A/n: Arigato to my first reviewer and only reviewer at the moment... I dedicated this chapter to you.
Disclaimer: You don't have to actually own something to really own it. Let's play pretend! Bwahahaha!!!
Chapter 2: The Rumor
Sakura growled in fury when she saw Ino latch herself to her dear Sasuke-kun. Ino-pig get away from him!!! Inner Sakura said, animated stress marks pasted on her face while on the surface Sakura just glared at the blonde haired girl who she considered her best friend before.
POOF!
"Eh? Log?" Ino said as she realized what she was hugging for the past 10 seconds.
Sakura smiled, of course, Sasuke was smart enough to think of that. Sakura grinned widely, opening her mouth to banter the blonde girl.
"Nice day for Exchange technique. Ne Ino-pig?" Sakura teased as the other girl fumed and left to go back to her group. Sakura smiled. What a great day! She thought as she saw Sasuke, reveal himself in the bushes.
"Sakura-chan..." somebody called from behind Sakura... patting her shoulder lightly.
"Nani?" Sakura asked as she faced the person, who turned out to be... Thick Eyebrows!!! Inner Sakura blunted as she saw the first thing that it's plainly visible in Rock Lee's face.
"Konichiwa Sakura-chan..." Lee said as he blushed furiously.
"Konichiwa Lee-kun..." Sakura replied, sweat drops flooding at the back of her head.
"Do you know the myth about the legend?" Lee asked, as his face grew redder than the reddest shade of red.
"What is the myth then?" Sakura asked, wide-eyed and expectant.
"Myth? What myth?" Ino asked as every girl in that space went over to hear Lee's story.
Lee coughed two times and pleasurably looked at his female audiences. Lee's eyes flooded with waterfall tears just as his fists balled. I am such a lady-killer! Everyone is here to listen to me...! Arigato Gai-sensei! And in the corner of his eye he saw his sensei, winking at him, a thumbs up sign beckoning him to move on. Lee nodded his head in reply to his sensei's coaxing.
"According to the myth... Whoever found his/her perfect match that night would be his/her lifetime partner." Lee said, as he saw the disappointed looks on the girls' faces.
"Lee, we know that part of the story already." Tenten said as they pivoted their heels to walk away, leaving Sakura standing beside Lee.
"But it's not just that... are you sure you don't want to hear it?" Lee said, confidently, as he saw the girls face him again.
"What is it now then?" Tenten asked, hands on her hips.
"Meeting the holder of the missing part of the stone would not assure you that that person would be your lifetime partner." Lee said with his index finger waving in front of the girls' faces. Lee smiled, now that's eye catching.
Ino lazily cocked her eyebrow as she said "I don't believe you."
"Eh? Where are you guys going?" Lee asked as the girls left him, Sakura still beside him. Too much for the lady-killer issue. Lee sighed.
"Lee-kun..." Sakura called. "What must I do to find the perfect match?" She asked, filling up the hope that almost disintegrated into thin air when the other girls left. "There must be some way... ne Lee-kun?"
Lee stood up with much composure again, his eyes flooding yet again, his fists balled up high. Sakura... Sakura... She believes me... "Sakura-chan!!!" Lee said, blushing, his eyes sparkling in happiness.
"Hai Lee-kun?" Sakura asked as sweat drops formed at the back of her head, again.
"Sakura-chan..." Lee swallowed the lump in his throat, trying to stop the urge to hug Sakura. "They say that if you bring the person you are matched up by the stones to a bridge, you will be together forever." Lee finished.
"How come then, Lee-kun? Why do we need to be on a bridge to be assured of the stone's matchmaking?" Sakura asked, just as always.
"It was derived from its original story. They say that the first people, who experienced the stone's power to bring people together, were on a bridge. They say that those couples lived and loved together forever even when death tore them apart." Lee explained, answering the girl's inquiry.
"So you mean to say that it's a pattern." Sakura said as they heard their sensei call them from a distance. "Let's go Lee-kun..." Sakura said as she stepped forward.
"Sakura..." Lee called.
"Nani?" Sakura asked as she faced the thick-eye browed boy.
"I hope you would be my match..." Lee said, blushing madly.
Sakura pasted a fake smile on her face. After all she didn't want to shame Lee, he had saved her life once and almost gave up his own for her.
"Oi! Sakura! Kakashi-sensei's calling us!" Naruto shrieked.
Sakura sighed a sigh of relief. Naruto can be a savior sometimes... once in a million years though.
Lee watched Sakura's retreating back as he sensed the white-eyed girl look at him.
Bridge... kuh... Hinata said as she eyed the orange-outfitted boy walking beside Sakura, sghing to herself. Naruto-kun...
"EVERYBODY ASSEMBLE!" Gai screamed, causing Kakashi to raise his brow.
"Listen up everybody..." Gai said as he saw the young shinobi-s line up. "We are going to find the stones for today, tomorrow we do the carving, and for the day after tomorrow we break them neatly." Gai finished, his hands still on his waist.
Sakura, being known as inquisitive, raised her hand, a question forming on her head.
"Yes Haruno-san?" Gai asked as he listened to the girl's question.
"How many stones do we need then?" Sakura asked, making Gai smile.
"There are over 1000 people in Konoha. Most are married, underage and elderly, so I presume that we need about 300 stones."
The young shinobi-s smiled sheepishly. This was gonna be easy. Way too easy.
"My time is 9:30. I want you guys done before 4:00. Get going now!"
At the command, the young shinobi-s fled with their teams. Searching for stones.
o.0 to be continued 0.o
A/n: Review alright! And by the way please read my other fics as well... titled "Flashbacks of an Unforgotten Promise" and "Everybody grows up!". These are also Naruto fics... Ja ne!