A/N: This is a story inspired by the song: I am a Pirate, You are a Princess by Play Radio Play. It's an adorable song, I recommend it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Sadly.


It's Not the Sea that Divides Us

Chapter One – It Started with Weevils

The S.S. Shiroi Kiba made steady course on its journey to Wind Country. A two days trip and they would make port, something that served as a comfort to her captain, who stood on deck, staring out at the waves through his one good eye.

They were only going into their second day at sea, but there were passengers on board that were not used to this kind of travel and he knew they wanted off as soon as possible. Life on the open waves wasn't fit for everyone, especially the company he was keeping at the moment.

Currently, it was his job to transport a royal, a noble escort, and a bunch of palace guards to their destination, and so far, a few of the land lovers had already gotten sea sick. He knew it wouldn't be long before the complaining would start.

"Ano… Do you mind if I join you, captain?" a small, humbled voice questioned.

The man turned, eye crinkling as he smiled behind an abnormally long turtle neck that covered the complete lower portion of his face. With a light chuckle, he peered down at the young woman standing behind him, long ebony hair framing her face in curls. "Aha. Ojou-sama… Have you come out for some fresh air?"

"Yes… I suppose so," she nodded, mirroring his hidden smile with a small one of her own. Her dainty hands gripped at the layers on the front of her dress and she broke eye contact to stare out at the waves before them. "It's the first time I've ever ridden in a boat for more than a few hours, father has never let me leave the country before," she smiled at the water. "It's very exciting. I've always loved the ocean."

The captain nodded in agreement. "The love of the sea seems to be something that we both have in common," he commented and his gaze seemed to drift past the view, as if he was caught in some kind of memory.

It was at times like this that the captain looked much older than he ought to. It was as if he had seen and gone through too much for someone so young. He was in his early to mid-thirties and yet his hair had already greyed so much that it was the color white. Rumors onboard were that whatever hardships he had faced had aged his mind, making him wiser, and that the white hair was proof of that.

"…How long… before we reach land?" the young lady questioned, seeming to be in a bit of a daze of her own.

"Two days' time," was his answer.

The princess repeated this so lightly that it was barely heard over the commotion of working hands on deck. The troubled way that she spoke these words caused the captain to glance at her thoughtfully. She looked to the waves in deep thought, brows scrunched over her pearl eyes in concentration. It was such a shame to see such an expression on a young lady's face, even more so when he knew that it was not an expression that often graced the princess' face.

"Is there something the matter, Ojou-sama?" he questioned, though he already had an idea of what was on her mind.

"Ah…" the young lady snapped from her thoughts and cast him a weary smile, "No. I'm… merely thinking… about the man I am to m-marry," she confessed, face slightly flushing at the thought.

"I see," he chuckled, "So it is the case of the nerves then."

She nodded, "Something like that."

The two shared kind smiles.

"Captain!" a male called, urgency evident in the voice. "Captain Hatake!"

Both the captain and the young lady turned around to see Lieutenant Yamato marching up to them in a half run. From his expression it was easy to tell that there was something evidently wrong.

"What is it, Lieutenant?" the captain asked, stance instantly tensing in wait for the news.

Yamato held out a telescope for him to take, "Take a look westward. 500 yards."

Hatake instantly took it, not wasting any time with pointless hesitation. Using his one good eye, he glanced into the contraption and turned westward. A ship caught his sight, coming up fast and straight in their direction. He was about to ask what his lieutenant thought they wanted when the Jolly Rodger caught his eye. His lips pressed into a thin line, "Pirates."

The phrase earned him a sharp gasp from the princess beside him and his lieutenant nodded solemnly, "Captain, what should we do? It's coming up too fast, even if we manage to turn around, we'll never outrun it."

"Then we have no choice but to fight," Captain Hatake answered simply and both seamen cast a wary glance to the princess. Normally, they wouldn't have even considered running away, it was their job to keep pirates off the seas, but they had precious cargo. They had to be careful.

xXx

Sasuke Uchiha glared at the cards in his hand as he vaguely listened to the chatter of the seamen around him. He'd been pulled into a game against his wishes and though he wasn't one to give in to trivial things, he was representing the royal family and therefore had to 'behave'—as his mother had put it.

"I hear that it gets pretty hot in Suna and that most of it is sand."

"Yeah, and apparently, the people of Wind country aren't all that pleasant…"

"You believe that rumor?"

"Well, I don't have much to go on. I've never been."

"Oh that's right, you're a bit new."

The Uchiha mentally snorted. He didn't really care what the people were like. He just wanted this all to be over with so that he could go back home and deal with what needed to be dealt with there.

The only reason he had come on this trip was because the King's nephew had asked him for the favor. The two had never been friends or the like, but the thought of someone with such a status owing him a favor was too hard to pass up. This was all for strategy.

"Three aces," he said, cutting through the conversation, as he placed down three cards into the designated pile.

"Bullshit."

Sasuke smirked and turned the cards over to reveal all aces. The accuser cursed as the pile of cards was added to his ever growing hand.

"You have one hell of a poker face, boy," the man grumbled downing a shot as penalty.

One of the other men at the table laughed, "He's an Uchiha, what do you expect?"

"My bloodline has nothing to do with it," the young man grunted, staring at the few cards left in his hand.

"All hands on deck!" a young sailor shouted, running into the room. "We've got pirates, coming in fast!"

This broke the merry vibe of the group and everyone was soon on their feet and rushing to their positions.

Sasuke scowled instantly and was up, grabbing the young sailor by the arm, "Pirates? Which ones?"

The lad, probably a few years younger than himself, stammered incoherently in shock from the death glare he was sent.

Sasuke shook him, speaking clearer this time but with no less malice, "Which ones?"

The young sailor looked about to pee himself, "I don't know!"

The Uchiha sucked his teeth, finding his time wasted. His grip on the teen loosened and the boy moved to leave, but Sasuke grabbed him again in realization. "Where is Ojou-sama?"

"S-She was sent to h-her chambers as soon as the pirates were sighted!" the boy flinched.

With a nod, Sasuke finally let him go and watched him scamper out of the room, seemingly happy to get away.

Clenching his fists, the Uchiha left the wardroom and walked at a quick pace toward the princess' chambers. Part of him wanted to get up to the deck and get a good look at the oncoming ship. There was a chance that a certain person could be on it and he needed to know. However, his job was to be both an escort and a bodyguard and so the princess was his top priority. She was his responsibly.

Even if babysitting duty wasn't really his thing.

Dodging the men that rushed passed, Sasuke finally made it to his destination. "Hinata-sama," he called, delivering three swift knocks to the wooden door.

From inside, there was a light click before the door swung open to reveal a paler than usual princess. She exhaled, obviously relieved to see him, "Sasuke-san..." She moved out the way to let him inside and he shut the door behind them both, locking it.

"Sit over there and keep away from the door," the Uchiha ordered, motioning for the girl to take a seat in front of a newly crafted writing desk.

She complied quietly and Sasuke took his place by the door, listening to the shouting of men as they prepared for battle.

"Do you think p-pirates are as ruthless as t-they say?" the princess asked, breaking their momentary silence.

The young male's jaw tightened at the mention of the sea vermin, "They aren't worthy enough to form an opinion of," he growled a little too harshly.

Though the malice wasn't aimed toward the princess, it frightened her to see such hatred in a person.

xXx

"Weevils. Always weevils," Shikamaru sighed, leaning on the edge of the ship, eyeing the Konoha Naval Ship turning course. "What a drag…" he muttered dejectedly, and turned around to report his observation.

"Cap'n!" he called, not feeling the motivation to walk the minimal about of steps it would take to reach his superior, "They've turned course, the ship's coming straight for us!"

"Really?!" came the excited call from a blond young male hanging from one of the netted ropes. Climbing down, he rushed over to the lazy man's side and took a look for himself. A grin stretched across his whiskered cheeks, "You were right! They've got no choice but to take us head on!"

"Of course," Shikamaru nodded, casting him a bored glance, "but is that really something to be happy about? It's a Konoha Naval Ship. They'll be looking for a fight."

"Then a fight is what we'll give them!" he said simply, "We need those supplies."

He was right, of course, they did need them. However, Shikamaru still wasn't really feeling up to having this battle. Then again, when was he ever up to doing anything?

While the lazy man was preoccupied with his thoughts, the young captain turned his attention to his crew. "Look alive! They're bring the fight to us!"

He was met with equal enthusiasm and received quite a few shouts of: "Aye, aye Cap'n!"

Satisfied, his grin widened. It been a while since they'd had a good fight. Even longer since they'd had a run in with a ship from Konoha. He had been getting restless and his hands itched for a good fight. Who would have thought that it'd take an infestation of weevils to give them such an opportunity?

Clamping a hand down on his hat he cupped his other hand and shouted, "Oi, Anyone seen Haruno?!"

To which someone called back, "She's up there Cap'n!"

xXx

Captain Hatake's frown deepened from beneath his turtleneck. The opponent ship had been identified. It was none other than the Yellow Flash, which explained why it flew across the water at such an abnormal speed. The ship was known to be the fastest vessel to ever sail around the Five Great Nations and was rumored to be enchanted to never sink.

Twenty-two years ago, it vanished from existence and only a year ago it came come back, only this time with a new crew.

Of course, Captain Hatake was never one to believe rumors… but there was usually some truth in them.

So, as the ship neared each other, he couldn't help but be more than a bit cautious. His first priority was to get the princess to Suna safely, but he didn't want to risk the death of his men.

"Captain!" Yamato called, snapping the man from his thoughts. "It looks like their Captain is coming out to talk to you."

Surprised by this comment, Hatake glanced toward the ship and sure enough the man who looked to be the captain was coming up to the front. They were still a good distance away, but they were close enough for him to see just how young this man was. Too young, in his opinion.

Taking a deep breath, he mirrored the pirate captain's actions and headed to the front of his own ship. There he could make out a better description of the young man and was instantly caught off guard. He looked a bit ridiculous with his bright orange vest and trousers. It was covered partly by a black coat and atop his head sat a matching black hat with an orange feather sticking out at an odd angle. With his equally bright blond hair he looked a bit like the sun at night.

"Ahoy there!" the pirate captain grinned, speaking in such a friendly tone that it would have seemed like the to two were friends.

Captain Hatake greeted with a little less enthusiasm and got straight to business, "What is it that you want with my ship, pirate?"

The grinned never left the young man's face, "Aha. Well," he scratched the back of his head a bit bashfully, "we seem to have had a bit of a weevil infestation and are in need of supplies. A donation would be nice… but if not," his eyes flashed mischievously, "we're prepared to plunder."

The naval captain grimaced at the threat. It was against his orders to give away supplies to pirates, to do so would be treachery and could result in imprisonment—or even death. "You know I can't do that. I am part of his majesty's navy and he does not take well to pirates."

"Aha. Yes," the blond nodded thoughtfully and crossed his arms. "Well then, we have a problem, don't we," his grin weakened a bit, "Captain Kakashi Hatake?"

Captain Hatake inclined his head, "So it seems," he paused a moment and then said, "What is your name, pirate?"

The grin came back full blast, "Captain Naruto Uzumaki of the Yellow Flash. 'ttebayo!" He then flashed a serious expression, "If we are to engage in battle let's do it right. No cannons. I don't want to sink you and the supplies I want, right? Besides, it would just be an unfair advantage to you with a ship like this…" he smiled with a silent chuckle, "Let's all just fight face to face."

xXx

Hinata flinched as the sounds of battle commenced above. Not being able to take the shouts and clashes of steel, she squeaked and pressed her palms into her ears.

Fighting was something that she didn't believe in. She couldn't understand why blood had to be spilt in order to settle things. Why not use diplomacy instead?

It was then that she reminded herself that these were pirates. The most ruthless and blood thirsty people one could ever come across at sea.

Not that she'd met any first hand, but she'd seen the executions and she'd heard the stories.

They were known for plundering ships and villages, killing men, assaulting women, and stealing children to add to their crew. They played with forces that one should let alone and didn't very much care about anyone but themselves.

It was a sad thought that there could be people like that in the world and Hinata only half believed it was true, but if it was true or even partly so, then they were all in danger and that realization scared her.

Mind searching for a different topic, the princess exhaled and turned her pearl eyes on the young man guarding the door. There was an ever present scowl on his face that seemed much deeper and darker than usual. It was obvious that there was something on his mind, and the way that he gripped the sword holstered at his side only added to the evidence.

Hinata already had an idea of what was bothering him. Anytime that the word pirate was mentioned there was a fire that burned in his eyes and a person could almost feel his hatred radiant off him in waves.

It was no secret that Sasuke's older brother ran off with pirates.

It was also commonly known that before doing so, he killed his father and wounded his mother. No one knew what his reason had been, but the Uchihas had always been a strict noble family and it was no secret that his father was not a very pleasant man when it came to weighing his sons with all the pressures of society.

It was the sounds of a struggle that brought Hinata out of her thoughts.

The noises of battle were getting too close for her liking and glancing at her escort, she could tell he was thinking the same thing.

Feeling a sense of fright wash over her, she caught her breath and listened to the grunts and clangs that amplified as time ticked on. It was horrible listening to the cries as sailors—or maybe pirates—fought what would be their last battle. What could have been only minutes seemed to go on for hours and Hinata could almost feel tears gather up in her eyes.

And just when the fight seemed to reach its climax, things went silent. The battle still raged on above, but whatever struggle had taken place behind the door had stopped.

And then the door splintered as something knocked against it.

xXx

"Captain! We can't hold them!"

"Be strong!" Captain Hatake called over the loud chatter and battle cries, his sword coming up to block another attack.

It was true. They couldn't hold the line back for much longer. He had accepted the request for no cannons, seeing as he didn't want a stray one to hit the princess's chambers, but he was starting to regret the decision.

The fight had started in between the ships on wooden planks that'd been slid across. His men had pushed the pirates back onto their own ship, but once the battle drew on, it was pushed onto his own ship and now his men were falling one by one.

"Captain they're heading down into the Galley!"

At this the man mentally cursed. They were getting too close to the princess for his liking. If they found out royalty was on board, there was no doubt that she would be used as ransom. "After them!" he ordered and moved to do the same, but was stopped by a flash of orange.

Moving swiftly, he brought up his sword, blocking an attack from what was always assumed to be his blind spot. His eye met sparkling blue orbs and the pirate captain grinned at him. "I was looking forward to fighting you," he nearly laughed, seeming a bit too excited about the battle around them.

Breaking apart, Hatake scanned the male's stance. For one so young, the pirate seemed very experienced with a sword. It made him wonder what the lad had gone through.

Exhaling, the captain re-gripped the handle of his weapon, "It's not too late to retreat."

The pirate captain snorted, "Not a chance." It didn't take long to realize reason wouldn't work on him. "Are we going to fight or just talk?"

With a nod from Hatake, the blond made the first move.

xXx

Stepping back a few paces, Sasuke drew his sword and watched with hidden surprise as the door's hinges snapped, the whole thing falling to the floor.

In its wake came a lone figure, a pair dual blades in hand. His head was wrapped in a scarf, leaving nothing to identify him by besides the piercing green eyes that instantly locked with the noble's own.

Reacting instantly, Sasuke darted forward and attacked the intruder head on. Metal clashed with metal and he pulled back just in time to miss getting cut in the knee with the pirate's second blade.

"What do we have here…?" The vermin questioned, voice muffled by the cloth tightly wrapped around it. "Judging by the royal guards littering the floor out there one of you must be pretty important…" his eyes shifted from Sasuke to Hinata, "My guess it's the one who looks like she might die of fright."

The princess squeaked at this, hands shaking.

The Uchiha glared, fixing his stance, "Watch it, pirate," he sneered with distaste and leapt to attack.

Green eyes shined with adrenaline, and the mysterious figure brought up both swords to defend himself. Sasuke's blade got caught in between them and the man shifted, using a leg to trip the angry noble and use his force against him. The Uchiha fell out of the room, landing less than gracefully on top of an unconscious guard.

This left the pirate in the princess' chambers with a defenseless Hinata, but instead of turning his attention to the girl, his green eyes stayed on Sasuke expectantly.

Growling, the noble was back up on his feet, ignoring the pain that shot up through his leg. Now heated, he struck at the stranger relentlessly, nearly taking off the pirate's head with a wide swing.

No one had matched him so well in a sword fight before, not even the king's nephew. He had prided himself in this fact for years and to now face someone of equal skill-level was both thrilling and enraging at once. He didn't want to believe it.

Every time Sasuke swung, the pirate never failed to defend and use his other sword to send an attack of his own. Those dual swords of his were a real disadvantage to the Uchiha. It was obvious the stranger knew how to use them well and this often put Sasuke on the defense. He was talented—for a pirate.

As another clang of metal filled the room, the two pulled apart, both breathing a bit hard.

"Shall I give you a chance to beg for your life?" the man questioned in an amused manner, to which Sasuke darkened.

"When I'm finished with you, you won't even have such a luxury," he bit back. He didn't like being underestimated.

The pirate chuckled, sounding unusually light and airy. "Your rage will be your downfall," he commented. Whether it was a warning, or just an observation, it was hard to tell.

"And I will be yours," Sasuke growled and, impatient to get the fight over with, he launched himself at the enemy without warning, sword aiming straight for the man's heart.

Though the pirate was caught slightly off guard, it was the Uchiha's loss. Sasuke had underestimated his opponent.

With one quick motion, the man discarded one of his swords and ducked under the incoming blade. Using the now free hand, he grabbed Sasuke's blade wielding arm and twisted as he moved behind the noble. With his second blade, the pirate used the bud of the handle to make a quick and precise jab to the back of his neck.

The Uchiha took in a sharp breath and almost immediately passed out, body falling limply to the floor.

A tiny gasp and a frightened "S-Sasuke-san!" brought the pirate's attention to the now cowering young lady. Widen, pale doe eyes looked from the noble to the pirate and her already pale skin ashened. "D-d-d-did you… D-d-did you…?" she swallowed, not being able to complete her stammering.

"Kill him?" the stranger finished for her and shook his head. "No. Despite my comment, I don't kill if I can help it," he explained with a casual sigh. "He's fine. Just sleeping."

The young lady seemed visibly relieved at this, but she kept her attention on the dangerous party before her.

The pirate kicked at Sasuke's sword, examining it, before picking it up. Seeming to want to keep it, he removed the sheath from the Uchiha's belt and slid it inside before attaching it at his own waist. Then he stared at the noble himself, seeming to debate something, and then picked the young man up, slinging him over his shoulder.

"W-what are you d-doing…?!" the pale-eyed lady questioned, fists clenching in the folds of her dress.

The stranger merely smiled at her—or at least the crinkling of his eyes made it seem like he was smiling, "I figured you could use the company."

"W-w-wha—"

"Shhh," he cut her off, tugging her to her feet. "I'm sorry, but we might need you as insurance."


A/N: Bum, Bum, Buuuuum. Good right? Well, I'm proud of it.

Honestly, I should stop with the new stories until I finished my older ones… but I'm always afraid I'll lose my ideas if I wait too long. Le sigh.

Aw, well.

Please don't be afraid to review and tell me how you liked it! I can take criticism pretty well, so I don't mind those either!