AN: Okay, this is my first story on here, and it's a total shot in the dark for me. I will not claim that I am fully inundated in the world of Naruto, but I have read a moderate part of the manga and I do know the basic storyline, so I though I'd take a stab at writing a story. It may not be very good, and I think that some of the characters go OOC, but…I tried. Please review and let me know what I can do better.

As of right now, I have the whole story written in a first draft, but I am more than open to suggestions and can still make changes. I plan on updating the story every time I get five reviews or three weeks pass, whichever comes first.

Disclaimer: I am not Kishimoto Masashi, and as such I do not own any of the characters or other ideas contained herein. I can only lay claim to Nashi (my OC) and this plot.

Thanks for reading everyone, I hope you enjoy it. —CF

Chapter 1: Chance?

A blind man walking alone on a road in the middle of nowhere tends to feel very alone, let me assure you. He will have no one to talk to, and no easy distractions, except the chirping of birds and the chattering of rodents.

Those don't distract for long.

So, let me tell you that, on this particular day, I was relieved to hear footsteps ahead of my. Quickening my pace, I approached the individual—it was certainly one person, not enough noise to be more—from behind.

"Za, good day, stranger! How is the road treating you?" The other traveler only made a small grunting noise and continued walking. "Oh, come now! Is that any way to treat a blind man? Surely your voice works."

"What do you want, old man? I don't have the time to dawdle."

"Believe me; I'm not as old as you want to think. I'm not asking you to crawl along; I can walk at your pace. I simply want another human voice for a while; is that too much to ask?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"I have no hidden intentions; I have already said what I want. Will you spare a few breaths, and talk to a lonely wanderer?"

He sighed, and there was silence for a little while. "If you want to talk, talk. I'm not going to tell you my life's story."

"Fair enough," I sighed, taking what opening I could get. "I am a blind man called Nashi, and I spend nearly all of my time wandering from one place to the next, hoping to find a kind hand, a friendly voice, and some hearty food. I wasn't born blind, but I overused a dōjustu, eradicating my sight and all memories of what sight was like.

"I was born an outcast in my own tribe, a man of mixed clans from two different hidden villages. Because of this, I am known as Nashi of the many tribes.

"What about you, whom do I have the pleasure of addressing?"

"I am Sasuke, and I too am a wanderer. I do not stay long, for no one seems to want me. I abandoned my home long ago in a search for power, and I continue on today, partly wanting to continue and partly wanting home.

"My whole clan is dead; I am the last one left. It had once been my dream to keep the clan alive, but that does not seem feasible now. No woman would be willing to help me sire children. After learning of my village's crimes against my clan, I have sworn revenge on all of them.

I nodded, understanding. Pondering the peculiar voice that emanated from his throat, I posed a daring question, slightly afraid of how he would react.

"I must admit, there's a distinctive trait in your voice, though I could be mistaken. Tell me, if you will what clan you belong to."

"I am an Uchiha."

I was pleased to hear this. "Uchiha, indeed. As I said, I am the child of multiple clans—one of these is the one called Uchiha. It seems, then, that you and I are cousins of some sort."

He gave another snort, obviously disbelieving.

"I can tell that you doubt me. Come, look into my eyes. They will agree with me." I pulled my eyelids open, revealing the leftovers of my curse. I felt him lean in to get a closer look, then pull back and start to walk again.

"I see. Those are obviously Sharingan. You say that you lost your sight because you overused them?"

"That, and all memory of sight; it's really an unfortunate thing. Be careful with yours; don't end up like I have."

He grunted again. "Perhaps something is wrong?" I ask this, not expecting much. I am not disappointed.

"Well," I say, hoping to undo the awkward silence that had overcome us. "I have a peculiar favor to ask—would you answer a few questions for me?"

"That would depend on the questions."

I guessed, from that answer, that he would agree. I began to work works that would make him unable to lie. "I'll ask you three questions about people in your lives. You can answer anyone. It'll be no one I know, and you only need to give me personal names. Okay?"

"Fine."

"Good. First question: if you could have any one person beside you right now as a friend and ally, someone who would fight alongside you, a person now living or dead, whether or not you ever knew the person—if you could have this—who would it be? For me, I have to say my sensei, who first trained me and two others as genin.

He paused for a moment, and then let one word slip from between his lips. "Naruto."

Second: out of everyone you've ever known, who do you miss the most? For me…it is my wife."

Again, he took a few moments to speak. "Naruto."

"Finally, think about some of your happiest memories. Who is in the most of them? My wife is my answer, again."

I was more than a little surprised at the following answer. "Naruto."

He had just answered the same person to all three questions, a thing that supposedly would only happen when the person answering the questions cared about the answer-person more than anyone or anything else. This was a rare thing indeed, so I decided to probe gently. Taking down

"This Naruto, he is important to you? It's not too often that someone says the same name all three times; even I cannot do that. Why is he so important?"

"After my clan was killed, I was alone for a long time. When we were put on a team together, he and I were constant rivals, always competing to outdo the other, but I could tell that he genuinely cared about me. He is an excellent fighter and would be an invaluable asset to me. However, our loyalties separate us."

"I see," I said, realizing that there was tension growing between us and that I needed to end things quickly. I moved a little closer to my temporary companion, and put my hand on his shoulder, uttering the words to a blessing that I thought would help him.

"What did you say?"

"It's just a little blessing that I picked up in my hometown. It is said to bring good luck and success in your endeavors." I disliked lying, but I was afraid of what he might do if I had told him the truth.

"Well, thank you, Nashi. We have come to a fork in the road—where are you going?"

"Which fork do you plan to take, my child?"

"The one to the Land of Earth."

"No, I am headed away from there. I bid you journey and be well. Before we leave…could you direct me on my path?" I felt his hand on my shoulder, turning me to face a certain direction.

"That's where you're going."

"Thank you, Sasuke. May you always be met with success!" I waved to him.

"Yeah…the same to you, Nashi."

Once I knew that he was far enough away to not hear me, I began to talk to myself about the encounter. They were only random pieces of thought, and not really strung together, but they helped pass the time.

"A missing-nin who was kind enough to let me talk to him for a while—that must be a rare thing!"

"I'm still amazed that he answered with the same name all three times. He must really care about 'Naruto,' even if he has turned them into enemies. I'd like to meet that other fellow now, just to see what's so important to him."

"It's funny; he's an Uchiha, but I didn't feel a connection to him like I hoped that I would. He may be kin, but I wouldn't call him family."

"I hope that my blessing helps him for the better. Sometimes, though, the weak memories that it brings up aren't enough; he may need a more powerful one."

I continued in this vein until I could feel the night's chill in the air. Finding a thick spot of trees hidden off the path, I hid myself, caught a rabbit for dinner, ate, and slept.