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 The Horseman of Death, v, Prism0467, cynaga, richon and sadie237 who reviewed chapter 57.

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). This chapter does contain some Sasuke and Naruto action.

---

Chapter fifty-eight: Changes

---

Naruto woke even earlier than usual. Today was the day the children moved to the new nursery.

Kiba had insisted that they stick to the original schedule, even in the face of resistance from the children. They wanted to wait until Haru was home. Naruto understood both points of view but the chance of Haru being home before the babies were born was too low; it was less than three divs away. Even though it hurt, he had supported Kiba’s decision.

He thought through the plan as he showered. They had considered every detail so that the move could be completed within a day. The infrastructure, wiring, plumbing, bathroom, showers, heads and extra storage had been built in the level above during the div before. Everything they needed to complete the job was ready and waiting.


Breakfast was testing. Some of the children were excited, others were anxious. Yuki was too quiet. Hikaru was chewing his bottom lip. Kazuki could not sit still for more than two minutes. Kuuya and Yasushi managed to have an argument. Naruto would have growled at them but Kiba did it first.

Finally breakfast was over and the move began. The children went back to the nursery accompanied by Kiba, Neji and Naruto. Each child packed all their things into a chest. Neji helped Kazuki pack Haru’s things with the other children offering advice. Then Neji delivered the children to the playroom, to be supervised by Biwako-san and Inari, while the moving team descended on the nursery.

Naruto watched the children go. Sasuke had a music session with them this morning. Naruto hoped he was feeling patient or had thought of bringing reinforcements.


Naruto moved the chests into his and Sasuke’s room while Haku and Iruka bundled up the bedding and Shino and Konohamaru disconnected the wiring. Then Kiba, Shikaku and Izumo disassembled the current nursery, cut the new hatch, installed the spiral staircase, reassembled the nursery on the upper level and fitted the pole. Naruto did most of the lifting and carrying. By the time the wiring had been reconnected, the beds made, the chests moved upstairs and the cupboards stocked, the afternoon was mostly over.

Once the transformation was complete, Sasuke was summoned from his office and Neji from the laboratory. Then Kiba and Naruto went to fetch the children from the playroom.

Neji had to be there for the first, most important, step; unpacking Haru’s things and making sure his bed and locker were restored to their previous state.

Naruto and Sasuke studied the children as they watched Neji and Kazuki. Naruto saw Hikaru relax as Neji altered the fold down of the bedcovers and moved Haru’s plushie a handbreadth to the left.

Then, once everyone’s chest was unpacked, it was time to practice sliding down the pole. Naruto sauntered over to it and slid down nonchalantly, which delighted the kits.

Ryuu was quickest to master the skill, followed by Kazuki and then the other kits. Naruto wondered if Hoshi was holding back; she only managed to slide down unassisted once Hikaru had done so.

There was much running up the staircase and sliding down the pole before the children’s evening meal.


Haku came to tell them a story after bath time and bedtime. Naruto had heard them discussing whether Haku would use the pole when he left. The majority opinion was that he would not, because he might damage his kimono. Sure enough, he used the staircase.

Naruto, Sasuke and Kiba then did the rounds checking that everyone was tucked in and kissed.


Naruto was pleased that Sasuke thanked everyone during the evening meal; major changes to the crew room affected everyone. Afterwards, they decided to retire rather than socialising in the shared area. Naruto crept up the staircase and checked on the children while Sasuke carried out the everyday tasks of tidying their room and cleaning their bathroom. Then Naruto viewed the babies and projected holovideos for Sasuke to admire.

“He moves a lot,” Sasuke observed when Naruto showed him Tsuneo. “More than even the kits did.”

“He is active,” Naruto agreed.

“When will you start building their nursery?” Sasuke asked.

“Tomorrow,” Naruto answered, bent over the viewer observing Takara. “A bit each day.” He heard Sasuke moving behind him, so was unsurprised when a hand stroked his fur and ran down his spine. It felt good. He purred.

“Do you want a bath?” Sasuke asked.

Naruto would have preferred to purr than talk. “No,” he replied.

Sasuke tickled him under the chin, which banished the last of his interest in viewing the babies. He resumed purring. Sasuke smiled.

“Like that is it?” he asked, which Naruto knew was not really a question.

A very small part of Naruto realised that his mood was to do with changing the den and his slight insecurity at having the children sleeping further away where he would struggle to hear them. The rest of him wanted to be stroked and for Sasuke to take care of him.

---

Sasuke had suspected it was a fluffy-soft-Naruto day even before Naruto started purring. He led Naruto to the bed and gently undressed him before paying a quick visit to the bathroom for towels and oil. Naruto spread the towels over the bed while Sasuke stripped. By the time he was naked Naruto was lying on his front in anticipation of a massage.

He started with one of Naruto’s feet, flexing the ball and running his thumbs from heel to toes. The soles of Naruto’s feet were particularly sensitive. It was a challenge to get the pressure exactly right; the penalty for failure was a reflex kick in the face.

This time he was spot on; Naruto’s purr was deeper and Sasuke could see him relaxing into the mattress. Sasuke finished with his left foot and started on his right. Then he worked up Naruto’s calves and thighs to his buttocks. He paused for a quick fondle before moving on to his back and shoulders. Sasuke kneaded the muscles under the golden, silky skin; the purring had become a continuous rumble.

His strokes became lighter, slower and then stopped. Sasuke listened to Naruto’s purr. Sometimes, more often since they lost Shika and Haru, Naruto would fall asleep. This time Naruto twisted and looked at him. He was flushed, his mouth slightly open and his gaze unfocused with desire. Sasuke leaned across Naruto’s back and shoulder to kiss him on the lips.

Naruto twisted and turned under him so that they were face to face. Sasuke spent a moment appreciating the sight below him; the warm skin with its sheen of golden fur, the hooded blue eyes, arching whiskers and pink lips slightly parted. Then he kissed his way down Naruto’s body, neck, nipple and navel, before sucking gently on the tip of Naruto’s erection. Oily fingers drifted across his balls and perineum on their way to his hole. Naruto purred his approval and used one long arm to bring the lube within Sasuke’s reach.

He ignored it, focused on finding Naruto’s button with his longest finger. Naruto arched and uttered a small but delicious moan of pleasure. Satisfied, Sasuke turned his attention to coating their erections with lube while Naruto, impatient, drew his knees up and apart, presenting his hole.

Sasuke needed no further encouragement. He seated the tip of his erection and began a careful, controlled push, only for Naruto to flex and impale himself. Sasuke almost lost control and climaxed. He was motionless for a moment, his forehead resting on Naruto’s shoulder. Naruto gave a whimper of need.

“Just a moment, sweetheart,” Sasuke pleaded, “or I won’t be able to take you where you want to go.” He raised his head and took his weight on his right arm, releasing his left hand to tickle Naruto under his chin. He watched Naruto’s neck arch and his whiskers curve forward.

Re-centred, Sasuke settled to his task. He hit Naruto’s button on the first thrust and was rewarded by another of the delicious, foxy moans. Then, rhythm established, he concentrated on releasing fluffy-soft-Naruto.

It did not take long. Naruto’s breathing shuddered, his eyelids fluttered and all the tension suddenly left his body in the fluffy-soft-Naruto version of an orgasm.

Sasuke gave one more thrust and climaxed.


Then they moved onto nest building. The towels were ejected. Sasuke was pushed from the bed, which he recognised as a command to find alternative nest-building materials because what was at hand was inadequate.

This had happened a few times before. Sasuke piled every available pillow, cushion and cover onto the bed and hoped that Naruto found what he wanted. Otherwise he would be getting dressed to go and raid the closet.

It was close, but Naruto finally selected a cushion and began building the nest from there. Sasuke moved to begin tidying the discard pile only to be summoned back to the bed, placed and have the rest of the nest completed around him.

Finally Naruto snuggled close. Sasuke held him. It would appear that it was a sleeping nest, which was, he had to admit, something of a relief. It had been a busy day.

---

Haru wished Rin was there. He tried not to do that. It wasn’t nice to want someone else kidnapped. Sometimes he couldn’t help it. This was one of those times. Rin would do something and he would be better. Instead he was having to ‘convalesce’.

That meant he woke up feeling fine but soon felt tired. His arms and legs started aching and, if he did not lie down in a darkened room, his head started thumping. He cried a lot; more than Yuki.

Worst, lying in a bed feeling bad was boring. He couldn’t even think properly because his head hurt. The only thing that helped was Shi-chan being there. He would put a cool cloth on his forehead and tell him stories. Other people, like Ranmaru and Konan, could do the thing with the cloth but they couldn’t tell the right stories.

Haru wanted Shi-chan to be there all the time but he wasn’t. Pein stopped him. He was allowed to visit for only thirty minutes each day. Once Haru had cried himself silly and Konan let Shi-chan see him when she shouldn’t. Shi-chan hadn’t come the next day or the next or the one after.

Now Haru only cried when there was no one there to see him.

---

Shikamaru came to a decision. Sasuke would understand. He asked to see Pein.

“What do you want in return for Haru living with me?” he asked.

Pein smiled. “You tell Zetsu how to hack the data transfer relays,” he replied. “In return you can move in with Haru for ten days.”

Shikamaru’s mind raced. It could be useful; there were possibilities. “Forty days,” he countered.

They settled on twenty-five. Shikamaru had to build a simulator. He would then be allowed to move in with Haru. If what he taught Zetsu did not work, they would be kept apart for at least twenty-five days.

Shikamaru swallowed the bile that rose to his throat and agreed. He could not escape the notion that Pein much preferred Haru sick than well.


At least it meant they had to give him a computer. It was large and old fashioned but the processors ran quickly and it had enough memory. Zetsu responded without query to his request for the spec, which meant he did not have to disassemble it to find out what was in it.

Other than a few naps and seeing Haru, Shikamaru worked solidly for three days. At the end of it they had a software simulation of a connected light speed communication data relay and Shikamaru moved into Haru’s room.

---

Pein had been delighted when Shikamaru had come to him offering cooperation in return for greater access to the child. It marked a turning point; a capitulation. Pein had asked for the technology behind one of Uchiha’s greatest operational advantages and Shikamaru had not even hesitated. All he had done was negotiate more time with the child.

He had Shikamaru exactly where he wanted him.

Even so, he had been relieved that Shikamaru had delivered the simulator so quickly. Konan had not spoken to him as Nagato since he had stopped Shikamaru from seeing the child for three days. While it had been wise to reestablish control, it had hurt; the days before that had reminded him of better times.

Now they were back to an uneasy truce. She approved of his decision to allow Shikamaru to stay in the child’s room. She did not know that it was only for twenty-five days and, interestingly, Shikamaru had not told her.

Once he had seen the simulator and spoken to Zetsu he would pick flowers for Konan.


He could see how excited Zetsu was. To Pein the simulator looked like a box with a standard user interface; the same as any other computer.

“It’s the kind of project that takes a team of programmers standards,” dark Zetsu told him.

“He wrote it from scratch,” light Zetsu insisted. “Based on the characteristics of the processors. It was amazing.”

“What about showing you how to hack the relays?” Pein asked. He had no interest in how Shikamaru achieved the objectives he set him, only that he did.

Zetsu shrugged.

“He explained,” dark Zetsu told him. “Give me a Deva and I’ll teach him using the simulator. Then he can go out there and try.”

Pein was shocked. Zetsu, he thought it was light Zetsu, had shrugged at him. “It is only a simulator,” he objected.

The Zetsus looked at him as if he was crazy. “Only? You could build a real light speed data relay using that simulation. It is that good,” dark Zetsu informed him.

Pein did not get it. “I can buy a light speed communication relay,” he argued.

Zetsu looked at him as if he was stupid. “Then, next time, get him to build a simulator for something you want but does not exist,” light Zetsu retorted. “Maybe weapons that your super-soldiers can use. Or how to use the super-soldiers most effectively. Or how to eliminate the slavers so they aren’t around to harvest your planets full of happy, content people.”

Pein scowled at him. “Are you angry at me, Zetsu-san?”

There was a pause. “En-chan is,” dark Zetsu admitted.

It took a moment for Pein to connect ‘En-chan’ with light Zetsu. “Do you want to tell me why?”

“You haven’t a clue,” light Zetsu accused. “You act as if he’s only a bit cleverer than us. He’s amazing. He is probably the cleverest person in known space. You talked about killing him. How could you?”

Pein was struggling. “When did I say I wanted to kill him?”

“That day in the laboratory, when you came to look at the plan for capturing him and we didn’t have one. The day you decided to get the spy’s head,” light Zetsu told him.

He remembered the day. It had been divs, over a standard. Light Zetsu had been stewing about it all this time? “I misspoke,” Pein told him. “I was frustrated.”

“You still don’t appreciate him,” light Zetsu complained.

“I apologise for his behaviour, Pein-sama,” dark Zetsu interjected.

“Don’t apologise for me!” light Zetsu shouted. “I can apologise for myself. I don’t want to.”

Pein realised that the situation was escalating out of control. “I apologise for what I said. I did not mean it. Shikamaru is close to unique and incredibly valuable. He makes sure he does not remind me of that fact but I know he acts more freely with you. He enjoys your company.”

Light Zetsu was mollified. “I apologise for speaking so rudely, Pein-sama. I was upset.”


Pein thought about the conversation as he walked towards the flower garden. It had been a long time since light Zetsu had been so difficult but, in his anger, he had made some valid points. Perhaps Pein’s thinking was too small and short-term. Maybe Shikamaru would be willing to work on the slaver problem; he had achieved the impossible when he had cleared them out of Kaze.

He walked through the glazed double doors and stopped. Where there had always been two chairs, one for Konan and one for Hana, there were now four. One of the new chairs was like Konan’s; Pein recognised it as being from one of the conservatories. The other was a child’s chair.

Konan’s chair was unoccupied, as he had anticipated; at this time of day she read the reports her mindprinted clones sent her. That was why it was a good time for him to pick flowers.

Shikamaru was sitting in the larger of the new chairs. In his lap, held by his arms, was the child; asleep.

Pein knew the child had been close to death. There was a difference between knowing it and seeing the thin, white face. It was a warm day; the child was wearing shorts and sandals. Pein could see the rash where the creepers had held him and the vivid scars where the needles had punctured his thigh and calf.


He had wanted a child. He still did. Now he wondered. A child would make him vulnerable, as this child made Shikamaru vulnerable.

But Shikamaru loved the child so and the child loved him in return. Would his son or daughter love him? Nagato remembered his parents. They had loved him and he had loved them.

“Pein-sama, may I be of assistance?” a voice asked and he was suddenly aware of Hana who had abandoned her sewing and moved silently towards him.

“I had not expected the flower garden to be occupied,” he admitted.

“Shikamaru-san says that fresh air is good for Haru-chan,” she explained. “Both of them like the colours and the scent of the flowers so Konan-sama gave them permission to sit here.”

“Take the child back to his room, get the print to mind him and bring Shikamaru-san to my office,” he ordered.

---

Shikamaru had seen Pein in the doorway, so was not surprised when Hana informed him that they had to take Haru back to his room. The news that Pein wanted to speak with him was less expected; Shikamaru wondered what he wanted this time.

“May I take him?” Hana asked.

Shikamaru allowed it. Haru stirred but murmured, “Kiba-san,” and snuggled close before drifting back to sleep.

“One less Y chromosome and an extra X doesn’t make that much difference,” Shikamaru observed. “At least not to a child.” He smiled. “However, I can assure you that you are a great deal prettier than Kiba.”

Hana flushed. “That is inappropriate, Shikamaru-san,” she told him.

“I was just being gallant,” Shikamaru assured her. “I have a lover. His name is Neji.”

Hana chose not to reply and carried Haru into the house.


Luckily Haru did not wake when he was put to bed, so he did not know that Shikamaru was leaving. Ranmaru saw him to the door where Hana was waiting, whispering that he would sit by the bed and reassure Haru as soon as he woke.


Pein was at his desk. He gestured that Shikamaru should take a seat. Shikamaru sat down and waited.

“I want to get rid of the slavers,” Pein told him.

That was interesting and unexpected. Shikamaru had feared that Pein would escalate their negotiations by asking for another of Uchiha’s secrets, probably the minigates. Instead he had moved to something that he obviously needed for his long-term plan and that Shikamaru was likely to be willing to provide.

Shikamaru recognised the danger. He would be working for the Akatsuki; what had been unacceptable to him would become everyday.

He also recognised the possibilities; perhaps Pein could be lulled into trusting him.

“You freed the Kaze system,” Pein added.

Shikamaru did not bother to deny it. “That was a system-specific solution,” he replied, cautiously.

“You could formulate strategies,” Pein suggested. “Define parameters for which different strategies would be appropriate.”

Shikamaru’s mind moved up a few gears. He divided his attention. He needed to concentrate on the conversation with Pein while considering his proposal and deciding whether he could come up with slaver-specific strategies that could not be used against spacers who followed the code.

“Anti-slaver strategies that would be effective in the current situation,” Shikamaru checked.

“For now,” Pein confirmed. “I would like to be able to offer planets anti-slaver protection,” he added.

Shikamaru diverted his reaction away from the surface. Protection was almost always a step towards a different type of slavery.

“I would need to model very complex structures and interactions,” he admitted. “The computer I used for the data relay simulation would be inadequate and I would need orders of magnitude more memory.”

“A data crystal array,” Pein suggested with the hint of a smile.

Shikamaru was not surprised that Pein knew. “And the information to populate it. A sophisticated database takes standards to build.”

He was certain that he could build in a self-destruct that neither Zetsu could find.

“Zetsu will help you,” Pein assured him. “We will set aside a room for you.”

“Adjacent to Haru’s,” Shikamaru proposed. “He can be with me as I work. He likes that.”

“Sometimes,” Pein conceded. “For the next twenty-four days.”

“Indefinitely,” Shikamaru countered. “It will be better for everyone if I cooperate at a level that assures my access to Haru.”

Pein hesitated but Shikamaru knew he would agree; Konan did not like Haru being upset.

“And when I demand a level of cooperation you will not provide?” he asked.

Shikamaru allowed the sadness he felt to show in his face. “You will threaten to hurt Haru. We both know that.”

---