Iteration

‘Iteration’ is part of the space saga that began with ‘In the cold of space you find the heat of suns’ and continues in ‘Tales in Tarrasade’. There is also a one-shot ‘Silver Leaf Tales: Tying the knot’.

Thanks to Small Fox for being my beta. For this story he has also been my muse, suggesting a number of the ideas that have evolved to create this arc.

Thank you to those readers who have written a review, especially to those who review regularly. Particular thanks to Colter St. Clair, disembodiedvoiceofthedying, Prism0467, meow-ku, v, vera, sadie237 and lonelylulaby who reviewed chapter 41.

So far so good, I have managed to keep to twice weekly updates. Here’s hoping the creative flow does not dry up; I am only two chapters ahead.

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

This is posted in the Naruto/Sasuke section because it is part of a Naru/Sasu/Naru space saga. However, it does feature many other pairings (and a few threesomes). Apologies to those who are expecting Naruto/Sasuke or Sasuke/Naruto every chapter.

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Chapter forty-two: Naruto’s Planet

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Konohamaru had wondered why Sasuke was so insistent that he take Ranmaru down to Naruto’s Planet before Ranmaru was due to drop with the children.

Now he understood. It was so that Konohamaru could relish the astonishment on Ranmaru’s face. It gave Konohamaru the opportunity to make an amazing experience unforgettable.

Konohamaru had chosen a beach; Biwako-san had rented a beach house on a planet when Konohamaru was a child.

He watched Ranmaru put the finishing touches to the sandcastle; the channel and the moat were already finished.

The incoming tide sent the first finger of water up the channel. Ranmaru watched, transfixed, as every wave pushed the water further forward until it divided and began filling the moat.

Then the moat was filled and there were those minutes of perfection before the moat overflowed and a wave crashed into the castle.

They watched until all that was left was the flag with its Uchiha crest poking out of the water. Ranmaru turned shining eyes to him.

“That was great,” he confirmed. “What next?”

“Paddling,” Konohamaru told him. “Then swimming if you decide you want to try it. After our picnic we could go for a walk and maybe look at rock pools or try fishing.”

“What’s fishing?” Ranmaru asked.

---

Iruka followed Kakashi. They both had grown up on planets and, once Iruka had persuaded Kakashi to talk about it, they had decided that they both had liked walking and forests.

The trees here were different, very straight and tall, but they still created that forest smell. The ground was slightly spongy under his feet. There were ferns and mosses rather than flowers. Looking up he could see small patches of blue sky through the canopy of spiky, dark green leaves.

There was a faint roaring sound. It became louder as they walked and Iruka identified it as fast running water; something he had not heard in almost fourteen standards.

Then, suddenly, they were out of the trees and beside the waterfall.

It was beautiful.

“I thought we would eat here,” Kakashi told him, shrugging off his pack.

Iruka decided not to ask how Kakashi knew about the waterfall nor to comment on the fact that the pack contained a soft blanket as well as their meal.

Instead he melted into Kakashi’s arms as his lover kissed him.

---

Kamatari was determined to get Moegi into the shuttle. He understood that she was upset at what Sumaru had said but that was no reason to forgo a chance to visit a planet.

“Sumaru is not going to like you more if you are pathetic,” he told her.

It worked. She stiffened. “I am not pathetic, you... ...you weasel,” she retorted.

“And proud of it,” he replied cheerily. “If we are on the same shuttle as him and Gai-san there is a chance you might learn more about him. This vigil of his must be important to him.”

“I don’t know why he clings to his stupid religion,” Moegi complained.

Neither did Kamatari, but he did not entertain any illusions that Sumaru was going to suddenly change into a normal person. “We celebrate difference, remember?” he replied.

She gave him a look that reminded him of Haku. He just smiled and twitched his whiskers.

“He may speak to you on the way back,” Kamatari suggested. “Who knows, he might want a fuck once the vigil is over.”

Moegi perked up. “You think so?”

Kamatari thought it highly unlikely, but it was the first thing he had said that looked like it might work. “If you aren’t there he might jerk off instead,” he added.

---

Rin and Dan had decided to have a single day out in the foothills of some mountains. On their way to the shuttle they were joined by Neji and Shikamaru asking for a ride.

Dan had paused to check with Kakashi and was told that there was no risk; no one knew of the planet so it was safe to leave Shikamaru and Neji alone.

It was beautiful. The sky was an amazing shade of blue and the mountains were breathtaking. Dan had picked a walking route out for him and Rin. He did, despite Rin’s scowl, ask Neji if he and Shikamaru would like to join them.

“Thank you but no,” Neji had answered. “Shikamaru is here to watch clouds.”


Dan carried the pack and allowed Rin to set the pace. She chose to walk and talk. They discussed their future babies; there were now two so that Rin did not become too focused on one child as her parents had been on her.

After their midmeal Rin was quiet. Dan waited. He knew she wanted to talk something through with him.

“I spoke with Kotohime when she was on the Oak. She is truly brilliant,” she began. “Maybe not like Shikamaru, but like Kotetsu. She understands far more about hybrids than I.”

Dan made encouraging noises.

“She has decided to offer hybrids the chance of having children. When I said it was impossible she said that she had a technique for creating a model of the human that the hybrid would be. So I asked what good that was if you couldn’t make functional chromosomes.” Her voice trailed off.

“And she told you she could,” suggested Dan.

“She gave me everything she had. All the techniques. That’s what she is going to do in Haven. She is going to give hybrids babies with human chromosomes, with as many of their own genes as possible within that framework. She even has experimental data. She has robust carrier chromosomes that she can populate with genes. It will work.”

Dan considered. “That is good, yes? It offers hybrids an alternative that was not available to them.” Then he understood. “You are thinking about our hybrids.”

Rin looked at him with worried eyes. “Particularly Naruto and Kisame. I mean, they have come to decisions that they are happy with. They have children.”

“You have to tell them,” Dan decided. “You did not know of a technique before. You do now. Not telling them would be wrong. What about the other thing? Did Kotohime have any ideas about how to extend hybrid’s lives?”

“We are working on something,” Rin admitted. “It may not go anywhere and I would not want to raise it yet. You know how difficult it is for Sasuke-sama to think about it. Even if it works, it will not double Naruto’s lifespan. It might add a few standards.”

“Even that would be good,” Dan suggested.

“Even that would be good,” Rin agreed. She smiled. It was like the sun coming out from behind a cloud. “Thank you,” she added.

He smiled back. “Anytime, Rin-chan. I love it when you trust me to talk about things.”

She flushed and looked even prettier. “I love that you want to listen,” she admitted.

---

“Are you sure it is safe?” Anko asked for the fifth time.

Shino had always thought of himself as an urbanite but Anko made him feel like a country lad. “We left automated flyers all over the place last time we were here. We have processed the data they collected. None of the planet is dangerous and this is one of the safest parts.” He spread the cloth on the short, cropped grass and placed the basket at its centre. “If you decide you do not like it we will get back in the shuttle and go back to the ship.”

“The new shuttles are great,” Anko observed. “Flying one was fun. We should name it.”

Shikamaru had bought six of the small surface-to-orbit craft secondhand for Izumo to do up. It meant that they did not have to land one of the ships. Shino recognised that Anko was talking about the shuttle to distract herself from the unfamiliarity of their surroundings.

“Poppy,” he suggested.

“What’s a poppy?” Anko asked.

“One of those red flowers,” Shino said, pointing.

“Maybe,” Anko conceded pulling her brimmed hat more firmly into her head and sitting down on the cloth. “I will give it a chance,” she decided. “It smells nice,” she admitted. “The colours are pretty.”

He began setting out their picnic. Suddenly Anko was back on her feet. “What was that?”

Shino looked up in time to see a bobbing white tail. “It’s a rabbit. They eat the grass. You did learn about the standard ecology at school?” he queried.

She scowled at him. “I wasn’t interested in planets, so I didn’t pay attention to those bits.”

Shino pulled her down to sit beside him. “Let’s eat and I can teach you,” he suggested.

---

Haku disliked being outside. Even when he had lived on a planet he had preferred to be under cover.

Itachi and Kisame had erected a tent for him. It was very nice; more a pavilion than a tent. Inside there was a carpet on the ground, cushions, a table and three chairs.

He had the panels at the front of the pavilion tied up so that he could watch his lovers at play.

Itachi’s skin responded to Rin’s treatments in a way that Haku’s and Sasuke’s did not. He tanned under the sun. He was wearing only a pair of old pants that he had cut off above the knee but not hemmed. He roamed the beach and lay on the hot sand. It was as if he was soaking up the sunlight. Occasionally he would go into the water.

But they were here for Kisame; so that Kisame could swim in the sea.

One day they would build a house here; Haku had already decided. It did not matter that Haku did not like living on any planet, never mind one as wild as this one. All that counted was that Kisame could swim in the sea.

Itachi was sunbathing. Kisame’s head showed above the water at regular intervals, assuring Haku that all was well. Haku’s mind started to wander and, as always, went to Mai.

Just over one div and she would be decanted. The nursery on the Oak was ready. Everything was perfect. Haku had made sure that he had two of everything so that the nursery in Tarrasade would be identical when they returned there.

The chest Sasuke had given Kisame was full of toys that Kisame and Itachi had made or bought. There were many dolls. Haku hoped that Mai would like dolls but knew it would not matter if she did not.

His attention drifted to Itachi. They had tried, repeatedly, to persuade Itachi that he was not Mai’s father, that he would be Ita-chan to Mai like Shikamaru was Shi-chan to Haru. Even so, Itachi struggled.

Haku hoped it would be different when Mai was born and Itachi had held her.

---

The Way of the Knife included a number of rituals you could not carry out on a ship or in a space station. Sumaru had begun planning last time they had visited Naruto’s Planet. On this visit he hoped to accomplish two; the Vigil and the Test of Resolve. He wished that Lee was with him but Lee belonged at Gaara’s side and the Sanctuary needed Gaara.

He had briefed Gai-san. He had failed to persuade Gai-san as to the value of the Test of Resolve. He had reluctantly accepted the role of Watcher but he would not agree to kill Sumaru if Sumaru failed. Sumaru understood. He would surmount that hurdle by not failing.

Sumaru had hoped that Moegi would stay on the ship and felt ashamed of himself for thinking so. Moegi should enjoy the planet like the rest of the crew. Now that she was going to the surface, he hoped that Kamatari would work his magic and make her laugh.

He should not have given in to his lust; he knew that. Moegi was not Tayuya. She would never be Tayuya. Tayuya had made her choice and it was Inari. Sumaru had always known it would be Inari.

He wished C-san was female.

Perhaps it did not matter that C-san was not female. Perhaps, if he told C-san that his erection drooped when he thought of being with a male, C-san would come up with some clever solution.

There were times when he found Haku attractive, but only when he was fully clothed in feminine attire.

The Vigil would allow him to think more clearly. The Test of Resolve would make him stronger. He would have to tell Moegi that they would no longer be occasional partners for mutual sexual gratification.

It was a matter of how.

---

Inari and Tayuya walked and talked. At regular intervals they rested and ate or drank. At night they made camp.

Three days away from any of the others. It was a test of their relationship.

Tayuya knew it would work. Inari could make almost anything work. He had almost made him and Konohamaru work.

It wasn’t about it being functional. It was about quality. Could she love him the way that Iruka loved Kakashi? Or the way Haku loved Kisame? Or the way Shino loved Anko?

By the third day she had decided she was not going to worry. There were worse things she could do than devoting a decade or so to finding out.

---

Naruto and Sasuke had spent an afternoon, an evening, a night and a morning on their island. Then they had returned to the Oak to help prepare the adventure for the children.

“Snow?” Naruto queried when Shikamaru told them.

“Snow!” was Sasuke’s delighted reply.

Naruto noted Sasuke’s response and decided that there must be something about snow that he failed to understand.

“We have found the ideal place,” Asuma informed them. “It’s got everything; the right type of snow, a slope, a frozen pond. Hamaki, Terai and Fu took Kotetsu and Izumo down in two shuttles and we have constructed a shelter and a landing pad that can take the Sakura.”

“In Haku’s absence, I have been looking through the closet,” Neji admitted. “Haku is due back on board tomorrow and I think we can produce all the clothes we need provided we are creative.”

“Kiba has been working on the sleds,” Shikamaru added.

“Sleds?” Naruto asked. “What’s a sled?”


They hurtled down the slope, their combined weight producing an eye-watering turn of speed. Sasuke sat between Naruto’s legs. Naruto’s arms were wrapped around Sasuke’s waist.

The children squealed and waved their arms as they flew past. Naruto’s exhilaration was tinged slightly with apprehension. How would they stop?

But Sasuke had sledded before. He leaned to one side once they reached the flat. Naruto leaned with him and they travelled in a graceful arc to a halt.

“That was fun,” Naruto admitted, getting to his feet and sinking a little into the snow. He turned around to see a small crowd of children jumping up and down demanding to have a go. Kiba was already sorting them out into pairs. “It’s too dangerous,” he insisted.

“We’ll only take them partway up the slope,” Sasuke explained.


Naruto had Yoshimi and Yasushi, who absolutely loved it. Yoshimi sat in front of Yasushi who sat in front of Naruto. Naruto’s legs made sure the kits stayed safely in the sled. Each time they reached the bottom they would squeal for more and Naruto would tow them back up the slope. When he stopped they would beg him to go higher so that they could descend faster.

One-by-one the other sleds gave up until it was only Naruto with Yo-chan and Ya-chan and Kiba with Kuu-chan and Ka-chan.

“One more,” Kiba called. “Then we are stopping.”

Naruto agreed. He had a suspicion that Kiba could trudge up the slope dragging a sled forever while he was feeling distinctly weary. Soon he and Kiba were drinking soup in the prefab shelter that they had erected leaving Sasuke to supervise snowpeople-building.

“Where does all their energy come from?” Naruto asked, watching Kazuki rolling a ball of snow to make a body.

Iruka laughed. “You and Kiba were doing all the work,” he replied, topping up Naruto’s mug of soup. He kissed Naruto’s temple. “You should watch them from inside here for a while,” he advised.

Naruto looked out the window to the scene beyond. Everyone was dressed in the motley collection of cold-weather clothes Haku and Neji had managed to put together at short notice. The bolts of thick, knitted fabric Neji had unearthed had been distinctly non-Uchiha colours; seeing the Uchiha elite warriors in pink scarves and yellow hats was something Naruto would not forget in a hurry.

Kiba finished his soup and headed back outside. Naruto watched the children demanding that he admire their creations and relaxed. The children would enjoy showing their snowpeople to Kiba and then, in a little while, he could repeat the process.


Now that the children were safely away from the slope, some of the adults were sledding. He watched Shi-chan trying to persuade Neji to pull him up the slope and being chased up instead. Hamaki, Terai and Fu were managing, somehow, to get all three of them on a sled. Kisame and Itachi hurtled down the slope repeatedly and then Kisame persuaded Haku to have one ride; Naruto could hear his shrieks despite being inside the shelter.

“You should have a go,” he told Iruka. “It’s fun.” He followed Iruka’s gaze to where Kakashi was helping Hikaru with his snowboy.

“Maybe when Kakashi has finished making sure Hi-chan’s snowboy is perfect,” Iruka decided.

Naruto began thinking about why Kakashi was substituting for Inari, which took him via Tayuya to Sumaru and then to Moegi, who was sharing a sled with Kamatari.

“Sumaru has finished his rituals and decided to stay on the Oak to meditate and train,” Iruka told him.

Not for the first time, Naruto wondered how Iruka always seemed to know what he was thinking.

“He has told Moegi that he had a revelation during his vigil and that he must stay celibate for one orbit of his home planet about its star, which is about five divs,” Iruka added.

Naruto thought about it and smiled. “That is good,” he observed.

“Yes, it is good,” Iruka agreed. “And surprisingly subtle, given that it is Sumaru. Perhaps there is hope for him yet.” He looked out the window. “Kamatari is good for Moegi. He makes her laugh. Maybe she will come to understand that personality is more important than looks.”

Naruto was saved from admitting that he thought that unlikely by Dan and Rin entering and shutting the door quickly behind them.

“Soup?” Iruka asked.

Dan nodded while Rin looked anxious.

“Soup would be great, Iruka-san” Dan acknowledged. “Rin has something she would like to tell Naruto-san,” he added. “This seems a good opportunity, while Sasuke-sama is so busy with the children.”

“I could leave,” Iruka suggested.

“No, stay,” Naruto asked. It would be something about age retard that Naruto really did not want to hear.


Only it wasn’t; it was about a way for him and Sasuke to combine their genomes in a baby that worked. At the end of the explanation Rin actually bowed to him.

“I apologise, Naruto-san, I realise that you probably did not want this issue raised but if Kotohime is going to begin using the technique in Haven we thought that I ought to tell you.”

“Rin will tell Sasuke-sama if you want her to,” Dan added.

Sasuke would have to be told. “No,” he decided.

Dan stood up and Rin followed his example. “Thank you for the soup, Iruka-san,” he said. “We are going to try the sledding.”

Rin looked at him in horror. “We are?” she queried.

He smiled. “We are. We will start halfway up the slope and see how it goes,” he reassured her.


He and Iruka waited until the door had closed behind them.

“Sasuke loves Ryuu as much as the kits and his full-blood Uchiha children,” Iruka reminded him.

The truth of that helped a little. There was no evidence that Sasuke would love a child with genes from the both of them more than he did the children they already had.

“Naruto, I am going to say something I know you will not want to hear,” Iruka warned him.

Naruto steeled himself.

“If you had such a child with Sasuke he would not have to watch that child age and die before him,” Iruka pointed out. “He would have that piece of you with him throughout his life. He would see your grandchildren and great-grandchildren. It would mean a great deal to him.”

It hurt as much as Iruka had known it would. One of the reasons that Naruto would have never agreed to conceiving the kits was that Sasuke would have to watch him die and then, twenty standards later, six of his sons die one by one.

Naruto got up. He kissed Iruka on the cheek. “Thank you, Iruka-sensei, for speaking to me as a parent.”

Then he donned his yellow hat and pink scarf and ventured out to admire snowpeople.

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