The Dark Side of Akatsuki. Chapter 17

"Huh, yeah, thanks, that'd help a lot."

Sasuke bit back a sigh. What had he gotten himself into?

-Urasoe no Machi-

-Late Afternoon-

Sasuke had guided the swordsman (Zoro, it seemed, was his name) to the harbor in terrible time. Sasuke was certain he had never before committed such severe crimes against navigation. He'd taken a path about five times longer than was necessary once he'd discovered Zoro didn't notice anything unusual about it. In the process he'd learned three things.

One, the swordsman was a crewmember of a pirate ship down in the harbor. Two, they hadn't expected to land here, though where he was from was still a mystery. Three, Zoro didn't know anything about any plans they might have.

Of course, Sasuke didn't believe that last bit for one single second. The idea of a ship's crew that would enter enemy territory and have literally no idea what they were doing, well… it was ridiculous. Soon, he reached the ship, and bade farewell to his brief traveling companion, catching a glimpse of a few odd people on board as he left.

Then Sasuke disappeared into the crowd and returned to survey the harbor from a distance, which had been his original goal, anyway. Looking out at it all, it was obvious that something very strange was going on.

Sasuke scanned the assorted ships. Fishing boats, trawlers, small-scale transport, nothing at all that was meant to get out of sight of shore. He didn't really know why, but it was common knowledge that leaving sight of the shore could mean a death sentence. Stories abounded of people showing up weeks later, half-starved, because they'd gone just a bit too far and been unable to find their way back. Far more cases of ships simply disappearing forever.

Sasuke had never understood that part, really. It seemed like it shouldn't be that hard to come up with some navigational aids like the ones they used on land, but he was no expert and he'd long since learned the hazards of looking down on a subject you knew little about.

By contrast, there were also a few ships like the one Zoro had come ashore on. Big things that looked like people were meant to live in them, with odd shapes and powerful sails. The port wasn't really built for traffic like this, and there were one or two even larger ships anchored off in the distance that couldn't have fit in the port proper.

What was strangest of all were the flags. Skulls, and bones, and all sorts of lurid imagery. The one that Zoro came in on had a skull, crossed bones, and a straw-hat. Sasuke's eagle eyes saw a flag far off in the distance that looked like… bones crossed behind red lips and a lolling tongue?

What in the world was the point of it all?

Hidden in an alleyway behind a nearby warehouse, Sasuke transformed into the body of a down-on-his-luck dockworker. Unbeknownst to him, a single eye watched him from the darkness, sprouting from the wall as if by magic. Stepping out of the alleyway, he gradually moved along the stone pier toward his target. He made a show of inspecting each ship along the way, taking his time to avoid seeming suspicious. Finally, it was the moment he had been waiting for. He approached the ship with the straw-hat flag, the deck towering at least four meters above him.

Something was clearly odd up above. He heard screeching, hammering, arguments, and the occasional small explosion. Looking closer, he saw that the ship itself wasn't even in very good shape. It had pieces torn out and replaced, or even just tacked back on with haphazard nails and rivets. The thing was a wreck, really. Somehow he got the feeling a normal dockworker would just move right along, no matter how much work he was looking for, but he wasn't about to back off now.

"Ooiii~! You alright up there?! Sounds kinda dangerous!" he called out.

More screaming. A few seconds later, someone stepped up to the railing. It was a beautiful woman with striking black hair and an unusual nose. Sasuke was sure she was older than him, but he couldn't guess by how much.

"Oh, hello miss, how do ya do?" he called out, genially.

"Why hello there, curious one," she said in a rich and musical voice.

"Just checkin' to see if you needed any cargo moved, ya know. I've got some guys I can round up if ya need the help?" he asked, trying to put just the right amount of hopefulness into his voice.

"Cargo? Oh my, no. Wouldn't last long with this group," she said, pleasantly. Saying that, she leaned forward, resting her head on her hands as she looked down at him.

Well that ruled out some of the more peaceful reasons for a pirate to visit this port. Not looking good. As she said that, there was another shriek from above, followed by surprised shouting, followed by another explosion. Sasuke winced, visibly.

"Er, miss, are you sure you're alright up there?"

"Oh yes, everything's perfectly fine. Why would you ask?" Her face was completely innocent.

At that moment, a figure ran past on deck, only visible to Sasuke below because of the cloud of smoke following him, shouting, "Put it out! Put it out! Put it out! Put it out!" Then there was a loud *THUD*, followed by silence. Sasuke really began to wish he could see what was going on up there.

The woman didn't react in the slightest, still smiling down at him.

"Oh, ah, well, alright then, if'n you say so…" he said, uncertain.

Suddenly, there was another scream from on deck. A very high-pitched shout that almost sounded like a child.

"Ahhh! Usopp! Hang on! Doctor! We need a doctor! Ohh-oh wait that's me… Robin! Can you get me my bag from inside the storeroom?!"

The woman, who was presumably 'Robin,' responded without taking her eyes off of Sasuke. "Certainly, Mr. Doctor." Then, there was a series of odd, almost musical sounds and, seconds later...

"Thanks, Robin!"

"Not a problem."

She hadn't moved even one finger the entire time, nor had she broken her gaze that was still locked on his eyes. Suddenly, Sasuke realized he'd made a mistake. He felt it deep in his bones. It was the same feeling you have when you suddenly realize someone's in a darkened room with you. He had no idea how or when it had happened, but he'd been unmasked. Robin's eyes now reminded him of the focused stare of a cat or a bird of prey.

Quickly, he excused himself and left the premises. As he left, he heard her call out after him.

"See you later, oh Curious One…"

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