Naruto, orphaned in the wake of the Kyuubi's wrath, was marked by the village as a monster. No mentor extended a hand; no peer stood by his side. As others played, he lingered in the shadows, craving the warmth of recognition. His pranks, his laughter, all mere echoes of a desperate heart reaching for fleeting glances.
Sasuke lived under the same roof as his family, yet his existence was a shadow of another's brilliance. Itachi-the golden son, the perfect shinobi. Sasuke was forever in his wake. "It's Itachi's brother," they whispered, "Why can't you be like him?" The words burrowed deep, seeping into his soul.
Sakura, born to a civilian family, rejected the path laid before her. When she defied the role of a dutiful bride and aspiring kunoichi, her parents' love twisted into cruelty. The bruises were not just on her skin but in her spirit. Bullied for her looks, she wondered if anyone would ever see her true beauty.
Bound by shared pain and unspoken dreams, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura turned their backs on the village. They swore to return, but only when they had become the warriors they were meant to be, and to gain the respect they always deserved
Kotomi Uchiha witnesses her brothers go down a completely different path from hers, changing her life forever at a tender young age. Many people in the village expect her to go down the same path as her brothers at some point, but she swears she will prove them wrong. She doesn't want to be recognized as just Itachi and Sasuke's little sister. She wants to be recognized as herself. As Kotomi Uchiha of the leaf.
[THIRD PLACE IN UCHIHA CATEGORY FOR NARUTO WATTYS 2019]
Credit goes to -sugacream for the beautiful cover!