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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
- 65
- 66
- 67
Thank you to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.
Also thanks to Rhionae, SunaoTsuji, melissen, satterb, Bree, sadie237, Aflyingmonkey and disembodiedvoiceofthedying for reviewing after chapter 65 was posted.
Readers’ feedback, support, comments and reviews mean a great deal to me. Feedback keeps me writing.

Leader
Part 7: Vendetta
66: Searching

Haru was looking for Kazuki but he had only managed to find Ran, who was where Haru expected to find Ran, in Ran’s room.
“You thought Kazuki would be here?” Ran queried.
“Not really. He’s not on watch and he isn’t in his room.”
“So the next place you looked for him was here?” Ran asked in disbelief.
Haru felt himself flush. “Well I was checking the rest of the crew room and your room was there.”
“Haru, do you want me to keep you company while you look for Kazu-kun?”
“Yes, please,” Haru admitted.

“Where are we going?” Haru asked when he realised that they weren’t heading for the zero gravity gym or the ordinary gym or Shi-chan’s level or any of the other places he thought Kazuki might be in the evening.
Ran sighed. “Where do you think the trainees hang out?”
“In their rooms?” Haru suggested. “In each others’ rooms?”
“That describes you and me and pretty much no one else,” Ran informed him. “The girls and Yuki hang out in hydroponics.”
“They do? Why?”
“Because none of the adults go there and the flowers are pretty.”
“We aren’t going to hydroponics,” Haru observed.
“No, because you want to find Kazu-kun. He and the other males, with the exception of you, me and Yuki, hang out here.” He stopped beside a door and punched in a combination.

It was meant to be a storeroom but it only contained a few token packing cases. There were couches, an odd assortment of gym equipment and strange music.
Ryuu and Five were competing to see who could do the most chin-ups. Keizo was counting for Ryuu and Kuuya for Five. Hikaru and Keitaro were playing Go. Yasushi and Yoshimi were entwined in a large chair watching a vid playing on a tablet.
Kazuki was sprawled across one of the couches; asleep and snoring gently.

Haru didn’t know what he thought. Why had no one told him about the room? Did they dislike him so much that they had agreed to exclude him? Did they think he belonged with the girls and Yuki?
Ryuu spotted him and dropped to the floor, aborting the competition with Five. “Ha-chan!”
Yasushi snatched the tablet from Yoshimi and buried it under a cushion. “You could have told us you were bringing him, Ran,” he complained.
It didn’t make Haru feel very welcome.
Kuuya came over and laid a hand on his shoulder. “Code for the door is one-four-one-four.”
First four digits of the square root of two; Haru would have no problem remembering that.
“We decided that you and Hi-chan were too young,” Kuuya explained. “Only he turned up a couple of days ago and you today so you’re obviously not.”
It helped to know that Hikaru had also been excluded. It also made Haru wonder what they got up too.
“They talk about fucking and watch porn,” Ran elucidated.
“Papa won’t like it if he finds out,” Keizo added, “but he’ll go ballistic if he finds out we’ve been doing it in front of you.”
“Even To-chan would lecture us,” Ryuu emphasised.

Haru didn’t know who he was more annoyed with, his brothers or his parents.
“I can’t see there’s any difference between me being here and Hi-chan being here,” he complained.
“Hi-chan was never kidnapped by people who had no intention of ever giving him back,” Kuuya pointed out.
Was that really at the root of it? He’d been back home for nine standards.
“To-chan used to cry every day and then pretend he hadn’t,” Ryuu recalled.
There were far too many pairs of sad eyes and drooping whiskers.
“I probably won’t hang out here much,” he assured them. It was true; competitive exercise and porn weren’t his favourite activities. Even Go didn’t attract him unless he had Shi-chan or Neji-san to play against. “I need to talk to Ka-chan before I talk to Papa tomorrow.”

He started over towards the couch where Kazuki was sleeping. Ka-chan’s eyelids fluttered and then opened. He sat up.
“You’re here,” he stated.
“Well observed,” Haru retorted. “I need to talk to you.” He went to sit down but Kazuki stood up.
“We’ll go somewhere more private,” Kazuki decided. “Is Ran coming?”
Ran sat down on the couch. “No, I think Haru needs to speak with you alone.”
Haru hesitated; he wasn’t too keen on leaving Ran with Five. Then he caught the warning look in Ran’s eyes. “Fine. Let’s go, Ka-chan.” He leaned down and gave Ran a quick peck on the lips. “See you later.”
When he stood up Ran was looking wide-eyed up at him, which Haru discovered he rather liked.

“Kissing Ran? Is that new or have the two of you been doing it for divs?” Kazuki asked once they were in the corridor with the door shut behind him.
“It’s new,” Haru admitted. He wanted to tell someone and Ka-chan was probably his best choice. “Ran said he didn’t hate the idea of wearing my plaque.”
Kazuki stared at him.
Haru flushed. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. Shi-chan thinks I should swear to Papa rather than Uchiha. He says that he wishes they had thought through the difference between the two when he took his vow.”
“Makes sense,” Ka-chan decided. “If Shika-san was sworn to Papa he would be released if Papa was killed. The person who killed him would have made himself one dangerous and powerful enemy.”
Was Shi-chan dangerous? Haru guessed he could be, like Klenn-san had been.
“So which are you going to do?”
“Swear to Papa but I want a plaque so I can always keep Ran with me.”

They walked along a little way in silence. Haru had hoped that Kazuki would start talking about his plans but he supposed it didn’t matter. He had done his bit; he had warned Ka-chan of what he intended to do.
“I guess that makes my mind up,” Kazuki said suddenly. “I’ll swear to Papa.”
“You’ll be giving up your claim on the clan leadership,” Haru pointed out.
Ka-chan snorted. “Ha-chan, there is a big difference between a few whiskers and a tail. Believe me, purebreds are not ready for someone who looks like me leading Uchiha. Anyway, if you end up outside the clan I want to be there with you until someone decent is leading Uchiha and we can get back in.”
It was a huge relief to know that he and Ran wouldn’t end up out there on their own. “Thanks, Ka-chan.”
“I’ll talk to Ryuka,” Kazuki added. “She’s still on probation but she’ll be swearing before us.”

Haru was intrigued. Ka-chan had not mentioned Ryuka recently. Thinking about it, he had been a lot less tense lately. Haru remembered him sprawled across the couch; when he was anxious he slept curled up.
“How are things between you and Ryuka?” he asked.
Kazuki paused for a moment. His ears moved, checking who was within earshot. “It was hopeless at first. All I could think about was her scent.” He grinned. “We’ve worked out a solution to that.”
“Which is?” Haru asked.
“We fuck. Nothing romantic, just a quick fuck. Works like a dream.”

Haru was so shocked that he stopped walking. He had to run a few steps to catch up. “You and Ryuka are a couple then?”
“No. Not yet, maybe never. We just fuck. Only takes a minute in a cupboard or storeroom. I squirt. she does what females do and we can be with each other without thinking about fucking for the rest of the day. Usually. Sometimes we have to do it again in the afternoon.”
“But do you like her?” Haru insisted.
Kazuki considered. “Maybe. It’s tricky. She’s all prickles and defence mechanisms. She never had anyone to rely on. The only people she really trusts are Kiba-san, ‘cos he raised her when she was a cub, and To-chan because he’s To-chan. I got this kind of second-hand, low-level trust because of my connections to them, which gave me a starting point.”
Haru decided to stay quiet but gave what he hoped was an encouraging nod.
“Captain Bull was right to pick her out. She’s clever and quick-witted and strong and fast. It’s just whether she can trust other people enough to be a reliable member of a team.”
“Maybe all she needs is to learn to trust one person,” Haru suggested.
Ka-chan smiled at him. “Having Ran has turned you into such a romantic.”
“Do I have him?” Haru heard himself ask.
“Ha-chan, if he’s willing to even contemplate wearing your plaque then the two of you are further along than most of the couples in the crew. It’s a lifelong, irreversible commitment.”
The thought of which did not worry Haru in the slightest.

The door announcer sounded at precisely the allotted time; Sasuke imagined Haru waiting in the corridor, his eyes fixed on his chronometer. Sasuke opened the door, gestured Haru towards one of the comfortable chairs and went to add boiling water to the teapot.
Sasuke placed the tray on the low table between them. Haru was looking in the direction of the portrait but, judging by his expression, his mind was somewhere else entirely.
It was strange that a person could be so like him and yet so like Shikamaru.
“Haru-kun,” he hinted.
Haru jumped slightly and flushed. “Papa,” he acknowledged.
“Have you thought about what you want to do?” he asked as he poured the tea.
Haru nodded as he accepted the tea cup. “Yes, Papa, I think it would be best if I swore to you rather than Uchiha.”

Sasuke tried not to allow his relief to show. Garner Parrad did not want Haru told that he was heir to Klennethon Darrent’s fortune before he was twenty, but Sasuke was not sure he could have allowed Haru to give it up without knowing what he was doing.
Even so, he had to be sure that Haru understood.
“It will mean you would be extremely unlikely to become clan leader,” he pointed out.
Haru smiled. “It isn’t going to happen, Papa. I used to be third choice, then fifth, now twelfth and that is only in this generation.”
Sasuke smiled in return. He did not think that he would put Haru so far down the list but it was true that he had limited leadership potential and, more importantly, that he would hate it.
“We have more flexibility this way,” Haru continued. “Also, my loyalty will be with you and you alone.”
A warning bell sounded in Sasuke’s head. There was only one other senior Uchiha. How much did Haru know about what Izuna had been up to? Did he know that Izuna had tried to rape Shikamaru? If he did, Sasuke needed to know. “It is acceptable to talk about Izuna-sama but only within this office and with only me,” he encouraged.
It worked. “Izuna-sama has told Centre about Shi-chan,” Haru complained.
Sasuke was shocked. Thinking about it, he had not told Shikamaru not to tell Haru. “I did not know that Shika-san had told you that,” he admitted.
Haru was silent for a moment. “He probably thought I should know because it is on record that he is my genetic father, so they might take me for testing.”
The thought of it made Sasuke’s gut twist.
“You know that Shi-chan will join the Central Civil Service if Centre comes for him?” Haru checked.

Sasuke did. Worse, he had not ordered Shikamaru not to do so because, if that was the only way to save Haru, Sasuke would want him to do so.
“Yes,” he admitted. “But I trust him not to do it unless it is absolutely necessary.”
Haru did not look convinced but Sasuke chose to leave it.
“Being sworn to me does not exempt you from treating Izuna-sama with respect, Haru-kun,” he warned and then waited.
“Yes, Papa,” Haru answered reluctantly. He shifted and looked uncomfortable.
It reminded Sasuke of all the things Haru had got up to when he was younger. He tried a stern look and Haru flushed.
“Papa, there is one problem about swearing to you.”
Sasuke waited. Was Haru going to admit to some horrendous misdeed?
“Ran.”

On balance, Sasuke was relieved; he already knew about Ran. “You are too young to be worrying about that.”
Haru’s expression changed to one that Sasuke had seen only once before; on the other side of his desk the day Haru had refused to give up his tablet.
It was up to him to ensure that this encounter did not end as badly as that one. “Ha-chan...”
“I could end up out of the clan, leaving him under Izuna-sama’s control,” Haru argued. “I cannot allow that to happen.”
Sasuke’s retort died before it could reach his lips. He remembered that awful night when he had thought that Naruto was going to be taken from him. They had not been lovers then; all he had known was that Naruto was too important to him to lose.
He sighed. “You may have a plaque on your fourteenth birth anniversary. Please do not rush into giving it to Ran unless it is an emergency.”

Haru was out of his chair and heading around the table for a hug. Sasuke only just managed to stand up in time.
“Thank you, Papa,” Haru mumbled from his chest.
It was unlike Haru to be so demonstrative. Sasuke kissed the top of his son’s head. “You are welcome, Ha-chan.”

They would have talked further, or at least finished their tea, if the intercom had not clicked.
“This is Shikamaru. There is a top priority message from Inari-san.”
Inari has been following a lead from one of Shikamaru’s Tennyos. “Please excuse me, Ha-chan,” Sasuke said as he stood up and headed for his desk.
“Shall I go?” Haru asked.
“Not yet,” Sasuke replied. He reached the desk and activated the intercom. “This is Sasuke. Send the message though.”
“This is Shikamaru. Have done. I am outside your door.”
Sasuke wondered why Shikamaru had not used the announcer. He opened the door.

Shikamaru was obviously excited. Sasuke was impressed that he managed to notice Haru was there and not pour out the news.
“I’ll go,” Haru volunteered.
“We’ll talk more later,” Sasuke assured him as he escorted him to the door.
“Sorry, Ha-chan,” Shikamaru added.
Haru smiled. “It’s fine. Papa and I had talked about the most important stuff.”

As soon as the door shut behind Haru, Shikamaru started. “They’ve found something that is probably a stasis unit.”
“Is Kabuto inside?” Sasuke asked.
Shikamaru shook his head. “They can’t tell. A stasis unit would have a thicker than usual radiation shield; nothing in and nothing out. Even if we managed to activate the transponder we probably wouldn’t detect its signal.”
Sasuke nodded. He was opening Inari’s message but it was quicker to listen to Shikamaru.
“There was a ship. It probably delivered the stasis unit to the system. It was blocking the hole. Inari used a sub-optimal hole as a back door.”
“Was?” Sasuke queried.
“It exploded as soon as Inari scanned it.”
No wonder Inari thought that he was on the right track. “Casualties?”
“None. Inari used a probe. Probably none their end either. Initial analysis of the debris suggests that the ship was unmanned. Having an automated delivery system would increase security.”

Being willing to sacrifice a ship with a Mulligan drive suggested that whatever was in the stasis unit was important. Perhaps it was not just Kabuto.
Sasuke suppressed the thought; Orochimaru would not risk keeping Kabuto with him.
“There’ll be other stasis units,” Shikamaru was saying. “Like the one the original Orochimaru is in. We need to keep this unit intact so that we can study it.”
It would probably blow up as soon as they began investigating; Kabuto was not that important to the Akatsuki.
“I need to be there, Sasuke-sama.”
Sasuke stopped considering implications and focused on Shikamaru. “No.”
“But...”
“It could be a trap. It is out of the question. You can consult from here.”
“But there isn’t a minigated communication route and even if there was, the delays would make decision-making too slow.”
“Inari and Kakashi will establish a minigated communication route.” He caught Shikamaru’s reaction. “Is that already in hand?”
Shikamaru nodded. “They’ve put together the best team from both crews to investigate the stasis unit. It’s going to be based on the Maple. Kakashi is going to lay the minigate string using the Elm.”
Sasuke wondered if Kakashi could come home once the minigate string was complete. He hoped so.
“Sasuke...”
“No, Shika. You are staying here.”
“I wasn’t going to ask that,” Shikamaru complained. “Can Haru work on it with me? He’s phenomenal at security systems.”
At breaking them; Sasuke remembered trying to explain to a tiny Haru why breaking the barriers Shikamaru had built between him and the data streams was a bad idea. However, working with Haru would compensate Shikamaru for having to stay in Skyburrow. “Yes, Haru can work with you on the problem.”

Shikamaru walked slowly back to his laboratory. He was disappointed but he knew it was pointless arguing when Sasuke was so adamant.
He settled at his desk. It would be so much easier if he were there. Even with Inryoku as point and a mini-gated communication route, it was going to be frustratingly slow.
“I could get in,” Sai announced.
Shikamaru jumped. “You could have knocked,” he complained.
“I was here when Inari-san’s message arrived,” Sai reminded him. “I am still here. You did not tell me to go away.”
“You viewed the message?”
“You opened it with me here.”
He would have to be more careful in future; this time there wasn’t a problem because Sasuke would be making an announcement at the evemeal.
“I could get into the system of the craft you believe to be a stasis unit,” Sai reiterated. “Systems designed by fresh and blood people do not recognise my code. It is not even detected.”
“You aren’t there, you are here,” Shikamaru reminded him. “And you are not allowed to use your code outside your array.”
“Haru might give permission,” Sai suggested.
“In-san would recognise the code as odd and even if he didn’t, he would pester me to show him how we had managed it. No, we will get in, we just have to be patient.”
“You do not like being patient,” Sai pointed out.
“Sometimes we have to put up with things we do not like,” Shikamaru admitted.

There was a pause. Shikamaru tensed with anticipation. Lady knew how many thoughts Sai had processed during that time. “You could get better at breaking security without being detected.”
Shikamaru opened his mouth to object and then closed it again. He had always considered himself the best hacker in known space but it was no longer true. He was the best flesh and blood hacker. This could be interesting.
“Haru could make systems. I could break them and you could try,” Sai explained. “You could then learn by examining how I did it. You could develop methods based on mine. You would understand them so you could explain them to In-san. If the code was odd, people would accept it because you are a typed-seven genius.”
It would be different; a challenge. It would mean he could do something in the gaps between the communications from Inryoku. “We would need Haru’s cooperation and his permission for you to use your code within one of the simulators.”
“I shall ask him,” Sai replied and was gone.

Shikamaru sighed, pinged Haru and waited for the door between their rooms to open. As soon as they had checked he was alone, Sai’s life-sized, three-dimensional image appeared, perched on the end of Haru’s workbench.
“How much has Sai explained?” Shikamaru asked.
“He’s going to teach us a whole new level of hacking,” Haru replied, his eyes shining.
Shikamaru found himself smiling back. Yes, this was going to be fun.
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