AN: This is my new story. The chapters are a bit longer than my other one, and I think this one better. Fantasy is my forte.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything affiliated with it, okay?
Sixteen years ago, eight children were born at exactly the same moment. Four boys and four girls.
The Yondaime had foreseen the future, what was to happen and the parts everyone must play to stop it. So he sacrificed himself to bestow the mighty power of the Metals to the four boys and the power of the Gems to the girls. But before he faded away, he wrote a Prophecy, which must not be opened until the children turned sixteen. He also placed them in the special care of two royal families. The boys to King Jiraiya in the East and the girls to Queen Tsunade in the West, so that they would come to no harm earlier then necessary. All was well, and everyone was happy, until the children's sixteenth birthday…
"Ino!" Tenten called out, "Wake up!"
Ino rolled over and opened her eyes sleepily.
"What is it?"
Tenten shook her hard. "Get up!"
Hinata and Sakura walked into the room and Sakura explained, "Tsunade wants to see us."
Ino groaned. "It's our birthday, can't she let us sleep in?"
Hinata twiddled her fingers, "She says it's urgent and none of us are to bother getting dressed."
Ino climbed slowly out of bed and they all walked to Tsunade's study.
Tsunade sat in her study, worrying. What would she tell the girls? How would she explain the Prophecy to them? She chewed on her thumbnail and looked at the scroll again. Yondaime had explained a little of the Prophecy to her and Jiraiya but she would not find out the rest until the girls opened it. She also had to give the girls their gems. A piece of diamond, ruby, pearl and jet. One for each of the girls.
Hinata knocked softly on the door and Tsunade told them to come in. Tenten strode in and the rest followed more sedately. Tenten flopped into a chair and Tsunade said sarcastically, "Do sit down."
Tenten grinned, "I think I will."
Ino stood leaning against the doorframe.
"What did you want us here for, Queen Tsunade? You said it was urgent."
"Oh, yes. Well… How to explain? Um… You know I used to tell you the story of the Gems and Metals?"
The girls nodded.
"Well… You are them. And since it is your sixteenth birthday I've to give you this."
Sakura took the scroll in a trance. Hinata stuttered, "W-what? Are y-you s-saying we a-are the G-g-gems?"
Tsunade sighed and nodded. She pointed at the scroll.
"That's the Prophecy. Read it and then I will explain more."
Sakura opened the scroll slowly and swallowed before reading.
"Eight children, born at the same moment,
Four boys and four girls,
Each precious in their own way,
Metals and Gems,
They will unify and journey,
To save something more precious than anything.
Sacrifices must be made,
And out of four shards and four gems,
Only one fate will remain."
Sakura lowered the scroll. Tenten clenched her fists.
"What the hell does that mean?!"
Tsunade replied, "The Yondaime saw the future and blessed you with the powers of the Gems and four boys with the powers of the Metals. Then he wrote the Prophecy."
"The Yondaime…wrote that…about us? So we really are the Gems? What about the boys?"
Tsunade smiled. They were handling this better than expected.
"Yes, you are the Gems. The boys were sent to live with King Jiraiya," Ino interrupted.
"You mean that pervert who keeps groping you? They'll be perverts too!"
Tsunade shook her head, "Anyway, you are to meet them at midnight tonight. Then you will go on a journey."
"Like in the Prophecy…"
Ino looked at the scroll, "Wait a minute, you mean we've just to up and leave, to meet these strange boys (who are probably perverts), at midnight?"
Tsunade nodded, "I wish I could help you more, but other than hand you the Prophecy and your gems and tell you where you are to meet them."
Sakura frowned, "You haven't given us any gems."
"Oh! I can't believe I almost forgot! They are the only things allowing you to access your powers!"
Tsunade reached into a drawer and pulled out four silk pouches. She handed one to each of the girls. Hinata opened hers and pulled out a gleaming pearl. As she looked at it, she felt power surge through her. Sakura pulled out a ruby and also felt the power. So did Tenten and Ino when they pulled out their stones, jet and diamond.
Tsunade watched in amazement as each girl seemed to get stronger, wiser, more powerful. The girls seemed to glow with some inner light. She'd been doubtful about them, but now she knew. They were ready.
"Girls! You must go and get your things. You will only be able to take a little bag, and you must also take food, so only pack one extra dress."
The girls put their gems back into their pouches and Ino screeched, "Only one extra dress?!"
Tenten shook her head.
"Of course. We need food more than clothes."
"So says you." But Ino knew she was right.
The girls walked back to their room silently, too absorbed in their own thoughts to talk. Tenten was thinking of the adventure and excitement. She had always wanted to have a real, proper adventure. Hinata was thinking of how she would survive. She had always thought of herself as very weak. Sakura was thinking of the magic, how it worked, what exactly their powers were, and about the Metals, too. She had always been very inquisitive. Ino was thinking of the boys, and what they would be like and also about how she would live in the wilderness. She had always hated change.
They reached the room, got dressed and began to pack their bags. They mutely decided there would be no point taking an extra dress, if they were going to be in the wild. They each decided to take one keepsake instead. Each had the feeling that nothing would be the same again. Tenten decided on her first, and most special, kunai. Sakura decided on her favourite book. It was about four friends who went on an adventure. She smiled. Hinata decided to take a photograph of the four of them when they were younger with Tsunade. Ino decided she would take her favourite bracelet, it had fairy, mermaid, centaur and unicorn charms on it. Tsunade said that it had belonged to Ino's unknown mother. The girls picked up their packs and walked to the kitchen, to get food for their journey. Once they had stuffed their packs, they went back to Tsunade's study to find out where they were to meet the boys.
Tsunade looked up, startled, when they came in. Her eyes were bright and threatening to spill over. Hinata dropped her pack and rushed over to envelope her in a hug.
"D-don't w-worry Queen Ts-sunade! We'll b-be okay!"
The other girls crowded around and started reassuring her too. She sniffed once and wiped her eyes.
"Of course you'll be! I just thought about how lonely I'll be… Oh, how selfish of me!"
"No, it's not selfish. But won't you have Shizune? And all the other servants? You'll have visitors too, I expect."
"Well, yes, but there won't be anyone you're age, who isn't scared of me. Anyway," she waved her hand, "I expect you want to know where to meet the young men?"
They nodded.
"You will meet them at Rofsrat wood, next to the river. You must be off now; you have a long journey ahead of you! Goodbye and good luck girls!"
She kissed each of them on the forehead and they pulled on their travelling cloaks. Then they left, holding hands, on a journey of which they knew nothing about, to meet complete strangers and maybe they would die on the way, they did not know.
AN: Well, what do you think? Is it good, or does it suck? Please review and let me know!
Also, the chapters for this one will probably take a bit longer for me to write, as it IS longer, so bear with me.