Disclaimer: I don't own any of Naruto characters or even the universe. But some OC belongs to me.
A very, very long time ago, there lived a young farmer and his beautiful wife. His wife is so beautiful that the other villagers grew jealous on them. Besides, the couples were very closed and loving to each other. They weren't rich but they were happy with each other.
One day, the farmer went to nearby town to sell his crops. After the sell, he went to buy some groceries and a rose for his lovely wife. On his way back from the town, he encountered an old wizardry shop. He never saw the shop before. He felt curious, he went in and greeted by the old wizard.
"I'm sorry. I just wanna look inside" said the farmer with shaky voice. "Don't worry. Have a sit" offered the old wizard, pointing at a stool in front of him.
The young farmer hesitated. "I...I don't have the money for your service" he said, as an excused. "I'll make it free for you then" said the old wizard. The farmer sighed a little, but he accepted the offer.
"Show me your hand" requested the wizard. Trembled, the farmer held out his hand. They were a bit rough because of his hard life, working for a living. The wizard held the farmer's hand and observed them attentively. His eyes squinted once in awhile. After a while, he let go the farmer's hands.
"You have such a long live" the wizard started as he leaned back on his chair. "But, a difficult one" he continued. The young farmer let out a small gasp. His eyes widen.
"You and your wife will separate soon" the wizard then continued. Upon hearing this, the young farmer's blood boiled. He slammed his hands on the table, shaking all the wizardry stuff on it. Yet, the old wizard keeps calm. "Nonsense! We've just get married and why in the world would we get separated?!" asked the farmer, half screaming.
"Worry not, young man" said the wizard in a very calm manner. The young farmer was still enraged that his breathing escalates. "As long as you two really love each other, you will meet her again in the next life" continued the wizard.
The farmer gritted his teeth and hands clenched. "Old man, you are crazy!" he screamed and left the shop. The wizard just shook his head. "Bless you, young man" he said.
Scared a little, the young farmer fastened his step back home. He tried to dismiss everything nonsense he heard just now. He knew he love his wife so much and what nonsense the old man said is about his wife death. He chose not to believe it.
Later that evening, just before the sunset, the young farmer reached home. "I'm home, dear" he greeted as he entered the small hut. No answer from his wife. He continued removing his shoe, though he felt a bit off with her not answering.
"Honey, I'm home" he raised his voice a little. Still, no answer. Chill ran down his spine. His mind blank and he feared the worst. "Could it be that the crazy old man were right?" he thought. He rushed up to the kitchen, no one. He went to their bedroom, also empty.
"Dear, what's wrong?" asked his wife, coming from behind. The farmer quickly turned to his wife and hugged her tightly. The wife was shocked and the cherry tomatoes she held dropped from her hand. "You suffocate me" she said.
The young farmer was so glad that he found his wife. "I thought...I thought I would never see you again" he said, in a full grin on his face. The wife puzzled. "I'm not dead yet. Just going to pick some ripe tomatoes in our garden" she answered and picked up the tomatoes on the floor.
Hearing her replies, the farmer bit his lip. "Don't say that dear. Never ever say that word" he said. The wife rolled her eyes and smiled, as she turned away to go to the kitchen. That night, they have a humble dinner together and chatted a bit before they off to sleep.
"So, what's the ending?" asked Naruto. The old man inhaled deeply and looked far away to the top of the mountain. "Just like the wizard predict, the wife dies" he said. "Ehhhhh..." expressed both Naruto and Sakura in disappointment.
"Yeah, but how did she died?" asked Sakura, full of curiosity. "Let continue that some other time" Kakashi cut them off. Sakura and Naruto both pouted a little bit as they prepared to get off. "Haha... your sensei is right though. We need to get pass this mountain area before it gets dark" said the old man. "If not..." he said, left the words hanging again.
"What is it Occhan? You are so troublesome. All of thing you say is half-way through..." complained Naruto. The old man chuckled. Sasuke shook his head slightly. It seems that this team will never change, though it's almost a year since the fourth ninja-war ended.
"We camped here for tonight" said Kakashi as he rested his backpack under a tree. They were at the foot of the mountain. "It's kinda foggy around here" said Sakura. Thick fog surrounding the area as the temperature dropped.
"I'll be the first watch. You guys get some sleep" said Kakashi as he sat in front of the big tent by the bonfire. The sun sets quickly and the surrounding area becomes noisy of cricket singing.
"Hey young man" said the old man suddenly that it startled Kakashi a bit. "You're not sleeping? We're going to move early tomorrow" said Kakashi. The old man sat beside Kakashi. He drank his sake. "I only need a little sleep. I'll sleep a little later. It's still too early for me" he said. Kakashi simply nodded.
They talked about old time for few hours and Kakashi started to get sleepy. Naruto woke up to be the next watch and Kakashi went to his slumber. The old man was still there, sitting with Naruto.
"You're not sleeping old man?" asked Naruto. "Little bit later" the old man answered. Naruto yawned and stared blankly into the foggy forest. "Occhan... can you continue the story for me?" asked Naruto suddenly.
The old man smiled and he pointed at the mountain. It's a bit blurry but still can be seen. Naruto tried hard to look afar. "What? What is it?" asked Naruto as he rubbed his eyes. "There...the farmer's village is at the foot of the mountain" said the old man. Naruto gaped.
"I thought it's just a story" said Naruto. "It is just a story... but a true story" replied the old man, chuckling a little. Naruto's breathe held in his chest. "Uwaarrgghhh!" he screamed. "You're... you're a ghost!" while pointing at the startled old man.
Kakashi, Sasuke and Sakura were all jumped up from their sleep. "What's wrong Naruto?" asked Kakashi in shocked. Naruto was pale. The old man raised his shoulders, "I don't know. He said I'm a ghost".
Sakura knocked hard on Naruto's head. "Why is Kino old man is a ghost, you idiot?!" said Sakura in rage. Naruto still trembled. "He...He said that the story is... a true story" he said in between his hard breathe. "So what?" said Sasuke, annoyed with his teammate.
"So what, you ask?! It's clear that he's the farmer! And he shouldn't be alive!" screamed Naruto again. Yeah, he's a scaredy-cat. "No...I'm not..." said the old man. Everyone sighed. They knew Naruto just being an idiot like usual. They all end up sitting together as the old man continues the story.
"The farmer's wife was found dead inside a well at the end of the village. She was raped and killed" said the old man. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke were all gaping. The old man Kino paused a while, drinking his sake.
The farmer and few other villagers buried the wife's body in a cave, at the foot of the mountain; far, far away from the village. As all the other villagers went back, the young farmer refused to leave the grave. He cried and cried the whole night next to his wife's grave. He cursed and condemned the one who did that to his beloved wife.
That night, rain was pouring heavily with lightning and strong wind. The villagers were all terrified of the bad weather and blamed the ghost as the caused. And the man that raped and killed the wife died too, that night, being trapped under the roof of his house after it collapsed.
The pouring rain continued days and nights, never stopped, as the husband too, never leave the place. The villagers felt that it was no longer safe living in the village, they all left. Strangely, the rain stopped after all the villagers left. And a big river formed because of the heavy rain. The river started from nowhere inside the cave made it difficult for people to look for the husband.
So the legend goes, that the wife cried non-stop that it create the river. And the river was named Ringo River by the name of the wife.
"That's a true love for you all" said the old man as he ended the story. The fog became thinner, so it's easier for the young ninjas to look afar. They could saw the top of the mountain far, far away from them.