Growth Through Chaos Chapter 26: The Grand Line, seas of Hell.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Everyone who have read this far have been waiting for this day. For Team 7 to actually experience the Grand Line, to see how Ninja powers might impact sailing on the Grand Line, and for the action to get kicked-up to a faster level. The Alabasta Saga is beginning, and after the Shinobi Straw hats had collisions with Arlong, Garp and more Marines than the original 5 did between Loguetown and Whisky Peak. Surprises are in-store, experience will pay-off, but do not expect that everything will be revealed clear as day.
Read, Review and Enjoy.
From the news Crocus delivered, the North Blue no longer mattered. Without sharing a word the Straw Hats unanimously chose to face the Grand Line. Choosing their first destination was even simpler, getting the pair of whale-hunters away from Laboon.
"But we're starving. This much whale meat—"SRINK. Zoro and Sasuke each clicked their swords. Miss. Wednesday's complaint died on her lips and Gin came up looming behind her partner. Luffy's glare nailed that door shut and Nami strolled up to them with a question. "So, where precisely did the pair of you come here from?" the navigator sweetly asked with two swordsmen at her shoulders. "Yeah, and I gotta start getting my nin—mmhhm!" Kakashi's hand covered Luffy's mouth but he kept his eye on the hunters. "Whiskey Peak. It's one of the first islands here on the Grand Line," the royally bedecked Mr. 9 explained. That decided which pathway the Straw Hats would travel.
Crocus even happened to put his own medical skills to work. "I'll say this you are a tough young one," Usopp mumbled through a fresh sting as Crocus redressed his bandages from his own battle with Eric. Zoro, Sasuke and Luffy also got examined by the ex-Roger Pirate's doctor. "We could really use your help out there, Dr. Crocus," Kakashi and Nami both tried to entice him to come with them instead. "I respect your offer, so please respect my decision to decline it," Crocus answered them.
Out of the blue Laboon let a deep baritone sound, gentle on everyone's ears, especially towards Luffy and Crocus. "Oh? You think we should?" "He's right. Night is gonna fall before long." Luffy and the ex-Roger Pirate spoke in order.
Gin, Nami and Kakashi noticed pale orange shades colouring the sky. A somber dinner followed as the crew decided to wait until morning before setting sail, with tables set up beside Laboon's burnt eye. The same eye Naruto had thrown kunai into and burnt with paper bombs, but the whale appeared not to mind since he would focus straight at every Shinobi. Sakura and Sasuke were silent and barely responded to anything, Kakashi was the calmest and appeared unperturbed, and Naruto was more focused than he'd been in weeks.
Before too long, nighttime descended and, surprisingly, all the Cabin-Genin volunteered to take the night shift. Soon Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were alone up on the deck while everyone else snored.
Naruto was beside Luffy's seat starring out into the lost horizon. Sasuke was at their stern, sitting in a pose he'd learned from Zoro and meditating. Sakura was up in the crow's nest, thankful to be somewhat alone.
'Well if somebody did it before, we'll make it there too, believe it!' 'I'm trembling with…Excitement.' 'So many people are trying to find the One Piece. And now it's our only way home. It's my sole focus now.' Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura each kept turning the news about the Genie in their heads: one impatient for the sunrise, Sasuke trying to focus past his vibrating hands, and the kunoichi doubtful if they could traverse the mountain before them.
Apart from both boys, Sakura dropped her forehead against the edge of the backet, trying to cling to a rint spark amidst an internal downpour.
'Nobody has ever made it to Raflet. Out across this pirate graveyard. Oh how many dangers and risks are now between us and that way home? Mihawk? Garp? The Navy, Sea-kings, and countless more pirates all across the world? None of us can fight all of them forever and it'll take just one reckless bad move to guarantee we'll die.'
"Ummmm. Sasuke? Naruto?" The girl's call pulled each out of their spaces and quickly the trio assembled by the mast. "Listen," Sakura began. "Maybe we shouldn't go out there. I don't think you all know but people have been trying to reach the end of the Grand Line for 22 years and nobody got there. We could go back, back to the East Blue and find someplace to use ninja skills and live out—"
"What, no way, ya know!" Naruto drowned her out, and Sasuke was glaring at his teammate. "Sakura, Captain Luffy's gonna get there. He'll be the King of the Pirates, believe it. Especially now since we all got more reasons to find that big One Piece thingy."
Sakura had common sense ready to share with Naruto. 'The odds were facing are over twice the size he had to become Hokage in our village.' "Naruto, this is practical. Think about everything we found already and how dangerous that was. Sure we might find some island, but now our way home is all the way on one place nobody else reached before Gold Roger, across 1,000 years. Do you realize how high our chances of dying are now?"
"Then we'll die," Sasuke answered her, stopping Sakura cold. "This crew is our way to return back to the village, Sakura. And you'd abandon our home just if things got dangerous or tough?" The boy was glaring at her with one hand on his sword. "If that's what you think then run and do what you want, then stay wherever you and go and don't dare come back here."
"Hey, Sasuke that's mean," Naruto stood up to shield Sakura. "Nobody's leaving nobody, or getting off of the Merry. We'll all find our way home, I know we'll make Luffy the King of the Pirates and he'll make sure we make it too. If Sakura leaves she'll wind-up like Laboon."
HHHHHHmmmmmmmm.
Beside their ship that very whale had come up and was looking over them with his eye. Naruto smiled back and pointed over at him. "Old Man Crocus told me how Laboon was a double trackigy. He thought his friends were back in the West Blue, so if he broke through the Red Line he'd find them there. He was dying without any friends beside him, and I know kinda how bad that can feel." Both his hands began trembling.
"So, Laboon was killing himself by hitting the Red Line so he could get back to them," Naruto went on. "If any of us leave we'll wind up like he was. If you and me and Sakura hadn't found anybody, we'd wind-up killing ourselves by searching everywhere like he did. Kakashi-sensei really saved us, and so did Chef Zeff and Captain Luffy too."
Naruto turned around, showing his tattoo to his teammates and the tangerine-pinwheel shapes matching Nami's. "My family's right here. Sasuke, you got your teacher here too. And you and me both got our goals all the way in Konoha. Sakura, don't you wanna see your own Mom and Dad, too?"
Silence was all that answered Naruto but he found one teammate trembling and the other calm and confident. "If we meet danger, we'll need to get strong to beat it. Big Sister will navigate us to the other side of this sea, and we'll all come back before this year ends. Believe it!"
Sasuke agree with Naruto. 'We know exactly where to move for now. With that in sight, I'll keep chasing it, and if we do find bigger dangers then Itachi will die when I finally meet him, again.'
"Naruto. If you think that we better do get ourselves strong," Sasuke slid one hand to his sword. "Tomorrow, how about you and me spar together?" The Uzumaki was jubilant at this and both boys left Sakura alone.
The girl only stared ahead after them and didn't say any words. 'I'm only being practical. If neither of them want to leave then I won't. But…Mom….Dad…I do miss even all his terrible jokes and her piling me with chores. But I don't wanna get obsessed like when I hurt Naruto in Hanma Village.'
Neither teammates shared very much for the rest of that night. By dawn Naruto was vibrating and shook everybody awake. Luffy joined him to cast-off and into the Grand Line, even so far as running down inside the Lady's Cabin. "AAAA—Luffy, out!" A pain hit came next and Luffy hit the ceiling before Nami pulled the trap-door shut and got dressed.
Minutes after Laboon sounded his own farewell to them and was extremely careful to keep his painted tokens high in the sky and not risk getting them wet until the paint totally dried. "Don't you worry, Laboon. I'll touch them up now and again," Crocus promise him. Then the doctor asked for their smart crewmates to come closer with him, so Nami, Kakashi and Sakura strolled up.
"If you're leaving, then your going to need a log pose as well." Crocus informed "You did mean to sail somewhere else, so I imagine you didn't come here with one." The man held a peculiar orb out at them with a single needle inside it pointing out with no clear headings or symbols arranged around it. "Normal compasses, or any navigator equipment can't work properly here on the Grand Line. Instead of only some magnetic fields for a compass may align with, each individual island here generates it own distinct magnetic field. Log posses are design to lock onto an island's individual field and point the most direct and safe course to reach there. It will reset every time you land on different islands, but a varied window of time required for the log-pose to reset shall come."
"Are you sure we can't talk you into coming sail again with us?" Kakashi tried one last time, and Crocus only declined with a smile. "At least you know where to go now before you would up as old as I am. I've sailed as much as I wish to, and if I did go out nobody in the Navy would ever let me sneak away again. All of them still have a grudge since Captain Roger died."
Kakashi accepted this, and Nami took the log pose. The pair left Crocus and the jonin strolled straight up to their passengers. "So you have a log-pose as well," he found on Mr. 9. Immediately Nami appeared beside him and 'liberated' the tool. "Hey, that would be my property." "~Pirates~" the navigator sang with a smile, "Here…Sakura, why don't you carry this one for now?"
Soon the kunoichi was admiring the instrument on her wrist as the crew cast-away from the Twin-Capes. 'Mr. Crocus said how we have 7 routes to choose from, but at the far, far end of them all we'll find the other half of the Red Line, pass across it, and beyond that area will be the final Island of the Grand Line: Raflet, where the genie is.' In her mind, an endless stream of impossible mountain were in the away between her and there. '"And we don't even know that pirate said the truth or tried lying,"' her Inner-Sakura complained. '"We might be here with Sasuke but he's totally madder than ever now. This is far too big for us to deal with."'
Elsewhere onboard, Zoro and Sanji were standing in corners of the ship with Luffy in his seat, Usopp, Gin and Nami on the balcony and Kakashi in the middle. 'I'll have to make sure nobody goes too far.' "Naruto, Sasuke, are you each ready?" He called to the pair.
"Believe it!" Sasuke gave and nod and drew out his sword. Zoro and Sanji didn't spare any words and kept their attention on their protégés.
"Alright," Kakashi raised his hand, and Naruto shot right past him. Sasuke barely got his arms up, milliseconds after turning his sharingans on and cross them to block an ax-kick. "What, Naruto, Kakashi hadn't dropped his hand," Zoro growled at him. "We're pirates, ain't we?" Naruto kept kicking until Sasuke back-flipped away from a leg-sweep. "And we're ninja's, too. So why fight fair at all, ya know?" Sasuke got into his stance and grimaced.
"Tha's th' way t' be, Naruto," Gin cheered to him. "He's got you there, moss-head." Sanji trolled Zoro. "And how did Sasuke not see that coming with all the hours you both spend training?" The first-mate kept growling as Naruto put both hands on the ground and tried spinning for kicks, until he slipped and fell over. Yet rolling with his fall, Naruto sprang up with a heel-kick that met nothing but air. Sasuke's eye were bright and ready, tracing each move and he countered with a kick of his own. One that Naruto checked then pressed-out with a push-kick. Sasuke shifted out of it's way and Naruto back-flipped away from him.
Kakashi noticed how Naruto was holding shuriken, and so was Sasuke. The Uzumaki threw and wove his hands together "Shadow-Shuriken Jutsu/Shadow-Shuriken Jutsu!" Sasuke threw his a millisecond before Naruto and his own hands mirrored his teammate. Both projectiles multiplied from the perfectly copied ninjutsu and every star clanged with a matching one, deflecting away to clatter on the deck or dig their blades into the ship.
"Hey, don't go hurting our Merry!" Usopp complained. "What, Sasuke can't do that. Sensei, come on, Shadow-shuriken is my move, ya know." Naruto held his finger out towards Sasuke with a flare of red on his face.
"Why, Naruto? You did say anything can go, as we are pirates," Kakashi answered him. "Your older sister steals everything she'd lay her hand on, so why should Sasuke not be allowed to steal your moves if he can?"
Somebody tried to recover from that, while Zoro took his turn to smirk and Kakashi nodded at Sasuke. 'He's improving with his sharingan. He and I may not be able to copy too much from our enemies now, but that doesn't mean I should let any skills useful against ninja got to waste.'
"Okay, then take this!" Naruto threw a smoke-bomb to the floor, screening him from Sasuke. "Shadow-Clone jutsu!" The Uchiha drew his sword now as one-by-one, Naruto after Naruto came charging for him. Sanji and especially Kakashi and Sakura took their turns to be impressed now. 'Since when does Naruto think like this?' 'Hiding in the smoke-screen in case Sasuke might see him use this one, too. It's far more difficult to copy, but a very good move,' Kakashi felt a swell of pride watching his students. But he quickly pulled one notebook out and scribbled down in it.
Kazuko Shugo sang, cutting different clones as they came at him or arranged themselves to try and flank Sasuke. More kept coming from the smoke-cloud until it dissipated and one Naruto stood there watching the rest. Sasuke himself found the clones easy to fight with his sword, a downward hit dispelling one into smoke followed with a wide sweep that caught two more. With practiced footwork he outmaneuvered many, sparking a flare of pride in Zoro, yet in between dancing around the clones his ears pricked for a quiet splash over one side of the ship.
Kakashi heard it too, and Sasuke duct to roll sideways. Two Naruto clones came up flying over the bulk of their ship, but they only landed on the solid deck as Sasuke sped away from them and for the single Naruto hanging back.
"That's a big give-away, Naruto. Hanging back without any cover." Gripping his hilt, Sasuke smacked his fist holding the sword into Naruto's face, and immediately that target dissolved into smoke.
"Caught you Sasuke! Now Konoha secret technique: Kakashi's hidden finger jutsu!" Sasuke frozen, dead in his tracts recalling both times he'd seen that move.
"Naru—don't you better dare!?" "What?" Sakura and Kakashi each kept watching, all as their audience leaned closer with no idea what that meant. Naruto crouched low with both fingers ready until he was ½ a meter from his target. Except Sasuke didn't wait and vanished in smoke, replaced by a barrel. Naruto fingers tapped it and the whole thing flew overboard. Sasuke reappeared at one side of the deck, tense after narrowly getting away. 'That idiot—' and something else dug it's way up Sasuke's rear.
"Ha—got ya!" One Naruto clone had spied him and tried for their own shot, quietly. "One Thousand years of Death!" Sasuke went sailing over the edge of their ship, launched from a pulse of too much chakra from the invader's fingers. Months of pressure and training kicked-in and Sasuke caught himself on the water instead of splashing under it. And Naruto began dancing across the deck as the rest of the crew could not look away.
Gin and Nami were each gazing over at Kakashi, an extremely red Kakashi with steam building out his ears as even his mask changed into a crimson shade. 'Wait—" Nami realized. 'I asked to learn from his teachings too. Will he go and try that on me?' Immediately the navigator went inching away and pressed her lovely derriere against a wall. Zoro and Sanji each kept turning to face Kakashi, while Luffy fell over laughing. "Shi-hahahahah-Shishishi-hahahahahaha! Good hit, that's kinda funny."
Usopp was giggling as well, "Ninja's really made Kanchō into a move?"[1] 3 minutes after this, Sasuke leapt back onboard with a barrel under one arm,. "Narrr…ruutoooo…" Sasuke kept growling, across each and each clone still laughing. "Guhahahahah. Now you know how it feels, huh Sasuke. Good thing I didn't use a kunai like back on Chew, huh? That would finish you, ya know."
"Hold it, you did a-and went, with what!?" Nami shot forwards, while Kakashi smacked but notebook over his own face. Most of the crew even took turns recalling a particular scream that had sailed over Cocoyoshi Village and Arlong Park during their battle with fishmen.
"Yeah, Big sister. I did that to that pointy-mouth guy, but with 5 paper-bombs attached and blew up his behind, believe it. That move'll always—"
"Fire-style: Great Fireball jutsu!" Whatever Naruto had wanted to say next, him and his clones all got engulfed by a sizable fireball. Sasuke had come down from his spot on the railing and carefully chose his angle with his Sharingan, expelling his flame over the Merry's side without scorching the sails or wood beneath them.
"Looks like your student doesn't handle fire that well, cook," Zoro egged Sanji a little. "Shouldn't anybody in a kitchen not ever get burnt?" The next second a foot landed right over Zoro's ear. "Shut it, and Naruto isn't a risk for burning our ship away, moss-head. How can you even be a good teacher if Sasuke can get hit right up his rear? If he'd been training with me more, that'd never happen."
"What? You sayin' you're better at training than me, spiral-brow?"
Sanji took a cigarette out and nodded towards their disciples. "How about we let whoever wins this decide that question, neanderthal."
Sasuke's fireball died-down, and nobody was left in it's wake. Everybody looked around until a final Naruto vaulted back up on-board. "That was real too far to go, ya know. Good thing only my clones were up aboard here, Sasuke."
"Going too far…wait, you were hiding that whole time, Naruto?" The Uchiha blinked, surprised. "Yeah," Naruto explained. "After that smokebomb, I crawled around under the ship and had one clone stand apart from all the others. Next I stayed down when two others leapt-up. And boy, oh boy, oh boy did they get you good. Too bad I don't know any Wind-style yet to blow those flames away, but I still got a lot of a this!"
Sakura and Sasuke each smacked their heads. 'He's still a fool,' one of them groaned. 'At least something is still the same. Does Naruto even know how Wind chakra and Fire-chakra relate to one another?' Kakashi made another note as well.
"Shadow-Clone Jutsu!" Another squad of Naruto's materialized but this time they ran around Sasuke in a loose ring. Each one drew out kunai and the aspiring swordsman grinned, holding Kazuko Sugo ready. One-by-one or two-and-a-time each clone kept throwing shuriken or kunai, but Sasuke's blade met each one the sent them far off-course. Then the swordsman saw one opening and ran for one clone, cutting through it and threw some of his own shuriken out.
Each one went around the clones and the Naru-squad tried gloating. "Huh, hey those shuriken are moving." "Something's wrapping on my arm." The clones realized each star was fixed with wire and Sasuke pulled his hand to trap most of them, tight. However, again, each of the 'Naruto's' disappeared and Sasuke looked around the bulk-head and the mast. As unpredictable as ever, one kunai beside Sasuke's foot exploded in smoke and another foot met his chest. The Uchiha stumbled away and reflexes saved him from another high-kick.
'Hmmm! Impressive.' Kakashi blinked at the display as Naruto kept up his pressure. 'Just as against Zabuza, Naruto transforms himself into a shuriken and hid among the others throw out. Then after Sasuke stopped in one place, he dispelled that to surprise him. I'll need to hone these with him, later.'
"Hah, that's three to your one, moss-head," Sanji gloated to Zoro. "Fighting, cooking and how to be a gentleman. Naruto's growing into outdo Sasuke on every level that matters."
"No way in any hell there is!" Zoro drew two of his own swords now. "You wanna go right this second, cook? My student is the better one, and he'll definitely win over Naruto."
"What? Nu-uh, Sanji-senpai is the best, first-mate." Naruto broke away from Sasuke and soon stood glaring up at Zoro. "He's been teaching me everything, he's smart and friendly and he never gets lost anywhere."
"Hh, so long as no pretty ladies walk by," Zoro shot back at the incised Naruto. "How much training have Sasuke and me done while this fool kept gawking over that sexy-jutsu you use?"
"Sexy-jutsu?! Where, where?" Sanji spun about, darting left and right, searching for that god-sent reward. "Sexy-jutsu?" Gin asked. "Wha' th' heck could that be?"
"Oh no."
"Hey, I never did show you, did I, ya know?" Sakura smacked her face while Nami froze and Kakashi perked up. "OOOoooo, It has been a while, Naruto," the sensei beamed over, and Naruto brought his hands together, ready. "Sexy-ju—" "Naruto if you dare—" Nami's warning came too late. "Pirate-babe-Jutsu!" For a moment Naruto vanished, and the next one a tall, female copy of himself stood on the deck. This one though: skull-and-crossbone earrings glittered in the sun, a red bandana covered her hair with two spiralling ponytails dangling down to her tuckus, knee-high leaver boots and one broad leather belt across her top-half with a pistol and cutlass tucked in. And clouds of smoke around her unspeakables.
Gin's eyes blew out like balloons, until he blacked-out and fell backwards. Sanji took one glance and blew backwards head-over-heads. Kakashi even wound-up drooling through his mask and almost tried to capture the image with his sharingan, even Usopp was blowing steam through his ears and his lips pursed together.
All until Zoro knocked Naruto and Sanji on their heads and both kissed the deck, one back to normal and older with a blush on his face. "We're supposed to be training now. New ship rule, no sexy-jutsu during training hours."
"Good idea, Zoro." Luffy called over from his seat. "That fight was real fun to watch, but sexy-jutsu stopped it and made everything boring. What's the big deal about some girl without clothes?"
"I support Zoro's rule," Nami announced with her hand raised. "And me," Sakura joined her. Sasuke took his turn to step up towards both Naruto and Sanji. "Nice hits Naruto, but none of those tricks will work on me a second time. And Zoro-sensei is over a league ahead of Sanji as the better trainer."
"No way, no way, no how, believe it!" Naruto leapt up and right in Sasuke's face. Both boys began trading back and forth how their teachers were better so much that it pulled Zoro and Sanji in to lock-horns, too.
"Sasuke will grow better than Naruto will, and he'll have to save him all the time." "Only in your shitty dreams. I'll bet you'll only teach him more about going lost and missing the whole fight." "I never get lost, everything just moves around on me. And what have you really be instead of only how to perv?"
Nami dove right into between them, snatched Naruto away and dragged him inside the Lounge.
Kakashi sighed and put his own book away, then immediately felt something cold tap his hair. "Huh?" Raising one hand, a series of white token from the heavens landed in them, and everybody realized the air around them dropped several degrees.
"It's snowing?"
While all this was going on, too, a pair of passengers had been watching. "Miss. Wednesday, you witnessed that, did you not?" "I did Mr. 9. But never on this earth witness two beings command such a range of powers from a single devil-fruti." The pair were still inside the Lounge, locked-in and with both hands tied with ninja-wire. The windows remained very clear so both occupants took turns watching everyone outside.
They remained whispering, plotting, until Miss. Wednesday noticed she could see her own breath and cold descended over the ship. 'D-d-d-d-d-darn i-it….a-a-a-a-a-al-al-always-cr-cr-cr-cr-th-the cold.' One girl cursed, yearning for the heat and dry air of her homeland.
"Wha-oooh. Naruto let's make snowmen." The Lounge door opened with shivering crewmates rushing in, straight for warmth and coats. Kakashi and Zoro stayed top side as Luffy began rolling snowballs with Naruto. Gin stepped out in a grey parka with thick black boots, with Sasuke behind him in one navy jacket and a scarf. They threw a brown parka and ear-muffs towards Usopp, while Sakura stepped back outdoors in a pink snow-coast with red trimming, cherry-red earmuffs and gloves. Nami went for practical over style, or once, with a teal-green coat, yellow/pink stripped scarf, woolen mittens and red earmuffs.
Outside the white stuff enveloped the Going Merry until she was covered in thick blankets and the crow's nest was stuffed. Zoro curled down on his side for a nap, claiming only weaklings catch colds, so Kakashi pulled out Icha-Icha Paradise. "OOOo-huh? When'd it get this cold?" Luffy asked, moments before Naruto clued-in too, after shaping Konoha symbols on the forehead of their 10-foot snowperson.
"You only recalled snow means the cold, now?" Sasuke mocked him, and Naruto was chattering too much to bite back. "Nami already has snow-gear for you inside, Naruto," Kakashi updated him, and quickly the boy scampered over to his big sister.
Luffy started taking steps towards the Guy's cabin, and Gin came up. "Don Luffy, I can get my instruments out an' finish tha' tattoo." "Oooooo, so cool." Luffy leapt back down below fast as if it were a dinner table.
Usopp got busy outside too and quickly an elegant snow-sculpture of one lady occupied the deck. "You like it? Naruto's sexy jutsu was the base, but I think it be wise to leave this one with clothes on," he shared with Kakashi.
Soon Naruto was back out in a bright orange snowsuit, with a long red scarf and so puffy he resembled a marshmallow. Usopp couldn't' resist teasing him, and Naruto even fell on his side and began rolling about sideways. "Whaaa, whaaa, whow, that's dizzy, ya know." Once he found a wall with his feet, the Uzuamki pushed himself back upright and made two clones to send snowballs flying for Usopp. The sniper replied in-kind but one stray throw hit Sakura and it was war.
Nami peaked outside the window as Sanji passed a mug with something warm to her, and their 'guests' tried fending off the cold with blankets.
"Excuse me. But doesn't this ship have heat? This environment is inhumane." "I'm Cold," Miss. Wednesday complained after Mr. 9. "Shut your mouths!" Nami snarled back at them, trying to fight off the same chill as one massive burst of lightning lit-up the heavens above them. "Lightning? Wait, the wind-picking up now too."
"I noticed you haven't steered for a while. Is that wise?" Miss. Wednesday prodded at Nami. "Huh? I only checked our heading moments ago, before Naruto and Sasuke began—GU-AAAHHHHHH!"
All action aboard stopped, until Luffy launched up from down below, bare-chest and with a half-done mark across him. "Nami? Nami? Somebody come here to fight my crew again?"
Gin bolted up behind him and made for the lounge. Kakashi was already there before him and watched Nami hurl the former at the wheel. "We're off-course. Gin, turn us hard 180 degrees. Naruto, Sanji, the sails, hurry!"
"Did you forget something, Nami," Luffy asked as two whom would never question Nami sprang into action. "Like I said, we're way off course," the navigator held her log-pose up. "I took my eyes off from this for only a few moments and now our heading is back there, some way."
"Huh? But, but, that doesn't make any sense." Sakura whined, holding her own log-pose up and tapping the glass orb.
"You truly have a bottom-of-the-class navigator, don't you?" Miss Wednesday chirped. Kakashi was still inside and cast his eye at her. "Why?" "You sincerely are incompetent," she replied. "You cannot trust anything here for traditional travel. Not the winds, sky, waves, clouds. Nothing is as it seems on this sea. The only way to get reliable direction on the Grand Line is with a Log Pose. Everyone knows that."
Kakashi had to hold that exact 'bottom-of-the-class' girl from letting her fists get too close to their passenger. "Shut their mouths, or put them at something useful." "Perhaps," Kakashi answered their passengers. "Thank you for sharing, and, well, I apologize about her," he smiled over to them. "Perhaps some time outside may be a safer position for you?"
The Jonin got them outside while Gin held tight, waiting for Nami's next directions. Almost everybody was active across the ship, except for one person nobody had tripped over, yet. Inside of 1 minute sunny skies came in and warm winds blew all the snow off. "Awwww, no more snowman, ya know."
"Hey, I see an iceberg in our way!" Usopp called out, and before they could move fog came out of nowhere. 'Is somebody casting all this?' Kakashi slipped his sharingan out, took a sweep around them, and caught some churning bubbles too close to the Starboard hull. "Huh…..Ahh, Nami, it seems something beneath us is rising, and it may be larger than our ship."
"What? Wha- Gin, move. Luffy, Kakashi get ready! Gin?" Nami turned around but found the Helmsman paralyzed. Gin had both eyes shut tight and couldn't stop his hands andshoulders from shaking. Echoes from his last trip to these seas and the same elements ripping those he'd known to pieces were invading his mind.
All as something hard hit the Merry from underneath them. The whole ship swept sideways and all the crew nearly lost their feet. Kakashi, Sasuke and Luffy looked skywards and found one towering Sea-King shooting up beside the boat, half as large as Laboon. The Jonin froze where he stood, watching the rows of teeth as the monster angled its head right for them.
All as Luffy wound wound-up one arm and Naruto wrapped another explosive paper-slip over a kunai. "Gum-gum: Rifle!" "Shadow-shuriken jutsu!" The rubber fist struck the beastie square in it's nose, pausing it's course and retracting as 30 kunai stabbed in over the bruise and Naruto flexed his hand. Immediately explosions erupted and the Sea-King hollered in pain. Blind and in agony, it's neck and head smacked the water, churning huge waves that came crashing against the Straw hat's ship. Seawater splashed over the decks, Sasuke had to catch Sakura when she nearly fell overboard and Mis. Wednesday even lost her footing, tumbling for the open water.
Half-way down her tumble, the bad evolved into worse as solid fog engulfed the ship. "Luffy?" "Naruto-grab everyone!" "Shadow-clone, crew rescue." On Kakashi's order, 2 dozen spare bodies materialized, catching everyone and gripping the decks with chakra with their feet or hands. But the blue-haired lady kept falling until something long snaked around her waist and held tight. Looking around she found one elongated arm and quickly reeled her back aboard.
"Usopp, we need more hands on the wheel," Nami called down, pulling the sniper inside the second a massive ice-burg appeared and their path. The Going Merry's bow cleared the ice by a hair, but couldn't save her hull. "Kakashi', we're leaking down below." Usopp tried to leave but Gin still wasn't back to 100%, so he called over for Naruto. The Jonin and 6 Genin-copies grabbed spare wood, hammers and nails and immediately dashed down under. Water-jutsu, some rapid patchwork and it was saved so both men came back up above.
"More winds ahead, and there's clouds coming in." Mr.9 called over to them. "Naruto, the source one," Sanji called in between speeding for the kitchen. "We need to help everybody keep strength up with food." "Oh, no, our sails are tearing." "There's a fresh leak in the lady's cabin." "Sensei, help me." One crisis came after-another, and another, and another.
Every sort and form of weather imaginable appeared and battered the small caravel and her crew across some hours. 'What is this place?' Kakashi managed to think through his own awe. 'Chunin Exams, even their 2nd stages, never occur in someplace that'll kill people this badly. Not in any village. How intense—?'
"Hurry and eat-up! All of you." Naruto and Sanji had come out with plates full of rice-balls. Sasuke spied another ice-burg in their way so he actually flew up to Luffy's seat and kept weaving hand-signs into a new move: "Fire-style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!" A torrent of fire engulfed Sasuke, then immediately formed in one abstract aura and expelled right for the iceberg's side Merry was on course with.
"WOW, SO COOOOOLL!" Luffy's excitement came, with glittering stars in both eyes and somebody else still watching under his arm.
"Gin, Usopp, veer us to the right," Kakashi cut in, "Ah, starboard. I mean starboard side." Sasuke's move melted the ice sufficiently that Merry slide over the plane with no damage this time, but nothing allowed the crew to steal even a moment of peace in-between battling the elements.
Not until, and without any warning or sign, the seas got calm and nothing of any danger was there. The entire ensemble felt their muscles demanding they fall where they stood, but those with stronger spirits and grit stayed on their feet. "Ah, Don? Why're you holdin' tha' dame under your arm?" Gin's question brought everybody to look, where Miss. Wednesday was still tucked under Luffy's arm.
"Luffy, you lay one finger on her, or try a single indecent thing, and I'm taking that captain's role from you," Sanji snarled at him, as Miss. Wednesday got her wits back enough to start demanding to be released. "Unhand me—"
"Okay." Luffy set her down. "I saw you almost fall off when a wave hit. But I never thought to put you back down. Sorry."
Up on deck, Sanji's flares vanished at once, and the cook stood ramrod straight. "You were saving that lady? You Luffy are a worthy captain for me." A salute came with that pledge, and Sanji wasn't the only one reacting either. Nami found herself up on her feet, again, with one leg twitched to leap right between the other girl and Luffy. 'Huh? Wha….why do I want to rip that girl away from Luffy? And I got so…energized out of no where?' Deliberately, Nami had to stop her jaw clenching hard enough to risk cracking her teeth, and contain an itch in her arms and legs. Shaking her head, it took 3 deep breaths for Nami to focus past her emotional haze back to the present.
The waters were calm again and sunny, no different from when the crew had been watching Naruto and Sasuke spar together. "We're alive….we're alive…." Gin was uncurling himself and repeating that mantra over, and over, coming out from terrors brought back to life. Sakura slipped closer to her own tutor and tried pulling him up. "Gin…was those like the kind of storms and weather you talked about the first time you came here?"
"Y-y-y-yeah, little lady," the man nodded, his eyes on those days past the to post-action stress ready to split him in half.
"What's his problem?" Mr. 9 asked, now closer to his partner. "Bad memories," Kakashi answered. "He once came through before, part of an armada of pirate-ships. They lasted for 7 days, then encountered Hawk-eyes Mihawk and a similar gauntlet of storms after he cut them into pieces."
Both the strange duo gulped with fear at the concept of a Warlord…one in particular more than the other. Sasuke tried pulling himself up, and almost tripped over somebody still lying over the floor.
"AAAwwwwww-hhh. That was a good nap." Zoro stood up, stretched then eyed everyone gawking straight for him. "Hey, why's only half of you all on their feet? The cook and I are going to spar together, now. And shouldn't somebody be watching for islands, the weather, or Sea-Kings? There's no reason to get lazy out of nowhere."
Right there, everybody had their strength back and half resembled rising wraiths, while Luffy alone stood by, laughing. "SHishishishishishi, Zoro you just slept through so many storms. I don't know nobody that lazy or lame." Kakashi didn't even try and save the swordsman as Usopp, Gin, Naruto and Nami each came for him with their fists. "Whoa, hey, that's, I only took a nap, why—oooooooooooo-ah-ahk!" Zoro was dodging or blocking every punch, until out of nowhere his whole world went spinning. Something had hit him, from behind his back and drive up between his knees.
"Dam'it." "Ow—that is too far." "Wow," Nami was the least bothered, as Zoro's legs lost their strength and he curled over on his side. Gin and Usopp caught him as somebody kept spinning her tonfa, facing Zoro's back and whistling. Mr.9 was pale and slid his own hands protectively over the 'King's jewels." While Miss. Wednesday had both hands over her mouth. 'That little girl….will Mr. Bushido even have children now from that solid weapon hitting his….ah.' The passenger's face grew a shade of red imaging that part of male anatomy.
"You see why Sanji-senpai is better, Sasuke," Naruto called back to his rival. "He's always helping and never goes to sleep with work around us."
The Uchiha didn't bother with any comeback, more concerned with helping Zoro to a chair as the guy tried to get some form of feeling in his lower body back.
"Sakura?" The kunoichi looked up and found her Jonin-sensei looming above her. "Oh, come on, sensei. Sleeping around when all the rest are busy is one thing, but ridiculing us as well, that's too far."
"Perhaps, but that is not in your hands to…er…." Kakashi brought one hand to his face and sighed. "I thought you and I had spoken of physically harming any comrades again. Do that once more and you'll be cleaning out the washroom for one month, and no trivia or books."
Nami only strode away as Luffy scratched his head neither Naruto nor Sanji said a word. Zoro finally got enough strength back to hobble around the deck and gave his full attention towards their passengers.
"So the pair of you. Mind telling me again what those names you go by are? And where your home is supposed to be?"
"We happen to be from Whisky peak," Mr. 9 replied. "I am called Mr. 9 there."
"I'm Miss. Wednesday. And should you be kind enough to return our Logue pose to us, we would depart from your vessel at once."
"Riiight." Zoro fixed each one with a look. Sasuke, Kakashi and Gin kept looking away and inched a tad closer to them. "Those names sound familiar and that's what's—" drowning. Whatever Zoro had meant to say got drowned until a bucket of water dumped over him. Mr. 9 and Miss Wednesday even got splashed as well. "Ahhhh..now I'm sincerely freezing. What on earth was that?"
"Hm? Ah…maw, my apologies." High above them, Kakashi stood in the crows nest, waving down with a bucket slung waving in his hand. "Between the snow, hail and icebergs, some water got caught up here so I thought to bail it out."
Most of the crew erupted with laughter again, thrilled over Zoro's misfortune as the swordsman sprang up to chase Kakashi all about the ship. The Jonin appeared to be only just ahead of him and both disappeared inside the forward hold before long.
"What the hell, Kakashi," Zoro demanded. "I-hhm!" Three different hands covered Zoro's mouth: Sasuke's, Gin's and Kakashi's. "Sorry about that ice-shower. But if you believe someone to be a threat, confronting them directly can give-up more opportunities than gain them."
Kakashi drew his hand away while another two kept their own up to make sure Zoro did not make any sound. The door was closed and Kakashi himself slipped out around the Cannon's hole to spy on the deck. Nobody out in the open noticed anything was amiss, nor that any crew were missing thanks to some strategic replacements.
'My water-clones are still transformed, and hopefully nobody else will notice,' Kakashi nodded as a "Gin" strolled up to the crow's nest and a "Sasuke" threw itself up in a hand-stand with Zoro's weights balanced on his feet.
Next the Jonin slipped back inside the forward hold and brought another two hands together. "Sasuke, Gin, Zoro, hide in one corner near the doorway." The three nodded as Kakashi finished his hand-signs. "Water-style: Water-clone Jutsu." One stream of seawater came in around the cannon, forming two more copies of Kakashi with their hands read. "Transform."
Moments later "Kakashi" and "Zoro" walked back out, one cruising through their book and the other hobbling behind him to shut the door on his way out.
"Alright," Kakashi gave Zoro his full attention. "Now, what do you know about our passengers, Zoro?"
"I've heard names just like theirs before," the first-mate answered, keeping his voice low. "They're bounty hunters, or in some line of work. And part of a large guild or something called Baroque Works. Since I first heard those names, it kept pullin' at my mind, but calling 'em out on it might bring us into more trouble."
"Zoro, are ya sure yer head ain't knocked sideways from Sakura's low blow?" Gin asked him, folding both arms. "Tha' seems somewhat far fetched, an' the pair'a them appear totally ridiculous."
Zoro glared over, sliding one hand down over his throbbing package as Kakashi answer for him. "Appearances can be deceiving Gin, or coax somebody to lower their guard. If they are a risk to us, though," Kakashi turned his eye back towards Zoro, glaring enough to make the swordsman fear more about survival than his injury.
"I wish you had shared this with me long before Naruto and Sasuke began sparring practice. Now they've probably seen some of our abilities and can plan for them going forwards."
Zoro grimaced at this, but Sauske only shrugged. "So we'll just have to beat them sooner instead of letting them share that with others. Just, Zoro-san, how are you aware of them at all and Gin isn't?"
"Because they tried to hire me, Sasuke." The swordsman answered. "Before I joined up with Luffy, bounty hunting was an easy way to get meals. That's how people began calling me a 'Pirate Hunter.' Sometime back after I split-up from Johnny and Yosaku, Baroque Works tried and enticed me with a job offer. They had too many rules, though. Employee identities stay secret, cheesy code-names only, and their boss' identity had to stay a mystery."
"Two of them came to me, a Mr.7 and Miss. Dad's-day, or something," Zoro continued. "Said they wanted me to work for them, and I offered some generous terms in exchange. They said no and then tried to kill me." Thinking back to what happened next, Zoro forgot his pain, a smirk grew on his face and Kitetsu III pulsed at his hip. "Neither one of them came away alive, and more haven't bothered me since. At least until now. Baroque Works, the criminal organization that carries out any and all orders, and with a preference for bounty hunters."
Gin and a different attitude now, while Sasuke with itching to use his own sword on the pair but all three looked over to Kakashi. Silence ensued while the jonin himself continued contemplating. 'Codenames, missions, and death for anyone who learns of them. Add in a few masks, and they resembled ANBU Black opps.'
"Sasuke," Kakashi hissed to him. "The pair of them might have been waiting at the Twin Capes for any pirate ship to come through. Then lead any crew back to this Whisky Peak for an ambush."
"Then le's kill'em and go 'round it," Gin proposed to them. "Perhaps, but where else would we travel to?" Kakashi countered him. "Unless you want to chance—"
"ZORO!" Behind the quartet the door slammed open, and Nami stood right in the doorway, soaked head-to-toe and with some unholy aura around her. "Hey what are—?" Somebody snatched her inside and immediately closed the opening behind her.
Everybody else on-board watched the closed comparment for several minutes. Luffy almost opened the same opening, but something else stopped him first. Echoes were built-up inside, mixed with Zoro moaning, 2 or 3 broken crates and Nami shouting louder and louder. "Kakashi, you tried and hide with him in here? Both of you should get sent overboard!" Next cring-worthy thumps or nasty bangs echoed out from that room inbetween every few words. "I finally-snapped when Zoro-curled-up again,-but one solid-hit and-and he exploded in- into salt water. Now I'm soaked, do know what this'll do to my clothes?"
Immediately the door slammed open again, revealing Nami marching out with one fist pulling Zoro by his hair and Kakashi stumbling behind them. The Navigator marched for the railing, then pulled Zoro up, tore off his swords and threw all three overboard.
"NO!" The swordsman dove over the side and Nami left him to walk back up the stairs to a railing. "Gin, keep us turning in circles, until that idiot decides to come back up onboard. Luffy, I want fresh water for a hot bath right away, and no! Body! Better! Disturb! Me!"
"Okay, Nami." Luffy strolled into a small room under the stairs, where a bike-pedal pump was installed for drawing water up into some pipes. Sasuke leapt overboard to help his teacher and Nami vanished inside as all the rest of the crew kept the Merry turning in circles. 30 minutes later a spluttering Zoro and his protégé climbed back up with all three of their swords, and a spare token.
"Oooo-wow, a shark!" Luffy was outside and admiring a 5-meter long monster Zoro held up it's tail. "Damn it, Nami. This thing swallowed one of my swords, then tried for a bite out of Sasuke."
"What?! Sasuke—is he—!" Sakura's screech came, then she spun forwards and pat-down over every square inch of a soaked Uchiha, and Naruto went right for the fish. "Big meany—huh? Hey, where'd it's head go, ya know?" "I cut it off him to put this out," Zoro answered, holding up Wado Ichimonji. "Hey, cook, fry up this thing for us tonight."
Sanji and Naruto were all too happy too, and once she came out from the tub in a robe Nami did apologize to Sasuke. The ship kept on sailing with periodic bouts of storms that kept everybody's nerve on a razor-edge. Sanji cooked-up food for all, and actually had nice things to say about Zoro. "After we lost our fridge inside Laboon, our stores are running low. You saved us and the captain by catching this, moss-head."
Mr. 9 and Miss. Wednesday agreed to ate with them, while Kakashi and Gin both pulled out lots for the evening shift. Nobody wanted the 'secret' agents inside their bunks so pair had to make-do with Kakashi's mission tent set-up in the middle of the deck.
"Ah fer one agree with yer thinking, Kakashi," Gin whispered at him. "The Genie, Arlong Park, then Garp inside Loguetown," Kakashi replied to him. "I've assumed or misrecognized how dangerous and serious far too many situations, lately," the Hatake replied. 'Shinobi or not, Vice-Admiral or not, even this Sea alone is entirely worse than any Chunin Exams or any threat I've met in the ninja world before. But now….now it's time to be prepared.'
The Jonin did not waste even a millisecond of that night. And later, only minutes before dawn he slipped down into the lady's cabin and gently coaxed Nami awake. "Kakashi?—wha….what's going…?AAWWWHhhhhhh." Letting her yawn, the Jonin motioned her to come above deck and shared what he, Sasuke and Gin had learned about their company from Zoro.
By the time dawn broke and the rest of the crew assembled, minor storms began stirring-up again and Nami kept directing everybody to move through them. The ship kept on a meandering course but didn't stay too far off the log-pose, but the strangest phenomenon was neither one of the temporary passengers woke-up by the time Sanji and Naruto had breakfast ready.
"Could she need a doctor? What if my lovely Wednesday is terribly ill?" Sanji cooed over her, ignoring the green-clad man with her. "I'm sure they'll be fine," Kakashi reassured him. "Leave them be. For now, we need to return to training, especially with elemental jutsu."
"Elemental jutsu! Whaa-hoooo! Believe it!" Naruto left the dishes behind him and both Sakura and Sasuke strolled over too. Each of them took a leaf and Kakashi asked them to demonstrate what they could do with different practice-tools: "Excellent Sasuke. You're ready." The Uchiha kept his lightbulb on with chakra alone for a full minute and felt deeply excited to learn more jutsu. "Hmm….good. Sakura, you're ready to begin learning a water-style jutsu, too." Kakashi felt his kunoichi's leaf soaked all the way through and she immediately leapt high with glee. However, the good news stopped there.
"Damn it!" Naruto whined, holding his own leaf, with barely more than a tiny nick on one corner. "Naruto. I want you both to come in doors with me," Kakashi calmed his student. "Shadow-clone jutsu." Crossing his own fingers together, two extra Kakashi's appeared up on the deck and walked Sasuke and Sakura to opposite sides of the ship. "Naruto—"
"Sensei, please, please, come on and teach me a wind jutsu," the boy immediately began pleading with him. "Sasuke and Sakura can't only be the ones to learn some new jutsu. And Sasuke already stole my—"
"Naruto." With a little extra force Kakashi's command answered him. "I actually have been developing a very, very special kind of training for you to use. Now follow me." Student and sensei strolled inside the Lounge as Sanji was cleaning down the kitchen.
"Hey Gin, Luffy tapped the pirate on his shoulder. "Can we get back and finish-up my mark?" Both disappeared below deck as one Kakashi practiced 6 hand-signs infront of Sasuke. "Lightning Style: Thunderbolt jutsu." Thrusting one hand outwards, Kakashi cast a long, crackling jet of lightning towards the open water. "This isn't too advanced, but outside of striking living targets, lightning can ignite cloth or metal as well, or be conducted through any form of liquid." Sasuke nodded how it made a lot of sense to learn and set himself to practicing those same hand-signs.
'He and I may even combine lightning with my new water-style techniques for even greater devastation. Or Sasuke may apply it in a collaboration jutsu with Sakura.' Clone-Kakashi's thought pulled him steal a glance towards the other clone standing with his student.
"Hidden-mist jutsu? The same one Zabuza himself used?" the girl questioned her teacher. "Yes," clone-Kakashi nodded. "I'm afraid it is the least complicated water-style move I can teach you. And unlike back in the village, I do not have any scrolls that can explain the technical step-by-step. But once you can apply it with ease then I imagine a water-vortex would be far more destructive addition to your arsenal."
"Sensei, I already know a jutsu to hide from somebody," Sakura reminded him. "Is this really the best option if I already can use transparency jutsu?"
"Yes," the Jonin answered her. "Sakura, Hidden in the Mist may be a stepping-stone, but all ninja's should cultivate multiple options for battle. Why bother learning how to use a weapon if we have taijutsu? Why invent a transparency jutsu if genjutsu exists? Why carry or use kunai and shuriken if ninjutsu is one option? Can you answer these?"
"Umm. Ah, well," Sakura tripped over herself, thinking and the clone stayed silent beside her. But inside the lounge the biggest surprise had the most hyperactive among them vibrating with glee.
"You're real? Like, real, real, really real? This is super big, ya know." Kakashi had to fight down a chuckle while Sanji lit a cigarette beside him. "Your saying Naruto might learn different moves faster than anyone, through all those Shadow-clones he can make? Dozens of them, all practicing with the same move, then they transfer all that experience into his head and add up to him developing hours of training or learning inside only days?"
"In theory, yes," Kakashi answered them. "However, it's not a substitute and he might die because of it." Straight away Naruto and Sanji became ice. "HA…aaahhhhh…what you say, Kakashi-sensei? I gotta die to try and do this? That's not something I wanna be, believe it." The Jonin only folded both hands, letting that impact sink-in on both present before he continued to speak.
"Not that you will die, but the risk is certainly there that you might if we use this form of training. Shadow-clones can transfer anything they witness or observe into the original's head. But like I described to Sakura and Sasuke, using too many of them can honestly kill somebody. Naruto, in theory, you might complete 10 hours of learning or training in a single hour with 10 shadow clones. But then, immediately when they dispel, 10 hours of fati…er, how about I use simpler words. 10 hours worth of tired, both in your mind and body, might hit you out of nowhere. People have been running or training for around that time before, and the mental exhaustion almost killed them."[2]
Kakashi paused, watching Naruto's mouth hang open and Sanji bit down on his smoke. He could see them both digesting this in their eyes. "Nobody has ever tried to use Shadow-clones for training or learning in this way before," the Jonin exampled. "Most because they can't produce more than 2 clones to last for 1 hour, or they can only keep 10 or 20 intact for some minutes. Sakura did give me this idea, but nobody else may have honestly thought of using clones in mundane ways due to how it is labelled a forbidden jutsu and a battle jutsu."[2]
"Still, I just left shadow-clones with Sakura and Sasuke so they will eventually dissolve and anything they heard, spoke or witnessed will pop into my mind. Today, you and I will experiment with shadow-clones for our own training. Sanji," Kakashi looked over at the chef. "Would you mind instructing perhaps….3 of Naruto's clone on how to cook different recipe's in here today? Naruto, I'd like you to make another 10 to keep trying to cut some leaves as well. Then at the end of today we'll see how you are physically and mentally, and go from there."
"Oh, okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I like that. But I can make a whole lot more than just 13 shadow-clones, sensei, ya know." Naruto was grinning again. Kakashi smile with his eye as well and rubbed his student's head, gently. "I certainly do know. But too many aboard and the Going Merry might sunk under so many people onboard."
The Cook and the Cabin-Genin both went white over that picture.
"Finally, there is something else the both of you should know for our destination." Another 10-minutes passed before the door opened and 10 Naruto's came outdoors. Spreading all over the deck, the crow's nest and the cabin's or storage below, they got down to business as Gin took his turn as lookout and Nami glanced over all the ninja's training, too.
"IT'S DONE!" By the mast, a wreaking ball launched himself up and out from the boy's cabin. Sasuke, Zoro, Gin, Sakura, Nami and Usopp each spun around as Luffy scrambled up the stairs then vaulted up to the tangerine trees. Standing tall both hand his hips, the captain presented the new image emblazoned on his chest: Luffy's Jolly Roger covered his front with the crossbones touching his shoulders and ribs and the skull with a straw hat in the centre. "Thank you Gin. This looks real cool, huh?"
"Not cool, but so wicked cool!" "Hh. It's a good look on you, captain." Usopp and Zoro both nodded up at him, while all the Naruto's aboard came around Luffy in a swarm. Some even looked between the larger tattoo and their smaller ones, but Nami walked around and any thoughts vanished the second they saw her own tattoo. The girl was wearing a black tank-top with MODE printed in pink letters across the center, high-heeled sandals and a yellow skirt.
"Wow, the three of us are quite a trio, huh?" "Yeah, believe it, Big sis," the Naruto's all nodded to her. Down below, Sasuke, Zoro and Usopp strode over to Gin too, and Nami thought of joining them too, except.
"Hm. I'm hungry. OO, fruit." "Not my Tangerines!" Nami let out a scream and quickly sailed up to stop Luffy's hand from snatching one. She got there in-time and wouldn't let go, so the captain's feet left the deck instead. "Huh-Nami?" "WHA—" their collision sent both falling backwards for the stern, tumbling over each other until Nami pinned Luffy underneath her. The girl kept wrestling to stop his arms or head from getting to her trees until they were settled nose-to-nose. "Luffy. Can you think with anything but your stomach? No stealing from my trees. Or you owe me 100,000,000 bellies, and I get your hat."
"Huh? AAAAAH!, no, no, not my hat." Two rubber arms quickly looped around the head ware, with Luffy looking between it and his navigator…..and then noticed something else. "Hey Nami, what are those? A mystery part?" Between protecting his treasure, Luffy's eyes were somewhere else. Too large, round and bouncy things beneath Nami's neckline. "Those look like big watermelons. Nami, did you steal from the kitchen and hide them in your shirt?"
"EEEPpp-uuhhhhhh….." Somebody grew a cheery-red flare across her face, glance between her boobs and her captain but still refusing to let Luffy's hands go free. The girl didn't move and her own chest began swaying under deep breaths, all infront of Luffy's eyes. He wasn't looking away and even stranger still Nami did not have a drive to turn away either. Her mouth actually went dry as unfamiliar heat came crawling over her face and neck, her mind spinning through anything that might get out and away from this setting.
"LUffy, Ahhh-um-er-ah-huh..aaahhhh…"
"Nami? What is it?" the ignoramus cocked his head sideways. "Naruto, move back to training, now," Kakashi's voice invaded their moment. "Train—training. Y-y-y-y-yes. Luffy," Nami stood up from him and folded both her arms to cover her chest. "Kakashi said I can get stronger by training with somebody. Zoro and all our ninjas are hard at that right now. Can you help my by, uhh-"
"Training?" Luffy blinked, recalling how he would train before. "Like how Grandpa Garp did with me me?' Luffy thought. "When was little I trained by hitting people, or Grandpa kept on hitting me. I don't wanna do that to my crew, Nami."
Sense and clarity flowed into Nami's mind, and she realized exactly what she'd said. 'Wha….what is wrong with me?' she smacked one hand over her own forehead 'Why'd I saw that, and I should charge Luffy for starring at my…uh..errrrr-okay don't think of—huh?' In between trying to put her mind back in order, one dense touch came up across her forehead. "Luffy?"
"Hmmmmm," the captain kept pressing his hand over Nami's forehead. "Don't feel like your head's hot, Nami," the boy explained, even shifting his own hand to cup her cheek. Nami caught herself nuzzling in, then pulled his hand down.
"I'm feeling fine, Luffy. How about you help me learn more dodging. You did the same with Sakura and Sasuke before out before we made it to Loguetown, and in that battle over Grandpa Ryu one those Marines almost killed me."
"WHAAAT!?" Luffy exclaimed. A few minutes and some explanations later, Luffy nodded and started winding his arm in a bollo-punch. "Okay. I won't use my Gum-Gum moves, Nami. Get ready to leap outa this way." The girl stumbled back out of range for his punch, then leapt over a leg-sweep. "Huh—ahh!" she duct under a hammer-first Luffy swung behind as he spun aroun. More kept coming and Nami wasn't fast enough to dodge them all, and her blocks failed totally.
"Not like that, like this, Nami." Luffy crossed both his arms in an X. "Or this." Shifting the same arms, Luffy held his forearms together and pressed them over his tattoo and face. 'Ace did this like this, right?' Looking back to her, the captain tried his hand at explaining. "Cross your arms or hold them close. That can block better. See? Try."
Nami tried to copy him, and quickly had to put that try to a real test.
Unbeknownst to both, Usopp strolled out from the Lounge and Kakashi wasn't far behind him. The Jonin soon joined Gin up in the crow's nest to watch over everybody preparing down below. 'Not exactly what I'd have in mind, but at least Nami can leap back into action if we encounter another storm.' Next the Jonin looked elsewhere and spied Sasuke trying his own Thunderbolt: jutsu, generating a broad static flare that half-shocked himself. 'Is he trying to apply it like a fire-style jutsu?' Seconds after that idea came the clone beside Sasuke whispered something to him, so the original checked on Sakura. The girl was sweating hard but still weaving her hands through different signs for the Hidden-mist jutsu. Down on the sea's surface a small and thin layer began stirring and lasted for some 8 seconds before dissipating.
'Good start.' Zoro had his own weights out and was no longer wearing his shirt while training by the bow. Gin and Usopp were the only ones present not working out, instead keeping their eyes on the clouds and the seascape.
"Sensei, here you are," one Naruto stepped inside the lookout basket beside Kakashi. "I need some advise." Kakashi nodded to him and Naruto pulled another leaf out.
"I keep thinking of pushing my chakra through this leaf. Like how wind pushes sails, ya know. But I'm not getting anywhere with this." Sure enough the leaf had wrinkles and tears all around it. 'But not a clean, straight cut like it should be,' the Jonin registered.
"Kakashi-sensei, you know everything about ninjas, believe it," Naruto spoke back up., "Don't you know some better way I mind do this? Or s-something I'm not getting right, ya know?"
"Well…." Kakashi racked his brain. Naruto's explanation did make sense, but he needed his student learning more sooner instead of later. Turning over different topics he could think of, very little came to Kakashi's mind until a sharp gust came over the ship and whipped around them. 'Sharp…sharp….' "Ah-ha. Naruto," the boy looked up to the taller shinobi. "Asuma, another wind-stylist. He would use that power to cut things with a kunai or with special blades to channel that power through. And if you think about it, wind can push but it can cut things occasionally, too."
"Perhaps if you imagine a blade, and using your chakra like it, then—" "Oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it!" Naruto cut him off. "Cutting. Like cutting ingredients for cooking with Sanji-senpai."
The next moment that 'Naruto,' vanished into smoke. 'A shadow-clone. So now the real one can know and pass that along to the others.' Kakashi had spread the rest of Naruto's clones across different rooms below deck except for the front storage where their 'guests' were.
Two people whom Kakashi was sincerely worried about.
'Codenames, missions, and death for anyone who learns of them. Add in a few masks and this Baroque Works association sound like they function that same way as ANBU Black opps,' Kakashi reasoned. Stealing light glances toward both agents, episodes of him underestimating situations played in the back of his mind. 'Zabuza. That Genie. Arlong's crew, and then Monkey D. Garp. How many more….no." Pushing thoughts of failing all how all those events left his team away, Kakashi looked away from the past and to the present. 'I was unprepared for all of those. This time, all of us will be ready.'
'And as for me.' Kakashi himself noticed Sakura and Sasuke were growing tried but Luffy and Nami were still 'training' together behind the Tangerine trees. 'I might as well practice like Naruto himself is, then start running laps down on the water's surface after everybody wraps up.'
Pulling out extra leaves, Kakashi thought about his own advice and pressed his hands over one. Quickly, the texture felt thick and rugged and crumbled, dusty bits slipped through his fingers. Next the jonin applied the same with one lead, soaking it through with water. A third one ignited and burnt easy, and finally he pulled out a fourth. 'All my elemental are still strong, and so is my own chakra-control. Now, I have to develop the same with wind-style to keep instructing Naruto.'
With a 4th leaf, Kakashi ran through his own theory at set himself to work trying to cut through the leave with wind-chakra. Unlike the others, he held his hand together for 3 minutes and would feel the leaf grow hot, damp or even an electric charge would crackle in his hands. 'No. Wind. Make your chakra into wind.'
Below him, Sakura ran low of chakra first so clone-Kakashi stopped her and instead sat down on one table to write-up different plans their crew could use from her 'Sea-Tactics.' Sasuke lasted longer until Zoro stopped him and soon both were sparring with bokken again. Nami came around her trees and a small commotion flared from all the bruises she carried but the girl only brushed it off. Luffy kept running about the deck until Sakura asked him to look at the clouds and find shapes.
Sanji brought lunch out for everybody and was extremely worried about how Mr.9 and 'his'-Miss. Wednesday were yet to stir from their place.
"What if sweet Wednesday is taken ill. No, oh, aaaahh, my darling!" Running for the forward hold, Zoro clothes-lined the cook before he could reach them and immediately both of them began fighting together. "Ohh, teacher's fight!" one Naruto sped up as Usopp, Gin and Sasuke assembled around Sanji and Zoro, cheering on one or another. Sanji landed a hard leg-sweep, Zoro cut a few hairs off and everybody could see both of Sanji's eyes. "Leave 'em be, and focus on our friends." "I was put on this earth to make sure nobody falls hungry, and women more than any." The duo kept locking horns, until a third person snatched their hands and slammed both down on the deck.
"Everybody. Move over inside the Lounge," Kakashi instructed them as he held the cook and the swordsman down. Nobody except Sasuke and Gin understood, but they followed the Jonin anyways indoors. "So all of you by know, we arrive at Whisky Peak tomorrow."
They nodded and Zoro himself spied on the tent where Mr.9 and Miss. Wednesday still slept. "How did neither of those two even stir today with all the noise around them?"
"I helped them along, sliently," Kakashi casually waved. "Now, everybody knows about them and what we might except ahead?"
Everyone but Luffy nodded. "What? Is there more adventure on their island?" The captain asked between mouthfuls. The Jonin and Sasuke each looked over at Zoro, and the first-mate gave a shrug with a shake of his head.
"There might be some traps waiting when we arrive. So, Kakashi, how do you think we play this out?"
"One thing about spotting a trap," Kakashi glanced up, holding one finger, knowingly. "Then we may either stroll around it, or take a polite course and let the trap be sprung. It's terrible etiquette to arrive without letting your host know."
0….0
Miss. Wednesday blinked sleep from her eyes and could feel her legs, arms and shoulder exceptionally stiff. "ErRR-akh. Mr.9 are you here?" "Indeed, Miss. Wednesday. These accommodations are barely fit for peasants," the other man complained, shifting his back, shoulders and hip.
"Hello?" Somebody outside their tent knocked on a wooden floor-plank. "I apologize, but I think we've made it to Whisky Peak." Immediately the agents sped about, but Miss. Wednesday stopped Mr.9 from opening their abode. "Thank you, we'll come out momentarily," she called, then leaned in to whisper right into her partner's ear.
"Did happen to spy that Bounty-poster for that imbecile with a Straw Hat? And recall them using fire, or multiply themselves and weapons around them. Let's remain composed, then slip away and warn Mr.8 and Miss. Monday."
A minute after the knock both agents came out where a dense morning mist engulfed all of the Merry. What little landmass anybody could see were wide and round bulbs, resembling picturesque cacti on both sides of a narrow water channel. "It look like we can sail in right up to the shoreline," Nami observed.
"Hey." One call pulled all the Straw Hat's attention, where Mr.9 and Miss. Wednesday stood crouching up on a railing. "Thank you, but we must be leaving," the man announced with a bow. "It's been an interesting ride,to say the least," Miss. Wednesday nodded across with a smirk. "Bye bye, Baby!" With that farewell, the duo backflipped together off the deck and right for the waters below.
The Going Merry kept cruising on and the Straw hat's crew didn't show a care. Inside the channel, fog enveloping the pirate ship thickened until not even the waters could be spied. Higher elevations eventually showed shapes and shadows dancing on either side of the Mast, building an eerie feeling on the crew.
"Let's hope this works, ya know." "Sensei made-up this plan, it'll be great, believe it." "Quiet," voices kept mixing around as everybody aboard kept watch across all sides, waiting and ready.
Until the fog lifted…
…
….to unveiling masses of cheering crowds lining the bay with banners: "Welcome to the Grand Line!"
"Pirates, Warriors, please be welcome here!" "Thank you ever so much for choosing this route to travel!" "Awe, some really cuties have come. Dibs on the green one." "Then we'll take the taller blonde." Lines of cheering and grinning men, women, even children assembled, staring in awe at the Straw Hats.
Sanji went in a spin, dancing around the deck. "Here I'm coming, you beauties!" With a dive overboard he was gone. Some men even tore off their shirts and began flexing for Nami's attention. Sights which the navigator started by frowning towards, then shook her head and began making smiling back at the eye-candy. Even Kakashi was frozen, Gin looked all about, and Sasuke kept smiling over to each crowd.
"Kids. Mommy, mommy, those crewmates like our age. Can we go sail when these pirates leave," some children began begging. All as the Going Merry cruised over to one small dock. Zoro, Gin and Sakura together had to drop down the anchor, where two people waved over towards them.
"Hello, and indeed many greetin's to all a you!" Before all the locals assembled, a tall man of 6'5" with dark skin and dreadlocks kept grinning up at the pirates. Dense sunglasses obscured his eyes, with a white tuxedo and prink cravat beneath it. And patterns of number "5"s patterned down his jacket. "Mah name is Gem, an' please be welcome here to "Wiske Peak."
"Yes, oh yes indeed, Kyahahahaha." Beside 'Gem' a real doll strolled up, twirling a parasol resting on her shoulder and dressed in a yellow crop-top, blue booty-shorts and a peculiar yellow cap on her head.
"Hi there. Are all different places here as friendly towards pirates as you?" Nami strolled down the deck ahead of everybody else, as Luffy leapt forwards and running for the crowds and everybody else except for the absent Sanji disembarked their ship.
"Well, we'd hopefully think that," 'Gem' nodded at her beneath trying to hide his real opinions. "Our town thrives on hospitality, and pirates do indeed bring plenty of money and business with them, if any can make it make Whisky Peak."
"Indeed~indeed,~indeed," the woman at his shoulder sang. "Kyahahahahah, I'm called Mikita and we have plenty to share about. Booze and stories galore, and whole feats await you in-store."
The atmosphere kept building with joy, until a sharp bang echoed through the town. All the Straw hats, especially the ninja's looked towards the source as the rest of those greeting them actively appeared to ignore the destructive echoes.
"Ah apologize to you," 'Gem' bowed form his waist. "We're remodelled some old buildings when terrible pests crawl through and need to demolish them to dust. Still, as Mayor Ah refuse to let anybody's time spent 'ere to be wasted. Please, join in celebrations."
And so they did. All the Straw Hats were swept-up by the town folk in a city-wide party. Only a select few actually took the offer for alcohol, Luffy ran between different tables with food, Sakura stayed very close to Naruto's side and Zoro kept grinning, waving and selling how much he loved the place at the top of his lungs. Everything continued across hours and well into the night. All with the Straw Hats under somebody else's watch.
Far removed from the crowds, a particular woman kept watching with some strategically placed eyes and ears, appeared or dissolving with flower petals on tables, walls, mugs and move. Their owner was on a separate side of the island and watching all progress from inside a prison cell with two occupants inside.
"Monkey D. Luffy." That very woman murmured. 'Another person with "D." in their name.'
"Miss. All-Sunday," a man disguised as a carpenter snapped to attention before her. "Miss. Wednesday and Mr.9 escaped our initially ambush. Now they are moving together across the islands with more Millions arranging ourselves between them and the prey. And Gravestones are prepared for them both beside all the others high up on the Cactus Rocks."
End.
Please Read and Review.
I hope this chapter delivered a lot that you could enjoy here. Including how different certain repercussions are impacting Whisky Peak. If anyone is confused, please read through where the Straw hats met Crocus in the last chapter, and more details will come forward in Chapter 27. Somehow the Straw Hats always manage to get in the right place, with the right motives, on the right day.
Things are going to move much faster now that I have polished out my writing-style. Even more, no that Team 7 and all the Straw Hats have some serious victories and experienced under their belts, it's time to put those to work and Baroque Works Frontier Forces have some real surprises coming.
Why did Vivi and Mr.9 stay asleep? What is Kakashi's plan? What is happening with Baroque Works? And how are Team 7, Luffy and everybody else going to handle their first encounter with Miss. All-Sunday/Nico Robin.
I hope everyone has recalled that this story if a Kakashi/Robin-ship.
[1]-Honestly, this surprised me when I learned of it. Kanchō, or Ddong Chim, a form of playground prank popular with schoolchildren in Japan, Thailand, Taiwan and South Korea. It's more like a wedgie in North America, but only intended for a child's laugh, or mild prank. The point involves clasping hands together, sneaking up behind somebody and forcing two fingers into their backside, and shouting "Kancho," "Ddong Chim," or "Enema." It's a classic prank, but different age or intensions could leave a different impact or implications with adults.
[2]-Shadow clone training. I did not introduce it until now for a strong reason. You can't create something from nothing or nowhere, even an idea. Lots of stories give Naruto his shadow-clone training out of nowhere, like Kakashi, Jiraya or the Third Hokage had it in their back-pockets all their lives. But why or how could anyone think about some that hadn't been created yet; such as electricity in Medieval Europe, or the Roman using gunpowder. The latter two have existed as natural phenomena, but nobody discovered or used them until since the 1800's, and gunpowder took around 500 years to spread from East Asia to Europe.
Why or how would Kakashi think of using shadow-clones like this? Where was the spark to start it all, and more importantly…why should Naruto alone use it grow stronger?
And no, I do not believe Naruto's intense clone-training and Sasuke's post-timeskip power is a plot-hole, either. Even the original Naruto series discussed Sasuke as an impressively talented Genin. He did have his own flaws, especially a dependence on talent that led him to lose whenever he'd try and punch above his own weight-class; but Naruto had to depend on the Kyubi's chakra more than Sasuke would use his curse-seal, and the window of time Naruto spent learning the Rasengan his teammate was passed-out in a Tsukynomi comma. Across the timekip, I honestly believe Orochimaru pushed and tested Sasuke through more intense and life-threatening training than anything Jiraya put Naruto improved the least compared to Sakura and Sasuke by the time Shippuden began, and Sasuke's impressive growth actually makes sense with his talent and obsession.
Naruto did need those clones to catch-up with Sasuke, but the Uchiha did not remain stagnant between killing Orochimaru and battling Danzo either. Discounting Kurama's power, Naruto only came into Sasuke's league after he developed Sage-Mode, and matured following Jiraya's death.