As promised, Sakura shall be making her appearance in this chapter. Also, I apologize for the wait but the holidays backed me up, along with finals.

I unfortunately own no rights to the Naruto franchise, and no money was made in the production of this story.

Naruto swallowed down the big lump clogging his throat and quickly swiped his moist palms across the side of his robed thigh, praying like a pagan to all that was and ever will be holy that his nervous actions would go unnoticed. He silently scolded himself for being such a coward after weeks of planning and anticipation, weeks of fidgeting and hopeful looks to the door of their harem room whenever it groaned open to announce another visitor. Of course, he would always be disappointed to find a guard or cook to bring them something instead of the man that he had come to loath so passionately. He was waiting for his pretty little crow to come out and play so he may finally shoot like a hunter in the woods.

Speaking of hunters; his accomplice in all this, a man that he has come to trust completely and without any doubt, has shown the true patience that a predator learns whilst patiently awaiting his prey. Kiba had been the one to constantly shush the blonde whenever he jumped at the slightest news of the Caesar's arrival, muttering under his breath to calm down or he'll give them both away before they even get the chance to lay a hand on their captor's smooth, pale face. Naruto would proceed to blow off some steam and pace a bit before plopping down once again and scowling at the marble wall, an act that showed just how impatient the man truly was and made Kiba chuckle. He would always wonder how this child-like man survived out at sea, left with nothing to do but stare into the horizon as you waited for some food to catch.

But that was long ago, or so it seemed anyways, when they were still safe in the confines of their room, well fed and taken care of. Now they were about to commit the most offensive act anyone could possibly go for. They were about to murder the Caesar, great ruler and leader of Rome, the most powerful empire in the world. And if they couldn't do that, they would at least try to and that in itself was punishable by death, or worse. Naruto was sure the sick minded bastard that got off on making others squirm at his feet could come up with some pretty creative, and excruciating, ways to slowly kill the two men. He would probably make it public too, just because he could and there's nothing that the people like more than a good bloodbath.

There was a click somewhere behind Naruto, bringing him to his senses so he could finally register where he had been lead to, shackled and chained of course, by two of the silent guards. He was in the Caesar's chambers, which didn't surprise him one bit, with the Caesar himself standing by the opening of his balcony, staring out into the city, his city, with slender hands lazily clasped behind his back. He look as menacing as he did beautiful, with a mid-length off white robe that was intricately designed with gold dust, making swirling patterns that snaked up his slender body where the robe was draped over him. It wasn't as thick as his previous robes, the summer heat made sure of that, and it blew back from the slight breeze to hug his sculpted body like a second skin. It contrasted dramatically with his stark black hair, which was swept back in a messy fashion as usual. Naruto simply stood in the doorway and admired him from afar, allowing himself to be lost in the gracefulness of the deer as it grazed before he pounced and devoured its soft flesh with animistic fervor. Yes, he was to be the lion and his prey now pranced before him.

"It would be a shame if this was the last time we met, wouldn't you say?" Sasuke murmured absently without removing his sight from his city as everyone bustled to finish sales and pack up shop so they could make it home for dinner before the sun set completely. He was staring off into the mountains, which covered up more of the orange glow by the second as the sun continued to set.

Naruto eyed the man carefully, sensing an underlying threat in that innocent statement. "I agree, but no man can foresee what will occur the next day," Naruto replied in a careful voice.

This made Sasuke's ears perk up, and he tilted his head slightly to get a glance at the other man. "I hope you are not implying that either of us will fall ill or become the victim of some other fatal event," he softly but not without suspicion.

"Oh, of course not!" Naruto assured in the best way he could. "I would hate to see anything befall our leader, and with no one to back him up on the throne."

Sasuke smirked slightly, turning to look at the man full on for the first time in weeks, if not months. He was just as taken away by the blonde's magnificence as he was the day he first laid his careful eyes on him. He was wary of how he was acting though, what with this new compliance that the feisty slave was giving him compared to before. It tickled him in a way that he could not yet decide was good or bad. All he knew was that it intrigued him, to say the least.

The Caesar slinked forward to Naruto's side like a snake and just as quiet. Without a word, he circled the chained man with hungry eyes and caressed his tanned skin just barely with silky hands, making Naruto shiver. His heart felt like it would beat out of his chest and plop onto the floor with how erratically it was thumping. Sasuke's blood-red tongue poked out just briefly to wet his lips before he whispered into those golden locks. "You seemed to have made up your mind," he murmured in a husky voice.

Naruto nodded absently and barely croaked out a yes in response. He continued to stare straight, keeping his blue eyes locked on the spot that was occupied by the man looming over him just moments ago, body tensing under every tender stroke or gentle nudge. Even the smallest contact of flesh could be felt through every nerve in his body, and his skin felt like it had thousands of microscopic needles stuck in it. He was sure that his face was a wonderful shade of red by now, because he could feel his blood coursing through his body like a gushing river. He heard, and felt the ghost of a man inhale deeply near his right ear and could just feel those black eyes piercing through him under hooded eyelids.

"Good, because I would hate to have to ruin that pretty little face of yours," Sasuke continued in the same sensuous voice, rich like velvet. He undid the chain on the blonde's neck, which fell to the floor with a soft thump, and gently pulled the tan face to meet his with a hand on his cheek. He closed his eyes and slowly pressed his thin lips to Naruto's full ones, mouth only partly open and almost hesitant with how faint the kiss was. Naruto neither fought nor responded to the contact, but simply stayed as still as possible, waiting for the defining moment of freedom when his cursed shackles would be removed, allowing him access to the Caesar to end all this.

Just as he had hoped, Sasuke's hands roamed down to the small of his back where his hands where tightly bound together, fumbling around slightly before inserting the key in and turning it with a tiny click that echoed loudly in Naruto's ears. But before the blonde could even begin to get the blood flowing into his hands, Sasuke grabbed both wrists and yanked them in between the two, locking them once more in front of the man with a sadistic grin spreading across his face. "Wouldn't want you to get away just yet, now would I?" he said in a low, taunting voice that caused Naruto's heart to cease beating altogether.

What had just happened? One second he was moments away from feeling the Caesar's pulse slowly diminish from under his palms and the next his hopes of murder where stomped from a simply twist of the key. Naruto froze completely, horror seizing up his body like a vice. He couldn't even feel the slobbery kisses that were being trailed down his color bone, working to what could only be his navel. Things were not at all going as planned, and all he could do was stand there stupidly as the color drained from his face.

Sasuke stood straight once again and started to cut through the thin cotton that made up the slave's clothing with a tiny blade, pulling the useless cloth off his shoulder and tossing it to the floor. He admired the tanned body only for a short while before taking off his own robes, but making sure to set them safely on the chair that was placed facing the city in front of his balcony. He led Naruto's stiff figure next to the grossly large bed with a smirk. "And here I thought you were going to be fun to break in. I guess you're not as strong-willed as I had hoped for though. Oh well," he thought out loud with a tone of slight disappointment, but his satisfaction could not be hidden through the pout. And that's when Naruto's stupefied state broke like a glass smashed by stone.

Naruto yanked his arm free of the Caesar's nonchalant grasped and, with the speed of a man running on more adrenaline than even his rage, slammed his chained arms on either side of the Caesar's head and crossed them over at the back of his neck. Before the Caesar could even blink, Naruto had effectively wrapped the heavy duty chain that bound his hands around the pale neck and was now cutting off the circulation of air with the very thing that the Caesar used to control him with. "I am not one of your playthings to just be used on a whim," Naruto snarled heatedly into the choking man's ear. Sasuke's hands flailed desperately but grasped nothing but air, and his screams where caught in the metal of the chain that was taut against his throat even as he clawed away at it. "And you will never break me, not even with all the power you hold over Rome, you will never get to me," he added in the same vicious tone. He was breathing hard and not even the feeling of the smaller man squirming below him was enough to make him rethink what he was doing and slacken the chains. If anything, he tightened his hold as the Caesar became weaker and weaker, his arms twitching only occasionally in a pathetic attempt to get the chain off him even if he knew this was the end, killed by a lowly whore that was nothing more than a non-compliant slave in his harem.

But just as Naruto was sure the deed had been done and the Caesar was dead, the door came crashing down and before he even had time to whip his head around to see who had entered, his world went black.

Naruto woke up with a moan. At first he didn't even attempt to sit up because every part of him screamed in agony whenever he so much as twitched. He was disoriented, to put it lightly, and his head was pounding for some unknown reason. He tried to take in his surroundings without actually opening his eyes, because he knew the sun was just too much to handle in his current state. He was lying on his side, curled up on the floor, which was covered in something grainy and rough like dirt or sand, and a musty smell lingered in his nostrils whenever he took in a shallow breath. He knew he was somewhere outside, the sun and dirt only enforced that theory, and he could hear the far-off chatter of the city, busy and lively in the summer sun. There was also shuffling, feet he assumed, somewhere behind him. He decided he would just lie there and try to organize his thoughts before another go at getting up.

The last thing he remembered was… Gods, why is it so hard to think of anything? The lines on his forehead creased in frustration that came from not being able to remember what got him there, wherever "there" was. Then it all came back to him like a ton of bricks, and cerulean blue eyes shot open only to shut tight once again as the sunlight invaded his sensitive vision. He groaned in pain and rolled over to his back, which caused another sound to escape his lips when his body ached and moaned at his every move. He remembered exactly what he'd been doing before he ended up here, curled up in the dirt of some unknown location.

He'd been trying to murder the Caesar of Rome at the time.

The next thought that immediately nagged his brain was in the form of a question, though he had many, but this one seemed to basically cover them all in one way or the other. Why was he still alive? Had they decided that death was too merciful an option for what he'd done? Perhaps they were planning on torturing him numb instead and were simply waiting for him to wake up so he could delve into an even worse nightmare than the one he'd been trying to escape when he did the deed. Yes, that was probably it. But on the other hand, if they were planning on torturing him why would they allow him to be outside? Surely not so he could bask in the sunlight like he was at the very moment, though basking seemed like an inappropriate term to use since it implied that he was enjoying the sunlight's company when in fact it was one of the many sources to his pain.

Thousand of questions buzzed throughout his aching head and not one of them had an answer. So instead of trying to chase down a single train of thought, which was easier said than done in his current state, he simply tried to get his basic bodily functions working again. He started with the eyes, daring to crack them open just barely but unable to get a clear view on anything since the sun was shining brightly down on him. Next came the neck, which he tried to lift up and crane to the left to see if he had just imagined the sound of human activity and was greeted by a pleasant sight. Standing there where two men and a women, discussing what could only be him by the torn expressions on their faces. It was something like disbelief, shock, concern, anger, frustration, and pity all combined into one confusing expression. All he could hope for was that they weren't hostile, because he was in no shape to fight back.

The time had finally come for him to try and sit up, which he did with a great effort, and the noises that slipped through his clenched teeth seemed to have gotten the attention from the three others that seemed so deep in a conversation that not even the sky collapsing could have broken them from their thoughts. The first thing he noticed where a pair of small but firm hands as they helped steady him up to a sitting position by supporting his back. He cracked an eye open to be met with the very concerned and annoyed expression of a girl with pale emerald eyes and strange pink hair. The hair is what really made him do a double take actually, but he'd seen stranger while sailing around the world and quickly moved on.

"What do you think you're doing trying to pull a stunt like that you fool," she chastised in that kind of maternal tone that certain women have. Naruto simply stared blankly at her, unsure of where to start. She shook her head, "Never mind that, you need to rest. It's a wonder the Caesar let you live, though being thrown down here isn't much of an improvement. But I guess if you're good enough there's a chance you'll be able to get out."

This caught Naruto's attention, and he was shaken out of his daze. "Wait, what are you talking about?"

The girl studied him for a while with a stunned look on her face, "You mean you don't know what they sentenced you to?" she asked incredulously.

"No, I was knocked out cold," Naruto replied with a far-off expression, reliving the moment when the guards, or so he assumed, knocked down the door and hit him hard across the head. Well, that explained the throbbing headache he had at the moment.

She pinched the bridge of her nose tiredly. "The Caesar was furious, but thought it'd be better to make your demise as public as possible. I believe his words were 'If he wishes to fight, then let it be for his life. The public always likes a good bloodbath anyhow.' So he decided to throw down here in the pit."

Naruto's face scrunched up in confusion, "The pit?"

The girl's eyes widened in disbelief and she had to compose herself again to answer. "You know, the arena. The coliseum where slaves and fighters battle to the death for their life?"

Now it was Naruto's blue eyes to widen, because this was certainly news to him. "So are you telling me he's thrown me down here to fight and die against Gladiators?" Naruto asked in a panicked tone. He'd heard about these kinds of places while stopping at various ports, and the descriptions he got where enough for his stomach flip. The thought that he'll have to take part in those kinds of fights…

He grabbed her shoulder for support as thousand of images flew threw his mind, all bloody and gruesome and in the end, his fate. His breath became shallow and his eyes kept focusing in and out on the pink haired girl that was saying something incoherent with concern. Next thing he knew, he hit the floor once again and lost consciousness again.

Naruto woke up with a start and nearly banged his head against the bunk above him when he shot up, frantically looking from side to side. He was in a small room, dimly lit and fairly worn from what he could see, lying in a small cot that was positioned below another that was held up by the wooden frame. There was someone there, though he couldn't make out whom in the low light. They seemed to be busy at a table on the other side of the room, completely oblivious to him and his loud breathing.

"Excuse me," he managed to croak out of his bone dry throat, startling whoever was in the room with him. Said person whipped around and rushed over to his side, shoving him back down on the bed and going off on an angry tangent about who knows what. From what Naruto could make out, she was a woman with pale blonde hair that hung in two low pigtails, wrapped in a green robe. She was loud and demanding, which frightened Naruto slightly. Being yelled at by a stranger in an unknown room after being told that you were going to be torn apart slowly in the arena seems to have that affect on you.

"Drink," she said in a commanding voice while shoving a cup of warm liquid into his shaky hands. He sipped it tentatively and grimaced at the bitter taste it left on his tongue. The lady scoffed, "You didn't think you'd actually enjoy it did you? Now suck it up, we have very little time to bring you back up to good health and start training for your first match."

Naruto decided it would be easier to make his torture quick and threw the remaining liquid down his throat with a cringe. "Who are you?" he asked once the foul taste ran its course and he could speak again.

"Tsunade, your medical overseer from now on," she stated without looking up from whatever she was working on at the table. "My job right now is to get you ready for your battle, orders are straight from the Caesar," she continued in the same disinterested voice. "I suppose he doesn't want you to just flop over and die in the arena. The audience wants a fight," she mused out loud.

Naruto mulled her words over thoughtfully. Everything was starting to make sense now, as for why he wasn't immediately killed or why he's being nurtured back to help at the very moment. The Caesar wanted him to look good for his slaughter, because he knew that's what it would end up being. NO matter how much time Naruto was given to repair and heal, the Caesar would never put him up to a challenge that he would end up surviving. At best he's make it seem like he had a chance, if only to work the crowd up, but in the end he's never going to let Naruto walk away for what he did. Or tried to do for that matter. "Does this mean that I'm going into training?" Naruto asked curiously.

"Of course you are," she replied with an inpatient tone. She turned and cocked her hip to one side to rest her hand on it, "You really don't have a clue about what's going on do you?"

Naruto huffed and averted his gaze to the table behind her. "You're not the first to think I've been informed," he countered. Her face softened and she took a seat by his bed in a rickety chair, taking his hand in hers and examining it thoughtfully with a nurse's eyes. He continued to stare off into space, effectively avoiding her amber eyes as he did so.

She studied his face, curious to see who the notorious murderer was, and was surprised to see such an innocent boy. Not even a man in her eyes, but rather a reckless and confused boy who's just started to live life's horrors. "Where are you from?" She inquired in a low voice.

"The harem," he replied, "a slave to the Caesar." He wasn't showing any expression in his voice or face and at first his answer left Tsunade confused, but once she processed what he said she chuckled.

"I meant before you were brought here," she explained.

He was silent for a bit and as still as a statue before he spoke, and when he did it was nothing more than a quiet murmur. "The sea."

A smile graced her lips, "You were a sailor?" He nodded in reply. "I had a little brother who- well he loved the ocean, and he would always drag me over to the docks or the beach with him," she said, reliving the cherished memories of her beloved brother as she did so. She shook her head, snapping out of her hazy state to shoot him a warm smile. "At least you're giving us something to work with. You're going to need all the strength you've built up out at sea to survive this one."

Naruto's head snapped to look at her with a puzzled expression, his brows knit tightly together in clear confusion. "What do you mean?"

A single thin eyebrow raised on Tsunade's face in amusement. "You would rather fall to the hands of the Caesar, giving into death willingly?" she proposed doubtfully. Naruto's face lit up when he came to fully realize what she was suggesting and a newfound hope began to build in the pit of his stomach. Or maybe that was just his hunger catching up to him, since he couldn't recall the last meal he had. Either way, he felt something besides pain and desperation, and that was enough to get him kicking once again.

"You couldn't possibly be suggesting?" he started in a steady voice.

"But why not?"

"Although it could quite possibly mean-"

"I'm fully aware of the consequences, but that's implying that anyone's going to find out," she assured in a knowing voice. They held each others gaze, measuring the others worth and determining whether or not this was actually going to be a possibility given the massive handicap that the Caesar would set for the young man. "Now come, you need some food to get you going again. Today is the only day I'm allowing you to rest, tomorrow your training will start," she stated with finality and got back up to walk out for only a brief moment and returning with a tray of food.

The sight, and smell for that matter, of food had Naruto nearly drooling in anticipation. He honestly hadn't realized just how hungry he was until recently, and he highly doubted that the food here would be as good as what they were serving up in the harem's quarters. Not that he cared, because his freedom from that cursed man was more than enough to make up for the slight declination of quality. She set the tray down across his lap, helped him sit up properly and handed him utensils. He didn't even look to see what was being served to him before shoveling the food down his throat, eagerly taking gulp after gulp without a single moment of hesitation.

Tsunade watched him with the same entertained expression on her face as before. He reminded her so much of her brother it almost hurt to see him, and she had immediately felt a certain inclination to help him, more so than any of her other patients, from the moment she set eyes on him. He held the same air of innocence, or perhaps it was ignorance, and wonder that her brother had, like there was always something to keep them curious no matter where they were. He also seemed to have an unmistakable knack for fighting authorities and getting punished for it, or so she had picked up from others. The more she thought about it, the more curious she got as to how he actually managed to get himself banished down here when he had held such a high place in the Caesar's likings, as for as slaves go that is. "What exactly was it you had done to get yourself ostracized from the palace?"

Naruto stopped gorging himself with food to inhale deeply, preparing himself for the tedious task of retelling current events that were more likely than not difficult to explain. "I was brought here only months ago," he began in a tired voice, "and was immediately thrown into the harem quarters. I was," he stopped abruptly, searching for the right word then hesitantly said, "used, I suppose you could say, for the Caesar's more lustful purposes." He paused in his retelling, allowing the feelings of being ultimately violated and dirtied start to slowly swell up in him again. He finally looked into her eyes with an anguished expression, "The Caesar, he takes pleasure in breaking the soul and will of people, of forcing them to break at his feet where he can control their every move. His slaves are no different, even the more privileged ones," he whispered in a shaky voice. "I refuse to be broken, to have my morals mutilated for a power hungry man that is never sated, even with being the ruler of the most powerful empire in the world."

Tsunade's eyes reflected her sympathy as she soaked up his words, understanding completely what he was saying and feeling nothing but pity for the young man whose soul seemed pure enough to shine. "But what did you actually do to get banished? I doubt he would have gotten rid of one of his precious gems simply because they refused to do his every bidding," she said doubtfully. She'd been here long enough to know how things worked, and this was the first that she'd heard of a slave from the Caesar's personally collection being taken out of the palace. There were always slaves that were being executed for misconduct and the sort, but never sent to the coliseum, making his case even more curious.

Naruto faltered before speaking, and when he eventually did it was in a low voice that was tinged with something like hopelessness. "I… I tried killing him," he answered bluntly.

"What!" Tsunade shrieked in horror, effectively causing Naruto to jump in surprise. It took her a minute to process what he'd said and once she'd finally collected her thoughts again she grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Do you know what you have done to yourself?" she asked rapidly. "The Caesar is going to do everything in his power, which is extensive mind you, to make your death as painful and drawn out as possible, all for the sake of what he considers justice." She stopped upon noticing the frightened look in the boy's eyes, whether from her or the thought of being publicly tortured in the arena she didn't know, but it made her release her grip on him and slump back in her chair, covering her face with thin hands. She peaked through the cracks of her fingers just enough to notice the look of determination that was set on the blonde's and instantly felt ashamed for losing faith in him, if even for just a little while. "I'm sorry," she murmured and straightened back up, taking his empty plates and setting it on the small desk next to her.

Naruto watched her blankly, wondering just what was waiting for him in the arena. The upcoming battle will allow him to measure just how sick the Caesar is, and how much he despises being challenged. Perhaps he will place starving beast in every corner of the ring and let them tear him limb from limb, or instead have him fight against a murderous madman with nothing more than the clothes on his back for protection. Whatever the day holds for him, he has to be ready and unwilling to go down without a fight.

Naruto was shaken awake the next morning by the blonde woman that he had come to know as Tsunade, who waited a full two seconds before she shoved him onto the floor and told him to get ready for his training and threw a fresh cotton robe on his crumpled figure. He got dressed, muttering some rather crude things about the temperamental woman as he did so, and walked out of his temporary housing to be met with the same pink haired girl from the day before, or whenever it was that they had last met. Time seemed to be escaping him for the past few days.

"Good morning," she greeted with a small grin. Judging from her tone, she seemed to be happy for more sadistic reasons than her greeting showed, which resulted with a shiver running up Naruto's spine.

"Also to you," he replied tentatively, unsure whether or not to trust the mysterious girl.

Without a single word uttered, she grabbed his wrist and led him through the dimly lit halls, emerging into the sunlight and across a dusty expanse of ground. They continued through an old gate to stop in what looked to Naruto like a training ground. There were weapons aligning the walls and various equipment scattered on the dirt floor for what he could only presume was part of the training plan, though the abnormality of the weapons made him unsure. There were other men there, talking amongst themselves in casual tones.

"This is where you are going to spend the majority of your time for the next week or so," The girl explained, nudging him farther into the closed-in area. The sun was beaming down on him and he couldn't help but bask in it for a moment, relishing the pleasant warmth it cast over his bare skin. It was the first time in a while that he had been in the sun and fully enjoyed it.

"What are you going to have me do?" he inquired curiously and glanced around him. Upon closer inspection, it actually resembled a coliseum, on a much smaller scale of course. A smirk grew on her face, which in turn made Naruto's face pale slightly, and silently, she picked up a small sword near her. She tested its weight in her hand momentarily and looked into Naruto's cerulean eyes with a dangerous gleam in her own emerald ones. Without warning, she swiftly sliced the sword through the air, aiming for the straight for his neck.

Naruto exclaimed in surprise and just barely leaped out of the way of the gleaming blade, but not enough to keep his robe intact. There was a long slice through his thin robe that ended just at his shoulder, threatening to split the robe in all together. Before he had time to protest, another swing, promising to severely slash his arm, came his way. This time his instincts to survive kicked in and he promptly knocked her hand out of the way and kicked the sword out of her grasp, sending it flying a good meter or two away.

Naruto stumbled and fell backwards, supporting himself with his hands and trying to catch his breath. The girl rubbed her hand and shot him an amused grin. "See, that is what you're going to need in the arena. Now all we have to do is hone it down to perfection."

Naruto gaped at her, panting for air still and unable to move from his seat on the ground. "You could have killed me!" he yelled, his voice cracking as he did so. "I don't even know who you are and you tried to kill me!" he continued.

She picked up the sword behind her and turned back to the man, though he was so young it seemed strange to call him that, who remained unmoving due to shock. She held out her hand and gave him a patient look, "Sakura."

Naruto examined the smooth skin of the hand in front of him and shook his head, wondering what he had gotten himself into and taking her hand. She hoisted him up and lifted the torn fabric of his robe curiously and scoffed, letting it flutter back down against his tanned chest. He sighed and dusted himself off before meeting her wicked gaze once again. "Naruto," he declared in a confident voice.

A smile graced her lips, "Well then Naruto, shall we begin?" she said and playfully slapped his arm. He watched as her receding figure disappeared in a small shack on one end of the miniature arena and let out a deep breath to prepare himself for the foreseeable torture that he would have to endure in the form of conditioning. "Well," he muttered below his breath, "at least she'll keep me on my toes." And how right he was.

That night, after an excruciating day of beatings and slashes from the unforgiving blade that belonged to his slightly eccentric teacher, Naruto skulked back into the room he'd stayed in the night before and immediately collapsed face down onto the cot. After being escorted back to the correct room, all the while having his ear talked off by his new "friend," Sakura bid him goodnight jabbed him painfully hard in the side, and skittered off to God knows where. He'd been so exhausted that he hadn't even noticed Tsunade's frightening presence as she busily worked on a patient near the room's entrance. He did, however, note the crude remarks being spewed out of her mouth over inanimate objects not doing what she wanted them to.

After driving her patient out and cleaning up her station, she finally acknowledged Naruto's presence with a flick to the back of his head, earning a halfhearted moan in response. "What are you doing back here, I told Sakura to get you your own bunk," she accused irritably.

Naruto slopped over onto his back, with more effort than usual, and covered his face with hands filled with various cuts and scratches. "She directed me back here, so don't take it out on me," he countered in a tired voice.

There was a long slash down his chest that captured Tsunade's attention, and she moved his arms out of the way to get a better look. With a lengthy sigh, she moved back to her work station and grabbed the basic first aid items that she needed to patch up the beaten man. She walked back and cut his tunic, or what was left of it, and brushed it out of thee way so she could get better access to the damage. "What did that girl do to you? It looks as of a lion had its way with you," Tsunade teased as she gently pressed a wet cloth to the bleeding or scratched skin. The damage wasn't that bad, just some cuts and a handful of bruises, which the medic was thankful for.

"Who is that girl?" Naruto groaned, his arm covering his arms. "I mean, why is she down here with all the fighters? It's honestly no place for a woman," he continued with a mixture of honest concern and resentment. Hearing this made Tsunade chuckle at the irony of it, considering his current state of being.

"Speak for yourself," she said absently as she wrapped a bandage around his arm to cover a rather gruesome cut. "That girl can handle herself better than any of the male fighters in the arena."

Naruto's eyes shot open from under his arm, which he moved out of the way to look at woman with a puzzled expression. "You don't mean to say that she actually fights in the coliseum, do you?" he questioned slowly.

Once Tsunade had finished patching him up, she rubbed a balm over the bruises and small cuts that needed attending to. "Of course she, she's the most popular female fighter to have ever graced the public with her skill," she stopped rubbing the slimy concoction over a massive bruise on his shoulder to raise an eyebrow in his direction. "You have never heard of her before?" she asked in an incredulous tone.

Naruto simply shook his head, responding with, "I usually don't know what goes on in the city. I am away at sea for the majority of my life, of course I can't keep up with the latest news," he stated a-matter-of-factually. "I never knew that women could fight in the coliseum," he said, voicing his thoughts in a low voice.

"They couldn't before, it is a recent change," Tsunade clarified in a dull voice, preoccupied with the current task of covering every and any inch of bruised skin showing. When she finished she gathered all her supplies and transported them back to their rightful places on her makeshift desk. "I was chosen as the medic when the new law had been passed. The old one was… ineffective, to say the least," she said and handed him food and water. "Now eat, tomorrow is going to just as hard, if not harder."

Naruto immediately fell asleep that night, not budging from the position that he took once he decided he couldn't keep his burning eyes open a second longer. Nothing interrupted his dreams, which consisted mainly of the ocean and his old captain and crew, free from the problems of the world, concerned only with the immediate dangers that Mother Nature presented to them. The salty wind whipped back his bleached hair and the harsh sun left a permanent bronze glaze over his smooth skin. He just stood there on the bow of the ship, hands gripping the rough edges to prevent from being tossed back and forth from the rocky waters. There was a feeling that overwhelmed him, something so familiar but forgotten over a long period of time, something that he had taken for granted when he had it. It was the feeling of security, of knowing what the next day would hold and being content with what will happen next, of knowing what you were getting yourself into because you'd been doing it your entire life. This was what he longed for most in the prison that came in the shape of Rome.

He just wanted to be home again, back in the water's cold embrace.

His sunshine was shattered by a certain pink haired woman who seemed more than eager for the start of a new day, while he on the other hand dreaded her company alone, let alone what would happen should she be around. And as he groggily stumbled out of his bed he felt nothing, not the cold stone under his bare feet or the damp air of what he learned to be the barracks for all the fighters, only the numbness that gnawed at his heart. All he felt was the despair of being yanked out of his old life, and the pain of finally saying goodbye to it forever. He knew he was never going back to his life at sea. He knew he was never going back home. But on he pushed, if only for the sake of keeping his promises for life. Never give up, never give in, and never break a promise. These words echoed over and over again in his head like a sacred chant.

Thank you for reading and please review since I'm kind of working out of my comfort zone here. Stick around for more!

Also, there really were female gladiators. Just look it up if you don't believe me.