Iteration
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Naruto › Yaoi - Male/Male › Naruto/Sasuke
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
119
Views:
2,711
Reviews:
1203
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Naruto › Yaoi - Male/Male › Naruto/Sasuke
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
119
Views:
2,711
Reviews:
1203
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
This story has some of Masashi Kishimoto's characters from Naruto in a universe of my own devising. I do not own Naruto. I do not make any money from these writings.
Real
‘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 lividangel (twice, thanks!), Nemo-Hime, smauigirl, Dorkchic, lonelylulaby (and thanks for picking up the error), Prism0467, sadie237, satterb, disembodiedvoiceofthedying, prettypurpletiger and cynaga who reviewed chapter 69.
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 hoping for Sasuke/Naruto or Naruto/Sasuke action in every chapter.
Chapter seventy: Real
Konohamaru was concentrating on assembling the bracelet he was making for Ran. It meant working at the limits of his skills, the miniaturised components were so tiny, but he was determined to complete it without Shino’s assistance.
He did not sigh. If he sighed he would make an error. Every breath had to be controlled.
He wanted to sigh. He was twenty-one standards and he still had not found his niche. Maybe it would always be like this; he was skilled enough to be useful but never felt as if it fitted into any role. Tayuya loved being a pilot, Inari would captain crews, Sumaru was Sasuke’s Knife and even Moegi knew she wanted to be a medico.
Konohamaru just did his duties competently.
Even doing this, something he had studied for standards, he was motivated by making something for Ran rather than the joy of designing and making; he completely lacked Shino’s passion.
It had not mattered so much when he had been in love with Ranmaru. And nothing had mattered when Ranmaru had died, nor in the divs that had followed.
His hand was trembling. He stopped. If he made a mistake he would lose a day’s work, maybe two.
Maybe it was a good sign that he cared again. Perhaps he should discuss it with Grandma Biwako. Talking to C-san would probably be useful; it had certainly helped when the grief had threatened to destroy him.
He calmed himself and returned to his task.
Ran woke up and checked. Yes, the room was still there. It was very odd to keep waking up in the same place.
Not that it was a bad place. It was warm and full of pretty things. The bed was soft and the blanket fluffy. The little room where he pooped, weed and washed was amazing.
He had toys.
Best, no one came in. It was His Room.
Ir-u-ka had explained it to him. He practiced the name: Ir-u-ka, Iru-ka, Iruka. Iruka ‘looked after’ him. Ran wasn’t sure he needed looking after. Ka-ka-shi (Ka-ka-shi, Ka-kashi, Kakashi) said that The Crew looked after each other but Iruka was Chief Looker Afterer.
Kakashi said lots of weird things that Ran did not understand.
Ran preferred Ko-no-ha-ma-ru (Kono-ha-ma-ru, Kono-ha-maru, Konohamaru). Konohamaru was just there. He didn’t say much. Ran liked being close to Konohamaru. He felt nice, like Mommy.
Ran also liked Choza. Choza fed him. The food was very good.
He got out of bed and went to wee. Then took off his clothes, washed in the ‘shower’ and put on other clothes.
Iruka wanted him to change his clothes and wash all over every day.
He then slid open the door and peered out.
Sometimes there were lots of people in the ‘galley’. Ran did not like that. It looked fine. Choza was there. That meant that people had finished ‘break-fast’ and left.
He crept out of his room, across the open room and into the galley.
“Ran-chan!” Choza boomed happily. “What would you like today?”
Ran never knew what to say to that.
“Would you like what you had yesterday?” Choza asked.
Ran thought about it. “No,” he answered.
Choza tilted his head. Ran knew what that meant. Iruka wanted him to use people’s names and be ‘polite’.
“No, Cho-za-san,” he tried.
Choza rewarded him with a huge smile and pan-cakes. Ran repeated the word to himself again and again; pan-cakes, pancakes, pancakes. You had to know the name of something before you could ask for it.
He was licking the last of the sy-rup out of his bowl when someone came in. He froze. It was the person with the white furry hair. The person he had kicked.
He had whiskers; like the children and Na-ru-to-san.
“Ran, this is Kamatari,” Choza told him. “He is better now.”
Ran did not know what to do.
Kamatari smiled at him. “Don’t fret, Ran-kun. You were scared, I was stupid. It balances out.”
Ran did not understand. What was ‘fret’? Why was he saying ‘Ran-kun’?
The person, Kam-a-ta-ri, did not seem angry.
“Kamatari is saying it is fine, Ran,” Choza explained. “He shouldn’t have chased you. You did not know that he was friendly.”
Ran managed a nod. He was about to scuttle back to his room but Iruka was in the doorway.
“Choza-san, Kama-kun, Ran-chan,” he said with a small nod of his head to each of them in turn.
Sometimes Ran thought he saw patterns in the greetings. Choza was first because he was oldest. Older people were ‘san’, children were ‘chan’, people in the middle were ‘kun’ and Sa-su-ke was ‘sama’ because he was leader. Then Kakashi would call Iruka ‘Ir-chan’ or Iruka would call Sasuke ‘Sasu-kun’ and Ran would be lost again.
“Iruka-san,” Choza replied.
“Iruka-sensei,” said Kamatari and Ran was confused; what was ‘sen-sei’?
Everyone waited. Ran realised that they were waiting for him. “Iruka-san,” he whispered and everyone smiled.
Iruka went to the sink, did something and then sat one chair away from him. He placed a bowl on the table between them. In the bowl was a damp cloth.
It reminded Ran that he should have used a spoon to eat the pan-cakes because of the sy-rup. Usually Ran would have licked his hands clean, because the syrup tasted nice, but he used the cloth instead.
Iruka smiled at him and thanked him. He did that when Ran did things Iruka wanted but Ran didn’t, like cleaning his face and hands with a cloth.
“You could help Choza-san by putting your bowl in the sink,” Iruka told him.
Ran understood. He picked up his bowl and was on his way to the sink when, suddenly, there were men, big men.
He panicked, dropped the bowl and ran.
Iruka sighed; not again. He went to the intercom.
“Iruka here. Ran is running scared. Please take the usual precautions. Do not chase him. Do not block his path. Do not approach him.”
He stopped himself scowling. It was sheer bad luck that Kiba had come through one doorway at exactly the same time as Kisame had come through another. Ran had been out the third in a flash.
“Sorry, Iruka-san,” Kisame acknowledged.
Kiba said nothing. His silence eloquently expressed his opinion. He thought that Iruka was far too tolerant of Ran’s inappropriate behaviour.
“He will come back, Iruka-san,” Choza assured him. “He will want his room and food.”
Iruka knew that Choza was right. Ran would return to the things that meant most to him which, sadly, were a safe place to sleep and meals.
Konohamaru had just finished testing the bracelet when the intercom clicked.
“Iruka here. Ran is running scared. Please take the usual precautions. Do not chase him. Do not block his path. Do not approach him.”
Konohamaru swore. He had hoped that Ran would be wearing the bracelet before he got lost again. He carefully stored his tools, switched off the microscope and deactivated the micromanipulators. He slipped the bracelet into his pocket.
There was a chance that Ran would find his way back to the crew room but the way Iruka had said ‘running scared’ meant that was unlikely. Whatever, Konohamaru could spare the time. He headed for Shikamaru’s level.
Once there he used the intercom near the door. “Ran, this is Konohamaru. I am in the place with the trees.” He waited before repeating the message another four times. Then he headed to the place he had sat while the children had played hide and seek.
He would give it at least the rest of the morning.
Ran knew many types of fear. Being caught out in the open between the dog-man and the shark-man had triggered the one that told him to run as fast as he could until he couldn’t run any more.
Then, when his legs stopped working properly, he had looked for somewhere to hide. As usual, that was in the service ducts.
He cowered there; trembling.
A voice; he jumped. It was not a human voice. It was like the voices from the pictures in his room.
The sounds were repeated. Ran heard his name. Then he heard Konohamaru’s name. On the third repeat he realised that it was Konohamaru speaking to him. Finally he understood the sense of the message.
Konohamaru was in the tree-place.
He had to work his way downwards and listen for the leaves.
Kakashi was with Shikamaru discussing long-term strategy when Iruka’s voice came over the intercom.
“Iruka here. Ran is running scared. Please take the usual precautions. Do not chase him. Do not block his path. Do not approach him.”
He sighed. It was the fifth time in six days.
“It will be fine,” Shikamaru assured him.
Kakashi wished he agreed. “You do not see the effect it has on Iruka. When he is with the boy, or with any of you, he is the picture of calm acceptance. When thinks he is alone...” he did not bother to finish the sentence. His mind was full of Iruka’s sadness.
“I realise it may not help, but I think Iruka-sensei’s approach is the correct one,” Shikamaru replied. “He is being there, like the room and the meals. He is not making too many demands. Ran will come to accept him and then to appreciate him.”
That had been the plan. The alternatives, drugging him or forcing confrontations, had been rejected.
“You could go and be with him,” Shikamaru suggested. “We can continue this anytime.”
Kakashi was about to say no when the intercom clicked again.
“Ran, this is Konohamaru. I am in the place with the trees.”
He stiffened. Iruka did not need another reminder that Konohamaru was the only person who could touch Ran. It made him feel inadequate and it meant he would worry even more about Konohamaru.
“Maybe that would be a good idea,” he admitted.
Kakashi speeded up every time Konohamaru’s voice came over the intercom. Kono-kun was correct to repeat the message; Ran struggled to understand speech without a person in front of him speaking it. Even so, each repetition would stab at Iruka, reminding him of his failure to connect with Ran.
Iruka was in the galley, at the table, sipping tea. Choza was at the stove, pretending to be minding the stewpot but actually keeping his eye on Iruka.
Choza gave Kakashi a look that said, “It is about time you turned up,” before putting the lid on the pot and taking his leave.
Kakashi slipped into the chair next to Iruka.
“You’ll need a cup.” Iruka told him.
Kakashi did not move.
Iruka went to get up; Kakashi stopped him with a hand on his arm.
“I don’t want tea,” he insisted.
“Coffee then?” Iruka asked.
“Ir-chan,” Kakashi whispered.
Iruka settled back into his seat. For a moment the expression in his eyes was completely unguarded.
Kakashi claimed Iruka’s hand and kissed the inside of his wrist. “I know it is hard but you are doing the right thing,” he assured him. “It will take time. Divs not days.”
Iruka sighed. “Perhaps standards,” he admitted.
Kakashi hoped he stopped his reaction showing in his face. “Perhaps standards,” he agreed. “Like with Sasuke,” he added.
Iruka smiled. “Yes, like with Sasuke. Or Tayuya.”
Kakashi recalled what Tayuya had been like and shuddered. “Or Tayuya,” he agreed.
Ran pushed out the ventilation grid, crept out of the ducting and put the cover back behind him. His surroundings looked different to last time and the two times before that, but Ran now knew the tree-place was huge.
It had taken him a long time. Would Konohamaru still be there?
He worked his way towards the trees. That meant crossing open ground. He dashed from one hiding place to another; a low wall, a dip, bushes and finally the trees.
Konohamaru was there; Ran darted to him.
He held Konohamaru’s hand as they walked to the big doors. Ran had never held anyone’s hand before. It felt nice because Konohamaru felt nice.
When they reached the doors, Konohamaru stopped.
“We are going to tell Iruka-san you are safe,” he said. “This is the intercom. You press the button and everyone hears what you say. What would you like to say to Iruka-san?”
Ran thought about it. “Nothing,” he decided.
Konohamaru crouched down and looked him in the eye. “Ran-chan, when you run away from Iruka, it makes him sad. Hearing your voice will make him feel better.”
“Like washing all over and wiping my hands with a cloth?” Ran asked.
“Yes, like those things. Do you want to try out what you are going to say?”
Ran thought about the voices he had heard on the intercom. “This is Ran. I am safe. Kono-ha-maru is with me,” he suggested.
Konohamaru smiled at him. “That would be perfect,” he agreed.
The midmeal had arrived and was almost over. Kakashi had persuaded Iruka to move as far as the shared area when the children had invaded the galley but then he would not return when they had gone and it was time for the adults to eat.
“I am not hungry, you have something,” Iruka had told him.
Kakashi had been, as always by meal times, ravenous. “I’ll wait for you,” he had suggested.
Iruka had given him a look. “Kashi, eat something,” he had insisted.
So Kakashi was in the galley consuming stew while he watched the back of Iruka’s head and neck, which was all he could see from the table. They were rigid with tension.
Choza sent Akemi in with a tea tray. Kakashi heard Iruka thank Akemi but the tea remained untouched on the low table between the couches.
Then the intercom clicked. Kakashi froze, his spoon halfway to his mouth. There was an unusually long pause before the voice came.
“This is Ran. I am safe. Konoha-maru is with me.”
Kakashi watched Iruka lean forward to pour some tea. He sighed with relief and went back to his stew.
He had just finished demolishing one of Choza’s individual fruit pies when Konohamaru appeared with Ran. The child was filthy; Kakashi had not thought the Oak dirty until Ran’s frequent excursions.
Kakashi moved to the doorway so that he could observe the reunion. Instead of disappearing into his room, or following his nose to the food, Ran stopped near Iruka and held out his hand.
“I can find my way back now,” he announced.
Around his wrist was a band. If it was a homing device, as Ran was suggesting, it was phenomenally small.
“It goes blue to show where my room is,” Ran explained.
They had discussed fitting Ran with a tracker but Iruka had decided against it; Ran was never to be hunted. This was a much more elegant solution. Kakashi was impressed
“That’s lovely, Ran-chan,” Iruka told him, “Have you thanked Konohamaru-san?”
Ran looked up at Konohamaru with his huge, brown eyes. “Thank you, Konoha-maru-san.”
“You are welcome, Ran-chan,” Konohamaru replied.
“Food time,” Choza declared from behind him in the galley. “Ran-chan, Konohamaru-san and Iruka-san need their midmeal.”
Kakashi thanked Choza with a look; having been included in the list, Iruka was more likely to eat.
Iruka and Konohamaru waited for Ran to wash before joining Kakashi, Choza and Akemi in the galley. Kakashi felt something he was surprised to identify as optimism. Ran had gone into his room to wash and had come out again. He was in a room with five other people. He was obviously pleased to have the bracelet, which suggested he thought of his room as home.
They were making progress.
Ran was hungry. The food smelled wonderful. He was about to plunge his hand into the bowl and scoop some up when he saw Iruka pick up his spoon.
Reminded, he ate with a spoon instead. Spoons were good; they were easier to lick clean than hands. Once all the ‘stew’ was gone he wanted to lick the bowl but he knew Iruka would not like it.
Then he saw what Konohamaru did. He took a piece of bread and cleaned his bowl with that. Ran did the same. Iruka smiled at him.
It was nice.
“I like this,” he said once his bowl was clean.
“What do you like, Ran-chan?” Kakashi asked.
“This,” Ran answered, waving the piece of bread in his hand to include his surroundings. “Real children do this,” he explained.
There was a silence. Ran wondered if he had done something wrong.
“You are a real child, Ran,” Iruka insisted, “with a home and a family.”
Ran thought about it. He had his bed, in his room, with toys. He had meals. Konohamaru found him when he was lost. He made Iruka happy and sad.
Maybe he was real now.
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 lividangel (twice, thanks!), Nemo-Hime, smauigirl, Dorkchic, lonelylulaby (and thanks for picking up the error), Prism0467, sadie237, satterb, disembodiedvoiceofthedying, prettypurpletiger and cynaga who reviewed chapter 69.
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 hoping for Sasuke/Naruto or Naruto/Sasuke action in every chapter.
Chapter seventy: Real
Konohamaru was concentrating on assembling the bracelet he was making for Ran. It meant working at the limits of his skills, the miniaturised components were so tiny, but he was determined to complete it without Shino’s assistance.
He did not sigh. If he sighed he would make an error. Every breath had to be controlled.
He wanted to sigh. He was twenty-one standards and he still had not found his niche. Maybe it would always be like this; he was skilled enough to be useful but never felt as if it fitted into any role. Tayuya loved being a pilot, Inari would captain crews, Sumaru was Sasuke’s Knife and even Moegi knew she wanted to be a medico.
Konohamaru just did his duties competently.
Even doing this, something he had studied for standards, he was motivated by making something for Ran rather than the joy of designing and making; he completely lacked Shino’s passion.
It had not mattered so much when he had been in love with Ranmaru. And nothing had mattered when Ranmaru had died, nor in the divs that had followed.
His hand was trembling. He stopped. If he made a mistake he would lose a day’s work, maybe two.
Maybe it was a good sign that he cared again. Perhaps he should discuss it with Grandma Biwako. Talking to C-san would probably be useful; it had certainly helped when the grief had threatened to destroy him.
He calmed himself and returned to his task.
Ran woke up and checked. Yes, the room was still there. It was very odd to keep waking up in the same place.
Not that it was a bad place. It was warm and full of pretty things. The bed was soft and the blanket fluffy. The little room where he pooped, weed and washed was amazing.
He had toys.
Best, no one came in. It was His Room.
Ir-u-ka had explained it to him. He practiced the name: Ir-u-ka, Iru-ka, Iruka. Iruka ‘looked after’ him. Ran wasn’t sure he needed looking after. Ka-ka-shi (Ka-ka-shi, Ka-kashi, Kakashi) said that The Crew looked after each other but Iruka was Chief Looker Afterer.
Kakashi said lots of weird things that Ran did not understand.
Ran preferred Ko-no-ha-ma-ru (Kono-ha-ma-ru, Kono-ha-maru, Konohamaru). Konohamaru was just there. He didn’t say much. Ran liked being close to Konohamaru. He felt nice, like Mommy.
Ran also liked Choza. Choza fed him. The food was very good.
He got out of bed and went to wee. Then took off his clothes, washed in the ‘shower’ and put on other clothes.
Iruka wanted him to change his clothes and wash all over every day.
He then slid open the door and peered out.
Sometimes there were lots of people in the ‘galley’. Ran did not like that. It looked fine. Choza was there. That meant that people had finished ‘break-fast’ and left.
He crept out of his room, across the open room and into the galley.
“Ran-chan!” Choza boomed happily. “What would you like today?”
Ran never knew what to say to that.
“Would you like what you had yesterday?” Choza asked.
Ran thought about it. “No,” he answered.
Choza tilted his head. Ran knew what that meant. Iruka wanted him to use people’s names and be ‘polite’.
“No, Cho-za-san,” he tried.
Choza rewarded him with a huge smile and pan-cakes. Ran repeated the word to himself again and again; pan-cakes, pancakes, pancakes. You had to know the name of something before you could ask for it.
He was licking the last of the sy-rup out of his bowl when someone came in. He froze. It was the person with the white furry hair. The person he had kicked.
He had whiskers; like the children and Na-ru-to-san.
“Ran, this is Kamatari,” Choza told him. “He is better now.”
Ran did not know what to do.
Kamatari smiled at him. “Don’t fret, Ran-kun. You were scared, I was stupid. It balances out.”
Ran did not understand. What was ‘fret’? Why was he saying ‘Ran-kun’?
The person, Kam-a-ta-ri, did not seem angry.
“Kamatari is saying it is fine, Ran,” Choza explained. “He shouldn’t have chased you. You did not know that he was friendly.”
Ran managed a nod. He was about to scuttle back to his room but Iruka was in the doorway.
“Choza-san, Kama-kun, Ran-chan,” he said with a small nod of his head to each of them in turn.
Sometimes Ran thought he saw patterns in the greetings. Choza was first because he was oldest. Older people were ‘san’, children were ‘chan’, people in the middle were ‘kun’ and Sa-su-ke was ‘sama’ because he was leader. Then Kakashi would call Iruka ‘Ir-chan’ or Iruka would call Sasuke ‘Sasu-kun’ and Ran would be lost again.
“Iruka-san,” Choza replied.
“Iruka-sensei,” said Kamatari and Ran was confused; what was ‘sen-sei’?
Everyone waited. Ran realised that they were waiting for him. “Iruka-san,” he whispered and everyone smiled.
Iruka went to the sink, did something and then sat one chair away from him. He placed a bowl on the table between them. In the bowl was a damp cloth.
It reminded Ran that he should have used a spoon to eat the pan-cakes because of the sy-rup. Usually Ran would have licked his hands clean, because the syrup tasted nice, but he used the cloth instead.
Iruka smiled at him and thanked him. He did that when Ran did things Iruka wanted but Ran didn’t, like cleaning his face and hands with a cloth.
“You could help Choza-san by putting your bowl in the sink,” Iruka told him.
Ran understood. He picked up his bowl and was on his way to the sink when, suddenly, there were men, big men.
He panicked, dropped the bowl and ran.
Iruka sighed; not again. He went to the intercom.
“Iruka here. Ran is running scared. Please take the usual precautions. Do not chase him. Do not block his path. Do not approach him.”
He stopped himself scowling. It was sheer bad luck that Kiba had come through one doorway at exactly the same time as Kisame had come through another. Ran had been out the third in a flash.
“Sorry, Iruka-san,” Kisame acknowledged.
Kiba said nothing. His silence eloquently expressed his opinion. He thought that Iruka was far too tolerant of Ran’s inappropriate behaviour.
“He will come back, Iruka-san,” Choza assured him. “He will want his room and food.”
Iruka knew that Choza was right. Ran would return to the things that meant most to him which, sadly, were a safe place to sleep and meals.
Konohamaru had just finished testing the bracelet when the intercom clicked.
“Iruka here. Ran is running scared. Please take the usual precautions. Do not chase him. Do not block his path. Do not approach him.”
Konohamaru swore. He had hoped that Ran would be wearing the bracelet before he got lost again. He carefully stored his tools, switched off the microscope and deactivated the micromanipulators. He slipped the bracelet into his pocket.
There was a chance that Ran would find his way back to the crew room but the way Iruka had said ‘running scared’ meant that was unlikely. Whatever, Konohamaru could spare the time. He headed for Shikamaru’s level.
Once there he used the intercom near the door. “Ran, this is Konohamaru. I am in the place with the trees.” He waited before repeating the message another four times. Then he headed to the place he had sat while the children had played hide and seek.
He would give it at least the rest of the morning.
Ran knew many types of fear. Being caught out in the open between the dog-man and the shark-man had triggered the one that told him to run as fast as he could until he couldn’t run any more.
Then, when his legs stopped working properly, he had looked for somewhere to hide. As usual, that was in the service ducts.
He cowered there; trembling.
A voice; he jumped. It was not a human voice. It was like the voices from the pictures in his room.
The sounds were repeated. Ran heard his name. Then he heard Konohamaru’s name. On the third repeat he realised that it was Konohamaru speaking to him. Finally he understood the sense of the message.
Konohamaru was in the tree-place.
He had to work his way downwards and listen for the leaves.
Kakashi was with Shikamaru discussing long-term strategy when Iruka’s voice came over the intercom.
“Iruka here. Ran is running scared. Please take the usual precautions. Do not chase him. Do not block his path. Do not approach him.”
He sighed. It was the fifth time in six days.
“It will be fine,” Shikamaru assured him.
Kakashi wished he agreed. “You do not see the effect it has on Iruka. When he is with the boy, or with any of you, he is the picture of calm acceptance. When thinks he is alone...” he did not bother to finish the sentence. His mind was full of Iruka’s sadness.
“I realise it may not help, but I think Iruka-sensei’s approach is the correct one,” Shikamaru replied. “He is being there, like the room and the meals. He is not making too many demands. Ran will come to accept him and then to appreciate him.”
That had been the plan. The alternatives, drugging him or forcing confrontations, had been rejected.
“You could go and be with him,” Shikamaru suggested. “We can continue this anytime.”
Kakashi was about to say no when the intercom clicked again.
“Ran, this is Konohamaru. I am in the place with the trees.”
He stiffened. Iruka did not need another reminder that Konohamaru was the only person who could touch Ran. It made him feel inadequate and it meant he would worry even more about Konohamaru.
“Maybe that would be a good idea,” he admitted.
Kakashi speeded up every time Konohamaru’s voice came over the intercom. Kono-kun was correct to repeat the message; Ran struggled to understand speech without a person in front of him speaking it. Even so, each repetition would stab at Iruka, reminding him of his failure to connect with Ran.
Iruka was in the galley, at the table, sipping tea. Choza was at the stove, pretending to be minding the stewpot but actually keeping his eye on Iruka.
Choza gave Kakashi a look that said, “It is about time you turned up,” before putting the lid on the pot and taking his leave.
Kakashi slipped into the chair next to Iruka.
“You’ll need a cup.” Iruka told him.
Kakashi did not move.
Iruka went to get up; Kakashi stopped him with a hand on his arm.
“I don’t want tea,” he insisted.
“Coffee then?” Iruka asked.
“Ir-chan,” Kakashi whispered.
Iruka settled back into his seat. For a moment the expression in his eyes was completely unguarded.
Kakashi claimed Iruka’s hand and kissed the inside of his wrist. “I know it is hard but you are doing the right thing,” he assured him. “It will take time. Divs not days.”
Iruka sighed. “Perhaps standards,” he admitted.
Kakashi hoped he stopped his reaction showing in his face. “Perhaps standards,” he agreed. “Like with Sasuke,” he added.
Iruka smiled. “Yes, like with Sasuke. Or Tayuya.”
Kakashi recalled what Tayuya had been like and shuddered. “Or Tayuya,” he agreed.
Ran pushed out the ventilation grid, crept out of the ducting and put the cover back behind him. His surroundings looked different to last time and the two times before that, but Ran now knew the tree-place was huge.
It had taken him a long time. Would Konohamaru still be there?
He worked his way towards the trees. That meant crossing open ground. He dashed from one hiding place to another; a low wall, a dip, bushes and finally the trees.
Konohamaru was there; Ran darted to him.
He held Konohamaru’s hand as they walked to the big doors. Ran had never held anyone’s hand before. It felt nice because Konohamaru felt nice.
When they reached the doors, Konohamaru stopped.
“We are going to tell Iruka-san you are safe,” he said. “This is the intercom. You press the button and everyone hears what you say. What would you like to say to Iruka-san?”
Ran thought about it. “Nothing,” he decided.
Konohamaru crouched down and looked him in the eye. “Ran-chan, when you run away from Iruka, it makes him sad. Hearing your voice will make him feel better.”
“Like washing all over and wiping my hands with a cloth?” Ran asked.
“Yes, like those things. Do you want to try out what you are going to say?”
Ran thought about the voices he had heard on the intercom. “This is Ran. I am safe. Kono-ha-maru is with me,” he suggested.
Konohamaru smiled at him. “That would be perfect,” he agreed.
The midmeal had arrived and was almost over. Kakashi had persuaded Iruka to move as far as the shared area when the children had invaded the galley but then he would not return when they had gone and it was time for the adults to eat.
“I am not hungry, you have something,” Iruka had told him.
Kakashi had been, as always by meal times, ravenous. “I’ll wait for you,” he had suggested.
Iruka had given him a look. “Kashi, eat something,” he had insisted.
So Kakashi was in the galley consuming stew while he watched the back of Iruka’s head and neck, which was all he could see from the table. They were rigid with tension.
Choza sent Akemi in with a tea tray. Kakashi heard Iruka thank Akemi but the tea remained untouched on the low table between the couches.
Then the intercom clicked. Kakashi froze, his spoon halfway to his mouth. There was an unusually long pause before the voice came.
“This is Ran. I am safe. Konoha-maru is with me.”
Kakashi watched Iruka lean forward to pour some tea. He sighed with relief and went back to his stew.
He had just finished demolishing one of Choza’s individual fruit pies when Konohamaru appeared with Ran. The child was filthy; Kakashi had not thought the Oak dirty until Ran’s frequent excursions.
Kakashi moved to the doorway so that he could observe the reunion. Instead of disappearing into his room, or following his nose to the food, Ran stopped near Iruka and held out his hand.
“I can find my way back now,” he announced.
Around his wrist was a band. If it was a homing device, as Ran was suggesting, it was phenomenally small.
“It goes blue to show where my room is,” Ran explained.
They had discussed fitting Ran with a tracker but Iruka had decided against it; Ran was never to be hunted. This was a much more elegant solution. Kakashi was impressed
“That’s lovely, Ran-chan,” Iruka told him, “Have you thanked Konohamaru-san?”
Ran looked up at Konohamaru with his huge, brown eyes. “Thank you, Konoha-maru-san.”
“You are welcome, Ran-chan,” Konohamaru replied.
“Food time,” Choza declared from behind him in the galley. “Ran-chan, Konohamaru-san and Iruka-san need their midmeal.”
Kakashi thanked Choza with a look; having been included in the list, Iruka was more likely to eat.
Iruka and Konohamaru waited for Ran to wash before joining Kakashi, Choza and Akemi in the galley. Kakashi felt something he was surprised to identify as optimism. Ran had gone into his room to wash and had come out again. He was in a room with five other people. He was obviously pleased to have the bracelet, which suggested he thought of his room as home.
They were making progress.
Ran was hungry. The food smelled wonderful. He was about to plunge his hand into the bowl and scoop some up when he saw Iruka pick up his spoon.
Reminded, he ate with a spoon instead. Spoons were good; they were easier to lick clean than hands. Once all the ‘stew’ was gone he wanted to lick the bowl but he knew Iruka would not like it.
Then he saw what Konohamaru did. He took a piece of bread and cleaned his bowl with that. Ran did the same. Iruka smiled at him.
It was nice.
“I like this,” he said once his bowl was clean.
“What do you like, Ran-chan?” Kakashi asked.
“This,” Ran answered, waving the piece of bread in his hand to include his surroundings. “Real children do this,” he explained.
There was a silence. Ran wondered if he had done something wrong.
“You are a real child, Ran,” Iruka insisted, “with a home and a family.”
Ran thought about it. He had his bed, in his room, with toys. He had meals. Konohamaru found him when he was lost. He made Iruka happy and sad.
Maybe he was real now.