"Do you think they'll be able to finish their mission?" Sakura faintly heard someone say. Peeking through she spotted two men get off the ship and gather on the cave floor obviously preparing to wait for someone else to come.

"Sasori is with them to keep them in check." The other man said in an almost bored tone. The larger man beside him chuckled in a way that echoed across the cave.

"You're right and with how impatient he is things will likely end quickly." He continued laughing, his comment seemed to amuse his companion at least a little bit as his demeanor shifted to a more relaxed state. Plus although she was as far as she could get from the two, which wasn't far as the land portion of the cavern wasn't that big, she swore she could see his smirk. Sakura ducked back and looked to the compass which was pointing at the ship that had just arrived. Not being one to be able to sit still when new possibilities presented themselves Sakura tried to work out a strategy to get on the ship without being spotted by the two. It would be difficult but if she could sneak into the water quietly she could slowly swim her way over and board the ship on the other side which was out of their view.

With her mind set Sakura began to edge towards the water while still maintaining her hiding spot. Everything seemed to be going well as she was almost near the edge of the water when on one of her final steps toward it the rock she stepped on gave way and she tumbled into the water making a loud splash. Knowing she had been spotted Sakura didn't bother to look back as she began swimming towards the ship.

"Who the bloody hell is that?" The larger man bellowed as they both moved toward the ship the stranger was nearing and trying to board. The chase didn't last long as the large man grabbed her as she was making her way up and pulled her back into the water where the other was waiting to restrain her. Well this is not how I planned it to happen...Sakura thought pathetically as she eyed up her captors trying to gage what she was up against. A large man who was also blue and a dark haired male who she assessed as the one in charge. The blue man appeared to be in a state of shock as he saw just who they captured. "A woman?"

"It would appear so Kisame." The man replied eying her up in a way she knew wasn't fully proper to assess someone. As she met his gaze his red eyes were the last things she saw before her world turned black.

xPiratesLifeForMex

Meanwhile in Konoha...

"How did Akatsuki end up here?" Naruto grunted as he parried swords against their rival pirate crew, the Akatsuki. It wasn't that odd that they would meet up and end up fighting over territory and such but normally they can catch word of where their rivals are sailing and avoid the conflict in favor of staying alive and well. They weren't a crew to mess with but neither was Akatsuki. "Keep your eye open for the rest of them!"

"Right!" The crew members with Naruto shouted as they themselves focused on their own battle.

"It would appear we might be after the same goal this time around." A redheaded Akatsuki sounding amused and bored at the same time. Smirking at his opponent as they locked blades he leaned in. "Where are my dear cousins, too afraid to set foot in Konoha in case they may be hung?"

"Bastard." Naruto seethed pushing off and distancing himself. But the red heads first statement left him wondering. Were they after the same treasure? It wouldn't be the first time but lately it appeared the goals of the two crews never aligned. Thinking quickly he looked to his two crew members that were with him, Tenten and Neji, they caught his gaze and he nodded as they communicated silently. Reaching in his pouch he tossed the item he had grabbed to the ground jumping back swiftly. Smoke gathered covering their previous battle ground allowing for the three to escape from battle with their rivals.

"Do you think they have it danna?" A blonde said once the smoke cleared as he moved to stand next to the red head. Said redhead merely looked ahead lazily, taking a moment to think before responding.

"If they don't they know where it is. Let's head back and see what Itachi wants our next to move to be." He stated and the two moved out.

xPiratesLifeForMex

When Sakura regained consciousness she realized two things. One she was once again a captive on a ship. Two as she awoke she was immediately at the mercy of the red eyed man who captured her.

"Finally awake I see." He said stalking towards her in a predatorily way.

"What exactly do you want from me, I haven't exactly done anything to you to warrant you holding me captive." Sakura reasoned hoping that maybe they would consider just letting her go. Yeah because that's what pirates were known for, their ability to see reason...Sakura inwardly scolded herself for even hoping that strategy might work. Standing in front of her now the red eyes that looked down at her were clearly amused.

"No, I suppose you haven't." The man replied calmly making Sakura hold back any sense of hope that statement alone might give her. It was said too calmly and he was far too interested in her to just let that be the end of it. "But you see it's not often we just stumble across a woman in our secret cavern we use when we happen to be in Konoha. "

"I had no idea it belonged to you and I apologize deeply for disturbing your territory." Sakura said trying to appeal to his better nature, that is if he had any. This made him smirk and he reached out to caress her cheek leaning in close his breath fanning across her face. Her own breath hitched at his proximity and a part of her had to admit he was quite the attractive male. If the situation had been different Sakura may have actually sought him out in an attempt to let loose for a night. Then again she would likely be slightly intoxicated and she most definitely would not be the captive.

"I have a way you can repay me." His voice low and husky making Sakura shiver a little. Looking into his eyes she could make out the lust and she couldn't deny she probably had a little in her own. But a larger part of her felt this situation was wrong, a warning buzzer going off in the back of her head. Maybe this could work in my favor though...Sakura thought as she began to play along. She tilted her head a little and bit her lip softly.

"Really? And then you'll let me go after I repay you?" She whispered to him allowing her eyes to wander to his lips before relocking gazes. He seemed to approve of her actions as he grunted and repositioned the two so she was laying back on the cot she had been on with him on top straddling her.

"If I deem your payment enough then yes, you're going to have to work for your freedom though." He agreed pinning her down his gaze hungry.

"How can I be of service?" She questioned her tone implying a double meaning in her words. This seemed to please the man hovering above her as he leaned down and nibbled on her ear whispering to her.

"Itachi, remember that so you can scream it for me." Sakura smiled up at him before leaning up and capturing his lips in a kiss. Itachi grunted in pleasure pushing her down on the mattress immediately taking over the kiss she initiated. She moved her hands to roam his body so he wouldn't pin them back down, although by now his own hands were feeling her up eager to touch more of her. As things progressed Sakura let her hands roam lower feeling the time was right to go ahead with her plan now that his attention was occupied. Sliding her hands down to his belt she quickly undid it and reached into his pants grabbing his package. He groaned enjoying the contact and that's when Sakura squeezed tightly making him gasp for breath right before she punched him sending him off her. Once free from his grasp she moved quickly seeing him clutching his dick his light groans now that of pain instead of pleasure. A swift kick to his head knocked him out and she made her way out of the cabin.

Sneaking onto the deck she hid behind crates assessing her situation. They no longer were in the cave and the blue man from earlier was chatting with two other members of the crew who Sakura deduced had just boarded the ship recently. None of them appeared to be headed towards the cabin anytime soon. Using this to her advantage she made her way to edge of the ship climbing down silently slipping into the water unseen.

She watched the ship sail away before making any major movements. Once a good distance she turned to try and figure out just where she was. Unfortunately for her while she had been with Itachi they had sailed far enough away from Konoha that she couldn't see any land at all. She was in the middle of the ocean with no clue which way to even swim. Realizing she only needed a direction she pulled out the compass she had stole willing it to point the way she needed to go. Sure enough it spun a little deciding on a direction. She still wasn't quite sure how the thing worked but it hadn't steered her wrong yet and its guess was likely better than her own. With a heading decided Sakura stashed the compass and began her trek.

xPiratesLifeForMex

"Akatsuki were in Konoha as well?" Gaara questioned once his crew returned empty handed albeit with some interesting information. His frown deepened as he tried to figure out his next move. He was without the key he had come for in the first place, and now he was also without his compass to steer him in the right direction and on top of that their rival crew were likely after the same treasure meaning that another meet up would occur soon. He hadn't realized he had begun pacing until a shout broke him out of his trance.

"Captain! There's someone in the water up ahead!" Neji who was currently occupying the crows nest alerted him and the rest of the crew followed where Neji was pointing looking out at the ocean from the side of the ship. Sure enough someone was swimming not far off from where they were although they appeared to not notice the vessel at all.

"Who would be out swimming this deep into the ocean?" Kankuro asked knowing Konoha wasn't that far behind them but it was clear to everyone the person had travelled some distance before they spotted them. As the ship continued to close in on the person it seemed the swimmer had run out of steam and stopped to scope their surroundings. Finally still Gaara could clearly see the pink locks the person had through his telescope. Said person also finally noticed the ship closing in on them and cussed before taking off again.

"Grab her." Gaara ordered. Naruto nodded to his captain and dove into the water swimming to the pinkette. He had hoped since she was surely exhausted she would be an easy catch but it seemed as soon as he hit the water she caught a second wind of energy and was off swimming quickly. Everyone watched as the two swam, a game of cat and mouse or in this case maybe shark and minnow would be more appropriate. They had actually gotten a pretty good distance from the ship seeing as they were swimming, but Naruto was closing in on Sakura and she knew it.

Finally she stopped ducking under the water hoping to maybe confuse Naruto. When he didn't see her anymore he stopped looking around trying to figure out where she had gone.

Unfortunately for Sakura he stopped almost right on top of her and she was running out of breath to get a good enough distance away to avoid capture. Instead she decided to have a bit of fun knowing the inevitable. Naruto continued to look around waiting for her head to pop back out of the water when he felt something lock onto his leg and pull him under. He kicked wanting to be free but whatever grabbed him was already gone. When he burst to the surface gasping for breath he was splashed in the face with water.

"What the hell?" He said confused turning his gaze to a laughing Sakura.

"You win. I just couldn't resist messing with you though." She chuckled amused at his confusion. He didn't get why she was treating this like a game, was she not worried for her life? Not that they would actually hurt her while she was still valuable to them. It was in his dazed state that she swum around and latched onto his back careful not to make him sink.

"What is happening?" Naruto questioned not used to captives running and then willingly coming with him.

"I said you win. You would've caught up to me soon enough so I decided to just stop swimming. But I'm exhausted and since I'm your captive you get the privilege of hauling me to the ship on your back." Sakura answered clearly enjoying not having to swim anymore.

"This doesn't sound like I won at all..." Naruto grumbled but began swimming back to the ship nonetheless. Luckily for him they had changed course of the vessel towards to where they had been so Naruto didn't have to swim for too long. Still when they both boarded they didn't bother to stand preferring to catch their breath before moving any further.

"You." Gaara said with no emotion which made Sakura look up and raise an eyebrow in questioning.

"We meet again Captain. " Sakura greeted eying him warily as he walked closer.

"I have a proposition for you." He stated stopping in front of her his arms crossed over his chest. She looked on every bit intrigued by his statement. She had expected threats, or torture, not a calm bargaining conversation.

"I told you I'm not giving you the key. Savvy?" She told him before he could even begin.

"That's not what I had in mind." He said to her earning him curious stares from everyone in the crew. Sakura couldn't even begin to imagine what he had in mind outside of trying to get his hands on the key. As they stared at each other trying to gauge the other's thoughts whispers broke out amongst the crew also trying to figure out just what their Captain was up to. Finally after the drawn out silence Gaara continued, "I want you to join our crew."

Of all the things Sakura or any of the crew for that matter thought Gaara would say that phrase was nowhere near the list they built in their minds. To say she was baffled would be an understatement, Sakura couldn't for the life of her figure out his angle.

"You're serious." Sakura stated getting on her feet to be more prepared for any other surprise he might spring on her. Gaara merely nodded, every bit of himself oozing seriousness.

"What's in it for you?" Sakura asked narrowing her eyes.

"Just another pirate for my crew." Gaara said nonchalantly not giving away anything that would prove he wanted anything else. Sakura knew better. He may have had a good poker face but there was no way after the trouble she caused it would be that simple.

"I don't believe you." Sakura said and Gaara chuckled pinning her to the rail of the ship. Sakura leaned back cursing herself for not realizing he had been slowly closing in on her.

"I didn't expect you to." He said, his breath fanning across her face causing her to shiver slightly. "But you don't really have a choice." He whispered in her ear.

"Oh?" Sakura questioned ignoring the feeling she got in her stomach when he whispered to her. His voice and his presence were causing her hormones to go haywire. It likely didn't help that her encounter with Itachi had left her a little frustrated despite the bad feeling she had when he had touched her. Gaara however was a different story, he was just as attractive as Itachi but instead of something inside her telling her to stay away that piece of her was aching to get closer. Why that was Sakura didn't want to find out at this point. While all the turmoil was happening in her head she stayed composed on the outside holding Gaara's gaze with her own not backing down. "Why is that?"

"You're not going to get away this time. I won't allow it." Gaara said strapping a shackle to wrist before dragging her, despite her struggle, to his cabin and locking the other shackle to his bedpost. "Sit tight, love." He said in a mocking tone before leaving her in his cabin.

"Bloody pirate." Sakura muttered under her breath. Growling Sakura pulled at the shackles testing their strength. Of course she knew it wouldn't be easy to escape them, they weren't exactly made to be escaped from. Sighing Sakura stopped playing with the shackles and looked around the room. There was no need to escape right this minute, she was sure they were far from Konoha by now and likely any other source of land. But it didn't hurt to look around and find an exit did it?

She didn't know how much time had passed as she sat exploring the room with her eyes looking for anything of interest. There didn't appear to be much, then again anything of value wasn't likely out in the open and she had honestly probably already taken a good chunk of the valuables that would be found here. After studying the maps and charts a bit Sakura laid back and thought about sleeping. She was exhausted from all the swimming after all and it didn't look like they would let her out any time soon. Then again she was never one to sit around and allow other people to dictate her fate.

Mind made up she reached up into her hair and pulled out a bobby pin which had been using to keep her headband in place. Reshaping it she stuck it in the lock of the shackled binding her to the bed. Biting her lip in concentration she fiddled with the shackles until she felt the relief of her newly freed wrist. Grinning with the high of a victory she turned her attention the door ready to make quick work of that too before anyone decided to check on her. A click was heard and Sakura opened the door slowly stealthily making her way to walk around deck. No one seemed to notice her which was just fine for her, she didn't know many of the people on the ship anyway.

"I told Gaara you would get out." An amused voice sounded behind her.

"Yeah well it's his fault for underestimating me." Sakura said turning to see Naruto grinning down at her from a stack of crates he was sitting on.

"So how did you make your escape? You're quite crafty ya know. You could easily be part of our crew." Naruto told her jumping down so they were on the same level.

"I try not to make it a habit to work with people. Easier not to be let down."

"Good reason. But with an attitude like that it must be pretty lonely."

"I've had no reason to trust people, and I've made it by fine on my own for this long." Sakura shrugged not one to be easily bothered. Breathing in the fresh air Sakura hoisted herself up to sit on the crates Naruto had previously occuppied. Pulling out of her pouch the compass she stole she watched as it spun around before beginning to stop.

"I figured you had my compass." Gaara said walking towards the two as he looked up to her. Hearing his voice she moved her eyes from the compass to his form below.

"What's it point to anyway? And don't be a smart ass and say north, because it doesn't." Sakura asked looking back at the compass realizing just where it was pointing. Gaara jumped up to sit next to her and Sakura hurriedly closed the compass stashing it before he could see the direction it held.

"To the thing you want most." He told her leaning in to whisper in her ear. Sakura tensed at hearing this, her demeanor nervous not just because of his sudden proximity but because the compass had been pointing at him. The thing I want most...Sakura thought confused. He seemed to notice her tenseness as he backed away slowly looking ahead to the sea. After a moment of silence he glanced back at her, "So what is it that you want most Haruno?"

Sakura jumped at the question, the turmoil in her head distracting her from reality. She looked at him her mind running a million miles an hour. On the outside however, she regained her composure and relaxed looking out at the ocean trying to regain a sense of peace. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath of the salty air enjoying the moment.

"That is something for another time Captain." She said calmly a smile that Gaara knew was filled with secrets, growing on her face. He wasn't quite sure how she regained her composure so quickly but seeing her like this, so serene and at ease even despite her situation, he couldn't help but feel something stir within him.

"Planning on staying? Does that mean you've come to accept my proposal?" Gaara questioned her enjoying the way her emotions ran wild, her head snapping to him as she scoffed.

"Hardly, I just know that we're too far from Konoha for me to turn back. I've accepted that I'm stuck for the time being since I'm not sure when exactly I'll see land again." Sakura reasoned understanding to an extent her situation. Gaara however had plans for her, plans he would enact long before they reached shore again. "I don't mind though, I've always loved the water so this is like a dream come true. Well if I ignore the fact I'll have to watch my back around a load of pirates whose intentions for me I'm not fully sure of."

"Don't fret love, I can assure you you won't be harmed." Gaara said hopping down from his spot beside her. Then he bowed and looked up at her smirking slightly. "You have my word."

So Chapter 2! Let me know what you think, good or bad hearing anything from readers is something I love! The next chapter will be out within the month (Hopefully no more than two weeks though). Look out for it lovely readers and stay tuned, more adventure is on the horizon.

Yours truly,

BluePanda :)