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.

38. Asuma

Asuma was up early. He had things to do before arriving at the Silver Leaf. He ate a goodly breakfast, not wanting to be too hungry when a guest at the midday meal, and then went scrounging.

There had been flowers at Hiruzen-sama’s reception, so there had to be a source of them on the mother ship. He began with the servant who was supervising breakfast, spinning some tale about needing flowers for an offended lover. His woebegone expression wove its usual magic and he soon had the location of the hydroponics bay where the flowers were grown. While stealing was an option, he was pleased to find someone on duty. This time it required considerable flirting and a kiss, but he came away with an impressive bouquet. Then it was back to the guest cabin to which he had been assigned to shower and dress before leaving for the Silver Leaf with time to spare.

He realised that Iruka’s first impression of him had not been favourable: accurate but not favourable. Asuma knew that he had a tendency to assign people to one of four categories: fighters, potential objects of desire, important people and others. He had unconsciously assigned Iruka to the second group when he belonged in the third and, as a spacer, thought of himself in the first. He had made the same mistake with Kurenai when he had first met her. True Kurenai was his object of desire, but she had also proved to be important. It had taken more than a bouquet of flowers to appease Kurenai. Hopefully it would be enough for Iruka, who, based on their conversation the evening before, was willing to forgive.

He briefly wondered what Iruka wanted but put that out of his mind. Asuma preferred not to anticipate unless he was in a fight or a battle. He was too optimistic; anticipation generated hopes that were too often dashed. Instead he thought about the day before, of the phenomenon that was Naruto and of the joy of being in Sasuke’s presence. Training Sasuke has been particularly precious; it had been kind of Kakashi to arrange something that he would value so greatly.

The flowers worked. Iruka blushed and looked gorgeous. There were pointed comments about how rare it was to be given presents and then Sasuke took him on a tour of the ship while Iruka arranged the flowers and, presumably, Kakashi reminded Iruka of his other qualities as a lover.


Asuma was content to be with Sasuke as they walked about the ship. He was nice to listen to Sasuke’s descriptions and to meet members of the crew at work. He was particular touched to be shown the tiny space with the Uchiha crest on the wall that Sasuke described fondly as his ‘not-an-office'. The Silver Leaf was unusually homely and pleasant.

“I am going to ask Iruka-sensei’s advice about re-establishing the Uchiha household,” Sasuke warned him as they made their way back into the crew room. “I want it to work better for everyone."

Asuma could see the sense in that. Iruka had done an excellent job of providing a home for Sasuke on the Silver Leaf.

“We are hoping that you can tell us what the elite fighters want and how they would like to live,” Sasuke continued, gesturing the way forward into the galley.

Iruka was asking him to sit and offering tea. Kakashi was nowhere to be seen. Asuma was still processing what Sasuke had said. He sipped his tea while Iruka sat down. He had a pile of small white cards and a pen. Iruka smiled at him.

“Let me think what Kakashi would put top of the list,” he said. “Training.”

Asuma watched him write ‘gym’ on one card and ‘simulators’ on another.

“And some things I know he has always wanted,” Iruka added and wrote ‘steam room’, ‘baths’ and ‘treatment room’ on separate cards.

“Weapons room,” suggested Sasuke. Iruka nodded and created a card.

“Asuma-san?” Iruka asked.

“Maybe a meetings room, instead of having to use the gym,” he said and took another sip of his tea.

Iruka made the card and then gathered it with the others into a small pile. “We can add to that later if we think of something,” he said. “Now, what about eating? I know how you fighters like to eat.”


Asuma was beginning to relax into the process when Iruka started asking questions that sent his blood pressure soaring.

“Kakashi says you have a partner, Asuma-san. Would you wish her to live with you within the Uchiha compound? Or would she be happier having an apartment outside the compound funded by Uchiha? Or would it be more appropriate to have an accommodation allowance in your pay?”

Asuma did not know how to respond. He could hear his heart pounding. Uchiha elite fighters’ relationships were never acknowledged or mentioned. It was accepted that they had a sex drive, and that therefore fucking was inevitable, but anything significant was discouraged. The only exception was if the elite fighter was in a relationship with a male Uchiha. His situation was made even more difficult by the company: he was sitting at a table with the head of the Uchiha clan and someone who would have been classed as an inappropriate distraction.

“We are being too intrusive, Asuma-san,” Iruka said kindly. “We apologise. I think it would be more appropriate to provide a range of accommodation and build an accommodation allowance into elite fighters’ pay.”

“Pay?” queried Asuma.

There was silence. Iruka looked at Sasuke. “Tell me they are paid,” he said, coldly.

Sasuke went pale and then flushed.

“We didn’t need paying,” Asuma explained. “We had everything we needed and we got pocket money. Five credits a day. Enough for…” Asuma stopped himself, mentioning alcohol and whores did not seem appropriate. “…entertainment.”

“And since the Uchiha compound was closed?” Iruka asked.

“Hiruzen-sama gave us accommodation and food when we were guarding Sasuke,” Asuma told them.

“And since then?” Iruka demanded.

Asuma shrugged. “Most of us have worked as bodyguards on short term contracts, or spaced.” He flushed. “I’ve been fine, because of Hiruzen-sama. I have been helping out the others as and when.”

Sasuke gave a small, inarticulate cry.

Asuma was mortified. He had known that he would have to tell Sasuke but this had not been the time or the place. “I am sorry, Sasuke-sama. I know I am not meant to know, but he told me. What was I meant to do? I couldn’t unlearn it. And we needed a source of funds to pay off the creditors. Some of them gamble. At least if I had somewhere to live they could stay with me when they had nowhere else to go.”

“Is someone going to explain?” Iruka asked.

Sasuke pulled himself together. “It was how Uchiha worked. Families gave us their children in return for a privileged position with us. Hiruzen-sama became the head of the Fire Shadow organisation partly, perhaps mostly, because of his links with Uchiha. The children are never told which family they come from.”

Iruka looked at Asuma. “You are Hiruzen-sama’s son.” He turned to Sasuke. “Sasu-kun, it’s slavery. I don’t care how it was dressed up, it’s slavery.”


Asuma would not accept that. He would never accept that.

He found himself on his feet. He heard himself shouting. “I am not a slave!”

He reassumed control. He was still. He sat down.

“I am sworn to Uchiha,” he said in a calm voice. “I serve Uchiha. It is an honour.”


Iruka was out of his chair and on his knees with his forehead pressed to the floor.

“Please accept my abject apology, Asuma-san,” he begged. “I misspoke. It was unforgivable. I offer whatever reparations you demand. My life is in your hands.”


Asuma stared. The little spacer was serious. At this moment Asuma could kill him or beat him or fuck him. He was Asuma’s to do with as he willed.

There had been others but those men had been forced into it by challenge. Iruka knew that Asuma would not challenge him. Iruka had chosen to do it because he realised the depth of the offence he had unintentionally caused.

Asuma took a few deep breaths. Iruka had not called him a slave. Asuma had done that to himself. The Uchiha practice of swapping children for favours could, he admitted, look like slavery to outside eyes.

The spoke the words. “I hand back your life, Iruka-san. No reparations are required. I acknowledge and accept your apology.

“Please get up, Iruka-san,” he added, “It was a misunderstanding. I interpreted your words and overreacted to that interpretation.” He moved to lift Iruka to his feet. “I appreciate that you understand,” he admitted.


Tears were running down Iruka’s cheeks. “I could have said it in front of Kakashi,” he said. “Imagine if I had said it in front of Kakashi.”


Asuma was certain that Kakashi had more sense than to overreact in such a way. Even so, it was better that he had not heard it from his lover’s lips. “We will never tell him,” he promised. They sat down and Asuma looked at Sasuke. He was very pale and very still; far too like the Sasuke of Hiruzen-sama’s household. “Sasuke-sama?”

Sasuke let out a long, shuddering breath. “I would like to leave this for now, Iruka-sensei. If you do not mind, I would like to spend some time with Naruto before the midday meal. Please excuse me, Asuma-san.”

“Naruto will hold him.” Iruka told him once Sasuke was out of earshot. He wiped his face with his hands.


Asuma reached for some of the cards and the pen. “The idea of different choices of accommodation is a good one,” he said. He wrote ‘crew room’, ‘single apartment’, ‘double apartment’ and ‘non-compound apartment’ on four separate cards. “The idea of pay is also good,” he admitted.


Five days later, after training, Sasuke and some of his crew asked Asuma to accompany them to one of the rooms in the mother ship. Inside there was the Uchiha crest on a wall and a long table.

“It will be another twenty-seven days before we reach Tarrasade,” Sasuke reminded him. “I thought we should use the time productively. There is an opportunity to send a light speed message to Tarrasade the day after tomorrow. We can send forward instructions. I would like to show our plans to the other fighters tomorrow, but we want to run them past you first. Shino-san?”

“Sure thing, boss,” the young man replied and a holo projection of the Uchiha compound appeared on the table.

Shikamaru then stepped forward. Asuma still struggled with the concept that an ordinary looking lad was such a precious rarity.

“The idea is that we don’t use the oldest part of the compound for now,” he began and the area where the Family used to live faded to grey. “Instead we concentrate on this section here, which should be big enough for our needs. We divide it into two. This part, on the station side, will be accessible to those not sworn to Uchiha. As well as meeting rooms there will be an assortment of accommodation from the ordinary to high quality guest apartments. People who may live or stay here could include allies or guests or individuals sworn to Uchiha who wish to live with those who are not.

“The rest is for us. For now, we have it arranged with the communal areas here. That includes the main hall, meeting rooms, labs, infirmary and offices, including Sasuke-sama’s office.” Each room came into being as it was mentioned, fitting neatly into the structure.

“Here is the part for the elite fighters, with all the facilities Asuma-san discussed with Iruka-sensei and Sasuke-sama. It includes about three times the accommodation currently required in order to make sure that there is choice and to emphasise that alternatives can be tried until everyone settles on what is wanted. Rooms can be closed or opened as required.

“We of the Silver Leaf’s crew have also been discussing what we want. We’ve decided on accommodation based on what we have now but expanded. Each bunk becomes a small room off a communal shared area. There is a kitchen, a large closet and a fancy shared bathroom. Each sleeping room has a shower, a head and storage.

“As you can see there is a certain amount of sharing of facilities between the two groups. For example the gyms, the steam room and the simulators.” Shikamaru stopped and looked expectantly at his audience.

“Can you think of any improvements, Asuma-san?” Iruka asked.

Asuma considered. “Yes, dump all those alternatives for accommodation in our part and put in a copy of what you have come up with for the crew. Include twelve of the small sleeping rooms.”

“Twelve?” Iruka queried.

“It’s symbolic.” Asuma explained. “I realise that Kakashi and Naruto will never use theirs.”

“Thirteen,” Sasuke decided. “One for Kisame-san.”

Asuma was stunned. Kisame was a traitor. “Sasuke-sama?” he queried.

“It is not open for discussion, Asuma-san. Do you have any other suggestions or observations?”

Asuma put Kisame out of his mind. “Sasuke-sama, your sleeping room is just like all the others.”

Sasuke smiled at him. “I’ll put the crest on the wall,” he promised. “Shikamaru will modify the accommodation. We would like to show this to the other elite fighters tomorrow.”


He tried to explain to the others but the notion of being consulted was completely alien to them. Then Choza said that he wanted Sasuke-sama to reopen the compound and let them go home. After that it was hopeless. Asuma gave up. After considerable thought he sent a carefully composed note to Iruka via one of Hiruzen-sama’s servants.


He had to cajole, tempt or bully them into attending the next morning. They edged into the room regarding the projection with suspicion.

Asuma had hinted in his note that perhaps Sasuke-sama should present the plans rather than Shikamaru. To his surprise it was Naruto. He was not wearing his tags: his plaque was on a simple leather choker. His shirt was a rather eye-watering shade of orange. He looked impossibly young.

“Please forgive Kakashi-sensei’s absence,” Naruto began. “He volunteered to stay with Sasuke so that I could show you the plans.”

Asuma realised the significance of sending Naruto. Only Uchiha elite fighters were present. He sighed; they would be much less likely to accept the changes without pressure from Sasuke-sama.

“We want to convert the old guest accommodation, “ Naruto continued, “because Sasuke cannot face going back to where it happened. Maybe one day but not yet.”

It was a masterstroke. The truth conveyed by the perfect messenger. There was no point in going home, because Sasuke-sama could not go there with them. If Sasuke-sama was going to live in the guest accommodation, they must be there also. Naruto now had their full attention.

“We started by thinking about what we would like,” he explained. “We are happy on the Silver Leaf, so we made a crew room but we made it the best crew room we could imagine.” Naruto pointed at the relevant part of the projection. “Asuma-san saw it and thought that you would like one too.” He indicated appropriately. “We added all the important things like gyms and simulators and a steam room and a weapons room and a treatment room.

“Only it isn’t just for us fighters, so we needed laboratories and an infirmary and a proper office for Sasuke. Sasuke said it was important to have a Hall where we could all come together to celebrate things.

“And then we decided that we needed another bit for friends who were not sworn to Uchiha. A place where people like Tsunade-san can stay and where Jiraiya-san can be with her.”


He stood looking at them. His whiskers twitched. “Do you like it?” he asked. “We will change it if you do not like it.”


Asuma watched them trying to take it all in. They were moving nearer and nearer to the projection. If you looked very closely you could see enough detail to tell the purpose of each room. There were tiny showers and beds and tables.

Finally Fu asked the question that Asuma knew the others were thinking. “Where are Sasuke-sama’s quarters?”

Naruto frowned. He pointed at one of the small rooms. “Here. See, we have put the Uchiha crest on the wall.”

Asuma managed not to laugh as Fu and the others peered at the tiny image.

“It is just like ours,” Gai said in an uncharacteristically quiet voice.

Naruto favoured them with a stunning smile. His incredible blue eyes sparkled with mischief. “It will be nothing like yours,” he assured them. “I will not be living in yours.”


.