To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all. - Oscar Wilde

'Who is that ?' a young blonde girl thought as she was entering her teams training ground. Some fifteen feet away a lone boy with silver hair outlined by blonde was taking a nap under a tree, in her teams training ground no less. She had never seen him before, and she was going to give him a piece of her mind. That's what she was supposed to do anyway. Getting ever closer to the stranger, she noticed the mask on his face and his head band. It didn't represent any village wich seemed strange to her. Taking a closer look at the head band, it read 'Cute demon'. ''Ooii, what do you think you're doing here ?'' she stated slightly agitated that someone had the nerve to sleep here. He opend his eyes and she forgot the reason she was talking to him.

One sky blue eye and one maroon brown eye looking up at her lazily. He hesitated to answer her at first, but seeing as it was a girl and she was alone why not. ''Isn't it obvious ?'' he asked, she barely registered his words as she was still dazed by those eyes. Those beautiful eyes, melting her soul by the second, giving her cheeks a small tint of red. She managed to stutter a response ''I-i d-d-don't k-know. Wasting your time ?'' her answer was rewarded with two smiling eyes. ''That's exactly what I'm not doing, I'm living life to the fullest.'' she just looked stupidly at him 'Is he stupid ? He's just like Shikamaru lazing about, throwing his life away.' he noticed the look and spoke up ''When was the last time you did something you wanted to do ?'' it was a simple question, but she didn't actually have an answer. She never did something she wanted to do. She always did what others wanted her to do. She didn't really know what she wanted to do, and decided to just answer with a typical kid ninja ''Training'', the way she said it made it sound more like a question then a statement, though she half believed it.

He just looked unconvinced back at her, eventually he laid his head back down and continue asking her questions ''why ?''. A few seconds of silence before she answerd ''Because I want to be the best kunoichi that ever lived.'' she stated firmly. She was rewarded with a sigh and him getting up and starting his walk out of the training ground. ''I don't mean to crush your dreams, but that's impossible.'' he was stopped in his lazy stride out of there by a hand on his wrist. ''why do you say that ? Because I'm a girl ? You don't belive a woman can be a good ninja ?'' the anger was clear in her voice, he turned to look into her eyes but they were downcast and shadowed by her hair. ''Isn't it better to sleep your life away, love someone and be content and happy, then train your ass into the ground every day so that you could be the best at killing other people and taking them away from other people that love them ?'' now she was staring into his eyes and he carried on ''What would you have to show for it in the end ? When you're finally at the top someone will come along, kill you and take your place as the strongest. If that's the way you want to live your life then that's your choice.'' he was right and he knew it, for a 13 year old kid he wasn't dumb.

She let go of his wrist and just continued to look into those eyes ''Then...what do you suggest ?'' she found her self asking. ''Live your life to the fullest doing things others consider to be a waste of time, find someone to love, who'll love you the same way back. Find people who will stand by you in bad times and good times, who'll share in your pain and happiness.'' she was dazed once again, the words that parted his lips was the truth, at least that's what it sounded like. Now he was walking out of there, but she wanted one more piece of information from him.

''Wait !'' she yelled after him, he stopped and turned to look at her. ''What's your name ?'' he just looked lazily at her and started picking his nose. That action alone got him a disgusted look from the girl ''Sakata Naruto, nice to meet you.'' he offered her his hand. Her eyebrows started twitching. She didn't want to shake that hand, it was the same one he used to pick his nose with. ''What's wrong ? don't want to shake my hand ?'' she got a tick mark on her forehead 'of course I don't want to shake your hand !' she fumingly innerly raged ''Aahh noo, it's just my hand are really sweaty that's all !'' she laughed in an awkward tone. ''Ahh I see, well, I'll see you around.'' once again he resumed walking out of there. Not getting far before he heard her voice again ''Don't you want to know my name ?'' turning once again he just looke lazily at her and nodded his head not at all interested, if he was going to be honest he just wanted to go home and take a nap. ''My names Yamanaka Ino from the Yamanaka family.'' he just nodded and turned around very eager to get home. Walking with his eyes closed he heard ''It was sort of nice to meet you !'' not bothering to much more then raise his hand in a wave like manner while still walking he stopped. 'Huh, did I hit a wall ?' he thought, wait a minute. His hand was firmly on something soft, squeezing a little on the unfamiliar feeling in his hand he heard a slight moan and a gasp.

Hearing a moan was always good, but if you heard a gasp after it didn't bode well. Slowly opening his eyes, he looked up into red shocked eyes. Her face was so red he thought she was sick, then he saw where his hand was and squeezed once more. Another moan 'This is bad' he thought as he looke into those red eyes that just promised death to him. ''I can expla...'' he was cut short by an outburst from the woman whos breast he had just fondled. '' PERVERT !'' was ringing in his ears followed by a punch to the face that rendered him unconscious.

'Did I just die ?' he thought to himself 'no, I can feel my body moving' and moving it was. He opend his eyes to see the lady that had given him the punch of his life flailing his body around. Her grip was firmly around his throat, he could see her mouth moving. He could make out the last sentence to leave her mouth before she dropped him to the ground. 'perfect, he could be my scape goat' he thought with relief as he answerd her ''Hatake Kakashi, that's my father.'' he said. Relief came and went as he soon found him self dragged by the hem of his shirt behind the fuming female. He would be dead when this was all over, atleast he would take his father down with him.

Ino couldn't help let a small giggle escape her as she watched Naruto be dragged out of the training ground. The boy she had know not only 10 minutes had just groped Yuhi Kurenai. If she would see him again after Kurenai was done with him was unlikely, still it wouldn't be so bad if he lived through it all. He had given her some good insight to life and she was damned if she wasn't going to at least try it. If she saw him again she would be sure to get more out of him. For a mere boy that didn't look much older then her to have such realistic viewpoints, rare. Now she wanted to see him again, look into those beautiful eyes of his, maybe peek under the mask aswell. 'Getting to know him a little won't hurt, right ?' with that thought she would make sure to look for him later. Right now she was going to figure out what she wanted to do, what did she want to spend her life doing. If she was going to be honest, a nap didn't sound too bad.

Not more then 15 minutes later

''Hatake Kakashi, come out here now !'' that voice was angry, and it didn't like saying his name. Opening the entrance door to the house he and Naruto lived in he saw his death, before him stood Yuhi Kurenai in all her fuming anger and glory holding a half unconscious Naruto by his shirt. ''Whatever he did I had nothing to do with it.'' the words fell upon deaf ears as something connected with his face and he was not of this world any longer, or so he thought.

Eyes opening to look at the sky, blinking rapidly to get used to the bright light. He sat up to survey his surroundings, he spotted another person not more then two feet from him. The person looked to be dead, before stirring a little seemingly coming back to life. You couldn't really tell who he was until he raised his head, and you could see he wore a mask and had a scar over his left eye. ''What did you do to enduce that womans anger ?'' Kakashi asked his son and student whom just gave an eye smile and simply answerd ''I fondled her breast.'' That was all that was needed as Kakashi seemed to beam now full of life. ''Naruto, that's like second base. What did it feel like ? Are they as soft as I imagine them to be ?'' this was bonding, they had a mutual interest of the female body. They continued to giggle and talk for hours and hours about the Icha Icha series, Kurenai's breasts and what she did to Kakashi. Apparantly he got the beating of his life.

Time spent in the leaf passed by fairly uneventful. Months passed by as Naruto trained on his swordsmanship under Kakakshi. Kakakshi had told him that he was picking up on it rather quickly and was doing quite well for his age. There was also the blonde girl that was trying to find him, and he had avoided her to the best of his ability, until now.

He was sitting in a food stand that served ramen, probably the best in the village by his account, Ichiraku ramen. Behind him was a blonde girl around his age waiting for an answer, what could she possibly want from him. ''If you want, you can meet me at the place of our first meeting in an hour. I'll answer any and all questions you have.'' a few seconds of silence ment she was thinking about it, though it didn't take too long for her to answer ''That's fine with me.'' he got up paid for the food he had consumed, grabbed his sword turned around pushed the curtains aside and started walking down the road. ''Great, see you soon. Ino.'' he said walking away from the girl.

Training ground ten

Exactly an hour later Ino walked into her teams training ground and spotted him sitting by a tree next a pond. It was dark out but she could clearly see him, the moon light lit the training ground up. He was sitting in to ground leaning against the tree staring up at the sky, his sword resting against his neck. He sometimes threw some pebble in the pond, he must have brought them himself since the training ground was plain dirt and grass.

Getting ever closer he noticed her at the edge of his peripheral vision and he turned to look at her, and she looked into those dreamy eyes before they closed and seemed to be smiling at her. She closed the distance and sat down obliquely next to him, so that she was looking the direction he was looking and she could easily turn to look at him.

''Beautiful isn't it ?'' he asked gazing at the sky. ''What is ?'' she asked actually not knowing what he was talking about, she was still thinking about his eyes though she doubted that was what he was talking about. ''The sky, clouds, the moon and the stars.'' that prompted her to look up aswell, taking in the various stars dangling above them high up on the sky. The moon softly beaming light down on them, some clouds slowly passing by, and the ever darkening sky letting the stars and the moon show their never wavering beauty. ''Now that I'm actually taking my time to study it clearly, I can see the beauty.'' she calmly stated, he turned his head twoards her and gave her a soothing and seemingly soft eye smile.

''I'm guessing you're itching to ask me all sorts of questions that you didn't get to ask me last time, because I was in such a hurry to get out of your way.'' he calmly said gazing up at the sky once again. ''Yeah, I do. But I'm guessing there are some things you don't want to answer.'' a quick reply was the go ahead ''No, ask and I will answer any and all question. No question is too personal or too stupid to be answerd.'' with a smile she started thinking about some questions before voicing them.

''Are you from this village, I don't think I have ever seen you before, except for that day we met here. And who are your parents ?'' she asked curiousness evident in her voice ''I am as a matter of fact not from this village, I was born and raised in a small poor village in mizu no Kuni, no wonder you've never seen me before. As for who my parents are, I have no idea. I was told my parents died when I was young, so young that I can't remember them. Maybe I never had any parents to begin with and I was simply lied to by people that didn't like me. Currently Hatake Kakashi has adopted me, and is treating me better then anyone has ever done before. He saved me, sort of.''

All of that was said while shifting his gaze between Ino and the beautiful sky above them, she was øeft with a sad look on her face that didn't suit her. ''What's with the sad look ?'' he asked in a playful manner getting her to look into his eyes ''That sad look doesn't go well with your pretty face'' her cheeks were strawberry red now.

''You think I'm pretty ?'' Ino asked shocked, a boy had never told her that she was pretty before, so for her to hear it for the first time kind of baffled her. ''Of course I do, you have beautiful blue eyes, long nice blonde hair...'' her cheeks reddening he finished ''...and a cute nose to boot.'' he broke eye contact with her, chuckled a bit and threw a pebble into the pond before gazing up at the moon again ''I suppose you want to ask me more question ?'' she got out of her blushing daze trying to come up with a question, fast. A few moment passed and she had another question ''When we first met, you left me with some...things to think about, I was wondering who taught you those things. I mean, only experienced people would know that I suppose.''

''My adoptive father, Kakashi, told me all sorts of things. He told me about the hardships of being a ninja, taught me about this cruel world we live in. I know I want to do something about it, but I don't know where to start.'' a small silence ensued, he handed her a pebble and she threw it into the pond ''You said he saved you of sorts. What did you mean by that ?''

''He found me in Mizu no Kuni, I had just run away from the village I was living in. Though I probably wasn't in any immediate danger, I would probably have been beat within an inch of my life had he not found me before the villagers.'' that caught her full attention, and he was still care free throwing pebble after pebble into the pond. She was feeling something, in the pit of her stomach '' Why ? Why would they do that to you ?'' sadness clear as day in her voice.

He sighed contemplating whether to tell her or not, he decided to make sure she wanted to know he had of course promised to tell her anything she wanted to know ''Are you sure you really want to know ? If you really want to know, then you need to know that you will not look at me the same and you need to promise me not to tell anyone about what I might tell you.'' she had never heard him use a serious tone like that before, she swallowed the tight knot in her throat ''Y-yes, I'm sure and I promise not to tell.'' he gazed into her eyes before shutting his own.

''I'm not well liked where I'm from, because, well because I'm a demon.'' he said not daring to look at her face in fear of her looking at him with disgust. He had just taken a huge gamble telling her.

''You're a demon ?'' she asked curiously. A low yes was all she heard.

''Can you prove that ?'' the question made him turn to look at her, he expected to see a different look then what he saw. She looked at him curiously and kindly with a small smile on her face that made him trust her enough to show her his demonic features.

''I-if you really want to.'' he said han cupped the top of his mask ''But I understand if you run when you see me.'' and with those words he pulled the mask down below his chin and she gazed at his whole face for the first time. Very prominent and defined whiskers on his cheeks, canines sticking out from under his lips giving him a best like look. She reached out a hand before stopping herself ''May I ?'' he nodded and she reached out to feel his cheek. It felt like whiskers, as she rubbed his cheek he made a slight content purring sound and closing his eyes.

When he noticed he was purring he blushed so furiously, that Inos earlier blush was nothing. That made her giggle a little and smile at him, he just looked oddly at her. ''You don't detest me ?''

''Why would I do that ? I first now understand your headband.'' she said with a small laugh, a laugh filled with happiness and joy.

His mind went blank, here he was. A demon boy with a beautiful girl that didn't hate him for what he looked like when so many others did. She found him interesting, and actually stroked his cheek making him purr. He had never had this level of intimacy before, but he liked it, made him feel accepted.

She continued to stroke his cheek while they gazed into each others eyes, he found a feeling in his gut, a feeling he had never felt before. What was with this feeling, it made him kind of quezy inside, made him feel weird but also good at the same time.

This went on for some time, when she stopped stroking his cheek he pulled the mask back up. After throwing some more pebbles into the pond, she continued on to barrage him wuth questions, they talked laughed and bonded long into the night. Neither of them caring for the time of day, both just enjoying each others company.

The more they talked the closer Ino got to him, and eventually fell asleep on his shoulder. He just sat there gazing at the sky with a smile underneath his mask. Breaking away from the sky he opted for getting her home.

He picked her up bridal style carrying her out of the training ground, setting a course for her parents house. Only reason he knew where she lived was because he followed her one time just to see what places she frequented so that he could best avoid her. Only, now he regrets having avoided her.

The feeling though, he still had it, everytime he looked at her it got stronger. He needed to ask someone about it, and only person he could think of was his father. She nuzzled into his chest as he was carrying her and the feeling got stronger, now he knew it had something to do with her. He hoped it wasn't something bad.