In the cold of space you find the heat of suns

Thank you for the reviews. I read each one, the ones from those who have been reading from the first posting and others from those who have found this tale more recently. Feedback inspires me to continue this story.

I am sorry that this update is late. I had a chapter ready but belatedly relaised that I had skipped an important plot point and had to insert two chapters. This is the first of them. Readers may find it a little less polished than usual.

A few readers have asked if I have written any original stories set in this particular world. There is one on the 'original fiction' part of this site - you can find it through my profile. It is old and a bit rough but I have had some positive feedback about it.

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Apologies if the characters have grown differently in their new environment.

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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.


85. Homewards

They sat around the table in the small meeting room. No one other than Shikamaru looked pleased to be there. Naruto was uncharacteristically morose and his whiskers were drooping. Neji stayed very still and silent; he was watching Sasuke, who was scowling. Kakashi was cleaning his nails with his knife. Asuma showed no trace of his usual good humour; he was staring at Kakashi’s knife.

It had seemed a good idea to have a live action drill instead of the usual simulations. Putting Itachi in charge of the opposition had sounded sensible.

They finished listening to Shikamaru’s detailed and animated analysis of what had occurred.

“Let me summarise,” Sasuke said dryly. “The best outcome for us would have been Shikamaru, Neji, Naruto and me escaping using the Cherry and that required Hamaki, Terai and Fu to launch a kamikaze attack using the Blossom and for us to blow up the Oak.”

Asuma winced. Kakashi threw his knife. It stuck in one of the junctions between two of the metal wall panels.

“Even that best outcome,” Sasuke continued, “would have meant us leaving three of the kits because we have yet to update the evacuation plan and the people bringing the babies to the Sakura could manage one extra shell each but not two.”

“I had no idea the modifications we had made to the Spear and the Gourd were so effective,” Shikamaru prattled, “and the way Itachi used the minkies was brilliant. Imagine managing to smuggle the pods onto the Silver Leaf without any of us noticing. By the Lady, he actually cut through our hull. During a drill!”

“Shika-san!” Sasuke growled. “We are not here to discuss how fiendishly creative Itachi can be. We are here to discuss why every level of our defence failed. Kakashi-sensei, do you have nothing to say?”

Kakashi sighed. “Itachi had told me that the Oak could not be defended with the number of people we have. I refused to listen. Now he has won the argument and forced me to pay attention. He and I will work on a new strategy as our priority.” To the others’ surprise he smiled. “By the Lady, he can be amazing.”


Part of Naruto agreed. The rest was coming to terms with a future when he might have to choose between Sasuke and the kits, or Sasuke and the babies, or the babies and the kits. He would feel less guilty if he did not know his answer; Sasuke would always come first, then the babies and lastly the kits.

“Kakashi-sensei,” he interjected into a gap in the conversation, “we need another equivalent of the Cherry. We should be evacuating the children separately to Sasuke.”

“Naruto?” Sasuke queried.

Kakashi nodded. “Naruto is right, Sasuke. We will work on it. Perhaps we should be investigating Kiba’s potential as a bodyguard as well as a nursemaid.”


Naruto felt better having said it. Having Kakashi agree that he was right had helped. He re-engaged with the discussion. Shikamaru and Neji were explaining the plan for the last section of their journey.

They would deliver the Silver Leaf to a system two gated jumps from Tarrasade. The Oak would then jump back through an ungated, poor hole and wait whilst the Silver Leaf docked and Jiraiya investigated the current situation. Once enough time had elapsed for him to complete his task, the Dart would be sent through the ungated hole to pick up communications from the light speed communication relays.

If all was well, they would then proceed to Tarrasade.

After that they started discussing credit and Naruto lost interest. Sasuke soon noticed and asked if he would like to leave.

Naruto went to find Gaara.


Lee answered when he knocked on the door of Gaara’s apartment. As he entered, Naruto could hear Gaara and Kiba discussing the drill. They sounded excited and pleased. Naruto shook off the last of his mood; it was good to hear Gaara so animated.

They fell silent as soon as Naruto entered the room. Kiba looked guilty. Naruto thought, not for the first time, that they should have been more suspicious when Itachi had asked for him. It should have alerted them to the fact that Itachi had intended to use the minkies.

“It is fine, Kiba-san,” Naruto told him. “The drill was a good thing. It will make us improve. It will give us ideas. Already, Kakashi-sensei wants to train you to protect the babies and the kits.”

Kiba gave a small growl. “I can already protect the babies and the kits.”

“I think he means using weapons as well,” Naruto explained. “Perhaps manning the guns on an escape pod. That kind of thing. Not that it wouldn’t do you good to train as well. Eating Choza’s food is making you podgy.”

“I am not podgy!” Kiba retaliated.

“You are considerably heavier than when we were reunited, Kiba-san,” Gaara observed.

“We should train together,” Naruto suggested. “The three of us. Perhaps Kisame-san would help us.” He glanced at Lee. “You could come too, Lee-san, but it could be dangerous for you to train with us.”

Lee beamed at him. “I understand, Naruto-san. I have already been invited to train by Kakashi-san. He had assigned Gai-san to be my mentor.”

Naruto suspected that Gai and Lee would suit each other very well.


Then Gaara began mooning about Kimimaro and Naruto suddenly decided to accompany Kiba, who was leaving to check on the minkies.


It had been decided that the minkies had earned three days of rest and recuperation before being repodded. In recognition of their part in Itachi’s victory, they had been given the small gym and, to their delight, the large communal bath. From what Naruto could see, all the minkies wanted to do was play, cuddle, sleep, eat, swim, vie for Kiba’s attention and please Itachi.

They clustered around Kiba. They even came out of the bath to see him. Kiba patted their heads, responded to their chatter and did not complain when they pressed their wet bodies against him.

A few of them investigated Naruto but he gave a small growl and they fled back to Kiba’s protection. Naruto did not dislike the minkies themselves but he hated the idea of them; hybrids who had been bred to be so much less than human. He was not sure how they should be treated.

When he arrived back in the crew room he spent a long time viewing the kits and the babies.


Kisame was secretly delighted that the drill had gone so badly. It had elevated Itachi’s status within the crew and confirmed that he was back to his best. Kisame was proud of him.

He happily acquiesced to Naruto’s request to supervise the hybrids’ training.

Training Kiba and Gaara was trickier than Kisame had anticipated. Kiba was reluctant to hit and Gaara had never struck anyone without intending to kill. Neither of them found exercise for its own sake enjoyable. Kiba did not appear to have a competitive bone in his body. Worse, neither of them could remember how to play.

After an unsatisfactory warm up, Kisame gave them some rules and asked Kiba and Gaara to spar; there were no other possible opponents for Gaara given that he passed out if anyone else touched him.

He watched Gaara attacking and Kiba defending. He sighed. He knew Kiba was capable of far more; Itachi had described how Kiba had attacked him and broken his arm. He noted how easily Kiba batted Gaara away when Gaara broke the rules and bit.

Kisame stopped the fight, gave them a gentle critique and told Gaara off for biting. He then settled to the task of goading Kiba into displaying even a fraction of his ability.

Telling him to imagine that Kisame was kidnapper who was after the kits and was dangling Kazuki by his tail worked.

By the Lady he was strong; not as mighty as Kisame but comparable. He was faster than Kisame; not as quick as Gaara or Naruto but impressively swift.

Once he was trained, Kiba would be formidable.


Jiraiya’s report from Tarrasade was, on balance, favourable. Some of the supplies for the new nursery had been delivered to the compound. There was no rumour that Sasuke and Naruto were soon to dock, so Uchiha fever was quiescent. However, there was a persistent investigative reporter who was asking too many questions. Finally, Klennethon Darrent was visiting Tarrasade and had contacted Jiraiya with an invitation for Sasuke, Naruto, Shikamaru and Neji to dine with him in a private room of one of the most exclusive restaurants.

With the prospect of a journalist on their tail, there seemed nothing to be gained by delaying. They sent a warning to Jiraiya and jumped.


They were approaching their dock and shelling the gestators when Shino appeared at the door of the nursery. At first Sasuke thought he was there to be fitted with one of the harnesses but he had news.

“Boss, Kabuto is here,” Shino told him. “I sent out the signal, on the off chance, and his transponder responded.”

Sasuke stiffened. Every minute they delayed between docking and moving to the compound gave the media more time to whip up frenzied mob. On the other hand, walking into an ambush would be foolish.

“Tell Kakashi,” he decided.


Kakashi contacted Jiraiya and told him to bump up the hired security. Then he asked Itachi to see to Kabuto.

Itachi smiled. Kakashi shivered; when he smiled like that Kakashi was reminded of Fugaku-kyou.


Sasuke looked askance at Kakashi when he arrived to take charge of a gestator and told them that they were docking as planned.

“Kabuto?” he asked.

“Itachi is seeing to it,” Kakashi replied. “He should be fine. One of the first things Jiraiya did was revoke all the contracts Uchiha and the Fire Shadow organisation had out on him.”

Sasuke had not thought about what might happen if Itachi and Kisame were spotted in the corridors of Tarrasade.

“Who is he using?” Sasuke asked.

“No idea,” Kakashi admitted. “No one due to carry a babe or a kit other than Shino. You did want to give him more responsibility, Sasuke-sama.”

“I know,” Sasuke acknowledged.


When they gathered at the airlock Itachi, Kisame, Shino, Anko, Inoichi, Kunugi, Hamaki, Terai and Fu were missing.

Kimimaro was there, refusing to look in Gaara’s direction. Sasuke decided to force himself to be civil one last time.

“Are you sure you do not wish to stay with us a little longer, Kimimaro-san?” he asked. “Maybe until you have made travel arrangements?”

Kimimaro looked down his nose at him. “I have made plans, Uchiha-san,” he answered. “I thank you for trying to compensate for what was done to me,” he added, with an expression that suggested he found gratitude acutely painful.

Sasuke gave up; they had already done far more than obligation required.


There was no attack but the crowds were growing by the time they reached the compound; Sasuke was glad that they had hired more security. Jiraiya was standing ready to admit them through the outer cordon. Once everyone was safely inside he walked beside Sasuke, bringing him up to date.

“They’ve already taken note of the gestators; the media was full of it before you were halfway here,” Jiraiya warned him. “They are speculating about Gaara, Lee and the new crew members. A few of the brighter ones have noted that we and Fire Shadow have terminated the contracts that were out on Itachi and Kisame but the most popular explanation is that you have hunted them down and killed them. Where are they?”

“Kabuto is in Tarrasade,” Sasuke informed him. “Itachi had chosen a squad and is pursuing him.”

It was obvious from his expression that Jiraiya did not welcome the news.

Sasuke decided not to ask whether it was Kabuto’s presence or Itachi’s leadership role that displeased him.


Itachi had divided his squad into three. Each group had a device that pinged Kabuto’s transponder and gave the direction of the responding signal.

Hamaki, Terai and Fu had the task of finding Kabuto’s ship and watching it. Anko, Shino, Kunugi and Inoichi were shadowing the crew as they made their way to the compound; their job was to watch the crowds. Kisame and Itachi were hunting Kabuto.


They got nowhere. There was no sign of the ship. They noticed nothing worthy of note among the spectators. Kabuto’s signal, if it was him and not a false positive, vanished.

Itachi called the search off and radioed the others to make their way to the Uchiha compound.


Itachi did not feel odd to be going home. In his mind it was less than a standard since he had last visited. He glanced at Kisame. For Kisame it was the end of a long and painful exile.

It was strange that the new household was located in the old guest quarters. They used what had been the public entrance; Kakashi had given them the codes for the outermost door and then they waited in the lobby for someone to admit them.

It was Jiraiya. They exchanged a short, polite but cold greeting and then the old man vanished into one of the apartments. Itachi and Kisame made their way along a corridor to an inner door. This time it was unlocked remotely; Kakashi’s voice told them to wait for Inari, who would show them where to go.

It was all very odd. There was none of the pomp and grandeur of Uchiha. Instead it was a larger and more comfortable version of what they had on the Oak. Inari showed them the way to Kakashi’s office. Itachi made his report and suggested that Shino might be able to deduce something by triangulating the records from the three locators. Kakashi agreed but confirmed Itachi’s opinion that the most likely explanation was that it had not been Kabuto but someone or something with a transponder that had, by coincidence, been set to respond to the same signal.


Inari showed them to their accommodation, which was a copy of the crew room on the Oak. The only differences were that they were more spread out, had a larger shared bathroom and that the kitchen was huge.

Haku was waiting for them. He hugged Kisame and showed him his room. Despite this being the first time Kisame had been there, the room had Kisame-sized furniture and at one side there was his chest, the one he had kept at the household. Haku explained that Sasuke had insisted that a room be put aside for Kisame when the new household had been built.

Itachi’s room was an anonymous shell.

“There has not been time to do anything to it,” Haku explained. “We have been here less than one hundred minutes.” He looked sideways at Itachi. “I asked Iruka-sensei if we could go into the old household and fetch items from your old apartment. He said yes, but that we were not to mention it to Sasuke.”

“It is normally off limits?” Itachi checked.

Haku nodded and then cocked his head. “Has anyone told you what Sasuke was like for those eight or nine standards between his mother’s death and him becoming Naruto’s lover?”

Itachi swallowed. “No, but I have realised that Asuma and Konohamaru hate me for it.”

“One day you must decide if you want to know,” Haku told him, “or perhaps one of them will decide for you, as I did. Why don’t you and Kisame go into the old household now, while everyone is too busy to notice?”


Most of the rooms were untouched, although the odd piece of furniture or decoration was missing. Everywhere Itachi looked there was a memory, most of which he wished he had forgotten. He understood at least one of the reasons Sasuke had chosen not to live there.

Within his apartment, his belongings had been tossed and then left. Kisame suggested that Asuma or Tenzo had been looking for clues as to where they had fled.

Itachi had not known that Tenzo had survived the massacre. It was interesting to discover that Naruto had killed him.

They loaded a hover platform and headed back to the crew room.


Haku clucked over the state of some of the things he had chosen. The furniture and ornaments were dusted and polished. The rug was thoroughly vacuumed. The clothes and throws were confiscated and put into the laundry. Haku picked out four items that he said would go in the sitting room he was decorating for them to use.

He did not ask Itachi’s permission to do so. Itachi had already noted that Haku had decided that Itachi’s room in the household would not be off limits as his room on the Oak had been. Haku was moving their rather strange relationship into a new phase.

Itachi did not mind. Haku was far better qualified than he or Kisame to know what was best for the three of them. Perhaps, one day, he would decide that Itachi was ready for something other than dancing, conversation and playing cards.

Itachi was beginning to look forward to it.

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