A/n this is going to be my first published fanfic, so id appreciate lots of feedback! Tons of constructive criticism to help me become a better writer. Theres no guarantee that ill be able to update the story on a regular basis, since im busy with school work most of the time. So im going to try for quality over quantity though i do have high hopes for making this story book sized. I have borrowed some ideas from S'tarkans story, so you should go check that story out because it was pretty good.

i took some of their ideas, but the story is going to follow a different path.

Now on to the story!

Kurenai Yuuhi looked on from her spot hidden behind a genjutsu at all the students currently set to graduate to genin rank, it was currently lunch time. All the kids were out at the playground, or eating against a shady tree nearby. The Hokage had asked her who she wanted for her genin team, since this was to be her first time as a jounin sensei. The third had asked her for input on who would work well with who so he could make up a team list of all the genin and decide from there what team gets what jounin sensei. As Kurenai looked out over all the children she noticed one boy that looked very subdued, sitting all on his lonesome on a swing. Slightly swaying back and forth as he stared at the ground seemingly in deep thought. He had on a garishly bright orange jacket and pants, had very blonde hair and if his head was up, she would have seen his deep blue eyes and the whisker birthmarks that some villagers said marred his face, a mark of the beast he really is. Of course, Kurenai never did believe any of the hateful comments many villagers and shinobi made about the young boy. While never having met him personally she had from time to time seen him looking depressed and somber when he thought nobody was around to see him. It was then and there that Kurenai decided she would get that boy for her team, she absolutely had to, to make sure he knew he wasn't as alone as he thought, she'd show him the kindness and attention he deserved. As she sat pondering the enigma that was Naruto Uzumaki two girls sauntered over to him, one with bright pink hair, and the other with blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. She noticed Naruto stiffen minutely as they approached, he looked up with his fake smile firmly in place. The two girls reached him and both immediately began to mock him, through the whole thing he kept that smile on his face. And not too far from him she noticed a young girl with dark hair, nearly white eyes, and a beige jacket on seem to have a mental debate about whether she should stand up for naruto or not and then seem to become too nervous to work up the courage to move forward, looking down in shame. Hinata hyuuga, another of the genin she had her eye on. Kurenai thought that with Hinata and Shino on her team they could be a decent reconnaissance and tracking team, and with naruto to round them out they would be very balanced. She planned on naruto being the colse fighter, the brawler on their team to allow his teammates time to get away from the enemy or to give his team time to regroup and think up a plan. Naruto would be the piece holding the team together. That is, if his work ethic didnt stay as bad as it was in the academy... she'd work on that, Naruto was just an unpolished diamond. Full of potential but with nobody to really sit down and help him train and learn. And if the Hokage wanted Naruto elsewhere? Well she'd just tell him that it would be better if her were placed on a team with people who hated and made fun of or shunned him, and then she would bore him with her schedule for training him until the third relentled and put Naruto on her team.