A/N: Hey everyone. This is basically my first fan fiction on this site, so please REVIEW. The main character in this story is an OC called Reya. (Name doesn't seem that inventive now I think about it lol

She's been a member of Akatsuki for about a year and a half, but the only people she gets along with are Sasori and Deidara. None of the others give her respect because she's female. Kisame and Itachi are the worst though. Kisame is out right rude, always trying to prove that men are better than women are. Itachi is more subtle about it and insinuates it through his actions. This annoys Reya even more. She is a missing Nin from Hoshigakure (Village Hidden in the Stars), and a rogue since she was 12.

REVIEW REVIEW PLEASE! I would love some comments on how to make my writing better.

Chapter One: Prologue

She couldn't understand why it always happened to her. She didn't understand why fate had chosen to be that cruel. The one person that cared had always told her to 'give it time that they'll eventually come around.' She was still waiting for that time, but what else could she do.

She closed her eyes tight and bit down on her bottom lip hard, trying to stifle her cries as she ran her kunai deep into her bare flesh across her 'birth mark'. More like a curse mark. This 'thing' on her skin plagued her every day of her life. It made her different from everyone else - even her family. She put the kunai down slowly and walked over to the mirror. Blood seeped through the fingers that covered the newly made wound. She backed the mirror and lifted up her hair to scrutinise the nape of her neck. The raw red muscle underneath her skin was visible and it seemed the mark had gone. She let out a breath slowly and motioned to let her hair down when she noticed something. Her skin slowly started to reform over the wound. After a few seconds, it was back to normal and the mark was back.

"No…" she whimpered, "why don't you just leave me alone. Why me? Why did it have to be me…?"

"Why? Because it senses your inner strength. It knows what you're capable of Rey - Rey", her grandmother whispered.

She came over and took the kunai away from her grand daughter. She sat next to her and put her arm around her.

"You have a beautiful gift, don't let anyone make you think otherwise" she said as she stroked her grand daughter's hair, "you are beautiful, strong and intelligent – just like me".

"I know you are right but so many are against us. Just because of that", she pointed at the mark that her grandmother bore on her right shoulder exactly like the one she had.

"That is what makes us special, different and powerful. They are all afraid and they don't understand – not even your mother understands…" her grandmother glanced around the room not wanting to look at her grand daughter in the eye.

"(Yawn) I don't care if she doesn't understand, because I have you grandma, you're all I need", she beamed up at her grandmother and she smiled back – trying to hide the worry in her eyes.

"What ever happens, you know I will always be there helping you along the way, right?"

"Of course grandma, you'll never leave", the young girl of six held her only loving family member tight not ever wanting to let go.

- - - -

Three days later, Reya watched, as her grandmother was burned alive at the stake. She watched - while screaming and crying for the woman who loved her so dearly – as her body quickly became charred and the angry screams of the villagers filled the atmosphere. Reya dropped to her knees watching the act through her fingers. She looked up to her mother through tears.

"How could you?! How could you let this happen to her?!" her hoarse voice was barely heard over roar of the crowd.

Her mother dragged her up by her hair and pushed her down to the ground where she spat on her.

"She was a danger and a threat, she needed to die. The demon was destroying on the inside, this was what she wanted" she replied coldly. Her face held no emotion.

"You liar! She never wanted this! You all just hate her because you're scared! She was your mother and the only one that cared about me" she screamed as loud as she could but her throat was almost completely in pain.

"She deserved it though. Reya, you do realise you house the powers of this demon, and you know everyone knows it. So why do you continue to test my patience? I say the word and you are burned on that fire… and just so that I get my point across…" she motioned to a man on the other side of the circle. He lit a stick in the fire and came over to the mother and her child. She nodded her head once and the man advanced towards Reya. Reya tried to run but her mother blocked her path. Reya's arm was yanked from her pocket and was placed over the fire. She screamed in pain and cried, begging him to stop.

"I won't hesitate to kill you Reya. Never forget that" her mother hissed to her.