Ok, not going to waste time rambling. Naruto's not mine, as sad as it may be. I would, of course, like to thank everyone for reading this fic. I makes the hours I spend writing it worth while. :)
Chapter 13: Innovation
"Bleh!" Naruto sputtered ramen out of his mouth.
Sasuke threw him a dangerous black-eyed glare, having thrown away his contacts. They sat at a small, round table beneath a large, red umbrella. The hot summer air mingled around the small outdoor café like a mosquito. The waves crashed on a nearby beach and Naruto and Sasuke sat around waiting, amidst other happy tourists, Naruo with his ramen, Sasuke with a simple cup of water.
"You're going to get us thrown out." Sasuke hissed.
"I don't care! At least I won't be stuck with this nasty ramen. Geez, don't these people know how to cook?"
"You don't have to eat it."
"I hate wasting ramen." Naruto pushed the bowl away. "What's wrong with these people? The ramen on that Sea Breeze place was nasty too."
Naruto grabbed Sasuke's water and gulped it down, washing the sickly taste out of his throat. A vein throbbed in Sasuke's temple as his water disappeared.
"Maybe there's something wrong with you." He sneered.
Naruto hurled the empty cup at Sasuke. Sasuke moved to duck, but the cup stopped firmly in mid-air, a delicate hand clasped tightly around it.
"Don't you two ever stop fighting?"
A girl with shoulder-length black hair and dancing green eyes grinned at them as she grasped the cup firmly in her hand.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto brightened. "You made it! How was your boat ride?"
"About as good as could be expected." She pulled up a chair and sat down. "What about you guys?"
"Good, good." Naruto grinned. "That necklace looks pretty on you."
Sakura returned his smile and ruffled his hair.
"Why thank you Naruto. It was one of the prizes I got for winning. Ino got one too."
"So how are they, Ino, Shikamaru and Chouji?" Sasuke reclined against his wicker chair and stuck a toothpick in his mouth.
"Shikamaru and Chouji had minor fractures, but they were able the leave the day after you guys did. The MegaDome's owner said they weren't going to file charges against them for damaging the bleachers."
"Alright!" Naruto exclaimed.
"Especially since it was you who destroyed them, Sakura." Sasuke added.
Sakura glared at him, but didn't retaliate.
"How did they take their defeat?" Sasuke continued.
"Well, they were fine after they saw the paper. Shikamaru figured it out though, about the scheme. I really hope we don't bump into them again. Shikamaru'll figure us out for sure."
"They won't be a problem where we're going." Sasuke reached into his vest.
"Huh?" Sakura blinked.
Sasuke pulled out Akari's letter and handed it to her.
"Akari wants us to deliver that to her boyfriend. "Naruto piped up.
Sakura turned the letter over, read the name scrawled across it and turned it over again.
"All the way up in Lightning Country?"
"Yup." Naruto nodded.
"Sorano Fuuka, to be more precise." Sasuke added.
Sakura pulled the map out of her backpack and, as Sasuke hastily removed the rejected ramen, spread it across the table.
"Hmmm..." Sakura dragged her finger across the scroll and over the border of Lightning Country. "Sorano Fuuka is located in a coastal town called Sorano." She mumbled.
"That fits." Sasuke muttered cynically.
"Here." Sakura pointed to a black speck on the border on a inlet. "It's not all that far away. Nothing more than a couple days by boat."
"Then it's settled!" Naruto cheered. "On to Lightning Country!"
"Not so fast." Sakura gave them a stern look, "How much money do you guys have?"
Sasuke reached into his vest again and pulled out the envelope. It contained nothing more than a few bills.
"But it shouldn't be an issue." He said, craning to look at Sakura's shadowed face. A bead of sweat rolled down her cheek. "Not with all that prize money you won, Sakura."
Sakura looked up, her face distressed. Her comrades gave her questioning looks.
"To prevent theft and fraud, the Pageant committee puts the prize money in a vault, accessible only by the recipient." She explained.
Sasuke groaned and hung his head in understanding.
"What? What's wrong?" Naruto's head swerved between his friends.
"Naruto," Sakura gave him an exasperated look. "The prize money is written out to 'Haruko.' Haruko can't accept the prize money. We made her up! Haruko doesn't exist, dumbass!"
"W-wait a minute!" Naruto yelped, "You mean the money is there, but you can't get it!? Can't you just dress up again?"
"And what's to say she's not someone else?" Sasuke sighed, "They probably need a birth certificate or a photo ID or something."
"But that money Tazuna-jisan gave us...?"
Sakura's shoulders sagged.
"You mean after all the supplies we bought in the Hidden Mist Village; 2-way boat rides for all three of us to Biscuit and Sea Breeze; renting a dress, a wig, and two suits; and staying for a week in a hotel, not to mention food? I'm surprised we stretched it that far."
"So in other words..." Naruto began.
"We're broke!" They cried in unison, their three chins hitting the table at the same time. The updraft blew the flimsy envelope of the money Shinrimaru into the air.
"So what are we going to do?" Naruto whispered as he watched the feather-like packet descend back to the table. "Man! and Akari was going to pay us too!"
"No one's going to let us ride for free." Sakura pointed out.
The fresh breeze blew through their pow-wow.
Sasuke said what they all were thinking.
"We're going to have to get jobs."
-
After a night of sleeping on the beach, the team began to patrol the dock. The "Help Wanted" board held sparse comments about positions. The three strained their eyes against the warm sea breeze as the glared at the postings.
Sasuke looked around uneasily.
"There are few people here." He thought aloud.
Sakura nodded in agreement
"Compared to the Hidden Mist's Freelance Bureau, this place is deserted. I wonder why."
"Ah-ha!" Naruto reached up and grabbed one. "Look, this one's even going to Sorano! Lucky!"
Sakura and Sasuke leaned into Naruto's shoulders to get a better look.
"'Help Want: Ship hands needed on route to Sorano in Lightning Country. Must be 18 or older. Apply at A- 5.'" Sakura read, "Naruto, that's not going to work. We need to be 18."
"Or an 18 year-old equivalent in physical strength and maturity." Sasuke had already begun his strides down Dock A. "Let's take a look at this one."
Sakura rubbed her head,
"'Ship hands'...?" Naruto penetrated deep thought as he looked down at his fingers.
"Idiot." Sakura flicked him playfully between the eyes.
"Ow!"
"Stop trying to make stupid puns!" She nagged and they both dashed after Sasuke.
-
The boat dock in A-5 was average-sized, like a house boat, or smaller yacht. It bobbed up and down in the current as the team approached it. A burly figure moved hastily around on it. He was tan and covered in scars.
"Um... Excuse me." Sakura called to him as he tightened ropes.
The man straightened, rubbing his hands into a small towel.
"How may I help you?"
"Did you post this?" Sasuke held up the ad.
The man looked at them curiously, and then burst out into a loud guffaw.
"You? You kids want to take on this job?" He cackled mightily. Other sailors looked their direction; some clambered off their ships to circle around the three.
A vein pulsated in Naruto's forehead.
"You have a problem with that, old man?"
The man laughed louder.
"Kid, I don't know where you come from, but it's obviously isn't any place smart." The bystanders were cackling now two. Naruto bit his lip. He had the sudden urge to unleash all of Kyuubi's demon strength on their heckler. The man picked a spear off his deck and hopped down to stand squarely in front of Naruto.
"You see this little boy?" The man sneered, talking childishly. His fellow pirates laughed and pointed. "This is called a harpoon. You see, the water between here and Lightning country is very instable and is full of all sorts of monsters, especially this time of year. (Oh, so that's why there was no one at the bulletin, Sakura thought.) I wouldn't want you to hurt your ickle self, kiddy. Go home to your mother!"
The peanut gallery roared with laughter. Naruto flushed; the seams of his self-control stretched and snapped. He felt the power surge within him and his animalistic urge to tear this man about threatened to act on its own. A calm hand landed gently on his shoulder and dragged him back to his senses. Naruto looked at its owner. Sakura smiled at him and removed her hand.
Sasuke leaned forward.
"May I see this?" He lifted the harpoon out of the hysterical man's hands. The man stopped laughing and chuckled slightly. His friends made snide remarks, but Sasuke threw them off. Instead, he pointed to the sign reading "Dock A" a hundred feet away.
"You see that 'A'?" He asked the man.
"Yeah. So?" The man snickered.
"That 'A' is your 'monster.'" Sasuke hefted the harpoon with both hands, took a running step and hurled the spear. It soared through the air like a missile and landed with a loud 'thunk' in the triangle of the A.
No one laughed. The sailors stood jaws askew, in disbelief.
"Greater men have underestimated us." Sasuke announced, his back to the man, "I wouldn't advise the same for you. We're willing to do this job for you; you might as well accept us." Sasuke turned around.
The man sighed and clasped Sasuke's hand.
"My name is Yoshitaka, welcome to the crew. What's your name?"
Sasuke smiled.
"Sasuke."
Author's Notes: dun dun dun... ok, so there's not that much suspense, but who cares? Yay for Moby Dick references! I'm sorry if the story is getting a little repetitive. I'm not trying for that, I swear! Anyway this next arc is nice and short, so you won't have to squirm much.
Next Chapter: The Journey to Sorano begins! And what ever happened to InoShikaCho?