Pretty Maelstrom

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Disney's Lilo & Stitch

-Chapter Start-

Nani handed a towel to Naruto. Who immediately began wiping off his face, while Stitch laughed uncontrollably. The beautiful native continued walking until she was next to her friend.

"Here you go Kalea," the elder Pelekai said to her friend. Passing back the digital camera that her friend had loaned her. "Turns out I didn't need it."

Taking the device from her friend, Kalea gave a soothing smile. "Probably for the best."

Although, unwilling to let an opportunity to tease her friend pass, the native gave a mischievous grin, "So, you didn't leave any interesting photos on here at all?"

"I didn't take any photos you'd be interested in," Nani retorted.

"Then there's plenty of space to take pictures of today." With a quick flash the native took a picture. Showing the screen to her friend, where a shirtless Naruto had just pulled the towel away from his face. "That one's for me… Unless you want a copy?"

Nani groaned at her friend. Moving away towards the rest of the group.

*break*

As it turned out, Naruto really liked surfing. Getting "thrashed" by the waves and having to bail didn't hurt as much as Kalea had claimed it would. A little bit of chakra to absorb the impact made learning to surf a lot less painful.

After only an hour he was able to surf his first wave with Nani, on her longboard. Another hour later and he was riding waves by himself, and fully intending to buy his own surfboard.

Sakura had chosen to stay on the beach. Content to simply swim in the ocean instead of being battered around by it. Although she felt a guilty pleasure as she watched another wave engulf her blond friend. Forcing him back to land.

"This is so much fun," Naruto said, shaking the water from his hair. "I'll have to buy my own surfboard."

"Well, until then you'll have to share mine," Nani stated. "And I'm not letting you hog the board for yourself when the waves are this good."

After passing the board back to its owner, the blond made his way to the rest of the group sitting on the beach. While the beautiful local began paddling out towards the waves.

"You're getting pretty good," Kalea called to the lone male. "Someone might actually think this wasn't your first day surfing."

"It's nice to find something that I can learn easily," he responded. Patting Stitch on the head as he moved to sit next to Lilo on the sand.

With the blue creature standing to swipe at the passing blond. Weary about the unusually affectionate action. Especially since he had spent most of the past hour standing above the water he would sink in. With a final low growl at his adversary, Stitch sat back on the sand.

Only to immediately jump back up in shock, sailing into the air over the rest of the group. All the while trying to figure out what just happened.

"Wow! You're so lucky Stitch," Lilo called from her spot, as she looked at the recently vacated spot. "You found some beach ice. And it's not even close to winter."

"Ice from the ocean is already really rare in the winter Lilo," Kalea stated. "Some tourist probably dropped it earlier."

Stitch kept holding his butt, hoping to get some warmth back. Where he had previously sat, was an unnaturally square piece of ice. Buried in the sand just enough that it was hard to see.

The blue furred creature agreed that a tourist had dropped it. One with blond hair and whisker marks, who had gotten the block from the same shaved ice stand that he had gotten his popsicle earlier. The fact Naruto kept his face calm, while focusing on the woman surfing a wave, was all the proof Stitch needed.

Kalea chuckled at the blue dog. Sympathetic to the creature for somehow sitting on what had to be the only piece of ice on the entire beach. But she soon turned her attention back to the lone blond of the group. Who's eyes had not left Nani's figure since she had paddled out to the surf.

Ever since Nani had met Naruto, her entire life seemed to have changed. Where once she could only talk about all the horrible stuff that she had to manage and deal with. Now, she would only talk about her blond friend.

And Kalea couldn't be happier for her.

Nani had rarely been this interested in guys. During school she had gone on a couple dates with a few guys, but nothing that ever went beyond. With the natural beauty preferring friendship and fun over any romantic prospects. But that had been over a year ago. Before either of them had graduated from school, and before the accident.

Kalea had been worried that her friend might never find someone to love. Especially since that person would now have to help raise Lilo.

With the familiar weight of her camera in her hand, Kalea lifted the device and took a quick picture. Giving a smile and nod to Sakura who had noticed the flash. But Naruto didn't, he was too focused on someone else.

"I'm back," Nani called as she walked out of the surf a few minutes later. "The waves are so good, but I can only ride so many in a row."

"Maybe we should send Naruto back out while you rest," Kalea offered, walking up to her friend. "He's been staring longingly since you left."

"I wasn't staring that much," the blond argued.

"You were," Sakura added.

Lilo frantically nodded as well. Causing the blond to hang his head in defeat, as the rest of the group laughed at him. Everyone was so busy laughing, that no one worried about the creature sneaking up behind them.

"Waah!" Naruto screamed suddenly, making the others turn quiet. "Sorry, I stepped on some of that ice that Stitch found."

The blond looked behind him at the grinning blue creature who was holding what remained of the melting beach ice in his claws, and flicking another piece of frozen water at his back.

"Stitch found beach ice?" Nani questioned.

"Yeah, it was really funny," the blond chuckled, as he walked towards the beauty. "If you don't mind, I'd like to surf a few more waves."

With only a few more words, the lone male was running back out to the ocean. Intent on enjoying himself without Stitch sliding another piece of ice down his shorts.

"Will Naruto be okay going back out?" Nani wondered aloud.

"He'll be fine," Sakura replied, "He's got infinite stamina."

"I wonder what else he can do with this infinite stamina?" Kalea asked. Before letting out a grunt as Nani jabbed her elbow into her friend, and looking toward the youngest member of their group. Who had recently started building a sand castle near the water.

Kalea just smiled sheepishly, before pulling Nani back to the beach bags. "Don't worry babe, I was asking more for you," the native said once they were farther away from Lilo. "I took a new picture for you to see."

"Another one of Naruto?" the exhausted beauty questioned.

"Yup," her friend answered. "With the sun behind him as he's unable to look away when you were surfing."

Kalea held up her camera, showing the picture of the blond. There was Naruto, with the sun backlighting him as he stared off at the ocean. With his bandaged arm hidden behind his rock-hard body, there was nothing to distract from his wildly good looks. Along with the outline inside his trunks.

"Told you he could be a great model," Sakura added as she looked at the picture. Breaking the other two women from their staring.

"I see what you meant," Nani eventually said, after taking a few seconds to calm down.

"I'm half tempted to drag him to a modeling agency I know of," Kalea added with a smile. "He's super photogenic. And that outline in his shorts…"

The next half hour was spent with the girls discussing everything from Naruto's physique, to Sakura's time as a nurse. The three girls laughed and smiled, content with the moment of happiness that had recently eluded two of them.

At some point, Naruto returned from surfing, and seeing the girls talking, decided to leave them alone and help Lilo finish her sandcastle. He even helped bury the young girl in the sand, at her request. Continuing to finish the castle as the other girls came over to help. Nani even affectionately tickled the trapped Lilo's nose with a small flag, before using it to top the castle.

It was a great day for everyone.

As the sun began to set, Lilo giggled uncontrollably as she swam back to the beach. Having just flung herself into the ocean from Naruto's arm. In much the same way as when she had first met the strange blond. There wasn't much time left before it was dark out, but maybe there was enough time for one last surf.

Stitch stood near the water, holding onto a surfboard that he had dragged behind him. Patiently waiting for Lilo, who smiled fondly at him, and dragged him and the board toward her older sister.

Naruto sat with Kalea on her board, as the duo watched Nani paddle out for the last ride of the day. Both Lilo and Stitch accompanying her for the ride at the blue creature's insistence.

Within a minute, the group had caught a wave. Riding into the curl, howls of joy could be heard as Stitch rode a wave for the first time.

Naruto smiled at the sight from his spot on Kalea's board. Happy that the mysterious creature was enjoying himself. The blond didn't dislike Stitch, he actually enjoyed having a fellow prankster around. But the blue creature was dangerous, and Naruto really hoped that he wouldn't have to stop the strange animal from attacking Nani and her family.

Although that line of thinking was quickly squashed, as a shadow appeared in the water behind Stitch. Something, or someone, shot out of the water, and tried to grab Stitch. But only managed to knock Nani off her board. Causing everyone to fall into the water.

Kalea leaned forward, trying to see what happened. Naruto was already sliding off the surfboard and into the water. Ready to offer help, or fight whatever had caused everyone to crash.

Nani and Lilo surfaced first, the sisters looking around for what had run into them. Only for Stitch to come flailing out of the water, desperately grabbing onto whatever he could. Which turned out to be Lilo, who couldn't support his weight. Dragging them both under the water.

Naruto and Nani were both quick to react, diving below the water to grab at Lilo and Stitch. But only Naruto, with his chakra enhanced vision, could see through the ocean water. Nani had already rescued Lilo, but had left behind the blue creature. Who was fighting against a couple of odd looking people.

With quick efficiency, Stitch locked his two aggressors together, and launched them away by biting into a tank that was on one of their backs. Leaving the creature alone and slowly drowning as he struggled to move in the water.

Kicking downward, Naruto grabbed Stitch before he could drown. Although, the ninja did find it somewhat difficult to swim back to the surface with the surprisingly heavy animal.

Within a few seconds the two of them surfaced. With Stitch happily sucking down mouthfuls of air. While Naruto kept them both afloat until Kalea arrived with Nani's discarded board.

A few minutes later and the group made it back to the beach, only to be greeted by an even worse event.

"I told you to find a job," Cobra Bubbles said gruffly.

"I was looking for a job," Nani replied.

"If it helps," Naruto interrupted the conversation, taking a second to wipe his wet hair out of his face. "I asked Nani to take me surfing."

"And who are you?" the federal agent questioned.

"A friend," the blond answered simply. "But I am paying her to help with learning the local legends of this place. We've talked about surfing before, and I wanted to see some actual surfing."

"So you're the guy Ms. Pelekai is tutoring." Cobra said. "It's great that you're both helping each other, but if she doesn't have a real job, I can't sign off on her keeping Lilo. If things aren't different by tomorrow, I'll have to take Lilo. I'm sorry."

With that, the federal agent left, a sad look in his eye.

Nani couldn't stop herself from looking down at her feet. Embarrassed and sad over the turn of events that were happening to her family. It was only Naruto's comforting presence that kept her from crying.

-Chapter End-

It has been a little over a year since my last update to the story, but I'm back. Hopefully for good.

I'll admit I was worried about this chapter since I don't know a lot about surfing, but I never thought it would take this long to write. And I'm happy with how it turned out, despite my lack of knowledge.

I don't really have anything to say about this chapter. And there wasn't any real cut content either.

Last chapter I announced a poll to help me decide what (Naruto crossover) story I want to replace this one with, when it's completed in a few chapters. Here are the results.

1st: The Incredibles (117 votes)
2nd: Aladdin (101 votes)
3rd: Atlantis (93 votes)
4th: Treasure Planet (82)
5th: Hercules (78)
6th: The Little Mermaid (69)
7th: Kingdom Hearts (67)
8th: Roger Rabbit (66)
9th: Encanto (63)
10th: Beauty and the Beast (61)
11th: Tarzan (54)
12th: Cinderella (48)
13th: Robin Hood (45)
14th: Sleeping Beauty (42)
15th: Alice in Wonderland (42)
16th: Snow White (38)
17th: The Princess and the Frog (37)
18th: The Nightmare Before Christmas (34)
19th: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (32)
20th: Peter Pan (26)
21st: Gigantic (Canceled Disney Movie) (1)

Thank you to everyone who voted. It was an amazing turnout, and I'm happy with the results.

I still don't know which story I'm going to be working on next. The Incredibles was already one of my top choices. Along with Aladdin, Atlantis, and The Princess and the Frog. I'll have to decide which of these stories I'll work on next.

Next chapter is coming soon, probably within a few weeks. Mainly because it's going to be very short. I'm going to be taking on a very serious issue, and I wanted to devote a whole chapter to it without any other distractions.

That's all I have this time. Thank you all for reading and being patient with me. I really love writing, and I want to do more of it. Until next time, take care.