CHAPTER RATING: T

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Chapter 30: The Old Woman's Destined Prediction

"I really want to see who the Toad Elder was talking about." Naruto started. He looked over at Sakura. "We'll go see this 'octopus' that he said I would meet." Sakura smiled back at him, acknowledging his decision.

"Very well! You'll set out as soon as you're feeling up to it." Tsunade replied with unusual enthusiasm.

"Who else will be going with us?" Sakura asked. Tsunade pointed a finger at the doorway.

"Come in!" She shouted. The door opened and from the otherside, steppef forth an old man in a green jumpsuit, eyes glowing with the "power of youth."

"Gai-sensei?" Sakura asked

"That's right! And I will do everything I can to ensure that you both make it safely to your destination!" He struck a cheesy pose of joy. "But I'm not alone! I'm also joined by my greatest rival!" He pointed to the doorway, and moved aside.

"Kakashi-sensei!"

The similarly old, yet tired man wore a mask, sported grey hair and wore the same green flak jacket. In his hand, he held the infamous Make-Out Tactics, a book that he was rarely seen without.

"Yo, Naruto, Sakura. How have you two been?" Kakashi asked with a smile and a wave.

"Better. Much better." Naruto replied.

"That's good. As Hokage-sama said, we'll be off as soon as you feel better. Take care of yourself in the meantime." He nodded.

"Wait, why are there two Jounin coming with us?" Sakura asked.

"This isn't a regular mission. This is an investigation of something that could affect the whole world. We've made a special exception to the rule this time." Tsunade answered. She stood up and pointed at Gai and Kakashi. "You two, come with me! There's more information that I have to brief you on." Tsunade ordered as she stepped out of the room.

"We'll see you two later." Gai remarked before the rivals stepped out of the room. Kakashi gave a final wave to the two shinobi that he had trained so many years ago. Naruto and Sakura smiled as he moved out of the room.

The sun set with the golden sky as Naruto sat in his hospital bed. The woman he loved sat by his side the entire time. Into the night, she slept on a couch next to his bed, never leaving his side; with a depressed look, he glanced over at her.

"I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you, Sakura-chan. But it seems like you were always there to save me. Thank you." He whispered before he closed his eyes and fell asleep as well.

…

The team took off the next morning. A few weeks passed until they found themselves in a small port city, the small village consisted of wooden houses, and a natural port that excelled in trade. Large, wooden ships passed through the harbor daily, trading with the locals and exporting goods that came from other countries.

The team of Gai, Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura stared upon a ship that was assigned to assist them to this island that Naruto was told he was going to visit, to meet his mysterious "octopus." The ship was manned by a crew of hardy sailors, lead by a gruff, muscular captain that had a scruffy brown beard, and a scar over his permanently closed left eye, he chewed on a pipe that hung from his lips.

"Are you the shinobi I was told about?!" He shouted as he gazed upon their obviously exposed headbands.

"We are." Kakashi answered. He looked over at the ship, named "The Hurricanrana." The ship captain stroked his beard. "When can we leave?" Kakashi asked.

"We'll be leaving soon." He answered. "But first, we need to gather supplies for the voyage." He scanned over the team and nodded with satisfaction. "Good, you've got three strong men on this journey, we'll need help loading up supplies. So follow me." He finalized while turning to walk back.

Naruto, Gai, and Kakashi followed him eagerly.

"What about me?" Sakura asked.

"You can just wait here." Kakashi ordered. "We can handle this."

Sakura stood and watched the three disappear into the local shops as the captain gave them ordered with waves of his hands and gestures.

…

Sakura stared into the horizon, where the sky and sea met, listening to the sounds of the sea crashing against the shore. Everything was so beautiful, it seemed unreal. She turned to her left, and saw an old woman, staring at the horizon, just as she had been doing.

Sakura smiled as she saw the old woman look towards her, and smiled in return.

"Hello, young woman, why are you here today?" The old woman asked quietly.

"We're here on a mission, a friend of mine is supposed to go somewhere, to do something." The old woman nodded, noting Sakura's answer.

She extended a hand. "My name is Megumi," she introduced. "What is yours?"

"Haruno Sakura." Sakura answered as she extended her hand and bowed.

"Do you have a moment to listen to a story, Sakura?" Megumi asked softly. She turned to the horizon again and smiled.

"Sure. Why not?" Sakura replied with enthusiasm. The old woman nodded and began to speak with her eyes closed.

"There was a very young woman, who long ago, watched the person that she loved drift away into the sea, and disappear from sight." She stated. "He had been sent of a mission during the war, sent on a mission that others had deemed important. Sent to do something that he was told he was supposed to do."

Sakura nodded, indicating that she was listening to every word that the old woman said.

The old lady's expression somewhat sunk. "The young woman waited. She waited for years for her loved one to return. Years passed, and many summers later, she became an old woman who was still waiting, still standing on the shore, and still looking towards the horizon."

The old woman looked down.

"But he never returned." She looked back up at Sakura, who saw something that resembled sadness and depression in the old woman's eyes.

"Did he die?" Sakura asked obliviously, already knowing the answer.

"She did not know, but it is assumed that he did. He had sacrificed himself bravely for those that he felt were closest to him, those comrades that he held so dear." The old woman looked up again. "Legend says, that every day and every night, she stands in the same spot she had stood in so long ago, and still looks towards the horizon, waiting for her loved one to return."

Sakura's eyebrow twitched, she felt a cold wind run across her back.

"Sakura-chan! We're about to leave!" Naruto shouted from behind her.

"A-Alright, Naruto, I'm on my way!" Sakura replied while turning around. Not forgetting her manners, Sakura turned around to thank the old woman for her brief company.

To her surprise, there was no one where the old woman had been just moments before. She walked back and boarded the ship. The captain called out to his crew, and The Hurricanrana set off. Sakura looked again at the same spot where the woman had stood.

She focused her eyes and saw a somewhat transparent woman. A woman considerably younger that she had talked to, almost the same as Sakura herself. The woman waved away slowly as she became smaller and smaller.

Sakura then heard a voice in her head, the voice of a young woman that echoed through her mind.

"Know this young one. I see into your coming days. And in it, I see sorrow, loss, and sadness."

Sakura took a deep breath, taking in the words that rang through her ears.

"On the day where the Hurricane meets the Avenger, you will lose someone that you love. This will come to pass."

Sakura eyes opened as she heard the words of this ghostly figure.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto's voice broke her concentration. "Sakura-chan, what's the matter?" he asked with deep concern.

She turned around, looked deep into his eyes, and gently wrapped her arms around him. He almost noticed tears welling up in her eyes. She buried her face deeply into his chest, and tightened her grip around his body. Shock took Naruto's expression at the sudden embrace.

But in response, he wrapped his own arms around her, tightening his grasp as he rested his head on hers.

"Naruto…I love you." she whispered into his shirt.

"Sakura-chan…I love you, I always have, and I always will." he answered back, letting the winds carry is words into the air, for all the world to hear.

Thanks for reading!