A/N: OMG!! I'm so sorry about the wait. At first my mom went an a vacation and worried about me staying alone so I went to my sister's house for a while. All she and her husband did was play WoW so I couldn't update until I got back home to my computer. After that my mom decided we should move and so we did but then I had to wait for people to come set up the net at our new house. As it turns out we weren't in the range of my former net provider so I had to wait until my mom got the phones turned on so we could get net service through them. As it turns out all the wires weren't in the right places so somebody had to come and look at them. After that they hooked us up on the wrong apartment in a whole nother building. I was extremely agitated by all of this but now I'm back and ready to provide you with another chapter in this fanfic! Well except for the fact that I frequently get writers block. If someone has MSN then contact me please! I need muses to get my creative juices flowing! My MSN account is If you want to add me then add me. I would love to hear live insight from the readers. That is also my e-mail address so if you want to send me e-mails there you go. Again sorry for making you all wait for so long!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters from Naruto. That privilege belongs to the great manga-ka Masashi Kishimoto.

Special Thanks to:

Secnarf, Stoic-Genius, Dhaki and her sister Chi Chi, SolitaryPain, Ashleigh, vixen fire, Emotionless Regret, LadyOfTheDevouringEbony, noone cares enough, tigercubsis, x-EliteAssassin-x, and all of those whom I forgot to mention.

Thank you all for reviewing last chapter! All of you comments made me smile. It makes me feel good that people actually like this piece of junk story! bows Thank you all so muuch!

Chapter 4/?

Naruto sat alone in the corner for a while watching the red haired pirate. He wondered why Kyuubi had spared him. He wasn't much of a person at all. He wasn't much to look at what with his obnoxious blonde hair. He was told he could be very annoying and stubborn with his almost hyperactive personality. He wasn't good at chores either. When he had been on his previous ship, the Valkyrie, he had gotten into quiet a bit of trouble with the captain when he had done his chores wrong or downright refused to do them. Frankly he was a good for nothing. And if Naruto himself could see that the captain of the Bijju was sure to notice it as well.

Kyuubi was attempting to find the quickest route to Lodos. Travel to Mainland was made difficult by sudden squalls, that could tip an airship easily, and other pirates looking to de-throne him from glory as the mighty Pirate King.

Kyuubi sighed. The boy was staring at him and it was getting on his last nerves.

Without looking up at Naruto, Kyuubi lifted his hand and waved the blonde closer.

Looking around and seeing no one else was in the room, Naruto assumed Kyuubi was waving him closer. As he moved forward he was wondering what he had done this time to upset the pirate in front of him. Before he had come to a conclusion he heard Kyuubi speak.

"Boy go make yourself useful. Find Shukaku and inform him that I wish to speak with him. And while you're up and about go to the kitchen and get me some tea. The cook knows what I like. When you're done come back here. If you're quick about it I'll even reward you with a blanket and pillow to sleep on."

Naruto grumbled as he stood up to fulfill the tasks assigned to him. He wasn't a boy and he was useful.

He stepped out of the room and into the bright sunlight. The sight he saw before was astonishing. The sea was a beautiful aquamarine when the light hit it just right. The sun was setting and the sky seemed to be on fire with bright oranges and deep reds streaking across it's horizon.

Naruto stood there for a while admiring the beautiful scene before him. He was startled out of his stupor when a deep voice from behind him chastised him.

"What are you doing just standing there boy?" an irritated Shukaku asked. He hated it when one of the crew members just stood there. It meant that work wasn't getting done and when that happened it meant more work for everyone else.

Naruto gasped and spun around. This wasn't good. He had just been caught day dreaming.

"Um, heh" Naruto was at a loss for an excuse. Then he remembered his tasks. "I was just looking for you sir." He said "The captain wants to speak to you about something."

The red head raised and eyebrow. "Very well then. Get back to work." he responded sharply. He turned sharply walking towards Kyuubi's cabin.

Naruto set about fulfilling his second task of getting tea. He found the stairs leading down to the galley which was connected to the kitchen. When he arrived he found Iruka stiring something in a large pot over a charcoal powered stove.

"Iruka? What are you doing down her?" he inquired. Looking up, Iruka smiled at the familiar face.

"What does it look like? I'm cooking!" the brunette responded. "What about you?"

Naruto only shook his head at Iruka and smiled. He hadn't been out of the captain's cabin in two days. He had missed seeing his guardian's smiling face. "I came to get his highness some tea. He said the cook would know what he wants. Did he mean you?"

Iruka nodded. "Since we came aboard this ship the former cook found out that I did a little bit better of a job at not burning the food so he made me cook the meals. He also informed me what Kyuubi and Shukaku liked so I wouldn't get into trouble when they sent someone to get something for them. It seems that little bit of insight was a good idea." He said all of this as he was preparing Kyuubi's tea.

Pouring the steaming drink into a mug, he handed it to Naruto, giving him a warning "Don't spill it. It's hot and it'll burn you if you're not careful. No go give the captain his drink so you won't get into trouble."

Naruto smiled again. Iruka would always worry about him. It wasn't a bad thing though, it made him feel good knowing someone was thinking about his well being. Turning, he balanced the mug so it's contents wouldn't spill over the rim. "I'll see you later Iruka." Iruka smiled and said his goodbye as Naruto took his leave.

Naruto walked through the galley and up the stairs to the upper deck. He had come out of the kitchen in a better mod than what he had gone in with. Talking with Iruka always seemed to do that to him. No matter how irritated or angry he was Iruka's voice always smoothed him out giving him a sense of peace.

But no matter how hard he tried he always seemed to get himself into trouble somehow.

As he made it back to the captain's cabin he was in such a good mood that he forgot that Kyuubi was a private person. Everyone knocked when they wanted permission into his quarters. He did no such thing. He reached out for the handle to the door and barged in.

Both Kyuubi and Shukaku looked up from the various maps and rolls of parchment they were bent over. Shukaku had a look of incredibility on his face at the sight of the blonde barging in without permission, while Kyuubi just raised his eyebrow. Naruto looked back at both of them wondering what he had done. Then it hit him. He forgot to knock. He looked down and stuttered "H-here's you tea sir."

Shukaku smirked. "So you let little cabin boys barge into your room whenever they feel like it Kyuu? The blonde must have you around his little finger then."

Kyuubi growled."What do you think you're doing barging in here like that boy?" Naruto stuttered for a second before replying. "I'm bringing you your tea sir like you asked me to." Kyuubi growled again. "I didn't ask you to bring me tea I ordered you to. Now bring it to me and wait outside until were done here. I need to teach you some manners."

Naruto did as he was told, placing the mug next to Kyuubi's arm. As he turned around his arm was grabbed and he was pulled back towards the table.

"Never enter without knocking when Shukaku and I are in a meeting. Do you understand me?" Kyuubi looked at him through crimson eyes, waiting for his answer. "Y-yes sir." Naruto stuttered out. The grip Kyuubi had on his arm was starting to hurt. He would have said anything to get away from him.

His arm was released and he was reminded to wait outside the door until Kyuubi had finished up with the meeting.

After he had shut the cabin door behind him, Naruto slumped on the wall next to it. He lifted up his sleeve where Kyuubi had grabbed him, a bruise was already starting to form.

He looked away as he rubbed it and wondered if Gaara was having as much trouble staying out of trouble as he was. Probably not. Gaara was quiet and reserved when not angry. He stayed out of everyone's way and never made a nuisance of himself. He probably fit in pretty well with the crew.

Naruto heard the door beside him open. As Shukaku walked out he heard Kyuubi's voice beckoning him in.

He was afraid for his safety as he stepped into the room. He knew he would be punished he just didn't know what the extent of that punishment would be. The door clicked shut behind him as he stepped farther into the room.

The red haired captain was looking at him from under his bangs and Naruto had a feeling that what he said next wouldn't be good for his health. But he didn't expect for the man if front of him to suddenly stand up, walk around the table, and grab him by the throat.

As he was pushed up against the door behind him he felt Kyuubi's breath against his cheek. "You did very good with the tasks I set you to but you still need to learn your place blondie." Kyuubi hissed. Naruto felt a shiver run up his spine when the red head ran his tongue against his cheek. "You will get your pillow and blanket to sleep with but you will also be punished for barging into my room like that and mouthing off to me and my second-in-command."

Kyuubi pulled him away from the door by his hair and threw him across the room towards the bed. Naruto landed face first into a down pillow. He felt the pirate grip the collar of his shirt and pull. It ripped at the seams and his back was revealed as the remains fell to the floor. A knee pressed into his back between his shoulder blades when he started to struggle.

"Stop squirming or I will make this worse." ha heard Kyuubi hiss from behind him.

"What are you going to do to me?" he asked. He was deathly afraid of what Kyuubi could do. "Nothing much" was his reply "just punishing you like slaves should be."

Naruto felt Kyuubi's weight shift as the red head leaned over to open the drawer in his bedside table. He proceeded to pull out a riding crop. "I think you need twenty-five lashes, what do you say? Hmm?" Naruto's intensified struggling was his only answer. "Keep that up boy and I'll increase it to fifty." he hissed.

Naruto's struggling ceased as he realized there was no way he was getting out of his punishment. If he was going to make it through he might as well not make it harder on himself and increase the number of lashes he would already be getting.

Kyuubi felt the blonde under him still and he smirked. He dropped the riding crop next to his knee and reached under the bed. He came back up with a rope and coiled it tight around the boy's wrists. He coiled the other end to the bed post and tied both ends off. After he was done securing the blonde he put his hands under his stomach and pulled him into a position on his knees.

"You move out of this position and I'll make it a hundred, understand?" Naruto only nodded and bit his lip. He once again felt Kyuubi's weight shift behind him and he looked over to see the riding crop had disappear from view. He knew what was coming next so he braced himself for the pain.

But even bracing himself didn't help with the pain that came next. He felt the riding crop strike him right on his spine. He bit his lip hard to stifle the pained whimper.

But Kyuubi wouldn't let him keep quiet. "Count out your sentence boy and if you miss a number I'll add another lash."

If Naruto opened his mouth he was sure he wouldn't be able to stifle anything. But if he didn't count this would go on forever and he could barely take the first blow. So he swallowed his pride and gasped out "One."

Kyuubi smirked, this would be fun. He swung down again with the riding crop.Naruto grunted at the force of the blow and cried out a 'Two'.

As the blows rained down Naruto felt his skin split. Blood rained down from his back and mixed with the crimson color of the Pirate King's bed sheets.

He was at fourteen when the tears started. Every time another blow landed the riding crop hit one of the previously opened cuts on his back.

He was at eighteen when he started to outright scream. Oh god it was so painful, yet he still stayed on his knees and he still continued to count.

Kyuubi reached twenty-five and Naruto counted out his last number. Kyuubi looked down at the boy and frowned. Naruto had not changed positions, to afraid that if he slumped into the sheets he would receive more punishment. He had his face pressed into the pillow crying for all he was worth and shaking so badly Kyuubi was afraid that the boy would chafe his wrists down to the bone.

Kyuubi dropped the riding crop and reached up to untie the blonde's wrists but was stopped when Naruto flinched away from him. He looked down only to meet true blue eyes staring up at him. The pained look in the boy's eyes made him look away in guilt. He wasn't as satisfied with the punishment as he thought he would be.

He reached up again and succeeded in untying the blonde from the bed post. Naruto took this as a sign that he could rest and promptly passed out.

Kyuubi smirked but he still wasn't happy. He got up from the bed and walked to the door. Just as he opened it the boy Shukaku had taken a fancy to walked past. Kyuubi reached out and snagged his shirt pulling him close. "Go to the kitchen and fetch me a bowl of water and a washcloth. Bring the items back here and when you're done send someone up here from the medic room with gauze and ointment. Make it fast or you will be punished."

As Kyuubi turned back into the room and shut the door behind him he looked over at the boy on his bed. Yes, the boy wasn't bad to look at and that was his problem. Kyuubi was afraid that he would get attached to the blonde. If he did indeed started to fall for the blonde it could spell disaster for him and his crew.

He turned back to the door when he heard a faint knock. Opening it to find the boy he had pulled aside earlier, Kyuubi grabbed the bowl and washcloth from him and kicked the door shut with his foot.

He turned around once again to get started on cleaning the boy up so that he wouldn't bleed on his sheets even more that he already had.

Sora: Hey everybody! Thanks for reading this next chapter! I almost cried when I wrote about Naru's punishment! I'm so cruel! Oh but we see that Kyuu is a little confused about how he feels for Naru. On one hand he would gladly take Naru into his bed and make babies with him. But on the other, he has his pride of being Pirate King and he can't fall for a cabin boy! Oh noes! The dilemma! Ha ha anyway it took me forever to write this. I would start writing and then I would stop. It was just so hard to get into the mood to write! At least I got this chappie to yah right? Anyway I'm gonna post this fic on deviantart to see how well it does there. Until the next chapter everyone!