I do not own Naruto

Chapter Two

By the time nightfall came Sakura was sitting on her bed, still fully dressed. Looking down at her hands as she carefully played with the white fabric of her dress, letting out a soft sigh she shook her head, looking over at Emi who was sitting beside her.

"I don't want the village to go to war," Sakura finally said, breaking the silence in the room. Carefully standing, she placed her hands on her narrow waist, "I just don't want to watch all these innocent people get caught in the middle."

Emi let out a sigh, looking up at the princess as she tilted her head, "Well, do you want to marry this Orochimaru fellow? Because, from the sounds of it – if your dad doesn't want you to be betrothed to him, you should listen to him."

"The last thing I want to do is marry that man," Sakura groaned, moving her hands to her cheeks as she frowned. Looking down at her lady in waiting she shook her head, "You should have seen him... he looked… devilish."

"There isn't much you can do, Sakura-chan…" Emi sighed, moving to place her hands on the princess's shoulders in a comforting manor, "You just have to go with the flow, besides going with your uncle without the notice of other's is a great way to keep you safe – and I'm coming with you, you're not facing this alone."

At this, Sakura smiled. Nodding her head she moved her hands down to fiddle with her skirt again. Letting out a sigh she moved her head the window, watching the lights flicker below. Feeling a frown pull up on her face, she looked back over to Emi – though, before she could say something, her door busted open.

"Sakura-sama," Kakashi breathed slamming the door shut behind him, a few cuts and blood stains decorating his once perfect uniform, "We must leave. Now."

Sakura's eyes widened when she saw the man, carefully and quickly moving towards the man, "Kakashi-san you're hurt!"

Kakashi shook his head, taking a firm hold of her hand before moving to pull her to the side of the bed. Pulling down one of the lights beside her bed like a leaver, she was surprised to find it opened a secret door way behind one of her book cases. "There's no time Sakura, we must go now." He insisted, looking back to Emi. Nodding his head for her to follow, he led the two women down the steps. Picking up a torch once the hidden door closed behind them.

"But Kakashi, what about Oto-san!" Sakura worried, watching the male intently as she stumbled to keep up with his long and hurried steps.

"He's not coming, we've escalated your meeting with your uncle earlier. The castle is under attack, we have to get you to safety." Kakashi explained, as soon as those words left his mouth, a rumble was heard as the stairs began to shake. A few drops of rubble falling onto the steps.

Sakura forced back her tears, not having been able to see her father one last time. Looking back at Emi when she took her other hand, she pushed back her tears more before looking forward. A shaky breath leaving her.

Once they reached the bottom of the steps, more shakes and rumbles came from the building. Kakashi handed Emi the torch as he forced the door at the bottom open by slamming it with his shoulder. The stairs lead to the stables near the back of the castle, seemingly untouched by the chaos happening at the front of the building. Already, there was another Royal Guard waiting for them, Ryu she heard Kakashi say his name was. Kakashi pure black horse in one hand and another pure brown horse in the other already fitted in their saddles and reins.

Kakashi easily mounted his horse before helping Sakura up and behind him. While Ryu did the same with Emi. Instantly wrapping her arms around his waist, Sakura let out a shaky breath as she looked to her home. A few tears slipping past her defenses as the two horses took off down a path towards the docks hidden behind the mountain side.

Racing down the narrow path, Sakura's grasp on Kakashi tightened. Her eyes moving up to the forest a few feet above them, feeling slightly uneased by the quietness of the forest around them, she looked back at Kakashi. Moving over to the side to speak to him, just as an arrow whizzed by. Flying right past the two. Kakashi cursed at this, his eyes snapping back to warn the other two of the oncoming attack, though he was cut off by a blood curdling scream coming from Emi. The arrow that missed them, had already hit Ryu though the chest. Causing him to drop off the horse, hitting the ground before rolling into the water below.

Emi scrambled, trying her best to keep control of the horse. Grabbing onto the reins, the women forced the horse to focus once more. Her eyes going up to Sakura in a look meant to be reassuring for the princess. But it was cut short, her eyes soon widened as an arrow pierced through her heart. Sakura watched in horror as her best friend's life slowly faded before her eyes, feeling her tears weld up in her eyes. "EMI!" The princess screamed, her hand instantly darting out to the girl. Her tears finally escaping her as she clung back to Kakashi when he called to her.

Feeling her stomach twist and turn uncomfortably, made her want to be sick. Her tears and sadness caught in her throat as she sunk against the males back. Barely registering the sudden increase in the horse's pace when Kakashi smacked the reins.

Kakashi cursed when the Oto Soldiers had caught up to them, chasing them down like a game of cat and mouse. Moving his gaze behind him for a moment, he narrowed his eyes. Smacking the reins and gently kicking the horse's sides to get him to run faster. He could feel the trembling of the princess clinging to his back. He could feel the tears slowly soaking his back. But he couldn't let it distract him.

Looking back forward, he could see the private docks set up for the royal family. Waiting at the docks sat a large ship. The ship was bigger than most, sitting large and proudly at the docks. The wood of the ship was a dark chestnut brown, with dark red stripping around the railings and around where the cannons sat. The ship was taller than most, instead of having one row of cannons, they had two, stacking above each other in a diagonal pattern instead of one on top of the other. The masts and bow were the same chestnut brown as the rest of the boot, though the sails were a deep red colour which reminded him of brandywine. But, this wasn't any ship. It was a pirate ship, the one home to the Akatsuki. It was an unmistakeable ship, the one that haunted many people's nightmare. Children and Adults, alike.

Hearing the sudden income of more horses, Kakashi's head snapped behind him. A sigh of relief almost left him when he had noticed it was Konoha soldiers. Looking back forward he narrowed his eyes, speeding up his horse once more as they got closer and closer to the docks. Refusing to turn when he heard a clashing of middle, he led his horse closer to the edge of the path.

"Hold on!" He called, and once he felt the small arms tighten around him. His horse leapt into the air. Feeling the arms tighten even more before they landed on the docks, though his horse slid a bit before catching itself. Once the horse came to a halt at the ship, where the plank was lowered. He quickly got off, helping Sakura down. Undressing the horse, he threw the saddle and reins into the water before telling the horse to go.

Seeming to understand the horse took off, leaving Kakashi and Sakura. Taking a hold of her wrist, he pulled her up the plank and onto the large ship as Sakura let her self be hurried onto the ship. Her mind was elsewhere, her wide and pained green eyes stared at her feet. Once they had stopped moving, Sakura began to feel herself shake more and more. Curling her full, red lips into her mouth to keep her from crying out. The voices shouting frantically around her, were nothing but a small murmur in the background. Slowly bringing her trembling hands into her line of sight, she closed her eyes tightly. Ignoring the shifting of the boat as they moved away from the port, ignoring the rush of people around her, and soon after ignoring the two shots of cannon fire that destroyed the dock.

Things had finally fallen silent.

Moving her hands over her mouth as her eyes open widely, she felt her legs give out from underneath her. Falling to her knees with a small thud, her hands moved to cover her face as a small, choked cry left her. Shutting her eyes quickly as her tears began to burn. Hunching over the girl's cries began to slowly – but surely, fill the silent night. Her chest tightened as her sobs began harder, the nagging in the back in the back of her head from her tutors repeating over and over. Princesses don't show sadness. Princesses don't show tears. Princesses don't cry. Princesses don't cry.

Kakashi watched the girl he had known since birth slowly break down, and he couldn't do anything. He knew that she needed to grieve, he knew that she needed to let it out instead of bottling it all up like she was raised to do. Though, her father always let her speak her mind around him and Kakashi, he had always disagreed with bottling up emotions. It destroyed people. Carefully moving to face her, he was about to kneel before her to comfort her but, the sound of footsteps and a clicking of a cane stopped him.

"My.." The male began, his voice was soft but held a tiny rasp at the end of certain words. Carefully and slowly kneeling down before Sakura, he placed his hand on top of her head, "You look so much like your mother."

Sakura paused at this, slowly letting her hands drop of her face, soon looking up. Emerald met lilac. The male before her held almost the same complexion she had, but thanks to her father – she held a warmer paleness instead of the cool tone the man before her carried. She found it odd, a man at sea holding such a pale complexion. His hair was red, falling over his one eye as the pin straight hair framed his other eye and the rest of his face. There were small bags under his lilac eyes. "Are you..?"

Smiling only a fraction, the male nodded his head. Dropping his hand from the top of his head he carefully picked his cane up from the ground. Slowly standing, he held his hand out to her once more, "Your uncle, yes." He said simply, helping her up once she took his hand, "My name is Nagato."

Wordlessly staring at the male, the pink haired women slowly blinked. Carefully bringing her hands to wipe away her tears with her sleeves, she let out a stressed sigh, "A-ah, I'm sorry… you have to see me this way…"

Nagato shook his head, moving his hand to pull her hands away from her eyes, "If you rub them, you irritate them and it hurts your eyes.." The male stated gently, giving her a shrug, "Your mother use to do the same thing when she was younger."

Feeling her eyebrows furrow as she listened to the man speak, she was speechless. Seeming to notice her lack of words, the red headed male let out a chuckle. Carefully moving his hands away from hers, he took his cane off his hip to lean on, "Please, princess, you don't have to keep your emotions to yourself, not on this ship at least. You've had a traumatic evening. It's only natural that you feel like giving into your emotions."

At his words, Sakura felt her gaze lowering elsewhere. Despite his comforting words, she still felt as though she shouldn't let everyone see her cry. Again.

Kakashi watch the princess struggle to let go of her emotions, letting out a small sigh, the male carefully approached the girl. Looking towards Nagato, he gave him a sheepish smile, "Perhaps we should escort her to her quarters, captain."

Nagato was silent for a moment, though he nodded his head. Waving down one of the female pirates to escort her, "Hinata, if you'd please.."

At the sound of her name, Hinata perked up. Her pale eyes watching the warn out princess for a moment. Her long dark blue hair was poker straight, her bangs framing her doll like features. She looked too innocent to be a pirate. She wore a simple white blouse with a light purple corset that accentuated her large chest and narrow waist. The gray jacket she wore over top kept her more modest. Completing the look with a soft pair of dark blue pants, the fabric started baggy before tightening as it got closer to her ankle. Her black ankle boots, held a heel to them but, didn't look to hinder her movement.

Giving a small nod, the women carefully approached. Looking towards the princess, she gave her a tiny smile, gesturing to the steps that were located in the middle of the main deck, the steps themselves having a railing wrap around them so no one fell. "This way princess.." the women smiled softly, carefully moving to lead her towards the stairs.

Sakura hesitated for a moment, soon following after the girl almost robotically. She barely noticed the rain that slowly began to fall from the sky, she loved the rain. Following the girl down the spiral stair case that lead to the first row of cannons, followed by the second, and then finally the living quarters.

There were three doors, one to the left, one to the right, and one at the end of the hallway. Though there was another set of steps leading even further below deck.

"The door on the left is where the women sleep, and the door to the right is where the men sleep." Hinata quietly pointed out, carefully moving down the hall to stop at the last door, carefully opening the door for the princess, she smiled a bit more, "This is where you'll be staying."

Sakura carefully listened, finally looking up when she brought up where she would be staying. Blinking a few times, the young women looked around the room. Stepping inside, her eyebrows furrowed slightly.

The room was large, the windows lining the back wall showed the view at the back of the ship. From her little knowledge of ships, she knew this was just below the captain's quarters that were on the main deck. The large queen sized bed was located right in front of the windows, the bed itself looked to be attached to the floorboards itself. Accompanied by two beside tables as well as a large wardrobe pressed against the left wall. A dressing table with a large mirror on the right.

Looking back at Hinata, Sakura gave her a small smile which, didn't reach her eyes. "Thank you.." She murmured, looking around once more before moving to look back at the girl.

"If you need anything, Princess, do not hesitate to ask." Hinata smiled, once Sakura nodded her head in thanks, the women easily moved to shut the door behind her once she left. Before moving above deck.

It's a bit slow right now I know

But, I got to get the ball rolling y'know

R&R

cookiemonsterxx3