A/n: My second fanfic! I know I'm not yet done with my first but... oh well... it'll live!
Disclaimer: I invented the legend and the idea but the characters are not mine unless they submit themselves to me! Bwahahaha!!!
"The Legend of the Broken Stone"
Chapter 1: The News
"Ohayo minna!!!" Kakashi said as he appeared in a puff of smoke.
"What's your excuse this time?" Sakura asked as her other two teammates joined her in giving their sensei death glares. "We've been waiting for 3 hours to be exact. We need an explanation. A valid one." Sakura said as they watched their sensei's expression change from lazy to a nervous expression, that even his mask wasn't able to conceal it.
"Well... I..." Kakashi started as he saw his students, fold their arms expectantly waiting for the valid reason, they weren't really wholeheartedly expecting.
I hope it's not the... "I saw a lady who begged to me for help"-reason again. Sakura thought as she waited impatiently for the pathetic excuse, they usually heard.
Baka Sensei... I'm hungry... Naruto thought as he continued to stare at him as if he was fried chicken or in Naruto's case... RAMEN, almost drooling in the process.
He's wasting my time... Sasuke thought as he looked in another direction.
Kakashi as if reading their minds, finally, spoke up.
"I wasn't moping around while you waited for me." Kakashi said his expression changing into a casual lazy one.
"Why are you late then?" Sakura asked. "I hope you don't give us the reason that you went to the store to line up for the newest volume of Icha Icha Paradise."
Naruto and Sasuke looked at Sakura in disbelief together with Kakashi's one eye.
Sakura looked at them in reply with question marks on her head. Why are they looking at me like that?
Kakashi walked to Sakura, leaning closely to her, observing for any signs of ... perversion "How did you know that there is a new volume for Icha Icha Paradise, Sakura-chan?"
Both of the boys looked at her, waiting for a reason why she had joined Kakashi's personalized club for perverts, asking themselves if there were many who signed up.
"BAKA!!!" Sakura shrieked, blushing madly, not really knowing what was happening to her. "I was just assuming that!!! I don't know anything!!! And besides... DO I LOOK LIKE A PERVERT TO YOU GUYS!?" Sakura asked as she blushed even more badly, she wanted to catch Sasuke's attention even after all the things they went through, but this was not the best way to do it. Totally absurd.
"Hmmm... That was partly one of the reasons why I was late." Kakashi said as he held to his face the unwrapped volume of Icha Icha Paradise, stopping the urge to read it instead of attending to this bunch of kids in front of him, who he even thought was supposed to be in a day care center instead.
"But it only takes about 5 minutes to buy a copy of this." Kakashi said as he hid the copy in one of the compartments of his clothing, careful not to crease it. "I was late because Tsunade called for me."
"Tsunade, sensei? What does that old ghoul want now...?" Naruto asked, Tsunade's summoning intriguing even Sasuke. "Is it a Class A mission?" Naruto asked excitedly, showing them his new battle pose.
"Unfortunately not." Kakashi said as he watched the orange-outfitted fox boy fall from his pose.
"Why did she call for you then?" Sakura asked, gaining back the composure she almost lost after being thought of reading pornographic materials.
"It's not a mission, just an announcement." Kakashi said as he eyed the intrigued looks on his pupils' faces. "The Village would be celebrating a festival a week from now."
"That was it?" Sakura asked, quite disappointed. "She talked to you for 3 hours just about that?" Sakura asked, unsatisfied and quite suspicious he might be using the Hokage to get out of trouble this time.
"Eh? That festival?" Naruto asked, Indian sitting at the same time while fondling his chin. "Does that Festival have to do something with the Legend of the Broken Stone?"
Kakashi nodded.
"Legend of the Broken Stone?" Sakura questioned, now, facing Naruto.
"Iruka-sensei relayed it to me yesterday at the ramen bar?" Naruto said as his eyes appeared to be non-existent and whiskers visibly shown.
"What is it all about then? Dobe..." Sasuke asked, quite intrigued by the legend as well...
Naruto shot Sasuke a glare before sharing his little story. "Sakura- chan... Have you heard about the Legend of the Broken Stone?"
"Naruto, I wouldn't be asking you if I knew it ne?" Sakura said, trying to lengthen the patience that was almost out of boundaries.
"Oh right." Naruto replied, scratching the back of his head slightly.
A few moments of Silence.
"Naruto!!!"
"Nani Sakura?"
"The Story?"
"Oh Right." Naruto said as he closed his eyes, trying to show that he is deep in thought. "According to Iruka-sensei... It was a romantic legend. They say that a broken stone always has a half that can make it whole and it was about a search err... yeah... something like that...."
"Honto? Is it true, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked, excitement seen in her emerald orbs.
"It's the first time for Konoha to celebrate it. They would let people pick rocks that you, the shinobis, would scatter and they say it would determine your fate, for the other half of that rock would be your destiny. Kind of Foolish but we can't do anything." Kakashi said as he stared at the cottony sky. "You can't determine your destiny with those rocks. You have to make it on your own."
Sasuke followed Kakashi's gaze as he recalled a fragment memory of his mother.
Flashback
A picture of a little Sasuke, connecting two pieces of rocks, his mother just beside him, appeared on his mind.
The little Sasuke smiled as he gave the now complete rock to his mother. His mother smiled.
"Sasuke..." his mother tenderly asked as Sasuke faced his mother to show her that he is paying attention. "Have you heard of the Legend of the Broken Stone?"
Little Sasuke blinked. His mother smiled once more.
"Long time ago, there were jewels that were scattered all over the World. They were beautiful jewels that represented each country but... there was division and a desire to overpower each other... That's why from that day on... the jewels were split in half... the other half's whereabouts remained a mystery... All until the next generation came and the young rulers of each country started a crusade to search for their jewels' other half. And in their search they found the missing half of their jewels and their hearts. And because of this intermarriage among different tribes, unity was regained." His mom ended with a smile. "How do you like it, Sasuke?"
End of Flashback
"Destiny-kuh..." Sasuke muttered as he looked down to the ground, his face still metal cold.
"The Shinobis would be asked to break the rocks and draw carvings on it in preparation of the festival. This is what Tsunade calls... Patience test." Kakashi said, disturbing the different thoughts of his students. "That's why..."
"SASUKE-KUN!!!" Ino came running to Sasuke's direction, her smile never wavering.
Sakura glared.
"That's why... as I was saying... Everybody is asked to go here in our training grounds to start the work."
"NANI?!"
o.0 to be continued when the author pleases 0.o
A/n: My second fic!!! - Yay!!! Review! Sorry if the characters are OOC but I made them that way!