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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
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Thank you to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.
Also thanks to Procrastination_is_key, melissen, Slynx, sadie237, satterb, greeneyedcat, eunmook, cynaga, cynaga, Aflyingmonkey and disembodiedvoiceofthedying for reviewing after chapter 51 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 7: Vendetta
52: Blessings

Shikamaru leaned back and studied the displays that filled his field of view.
Working in Haru’s simulator may have been easier and more efficient but being inside a machine separated him from the rest of the crew. This way people wandered into the room to speak to him or bring him a cup of coffee.
Also, being in the simulator reminded him of Sai.

Haru and Sumiko were convinced that Sai’s box could have survived, even though it was obvious that the transponder that Shikamaru had fused to its surface had not.
If the transponder was operational one of the probes would have detected it by now.
Instead they were trying to find a small object that had been propelled at high trajectory in a random direction when the Linden exploded. The search could take decades. To make it worse, no component in Sai’s array was unique. Time and time again a probe would follow up a lead only for it to be an irrelevant remnant of the Linden or the Oak.
Which was why Haru spent so much time refining his simulation of the explosion and its aftermath. That way he could prioritise searching some sectors over others.
It had been five divs; half a standard.

His eyes strayed to the far right, to the summary the search to find the Orochimaru print, Rin and Akemi. If they couldn’t find three people, how could they expect to find Sai’s box?
Shikamaru shivered. He knew what Neji thought. Based on what Haru had told them, Neji believed that the Orochimaru print had impregnated Rin and was hiding until the pregnancy was too advanced for termination to be an acceptable option.
But where?

Thinking of a possibly pregnant Rin reminded him of a definitely pregnant Hinata. Shikamaru thought back to when Neji had told them. His voice had been too positive and his eyes had betrayed his confusion.
Despite his unfaltering spousal support and paternal pride, Shikamaru knew Neji had been shocked.

The intercom clicked in proper Uchiha fashion; one of the countless small events that reminded him of the recent move from the Renaissance to the Skyburrow.
“This is Hikaru. Shikamaru-san, we are ready if you are.”
Shikamaru activated the intercom. “This is Shikamaru. Anytime.”
“This is Hikaru. ETA ten minutes.”

Ten minutes gave him time to check the voice component of Tennyo Three’s latest message.
Sakura’s pink hair and emerald eyes still amused him. What had her parents been thinking?
She bowed towards the camera. “Chaaruzu-san. You asked to be informed if Izuna Uchiha was planning a trip away from Tarrasade. He is leaving in five days’ time for seven days. It will be a two day trip out in his yacht to rendezvous with a Space Liner luxury cruiser, two days giving lectures and the three days back. It looks like a travelling version of what he does here but I shall keep my eyes open as usual. Sumaru-san, Ino-san and I shall be accompanying him.
“There is little else to report but all details as attached as usual. Here in Tarrasade the pattern continues to be the same. There is still the cult who believes that Izuna Uchiha is their messiah, but they have been rather quiet lately. Rich people think they will get more out of Izuna Uchiha as clan leader than they do out of Sasuke Uchiha. Younger people prefer Sasuke-sama. Older people favour Izuna-sama. The vendetta continues to polarise opinions.
“As for Ino-san and Sumaru-san, I have little to add to my previous reports. Both behave impeccably. Sumaru-san spends all his free time in the Uchiha household. I have little idea about Ino-san. The few times we have conversed she gives little or nothing away.”
She bowed again. “That is all from Tennyo Three.”

A five day window during which Sasuke could visit Tarrasade; they would have to take advantage. Making the most of it would be tricky; the slightest hint that Sasuke was coming and Izuna would cancel his trip.
Izuna was proving annoyingly patient. He built his resources, made contacts, courted the media and trained. There was not the slightest hint of any inappropriate communication with the Akatsuki, never mind another coded message sent from the Stellar Exchange.
His strategy was working; Shikamaru had run the simulations. If Izuna Uchiha was reinstated as leader of the Uchiha clan, people would accept it. They would prefer him not to have to kill Sasuke to do it, but both claims were considered legitimate and most thought a challenge in the killing square the only likely resolution.

The announcer sounded. Shikamaru consigned thoughts of Izuna to a lower level of his mind and opened the door.
Keizo and Ryuu entered first. Keizo was pushing a hover platform bearing Shikamaru’s chair from his and Neji’s office on the Oak. Ryuu had a trolley piled high with pieces of his desk.
They had been lucky. The bulk of the wreckage from the Oak had drifted past the hole and kept going. By the time the Linden exploded, forty days later, the wreck had been well away from the blast zone.

Hikaru followed Ryuu. Shikamaru suppressed a smile. Hikaru’s long bangs were scraped back with a hair tie and he had a stylus behind one ear. He consulted his tablet.
“In the middle of the room, Shikamaru-san?” he queried.
“Yes, please, Hikaru-kun,” he replied. He disconnected his interfaces and took them with him to the side of the room.

After Hikaru came Yasushi and Yoshimi with more pieces of desk. Shikamaru was pleased to see Yoshimi joining in. The drugs the Orochimaru print had caused long-lasting damage, much of which had still to mend; Yoshimi still oscillated between sleeping far too much and hyperactivity.
Most of his whiskers had grown back but one was missing and another was persistently curly.
“We can manage, Shikamaru-san,” Hikaru hinted, obviously hoping he would leave.
Shikamaru wanted to watch them, so he gestured at the displays and smiled. “I am still working, Hikaru-kun.”
Hikaru frowned; Shikamaru could imagine him wishing that he had delayed the installation until the strategy meeting later in the day.

Putting Hikaru in charge of fitting out the Skyburrow had been an inspired decision. Once Kotetsu and Izumo had supervised the assembly of the modules and the installation of the core systems, Sasuke had handed the project over to Hikaru.
Seeing Hikaru with his stylus and tablet reminded Shikamaru of the little boy with his rubber bricks.

Keizo began directing the assembly of the desk; it had been through Izumo’s new workshop and was almost as good as new.
By fluke, the chair had been untouched.
They had begun testing the wiring when the intercom clicked again.
“This is Hoshi. Hikaru, are you and the others still in Shika-san’s office?”
Hikaru started towards the intercom on the wall but Shikamaru indicated that he should use the one on the desk.
“This is Hikaru. Yes, we are still in Shikamaru-san’s office.”

Hoshi and Yuki arrived first, followed by Haru.
“What’s happening?” Hikaru asked but before he could answer Kuuya and Kazuki careered into the room.
The object that Kuuya was carrying answered Hikaru’s question; it was Sasuke’s biwa case.

At first look it did not look promising; there were scratches, scrapes and dents.
“It’s still closed,” Hikaru pointed out. “That’s good.”
“It was designed to protect the biwa no matter what,” Haru added.
“Do we give it to Papa to open?” Yuki asked.
There was silence.
“May I make a suggestion?” Shikamaru asked.
Kuuya and Hoshi both nodded,
“If it’s damaged, we could try to get it mended. There are a few great lute makers who might be able to restore it. There is one on Centre V and another on a planet called Lorongan.”
“We need to look then,” Yasushi suggested.

They all looked at Hoshi, who took a deep breath and tried to open it.
“It’s no good. It’s jammed.”
Finally, between them, Haru and Keizo managed to get the clasps open. Haru lifted the lid a fraction before allowing it to fall back and stepping aside for Hoshi.
They all held their breaths a second time while she opened the lid.

It looked fine but Shikamaru knew it might not be. The glue could have vaporised or the wood might fall into dust when she touched it.
Slowly, carefully, Hoshi lifted it out.
It stayed intact, which was good.
Then she plucked one of the strings and everyone breathed a sigh of relief at the familiar, rich sound.
“Let’s give it to Papa now,” Yoshimi suggested. “He’s giving the little ones a music lesson. It will be perfect.”
“I’ll get To-chan,” Kazuki replied and shot out the door.
“I guess that’s decided then,” Hoshi acknowledged, placing the biwa back in its case and lowering the lid. “Are you coming, Shika-san?”
“I would like that very much,” Shikamaru confirmed. “Will Iruka-san be about?” Iruka had insisted on taking over the household when Haku had transferred to Tarrasade. Certainly they needed someone to look after their seventeen trainees, particularly since adding Ryuka and Isaribi to the mix.
Shikamaru knew it was hard on Iruka when, like now, Kakashi was on the Maple. Seeing Sasuke reunited with his biwa would make the separation a little easier to bear.
“He was in the playroom talking to Kiba-san,” Hoshi confirmed. “If he’s not, one of us will go and get him,” she promised.

It was wonderful. Shikamaru hung back with Naruto, Kiba and Iruka as Sasuke, surrounded by his children, opened the case.
“You had better get over there, Na-chan,” Shikamaru suggested, “before he starts blubbing in front of them.”
Naruto smiled and glided across the room as only Naruto could.

Shikamaru watched. A single touch from Naruto was enough; it was as if Sasuke drew strength from him. Their eyes met and a smile was exchanged.
He was jealous. He could not help it. He missed his easy, familiar intimacy with Neji. It had not been perfect, a fraction of what Naruto and Sasuke shared, but it had been warm and comforting.

He had even lost the improved relationship with Sumiko that had helped compensate. Sai’s death stood between them, a gulf that he couldn’t and she wouldn’t cross.
Iruka was watching him with a small, worried frown. Shikamaru buried his emotions and smiled.

Sasuke tuned the biwa and started to play. Shikamaru found himself thinking about the trick Lady Luck had played. One of the greatest musicians of a generation, Klenn had been sure of that, caught in a destiny that meant he would only ever play for his family.

A small hand on his arm; Su-chan. He guided her over to a chair, sat down and drew her into his lap. For once she did not resist; maybe Sasuke’s music was magical.
Then they moved onto a sing-song and the spell was broken.
“Nii-san, why is Ne-chan having a baby with Hinata-san?” Sumiko whispered.
It was not the best place for the conversation but Sumiko so rarely let her defences down these days.
“I’m not sure, Su-chan. Maybe Hinata-san wanted a baby and Neji loves her so he decided that having a baby quickly was fine.”
“Didn’t Ne-chan love you?”

Shikamaru knew she did not mean to hurt him. She was really asking whether Neji had loved, did love, her. “Neji loves us, Su-chan, but he believes what he can have with Hinata-san is something special.”
“Rings and forever, like Sasuke-sama and Naruto-san?”
“Yes, rings and forever.”
She sniffed. “It isn’t. He’s wrong.”
Shikamaru knew he should scold her but he could not. Instead he gave her a hug.
“I miss Sai.”
“I know you do. I miss him too.”
She looked towards the biwa case. “That’s huge and it was in some of the wreckage. It still took Haru five divs to find it.”
It was unexpectedly reasonable of her; usually she accused Haru of not trying hard enough. “He won’t give up, Su-chan.”
“I know,” she admitted.

It was their turn to help in the kitchen. Choza always cooked the evemeal but responsibility for the midday meal rotated. Today Hinata was cook with Shikamaru and Sumiko assisting her. It had been Iruka’s idea; something that would help them build a relationship with Hinata.
Sumiko was setting the table while Shikamaru prepared ingredients and cleaned implements that were no longer required.
“I can manage, Shikamaru-san,” she assured him, keeping her eyes on the contents of the pot she was stirring.
Shikamaru recognised the dismissal but refused to acknowledge it. “I know you can,” he agreed. He checked that Sumiko was up at the other end of the kitchen. “I know that you are healthy, Hinata-san, but you may have to become accustomed to taking things easier and accepting more assistance given that you are pregnant.”
She flushed bright red.
Shikamaru was surprised by her reaction; Hinata was usually in complete control of her emotions. He considered backing away but something was telling him to push. “You may not be a member of the crew, Hinata-san, but as Neji’s partner you are a member of this family.”
The colour in her cheeks was already fading. “It is kind of you to say so, Shikamaru-san.” She looked towards him for the first time. “I do care for Neji, Shikamaru-san. I have his best interests at heart.”
It was shockingly short of a declaration of love. “That is good to know, Hinata-san.”
Then, before he could think of a way of prolonging the conversation, Sumiko was at his elbow telling him that she had finished setting the table.

The midday meal was its usual blend of efficiency and managed chaos. The younger children had a formal meal supervised by Kiba. Occasionally someone else would join them; today it was Shikamaru. Once they had left for the playroom, others started arriving.
Seventeen growing adolescents, ten of them hybrids, ate a lot of food.

Sasuke was late for the strategy meeting that afternoon. Shikamaru had half expected him to postpone it given the way he and Naruto had been looking at each other after the children had given him his biwa. Instead Shikamaru was alone with Neji in the meeting room.
He wished Kakashi was there rather than far away on the Maple.
“Is Hinata-san well?” Shikamaru asked and cringed slightly; he always opened with that question these days.
There was a pause, which was a little worrying. “There is more than one baby,” Neji told him.
Shikamaru was surprised. He thought that babies in wombs usually came in ones. “Twins?”
“Triplets,” Neji admitted.

Some part of Shikamaru’s brain supplied the relevant information; on average there was one set of triplets in eight thousand naturally conceived births but maybe there was a higher incidence on Hyuga.
“It will be fine,” Shikamaru assured him. “Hinata will have the best medical care and we are used to raising children in batches. Does your family have a history of multiple conceptions?”
“My father was one of identical twins,” Neji admitted.
“The tendency to have monozygotic twins is not heritable. No heterozygotic twin or triplets?”
“No.”
The single word reply was clipped and nothing else was forthcoming; Neji obviously thought that Hinata had done something to cause three eggs to be present rather than one.
But why?

Shikamaru was still deciding if he should inquire further when the door slid open and Sasuke arrived. His hair was slightly fluffy; a sure sign that he was fresh from the shower.
“Please accept my apologies, Neji-san, Shika-san.”
“Sasuke-sama,” they acknowledged and then settled to work.

Overall, the campaign was going well. They had severed supply lines, disrupted funding streams, captured or destroyed seventeen ships and purged six bases. Two hundred and thirteen hybrids and prints had declared themselves neutral.
Four Orochimaru prints had killed themselves when cornered.
There had been losses as well as gains. They had lost two allied crews outright, six others had sustained casualties and eleven ships had required or were undergoing substantial repairs.
There was no sign of Pein or Kabuto or the original Orochimaru.

“The propaganda campaign is showing returns,” Neji pointed out once they had digested the latest gains, loses and casualties.
Sasuke flinched. “I wish you and Shikamaru wouldn’t call it that.”
“Why not?” Shikamaru queried. “That’s what it is.”
“Naruto doesn’t like it. He thinks it makes us sound like we’re lying.”
Shikamaru decided not to argue about the meaning of a word.
Neji rephrased it. “The videos we have made and released are having an effect, particularly on the minkies. The desertion rate is so bad that Akatsuki commanders are choosing not to use their minky squadrons, which was one of their greatest tactical advantages.”
“I shall have to thank Pip-san and Cott-san,” Sasuke acknowledged.
Shikamaru suppressed a smile. For the minkies, it hadn’t been Naruto who had made an impression. It had been Sasuke Uchiha, leader of the most famous spacer clan in known space, introducing two old, scarred minkies as respected allies.

“The quality of the information we have received from those captured or deserting has improved,” Neji continued. “The chances of us locating the Orochimaru original have significantly increased. He must realise this. We must face the possibility that he will escape into stasis.”
Sasuke stiffened. “Which means that we will not be able to find him.”
“There are many ways of setting up the stasis arrangements so that Orochimaru himself does not know its current location,” Shikamaru agreed. “It is also likely that the location moves.”
“He’s been doing this for centuries,” Sasuke complained. “Surely there is some type of trail.”
“I have been trying to find one since for over a decade,” Shikamaru reminded him. “I have nothing.” He could see how frustrated Sasuke was at the thought of it. “Maybe we will be able to follow him this time.”
Sasuke gave him a look. “You are only saying that to make me feel better.”
“Yes,” Shikamaru admitted.
“Don’t. I might have a weak moment and get my hopes up.” He signed. “We may have to settle for chasing him back into his pod. At least we will have destroyed the Akatsuki and made sure that there aren’t any active Orochimaru prints. Getting rid of Kabuto and clarifying Pein’s fate would also be useful. Can we still find Kabuto if we ever get close enough? Is the transponder Gaara, Anko and Haku got into him still operational?”
“Should be,” Shikamaru confirmed. “The nanobots were programmed to pass through the wall of the gut and assemble it in his heart muscle.”

After another twenty minutes making all the decisions they could about hunting the Akatsuki, Sasuke got up to make them tea. It was a sure signal that they were going to discuss Izuna.
Shikamaru studied him. Five divs of intense training had changed the way Sasuke held himself and his movement. He was now as good a fighter as he could be without an implant, non-human genes or a symbiote.
It was not enough. Shikamaru would not, could not, risk all their futures on a single knife fight.
“Well, Shika-san?” Sasuke asked as he returned to the table.
“Izuna-sama will be away from Tarrasade for five days. He has agreed to be on a Space Liner for two days and the other three will be spent travelling. Lady knows how much they are paying him or what contacts he is expecting to make. Hopefully we will find out.”
Sasuke scowled. “I still think it looks weak to scuttle back there as soon as he has gone.”
“Those in the household in Tarrasade need to see you, Sasuke-sama,” Neji reminded him, to Shikamaru’s relief. “You could also visit a few of our key contacts, including Hiruzen-sama.”
“As well as taking back the Renaissance and picking up our new ship,” Shikamaru added. The improver and the Mulligan drive had been salvaged from the wreckage of the Oak. The large, old fashioned Mulligan drive had been sold and the improver taken back to Elessen where Garner Parrad’s people had installed it in their new ship, the Elm.
Sasuke signed. “We won’t be able to take the triplets. I miss the Oak.”
So did Shikamaru; it had been their home for so long and he often yearned for his woods. The Elm was too small for any such extravagance; she was only a few decks larger than the Maple. “The Oak was too slow.”
“I know. So do we move all this?” Sasuke’s gesture encompassed the displays to indicate their command centre.

Shikamaru did not want to go. If he stayed, he could support Haru’s continued search for Sai. “The minigated shortcut using the third hole means that I can keep you fully informed. I am not convinced that moving from here to the Renaissance to the Elm is worth it for such a short time.”
Sasuke frowned. “I was thinking that you would come with me.”
“What are your plans for me, Sasuke-sama?” Neji asked.
Shikamaru began balancing the consequences of revealing that Neji’s kidnapping had failed against Sasuke’s need for his insight at the various meetings they had planned.
“You will be at my side where you belong,” Sasuke declared.
His analysis stuttered to a stop. Looking up, he was just in time to catch Neji’s reaction; those tiny movements of eyes and mouth that qualified as a Hyuga smile.

Once they had covered everything, Sasuke ended the meeting and Shikamaru began closing down the displays.
“I am worried about Neji.”
Shikamaru jumped; he had thought Sasuke had left with Neji. “Sasuke-sama?”
“Do you think he is happy or even content?” Sasuke pressed.
“No,” Shikamaru admitted. “I think it was going smoothly until Hinata told him about the baby.” He wondered if he should mention that the baby was babies but decided not; Neji should tell Sasuke in his own time.
Sasuke sighed. “Without Hinata we would not have him back.” He looked at Shikamaru with eyes that were so similar to and yet so different from Izuna’s. “This trip, I want you with me.”
All thoughts of staying behind vanished.” Of course, Sasuke-sama.”
“And we will be taking Hinata with us. Maybe if we work on it as a family, we can make her feel more welcome.”
Shikamaru felt guilty for not trying harder. “I’ll ask Su-chan if she wants to come with me or stay. If we’re lucky, she’ll decide to stay here.”

He told Sumiko about the trip straight away, before she could hear about it from anyone else.
“It’s my choice?” Sumiko checked when he had finished.
He nodded.
“Eleven days?”
“Could be up to twenty if we work in a few more meetings,” Shikamaru admitted.
“Is Kiba-san staying?”
“Yes.”
“If I don’t, Can I speak with you every day?”
“That will be the plan and I shall do whatever I can to stick to it.”
Sumiko sniffed. “I will think about it and tell you tomorrow.”

That evening, after the evening meal, the younger children stayed up to hear Sasuke play. Everyone sat around the largest of the shared areas off the communal kitchen. The adolescents were on the floor. The little ones, dressed in their nightclothes, sat on their parents’ laps. Lovers and friends crowded onto the chairs and couches.
Shikamaru’s gaze went first to Naruto at Sasuke’s feet, surrounded by their sea of children. Then it went to Neji and Hinata sitting side by side on one of the couches.
There was a gap between them; they weren’t even holding hands. Looking at them, what he had shared with Neji no longer seemed so lacking. He sighed. He should not be so judgemental; Neji had never been one for showing affection when others were present.
Sumiko shifted in his lap; a sign that she wanted some attention. He gave her a hug and she settled.
He shut his eyes and allowed the music to wash over him.
It was beautiful; a blessing for their new home.
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