The smell of fermenting rum was strong this close to the barrels that stored them, but Tenten refused to find another hiding spot. It had taken a lot of stealth to sneak past all those pirates undetected and make her way down to the storeroom, and she wasn't going to risk getting caught leaving her place of hiding to look for another, less putrid smelling hiding place. She would just have to deal with stench of rum, along with all the other smells that permeated the darkened room she was in.

The storeroom wasn't often used, only when members of the ship needed an item to fix something on the ship, or when the cook needed more food. Tenten was confident she would be able to hear them ahead of time and make herself scarce so she wouldn't be seen. She would also have unlimited food if she hid in here, which was a good thing, since she wasn't sure when they would next get to a port. Tenten was quite happy to stay out of sight until then—anything to make sure she never had to see her hometown again. She would die before going back there.

The pirates had recently set off, to go adventuring or looting or whatever the brigands did with their time out on the open sea. Tenten wanted nothing to do with them, but they were the only ship in port when she had made her way to the docks. And since time was sensitive, she had no choice but to stow aboard.

The room around her was spacious, and she longed to take her time exploring it, but not until she was certain she wouldn't be disturbed. Another few hours, until the pirates above were deep into their duties, and Tenten would leave her hiding spot and stretch her legs. And hopefully find some clothes to change into—something that was more appropriate for this type of situation. If she was to be caught, she wanted to look as much like a pirate as she could, to try and play herself off as one of the crew. For that to happen, she needed to find clothes suitable for a pirate.

Shouting could be heard from above deck, no doubt the captain or his first mate telling the crew what to do. Tenten hadn't had a chance to get a good look at their flag, so she didn't know whose ship she was on, but she hoped they weren't vicious. She had heard stories about some pirate crews being nothing more than simple animals, looting and killing every ship they happened upon. Tenten was a lone female on a ship filled with criminals—not the most ideal place to be. But really, when she thought about it, she wasn't sure if it would be any worse than her previous situation. Besides, she wasn't planning on getting caught.

But, of course, plans don't always go to… well, plan.

.

.

.

Captain Neji Hyuga stood at the helm with his first mate, Rock Lee, watching as his crew scuttled about the ship like ants, going about their duties in a professional and timely manner. He let the ghost of a smile grace his lips, knowing he had chosen a crew befitting the Crimson Night. They were loyal to him and they worked hard for their spoils. And Neji always made sure they had plenty of spoils to go around.

"Captain," Lee said from beside him. "It looks like it'll be smooth sailing all the way to Kirigakure."

Neji grunted in response, pleased. Clear skies met them as far as the eye could see, and a tailwind was behind them, pushing the Crimson Night to go even faster. They were on a schedule, one he didn't want delayed, and he wouldn't tolerate anything that might get in the way of their destination.

He also knew his crew had to remain vigilant. Kirigakure wasn't the safest island to get to, with some of the most violent pirates sailing its coastline. Not that Neji was worried about losing—he trusted his crew to remain level-headed during battles, and he trusted them to do their jobs efficiently and without remorse—but Neji didn't want to be caught off guard. The outcome of a battle often lay with who had more time to prepare, and those caught unawares didn't usually make it out alive.

The day was growing long, the sun creeping low in the sky and the first strips of pink dotting the horizon. The crew would change hands soon, so the ones on duty now could rest. He glanced up at the individual currently in the crow's nest, spyglass pressed to his eye as he surveyed the distance. He would be the first one to spot any signs of danger, but it became difficult after dark. Thankfully, as the name of his ship implied, that was when they struck best. His crew often snuck up on their enemies after dark, using the element of surprise to overwhelm their opponents and easily defeat them. They would loot the ship of all their valuables—not just treasure, but food, drink and anything else they desired to take—and leave the crew tied up. Neji wasn't the sort of captain to kill needlessly, but neither was he stupid enough to let those he plundered come back for him.

Neji turned to leave, knowing he could trust his first mate to keep them on course. He still had a lot of items to get done before they arrived at Kirigakure, and he needed to make a start on them.

He was already exhausted, and it was only day one of their travels. Neji would never show weakness in front of his crew, though, and he wasn't one to put off important tasks just because he was tired. He wouldn't go to bed until he was finished what he needed to get done.

It was going to be a long journey.

.

.

.

Three days.

It had been three days since Tenten had stowed away on the pirate ship. The first day consisted of her trying her damndest to not throw up, being unused to travelling by ship. She hadn't thought about seasickness in her plan to sneak aboard a ship, and she refused to throw up since she didn't have anywhere safe to do so. The last thing she wanted was for someone to walk down into the storeroom and smell sick in the air. No, that couldn't happen. So, instead of letting go of her stomach's contents, Tenten used all her willpower to keep it down, doing whatever she could to distract herself from the feeling.

Another thing she hadn't planned for, was the lack of water she found. She had assumed there would be a large supply of water in some of the barrels, but each one she opened was filled to the brim with rum. Even though she had her fill to eat each day—even if it was just raw vegetables and dried beef—if she didn't drink some water soon, she would be in trouble. She could feel herself getting weaker, and her head felt as though she had woken from a night of revelry, having drunk a barrel's worth of liquor.

She had, in fact, tried drinking some of the rum in place of water, but that hadn't been the smartest thing to do. Despite the water in rum, the alcohol made her even more thirsty, and Tenten was left cursing the pirates for not leaving water below deck for her. Where, if not in the storeroom, did they store the fresh water needed for the dozen or more crew members on this blasted ship?

People had come and gone during the past few days, mainly the cook looking for more ingredients. Because it was the beginning of the trip, the fruits and vegetables brought on board, as well as the meat, were still in good condition, but after a week, she knew they would start wilting. The cook would have to stew up the meat soon before it all went bad—unless they didn't mind eating off meat. Still, Tenten's mouth watered at the thought of biting into a nice piece of meat, instead of the dry rations she had found. But she couldn't complain, and she definitely couldn't try and sneak some cooked food for herself. No, that would be stupid.

It didn't stop her from imagining, though.

But even as she tried to come up with a plan, she knew nothing would work. Despite the clothes she was able to find, she still stuck out as a woman. She had tried to bind her breasts as much as possible, but they still stuck out prominently—no hot-blooded man would believe for a second that she was an adolescent male. Leaving the storeroom during the day would be suicide, with all the footsteps she could hear coming from the deck. Even if she left her hideaway in the evening, with the shadows to conceal her on deck, she wouldn't be able to get past the crew members in closer quarters.

No, she couldn't risk it.

She sulked against the barrel of rum she leaned against, chewing on a dried stick of meat.

Water for drinking wasn't the only thing she longed for. She hadn't had a bath in days, and she was starting to smell herself even over the top of all the rum. It was disgusting, but if she were to be caught, she hoped the sight and smell of her would ward of any grabby hands.

The ship's rocking—which she hated on the first day—began to lull her into sleep. She welcomed it, having not slept much the past couple days since she constantly worried about getting caught. Now though, she allowed it, knowing someone had just come down to the storeroom not long ago and that it would be empty of people for at least a few hours. A small nap wouldn't hurt anybody.

She allowed sleep to pull her under, her mind wandering to what she would do once she made it to a new town.

.

.

.

Neji's steps were silent as he walked down into the storeroom, the cook directly behind him. He had come to Neji earlier that day, complaining that his stores were being depleted quicker than usual. He suspected one of the men were stealing food, but Neji didn't believe that. His crew were fed satisfactorily enough that they wouldn't risk his ire by attempting to steal food.

Neji wondered if Choji was starting to lose his marbles, but as the captain of the ship, it was his duty to see firsthand what was disturbing the younger man.

Choji was blabbering on about something, but Neji wasn't listening. He had more important things to do than this, and he was only going to have a quick walk around the storeroom before he told Choji he was imagining things.

At first glance, Neji couldn't see anything out of place in the vast room, but on closer inspection, he noticed something awry. At the far side of the storeroom, a barrel's lid lay askew, having not been refitted properly. All his men knew the importance of keeping the lids securely on the liquor barrels, in order to both preserve their taste and stop the risk of rats and other vermin falling in.

He made sure to stay quiet as he walked towards the barrel, his footsteps light on the wooden floor beneath him. He held his hand out to still Choji, deciding that if there was something down here eating their food—besides rats—he would rather have the element of surprise on his side.

For good measure, he unsheathed his sword attached to his belt, although he felt it was a little bit overkill. He was sufficient in hand-to-hand combat, and in this small space he wouldn't effectively be able to wield a sword, but it might scare them into inactivity if they tried to spring an attack on him.

Neji didn't know what he was expecting to see, not really. One of his younger crew members—one of the new ones—had stolen into the storeroom, perhaps. If so, Neji would make sure they would never do so again.

What he saw, however, stole his breath, and he blinked rapidly, sure he must be imagining things. Surely, this couldn't be happening.

Neji eyed the sleeping figure in front of him, a frown tugging at his lips. "What do we have here?"

.

.

.

Murmurs nudged Tenten awake, but she didn't quite understand the implication of the noise until she opened her eyes.

Two men were staring down at her from where she was propped up against the barrel, leftovers of her latest meal strewn around the floor in front of her. One of the men looked shocked, like he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing, while the other man had a stern, almost angry expression on his—surprisingly—very handsome face.

"Who the hell are you?" the handsome pirate asked.

It was only then that Tenten noticed the sword in his grip and she had to fight the panic that threatened to overtake her. There was no point in freaking out—that would likely only get her killed. No, cool and calm was how she needed to play it.

She made a show of yawning loudly, as though she belonged there and wasn't a stowaway. "Sorry, I must have fallen asleep on duty," she said in a faux deep voice. "I just came in here for a quick break."

The angry pirate just frowned deeper, though one of his eyebrows lifted slightly at her words. "Are you the one eating all our food?"

"I mean, aren't we all eating our food?" she shot back. It dawned on her belatedly that this man could be important—he didn't look like a shabby deckhand, that was for sure. Maybe he was the first mate, or even... No, the captain wouldn't be down here, skulking around the storeroom for a potential thief. Surely not. Still, maybe she shouldn't give him so much lip.

That eyebrow twitched again, so perfectly manicured for a pirate. "I was not aware we were feeding a female on this vessel."

"He's a she?" the other man asked, mouth open in surprise.

Tenten felt the slightest satisfaction knowing that her guise could, in fact, trick these pirates—some of them, at least. But that meant absolutely nothing now, not when this pirate so quickly ascertained who she was.

A smirk tugged at his lips. "Of course. She has no doubt tried to conceal this fact, but it is impossible to hide completely." Face turning fierce again, he gave her a quick, clinical once-over before holding her captive with his impossibly pale eyes. "Who are you, and why are you on my ship?"

His ship? His ship? Tenten wanted to smack herself upside the head. He was the captain, after all! Why hadn't she remained vigilant? Instead, she had figured no one would be around, and she had been so tired she couldn't help but fall asleep. Now this pirate knew about her—worse, knew she was a woman! If she was lucky, he would kill her quickly. But if she had stumbled upon a vicious pirate ship... Tenten shuddered. She didn't want to think about what could be in store for her.

"Do not test my patience, girl. I will not ask again." The pirate captain had sheathed his sword—no doubt thinking she would be no match for him physically, and he would be right—and he stood above her, imposing with his arms crossed against his chest.

"I'm sorry, but I was just so hungry. I saw the food getting carted onto your ship and I acted without thinking." She was lying, but it was better this than telling the truth. There was no way she was going to give him more ammunition to attack her.

From the way he continued to stare at her, eyeing her figure again, this time slower, she doubted he believed her lie. She didn't particularly look like a woman starving. Still, to her surprise he didn't press further. Instead, he reached down and roughly pulled her to her feet, making her head sway from dizziness. She had been too long without water, and she could feel herself on the brink of passing out.

Without speaking, he half pulled, half dragged her up the stairs and onto the open deck of the ship. Tenten had to shield her eyes from the sun, having spent so long in the dim storeroom, and she wasn't prepared for the effect the sudden heat had on her. Her head swam and she swayed in the pirate captain's grip. Unable to stop herself, Tenten fell limp and her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she passed out.

.

.

.

Neji felt his captive grow limp in his hold. He thought it was a ploy of deception, but when he glanced at her, he saw the perspiration coating her brow, saw how her face had paled considerably during their short walk. She started to collapse, her feet no longer able to hold her up, but he caught her before she was able to take a nose-dive to his deck.

Lee is in front of him almost instantaneously, his bushy brows tugged down at confusion. "Captain, who is this?"

"A stowaway."

The woman was tall but lean, and it didn't take much effort to lift her in his arms. He wrinkled his nose at the smell that assaulted him.

"Do you want me to take her off your hands for you, Captain?"

Neji was about to shake his head no, but then wondered why he would do such a thing. He was the captain of a pirate ship—he didn't need to concern himself over mangy stowaways onboard.

"Take her to the brig," he told his first mate, letting him take hold of her so his arms were left empty. "Don't make a big deal of it either—I do not want the whole crew knowing there is a woman on board."

"Aye, Captain. Of course."

"Make sure there's water in her cell for when she wakes up. It does not seem as though she has had any since we left port."

"Aye. Food too?" Lee asked while looking down into the face of the dirty female.

Neji was tempted to say no. She had crept on board without their knowledge, after all. But he wasn't cruel, and definitely never to a lady. "Yes, but just the bare minimum. Bread and a little soup will suffice for her." He wasn't cruel, but he wasn't about to give her the best of their supplies either.

Lee turned to do what his captain asked, but Neji stopped him with one more request. "Notify me when she wakes up. I want to pay her a visit and find out the real reason she decided to come aboard the Crimson Night."

"Aye, Captain." With a nod, Lee left to do his bidding.

With that settled, Neji made his way to helm in order to ascertain their current location. He wasn't about to allow himself to be distracted by a woman—no matter how pretty he imagined her to be under all that dirt.

THIS is the story I've been excited to show ya'll! I've always wanted to write a pirate AU, and this was my chance, thankfully! The only sad part about it, is I had to condense it a lot to fit it into Nejiten Month, so it won't be as long as I would have liked it to be (I would have done much more with this story if I could). But, I've still made this into three parts (instead of its original one. I forwent making some of the other AU prompts for this), which will be posted in the next couple of days, so you won't have to wait long to see how it ends.

I really enjoyed writing this, so I really hope you enjoyed reading it. Please let me know what you think of the story so far in the comments! I'd love to hear your thoughts!