Stormy Seas

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 11

This was quite possibly the stupidest and most foolish thing that Otoko had ever done. She knew that stupidest and foolish were a bit redundant, but still the young Uchiha woman felt both were necessary to properly convey the severity of the situation.

"The boys are to stay in this ship with the other members of the Akatsuki and Chidori." She gives her crew a dark look. "Under no circumstances is any other alternative acceptable unless one of us says otherwise." She points to herself, Kakashi, and Madara. "Is that understood?"

They had been at an inn when Madara first found them, but now they were at a safe house her grandfather had been using for years. Just outside the castle grounds, but it was a straight shot to the nearest harbor.

Kakashi sighs as he embraces both boys. "You will be safe here. If we're not back in one day, you are to leave without us." This couldn't be easy for them and Otoko knew that, but it was necessary.

While she was willing to risk her life, Otoko was not willing to risk the lives of the princes. She knew that Madara and Kakashi felt the same way.

"Then we let you go with heavy hearts and our love." Itachi sighs as he returns his older 'brother's' embrace. "Whatever else comes of all this, you must know that."

There wasn't a dry eye in the room. All of the Akatsuki and Chidori crew members were bawling like newborn babies. At any other moment, it would have been quite funny. That wasn't the case now though.

Shockingly enough, Sasuke manages to keep his composure. "Without you, we'd already be dead." He smiles at Kakashi. "So try not to loose your head now. We still need you."

It was both disturbing and sweet all at the same time. Perhaps, England was rather lucky that Sasuke had been the second born. God help them all, if Sasuke had been the eldest.

"Yes, I'll try my best not to." Kakashi chuckles as he tries to blink away tears from his eyes.

Gai wasn't making any such attempt though as he threw himself at Kakashi and hugs him tightly. "I'll watch over them as if they were my own." Causing the Akatsuki Crew to gape at him. "Though I know that you're coming back to us, Kakashi. The Power of Youth has never let anyone down before."

Madara shakes his head. It was obvious that her grandfather thought they were wasting time and they were.

"Wonderful." He smiles. "We should be going though, if we want to see the trial on time."

Otoko and Kakashi both nod in agreement as they walk out of Madara's humble safe house with the old man in tow. There was nothing left to say really. Otoko had already said her goodbyes the night before and well, she didn't want to cry. Not again.

"Can you still ride a horse?" Kakashi looks at Madara in concern.

The elderly man twitches in something quite akin to rage. "Of course, I can still ride a horse." It was almost enough to make Otoko laughs. "The question is, can either of you keep up with me as I do so?"

Well if nothing else, her grandfather's spirit hadn't been crushed. She just hoped that his body wouldn't either. After all, there was a very good chance that they were all on their way to their deaths now.

"I think we can handle it." Otoko smiles as she mounts her mare. "Can't we, Kakashi?"

Kakashi nods as he follows her example. If nothing else, the man was always willing to get into a fight at a moment's notice. A quality that she rather liked. Well that and he was still a damn fine kisser.

It was almost a shame that she'd probably never live long enough to see what other talents, Kakashi possessed. Oh wait. Otoko really shouldn't allow herself to be distracted to this extent. They had important work to do.

"I believe so." He nods as the three of them set out. "We wouldn't be very good pirates, if we couldn't ride a horse."

Madara raises an eyebrow. "What on Earth do being a pirate and riding a horse well have to do with each other?" Alright. That was a fair point. Otoko had to give him that much.

There were certainly times when Kakashi's thought process didn't follow a logical pattern. This was just one of them. Maybe, it was just a case of nerves though.

"Well to be a good pirate, one has to master many skills." Kakashi smiles at the other man.

That damn smile. It was as if Kakashi didn't have a care in the world at the moment and Otoko knew that to be false. She had just seen him get teary eyed as they left the princes behind. He was a damn fine actor.

"That's true." She looks at Madara. "Please tell me that you have a plan?"

Her grandfather just smiles at her. "I've been waiting the better part of a decade for this." Good. He had a plan then. "I've imagined this day so many times before, that I've lost count. So naturally, I believe the best course of action is to let events unfold as they will and play it by ear."

This time, it was Otoko's time to twitch. She couldn't believe that her grandfather was this moronic.

"You bloody idiot." She sighs and shakes her head as their horses continue guiding them forward. "That's the stupidest idea that I've ever heard of."

Kakashi sighs as he looks towards the castle. "It might not be." He smiles at her. "Think about it. If we don't know what we're going to do, how could the palace guards possibly know?"

Damn it. That was another good point. This man was utterly infuriating.

Kaguya sighs as she stares out the window. "More people are coming." She shakes her head at the thought.

Probably as many people as they could fit into the area. Everyone would want to see her trial that could. She could easily imagine even the peasants trying to hover on the outskirts of it.

"I have to find a way to avoid this." She sighs.

That's when she hears a knock on her door. "Your Majesty, you have a visitor." A guard opens the door and in walks Orochimaru.

Hmm. Perhaps, he would have some miracle that would spare her from being executed. She doubted it, but Kaguya could still dream. Couldn't she?

"Good." She glares at the guard. "Leave us." The queen looks down at her chains. "It's not as if I could get far, even if I wanted to."

The guard nods and leaves them to their own devices. Well that was one thing at least. The guards hadn't turned against her. Yet. That wouldn't last though. Not after the trial.

"I'm so sorry that it has come to this." Orochimaru sighs as he strides over to her. "For what it's worth, I know that you're innocent."

That was worth absolutely nothing. Not unless he knew a way to clear her name. Which would be nearly impossible to do.

A second man follows him inside. "We can say that you were framed." Kabuto pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "That's precisely what happened anyway."

How the man had slunk to the shadows like that without being noticed was beyond her. Whatever the case, Kaguya sighs. If that was the only defense she had, the woman was doomed.

"Be kind and end this." She looks at them. "I'd rather not be made a mockery of during my final moments."

Like Hell was she going to allow some peasants to watch her fall from Grace. Well not that she had ever really been pure to begin with, but still it was the principle of the thing. She was a Queen and they were little more than annoying insects.

"I'm afraid that we can not do that for you." Orochimaru sighs. "Let your mind be light though. We'll find a way to clear your name."

Her mind couldn't possibly be light! Kaguya was about to die.

"The both of you are bloody idiots!" Why was she always surrounded by idiots?

Later that night, Sasuke waits until everyone was asleep to sneak off. Well at least, that had been his plan. Things didn't really work out that way.

"I knew that you'd try to do something foolish." His older brother sighs as he follows Sasuke outside Madara's home.

Damn it. Itachi would never let him go. His big brother would be too worried that it was too dangerous.

Maybe, he could reason with him though. "You know that it's not right." Sasuke would have to unleash what he was now mentally dubbing as the Royal Pout on the other boy. "You're the true king and she's a false queen."

Itachi sighs as he hugs Sasuke tightly. "Sasuke, I would rather have the two of us be alive peasants than dead royals." Sasuke grumbles at that as he hugs back.

There had to be some way to make Itachi understand. They couldn't just sit back and wait. They were the real King and High prince of England!

"I know, but what do you think will happen after Kaguya is dead?" Sasuke continues pouting. "Danzo is dead. They didn't have an heir. They didn't name anyone to take their place either."

Itachi's eyes widen in horror at that. It was clear that his brother was finally coming to terms with what their safety could cost everyone.

"It'll be a war." His older brother whispers the word.

Sasuke nods at that. He knew it was true and Itachi knew it. That meant that there was only one thing they could do. They had to put a stop to it.

The young boy picks up a dagger that he had snatched from Konan. "They'll never believe Madara, Kakashi, and Lady Uma without proof." If they weren't willing to even come with them, then why would anyone believe that they were the rightful rulers of England?

"You're right." Itachi shakes his head as he readies some horses. "Kakashi tan our hides for this. You know that, right?"

Sasuke nods in understanding. "I know that, but if we don't do this…lots of people are going to die and another wicked king or queen will probably take our place. This time, it might be someone old enough to have kids."

Itachi shoots Sasuke a rather perplexed look as the two of them gather some supplies. They might be children, but they weren't stupid. This was going to be a fairly long ride to the castle. Food, water, and medicine might very well be necessary. So was the sword that Itachi was taking with him.

"That's true." The rightful king sighs as he grabs some more daggers. "Place these in your pockets and on the side of your boots." Itachi gives him a dark look. "I want you to hide as I make myself known, but if you're found you should have means to defend yourself."

Sasuke nods in understanding. "Yes, Itachi." He wouldn't hide, but he'd let Itachi think that he would. "We should also take some poisons and an explosive or two. Sasori and Deidara do have some useful stuff."

Itachi nods as he grabs those items and they suit up. The better prepared they were, the better. This wasn't just practicing anymore. This was the real thing.

"Sasuke, when did you get so wise?" Itachi pokes his forehead. "What happened to my foolish little brother?" He looks at him before the two of them get on their horses

"He read your journal." Sasuke smiles sweetly at him as they ride towards the castle.

They road for awhile and they road, but they had finally made it. Kakashi had cleverly gotten them robes to disguise themselves as members of the clergy.

"How did you get these anyway?" Otoko raises an eyebrow at him, once they had safely changed in a forgotten section of the palace gardens.

Kakashi just smiles at her. "Oh apparently, it was laundry day." Which was quite the blessing in disguise for them. "So I simply offered to help the maids with the laundry and they were quite happy to accept such an offer."

Otoko actually twitches at that. It was hard not to chuckle in response. She did look so adorable when she was angry about something.

"That's where you disappeared to?" The woman was now stomping her feet. "To go and flirt with some maids? Some things truly, never change."

Madara actually does laugh though. Probably because he was old enough not to care about the consequences. Surely, he knew what his granddaughter's temper was like.

"Lass, now is not the time to yell at him." He smiles at her. "The ploy was successful and now, we have an excuse to go wherever we like. Who is going to argue with a priest?"

Kakashi nods at her. "Besides, we're lucky that the robes flow so loosely." He gestures towards her bosom. "Otherwise, we'd have a devil of a time trying to hide the fact that you're a woman and I don't think that there are any Nuns in attendance."

He shouldn't have taunted her like that. Kakashi knew that, but he couldn't resist. Naturally, Otoko responded in exactly the way he anticipated and tried to smack him.

"You're such a scurvy dog!" Which Kakashi dodges as she beings cussing him out rather colorfully. "Just when I start to think ye might be a decent man, ye have to go and ruin it by speaking of such lewd things."

Madara chuckles and shakes his head. "As amusing as this lovers' spat is, I'm afraid that we have more important things to focus on." He sighs and gestures further into the grounds. "They're setting up for the trial."

That was indeed true. They had to come up with some sort of plan and fast. They might not get another change.

The very fate of England hung in the balance. Kakashi couldn't allow himself to get distracted by a pair of breasts. No matter how lovely they undoubtedly were.

"You're right." Otoko sighs and shakes her head. "Well if we pretend we're going to testify about her character, we can probably get in the thick of it."

Beauty and brains was such a deadly combination though. Otoko was certainly prone to losing her temper, but she did have a lot of good idea.

Kakashi nods in agreement. "Very well then." He smiles at them. "That's exactly what we'll do."

Itachi Uchiha was feeling exhausted, but feeling rather satisfied. "We're here." They had rode for what seemed like ages, but they had finally arrived at the castle.

That was one step down. They were also heavily armed, but not enough to defeat all the palace guards. Which meant they had to plan their next move carefully.

"Aye." Sasuke nods. "This will be even more dangerous than Operation Mermaid."

That was true. Lady Uma and Kakashi might have gotten angry with them, if that backfired. They never would have killed them though. The same couldn't be said of the palace guards.

They needed an excuse to get up in the thick of it. Right where the action was, but Sasuke was a small child and not everyone would consider Itachi a man. He was only thirteen summers.

"We'll claim that we overheard the queen plotting against the king." Itachi smiles at Sasuke. "We'll use your youth to our advantage. No one would ever suspect a child of lying about such a thing."

Sasuke just grins at him in response. "That sounds like a fine idea." Indeed. Itachi found that he was rather pleased with his own cleverness, really.

Now, they just had to stay alive long enough to make it all happen. Which shouldn't be terribly difficult. The trial was set to begin in only a few hours.

"For now, we'll pass ourselves off as servants." No one would think twice of seeing a pair of kitchen boys or the like running around. "Blend in and don't draw attention to yourself." Itachi frowns at the last part. "Which means, don't let anyone get a very good look at you, if you can help it."

This was quite possibly the stupidest thing that either of them would ever do in their lives. It had to be done though. The fate of an entire nation was at stake and Itachi wouldn't let England fall into the wrong hands again.

"Understood." Sasuke smiles at him. "I'm glad that you finally saw my side of things."

Itachi sighs and pokes his brother's forehead once more as he dismounts from the horse. "Well it is very difficult to resist the Royal Pout." Itachi chuckles.

"Morning, Sasuke." Konan smiles as she wanders into the boys' room back in Madara's hideaway, a short while later. "Morning, Itachi. It's time to rise and shine."

That's when she realizes something. Much to her horror, it didn't take the bluenette very long to realize what exactly was amiss. The boys were gone.

"PAIN, SASORI, KISAME, EVERYONE!" This couldn't be happening. "The children aren't here." She runs out of the room and begins rousing everyone as quickly as she could. "They must have gone after Kakashi, Otoko, and Madara."

That had to be it. There was nowhere else that the boys would have thought to go. Which could only mean one thing. Itachi and Sasuke were either on their way to the castle or already there.

"Will you stop trying to make us go deaf?!" Hidan glares at her. "You damn wench!"

That's when Pain punches Hidan and the other man goes flying. "You blooming fool!" His eyes were like ice at the moment. "Don't you dare speak to my woman in such a fashion ever again and did you not hear what she just said?"

For once, even Deidara looks worried. That wasn't a good sign. The blonde was never serious about well anything.

"We need to go and rescue them." He nods seriously. "Or else Kakashi and Otoko will kill us. Aye?!"

He was damn right about that. The sooner they left, the better. Kids these days, why did they always have to be in a hurry to put themselves in harm's way.

"Well we shouldn't just stand here then." Kisame nods as he races towards the door. "We need to get going. The kids already have a head start on us. Let's not make it worse than it has to be."

Oh they were doomed. If Kisame was being the reasonable one, they were doomed.

"Why me?" Konan whispers as the Akatsuki rouses the Chidori Crew Members. "How do I ever get myself into these situations?"

It was one thing to be a pirate. It was another thing entirely to be chasing after two wayward princes who were supposed to be dead. This was especially true, when they were heading towards a false queen's trial and possibly their own deaths.

"Well you became a pirate, My Love." Pain sighs as he kisses her cheek.

She loved him. Konan really did, but at the moment the pirate woman was extremely tempted to smack the git for saying that.

Konan sighs as they all being packing. "That was a rhetorical question." She glares at him. "Though if you don't get your sexy arse moving, I'll have you walk the plank next to Hidan when this is all over."