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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
- 52
- 53
- 54
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 52 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
53: Performance

Haru stared at the diagram and then back at Iruka-sensei.
“Do you have anything to say, Haru-kun?” Iruka-sensei asked.
There were so many things wrong with Iruka-sensei’s performance tracker that Haru did not know where to start. It made huge, unjustified assumptions. It included numerous arbitrary correction factors. Despite Iruka-sensei’s considerable knowledge of psychology and educational theory, it appeared to have no scientific basis.
“If you are going to criticise it, I need to hear it now. Not in front of all the others. Now.”

Haru opened his mouth and closed it again. He looked back at the screen. It said that some of his skills, for example data analysis and problem solving, were off the charts but others, including hand-to-hand combat and leadership, needed further development.
It wasn’t a bad summary of where he was and what he needed to do to improve.
“It’s just a tool,” he suggested cautiously.
“Well observed.”
“The scores can’t be to scale because we’re all so different.”
“Exactly.”
Haru imagined trying to talk to Hikaru about what he was bad at. “It makes it much easier to talk to us about our strengths and weaknesses. It depersonalises it.”
Iruka-sensei smiled at him.
Haru could not resist. “Getting Ryuka’s skills to show up on the measures must have been a challenge.”
Iruka-sensei did not rise. “Your Oto-san’s skills were even lower when he was her age. Not everyone has the benefit of your education, Haru-kun.”
Nothing would convince Haru that Ryuka had a tenth of his To-chan’s potential.
“So you will not disparage it, or analyse it until there is nothing left but a twitching corpse,” Iruka-sensei checked.
“I promise,” Haru agreed.
“Good. Now let’s talk about your schedule.”

What they had negotiated seemed fair to Haru. He had to train, for both hand-to-hand and knife fighting, take a watch once every third day, do everyday duties and be learning at least one skill, for example piloting or engine maintenance.
Filling for a senior member of the crew, for example Shi-chan or Shino-san, took priority. Otherwise he was expected to continue exploring the system.
“Occasionally there will be group tasks,” Iruka-sensei reminded him.
“Like Itachi-san’s missions,” Haru checked.
“Or the real version,” Iruka-sensei clarified. “Like fitting out Skyburrow. I understand that next on Hikaru’s list is trying to retrieve Shikamaru’s level.
Haru wished he had suggested that; he had assumed that all the trees would have died and that therefore it would be pointless.

As their session was ending, Iruka-sensei looked at him in that certain way. Haru tensed. This was when Iruka-sensei always persuaded him to agree to something he would prefer not to do.
“With your Papa, your Oto-san, Shika-san, Neji-san and Hinata-san away we will all have to be flexible,” he began.
“Please don’t ask me to do stuff with Su-chan,” Haru pleaded. “We just about get along provided I’m not telling her what to do.”
Iruka-sensei smiled. “Very well. Perhaps you could help with Takara and Teruko.”
Haru swallowed. He would prefer to take his chance with Su-chan. “Iruka-sensei...”
“Or you could teach Ryuka mathematics,” Iruka-sensei concluded. “I remember how successful you were teaching Ran.”
He knew what looking after Ta-chan and Te-chan was like. “I could have a go at that,” he agreed.

By the time Iruka-sensei had finished with him it was time for the midday meal. Isaribi had been cook, so the food would taste a bit different; nice but different.
This time there was definitely enough of it; Isaribi understood how much growing hybrids ate.

He had just sat down next to Kazuki when Ran walked in. Haru blinked. Ran had said that he was going to allow Yuki to do his hair but Haru hadn’t expected anything so dramatic.
It was very short at the sides and back, like velvet, with a swirling design shaved into the dark brown pile. On the top it was longer and stood up in spikes; brown at the roots and then lightening to blond with blue ends.
Haru would have liked it on anyone else but he wanted Ran to look like Ran.
“It looks great,” he managed as Ran took the other seat next to him.
Ran shook his head. “You hate it.”
There was no denying it when Ran could feel his emotions.
“It’s not for me or for you,” Ran clarified. “It’s for Konohamaru-san.”

Haru understood. Ran was now fourteen; the same age as Ranmaru had been when Konohamaru fell in love with him. Although there were big differences in their personalities, they looked almost exactly the same.
“I might start wearing lenses,” Ran warned him. “Or ask Shizune-san to change my eye colour.”
Haru nodded; Kono-san didn’t need to see his dead lover.

Suddenly Five was behind them; close enough that Haru could feel his breath. “Looks good, Ran-kun.” He pulled back a little. “Haru-chan,” he acknowledged.
Despite all his efforts not to, Haru flushed.
“Cute,” Five whispered and then he was gone.
To make it worse, when he looked up Ryuka was studying him from the other side of the table. He nudged Kazuki. “Ryuka-kun is making eyes at you, Ka-chan,” he said in a voice he knew she could hear; her hearing was at least as sharp as Kazuki’s.
She scowled and looked away.
“What?” Kazuki queried. “She’d better not be.” He and Ryuka had got on each other nerves from the first moment they had laid eyes on each other.
“You’re safe, here comes Ry-chan,” Haru replied.
Ryuka had a huge crush on Ryuu; now it was her turn to blush.

Ryuu was worth crushing on, Haru could see that. Despite being only thirteen, he was taller than Five and much broader across the shoulders. His voice had broken and, it would seem, made every female who heard it melt.
As far as physical maturity went, he definitely fitted better with Five and Misora and Isaribi. Next was Keitaro. A bit behind Keitaro but fast catching up were the kits and Ryuka, followed by Ran, Hoshi and Ayame. Bringing up the rear were Hikaru and, still significantly behind, Haru.
Not that Ryuu had accepted his new role as heartthrob; he was shy around females other than Hoshi and Ayame, even ones he had known all his life like Misora. The slightest attention from Isaribi left him tongue-tied. He would try to hide behind Hikaru, which was funny because Hi-chan was so much smaller than him.

Hikaru followed Ryuu in. Hi-chan usually sat well away from Haru but the table was crowded so he was only a few places away. Haru leaned forward so that they could make eye contact.
“Iruka-sensei says that you want to salvage Shi-chan’s level. I would like to help with that, if that’s all right with you.”
“That’s a great idea,” Kazuki volunteered.
Haru could see the beginning of a scowl on Hikaru’s face. “Hi-chan thought of it.”
Hikaru relaxed once he realised that Haru was not going to take the credit. “Even if everything is dead, we could mend all the systems and use the organic material to start again. Maybe Shika-san would agree to us growing stuff to eat.”
Shi-chan loved his birch woods, but Haru stopped himself mentioning that; maybe there could be room for both.

That afternoon he found himself sitting at a table with a large piece of paper, two pencils, an eraser, a tablet and Ryuka; Iruka-sensei wasn’t giving him time to reconsider.
“Why you?” Ryuka challenged.
“I like mathematics and I taught Ran,” Haru replied.
“Sums,” Ryuka checked.
“Sums are one part of mathematics,” Haru confirmed.
“Why did you teach Ran when he is older than you?”
“Ran was adopted when he was eight. He was feral before that.”
Ryuka was interested by that; Haru could tell.
“I thought that we’d start by checking you use the same counting system we do.”
“There’s more than one?”
“Yes. Whichever you have used before you will need to use ours now, or there could be misunderstandings.”

Haru’s suspicion was proved correct. Ryuka understood that counting was done in tens but numbers over one hundred were just different versions of ‘big’. By saying her counting system was ‘different’ rather than ‘wrong’, he kept her involved for longer.

Not that long; he was trying to explain about thousands when she lost interest.
“I thought purebreds were interested in titties,” she announced suddenly.
It was not the answer to the question he had asked. “Titties?” he queried.
She thrust her chest out. “Breasts. I don’t expect you to be turned on by my smell but I thought titties worked on all males. Are you too young?”
Haru knew he was turning crimson. What was he expected to do? Get angry? Walk away? He went for honesty. “I don’t think I’ll ever be interested in titties, I mean breasts.”
She smiled. “Males turn you on. Like in the kitchen, when Five whispered in your ear. Are you going to let Five fuck you?”
She was worse than his hybrid brothers; at least they talked about fucking in general rather than asking personal questions.
“I am too young,” he stated. “Purebred humans develop more slowly, particularly males.”
“Yuki wants Five,” she replied. “Will the two of you fight over him?”
Haru had a bizarre image of him and Yuki fighting while Five looked on. Yuki would kick his butt. “No.” He tapped the paper. “We’d better do a bit more.”
They didn’t make much progress. Haru gave up, arranged to do some more the next day and went to find Ran.

Ran was in his room, which he had arranged exactly as the one in Tarrasade but without the projectors.
Haru had put projectors in his new room; not doing so would have felt like accepting that Sai was gone forever.
Ran was preparing for a trip to the planet the next day. He, Dan-san and Choza-san had arranged to talk to the Gama about a supply of fresh food. Meanwhile Kiba-san was going to try to talk to Gama-sama about Kotohime-san's suggestions for increasing the number of toad-hybrid babies.
"I'll only be gone for a long day," Ran assured him, seeing Haru's gaze go to his pack.
"I know," Haru confirmed.
"How did it go with Ryuka?" Ran asked, changing the subject.
“She tried to distract me with her titties,” Haru admitted.
Ran stared at him for a moment and then started to laugh.
Haru felt himself flush for the third time that day.
Ran pulled him in for a hug. “I’m sorry. It’s just the thought of you noticing anyone’s ‘titties’ never mind Ryuka’s.”
Haru snuggled in; being physically close to Ran was a real treat. “Her talking about me not noticing her titties worked.” He hesitated but decided to mention it. “She said Yuki likes Five.”
“Yuki wants a boyfriend. The only possibilities are Five or Keitaro.”
“Or you,” Haru pointed out, automatically completing the set of young males who were not litter.
“Don’t be dumb,” Ran scolded. “As if Yuki is going to try to seduce me. He loves you too much to do anything like that.”

Haru hadn’t meant it that way but it was a good point. It also made him look at things more from Yuki’s point of view.
“Do you want Five?” he asked cautiously.
Ran sighed. “What is this Haru?”
“Would you mind if Five and Yuki became lovers?”
Understanding dawned in Ran’s eyes. “No. I like Five but you and I both know you wouldn’t stand me going with him without you being involved and you’re too young.”
“So is Yuki,” Haru observed, going off at a tangent.
“No he isn’t. Sasuke-sama is still clinging to the hope that the kits will wait another seven divs but he’s already lost the battle.”
Haru was completely lost. As far as he knew, none of the kits had fucked anything other than their hands.
“Yasushi and Yoshimi,” Ran hinted.
Both of them?
“Each other,” Ran clarified.
Haru’s mind froze.
“Haru?”
It would be like him fucking Hikaru; Haru shuddered at the thought of it.
“Haru, don’t get stupid about this,” Ran warned.
“But...”
“Were they ever going to live apart as adults?”
The thought of it was absurd. “No.” Yo-chan and Ya-chan had always been inseparable. Even Kiba-san had given up trying to make them sleep in different bunks.
“Would you have been surprised if they shared a lover?”
Haru found himself imagining them with Keitaro. “No,” he admitted. He let out a sigh. Ran was right. He was expecting Yo-chan and Ya-chan to feel the same way he did and they didn’t. It was a bit like they were one person in two bodies; the opposite to In-san and En-san.
“You all right now?” Ran asked.
Haru nodded, remembering that he was meant to be enjoying his cuddle. Talking about fucking had given him a bit of a stiffy. He suspected Ran was hard too, but if he said anything or touched him to find out, Ran would push him away.
He understood why; if they crossed lines too soon, Iruka-sensei and To-chan would stop trusting them and they wouldn’t get to spend time together without anyone else there.
The kits might not be able to wait another seven divs but he and Ran could.
So he just cuddled and thought about Yuki, which was easier than thinking about Yo-chan and Ya-chan.
It wasn’t fair for him to claim both Ran and Five. Yu-chan couldn’t have Ran but he could have Five.

So he looked for a chance to talk to Yuki about it but even when he found one, after breakfast the next day, he discovered that he didn’t know how to broach the subject. Instead he managed to corner Hoshi in the shared area of their crew room before the midday meal, while Yu-chan was still in the closet sorting clothes.
“Ran and I are fine about it if Yu-chan wants to make a run at Five,” he told her.
She blinked at him. “Where did that come from?” she asked.
“Doesn’t he like Five?”
“Yu-chan likes the idea of Five,” Hoshi clarified. “To be honest, he is constantly randy and likes the idea of being close to someone. If it wasn’t for the fact that Papa would go ballistic, he would be a lot better off with someone like Kono-san who has experience and would know how to treat him properly.”
As far as Haru knew, Konohamaru hadn’t been with anyone since Ranmaru. Maybe having someone would distract him from seeing how much Ran resembled Ranmaru. “To-chan must realise that,” he suggested.
“Papa is not going to be reasonable about it,” Hoshi reminded him. She touched Haru’s arm. “It was sweet of you to say something. I’ll tell Yuki if the time comes when it will do more good than harm.”

They might have said more but, at that moment, there was a growl from the kitchen. Haru recognised it immediately. It was Kazuki and he wasn’t happy.
There was another, unfamiliar, growl in response.
Haru thought he knew all the kits’ growls and it was too high pitched to be Ryuu.
Then all hell broke loose.

There was the sound of some objects falling and others breaking, followed by the thud of a body against something. There was a yowl from Kazuki and a screech from whoever he was fighting. As he and Hoshi approached the doorway Haru saw a chair fly across the kitchen, followed by a bowl with an arc of chopped vegetables trailing behind.
He peered cautiously around the edge of the doorway.
Ryuka and Kazuki were fighting. As he watched she bit into Kazuki’s shoulder and he squealed in pain.

Haru began a dash forward only to be dragged back by Hoshi.
“No way. You’ll get hurt. We need...”
They needed Kiba-san, but he was on his way back from the planet.
“...Ryuu, Five or a fighter with an implant.” Hoshi headed towards the intercom.

Ka-chan howled, which was odd. Haru risked putting his head around the doorway.
The intercom clicked. “This is Hoshi. Can anyone capable of breaking up a hybrid on hybrid fight please come to the kitchen immediately.”
It definitely had been a fight when Haru first looked; now he wasn’t so sure. They were on the table and Ka-chan was on top.
In the doorway opposite he spotted Tsuneo; frozen and staring. His eyes were circular. Behind him were the other children, obviously coming to the kitchen for their meal.

Then Iruka-sensei was there. He moved Tsu-chan to one side and stalked into the kitchen. For the first time Haru realised that Misora was watching from over by the stove, her mouth hanging open and a spoon in her hand.
Iruka-sensei went directly to one of the emergency lockers, opened it and brought out a fire extinguisher.

There was a roaring sound and the table was engulfed in a cloud as the expanding carbon dioxide gas froze the water vapour in the air.
When the roaring stopped there was silence. As the cloud dissipated Haru could see Kazuki and Ryuka standing on the floor on opposite sides of the table. Their clothes were shredded.
Kazuki gave a small whimper.

At that moment Ryuu ran in through the third doorway, spotted Iruka-sensei and skidded to a stop. He stood staring first at Kazuki and then Ryuka and finally back at Kazuki.
This time Ryuka whimpered.
“Thank you for arriving so quickly, Ry-kun,” Iruka-sensei stated, “but as you can see the fight is over. Perhaps you could stay and help us clean up. Hoshi, please tell everyone that the emergency is now under control and that the midday meal will be thirty minutes late. Sumiko-chan, please take the triplets back to the playroom; I’ll be along in a minute. Kazuki and Ryuka, go to your rooms now, clean up and stay there until I tell you otherwise. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Iruka-san,” Kazuki whispered.
Ryuka only managed a nod.

Hoshi quickly made herself busy with the intercom. Haru wished he had a similar excuse to be facing the wall. Instead he stood back as Kazuki and Ryuka walked past him, through the shared area and into their rooms.
He hoped that his expression was neutral.

Kazuki was let out of his room the next morning. Ryuka wasn’t; Haru guessed she hadn’t been as polite and apologetic. He slunk into Haru’s room before breakfast.
“What in known space got into you?” Haru asked.
“I don’t know,” Ka-chan admitted. “We were helping Misora and Ryuka was being a pain. You know. Asking all those questions and then acting like my answers meant different things than they did. Then she pulled my tail. Lady knows why. I told her not to. You know I don’t like people touching my tail.
“Then she did it again and I told myself I could ignore it. Like Itachi-san says I have to ignore it in combat. Then she stroked it. Stroked it! I told her to stop it or I’d make her and then it got bad really quick and we started fighting.”
Haru did think about not saying anything else but other people had seen; at least Misora and Iruka-sensei and Tsuneo. “And?”
Ka-chan face went crimson before he buried it in his hands. “I don’t know. Being so close. The noises she was making. Her smell. Even her biting me. Suddenly all I could think of was...” He looked up with horrified eyes, took in Haru’s expression and stared at the wall. “She wasn’t resisting, Ha-chan. She was as into it as I was.”
“I could see that,” Haru admitted, remembering the way Ryuka had been shoving herself onto Kazuki’s stiffy.
Ka-chan groaned. “Did Tsu-chan really see?”
“Maybe it was less explicit from that viewpoint,” Haru suggested but, thinking about it, that did not seem very likely. “I don’t think Ta-chan and Te-chan saw. Or Su-chan.” He thought back. “I think Hoshi only saw the fight.” Then he remembered Misora’s face. “Misora saw everything. I imagine it’s seared into her memory.”
“Kiba-san is going to kill me,” Ka-chan whimpered.
“He’ll stop short of that,” Haru assured him.
Kazuki’s ears were down and his whiskers drooping. “He’ll be ashamed of me and I’ll get To-chan’s ‘I’m disappointed but I still love you lecture’ when he gets back.”
“I’d be more worried about Papa,” Haru pointed out. “You fucked on the kitchen table in front of Tsu-chan. If I were you I would write them a letter today, scan it and transmit it. That way you tell them first and they’ll have time to get over the shock before they get back.”
“Good idea. Will you help me write it?”
“I’ll check it over for you,” Haru promised. He stood up. “Come on, Ka-chan. The sooner you face everyone the better.”

Only when they entered the kitchen, no one even turned around. Everyone’s attention was focused on Keitaro, who was standing in the middle of the room looking agitated and slightly breathless.
Ran hurried over to them. “The Gama have found Rin-san and Akemi-san.”
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