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 and particular thanks to v, lonelylulaby, sadie237, Prism0467, cynaga, The Horseman of Death, richon and Zakunai who reviewed chapter 54.

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 fifty-five: Roles

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Kakashi watched Naruto train. The fierce intensity of it frightened him. Naruto was finding it hard to give up before the equipment or his body broke.

He looked across to Kisame, who had reluctantly agreed to accompany Kakashi to the gym. His objections to spying on a crewmate had fallen away as he had watched Naruto working so intently to destroy something, even if that something turned out to be himself.

“Could you train with him?” asked Kakashi. “Would it be safe to do so?”

Kisame considered. “Any risk would be outweighed by the possible benefits,” he answered. He smiled. “You recognised the similarity.”

“That watching Naruto is like watching Itachi? Yes.” He frowned. “That is who Itachi is. This is not what Naruto should be.”

He left Kisame to engineer a meeting with Naruto and went to find Iruka.


Iruka was in his office. He looked up as Kakashi entered and gave a small, sad smile that was like a dagger to Kakashi’s heart. Kakashi did not ask whether Iruka was busy, he just sat in one of the chairs and began.

“There has been no growling or howling from Sasuke and Naruto’s room since Shika-kun and Haru-chan were taken,” he said.

Iruka was immediately attentive. He considered. “We’ve heard Sasuke,” he decided. “They are fucking.”

“But only part of their normal repertoire,” Kakashi argued.

“Kashi, their repertoire is anything but normal,” Iruka reminded him.

Kakashi could not suppress a leer. “Since you have never been willing to tell me any details, I only have my imagination. No, seriously, I am worried about Naruto. I’ve been watching him train. It’s like watching Naruto impersonate Itachi and, worse, Itachi from two or three standards ago rather than Itachi now.”

Iruka grimaced. “You want me to talk to him?” he asked.

“I want you to try,” Kakashi admitted. “The alternative is for one of us to try talking to Sasuke about his sex life.”

Kakashi was more likely to let Iruka fuck him than he was to talk to Sasuke about sex. “I will try,” Iruka promised.

---

Until Iruka tried speaking with Naruto, he had not realised that Naruto was avoiding him. He was very subtle about it; arriving slightly later for breakfast, avoiding rooms in which Iruka could trap him and always suggesting the playroom, surrounded by the children, when Iruka insisted they arrange a meeting.

Iruka resorted to ordering Naruto into his office seconds after he swallowed the last morsel of his breakfast. Naruto blinked at him. Iruka gave him his best implacable look.

“What is this about, Iruka-sensei?” he asked, wandering about Iruka’s office examining random objects.

“Kakashi is so convinced something is wrong with you, that he is talking about quizzing Sasuke about your sex life,” Iruka informed him.

It worked. Naruto gaped at him at the mere thought of it.

“Sit down, Naruto,” Iruka ordered.

Naruto sat.

“I know it is a ridiculous question, given that we all have a gaping hole in our lives, but what is wrong?”

The blue eyes were going anywhere but making eye contact. “As you say, we all miss Shi-chan and Ha-chan,” he evaded.

Iruka tried again. “Naruto, you are training so hard that you are hurting yourself, you never growl or howl any more during fucking and your smiles are less convincing than those in the children’s drawings. Either you talk to me or I am going straight to Sasuke’s office to bring these observations to his notice and talk them through.”

Naruto looked at him. The depth of his misery stole Iruka’s breath. “Please don’t do that, Iruka-sensei.”

So it was something to do with Sasuke. “Naruto, I know you miss Shikamaru. He is your best friend. You can talk to him about anything. But he isn’t here. Neither is Gaara. You have to tell someone what is eating away at you,” Iruka insisted.

Then he waited. After a while he wondered if he would have to renew his threat. Finally Naruto took a deep breath and began speaking.

His voice shook. “Sometimes I am so angry at Sasuke,” he admitted. “I am scared I might hurt him. I know he had to take a decision quickly. I know he was frightened that they would kill the children. Maybe there couldn’t have been a better outcome. Being logical about it doesn’t help. He let them take our baby.” Sudden tears welled up in his eyes. “He let them take our baby, Iruka-sensei, he agreed to them taking our baby.”

Iruka was beside him in a moment, holding him, cradling his head and stroking the gold of his fur. After a while he crouched down in front of him and held his shoulders so that Naruto had no option but to look at him.

“It is natural to be angry, Naru-kun. It is even natural to be angry at Sasuke. You know what? I think Sasuke is angry at himself. Not because it was his fault, but because he was the one stuck with making the decision and there wasn’t a good decision to make. He was forced into making a bad decision. Like you say, even knowing it was the best decision available wouldn’t help because even the best option was so bad.”

Naruto dragged a sleeve across his face. “He is angry with himself. That’s part of the reason I can’t let him know I am angry too.”

“So that is a start,” Iruka told him. “You are angry at Sasuke. Sasuke is angry at Sasuke. Now explain the ‘scared I might hurt him’ bit,” Iruka insisted.


Iruka had known their sex life was complicated but it really was mindboggling. He tried to take Naruto’s explanation in his stride. “So you have only been fucking in the way that triggers the submissive behaviour, because you are frightened you will hurt him if you are dominant,” he summarised.

Naruto scowled at him. “Fluffy-soft-Naruto isn’t submissive. He’s just different,” he complained.

Iruka decided not to argue the point. “I understand, Naru-kun. Kakashi gives, I always receive. It does not mean that he is dominant and I am submissive within the relationship.” He went back to the main issue. “Naruto, there may have been a few times when you have hurt Sasuke during fucking, but that was because of over-enthusiasm. You won’t take your anger out on him. I doubt if... ...what do you call him?”

“Growling-possessive-Naruto,” Naruto supplied.

“I doubt if growling-possessive-Naruto will even be angry with Sasuke,” Iruka suggested.

Naruto seemed encouraged by that but then his whiskers drooped. “How can I take the risk? You know how strong and fast I am.”

Iruka thought about it. “Tell Sasuke you are worried about your emotional control. Warn him. He knows you well enough to know if you are behaving strangely. You could give him a hypo of something to knock you out. I am sure it won’t be needed, but it might make you more confident about trying.”

Naruto nodded. “I’ll talk to Kiba. He understands triggered behaviours and hybrid physiology. He’ll know what to use.”

“Good,” Iruka confirmed. “Next, you and Sasuke both need to move the focus of your anger from Sasuke, who does not deserve it, to the Akatsuki, who do. If you could do that first, then you could help Sasuke do the same.”

Naruto visibly brightened. “That’s a good idea, Iruka-sensei,” he confirmed. “I’ll start by thinking about the Akatsuki when I am training.” He considered. “Maybe I will add in Kabuto and Orochimaru.”


When the familiar howling filled the crew room a few days later, Iruka and Kakashi looked at each other and smiled.

---

Part of Pein wished he had settled for taking Sasuke Uchiha’s typed-seven genius away from him. He did not have to kill him. He could have stuck him in stasis. He still could. The thought of him being a future problem rather than a current headache was very tempting.

More than part of him wished he had never considered keeping the child. In his plan the child had been passive; a malleable pawn who could be used in the short-term to threaten Shikamaru and in the long-term against Uchiha. Instead he was a little monster who warped all Pein’s plans and who had his small hand wrapped about Konan’s heart.

He told himself that Konan’s suggestion had merit. Shikamaru was nothing like Pein had imagined. Perhaps he would respond to being treated with respect and kindness. Pein had time on his side.

And, with the exception of putting Shikamaru in stasis, all ways forward required Shikamaru to meet Zetsu. It might as well be around the dinner table.


Shikamaru had even smartened himself up, which was more than could be said for Zetsu. Pein focused on Konan, who looked beautiful in a blue dress. She was wearing one of the flowers he had sent her in her hair.

The child’s high voice cut through him. “Why can’t Hana and Ranmaru sit at the table?” he asked.

“Because she’s a hybrid and he’s a print,” dark Zetsu answered before anyone else came up with a more diplomatic answer.

“That’s silly,” Haru responded scornfully.

“Haru,” Shikamaru said reproachfully. “This is Pein-san’s household. Every household is different. I expect you to be polite.”

“I promise,” the child replied. “May I sit next to Konan-san?” he added.

So Konan spent the whole of dinner talking with the child, which Pein found exceedingly distracting. It meant that he missed whole chunks of Shikamaru’s conversation with Zetsu.


After the dinner, Shikamaru and Haru were escorted back to their room by Hana and Ranmaru.

“That was very pleasant,” Konan told him.

He settled for a smile; it was much better than an argument.

“I shall retire,” she announced. “You and Zetsu-san enjoy your post-dinner drinks.” She smiled at him. “I shall see you in a little while,” she informed him.

It was an invitation to spend the night with her. Suddenly the dinner and all future dinners were worth it. He watched her leave.


He poured three drinks and gave Zetsu two. They sat in the two armchairs on either side of the fireplace. It was too warm for a fire, which was probably for the best because light Zetsu was a bit of a pyromaniac.

“What do you think of him?” Pein asked.

Both sides of Zetsu’s face lit up. “He is very interesting,” they chorused. “He does not think we are at all strange,” added light Zetsu.

“He deliberately gave us the impression that he would be willing to work on something new with us, even if he is not willing to tell us Uchiha’s secrets,” dark Zetsu informed him.

This was Pein’s problem; how to involve Shikamaru when his loyalty still lay with Uchiha. “I am relying on you not to tell him too much too soon,” Pein reminded them.

Both Zetsus nodded. “Maybe the problem of effective communication within a planet that has a low technology level,” light Zetsu suggested.

That was part of the Plan that had still to be resolved. Pein wanted planets to have very limited technology, not to have technology that was secret or forbidden. Anything forbidden attracted the curious. Secrets encouraged conspiracies. However, without effective communications the Akatsuki could not monitor what was happening and watch for those who were destabilising the Order.

“Good idea,” Pein decided. “Remember, you are also trying to find out how they lay those mini-gates without Gaters and how he hacks the light speed data relays.”

The Zetsus just looked at him.

“Maybe not immediately,” Pein conceded. He watched Zetsu down the drinks, one from his right hand and one from his left. “And no drinking alcohol when you are with him,” he reminded them, “or letting him into your main laboratory.” Pein considered if there was anything urgent that they should discuss. If there was, he needed to be quick. The Zetsus’ tolerance for alcohol was limited; soon they would start to argue. “Did you manage to extract anything from the data records of the capture and extraction mission?” he asked.

There was a momentary hesitation that Pein put down to the change of subject; the alcohol was probably already hitting the Zetsus’ system.

“Nothing significant,” one of the Zetsus replied.

---

Zetsu sang and danced along the corridor back to the wing of the house that was theirs. Dark Zetsu chose the music and light Zetsu the moves; they were past the arguing stage. It felt good.

Perhaps they should have been more honest to Pein-sama about what they had found in the data record. The Deva had not only taken the non-Pein decision to give back the third hybrid child, he had topped up the oxygen supply on the second and third pods. That was not a poor decision; it was directly against the mission orders.

Zetsu had seen holoimages of Sasuke Uchiha’s Naruto. Except for the whiskers, he could be purebred. Children who looked like that, with golden hair and sapphire eyes, would touch anyone’s heart. It would be difficult to remember that they were only hybrids.

That Deva was dead. There was no point in upsetting Pein-sama further.


They made their way to the large room above his laboratory, the one they rarely used as anything other than a corridor. This was where light Zetsu had suggested they meet Shikamaru and dark Zetsu had agreed. They began tidying up and then went down to the laboratory, intending to bring up some plants.

Once down there they decided carrying stuff up the stairs could wait. They sank down into their chair, shut their eyes and waited as the tendrils found their way to their skin and connected.

Each of them fell into their usual roles. Light Zetsu concentrated on the detectors and dark Zetsu on the defences. Light Zetsu could feel the concentric cordons of plants that would react to movement, touch or even shadow. Dark Zetsu checked that the animals that the carnivorous plants had captured were not hybrid or human.

The chair was the control centre but it was brainless; oblivious to subtleties. It was only capable of reporting according to set parameters. The Zetsus themselves checked the defences regularly when the Akatsuki were in residence.

Once the checking was done they both relaxed into the joy of the forest.

---

Once he was back in his room, Shikamaru lay on the bed, reviewing the situation. Haru was doing a superb job of capturing Konan’s attention and affection; Pein no longer had the option of using Haru’s health or safety as a weapon.

Zetsu was interesting. Despite the fact he appeared to be two people in one body, Shikamaru suspected he was lonely. It was obvious that Zetsu was to Pein what he was to Sasuke. Already Shikamaru had two possible ways forward: he could usurp Zetsu’s position with Pein, making Zetsu jealous, or he could establish a friendship with Zetsu, weaning him off Pein.

He had a feeling that it would be easier to get Zetsu to trust him than Pein.

Then there were Hana and Ranmaru.

Hana’s prime loyalty was to Konan. Shikamaru could work with that.

The situation with Ranmaru was more complicated. This Ranmaru was not the Ranmaru they had known. He was a clone with a mindprint from their Ranmaru. What Shikamaru did not understand was why Pein was so sure of him when, from what Haru had told him, this Ranmaru’s sympathies still lay with Uchiha. Shikamaru could not shake the fear that Ranmaru’s prime allegiance was with the Akatsuki.

Yet it had been Ranmaru who had manipulated Konan and Pein into allowing him to see Haru.

He sighed. If he could not speak with Ranmaru directly, which seemed unlikely, he would have to get Haru to ask some pertinent questions.


Next morning Hana appeared between breakfast and the midday meal to escort him to a meeting with Zetsu. Shikamaru was surprised but pleased.

“Is there anything in here that Zetsu would like as a present?” he asked Hana as he found his shoes and a jacket.

She blinked at him but then looked about the room. “Not really,” she admitted. She reconsidered. “He likes apples,” she told him.

Shikamaru looked over the apples in the fruit bowl. There were three types, presumably from different varieties of tree. He picked the best of one type and the best of another.

As they exchanged greetings, Shikamaru held out the apples, one in his left hand and one in his right. “A guest should always bring a gift,” he said.

Zetsu reached with his left hand for the apple in Shikamaru’s right. Shikamaru then placed the other apple in Zetsu’s right hand. “One each,” he acknowledged.

“Thank you,” the Zetsus said in turn.


Shikamaru did not doubt that the room was one of Zetsu’s but it did not have a lived-in feel. The contents were too carefully placed and their positions did not match the wear on the carpet. In one corner there was a chair at a small table. On the table there was a Go board showing an uncompleted game. The direction of the game was perpendicular to the direction the person in the chair would be facing, with the user of the white stones playing from the left and the black stones from the right.

“You play each other at Go,” Shikamaru observed as they walked into the room. “You must be good. Perhaps we could have a game, me against the two of you.”

At first Shikamaru thought he had hit the mark, real pleasure flashed across Zetsu’s face. Then it was wiped away by anxiety. “Maybe,” one of the Zetsus answered. “Another time,” the other added.

Shikamaru moved on; he would think about that later. He focused on his objective, which was to be able to tell which Zetsu was speaking before the end of the meeting.

It proved easier than Shikamaru had expected. Not only was the intonation different but the Zetsu that corresponded to the white side of the face, the left, tilted their head slightly in that direction when he spoke.


They had been discussing different forms of communication, including the relative merits of analogue and digital coding. All three of them were argued out and had turned their attention to the refreshments Hana had brought them. Shikamaru and the right-hand Zetsu had coffee. The left-hand Zetsu had tea.

“It would be easier if you weren’t both called Zetsu,” Shikamaru suggested.

Both Zetsus looked at him. “People who know us refer to us as dark Zetsu and light Zetsu,” the right-hand Zetsu, dark Zetsu, told him.

“That isn’t very imaginative,” Shikamaru observed. “Would you mind if I gave you nicknames?”

They looked at him. “We had nicknames when we were young,” light Zetsu admitted, wincing at the memory.

“They weren’t nicknames, they were just insults,” dark Zetsu clarified.

Shikamaru pushed on. “I would like to call you Inryoku,” he said to dark Zetsu, “and you Enerugi,” he said to light Zetsu.

They considered and smiled. “Gravity and Energy,” light Zetsu observed.

“For now,” Shikamaru clarified. “The great thing about nicknames is that they change and evolve. Don’t you agree, In-san and En-san?”


On the way back to his room, Shikamaru reconsidered Zetsus’ reaction to his offer to play Go. He had come to a conclusion during the visit; the Zetsus could not play Go with someone else because they would have to choose between playing black and playing white.

“Hana-san?” he asked.

“Just Hana,” she reminded him.

“I play Go, the game the Zetsus play. The problem is, they always play black against white so we would need two other colours,” he explained. “We would need one hundred and eighty objects of one colour and one hundred and eighty-one of another. They would have to be small enough to use as Go stones. Could you help me?”

She studied him. “I will think on it, Shikamaru-san,” she assured him.

---

Pein sat at his desk and brooded. Shikamaru and the child had only been with them fifteen days and, already, everything was different.

Konan was happier than he had known her to be in over a decade, possibly since before Yahiko died. She had stopped obsessing about avoiding the prints. They were making love regularly. She had even been talking about a baby and he had stopped even broaching that issue standards before.

As for Zetsu, Pein was beginning to wonder if the Zetsus he had known for so long had always been depressed. These Zetsus were so different. They laughed. They told jokes that no one but Shikamaru understood. Shikamaru called them a variety of names and they loved it. There was something about a gift of pink and purple Go stones that Zetsu had mentioned more than once.

In addition, these happier Zetsus were much more productive. Various nagging issues had been resolved. They even had workable suggestions for low technology, long-range communications on planets using flags or lights with relay stations.

So why did Pein feel that he was losing his grip?

Was it a necessary part of the Peace for Konan to be miserable and Zetsu to be depressed? Individual Akatsuki had to make great personal sacrifices so that the majority of humans could lead better lives. Could serious, committed and self-sacrificing Akatsuki be happy?

He sighed. He had been planning to go off planet to check various installations. However there was no way he could leave Zetsu and Konan with Shikamaru and the child.

He would have to send Devas.

The last six Pein imprints were already paired up with prints of Konan preparing to raise the golems that would be used to imprint the soldiers. Usually he would go back to the previous batch but this time he had his doubts; it was one of them who had made the poor decision about returning the hird hybrid child.

He would reserve those to be Narakas and imprint another six. One or more of those would check the installations.

Content with his decision, Pein went to find Konan. At this time of day she would be walking in the garden.

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