Naruto Fan Fiction
SI-OC!
(Title)
"The Weasel and His Cat"
DISCLAIMER: I do not own 'Naruto'!
WARNING! RATED M! For warnings of harsh language and mentions of blood.
The sun beat down unforgivingly upon their backs and heads. Not even the gentle sea breeze that swept across the bow gave any reprieve from the heat. All eyes were fixed on the center of the deck, waiting in tense anticipation to see what would transpire in the next moments that followed.
A woman was there, kneeling and bound before the imposing figure of their Captain. Her distinct black duster in tatters on her shoulders was the only thing to identify her besides the head of heavy ebony curls that fell over her face and down her back.
"...well? Don't keep us in suspense, Ed." the Woman drawled, the lack of water from her brief imprisonment made her voice scratch against her throat uncomfortably. "Is he going to live or not?"
"He'll live." the looming figure above her confirmed lowly. Her lips twisted into a scowl. "You never could shoot for shit, Black."
"Well... damn."
She knew she should've just fucked off to some little island and just waited out the clock there, but nooo... she just HAD to try and involve herself further than she already had. The Woman blames the nagging little voice in the back of her head that sounded suspiciously like that Idiot Captain.
"Why the fuck are you here, Black?" he demanded.
"He has no idea I'm here or what my intentions were... in case you were wondering." she sniffed, blatantly dodging the question.
"You expect me to believe that he just let you walk off that ship?! Don't try and bullshit me, Black! Not after what you did..."
The Woman exhaled, her harsh breath jostling her curls, quite annoyed by the line of questioning. Why couldn't he just get this over with already?
She answered curtly, "Wasn't his choice, Ed. I made my terms clear in the beginning that I'd be leaving when I decided it'd happen. Not him. It was always up to me."
The only sounds that followed her statement were the calls of the gulls above their heads and the waves lapping against the hull of the ship. It was a few long minutes before the Captain before her spoke up again.
"You know... I've been sitting here for the last couple days trying to rack my brain for an answer as to why the hell you would do this, Black." he told the bound Woman, looking down at her with hard eyes. "Murder was never your trade."
He was right, she acknowledged that. It was only further evidenced by how fucking shitty she was at it considering she didn't even kill the guy she'd meant to.
"You had to know this is where we'd be in the end."
"Yeah. I knew." she sighed.
"Then, why?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Try..." he demanded lowly. She sighed, wondering what the point of it was? Why couldn't he just get this over with so they could both be on their ways? It would be a better use of both their time. Still... she heard that annoying voice nag in the back of her mind again.
Fuck it, she decided, it's not like she'll be around for much longer to see what happens next.
"I once heard a story a long, long time ago and if you've got any luck in this world, Ed, you'll never know it."
"And who the fuck told you this story that would drive you to point your blunderbuss at my subordinate's face and blow him to hell...?" he asked darkly, his voice coming out in a low gravel. The very deck under her knees trembled from the weight of the rage that he was keeping a very tight hold on.
"My sister." she confessed.
Memories of a small girl with mousy brown hair flashed through her mind. All gap-toothed grins and princess outfits.
Older now, teenaged anger, dark makeup and bad haircuts. Talks that always turned into shouting matches.
A young woman at last, grown and matured. Smiling as the Woman made the effort to learn the things she liked, listening to her go on about countless stories and worlds from imagination.
She banished the faded memories from her mind as the Captain's demeanor shifted.
"...you have family, Black?" he asked quietly.
"I used to." the Woman confirmed, then added for accuracy; "In another life."
"I see..." he muttered, his voice a low rumble coming up from the depths of his chest.
The Woman nearly laughed.
She really doubts that he does.
Sweat beaded on her brow and mixed in with the dried blood on her face. She was tired of all this waiting, surely there were more important things to get to besides standing around on this damned deck while he battles internally.
"I won't be fighting you, Ed." the Woman declared. "Put this to rest as it is or I'll just come back to finish what I started... and I won't fail the next time."
His rage was back in full force once more, any moment of shared sympathy for the Woman was forgotten.
"Do you have any messages to leave behind, to Roger or Silvers?" he asked, thinking of the few acquaintances the Woman before him actually kept. "...that damned Marine?"
She scoffed, even now he was being as honorable as he could in their situation. Even after she just attempted to murder one of his beloved 'Sons.' That was probably one of the two reasons she acted so foolishly and wound up in this position. The other reason being owed to the King of Fools himself, the one that somehow managed to get her on his damned ship with him. If she was being honest with herself, she was still trying to figure out how the hell he did it.
Guess she'll never know now.
"That Idiot Captain and I already had our say's and I wasn't in the mood to listen to Rayleigh's attempts to talk me out of my mind. As for the last one..."
Her lips quirked up into a dry smile as memories of a loud and boisterous laugh rang in her ears. If she closed her eyes she could still see that grin splitting his face even as she sailed farther away and out of his reach.
"I expect he'll understand. Monkey-boy never was one for goodbyes."
With a thud against the deck, he readied his Bisento in his hand. His face drawn down with grim lines under that ridiculous moustache. In all the years the Woman has known him she doesn't think she's ever seen him look so unsatisfied before, not even after that skirmish in Santa Marisol. She had laughed quite heartily when Monkey-boy blundered into their fight with all his uniformed comrades and botched the latest duel between the Captains.
A smile curled her blood red lips. She liked that memory, she hopes that she might keep that one when she moves on.
"Mary of the Black, do you have any last words?"
She growled under her breath, annoyed with the fact that ridiculous moniker would be the last thing she hears in this life. Yellow-green eyes flashed, looking up from under the curtain of ebony curls at the imposing figure of the feared Edward Newgate standing over her.
"That is not my name." she spat, just as she always did. He waited a moment longer for her to speak her last, that was the only thing he could grant her now.
The Woman heaved a long-suffering sigh, quite fed-up with all this 'honor' crap these foolish men were always on about. Cutthroats always made this process easier for her. She half-way hoped she ended up surrounded by ruthless mercs the next time so she wouldn't have to stick around so damn long.
Last words? Might as well give him that.
"Try not to fuck up the world too much while I'm gone, eh. All things considered, this life wasn't too bad."
He narrowed his eyes at her, raising his weapon, the shadow of it sweeping over her face.
The Woman looked past him, seeing the blue skies and listening to the call of the ocean around them.
He brought it down and she saw the blade glint against the sunlight as it arced cleanly through the air.
She didn't even feel it drive into—
"Tomomi-san?" a young voice called out.
The Feline opened her eyes, blinking away the heaviness of sleep within them still to focus on the face of the little weasel seated on the ground before her. A dusty tome in his hands and more books stacked neatly to his side.
Itachi was gazing down at her with those large, endlessly inquisitive eyes of his.
With a glance upwards she could tell it was midday still, the sunlight was streaming down through the boughs above their heads and the sounds of the forest around them were still rich with life. She reached out her limbs in a stretch, letting out a large yawn.
"Hm...? What have you woken me for now, little weasel? Have you questions about your mortality again?"
He shook his head, watching her carefully. "No. Nothing like that. It's just... it seemed like you were having a bad dream just now."
"Oh? Is that so...?" she hummed, feeling the relaxing pop of her spine before curling back up comfortably, resting her head on her crossed paws as she looked at the child.
He hesitated a moment before speaking up. "Can I ask what you were dreaming about just now?"
Lime-green eyes stared at him for long enough for him to start to feel like he'd overstepped, causing him to break his gaze from hers.
"Old things, little weasel. Of which are better off not spoken of." she dismissed.
Though not satisfied with her aloof answer, he accepted it nonetheless and went back to studying the book his Otou-sama had given him on tactics and historical warfare. The Feline closed her eyes again and drifted once more.
(Distantly, she could still hear the sway of the ocean knocking against the ship's hull. The sounds of Roger's and Rayleigh's laughter filling the galley. She could taste the salty spray of seawater on her tongue.)
No cutthroats this time, but she reckons she won't have to stay here for much longer.
The Weasel and His Cat
TO BE CONTINUED
A/N: Well, this came out of nowhere. I had planned something else for the next chapter but somehow it turned into a flashback? I don't know. I've been experimenting with One Piece ideas a lot recently and this... just turned out this way. Besides that, Thank you guys so much for all your wonderful answers to my questions! I definitely want more baby fluffiness! Hope you guys liked the chapter~!
Love you guys!
-Nanami