To him, there was no color as ravishing as ruby red. Not the blue hue of the morning sky, nor even the contrast of beautiful tones intertwined at sunset could compare its likeness to that of the color ruby. You have his mother's hair color, the exact undertones and natural highlights; you both share that beautifully rich, shiny red hair. Which is probably why he adores you so much.

Naruto Uzumaki: the blonde haired son of the fourth hokage, the jinchuriki of the Nine Tailed fox, the boy soon to be titled "The Orange Hokage", the ninja who can create more shadow clones than students and teachers at your school combined, the knuckle head who never gives up on anything or anyone, the dummy who can't give up on you.

I guess you could say he's your "admirer", but that would be an insult to his name. The title admirer is a synonym for many different names and types of people, and Naruto is definitely not a stalker or an "overly attracted acquaintance", or even just some boy who has a crush on you. Naruto is so much more than that.

You've known each other for years, being on the same ninja squad and all. He was the only child in the village that never pointed out your hair in an insulting way. Actually, he adored it! Your hair was different, and so are you; you reminded him of himself: an outcast. And every time somebody looked at you the wrong way or picked on you for you appearance, Naruto was right behind you, ready to back you up. You two are inseparable best friends, a friendship that burns red with passion.

But even though your best friend loves your hair color, it's still one of your biggest physical flaws, something that's drained your confidence over the years. You'd think becoming a ninja would give you all the confidence you need, like Lee and Naruto, but you've had such low self esteem for so long that you automatically assume you're unattractive.

As you sit on your porch, you pondered a new appearance, a pair of scissors in one hand and a bottle of black dye in the other. You chewed on your bottom lip in anticipation: surly a new appearance can't possibly be more unattractive than your current. The only reason you were being so hesitant was Naruto. He loves your red hair, he says it's such a beautiful color and it's what separates you from everybody else. He can't imagine you with any other hair color. But does it really matter what anybody else thinks?

"'Be who you are and say how you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.' Thanks for nothing Dr. Seuss, but don't I count too?" you questioned yourself. For some reason the quote is absent of the reader's point of view and feelings. Should you please your enemies or should you stay true to your natural qualities, which may be flaws but beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, right?

You closed your eyes tightly, envisioning what Naruto would say and do once he saw your transformation. Your hair may be dull and black but at least you'll blend in more and attract less unwanted attention. He'd without a doubt be disappointed, but he'd get over it, right? With a heavy heart you picked up your shiny steel pair of shears, and readied yourself to snip at the ends of your long, crimson red locks. With a natural color and a shorter hair cut, your peers were bound to love your new look, you may even be considered attractive without your stringy long hair and its loud color.

And just as you were about to snip: "{Name}-chan! What're you doing?" Shouted a certain someone, bounding towards you with an incredulous expression on his face.

"Naruto, I need to do this. I've spent way too long feeling ugly and hating myself. I stand out with this hideous hair color, I know you love it, but I don't! I get teased and picked on for my hair, it's about time I change it." You replied, trepidation coursing through your veins.

Your mother and father both died while you were young, so you never had that sense of protection, a person whom you could rely on for everything. You never had a mother to tell you how beautiful you are or a father to defend you when someone said otherwise.

You mentally cursed yourself for not being able to follow through. In an instant Naruto had removed the scissors from your grasp, grasping a strand of your hair in his hand, inspecting it to make sure nothing had been severed. You've been a ninja for years now, combatting enemies and completing a-rank missions dispatched by the Hokage, yet you couldn't cut your own hair.

"I know you want to fit in {Name}, but like all the priceless gems in the world, there will never be another you. You are unique in every way. You are a ravishing ruby -vibrant, radiant and full of passion. Your beauty runs deep and shines from the inside out. There's no one lovelier." What Naruto said was genuine, and he proved it.

Taking your face in his hand, he allowed his lips to graze yours, and with such a soft and harmless gesture, you were revealed how much Naruto's admiration was for you. You are perfect in his eyes; a true gem of beauty. To him, worth more than a diamond. You may not have a mother to compliment you and tell you you're beautiful and a father to protect you. But Naruto plays the active role; he tells you how beautiful you are, and is always there to back you up when someone tells you otherwise.