Ew, the blood was so descriptive and gross XP But the fight was awesome! I just wish it was longer... :(

But I can't wait for more pirate-ninja action, haha! Great job on this chapter!

Author's Response: Oh, I'm sorry the blood made you uncomfortable :( But at least you liked the fight :D Don't worry, there is more pirate-ninja action to come ;D I'm glad you overall liked this chapter! Thanks for reading and thanks for reviewing as well, it always lifts up my day!

Ah, shoot, I forgot about telling you that the reason I want Eza to fight Kasumi is because Kasumi hurt Hinata's feelings! How dare she do that! Hiashi is the only- wait, no one is allowed to hurt her feelings! Man I hope NaruHina comes soon, cause I saw it in the categories! Well, by for now! Wait, I was going to go get back up on Naruto Gx! Well, later!

Author's Response: Well, that is definitely a good reason for an Ezra vs. Kasumi battle, heehee! But in the end, Kasumi did make Hinata feel a bit more confident in herself. Don't worry, NaruHina is coming somewhat soon. I haven't forgotten about the best canon pairing ever ;D Well, thanks again for reviewing, see you later!

Okay, now I understand what people meant when they said that you were one of the best on this site! This was all so good! And for one, epic twist on the fact that the captain was a girl. It was all so deadly. Also, don't beat yourself up over fight scenes. They actually weren't half bad! Loved this! Can't wait untill I can read this again in the morning!

Author's Response: *stars in eyes* People say I'm one of the best? Really? I'm... I'm so honored... Thank you very much! *bows repeatedly* I truly appreciate your praise. Heehee, yes, the captain is a girl. That was planned from the start, as I've always wanted to see a kick-butt female pirate captain. Deadly, eh? Coolio! Phew, I'm glad my fight scenes were decent, as I'm always worried that I can't transfer my thoughts into writing. I'm so glad you enjoyed this! Thank you so, so, so much for having interest in my story. I highly appreciate it, you have no idea! Haha, well, I guess good night then! No worries, this story will be here when you come back. Thank you very much for reading and reviewing this story, I'm so happy right now! Thanks again, you're awesome!

Very cool. This chapter was even better than the previous, which makes me wonder how you struggled with it. If I had to choose, I would say that I think a MasaXKasu romance is in order. And a happy ending, where Kasumi becomes a Leaf ninja, haha! Talk about reformation for that! And maybe the Blue Pirates can become Leaf ninja too, as they want to follow their captain. Eh, I don't know. You don't have to listen to my rambling, as I might just end up confusing you in the end.

Anyway, I was really impressed with the awesome pirate scene. It was an amazing fight, and Masaru's insecurities as the temporary captain were very realistic.

And of course, Kasumi's hidden assistance for Chouji was actually pretty amusing. I wonder how healthy he's willing to be just to prove a point to her :D Then all that lighthearted fun gave way to her rampage, which actually surprised me at the sudden change of atmosphere. The flashback was very innocent and insightful at the same time, adding to the buildup of her rage. It was very well thought out, and I like how you utilized the little things in Kasumi's past life to suddenly change her into a murderous woman with a vendetta against happy families.

Great chapter! Good luck in writing, I hope you come up with a plot/ending that makes you happy. I know it'll work out!

Author's Response: Ooh, such nice words. I did struggle with it only because I didn't know what I wanted to do with the story at the time. Haha, interesting idea, I will think about it, though I think I've honestly thought of what I want to do now. Thanks for the idea though XD Yay, I'm glad you liked the pirates! And Chouji eating the sour cream and onion chips, heehee. That's a pretty good thought: how far will Chouji go to show Kasumi that he won't back down from a challenge... interesting... I'm glad the flashback came out well, and especially since it helped to throw Kasumi into her rage. Thanks for the encouragement! It means a lot to hear your support!

Heehee, I found it a bit ironic that Kasumi told Ibiki not to be cocky, when in fact, Kasumi is probably one of the cockiest bad guys I've ever read about. I don't know if that's a good thing, but it is very entertaining and highly amusing.

I really like how you hint at her past, it leaves a sense of mystery about her character. I'm interested to see how you tie it all in...

The description with this was amazing. It was a great improvement to your earlier chapters. The time you took to talk about the prison scene and Kasumi's reaction to it was wonderful. It was very well-written, nice job.

Reformation, huh? I like it! The pirates/Naruto stories that exist are usually the same, as it's either the typical pirate adventure or a Pirates of the Caribbean crossover. But I like how you're changing it up. Reformation seems highly original, and I can't wait to see the four teams that Kasumi will have to deal with ;)

Now I must read more :D

Author's Response: Hmm, Kasumi's cockiness is really that memorable? Ah, as you said, I wonder if that is a good thing... But at least it entertains you :D Yeah, Kasumi has a complicated past; don't worry, it'll tie in... eventually... I hope... Hooray for improvement! I'm glad my writing has gotten better. Hehe, I'm glad you like the reformation idea. I'm always worried to hear the feedback on that particular idea, as it's so unusual that I'm worried people will hate it. But I'm glad you're enjoying the originality of this. Thank you so much for your kind words, they are so wonderful to read!

The captain seems very cocky. Perhaps too cocky for his own good. It's a bit of a turnoff, but I'm kind of looking forward to seeing the Leaf ninja kick his butt :D

Orochimaru is after the Blue Tiger of the Mist? Interesting... that's a neat twist, I wonder how that will play into the story.

I like how you included the two different plans between the two different sides. It'll be rather fun to see how the plans turn out.

Author's Response: Ah, I knew someone wouldn't like the captain! Yeah, the cockiness is a turnoff, I'll agree. I'm hoping the readers will get to see more of that character trait in later chapters, as it will be explained later. Yup, Orochimaru is in the story! Haha, I hope his appearance grabs your attention even more now XD Thanks for leaving a review to tell me what you thought! I really appreciate it!

Hmm, a pirates in the Narutoverse story? It kind of does sound cliche...

But I did like how you didn't hesitate to delve into the action. The description of the raid was really well, and I think it's really cool how you tied in our old friends, Tazuna, Tsunami, and Inari.

I wonder how this will turn out...

Author's Response: Yeah, I know! No matter how hard I try to avoid cliches, they always show up in my writing. But I'm glad you liked the action anyway! I hope you continue to enjoy this!

First off, sorry for not reviewing this before. I was camping where there's no internet service. I would have died if my family wasn't a comedy show on their own. Anyway, great chapter. I loved every part of it. I was hooked at the beginning with Masaru. I'm starting to wonder if it should be him or Kiba she's with. After that day, it sure does look like they'd make a great love-hate relationship. I loved the comment about Akamaru having a nice dog. I also laughed my head off during the pirates scene with poker and everything. I feel sympathy for Akira. Sometimes being younger than everyone sucks. I wish that target practice was true, but with me and my brother, I'm more of the practice dummy. He hurts....... Anyway, I loved loved loved when Hinata stood up for herself. She's one of my favorite characters and she really does need more confidence in herself. Way to go Kasumi for that. Oh, and great idea, Demon Fox! That was so unexpected, but for her to have to do that is quite clever and creative. I see you've got talent like your sister. Man, put two great brains together and you fry mine with your awesomeness. I would ask you when the next update is, but I've already been a butthole and asked you once, so.....

P.S I was just wondering since, could you check out my Never Too Late story (actual story, not fanfic). I've posted two 1/2 chapters (2 chapters and prologue) on the link you can find on my website under my new blog entry. If you already saw the entry and ignored it, do not, and I repeat, do not read it just to please me.

P.P.S. I hope this long review makes up for not reviewing when it first came out.

Author's Response: Oh, that's quite alright. I know what it's like to not have internet service... horrifying. I had a fanfic rampage when I returned, honestly.

I'm glad you loved it! Especially the beginning. I thought it would be nice to open with our temporary captain, so I'm glad that immediately got you hooked :D

Hmm, I've been getting quite the response about Kasumi's love life. Haha, I guess you guys will just have to wait and see what I have in store ;) Aha, that comment with Akamaru was a joint effort between Demon Fox and myself. She seriously helped a lot with this chapter. Oh, and you just made her quite the happy little eleven-year-old ;D

I personally think that pirate scene was my favorite out of all of the ones I have written, as it shows each personality as I imagined them to be. So I'm glad the readers enjoyed it too! Aha, I also knew you would be empathetic towards Akira, I sort of thought of you during that scene ;) Oh, perhaps you should have a Hinata moment, where you stand up to your brother. Haha, that would be quite ironic, actually.

*facepalm* I check your website everyday... except for today, and I ended up missing such an important blog entry! Of course I'll read your story! Thanks for giving the link, actually. I had wanted to look it up, I just had no idea how to find it *sweatdrop*

Thank you so much for reading this chapter! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for the support you show this story, it really means a lot. I appreciate your feedback so much! Thanks again for reading and sharing your thoughts! You're awesome!

Okay then, milady, I shall do my best to actually review this time. (I was tired last time I read this, so I decided to wait till morning when I could do it justice... and then I was really sick all day long. Not fun.)
Oh yes, an additional note. The person who 'steers' (don't use 'drive' in regards to a sailing vessel if you can avoid it. That's for land vehicles only) is called a 'helmsman' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helmsman ). Definitely never a 'driver'. The second in command is called the 'First Mate' (although I believe you've made Masaru a full 'captain' albeit under Kasumi, but I figured you might still have use for the term). Occasionally long-time seafaring members of the crew might use the term 'Skipper' (or the very informal abbreviation of 'Skip'), but only if they have a very close relationship with the captain in question. I live near a major naval port. This kind of stuff gets drilled into you very young around here. (In case you find it useful - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_nautical_terms)

I love how worried Masaru is in the first scene. It's adorable. Definitely potential romance in there. I still think he's an ideal candidate for the third wheel in a Kasumi love triangle, if you end up going there, and you've brought that out nicely. The sky/ocean thing was such a beautiful metaphor as well. It really fitted them. I also loved the colours in your descriptions in that scene. It really brought the ocean and the sky to life for me.
Neji's clearly made an impression, I see, and Kiba's off to a good start too. He's rather adorable with her. Kasumi on the other hand was on top form and extremely funny, which I really enjoyed.... and, as for the cannon characters, well... I was extremely proud of you for the way you wrote them in this chapter. I really was. You demonstrated a thorough understanding of each and every single one of them as Kazumi interacted with them and you continued to show that time and time again right the way through the chapter. It was really nicely done. It really was and you brought out those personalities not only accurately but with a termendous amount of pulling-power. The whole way through I did not stop feeling the character's thought and feelings and laughing with them, feeling sad for them or cringing on their behalf. Really amazing writing.
The whole psychology of the second scene was nicely handled too. Even the way she made sure Team Kurenai failed to realise that she did mean her first set of compliments and the way she then twisted that around on them to be 'helpful' and by it hurtful. She could see both their strengths and their weaknesses and used that against them. A terrific ploy and fantastic to read. Lovely depth to it too.
(Oh, and please let Demon Fox know I think she's a genius. If was left up to some one like me I would have just had them repairing the training grounds for a day or something. Seriously. With the amount of destruction one jutsu can cause - I seriously pity whoever does get stuck with that job.) Kasumi then goes on to demonstrate yet again what a really clever manipulator (& secretly-kind person) she is, when she gets Hinata to stand up for herself and show some backbone, in a scene that I also loved for the great background description and attention to detail. Tsunade, of course, was brilliant and so Tsunade-ish, including her blind faith in Naruto. It was really lovely.
The pirates, of course, were amazing - so full of colour and character. You brought them to life so well. I adore your pirates scenes and I swear this was one of the best yet. They were so funny and such a clash of so many different personalities. It was really fantastic and probably one of my favourite bits of the whole chapter. The poker game and the girl talk. All of it was just such a mix of vibrant different scenarios... it was really amazing and just so prefect for pirates. Lovely writing. (Btw, the idea that boys are only good for target practice is one I utterly agree with. Nah - that really made me laugh though.)
I take my hat off to you, girlie - or I would if I was wearing one - that was an incredible chapter. I seriously wonder if I could manage anything as good for SWB. Well done.

Author's Response: Aw, sorry to hear you were sick. I hope you feel better.

*facepalm* I knew that I was totally screwing up all the names, they seemed to fit right, no wonder. Duh! Ugh, I feel dumb now :P Thank you so much for the tip, I'll work on fixing those errors, and hopefully I'll remember to use them next time.

Aha! I'm glad you picked up on the romance situation. I won't outright give away who the pairing is, but I'm dropping hints here and there to make it a slow progression. I'm also glad the description affected you so much. And here I thought it would just get passed over, thanks for noticing all those little details. Especially the metaphor, I personally loved that too, so I'm glad others did as well :D

Yeah, Neji has quite affected her... not in a positive way either. Kiba... almost the same thing, I suppose. But I'll agree with you that Kiba is adorable with Kasumi.... that could be due mostly to him, if you know what I mean ;) Ah, I'm glad Kasumi stood out with a humorous side this time. I thought it would be nice to see a different side of her. Aw, you're proud of me? Yay! What with the different pasts and characterizations for each person, I was afraid it was just a whole lot of blabbering on about useless stuff. So I'm even happier to know it helped make the chapter that much more enjoyable :D Thank you so much for complimenting my writing!

Wow, how insightful you are! You totally got the whole complimenting thing and actually explained it in a whole lot simpler way than I would have, honestly. Yeah, that's basically how it went, so I'm happy to know everything in that scene went especially well XD

Demon Fox is currently crying tears of joy and gratitude in response to your comment of how she is a genius. Her exact words: 'Thanks a bunch! You're amazing! You rock!' You just made an eleven-year-old very happy ;D

Haha, I couldn't write a chapter with Kasumi and not make her out to be a manipulator of some kind. And we also get to see how kind she can be. And last but not least, how she irks Tsunade oh so much. But of course, Tsunade must have her undying faith in Naruto. That's a given ;)

Honestly, bringing life to my pirates has become quite fun for me, so I'm glad it is fun for you to read. This particular scene was fun, just because it was nice to see the pirates in different setting: normal life as a Blue Pirate. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Haha... target practice, it just seemed so fitting at the time ;)

Thank you so much for the amazingly thought-out review! Your compliments seriously motivate me to keep going. I'm glad you liked this so much. Oh, and don't say that about SWB. That entire story is great, and it's on its way to even greater... greatness (sorry, I'm running out of adjectives). But thank you for reading this and sharing your wonderful thoughts! I really appreciate it! You're an awesome reader, reviewer, supporter, fan, whatever, you're just awesome!

a story about pirates?! Awesome =D

Author's Response: Oh, you like? Haha, I'm glad! I hope you continue to enjoy this story! Thanks for reading and thank you even more for taking the time to leave your thoughts!

Kiba or Masaru as her romantic partner? I'm surprised, my money was on Sasuke (as she's very similar to him) or Neji (as they get along so 'brilliantly'). Any of those would be good though... and romantic feelings from the co-captain towards his younger captain would be an interesting twist - even if she ends up with someone else. I think this is an amazing story, so please don't worry so much. Re-thinking things during a break from writing is pretty normal. Just take the best bits from all your ideas and weave them into the plot until you've got something you're happy with - a lot of stories evolve as they are written. There's no need to stick religiously to your original outline just because that's how you started out. So long as you can bring everything to a decent conclusion, it's fine - even if said finish is deliberately inconclusive... I will vote for a happy ending though, if I've got the choice - but it doesn't need to all be sugary and perfect if you don't feel that's appropriate, just go with what you feel works best when you're writing it. You've got a lot of talent and a good head for writing so I know you'll pick the best choice on your own. This was a really good chapter too. Our little pirate captain really stood out as being very, very intelligent (and just a little kindhearted) during her interactions with the other ninja early on in the chapter, which created a nice contrast with her losing it later on and becoming drowned in unwelcome memories and going into a murderous rage. The flashback scene was especially interesting as it's starting to show us more about the person she is and her past. Beautiful timing for that too as it was not too early in the story and yet not too late. It was great to get some more insight into the other pirates as well as we haven't had many scenes that showed them in detail. You've created some very interesting characters there and it was great to see more than just their battle moves (although those are awesome). Fantastic story - please keep up the good work!

Author's Response: Oh man, thanks for such a long review! Sasuke or Neji.... I'll have to keep those guys in mind, considering I still haven't chosen anyone for romance yet. Or maybe none at all, I don't know. And wow, thank you so much for the encouragement and compliments. I'm glad to hear that I'm not losing my touch just because I can't think of an ending for this story. It really means a lot to hear your words of wisdom; they are really motivating and very inspiring to me. I'm also very flattered that you think so highly of me as a writer. I'm honestly very surprised, but I'm very grateful to you and the motivation you give me. I'm glad you enjoyed this chapter so much. Thank you very much for all the support you have shown this story. Thank you for reading, and thank you even more for reviewing every chapter and sharing your wonderful insight. I appreciate everything you have said. Again, thanks so much! You're an awesome reviewer!

I liked the description in this. You give a very detailed sense of what's happen around the characters. I think you've actually developed and improved your style from the earlier chapters, giving it a much nicer flow and much more polished feeling that I must admit I really like. You really sound like an author here (and you were good before). You keep the reader's feelings moving along with your main character - as I read I can really take in and absorb her experiences and feelings throughout the chapter and you reflected those changing moods well in your writing. This was a really nice piece of writing. I think perhaps even one of your best yet. I loved it and please keep up the good work!

Author's Response: *sniffle* Oh my goodness... You just made me cry. I'm not even kidding. Seriously, you really made me feel good. I'm so thrilled to hear that I improved in my writing style. And you said I sound like an author. No one's ever actually said that, so thank you. You really know how to make a girl feel good about herself, especially since my life pretty much sucks right now. I feel even prouder about this chapter because you say it is one of my best yet. Thank you so much for the kind review, I appreciate your feedback a lot. Thank you for reading and thank you even more for reviewing with such wonderful thoughts! You're amazing!

Now there's an exciting turn of events! The second part of this chapter especially was fascinating. I'm beginning to love the interplay between the pirates too. I hope the Leaf Ninja can foil his plans at least a little in the upcoming battle...

Author's Response: Oh, you gotta love the plot twists :D I hope this chapter provided some interesting development for you. I am glad to hear you love the interactions between the pirates. As for the upcoming battle... nah, I won't spoil it for you. Just go ahead and read on!