Still needed
Air. He coughed up a lot of water. He needed air! Croakily he opened one clear-blue eye and saw that he was washed ashore on a beach. He was alive! Another coughing fit shook him and he hacked up a lot of seawater. How long did he lay here? Naruto cried in happiness. He was truly alive! He could feel the sun burning on his back.
Slowly he stood up. His lips were dry and he was thirsty. Seawater took its tribute fast. And the blond captain was hungry. In front of him was a forest and he truly hoped that he could find some freshwater and food in there.
He dragged himself into the cool shadows of the high trees and used a trick he learned from one of his dad's crew members. He forced a bit of his life energy into his nose and sniffed the air. He smelled salt and the beach, the trees and some animals. But he found a source of clear water and stumbled over some fallen trees to reach it.
His thirst stilled Naruto searched for food. Soon he found the faint smell of a village. Were people lived there was food. Following his nose he found himself in front of high walls. There was a gate and he entered it. The young captain was happy that he carried a small wallet with money in his pockets. He had long lost his coat but he carried another small wallet in his boots. Something his mother taught him early in life when pirates tended to rob other pirates more often.
After he ate he sat on the bar-chair and brooded. He didn't know how to continue. He had no ship, no crew, may the gods bless the poor souls, and little money left.
"Sir, can I help you with something?" The chef asked him concerned.
"Do you know how I can get some money? I am shipwrecked and lost here. I can fight if I have to but I just need a place to stay and some food…" He sighed but the man nodded.
"Go to the tower in the center of the village and as for a meeting with our leader. He may have a position for you since you are capable to fight but you seem to be a bit young. Maybe he'll send you to the academy 'till you prove yourself." He said and smiled at the young captain. Naruto was thankful that the man helped him and went to the tower.
He had to wait an hour or two but that was nothing for a captain who had to endure calms which lasted days. But eventually the leader of the town found time for him and greeted the newcomer. He was an old man but he gave of a powerful aura. Naruto bowed to him. The man laughed and said he should cut the formal crap.
"Boy, you are ages too young to be that formal. Not even my own jonins are that respectful to me until I need them for missions or reports." The old leader said and gestured to him that he should take a seat.
"Now tell me what brought you on my humble island? By the way, my name is Sarutobi Hiruzen; I am the Hokage of Konohagakure. Call me whatever you want." He said warmly and Naruto smiled.
"Is it ok when I call you jiji? Never had grandfather." The blond asked cheekily and the old leader just laughed.
"If you wish."
"My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I came here because my ship was wrecked. I am… I was marine captain fresh out of the academy. My own people shot on my ship. We were a fresh crew sent to our death… I have nowhere to go until I get a new ship or someone could take me to my family. Until then I would offer my service to your village." Naruto told him the short vision of his story.
"A marine hmm… So you were taught how to fight. Say, do you know how to use Haki?" The old leader asked curiously but Naruto shook his head.
"Vice-Admiral Garp says that my Haki power lays dormant within me until I am forced to use them. I had no need to until now to awake my Haki." The young captain said and Sarutobi seemed to be happy about that fact.
"That is good. Everybody on this island has the chance to awaken his Haki if they wish that. Don't be so surprised. Haki is within everybody but only a small percentage can activate the Haoshoku Haki. We don't use just our willpower but our live force to and together we call that power Chakra. I know what you want to ask. Why don't we fight in the world. You need to know that we shinobi became rare. Konohagakure is the last standing shinobi village at all. Your father, Namikaze Minato, took a lot of them with him to spread our teachings. Ah I know who you are the moment you entered my office, Namikaze D. Naruto." The old man chuckled at the muffled face of the youngster who flashed red and bowed his head. Sarutobi lighted his pipe and exhaled the smoke.
"I also knew that you carry more than the Will of D. The curse of the Uzumaki is sealed deep inside of you and you never touched it. That's good too. And your life force is strong. Maybe stronger than my own. You are lucky that these years batch of academy students just started their training and didn't go over the awakening of Haki. I'll put you in Iruka's class and you'll get a student loan until you finish your studies." Sarutobi explained to him and Naruto awed at the plan.
"Sir… sorry jiji, what do you wish for my services? I am thankful but nothing comes without a cost." Naruto asked and hoped the old man's demands wouldn't be ridiculous.
"You are already trained as captain unlike your father who I needed to groom to a leader. I'll give you the same task like your father. You already possess the Will of D. I'll teach you the will of fire. Teach the people out of here our ways. The batch of students you'll take with you is the last one we can teach. The other families already moved away from here. Claim this island as your home and make it famous. Maybe then we can teach new kids." Sarutobi sighed. He hoped that the young man would be the one that could help them to become great again.
Naruto smiled. He liked the idea of a permanent save haven. His parent's ship was his only home and they were permanently moving. A place to settle down after the great adventure would be nice…
"I'll do it, old man. No problem." Naruto said eagerly and grinned. It was so easy to forget the hardly trained manners of the Marines. He was never one to follow the rules.
Two years into the academy didn't teach Naruto much. He was good with the academics but not superb. He was on top of the battle classes since he already learned how to fight with a sword or hand to hand combat thanks to his connections. But he was more interested into the Haki classes.
Beside that he found great friends. There were Kiba and Akamaru. Kiba was a typical fighter and beast tamer, he joked a lot and he was immature like hell. Then there was Shikamaru. A great tactician and someone who was well versed as navigator but he seems to prefer to sleep and calling everything troublesome. His best friend Choji was the tank of their friends. A big boned young man with an appetite for a whole crew but he was an excellent chef. Their best friend was Ino. She was a master of Kenbunshoku Haki because their family taught them early into the skills of mind reading.
Sakura, a girl with pink hair was an excellent combat medic and doctor. She could use her Chakra to double her strength and destroy boulders like nothing. Then there was Hinata. She was the best hand-to-hand combat fighter with chakra in their class. She also took care of them like a mother hen.
Shino was one of the first of their group that used devils fruit powers. A devil fruit that went through the Aburame family ever since their founding. The logia type fruit Kikaichu Kikaichu no Mi that turned the user into a swarm of insects. Shino could dry his targets dry of their life force and destroy unknown by the enemy whole ships thanks to this power.
The last of their class was Naruto's best friend and rival. Sasuke Uchiha, the second user of a devils fruit which was also from his clan. The Paramecia Devil Fruit Sharingan Sharingan No Mi: Model Susanoo gave the black haired Uchiha the power to force his own life force out of his body to create an energy shield that could take the shape of a warrior or skeleton around him. He also could use the energy as weapons. Sasuke was the best swordsmen of their group and even beat him once or twice in a spar. That teme was an arrogant bastard but he accepted Naruto as their unofficial leader even if it seems that they hated each other with all their bickering.
Naruto smiled at the thought of his original eight friends. They were the perfect crew but they still missed a scout, a shipwright and a sharpshooter. These rolls were filled by Hinata's cousin Neji and his friends Lee and Tenten.
Neji was a bastard like Sasuke but he always thought that everything was decided by fate until Naruto gave him a major beat up. He was the scout of their group thanks to the range his sight reached. Lee was always full of energy. Thanks to a condition of his he couldn't use his life force to fuel his Haki and was the only one who couldn't use Chakra but it made him to a great combat specialist and a prodigy of hard work. Lee claimed the position of the shipwright as soon as he caught wind of it. Tenten was excellent with all kind of weapons and got every target. She claimed the position as sharpshooter with joy.
They knew that they would move from their homeland to see the world and to fight. Most of them shared Naruto's dislike against the Marines after he told them his story but they agreed not to fight the marines openly.
Together they were twelve. Twelve young pirates ready to start their journey. The village of Konohagakure gifted them with a ship that made the captain proud. The Hi no Ishi was a ship that could match against his Uncle's Red Force. Their jolly roger showed the traditional skull wearing a headband with the symbol of Konoha. Behind the skull katana crossed, a part of the symbol that Sasuke wished.
They set sails the first time the day after they graduated. Konoha's population waved them off from the port and soon the frigate entered the sea. Naruto took a deep breath of sea air and he could feel that he was still needed out there. Arashi no Namikaze Naruto entered the game.