Hello all, how's the summer treating you so far? Mine in great! Until next week (I'm looking for a second job to hold me over during the summer…). Anyway, this chapter is up and ready, it's a little different but it gets the job done, and what's more, I like it. A brief note that I'll mention here and again at the END of the chapter, I set myself up a website (finally). Click on my author's name and it should take you to an about me page that had my site listed (I think) some of the fanart I've gotten is there (eventually all of it will be there) and eventually I'll have it all up. Check it out, AFTER you read the chapter (if you want to, that is, it's not too special yet).

:BREAK:

Exodus

Chapter 09

Port Town was busier than Sasuke had been expecting. Actually, he didn't know what to expect, nor did he care. But if he did, he would've dreaded their brief stop in the town. There were so many people, each with their own agenda, each trying to sell, buy or steal something, and many of them wanting to involve him and his companions in their plans.

"Ah, what have we here? A young ninja? Would you like a cool drink? Or perhaps some fresh fruits? What about…" The man trailed off as Sasuke walked past him without so much as a glance. Within moments the man was already calling out, heckling another potential customer. In this business you had to be quick, you couldn't concentrate on one customer for too long, or you would lose all your business. No time to hold grudges when there was product to push.

Sasuke shoved his hands deeper into his pockets as yet another merchant called out to him. He wished he could pick up his pace, but forced himself to slow for his companions. The girl, Olivia, walked slowly and deliberately through the town, wide eyes taking in every stall they walked past. It was a wonder she didn't get lost, but it was only a matter of time, they wouldn't be safe until they found a ship. "We should head towards the docks."

"Not yet, Sasuke-san." Thomas replied. Lowering his voice he added, "We need to come up with a story to tell the ship's captain. Let's look for someplace quieter to talk."

/But we could be missing the boat! We could miss them entirely and have to wait a week or even a month in this god-forsaken place for the next boat! And Naruto could get farther ahead…/ Sasuke wanted to scream this, he wanted to ignore the others and head towards the docks alone, but he knew he was out of his element in this place and that if he lost the others, there was a real chance that he would not find them again. So he said nothing, allowing his glare to darken as he followed Thomas, hoping the man knew what he was doing.

Unlike Sasuke, Shikamaru was rather enjoying Port Town. It was new and crowded and held many interesting elements that he would never have seen in Konoha. For instance the whore houses- they lined the streets, right next to respectable (seeming at least) restaurants and hotels. He blushed as he stared at one too long and a girl, probably not much older than himself, leaned out of a window, exposing more bare flesh than he'd seen in his life time. This place was NOT somewhere he would like to live in, but it was an interesting vacation spot. And it told him more about human nature than he would be able to learn in the books back in Konoha. /When a community prospers there is a larger gap between the rich and the poor… And morals lapse on both ends. Interesting…/

Shikamaru continued to glance around, this time remembering not to stare at any one place for too long. The thing that bothered him most about the place was how the buildings were built too tall and close together. You couldn't see the sky except for patches here and there, and even then the view was obscured by tall wooden and brick developments that spanned endlessly high and were tastelessly made. Not at all like back home.

Shikamaru glanced up to see that the rest of his group had wandered ahead of him. Far ahead of him. "Shit." With a sigh he picked up his pace rounding a corner and ramming headfirst into a red headed boy about his own age. Shikamaru went flying to the ground, but the boy stood as if unfazed by the impact. "Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going."

The red haired boy stared at him though pale, tired-looking eyes, but did not reply. A moment later, another boy rounded the corner, brown haired this time, with eyes that looked like they were tormented. The brown haired boy looked at the redhead and, without touching him, got his attention. "Gaara, come on, we're going THIS way." The redhead nodded his head towards Shikamaru slightly as he turned to follow his companion.

Shikamaru glanced at the town boys as they walked away and turned another corner. There was something about them that made him pause. A familiar feeling or smell or… Glancing up, he realized that the group was now ever farther ahead of him, almost out of sight range. "Shit…" He swore once more before quickly dashing to catch up.

:BREAK:

Tenmar felt a little apprehension building as they walked through the gate of Port Town. It was pretty plain as far as gates go, but what lied behind it was like nothing he'd ever imagined. The biggest town he and his brothers had ever been to before was Konoha. This place made Konoha look like a one-horse town. Konoha was big, Port Town was gigantic. Mammoth. Beyond his wildest imagination.

Poor Rin, before they even passed the gate into town the boy was shaking. There were too many minds, too much commotion and it was all chaotic. He hadn't been this close to so many people since he was a baby and back then, he didn't have to worry about sorting the minds he was reading.

Ganten probably would have been apprehensive of entering the town himself, but his concern for his friend was too high. "Rin… Is there anything I can do?"

Rin shook his head, eyes wide. "I just need to spend a few minutes focusing my mind on something, or someONE."

"If you need to, just keep your focus on my mind." Ganten's voice was soft and concerned as he spoke to his friend, offering the boy his hand. "Here, it's easier if we're touching, right?"

Rin took the offered hand, giving Ganten a shaky smile. "So far, I only seem to be able to show you the weak side of myself…"

Ganten shook his head, eyes sincere as he replied, "I think you're one of the strongest people I know."

Tenmar blushed as he watched the tender scene unfold. That was, until Uzu came behind Ganten and slapped the boy on the back. "Smooth, little brother. 'I think you're one of the strongest people I know…' " He mimicked, fluttering he eyes before laughing.

Ganten's eyes narrowed as Uzu continued to tease them, free hand reaching out to grab his brother by the hand that was not holding the baby. "If I were you, I would remember the lesson from this morning and BACK OFF."

The reminder seemed to be enough for Uzu, as the redhead immediately moved to stand next to Tenmar and Naruto. "Da-er-Naruto-sama. How are we gonna find a ship?"

"Ah, I have a letter or something here from the Hokage to a ship's captain…" Naruto glanced down, running his hands through the pouch he wore around his waist until he pulled the letter out. "'Captain Vishell,' it says. He's supposed to be in Port Town 'till the end of the month and then he sails across the Great Sea. My letter says he'll take care of us." Naruto shrugged, "Guess the guy owes the old man a favor."

"Did you say the end of the month?" Ganten asked, picking up pieces of the conversation from his place at the front of the group with Rin. It was almost the end of the month now, wasn't it? He'd lost track of the days during their time in the woods where the days didn't matter. "What day is today…?"

"The thirtieth." Gaara replied from his position in the back of the group, next to Mina. Naruto had asked him to walk there to protect Mina, but the request showed a large amount of faith in the redhead. He could run off now with no one looking over him, or ignore the girl he was supposed to watch over and allow someone to kidnap her or worse. He was not unaware of the position he was given and what it meant. To the others and to himself.

"The THIRTIETH?" The group almost yelled as a whole. That put a damper on things. They had to find the ship and fast or they were stranded until the next ship came through, and then they'd be forced to pay full traveling fees. They picked up their speed, cold fear grabbing onto their hearts. They might be delayed if things progressed like they had been. It was time to speed things up.

Thirty minutes passed. Then an hour. They were no closer to finding the proper port than they were to finding the proper ship. A place like Port Town where all the smells were mingled and confusing and all the sounds were deceptive was NOT a good place to be looking for one tiny ship, let alone one tiny ship's captain. Tenmar sighed as his family stood in an alley way, staring at each other and wondering how they'd met ANOTHER dead end to their search. "What are we gonna do?"

Naruto looked at the faces of his children and companions. They were eagerly desperate to get on a ship and towards the unknown, the new. They wouldn't be able to wait another few months for Captain Vishell to make his way back to this part of the world, if he ever did again. And he doubted they'd have enough money to get all of them aboard another ship without each of them taking on jobs to raise some money, but then they'd have to have a place to stay while they worked, and THAT would dig into their cash supply and… "Alright, Tenmar, you go that way." Naruto pointed towards one of the four exits to their current alley way. "Gaara, go that way. Uzu, go that way and Ganten, you head that way. Go find someone and ask if they know where this Vishell person is and if not if they can point you to the docks that take in the ships from the Great Sea. Come back here when you know and we'll follow the person that has the best directions." Naruto grinned at the end of his speech, rather proud of himself for being able to think of it before Ganten.

Tenmar sighed as he obeyed his father. He didn't have much hope for finding anything or anybody in this mangled mess of people and buildings and stalls that passed for a city. He walked out of the alley way and walked quickly to the first stall he saw, which was almost immediately to his right once he left the alley. "Excuse me, sir?"

The vendor glanced up to see a tall blonde woman- no, it was a man with long pretty hair loose around his shoulders- standing next to his stall. "Would you like to buy an amulet, young sir? I have love amulets, amulets of fertility, amulets to curse your enemy, amulets-"

"I was hoping you could help me find someone." Tenmar broke in, feeling slightly guilty as he did so. Obviously, this man was running a business and didn't have much time to talk to non-customers. Tenmar wasn't surprised when the man turned away from him. He sighed, debating whether he should go to the next stall or if he should pester this man until he got the answer he was looking for. While he was debating he felt an arm suddenly wrap around his waist, an overly-familiar touch for someone Tenmar could tell by scent was a stranger.

"Hey, princess. What's a pretty thing like you doing talking to this junk dealer? If its jewels you want, I could-"

Tenmar grabbed the man's hand, squeezing hard enough to draw a gasp of pain from his lips. Tenmar then turned so that the man could see his face. Obviously he'd been mistaken for a woman. "I'm a man; please don't touch me so familiarly."

The man raised his hands in an innocent manner, but there was still a gleam in his eyes that made Tenmar feel leery. "Sorry. No offense… That's quite a grip you got there, Princess."

Tenmar choose to ignore the man's comments, deciding to attempt once again to ask the gem dealer for help. He was by far the least busy booth in the area. "Please, I'm looking for someone. A ship's captain. Can't you at least point me in the right direction?"

The merchant glanced at Tenmar once more, then sighed as he gave in to Tenmar's eager blue eyes. "Be quick about it, boy."

"Thank you!" Tenmar started, but he could tell if he spent too much time asking the question the man would lose interest in him. He didn't have that much time to spend on a non-customer. "I'm looking for a captain named Vishell. He runs a ship out towards the Great Sea today-"

"Did you say Vishell?" The obnoxious man who'd touched Tenmar earlier asked, eyes lighting up. " … What a coincidence."

Tenmar ignored the man, looking to the merchant for an answer.

The merchant shook his head. "I'm familiar with the name, of course. Who doesn't know of the Great Captain Vishell? But I'm afraid that beyond the legend of the man I cannot help you."

"Legend?" Tenmar repeated, eyebrow rising.

"I can help you." The obnoxious man said, stepping too close to Tenmar once again. "I work for him. I'll take you to the Tempest."

Tenmar looked up to see the merchant shaking his head in a warning manner, but this may be the best lead they would get. He sighed. "Fine. Just, let me get my companions."

"Don't trust him." The merchant said softy, still shaking his head.

The sailor's eyes caught on the merchant, dark look across his face. "What was that, old man?"

Tenmar glanced at the man sadly before turning away. "I don't have much of a choice. We're in a hurry. Thank you for all of your help, sir."

The merchant didn't dare reply, but continued to shake his head as he watched Tenmar lead the sailor down the alley way towards his family.

Tenmar smiled at his father as he walked into the alleyway, the obnoxious stranger following him. "Fa-Naruto-sama!" He called as he approached. "I've found someone willing to lead us to the captain."

Naruto glanced up, eyes landing on the tall sandy haired man that followed his son into the alley. He was walking far too close for a father's comfort, but Naruto gave no outward sign of caring. "You mean he hasn't left yet?" Naruto's question was directed towards the newcomer who shook his head, bemused smile on his lips. "Then I'll go get the others. Tenmar, stay with Mina." Tenmar nodded, glancing at Rin as his father ran off towards where Ganten had gone. After a moment Rin stared at Tenmar, eyes telling the man that he was going to help Naruto. Tenmar nodded and Rin was gone.

The man was left to watch as Tenmar stood over his sister's body staring at the strange man with a challenging look in his eyes as the man took in Mina's appearance.

"Is she dead?"

"NO!" Tenmar replied, perhaps too forcefully. "No. She's just sleeping. She's… There's something wrong with her mind." Tenmar leaned over his sister, brushing a stray strand of hair out of her face tenderly.

"Hum…" The man crossed his arms, watching the way Tenmar's cold face softened when he glanced at the girl. "Lover?"

Tenmar's eyes narrowed. What was he playing at? "It's none of your business."

The man laughed. "I'll take that as a no. She's close to you, but more like a friend or… sister?" The man smiled, the look on the blonde's face told him he was right.

Tenmar opened his mouth to reply, but then his father was back in the alley with Uzu and Ganten. Rin and Gaara were close behind them. "We're all here. Lead the way."

"Fine. Tenmar." He toyed with the boy's name on his tongue as he turned towards the docks, it felt a little strange, but it was a nice name. "You can call me Fetch, that's what my friends call me."

"Why would I want to be your friend?" Tenmar replied.

The man laughed in return, a good, hearty sounding laugh. "Whatever you say, princess."

:BREAK:

Sasuke glanced around as they reached the docks. They had gotten there with relative ease considering the complete chaos the city invited. Thomas winded his way easily through the crowds and suddenly they were slowly walking down a long line of the largest ships Sasuke had ever seen. These ships made the one they'd traveled across the bay in look like a paddle boat.

Thomas walked down the rows of ships, apparently looking for something in particular. Apparently having found it, he paused in front of a ship with the words 'The Tempest' painted clearly on it, giving warning glances to the boys. "Remember our story. Shikamaru's my servant and Sasuke, you're my personal body guard. That should be enough for no questions to be asked when I show them my pass. Once we're far enough out to sea we can drop the act, nobody's gonna turn the ship around once we're a week out."

Shikamaru snorted, "Yeah, but until then, you got a personal slave. Why'd I get stuck with the servant role?"

Thomas smiled at him in return, patting his back. He didn't think the boy really wanted an answer to that question, as the arrangements had been HIS idea in the first place. He knew all too well that no one in their right mind would believe that Sasuke was a servant boy, whereas Shikamaru's slightly droopy eye lids and tendency to complain made him seem the perfect 'disgruntled work boy'. "I promise not to be too demanding."

After that, Thomas led the group up a long pier and then up a plank and onto the Tempest. He walked holding Olivia in his arms, acting the over-protective father. Well, actually, Shikamaru was pretty sure he wasn't acting that role. Sasuke walked behind him, eyes shifting to and fro as if looking for danger. It really WAS the perfect role for the dark haired boy as he did not need to break from his normal paranoid and unpleasant personality. Shikamaru came up the back, carrying seven or eight bags of assorted clothes and personal effects. It looked like he was Thomas's pack horse, but in reality less than half of the bags belonged to the man. Four of them larger bags were full of his and Sasuke's items (clothing, books, a shogi board and whatever remained of their provisions from the hike across the woods).

"Good afternoon, my good man!" Thomas called as he approached the man standing watch for stowaways. "This is the Tempest, is it not?"

The sailor looked slightly worse for wear as they approached. His skin was tanned and rough-looking, perhaps from old age, but more likely from too many long hours out in the sun without covering. His white hair hung in greasy strands from his head and when he opened his mouth to talk it was noticeable that he was missing more than a few visible teeth. The man looked Thomas up and down, taking a moment to spit over the edge of the ship before replying. "What's it to you?"

"It's a great deal to me, actually. My daughter and I are looking for transport home, to Grendelsphere. Across the Great Sea."

"I know where it is." The man replied, apparently not yet impressed with Thomas's attitude.

"I hear your ship will be departing within the next few hours. We'd very much like to be on board, if you have the space."

"Got the space. You got a pass?"

"Of course." Thomas snapped his fingers, Shikamaru's cue to present the sailor with Thomas's pass.

Dropping the luggage carefully on the ramp, Shikamaru pulled the pass from his back pocket. "Here it is, sir." He carefully handed it to Thomas, then allowed HIM to pass it to the sailor. It would be poor servant etiquette to hand an item his master asked for to somebody else.

As soon as the sailor had the pass he examined it, looking carefully at the crest in the center, then at the top right corner and finally holding it up to the sun. Apparently it checked out because he nodded, handing the pass back to Thomas.

Thomas folded the paper back up and handing it to Shikamaru, who once again placed it in his back pocket. "We'll be requiring a private cabin for myself and my daughter. These two will be staying with us as well."

"Servants?" The man looked both Sasuke and Shikamaru up and down before returning his attention to Thomas. "We don't got two open cabins. You'll have to share."

Although that had always been the plan, Thomas now made a big show of how inconvenient the situation was. Eventually he settled down. "I suppose ONE will HAVE to do."

"It's gonna cost ya. Five hundred."

Thomas made no comment about the price, although Shikamaru could see his head twitch slightly in surprise from behind. He obviously hadn't been expecting it to cost so much. It must have been the last cabin left; they probably raised the price of each cabin after they rented one. Shikamaru waited patiently for Thomas's snap before pulling the money pouch from around his neck. He pulled out the fee, making sure not to reveal just how much was left over after they paid. It wouldn't do to have the sailor know that five hundred was only a drop in the bucket of the fortune they were hefting around.

After the sailor had the money he turned his head towards the back, in a loud, bellowing voice he called, "Jax! Get your good-for-nothing ass over here and show this man to his cabin!"

A boy, presumably Jax, no older than fifteen appeared before them, bright red hair framed his face and freckles stood out predominately across his nose and cheeks. He had the lanky look of someone whose body hadn't quite been able to fill outward as fast as upward. He was dressed similarly to the sailor that guarded the entrance to the ship, very loose fitting clothes, comfortable and allowing free movement, but not too good for stealth. "Which cabin?"

"Which cabin!" The man's returning bellow made Shikamaru's head spin. "The only cabin not occupied. The east cabin, you waste of a human being."

The boy flushed slightly at the reprimand, but nodded at Thomas and the others and led them quickly away from the sailor. He didn't speak to them as he walked and it left Shikamaru time to look around. The ship was just as huge from the deck as it had looked from the dock. People, sailors and travelers alike, wandered across the top. Shikamaru hadn't seen so many foreign looking people in his life. To be fair, they probably WERE all foreign. No ninja, except those on missions, were allowed to cross the Sea and it was even rarer for a non-ninja to make the journey, at least according to what Shikamaru had heard. Of course, most likely, the non-ninja that HAD made the journey probably hadn't returned.

From behind them, Shikamaru could hear the sailor bellowing at someone else. "Fetch, you lazy bastard, where the hell have you been all this time? We're gettin' ready to leave an' you disappear for hours."

"I brought a gift for the Captain. Where is he?"

Without turning to look at the man, Shikamaru could tell he was responding to the sailor's insults good-naturedly. That was good to know. The man swore up a storm and was very condescending, but he wasn't disliked and even more important, it was simply his nature to blow smoke at people, try to intimidate.

They reached their cabin and Thomas pressed a coin in the boy's hand, quickly shutting him out of the room. He then collapsed on one of the beds with a sigh. "Whew… That was interesting."

"Yeah, good thing it worked, eh?" Shikamaru replied, flopping himself down on the room's other bed. Besides the two beds, there was a table and two wooden chairs, all nailed down firmly to the floor. Shikamaru figured that Thomas and Olivia could share a bed, leaving himself and Sasuke to duke it out over the remaining one. "I'll rock-paper-scissors you for the first night on the bed."

Sasuke shook his head, looking around disdainfully. "I don't care, you take it."

Shikamaru shrugged, content with the arrangement. He could almost fall asleep now. It was amazing, he hadn't realized how much he missed having a bed until he was laying on one.

:BREAK:

Tenmar sighed as they followed Fetch through what had to be the long way to the docks. The man stopped occasionally, explaining that he had a few errands to run for the captain before he returned to the Tempest (the name of Captain Vishell's ship, apparently). Occasionally the man turned to look at them while he talked to whichever merchant he was dealing with. Turned to look at HIM. He could feel the man's eyes on him as they walked, even when he stood behind the man. Tenmar shook his head; that was ridiculous. He had to be imagining the man's attention. But as Tenmar stared, Fetch turned, leer spreading across his smug-looking face.

"We're here." He turned down an alley and at the exit they could see, finally, a long line of docks, ships the size of a small town spanning the entire length of them. He walked briskly up a nearby plank to a ship labeled 'Tempest' in large, acrylic letters. "Oi! Branger!"

"Fetch, you lazy bastard, where the hell have you been all this time? We're gettin' ready to leave an' you disappear for hours." A large, un-kept looking man replied, despite his words, his face was lined with a kind of smile.

"I brought a gift for the Captain. Where is he?" Fetch replied, leaping easily onto the ship. He then turned, offering Tenmar a hand on stepping off the ramp. "Watch your step, princess."

Tenmar's eyes narrowed as he stepped onto the ship, ignoring the hand and turning to assist his father in helping Mina onto the ship.

"More passengers?" The man, Branger, demanded.

"Seems like it. Go get the captain, bastard. I'll watch the ramp."

"Yeah, but he ain't gonna like it." The man stood, turning. "Cabins all filled up."

"Just go get 'em."

"Pretty influential, aren't you?" Ganten observed, watching Branger walk away fast enough to look humorous for a man of his size. He kept his hands on Rin carefully. He'd seemed to be getting used to being surrounded by people, but Ganten was still worried and had decided not to leave the boy's side until the city was out of the range of his abilities.

Fetch shrugged, leaning lazily against the ships rail, eyes on Tenmar. It was cute how the blond looked around the ship with such wide, excited looking eyes. Most of his companions seemed to have a certain level of excitement to them, as well. The other blond almost looked as cute as Tenmar did, they could have passed for brothers, but for some reason, that didn't seem quite right. "Branger'll listen to anybody, so long as they ask right."

"What's this, Fetcher?" A large, muscular man with a thick black beard and a gruff, booming voice appeared. His face and arms were so covered with hair that it was impossible to see his features easily.

Fetch pushed himself off of the rail, standing almost at attention when his captain appeared. "Captain, these people were asking about you in town."

The captain looked the group over, eyes staying a little longer on Moab, who still hung from under Uzu's arm like an old sack, and Mina. "We don't got no more cabins."

"So I hear." Naruto replied, stepping forward, letter outstretched. "But I was told to see you. Here, this is from the old man."

Captain Vishell took the letter, eyes widening as he read through it. When he was done, he glanced up with a sigh. "Damn. The one person I can't say no to. How'd you know Sarutobi, kid?"

Naruto smiled as it became obvious that he was going to be let on board. "He's Hokage of the ninja village I was raised in."

"Really?" Naruto could see the surprise flicker across the captain's face. "When'd that happen?'

"A million years ago. He's already retired AND taken back his position when his replacement died. Just how far back do you two go?"

Vishell smiled, "It's a long story. Well, like I said, there're no more cabins, but I can't turn you away… Fetch!" He bellowed the man's name.

Fetch winced from his position next to the captain. His ears were now ringing. "Yeah?"

"What do we got in way of sleeping quarters?"

"Well, there's enough room in the shared quarters area for 'em, it'll be tight, but…" Fetch smiled wickedly as his eyes landed on Tenmar. "They could always sleep in the crew quarters. There's enough spare room in my area for a few of them and the rest could-"

"No… No." The captain appeared to be lost in thought for a moment before he once again bellowed, "Fetch!"

The man winced once more, but responded to his summons. "WHAT?"

"What about storage B? We got cloth in there, right? Not too full, should be comfortable enough…" He turned to Naruto again, seeming to have made his decision. "It's got no view, but it'll be private for the little lady and the baby. We got a deal?"

Naruto glanced at his family who shrugged or nodded in return. Only Tenmar seemed less than happy with the arrangement. With a mental apology to his oldest son, Naruto slapped his hand into Vishell's. "Great!"

:BREAK:

OK, well, that's it for now. Next chapter begins high ocean adventure! I'm really looking forward to writing some high ocean adventure, if you couldn't tell. Don't worry, I won't have them not knowing the other's on board the same ship for TOO LONG. I think.

Anyway, as mentioned before, I've got a website.

http/psychickingdom. dot 250free dot com (with the italicized dots as actual dots rather than words).

I would be oh so happy if you'd all come and check it out, and drop me a line to tell me how you like it. To be honest, it's not much. I don't have website editor software, so it's a long hard road to get it to look like it DOES, let alone to get it to look any nicer… Anyway, if I devote too much attention to it, that that would distract from writing. But for now it's slightly up.

I have the fanart that other people drew for me waiting to be put on (even one or two of my own, if I'm feeling brave). The problem is that my computer crashed a while back and, although I was able to save the pictures, I did not save the artists names. If you drew me a picture, PLEASE e-mail me an' let me know which one you drew and what name you want to be credited for the art. Also, since I got a website, I'm now willing to take in fanart that people want to draw for me… Ahem… Hint hint. Anyway, that's it for now; hope you all have a good week!

And, last but not least, as always, thank you to QianYun, my beta!