Daze
Chapter Fifteen: Conflict at sea
A/N: Sorry for the wait, messy breakup, broken friendship, got my ears pierced etc. etc. the point is it's been a lot and I know that's no excuse but I plan to write a lot during these next few months.
Thanks as always for your support -Ice
X X
Naruto awoke aboard the ship.
He had slept on the deck under a terrace wearing his Akatsuki cloak as a blanket to stave off the cold.
Luckily, aside from a young couple getting hot and heavy by the mast and an elderly grass kunoichi coming out for a smoke he was alone and unnoticed throughout the night.
When the sun rose he sealed his cloak in a scroll and headed for his bunk to grab some things.
Creeping silently down the deck he made his way down the hall and arrived at the iron lined wood door to his bunk.
Opening it quickly and quietly with minimal creak from the scraping wood he stepped in.
Much to his surprise, the room was partially awake.
"So you're our mysterious bunkmate huh."
'Tayuya... shit.'
"Sorry if I woke you."
"You're fine limpdick this blonde bimbo woke me up with her endless fidgeting."
Ino replied with a rude gesture, giving him a small wave before returning to her flower arrangement.
"I just came here to grab something."
"You need your nudie mags limp noodle?"
Naruto growled in annoyance.
'She's just as abrasive as always.'
He smirked mischievously if she was gonna give him shit he was gonna counterattack.
"Why, worried I won't give you the attention you need… s'okay babe I'm not into bestiality anyway."
Tayuya growled her eyes flickering with rage as Ino stifled laughter so as not to wake the others.
"You wanna scrap ass hat cause I can make you eat your balls before you even blink."
Naruto chuckled.
"I take it back you are a bit cute when you're mad."
Tayuya growled clenching her fist.
"Don't hit on me shithead I don't like limp bastards, and you really piss me off."
"That's a shame because I bet you'd be beautiful with a pretty pink blush over that beastly scowl."
Tayuya roared with anger and charged him with a square fist aimed for his forehead.
He could see through his matured sharingan every ripple of her muscles as she approached him at a snail's pace.
'I really never would've beat Itachi, his eyes were incredible.'
Naruto sidestepped with lightning speed rushing behind her and grabbing her arms.
In a split second he had them folded behind her back and his knee in her spine.
"Wow, you really are slow."
He swept her leg, knocking her to her arms and knees then sat on her back.
Turning he locked eyes with Ino who was amazed at how quickly he'd dispatched Tayuya.
Tayuya growled and tried to backhand him but he caught her wrist.
"You really do make a comfortable seat ya know."
The slight crashing and enraged noises of Tayuya managed to wake the other Kunoichi in the room.
Anko got up wiping the sleep out of her eyes.
"What the hell is happening here."
"A fight!" "Just a bit of fun."
Naruto stood up pulling Tayuya up by her wrist and sidestepping a hook aimed for his jaw.
"Your student is a real firebrand."
"Fuck you limpdick!"
"Easy prettybird."
Sakura sighed in annoyance.
"Tayuya, he's not worth it, just drop it."
'Sakura huh, wow she looks good.'
He stared at his former teammate amazed at how she had grown both in physical appearance and the aura she gave.
"Fuck that he pisses me off!"
Tayuya squeezed her hands tight, her knuckles turning white.
Anko stood up tossing her jacket on and sighing.
"Let's at least take this above deck."
"Sure more room to kick his ass!"
Naruto sighed.
'She always has a way of getting me to act recklessly.'
He grabbed the things he came to retrieve, pocketing them and heading up for the deck.
"Let's go beautiful."
"Fuck off."
Sakura, Ino, and Anko followed to watch the battle.
They arrived above deck just as the sun began to rise painting the dark wood deck a golden yellow.
Naruto tossed his bag next to a mast removing his white and green hoodie so that he was only wearing a grey sleeveless top and brown cargo pants.
Tayuya, who was still wearing a silk magenta camisole, and black shorts stared at him with pure annoyance.
"Don't you wanna change first?"
"Why would I, anything you see you won't remember tomorrow."
"Ooh scary."
She charged him but through his crimson eye he saw her motions in advance hopping over her sweep, and kicking her in the chest.
The base of his foot met her chest and knocked her back pushing the wind from her lungs.
"Damn how are you so fast!"
"I'm not that fast, you're just predictable."
She growled in annoyance charging him with a high sweeping kick aimed for his chest.
Reacting in a moment he caught her leg in between his wrists rolling and tossing her over him.
"You're starting to bore me."
She reached inside her shirt earning a confused glance when she pulled out a shiny metal object.
A moment too late he realized it was a new metallic flute but couldn't cover his ears in time.
'Shit!'
He couldn't react in time as she played a haunting tune and he was frozen in place.
"Gotcha shitbird!"
She charged forward catching him in the jaw with a hook.
He rolled back on the deck crashing into the ship's railing.
She played a second tune and a series of white ghost-like blobs charged him crashing into his chest.
He coughed up spit as she flashed forward and caught him in the side of the head with a sweeping kick.
"How's that for predictable!"
Naruto stood up wiping a small line of blood from his mouth.
"That wasn't fair, you used ninjutsu."
Tayuya smirked.
"All's fair in love, war, and kicking your ass shithead!"
"Okay ninjutsu it is."
He made a hand seal pushing his right half fist against his left upraised middle and index finger.
His crimson eye swirled and Tayuya got a good looking noticing for the first time what it was.
"Genjutsu: Chains of darkness!"
Everything went black and when she awoke she was in a pitchblack world, ice cold violet trickling across the cold grey ground.
"Where are you limpdick!"
"Everywhere."
Fiery blue chains shot up and wrapped around her forearms searing them and dragging her to the ground.
A second set of chains took her ankles and began dragging her down the river towards a drop off into an abyss.
She put her hands together in a seal.
"Release!"
Nothing happened.
"Release kami damn you!"
She channeled a large burst of chakra but still no result.
'Damn it!'
Taking her ring finger into her mouth she tore into it with her teeth a spout of blood shooting out.
The world shattered falling away as she woke from the illusion.
Just as the light filled her senses she saw him flash in front of her with a hook aimed straight for her jaw.
It caught her with momentum knocking her down and sending her rolling back a few feet.
"It's over."
She nodded sorely.
"Fine you win... bastard."
Naruto sighed, taking a seat.
"You're a lot stronger than I thought."
Anko slow clapped looking bored.
"That was an okay match I was hoping for more blood though."
"The bastard was too fast, it's that damn eye."
Anko looked at his eye and doubled back.
"Is that a sharingan?!"
"No I wear contacts."
Naruto leaned against the ship sardonically.
"Smartass, how'd you get a sharingan you aren't from the leaf, definitely aren't old enough to have seen the last war, and the massacre was seven years ago."
Naruto chuckled nervously.
"Would you believe I found it?"
Anko drew a kunai.
"Stealing Kekkei Genkai is a serious offense, Answer my questions or I'll apprehend you for Ibiki to "investigate.""
Naruto shuddered slightly, even he knew what that man was capable of.
"A friend of mine left it to me."
"Would this friend happen to be one Itachi Uchiha?"
Anko tightened the grip on her kunai, the other kunoichi tensing up for battle.
"Do you expect me to say yes?"
"I expect you to tell me the truth."
"Truth is subjective."
He scratched his ear.
"Pain isn't."
Naruto scoffed.
"Pain's a tool."
"What?"
Naruto sighed.
"Nothing." 'Just an inside joke.'
Anko twirled her kunai pointing it at the lone-eyed blonde.
"Last chance kid tell me where you got that eye or you're heading back to the mainland in a cast."
Naruto went to retort when he felt two hands clutch his shoulders.
"Hideaki-san?"
Naruto sighed in relief.
"Ah Oji sorry I was just talking with my bunk mates."
The captain, a gruff older man with receding short spiky blond hair, icy blue eyes, and a beard walked over and put a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"This is my nephew Hideaki. I trust he's not giving you any trouble."
Anko growled but nodded.
"No he's lovely."
"Good, we have to go talk about something, get acquainted with the ship she's a beauty."
Naruto gave her a two finger wave following the captain to the crew quarters.
Once they were in the captain's cabin the man closed the door and placed a privacy seal on the door.
"You almost blew it gaki."
"Sorry Hideo they caught me off guard."
"Your bosses are paying me top dollar for this, don't screw it up."
"I won't."
"Good now go apologize for whatever you did, and do what you have to to save this op."
Naruto nodded, opening the door and heading out.
When he returned to the deck his bag was gone along with the kunoichi.
'Fuck.'
He headed for the bunk.
Inside the room Anko was sitting lackadaisical reading a small blue book from his bag while Tayuya dug through its contents.
"Do you mind?"
"No not really."
The red haired girl continued digging, humming a tune.
He turned to face Anko.
"Can I have my book."
"Why is there a hidden message?"
"No it's just my book and I would like it back."
He turned to Sakura and Ino for help but they shrugged.
"You know, I could put you all under a genjutsu."
"My snakes would castrate you before you could even weave the sign."
Naruto sighed.
"Whatever continue digging through my shit you won't find anything."
"Will do." "Ditto."
Naruto plopped down on his bed and covered his face with a pillow.
'Women are so annoying.'
Sasuke and Jiraiya left the teahouse having concluded their rendevouz with Kisame.
"That was.. Interesting."
Sasuke looked down broodingly.
"Naruto wasn't there."
The older man put a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"There will be more meetings Sasuke."
Sasuke nodded but sighed.
'I wonder where he is.'
Naruto sighed in annoyance.
"Kami damn it woman can you stop."
"I don't know shitface can I?"
Naruto grabbed the briefs from her hand, tossing them on his cot.
"Alright you've had your fun now leave my shit alone."
He quickly nabbed his stuff from the prying kunoichis hands.
Tossing it on a scroll he sealed it all and slid it into his jacket.
"Look if you promise to stop snooping I'll tell you what you want to know."
He turned to the purple haired jonin who at this point was munching on a potato while reading the third of his books.
Anko nodded, smirking.
Standing up she cracked her neck and her face turned serious.
"Alright then, question one, Who are you?"
"My name is Hideaki. I'm a Chunin from Kiri."
Naruto pulled a purplish Kiri hitai-ate from his jacket pocket and handed it to the woman.
"Okay, why are you here?"
"I'm on an A rank mission, obviously I'm not able to tell you the details."
"How'd you get the sharingan?"
Anko's eyes glinted with suspicion as she watched his mannerisms.
Naruto took a breath pulling from his store of emotions.
"My taichou he… he was a veteran from the 3rd war He died protecting me on a mission."
Naruto stared at his hands melancholically.
"We were in a skirmish with some Kumo nin and he told me to take it so it wouldn't fall into their hands."
Anko gave him a glance twice over but couldn't read falsity in his words or mannerisms.
"Either you're telling the truth or I'm getting rusty at my age, fine I'll give you the benefit of the doubt but I have my eye on you."
She tossed him back his books, which he checked for damage before returning them to his footlocker.
Naruto sighed a breath of relief.
'Just two days to go you got this."
He plopped down on his bunk and stared out the porthole at the cerulean sea.
X END X
A/N: Sorry for the shorter chap this week I wanted to update as soon as possible before anyone assumed I was dead or something.
The next one should be out soon also;
while I had originally planned for the island arc to be longer I lost most of my draft notes so I'm going to cut it into a much shorter section so I can move on with the overarching storyline.
Have a great day - Ice
2/2/21: Chapter fifteen revised.