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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 satterb, lonelylulaby, sadie237, melissen and disembodiedvoiceofthedying for reviewing after chapter 64 was posted.
Readers’ feedback, support and comments mean a great deal to me. Feedback keeps me writing. I get ridiculously excited every time someone posts a review and I am incredibly disappointed when a chapter evokes little response.
I am very, very grateful to those of you who review regularly.

I posted the first chapters of ‘In the cold of space you find the heat of suns’ on 29 December 2009.
That is three years, 305 chapters and almost one million words ago.
What a thought!

Leader
Part 7: Vendetta
65: Possibilities

Shikamaru hated it when Sasuke and Naruto fell out. At least this episode had been short, because Iruka had interfered. On the other hand, there had been no howls and screams, so Shikamaru was not sure if it was properly resolved.

Sasuke had rescheduled their one-to-one meeting for the following morning. His skin was a funny colour, there were black circles under his eyes and they were drinking coffee rather than tea.
“Don’t look at me like that,” Sasuke growled at him. “I get enough of that from Iruka.”
The pieces came together. “You got drunk? You barely touch alcohol.”
“Shika-san!”
Shikamaru flinched. Had he overstepped a line he had not known was there? Usually their one-to-one meetings were informal. He looked forward to them because he could be more of himself rather than just Shika-san.
Sasuke sighed. “I am sorry, Shika. Let’s start again. Tell me what’s been happening.”

It was how their meetings usually began. He talked about whatever came into his head while Sasuke listened and asked the occasional question.
When he stopped, Sasuke poured them both another coffee from the flask.
“What about Centre?” he asked.
“Nothing,” Shikamaru confirmed. “Not a peep. Garner says the same. Maybe they didn’t believe that I was a typed-seven.” He did not think that for a moment. It was more likely that the decision to acquire him was making its way through channels. Centre was like that. It moved slowly but relentlessly.
“And Neji?” Sasuke checked.
“A bit better. He’s enjoying the challenge of teaching the youngsters how to read behaviour. In return, our hybrid youngsters and Ran are telling him how they do it, which is interesting for him. He’s also been working with Ran and Dan to better predict Akemi’s behaviour.”
“Dan not Rin?”
“It would appear that pregnant women, even Rin-san, stop caring about anything but their baby when the birth is this close.” Shikamaru remembered his Pa telling him stories about how mellow his Ma had been, although he had struggled to believe it.
“The baby is overdue,” Sasuke observed.
“Apparently some variation is normal. Dan says they will induce the birth if the process does not begin within the next three days.”
“I don’t understand why they didn’t just cut the baby out once she was old enough.”
Shikamaru gave him a look. “Oh, and you and Na-chan didn’t make sure the birth of your children was something memorable and special.”
Sasuke coloured, which made him look considerably better. “Can’t see being squeezed through a birth canal is that good a start in life.”
“Didn’t do me any harm,” Shikamaru pointed out.

Sasuke gave a humph, conceded the point and changed the subject.
“There is a confidential matter I wish to discuss with you,” he began.
Shikamaru expected it would be to do with what Sasuke has discussed with the big litter in the kitchen the day before. He suspected it was also related to Sasuke and Naruto’s disagreement.
“Ho-chan and Hi-chan have suggested that I nominate Kuu-chan as heir.”
It was a fresh and interesting way forward. However, there was a huge difference between taking advantage of an archaic definition to scare off Izuna and actually choosing a hybrid with no genetic relationship to Uchiha as the official heir. “Good for them,” Shikamaru acknowledged. “What did you say?”
Sasuke scowled at him. “Not you too.”
So Naruto had not reacted well to the idea. Different trains of thought set off in a variety of directions. “Sasuke, what did you say?”
“I said that it was an excellent idea.”
Shikamaru could see that Sasuke meant that with every fibre of his being. His spirit lifted; this was the new Uchiha.
“It is, given that Hi-chan and Ho-chan are fine with it,” Sasuke continued. The scowl softened. “Only Naruto is worried that outsiders will react badly, be vile about Kuu-chan and turn against us.”
“Some will,” Shikamaru agreed. “But many fewer than would have a decade ago.”
“I want you to think it through; create and run models. We need to understand as many of the possible outcomes as we can. Then I can talk it through with Kuu-chan and Naruto before we go further.” He sighed. “Kuu-chan was there when Hi-chan and Ho-chan suggested it.”
Shikamaru understood. “Then he knows you want to do it. If it turns out it’s a bad idea, he will understand.”
Sasuke relaxed a little. “Yes, I think he would.”
“Just me,” Shikamaru checked. “You don’t want me to mention it to anyone else?”
“No one who does not know already,” Sasuke clarified. “That’s Naruto, Iruka, Ho-chan, Hi-chan and Kuu-chan. I would prefer you not to discuss it with Ho-chan, Hi-chan and Kuu-chan.”

Shikamaru sipped his coffee, waiting for the first queries to float up from the lower levels of his mind. Sasuke was silent, familiar with the way he thought and content to wait with him.
“How many of the big litter will swear to Uchiha?” he began.
“Not sure yet. Definitely Kuu-chan, Kei-chan, Yo-chan and Ya-chan. I’ll tell you the others when they decide.”
“Are there any who you don’t want to swear to Uchiha?”
Sasuke did not answer immediately, which gave Shikamaru all the information he needed.
“Haru,” he said, answering his own question.
“I don’t want him thinking it’s because I do not have faith in him,” Sasuke insisted.
“May I speak to him about it?” Shikamaru asked. “It might help him understand.”
Sasuke considered and then nodded.

He had no other questions for the time being and Sasuke had three other missed appointments to make up, so they terminated the meeting early. Shikamaru headed off to check on people before he settled down to some work.
Naruto was first on his list. Given the time he would neither be in the gym nor with the triplets, so he could be anywhere. He turned out to be in the kitchen with Iruka, which fuelled Shikamaru’s suspicion that the incident between him and Sasuke was not fully resolved.
Shikamaru sat down at the table with them. “Anyone within earshot?” he asked.
Naruto checked. “No, only the three of us.”
“Sasuke looks awful. How bad was he yesterday?”
Iruka gave a disapproving sniff.
“Bad,” Naruto admitted.

Shikamaru rubbed Naruto’s upper arm. “He’s asked me to look into it. You both have valid points. Maybe he’s being too optimistic. Maybe you’re being too fearful.”
Iruka smiled. “Who would have ever thought it would be that way around?”
“Sometimes I don’t understand him,” Naruto admitted. “He goes into full over-protective parent mode at the merest suggestion that they are fucking but he’s willing to put one of them up as a target for anti-hybrid fanatics across known space.”
“Oh Naru-kun, think. What terrified Sasuke when he was young?” Iruka asked.
Naruto looked blank.
“Opening himself up to more loss and pain and grief,” Shikamaru answered for him.
“And what were you most scared of?” Iruka continued.
Understanding dawned in Naruto’s eyes. “Being rejected or even killed because people saw me as a monster rather than a person.”
Shikamaru decided to push Iruka’s point home. “Na-chan, which do you think Kuu-chan is scared of?”
Naruto smiled. “Neither, because he’s been loved and kept safe.” Then he frowned. “It doesn’t mean he’ll be immune to the horrid things people say about him.”
“And it won’t mean he’ll never get his heart broken,” Iruka pointed out. “It does mean that he should be better able to cope with either.”

Next on Shikamaru’s list was Sumiko. She was in the playroom. To someone else it would look like she was isolated; buried in an alcove with her back to the world.
Shikamaru knew better; she had her earpiece in and therefore Sai was with her. He crept up behind her.
He was almost there when she whipped around.
“Nii-san,” she warned.
He decided to take advantage of his size and strength, plucking her out of her seat for a hug and a tickle.
“Nii-san!” she shrieked.
He stopped tickling and was rewarded by an unexpected kiss on the cheek; she really was much happier since Sai returned.

Shikamaru activated his earpiece and throat mike so that Sai could be properly included while Sumiko told him about what she had been doing.
He had spent a number of sessions with Sai explaining about learning; the difference between encouraging Sumiko and doing the assignments for her. It seemed to be working; Iruka and Kiba were pleased with her progress.
Even her attitude to Neji had improved. Shikamaru had negotiated a deal by which Neji stayed out of her room in return for her neither ignoring him nor being downright rude.
It was a long way from what the three of them had shared before Neji had been kidnapped. Shikamaru did not see a way back. It wasn’t what had happened with Hinata that was the insurmountable barrier, it was Sai.

Sumiko was happy to continue with her assignment, so Shikamaru left the two of them to it and moved on to number three on his list; Neji.
Not that he could resist a quick visit with the triplets. Teruko and Takara were painting pictures while Tsuneo had decided to make a dragon out of modelling clay.
“It isn’t turning out like I wanted,” he admitted sadly, studying the blobby body with its drooping wings.
“Well maybe it’s before or after he looked the way you imagined him looking,” Shikamaru proposed.
Tsuneo frowned, thinking, and then gave one of his breathtaking, Naruto-esque smiles. “When he was an old dragon or a baby dragon?”
“Exactly,” Shikamaru encouraged.
“A baby dragon wouldn’t be lopsided,” Takara observed.
“It might be,” Teruko pointed out. “Like Isaribi-kun was before Kotohime-san made her arms alike.”
“Or it could be an older dragon,” Tsuneo suggested. “His wings could have been damaged when he saved everyone and then he got fatter like Choza-san did when he stopped being an elite fighter. Maybe he uses his fire to cook the food and everyone likes him because he’s so kind.” He studied his model again. “I’ll think about it.”
“You do that,” Shikamaru replied.

Talking to the triplets had delayed him; Neji had finished his session discussing how to read behaviour and was back in his office preparing for his meeting with Sasuke.
“How is he?” Neji asked with one eye on the indicator lights above the door to Sasuke’s office.
“Pulling himself together,” Shikamaru answered. “He may not be ready to talk about what happened yesterday.”
Neji nodded. “And Naruto-san?”
“Iruka is working on him.”
The light above the door turned to blue. “Must go,” Neji warned him and was gone.

Shikamaru sighed. Neji had neither hugged him nor kissed him, which meant that he was not behaving as if a hug or a kiss was welcome.
He wished Haku was around. Maybe he should risk talking to Iruka. Then he imagined Iruka interrogating him; maybe not.

He went through to his laboratory and activated an interface. It was tempting to dive into the data streams, or shift through the incoming communications, or begin the task Sasuke had set him. Instead he pinged Haru.
The door between their rooms opened. Haru was at his desk rather than his workbench. “There’s going to be a meeting about the minkies,” he announced.
Shikamaru glanced at what he was doing; it was something to do with the toad hybrids’ planet.
“Oh and Rin-san is in the early stages of the birth process,” he added. “Ran is one of those on standby in case there is a medical issue.”
“Good,” Shikamaru acknowledged.
“I think Papa thinks that the minkies would be happiest on the planet because they like fish. Only Papa hasn’t seen the crocodiles and the giant snakes and the fish with teeth that hunt in packs.”
“Well the ecosystem must be healthy to support so many predators, particularly the big ones,” Shikamaru pointed out.
“I guess so,” Haru replied although he did not seem convinced that crocodiles, snakes and fish with teeth could be considered positive. “I’m researching selective barriers. Even if we don’t build minky-sanctuaries on the planet, they’d be useful for Riki-san and the others. Maybe we could order some and set up tests on the surface. With Gama-sama’s permission, of course.”
“Maybe we need better information about different conditions on the surface,” Shikamaru suggested.
Haru’s expression lit up and his fingers flew over the interface. “I was thinking that we could adapt some of the drones and probes that I used to look for Sai.”
Shikamaru shook his head. “No, you need drones and probes designed to withstand the conditions on a planet. You need to look into the kit the Central Colonial Service used. May I?”

Haru handed over the interface. Within a few minutes Shikamaru had extracted the relevant data from the copy of the Centralite archive that Klenn had given him.
“Do you want it sent to your array?” he asked.
Haru nodded and then sampled the stream as it flowed in. “This is great, Shi-chan. Thanks.”
“Anytime.” He resolved to find time to filter the Centralite archive, identify the information that could have been obtained from other sources and integrate it into the Uchiha library.
Haru glanced away from the display, his fingers poised over the interface. “Did you want something specific?” he queried. “You used the ‘I want to talk to you about something’ ping.”

Shikamaru hoped he did not mess this up. “Yes,” he admitted. “When is your appointment with your Papa?”
Haru immediately put the display and interface on standby. “Tomorrow. It was meant to be this morning but...” He looked miserable and shrugged.
“It’ll be fine, Ha-chan,” Shikamaru assured him. “Even the closest of couples have occasional disagreements.”
“You and Neji-san broke up and you had been together almost as long as Papa and To-chan,” Haru pointed out.
“There is no comparison, Ha-chan,” Shikamaru insisted. “You know that.” He judged Haru’s reaction; he seemed reassured. “I want to talk to you about something,” he admitted. “I need you to listen.”
Haru nodded.
Shikamaru look a deep breath and began. “When your Papa was your age everyone thought he was the last Uchiha. Uchiha and Sasuke Uchiha were synonymous. When it came to us making our vows, most of us swore to Uchiha and, in our minds, we were swearing to Sasuke and his new Uchiha.
“Only we weren’t. We were swearing to Uchiha. I owe loyalty and obedience to any Uchiha. I can only disobey an adult Uchiha if your Papa countermands his or her orders. If someone else was Uchiha-sama, I would have to obey him or her utterly.”
Haru’s eyes widened as what he was saying sank in.
“The situation is the same for all of us sworn to Uchiha rather than your Papa personally, but...”
“The others aren’t typed-seven geniuses,” Haru whispered.
“Or a typed-five,” Shikamaru added.

Haru opened his mouth to deny the label but thought better of it. He frowned, considering. “Ran is sworn to Uchiha,” he pointed out.
Shikamaru was ready for that. “Well we all know the way out of that,” he hinted and was rewarded by Haru turning a delightful shade of pink. “And the great thing about that is that there isn’t any rush, because all it requires is you and Ran and a plaque.”
Haru frowned. “No, it would have happen while I was part of the clan. If Papa...” He stopped and then pushed on. “If I swore to Papa and Papa died, I would be out of the clan.”
It was true. Shikamaru sighed. “You’ll have to think all the possibilities through for yourself. I just wanted you to know that if I could turn back time, I would swear to your Papa personally. Everyone would have been safer that way.”

Haru’s mind was whirling. Snippets of information were swirling about. He was sure they fitted into a pattern but he didn’t know how.
When Shi-chan asked if he wanted to be on his own to think Haru answered yes. Then, as soon as Shi-chan left, he closed down everything he had been doing and created a secure folder.
He could keep anyone other than Sai out, even Shi-chan. He had to trust that Sai would take notice the tag that told him that Haru didn’t want to share.

It was obvious to Haru who Shi-chan had been talking about. It was Izuna-sama who could not be trusted. Just like it was Izuna-sama who had told Centre about Shi-chan.
Just like it was Izuna-sama who had told the Akatsuki where and when to find the Oak, even if Papa would not confirm it.
He made two subfolders. One he would use to accumulate information about Izuna-sama. The other one was for other clan stuff, starting with a model of what could happen with the clan leadership.

Before they turned fourteen, Izuna-sama could challenge, kill Papa and then do what he liked, including not allowing any of them to swear to Uchiha or setting up situations where their survival was unlikely. Papa’s way of dealing with this was to stay away from Tarrasade, so a challenge was impossible.
Once they were fourteen the situation would change. Even if Izuna-sama managed to force a challenge, he wouldn’t stay Uchiha-sama for long because one of the kits would challenge him. The problem was, what would Izuna-sama do once he realised that?
He wouldn’t behave with honour like Papa would; Haru was sure of it. He might stay on the right side of the clan rules but he would do nasty, sneaky stuff like telling Centre about Shi-chan.

There wasn’t that much wiggle-room in the clan charter, even with the amendments. As far as Haru could see, the only thing Izuna-sama could do was flood the clan with loyal full blood Uchihas and change the charter. Given that Papa had a five-strong, fourteen-standard start on him, that didn’t seem very likely.
No, Izuna-sama’s best bet was to declare that he had always been Uchiha-sama, was still Uchiha-sama and that Papa was, at best, acting clan leader or, at worst, an usurper.
Even then, that only set him up to be challenged by one of the kits.

Haru shook himself. He had his meeting with Papa tomorrow. Was Shi-chan right? Should he swear to Papa rather than Uchiha?
Not swearing to Uchiha meant never being clan leader but Haru was fine with that.
Swearing to Papa could give him more freedom. It also recognised the possibility that, in the future, he might want to do something that wasn’t all about the clan.
It meant never having to obey Izuna-sama, which was good. It could be very good; he would be able to pursue possibilities that were closed to Shi-chan.

That left Ran. Being sworn to Papa when Ran was sworn to Uchiha meant that they could be separated but it didn’t seem very likely and there was always the solution Shi-chan had suggested.
Maybe it would be a good idea to talk to Ran before his meeting with Papa.

He shut down his systems and made his way down to the infirmary. Once there he lurked outside, reluctant to go onto Rin-san’s territory even though she was busy pushing the baby out.
No one entered or left, so he had no way of getting a message to Ran. He was considering asking Sai to help when Iruka-sensei rounded the corner of the corridor.
“Haru-kun,” he acknowledged. “Are you hoping to see Ran?”
“Yes, Iruka-sensei, but I didn’t want to disturb Rin-san.”
Iruka-sensei smiled. “I think she is a little too busy to notice you, Haru-kun. Let’s go in, shall we?”

Ran told him that the ‘labour’, which was the proper word for pushing the baby out, was going smoothly, Dan-san and Rin-san had everything under control and Isaribi was back from having a nap so Ran was going off-duty until the evening.
“It will probably be over by then,” Iruka-sensei suggested.
“I want to be there when Kiba-san extracts the stem cells from the umbilical cord,” Ran replied.
“Does he know?” Iruka-sensei checked.
“Yes, he promised to call me if I wasn’t on duty. He gave me a pager.” Ran dug the small device out from his pocket.
“I recommend that you have your midday meal and then have a rest.” Iruka-sensei smiled at them. “I am sure Haru-kun will look after you. Off you go, I am going to stay here for a while.”

Ran was excited about the ‘labour’ and chatted about it all the way back to the crew room. Haru enjoyed the rare experience of Ran being talkative. Some bits were interesting, like Rin-san deciding to use a ‘birthing pool’, but most of the details were pretty yucky; Haru was glad he was male-only so any children he had would come out of gestators.
Finally Ran either finished what he had to say or detected Haru’s squeamishness. “Did you have your meeting with Sasuke-sama?” he asked.
“No, Papa postponed it until tomorrow,” Haru admitted.
Ran certainly picked up on his feelings about that. “Do you know what they argued about?”
Haru shook his head. “No, but both To-chan and Shi-chan implied they’d made up. I think it was about clan-stuff.”
“The stuff you can’t talk about,” Ran checked.
Haru nodded.

They reached the kitchen and Misora let them get their midmeal early because Ran had been in the infirmary since station dawn. They packed a basket and escaped into Ran’s room.
“No food on the bed,” Ran warned.
Ran was always fussy about that. They pulled out the desk so that they could sit either side with the food arranged on the surface. Ran even spread a cloth to catch the crumbs.
Haru found himself wondering if they would ever have their own sitting room, which led to thoughts about being a couple and plaques.
“Haru?” Ran queried.
“Shi-chan thinks I should swear to Papa rather than Uchiha,” Haru began.
“It doesn’t seem to make much difference.”
“It could do,” Haru admitted. He couldn’t mention Izuna-sama or the clan leadership; Papa had forbid them from doing so. “Papa could release me and I would be automatically released when he dies.”
Ran caught on immediately. “While I have made a life-long commitment.”
Haru imagined them being separated with Ran in the clutches of Izuna-sama. “I’ll swear to Uchiha,” he insisted.
“Haru, if Shika-san spoke to you about it, if he recommends you swear to Sasuke-sama, it must be important.”

Haru had told himself he wasn’t going to mention the plaque but the words tumbled out of his mouth as if of their own accord.
“There is one vow that could override your commitment to Uchiha.”
There was silence. Ran was looking at him. Haru flushed. His toes were curling and his gut twisting. Finally Ran spoke.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you, me walking around wearing a plaque that announced I was yours?”
Haru started to panic. What should he say? He loved the idea. Even the thought of it gave him a stiffy. “Yes,” he admitted reluctantly.
To his surprise Ran smiled. “You Uchihas are so possessive.”
“You don’t hate the idea?” Haru queried.
Ran made a show of considering, “No, I do not hate the idea, Haru Uchiha.”
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