Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

A/N: I would like to thank everyone who added this story to their favourites and follows as well as everyone who reviewed the last chapter. There had been changes made to this chapter due to the fact that I hadn't enjoyed the quality of the chapter.


"That's some really good ramen."

Naruto blinked and tilted her head to the side while Ace tilted his head to the side. His grey eyes sparkled with joy as the fire continued to crinkle and hiss at them while in the distance, the waves tumbled and crashed against the rocks. The winds tickled her nape but not once did the fire went out from the gentle breeze.

Of course my ramen is good! The thought almost made her want to puff her chest and wax poetry of her food taste, but Naruto held herself back. It was one thing for her to behave like this in front of Team Seven and even Hinata, but it was a whole different thing with Ace. He was still in all accounts a stranger and probably wouldn't be amused by her actions.

"It's decent," Naruto rubbed her stomach and leaned back slightly as Ace looked at her with eyes filled with disbelief. She felt her stomach stirring with amusement and bubbles of laughter threatened to escape from her lips. Her captain almost looked like he was going to have a heart attack with her comment. "It could be better."

Her captain furiously shook his head and the blonde just stared at him. Did he really believe this was good? Because he could just accept her word for it. He really thinks that this stuff is the good stuff. Either Ace had never really eaten any good ramen or he actually enjoyed ramen as much as she did. It had to be the only explanation for his attitude.

I mean no one has ever complimented me on my choice of ramen. She rubbed the back of her neck and looked down at her legs. None of her friends really seemed to understand just how wonderful her instant ramen was. They believed every instant ramen cup tasted the same, never thinking that each company had a different value to it.

"There has to be something wrong with your taste bud," Ace declared. His voice was filled with so much confidence and laughter that Naruto's lips began to curl up into a bigger smile. If things continued then she probably was going to go back to Konoha with cheeks screaming in pain from the amount of smiles that she was going to have. "Because this is the best ramen I ever had! This is amazing!"

With those freckles, Ace really does look like a kid. Naruto laughed and smiled even wider as Ace continued to look at her with genuine, sincere eyes. She didn't know how old her captain was but he looked like he could be her age. She wondered for a brief moment if all teenagers acted like her captain because if they did, then it was reassuring for her.

It meant she wasn't completely childish.

Shaking her head, Naruto gazed at her heart-eyed captain before looking down at her ramen. If Teuchi heard what Ace called her instant ramen then he would scowl at the teen before telling him to try the good stuff. The ramenstand owner had never been fond of how much she ate the instant stuff, always telling her that she should make her own.

You're hungry? Well I have got some leftover ramen for ya.

She smiled and looked up at the stars. "Homemade ramen tastes even better than this stuff…it even feels better."

The smile on Ace's face did not widened or narrowed, if anything it just remained the same. His grey eyes still sparkled with amusement but she could see the thoughtfulness in his eyes. Even though he doesn't know what to do, Ace is really an observant guy isn't he? She chuckled and leaned her body forward as silver eyes continued to regard her.

"I wouldn't know," Ace mused with a chuckle. Naruto blinked and raised an eyebrow at the boy and the teen flashed her a little smile before rubbing the back of his neck. "I was always eating out or cooking my food from the fire. I never actually had a proper meal when I think about it."

Well I made this for you because Kei and Hokage-sama told me that you haven't been fed properly in that place! We're gonna make, Naru-chan grow big and healthy aren't we?

Her throat tightened and Naruto cleared her throat. "Eating a homemade meal feels so much warmer."

Ace gazed at her with a frown and the blonde looked away from him. She missed Kei-ojiisan and Yui-obaachan but they were probably in a better place now alongside her parents. They were good people and treated me well when no one would even look at me. She rubbed her eyes and took in a deep breath before looking up at the sky.

She probably should contact Konohamaru and see how he was doing without her.

"You miss your home, don't you?" Ace asked quietly with eyes filled with understanding. Naruto blinked and looked down at her feet before looking back at her captain. Am I that obvious? She had never really stopped to think if she missed home but it made sense. This was the first time in her life that she had been alone in a journey.

"You can't just pack ramen, Naruto! Do you know how dangerous the sea can be?"

"You will send me a message, won't you Naruto-chan?"

"Y-You're leaving too, Naruto-neechan! Can't you take me with you?"

"Nothing I say or do will convince you to keep your journey in the islands surrounding us?"

She chuckled and closed her eyes as her friends voices rang in her ear. Konohamaru and Hinata's teary eyes flashed before her eyes alongside the fretting eyes of Sakura. Yeah, it was hard not to miss them. The other members of Konoha 11 were important to her alongside Sasuke, but those three had been there for her. Kakashi had tried to keep her to stay within the confines of the small islands surrounding them, but it wasn't enough.

Nothing would be enough to contain her thirst for adventures and freedom.

"I miss my friends but I had to get away from my birthplace," Naruto replied. She closed her eyes and curled her lips into a small smile as her heartbeat continued to hum and dance around with joy. "Back where I come from, I never really felt free. I felt like if I stayed there any longer then I will forget my very first dream."

'If you ever get the chance of seeing the outside world then take it, Naruto! Don't make the same mistake like me! Follow your desire!'

Jiraiya had always looked out at the sea with the same longing eyes like she did. Not a day did not go by when she didn't recall how the Toad Sannin would gaze at the sea with the same burning curiosity as her. He probably regretted staying in their islands and wished that he continued on with his journey, instead of coming back.

"Being free means a lot to you," Ace flashed her a smile and looked at their flickering flames. His eyes lacked any understanding and the blonde rubbed the back of her neck. It was probably obvious freedom meant a big deal to her. But if he wanted her to explain her desire for freedom then it had to come later when she felt comfortable.

Give that child to me, Hiruzen! I will make her a weapon capable of protecting our village.

It had never made sense why Danzo wanted her so badly until Mizuki ran his mouth on her. A weapon. That was what the elders thought of her while everyone else in Konoha made her feel like crap for being born. They never saw her as Uzumaki Naruto or even Naruto. They always saw her as a weapon, a monster or a hero.

Will you go out with me? She clicked her tongue and blew a strand of her blond hair. People, who had never been interested in her, wanted to date her because of her fame. A couple of weeks before she defeated Pain, she heard that same man commented that she wasn't the type of woman that men dated. Bastard changed his tune when she saved them.

Fucking men was easy but dating them was never going to be on the cards for her.

"So this is going to be a friends with benefit thing? We just fuck whenever we get stressed or grieve, but without the whole commitment thing?"

She shook her head as a pair of black amused eyes flashed before her eyes. That kind of arrangement was gone now but she would forever be grateful that Shikamaru hadn't judged her for wanting that kind of thing. Then again he probably knew that a relationship between us would be too troublesome. They had never been each other's type but it worked for them.

Letting out another sigh, the blonde gazed at the boat. Even if they managed to find someone who could actually repair the boat, they would have to find another boat. We can't exactly cook on that thing. Their boat had nothing on it that could make cooking convenient. Hell, their boat was made from wood. Even the smallest fire could burn it down.

"Once we get to the next island, we have to change boats," she declared. "We can't cook on that tiny boat."

Ace hummed and bobbed his head. "Yeah, I expected you would say that."

"Why? Cuz I'm a girl?" She thinned her lips and folded her arms against her chest when Ace flashed her a guilty smile. Why did every male jump to the conclusion that girls were born to cook? Hell even Shikamaru jumped to that conclusion. Team 10 is damn lucky that they have Choji. Ino was a lot of things but the girl was no cook.

The same went for Sakura while Sasuke was the decent one between those two. Honestly, we all came to agreement that during missions that either me, Kakashi-sensei or Sasuke cook. She adored Sakura-chan but food poisoning was the last thing she wanted to experience during their missions. The girl was just not capable of cooking a decent meal.

"No," Ace denied. "It's because I decided that you're our cook."

Naruto blinked and blinked before slacking her jaws at the black-haired teen. A cook? Her? I'm not a professional or anything! You haven't even seen me cook! This man was going to make her pull her hair out one of these days. Did he even think she was capable of such an important task? She knew how to cook but that didn't make her a cook.

"Are you calling me the cook because I'm a girl?"

Ace flushed a light shade of red and slowly nodded his head. He looked almost guilty if those slumped shoulders and averting eyes say anything. That only made her drop her shoulders. Should she even be upset? It wasn't even a big deal. Maybe if they found an island, where there was an amazing cook, then she could learn from them.

"Well girls seem to know how to cook," he finally explained. The blonde regarded him thoughtfully before putting down her ramen cup. How could she even argue when it was probably his culture? Ero-Sennin always told her that different cultures had different expectations for each gender. Maybe Ace's Island believed men didn't need to learn how to cook.

If you're really going to be stubborn about living on your own then you're going to enter the kitchen with me and Kei! I ain't having another Asuma!

"Someone once told me that if I wanted to live on my own then I need to learn how to cook," Naruto informed him. Her tone was light and cheerful as the tension inside of her faded away. "She carried this belief that if I didn't learn how to cook then I was going to waste all my money on instant ramen and takeout food."

Ace blinked and scratched his head. "Didn't you have someone to take care of you?"

'Did you hear? The Hokage's son and his wife decided to take in her! What was he thinking of letting them take in that girl?'

'You think because you're unofficially the adopted grandchild of the Hokage that you're special? They will abandon you like your parents did!'

The words of the past echoed in her ear and the blonde clenched her jaws slightly as her blood continued to boil with irritation. It had been her choice to leave but those whispers affected the Old Man and his family. Until she distanced herself from Konohamaru, the parents began to allow the other kids to play with him. She rubbed her knuckles.

Konohamaru hadn't deserved to be drag into her mess and Kei-ojiisan and his wife didn't deserve all that shit being spoken about them.

"From the age of 5-7, I was raised by my leader's oldest son and his wife," Naruto replied. Ace blinked and the blonde looked up at the twinkling stars on the night sky. "After that, I decided I was old enough to take care of myself so I decided to move out. Kei-ojiisan and even the Old Man had been less than happy with me."

Are you moving out because of what those villagers are saying, Naru-chan? Me and Yui don't care what those villagers have to say! We love you!

She loved them too because they made that ache inside of her fade away. Naru-neechan! Konohamaru had called her by that nickname ever since Kei-ojiisan declared she was going to be his big sister. She adored them but those whispers damaged them. People questioned the Hokage and his authority because of his actions.

'They don't care about us if they took in that monster.'

Ace cleared his throat. "What about your Godfather? Didn't he raise you at all?"

The blonde quirked her lips slightly and shook her head. How could he have raise her? Her Godfather could barely take care of himself, little alone her. Honestly I doubt that he would have grown up if he raised me. He had been so goofy during their time together. Not once did he ever try to grow up around her, always making sure that she smiled.

"He was always either writing his books, exploring the islands or doing some work for the Old Man," she finally answered. Ace blinked and the blonde quirked her lips into a smile. "If he took me in then he would have been forced to slow down, because a baby had no place on the road. That was the main reason he didn't take me in."

Y'know I had a friend tell me that the world is a bigger place, Naruto! Maybe once the Akatsuki is over, you and me can go on our own little adventure.

Jiraiya bounced and laughed but not once did he ever discourage her dream of experiencing freedom or seeing the world. It's probably in your blood. That had been his explanation on why he didn't tell her to stop dreaming of the world outside. Apparently her grandfather was a man of the sea or so Jiraiya informed her when she asked him about the Fourth Hokage's mysterious father.

The Fourth Hokage's father? Well I can tell you that he was a cunning man, not unlike the Fourth himself.

Other then that, Jiraiya steered clear of talking about her grandfather. He couldn't even tell her if he was alive, only telling her that he lost contact with the man when the Third Shinobi War started. Your father never had a desire to make contact with him. That was the only explanation the Toad Sannin gave when she asked him if her grandfather knew about her.

"How old were you when you lost your parents?" Ace frowned and leaned his whole body forward. "I thought you were five but you mentioned him taking care of a baby, so you were like what? One? Two?"

Naruto snorted. "I was barely an hour old."

How dare that child mock us? Do you think it is mocking us with that reminder?

She was just a little girl but those people always looked at her like she was a monster. A monster that took the female form of the Fourth Hokage. Not once did those bastards ever stopped to think she had been a little girl, who was now alone in the world. She exhaled and rubbed her knuckles before shaking her head.

"I lost my biological father before I was even born," Ace offered her a smile and looked up to the sky. "My Mom died giving birth to me. It isn't the same thing but I kinda understand how you feel."

I think you're in more pain than me. The words were on the tip of her tongue but she swallowed it down. Even if those silver eyes radiated with pain, it was not her place to ask him. It would be kinda annoying if a stranger asked about his problems because they probably should focus on themselves. But Ace's pain lingered and throbbed even though they had fun.

"We are just a pair of unfortunate orphans, aren't we?"

Ace chuckled and bobbed his head in agreement.


"Neji!"

Ace jolted and jumped as a loud cry pierced through the howling winds. A quick scan told him that their fire died down sometime during the night and that the only person near him was Naruto. The same Naruto, who was now kicking and tossing around like she was in a middle of nightmare. No, she was having a nightmare because that had been her scream.

What is she dreaming about? He clenched his jaws together as his stomach rolled around with concern. This was probably the first time he heard his crewmate scream like this. Not once during their journey so far, had he heard her scream like this. The fact she screamed and was now thrashing around, meant that this was a horrible nightmare.

He inhaled and shuffled closer to the whimpering girl. Who's Neji? Is he her brother? He had to be someone important because his crewmate kept whimpering out his name. If Neji was no one important to her then she wouldn't have this kind of reaction. A brother made sense. Maybe he was a dear friend to his crewmate.

Maybe Neji is her boyfriend or something? That would make sense too. Naruto seemed to be experienced when it came to boys and it wouldn't be a stretch to presume his crewmate had been romantically involved with someone. She didn't exactly scream blushing virgin with how crude her words could be. Besides, it was difficult to imagine her not ever being involved with anyone.

His heart raced and his cheeks burned when the strap of Naruto's top fell down, revealing slender and toned arms. Ace gulped. It was not like he had never seen a pair of arms before, but there was something different about seeing a girl's naked shoulders. They looked like a comfortable place for him to bury his head.

"W-Why?" His heart stopped and Ace stared at the tears pouring down his unofficial cook's cheek. She is going through hell. He didn't know anything about her but those tears told him that her dreams were horrible. In the few days they had been together, his crewmate gave off the impression that she was a joker. That she wasn't the type to cry.

He respected her for that because it still tested his patience when people cried in front of him. But if she is crying during her sleep then she has to be in hell when she is awake. His heart clenched and ached with concern. It would be a good idea for him not to care about it, but she was his crewmember and he couldn't let her suffer like this.

But how do I calm her down? He bit down on his bottom lip and winced when a metallic taste flooded his system. Right, it was probably not a good idea to bite his lips if he didn't want to taste blood. Ace took a deep breath, folded his legs together and exhaled before glancing down at his sobbing crew mate.

What should he do to calm her down? I don't think hitting her on the head is a good idea. The idea worked when it came to Luffy but Naruto wasn't like his little brother. She seemed to be a bit more sensitive then his little brother, always more attuned to people. Then there was the fact that she was smarter than his little brother and him, which meant she probably would overthink his actions.

Should I hug her? Would that calm her down? Ace rubbed his jaw and tilted his head to the side. Makino once told him that girls enjoyed those kind of things because it showed affection or something like that. Maybe it would calm her down but he didn't feel one bit comfortable with doing that to the blonde.

Besides, Naruto seemed like she would kill him if he ever decided to treat her differently because of her gender. She would tell him that just because she was a female, didn't mean she was delicate. But what the hell do I do? He scratched his head and looked down at the blonde. His throat suddenly became dry when a hipbone decided to peek out.

Yup, hugging her to calm her down was not going to be the best option for them. His crewmate had been right not to worry about him but if he hugged her then it would make all of her beliefs go down the drain. Why couldn't she be ugly and fat? His lower half was already beginning to throb because of her.

Or maybe it was because he hadn't slept with anyone. Once we get to the next island, I'm going to lose my virginity. He definitely did not want this feeling to be because he had never been around an attractive woman before. Ace inhaled. Yup, his female crewmate deserved better than for her to know about his current problem.

"I-I didn't ask you to do this!"

Ace jerked his head down and felt his throat growing even drier as more tears poured out of Naruto's eyes. It sounded even more desperate than her previous cry. It sounded almost like his crewmate was begging and pleading for someone to live through her tone. He steeled himself and allowed his hands to hover over her shoulders.

Hugging her was dangerous but maybe rubbing her shoulders would be the best idea for them. He took in a deep breath and rubbed her shoulders before closing his eyes. Hot. That was the best way to describe his crewmate's body temperature. His crewmate's body seemed to be on fire if that burning sensation around his hand told him anything.

Ace took in another lungful of air and blinked when the air inside him seemed to be knocked out of him. The night sky faded from his body and soft soil smacked against his back as blue eyes glowed with irritation. The wind howled and whistled as the waves crashed against the rocks, but still no animal howled or made any cries.

If there had been any animals then this whole scene would have been a scene from a horror book. With the cries of the wind and the glow of Naruto's blue eyes, well his heart pounded like it wanted to run away. He took in a deep breath and then frowned as he took in those shining blue eyes that now reminded him of a blue fire.

It didn't look like that Naruto was aware of where she was because her pupils looked slightly wild.

"Naruto!" He kept his tone light and calm as blue eyes continued to glare daggers at him. Was calling her name enough to make her realize that she was safe? That she was here in a deserted island with him? He hoped so because Naruto seemed ready to kill him. I don't know if I want to die yet, not when Luffy still needs me. Ace exhaled and then relaxed when the blonde jerked her hands away from him.

The anger in her blue eyes faded, replaced with absolute horror as her pink lips parted. Well I can definitely say that she didn't mean to try and attack me. The desire to laugh was great. It threatened to come out but the horror in her blue eyes seemed to grow even more intense. Yup, this was definitely not the time for him to laugh.

"Sorry," she muttered. Her tone was soft and low as the wind stopped their cries. Ace only gazed at his crewmate and felt his stomach rolled and churned with concern as Naruto offered him an apologetic smile. "I didn't realize that you were the one waking me up."

The guilt and apology colored her tone as the blonde slumped her shoulders. It was strange. In their few days, the blonde had never shown these kind of emotions. She is always flirting, frustrated or smiling. Even when she spoke about her childhood, she smiled instead of scowling about her past. This wasn't a side of her that he wanted to see on her.

He preferred to see her smiling or even scolding him then to see that expression on her.

"Does it look like I'm complaining?" He joked. Naruto blinked and Ace flashed her a large smile as his eyes flickered to her legs that hovered between his chest before looking back at the blonde. The blue-eyed girl tilted her head and he smiled even wider. "I get to have a very pretty girl on top of me."

He chuckled and pushed down the temptation to ruffle her hair. Instead Ace only drank in the pinken cheeks of his crewmate, who seemed to glow with the silvery moonlight. Her golden hair illuminated beneath the moonlight and the apologetic look in her eyes faded into nothing. What replaced it was amusement.

The moment Naruto let out a loud laugh was the moment his whole body relaxed. Her laughter echoed and danced around them as his crewmate dropped her head. It didn't sound anything like the light laughter of Makino or the rare, harsh laughs of Dadan. It was more shrill if you asked him but it surprisingly didn't annoy him.

"It isn't everyday I get a handsome man giving me a compliment," Naruto chuckled and his cheeks seared from embarrassment. The blonde laughed even softer and rubbed her eyes before shaking her head. "Are you sure you aren't acting innocent? Because you seem to be a lion inside a rabbit's clothing."

His heart drummed and raced against his chest as blue eyes continued to glow with amusement. Must this woman tease him? Well it was better for her to tease him then for her to mope around. He chuckled and shook his head before gazing at the smiling eyes of his female crewmate. Yeah, it was definitely better for the blonde to be like this.

"You really love teasing me, don't you?"

Naruto grinned and flicked his nose. "You make it easy, Freckles."

Her smile screamed warmth and sincerity but her eyes still didn't show any glow of complete happiness. It still doesn't have that kinda glow that I first saw her have. Ace thinned his lips. Maybe her nightmare still affected her because that kind of answer from her usually brought out a certain radiance to her eyes.

Right now, her eyes still seemed slightly dull.

"Do you wanna tell what your nightmare was about?" Ace asked.

It would be a long shot but he had to know what made the blonde cry out that name. What happened to this Neji guy? It must have been something terrible if the blonde cried out for him. The black-haired teen took in a deep breath. Yes, something terrible must have happened to this guy if his crewmate could cry like this.

He definitely didn't like seeing her like this.

"It was just a nightmare," Naruto answered. She avoided looking him in the eyes and seemed intent to look at everywhere but at him. "It's nothing for you to worry about, Ace."

Why wouldn't I worry? You're a part of my crew. He exhaled and leaned his whole body back as Naruto forced herself to smile. It was horrible to see the blonde sob during her sleep. His throat burned for the pain that the blond-haired teen experienced and his heart dropped with concern over what the girl had to endure.

He cleared his throat. "But I'm worried."

The blue-eyed girl just stared at him with unreadable eyes and Ace rubbed the back of his neck. Had it been a bad idea for him to admit that he was still concern for her? Maybe it would have been better for him to keep his mouth shut. She probably thought he was weird for worrying about her when they didn't know much about each other.

But it couldn't be helped because Naruto was his crewmate. Even if she was going to be with him for a short while, she was still going to be a part of his family. She was going to be his friend and that meant he would worry about her. He cared about his friends and this girl right in front of him wasn't going to be any different.

"It isn't going to affect you," Naruto finally said. "I'll get a handle of it."

Ace gazed at her and then stared up at the night sky. She isn't going to open up to me any time soon. He sighed. It was expected when he thought about it because who would just open up to a stranger? His crew mate might smile like Luffy but it didn't mean she was open like his little brother. She probably had her own reasons for keeping it bottle up.

He wouldn't pry anymore but he was going to make things clear to her.

"I'm not going to pry anymore but the moment you decided to join me, was the moment that I decided to care for ya," he informed her. Naruto blinked and he cleared his throat. "If I'm going to be the Captain then it's my job to take care of you and our future crewmates. So that makes it my job to worry about you."

A smile played on the blonde's lips and the corner of her eyes crinkled with amusement. Ace felt all of the blood inside of him rushing to his cheeks and he looked away from the smiling blonde. Maybe it had been a better idea for him to keep his mouth shut because those blue eyes stared at him with slight wonder and bemusement.

He probably shouldn't have been that open with her.

"What about you?" Naruto asked.

Ace blinked and pointed to himself. "Me?"

She bobbed her head and jumped off of him. Her eyes showed a seriousness that made him pause and he tilted his head when the blonde smoothed the wrinkles of her clothes. Why did she ask about him? He wasn't the one who cried about his sleep. He was more than capable of taking care of himself, so why would she ask him about himself? He frowned.

"If you worry about me and the others then who is going to worry about you?" Naruto asked, tucking her head between her legs. Ace pushed himself up and stared at the curious, concerned eyes of his only crew mate. He parted his lips as his mind went completely blank. "Well Freckles? Whose job is it to worry about you?"

Ace chuckled and shrugged before looking up at the sky. Why would they need to worry about him? He was going to be fine. He was strong. There was no need for anyone to worry about him. Besides, would she still ask if she knew who my father was? Another chuckle escaped his lips and he leaned his body back.

"I can take care of myself."

Naruto doesn't smile and only shook her head.

"Well I guess if our captain thinks he is invincible then it means I'm going to take on the duty of worrying about him."

The amused tone and the bright smile playing on her lips told him that the blonde didn't mind one bit of the task she appointed to herself.


"It seems like we aren't the only ones on this island!"

Naruto hummed and bobbed her head as her eyes took in the muscular, blue-haired man sitting on the rock. In the past couple of days, Ace and her came to the realization that this was truly a deserted island with no form of life. It would have been a perfect place to hide once they became infamous but the lack of supplies made it horrible.

She quirked her lips into a smile when the blue-haired man swirled his head at them. His blue eyes glinted with joy and excitement while his pen dropped from his hand. He looks like he had it worse than us. Unlike her and Ace, this guy had sunken cheeks and had eyes that screamed of hunger. Right, if he had been in the same situation as them then it made sense.

If it hadn't been for her seals then they would have more trouble when it came to food.

"Did you two come here to rescue me?"

Naruto and Ace exchanged glances before the blonde curled her lips into a frown. If they knew the male then it would be fair for him to ask them that question but they didn't know him. Maybe he has a family back home, who seems rich enough to hire a rescue team? She hummed. That would make the most sense when she thought about it.

"Nope," she answered. Naruto kept her smile and let out a little laugh before rubbing the back of her neck while Ace nodded his head. "We are in the same boat as ya."

The blue-haired man groaned and dropped his shoulders. A dark cloud loomed over him, almost casting a shadow over him and the whiskered teen chuckled before glancing at the fallen pen and book. I can't exactly tell what he had been doing but he seems like he is the educated type with not much experience in combat. If the male knew how to fight and hunt then he wouldn't have those sunken cheeks.

Even though there were no edible animals in this place, there were still some plants that could be eaten for survival. She bobbed her head and placed her hands over her head as Ace lowered their boat onto the ground. Plants could never make up for the wonder which was meat, but if it was eaten in enough quantities then they could survive.

"I'm never getting out of here," the blue-haired man grumbled.

Ace let out a loud-belly laugh and shook his head while Naruto just gawked at him. Did he have to be so negative? It might be difficult but they were definitely going to get out of here. I can't be Hokage if I'm stuck in this island. She grimaced and knelt down slightly before patting the sandy soil of the beach.

There had to be a way out of here but what would be the best option for them? Flying them out of here was easy but she didn't know the way. I might have no plans in life but that doesn't mean I wanna fly around in a random direction. She hummed and traced circles around the sand. It would have been easier if it was just her and Ace but there was now a third person involved.

"We can get out of here if you help Naruto and me repair this boat," Ace informed the male. He patted their boat and flashed the male a grin. "Once our boat gets repaired then getting out of here would be as easy as pie."

The man's stomach roared as the blue-haired man gawked at them. Why is he looking at us like we're idiots of the highest level? She scratched her head and tilted her head to the side. Their boat did look terrible but they couldn't just abandon it because of its appearance. The whole thing just needed a little bit of repair.

"Do either of you know what's wrong with your boat?" The masked man demanded, pinching his nose. "Because there's nothing about that thing that can be repaired."

Naruto blinked and tilted her head. Their boat might had pieces of wood nailed to it but that was the best thing they could do, until they found a proper repairman. Sure the mast was a little bit crooked and it might be bending off slightly but it just needed to be repaired. The ribs might have broken off but that could be fixed by them.

"It's only a little bit broken," she declared, steeling her eyes. "We just need to repair it."

The blue-haired man thinned his lips and flickered his eyes between her and her smiling captain. Was he going to act arrogant to them because he thought they were idiots? Or was he going to explain things to them? She couldn't tell but if he insulted them with that tone again, then she was going to punch him in the face.

"Look if the parts that were broken were little things then I would agree with you," the man finally replied. Naruto tilted her head to the side while blue eyes fixated on their broken little boat. "But the parts that are broken are parts that are considered important to a boat. If the ribs are no longer attached to the keel then it's better for us to make a new one."

Ace hummed. "Y'know how to make a boat? You seem smart enough to know about these kind of things."

"You should know the basics before going out to sea and no, I don't know how to make a boat," the masked man grumbled. Naruto eyed the blue-eyed male and inspected their boat. It was true that the keel was badly damaged but she never actually considered the chance that it couldn't be repaired. If that was the case then they would have to make a new one.

I guess I'll have to call in a favor from Tazuna. Naruto twisted her lips into a scowl and stared at the passing birds before letting out a sigh. Her relationship with the old man had gotten better after they saved his town, but it didn't mean her stomach flipped with joy of asking for help. The old man was helping with the repairs in her village, so it wasn't a stretch to think he might tell Kakashi.

If Kakashi found out about this then he was going to scold her about not being prepared. You should have a team go with you! Or you should ask Sasuke if you want an adventure. Sometimes the man seemed to forget the fact she was a 17-year-old girl, not the same impulsive 12-year-old of her youth. Besides, her male teammate would have been at a loss like her.

Then again her teacher had his reasons for being protective this time around.

'I know I can't stop you but the World Government doesn't see things the way we do. If they ever make the connection between you and your grandfather then things will get messy for everyone. We will have to go to war if they ever get a whiff of your heritage from your father's side of the family.'

What was so special about her father's side? He had been a poor boy who had been orphaned around the age of eight. Well he might as well as have been an orphan. Naruto clicked her tongue. From what Jiraiya told her, her grandfather only came around once every few years after Jiraiya told him about her father.

Ero-Sennin never even told me his name, only that once the whole Akatsuki thing was over that he would introduce me to him. Naruto sighed and shrugged her shoulders. She was curious to know about the mysterious man but not only because of her heritage. That part of her had been answered but she wanted to know what the man had done to get the World Government after him.

It must have been something cool. She quirked her lips slightly and gazed at the crashing sea. Well it didn't matter to her because her grandfather had never been someone that she had been interested in, until Kakashi warned her about her heritage. If the World Government wanted to kill her because of her heritage then they were idiots.

Her grandfather could be the devil for all she cared, but she wasn't him.

But if they are going to judge me for my lineage then I better dig up dirt on them and spread seeds of chaos. Naruto chuckled and rubbed her jaws. If it wasn't for her love for the Third Hokage, Konohomaru and his parents alongside Iruka then she probably would have done this idea. Oh well, being Hokage was a better alternative for her.

At the very least she could make a systematic change to an unfair system.

"We are definitely going to die here," the masked man groaned.

Naruto blinked and then relaxed her shoulders. Right, her potential problem with a foreign government was not a major concern for them. That could wait for when they draw any connection between her and her grandfather. Or, I could just do it when we begin a name for ourselves. Either way, it could wait but they had to fix the problem with the boat.

"You look like you're book smart," Naruto commented as her eyes fixated on the fallen notebook. The blue-haired man blinked and furrowed his eyebrows together while Ace regarded her with curious eyes. "If I'm able to get us a bunch of shipbuilding books then do you think you can direct Ace and me on how to make a boat?"

The masked man eyed her. "If you're able to do that then yeah I can explain the whole thing to you two, but how are you going to get a book? We are in the middle of nowhere."

"I have my ways," she replied.

A growl erupted between the three of them and Naruto rubbed the back of her neck. She eyed her backpack before glancing at the flushed cheeks of their newest companion. I knew I should have packed more of my beautiful instant ramen. Sakura and Hinata were definitely wrong to tell her that a change of clothes were more important than her ramen.

"Sorry," the man mumbled.

Naruto shook her head. "Luckily for you, I still have a couple of more instant ramen cups with me. While you and Ace bring the items we need to make a ship, I will prepare your portion of the instant ramen and get ourselves our book."

She definitely needed to make sure that she kept all three of them under control because her ramen stock was going to be depleted by the end of the week if they didn't get out of here soon.


Author Note: So Naruto and Ace got a little bit closer in this chapter and they also met Masked Deuce in this chapter. Please do tell me of what you thought about this chapter and the interaction between Ace and Naruto.