Ch. 3 Through the Looking Glass

Team Taka set off for the Hidden Cloud Village soon after the meeting, once night fell again Siren insisted they stop for the night. Everyone else found that quite annoying but Sasuke agreed.

.:shes just slowing us down, I say we slit her throat in her sleep and say the beast got her so we can be done with this.:. Suigetsu grumbled internally, very unimpressed with his new team mate.

.:ha! I knew she would be nothin but a nuisance! Soon Sasuke will see that I was right and shell be long gone.:. Karin gloated smugly to herself.

.:these wood... They are so peaceful, I'm in control here.:. And his new team member was the last thing on Jugos mind.

They started a small fire and ate, by the time it was midnight or so, Suigetsu had passed out on the ground by the fire and Jugo had made himself a comfortable place to sit up in a tree where he dozed off from time to time. Karin sat by a tree next to the large trunk Sasuke leaned up against as he stared intently into the flames, thinking. She was having trouble keeping her eyes open and soon felt sleep consume her.

As soon as everyone else was asleep Siren, who had been feinting sleep against the tree across from Sasuke, opened her eyes and moved them to rest on him.

Sasuke feeling them looked away from the flames to her. She stared him in the eyes and within moments the scene around them began to change. All of the trees except the ones they had their backs on seemed to drift away creating a large open dirt area all around them and a clear night sky that seemed to go on forever, the fire remained the same except that the crackling of it faded out as did all other sounds that used to be surrounding them. This all happened quickly and in response Sasuke used his sharingan preparing to take control of this illusion.

"wait." Siren said softly. "I just want to talk, I swear, all I wanted was somewhere private... I thought if I were to take you off somewhere one of the others would wake and follow. Her eyes were still normal, Sasuke could feel exactly what was real and what wasn't, it was a weak genjutsu.

He closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them again they were their usual smokey black. "Fine. Make it quick." he watched her closely.

"I can't guarantee i will... I need to ask you something." She waited for a response but he simply stared, waiting. So she continued. "Do you honestly believe Madara is going to give you anything? Do you think working for him will give you an edge on anyone? All your doing is turning yourself and your team into wanted criminals. You could go home, be a hero, get pardons for your friends; this could become an inside job. Did you ever stop to think that the greatest illusions are the ones we can create without chakra?"

He sat quietly and resumed starring into the fire. "I don't work FOR anyone. I'm using the akatsuki to get the tailed-beasts... If Madara doesn't hold up his end of the deal, I'll just take all of them. "He scowled into the flames." I don't need an edge; all I need is my vengeance... On everyone who made my brother suffer the way he did." his hands balled up into fists at his sides. "I will do what my brother should have done.. I will destroy the hidden leaf village and restore the Uchiha clan to its former glory... I will be the sword of judgement that claims all who stand in the way of my hatred!" as he spoke the anger inside of him grew. He took a breath and regained his composure quickly.

"I see... Sasuke, you may not believe me but hate is not the strongest thing out there," she laughed softly, "Itachi wanted to ensure you would hate him, maybe he taught you that lesson a little to well." she smiled somberly.

He glared. "Don't talk about my brother like you knew him!" he almost shouted.

Siren stopped smiling and looked Sasuke in the eye. He glared at her fiercely. "Sasuke..." she didn't know how to put it." I did know him... We were the same age, in the same class, from the same clan... Well, I'm not actually an Uchiha by birth, so I don't carry the blood; I was the victim of one of Orochimarus experiments... But... that's not the story your interested in, I'm sure."

Like someone changed the channel the entire scene around him changed, he was no longer sitting up against a tree but instead the side of a family's house, he lurched to his feet and used his sharingan, but the illusion this time was strong. It was day time and he knew where he was because not to far away he spotted the nostalgic pond that he had used for training as a child. There was a small boy on the dock and for a moment he thought he might be looking at an illusion of his younger self, but upon closer inspection he could see that it was not. The boy made the hand signs and took a deep breath before casting a large fireball jutsu that engulfed the entire lake. It was larger than even Sasuke had been able to accomplish at that age.

"He was a true prodigy." Sirens voice started Sasuke slightly and he turned to look at her, she was staring reminiscently at the boy on the bridge. "Your brother I mean," she pointed to the boy on the bridge and Sasuke looked in disbelief until he realized it really was his brother. "even when he was really little, he practiced every day," Itachi couldn't be more than six in this scene.
Soon itachis father came walking down to the river with another man that Sasuke didn't recognize.

"Itachi! Son." his father smiled proudly at him, "you remember Mr. Uchiha Saito don't you?"
Itachi looked to his father then to the other man, "yes father." he bowed respectfully.

"Good, his child is looking for someone to train with, Saito is a busy man and can't keep up with work as well as train his child, so would you be willing to take on a new sparing partner? Who knows, maybe you'll make a new friend."

"Sure. I like training with other people." he shot his father a sweet smile.

"Well, go on and introduce yourself." Saito smiled down and addressed his child then stepped to the side. A small girl emerged rather reluctantly. She looked up at her father and frowned, he smiled and nodded.
She sighed then she took a step forward and spoke timidly, "Hi, my name is Kanade Uchiha..." she looked down avoiding eye contact.

"I'm Itachi Uchiha, it's nice to meet you."

There was a short awkward pause before Siato cleared his throat. "Ah yes," Itachis father got the hint," we have more work to attend to, I'm sure you too will find plenty to do, and son." he smiled and leaned a little closer, "don't underestimate your opponent because of age, gender, or appearance." Itachi nodded then his father patted him on the head and then dashed away quickly with Saito.

There was a pause as Itachi looked Kanade over who stared at the ground, her black hair shrouding her face. He smiled, "Wanna play tag?"

She looked up at him, "uh... Well, ok."

"I know the perfect spot." he came up with a big smile and grabbed her by the hand, gently pulling her along until she followed after him. "Come on! Can you keep up?" he laughed and she smiled.

"I'm a good runner!" She laughed too then raced to keep up.

"Shall we follow them?" Siren asked Sasuke who had been completely absorbed by what was happening.. .:it's brother... Laughing, smiling... Normal.:. He watched for a moment then took off in the same direction as they had. Siren smiled, "I thought you might find this interesting, for whatever reason."

When Itachi arrived to the spot he had been heading for they were neck in neck, Sasuke and siren perched on nearby trees, watching.

"You're really fast." Itachi said with a smile. Neither child was out of breath.

"So are you." Kanade laughed.

"Hey, Kanade, I have a question for you?"

"What is it?" she looked confused but seemed much more comfortable around him than she had been earlier.

His smile faded some. "Do you have your sharingan yet?"

Her smile evaporated as well. "why? Do you?" she asked timidly.

He smiled again, in a flash his eyes turned red.

"Wow." Kanade smiled back, "you already have all three doors open!" she looked amazed.

"What about you?" He switched them back and came to sit, he offered her a seat next to him.

"Well... Papa said not to show anyone..." she joined him, sitting a cautious distance away from him.

"Why's that?"

She looked down and made her voice sound grave. "He says great power can lead others to be tempted to do wrong."

"I promise I won't do anything bad, and I won't tell anyone either, I know you don't know me, but I promise you can trust me." he smiled at her.

"Well... Ok." ,and her eyes shifted red.

"You have all three gates open too... That's cool, just like me." he complemented her and she blushed lightly.

"Thanks. But you know what's cool?" she laughed and Itachi looked at her questioningly, "My eyes do another funny thing." she closed her eyes and a moment later the illusion shifted again and they were back to the empty dirt field.

Siren, looked over to Sasuke, they were both back under their trees. "Did you enjoy?"

"Why did you show me that?" Sasuke replied disdainfully.

"It's the first part of the story I want to tell you... The story of how your brother was made into the great man he was. I can only show you what I have stored away in my memory, that's what that last jutsu was, a memory pulled from my head."

"Were you that girl?"

"I am. Kanade was the name my parents gave me, Siren was a name given to me by my enemy's."

"How exactly did you get that name?"

She smiled and closed her eyes, "tonight is about your brothers past, not mine, though maybe it will be revealed along the way. If you want to know more that is, or, you can end this at amy time." After a moment of silence she smiled, "if there aren't any protests than I will continue."

"wait." he said, once again he stared into the fire.

"What is it?"

He looked up and straight into her eyes, "what is it those eyes of yours are hiding?"

She frowned and looked away. "Like I said, tonight isn't about my past..." and with that the scene was shifting again, suddenly Sasuke was back in the leaf village, though he had no idea where exactly, or even when.

(To be continued... Please review, I love to hear other peoples opinions about my work. Please and thank you.)