Chapter 1

The ships in the harbor of Konoha stood proud and tall as a young girl stared up at them. The girl smiled up at them, tugging at her older brother's sleeve. She pointed up at the big ship in front of them, her small hand no bigger than her small feet. He smiled down at her, but shook his head.

"No, darling. We can't go on those. Those are pirate ships, the bad men, the ones you need to stay away from. Do you understand?" The toddler's face fell at what he said, but she didn't say anything. She couldn't, actually. Her parents didn't know why, but they had tried everything to get their baby girl to speak. But her brother was the only one that could make her speak when she wanted to.

Her brother was the chief commander of the Konoha fleet and he took his job very seriously. Recently, there had been an outbreak of pirate ships trying to come into their harbor and sell items on the black market that he and his men had tried to keep secret for years, but word had still reached unwanted ears. Right now, pirates from across the 7 seas were being arrested in front of them as they stood watching the large ships. Several of them glared at the commander, which he silently returned without his little sister seeing.

While the pirates were being walked to prison, the small girl saw an interesting sight; a small boy about her age being pulled away from what looked like his older brother, who was a pirate. The older one looked no older than ten while the younger looked like he had just turned five. He had the most unusual hair she had ever seen; it was shaped like a chicken's butt, but it was slightly droopy in the back. Finally, the two were torn apart, and the younger one fell, his small sword coming out of its sheath. It fell with a clang, but he left it on the ground as he struggled to get to his older brother. The girl's brother looked away from the sight, but the girl just looked as the small boy was scooped up by a pirate who had come with the fleet the boys had come on. The older man ran away with him, a few others behind him. The older brother saw this, and he turned around and yelled,

"Keep running! Don't let them catch him!" He was immediately silenced by a guard and struggled against the arms of the man. The little girl watched as the smaller boy was taken away, and their eyes met briefly. His onyx ones met her bright green ones, then, he was gone.


Sakura Haruno shot up in her warm bed, her short pink hair a mess. Rubbing it from her face, she glanced at the large grandfather clock next to the window in her room. The covers were tangled as she got up and trudged to the washroom to use the toilet. It was three in the morning in seventeen-eighty five, which wasn't unusual for sixteen-year-old Sakura Haruno. Just about every day, she would wake up at this time for some unknown reason, but she was basically used to it. Ever since the day she had gone with her older brother, Ranosuke, to the harbor twelve years ago, she had been reliving the event that had happened. That boy didn't stop coming into her head whenever she had that dream, so she couldn't forget what he looked like. Especially that HAIR!

Sakura unconsciously grinned at the memory when she climbed back into bed. She closed her eyes for a few minutes, but was shortly awakened again by a knock on her door. Light came through the windows and the clock read nine in the morning. Groaning softly, she climbed out of her bed and walked over to her door. Opening it, she was greeted by familiar eyes.

"Yes, may I help you?" she asked giving the person a sickly sweet smile, letting the irritation in her voice make its way out. The maid on the other side smiled nervously, obviously sensing her mistress's irritation.

"Ma'am, there is someone in the sitting room asking for you." Sakura stared at her for a minute before thanking her and shutting her door in her face. She walked over to her wardrobe and pulled a dress out, being careful so she wouldn't ruin it like the many dresses she had ruined already. Pulling it on over her body, she made sure nothing was poking out before striding to the door. Normally, her mother would have forced her to wear a corset, but she already had the perfect body, so there was no need for one.

Walking down the large staircase, she deliberately walked slowly so she wouldn't have to go in. She knew it was a man asking for her hand in marriage. There were at least 6 at her doorstep every week, and she sick and tired of it. Opening the door very slowly so that the hinges creaked, she peered inside, and saw the man in a chair facing away from her. Sighing inaudibly, she stepped inside, but soon noticed the atmosphere of the room. It was very thick with irritation and tension, very much like the one when her brother was here. Her father and brother didn't get along very well ever since he joined the Royal Navy of Konoha thirteen years ago.

Sure enough, her father sat in a chair across from her brother, and they were having a glaring contest. Sakura decided to break the awful air surrounding her like smoke by coughing slightly. Both of the men looked up at her and her brother immediately sprang up and hugged her tightly.

"Hey there, Sakura. How has my little sister been?" Ranosuke said happily while he squeezed the life out of her.

"I-I'm fine. Can you let go of me? I can't feel from my neck down," she gasped and Ranosuke dropped her. He laughed the laugh Sakura had known since she was born. Ranosuke was twenty-seven, the average male you would see walking the streets on a Sunday morning. His wavy, light brown hair went past his ears and tumbled to the bottom of his neck and curled around his ears. Every so often, you would see him shaking the hair out of his dark green eyes, the ones that made girls faint. He wasn't married, and seeing as how he had a very important job, he had no time for romance. But, he always found time to visit his baby sister.

Sakura never understood why her brother had joined the Navy. Whenever she would visit him at work, all she saw were men doing busy work. Finally, one day, he had told her his real job: He hunted down pirates as a Special Ops Agent. She had thought it was really cool. . . .that was until she saw him in action when she was thirteen. There had been a massive outbreak in pirate activity near the Water Country, and she had gone with him on a mini vacation with him. While they had been taking a walk, they had been surrounded by pirates and set upon. Ranosuke had then protected his sister by defeating them in front of her. Now that she had seen what he really had to deal with, she had made her decision: She wanted to become a sailor like her brother. Who would stop her, you ask? Well, actually a lot of people; her parents, most likely her brother, and her friends, especially her parents. So, she dropped the subject. . . . .for now anyway.

"What are you doing here?" Sakura asked. She caught a glimpse of her father's disapproving look, but she ignored when Ranosuke spoke up.

"What? I can't just come visit my little sister when-"

"He wants to know if you would go on another vacation with him, Sakura," her father spoke up from his sitting place. Sakura's mouth opened, but nothing came out. She turned to her brother who was rubbing the bridge of his nose in embarrassment. Apparently, he wanted to be the one to tell her.

"If I go, then where are we going?" Ranosuke perked up immediately.

"We're going to the Water Country again!" Sakura glared at him.

"Are you insane? Remember what happened the LAST time we went there? Pirates attacked us! Is this another one of your "jobs," Ranosuke?" A guilty expression set itself on his face and he puffed his cheeks out.

"No, it's not. I just wanted to spend quality time with my sister. Is that so bad?"

"It is when she was almost killed!" Sakura shrieked. Ranosuke sighed. What happened to that quiet, sweet child he knew?

"I think that is a splendid idea," a voice said from the doorway. Sakura grimaced and turned to her mother. Rini Haruno had long pink hair that came to the middle of her back, and her brown eyes sparkled as she looked upon her children. Age hadn't done a thing to her in the past twenty-eight years she had been married to her husband. She still had that sparkle in her eyes and had minimum gray hairs, but she was still very beautiful. This is where Sakura got her good looks, where as Ranosuke got the build and his looks from their father. Daisuke Haruno had dark brown hair that only added the darkness to his green eyes. Gray hairs were popping up in several places in his hair, but people were very devoted to him. He is one of the greatest business leaders in the world and people respect him more than they know him.

"Motheeeer, are you sure? I was almost killed the last time I went to the Water Country," Sakura whined.

"It will be good for you, dear. You haven't been out of this house since God knows when. And I'm sure Ranosuke will take care of you, right, honey?" She turned to her son, who flinched. Even if he didn't live with them, he was still scared of his mother. At the moment, his mother was giving him the same sickly sweet smile Sakura had given the maid, and the room seemed to freeze. Sakura smiled when her brother nodded and walked up to him, hugging his arm.

"I'll go, but you have to make sure nothing happens to me got it?" Ranosuke smirked down at her. He rubbed her short pink hair like he used to when she was a small child.

"Absolutely." Sakura smiled.

"Let's go then!"

"Sakura, don't you have to pack first?" her mother asked. Sakura froze, and then turned her head away.

"Maybe. . . ." she murmured pursing her lips. Everyone there laughed, including her brooding father. Sakura always was a brainless girl sometimes. She ran out the door and hurried up the stairs to her room. Grabbing a trunk from underneath her bed, she started stuffing clothes in it at a very fast pace. When a maid cane in and asked if she could help, she was sent running from the room when Sakura gave her infamous smile, the one she used when she was angry and irritated. Now they all knew where she got her mixed personality: her parents. Sometimes she was a cool, kept girl, but at times like this, she acted just like her mother.

Running down the stairs with the over-packed bag, she almost tripped and tumbled down the stairs, which earned her a few shouts and running people, but she righted herself before anyone could reach her. She laughed nervously while bowing and rubbing her head. Once she was at the bottom, her brother took her bag and put it in the carriage that was outside waiting. Sakura gave her mother and father one last hug before she and her brother stepped inside. The carriage gave a jolt and it started rolling down the street. She hung her head out the window and shouted,

"I'll be sure to bring souvenirs for you guys unlike the ones I came back with last time!" When she had come back from their trip three years ago, she had been covered in bandages and with several of her ribs cracked. She had to go through surgery to get them back aligned, but the surgeon didn't do a very good job stitching it back together. She now had a long, crooked scar that went from her abdomen to the bottom of her breasts. She didn't like talking about it, seeing as how it hurt her brother whenever she did.

Sakura kept waving to her parents until they were out of sight. Ranosuke watched his sister plop down in her seat and stare out the window. Her eyes were thoughtful and filled with confusion.

"What are you thinking about, Sakura?" he asked quietly. His sister sighed thoughtfully.

"I don't know. I just have a bad feeling something is going to happen when we get there."

"Like what?" Sakura turned to look at him. "What is keeping that pretty head of yours busy?"

"Do you remember when I was just a small child and you took me to the harbor?" Ranosuke nodded. "I keep having this strange dream about then. That little boy that lost his older brother keeps sticking himself in my head, and I just can't stop thinking about him, especially the way he looked. His eyes had bored into mine, and his hair was just the funniest thing. But, his eyes are what caught my interest. They were filled with sadness and loneliness. Now that I think about it, it's really sad."

Something slipped from her eye, and she wiped the tear away. Ranosuke looked at his sister before moving from his seat to hers. Putting an arm around her, he put his cheek on her head as she cried silently. She didn't know why she was crying for a boy like that. He was probably dead by now anyway. Sakura pulled away and continued to stare out the window, thinking about the boy in the harbor. Her brother stared at her as she wiped the tears away from her cheeks and eyes. He watched as she watched the scenery pass by and smiled at her. She really has grown up, even if a little.

Suddenly, the scenery changed from the country to the ocean in a split second and Sakura's face lit up. She was bouncing in her seat as they came to a complete stop. When the doorman came and tried to open the door, it was flung open by a very enthusiastic girl who literally flew from the carriage. She stared in awe at the large ships that stood swaying in the calm waters. She remembered the ship she had gone on to the Water Country, and this ship was the same one.

Ranosuke urged her on with both of their bags in his hands to the ships plank. At the top stood the captain, Captain Tazuna, talking to one of the sailors on board.

"Captain Tazuna!" Sakura exclaimed. The man turned to her as the two siblings walked up the plank. His bearded face turned into a grin as Sakura ran up to him.

"Sakura-chan! And Ranosuke-san! How are you two? I haven't seen you in three years. What have you guys been doing?"

"Well, you should know why you haven't seen me for so long, but Sakura refused to go on another vacation with me after what happened in good ol' Water," Ranosuke said, heaving the heavy suitcases on to the deck. They made heavy thuds, which resonated, to the bottom of the ship. The entire crew heard it, making them flinch. Great, they thought, we have to lug THOSE things to their quarters?

A shape out of the corner of Sakura's eye caught her attention as a boy about 10 years old ran up to Tazuna.

"Grandpa, do you want me to show these people to their rooms?" the young boy asked. Tazuna smiled and patted the boy on the head gently.

"Sure, that would be great, Inari." He turned to the two in front of him. "This is my grandson, Inari. His parents sent him with me to get him away from the house. I'm using as my personal helper and so he can show you guys around this grand ship. We got a new mast and upper deck because of a pirate raid on us a couple weeks ago. You can't even tell the bastards did anything."

Sakura stared around at the ship. She could tell that the main mast looked new and that the upper deck had been replaced. She scowled at the thought of pirates destroying ships this beautiful and she cursed them mentally. Pirates everywhere sneezed.

"Wow, it doesn't even look like you did anything to it, Tazuna," Ranosuke said as he took a look at the new wood on the mast.

"Yeah, I know. My brother-in-law helped me fix it good as new just the other day. I swear if he hadn't married my daughter I don't know what I would have done!" While they talked about the ship and important business matters, Sakura ambled around the ship with Inari following.

"What's your name, Miss?" he asked her carefully. Sakura looked down at him.

"Sakura Haruno. The last time I was on this ship was 3 years ago. I didn't know you were his grandson, or that he even had one."

"Well, I was seven three years ago, so I had to stay home and help mom and dad with stuff around the house." Inari gazed up at her for a few seconds before adding, "You're really pretty Miss Sakura." Sakura blushed a little and smiled down at him.

"Why thank you, Inari. That was very sweet of you." It was Inari's turn to blush. He grinned widely and jumped on the railing.

"Miss Sakura, what do you think about pirates?" Sakura stared at him for a full minute, thinking of something to say. She didn't really know what she thought about pirates. Sure they were ruthless killers and plunders who had a lust for money, but some of them had to be good in their own ways. Right?

A whistle was heard from the upper deck and they turned that way.

"Time to set sail!" the first mate cried. Inari smiled at Sakura and waved goodbye, which she returned politely. He ran off to help his grandfather and the crew prepare for sailing, and Sakura turned to watch the calm waters of the ocean. Orders were being shouted around her and it reminded of her of the time at the harbor twelve years ago. Thoughts of the young boy went through her head and she sighed deeply. Seagulls screeched in the air, searching for food in the waters and port. Sakura rolled her neck of the tension setting in it and turned around to place her back on the railing. Her hair blew around as the ship began to move at an alarming rate, but she didn't care. She loved the ocean and the rock and roll of the waves against the bow.

"What are you thinking about now?"

Sakura started and looked up. Ranosuke looked down at his baby sister and tilted his head towards her. She scowled and punched his arm. Her brother scooted away rubbing his upper arm.

"What did I do?"

"You should know better than to sneak up on me like that!" she yelled at him.

"Sor-ry. Sheesh, I guess I can't show concern for my little sister." Sakura sighed and turned away.

"I was just daydreaming, I guess. Inari asked me what I thought about pirates before the officer sounded off for sail. I couldn't give him an answer for some reason. You don't think that ALL pirates are bad, do you?" Ranosuke stared out at the passing ocean. He didn't give her an answer.


They had been traveling for a couple days before they reached the midway point on an island where they would get provisions for the remaining three days to the Water Country. Sakura got off the ship along with Inari and her brother next to her. Ranosuke hadn't allowed her to go alone even with Inari with her. He had said it was dangerous for a lady to be alone in a country they weren't familiar with. The island they had docked at was a main port for pirates to gather and plunder, so she had to go with her brother and young Inari.

Sakura walked past small carts filled with priceless and grostegue items she had never seen before. There were jars filled with nasty and unworldly items that made her want to puke, and there were things hanging from nails on the boards above. She looked at her brother and the young boy next to her and saw the same expressions on their faces. Finally, Ranosuke stopped them and told them they were heading back. Sakura didn't complain as they turned and walked back to their ship. Hungry eyes watched them go from an alley, and then disappeared.


"That was the most disgusting place I have ever seen," Sakura said as they sat down for dinner.

"Well, there are worse places in the world. Not every country is happy and dandy like Konoha," Ranosuke replied quietly while chewing on a piece of jerky. Inari and Tazuna sat down next to them and started eating.

"That's right, lass. Not every country is going to be like you imagined," a sailor from next to her said wiping his mouth on his sleeve. Sakura shrugged and continued eating, her mind wondering to Inari's question from two days ago. Were all pirates bad like people had depicted them as?

All of a sudden, a blast was heard a good distance, and the entire deck went quiet. Then, the piece of ocean next to them exploded in a spray of water, which rained down on them. Sakura sprang up and ran to the railing to get a better look at what had shot at them. As soon as her hands touched the railing, she was pulled back by her brother when someone shouted from the crow's next:

"PIRATES!"