Unpredictable as the Ocean
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or One Piece
AN/ This was inspired by Fairy Tail Dragon Slayer's Naruto the Retired Hokage. Great fic. And, by my general liking for NaruHina happy endings.
Prologue
(Several Years Before Canon One Piece)
As the sun peaked over the horizon, the ocean surface coloring shades of mango and peach in the distance, waters split in the wake of a massive ship, a galleon, as it continued onward. The air was crisp and cool, but the ship seemed to exude an otherworldly energy.
Much like its inhabitants.
Strictly speaking, you wouldn't expect a ship of such size to be operated by a crew of only four. That wasn't even close to skeleton crew size.
Though they had their ways of getting around that.
Not that that was the only strange thing about the ship. You could make a list if you were so inclined. Most obviously…most visibly…was the large tree that dominated the raised, aft section. It was a squat, wide apple tree. Varying shades of red hung from its branches, drooping for any to take.
As if to follow that theme, the fore of the ship had a carpet of neatly kept grass, a few flowers popping up here and there.
At the helm, seated in a lawn chair, a blonde man dozed. Hands behind his head, his feet were propped up on the helm, keeping it steady. Between his lips, a leaf from the apple tree stuck out by its stem.
"Oy!" a voice called down from the crow's nest, a blonde head poking out over the side to look down at the man at the helm. "Land comin' up."
"Sweet," another voice cheered. Again, another blonde man.
"Be in range by 'bout noon," the scout supplemented after appraising the distance and their current velocity. (Use the term "speed" in Physics class. I dare you.)
Taking a closer look… All three men were identical. Appearance-wise, early twenties, somewhere between five-ten and six foot. Shaggy, unkempt, spiky blonde hair, surrounding lightly tanned skin, a trio of scar-like markings on either cheek.
Oh, wait, most importantly…
The ship was making good speed, its sails full to bursting with wind.
…In the Calm Belt.
Where no wind blew.
Ever.
And yet the ship plowed on as if to give the finger to that bit of logic.
The sudden noise of a wooden door slamming open, followed by the clambering of little feet was all the warning he needed. Bracing himself in his chair, he accepted the giggling bombs that fell atop him.
"Dad!"
"Papa!"
Eyes opening mirthfully, he stared into the faces of his two children. On his honor as a ninja…former ninja…he had never known such happiness as this. His family, his world. His love, their children, and the nine family members scattered around the ship.
Looking at Boruto was like looking into a mirror. At five, he was nowhere near as wild as he, himself, had been at that age, courtesy of his mother's calmer nature, but he was no less a handful. A small bundle of energy, grinning from ear to ear.
And little Himawari, barely three years old now. Gods but she was so much like her mother. She had that spark of energy that Hinata identified as his own, but there was that innocent kindness that could have only come from her mother.
Letting his kids clamber over him, Boruto sitting on his legs to try and wrest the helm away, and Himawari on his shoulders, hugging his head, he grinned contently.
Times had changed.
His dreams had changed.
Being Hokage would've been awesome, sure, but there was something he had longed for even more.
…Family.