Pirate Tales

Chapter One- Setting Sail for a Return (Naruto's POV)

The high gale force winds tore through the sails of the Hokage with terrifying power. The sea-salt air filled the lungs of one hyper-active blonde as he stared out to the ocean. His sky blue eyes fanned across the rolling seas as a sly fox smile slipped onto his whisked face. The scars of the past had left 3 identical lines on each cheek but he didn't mind. It gave him a certain look that could make even the bravest man shiver in fear. His innocence was only a cover for this terrorizing pirate Kyuubi.

It had been nearly eight years since he left Konoha, his home village. The thought of returning terrified and excited him that he just couldn't sit in one place for more than a minute. He was worried that returning now would only pour salt onto old wounds but he had to go home. His crew had just past a furious storm not moments ago and the damage was pretty bad. Temari was complaining about the sails jamming and some parts of the old ship had fallen off. Shikamaru had already planned there journey to Konoha ports. Kyuubi tugged his black pirate hat lower to cover his eyes as he turned away from the sea. Memories of his old life as Naruto Uzumaki started to replay itself in his head.

+Flash Back+ Nine Years Ago

"NAR-UT-O! HEY NARUTO WAKE UP!" Chouji was getting impatient and wanted to get out of the stinking stables as soon as possible but with Naruto taking naps every five minutes he knew that just wasn't happening. He had found Naruto snoozing inside one of the horse stalls. He was sleeping with his favourite brown hat sitting lightly just over his eyes and had both hands behind his head.

"Just five more minutes… Maybe twenty more," Naruto yawned as he poked one for his eyes out lazily from behind his hat. "You know I don't sleep at home. The neighbours are far too loud for their own good. From what I can tell their Pub has just found itself some new customers."

"I don't care. Just finish cleaning up then you can rest until lunch time," Chouji was getting annoyed and the vain in his forehead was beginning to show and it wasn't easy to annoy Chouji. Some how only Naruto seemed to have that talent.

"And if you don't I'll have your lunch, which I hear is your favourite. Ramen Deluxe." Chouji whispered into his ear causing him to bounce right back into work.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING CHOUJI? IF YOU DON'T FINISH SOON WE'LL NEVER GET OUR RAMEN!" Naruto practically dove straight into the stables only to reappear with hay straws in his wild, spiky, sunshine gold blonde hair.

This sight was just too good not to laugh at. From what Chouji saw it was obvious that Naruto wasn't looking where he was going and ran straight into the Hay Stack just outside the horse stall.

Chouji couldn't hold the laughter in any longer. He held his large gut as he rolled around the stall's floor laughing with tears rocketing from his choco brown eyes. His spiky brown hair came undone from his hair tie as he tried to get up only to fall back down in a bigger fit of laughter.

Naruto couldn't take it anymore. He pounced on top of Chouji and started wrestling him but was obviously failing. Chouji was stronger from all his work at the stable. It wasn't fat under the shirt. No, it was pure muscle but girls just couldn't be bothered to see past that. A cough interrupted the boys' game and they both turned towards to noise. It was Prince Sasuke Uchiha. Apparently they were in his horse's stall. Prince Sasuke had just come back from his morning ride and was waiting to put his horse back into his stall.

Chouji stood up slowly laughing nervously as Naruto just sat there staring up at him. Sasuke the Prince of Konoha was the most gorgeous guy Naruto had ever seen. His midnight black hair was gelled upwards but still looked so soft and his bangs just barely covered his ebony onyx eyes that seemed to be hiding his very thought and seemed to show very little emotion. And his unmarked pure pale skin, oh how it seemed to make him shine with the sun behind him. He was a god to all women.

"Naruto get up quickly" Chouji hissed as he continued to stare at Sasuke.

Naruto blushed as he stood up and tried to brush off the hay straws without breaking eye contacted with Sasuke.

"S-sorry Prince Sasuke we will get out of your way right away." Chouji was practically sweating up a storm but Sasuke didn't bother to notice. He still had his eyes on the blonde who seemed to blush more every time he felt Sasuke's eyes on him.

In the end the blonde couldn't take it and he ducked his head as he pulled Chouji be his arm. Even as they were leaving he could still feel the prince's eyes on him.

"How about a lunch break now? I think we deserve one." Asked Naruto as he dragged Chouji off to the kitchen still blushing after the encounter with the prince.

"Ah yeah sure," Chouji couldn't help but notice the blonde blushing like mad. "Dude your blushing. You're just like a girl. Being all embarrassed just because someone caught us slacking on our jobs." You could hear the snicker in his voice.

"Well sorry. You try to live day by day with very little money. If I lose this job where will I go? I'm living in the lowest slums of the wharf. I'd lose my home to the thugs and the pirates and you know I don't have anywhere else to go."

"Sorry jeeze. Just like a girl." Naruto whacked Chouji in the head for the last comment before his mind drifted back to the prince. It was the first time Naruto had ever seen Sasuke and something in his gut warned him it probably wasn't his last.

+End Flash Back+

The encounter with Prince Sasuke was only the beginning of Naruto's troubles back then. He smirked as he ducked his head as he entered his captain's quarters. They would arrive at Konoha ports in less then three hours. Maybe if he kept his head down maybe no one would notice him. After all it had been eight years and he has changed a lot since then and it wasn't like anyone would be looking for him.

A knock on his door brought him out of his thoughts and he turned towards the door. Just as he was about to open it Ino came bouncing in and knocked him over in one fatal swoop. She had landed on top of Naruto peering down as he laid back in pain.

"Ino I know you love me to bits but you won't be able to if you continue to crush me with every chance you get." Naruto joked as he tried to move into a better position so that he could breathe easier with Ino still on him.

"Sorry Naruto I just thought you might want to know that we will be arrive in Konoha sooner then we thought," She shifted her weight and belt so that she wouldn't be crushing him and her sword wouldn't be poking him in his side injury. "You know that if I don't get in here when Kiba spots land I'm going to choke him to death."

Kiba always got on Ino's nerves with his loud voice and the non stop barking from his dog Akamaru. Sure Kiba was fast and usually escaped from Ino's reach but he would never look at where he was going and was often corned. With his hooded leather vest and rough brown hair you could see just how much of Kiba was dog related. His nails were basically claws and his face paint of two triangles made his eyes stand out a little bit more then normal. You could see the dog in those brown eyes.

Naruto began to laugh at what Ino said. "You should know already Ino that even if you do choke him to death it won't shut him up. He'll just become louder to annoy you."

Ino got off Naruto as she moved to his desk. All around his room were priceless and valuable goods that they had stolen over the years. Stealing was apart of a pirate life but Naruto didn't mind. He liked this life. It was far friendlier if you could survive the wounds you were most likely to receive.

He moved his eyes back to Ino. If the two stood side by side you could swear that they were siblings. Ino had the same sunshine gold blonde hair just a shade fairer. And her eyes were just like Naruto's, as blue as the sky but unlike his they could become as cold as the sea. Men would kill just to be close to her but in the end she is the one that would kill them. She was the deadly woman of every man's fantasy and she was untameable. She had the figure most women would die for to have. But the irony of it all is that she eats more then the whole crew put together.

Naruto snapped out of his daze as he finally tuned in to what Ino was complaining about. As always she was slouching in his chair talking on and on about how there is no woman on this ship with the same views as her. Sometimes Naruto wondered if she would be better off a princess of a wealthy family and a heiress to someone's fortune but she wouldn't sit still long enough to pull that off.

Ino always had the gossip and because she often felt alone on the ship she would come and share it with Naruto. She viewed him as one of the girls just because he had a small frame and a body like a girl without the girly parts. Also he would, when drunk of course, allow Ino to dress him up as a girl and teach him some dance moves no man should ever suffer to remember. The crew always had a good laugh from it and Naruto would have too much of a hang over to realize the crew were snickering in the background.

Just as Ino got to the really juicy bit they both heard the shouts of Kiba.

"God I can even hear him screaming hell's song in my Sanctuary." Ino growled as she stalked off to kill the little twerp. Naruto knew that she would be back with blood on her hands from punching Kiba in the nose but he didn't have time to worry over that.

Naruto looked down and noticed that his wound had opened again and went off to have it restitched.

Naruto found Kankuro easily. He was busy giving his brother Gaara a new tattoo on his shoulder. The brothers were often always together since they knew that if they left it would only be a matter of time before Temari would begin to worry and send out search parties, one after the other.

Kankuro as usual was wearing complete black attire. Opened dress shirt that showed off his muscular body, tight fitting leather pants that should be illegal to wear for what it showed off and purple face paint. Naruto was sure that Ino got the entire make up dress up idea on poor defenceless drunk Naruto from that traitor. As for Gaara he was playing with a bottle of sand. Don't ask Naruto how but that boy's worst weapon was that sand. He didn't know how he did it but most people would leave the room when he entered with that bottle. Gaara was the crew main professional torturer. You did not want to get on his bad side unless you want to live the rest of your life in never ending pain. He won't even grant you the mercy of death. He would keep you alive for as long as possible and possibly even longer just to hear you scream. A chill ran down his spine as he looked Gaara over again.

Just like yesterday and the day before Gaara as always showed no emotion or expression on his face. He showed no pain as the needles went into his skin. Gaara was a strange one. He had a tattoo of the Japanese character of Love just above his emerald green eyes that turned to yellow when his blood lust set in. His scruffy red hair was obvious against his plain white complexion and his clothes fit to him like a second skin. He wore clothes that put the advantage to him. He didn't care about style so maybe that why he looked so good in three quart shorts and a plain shirt underneath a netted top.

Naruto approached them with caution cause knowing them if he made the wrong move he was going to end up with some trashy tattoo the next time he is drunk.

"Hey Kankuro, Gaara," Naruto greet warmly as he slipped into their conversation. "How Temari doing with the busted sails?"

"Wound opened again didn't it." Damn! Gaara was too wise for his own good.

"One of these days Gaara you have got to tell me how you do that." Naruto laughed as he scratched the back of his head in a nervous gesture.

"Let me finish up with Gaara and I'll be right with you." Oh good old Kankuro always there to stitch up even the poorest soul. Kankuro wasn't only good at medics but he was also one of the best puppet masters. He was the guy you went to when you needed a problem solved the fastest way possible. He was mister helpful on the ship. Kankuro was always there. That is until you get on his bad side then man were you a goner.

After he had finished with Gaara he got to work on Naruto. Naruto had to remove his faded pale orange and black vest and under shirt to reveal a spiral tattoo with symbols all around it on his stomach and a giant gash with most of its stitches broken on his side.

"Gosh Naruto if you were any tougher on this wound I would have to knock you out for a while just to let it heal properly."

"Hehehe what can I say I love to move." Naruto answered as he did his nervous gesture of scratching the back of his head.

"Well I am not going to numb it anymore. Bite onto this wood piece."

"AARRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHH!!" screamed Naruto as Kankuro started stitching his wound in the most painful way possible. You could practically hear him relaxing to Naruto's screams of agonizing pain.

"Jeeze Kankuro did you get dumped again because I would prefer it if you didn't take it out on Naruto," spoke the voice in the shadows. Shikamaru stepped out of the shadow apparently just waking from his afternoon nap. "I'm pretty sure they heard Naruto from Konoha ports because of that."

"Yeah well this was for Naruto eating my dinner last night when I was late." Kankuro snickered as he finished stitching Naruto up and started to clean the wound.

Shikamaru was the smartest, laziest pirate on board. You would usually find him in his hammock with a thick book open over his eyes as he dozed off. Shikamaru was a master at stealth. Using the shadows as his tools he could literally walk out into an open field and you would never notice him. His main job on the ship was navigation. He and Naruto were usually the ones who planned the heists or the next course of what route the ship should take. And if what Ino has been saying is true Shikamaru has a thing for Temari but is too lazy or shy to do anything about it. With brown hair up in a pony tail onto of his head and those dreamy brown eyes with the open vest with only a netted shirt underneath he would be crazy to think that no girl would fall heads over heels in drool to be in love with him.

The girl that has his attention just had to be the wind lady Temari. With her dirty blonde hair in 4 pigtails and a lose top that hung of her shoulders and her tight fitting skirt its amazing that she didn't get the shadow master sooner. Ino believes that if Shikamaru just asked the caramel brown eyed blonde she would be so quick to say yes that you wouldn't even have to wait for her to stop your heart from beating at a faster speed.

After Kankuro had finished with Naruto he left instantly to be by Temari side. He was far to over protected of his sister. He knew that Shikamaru liked his sister and even knew that she liked him back. That's why he always stood between them to make sure nothing happened.

"DINNER!" Iruka shouted from the kitchen to anyone that would listen. All of a sudden the sound of feet pounded against the wood as the crew all piled into the kitchen hoping that the meal would be better then last time when they only had gruel left.

Iruka was basically the father figure on the Hokage. On Iruka's dark skin face was a scar across his nose and just under his dark brown eyes that didn't make him appear aggressive. If anything it made him seem kinder and wiser. His light brown hair was tied back as he began to serve the meal of hot noodles with fried vegetables. Stomaches growled in hunger as he past the bowls around. Iruka's past is still a mystery to Naruto but from what he knew Iruka came to them after just escape the slave traders and chose to pay Naruto back by becoming the crew's cook. After all he was the only one who knew how to cook even the simplest of meals.

As the bowls went past everyone it stopped in front of Konohamura. Konohamura was very picky about his meals and it was Kiba's favourite game to force the poor boy to eat every last bit. Konohamura basically started his pirate life the same way as Naruto, by stowing away. He was yet another brunette on the ship with the dark brown chocolate eyes. He was very much like the crew's little brother with all the pranks he pulled with Naruto and they were often scolded for them to. But all they seem to do is laugh it off and pull another prank.

When Naruto walked in he found Konohamura in Kiba's headlock struggling not to eat the noodles.

"Naruto help me please I'm begging you!" Konohamura cried as Kiba forced yet another spoon full of vegetables down his throat.

"Sorry Konohamura but you have got to eat or you won't have any strength for our next prank."

Naruto always seemed to know what to say to him because as soon as he was free from the head lock he dove straight into his meal eating every last bite. Everyone knew that Konohamura only pretended to hate everything Iruka cooked as part of a joke. It helped them to relax after a hard day's work.

"Naruto we are pulling into port soon are you sure you're ready for this." Iruka asked as he stared down at Naruto who was hunched over his bowl. Iruka was the only one of the crew who knew anything about Naruto's past.

"Well there is no turning back now and besides we need to stop after the damage this baby took." he answered as he pats the bar of the ship. "Look we will be in and out in a flash. They won't even know we were there."

"Well if you're sure." Iruka always worried over Naruto. It wasn't in his job description but he did it anyway. He practically saw Naruto as his own son.

"Ok men we are about to arrive in Konoha. Prepare for port and we have to hurry and get this ship fixed. I want to be gone and after our next target in less then three days." Naruto seemed to hold everyone's attention when he spoke. It always went through to them. This was why he was captain after all.

"Hai Hai Captain Kyuubi!" The crew would follow their captain to the ends of the world and back if they had to. After all he gave each of them a second chance at life and at a family.

And so the Hokage and its crew pulled into Konoha ports unknown to what will lay ahead for them. For a storm of trouble and misfortune was brewing. After all Naruto's unknown past is there and it is about to coming back to haunt him.

-TBC-