In the cold of space you find the heat of suns

Thank you for the reviews, both those from long-standing and those from new readers. They are very much appreciated.

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.

54. Siblings

Naruto was cross.

He was cross with himself because Sasuke was spending the morning in bed with a supergen up his arse.

He was cross with Shikamaru because his words had tipped Naruto over the edge, causing Naruto to lose control and hurt Sasuke.

He was very cross with Sasuke because Sasuke had told everyone their plans without Naruto’s permission or presence. Almost as bad, he had bullied everyone into handing over their chromosomes.

Secretly, Naruto was delighted that they were going to have a litter of three and relieved that they had access to Shi-chan’s chromosomes. Them persuading Shikamaru and then Shikamaru persuading Neji would have taken far too long; Naruto was hoping to have the babies conceived within a few days. However, he was very determined to appear cross with Shikamaru and Sasuke.


Shikamaru stared at Naruto. “You want me to take a portable console into your room and work with Sasuke on optimising the babies?” he checked. “Na-chan, Sasuke doesn’t want me there when he is receiving treatment.”

Naruto scowled at him. “You both deserve it. You can look at him and remember that him being hurt is partly your fault. He can be embarrassed, which serves him right for being a teme. We don’t lose a whole morning of baby making. Rin-san says she can start working on the first baby as soon as you give her the plans.”

Naruto watched, arms folded, until Shikamaru went into their room carrying the console. He then went back to sit with Iruka-sensei in the galley.

“Triplets?” Iruka was still saying faintly, as he had at intervals since Naruto had made it clear how many babies they were having.

“A litter is best,” Naruto repeated firmly. “This is a very small litter. It will be fine. We have three-quarters of a standard to prepare and train.”


The last person Sasuke wanted to see was Shikamaru but Naruto had made it clear he was not being offered any choice.

It had been a difficult night. Being fucked hard, combined with the relief of Shikamaru shutting the door, had given Sasuke an utterly mind-blowing orgasm. This was good because he passed out, which reduced the time he was conscious and waiting for Naruto’s knot to go down. It was bad because developing a liking for rough sex would be dangerous, particularly when you had Naruto as a lover. Once he could get to the head and use the e-machine the worst should have been over; the pain had been under control and the e-machine was doing what it thought best.

Unfortunately, part of what it had thought best was alerting Rin.

Sasuke could see the logic of having the e-machines linked to the diagnostic systems but he had not needed Rin to turn up at their door in the middle of the night. She had woken Naruto, who had been distraught at the thought that he had hurt Sasuke so badly. Of course Sasuke was not hurt so badly, which Rin had grudgingly admitted after Sasuke had thrown the Uchiha version of a hissy fit. Once she had apologised for not checking the detail of the alert before responding, Sasuke had accepted additional treatment.

Then Sasuke had told Naruto what he had done at the evening meal. Naruto had been cross since. Having Shikamaru turn up was part of Sasuke’s punishment.


Shikamaru had rarely felt so guilty. He started to apologise only to be cut off by an Uchiha death look. Sasuke insisted they begin working immediately.

“I want the girl to be a clone of my mother,” he said. They called up Mikoto’s profile. Sasuke sent it to Rin with a few additional notes.

The first boy was almost as easy. They decided the gender, set the degree of Uchiha-ness, told the computer whose chromosomes were available and pressed go.

They moved onto the much more delicate issue of the third. Shikamaru set the gender, the Uchiha-ness and the identity of the two genetic parents. Then he looked at Sasuke.

“We could just let that run,” he suggested.

“What is known about the genetic basis of type seven genius?” Sasuke asked.

Shikamaru flinched. He had known that Sasuke would be unable to resist. “Even cloning a type seven genius does not give you a type seven,” he answered.

Sasuke nodded. “Set it running,” he decided. “We are finished until the profiles start coming back. Any chance of you facing Naruto in the galley to get us some tea?”


“You are taking time out for a break?” Naruto queried as soon as Shikamaru arrived.

“We’ve sent the girl’s profile to Rin and we are waiting for possibilities to be generated for the boys,” Shikamaru told him, putting the kettle to boil.

“But Naruto has not seen the girl’s profile,” Iruka objected.

“I will not be involved in the choosing,” Naruto informed him. “I will not choose one child above another. How long will it take to have profiles for Sasuke to choose from?”

“The first ones will be generated soon,” Shikamaru admitted.

Naruto pushed the tea tray towards him.

Shikamaru took the hint.


Sasuke had used the break to explore the software.

“I like the interface,” he admitted.

“Good,” Shikamaru replied; perfecting the interface had taken him much of the night.

“Showing the closest genetic relatives is a nice touch,” Sasuke acknowledged. He loaded the profile that they had already sent Rin. At the top right of the display appeared an image of Mikoto with a bar showing 100% genetic similarity. Underneath that was a picture of Sasuke at 83%.

The rest of the display showed the detailed profile. It was a mixture of greens, showing that no characteristic fell short of the Uchiha standard. Most of the profile was dark green, suggesting that it was close to optimum.

“Do you want to see what she may look like?” Shikamaru asked.

“No,” Sasuke said quickly. “Naruto and I have decided not to do that.”


The possibilities for the first boy began arriving. Sasuke loaded one. Again, the profile was completely green, although there was less dark green than for the girl.

Sasuke’s eyes were fixed top right. There was an image of Itachi and the bar was at 71%. Below that was an image of Fugaku.

“I set it to only show only the two most similar Uchihas,” Shikamaru explained, deciding that keeping going was the best option. “And it only shows individuals who are contributing 5% or more. This profile has chromosomes from many different crew members but not enough from any one person for them to make the right hand column.”

“Show me an image of this male at fourteen standards,” Sasuke demanded.

“You said…”

“Do it, Shikamaru,” Sasuke ordered.

An image of a youth, obviously an Uchiha, appeared. Sasuke shuddered. “Discard the profile,” he decided. He took a deep breath. “It is not surprising. Itachi was designed using software like this.”

“We could reset the parameters with you as full genetic parent,” Shikamaru suggested.

Sasuke nodded. To their surprise, one of the profiles survived the change. Sasuke loaded it. The order of images on the left was Sasuke, Itachi and Kakashi; the genetic similarity to Kakashi was 18%. The left hand of the display was pleasantly green with a goodly scatter of darker sections.

Sasuke smiled and sent the profile to Rin.

There were eleven profiles for the third child waiting. Shikamaru studied the pattern on the bedcover. He did not want to look. He did not want to discuss the son he could never acknowledge. He did not want to see how little dark green there was when there were only his chromosomes to put with Sasuke’s.

“You go,” Sasuke said quietly. “You’ve already done far more than I could ever expect. Tell Naruto that Rin will have all three profiles by the midday meal.”


Three days later Naruto’s litter of three was officially conceived.


Later the same day they jumped into a gated system to rendezvous with the Sunagakure.

Shipwide alarms sounded immediately. Naruto was halfway to the Sakura before he registered that it was muster rather than battle stations. He changed direction and headed for the crew room.

“It’s an Uchiha distress call,” Ibiki told him as soon as he entered.

Naruto frowned. How could it be an Uchiha distress call when they knew the Sakura and the Oak were safe? His mind went to their allies. “The Beech, the Birch or the Estelle?” he asked.

Asuma shook his head. “Old Uchiha. Inner core Old Uchiha.”

Shino frowned. “There is no distressed ship here. This gate does not have a communication relay. Did it jump away? Or is it a trick?”

“There is an old Uchiha method of spreading a message,” Shikamaru told them. “The ship releases hundreds of tiny drones that attach to ships and jump with them. If it is one of those the history of the drone will be buried in the message.”

Sasuke stared at him. “You should not know that,” he accused.

Shikamaru shrugged. He was already disassembling the message for analysis.

“Perhaps it is a very old message,” Kakashi suggested.

Only it was not. It was recent; the drone had only been dispatched twelve days before.

“We respond,” Sasuke told them. “We are obliged.” He considered. “We allow the Sunagakure ships to dock and proceed with our talks. During that time we travel towards the origin of the distress call. Shikamaru, calculate the fastest route to where the drone was dispatched. Asuma, invite the two Sunagakure ships to dock.”


One ship carried Temari’s brother Kankuro and his men. On the other was only Gaara.

Temari had been evasive yet precise. The Sunagakure would stay on their own ships between meetings, which must be held on successive days. There would be no social functions. No food or drink could be offered or consumed. The length of their docking would be determined by the outcomes of the meetings.

Kankuro and his men were garbed as warriors, their faces elaborately painted. Temari carefully mediated between one side’s customs and the other’s. As Kankuro was one of a crew of five, Sasuke could only bring four with him. He had chosen Naruto, Shikamaru, Neji and Kakashi. The ten men and Temari walked to the second docking bay where Gai was waiting. Neji had emphasised that the numbers must remain equal; allowing yourself to be outnumbered was a sign of tactical vulnerability.

Garra looked odd, but no stranger than his brother. He had very pale skin, dark red hair, no eyebrows and turquoise eyes outlined in black. He was a little shorter than Sasuke and considerably slighter. He was very still and did not speak.

Sasuke realised that his siblings and the Sunagakure warriors were terrified of him.


The first meeting was brief. Shikamaru presented his summary of the current situation and then the Sunagakure went back to their ships. Uchiha fell back to their most secure position, the galley between the two crew rooms.

“Are we certain Gaara is a hybrid?” Shikamaru asked.

Naruto nodded. “He is a canine-human hybrid, like me. I can tell by his scent. Not fox. Another species.”

“His countrymen, brother and sister are so frightened of him that he spaces alone,” Neji observed, confirming Sasuke’s instincts. “I recommend that we give him a wide berth.”

Sasuke caught the stubborn look on Naruto’s face and sighed.


The second meeting was about the possibilities of a future alliance. It was as short as the first, if a little less one-sided. As it was closing, Naruto moved and stood in front of the seated Gaara. Sasuke wished he had been more successful in extracting a promise from Naruto about staying away from the other hybrid.

“I would like a one-to-one meeting with you, Gaara-san,” Naruto stated.

“For what purpose?” Gaara asked. His voice was soft but monotonous. It sent a shiver down Sasuke’s spine.

“Equipment has been adapted for me: dia-docs, stimulators, weapons. You may have adapted other equipment in other ways. We could discuss sharing,” Naruto suggested.

Gaara was still. Naruto waited.

“Yes. Here. Now. Temari stays,” Gaara answered, finally.

Naruto frowned. “Why Temari?” he asked.

“She is my sister,” Gaara answered. “She reminds me to behave appropriately.”

Sasuke did not like the sound of that.

“I do not have a sister,” Naruto replied. “I will ask Sasuke to stay. He is my lover. He makes me happy.”

For the first time Sasuke spotted a trace of emotion in Gaara. There was the slightest suggestion of confusion in his eyes.


It was odd. Naruto chatted. Gaara appeared to listen. At regular intervals Naruto would pause. During most of the pauses Gaara said nothing. Sometimes he made a comment. Temari was silent but not unhappy. Sasuke was content to observe. When Naruto finally stopped there was a longer silence that Gaara broke.

“I have nothing with which to negotiate,” he stated. “I have no system as well adapted as any of those you have described.”

Naruto looked pleadingly at Sasuke.

“We could adapt your systems, Gaara-san,” Sasuke suggested. “We would be pleased to, should you choose to permit us.”

Gaara turned slowly towards him and fixed him with his gaze. “Why make this offer?”

“Naruto wishes me to make it,” Sasuke replied. “He feels a connection to you as a fellow canine-human hybrid.”

Gaara’s gaze did not move away. “You have affection for him,” he stated.

Sasuke did not hesitate. “I love him. Without reservation. He is the light of my life.”

Gaara looked at his sister. “Is this what Kankuro calls ‘mushy sentimentality’?” he asked.

Sasuke bridled.

Temari smiled slightly. “Kankuro would describe it that way,” she admitted. “However, ‘mushy sentimentality’ implies insincerity and this is genuine.”

Gaara considered and then turned to Sasuke. “I will consider your offer.”


On the third day Kankuro announced that they would accept Uchiha’s offer to remove the slavers. In return, the Sunagakure promised a long-term alliance with Kaze, a constant stream of intelligence and phased payment. Kankuro did not sound happy. Temari looked smug. Gaara said nothing. Kankuro had worked out when and where their next rendezvous could be. At that meeting, which proved to be in almost a div’s time, Shikamaru would present the Uchiha solution to their problem.

After the meeting had been formally closed, Gaara moved to stand in front of Sasuke.

“I accept your offer,” he stated. “You may adapt the systems in my ship. Temari has persuaded her crew to stay until I leave. She will remind me to behave appropriately throughout my stay.”

Sasuke had not envisioned this outcome when he had made the offer. However, the offer had been made. “It will be an honour, Gaara-san,” Sasuke replied, choosing to see Naruto’s smile and not the others’ reactions.

“I will be hibernating for the next five days,” Gaara continued. “It will not be safe for anyone to approach my ship during this time. In six days time you will begin adapting the systems.”

A six day reprieve sounded good to Sasuke. That would give them time to investigate the distress call and for Shikamaru to become accustomed to the idea of working with Gaara.

Their route had brought them to a gated system; Kankuro’s ship undocked and headed towards the gate. The Oak set course for an ungated and unstable hole that offered them a short cut towards the origin of the distress call. It would be three days before they would arrive.


The three days were spent working on the plan to rescue Kaze from the slavers and arguing about the babies.

Naruto was determined that the babies should be gestated in the crew room. Rin was equally certain that the foetuses should stay in the infirmary. Naruto argued that the babies were not sick and therefore they did not have to be in the infirmary. Rin insisted that the whole process was unnatural and required close and continuous monitoring. Naruto tried not be annoyed by terms like ‘foetuses’ and ‘unnatural’ and pointed out, reasonably, that electronic monitoring would be as effective in the crew room as in the infirmary. Rin began telling horror stories of foetuses needing timely medical interventions. Naruto’s usually golden skin went sallow. Sasuke ordered Rin to shut up. Rin thought she had won.

The others steeled themselves for another round once Naruto had recovered.

Naruto, being Naruto, did the unexpected. He researched. He accumulated statistics. He performed a risk assessment for each of the ten most likely medical emergencies. He collected scientific studies on the importance of stimulation and bonding before birth. He even checked the specification for the gestators Rin had purchased and confirmed that they were designed to be used in a range of different environments.

Rin was reluctantly impressed.

Naruto started working on the nursery. He was removing a panel from the wall between their room and the adjacent, unoccupied room when they jumped into the system from which the distress call originated. He was lifting the door into place by the time Sasuke appeared. Sasuke’s lack of reaction to seeing their room disassembled told Naruto something was amiss.

“There was a coded message requesting a secure and private conversation,” Sasuke told him. “I agreed. It is Kisame-san.”

Naruto made sure that the new door panel was supported and gave Sasuke his full attention.

“He wants to dock his ship to meet with me,” Sasuke told him.

Naruto considered. “Is Itachi with him?” he asked.

“He would not say,” Sasuke admitted.

Naruto studied his lover. “You agreed,” he observed.

“It is Kisame-san,” Sasuke replied.

“I cannot beat Kisame if Itachi challenges you,” Naruto reminded him. He thought of the babies. Sasuke would love them; Naruto trusted him. “By when do you need me to be ready?”

“Fifty minutes,” Sasuke told him. “I have not told the others it is Kisame. Please do not do so.”


Naruto stood at Sasuke’s side, resplendent in his tags, waiting for the one person he knew, without doubt, could kill him in combat. He refused to think about the choice Sasuke had made. Behind them were Kakashi, Asuma and Neji. All three were unhappy because Sasuke still had not told them the identity of the visitor.

The outer door of the tiny ship’s airlock opened.

Kisame was carrying Itachi in his arms.

“Please, Sasu-chan,” Kisame begged. “Please Sasuke-sama.”

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Author's note

Sasuke is 83% genetically identical to Mikoto (and therefore to the girl baby) because the Uchihas are so inbred – his father and mother were already very closely related.

I did some research on the tanuki, or Japanese racoon dog, which is the animal behind Gaara’s demon, Shukaku. I discovered it hiberates. Result! My Gaara can compensate for the fact he does not sleep (as the original character does not sleep) by hiberating. It also can be his ‘other’ hybrid characteristic, like my Naruto is berserk and my Kisame plays dead when he is badly hurt. As an author, it allowed me to put him (literally) in cold storage for a few days so that I could weave in the Kisame strand.

If your favourite sub-plot or favourite character has not featured lately, I apologise. Keep reading as the chapters appear and hopefully they will reappear.

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