Over 100 favorites! Double yay!

Lieutenant Shini, who was definitely caught up in hero worship, led them back to Docking Bay 1. The crew waited around for a few minutes when a panting Sakura appeared with a duffel bag and a suitcase dragged behind her.

"Slow down! There's no hurry, we're not leaving without you," Naruto called out.

Sakura stopped and panted. With her 5'8 legs, she'd managed to sprint a decent distance in her rush to get to them. "Sorry… just… excited. I was eager to join your crew before. Now it seems I'm joining up with celebrities!"

"We're not celebrities," Naruto denied. *Yet. Just wait till High Command finds out about this,* he broadcasted over the Pack mind.

*Itachi might kidnap us to dissect the ship,* Sasuke said, without a hint of sarcasm.

*Focus, people. We have a potential Pack member here,* Hinata commanded. She smiled and stepped forward to take Sakura's luggage. "Let me take that."

"Oh, no, I couldn't…" Sakura attempted while Hinata did it anyway.

"It's no problem. And until you agree to Naruto's proposal, you're our guest, not our crewmate." So saying, Hinata strolled into the Invictus. "That being said, I'm putting these in what will be your room if you say yes."

Sakura blinked. "She just doesn't let anyone get in her way, does she?" She thought aloud.

"Pretty much. We've all learned to just go along with it," Sasuke said with a grin. He'd been unable to pry his eyes off her the whole time. After all, as Fu had revealed, she was his perfect woman, physically. At least once she was a Thrall, she would be.

Sakura turned to the Chief of Staff. "Sasuke, right? Nice to meet you in person," she said, offering her hand to shake. None of them missed how she gave him a once over and blushed.

Naruto clapped. "Okay, let's go to the Briefing Room. Then you can decide if you want to join us once you here all the rewards and consequences."

Sakura nodded. "Sure thing. But I can't imagine any reason why I would say no."

"Oh, you'd be surprised," Tenten muttered as she went in the airlock.

Fu prowled past Sakura without a word, though she did offer a smile.

Naruto offered Sakura his arm. Blushing at the old-fashioned gesture, Sakura nevertheless took his arm in her's and followed Naruto through the airlock. "Welcome to the Invictus."

Sakura marveled at the anti-grav tubes. "What an ingenious way to get around waiting for a lift!" She marveled.

"Tenten's idea. It comes in handy, that's for sure. Now, up we go," Naruto said before stepping into the blue glow of the tube. Sakura squeaked as she started to lift off the ground, but she just clung to him tight.

They stepped out onto the Bridge. Sakura admired the room, before following Naruto into the Briefing Room. Sakura blinked when she saw Gaara.

"Is that… I mean, are you a Suna-Konoha hybrid? I didn't even know that was possible," she asked the Grey.

Gaara fidgeted. "It is best if Naruto explains," he said simply.

Sakura turned to Naruto, who led her to sit next to Fu. Then he took his place at the head of the table.

"First things first. Let's introduce you to the crew. You've met Hinata, my XO and Navigator. And the love of my life, but that goes without saying," Naruto told her. "This is Sasuke, my Chief of Staff and oldest friend. This is Hana, our Tactical Officer and best gunner I've met. This is Tenten, Chief Engineer and a certified genius. This is Fu, the pilot of our Raptor gunship, and she's a Nymph. And you've met Gaara, our Comms Officer."

"Hello to all of you," Sakura said, bowing her head. Her sharp eyes flicked between them all. "Is there a reason you all have pointed ears? Is getting that body modification crew policy?"

"In a manner of speaking. And it ties into Gaara's appearance and our proposal for the terms of your stay," Naruto said leadingly.

"I'm listening," Sakura said, laying her hands on the table.

Naruto sighed. No matter how many times he did this, it never got easy. "Let's start with the obvious. I'm not Konoha."

Sakura blinked. "Really? You seem remarkably similar. What species are you?"

"The Uzu. You wouldn't have heard of them. To our knowledge, there's only one other besides us in the Galactic League."

"Us?" Sakura asked.

Naruto sighed. "Uzu are able to radically alter a person's DNA under the right conditions. As part of joining my crew, each member has agreed to be adopted into the Uzu. Gaara is about halfway through the process, hence his… uneven appearance."

"I am ugly as sin. You can say it," Gaara's speech modulator whispered.

Sakura shook her head and reached out a hand to lay it on Gaara's. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I think you look… unique."

Gaara blinked. "You are kind, HarunoSakura."

The doctor blushed. "Just trying to be nice." Turning to Naruto, she asked "So, I'd be expected to become an Uzu as well if I join the crew?"

"Yes, that is correct. It's kind of non-negotiable," Naruto said, shrugging.

Sakura touched her pointer fingers to her chin. "May I have a pro/con list of being an Uzu as opposed to a Konoha?"

Naruto was encouraged by the fact she didn't run from the room. "Uzu are psychic, and effectively immortal. You'll essentially become a demigod."

Sakura's jaw dropped. "Are you joking? What do you mean, immortal?"

"Uzu don't age. And they have Psychic Healing to recover from injuries. Combine the two, and you've got eternal youth and invincibility," Hinata said with a grin. "In other words, once you're converted, you'll be a hot 18-year-old for the next million years or so."

Sakura gaped. "How would that work? The telomeres…" she started to mutter under her breath.

Naruto coughed to get her attention. "On top of powers and immortality, your body will change. You'll have all your old injuries healed and be molded into the template for a female Uzu. In other words, a body like Hinata's."

Sakura glanced at her A-cup breasts to Hinata's D-cup bounty. "I could get boobs?"

"You'll also stop having periods," Tenten threw in.

Sakura's jaw seemed in danger of dislocating. "What? How? Why?"

"Uzu can ovulate on command. Otherwise, nothing happens. So no menstruation," Tenten elaborated.

Sakura blinked. "I guess that makes sense for an immortal species. And I can't believe I just said that." She turned to Naruto "Anything else?"

"This isn't an Uzu thing, but you'll have access to the crew account. It's currently over 650 million," Naruto added. "And Uzu have much more efficient brains. Your IQ will jump at least 20 points."

Sakura leaned back in her chair. "If I wanted money, I would have stayed at home. But enhanced intelligence… that's worth its weight in diamonds!"

"You're rich?" Fu asked curiously.

Sakura's face closed off. "No, my father is rich. I cut myself off and live by my own means."

Sensing a lot of history there they could get into later, Naruto continued "That's about it for the pros. Ready for the cons?"

Sakura turned to eye Naruto. "Unless becoming an Uzu involves human sacrifice, I don't see any way I could refuse your offer."

"You never know," Naruto dithered before taking the plunge. "Your personality will be altered. You'll have zero privacy because our minds will become permanently linked. And the method of becoming an Uzu involves… oral sex."

Sakura tilted her head almost sideways. "Okay, lot to address there. In order: how, really, and are you kidding me?"

Naruto shrugged helplessly. "The template for a female Uzu includes personality shifts. Among them bisexuality, an enhanced libido, zero jealousy, and sexual submissiveness. Becoming an Uzu involves forming an Astral Bond which is like a fiber optic cable between our brains. You can learn to block certain thoughts with practice, but otherwise you're an open book. And the way to become an Uzu is to ingest my semen. It's a psychic catalyst and allows me to work my powers on the cellular level of the recipient."

"You all gave him a blowjob to join the crew?" Sakura questioned incredulously.

They all nodded. "Did a lot more than that," Fu said nonchalantly.

Sakura looked at them all with wide eyes. "This… this isn't a crew. It's a harem!"

Hinata nodded. "And we're asking you to consider joining. Please? Pretty please? I've had a crush on you since that first dress fitting."

Sakura gulped. "If you have Psychic Healing, why do you need a Medic?"

"In case we're ever injured and we're out of psionic energy. To analyze our DNA and answer some mysteries. To perform obstetrics when we all settle down," Hinata listed off her fingers.

Sakura sighed and rubbed her large forehead. "So, in summary, become a magical elf if I agree to become a concubine. That an accurate assessment?"

"Ish," Naruto said forlornly. "If you refuse, we'll completely understand. I'd ask you to keep this secret, but no one will believe you anyway."

Sakura pursed her lips. "I haven't said no yet."

Hinata whooped. "You mean you might join us after all?"

Sakura grinned. "Well, I had a crush on you both too. And I'm definitely curious to get a look at your DNA. And eternity as part of a bisexual harem sounds like a much more interesting fate than the life I was leading beforehand."

"So… you accept?" Naruto asked hopefully.

"Just a few points to clarify. You all sleep with each other, or are all of you exclusive to Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"Oh, it's an orgy every night," Tenten said with a wicked grin. "And some mornings," she added.

Sakura blushed scarlet. "Good to know. How long does the conversion process take? How many blowjobs do I have to give?"

"About 21, or three a day for a week," Naruto answered honestly.

"And now the most important question: are you hung?" Sakura asked with a naughty grin.

Everyone burst into laughter, even Gaara. "You have NO idea," Fu said cheerfully.

Naruto stood up and dropped his pants. Sakura thought he was already hard at a decent size, until it swelled up like a balloon until it was the size of a novelty dildo.

"Holy mother of God," Sakura breathed. "How in hell is that going to fit?"

"One of the first changes is to make your body more stretchy. Everyone can take me to the root without getting hurt. In fact, they seem to enjoy it. Well, we haven't tried with Gaara yet, but we will when he's done converting. Speaking of, Gaara, come get dinner," Naruto said nonchalantly, as if he weren't flashing a near stranger.

Gaara walked over and got in his knees. Sakura watched in a near dissociative state as the small Grey took that colossal cock to the balls, which she noted there were four massive examples of. After a good five minutes of deepthroating, Naruto's face contorted with pleasure and Gaara's stomach swelled up like he'd swallowed a late August watermelon.

"What. The. Hell?" Sakura gaped.

"Four big balls equal quarts of cum. About a half gallon per nut, give or take depending on edging and how many times he's already gone," Hinata provided helpfully. "I literally survived on an all-cum diet for a month when we first got together."

Sakura shook her head. "Okay. Is this a dream? Should I pinch myself?"

"It's all real, honey. So, what do you say? You up for joining our merry circus?" Naruto said, sitting down without buckling his pants back up.

Sakura considered it from every angle, her genius level IQ analyzing the costs and benefits. She arrived at one inevitable conclusion. "Consider me your Medical Officer!"

Everyone cheered and clapped. "You're going to love it here!" Hinata said, rushing over to give the pinkette a hug.

Sakura returned the gesture. "I'm eager to get to know you all. And I'll love to perform extensive 'physical exams' with each of you!" She winked flirtatiously.

Tenten chuckled. "What do you know, she's already a pervert. Your cum won't have much to change, stud."

Naruto grinned and willed his erection back. "So, you feel like getting started?" He asked the pinkette.

"Again? Already? How are you not dehydrated from all that seminal fluid?" Sakura asked in disbelief.

"No idea. Maybe you can help us figure it out," Naruto shrugged.

Sakura took a preparatory breath, and got on her knees. Gulping, she put the massive head in her mouth. Her eyes went glassy and she began to suck mindlessly.

Naruto didn't bother stretching things out, and released within five minutes like he had with Gaara. Sakura blew up like a balloon, before mindlessly stroking her belly in a catatonic state.

Fu scooped up the girl. "I'll take this little kitten to the bedroom. You guys get us underway for Olympus Shipyard," she suggested, walking away without buckling under the weight of the new Medical Officer.

Naruto and the Pack got to their stations on the Bridge. While Hinata lifted them up and away from Docking Bay 1, Gaara noticed their call history.

*We have multiple calls from AburameShino,* he projected.

Naruto nodded and ordered that Gaara make the call. The holo-image of Shino's face appeared almost instantly. His expression went from worried to relieved.

"Naruto! Where do I start? I'm hearing impossible things about you!"

"The beginning is always a good idea," Naruto suggested.

"Alright. How the hell did you get to the Dragon March in a day? When we talked yesterday, you were near Epsilon Eridani! That's five days away!" The Vice Admiral's eyebrows were well above his sunglasses.

"We visited the Greys. They gave us a new Tachyon Drive and Power Core. It's that simple."

Shino shook his head. "I'm almost afraid to check your bank account. Okay, I'll accept Suna tech as an answer. But what about you taking out a Kumo Heavy Carrier in under a minute? Or sensing it from hours away? Or you intimidating the rest of the force into surrendering without a single man lost?"

"My Chief Engineer upgraded the Invictus's weapons and sensors. It's that simple. And I'm told I can be pretty scary when I want to be," Naruto shrugged.

Shino blinked. "... If I didn't know you, Naruto, you would scare me right now. I don't suppose you'd be willing to share these tech designs with the Konoha Federation?"

"Not for free," was his automatic response.

Shino bristled. "You're going to price gouge us again? What happened to your loyalty or patriotism?"

Naruto's eyes hardened. "I helped out in Iota Leonis, didn't I? I could have left Port Medea to be destroyed. Instead I helped out. I'm loyal to the K-Fed. But I'm not going to let my Chief's hard work be mass produced without compensation."

Shino grit his teeth. "... Fair enough. Reinforcements are inbound within the hour. I know you were going to visit the Oto next, but you need to come here so I can debrief you. There's even talk of an award ceremony. How soon can you be here in your speed demon of a ship?"

"A day. We'll arrive around 2000 tomorrow," Naruto said, consulting Hinata mentally.

Shino shook his head. "Unbelievable. I'll schedule you for 2015. See you, Naruto," Shino said before ending the call.

Hinata navigated them to the Nav Beacon and, with a surge of blue particles, the Invictus lurched into hyperwarp.

"They got a Battleship coming in the reinforcement force, the Artemis," Tenten noted.

Sasuke perked up. "I've heard of the Artemis. Run by Commodore Yuuhi Kurenai. She's Admiral Utatane Koharu's protege."

"They hot?" Hinata asked point-blank.

"Kurenai is a fox in her forties. Koharu wasn't winning any pageants even when she was young, let's leave it at that," Sasuke answered.

"I'm still pro-Manchurian Candidate route. Either one would be bombshell teenagers after you're done with them," Tenten offered.

"We'll keep that in mind, honey, but I just don't want to seduce High Command. It feels like a power move a typical Uzu would do," Naruto said.

Hana sat up explosively. "That's it!"

*What's what?* Gaara asked.

"The Dragon March traitor! What if the rival Uzu enthralled a member of High Command? That would explain why the conflict is going so poorly!" Hana's eyes were wide at the implications of her own words.

Sasuke shuddered. "That… makes a disturbing amount of sense."

"Why have the Kumo and Konoha bash each other to pieces?" Tenten wondered.

"Divide and conquer! Or just sadistic amusement of a bored immortal!" Hana said emphatically.

Naruto rubbed his jaw. "Anyway to prove it? Other than checking if any Admirals or Vice Admirals have had dramatic changes in appearance?"

Hana bit her lip. "I'll analyze every order we have clearance to review. I might be able to pick out the traitor from that, especially if I restrict it to female officers."

Hinata stood up. "Revealing as this has been, I'm starving. Can we have dinner, then celebrate our victory against the Kumo?"

Naruto stood up, smiling. "Cooking time! I feel like a curry tonight. I had Kumo cuisine and it's very spicy."

"Honor the fallen with food? Interesting concept," Sasuke mused.

They all went down to the Kitchen to find Fu in tiger form lapping milk from a bowl. The Pack all took turns scratching her fur or playing with her while Naruto cooked Indian cuisine. They all enjoyed the fiery fare, Naruto having customized the spiciness of each plate according to their personal preference. They went to the Commander's Quarters and piled into the shower. Then they had glorious sex to celebrate their decisive victory against the Kumo Empire and acquiring a Medical Officer. When they finished, they cuddled around a sleeping Sakura and fell asleep.

Naruto woke feeling totally at peace. He enjoyed the sleeping thoughts of the six Astral Bonds he had. Their relationship was really beyond description. Being able to feel so many emotions and thoughts was truly a unique experience. The longer they spent together, the closer they became. They were more one person in seven bodies than seven individuals anymore. Soon to be eight once Sakura joined. Naruto tried to imagine having this kind of relationship with thousands of Thralls, and couldn't picture it. He could barely fathom each level of the Astral Bond until it expanded and the bar was raised.

He got up and decided today was a breakfast in bed day. He went to the Kitchen after putting on boxer-briefs and made a few dozen pancakes, drenching them in butter and syrup. He carried them to the bedroom on an anti-grav tray. As he entered, the smell of the flapjacks woke his Pack.

"You're lucky our bodies are frozen like this, otherwise this one meal would give us thunder thighs," Sasuke said jokingly.

"Shut up, it's PANCAKES!" Hinata drooled. "I dreamed of eating these growing up. You know how expensive flour and milk are on Karron?"

"Chump change compared to what we have now. We have so much ryo it's insane," Tenten mused.

"Insanity would be trillionaire status. There's less than 100 of those rich bastards in the whole Galactic League," Hana said around fitting a whole pancake in one bite.

Fu tilted her head. "I heard the talk with Shino yesterday. Do you really intend to sell Uzu tech to the Konoha Federation?" She asked.

Naruto shrugged. "Uzu 0.5. Maybe even 0.25. Tenten, could you come up with versions worse than what we have but still better than current K-Fed technology?"

"Easily. But why? Don't trust the K-Fed?" Tenten asked, half teasing.

Naruto sighed and put down his fork. "On the one hand, I want them better prepared so less people will die. On the other, I question what they'd do with all that power. And if it came down to a fight, I don't want them to have the advantage over us."

Sasuke sighed too. "There's a couple real xenophobes in High Command. I've heard serious discussions about annexing the Grey's or the minor empires, or waging a full war with the Kumo or Mizu. If the K-Fed got Uzu grade tech, they'd conquer the Galactic League."

Gaara blinked. *The greed and ambition of humanity has long been known to the Suna Collective. The more you have, the more you want. Power is your most harmful addiction.*

"This is getting really deep for breakfast in bed," Tenten grumbled.

"I have to believe that the K-Fed does more to protect Konoha then to harm them. Otherwise my whole family have dedicated our lives to an unjust cause," Hana said faintly.

Naruto wrapped her in a hug. "I believe in the Konoha Federation, I just don't trust High Command. But Fleet Admiral Sarutobi seems to have a real bead on things, for the most part. As long as he's in charge, I'll side with the K-Fed like we did yesterday."

"But if Shimura Danzo or Itachi replace him, God help us all," Sasuke muttered to himself.

They were broken from their rumination by Sakura stirring. They turned to her, admiring her naked body. They noted that she had a slender build like a woman who seriously dieted without exercising. Sakura opened her jade green eyes and looked up at them. "Um, hi? How did I get here?"

Naruto smiled down at her. "There's a narcotic in my precum. First exposure knocks you out for 14 hours. Second about 4 hours. Third, you start remembering going down on me. Here," he said, grabbing a glass telekinetically and filling it from a wall dispenser. "I know you're thirsty, have this."

Sakura grabbed the floating glass hesitantly. "Psychic powers… right. That's going to take some adjustment." She sipped the water and looked around the room. She blinked at the equipping frames and weapon racks. "You keep heavy arms and armor in your bedroom?"

"Well, we tend to spend a lot of time in here. What if we get attacked while we're having fun? We need to get ready for battle as soon as possible," Hinata explained.

Sakura finished the glass. She held it awkwardly before Naruto grabbed it and set aside. Sakura just seemed to become aware of her nudity. "Why am I naked?"

"I thought you'd be more comfortable feeling the sheets on your skin," Fu said with total honesty. "Plus, it's standard protocol on this ship."

Sakura noted their own naked frames and blushed. "Well, if that's how this crew operates, who am I to object?"

"You don't have to if you're uncomfortable. We can get dressed," Sasuke offered.

"No, really, it's fine." She turned to Gaara and blinked. "Your hair's an inch longer. And your ears look like actual ears. Pointed ears but ears all the same!"

Gaara blinked at her and experimented. Sakura felt a weird knocking sensation in her head before hearing *Naruto's cum works fast.*

"I heard that!" Sakura exclaimed, shocked.

*It appears that psychic ability arrives as soon as the first dose,* Gaara observed.

"Just enough to hear, but still. Good to know," Naruto mused. "Now, I believe both of you require breakfast?"

Sakura blushed. "Actually, could you take me to the Medical Bay first? I want to scan myself each day to track the progress of the conversion. I should have taken one last night as a baseline, but I got caught up in the moment."

"That's a brilliant idea, honey. Fu will show you around. Come back up here when you're done and I'll knock you out until lunch time," Naruto said with a smile.

"You all do that. I have a Mainframe to assemble. If it goes to schedule, we can turn it on tomorrow," Tenten said excitedly.

Sasuke pulled a face but declined to comment. He knew he'd lost the battle keeping the crew from dabbling in AI. "Hana and I will be on the Bridge, analyzing the Dragon March data."

Hinata shrugged. "I'll practice my powers in the gym. You, mister, can do research on sword masters who can teach you. If you're going to use that thing, you might as well do it well."

"Yes, honey," Naruto replied obediently.

When everyone cleared the room, Sakura clad in Naruto's white dress shirt and nothing else, Naruto and Gaara got to business. When the Grey who was now tall as Sakura finished sucking Naruto's load, he settled in the bed for some quiet meditation. Sakura returned and hesitantly mouthed his cock, getting knocked out again. Once that was done and the young woman was tucked in beside Gaara, Naruto got dressed and then made for his Ready Room, waving at Hana and Sasuke on the way. Naruto then spent a few hours on the holo-net scavenging for a Konoha or even just a humanoid in comm range that had dedicated their life to the sword and would be willing to take a student. A name kept popping up: Rock Lee. He was a kendo and martial arts master who'd vanished from the circuit mysteriously. Reports had it that he lived like a hermit refining his skill, and every attempt to get him to teach had been rebuffed. Having a gut feeling though, Naruto saved his last known number.

Lunch was a simple meal of salad, spaghetti, and garlic bread. Naruto may be a gourmet chef, but sometimes one simply didn't feel like all that effort. He got positive feedback anyway.

Afterwards, he approached Sakura and looked her in the eye. "The third time is what forms the Astral Bond. You do this and there's no turning back. You're stuck with us for forever. Are you sure about this?"

Sakura actually thought about her answer. "Your crew seems like the happiest, most well-adjusted family unit I've ever seen, no matter how abnormal it is. I want to be a part of that. I want to join the club, even if it's lifetime membership several times over."

Smiling, Naruto took a chair and lowered his shorts. "Well, then come here."

Sakura proved to be a mighty fine fellatrix. She didn't even blink when she deepthroated him consciously, implying she already knew that skill. Under her talented mouth and throat, Naruto came like a freight train. As Sakura savored the final drips on her tongue, she heard Naruto's voice in her head.

*Welcome to the Uzumaki Pack, babe. You're going to love it here, I promise.*

Sakura stood up, balance a little wobbly. She was swarmed by the rest of the crew, each of them offering hugs and kisses on the cheek. Sasuke held her particularly close and seemed to admire the view of her with a rounded stomach intently.

Fu then led Sakura on a tour of the ship while everyone else returned to their tasks for the day. Naruto joined Hinata in practicing psychic powers and Gaara figured he'd experiment with the pool. He'd learned to swim as a child, but hadn't done it in years. He was curious to see why the others considered it so much fun. Sasuke and Hana continued to crunch through terabytes of data like living computers, spotting patterns and extrapolating information they didn't have from what they did. Sakura was fascinated by the Medical Bay and Pharmacy, while Fu took great pride in showing her newest sister around.

Naruto made up for the disappointing lunch by making Beef Wellington, a devilishly tricky dish to get right but mighty tasty if cooked successfully. Naturally, Naruto got each miniature pie perfect. The crew all tucked in, and afterwards played spectator to Gaara's and Sakura's third load of the day.

At 1930, they all reported to the Bridge. The sector map showed they were in the heart of the Konoha Federation, approaching the closest star system to Konoha like a bolt of white lightning.

Sakura rubbed her tummy and shook her head. "I can't believe just last night we were in the Dragon March. This ship is insanely fast."

"And to think, it's less than half its potential top speed!" Tenten pointed out. "Soon as we get a first shipment of Uzu elements from the Suna, I can start to make the REALLY good stuff!"

Sakura gaped. "Are you kidding? And what do you mean, Uzu elements?"

"Turns out there are hidden elements only the Uzu discovered, that have unique properties that enable their phenomenal tech," Hana explained to the Medical Officer.

"I thought the Periodic Table was based on numbers of protons per atom. And the K-Fed already discovered over a hundred."

"If you want to split hairs, they're more unique isotopes caused by special configurations of quarks or neutrons. But it's just easier to say to a layman that they're new elements," Tenten quibbled.

"I can't imagine what to do with a doubly strong Power Core compared to the one we have now," Naruto mused. "And the Uzu vessel calls for three."

"That's because Quantum weapons are a bitch and a half at energy consumption. You think it's easy weaponizing Grand Unification Energy?" Tenten asked sarcastically.

"Talking back to master. Should this one punish the Chief Engineer?" Fu asked, slipping into old speech patterns.

"Entertaining as that would be, we'll be arriving at Olympus soon. We don't have the time," Sasuke said regretfully. Seeing Fu spank Tenten or more would have been a sight to see.

"Approximately ten minutes until we arrive at Alpha Centauri," Hinata reported. "So, want to check in on Lauren? Or maybe give another piece to Ichiraku Ayame? What's the plan?"

"Tonight, we're just meeting with Shino. Tomorrow, you girls can take Rachel and Gaara shopping for their Thrall outfits. After that, I think we've earned a vacation after the Kusa and the Kumo. I'm booking us two weeks at Gravitus."

Those that had heard of the luxury planet gaped. "The place where they customize your own private island? Even I've never been there!" Sakura gaped.

"We all deserve the best, and I can afford it. It's less than half a million by my estimate, chump change for us. And speaking of, what can you tell us about your family, Sakura?" Naruto asked inquisitively.

Sakura hesitated, but seeing the curious glances and knowing she had a belly full of this man's cum made her relent. "You know Haruno Henry?"

Sasuke blinked. "The trillionaire CEO of the Haruno Konzern? You're his daughter?"

"Born and raised, meant to be molded into the perfect little debutante lady. My youthful indiscretions started to take their toll on his precious image. He and his trophy wife sat me down and told me to buckle down or move out of the mansion." Sakura had real malice in her voice as she spoke. "I enlisted the next day."

"Have you had any contact with him since you left?" Naruto asked, concerned. Her family dynamic sounded downright toxic.

"None at all. I hear he tells people I died in an accident. Far as I'm concerned he's not my father anymore, he's the bastard I got an X chromosome from," Sakura snarled.

"What happened to your mother, if that's okay to ask?" Hana asked, naturally concerned about family.

A look of great pain and loss came onto Sakura's face. "I'd rather not talk about it," she said quietly.

Naruto got a flash of a handsome man talking to police officers with a devastated, guilty expression on his face. He kept his mouth shut, trusting his newest Thrall to open up when she would.

"Okay, sweetie, you don't have to tell us," Hinata crooned, standing up to give Sakura a hug. "So why medicine?"

"I wanted to challenge myself, and I wanted to help people. Give something back to the universe, you know?" Sakura said, wiping her eyes of nascent tears.

"That's a very noble sentiment. And now you'll be healing people for millennia," Sasuke said, trying to comfort his perfect woman.

Sakura blinked. "Huh. Hadn't thought of that before."

Hinata gave her another squeeze before returning to her XO seat. Just in time, as they arrived in the triple system of Alpha Centauri a few seconds later. They cruised at port speed towards Olympus Shipyard, their Invictium hull making them stand out among the grey masses of Konoha Federation vessels.

"Home sweet home," Sakura muttered to herself.

"If only we'd had time to refit the engines! Then again, we'd need an Inertial Dampening Device to not get squashed into puddles every time we moved. That procedure would take at least a week even with a team the size we had at Suna," Tenten griped.

*Incoming hail,* Gaara said, opening the audio-only channel.

"Incoming Assault Cruiser, please state your purpose at Olympus Shipyard," came the all but pre-recorded response.

"Commander Uzumaki Naruto on the Invictus. We're here for a debriefing with Vice Admiral Aburame," Naruto answered.

"Oh, Commander Uzumaki! Please dock at Docking Bay 13, sir!" The voice got quiet, like he was whispering. "On a personal note, I have a cousin at Port Medea. You saved her life!"

They all shared a grin, feeling good at the reminder of what they'd done. "Just doing what we can, son. Over and out," Naruto said before cutting the call.

"Docking Bay 13. Coincidence? I think not," Sasuke said drolly.

"It's the Docking Bay where we first got the Invictus," Hinata explained to the others.

"So, am I coming along?" Sakura asked, eyeing her swollen tummy.

"You and Gaara will stay here so questions don't get asked. Also, I want you to be on the lookout for us getting hacked. High Command might not want to pay for the new weaponry and might try to steal it," Naruto explained.

Tenten snorted. "They wouldn't find anything. I wasn't dumb enough to leave schematics lying around before we got an AI to work cybersecurity. Got 'em all up here," she said, tapping her temple.

Naruto blinked. "Well, never mind then! Brilliant precaution, Tenten!"

"You're getting an AI? Haven't you heard of the Ganymede Incident?" Sakura demanded.

"Yes, but this is an Uzu AI. It'll be more likely to fuck us than kill us," Hinata joked, even as she piloted the Invictus into the Docking Bay. "Seriously, though, we're taking precautions. Tenten is building it on a closed network on Deck 3. Even if it does turn out murderous, it can't do anything to us."

"And then I smash it," Sasuke said with a vindictive grin on his face.

"We'll worry about that tomorrow when Tenten turns it on. For now, let's go meet Shino," Naruto said, giving Gaara and Sakura goodbye kisses, his first with Sakura. Perhaps cliched, but Naruto swore she tasted like strawberries.

They funneled down the anti-grav tube and out the airlock, dressed semi-formally so they didn't appear complete slobs. They stepped out into the Docking Bay and found Sasuke's former aide waiting for them.

"The Vice Admiral sends his apologies Commander Uzumaki, he's on a call at the moment," the young man said, with a sharp salute. His eyes inadvertently flickered to the girls, before he controlled himself and concentrated intently on Naruto. "I'll take you to his office immediately."

"This is the third time we've met, and I'm afraid I still don't know your name," Naruto said apologetically.

"Oh! I'm Lieutenant Sarutobi Konohamaru, Sir," the young man replied with a start.

Hana gasped. "Not any relation to Fleet Admiral Sarutobi, are you?"

"That's Gramps," Konohamaru said with a shrug. "You could say I've got a lot to live up to."

They strolled through the innards of Olympus Shipyard, making for Shino's office.

"So, things been busy since we left? I know Shino mentioned a shipbuilding program," Naruto asked, aiming to ferret information out of the aide.

"Admiral Uchiha likes to keep us on our toes! If it's not progress reports, it's productivity forecasts, or budget forecasts, or one of a hundred other different things." Konohamaru let out an exhausted sigh.

"Oh, really? I would have thought Admiral Uchiha might have become more directly involved with the Dragon March? What with the escalating tensions over there," Naruto asked offhandedly.

"No, he's strictly in charge of logistics and ship-building. It's Admirals Utatane, Mitokado and Santini running the show over there, but they're making a right mess of things," Konohamaru said conspiratorially, before looking abashed and darting a worried glance at John.

*Nice job. Now use me as a distraction,* Hana told him. "I can't wait to see Shino again! It's so nice talking to such an important person!" She giggled like an airhead with a quarter of her real IQ.

"You just like how he stares at you," Naruto teased his Tactical Officer.

"What can I say, the girls like the attention," she said, thrusting out her chest.

Naruto turned back to Konohamaru, who's eyes were drawn like magnets to the Inuzuka's gravity-defying figure. "You were saying?" Naruto prompted.

Konohamaru blushed and looked away. "The Vice Admiral is very eager to see you. He's talked of little else since yesterday."

They went up an elevator to the top deck of the shipyard, and after strolling along a few busy corridors full of naval personnel going about their business, they eventually arrived at the Commanding Officer's Suite for the Olympus Shipyard.

Konohamaru told Shino on intercom that they'd arrived and turned to the guests. "Would you like something to drink? Water? Tea or coffee? Something stronger perhaps?"

The double doors burst open and Shino walked out. Even past his shades, you could see the bags under his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept in a week and worry lines creased his forehead. He smiled for them though.

"If I know my old comrade, he'll be wanting sake to toast his victory! Why? Because that is his favorite drink apart from rum."

Naruto chuckled. "I remember now, you were there during the Christmas party of '59. Sorry if I flashed you."

Konohamaru's eyes bugged out and he coughed. "Sake for the Commander. Everyone else?"

"Whisky for me, Konohamaru," Sasuke asked his former subordinate.

"The girls all drink vodka spritzers. Lime if you have it," Hinata offerred. Konohamaru nodded and went off to a small bar built into the side of the reception area. Shino waved them all into his office, and they took seats that took advantage of the window that offered a spectacular view of Alpha Centauri. Konohamaru brought them their drinks and then returned to his desk.

"To Konoha and the Federation!" Shino said.

"To Konoha!" They parroted before sipping their drinks.

"Now, let's talk about your impossible victory," Shino said around his white wine.

"This should cover most of it," Naruto said, tossing over a data chip.

"Ah, your AAR. This should prove an interesting read." Shino plugged the chip into his desk and read through the report on his Holo-reader. He reached the end and nodded. "Your AAR corroborates everything I've read from the other officers who were involved in the battle," Shino began as he stared at the golden coloured liquid in his glass. "I can hardly believe what you managed to accomplish, Naruto," he added with a wry smile.

"Well, I like to help out where I can," Naruto said magnanimously.

"Speaking of helping out, we at Olympus and those at R&D would pay top ryo for a copy of some of your 'upgrades', as you call them. Just imagine the Beam broadside from a Dreadnought!" Shino said excitedly.

Naruto shared a look with Tenten, who naturally had fit making the Uzu 0.25 schematics around working on the Mainframe. "How much are we talking here?" Naruto asked leadingly.

Shino frowned at his tone but answered. "I've been authorized to offer up to 5 billion ryo for the Lasers, sensors, Power Core, and Tachyon Drive. Another billion for this armor that's over 6x stronger than Titanium."

Naruto kept himself from dropping his jaw. The girls weren't so composed.

*How badly did we impress them?* Hinata wondered.

*I smell Itachi at work. A fleet of ships like the Invictus is his wet dream,* Sasuke provided.

"The armor wouldn't work for you. It's an alloy that can only be shaped by psychics. We'll give the rest though. We'll even throw in a Shield Generator," Naruto negotiated.

Shino blinked incredulously. "If it can only be shaped by psychics, how did you get it and use it?"

Naruto shrugged and let go of his glass. It stayed floating where he'd left it.

Shino's jaw dropped. "You… how?"

"You know I'm not Konoha. Turns out my kind are psychic," Naruto said simply. "Anyway, do we have a deal? 5 billion ryo?"

Shino gathered himself. "I'd attempt to haggle but I won't. Why? Because you are the most stubborn man I've ever met in my life. You have a deal."

"Here you go," Tenten said, tossing another data chip on Shino's desk. "There's also something on Mass Drivers in there you should easily be able to adapt for other kinetics."

Shino gaped. "You had it in your pocket this whole time?"

"I was always going to help you out, Shino. I just wanted fair compensation." He pulled out his ryo chit. "Shall we seal the deal?"

"May I verify the contents first?" The Vice Admiral asked.

Naruto shrugged. "Go ahead."

Shino plugged in the data chip and gaped at the schematics that popped up. "How the hell did you get focusing crystals that small?" He demanded.

"Good old fashioned genius, that's how," Tenten said, tooting her own horn.

"Tenten is essentially the Einstein of engineering. I'm very lucky to have her," Naruto said proudly.

Shino nodded. "Well, this checks out." Grabbing Naruto's ryo chit, he made a few commands on his console. He picked it back up and handed it over. "Congratulations, Naruto, you're a billionaire. Can I retire and join your crew like Sasuke did?" He asked jokingly.

"I'd be happy to set up an interview for you, but we're already training two new recruits at the moment. Maybe another time," Naruto deflected.

Shino sighed. "Very well. Now, to something rather important. High Command would like to award you and your crew a medal, in honor of your heroic defence of the Iota Leonis system. If you can stick around for a couple of days, I'll arrange an award ceremony."

Naruto nodded. "We haven't got any plans, we can stay a couple days."

"Good. Unofficially, we're promoting you as well. You'll still be listed as a retired Commander, but anyone in the military who looks up your personnel record will see your new rank. Congratulations, Commodore Uzumaki," Shino said with a dry chuckle.

This was too much for the girls, and they squealed with delight as they dashed over to give him an exuberant hug. Shino shook his head with equal parts amusement and envy, while Naruto laughed, embracing an overexcited young woman in each arm, as they leaned over him where he sat.

"Congratulations, Commodore!" Hana gushed breathily, as she sat down beside him, and looked at him adoringly.

"Thank you, Lieutenant," Naruto said, as he grinned back at her fondly.

"I don't even know how the ranks work, but I'm guessing that's good?" Hinata bubbled excitedly as she sat on the other side of him, her eyes open wide.

"Commander, Captain, Commodore," Sasuke interjected helpfully, his eyes sparkling with admiration for Naruto.

Tenten laughed out loud. "You outrank Hana's mom now! She'll have to salute you when you see her next!"

"Congratulations, Naruto!" Fu said with all the feeling in her body.

"Okay, dial it down everyone. It's just a symbol on my uniform," Naruto downplayed. He couldn't fool them though, he was as ecstatic as the rest of them.

"Bumping me up two ranks?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow and a big grin, as he glanced over at Shino. "Someone must be very happy with me right now."

"If we'd lost the Iota Leonis system, the situation in the Dragon March would have dramatically deteriorated, and there would have been significant repercussions," Shino said somberly. "We haven't officially declared war with the Kumo Empire yet, but in order to mobilise enough forces to repel them, we would have had to. The bloody nose you gave them will let us keep this as a controlled border skirmish for a while to come."

"It didn't look like a border skirmish to me, and there was nothing controlled about it," Naruto said grimly. "We also passed a flotilla of ships on the way back to Olympus, that told a very different story."

Shino said nothing, and watched him again, his eyes narrowing. "Yes, well let's not get into all that, shall we? It would no doubt be for the best if you kept that little observation just between us for the time being. Oh, and unless you have any more pressing business in the Dragon March you haven't told me about, I'm going to have to insist you stay well clear of that whole sector," he ordered Naruto firmly.

"Whatever you say, Shino," Naruto replied amiably.

A smile graced that stressed face. "If you're still feeling helpful, we'd also love to have you do another media interview. The PR value of the last one was invaluable. High Command's approval ratings even went up 3 points!"

Naruto shrugged. "Not a problem. Any particular line you want me to take?"

"What you did last time worked phenomenally well. Just a simple Konoha Federation citizen doing his part," Shino told him.

"Very well," Naruto agreed.

"So, going to the Oto after this?" Shino asked.

"Sure. But first we're taking a little stop at Oceanus," Naruto said with a grin.

"Civilian life is treating you VERY well," Shino grumbled good naturedly.

With a final handshake, they sealed the deal and they meeting was over.

Billionaires! Who saw that coming? Please fave, follow, or review