Disclaimer: If I actually owned Naruto, nothing would be released on time.

Caution: This chapter is much longer than the others, so prepare yourself.

The dark waters rose and fell with every pulse of the sea, the waves rising and falling in their own dance as the rhythm of the rain kept time. The strong gloomy clouds above raged about, swirling and twisting with solemn determination as they cast down their cold torrents of water upon the mortals below. The cold wind whipped about, blowing harshly against those who tried to go against it, nipping cruelly at the ships company.

Yelling and shouting could be heard from every direction while the men ran about trying to keep everything in order. Sakura was sprinting across the deck trying to avoid running into other people as she searched for Sasuke. The rain pelted her back and ran down her face, stinging her eyes and making her spit out water. Her hair stuck to the back of her neck, making her uncomfortable and bothered. She reached the middle of the deck when a wave crashed into the side of the ship, the peak of it hitting down on the ship and completely drenching her in cold sea water. Sakura grabbed onto the mast and stood there for a moment, huffing in annoyance and irritation. She felt the cold sink into her bones and chill her inside and out, making her shake slightly. The air around her was humid and hot, she could tell, but it did nothing to help keep her warm. She let go of the mast and continued on her way to find Sasuke.

Sakura had scoured almost every inch of the ship above decks, figuring that Sasuke must be around here somewhere helping do something, but after a while of running around, Sakura still hadn't found him. Finally, she went and opened the hatch to the below decks, and went down the stairs to start searching for Sasuke down there. She was happy to get out of the rain for a while, her clothes being completely useless at this point. Though she'd never admit it, she was starting to get worried about Sasuke. He would have been above deck by now helping keep everything in order.

There were crew members running around in here too, doing their designated jobs and working to the best of their ability. It was almost completely dark down there, the lamps having gone out after being tossed around, their own wax most likely putting themselves out. Only a few were lit, casting ominous shadows that continued to dance and sway as the ship continued to lurch and rock.

Sakura was quick on her feet as she searched earnestly for Sasuke, but still with no avail. She was nearing her cabin and decided to run in there quickly to check if everything was still in order, not knowing if things had fallen over or rolled away. When she was near enough to see her door she noticed that there was a large crate in front of it, leaning against it unmoving. The crate looked as if it had thumped it's way in front of the door after a large wave moved the Sharinkitsune significantly. As she got closer, she started to hear banging coming from the inside of the door. She ran over to her door and tried to move the box away, but it was far heavier than she had assumed it would be. How it managed to move on it's own was beyond Sakura.

Sakura knocked sharply on her door, trying to be heard over the opposing outside sounds from the ships crew and such.

"Hello? Is someone in there?" She called loudly.

"Sakura!" It was Sasuke!

"Sasuke! Are you okay?" Sakura yelled.

"There's something jamming the door!" He called back, not answering her.

Sakura looked around for something to help move the crate since she couldn't do it herself. Finding a board of wood, she ran back over and jammed it under the larger box as best she could, using the board for leverage as she pried the board back and forth. She got it to a point where it finally clunked over to where she could just barely push it away from the door. She groaned as it finally slid away, not by much but enough to at least get the door open. She flew to the door and flung it ajar only to see Sasuke standing there, only a little damp with a noticeably bad attitude.

"Thank you." Sasuke said quickly as he exited Sakura's bedroom.

"What were you doing?" Sakura breathed, putting her hands on her hips and bending over slightly as she breathed.

"I was looking for you. Obviously," He gestured toward her soaked clothes, "there's a storm and I need your assistance." Sasuke started to briskly walk down the ships hallways, heading above deck. Sakura trailed behind slightly, struggling to keep up as she had just finished running all around the ship looking for him.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there sooner." Sakura said, truly feeling responsible for the reason of Sasuke's short lived disappearance.

"Me too." Sasuke muttered. "Come along now, we have to hurry!" Sasuke reached out and grabbed Sakura's hand, pulling her along quickly as he raced above deck. Sakura thought that Sasuke's demeanor was a bit off, but couldn't exactly pinpoint what. He seemed… Well, Sakura didn't dare say skittish or scared, but there was a certain uneasiness about him- perhaps he was anxious. His hand gripped her wrist tightly, the warmth from his hand seeping into Sakura's cold one. She watched him from behind, his movements and stature. They weren't as graceful or as easy as usual, his steps were rigid and his shoulders were tense. Whatever the reason, Sakura had to brush it to the side for now because they were almost above decks, and much work awaited her. Work and patience. Taking a deep breath, she pulled her hand away from Sasuke's and matched his pace.

"Let's do this then." Sakura said confidently, glancing at Sasuke from the corner of her eye.

She watched him give her a curt nod, and together they opened the hatch to the hazards above.

The storm was nothing near pretty. The sails had to be constantly cared for while they were rolled up, ropes continued to come undone and people frequently needed something. Everyone was trying to do their best, but at some points their best just wasn't quite good enough.

Naruto did a spectacular job keeping the ship from capsizing, driving the ship repeatedly into the waves as they came and went. His job was nearly the most difficult, having to always be on the lookout as the rain continued to pound on his back and drip into his eyes as he forced them open. The sad part was, this was only a small storm. The waters didn't rise as high as they usually did in a big one, the rain didn't hurt as much and it wasn't as freezing cold. Yes, it was horrible to deal with, but it was nothing like what Naruto has witnessed before.

"One to your right!" Hinata yelled loudly to Naruto. Naruto spun the wheel and caught it expertly, turning the ship as he drove it into the oncoming wave. He had Hinata looking out to the right of the ship for waves and Shikamaru on his left doing the same for the other side. During the storm these were mandatory positions for the captain since he just wasn't able to catch all the threats himself.

Naruto breathed heavily as he continued to labor over the ship. Thankfully storms like this didn't last a whole day, and he longed for the time that it was over. Honestly, Naruto loved thunderstorms and rain! However, he only loved them when he was on land. Land storms were much different from storms out on the sea. The seemingly soft or continuous rain on land was nothing to the absolutely brutally painful and almost unending torrents of water on the ocean. When Naruto was at sea… He'd much rather raid a ship or explore a burningly hot desert island. He had bad memories tied with storms and much preferred any other difficult job to dealing with them.

Hinata glanced back to look at her captain, seeing him endure through the rough conditions of the storm. She shivered in fear and because she was cold. She was soaked to the bone and could hardly remember what being dry felt like at this point. They were nearing the end of the first hour of the storm, and Hinata desperately hoped it was a short one. She was already sick of this. When she traveled with her family and such, storms weren't a problem for her. She stayed below decks where it was warm and cozy and didn't have to help with anything. She was tended to and usually ended up sleeping through the storms, not thinking anything of it.

Hinata turned and looked out at sea again, the dark gray waters shifting ominously, rising and falling with a rhythm all their own. Hinata brushed away wet pieces of hair that clung to her face, trying to pay attention. A small wave started to curl up a few ways away, continuing to rise up and up. Her gut twisted together and she spun around to look at Naruto who was also looking at the wave.

"Naruto!" Hinata called. She watched as Naruto took the wheel of his ship, gripping it tightly as he spun it to the right, the ship lurching to obey his command. Hinata braced herself against the side of the railing, waiting for impact. The ship began to rise up with the wave, the top of it rising higher than the boat, looking extremely menacing as the dark waters moved and rushed about without falling yet. When the wave reached it's peak and turned, rushing over, the top coming to slap down hard against the deck. The top of the ship broke through the water and hit the other side the wave, sinking into the water as it cushioned it's fall. The wave that brought them up didn't reach the others from the commanding deck, but the water that splashed out of the sea from the ship falling down on it did. Hinata was hit with cold salt water from the chest down, making her wince and shiver, the cold water making her clothes cling to her skin in an uncomfortable fashion. She really couldn't wait till this storm was over.

Lightning suddenly cracked, flashing everyone in a quick flash of white light. Hinata was looking at Naruto and gasped when the clear light showed just how tired and horrible he really looked. His eyes were dark and he had such an intense glower on his face it looked as if it was set there forever. She truly felt bad for him, knowing that this stressed him out beyond anything. One wrong move and all the lives on the ship could be lost… Who could be brave enough to get behind the wheel of a ship of this size and take on that responsibility? She admired Naruto in many ways, bravery being one of them. Hinata swiped her hand across her face, getting rid of the water there for only a second before being replaced with more. She looked back out at the waters and breathed deeply while lost in thought. She clasped her hands together in concern, wondering if Sakura was doing alright and if she was safe. Hopefully, she would find out soon. For now, however, she needed to focus on her job. Hinata continued to stare out at the black waters with solemn determination.

Sasuke was working on an important job as well, since he was currently running around the ship helping those who needed it. Sakura had parted with him to do the same, finding men who were heaving barrels and weights as they moved them around to keep the ship balanced and such. Sakura didn't mind the work, she just disliked the conditions that they were under. She may have grown up in a port town, but storms were never really her thing and she wasn't feeling too well at this point.

There was a sudden snapping sound which was quickly followed by a cannon starting to roll away from it's original position by the ships railing. Sakura acted fast and raced over to the moving cannon and braced herself as the heavy artillery rushed toward her. The wet metal hit her hands first and then slammed into her shoulder and side as she tried to stop it from rolling down the deck. Sakura heaved heavily as she started to slowly slide back with the cannon, the mass of it outweighing her by quite a lot. She pushed as hard as she could but with no avail could she get the cannon to stop.

Everything then appeared to happen all at once, time seemingly to slow as her brain processed everything that happened. First it was the look from Sasuke that made her gut twist at the sight of him for reasons unknown to her. Her green eyes flashed up and caught the look of alarm and almost panic gracing the face of the handsome Uchiha, his wet black hair framing his face elegantly as his head snapped up to watch the scene that was unfolding before him. Second, Sakura felt someone press against her from behind, the frame being one of a man. Sakura could already tell that he was incredibly fit, his hard chest pressing roughly against her back since, as she guessed, he was a bit taller than her. He made no nose of any kind, no words of comfort or command, but instead he trailed his hands down Sakura's arms and clasped the cannon she was trying her best to support while forcing it back with her in an effortless attempt to help her. The cannon stopped moving immediately and started to go in the opposite direction, the direction it was suppose to be going in when Sakura was pushing on it alone.

Sakura groaned slightly as she continued to push it back up towards the railing, trying to act unfazed by the unknown human behind her even though it was making her slightly uneasy that someone was quite so close without her knowing who it was. Together they reached the railing quickly, the cannon sliding into place with a neat click. The man swiftly removed his body from being pressed against Sakura's and grabbed a rope nearby and began to throw it over the cannon, still without saying a word. Sakura got a only a glance at him before the rope was tossed her way, which she quickly used to continue to tie the cannon back in place. The job was done in a minute, and the cannon finally back in place.

Sakura looked up and was met with a man who she had never seen about the ship before. He had clean white hair that was currently slightly being matted down by the continuous rain. He also had a beautiful set of eyes, one even being scarred. But that wasn't quite all that was so enrapturing about him. This man who had helped Sakura also wore a tight mask over the bottom half of his face, completely concealing that part of him from everyone.

"Thank you for your help." Sakura tried being loud enough to be heard over the storm without yelling.

"Anytime." The man's eyes showed that he simply smiled.

Sakura was about to ask the man who he was and inquire more about him when her thoughts and actions were interpreted by, of course, Sasuke.

"Sakura!" Sasuke's voice was faint, but still heard as he called to her from across the main deck.

Sakura spun around and tried to find him, squinting through the pelting downpour. She started to sprint across the deck, almost slipping once or twice as she found him helping a man throw a rope around the main mast.

"Are you okay?" Sasuke asked quickly, his eyes scanning the girl for any open cuts or anything of the source.

"I'm fine!" Sakura called back over the thunder.

"Go down below deck and help pump water out! I'll meet you down there if I get the chance!" He commanded.

Instead of agreeing with him and forcing her voice to be loud enough to be heard, Sakura showed her compliance by simply doing what she was told. She turned and went directly below decks, having been secretly very eager to get out of the harsh winds and rain.

Sakura continued on her way down to the depths of the ship, but stopped partway down. She cautiously looked around, not wanting anyone to see her stop for a moment. Noting that the coast was clear, she leaned daintily against the wall and gripped her shoulder, her entire right side on fire with pain. It was the side that had been hit with the cannon and, not wanting to show it at the time, just ignored the pain that it had caused her. She breathed heavily, taking slow deep breaths in and out. A small corner of her right ribcage hurt every time she breathed in, and she undoubtedly bruised herself pretty hard.

Sakura slid down the wall slowly, her clothes making a squish sound as she actually sat down for a moment. She reached up and took her hair out, the wet strands all tumbling out around her face. She groaned as she reached forward and took off her boots, emptying them of water before slipping them back on her cold feet. Sakura closed her eyes and felt the rocking of the ship, trying to calm herself down before going back out to fight this thing till the end. After another moment of silence she put her hair back up and stood slowly, using the wall for support as she started to continue to the decks below.

Sakura just went down another flight of stairs when she turned to go down the last only to see the middle of the stairs was completely submerged in water. Her brow creased in concern and confusion, but proceeded downward anyway. She stepped into the water and continued to walk into the room, the sound of running water could be heard as well as loud clicking and clanking. When Sakura hit the bottom of the floor the water was up to about her hips, making her wade through the murky waters to find someone down here.

"Hello?" She called out, coming around a corner to an open room. The room had no windows and not a lot of light, but in the middle of it there was a large contraption built in a box shape. It was supported by wooden beams on all four corners and looked almost like a cannon facing downward toward the ship. It had four big levers on each side with lots of heavy intricate equipment on the inside of the box. Sakura really had no idea what it was, as she had never seen anything like it. It was as if the big round metal cylinder was alive, it's gears never stopping and it's groaning never ceasing.

"Sakura!" A mans voice called out. His head popped out from around the other side of the box, his untamed brown hair damp and slightly curly. A look of relief washed over his attractive face, and he started to run toward her.

"Kiba?" Sakura recognized him instantly, knowing him slightly better than some other crew members. They'd see each other in the halls and at the dinning court and say hello to one other, often exchange smiles and good mornings.

Kiba gripped Sakura's hand and pulled her through the water over to the water pump.

"Okay, so we'd usually have to fill the pump up to help it get water out if it was a regular day of sailing, but because to the storm we're a little backed up. What you're going to want to do is every time this," He pointed to metal rod that was sticking out of one of the wooden beams, which Sakura found that one of them was on all four of them. "sticks up, you're going to want to pull this lever and release all the water that the pump has collected." Kiba let of Sakura and moved to one of the levers. It was a foot or so taller than Sakura, and she watched as he gripped it and swung it down, the metal in the pump creaking as the floorboards vibrated somewhat. The metal rod that was on this side of the beam dropped down so that it was now resting against the wooden surface. Kiba let go of the lever and watched as it brought itself back up. The metal rod began to slowly rise now, and Sakura assumed it was just to track how full the pump was.

"This is… Very intricate." Sakura muttered.

Kiba laughed and went over to one side of the box, the one facing Sakura.

"It may be intricate, but it gets old being down here alone doing all the work myself. Thanks for coming to help out." He reached up and brought his lever down, the boards silently vibrating again.

Sakura was quiet as she began to work on pumping the water out with Kiba. They got into a rhythm where Sakura would pull her lever down then wait for her water level to rise back up while Kiba pulled his lever down and waited as Sakura continued on with hers. This was certainly not one of Sakura's favorite jobs, but she could see her work making a small difference which did help bring her motivation to continue on. She was quiet as she kept pumping the water out with Kiba. As she worked she was stepping all over the floor, trying to find her footing since she couldn't see her feet. A moment later she stepped on something hard and yelped out, accidentally letting go of the pump handle too early. It made a loud churring noise and then shook a moment before going back to normal.

"Are you okay?" Kiba asked quickly, a look of alarm on his face.

"I'm fine, I just stepped on something." Sakura muttered.

"Oh! Those are the foot hooks most likely. In front of each handle theres two iron hooks for you to put your feet under and stable yourself when the water is really high. It's a great feature honestly, and one I hope we never have to use." Kiba said.

Sakura felt a small shiver run up her spine when he said that. Being out on the ocean came with a lot of risks, storms of course being a very big main one.

Sakura breathed deeply as she started to work again, watching the dark waters move around as the floorboards continued to hum and vibrate slightly.

Hinata struggled with each step she took to get down the stairs safely. Naruto had ordered her sternly after she refused for the third time to go below decks. She wanted to pretend that he was being ridiculous for making her get out of the storm, but in all honesty Hinata couldn't argue with him. The storm wasn't letting up at all at this point, and Hinata knew that Naruto was worried enough and couldn't be continuously checking if she was okay after every thunderclap. She gripped the railing tightly as she reached the main deck, looking out and planning how she would get to the hatch before actually proceeding. Taking a deep breath, she began to trudge through the rain and wind, making her way over to the main mast.

Hinata almost slipped on her way over but caught herself before actually going down, partly from good footing and partly from refusing to fall. She continued on without hesitation, constantly reminding herself that this was only a small storm and it was nothing to be afraid of. Or at least that's what she tried to tell herself. There was an impossibly fast flash of lightning quickly followed by a tremendously loud roll of thunder which struck stone cold fear into Hinata's heart as she tried to be brave. She gasped and clutched at her chest, her lip starting to quiver from fear, tears, and the cold.

She didn't have that much longer to go and tried to make a dash for the entrance. Suddenly, however, she was stopped when a man walking backwards carrying a large crate almost toppled over her. She apologized profusely and backed away, almost bumping into another man which made her dodge out of his way and almost hit yet another worker. Hinata scurried out of peoples way in a rushed manner, trying to avoid any harm. She got further from the hatch and closer to the edge of the ship, but didn't want to be anyones problem so continued to stay out of the way as she just tried to make her way back.

In a moment of misfortune a wave crashed into the ship and someone yelled at someone as the ship rocked fiercely under foot. A crew member rushed over to assist a situation that had arisen and, without the intent to, knocked Hinata hard to the ground, slamming her down which in turn made him collapse on the floor. Hinata yelped as she went down in fear and pain, her eyes stinging more than ever.

"Hinata!" A voice called out.

Hinata, however, was busy curling up on the deck floor, breathing deeply as she tried to calm herself down before having a panic attack. There was loud thumping that approached where Hinata lay, and as the man that hit Hinata down tried to apologize he was quieted by the coming force. Beckoned away quickly, the man said one last apology before scurrying off in horror, still going to assist where he was needed.

Warm hands were placed on Hinata's shoulders and quickly helped her sit up. Hinata looked up finally and when she saw who it was fell openly into his chest as unceasing tremors shook her violently. Almost reluctantly did hands enwrap the frightened girl.

"Hinata, are you okay?" Sasuke asked.

There was a moment of silence before the reply came.

"Yes, I th-think s-so." Hinata got out through chattering teeth.

A deep sigh reverberated deeply throughout his chest as he held the girl for another moment.

"Come on, let's get you below deck." He said quietly.

Sasuke helped Hinata up, his taller frame giving her a sense of superiority yet comfort, as she knew now she would finally get out of the rain.

Sasuke let Hinata go first, and this time everyone made sure to avoid her quickly when they saw the person that was behind her. She easily made it to the hatch which Sasuke quickly opened for her, allowing her to go inside first.

The relief that Hinata felt was so incredible she almost cried out of happiness. She wanted to just lay down on the floor right there and cry but she couldn't, as people were still just as busy down here as up on the main deck. She quickly started to head toward her room, wanting to change out of her clothes, even if they were going to get wet again. She had to get warm. She glanced back to see that Sasuke was following her, though quiet as ever and looking deep in thought. Her heart swelled with thanks for his presence as she continued on. Without him, she knew she wouldn't have gotten here.

From what Sakura had told Hinata, Sasuke was a very reserved man with not much to say other than grunts. Hinata had personally not spent that much time with him and had certainly never been alone with him. She also had no reason to speak with him alone, so that was never done before either. All other times had been at meals when Naruto or him and been together or maybe when Naruto and him were talking on deck. In any case, it didn't unnerve her to have him around, but it certainly was strange.

Sasuke on the other hand was indeed very deep in thought. He didn't mind the Hyuuga girl and at all and thought that she wasn't bad company. However he never had to deal with her alone, which of course at this moment wasn't a problem, but may serve to be one if he wasn't careful. There wasn't much to it, and Sasuke didn't want to overthink it- but he certainly didn't want to under-think it either. Thankfully for Sasuke, he'd never felt uncomfortable with silence. Which he of course assumed there would be much of as long as he was with Hinata alone, for he noticed she was a very timid and quiet girl. Quite reserved and very nice. A perfect match for Naruto, in all honesty since the dobe was always so loud and obnoxious. Thinking of which, he wondered how the relationship was between Hinata and Naruto. Not having much time to just sit and chat with him recently, he really had no idea at all.

"Wh-what?" Hinata said confused.

Sasuke looked up and saw that they had reached Hinata's room, the door was slightly ajar and there was a large crate not allowing it from opening up any further.

"Oh. There's nothing wrong, there was just a slight… Inconvenience." Sasuke reassured Hinata.

He quickly walked over and moved the crate, it surprisingly being much heavier than he'd first assumed.

"I swear, if this is another woman…" Sasuke said under his breath as he opened it up quickly to check.

"What w-was that?" Hinata questioned.

"Nothing." Sasuke said quickly as he closed the crate back up.

Hinata nodded her head once and stood there, waiting for Sasuke to stand. He was soaked completely as well, and from a women's point of view thought that his wet shirt that clung to his impossibly fit abs was attractive, though from her point of view she saw Sasuke as nothing more but an acquaintance. She may have found comfort in his presence earlier, and for good reason as well- but she honestly didn't know him all that well. She watched as he turned, his impossibly dark eyes looking back at her through his dark lashes.

"Thank y-you, Sasuke, for your h-help." She said.

"Hng."

There was silence.

Hinata felt pressured under his intense gaze. She felt exposed, like he was trying to read her mind and find out all her secrets.

"I'm g-going to s-stay down here for a wh-while most likely." Hinata said slowly.

When there was no reply Hinata nodded her head once and clasped her hands in front of her. She moved awkwardly to the door and ducked inside, about to close the door when Sasuke stopped her.

"Hinata-" There was more silence.

Hinata opened the door enough to see Sasuke, he looked conflicted and… Unsure, for once.

"Yes?" She prompted.

A look of defeat flashed across Sasuke's face that was quickly replaced with a look of apathy, followed by a sigh. "Stay warm." He said.

He turned and left, and Hinata let him go. If there was nothing he wanted to say to her at this point, she wouldn't push. His presence made her uncomfortable at the moment, and she couldn't explain why. It's like his whole being is screaming to say something but there are no words to express that which needs to be said. Hinata could tell there was something that Sasuke needed to get out, something that was bothering him. Ever since the other day when Sakura had the rest of the day off, when she had shown him more attitude than usual and didn't play by his rules- he seemed out of place. Well, not for him, but his mind seemed confused.

Or maybe Hinata was making all of this up and Sasuke was actually fine.

Deciding that that was a completely reliable answer, Hinata continued to go change in her room and try to get warm.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was heading back up above decks for only a moment. He was thinking to himself, which was never a good thing in all honesty, and was making himself angrier and angrier as time passed. He was confused, yes, and it pissed him off beyond anything else at this time. All he wanted to do was keep everyone safe in this storm but when his mind kept flashing back to that damned pink haired beauty his gut would drop and his mouth would go dry. He clenched his fists and stomped his way above decks to yell out a few more commands before storming down below decks once again, going deeper and deeper into the belly of the boat, both the ship and his anger swallowing him up.

Everyone avoided his path, as no one dared get in his way on his descent down. Not even the devil would quarrel with him at this time.

A few minutes later Sasuke had reached the pit of the ship and had blown off a little steam at this time, all the exercise doing him good. He reached the last landing and continued down the last few stairs when he noticed the water being a few inches off the floor in the ship. He wondered how high it had been this last time, and made a note to inquire about it later. If they had a leakage problem he needed to know.

Sasuke suddenly stopped short, for he heard something strange- something very, very strange. He stood there another moment waiting to see if the sound would repeat itself and sure enough, it did. Turning the corner he saw Sakura looking into Kiba's eyes, a delighted smile on her face as an angelic laugh soon followed, which was the source of the strange noise as Kiba said something apparently humorous to her.

Anger swirled about him faster than the winds outside, his vision flashed with white hot rage for a split second as he felt his fingers dig into the palms of his hands.

"Haruno!" His voice burst fourth with such power and such surprise it made both Kiba and Sakura jump almost a foot in the air, causing them both to let go of their handle which in turn made the pump churr and groan.

"S-Sasu-" Sakura had no time to speak.

"What the f-" Sasuke took a deep breath and spoke dangerously low. "What do you think you're doing?"

Sakura had no idea how to respond. Just a moment ago Kiba was telling her a funny story to pass the time, and all of the sudden Sasuke showed up and was practically ready to kill something. She had no idea how to react, how to handle this. So she stayed silent, since she figured that no matter what she said it would only anger him further and she didn't want to give more fuel to the fire.

"Go up above decks." Sasuke said. He had stopped looking at her and instead was staring straight at Kiba, never breaking eye contact.

Sakura glanced at Kiba but said not a word and started to move slowly, looking reluctant as she had no idea what Sasuke was even doing. So many questions…

"Move!" Sasuke suddenly yelled at her.

Sakura broke into a run, her gut twisting in a flash of fright. She swept passed him and started to sprint up the stairs, not looking back to see if he was following her.

Why is he like this? Why is he so upset? Why is he so angry? Was it me? Was it something I did? Was it something I didn't do? Or is it something that happened? What do I do? Sakura's own thoughts rang in her ears as she continued on her way up. I don't want to be the reason he's upset… I don't want to be responsible. Was it me? Was it? What can I do? What can I even say?

Sakura was so lost in thought she didn't realize she had stopped running, but instead was slowly climbing her way up the stairs. She heard nothing but felt the presence of Sasuke suddenly behind her, making the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She stopped walking and took a deep breath. She paced out how things would go in her mind- She'd turn around and see him there, she'd ask him what she did wrong and he would ignore her, she'd ask him again and demand on answer and he would begin to tell her all the things that needed to be done, that she had to do and couldn't be ignored.

Sakura sighed and turned around to see Sasuke standing there, his dark wet hair framing his impossibly handsome face. His dark eyes shifted from her to the space behind her, and just as Sakura opened her mouth to ask what was the matter he was gone, walking right past her without uttering a single word.

Sakura stood there dumbfounded as she listened to him walk up the stairs, the thumping of his feet no longer sounding angry. Her brows furrowed in confusion as she waited just another moment before turning and following him up the stairs. She caught up enough so that she was now the one following him, watching his stark movements as he continued up the stairs at a quickened pace.

"Sasuke?" Her voice sounded small, as if she was unsure of herself- which she was, so it worked out.

"Sasuke?" She asked louder this time, but still no answer came.

Sakura was about to say his name one more time when he suddenly stopped, he was completely still and silent as ever. Slowly, he glanced behind his broad shoulder to look at Sakura who was looking up at him with such a puzzled look on her face it took her everything in her power not to say anything. She watched his shoulders rise and fall slightly as he took deep breaths, and finally watched as he turned just slightly before looking down into her green eyes.

"Just help me through these few hours."

It sounded odd, like he couldn't say anything else other than those exact words without it coming out wrong. Sakura didn't want to reply, and she didn't want to help him until she understood why he was so angry before. Now, he wasn't angry, he just looked tired.

"Okay." She replied quietly, nothing above a whisper.

They continued up the stairs, Sakura following him as she watched him climb the stairs. The Sharinkitsune must have crashed into a wave because the boat suddenly rocked far to the right, making the boat lean and creak with stress, making Sakura tip and almost lose her footing down the stairs. A hand shot out and steadied her, but again there was just silence. Sakura refused to thank him, or to even look up at him, but instead just continued to climb. She didn't want to see his face, because it only confused her further.

If there was one thing in this world that was truly confusing, it was Sasuke's emotions.

When they reached the top decks, Sakura didn't immediately jump out into the rain like Sasuke did, she stayed back slightly for only a moment before emerging into the pelting downpour once again. She had liked being away from this, liked not feeling the cold water sting her face. But she was at it once again, helping with where she was needed and carrying out commands like a crew member would. At one point she was on the complete other side of the boat as Sasuke, and ended up even working with Naruto for a change. It was a nice difference from the usual monotone and demanding Sasuke, but also strange to be thanked and told that she did a good job. She wasn't used to getting praise, as Sasuke never gave any.

"The masts are set!" Sakura called, sprinting up the main stairs to Naruto.

"Wonderful! Any signs of the storm decreasing?" Naruto asked her.

"The only difference people have mentioned is the lightning has stopped. Other than that however, no." Sakura looked out at the sea, it's waters seemingly calming down. Or maybe that was just her high hopes.

"Have you seen the pump room yet?" Naruto asked as her.

"Have I?" Sakura laughed. "Yes, it's lovely." She smiled sweetly. Naruto seemed to gleam with pride at her words of praise.

Naruto called to Shikamaru who was nearby to take over the wheel as Naruto wanted to show Sakura how to do some things that may come in handy, and now that the storm was dying down it was the perfect time to do so. He and Sakura moved about the ship, from the front, middle to the end talking over how to do this and that and showing her some things that make this easy and make this more difficult.

Sakura couldn't be happier that Naruto was taking the time to show her how to do things. It was so odd, being asked and treated nicely by this genuinely well meaning guy instead of the alternative which… Wasn't so nice, to say the least. Instead of being commanded to do something she didn't know how to and just told to wing it, she was taught properly how to do this, or how to tie that, or how to ask a certain question to find out the information that you needed to know. Not only that but Naruto made it a point to say things such as "Well done!" And "Good job!" As well as "You're learning so well!" Things that just made her feel genuinely good.

"I don't know, he just never says anything like that." Sakura said to Naruto as they were coming up to the back deck.

"He never says good job?" Naruto asked, not really sounding surprised.

"Only sarcastically." Sakura laughed. Naruto shook his head, finding some humor in the whole situation.

"I'm sure he'll come around." Naruto offered.

"Sure." Sakura sighed. She bit her lip slightly as their reached the edge of the boat, leaning against the railing and sighed. "I'm just trying to do my best, you know? Working with Sasuke is nothing easy as you've probably noticed. He just keeps barking out commands left and right, expecting me to be able to follow through with each and every one of them with perfect results. I mean, we can have some great conversations, and yeah he makes me laugh now and again, but… Well I don't know, it's just…" Sakura sighed, not being able to think of the proper words to express how she felt. "In any case," she continued on, "I've been under a great deal pressure during this damn storm it's unbelievable. Hinata's constantly been on my mind and I haven't even gotten a chance to check up on her since this whole thing got so bad."

Naruto nodded his head in understand. "Yeah, I know. But trust me, he's beyond stressed right now. I'm sure you've noticed that he's a lot more stark than his usual demanding self. However, he does have good reason to be."

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked confused.

Naruto opened his mouth to answer but he suddenly closed it.

"I shouldn't tell you." He said almost reluctantly.

"What is it?" Sakura asked.

"If you need to know, I'll let him be the one to tell you. It's not my story to tell, after all." Naruto sighed.

Sakura was quiet. She turned and leaned against the railing, careful not to lean on her right arm, as it was beyond painful right now. Her legs ached, her feet were in discomfort, her chest burned with every intake of breath, her right side was in agony and there was a stabbing pain that would shoot across her left eye every now and again. She had been through a lot, and still had a lot to get through. She grew even more tired just thinking about it.

Sakura closed her eyes as she let the rain fall against her skin, it being much softer than it was before. She felt Naruto shift beside her, and peeked an eye open to see that he was glaring at the gray waters, his blue eyes dark with touches of self torment.

"He likes you, I'm sure." He suddenly said, looking at Sakura.

Sakura barked out a snarky laugh.

"Toleration can sometimes be misinterpreted as affection."

Naruto heard a call from a crew member down below and glanced at Sakura before they both started to run down the back steps to see what was the matter. All the while Sakura was thinking about what Naruto had said, about Sasuke being more stressed than ever. She had noticed his attitude of course, and knew that something was up. His constant mood swings and aggressive behavior as well as his seemingly apathetic wording which brightly contrasted with his body language. It all just wasn't making sense to her.

Naruto and her continued to work together, Sakura having lost Sasuke at this time anyway. They worked well together, both very diligent in making sure everything was in the right order. You'd think that after a few hours of working in a storm there wouldn't be anything left to do! But all the tasks which were being done and had yet to get done proved there was always something that needed to completed.

That hour ended with Sakura feeling refreshed, despite the constant ache her body was in. Naruto felt the same, feeling brighter and happier now that he had a chance to work with Sakura. He had been wanting to get to know her a little better ever since Hinata kept mentioning what an amazing person she was. That was something Naruto definitely had to agree on with Hinata, Sakura certainly was amazing. Honestly, he thought that anyone who could spend an extended amount of time with Sasuke without losing their cool was amazing.

Spending time with the bright vibrant Sakura was amazing, and Naruto enjoyed all the laughs and smiles that came along with her. However, working with her also made him miss the soft spoken Hinata as well- and even if he didn't admit to missing her a lot, he could definitely admit to missing her at least a little.

Hinata made her way up the stairs to the hatch. She was feeling slightly sick from being rocked about more than usual in her cabin. She felt bad for just leaving the crew and Naruto when she knew that there was always something that had to be done… But Hinata truly was scared. She had curled up on her bed and had shook every time the thunder rolled and the boat rocked. But she was feeling brave right now! Was that because she hadn't heard a thunderclap in over twenty minutes? Maybe. But it didn't matter to her!

She stepped out on the main deck and already felt that everyone's spirit was in a slightly better mood. The rain was still coming down, but it was nothing of what it was like before.

When she came above decks, she went ahead and started toward the main deck, walking slowly as she glanced around at everyone, checking their facial expressions and seeing what their reaction to the weather was. She passed the main mast and spotted Sasuke talking to a man, who, despite looking younger of age, had white hair. Sasuke seemingly dismissed the man and caught a glimpse of the fair skinned girl, who timidly raised her hand in a small wave before continuing on to the front deck.

Sasuke moved with rigid steps as he turned and followed Hinata. His long strides easily carried him swiftly over to her side, but didn't say anything as he slowed just slightly as their paces matched. Hinata acknowledged Sasuke's presence when she glanced at him and smiled, her beautiful lavender eyes looking at him softly. Sasuke reminded Hinata so much of a relative long lost, but never forgotten. Maybe that's why she found comfort in his, seemingly to others, 'cold' presence.

Sasuke stepped to the side and allowed Hinata to go up the stairs first before following behind her. Together they reached the top, and both stopped short when they saw Sakura and Naruto at the other side of the ship laughing together as they seemingly talked over something humorous with one another. Hinata felt Sasuke tense and stole a glance at him through dark lashes, trying to be discrete as she studied his form. He must have felt her eyes on him, for he looked down at her for only a second before moving forward. Hinata was hit with an unexpected wave of clarity as she stood still and watched him take a step forward, her mind racing a mild a minute.

She had suspected that Sasuke was the jealous type- maybe possessive or overprotective, possibly even slightly controlling. However when she looked at him just now, she didn't see anything of that. She had saw no hint of jealousy in his eyes, and so she knew that it must be something else that's bothering him so much. She personally couldn't conclude what it was, as she hadn't spent enough time with him to know him that well, but she knew it was something more than just superficial feelings that he most likely didn't posses.

Naruto turned and spotted Sasuke at that moment, walking toward him with an angry look at his face. Despite his bad mood however, Naruto decided to greet him happily anyway.

"Sasuke! What a-" Naruto didn't even stand a chance.

"HINATA!" Sakura screamed, her excitement bursting forth as she broke out into a fast run toward the girl, practically pouncing on her and giving her a bone-crushing hug.

"How are you?! Are you okay? What have you been doing? Are you hurt anywhere? Where have you been? Are you hurt? Do you need anything? What-" Sakura was interrupted by Hinata's soft laugh, her mood suddenly changing from concern to utter delight.

"I'm f-fine, Sakura. Thank you." Hinata giggled. She watched as Sakura sighed in relief, and gave her another hug, holding her close.

"Ch, women." Sasuke scoffed as he neared Naruto.

"You okay, teme? You look tired." Naruto clapped Sasuke on the back.

Sasuke stayed silent. He turned and leaned against the railing, the rain becoming lighter than it already was. He turned his head slightly and watched the two girls interact over his shoulder. Sakura continued to ask Hinata endless questions about her health while Hinata tried to calm the girl, reassuring her that she was completely fine.

Naruto started to ask Sasuke a bunch of questions of about the ship and how it did during some difficult times, what needed to be changed and what he noticed about it. Sasuke gave his heartfelt feedback, also asking Naruto questions about his experience and such. After a few minutes the girls joined them at the front of the ship, all four of them in a group of their own.

After a few minutes the winds gave a final gust goodbye as they swirled around the party and took their leave, the air suddenly becoming still afterward. The party was quiet for a few minutes, all of them noticing the first few traces of bright orange that laid ahead of the ship. The rain lightened up more and more, until it was finally a soft mist that they were traveling through.

Then, the Sharinkitsune broke through the storms edge, all traces of water in the air falling away as the ship glided gracefully across the now calm, golden peeked ocean.

Hinata sighed, loving the feeling of the cool air brushing softly against her skin. She looked at Naruto and saw that he was smiling widely, looking out across the ocean and at the glittering sunrise. She felt happiness swell inside her chest. The storm was finally over!

Sakura took a deep breath and closed her eyes, feeling the warm new sunshine on her cold face. She so badly just wanted to be warm. She could feel Sasuke beside her, his presence was so dominating it was difficult to ignore even the feeling of him being near- However, she could actually feel his spirits start to calm slightly as they got further and further away from the storm. She peeked an eye open and looked at him just slightly. His eyes were closed as well, the sunlight illuminating his impossibly handsome face. She watched as his broad shoulders seemed to relax, his muscles not looking quite so tight as he slumped over just slightly, actually taking a break from his perfectly perfect posture for once in his life. For a moment, he looked vulnerable, like he was actually human for a change. Sakura looked away, feeling as though she was seeing something she wasn't supposed to see- a normal Sasuke.

Minutes later everyone on the ship was practically celebrating. A sea shanty was in full swing by the time the sails were let down, the big white canvas was rolled down with lots of power, the bright white of it being bathed in the bronze-toned light, practically glittering with joyfulness. Naruto and Hinata had escaped to start cleaning out the captains cabin, which was in ruin since no one had time to stabilize the bookshelves before coming out to help with the storm.

Sasuke was the one at the helm, staying silent as he sailed the ship onward, never once looking back. He had thought he had distracted Sakura enough with more jobs, but by the time the sun was a few hours away from reaching midday, he could see her already making her way to the main deck to check with him again.

He studied her as she made her way over, taking note of how her shoulders sagged and how much she blinked. She looked beyond tired, worn out and completely exhausted. He watched as she reached up and let her hair down, the pink strands falling freely and blowing softly in the wind. She walked up the stairs and Sasuke looked away, watching straightforward as she came nearer.

"Well, everything is fine on the main deck. Nothing broke during the storm, and no one was lost. Like you said, it was only a minor storm so there shouldn't be much clean up. Would you like me to check below deck as well?" Sakura sounded slightly winded and wheezy, but didn't ever complain of her current state of health, which Sasuke could appreciate.

"No."

"No?" Sakura asked confused, wondering if she had heard the Uchiha correctly.

"No." Sasuke confirmed. Sakura stood there frustrated and put a hand on her hip, annoyance gracing her features.

"Well then, what do you want me to do?" She asked.

"Rest." He said simply. Sakura was taken slightly aback and couldn't help the shock from showing on her face.

"Wh-What?" She cursed herself for sounding stupid.

"Go rest, Sakura."

Sakura wanted to argue, to say no and continue helping. She wanted to force all answers out of him, make him tell her what his problem was, why he had been so angry with her. She wanted to ask about what Naruto had said, about the storm and why he was so stressed, hinting at something that happened to Sasuke. She just wanted to know everything. But alas, the sleeplessness and exhaustion wouldn't go away with work and stubbornness, and she knew she should do as she was told.

So, she turned in silence and started making her way over to the stairs.

"Oh, and Sakura?"

Sakura turned to look at him over her shoulder, a quizzical brow raised.

"You did well today, thank you." Sasuke said smoothly.

Sakura's heart leapt at the words, happiness immediately replacing her bad mood and bringing her joy. She wanted to run around and tell everyone that Sasuke had actually said good job! That he actually thanked her and was nice! However, she knew she wasn't going to do that and she knew that Sasuke, most likely, had issues even getting the words out. Not wanting to make him feel awkward, she just smiled at him happily.

"Thank you." And with a nod, she was gone, walking swiftly away to the confines of her room where she would finally be able to rest, not only her body but her mind as well.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone! It's been an incredible year, despite everything that people say, and I hope to see great things that come out of it.

If you have any questions or comments leave a review or pm me! I'm always available, even if I'm not constantly posting a chapter.

What did YOU think of this chapter? What were your thoughts and feelings? Let me know!

Also- What did you think of the chapter length? I'm honesty curious to know, as this chapter was about 5,000+ more words than the last! We started with the first chapter word count being only around 3,000 and now this last chapter almost peeked 10,000! So let me know if this was a good length or not, if it was too long or still too short.

And how about that Kakashi appearance! Kakashi is by far one of my favorite characters and I'm super excited to continue writing him in later chapters.

Btw, if you didn't notice already, I added chapter names! So if you're interested in that kind of thing then take a glance at those!

Thanks for sticking around even though I haven't posted in a while guys, it really means a lot. Thank you!

Much love~

ShadowSpinner OUT!