Pirates of Konohagakure

Me: *in a box* Now I understand that you people might be wondering why I'm hiding in a box. Well there's a simple answer for that: it works in Metal Gear Solid, and it works here.

Kakashi: WHERE IS SHE?! AND WHO LEFT THIS BOX LYING AROUND?!

Me: See? Fuckin' foolproof. No one knows I'm in here. Not even abbehcakes. She hasn't found me yet.

Kakashi: I FUCKING SMELL YOU HIDING SOMEWHERE IN HERE! COME OUT AND ACCEPT THIS CHIDORI!

Me: Heh. He'll never find me. Anyways, chapter 12 isn't exactly the climax, but some serious shit is going down. Last chapter, Ibiki was being his torture like self and torturing people and shit, and then he found out something weird: three of the people he tortured didn't show any signs of torture, so-

Ibiki: Hey.

Me: WHAT THE FUCK?! HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE?!

Ibiki: I've played Metal Gear Solid. I knew that a box that said Nintendo on it had you hiding in it.

Me: Uh-huh. This is odd. I never thought that you…wait, how is this box big enough for the two of us?

Ibiki: Metal Gear Solid logic.

Me: That's all I can come up with too…anyways, chapter 12 is a sort of climax, but not. It will bring some light into the story, light that I planned to shine from the beginning. Maybe you guys have guessed it, maybe some of you didn't, but here's some stuff that you guys are probably gonna be like 'oh that bitch, how did I not see thing coming?!'

Kakashi: I SWEAR THAT WHEN I FIND YOU, I AM GOING TO RIP YOU TO PIECES! SHOW YOURSELF! DON'T MAKE ME GET THE PACK OUT!

Me: Hah! Metal Gear logic does not adhere to dogs! HAHA!

Ibiki: Sooo…are you always in constant fear of your life?

Me: You tend to be used to it. Anyways, in this chapter, Iruka and his crew and en route to Queen Boobies-

Tsuande: Eh-hemm.

Me: HOW THE FUCK DO YOU PEOPLE KEEP GETTING IN HERE?! AND HOW DO YOUR BOOBS FIT IN HERE?! HOW FUCKING BIG IS THIS DAMN BOX?!

Tsunade: Stop referring to me as Queen Boobies. Use my name please.

Me: Your name that Jiraiya gave you? That's inappropriate.

Tsunade: My real name!

Me: Ohhh…okay. Anyways, en route to Queen Tsunade, who wants them for a very special reason. Kiba has met Danieru and realized that she wasn't who she said she was. Kotetsu beat the shit out of Izumo for lying to him. Genma didn't attack Raidou, but that confrontation is coming. Lastly, Kakashi didn't have many words for Iruka, but he'll have plenty of them now.

Kakashi: YOU CAN'T HIND FOREVER! WHERE THE FUCK ARE YOU?!

Me: Heh. He'll never think to look here. I'm a genius! NO ONE WILL FIND ME!

Disclaimer: I can't say that I own anything but the plot, and the OCs. Anything else, and I don't own it.

Chapter 12: The Gems of the Sea

Kakashi stalked around the dungeon, taking in the conditions of all his prisoners in turn, save for Iruka. He couldn't bear to look at Iruka, simply because he knew that if he took one look at the beautiful man, his composure would collapse and people would see the Hatake Kakashi showing an emotion that wasn't determination. They would see that he was showing remorse. Hatake Kakashi didn't show remorse. And Hatake Kakashi didn't fall in love.

Funny how one man changed everything.

Just who was Umino Iruka? Kakashi didn't know anymore. Siren, pirate, man with a dream, harlot, or just a man? Did he truly have feelings or did he love toying with people as his heritage implied? Was Kakashi just that one man that needed to be claimed by Iruka just for a laugh, just to say he did it?

If that was the case, then Iruka prevailed.

"It's been a long, dark night. And I've been waiting the morning," a voice was singing softly. "It's been a long, hard fight. But I see a brand new day a dawning. I've been looking for the sunshine. 'Cause I ain't seen it in so long. But everything's gonna work out just fine. Everything's gonna be all right, that's been all wrong."

Kakashi could just feel himself wanting to get lost in the music. But he wouldn't allow himself to. He couldn't. It was the same thing that attracted him to Iruka in the first place. That sweet voice merely talking. And now singing, Kakashi couldn't help by feel drawn to the man.

"Stop that," he commanded.

But Iruka kept singing. "'Cause I can see the light of a clear blue morning. I can see the light of a brand new day. I can see the light of a clear blue morning. And everything's gonna be all right. It's gonna be okay."

"Stop!"

"I can see the light of a clear blue morning. I can see the light of a brand new day. I can see the light of a clear blue morning. And everything's gonna be all right. It's gonna be okay."

"I said to stop it you harlot!" Kakashi shouted, kicking Iruka in his already bruised stomach. Iruka winced from the blow, but made no sound. Kakashi growled, seeing some of the bruises from before begin to heal themselves. That was probably a side effect of being a Siren: having the ability to heal by song. About a week ago, Kakashi noticed Iruka quietly singing to himself, and then some of his wounds healed. It also had an effect on those around him, lifting their spirits slightly. Kakashi couldn't have that, so he stopped Iruka whenever he could. It was working to an extent, but Iruka still found moments to sing.

"It's been a long, long time. Since I've known the taste of freedom. And those clinging vines. That had me bound, well I don't need 'em. 'Cause I am strong and I can prove it. And I got my dreams to see me through. It's just a mountain, I can move it. And with faith enough there's nothing I can't do." That was a different voice, one Kakashi recognize.

"Naruto you traitor, shut your mouth," Kakashi growled. "Now."

Naruto glared defiantly, singing louder. "And I can see the light of a clear blue morning. And I can see the light of brand new day. I can see the light of a clear blue morning. And everything's gonna be all right. It's gonna be okay."

"Gentle wind from the ocean, gentle wave from the sea. Let the music of the ocean waves, rock my little one to sleep," a feminine voice coming from beside Naruto began to sing. "Singing la loo, la low, lullabye, bye, bye La loo, la low lullabye, lullabye, bye bye."

Kakashi couldn't take it. It didn't matter that there was only one Siren present in the room singing. All the music was confusing him, making it hard for him to think. "SHUT UP!" He slammed his foot into Iruka's chest, making the man cough up more blood and fall to his side. Kakashi growled, storming over to Naruto and lifting him by his blonde locks. "I am not going to tell you again to stay silent."

"…Somewhere far from nowhere, I grew both strong and tall. Longing to become, but knowing not the path at all," Shikamaru sang to himself.

"But the footprints of the winter, melted to field of spring," Hinata continued. "One last embrace before I cross the threshold."

"To life we sing." A myriad of voices harmonized. "Oh stay your soul and leave my heart, it's song. Oh stay your hand, the journey may be long. And when we part, and sorrow can't be swayed. Remember when and let your heart be staid."

Kakashi covered his ears. He couldn't bear to hear anymore. He was going crazy! "If you cravens in here won't shut the hell up, I will have Ibiki come in here and he'll rip out all of your tongues!"

"You seemed to find a good use of Iruka's before," Kankuro sneered.

Kakashi glared at him. Even though he was a broken, bloody mess, Kankuro still managed to somehow agitate him and still look like he was having the time of his life. He had been beaten, burned, whipped, and yet he was still a cocky bastard. "Shut your damn mouth."

"You probably said the opposite to Iruka before, haven't you?"

Kakashi glared harshly, going over to Shikamaru and grabbing a fistful of the boy's hair. "Say one more word, and he takes your punishment."

There was no reaction, only a small wince. Kakashi had known from the start that Shikamaru was Kankuro's only weakness, and a liable one at that. Kakashi never knew what it was like to have a lover as a weakness. Then again, that was how it was before he met Iruka. But now, if something happened to Iruka, Kakashi wouldn't be able to handle it. Why? Because a damned Siren forced him to experience that odd, foreign emotion called love. Now, nothing would ever be the same. Even hearing the name Siren made his heart throb, made him sweat, and his mind became cloudy. Nothing good came from Sirens, which is why Kakashi spent most of his time recently hunting the Sirens od the Sea pirate gang, to eliminate the threat of them using their odd powers to create a rift in the pirate world. Yet he failed.

Kakashi finally let go of Shikamaru and looked around the dungeon, noting the stench of stale blood, a smell of sickness, and the lingering smell of burning flesh. Ibiki had been down here torturing for the last few days, yet he still go nothing from it. There was only one method left to try. Steeling his resolve, he walked over to a large barrel and threw open the top. The crew had caught this beauty a little while ago and Ibiki was practically giddy when he realized the torture he could put someone through by using this little creature. Kakashi decided he would head the torture this time.

Reaching in, he pulled out the mentioned creature: an octopus.

"Are we gonna eat that?" Choji asked. "I'm hungry."

Gaara eyed the creature warily. "I don't think so. He barely fed us since we were imprisoned down here. Why would he suddenly give us a delicacy like octopus?"

"M-Maybe he's trying to torture us again," Hinata whimpered. "I don't know if I can handle anything else."

Temari growled, shifting as close as she could to Hinata. "I promise I won't let him hurt you again. I'll kill him if he does."

"Noble words for one whose been unable to stop me before," Kakashi sneered. "Now, you all know what this creature is. An octopus. Not fully grown, but not entirely an infant. And it hasn't been fed in days. Do you know how octopus eat?"

"Octopi," Shikamaru corrected.

"Don't get smart with me."

"But you said 'how octopus eat' but since it's only one, you say octopi," Naruto explained. "Even I know that."

"Great. Then you'll be first," Kakashi smirked. He crouched by Naruto and shook out the octopus, making the small thing shake its appendages angrily. Kakashi set it down by Naruto's neck, watching the creature latch on and begin to squeeze.

"An octopus, even one this small, can kill a man with enough pressure. All it would have to do is squeeze…and well, you get the point."

Naruto gulped, but found it couldn't get it past his throat as the octopus began squeezing tighter and tighter. He knew better than to panic, since panicking would only serve to kill him faster, but what was he supposed to do? The only person who could save him was a man he had been betraying for years on end.

"Kakashi, stop this," Iruka pleaded. "You wanted me this whole time, and you have me. Let me take Naruto's punishment instead."

"Iruka," Anko hissed. "You're defenseless. He'll kill you."

"I-I can handle it," Naruto gasped. "I'll be fine. J-Just leave me."

"We can't just let you die on us," Kurenai agreed. "Naruto's like you. Somehow, he can heal himself."

"But from death?" Iruka said angrily. "If Naruto dies, I break the promise I made to his father!" He took a deep breath and began to sing, a heavy tune in an odd language that Kakashi didn't understand. He knew it was dangerous to listen though, which was why he quickly covered his ears. It was too late though; he had already heard more than enough.

And apparently, so did the octopus.

The creature slowly unlatched from Naruto's neck and slid down the boy's frame until it rested on the boy's lap.

"Ewww," Naruto groaned. "It's all slimy and wet and it feels so weird! Get it off!"

Kakashi growled, snatching up the octopus, throwing it against the wall. It collided with a wet smack, slowly dropping down the wall. Kakashi threw his Chidori at it, impaling the octopus in its head during its next drop down the wall. Kakashi turned back to his prisoners, yanking his Chidori out of the corpse. "We'll be in Konohagakure shortly. Once Queen Tsunade has you, well, you'll think what Ibiki has done to you as nothing more than foreplay."

One of the females dared to laugh. Kakashi whipped around to stare at the oppressor. The female chained to the redhead. "You dare laugh?"

"I'm sorry," she giggled. "You refer to something like that as foreplay, when foreplay was exactly what got us into this mess. The irony just isn't lost on me."

"Danieru!" Abigale hissed. "Are you trying to get us killed?!"

"Excuse me if I don't want to spend my last few moments dreading my inevitable doom instead of trying to see the light in things," Danieru hissed back.

Kakashi shook his head. "You're fools. All of you." He sheathed his Chidori and stormed out, slamming the dungeon door closed.

"Finally," Toshiro breathed, slipping her hands from the chains. "Keeping my hands in the air for so long pretending to be trapped is tedious. Maybe I can think of a way out of here."

"For what?" Kisame asked. "There's no way for us to escape. Unless we kill everyone up there."

"And that alone will be difficult," Itachi agreed. "With us beaten and starving, I doubt we would pose much of a threat to them. We'd die before we'd even get our swords out."

"But why can't we sabotage a little? Isn't there any way we could mess up their plans a little?"

"Captain, we can't do that in broad daylight," Mira pointed out. "They'd catch us."

Toshiro sat back down. "Then, can't I at least try to free you all?"

"We'd just get beaten again," Raidou grumbled. "There are some things that just aren't worth it."

"Then I freed myself for nothing?"

"Not for nothing," Choji said lightly. "If you could start a fire, you could cook that octopus, and then we could eat."

"I guess making sure you guys don't starve to death is the only thing I can do right now," Toshiro admitted going over to the dead octopus.

~Konohagakure~

"If this isn't a welcoming party, I don't know what is," Izumo commented as his friends, and the Sharingan Pirates, were surrounded by hundreds of soldiers from the palace. "But with all these men, you'd think that Queen Tsunade is trying to send a message about her...choices in men."

A soldier smacked him. "Don't you dare speak about our Queen that way you insolent slut!"

Izumo kept quiet, rubbing his head against his shoulder to wipe the blood off his mouth. He and Co. traveled through the town, seeing large crowds of people pointing at them and whispering. Probably about how some elusive prisoners were finally captured. Many of them probably didn't even know who they were, just speculating on what they were being imprisoned for. Iruka guessed that only a select few truly knew what this was really about.

Soon, they were forced to kneel before the Queen, who had an evil smirk on her face. "Finally," she said. "Finally, I have you right where I want you. The Sirens of the Sea. For so long, you've evaded capture. But now, now, we can finally get down to business." She stood, snapping her finger. Instantly, her assistant, Shizune, walked into the room, holding a decorative box. Tsunade and Shizune approached them, Jiraiya following closely. Tsunade looked at each of them in turn before looking at Iruka. "I know you have them. Where are they?"

Iruka glared at her.

"Iruka, don't force my hand. If you don't tell me where they are, I'll be forced to kill you."

Kakashi smacked him in the back of the head. "Answer her harlot."

But still, Iruka managed to glare. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know," Jiraiya said. "You have three of them. Which three are they?"

Kakashi had to admit, he was confused. Just what was Tsunade talking about? What did Iruka have? Special gems? A map to a forbidden island? What did he have?

"I don't know," Iruka repeated.

"You have three of the gems," Tsunade growled. "Give them to me!"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Iruka yelled. "I have no gems!"

"I know you have them," she hissed. "And I won't stop until I get them."

"The gems don't exist! It's just a rumor!"

She shook her head. "You think I haven't heard the legends, read the text? I know all about these gems. I know everything. All about them."

"What legend?" Kakashi asked, breaking the tension. "My Queen, we have no idea what you're talking about. Can you explain?"

"It's a little difficult to explain, and to believe, but you'll just have to trust me. Something like this shouldn't exist in theory, yet it does. If it isn't dealt with, we're all doomed," she explained.

"My Queen?"

Tsunade sighed. "A long time ago, when the monsters of the sea still roamed the land, there were 10 monsters that were more fearful than the regular sea monsters. These weren't even sea monsters. They were…different. The only thing that would keep them sated was when one of the first pirates ever, ones who used what we refer to as magic, channeled their power together and created an artifact that would seal away these monsters. And the artifact was a simple gloves." Tsunade gestured to the box. "A person could channel the monster's power if they had a gem. The gems used to seal their power away. All a person had to do was either ingest it, or wear it. In the wrong hands, they're a danger to everyone on the seas. I see in front of me, a crew of pirates who I know would have those gems. The true reason your mother was banished Iruka was because she refused to give up her gem. So she had to go."

Iruka growled. "My mother knew nothing of these gems! And I don't know either!"

Tsunade smirked. "I think I'll find out for myself." Shizune brought the box over and opened the lid. Tsunade slid her hand in and pulled out a black glove. On the top spreading to the fingers were tentacles that covered the material of the fingers. It looked like an octopus or a squid had clamped onto the back of someone's hand and just stuck. Oddly enough, the fingers were all squeezed together into a point.

"What are you going to do with that?" Anko asked. "Give us royal flour-head a jerk? It looks like it'd be a bit boring to watch."

Tsunade shook her head and rolled her eyes. "Brat. No. This is the glove I mentioned. With this, I'll find out which one of you have a gem inside of you. All I have to do is reach in." She walked up to Anko, putting her hand into the glove. "And if it responds, we know who has the gem." She shoved her fingers into Anko's stomach. Anko winced in pain, but it was slight. Nothing too bad. Tsunade hummed and pulled her fingers back. "You're safe."

She moved onto to Izumo next, repeating the process. Izumo bit his lip, but otherwise stayed the same. When that failed, Tsunade moved on to Itachi, who kept a bored look on his face the whole time. Next was Choji, who laughed without meaning to, and then Raidou. Kisame giggled and kept giggling even though Tsunade moved on. A solider ended up hitting him in the back of the head, and Kisame stopped. Abigale bit Tsunade, which made Jiraiya kept the point of his sword at her throat. Kisame growled and tried to move to Mira when Tsunade got to her, but it was in vain. However, Mira stayed calm. Toshiro looked defiant as she let the pain pass. Then came Kankuro's turn, the male who just smirked as Tsunade couldn't push her fingers in due to Kankuro's muscled stomach. Shikamaru was the next person, but he was like Itachi and seemed bored. Tsunade had a disgusted look on her face and she tried it on Kurenai, the black-haired woman glaring back at her. Hayate coughed most of the way through, but then again, that was normal. Neji grit his teeth through it, Temari was like Abigale and tried to snap at Tsuade but was restrained by a guard. Yugao took the probing with a calm look, though she flinched every now and then. Hinata trembled, but Tsunade just smirked evilly and made sure that she made it hurt.

The interesting part came when she got to Danieru.

The brunette girl was simply kneeling there when Tsunade probed her fingers into the girl's stomach. Danieru twitched at first, and the glove began to open. The fingers expanded on their own, and the little suction cups on the tentacle fingers began to light up. Danieru began to shake, gritting her teeth. "I think we have a winner," Tsunade smirked, pushing in deeper. Danieru bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. "S-Stop," Danieru hissed.

Tsunade began to twist her fingers, making Danieru cry out in pain.

"Stop it you whore!" Gaara shouted. "Leave my sister alone!"

"G-Get off!" Danieru hissed. "Get off of me!"

"Just one more push," Tsunade said with a twisted smirk.

"GET OFF!" Danieru screamed. Her stomach began to burst in light, Tsunade getting blinded by the intensity. She backed away from the girl, who disappeared, reappearing in the far corner of the room, legs extended in a split to hold herself between the two walls.

"As I thought," Tsunade grinned. "So you are the Gem of Agility. The owner of said gem has unparalleled speed. Quite a useful ability to have."

Danieru's eyes went from teal to a bright orange. "Don't you dare touch me."

"Get her down," Tsunade commanded.

Ten soldiers pulled out muskets and began shooting at her. With speed unknown, Daneiru was across the throne room in the other corner, back pressed against the ceiling. They fired again, but she twisted her body and avoided all the bullets, even with her hands tied. She snarled as the soldiers kept firing, dodging all of their bullets.

Tsunade waved a hand. "Leave her be. She'd de unable to escape anyways. Let her stay up there. I've gotten enough information just from that."

Iruka glared. "What did you do to her?!"

"Iruka-darling, you can cut the act. It's obvious you were lying. Just tell me who the other two gems are and I'll lessen your punishment. If you don't give me what I want, you'll pay a drastic price."

Iruka bit his lip. He swore he wouldn't tell, but Danieru looked like she was in a lot of pain. He couldn't let that happen to anyone else. But he couldn't reveal the other two! There was no telling what Tsunade would do once she found out! There was a chance they'd all be put to death because they had one of the gems!

"Never touch my sister," Gaara growled. "Leave her alone."

Tsunade turned to Gaara. "Or what? You can't touch me." She grinned, getting the glove ready again. "But I can touch you." She shoved her fingers into Gaara's stomach, but was surprised when it felt like she hit solid rock. Gaara had braced himself, but looked confused as Tsunade kept attacking his stomach, growling in frustration as he fingers began to hurt with the force she was using to attack him. After a minute, she smirked, all frustration gone from her features. "The Gem of Protection. When any harm comes to the owner, the body hardens in protection. Makes fights or taking hits much easier."

Gaara looked down at his stomach. It looked like normal flesh to him, and it didn't even feel like his flesh had hardened. In fact, he had been in fights before, and that ability never kicked in until now. And why would it suddenly kick in now.

"Two down, one to go." Tsunade looked between Naruto and Iruka. "Yet two possible hosts remain. I wonder who it is…" she tapped her fingers against her chin. "Iruka, just tell me and we can get this over with. I'll even lessen the punishment."

Iruka bowed his head. "It's…It's me," he whispered. "I have the last gem."

Tsunade clicked her tongue. "See, the problem with that is: I don't believe you. You're your mother's son. She would do anything to protect you and your father, even lie. And I know that you inherited that protective streak. I think it's your little friend here whose the last gem."

"I'm not lying," Iruka admitted. "It's true. I have the last gem inside of me."

Tsunade shrugged. "If you're so insistent on being in pain, I guess it'll do no harm to your masochistic person." She pushed her pointed fingers into Iruka's stomach, which made him wince as pain and heat began to build. Tsunade watched in awe as Iruka's stomach lit up. She had no idea…"So you did get the gem from your mother…I had no idea that wench gave you the gem. All this time, I thought she had the gem, but it was you this whole time. That's why she never wanted you to meet myself or Danzo. She knew we'd find out eventually." She shook her head and stopped her ramblings. "Now that I've found my gems, all that's left is to pry them out of you."

Iruka's eyes widened. "What?!"

Tsunade's fingers seemed like they became claws, cutting the skin of his stomach and digging in. Iruka could feel his blood slowly began to dye the deep color of the glove's material into an even darker shade. Tsunade just laughed. "What, did you think that I'd just let you and your friends keep these precious gems to yourself? No, that's too reckless of me. Now that you know, you'd use these powers to overthrow me, and I can't have that." She spread her fingers and pushed in deeper, slowly inching her way to where the gem should be, if the ever-growing light and heat were anything to go by. It was a shame that once she took the gem, Iruka would die though. He'd be a good asset to have in her court with his smooth tongue and Siren powers. But she had a providence to protect, and she couldn't let a Siren usurp her.

"Iruka, just give up the struggle," she cooed. "There's no need to-ugh!" Tsunade flew back, fingers harshly torn from Iruka's stomach. Jiraiya helped her up, glaring at the offender. "How dare you attack the Queen?!"

Danieru glared, having used her inhuman speed to rush at Tsunade and attack her. "How dare you attack my captain? We're getting out of here!"

"Stop her!" Tsunade commanded.

Kakashi tried to snag onto her arm, but he was knocked over before he could even get within three inches of her. Danieru glared, zooming around the room and knocking over each and every one of the guards and Sharingan Pirates in the room within the blink of an eye. Shizune went next, Danieru head-butting her as the woman tried to call for more guards. Jiraiya swung at her with his sword, but Danieru disarmed him and knocked him out with a chop to the back of the neck. She pulled out a small dagger and freed her crew, knocking down all enemies who got back up. "Let's go!" She shouted.

She helped Iruka up, and sped him out the throne room. The others were in awe, but knew that they had no time to gawk. Getting up and shaking out their wrists, they ran after Danieru and the captain.

~Peninsula~

Danieru gasped for breath, setting Iruka on a large stone and collapsing beside him. Iruka's stomach had already begun to heal, which was a plus for him. Having a gem inside of him did wonders for his healing factor.

"D-Did you…did you know?" Danieru panted. "Did you know about the…gems?"

Iruka slowly nodded. "Yes. I did. I actually knew your father. It was to protect you and your brother. And your mother agreed."

Besides the gasping breaths, Danieru was otherwise silent for a few moments. "Is that why she died giving birth to us?"

Iruka shook his head. "No. I learned about the gems over the years. It isn't something that is passed through birth. It's something ingested. Because they're really small, it's impossible to choke on them, even an infant would be fine. In fact, it takes better in an infant. It's easier for the gem to adapt to the hosts body system. Once inside, it attaches to the host, and the powers begin to fill the hosts body. It takes training for them to be fully effective."

"So, I've had it all this time," Danieru took another breath. "Gaara and I never knew…but, if the host dies if the gem is pulled out, does that mean I'm stuck with this forever? When I die, will someone just disrespect my body and try to steal it from me? Or is there a way to get rid of it without the dying part?"

Iruka sighed. "Unfortunately, while I know you can remove it without hurting the host, I don't know the procedure for it."

"Then I'm stuck with this." Danieru looked at her stomach. "I guess it isn't all bad. Except for the fatigue of using the Agility that comes with. I feel like passing out."

"I hope that you don't. We need to find the others, and fast. We have no ship to flee on. We'd have to hide out here for days on end," Iruka pointed out.

"Well…" Danieru hummed. "We could always steal the White Fang since all their members are looking for us. They'd be stranded here, and we could get to Calypso's Island."

Iruka thought about it, then shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea. The Queen has Triremes and Biremes that could catch up in no time at all. Those are much faster than the White Fang. I know they are."

"Then here's an idea." Danieru sat up. "What if I use my gem to get down to where the ships are and steal one of those? Aren't Triremes some of the best battle ships out there? If I take one and we flee, they'd be unable to catch us, especially if they spend most of their time looking for us and we leave at night. Then we could leave unnoticed."

Iruka saw the merits to the plan. It would be a good idea. "We'd still have to find the others. I have an idea as to where they are, but the only way this would work would be if we could find them and a good hiding place until night. But I think I know where they're headed."

~Fort Konoha~

It took only seconds for Danieru to get them to Fort Konoha, but upon their arrival, Danieru began to wheeze. She fell to the ground and coughed, shaking on her hands.

"Danieru!"

Iruka watched Kankuro rush out of the fort and help his sister up. "Are you okay?! What happened?! Where were you?!"

"Kankuro," Iruka said gently. "Let's get her inside. She's just tired."

Kankuro still looked worried as she cradled Danieru and carried her into the fort. Immediately, Gaara and Temari shot up. "What happened?!" They chorused.

"The Gem of Agility," Iruka answered. "She may have overused it. I know for a fact that using those puts an incredible strain on the body. And because this was her first time using it, I think she's overworked."

"Then next time," she gasped. "I'll just leave your asses to die!"

Raidou looked around. "I've no doubt they'll be here any minute. We can't hide here."

Kurenai nodded. "And with no ship, we're stranded here. We can't hide forever. Not with these 'gems' with us."

Iruka bit his lip. For once, he didn't have an out. There was Danieru's plan, but they didn't have time to wait around…

"I think we should let ourselves be captured."

Heads snapped up to look at Naruto. "WHAT?!"

"I think we should let ourselves be captured," Naruto repeated. "I thought this through. We can't run forever, and we'll be in even more trouble for running anyways. I doubt she'd kill us since she wanted us alive before. We have nowhere to go, no ship, and only a few more hiding places left. The best bet we'd have is to just…give."

"Naruto, I can't believe you eve suggesting that!" Gaara exclaimed. "Naruto, you've never been a retreat type of person! You're a fighter."

"I know," Naruto said. "But I've had a lot to think about. I don't want you getting hurt, and I don't want to get anyone hurt either. If we run, it'll only be worse for us."

"I agree," Hayate coughed. "I've tried to run from Tsunade for years, and it's never worked out. When I was caught, the punishment got worse each time I left. Running doesn't yield any benefits if we don't have a way to leave here."

"Captain," Anko said seriously. "I think we should turn ourselves in."

Funny thing was, Iruka had been thinking the exact same thing.

~Throne Room~

"I wasn't expecting this," Tsunade murmured. "I was sure that you'd just keep running and running until I had no choice but to kill you. Yet here you are." She put her chin into her hand. "I think that I can keep you around for…political purposes." She snapped her fingers. "Take them to the dungeons, four to a cell. Keep an eye on the gems, and check all of them for weapons. Have Shizune clean up their wounds, and get Captain Hatake his reward. Keep the three gems together though. And double the guards for them. I don't need them plotting escape."

"If you double my reward, my crew and I will watch over them for you," Kakashi heard a voice that sounded suspiciously like his own pipe up. "And as long as accommodations for my crew and I are met."

Tsunade rubbed her chin in thought. "I did make you responsible for them, but now that you delivered them to me, your services are no longer required. Why should I grant this request?"

"…I feel as though my crew should have time to make sure the people who tormented them for so long are getting what they deserve. Please. Until we know for sure they're adequately dealt with, may we remain?"

"I think we should allow it," Jiraiya said. "It's already been prove that our guards are less than competent when it comes handling the Sirens. It'd be better for everyone if they stay."

Tsunade nodded. "Then I'll allow it. But know that if you or any of your crew help them in any way, it's treason, and I will have the whole of the Sharingan Pirates in the dungeons."

"Understood," Kakashi agreed. He trailed after the guard that was leading Iruka out and grabbed the brown-haired mal by his shoulder. Iruka tensed, ready to be hit. Even the solider was scared, as the man took a couple of steps away.

"I loved you," Kakashi hissed into Iruka's ear. Loved. That was funny. Because it was a lie. Loved meant the past, and Kakashi couldn't leave this in the past. Iruka held his heart. Iruka would always hold his heart. "I still love you."

Iruka hung his head. Deep down inside, he knew that was true for himself as well. He loved Kakashi, and would always love Kakashi.

~Dungeons~

"Well this is pleasant," Kisame grumbled, sliding down the far wall until he rested on his butt. "I mean, it's better than the other prisons we've been in, right Itachi?"

Itachi stayed silent, eyes focused on Sasuke. They'd been down here for almost two hours, and Sasuke had yet to speak to him.

"Right Itachi? …Whatever. At least I have my sister," Kisame grinned, not thinking about how his statement might hurt Itachi. "Right Mira?"

"We're in prison. It's not exactly the family reunion I thought about," Mira admitted. "But we are together, so I guess it's a plus." She smiled a bit. "We can catch up on everything, right?"

Kisame nodded. "Where do I even begin? Ah! The story of how I faked my own death! You see, it was a rainy day…"

Itachi tuned Kisame out, trying to get Sasuke's attention though it wasn't working. He tried to talk to him, but Sasuke ignored him. He annoyingly rattled his chains to try and get his attention, but another guard yelled for him to stop. When their medic was brought in, Sasuke stood inside the cell by the door to make sure nothing would happen, but he stubbornly focused on a spot on the far wall and ignored him. Sasuke was dead set on pretending Itachi didn't exist, but Itachi knew he needed to explain himself. Somehow.

~Naruto and Gaara~

Iruka and Danieru were asleep, exhausted by the day's events. Naruto was too angry to sleep, and Gaara was the only thing keeping him calm. The blonde kept glaring at the door, though there was no way he could burn a hole through the cell with just his eyesight.

"Naruto, you should get some sleep," Gaara tried. "You've been up for days."

Naruto clenched his teeth. "No. Not after what she did to him. I'll rip her to shreds! If I had known this was what she'd do, I never would've suggested getting captured. I thought we'd just be in here for a while…" he trailed off.

"Naruto, your heart was in the right place. You were just trying to protect us by trying to lessen our punishment. But I doubt we can get out of here without a casualty or a death."

"Then maybe I should be both," Naruto grumbled. "It makes up for me being an idiot."

"Did you just offer yourself as a sacrifice?" Gaara asked in shock. "I won't let you."

"But if I hadn't-"

"What were we going to do? We had no ship, no way to get a ship, and no way to fight back if it came to that. Getting captured was our only option. All you did was suggest the only thing that would keep us alive. You act like it's all on your shoulders that this happened, but it wasn't. If anything, I think captain would have had us get captured instead of us going on a wild chase and getting captured dead or alive. So stop doing this self-loathing. That isn't Naruto."

Naruto's eyes widened. Gaara never spoke that much; he was a man of little words. Unlike the rest of his family, he could convey whole speeches into simple sentences. It a such a shock to hear him say so much, even for Naruto. Yes, he had heard Gaara talk more, but not that much at once.

"Gaara…" Naruto whispered. "What if my death is the only way we escape?"

"Then I die along with you. I'm not going anywhere without you, and you know that. I love you."

"I love you too, but-"

"Naruto, listen to me: If you die, I die with you. I won't live without you. I can't let you sacrifice yourself like that, and don't you dare try to talk me out of it. If we escape, we either escape together, or die trying."

Gaara, that's…" Naruto gave a shaky smile. "Okay. We're in this together."

Gaara came closer and kissed Naruto's cheek. "Always."

~Throne Room~

"I'm impressed you caught them in such a short amount of time," Tsunade said to Kakashi. "Believe me, I've sent so many people to find them, and they either came back disoriented and dazed or just plain confused. And yet here you come immune to the Siren's call."

Kakashi subtly flinched. If only she knew… "It's not as easy as it seems. My men had been nearly overwhelmed by those Sirens. If it wasn't for additions to my crew and other tactics, I don't think it would have been a pleasant outcome."

"I'm sure that you had many pleasurable outcomes," Tsunade smirked. "Don't play me the fool. Don't think I don't remember your reaction to hearing the name Umino Iruka. And then your little show in the throne room was impressive, though I'm disappointed in your lack of restraint. I was sure you would be immune to a Siren's song considering the amount of time you've spent with harlots and the like. Then again, you've never met someone like Umino Iruka."

Kakashi winced. "It was…unfortunate, that he took advantage of me. I would have preferred that I took a different approach to confronting him. And now…I'm glad he's been put away and can't bother my crew and I anymore."

Jiraiya nodded slowly. "Yes. But understand that if they do escape and one of your crew is responsible, it'll be your head until they're returned. Also, your crew, whoever let them go, will be made an enemy of Konohagakure, and the Queen."

"I don't think that'll be a problem," Kakashi assured.

Why did he had a sinking feeling in his stomach when he said that?

~Dungeon~

"Sasuke," Itachi tried. "We need to talk."

"I have nothing to say to you," Sasuke said briskly. "You made your choice when our land was ransacked and looted. You chose to leave in the midst of everything while our people were being slaughtered. You left me there among the dead bodies of our family. I have nothing to say to you."

"Sasuke, wait. You need to understand that I thought I had nothing when I saw what happened. I was convinced that everyone was dead. I saw a kid's dead body and thought it was yours," Itachi explained. "And when I saw that corpse, I swore it was yours and I panicked. I swore that I would track down who did this and murder them. Sasuke, can you at least try to understand why I fled?"

Sasuke didn't answer. There were was too much to process, and he didn't have the time. His brother was on the Queen's bad side and was wanted. He would be dead, or rot here. Sasuke didn't have it in him to listen. Itachi just took one look around and fled. He didn't even try to bury their parents or check on anything. Sasuke watched that day. He called for Itachi over the roaring flames. He screamed and ran after him, but Itachi was always faster. Itachi had left, and had never returned.

How was Sasuke supposed to forgive that?

How did Itachi expect him to move past that? Itachi just left him. And didn't even come back. Not once. No respect for the dead. No nothing. Not even a burial. He just left.

"Do you even know what I've gone through without you?!"

Itachi jumped. "What?"

"I had nightmares!" Sasuke admitted. "I needed you! I needed my brother to help me through this? And where were you? You fled! I don't need to hear excuses! You wanted to track down who did it? Why didn't you look around the village before you left? There were clues everywhere. There were cloths with their insignia, some of them left weapons; there were clues. You could have stayed and looked. We would have found each other and could have done things together. But I don't need you, I don't need to understand anything. What I need is for you to shut the hell up, and never speak to me again."

Itachi didn't know what to say to that.

~Danieru~

'A few more minutes, and a guard delivers food. He opens the door for three seconds. With my speed, I can make it out of here. I can get at least one person out with me.' "Captain," she whispered. "I'm going to try again. To get to the boat dock, it'll take careful timing. Are you with me?"

Iruka looked at his chains. "Danieru, do you realize the risk we're taking by doing this? How would we get the others out once we're out?"

"I thought of that. Just try me." She heard footsteps. "Decide fast."

Iruka took one more look at his chains. "I'm in."

He held his breath as a guard, someone he didn't recognize, grudgingly walked in, carrying four small plates of food.

"Here. For you sluts."

No one moved. The guard walked further in and set the plates down. "Y'know, I could get you guys more food. It'd require a bit of payment on your part but…" the guard ran his hand over his belt slowly.

Danieru bit her lip. "I'm so hungry," she whispered. "I'll do it."

"Danieru!" Gaara hissed. "What the fuck?!"

"Please," she whispered, lips trembling. "I'll do anything."

The guard came close. "If you insist. Cock-loving whore."

Iruka watched carefully. There were at least three guards out there. Two of them looked like they were interested, while the last one looked disgusted. There were four Sharingan Pirates as well, meaning that if Danieru wasn't careful, she'd be dead.

'Ten…nine…eight…' Danieru counted slowly, watching the guard slid a hand up her leg. She wanted to cringe, but her plan wouldn't work if she didn't play along.

'Six…Five…Four…Three…Two…'

"Leave her alone!"

Danieru nearly screamed as the guard's head was harshly ripped from his body. The severed head rolled away, landing near the door, while blood spurted from the neck, coating her with blood. The smell overpowered her, nearly forcing up the little food she had eaten hours ago.

"I'll kill all of you bastards!"

"N-Naruto?" Iruka whispered.

Naruto wasn't himself. His eyes were wild and he had claws as fingernails, with claws coated in blood. His chest heaved from exertion, but he didn't even seem winded. The other three guards rushed in, but Naruto was quick, ripping heads off, slicing necks open, biting into stomachs or clawing into them. He was like an animal.

"The Gem of the Beasts," Iruka whispered.

Naruto turned, looking at his three prisoners. "Get out of here! Now!"

"R-Right," Danieru stuttered. Without warning, she grabbed onto Iruka and Gaara and sped out.

~Shipyard~

"That one!" Danieru dashed to the boat and quickly dumped Gaara and Iruka on the deck, body buzzing. Whether it was fear or excitement, Iruka didn't know. But he guessed it was fear more than anything.

"Captain, should I get to starting the ship?" Gaara asked after a few minutes of silence.

Iruka could only nod shakily. "Yes. Danieru, do you have the strength to get the others?"

"I should. Even if I don't, I'll just have Naruto watch my back," she joked lightly. "I'll be back."

Iruka timed it. Two minutes later, Izumo and Raidou were on board with him. Izumo was curled into a ball with Raidou trying to comfort him.

"What happened to him?" Iruka asked.

"The guy from before," Raidou answered. "The one who was angry at him. He came in and called Izumo a whore. He started calling him names and came in and beat him. We couldn't stop him. We tried, but we were retrained. After a while, he got bored of that. Izumo was just lying there. He couldn't more. Couldn't see. So the man, Kotetsu was his name, spread Izumo's legs and…" Raidou choked. "He said: 'I won't show you any mercy,'. And Izumo had to take it. He couldn't fight him off. That man raped him."

Iruka choked back a horrified gasp. "H-He what?"

"He raped him," Raidou whispered. "I was too damn far away! I couldn't do anything! I was forced to watch! I tried to help him, tried to get over there, but someone restrained me and Anko. Then Kurenai was held down and they forced us to watch Izumo get raped. And he left Izumo, dirty and bloody, and said something about coming back for another round later." The scarred man hung his head. "I couldn't do anything. He's my friend, and I let him down."

Iruka crept close to Izumo and sighed, running a hand through Izumo's dirty locks. "Everything leading up to this day," he bit out. "All of it. Had I just…had I just left a dream a dream, we'd all be fine. Maybe even normal." He looked up into the sky. "This wasn't the destiny you had in store for me, was it Mother? Father?" He looked back at his crew, the ones present. "I'm so sorry. None of this would have happened if I hadn't dragged you all into this."

~Break~

Danieru zoomed in again, this time looking angry. With her was Hayate and Yugao this time. Yugao looked tired and Hayate, for once, didn't cough. When they were set down, Hayate wrapped his arms around Yugao and held her tight.

Iruka had his hand over his mouth, horrified. "I-Is that…blood?"

"Not hers," Hayate answered. "Naruto saw some guards trying to touch her and he lost it. They're all dead now."

"He saved him," Yugao whispered. "I thought they would…Hayate couldn't reach me…Then Naruto…"

Iruka held his head in his hands. He only wished that he had told the truth sooner. Naruto would have more control, Danieru wouldn't wear herself thin, Gaara wouldn't have gotten hurt, and a lot of this could have been avoided. All the pain, the jailing, all of it.

~Half an Hour Later~

Danieru breathed out slowly, hand over her heart. It was beating erratically, not only from her having to transport everyone, but because of who was in front of her.

"K-Kiba."

It was almost perfect. No one was around; they were all pre-occupied with trying to hold down Naruto, who was still raging. She was defenseless, save for her gem, and Kiba didn't seem to have weapons on him either. He was baring the door, making sure that neither one of them could leave.

"It hurts," Kiba said quietly. "This whole scenario hurts. This isn't what I imagined when I met you for the first time. I thought you were different. If I had known that you would just…just lie to me the whole time, this would be different, wouldn't it?"

"Kiba, please. We can't do this."

"We shouldn't have done this. Why did you approach me anyways? Did you know who I was?"

She didn't meet his gaze.

Kiba laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "I should have known. Nothing good ever happens to me in my life. The one good thing that I get, and it's the worst possible thing."

Danieru looked up at him. "Kiba, wait. I never wanted this so happen-"

"So you regret me. You regret meeting me. You just used me."

"No!" Danieru protested. "That's not what I mean! I mean I regret that all of this happened! I swore that I'd never get close to a guy, so I tried my hardest. But then you came along and…damn it Kiba! I fell for you, okay?! Your stupid smirk and your personality and you make me laugh and I hate it! I love you Kiba." She blinked away tears. "I know it means nothing, but I'm so sorry. I…" she held out her hand. "If you want proof, you can take your anger out on me. If you end up killing me…"

Kiba growled. "Fuck. I can't believe I'm doing this."

Danieru watched in shock as he stepped to the side. He didn't look at her, instead focusing on the blood staining the wall. "Go," he said. "Get out while you still can. I don't know how much longer Naruto has before he tuckers himself out."

Danieru hesitated, but once she saw how serious he was, she dashed out.

"Danieru!"

She turned, seeing him staring at her regretfully. But there was another emotion in his eyes that she could see. There was love in his eyes.

"I still love you. I need you to know that." He blushed, looking away from her.

She gave a small smile. "I love you too Kiba. Just remember that."

She ran, without her gem this time, to the throne room, where not even Poseidon would have caused this much trouble. Bodies lay strewn everywhere. There was so much blood that someone could have used it to repaint the throne room red. The wreckage…

In the middle of it, chest heaving more than before, was Naruto, hunched over a body that he ripped apart. His eyes had lost their pupils, looking red, and his face had deep whiskers. He turned swiftly when he heard someone approach, and his posture changed at seeing who it was.

"Naruto," Danieru said calmly. "I got everyone out. Let's get out of here."

"The Queen is still alive!" Naruto growled in an animalistic voice. "She needs to die! After everything she did, she needs to die!"

"Naruto, we need to get out of here! Using the gem takes up energy, and a lot of it! You've been at this for a while and you need to stop!" Danieru took a few steps forward, creeping carefully over fallen bodies. "Naruto please. Calm down." She came a bit closer. "Think of Captain. Of Hinata. Of Shikamaru. Of me. Of Gaara."

At that name, Naruto froze. Slowly, all of his changes began to return to normal. He began looking like himself. Danieru smiled slightly, running over to him. Everyone was out except for them, so this would be relatively easy.

BANG!

"GAH!"

"Naruto!" Danieru looked up, seeing Lord Jiraiya with a pistol in his hands. The man's normally white hair was painted red. Clearly, he was present during Naruto's slaughter. And he looked pissed.

"I'll kill you both."

Danieru used her gem and sped to the left, avoiding the next bullet. She trapped herself against the wall, her back getting soaked with blood. She could feel it, but she had to keep going. As long as she did slow spurts at a time, she'd be fine. But Naruto was her main priority. She only had enough energy for one last sprint…

Taking a deep breath, Danieru knocked Jiraiya over and dashed to the ship.

~Trireme~

"Do you see her?" Iruka asked Hinata. Danieru and Naruto were still gone, and they were ready to go. Any longer and they wouldn't be able to stay. They'd either have to risk staying for a while longer and getting captured or leave and risk having Naruto and Danieru stranded. Iruka couldn't afford either of those options. He needed both of them, but he couldn't risk another capture. He only had seconds to decide.

"I don't see her," Hinata said regrettably.

"Neither do I," Kurenai said.

"And not from here either," Neji said as well.

"She's out there," Kankuro said. "She's out there. I know she is! She'll be here." He was tapping his foot hurriedly. "I just know she is. She's just…she's just…"

"There she is!" Anko shouted.

There was a blur rushing down the pathway besides the ship. A blur that was a mix of yellow and assorted other colors. Almost instantly, Danieru was on the ship, sweat pouring off her face, coated in blood, and looked ragged. Naruto was on her shoulder dripping blood onto her shoulder.

"He needs…help," Danieru panted, staggering.

Iruka didn't even take a step forward before Danieru collapsed face first. Naruto had long since been unconscious.

"Poseidon no," Gaara whispered.

There was too much blood. Too much. Naruto's breathing was labored, getting shallower with each passing second. Danieru's breathing was too slow to be healthy, getting worse with each second. Hinata and Kurenai set to work, checking them over for any other wounds or anything that would hamper the process of miving them to the infirmary.

"Her heart," Hinata gasped. "It's beating so fast! It's almost buzzing!"

"I can barely hear Naruto's!" Kurenai looked up at Iruka with worry. "Iruka, they might die at this rate. Naruto might not last!"

"Her heart! It's speeding up!" Hinata nearly screamed. "I can literally hear how fast it's buzzing! It's getting louder and faster!"

Iruka as was a loss. He didn't know the gems to this extent.

He had no idea what to do.

Me: Y'know, this box is actually really comfortable. I got a mini-fridge, a table and some cards, a puppy, and a thousand dollars!

Ibiki: I think there's something bigger that needs to be addressed.

Me: Oh. The ending?

Ibiki: I was referring to the delay. It's been months since you last uploaded.

Me: It has not!

Ibiki: Your last update was in November. It's February.

Me: …Shit! Damn it guys! I know there's been a delay but honestly…I just haven't felt like writing lately

Cast: *shocked gasp*

Me: I know. I don't know why, but I barely have the inspiration I used to have. I used to love writing and used to hate delays, and I always wanted to write but, I just don't have the same motivation. Projects at school have taken up most of my time, plus other stuff happened to me that took up time, so much that I have almost no time for it. And when I do find the time, I only type about a few sentences that I'm too tired to continue. I'm not giving up writing. I'm not taking a break. I need to pace myself. I need to focus on my more popular stories. Like this one. For those of you waiting, here's an update on my major stories:

Training Tatsumi sequel: It's coming. No pun intended. It's ¾ of the way done. I have to finish the final smut scene and that is a little difficult right now. No one but a few close friends really know about what I do and my family uses my computer sometimes (it's brand new and faster than my old one).

Separation of Benders: Don't expect that until next month. That's in the back of my mind, but it started when I was watching Yu-Gi-Oh. Now that I'm watching Black Butler, Tokyo Ghoul, and Death Note, my mind isn't on Yu-Gi-Oh. But rest assured, that will happen.

Ivory Snow: So many people flamed me or found flaws in the story that I've been a little pissed, so I haven't touched that yet. Every time I open it, I get upset thinking of how many people continuously read the story yet only find the bad. If a person doesn't like a story, does it make sense for them to keep reading it and then criticize it? No? I thought so.

Ice Cold Love: Damn it! Totally forgot about that one! The next chapter is there, I just have to get it completely right.

Naruto-Secret of the Hidden Beasts: I have up to chapter 15 done, so I can wait a while for that one.

As Time Goes On: Give me time. I just need some time for that one.

Our Love Story: *sigh* Don't even get me started.

The Incubus: Sorry guys. I might have one more chapter for that, but then it's over. No more Brave Frontier Crossovers.

Me: If I'm missing anything, PM me about the stories I need to update, or the ones you want to see updated, and I will try. If they are smaller stories, I probably won't update those as quickly, but I'll still do it. And um…this chapter was a bit hard to write for me, so I'm sorry if this came out rushed or not the usual quality that my other stories have. I made it a bit longer than the others, but I don't know by how much. Excuse my mistakes and however crappy this chapter may be. I will see you all next time.