Author's Note: If you're interested in color theory, check out Color Me Beautiful by Carole Jackson. It's an oldie but goodie. As per usual, I did not copy down everything from her book into this one chapter, so if you want more, buy the book.

All the stuff about face and body shape, you can just learn from a basic Google search on the Internet. I don't really know if I have anyone in particular to credit for that part.

I hope you all like the girls' new looks! ;) I wanted them to be original characters with their own appearances.

10.

"Okay, kiddies, listen up!" Anko clapped her hands together outside in the training field. "Part of being a seductive kunoichi is learning how to look nice - how to dress nice, in the right colors, with clothes that suit your body type. How to wear your hair in a way that sets off your face nicely. In other words, there is a girly element to being a kunoichi. Every girl can look better, and learn to look her best, with the proper training. In other words, to sexually seduce someone, you've got to feel sexy. Look sexy.

"But for kunoichi, there is a twist. In day to day life, you can't afford to go around in high heels and heavy makeup with long loose hair, wearing perfume and long flowy dresses. It's just not practical. Heels will make it harder for you to run, you'll sweat off the perfume and makeup, long loose hair could be grabbed and captured by the enemy, and kunoichi dresses were invented so kunoichi could look cute yet be practical. They're short, tight, and sweet, with plenty of room to spread your legs and economical sleeves that won't get caught on surrounding underbrush.

"In other words, this section," and here Anko smiled, "will be about fashion."

For the first time, the girls brightened in excitement.

"What we're really going to be focusing on is coloring," said Anko, the girls taking notes around her. "Usually in formal seduction situations, you'll be wearing kimono, so wearing colors that really make you pop and shine is what's most important. Everything else comes secondarily."

"Sensei," said Sakura curiously, "you're saying there's a way to tell beforehand what colors you'll look good in and what colors you'll look bad in?"

"It would be more accurate to say what shades you'll look good in and what shades you'll look bad in. It sounds weird, but almost every color can look good on every person - provided it's in the right shade. And yes, there is a way to tell. It all depends on your skin complexion and hair and eye coloring. Skin tone is what's most important, though. Certain color shades look best with your unique skin tone and certain color shades don't.

"What we are going to be doing is analyzing the coloring of each of you, giving you a packet of fabric swatches in your color palette for reference material, and teaching you how to use them as a guide, not just for how to choose kimono, but for how to choose kunoichi outfits as well. We'll spend one session on makeup (which, if used sparingly, doesn't have to ruin your appearance as a kunoichi), another on hair (in case you ever decide to dye), one on personality and style, and one on wardrobe planning.

"For the sake of ease, skin tones can be separated into four distinct categories. We liken them to the four seasons. Autumn, Spring, Winter, and Summer. Each season has its own unique color shades and swatches."

"Sensei," said Ino, raising her hand, "don't we… already kind of know what colors we look good in? I mean, you go to a store, you try on a dress, you think, 'Wow, that looks hideous on me,' and you put the dress back. It's not that complicated."

"It's true that we are naturally inclined toward certain colors from a very young age," agreed Anko, nodding. "Think of a daughter who always wants to wear black and a mother who always wants to wear pink. They get frustrated with each other, but each is going toward the color that best suits them. However, as we get older, we tend to lose some of our color sense. We're bombarded with messages from society, the media, the people around us, and sometimes we have to relearn color sense, so to speak. Learn lessons that take us back to our roots.

"The results can be remarkable. When you start wearing the colors that suit you, so color theory goes, it's not your clothes that start getting compliments - it's you. Colors are meant to complement you and make you look better, not the other way around.

"So with that said, let's test you each for your season."

"The first step in deciding your color season is to select colors you've noticed you look best in throughout your life. The second step is to evaluate your coloring - your hair, skin, and eyes. These two steps will tell you your season.

"So, first, look over this list. Select, not which colors are the latest fad, but which colors look best on you. They're categorized by season. Here, you intuitively choose your season - it's all instinct."

The girls crowded around the list and squinted, looking discerningly down the four categories, each list topped with a label underlined in pencil: Winter, Summer, Autumn, Spring.

Ino was first. "... Summer," she said at last. "Soft blue, rose brown, navy, rose pink, lavender, and plum."

Hinata nodded firmly to her choice. "Winter," she said. "Navy, black, white, red, shocking pink, and gray."

Sakura was last to choose, careful, wanting to make the best choice possible. "Spring," she finally decided. "Golden brown, camel, peachy pink, peach, bright blue, and golden yellow."

"Okay," said Anko, nodding, revealing nothing. "You're all in daylight, so you each take a mirror and analyze yourself carefully. Look at your skin, hair, and eyes. None of you are wearing makeup or have dyed hair, so that's good.

"What is the undertone to your skin? Is it cool, with blue undertones, or warm, with golden undertones?"

After some analysis, Hinata and Ino both said cool, while Sakura said warm.

"That fits," continued Anko, "because Summers and Winters have cool undertones, while Springs and Autumns have warm undertones. As a matter of fact, I think you made the right choices.

"Let's look at Winter first. Hinata has very white skin, blue-black hair, and grey-blue eyes. Emphasis on the grey with the blue making it look slightly violet, as she is a Hyuuga and that is part of her bloodline.

"Ino is a Summer. She has rosy beige skin, platinum blonde hair, and pale, clear aqua blue eyes. There is a lovely contrast here between her light hair and eyes, and darker skin tone.

"Sakura is a Spring. She has ivory skin with a light dusting of pale golden freckles, green eyes with gold flecks, and she's a strawberry blonde - emphasis on the strawberry which makes her hair look pink, probably a genetic feature. That is what we call a chakra mutation that is not part of a bloodline ability.

"None of these looks are better or worse than any of the others. They are all lovely in their own way. Notice I used positive words to describe each type of coloring. Embrace your coloring.

"Now comes the more complicated part. Your coloring choices also have to match with your personality. Take a dainty, quiet little older woman who decides to sport bright, wild animal prints. It clashes, it seems off, and it's not necessary. For kunoichi, remember, it's also important to wear mutated shades anyway - for stealth purposes, to blend in with your surroundings.

"So, just keep in mind, take your best shades and use them to their best effect, to put yourself and your goals across. Hinata probably wouldn't wear shocking pink, for example, even though it would look good on her. And that's okay. Take your pick from your color swatches, and use them to put across you. Now, here are your color swatches. I'm going to give one set to each of you.

"Hinata, your Winter shades: pure white, grey-beige (taupe), icy taupe, true grays (from icy to charcoal), black, navy, true blue, royal blue, icy blue, hot turquoise, Chinese blue, icy aqua, light true green, true green, emerald green, icy green, shocking pink, deep hot pink, magenta, fuchsia, icy pink, true red, blue reds, bright burgundy, clear lemon yellow, icy yellow, royal purple, and icy violet.

"Ino, your Summer shades: soft white, rose beiges, light to medium blue greys, rose browns, cocoa, greyed navy, grey blue (including denim), sky blue, periwinkle blue, powder to medium blue, pastel aqua, blue greens (pastel to deep), all pastel pinks, deep rose, blue pinks, watermelon, blue reds, raspberry, burgundy (including maroons and cordovans), light lemon yellow, plum, soft fuchsia, mauve, orchid, and lavender.

"Sakura, your Spring shades: ivory, clear beiges, creamy beiges (including camel), warm yellow grays (light to medium), golden browns, clear tans, light clear navy, light royal blue, periwinkle blues (light to dark), medium warm turquoise, clear aquas, clear yellow greens (pastel to bright), light oranges, apricot, peach, salmon, all corals, light rust, all peachy yellow pinks, clear red, orange reds, clear gold, bright golden yellow, medium violet, and blue violet.

"You can wear as bright colors as you want during infiltration missions while you're wearing kimono, but once more, for kunoichi dresses out in the field, choose muted colors that will help you use stealth and blend in with your surroundings."

"Now we get to makeup. As I said, when you're a ninja, makeup should be used sparingly. But a little bit can add a lot when you need that extra oomph. That emphasis, so to speak.

"We look at foundation first. Hinata, for example, has white skin devoid of any pink tones to the face. She needs to be especially careful to find a beige foundation with a rose undertone. Otherwise she may end up looking sallow.

"Ino is a Summer with a ruddy complexion, which means she should never use a yellow-base foundation in order to tone down her high coloring."

"I shouldn't?" Ino said in confusion.

"No. Yellow will detract from your natural skin tone. Instead use a foundation that has no noticeable pink in it but is derived from a rose base. That will tone down your ruddiness without detracting from your natural skin tone.

"Now, Springs such as Sakura most often wear light to dark peach foundation. Ivory may also work with Sakura's skin tone. She should avoid blue pinks.

"Next comes blush. Winters and Summers should wear blushers in the rose family, from blue pink to burgundy. Hinata would also look good in clear red. Springs must stay delicate and wear clear peach, coral, and warm pink, avoiding blue pinks.

"With lipstick, it gets complicated.

"Winters should own two tubes of lipstick, one to wear with the true red of her palette and the other for the rest of her clothes. Winter is best in pinks, plums, burgundies, blue reds, and clear reds, avoiding orange or yellow undertones. Always go for clear, rather than muted, colors.

"Summer needs a softer lipstick than her Winter counterpart. Her pinks, while blue, will be best in light shades. She may also wear burgundy and plum tones and, if necessary, cheat into a warm pink to avoid becoming too blue. The brownish pinks and plums are okay if they are not too dark.

"Spring may wear peach, warm pink, or coral. The pink should not be blue, and all of Spring's lipstick tones should be clear and not too dark. Also, no brown lipstick.

"Eye makeup, I'm not going to get into. That's a little much for a kunoichi. A single coat of lipstick, and some light foundation and blush, are all you really need. The foundation and blush make your skin look better, while the lipstick puts focus on your mouth - the most erotic part of a woman's face. Eyes are naturally catching, and eye makeup comes with all sorts of inconveniences - it's easy to sweat, water, or cry off, for example."

"Next, we go to hair coloring. The easiest way to deal with hair coloring is just to leave your hair the way nature made it, but here are some tips if you want to fiddle with your hair.

"A quick beginning rule: Summers and Winters should always look for ash tones in hair color. Autumns and Springs should look for gold and red undertones.

"Winter for Hinata: Winters should never frost their hair, bleach their hair blonde, or add red. Use natural or black henna, but never red. Totally white hair can also look good on Winters. No highlighting, painting, or frosting. Basically, except for if you're making your hair totally black or white, leave your hair alone. Nature made it that way for a reason.

"Frosting, on the other hand, can be very good for Summers like Ino. Soft, usually warm ash tones should be coveted, while all flaxen, golden, honey, or red tones should be avoided, including henna.

"Springs, on the other hand, should never use ash-based colorings. Flaxen, auburn, and gold colors are the way to go. Stay away from frosting, though painting and highlights can look nice.

"Now, last but not least, I'm going to give you each a chart for everyday, non-kunoichi wear. It will give you each a list of neutrals and basic colors for your season, because we all need those in our day to day lives."

"So we've covered color," said Anko at the end of it all, "and that's the most important part for a kunoichi. But what else?

"There are two other elements to fashion that I want to talk to you briefly about: face shape and body type. These are less important for traditional wear like buns and kimono, but very important for everyday and kunoichi wear in which you have more control over your hairstyle and outfit.

"Face shape is important for hair style. Picking a hairstyle that complements your face shape is important, but for kunoichi there's another catch: finding a hairstyle that will look good and also not get in your way is equally important.

"I'll take you over the basics briefly: Hinata has a round face. It's circularly shaped and length is approximately equal to width. Hinata's struggle is to find a hairstyle that doesn't make her face look like a circle.

"Ino has an oval face. It's curvilinear, and length is approximately equal to one and a half times width. The forehead and jaw are the same width. She has to make sure her hairstyles don't make her face look too long.

"Sakura has a heart shaped face. It's wide at the forehead and cheekbones, but narrow at the jawline. She has to either make her jawline look fuller, her forehead line look narrower, or some combination of both.

"Starting to get it? It's the same for body type.

"Hinata is an hourglass, which means her body is made of two opposing triangles, facing inward - her hips and bust are larger than her waist. Her job is to emphasize her smaller waist and larger curves.

"Ino's body is pear shaped, which means her hips are greater than her bust. Her job is to put more emphasis on her bust and less on her hips.

"Sakura has a rectangle shaped body, which means things are more or less uniform up and down - waist, hips, and bust are all of similar size. Her job is to either hide this in some way or make the illusion of curves.

"And that's all I have for you for note taking. Now comes the fun part - we go shopping and get you each a new look."

And Anko-sensei really did take them shopping. She let them flip through magazines, try on different things in dressing rooms and model them for everybody.

"Sensei," said Ino once, "we're all watching each other try these things on. Is there a way you can teach us to say if something looks good or bad without seeming…?"

"Rude?" Hinata added helpfully.

Sakura looked up curiously, quiet and thoughtful.

"Either say, 'That looks really good on you!' or 'Try looking for clothes with these things.' Never insult the way the person looks. Insult the clothes for what they don't have that the person needs," said Anko.

So shopping for new attire really did turn into a sort of mutually supportive little group effort. The girls would cheer each other over good finds and help each other look for new appearances.

Kakashi came along and mostly just stood around watching things awkwardly. Anko came over to stand next to him while the girls were giggling and shrieking, looking over a magazine together.

"Why are they screaming?" said Kakashi. "Is shopping painful?" He was only half kidding.

"I think they're looking at that particular magazine more for the hot guys than for good haircuts," said Anko dryly.

"Ah," said Kakashi, pleasantly bewildered, his eye crinkling in a smile.

"They're coming along nicely as maturing young kunoichi," said Anko. "Don't tell them I said that. But it's nice to know they can still be childish sometimes. I think everyone needs that."

"I… never really had a childhood, so I wouldn't have thought of it that way. But that's why I have you," said Kakashi. His eyes gentled.

He pulled his mask down and they shared a quick, quiet kiss - breaking apart and smiling when Sakura, Ino, and Hinata started 'oohing' and squealing in delight.

At the end of it all, Sakura, Hinata, and Ino each had several new outfits, one new kimono each, and a set of new kunoichi outfits courtesy of Anko. They also all had new hair, and a light, non-invasive coating of makeup (foundation, blush, and lipstick).

Hinata took a risk, feeling brave and into new things, and she chose an icy grey kunoichi wrap dress with a V neckline. She had grown out her hair by this point, so that it was long - the only reason she'd had it short in the first place was because she'd heard Naruto liked girls with short hair - and she tied it back with a loose half ponytail with a center part so that her long bangs could shape her face and make it seem longer.

Conversely, Sakura and Ino, who'd worn their hair long because they'd heard Sasuke liked girls with long hair, cut most of their hair off that day.

Ino chose a rose brown strapless kunoichi dress, the strapless quality emphasizing her smaller bust line and pairing nicely with her light hair-blue eyes-dark tan skin sort of appearance. She had a simple haircut that was somewhere between shoulder length and chin length, which was economical, too short to get in the way, but kept her face from looking too long.

But Anko thought Sakura's choices were boldest. She chose a light, clear navy kunoichi shift dress, which hid her body completely and gave her a very small, slim, bird-like appearance. Her pink hair was cut into a sleek crop haircut, which framed her face nicely and made it seem a little fuller yet was almost alarmingly short.

Their weapons pouches were fit onto their legs, and from there…

"Yes," said Anko. "You look like kunoichi."

She took a picture of the three girls together, smiling slightly at their forested training field.