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.

52. Family

They had invited the crew of the Silver Leaf to a training session in the largest gym. It started, as usual, with the elite fighters on the floor and everyone else in the gallery. Shikmaru and Neji were hosting Temari and Tenten. Shino was some way along the galley with Anko. Further still was Sasuke with Suzame, Shizune and Rin. Tayuya sat on the floor with Sumaru and Konohamaru.

“He is remarkably normal,” observed Temari as they watched Naruto fighting Hamaki, Terai and Fu.

The other three looked at her in amazement and then back to Naruto who chose that moment to translate superhuman speed into a gravity defying jump.

“As a person,” she clarified. “Whoever raised him did an excellent job. Was he raised by Uchiha?”

“No,” Shikamaru answered. The general opinion was that Naruto had raised himself, expect for the handful of divs in the orphanage. Naruto himself was remarkably evasive on the issue. “He was given to us as reparations after a challenge. He was a young adolescent by then.”

“Do you have a particular interest in hybrids?” Neji asked.

Shikamaru knew the question meant Neji was onto something. Temari was obviously considering her answer. They waited.

“Many organisations or societies have times in their history when they have tried to produce superwarriors.” She gestured towards the elite fighters below to illustrate her point. “Kaze was tempted down the hybrid route. A man called Amachi came to my grandfather and told him that he could give us cohorts of hybrid warriors to fight the slavers. They had an insane scheme that each family would have one hybrid boy. They began with ten families and, of course, one of those ten families had to be ours. The experiment failed. All the women bearing the hybrids died. All the hybrids died but one.” She looked towards Naruto. “My brother Gaara.”

“One of the two brothers who are rendezvousing with us?” Shikamaru checked.

“Yes,” Temari admitted. Her chin came up. “Gaara is an exceptional warrior,” she stated.

The inference was that Gaara was less successful as a person.

“I am sure Naruto will enjoy meeting him,” Shikamaru replied, trying to be truthful and non-judgemental.

Temari turned her deep blue eyes towards him. “You are everything and nothing like I expected,” she admitted.

Shikamaru felt Neji’s reaction. He did not dare look at him. He thanked the Lady that Neji’s outward demeanour was so stoic.

She turned to Neji. “You do not deserve him,” she stated.

“Temari!” scolded Tenten. “I apologise on Temari’s behalf. Sometimes she has no manners.”

“Do not apologise for me,” Temari hissed. She gestured at Neji. “He has no clue. He has no clue what he has.” She looked at Sasuke, whose attention had been captured by her tone of voice, then back at Shikamaru. “He knows. That’s why he put that ring on your finger. To tie you to him. Clever boy.” She turned on her heel and stalked away.

Tenten apologised again, this time with her eyes, and ran after her.

Shikamaru risked looking at Neji.

“Talking about her brother upset her,” Neji observed calmly. “It is not surprising that she feels a connection to you; her organisation has been looking for you for so long.” He took a deep breath. “She is correct. I do not deserve you. She is incorrect in saying that I do not know how special you are.” He turned pale violet eyes to him. “How do you feel about her, Shika?”

Shikamaru tried not to panic. “She’s interesting,” he admitted. The Sunagakure’s information collecting techniques are fascinating.”

“Her, Shika,” Neji insisted. “How do you feel about her?”

“She’s pretty,” he confessed, “but scary.” He tried to put a fraction of his thoughts into words. “For her I will always be that wizard of the data streams. To you I am a person. I need to be a person. I love being part of this family and I love the fact that you are part of it too.” He swallowed. “I love what we share. Even when it is tough.”

Neji squeezed his arm. “I will tell Sasuke that something has come up and we must leave,” he decided.


They walked along the corridor back towards the crew quarters.

“Haki and Rin are organising hypnotherapy for me,” Neji told him. “We are going to work on sorting me out so the sexual side of our relationship can be more equal.”

Shikamaru wondered how long it had taken Neji to come up with the words and how often he had rehearsed them. “That is brave of you,” he acknowledged. “Thank you.” He decided to take the risk. “May I be involved? I would like to help.”

Neji kept his gaze in the direction they were walking. “Haku and I have discussed that. Neither of us wants you exposed to that type of… …filth.” He held up a hand to forestall Shikamaru’s protestations. “You say we are a family and I agree with you. There are few members of our family who have not been used badly by others. That innocence is precious to the rest of us. To start with, Haku will tell you how the session went while I am sleeping off the effects of the hypnosis. We will see if that works.”

Shikamaru decided that this was not the time for the confession he had planned making. Neji would not appreciate knowing that he had long ago hacked into Neji’s medical records and used the information to deduce the extent and the duration of the physical abuse Neji had suffered. If necessary, he would do the same with the hypnotherapy records.

“If you think that best,” he agreed. “But remember, I am always willing to do more.”


Back in the gym Anko and Tenten had been effective against Inoichi and Dan. That had impressed the elite fighters, particularly as Tenten was young. Temari appeared to be like Sasuke, highly trained and very skilled but more interested in training than in combat. Sumaru and Shizune were of a similar standard to Shino.

They tried setting Tayuya against Sumaru but it was hopeless, the encounter immediately degenerated into something far more vicious and potentially maiming than training.

“May I try with her, Suzame-san?” Iruka asked. “And perhaps Anko-san would do Sumaru-kun the honour of training him.”

The others watched as Iruka wore Tayuya down with his patience and consistency.

“He’s amazing,” Suzame murmured. “Tayuya has enormous potential but her behaviour…” She rolled her eyes. “I think Tsunade-sama could manage her but she refuses to try.”

Sasuke considered, then decided. “Did you look over one of the crew rooms in the guest quarters, Suzume-san?”

She smiled. “Yes. It is very pleasant. Much more suitable for a crew than a unit or an apartment.”

“Now that you are to stay with us past Kaze you should consider moving in there,” Sasuke suggested. “Perhaps, if you wish, I could ask Iruka-sensei if Tayuya could visit our crew room occasionally to give you some respite.”

Suzume looked towards where Tayuya was receiving a scolding for biting and, astonishingly, was listening. She was even colouring slightly as if she was actually feeling some remorse. “That is very kind of you, Sasuke-sama,” she replied. “I would appreciate that.”


Then, suddenly, Naruto jumped and captured something from the air.

“I almost ‘neaked it past you, Naruto!” Akemi announced excitedly, running into the gym towards where Naruto was standing holding his flyer.

Naruto scooped the child up. “Almost, Akemi. Perhaps next time?”

“Up! Up, N’uto up!” demanded Misora, who had followed her brother.

Naruto put Akemi on his shoulders and held the little girl in the crook of his arm. He twitched his whiskers at her and Misora laughed.

Sasuke watched. It hurt less than it had. Then a thought crept into his mind. Even worse than not having children with Naruto would be if his children did not know Naruto.


Kumenai unloaded Keitaro into Shino’s willing arms and went to speak to Asuma.

“Is he yours?” Tenten asked him.

Shino realised that Temari and Anko were also looking at him. He felt his skin colour slightly. “No, Asuma and Kurenai are the parents of all three children. I am merely the babysitter.”

“What’s his name?” inquired Anko.

“How old is he?” asked Temari.

Their sudden and undivided attention was more than a little disconcerting.


Sasuke intercepted Rin on her way out of the gym and walked beside her along the corridor.

“I did see gestators on that horrifically long receipt with the astronomical total at the bottom?” he checked. “State of the art, portable gestators?”

Rin blinked. “Yes, Sasuke-sama.”

“And all the gene and chromosome manipulation and analysis equipment anyone could possibly need?”

“Yes, Sasuke-sama. However all but four of the gestators and the main Uchiha tissue bank are in Tarrasade rather than on board. We have the back-up tissue bank on board, as is the new standard practice.”

“You have four gestators on board?” Sasuke checked.

Rin shrugged. “Better safe than sorry.”

“And you have all the Uchiha genetic analysis software? And you understand it?”

“Yes and yes. Sasuke-sama, it may be best not to rush into something like this,” she warned.

“I am not rushing, I am moving forward with purpose,” Sasuke told her. “I will be loading all the relevant programmes and models onto my console so that I can work on this without Shikamaru and Jiraiya spying on me. Please make sure they are available?”

“Yes, Sasuke-sama,” Rin concurred with a sigh.


Sasuke then doubled back to the gym to find Naruto. As he suspected, Naruto was planning on showering and then soaking in the communal bath with the other elite fighters. He captured his hand and therefore his attention.

“Come bathe with me, back in the crew room,” he whispered.

The others were smiling as Naruto excused himself; Sasuke was still holding his hand.


Iruka had been planning to indulge in a nice, long soak; Tayuya had been extremely hard work. However, one look at the disappointment on Sasuke’s face and Iruka gave up the idea. A shower would have to suffice.

“Teme,” accused Naruto. “Iruka-sensei worked hard with Taya-kun. You did not even train and I could have bathed with the fighters. We should tell him we have changed our minds.”

“Iruka-sensei will forgive me,” Sasuke replied. “Please, Naruto,” he begged.

Naruto’s eyes narrowed and his whiskers twitched once. “Sasuke?” he queried.

Sasuke pulled him into the bathroom and locked the door.


Naruto loved being bathed by Sasuke. Sasuke would sit him down on the stool and wash the upper half of his body and his hair. Then he would stand up and Sasuke would work the slightly rough washcloth coated with the slick cleanser across his legs and his hips and his rump and his groin and then, finally, across his arse and his balls and his prick. Often, but not always, Sasuke would rinse off Naruto’s erection so that he could pay it some slow, tender attention with lips and his tongue. This was one of those times. Naruto whimpered and resisted the urge to push past his lips and into his mouth. Sasuke smiled at him and slid one long, slim finger inside his hole seeking his button. Naruto yipped, then shuddered with pleasure as Sasuke found his target. Then the finger was gone and Sasuke was rinsing away the suds until his skin and his hair were squeaky clean.

Next Naruto slid into the deep warm water to watch the show he knew Sasuke had planned for him. He watched Sasuke’s sensuous dance as his hands moved over his body. He watched him wash his hair, savouring the familiar movements. Then, instead of rinsing the rest of his body, Sasuke looked directly at him with smouldering dark eyes.

“I expect you to be good, dobe,” he warned him.

Naruto was immediately hard. Sasuke was going to masturbate and Naruto was expected to watch but do nothing. This was one of the riskier aspects of the ritual and Sasuke did not always include it; more than once it had resulted in them being stuck in the bathroom until Naruto’s knot subsided.

Naruto loved it. He always tried very hard to be good.

This time it was fast, almost brutal; in complete contrast to what had gone before. Sasuke pumped his erection mercilessly. His body was suddenly hard, the muscles and tendons in sharp relief. Naruto’s breathing was fast and shallow. He wanted Sasuke inside him, thrusting with that rhythm.

Sasuke’s face contorted with what looked like pain. He shrieked as his climax hit him. Naruto eyes were riveted to his face, drinking it that amazing moment of utter abandonment.

Then his Sasuke was down, betrayed by his suddenly relaxing muscles. Naruto surged out the bath towards him. Sasuke eyes widened, then he managed a small smile as he read the expression in Naruto’s eyes.

Naruto washed him and then rinsed him, taking every opportunity to pet and even to groom. Sasuke usually stopped Naruto licking and nibbling his hair but this time he allowed it. Then Naruto carried Sasuke into the bath and took up a position facing him.

“You are being very nice to me,” he said.


Sasuke had not expected Naruto to speak, at least not in anything resembling whole sentences. Talking usually signalled an intermission, something that Naruto never requested.

“I am happy,” Sasuke told him. “You make me very happy.”

Naruto smiled. It was like sunshine.

Sasuke smiled in return.

Then Naruto shook his head. “I like making you happy, but it is more than that. You are up to something. You have something to tell me. You were going to tell me at the end, when my brain isn’t working properly.”

Sasuke flushed. He was caught. He had discovered that a thoroughly fucked Naruto was a compliant Naruto. His dobe could be incredibly stubborn; once Naruto had said no he rarely could be argued out of it and even a compromise could be difficult to negotiate.

“Teme?” Naruto persisted.

Sasuke would have to improvise. “You were right,” he began.

Naruto frowned at him. “When?” he asked. “About what?”

“You said I should think about the real children I could have,” Sasuke reminded him. “Our ten little Uchihas.”

Naruto looked at him suspiciously. “Proper little Uchihas?” he checked. “Not little Narutos. Not babies that will not work.”

It still hurt but Sasuke had accepted it. “Proper little Uchihas,” he confirmed.

Naruto remained puzzled. Then realisation dawned. “Babies. You want babies now.”

“It’ll take at least three-quarters of a standard, Naruto.”

“Professional heroes with babies?” he queried.

Sasuke could feel the fear growing inside him. Naruto was going to say no. At best he was going to say not yet.

“Sasuke?” Naruto asked. His voice was gentle and his eyes were soft.

Sasuke was struggling not to cry. “I want them to know you, Naruto,” he admitted. “I want them to remember you.”

Naruto gathered Sasuke to him and held him close. “Not all ten at once,” he whispered. “You are only allowed a small litter this first time. Three, maybe four.”

Sasuke did not know whether to laugh or cry, so did both.

Naruto kissed away the tears. Then he brushed his lips across Sasuke’s; the first kiss in a sequence of seven.

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If the last line makes no sense to you, go back and read chapter 29: The shower.

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