How to Save a Life.
Chapter 3! Oh yeah… I'm awesome! _ just kidding! But I am slightly egotistical :P
I could tell he didn't like sea travel, his face was green and he kept himself below deck as much as possible as I swam behind the ship or under it. Shikamaru was beside me most of the time, grumbling about me being fickle and an annoying girl.
"Shika, you need to think of it differently! We're going back to London, isn't that something you think would be fun?"
"No, I hate the main land, I hate land in general. And your making me impersonate Sasuke."
"No, you just have to say you're my brother."
"Basically impersonating Sasuke. I honestly don't know why I'm helping you get a soul. You're doing nothing but making me feel like shit. And you don't even care."
I looked over at him, seeing the tight lines of his face. I didn't feel bad for him at all, he was swimming with me to London, he was with me. Wasn't that enough, better yet, why is it suddenly not enough after three thousand years of just be around me? "Your right Shika. I don't care right now, and I shouldn't have to care right now. My mind is set on one goal and I'm not going to stop until I get it."
"You're not going to though, and if you do you're going to be too enthralled with the surface to ever come back." I swam ahead a bit and flipped over so I could see the port hole that showed the room where Gaara spent most of his time, sick.
He was still sitting down, his hands gripping his hair and his head ducked down between his legs. I watched with a glare as the blonde came bouncing into the room and Gaara raised his head and put on a fake smile as he rubbed his hands through his hair and over the back of his neck.
I could tell that he was faking his happiness at least a little, but there was just some sort of spark in his eyes that I noticed he didn't have around me.
It pissed me off.
Gaara was supposed to be mine, I wasn't supposed to have to fight against someone for his heart, and let alone a guy? That was just wrong! His heart had to be mine and it had to be mine soon, because I had to get my soul if Ireland wanted to stay a country and not just a series of mountaintop peaks coming out of the water.
I turned my head in Shika's direction and noticed he was watching the same scene as I was with a smirk on his face and his eyes closed before he dove down, swimming much deeper then he needed too to refrain from being seen. My hand clasped around my shark tooth necklace and the sharp points dug into my skin. I could not have gotten that necklace without being a strong mermaid, I could not have gotten that necklace if I didn't have determination. I'd fought the fucking shark for three hours, killing it slowly yet as quickly as I could.
He was just being stubborn, I knew that. Shikamaru would like me even more once I had a soul for him to love as well as just my smoldering good looks. Shikamaru was the kind of merman that had to have what he wanted, and if he couldn't he'd just get something to occupy his time until what he wanted eventually came to him. It just hadn't happened with me yet.
Darkness enveloped me as I dove after Shikamaru to find out what the hell his deal was. I wanted to know why he was being so moody all of a sudden, couldn't he just get another surface girl to fall in love with him until I had what I wanted?
"Shika! Shika, wait a minute, will you?"
I watched as he stopped and turned towards me again. "What? Are you finally taking interest in me? Do I have to lash out to get your to pay attention to me Ember? If I keep ignoring you, will you finally break your stupid, annoying, unrealistic, idealistic outlook on the world?"
"No. You can't get me just because you want it Shika. I'm not those stupid surface girls who will just flock to you. Now tell me why it's suddenly so different?"
"It's been exactly two thousand nine hundred and fifty years since I first asked you to marry me. And I'm tired of waiting. You have to decide right now Ember; be with me wherever you want to be, or get a stupid soul form a human who doesn't have one!"
"You know my decision Shika. Asking me is pointless."
"No, asking you is just making sure that I'm not going to make the wrong decision. I'll be seeing you around Ember." he turned away from me again and for a second my heart stopped, was he really walking away from me?
"Shika! Y-your not leaving, f-for good… are you?"
"Yes, I am." I felt my heart sink in my chest as he kept swimming, his hair tied in the same high ponytail that I'd seen every day of my life.
"Oh… alright." I stopped swimming as he vanished, his grey tail standing out for a few hundred feet before being enveloped by the darkness of the deep water.
It was good, he wouldn't be slowing me down and wouldn't be on my case about me getting my soul. I was perfectly fine on my own, I could fend for myself with ease and I didn't need him around. Though, the company was nice to have.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Stupid, fucking, sea. I hate the sea, it was annoying, and horrible, and once we'd set sail I found out that our first docking port was in France, not London! Going from the northern most point of Ireland to London was fine with me, but docking in France first then sailing to London, that made no fucking sense!
Naruto knew I hated the ocean, he never said it out loud, but I could always tell by how he spoke so kindly with me about the smallest things that always took my mind off the rocking of the ship.
"So Gaara… I've noticed my first mate is still here." the private cabin I was sharing with Naruto was infiltrated by the ship's captain and I rolled my eyes.
"I was told we'd be sailing directly to London."
"Hey, either you get rid of my first mate and have his body never found, or I'll let a few of the men do whatever the hell they want with the pretty little blonde kid you brought on board with you." I clenched my jaw and nod my head, knowing I should find Naruto and hide him somewhere on the ship until I got rid of the first mate.
"Yes Captain." I refused to unclench my jaw, knowing I'd rather have them take it out on me rather then Naruto, but that was also the exact reason he was going to have them do it to Naruto and not me.
I got up, my legs wobbling from the lack of food I'd been taking in. but I never ate much on ships- one of the main reasons I liked short boat rides. I grabbed my dagger and placed it in the back of my pants, not caring if the captain was watching my every move.
"Naruto!" I caught the blondes elbow as he rushed passed me to do something with the ship like he actually worked on it.
"Gaara! What's up, I have to help with the-"
"Forget that. Go to where you've put Kurama and hide yourself." my voice was raw from all the puking I'd done. Naruto's eyes went wide as he pulled his elbow out of my hand and took a half step closer.
"Why? Is something wrong Gaara?" I nod my head once before jerking my head for him to go.
"Don't let anyone see you until I come and get you. If you have to, jump ship and swim to England."
"But Gaara! That's a long-"
"I know I'd be a long swim, but not undoable. It's summer so the water isn't that cold. Just promise me if people try and come after you you'll jump ship." his eyes narrowed as he gripped the front of my shirt and pulled me forward and slightly up even though I was taller then him to begin with.
"I'm starting to think I need to start arranging our means of transportation Gaara. I swear to god, one more freaking pervert touches my ass and I'm going to kill you myself." the threat would have been real to anyone else, even the captain would have believed it, but we both knew that he couldn't kill me.
"I'll come find you once I'm done. And don't worry about it, if it comes down to it, this ship can be manned by two people and a fox." he just rolled his eye and let me go before vanishing through a door I knew had nothing to do with where he was going to hide.
Hands stuffed in my pockets, I head for the captains chambers were I knew the first mate spent all his time. I knocked on the door once before just opening the door and slipping into the room.
"Oh, Gaara… what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be puking over the side of the ship right about now?" I remained motionless for a moment, arms crossed over my chest and my feet keeping me as stable as I could be in a moving vessel.
"Just about to start again, figured I'd get my business out of the way." I unhitched myself from the wall and walked over, reaching behind me effortlessly and grabbed the dagger.
"Really… why business do you have in here?"
"Nothing much. Just an order the captain gave me for being able to sail. There's nothing personal." I flicked my wrist and my dagger flew out from my side, hitting the man square in the temple. He remained there for a moment and I flinched, I wasn't used to seeing people not just fall, and when he blinked it was even grosser. Blood had seeped out of the wound and slid down his face and neck before he finally toppled over and fell back against the solid wood planks of the cabin floor.
I walked over and opened up the window to the back of the ship. It was difficult with his head lolling all over the place, my dagger still deeply imbedded in his head. But once I finally got him out the back of the boat, watching him sink into the murky depths was a nauseating experience.
I heard the cabin door open and turned around in time to see the captain walking into the cabin with Naruto under his arm.
"Ah, hello Gaara… what a coincidence, I figured my first mate would be here." I rolled my eyes and walked over before he could turn the corner of the desk with Naruto.
"Whatever. Clean up yourself." I grabbed Naruto's waist and pulled him out of the captains grasp simply because something about the man pissed me off since Naruto was supposed to be hiding from the captain.
"We were talking Gaara. You can't really just take him out of my-"
"Yes I can. Especially when it's a pervert like you." I pushed Naruto out of the room and quickly followed behind. "One question though captain… when are we docking in France and for how long?"
"In two days for a week. Why?" I just shrugged, having absolutely no reason to tell him. It wasn't possibly because I was spending so much time with Naruto and the fact that I was craving another person's intimate touch again.
I pushed Naruto into our cabin and closed the door behind me, wondering why Kurama was sitting on Naruto's bed. "Let me guess… you've been hiding him here?"
"Where else am I supposed to make sure he isn't hurt?" I let out a sigh and moved over to my cot and lay myself down so I could curl myself into a small ball. "Gaara… are you alright?"
"Fine. You can go back and do whatever you want. I'm just going to stay here and try to relax. If anyone bugs you come and get me… or make a fuss, I'm sure I'll hear." my stomach was starting to hurt again and I felt like I was going to get sick, if it wasn't for the fact that I had nothing in my stomach to get rid of I would have stuck my head out the port hole and let loose.
"Gaara… you don't seem alright, are you sure your-"
"Naruto, there is nothing you'd want to do to help. Do us both a favor and go have fun on the ship."
"Well I don't know how you'd know that! I don't want to see you sick Gaara. Of course if there is something I can do to help I will." I just shook my head. Over my week sabbatical I realized very quickly that I could go little more then two days without sex, and if I tried to go for longer that I'd get unstoppable stomach pains that would only go away with sexual release.
"Naruto, I don't want you to help. I'll be fine." the pain shot up a notch when Naruto touched my shoulder and I visibly flinched. "Go away!" I felt his hand leave my shoulder and there was a small growl from Kurama before the sound of the cabin door opening and slamming closed caught my attention.
With a sigh I loosened my body a bit and decided to do the best I could on my own about the problem I'd acquired.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
As soon as we docked in France I ditched Naruto in the closest tavern before bringing a girl up to a room I got privately for myself. The feeling in the pit of my stomach made me want to get rid of myself. The girl called herself Ino or something, and she was far too… giggly for my liking.
Three knocks came on my room's door when she was sleeping and I got up with nothing but a light blanket around my waist.
"Hello?" my eyes went slightly wide as I saw Naruto standing there, a tired look on his face. He was wearing his night clothes and even his funny night cap. "What's up Naruto?"
"I uh… can't sleep. I was hoping that I'd be able to bunk with you… but it's alright, I can see that your busy." he hugged Kurama a little bit tighter and I couldn't help but sigh and nod my head.
"I'll be there in a minute Naruto. Jus uh, leave the door unlocked." he nod his head and rubbed at his eyes tiredly. I wished I knew what was going through his head, what he was thinking when he spoke with me, what he thought when he saw me standing in a doorway wearing nothing but a thin bed sheet and an obvious sent of sex that permeated the room.
With a sigh I closed the door again and started to rummage around the room for my pants. "W-what?" I looked up and noticed the girl was waking up.
"I'm going out for a bit feel free to stay if you want." I answered in almost perfect French and I just caught her nodding her head as she sat up and rubbed her eyes, not seeming to care that her breasts became visible again. It was horrible that no matter who I was with I had to imagine Naruto, but I just shook the thought out of my head as I went into Naruto's room.
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I hated that stupid France loving harlot. Ino was such a stupid girl, she was a mermaid who unlike me wanted to bring a man back to the sea much like Shikamaru did. She'd even brought back several men to be in the ocean with her, and she used them much like Shikamaru did. But one thing that I hated most about her was her father had been trying to set her up with Shikamaru for at least a thousand years, and there she was, sleeping with my soul.
I stood outside the tavern in the dress of a woman I'd killed who was walking down by the shore line by herself. The dress was slightly wet and I could simply just make a fake tale that I'd fallen into the ocean and needed to sit by the fire to warm up and dry off. Anyone would give me what I wanted with little more then a pleading look and my chest jutted outwards.
The room was warm as I moved over to the fire, hating the heat but needing to stay in character, no matter how uncomfortable the constricting clothes got. "Excuse me miss… is there anything I can get you?" the soft French voice jogged me from my thoughts.
I turned my head up to the barmaid and shook my head with a fake sad expression. "N-no… I haven't any money. Lost it in the o-ocean-n." I did a quick fake shiver and the woman sighed possibly because of my horrible French.
"Poor dear. I'll bring you something to drink." she vanished back into the kitchen area and I let out a sigh as I held my hands towards the fire. The hot feeling that hit me was almost too much to bear and I shrunk back, turning so only one side of my body was facing the fire.
I kept my eyes open to see if Ino was going to come down into the main tavern or if she was going to remain in the room waiting for my Gaara. I set my arms around my waist and turned my eyes towards the fire for a moment, loving the look of the flames. I couldn't believe that I was named after fire, after something of a fire element when I was a mermaid, but there was little I could do about my name, and after three thousand years I wasn't about to change it.
My eyes caught a flash of white blonde and I looked up, my voice rising of its own accord. "Ino!" she froze and turned to me for a moment before smiling widely and rushing over.
"Ember! What are you doing here? I thought you hated the French! Oh, I'm so happy! Sakura and Hinata both ran out of steam when we were swimming passed England." she came over with a hop in her step and a bounce in her breasts.
"Stay away from him Ino." she froze before raising an eyebrow and slid into the seat across from me.
"Who are you talking about Ember? I'm no where near Sasuke, or Shika-"
"Gaara. Stay, away, from Gaara. I do not give you permission to be near him, and if I see you near him again I'll make sure you regret it." I saw the smug look in her eyes and allowed my eyes to flash red as I crossed my arms over my chest. "Do all you want with Sasuke or Shikamaru. Just stay away from my Gaara."
"You're Gaara? Where the hell did that come from? Because I didn't see your name anywhere-"
"On his right pectoral. I bit him over two weeks ago Ino. He's mine, so back off before I take out your entire family." she opened her mouth but stopped as thunder rolled in the distance and rain started pouring down. The look that crossed her face was absolutely shocked as I tried to stop myself from crating a storm on my own.
"A-alright. Fine, do what you want, he was bad anyways." she rolled her eyes and turned, shouldering the girl who was carrying a hot cup and from what I could smell it was soup.
"Are you alright there sweetie? She looked nice." I could hear the sarcasm in her voice and just smiled.
"Y-yes I'm fine." I gave a weak smile even though I knew I didn't need to and she returned it with a confident one before handing me the hot cup of soup.
"Here you go sweetie… so, I've got my break, care to tell me why you're here in France?" the woman's French was so flawless that it took me a moment to translate the words in my head.
"Y-yes, I'm running away from my brother. He uh, doesn't want to give me enough freedom as I need."
"So you chose France? I'm not sure your too smart with freedom there sweetie." the fact she kept calling me that was starting to get on my nerves, but I just shrugged and took a sip out of the soup cup.
"Well, it's better then Ireland. No one is allowed to do anything there without permission."
"Oh, did you hear? A Lords entire family was assassinated by 'the Jinkuriki of the Sand' the northern part of the island was in an uproar for about a week!" I nod my head with a fake scared look.
"Yes, of course I heard. That's one of the reasons my brother is so ruthless with keeping me 'safe' at home. But, I had to leave… so I left." the woman nod her head in agreement and we remained talking for a long time, so late into the night that long after the middle of the night had passed the girl smiled at me and offered to share her apartment for the night until I could find my own place in France. I respectfully declined her offer and slipped out of the building and back into the ocean so I could get to England long before Gaara.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Morning came and I was still beside Naruto and it was horrible for me, his head was on my shoulder again and the sound of light snoring was invading my ears. Every time I tried to move he would cling tighter to my chest and continued to drool on my pale skin that'd missed years of sunlight because as a child I never liked to go shirtless.
I tried waking him up enough to let me go, and I got to a point where he'd pushed himself up on his elbows, until he mumbled for me to shut up and be a good pillow before he wrapped his arms around my chest and his legs around one of mine. So I had my own personal blonde cyst attached to the side of my body.
I gave up on trying to get him to move and raised the arm he wasn't on the shoulder of, allowing my fingers to run through the blonde hair in soothing circles that made me want to do much more then just stroke his temple. Banishing the thoughts quickly though I set my mind to the task of keeping him asleep and the details of how I'd go about getting my money if it wasn't already in the floor boards of the apartment where my informant was supposed to put it.
Birds chirping, the skies brightening, the city waking up. No new sounds I hadn't heard a million times before. It all felt the same and I didn't know why, even after everything I'd been through with and without Naruto it was only new in the mornings when he woke up. Blue eyes would never open the same way twice- except those days when he decided to wake up by falling out of bed -even some of those days his eyes opened the same way. Usually a grumble that didn't sound the same would accompany opening eyes, and most certainly some kind of profanity if I was waking him up.
"Gaara… why don't you spend any time with me, anymore?" I turned my eyes down on Naruto seeing how wide and blue they were looking directly at me, my finger still rubbing his temple and his chin moved to my pectoral and the saddest expression surfacing in the pools of blue.
"I do so spend-"
"I mean when you're not telling me what to do, or worrying about something I'm doing or have done. Why don't you spend any time with me because you want to?" he blinked and I felt like my heart was going to be ripped in two.
"I'm here, aren't I?" he nod his head once and looked at me as if he was waiting for more. "Naruto… we have to get on another ship soon. I have to make plans to-" Naruto cut me off as he pushed himself up and straddled my waist before pushing my shoulders back into the fairly plush bed.
"No Gaara. Tell me why you suddenly hate me!" the anguish in his face made me flinch and I'm sure he thought it was because of him because he instantly let me go and got up off the bed. "Fine. Don't answer me, you go ahead to England, I'll be somewhere around here when you want to actually give me your answer Gaara."
My jaw dropped as he left the room, nothing more then having pulled his t-shirt over his head and kicked his feet into his shoes. I felt like my heart was constricting as he vanished from the room, I was half expecting him to come back into the room and just sit down silently for my explanation. But he never came back and I found myself alone in his room.
It took a while, but I finally pulled myself from the room and grabbed my bag from my own room, noticing that Ino was gone and that everyone was looking at me when I got down into the tavern to pay.
Fists clenched and my head down I walked through the harsh rain, my newest plan was to get on the first merchant vessel and get back to England as soon as possible. The newest scuffle with Naruto had made my mind swirl with questions and I knew I had to get my act together, I just didn't know how.
I felt something hit my shoulder and I spun around, dagger out and against a throat before I even saw who it was. "Whoa! Easy there Gaara. Just me, what're you doing in France?" I blinked a few times and looked into the single grey eye. "Man, you are strung tighter then a freaking palace drum Gaara."
"Kakashi? What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in England to get the-"
"Relax Gaara. Don't get your knickers in a bunch. Your money is safely in the floorboards and I'm on vacation. Iruka and I are out here for a bit of fun. What about Naruto, aren't the two of your joined at the hip?"
"Not right now. I'm about to hop on the next ship headed for England and if he doesn't get on it then he doesn't. I have to stop coddling him if he doesn't want it." I shrugged before turning away from my English informant, the guy who'd gone to the palace to pick up both the job and the money, so he was my face in England.
"Too bad he wants more then coddling." I looked back over my shoulder slightly to ask what Kakashi meant by that, but the silver haired, one eyed man was gone. I spent only a moment looking for him in the crowd before continuing my walk with a bit of a glare on my face.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
That stupid blonde, what was up with blondes and trying to get my Gaara? I was so pissed that I'd decided to stay back and not go to England. I was so angered when I saw that stupid blonde clinging to Gaara in the bed, then when he pinned him down, why was Gaara standing for that? He didn't even let me cuddle!
My fists clenched tight and anger was one of the only things flowing through my system. My eyes flashed red and thunder rolled through the sky, making my bones shiver and quake as I sunk back into the water almost two hours after the argument between the annoying blonde and my Gaara.
The first thing I noticed once I got into the water that it was heated with an oncoming storm, and the only thing that I could think of when the water got warm was 'Sasuke's on his way.'
A shiver ran up and down my spine as my legs turned back into a tail and I flicked it a few time to get used to the water again, that horrid half feeling was something that I detested every time I changed.
An eerie howl overtook the water around me and an even more powerful shiver wracked my body. I knew that sound too well and I knew what it meant: Kiba was hunting. The harsh merman was relentless for finding whatever he was hunting, and it was said that the sound of his howl could be heard by his pray all around the world. I'd heard his howl several times in my life, but he'd been directly beside me and I was close enough to see his lips curve to make the correct pitch, but I couldn't see him there in the English Channel.
I turned in the direction of England and started moving as quickly as I could so I could get back on land. If Kiba was after me then I wanted to get on land because his strong point was certainly the water.
I swam until I was technically in English water, swimming much closer to the surface then I normally would have, but the channel had a cold wind blowing over it making the surface water darker then normal. It was perfectly normal, nothing was wrong and it was a nice swim, my latest serenade for Gaara running through my head to get the lyrics right and to make sure that the melody was just fine, when all of a sudden the sounds of frightened fish caught my ears.
It was an off sound, basically panicked tail fins flipping back and forth rapidly, the bubbly sounds of their mouths opening and closing. I looked back over my shoulder to see if it was just a shark or maybe even Ino- though there was a part of me that was fearing it being Kiba.
What I saw was not what I expected though; a fishing net. How fucking ironic that a fishing net would have gotten close enough to me that I couldn't out-swim it and I can't turn because it was already upon me. The holes in the net were small enough to catch cod fish and I could tell that no matter how hard I kicked my fin I was doomed for.
"No!" I could feel the sting of tears in my eyes as I kicked harder but found the net coming up under me. I was scared, beyond belief I was scared straight, but I had to steel myself. I was going to get caught, I was going to be a naked woman, and I was not going to have my fin.
The fear of what they would do to me if just a beautiful girl came up in a fishing net was scary, but the fear of being a caught mermaid was a horrid one too, they could try and get wishes from me, or they could try and kill me for my fin, or sell me. Anything could happen… but the fear of being raped overpowered all, and as the net was pulled out of the water I kept my fin as my body mixed with the fish's and I felt the horrid weightlessness of the net moving made me want to heave.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
My money was in the apartment right where Kakashi always put it. I moved the three floor boards and pulled out the two large sacks of gold coins that could allow Naruto and I to live in comfort for a long time- allow, me to live in comfort for a long time. Without Naruto I guess my life would be really boring and rich- something I never wanted.
I set the bags into my large backpack so I could go to my special place- I shared it with Naruto, but again… it just didn't feel the same to call it that after our falling out. The streets were crowded and I stayed away from all the major fairways that the master thieves always stuck to, hiding in the few shadows that gave the allies their daylight mystery even in the middle of summer.
Rivers and hills, valleys and mountains, a lake and a thick river that made my skin crawl just looking at it. Our spot was just down at the bottom of the valley beside the thick river, underneath a tree that Naruto and I practiced our tree climbing skills on for so many hours to make sure we could get out of any situation.
The three hour hike had been our safe spot before we'd gotten our first room. The trunk was fairly large and hollowed out near the bottom so it offered good protection from the weather and he had been exceptional at creating fires so we could cook what I caught. It was mostly rabbits and the occasional badger, but those things put up more of a fight then they were worth to us since the meat was so tough.
I got to the tree and knelt down by the opening that used to be just as tall as I was, I'd had to duck my head only a little to slide into the small space. I knelt there, having to duck as I knelt to just get my upper half into the hollowed spot so I could dig up what I needed.
The dagger I had was a horrible shovel, but it worked. The ground was firm and compacted- just how I'd left it. Naruto didn't even know about what I was unearthing. After every job I'd taken at least ten gold coins and hidden them in a burlap sack in the ground under where we used to lay our heads. I had enough for the two of us to live like kings and I was planning on using them eventually, but hiding all the money from this job seemed like a good idea to me.
"God… I need to figure out what we're doing Naruto. I need to figure out what I'm doing. Because on one hand you're my brother and my only real family- no matter what that freaky guy said about me in the forest when he was being a creeper.
"But you're the only family I have and I shouldn't jeopardize that. But at the same time you're the only one I really care about and I feel dirty every time I lay down with a girl.
"You're a man like me and it's not right. I want to do things to you that only men and women should do and I know that's not right. I've thought of nothing but you for years and years, and even now while we're 'fighting' all I can think of is you.
"Seeing that sorrow in your eyes earlier hurt me like those blue pools were daggers digging into my heart. And I wanted to deeply to tell you how I felt, but I didn't, I just couldn't though. After all the deathly shit I've done, telling you how I feel just doesn't seem like something I can do. I'm scared of you being scared of me and not wanting to even look at me.
"If fleeting moments in your bed at night, helping you sleep is what I have to deal with, then I'll live with that. God, I'm so far gone that I can't even stop talking to myself like I'm talking to you. When, when did you take over my every thought? Was it gradual, or did it hit my like a galloping horse?" I let out a sigh as I finished talking to myself, no longer sure on how I should act or feel. "All I know, is I love you… and I'm too scared to be a man and tell you."
I closed my eyes and curled up in a ball again, remembering my small bear stuffed animal that I'd stolen from a shop at a young age. It had been my only companion until Naruto that even just the thought of the bear was comforting. It had a shrine even, when the head had finally worn off from so many hugs and tugs, being flopped around and twisted in arms. I buried it on a hill where a wonderful sunset always fell over the valley.
I lay in the hollow of my childhood home for a long time, thinking back on all the times Naruto and I had snuggled under a single blanket and curl together for warmth. Winter had been horrible, and if I hadn't stolen ten extra blankets we would have froze to death. We'd curled up together in the ten blankets, sharing as much body heat as possible and even had a small fire in the corner of the hollow, all the ground and wood around it soaked with water and the heat doing only enough to keep our toes from freezing off.
"Hey! Get the hell up!" my ankle was grabbed and I was yanked from the hollow roughly, not even being aware enough to grab my dagger. I'd been so at peace that I was useless in the one safe haven I'd shared with Naruto for so long.
I hopped up and tried to get into a fighting stance, but before I could move I was pushed with my back against the tree and a forearm was pushed against my throat, both my wrists were caught and my legs were pinned to the tree behind me.
I looked from the set of red eyes directly in front of me to the grey ones to my right and the deep brown eyes to my left. Noticing secondly that all three men were soaking wet and naked.
"Now you better listen up, and listen fucking good kid. My sister is gone because of you, and so your going to have to get her back. She tried to impress you, and now she's being held captive. You have three days to save her. Get going." the man in front of me with the red eyes sounded like he was going to rip my throat out as clouds started churning behind him and his forearm pressed harder against my throat.
"What? I don't know who your sister-"
"Ember! Ember has been taken? Do I have to speak slowly for you? You have three days to save my sister before we start doing worse and worse things to that blonde boy you're choosing over her. If you're five days late, I'll rip his heart out and serve it to you on a silver platter." my eyes went wide as the other's red eyes began to swirl with anger.
"I think what Sasuke is trying to say, is we are Mer-folk, and we like our pleasure. It won't be good for your little blonde love interest if you don't bring Ember back in three days. Because I assure you, I'll help rip his heart out. I don't care if she gets your soul or not anymore, all I care about is getting her back." I turned my eyes to lock with sad and angered grey eyes and I felt like my skin was crawling because I knew the look: it was the one I'd had when I was talking about Naruto.
"Ember is being held in the English Royal Palace. She's pretty hard to miss since she's a freaking mermaid. Like we said, you've got three days, or your precious blonde boy is going to be killed."
"H-how do I know he's not already dead?" my voice was shakier then I wanted it, but it relayed the message that I needed it to.
Lips were suddenly crashed on mine and I could see a watery image of Naruto tied in kelp, shirtless and completely immobilized by the seaweed. His eyes were red around the edges and he looked like he'd been crying harshly. I noticed as some pink haired mermaid swam up and pressed a kiss to his lips, seeing as the bubbles rose from the connection of their mouths.
The lips were removed from mine and I blinked a few times to see normally again, wondering how the hell that had worked. "Those air-kisses will only keep him alive as long as I tell them to keep it up. Your half incubus, your need to be with him again should be enough for you to hurry and get her back, so you can get him." I watched as this Sasuke person wiped his lips, only wishing I had the same option. "Do we have a deal, demon?"
"Do I have a choice?" he gave a smirk and shook his head as he let my throat go.
"No, no you don't. Common Shika, Kiba… we should go make sure that our newest underwater guest isn't too uncomfortable." I wanted to go after them, but I knew that if I had three days to get Ember back before they'd start to hurt Naruto I had to get going so I could break into the freaking palace and then get out again.
My heart beat a million miles a minute as all three dove into the water, their legs turning into tails mid-jump and vanished into the thick river I'd loved so much as a kid. I was so confused about everything that had been said, but all I knew was that Naruto was in danger because of me and I had to help him.
Scenario's ran through my mind as I buried all the money but what I'd need to get the job done, taking into account the fact that my sword was dull and I needed a new quiver of arrows and a new arsenal in general. I had one day to get ready, one day to break into the palace and the last to find Ember and get out again before the royal guards were on my trail quicker then I could run.
My head was pounding as I finished burying the money, hating the fact that I'd actually left France without Naruto. I knew I was being stupid when I did it, but I thought it was going to be one of those small things and as soon as I was done at our old tree I was going to go back and find him anyways! How the hell did my life get turned upside down and flipped around in the course of twenty four hours?
I let out a sigh and plopped down on the ground beside the river, glaring into the dark depths. "If any of you can hear me, I'd like to speak with one of you." my voice was fairly raised, but not enough for me to feel like I was in the middle of an uninhabited valley yelling at water.
A sigh escaped my lips again as I moved to get up from the river bank so I could get to work on my newest mission that would bring me the biggest reward I'd always strived for: Naruto's safety.
I froze when a cold wet ha grabbed my ankle, when I looked back I looked into the hard grey eyes of the merman that had his hair tied up in a slightly droopy ponytail at the top of his head, making him look a lot like a wet, limp pineapple.
"Talk."
"I need you to tell Naruto something if I don't make it back and get Ember out for you."
"Wouldn't you get out alive if she does?"
"Not necessarily. Can you just, give him a message?" the merman nod his head a few times and I sat back down, crossing my arms over my knees and let out another sigh as I closed my eyes. "Tell him to come home and dig up the bed. It has to be worded exactly like that though, alright? If it's not then he might not understand."
"Alright, I'll tell him. My name is Shikamaru by the way… and if I can, could I ask you a favor too?"
"Sure I guess." I shrugged as he pulled himself out of the deep river and sat down beside me, allowing me to see the grey tail with the jagged fin at the end. I scanned him over quickly and saw the sharp finger nails, and the defined muscles in his torso, the sharp curve of his face and the jaggedly sharp shark teeth around his neck.
"Tell Ember, that she doesn't have to come home, but let her know that Itachi's back. She'll know what that means." I nod my head a few more times, watching as he slipped back into the water and turned to me. "I wish you luck… I don't want to see the one you care about hurt, really I don't… but if it's a choice between him and Ember, I'll choose him."
"And I'll choose Ember." we both nod in understanding of one another. He obviously cared for the girl I'd fooled around with, cared about her to know more about her then I ever wanted to. She was nothing more then a way to pass the time to me, but to him… she was probably as important as Naruto was to me, I could see it in his eyes.
With heavy limbs and a rattling brain I grabbed up my money pouch and stuffed it into my satchel as I walked back towards London, if I was going to break into the palace I might as well do it with as much style and comfort as I could, but that also meant visiting a horribly good friend: Asuma, the biggest weapons forger in England, and also one of the only people who knew who I really was.
AN:
Me: I apologies about the end of this chapter being rushed, but I've got a lot on my mind right now with writing and in my head it's getting all messed up and jumbled around.
Shikamaru: Elizabeth is sad to inform that this story will be put on hold for a little while, she needs to clear her head with a good book and if she writes something while reading, what she is writing will take on a spin of what she is reading.
Axel: so please bare with her for a little while so she can get the plot re-solidified in her mind.
Naruto: we apologies for any inconvenience this brings you, but there aren't that many people who read this fic yet, so we hope if there are more then Elizabeth knows about you'll all be fine with this.
Me: it's not an emotional problem or anything, but I just need a bit of time. So once again I apologies, and here is Gaara:
Gaara: hello all, now that we've all got a bit of a somber tone I suppose I can say this as seriously as I can: Elizabeth would still love reviews, they make her smile and when she smiles everyone she knows is a little happier. So please review and have a good morning/afternoon/evening and live life to the fullest.
Axel: thank you for reading!
Pattykoi: Hi I'm Elisabeth's sister/ editor and I just wanted to say that your reviews really do make us very happy, as she usually reads them to me. X3