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Edited: 03 January 2015 PHT

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Summary:
After the final battle, Sasuke decided to leave everything behind (this time for good, hopefully...) and live a new life of solitude, perseverance and humility. But then another irritating person came into his life and invaded his personal space. Someone far more troublesome than his 'estranged brother'. She is a known pirate of this strange new world he stumbles upon in search of a new beginning. Her name is Portgas D. Ace.

Disclaimer:
I earn nothing in posting this story online. Copyright belong to their respective creators namely below…

Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

One Piece © Eiichiro Oda

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Of Fire and Lightning
By: Zelga Lim Li

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You, Me and This Sea

For whatever reason, that traitor has eluded her repeatedly, which is almost frustrating to say the least.

Despite her futile search, she was able to stumble upon her little brother.

Portgas D. Azalea or most commonly known as Fire Fist Ace, was ecstatic.

Luffy manages to find good people for his crew. Even a very weird pet that act as their doctor. Cool.

Chuckling amusingly in remembrance of her brother's bold declaration to fight oyaji when the time comes for the title of Pirate King, she manages to spot a deserted island. Since its almost dark, she will need to dock Striker and stay on land to spend the night. And since she is alone on this self-appointed mission, she could not afford to fall on the ocean during one of her narcoleptic fits, drown and then die. In that particular order.

Losing the ability to swim sure has it drawbacks. But being a human personification of fire, she was able to accomplish things. Things that are and might be difficult if she is still normal.

Luffy did so well with his own devil fruit ability, so she should be able to make it better than her brother. Or so she hoped.

Nearing the island, Ace expertly threw a hook to the closest coconut tree she could find and pulled Striker on the shore.

Tightening the ropes to make sure she still has a boat to use the next day, she tried to sense if there is life inhabiting the island.

She still could not get a clear reading. Perhaps she needed to accept Marco's invitation for haki training once she gets back.

Taking her knapsack and a few fishes she was able to catch earlier, the female pirate scanned the area for possible threats. She also gathered a few woods to prepare a bonfire, not that she needed it. Cooking her fish while holding them doesn't seem appropriate. She does remember the lessons Makino had for her and despite Dadan's complaints, the she-pirate giggled and pierced her fish (after removing the scales and intestines) with the sticks she prepared that afternoon while waiting for those damn fish to take her baits.

Anyways, after conjuring a ball of fire to light her bonfire, she frowned slightly when she heard a slight rustle.

It was very faint and she can just ignore it but then a follow-up sound did make her paranoid all the sudden.

Placing her catch over the fire to cook them, Ace prepared her dagger on one hand and covered her left arm with fire.

Remembering the days when she was with her brothers back at Dawn Island, Ace took the trees for better leverage just in case her attacker is a devil fruit user as well. Quenching her fire to blend within the shadows, Ace squinted her eyes to locate her enemy.

It was barely there, but she smelt 'him'.

How she knew he was male, Ace did not want to find out.

However, she intended to make this quick. Her fish might burn to a crisp and she doesn't want to eat charcoal tasted meal for dinner.

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From the opposite side of the forest, a few meters away from the newcomer who landed on his island, two delicate brows frown in frustration knowing that his enemy is somewhere within the shadows in front of him. Using his Sharingan is futile knowing that the people existing this world does not use chakra thus it was difficult to predict when they will attack with their 'abilities'.

Abilities he knew were so different from his own. Besides, his doujutsu does shine in the dark. Better to avoid detection, as he did not want any bloodshed that night.

Drawing his kusanagi, Uchiha Sasuke made his move.

Hopefully, this stranger will leave him and this island alone. He had enough pirate scum to deal with and even though this one look harmless enough, he don't want any chances of ruining the peace he found after so many years.

He left his own world to make a new life. It was his self-imposed punishment for all the crimes he committed. Naruto thought otherwise. But he persevered and the dobe grudgingly relented despite the annoying pout he gave him that day.

He just wanted to be left alone.

Gritting his teeth in anger, he cursed the fates for continuously interfering with his life. It was about time they stop.

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A clash of blades echoed through the forest as sparks flew with the sound of screeching metal when the two decided to attack one another with their chosen weapons.

Ace snorted and let her fire surrounds her entire body giving light to the entire forest. Palms up with her right arm tucked behind her shoulders similar to a move Luffy adapted from her. Her opponent grunted and jumps away to distance himself. Embedding his sword to the ground, she saw him make a few hand signs, took a deep breath and then her eyes widen when he spitted a medium size ball of fire from his mouth. What the…?

"You're a logia type fire user as well?" Confusion lit Ace's eyes. Impossible. So when she saw him smirk annoyingly at her, Ace rolled her eyes and dropped her stance. Looking surprised, the man yelled at her furiously.

"Move away! Idiot. Do you really want to die?" Sasuke growled.

Looks like his fire was meant to scare her away. What the hell does he think she is? Does he think she'll run away screaming like a coward because of his fireball or maybe because she is a woman who is naturally weak? Egoistic fool.

Ace met his fire attack face on. She almost laughed out loud seeing the horrified expression on his face. Using both of her hands, she touched his flames. It tickled her skin at first and then slowly she was able to absorb it and let it consume her. However, she staggered and fell on one knee seeing some visions of a very weird place. It was unlike any place she knew in the Grand Line.

There are so many people fighting. A war.

In the middle was a gigantic tree. The Shinju.

The moon was in full circle with strange ring like patterns surrounded by comma like designs. A never ending illusion.

In front of all this chaos were two people. Her opponent and a blonde haired young man. Yin and Yang.

Her head aching from all these images, Ace dispelled these flames and fall onto the ground. For a moment she was thankful that the pictures are gone and sat up with her legs crossed to look at him. The will to fight and defend herself no longer seems relevant as she stared at him curiously.

He looks the same yet he was not. His left eye was covered by a fringe of hair, it was a bit longer and spiky at the edges with a bandana around it. His clothes looks different as well unlike the white short sleeve shirt and black plants with a blue cloth held together by a purple rope, the one she saw on her vision. Blushing slightly for that accurate description of the bastard who remained motionless after seeing her unscathed and unharmed, Ace shook her head and groaned. She smelled something burning. Great. Just great.

"You're still alive?"

Snorting derisively, the woman turned around like nothing happened between them and left before giving him a murderous glare. She stomped her way towards the shore she took refuge on and Sasuke heard her curse out loud seeing her meal all burned and wasted. Throwing it away, she shouted angrily scaring the night creatures away. The last Uchiha debated to himself whether he should leave her alone. Unlike the other pirates that came to his island, this one doesn't look bloodthirsty at all. And even if she's a female, she doesn't look weak.

A sudden growl was heard and Sasuke looks alarmed. Did the wild beasts found them already? They are supposed to be active by day. Readying a kunai, he waited but then the woman chuckled at his reaction.

"You looked surprised. Never heard what a starving stomach sounded?" Ace asks jovially. Eyeing her petulantly, Sasuke looks at the woman as she was making fun of him. The nerve.

"Never mind..." Shrugging her shoulders dismissively, Ace proceeded to lie down and stare above the night sky using both of her arms as a makeshift pillow. "You don't have to worry. I'm not staying permanently on your island. I'm just passing by to spend the night. Maybe tomorrow when you wake up, I'm no longer here..." Giving her a surly look, the stranger grunted and walked towards the forest. Before he walks outside her range, Ace called him once more.

"Hey!"

He stopped but did not turn around.

"If you came to Paradise to forget your past, you'll never do so on this island..." Ace saw his shoulders tensed up while his fists clenched tightly.

"I'll be leaving tomorrow at dawn. I can drop you off to the nearest city..."

"Why?"

"Huh?" Dumbly, Ace stared at his back. The bastard still didn't face her for whatever reason. She is no empath but she could sense the turmoil within him.

"Why would you offer your help to someone who tried to kill you?"

"Kill me? Really?" Laughing, Ace reached over her bag and took her hat to placed it over her face, readying herself to sleep. She'll just have to wait for the next day to get her meal. Unlike Luffy, she can live for a day without a meal. "If you really are trying to kill me, you should have done it the moment I set foot on this island... Besides, I won't let you kill me... I'm just too stubborn to die..." Hearing those words herself, Ace remembered the reasons why she convinces herself why she wanted to live.

Luffy.

The old man.

The Whitebeard Pirates.

"Maybe because I will not let anyone destroy the happiness I have found for existing..." Turning around, Sasuke saw her smile. Seeing more than she lets him see, he could sense the lies she wanted to believe herself.

Someone like him who question his existence and value to the people surrounding them.

With no more words left to say, Sasuke left. But before letting the shadows envelops his form, he heard her mention her name.

"I'm Ace by the way. Portgas D. Ace."

Giving a slight nod, the Uchiha left knowing that the woman is looking at his back, intriguingly.

"Yeah. Nice to meet you too, Mr. Swordsman…" Since her host doesn't talk much, Ace assumed that he is one. He does move like a samurai from Wano.

And since it's nearing midnight, she should sleep. Missing dinner already makes her cranky. Better not to annoy anyone else other than herself.

How she really misses Thatch during these times. If he were still alive, he would have known she's hungry and he will immediately prepare something for her to eat. God, she really needed to find the traitor and kill him already.

'I swear, once I kill him, then and only then will I return to everyone else… That's a promise.'

On two unknown location, a tall man with brown pompadour hairstyle and a large man with dark skin with small scruffy black beard around his jaw line sneezes.

"Are you cold-yoi?" Marco, commander of the first division asks his friend who is still strapped in the infirmary for reasons unknown. Did he try to escape again?

Ever since his brush of death, everyone is so careful in treating their brother. Granted that he is no pushover, they knew he almost died that is why he must follow whatever restrictions the head doctor and oyaji himself have implemented for his full recovery.

"No. I'm not cold. Looks like someone is thinking about me. Anyway, what I feel right now is boredom. And since I'm bored, I wanted to cook something…" Giving Marco a puppy eye look, Thatch begged his best friend to let him out. "Even if we're miles away, she might smell my cooking and that will urge her to come home… I'm missing that brat already… I can't believe you and pops let her go, that man is dangerous…"

Sighing tiredly, Marco gave him a book to distract him with his constant babblings.

"Ace was persistent. She is the one who is greatly affected on what had happened to you. She blames herself for letting a member of her division harm a brother." There are times that his verbal tic is gone especially if he is serious. Thatch noticed it immediately which almost freaks him out.

"But still…" Cutting him off, Marco gave him a dull stare and he had no choice but to cross his arms irritatingly and sulk. He does not care if he acts like a five year old. He just want their little sister to come home. Period.

Meanwhile…

"You said you're sick? Are you sure?" Doc Q asks his captain knowing that the said man rarely goes to his aid except if he had a bad stomach.

"Zehahahaha! I did fall on the ocean earlier this morning because of that stupid seagull… What a clumsy captain I am," Marshall D. Teach said while laughing and mocked himself for his carelessness. "Just give me a damn medicine for this cold. I don't like to sniff around with snot coming out of my nose, ya hear me?"

"Right, right…" The doctor relented after giving his captain a few tablets. "Take this every two hours. And don't forget to drink lots of fluids…" His eyes bulge from his socket when Teach swallowed everything and drank from his flask.

"There, all done…" Laughing bemusedly at his doctor's hilarious expression, Blackbeard left and went to look for Laffitte and Van Augur to plan their next move.

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As Ace prepares Striker, she could not help herself but glance every now and then towards the forest. Not that she is expecting someone or worried about something else entirely.

Since when did she concern herself with a complete stranger? Granted that he can fight her equally like that stupid 'flaming blue chicken'.

Oh well.

Ensuring that all her stuff is inside her raft, she came back to the shore and clear out the mess she did last night while covering the bonfire she made with sand. Shaking the last bits of sand stuck on her shorts, she placed her red hat securely on her head. Her hair grew longer again as it reaches past her waist. Too bad Izo isn't here to cut it off so she resorted to braid it up. She did promise the cross dresser not to mess with her hair unless he approves of it.

Sighing for the last time, she placed an extra Log Pose on top of one of the boulders with a piece of note and a map facing the entrance to the forest just in case he decided to show up.

"Well then, till we meet again, Mr. Swordsman… Or not…" Giving one final salute, she boarded Striker and let her Mera Mera no Mi power the engine. She decided to follow the wind to locate a new place where she could search for that bastard. And perhaps call Marco to give her report and whereabouts. She did forget to bring a Den Den Mushi with her, which will earn her another scolding from the blonde haired commander.

"Just in case you know, I know nothing much from this world and I do not know how to use this thing... So I would require a few hints on what to do or how to do things…"

Ace shrieks in surprise and almost fell onboard upon hearing his voice. Before she fell, a bandaged hand grasps hers and led her to safety on the other side of her boat. There he stood stoically after hiding a small smile Ace swore she saw on his face. Moron.

"W-what the...!?" How long was he standing there? She never even felt his presence. It was as if he is a shadow.

"Hmmm... Your boat looks so small. Or was it even one? Can it carry the two of us to the next island?" Sasuke asks with the same emotionless mask she saw on their last meeting.

Stuttering indignantly, Ace drops her jaws in shock. Since when did he became so, so chatty.

"Uhmm... Well..."

Giving her a droll stare, the Uchiha sighed and sat in front of her. This piece of contraption does look sturdy and he wonders how it works without a paddle. Looks like he needs to learn a few things to live properly on these seas. Will she help him? Sasuke thought idly.

Scratching her cheek, Ace snorted and shrugged her shoulders dismissively. Pulling a lever near the motors, she expanded her raft to fit two people. She rarely uses this form as it affects Striker's speed. Though it was the first time she will travel with a companion after her original pirate crew, the Spade Pirates was disbanded to be integrated with pop's own pirate crew.

Nodding appreciatively, the swordsman removes his sword and placed it beside him. Ace follows his every move, which earned one raised eyebrow.

"What?"

Poking her forefingers at one another, Ace whistled an out of tune version of Binks' Sake while avoiding his gaze. Since when did she hesitate? If Marco and Thatch knew, they will definitely laugh and tease her.

Shaking his head in amusement, Sasuke snickered quietly and relaxed his shoulders. It was quite a while since he felt this way. Well, after their duel, he and Naruto decided to take things slowly. Their relationship was already broken beyond repair (according to his opinion) but the dobe felt otherwise. Giving in to his demands, Naruto gave him a three pronged kunai just in case he decided to come home. Thinking of that idiot, Naruto and this pirate have the same calming aura that attracts him to them, somewhat.

The reason why he accepted her invitation to leave the safety of his island. He only hoped that he would not regret this decision.

"You can call me Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke." With his introduction, he saw her smile. It was confusing at first but then his heart felt… warm.

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Author's note:
Yes, Thatch is alive and you do notice that Ace is a woman… Not that I can think of any other pairing… Not sure if I will continue with this other idea about Marco and a female Naruto and all my other pending stories were I am having a hard time updating because of some random reasons. In a few days, Naruto (the manga we all love and adore) is about to end and I would like to prepare something special in dedication for our beloved and hated Sasu-teme. Yay!

Anyways, hope you'll give this story a chance:)

Anyhows, please read, like and review. Continuing this story depends on them, especially the reviews. Yeah those reviews that seems to elude wannabe writers like me… Lols.

Well, till then. Ciao!

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