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Iteration	By : mannahpierce Category: Naruto > Yaoi - Male/Male > Naruto/Sasuke Views: 2252 -:- Recommendations : 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.

Chapter List
- 1-Mission
- 2-Separation
- 3-The Warren
- 4-Responses
- 5-Newcomer
- 6-Ranmaru
- 7-Waiting
- 8-Akatsuki
- 9-Stranded
- 10-Alarm
- 11-Indecision
- 12-Kaze
- 13-Confession
- 14-Stories
- 15-Places
- 16-Vigil
- 17-Abduction
- 18-Rescue
- 19-Sanctuary
- 20-Caring
- 21-Littermates
- 22-Adventure
- 23-Powder keg
- 24-Operatives
- 25-Evening
- 26-Preparations
- 27-Arrival
- 28-Mistaken
- 29-Evacuation
- 30-Uninvited
- 31-Lull
- 32-Setback
- 33-Genius
- 34-Team
- 35-Parley
- 36-Loose ends
- 37-Spacer
- 38-Justice
- 39-Rounds
- 40-Target
- 41-Presents
- 42-Naruto's Planet
- 43-Inwards
- 44-Mourning
- 45-Contrast
- 46-Little Uchihas
- 47-Three
- 48-Progress
- 49-Decisions
- 50-Acquiescence
- 51-Messages
- 52-Pursuit
- 53-Print
- 54-Adapting
- 55-Roles
- 56-Risk
- 57-Death
- 58-Changes
- 59-Agents
- 60-Comfort
- 61-Risk
- 62-Inside
- 63-Hidden
- 64-Fallout
- 65-Reunited
- 66-Family
- 67-Differences
- 68-Home
- 69-Misunderstandings
- 70-Real
- 71-Terms
- 72-Persuasion
- 73-Busy
- 74-Safe
- 75-Haunted
- 76-Moving on
- 77-Performance
- 78-Loyalties
- 79-Guilt
- 80-Scavenger
- 81-Foundling
- 82-Wanted
- 83-Guardian
- 84-Approval
- 85-Liaison
- 86-Tea
- 87-Consequences
- 88-The list
- 89-Shadows
- 90-Reaction
- 91-Unpredictable
- 92-Evidence
- 93-Harvesting
- 94-Plans
- 95-Sleepover
- 96-Moegi-san
- 97-Voids
- 98-Blame
- 99-Guardian
- 100-Friend
- 101-Edges
- 102-Runaway
- 103-Tracking
- 104-Resolutions
- 105-Needed
- 106-Crippled
- 107-Developments
- 108-Makeover
- 109-Assumptions
- 110-Reflections
- 111-Privileged
- 112-Steps
- 113-Killing square
- 114-Raid
- 115-Rout
- 116-Visits
- 117-Rising
- 118-The Picnic - Anticipation
- 119-The Picnic - Realisation
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Author's note. Apologies for the look of this chapter particularly if you tried to read it when I first put it up. I used to paste from a plain text with HTML commands into the 'text input' box but the text input box has changed to something that works in a completely different way. My computer loathes it and giving me error messages. I shall work out what to do but you will have to put up with the strange line spacing, which I cannot get rid of, for now. Sorry
'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 SidonieStarr, Midnight Essence, richon, v, Moonmoore, sadie237, Zakunai, Prism0467 and cynaga, who reviewed chapter 55.
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.

Chapter fifty-six: Trust

Sasuke reread the communication; an image of a tradition, handwritten letter. Klennethon Darrent wanted a face-to-face meeting. He was willing to come to the Oak, for them to visit Elessen or for them to negotiate a neutral venue. Sasuke activated the intercom and asked Kakashi and Neji to come to his office.
“We’ll be safer with him here or even us on Elessen,” Kakashi suggested once Sasuke had informed them of the contents of the letter.
“I am astonished he is willing to board the Oak,” Neji added.
Sasuke noticed that both of them were assuming that he would agree to the meeting. “I should meet him, then,” he stated.
They both looked at him. Sasuke thought he saw fleeting pain in Neji’s eyes before his expression smoothed into neutrality.
“I will meet him,” he confirmed. “Anything to increase the chances of getting Shika and Haru back.” He sighed. “As much as it pains me to admit it, we should probably share what we know. Where?”
“Elessen,” Neji replied.
“I agree,” Kakashi added.
“Elessen,” Sasuke agreed.

Sasori tested his bonds again but the straps still held him motionless in the chair.
He told himself it could be worse. If Temari-sama ever got hold of him he was dead. If any of the few remaining Sunagakure managed to find him he would suffer a painful and protracted demise; at least Temari would kill him quickly. Although the mere name Klennethon Darrent was enough to twist his gut, he took comfort from the fact that a great deal of trouble had been taken to bring him here; wherever here was.
The door opened and a man stood there. Sasori swallowed. The man was as intimidating as Gaara before his controller and oozed more charisma than Pein. It had to be Klennethon Darrent.
“You need to ask yourself,” he said to Sasori, “what are you willing to do in order to live?”
Then he was gone.

It was a good question. Now that the Sunagakure were destroyed, Sasori was uncertain of the answer. Give up his name, his home, his belongings, his profession or even his shells; yes. Give up his personality, his intelligence, his sanity or certain valued parts of his anatomy; no.
Perhaps Klennethon Darrent was suggesting that Sasori should work for him. The idea had merit. Moving from Orochimaru to Pein had definitely been a step up. Orochimaru was unpredictable, volatile and vicious. Pein might be a dangerous idealist but he followed his own rules and rewarded results. Even so, swapping Pein for Klennethon Darrent would be trading up on a grand scale.
Not that interacting with Klennethon Darrent was safe; on the contrary, everyone who spaced in the Fringe knew that you left Klennethon Darrent alone. There were stories; the type of stories that turned out to be facts when you bothered to check. Welch on a deal you made with him and you lost everything. Steal from him and you died. Touch someone he cared about and you died horribly. It did not seem to matter the size of the ‘you’; they had varied from individuals to mafia to inter-planetary organisations.
Not much was known about him other than he had been a member of the Centralite Civil Service, was fabulously wealthy and knew your darkest secrets. He had agents. They came in two types, Garner Parrad and others. Klennethon Darrent cared about Garner Parrad. You did not touch Garner Parrad. He also cared about the crew of a ship called the Rosie. Not even pirates considered attacking the Rosie.
Rumours suggested that the recent demise of the Snuffers was down to him.
Sasori rather hoped that he would return with a proposal.

“Remember, dobe, you promised to be good,” Sasuke reminded Naruto as they walked up the steps to Klennethon Darrent’s villa.
Naruto gave a small growl, which deepened as they entered the building. Just inside the entrance was a marble statue of the two of them together. It showed Sasuke, naked, standing with his head tipped back. Naruto was behind him, long arms wrapped about Sasuke’s body, nipping his neck.
Sasuke sighed; at least the composition had one of Naruto’s hands covering his genitalia. Personally, he thought that the white marble did not do justice to Naruto’s vibrancy. On the other hand, the artist had captured the shape of Naruto’s back, butt and legs perfectly.
“We needed the credit,” Sasuke reminded him.
Naruto growled again but there was no real intensity in it.

There was a fabulous sketch of Shikamaru on the wall of Klennethon Darrent’s office.
“I will send you an electronic copy,” Klennethon Darrent promised in place of a greeting. “Uchiha-sama, Naruto-san,” he added.
“Thank you, Darrent-san,” Sasuke replied. “You wished for a face-to-face meeting?”
“I have a way forward to propose,” Klennethon Darrent told them. “However, it involves dealing with an unsavoury individual who should be terminated.”
“We are listening,” Sasuke confirmed.
“I have Sasori, the former member of the Sunagakure. He was responsible for the kidnap of Gaara-san, which led to the identification of Shika as the Wizard of the data streams and confirmed him as a target for the Akatsuki. He is also responsible for many murders that were not necessary in the performance of his duty. He, singlehandedly, destroyed the Sunagakure by tricking Temari-sama and her brother into believing them responsible for Gaara-san’s kidnap.”
Sasuke wondered when Shikamaru had become Shika to Klennethon Darrent. Then again, Shikamaru did refer to him as Klenn.
“Sasori has connections to the Akatsuki. He was operating on their behalf when he kidnapped Gaara-san. However, he is open to a proposal to work against the Akatsuki. The proposal would involve not killing him in the short term and, if he delivers, also not killing him in the long term.”
“Do you have any reason to believe you can trust him?” Sasuke asked.
Klennethon Darrent smiled. “Those he worked for previously did not appreciate that Sasori is incapable of being motivated by goals other than his own,” he replied. “I shall not make the same error. He wishes to survive and he knows I will kill him without the slightest hesitation should he cross me. I can also hide him from the queue of others who wish to kill him, including the survivors of the Sunagakure, Temari-sama, Uchiha and, if we go forward with the proposal, the Akatsuki. However, I will not proceed with the plan without your consent. You have far more to lose than I.”
Sasuke looked at Naruto. This was the problem they came back to again and again. If they managed to locate Shikamaru, the Akatsuki would threaten to kill Haru.
“We have no other hope of getting eyes into the Akatsuki,” Sasuke admitted.
“Endangering Haru and Shi-chan’s lives is not acceptable,” Naruto reminded them.
“We would rather settle for information, if the alternative increases the likelihood of any harm coming to them,” Sasuke emphasised.
“I understand,” Klennethon Darrent acknowledged. “We will proceed. I believe that I will have significant information for you by tomorrow afternoon. Perhaps we could meet again. Maybe on the Oak? I was hoping to assist you in integrating the information we have gathered.”
Sasuke froze. Was he really going to allow Klennethon Darrent free access to Uchiha’s systems?
“Do you not trust me?” Klennethon Darrent queried.
“Why should we?” Naruto asked bluntly.
Sasuke was glad that Naruto had said it so he did not have to.
Klennethon Darrent studied them in turn. “The situation is very different to that when we first met. I may not be Shika’s best friend but he is mine. I want him where he belongs, with the two of you and his family. He will be happy and I will go back to enjoying our correspondence.”
Sasuke decided that this was a risk he could afford to take. “We would be honoured if you would be our guest on the Oak. Will anyone be accompanying you?”
“Garner Parrad,” he replied.
He stood, indicating that the meeting was at an end. They followed his example.
“We will be in contact about times,” he suggested. “I would like to show you something before you go,” he added.

Sasuke had steeled himself for more art showing him and Naruto in various erotic poses. He found Naruto’s hand and squeezed it as they walked in Klennethon Darrent’s wake.
“A new facet to my collection,” Klennethon Darrent announced as he opened a door and waved them inside. “Folk art. I confess that I had not expected to find so much so soon. Garner buys new examples whenever he sees them for sale.”
It was both fascinating and disturbing. The medallions were bad enough but many of the pictures were suspiciously like religious icons. Most of them were of Naruto or the two of them together but he spotted two of Inoichi and even one of Shikamaru.
“Patron saint of berserkers,” Klennethon Darrent joked, gesturing toward the picture showing Shikamaru, “because he invented the controller that allows them to lead normal lives.”
Sasuke did not see the humour; it was too close to the truth.

“You weren’t surprised,” Sasuke observed as he and Naruto walked back to where they had landed the Dart.
There are lots of little shrines in Haven,” Naruto admitted.
“You never told me that,” Sasuke complained.
Naruto shrugged. “We cannot control what people do and I knew it would upset you. He’s different,” he added, changing the subject. “He cares now.”
“He and Shikamaru play games, tell each other jokes, solve puzzles and write each other letters,” Sasuke replied. “I knew,” he assured him.
“He loves Shi-chan,” Naruto observed. “Shi-chan loves him but not the way he would like. He loves him a friend way rather than a partner way.”
“As he said, Shika belongs with us,” Sasuke replied.

Sasori had been living in a cell for seventeen days when they drugged his food and he woke to find himself strapped to the chair again.
He was pleased. Perhaps Klennethon Darrent was going to pay him a visit.
Sure enough, a neatly dressed woman opened the door and placed a chair facing him at about five paces’ distance. She left and then the small room was thick with his presence. He sat on the chair.
“I care about Shikamaru,” Klennethon Darrent informed him. “Shikamaru has been kidnapped by Pein because of the information Gaara-san’s interrogation yielded.”
Sasori’s gut contracted and he broke out in a sweat. “I did not know,” he said in a voice that was embarrassingly close to a squeak.
“I know that,” Klennethon Darrent acknowledged. “That is why you are still alive. By now Shikamaru will have made it clear to Pein that I care for him yet he has not been returned. This is a problem.”
Sasori shivered. Pein was one of the walking dead; it was merely a matter of time.
“Tell me all you know about Pein and the Akatsuki and I shall allow you to live,” Klennethon Darrent proposed. “I will release you but I will inform Temari-sama, Uchiha-sama and Pein of your whereabouts and your actions. You are resourceful. You will have a sporting chance.”
It was a reasonable offer; Sasori would take it if there was nothing better available. “Is there no possibility of negotiating a better deal, Darrent-san?” he asked. This time his voice behaved.
Klennethon Darrent appeared to consider. “Perhaps. You will tell me everything you know about Pein and the Akatsuki. I shall then decide if you can be of any more use to me.”
Sasori nodded. “Are the recorders running?” he asked.
“Of course,” Klennethon Darrent replied.

When he had run out of things to say, Klennethon Darrent left. Sasori was exhausted. He hoped that one of the neatly dressed people would turn up soon to sedate him.
Where would he be when he woke up?
If he was anywhere else other than the cell, he would be on the run with Temari, Uchiha and the Akatsuki after him.
If he was still in the cell there was a good chance that Klennethon Darrent would return with a second proposal. One that had Sasori working for him with the aim of getting Shikamaru released. One that might lead to a new identity and the chance of a future.
Or he would not wake up, but Sasori thought that unlikely.
He trusted Klennethon Darrent to keep his word.

Sasuke asked Kakashi to meet their guests at the docking bay and conduct them to the meeting room where he, Itachi, Neji, and Naruto were waiting. When they entered there was an exchange of greetings. Those between Klennethon Darrent and Neji were distinctly cool; Sasuke doubted that Klennethon Darrent could ever forgive Neji for having what he wanted so much.
Sasori had already yielded large quantities of information. They listened, queried and analysed. Then they all watched as Klennethon Darrent interacted with the database Shikamaru had left for Sasuke.
“This is incredible,” Klennethon Darrent murmured. “All the research says that typed-sevens cannot bridge the gap between their thinking and others’.” He looked towards Sasuke. “So much for the research.”
“Are you...?” Sasuke stopped; horrified that he had been tempted to ask such a personal question.
Klennethon Darrent chose to answer. “I am a typed-five. Typed-fives are more pattern orientated but do not see the lateral links that typed-sevens see.” He went back to the database, entering information and examining the changes in patterns those entries made.

As the meeting came to an end, Sasuke turned to Neji. “Neji-san, using what Sasori told Darrent-san, what do we have about Pein himself?”
Neji considered before speaking. “Pein appears to be a man of vision and principle who inspires loyalty. He has a vision of the future called the Peace. He believes that killing people with souls is wrong. However, he wants to impose his vision on others and he thinks that the only people with souls are purebred humans who are conceived rather than cloned. This allows him to use clones, and presumably hybrids, without any consideration of their welfare.”
The mere notion of it riled Sasuke. How dare he suggest that Naruto and Hoshi were disposable?
“This distinction is interesting because of its convenience,” Neji concluded. “Pein will interpret reality to suit him rather than adapt his vision. It suggests that he may not be entirely sane.”
“Itachi?” Sasuke requested.
“Short-term, we should search the wreckage we recovered for remains of a Deva, which would reveal Pein’s genome. Sasori’s description suggests he has a distinctive appearance, so identifying the remains should be possible. Also, Konan calls him Nagato, which is worth further investigation. Sasori has been to only one of Pein’s bases but suggests that there is more than one and that they are on different planets rather than being in space. He was taken in and out podded, which implies they have very tight security.”
“Thank you,” said Sasuke. “Naruto, do you have anything to add?”
Naruto shook his head.
“Darrent-san?” Sasuke added.
“By using a route made possible by the improver we can ensure that it looks as if Sasori’s journey from Kaze out into the Far Fringe was uninterupted,” Klennethon Darrent replied. “As for Sasori himself, it is interesting what Sasori does not know and has not deduced. He knows that the Akatsuki produce clones but he has not realised that the Devas are actually clones of Pein and he has no idea about the mindprinting. For him clones are either independent beings, like monozygotic twins, or spare parts. Despite this lack of insight, Sasori has already been useful because he is very observant. Many of his small observations fit with pieces we already have.
“What will make Sasori useful in the future is his cunning, his flexibility and his ability to survive. I propose we allow him free range within set parameters, which would be to do nothing to endanger Shika or Haru’s lives but be alert for any information or opportunities that may lead to their escape or retrieval.”
“He will not turn back to the Akatsuki?” Kakashi challenged.
Klennethon Darrent considered. “I think the possibility is low. He doesn’t have that high opinion of the Akatsuki. He thinks Orochimaru is insane and that Pein is a dangerous idealist. He believes I am a better bet.”
Sasuke asked if there were any further contributions and then brought the meeting to a close. He then looked to Naruto, who nodded.
“There is something we would like to show you, Darrent-san,” he proposed. “In return for the gifts of art you have given us.”
Klennethon Darrent walked though the birch trees. “It is amazing,” he confirmed.
“He likes the sound of the leaves moving,” Sasuke told him.

Naruto watched Klennethon Darrent walking in Shi-chan’s woods. He had not been sure about it. Sasuke had agreed to wait until after the meeting, when Naruto would make the final decision.
“Thank you,” Garner Parrad said from his position beside Naruto.
Naruto turned and looked at him.
“This experience is, as Uchiha-sama suggested, a gift. It is very difficult to give him a gift he truly appreciates,” Garner Parrad told him.
Naruto studied him. “You love him,” he observed. “It is good that love can be expressed as friendship rather than fucking.”
Garner Parrad smiled. “Yes, it is good that love can be expressed as friendship. And loyalty. And devotion.”
Naruto’s opinion of Klennethon Darrent shifted a little further. He would never like the man. He would never forgive him for hurting Sasuke by telling him that Naruto’s lifespan would be shorter than a purebred’s. He would never enjoy being, with Sasuke, the man’s hobby. However, he was beginning to understand why Shi-chan liked him and to trust him, at least a little.
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Iteration