Winter. Not spring, nor autumn, and certainly not summer. Winter. It was the only thing that reminded me of home. Home, where my heart, my love, my life, was. No, stop. Stop thinking about it. Thinking of home hurt. It made my breathing labored and my heart constrict. Home is no longer home. But winter made me think of home. Winter reminded me of what I was forced to leave behind.

Winter was when I was born, twenty-two years into the past, and when my brothers and sisters were born, as well. I was one of six children, three pairs of two. My fraternal twin was a brother, I was the younger sister. The next set of twins were boys, identical. The set after was a pair of girls, brats, identical. My twin and I did look very much alike, though he would often deny our similar looks, thinking the others were making him seem feminine.

He wasn't feminine, but the amount of denial he used only made him seem odd. I had found it quite amusing throughout childhood. However, upon reaching the age of fifteen, our childhood was essentially over. We went through the Coming-of-Age Ceremony and were given our roles in the household. My slightly older brother would be the heir, he would become a leader for our large family―or clan―and my fate was decided. I would be sent away, engaged to a man I didn't know and forced to bear children with a man I didn't love. My young sisters would be given the same fate, my brothers would continue to take over what they specialized in.

Women were not necessarily mistreated, but we were under men. Our clan would always be this way. We would always be below the males of the world. Obey, submit, obey. Such was the life of a woman in this clan.

The day I was finally sent off was the first day of snow that winter, the sixteenth year of life. I would likely never see my beloved family again, but it was the only way the clan could continue the thrive.

But, I couldn't help but wonder why I had to go. Why me? Really, I felt as though I'd just been complaining, sulking over the fact that I couldn't spend more time with my family. Truthfully, there was only one option to get out of it, an option that I didn't wish to consider though I had a feeling that I would go through with it anyways.

Winter, I couldn't help but think, is a beautiful season, but so heartbreakingly cold. Winter had once been my favorite season. It was the season my siblings and I all had been born in. Every one of us was a child of the winter. A sigh escaped my cold lips, puffs of pure white floated from the warm breath. It was cold, so cold, but I mostly enjoyed the chill. My brother had often told me I was insane. The boy was born in the winter, but he loved the summer so much more.

Maybe I was insane, but I didn't mind much. It definitely would be much better if I knew there was something wrong with me.

It only took a day, but my new husband was quite an abusive man. I had immediately hoped my dear sisters would never have to marry a man like the one chosen for me.

He was a man not worth living for. I was thoroughly touched and apathetically played with until I was announced pregnant with the bastard's child.

It was something I knew would be too painful. Six months into my pregnancy, I fell down a rather long flight of stairs and cracked my skull at the very bottom.

Darkness overcame me, washing over my emotional scars like gauze for a wound. I was engulfed into the cold, and I knew I would bleed out where I lied and be replaced soon enough for an heir.

Death awaited me with open arms, but I supposed I wasn't ready. I was regretful. I wanted to see my beloved siblings again. I had committed suicide, but I certainly missed my true family.

The thought was dismissed faster than I hoped. I had hoped to continue on, in denial that my family wouldn't send me away if they had known I would be treated poorly. But, alas, I knew that I would've only been sent off to someone else, just like my younger sisters.

Family was a delusion I wished I held longer, but it was never to be. I faded away, hoping to never wake up again, knowing I'd never been accepted, half due to my gender, half because I was afraid to go to the bastard that treated me poorly.

I was a wreck―from beginning to end.

Hello! Blonde Neko-Chan here! It's been awhile since I've been writing, and I deleted all of my preexisting stories. I don't have a clue as to how I had confidence in those stories, but a child can dream. Those stories were terrible. Just saying. Anyways, it's good to be back.

If anyone knows a Beta or is one, I'd appreciate some help. And motivation. Yeah.

I hope you enjoy! The next chapter is already written though it still needs to be edited, so, hopefully, I'll finish that soon. It is also much longer that this one. This one is kinda just a background on the OC.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything other than my own character, and some plot elements. Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-sensei.

Sayonara!

~Neko-chan.