Hi!

*POLL ANNOUNCEMENT*
What kind of oneshot would you want to see, from the fandoms listed on my account?(Excluding Hetalia)
*END ANNOUNCEMENT*

So, the results for the poll are in! The rankings are…

Karin: 16

Hinata: 13

Ino: 9

Tayuya: 8

OC: 3

So… Karin wins, Hinata in second. They will meet in the next chapter, as I'm actually writing this before Friday. What? I can't pop out around 2,000 words in a day. I nearly burned myself out at the beginning because of that. That's also why the dialogue is better.

And also to the guest who tends to leave a review pointing out plot holes on every chapter, I get it, but this is my first full length story. When you phrase things like that, it actually really can discourage me. It's fine to point out something, but you don't have to be so critical and dramatic. I would prefer if you just pointed out the holes and suggested something to fill them in. Also, is your caps lock key broken yet?

Apart from that, thanks for the support and reviews. They mean a lot, and actually looking at the viewer stats is interesting. They let you see the total views, and generally the country where readers are from. It's really cool.

Hope you enjoy!

I do not own Naruto.

Naruto sighed, setting his bag of paints and brushes down on the rock ledge. He had been looking for something to paint for a while, wandering around the woods on top of the Hokage Monument.

He had finally come across a beautiful clearing, looking picturesque with the small waterfall and rocky clear pool being illuminated by the sun. the trees were lush and green, and flowers bloomed everywhere. It looked like something out of a fairytale. It was in a shallow ravine, possibly a long abandoned mine.

He was sitting on top of the edge of the rocky ledge, around ten feet above the clearing itself. Pulling out the canvas he brought, he set it on the small easel he had brought. Rummaging through his paints, he found the colors he was looking for. Grey for the rock walls, with all shades of blue and green. White and reds and oranges and yellows for the flowers and reflections. Brown for the trees, and a special silvery white paint that he had found in the back of the shop he bought from. The color was common enough, but it was the type of paint that was special. It was clear before it was mixed fully, and once it was complete, the makers would add some form of metal dust to the mixture. Despite others' efforts, no one had ever managed to reproduce it. It was perfect for the sun on the water, and the glint in the waterfall. Pulling out a pencil, he began sketching it on the canvas before using paint. That way, he could fix any mistakes he made.

Half an hour later, he was just starting to paint. He had been picking up the green paint to start on the grass when he heard something behind him. Turning around, he saw a young girl, maybe his age, with light brown hair held back by a yellow hairclip and hazel eyes. She had very pale skin and was wearing a pink kimono with brown sandals. She was also carrying a bag of paint and a canvas under her arm. She blinked, surprised to see him.

"Oh. Hello. What are you doing out here?"

Naruto smiled and gestured to his painting. "Well, I think it's pretty clear that you were going to do something similar."

She smiled back shyly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to bother you."

Naruto waved to the empty space next to him on the grass. "It's fine if you stay. By the way, I'm Saisei. Who are you?"

The girl blushed, embarrassed at forgetting to introduce herself. "Oh, sorry. I'm Yakumo. Do you mind if I'm painting as well?"

He grinned. "No, it's fine! It can get a little lonely out here."

Yakumo nodded in thanks before sitting down beside him. She pulled a smaller canvas out of her bag, followed by a set of clearly expensive watercolors and brushes. The two sat in comfortable silence for a while, content on just painting.

"So, Saisei, why are you out here? Surely there are other spots to paint nearer to the village. The only reason I'm out this far is because my clan compound is nearby."

Naruto set down his brush. "Well, I actually paint for a living, with a small side job till I can pay off my house's cost. I also just felt like exploring."

Yakumo smiled. "I would like to see the village again someday. I don't leave the house very often, so I don't see anything lively like that." After saying that, she flinched, drawing into herself slightly.

Naruto frowned. "What's wrong? Are you ok?"

She got over it quickly, shaking her head. "No. I'm fine. It's just… I have some bad memories about when I was younger."

Naruto tilted his head, saying, "I have a rough past too. I'm an orphan, and up until a few months ago, I hoped to become a ninja. Unfortunately, some… things prevented that. You can talk about it if you want."

Yakumo sighed. "Actually, it's similar for me. I've always been frail, but I was training as a Genjutsu specialist. But one of my… problems forced my sensei to seal my chakra. The only way that I can use my clan's bloodline now is through my paintings. My bloodline is rare, even in my clan. It gives us such a strong ability for Genjutsu, that whatever is affected can sometimes literally bring the illusion into reality. Imaginary wounds become real, lightning strikes where it is directed. It also has drawbacks that I will not speak of. It was them that led me to be pushed away from the path of a shinobi."

Naruto frowned. "Why did that lead to you being unable to be a shinobi? With enough training, surely you could have become a ninja?"

Yakumo looked away. "It's not that simple."

His face fell. "Ok. Well, if you wanted, I could maybe bring you to the village one day? There's another festival being held soon, and I'll be selling my art there. Maybe you could come along and help at my stall? If you want, you could even bring some of your own art too."

Her face brightened. "I would like that very much. When is it? I could meet you here."

Naruto smiled at her. "It's in twelve days. You have to get there early to get a good spot, so you should probably get here around five. If you were allowed, I wouldn't have any problems with you staying in the guest room at my house for that night. Then you wouldn't have to get up so early."

She thought for a moment. "I should be available. It's not like I really do anything else besides paint. I'll see you then."

Picking up her bag and the still wet canvas, she waved to Naruto before leaving the clearing. Unknown to either, this was the beginning of a very strong friendship.

Another hour later, Naruto packed up his supplies and left. The painting was amazing, and he was quite pleased with his work. He smiled, thinking of the girl he had just met. She was very nice, a bit shy and introverted, but she would be a good friend. Starting the trek home, he looked forward to seeing her again.

Sometimes, he wondered what would have happened if he had become a ninja. Would he still have his crush on Sakura? Would he ever be Sasuke's friend? Would he have even met Haru or his daughter? He wanted to say he would have, but the circumstances would have been so different that their relationships would never be the same. In the end, he didn't know. But his path was set, and he would just have to move forward with a bright smile and a confident stride.

/With… well, you'll see./

"Why are we doing this? We're not ready, we've only been a team for a year. I haven't been on any real missions, so why are we going to the chunin exams?"

The older boy pulling the girl's arm grunted, unconcerned with her distress. The girl herself was around 13, with red hair and eyes. She wore a pair of red glasses, and a Kusa Hitai-ate. Her teammates paid no attention to her, only continuing the walk towards Konoha, where the next chunin exams were being held. She was fed up with her village, and ready to leave at the first offer. They all treated her like dirt, or a tool to be used then thrown away. But she had not been able to escape yet, though she fully intended to before they killed her like they had her mother. In the meantime, all she could do was wait, and plan what to do to survive.

/Yeah… you know who that was./

Thanks to the reviewer who pointed out some of the things in this chapter, like how Yakumo and Naruto would get along quite well anyway. And to answer their question about how Karin will make it through the exams… well, Naruto's absence is making a ripple. I feel like it was partially due to Kakashi entering team seven that the other rookies joined the exams. And remember what Naruto did in the first exam. That will have a big change. Also, if you want any other pairings to be in here, feel free to suggest. Well, anything except for massive age differences and SasuSaku. Just not the biggest fan of it.

I hope you enjoyed this, and please review!

Setsuna Eien