Good day.
I hope you enjoy the read.
"So it's into the Void
Now me girls and me boys
From Mother's hands we go
We'll be be sailing to the sun
Till the voyage is done
Then we'll be sleeping in the cold below"
Kiba eyed the food on his wooden plate with hesitation. Salted beef strips and pickled eggs with a side of cheese, for the fifth day in a row. The idea of needing to endure this menu for three more days made it even less appealing. Junichiro moved about the cabin, handing out half-loafs of sturdy tasteless bread, made only with flower and water – sea biscuits, he and the rest of the crew called them. For the better part, these meals achieved their purpose of quelling hunger, though Kiba liked to imagine that even rocks held more flavor than ship rations. Both him and Itsuki had tried to address the issue on different occasions, yet were immediately shut down with impunity.
"When you discover food that doesn't spoil or catch mold in the belly of a ship at sea, come let me know. I'm sure I'd make a fortune with such knowledge. Until then, young master, enjoy our delights such as they are." The captain would wink at whoever brought up the topic, making it understood the alternative was starvation.
Complete silence set in once their young server finally sat down in front of his own bowl. The Inuzuka glanced at each of the people sitting at the table, trying to gage their reaction to the food. As expected, Shino started eating the food mechanically, without any reluctance. Hinata's will fluctuated for a moment as the fork hovered in front of her mouth, but Kiba knew she was too polite to ever complain. Koya and Junichiro dug into the meal like it was their first time eating after a week, completely content with using their hands. That only left Itsuki, who's disgust and disapproval were plastered all across his contorted features. At least when it came to the food, him and the Daimyo's son could agree on something.
"Koya, what are you transporting in the crates below us?" The question came less out of curiosity and more from the desire to delay eating.
"Why the interest, master Kiba?" The captain had already finished the food on his plate and suckled on his fingers for the last bits of grease. "It's not other kinds of food, if that's what you're hoping for." He let out a hardy laugh.
"Of that, I'm sure…" Kiba sulked "… since I would have picked up on the scent."
"Well, there's no reason to hide it, I guess, since you are part of master Sasuke's team. The crates contain the kind of cargo that the harbor authorities in the Land of Water would frown upon."
"You're a smuggler?!" Itsuki choked on his beef.
"I prefer the term purveyor of exquisite goods."
"Putting a fancy spin on it doesn't excuse you breaking the Daimyo's law." Itsuki shot up from his chair. The outrage at all the things he endured since he left his father's side reached a tipping point when faced with the idea that the Uchiha had knowingly involved him with a criminal. "The Land of Fire's law is sacred and must be-"
Koya slammed his palm hard against the surface of the table, shuffling the cutlery and breaking the young lord's train of thought. "And what do you know about the Daimyo's law, lad?"
"I…"
"You might wear that armor, boy, but you're no soldier. That much is clear from your posture, from your lack of discipline. I may pretend not to notice it, out of respect for master Sasuke, but I won't let somebody who's impersonating a footman talk down to me about respecting the law."
Itsuki eyed each of the three shinobi present at the table, only to see them focusing on the food in front of them, unwilling to meet the captain's gaze. Realizing he'd get no support from his escorts his first instinct was to reveal his true identity. Mission be damned – he wouldn't let a lowborn criminal get the better of him.
"So… Koya… err... sir." Kiba's guilt at having sparked up the volatile topic forced him to attempt deviating it. "How exactly did you meet Sasuke?"
The Izunuka's intervention gave Itsuki the few precious seconds needed to reconsider letting his temper get the better of him. With his attention drawn away, the captain finally fell back into a relaxed pose, one arm dangling off the chair's backrest.
"Well, that's definitely a tale worth recounting. Though perhaps it would be best I keep it for after we finish our meal. I've never heard a seaman tell a good story without a mug of ale in his hand, after all."
[…]
Akamaru wolfed down the last bit of food from Kiba's plate when Junichiro passed around gathering the tableware.
"Did you enjoy the meal, your highness? I know I shouldn't have, but I used a bit of our fresh water to wash away the brine from your portion." The boy's eyes were wide and expecting validation for his efforts, yet his words attracted querying looks from the others present.
Hinata winced at the title and cycled through the suspicious glares. "Yes, of course, Junichiro. I thank you for your kindness."
Ever since that first day on the deck, he would occasionally refer to her as such. Sasuke thought it innocent enough to not dispel the illusion, especially since it seemed to motivate him towards being more disciplined. This time, however, he had said it in full earshot of almost everybody else on board.
"Will you tell us about how you met Sasuke?" Hinata eyed the captain and did her best to ignore the gaze of the others.
Though the question did serve to throw them off Junichiro's words, she had to admit genuine interest in the story. Despite her interactions with their new team leader since the mission began, the man remained guarded when it came to anything outside of light topics. From seeing them interact these last few days, it was clear that there was history worth exploring between the colorful captain and the target of her increasing curiosity.
"Jun, go check on Gou and master Sasuke. Make sure they don't need anything up on deck."
"But I want to hear the story too…" The boy crossed his arms over his puffed-up chest.
"You'll hear it another time, when you're older." The captain's tone left no room for negotiations.
"Hmph. I'm not a little kid, you know." He mumbled under his breath, as he kicked the door open, letting in some fresh sea air.
Koya waited until the door creaked all the way to a close before he turned his attention to the mug in front of him.
"Me and master Sasuke met a little under three years ago, if memory serves. Believe it or not, back then the Red Weasel wasn't the honest trading vessel that you see today. In fact, she used to be a pirate ship… and I wasn't her captain, but a first mate." He took a swig of ale and let out a satisfied huff. "You see, I've lived my whole life on boats and ships. Started with my father taking me with him on his fishing trips, and soon after, I was trying to spend all my waking hours sailing between the islands that make up the Land of Water. Of course… like any dumb kid, by the time I grew to my teen years, my head was already filled with desire for adventure." Koya paused, his smile gradually being replaced with gloom. "My father almost begged me not to go. Fishing is enough, he would say. No point risking your life on long voyages. But there was no convincing me… so I left to explore the world. Sailing from port to port on whatever ship took me as part of its crew. Took me five years to finally return to my village. Only, when I got home, I found out that my parents had passed while I was away." He brought the mug to his lips again, drinking the bitter liquid in big gulps. "Some disease, the people said… wasted them both in a few months, about two years after I left."
"That's… terrible." Hinata moved her hand across Akamaru's head, which came to rest on her lap.
"So, there I was, barely past my twenties and with nothing to my name. I left the island and crossed the Chigiri Sea to the Land of Fire, hoping for a new beginning. The Third Shinobi War ignited soon after that, and life became a lot harder for everybody. Most of the ships were requisitioned for the war effort and there was no way they'd ever allow a foreigner as part of the crew in such times, so I was forced to grow my land legs – living day to day until the world resolved its issues."
"So how did you get from being stranded on land to captain of a former pirate ship?"
"Well, by the time the Third War ended, I had made enough connections in the shady parts of town for unsavory people to find out about my sailing experience. As soon as the waters got safe for traders, it also got safe for pirates to start raiding them as well. The crew that approached me had their base on a small island to the north of where we set sail from, and given my state at the time, I didn't need much convincing to join them."
"So, you are not only admitting to being a smuggler, but that you also raided merchant ships, as member of a pirate crew?" Itsuki spoke through clenched teeth, having learned his lesson from earlier, but unable to keep quiet any longer.
"Aye… I'm not proud of it, but that is how I lived the better part of my life." He cycled his gaze through each of the people sitting at the table, noticing a mix of disapproval and concern on their features. "We never killed and we never stole more than we needed, either."
"That doesn't justify theft of other people's property." the young lord vented more of his anger.
"Yer' right, it doesn't. You know what did back then, thought? Hunger. The kind that doesn't let you sleep at night from pain." He picked up the mug one last time, making sure it was empty by the time he slammed it back on the table. "Like I said, I wasn't a saint, by any means… but compared to the one who took over our island after the Forth War…" Koya turned his head and spat with disgust. "Misaki Asatani, may the dirt lay heavy on her corpse."
"Misaki Asatani? That name sounds familiar." Kiba stroked his chin, trying to place the figure.
"She was an S rank missing nin from the Mist." Shino intervened. "Declared a target in the bingo book for deserting her division at the start of the war."
"I don't know what she did during the war, but I can tell you that about a year after that whole affair ended, she appeared in these waters, at the helm of the Red Weasel with a band of bloody cutthroats. Didn't take long for her to find our base, and it took even less to take over our operations. She quickly gained the name 'Wicked Ice' Misaki, after her nasty habit of turning whoever stood up to her into frozen chunks. I kept my head low throughout her reign, even after I became first mate of her flagship. The people I sailed with became willing followers, growing more and more bold with their strikes, more depraved with their treatment of captives. Eventually she decided that stealing and murdering at sea was no longer enough, so she set her sights on a small village on the coast of the Fire Nation, with the intent of plundering it and taking as many people as possible, as slaves or live goods to be sold. The day I saw those huts burn was when I swore that I'd find a way to put a blade through her skull. I couldn't well do it by myself, so I used whatever contacts I had with the harbor guard to leak information on her location and forces. Three days later, a raven haired, one-armed man joined her crew."
"Sasuke…"
"Right you are, Lady Hinata. After passing Misaki's membership trials, Master Sasuke got in contact with me and revealed that he had been sent to deal with the situation – though at the time, I believed he was just there to gather intelligence for a larger force. For three days, he played his role, gaining information on what I assume was Misaki's network of buyers… and on the fourth day, early in the morning he woke me up, telling me that I need take all the captives aboard the Red Weasel and leave the island. I thought he'd lost his mind, because try as I might, I could not see a Fire Nation armada anywhere near us. I did my best to make him see reason, but he dismissed my words and ordered me to do my part, as he instructed. Let me tell you… I started running like a madman when he began butchering Misaki's crew."
"So, he fought all of them?" Itsuki spoke up, his interest finally peaked. He did not trust Koya's story to be completely accurate, but at least this would be a first-hand recounting of Sasuke's prowess, unlike the ones that he kept hearing in the capital. "How many?"
Koya leaned forward on his chair, allowing the sound of waves hitting the hull to fill in the silence in the cabin.
"I've seen a lot of things in my life. But the way Master Sasuke moved about the battlefield that day… it was like the Reaper himself had left the underworld and came to punish those men." The captain stared through Itsuki with expressionless eyes, reliving the moment in his mind. "By the time I freed the captives, all I could hear were the howls of the fools who charged at him and the screams of the dying he left behind."
"Misaki Asatani. Did she escape?" Shino's question jolted the man back to the present moment.
"I never saw them fight." Came the honest reply. "But I know two things for sure – he is here… and 'Wicked Ice' Misaki stopped being a problem after that day. Truth be told, the roar of battle stopped long before I weighed anchor and sailed off, but I just couldn't find the courage to go back and see the aftermath. The only thing I can say for sure is that as me and the villagers sailed away, we saw the remaining ships go up in flames. When they found out that I was the reason for their rescue, the people I took to safe harbor agreed to tell the authorities that I had been a captive as well, freeing me from any involvement. After that, I just waited for him, thinking he would come to either give me further directions… or complete the task of eliminating every member of Misaki's crew. Next time I saw Master Sasuke was a full year later. He needed passage across the Chigiri Sea and I couldn't very well say no to him, after everything that happened. Since then, I've been in his service several times, though if you want to know the reasons for his travels, you'd need to ask him that."
The three shinobi collectively looked at Itsuki who felt the importance of his mission weigh down on him even more. Koya didn't need to know the details for the pieces to fall into place.
[…]
"Naruto, where is your mind at?" Sakura propped herself up on her elbow, in order to see his face. "You've been quiet all night."
"I keep thinking about Sasuke's mission." Came the absent-minded reply.
"First night we have to ourselves in a week and you think of Sasuke? What's a girl supposed to think?"
"Eh?!" his eyes popped open trying to make out her expression in darkness of the room.
"Here I was worrying about your popularity attracting other women, when the real danger was him, all along. Can't say I'm surprised, in the end. Afterall, he was your…"
"Don't you dare!"
"…first kiss."
"Bleh!" Naruto shot up to a sitting position, rubbing his lips repeatedly with the back of his hand. "You're never gonna let that go away, are you?"
She let out a mischievous laugh as she stood up to match his posture, making sure the sheets still clung to her body. His reaction to that moment never got old in her eyes.
"I'm just teasing you." Sakura's features softened to a smile right before she placed a gentle kiss on his shoulder, relishing the feeling of his warm skin on her lips.
In normal circumstances, even with their relationship being kept secret, they would still find a way to spend such nights. However, since the Daimyo arrived in Konohagure, putting every shinobi in the village on high alert, they could barely find an excuse to be away from their duties. She had missed him more than she would allow herself to admit.
"Are you worried that he might find out about the Daimyo's plan?"
"I've sent a toad to deliver a scroll to him, detailing all that I've found out. He should still be at sea, now. I'm sure he suspects plenty of what's going on already. He wouldn't have accepted the mission if that wasn't the case. My concern is whether he agrees with it… and what he plans to do about it, if he doesn't."
"I guess the more important question is what are you going to do about it?"
"I don't know if there is anything I can do, at this point. If Eito spoke the truth and the other nations are only holding back because of me and Sasuke, then exposing his plan would definitely trigger them into starting a new conflict. Shikamaru and Kakashi both agree that would be the outcome, as well. I trust the other Kage to not break the Shinobi Alliance accord, but the Daimyos are another matter."
"I don't trust them either…" she measured her words carefully "…but what if Lord Fuku is right about his plan? Uniting two of the great nations without bloodshed would be quite an achievement."
Naruto leaned into Sakura, letting his head come to rest on hers. "I thought all of this had been resolved when the five hidden villages banded together to win the war. Now… now I just don't know, anymore."
Doubt was the rarest thing she ever saw in her partner, and in moments like these, when it surfaced, she felt like fighting the whole world, if only to bring him back to his normal self.
"Speaking of unresolved matters… did you ever get to letting Sasuke know about us?" the kunoichi already knew the answer, but if she couldn't give him the solution for world peace, then she would try to keep his mind free of the struggle for a time.
"Ugh… no." Naruto winced involuntarily at the question. "I was about to, as you know…"
"But?" she held in a chuckle, already expecting his excuse to be something to laugh at.
When their relationship started, it hadn't been planned to keep it a secret. They both had agreed to simply keep it to themselves until they knew for sure that it would work out. With entire months passing since then, it was now less about doubting their compatibility and more about working up the courage to make it known to everybody, after having enjoyed the thrill of their escapades for so long. Still, they both understood that sooner or later, it would be something that needed to be done. Naruto had decided that their former team mate should be the first to know, given their bond.
"But he asked me out of the blue what I was planning to do about the Uzumaki clan only having two members, and I panicked." He let out a defeated sigh.
"Out of the blue, huh? Are you sure you didn't pester him about being the last Uchiha, again?"
"The question might have come up, on my part… yes."
"Unbelievable." her laugh filled the room, as she allowed herself to drop back onto the soft pillow. "You really are something, Naruto…"
"Well, you like me like that." He flashed her a smug grin.
"I love you like that." Sakura grabbed his arm, tugging him half-way on top of her into a kiss.
When the need for air finally ended the tender moment, both had a satisfied smile on their face.
"I will be morning soon. You should get some rest. I'm sure parading around as the Daimyo's bodyguard at those events is anything but fun for you."
"I don't know… I was thinking I can show you what I plan to do about the Uzumaki clan's problem." Naruto slowly moved the rest of his body on top of hers.
"Again?" She mused, coiling one of her legs around his waist and pulling him closer.
[…]
Sasuke closed his eyes, trying to block out the humming of Gou who was manning the helm, instead focusing his mind on the other sounds around him – the rhythmic beat of the sail as gusts of wind battered it, the gurgle of water beneath him when the bow broke wave after wave, the creaking of the wood every time the ship swayed on its course. The start of a new day announced itself through a rosy-orange hue rising humbly from the horizon, taking over more and more of the sky with each passing minute. To Sasuke, though, this simply meant that another night had passed without him managing to sleep. When he was young, he disliked ships because they seemed like death traps – being surrounded by water on all sides and at the mercy of the weather was not something he could enjoy. Later, when he learned that water poses little threat to a shinobi, unless wielded by an enemy, he simply didn't like them because they confined him. He was the kind of person who needed something to do at all times, but now, Koya, Gou and Junichiro handled all the tasks needing attention. Training was not an option either, since he needed to stay at all times in close proximity to Itsuki Fuku, and the vessel did not provide enough space for him to get a real workout done. All he could really do was wait.
"Good morning, Lady Hinata." He heard Gou's voice.
"Good morning." Came the faint reply.
The sound of footsteps closing in behind him finally urged Sasuke to open his eyes.
"Did you manage to get any sleep?"
"Yes." He lied.
"I'm glad." A genuine smile lit up her face. "I noticed you are always the last of us to retire and the first to wake up." If she didn't know for sure he was human, she'd start suspecting he never needed to rest.
"You're awake earlier than usual, as well."
"Oh…" She fidgeted in place for a few seconds. "I just wanted to see the sunrise." It was her turn to lie.
The truth was that a nightmare stirred her from her rest. In her dream, she stood witness to a battle in which a shadow roamed the battlefield, snuffing out the life of anyone it touched. When the fighting stopped, Hinata was surrounded by corpses, and the only thing still standing was the figure, staring her down with red and purple eyes. She woke up in a cold sweat when it jumped to claim the last survivor. It didn't take long to realize that her subconscious played out the captain's story while she slept, but the irrational feeling of dread it left her with prevented any more attempts at falling asleep.
"Captain Koya told us the story of how you and him met…"
"Mm. The man is getting more talkative in his old age." Sasuke's tone was flat, but he didn't seem otherwise bothered by the confession.
"So, its true that you killed off his former crew mates?"
"It is."
"And Misaki Asatani?"
"Her as well." He finally turned his gaze from the horizon and focused on his conversation partner. "She possessed an ice-release kekkei genkay. It didn't help her much. I've fought a user of her technique long ago and knew what to expect." He paused, and much to Hinata's surprise, she heard him sigh. "A shame… what she chose to become. Misaki was the last known descendant of Kirigakure's Yuki Clan. By her decisions and my actions, her bloodline is now ended."
Hinata grimaced, immediately understanding the reason for his sigh. To some extent, he related to Misaki. Afterall, he was the last of his own clan. The memory of their meeting in the village graveyard popped in her mind.
"That day, when we met at Konoha's Fourth War Monument… Who was the empty gravestone for?"
Sasuke's expression tightened into a heavy frown. "That is none of your concern." He bit back. A blank stone was the only way he could honor Itachi's memory, given how the truth behind the Uchiha clan massacre had never been revealed to the rest of the village. At a second glance, when he saw Hinata's discouraged eyes leering at the planks at his feet, he felt remorse for the harshness of his reaction. Still, Itachi's grave had nothing to do with her, and the woman had no business trying to dig up his past.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be a bother." Her meek tone made him feel worse.
"It's fine." He knew there was no ill intent in her question, but the very topic irked him. "Who were you visiting?" Admittedly, this was a stupid question, considering what his reaction had been… but in the pursuit of amending the awkward silence between them, it was the only one that he could come up with.
Hinata's first instinct was to repay him with the same coin, but her kinder nature caught up with her before the words left her mouth.
"Hyuga Neji. He… He died defending me from an attack by the Jubi, during the war." Her voice was shaking by the time she stopped talking.
So, this was the reason behind her drive to improve after the war – guilt. This was something Sasuke had been all too familiar with, in the years after his clan's massacre. In his case, that guilt slowly festered into hatred for his brother, and then for Konoha. It had consumed and twisted him into something monstrous.
"Don't let it take over your life…" with understanding came a desire to console her, but his years spent in solitude left him painfully unfit for an attempt – a fact made even more obvious when she raised a pair of doe eyes to meet his, and all he could do was stand there like a statue, mind racing to find words that never came.
"Oy, Hinata, Sasuke!" Kiba loud voice brought the world around them crashing back into perspective. "What are you two doing?"
"Nothing!" Hinata squeaked, making an immediate about-face towards her team mate. "Just admiring the sunrise."
"Right…" The Inuzuka's eyes narrowed with suspicion "Well, Junichiro is up earlier than usual, so he'll be setting up the table for breakfast. I'm sure no-one would want to miss those delicious beef strips and pickled eggs of his, so better make your way below deck."
I have taken to heart the advice of several reviewers asking me to create a synopsis for the story, so that has been updated.
Fair warning about the next chapter potentially taking longer than usual to be posted. A favorite game of mine - Warframe - released some new content and I will be dumping some of my free hours into that, instead of writing.
That is all for this chapter. Criticism and reviews are welcome.
Take care.
