Authors Note - first time writing anything fighting related. lol, it is okay- not the best. But finally some action!
Story Description: Traveling dimensions wasn't unheard of for Sakura. But Kaguya had been defeated and sealed four years ago, during the forth great ninja war. So why the fuck, was she tied to a mast - on a god forsaken ship, surrounded by PIRATES?!
Ships: (Past) Sasuke/Sakura, (Future) Ace/Sakura
Warnings: language
Recap...
"Sakura!" Thatch yells as the battle comes to an end. Everyone reappearing back on the deck. Most, if not everyone who was present on the deck, stood their looking at her.
"I didn't know you could pack a punch like that!" He exclaims, coming up and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Sakura shrugs, grinning.
"Surprise?"
A few weeks had passed since that little scurmish with that group of marines. Showing off some of her power by breaking a marine vessel straight in half. Things returned back to normal, Ace continued to attacki Whitebeard despite trying to get the teen to accept them and the offer for himTo join the crew.
Sakura had to give it to him though, he was almost as stubborn as Naruto. Refusing to eat Thatch's food, fishing for himself at the dead of night when he thought no one was watching. Finding new and unique ways to attack Whitebeard. Which Sakura found amusing. She enjoyed the ones when he incorporated weapons. Because, where the hell had he got them? Izou went as far to order locks to be put on the weapons room, or rooms. Perhaps they should do that for the vents as well, Sakura was pretty sure Ace was using them to get around the ship inconspicuously.
A few days ago, as Sakura was walking the edge of the ship. Having been scolded by Whitney for spending too much time in the infirmary. She noticed, or felt- eyes on her.
She glanced around the dock. At first she thought it was Teach. But the gaze didn't seem to hold any malice intent. It was more... curious than anything.
It was then, when she found the person. Ace, more specifically. Sitting down against the railing, his eyes trained solely on her. But as they made eye contact, he snapped his head to the side. Arms crossed over his chest.
Raising a brow, Sakura made her way over to the kid. There weren't many people on deck, and Sakura waited a breath for the teen to make a dash for it. But was pleasantly surprised her stayed seated where he was. "You've been staring at me." Sakura pointed out when she got close enough.
Ace huffed. "Yeah? so what." He grumbled, a tad defensively.
Hands on her hips, Sakura cocks her head. "Just wondering. You got a problem? A question perhaps?" She asks, staring straight at him. Even if he tried not to make eye contact.
"No.. well." Ace paused, finally lifting his head. "I want to fight you. Spar.. whatever you call it." He muttered. It was silent after that, before Sakura hiccuped a laugh.
Ace narrowed his eyes, Fire dancing on his shoulders. "Forget I asked!" He hissed, going to stand up. Sakura held up her hands, ceasing her laughter.
"No, Im sorry. I'd love to spar, if you'd like. Now? Later?" Sakura rushed out before the teen could stomp off. Ace paused his movement, his fire dying down.
"Now. On the deck." Ace answered.
"Okay, but we need to lay down some ground rules so no one gets needlessly injured. And I want Marco to ref." Sakura commands, pointing her finger at Ace's chest. The teen took a moment to ponder over her words, before nodding.
"Fine." He says.
Sakura grins. Before turning around to find Marco. Where they even allowed to spar on deck? I suppose she was about to find out. The blonde was easy to track. His chakra had a cool undertone to it. Flickering like fire, but felt as if it were apart of water. Sakura was sure if Marco was from her world - he's have water and fire chakra natures. A rare pair.
"Sakura?" Marco asked, his brow raised as she approached.
"Ace wants to spar, and I agreed. If that's alright, I wanted you to be there to.. supervise." Sakura explained quickly. Cutting to the chase.
Marco looked surprised, placing down his pen. Standing up from his desk and paperwork he looked to be filling out. "Yeah, sure. What brought this on?" He asked curiously.
"Not sure, but he was staring at me for a few weeks. When I went to confront him today he proposed a spar." Sakura replied.
Marco nodded. And the two eventually split. As Sakura made her way to her room. She just needed to grab something. And Marco went up to the deck.
Sakura arrived at her room, going towards where her old equipment stayed. True to her word, Whitney didn't touch any of her stuff. Just washed it to the best of her ability. Sakura's fingers ran over her belt, taking a small scroll from its clip. Unsealing it. Her gloves, given specifically to her by Tsuande appeared. They helped with chakra control. Even if she had perhaps the best in her world and this. But the extra help would be beneficial. And Ace's Fire would first burn this, than her hands. She didn't needed them immobilized. Slipping them on, she balled her hands into a fist. Grinning.
A spar was definitely what she needed.
When Sakura appeared on deck. She noticed the increase of people. Commanders more specifically. Including Izou and Thatch. Two people she had grown close to. Marco waved her over, where Ace stood. Even Whitebeard had his eyes trained on her as she walked closer. Nodding his head.
"If I feel things need to be stopped, I will interfere. No trying to kill, that's a given. Dirty play is fine too." Marco began, looking between the two as Sakura stood a few feet in front of Ace. The teen actually grinned, feral and untamed.
"If that's all, you may begin when you please." Marco took a step back towards the railing. And instantly, Ace dashed forward. His body erupted in flames, flickering around.
Sakura shifted her stance, watching. Ace swung his fist back, Sakura could see the concentration of heat radiating from his fist. Before it exploded out in a ball of heat. Sakura threw her body to the side, using her momentum to push her body forward. Swing her own fist directly into the teens side, where his rib cage was.
But her eyes widened as her fist passed through the kids body. Or more specifically, the part she hit erupted into flames. Ace grinned as he spun around. "I'm made of fire." He taunted. Sakura took a few steps back, to regain herself. But didn't retreat or back down.
She narrowed her eyes, dodging a furry of attacks. Long ranged, thanks to his ability. Which actually allowed her to think.
Whitebeard could hit him. Whitebeard was also a devil fruit user. Was there something she was missing? All Sakura knew was devil fruit users could not swim. Water took away.. Sakura blinked.
'Water takes away their abilities' She grins triumphantly. Ace seems to notice her change in face, increasing his attacks. Only two manage to skim past her. One leaving a burn mark on her forearm. Red and hot, but the burn was easy to ignore. The other, on her thigh. Right before her shorts. How embarrassing it would be if it had burned them away.
Sakura steadied herself, running through a short sequence of hand signs. Which had Ace pauses momentarily. But he continued, running forward to land one final hit on her. Not that she'd let him.
Sakura manipulated the chakra. Having never done this before, only theoreized it. The air around them seemed to grow heavier, and as Ace's body lite on fire to deliver the punch - the kids body was drenched in sea water. His flames dying out instantly. Bring the kid to his knees right in front of her.
Ace coughed. The commanders around them silent. Sakura pumped her fist in the air. Silently patting herself on the back. "It worked!" She grinned.
"Holy shit, you can control water?!" Thatch yelled, breaking the tense silence.
Sakura glanced towards the side. Away from Ace, who was glaring at his now sea-water soaked clothing. "I can. Depending if I use water from the sea, or turn my chakra into water. But I was unsure if.. that type of water would work against devil fruit users." Sakura explains.
"it's difficult to manipulate elements. If I was more fire-based. Perhaps I would have tried to manipulate Ace himself. But it requires precise chakra control. Having to manipulate and continue to flow of the waters chakra. I've never done it before.. I usually don't have to. But Ace seems impenetrable." Sakura goes on the explain. Rambling her thoughts out loud.
Marco grins. "Devil fruit users like Ace are hard to hit. You have to have Haki to do so." He explains. Sakura's eyes widen. It makes sense. Of course there was something else to it.
"Can you manipulate other elements!" Thatch yells, completely changing the conversation. Which earns him a slap to the head from Izou.
Sakura laughs softly. "I'm Water and Earth based. It comes more natural to me. Than lightening, wind, and fire. But that doesn't mean I don't know a few lower-ranked jutsu from their categories." Sakura answers. Finding it easy to spill her secrets.
But her eyes glance around. Voice lowering as she speaks. Teach didn't seem like he was up here at the moment. So perhaps it was okay to just... explain. But she shakes away her worries.
"Ninjas can do a lot with our chakra. You saw me walking on water. I can walk up walls, and stand on ceilings. I can manipulate elements, or Jutsus. There are other things like.. genjutsu. Which is basically anything to do with the mind. I'm quite good at that as well." Sakura murmurs. Shrugging.
Everyone around her looks surprised, a tad intrigued. Whitebeard himself, leans forward intrested. "Can anyone learn those?" Ace speaks up, and everyone's eyes turn to the soaked teen.
Sakura pauses. "Perhaps."
Ace's eyebrows shoot up. "Can you teach me to walk on water?" A few heads pop up at that as well. And Sakura tilts her head in thought.
"Well.. a thing I noticed-" Sakura goes to explain. But Whitebeard stands. Silencing her.
"Let's talk about this privately, daughter?" Whitebeard offers. Sakura nods, a sigh of relief passing through her. A few crew mates groan, and Marco reaches forward. "Oyaji wouldn't ask that unless he was extremely curious and possibly considering it. Ace, feel free to join the chat." Marco turns towards the teen.
Sakura, Ace, and Whitebeard move towards the commanders room. Followed by half or more of the commanders. Whitebeard motions her forward as the door to the room closes.
"while I trust all of my children. I am never certain there aren't other ears listening in. Especially with the revolutionary army lurking around. Known quite well for their ability to gather information. And I'd rather not get dragged into their mess against the world government." Whitebeard explains. Sakura nods, as everyone takes a seat around her.
"Well, everyone in my world has chakra. Wether it be a small amount, typically civilians. Or a larger amount, clan born. It's how everyone survives." Sakura starts.
"I explained that to you all when I first arrived. But here, it's so very small. A small little flame. I can read them usually." Sakura pauses. Looking to Marco.
"You're little chakra flame is cool, but wild. Like fire that doesn't burn." Marco nods, "similar to my devonfruit ability." He murmurs.
"Ace's flame is wild, pure fire. It's what fire natures from my world usually have. Just large amounts. Usually it would be easier to read people from there chakra if I were to focus on my sensing, but everyones is so small it's harder and basically pointless." Sakura's shoulders sag.
Ace looks a little bosterous at her words, his fingers flickering with flames. "When you walk on water, you circle your chakra to the soles of your feet. In the same pattern of the water. But to do that... you need bigger Chakra reserves."
"how large bare your chakra reserves?" Izou speaks up.
Sakura stops. "Rather large. I have much stored up in my seal." She points to the diamond on her forehead.
"I can try and teach you all how to access your chakra. It would take a lot of meditation and concentration. And I can't guarantee it would work." She whispers, looking around.
The idea of teaching people from the ground up, really did sound like something she would want to one day do. Perhaps if she had been more confident, Sakura would have taught a genin team of her own back in her world. But she never got the chance to, always swamped in hospital work. If someone, anyone- wanted to work with her.. she'd grasp at anything. Plus... it would be nice for someone else to be able to do what she could as well.
"I want to-" Ace pauses, as everyone turns towards him. "I'd.. like to learn. Possibly." He looks almost meek. Whitebeard grins, laughing.
"Wonderful, my boy!" He bellows.
Ace turns scarlet. "I'm not your boy!" He points his finger up at Whitebeard angrily.
"And just because I want to learn doesn't mean I'm joining your crew old man!" Ace grumbles out frustrated.
Sakura claps her hands together excitedly. "Great, then we'll start tomorrow. Perhaps I'll even teach you a few moves from my own Teacher, Tsuande." Sakura exclaims.
Ace tilts his head. Marco and Thatch also lean forward. "I already know how to fight." Ace mumbles.
Sakura looks at the teen. "No you don't." She says, finalized. Ace explodes in an even darker shade of red. Fumbling with his words. A few commanders look on the verge of laughing.
"You fight long-distance. Fire isn't always going to save you. And this, Haki- whatever it is, I'm sure many strong opponents know it. So your first two lessons we'll start tomorrow! Dodging and Chakra meditation!" Sakura slams her hands on the table as she stands. She points as Ace.
"If you slack off, I'll dump sea water on you. If that doesn't work, I'm sure I'll find even worse ways to punish you!" Sakura grins. Ace blanches, even Marco seems sympathetic.
"fine." The teen grumbles, before he narrows his eyes towards Whitebeard. "Don't think I won't still try to kill you, old man!" Ace yells, before yelling the room in a rush. Slamming the door behind him.
Sakura lifts her head to look up at Whitebeard. "I'll tire him out so wel, he won't want to attack you." She grins. Marco sighs, shaking his head as Thatch takes a small step backwards.
"I almost feel bad for the kid." Thatch murmurs to Izou, loud enough for everyone to hear. Sakura, though, couldn't wait for tomorrow to begin.