AN: This idea just came to me in a random conversation with my sister. Also, the cover picture isn't mine but I don't know who it belongs to. I just really love it.

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Mirror Image

Inspired By Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto

Deep in a nameless forest was the opening to an enormous underground compound. It was heavily booby-trapped and well hidden, but most things wouldn't want to enter the place even if they could. This place full of such ill intent was none other than one of Orochimaru's hideouts.

It was also the one he was currently residing in with his latest pet project, Sasuke Uchiha.

Said early teen was having a slow morning, still curled up in his bed and reluctant to wake. He knew he had to get up and begin training so he could kill his brother and that he should be grateful for Orochimaru's strict teaching methods, but he was utterly exhausted after barely sleeping for the last three weeks.

But that didn't mean anything to his snake-like sensei.

He forced a blurry eye open, slowly followed by the other one. His clan's renowned powerful eyes were barely functioning after such sleep-deprivation. A raspy swallow went through his sandpaper-dry throat and it was all he could do to not start coughing. Bit by bit he forced his aching and burning muscles to twitch to life enough for him to sit up on his stiff mattress and throw back his thin blanket. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood on shaky legs.

For a moment he just stood there, thinking drowsily on what had been going on in his life. He had been with the Snake Sanin for almost a year now, training until he dropped and remaining steadfast in his hatred for his older brother. He was so busy in this time that his hair had grown out longer than it had been in years, remaining uncut as he was too busy to do it himself or have someone else try their hand at it… not that he trusted anyone there enough to let them near his head with any type of sharp object.

He wasn't stupid after all.

Feeling that his legs would no longer give out if he moved Sasuke walked a few feet, more gracefully than most in the morning but clearly more impaired than he was when he was fully awake. He barely made it a few unsteady feet before his tired eyes caught movement in the corners of his vision.

Fearing it was another "surprise wakeup" from his sensei or one of his followers he activated his Sharingan and spun on his heel, kunai pulled from the weapons pouch he kept on him at all times and held at the ready. He stiffened in shock at the sight before him.

It was Itachi.

Red and black Sharingan eyes, long black hair, black clothes, and a kunai at the ready. He looked almost exactly as he did when he had slaughtered their clan all those years before. The young Uchiha wasn't in the best shape he wanted to be in for this showdown, being tired and half-asleep, but his brother didn't look too good either. He had dark shadows under his eyes, a sickly pale complexion, and even his hair seemed a little unkempt.

"Itachi," Sasuke croaked, "You destroyed our clan! You made me feel powerless! But not today. No, Itachi. Today… today you die!"

The young teen charged at his brother with a fierce battle cry, expecting his brother to leap from his path. But he didn't. He just charged right back at him with the same determined look on his face that Sasuke had. If he's not going to turn away, the young Uchiha thought sluggishly, then neither am I!

They got closer and closer and closer, weapons ready and teeth clenched. Sasuke brought his arm back, prepared to strike with his kunai as Itachi did the same, and then… he hit a hard, cold surface and bounced off, stumbling back a few feet before finally falling onto his butt in a daze with his Sharingan instantly deactivated.

Had he been more awake he would have realized that his supposed "brother" was none other than his own reflection in the floor-length mirror in his small room and that what he had just bounced off of was said mirror. But he didn't and wouldn't know any of that until an hour later when he woke up once more to Kabuto's insistent shaking. Until then he just glared at the mirror with his blurry black eyes, suspecting his brother of learning a diabolical new technique.

He groaned groggily from his position on the cold floor, "Damn you… Itachi…"

Without another word his head slumped to the ground and he passed out.

~oOo~

Hundreds of miles away a small sneeze escaped from a dark-haired Akatsuki member, causing his large, blue-skinned companion to jump and curse, "What the hell was that?"

"I don't know what you are speaking of, Kisame."

"Wha?" The shark man frowned and scratched his head, keeping step with the younger man, "I could swear I heard someone sneeze, but it sure as hell wasn't me." He paused before adding suspiciously, "Itachi, did you…?"

His partner scoffed, "Don't be ridiculous. I don't sneeze."

With that their conversation was settled and they continued their journey in silence.