A Blank Canvas

|| "I suppose it will all make sense someday..." ||

"But I don't want to go," I whined from the other side of the counter.

My mother sighed in frustration and stopped cutting the carrot on the wooden cutting board. Her eyes met mine before she spoke, "why not?"

"Because I want to finish decorating my new room," I pouted trusting that it was a good enough reason.

She deadpanned and I grinned, "get going." I sighed as my shoulders drooped forward from my defeat. I lazily walked into the living room and picked up the waiting shopping list on the table, although I was a big fan of shopping, grocery shopping was not a hobby. I quickly retrieved mom's purse and was out the door.

The day was beautiful, a cloudless blue sky loomed over the new city, the sun illuminating everything in its wake. In all my seventeen years on this earth I'd never seen a day more beautiful as this one and maybe that's why I should have known something was about to happen.

I walked along the busy side walk with my hands clasped behind me, my eyes roaming about the bustling city. I was new to all this, my family and I had just moved in last night so it would take some getting used to.

I watched as children ran about chasing a dog. The four legged creature ran with a ball clasped in its mouth, the amusement on its face clear and unmistakable. I smiled as they went about their play, the sounds of their tireless giggles was music to my ears. It brought back memories of my childhood, but with those also came an unbearable feeling of the emptiness inside.

Moving away from Konoha may not have been the best choice my parents made. I grew up there, made a life there. My friends...Sakura...Shikamaru, Chōji, Hinata...I missed them all. And now I'd have to start a new.

I sighed and looked at the shopping list in hand. "Mushrooms," I muttered reading the first item. "Hate mushrooms."

|| "I see him when I fall asleep." ||

I blew a strand of my pale blonde hair out of my face as I stared at the two vegetables. It was the last thing on my list, but deciding on which looked better proved to be a problem. My fatigue getting the best of me caused me to close my eyes and put one of the radishes into my basket.

I was done.

Cashing out quickly, I started on my short journey home. Turning my blue eyes to the sky above I noted the change in weather. Instead of the clear blue sky that was present before, dark clouds covered every inch of it. I moved my legs faster, trying not to bump into anyone as I heard a clap of thunder. I needed to get home before the rain started.

"Watch out!" I heard a voice yell. Before I could become aware of the situation at hand I was pulled into a store quickly enough to see a cyclist pass by.

"Nani?" I asked turning to look at whoever had grabbed a hold of my arm, however as soon as my gaze met his, my whole world was thrown out of proportion.

Straight raven hair adorned his head contrasting with his ghostly pale skin. It was sad to say that the only colour to his skin was the blotch of blue paint on his right cheek. His onyx eyes held my gaze, never once wavering, making me fall victim to his unbelievable charm. He needed no words, for his eyes said it all.

The sound of him clearing his throat disrupted my train of thought, severing our connection. "Ano...gomen," he said offering me a close eyed smile that made my heart skip a beat.

"N-no, I should be thanking you," I said quickly rejecting his apology. "I was so lost in thought, I didn't see him..." I trailed off distracted by his attire. He wore a white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His black pants were partially visible as the beige apron he wore covered a good portion of it. But then even his apron was covered by spatters of different colours. "Paint," I whispered to myself.