From Ninja to Pirate Till I See You Again

By: CaffineFreePepsi

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or One Piece

A/n: I think I may have changed the chapter title, it's similar though. Translations to words I've never used before at the bottom. :)

Bold- Kyuubi talking

Italics- someone's thoughts, mainly Naruto

(Insert#)- Author's note

Bold and italics- Naruto and the Kyuubi together

Last Time:

"Not as you are now." Naruto answered. "Maybe after a few tough training regiments you would stand a quarter of a chance, but you'll have to train long and hard and I can tell you, that is exactly what Luffy is doing." Naruto paused in his lecture and just stared at the boy. "I'll bet your Koby." The pink haired boy nodded. "Then, you'll be Helmeppo, I'm guessing." The other boy nodded, unsure of what to expect. "Do you wish to become strong enough to beat Luffy too?"

"He hurt my daddy, and daddy has been thrown in jail. Yes, I wish to beat him and bring him down!"

"If you keep those dreams in check, don't let revenge or other emotions, get into play. Well, I'm sure you'll do what you want to do, but not without help. I plan to stay right outside of town for a little while to train. If you wish, come and find me, I'll help you train for the little while I'm here. But come prepared," he shot an evil looking foxy grin at the boys, "I won't go easy on you." With that, he shouldered his pack on his back, ruffled Rika's hair, kissed Ririka on the cheek, and strode out the door, without glancing back.

0o0o0o0o0o

"Everything will be different now, won't it?" Hinata nodded. "Will anything stay the same?"

"Naruto-kun will… we will… I'm sure niisan's feeling for you will too. Nothing and everything will change." And, with that, everything was said between the two of them for now.

0o0o0o0o0o

Pein nodded from besides the woman. "Good, Itachi. You and Kiasme will be given the task to watch their every move and, if they truly have left, ask them to join so we can use them to our advantage."

Chapter Eight: As the Danger Rises



Soft pings were heard as dripping water hit a bigger surface of itself. The darkness of the room was overwhelming, half seeming to devour a person alive where they stood. The room was empty save for the mat made of straw where Uchiha Sasuke lay, sound asleep. Dirt and bits of the straw stuck against the remains of his white shirt. His baggy black pants were wrinkled from the curling and moving about in his long sleep.

He had spent another restless night searching in vain for his elder brother or clues to his brother. Or even to Naruto. But to no avail on both counts. Itachi might as well be dead, for as little information Sasuke had. And Naruto had vanished into thin air in the Valley of the End. Right near where they had had their fight six years before when they had been no stronger than gnat; Right where the founder of Konoha and the founder of the Uchiha clan had fought for the leadership of the village.

He groaned lowly in his sleep, shifting over onto his back and opening his onyx eyes. He was still bone dead tired but he could feel one of his 'teammates' approaching at a rapid pace. It was Karin, a raven haired girl that had served under Orochimaru, and he knew the easiest way to deal with her was straight forward, with no pretenses between them. She was much like Sakura in that aspect.

"Sasuke!" Karin shouted bursting into the room only seconds later, her red hair, short and messy naturally on one side and long on the other, in a bigger mess than usual and her glasses near the bridge of her nose. Upon seeing him sitting upon the makeshift pallet bare-chested, she pushed her glasses and straightened to her fullest height, a light blush gracing her cheeks as she avoided looking at his chest. "Eto (1)… Sasuke… I… ano (2)…"

His eyes shifted from black to red faster than she could blink. Before she could draw enough breath to try to say what she wanted once again, he was right there in front of her. His face just inches from her own and his one hand wrapped threateningly around her throat, his other hand was one the hilt of his sword. "Karin, you should know by now that I hate it when you act like a fan girl and keep me waiting. Whatever this meeting is about it better be important." Sasuke moved away from her, letting his hands drop down to his sides and his eyes shift back into the usual black abyss.

"It's about Itachi, Sasuke." She managed to say without stammering, dropping down onto one knee in front of the leader of her team, Team Snake. "Suigetsu," she spat the name in mild disgust at the feet of her leader before she continued on, "and I were patrolling the upper northern regions surrounding our temporary base, here in southern Fire, when he saw them. Two Konoha shinobi… without their head protectors… one was the Hyuuga heiress, of that there could be no doubt, she had her Byakugan fully activated and they seemed to be following an invisible trail."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at this and settled back on the pallet, leaning back on his hands so he could search her face as she gave her report. "And the other Konoha shinobi?"

"W-we're not that sure Sasuke. All we know for sure is she moved like a shinobi and, as she was with the Hyuuga, figured she must be from Konoha." He shot her a glare filled with distaste at 

her lack of information. "She wore her hair, dark brown or black, in twin buns atop her head and slung across her…"

Sasuke hissed cutting off whatever she was going to say. "You call yourself a skilled shinobi Karin?" She nodded, her red eyes latched on his as she nodded, almost shyly, but overly flirtatious. "And, yet, you can't tell Konoha's famed weapon's mistress from a common place ninja?"

"That girl was Tenten?" Karin snorted in amusement, refusing even to consider that the girl was who Sasuke said she was. "She looked like nothing special." A glare from Sasuke had her giggling nervously, rubbing her hand across the back of her head. "Ha-ha… what I mean was that the baka and I were planning on ignoring, but, then, we noticed Itachi and the fish-dude… Kiasme following them. The baka continued to follow them while I reported back to you. What is that you wish…?"

"Karin, you tell me about Itachi first not the Hyuuga girl and Tenten!" Sasuke glared at the girl as he scrambled about the room and gathered up his stuff that he had scattered about the night before. "Go. Ready Jugo, we leave in an hour, we're catching up to those girls and using them to get to Itachi. Even if it's the last thing I do, I will see the end of Itachi."

0o0o0o0o0o0o

"Hinata-chan…? Why are you slowing down?" Tenten asked, yawning as she watched the girl slow to a stop in front of the gorge that marked the beginning of the Valley of the End. "Hinata?" Hinata came to a complete stop and shook her head, her Byakugan fading from around her eyes.

"The trail ends here, Tenten-chan. It goes down the cliff like in the ANBU reports but, after that, nothing; like he just disappeared. What are we going to do?"

"It goes down the cliff?" Hinata nods, leading right up to the edge and positioning Tenten in the exact spot Naruto had been ion before he had fallen down. "Then, we recreate his fall. Naruto couldn't have just disappeared; the trail is there, somewhere. We just have to find it. And, like most good shinobi, use techniques off the norm." She grabbed Hinata's hand and jumped off the cliff. Yells, joy from the fall from Tenten and pure fright from Hinata, was heard all about the woods and, then, in a flash of bright light, they were gone from this world and into another.

"Itachi-san? What do we do now? Follow them to wherever they went?" Kiasme asked his partner.

"Contact Pein-sama and let him know what happen, we await his orders." Kiasme nodded and, with a poof, they were gone.

0o0o0o0o0o



He felt their chakra pressure pulse the second they landed here. He knew who they were in an instant. He wondered why they were here. He knew he was going to have fun finding out. When was the last time he had played with childhood friends?

Smirking he stood from his leaning position against a rock and crossed over his temporary training grounds to where Koby and Helmeppo were sparring. "Ok, you two, we're finished for today, or I am. I've decided it's time I moved on. In fact, I believe I'll go say goodbye to Rika-chan and Ririka-san before it gets too late. I'll catch you later."

"Is it just me," Helmeppo started, staring after the retreating Naruto, "or is he acting stranger than usual?" Koby's only response was to nod in agreement as they continued to watch. "Ah, man he left us to clean up the mess we all made by ourselves. Again!" Laughing, Koby and Helmeppo began to clean up the mess their training exercise had made.

Naruto, though, quickly made his way to the clearing he had set his camp in. Like always when he visited Shell city, he lived outside the city. One of the reasons was that he didn't like to impose himself on Ririka. But the main reason was that if an enemy from his own world ever entered here, he would have enough warning to escape without causing trouble for any of the citizens. The only question remaining was whether or not they came as friends or foes.

Once at his temporary camp, it didn't take him long to pack up his belongings and shoulder his bag only a matter of a few minutes despite the fact that they were strewn all over about the clearing; Clothes had strung from branches of the trees that enclosed the small patch of dirt that made up his home; Food had been tied into a bag and hung from the highest branch on the tallest tree; His books and scrolls were stacked haphazardly against a large boulder on the east side of the clearing; His training equipment, makeshift weights and mats made out of sticks for push ups, leaned on another boulder on the opposite side of the clearing and; His sleeping bag had been already rolled tightly in the center of the clearing.

Smirking as he was finished, he used his chakra to jump out of the clearing and into the tree tops and made his way back towards Shell city. His pursuers were still at a loss as to where to go from where they were at the beach so, he figured, it was safe enough to go say goodbye to Rika and Ririka. He didn't plan to stay longer than that. Let them approach him somewhere far away from Shell City.

"Naruto-kun?" Ririka asked as he stepped into the tavern, her brow furrowed in her concern. "Aren't you supposed to be in the middle of training with the boys?"

Naruto laughed nervously at that, rubbing the back of his head with one of his hands. "Is Rika-chan here?" Ririka shook her head, her eyes still searching Naruto's in concern. "Can you tell her goodbye for me? Something came up and I have to leave."

"Leave, Naruto-kun?" her eyes widened in unsuppressed surprise. "You barely had even gotten here. You've only been here about a week."

"Hey, don't be mad at me. I was planning on staying longer than this but, as I said before, something came up and I need to take care of it. Far from here."



"Naruto-kun… Rika-chan is going to be so sad to find you're gone again." Ririka picked up a glass from beneath the bar and began to clean it out. "But, will you wait just one more minute? We had a surprise already for you when you and the boys came home from training. Rika-chan would want you to have before you left. Wait right there." Without waiting for him to answer she rushed from the tavern and up the stairs behind the bar that lead to their apartment. She came down a moment later carrying a large, slim white box.

Curious, Naruto took it from her hands and set it down onto the bar and opened it. Inside lay a trench coat like he almost always wore these days, but it wasn't black, or white, or brown, as he had taken to wearing lately, but a subtle orange. Black flames licked up from the hem of the coat to the waist and, on the back and the sleeves, were small symbols. On the right sleeve was the kanji for love, on the left was the kanji for friendship, and, on the back, was Konoha's symbol. "Ririka… This… beautiful. It must have taken a long time to make."

"Whether it did or didn't isn't the matter, all that matters is that you like it."

"Like it? I love it." He shrugged out of the black trench coat and into the orange one. "Not sure Nami will though." He added, going behind the bar and hugging her. "Tell Rika-chan that I love it and give her a kiss and hug for me. I'll write and try to visit as soon as I can." He made a hand sign and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"Will that boy ever grow up?" Ririka chuckled to herself sadly as she looked at the place Naruto had been on a second before.

"Stop right there, Uzumaki Naruto!" The voice called out to him seconds before he left the city.

Sighing, Naruto turned around to face the two shinobi behind him. "It's been a long time hasn't it, Hinata-chan, Tenten-san?"

0o0o0o0o0o

"It's so boring without Naruto," Luffy said without any emotion from his spot on the goat head. "Oi, Nami!" He called back towards the ship without looking towards the orange haired girl. "Are you sure Naruto will be able to find us?"

"Completely Luffy," She sighed out in that she had had response in a way that was obvious his conversation with him many times before in recent times. "Now, how are we going to go about finding a cook?"

"And a musician!" Luffy called over his shoulder again, this time with more enthusiasm evident in his voice. "Don't forget about our musician Nami!" Using his hands he gripped his knees and turned himself so that he was facing the others. Nami was bent over a map in the middle of the deck, Usopp was painting the crew's flag on a black square of cloth (several bumps on his head from when he tried to make it his own sign), Zoro was practicing his sword skills on the upper deck, and Tonton was snoozing in a square of sunlight not far from Nami.



"What about Baratie? The floating restaurant?"Zoro muttered, fluidly moving from one sword stance to another as he carefully avoided eye contact with Nami. "I had eaten there a few times back when I was still a pirate hunter, they may have a cook there that is willing and able to travel with us."

"Nani, Zoro!?" Nami shouted standing and striding up to the upper deck and hitting the green haired swordsman on the top of his head. "Why didn't you say so earlier? By the Gods, you could have saved us a hell of a lot of trouble if you just mention it earlier."

"Well, you orange haired nymph (3), I had forgotten, so, excuse me for being only human." He rolled his eyes up at the sky in either annoyance or exasperation. Maybe even a mixture of both. He growled, then, deep in his throat as Nami wrapped her hands around his neck and began to wring it dry.

"Baka. Baka. Baka. How do you forget something so important?" By now even Usopp had stopped what he was doing so that he could watch Nami and Zoro, the paint brush dripping a sterile white onto the black cloth as it hung loosely from his fingers. "It's like you all have lost what little intelligence you had when we left Usopp's home earlier this week."

"It's not like your much better you silly orange-haired monkey! " Zoro countered, breaking her hold on him and twisting away so that he could glare at her from a safer distance. "I don't see you coming up with any ideas."

"Well, I would have thought of something eventually, but the only baka I know who could come up with a great idea on the spot was… Naruto." She added his name hesitantly at the end of her sentence, so soft and low that the others on the ship barely heard it.

Naruto had left rather abruptly sometime during the night after their fight with Kuro and the Black Cat pirates without saying a word about his plans to Nami or any of the others. All he left behind was a note to Nami that she refused to show to any of the others. Her only reply when asked what it read was that Naruto would join up with them sooner or later. It made the others wonder if he did this to her often. And what he could possibly be up to that would make him do it.

And, then, they left. Much whining on Luffy's part and wondering on Zoro's on how Naruto would find them if they left. Nami didn't answer past Luffy on the head and dragging the two onto the ship the Going Merry that Kaya had kindly donated top the Straw Hat Crew. Only minutes later, Usopp had joined them.

"Captain? What is it you wish to do?" Nami asked, turning swiftly towards Luffy with a fake smile plastered on her face. "Go towards Baratie or towards another town? Either way, I'm sure we'll find a cook."

At first, Luffy didn't answer, but stayed in a thinking pose, a hand on his chin and his elbow propped on his knees. Nami truly believed he was thinking it through thoroughly. "Hey, Zoro?" Even up to this point she believed in him. "Is the meat any good on Baratie?" She should have known.



"Baka!" She raged at Luffy, once again striding across the deck towards a crew mate and smacking them across the back of their head. In this case, Luffy. Luffy pouted cutely up at Nami and rubbed the back of his injured head with his hand, but he was smart enough to know that it would be unwise to say anything more. "I can't believe that I thought that you were mature enough to use your head, but... no... You have to be a complete ignoramus and think only with your stomach for crying out loud."

None of her crew mates paid much attention, only Zoro did and only so he could answer Luffy's question at the end of her rant. "Just its smells will make your mouth water with hunger and her belly ache for the need of food."

"Yosh. Set sail the Going Merry Nami!" Luffy shouted turning back towards the sea, an arm held high over his head in a pose. "Meat... Here I come. Prepare yourself!" Nami let her head sag low on her shoulders as she hurried, with a sorely creeped out Zoro on her tail, to the till to turn the ship around. Up above on the deck Luffy and Usopp were dancing with their arms wrapped around their shoulders, chanting "Meat! Meat! We love Meat!!" Nami and Zoro rolled their eyes at the heavens.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Tsunade stood at the threshold of the Hokage's Tower surrounded by several of her most trusted ANBU. A storm raged outside their protective shelter, lightning crashes loud and strong throughout the surrounding town. It was the perfect place and time for a meeting.

"Hyuuga, Nara. Report." Neji and Shikamaru both stepped forward and took off their masks, revealing faces hardened by time and scenes that would have driven lesser men crazy. "Did the Akatsuki take the bait? Are they following Tenten and Hinata?"

It was Shikamaru that spoke the report first. "They were indeed following up till the point where Tenten-san and Hinata-san jumped over a cliff and just… well... disappeared."

"What do you mean disappear? Neji... weren't you watching them like I ordered you to? You just let them disappear."

Neji's forehead creased from barely restrained rage and worry. "Tsunade-sama, my eyes had been firmly locked on Tenten and Hinata-sama and, just like Shikamaru said, they were gone. A flash of blue light and, then, not a trace of their whereabouts. Their chakra trails ended there and the bugs Shino," he jerked his head to the third and last of the ANBU Tsunade had called for this mission, "just suddenly stopped sending back communications to their... er..."

"Mates, Tsunade-sama." Shino too stepped forward, taking his mask off so his emotionless face was visible for his Hokage. Unlike the other two, he had barely changed, sunglasses hiding his eyes from view and a high collar hiding the majority of his rather longish face. His thick dark hair still spiked the same way and, if he wasn't in the ANBU, he would probably dress very much like he did when he was a chunnin and a genin. "The type of bugs I had placed on Hinata-chan and Tenten-san are of the type that stay mated for life. The bugs, even when separated from 

their mates, are constantly in communication with their mates. Only in death do they stop communication. There are no other circumstances."

"Are you implying that my shinobi are dead, Shino?" Tsunade demanded, stepping forward so her face was aligned with the Aburame clansman. There was no anger in her voice or across her face, only desperation, fear, and guilt. "Is that what you're saying?"

"It is a possibility, Hokage-sama, that we can't rule out without further evidence."

"If that is true, Tsunade, that also means Naruto is most likely dead as well." Jiraiya stepped out of the shadows from an eve across the street from them. Everyone jumped in shock besides Neji and Tsunade. Neji remained as impassive as ever as Tsunade got angrier and angrier till her bursting point came and she stalked through the rain towards Jiraiya and walloped him on the head once. He collapsed to the ground, moaning, unconscious.

"The perfect," Tsunade mentioned to her ANBU as she rejoined them, jerking her head back towards the sennin, "has a point. For now, move forward as if they are just lost teammates under the assumption they are alive. You find a clue, report it back to me instantly. Dismissed." The next second Tsunade was alone on the street besides from Jiraiya. "Please be alive. I don't want three's deaths laying on my consciousness as well. Naruto... Hinata... Tenten... Come home soon. People love you and miss you..."

0o0o0o0o0o0o

It didn't take as long as Nami feared to reach Baratie, but she didn't react as loudly as happy as Luffy and Usopp who started their meat dance across the deck again. She, also, didn't react as impassively as Zoro, who continued to practice his swordsmanship as if there was nothing going on. She, though, just leaned up against the railing with rather sad looking smile on her face, she missed home. If she and Naruto were visiting Nojiko, they would be in the orange grooves filling baskets to the brim with oranges or taking naps by her mother's grave under the bright sun. But that wasn't to be. Not yet. Not now. Defiantly not now. Now she had to find a way to save her village. Unfortunately the only way to do that would be...

"Yahoo! We're here. It's time for the Meat!" Before they were fully docked, Luffy catapulted over the edge of the railing and onto the floating pink and green and white deck of the floating restaurant the Baratie. Usopp soon followed and, with a sigh, Zoro sheathed his swords and joined Nami leaning against the deck.

"I guess that leaves just you and me to anchor the ship to Baratie," Nami sighed lowly to Zoro in an anguished way but amusement was clear on her face and in her voice.

"Are you ok? You've been acting weird since Naruto left? Is something wrong? You know Luffy and I'll do anything we can to help." His voice was gruff; his eyes hard, but there was no mistaking the truth in his words. There was, also, no mistaking the stab of pain that went straight to her heart at those words. Naruto's disappearance, so like the others he had made countless of times before, had reminded her that nothing had changed, everything was still painful. She still was not free. Despite her efforts these past eight years nothing had changed, 

not even with Naruto's help. There was no way she could let herself bring any more people into her problems. Its bad enough Naruto helped carry her burdens on top of his own.

"I'm fine," she shrugged in nonchalance and flashed a smile at him before turning her face away before it caved in on itself. "Why don't you go ahead and join the others. I can take care of the chip on my own. I'll join you as soon as I'm finished." He stayed there for several moments more, staring at the side of her head, trying to find what was wrong and not finding. Finally he gave a stiff nod and left. She waited till all three had disappeared inside before she began to turn the boat back around to the sea. "I'm sorry guys, I really wanted to stay with you. But I have more important things to do. I... I hope we meet again and you'll forgive me. Ja ne." And, with that, Nami sailed out to sea back towards home.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

"It's been three years," Tenten muttered, glowering at the boy in front of him. "By your reaction to my voice..."

"Well, it could only be you. Not many people here know my full name. Na-chan and Nojiko-neechan and Ririka-san are the only ones who ever call me by my full name. Besides," he added his smile turning teasingly on Tenten, "Hinata-chan could never speak so loudly or harshly."

Tenten ignored the comment, only giving a low growl to show the boy she heard; unfortunately that was just what he wanted. "I would say you already knew we were here."

Naruto's face turned instantly serious as he backed up a few paces from the girls. "I knew the second you landed in this world. Your chakra was a dead give away."

"So, are you running away Naruto?" Tenten teased him in return from his tease earlier. But, he just smiled in return. It was then both of them noticed a difference, this wasn't the boy they had laughed with or had missions with. He was as good as a stranger. We're they the same to him? Tenten wandered. Even with the orange coat, Tenten admitted to herself, her and Hinata had problems recognizing him. But he had no problems with them. Could it really be their chakra like he explained? Could he have grown so much in three years? Yes, he could have. She admitted. It was possible he knew how to detect chakra even before he had left, he might have learned it from Jiraiya during their training regiment.

"I'm a afraid I must I have plans that don't include you." Nami has already started to move towards Arlong's base.

That girl is just impatient to be free of him, kit. I'm sure the others of Cocoyashi feel the same. The Kyuubi yawned from deep within his cage. I would be too if I my every breath was being drawn by fear at the thought of a love one dying. It's a painful thing to feel, Kit.

I know that, I feel every time I leave Nojiko there or go back with Nami. But, I can't bring these two in it.

Undoubtedly. So, what's the plan kit?



Well, that's easy... we'll just... Naruto allowed his thoughts to float into the Kyuubi's mind and a sinister smile spread over both of their faces.

Do you actually think she'll go along with it?

If I ask nice enough. Besides, she loves to baby people.

"Naruto-kun, are you ok?" He nodded absent mindedly at Hinata and gazed off towards the sun, it was beginning to set. Nami should almost be at Arlong's by now. "We... meaning Tenten-chan and me... seriously need to talk to you. Is there any...?" place we can go to talk? Hinata was proud of herself for being able to say that without stuttering or blushing. That is, up to the point Naruto cut her off with a dead look in his lovely blue eyes.

"No, I know just the place. Best food and sake in Shell City." Without waiting for their response he set off. Behind him Tenten mouthed the word sake to Hinata in shock. She never imagined he would ever start to like alcohol, with his childish disposition. Not that she should be shocked, with Lee as a teammate.

It didn't take long for them to reach Ririka's shop. The shop was in the process of closing though, but when Rika, who was sadly helping her mother close up, saw Naruto she jumped from her spot by one of the tables and ran out the door and in to his arms. "Okaasan said you left. Are ya back already, niichan?" Naruto just laughed and carried her in. "Kaasan! Kaasan! Naru-niichan is back and brought some new people with him."

"Naruto-kun, I thought you said you had business you had to take care of later. And what's this about new people? Some friends of yours?"

"Old friends, Ririka-san. I ran into them on my way out of town. They wish to catch up. Everywhere else is closed, you don't mind if we grab some grub her and chew the fat, do you?"

Ririka laughed well naturally and ushered him into the kitchen. "You know I would feed you even if the sun had fully set and the moon was already halfway crossed the sky, idiot boy, but you know the rules. Come help me fix the meal. Oh, no you two girls sit down and get off your feet." She motioned the two Konoha Jounin down with an absent minded hand as they tried to follow the two into the kitchen. Hesitantly, they slid down into stools at the bar. "Rika continue closing up for me."

"Hai, Kaasan!" Rika pouted cutely as she continued to stack chairs on the table. "It's not fair. Naru-niichan will leave soon and you get him all to yourself." The two Jounin laughed quietly so as not to enact the girl's anger at them. Instead they talked to each other in low voices, watching the doorway Ririka and Naruto had disappeared through for any sign of his departure. They were mildly surprised when Naruto just walked into the room a few moments later helping Ririka carrying a large tray of food.

"Here you go, enjoy your meal." There was an odd gleam in Ririka's eyes as she disappeared back into the kitchen. But, for a moment there, Hinata could have sworn that Naruto had given Ririka an approving nod. But, then, she and Tenten were starting the meal, Naruto was just 

leaning out of his chair whispering lowly in the little girl's ear. She giggled, he smiled and she pranced away into the kitchen after her mother.

"Now, Naruto," Tenten started heavily. Her tongue felt like it was weighted down by lead and there was a gooey taste at the back of her mouth. "What did you do?" She demanded of him as her eye sight started to blur and everything began to lose its focus. She heard Hinata thump to the ground unconscious besides her. Naruto stood and scooped the Hyuuga heiress up in his arms. "What... what...?"

"Gomen, Tenten-san." His voice reached her ears as if he was speaking to her through a long tunnel, his voice low as if it was stifled by a pillow. "There are... need... can't go. Gomen." And, then, she was disconnected from the world.

0o0o0o0o0o0o

It was final. She decided it was. She knew she had no choice. She couldn't run from the truth any more. She was going back. Back towards the pain and loneliness. This time, no one was standing by her side. Or, so she thought. Naruto was by her side as fast as it took her to blink.

"I should have known." Nami smiled through her tears.

"We can end this, you know."

"I know."

"But you don't want to."

"I don't want to lose any more lives." He patted her arm and smiled at her.

"I guess that's decided." He took her arms in his and pulled her into his arms. "You know I'm besides you right. Regardless of how far away I am." And he slowly faded from sight. Nami silently calling out to him from where she stood alone on the deck of the Going Merry. And, then, she awoke.

The morning was damp and cold. It pressed heavily down on her and caused her to breath as if choking. Unfortunately, when she did go up on the deck, Arlong's palace was indeed on the horizon. And there was no Naruto in sight. "I'm coming Arlong. Ready or not, here I'll come."

0o0o0o0o0o

Eto- uh

Ano- um

Another chapter finished and closed. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. Drop a review, please. I, like always, enjoy your inputs and ideas.

Next Time- Chapter nine: Where the Heart is