Seaswept

(You might want to actually read the AN at the end of this chapter.)

 

Chapter Fifteen

 

A loose white shirt was shrugged from broad, toned shoulders. Beads of sweat dotted the sun-kissed skin and trickled down the length of the nearly hairless body. The only hair visibly on his body was a bit of down around pale pink nipples and the hint of dark hair beneath the shadows of long, elegantly muscled arms.



With the skill of someone used to performing the task, Itachi deftly balanced on the round poles sticking from the mast and tied the sleeves of the shirt around his narrow hips. The day was warm, the ocean breeze offering little reprieve from the sun hanging high in the sky.



Despite the heat, the pleasure of feeling the shifting of the ship beneath his feet as it crested over a swell of water was one he could not deny. The ocean, fickle wench that she was, owned a part of his soul. Since the beginning, he felt her call and willingly answered. Life aboard a ship was wrought with hard labor, but the benefits far outweighed the detractions.



His eyes shifted below, following the movements of his shipmates. On instinct, his gaze found the tanned, broad shoulders of Kisame as he worked shirtless in the sun. Even from the distance of nearly thirty feet, he could see the sheen of sweat and the bunching of corded muscles.



Just looking on him caused his mouth to go dry and his cheeks to flush. He could feel the interest in his cock and was forced to take several long, deep breaths to calm himself. In the three weeks at sea, only a few touches and short kisses were exchanged. His body ached for him and both knew he would not break the unspoken rule until they reached a port--any port.



Still, the temptation was ever present. Kisame was in possession of his own cabin. Itachi wasn't particularly loud when being fucked. He wasn't loud in any parts of his life.



"Itachi, toss me that line."



Itachi's mind shifted back into work mode and looped and knotted the line on its designated hook before tossing it below to Deidara's waiting hands. He moved from the line and waited patiently as it was tied several meters below.



Grasping a untied line in his hand upon seeing the job finished, he swung nimbly from the main mast to a bit of rigging tied to create a makeshift ladder. Callused fingers grappled for a grip on the coarse rigging as he began to climb downward, the mist of the spray from the cresting waves cool against his cheeks.



He closed his eyes for a moment and breathed in the flavor of salt hidden in the air. He could taste the breeze on his tongue as it calmly filled the sails and sent the ship sailing smoothly along the swells of the ocean. There was time to take this moment and relish in the feel. If Kisame was his lover, the ocean was his mistress. The precarious position he rested in was never far from his mind, yet in instances such as these, he allowed himself to simply feel. The ocean gave him a sort of peace and calm to the ever present ache in his chest.



Working the rigging was a dangerous job aboard ships. A small slip could send a sailor plummeting to the deck below. Few could survive a high fall, and those who did were usually broken beyond repair. Unlike most, Itachi enjoyed the feeling brought on by climbing the sails. It created a sense of freedom in him. That his balance was unsurpassed only made him more ideal for the job, regardless of the annoyance it gave Kisame each time he darted up the rigging.



"Oy, Itachi!"



Dark eyes fluttered open and he glanced down towards where Kiba stood on the deck. He was a young man, four or five years younger than Itachi and new to the ship's crew. His job was a mixture of cabin boy and deck swab. A job Itachi was grateful to pass on after several years of experiencing it firsthand.



"What is it?" he shouted below.



"The captain said to tell you to plot out a change of course."



Heaving a sigh, Itachi moved quickly from his resting place on the rigging. He was loathe to move to the slick deck below, but an order from Pein was not to be dallied with least he find himself with several lash marks across his back. In recent years, Pein's leniency had diminished. He was hard and cold, rarely smiling, and then only with a cruel twist of his lips. Only Kisame seemed able to deal with his cold personality. Itachi wasn't largely sociable either. Perhaps it was a talent Kisame held to deal with those of the less than emotionally open variety.



Shaking his head, he began moving down the roped ladder while mentally working through what change of course Pein might want him to alter. There were few aboard the ship Pein trusted to recalibrate their location and destination. Itachi was one of those few.



While his mind drifted, his body moved in a familiar path down the rope. He was nearly half-way to the deck when his boot slipped on a bit of wet rope and he nearly plunged to the ground. Quick responses came natural to him and his hand gripped the edge of the ladder. He could feel the skin on his palm being peeled away by the rough rigging as he slipped slightly in his grip.



Pain shot up his arm. It jarred nearly enough to cause his grip to loosen slightly and darkness to flood the edges of his vision. Since his bought with the canon ten years prior, his shoulder ached from time to time, and he was careful not to jar it too harshly in his duties. Now was not a time to avoid straining the arm. His current position did not allow for him to be cautious if he wanted to survive.



"Fuck, Itachi!" Asuma shouted from the helm. "Someone go help the lad."



Itachi's feet dangled for a moment before he could grasp the rigging with his free hand and swing back into position. Panic was something he rarely allowed himself to feel, yet today it wormed forward from his consciousness. He froze for an instant as thoughts of plummeting downward raced through his mind. His heart pounded in his chest. It was loud, thrumming like the wings of the small hummingbirds that frequented some of the island flowers.



The pain of his precarious position brought him enough into his senses. Still, even with his body no longer dangling dangerously, it hurt too much to move from where he gripped the line. His knuckles were white with pain and shock while his heart pounded a loud percussion in his skull.



Sweat dripped in his eyes as he leaned his brow against the ladder. His shoulder ached relentlessly and he could feel the wet dampness of blood smeared across his palm where the rope lacerated his hand. Lips parted and his tongue darted out to swipe across the chapped flesh. The shouts from below were beginning to break through into his mind.



"I'm fine," he panted.



Itachi was doubtful anyone heard the words as they whispered past his lips. He could barely catch his breath, much less shout down to the others of his renew stability in his position. All he could do was maintain his grip until his hands stopped shaking and his heart stopped pounding. Attempting to climb down in his current state could bring about another accident, this one not ending so well.



Just as he prepared to shout down to the others that he was fine, he felt the rope he clung to quiver and then shake as one of the crew began to climb. Wrapping his hands tighter around the rungs he clung to, he clenched his eyes against the throbbing pain and waited. A warm body moved up behind him; a scarred and callused hand wrapped over Itachi's injured fist and pulled the blood soaked fingers free from rope rung.



"Relax," whispered Kisame in his ear as he simply held Itachi against his chest.



Itachi released a shuddering breath, his body going limp in Kisame's care. He did not struggle as Kisame lifted him with physical ease and draped him limply across his shoulder. The angle caused his shoulder to ache even more acutely, though it was the safest way for Kisame to assist him down.



The crew watched with bated breath as Kisame carried them both from the rigging. Even Pein stood in his doorway with a narrowed gaze. "Kisame, take care of him then get your arse in here so we can discuss the new course," barked Pein.



Itachi lifted his head weakly as the body beneath him shifted and he was placed upon his own unsteady feet. His veins practically burst with the influx of endorphins into his bloodstream. He could barely stand now that his feet were placed on the solid wood of the deck.



Kisame immediately had Itachi's hand open and his pale, narrowed gaze examined the abused flesh. He motioned for Dan to come and the two of them escorted Itachi towards the surgery.



"You were reckless," growled Kisame as they exited the view of curious gazes and down into the lower decks to treat Itachi's injury. "I thought you knew to take extra care on the rigging."



"I was not reckless."



A snort was the reply he received and his arm was pulled roughly out while a hand forced him to take a seat on the chair in the surgery. He flinched at the stab of pain shooting up his shoulder, grateful it was only wrenched and not completely dislocated. The pain from his previous dislocation had lasted for several weeks and left a continuous ache in the colder months even a decade later.



Dan moved Kisame aside and began to probe the shoulder. "It's not dislocated."



"I know," hissed Itachi. "Just strained it a little when I caught myself."



"You're lucky your reflexes kicked in. That fall would have killed you for certain."



Kisame's hand tightened on his uninjured shoulder. The blunted ends of the fingers dug deep and almost painfully into the sun-kissed flesh, and a frown pulled down frustration thinned lips. "You're not going back up the rigging."



Itachi jerked his gaze around to Kisame and effectively pulling his palm from Dan's grip. "Who the hell do you think you are to remove me from a duty I'm strong in?"



"Your superior," growled Kisame.



Dark eyes narrowed and he turned to face Dan. "How long until I will be able to return to my duties?"



Dan used a bit of fresh water to rinse the blood and dirt from the injured hand. There was nothing else that could be done other than apply a healing salve and wrap the injury for a few days. "At least a few days. Your shoulder is going to hurt like hell for several days and you won't be able to do much with this hand for at least as long. If you don't wait until its healed, you could possibly open yourself up to an infection. At worst, it could cost you your hand."



Kisame growled under his breath. "He will rest."



Itachi's jaw tightened but he remained silent. Kisame's demanding and dominant personality was beginning to grate his nerves. It seemed even more so in the recent months. Their longer stints at sea did not help the situation.



"May I leave?"



Dan took a bandage made from ripped clothing and wrapped it loosely around the salve covered hand. He tied it tightly and sat back to admire his handiwork. "Keep the bandage on for a day or so. I'll prepare more salve for you, just stop by tomorrow after you break your fast and pick it up."



Itachi nodded and stood stiffly. He ignored Kisame's presence as they exited the doorway and made to move towards the deck when a hand latched onto his uninjured arm and forced Itachi to face him. "What is it, Kisame?"



"Where do you think you are going?" Kisame's growl rumbled from his throat and into Itachi's ear, his breath ghosting over his ear and ruffling the soft locks of hair.



"The captain wanted a new course plotted."



Kisame's growled low in his throat. "It can wait."



"It's not wise to make Pein wait."



"It can wait." Kisame wrapped a hand around Itachi's arm and tugged him towards his waiting cabin.



Itachi stumbled slightly over the threshold and turned just in time to see Kisame shut and latch the door. Pale eyes shifted from his face and then down the length of his body as if searching for any additional injuries. Lips were turned down in a frown and eyes narrowed in intensity.



"Kisame, I'm fine."



Kisame stepped forward, a hand lifting to stroke down Itachi's face. "You take too many risks."



"I don't."



"Since we left, I've seen you taking more risks and withdrawing from everyone." Kisame stopped his stroking and grasped Itachi's chin while forcing their gazes to meet. "Do you wish to die, Itachi?"



Itachi's eyes widened and his lips parted. "Why would you say that?"



"It isn't hard to see, Itachi." Kisame dropped his hand, though their eyes maintained their locked gazes. "You've given up on your brother."



"Sasuke isn't dead."



Kisame shrugged his massive shoulders. "Mayhap he is, mayhap he isn't, the problem is that you are doubting. Orochimaru is dead and there is no trail to follow. Very few would recall a small foreign boy with dark eyes."



Itachi's jaw hardened and he shifted his gaze away so not to reveal his emotions. His eyes always betrayed him, especially to Kisame. He tried so hard to shed the emotions connected to his brother. They weakened him. Every dark haired child he saw was his brother. He used Iris to fill the hole, yet it continued to remain empty and void. If he was not kept occupied, Sasuke invaded his thoughts.



He closed his eyes and fought the tears. It was years since he allowed himself to cry for his brother. His anger had faded, leaving only despair of ever seeing his brother again.



"He is alive," whispered Itachi into the voiding silence of the room. It was more for himself than for Kisame. Since leaving Sasuke's toy with Iris, he felt added distance from his brother. Perhaps attempting to let go only made things worse.



"Then stop taking risks and you might live to see him again."



Itachi shook his head, tendrils of hair coming free from his queue and falling in his eyes. "Kisame…I keep saying he is alive, but if he isn't…I would never know."



"Itachi--"



"I should have been there, but I was foolish. I left him alone and he was taken." Itachi's stomach clenched at the shame of knowing he had failed his father and his brother. After the passing years, he assumed the burning knowledge would have eased, yet it did not.



"I can't forget," he whispered. "It is as if his ghost constantly whispers in my head."



Kisame stepped forward and fisted a hand in Itachi's hair, jerking his head back so that their eyes met again. "You're not the only person involved."



A frown creased Itachi's brow as he stared into Kisame's piercingly pale eyes. They reminded him of the cool crispness of still water coated in a thin sheen of ice. Never in his life had he met another with eyes so pale of a blue.



Surprise worked through him upon seeing the stress and worry plastered across the currently stalwart face. Kisame was a hard person to read, not because of the lack of emotions expressed, but for the things those emotions hid. He was the private sort, loyal nearly to a fault to Pein. Only Pein and Itachi were close enough to fully understand his personality. One moment he could look to be enjoying the feel of his blade slashing through the flesh of an opponent and the next he drew into himself to recover.



Kisame did more than simply mentor Itachi when he found himself trapped aboard a ship filled with rough and some times violent sailors. He served as a buoy for him when his grief over Sasuke seemed to be dragging him beneath the surface. They were two very separate men in terms of personality, yet they complimented each other perfectly. Itachi avoided killing blows if possible, and Kisame only dealt them, still, they found common ground in each other's company.



"I'm not letting you go, Itachi." Kisame pressed his lips to Itachi's jaw. "I'll plunge my hand into hell and drag you back by your hair if you think for even an instant of doing something so stupid as dying."



"I am not suicidal," growled Itachi, though his voice lacked bite.



Kisame grip on Itachi's hair loosened only fractionally as he tugged the other against his chest. "Keep it that way."



Their eyes maintained their lock for several long, drawn out moments before Itachi found himself pressed against the wooden door leading from the cabin. His legs were instantly wrapped around Kisame's body and their lips devouring each other as if starved for the other's touch. The pain of jarring his shoulder and the constant ache in his palm were easily forgotten under the assault of lips.



In a way, they were starved for each other, though both showed it differently. Weeks at sea ate away at their reserves, more so on Kisame's part. Though Itachi was equally starved for the physical touches, he showed it less. Still, when their lips met, he fell quickly and easily from his rule of fucking on the ship.



His hands pressed to Kisame's warm chest, feeling the roughness of dried salt on his skin. The smell of sweat, salt, and musk reached his nostrils, causing his mouth to water in anticipation of running his tongue over the flavored skin. His fingers dug into broad shoulders and his legs tightened, further bringing their bodies together so not even a drop of water could squeeze between them.



Lips tore apart, and Kisame began to trail lower until he reached where the flesh of Itachi's neck met his shoulder. Teeth instantly buried themselves in the flesh, creating another, more erotic pain. Instead of withering his arousal, it brought it to an even steeper high.



"Kisame," groaned Itachi, his hips beginning to writhe beneath the press of Kisame's body.



"Don't ever think of leaving me." His tone brokered no refusal, not that Itachi would ever consider doing so. There were times when he allowed Kisame the dominance he seemed to crave. It wasn't so much a give as a loosening of his personal predilections, and allowing him to take the leading reins.



A loud knock caused their lips to break apart, panting filling the space between them. "Kisame? Pein wants you to come to his cabin."



"Tell him to wait," growled Kisame, his eyes focusing only on Itachi's face. "I'm dealing with Itachi."



"Eh?" Kiba cleared his throat slowly. "He said now."



Kisame sifted Itachi's hair through his fingers with a grin. "Tell him he needs a good fuck."



"What?" There was obvious panic in Kiba's voice for their captain was not known for his patience when he called for promptness. "I can't tell him that!"



"Tell him Kisame is fucking me and will be there shortly. Now, fuck off."



There was a loud silence on the other side of the door. The wheels in Kiba's head turned loudly despite being blocked by the door. It was amusing to Kisame, who chuckled loudly at Itachi's dry matter-of-fact comment.



"I would do as Itachi says, Kiba. He is not the sort of enemy you would like."



In an instant, Kiba was gone. What he chose to tell Pein would likely determine whether their captain came down into the innards of the ship looking for them or waited patiently for Kisame to return to the upper levels.



Itachi purred lightly as Kisame's hands began to renew their touches and his lips to explore previously untouched areas. This was what he wanted--what he needed. Though his shoulder ached and his hand burned, Itachi continued to rub himself against Kisame. The sudden need for release nearly took his breath away. His brush with death still stained his mind and soul, and only the bliss of a hard fuck promised to clear the demons from him in a similar way beating a rug cleared the dirt and dust.



Still, Kisame took care. His fingers were gentle as the rough pads were dragged across the sweat damp skin of Itachi's chest. The touch was nice, but not what Itachi longed for, what he had grown to love.



"More," he hissed as the pads began to rub against his perked nipples.



Kisame made a noncommittal noise and continued on his slow and leisurely pace. His thumbs flicked back and forth over the coral colored nipples while his lips licked and nipped lightly at the curve of Itachi's slender neck. Every so often he would give a stronger nip or a harsher twist of skin, just enough to let Itachi know he knew exactly what he wanted and was going to make him wait for it.



The heat pooling in Itachi's loins was enough to make him scream. No amount of friction seemed to push him to the plateau he sought to reach. His lips parted in a low moan, only to have Kisame plunder forward and dip his tongue deep inside for a long and wet kiss.



Itachi's uninjured hand took hold of Kisame's coarse locks of short hair and pulled him to face him. A growl rumbled from his throat as their eyes met. "Make me feel, Kisame."



Kisame's crystalline eyes darkened a shade and his pupil blew out in a mixture of lust and need. "Itachi--"



"Please," he groaned and ground his hips insistently against Kisame, tightening his thighs around the muscle incased hips. "Make me feel; make me forget."



A dam broke in Kisame's gaze and he immediately moved from their position against the door and across the small expanse of room to the waiting bunk. His fingers tightened on Itachi's thighs, likely creating bruises before he lowered him to the bed gently. Fingers trailed over the bare chest and down to dark hair beginning just beneath his navel.



"Kisame." Itachi groaned the name as both a prayer and a curse. He loved the feel of it rolling over his tongue and knew Kisame enjoyed the sound of his name on Itachi's lips.



"You know which chains to yank, don't you?" hissed Kisame, his hands quickly tugging Itachi's boots from his feet.



The pupils of Itachi's eyes eclipsed the pupils, making them seem one solid hue of ebony with just the faintest rim of charcoal. His tongue dipped from his mouth and swiped over his lower lip in a slow, teasing motion while his hand slid low on his abdomen and over the bulge tenting the loose material of his trousers.



Fingers freed the belt and pushed the four buttons from their notches before dipping inside and pulling himself free. His long sooty lashes fluttered down over his eyes and a small gasp escaped as he began to stroke himself. He knew Kisame--what aroused him the quickest and what would send him over the edge with rapidly flowing lust.



Itachi's fingers glided up his shaft, tracing the lines created by veins. The touch was quickly making thinking much more difficult. His breath gasped out and his back arched so to display the finely developed muscles roping beneath his sun-kissed skin.



"Fucking hell," growled Kisame.



He latched onto the material still encasing Itachi's hips and tugged it down and over his hips. The skin was much paler here, creamy flesh forever hidden from the touch of the sun, creating a distinct line separating what was freely seen by everyone on the ship to what was only seen in detail by Kisame. His lips pressed against the prominent edge of a hip, biting the flesh sharply.



Itachi's breath hissed through his teeth. His hips jerked upward even while his gaze never left Kisame's face, watching as lips sucked with enough force to ensure marks would litter his skin and be visible for days. Hands palmed the curve of his ass before pulling his hips higher so that Itachi was forced to balance the remainder of his weight on his shoulders.



A sharp bite of injured muscle screamed at him, causing only the most minute of distraction when his body and mind were completely focused only on the touch of lips and the bite of teeth. Heated breath panted against the dark wisps of hair encircling the base of his cock. His ass clenched and his hips fought to arch and writhe in order to tempt Kisame into taking him in his mouth.



"So tempting." Kisame ran his tongue up the side of the angry red cock and swiped quickly over the tip. "When I met you, you were barely old enough to hand fuck yourself and I still wanted you."



Itachi's eyes clenched closed and his body shuddered, thick pearls of fluid trickling forward from the tip of his cock. "Kisame--"



"Now I want you even more, because you won't let me have you even though you're mine." Kisame tugged Itachi higher and sucked a warm, round ball into his mouth.



Itachi gave a small grunt and reached with his uninjured hand to pump himself. He had assumed when Kisame moved to the bed, he would fuck him hard and fast, but he seemed still intent on torturing him. The pressure building in his balls was driving him insane and he needed the release immediately.



A hand released one of his hips and latched onto his wrist, pulling it from his cock. A whining groan escaped and his gaze flew to Kisame's face in pleading supplication. He was being denied the pleasure of falling over the cliff into physical bliss and it frustrated him.



His hips jerked and his arm tugged at the iron clad grip preventing him from touching himself. "I am going to explode," he growled.



Kisame grinned, something half-feral. "Not yet, Itachi."



Itachi shifted and growled a warning low in his throat, only to have his control removed as he was flipped unceremoniously to his abdomen. His breath exhaled in a pained groan as his shoulder pressed deeply into the coarse mattress.



There was a pause behind him before Kisame's hand ran in apology over the abused flesh, leaning forward to brush his lips across the shoulder and to the scar where Pein's sword marked him. Kisame's nose rubbed against the flesh as he worked upward toward Itachi's waiting ear, his body creating a warm heat across his back.



"You need to hurry," hissed Itachi. "Pein will--"



"He'll get over it." Kisame latched onto the ear and sucked the lobe between his teeth. "This is the first time I've had you in weeks. I'm going to enjoy it."



Kisame pulled back and moved towards a pitcher of water and moistened a cloth. When he approached the bed, Itachi had shifted into a more comfortable position, though his ass remained facing outward. The dampened cloth was instantly placed against his anus.



"Kisame?" Itachi moved to look at him only to feel the inward press of the cloth and his question ended in a deep throated moan.



"Like I said, Itachi, I'm going to enjoy myself."



Kisame began stroking the cloth and cleaning Itachi, every so often pressing inside just enough to tear moans from him. When he thought he would go insane from the lack of penetration, the stakes were lifted even higher. His hips were grasped and a warm tongue replaced the cloth.



"Shit," hissed Itachi.



Kisame rarely tongued him. It was always a treat when he decided to do so, mostly because their sexual encounters tended to start wildly and burn out quickly, leaving them exhausted and wrung out. Now it was very apparent to Itachi of Kisame's intention to savor every moment of today's encounter.



The tongue started off slow, simply circling the puckered flesh. Teeth began to work the flesh, pulling it back just enough to set the pleasurable sensations to running through Itachi. He was panting until Kisame began to press his tongue inward, then he was biting the linen beneath him and attempting to fuck the bed for some sort of release as all the blood in his body seemed to be beginning to pool in his loins.



"Please," panted Itachi. "Fuck me before I unman myself."



Kisame pulled back after a long slow swipe of his tongue from Itachi's anus and down across his balls. "And if that's what I want?"



Itachi groaned and pressed back against Kisame's face. "Fuck me."



Kisame gave a sharp bite to Itachi's ass before working his way slowly up the spine, paying attention to each knob before finally pulling back and spitting in his hand to provide a bit of lubrication. If the act had been planned, he might have had some oil readily available, however, saliva would have to do.



Itachi groaned in relief upon finally feeling Kisame pressing inside. His body clamped down in desperation and he grunted at the tight fit weeks without had wrought. It bordered on painful until the thick girth was fully seated inside him while his body continued to contract.



"Fuck, I almost forgot how tight you feel around me."



Itachi grunted as Kisame gave a short, but hard thrust. "I'm going to be the one fucking the next time."



Kisame grinned against Itachi's shoulder. "Is that so?"



Itachi released another groan as the thrusts began to pick up paces and strength. "Yes!"



"I look forward to it, if you think you can handle taking me."



The shock of hearing such words from Kisame had Itachi's body contracting instantly and his seed spraying outward and onto the sheets beneath him. "Ah, fuck!"



Kisame never expressed a desire for Itachi to perform to him. In the beginning, Itachi's inexperience kept him from pressing the issue, and then their struggle for dominance made sexual favors shared between them more of a battle than anything else. Now, he was being given approval to take the more dominant role.



From above him, Kisame released a growl and withdrew, forcing Itachi to his back while lifting his legs over his shoulders and plowing forward again. It took only a few quick and hard thrusts before Kisame was grunting out his pleasure and pulling Itachi into a hard kiss as his body contracted while expelling his essence.



They remained together for several minutes while racing heart rates began to slow and breath to calm. Kisame fell to the side, his pants open and his cock lying limp against his hip.



If not for the hard, pounding knock on the door, Itachi might have drifted off to sleep. "Kisame, get your dick out of Itachi's ass and get up here so we can discuss how to proceed."



Kisame groaned and pressed his head to Itachi's uninjured shoulder. "God damn it, Pein."



"I believe that is you cue to leave."



Kisame sighed and moved to roll from the bed when Itachi's hand wrapped around his wrist. "Itachi?"



"I haven't forgotten what you said. You should be prepared to be fucked when I'm healed."



Kisame smiled and pulled Itachi into a quick kiss. "I can't let you continue to have all the fun."



The kiss ended and Kisame was buttoning his trousers before finally exiting the room and leaving Itachi to rest his doubly sore muscles.

 

oOo

Sasuke groaned and tugged firmly on the line, feeling his muscles burning with the effort. His hands stung, even with the calluses long having formed on the palms. Sweat dripped into his eyes as he moved towards the pommel and began tying the rope expertly in a sturdy knot before leaning back against the side rails and wiping at his brow.



"Have some water, Sasuke." Juugo approached with a small smile and offered Sasuke a skin filled with fresh water.



Sasuke nodded his appreciation and proceeded to down the warm liquid as if it was the most delectable wine. "These waters are hot as hell and patrolling them seems a waste of time. More than half the English fleet is stuffed into this portion of the world while the other parts are left lacking."



"Orders must be followed."



Sasuke snorted and stared out over the sapphire blue waters. "It's over compensation. Danzo is probably trying to keep everyone from knowing what a small cock he has."



"Speaking from experience, Sasuke?" purred a voice from behind them.



Sasuke flushed and glanced petulantly at Kakashi. "I know the type."



Kakashi's eye crinkled at the retort. "Well, then what would you do?"



"I'd try and evenly spread out my forces. The bloody pirates are going to run rampant on the eastern parts of the ocean. The Caribbean might be where the money is, but it isn't the only place where merchant ships sale."



"I see." Kakashi's lips twitched in amusement. "Then, you'll be pleased to know we'll be heading east to the continent after restocking in port."



Sasuke's eyes widened. "Truly? What about the Commodore?"



"Weren't you the one who called him a blow hole?" Kakashi folded his arms behind his back. "Besides, I was told in our last port that one ship in particular has been making things quite rough on merchant ships setting out from France and Spain."



"Why would you care about France and Spain?" snorted Sasuke, knowing full well the long standing issues between England and those two countries. Treaties never seemed to last as long as they should with the odd lover's triangle between the three powerhouses of Europe.



"Nothing, but I wouldn't mind claiming some of those Spanish doubloons for the crown." Kakashi grinned and turned on his heel. "And less gossiping and more working. You're in His Majesty's Navy."



Sasuke rolled his eyes before handing the water skin to Juugo. "We're getting close, Juugo."



"To what?"



"Itachi. I'm going to track him down."



Juugo sighed and placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "And if you don't find him?"



"I will. He's out there." Sasuke's fingers clenched on the railing and his gaze shifted out to the horizon. "I am going to find you, aniki."



To be continued.

 

AN: Some ppl had issue with the time skip so let me see if I can explain it a little better. First off, the time skip signaled the beginning of Part Two. I didn't bother to label it, but I went back and did so in the previous chapters. Also, Part One was written as a sort of 'stand alone' story and was intended to be a complete work. Rather than make two separate submissions I lumped them all together, including the side stories. This site doesn't have a way to link stories and I didn't want parts of the story getting lost or being missed by people. I didn't intend to confuse anyone with the time skip, I just forgot to explain what was going on since I usually just post and go with this site as opposed to writing out lengthy AN as I do with Ygallery. Apologies. I hope this clears up things. So...in short, technically speaking Part two is a separate submission/story in an ideal setting but I just made it one submission to make things easier on me and for readers.