at Naruto. “Wouldn’t it be...?”
“No,” Naruto replied before he could finish. “We are not leaving the children podded and we are unpodding Ya-chan first.” His whiskers drooped. “We have discussed this and come to a decision. You agreed.”
Sasuke nodded. Trouble was, he did not agree. He had given in.

It was heartbreaking. The first thing Yasushi did was look around for Yoshimi. Sasuke could see him wondering why they had not been unpodded at the same time.
“Ya-chan, sweetie...” Naruto began.
It was not the best start. Yasushi knew immediately something was wrong. “Where’s Yo-chan?” he demanded.
Sasuke decided to intervene. “His pod wasn’t with yours,” he replied in his best ‘Papa’ voice; full of confidence and reassurance. “You were on the ship that jumped through the hole, the ship we piggybacked on. Yo-chan wasn’t. He is still in the other system, like Haru and Kazuki and Kuuya.”
Yasushi’s whiskers drooped and he looked puzzled. “But Yo-chan was on the Sakura with me. Ha-chan, Ka-chan and Kuuya were on the Lancet.”
“Rin-san, Akemi-kun and Yo-chan must have stayed in the other system,” Naruto told him. “We don’t know what happened, Ya-chan. We were expecting eight pods and there were only five.”
Yasushi looked from Naruto to him and then back to Naruto. “They may have escaped. Or maybe Itachi-san rescued them,” he suggested.
“Maybe,” Naruto agreed. “Or perhaps some neko forgot to transfer all the pods.”
Sasuke half-wished Naruto had stopped after ‘maybe’ but he knew that it was unwise to raise Ya-chan’s hopes. At least he had said ‘perhaps some neko forgot to transfer all the pods’ rather than ‘the Orochimaru print kept him to play with’.
He would not shudder; Yasushi would pick up on that like a flash.
“Let’s unpod Hoshi and Yuki and Keizo,” he said instead.

Unpodding the others distracted Yasushi, which was good. Sasuke hung back, watching Naruto hug and kiss them before he took his turn to embrace them.
Then they had to explain again that Yoshimi was missing. He watched the news sink in.
“I am sure that he is fine,” Hoshi responded for Yasushi’s behalf; Sasuke saw her eyes go to him, judging his reaction.
The other two followed her lead and swallowed their questions.

Next they had the challenge of finding clothing and footwear. Hoshi said she would go through the nekos’ closets and Yuki quickly located a sewing machine.
Keizo and Yasushi looked horrified at the idea of helping with the alterations. It reminded Sasuke of his first day with Naruto, watching him struggle with the sewing machine.
He took pity on them. “Kei-chan, Ya-chan, locate suits for everyone,” he instructed. “Don’t forget Gai-san, we don’t want to be halfway into a battle before we find out nothing fits him. Then you can help your To-chan and Gai-san sort out the security and weapons systems. I want to be able to start running drills as soon as possible.”
“We will have to go back to the Blossom for supplies,” Naruto added. “Probably tomorrow. We could dock her properly at the same time. If you two can convince me you will be a help rather than a hindrance, I will take you along.”
The two of them stood taller in an unconscious attempt to look efficient; Sasuke suppressed a smile.
“We will be having our evemeal at the usual time,” Yuki added. “”Would it be possible for everyone to attend, Papa? Whoever is on watch could relay the console readings to a tablet.”
Yuki behaving like a miniature version of Haku was so cute that Sasuke forgot to reply.
“Papa?” Yuki hinted.
“Yes, that will be fine, Yu-chan. I shall be with Gai-san in the control room. We will sort out a wireless link before the evemeal.”

The ship’s galley was merely a large alcove to store and heat food so Yuki had insisted that a table and seven chairs be brought from another room and set up in the shared area of the crew room.
Sasuke propped up the tablet on the side and took his place at the head of the table. It was touching that Yuki should be determined to establish a slice of home in the captured ship. It was wonderful to have him, Hoshi, Keizo and Yasushi safe.
Not that he had forgotten Haru, Kazuki, Kuuya, Yoshimi and the other crew members who were trapped. His fears for them lurked below the surface, colouring his feelings and complicating his thoughts.

Naruto started to tell the story of how they had taken the ship. He was describing the old minky dancing in zero gravity with his mop, followed by the chase when the old-old-red-eight had proved so difficult to catch.
It was even funnier in retrospect.
They finished up by explaining quickly how they had darted or gassed the rest of the crew before podding them.
“So the Orochimaru print was not on board, Sasuke-sama?” Gai queried.
Sasuke saw Naruto’s eyes go to Yasushi and Sasuke wished he had primed Gai when they were together in the control room. “No,” he said lightly, trying to make it sound insignificant.
Yasushi was frowning.
Yuki jumped up and went to get the dessert he had made using berries Hoshi had harvested from hydroponics. It was delicious and bowls were soon emptied.
Except Yasushi’s, which remained full.
“So Yo-chan is with the Orochimaru print,” he whispered.
“We don’t know that, Ya-chan,” Naruto answered gently.
Sasuke was assaulted by sad eyes and drooping whiskers. “It explains why he isn’t here,” Yasushi continued. “The print kept him.”
“Ya-chan...” Sasuke began.
Yasushi ignored him. “Orochimaru could be fucking Yo-chan right now.”
“That’s enough!” Sasuke refused to contemplate it.
Yasushi was on his feet. “No it isn’t!” He picked up his bowl and threw it against the wall. “Stop pretending everything is normal because it isn’t.”
Sasuke stood up. “Ya-chan, calm down. Getting upset isn’t...”
He was going to say, “...going to help Yo-chan,” but he did not get a chance. Ya-chan snarled, showing his fangs.
Then Naruto was on his feet with a growl that made the hairs on the back of Sasuke’s neck stand on end.

Yasushi cowered; he whimpered and his whiskers drooped.
“What do you say to your father?” Naruto demanded; the growl still audible in his voice.
“I am sorry, Papa,” Yasushi whispered.
“I forgive you,” Sasuke said quickly. “We are all worried about Yo-chan but we understand that it is worst for you.” He checked the others. Hoshi looked anxious. Yuki and Keizo were cowering slightly in response to Naruto’s display of dominance.
Gai stood up, “Please excuse me, Sasuke-sama. I shall return to the control room.” He bowed to Yuki. “Thank you, Yuki-kun, for such a delicious meal.” He claimed the tablet and beat a hasty retreat.
Sasuke took a deep breath. Allowing Yasushi to brood about the possibilities was definitely a bad idea. “Let’s clear the table and then talk,” he suggested.

“I agree with Ya-chan,” Sasuke began once they were settled around the empty table. “Pretending it isn’t happening won’t help anyone. No one still trapped in the system is safe and we know that Yo-chan and Akemi-kun and Rin-san have been captured.” He took a deep breath. “What scares you most?” he asked.
“That Yo-chan will be killed,” Hoshi stated.
Sasuke’s gut twisted.

“That isn’t what scares me most,” Yuki admitted. “It’s that Yo-chan will bond to Orochimaru. If that happens he’d be better off dead.”
“Yuki!” Sasuke objected but looking from Yasushi to Naruto he realised that they both concurred.
“There are worse things than death,” Naruto agreed. “Ya-chan, I do not think Yo-chan will bond to Orochimaru. Lots of bad things happened to me when I was about your age and I flipped occasionally but I never came close to bonding to anyone before your Papa.”
“Even when you fucked?” Yasushi asked in a whisper.
“Even when I fucked,” Naruto assured him. “I believe that there already has to be a relationship here...” He touched his temple. “...and here...” He touched his chest. “...before the bond can form. I also believe it has to be voluntary and cannot be forced.” He looked at Sasuke. “A gift.”
“The most precious gift,” Sasuke echoed holding Naruto’s gaze and hoping that he was right. Orochimaru might use brainwashing or drugs to force Yoshimi into the necessary state of mind so that the bond could be made.
Not that there was anything to be gained from saying so.

Shikamaru slid from the huge bed and stood for a moment studying Neji. He looked incredible sleeping with his hair spread out across the silken pillow; very much as if he belonged in the opulent surroundings of one of the Renaissance’s guest suites.
Closer examination showed him too pale and slightly haggard. Like Asuma, he would have benefited from more time in the tank.
Shikamaru imagined Hinata balancing the risk to Neji’s health against her need for information. As soon as the tipping point had been reached, Neji had been detanked.
He was glad she had been so calculating. He did not know what he would have done if he hadn’t found Neji’s message bobbing in the data streams. Could he have stood firm against Izuna for those five days without knowing that Neji was safe? He doubted it.

The head and the bathroom were as luxurious as the bedroom; every fixture and fitting announced that it had been chosen by someone for whom cost was irrelevant.
Luckily Klenn’s eye for design and taste had equalled his wealth.
He showered before combining his hair through as he dried himself under the blowers. Then hair up, clothes on and earpiece in, he set out to face Sumiko.

She was not in her room, which was the second bedroom of the suite. Shikamaru hesitated, wondering where to try next.
“She’s in the galley with Kiba-san,” Sai told him.
Shikamaru jumped. Even though he was wearing a wireless earpiece and throat-mike, he had not anticipated Sai initiating a conversation.
“Where’s that?” he asked; he had not paid much attention to anything other than the control room and Neji the day before.

It turned out that Sumiko had chosen one of the self-contained guest apartments for their accommodation. It had five bedrooms arranged into three suits, a galley, two shared areas, a gym and a formal reception room with its own viewing deck.
Su-chan and Kiba were in the galley. So was Hinata, whom Sumiko was regarding with undisguised suspicion.
“Sumiko does not like Hinata-san,” Sai whispered in his ear.
Shikamaru could see that. He bowed. “Hinata-san, Kiba-san, Su-chan,” he acknowledged.
“Nii-san!” Su-chan replied, jumping down from her chair to greet him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. “Where’s Ne-chan?”
He kissed the top of her head. “He’s still asleep. He’s tired.”
“Shikamaru-san,” Hinata said in her soft voice.
“Breakfast, Shika-san?” Kiba asked. “There is a coffee maker,” he added.
“That would be great, thank you,” Shikamaru replied.

He studied Sumiko as he sipped his coffee, noting that the scowl she was directing at Hinata did not let up for even a moment. At least the coffee was amazing; one of the best he had ever tasted.
“I was surprised to see Neji-san and Hinata-san,” Kiba hinted.
Shikamaru felt himself flush. “Yes, I was hoping that we could keep their presence a secret for the time being.” He tried smiling at Sumiko. “It will be a nice surprise for Iruka-san and the others.”
Her scowl deepened. “Information is leaking from the household in Tarrasade. Nii-san doesn’t want the Akatsuki knowing we’ve got Ne-chan back.”
Shikamaru shut his eyes briefly. Of course Sai would tell Sumiko everything; Shikamaru had not warned him otherwise.
“I understand, Shika-san,” Kiba assured him. “Should I ask more about the leak?”
“It probably wouldn’t be a good idea,” he admitted.
“And the absence of a crew on this ship?”
“The autopilot is very sophisticated,” Shikamaru assured him, adding ‘especially with Sai keeping an eye on everything’ in his head.
“And Hinata-san’s presence? Not that you are not welcome, Hinata-san.”
Hinata bowed and her lips moved very slightly; a feminine version of Neji’s smile. “Thank you, Kiba-san.”
Shikamaru decided to address everything at once. “I am trying to get everyone safely home and ensure that Sasuke-sama remains as Uchiha-sama. Please trust me, Kiba-san.”
Kiba’s dark eyes studied him and then he nodded.
It was relief. Shikamaru knew that he was bending his vow to breaking point with every thought and deed; he did not want to put others in the same situation.

After that there was silence; neither Kiba nor Hinata appeared to feel any obligation to converse and Su-chan was busy trying to vaporise Hinata with the sheer intensity of her gaze. Even Sai was quiet.
Shikamaru was contemplating another cup of coffee when Sumiko’s frown vanished and she ran across the galley and through the open doorway into the adjacent shared area.
“Ne-chan! Ne-chan!”
Then she was back, setting a place for Neji and making tea. Shikamaru watched; intrigued. Occasionally Su-chan looked after him but never Neji. He wondered if it was because she had missed him but then he saw the sideways looks she was giving Hinata.
Sumiko was laying claim to him.

The notion amused him for all of a moment. Then he saw the looks that Neji and Hinata exchanged and his mind began generating possibilities. Was it merely friendship between two people who had spent their childhood together? Was there more? Had Neji really been too tired the previous night? Had anything already happened?
His gaze went to the ring on Neji’s heart finger. No; Neji was too honourable for that.
Unlike him; he had crushed on Izuna. He had even allowed Izuna to touch him.
“Are you well, Shikamaru-san?” Hinata asked.
“You will get used to Shika,” Neji replied for him. “The world inside his mind is far larger than ours.”
He did not mind Neji answering for him; on the contrary it made him feel warm.
“Ne-chan and I look after Nii-san,” Sumiko announced, scowling even more fiercely at Hinata.
Hinata looked directly at her, which was brave. “I can see that, Sumiko-chan. I can also see that you did a very good job of doing so while Neji-san was away. You are to be commended.”
Su-chan’s scowl faltered and she turned slightly pink but she did not reply and, to Shikamaru’s relief, both Kiba and Neji took the prudent course and did not insist that she did so.

Shikamaru sipped a second cup of coffee. Kiba took Sumiko away to look over more of the ship. Hinata excused herself.
He warned Sai that he would be switching off and asked him not to eavesdrop.
“Shika,” Neji whispered. “Talk to me.”
Shikamaru did not know where to start. People he loved were in danger. He was not thinking properly because he didn’t dare take down the partitions in his mind for fear of the backlash. He thought that Izuna Uchiha was plotting to become Uchiha-sama but could not say so because of his oath. He was even more worried than usual that Neji was going to realise how inadequate he was as a partner and turn to someone more worthy.
Then there was the artificial intelligence whom he and Haru had created and whose existence he had promised to keep secret.
He went for something that barely touched on any of those things. “We were lucky that so few people knew that Hinata was your cousin.”
Neji studied him for a moment. “Even more so that she was willing to give up everything to save me,” he admitted. “She says she never came to terms with what the Hyuga did to my mother.”
“Or what they would do to you given the chance,” Shikamaru suggested. “Thank the Lady she had been assigned back to Tarrasade.”
“It was not luck,” Neji informed him. “It took standards of planning and manoeuvring.”
A small voice told Shikamaru that Hinata must have been driven by more than a childhood friendship. He decided to change the subject. “There is a leak from the compound. There was a message sent from the Stellar Exchange in Tarrasade saying that we had heard from Sasuke-sama.”
Neji’s eyes widened. “What about Sasuke-sama and Naruto? Orochimaru will be waiting for them.”
“It’s in hand,” Shikamaru assured him. “The Dart will pursue the Akatsuki mothership. Inari won’t stop until he knows Sasuke and Naruto have received our warning.”
“Good,” Neji acknowledged. “And the leak?”
“Asuma and I decided that we would act as if the Akatsuki had bugged the household during the raid.”
“Have they?” Neji queried.
Shikamaru shrugged. He was determined not to discuss his suspicions. “The best news is that there is another hole into the system where Haru and the others are trapped. There was enough astronomical data in Sasuke’s message to locate it.”
It worked. Neji was distracted from discussing the leak. “Is it jumpable?”
“We don’t know.” He paused; he hated thinking about what had to come next, never mind talking about it. “I need to create and refine a plan.”
Neji waited.
“But I’m not thinking straight,” he confessed.
“You’ve been walling away your emotions.”
Shikamaru never thought of it like that but Neji was right. It was fine when he used the partitions to divide his mind in order to think in parallel; the problems started when he used them to avoid unbearable thoughts.
“It would be a good time to take them down,” he admitted. “I know that the others are alive. You are back. I don’t have to worry about Izuna-sama.”
Neji’s eyes darkened. “What happened?”
“Nothing,” Shikamaru lied.
He could see Neji deciding to let it go, at least for now. “You had better record everything I might need to know in case we have to resort to sedation.”
Shikamaru imagined being trapped inside his mind with no one to anchor him to reality. “No sedation, Neji. You have to promise.”
“But...”
“Promise me, Neji. However bad it gets, I have to stay conscious.” He could see Neji was unconvinced. “Neji, sedating me might make it easier for you but it will make it a thousand times worse for me.”
Neji stiffened.
“Promise,” Shikamaru insisted.
“I promise.”

He chose what had to have been Klenn’s private viewing deck. It had been stripped but Shikamaru would have known from the amazing, crystal-clear dome.
As he sank into the chair he wondered that Garner should have left it. The shape, the smell of the leather, they spoke Klenn’s name.
He wished Naruto was there. No matter what, Naruto could anchor him.
“I may need for you to hold me,” he warned.
Neji nodded. He knelt down facing the chair; the sentinel.

Shikamaru leaned back and looked out at the familiar starscape. Tarrasade was so very beautiful.

At first he went slowly. A partition was lowered and his conscious mind shuddered under the lash of the released emotions. Despair churned; he could taste the fear.
The second was worse; the third a little less so.
He was dimly aware of memories melding but he was too agitated to think.
The fourth, fifth and sixth followed in swift succession. He was barely in control; clinging on as the maelstrom built. He was still connected to reality. He could see the stars through his tears. He could smell the leather. He could feel Neji’s hands on his knees.
Behind the seventh was Izuna: the suffocating closeness; that touch; his desire for Sasuke twisted and deformed; the belated realisation that what Izuna had intended had been nothing short of rape.
He heaved; coffee and acid surging up his gullet and into his throat.

There was a split moment when he knew that all the other partitions were splintering. He whimpered as the remains of his control shredded.

And he was lost. Caught up in the maelstrom. Battered by anger and guilt; fear and despair; self-loathing and grief.
Beaten by blows he could not avoid.
Scourged by whips of his own making.

A wave of sensation and then another: a lifeline connecting his mind to his body; new, raw emotions; feelings that he was never meant to control.
He was on the floor: skin to skin; wrapped in Neji’s hair; their limbs entwined.
A hand was pumping his erection. Lips released their purchase on his neck. Neji breathed into his ear, “Come for me, Shika.”
The explosion blasted his mind, leaving it blissfully empty.
He looked up and saw the stars.
- 33
- 34
- 35
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