If you ever saw Kokoro, you would never guess that the small kitten on her shoulder is a tiger, that she has beast blood running through her viens.

You wouldn't know that.

If you saw Kokoro, you would never guess that she's the last female member of the Uchiha clan, and that she has two older brothers, both of whom believe her to be dead.

You wouldn't know that. Thing is, she doesn't either.

Reality is such a wonderful wake up call.

The places you never expected to exist. The people you’d only dreamt of meeting. The events of their tomorrow having already passed in your present. Was my reality their illusion? Was their illusion my reality? I haven’t been sure for the past 20 years.

As an outsider, I was hated as a missing nin. As a traitor. As the enemy. Like the one I followed, I was wanted in almost every country. I had no regrets however. Well, no regrets when it came to him. Never when it came to him. He was the one I turned to. My leader. My light. My solace.

We were despised. Looked down upon. Hated for our crimes and I have to admit, everyone had every right to hate us. However, despite all this loathing, I feel the need to write what it felt like to live the life that we did, for not many know what really goes on in the obscure world of a rogue ninja.

I can only hope that by reading this, people can better understand us and the paths we have chosen. And I hope they know that our actions were and are not based on evil or ill-intent, but loneliness, fear and most of all: pain.