Diamonds and Pearls

Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews. It looks like darker Naruto is a hit. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I think that this will push us over the big 100 review mark. You guys are awesome.

Viewers' Choice: Who do you want Rin, Mei, Kakashi, and Obio to end up with in the end? It could be with one of the others mentioned or someone else. If you would prefer one or more of them to just fly solo, that is also an option.

Kisame's Song: I made it up. Dandy is an old fashioned word. It used to be something of an insult or a playful tease. It was used to describe someone who took great pride in their looks, was cultured/wealthy, and a bit "soft."

Chapter 11

"We are going to dock here. There's a port over there." Itachi says a few days later.

"Is there any reason in particular we sailed to this one?" Gaara asks his lover.

Itachi nods. There was a man here. A man who might know more about Kurama's Treasure. Itachi had no idea if it was his real name or not, but he was known as A. Just A. His name was a fucking letter.

"I think there is someone here that can help us on our quest. Besides, it will be good for the crew to stretch their legs on land again, anyway." The elder Uchiha offers.

Gaara nods in agreement. Crews tended to get restless if they were out at sea too long. Itachi's crew was eccentric to begin with. So it was probably a good idea to dock.

"I can see your point. Besides, I'm growing a little weary of the rations. I would like a decent meal." The red head admits.

"Then you shall have one. How is our prisoner?" Itachi asks.

Gaara chuckles. He didn't know why, but Itachi seemed to delight in provoking the Queen's Pirate. That is what they called Kakashi. Oh he knew that Kakashi had tried to provoke them, but was that really enough to explain Itachi's behavior towards the man?

"He's as cheeky as ever. Honestly, I don't think he really understands that he's our prisoner." The other Captain states.

"Perhaps, I should go remind him of that fact? I think we can spare a few moments." Itachi replies and Gaara shakes his head.

"You would have entirely too much fun tormenting him. Besides, we are docking. Ignore him for the time being, my love. We have much more important tasks to focus on. Let's go speak to your friend about Kurama's treasure and enjoy a real meal together." Gaara says and wraps his arms around Itachi's neck, kissing him chastely.

Itachi pouts. Damn. He wanted to rile up Kakashi some more. Still he knew that his lover was right. They had more important things to focus on.

"ALRIGHT EVERYONE. GO TO THE NEAREST TAVERN. WE SHALL MEET YOU THERE IN A SHORT WHILE. DO NOT LEAVE THE TARVERN." Gaara thunders at the crew.

"I did not realize you could be that loud. You have been holding out on me." Itachi muses.

Gaara feels his face heat up. It was the curse of being a red head. You just blushed easier. Itachi never stopped giving him reasons to blush either.

"Well there is a lot that we still have to discover about one another." He offers.

"Of course. Well now that I know how impressive your lung capacity truly is, I think that I will need to aim higher. It does appeal to me to let the rest of the crews know just how happy we are to have found each other." Itachi continues.

"…" Gaara is speechless.

Itachi was an Exhibitionist or at least had those kinds of tendencies. The young pirate was no stranger to intimacy and the various kinks that pirates had. It surprised him that his lover had this one though.

"You were not nearly as shy when you were in my arms." Itachi muses and kisses his forehead.

"Well that was in private. I'm happy that the others know that we are together. I've just never been one display myself in such a way before." The red head argues.

"Alright. I don't mind. I suppose on second thought, there is something appealing about knowing that I'm the only one who can hear you moan like that." The Sharingan Captain says and laces his hand with Gaara's, as he leads him off towards A.

Itachi smiles and walks with Gaara. He never would suspected that the other man was shy in a way. He certainly wasn't shy when he made Itachi suck him off. He was certainly a contradiction in some ways.

After awhile, they came upon a house. Itachi knocks on the door. A rather large, middle aged man with blonde hair and a deep tan comes out. He raises an eyebrow when he sees Itachi and gestures for him to come inside.

"So what brings you all the way out here?" He asks.

"We are searching for Kurama's Treasure. I remember once you were boasting about knowing the location, when you were drunk off your arse years ago." Itachi says.

"Well you know how I get when I've had too much to drink. I start saying things, that I shouldn't. I do know the location. A fat lot of good it does me though. No one can get to it. Who is your friend?" He asks.

Itachi raises an eyebrow. A was going to be difficult it seemed. He knew the location, but the Sharingan Captain was going to have to pry it out of him. Oh well. He didn't mind playing dirty, if he had to.

"A this is Gaara. Gaara is the Captain of Suna. A is an old friend of mine." He explains simply.

"Pleasure to meet you." The other Captain says and he offers his hand to A to shake it.

"Aye. I suppose so. Itachi here is mad. He doesn't honestly believe that he is going to get his mitts on Kurama's treasure, does he?" He returns the handshake and inquires.

Gaara shakes his head in amusement. Yes, he thought the treasure hunt was mad. He wasn't going to say that to Itachi though. Frankly, he was grateful that Naruto wanted to go on this ridiculous quest so badly. Otherwise, he might never have won over Itachi. (Or maybe he should say Itachi might never have acted on their mutual attraction.)

"I think he actually believes it. You had best tell him what you know. I'd rather not have him slit your throat, after you have shown us such generous hospitality." Gaara warns him.

"Oh alright. But I'm telling you that it is fruitless endeavor. No one can get past that wicked reef. Oh and God only knows what sorts of traps Madara and Kurama laid down on that Isle." A says as he takes out a rather ancient looking map.

Meanwhile back on Konoha, Suigetsu grumbles as he Hinata tries to sort out the kinks in his back. Naruto had left him tied to a mast for two full days before he let him down. Thankfully, the bluenette was kind enough to try to help him with his sort back.

"You really shouldn't have riled him up so." She chides him gently.

"Oh I can't resist, pulling Sasuke's legs. I didn't think his lover would be so psychotic about it. How on Earth do you deal with him?" The white haired man asks.

Hinata giggles. Suigetsu had just pushed Naruto too far. The man was the friendliest man you would ever meet, until you pushed him past his boundaries. The violet eyed pirate had clearly done so. He should have expected it.

"Most of the time, he isn't like that. He must really like Sasuke. You did provoke them. How is your back feeling now?" She asks softly.

"Better. Thanks to you. You do have the magic touch. I was wondering what the Hell you were doing on a pirate's ship in the first place. You seem too…gentle for this sort of life." He muses.

Hinata's eyes narrow. She was tired of being underestimated. He was far from the first to do so. She was just as much a pirate as any of the others!

"Then I saw you slit their throats. So now I know. You are a bloodthirsty little thing." Suigetsu finishes.

He had no idea how close he had just come to getting decked rather viciously. The Hyuga woman knew that she didn't fit the typical mold of a pirate. It was a sore spot for her. Hinata would lash out when someone questioned her pirate credentials. It was just a fact.

"Well you two seem to be getting along rather well." Sasuke muses as he walks over to them.

"That's a first. I didn't think that Naruto let you go anywhere, without him at your side. He's like your shadow these days." The violet eyed man taunts him.

Sasuke gives Suigetsu a dirty look. Honestly, you would think that he would have learned his lesson by now. The man seemed to want to be punished again though.

"I can tie you right back up and put you on that mast again, if you don't show some respect. Naruto isn't the only one that can do that." Sasuke warns him.

"Alright. Alright. Sheesh. He's a bad influence on you. You never used to be so prickly about the rules." The white haired youth observes.

"Looks like the Sharingan is docking." Sasuke says, choosing to ignore Suigetsu's smartass comments in this case.

Hinata nods as her eyes follow, Sasuke's gaze. The other ship was definitely docking in the nearby port. They were a bit ahead of the Konoha. Still they should join them in a few minutes.

"Sasuke, Captain Naruto is looking for you." Jugo says as he approaches them.

"See? What did I tell you?" The mischievous pirate demands with a smirk.

Sasuke just rolls his eyes. He flips Suigetsu off as he leaves his friends behind to find a certain blonde. A certain blonde that was going to get his arse kicked, if he kept it up. Honestly, the other man needed to learn how to appreciate subtlety.

He didn't have an issue with the other pirates knowing they were lovers. (Well almost lovers anyway.) Sasuke wasn't going to let everyone think that he was Naruto's obedient little love slave though. Fuck that.

"Loser, this had better be good. Do you have any idea how smug Suigetsu looks right now?" Sasuke asks once he finds Naruto.

"I can always tie him up on the mast again, if you like." The blonde suggests helpfully.

"Tempting, but that isn't the point. It looks like the Sharingan is docking." Sasuke observes.

Naruto nods. He could see that the other ship had just reached the port. They weren't far behind them. It would be good to touch base with the other pirates.

"Yeah. I'm gonna have the ship dock too. Let's see what they are up to. Oh and loser? You don't have to be so mean, especially after I was so nice to you the other night." Naruto says with a smirk.

"Pervert. I'll let the crew know that we are going to be making a stop though." Sasuke says and turns around, in order to do so.

Naruto shakes his head. He grabs Sasuke by the collar and pulls him in for a kiss. By God , Sasuke had such a sassy mouth. It drove him crazy. Unfortunately, they were going arriving at the port in a few minutes. So there wasn't really much time to show his almost lover just how much of a pervert he could really be.

Sasuke returns the kiss. He supposed that his relationship with Naruto was always going to be a tug of war. Naruto try to establish "dominance." Sasuke would proceed to tell him to go fuck himself, in whatever way seemed the most appropriate the time. Then the blonde would grab him and the sexual chemistry would just take over.

"Was that a compliant?" The blue eyed pirate asks.

"Not really. I'll give you this much. You know how to suck a cock well. But you really need to learn not to be so obvious. Yes, the others know we are together. But I don't want them to think that I'm your…that you own me." Sasuke warns him.

"You don't want them to think that you're my adorable sex kitten. Yeah, I know. You're really proud. I think that's part of the attraction really. Sasuke, you can feign protests all you want. But I know that if I touch you in just the right way, you'll melt right into me." He reasons.

Sasuke glowers. He couldn't really deny that. Not if he was being honest. That didn't mean he was going to admit it though.

"Come on, my pearl. It looks like we are docking." Naruto says as he drags Sasuke off.

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" He hisses in Naruto's ear.

"Never. It suits you. I could go back to calling you beautiful, if you prefer?" He inquires and Sasuke gives him such an icy look that Naruto was amazed that he didn't turn to ice himself.

"I swear I am going to kick your arse at the first opportunity." Sasuke warns him.

Naruto laughs. He had such a feisty lover. Well almost lover. He would change that soon enough though. Sasuke might want to fight him for dominance, but the sexual attraction was very much mutual. That's what mattered.

Two hours later, the Sharingan, Konoha, and Suna crews were now on land. Most of them were in a tavern on Itachi's orders. Guy was had just arrived on the scene. He kisses the ground once he was finally on land again.

He was so sleepy. First things first, he was going to find a safe place to rest for a few hours. The pirate was willing to bet that the other crews wouldn't set sail until the next morning at the earliest. He had time.

"How much for a room for the night?" Guy asks an innkeeper.

"Three pieces of silver or one of gold." He informs the sailor.

"Alright." Guy replies as he stuffs the silver into the man's hands and finds a room.

It was a fairly comfortable room by most standards. Certainly, it would never compete with the lavish chambers of royalty. But it was a step above what most peasants could afford. This would do just fine for his needs on this night.

"You had better be alright, Kakashi." He mutters to himself.

Guy was a pirate. It was a dangerous lifestyle, but he couldn't imagine being anything else. Still over the years, he had lost many friends. He didn't want to lose Kakashi as well.

Kakashi's only hope of survival was if he told them that he was sailing for the Queen of England. They might choose to ransom him then. That's assuming that the silver haired pirate had found a way to tell them that, before they slit his throat.

That was something of a big if. Guy was Guy though. Even after all these years, he still firmly believed in the power of youth. If anyone could talk his way out of a dangerous situation, it was his best friend and rival. Kakashi.

"He'll be okay. He has to be." Guy mutters to himself as he settles into his bed and pens a short letter.

Your Majesty,

I have been trailing the Sharingan and Konoha for days. They have finally landed at a port. Please help quickly. I know not how long they will be docked.

In the meantime, I shall assemble a new crew. It is with a heavy heart, that I must confess I am not certain how this new crew will stack up against these Devils, but I shall try my best.

Your Faithful Subject, Might Guy.

He sends that letter off. Almost immediately afterwards, Guy fell asleep. He was only human. The man had been running on pure adrenaline and willpower for several days.

Back in England, Mei looks at Haku somewhat skeptically. The Queen certainly admired his enthusiasm. Still she was worried it might get him killed.

"I understand that you want to avenge your Captain. Rest assured, that he will be. You need not worry about that. Haku, I can not in good conscience send you off to face the Uchiha brothers. It would be a suicide mission." She states.

"Your Highness, please. I beseech you. Allow me the honor, of going in person. I will make certain that they are cut down like the dogs they are. I assure you. I may be young, but I am a more than capable sailor." Haku pleads.

Mei sighs. She didn't doubt that for a moment. Still she couldn't do it. She couldn't send one of her brightest shining stars off to a certain death. The kid was much too young to go up against the likes of the Uchiha brothers.

"I'm afraid that I must reject your request." She whispers softly.

"Yes, Your Majesty." He says with a sad sigh.

"I can not permit you to take an English ship. However, please do stay the night. I think that a good night's rest will do you a world of good. When you wake, perhaps you will see things with a more clear head in the morning." She continues and Haku nods in understanding.

Haku nods in "agreement." He knew better to argue with the Queen of England to her face. Did that mean that he was just going to sit idly by, while his lover's killers were out on the loose? No. It most certainly did not.

"That is very kind of you, Your Highness. Thank you, for your generous hospitality." Haku replies with a low bow.

"Of course. I am sorry about your Captain. It wounds me greatly to lose such a fine man." She offers sympathetically.

Once he was dismissed, Haku heads back towards his room. That's when he noticed someone was following him. Haku whirls around to face them.

"Who are you and what do you want? He demands.

"My name is Obito. I couldn't help but overhear your discussion with our Queen. She quite specifically said that she wouldn't give you a royal ship. But she didn't forbid you from acquiring one of your own. I am a shipyard owner." He explains.

Haku blinks. Why would this man want to help him? He'd never met the man before. There had to be a motive. He highly doubted that Obito was just going to give him a ship, out of the kindness of his heart.

"I am Haku. Yes, the Queen did say that. Why would you offer me a ship? What would you want in return? Speak truly. I know that no one would make such a generous offer for nothing." The petite young man demands.

"One of my friends is being held captive, by the very same crew that slew your Captain. If you can get me a crew, I will sail with you. I'm not going to let him die by the hands of the likes of them." Obito tells him.

"I know men. They would make an excellent crew. But I don't have nearly enough coin to pay them all." Haku admits.

Obito smirks. Clearly, the other man didn't know who he was speaking with. Coin? That was not an issue for him. He was one of the wealthiest men in all of Europe. There would always be demands for more ships. Whether they were warships or trading vessels, made no difference to him.

"I can pay them all a more than fair salary. I think we have a deal?" He asks.

"Indeed we do." Haku agrees and shakes hands with Obito.

The two of them walk off together. They eagerly discuss their plans to take down the Sharingan and to save Kakashi. They would never know what hit them.

Back in the Throne Room, Mei sighs. She reads Guy's first lead for what seemed like the thousandth time. She couldn't believe that Kakashi had gotten captured. The silver haired pirate had always seemed so invincible.

"Damn them." The Queen mutters.

She would just have to put together a rescue mission. Haku might be teoo young to assign to such a mission, but she had the entire English Fleet at her disposal. They would regret kidnapping her lover. She was not going to pay a ransom.

If she paid a ransom to the Sharingan crew, that would only encourage other pirates. Soon they would kidnap members of the English Navy and demand ransoms. No, no. The best way to solve this was simply through the use of force.

It was really the only language that pirates understood. She was not going to be bullied into paying a ransom. No. She would find a way to get her lover back and not give into their intimidation.

"Thank God, for Guy. At least he is able to keep us abreast of their current movements. His stamina is practically inhuman." She muses.

Elsewhere, the crews were currently at the tavern. Rin looks around anxiously. She sighs in disappointment when she doesn't see Kakashi. She wondered if he was even still alive.

She knew her friend. He truly enjoyed provoking people. It'd be a wonder if the Captains didn't slit his throat. Rin knew that Kakashi was very valuable alive for ransom purposes, but his cheek was likely going to get him killed.

"Are you worried for your friend?" Konan asks her softly as she pours them another round of ale.

"I can't deny that. Yes, I am." The assassin admits as she gratefully takes a sip of the hearty brew.

Konan nods sympathetically. She knew that if her lover was taking captive by other pirates, she would be worried. Thankfully, Pein had more common sense than it appeared the masked pirate did.

He was so reckless. The man must be half mad or half suicidal, she decides. Why else would he challenge not one, but three pirate crews? He had to be completely out of his mind.

"They won't kill him. He's worth more alive." The blue haired woman tries to reassure her new companion.

"Oh dear God. He's not actually going to sing, is he?" Sasuke asks as he watches Kisame get on one of the table tops and gesture for music to be played.

"So I was sailing the Seven Seas."

"When I found myself a dandy, he was pretty as could be."

"Bent him over my knee and kicked me."

"So I threw him into the sea."

"It's just as well, I suppose."

"Let him decompose because that rose,"

"Could never make me curl my toes anyways."

"Dandies are pretty to look at, but they are boring lays."

Naruto blinks. That was disturbing. Good rhyming, but disturbing. Surprisingly, Kisame wasn't a bad singer, but he was taking a bit too much glee in that song. The blonde couldn't help but wonder, if that had actually happened.

"That was just disturbing." Sasuke mutters.

"So I threw him into the sea! Yeah!" Deidara says as he dances around, faster and faster.

The eccentric blonde grabs hold of Sakura and spins the pinkette around. This was much to the amusement of the other pirates. Sakura didn't seem to know what to make of the action at first. But then she shrugs and begins dancing with the blue eyed Sharingan crew member.

"So what do you say, my treasure? You wanna give it a whirl?" Naruto asks.

"You're asking me, if I want to dance? I don't know. You strike me as the sort of man that has two left feet." Sasuke says with a smirk.

"You can be such a bastard sometimes! I know how to dance and I'll prove it to you right now." Naruto says as he drags Sasuke off to the center of the tavern to dance with him.

The music was still playing loudly. Everyone was either intoxicated or well on their way there. All in all, the pirates were having a grand ole time. He swings his pearl around excitedly and that's when Gaara and Itachi came in.

"We might have a location. We'll stay here a few days and let everyone rest up. Then we set forth to find Kurama's treasure!" Itachi calls out excitedly.

"AYE, AYE CAPTAIN!" The pirates all say and Gaara for the ten thousandth time wondered what he had just gotten himself into.