Lost Paradise
Prologue: When It All Begins
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. So sad for me. :(
"Sakura! Sakura! Wake up! Time for school." Her mother shook her gently.
"Ugh…what time is it?" Sakura asked groggily.
"Seven-thirty. School starts at eight-fifteen, get up."
"What! Why didn't you wake me up earlier?" Sakura shot up and raced to the shower. Damnit. She was going to be late!
"I tried, honey. This is the third time I had to wake you up." Her mom called from down the hallway.
She finished her ten-minute shower, and rushed down the stairs while hopping on one leg and pulling up her other sock. Grabbing the sandwich her mom left on the table, she took a bite before yelling, "Gotta go! Bye!"
In one move, she swooped down to grab her bag which she had placed right in front of the door last night, and used her ankle to twist the doorknob. She walked at a brisk pace all the while munching on her sandwich. Within ten minutes, she had reached the school.
"G'morning! You're twenty minutes early today." greeted Ino, her best friend since the diaper days. She grunted in response.
"Let me guess, you couldn't sleep so you stayed up 'till five a.m. writing your new piece for the school paper." Ino smiled knowingly.
"I swear Ino," Sakura replied, munching on a sandwich, "sometimes it's like you could read minds."
…The darkness had awoken, and, with help from Gaea, the gods were hidden beneath Uranus' starry cloak, never to behold Olympus until the darkness has ceased to exist.
"Eh? What does this mean, hm?" Kakashi asked amusedly as he read over the story Sakura had written for the school paper.
"I told you already, sensei, I don't know. Every story I write just flows out of my head and onto the paper." she replied.
"Hmm…I see…" Kakashi answered with a nod and his signature eye crinkle, and then the bell rung.
"Alright, I better go." she squeaked hurriedly before bowing respectfully and running of the room.
Suddenly, Anko grabbed the stapled sheets of paper from his hand muttering, "Damn, are you sure she's not Blessed? Her story's more accurate than the Chronicles. That, and she already rewrote the Iliad and the Odyssey without having read them first."
The Blessed are those who have been touched by the spirit of a god or goddess before birth; very rarely, there are those who have been blessed by multiple gods or goddesses.
"I didn't say that she wasn't Blessed. I said that I didn't know who Blessed her," he paused, "And how would you know if she's more accurate than the Chronicles. You weren't there yet, remember? And I don't remember her writing anything resembling the Odyssey…or the Iliad."
Each of the Blessed are given a special ability or multiple abilities by their respective god or goddess. These are called Talents or Blessings. It may be insignificant, such as eating at an abnormally fast pace, or it can be amazingly powerful, such as creating earthquakes at the touch of a finger.
The Talent given to the Blessed is usually something related to the abilities of the god who Blessed him or her. For example, one Blessed by Dionysius can consume large amounts of alcohol without getting inebriated.
"But you were…ugh, we're getting off topic. Just hurry up and get the others in here." Anko said.
An hour later…
"So, you're telling us that another one of your students is Blessed, this time by Apollo?" Kurenai asked.
"Well, I'm not exactly sure that her Blessing is Prophecy, since she rewrote the Chronicles, which is the past, and not the future. But if it is, then she is most likely Blessed by Apollo. " Kakashi clarified.
"Well then, maybe she isn't Blessed, there's always the possibility that she's an oracle." Asuma suggested.
Oracles are the bridges between the Mortal World and the Spirit World, which is a parallel dimension where the spirits of the gods and goddesses reside. They are not considered as one of the Blessed however there have been instances in which the oracle is Blessed. There is only one oracle born in each generation, and the new one only appears the moment the older one has dies.
"She can't be an oracle." Kakashi said determinedly.
"How sure are you?" Kurenai asked.
"Sure enough, honestly," Kakashi answered matter-of-factly.
"Fine; it's your head on the line, not mine. Now for the fun part, Kakashi, get to Tsunade-sama's office ASAP." Anko ordered.
"Yes, milady," Kakashi grumbled in a sarcastic tone.
"What was that?" Anko asked sweetly.
"Uh…you're pretty?" Kakashi answered nervously.
"I thought so." Anko said.
"No way, hon. Not gonna happen." Sakura said as she slammed her locker shut.
"But, think about it! He likes you, you like him. He is the hottest guy in school and you are, dare I say it, the most sought-after girl. If you guys get together, you'll be the ultimate high-school power couple!" Ino said as she strode beside Sakura.
"What does that even mean Ino? And didn't you have a crush on him?" Sakura rolled her eyes.
"Forget about what it means, and I DID have a crush on him but you still DO have one, Sak. No," Ino grinned deviously, "don't deny it. You know Sasuke is THE hottest guy on earth— you can't be satisfied with being JUST friends with him!"
"Ino, he's not just a friend— he's practically a brother to me." Sakura shook her head with a small amused laugh.
"You two established that 'brother-sister' friendship thing in three years ago! As in that was a really long time ago, things change!" Ino argued, waving her hands in the air for emphasis.
"I don't need that drama right now, Ino. I have to focus on studying."
"Don't give me that line again Sakura! You know you are so damn smart you don't have to study at all! The answers just magically come to you." Ino waved wildly.
Sakura ignored her. "Hi Naruto, Sasuke!" She waved at the two boys.
"Heh, she greeted me first! That means she likes me more!" Naruto taunted.
"Shut up, dobe." Sasuke said, casting an annoyed look at Naruto.
"Oh, grow up." Sakura rolled her eyes heavenward, "Why don't you go ahead, Ino, I'll just meet you there."
"Sure, just remember what I told you, okay hon?" Ino did a tiny wave before flipping her hair and making her way to class.
"What did she tell you?" Naruto was curious.
"Mind your own business, dobe." Sasuke shook his head.
"Don't tell me what to do, teme!"
"No fighting, boys." Sakura reminded them as she positioned herself between the two of them.
"But he started it!" Naruto pointed at Sasuke.
Sakura sighed, "Will you just shut up so we can walk to class without people staring at us?"
It had been this way since they were twelve years old. The first day the three of them met was the first day of school that year in homeroom. Their teacher had grouped the class into three person groups for a year-long project: make new friends.
At first they hadn't gotten along well, with Sasuke and Naruto's constant bickering and Naruto's crush on Sakura and her huge crush on Sasuke.
Then during their mid-terms in the next year, Sasuke's family got into an accident— his aunt and uncle died, leaving his cousin Yuki an orphan, his parents were injured pretty badly and his brother was in a coma. In that hospital room, Sakura and Naruto immediately stood by Sasuke without saying a word. Without having been asked, both dropped their studies and stayed the night with Sasuke, caring for him and comforting him when no one else could. Needless to say, Naruto and Sasuke had failed the exam and she herself barely passed. Fortunately, three months later Sasuke's parents both made a miraculous full recovery, and a month after that, his brother, Itachi, woke up from his coma.
Since then, the three have been inseparable. Sure, they still have petty arguments among themselves. Sasuke and Naruto bicker like an old married couple. And Sakura has a short temper. But, they're always there for each other.
"Sakura? Sakura! Earth to Sakura!" Naruto stopped walking and was waving a hand at her face.
"What?" she snapped.
"You alright? You kinda zoned out on us." Naruto said sheepishly. Sasuke raised his brow at her, his own way of showing his concern.
"Oh, I'm fine. No need to worry. I was just thinking." She replied with a sweet smile.
"Will Miss Sakura Haruno please report to the principal's office, thank you." The loudspeaker boomed overhead.
"What did you frame on me this time, Naruto?"
"Nothing! I swear!" Naruto raised his hands in the universal sign which meant 'I mean no harm.'
"Well. I better get going." Sakura said.
Sasuke and Naruto both shared a knowing look behind her back. "We're coming with you."
"Sakura, please take a seat." Tsunade, the school principal gestured at the only vacant seat left in her whole office. It seemed like the whole faculty was there, all stuffed into the rather spacious office, with Naruto and Sasuke standing by the door, not looking awkward at all.
"Now, I want to clarify that you are not in trouble—"
Sakura let out a sigh of relief.
"And I know how crazy this is going to sound, but I need you to put your hand on this glass ball." Tsunade raised a crystal ball which was approximately the size of her head.
"Oh…okay?" Sakura raised a brow, but still pressed her hand to the crystal ball.
"Is this supposed to happen?" She watched nervously as the ball started glowing, bathing the room in brilliant yellow and gold, before the light died down.
"Well, I guess that settles it. She's one of Ap-" Kakashi stood up.
"No, it's not done yet." Tsunade interrupted him.
The ball glowed once more, now a calm, luminescent mix of blue and purple. Sakura started feeling strange, a bit tingly.
"No. No way." Everyone's mouth seemed to hang open.
"Why? What happened?" Sakura looked around and found everyone staring at her.
"Sakura, no! Why you?" Naruto had grabbed her by the shoulders and was shaking her fiercely. Sasuke stared at her with equal disbelief.
"Why? What does it mean?" She raised a brow. The teachers were staring at her with a mix of awe and astonishment.
"I can't believe this. A second one…here…with us…right now." Anko muttered.
"What's happening? Why are you all staring at me like that?" She asked again.
"You should be feeling it right about…now." Kakashi said, glancing at his watch,
"Feeling wha-" Sakura promptly dropped to the ground unconscious.
Thank you so much for reading this chapter. As most of you may not know me, I used to be .rose.1110...I think. It was a few years ago so...yeah. I had one story, Living the Not So Normal Life. It was discontinued, so I have no idea what to do with it now. It's still in my hard drive, though.
And also I would like to thank my dear cuz, .0818, for her encouraging (read: cornering) me into posting this up.
Feel free to review. Flames are...acceptable...probably.