Peace to the Void

Sorry for the super long wait! I had to get a new computer. As always thank you for the reviews. I hope you like this chapter.

 

Chapter Seven

Shikamaru felt bad. He knew Neji was ready to leave but couldn’t and he was glad about it. He had done his best to avoid being awkward with the other as they worked together. He hadn’t commented on how great his chocolate hair looked or how cute it was when he bit his lip. God, those lips looked so soft. He did his best to keep his staring at a minimum but he couldn’t help himself.

“Shikamaru!” It startled him.

“Yes Choji,” He ignored the look Neji gave him.

“There’s a broadcast you need to see.”

“Put it up.”

The lights in the lab dimmed and a large transparency appeared on the east wall.

“We’ll throw this to Ayumi live on the scene, Ayumi?”

The woman appeared before the konoha academy, “Only seconds ago the air was ringing with the sound of fire as an assault team blasted into this academy building. Why would such a vicious attack be made against children? It wasn’t it was meant for someone else. Prince Uchiha Sasuke.” An old photo of the prince filled the left corner of the broadcast. “Village has not yet made an official statement. However it is believed that all of the assailants were detained alive.” There was a side shot of masked people being piled into a village detention vehicle. “The perimeter was very tight but we did manage to get a short clip, he looks unharmed.” The clip played. There was the shouting of reporters and then Sasuke being walked through by Naruto. He looked a little dazed but frightened and of course seemed physically unharmed. The clip cut back to the reporter. “I will be here on the scene gather more information, back to you.”

“Off,” Shikamaru ordered, “Have them all recorded, every station.”

“Yes Shikamaru.”

“I have to go.”

“He didn’t contact you.”

“Yes, he hasn’t contacted me,” Neji nodded, “Not yet. He will be expecting me.”

“The secretary would only send you back here for information.” Shikamaru replied.

“Yes,” Neji repeated, “But I am not referring to the secretary.”

“Uchiha Sasuke then? What are you devoted to him?”

Neji returned to his seat and said nothing. “I’ll take my leave when he sends contact then.”

Shikamaru nodded and took a seat also, “Tell me why you suspect the Yamanaka clan.”

“They’ve lost the most.” He answered.

Shikamaru opened four transparencies, “This attack could’ve been them or Hinata-san.”

“Or both,” Neji answered working on two transparencies of his own.

“So we aren’t working on the tablet right now right?”

Neji ignored the question. He looked up at the other. Shikamaru felt his heart stop when the light eyes connected with his own. “Find the data Shikamaru.”

Shikamaru’s heart fluttered and he nodded. He internally cursed himself for acting this way and then cursed Neji for using it to his advantage. Damn troublesome, good looking Hyuuga. “Choji, thoroughly identify all of the assailants involved in the shooting.”

“Yes Shikamaru.”

“Also pinpoint Yamanaka Ino’s whereabouts.”

“Yes.”

“Thanks buddy.”

“No problem.”

Shikamaru was surprised when Neji’s hand trailed across the table to his own. He looked to where the soft hand held his own, “You need to talk to someone about it. It’s not healthy.”

“It’s not a problem.” He remarked but didn’t move his hand at all. His voice wasn’t even convincing to himself, “It’s not that bad.”

“Stop placing bugs on or near me and I’ll help you with it.” Neji compromised moving his hand away after a reassuring squeeze.

They worked silently for a few minutes. Shikamaru casted a look to Choji then looked back to Neji several times before he nodded.

“Okay.”

Neji continued his work on his transparencies but his hand brushed against Shikamaru’s in the middle of the table. Shikamaru’s transparencies filtered through the information while he watched Neji sit and work. He did his best to not move his hand any closer or stare for too long intervals, and hoped that neither Uchiha would make contact.

Sasuke knew the tool he needed was in the compound, the only problem he had was getting to it. It required several things to happen that he could not make happen. It required both Haku and Sai to be distracted long enough for him to sneak away, for Nejito distract the Nara boy, for Itachito be indisposed. It all seemed impossible. There were just too many eyes watching him. He’d need help from someone who would want him to know the truth.



He thought of the things he'd seen and wondered if it had all been a dream. Still the data in his head had to have come from somewhere. He hadn't known those things before and his father... He shook his head refusing to think about it. But the way the image of his late father spoke to him brought back ripe memories. Somehow, even in death, his father was still belittling him.



He easily remembered all the hopeful attempts he made to get praise from his father, only to have his praise too late, if you could call it praise.

Only a Uchihacould survive that.



He wanted to laugh at the other man and ask if the years of toture, experiments, and rape had all been an elaborate test to prove he was a worthy Uchiha.



Now he sat in Itachi's formal office. Itachi was filing reports about the attack occasionally he would ask a question or make a comment.



"Are you certain you aren't hungry?" He asked. "I can have something brought for you."



He shook his head, "I'm fine. Aniki do you mind if I visit Captain Hatake? I would really like to see him."



"Yes," he pressed the com, "Haku please escort Sasuke to Captain Hatake's office."



"Yes Mr. secretary."



Sasuke counted the steps it took to get from his brother's office to the hanger where Captain Hatake and his team were training. When they arrived Hatake was not in his office but lounging on a couch in the hanger.



Sasuke rushed to him by passing a happy Naruto.



"Uchiha-kun what a surprise. What brings you here?"



"I had a funny dream." He started, "It was about my father and I wanted to speak to you because you," He paused, "You treated me very kindly when I was your student...and when aniki was away you spoke to me about things, things I had wanted to speak about with my father. While he ignored me, you listened. It was like you were my...like I was your..."



He smiled. "I'm flattered Uchiha-kun."



The boy dove into his arms, "I don't know if my father ever loved me, but I know that you cared for me."



Kakashi sighed but carefully wrapped his arms about the pale teen, "Yes I do care about you." He chuckled, "You should see the look on Naruto's face. He looks like he'll explode."



"I wanted to see you," Sasuke explained, "I needed to see you about my dream. I had to know whether I was awake or sleeping." Just whispering, he added, "I need to know the truth."



"Sasuke-kun," he placed his hand atop his head, "I'm happy that you came to see me. I'll schedule lunch with you in the future. I'll be checking up on you. Be sure to contact me when you're body's stronger so we can start your training."



Sasuke nodded, "I don't know if I'm allowed to train."



Hatake smirked, "You're allowed to exercise."



"But you said--"



"I have to go see a man about a church." He released the other, "Be sure that Naruto gets his work done."



He nodded and watched him leave not sure if he'd gotten an answer or if they'd discuss it later. Naruto was quick to take him in his arms.



"How are ya feeling?"



Sasuke couldn't stop his smile if he wanted, "Better."



"That's good." Then he sighed. "I guess you're going back to your brother's office huh?"



He shook his head. "I can stand here a minute more." He looked to the blond before leaning up, "Kiss me."



The blond blushed, "Sasuke..."



"You don't want to?"



He shook his head quickly, "No, no its just I need to talk to you about some things...just us two."



Sasuke nodded, "Yes, come to dinner tonight we'll talk then."



"Yeah," Naruto press a quick kiss to the other's lips. "I guess I'll let you go now."



The raven was quick to wrap his arms around the other. "Let me hold onto you for a moment." Then he pressed his trembling lips against the pilot's.



Naruto was genuinely surprised but kissed back nonetheless.



 

Shikamaru was surprised when Captain Hatake entered his lab. He shouldn’t have been surprised to be surprised Hyuuga Neji had a way of distracting him the way no other person could. Neji, however, was not surprised. In fact he had expected it to happen earlier with the attack on the academy. If you wanted intel. on anything you simply went to Nara Shikamaru to find it. Hatake was very similar to the Secretary in that respect. He suspected the Secretary had traded Shikamaru working on the tablet with him for some intelligence favor.

"Excuse me," Neji gathered his things, "We'll finish later."



"No need Hyuuga-kun. I'd prefer if you stayed." Kakashi began, "Your analysis would be useful. You see I've had Shikamaru look into a church in the Sound that worships the prince. There are rumors that they know where many of Orouchimaru's hideouts are."



"But that's not all rumored about them."



Kakashi wasn't surprised, "So you know of them?"



The Hyuuga shook his head, "Nara-san rubbed his wrist which means he's resisting adding something. You shifted one eighth cm to your left the way you do when you're testing the Secretary's patience."



"Yes, you should definitely stay; I see why Itachi keeps you." He commented.



"The Secretary would never hire someone incompetent." Neji retorted, "What else about this church?"



"They want to return him to Orouchimaru," Shikamaru answered, "We don't know why yet--"



"They want him to be a martyr. A deity is always worshipped more when suffering or dead." Kakashi explained.



"They want him dead so that he remains pure." Neji added, "So what he has won't become tainted. How wide is their following?"



"A good two maybe three million documented." Shikamaru answered.



Neji nodded, "Have ouji-sama give a live broadcast. That will drop the numbers by at least eighty percent. That would leave us with around a half million, of this fraction how many are devoted enough for action?"



"At least a five percent of them," Kakashi replied, “Why are you so certain a live broadcast will decrease the numbers so much?"



"He's biased because he's devoted."



Neji sent Shikamaru a fleeting glare, "Ouji-sama has the ability to connect with people in a way few have. He has an honesty and allure that draws people to him."



"Yes, I suppose there's that but will he be able to do that over camera?"



Before Neji could respond he received a message. He looked down to see it was from Haku.



"Pardon me gentlemen, Ouji-sama has requested me."



Shikamaru nodded, "Tell him to meet you here. I'd like to see exactly what this allure is."



After visiting with Kakashi and Naruto, they left to find Neji. Neji-kun was in Nara Shikamaru's lab. What Sasuke remembered of Nara was that he had been lazy but very, very smart and always with his chubby friend, Akimichi. Now he knew that he had a crush on Neji-kun and hadn't seen Akimichi since his return. He also knew that Nara had access to what he needed.

“Neji says we can meet him there. He wants to re-introduce you to Nara.” Haku replied as they walked down the corridor.

He noted how the normally barren halls were a bit filled all class of personnel wanting to catch a glance of Sasuke.

Sasuke nodded and shifted closer. He was a little uncomfortable with the staring but he understood. Everyone was curious about him. They all had their own opinions and sources much like the children at the academy. He also knew that with how much media coverage the shooting was getting it only made people more curious about him. He was relieved that everyone was polite and kept their distance. There were many of them bowing and saying prince Uchiha or Uchiha-dono. They were not at all like the reporters.

While Haku got clearance on a door, which Sasuke assumed led them to the lab, he realized he’d forgotten to count the steps from the hanger to this door. He frowned; there was nothing he could see that would distinguish this door from others. He’d have to count on the way back. Inside the room Sasuke first noticed the wires. They covered the back wall and there was an enormous machine there. Sai helped him down the few stairs into the lab as he stared at the machine.

“Uchiha-san.” Shikamaru greeted.

Haku glared at him before turning his gaze to Neji, “Ouji-sama wanted to speak with you. You could’ve simply met us in the canteen or at the office.”

“I’m sorry Haku-kun, I asked Neji to extend his time here to help me with a matter.” Kakashi-sensei remarked. “And we needed to ask Sasuke-kun a few questions before we can make a plan of action.”

Sasuke’s gaze snapped to his former teacher, “You need me to help?”

Kakashi nodded, “Shikamaru-san has a few questions for you that’s all.”

“I will answer them.” He turned to Nara, “May I sit Nara-san?”

Shikamaru sat down, “Yes of course.”

Haku helped Sasuke into his seat. He looked to Shikamaru ready to answer any question.

“How do you feel about being considered a prince?”

Sasuke frowned, “I don’t know how I feel about the title…but I don’t want to disappoint the people who think I am precious. If I disappoint them they will be sad, if they are sad then the people who think they are precious will be sad too. I know how it is to be so sad you don’t know how to be anything else and I know that it is not good. No,” He shook his head, “It’s not good.”

He paused staring off, “You start to want to die because you have nothing to live for. I used to hope Kabuto would get drunk and overdose me. Then I would die and I would be free. I didn’t think anyone was ever going to rescue me; I thought everyone had forgotten about me. Then I find out that so many people, people I don’t know who don’t know me, love me and think I’m precious. I don’t know how but I think somehow they saved me so I owe it to them to devote myself to them.” He nodded, “Yes that is how I feel about that.”

Shikamaru nodded. “What about the people who want you dead?”

Sasuke frowned, “I know that they’re angry with me because Orouchimaru-sama is precious to them. Orouchimaru-sama is a bad man but he may have been good to them so it’s okay if they want to help him. I understand.” He smiled, “I just wish they wanted to help me instead.” He shook his head his smile, “No that’s okay. I have a lot of people who want to help me too.” He looked around the room, “Nara-san?”

“Yes?”

“Where is Akimichi-san? You were always together before. Does he work somewhere else now?”

Shikamaru hands fisted. Neji quickly began, “Let’s focus on the questions ouji-sama. Tell Shikamaru-san about the people you treasure.”

Sasuke beamed, “I treasure my Naruto and aniki too.” He turned to look at Haku and Sai, “I treasure my Haku-chan and my Sai-chan too.” Then he turned to Hatake, “And Kakashi-sensei.”

“Aren’t you forgetting someone?” Neji asked.

“Yes I treasure you too Neji-chan.”

Neji flushed, “Ouji-sama I didn’t mean me.”

“No,” Sasuke shook his head, “I said all the very important people.”

“Your mother?”

“Mother doesn’t love me.” He whispered, “And I’m not sure if I love her either but I don’t need her. Haku takes good care of me.”

Haku frowned, “Ouji-sama are you feeling well?”

“I’m fine,” He folded his hands neatly in his lap, “Did you have any more questions for me Shikamaru-san?”

“Why do you think your mother doesn’t love you?”

“Nara-san-”

“Because she’s been avoiding me since she found out about all the things I did on Orouchimaru-sama’s ship. She doesn’t love me because I’m not pure.”

“Ouji-sama that’s not true.”

“Then where is she?” He hissed. “Those people just tried to kill me and she hasn’t even sent contact. She knows it happened. You saw those reporters everyone in the void probably know about it by now and where is she? Where is she? Why isn’t she here with me?”

Shikamaru frowned, “That is suspicious.”

“Shikamaru,” Kakashi scowled.

“Choji, locate Uchiha Mikoto.”

There was an alarm, “No access.”

“Choji!”

“I don’t have access Shika.”

Shikamaru grabbed his viewer and activated it. “I’ll get access.”

“Shikamaru, put the viewer down.” Hatake ordered.

“No find my mother.” Sasuke encouraged. “I want to know where she is.” His eyes now blood red, “Find her!”

“Sasuke stop it.” Kakashi turned his gaze to Shikamaru, “That is an order Nara.”

Shikamaru hesitated but his eyes drifted the Uchiha’s and his heart stopped. Sasuke’s eyes were wet with tears, he slowly came towards him.

“Please,” Sasuke pleaded, his form shaking, “Please find her. I want to know where she is, that she couldn’t get to me.”

The words came out before he could think, “Choji, I have the comm, get access now!”

“Yes, locating Uchiha Mikoto,” A large transparency appeared, “Uchiha Mikoto is boarding a ship from a private dock.”

“Where to Choji?”

“There’s no scheduled take off for the ship and no destination inputted”

“Hack the security cam, search the footage for a location.”

“Security camera’s have been shut down for the past 500 minutes.”

“She’s leaving me?”

Shikamaru had never expected to see Uchiha Sasuke like this. His face stained with tears his voice somewhere between heart-broken and desperate. For a brief moment he wondered if he was being hacked. It was impossible Choji would’ve shut down. It was completely unlikely that the Uchiha could hack in his current state anyhow.

“I’m stopping the craft.” He told him. “She’s not going anywhere.”

“Send contact to the hokage and secretary. I’m sending an escort for her now.” Kakashi remarked, “Her location is the Uchiha private dock I assume?”

“Yes,”

“Access code?”

“Choji.” He muttered as he continued to work through data.

“002DL52K68UE.”

“Haku-chan she’s leaving me. Mother is leaving me.”

Haku shook his head, keeping the prince from collapsing. “No, no something must be wrong with her.”

Neji opened a large transparency and enter the data immediately, “She’s been hacked, get to Lady Mikoto. I’ll handle the ship.”

Shikamaru nodded, “Choji trace the hack.”

“Yes.”

Shikamaru knew the hack as soon as he got through the first layer of defense.

“Shikamaru.”

“I know, Captain have Yamanaka Ino arrested. Choji, her location.”

“I can’t Shika. It’s Ino. Don’t make me do it.”

“Code: BBQ, order: pending information, location of Yamanaka Ino of Intelligence division.”

A new voice came from the large machine, “Private Uchiha docks, access code 002DL52K68UE.” Choji’s voice returned, “Ino-chan couldn’t do it. It has to be a double hack.”

Shikamaru knew it wasn’t. The data showed she’d been in that location for nearly 400 minutes but he said it anyway, “Yeah, once she’s in custody we’ll be able to get her back safely.”

“I have the security feed.” Neji announced, “I’m throwing it on the screen.”

“Hey, Shika,” Ino addressed the camera. “I didn’t think you would’ve caught on to her so quickly. You must of bugged Neji to hear him asking about her. Let me guess you’ve already got troops coming huh?” She nodded, “Yeah, you probably have. I wanted to tell you this. He took Choji away. He took Choji away, and he’s never coming back. I don’t care what you say, we both know it. I loved Choji. I loved him and he took our future away from us.” She paused wiping her tears, “Those idiots at the academy really ruined my plans, not to mention Hinata completely failing me.” She sighed, pulling out a gun, “I have a file for you. You wouldn’t believe the stuff I found in Lady Mikoto’s head. It’s in that place I put that thing that one time. I know what you’re thinking, ‘can’t I get it later?’ No, she’ won’t have much brain to hack.”

Shikamaru worked faster, trying to get through the security as quickly as possible. There was a gunshot and then static and error notices filled his screen. He archived the work.

“Shika,” Ino’s voice was broken but he couldn’t bring himself to look at the screen, “I don’t want you to see this. Turn the cam…wait Shika are you…stop it.”

“Choji, do you have her?”

“Yeah, I got her.”

“Pass her to me.” He remarked. Once he had complete control he forced her to lower the gun and raise her hands above her head.

“She killed my mother.” Sasuke muttered. Shikamaru turned to the Uchiha to see his eyes fade to fade to their original color. He looked at him, “She did love me. You found her for me.” Then his arms were filled by the Uchiha, “I got to see her before she was gone and she loved me. You found her.”

Shikamaru noted the fluttering wet, dark eyes, and the flushed pink cheeks. For a moment he was stunned by how delicate and beautiful he looked. Then the auto sensors on his wristbands responded, “Body exceeding normal temperature.”

Then the prince was falling, “Oh shit.” He cursed stopping the prince from toppling them both over.

“Ouji-sama!” Haku called out but the three aide’s made the same moves toward the fallen Uchiha.

His arms were empty quickly. Haku was taking his temperature, Sai his pulse, Neji was contacting a doctor. Shikamaru turned back to the screen, Ino was being dragged away by soldiers. The transparency was gone.

“I need to eat something.” Choji commented.

The lights dimmed and clouds appeared on the screen. The door slammed open revealing the Secretary.

 

Itachi’s body reacted before his mind processed the information. He was running down the corridor to Nara’s lab. He threw open the door. The room was dark and his brother was in Haku’s arms. He rushed to him.

“When will the medics get here?” He asked.

“Within two minutes,” Haku answered. “Itachi-sama…I’m sorry.”

He shook his head, “It’s fine, I’m sure Sasuke will be fine. You’re doing a great job of taking care of him for me.”

“Itachi-sama, I meant that… Lady Mikoto-”

“As long as Sasuke is safe everything will be okay.” He interrupted, brushing back a loch of dark hair behind his brother’s ear. It remained silent until the medics arrived. Itachi ordered Haku to take Sai back to the compound. He of course stayed at his brother’s side. Itachi didn’t leave his side until 300 minutes later when they decided to tank Sasuke to stabilize his temperature. He was leaving to quickly relieve himself before returning when Kisame caught him on the way out.

“You’re coming with me.”

Itachi couldn’t move away, the other’s hold was too strong. “Sasuke needs me.” He commented once they were alone, “I don’t have time for this.”

“You’re going to make time.” Kisame remarked, “Your mother just died; you need this.”

The Uchiha shook his head, “No,I don’t care as long as Sasuke’s safe and well, that’s all that matters.”

“Tachi-”

“It’s all that matters.” He repeated but he could feel wet trails gliding down his cheek.

Kisame held him close and he wept.

 

Neji hadn’t received any orders. Haku had been told to escort Sai back to the compound and of course tighten security. The Secretary had given him none in his rush to follow the medics treating ouji-sama. Soon Neji was alone in the dim room with only Nara Shikamaru.

Shikamaru turned to Neji, “Yeah, it’s just that Choji...He’s…I’m not…I need some help.”

Neji nodded, “I know.”

“I didn’t mean to fail.”

“I know,” He repeated. “It’s not your fault Yamanaka just couldn’t handle her grief.”

“Like me.”

“You aren’t a murderer.”

“I could’ve stopped her. I hesitated.”

Neji came closer, “She’s your friend. You were hoping she wouldn’t do it. That’s natural.”

“I should’ve been keeping a closer eye on her. I shouldn’t been there for her. This would’ve never happened if I had been able to-”

“Save Akimichi-kun.” Neji supplied stepping closer.

“She always blamed Uchiha. She never blamed me.” Shikamaru continued, “She should have. I killed Choji because I couldn’t cover my tracks. I should have known they would detect our location. I should have done something. I should’ve diverted my signal. I-”

Shikamaru stopped watching as Neji took his hand and kissed his palm. “The only person that blames you is yourself.”

“Y-y-you,” Shikamaru tried, pointing to his hand.

Neji kissed his palm twice more, “So you can’t interrupt. I know it’s hard for you to concentrate when I touch you. Three days from now, you’re going to come to the Uchiha compound.” Shikamaru opened his mouth but nothing came out as the pale eyed boy kissed his index finger. “Ouji-sama will be stuck in bed and you will talk to him. You’re not going to want to talk to him. You’re going to be worried that maybe he’s hacking you or somehow found all this information on you to trick you. But he isn’t and he hasn’t and you realize that you’ve somehow told him all he needs to know. He’ll find your weakest point and break you apart.” He smirked kissing the next two fingers, “Of course your weakness isn’t the biggest secret.” Before Shikamaru could make a smart quip, he kissed another. “Then when you’re broken, he helps you repair yourself.”

“What makes you think I’ll come?” Shikamaru asked.

Neji locked eyes with the other, “You need help. I can’t break you down, but I can be a part of the repairing process. I’ll make sure that you go slowly.”

“So he’s why you stopped wearing your lenses?”

“Not entirely,” He gave a small smile, “You said you liked me better without them too.”

 

TBC

 

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