Full summary: Pirate AU. A young swordsmith, Naruto, is attempting to make his way in a country threatened by pirates when a raid upon his town forces him into their world: A world where chakra-users are rarities, considered to be freaks of nature and feared by both the Navy and other pirates for their powers. No slash, just friendship.

Inspired by POTC/One Piece- can contain some elements of it (namely, pirates), but follows a different plot.

Naruto is seventeen, Iruka twenty-four, Sasuke seventeen.

Disclaimer: I neither own nor wish to own Naruto, as my artwork/writing abilities are far less superior to Kishimoto's.

A pale yellow and painfully bright sun beamed down from its throne in a clear blue sky, giving light to the world beneath it. It looked down upon a range of ancient, rounded mountains bordering a glimmering blue sea. Nestled in between the arms of the mountains and the embrace of the ocean was a large sprawl of oddly mixed houses. One neatly paved street, closer to the small evergreen forest on the landward side, was lined with elegant houses with soaring pillars and carved gables. The finely dressed wives of rich merchants glided down those sidewalks under frilled parasols, concerned with nothing more than the local gossip. The other streets were comprised of only cobblestone sidewalks and long stretches of dirt that served as roads. The houses along these streets were wooden and aged, but as clean and well-kept as if a king lived there instead of fishmongers and sailors. Here the main bustle of humanity went to and fro. Peddlers advertised their wares and errand-boys pushed through the crowds while watchful, uniformed officers stood at intervals. Their presence was more of a formality; the village of Konohagakure served as a model for all ports. Its people were happy and prosperous and crime rates there were the lowest in the land.

However, they were not nonexistent...

"OI! Git back 'ere, you blasted lad!" An elderly man yelled, unwilling to leave his stall where he was selling fresh fruits. His work space and clothes had been recently decorated with a splash of red and green paint, making him look extremely festive. The object of his anger was a flash of orange darting through the crowds, trying to escape from the two soldiers that chased after it. It shimmied up a pipe and made an impressive leap onto the roofs, landing perfectly and dashing away. The two soldiers slowed to a stop and sighed.

"It had to be our turn to go after him..." one muttered, adjusting his cap. "Ah, well, it's not like he ever steals anything. The trouble is apologizing to whoever he pranked today..."

The orange flash, in the meanwhile, slowed to a stop on the roof of a general store and its apartment, revealing itself to be an older boy of medium height, with wild blonde hair and huge blue eyes filled with merriment. In one hand he clutched an empty metal bucket. He wore a bright orange jacket, under which he had a stained white t-shirt and faded blue breeches tucked into equally ancient leather boots. The only thing that looked relatively well-cared for upon his body was the jacket, which had some lovingly stitched patches at the elbows and threads where it had been shortened to fit the boy's size.

"A cry, a waterfall of paint, two soldiers left in the dust, and Konoha's Orange Flash strikes again!" the boy chortled. "My name shall be sung in ballads all over the world!"

"Naruto...!" Turning at his name, Naruto peeked over the edge of the roof and saw a young man standing in the street below. He was outfitted in a naval officer's uniform, with a bright red and blue jacket, clean white undershirt, and golden buttons. His black cap also was gold-trimmed, signifying his rank. The man's face was tanned from many months at sea, and he bore a long scar across the bridge of his nose. Upon seeing him, Naruto's face lit up, and he leaped over the edge. The man winced and started forwards to catch him, but Naruto landed in the road with foxlike grace.

"Iruka-nii!" Naruto dropped the bucket and ran forward to embrace him. Iruka had raised him like a younger brother for years, even after his own parents had died in a pirate raid. He would often beg his 'brother' to tell him the story of how as a child he had found him one day as a baby sleeping peacefully in a washed-up boat. Iruka was only a little bit taller than him now, but Naruto still loved to bury his face in the older man's jacket and inhale the scent of old papers and ink, coming from Iruka's job as his ship's navigator.

Iruka ruffled Naruto's hair fondly. "I missed you, Naruto. Instead of using your free time to pull pranks, why don't you come visit more often? The stockpile of ramen at my house isn't getting any smaller, and I can't eat it all without your help. It's a wonder that you earn enough to get food on your own, with all the mischief you do around the town."

Naruto flashed him a wide grin. "It's because when it comes to swordsmithing, I'm the best in town! The people love me, they really do! Not only do they come to me for business, but I get free herrings from some fishwives every now and then, and old man Hiruzen comes over every Friday to teach me how to fight!"

Iruka almost choked on his next sentence. "Wha-what?" The governor's name was not a surprise; he had already known that the ageing governor had taken a liking to Naruto. He had always said that the aspiring swordsmith looked like the King, who was an old friend of his. No, it was the fact that Governor Hiruzen was still hale enough to spar with someone as hyperactive and agile as Naruto that surprised Iruka. The governor had to be at least eighty years old. "He still is able to fight?Does he sit on the side and give you tips on your form while someone else duels with you?"

"No, he fights me himself!" Naruto beamed. "He's pretty handy, too! Always beats me, even though I'm pretty good!"

"Hm, well..." Iruka was at a loss for words, but covered up his discomfort with a stern admonishment. "You'd better go easy on him, since he might be good, but he's getting frailer as the years pass. Though, his undiminishing abilities are probably one of the reasons that King Minato appointed him!" Putting a hand on Naruto's back, he steered him away from the hubbub of the streets into a small house on the side that had its windows wide open. "Here, come in; you're definitely hungry after a long morning of polishing and running. Who was it that had to chase after you today?"

"Aoi and Hayate, I think." Naruto plopped down on his favourite wooden chair with a plush red seat, letting out a loud sigh. "I heard a lot of coughing while running." Iruka's house was small, but with his promotion to officer several weeks ago he was able to purchase some luxuries like pillows for the seats and a small wooden chandelier with candles on each prong.

"That'll be Hayate who's coughing." Iruka took off his cap and hung it on a hook, running a hand over his dark brown hair to smooth down flyaways. Reaching out for a pot, he poured two cups of water into it and turned on the gas stove. "He's under my command. The poor guy, he has a chronic cough that just won't go away."

"Aww, tell him I'm sorry to have made him run." The apology was sincere. Iruka smiled to himself as he deftly cut open a packet of ramen* with his knife.

'For all his troublemaking and bragging, he's a good kid.' the man thought, emptying ramen noodles into the bubbling water. 'Never steals anything, doesn't do any permanent damage, and makes it up to his victims later in some way through discounts or a favour.' A tale popped into his head from that trail of thought.

"Hey, Naruto, have you ever heard of the Shimura pirates?"

"Shimura pirates?" Naruto echoed, propping his feet up on the table. "I thought you hated pirates, Iruka-nii."

"Of course I do!" Iruka sounded nettled. "And take your feet off the table!" Naruto complied grudgingly, instead propping them on a neighboring chair. Giving in, Iruka returned his attentions to the ramen. He gave it a stir and wound a single noodle around his spoon for tasting.

"So these pirates?" Naruto prompted. Despite Iruka's personal vendetta against the raiders of the seas, Naruto had always been fascinated by them. 'Especially,' he thought darkly, 'Especially since Sasuke ran off to become one.' "Who are they?"

"Just about the strangest paradox that sailed the seven seas, and that's saying a lot considering all the strange things out on that unexplored frontier." Iruka spooned a large portion of the noodles into Naruto's bowl before handing it to him, chopsticks and all. For a moment, he amused himself by watching his adoptive younger brother gulp down the ramen at a frantic pace. "Sure, they occasionally plunder towns just like other pirates, but what you can expect from any normal pirate crew is a full night of battle and a town in varying stages of wreckage in the morn. The Shimura pirates sail into harbour announcing their presence with a single cannon shot, limit their stealing to groceries, a bit of gold, and occasionally sailcloth, and then leave. They don't burn down any houses, smash any other ships, and strangest of all, they leave behind little to no casualties."

Naruto let out a small bark of laughter. "Best story ever, Iruka-nii, but we all know that a pirate isn't a pirate unless they make away with all the gold. Are you sure this is true?"

"It's true." Iruka insisted, chestnut-coloured eyes completely serious. "I've heard it from many trustworthy veteran sailors who've seen much more of life than I. Believe it or not, they are pirates; just odd, is all."

"Oh yeah?" Naruto challenged. His bowl of ramen was empty and forgotten on the side. "No goody-two-shoes pirate can last a single day out there, I'm betting. Other ones would take over-"

"Commandeer." Iruka corrected.

"-Commandeer their ship!"

"Normally, that would happen." The young officer admitted. "But their captain's reputation has spread far and wide after several failed attempts. Apparently, their captain is a chakra-user, and a strong one at that. He doesn't just climb like a monkey with gum on its feet; he can use ninjutsu as well." Iruka leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms impressively. Naruto's eyes grew round, and he leaned forward eagerly.

"Tell me more!" he demanded. "Tell me some stories with ninjutsu!"

"I've told you every one I know!" Iruka protested. "Cmon, I've work to do. I'd sooner get back to etching miniature wind roses in my maps than have to recount the whole story of Madara and the Prince!"

"But that's my favourite one!" Naruto whined as his brother pushed him out the door. "Please?"

"You have a job to do, too." Iruka reminded him. "Get going; your shop reopens from its lunch break in ten minutes." Naruto pouted, kicking a rock with one toe.

"Fine." he huffed, but could not keep up his pretense of anger any longer. Laughing, he rushed forwards and gave Iruka a quick hug, then ran off in the direction of his workshop. 'Aw, work be damned! Ten minutes is enough for a quick prank! But... nah, the soldiers already got their daily exercise. And Hayate's probably having a rough go of it now because of me... I'll make him something! A present; that unfinished decorative dagger! I'll make it tonight!' Newly enthused, Naruto increased his pace and burst through the door, a blast of hot, smoky air hitting him in the face.

"Whoa! Who didn't open the ventilator?" He knew full well that he had forgotten to open the little chimney shaft himself. "With this level of smoke..." Naruto crossed over to the streetward side of his workshop and threw open a window, then hung up his coat on a hook. "Now, let's get going! I'm going to make the best sword ever, believe it! It'll be wielded by the King himself because it'll be that good!"

The so-called 'best sword ever' rested lopsidedly on a small anvil, a hammer of proportionately small size on top of it. Sitting at his stool, Naruto pulled on thick gloves and lifted the blade of the sword, still not attached to its hilt. He stuck the end of it in the fire, holding it there for several minutes, then took it back out. He gave the glowing orange metal a critical-once over. 'Edges aren't smoothed down... and I'll need to run a different strip of metal down that fissure in the center, otherwise the sword'll break under the pressure of a strong man's strike.' Absorbed in his work, Naruto sat hunched over the anvil until the light in the skies dimmed and his workshop darkened considerably. Only then did he look up and jump from his seat.

"Blast!" he swore, looking around wildly. "I was supposed to meet Konohamaru at sunset! Where is he, where is he... oh yeah! Docks! Right!" Hammer still in hand, he dashed out the door and headed for the fishing docks.

It was late sunset by the time he arrived. The waters were almost black, but the deep red sun cast a crimson sheen over the waves. They rippled up and down, stirred to life by a stiff wind. Seeing the small, blanket-bearing figure of Konohamaru sitting at the end of the dock with a makeshift fishing pole in his hand, Naruto strode over and plopped down by him.

"Red sky at night, sailors delight." he said by way of greeting. Konohamaru grinned toothily at him.

"Red sky in the morning, sailors warning!" The child finished. Naruto reached over and tied the knot that held Konohamaru's blue blanket around his neck tighter. "Thanks, Naruto-niichan!"

"Whatcha trying to catch this late, Konohamaru?" Naruto questioned. The boy shrugged, and then held up his fishing rod for Naruto to see. It was a long, bendable stick, with a string tied in a notch at the end. Just looking at the top of it, Naruto knew without a doubt that there was a piece of Konohamaru's lunch tied at the bottom as bait. "Y'know, I very much doubt the fish like dango... But now, if it was ramen, I'd understand!"

"The world revolves around ramen! Is that it?" Konohamaru questioned, and Naruto nodded seriously. "Neh, Naruto-niichan... can I come work now?"

"Konohamaru..." Naruto began. Hearing the tone of his voice, Konohamaru immediately put up a protest.

"But grandpa said yes! He said I could! And you're one of his favorites! He said you were the best in the land!"

Naruto laughed, but his cheeks were slightly pink. "I know he said yes. But the thing is, you have to be sixteen before you come work under me as an apprentice, and your grandpa didn't say it outright, but I have to be older as well. D'you think any parent, no matter how accepting they are, would like their kid to work under a seventeen-year-old?"

"Especially one as forgetful as you." Konohamaru changed tack. He pointed at Naruto's hand. "You still have your hammer!"

"Oh- heh, yeah! Proves my point!" Naruto stuffed the tool into his breeches' left pocket and buttoned it. He fixed his gaze on the water, trying to see through the darkness. Konohamaru lifted his fishing rod, revealing a half-nibbled pinkish dango at the end with sea water dripping off of it. After a moment's consideration, he slid it out of its loop and bit into it. Naruto saw him out of the corner of his eye and made a face.

"Ew, Konohamaru... I thought you ate better at the old man's house!"

"I do! It's just that grandpa told me that if I was going to play with food, I'd always have to eat it afterwards! He also said that he'd rather have his grandson eat dango than some fickle herrings!"

"Ever consider that he was joking?" Naruto asked, and Konohamaru paused in the action of taking another bite of the salty dango. Slowly, he let it drop and sink into the depths. Naruto watched it sink out of sight. 'Wonder if any fish will eat it now...?'

"Naruto-niichan... What's that in the harbour? Is that a ship coming? It looks like one!"

"Ships? Naw, not this late. It's probably just a moored one that you see."

"No, it's moving!" Konohamaru insisted. "Look, look!" A single cannon shot jolted Naruto into awareness, and his head shot up. Outlined against the dark twilight sky was a huge ship, with three tall masts and multiple sails. Having announced itself, it glided smoothly into port. Cries sounded in the distance, and Naruto heard booted feet drumming on the docks. Iruka's words came back to him in a flash- ...announcing its presence with a single cannon shot...

"The Shimura Pirates!" Naruto breathed. 'I can't believe it! They really do exist! Iruka wasn't just telling a story; he was telling the truth! I gotta see them, I gotta! Maybe... maybe I'll see their captain use some ninjutsu!'

"Who are they?" Naruto felt a small body press against him and a hand latch onto his. Konohamaru was staring at the ship with wide, fearful eyes, watching as dark shapes spilled down a distant gangplank onto the shore not so far away. "Why are they here? Are they going to hurt us?"

Naruto bit his lip. 'I really want to go duel some of them... but I've got a responsibility as a legal adult to take Konohamaru somewhere safe...' Grabbing the boy's hand tighter, he took off.

"Come on!" Naruto ordered. Obeying, Konohamaru did his best to keep up, but Naruto wasn't called Konoha's Orange Flash for nothing. He ended up being carried piggyback through the dark streets, faces with varying degrees of apprehension flashing past them in blurs. Taking a peek at the older boy's face, Konohamaru saw it was unusually intent. Normally, he would be tempted to pull Naruto's blonde hair, but the severity of the situation wasn't lost on him and he kept his hands locked around Naruto's neck. His bearer entered his freshly aired home and deposited Konohamaru on a table. The governor's grandson watched in awe as Naruto browsed through racks of swords and axes that he had made himself, running over each one with an expert's eye. He chose one of medium length, with an unadorned brown leather grip and short crosspiece.

"Go hide in the back, and don't leave the house until I or someone else- someone we know, not a pirate- comes for you. If a pirate comes, then don't try to fight. Just run, got it?"

Konohamaru nodded. "But then, what are you going to do?"

"What am I going to do? That's easy." Naruto hefted his sword and donned a darker longsleeve. 'These pirates don't want to kill anybody, so I should be fine. I'll still need to be on my guard, of course, but all I want is a duel with one before they have to run away.' "I'm going to fight some pirates!" Uttering a loud and raucous war cry, he charged out the door, banging it shut behind him. He heard Konohamaru close the windows tight before he ran down the street.

People were still yelling in the distance. Along with battle cries, he heard women's screams, and frowned.

"What the...?" Naruto sniffed the air. The smell of smoke was prevalent over anything else. He ran around a corner so he could see past the narrow buildings on his street, and then froze in his tracks. Naruto's round blue eyes glinted orange, reflecting the huge tongues of fire that were devouring buildings he had known his entire life. They licked hungrily at nearby buildings as well, before spreading and beginning to swallow those up. Sparks flew into a night sky where the stars where veiled by thick grey smoke. Townspeople ran to and fro, chased by looming, unfamiliarly clothed figures brandishing swords and pistols. Even as he watched, one pirate caught up to the woman he was chasing as she tripped on her skirts. There was a glint of silver, and then her body fell motionless to the ground, trampled by the pirate's boots and then the fleeing feet of other villagers. A man who Naruto recognized as the town's silversmith pushed past him, yelling incomprehensibly.

'Am I dreaming?' Naruto thought in a daze. 'Are these what real pirates are like? Iruka-nii was wrong after all... Iruka-nii! He's an officer of the Navy! Surely, he's fighting now! I gotta find him!' He spotted several people wearing the bright uniforms of the Land of Fire's Navy, but none of them bore the gold trimmings of Iruka's.

A grinning, leering face loomed up in front of Naruto. The swordsmith let out a startled squeak and stepped backwards to avoid a fatal slash that would have taken off his head. The next attack forced his body to remember its training. Naruto stood his ground, executing a perfect block. However, as their sword connected, he took a step back from the sheer force of the blow. His opponent grinned wider, showing yellowed and crooked teeth. White bandages rested half-unraveled around his neck, and his pants were curiously spotted as if made from a black and white cow. Naruto stole a glance at his sword; the blade of it was huge and rectangular, with a circular hole in the middle and a half circle at the end.

"Sorry, kid. You're stance is good, but you have no chance against me. I'm one of the famed seven swordsmen- ever heard of them? No? As a proper swordsman, you should have heard of Zabuza Momochi. You not knowing my name just proves how insignificant you really are." The man disengaged, wielding his gigantic cleaver-like sword as light as a feather. Then he leapt forward again, slashing outward. Surprised by the suddenness of his attack, Naruto had barely enough time to bring his sword up.

"Why are you doing this?" he demanded. "My brother said the Shimura Pirates were supposed to be relatively peaceful!"

At this, Zabuza threw back his head and laughed. "Shimura Pirates? Sorry, kid, but that name's been blown into oblivion. We are the Akatsuki!"

Naruto gritted his teeth. His arms were beginning to tire. Never, in all his times of sparring with Hiruzen or other partners, had he been as worn-out as this. It took all of his strength just to stand his ground.

'When facing an opponent stronger than you, overwhelm them with your speed.' he recalled Hiruzen's lectures, and clearer than that he recalled the bruise he had gotten when the old man darted under his guard to deliver a sound rap on his back with the flat of his sword. 'Ha! This is the perfect opponent for me, then; super strong, but nowhere near the Orange Flash's level of speed!'

"You're strong." Naruto grunted. "But you see, that fits me just perfectly." The grin faded off Zabuza's face.

"What... shit!" Breaking off with a curse, he whipped around, seeking out his opponent. To all appearances, Naruto had simply disappeared. He saw a flash of orange to his left, and raised his sword just in the nick of time to block an attack. Then Naruto was gone from sight again, attacking from a different side. With each strike and block, Zabuza got slower and slower. It was a marginal difference at first, but then little cuts started to appear on his face, his chest, his arms, and his back. Anger boiling deep within his stomach, he took a deep breath and collected himself.

"No way... no damn way I'm going to be beaten by a damn kid!" He sacrificed a slightly deeper cut that curved around his head to bend down and jab outwards with his sword, the blade vertical with the ground. Naruto gave a cry as he tripped on Zabuza's sword, falling face first into the blood-soaked dirt. With a triumphant yell, Zabuza leaped to his feet, but Naruto was faster with his recovery, springing upwards from his position on the ground and driving his sword through the pirate before a choking noise made him jump. The sword shuddered in its sheath of human flesh and then was withdrawn, clattering onto the ground. Naruto did not move as Zabuza fell backwards, his eyes blank and lifeless. As if in a trance, Naruto looked down at the blood pooling around the pirate's body.

"Idid that...?" he whispered. "I... killed someone?"

Still not moving, he paid no attention to the raging battle going on around him. Burning debris crashed into the street, while soldiers tried to fight off the invaders.

"NARUTO!"

Naruto turned at his name, but then someone tackled him, sending them both to the ground. Even over the chaos, Naruto heard a single gunshot ring out somewhere close by. Ears ringing with the noise, he blinked up at the person on top of him.

"I-iruka-nii...?" he asked. Iruka's head was down, his breathing haggard. As Naruto said his name, the man looked up. His brown face was darkened with soot, but as their gazes met, Iruka's eyes crinkled in a smile and white teeth shone out from behind the dirt.

"Naruto..." Iruka repeated, but his voice became weaker with every syllable. "I almost lost you there..." His eyes began to close, and he slumped against Naruto. Frantically, the boy sat up, Iruka rolling off of him. Naruto grabbed his adoptive brother's shoulders, shaking him.

"Iruka-nii? What... why..." Something warm and wet reached Naruto's right hand, and he looked down. There, colouring Iruka's uniform a deep red was a small round bullet hole, right where his heart should have been. Naruto lifted his hand slowly, Iruka's blood dripping off of it. "No... it wasn't supposed to be like this..." Rising unsteadily, he stared out at the carnage with tears glimmering in his eyes but refusing to fall. "It wasn't supposed to..." His eyes rested on the dark ship in the harbour and then focused on it. The flurry of emotions awhirl in Naruto's mind transformed themselves into one thought that was clear only in the minds of those desperate souls and madmen.

Kneeling down, Naruto let his finger's trail across Iruka's face one last time, drinking in that peaceful smile. Then he rose and pounded down the street, teeth bared in a snarl, picking up a pistol from the body of a pirate. He could never ever remember being so angry. His mind felt blank except for the roar of some untamed beast calling for the blood of the pirates who destroyed his home and took the life of his precious brother. He made it to the docks without being challenged, and without thinking he placed the small gun between his teeth and dove into the dark waters.

'If I can just make it to the gangplank, I climb its underside using the little grooves in it, then break open a porthole once I get close enough to the ship...'

Heading closer to shore, Naruto floated with only his eyes and nose above the water like a crocodile seeking out potential prey. His blonde hair was camouflaged with brown and green seaweed, hanging down past his ears. Seeing nobody approaching the gangplank from the shore just yet, he latched onto the underside of it and stuck in fingers in small grooves running up its side. Wincing at the pain, he nevertheless was able to make his way closer and further up the ship without behind spotted. A strong wind battered him as he emerged out of the water, making the long wooden plank wobble. 'Damnit, they'll be able to sail away faster with this kind of wind... But that doesn't matter. All I need is a few minutes on their ship to knock some holes in it, then I'll be off and away.'

With the distant light of burning houses, Naruto could read the gold letters engraved in the side of the ship: the Foundation. He reached the end of the gangplank after ten minutes' difficult climb, and then let go, sliding down the side of the ship until his fingers caught the edge of a large porthole. He looked in through the thick glass and saw an empty, candlelit room. Holding his other arm well away from the glass, he aimed the pistol and fired. The window shattered with an explosive report. Narrowing his shoulders as much as possible, Naruto squeezed through and fell with barely any noise into a sailor's hammock. He was up and on his feet in seconds, looking around with pistol at the ready.

'It's so... quiet.' Naruto thought uneasily. The candlelight cast eerie shadows on the wooden walls, and the sound of the raid outside seemed muted. He remembered Zabuza's strength. 'If a regular member of their crew is that strong, then what if say, the first mate finds me, or worse, the captain? What will he do then?' For a moment, he was tempted to go back and swim away. Then he remembered Iruka's final words, and how he had sacrificed himself to protect him. Mind set, Naruto crept into the passage.

"'Ello, laddie." Naruto whirled around as a deep, amused voice spoke. He caught a glimpse of wild black hair and mismatched blue and brown eyes- then the flat of a blade completed its swing, hitting his head, and he fell into darkness.

*Did they have ramen back then?... Oh, well. For the purpose of the story, they did.

I have to work on another story besides this one, but this idea caught my fancy and I'll work on it when I get flashes of inspiration =)

I spellchecked this chapter, but tell me if you still spot any mistakes!