In the cold of space you find the heat of suns

Thank you for the reviews. They are very much appreciated and encourage me to continue the story.

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.

67. Holding the fort

Kakashi studied Shikamaru’s unconscious body. He felt nauseous and blamed it on the side effects of using his implant. His headache was already escalating. He had to sit down. He found a chair.

The image of Neji crouching over Shikamaru’s body would not leave him. He suspected this would be another such memory; Shikamaru looked horribly lifeless lying naked on the galley table. Kakashi had not expected to feel so much; he did not think he could feel worse even if it were Sasuke.

In Kakashi’s plan, Shikamaru had been a means to an end; the type seven genius who would transform Sasuke’s leadership. In reality, the lad had often been troublesome but, Kakashi reluctantly admitted, never more trouble than he was worth. He had grown into everything Kakashi had wanted him to be. What Kakashi had never imagined was that he would care this much.

He remembered trying to convince Iruka that they must recruit the lad without admitting what he was or why he needed him. Iruka had viewed the application video and argued against taking on a cat who was immature, utterly naïve and most likely a misfit, even if he were clever. He was still unconvinced when they had been arriving to speak with the boy and his parents.

Then Iruka had seen the crew that was leaving as they arrived; they had made Kakashi’s flesh crawl. Kakashi still remembered watching the pieces fall into place in Iruka’s mind; if they did not take the boy he might end up with a crew like that.

The lad’s mother had been tough, with a sharp tongue, but she obviously cared; five minutes with Iruka had been enough.

And Shikamaru had been, as Iruka had predicted, completely useless. He had been absentminded and dreamy. He had either said nothing or chattered about stuff no one understood. He hated routine. He could not get up in the mornings; two out of every three days he had still been asleep when Ibiki had dumped him in the shower and turned the faucet to cold. It wasn’t that he had not known how to do domestic chores, his mother had taught him, but he was appallingly bad at them.

As for the fucking, after discussing every other option Kakashi and Iruka had decided that there was no alternative to taking him into their bed and showing him. It had been the turning point. Once the lad had recovered from the shock he had proved to be a keen student and, once he had become enthusiastic about fucking and sucking, the rest of the crew were willing to tolerate his oddness.

Then, during the last four standards, Shikamaru had grown into his skin. He had become a fascinating and unique young man; Uchiha’s greatest asset.

But Kakashi knew that was not why he cared. He cared because, inside, Shikamaru was still the odd boy with a good heart who struggled to see himself and the world through ordinary people’s eyes.

It hurt to think that he might die. It hurt more than the headache.


Then Iruka was beside him. Kakashi leaned his head on Iruka’s flat stomach and shut his eyes. Soothing fingers stroked his temples. Kakashi wished he could relax and let Iruka take care of him but this was not the time. He forced himself to listen to Rin’s diagnosis.

“His heartbeat is strong,” she began. “He is breathing well, his blood pressure is within normal limits and I can’t tell what’s wrong with him without a dia-doc. I need to get him to the infirmary.”

“The infirmary was the focus of the attack,” Dan told her. “There a hole in the floor where they cut out the tissue bank and there is a huge hole in the wall that goes all the way through the hull.”

Rin flinched. “The infirmary on the Sakura, then,” she insisted.

Kakashi wished he had thought of that. “I used my implant, Rin-san. Can you give me anything to keep me functional?”

“Kakashi!” Iruka chided.

“There isn’t a choice,” Kakashi reminded him. “I’ll rest as soon as I can.”

Rin prepared a hypodermic spray. “You’ll pay for this later, Kakashi-san,” she warned as she applied it to his neck.


The pain washed away, replaced by a surge of well being that Kakashi knew to be entirely false. He considered what had to be done and what should be prioritised.

“Rin-san, Neji-san, I want you work out what you would need to get Shikamaru to the Sakura if we can’t pressurise a path.” He captured Iruka’s hand and kissed his wrist. “Ir-chan, please send Sumaru-kun in here and then tell Sasuke and Naruto about Shikamaru.”

Iruka touched his cheek, nodded and left.

Kakashi studied Neji. He was still standing there, chalk white and motionless, staring at Shikamaru’s face. Kakashi stood up, walked over to him and took the chain and ring from his unresisting hand. He opened the chain, added Shikamaru’s ring, closed it and hung the chain around Neji’s neck.

“This,” Kakashi gestured towards Shikamaru, “happened when Kabuto blew a hole in the side of the ship and it is his fault not yours. You were on your way back to the crew room, which was the right thing to do. You saved his life by patching his helmet and you thought of an effective way of summoning assistance. He is lucky to have you. We all are.”

The gratitude in Neji’s eyes confirmed his need for support and his appreciation that Kakashi should give it.


Sumaru was stood hesitantly at the door of the galley. Kakashi beckoned him to come closer and then guided him to the far end of the galley.

“I have bad news for you, Sumaru-kun,” he said, softly. “The scientist, Kabuto, took your mother. We do not know why. He took her and he took Itachi.”

The boy looked at him with steady, dark eyes. “Mother was never going to get better,” he admitted. “Itachi was. Kisame-san is going to be upset.”

That, Kakashi thought, was one of the biggest understatements he had ever heard. “Yes. I have not had an opportunity to tell him yet. I am going to tell Sasuke now. Is there anyone I can get for you?”

Sumaru shook his head. “No. Thank you for telling me. I will go to my room now.”

Kakashi watched him go. With Naruto, Kisame and Sasuke unavailable he could not think of whom to send to him.


Kakashi changed places with Iruka at the intercom and then pressed the switch. “Sasu-kun, this is Kakashi.”

“Kakashi-sensei?” Sasuke replied, alerted by the form of address that this was personal.

“The bastard took Itachi, still tanked,” Kakashi told him. “He also took the tissue bank and Natsuhi-san. I think he took Natsuhi-san because of the symbiote and the tissue bank because it contains samples from Naruto. The only reason I can think of for him to take Itachi is to make Kisame, and possibly you and therefore Naruto, follow him.” Kakashi could hear Naruto growling.

“Is there no way we can get this safe room open, Kakashi-sensei?” Sasuke asked.

“After one day, it will be possible if five people off a list of ten request it using thumb print, retina scan and voice,” Kakashi answered. “I will give the list to Ir-chan.”

There was a pause. “Where will you be?” Sasuke asked.

“Probably asleep,” Kakashi admitted. “I used my implant and Rin has given me a shot. Once I give out it will be for some time.”


When he turned away from the intercom Choza and Shino were at a respectful distance, waiting.

Choza told him that there had been a long-short message from Asuma confirming that he and his family were well and that Izumo, Kotetsu and the baby were with them.

Shino explained that they had been working on a temporary airlock for the door of the crew room; Kakashi asked him to assemble it as quickly as possible.

Kakashi then asked Choza to send long-short messages asking Gai and Hamaki to report in.


Back in the galley he discovered that there was no change in Shikamaru’s condition and that Neji and Rin had a sensible plan for transferring him to the Sakura. Kakashi explained to them why it was worth delaying until Shino and his team had finished assembling the airlock.


He then went to find Haku and told him about Itachi.

“When Kisame comes back, I am going to have to tell him,” Kakashi explained. “If you have any influence on him, Haku-san, you must use it. You must convince him that he has a better chance of retrieving Itachi if he stays with us.”

Haku looked at him. “We are bothering to retrieve Itachi?” he queried.

It was an interesting question. “Itachi in someone else’s hands is more dangerous than Itachi in our hands or even Itachi in no one’s hands.” Kakashi replied.

Haku considered and nodded. “I understand,” he confirmed. “Also, we must kill this Kabuto for what he dared do to us.”

Sometimes Kakashi liked the way Haku thought; this was one of those times.


As soon as the airlock was completed he sent Anko and Dan out to find the items on Rin’s list. Gai, Inoichi and Tatsuji returned before them and Hamaki, Fu and Terai soon after. Kakashi waited until Gai had been to the head and had changed into a fresh suit.

“Gai-san?” he asked.

Gai put down the emergency ration he had been consuming. “Kakashi-san,” he acknowledged.

“Rin-san wishes to move Shikamaru to the infirmary on the Sakura. There is nothing I want more than to take him there myself. I cannot do that. I must stay here and stand in Sasuke-sama’s place until we can get the safe room open. Please will you lead the team taking him?” Kakashi watched Gai’s weariness fall away.

“It will be an honour, Kakashi-san,” he replied.


Kakashi did not watch them preparing Shikamaru for the transfer. It was difficult enough to concentrate on the tasks in hand without those emotions. Instead he listened to Shino’s plans for re-establishing communications and modified them to include checking that Kabuto had not left them any nasty surprises.


Then, on the heels of Shikamaru’s departure, Kisame was back. Kakashi took his arm before anyone else could speak to him, guided him into the galley and shut the door.

“Report,” he ordered.

Kisame told him that he had been too late, that he was not even convinced he had tagged Kabuto’s ship and about the jump. “It is not possible to get a Mulligan drive into a craft that small,” he complained.

“And there is no such device as an improver,” Kakashi reminded him.

Kisame acquiesced.

Kakashi decided that there was no good way. “He took Itachi. Tanked.”

Kisame took a moment to take it in. Then he roared and brought his clasped fists down onto the table top, which buckled.

Kakashi considered fleeing the room but his pride stopped him. He watched in fascination as Kisame internalised his fury.

“We jump after him. Now!” he hissed through his teeth.

“We can’t,” Kakashi responded. “We are too badly damaged. This is all part of Kabuto’s plan to get you and Naruto. We have to work out our own plan rather than following his.”

“He needs Itachi alive,” Kisame admitted. “We do enough repairs to jump though the hole and check if I tagged him,” he insisted.

Kakashi relaxed a little. “That is a good first step in our plan,” he acknowledged. He wondered if he could use Kisame’s kind nature to distract him. “He also took Natsuhi-san,” he informed him.

Kisame stiffened. “Does Suma-kun know?”

“Yes, I told him. He was his usual stoic self. He was more worried about how you would feel about being separated from Itachi.”

He watched Kisame walking towards Sumaru’s room. Then he looked at the table and sighed. Ir-chan would be miffed; it was bad enough that they had smashed another set of crockery.


The situation improved greatly once Shino’s teams found and removed the zapboxes, re-establishing communications. Rin gave them an update on Shikamaru’s condition; he had not woken and Rin had yet to pin down the reason to her satisfaction. Izumo and Kotetsu organised teams to repair the hull breeches. Iruka and Haku made sure that everyone was fed, that the re-supplied suits kept coming and that no one other than Kakashi was pushing him or herself too hard.


Kakashi was surprised when Asuma appeared at his shoulder and took the coffee cup from his hand.

“I will take over now,” his friend told him. “You have ten minutes to bring me up to date before Iruka puts you to bed. If you are difficult, I will get Kisame to hold you down while Dan gives you a shot.”

Kakashi considered arguing but decided it was pointless. He checked that Asuma was up to speed about the repairs before moving onto leadership issues.

“I have agreed with Kisame that we will jump through the hole Kabuto used as soon as possible. We need to check if Kisame managed to tag his ship. If we don’t do that much Kisame will leave. You can get the safe room open exactly one standard day after the alarm was raised. I have written down what you need to do.” He pushed a folded sheet towards Asuma. “Please, I beg you, do not have a strategy meeting without me there. It will be bad enough trying to function without Shikamaru. Either delay the meeting or give me a wake-up shot.”

Asuma nodded. “How is Shikamaru-kun?” he asked.

Kakashi looked away. “No change,” he said and found himself engulfed in a hug.

“You are allowed to worry about him, Ka-chan. We all know how important he is to you.”

Kakashi blinked. “You do?” he queried.

“Of course we do. It is obvious. Iruka, Shikamaru and Sasuke are your family, with Naruto as a much beloved son-in-law and Neji like a brother-in-law of whom you only partly approve.”

Kakashi was about to deny it when, strangely, it started to make sense; perhaps it was the exhaustion, or the shot Rin had given him, or the coffee.

“Although you and Iruka are a little young to be grandfathers,” Asuma admitted.

That was definitely a step too far for Kakashi. He shoved Asuma’s chest. “Idiot,” he accused.

“That is better,” Asuma told him. He looked towards the door. “Here is your Ir-chan arriving to take charge of you.”

“Thank you, Asuma-san,” Iruka acknowledged.

“You are welcome, Iruka-san,” Asuma replied with a smile.

Kakashi sighed as he allowed Iruka to lead him into their room. It was good to have a friend like Asuma. It was even better to have a lover like Iruka. And, he admitted, if he had a son and a little brother he would want them to be like Sasuke and Shikamaru.

Which was a very un-Kakashi way to think.

So he thought about fucking instead and, to his surprise, his body appeared to have enough energy left to concur.

“’Kashi!” Iruka warned. “You need to sleep, not fuck.”

Kakashi was not deterred. Iruka would give in after the first kiss. He always did.

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