In the cold of space you find the heat of suns

Spacer crews travel the Far Borders and the Fringe of occupied space, trading. Spacing is an ancient and honourable profession carved out by millenniums. Most spacers start out as fourteen-year-old boys seeking a future. Few survive a decade spacing.

19. Shino

Dar was a one-product planet. Rival families vied to create the most sophisticated aerial automata. The planetary government, keen to attract trade, refused to allow the families establish off planet outlets. So the spacers came, landing their ships in one of the three great spaceports and bringing their alien ways to the cities that had grown up around them.

They dropped into the quietest spaceport. This was no space station or spacer planet; they would be living on the ship. Naruto looked at his knives: this would be the first time he would wear them. He heard Sasuke walking up behind him and inhaled to scent his essence before strong arms wrapped about his waist and Sasuke’s body moulded itself to his back. He was briefly disappointed that the hug was so brief but then Sasuke was crouching in front of him, arming him, placing and attaching each sheath exactly as they had decided. Naruto sensed the others watching them and looked away from Sasuke to see Kakashi’s pride, Iruka’s small smile and Rin’s confusion. His attention was recaptured as Sasuke finished and rose into his arms. The kiss was short but intense.

Jiraiya split his attention between the lovers, which was too erotic a spectacle to miss, and Rin’s reaction to it. He made sure that he was close enough to her for conversation as they waited for Ibiki and Naruto to secure the ship.

“He is… …different,” she admitted.

Jiraiya knew that she meant Sasuke. For Rin, Naruto was an oddity, perhaps a tool. Time would see if her attitude changed. “You would prefer him to be like his brother?”

Rin shuddered. “No. Never. I see Obito in him, which is nice.”

“Perhaps. Yes. A little. We need to build legends, Rin. He has the potential for legends.”

Rin could see that. Aspects of Sasuke made the heart sing: his extraordinary beauty; the music; his stillness; even his determination to have a relationship with a hybrid. She shook herself; this was neither the time nor the place for introspection. A crew on the move was a target.

They had come to Dar seeking Shibi of the family Aburame. Once they reached the Aburame shop, Tsunade introduced herself as a friend and the woman behind the counter said that she would see if he was available. A tall man with a bush of brown hair and a dark, wraparound visor appeared and greeted Tsunade warmly. They were soon deep in conversation, leaving the rest of the crew investigating what the shop had to offer. Ibiki was interested in the Flyers; tiny aerial cameras shaped as insects. He had Rin trying to operate the demonstration model while he and Shikamaru observed. Naruto stayed alert. Kakashi appeared relaxed. Sasuke was silent, moving smoothly or being still. Iruka watched his crew. Jiraiya watched Tsunade with Shibi.

Tsunade shook her head as she rejoined them. “He has too many commitments,” she admitted to Iruka and Jiraiya. She paused, studying Sasuke who was trying to appear disinterested in the Flyers. “He wants us to consider his son.”

“We said that we would only take those we knew,” Jiraiya reminded her.

“I know, but maybe we are expecting too much for those we knew to disconnect from their lives for us. What if Rin is the only one ready so to do?” She sighed. “He knows we are involved in a dangerous venture and he offers us his son in his place. We should be honoured.”

“How old?” asked Iruka.

“A few standards older than Shikamaru. Never catted, the Aburames will not allow it. Has been with three semi-traditional crews on short-term contracts. Good technical skills. Is sure he wants to space. They have been looking for the right crew.”

“Speak with Kakashi,” Iruka recommended.

Shino looked like his father only taller, thinner and paler. Not that there was much skin to see between the wraparound visor and a high collar that stood away from this neck. His left hand was encased in a metallic mesh glove. He wore a coat and a backpack.

“This is going to be difficult,” Iruka murmured to Kakashi, “how do we see enough to judge?”

“Shibi-san has invited us to his home,” Tsunade announced, “to have a meal with his family.”

Naruto had never met a family or visited a home. He watched Kakashi, hoping to model his behaviour on that of his sensei. They went through a door on a street, through an inner door and into a room. There the two Aburame men began shedding layers: their visors, coats, the mesh glove, boots, the backpack and a surprising assortment of equipment, some of which appeared to move independently. Each had a locker that filled as they stripped down to trousers and shirts, then pushed their bare feet into simple slippers. Under his visor Shino had strange, reflective eyes.

The Captain moved first. She removed her jacket, her boots and all her weapons except for her personal knife. Shibi-san then showed her an assortment of guests’ slippers from which to make a selection. Kakashi followed her lead so Naruto did likewise. Sasuke waited until instructed by Iruka; careful to play the role of cat.

Then Naruto went through another door and into a wonderland.

There was a garden with pretty flying creatures and water trickling down rocks. There were rooms that felt like the crew room but looked and smelt better. There were children; happy children who tried to be polite but who fidgeted until they were released to play. There were nice ladies who were kind to him even though he did not know what to do or to say. He felt Sasuke beside him, watching him, drawn out of his role by Naruto’s uncertainty.

It was easier when they were seated on chairs about a big table. Naruto relaxed a little, thankful for Iruka-sensei’s insistence that they had formal meals on ship. He had a girl child opposite him who was fascinated by his whiskers. Naruto twitched them and gave a smile that did not expose his fangs. Her face lit up and she hid a small giggle behind her hand.

Sasuke’s agitation distracted Iruka from his task of watching Shino. Tradition demanded that Sasuke stay within five steps of him. He wondered how long Naruto had been absent for Sasuke to be so jumpy. He turned to Shibi.

“Have you seen Naruto, Shibi-san?”

Shibi smiled at him. “Just follow the sound of laughter, Iruka-san,” he advised.

Iruka signalled Sauke to accompany him and made his way to the garden. Naruto was on the ground playing with the children. Three of them were wrestling him and he was using a tiny fraction of his strength to provide them with appropriate opposition. The fourth child was clinging to his back, her arms around his neck and her cheek buried in the fur of his hair. At the other side of the garden, Rin was sitting beside the children’s mother on one of the benches, watching. That seemed an excellent idea. He went to the bench at this side and gestured to Sasuke to sit beside him.

Sauke had been worried about Naruto as soon as they reached the unrobing room. His fear of making an error, his constant vigilance, reminded Sasuke of Naruto’s first days on the ship. The meal had been easier. Then he had vanished, led away by a child, while Sasuke had been obliged to remain close to Iruka.

He had not expected this. Sasuke knew that it was special and significant, but not why. He needed to watch it, to remember it.

Then there was a small girl in front of him offering him a flower. He took it, thanked her and, after a moment’s hesitation, smiled. She smiled shyly in return, then turned and ran back towards her brothers. Sasuke eyes followed her and met Naruto’s gaze. Their eyes locked, space dark to sky blue, until the small girl reached her target and threw her arms about Naruto’s neck.

When they returned to the ship they had a Meeting about Shino. Arguments went back and forth about risk and opportunity, experience and potential, known and uncertain. Finally the Captain asked everyone to make a final contribution before the vote. Naruto, who had listened little and said nothing, stared at some point in the middle distance and tried to put his thoughts into words. “His father, he’s been trying to tell us that taking Shino is like taking him because what makes a man like that is what we saw, that family.”

The vote was nine-zero. They would propose crew membership to Shino.

They met in a spacer bar but in the afternoon, when such venues were used more for business than for pleasure. Shino was fully armoured with coat, backpack, visor and glove. Naruto could hear the faint buzz of the two Flyers that sheltered in his high collar. They talked shares and duties. Tsunade carefully spoke around a long-term commitment that most of the crew shared and that Shino might choose to take on in time. Then Iruka began homing in on the cat issue.

“You may have noticed that Naruto has some non-human genes,” he began.

“That he is a hybrid? Yes, I have noticed that,” agreed Shino.

“One aspect of his nature is that he bonds very strongly to one person. That has happened with Sasuke. Due to this, Sasuke no long is required to be intimate with other crew. We will understand if this is unacceptable to you and you choose not to join us.”

Shino looked at Sasuke. “It is a disappointment,” he confessed.

There was the slightest suggestion of a growl from Naruto, which refocused Shino’s attention.

“But by no means a deal breaker,” he continued. “I am honoured that you should invite me and I accept unhesitatingly.”

Unlike Rin, Shino slid without friction into the crew. He moved into the lab, which he and Shikamaru then expanded into the old infirmary. He, Shikamaru and Rin had long debates about tiny details of technology. Ibiki, Naruto and he worked on integrating Flyers and other modifications into their security protocols. He watched each of them, but particularly Naruto and Kakashi, training. He was quiet in the crew room, sang well and was unfailingly polite at mealtimes. He and Shikamaru assisted each other when the lack of a proper cat became difficult. He fit very well.

Five of the eight they were seeking were known to have passed though Farrellez and there was a possibility that one might still be residing in the space station. Farrellez was more of a risk than Tarrasade, less than Minunderville. Jiraiya, Tsunade, Rin and Kakashi had contacts there who might have useful information. On balance, it seemed the sensible option.

They rented a unit in the more exclusive and secure second ring. Promoting Naruto meant that they could split the crew, with Kakashi accompanying anyone seeking information and Naruto staying in the unit to guard Sasuke. By the sixth day they had established that none of the eight were living on Farrellez, had new leads on three and had spent time on the more usual spacer pursuits of trading and shopping. They has decided to forgo the additional risk of clubbing. Overall, the visit had been successful.

The crew was waiting for them at the entrance to the spur to their ship, the classic interception point for a challenge. The two crews faced each other. One of the strangers flipped a small stick that rose up, end over end, and then down to land with a jangle on the metal floor. It was Genma’s senbon.

“We challenge for your cat, for Sasuke Uchiha,” the man announced.

“Brother?” Sasuke queried, his voice quavering with disbelief. “Itachi? Aniki?”