Naruto lay on the bed in Ace's room; she had been on Whitebeards ship for a week now. On the whole, she liked everyone on the boat, with only one exception, Teach. No one other than Izo knew of her dislike of the man. Not even the man himself.

Teach had taken to following her around as often as he could, trying to get closer and closer to her. He even tried to corner her a few times and get her alone. That's never gonna happen. All of the negative emotions radiating off of him was making her sick. His sent didn't help. He smelled like cherry cough syrup must sweat and urine all mixed together. The guy looked like he was scared to take a bath.

It took everything in her power to refrain from throwing him overboard just so the seawater could clean a layer or two of grime off of his skin. It was even harder to ignore the looks he would give her. Now Naruto is very confident in her body. She knows she looks good, and she lives by the principal, 'You Can look But don't touch.' But the way that man looked at her made her want to hide. There was something seriously wrong with that man. It is even worse because she can't do anything about it yet.

Ace sits up, looking down at the dual-haired woman he was in love with. He may not be as observant as Sabo or have the sixth since Luffy does when it comes to people. But even he could tell something was wrong with Naruto. "Hey, Naru, are you okay?" Naruto shifts in place and nods.

A sigh escapes Ace, and he quickly grabs her around her waist and flips her over to pin her under him. Of course, Naruto could make him get off her if she really wanted to, but it would take more effort than she was willing to exert. Naruto turns her head away, avoiding Ace's eyes. "Ace, get off."

Ace frowns. "Not till you tell me what's bothering you. Naruto, you've been acting weird ever since we left the room last week. Tell me what's going on, and don't you dare lie to me and say it's nothing."

Naruto looks up into Ace's eyes and pouts. She knows if she tells him, he won't join the crew like he wants to. But if she doesn't tell him and he still joins the crew. He could get hurt, and then she would really have to kill everyone. That would really suck because she really likes most of them.

"I'm waiting, Naruto."

Naruto sighs; she has to tell him. She quickly activates privacy seals. "I can only tell you if you swear not to react and tell anyone."

Ace frowns. "Is it someone on this crew?" Naruto nods. "Who?" He sees the hesitation on Naruto's face and grits his teeth. "Is it Marco?"

Naruto's eyes widen. "No, it's not Marco. Why would you think that?"

A wave of relief washes over Ace; he liked Marco and if he made Naruto feel this way. He wasn't sure what he would do. Even if the man had tried to push him to betray Naruto. But Naruto forgave him for it and brushed it off, so he could let it go. it wasn't easy to let it go; forgiveness is not his strong suit. "He has been hostile to you since you met. I just assumed..."

Naruto shakes her head. "It's Not Marco Ace. He can't help the way he reacts to me; it's instinct. I'm a predator, and he is prey. Animal instinct is tough to fight."

Ace nods in acceptance, but he still didn't get off of Naruto, and he had no plans to until he got his answer. "If it is not Marco, then who is it?"

Naruto turns away. "Teach."

The room temperature rose rapidly, and Naruto grabbed onto Ace and reversed their positions so that she was pinning him to the bed. Ace Bucks and tries to throw the small female off of him. "Naruto, let me go. I'm gonna fry him!"

"For WHat Ace, he hasn't done anything!" Naruto Yells frustrated

Ace freezes and looks up at Naruto with a glare. "He obviously has if he has you acting the way you are!"

Naruto pulls at her hair with a groan. "This is why I didn't want to tell you. Ace, you are the type to hit first ask questions later." mentally, she knows she is the same way.

"He did something to you, and you just expect me to do nothing?!" In a surprising burst of strength, he managed to get Naruto off of him. He had gotten a lot stronger in the year they had been apart.

Naruto Growls, and her eyes flash red as she takes a handful of Ace's wavy locks, silently enjoying the pained yelp that escapes him. "Portgas D. Ace, Sit Down Now!"

Ace pales as he looks into her blood-red eyes, and he feels almost all of his rage drain out of him. The last thing he wanted to do was make her angry. When she got too mad, Naruto had a tendency to lose control. Sabo Luffy and himself are spared and never came to any harm during this time because of her scent marking them. but others are not so lucky. "Naruto...I" He was quickly shoved back onto the bed.

"Shut up, Ace!" Naruto grabs one of her tails and starts petting it in an effort to calm herself. She can not afford to let her temper get the best of her over something so small. The only reason it has escalated to this point is that she has been on edge for a long time. She hasn't had a moment to relax.

If Teach would just leave her alone, she would be more in control of herself. Especially since she can feel him outside of the door. If she hadn't put up the privacy seals, he would know that she was on to him and who knows what he might do. The thought of Teach putting his disgusting hands-on Ace made her rage grow to unimaginable levels. It was so potent that her killing intent could be felt by the entire crew despite her efforts.

Teach who had been outside the door got the full blast of it, and he shivered in fear. The warm trickle running down his leg and soaking into his clothes gave away everything he was feeling at the moment. Teach could hardly breathe as he fell to his knees. The pain of the wood digging into his shins cleared his head. He had no idea what it was he was feeling or where it came from. But he had a strong guess as to who it came from. The thought of that little sex doll holding that much power made him drool. It would be wasted on Whitebeard if the old man got his hands on her. Lucky for him, she had turned down the offer to join the crew. That meant he still had a chance to turn her over to his side. It would be easy; it seems as if she follows Portgas. If he gets the firebrat on his side, then she will follow. Then as her captain, he can order her to his bed. A sick grin takes over his face as he licks his lips at the thought of getting a taste of the girl behind the door. Maybe just maybe, he could get a taste of her before that. It was just so hard to get her alone. She was always around someone, and when he thought he was getting close, she disappeared in a puff of smoke. He's waited 26 years so far, no matter though he's patient, so a little longer won't kill him.

Unknown to Teach, he was being watched. Ever since his conversation with Naruto, Izo had been watching Teach. The more he watched, the more worried he became. The man's obsession with Naruto was worrying. Teach had taken to stalking the girl around the ship. He even made several attempts to get the girl alone. But Naruto was nothing if not resourceful, and her disappearing act was coming in handy. He still had no idea how she did that. She never allowed Teach close to her. Izo knew that Naruto knew what Teach was up to, but Teach had no idea that Naruto knew.

When that wave of whatever it was covered the ship, everyone headed in the direction of Ace's room. Izo obviously was the first to arrive, and he stood in front of Teach, who tried to act like he just showed up as well. "Teach what are you doing up so late?"

Teach grins showing off his missing teeth. "Same as you commander, I felt something bad and came to investigate." How in the Hell did this man fool them all these years? Guess what they say is true. Ignorance is bliss.

Marco and the rest soon arrived. "What was that?"

"I don't know, commander, but it seems like it came from Ace's room." Teach says and starts to back away, slipping into the crowd and out of Izo's view.

Izo decides to ignore the man for now and focus on his irritated blond brother. "Calm down, Marco. I'm sure there's an explanation."

"You felt it to Izo. It felt like death was on the ship. I had to stop some of our brothers from killing themselves on my way over here."

That made Izo pause; he had felt it too. The feeling that you were about to die. The feeling that you were looking death in the face. He felt it also, and he could understand how others felt the need to end it before someone else had the pleasure. He turned towards the door that was glowing faintly. now the feeling was gone, and other than being a bit shaken up, everyone was fine

Ace hated himself for making her feel this way, so he pulled her to him and sat her down on his lap, running his fingers through her hair. "I'm ready to listen."

Naruto looks over her shoulder at Ace and sees him calm. "Ace, You know how Luffy and I can tell when someone is good or bad?" Ace nods. "I can tell more than that. I can feel someone's intent. Negative thoughts and emotions are all clear to me. I block people's emotions most of the time, but because we are not in a trusted area, I allowed myself to feel these emotions."

"And you felt the negative emotions from Teach?"

Naruto shivers and rubs her hands over her arms. "It is worse than that, Ace. Everyone has negative emotions sometimes. But Teach, it's not just his emotions. It's his thoughts. It's his very being. " Naruto looks Ace in his eye. "Ace, the man has not an ounce of good in him."

"I understand, but why can't I fry him again?" Ace scowled but made no move to leave the room, as he could feel Naruto's barely repressed rage hanging by a thread underneath her skin.

"He hasn't done anything yet, and it's not our problem Ace."

"Not our problem? The Hell it isn't!"

Naruto sighs. "Ace. This is a problem for the Whitebeard Pirates. We are not a part of this crew. and as much as we may like most of them, it's not our job to interfere."

The air left Ace. She was right. He had forgotten that he hadn't joined the crew. He felt so at home here. It felt so right to be here like this is where he was supposed to be. Wasn't that why he had called for Naruto in the first place? To get her opinion on the crew to figure out what it is he should do. What it is he wanted to do. He had never gotten around to asking her, but she had already given him the answer he was looking for.

But was he going to let this one person stop him from joining the crew? If he entered, he could keep an eye on Teach and keep him away from Naruto. But was he ready to have Whitebeard act as a father to him? Dragon had stepped into that role when they were kids, and Garp has been his shitty gramps for as long as he could remember. Then all of a sudden, he had brothers Sabo and Luffy. Finally, Naruto came along, and it felt like his family was complete. Did he really need more? No, he didn't, but that didn't mean he couldn't have more, right?

"So, what do we do now?" Ace asks

Naruto pokes his cheeks. "Now we put our acting skills to the test" At Ace's confused look, Naruto continues, "A large portion of the crew is outside the door because of my outburst earlier, and I need to make it seem like you were stupid."

Ace pales. "This is gonna hurt, isn't it?" Naruto smiles, and before Ace can react, he finds himself flying through the air, crashing through the door into the crowd. He lands on top of Marco. "Naruto, please, I'm sorry!" He begs this was not an act Naruto could be scary.

Everyone looked at the door and once again felt as if death was waiting for them. Naruto's eyes were blood-red, and her whisker marks seemed darker. "Ace, Ace, Ace, I thought you would have learned your lesson by now" The pressure became more solemn, and a few of the crew has pissed their pants.

Izo, even though he was shaking, approached Naruto. "Hey, Naruto, calm down; you're scaring the crew." Naruto looks over at him with that blood-red iris before she takes a deep breath, and they return to their natural blue hue. Seeing her calm, he had to ask, "What did Ace do that made you so mad?"

He tried to look at Ace, but the man was long gone. Naruto growls, "If there is one thing you as a man should never do is comment on a woman's menstrual cycle."

Naruto smirks at the sickly green color that takes over the faces of the men around her. Marco, ever the brave one, got into Naruto's face with a scowl. "What did you do to the crew? what was that wave?" As bold as he was, he was not going to further question what Ace had said.

Naruto Blinks and smiles, her sharper than regular teeth glinting in the sunlight. "Oh, that happens when I get too mad and lose control" Not entirely accurate and not a lie either. "Think of it as a warning to run away. Similar to a rattlesnake rattling his tail to scare people off. "

Marco seems to calm down. "So that happens when you lose control of your anger?"

Naruto nods. "Yep, I also have to feel particularly violent at the same time." She scratches the back of her head. "I've been working on controlling it so that people will stop killing themselves." An inquisitive look takes over her face. "Though those with enough willpower seem to be able to withstand it, so should I really worry if some weak-willed people off themselves?"

Marco looks at his fellow blond; he still doesn't like her, but he does have reluctant respect for her. "So you're okay with people killing themselves because of you?"

Naruto shakes her head. "Your twisting my words. I said should I care? Not do I care." With a shrug, she puts her hands behind her head. "If you want to live, live. If you want to die, die. If you kill yourself because you got too scared, then your will to live is feeble. and not my problem."

"That still sounds like you don't care."

"How many people have died because of the captain?" Naruto asks. Silence was the answer. "Whenever your captain uses his devil fruit, how many people in islands and one the sea does it affect? How many people have killed themselves because they didn't want to offend Whitebeard?"

Marco scowled because she's right it's the same thing. They didn't care about those other lives because he didn't know them, and they weren't a part of the crew. Naruto doesn't know them, and she's not a part of the crew, so she doesn't have to care. But that also doesn't mean she doesn't care. Seeing Naruto wink at him, he couldn't stop the groan that spilled from his lips. "Fine, you win, but please control yourself while you are a guest on this ship."

Naruto salutes him, and he just knows she's mocking him. "Yes, sir, first division commander, sir."

Another thought strikes him. "By the way, how did you get on the ship?"

Naruto smiles and leans forward. "SECRET!" She yells in his ear before she disappears in a puff of smoke.

Marco sticks a finger in his ear to dispel the ringing. Izo places a hand on the blond man's shoulder. "If it makes you feel any better, she won't tell me either, and she actually likes me."

Marco looks at Izo. "She likes you?"

Izo nods and waves his fan in front of his face. "Yup." Izo smiles. "She likes you too. She said it's just too much fun to mess with you" the feminine man walks off with a giggle leaving a bewildered Marco behind.

WHitebeared watched all of this with his usual smile. He, too, was worried when he felt that wave wash over him. NOw that he knows it's one of Naruto's mysterious abilities, he relaxed; he didn't need to learn more. Ace, who had been hiding behind his chair, finally poked his head out and looked up at Whitebeard. "Hey, do you really not care that I'm that man's son?"

"I would be lying if I said no, but not for the reasons you think," Whitebeard says, taking a drink. "The world believes that Roger and I were enemies, and it was just easier to let them believe that."

Ace hops up on Whitebeareds leg. "He wasn't your enemy?"

WHitebered smiles sadly. "He was my friend. We fought every time we came in contact with each other. The world ran in fear of our fights." He takes another drink. "They never stayed to see us drink right after. There was only one man who seemed to understand our relationship. And I guess you could say he joined in at some point. I don't think he ever took his job in capturing us seriously."

Ace looks up at him. "Are you saying that you were sort of friends with ROger and a marine?" The old man nods "who was the marine?"

"Monkey D. Garp."

Ace pales, and he chokes on the air. "Thanks for the talk. Got to go bye!"

WHitebeared looks at Ace's retreating figure in confusion. "Was it something I said?"

Whatever he said got a positive reaction out of Ace because two days later, he walked around with the Whitebeard mark inked over his back and proudly displayed it.

Kye kye: SO he is a part of the crew now. I wasn't sure how long I was going to drag that out. Once again, my lovelies, please leave a review and tell me what you think.