Mirror, Mirror.

The light was faint, struggling to pierce its way through the dense cavity of the forest foliage. The abundance of leaves and branches forming a woven almost thatched rooftop, shading the local inhabitants from the late afternoon sun. Where the canopy was weak, and threadbare the sunlight managed to sneak in, weaving its way through the branches; the light would highlight the multitude of colour that made up the natural shelter, an assembly of greens all bleeding into the next, accentuating the fortified vegetation. But it wasn't only the faint light that would penetrate the naturally grown roof, the occasional trickle of rainwater would worm its way through, making the daunting descent from the great height.

The sound of the heavy rainstorm despite bashing away at the treetops conveyed an oddly peaceful sound throughout the woods. With the rain falling heavier, minuscule waterfalls had formed upon the tree trunks, the water twisting and winding its way down the grain of the bark expertly as if it had made that same journey for centuries. The residual water dripping onto nearby shrubbery and flowers before being absorbed by the soil greedily as if it would never see a drop of water again.

Reina rested against a tall, firm kurobuna tree, her head leaning against the trunk, allowing the random spray of rain to fall upon her face, the occasional droplet clinging to her dark lashes, the slightly chilly liquid cooling against her tepid skin. This was the first time in days that she had felt at peace; nothing to focus her mind on other than the mission, which was going considerably well. She had made good time across the land of fire, managing to avoid bandits and any enemy ninja. It was late in the afternoon, almost dusk to be precise; the nearest town was not too far, a few miles if that, so it shouldn't take long to find an inn for the night prior to moving onto the Astuta Shrine in the Nagoya province.

She smiled softly, brushing the wet strands of hair that clung to her face; she scanned the forest scenery, noting the fragrant scent of the blooming flowers that hung in the air. She loved the smell of fresh flowers, especially jasmine in the morning; jasmine always smelt the best at dawn, the aroma drifting into the air as the sun rose. Her mother would often smell of jasmine when she returned from her travels, always of jasmine; it would explain her fondness for the dainty flower.

Ringing what water she could from her cloak and hair she set off once more through the forest, the main road not far, her boots crunching slightly as she trod on the twig laden ground. She loved being out in the open, the air was so much fresher than that of the city; there was no feeling of being trapped or confined by the village walls, here it was just open, no boundaries, only the natural law applied. Out here in the open she could feel her chakra react eagerly to all the wildlife around her, her bloodline pulsing intensely noting all the elements and chemical substances surrounding her.

It had often felt quite lonely at times when she was younger, with her grandfather gone she had no one to confide in when it came to her kekkai genkai, no one to ask had she done a technique correctly or to show when she had gotten it right. Tomo was always supportive though even if she had no clue what was happening, she would always praise her and said how proud she way of her. Her grandmother was everything to her; she wouldn't know what she would do without her.

She was broken from her thoughts when she caught sight of someone in the distance, an elderly man fretting over what would seem a broken cart, the axel of the stationary vehicle splintered violently. The man sat at the side of the road, sheltered slightly under a tree, his expression full of discontent and slight agitation. Reina walked over him, bowing before speaking, her smile warm and welcoming as she asked if he needed help.

"Sumimasen' demo otetsudau shimashouka?" The gentleman nodded, standing and bowing gratefully.

"Arigatou, but the axel has broken, so I don't how you could help. But thank you anyway young lady." He replied, removing his hat briefly before replacing it once again upon his head. Reina's smile widened, shaking her head reassuringly.

"Don't worry it's no problem. It won't be long before you're on your way." The man's face was beyond puzzled, she was simply a young girl, how could she possibly mend the cart by herself, she had no tools on her person. He watched the young girl closely, curiosity brimming in his aged features; she walked around to the front of the cart, gently reassuring the nervous horse before placing her hand on the wooden dray. He noted at her eyes glimmered a little, but he simply put that down to the light merely catching them; he watched in amazement as the thin wooden axel began to grown, the fibres of the grain knitting and weaving themselves back together. Within moments, the formerly broken axel looked as good as new.

He was stunned to say the least.

Reina turned around to face the man, a small smile of achievement on her pale features as she patted the now functioning waggon.

"See? No problem, now you don't have to wait about in this rain ne?" She chuckled softly, stroking the horse's neck soothingly, running her fingers through its dark mane. The man stood, wearily inspecting his cart, unable to believe what he had seen; he turned carefully taking her free hand and bowing gratefully, holding her hand to his forehead. Reina smiled, mildly squeezing the man's shoulder.

"It's okay honestly, it was nothing." She spoke, her tone honey like and friendly.

"H-how can I ever repay you?" He stammered. She shook her head, helping him climb onto the inbuilt seat and handing him the reigns.

"Oh don't be silly, you have nothing to repay me for, simply doing my good deed of the day."

"Arigatou, thank you so much." He smiled appreciatively, his eyes filled with gratitude.

"Sayonara!" She waved as she continued her journey down the road, the rain beginning to ease off a little.

"Ahhh m-matte!" He called out, pulling on the reigns of the horse, it halting slightly abruptly beside her. "Where are you headed? I can take you as far as Tokkuriji if you like? That's where I'm headed, it's the least I can do for what you have done for me." He smiled a little, patting the space beside him. Reina smiled a little and nodded.

"Hai, if you don't mind, that's where I am headed for the night anyway." She climbed onto the wagon with ease, sitting beside the man before introducing herself politely and bowing from the waist slightly. "Reina at your service."

"Atsuo, your driver for the day Reina-san, and host for the night if you would? My wife would scold me if I didn't offer you lodging for the night after you helping me out so freely." Atsuo chuckled, adjusting his hat to shelter himself a little from the rain, edging the horse onwards once again, its hooves sloshing about in the puddle filled road.

"I-I couldn't possibly, I wouldn't want to be a hindrance to you…" She drifted off.

"Nonsense! Like I said, my wife would yell at me if I let you wander the town when nightfall was approaching." He roared joyfully, patting her on the back fondly as if he had known her for years. Reina chuckled a little to herself, wondering if he realised his own strength.

"Hai. Arigatou Atsuo-san."

"Atsuo-san? Never had 'san' before but you know what? I like it!" He laughed, occasionally tapping the horse with a whip, the horse trotting merrily despite the rain. He glanced over at her, observing her quiet persona and smiling slightly, murmuring softly. "You're from Konoha aren't you? I'm guessing a shinobi by the looks of your skills back there." His tone was sincere. She nodded a little, keeping her eyes focused on the road ahead of her. "Don't worry Reina-san, I won't say anything." He smiled hearteningly, a smile which she returned thankfully.

The pair continued to travel down the road, the rain continuing to fall but not as heavily or ruthlessly as before; whilst adjusting the hood of her cloak something caught her eyes slightly, she was unsure whether her eyes were playing tricks or not. Out in the distance of the forest she briefly saw two scarlet orbs in the darkness of the woods before they disappeared as quickly as they came; it was then she felt a familiar shudder of dread run throughout her entire body-her gut was telling her something was going to happen.

Reina was dragged from her thoughts when she heard Atsuo whistling as he encouraged the horse onwards; whistling annoyed her in general, but this time it was different, this time darkness had fallen and whistling after dark was never a lucky omen.

"Atsuo-san, you need to stop whistling." She spoke softly, yet her tone had authority dripping from every word; Atsuo looked over, curiosity once again plastered on his features before replying.

"Superstitious aren't you? Believing that a snake or spirit will visit at night if you whistle?" Reina nodded, her eyes scrutinising the horizon and the surrounding woodlands, her golden orbs not missing a detail. Breaking her eyes briefly from the road she smiled a little at him.

"Hai, my Grandmother is the same; I guess she has rubbed off on me." Atsuo chuckled and nodded as he guided the horse and cart through the suddenly crowded street; lanterns hanging upon strings for miles around, lighting the narrow streets warmly. Many stalls littered the streets, the vendors wandering out front to try and lure people into their kiosks and buy the many trinkets that flourished upon the tables. The smell of the street food lingered down the road, the sizzling of the yakatori entrancing people passing by as the cooks expertly seasoned the dishes to perfection. Atsuo continued to direct the horse through the crowds till they began to thin out, the once honeycomb maze of people now simply reduced to stragglers staggering on their journeys.

The cart jolted to a halt, the horse throwing its head backwards and neighing softly as if happy to be in familiar territory. Atsuo smiled gently patting the faithful animal affectionately, before he could hobble out of the dray Reina was there at his side, smiling kindly aiding him in stepping down, Atsuo chuckled patting her back in thanks.

"Well, here we are, the Soukutsu Ryokan. It isn't much but, what we have is home and I gladly share my home with you tonight." Atsuo smiled proudly motioning to the homely wooden building, the bright red noren swaying rhythmically in the gentle breeze; occasionally parting and allowing the welcoming light to drift out into the street. The building was quaint, obviously a family run establishment, it oozed warmth and hospitality, more places needed this quality she thought to herself. Reina returned his smile, helping him with the many parcels and sacks that filled the back with ease whilst he continued to persuade her to let him do it.

The pair continued to bicker as if they had known each other for years, not merely hours; after managing to slip her boots off without dropping any of the parcels Reina followed Atsuo down the wooden hallway, the aroma of cooking food wandering out of the many doors along with the sound of laughter and chatting clients. Reina padded silently behind Atsuo, glancing into the open rooms, silently observing the customers, noting most were tinged pink from ingesting copious amounts of sake and wine. But then she froze in her tracks, her lips parting slightly in disbelief, she stared vacantly through the bamboo sudare, the thin patterned blind distorting her view ever so marginally.

"Ne Reina-san, this way ay? I want you to meet my wife." Atsuo called from down the hall, motioning her on, she nodded, glancing into the occupied room once more before following on once again. She could feel her stomach twist and turn unable to believe her eyes; the one time she had received a solo mission and this had to happen, she jinxed that was the only explanation she could think of. She was broken from her thoughts when a short, grey haired woman stood before her, a look of disappointed on her weathered features.

"I can't believe he let you carry these, the old fart! ATSUO! You take these off the poor girl she is soaked to bone, you baka!" Reina blinked, the utmost confusion washing over her pale features. Atsuo rolled his eyes and took the parcels from her, placing them in various places around the kitchen; the stove burning wildly and steam filling the air from the many pots and pans that occupied the stove top. The elderly woman shooed him to what would seem the pantry, wiping her wrinkled hands on her food spattered apron before bowing, a welcoming smile appearing on her lips.

"Arigatou Reina-san, the old baka told me what you did for him back in the woods, because of you my husband is home safe and not stranded out in the woods. I'm in your debt." Reina smiled, shaking her head lightly before chuckling a little when the woman spoke again.

"Ah gomen! How rude! I didn't even introduce myself did I?" She cleared her throat in a lady like manner prior to bowing once more. "Watashi no namae wa Ayane." Reina smiled returning the bow respectfully.

"May I freshen up before I dine Ayane-san? I do not mean to impose or…" Reina wafted off.

"But of course! You're not imposing in the slightest, giving you lodge for as long as you need is the least we can do, here…" Ayane unhooked a key from a nearby rack, placing it in Reina's hand and smiling. "There are clean towels in the room and a spare yukata for you to rest in, there is an onsen out back so feel free to soak for a while before you come in to dine." She smiled pointing down the hallway.

"Arigatou Ayane-san, I'm grateful to you both." Ayane smiled a smile that reminded Reina of her grandmother, the smile was filled with friendliness and an affection that simply comes with ages. Reina bowed once more before taking her leave, treading silently down the hallway once again, glancing briefly into the chatter filled room and searching for what she had seen before. She did not dwell there, instead headed towards the onsen, longing to feel the warmth rekindle in her body, the rain having taken whatever heat she had managed to accrue on her travels. The babble of the dining room eventually ceased, the only sound that graced her ears was the quiet slosh of water of the hot springs.

Unknowingly her hand had found its way to the hilt of her katana, remaining there in precaution, her stomach churning with uncertainty. Reaching the changing rooms she wearily stepped inside, avoiding eye contact with the other occupying women; luckily for her they were going on their travels, having already soaked their weary bones, feeling rejuvenated and as fresh as spring itself. She sighed quietly unclipping the broach of her cloak that held it together, the saturated fabric clinging to every curve of her body like moss to a stone; she had not realised the water the cloak had gather until it fell rapidly from her body, the water assembling in a pool at her feet.

Making use of the empty changing room Reina quickly changed from her attire, the soaking fabric sloshing to the floor in a quiet 'slop'; she wrapped the towel around her tightly ensuring that the cotton fabric was secure before swooping the mangled mess of wet clothing and ringing them out in the nearby shower cubicle, the excess water rippling from the clothes and slithering away down the drainage pipe. Once satisfied that the majority of the water had been removed, Reina's flicked her wrist the residing water molecules began to rise from the clothing fibres. The particles clung to the fibres for dear life but it was no use, they rose into the air gathering into spherical shape, the molecules rubbing and bouncing off one another as they heated up, the temperature nearing boiling before they dispersed into the air giving merely a quiet hiss of disapproval.

Satisfied with her now dry clothing Reina folded them with regimental precision, placing them in an unoccupied basket amongst the shelves along with her katana prior to settling herself down on the stool in the shower cubicle. She sighed softly, running her fingers through her tangled wet hair, wincing a little when her fingers met stubborn knots, mentally noting to braid her hair more often rather than allowing nature to have its way. She smiled in relief at feeling the gush of warm water run over her body, pouring the water over her icy skin multiple times, the pins and needles that had worked their way into her limbs beginning to ebb away.

"Much better." She mumbled to herself, standing and clicking her neck, the knot that had been building there disbanding with a rather loud pop. She was old before her time, not merely mentally but physically too; time had begun to takes its toll on her, with ever clicking limbs and reoccurring anaemia she felt more like her grandmother than a young woman of twenty three. With the coast clear she snuck into the onsen, her movements nimble and sprite like, barely disrupting the stagnant water as she entered the spring. A soft sigh of relief passed her lips as she waded to the opposite side of the hot spring, leaning against the nearby rock, gladly closing her eyes and allowing the peaceful surroundings to envelope her senses.

It was with the silence that her thoughts began to rouse and stir. She had heard rumours on her travels about the Kojiki, that men in black and red dusted cloaks had acquired it and surely that would mean the infamous Akatsuki? She paused from her thoughts momentarily as she dipped under the water, the world around her becoming a groggy abyss of navy; she held her breath, the occasional bubble of oxygen escaping from her nose to release the pressure upon her lungs. Reina glanced above her, the world above resembling a kaleidoscope; the clouds swirling between one another as if they were dancing, bobbing and weaving peacefully.

With the oxygen near depleted from her lungs she surfaced from the tepid water, inhaling the crisp air, it stinging her throat and lungs slightly. She waded in the water a little longer allowing the therapeutic liquid to relax her aching body before taking her leave, ensuring that the skimpy bath towel maintained her modesty as she made her way back to the changing rooms. Reina changed quickly as not to be interrupted by entering women, they often being the more judgemental of the two sexes.

With a newfound vigour in her step Reina readjusted her clothing, packing the dirty items into her satchel before setting off towards the dining area, her katana occasionally bouncing off of her calf gently, her newly freshened locks already dry and curling softly, the spiralled strands of hair falling freely down her back. The aroma that had once inhabited solely the kitchen had grown, now nomadically gracing the entire building, Reina continued down the hallway chuckling a little to herself upon hearing the quarrelling of Ayane and Atsuo rumble down the hall, only to smile when Ayane paused her bickering and motioned her to take her seat inside before shooing her husband away once more.

Reina nodded and smiled, entering the now slightly emptier dining room, choosing a table away from the other diners, her eyes immediately scanning the room for sight she had seen before. Her exterior calm and composed, nothing short of her usual face, but on the inside her innards were beside themselves with inquisitiveness and minor unease. She sat down on the small cushion, laying her katana beside her folded legs as she finally permitted her eyes to meet what she had been avoiding.

There, amongst the drunken disarray was Sasuke Uchiha , the ever familiar scarlet glare of the Sharingan blazing viciously. She made no indication that she was her to detain him, for she was not; she was plainly aware of his decision to leave the village, his story of insatiable hunger for power well spread across the ninja nations. She dared not meet his gaze directly, Reina was no fool, she knew of the terrors that Sharingan could inflict; instead she settled for gazing below his eye line settling on the ridge of his lips noting that they were fixed in an unrecognisable expression or lack thereof. Sasuke quirked a brow and inclined his head towards her in recognition of her presence, which she returned with equal respect and acknowledgement.

But then she felt a familiar chill in the air, as if the earth had shifted in its place, she knew this sensation all too well.

Genjutsu.

Reina stayed in her place, her body not moving an inch as Sasuke stood from his place across the room; there was tension and no malice filled the air. It would seem that the young Uchiha heir was filled with the same curiosity and the young Hitori heiress. The genjutsu continued to play its part, the other customers blissfully unaware what was happening as they revelled in their drunken stupor. He walked over oozing with such confident that the god's themselves would probably wish to drain him of it for their own bidding, a thing which Reina has disliked him for all these years. She had nothing personal against the raven haired male it was pity if anything; pity that he had allowed darkness to shadow his thoughts and very being when he was once such a pleasant and vibrant child in their younger years.

"Reina." He murmured, taking the seat opposite her, his own chokutō sword present by his side, his voice darker and more cynical than the last time the pair had met.

"Sasuke-san." Reina replied gently, taking a small sip of tea from her cup patiently waiting to see what he wanted, nonchalantly eyeing the straight bladed sword curiously. She had heard rumours that he had come into ownership of the supposed kusanagi blade, one similar to that of Orochimaru, but she knew better, and that was certainly not the kusanagi sword.

"What are you doing here? So close to Sound?" He asked, getting precisely to the point at hand. Reina smiled slightly, setting down the dainty porcelain cup down and looking up at him, her gold orbs meeting his magenta ones for the briefest of moments.

"A mission, a simple retrieval that is all. And no the simple retrieval is not you Sasuke-san before you question if I am here to persuade you to return." She paused looking at him softly, his eyes scrutinising her every word; he nodded in acknowledgement leaning back on his arms dispassionately. "Taking a break from the snake I take it?" she chuckled, noting how he rolled his eyes, a trivial scoff rumbling in his throat emulating distaste. It was then she felt the cool edge of the blade against her throat, her light hearted chuckle having seemed like a far off memory now.

Her expression became blank as she stared at him in disappointment.

"Do not insult me Sasuke-san, nor should you underestimate me like you do with so many others." Her words were still temperate; there were no inclinations of violence that lingered in her voice- only discontent. He said nothing, simply staring at her carefully noting that even with his clone being the only thing between this life and the next she showed no fear of death. He continued to observe the young kunoichi carefully as she lifted her hand to the blade and grasped it firmly.

Yet the blade drew no blood from her pallid skin, instead the blade began to glow an angry red, the metal heating up rapidly, so rapidly in fact that the clone hissed in pain relinquishing its grip on the sword and dispelling. Sasuke glared, his scarlet orbs narrowing in uncertainty. Reina continued to stare at him vacantly, the once present sword now merely a glowing sphere of iron and steel, the particles swirling amongst themselves frivolously as she took another sip of her tea unaffected by the goings-on .

"Now Sasuke-san, if that is all you have to ask then I'd like to eat my supper if you don't mind?" She quirked a brow as she unfolded her napkin and laid it upon her lap indicating she was done with simple parlour tricks. "But keep this as a reminder, a memento if you would of our little meeting?" She smiled not even glancing at the floating particles as they began to re-solidify, their molecular structure altering and adapting to whatever Reina wanted them to.

Sasuke nodded watching the particles evolve into another object, somewhat impressed by her skill and talent over her bloodline. He would not admit it but she had truly mastered her kekkai genkai but to him she was merely another ninja one who he would become stronger and more powerful than. Reina was just a check point on the discovery of his limits that would bring him one step closer to his brother. The particles having finished their transfiguration began the descent into the palm of the young Uchiha's palm, he glancing over the metal object with slight amusement.

There in the palm of his hand was a shiny metal tomato.

"Take care Sasuke-san." Reina murmured tenderly, secretly urging him to heed her words, not wanting harm to befall him more than it already has. Sasuke nodded once more, the genjutsu dispelling, the ruckus of the dining returning to what it had been previously; Sasuke sitting where he once had before the genjutsu had been cast.

The only difference this time that was in his hand rolling between his fingers like a coin was the metal tomato.