Boot boot, hope you like this one.

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xXx

Last bit of Chapter 11:

Naruto looked around at the people on deck. No one fit that description. He looked at Sasuke. Dark eyes . . . Dark eyes and hair . . . ? That strange accent . . . ? A nice accent.

Naruto cocked his head to the side. Could Sasuke be a minor lord?

Chapter 12:

In the hammock, an hour or two before sunrise, Naruto yanked his arm to the side. Then Sasuke did the same. Whenever one pulled, the other's arm went along – very closely.

'Argh!' Naruto exclaimed eventually. He wrapped his arm around Sasuke's chest, holding the black-haired boy's wrists firmly enough for him not to be able to move them, and awkwardly moved his other arm over Sasuke's head –over dark, silky hair - so that he could restrict Sasuke's movements even more.

'We. Need. To. Sleep,' the blond tried eventually, speaking into his ear. Sasuke tensed and tried to move. Naruto used this – he had to admit to himself – as an excuse to hold him tighter and clamp his leg over Sasuke too. He grinned. He didn't know why Sasuke was being all funny about it because he knew Naruto was awake now. What difference did it make?

'I'm tired. Keep still.'

After a while, Naruto loosened his grip and his breathing evened out. Only then did Sasuke snuggle closer, listening to the usually sounds of footsteps on deck, a pink tinge to his cheeks.

xXx

'What's that smirk for?' Iruka asked sleepily in the captain's cabin.

Kakashi's smirk widened into a grin as Iruka nuzzled into his chest. 'Sasuke and Naruto aren't moving fast enough, so I shortened their chain. I wonder how that's going.'

'What? Did they let you?'

'I don't have to be near the chain to shorten it.' Kakashi heard Iruka chuckle.

xXx

Sasuke was pissed off. Again.

That captain.

He didn't yet know how Kakashi had done it, but he would find out. Then he would feel the Uchiha's rage. Sasuke sat up. He missed the warmth of arms around him, and rubbed his face with his hands, which of course woke Naruto up, because his hand came too.

Oh shit. Now it would be awkward again. Bloody Hatake Kakashi.

But Naruto just smiled and stretched. And Sasuke fell onto him, because having his arm whipped from his face and back above his head unbalanced him. His head hit Naruto's.

'Ow! Baka!'

'G'morning, teme.'

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. He did not know how to deal with a situation like this. He pushed on Naruto's chest to sit upright again and said, 'Let's go onto deck.'

They found the captain enjoying coffee, croissants and sliced fruit with Iruka. The Uchiha's scowl deepened and he waved his wrist – and therefore Naruto's too - at the captain.

'What is this? It happened last night. I take it you did it.' Sasuke caught Iruka's grin into his coffee mug.

Naruto greeted them through the croissant already in his mouth, waved with his unchained hand and found a crate ((1) fred! – another star appearance) to sit on – Sasuke had no choice but to follow suit.

Sasuke thought he'd at least get some help on this matter from Iruka, who hadn't liked the chain idea from the beginning. 'What are your thoughts on this?' he asked the brunette pointedly.

Iruka turned to Kakashi and clasped his hands together with a slight smile. 'Well, what's the chain for, Kakashi?'

'Didn't you speak about that earlier?' Naruto asked.

Of all things, Iruka blushed slightly. 'We haven't gotten round to it.' Kakashi seemed to have chilled the man out.

'Our discussion was quite . . . lengthy,' Kakashi said. 'And to answer your question, Iruka, it's a very necessary training device.'

'Ah.'

Silence. Except for the munching of Naruto's much-loved, third croissant.

'How?' Sasuke asked.

The captain's response was cut off when a little brown-haired boy with a long scarf round his neck shouted down from the crow's nest, 'Hot springs ahoy!'

Kakashi perked up, 'Ah, here are the hot springs.' ((2)k – master at changing the subject)

Naruto's head shot up with a wide grin and he yelled, 'Banzai!' shooting both arms up into the air in fists.

The Uchiha's wrist hung limply, almost disdainfully, centimetres below Naruto's. The baka had almost yanked his arm out of its socket.

Too late, Sasuke realised the captain had caught the expression on his face. In no time at all, Kakashi was saying to the blond, 'And maybe we can get some ramen after that.'

'Banzai!'

Sasuke's arm bounced up and down with each new, brilliant, suggestion on the part of the captain. The Uchiha could feel his dignity oozing out of him. The man would pay.

Painfully.

'And Haku's healed, so he can come too.'

'Banzai!'

'And then we'll get back for even more training,' Kakashi said with false delight.

'Banzai!'

Very painfully.

xXx

The receptionist handed towels out to the Captain, Iruka, a grinning blond, a sulking black-haired boy and a brunette with red triangles on his cheeks who gave her a cheeky, but not unwelcome, grin. When she got to the last in line she hesitated.

'Oh no, dear, you have to go in with them.' She motioned to the door through which Hinata and Kurenai had disappeared.

Naruto's laughter exploded in the quiet, dignified entrance-hall. 'He's a guy!'

The receptionist took another look.

The elegant beauty in front of her looked up and said simply, 'I haven't any breasts, madam.'

She stared. And looked down. Her cheeks went red and she handed Haku a towel.

xXx

Naruto heard Hinata's voice carry over the bamboo wall dividing the two baths. 'Kiba, do you want me to come over there to smack you?'

'Oh? Where?'

She groaned.

Naruto was confused. Kiba had just called him Naru-chan, and had offered him a second towel, because he said he needed one. Why was that? Naruto looked to Sasuke for an answer, but the black-haired boy was fuming even more for some reason.

Why was Kiba so amused by everything at the moment? Especially by Sasuke's expression.

But his thoughts were distracted by loud, indignant protests and squeals from over the wall. To his surprise, an old, white-haired man flew over the bamboo and landed in the bushes next to the bath.

'Pervert!' Kurenai yelled.

The man got up and made some notes in a booklet, chuckling to himself. Hot-springs were weird, Naruto decided, not at all as Kakashi had described.

xXx

His Royal Majesty, Uchiha Sasuke, was brooding. Specially, he was plotting the demise of a growing number of people. At the top of the list was a certain white-haired captain. Followed by that dog boy, Kiba. Flirting just because he was bored. Thank the lord Naruto did not know what flirting was when is sat on him and tried to crawl up his nose.

They had all gone back to Kurenai's ship to plan the next stage of the voyage.

As they entered her cabin, Naruto said to Kiba, 'You've been spending a lot less time on our ship. Why's that?'

Sasuke looked from Kakashi to Iruka and back to Naruto. Kiba grinned. And then the dog-boy froze – his head swung toward the door through which they'd just entered. His eyes narrowed.

Hinata began asking, 'What's-?'

But Kiba was already half-way through the window as the door opened and a massively tall pirate walked in with cigarette hanging out of his grinning mouth.

'Hello Kuren-' he began, his voice trailing off as his eyes settled on her protruding stomach, 'ai . . .'

Hinata wore a fond expression as she saw Kiba's foot disappear. She cocked her head to the side and murmured, 'Aw, I remember Kiba climbing out of my window in a panic.' She frowned, 'But then I chased him out of my window. Hehe.' She chuckled.

Kurenai had been in a good mood the entire day. Now one eyebrow arched. 'Asuma,' the woman said very slowly and very quietly.

Sasuke could guess that a tirade was about to follow, but his attention was diverted by to the person who followed Asuma in. Sloppily dressed, his dark hair messily pulled back into pony-tail, and obviously acting as a pirate, was First Lieutenant Nara Shikamaru. Sasuke frowned. How the hell had he gotten here?

And to top it off, Hinata gave Shikamaru a casual wave and a smile.

Sasuke knew he couldn't hide before being seen – he was chained to the baka after all. He looked down and sighed.

'And WHERE have you been?' Kurenai began.

'Um . . .' Asuma stared.

'For the last EIGHT months? MORE THAN EIGHT!'

'Um . . .'

'No alcohol!'

'Eh . . .'

'When I was vomiting EVERY MORNING! And EVERYWHERE!'

Asuma seemed to give up on responding.

'I had cravings. Insatiable cravings! For odd fruit! And you were not there to get them for me!' She was sniffling, on the verge of tears.

Sasuke could feel Shikamaru's eyes on him.

Asuma took a breath and opened his mouth, 'So you're pregnant, then?'

'IS THAT SO DIFFICULT FOR MEN TO UNDERSTAND?!'

Shikamaru backed out the room with his palms raised. Sasuke was certain the First Lieutenant had to have seen him. Shikamaru didn't miss much at all – which was why Sasuke's father had given him such a high rank in the Uchiren Army at such a young age. And yet here he was associating with Captain Sarutobi Asuma – someone almost as infamous as Kakashi and someone he clearly should have arrested by now. Also someone who was stuttering in fear in front of his pregnant . . . woman.

xXx

Sasuke stood in the corridor just outside his cabin wearing a long-suffering expression. Hinata strode past, her eyes wondering to the chain going under the closed door, then turned and said, 'So Kakashi lengthened it again, did he?'

Sasuke gave a look.

She just grinned. 'What's going on?'

'Iruka's giving Naruto a little heart to heart.'

Hinata snorted. 'Good. I heard Kiba's attempts in the hot springs, and that poor blond boy definitely needs a heart to heart. He's as thick as two short planks in that department.'

'Tell me about it,' Sasuke said. Then he sobered. 'What the hell is Nara Shikamaru doing with Captain Asuma?'

The girl sighed and said, 'I suppose you'll find out anyway. Shikamaru's friends with him.'

The Uchiha frowned again.

'Ever wondered where he disappeared to for months on end?'

'Well, yes,' Sasuke replied. 'We looked into it, couldn't find anything and he said he was doing research.'

Hinata snorted. 'He's such a lazy ass. He says he finds a pirate's life more 'restful' than running your father's army.'

'Restful?'

'Go figure. A pirate who just asses around on deck watching cloud formations.'

Sasuke frowned yet again. 'But that's all he does at the palace.'

Hinata rolled her eyes, and moved closer to the door.

'What are you doing?'

Hinata's ear was already against the wood. 'Listening, what does it look like?'

Kiba appeared at the end of the corridor and wasted no time approaching, 'Oh oh – what's this? What's happening?' he looked at the chain. 'I'm guessing Naruto's in there.'

'Ten points to dog-boy,' the Uchiha said dryly.

Kiba's ear was also glued to the door now. At exactly the same moment, they both snickered.

Sasuke decided to keep a dignified distance from the entire affaire.

'I knew this would be fun.' Sasuke spun round at the sound of Kakashi's voice. 'What have I missed?' theCaptain asked.

Kiba grinned widely with his fingers to his lips, 'Shh, the best part's coming up, I'm sure of it.' He waved the Captain over.

Sasuke glared disdainfully.

The three idiots attached to the cabin door exchanged glances, snorted, and then burst out laughing.

Sasuke's eyebrow twitched. By the time he got his ear to the door, it was being opened. The four of them were against the opposite wall, leaning casually, when a wide-eyed Naruto and a furiously blushing Iruka stepped out.

Naruto scratched the back of his head. 'What are you all doing here?'

'It's supper time,' the Captain said glibly.

'Banzai!'

xXx

Kotetsu, one of Kakashi's crew, watched a small boy with a long scarf and messy brown hair run to the prow, mildly interested as to when the child had joined the crew. Kotetsu squinted into the mist, almost seeing something, but then dismissed it with a shake of his head.

He turned away to head to the galley, but heard a bang. He whipped round just in time to see a cannon ball materialise in the white cloud and hit the boy square in the stomach, propelling him overboard and down into a sightless abyss.

A little girl, called Moegi, if he remembered correctly, shouted, 'Konohama - - ruuuuuu!' Then the girl's eyes widened as she made out the looming shape of a pirate galleon to starboard. She ran to the bell, pulling it hard, yelling, 'Pirates!' which wasn't an odd thing to yell on this ship, but then she screamed, 'We're being attacked!'

Kakashi's famous crew sprang into action.

xXx

We apologise to any Konohmaru fans out there, but we think this was a fitting (and fittingly brief) appearance and disappearance of the annoying little bastard . . .

:D

fluff pirates cackle evilly

and again

death to fillers, they chant