Tides of Change

"I wish I could go with you." Sakura said sadly, her emerald gaze focused on the wooden dock.

Gaara took Sakura's hand and pulled her into and embrace. "I want you to come my love, but…" he trailed off, looking back up at their home.

"I know, I know." She sighed, laying her head against his chest. "I have to stay and watch the kingdom. But Gaara please…just promise me," the pink haired queen stared up at her husband, her eyes smoldering a small flame. "When you find those bastards who stole my children…kill them."

The red head nodded, assuring her with a gentle kiss. "I love you Sakura," he smiled softly, pressing his forehead against hers. "I will bring our children back. I swear."

"I know you will," she whispered back. He took her hands and kissed both of them, not wanting to leave his beautiful wife.

"Be safe."

"I will." She promised. Giving herself some height by getting on the tips of her toes, she kissed him deeply. "I love you Gaara, now go." She closed her eyes, trying to fight back the tears from forming.

Gaara reluctantly left her and turned to Neji and his gang of pirates. Tenten stepped forward with a sullen look, "Don't worry Sakura we'll help him find Kyou and Umi."

Sakura looked around her husband at her best friend and tried to smile at her. "Alright." Gaara cleared his throat, leaning down once more and kissing Sakura tenderly on the forehead. He turned to his crew and gave the signal for them to get going.

Everyone began moving towards the ship, heading for their positions and tugging on the ropes to raise the sails. Gaara was the last one on the ship from the wooden bridge before Kiba and Naruto slid it back onto the ship, freeing the boat from the land.

Gaara stood at the side, his eyes locked on Sakura as they began to sail away. The pink haired women waved him fair well until they could no longer see one another. Gaara maneuvered around the rush of his crew, almost as if he had never missed a beat. He was beside Neji at the wheel, his face set in stone. "We have to hurry."

A pale blond woman slid down one of the tight ropes, landing on the railing in front of the two captains. "Do you have any idea where those guys might be going?" Ino asked, not aiming the question at anyone specific.

"I don't know," Neji admitted, stealing a glance at Gaara.

"Nor do I, but I won't stop searching every island, every port, or every sea until I find my children." He stepped forward, resting his hands on the railing and looking ahead at the vast ocean before him. He dug his nails painfully into the wood. Here he was, doing what he loved, with the wind and the ocean mist in his face and he couldn't even enjoy it.

"I will find you two," he whispered himself the promise and set his eyes forward.

"Kyou…I'm scared," the small pink haired girl whispered to her brother, tears streaming down her face.

The two sat in the brig of the dirty ship, huddled together on the. Umi was latched onto her brother trying to quiet her cries so she wouldn't draw more attention to them. "It'll be ok Umi," the redheaded boy nodded, giving his sister a reassuring hug. He couldn't believe this had happened, he didn't even know anyone had the nerve to kidnap royalty anymore. "We just have to wait it out and stick together."

Umi sniffed and wiped her tears with her hand, trying to clear her vision. "I want daddy," she sobbed out, her crying starting up once again.

"Umi calm down and try and remain cool," Kyou scolded his sister, hugging her anyway because he knew how afraid she was. Truthfully he was afraid too, he didn't know what to do. He had thought about escaping but then where would they go? They were in the middle of the ocean. "Umi even if we were rescued it wouldn't be dad, it would be the armada. Mom and dad have to take care of Leaf and they couldn't do anything to help anyway." He sighed, holding Umi more closely. He wouldn't admit it aloud but he really missed his mom…and his dad. He missed the security he felt around them, like nothing could happen. Why had he been so stupid as to follow his father on business that obviously wasn't his. At least why had he let Umi come? It was all his fault that his little sister was now a captive on a pirate ship and who knew what these kinds of men were like or what they would try.

The door at the top of the wooden stairs creaked open, showing in bright light from the outside. A dark figure came into vision and started down the stairs at a slow pace. Umi silenced her cries, gripping more tightly to her brother and burying her face into his arm.

The large, crusty man stopped at the cell and looked inside at the two. Kyou tried to put on his most threatening glare in attempts to get the man to leave them alone. But instead of retreating the man fished into his pockets and pulled out a ring of keys. Alarms went off in the young man's head, he moved so that Umi was more behind him than beside him. "What do you want?" Kyou demanded, standing up so he could defend his sister if need be.

The large man laughed and slid the key into the keyhole, the clicking sound echoing around the dark bottom. "Such a bold young child we have here. Don't worry boy I'm not here for you." He chuckled darkly, pulling the cell door open and walking towards them.

Kyou stepped forward with his fists raised, "You stay away from my sister!" he yelled, running at the pirate and throwing a fist in his direction. His hand met with the man's arm and looked ineffective, but it would wear him down eventually. Kyou kept trying to hit him and bring him down to the ground but none of his hits seemed to do anything but make the man laugh.

"Stand aside boy." He growled and the last thing Kyou remembered before everything went black was a large fist coming at his face and hitting the back wall with a hard smack.

There was a loud horn blown. The tired brown eyes looked up to the watchers spot at the top of the ship. A lightly blue man pointed toward the west. Sasori sighed and got up from his relaxed position, there was another ship quite a ways off with a black sail. "Who dares sail in my waters?" the red head asked angrily and dully at the same time. Itachi stepped beside Sasori and took out a spy glass.

"It looks like that new group that's been seen around lately. Do you want to destroy them?" the dark haired man asked, looking down at the red head.

Sasori rubbed at his chi and shrugged, "Blow them out of the sea. We don't need more pirates on these waters."

Itachi glanced through the glass once more and looked around the ship, seeing a struggling girl aboard with light pink hair. He cleared his throat and handed the telescope to his captain. "Sasori-sama it looks like there is a girl with pink hair on that ship."

At the mention of pink a blond ran up the steps to the captains perched and squealed. "What? Really!"

Deidara stood next to Itachi, squinting her eyes and trying to see from this distance. Sasori spotted the blob of pink air and thought aloud, "Who do we know that has pink hair?"

Deidara gasped and hit Sasori over the head, giving the order to go and take the ship. "It's Sakura of course! Let's go get her!"

"Um," Itachi raised a finger to interject. "I didn't say it was Sakura…it's a girl…a young girl…" he corrected. Deidara went wide eyed and ran down to hurry the process.

"Hurry everyone hurry!" she demanded.

It wasn't too long until they were side by side the ship. "Fire!" Sasori ordered, their cannons going off into the unsuspecting ship. "Itachi go and secure the girl," he ordered his second in command. Without a word of objection Itachi drew his sword and cut one of the ropes, swinging over to the other deck. Instantly he was met by other blades but he fended them off, kicking two overboard.

When Itachi saw the cry girl he ran over to her, kneeling to her level and offering her his hand. "Small one, I promise that I am not here to hurt you." She looked up, tears staining her face, but she was clearly afraid of him. "I know your mother and father, Gaara and Sakura." This seemed to catch the girls' attention. She slowly placed her delicate hand in his and Itachi pulled her into his arms.

There was a loud explosion, the two ships began to veer in opposite directions. The smoke from the loud commotion was coming from his own ship. Without a second thought Itachi ran back for his ship, cutting another one of the secured ropes and flying over the open water between the ships and landing on his own.

Finally he realized the little girl in his arms was screaming, "My brother! My brother is still on that ship!"

Itachi looked back at the enemy boat to see it was already too far to make a jump for, Sasori was barking orders for people to go down and seal up the leak from the cannon blow they had received. It would be impossible to pursue the fleeting ship now. His red eyes fell down and met the pale green, she was still crying.

Deidara ran over to them and gasped, "She's the spitting image of Sakura." Itachi set the girl down and Deidara kneeled down to her level, offering her hand to the small girl. "Hello there. I am Deidara, I know your mommy and daddy, and they were good friends of mine." Umi was perplexed, why would her parents know these people? It didn't make any sense.

"She says that her brother was on that ship as well." Itachi spoke up, causing Deidara to go wide eyed.

"What?"

Umi was the one to speak this time, "My brother was down in a cell. The bad man knocked him out and took me with him. He's still there! Please you must save him!" she cried out, the tears forming in her eyes once more.

"I'm sorry," Deidara placed her hand on top of Umi's head. "We cannot go after them right now, we have to repair our ship. But I promise as soon as we can move we will go get your brother."

Umi nodded slowly, looking back at the man who had saved her, crawling back into his arms. Itachi blinked and stared down at the innocent child and then back to Deidara. "What's your name?" Deidara asked kindly.

"Umi."

"Umi," Deidara smiled, "What a pretty name…would you like to stay with Itachi here?"

Umi nodded, clinging to her knight in shining armor.

"Alright then, he promises to keep you safe while you are here." Deidara stood finally as did Itachi, bringing the girl up with him. "Right Itachi."

Now put on the spot Itachi nodded and looked down at the girl in his arms, "Yes I will protect you."

Umi gave him a small smile and clutched onto his shirt, falling asleep almost instantly, she had definitely had a long day.

Deidara walked away from the two and began to help with the repairs. Itachi went down into the cab areas and into his own private quarters. He laid the girl down in his bed and sat next to her, letting her sleep her terrors away.

"Do not worry little Umi, I will protect you little princess. You, who should never have to know of this pain."