Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece or Naruto. The opinions of the characters are in no way, shape or form my own. Enjoy! :)

It had been a several hours since the newly formed duo had set sail from Kumo, the Log Pose having set a mere day after Naruto's initial arrival. The sea has been remarkably normal so far, which, for the Grand Line, was rather abnormal in itself. Of course, there was the healthy amount of odd fish they saw, which were foreign to them both.

"We should have bought fishing rods," Naruto remarked, glancing idly at another passing school of what appeared to be bright orange tuna. He had never really taken much to tuna, but seeing them in his favourite colour certainly helped his opinion.

Yugito on the other hand had a slight twinkle in her eye, gazing at the fish as her mouth salivated, wanting to jump right in and catch as many as she could. Of course, she stopped herself, not being able to swim and all.

"Yeah, why didn't you think of that?" she asked.

Naruto paused, scratching his chin. "I don't know? I guess I was focused on stocking up on non-perishables that it never occurred to me."

Yugito shrugged nonchalantly, not seeing it as too much of an issue. "We'll figure out what we need by the time we reach the next island and see what we can get from them."

Naruto nodded in agreement. "Speaking of which, do you know where the next island is?"

"Give me a second, let me grab my stuff!"

She bounded off down the steps towards where he assumed was her room, where she had likely left her charts and navigational tools.

Yugito returned moments later, a few rolled up charts in her arms. "These are all the general maps of the known Grand Line islands around us. Let me see the pose."

Lining up the pose given to her with an unfurled chart, she used her fingers to trace a rough path, using the knowledge of Kumo's general location to guide her.

"So far it looks like we're heading towards the Kingdom of Alabasta, which conveniently as far as this map goes."

Naruto looked curious. "Do any of the others go any further?"

Yugito shook her head, already aware of the answer. "We're out on the Grand Line, which is hard enough to map as it is. Besides, I think Kumo has dealings with Alabasta, but no other kingdoms that I know of."

Naruto nodded, understanding. Kumo did seem like they could hold their own, with their militaristic hierarchy. It made sense that they kept mostly to themselves though, choosing to enforce safety on their own island rather than get involved in the affairs of others.

"Well, how long will it take?"

Yugito glanced at the map briefly, considering the question. "It could take anywhere from two to three weeks, depending on how lucky we are with the Grand Line."

"Woah, that long huh? Well, what are we supposed to do for that long?" Naruto asked. He wasn't too concerned about actually filling the time, as they would surely find some way to entertain themselves. However, spending the time doing nothing but staring at the sea might drive the young Uzumaki insane.

"Well, for starters, how about you get better with your Devil Fruit? No offence, you were decent with the bandits, but clearly swinging a club around is definitely not the best you can do," Yugito remarked, recalling the fight.

"Well excuse me for only getting the damn thing last week," Naruto grumbled, aware of his shortcomings. "For your information, I can make sharp bone daggers too."

Yugito raised a brow. "Well, why didn't you?"

Naruto looked a bit embarrassed, glancing sidewards. "Well, y'know, I didn't want to kill anyone."

Yugito let out a bark of laughter, which, considering her Devil Fruit, was a bit ironic. She bit it back as she noticed Naruto wasn't joking.

"Wait, you're serious?"

"Uhuh," he said, still embarrassed.

"Well kid, you can't really go out into the Grand Line with that attitude, cuz the second we encounter any two-bit pirates out here, they'll be coming at us with the intent to kill."

He nodded his understanding, before his eye twitched. "Oi, who are you calling kid? We're the same age!"

"Well, when's your birthday?"

"October 10th," he replied, aware he was a late baby. But dammit, it wasn't his fault!

Yugito looked smug, and Naruto could already sense he had lost this verbal trade.

"July 26th. Have some respect, kid."

His eye twitched again, a bone dagger threatening to break through from the skin of his palm.

Yugito noticed his attitude, smirking. "Awh, is the wittle baby upset?"

"That's it, you're dead!"

The bone dagger popped out, wielded in a reverse grip in Naruto's hand. He pointed it at her, declaring,

"Let's spar! Winner has to clean the ship for the next week!"

"You're on!"

A sat at his desk, signing papers at a leisurely pace. There honestly wasn't much to look over today, so he was planning on taking his time to drag it out until lunch, lest someone come in and disturb him.

As per his routine, his left arm was currently writing while the right was performing overhead presses with a massive dumbbell. The numbers were faded from years of wear and tear, but had someone viewed it in pristine condition, they would have been shocked to see that it weighed approximately 3 tonnes.

Placing the recently finished page aside, he switched hands, grabbing another sheet after.

"This looks like the mission report from Yugito," he mused to himself, skimming it. It was rather lackluster, though Yugito noted that Naruto had a Devil Fruit that appeared to let him pull bones from his body.

He certainly hoped those two weren't fully at each other's throats. Despite their outbursts at learning they would be traveling together, it had lacked the same animosity prior. Something had clearly changed.

"So the boy has the Hone Hone no Mi. Interesting, considering who his father was," he said to no one.

"Indeed."

A glanced up sharply, his weight frozen mid set.

"I was not expecting you here."

The person before him smiled. "You of all should know that I can be anywhere I need to be."

"I suppose this isn't for talks of trades then, considering that you snuck into my office."

"No, it isn't."

"Good. I have some questions for you, 'Master of None'. Or, should I say, Sarutobi?"

The wizened face of the Mayor of Konoha gazed back at him, covered slightly by his equally worn battle helmet. There truly was much to discuss. The cogs of destiny were slowly turning, oiled by the will of the ones who stood outside of fate.

"Whichever you prefer."

Naruto panted, lying on his back. He was drenched in sweat, and was vaguely aware that when he chose to sit back up, his shirt would cling uncomfortably to his back. He had a black eye developing in his right, while the left was squinting as the sun was nearly above the ship.

Yugito was sitting casually beside him. While she too was sweating slightly, she showed no other signs of exertion.

"Guess you're cleaning the ship, huh?"

Naruto grumbled, choosing not to acknowledge that he had indeed lost rather easily.

"How are you so strong?"

Yugito looked off at nothing in particular. "I've been trained to fight ever since I could remember. That's all there is to it."

"Yeah, but why do you fight?" he asked, genuinely curious to learn more about the blonde.

"Well, cuz I'm part of Kumo's militia. That's why I have to be strong, so that I can protect it."

Her answer confused him, having not grown up in a militaristic environment as she had. "What about this? How are you protecting Kumo right now?"

"I'm on an assignment right now to be your crew mate, and also find A-sama's brother while we're at it," she replied, looking back at him. They gazed at each other for a moment.

"Why are you out here?" she asked finally, sweeping an arm to gesture towards the open waters.

It was Naruto's turn to be pensive. "I guess I always wanted to go on an adventure. But I learned some things about my dad, and that he may still be alive out there somewhere. I want to find him!"

"What about your mom? What's she like?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know, I never met her. Grandpa always told me they were both dead, but now I'm not so sure. I'm named after her actually- Uzumaki Kushina."

Yugito seemed to be remembering something. "That name sounds familiar, but I can't really place it."

"What about your parents?"

Yugito snapped out of her attempts to remember where she had heard the Uzumaki's name before.

"Dead as well. Well, missing at sea actually, but in this part of it, that's as good as dead."

Naruto looked down in thought, before bringing the subject back to where it had begun. "Is there anything you'd like to do while we're out here?"

Yugito mulled over the question, before she smiled slightly. "I've heard that there's a mythical island out there on the back of a giant elephant. The people that live there are supposedly a race of half-human, half-animal hybrids."

Naruto grinned, holding out a fist for her to bump. "Alright then! I, Uzumaki Naruto, swear that I will help you find this mythical island! That's a promise of a lifetime!"

Yugito returned his fist bump, matching his wide grin with one of her own. "And I, Nii Yugito, will help you find your father. That's my promise of a lifetime."

They held that for a second, before both their stomachs growled almost simultaneously.

Promises of a lifetime aside, it was time for dinner.

"Keep swinging, fishcake!"

Naruto panted as he swung a 'sword' in a series of strikes. It was actually a heavy metal pole that she had brought with her for her own training, but was currently being used by Naruto for a training regime that she was enforcing upon him.

Up, down, left, right. Diagonal to the left, diagonal to the right.

This pattern repeated for another few times, before she signaled for him to stop.

"Grab water while I do my set! You're going to do some practice with your fruit after this."

Naruto nodded weakly, choosing to relish in the flavour of the cool liquid as it ran down his throat. It tasted heavenly.

Over the past week, Naruto had been training with Yugito, as the gap in their strengths had become painfully obvious following the spar. Not to mention, the stories of how terrifyingly powerful some individuals were drove him to train.

Yugito had picked up her own training. She was by no means weak, but she'd heard the same stories. If they were to survive on the Grand Line, they both needed to be stronger.

She thought back to the past week, particularly the blond haired, whisker cheeked boy that was now technically her captain. Perhaps she should mutiny, she mused, as she was clearly the stronger of the duo.

He had taken to the training rather well, and it was clear that he had some previous fighting experience. When questioned by her, he explained that his grandfather was a former martial artist, and he'd learned hand-to-hand, as well as combat with a staff. She remembered their brief exchange regarding that.

"Idiot, why didn't you bring a staff with you?"

Naruto looked sheepish. "Would you believe me if I said I was so excited about leaving that I forgot?"

She shook her head. Who on earth would be so excited that they forget a weapon that they know how to fight with? Of course, the answer was before her. Naruto would.

Seeing as how he was short of a staff, and his bone 'dagger'ead was more reminiscent of a short sword, they had begun drilling intended for him to become more familiar with sword fighting. Not that he needed too much handholding, as it were.

In the short spars they had daily, restricted to sword fighting, Naruto had begun to show ingenious ways to both attacking and defending. He would launch a flurry of rapid attacks, aided further by the smaller size of his sword, yet was agile in evasion.

So much so that she had begun to slowly put more and more effort into actually hitting the damn boy. She would get him, of course, but he seemed to evade more than he was ever caught. Further still, in the past few days, she had noticed that it grew harder still.

"Oi, Yugito!"

His voice, dripping with excitement, drew her from her musings. He was by the helm of the ship, squinting into the distance.

"What?"

He pointed with a finger. "I see an island! I can make out a port, I think."

Yugito looked up in surprise, looking at the Log Pose strapped around her wrist. Naruto had deemed it best that she use it, being the only one with some navigational sense between the two. It was pointed in the general direction of where Naruto indicated.

She hurried over. Indeed, there was an island. It looked rather small, though her eyes could make out a port. It was unexpected that the Log Pose had been pointing here, as opposed to Alabasta.

"Is that Alabasta?" he asked. Yugito shook her head.

"No way. Alabasta is supposedly a sandy kingdom. I see some hills and lots of trees there."

"I thought you said our Log Pose was pointed towards Alabasta?"

"I thought it was," Yugito said, her eyes slightly narrowed. "Either way, we might as well dock here and see if there's anything interesting in this town."

In almost no time at all, the two had drawn their ship close to the harbour. They scouted for an open spot, before docking. Almost instantly, a stout man, holding a clipboard, approached them.

"'Ello there," he called, a vague accent in his gruff voice. "Who might ye be?"

Naruto and Yugito shared a glance, before Naruto coughed into a fist. "My name is Naruto, and this is Yugito! Our Pose was pointing here, so we have to make land."

The man let out a bark of laughter, though it didn't seem to be mocking. "That be impossible, lad. Wherever your Pose points, it be far past this strange land."

It was Yugito that replied this time. "What do you mean by that?"

The man met her gaze. "This island has no magnetic pull to draw a Pose. Been this way ever since I remember."

Yugito gawked. "That's...impossible!"

"Oho, lassy, I assure ye, nothin' is quite called impossible out on the Line," he replied, a vague twinkle of amusement in his eyes. Clearly he was enjoying this conversation.

"Call me Tugboat. Feel free to make port, but ye must register yer ship right 'ere, on ma board."

"Will do, ossan!"

They dropped their anchor and tied their ship to a post by the dock, ensuring that it wouldn't drift away. Both signed the clipboard, along with registering the name of their ship.

They turned away for a moment, before a cough interrupted them. Tugboat had his hand outstretched.

"100 beli, if ye would."

Naruto grumbled, not expecting to be blindsided by payment. He fished for his wallet, which was in the shape of a frog. He pulled out a bill, before handing it over.

Tugboat grunted his thanks, stuffing it roughly into his pants pocket. He turned, walking away, before stopping for a second once more.

"One last thing. I see no black flag, but if yer pirates, I wouldn't cause no trouble. The Marines 'ave a base 'ere, and the Captain ain't ever let none escape before."

With that, he turned and left before either of the two could clarify that they definitely weren't pirates.

Yugito spoke first. "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go see what's around."

"We'll split up, see what's around. Meet back here in an hour?"

They both agreed, before walking off the pier together. As it turned out, they had no real need to split up. The town was downright tiny, with the most impressive structure being the large white walls covering the Marine base.

Naruto sweatdropped slightly. "Well, I suppose that's that. I'll go, uh, over there I guess?"

A similar sweatdrop was matched on Yugito's forehead. "Yeah, I'll go there."

From where they pointed, the two random shops they had chosen were right beside each other- a blacksmith's forge and a general convenience store respectively.

Yugito wandered into the store. From the sign outside, it had declared itself as a convenience and pawn shop, as well as a having a third function as a bank. Yugito wasn't quite sure what to make of it.

"Bonjour, mademoiselle! How may I assist you today?"

The voice came from the counter, where a man sat behind it. He looked to be of an average build, wearing a simple black suit with a white shirt peaking out from underneath. A monocle was adorned over his left eye, which Yugito thought was odd, mainly because she was not aware that people actually wore those.

"I'm just looking around for some odds and ends. Some fishing supplies, maybe some used training equipment and such."

"Ah, mademoiselle, you 'ave come to ze, how you say, l'endroit parfait...oh! Ze perfect place!"

His voice was heavily accented, though in a completely different manner from the man they had met at the pier. He stepped out from behind the counter, greeting her with a flourish.

"You may call me Henry! That is pronounced 'ahn-ree', not 'hehn-ree', if you would be so kind."

Yugito blinked, feeling a bit overwhelmed. She had been trained to be polite to clientele and such, but was certainly not expecting it on this rather random island.

"Yes, of course, Henry. My name is Yugito," she said, making sure to say the name the way the man had said it, as well as politely introduce herself. He nodded, seeming pleased. "Please, show me what you have!"

Henry bounded around the store in a whirl, picking up objects so fast that she couldn't quite make out what he was grabbing where, or even what was in his arms at any given time. Within minutes, he was behind the counter, delicately laying out his goods. He gestured with a hand, smiling.

"Mademoiselle, if you will."

She approached, looking at the stock before her. If anything, it was nothing she had expected from an isolated pawn shop/ convenience store/ bank. The items were in pristine condition, for the most part, and looked to be well crafted.

"This was ze most I am able to do, at such notice," he said, before beginning to outline each item for her. "Here, we 'ave a basic casting rod, with ze assorted bait and tackle- I 'ave more if needed. I carry some harpoons also, for catching, uh, how you say, bigger fish."

Yugito nodded, satisfied with what she was seeing so far.

"And the training equipment?" she questioned, not seeing much else on the table other than a piece of paper, sidelined among heaps of different fishing accessories.

"Ah, this paper contains ze information for our supplies. They are rather heavy to carry along, my apologies," he replied, smiling as he handed her the aforementioned page.

She scanned it quickly, before beginning to smile. "Yes, this will do. Now, for the matter of payment."

Henry gained a glint in his eye, tilting his face down as he readjusted his monocle slightly.

"Qui, let us discuss."

And so began one of the toughest battles Yugito had dared to engage in her life, both opponents trying desperately to outwit and outmatch the other, the shadow of war falling as all false pretenses of kindness and niceties were quickly shed.

While Yugito had chosen the odd multifaceted store (or was it stores?), Naruto instead chose to go straight to the blacksmith. He had an idea in mind, especially since he had started training with Yugito, though he had no idea whether or not it was possible.

"Hello, anyone home?" Naruto called out, not seeing anyone as first glance. The shop was relatively small, yet everything was spaced well enough that it gave it a large atmosphere than it originally could have hoped for, which was coupled well with the high ceiling allowing for greater storage. Racks of sharp weaponry lined the walls, from simple straight edges sword and elegant katanas, to long spears and brutal double-sided battleaxes.

"Hold yer horses!" A gruff voice answered him, booming through the shop. "I'll be out in a minute."

Naruto idly browsed the weapons, poking at them here and there.

"Oi, watch yourself."

Naruto spun around at the send of the voice, only to gape at the sheer size of the man. He was massive! And that wasn't necessarily to say that he had large muscles or was particularly overweight.

He was tall! He had to have been closing in on ten feet. A simple brown apron covered his equally simple brown pants and shirt, mirrored by brown steel-toed working boots. He was built quite sturdy- Naruto could see his shirt strained against the circumference of his bicep.

"Ya don't want t' be cuttin' yerself there, lad. Some o' this is me finest work, and it'll cut ya just t' touch."

His voice seemed so much louder up close. Of course, Naruto wasn't one to actually be afraid of something just because of the way it looked, or was shaped, or both.

"Sorry, ossan! These are really well made, I couldn't help but look!"

The giant man chuckled, his laughter rich in tone. Naruto idly wondered what it must be like to be so, dare he say it, masculine.

"Not one for flattery I am, but I do appreciate the recognition for me work. Name's Henry by the way. That's 'hehn-ree' now, not 'ahn-ri'. Now what can I do ya for?"

Naruto paused, not sure what to make of the last bit. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Henry-ossan. Name's Naruto! And I actually need something custom built, if you can do that here."

"Of course lad, don't go insultin' me pride. Follow me, the forge is just around the back."

The man lead the way through the doorway that was behind the counter, the same one he had initially walked out of. Just past it, indeed, was the forge, complete with a furnace, an anvil and a few scattered tables. Heaps and sheets of metal were visible on a few shelves on the farthest wall from the entrance.

"Now lad, tell me what you need," Henry said to him as he moved over to a table, grabbing a sheet of paper and a pencil. He handed them to him. "As we think of ideas, I prefer if my clients right 'em down on that there sheet."

Naruto nodded his understanding, before answering the man's earlier question. He summoned a bone dagger from his palm, presenting it to the man.

The man raised an eyebrow, before nodding in understanding.

"I believe I know what yer askin' for. Let's get down to it, shall we?"

It was about thirty minutes later than Naruto wandered out of the Henry's shop, having given him the specifications that he would like for his new weapon. A part of him was giddy, and couldn't wait to see the finished product.

As he walked, he reflected on his time since leaving Konoha. In the two short weeks, he had gained a crewmate, consumed a Devil Fruit, trained with it and gotten stronger. Now, they were enroute to Alabasta, a whole kingdom.

"Hehe, maybe their princess is actually in grave danger and needs help saving the country," he mused, thinking of the entirely unrealistic possibilities.

"Were you just talking to yourself?"

Naruto jumped slightly, having been engrossed in his thoughts. He shot Yugito a small glare. "Sheesh, can't a guy just voice his thoughts?"

She grinned. "Well, what were they?"

Naruto opened his mouth to retort, before paling slightly. "Uh, don't worry, nothing important."

Yugito raised an eyebrow, her grin growing wider. "Oh, really? Well, guess that princess didn't mean much to you after all."

Naruto groaned. So she had heard. "Sue me, I want some adventure."

Yugito laughed. "Well, whatever you say. Now help me move some of this stuff!"

Looking down, he finally noticed the things she had amassed by her feet. He saw all manners of things, such as several fishing rods stocked into a barrel, and others that he couldn't quite make out, as they were wrapped in layers of packaging.

Yugito grabbed the barrel, leaving him to grab one of the unknown packages. He bent down slightly to pick it up, and grunted as he hefted it.

"Oi, what the hell is this? An iron brick?"

"Close! It's actually several iron bars!" Yugito's voice called down.

Naruto sweatdropped. He had been joking, but it appeared he was closer than he initially thought. Maybe that princess thing wouldn't be so farfetched after all?

After a few minutes of lugging things onto the ship, they were finally all done. Yugito clapped her hands once before rubbing them together, a cheshire grin on her face.

"Let's open these bad boys up," she said, before literally attacking the packaging of one mystery item.

As it turned out, Yugito had acquired a rather wide variety of training equipment. The iron bars Naruto had carried earlier corresponded to an assortment of ankle and wrist weights, as well as weighted vests.

There was also, oddly enough, gym equipment. He noticed she had acquired some plain barbells, as well as a variety of plates to put on them.

"What's all this for?"

"Idiot, how do you think you're going to get stronger? You can train and practice using your fruit and techniques, but that won't matter much if your body is too weak to last in a fight," she said, meeting his gaze, passion burning in her eyes.

Perhaps being a soldier under A really did have it's effect after all. In fact, now that he thought of it, Yugito was very strong. During their spars, he had quickly realized that if he locked his sword with her, ten times out of ten, she would be able to wrench it from his grasp. If he blocked, she would push harder and break through it.

"Okay, I see what you're saying," he grumbled, now recalling that he was indeed infinitely weaker than a girl. Of course, that girl had been in a militia and possessed a Devil Fruit, but none of that truly mattered in his mind.

"Anyway, we'll get to this stuff later! Did you get anything?"

Naruto's mood brightened. "Yeah, I put in an order for a special weapon! It won't be ready for another three days though, and I still have to pay the guy."

He paused for a second. "Speaking of money, how did you pay for all this stuff?"

Yugito grinned. "Let's just say Kumo lets it's militia keep most of the bounties for any pirates that dock and cause us any trouble."

Naruto blinked, genuinely surprised. "Wait, so you're like, rich or something?"

Yugito chortled. "Definitely not rich like that. But I have a decent sum of money saved up from over the years of kicking ass and taking names."

It was Naruto's turn to snort. "Someone's cocky."

"What can I say? When you're this badass it just happens."

He shook his head. "Let's just go see what kind of food this place has."

"Right behind ya."

It was late in the night of the second day when Yugito was awoken by the sounds of multiple footsteps walking around their deck. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes before, much like a cat, gracefully leaping off her bed and landing with naught a sound.

She exited her room, before opening the door to Naruto's, which was directly across from hers. He was also up, putting on his shoes. He blinked as he saw her, before pointing.

"Um, what are you wearing?" He asked as quietly as he could. Yugito currently appeared to be dressed in an oversized t shirt that was easily a men's extra large, meaning that it dwarfed her comparatively smaller frame. On the front was graphic writing that was read "Honey, Please Bee-lieve Me", coupled with the image of a pouty bee.

She blinked, looking down at her attire, and realizing why he had just asked that. Her eye twitched, daring him to say anything else. "It's comfy to sleep in. Now hurry, let's see who's on our damn ship."

Naruto nodded, moving behind her. They made their way up the stairs, opening the door slightly. A figure wearing a black cloak moved around their deck, the dark of night disguising their features.

Yugito called out. "Hey, what are you doing?"

The figure froze for a moment, before dashing to the railing and leaping onto the deck. Yugito and Naruto followed, but by the time they made it to the railing, the figure was already gone.

"What the hell was that?" They both said simultaneously. Realizing they had said the same thing, they turned to one another.

"Oi, that was my line!" They repeated, glaring as best as they could in the dark.

It was Naruto that broke the contest first, shaking his head slightly. "Should we try to follow after whoever that was?"

Yugito considered it for a second, before changing her mind. "No, we shouldn't. They want something on the ship, and they might have a partner. We'll deal with this in the morning."

"You're right, but now I have so much adrenaline pumping through me that I don't think I can sleep anymore," he said.

"Wanna spar?"

"Now you're talking!"

The first rays of light fell on the ship not too long after, revealing the ending of a hand to hand battle between the two crew members. They had both agreed to avoid using their abilities, leaving it a true test of skill.

Naruto leaned his head back, avoiding a hook from Yugito. He shuffled his feet back, before spinning into a powerful back kick.

However, his opponent was not one to be caught stationary. Using her hand, she misdirect his kick by pushing against his calf, before launching a front kick of her own. It caught Naruto's hip, sending him stumbling.

"That was way too close," he complained, the kick having been mere centimeters from his groin.

She shrugged. "Well, it's not like enemies are going to be nice and try not to kick you there."

He glared at her. "They won't, but that doesn't mean I need constant prep for it."

"Sheesh, quit whining about it already," she said, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

Before they could continue, someone called from the deck below them.

"Excuse me, are Nii Yugito and Uzumaki Naruto on board?"

They shot each other a curious looking, before Naruto called back.

"Yes, we are! Who is it?" he asked, walking to the side of the ship. Several men in a Marine officer's uniform stood on the deck, rifles in hand. Another officer, this one distinctly holding a clipboard, called to them.

"By the power vested in me by the World Government, I am hereby placing you under arrest for thievery! Please come peacefully, as I am authorized to use force!"

They found themselves being escorted by the small contingent to the Marine base, having agreed to go peacefully, though handcuffed on their hands and feet, and further connected together by a short chain, forcing them to stay fairly close, lest they both trip.

"I just don't understand how this is happening," Naruto muttered to Yugito.

"Let's just sort this out in their base," she replied, though she was equally confused.

"I bet that guy from last night had something to do with it," Naruto stated.

"Prisoners, no talking!" An officer beside them shouted, jabbing the butt of his rifle into Naruto's ribs for emphasis.

He quieted down, but chose to glare back at the officer who had butted him.

The base was a short walk from the dock. A few people that were awake at this early hour pointed at them and gossiped, having recognized them due to their stay the past few days.

They walked up to the two large wooden doors which blocked off the compound from the town. Two guards opened the doors, nodding to the other officers as they walked by.

From there, they were lead into what appeared to be the main building. Inside, they were greeted by a secretary, who wordlessly handed two forms to the lead officer. He began filling them out.

"Throw 'em in holding," he ordered. "And make sure Uzumaki's cuffs are replaced with our seastone ones. He's a reported Devil Fruit user."

That got their attention. Naruto and Yugito shared a look, understanding crossing between them. They knew who had betrayed them.

Of course, this revelation would have to wait, Naruto decided, as his cuffs were replaced with ones made of seastone, instantly weakening him and robbing him of his powers.

Naruto wasn't a fool. He was well aware of what seastone was, and he knew that Yugito did too. He also knew that with him both unable to use his powers or his hands, he would be mostly useless if they tried to break out.

At the moment, their only saving grace was the fact that they were unaware that Yugito also possessed a Devil Fruit, and had instead left her in normal cuffs.

Of course, that was overshadowed by the fact that they were largely outnumbered, and they had no idea about the strengths of the individual Marines stationed at this base.

They were lead down a set of stairs, which opened up into a small hallway. Jail cells were on either side, for a total of six. They were all empty, save for the two individual cells that Naruto and Yugito were to be placed in.

They were patted down and searched. Finding nothing, as they were still dressing in their sleeping attire, they opened the doors, allowing them to enter.

Most of the guards left, save for two that remained stationed outside their respective cells, staring into the cell directly opposite of them.

Yugito and Naruto made eye contact. He tried to gesture to the guards with his eyes, indicating to take them out. She shook her head, mouthing 'wait' under her breath.

"What was that, prisoner?" The officer that was stationed outside of Naruto's cell asked.

Yugito said nothing, sticking a tongue out and blowing a raspberry at the guard. His eye twitched, but he said nothing.

They spent the following hours in silence. The guards, to their credit, remained at their posts in silence. They exchanged words only when one or the other was going on a break, which lasted for no more than ten minutes at a time.

A standard meal was provided for them, consisting of some bread, stew, baked vegetables and some meat. They both scarfed it down, despite the lackluster taste, having not had breakfast that morning.

There was no windows in their cells, and light was provided by two torches that were close to the entrance, so there was no indication of what time of day it was. However, clearly it had been long enough, as the guards finally broke composure.

"When's the next shift getting here?" The guard in front of Naruto asked his peer. They were overdue for a shift change, and were not pleased with the time their replacements were taking.

"You'd think they'd get here faster to relieve their comrades, but noooo, they'd rather goof off while we're stuck here for nine straight hours," his comrade replied, equally annoyed.

As if timed perfectly, the second he finished his sentence was when a new pair of guards emerged from the stairwell, their crisp white uniforms adding more colour to the dark walls. They each held two cups in their hands, adorned with an odd logo that read 'DcCafe' in stylized cursive lettering.

"Sorry about that guys, the line for coffee was ridiculously long over at DcMonald's. Here, we brought ya' some," one of the new guards said as they presented one of the cups each to their counterparts.

"Alright, alright, I guess it's okay if you're late. Have a good shift," the old guards said, bidding them adieu as they likely headed for the barracks for some well deserved rest.

While this exchange had occurred, it had given Naruto and Yugito ample time to communicate. The shift had last nine hours, meaning that the time right now was nearing five in the afternoon. Naruto held out eight fingers, indicating that they would wait towards the end of the guards shift to get out.

Yugito nodded to convey her understanding. She pointed at something beside Naruto. It was the carcass of a small animal, likely a mouse. It must have been dead for a while, as it was a pristine white skeleton.

Naruto looked back, confused. What was he supposed to do with that? She briefly imitated unlocking the cuffs, and he understood.

Ensuring that the guards were exchanging cups of coffee, and thus not paying much attention, he snatched up the bones, hiding them in his lap. From there, he snapped away the ribs, which we hoped would be just large enough to act as lockpicks, lest they have to find a key.

These guards were more animated than the pair before, as they frequently engaged in quiet conversation, though they avoided interacting with their prisoners. Of course, part of that could be the coffee providing them with energy.

Nonetheless, as the hours rolled on, and boredom set in, and perhaps, the crash from the caffeine high occurred, the guards became increasingly tired. At some point, dinner had been given, a meal that looked almost the same as their lunch. A cup of jello had been given as a small dessert to follow.

By the way the guards talked, Naruto and Yugito were able to estimate that their shift was nearing it's end. It was time to act.

Naruto raised his shackled hands to get a guard's attention.

"I need to take a dump," he said plainly. Yugito was clearly not expecting this, as she almost burst into laughter. A smile almost broke through, before she managed to fight it back.

"What?" The guard replied.

"I need to take a shit man," Naruto said again. "You arrested us before I could go this morning, and all that food is really building up."

The guards both had a slight look of disgust as they decided who would be escorting the prisoner to the finally decided the one standing in front of Yugito's cell would be the one to go.

"Follow me, prisoner," he said, opening the door and helping Naruto stand up. As they walked past, Naruto gave Yugito a slight grin and mouthed, 'Be right back'.

The guard lead him back up the stairs, giving him a view of the entrance and table where they had been checked in as prisoners. A lone Marine sat there now, replacing the secretary at night. From their current position just at the top of the stairs, he was facing directly perpendicular to where Naruto was standing.

They walked past the guard to the opposite side of the jail, where there was designated bathrooms. The guard fished for his keys, rifling through them, before finding the one he needed.

"Which hand is your dominant hand?" He asked suddenly.

"My right," Naruto answered, to which the guard wordlessly replied by uncuffing his right hand, ensuring that the left one was still secured to his person. He opened the door, pushing him into the men's bathroom.

Naruto flashed him a grin. "Don't tell me you have to wait out here and listen?"

The guard, to his credit, remained professional, directing him to one of the two stalls.. "We must ensure that all attempts to escape are limited."

Naruto sat on the toilet, dropping his pants and boxer. To be honest, he did actually have to go, but the adrenaline of being free of jail was overpowering that urge for now. The door's locked was not engaged, as the guard was holding it closed.

He fished his hands into his pocket, taking out small mouse ribs. He tried picking at the lock, though it was tough going. The guard was beginning to get suspicious.

"Everything alright in there?"

"All good!" Naruto replied, unfurling some toilet paper. The slight noise made from the pulling alleviated the guard's worries.

He returned to his attempts, though it was slowed as he now had to add grabbing toilet paper into the mix. Finally, a click sounded, and the cuff opened.

Unfortunately for Naruto, the guard heard it to.

"Hey!" He yelled, ripping open the door, prepared to subdue the prisoners.

Unfortunately for the guard, the open of the cuffs meant that Naruto was free to use his powers. The second the door opened, he was met in the face by a bone club which was slammed into his forehead, instantly knocking him unconscious.

Naruto paused for a minute, ensuring that the guard outside hadn't heard them. When no one came rushing in, he took his time to strip the guard of his keys, which he placed in his pocket alongside his new pair of seastone cuffs.

He opened the door an inch, then sweatdropped. The guard up front had very clearly fallen asleep, as indicated by the drool pooling onto the desk.

Naruto walked past quietly, then inched down the stairs back to the jail. He would have to engage the other guard quickly. They were lucky there wasn't many cells to begin with, and the distance he would have to cross would be short.

He drew another bone club, preparing to round the corner and engage. He was instead met with a grinning Yugito, who sat on the unmoving body of the other guard.

"What took you so long?"

Naruto grinned back at her, holding up the cuffs from their metal chain, lest he be weakened once more. "These took a while to get off."

"You're keeping those?" she asked, eyes wide.

He shrugged in response. "Yeah, why not? Figured they'll come in handy, since we're fugitives now apparently."

And they, without a doubt, were. The second they had been arrested, they knew it was futile to try and tell the Marines otherwise. Well, rather, they had tried, and were promptly told to be silent.

Naruto recalled what A said. On the sea, you truly were either a pirate, or a Marine. The Grand Line was too harsh to let you be anything in between. Of course, that wasn't true either, as you could be a merchant, a civilian, royalty, a bounty-

He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. They had to focus. Plus, Yugito was giving him a weird look for zoning out for so long.

"Anyway, there's a guard upstairs, but he's asleep. We should be fine to just walk out."

"After you."

Before they left, Naruto quickly unlocked her handcuffs. She likely could have gotten them off herself, but this way created less noise.

With that, they quickly made their way up the stairs. Ensuring the guard was still asleep, they made their way to the front door.

Upon opening it, they say that there was several guards stationed around in watch posts high up on the wall. Circles of lights swept through the barracks at timed intervals, trying to catch sight of anything unusual.

Yugito signaled for him to follow her. Without waiting to see if he was following, he bounded forward, passing between two sweeping lights, managing to avoid being caught in them.

Unfortunately for her, she was still wearing her clothing from earlier, which was a white oversized t shirt. And while it was night and difficult to see, white clothing was always a stark contrast to the surrounding darkness.

"A prisoner is escaping!"

Naruto smacked his forehead. "Dammit Yugito!"

She blushed, slightly embarrassed. "I thought I was wearing my usual mission clothes, sue me!"

"Whatever, let's get the hell out of here!"

All thoughts of stealth left their mind as they dashed for the front wooden doors. An alarm was sounded as the guards scrambled down their ladders in an attempt to cut them off.

One guard, feeling particularly heroic as his post was in their direct route, jumped down from his post. However, upon landing, the adrenaline quickly left his system as pain swiftly replaced it, having just sprained both ankles simultaneously.

Like the man he was, he promptly broke down into tears, partially from the physical pain, and partially from the realization that he was just another unnamed guard, bound to a life of mediocrity.

"Dammit Jamieson, just climb down next time!" Another guard called to yell at his crying comrade. Well, perhaps he had a name after all, though it wouldn't do him much good in stopping the escaping duo.

The gate was kicked open seconds later, and the two Marines outside, who had heard the commotion and prepared to stop the duo, were swiftly disposed of.

"Get the ship ready!" Naruto yelled to Yugito. "I need to get something."

She nodded, running towards the dock. Naruto meanwhile sprinted to Henry's shop. barreling through the door within seconds and making his way to the forge.

Upon entering, he noted the dim light provided by a single torch. On a nearby table was his commissioned weapon.

"I'm afraid I can't let you 'ave that, lad."

Henry stepped out from the shadows, arms crossed.

"You sold us out," Naruto stated simply.

Henry nodded. "Aye, that I did."

"Why?"

"My crewmate, Henry and I, used to be pirates, ya see. But the sea be harsh and cruel, and we chose to settle down on this island with our treasure. It's just a simple way to earn some money, is all."

Naruto shook his head. "So you sell your wares to people that pass through, and then report it as a robbery?"

"Aye."

"Are you even a blacksmith?" Naruto asked, shifting his eyes to his weapon.

Henry noticed his gaze. "I made what ya asked me with all me heart. Call it passion, if ya will, for dedication to me craft."

Naruto tensed slightly. "Whatever you call it," he paused, staring right into Henry's eyes, before exploding forward.

For a man his size, Naruto noted, Henry was shockingly quick. He grabbed the weapon just before he could grab it, and moved to smash it over his head.

With no time to spare, Naruto reflexively threw his left arm up, blocking it, before retreating to a safer range. His arm tingled from the blow.

"Give up, lad," Henry said, pointing at him with his weapon. "I know me strength, and I know that I just broke yer arm."

Naruto cracked his neck, choosing not to respond, before drawing a bone dagger with his right arm, and charging back at the much larger man.

Henry swung at him again, but this time, Naruto was ready. As the weapon neared, he ducked. Henry faltered from the miss, drawing the weapon back.

However, he wasn't ready for Naruto to jump up to his face, using his duck as a spring to gain height. His knee smashed into Henry's nose, easily breaking it.

He spun midair following the blow, burying the dagger into Henry's right shoulder. He cried out in pain, letting go of the weapon. It clattered to the ground at the same time that Naruto landed, allowing him to take a hold of it.

"Yugito hits much harder than you, ossan," he told him, holding up his left arm to show that it was perfectly fine. It was the last thing he saw before Naruto whipped him across the face with his new bo staff, knocking him unconscious.

He walked out of the forge, intent on heading back to the ship, before pausing for a moment, looking around the store.

"Hm, Yugito can wait a few minutes."

As Naruto ran to the store, intent on getting both his order and likely revenge, Yugito was focused on securing the ship. It was still where they left it, though one thing was different.

Namely that Henry was unloading all the equipment he had sold her back onto the dock. A few Marines, which had likely been stationed to watch the ship, were unconscious around him.

She suddenly understood their ploy. Naruto had told her about the blacksmith, who was also named Henry, though their pronunciations were vastly different, and also conveniently were the exact pronunciation that the other wished their name was not said as.

Yugito couldn't help it. She was frustrated from being stuck in jail the whole day, and it was all because of the prick in front of her. On top of that, he was taking back everything she had rightfully bought.

She roared in anger, charging forward. The sound caught Henry's attention, who opened his mouth in surprise. To his credit, he didn't let his shock stop himself from answering the charging girl.

He hefted the barbell that was currently in his hands, causing it to glow purple. He flung it like a javelin, watching in satisfaction as it speared into Yugito's stomach, exploding cleanly out the other side.

He approached her as she fell to her knees, coughing. "Foolish girl, you did not have to escape from ze jail and attack me. And now, you are dying."

"Soru."

Yugito disappeared before his eyes, before her voice came from behind him. "Man, that never gets old."

He turned around, only to be smacked across the face with a 45lb plate of solid iron. His entire jaw rattled, and before he could respond, she kneed him square in his groin.

Henry fell to his knees in pain, but was allowed no reprieve as Yugito hefted him over her head, walking to the edge of the dock.

He understood what she intended to do. "You foolish girl, you dare try and kill me?!"

Summoning his power, he coursed electricity through her, getting her to stop in place.

"I am a conductor man! You can no longer move now, as your nerves having long stopped listening to your commands!"

Yugito grit her teeth, before trudging a step forward. This was following by another, and then another.

Henry's eyes widened in fear, and he coursed more and more electricity through her, yet it seemed to have no effect on the determined girl. He began shifting and struggling, yet her grip remained ironclad.

"You think that pathetic shock is enough to stop me?! I am the student of the God of Lightning, and I will not be stopped by the likes of you!" Yugito roared, finally reaching the edge of the dock. Summoning up her strength, she flung him, watching as he crashed into another dock, easily breaking through it.

Henry struggled holding onto a piece of wood to keep him afloat. The damned girl had thrown him to the edge of the far deck, and already he could feel the sea weakening him, trying to claim him as its own.

"Ack, help me, you foolish girl! You can turn me in for my bounty, just save me, damn you!"

Yugito looked at him for a moment. "How much are you worth?"

"3 million beris! Please, I will not resist!"

Yugito regarded him, before holding out her arm, her index and middle finger pointed in the distinct shape of a gun.

"Not worth it," she said coldly, before shooting a ball of fire at him. It exploded, destroying what remained of that portion of the dock, Henry sinking along with it.

She shook her head, before quickly beginning to restock their equipment onto the ship. As luck would have it, the now dead former pirate had not had much time to unload much, and it was quickly returned to it's rightful place.

"Oi, Yugito!"

She paused just before picking up the last barbell. Naruto was running in her direction, and on his heels were a horde of Marine soldiers.

Quickly chucking the barbell onto the ship, she quickly untethered the ship from the dock. She leapt onto the deck, quickly beginning to reel in the anchor.

By this time, Naruto had reached the ship, and was ready to board.

"Hurry, jump!"

"Give me a second!"

He paused, facing the Marines that were now advancing onto the line of the deck, two at a time, aiming rifles at him.

Holding out his bo staff, he swung. The soldiers before him watched in confusion as their escaped convict began to swing his staff at them from ten feet away, not even close enough to hit any one of them.

Suddenly, just as his staff reached a quarter of his swing, it extended, close the gap between him and the Marines in an instant, and extending past even them. It crashed into their ranks, easily toppling the first six soldiers overboard.

While the soldiers were conflicted between helping their comrades and shooting at the two criminals, Naruto climbed onto the ship, his staff now retracted.

"That's what you had made?" Yugito questioned, curiously looking at the weapon.

"I'll explain later! For now, let's get out of here."

Naruto ran up to the helm, and sails already down due to Yugito's quick work. As they were beginning to pull away from the port, two grappling hooks landed on the rear of the ship.

From the dock, Marine soldiers held onto the two ropes, and were attempting to furiously yank the escaping convicts back.

To Naruto and Yugito's horror, the absurd strategy was actually working.

"I got it!" Yugito yelled, rushing to the back.

She sucked in a deep breath, before exhaling all at once. A wave of blue fire spewed out of her mouth, easily burning up the ropes and crashing into the Marines on the dock. Seeing the incoming fire, they quickly abandoned their post and jumped into the sea, narrowly avoiding burning.

The ship quickly pulled away, gaining more and more speed until the island was quickly left in their wake.

Yugito looked at Naruto, grinning.

"Well, how was that for a first adventure?"

So yeah, wow, I'm back from the dead. Quarantine does that and all. It still remains undecided what I'm going to do with my other stories, mostly because I haven't watched the shows they're related to in a loooong time (other than Naruto of course). Meanwhile, I'm still reading One Piece, and likely will cuz it literally won't be ending for many years.

Let me know what you thought of this chapter! Mostly a lot of background and bonding, with some actions at the end. I hope this chapter also gave you some insight into both Naruto and Yugito's characters, as they are different people. Romance remains undecided, but either way, I'm not going to make them mushy and gross. That's just not how they are.

Also, for the people hoping to see Naruto do more with his bones: fear not, that time will come. He's still learning how to use his fruit, and I'm aiming to show that growth as it happens.

That's all for now! TBC,

HokagenoNaruto, out.