Summary: Chiyome thinks Kurenai's eyes are the window to her soul, but in reality, they show barely anything.

A/N: Set some time before Kurenai's first mission.

Her Eyes

Chiyome has always thought Kurenai's dark grey eyes would be her downfall. They were expressive, framed by dark lashes and shone different shades of grey and silver depending on the light.

You could tell by Kurenai's eyes what she was feeling; could see her sadness at losing her last remaining family, the pain as her injuries healed, the joy of making friends like Akemi and Zenzo, the hesitation as she became a kunoichi...the fear of what the future may hold.

Chiyome thought that maybe being a shinobi was not the best path for the little orphan girl. Maybe her eyes would be too expressive, maybe her heart too soft for the ruthless job, and it was not as if she wasn't justified in her thoughts, for others noticed too.

"They're as pretty as moonlight sometimes." Tiny Akemi would praise.

"They glitter when she's sad." Zenzo would claim.

"They go dull and frightening when she practises with that wire..." Some students would whisper.

"You see her anger when she fails..." A teacher would mutter disappointingly.

Chiyome heard and saw all, she worried for all, so it was with a heavy heart that she considered the options for Kurenai's situation. She could not be a ninja if she couldn't hide her emotions.

Yes, Chiyome always thought Kurenai's eyes would be her downfall. No matter how skilled the girl became or how quickly she learnt, her eyes always gave her away...

Until the day of the graduating exam and the girl was tested.

Her eyes gave nothing, showed nothing. She was a weapon of stealth and death.

Then afterwards once she had passed, her eyes lit up again when Akemi shouted her praise, shimmered shyly when Zenzo gave her a flower in congratulations and misted briefly in sadness and determination when Chiyome reminded her of how this day had come to pass.

Now Chiyome knew. Kurenai's eyes weren't her downfall, they were her humanity. As long as she could still be human, still feel emotion, the girl would never fall like so many shinobi did. She knew when it was time to be a ninja and knew that life itself could not solely revolve around death and duty.

She was human and she would prosper.

A/N: Right, I'm not exactly sure where this came from so if anyone is confused, don't worry, I (the author) am too. Please review or offer advice on anything you might change or add.