In the cold of space you find the heat of suns

Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

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.

35. Konohamaru

Twenty-two days ago he had been at school, with his friends, thinking that it was a very long time before the holidays.

Then the message had arrived from his grandfather.

He still found it difficult to believe that his ojiisan had send a Mulligan drive ship to fetch him and that the crew had endured so many jumps in fast succession to speed his delivery. Konohamaru himself had been tanked to spare him the stress. When he was woken they were docked, not with Tarrasade as he had expected, but in a Fire Shadow mother ship. Konohamaru was uncharacteristically quiet as he entered his grandfather’s office. That was partly due to post-tank lethargy but mostly because he could not imagine what would have triggered Hiruzen-sama’s actions.

“Sasuke is on his way back to Tarrasade,” his grandfather told him.

Konohamaru’s interest slumped. All this and it was just Sasuke?

His grandfather was shaking his head at Konohamaru’s reaction. He activated a holoprojector, which began displaying media output from a planet called Chanx. Konohamaru took the indicated chair.

Wow, this was the type of thing that their family, and particularly Sasuke, tried to avoid at all cost. He still remembered the furore when the reporter had managed to infiltrate the school at Elleton. All the media had that time were a few images and they had managed to make it last days. This time they had holovideo, a riot and the news that Sasuke’s ship had lifted without him.

Even Konohamaru found it riveting and he prided himself in treating his foster cousin as if he were the most boring, uninteresting person in known space. Which he was.

“Is he safe?” he asked.

“He’s back with his crew. They are heading for Tarrasade. They’ve already had to fight their way through the first gate. We’ve just received the report. Do you want to see it?”

Of course Konohamaru wanted to see it. It was a battle. The only interesting lessons were the ones about battles. And history. Konohamaru liked history.

By the Lady. You did not need to be an expert to see how outnumbered they were. Then, of all things, Sasuke’s voice. In command. Declaring the Uchiha call to battle. And the moves. They were ridiculously fast. Yet they had a gunner who could hit. Hit repeatedly and perfectly on target.

Wow.

“I thought he was still a cat,” Konohamaru complained.

“He was,” his grandfather confirmed and switched to show some of the recent media coverage in Tarrasade. In Tarrasade the media portrayed themselves as measured, balanced, sophisticated and restrained. They were acting like a mob of screaming fans. Not that there weren’t screaming fans, there were, but the presenters and commentators weren’t behaving much better.

“Oh,” he heard himself say.

“The media aspect of the situation will need much careful management,” Hiruzen-sama was saying.

His ojiisan had a tendency to understate. Then Konohamaru connected with that his grandfather was saying. There were other aspects?

“The Uchiha elite are not happy,” Hiruzen-sama continued.

Konohamaru had spotted three of them on his way from the docking bay to the office. They had looked as they always did; scary. “How many are here?” he asked.

“Eight. The last two will join us after the next jump. They have been limiting their distance from Tarrasade for some time, anticipating that Sasuke will soon be promoted to crew and be reconsidering his options.”

“Oh.” Ten of the scariest people in known space in the same place. Goody.

“I met with Sasuke on Tarrasade just over a standard ago.”

That was news to Konohamaru.

“It was obvious even then that his time with a crew had changed him.”

Not kidding. Sasuke the Cautious, Sasuke of the Measured Response was not a Sasuke who seized command of a ship, despite being a cat, and fought a battle that belonged in legend rather than reality.

“For example, he has taken a Beloved Companion.”

The screen was busy with images of the one of the most amazing creatures he had ever seen. Konohamaru froze. Were those whiskers? Such eyes.

“Who is most likely the gunner in the battle.”

Wow.

“And who killed Tenzo because Tenzo was unwise and challenged him.”

Konohamaru swallowed. So that was what had happened to Tenzo-san. “Why are you telling me all this, Grandfather?”

“If there is a chance of catting for Sasuke’s crew you will take it. Even if it means swearing to Uchiha and forsaking your duty to me and to your family.”

“Jiji!” Konohamaru objected.

His grandfather switched back to the media coverage from Tarrasade. “Konohamaru-kun, this is the beginning of something great. You must not miss any chance to be part if it. It may already prove too late, but if there is chance to be involved you must take it. We will be intercepting the Silver Leaf in two days. You have two days to accustom yourself to the reality of the new situation.”


Two days later Konohamaru waited for the airlock to open. He had been pleased that his ojiisan had asked Asuma-san to accompany them. Compared to the others, Asuma-san was downright genial.

“Looking forward to catting, Konohamaru-kun?” Asuma had asked as they walked toward the airlock.

Konohamaru had been careful how he answered. Asuma-san was a terrible tease. He had even teased Sasuke mercilessly. “It will be different, Asuma-san,” Konohamaru had replied.

“That it will, Konohamaru-kun. Being fucked by all those men will certainly make you feel different.”

Konohamaru’s face was still scarlet when the airlock started to open.


By the Lady, Sasuke’s Beloved was gorgeous. Tall, slim, broad-shouldered and long-limbed, he glided rather than walked. His hair was gold and his eyes were even bluer than in the holovideos. He did, indeed, have whiskers, long and slightly curved, growing from his cheeks. He was so incredible that it took a while to even notice the tags. And what tags they were; Sasuke certainly wasn’t shy about declaring that this Companion was Beloved.

Konohamaru’s eyes went to Sasuke and stopped there. Where had his uptight, stick up his arse, too-controlled-to-even-scowl foster cousin gone? Who was this proud, confident, sensual stranger?

He forced himself to concentrate on the introductions. Tsunade-sama was the captain and Iruka-san the queen. So that was the legendary Kakashi: he looked a lot less scary than the nine who were waiting on the viewdeck. His grandfather even managed to establish that Konohamaru was looking for a crew. Unfortunately for Hiruzen-sama’s plans they had a cat, Haku, who didn’t look older than Konohamaru himself and was a great deal prettier.

Haku walked beside him as they made their way to the viewdeck. Konohamaru noticed that the collar of Haku’s jacket was naked of Uchiha insignia. Konohamaru did not know if he should talk or not. He knew that you didn’t ask spacers personal questions. He was host, though, so he would have to think of something. Once they were at the viewdeck he would offer to find Haku refreshments.


But once they were on the viewdeck it seemed better to be small and inconspicuous. On one side there were the Uchiha elite. On the other side there was Sasuke’s crew. Kakashi made no attempt to bridge the gap, which left Asuma-san stranded in the middle. Sasuke’s Beloved suddenly looked a lot less gorgeous and a lot more dangerous.

Then Sasuke was occupying the space between them making introductions and the tension dipped. Neatly dressed servants began circulating with trays. Konohamaru, took two cups and offered one to Haku. Haku sipped his drink and studied him. Konohamaru felt uncomfortable under his intense gaze.

“You know him, Sasuke-sama,” Haku suggested.

Konohamaru was surprised to hear such a respectful form of Sasuke’s name. “Yes, we were both fostered in Hiruzen-sama’s household. I was there because I was his grandson and he was there…”

“…because his crazy brother had slaughtered the rest of their family,” finished Haku.

Konohamaru tensed. He was not meant to know that Itachi was responsible for the massacre. He knew that his grandfather had been determined that Sasuke should not find out. “Sasuke knows then,” he checked.

Haku looked surprised. “I thought he’d always known.” He looked away and shivered. “Itachi is scary.”

“You’ve met Itachi Uchiha?” Konohamaru demanded. Everyone had been hunting Itachi forever.

“Spaced with him. Being cat on a ship with Itachi in the crew is not good. Kisame-san is nice though.”

Wow. Kisame. The sharkman. Legend.

“That’s how I ended up on the Silver Leaf. Our crew challenged for Sasuke.”

Konohamaru’s gut twisted at the thought. That was what grandfather had always feared, that Itachi would get to Sasuke and finish what he had began. Then confusion. If Kisame was their champion?

“Naruto won,” Haku explained.

Wow.

Double wow.

Suddenly Konohamaru wanted very much to be cat in Sasuke’s crew. He found himself resenting Haku, which was unfair. He tried to make up for it by finding a plateful of nibbles for them to share. When he returned with them Haku was watching the Uchiha elite fighters, who had broken up into pairs or trios and were now spread across the viewdeck. Haku efficiently put away his half of the food and then, when encouraged, half of Konohamaru’s half. His eyes never left one or another of the groups of fighters.


When Konohamaru came back from disposing of the plate Haku gripped his forearm. “You know them, these fighters?”

Konohamaru thought about it. They had guarded Sasuke for the six standards he had lived with them. “Most of them.”

“You beholden to them in any way?”

Did he feel any loyalty to them? Perhaps Asuma-san. Gai-san wasn’t too bad: more annoying than scary. “No. I like Asuma-san.”

Haku guided him around the outside of the room then inwards to where the Hyuga stood with a young man. Konohamaru rehearsed their names in his head: Neji and Shikamaru. He and Haku approached then from behind and Konohamaru could not help but notice Shikamaru’s arse. It was an arse well worth noticing. Haku settled at Shikamaru’s side with Konohamaru on his left.

“Konohamaru knows them,” he announced.


Shikamaru asked the questions. Konohamaru answered those he could and discovered that he knew less than he had thought. Neji never took his eyes off the scenes playing out in the rest of the room.

“This is not good,” Neji murmured suddenly.

Shikamaru lost interest in what Konohamaru was saying. “What do you mean, ‘not good’?” he asked.

Haku was gone from Shikamaru’s side. Konohamaru spotted him wending his way towards Iruka. He turned back to Shikamaru, intending to excuse himself, and found Terai between them. Fu was on the other side of Neji. Shikamaru tried to move away from Terai and bumped into Hamaki, who had appeared behind him. Terai caught his elbow.

“Steady, young’un,” he warned.

Konohamaru swallowed. This was very bad. The three fighters made the Silver Leaf crewmates look very young and horribly weak. Shikamaru shrank back towards Neji. Both Terai and Hamaki moved in while Fu’s presence prevented Neji moving. Shikamaru was sandwiched between Terai and Hamaki. Konohamaru watched Hamaki’s hand slide down his leather clad rump.

“Please d…” began Shikamaru.

“He’s saying please,” Terai interrupted. “I am sure we can oblige, hey Hamaki?”

“It will be a pleasure,” Hamaki replied, snaking an arm about Shikamaru’s waist and down to his groin. Shikamaru eeped.

Neji reached for his knife, which was, of course, exactly what they wanted. Only he didn’t draw it because Shikamaru’s hand had shot out and caught his wrist.

Fu smiled. “Very wise, young’un,” he acknowledged. “Better fucked than dead.”

Then there was blur, a slight breeze and Naruto was behind Hamaki. His mouth was by Hamaki’s ear. His lips drew back into a snarl. Konohamaru saw fangs. There was a low, threatening growl. Hamaki’s face went an interesting shade of grey and he slowly, carefully, removed his arm from about Shikamaru’s body.

Fu moved away. Terai dropped Shikamaru’s elbow and stepped back. Neji took a couple of paces to the side, pulling Shikamaru with him.

The growl faded and Naruto’s lips relaxed over his teeth. He took one step back and Hamaki one forward.

“Hamaki-san, Terai-san, Fu-san,” Naruto acknowledged. “We are all sworn to Uchiha but some of us are crew and some are not-crew,” he warned. “The Silver Leaf’s crew is very Traditional. Very old fashioned. Very proper. Perhaps it is a long time since you met such a Traditional crew.”

“Most crews have more modern attitudes, Naruto-san,” Fu suggested.

“We do not,” Naruto stated.

Konohamaru spotted Kakashi and Iruka approaching. Haku must had alerted them. Kakashi’s eye scanned the scene, pausing on Neji and Shikamaru.

“Is there a problem?” Kakashi asked.

“I am explaining that the Silver Leaf is a very Traditional crew,” Naruto replied.

Kakashi nodded. “Hamaki-san, Terai-san and Fu-san know this. They know that Uchiha youths always cat in ultra-Traditional crews.”

“Perhaps they had forgotten,” Naruto suggested. “Whatever, they are now reminded.”