"Hey! Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto yelled as his teacher casually walked up to their team's usual meeting place. "You're late! Again! What's your excuse this time, and I won't take any of this black cat or old lady crap anymore!"
"Well actually Naruto I had a mini mission inside the village of transporting this giant mirror to the Hokage's office." Naruto straightened his posture, as did the others. It sounded like a valid excuse for once.
"Hn, what's so special about a giant mirror that moving becomes a mini mission?" Sasuke queried.
"I dunno, but Tsunade did threaten to pound my face in if it was damaged, so it must have been valuable. She also said it was for an old friend of the Third, so that pretty much triples the cost. Anyway, let's get on with training."
"Hey, where'd you say it was placed again?" Sakura asked innocently.
"Uh, the Hokage's office is where it's being stored I think, as she's in there a lot, why?"
"Just checking the security they've put it under." Sakura said. Kakashi pondered whether there was a more sinister reason. Nah, this is Sakura, if it had been Naruto then maybe, but Sakura's responsible. Nothing to worry about.
Little did Kakashi know that all of the member's of his team had plans for this curious item.
The steps creaked with Naruto's weight as he tiptoed across the floor. The Hokage's tower was completely empty not counting the few stray workers still wandering here and there trying to finish the day's errands. There must have been a lot of errands then because it was nearly midnight. Naruto's body craved sleep after the long day of training, but his mind's determination and took over and curiosity got the best of him. He wanted, no, needed to find out what was so special about the mirror.
Carefully, he opened the door to Tsunade's office and checked to see if the woman was asleep at her desk. Thankfully she had gone home, and there he saw it. A giant full sized mirror stood on the side of the room, reflecting the moonlight shining in through the window. He entered the room, quietly closing the door behind him, slowly approaching the mirror, cautious as if it may attack him, but nothing happened. He reached out and touched the mirror, trailing his fingers down the smooth surface. He stepped back and looked at the engraving around the top.
Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi
Taking one last look, he turned to leave, concluding that there was nothing out of the ordinary about the mirror but something caught his eye. There was someone else in the mirror. Drawing his kunai, he spun back around to face the mirror, ready to attack , which was stupid on second though as the person would be behind him. He spun around a second time only to see no one there. He turned around to face the mirror again and what he saw nearly made him shout out. There were people in there, loads of them! But the room around him was completely empty. He fell backwards onto the floor before he realised something about the people. He was there! So were Sakura and Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei! Tsunade, Asuma, Kurenai, Gai, Lee, Shikamaru, Hinata, Gaara, everyone! But something was different, they were all, older? Yes, they all looked older, he himself must have been in his twenties, and, and was that a Hokage hat on his head? He was Hokage! And, and everyone was smiling, they were all happy and patting him on the back and everything like they were congratulating him. He felt happiness well up inside of him and his face breaking into a huge but awestruck grin. He slowly stood up and touched the mirror again. This time the Naruto in his reflection reached back, their fingers touching only separated by the cold glass. How he yearned to be there, to be loved by all. The rest of the villagers where standing behind his friends, they were all cheering. He wanted to somehow jump into that world, a world where he wasn't hated, where he had reached his dream and become the hero he had always wanted to be, the hero of them, the hero of the village, the hero of the Fire country, the hero of-
"Naruto?"
Singing around at the voice, he was faced with the eyes of his friend. He had been so interested with the mirror he hadn't even heard the door open.
"Sakura? Wha-what are you doing here?"
"I could be asking you that." She started to walk towards him, looking up at the mirror. "So this is that mirror huh? Hm, it seems he did have a valid reason for once." They both chuckled quietly, now
both staring at the mirror. "So what's so special about it?" she pondered snapping Naruto back to his original line of thought.
"Sakura, it's amazing, come stand over here," he put her in the spot where he had been standing previously standing. "Now tell me what you see." Sakura was quiet for a minute. The both stood staring wide eyed at the mirror, Naruto still seeing what he was before and believing that Sakura was to.
"I see, I see," she began.
"You see me as Hokage, don't you? It's amazing isn't it-"
"No." She cut him short, too entranced to even become mad at him. "I see, I see me, I'm with Sasuke, and Ino's there too. We're older, Sasuke's in an ANBU uniform, wait, he hasn't left the village!" Sakura face lit up with the same light Naruto's had earlier. "What do you think it's telling us, is this the truth, is this what's going to happen?" Her voice was full of hope, so was Naruto's mind.
"I don't know, maybe. I saw myself as Hokage; I wonder what the others would see." They both stood there for a while, it could have been seconds, it could have been hours, but Sakura finally broke the silence.
"We should probably leave before someone finds us here." Naruto nodded as they started to walk off still staring hopefully at the mirror before tearing their gaze away. Both knew already that they would come again the next night.
Sasuke stared through the crack in the door. What was so special about that mirror that they would both stand there staring like that? He could see their lips moving, but he couldn't hear what they were saying as they spoke in hushed whispers. He tensed as they started moving toward the doorway. He would have to leave now so to cause suspicion, but he when the night falls again, he would also be back.
Sasuke stood in front of the mirror. It was only ten o'clock, a little too early for his likings, but he had to be sure he was here before Sakura and the blonde wonder. He stared harder into the mirror. What was so grea- WOAH! He took a step back still staring at the mirror. His mother stood staring back at him, right next to his father, who was ruffling his reflection's hair in a fatherly like way. Uncle and Auntie also stood behind them, looking down at him with the most loving affection. And there, right beside Sasuke was… Itachi. Sasuke glared at him for a second before loosening his stare. Itachi was smiling, not standing emotionless as per usual or the smirk he always use to wear when he poked Sasuke in the forehead, but an actual heartfelt smile. He stood like his teammates, staring dumbfounded at the image he beheld, and just like the night before as well, all was silent for goodness knows how long. Only this time, the silence was broken.
"I knew I would still find you here."
Sasuke whirled around to see Kakashi standing leaning against the door frame.
"Kakashi-sensei, I was just, uh," come on Sasuke, lie, LIE! "Crap…"
"It's alright Sasuke, I should've know that curiousity can get the best of even an Uchiha sometimes." Kakashi smirked under his mask. "As you would know, your team mates went through the same thing. I've already talked to them, the mirror was only being held here. It'll be gone by morning as should your thoughts of it. I highly advise you not to dwell on what you have seen, doing so could only bring the thoughts back to gnaw at your mind and heart. This mirror only shows what you want it to, your hearts deepest desire…"
"I don't desire Itachi!" Sasuke spat venomously. "I desire him dead! This mirror lies!"
"Does it Sasuke? Or are you the one lying?" Kakashi said firmly. "You tell yourself that to see your brother dead at your hands would bring the utmost joy to your life, but in your heart what you want most was for that night never to have happened." It wasn't a question, it was a statement. His student growled.
"That maybe so, but I won't dwell on the past, he can't take his actions back now."
"Which is why you should forget about this mirror. Dwelling on it is the same as dwelling on the past, and you can't win like that." The Uchiha looked away in thought.
"Fine, I'll forget this night ever happened." He agreed half-heartedly. I'll forget all my heart has yearned for so long…
"Good, now you should be getting some sleep. We have training tomorrow morning, seven o'clock sharp!" his sensei assured.
"Hn, why bother, you'll be late anyway." He muttered walking out the door.
"I heard that!" Kakashi called from still inside the room. Sasuke allowed a small smile pass through his lips. His teacher chuckled preparing to leave the room, but not before sparing a last glance at the mirror. I show not your face but your hearts desire. Hm, I suppose Sasuke's not the only one with dreams in the past.
"Goodnight, Obito, Rin, Sensei." He said before leaving his friends and team mates behind, Rin, tall and beautiful, Obito, grinning cheekily and an eye patch across his right eye, and his sensei, Yondaime Minato Kamikaze, bright blonde hair sticking up all over and hands folded behind his head. Kakashi, the last member, mysterious and calm, cast a small unseen smile before walking off to leave the picture nothing to do but fade back into his memories.