Chapter 20: The Way of Baratie
XXXXXXX – Baratie, Chef Zeff's Quarters
Luffy was currently… negotiating… with the owner of Baratie, a fierce-looking man named Zeff, who wore standard cook's clothing, had a peg leg for his right foot, and the tallest chef hat Luffy had ever seen. After Luffy had accidentally destroyed part of Baratie with the redirected cannonball, he had been immediately sent to Chef Zeff himself. After saying that he had no money, Chef Zeff offered another method of payment: one year of work without pay.
Luffy's response to this?
"Give me a break!" Luffy roared at the man. He held up a single finger. "I'll work for one week."
"Don't insult me, boy. Your witless bombardment damaged my establishment and injured me. One measly week of work won't do," Zeff countered. He began whacking Luffy on the head with his hat, though the Straw Hat captain didn't so much as flinch. It wasn't like it hurt or anything. "You'll serve me for one full year!"
"I won't!" Luffy responded, still ignoring the hat hitting him. "I've already waited ten years to be a pirate. I won't wait another whole year! That's my last offer: I'll let you permit me to work it off in a week."
"YOU DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT TO DECIDE!! ONE LEG DEATH KICK!!" Zeff kicked Luffy right in the neck with his peg leg. The strike sent Luffy crashing into the other side of the room, making the already destroyed room that much more wrecked.
Ok… now that hurt!
"What I'll permit is for me to decide!" Zeff told him.
"You must be feeling better."
"SHUT UP!!!" Zeff took a few deep breaths. "Okay, kid. Since your time's so precious… I'll offer you a quick way out of this." He held up a saw. "GIVE ME A LEG AND WE'LL CALL IT EVEN!!"
"I don't want to," Luffy told him. "I've told you what I've decided. One week!" What was this old guy, crazy? He wasn't Buggy the Clown!
"YOU'RE REALLY PISSING ME OFF, KID!!" He jumped in the air. "WHAT YOU WANT DOESN'T MATTER!! DROP KICK!!" Zeff's peg leg landed right on Luffy's neck again, pressing him hard against the floor. Too hard.
Slowly, several loud cracks were heard.
Uh oh…
XXXXXXX – Baratie Main Dining Room
"Yes sir!" a large man named Patty, one of the cooks, repeated to himself yet again. "Our motto is 'The Customer is King!'" He nodded to himself as he entered the main dining room. As he entered, he went bug-eyed. "WHAT!? A-A C-CUS-CUSTOMER!!" he shouted.
There, in the middle of the room, was a man being held up by the throat, by him of all people! Again. The customer looked as if he was on the verge of death. "AGAIN, SANJI!?" Patty roared, vigorously pointing at him. "What're you doing to that customer!? And he's a naval officer!"
"Hello, crap-cooker," the man identified as Sanji responded. "Say my name with respect."
And so it went, with the two cooks throwing 'crap' insults at each other for several minutes. On the one side, Patty was stating how the customers were the life blood for their restaurant, while Sanji merely replied that he taught the Marine some 'etiquette'. The said man then complained about the service and how he had the authority to permanently close them down.
Sanji threatened to permanentlyclose Fullbody down first.
Patty, plus several other employees, including Choji and his father, had to nearly dogpile Sanji in order to stop him from attacking the frantic Marine. At the sight, Usopp started chuckling. "Well, I must admit: the entertainment here ain't half bad!"
"Cooks attacking customers, giving death threats with no sense of order at all?" Sasuke commented. A small grin appeared on his face. "I'm beginning to like this place."
"You would," Nami remarked.
"Can we just eat already?" Shikamaru whined. "Or do we have to wait for divine judgment to kick in first?"
At that exact moment, the ceiling cracked and burst open, revealing some kind of large, ominous figure falling through and landing flat on Fullbody, who screeched in pain.
"That'll work," Sakura said, giggling. "Lucky guess."
"There's no such thing as luck," Shikamaru replied, taking a drink. Halfway through his drink, his chair snapped and he fell to the ground, with his drink spilling all over him. The other Straw Hats began laughing under their breaths. "Y-you al-alright?" Nami asked him in-between laughs.
"This proves nothing," Shikamaru hissed as he stood up and grabbed several napkins to dry himself off. "Just cheap furniture."
"Is that the idiot captain?" Sasuke asked. The word captain was said in a mocking tone.
"THAT'S YOUR FAULT, BRAT!!" yelled the big man with the peg leg, too tall of a hat, and too long of a face.
"YOU JUMPED ON ME TOO HARD!" Luffy yelled back.
"Yep… that's Luffy…" the remaining Straw Hats said at once.
"Um… Chef…" one of the cooks started hesitantly. "Can you please get up?"
"WHAT FOR!?"
"Because… the man you two landed on is currently suffocating to death…"
"Huh?" Both Luffy and Chef Zeff looked down at their rears and saw Fullbody crushed underneath them, his face currently blue. "What the hell are you doing there!?" Zeff demanded as he kicked Luffy away (resulting in Luffy crashing head first into a vacant table) as he picked up Fullbody by the head and brought him to eye level.
Choji answered this time. "He landed there because Sanji was beating him to death."
"ATTACKING THE CLIENTELE AGAIN!?!" Zeff demanded as he let go of Fullbody while simultaneously kicking Sanji across the face. "DO YOU WANT TO RUIN ME!?"
By this time, Luffy had recovered from his impact with the table and got a good look at Fullbody. "Hey! I know him! He's the cannon man that shot us! But why is he bleeding?"
Without hesitation, Zeff turned around and delivered a more devastating kick to Fullbody. "GET OUT OF MY ESTABLISHMENT!!"
'Even the Head Chef?' Fullbody thought to himself, bewildered, as new pain greeted him. 'None of you know how to treat a customer! Don't you realize who I am? These people are no better than pirates!'
"The customer is King!" Patty roared at Sanji. "Got that!?"
"Only if they're willing to eat your slop," Sanji countered as he took out a fresh cigarette and lit it.
"Putting up with your temper would be more fitting," Choji declared.
Choza rubbed the back of his head. "As an old friend would say, 'how troublesome.'"
"Sanji! Patty! If you two are going to fight, then do it in the kitchen!" Zeff ordered. "Choji! If you have time to make wisecrack remarks, then you have time to clean the toilets! Choza! Back to your station! Move it!"
Everyone in the restaurant, not just Fullbody, all wondered the exact same thing: were these people really cooks?
"Lieutenant Fullbody! It's terrible!"
Everyone paused as they looked in the direction of the speaker. At the front entrance was a Marine, covered in blood and bruises. "Sorry sir! He got away from the ship's brig!"
For the first time, Fullbody's face had a look of fear. "That pirate of Krieg's escaped!" the naval man continued. "We wanted to question him, but he beat seven of us up and got away!"
"Impossible! When we captured him three days ago, he was half-dead from starvation and we haven't fed him since!" Fullbody protested. The other Marine began to mutter an apology, when a shot rang out and the Marine collapsed to the ground in a deathly fall. The other man simply stepped over the body, but in mid-step, he suddenly found himself flying through the air and crashing into the stairway in the middle of the room.
"Oh… so sorry… was he one of your customers?"
Everyone turned to look at the source of the voice: in the entry way there was a man wearing blue pants, sandals, a green vest similar to what Shikaku and Yoshino had worn, gloves with metal on the backs, silver hair, and a shinobi headband, though it was positioned to cover his left eye from some odd reason. He also wore a strange blue face mask that covered his whole face below his eyes. His left leg was out due to the kick he had just used.
A Konoha ninja.
Zeff looked at the man. "You're becoming as bad as Sanji with the clients."
"I'll take that as a compliment," the man said, walking around the body. He then looked in Choza's direction. "Isn't it your job to prevent this sort of thing?"
Choza shrugged. "What can I say? I was here stopping Sanji from killing someone, so I wasn't over at my usual spot. Unlike some people, I can't be in two places at once."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. What the hell was that supposed to mean? Just who was this new man? Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the others were looking at the man with the same curious and puzzled looks on their faces. Even Shino seemed interested in what was happening.
The man looked around until his single visible eye fell on the Straw Hats and he gave a lazy wave at them. Just who was this man?
XXXXXXX – another part of Baratie, second level
Naruto was quietly swearing under his breath as he walked about, looking for some window, door, or any other kind of entrance that would allow him to get inside without being seen. His stomach was growling madly now. He was simply ready for some food even if it wasn't ramen.
He made his way to the next door and carefully looked around. He didn't see anyone around, so he got close to the door and strained his ear. He didn't hear anything either. Grinning, he tested the door and found that it was open. He let his grin grow into a full smile, since it seemed that he'd finally found a way in! He quickly swung the door open and ran inside.
What he saw surprised him. The room seemed to be used for food storage. There were several large refrigerators, crates of fruits and vegetables, and various other supplies, such as ingredients and spices. That's not what surprised him, though. It was the fact that there was this girl in a pink kimono wearing wooden sandals, who had long black flowing hair and a black choker around her neck in the very center of the room.
Naruto's first thought would be what an adolescent, hormone-driven preteen would think.
WOW!! PRETTY!!
The girl was currently looking at the stores with keen interest, like some kind of shopper. That sight snapped Naruto back to reality. "What are you doing?" he asked suspiciously.
"Browsing," the girl answered casually. She didn't jerk in surprise, make any noise, or even flinch. It was like she knew he had come all along. At that moment, his stomach growled. The girl stopped again and looked directly at him. Her face seemed as smooth and pure as snow and Naruto felt his heart pound against his chest. "Hungry, I take it? Is that why you're here?"
"Well…" Naruto stuttered. Before he could give any type of excuse, an apple was tossed at him. He managed to catch it, much to his surprise. 'I guess all that sparring with Shino is starting to pay off some. My reflexes are better.' The girl reached over to the shelf, took an apple for herself and bit into it. Naruto looked at the apple in his own hand, then at the girl again, then the apple.
The girl seemed to know exactly what he was thinking. "Do not worry about it," she reassured him. "This place has a reputation for not letting anyone go hungry. Plus…" She reached into a pocket and pulled out a bag. "I've got it covered anyway."
"Then why aren't you in the dining room?"
"I'm not good with crowds. And I'm on a tight schedule." She then winked at him and that simple gesture drained Naruto of any more desire to interrogate her. Fifteen minutes went by as they ate together, talking about different things. The girl told him about the different types of herbs and how they could be used, even showing him some that she happened to have on her person, while Naruto bragged about how he was an excellent shinobi, followed by how he had been traveling around, the different places he'd been to, and his shipmates. He then reached into his jacket and pulled out the picture. "I don't suppose you've seen him?"
"No, sadly," the girl told him. She seemed to consider, then asked. "Is this why you seek strength? Merely for your own satisfaction?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow, while giving a puzzled look in response. His response merely seemed to make his companion chuckle in response. "Is this man, or your shipmates, special to you?"
This time Naruto merely blurted out "Huh?" What was with this girl? She just jumped from topic to topic.
"When people are protecting something truly precious to them, they can become truly strong. As strong as they can be." She then smiled. "And that's true, regardless of whether you're a civilian, pirate, shinobi, or even a Marine."
That statement made Naruto pause as he let his memory drift back. How Iruka had protected him from that man in black and red and his own proclamation when he left Meadow Village.
"I'll never run away again, and I'll always protect those precious to me, no matter what the cost is to me. I'll become Hokage when I find that Konoha place that Iruka always told me about. And Iruka-sensei…" he paused before finishing. "…I'm going to help you reunite the shinobi. I don't know what happened to them, but I'll bring them together for you and I'll find you. I promise."
He thought back to Orange Town, where Sakura had been ready to face Buggy and his group alone if need be to rescue her parents.
"So, that's why I have to go back! Not only will my parents be hurt or worse, but Buggy will demolish the town and kill everyone. I have to stop them!"
Then at Syrup Village, the night before Kuro's attack and what Usopp had said.
Usopp looked down and cuddled his left arm, gripping his wound. "They can shoot me in the arm… and they can chase me with brooms, but this village is my home. I love this village I've got to protect my neighbors!"
Naruto then smiled at the girl. "Yep! I know all about that!"
The girl nodded happily as she got up and started walking towards the exit, dropping the small bag on the floor as she did. "You will get stronger. I know we'll meet again. Oh, and you should know two things: My name is Haku." She opened the door and started to walk out. "And… I'm a boy," Haku finished, door closing behind.
Naruto's jaw hit the floor! NO WAY! SERIOUSLY!? She was a HE!?!? He was prettier than Sakura-chan! Naruto grabbed his head and wailed loudly. "EVERYTHING I KNOW IS A LIE!!!"
XXXXXXX – another part of Baratie
Choji watched as the unknown pirate from earlier vigorously ate the food that Sanji had prepared for him.
After Kakashi had kicked the man across the dining area, he had crawled to a nearby table and demanded that someone bring him food. Patty – who had put on his 'customer face' (which not even a mother could love) – greeted the monsewer and asked if he could pay. The pirate responded by putting his gun against the man's forehead and asking him if he took lead.
Patty immediately slammed the pirate against the table, followed by a quick series of kicks before he grabbed the man and threw him out the front door, not unlike how Naruto had been thrown out earlier. As Patty gave a small bow, which was followed by a round of applause, Sanji had disappeared to the kitchen.
About ten minutes later, Sanji arrived and set a plate of hot, fresh food in front of the starving man, who greedily dove into it, while tears streamed down his face. Not too far from them, Choji was watching, and he smiled at the sight, despite himself.
As far back as he could remember, it had just been him and his father. He could recall him and his father constantly roaming the islands in the South Blue and eventually East Blue. It was hard for a shinobi – former or otherwise – to try and make a living these days and they were constantly hounded by the Government, the Navy, and many of the local villages.
Of course… part of it had to be from their little habit of skipping out on their bills for food, so maybe some of it was slightly deserved. But only slightly. Being members of the Akimichi clan naturally meant that food bills were your worst nightmares, especially when your dad didn't have a stable income. The Akimichi clan itself had been all but decimated during the attacks all those years ago. His father believed that the numbers of living members only existed in the single digits now and scattered throughout the seas. Sadly, Choji's mother was not among that small number, having been killed by the Kyubi itself during the very start of it all, a thought that made Choji burn with rage at the mere thought of it all. All that had happened during the course of all that had earned his father a bounty of 23 million berries.
Choji was basically raised on the thought of 'eat and run', which he had always viewed as some sort of game. He was a young child, after all, he didn't know any better. Then, four years ago, they arrived at Baratie as their next "stop". They had been caught in the act by Zeff himself. The Head Chef had been impressed by the way they had snuck on aboard without his knowing and noted the sizeable amount of food that had been consumed. Zeff immediately hired the two on the spot before either Akimichi had said anything. Choji worked as a Chore Boy, while Choza had been hired as the greeter and a bouncer, making sure that all the guests behaved themselves properly and keeping violence down to a minimum (but given the reputation of Baratie, minimum was still a sizeable amount).
It only took a few weeks of living at Baratie for both Akimichis to feel perfectly at home, with no thought of trying to 'eat and run' this time. And the other employees all had similar reputations, so no one gave the two any grief. It was during that time that Choza began training his son in the clan's secret techniques and changing the way he viewed life, something easier said than done. Old habits died hard after all.
"You sure got lucky! That food saved you!" said a way too cheerful voice, snapping Choji out of his thoughts. "You damn near starved to death! Ha Ha Ha!"
The three people looked up at the source of the voice. It was that one skinny kid in the Straw Hat that had fallen through the roof with Zeff. "Hey, Mr. Cook! I want you for my pirate crew!"
"What?" both the pirate and Sanji said at once, while Choji walked over.
Luffy jumped down from the balcony and landed on the railing next to Sanji. "Be the cook for my pirate crew!" he told the blond-haired man.
Choji walked over and took a good look at Luffy. "You're a pirate?" Luffy nodded proudly.
"You must be the one that fired on us, then, and has to work for a year for free," Sanji stated. "What the hell were you thinking?"
"It was an accident. A stray cannonball launched in self-defense."
'How do you fire a stray cannonball in self-defense and call it an accident?' Choji wondered to himself, while Sanji and the pirate just gave Luffy a dumbfounded look. Sanji then shrugged. "Better not do anything stupid around here, because Chef Zeff used to be a very famous pirate himself," he said.
"What?" Luffy replied in surprise. "That old man was a pirate?"
Sanji nodded. "Baratie is the old ratbag's treasure." He smiled as he added, "And the cooks who flock to him are all former hot-blooded pirate types, with even a few shinobi added to the mix." Sanji gestured at Choji, who merely nodded in response.
"Wow. You're fat," Luffy said automatically.
"I'M NOT FAT, DAMN IT!!! I'M JUST BIG-BONED!!" Choji threw his arms into the air and roared. Then he charged Luffy, who calmly jumped. Choji plowed right through and crashed through the railing into the open air. He looked down and saw the sea below him. He then started freaking out and attempted to air run back to the ship, which did no good as he started to fall. Started, because at that moment, Luffy landed back on deck, calmly reached down and grabbed the young obese boy, then tossed Choji back on the deck. Luffy then started laughing his head off as the greatly relieved Choji breathed out.
Sanji also grinned at the sight. "For a place frequented by pirates, they're perfect for the job."
"Yeah, this place is a nuthouse," Luffy stated, still laughing. He knelt down and patted Choji on the back. "I like you! You're funny! You should join my crew as well as him!" He looked eagerly at Sanji.
"I decline. I've got a good reason to stay here," Sanji said simply. Choji sat back and shook his head as well. "Sorry. Not interested. They have my favorite foods here!!"
"NO! I decline!"
Both Choji and Sanji looked at him. "Decline what?"
"I decline your… declinations! You're…" Luffy pointed at Sanji. "…a good cook and you're…" he pointed at Choji now. "…a great, funny guy! You're both joining my crew and that's that!"
"Hold on. Listen to my reason," Sanji said.
"What is it, then?"
"None of your business."
"You just told me to listen!"
"I mean respect my wishes! I'll make a fillet out of you, you crap-hat kid!"
"Make fun of this hat and I'll send you flying!"
"I'll shish kebab you first!"
"Not if I punch you!"
"Um… excuse me…" the pirate spoke up, having finished his meal.
Both Luffy and Sanji looked at the man with death glares (meant for each other) and demanded "WHAT!?"
"I'm Gin. One of Don Krieg's pirates. If you're really a pirate, what's your prize?"
"I'm after One Piece!" Luffy exclaimed happily. "I'm going to the Grand Line!"
Gin visibly reacted to that statement as he considered. "If you don't have a cook," he said finally, "you must not have much of a crew yet."
"These two make eleven ("DON'T COUNT US!!") total," Luffy answered proudly.
"You don't seem like the bad sort, so I'll give you a word of warning." He looked directly at Luffy. "Whatever you do: don't go to the Grand Line. You're young. Don't rush to your doom. The seas are vast. The Grand Line is just one narrow route. There are plenty of safer waters to plunder."
Luffy looked at Gin curiously. "Hmm… really? Do you know a lot about the Grand Line?"
Gin immediately shook his head. "Not much… hardly anything at all. But enough to know that it's pure hell. So much that the mere thought terrifies me."
"You're rather chicken for one of Krieg's men," Sanji said.
"Who's Krieg?" Luffy asked immediately.
"Don Krieg is the strongest pirate in these waters!" Gin answered immediately.
"I've heard a little bit about him," Choji offered, adjusting to get comfortable. "They say that he's the Don of the Pirate Armada – a consortium of fifty pirate ships with five thousand men total. Many call him a pure monster and devil. I heard he's got a pretty big bounty on his head. I think it's 17 million."
"What he says is true," Gin said. "He's never lost a battle, and there's not a man alive that can beat him." He then shook his head. "But I stand by what I said to you: if you value your life, don't go to the Grand Line."
Luffy merely grinned in response and Gin saw that it was a hopeless cause. He looked over the side and then said, "I best be going, then. Things to do." He then leapt over the edge and the remaining three saw that he landed on a small boat down there. He looked back up and smiled. "Just thought I'd warn you."
Luffy's grin bloomed into a full-blown smile, which Choji didn't understand. What was with this guy? He didn't listen to anyone but himself, was absolutely convinced of himself, and didn't seem to care at all about any sort of danger. "I'm going to the Grand Line," he told Gin firmly.
Gin laughed in response to that. "Do what you want. How you throw your life away is your business." He then looked at one-eyed, blond-haired man. "Sanji… you have my thanks. You saved my life. That grub was very delicious." He broke out into a smile. "Can I come and eat again sometime?"
Sanji smiled back. "Any time."
The heart-filled farewell was then interrupted by a loud "HEY BRATS!!! THERE YOU ARE!!!"
All eyes gazed upward and saw that it was none other than Zeff himself that had shouted. At the sight, Luffy immediately recoiled, while Sanji and Choji hardly even blinked. Gin, however, looked at the discarded plate, glass and silverware. A look of remorse appeared on his face as he said, "You're gonna catch hell now for giving me that free meal."
In response, Sanji picked up the dishes and tossed them overboard. "Free meal? Where's the proof?" Sanji said as they sank out of sight.
Gin chuckled, then he started to get teary-eyed. He then dropped down to his hands and knees. "I won't forget your kindness to me, I won't forget." Gin promised.
"SANJI!! CHORE BOYS!! BACK TO WORK!!"
Gin watched the three disappear back inside the restaurant as he floated away. About a minute later, a figure slowly emerged from the water and jumped on to the small boat. Gin looked calmly at the seemingly feminine-looking figure. "How'd it go?"
"Enlightening," Haku answered cryptically. Gin raised an eyebrow in response. What the hell did that mean? He shook it off, it didn't really matter. "How much did you get?"
"Enough, I hope," Haku answered, reaching behind his back and pulling out a small scroll. "I stored what food I could in here, but I doubt it'll be enough to get everyone back to full strength."
"What you got is more than what we have now," Gin answered as he took out a compass, while Haku went to man the sails. "And that'll have to be enough."
XXXXXXX – Main Dining Room again
Naruto let out a sigh of relief as he was let back into the main restaurant. He thought he had been in serious trouble when he walked out of the store right in front of Zeff himself. One mere look at the guy and even someone who had never laid eyes on him could tell he was the one in charge of this place… and Naruto had just walked out of a room that had been robbed of its stores.
Naruto had ranted for ten minutes straight (it took ten minutes because he constantly mixing up she and he when describing Haku) telling Zeff that it wasn't him, that it was paid for, he was innocent and that he was no thief.
He showed Zeff the small pouch left behind by Haku as proof, but then his eyes dropped in horror when Zeff turned the bag upside-down and spilled the contents all over the floor. It was all rocks, with a small I.O.U. note and Naruto thought himself a dead man.
Surprisingly, the first words out of Zeff's mouth were that he believed Naruto. He said something about Naruto having an honest face, plus the fact that he couldn't have eaten nor couldn't have hidden that large amount of food on his person. With that, he walked Naruto back to the dining room. Zeff noticed how Sanji, Choza, and even Choji shot Naruto dangerous looks and immediately understood why. He muttered a quiet "behave yourself this time, or you'll find yourself on my bad side."
Naruto merely nodded in response and decided to count of his blessings. He saw the others at the table, pulled up an empty chair and sat down. Sakura reached into her pocket and tossed Gama-chan to him. "Did you all miss me?" he asked happily as he put his wallet away.
"No," Sasuke answered immediately, which made Naruto grimace in response. "No one's asking your opinion, idiot!"
"Where have you been?" Nami asked him.
"I was talking with a…" before he could answer, they all heard a very familiar voice.
"YOU'RE COMFORTABLY SITTING AND ENJOYING FOOD WHILE I'M SUFFERING!? YOU'RE ALL COMPLETELY HEARTLESS!!!"
Immediately, they all turned around and looked at Luffy, who was completely furious and wearing an apron. And being the kind of friends they were, they all greeted Luffy in a predictable manner.
Usopp waved. "Hey, Chore Boy!"
Sakura smiled regrettably. "I heard that you have to work for a year."
"Have fun, idiot," Sasuke waved. "We'll be sailing to the Grand Line."
"If you make any money, be sure to send it to me," Nami said.
"What's going on?" Naruto asked, having no idea what was going on.
Zoro grinned. "Can we change the ship's flag?"
Change the flag!? Just the mere suggestion of that caused Luffy to burn with rage! It was completely unforgivable! This called for the ultimate form of payback! Luffy stuck his finger up his nose, then dropped a booger in Zoro's drink while he was laughing and looking in the other direction.
Zoro was still laughing as he took up his glass. "This restaurant is very good." He seemed to consider, then he added, "It is unfair to you…"
In a flash, he grabbed Luffy and forced the 'infected' drink down Luffy's throat. "SO YOU DRINK IT!" The rubber man gagged and drank it all in one gulp. Once it was all gone, Luffy fell on his back and began wiggling like a dead man. "What'd you do that for!?" Luffy demanded, continuing to make more gagging sounds.
"Me?! You started it!"
The other Straw Hats began laughing violently; even Sasuke and Shino were chuckling under their breaths. After a few good laughs, they heard a voice. "Well, you all seem to be a lively group."
The laughter slowly died down as they all looked at the speaker. It was that tall, silver-haired, one-eyed man again. "Who's that?" Naruto asked immediately. This time around, he noticed the headband on the other person. "No way! You're a Konoha shinobi!? Where'd you come from!? How come you've got an eye covered!? What's with that mask!? What're you doing here!? Are you strong?! You don't look like a shinobi!"
The man just gazed at them and shrugged. "First, I'm Hatake Kakashi. Next: you have eyes don't you? I came from where I live. My eye is my business. My mask is none of your business. I'm here for my own reasons. I can hold my own in a fight. As for looks, you're one to talk. You don't normally see shinobi wearing orange. That just practically shouts 'here-I- am-kill-me.'
Naruto's face dropped in annoyance. Just who did this guy think he was?! "Oh yeah!? And what makes you so special?!"
"Nothing much," Kakashi answered. He looked at the rest of the group, then at Sasuke, specifically the symbol on the back of Sasuke's shirt. Kakashi's eye widened for just a split second, but not one of the Straw Hats noticed. "Well, you look strong. Care to tell me your name?"
'Damn it! Why the hell does Sasuke get all the attention?!' Naruto ranted mentally at the injustice. 'And how come he only compliments that bastard!? I'm better than him!'
Sasuke 'hmphed' again. "At least your observations skills are accurate."
Kakashi visibly looked at the group, each person in turn. "Let's see… one… two… three… four… five… five of you with Konoha headbands. Is it just you guys or are all of you playing Konoha shinobi?"
"Nope. Just them," Usopp clarified, taking another bite of his food. Shino then looked at the man. "And what do you mean 'playing Konoha shinobi?'"
"Well… it's rather easy for anyone to get a ninja hitai-ite, considering the status of the shinobi these days," Kakashi answered smoothly. "Anyone could find a discarded headband in a pawn shop and claim that they're a ninja. But just wearing the thing doesn't mean squat as far as I'm concerned. "
Nearly all the Straw Hat shinobi glared daggers at the man. Even Shikamaru seemed to take it a bit personally. And to make matters worse, as if to try and insult them more, Kakashi turned around and started to walk away as if that was all to say on the matter, or that even any comeback or justification from them was absolutely worthless. And Naruto wasn't going to stand for it. He reached for a nearby glass of water and threw it right at the man. It hit arrogant bastard directly on the back of the head, glass shattering everywhere and getting his hair soaked. But aside from that, the man hadn't so much as flinched.
The entire restaurant seemed to go deathly silent as Kakashi slowly turned around. "You know, there are easier ways of getting attention," he said, looking directly at Naruto again. "Was there something else?"
"Yeah: for you to shut the hell up! You have no idea of the abilities we have!" Naruto boasted at him. "We've been through lots of tough fights and no one – I mean NO ONE – disrespects my claim as a ninja!" Not with what it took for him to get it, not with how it cost him Iruka-sensei. He pointed dramatically at the older man. "You're the one that doesn't know what this thing means –"
"Oh?" Kakashi interrupted. "And you do? You're how old? Eleven? Twelve? You were never part of the old village. You don't know what it means to be a part of a village nor do you realize what it means to wear that thing on your forehead."
Naruto slammed his hand on the table. "That's your opinion, which is NOT wanted here! And once we reunite the Shinobi Villages, we'll – "
Naruto was cut off again as Kakashi actually laughed. "You guys? Reunite the shinobi? That's a good one."
"What's so funny about that?" Sakura asked.
"Everything," The man said dismissively. He looked at them all. "So you're all in this?"
"Indeed," Shino spoke up, a tone of anger heard in his voice. "I would highly recommend that you not underestimate us." Usopp looked at Kakashi as well. "And while we may not be shinobi, we're all friends here, helping each other achieve our goals. Insult any of us again and I'll… sic Zoro and Luffy on you!"
"Fight your own battles," the two said automatically. Luffy then thumped his chest. "If you've got a problem with my crew, you've got a problem with me!"
Shikamaru sighed. "It's troublesome, but if you continue your little speech, I'm afraid I'm going to have to step in." A mental image of his father appeared in his mind. Not the drunk, irresponsible version, the one where he would stand up and defend his belief and friends. And Shikamaru could feel that burning through his veins slightly. A man had to do what a man had to do and all that.
Sasuke just cracked his knuckles, while Sakura was gripping her fork hard. Kakashi look at each of them in turn. He looked like he was about to say something, but Naruto instantly interrupted. Ha! Payback! he thought to himself.Out loud, he added, "So get lost! I bet I could wipe the floor with you!"
Kakashi looked at him for a moment. "Is that a challenge?" he asked.
"Damn straight it is!"
He put his hand on his chin and began rubbing like he had a beard. "Alright," he said after a moment. "I accept." He then reached into a pocket. "But… let's make it a little more interesting."
"Interesting?" the people at the table repeated. Kakashi then withdrew two small silver bells and held them out for the group to see.
"I'll take three of you on at once," Kakashi said. Luffy instantly raised his hand. "Sorry, shinobi only. This matter is between our ideals and beliefs after all." Luffy actually looked disappointed as he moaned in defeat. "And if you manage to get a bell, I'll concede defeat to that person."
"Works for me!" Naruto yelled. Oh, he couldn't wait to get this guy! First he would punch him in the gut, then poke his eyes out, then rip out all that hair and tear off that mask! And just for an added bonus, he'd finish with a fierce kick to the groin!
"Hold on. I'm not finished yet," Kakashi said. "If you manage to beat me, I'll give you a little bonus." He then seemed to smile with his visible eye. "I'll tell you the location of where the five main shinobi villages are recovering and rebuilding."
That statement shocked the entire table, mostly Naruto. Someone else was already accomplishing Iruka's dream!? And already had the five main villages back together! A smile then emerged on his face. This would be perfect! He was getting closer to his goal, he just knew it!
"However…" Kakashi continued, snapping Naruto out of his thoughts. "If you lose… I'll permanently strip you of your "shinobi" status. I'll even perform a special kinjutsu on you so that you can't ever utilize your chakra again. That is assuming any of you can actually use chakra."
It was like someone had hit each of the Straw Hat shinobi in the face. What!? He could do such a thing!? Just who the hell was this guy?
"So as you can see, you have much to gain, but also much to lose," Kakashi said. He tossed the bells into the air and caught them in his hand. "Well? What's your answer?"
"Wait a second," Sakura spoke up. "You said three of us, but how come there are only two bells?"
That smiling eye returned. "Well, that's to guarantee that at least one of you wannabe shinobi will no longer be masquerading as true shinobi. You'll be exposed as the fakes you are." He loosened his grip on the bells and jingled them for the group again.
Naruto gave a small laugh. "I'm not scared! I'm in!" Sasuke merely nodded, glaring at the man. This would be a true test of his strength. He could handle it. Sakura noticed this and instantly proclaimed "ME TOO!" before she even knew what she was saying.
"You three, huh?" Kakashi said, then shrugged it off. "OK. Have it your way." He pointed at the door. "I'll arrange everything myself. Just be on the deck outside at five o'clock in the morning. I hope you'll be prepared in time." He started to walk away, but then stopped. "Oh… and just a piece of advice: you'd better skip breakfast or… you'll puke." With that statement, he left, leaving the Straw Hats speechless.
"Are you guys going to be able to handle him?" Usopp asked. "He looks skilled."
"The man's name means 'Scarecrow'," Sasuke said. "It won't be hard."
"Besides, that guy couldn't even handle a simple sneak attack," Naruto added. "It'll be a piece of cake."
"You three are in deep trouble," Zoro said simply, taking a drink of his water.
"Thanks for the vote of confidence!" Sakura shouted, while Sasuke and Naruto glared. Zoro simply looked at them and said "You didn't notice, did you?"
They looked confused. "Notice what?" Sakura asked carefully.
Zoro jerked his thumb in the direction Kakashi had gone. "If he had avoided the glass, it would have continued to fly on and hit an innocent bystander. So he used his head as a shield to make sure no one else got involved in your fight. Plus, such an attack is so simple and worthless against the likes of him that it's not even necessary to dodge it. It was no more of a nuisance to him than a fly buzzing around." He drank some more. "If you had even half the experience I do, you would have been able to tell all that from simply his stance and the way he moved. You three have just bitten off more than you can chew."
Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were silent as they watched Kakashi talk with Chef Zeff himself, once again thinking the same thought. Just who was this man?
XXXXXXX – some time later, at Don Krieg's ship
Haku was watching the man on the bed eat slowly. The man was big and heavily muscular, with a Mist hitai-ite on his head, though it was slanted off to the side. He also had a heavy bandage on the front as well. As he had predicted, Krieg had taken most of the food for himself, so Haku made sure that he had rationed enough for himself and the rest of the men. Even with the food he had, it wouldn't be enough to get everyone back at full strength. One of the most important rules with starvation was to never feed a person with a large amount of food all at once. Doing so would only cause the said person to become overly sick, being unable to handle that much food.
"You could have chosen a better selection," the man on the bed said. The effort to speak seemed to cause him a significant degree of pain. "You know I hate seafood."
"My apologies, Zabuza-sama," Haku said with a small smile on his face. "But it was a sea-going restaurant. You can hardly expect to find anything else. And time was short."
"Hm, you're annoying. As usual," the man called Zabuza replied.
Haku's smile grew at that statement. "That's right," he agreed immediately. He then noticed his master groan in pain again. "Please, take it easy, Zabuza-sama. You still haven't completely healed from your last fight."
Zabuza looked at him, then took another bite of the food, not bothering to acknowledge the young boy's concern. "So… did you learn anything useful while you were there? If I know that Krieg-bastard as well as I think I do, we'll be heading there next."
"There is a small group of shinobi visiting there," Haku confirmed, remembering how Naruto had described his shipmates and how the description of the Captain matched the one Gin had given him earlier. "According to Gin, their Captain has to work there for a year, so it's quite likely they'll remain there for some time. Plus, there seems to be some shinobi employed there as well." He paused in thought, then added, "One of their crew members is supposed to be a sword master, wielding three blades at once."
Momochi Zabuza stopped eating as he looked at Haku. He then reached to the side of his bed and brought forth a monstrous-sized blade. "Really now?" he asked, holding the blade in front of him. "This may prove to be fun after all."
End of Chapter 20
A/N: Whew… how long has it been since my last update on this story? Um… on second thought, no one answer that. I just hope it was worth the wait and that you enjoyed it.
Those of you Biju Biju Fruit fans might find it ironic (or cliché, whichever term you use) for Kakashi to appear at this arc. Believe it or not, the reason Kakashi appear here is simply because Zabuza was decided to be featured in this arc. After the Akimichis were selected, Zabuza and Haku were decided afterwards to be the opposing shinobi for this arc (the parallels between Krieg and Gato are quite close, if I do say so myself). After that, it seemed only natural for Kakashi to appear alongside them. Of course, whether these two will survive the arc or not, you'll just have to keep reading to find out.
Nami's Ultimate Idiot Competition – Luffy: 34, Naruto: 52
May the Kage Bunshin and Gomu Gomu no Bazooka be with you!
Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Naruto. They belong to their respective owners: Eiichiro Oda and Masashi Kishimoto.