1. Ch1 Stranded

Naruto's been on lots of missions before during his career as a shinobi, but none of them have ever started out like this. Stranded on a lifeboat, out in the middle of the ocean with no sign of land in sight. As far as the eye can see, it's just water, water and even more water. To say that Naruto hated sea storms was a monumental understatement now, given he didn't know how to navigate or even which direction to go. He was glad for the lifeboat sure so his luck wasn't entirely gone just yet, but it sure would have been nice if Jiraiya, Tsunade or anyone from Konoha had found him by now. Between the sun bearing down on him during the daytime or how freaking cold it got at night, Naruto was slowly, bit by bit, loosing his mind and wishing he could be back in Konoha for a hot bowl of Ichiraku Ramen.

The good side was he wasn't alone. For the last few weeks now, he'd been sharing this boat with two people. One was his friends Ino Yamanaka from Team Asuma and the other his friend Gaara's older sister Temari. The storm that capsized their ship left all three of them on this lifeboat together. It actually all started when the five village leaders called for a new meeting between the five great villages and this time, Kiri was chosen and Mei Terumi, the 5th Mizukage was chosen to host it. Both the Konoha and Suna delegations traveled together on one large ship. One moment, Naruto was catching up with his friend Gaara over dinner and the next, there was this massive storm the likes of which he'd never seen before. Naruto and his team, along with several others, were organized to get the civilians to safety first.

Once they did get all the civilians safely below deck however, Naruto was thrown off the boat by a massive wave that took him completely unaware. He was left struggling to remain above the water as waves kept trying to submerge him. Turns out that walking on water for ninja isn't as easy as you'd think when you're being tossed around by the sea like a rag doll. The poor guy thought he was gonna drown till he was hauled on board a lifeboat by both familiar kunoichi who he was stranded with right now. Turns out both of them were thrown overboard by the same wave that capsized Naruto. They watched in horror as the boat that had everyone on board flipped over and started to disappear beneath the dark waters. They had no idea if anyone was able to get off or what happened to their teams, friends or families.

The rain would last well into the rest of the night and for the three of em, it was terrible. The bitter cold rain water on their skin while the wind blew over them had all three of them shivering. Temari had it the worst out of them. She was already having a hard time at sea, given she spent most of her life either in the desert or just on land in general. With the waves tossing and turning their little boat like babies with their toys in a bathtub, her sea sickness was way worse. Naruto and Ino had to hold her so she wouldn't fall overboard while she vomited. Even after the waves and the storm calmed down, it was still raining pretty hard and the wind was still blowing an incredibly icy breeze over them. Their first night was extremely uncomfortable to say the lest as they were soaked all the way through, hungry and thirsty.

Naruto, Ino and Temari were all in the worst possible situation. They were stranded out in the middle of the ocean, neither of them knew how to navigate, where they were or even where to go. They had no food or fresh water, no way to keep rain water from falling on them so they could dry off and keep warm, no blankets or towels. The three of them were extremely miserable for the first night. It kept raining and by now, things were getting pretty desperate. Out of frustration, Temari looked over to Naruto with a very angry look in her eyes.

"T-Temari-San?" Naruto asked nervously.

"Strip." she ordered.

"WHAT?!" he freaked, not sure he heard her right.

"You heard me Uzumaki, strip." she barked. She then looked over at Ino who couldn't believe it either. "You too." she ordered.

"You cannot be serious!" shouted her fellow blonde.

"Do you idiots want to freeze to death?!" she asked them in an irritated tone. Both of them were quite as they shivered. "The rain is starting to die down and soon, it should come to a stop but we're all soaking wet and it's getting colder. We need to share our body heat while we sleep or we'll catch Hyperthermia." she told them. Both Naruto and Ino didn't think about that. They looked at one another first and then back to the Suna Princess. "It's part of basic survival training. This is even important in the desert. At night, the temperature can drop to freezing levels and can kill you just as easily as the intense heat can." she explained. Temari then sneezed, followed by Ino then Naruto. "Now, both of you can leave your underwear on but take off everything else. We need to lay into one another to combine body heat." she finished.

Even if this was a survival situation, it was still extremely awkward for all three of them to strip down in front of one another. Naruto wore a pair of black and orange boxer shorts with red swirly designs on them. Temari and Ino both wore basic training bras and panties just different colors. Ino's were white and Temari's were dark grey. If sitting in front of one another in their underwear was extremely uncomfortable, then what came next was even more so. Temari decided to lay on her side first with her back to Naruto. Then she ordered him to lay down behind her and press his chest against her back. Naruto did so and also brought his arm around her waist to hold her close which she allowed. He then felt Ino do the same and soon, all three of them were huddled together and shivering as they waited for her plan to work.

After a while, they stopped shivering and were feeling much warmer now. All three of them were so tired that it didn't take long at all for them to fall asleep, one after another. It was a bloody wonder that Ino or Temari didn't wake up from Naruto's snoring. Either they were both very heavy sleepers or they were too tired to care. The rest of the night would be cold but peaceful for the three of them as they huddled together to share body heat and try to make it through the night. Ino did wake up one time to take a piss (Which was really hard to do without falling over the side of the boat for her) then would cuddle back with Naruto's back pressed up against her chest. Neither of the other two becoming even aware. Naruto would be the first to stir a bit when he felt the sun shining down on him and hitting his eyes.

Naruto almost forgotten that he was sleeping with the two blonde kunoichi. He heard Temari's soft breathing as she slept and felt Ino's lightly tickling the back of his neck. He was calm until he felt an all too familiar sensation he felt some mornings and too his horror, it was exactly what he feared. He had morning wood and feared for his life what these girls would do to him if they woke and found his with a boner because he was sleeping with them. He was frozen where he laid, preying he could bring himself under control before either of them woke up. He was silently panicking when Temari did stir when she felt him poking into her backside.

"Naruto?" he heard her say very weakly. Sweat poured down his face as he readied himself for one hell of a beating. Naruto was scared out of his mind of Sakura sometimes and he didn't want to get into trouble with either of these dangerous ladies. "Would you mind readjusting? Your knee is pressing against my ass." she said before he heard her fall back to sleep.

Naruto carefully, easily and very very quietly got back up out from between both ladies and watched as Ino scooted over to cuddle with Temari for warmth. He then made his way over to the side of the boat to take a piss and much to his relief (Pun intended) his erection died back down and he was able to relax. He then changed back into his cloths and soon, both of his boat mates would get up and get dressed back into their cloths as well. They were still damp but the sun warmed them up and soon, they were comfortably dry again. Most of the day was actually very awkward between the three of them. They didn't really have a whole lot to talk about at all, given that they were lost at sea and just waiting for someone to come by and find them. They were also feeling hungry and thirsty too.

And this was kind of the routine for them now for the last five days as they just floated out to sea. They'd sit in their own little corner of the boat as they waited, trying to pass the time with small talk and do their best to keep their minds off their growling stomachs. The average human body needed water every three days or they'd dehydrate. The only thing that saved them from that was when it would rain from time to time. When it did, all three of them would open their mouths to the sky and try to catch a mouthful of water. It wasn't as easy as one would think, given that the wind blew most of the water way so little rain actually would fall into their waiting mouths. What made things even more frustrating was when it would only rain for like a couple of moments before it would stop and they'd be left with only a sip.

Naruto and Ino watched as Temari went absolutely berserk over the short rain. She stood to her feet and yelled at the sky, giving it the bird and cursing it out before demanding that it would rain longer and with less wind. Then she'd sit back down on her ass from the dizziness do to the lack of food. After about ten days, they were absolutely miserable. Naruto was sitting still where he usually did when his stomach growled loudly.

"Will you shut the hell up?!" shouted Ino who shot to her feet when she heard Naruto's grumbling.

"I didn't say anything!" he cried back in defense.

"Then stop your stomach from growling!" she snapped. "It's really getting on my nerves!" she shouted.

"It's not my fault Ino-San." he replied. "I can't keep my stomach from growling when I'm hungry and I haven't eaten anything in nearly two weeks and I'm starving." he explained.

Ino was about to yell again when she lost her balance and fell back down onto her corner of the boat. "Naruto I... I'm sorry." she said in a more calm and even apologetic tone. She then blushed when her stomach started growling too. "I'm just so hungry right now and I can get pretty cranky when I haven't had anything to eat for too long." she told him. She then heard another growling and shot another dirty look, thinking that it was him again.

"Hey don't look at me!" he shouted in defense.

"That was my stomach." said Temari with a small blush of her own.

All three of them right now were so hungry that they felt they could start eating their own cloths or part of the boat should it come to it. By fifteen days, Ino and Temari were laying side by side in the center of the boat and just talking while Naruto was leaning against the side and watching the sea as they just continued floating further and further out to nowhere really.

"Hey Ino?" Temari asked, looking straight up into the sky as she lay on her back.

"Yeah?" asked Ino who also lay on her back but had her eyes closed.

"Did you ever think your life would end like this?" asked the Suna kunoichi to her fellow blonde.

"Well, trapped with the Village Idiot was not what I was expecting." she replied, referring to Naruto.

"Guys?" Naruto asked but was ignored.

"You know, I've been thinking about my brothers a lot for these last few weeks." she told her.

Ino turned her head a bit to look at her. "Really?" she asked her.

"I may die out here." said Temari sadly. "I may never see them again." she sniffed.

"Don't say that Temari." said Ino. "Things look bad, but I'm sure your brothers are looking for you. The Kazekage won't abandon his older sister." she told her, trying to reassure.

"I know you're right." said Temari, wiping a tear from her cheek. "But it's been fifteen days and the only hope we ever get is when it rains so we can get a drink of water." she said sniffing again. "I was such a bitch sometimes." she cried a bit.

"Temari." said Ino, feeling bad for her.

"I mean it." she replied. "I'm bossy, I'm short tempered and so entitled sometimes. I know I shouldn't be but I've spent so long being the Kazekage's Daughter, that I forget sometimes what it feels like to just be a sister to her brothers." she cried. "I don't even tell Kankuro or Gaara that I love them as much as I should." she added.

"Guys?" asked Naruto again, only for the two ladies to ignore him again.

Temari then looked over to Ino who was looking at her. "What about you, family?" she asked her.

Ino looked back up at the sky, watching the gulls flying by but not really paying much attention. "Mom and Dad." she answered.

"No siblings?" she asked her.

"No I'm an only child." replied Ino. "And if anyone among us should feel guilty about how they've treated family it's me. I was such a little brat sometimes. I gave Mom a hard time whenever I could, even over the simplest requests and I treated Dad like dirt as I got older and older. I know he probably spent too much time drinking than he really should have and that got on Mom's nerves too but most of the time I was just giving him a hard time." she told her, starting to feel badly about it. "I didn't say I love you to my parents as much as I should have either." she confessed, feeling a tear well up in her eye.

"You're the daughter of a Clan Leader Ino, most girls turn out as brats when they're born into nobility." Temari told her.

Ino scoffed at that. "Hardly an excuse." she replied. "I know my parents. They'd give life and limb for my and I show no gratitude for it at all." she told her.

"Guys?" Naruto asked a third time. This time they'd look up at him then back to the sky when he didn't look back at them.

It was then a thought came to Temari. "Does Naruto have any family back home?" she asked her. "I've been to Konoha over the years but I don't ever remember seeing them." she confessed.

Ino wasn't expecting her fellow blonde to ask about him. "Naruto's an Orphan." she replied. "I met him when we first entered the academy and I think he's always been alone." she told her.

Temari looked over at Ino again. "No family at all?" she asked.

Ino shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. "None that I know of." she confessed. "The Uzumaki Clan died out at the end of the Third Ninja World War. As far as we know, he's the last of them." she told her.

This really made Temari think. "You know, he's in the same boat as we are." she said with a brief grin. "Both figuratively and literally." she chuckled, only for her grin to drop. "Do you...think anybody will miss him when he dies?" she asked.

That also had Ino really thinking. She knew that Naruto had it rough growing up and it must have been really lonely to grow up without parents. "I don't know." she confessed. "To be honest, I've never really thought about Naruto's personal life. We're on different teams and we don't hang out as much as we do with the other people we know." she told her. Ino then looked back to Temari. "What do you think of him?" she asked her.

"I've never spent this much time with him before I've had to now but truth be told, I never really thought too much about him." she told her. "We meet from time to time like when either I visit Konoha or he visits Suna, but we really don't talk to each other that much. However, Gaara is very fond of him." she told her. "Even before Naruto saved him from the Akatsuki, he'd always held him in such high regards. Whenever Naruto would come to visit our village, whether it's a mission or it's personal, Gaara's always happy to see him and he's always ready to welcome him with open arms." she told her.

Ino was really surprised to hear that. "I had no clue." she confessed.

Temari smiled and nodded. "Naruto doesn't know this, but ever since he saved Gaara he's become quite famous in Suna." she told her.

Ino smiled at that. She thought it was nice that he was getting some recognition for all his hard work. It also made her a little sad. He was treated like dirt a lot of times back home so it's sad to think he can find the most acceptance in other villages like Suna.

"GUYS!" shouted Naruto loudly and very excitedly.

"What?!" shouted both Kunoichi who shot up in irritation from him constantly shouting at them.

"Land!" he said with a bright smile and pointing.

Both ladies eyes shot wide open when they saw not far off now an actual island. Sandy shores and green trees in the distance. Temari rubbed her eyes and prayed it wasn't an illusion like a mirage. Ino was about to break down and start crying from seeing the island and to her, it was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. All three of them used their hands to row themselves over to the island and once they were close, one of the waves flipped them over so they had to swim to shore once they were about twenty feet from the sand. Temari and Ino were on their hands and knees as they crawled out of the water and onto the beach. They were so happy to feel land, even if it was sand mind you, they rolled over onto their backs and made sand angels as they both laughed and cried from happiness.

They then sat back up to see Naruto as energetic as ever and running, jumping and flipping up and down the beach.

"...Do you think he drank the Sea Water?" Temari asked Ino.

"No he's always been like that." she replied, rolling her eyes.

Next Chapter: The Island

[Author's Notes] Let me know what you all think :-)