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
- 42
- 43
- 44
Thank you to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.
Also thanks to maliya, melissen, v, sadie237, satterb, disembodiedvoiceofthedying, Anon, SidonieStarr and Procrastination_is_key for reviewing after chapter 42 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 6: Counterattack
43: Hidden

Haru wanted them to hole up in a room with three exits, a suit for every person and a computer so that he could manipulate the ship’s systems.
Kazuki didn’t want them to leave the deck they were on. Haru could see the sense in that; no nekos or minkies lived there. Even the Orochimaru print slept on the deck above. The main problem was that they weren’t all on this level. Haru imagined the Orochimaru print on the other side of a locked door threatening to kill Akemi or Haku or Rin unless they opened it.
Kuuya had seen Rin. She had checked him over after he had been captured and he had given her Itachi-san’s message. He insisted that Rin was capable of taking care of herself and Akemi.
Haru hoped so.
That left Haku-san.

Identifying a room with the three exits had been surprisingly easy; the storeroom had a door to the galley, a door to a second storeroom and one of the emergency external airlocks. It should even have a console; it was convenient to have one there for monitoring stock levels.
Suits should not be a problem; Papa was obsessive about suits so Uchiha ships had them everywhere.

They needed to get from the bunkroom to the storeroom. Kazuki scouted the route. Once he had pronounced it clear he sent Ran and Yoshimi ahead and escorted Kichi and Tatsu.
The toad hybrids were clueless about spaceships but they were obedient and impressively stealthy; it could be a lot worse.
Haru and Kuuya hung back to close and lock the door of the bunkroom. Then, on their way to the storeroom, they were planning to collect suits.

Haru took a deep breath as Kuuya opened the first of the emergency lockers. This was when they found out if the Akatsuki were proper spacers. If they were spacers they would have removed the weapons but left the suits.
The suits were there; four of them. They even had their gas guns.
They raided another two lockers, which gave them the eight they needed and four spares.

The storeroom should have been easily big enough for seven but the racks of shelves took up a lot of room. Floor space was limited and it would be tight. Haru glanced at Ran, who more than any of them needed distance between himself and others.
Kichi and Tatsu would be fine; they were used to living in burrows.
One end of the storeroom contained the two doors and the emergency airlock. The rest was divided into three bays by racks of shelves. Haru checked and saw the console was in the middle bay, opposite the airlock.

Yoshimi staggered to the end of the first bay, the one next to the galley, and slumped down. Haru looked towards Kuuya.
“Leave him alone for a bit,” Kuu-chan decided. “Kichi, Tatsu, why don’t you take the far bay?” He pointed so that there would not be any confusion.
Kichi nodded and guided Tatsu around the shelves and out of sight.

Ran began distributing suits so they would be to hand if required: two in the far bay; one close to Yoshimi; one next to the console for Haru. The rest he spread out.
Haru had just begun worrying where Ka-chan was when he appeared. He closed the door to the galley behind him.
“Haku-san isn’t in his room, I checked.”
That meant he was with the Orochimaru print. Haru tried not to think about it.
“He has to return to his room before morning,” Kuuya pointed out. “By breakfast time he’s had a shower and dressed.”
And covered the latest bruises with cosmetics, Haru added in his head. “What if today is the day he doesn’t make it? Like the time the Orochimaru print had to tank him.”
Kuuya paled. “How many times has that happened?”
“Once, five days ago.”
“He did look bad yesterday,” Kazuki admitted. He flicked his ears. “We’ll have to hope for the best. I’ll listen for him.”
Ka-chan cracked open the door to the galley and crouched down just inside.
“Console,” Kuuya hinted. “I’ll sort out the two doors so that they can be locked from this side.”
Haru gave over the tools and went to investigate the console.

He powered it up and began inputting commands even before the user interface activated, covering his tracks. Next was accessing the backdoors he had created. On the way he checked what the monitoring programme was showing. To his relief it was as he expected; six sleepers in the bunkroom and an otherwise empty level.
It had to be taking longer than he thought because Kuuya had finished working on the door controls.
Kuu-chan put the tools on a shelf above the console and watched over Haru’s shoulder.
Haru could feel Kuuya pressed against his back. The contact was welcome; comforting.

Kuu-chan gave him a few more minutes before asking, “What can we manage?”
“Ship wide emergency with conflicting information about what and why,” Haru replied. “Ideally before ship’s dawn so they think we’re still in the bunk room. Every door shut and sealed.”
“Sounds good,” Kuuya confirmed. “We can give Haku-san another eighty minutes. After that, we trigger the emergency procedures.”
Haru opened his mouth to object and then closed it. Kuuya was in command. It was his decision to make.

Ten minutes went past. There was nothing more Haru could do so he had a short walk to stretch his legs. Kazuki was still crouched at the door to the galley. Ran had claimed a position near the emergency airlock from which he could see both doors and into the three bays.
They exchanged smiles and Haru went back to the console.
Next Yoshimi had a spell when he paced up and down his bay but Kuuya talked to him and he calmed down.

Then Kazuki gave a very quiet version of his alarm call. Ran moved into Kichi and Tatsu’s bay where he could not be seen from either door. Haru stayed at the console. Kuuya crept towards the door.
The light in the galley went on; Haru could see it illuminating that corner of the ceiling.
“Haku-san,” Kuuya confirmed as he went to join Ka-chan.
Haru guessed that he and Ka-chan had exchanged information using ultrasonic frequencies.

Then, bizarrely, nothing happened. Haru left the console and went to see what was happening. Kuuya and Kazuki were crouched at the door, apparently transfixed by what they were seeing.
What had got into them? Haru walked over and peered though the gap over Kuuya’s head.

Haku-san was sitting at the table. He was crying. Tears were running down his face and dripping from his chin. As Haru watched, he knew that this had happened every night; thirteen nights of misery and shame.
He looked so small and broken.
Haru swallowed, trying to clear the sudden lump in his throat. Ran was the best choice to approach him. Of all of them, Haku-san would mind Ran least.
But before Haru could fetch him or even call him, Haku-san looked over and saw them.

His eyes widened with horror. He jumped to his feet, giving voice to a heartrending, wordless declaration of denial.
The sudden movement opened his robe. They could see the bites and the welts; the bruises and the stains. Kazuki whimpered and Kuuya growled.
He wrapped his robe around him and fled.
They couldn’t let him go and there wasn’t time to get Ran. Haru opened the door. “Haku-san!”
He reluctantly slowed and turned.

Haru didn’t hesitate. He rushed towards him and didn’t stop until he had his arms around Haku-san’s waist and his face buried in his shoulder.
He was crying; he hadn’t meant to cry.
“Thank you, Haku-san,” he whispered. “We know you did it for us.”
Slowly Haku-san’s arms wrapped around him. Haru felt lips kiss the top of his head. “Haru-kun,” he acknowledged.
Kazuki pushed in from the side. “We were waiting for you,”
Haku-san fondled his ears. “Well you shouldn’t have,” he scolded.
“Maybe we could spare a few minutes for you to have a shower,” Kuuya suggested from halfway between them and the door to the storeroom.
“Nonsense,” Haku-san stated. “I shall be fine.” He pushed Haru away, went to a drawer, took out some clean cloths and walked towards the faucet. “What is the plan?”
Kuuya explained while Haku-san wetted three clothes and stood facing the sink to use them, wiping each over his face and then beneath his robe.
“That sounds excellent,” Haku-san agreed, dropping the cloths into the bin. He walked towards the storeroom. “Let’s get on before the print wakes up.”

Kazuki locked the doors while Haru checked that nothing had happened while he was away from the console. It looked fine. Kuu-chan and Ka-chan came up and stood behind him.
He looked at Kuuya, who nodded.
Haru sent the command.

First all the non-essential systems cut out. Only hardwired, core systems would work. With all wireless down, Haru hoped that the Akatsuki wouldn’t query why none of the cameras or microphones were working.
Simultaneously, the ship reacted as if there were multiple breaches to the hull. All the internal doors sealed, every warning light flashed and every siren sounded.
Then, as an extra twist, Haru made sure that the external sensors appeared to be working perfectly and showed that nothing was amiss.

There was the muffled thud of doors closing, a red warning light started flashing and the siren started; it was horrendously loud in such a small room. Haru heard Tatsu squeal; Lady knew how it sounded to him and the other hybrids.
A howl of complaint and then another; Yoshimi. Kazuki joined in for a single howl and then looked sheepishly apologetic. Kuuya managed to resist.
“I’ll check on Yo-chan,” he said.
Watching him walk away, Haru could see that he had a needle out to use on Yoshimi if there wasn’t another option.
“Don’t challenge him,” Ka-chan warned.
“I won’t,” Kuu-chan assured him.

Kazuki’s ears were folded flat and covered by his hands. “Can you turn it off?” he asked.
Haru hadn’t thought of that. He found the control interface, identified their siren and was about to silence it but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.
Haru jumped; with all the noise he had not realised Haku-san was behind him.
“All or none, Haru-kun,” he mouthed.
Haru was about to say that he could make it look like their siren was still sounding, or even change the programme so that storerooms didn’t have sirens. Then he heard Itachi-san’s voice in his head, “Keep it simple, Haru-chan. Extra complexity attracts attention.”
Instead he checked how much longer it was set to continue. “It will only sound for another sixteen seconds.”

They watched the emergency counter in the corner of the ceiling. Sixteen seconds crawled by and, finally, the siren stopped.
Yoshimi stopped howling, which was a relief.
“Good,” Haku-san acknowledged. “Let’s get organised. Kuu-kun, what if the Orochimaru print decides to play it safe and flood this level with sleep gas?”
Kuuya’s whiskers arched upwards in alarm. “Suits?”
Haru knew that Kuuya had decided against suits because they wouldn’t be able to use a needle on Yoshimi.
There again, they had not weighed that possibility against being gassed. Kuuya and Kazuki would get into their suits in time but Haru doubted that that the rest of them could.
“An excellent idea, Kuu-kun. May I suggest doing it properly so that we don’t have to worry about the lack of a head?”

Haru left it to Ran to explain urine and faeces collectors to Kichi and Tatsu, which was a bit cowardly of him. He stripped down and suited up. The suit was too big for him but the usual checks confirmed that it was working.
They left their head uncovered. Raising helmets and closing visors only took a few seconds.
Then he went back to the monitor. With all the wireless systems down, all he could do was watch the ebb and flow of software commands. Someone, probably not the Orochimaru print, was running systems checks.

Ran came up behind him, crouched down beside him and patted his left leg through his suit. Haru extended it so that Ran could pleat the excess length and tape the folds so Haru could move more easily.
Haru guessed he had found the sticky tape on one of the shelves.
He finished the left leg and Haru extended the right. “Kichi and Tatsu?” he asked.
“Fine. I demonstrated and they followed. Nothing about bodily functions worries them.”
Haru recalled Riki-san asking them about their poo in one breath and what they wanted for breakfast in the next. “How are they doing otherwise?”
“They are scared of almost everything but they know we are trying to get them back home. Right arm.”
Haru stuck out his right arm for Ran to sort out. He hoped that Itachi-san would come for them before the Orochimaru print worked out that there was nothing actually wrong.
“Left arm,” Ran ordered. “You will have to get some sleep soon. Does anyone else know enough to monitor what is happening?”
Haru looked at the screen full of computer code. “Not really.”
“Will not monitoring it make a difference?”
It was not a question that Haru could answer; it might or it might not.

He tried to keep focused on the screen but the characters keep blurring. He blinked his eyes, telling himself to stay awake. Next came the sensation of falling and he jerked awake.
“Haru, you have to get some sleep,” Ran told him.
“I’m fine,” Haru insisted, but he knew it wasn’t true.
Kuuya walked up behind them. “Ha-chan?”
Haru guessed that he had overheard them talking. “What?” he replied, knowing that he sounded petulant.
“Can you make a recording of that and check it later?”
Haru flushed. He could do that easily. It was a better idea than falling asleep and missing it completely. He nodded.
“Then set it up and get some rest. You know what Itachi-san would say.”
He did; Itachi-san always told them that it was their duty to eat, drink and sleep so that they performed at their peak.

The floor was hard and his suit was lumpy. Haru noticed that neither floor nor suit had stopped Haku-san. He was fast asleep; curled on his side with his head on a conveniently sized container taken from one of the shelves.
Despite how pale he was and the bruises, he was beautiful. Haru had never appreciated it before. Maybe it was knowing what Haku-san had done for them.
Or maybe it was his eyelashes, which were incredible.
“Haru?” Ran queried.
Haru jumped.
Ran smiled. “I thought you liked Five.”
Haru scowled at him; having a best friend who was an empath had its downside. “Five said he liked me. And you.” He decided to be bold. “I like you.”
Ran’s eyes softened. “I like you too.” He sat down with his back against the wall. “Slide over here and use me as a pillow.”
Haru lay on his side, like Haku-san, but with his head on Ran’s thigh. Ran stroked his temple. It was nice.
“Five is right, you are breathtaking,” Ran whispered.
Haru was almost too tired to blush.

He woke with Kazuki shaking him.
“There’s loads of activity on the screen. I think something is happening.”
At some point Ran had moved away, replacing his thigh with a box. Haru yawned and stretched. He was stiff but he thought he was less tired; he hoped so.
Then the intercom clicked and all thought of sleep vanished.
“This is Orochimaru. The code is fifty-four rho quandro. We are abandoning ship. I repeat. We are abandoning ship.”
Haru stared at Kazuki and Ka-chan stared back.
“This is Neko One. Please clarify the status of the prisoners.”
“Prisoners are to be left on the ship. I repeat. Prisoners are to be left on the ship.”

Kazuki was heading towards Kuuya, who was at the console. Haru struggled to his feet and followed.
They looked as blank as Haru felt.
Haku-san came up behind them. “Clever. “He doesn’t know what is happening so he is moving to a new position to regain control.”
“Do you think he is really abandoning ship?” Kazuki asked.
Kuuya frowned. “It makes some sense. The ship is out of his control. For all he knows, she’s gone into some deep programmed, automated mode and will self-destruct.”
“He might not take all his people with him,” Haku-san pointed out. “If it were Ita-san, he would leave a squad on the ship.”
Haru shivered; he hoped the Orochimaru print wasn’t as clever and as wily as Itachi-san.
“Can you hack into inter-ship radio traffic?” Haku-san asked.

Kuuya yielded his place at the console so that Haru could check.
“I can get audio,” he told them, “but it means reactivating some of the wireless links.” He had no idea what the code Orochimaru had used meant. “They may be watching for that. It may be a trap.”
Kuuya frowned. “Do it. Cover your tracks as best you can but be quick.”
Haru settled for making it look like the commands for reactivating the links came from the control room. Then he made the connections.
“The channel he uses to speak to Itachi-san is open,” he informed the others.
The small speaker built into the console crackled.
“...keep me waiting, Sasuke Uchiha.” It was the Orochimaru print.
“This is Sasuke Uchiha,” Itachi-san answered. “What do you want, print?”
“Soon the only people aboard the ship you call the Sakura will be yours. Your children. Your people. Do anything I interpret as a threat and I shall obliterate the ship.”
- 42
- 43
- 44
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