Pirates of Konohagakure

Me: *chuckling nervously* Be good Kakashi *holding up hands* Just calm down

Kakashi (in cage): *growling and snarling* I WILL KILL YOU!

Me: So…who missed me?

Cast: *Raised hands*

Me: Heh…I assume so. Um…so I had to put Kakashi in a cage because after last chapter, he sorta…went berserk. Really berserk.

Iruka: He literally chased you around until you locked yourself in your closet and made Gaara put a sand barrier around you. Then, he was so mad, he went outside, picked up a car and threw it into a house. It was a BMW. A gray expensive looking one. And it hit a pretty nice house. Actually, it went through the house and crashed into the lake behind the house.

Naruto: Yeah! It was awesome!

Me: No it wasn't! It was scary!

Gaara: What did Abbeh do?

Me: Screamed and swore and hit me and didn't talk to me and told me to immediately start on this chapter because of how horrible I am.

Kankuro: Smart girl

Me: Insane girl!

Gaara: Anyways, chapter 9 is here, and things are heating up even more between the Sha-

Me: *chuckles nervously*

Gaara: You didn't.

Me: So, this whole chapter might be a Siren point of view…

Kakashi (still in cage): I WILL DESTROY YOU!

Me: AHHHHHHH!

Kakashi: *breaks out of cage* COME HERE!

Me: AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! KIBA! PROTECT ME!

Kiba: *tackles Kakashi* Leave her alone!

Me: *shaking* I almost died!

Iruka: Oh, and how many times have you almost died because of a cliffhanger?

Me: *mental calculation* Carry the three, subtract the five, add 10, multiply by 27, factor in the 7…

Shikamaru: So…

Me: Oh! Yes. Shikamaru and Kankuro lime here because I can! Hinata Yuri warning, and…well, not really much actually, unless you count the fact that I'm about to murder someone.

Cast *gasps*

Me: What? Someone has to go, but it won't be Iruka, Kakashi, Naruto, Gaara, Kiba, Gaara, Kankuro, or Shikamaru. Everyone else is fair game.

Iruka: You're gonna kill someone?!

Me: No one important…

Temari: Everyone in the story is important.

Me: True. I love you all, but someone has to go.

Iruka: Is it someone you like?

Me: …define like.

Iruka: You're gonna be the death of us.

Me: So...let's start the-

Kakashi: *breaks free of Kiba's hold* COME HERE!

Me: AHHHHHHHHHH! SOMEONE HELP ME!

Iruka: Kakashi! Down!

Kakashi: But-

Iruka: Down!

Me: *sighs* Thank you Iruka.

Kakashi: *bites thumb* Summoning Jutsu!

Pack: *growling*

Me: OH COME ON! AHHHHHH!

Gaara: *sweatdrops* Uh…I guess I'll start the chapter.

Disclaimer: Nope. Nothing much. I don't really own…anything really.

Me: Why won't someone help me?!

Pack: *chasing me*


Chapter 9: Shark Bay Pass

"Iruka! I can't hold on anymore!" Anko screamed, holding onto the railing.

"I-I'm slipping," Izumo shouted over the roaring wind.

"I am too!" Mizuki yelled, headband flying off his head. His white hair was painted black in the dark of the storm, the water making it cling in ragged clumps. "Help!"

Iruka couldn't save them both. He only had one hand, and there were two of them. Anko was faring well now that Choji anchored her down, but the same couldn't be said for Izumo and Mizuki. Everyone else was scrambling to hold on and not get tossed about in the storm.

Iruka reached out towards Izumo, the water splashing into his eyes and making it hard to see. Wind whipped around his face, obscuring his vision. "Izumo! Grab Mizuki and take my hand!"

Izumo reached out, gripping the railing as tightly as he could. "I-Iruka!"

Mizuki gripped Izumo's pants, climbing up until he could

"Almost!"

Their fingers were close, within reach. All Iruka had to do was-

"AHHH!" Izumo screamed in horror, hand slipping from the railing. Iruka could only watch as Izumo was torn from the ship and flung into the raging waters below. Mizuki had fallen in first, his eyes wide and afraid for the first time in his life.

"IZUMO! MIZUKI!" Iruka screamed against the winds.

"IRUKA!" Anko screamed, having slipped from Choji's grip. "I-I-"

Choji's fingers, wet form the rain, slipped away from Anko's hold. In slow motion, Iruka watched Anko slip form Choji's grip and plunge into the raging wind, and then into the dark water. Her lips had been parted in a scream, expression mirroring Iruka's own expression of horror. "ANKO!"

He had lost his friends. Three of his best friends…gone.

~6 Hours Earlier~

"The winds look good," Toshiro commented, looking out across the waves. "It'll be a perfect day for sailing through Shark Bay Pass. We'll make good speed. It'll take us a little bit of time to get out there, and even more to navigate through the shark nests. It'd be best for us to get a start now then it would to get a start later or tomorrow. The sharks aren't even as active at this time of day."

Iruka nodded. "You're the expert on this. I trust your judgment better than anyone else's right now."

Toshiro chuckled. "Well, it's nice to know that such a world renowned pirate captain values someone as insignificant as me."

Iruka flicked her forehead. "Don't say that. You are a very good captain with a great crew. You shouldn't think so lowly of yourself."

"It's not that I think lowly of myself. It's just that…well, you have the Sharingan Pirates, the Green Bounty, you guys, the Ouroborus, the Red Cloud. Then you have the Sound Shogunate, the Wave Crashers, and then the Sanin Trio may be retired, but Tsunade and Jiraiya are still out there. And us? The Femme Fatals? We aren't that high up in the pirate world. And we're an all-female crew, and that makes us laughable. No one really expects an all-female crew to get anywhere unless the females are dirty harlots, but we aren't like that. We may be sneaky, but we aren't harlots, but some crews still consider us below them." She looked out across the water. "Sometimes I think we'll never get the right respect. We've looted the Sound Shogunate and the Wave Crashers, but no one sees that when it comes to us."

"…You have my respect," Iruka said after a while. "I mean, I respect you and your crew. I think it's great that there's an all-female crew out there. It means a lot that you have the courage to only want females with you. You're proving something out there, and I like the fact that you can do that."

Toshiro chuckled. "The great and elusive Captain Umino respects me. That means a lot. Then again, I have to thank you for about everything. Without you, I probably wouldn't be here right now."

Iruka ruffled the spikes on her hair, making her whine in protest. "I'm glad that you're here as well." He sighed. "I just hope no trouble comes to you because of us. The Sharingan Pirates are after us and our associates, and after all we've done, it's no surprise we aren't already dead."

Toshiro hit him on the back of the head. "Idiot! You're a match for them!"

"We were outnumbered. We almost lost half our crew. And if you could see the hatred in his eyes…" Iruka trailed off.

Toshiro hit him again. "You were already tired. Of course you weren't up to par. And you've been more than outnumbered before and still prevailed!"

Iruka smiled slightly. "I guess…you might be right."

~A Little While Later~

"Shark Bay Pass?" Hinata said to herself, looking over the map. "Are you sure that's safe?"

Iruka nodded. "Toshiro has generously offered to help us navigate through there. She's made numerous trips to and fro, and she's our best way to get though there. And she guarantees that it's safe enough."

"We've passed by there and have only barely made it. Going through could potentially be suicidal!" Mizuki pointed out, slightly panicked.

"Didn't you once say that you swam through Shark Bay Pass?" Anko asked. "That's more suicidal than anything."

"W-Well," Mizuki stuttered. "I-I may have over-exaggerated…"

"No shit," Raidou muttered.

Iruka rolled his eyes. "Anyways, Toshiro's gonna lead us through without problem, so we'll at least have some kind of lead on the Sharingan Pirates and getting leads on the Ourobuors, my parents, and Rasa Subaku. And then anything else we may need to find out."

"…Do you really think Dad would be out there?" Temari asked quietly. "I mean, it's been years, and Orochimaru could have-"

"He didn't." Kankuro said firmly. "He's alive, and well, and I know he wouldn't let anyone let like Orochimaru take him down."

"But still, Dad can't do everything," Temari mumbled. "I do believe he's alive, but how do we know he'll be the same. The people who have survived with Orochimaru, they aren't the same."

"She's right," Hayate coughed. "When I was on his ship, the people he let survive hadn't been the same after he was done. Men, women, children," his voice shook. "He's ruthless. If your Dad did survive, he won't be the same."

"What, like he'd lose his mind?" Kankuro asked.

Hayate nodded gravely. "That's the least of your worries. The physical part of it too. If Orochimaru did something, it could have been physical. Limbs could be missing or cut; we just wouldn't know."

Hinata shuddered. "I only encountered them once with the Sharingan Pirates. Orochimaru destroyed us, and kidnapped someone; he had kidnapped Sasuke. When he came back, Sasuke wasn't the same. It took them months to get his sanity back. And I'm not saying that it could have happened to your Dad, but just be warned that the damage done to him will be horrible, and you won't like the way he changed." She looked down. "There's a chance his sanity won't take much but a few jolts to his memory, but we'd have to see how he's been affected.

Kankuro gripped the back of Raidou's chair so tightly some of the wood snapped off. Raidou jumped. "Kankuro, calm down!"

Kankuro growled, storming out of the room.

"I-I didn't mean to make him mad," Hinata mumbled.

"It's okay," Temari soothed, brushing some on Hinata's hair down, which made Hinata blush. "I may be older than him, but Kankuro was closest to Dad. Of course this is hitting him the hardest."

"I pray to Poseidon that nothing bad happened to Rasa," Iruka said softly. "The last thing we need is for him to be traumatized and unable to recognize his own family. I only hoped he escaped before anything too horrible happened to him."

"There's always hope," Kurenai murmured. "There's always hope."

~Sick Room~

"It's healing nicely," Danieru said, tracing the pink lines on Neji's forehead. "And it wasn't as bad as we originally thought."

Neji removed the rest of his bandages. "Yes, but now I have this scar marring my forehead."

Shikamaru shrugged. "I think it's pretty cool. You look tougher that way."

"Which is exactly what Neji needs," Danieru teased. "Everybody assumes he's a girl, even with his hair tied back."

Neji flushed. "Quiet!" He hissed, pulling his scarf over his head.

"The scarf doesn't help," she continued, idly stroking Bisuke's back. "It makes him look more feminine. Especially since he's so pale and skinny that he looks like a maiden."

Neji threw a pillow at her. "Shut up!"

"And he's so cute when he blushes," Danieru had dodged the pillow with a grin as she poked his cheeks. "Then he looks like he's either wearing make-up, or just that he's got some color in his cheeks. Either way, he can be a total girl."

"I'm a boy!" Neji protested. "I'm pretty sure I'm a boy! I have all the right parts to prove it!"

Danieru held up her hands. "I don't need proof. Besides, we're friends, and I don't like you that way."

Shikamaru laughed, holding his stomach. He did assume Neji was a girl when he was first introduced, but he soon found out Neji was a boy. Still, almost everyone teased Neji about his effeminate looks, which frustrated Neji to no end.

"It's not funny!" Neji protested with red cheeks.

"What's not funny? Neji's feminine side?" Kankuro asked as he walked into the room with plates.

Neji groaned, flopping back onto his bed. "You people are so frustrating!"

"And you can be such a girl," Kankuro shrugged. "We aren't all perfect. You just happen to be more feminine."

"Ugh!" He threw up his hands. "Why do I even try?"

"Meh. Women are stubborn. They like to get their point across and prove their right when they get challenged," Shikamaru teased. He couldn't help himself. It was too much fun.

"Not you too," Neji groaned. "You know what? I'm done here. This conversation is done."

"Spoken like a true female," Danieru grinned. "Especially when they're losing an argument. And I admit that I do so, but I am a female indeed." Bisuke howled in agreement.

Neji glared as the room burst into laughter. "I hate you all."

Danieru wiped a fake tear. "So, exactly what did you come here for bro? And it better not be to try and have sex with Shikamaru again! I swear, if you do that while Neji and I are in the room again, I will scream louder next time and alert everyone!"

Kankuro laughed, handing them each a plate. "I won't risk that again. No, I came to deliver you guys some food and check on Neji and see his wound so I can report back to captain."

Neji poked at his scar. "Luckily, I haven't lost my sight," he explained. "It just looked like it got my eyes, but it didn't. I now have this scar across my forehead I'll be lucky enough to cover with my scarf if I tie it the right way."

Kankuro nodded. "Good. We were all worried about if you lost your vision. We're glad to see that you haven't." He grinned. "But anyways, Captain's got our next course. We're going to Calypso's Island, but we first have to travel through Shark Bay Pass."

As expected, the room went deathly quiet as the news sunk in. Bisuke whimpered, causing Danieru to hold him closer and scratch his ears. "It's alright boy," she murmured quietly.

Kankuro sighed. He had honestly expected this reaction. "That isn't all," he continued. "Captain has a friend, Toshiro, who has been able to navigate Shark Bay Pass time and time again. She'll be helping us to get through without any problem."

"That's…that's good news," Neji said finally. "So, we can get to Calypso's Island, right?"

Kankuro nodded. "Without fail."

Shikamaru let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Then what?"

"Other than avoiding capture by the Queen and the Sharingan Pirates, we'll be searching for not only my father, but Captain's parents," Kankuro answered, not missing the slight look of fear that passed through Shikamaru's eyes.

"We'll make sure you won't get hurt," Neji said softly, seeing the look Shikamaru had on his face. "We were simply tired back then, not to mention some of us reopened wounds when we weren't supposed to." A pointed look was directed back at him, which Shikamaru ignored. "But this time, we'll be ready."

Shikamaru obviously wasn't convinced. Bisuke whined and hopped over to his cot, nuzzling his stomach. Shikamaru chuckled, rubbing the tiny dog's flank.

"See? Even Bisuke doesn't want you to worry," Kankuro pointed out.

"How does Bisuke even know you guys?" Shikamaru asked. If he didn't think too much about it, he wouldn't think of how close he was to meeting his end during that fight with Sasuke, nor would he think about the bounty that was now on his head.

~Flashback~

"Where have you been?!" Iruka had his hands on his hips and he glared down at Gaara, Kankuro, Choji, Neji, and Danieru. The five cowered slightly under his look.

"We had to save him!" Choji said immediately. "He would have gotten hurt, or sick, or he would have died!"

"And he's so small. He wouldn't have survived out there," Gaara said.

Iruka sighed, his anger draining him. "There's a huge storm out there. I thought something really bad happened to you. I was worried," he tussled Kankuro's wet hair.

"Well, we had to do something, else he would have died," Neji said.

"Well, where is he? Can I at least meet him?" Iruka asked.

Danieru grinned, holding up a small tanned colored dog with brown highlights on his ears, which were long, and his legs. It looked like he had black eyes, but he really had dark markings around them. But what made Iruka freeze was the red scarf around his neck with three black pearls on it.

"This," Iruka said slowly. "Looks like it belongs to the Sharingan Pirates. D-Did you steal him?!"

"No!" Kankuro protested quickly. "They must have abandoned him! We found him in a sewage drain in town and-"

"Why were you exploring a sewage drain? I think that's the main question I need to ask." Iruka raised an eyebrow.

"You see, we were getting chased by these guys in a bar because-" Kankuro began to explain.

"Why were you in a bar? You five are too young to even be in bars."

"…So, there was this guy there that was disrespecting the owner, who had given us some money and food for…reasons. Anyways, he couldn't let that happen since he was so nice, so we wanted to help. We snuck the guy's money and jewels off of him, but his buddy noticed so we had to run. After a while, we flushed it down the wrong duct, so we had to go find it. But, we found this guy there instead, so we had to do something. So, we cleaned him up and brought him back here," Kankuro finished with a smile.

Iruka pinched the bridge between his nose. Their motives were good at least…other than the stealing, but then again, it was justified. "He looks thin," Iruka observed. "Too thin."

"Yeah, and his fur wasn't even tan. It was black from all the sewage on him. It took a lot of scrubbing to get him this way," Gaara frowned. "But he's really weak."

"He needs food!" Choji declared.

"Can we keep him?" Neji asked. "We'll take good care of him."

Iruka sighed. "Alright. You can keep him."

"YAY!"

Bisuke became one of them, happily running alongside them when they were training, sitting at attention when the group was going over plans, growling when someone got too close or hands wandered, and being a good little thief; he would randomly come back to the ship with a treasure in his mouth. However, one day, it all stopped.


"Shh!" Danieru hissed, putting a hand over Neji's mouth. "He'll hear us!"

Neji held his breath, pressing closer against the wall. Bisuke whimpered quietly, pressing against Danieru.

The silver-haired man walked right past them thankfully. "When I find the two brats who stole my gold pouch and my new dagger," he was muttering. "I will personally rip them to shreds. That'll teach them to mess with me."

They could clearly see the three black pearls on his baldric. He was a Sharingan Pirate. What made it worse was that he looked to be the captain.

"Bisuke," Danieru whispered. "There's your master. Aren't you going to him?"

Bisuke whimpered, shaking his head.

Neji licked Danieru's hand, making her pull it back, and stared at Bisuke. "You wanna stay with us?"

"There you are!"

Neji and Danieru gasped. The dirty thrown out pieces of cloth that was hiding them was ripped away as they stared into furious mismatched eyes. "So, you two thought you could steal from me did you?"

Danieru quickly hid Bisuke in her bag. He was small enough that he would fit, and luckily, the man didn't see Bisuke at first.

"Give me back my stuff, and I won't harm you as long as you return everything back to me," the man growled.

Neji and Danieru shared a look. "Okay sir," Neji said quietly. "Danieru, give him back his stuff."

Danieru nodded, reaching into her bag past Bisuke, her fingers wrapping around something small. "Here," she said sweetly, throwing it down.

As smoke covered the area, she and Neji took off, ducking through alleys and squeezing through tight spaces. Most of the people around them cursed at them and shouted after them as they knocked people over, but fear of the harsh pounding of feet behind them, clearly the Captain, scared them more than angry townsfolk. Danieru held her bag tightly, making sure Bisuke didn't hit anything as they ran, crawling through a small gap between homes. IT was a tight squeeze, even for them, but the man would be unable to chase them, not in this tight space. The two kept moving until they made it to the other side and kept running. They knew they weren't gonna be safe until they found a large enough crowd to disappear into.

"Look!" Neji panted. "A festival!"

Danieru looked up. Sure enough, some kind of festival was going on, with people everywhere dressed in bright vibrant clothes, waving around banners and advertising food, and even people everywhere in some type of costumes. It was perfect; enough kids playing around here were dressed similar to them. They could hide among the kids and-

"Captain?"

"No time to explain. Those two kids," no doubt the man was pointing at them. "Get them!"

Neji and Danieru maneuvered through people, making sure not to cause too much of a show. Most people freely let them by, while others handed them little trinkets and foods as they passed, all which were greatly appreciated. They didn't even hear the man behind them, nor did hands grab them or hit them. They were pretty successful, so they went to a spot where other kids were playing and sat down.

"Here Bisuke," Danieru whispered, taking a treat out of her pocket. "Try this."

Bisuke lapped up the treat, braking happily.

"Did you like it?" Neji asked, scratching behind an ear.

In answer, Bisuke licked both of their faces, making the two giggle.

"Good boy. We'll lie low here for a while and then get back to the ship, okay?" Neji asked.

Bisuke tensed.

"Bisuke?" Neji asked. "You okay boy?"

"Neji!" Danieru gripped his arm tightly. "Look!"

A huge black bulldog was standing over them, teeth bared, lips pulled back in a snarl. Slowly, the two got to their feet and began to slide to their left along the building when a dog with spikey fur and glasses growled at them from that side. On their other side was an auburn colored dog that was slowly advancing, and then many more until they were surrounded. Bisuke was whimpered nervously, pressing himself closer into Danieru.

"There you are," a voice cooed mockingly. Bicolored eyes filled with anger looked down at them. Three more men were there, arms crossed, baring even the little gaps between the dogs, preventing escape.

"It looks like you have three things of mine you need to return," the man hissed.

"Three? We didn't take anything!" Neji protested. Maybe playing dumb would help.

"That is my dog in your friend's filthy little hands. And I know you were the two who stole from me."

"No we didn't! They did!" Danieru pointed at two children who were currently pickpocketing a drunk man. Lucky for Neji and Danieru, the two little kids were wearing clothes similar to theirs, only the boy had blonde hair and the girl had pink hair, but it wasn't easy to see. The boy was clutching a wallet to his chest and the girl had something wrapped in a cloth against her chest.

"They pushed the dog into our hands and ran off," Neji lied. "WE were confused, so we fed him."

The lead man growled. "After them!"

Neji breathed a sigh of relief as the men ran and so did the dogs, but one of them stayed. A small brown pug was staring at them in confusion.

"Let's go," Neji hissed to Danieru. "And we have to ditch this pug at some point."

"Right. Let's get out of here."

The two ran off, but as expected, the pug chased after them, barking in anger. The thing may have been small, but it was fast, really fast. Bisuke was running ahead of them, clearing the way by barking at anyone who was too close. The two avoided getting seen by too many suspicious characters, probably just looking like a pair of kids playing with their dog. At least, they hoped they looked like that.

"Look! The inn!" Neji pointed at the inn that they were staying at. "We're going to make it!"

"I don't think so," Danieru panted. "That stupid pug is still behind us!"

True. The pug was closer, snapping at their heels. It threw them off balance as Danieru stumbled into him, until she and Neji both took a fall and almost landed on Bisuke. Bisuke latched onto their sleeves and pulled insistently, but they were tired. All the running had tired them out, and the fall disoriented them.

The small pug sat on top of them and began howling. Bisuke tried to tackle the slightly smaller dog, but the pug dodged him. Bisuke tried it again, but this time, the small pug butted his head into Bisuke's flank and knocked him over. Danieru bucked, trying to throw the pug off, but the little dog dug his nails into her back and howled even louder.

"Pakkun? What is it?"

Neji and Danieru finally untangled themselves from each other, but were snatched up by large hands. "HELP!" Danieru screamed. "BAD TOUCH! BAD TOUCH!"

"Shut up!" The one holding her growled, giving her a rough shake. The shake caused her bag to fall, and a bronze dagger fell out of her bag, glinting in the low light.

"Ah," the Captain grinned, scooping it up. "So, you did indeed have my dagger. Where's my pouch?"

Neji spit at him.

The Captain wiped his eye, where the loogie landed in his eye. "Wrong answer." He raised his fist.

"You'd really hit a child?" Neji hissed. "That's low."

"So is stealing from someone," the Captain retorted.

"You've probably stolen before," Danieru crossed her arms, which looked quite comical since she was dangling from someone's arms. "So why isn't anyone allowed to hit you."

"I'm a grown up." They couldn't see anything past his mask, but they could tell he was smirking.

~A Few Minutes Later~

"You look well Bisuke. I guess they are capable of taking care of someone," the Captain was stroking Bisuke's head with a single finger. "But you'll be glad to be with your family, right?"

Bisuke whined, though Neji and Danieru weren't sure what type of whine it was. They were in too much pain to notice anything. The hits just came, and came, and came. They weren't really sure how long the beating lasted, but they hurt, just about everywhere. Minutes, it only lasted minutes, but torture like that seemed like it would last for hours. When they were finally released by the men holding them, they could do no more than lie there and watch as the men all walked away. Bisuke shot a regretful look over the Captain's shoulders, but he turned a corner and was gone.

~Flashback End~

"We never saw Bisuke again after that," Neji finished. "Then again, we were in too much pain to realize anything. Once Captain found us, he was afraid we were dead, but we survived the ordeal, though I have no idea how. Maybe they were lenient, but we survived to tell the tale."

"Though my version of it includes sharks, dragons, and a man dressed like a woman," Danieru added helpfully. "But of course, Neji has to be the woman and always be right, so he tells the story differently."

"Eh, I do like Danieru's story better," Kankuro agreed, rubbing his chin in mock remembrance.

Neji huffed. "I can never win, can I?"

"What does your story even sound like?" Shikamaru asked.

"Well, the man dressed like a woman is Neji, which is part of the reason why he doesn't like my version," she admitted, twiddling her thumbs. "But he wasn't really a man. He was a boy dressed like a girl. A very effeminate boy who used to get hit on by a lot of the other boys on the islands we visited when we were children and this really old man this one time in a bar, and let me tell you, it was funny."

Neji glared at her, face flushed red. "Shut up!"

"You see, Neji was-" Danieru admitted with a grin.

"I said shut up!"

Danieru grinned, taking a bite of food. "He wore a skirt," she said quickly, ducking to avoid getting hit with another pillow.

Shikamaru laughed. "Why exactly was he in a skirt?"

"Because-"

"Danieru, if I have to tell you one more time to shut up," Neji warned.

"…We were about 14 years old, and there was this bar that would only allow females into it after a certain time, so Kurenai, Anko, myself, Neji, and Gaara were meeting a guy that lived there because he had some information for us about things. So at first, Gaara wasn't allowed in because he was obviously male," Danieru explained with a grin. "But the man in charge was confused on why Neji, who he thought was a girl, was wearing men's clothing. So, the man gave Neji some clothes, so we had to basically force him into them. Now, the man we were meeting had been totally wasted, so I can see where his vision might have been a bit skewered, but still." She was grinning at Neji. "Neji was blushing so hard, it looked like he had been out in the sun far too long. Anyways, the man kept commenting on how pretty Neji's hair was and how he had a nice body and all this, and Neji got tired of it. It was actually Kurenai who broke the news. And the man was so surprised. Anko and I laughed the whole time, and Neji hates the story to this day."

Neji growled. "Must you embarrass me like that?"

"Yes," she answered seriously. "You see, remember that time I started developing and I didn't have any clothes to fit over my chest so I had to wear boy clothes and you mocked me for six months? Payback's a bitch and revenge is her sister."

Neji rolled his eyes. "We were 14. Can't you let it go?"

Danieru held up her fingers. "I have mocked you at least once a day for about 37 days. There's about 143 days I need to get my revenge for, so you tell me."

Shikamaru laughed. "You've kept count?"

Kankuro laughed. "We all keep track of all revenge and grudges, and we usually take them out on each other. It's a process you'll probably be a part of soon enough."

Shikamaru laughed. He wasn't fond of pranking, but then again, he'd probably get thrown into it anyways.

~Two Hours Later~

"Stop it!" Shikamaru hissed. "It you try this again, I'll hurt you!"

Kankuro grinned. "What are the chances of us getting caught again? I'll be more careful."

Shikamaru smacked him. "The chances are pretty high considering we're in the same position as last time!"

Kankuro laughed softly. "Well, it was probably because I was doing more teasing than actual stress relief, but this time, I swear, I'll be in and out."

"No you pervert!"

"C'mon!"

Kankuro was desperately trying to at least make up for the incident that happened last time by trying to make Shikamaru more comfortable. And by that, he was going to repeat the process from last time. However, Shikamaru was being difficult, claiming that it was too risky and dirty and something about being caught. Oh well. I mean, his sister and Neji had fallen asleep an hour ago! They wouldn't wake this time, he was sure of it.

"Seriously Kankuro! What goes through your head?!" Shikamaru hissed, once again fighting back the wandering hands.

"Which one? They both get equally aroused when it involves you," Kankuro said with a smirk.

Shikamaru blushed slightly. "Kankuro, we got caught last time you did this, and I'm not risking that again!"

"But you're so stressed now! Look, just this once, and I swear they won't catch us!" Kankuro pleaded.

"Look-"

"If you want us gone, we'll leave," came Neji's voice from his bed.

"Seriously," Danieru agreed, sitting up. "We can just go to the next room."

"H-How long were you awake?" Shikamaru stuttered.

"Unfortunately, the whole time. So we heard the whole 'head' comment," Neji answered.

"Yeah, and while clever," Danieru shot Kankuro a smirk. "Not exactly what you want to hear when you try to doze off."

With little difficulty, Neji and Danieru stood, and helped each other out the room. After a moment, Bisuke jumped off the bed and followed them.

Once they were gone, Kankuro smirked at him. "Is this somewhat acceptable?"

Shikamaru turned his head away from Kankuro. "No," he grumbled, even though Kankuro was still drawing his trousers down. He tried to ignore the other as his length was gripped in a warm hand, but it was in vain. He didn't know why, but the excitement of everything that happened between him and Kankuro always…excited him. Maybe it was because he never really had a thrill like this before, or met someone like Kankuro before.

"I doubt you're really against this," Kankuro breathed against his member. Shikamaru could just feel the smirk Kankuro wore. "If you were, you wouldn't be so excited."

"It's your fault!" Shikamaru hissed, face red. "I never get this way until you come around."

"I'm touched," Kankuro smiled, licking his tip. "Though you'll be the one coming around real soon."

Shikamaru would have made some remark about where Kankuro got his lines from and to stop using them, but his head fell back against his pillow as warmth engulfed him. If he was honest with himself, he'd admit that he liked the dangerous and playful side to Kankuro that came out around him. The older man was serious yes, and he did have moments when Shikamaru saw a strategic side of him that he was surprised at seeing, but overall, he was such a complex person that Shikamaru couldn't help…loving him.

In his thoughts, he didn't even register the fact that he was moaning and whimpering loudly until a hoarse shout that echoed in the relative silence of the room. His eyes shot open, shocked. He never made those noises before, but then again, he wasn't really attracted to anyone in the way he was attracted to Kankuro…

"Kankuro," he whimpered when the other slid his tongue over the underside of his cock. "Please…"

Kankuro's mouth removed itself, the large hand wrapping around his cock and stroking languidly. "Please what?"

"I-I'm so close," Shikamaru gasped. "Kankuro…" he felt like he was whining, but Kankuro wasn't playing fair! If their roles were reversed, Shikamaru would be lenient on him! "Stop teasing."

Kankuro shrugged, but he was internally cheering. He knew Shikamaru wouldn't resist for long, though he wasn't sure he wanted to rush him. This was the first time he had felt this way about anyone, and he couldn't help himself around Shikamaru. It wasn't his intent for things to go this way, but hey. He wasn't complaining. So, adhering to his lover's (they were indeed lovers, even if they didn't take that final step yet) he wrapped his lips around Shikamaru's erection and began sucking harshly, delighting in the strangled gasp that tore from his lips. The flesh in his mouth was trembling, as was Shikamaru, and with a couple more rough sucks, Shikamaru let out a hoasre shout and finally released. And Kankuro was more than happy to catch it all and swallow.

Shikamaru panted, smiling a little as Kankuro stroked back his hair and pressed a tender kiss to his lips. You could say what you wanted about Kankuro's outward appearance, but one would ever guess that Kankuro was a gentle and tender lover, much less as considerate for someone else's pleasure before his own. As many times as he and Kankuro were together in an intimate way, Kankuro never asked to be repaid for what he did. And that warmed Shikamaru's heart.

~Deck~

"I didn't expect for there to be a storm," Iruka murmured as he looked up at the dark clouds. "It seemed like the water's would be smooth from here on in."

Toshiro shrugged. "Near Shark Bay Pass, it's always stormy. The storms brew, just like the sharks frenzy. Here, it's natural." She smiled. "But don't worry. I've done this so many times, it doesn't strike me as all that odd." She and Iruka walked up beside Kurenai. "Keep her steady," Toshiro advised as Kurenai steered the ship towards the entrance to Shark Bay Pass.

"Understood," Kurenai nodded, eyes on the sea.

Izumo and Raidou looked over the railing. "Wow," Raidou breathed. "So many sharks, and we haven't even gotten that far in yet."

"I know," Izumo agreed. "There's so many more than I've seen in my lifetime!"

"Let's just hope they don't frenzy," Iruka said, watching the many sharks as well. "That could be trouble."

Toshiro waved a hand. "They only frenzy when something disturbs their nests. But I know a pass that doesn't disturb them." She looked up at the sky as a drop of rain landed on her nose. "Though, I am concerned with the rain. If it gets too heavy, the sharks start to get bolder in their movements."

"But still," Izumo murmured. "There's something about their movement's that a bit…too stiff. Like they aren't swimming, but just floating."

"You've noticed too," Raidou said, equally quiet. "It's like they aren't even moving. And sharks don't usually stay as dormant."

The rain was coming harder, making it difficult to see what was ahead. Toshiro kept her eyes open, peering through the heavy rain. "Slowly, ease to the right, and then continue straight."

Kurenai nodded, slowly turning the wheel. Carefully and fluidly, the ship maneuvered between the fins of many sharks, who didn't react at all.

"I still find this strange," Izumo said to Raidou. "Why would the sharks lie so still? Shouldn't they at least be trying to move?"

Mizuki, who was sitting on the floor with his back against the side of the ship, snorted. "If they want to remain still, Charybdis above, let them."

Iruka froze. Wait a minute. A legend, a story his father told him when he was younger, about the sea monster, Charybdis. There was something he had said, a rhyme he told during the story that Iruka loved to sing. He made up the melody, though the story had always scared him. His mother used to sing it with him as well. How did it go again?

Beware the sharp teeth, don't let them take you in.

Deceiving as they be, just like a shark's fin.

She'll call a storm and chew you up, so make sure you can swim.

The whirlpools start and waves go crash!, as the rain begins!

Iruka's blood turned to ice. "I understand now," he whispered, drawing Toshiro's attention. "I understand it now. It be no legend."

The winds began to pick up, the rain battering against the sails and against skin, making everyone flinch as the icy drops assaulted them. Waves began to crash against the ship, growing bigger and bigger with each wave that hit. The ship was beginning to rock against the current, making everyone stumble. Iruka held his ground, holding onto the railing and looking across the darkening water. The 'sharks' were beginning to move, to twist and follow one another in a fluid circular pattern. How could he have been so dense?!

"This never happened," Toshiro said loudly over the harsh winds. "I've never experienced this!"

"She's real!" Iruka shouted. "She's real! Charybdis is real!"

"What?!" Kurenai shouted. "That's not true! It's a legend! A story to scare children!"

"It's no story!" Iruka shouted back. "The 'sharks' not even moving, appearing to float?! Her teeth, the blasted monster's teeth, are the sharks!"

"I never knew," Toshiro murmured. "I-I never even thought that-"

"It isn't your fault!" Iruka called to her. "She must do this when someone figures her out!"

"Captain!" Anko shouted, running towards him. "What's going on?! An enemy?!"

Iruka wished that was the case. "Everyone! Either get inside, or hold onto something! Quickly, before Charybdis swallows us all!"

"What?!" Anko screamed. "What did you-"

A large wave crashed against the ship, so big, it nearly knocked the ship over. Freezing cold water drenched everyone on the dock, knocking the wind out of almost all of them. The ship lurched to the right, but righted itself at the last moment, though it was still rocking a bit against the current. And then, it leaned towards the left, following the strong current, right towards Charybdis' gullet. If they couldn't get control back, there were dire consequences.

Then there was a scream.

Iruka looked through the water, and nearly had a heart attack. "ANKO!" He shrieked as he body went flying over the edge. Iruka panicked, horrified that she would get tossed into the unforgiving current, but a lrage hand whipped out of nowhere and grabbed her arm. "Choji!" Iruka wanted to breathe in relief.

Choji had the railing in a death grip, Anko's arm in his other hand. His face was red with exertion, even in the darkness of the storm, but also with effort. "I-I've got her!"

But Anko's arm slipped out of his grasp, wet from the water, and she quickly latched onto the railing and held for dear life. Beside her, Izumo had toppled off the side with Mizuki, but had grabbed hold of the railing as well. Mizuki clung to Izumo's legs, holding for all he was worth. Iruka stumbled, slipping on the wet floor, but managed to right himself at the last moment and reach over the railing. "Izumo!" He wanted to grab at his friend, but Anko had almost slipped again. "Iruka! I can't hold on anymore!" Anko screamed, holding onto the railing. Choji reached down, grabbing her hand again, and was able to get a grip on her, but another harsh wave nearly made him topple over as well.

"I-I'm slipping," Izumo shouted over the roaring wind.

"I am too!" Mizuki yelled, headband flying off his head. His white hair was painted black in the dark of the storm, the water making it cling in ragged clumps. "Help!"

Iruka couldn't save them both. He only had one hand, and there were two of them. Anko was faring well now that Choji anchored her down, but the same couldn't be said for Izumo and Mizuki. Everyone else was scrambling to hold on and not get tossed about in the storm.

Iruka reached out towards Izumo, the water splashing into his eyes and making it hard to see. Wind whipped around his face, obscuring his vision. "Izumo! Grab Mizuki and take my hand!"

Izumo reached out, gripping the railing as tightly as he could. "I-Iruka!"

Mizuki gripped Izumo's pants, climbing up until he could take a better grip around Izumo's waist as Izumo reached up again, and tried to grasp the tanned hand.

"Almost!"

Their fingers were close, within reach. All Iruka had to do was-

"AHHH!" Izumo screamed in horror, hand slipping from the railing. Iruka could only watch as Izumo was torn from the ship and flung into the raging waters below. Mizuki had fallen in first, his eyes wide and afraid for the first time in his life.

"IZUMO! MIZUKI!" Iruka screamed against the winds.

"IRUKA!" Anko screamed, having slipped from Choji's grip. "I-I-"

Choji's fingers, wet form the rain, slipped away from Anko's hold. In slow motion, Iruka watched Anko slip form Choji's grip and plunge into the raging wind, and then into the dark water. Her lips had been parted in a scream, expression mirroring Iruka's own expression of horror. "ANKO!"

He had lost his friends. Three of his best friends…gone.


Iruka choked, feeling tears sting his eyes. He couldn't believe it. All this time, all these years he and the others had devoted to the crew, and they were…gone.

"Anko!" Choji was shouting. "S-She's got the ropes on the side!"

Iruka's breath caught. Was it true?

"elp!" Someone was screaming. "Uka! Elp!"

Iruka knew that voice. It was faint, but it was there. "Anko?!"

"Help!"

Choji bent over the railing, reaching his hand down as far as he could. Iruka peered over the side, seeing Anko slowly climbing up the side, though she slipped a few times. Narrowly, she grabbed Choji's hand, and Iruka was relieved when Choji grunted, and with a mighty yank, was able to pull Anko over. And to his greater joy, Izumo was clinging to her waist, as Mizuki had been to him. But…where was Mizuki?

"W-Where's Mizuki?" Iruka asked, dreading the answer.

Izumo shook his head. "When I grabbed at Anko and caught her waistcoat, I felt pressure against my waist. But another wave hit and…" he trailed off, but the meaning was clear.

Mizuki was gone.

And they were in trouble. They were getting closer and closer to the giant whirlpool that served as Charybdis's gullet, and it was approaching fast.

"She'll swallow us whole!" Toshiro shouted. "Iruka, I'm so sorry for dragging you into all of this!"

Iruka gave her a strained smile. "No," he called back. "I take the blame for choosing such a dangerous path. For now," he looked, seeing the whirlpool just inches away from the ship. "We pray to Poseidon that we survive." The ship came closer and closer to the gaping hole, and with a mighty lurch, it tumbled straight into the endless darkness of Charybdis's mouth.

~Sharingan Pirates~

"I believe that's everything," Tsunade said with a sigh. "You realize how dire the situation is now, don't you?"

There were nods around the room. Kakashi was a bit stiff with his. All this information was a lot to process. His head was hurting, and the room was a bit too suffocating. He needed air, needed to get out of this room, before he embarrassed himself in front of the Queen. "Excuse me," he mumbled, rushing out of the room.

Without answering any of the calls for him, he ran straight onto the deck and puked all over the side of the ship, mouth bitter even before he lost his lunch. This whole time…he shook his head, dry heaving as his stomach had nothing left to purge. He couldn't take it. His stomach was just as messed up as his heart was. The whole time, he was led on. The Siren's melody was too tempting for him to resist. And he let the song hypnotize him, sway him, and let it wind its way into his heart. Iruka…how could he?

"Captain?" A timid voice was saying. "Are you alright?"

That was Genma, but he sounded…off. He stood, stumbling slightly, and turned to face him. "Yes Genma?"

"There are dire matters I need to address with you. Are you in the mood to talk?"

Kakashi nodded, slumping against the railings. "What is it?"

"It's in regards to our last battle, concerning something I had seen…"

~Flashback~

Genma slowly crept around the stunned battlefield, following Naruto after the boy had tackled the other teen. He was wary of being down here; behind enemy lines, you never knew what to expect. He had had too many close calls like this before, and he wasn't trying to lose his life. He had once almost lost his life when he was sent on reconnaissance on an enemy ship rumored to be linked to the Ouroboros. Long story short, he hadn't been careful enough and was thrown into the dungeons. He was tortured for days on end, refusing to give in any information about his crew. After ten days, they decided to kill him, but Captain Hatake had come to rescue him before they could. he had learned then and there to never be too lenient in enemy lines.

Creeping down, he heard sounds of a scuffle, and peeked around the corner of a hall.

What he saw made his eyes widen.

It couldn't be! But…it was.

Naruto, the most loyal of all the Sharingan Pirates, who followed Captain Hatake's orders without fail…and he was in an enthusiastic lip-lock with the same Siren who knocked him down here! Naruto…he was a traitor.

"I missed you," Naruto murmured as the two broke the kiss. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too," the other whispered, just as quietly. "Did I hurt you?"

Naruto shook his head, smiling. "It's fine! Besides, I'm tough enough to handle anything!"

The Siren chuckled. "Yes, I know first-hand how capable you are."

Naruto's smile faded. "I wish we didn't meet under battle circumstances though."

"I know," the Siren agreed. "And we don't have much time."

Naruto nodded. "But I just had to see you." They shared another kiss. "I have to go now. But please, stay safe. And tell big brother Iruka to be careful as well."

Genma couldn't believe this. 'Big brother'? So this whole time, Naruto had been the biggest deceiver that had ever known. He watched the two share another kiss before Naruto pulled away and sighed. "I'd better get back. Do you mind…y'know, knocking me out so they think that I'm hurt?"

The Siren nodded. "Of course. Remember, be safe. I love you."

"I love you too."

And with a quick pinch to Naruto's elbow, Naruto slumped to the ground.

~Flashback End~

"And that's what I saw. Naruto's been lying to us this whole time," Genma finished.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed. After everything that happened, he honestly believed it. And now that he thought about it, there were times when Naruto did end up disappearing often when they docked, and Naruto was the one to tell them about the Siren's location all the time… "Come with me. And quickly."

He stormed down to the crew's quarters, striding past everyone in the corridor and looking around for the one room that was so close to his own, that was decorated more lavishly than any of the others, belonging to someone who Kakashi considered such a loyal and devoted pirate.

"Naruto!" He shouted, throwing open the door.

The room was long since empty.


Me: Ta-da! We're finished!

Kakashi: *snarling*

Me: Down boy! *smiles sheepishly* Yeah, I had to put him in another cage…and it's suspended in mid-air too. And the pack is quite occupied with a plump cat…*shrugs*

Kankuro: Wow…so, Charybdis?

Me: Yup! The story totally took a fantasy turn, but what did you expect since we included a Siren?

Gaara: Honestly, I don't know what I was expecting.

Iruka: If Kakashi doesn't kill you, Abbeh will.

Me: …I didn't even consider that.

Iruka: Not even the fact that she really might consider maiming you?

Me: …Well, Mizuki is dead!

Cast: *horrified gasps*

Kakashi: Meh.

Iruka: Well, I don't really miss him. In almost every fic, he abuses me…so, go figure.

Me: I've noticed that. Why is that a theme with that pairing?

Cast: *shrugs*

Me: Anyways, Kakashi has learned the truth-

Kakashi: I WILL DESTROY YOU!

Me: And now he's in a real conundrum.

Gaara: I am surprised that you know what that means.

Me: Iruka and the Sirens have just been swallowed by Charybdis, but fear not! There is salvation!

Iruka: How?

Me: CONTEST TIME!

Kakashi: No you didn't!

Me: Now, salvation will come in the form of a new character! Who do you think will be that character! Will it be:

Kisame

Bee

Zetsu

Haku

Utakata

Me: Please submit your choices as quickly as possible. Whoever submits the correct answer first will make a surprise appearance in the next chapter in the pit of Charybdis's stomach, locked in a desperate battle with the surprise character!

Iruka: Okay, that sound super gross.

Me: Meh. So, please read and review, and tell me what you think of this chapter. This is one that I thik went a little bit of everywhere and I'm not sure how to feel about it. But anyways, read and review, and I will-

Kakashi: *breaks out of cage* COME HERE!

Me: Water Style: Explosive Bite of the Water Dragon!

Kakashi: OW! When did you have time to learn that?!
Me: *winks* Bye!