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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
- 83
- 84
- 85
Thank you to my beta and muse, Small Fox. This story grew from a plot idea he gave me.
Also thanks to SidonieStarr, SunaoTsuji, sadie237, Phoenixwolf, and melissen for reviewing after chapter 83 was posted.
Readers’ feedback, support and comments mean a great deal to me. Feedback keeps me writing. Reviews encourage and inspire.

Leader
Part 9: Family
84: Leaving

When Shikamaru woke he realised that the decision was made. Two more days and that would be that.
Rin was working on the differential gene switching. Shikamaru had no doubt that if anyone could get it to work, she would. Naruto had agreed to consider it. There was no more Shikamaru could do.
He and Haru had reached the end of the list. Hundreds of procedures had been ‘de-shika-ised’ and Haru had a grasp of most of the others. There would always be more; it would have to be enough.
Shikamaru had long term strategies worked out for the Tennyos and all his prominent identities. If he could not communicate with them they would go through a number of stages before being deactivated; the identities would be mothballed and the Tennyos retired.
It was the process he had worked out in case he died. He shivered. It was not the same. He would not allow it to be.

Two days; it wasn’t a long time to say goodbye to everyone he loved, especially without giving people clues to what he was planning.
Sumiko stared at him in disbelief to see him out of his bedroom before she had left for breakfast. “You’re up.”
“Good morning, Shika-san,” Sai greeted him from Su-chan’s room.
“Su-chan, Sai-kun,” Shikamaru acknowledged. Sasuke and Naruto would be Sumiko’s guardians. He hoped that they would pay attention to the vid in which he pleaded for them to let her live in her own room and keep at least the sitting room they had shared. She was ten; Ran had lived in his own room from the age of eight.
Maybe he should have chosen Iruka as her guardian. He sighed. It was too late to change it now.
“Nii-san, are you listening?”
“No, Su-chan,” he admitted. “What did you say?”

Everyone in the kitchen was equally surprised to see him. Neji asked if he was feeling well. Haku insisted on making him coffee. There was no sign of Iruka or Kakashi or Sasuke; it was too early. He sat next to Naruto.
This was the hardest part. Klenn’s solution, joining the Central Civil Service, was the best available but it had one colossal drawback. It required Shikamaru to sacrifice ten standards, which might be only a seventh of his remaining lifespan but was more than the balance of Naruto’s.
He so wanted Rin to convert the science into an effective treatment; an extra five standards would mean that he should be back before the end.
“Shi-chan?” Naruto asked, his glorious eyes full of concern and his whiskers drooping slightly.
“I’ve been working too hard,” Shikamaru replied, which was not a lie. “’I’ve decided to follow the advice everyone’s been giving me and take it easy for a couple of days.”
Naruto smiled. “Why don’t you come to the playroom this afternoon?”
“I would like that,” Shikamaru admitted.

He started by visiting the trees in the park. Then he dropped in to see people: Kotetsu and Izumo; Inryoku and Enerugi; Iruka in his office; Haku in the closet; Haru.
By the time he had finished it was the time for the midday meal. He took one of the adults’ seats at the children’s table and picked up some baby sign language, which he used to play word games with Aiko. Haru was right; she was clever.

Naruto had cleared the first half the afternoon so that he could lead a make-believe adventure with the triplets and anyone else who wanted to join in. Su-chan and Sai watched; Sumiko from the sidelines and Sai through the miniature camera and microphone built into the brooch Shikamaru had made for her.
Afterwards Tsuneo threw his arms around Shikamaru’s neck.
“That was awesome. Your stories are best, Shi-chan.”
Shikamaru hugged him. “Thank you, Tsu-chan.” Maybe Haru would think of introducing the triplets to the fun side of the simulators; he hoped so.

Next he hung about for the children’s music session so that he would hear Sasuke play for them at the end. He sat on a side counter next to Naruto; shoulder to shoulder.
Then it was back to the crew room to prepare that evening’s scenario for him and Neji.

That done, he was determined to enjoy every moment of the evening meal: Sasuke sitting at the head of the table; Naruto beside him; the younger children sitting on booster cushions; the banter between the kits; Haru’s far-away expression and Ran making sure he ate.
“Shika?” Neji whispered.
“I am fine,” Shikamaru assured him. “I’ve been relaxing all day. It’s been so long since I did that.” He smiled. “There are clothes for you in our room,” he added, mouthing the words so even the hybrids would miss them.
Neji nodded, flushing very slightly.

Neji left the table after the first round of coffee; before the whisky came out. Shikamaru stayed, adding whisky to his second and third cups.
Then it was back to his room to tell Su-chan and Sai their story, visit the head, shower and dress in his costume.
As he opened the door to their shared room, Neji looked up from his position behind the counter.
“Good afternoon, sir. How may I be of assistance?”
Not only was he wearing the nametag but his hair was up in a high ponytail and he had put in the earrings with the tiny silver bells.

Just before he drifted off to sleep Shikamaru decided that it had been a near perfect day.

So, next morning, directly after the strategy meeting, a day earlier than he had intended, he decided to go. Everything was ready. All he had to do was to strap on the belt he had prepared, pull down his shirt to hide it, grab a jacket and trick the security systems into not recording him leaving.
He left his ring and a handwritten note for Sasuke.

It was easy. Once he was away from the household there was little chance of anyone seeing him. As a precaution, he ducked into an alcove and took his hair down; the topknot was too distinctive.
Within six minutes he was in the apartment where Sakura had lived. Another ten and he was down the ladder and into Level 5.
There he changed his appearance using copper gel from the Tennyo’s standard kit. He streaked it through his hair, altering the colour and the texture, before plaiting the two front sections so they framed his face.
That would be enough to stop most people recognising him. As he left he tucked one of the laser pens into the inside pocket of his jacket.

He went through the passage into Level 4 and was soon on his way to the tiny office the Central Civil Service maintained in Tarrasade.

No one gave him a second look as he walked through the corridors. He was soon outside the CCS office. He did not hesitate. He went though the outer door, placed his knife and the laser pen into one of the lock boxes provided and hung the key around his neck. Then he walked through the scanners and into the reception area.
There was a neatly dressed woman at a desk behind a transparent screen. “How may I help you?” she asked.
He took a deep breath. “I want to join the Central Civil Service.”
She looked mildly surprised. Shikamaru guessed that most of those who walked in and made that request were youngsters. “Certainly. Please enter through the door on the left.”

Further instructions were given by a disembodied voice. There were more scanners; this time he had to stand still. He was asked to place his finger on a pad and warned that there would be a sharp pain. He assumed they were taking a blood sample.
Finally a door opened to a small room with a chair, a display, an interface and a second door.

Sasuke had a question for Shikamaru. He had tried the intercom and not received a response.
He was probably with his trees. Members of the crew beyond the range of the intercom were meant to inform whoever was on watch and take a radio, but Shikamaru often did neither.
Sasuke told himself that it was fine. The question was not that urgent. He would make himself some tea and get on with something else.
Only it niggled; last time no one had known where Shika was, he had been on his way to Izuna’s office in Uchiha Headquarters.

He almost used the intercom again but decided against it. He did not want to upset Sumiko or Haru. He considered looking himself, but wandering about asking questions was almost as bad as using the intercom.
Normally he would ask Naruto, but he would worry like Sumiko and Haru. Then he thought of Kazuki.
He activated the intercom. “This is Sasuke. Kazu-kun, if you are available could you come to my office.”

Kazuki was there in under a minute, tail fluffed, ears pricked and whiskers arched.
“You want me to find Shika-san without making it obvious,” he checked once Sasuke had explained.
“Yes please, Ka-chan. Can you do it?”
Kazuki considered. “Do you know somewhere outside the crew room where he was this morning? I don’t want to have to start in the crew room if I can help it.”
“Small meeting room for the strategy meeting,” Sasuke told him.

Ten minutes later the door announcer sounded. Sasuke opened it, hoping to see Shikamaru and expecting the see Kazuki. Instead it was Yuki.
“Ka-chan said to give you this, Papa,” he explained, placing a radio on his desk. “He said that he would be fine. He’s taken Ya-chan and Yo-chan with him.”
Sasuke’s heart started thumping. He should have told Ka-chan to restrict himself to the household. He was about to question Yuki but the radio was already activated and the small blinking blue light indicated an incoming message.
He put in the earpiece and spoke into the microphone.
“Sasuke here. Where are you, Kazu-kun?”
“Kazuki here. I thought he must have headed for the Tube but he didn’t. We’re going into the residential section of Level 1.”
“Sasuke here. Kazu-kun, is he on his own?”
“Yes, he is alone.”
Sasuke struggled to control his anger. What in known space had got into Shikamaru? Why had he started wandering about on his own? Leaving the compound was a thousand times worse than going to Uchiha Headquarters.
He stabbed the intercom button. “This is Sasuke. I need a full response team at the lobby. Now. Further communication will be by radio.” He then activated the transmitter on his radio. “Kazuki, we do not have enough information to make informed choices. Keep tracking but be cautious and check decisions with me.”
“I understand, Sasuke-sama.”
“Papa?”
He had almost forgotten Yuki. “Lobby, Yuki-kun. Tell whoever is there that I am on my way.”

He had barely got out of his office when Kakashi contacted him on the open frequency.
“Kakashi here.”
“Sasuke here. Secure channel one.” He switched channels. “Shikamaru has gone walk-about. Kazuki has tracked him into the residential section of Level 1.”
“I’ll get the fastest team I can muster in front of the Central Civil Service recruitment office as soon as is possible,” Kakashi replied.
Sasuke stopped walking. Angry was washed away by fear. Of course that was where Shikamaru was going and he would be using his private route down the strut between Level 1 and Level 5. He pulled himself together. “Yes, do that,” he managed.

Five minutes later Itachi, Kisame, Gai, Naruto, Sumaru and Kamatari were on their way down the Tube and he was in the small meeting room while Konohamaru and Akemi assembled a mission hub around him. As slick and quick as the procedure was, Sasuke resolved to establish a permanent facility; the days when they could go standards without an incident were long gone.
The door slid open. It was Neji. Sasuke took a deep breath and moved towards him. Neither of them said anything. It was as if putting it into words made it all too real.
He settled for putting a hand on Neji’s shoulder and received a small nod in response.

Next was Haru. Sasuke had tried arguing that they could manage without him but Kakashi had insisted. Even with Konohamaru handling communications, they still needed someone on data analysis. If Shikamaru had gone; Haru would have to step into his shoes.
He was horribly pale. Sasuke went to him and hugged him close.
“Do you think he’s gone and done it, Papa?” Haru whispered.
“I do not know, Ha-chan. We will do everything we can to find out.”

Shikamaru sat on the chair. On the display were instructions about how to use the interface. It was, of course, the entrance examination.
He had thought long and hard about the test. Should he try? Perhaps it would be better to concoct the results that would be expected from someone at the edge of the normal range rather than beyond it.
In the end he had decided not to try to outguess them. This test had been designed by the most competent psychologists in known space. If they detected he was fixing the results they might just reject his application.
That was not a risk he was willing to take; he had to be accepted before Bettencourt arrived.

There were twelve pauses; he presumed that was when he completed one level and the computer decided on the next. During the first five his progress was determined on the speed at which he could take in the information being displayed. Once the sixth started, he recognised the first of the standard typed-genius tests.
It was enjoyable because there were questions he could not answer.
Except on the seventh typed-genius test; those were easy.

Finally the test finished. Shikamaru looked towards the second door. From what he had researched, this door should open and there would be a Servant waiting to interview him. Instead there was another disembodied voice.
“Thank you for your interest but we are unable to accept your application.”
The door he had come in slid open.

Shikamaru sat there for a moment; stunned. It had never occurred to him that they would turn him down.
“When you are ready, please exit through the open door,” the voice instructed.
He stood up. With a minute he had reclaimed his belongings and was in the corridor outside the office.

He started walking; standing looking lost in any space station, even Tarrasade, was dangerous. He found a respectable-looking bar, ordered tea and sat in a corner to think.
The situation was not as he had assumed. Everything he had researched, everything Klenn had told him, had led him to believe that the Central Civil Service would jump at the chance of recruiting a typed-genius, even if it meant annoying the psychologists at the Institute on Centre I.
He had been wrong. Maybe they had changed the rules after Klenn. The option of swapping ten standards of his life for his future freedom had gone; it had never existed anywhere other than in his mind.

Tea slopped over the rim of his cup; his hand was shaking. He returned the cup to the table. What did he do now? Centre, in the form of Bettencourt and whoever he had with him, would arrive within five to seven days. How was he going to keep them away from Haru?
He imagined what would happen. Sasuke would try to protect them. Centre would destroy Uchiha without a thought and pick out what it wanted from the pieces. By the time they had finished they would know about Sai, so they could use his existence to justify what they had done.
Not that they would feel any need to do so.

And, once Centre had left, Izuna would claim the remains.

By the time the mission hub was operational, Itachi’s team was down the Tube. Naruto, Kamatari and Sumaru were sprinting for the recruitment office. Itachi, Kisame and Gai were following behind.

Kakashi entered and settled at his place between Konohamaru and Neji. “Kazuki, Yoshimi and Yasushi are back,” he told Sasuke. “The trail took them to the apartment with the access to Level 5. There’s no doubt he went that way.”
Sasuke thought he would say more but that that moment there was the hiss of a carrier wave and they all looked at the speaker.
“This is Naruto. We’re at the CCS office. He’s been here. I can smell him. Only a few people have been through the front door this morning and he is one of them.”
Sasuke’s gut twisted. He wanted to be with Naruto or for Naruto to be with him. “This is Sasuke. That is that then. You might as well come home.”
“No. I have to be sure. I’m going in.”
“Dobe, no...” He was too late. The signal was lost as Naruto entered; the office had to be shielded.
“This is Kamatari. It will be fine, Sasuke-sama. They won’t let him join. Hybrids don’t qualify.”

Sasuke was about to retort when he heard Konohamaru’s chuckle and realised it was a joke.
“This is Sumaru. We will give Naruto-san three further minutes before following.” There was a pause. “I fear we may have attracted attention by running so quickly.”
Kakashi responded immediately. “Kakashi here. What do you mean, Sumaru-san?”
“Kamatari here. People are realising that Naruto-san is out and about. Remember, there are those tales people tell about when he used to run the Inner Residential Ring? A golden-haired hybrid running like the wind?”
Sasuke wished he had forbidden it but Naruto had been so determined to go. “Sasuke here. Meet up with the others as soon as you can. Itachi, think about alternative ways home.”
“Itachi here. I already am.”

They waited. There was nothing to say. They all knew that Centre would never allow a typed-seven genius slip through its grasp. Sasuke looked over to Haru, who was busy doing something.
“Haru, Shika-san has done this to keep Uchiha from Centre’s attention. You are not to do anything to undermine that.”
Haru did not even look at him. “I understand, Papa.”
Just like Shika; comprehension rather than obedience. “Haru, I mean it.”
This time Haru looked at him. “Yes, Sasuke-sama.”

“This is Naruto.”
They all sat a little straighter.
“He didn’t stay. The receptionist said she couldn’t give any information but I could smell that she was confused. I pushed and, in the end, she confirmed they did not take him.”
Sasuke was so elated that his head was swimming. Shikamaru would be on his way home; he was probably already halfway up the strut to Level 1.
“This is Kamatari. We cannot remain here. The crowd is building up.”
“This is Sasuke. Come home.”
“But...” Naruto argued.
“This is an order. Work out a rendezvous with Itachi and get back here.”
“On our way, Sasuke-sama,” Sumaru confirmed.

This was the moment when Shikamaru would have offered him a private channel to Naruto and he would have taken it. He was about to ask Haru when Neji spoke.
“Haru, can you show the media feeds?”
“Yes, Neji-san,” Haru replied and four of the displays sprung into life.
“...there are reports of Naruto-san running through Levels 6 and 5 towards the spacer quarter. So far we have no confirmation of his destination, although...”
“...times have changed. As well as rubber-neckers wishing to catch a glimpse of Sasuke Uchiha’s lover, there are others who would use him to build their reputations. Those spoiling for a fight...”
“...focus for the AHB and other anti-hybrid factions. There are reports of AHB squads appearing...”
“There is also a report from the JSF that there are members of the AHB gathering outside the entry to the Tube,” Konohamaru informed them.
Sasuke’s gut twisted. He had not realised that the AHB was so strong. “This is Sasuke. You would have to fight your way to the Tube. Consider other options.”
“This is Itachi. We are heading for the closest shuttle dock.”
“I shall get shuttles launched,” Kakashi assured him.
“This is Sumaru. The media must have pinpointed our position because the corridors are filling up. It is all good-natured at the moment but we have had to slow down.”
“This is Naruto. If we meeting up with the AHB there is going to be panic. Innocent bystanders are going to get hurt.”
Konohamaru turned to him. “Sasuke-sama, Uchiha cannot afford to be seen as the cause of a riot or, worse, a massacre.”
Sasuke did not need Konohamaru to tell him that. “This is Sasuke. Itachi, what is your situation?”
“Itachi here. We are heading for dock 475B. I repeat, we are heading for dock 475B.”
“This is Kakashi. A shuttle is on its way. I repeat, a shuttle is on its way.”
“This is Sasuke. Sumaru, can you make it to a shuttle dock. I repeat, can you make it to a shuttle dock?”
“This is Sumaru. Reaching a dock is unlikely. We are considering options.”
“This is Naruto. We may be out of radio...”
There was an unfamiliar thumping sound and then silence.
- 83
- 84
- 85
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