I apologize profusely for the delay in this chapter, so as an apology I made it a little longer, and put in an actual plot point. So, enjoy whilst I go sleep.

R&R and enjoy!

Chapter 2

It was mid-morning on a Wednesday when Port Royale came into view in Temari's spyglass. There was a knot in her chest as she looked at the military fortress, the British colors flying above it and a dozen cannons were visible on the walls.

"I don't like this." She said to Tenten as she handed the brunette the spyglass, "It was a mistake to come here."

"There's nothing we can do now," Tenten responded, "except keep a low profile and get out as quickly as possible."

Temari turned towards the deck, her crew hard at work making docking preparations and hiding anything that would identify them as pirates. The first thing Temari intended to do as soon as they docked was find a tavern and get a drink. She had already assigned the crew to gather supplies and repair the ship; they would be out of the port by morning.

It was another twenty minutes before they coasted to a stop in the dock. Temari and Tenten disembarked together, paying the dock master quickly, tossing in a little extra to keep them off the books. They walked through the town, keeping their heads down every time a patrol of soldiers passed them.

The tavern was a short distance from the port. It was a bustling place, full of sailors and ship captains. They grabbed a table in a back corner, ordering a small amount of food and drink.

"So what's the plan when we leave?" Tenten asked, "Do we go back to Tortuga or straight out hunting again?" Temari took a long swig of her drink, "Tortuga. We can patch the ship better there. And the crew could use the leave, it's been what? Three months since we were last in port?"

"Three and a half." Tenten replied, cutting into her salted pork. "So we're just here to patch enough to get us into friendly waters then?"

"Exactly."

There was a loud crash that drew the women's gazes toward the door. There was a young man with spiked blonde hair who had just been thrown over a table. "Take it back, Sasuke!" he shouted at the other man, whom was the one who had thrown him. There was a sneer on his face.

The blonde man stood up slowly. Temari noticed form both their garb that they were sailors, an both armed.

"I'd like to see you make me, bastard." The one known as Sasuke snapped back.

The blonde man drew the saber he wore on his hip.

"Should we do something?" Tenten asked, eyeing the blade. "No," Temari replied, "This will be interesting."

"Take…it…back!" The blonde man shouted again.

"And why would I?" Sasuke said with a sneer, "The Hyuuga ship leaves tomorrow, and by that time, Lady Hinata will be engaged to me, and I'll take her, tonight."

The blonde man lunged forward, striking his blade forward. Sasuke side-stepped and drew his own blade. As their melee began, people moved out of their way, except for the two pirates. Both of them had the standard fencing form, and moved like seasoned fencers, it was pretty droll when one had been in actual combat for one's life, as opposed to a gentlemen's duel over a woman.

But something the one called Sasuke had said piqued Temari's interest. She leaned over to Tenten and whispered, "Did he say 'Hyuuga'? As in 'Hyuuga Trading' Hyuuga?"

"I think so." Tenten looked at her captain and saw a smirk creep across her face, a smirk Tenten did not like. "Captain, no. You just said we were going to Tortuga. We're in no shape to take on a ship."

"Come on, Tenten," Temari nudged her first mate's ribs with her elbow, "It's a trading ship, usually with pretty valuable cargo." Temari licked her lips at the thought of the plunder. "We need to find out what time that ship's leaving."

It was at that point that several soldiers arrived to break up the fight. They grabbed the feuding men and dragged them away, kicking and yelling bloody murder. The bar soon got over the excitement and went back to the normal buzz of life.

"Tell you what," Temari said, "you go to the dock master's and see if he has anything…"

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Tenten interrupted.

"You're a woman, he's a man who probably feels a little lonely, and would probably trade anything for some time with you." Temari replied, winking at her. "I'm going out to the town to see if I can find anything from the sailors about cargo. Meet me back here at dusk."

Temari stood and walked out of the tavern, leaving Tenten to pay.

The town was still buzzing. Temari made her way through the crowd, casually asking anyone who looked seaworthy what they knew about any Hyuuga shipments, with fruitless results. The blonde pirate spent a good deal of the day on her inquisition, until her feet were sore in her boots and her stomach grumbled with hunger.

As she passed by a small park, she saw a curious sight, a young woman, barely older than eighteen by the looks of her, sitting alone on a stone wall. There was no man nearby who looked like he was with her, and something told Temari she wasn't married.

She was young, a little on the pale side, with seemingly long deep blue hair pulled into a tight bun. Her silk dress was of a deep purple, adorned with ribbons.

A predatory smirk crossed Temari's lips. A woman alone could mean fun for the pirate. And then the woman lifted her head. The light lavender of her eyes gave her away as a Hyuuga instantly. Some type of genetic trait or something.

"Bingo." Temari said to herself as she stalked her way over to the girl. The Hyuuga looked down again and Temari saw her shoulders shudder in a sob as Temari reached her.

"Hello there, Little Bird."

xXx

It was a bad day from the start for Hinata. Her bath was too hot, she was late to breakfast so her food was too cold, and then the news was given to her that she and her father would be leaving the next morning, as opposed to next week. The thought of getting back on a ship made her uneasy in many different ways.

She had dressed in her favorite purple dress to wear into town today. She was going with Naruto to see the only seeable sights in Port Royal she hadn't yet seen, and he claimed he knew an excellent place to watch the sun set. He seemed so infatuated with her, and yet, no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't reciprocate. She was sure her father was going to arrange for her to marry him, and she supposed that there were worse people to be hooked to.

She met him in front of the house. He had been reclining on the front steps when she walked out, and shot to his feet once he noticed her. He wasn't wearing his sailor's clothes, but still had the saber on his hip. They exchanged their greetings and began the short walk into town. Again, Naruto beguiled her with tales of the sea, and again it made her nauseous. Naruto really did love the sea and all its mysteries, but at times it was nothing but aggravating.

They walked for what seemed like hours, through the square, by the fort, Naruto was even able to arrange for them to go inside. It was a dreary place, made entirely of stone with soldiers and cannons everywhere, but it was the gallows that made it ominous.

After that, they walked down to the beach, but Hinata insisted that they didn't stay long. It was as they returned to the square around noontime that the trouble started.

"Look who it is, boys." A shout sounded that drew the pairs' attention. A trio of men stood by the entrance to a tavern. The leader of which Hinata recognized as the captain of one of her father's ships, Sasuke Uchiha, a former naval officer who she had heard was discharged from the King's Navy for doing something horrendous Hinata never knew.

Naruto stood in front of Hinata, "Sasuke." He growled.

"That's Captain to you, bastard." Sasuke chided. "And the ever fetching Ms. Hyuuga." He bowed over dramatically, his compatriots following suit. It made Hinata blush.

"What do you want?" Naruto shouted back, his anger boiling over at their taunt.

"Well, we were on our way to have a few drinks, and…" he looked directly at Hinata, "Find some company for the night."

"Then keep on your way." Naruto's hand drifted to the hilt of his saber.

"Ms. Hyuuga," Sasuke called to her, "Should you tire of this bastard's company, I will be more than happy to show you a truly good time." The trio turned and walked into the tavern.

Naruto was seething with rage. "Hinata," he turned to her, "There's a park, not too far from here. Please wait for me there, I should only be a few minutes."

"B-But where are you going?" She asked, not wanting to be left alone in a town full of sailors fresh from sea.

"I'm going to go and teach that Sasuke some manners. Please, wait for me." With that he turned and strode into the tavern.

Hinata sighed and went to find the park. Upon arriving she found a seat on a wall and sat, and waited. And waited. She sat there for hours, and Naruto never came. A feeling of dread started to come over her. What if Sasuke killed him? What if Naruto killed Sasuke and is hanging from the gallows right now? She looked down at her hands. What if he just abandoned her as some kind of joke?

A sob racked her body. That was it, Naruto abandoned her. He knew she wouldn't dare to leave while there was some shred of hope he would show up. But that didn't seem like him.

Then where was he?

"Hello there, Little Bird." A voice sounded close to her.

Her head snapped up and stared straight into the teal eyes of a woman. A woman who, for some reason, was wearing a man's clothes. "Now what's a little thing like you doing sitting alone in a place like this? And without an escort no less."

"Wh-who are you?" Hinata asked as she looked this strange woman up and down.

"Just a concerned citizen." The woman replied, sliding next to the Hyuuga. "And who might you be?"

"H-Hinata Hyuuga." Hinata said without realizing it. There was something…enticing about this woman. The fierce look in her eyes gave Hinata a strange feeling.

"Is that right?" The woman cocked one blonde eyebrow. "And what would a Hyuuga be doing out alone?"

"I…I'm waiting for someone. He should be here soon." Hinata looked about them, hoping Naruto was near. There was something about this woman that made Hinata not want to be around her.

"And just who would that be?" The woman leaned in a little closer. Hinata could feel her breath.

"That would be me." Hinata stood, knowing that Naruto had finally some for her. Her face fell into horror when she spotted Sasuke and his companions walking up the path.

Hopefully I can have then next one out soon, and it will kick off with a bang! Or maybe more of a clink...or whatever sound sword make. Laters!