A/N: Second to last chapter! Haven't said that in a while...
Chapter 10: Rain of Tears
It had been nearly an hour since the others returned and no sign of Luffy, Zatch or Naruto. It had been decided that they would go search for them once the rain lets up… however the rain seemed to get worse.
"When is the rain going to stop!" said Tia.
"Be patient…" said Sakura.
"When it rains here it's usually can go for a few hours… it seems to be the middle of the storm so it will let up in an hour or two…" said Sara who was still with the crew.
Ko using an umbrella and holding a pink sun dress entered the room, she had went to her boat to get some clothes for Usa as she still had on the rags she wore from the fight.
"Man it's raining pretty badly… someone should go talk to the Weird Shy Girl… she might catch a cold…" said Ko.
"I don't think she'll come in any times soon…" said Sasuke.
"She's known Naruto and Luffy longest out of all of us…" said Kiba.
"Not only that but her crush for Naruto…" said Ino.
Ko sighed, "Usa change… now!" said Ko.
Usa was stuffing her face full of salad "Can't now… eating…" said Usa with a full mouth.
Ko rolled her eyes, "Well someone should try to cheer her up…" said Ko getting back ot subject.
"I'll do it!" said Kolulu.
"Here's Kolulu…" said Ko giving Kolulu the umbrella she was using.
"I'm going too!" said Tia.
"So am I…" said Nami.
Meanwhile at the back deck Hinata couldn't stop crying… she rarely ever cried… she always took Naruto's perseverance and brave front that he had as a child to heart… she had hope… but she couldn't stop crying… she felt something touch her shoulder… when she was it was her eyes were wide and gave a smile.
A few minutes later Kolulu holding Ko's umbrella, holding an umbrella and Nami in her rain gear walked over to where Hinata stood… she appeared to have started crying again.
"Hinata… you're still upset about Naruto… right?" asked Tia.
Hinata didn't say anything.
"You shouldn't lose hope…" said Kolulu, "I'm worried that Zatch might be sent back to the mamodo world… but... I'm not crying… Zatch taught me that I have to be strong… if it weren't for him and Zoro… I wouldn't be here right now… Zatch… he's a very special friend… and Naruto and Luffy have been there for me as well…" said Kolulu.
"Kolulu's right… in fact I wouldn't even be if it wasn't for that time when Marus betrayed me… all three of them fought to protect me… Marus would have sent me back if it hadn't been for those three…" said Tia.
"Hinata… I know how you felt for Naruto… everyone does… but you can't lose hope… he might still be alive…" said Nami.
Hinata began to sob even louder.
"Hinata…" said Kolulu.
Tia turned around quietly towards the tangerine trees.
"Tia… what is it?" asked Nami.
"I thought I heard some giggling over there…" said Tia.
"Hinata…" said Kolulu.
She began to get closer to Hinata… however as she did that some how… all three were caught in a net... all three heard Hinata giggle, then laugh a lot.
"I can't believe you fell for it!" said Hinata with a foxy grin much like Naruto's.
The three girl's caught in the net had no idea what to think.
Meanwhile in the galley…
"I'm full…" said Usa.
"Good now go change… you're probably making Perv Master S and Perverted Sak8ter Boi looked at you…" said Ko.
"Um… Ko…" said Hyde.
He pointed top Sanji, Eido and Kakashi looking over a copy of Make-out Paradise while giggling immaturely.
"Never mind…" said Ko with a sweat drop.
"Oh year…" said Usa, "I almost forgot… Luffy and Naruto are alive… and Zatch is still in the human world…"
Everyone looked at Usa confused, even the three who were reading Make-out Paradise.
"What do you mean?" asked Sara.
Back out side in the back deck…
Nami, Tia and Kolulu stared at Hinata, either she in her grief adopted Naruto's personally traits or…
"I can't believe it actually worked…" said Hinata, then there was puff of smoke… reliving it to be Naruto.
… Naruto disguised as Hinata.
The three heard laughing, it was Luffy, Zatch and the real Hinata. Their clothes were torn and Luffy had a few cuts here and there but they were okay.
"Your okay…" said Kolulu.
"Yep we're fine…" said Luffy.
"That's good to here…" said Nami.
"You're not clones… here to say good byes…" said Tia.
"Nope I'm the real Naruto…" said Naruto approaching the net.
"That's good to here…" said Tia.
She reached outside the net and began to choke Naruto... while in her angry demonic form.
"You made us worry… a lot…" said Tia, "Then you pull this prank…"
"Hold on for a second…" said Zatch.
"Tia can you please stop choking him… we need to get down…" said Kolulu.
Tia did so as Luffy tied them down… after landing with a thump and getting fully out the net Tia tackled Naruto and began to choke him again causing everyone else to sweat drop.
Back in the galley…
"Are you positive… is sounds like you made it up…" said Ino.
"I have the ability to sense Ki remember and I can sense their Ki right now… in fact their on the ship…" said Usa.
"What are the chances of that…" said Sasuke.
"Tia calm down! He need to breath!" yelled Luffy's voice.
"I don't care! You worried us half to death and then you play this prank!" yelled Tia's voice.
"Please stop choking Naruto Tia!" yelled Zatch's voice.
"Chances are pretty good actually…" said Ko with a sweat drop.
"Is that normal?" asked Sara.
"Yes… for us at least…" said Zoro.
"Why didn't you tell us earlier?" asked Brago.
"I was really hungry…" said Usa.
Everyone anime fell.
After prying the little girl mamodo away from the Jinchuriki they went into the Galley where Sakura treated Luffy wounds.
"So… what happened…" asked Kaya.
"Well it happened like this…" said Naruto.
He began to explain Kyubi's plan and the execution… and what happened afterwards…
(Flashback)
It was about a half hour after the explosion… Naruto began to wake up.
"Am I dead…" said Naruto.
"If you were then I wouldn't be here…" said Kyubi.
"So I'm alive?" said Naruto getting up.
"Yep…" said Kyubi.
"Help! Help! I can't see anything!" yelled a voice.
It was belonged to Zatch… who had ht head in what looked like a vase.
"Zatch! You're okay…" said Naruto.
"If you count have his head stuck in a vase okay…" said Kyubi.
"Hold on Zatch!" said Naruto.
He managed to get the vase of Zatch.
"Thanks Naruto…" said Zatch.
"No problem…" said Naruto, "We need to find Luffy…"
"But what if he…" said Zatch.
"Don't worry, Luffy always bounces back!" said Naruto.
"Bad joke kit…" said Kyubi.
After a few minutes they found Luffy unconscious…
"Is he okay…" said Zatch.
"Luffy…" said Naruto shaking him little
Luffy only moaned.
"It's time for breakfast…" lied Naruto.
Luffy woke up the second he heard that sentence. "Really?" he said.
"No… I was just checking to see if you would get up.;.." said Naruto.
"So we made it…" said Luffy.
"We sure did!" said Zatch.
"We should back to the ship…" said Luffy.
The other three nodded about half an hour later they got back to the ship to find Hinata crying.
"Kit this might be a good time to tell how you feel…" said Kyubi.
"Right…" thought Naruto.
"We should see what's wrong with Hinata first…" said Luffy.
"Okay…" said Zatch.
They made to where Hinata was crying… Naruto tapped her on the shoulder… her eyes were wide and she smiled.
"Naruto…" she said blushing, "Luffy… Zatch… you're alive…"
"We sure are…" said Luffy.
"Hinata…" said Naruto.
"What is it?" asked Hinata.
"I… I… I…" said Naruto trying to say it again.
"What?" asked Hinata.
Luffy smirked, he knew Naruto had a crush on her… Zatch did too… they knew he was finally going to tell her…
"I… I… I… I want you to help with a prank…" said Naruto.
Luffy and Zatch anime fell.
"Nice one kit, you screwed up again…" said Kyubi.
"What kind of prank…" said Hinata.
Naruto quickly came up with one… it was the one he just pulled… he turned into Hinata just a minute before Nami, Tia and Kolulu showed up.
(End of flashback)
"And that's what happened…" said Luffy.
"So is it true… they're really gone?" asked Sara.
"I think so…" said Naruto.
"I didn't see any when were leaving so…" said Luffy.
Sara began to cry… "She tricked me… she was my friend… and I trusted her… but she betrayed me… and she killed my parents… she abused my trust…. I have no idea what to say… if they had gotten their way who knows what would have happened…" she cried, "Thank you…. thank you all…"
Next Time: The island's at peace... things are back to normal... or is it? Thanks to the events what will happen? All this and more in the final chapter...