And Now . . . A Proper Introduction

After they turned in the Potato Sack Captain to the authorities. The Straw Hat Pirates caught up with Team 7 at the center of the Naruto Bridge, and Nami begged them to take them to thier village, because the Hidden Water Village was such a poor country, that theylacked the resources they needed for supplies. Kakashi thought somewhat hard about this, shrugged his shoulders, and agreed to help them.

"Kakashi-sensei!" scolded Sakura sharply.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Kakashi looked calmly to his fuming student. "Huh?"

"They are pirates!" she yelled.

"What will Tsunade-Sama think? Have you lost your moral judgement as a shinobi?"

Kakashi rubbed his chin, pondered at what she said, and then it dawned on him.

"Why Sakura, you are absolutely right," he said. Sakura became relieved that he finally came to his senses.

"We haven't properly introduced ourselves yet."

The chuunins Team 7 jaws dropped in disbelief.

"He . . . is such . . . an idiot," mumbled Sasuke seethingly. Kakashi walked up to the Straw hat pirates and began the introductions.

"As only one of you know, I am Hatake Kakashi, the Instructor of Team 7," he said as he gestured towards the team.

"And these are my subordinates; Uzumaki Naruto . . ."

Naruto gave an ecstatic little wave to the Straw hats. "Hi!"

" . . . Uchiha Sasuke . . ."

Sasuke greeted them withhis trademark harrumph.

"A little arrogant, isn't he," Usopp whispered distastefully to Zoro's ear.

" . . . And Haruno Sakura."

"Sakura-Swaaan!" Sanji cried out, as he leaped towards her. He fell to his knees and took her by the hand.

"Such a lovely name for such a lovely girl. It suits you so perfectly!"

Sanji bent down to kiss her hand, but Sakura quickly pulled it away before he did. Kakashi and the others each had a bead of sweat fall from their brow.

"And you are?" asked Kakashi flatly.

"I'm Sanji, Chef extraordinaire of the Going Merry," he said with a graceful bow. Naruto gasped with excitement.

"You're acook?" asked Naruto eagerly.

"Can you make ramen?"

"I can cook anything," said Sanji proudly. Naruto hooted, and bounced up and down on the balls of his feet with a big grin on his face.

"Calm down, Naruto," said Sakura annoyed, before she turned her attention to the little blue-nose reindeer.

"What about you little guy, what's your name?" she said with a sweet voice, as she bent down to his level. The furry brown creature's eyes widened in surprise and he quickly hid himself beside Nami's leg.

"A-are you t-t-talking t-t-to m-me?" he stuttered. Sakura looked concerned with his strange behavior.

"Oh Choppa, don't be so shy," said Nami pleasantly as she patted his pink top hat.

"Don't worry, he's like this all the time. He's our doctor, by the way," said Nami.

Sakura blinked at the pleasant information. She looked back down at Choppa, who was still shocked by the attention he was getting from her.

"A doctor, really?" she asked him astounded.

"That's amazing! I'm one too . . . er . . . well, sort of."

"Sakura-Swaan," crooned Sanji again.

"You must help me cure this pain I have in my heart. It alwaysstops when I'm near yo-" Bang!

"Cut it out Sanji!" shouted Nami frustratedly. Sanji laid in a heap on the ground, an excessive bump pulsating on his comely blonde hair.

"Ah, Nami-swaaaan," he muttered in his love-filled stupor.

Sakura sighed with relief.

'He's worse than Lee-kun' she thought.

"Is Sanji-san always like this," she asked the orange haired girl, while keeping a wary eye on the dazed chef.

"Oh yeah, all the time," said Nami casually.

"I'm Nami, the Navigator," she added holding out her hand. Sakura gladly took it.

"Nice to meet you, Nami-san."

Then Sakura turned to greet the next pirate, but she noticed that she was about to shake hands with the swordsman who tried to attack her earlier. He was leaning on the rail of the bridge, lightly dozing. Then he opened his eyes and looked at her. Sakura made a panicked squeak and quickly turned away from him.

"I'm Roronoa Zoro, just in case anyone else wants to know," he muttered.

Naruto and Sasuke greeted him a with a nod, as did he.

"Oh yeah, and sorry about what happened at the dock."

Sakura shook her head.

"Iie, i-it's alright," she stammered. Zoro accepted her pardon, and went back to his nap.

The youth with the long nose cleared his throat.

"And I am the Great Lord Captain-,"

"No you're not. I'm the Captain," interrupted Luffy indignantly. Usopp frowned and glared at Luffy.

"Fine," he muttered with a hint of bitterness. He cleared his throat again.

"I am the mighty sea warrior, Usopp," he began with a dramatic flair-like pose. Naruto nudged Sasuke's shoulder.

"He's as weird as ero-sennin," he whispered to his ear as Sasuke gave a low chuckle. Usopp eyed them irritably.

"Hey, I'm talking here!" he shouted at the boys. Naruto and Sasuke went back to their original places as if nothing happened. Usopp cleared his throat once again, and continued.

"Along with these this band of misfits. I sail the East, West, North, and South Blue, in search of the thrills of adventure. I have battled with Giants, Ogres, Shadowcats, and other fierce monstrosities I have faced in my short lifetime.

"Whoa," uttered Naruto, his blue eyes were wide with amazement.

"Hey, wait a minute," said Kakashi giving Usopp a doubtful look.

"Weren't you the one that faked being injured, while we risked our lives to save those innocent people?"

Usopp flinched at his accusation, but nonetheless tried to keep his cool.

"N-nonsense," he said arrogantly with a dismissing wave.

"I was there fighting beside you . . . uh . . . you just didn't see me."

A silence grew within the group, as a hard cold wind blew passed them.

"Right . . . So you're the Captain?" asked Kakashi, to Luffy. Usopp detested being ignored, as he huffed and sat cross-legged on the ground to pout. Luffy's ears perked at the mention of his title.

"That's right," he beamed proudly. "I'm Captain Monkey D. Luffy."

Naruto, all of a sudden fell to the ground bursting into laughter. Luffy frowned.

"What's so funny?" he asked dejectedly.

"Your name!" he managed to say in between fits of laughter. "Monkey! Hahaha!"

Sakura glared at the mirthful blonde chuunin, and he immediately stopped laughing once he met her gaze.

"I swear Naruto, you are so annoying! When are you ever going to grow up?" she scolded.

Naruto looked down in shame.

"Sorry Sakura-chan," he murmured apologetically. "But you have to check this out!"

Naruto's discouraged-ness didn't last for long, when he marched straight up to Luffy, and started poking at his arms.

Sakura was taken aback by his actions. Everyone else gave him wierd looks.

"Naruto, what do you think you're doing?" she yelled.

Luffy started laughing.

"Hey, hey, that tickles!"

Naruto stopped poking him, and looked up at him with his face all scrunched up.

"I just remembered that I asked you a question, and you never answered me," said Naruto.

Luffy's head tipped to the side, obviously confused.

"Huh?"

Without a word, Naruto grabbed Luffy's arm, and began pulling it, and managed to get Luffy's arm to stretch out to an unnatural shape. Sakura's mouth dropped, Sasuke's eyes widened, Kakashi merely blinked.

'So, it wasn't a jutsu,' thought Sakura and Sasuke.

Once Naruto stretched his arm out far enough to make his point. He let go of Luffy's hand, and it instantly retracted itself with a snap.

"Now explain that!" said Naruto, pointing at Luffy accusingly. Then all of a sudden, Luffy fainted.

"Luffy!" Choppa shouted in panic. He ran from Nami's leg to Luffy's side, as well as everyone else.

"What's wrong with him?" asked the crew surrounding thier ailing captain, except Zoro, who was still sleeping.

"Everyone, spread out give him some air," said Sakura, pushing people back.

"I didn't do it!" called out Naruto, just in case if anyone decides to blame him.

"Hmm, wonder what's his problem?" murmured Sasuke watching from the outside. Kakashi shrugged as he looked on as well. By this time, everyone was spread out into a form of a semi-circle. Choppa used a blanket as a pillow and it was placed under Luffy's head. While Luffy laid on the ground holding onto his own abdomen area, groaning in pain, with his eyes rolling into the back of his head.

"Luffy, stay with me!" urged Choppa, who already had his stethoscope out, checking for anything unnatural. Sakura was beside Luffy as well, watching as Choppa cared for him.

"Mind if I try?" she asked Choppa. When Choppa noticed her talking to him again, he let out another squeak, and hid himself behind Usopp.

"Hey! What are you doing back there? You have to save Luffy," shouted Usopp, trying to pry the little reindeer off his leg.

'I'll take that as a "yes",' thought Sakura, and she placed her hands on Luffy's chest and abdomen. A soft blue light receded from her hands, as she began examining him. The rest of the straw hats stopped panicking, as they were awestruck when they saw Sakura's ability. Sanji clasped his hands together.

"Sakura-swan! You're an angel!" he bellowed adoringly. Frustrated, Nami grabbed Sanji by the ear, as he groaned painfully at the pressure.

"Let her concentrate, Baka!" she seethed. Choppa's jaws dropped with the same amazement as everybody else in the crew.

"I-i-it's magic!" he stuttered. Sakura continued her treatment on Luffy. Kakashi walked up to them, and crouched next to the ailing captain, directly across from Sakura.

"So, what seems to be the problem?" he asked in his usual casualness. The blue light from Sakura's hands faded. She put her hand to her chin, rubbing it skeptically.

"That's strange," she mutttered to herself. Kakashi's eyebrow raised at her result.

"What is?" he inquired.

Sakura stopped rubbing her chin and looked up at her sensei.

"Well, he doesn't seem to be poisoned or injured anywhere," she said.

"Really?"

"Oh please!" Usopp cried out as he fell to his knees in front of Sakura, with tears streaming down his face. Sakura worried for herself.

"Please, please! Tell me what's wrong with my friend. Is he going to die? NO! Don't tell me, I'd rather not know! But will he LIVE?"

Suddenly, a low grumbling sound erupted from Luffy's stomach.

"So . . . hungry . . ." he moaned.

Another silence formed within the group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . !

"LUUUUFFYYYYY!"

Nami grabs the rubber man by the shoulders and shakes him out aggressively as if he were a stubborn dusty rag.

"Baka baka baka BAKA! How dare you scare us all like that!" shrilled Nami. Each person sweat dropped as Nami continued her abuse on Luffy.

"Hmph," murmured Sasuke.

'Those guys are even more dramatic than Naruto and Sakura.'

TBC