I own not either Naruto nor One Piece though I wish I do... Oh well have fun reading the story while I mope in the corner!
My warning is still in effect.
Snake Sisters
Chapter 5: A moment
Corro, General Hospital, fourteen days later
His life wasn't in danger anymore by so much as an imagined threat, but that reason wasn't enough to force the raven haired teenager from Naruto's bedside as she stared off into space with a comatose Naruto never leaving her blank sight. No medical personal, for the body or mind, could get her to leave; her sisters didn't even try. All attempts have failed and those who partook in them were sent off as flustered, sputtering, blushing heaps of what they once were by the power of a all too sweet smile and a small but childishly cute plea to stay. Even Kakashi Hatake fell victim to Hancock's selfish ploy; Sasuke didn't even try to make an effort all together let alone Sakura.
The only ones that held any significance to Hancock, outside of her sisters and Naruto Uzumaki for the time being, were the doctors and nurses that came into the room to check the genin's vitals, change the IV bags, and other duties expected for a patient expected to wake up any day as well as bring in necessities to the trio of sisters that all but lived in said patient's room. Few things other than those collective four held anything worth batting an eyelash at, and that was including the omnipresence of time.
The only things Hancock could concern herself with for the time being was the distinct characteristics of the Leaf genin in front of her with only half a mind in doing so, during which her other half was devoted to another duty. A more strenuous duty. A migraine inducing duty from the conglomerate of trouble that threatened to have her snarl at those undeserving of the act, throw up the building bile from the lowest pits of her stomach, and wrack her body with a shudder of evils past that were barely held back, all to remember a voice. A voice labored with pain and exhaustion, but till held conviction in its defiance.
"If you give up, I'm sure it'll be quite a relief. No one will bother you, or even pay attention to you. It was alright, but it was still really painful. I felt there was no place for me in this world. But... I have good friends now. And when I tried my best and didn't give up, good things happened! If you give up, your dreams, and everything else, will end right here!"
They were not meant for her... not for Boa Hancock. They were meant for another. They were meant for the one Doto loathed for her connection to his bloodied throne and had locked away in the dungeons that was his castle. Yet... she felt a certain warmth of a fire long thought to have been put out. A hope given to the downtrodden from another of their kin who spoke no lie nor held a false hope by the burning will to improve his life and the life of others.
Yet at the same time no help came for the Boa sisters, also prisoners and slaves of the man who once lorded over the fortress that was his domain. At least not until the battle brought to it was over with. With that in mind came a question molded from wretched experience.
"Are you just another man railing against what you don't like, or are you something else entirely?"
No answer had been reached as of yet by a hesitant mind and a body still recovering from what should've ended his life. Neither sister gave any aid in the matter as they sorted out their own troubles though not unlike Hancock's.
Stirring from the blond haired boy stole her attention as his body squirmed to find new comfort by order of a rousing consciousness made evident from a pair of bright blue eyes groggily peaked out from under the flaps of skin that protected them. Silence was all that stood between the two, punctuated only by grunts from the latter as his mind slowly took in his surroundings with a weighted mind. At least that was the only explanation Hancock could conceive with just waking up and giving only her sisters and herself a mere glance and the eye that cast it only showed interest in a cup of water awaiting him.
It was given to him as a concession from sisters' part, by Marigold's hand to be precise, for his subjective risking of his life when his hand proved unable to grasp it.
Upon quenching his thirst, his spirits seemed to return to their former glory though marred by the lethargy of being inactive for so long. He even finally seemed to have taken notice of the trio as well, after a quick look around the hospital room to confirm his growing suspicion of where he was. Blues settled into an unmoving set of charcoal that bore into them in a silent argument with itself.
"Why did you do it?" Hancock asked him in the same manner as if she was scolding him... for being the gender she made no effort to hide her disdain from.
Twin blond brows furrowed in confusion, further confirmed as he released a "huh?" at Hancock as a non-understanding frown graced him.
"Why did you take those icicles? Don't you have some kind of defense jutsu?" The frown of Naruto Uzumaki increased only by a fraction as he could've sworn her voice raised slightly near the end as something else cracked through.
"No... and it was the only thing I could think of to keep those icicles from getting past me."
A twitch had struck across her right eye, yet as quickly as it had appeared it had disappeared fast enough to make the blond wonder if he had been seeing things. "Are you saying that because we were behind you, you choose to receive bodily harm to ensure that we didn't get harmed?"
"Uh... yeah."
Hancock's face went neutral in secluded thoughts. "Unbelievable," she finally muttered amongst other things she cradled her face in her palm.
"Huh?"
"You could say we're more accustomed to men favoring themselves rather than others..." Sandersonia offered reluctantly after leveling a placid eye on him.
The blonds' face scrunched up in a scowl. "I don't know what kind of lives you three had but know this," he jutted a thumb at himself. "I promised that I would help and protect you, and I never go back on my word! That's my nindo! My shinobi way!"
Hancock, during Naruto's rant, finally peered up again from her own clutch with the barest hinting of a smile threatening to break loose upon her as he mind dared a thought in her head...
(End Flashback!)
XVX
Uzumaki compound
Slender fingers gently, tenderly, and tentatively caress the relic of a time past and probably kept to remember it as the clock took its course.
"We never really got off on the right foot when we met him now did we?" the eldest sister asked lowly as her mind continued its trip through memory lane with only half a mind devoted to the world as it is.
"Well you could say your foot made an impression..."
"With the back of his skull."
All three gave in to an embarrassed giggle of benign amusement with a small hint of regret lacing through Hancock's own chuckle. Even when stricken with the giggle, she eventually relinquished control of the jumpsuit and let it fall into the clutches of her sisters as she leaned back and stared at her surroundings walls and the ceiling they encompassed; her mind adrift once more.
XVX
Hallway
"I think my legs are asleep," Naruto grumbled as he stared at the end of the hallway in annoyed hopelessness. Even after Salome had fallen asleep some time before, his grip of the genin had yet to diminish in any such form.
"I just had to get the idea to get her a pet snake... I knew I should've gone with the toad but nooooo," he griped.
The growl of a hungry stomach soon present to all capable of hearing.
"Yep... should've gone with the toad."
A/N: Originally when I wrote this I was going to end the story at this chapter...
Just didn't feel right to end things there without properly building up to a family relationship, so the story continues!
Monkeybandit2, making off with your attention! No refunds.