Disclaimer-I'm a little too young and a little too female to Kishimoto-san.
Summary- When two ordinary women and dear friends - Haruno Sakura and Tenten - are chosen by the two goddesses of Insula Fortuna as High Priestesses; they must abandon their families, friends and lovers for the sake of service to the goddesses who chose them. Years later, their loves return to seek spiritual solace, will they chose to honor their duty or their negated promise of love?
With the of the summer afternoon glaring at their backs, two women walked arm in arm with each other chattering cheerfully about the news from town. They carried a basket of wild strawberries with them. One was a tall yet slender brunette named Tenten and the other was the pink haired and petite Sakura. Tenten sighed heavily at the tickle of grass against their leather sandal encased feet.
"I miss being able to run in the fields," she spoke wistfully of the summers they had spent as children in the verdant meadows in the hill beside their village.
Sakura deftly tucked the hem of her chiton into her belt cord and waggled her eyebrows at Tenten, green eyes sparkling mischievously.
"I don't see your nurse around, unless you've managed to hide her in your hair" she challenged, indicating the thick mass of brown that hung in an unruly mess down her waist.
"Let me check," Tenten replied cheerfully as she made a great show of checking. "Whoops, must have left her in the market."
Sakura gave her the look reserved for Naruto before she smiled angelically and said "I suppose you don't want a run…" as she made motions for untucking the hem.
Tenten hastily added "I'll behave," before Sakura could do anything and adjusted her chiton to make running comfortable.
And so they ran all the way to the other side of the hill, catcalling and encouraging each other by turns. They were midway to the village when they stopped for a brief respite. Tenten nearly doubled over, trying to steady her breathing when tone of the wind around her changed. She rose up, scrutinizing the tree line. Sakura caught on her mood and said "we should head towards the village a little faster now."
Tenten nodded distractedly. Ever since they were little, Tenten had always been able to listen to the 'voices' of the wind. It was always a vague sense of unease or rightness in the wind that she was attuned to. Right now, she felt extremely uneasy. Turbulent times were coming ahead, she was certain.
They walked swiftly and soon reached the meadow that separated the forests from their village. They breathed a joint sigh of relief as the village gates came into view. They were too relieved to notice the cowled men on horseback. One clad in the brilliant gold of the sun and the other in the inky darkness of midnight.
They rode towards the women and halted their horses before them. Tenten blanched while Sakura flushed in anger, it would have been comical if it weren't frightening.
"What brings you before us, Trackers" Sakura asked witheringly. They dismounted silently in unison and moved towards them. The one in gold moved towards Sakura while the one in black moved towards Tenten. It took everything they had not to run away screaming. They touched the forehead of each of them and chanted-
"Greetings upon this joyous day
For you have been given a role to play.
Destined by the hands of Fate,
Respond before 'tis too late."
They felt an excruciating pain hammer at their skulls and increase in intensity with each line until they succumbed to the pain and darkness claimed them.
I know you must have a lot of questions so please feel free to ask them. You never know, one question might end up sparking a wild, crazy idea like this one…..
-Aurora