This is my second fanfic, only this time, I hope to write more than just a one-shot. I sorta got the idea after watching Blind Fury... I could've used Itachi, but I needed someone to mold and work with, so yeah. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of these characters except Ryoko.

"Tsunade-sama!" Kurenai panted out as she burst through the Hokage's doors that lead to her ever messy office.

Tsunade looked up from the files on her desk and observed Kurenai before her face grew hard with seriousness. Kurenai was always a calm kunoichi, so whatever news she had now to make her lose her cool must be important if not more. "What is it?" Tsunade asked, giving Kurenai her full attention.

"Ryoko," Kurenai started with a breathless voice. "She- she's gone. I looked everywhere, but she didn't seem to leave a trail behind or a hint to her destination." Kurenai stepped away from the doors, letting them close on their own, and came to a stop before the Hokage. The red-eyed kunoichi extended her arm, holding a note in her hand for Tsunade to read. "She left this, though."

Tsunade took the note that was handed to her and read as Kurenai caught her breath.

Kurenai,

You've been good to me, you really have, and I appreciate it. Its just not the same here as it was with my mother… even though she's not the same herself anymore. Yes, I'm leaving, but that's not the only reason. I have more.

My dream to be a full fledged ninja would never be fulfilled here in Konoha, not when people don't give the chance to try because of my eye sight. Don't you see that I can't have a life as a simple civilian? I love going on missions, having adventures, even with the loss of my vision. I feel out of place. This isn't my home, Kurenai.

Please don't come after me. Don't gather a search party for me. This is my choice and I want you to respect that. If this means becoming a missing nin, then I don't care. Thank you for everything.

-Ryoko

Tsunade re-read the letter again, examining the writing. Ryoko's hand writing was off and crooked, but she managed to make out the words just fine. She sighed as she put down the note and looked back at Kurenai who seemed to calm down after a few moments.

"If these are Ryoko's wishes, then so be it," Tsunade said, almost to herself.

Kurenai's eyes widened. "What do you mean?! She's a blind kid, Tsunade-sama! Are you going to let her go off on her own?!" Her eyes narrowed at Tsunade and her frame shook with anger.

"She's not a child anymore, Kurenai! She's seventeen. She's been trained as a ninja before she became completely blind," Tsunade let out a wary breath before continuing. "I knew it was only a matter of time before she left."

"What do you mean?" Kurenai asked, her eyes stilled narrowed and her fists clenched.

Tsunade sat back in her chair as she replied, "If you looked at the way she's lived her life in this village, you could see that she was missing something. Such a sweet girl with such a sad smile… she was out of place here."

Kurenai let her hands hang desperately at her sides and looked down, strands of her black hair falling in her ever beautiful face. "I know," she murmured softly. "Its just… I tried so hard to make her feel loved after her mother became depressed and incapable of caring for her."

Tsunade nodded in understanding before Kurenai turned to leave. She sighed loudly as she sat back in her chair thought of her lost student.

Ryoko had only been a four year old child when her father died. The tragic event had impacted her mother more than it had impacted her and left the woman depressed and incapable of caring for herself, much less Ryoko. It was already tough for their family to get money when her father was alive, imagine how it would be with him gone.

After that, Ryoko's mother contacted the only relative they had: Kurenai. They weren't very close relatives, something like distant cousins. Even so, Ryoko had inherited Kurenai's family's natural ability to do genjutsu and she looked strikingly like Kurenai, only her hair was a deep red. That was really the only proof that connected Ryoko to Kurenai. With that, Kurenai took pity on Ryoko and took her in, caring for her like a big sister.

Ryoko grew up in Konoha and trained as a ninja in hopes of becoming as great as Kurenai and her friend, Kakashi. She didn't have many friends in the academy, instead preferring to be alone to think, train, and study. She wasn't the best student, but she wasn't the worst either. She specialized in genjutsu and performed it easily with her balanced chakra, but she much rather preferred taijutsu, claiming that it was 'much more satisfying to feel the crunch of bones breaking beneath bloody flesh' as she pounded an opponent.

Ryoko managed to graduate from the academy with no problem at all. It was until she received her own headband that she received bad news from her doctor. Ryoko's vision was fading and it would continue to fade until she was blind. Slowly, at age 14 it begun to fade quicker. Ryoko had always wore glasses as a child, but after receiving this news, she threw them to the ground and stepped on them roughly. Why her? There was, of course, one way to save her vision which was surgery, but it couldn't be performed on her at such a young age. Because her eyes were still developing like the rest of her body, surgery would only repair her eyesight temporarily, meaning that she would blind afterward anyway. Other than waiting until she became 18, the operation was costly, and it would be hard for her and Kurenai to pay for it.

Instead of becoming depressed like most people would have, Ryoko trained harder to become the ninja she's always wanted to be. Kurenai would sometimes watch as Ryoko tied her headband over her red eyes and trained in darkness. Needless to say, she became good. The rest of her senses grew sharper, allowing her to feel, scent, and sense the world in a different way. She was sure she could still be a ninja.

Ryoko's hope was stepped on like an ant at age 15 when the Hokage no longer allowed her to go on missions. To make up for it, however, Tsunade promised to train Ryoko herself to occupy her so that she wouldn't be depressed. Still angry, Ryoko accepted and grew strong, learning many jutsus, both medical and elemental before she became completely blind at age 17.

Yes, she'll be fine, Tsunade reassured herself. After all, I don't train no fools.

A distance away from Konoha, Ryoko sat in the shade of large oak tree. The red-head laid her short beautifully carved wooden staff against her shoulder before reaching for her backpack and taking out a plump pouch. She shook it and smiled slightly when she heard the familiar jingling of coins and crumple of paper money. She stuffed it back into her backpack and felt around for the familiar plastic feel of saran wrap.

"Ah, here it is!" Ryoko said to no one in particular as she pulled out a sandwich wrapped in plastic. She ate in silence, alert of any other noise besides her munching and the distant chirping of birds in the morning.

She swept her tongue over her teeth as she stuffed the half-eaten sandwich back in her dark grey backpack. Who knows when she'd be able to get some more food. Or water. Or money. Great, Ryoko thought. Now I'm worrying myself! I'm not turning back!

She stood up with her staff in hand, shaking her thoughts away. Her light skinned hand grasped the top of her staff like a handle and pulled with force to produce a very sharp sword that glinted in the sunlight. She felt the cool metal with a finger to reassure herself before sheathing it again.

After slinging her backpack on and making sure her ninja gear as well as her whip was placed safely on her hips, she slid her hiate back over her lifeless-looking red eyes and set off in a random direction (and she made sure it wasn't the direction she'd come from!) with her 'short staff' in hand as a guide.

Thanks for reading! Please take the time to review or at least let me know that you want me to write more! Itachi and Kisame will be in the next chapter, so expect them soon.