Discovering Myself
Summary: Do you ever get that feeling where you might be missing something important? You know, it's on the tip of your tongue but it just won't come out? I get that feeling every day. It's plagued me day in, day out for almost five years now…
Disclaimer: This is a Fan-fiction story of the Anime & Manga series; Naruto and the game; Final Fantasy VII and is in no way affiliated with the actual series. All characters and other materials related to the show that are used are not intended to infringe on any Copyrights. Elemental-Zer0 takes sole responsibility for any mistakes or offence that may be taken but truly not meant.
However, this story plot and all Characters not affiliated with the show are Copyright © 2010 to Elemental-Zer0.
Warnings: Welcome to the Zer0-Express line where action and adventure await. Step inside and take a seat as we journey to a place where the words may be harmful, the mysteries are hazardous and the potato chips just plain suck – sorry not a lot we can do, they're from our sponsor. So keep your arms, legs, hairspray, grannies and nuclear warheads inside the cart and hold on to your hats! It's gonna be a bumpy ride! Yeeehaaaaaa!
A/N: I'm such a terrible writer…
Muse: Bad author! Bad, bad author. How dare you leave a story for so long with no updates?! Go to your room and don't come out until you have the next chapter ready!
Let me know what you think, but no flames please. If you have any criticism to make please do it politely otherwise I shall ignore your words. (It's happened before, I'm sorry to say, and I hadn't even posted any chapters…)
Chapter Five: Roadblocks
It had been a long and arduous journey across the Elemental nations. Various locations had been new and refreshing to the travelling Shinobi ambassadors while others had been filled with bittersweet memories of their long lost friend.
Sakura found herself choking up quite stubbornly despite her attempts to hold back her tears when they arrived at the main island of the Land of Sea over ten days ago. This set of islands could have easily been where Naruto might have washed up on had the river taken him to sea. The currents in the sea during that period were running south and this was the very last place they could have searched. When no trace of him had turned up here after their searches ended just over five years ago, it had been the breaking point for her hope of ever seeing him again. She had pinned all her hopes on him drifting here and washing ashore.
She'd thought she'd be over it after six years but the thought that Naruto could still be alive had brought back all of her tears. Except now, they were tears of hope; hope that her friend was still alive…
And hope that she could survive another depressive blow if it turned out he was not.
Nevertheless, Sakura could not help but wonder over the Governor's strange warning just before their group had left the offices for the southern harbour when they had first arrived. "Beware the chakra storms beyond the inlet. They've been coming in from the southern sea all spring. Been getting worse every year too. Seems some sailors believe there is a whole network system of them moving around the southern seas. Only a few have sailed them successfully so far." When asked what he meant by 'chakra storm,' he'd replied with; "Great storms of natural energy, sweeping in with the usual spring storms. Been about now for a good few years. No one can tell you when the storms started though. The storms are sailable on their own if you're good with a boat, but when mixed with the natural chakra that's coming from the south it becomes a death trap if you're not careful. We have three missing ships out there already and two more found at the bottom of the ocean only yesterday. I have lost over ten ships in the last four years alone and they are not cheap to replace, not to mention the lives lost with them." He went on to say that, if they found a ship willing to sail in the storms they would be lucky indeed. Most of the storms had scared the sailors into staying ashore during the winter to spring months despite the poverty it offered. Furthermore, if they did find a ship willing to sail, they might still take some convincing to go that far south into the Warrior Lands territory regardless of the ambassador papers the shinobi held.
For ten days, they had been asking and for ten days each crew they asked, both old and new, have refused. It took the experienced sailors only one look upon the seas and skies to declare that the storms were still too close. It seemed that their journey was at a standstill until they could convince a boat to take them across the sea. It was normally a month long trip. Running across the sea's surface for that long would kill them. It was possible to swap and carry each other in turns but the threat of the chakra storms was enough to put that idea to bed. They would just have to keep asking for a ship to sail south.
Sakura knew she was being impatient and she knew her temper was not exactly stellar. She also knew that to civilians, her anger and frustrations would appear demonic and beyond scary. But her fears of losing the only traceable link to her long lost friend were eating at her tremendously. She knew Shikamaru was keeping his eye on her and furiously trying to devise a ploy to trap a crew into taking them where they needed to go, if only to stave off her anxieties. She also knew she was not the only one trying valiantly to keep her violent tendencies under control. She could see Sasuke was just as frustrated with their current roadblock too. If they did not find a boat soon, she feared he would steal one and go alone. She also feared she would join him.
So it was with immense relief when the Ame Shinobi Tomoyo came back declaring she had found them a boat and crew to take them to the Warrior Lands. She, Shikamaru and Gaara all inspected the crew and boat. In any other circumstance, it would appear ungrateful and rude but for the shinobi and the sailors it was normal business, despite the desperation the shinobi had to move forward. If the boat was not seaworthy enough or designed for long-distance sailing then there was suspicion abound and no sale would happen. The ship itself was fairly large and could easily carry enough rations for the crew aboard for the length of time they would be on the sea. It was also fairly comfortable living-wise.
There was a small rodent problem and there were some minor repairs required to ornamental décor. Tomoyo had offered the shinobi's help in repairs and rodent clearing for a reduced fee of crossing the sea borders. Shikamaru had seen the bargain for what it was and had agreed to the price and the boat. He was a little concerned about some of the crew members. Some appeared shady at best but he was sure that if something were to happen, then as shinobi they would be able to hold their own. If it came down to a full mutiny, he was confident that they could subdue the crew and use Ino's family technique to find the information they needed to sail it themselves. That coupled with Sasuke's sharingan they could master the boat at a mediocre level. If they came up against a storm, Shikamaru was confident that the crew would value their lives enough to help them survive the storm.
They set sail in two more days. Sakura was brimming with an intense mixture of excitement, frustration and anxiety. And she could tell she was not the only one. Gaara, who had been the epitome of calm, had even started to seem anxious to move on. The others were in a flux of anticipation for the coming journey too. It seemed that the last leg of their journey would begin in only a few days and no one knew what it would bring.
What kind of welcome would they receive? Would their presence be seen as a threat? Would they be expected to help fix the failing economy?
And finally, would they be able to find Naruto in the vast unknown lands of their former enemy?
None of them knew. But they were forging on ahead regardless, because despite the odds stacked against them, Naruto would have done the same for any one of them.
They owed him that much, and so much more.
A/N: Ok so it's a short update but the next chapter will be longer. Seriously going to consider combining the two perspectives into one chapter soon.