Chapter 9: Prelude to Chaos
A/N: Yes, Yes I know I'm late… again I'm sorry guys. But hey I'm officially back!!! I just had a BIG problem to take care of but its history. I'm gonna start updating my stories now so hang on to something… read and review guys… (I missed saying that…)
The winds bashed against their sails as the waves slammed against their ship. A man with long spiky hair and eye tattoo barked orders for his men to follow. The storm relentlessly continued something caught the captain's eyes. In the middle of the chaotic dark waters was a hint of something light… something that didn't belong there. Narrowing his eyes despite the hard rain, he tried to make out what was that he just saw.
There was water everywhere underneath her and now above her. Barely being able to keep her head above the water with the help of a floating log, she tried to fight the currents but no matter how hard she called out for him. There was no sign of him anywhere.
"Sasuke-kun!" she called for the red haired man but to no avail. Thunder roared loudly and lightning made the dark skies lit up in a short while still the storm continues it's seemingly endless rampage.
It was a girl… the captain's eyes widen in surprise. The pink haired girl barely held onto the piece of wood. In a swift movement, the captain found a long rope, tied it to the post and to his waist then he jumped off the ship. "JIRAIYA-SAMA!!!" his crew yelled seeing his action. Being at sea almost all his life, he swam with great speed despite the storm. Within minutes, the captain was at the girl's side. The crew pulled their captain to safety while the storm began to dissipate.
The men on the ship was speechless as they saw they captain carry the unconscious girl to his quarters. "Even in storms, his nose for women never fails eh," one of them said the others laughed. The sunshine peeked through the thin clouds soon after the water calmed.
Quickly, Jiraiya stripped her off her wet clothes while a blanket was over her body. He walked to and fro to find the things he needed. "Sakura," finally, the pink haired girl was stable despite her unconscious state. Jiraiya sat by her side as he caressed her limp hand.
There was no mistaking it. This girl with her cherry tresses was the same girl he used to kiss goodbye to whenever he had to leave. On her mother's side, every ten years one would be born with the unusual hair color. This is what made him so sure. He never left her side until she finally woke up.
"Sasuke-kun!" she shot up as she tried to catch her breath. "Take it easy," the man beside her pushed her back to bed. "Where am I?" Sakura looked around to see a very foreign environment. "You're on my ship. I'm Jiraiya, the captain," he pulled the blanket over her as he introduced himself. "Did you see Sasuke I mean a man… with flaming red hair and a kanji tattoo on his forehead?!" despite her weakened state, she found the strength to grip his arm. "Sasuke? No… I'm afraid you're the only one I found," Jiraiya replied honestly. "That can't be…" her emerald eyes began to water. "Alright… we'll try to look for him… but you say… this man has red hair and tattooed forehead right? And you called him Sasuke… weird really… the one that fits that description is… nevermind," he dismissed the thought then left her alone in the room reassuring her he'll be back.
"Jiraiya-sama who's the chick?" one of his men asked immediately as he left his room. "Never lay a hand on her," Jiraiya's eyes looked at each of his men threateningly, making most of them look away of step back.
"NO! I want to come too," Sakura resisted the offer to stay on shore while Jiraiya looks for Sasuke. "Alright…" he sighed in surrender seeing the determination in her eyes. "But you have to do something about the way you look," the color of her hair will attract unwanted attention not say that she already has because she's the only woman onboard the ship right now. "As long as I can search for him," the girl agreed.
"You still stand out," Jiraiya sighed but then smiled. No matter what color of her hair or what clothes she put on she always looked like a princess… especially in his eyes. "This person you're searching for… is he so important to you?" the sea breeze played with her long black hair as they leaned against the banister of the ship. "Yes… you see…" she didn't know why but she felt very funny around him. It's not love like the feeling she felt when she was around the red haired boy but she felt very… comfortable around this person it was as if she can tell her everything.
"It's my turn to ask questions," Sakura ended her story and stretched.
"How long have you been on sea?"
"Almost nineteen years," he replied shortly as he maneuvered the captain's wheel. "Do you have a family on land?" she followed up quickly. "I had…" he looked away from her and into the open sea. "What happened?" she said in a low tone. "My wife wanted me to stop being on the ocean because of my daughter… I refused," he said in a rather fast pace. "Why?" looking directly into his averting eyes. "She didn't know but… this was the only way for us to really survive… her job is very difficult… I just wanted to make it easier for her," his eyes were very gentle as if they were trying to say something.
"What happened to them?"
"Oh my daughter appears to have grown up into a very fine lady…" he said proudly with a smile on his face. "And your wife?" "She's fine from what I've heard," his wife after all was very popular in their country being the hokage and all.
One night, Sakura wandered around as the ship docked. Staying where the ship was at sight, she began asking around for Sasuke but no one had ever seen him. The next thing she knew was a blow to her stomach moments after her knees gave way and her sight dimmed.
His strong jade eyes narrowed in agitation as he heard that she was hurt by one of his men but seeing her reassuring smile he let the matter drop… for now. "I guess… they're still not in good terms," Sakura had removed the dark dye on her hair turning it back to the usual cherry tresses. Her eyes traveled from her mother who was leaning on the ship's tail and to her father who was doing the same on the opposite side.
"I'll go talk to mom," Gaara pecked her lips and told her that he will try to talk with her father.
"Why don't you go talk to her?" a voice behind him asked. Turning around, "Well if it isn't the prince himself… where's my daughter?" the red haired prince cocked his head towards her direction. "Take care of my little girl okay?" Jiraiya tapped his shoulders heavily. With a nod, he reassured him of her safety and happiness. "You're the informant am I right?" Gaara leaned on the banister too. "Yes… there was no other else skillful enough to take on this job trust me I've tried to look. I wanted her to be safe… so I had to do it… knowing that she'll take care of our daughter well," his voice became hoarse. "Seeing that you bear no ill intention against our merchant group… shall we make peace?" he offered him his hand which Jiraiya immediately accepted.
"My father seems to be a funny person," her daugther's voice made her turn her sight away from the waters. "He is," the lady hokage said with a crooked smile remembering his antics. "He was always around with women when he's out of my sight," Tsunade's eyebrows twitched and her fist clenched while Sakura forced a laugh. "But I know why he's doing that… but you see Sakura… you need a person to call your father. A father is a person who's always there whenever you need him but with his line of work… he will never be there for you… and even though you will not agree now… I'm sure you will end up hating him if he stayed," her foul mood turned into sadness. "I'll… I'll try to understand," she replied truthfully with tears pooling in her emerald eyes.
"By the way, if you're here who's in charge?" she tried to divert the topic into something light. "Itachi… he's my most trusted general…" her mother talked on but none of the words seemed to have reached her ears. All she heard was that name then everything went blank… Itachi… "Dark eyes that turn to the shade of blood…" Sakura whispered as events that she seemed to have forgotten flooded her head. "Well…yes Itachi has that ability… how did you know? Sakura? Sakura?" Tsunade tried to get her attention but she froze like a rock.
"Mom, we have to get back to the fire country!" Sakura gripped her mother's arms tightly with tears pouring out of her eyes. "Why are you…" "What's wrong?" Jiraiya and Gaara heard the commotion and ran to their side.
"Sakura…" the red haired prince touched his fiancee's shoulder. Sakura wound her arms around her fiancé tightly as she muttered "He's the one… Itachi… he's the one who tried to kill me… and his brother… Sasuke… was the one who tried to rape me." "NANI?!" Jiraiya and Tsunade exclaimed almost simultaneously.
"Gaara-sama," "Jiraiya-sama," two men arrived one from the wind country's and the other from the fire's. "What is it?" "We received information that the fire country had given orders to attack any wind country vessel in sight on their territory," one said. "The orders were given by general Itachi," the other continued.
"We need to get back… now!" Gaara embraced Sakura protectively while placing his chin over her head while Tsunade and Jiraiya looked at each other for the first time in nineteen years.
A/N: Read and review onegai…
