A/N:

I nicked a random set of themes from somewhere and it's really in line with what I wanted to do with this fic so. Stealing is wrong children hahahaha.

This is like 8000 words, ye gods.

I started a ridiculously long time ago and finished several other pieces before this.

This was so much fun that I'm sorry it's over but it's time to move on.

Let me quote from the second chapter here:

"This will be a series of drabbles, vignettes and outtakes that will hopefully build up a view of the world of the characters"

And I never claimed it to be anything else.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, all hail Oda-sama.

#001: Ring

When she was anxious she touched it more. She rubbed it with her thumb and twisted it round her finger. When she heard the sound of small feet thumping rapidly towards her she forgot about it altogether. Why would she need the ring he gave her when the child they had was in front of her.

#002: Hero

Uzumaki was a hero.

Unfortunately, his death was not befitting of one.

It broke the fractured dam on the demonic chakra.

All his painful death accomplished was to ensure the final death of the world he had fought to protect.

#003: Memory

Once upon a time, Hinata hid behind a log and watched a determined young boy train until he bled admiring his determination to become the best.

Now, Hinata is bemused to find herself cutting down men who have that same dogged determination to protect as she fights alongside those who fully intend to stand at the top of the world.

#004: Box

Some islands placed their dead in little wooden boxes and buried them at least six feet underground.

Tenzou shuddered at the thought.

To be trapped in such a manner was nothing short of nightmarish to him.

He made a note not to die suddenly in case that happened to him and made a point of carrying a last will and testament in his pocket………just in case.

He stuck to the wilderness, relishing the scent of the trees and wildlife recalling that there was once a time when he thought he would never see any of them again.

Once, he ventured into a marine dominated city where pirates dare not tread.

He passed a giant of a man in the street and quickly fled the metropolis seeking solace his instincts screaming in rebellion.

That man had stunk of laboratories and experiments. Something about him screamed of the dark labs where an infant boy had sat amongst the dead and waited to die alone and in the dark.

Tenzou didn't fear loneliness. He feared the sterility and claustrophobic nature of science.

#005: Run

The boy had a vaguely ridiculous name Whitebeard reflected but he was a son of his nonetheless.

He endured quite a bit of a ribbing from his nakama but he seemed to take it in his stride. Konohamaru worked, fought and played hard just like any other valued member of the crew but when Sasuke arrived for one of irregular visits (with fireworks and a 'sexy pose' this time. The guy just loved provoking people) and promptly hugged him he knew that his thoughts of Kono as an 'Oathbearer' were accurate.

They had first met the young ninja taking on ten men outside the tavern they planned to patronise. Not the smartest of ideas true but gods did that brat fight dirty!! The crew had been impressed by the ruthless assault of the teenager and how this vicious ness increased whenever passers-by got drawn into the battle.

The boy had, he mused, a good look in his eye even if it was somewhat hollow.

It was a kind of death, he knew from experience, that you could come back from and this boy was teetering on the edge. The burst of Haki from Whitebeard didn't faze him but he quickly took a ready stance as his eyes darted around assessing escape routes. He met the Yonkous eye and held his short knife defensively. Ready to run to and not from danger.

What a brat. He liked him already…

#006: Hurricane

The unpredictable waters of the New World favoured no one and even the mighty Whitebeard pirates had to sully storms.

Konohamaru clung to the rail in the crows nest, letting the wind and rain batter against him and felt a thrill he hadn't experienced since hey passed through the door together before he realised that he arrived alone.

#007: Wings

She had already lost everything of value when she had joined the pilgrimage through the 'door.' She brought nothing but her damned stubborn refusal to die. She had survived this far and she wasn't going to give up when Yahiko and Nagato had already passed ahead. (She wasn't that kind of ungrateful woman.)

Despite everything, she didn't change that much. Now she followed a different man, for different reasons but drowned in the familiarity of the lifestyle.

Draped in the garb of a revolutionary Konan realises that absolutely nothing has changed.

#008: Cold

"Why, Hinata? Have you forgotten Naruto?" Sakura screamed dodging another blow from the jyuuken user.

Hinata merely continued her assault, strikes meant to kill only.

"Don't be so pathetic Haruno-san." She murmured "Naruto-san is dead and our homeland is gone. You're the only one clinging to something so pointlessly."

Sakura blanched and jumped backwards narrowly avoiding a kaiten. How had Hinata become so cold?

"Another thing Haruno-san" Hinata closed in rapidly, a tight smile barely visible under her skeletal mask "Please, do not address me so informally. I guarantee that you will not live long enough to regret it."

#009: Red

Red had always been the colour of his life.

The blood of his parents, the crest on his back, her hair and both of their eyes.

Red was the blood that streamed like tears down his face.

He saw nothing these days and made his way through life by his senses. Sasuke had managed to pick up a few tips from Karin back when the four of them had travelled together. The last member of Taka (for that was how he really identified himself nowadays) saw no colours but that of his blindfold these days but he knew, deep down, that he would eventually have to remove them and see the world once more.

When that day came, he would paint his world in shades of red. Like her hair, like the blood in the compound, and like their eyes.

#010: Drink

Temari always moved lightly across the sands. When she had arrived in Alabasta there had been practically no adjustment because she was a desert child. This sort of life, it was built into her DNA.

This made Kohza glad for so many reasons but mostly because it gave them a common ground that wasn't drenched in blood. Once a week, draped in cloaks (Oftentimes with her tucked inside of his) they sat on the roof and shared a drink. Someone who was not of the desert couldn't really understand but everyone in Yuba did and always spent all of the following day giving them 'significant' looks.

Annoying bastards.

#011: Midnight

Insomnia was not uncommon. Their reasons and nightmares may have been different but the basic foundation was all the same.

#012: Temptation

Marco would idle down the road when he would catch it.

A flash of hair, a glint of green, a waft of her scent. She would pass him by and flash him a teasing smile daring him to chase after her. More often than not he ended up changing direction and following her somewhere more secluded. A pirate isn't the type to let treasure go when it's right in front of their eyes. It's not too surprising that they'd fall to temptation.

#013: View.

He caught sight of her in a wharf town. That hair, that face, those curves that could stop a Captain in his tracks.

She strolled into town, her hips swaying to an unknown rhythm and he found himself drooling. He followed the dark haired girl up the street, entirely focused on the curve of that magnificent ass, oh where it goes he would follow, and ignored the crowds around him.

He was unaware of anything until it stopped the glorious sway and she turned around on her heel.

He looked up and blanched to see who she had been walking towards.

The two infamous pirates glanced at him uninterestedly until she spoke.

"Enjoy the view?" she drawled and he shook as a sadistic smile spread across Kidd's face.

"Does that sound like an excuse Hyuuga?"

She smiled blankly

"Have you ever needed one Captain?"

The man began to pray.

Eustass Kidd rolled his shoulder.

"I guess he's as good as any a place to begin and look, he came right to us."

#014: Music

Shikamaru didn't like music.

At least not in the conventional sense.

He didn't trust the sound of instruments. It made him twitchy and unnerved him.

He was convinced that they were covering up the sounds of danger and oncoming enemies.

Whenever Ino took out her instrument he left. He left the teahouse and walked until he could no longer hear the sounds of the strings.

The only music Shikamaru deigned to hear was the tinny clash of weapons because at least he knew where the enemy was.

#015: Silk

Anko once covered her body with a deceptively revealing bodysuit and as the tomboy everyone assumed she was, matched the men in their game and played to the top levels.

Now she revelled in the feeling of silk against her body and twined herself in the feminine clothes. Silk was a luxury that she felt she had bled more than enough for.

#016: Cover.

Hinata never hid or protected her back from opponents.

She could see them coming so why bother?

Restraint was not worth her time.

It had been carved out of her flesh.

#017: Promise

"We never forget." She insisted earnestly "We lie, conceal and fight against the rebirth of certain things but we never forget."

Robin regarded her seriously for a moment "And why don't you?"

"Because those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. That is what our Oath is built upon."

The other woman had no answer to that.

#018: Dream.

Every night she went to bed she would soon slip out of the covers once more.

Dreams of loyal friends, dedicated teachers and a cruel traitorous child that she inexplicably gave her heart to weren't what drove her from the blankets but rather those of the final moments. Sakura didn't want to dream anymore.

#019: Candle.

Sasuke always lit a candle when he rented a room.

It wasn't for the light, he didn't need it and he saw less and less these days.

He couldn't light incense for those he needed to mourn so instead he lit a candle.

To guide them in the night.

To let them hear his prayers.

#020: Talent

The 'Hand of God' was a merciless card shark which was a source of endless amusement to her nakama.

She unrepentedly cheated in every single game she played and got clean away with it. Kidd decided it was her most valuable skill and they had a system worked out between them to clean out a crew financially before the inevitable bar fight.

It was really a matter of insult to injury and what pirate would turn down more treasure.

#021: Silence.

The sound of crowds unnerved Kankuro.

He was used to the sullen silence of the desert landscape and the unmitigated noise of people always made him twitchy.

It reminded him of the end days where agonized screaming was a daily occurrence to the point if you didn't hear it you began to worry something had happened.

#022: Journey

The island was a veritable cornucopia of lush and verdant wildlife that seemed to be devoid of the marks of any kind of settlement.

Chopper had hefted his basket across his back and went exploring. Normally he didn't go by himself but for all that he was a man, and strong, he was a reindeer too and perfectly at home in the wilderness. Today he was searching for medicinal herbs and that was something he really preferred to do by himself. (unless he wanted one of his nakama to poison themselves and leave him with more work, the bastards!!)

In truth, he hadn't expected to run into anyone on this island aside from the other strawhats and he knew where they were (in the complete opposite direction) so he had been gob smacked and instead of actually doing something had frozen.

The man; who sported dark brown hair, eyes and a somewhat sleepy expression had been just as surprised to see him.

They stood frozen for several minutes, giving Chopper ample time to work up a decent cold sweat before the man blinked and tilted his head peering at the creature in front of him.

"A reindeer?"

"I'm not happy you realised I'm a reindeer at all you damn bastard!!" Chopper danced.

This led to a more awkward silence.

__

"A pirate huh? Are you off to seek the One Piece?"

"Yeah, well I want to improve my skills as a doctor and research new cures but my captain is going to be the pirate king!"

Yamato smiled as he plucked the herbs from the earth.

"Sounds like fun."

Chopper laughed and the mans smile deepened. He rather liked Yamato-san. The man was kind, knowledgeable and didn't mistake him for a tanuki.

Also…he got a strange feeling from him. It was half danger and half attraction. Yamato had a feel of something otherworldly about him but gave off the reassuring scent of the forest. It was if he was some sort of nature spirit.

"Is there some specific reason you've come to this island?"

"We're just waiting for the log to set but we don't know how long that will take."

"It'll be set by seven tomorrow morning."

Chopper freaked. "Wha? How did you know that? Are you psychic? Woah!!"

Yamato scratched his head in an embarrassed manner.

"Ah, no. I saw your ship arrive so I know how long you've been here. Chopper-sensei, are there any plants you're looking for in particular?"

Chopper wiggled a little bit about his title before pulling out a medical journal and pointing to an image of a plant. Yamato peered at it for a moment before smiling.

"I think I know where I've seen some." He stood fluidly "just give me a moment to look around."

He climbed the hill and down into a hollow, weaving around the trees.

Chopper adjusted his basket of gathered herbs and stood up only to freeze when what felt like a wave of energy passed over him. It set his instinct on edge and his grit his teeth wavering between running from a force that was unequivocally an alpha or running to one that felt of the forest, the earth and home. He shuddered and gasped his eyes rolling in his head and was still shivering when a concerned Yamato appeared.

Yamato had indeed discovered a large patch of the plant, lush and verdant in perfect condition. He helped Chopper gather a large amount but refused to return to the ship to meet his comrades much to the young doctors' distress.

The tall man had patted him on the head (well hat) and shooed him off cautioning him to not let his guard down on the Grand Line before disappearing into the foliage.

Time passed and Chopper mostly forgot about the kind but mysterious man that had helped him gather herbs. Occasionally he remembered and wondered what it was about that strange man that simultaneously terrified and comforted him.

#023: Fire

Ace took a long time to figure out what Sasuke was talking about when he referred to their 'common feature'. In the end it cost him the price of a drinking binge for Sasuke (that bastard could drink like a fishman) before the presumably blind young man agreed to show him.

When Sasuke had sobered up (which didn't take too long really, another thing Ace was convinced that the guy did just to piss people off) he stood on the edge of the deck and called out Katon: Goryuka no Jutsu. The dragons shot across the waves leaving vapour trails and scorching any debris unfortunate enough to be caught in its path. Ace quickly tackled him and demanded to be taught but Sasuke refused and rapped him smartly with his pipe to add further insult.

"Figure it out yourself." he said "It's not that I don't want to but that I can't. It would be a betrayal of my oath. If I did that my life would be forfeit."

#024: Strength

Strength had long since left his body. He who once could have travelled for days without rest and pierced his enemies' chest with one hand. For a time, his world had been cast in shadow, a man who simply waited for death but he made his peace.

He remembered now. Losing one attribute only changes your overall strength, not negates it.

Kakashi rapped an overly cheeky merchant with his cane and smiled benignly, cowing the young man.

"Please be more polite to Makino-san." he hummed as the younger man cowered "If you're not, she might decide not to bring you anymore drinks. That would be dreadful wouldn't it?"

#025: Mask

On the crew, really only her and the Captain knew what his face looked like without the mask. Hers was less of a secret and she always removed it at their request.

No one else was quite sure when, if ever, Killer took his off.

#026: Ice

The Drum Kingdom was a harsh land to those that were unprepared. Only recently coming out of the despotic rule of Wapol, it was also a nation reborn. The people worked together to rebuild and protect their home with a fervent spirit that reminded her of her homeland.

Her days of acting were over (Although, if she fancied a role in the latter half of Yotsuya Gaiden then she was all set.) She supposed that she should be grateful for surviving this long and for the freak set of circumstances that flung her through the door.

Koyuki often pondered the strange sense of tranquillity she had acquired but mostly she assumed it was due to the various atrocities she must've seen. The period of the war was strangely fuzzy. She simply woke up one day and was surprised to find everything changed.

On Drum Island she sat by the fire and pondered, waiting for feeling to return.

#027: Fall.

The wind whipped around him as he plummeted towards the water.

Droplets of blood caught in the updraft and spun in the air.

Sasuke idly noted that his eyes were bleeding again, an ever so reliable counter as to the uses left on his sharingan.

The water was coming ever closer now and Sasuke couldn't help but grin.

A whole new world to explore, far from the places of his youth?

He loved it already.

#028: Forgotten

Carved upon the cavern walls were crudely drawn sigils. A dead language composed of contrasting angles and curves. A gift from the great Sage himself.

It told the truth and spoke of penance.

She had discovered it, translated it and spread the word as to a potential hope.

Had things been normal, she would have been discounted but things were not. People were willing to cling to anything just to catch a glimpse of hope.

Now, she saw the self-same tongue carved on this bizarre obelisk.

Shiho was a ninja, even if she wasn't a front line type. No secret would stay hidden from her.

Pale fingers traced the elegantly carved material.

"Poneglyph"

#029: Dance

Ino envied those who could still dance and scorned the graceless clumping of those that wasted it.

She rapped her cane, admonished her students and wished gracefulness for their sake because that was far more likely than retrieving her leg.

#030: Body

Kabuto smiled genially as he talked to her. Such a pretty little thing she was and so easily impressed by some simple manners. She agreed to go with him 'to see the world' never once thinking beyond the kind smile and gentle touch on her hand.

Law frequently compared his technique to that of a sex offender but Kabuto merely smiled and adjusted his glasses noting that his captain was always fond of the specimens he brought back.

Kabuto was always an excellent medic.

#031: Sacred

There were different ways to open the path and to this day the survivors are unsure what exactly unlocked the doors.

It was a few things actually. The bijuu chakra certainly rattled the locks and the price people paid when travelling through the door was one of the reasons.

The truth was exactly half of the refugees went mad or had some sort of catastrophic stroke when passing through the door. This was part of the price to unlock the path. (They didn't know this.)

For each person who arrived well and whole, in a matter of speaking, one would suffer agonizing torment. No one ever realised this and it was probably for the best.

Each person had to pay a price regardless. What exactly that was depended on each person and no one else generally found out what it was.

The price to open the door was half of the travellers. Those that were not chosen needed to pay a different price.

Shiho may be the only person to know but she keeps her silence on the subject.

She would tell you that it was 'more horrible than you can imagine' and coming from a person who lived through those wars, it muct be really something.

#032:Farewells

It became quickly apparent that it had not been a warning but a statement of fact.

Holding her shrieking snarling form down, they despaired in equal measures.

It wasn't a murder at any rate. There wasn't anything left in there that used to be Karin anyway.

Suigetsu and Sasuke, for the first time in both of their lives, did the merciful thing.

They built up a pyre and sat by it, relishing the heat washing over them until it was completely gone.

The pair scraped up all of the ashes they could find and dashed them off a cliff where they spiralled in the winds like morbid confetti.

Deciding to go their separate ways wasn't a personal matter at all. They wanted separate things at that moment and it made sense to go after what they wanted themselves.

It wasn't the last time they had seen each other by any means but it had been the last time that they had been Taka.

#033: World.

It was remarkably how quickly they grew attached to this one especially considering how easily they abandoned their original home.

#034: Formal

Paulie felt nine kinds of ridiculous in the suit but he had promised Iceburg-san he would attend the black-tie fundraiser so here he was. About the only thing that made it bearable was Shizune and the outfit she wore which was decorated with an embroidery of a ship battling a storm. She called it a kimono.

#035:Fever.

In his fever he imagined a gentle touch and soothing voices.

He cried for mercy and begged the gentle hand to do the merciful thing and end his life.

Every breath was intolerable cruelty, the motion and the knowledge..

He prayed for death and it ignored him once more.

__

Kakashi and Makino would sit in the sunshine on peaceful days and make idle conversation. He would hear the birds, the chatter of the villagers and the sounds of the ships coming from the harbour.

He breathed in the fresh air and relished the salty tang.

It was in moments like this, filled with peace and noting the warmth of her leg brushing against his, that he believed he was still in the grip of a voracious fever dream.

#036: Laugh

They all shared the same laugh.

Bitter and cruel. A laugh of those who had seen too much and gained to little.

No matter the circumstance, no matter the individual all of them kept that bitter mournful edge to their laughter.

One that had been carved into their souls.

#037: Lies

All of the Oathbearers built a carefully constructed web of lies around themselves. Certain drops of information came through, how could they not when most depended on their skills to survive.

The how was brutally silenced though. If it was at all possible to work out the method and job from the snippet of information that you gave then it was far too much.

The truth was a hideous and cruel thing. Their lies were not to dishonour their dead but to prevent the repetition of their descent into hell.

Lies were comforting when you looked at it like that.

#038: Forever

Bijuu were born from the crimes of men. That was, in essence, the secret to their immortality and their vulnerability.

Their bodies were not truly physical in the way that mortals understood.

It started with one powerful emotion and the rest simply built around them.

The majority of people did not understand this which only gave the demons space to grow.

In theory, when done right, a jinchuuriki should acquire everything about their prisoner including their immortality.

But no Demon vessel ever died a peaceful death. They were betrayed, tormented, used and their death throes only served to ensure the return of the demon.

#039: Overwhelmed

Izumo died outnumbered fighting Marines.

Kotetsu never forgave him for that.

__

The circumstances weren't important really. They were careless, drew attention and didn't get away quick enough.

Kotetsu woke up drifting away from the small island that they had the misfortune to encounter the inspection patrol on.

The flames from the explosive tags were still visible in the distance.

The numbers were too great, even for a couple of war veterans. Izumo with his game leg and Kotetsu, whose ribs had never healed quite right which caused him to have trouble breathing sometimes.

Izumo went down in a blaze of glory, one that took his body with him.

__

Kotetsu had known Izumo his entire life. His best friend had been the one constant in his life. Izumo, in his opinion, didn't even have the basic fucking decency to leave him a body to mourn.

He made his way to the next island and drank himself into oblivion for a couple of weeks.

When he had spun out his rage and grief until exhausted, he sailed to the next island and on to the next.

#040: Whisper

In the darkness of that room she would whisper to him.

It was a confessional of her most grievous sins and of those inflicted upon her. He would trace a finger over her scars and listen to her gasping breath and seductive whispers of blood, cruelty and death.

#041: Wait

Neji knew how to wait, he had been doing it for most of his life.

He waited for confirmation of his belief in fate.

He waited for Naruto to come through on his promise.

He waited for Hinata to wake up after he had carried her silent form home at his top speed.

He had one thing to wait for yet, even if he wasn't sure of the details.

Until it came to pass he sat on the porch and watched the birds flit around the trees.

#042: Talk

Shikamaru would return to the teahouse and she would serve him tea.

He would admire the arrangement she had decorating the tearoom.

She would inquire about his last trip.

Bland meaningless words of dull pleasantries.

But in the set of his eyes and the quirk of her mouth a ninja could tell you.

They were talking alright, just not in a language you are capable of understanding.

A subtle mode of speech, it was in their blood.

#043: Search

It was rare that someone that directly sought to become a member of the Whitebeard crew.

People were usually too busy challenging and/or being reformed/comforted/converted by the Yonkou. So that these men had found their way to the Moby Dick on their pathetic little dinghy and were now petitioning the infamous pirate directly was pretty damn impressive.

The pair seemed fairly fit, if somewhat tired and were completely respectful and willing to swear fealty to the fleet. But, there was something off and it was making Whitebeard hesitate. He accepted all sorts under his flag as members of his family without judging (hell, he accepted the son of his greatest rival. If that wasn't proof of his tolerance, I don't know what could be.) but his instincts were telling him to hold on for a moment. They looked completely unremarkable if a little bit nervous but damned of he couldn't figure out what was bothering him.

The duo suddenly flinched and whirled round to face a woman standing on the railing.

They looked absolutely terrified while everyone else on the ship had dedicated their brainpower to the question of 'where the fuck she came out of?'

"Naughty, naughty." She purred "fleeing from what you brought upon yourselves. Men face up to their responsibilities so what does that make you then?"

The woman was elegantly clad in a flattering kimono embroidered with images of a hero battling a serpentine creature. She softly stepped down from the rail and glided towards them.

"Stay back witch!!" the taller of the two screamed "You're not getting a hold of me!!"

She smiled softly, clearly amused "You broke your oath, is it any surprise that we've come to ensure that mistake is corrected?"

They both whipped out a blade and went to charge her but they found themselves to be outmanoeuvred.

The purple haired woman stood behind them looking utterly bored and unruffled.

Her hair had fallen into waves around her shoulders and began to wind its way down her back. She turned around and knelt to the ground, sitting in an elegant and formal style paying no attention to the cooling corpses on the deck.

"Do you think that I let people kill members of my crew in front of me so easy?" Whitebeard growled.

She inclined her head "They weren't part of your crew. Traitorous cowards like that wouldn't be welcomed by anyone in this world."

"Gu-ra-ra-ra-ra-ra. You're an unusual woman indeed."

She smiled in amusement "I'll take that as a compliment Yonkou-san. We'll be out of here momentarily. I'm just waiting for someone to come help me with these."

"Pardon my intrusion" Sasuke stepped onto to the deck "Ah, Sempai. You got here first."

"I just happened to be closest."

He sighed and squatted down and poked one of the bodies with his chokuto walking stick. "I feel bad though. You ruined a perfectly nice pair of hair ornaments."

(If you're wondering how Sasuke knew this, I wouldn't bother. The crew were long used to these kinds of glaring inconsistencies and Sasuke delighted in not telling them anything.)

She stood up in a fluid movement "You take care of the bodies then and we'll call it even. You're coming to the teahouse aren't you?"

"Ah." He nodded "I can't very well pass so close and not pay my respects now can I ?"

She smirked. "Tea first, booze later cockatoo ass head."

#044: Hope

For Sakura, hope died with Naruto.

For Hinata, hope died within her.

For Konoha, hope was clung to ferociously even when it was undeniably futile.

Had Naruto been coherent enough to understand, he wouldn't have given up on hope.

It turned out that this would have been the correct choice.

Hope became a whisper racing across the lands. A rumour of another path, to another life and a new chance, only if you were willing to pay the toll.

#045: Eclipse

Karin was a war child.

She had lost her world to battle multiple times. Only her special abilities had permitted her survival.

As a sensor, she saw more of the world than others did. Sasuke understood that to a certain extent even if his Sharingan approached from a different direction. This allowed her to teach him the fundamentals that would make his life easier when that day came. (For they were not the sort to deny the hasty onset of his blindness.)

It was her that led them onwards to one of the gates, her that could perceive and follow the subtle paths that Shiho had helped awaken and her that succumbed to the burn of the door.

That small, subtle happiness that they had known together in the days before.

Acknowledgement of bonds and family. Mourning the fall of blooded comrades, strengthening the ties that remained.

In the midst of hell, it was the happiest they had ever been. The new start was toasted towards every night. They vowed and swore again, to leave behind the dying world and start again, not as ninjas, heirs to great powers or remnants of grotesque experimentation but as young men and women.

Suigetsu hoped for Ocean views, Sasuke for wide open skies and Karin less specifically for a brand new world of potential open to exploration.

The door opened, the path lay before her and her mind burned.

Her last thought before all that was Karin died was one of amazement to the sheer scope of the world they were adopting.

It was beautiful and she wondered if the others could see it too.

#046: Gravity

Sakura knew what it was to feel worthless and powerless in the face of horrible things but for many of the men and women here it was a relatively new and crushing experience.

They were fleeing on the ships now, as far away from Marineford as they could get while Whitebeard made his stand.

The noise was chaotic as the pirates rushed to defend their retreat, the very air seemed tainted by their grief and despair.

Worst of all her captain (her captain) was sitting blank and despairing totally lost the weight of his grief.

She could have thrown all of her energy into treating him and the others but that was not what was needed!! Which is why she knelt and poured all of her energy into the cooling body of Ace. She had never met this young man but he was Luffy's brother which was reason enough. Shikamaru had caught her eye and quickly set to scouting any and all oathbearers for their remaining supplies of food-pills, blood-replenishers and anything else that was necessary.

She ignored the protests and tears of the surrounding medics and merely concentrated on rebuilding the body. It wouldn't do for the wounds to undo all of her hard work.

She worked feverishly only pausing to swallow another foodpill or push more medicine down his throat.

Eventually Terumi Mei, having the reserves as a former kage, came behind her and pushed chakra into her replenishing her stores.

In what seemed like no time all of the damage upon the body of Portgas D. Ace was healed and his body lay dirty but unwounded; still smiling

Luffy blinked in confusion but made no movement.

Sasuke sagged against the ship nearby blank eyes seeing nothing as he strained his remaining senses to see what was happening.

The remaining pirates not involved in desperately sailing the ship to safety goggled at their actions.

Sakura removed her gloves and hair-tie before handing her ragged hair ribbon to a grim Shikamaru who had long since lost his hat exposing his horrific facial scars to all and sundry.

"You'll make sure that Whitebeard knows about him won't you?"

The dark eyed man nodded grimly.

"I'm the only one who can get in and out safely. I'll get to him and let him know about his son" He lifted the ribbon before tucking it away "and then I'll tell Ino about you."

Sakura smiled and shuffled over to Luffy.

"Captain, Luffy." She paused and bit her lip "I've been living on borrowed time anyway. My life has been bought at the unnecessary expense and effort of others. But you guys; still accepted me and called me one of yours. This is something that I want to do. It makes me happy so you'd better well appreciate it!!"

Luffy blinked and stirred at the familiar voice.

Sakura sniffled

"Thank you for letting be your nakama."

Shikamaru helped her turn Ace onto his back and she took a place at his side.

"Next time, use this for someone important to you."

She placed her hands on his chest and began; steadfastedly ignoring the expressions of those around her.

The world grew faint and she heard voices calling her.

A familiar laugh echoed in her ear and she smiled.

She pitched forward, still smiling, and a hand came up to catch her.

Sakura died.

Then promptly, as if to apologize for his lateness,

Ace got up.

#047: Highway.

Until his death Sasuke travelled. He never stayed more than a week in one place before striking off in a new direction.

His wandering was aimless and all he intended to do was keep moving on.

Funnily enough, for all of his dangerous acts and blindness, he was the last one.

He survived through everything and died laughing bitterly long after everyone else had left the world.

#048: Unknown

On a small unobtrusive island in the East Blue, a foreign man taught children.

He was serious, stoic, dedicated and not more than a little foolish.

Nonetheless, they loved him.

He taught them letters, numbers, art, nature and morals woven into fantastic and epic stories told as rewards for hard work.

Then, he taught them to protect their homes.

They learned how to escape when grabbed from behind and where to strike to disable. It was simple things in truth, but he kept reminding them, that was all a person really needed.

"If you want to truly learn how to fight, then join the marines!! Be a pirate!! Chase after those revolutionaries!!" was what he said.

They didn't learn to wage war, they learned to understand that there was a difference between a person who supported peace and a person who was a victim.

Years passed and the children grew and taught their own offspring and so on, passing on everything to the next generation.

When pirates came looking for easy prey, these people stood up and fought back. They refused to bow to threats of blood, violence or war and fought to protect their homes.

Ebisu would have been proud.

#049: Lock

Deep in the bowels of Impel down, a person waited.

Kairouseki was no hindrance to them but they didn't want the Marines to know that. (yet, anyway.) Experimentation and exploratory surgery had not produced anything for their scientists so they had locked him deep in the bowels of Impel Down and there he stayed, waiting for a sign. The other prisoners feared him and pretended he wasn't there. Of all of those locked into level 6 only the truly strong or ignorant acknowledged his presence.

There was no purpose in being anywhere else so there he stayed and waited until the day when it was time for him to emerge into the sun once more.

#050: Breathe

She awoke on the shore of an island. Sand clung to her body and her clothes were stiff with saltwater. She immediately rolled over onto her hands and knees vomiting out whatever was in her stomach.

Hinata gasped for breath and shuddered before staggering to her feet. She staggered forward and continued inland, each juddery step becoming steadier than the last.

The taste of the sea air caught in her throat and she gasped in surprise several times before adjusting to the shock. The air had been stale and musty in the cavern so the freshness was a bit of a shock.

After a few minutes, the air changed to accommodate a freshness emanating from the verdant plant life along the coastline.

The Hyuuga casually wondered if the island was uninhabited but quickly discounted it as the acrid scent of smoke tickled her nostrils.

She didn't have any plan more complex than 'get food, get lodging and welch on the bill' but she decided that it was good enough to roll with for now. Things would have probably panned out like that but today the town had visitors in the form of an up and coming pirate crew.

The smoke wasn't from a chimney but from the fire that had already consumed half of the town. Mildly perturbed she padded up the street ignoring the dead and fleeing inhabitants. Had she fled one hell for another?

A tall, slim man with a featureless mask strolled out onto the street casually slicing up a fleeing townsperson. His eyeless mask turned towards her and she merely tilted her head curiously. He closed the gap as effortlessly as she dodged his blades. He paused and examined her interestedly.

She breathed in the delicious taste of the air.

Smoke, ash, sweat and blood. That was the air she was used to. Hinata slid into a jyuuken stance and activated her Byakugan. He took a ready stance and she smirked.

"Come!" She commanded and they clashed.

#051: Maelstrom

Naruto had touched the life of everyone he encountered.

He sailed from the safe port and out into the wilds becoming a monstrous maelstrom tearing through the land and turning everything on its' head.

When he fell, the weather changed. Before it had been overwhelmingly powerful but refreshing now it was just monstrous. The wind would strip the flesh from your bones. And suck the marrow out if you moved the wrong way.

#052: Nakama

Ace didn't think it could have gotten any worse. His grandfather squatted beside him on the platform and watched with unusual gravity as his friends, his allies, his little brother all fought to set him free. Whatever happened, he knew that he could never repay them.

But of course, just as he was coming to terms with the entire mess (and he would forevermore pin this disaster on that bastard Teach) someone decided to be fashionably late and crashed through the ice with an enormous purple snake.

Sasuke was perched on top of it (looking as if he was having the time of his life, that nutter.) with a crowd of people who instantly started dashing off into various battles of their own. Ace swore he saw an explosion of cherry blossoms make a beeline for Luffy.

Donflamingo abruptly fell off Jozu and started jerking as if he was having a spasm before vanishing behind a strangely man shaped contraption. He couldn't believe when he saw some sort of tornado barrelling through the ranks of marines (whoever that blond was, she was damn hot.) He saw something flutter out of the corner of his eye before Sengoku hit the dirt and the heavily draped Shikamaru inclined his hat in salutation to the bewildered pirate. He gaped and the scarred man put a finger to his lips "Don't be troublesome now, Ace-san."

He wrenched his neck back to the battle unwilling to believe his eyes. Out of all of the friends he had, he never would have expected any of the oath to have come to his aid. The little pink-haired girl was guarding Luffy's back fiercely and he saw Marco's lover/nemesis/enemy/ally/whatever the hell their relationship was casually greet him and the old man before promptly spitting acid over a group of marines. (Acid? Jeez, Marco was welcome to her.)

A couple of kids were running nuts with really bizarre swords and a large group was getting cut up by….paper? What the hell, no wonder that these guys like the Grand Line so much.

He swallowed "You guys too…."

Shikamaru snorted "What, we don't count? We're your nakama too. Took us a while to collect all of those who were able to come but we're not going to abandon another friend without a fight. You should know that."

Ace blinked, somewhat ashamed that he had underestimated all of his friends this day. Sasuke was wrecking as much trouble as possible and quickly sent his enormous purple snake off in one direction (and god, that sounded wrong even in his head) before hurling himself at Akainu, grinning like a loon the entire time. He reached up and tore off his blindfold revealing crimson eyes with blood streaming down his cheeks.

They had a stake in this war too.

Joker: Double edged sword.

The two sat side by side with a bottle of good wine beside them.

The bottle sat untouched because they were waiting. One of them was perfectly ready but his drinking companion needed to sort out his head before they could breach the cask. He regretfully rolled a dish in his hands and waited for Ace to speak before deciding to clear the air. Sasuke sighed irritably

"Don't even bother." He began "I knew it would happen and I was living blind anyway. It's really just the same as breaking a favourite sword."

Ace snapped "But it's my fault…"

Sasuke hit him on the head with his pipe "Bzzzt. Wrong. I decided to help my friends. I decided to use that technique. I knew the consequences of my actions and it was my decision to make. Don't disrespect me by thinking otherwise."

Ace slouched before snatching up the bottle and tearing off the lid.

"So," he began conversationally as he poured the first round "what did you think of my little brother?"

A/N: No, Donflamingo isn't dead just incredibly busy fending off someone who can manipulate strings just as good as him. Although, just one good shot of poison…

Some of them gave me some trouble I'll admit but this was hella fun ^_^

Please remember that canon got turfed in the first chapter so that's why some characters are more pleasant they are in the manga.(Sasuke isn't an unpleasant little shit because I didn't feel like writing that and I didn't need a villain, end of.)

"This will be a series of drabbles, vignettes and outtakes that will hopefully build up a view of the world of the characters" I never intended to commit myself to a coherent fic. It was always a personal challenge and now I've reached the end.

This story is complete. I won't be adding any more. It's quite a decent length at any rate. This chapter alone is tipping 8000 words. I may come back and write in this universe again but that won't be anytime soon and it'd be posted seperately. I've run out of steam, interest and inspiration which if you check my profile is clearly flowing in other directions.

Thank you all so much for your reviews, messages, favourites and alerts. It really means a lot to me. (I do wonder why some people favourite the story but didn't alert it when it was still incomplete. You'd think it's be doone the other way round.)

Some people have expressed interest in using some of these ideas and let me clarify it for you:

1.) Yes, you can use my ideas. I don't own naruto or OP anyway.

2.) Please don't quote my text.

3.) Please credit me, it's polite. :)

4.) Most importantly, please message me so I can read it too!! C:

If you enjoyed this then please acknowledge this shameless pimp to check out my other fics. No more Naruto I'm afraid but that ramen swilling moron has enough effort dedicated to him and I'm feeling the One Piece vibe these days.

Thanks for all of your support and interest. I know that some people are unhappy with the lack of Naruto and Akatsuki but this is hardly a monopoly that prevents you from writing your own. Give it a shot! C: