That was as good a reminder as any to get up and get moving. They had a target to catch, and Konoha definitely wouldn't be impressed with 'But, sir, I had a pretty girl leaning on my shoulder,' as an excuse.

"Reckon I can dig up something," he said, with the complete confidence of a man who had sharp weapons and an attractive smile at his disposal. He tightened his grip on Tsume's elbow, getting to his feet and taking her along for the ride. She pulled away, but not quite as fast as she would have a few hours ago.

Progress, he thought with a flickering smile, releasing her. Or she was just really tired.

He hooked his hands into his belt and glanced down the coastline, eying the silhouettes of anchored ships. Dark eyes narrowed in thought. Too big...too bulky...recently damaged in bad weather...

Finally, he settled on a sleek-looking three-masted sloop, built a little bigger than normal. Big enough to manage ocean swells with ease, and carry the heavy cannons he would have bet a decent chunk of his next paycheck were lurking behind closed hatches; the exact kind of ship his former smuggling-mates would've hated to see. From a distance, it looked like an elegant dagger.

"That one," he said, gesturing as he set off. "Put your best charming smile on, darlin'."