*Edited for consistency 05/28/2021

Notes at the bottom

Between the Devil and the Deep
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Chapter Five
Beginnings

*In the Beginning*

In the Beginning, there were no stars, nor sun, nor moon - nothing but the Darkness above and the Great Ocean below, connected by an endless horizon.

And then something stirred in very heart of the Great Ocean, and the Darkness looked on in awe, for he had never seen something so beautiful.

"What do you call it?"

"I shall call it Light," she answered, and the Darkness marveled.

And the Great Ocean - who was kind and had long loved the Darkness - sent a swarm of Lights to the farthest edges of their shared horizon, and bid them to travel upward, until the Darkness was adorned so richly, she declared: "And I shall call you the Heavens."

"And you," he shone back upon her waters, "I shall call Beloved."

And countless stars and worlds were born in the swath of her smile, and that first flicker of light continued to dance in the depth of her breast, under the watch of newborn suns and moons and stars.

"It is different than the lights we share," the Heavens mused, studying the peculiar, insistent light.

"Yes," she agreed. "This is something special – something all its own."

And together they fostered and cared for that light as it grew. Smaller sparks broke away and scattered throughout the Great Ocean until her waters teemed with Life, and she bid the Land to rise from her depths to give the sparks new places to dwell.

Soon that tiny spark flickered in the hearts of all manner of creatures as they soared through the air or splashed through the waves or emerged from the soil.

And the Heavens remembered and honored the strange little spark in all its forms.

The sun warmed the earth in the day, and the moon and the stars guarded it at night. The winds swept across the waters and over wide grassy plains and craggy shorelines and rich forests, and mountains and rivers and snows and ice, weaving through the teeming of life that had become the Land.

The fledgling creatures and plants that began to make their home on land thanked the sun for it warmth and consulted the moon and stars for their wisdom.

Eventually the Great Ocean gave way to the Lands and the Seas, and she contented herself with keeping her timelessness fathoms upon fathoms deep, much as the Heavens allowed the Lights to govern the Sky. Deciding that the new lives were best served if lived out under their own will, the two entities faded into their own eternity, but not before leaving their daughter Kaguya and Nine Guardians to keep watch over the new world. Kaguya's father left her a palace on the moon, and her mother one in the sea, and Kaguya would travel between them as she guarded the lives above, below, and within.

Thus, she continued for many long, lonely years, until a mortal captured her heart. She bore him two sons, and when even her magic could no longer keep him from his place in the stars, she the left realm in her sons' care with a warning.

"The days of the gods are numbered," she said, as she faded into the moonlight. "Do not overstay your welcome."

They heeded her warning, and by the dawn of the age of the Great Kings, they too had faded into moonlight and legends.

Sixteen Years Ago

"Sasuke!" Mikoto rapped on the door. "Are you awake?"

When there was no answer, she pushed it open gently to peer into the room.

"Sasuke?"

She stepped in and studied the made bed with hands on hips.

"Now where could that boy have gotten to?"

A familiar laugh drifted through the window on the back of a sea breeze, and she crossed the room to look outside.

"Ah," a fond smile lit her eyes. "I see. Thank you, Old Friend. Keep an eye on them, will you? See that they get back on time."

The wind tugged at her long, black hair and sped back toward the two boys riding toward the water.

Mikoto watched her sons a moment longer before quietly closing the door and returning to her many duties for the day.

"What do you have to show me?" Sasuke demanded, his excitement just barely contained by a desperate desire to not appear over-eager in front of his older brother.

"Not much longer now," Itachi promised, adjusting his hold on the reins. Unable to get Itachi to elaborate (he never told anything before he was ready) Sasuke scoured their surroundings for any clue to their destination.

The path forked, and disappointment blossomed in his stomach. He halted his horse, and Itachi did the same, raising his eyebrows in question.

"That goes to the old ruins."

"Convenient," Itachi agreed. "As that is where we are headed."

Sasuke frowned. "There isn't anything up there worth seeing."

Itachi shrugged. "If you are so sure, you are welcome to go back." He urged his horse forward without sparing a backward glance to see if Sasuke followed.

"Fine," Sasuke muttered - a halfhearted protest to cover the quickening of his heart.

The one thing he never wanted to be was left behind.

The path was wide, and his mount fell in step with his brother's until the top of the hill was in sight. Whatever signal passed between them, it was silent and infinitesimal – and it started the race to the top of the hill.

The laugh that slipped out of Sasuke was one of pure joy as he clutched the reins tighter and made himself smaller on the horse's back, even as he whispered encouragement. They crested the hill of the old ruins, the summer sun bright on the water below, and in the azure of the sky above. It was a day full of promise, where anything seemed possible – especially with Itachi by his side.

"You might have won that time," Itachi allowed, dismounting to take the reins of Sasuke's horse as well as his own. He led them to a shady copse of tall trees before helping Sasuke get down.

"I still don't know why we are here," Sasuke took a carrot from his saddle bag to give to his horse. "I wanted to get to the Harbor and watch the ships come in."

"So, you said," Itachi agreed, taking his pack from his horse. "But the Harbor isn't the best place to watch the ships come in. Come."

With a final pat to his horse, Sasuke complied. Any reluctance was purely for show; Sasuke would follow Itachi anywhere. The five years separating them were both nothing and a lifetime, and Itachi was practically a god to Sasuke's eight-year-old self.

Itachi led the way to the remains of the old lookout tower, which boasted shadow for shade, and even one or two stable vantage points from which to see the water.

Sasuke stared across the water and took a deep, calming breath.

The wind was stronger here and filled with the taste of the Sea. It was the kind of breeze they knew would fly straight to their mother and report should they misbehave or manage to find more trouble than she deemed prudent for them to encounter. Wind Whispering was a rare gift even in their clan, but it was strong in their mother's veins. It was a tie to the Sea, and while both Sasuke and Itachi could sense the voice of the sea in the salt of the air, neither heard the messages as clearly as their mother, nor could they send their own on the back of a capricious breeze.

Still, they could speak words they knew their mother could hear.

"Tell Mother we made it safely," Itachi, said, brushing a stray hair from his face, "and ask her to thank Cook for the meal."

"Meal?" Sasuke asked hopefully, the first pangs of hunger just starting to steal over him.

Itachi pulled a blanket out of his pack, and handed part of it to Sasuke, who helped him arrange it on the cool, springy grass.

"We will be here a while," he explained, unrolling the scroll with the sealed food. "At port, you can only see the ships as they enter the Harbor and dock. From here, you can see their entire approach, and watch how they sail."

Itachi arranged the food to his liking before standing to scry the horizon with a familiar spyglass.

"Anything?" Sasuke asked, fighting his urge to jump up to try and see for himself.

"Due West," he handed over the spyglass. "Recognize the flag?"

Sasuke got to his feet and peered through the enchanted glass, reflexively murmuring the simple incantations that brought the image into better focus.

"Evergreen," he said decisively.

"Correct. Anything to the East?"

Sasuke scanned to the left and shook his head. "Not yet."

"Still early," Itachi allowed with a glance at the sun.

Sasuke shifted again to look at the ship from Evergreen, still too far off to be seen clearly without the use of the spyglass.

"I didn't think the people of Evergreen took to the Sea."

"Well, they are no Uchihas," Itachi hid his smile, "but they sail well enough."

Sasuke spotted a familiar energetic figure, darting around the ship in triplicate.

"I can't imagine how, with that idiot on board," he smirked, but there was no malice in his tone. He had known Naruto – the son of the Fox King – as long as he'd known anyone. "Which delegation do you think we will see next?"

"You have met Lord Hizashi, have you not?"

"The one that brought his son to court last summer?"

"Ah," Itachi smiled. "I forgot that you and Neji didn't quite hit it off."

Sasuke gave a derisive snort. "He was arrogant and rude."

"The ways of the Merfolk are old, and far more formal than what you are used to," Itachi shrugged. "You can't hold that against him."

"Now you are teasing me," Sasuke grumbled petulantly.

"He is one of the rare few that can manage extended time on land," Itachi allowed. "But he is Merfolk just the same – and of good family. Lord Hizashi is brother to the King of the Merfolk and liaison to our court."

"You expect me to believe that?"

"Why not? It is the truth."

"Prove it."

"I won't have to," Itachi pointed to the horizon. "Look there."

Sasuke lifted the spyglass to his eye out of habit if nothing else, instinctively following Itachi's direction. There was nothing on the Southern horizon, and was about to tell his brother as much, when the flick of something caught his eye – a flash of silver in the bright sun.

"Dolphins?"

Itachi shook his head.

"Look again."

Another flash caught his attention. And then another. And another. And another.

And he trained the enchanted glass on the closest cluster, trying to trace the silhouettes disappearing below the waves. A passing cloud dimmed the glare on the waves just long enough for him to make out several shapes just under the surface of the water.

"Merfolk," he breathed.

"On their way to the Grand Summit," Itachi nodded. "Lord Hizashi might have mentioned this would be a good place to watch for their arrival."

"There are so many," Sasuke watched as the Merfolk began to swarm and swim in a large circle. "What are they doing?"

"Some sort of ritual," his brother put down his spyglass, a small line creasing his brow. "But I don't know if that is part of it."

Sasuke watched the center of the circle grow darker as something emerged from the depths. The water began to swirl and froth, and a moment of panic seized his breath. Was this caused by the Merfolk? Was it a predator from the deep come to take advantage of a rare congregation of prey?

"Itachi," he said nervously, just as something pierced the waves to jut into the sky. Both boys gasped as the bow of an enormous ship emerged from the water, reverse-capsizing until the vessel righted itself on the waves, water cascading back into the Sea in an outright defiance of all natural law and order.

The hundreds of Merfolk circled the vessel as her many sails were unfurled – inexplicably dry and crisp and pristine – and immediately filled with the breath of the sea to send the ship slicing across the water.

Sasuke had never seen anything quite as beautiful.

He immediately scanned for a flag, or a name on the massive ship, but could not place the figurehead, nor the standard. It easily predated everything in their Navy – no ship had been built in her style in well over two hundred years.

"Who is she?" he breathed.

"There is only one ship I've ever heard of being built on so grand a scale." Itachi ventured, clearly as gob smacked as his younger brother. "The Comrade."

"The Comrade?" he blinked in incredulity. "The one from the stories? The gift from the Senju to the Uchiha?"

"From Hashirama himself. Enchanted and woven from the wood of his forests, and as intricately wrought as if hand carved by a thousand artisans, not one."

"But how? Even if that ship once existed, the legends say it sank in battle ages ago."

"Some stories said that when it sank, the Merfolk kept careful guard of it..." Itachi trailed off as he peered through another spyglass. "No doubt about it. That is King Hiashi at the helm. His brother is just behind him."

Sasuke scanned the deck and saw a familiar face in duplicate – the sterner of the two at the helm, and its twin at his shoulder.

"To bring a battleship back to the surface …" he swallowed. "Is this a threat?"

"No," Itachi said decisively. "The Merfolk would not need such a ship, should they wish to stand against us. The Sea is at their beck and call."

"Then why?"

"Our people have always believed that anything returned from the sea – a ship or a life – is a precious gift. If that truly is the Comrade, she would be quite the gift indeed – with ties to the Senju and Evergreen, no less."

Itachi stood.

"I am going to send a message to Father."

Sasuke gave a distracted nod as he drank in the beauty of the vessel, methodically scanning her from stem to stern with his spyglass. He was in the middle of trying to determine what the figurehead was exactly, when he noticed the slip of a girl – who had to be about his age – quietly standing in the shadow of the figurehead, her fingers pressed to its side as she watched the sea and land with the same anticipation he felt roiling in his veins. The wind tugged at her dark hair and toyed with the edges of her cloak, even as she kept it clutched against herself.

Without warning, her gaze fixed on him, and he reflexively lifted a hand to wave before he realized she was too far away to pick him out on the distant hillside, much less to see such a gesture.

But to his surprise, she colored prettily, and gave a shy wave back.

Sasuke asked under his breath "You can see me?"

She cocked her head to the side, listening, and gave a single nod.

"Who are you?"

Her lips formed one word.

And that was the day Sasuke discovered he had his mother's gift for Wind Whispering after all, as a small voice circled in his ears.

"Hinata."

Two Weeks Ago

Sai returned to harbor three days after Shin's death to find that Danzō had arranged a meeting between himself and the young Admiral the next afternoon. They were to meet in the Captain's Quarters of the Dagger, where Sasuke had invited him to collect Shin's belongings.

"I will see to it that you meet alone and are undisturbed," Danzō instructed. "Kill the Admiral. We will frame it as your having gone mad with grief over the loss of your brother."

Sai entered the room with a death sentence over his head.

"Admiral," Sai bowed. "It is an honor."

"Likewise," the Admiral nodded from his place behind the Captain's desk. "I have been anticipating our meeting. Did Commodore Shimura instruct you to kill me now, or wait for a more opportune time?"

Sai's face remained impassive as he said, "I am sorry – I do not understand."

"The reports list your brother as the First Mate of the Dagger, and Shimura as her Captain," Sasuke met his eyes calmly. "And yet Danzō, when he sat here," he placed a hand on the large chair behind the desk, "was not immediately able to access the appropriate documents. Also, when I had him write a list for me, the inkwell and quill were on the wrong side. Your brother was left-handed – Shimura is not. Additionally, I have intelligence that it was Danzō captaining the Fortitude, and that your brother died by his hand. So, I ask again: did Danzō instruct you to kill me now, or later?"

"Now if possible," Sai allowed. "Later if not."

"And do you think you could succeed in such a task?"

"It would be far more difficult now," Sai considered him, "but not impossible."

A smirk tugged at the Admiral's lips.

"You are either very skilled or very foolish."

"I have never been considered a fool."

"Nor, do I suspect, do you consider yourself a member of the Royal Navy, or even of our kingdom. It appears Danzō has done quite the job in building his own microcosm of loyalty."

Sai made no reply.

"You have a choice," Sasuke said simply. "You can attempt to follow your master's orders – which, I assure you will end in your death – or you can assist me in bringing him to justice and avenging your brother."

Sai reached to his side, even as Sasuke drew his sword. He held up a scroll, and placed it on the desk between them, then stepped back.

"I had not been sure I could approach you with that," he nodded to the parchment, "but it appears that I shall not have to do as much explaining as I thought."

Sasuke kept his sword drawn.

"And this is?"

"Reports sent to me by my brother," Sai said evenly. "Regarding Danzō's true activities."

"I noticed he arranged for us to be quite isolated," Sasuke left the parchment untouched. "Surely if he killed your brother, he must suspect you know the reason."

"Danzō seals all of us so that we cannot speak against him," Sai opened his mouth wide and indicated the black marks at the back of his tongue. "If I break his confidence the seal should kill me instantly."

"But it will not?"

"No," Sai shook his head. "I was released from the seal – Shin saw to that."

"Quite the feat," Sasuke mused. "As only the one setting that kind of magic should be able to reverse it."

Sai did not offer to elaborate.

Sasuke indicated the seat across from the desk. Once Sai sat, he sat as well, his sword within easy reach.

"Shin wasn't your biological brother," he commented, eyes shuttling across the pages rapidly.

"We were both orphans. Our earliest memories began with our life on the Farm, where we were raised to be Danzō's soldiers."

"And Danzō was your father figure?"

"No. He demands our loyalty but gives none in return – we are merely tools in his arsenal. He decided Shin would stay with the Navy, but my training meant I was sent elsewhere."

"You are an assassin."

"And quite a good one," Sai smiled his strange smile.

"Your brother's communications begin to express concern about Danzō some time ago," Sasuke frowned.

"In the last twelve years Danzō has done much to broaden his network. With the tales of Pirates in the waters, he became more ambitious. Shin knew he was plotting something on a grand scale, and began to work against him."

"How did he come by this intelligence," Sasuke gestured to the reports. "He could not have possibly gathered it all."

"There were others that supported him, although many are dead," Sai allowed. "However, he had one ally that he would not reveal to me. He refused to put their name to paper, or to speak it out loud."

"Was he sealed as well?"

"No. His seal was revoked and replaced with a fake – as is mine."

"Quite the precautions to take," Sasuke mused. "Was he so fearful of Danzō discovering their identity?"

"They had many identities, but only one name," Sai ventured. "And it was something Shin protected at all costs. Even I do not know it."

A hint of something sparked in Sasuke's eyes, and he raised his eyebrows at Sai, who gave a grave nod.

"Danzō is intent on acquiring the crew of the Natrix – I do not know if he has guessed as to who must have been helping Shin, or if he is simply seeking other means to power, but I strongly suggest that not be allowed to happen."

"Danzō's time is through," Sasuke scoffed. "He believes you to be loyal, and so shall we keep his beliefs. You will use his desire to be rid of me as an excuse to 'get close.' Meanwhile, the two of us shall ensure that he will be sentenced to spend the rest of his life in the depths of the King's prison."

Sai cocked his head to the side.

"Are you interested in the crew of the Natrix?"

"I believe they could prove to be useful," Sasuke allowed. "I am in search of a Child of the Sea – largely to prevent any from falling into enemy hands. Shin appears to have been in contact with one. You shall be my second in this investigation."

"As you say," he gave a single nod. "But what shall I tell Danzō in the meantime?"

"You shall give him these," Sasuke handed him a roll of parchment. "Those reports paint him a very favorable light, and make it appear that I have allied myself to his cause, putting him in a very good position to continue pursuing his goals. By the time he has the right way of it, it will no longer be our concern."

Sai accepted the documents and tucked them away.

"Report back here tonight. When Danzō asks why you did not kill me, tell him you thought it was best to delay his orders, as his actions have put him in good favor with the crown. I shall be requesting your presence specifically, out of gratitude to your brother; he will undoubtedly see it as a way to have a spy in the inner circle, and an assassin nearer its target."

"Then you shall need this," Sai handed over one more scroll.

"And this is?"

"A list of Shin's crew – the few left alive that can be trusted. You were right," he said bluntly. "We never swore our loyalty to Madara - nor do we now. But we will swear our loyalty to you."

"You'll swear your loyalty to the Admiral of the Royal Navy, but not to the Royal Navy?" Sasuke arched an eyebrow. "Surely you realized they are the same allegiance."

"Even so, My Lord," Sai bowed. "We shall not sail against you. We shall sail with you, even if your course should go against the tide."

An understanding passed between them, unspoken.

"And if, one day, I am the King?"

"Our allegiance will stand with you, no matter your position."

"Then…I will accept your pledge," Sasuke stood and held out his hand. "And hope that the tides flow in our favor."

Sai's smile was a ghost as he completed the ancient exchange, clasping Sasuke's arm.

"As long as the Goddess wills it, we shall sail by your side."

One Week Ago

Kiba hated being underground. He hated the stale scent of earth and despair tinged with notes of metal and blood. He hated that there was no smell of sunshine or grass or wind or life – everything here was static and dark and suffocating and constrained.

Worse than that, he'd left Akamaru top-side, and he was feeling more and more like he'd lost a limb.

Worse-worse than that, he and Shikamaru had stumbled into a problem.

The two men in charge wanted to up the timetable on the detonation – and in a big way.

Kiba and Shikamaru had borne witness to how one of them killed their victims. A self-proclaimed high-priest of an ancient religion, the one calling himself Hidan had been picking off miners to satiate his bloodlust, and they'd had an unfortunately graphic view of his latest sacrifice.

Kiba was not sure how anyone combatted that kind of lunacy, especially when they appeared to be immortal.

"Any word, Kiba?"

Kiba wasn't used to having Ino in his mind, and he couldn't filter her out like Shikamaru could – and had been. It had taken several days not to just speak out loud, or to mentally 'shout' at her.

"There's no way we're gonna be able to stick to the original plan; these guys are determined to get on with things – one wants to pick up a lucrative job, the other is just batshit crazy and bloodthirsty. Shikamaru calculated the ship is still too far out to turn back, and has the beginnings of a good plan, but it's going to require us to get awfully close. I got a feeling he's going to send me off with the prisoners and try and see this one through on his own, which, just ain't happening."

"Good," she sighed. "I made contact with Evergreen – with this latest intel, I think we have a strategy that will work."

"Why are you telling me?" Kiba muttered. "I'm not the shadow user."

"No, he is blocking me. So here is what I want you to do…"

Shikamaru wasn't privy to any of this conversation, thankfully. Kiba swallowed a sigh, squared his shoulders, and crept up to Shikamaru, who was listening intently to the bickering leaders.

He leaned forward and whispered. "Ino is trying to speak with you."

Shikamaru shook his head. "No time. And no names."

"Please don't say that," Kiba sighed. "She is planning on making me do something epically disturbing to break your concentration if you don't at least speak with her. And trust me – she has some pretty decided ideas on how best to do that, and I am so not down for any of them."

"Fine," he muttered, opening his mind to Ino. "Make it fast."

"Well, it's about time," Ino huffed. "I have word from Evergreen, but more importantly I think I know how we can kill two birds with one stone – or – in this case, two insanely powerful beings all at once."

"Two minutes. That's all I can give you."

"Well now that you opened that massively large mind of yours to me, I can be done in one. Kiba, too."

Shikamaru nudged Kiba, and put a hand on his shoulder. They both closed their eyes and 'listened.'

Shikamaru's mind was incredibly fast – even for a Nara. The rate Ino was sending him information would completely overload the normal neurological system, causing the receiver's mind to shut down. He used his magic to filter the information as he passed it to Kiba.

Mere moments later, Kiba breathed:

"Whoa."

Shikamaru rubbed his chin with a "Mm."

"You think it will work?"

"I think we have about one hour to make it work, whether we like it or not."

"Damn," Kiba shook his head. "Oh well. Nothing like a deadline to make you get shit done. Ino gonna tell the folks topside?"

"I already did," she interrupted them. "Will you two old biddies kindly get a move on it and go kick some ass?"

Shikamaru sighed and closed their connection.

"I like her," Kiba decided. "Direct. To the point. Pretty bad ass. Pretty. Might have to hang out with her more if we manage to survive this."

"Let's focus on the surviving part until then," Shikamaru drawled, secretly relieved. Ino had been dropping hints about Kiba for months – to everyone except Kiba. It was a problem he wouldn't mind turning his full attention to, as soon as he no longer had an immortal to kill.

Neji was meditating in his quarters when Kakashi gathered the crew.

"We've just received some vital intelligence," Kakashi announced, taking a seat by a more-somber-than-usual Ino. "It appears that we have to move up our timeline. We attack tonight."

"Tonight?" Yamato frowned. "But the moon is still waning."

"Unfortunately, we can't wait for the moon to be dark."

Yamato grimaced. "We aren't in a strategic position to take down those ships."

"I know," Kakashi agreed. "We are in the perfect position for an ambush several days from now, but our latest intelligence shows that plan is outdated. Luckily, it appears we have allies that are already working on freeing the prisoners; we need to cooperate with their efforts."

"Cooperate how?" Shino asked, folding his hands on the table.

"By sending a single infiltrator. Once onboard, he will secure the prisoners and transport them via Yamato's seals to this vessel. As soon as the freed prisoners arrive, we must take them immediately to a separate location."

"And the infiltrator?"

"We can't wait for them."

"So, it has to be me," Neji spoke up. "I am the only one that can approach unseen and undetected, and escape without the use of a vessel."

"Should things go wrong, yes. Should things go right, you will have a ride with another ship waiting to bring you back. Either way, you are the one best suited to this infiltration."

"I disagree."

Everyone turned to Shino.

"I am capable of getting on board undetected, and then bringing down the ship. Moreover, I am the better choice. Why, you may ask? That is because, Madara is not seeking anyone from my clan. Sending Neji is risking one of his kind falling into the hands of Madara, which is not a risk we can afford to take."

"Normally, I would agree with you," Kakashi nodded. "However, this time, I have need of your specific talents, Shino. Neji will infiltrate and then rendezvous with us as soon as he is able." He looked over at Neji. "You depart in an hour."

Neji dipped his head.

"Then I shall go prepare."

He returned to his quarters, excitement skating across his skin. His eyes trailed to the fox orchid enchanted to bloom untended at his bedside. He brushed the small, clustered flowers reverently.

"We are coming, Hinata. I promise."