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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
- 40
- 41
- 42
Thank you to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.
Also thanks to Dragonbetty, melissen, v, satterb, Procrastination_is_key, disembodiedvoiceofthedying, sadie237, Aflyingmonkey, cynaga and superflaj for reviewing after chapter 40 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.

I think we can go back to two chapters a week for a while. Readers’ support has helped me write my way through the block I was experiencing. Thank you!
So postings will be on Wednesdays and Saturdays until further notice.
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Leader
Part 5: Regroup
41: Rethink

The light speed data relay on the minigate activated five days after Itachi’s first message, as requested.
Shikamaru was stripped and in the simulator as soon as he had confirmation that there was an incoming message. This was it; the moment they discovered if the second hole could be jumped. Either there would be a signal from Tennyo Six, sent when she jumped into the system, or there would not.

Sai expanded and deciphered the incoming communication. Shikamaru waited; barely able to breathe.
It was there. Relief washed through his body. An explosion of thoughts closed down many possibilities and opened others.
He made himself ignore them and activated the direct channel to Sasuke. “This is Shikamaru. We have a signal from Tennyo Six. The second hole can be jumped.”
“Thank the Lady,” Sasuke murmured. “Thank you for telling me so quickly.”

He closed the channel and began scanning the other components of the message.
“Shikamaru-san?”
“Yes, Sai-kun?”
“The light speed data relay was operational for two hundred and thirteen seconds. This implies a jump window of between three hundred and three hundred and fifty seconds.”
That was much, much shorter than the first time Itachi had disabled the disruptor.
Jumping a ship with a Mulligan drive took a great deal longer than three hundred seconds; it meant the end of their plan to jump the Linden into the system and explode it.

They would have to rely solely on the Maple and the other ships she was carrying. It would be enough. Kakashi would deal with Orochimaru, disable the disruptor, clear the bombs and open the hole.
It was a disappointment; he and Sai had already put so much work into the autopilot and the Orochimaru simulation.
“We can use the Orochimaru sim another time,” Shikamaru suggested. “Maybe when we go after the original.”
“You have not opened Itachi-san’s communication,” Sai replied, which was worrying.

Before he could do so, a voice came over the radio.
“He’s going to block the second hole.”
It was Sasuke and Shikamaru had never heard him so panicked.
“We should never have tested the hole or launched the transmitter. We should have waited for the Maple.”
Thank the Lady it was a private channel. “Sasuke-sama?”
“There is Akatsuki activity at the second hole. Itachi thinks they have the components for another disruptor.”
Shikamaru almost pointed out that the potential advantages of checking the hole had outweighed the risks but stopped himself. “Sasuke-sama, what is done is done.”
There was a short silence; Shikamaru thought that he could hear Sasuke breathing deeply to calm himself. “We will discuss options in our meeting this afternoon.”
“I shall analyse all parts of this morning’s communication and arrive at the meeting with suggestions,” Shikamaru promised.

Sasuke closed the channel to Shikamaru. He was trembling. First there had been the elation of hearing that the second hole could be jumped and then the crushing disappointment of learning it would be blocked. For a few minutes he had allowed himself to imagine his people returned and his children safe. Now there was no realistic prospect of rescue.
Even so, losing control was unforgivable. He was Uchiha-sama. He was Papa. He was ashamed of himself and thankful that only Shikamaru had witnessed his weakness.

His eyes went to the wall opposite his desk where there would normally be the drawing of Naruto walking away or a portrait of his family.
There was neither because this was not his office. He was on the Linden, in what had been the Orochimaru print’s study.
Instead on the wall there were the three drawings the triplets had made for him. Looking at them made it both better and worse; worse because it reminded him of Yoshimi, Kazuki, Kuuya and Haru; better because it reminded him of why they must never give up.

He summoned his resolve. The next step was to work out a way to tell the others. He imagined the disappointment in Naruto’s eyes, then Keizo’s and, most heartbreaking, in Yasushi’s.
He activated the intercom. “This is Sasuke. Naruto, please could you come to my office as soon as you are available.”

Naruto listened to the news. His eyes did not darken and his whiskers did not droop; there was no suggestion that Sasuke had fallen short. Instead he looked and sounded determined.
“Blocking a second hole will spread their resources more thinly. Even if the Akatsuki get the second disruptor operational before the Maple arrives, Itachi and the others will nibble away until one or other of the disruptors is damaged in a way that cannot be mended with the components that the Akatsuki have with them.”
Sasuke hugged him; grateful to him for remaining so positive. He did not mention that the wreckage of the Oak probably contained every component that the Akatsuki could ever need. He did not remind Naruto that the Akatsuki could fall back on bombs to disrupt the jump field every time one of the disruptors was put out of action.
He did not point out that the Orochimaru print had Haru and, if Haru gave up what he knew, Itachi’s job would be nigh on impossible.

They told the children together. Yasushi’s expression was exactly as Sasuke had feared, with huge sad eyes and drooping whiskers.
“We are meeting this afternoon to discuss options,” he hear himself say and then felt worse; this evening Yasushi would ask if they had come up with something and he would have to say no.

Shikamaru started with Itachi’s message. Between them, he and Sai dissected the information and cross referenced it to what they already knew.
At the end was a promise to put the disruptor out of action again on the day the Maple was due to jump into the system and an assurance that all their people would be well away from the hole in case they decided to send through a bomb.
He sighed. When Itachi had recorded the message he had not known how quickly the enemy would react to the second disruptor malfunction.

“Shikamaru-san?”
“Yes, Sai-kun?”
“I can jump the Linden within three hundred seconds. See.”
Shikamaru watched the simulation. To his astonishment it could be done. The miniature Mulligan drive could be kept powered up, on the edge of generating a jump field. It required continuous constant corrections, but Sai was fast enough to provide them. It would reduce the life of the drive, but that did not matter because the plan was to destroy the drive. It would be extremely detrimental to anyone aboard who had a flesh and blood body but Sai did not have a flesh and blood body.
Sai would survive the jump but he was unlikely to survive the subsequent explosion.
“You are not going to be on the ship, Sai-kun. No one is going to be aboard.”
“I have to be aboard,” Sai argued. “Otherwise the jump is not possible. You saw the simulations.”
“No,” Shikamaru insisted. “That is the end of it, Sai.”
“You could make me a box that would survive the explosion.”
Shikamaru considered the possibility for all of a moment. “I cannot build such a box within the time period with the materials to hand. I don’t know that I could build such a box with unlimited time and resources.”

There was a pause before Sai came up with another argument. “You could build the best box you can and I could back me up in case it does not work.”
It was a valid argument. A back-up would be possible; Sai had moved from the abandoned data crystal array to the one Klenn had given Haru. They had seven days; if Tennyo One could not get him a suitable array in time, Shikamaru would wipe the one he had with him.
He checked; it might be possible to get twenty-seven five cubed arrays in time. He sent a message via the minigate to his usual supplier and another to Tennyo One. As an afterthought he included a wish list of supplies he would need to build a radiation and blast proof box.
“So you will build the best box you can and I shall back me up in case it does not work,” Sai checked. “Then you will know that help will be on its way to Haru and Ran and Kazuki in seven days’ time.”
If they did not do this, Haru and the others could be with the Orochimaru print for divs, even standards; Yo-chan had already been a prisoner for thirty-five days. “Yes,” Shikamaru agreed.

There was a great deal to do. They had to build the housing for the new fifteen cubed array, design and build the blast-proof box and adapt the Linden’s systems so that Sai could control them.
He and Sai created a schedule, identified tasks and considered who was available to carry them out. It would be tight but if everyone contributed they should make it.
“Shikamaru-san,” Sai said as they were finishing the presentation he would make to Sasuke that afternoon. “You will be shuttling between the Renaissance and the Linden. It will be much more efficient if I am with you.”
Shikamaru froze. Su-chan was not going to like that one little bit.
“I shall explain to Sumiko when you go to the meeting this afternoon,” Sai assured him. “It is almost time for your midday meal,” he added. “Your alarm will sound in forty-two seconds.”

Hinata had prepared the meal, which was considerate of her because the other adults had duties and she did not. Unfortunately it meant that the food was not familiar.
Shikamaru caught Sumiko’s eye and mouthed ‘projectors’. She scowled at him but he could see that she understood.
Kiba reacted quickly, selecting from the plainer dishes and constructing three plates, one for each of the triplets. Tsuneo chomped his way happily through his while Takara and Teruko picked at the food on theirs with suspicion.

Neji was eating with real pleasure; Shikamaru had never seen him so interested in food. Shikamaru served himself and tried a forkful. It was different but he acknowledged that he could come to like it.
“This is very good, Hinata-san,” he tried, interested in finding out more.
“Thank you, Shikamaru-san. My mother had no talent for cooking but Neji-san’s mother was kind enough to teach me.”
Shikamaru found himself suppressing a smile; there was no way he could compete with someone who could cook like Neji’s mother.

They were on the shuttle to the Linden directly after their meal. As always, Neji piloted and Shikamaru looked after communications.
“Hinata cares enough to cook you dishes your mother made,” Shikamaru observed.
Neji flushed slightly. “It is nice,” he admitted. “A flavour of home.”
Shikamaru never thought of Darrenden as home. For him, home was his crew; his family.
“We were promised to each other.”
Shikamaru blinked. He had not known that. Neji had never mentioned it before. “They didn’t pair her up with someone else after you left?”
“It does not work like that. You are born into a position and many aspects of that position are predetermined.”
It sounded like a breeding programme to Shikamaru but he did not think Neji would like him putting it that way. “Being together must be nice. You are free but you have each other as a connection to your lives before.”
Neji was looking at him. “I do miss what we had,” he admitted.
Shikamaru avoided eye contact. “So do I.” He chose to smile. “But the time had come for us to move on.”

Sasuke listened carefully to what Shikamaru had to say and then studied the plan. Everything he knew about jumping holes and controlling a drive told him it was unfeasible.
There again, Shika specialised in making the impossible happen. They had minigates and the route finder. Naruto could walk again.
“You are sure you can do it?” he queried.
“If everything is ready and there is a long enough jump window. Two hundred and eighty-nine seconds is the minimum. The explosion will destroy everything in the vicinity of the hole, including that side of the minigate.”
“And the hole will be jumpable afterwards?”
Shikamaru hesitated. “The physics says it should be. Yes.”
“Will there be any damage on this side of the hole?”
“There shouldn’t be but we will be standing off from the hole.”
“What if the field is disrupted, the jump fails and the explosion happens on this side?”
“That is highly unlikely, but it is another reason for having our ships well clear of the hole on this side. We have run numerous simulations, Sasuke-sama.”
Sasuke allowed himself to hope. “Then we had better get to work. The schedule looks tight.” He activated the intercom. “This is Sasuke. There is an urgent and immediate briefing. Everyone should attend, including those on watch.”

The best part of telling the others was Yasushi’s reaction. His smile lit up the whole room. When the briefing ended he rushed over and treated his Papa to a hug.
“You should thank Shika-san,” Sasuke pointed out.
Ya-chan hugged Shikamaru as well. Then he was off, keen to begin the tasks that had been assigned to him.
His place was taken by Naruto. Shikamaru was lifted up and spun about. Sasuke watched them. It was too long since he had seen Naruto happy.
Then his eyes went to Neji, who was silent and motionless at the side of the room.
“Neji and I will be in my office,” he said, which surprised him almost as much as it did Neji.

On his way up the ladder, Sasuke had time to think why he wanted to speak to Neji alone. He decided that it was because Neji was cut off from those who would normally check on him; Haku, Iruka and, of course, Shika.
“Sasuke-sama?” Neji queried once they were alone.
“How are you?” Sasuke asked.
Neji was utterly expressionless, which was not a good sign. “I am well, Sasuke-sama.”
“And Hinata-san?”
“She is well also, Sasuke-sama.”
“Good. You understand that you can come to me about anything?”
“That is kind of you, Sasuke-sama.”
There was silence. Sasuke resisted the urge to fill it by speaking first.
“Shika-san is spending most of his waking time in Haru’s simulator,” Neji told him. “However, he is sleeping and eating and his caffeine intake is much reduced compared to when he was working at his desk.”
“Are you worried about him?” Sasuke asked.
Neji considered. “On balance, given the danger Haru is in, I think he is doing well. Being able to think of a way past the blocked hole has helped greatly, as has being reunited with Naruto-san, the triplets and you.”
“That is good news, Neji-san. We will be moving to the Renaissance soon. I look forward to getting to know Hinata-san.”
Neji hesitated.
Sasuke waited.
“I do not think that Naruto-san feels the same way, Sasuke-sama.”
It was true; Naruto had not wanted him to give Neji permission to pursue a relationship with Hinata. “Naruto worries about Shika,” Sasuke replied. “As Shika-san supports your decision, I am sure Naruto will become accustomed to the idea.”

Even so, what Neji had said niggled. Sasuke waited until later in the day when he and Naruto were on their way back to the Linden after visiting the triplets on the Renaissance.
“Shika and Neji,” he began.
Naruto’s whiskers twitched in the way that said, “You made a decision that was yours to make and I support you in that even though I disagree.” For whiskers they could be pretty articulate.
“Why did you think I should not have given Neji permission to have a relationship with Hinata?”
Naruto checked the controls of the shuttle. “You said yes because Shi-chan asked you to.”
“That is not an answer to my question.”
Blue eyes turned to him. “Shi-chan was too quick to let Neji go,”
Sasuke knew Naruto well enough to know there was more. “And?”
“Why does Hinata want Neji?””
It was a good question. “Maybe she doesn’t. Maybe Neji will find out that the attraction is one-sided.”
Naruto shook his head. “I can smell her on him. They have been fucking since the day after you gave your permission.”
Sasuke was surprised. He had imagined Hinata being more cautious. “Maybe she loves him.”
Naruto’s nostrils flared in disbelief. “Maybe she’s desperate to tie him to her because she has given up everything else she knows.”
It was a possibility. “I hope that they discover that they love each other,” Sasuke replied.
Naruto’s eyes softened. “You are such a romantic.”
Sasuke moved closer. “You made me that way.”
“I have to dock the shuttle,” Naruto reminded him.

They managed to get out of the shuttle, through the docking bay and two-thirds up the ladder before the questions started. Inari had a query about the drive control systems. Gai wanted to know if they were going to strip the Renaissance before using it as a bomb. Hoshi had a question about the work schedule and Yuki was asking if they had eaten.
All Sasuke wanted was to get to their cabin so that Naruto could fuck him senseless. He referred Inari to Shikamaru and told Gai that they would discuss the matter next morning but before he could answer Hoshi, Keizo had whispered something in her ear.
“Tomorrow will be fine, Papa,” she said quickly.
“I’ll make up a basket for you,” Yuki added. “I’ll put it outside your door.”
Then, like magic, they had gone and Sasuke was free to follow Naruto up the ladder.
“Did Kei-chan just...?” he began and trailed off.
“The exact words were ‘Special cuddles time’,” Naruto informed him.
Sasuke flushed.
“Teme, I howl and you squeal. It’s not like they don’t know we fuck.”
“I do not squeal,” Sasuke objected.
“Scream then.”
Naruto stepped off the ladder, leaned down and grasped his forearm. Sasuke tensed his body so that Naruto could boost him up the final five rungs and into an embrace.

Once they kissed everything else faded away. There was just Naruto; his Naruto. They stripped each other and then showered together.
Sasuke sponged Naruto’s skin, delighting in the caramel skin with its coating of soft, golden hairs. He crouched down, washing first one foot and then the other, smiling at Naruto’s small huffs when the sponge swept over his ticklish soles.
Upwards to the small scar on his calf; the one Kazuki’s baby teeth had made and Naruto had chosen to keep. Suddenly Sasuke mind was full of Kazuki and Haru. What would Ka-chan do if the Orochimaru print hurt Haru? How would the Orochimaru print react?

Naruto pulled him to his feet, wrapped him in long arms and held him close.
“We will be strong, as they will be strong, until we are reunited,” Naruto told him.
“But...” Sasuke began.
Naruto kissed the words from his lips and stopped those that would have followed with his tongue.
Sasuke yielded and then responded. The intensity of the kiss left him trembling. Naruto rinsed them off, activated the blowers and then groomed him while they dried.
Sasuke concentrated on Naruto’s touch and the hope Shika had given them.
“I love you,” Naruto whispered, sending shivers across Sasuke’s skin.
“Forever,” Sasuke echoed.

Naruto scooped him up, paused for Sasuke to switch off the blowers and strode towards the bed, placing him at its centre.
Sasuke refused to allow him to move away. He hung on, pulling Naruto down, pushing him onto his back and straddling his thighs. He dipped down, flicking his tongue out to just touch the tip of Naruto’s erection while looking up at him through his eyelashes.
Such teasing earned him a growl.
Warned, he licked Naruto’s length, from the base along the slender, curved shaft to where the pointed tip peeked from its foreskin. Then he took the head in his mouth and massaged it with his tongue while tickling Naruto’s balls with the tips of his fingers.

Rolling away, he deliberately exposed his belly while collecting a palm full of lube. Meanwhile, the fingers of the other hand trailed up the inside of his thigh and over his balls, capturing Naruto’s gaze before he raised his knee and wantonly displayed his hole.
There was a blur of movement and Naruto was on all fours over him. Sasuke reached up for a quick kiss while taking the opportunity to stroke lube over Naruto’s erection.

He had braced himself to be flipped over but instead Naruto put out a hand for more lube and lay down beside him.
They laid side-by-side, spooned together. Sasuke pushed backwards suggestively, which earned him another growl and a nip the side of his neck.
Sasuke recognised the warning; Naruto was in charge. He stilled, signalling his compliance, and was rewarded by Naruto guiding the tip of his erection to Sasuke’s hole.
He sighed with satisfaction as he was pulled down Naruto’s length.

An arm around his waist held him close. A hand caressed his erection. Naruto’s skin was against his back, his lips against his neck and his breath against his scalp. Naruto’s knot swelled and brushed against his prostate, sending a jolt of pleasure through his body.
Each thrust sent Sasuke further.
Then there was nothing but sensation; the unbearable tension as he teetered at the crest of the wave, the blast of his climax powering through his body and out through his throat.
Sasuke screamed and Naruto howled.
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