Name: Space Piracy; Lessons in Love, Ass-kicking, and Instant Noodles
Author: sirona on ao3
Word Length; 63,241
Summary (provided by author): Ninjas IN SPACE! Join Soragakure's pirate ship captain, Uzumaki Naruto and his crew of misfits on an epic adventure, spanning whole galaxies as they fight to gain control of a viciously dangerous viral mainframe, parts of which are contained in the partly-cyborg bodies of nine men and women all over the known universe. Enemies become friends and friends become something more in a frantic race to outrun the unscrupulous Akatsuki organisation and the corrupt Alliance of space cities and steal a weapon that may mean the end of creation as they know it. Main pairing: Uzumaki Naruto/Uchiha Sasuke.
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Work Text:
It's funny to realise that all this drama with Bee's possible death-by-dismemberment and subsequent reprieve has only taken them just over two hours. Bee is still in sick bay, seeing as how the Raikage woke up just as he was getting re-dressed. Naruto had never seen a grown man cry so many tears of joy before; even Gai stopped after a few minutes most of the time. The rest of them had discreetly slipped out of the room to give the two brothers some privacy, as soon as Sakura had confirmed that the Raikage's condition was stable at last.
Naruto keeps his head down on his way to his quarters, not meeting anyone's eyes. He squeezes his eyes hard, trying not to think about what he'd been ready to do earlier today, at least until he can close the door behind him. His hands squeeze into fists as stray images flit through his mind -- Ino's desperate shouts that there's another way, Sakura's horrified, betrayed eyes when he'd practically ordered Bee's death. He rather thinks that Bee's calm and resigned face as he undressed to undertake what could very well be his last moments alive is going to haunt him for the rest of his life, however long that may be.
He ignores the voices calling his name with increasing irritation as he speeds up his pace and turns a corner. He just wants half an hour to himself, is that too much to ask? There's still over fifteen hours of warp flight until they reach their destination, they can leave him alone for five bloody minutes while he tries to come to terms with the fact that apparently he is capable of killing a member of his crew in pretty much cold blood, for the greater good. He has never hated himself more than he does in that moment. There had been a time; in fact, it's still an option that he himself may be disposed of for the greater good, as that utter bastard Danzou is fond of saying. For all intents and purposes, he's been no better than Danzou today; the thought makes bile rise in his throat and he breaks into a run for the last few meters to his door. He keys in the code quickly enough, and stumbles into the toilet, retching pathetically as he brings up mostly nothing at all--he hasn't really had anything to eat since he'd been brought back on board of Sora-chan, he's only been hooked up to intravenous liquids.
He slumps weakly against the wall when he's done, landing in a pile of limbs and thumping his elbow painfully on the edge of the shower cubicle. Never again, he promises himself. Never again if there's even the slightest chance of a different option. Death is never a solution when it comes to one of his own. He closes his eyes, lost in despising himself.
Which is why it takes him completely by surprise when the door to his quarters snicks open, and moments later Sakura is in his bathroom, holding him up by his lapels and knocking something in his head loose when she shakes him violently a few times.
"Stop it right now," Sakura growls at his limp body, trying to hide how worried she is when all he does is sigh and let his head roll back placidly. "I know what you're doing," she goes on in her most menacing tone, "and you're going to snap out of it right the fuck now, or you won't like the consequences."
Naruto sighs again. "It's okay, Sakura-chan, you can yell at me as much as you want. It's nothing I don't deserve," he says, and his voice is dead.
