Silvers D. Naruto
AN: Ok, the next chapter is out way later than anticipated…that's nice.
Also want to thank Minty220 for pointing out a hilarious mistake in chapter 2. When Naruto met Mikoto…he never gave his name, yet she called him by name. Wow, when you type your brain thinks much faster than your hands move, so I must have thought up their interaction too quickly and made that funny misstep, so that's fixed now.
Anyway, enough with that, on with the story!
(P.S. I have a request of those willing at the end of this chapter, just asking for some suggestions from the audience for something particular that is stumping me.)
Chapter 8: What are you wearing?
Cover: Naruto and Ichigo are sitting behind two chess-playing goats, whispering in their ears the moves that each one should make, leading both goats into illegally moving pieces all about the board, table, and grassland they are playing on, their eyes swirling and steam coming from their ears as they attempt to listen to the pirates' terrible advice.
(We Are! Opening- see Chapter 5 for visuals)
(Afternoon-Day after leaving Karakura)
The two rookie pirates were drifting slowly along the expansive ocean with Ichigo leaning back with his eyes closed while his captain could be seen jittering in place, sitting on the dinghy's ledge.
"You're gonna tip the boat over if you shake it anymore," Ichigo cracked open his eye to look at the barely restrained blond.
"Can you blame me? I just can't wait until we get to the next island!" Naruto turned to his crewmate with a wide grin. "Who knows what kind of stuff will be waiting for us there!"
"It'll just be another boring clump of dirt that we stop on for a few hours before moving on to the next boring clump of dirt," Ichigo closed his eyes with a huff at his childish captain.
"Why do you have to be such a wet blanket!" Naruto pouted. "Where's your sense of adventure!?"
"Told you yesterday, I had no interest in being a pirate and so, no interest in seeing the world. This was just a convenient option," Ichigo smiled without looking at the fuming blond. "Besides the only reason we should care about the next island is because we're running out of food already," Ichigo looked to the pitiful bag next to him that contained only one can which then floated over to Naruto who proceeded to eat the contents.
"I know what you mean. Who would've thought that you'd be so unprepared for the voyage," Naruto sighed, downing the contents of the can without a second thought.
"You're one to talk! And I brought a week's worth of food with me!" Ichigo sat up indignantly. "I just never expected my captain to be such a glutton!" Ichigo pointed an accusing finger at the oblivious blond.
"And I never expected my first mate to not think ahead," Naruto stuck his tongue out and tossed the empty can into the ocean.
"That's your job, captain!" Ichigo grit his teeth and had veins bulging from his forehead. It was like dealing with a child.
"Hope we find an island soon," Naruto put a hand to his chin in thought. "Can't survive long without a good meal."
"If someone knew how to navigate, then we wouldn't have to drift around hoping for an island to appear," Ichigo said, exhausted from having to deal with the carefree pirate. "For all we know, we could have passed one by since we left Karakura."
"Eh, then that means they wouldn't have been fun. Luck will give us an island that's the best for an adventure," Naruto looked ahead to the empty sea.
"I'm more concerned with restocking," Ichigo leaned back again, "Not to mention we'd be right back where we started once we set out again."
"Then we've got our mission!" Naruto pointed ahead. "Restock food stores and find a navigator for our crew!"
"Aye-aye," Ichigo said sarcastically.
"Put some energy into it!"
"Maybe when we actually find an island," Ichigo turned over onto his side away from the blond and muttered under his breath, "If we find an island…"
"Hey!" Naruto huffed hard enough that the wind blew against Ichigo and mussed his hair.
"Knock it off!" Ichigo jumped up and started to pull on Naruto's cheeks with the blond returning the childish action by yanking on Ichigo's bottom lip with one hand and pulling on the skin around the orange-heads eye with the other.
While the pair bickered with each other an island slowly came into view behind the blond that the two would pass by during their childish argument before hurriedly turning their dinghy around to reach their salvation…and arguing over the fact they'd almost missed it.
"You started it!"
"Just because I was right about you having no idea where we were going, doesn't give you a pass! Whether an island showed up or not!"
"I would've seen it sooner if you hadn't said anything!"
This continued as the two slowly paddled their way back to the island.
This day and the one following would certainly pique Naruto's interest, having the adventure he'd wished for and completing the mission that he'd set for himself and Ichigo.
(Harnuno Island)
"Ryuko?" a voice that only one person could hear spoke as its wearer strolled through the streets of the rural looking island. The most standout feature of the plain island was the striped tower toward its back, the marine base.
The girl that heard the voice had her brows furrowed and her eye sharp as she glared ahead of her. Her odd gear-shaped blue eyes darting from person to person as they passed her, frightening them off.
"Ryuko?" the voice repeated.
"I know already!" she growled to the voice and looked down to her sailor uniform, blushing in embarrassment when the onlookers looked at her strangely. "Don't you think I'm trying to find pirates!" she moved forward while cupping her hand around her mouth to hide the fact she was speaking to her clothes.
"Like I told you a day ago, I haven't intercepted any communications saying that pirates with bounties are making their way here. It seems you might have built a reputation for yourself," the clothing moved its eye upward to meet the girl's. "Pirates are most likely avoiding the island based on your presence…a boon for the populace but a detriment to us. It might be time to move on," the clothing offered a solution.
"You might be right, but I'd feel more comfortable with some food before hitting the road," Ryuko grumbled and put her hands behind her head.
"Perhaps you would have food if you hadn't spent the last of the money on another night at the inn," the clothing sighed and closed its lone eye.
"I wanted a bed," the girl said simply.
"It wouldn't have been the first time you slept on a boat, Ryuko, and you forget that I can tell when you lie. You simply wanted to compensate the kindly keeper for putting up with your moods and destruction of property," the clothing called the blushing girl out as she tried to act tough.
"Whatever!" she cried indignantly, "The point is I want to eat before we leave, so there!"
"*sigh* Then we are right back where we started…perhaps we should head toward that island," the clothing said.
"That'd be three days…" Ryuko clicked her teeth. "I thought pirates were supposed to be tough but all it takes are rumors of a bounty hunter for them to turn tail and run?" she sighed in frustration and disappointment, beginning to round a building's corner when she heard a shout.
"WE MADE IT! A NEW ISLAND!" Naruto shouted after taking a deep breath through his nose.
"Keep it down, you're drawing attention," Ichigo stretched behind the blond and let out a yawn, ignoring the fact that he was also a spectacle because of the large sword strapped to his back.
"You're just as happy as I am. This is just what we needed," Naruto regarded his crewmate.
"You aren't wrong about that. At least we can resupply," Ichigo agreed with his captain.
"Now let's grab some grub!" Naruto made to run off with Beli in hand only to be yanked back by Ichigo.
"Hold it!" the swordsman pulled the blond back to face him. "I'll handle resupplying the food, so give me the money."
"I can do it. Don't you trust me?"
"No," Ichigo answered simply. "Let me prove it…what food are you going to buy?"
"Uh…meat…and a few sweets…probably…" Naruto searched Ichigo's eyes hoping he was answering correctly, "…water?
"And that's exactly why I'm handling the food. All we have is a small dinghy, so grabbing an appropriate and balanced amount is the best thing to do, not to mention that without refrigeration we can't overload on things that can spoil," Ichigo explained to the awed blond.
"Whoa, you're amazing!"
"I had to live on my own for a decade, remember? Learning simple survival stuff was a must," Ichigo crossed his arms.
"Then if you're handling the groceries, then I'll go find a navigator for the crew before we leave!" Naruto looked off in his imagination, wondering what his new Nakama would be like.
"I said we just need to stock up and then leave…" Ichigo trailed off and thought to himself, 'Though it'd probably be a good idea to have him preoccupied so he can't get into too much trouble…' Ichigo thought to himself. "Fine, but only until I'm done shopping, so that gives you about an hour."
"That's not enough time," Naruto whined.
"Yeah, well that's what you're working with, besides the chances of finding a navigator let alone one crazy enough to join a rookie pirate crew on this podunk island is small," Ichigo brushed off the blond and started to make his way into the town.
"But I found you on a podunk island," Naruto said nonchalantly.
"That was different! And Karakura wasn't podunk!"
"But it was small and out of the way, like this one…" Naruto said innocently.
"Just go look for a navigator already before I cut you!" Ichigo reached his hand to Zangetsu threateningly with sharp teeth as he yelled.
"You're right!" Naruto perked up. "I only have an hour, so I have to look fast!"
"Just don't cause any trouble," Ichigo pointed to the horizon directly at a striped building, "There's a marine base on the island. We don't want any unnecessary attention, so keep a low-profile."
"Gotcha!" Naruto answered and shot off, kicking up an insane amount of dust, knocking pedestrians off their feet, and rattling some buildings because of the wind gust that had burst from his jumping-off point.
Ichigo was the only person still on his feet, a bead of sweat falling on the back of his head, watching as his captain continued down the road and took a sharp turn all while keeping the same amount of speed.
"Totally inconspicuous…" Ichigo grumbled and sighed. He scratched the back of his head and continued, "It'll only be for an hour…I'm sure he'll be fine…even he can't get into trouble that fast," he assured himself…kind of and walked up to one of the recovering civilians to ask where the nearest grocery store was.
As the two pirates went about their business in town, the female bounty hunter hid behind a building's corner overhearing their conversation. A wicked smirk was on her face and her eyes gleamed with the light of opportunity.
"Did ya hear that, Senketsu?" Ryuko grinned at her sentient clothing.
"Yes, it seems that we've stumbled into a great opportunity," the now-named article of clothing looked up to its owner.
"Do you know who they are?" she asked.
"Nothing. They weren't kidding about being rookies, it seems," Senketsu answered.
"Damn, nobodies. They won't be worth much…" Ryuko mused and rubbed her chin.
"Beggars can't be choosers, Ryuko. Right now, these two are your only chance of earning funds," Senketsu reminded her.
"Yeah, you're right…so, I'm guessing Swordboy is in charge?"
"From what we've observed I'd say yes…he has a more commanding presence than the blond and took charge of the situation when they first arrived. With that evidence, I'm 70% sure that the swordsman is the captain of the crew," Senketsu reasoned.
"Only 70%?" Ryuko raised an eyebrow.
"This is only data compiled on first impressions it would be foolish to assume anything based on one encounter. Without battle data, we wouldn't have the full picture of their potential," Senketsu advised the disbelieving girl.
"Psht, I doubt that blond doofus could be the captain, Senketsu. Did you see him?"
"Of course, I did, but you could say the same for you, Ryuko. I'm sure if you met any pirate or ruffian that hadn't heard of you, they wouldn't think much of you either."
"Guess you've got a point," Ryuko begrudgingly conceded. "But it doesn't matter, they'll end up in the same place either way. I've got a plan…"
"And it is?" Senketsu asked.
"We're gonna go after Blondy and catch him! We'll turn him into the marines and get the money before going after the swordsman. Since they're such a small crew, whether Swordboy cares about Blondy would be irrelevant, so after turning in the blond we lie and tell the swordsman we've got him and catch him too," Ryuko explained.
"Given what little information we have on them…it is the best course of action to sequester them from each other and deal with them individually," Senketsu agreed with his partner's course of action.
"Then it's settled," the girl smirked, showing her canines, hefted her guitar case onto her shoulder, and looked off in the direction that her target ran off in. "Time to go hunting."
(30 minutes later-with Naruto)
The blond pirate was still running through the tiny island, having burst through many a door of different shops asking if anyone knew of navigators present on the island. And being driven out when his blast of wind would catch up with him causing the shops to be sullied by the great gust that brought debris, dust, and a few unconscious civilians through the busted doors.
To say the blond made no progress would be an understatement.
"Ahhh!" he screamed as he ran, barreling over obstacles left and right as his eyes darted in a panic desperately trying to find someone that seemed…'navigatory?' "It's already been 30 minutes and I haven't found anyone!" Naruto stopped in the middle of the street and held his head in despair, "I can't go back to Ichigo and have nothing! I can just imagine his stupid face!"
Naruto imagined a very crude-looking Ichigo with poorly drawn features and a smug smirk on his face while picking his nose, "I told you that you wouldn't find any navigators on this island. Maybe you should listen to me more often…huh? Huh?"
"I don't want to hear that!" Naruto huffed a fist in front of his face and sharpened eyes. "I gotta find a navigator or a map so we know where we're going at least!" the blond made to start running again when…
"Hey, pirate!"
The blond stopped himself instantly, running in place to keep his energy up as he turned his head in the direction that the voice came from, "Yeah?"
Ryuko sweatdropped, "Seriously? Someone calls you a pirate and you answer?"
Naruto widened his eyes and slapped a hand over his mouth before coming up with an intelligent answer, "Uh…I mean…I'm not a pirate…" he didn't meet Ryuko's eyes at all while answering.
'You can't be for real?' Ryuko's eye twitched.
"But say I was one, who's asking?" Naruto asked…'hypothetically'.
"Ok…" the girl rubbed her forehead to stymie an incoming headache, "…A bounty hunter," with that, the girl stuck her arm out to the side and dropped her guitar case on the ground next to her with an audible thud.
"Bounty hunter?" Naruto scratched the top of his head. "Um, If I was a pirate, I'm new, so I don't have a bounty yet…because I'm not one…" Naruto smiled to himself thinking that he covered his tracks perfectly.
'This is painful to watch,' Ryuko sighed. "You don't have to keep pretending. I overheard you and your swordsman pal talking at the dock."
Naruto seemed relieved that he didn't have to continue his brilliant charade any longer and allowed his body to relax. "That's great! Yeah, I'm a rookie pirate, so I'm not worth anything," Naruto raised a hand sheepishly. "Now if you'll excuse me," Naruto made to rush off again, but his unwanted acquaintance stopped him again.
"I know that you guys aren't famous, but that hardly matters," Ryuko smirked and opened her guitar case as she continued, "The marines'll pay me for nipping potential threats in the bud before they get too huge, and depending on how dangerous they think you two are, they'll pay accordingly."
Naruto watched the girl while half-listening evidenced by the fact his eyes were half-lidded and he was picking his ear clean. Looking at the finger he'd used to clean his ear, flicked the debris off, and tuned back in for the girl's ending line.
"So, I'm taking you both in!" Ryuko stood back up, weapon in hand, only for the blond to turn his back on her and wave over his shoulder.
"No thanks, I promised I wouldn't cause trouble," Naruto responded without concern.
"Where the hell do you think you're going?!" Ryuko fumed indignantly.
"Just cuz you're trying to pick a fight with me doesn't mean I have to fight back. I told my Nakama that I wouldn't make a fuss while we were here, so that's what I'm going to do."
"What kind of pirate runs from a fight! Are you a chicken or something!?" Ryuko got angrier when the blond shrugged.
"Eh, if that's what you want to believe…I don't have anything to prove," Naruto answered.
It was then that the blond pirate bent his legs to duck an attack by the irate bounty hunter. Craning his neck, Naruto was met with a blood-red blade that had the appearance of…
"Half a pair of scissors?" Naruto asked to no one in particular and threw a punch toward the girl who blocked with the flat of her odd blade.
"Hm, what happened to staying out of trouble?" Ryuko smirked.
"You attacked me first…technically you're starting the trouble and I'm just defending myself," Naruto countered, pushing against the girl and causing her to be pushed back bit by bit.
(At the dock-With Ichigo)
The swordsman had just returned to the dinghy and tossed the recently bought groceries into the vessel. Looking to the sky, while rummaging through one of the bags to take out a bar of chocolate, he realized how quickly he'd accomplished his mission.
"Only took about 30 minutes," Ichigo munched on the candy and grumbled to himself. "Guess I'll just have to wait on him, then. I did give him an hour, after all, so it's only fair," Ichigo sat in the dinghy and leaned back, holding the bar of chocolate between his teeth and chuckled to himself as he closed his eyes, "Heh, wonder if he found our 'navigator' yet."
As soon as the orange swordsman finished his thought a loud rumble ran across the island, making Ichigo shoot up in surprise and chomp right through the chocolate. A large dust cloud started to rise into the air and more joined it with continuous booms and thuds preceding each.
"What did I tell him!?" Ichigo shouted in comical anger and ran toward the commotion with the intent of finding his captain and cutting him for ignoring what he'd said.
(Back with Ryuko and Naruto)
Naruto dodged another slash from the girl, dirt covering his form from being blasted through buildings when she managed to get a hit on him but otherwise fine. He moved to the side and threw another punch at the wild girl that she once again blocked only to be caught off guard when he kicked her away.
"Dammit! Fight serious already! Look at what you're doing?" she motioned to the rubble surrounding the both of them.
"What I'm doing?! You attacked me! You're the one that's destroying everything!" Naruto responded to her childish accusation with his own.
"Only because you keep dodging and blocking me! Hold still and it'll be over!" Ryuko ran at Naruto.
"Are you nuts?! I'm not trying to die!"
"Ryuko!" Senketsu spoke up just as the two met in another clash.
"I'm a little busy right now!" Ryuko answered, glaring into the blue eyes of her opponent.
"You cannot win as you are!" the piece of clothing told the girl.
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"Who are you talking to?" Naruto asked confused.
"None of your damn business!"
"Oh, this is a bounty hunter trick isn't it?" Naruto blinked.
Ryuko took her blade and went for a horizontal slash across Naruto's midsection, but he jumped high and drew his legs in to avoid the blade before kicking forward with both legs and had his feet meet the girl's face. The blow caused the girl to go skipping across the ground and into another building.
"Damn, you distracted me, Senketsu!" Ryuko held her face and wiped the blood from underneath her nose.
"Perhaps now you will listen to me?" the uniform said. "Now that we've had the time to trade blows with him, I can confirm that he is above you in terms of speed and raw power," Senketsu informed Ryuko.
"He's just getting lucky!"
"No, he has controlled this confrontation since the beginning. You haven't landed a single debilitating hit on him while he has had several chances and has managed to keep you at bay all the same."
"You can't be serious…just look at him," Ryuko sneered.
"Looks are deceiving…he is unlike any of the pirates that you've dealt with so far…therefore to close the gap there is only one alternative…" Senketsu said seriously as he looked into the girl's eyes.
"We haven't had to do that for a while…do we really have to just for one guy?" the girl blushed, knowing what her partner was insinuating.
"Without a doubt in my mind."
Outside, the pirate was looking into the dust cloud expecting the girl to come barreling out again as she'd done before. With a hand above his eyes, he squinted to try and see any movement.
"Maybe she's finally done?" Naruto wondered aloud. Crossing his arms, Naruto sighed, "What's with people always attacking me when I haven't done anything…is every island going to be like this?"
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Blondy," Ryuko dusted herself off, stepping out of the cloud with a confident smirk.
"You're alright."
"Psh, I've been through worse. I just never expected you to be as tough as you are, is all," she scoffed. At that, she raised her left hand next to her head, showing off a red fingerless glove, "But things are going to be a lot different now!" Ryuko then pulled a pin off of the bottom of her glove, activating a syringe that drew blood and fed it into Senketsu and flowed throughout the clothing.
When the living article of clothing was given its owner's essence, its threads burst from her body, leaving her naked as it began to restructure and rewrap around her body in a show of light and kicked up dust.
Naruto watched all this happen with an arm raised to shield his eyes, sweat running down his forehead, and swallowing nervously as he observed the spot where the girl stood.
"I know what this is…the stance…the lights…" Naruto spoke in a seemingly worried voice, "I know exactly what you're doing!"
The blond then gained stars in his eyes, looking directly at the light that the girl was engulfed in and wept.
"It's a transformation sequence!"
'That's what you're focusing on?!' Ryuko heard the blond through the noise of her transformation before finishing.
Her clothing changed to look more mechanical with large 'wings' coming from her shoulders and one of them had the appearance of an eye, the top half of her new outfit covered her neck, underside of her jaw, arms, and the upper half of her breasts. Behind her was a ventilation grill that was centered on her upper back, keeping with the red and black color scheme. Her skirt became shorter, causing much more of her legs to be exposed as they now sported high heel boots that reached her thighs.
All in all…it was rather…revealing.
Naruto tilted his head and crossed his arms in confusion as he looked the girl up and down.
This seemed to embarrass the girl as she blushed at the pirate's wandering gaze. "What the hell are you staring at?!" Ryuko cried out, but it sounded more like an embarrassed squeal.
"What are you wearing?" Naruto asked simply.
"Who cares about that?!" Ryuko had enough at that point and sped toward Naruto.
The pirate widened his eyes at the speed upgrade the girl had gotten as he narrowly dodged her scissor blade, receiving a cut on his cheek once she'd passed him. Blood leaked out from the small cut, having the blond run a finger across the small slit in slight surprise.
"Ah, you nicked me," Naruto looked to his bloodied fingers with an oddly blank expression but surprise in his eyes.
"You got good reflexes, pirate," Ryuko turned and leaned her blade on her shoulder, looking at the pirate's back. "You should count yourself lucky. I don't wear this thing for just anybody, ya know," Ryuko bragged slightly and pointed the scissor at Naruto. "Normally, I have to put this on to take out entire crews!" she then dashed at the blond as he turned to meet her. "You won't be getting out of this with just a nick on the cheek!"
Naruto called wind to both of his arms and blocked the girl's blade, causing sparks to shoot off where the attacks met. Ryuko became shocked when she saw the blond raise his bare arms to protect himself from the scissor blade, and her surprise increased when the sparks had appeared.
"The hell?!" eyes widening in realization, the bounty hunter deduced just what kind of pirate she was fighting. "You've got freakin' Devil Fruit Powers!"
"Yeah…" Naruto answered simply. Noticing that he was being pushed back, Naruto planted his feet into the ground and halted himself.
"Hmm, fascinating…" Senketsu mumbled to himself.
"Man, you're stronger and faster than before…" Naruto sighed but looked into Ryuko's eyes with a dead serious gaze. "But what else could I expect from someone with a rad transformation sequence like that?"
'This guy is soo stupid…' Ryuko groaned.
"I'll take you seriously now!" Naruto reared his fist back and punched Ryuko in the stomach, wind exploding from the impact and making her skid backward.
"Ugh!" the girl grunted from the impact, managing to keep herself upright and righting herself as she stopped. Her heels clicked on the ground when she regained her balance, a scuff mark on her stomach from Naruto's punch. "Alright, then!"
Ryuko used her superior speed to outpace Naruto's eyes, making it appear that there were copies of herself due to the extreme pace she was moving. Naruto stood in place, darting his eyes around to find the girl among her afterimages.
Suddenly, the hairs on the back of Naruto's neck bristled, and he moved to the side as the blade whiffed past him. Just as Naruto went to extend his senses again, he was caught off guard by a slash across his torso that he narrowly backed away from, mitigating the serious blow that he would have received.
"Not feeling so cocky now are ya?" Ryuko taunted, believing in her safety.
"Kaze Ken (Wind Fist)!" Naruto fired the attack in an attempt to hit Ryuko, only managing to muss her hair.
"He almost managed to hit you!" Senketsu warned.
"It was just dumb luck! He has no idea where we are!"
Naruto proved this when he fired another wind blast in the opposite direction.
'He's open!' Ryuko went to stab Naruto in the back, but the pirate once again managed to avoid the girl by the skin of his teeth and even brush against her shoulder.
"Alright, I'm getting used to your speed now! This reminds me of Haku, only you move faster," Naruto smiled.
"What!" Ryuko's eye twitched, not believing that the blond could do what so many other pirates couldn't. Whenever she activated Senketsu no pirate could last more than a few minutes…yet this one that was much younger than the others she'd put away managed to keep her on her toes the entire time.
"Gotcha!" Naruto appeared in front of the girl and grabbed her shoulders. "I have to admit, you're fast. I could barely keep up with what you were doing, but as long as I keep my hands on you…" Naruto grinned, "…it doesn't matter how fast you move!"
"Get off!" Ryuko cried.
"Ryuko!" Senketsu shouted.
Naruto reared his head back, gathering an audible amount of wind that swirled around his head and rushed forward, "Toppū heddā (Gust Header)!" Naruto's forehead met Ryuko's and blasted her backward, causing her to slam into another building.
The girl struggled to keep conscious after the blow, bringing a hand to her head, Ryuko brought herself to her knees and propped herself up with her scissor blade.
'What's with this guy…he's built so tough!' she wondered to herself, seeing the blond standing ready in case she attacked again.
"Ryuko…now that we've been able to gather more data, I can conclude that this is a fight that you cannot win…" Senketsu looked to the injured girl.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Ryuko growled.
"He was overpowering you before you activated me! Now that you have, while you've done better, you have ultimately only shortened the gap between you by a small margin," Senketsu explained. "He can match our strength and comprehend our speed…this blond is on a level above any pirate that we've seen before!"
"So what, you expect me to run away?!" Ryuko finally stood back up and got ready to continue fighting the blond.
"No…he may have us bested in raw power, but that is also his downfall. He is a brute that doesn't look before he leaps, relying on his strength and instincts to get him out of situations…" Senketsu left his sentence hanging for his partner to finish.
"So he doesn't think ahead," Ryuko smiled and relaxed her stance, her sharp eyes boring into his own.
Naruto prepared himself, expecting another rush from the girl that he'd have to defend himself from like he had so many times before during this fight. He wondered what kind of flurry she might unleash on him with her speed and strength brought on by her transformation…perhaps she even had more up her sleeve. He was excited and cautious to see what Ryuko's next move would be…
"Ja ne!" she called as she turned and ran down the street away from the blond pirate.
Naruto fell to the floor in shock before shooting up with an irate expression, veins bulging from his forehead. "Where the hell are you going?! Finish the fight you picked!" Naruto rushed after the girl with reckless abandon.
As the girl turned down a corner, she looked down at her clothing, "You ready, Senketsu?" she asked while raising her hand to get ready for whatever plan she had.
"Of course," he answered simply.
"If you're gonna pick a fight…" Naruto was suddenly next to Ryuko in a blur of movement, bringing his leg up and striking her in the side, "…then you've got to see it through!" The blow sent her careening down the street she was running down.
Ryuko ground her teeth in pain, rolled with the force, and righted herself to continue fleeing. Looking behind her, she saw her opponent giving chase with an angry expression and she gave a knowing smirk as she was the only one of the two to notice the close to imperceptible twinkle that the blond ran through.
The game of cat and mouse continued for a good while, Ryuko dodging and weaving through the blond's many attacks while blocking and tanking a few hits as not to make it obvious what she planned to do. And we find ourselves at the end of the game of tag, Ryuko skidding into the side of a building with the rubble keeping her upright so she could see the blond pirate as he stood a ways off from her.
"Damn, that one hurt a bit," Ryuko groaned.
"What's with you? First, you're all dead set on catching me, then you turn tail and run! I was supposed to meet with my friend in an hour!" Naruto grumbled to the downed girl.
"Cry me a freakin' river! It's my job…I couldn't care less about what you pirates are up to," Ryuko retorted while wincing in pain, discreetly casting an eye to something before darting it back to meet with the blond's eyes.
"Maybe…but we didn't do anything."
"And how long would it have taken before you did?!"
"*sigh* This is pointless. You can't fight anymore, and I have to go," Naruto turned around at that. "Go see a doctor."
'Dammit, gotta bait him!' Ryuko thought. "You such a chicken that you can't finish off a girl?!"
"You can't even get up," Naruto pointed out.
"If you don't take me out now…I'm just gonna come for you again! Maybe I'll just take out that swordsman instead!" Ryuko smirked.
"Hey!"
"I struck a nerve? What kind of pirate cares about his…what'd you call him? 'Nakama'?" Ryuko saw the blond's anger build. "Every pirate I've put away has screamed bloody murder when I caught 'em…some ratted out their crewmates just for me to let 'em go…captains tried to abandon their men to survive!"
Naruto's rage was beginning to boil over.
"Pirates are just scum that treads all over people's lives and only care about their own!" Ryuko shouted.
"Shut up!" Naruto kicked off the ground with incredible speed, seeming to fly directly at the girl.
Ryuko stared Naruto down unafraid, smirking. She struck a hand out and grabbed something from the air, a red thread that seemed to shimmer into existence that leads a swarm of similar threads that suddenly became visible. Ryuko pulled the thread with all her might, snapping could be heard from all the fibers as they drew taut, and Ryuko muttered one word…
"Gotcha!"
Naruto barely had a second to register the trick before the thread coiled around him, forcing his arms behind his back and wrapping around his torso. The blond blinked in surprise and, unable to stop his momentum, fell to the ground while continuing forward until he stopped in front of the female bounty hunter.
"Eh?" he asked incredulously, eyes wide.
"Not so tough now are ya!" Ryuko planted her heel in the middle of Naruto's back with a triumphant smirk on her face.
"Wait a minute! You said all that stuff to get me into a trap?" Naruto asked from his downed position. "You cheated!"
"What kind of pirate complains about cheating?" Ryuko looked away with a shocked face. "I ain't stupid. I couldn't beat you through just fightin', so trapping was the only way to win."
"No fair!" Naruto wiggled on the ground trying to use his strength to break free even calling on the wind to try and cut his binds to no avail. "How come I can't cut these!"
"You think I'd wrap up a Devil Fruit user with any rope? That stuff isn't gonna break. I haven't found a single thing other than my scissor that can cut through 'em!" Ryuko boasted to the captured blond.
"What the hell?" Naruto tried even harder and sharpened his gusts all the more but only managed to hear the sound of grinding metal.
"Never thought you'd give me that much of a workout, but it's over now," Ryuko deactivated Senketsu and wiped her forehead. "You'll fetch me a good amount of Beli even if you are a rookie with that Devil Fruit of yours. The marines want guys like you stopped ASAP, looks like I did them another favor," Ryuko then began to drag Naruto toward the marine base.
"Dammit, I fell for another trap," Naruto wheezed, falling to his side as he was dragged through town. He then gained a thoughtful look, "You fight too weird…first, you were just coming at me over and over, then you transform and try 'an outspeed me…then you run and set a trap," Naruto glanced at the back of the girl. "It's like you have two brains."
"What are you babbling about back there?" Ryuko looked to see the blond staring at her suspiciously. "Don't give me that, I outsmarted you fair and square. Ya should've been more cautious. Now I'm gonna go after that captain of yours next," Ryuko turned back and continued dragging the blond.
"Captain?" Naruto wondered what she meant.
"You should be happy that the battle ended when it did, Ryuko," Senketsu spoke to the bounty hunter.
"Yeah, and why's that? I had him on the ropes," Ryuko spoke out loud and patted herself on the back.
"Indeed," Senketsu humored the girl while rolling his eye. "But, in truth, you would have fainted from blood loss if you hadn't switched strategies," Senketsu warned the shocked teen. "This boy never ceases to amaze, able to keep up with us in Life Fiber Synchronization and force you to flee and all as a fledgling," Senketsu moved his eye in the direction of the calm blond.
"You've got a point…and he ain't even the captain. That swordsman has gotta be even tougher," Ryuko furrowed her brow, wondering how she would defeat Ichigo when the time came.
'I wonder…' Senketsu thought to himself contemplating what he'd seen.
"There it is!" Ryuko unknowingly cut off the article of clothing's train of thought as the marine bass came into view. "You're about to get to your last stop, pirate."
"Huh? Oh, a marine base…it's my first time seeing one," Naruto looked to the tall building in wonder and saw the ships in a row behind it, floating in the base's port.
"Not the reaction I was expecting…shouldn't you be bawling your eyes out and screaming about how you'll get me?" Ryuko rose a brow.
Naruto blinked and then smiled, "Nah, I mean I still don't like that you tricked me and stuff, but being mad isn't going to help. And if I can't cut these ropes, there's no use in wasting my energy…Ichigo will come and get me as soon as he can," Naruto stated with no room for doubt in his voice.
"Hmph, you think that guy would come and save a subordinate that got caught within an hour of visiting an island?" Ryuko scoffed.
"Subordinate?" Naruto tilted his head.
The odd pair then entered the marine base and disappeared within, a shadow hiding behind a building close by placed a hand to its forehead in frustration.
"I guess I shouldn't underestimate the amount of trouble that idiot can get into in less than an hour," Ichigo sighed while in hiding. Looking to the bounty hunter, Ichigo narrowed his eyes, "Whoever that girl is, she's no pushover if she can catch that moron so easily. Better not get involved with her or else that'll just bring more heat down on me and Naruto…not to mention those weird ropes she's using," Ichigo looked to the red threads, noticing that the blond wasn't trying to escape from them which meant they most likely tougher than they appeared. "I'll just wait till she puts him into marine custody then. I can deal with a few soldiers before anyone knows what's going on…" Ichigo sighed to himself, "What a troublesome captain."
With his mission set, Ichigo awaited Ryuko's leave from the base so he could pounce. Planning to retrieve his crewmate, run back to their ship, and sail away before the marine's or the bounty hunter could realize what was happening. The swordsman propped himself against the building he was hiding behind and waited.
(Inside the base)
"Yo! I got a haul!" Ryuko entered the island's bastion of justice with a boisterous shout and grin, dragging a frowning pirate behind her.
At the front desk of the base was a lone marine who jumped slightly because of the sudden noise, being roused from the nap he was taking. Rubbing his eyes, the man rested his arm on the desk to hold his head up as the girl approached him and he gave a lazy wave.
"If it isn't the she-devil herself. Got yourself another catch, eh?" the marine yawned.
"You bet your ass I do! This one should be worth a good amount, gave me some trouble a little bit ago," Ryuko told the man.
"Really? I'd heard that there were slim pickings around these parts cuz of your reputation growing. Word is that you're the South Blue's own Roronoa Zoro both your names send pirates heading for the hills. You're gonna make us look bad." the marine lazily smiled and joked.
"I wouldn't have to if you did your job better. But I can't deny that there are hardly any ballsy pirates coming through anymore, so after this bounty, I'll be heading out," Ryuko pointed downward to the blond as she spoke.
"Hold your horses, gotta see your haul first then we can see how much Beli you're owed," the man stood up behind the desk so he could lean over and see the pirate that the girl had.
Once the man had laid eyes on the teen pirate sitting cross-legged on the floor, tied tightly by the red ropes, he couldn't help but deadpan at Naruto's unassuming form. The two of them even locked eyes with Naruto sticking his tongue out while giving the marine a side glance from the ground.
Rising back up, the marine stared at the girl unamused and crossed his arms as he became very serious all of a sudden.
"Are you joking?" he asked with a raised brow.
Ryuko became offended, "Of course not! I know how he looks, but he's really dangerous! Didn't you hear all those explosions and feel the quakes! That was us fighting, he's even got Devil Fruit powers!" Ryuko growled.
"Well…you normally go overboard when capturing pirates whether or not they are strong enough to defend themselves, so it's par for the course for you to cause so much destruction.
Ryuko blushed because she couldn't deny that.
"This kid doesn't look like he could hurt a fly let alone be a pirate."
"Well…you should see the captain of his crew, he has this huge sword and looks like more trouble than Blondy here!" Ryuko defended herself.
"Really?" the marine asked skeptically, looking down to the nonchalant blond again the man decided to see just how 'piratey' this kid was. "Son, just how old are you?" the man asked.
Naruto perked up when the marine talked to him and answered simply, "I'm 18."
"What! There's no way you're a year older than me!" Ryuko looked surprised by the information.
"Mmhmm, and how big is this 'pirate crew' of yours?" the man rubbed his chin.
"There's one other guy."
"Your ship?"
"It's a dinghy," Naruto answered proudly for his mode of transportation.
"And do you have a flag?"
"Not yet, but I've got ideas!" Naruto beamed.
"Let this kid go," the marine rubbed his forehead.
"What? Why?" Ryuko asked shocked.
"This kid can't be a pirate. He answered all of my questions way too easily, he's way too calm for a captured criminal on the verge of being imprisoned, and just look at him," the marine gestured his hand to the smiling blond. "The only crime he seems to be guilty of is not acting his age."
"You can't be serious! You don't know how dangerous this guy is!" Ryuko slammed her hands onto the desk.
"You should know better than to try and pull one over on the marines, miss," the man pulled down his marine cap over his eyes. "Come back when you've brought a real pirate to turn in."
"Dammit, I'll be back, and I'll bring the other guy! Then you'll see!" she stomped her way out of the base, her tagalong right behind her.
Once outside, Ryuko sighed loudly while looking to the sky and raking a hand through her hair. Now she was broke, couldn't leave the island until she caught the swordsman, and was stuck with the blond.
"That was a less than ideal outcome," Senketsu added his two cents.
"No shit," Ryuko mumbled angrily.
"What shall be the next move, Ryuko, it is getting late. We haven't the funds to return to the inn for the night, and cannot buy food which you are in desperate need of after exerting so much energy," Senketsu listed off their problems.
"Geez, laying it on thick aren't ya?" Ryuko scratched the back of her head but had to admit her partner was right.
"Sooo…you're gonna let me go now right?" Naruto asked with a straight face.
"Not on your life," she bent down to look Naruto into his eyes.
"But you're supposed to be a law-abiding citizen, and that marine told you to let me go!" Naruto's eyes bulged out in shock.
"The marines are idiots! I know what you're capable of, they just haven't seen the same things I have! That's why I have to go and get your friend now, so they can see a 'real' threat," she smirked. "I was planning to catch him after dropping you off by lying and leading him into a trap but looks like I'll be telling the truth when I tell him I've got you. If he even plans on saving you, of course."
"Of course he will, Ichigo'll kick your ass!" Naruto cheered.
"Keep dreaming," Ryuko moved in the direction of the inn to retrieve her meager number of belongings and figure out just where she'd shelter herself for the night. Unknowingly being followed by the pirate swordsman who was grumbling as his plans had to change.
'I suppose I can't blame them for not believing that Naruto's a pirate, I probably wouldn't have believed him either if we hadn't fought. But that just makes it more annoying to save him from this chick,' Ichigo frowned as he saw the girl enter an inn.
(Inside)
"Oh, hello, dear!" a kind-looking woman waved from behind the desk, the innkeeper. "There was quite a commotion a little bit ago. Everyone was getting thrown in a tizzy about it, so I knew it couldn't have been anyone but you," the woman teased.
"Uh, yeah, sorry about that ma'am," Ryuko rubbed the back of her head, embarrassed, and blushed slightly. It was like looking at a different person.
"I'm only teasing, dear. Honestly, we're all happy that someone is taking care of the pirates. I think we can all deal with some loud noises every once in a while," she put a hand to her cheek.
"No problem! Gotta make money somehow, so might as well lend a hand while doing it," she smirked confidently.
"An opportunist then?" the woman asked.
"Something like that."
While the two talked, Naruto watched with interest as the normally irate bounty hunter was much calmer, polite, and even kind compared to the way she talked to him and the marine. He tilted his head while observing the interaction with growing interest.
"Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, dear, but I'm going to have to ask for payment for another night here," the woman broached the subject uneasily.
"Right…" Ryuko frowned and then, showing humility and vulnerability, she bowed to the woman. "I have to thank you for housing me and dealing with my attitude all this time, ma'am. I really appreciate it, but I can't pay," Ryuko told the woman.
"Really? I thought you had captured another pirate with the recent fuss."
"I did, but those idiots didn't want to take 'im. Now I've got to hunt down his pal if I want to make any money," Ryuko explained.
"Oh, is that who that is down there?" the woman looked surprised.
"Well, who'd you think it was that I'd have tied up?" Ryuko asked.
"I don't know how you kids today date…I thought you might be…"
"No way! Not with this clown!" Ryuko stopped the woman from elaborating.
"Hmm, what are you talking about?" Naruto was completely in the dark.
"None of your damn business!" she whacked him on the head.
"Ah! You shouldn't attack people that can't defend themselves," Naruto whined.
"Hm, are you sure you aren't together?" the woman asked.
"No!" Ryuko denied. With all the excitement and running around she'd done, her energy was almost depleted and it was at that moment that the girl's stomach let out a loud growl. "Oh man, I've been so busy…" Ryuko sighed and wobbled slightly on her feet.
"Oh my…" the woman thought to herself for a second and then moved to the backroom behind the desk, before returning with a bento box and a row of riceballs. "You may not be my guest anymore, but I can't let you leave on an empty stomach when you've been defending us all this time," she smiled to the bounty hunter.
"I-I can't accept this ma'am," Ryuko pushed the food back but her stomach disagreed.
"I think you can and will, young lady," the woman shoved the food into Ryuko's arms and placed a finger to her lips to stop any protests. "You work yourself much too hard, you know. You have to remember to take care of yourself."
Ryuko smiled and nodded, "Thank you very much."
The innkeeper then leaned forward, "Just between you and me…there are some older homes that you could squat in for a bit. They aren't in the greatest shape, but it would be better than sleeping outside at the very least," the woman smiled.
"Whoa, you rock, ma'am! I can't thank you enough for all your help," Ryuko beamed.
"Just make sure that you take care," she waved as Ryuko went to grab her belongings from her former room.
"I will!"
"And you be sure to treat her right," the woman said to the blonde as he was dragged behind Ryuko.
"You should tell her that," Naruto frowned, thudding up the stairs painfully.
The duo soon left the inn, with the two women giving their final goodbyes as Ryuko left to go find one of the abandoned houses to stay in for the night and finally eat.
"You know, I think I had you all wrong," Naruto suddenly talked after a few minutes, catching the attention of his captor. "I thought you were just some rude, mean bounty hunter…but you're actually pretty nice. I mean you have to be if you're protecting all these people," Naruto smiled.
"Tch, what brought that up?" Ryuko asked.
"That innkeeper lady helped you even though you couldn't pay her any more money, she even gave you food," Naruto pointed out.
"All I did was give her trouble. The least I could do was apologize and say goodbye," Ryuko answered.
"Nah, now you're lying. You like helping everyone out, don't you? Is that why you're a bounty hunter? Cuz you didn't sound like you were in it for the money back there," Naruto dug in deeper.
"So, what if I do, huh?!" Ryuko stopped. "I got this power…I might as well use it to help people," Ryuko seemed to look off in the distance when she said that.
Naruto smiled even harder, "Aw, I think it's official. I like you…I kinda hope that Ichigo doesn't kick your ass too hard when he comes to get me," Naruto laughed when she looked at him oddly.
"You're definitely the weirdest pirate I've ever come across," Ryuko rolled her eyes.
"Hey, I've got a name," Naruto said.
"Oh yeah, and what is it? Nunya Bisness? Screw you?" Ryuko had heard the whole song and dance before-
"It's Naruto."
"You really just gave me your name?" Ryuko was stunned.
"Yeah, now you tell me yours. I don't wanna just call you 'bounty hunter'," Naruto grinned innocently.
The girl thought for a moment, seeing the expectant face of her capti…Naruto…and decided to humor him with an embarrassed blush as she kept walking.
"It's Ryuko…Matoi Ryuko…"
"Nice to meet you, Ryuko," Naruto chuckled.
"…Yeah…"
'This boy…' Senketsu thought to himself.
Upon arriving at the abandoned home, the two saw that, while being a tad rundown, wasn't in too terrible of shape. It was dusty and had cobwebs all over the place, the furniture was ratty with patches of its covering missing, but it was better than nothing.
Ryuko flopped onto the couch, deciding to stay in the living room since it was spacious in case Naruto's swordsman captain showed his face when she least expected it. Of course, the downside was that there was only one window that let the moonlight into the room, and it was above the couch that Ryuko placed herself on with no electricity running to power the lights.
"It's getting pretty late. You sure that guy isn't just gonna leave you behind?" Ryuko had a leg resting on the coffee table in front of the couch, Naruto to her right with his head resting on the table and eyeballing the food, drooling slightly. "Frankly, I'd want to cut loose a guy that gets caught within an hour of showing up," Ryuko grabbed the bento and started to eat, agonizing the tied-up pirate who cried a stream of tears.
"He'll show up…and I hope he does soon…" Naruto groaned, stomach rumbling loudly.
The girl decided to take pity on the blond and shoved the rice balls in his direction. He perked up when he saw the delectable treats slide to a stop in front of him and looked to the girl as she stood up and headed to the bathroom adjacent to the living room.
"You can have 'em…I'm not hungry anymore, but don't expect me to untie you," she said from the bathroom as she took Senketsu off for the night and dressed into orange pajamas with rabbits on them that were slightly too small for her. Though when she left the room, she saw that the blond had no problem with literally stuffing his face into the food to eat, smacking his lips noisily as he chewed. "Most people hesitate when they're forced to eat like a pig."
"Mrew smah somfin (You say something)?" Naruto looked up when he heard her talk.
"Nothing, don't worry about it," Ryuko sighed with a smirk as she hung Senketsu on a nail coming from the wall and set her guitar case down next to the couch for ease of access if she had to fight. "I don't think I like the fact that I'm getting used to you," she plopped back down onto her makeshift bed.
"Ah, that was great," Naruto sighed contentedly after finally being fed.
"Why are you a pirate?" Ryuko laid down on the couch with her arms behind her head, looking at the goofball.
"Hm?"
"I mean, you don't act like one, don't talk like one…I just think that a guy like you wouldn't be a pirate without a good reason."
"Heh, I made a promise with someone that I'd become a great pirate and meet him again, so I could tell him the answer to an important question I have…if I ever find the answer," Naruto smiled nostalgically.
"That's it? You don't want to find treasure or pillage, or even try to be the Pirate King?" Ryuko seemed skeptical.
"Well, finding a treasure map would be neat but nah I don't have any plans on doing that…but who knows what'll happen," Naruto answered. He then blinked in realization, "What about you?"
"What?"
"Well, you admitted that you weren't a bounty hunter just for the money. So, what are you a bounty hunter for?" Naruto asked.
Ryuko suddenly became serious again, sitting up and laying her elbows across her knees and her hair shadowed her eyes. "I'm hunting a specific crew…but they aren't anywhere in the Blues…they're in the Grand Line," she revealed.
"The Grand Line!?" Naruto said in surprise. "Then those guys must be seriously strong!"
"Rumored to be. If I want to get there, then I need money and a better ship…so I decided to take advantage of The Great Pirate Era and become a bounty hunter, but I've been stuck here because of paying off all the destruction I cause and the smaller amount of pirates risking coming here," Ryuko explained.
"Kind of a dummy then, huh?" Naruto said and received a sole to his face.
"The point is…I'm hunting that crew," Ryuko had a vein pulsing on her head.
"What crew is it?" Naruto asked, his face smoking from the blow he'd been given.
Ryuko went silent, darted her eyes to the side, and turned her back to the blond as she decided to sleep now and avoid the question, "Just go to sleep. If that friend of yours is going to show up, I want to be ready for him."
"Ok, then," the blond instantly fell asleep and began snoring with a snot bubble inflating and deflating in tandem with his breathing.
Ryuko meanwhile was glaring so hard at the cushions in front of her face it was a wonder that a hole didn't get burned through them. She grit her teeth in anger just remembering the name of the pirate crew that had taken so much from her, 'The Kiryuin Pirates!'
'Ryuko, you've only spent a few hours with this boy…and yet you have opened yourself more to him than any other human you've come across on our journey,' Senketsu trailed his eye once again to Naruto as the blond slept, 'He has a special kind of energy about him…I don't think that there is a doubt in my mind anymore on just who you are…Naruto,' the clothing reasoned to itself before sleeping.
Above the sleeping Ryuko, the moon shone brightly into the room before being obscured by…a crop of orange hair, rising from the bottom of the windowpane slowly.
(Hours away from Harnuno Island)
A large ship that was pure white was making its way toward the island of Harnuno with great haste. Inside there was a good number of crewmembers that were shuffling about to keep the vessel moving at a good pace and they were all wearing the same grey uniform with a single black star emblazoned on the torso.
Inside the command center of the ship, two individuals were speaking to one another, cloaked in shadow due to the night sky and lack of lighting in the command center. One of the figures stood with its hands in its pockets, a long coat seemingly being worn by it, and a silver sheen glinting from its apparel. The other figure sat in a comfortable chair, the first figure standing vigilant next to the sedentary one, the shadow much too heavy to make out any discernible characteristics other than its piercing blue eyes.
"We are on the approach, milady. I've been told that we should arrive at the island the target is inhabiting by early morning if not a little later," the first shadowed figure spoke with a distinctly male voice.
"Good, we've devoted far too much time to such a small nuisance and yet we've no idea why," the sitting, a female, spoke in an elegant and flat tone, taking a sip of tea from the cup in her hands.
"My thoughts exactly, milady!" a loud, new voice came into the command center before taking a knee to show reverence to the woman.
"Just what are you doing here?" the standing figure turned to regard the newcomer. "Shouldn't you be preparing to disembark, like the rest? If you're slacking off," the man began to threaten but was stopped by the newcomer.
"Of course not, sir!" the new figure rose its head to look the two leaders in the eye. "I just understand how much this means to milady! Neither of you should have to dirty your hands with a commoner such as our target, so I'm volunteering myself as an advance unit to take care of her before your arrival!" the boisterous figure stated with confidence.
"You? Getting kinda full of yourself ain'tcha this girl isn't a pushover, ya know. If she's on our radar then she can't be all that she appears, not to mention the small bit of clout she's gathered for herself here in the South," the male voice reprimanded the cocky newcomer.
"I'll allow it."
The two figures turned to the one female in the room as she spoke with authority.
"You can go and retrieve our objective ahead of us, but I expect success, or a punishment will be in order," the woman told the newcomer.
"I shall not fail, milady!"
"Long as we're sending someone, might as well give him some support. Better to crush her than give her a chance of winning, right?" the man offered.
"I see no problem with it."
"Yo! Get out here!" the man shouted and was met with another female coming into the room, bowing the same as the newcomer.
"Yes, sir!"
"You two are going after our target ahead of us, so we can pop in grab her and leave. Don't mess it up!" the man told them.
"Of course, sir. It will be done," the woman stood up and grinned showing her shark-like teeth. "She won't know what hit her when I get through!"
"Tch, that's if I leave you anything left after I've gone a couple rounds with her!" the newcomer said with a grin of his own that it was missing a tooth.
All while this was happening, Ryuko slept, tossing and turning in her sleep as she had a dream.
A dream of her past.
AN: Sorry this one took so long, you guys. Crash Bandicoot 4 is a very hard game. I love it and hate it at the same time, I managed to get all the N. Sanely Perfect Relics, and now I have to get the Platinum Time Relics…which is something that might be beyond my skill level.
This chapter was really simple, Naruto interacting with Ryuko and them seeing each other beyond the labels that the world has given them. I feel like I did it right…I hope, making her stubborn and angry but with a heart. When it comes to the fight, I wanted to show that she isn't quite up there with Naruto or Ichigo without Life Fiber Synch but wins out because she is able to think.
I'm sure some will be upset about how it played out, but them's the breaks.
Now I'm sure no one is wondering who those figures at the end are, so have fun waiting till the end of the next chapter for them to actually appear . This 'arc' should last…three more chapters? The next one will mainly be flashback again, which I don't want you guys waiting on, so I'll get on that soon.
Fun Fact: This was really funny to realize when I was first thinking this up, but there are some parallels to Luffy and Nami's meeting and Naruto and Ryuko's. The pirates are hated by the respective person they meet, get tricked and captured because of the woman, and are ultimately able to get them to like them through their actions and innocence. I didn't think of it at all while conceiving this arc. I must be channeling the spirit of One Piece or something, eh…eh…I'm so lonely.
And regarding my request?
I want you guys to pitch me some anime ending songs. I have only one thought up but that won't be coming for a while, so why not have you guys do the work and I get to be lazy…I mean…have you guys help me out? Just want some chilled-out songs that can be the endings of the chapter…I suppose they don't really need them, but I would like to have them, ya know. Happy, chill, melancholy, contemplative, anything goes! I'm open to it all, just drop the name of the song and I'll look it up on YouTube and make a decision while shouting out whoever suggested it. Go for openings too I don't mind, though those I've had more thought put into.
Peace, see you next chapter.