Lo to everyone and sundry!
Yet again, sorry for the wait – this time we actually have a good excuse. The Fluff Pirates have been abroad – journeying to distant lands… (Big Pirates still is… –Little Pirate sniffles-) We were ambushed often by baguette-wielding French people…
These people we speak of eat snails! Can you understand?!
-Little Pirate stares in horror at shiny, slimy green mass-
-Big Pirate looks up innocently with mouth full of aforementioned slimy, shiny green mass- 'Quoi?' she asks
-Little Pirate makes gagging noises-
Thanks to Big Pirate's translation skills, we didn't starve and didn't get lost too often. We did undergo the torture of having Bonnie Tyler's 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' stuck in our heads, as it plays surprisingly often all over rural France.
Anyway, the excuse: there are –shock- NO INTERNET CAFES in Burgandy! Little Pirate almost rolled over and died. Big Pirates just found lots of crème de cassis and cointreau…
Anyway – half the Pirate duo is back in the blessed land of the world wide web. Its sooo homely…
xXx
Last bit of Chapter 12:
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.
Chapter 13:
Sasuke slumped down on the bench in the galley and watched in sleepy disbelief as Naruto polished off a bowl of noodles.
'Thanks Mookie!' the blond shouted into the kitchen.
Sasuke was by now used to the occasional midnight escapade to the galley to get Mookie to prepare noodles. The chef was always satisfyingly willing to prepare noodles after Naruto's last fight. The chef was always awake. Sasuke suspected he did not sleep.
Naruto gave Sasuke a full, bloated and happy look and said, 'Let's go back to sleep, Sasuke!'
The chain was short again. Kakashi always shortened it at night. He hoped Naruto now realised why the chain had been put on in the first place – teamwork in every aspect of life.
A deep crack sounded in the night.
Sasuke sat bolt upright, wide awake. What was that?
Mookie already had a cleaver in each hand.
'We'll check the deck.' Sasuke said to the chef.
'And I'll guard the galley, yar.'
Naruto gave the man an earnest look as he slid open the shutters onto the deck, saying solemnly, 'Protect it well.'
And guard the noodles with your life, Sasuke added Naruto's oh-so-visible thoughts.
The Uchiha checked for magic, alert.
Not to the right. Nothing to the left. Behind? No. Nothing in front of the crates.(1)
'All right, let's see what's happening.'
Before he could step, he had barely a second's warning – no sound, just a pressure dropping down behind him – before he felt breath on his neck. He spun and blocked a dagger with the metal cuff that was attached to the chain. His eyebrow twitched when he saw the chain had lengthened.
Well, at least the bloody captain was up.
His other hand was already on the hilt of his sword. He drew it out violently, winding the strange pirate in front of him. The pirate took a step back and Naruto pulled the chain taut – the metal whipped his feet out from under him and he hit his head against the edge of a crate.
They glanced at each other and Naruto drew his sword.
A tanned hand gripped the hilt tightly, the muscles of his arm tensing for a moment as the blond took a deep breath.
His blue eyes were expectant, excited even, and managed to distract Sasuke from looking him up and down again – the bare chest and orange with cute little green frogs and hearts. (2) The boy had no taste, but he could make anything look good. Of that Sasuke was certain.
The Uchiha gave his head a small shake. Focus.
His dark eyes immediately shot to the side and he pulled the chain, grabbing Naruto's arm as soon as he was close enough and moving both of them against the wooden wall of the kitchens. Before Naruto's back could bounce off the wall, Sasuke pushed him back with a hand on his chest.
A dagger flew past their faces, almost grazing Naruto's nose.
He turned wide blue eyes onto Sasuke, whispering, 'Holy shit.'
Naruto looked left and right as he said, 'The chain's about four meters long now. That should be enough, right?'
A split second later Sasuke heard the noises – near silent steps. The Uchiha nodded.
The blond and the black-haired boy launched themselves off the deck – flying straight up (3), swords drawn, to spin round and grab the railing above with their free hands.
In time, they flipped their legs above their heads and cart-wheeled onto the upper deck. One foot, then the other, landed lightly and softly and their swords struck those of the opposing duo.
For a moment all four froze. They jumped back from each other with slight frowns and to the clinking of chains.
The Uchiha's brows drew together. The Demon Brothers. Pirates exiled from the Mist Region. Both had enormous bounties on their heads and had been sought for years. They were known for their violence and cruelty in their strings of murders.
Sasuke glanced at Naruto and then down at himself. The infamous Demon Brothers versus two gits in their pajamas.
Sasuke's eyes lit up. A challenge.
And besides, even Sasuke's boxers were far more fashionable than the grey blue cow-print pants the other two wore.
Shit, where are they?
Barely in time, just as he braced his sword above his head, a dagger met his blade. His body remembered the training with Kakashi more than his mind did.
-frashoo-backoo-
Three weeks before…
The sun bore down on the deck of Icha Icha Paradise, where it's captain stood with… um, Icha Icha Paradise in his hand. In his other hand he wielded a curved, smooth, gleaming blade. He didn't seem to move, but he danced around a pair of boys with bewildering speed. With each blow he landed – he said a word.
'Which – direction – am – I – going – to – come – from – next?'
Each blow was followed with a cry of pain or indignation.
'We can't see you!' Naruto shouted. 'How the fuck are we supposed to know where you're going?!'
The blond boy almost blocked the apparently invisible blade, but it landed hard on his shoulder. He spun round, guessing where it would hit next and swung into Sasuke, who had been dodging the weapon, but was pushed back into it by his partner.
Sasuke forgot about Kakashi and shouted 'Baka!' at Naruto, hitting him on the head, at which point they fell over the chain that they had twisted around themselves.
Kakashi chuckled.
Sasuke scowled.
'You can see me. I am showing you exactly where I'm going. Just look.' Kakashi said.
Seeing nothing, but sensing something was coming, Sasuke elbowed Naruto and they rolled away from each other as Kakashi's blade embedded itself into the deck between them.
'See?' Kakashi asked, ripping it out again, but he didn't give them time to respond.
The captain gave them a break when Naruto had managed avoiding being bruised three times in a row. But maybe it was the fact they showed signs of not being able to stand.
'So now you know that you can see with your instincts as well as your eyes.' Kakashi smiled, 'Let's continue your training.'
As they sat leaning against some crates (4), looking up in disbelief. Naruto slumped against Sasuke's arm, saying 'Noooo….'
-end of flash back-
Sasuke looked into the Demon Brother's eyes for barely a second, and sent his strength to his upper arms.
In time, he and Naruto propelled them over their heads and railing they had come over moments before.
Without thinking, the Uchiha grinned and looked to the side. Naruto had done exactly the same. The blond boy flashed a dazzling smile and jerked his head to where the badly dressed pirates lay sprawled and flicked his wrist up – Sasuke barely caught the glint of a dagger in the air.
Their opponents were already on their feet. Sasuke was alert, but something about Naruto's stance made him relax.
The Demon Brothers jumped, but fell back immediately – unceremoniously on their backsides – surprise evident on their faces.
Naruto laughed uproariously holding his stomach and Sasuke saw the dagger pinning the pirates' chain to the deck. He smiled. That couldn't be comfortable – he knew that from frequent first hand experience.
xXx
Seconds later, Naruto crouched down, swinging his head toward the deck to miss a low swipe.
By the time he looked up, the pirate was out cold. A miniscule needle stuck out of his neck.
The blond searched the masts and rigging for Haku and eventually saluted him with a grin, 'Thanks!'
'Anytime.'
The long haired boy landed silently saying, 'It's an enemy pirate ship, but I cannot see the flag in this mist and darkness.'
Naruto heard noises and clinking of the chain and looked over Haku's shoulder, Sasuke was still fighting the other pirate.
'One second,' he said to Haku, who said 'Oh, sorry, I forgot.' And then he absentmindedly threw a needle behind him. The pirate slumped to the ground and Sasuke glared at Haku.
Haku wore a hint of a smile, 'Nice boxers, Naruto.'
Sasuke kicked the head of the pirate that had just fallen.
Naruto frowned. Iruka had said something about this type of behavior. But he got distracted looking at Sasuke's silky dark-blue boxers and that loose white shirt. Mmm. He'd been wrapped around that just a little while ago.
Naruto's frown deepened. Iruka had said something about this line of thought too. What didn't Iruka know? Everything was making so much sense now. Naruto shook his head, 'Sorry, what?'
'We need more help up at the prow,' Haku repeated, then sped off.
It was a large ship and long way to the prow. And the battle had to be terrible there because, not even near the heart of it, they were fighting through a maze of pirate hordes.
The three sped through them as best they could – using everything on the ship against the enemy pirates, using enemy pirates against enemy pirates, leaving a wake of unconscious or groaning figures behind them.
They just kept on coming. And coming.
Naruto was surprised that neither he, nor Sasuke, nor Haku had been scratched. But it was tiresome, even with Kakashi's bloody endurance training, he was glad he could feel the nourishing power of noodles he'd consumed minutes before.
-frashoo-backoo-
'Baka! Stop chewing on my arm!' Sasuke shouted, waving his arm about as much as Naruto's attached mouth allowed.
'I want fooood! Gimme some of your foood.'
Kakashi spoke lazily, 'It's your fault, Naru-chan: you cheated and now you don't get any lunch.'
'But I'm hungry!'
'Yes. That's why its punishment.'
Naruto scowled. Then he pouted and turned to Sasuke, widening his eyes.
-end-
Naruto knocked another two pirates unconscious and hit across the stomach the one Sasuke sent towards him.
Back then, he'd been surprised when Sasuke actually snuck him some food. But now he thought he understood.
Together they lifted their chain to waist height and ran across the deck, collecting half a dozen pirates and tipping them over the edge.
Haku was occupied with seven pirates and when Naruto brought his gaze back to Sasuke, his fighting was a graceful dance, his cutlass making smooth, arching movements along the pirates who crowed round him like flies.
Naruto smiled at him – feeling almost nervous as he always did around Sasuke these days - and Sasuke held his gaze. He took one wrong step and didn't see that blade behind him, and Naruto moved.
The blond boy's eyes widened, fear contracting his stomach, giving it a weight it never had. He was vaguely aware of people trying to get in his way.
Sasuke.
He was even less aware of how his body acted – pushing them away, cutting them down.
Sasuke.
The blade was coming closer. Sasuke was trying to correct his mistake, but the blade was coming down too fast.
And Naruto got there – his own cutlass barely knocking the blade aside – it slid down, cutting his hand and he sliced down the front of the enemy pirate who had almost killed the black-haired boy – and he landed heavily, stood up, whipped his gaze round with a fierceness that frightened the men around him.
Naruto had just realised something. And nothing was going to mess it up now. Nothing.
'Thanks,' Sasuke said, looking at Naruto's eyes warily.
Naruto felt a familiar focus. He wanted to fight. He wanted to hurt and he knew how to do it. He –
'Naruto, relax,' Sasuke whispered.
Naruto swung round, the world spinning in vivid, intense colour.
Sasuke touched his arm and the world began to drain back to normal, his muscles unclenched.
He breathed in. The rather immediate presence of many pirates meant they had to keep fighting.
'Where's Haku gone?'
'Dunno.'
The mist thinned and the clouds parted to reveal part of a tall, silhouetted figure.
Sasuke stopped in shock, and Naruto asked 'Who is tha - ?' But he felt a sting in his neck and before darkness engulfed him he thought, Haku?
xXx
Half an hour earlier:
Haku was already awake when the first cannon shattered the night's silence.
He glided noiselessly through the corridors and saw quiet enemies swinging across to the ship as an alarm was raised.
His needles were out and three enemies were down before he saw the tall man on the opposite deck – a man with a colossal sword resting across his shoulders.
Haku's delicate features froze. He had a choice to make.
His lover or his friends.
xXx
(1) go Fred! Go! Practicing kage-bunshin-no jutsu for just this sort of occasion:)
(2) yes, yes – we know that technically they're drawing their swords from their pajama's, but a ninja – no, a pirate is always prepared.
(3) see Shippuden
(4) even Fred is practicing