Mirror, mirror.

Sokushinbutsu.

Sokushinbutsu was a Buddhist ritual of self-mummification practiced by monks who wished to become an enlightened one, a Buddha. Reina had studied some of the rare remains of these dedicated souls, their image locked in time even though their lives had ended, their faith and devotion would remain revered in the history books for generations to see. To die for your beliefs must seem like such an honour, to hold that one thing in all of your reveries so that your every move and thought revolved around that one special thing.

Dedication at its utmost.

Reina stood beneath the demonic statue of the outer path, she had merely heard rumours of its existence and now, well now she knew it was not the stuff of rumours but the stuff of reality. It was with this ironic symbol of enlightenment that the Akatsuki were murdering jinchuuriki's and sealing the tailed beasts in, and if Naruto was not careful then the Kyuubi would join its tailed counterparts within the grotesque effigy. She could only guess how many of the demonic hosts had met their end here; the air was simply drenched with death, all without remorse or regret.

"Time is ticking Reina, perform the jutsu or Neji Hyuuga will be meeting a premature death and his blood will be on your hands." Pein said with crossed arms overlooking her with stern eyes, there was no time for jesting. She nodded, gulping a little with nerves; this was a forbidden jutsu used centuries ago she wasn't even sure if it would work, or if it did what the consequences would be, she had only read ancient texts about this ritual.

Itachi stood near to her, his face forever calm despite his own weariness about the jutsu, he too had heard rumours of its practice but most simply ended in death. Reina turned to him, her eyes betraying her calm façade, they were brimming with anxiety and he knew it was for more than one thing. She was worried about the young Hyuuga and the outcome of the contract.

"You know of the chakra network and the inner gateways don't you Itachi-san." Reina murmured softly, twirling her hair neatly, or as neatly as she could, at the nape of her neck though random strands protruded onto her face. She was not insulting his intelligence for she knew he could of made the rank of Hokage had he chosen a different route, if anything she was merely reassuring herself that it wouldn't be him to make the mistake, only she could make a mistake at this point and she dared not think of the penalties that would impose.

Itachi nodded and removed his cloak, once again folding it with military preciseness. Pein watched curiously as the dark haired kunoichi gave the Sharingan master instructions, each set accurate and detailed. Both dark haired ninja sat opposite one another, they mirroring each other perfectly, though admittedly Reina was the more fiddly of the pair. Reina inhaled deeply calming herself as her pulse beat rapidly, feeling it pulsate in her neck, she could feel it slow down becoming calmer and more regulated.

Reina opened her eyes and stared at Itachi in the eyes, it surprising her to see charcoal orbs in place of his Sharingan. She cleared her throat quietly before speaking, recalling the information about the ritual as if she were reading it before him.

"We are to exchange chakra, admitting a small orb of qi into each of the inner gateways; you will be able to borrow my chakra and I yours if the time should call upon it. We…" She paused and took a breath, the realisation of what was to occur momentarily stunning her. "We'll be joined in an indenture of chakra for forever…" she finished, averting her eyes. Itachi nodded and inhaled silently waiting for the jutsu to start wondering how different things could have been for the young kunoichi.

Reina finally met his eyes, even without the Sharingan his presence was still powerful yet somewhat peacefully daunting. She held out her hands, her palms open and flat; Itachi mimicked her actions studying her closely as she began to concentrate. Slowly he managed to see flickers of light appear from the palms of her hands, her chakra making itself visible and somatic, it swirled around rapidly almost resembling the rasengan but a miniature version.

Itachi too began to summon his own chakra to the palms of his hands, his own lifeline particles emerging from his flesh; when both had sufficient amounts of their chakra Reina spoke once more, her voice soft and calm.

"Carefully press each orb of chakra into each of the first two gateways: the gate of opening and the gate of rest. The gateways should recognise the chakra and absorb it, our bodies adapting it." Itachi nodded and copied her actions once again as she hesitantly lifted her hands to either side of his temples, searching in his dark eyes for the go ahead; he nodded she returning the gesture with the slight inclination of her head.

Reina took a small breath before carefully pressing her hands to each of his temples noting how he stiffened ever so slightly and took a sharp intake of air silently as her chakra made impact; she watched as the chakra disappeared beneath his skin it finding his inner gateways straight away. She too stiffened when Itachi's chakra made contact with her skin, hearing the slight buzz of his life-force before it dispersed beneath her skin, instantaneously being absorbed by her gateways.

Once again Reina and Itachi summoned orbs of chakra to their palms before continuing with the next two gateways: the gate of life and the gate of pain, both residing on the central nervous system within the spinal cord. Reina winced slightly as his palm made contact for the fourth time, the gate of pain being exactly that, painful; a look of slight hesitation washed over Itachi's features briefly as he debated halting in the absorption of the fourth gate only to be egged on.

"Don't stop, it could collapse the indenture…" Reina muttered through gritted teeth as she caught her breath. Itachi nodded allowing his palm to come into contact with her torso, the sphere of chakra now out of sight; Reina inhaled deeply before laying her palm against his torso watching the chakra tirelessly as not to hinder the jutsu. It was Itachi's turn to flinch now though as Reina's chakra fled to his gateway of pain, Reina glanced up at him, mumbling a soft apology not wanting to give him a motive to dispose of her after the mission.

"Gomenasai Itachi-san." Itachi simply nodded, coughing as the last of her chakra entered the gateway; but it was not one cough, it was a fit of them. Reina blinked in shock having not expected that to happen, her eyes widened when a small splutter of blood cascaded onto his palm as he shielded the coughs. She dared not say anything she simply looked in him in the eye for silent reassurance, which she received.

She moved quickly with the next three gateways: the gateways of closing, joy and shock. By now a thin layer of sweat had built up on the pair's forehead, their breaths laboured and their posture hunched with fatigue. Pein noted that they were due to seal the indenture with the final gateway, the most dangerous- the gateway of death.

Pein watched as Reina looked up at a heavily breathing Uchiha, perceiving that she had a soft expression, almost that of concern upon her pale features, this intrigued him. It was obvious to him that she had known Itachi before the massacre with her use of an honorific, but to what extent she had known Itachi, it titillated him.

"I-Itachi-san, are you alright to continue?" Reina whispered, her breathes uneven as she steadied herself as not to keel over with overexertion. Itachi merely nodded in between panting slightly, dark circles under his eyes becoming more accentuated. Reina stared at him blankly for a few moments before clearing her throat once more and inhaling deeply.

Here goes nothing.

She muttered mentally as the last orb of chakra began to form in her hand, the swirling energy growing slightly larger than that of the other orbs. By now she could feel her body working overtime to contain the extra chakra, attempting to acclimatise and neutralise it; it wouldn't surprise her if she passed out afterwards as she could already feel her vision beginning to haze and blur in patches.

Itachi attempted to steady his breathes, it felt like he had fought off an entire army by himself and was down to the last brigade of ninja. He watched Reina carefully, her face more pallid than usual as she summoned the last needed bit of her chakra into her hands. She had certainly proved herself, not only to him, but by the look on Pein's face, to him too. He nodded urging her on as she leaned in to seal the deal with the last gateway; Reina gulped slightly as she pressed her hand over his heart where the gateway lay, her own heart thumping away with exertion and nerves.

Reina carefully pressed the ball of chakra into his chest, feeling his flesh beneath her hand burning up; she looked up and held his gaze, a little unnerved by how hot he was, unsure whether it was due to the indenture or if he was sick. Reina waited patiently as the last of her chakra entered his body, she feeling physically and mentally exhausted.

Itachi grit his teeth together silently feeling her chakra enter his final gateway, not knowing the exact results that they would incur afterwards; taking a few moments to compose himself Itachi gathered his own chakra into the palm of his hand before cautiously placing it over her chest. Reina gulped a little feeling a little demoralised at having Uchiha Itachi's hand hovering over her breast as it was, but she knew it was the final amendment to the deal, after this Neji would be off the hook and that was what mattered most.

Sensing that Reina was ready Itachi started to push the last of his chakra into her flesh, hearing her gasp and wince quietly; Reina unconsciously held her breath, feeling his chakra pulse along her meridians and mingle with her own chakra as if it were the same life force.

She had done it, she had unknowingly sold her soul to the devil and she was his advocate.

Itachi sighed silently as the indenture was sealed, they now linked forever; he certainly had not seen that coming when he and Kisame found her half dead in the woods. Both Itachi and Reina looked up at Pein who was applauding them, a slight smirk inhabiting his pierced features.

"Well done Reina. Thanks to you, your beloved Neji will not die today. You have done the right thing." Pein crooned at Reina's now weary frame as she struggled to her feet, only to fall back down into the damp, hard ground, her body slumped and tired.

"I done as you wanted, leave Neji be…p-please?" Reina pleaded, her voice trailing off. Pein merely stared down at her the smirk having disappeared from his face; she had tied herself to a rogue ninja all in aid to ensure her fellow ninja would be safe. He admired her dedication even if it was foolish.

"Very well. Now seeing that you are to aid us, think of us as your honorary hosts until the mission is completed." Pein murmured looking to Itachi who was now stood, his cloak back on and buttoned up. "Itachi, she is to stay with you, Kisame is more likely to kill her than make use of her skills, take her to your quarters and clean her up before your mission." Itachi nodded and bowed despite his entire body feeling like someone had rang him out like a dirty dish rag; satisfied that the young Hitori heiress was going to cooperate and not be a hindrance, Pein disappeared from the shadow filled cave.

Itachi exhaled deeply, feeling his lungs stretch before shrinking to their regular size as he ran his fingers through his hair clearing it from his face. He glanced down at Reina, who was shakily pushing herself up once more, her tattered clothes even filthier and more frayed.

"Reina-chan." He murmured, holding out his hand to her. Reina glimpsed up at him, her eyes no longer their gold ore shade, now they were more of a burnt orange and slightly clouded; she said nothing but took his hand begrudging his strength when she was unable to stand without aid. Itachi grasped her hand gently, noting how small it was compared to his own weathered hand as he helped her up.

"Arigatou." She mumbled, steadying herself as her knees quivered slightly.

"Can you walk?" Itachi asked, eyeing her closely as she merely stared at the floor avoiding his gaze. She nodded and cradled her arm, it crossed across her torso in an almost defensive position. Itachi nodded and began leading her around the base once more, occasionally glancing back to keep tabs on her; Reina followed obediently, feeling her spirit broken and her determination dwindling.

Reina squinted her eyes as everything around her continued to become fuzzy, occasionally blacking out in patches she blinked and rubbed her eyes simply putting it down to exhaustion. Itachi guided her to his quarters, the unadorned room exactly that: a plain room with bare walls and the necessities to get by. Itachi motioned for Reina to enter before him, shutting and locking the sturdy looking door shut behind them- Reina stood awkwardly in the middle of the room resembling a lost child.

"There is a washroom just through there, clean yourself up and I'll get you your things." Itachi spoke softly as he shrugged his cloak off and hung it on a nail on the back of the door, his frame surprisingly slack and at ease compared to his usually stern posture.

"Where?" Reina whispered, her tone laced with slight confusion. Itachi quirked a brow unsure whether she heard him correctly, or whether she heard him at all.

"Through the door there Reina-chan." He repeated as he untied his headband from his head, relishing the freedom from the blasted thing. Reina nodded, a vacant look on her face as her eyes darted about the room frantically before panic set across her features.

"I-Itachi-san…I can't see where you mean…In fact…I can't see at all." Reina stuttered, her lips parted in alarm as her arms spread out in front of her attempting to feel an image for herself. Itachi frowned, the lines under his eyes accentuated as he stepped towards her before he realised: his own vision was crystal clear.

"Let me see Reina-chan." Itachi murmured softly in attempt to calm the panicky kunoichi, he outstretched his hand, carefully grasping hers once more and guided her to the bed the occupied the corner of the room, gently sitting her on the edge as he perched beside her. Reina shuddered anxiously at being so close to the elder Uchiha after all she was still merely a prisoner and pawn in the Akatsuki's plan.

Itachi gently held her face in his hands as he inspected her eyes, his own widening in shock at what he saw.

There in the young kunoichi's orbs was his Sharingan, a perfect copy.

"What is it? It's from the indenture isn't it? I can feel the chakra behind my eyes pulsating…" She whispered, before tearing her face from his hands and coughing violently, just like he had done back in the cave; Reina hunched over as the fit of coughs continued aggressively. Itachi looked down at her sympathetically, having not being able to see this clearly in many years, it was something he missed if he were to admit it.

Reina continued to cough, her throat raw from wrenching the air from her lungs; she hadn't realised the indenture would have had such an effect on the pair, but she had a feeling what had happened.

His ailments had been transferred.

Itachi knew there was nothing he could do for her, it was a matter of waiting out the fits; he too had realised the extent of the indenture, the transference of their hereditary skills and physical ailments. But what he didn't know was how long the transference would last, if it was a permanent state or a passing occurrence.

"W-What is it…Sarcoidosis?" Reina muttered, wiping the specks of blood from her lips with her sleeve, her voice hoarse and tired as her throat burned as if she had walked across Suna with no water. Itachi's now golden eyes widened, no one ever knowing about his condition before now; he grit his teeth and took hold of her by the throat, pushing her back into the bed and hissing lowly.

"You tell no one, do you hear me, tell anyone and I'll kill you." Reina winced under his grip, as she looked up from where his voice came from, her blood-red eyes filled with disappointment.

"That sounds like something Sasuke would say…" She mused, carefully placing her hand over his on her throat and peeling it away gently. "I thought you knew me better than that Itachi-san." Itachi watched her closely with his newly acquired vision, now being able to see her pale features as clear as day. He nodded and resumed his place beside her, hearing her sit up, the bed squeaking under their weight.

"Now can you guide me to the washroom please Itachi-san, I'd like to try and clean the filth and disgust off of me." Reina muttered, her tone filled with the same repugnance she wished to wash from her tired and weary frame. Itachi glanced at her and went to take her hand, their skin brushing for mere milliseconds before she recoiled sharply.

"Don't touch me. Just tell me which direction and how many steps." Reina spat curtly holding her hands up in front of her defensively, emphasising her repulsion and frustration. Itachi stared blankly from her and then elsewhere idly before speaking nonchalantly.

"Stand up, turn right and then take ten paces, you'll find the washroom. Your things will be waiting." Reina nodded and stood from the bed, doing exactly as he said and walking towards the washroom, her arms outstretched in case of oncoming obstacles. Itachi studied her closely with his new unblemished vision noting how she had certainly grown up since their last meeting all those years ago, it came as no surprise to him that she held feelings for the Hyuuga male for they were inseparable over the years.

He continued to watch her stumble towards the washroom, it obvious that her strength was near diminished; Reina turned around to shut the washroom door, her temporary Sharingan burning brightly, he knew she couldn't see him yet she simply stared at him for a few moments before shutting the door silently.

Reina leaned against the door, slumping her head against the wood silently. She closed her eyes and permitted herself a few moments of silence, the constant static buzzing away in her head once more. She could not quite get her head around the everything, from merely searching for the Kojiki to meeting the young Uchiha rogue to end up sealing a forbidden contract with his elder brother.

If Sasuke was ever to find out…he'd probably kill her too as part of his revenge.

"Reina you stupid, foolish girl." She muttered to herself, angry that she could not evade them.

Maybe Atsushi was right, I'm a pitiful ninja…

Reina grit her teeth together, refusing to let herself cry and appear weak. She was going to get out of this thing alive and withthe mirror, if the legendary item even existed. Surely the leader knew it was simply a thing of myth and could not possibly exist? There was only one way to find out.

Pulling herself from her thoughts Reina outspread her arms once more and felt about the almost claustrophobic room, managing to find the bathtub. By now her vision was not completely blank, it was more of a multitude of blobs and multi-coloured hazes; this was what it was like to see the world through the eyes of the infamous Itachi Uchiha: a blurred world with nothing but patches of dark and the occasional beam of light.

So the great Itachi Uchiha was ill and probably had been at the time of the massacre, Reina pondered as she managed to turn the tap of the rickety sounding bath. As the water sputtered from the faucet Reina searched about the bathroom for towels and anything that would rid her of the dirt and blood that inhabited her body.

Itachi was never a violent child, he was quite the opposite despite being an elite ninja, if anything he was in the profession for the wrong reasons. Reina remembered how he was before the massacre, he idolised Sasuke and often had a small smile plastered on his lips, so surely killers do not appear overnight? She had heard rumours about changes in his behaviour, speaking out in clan meetings and becoming more secretive; but surely he knew he was above the rest and no one within the clan could possibly challenge him, so why say he was testing his skills?

It didn't make sense in her eyes, but at that moment in time she was too tired to pick apart her thoughts any further.

Reina dipped her hand into the bathtub, swishing her hand about the hot water causing the liquid to ripple and splash against her skin- the warm water was pure bliss. Switching the water off Reina scrutinised the room before feeling comfortable with peeling her dirt covered clothes from her aching frame, her pale skin covered in bruises and dried blood. Her clothes fell to the floor in a quiet slump as she stepped into the tub and slid into the water gratefully; she sighed softly and cupped water, allowing the tepid liquid to glide over her happily.

Reina slid beneath the warm water, completely submerging herself; she held her breath and opened her eyes beneath the murky water, it matching her impaired vision. Small bubbles escaped her lips as her lungs attempted to ease the pressure they were under; Reina remained under the water for a few moments before resurfacing, and washing quickly to remove the blood and dirt from her battered body.

But no matter how hard she scrubbed at her bruised skin the guilt and shame that was layered there simply refused to leave. What would her grandmother say if she found out? She would be the disgrace of the entire clan, giving Atsushi another reason to tarnish her name. By now her skin was red raw and stinging harshly yet the disgust she felt was still as strong as ever.

Reina allowed her eyes to close and permitted herself some peace from her thoughts; she leaned over the side of the tub, her body slumped against the side as she folded her arms and used them as makeshift pillows. It was almost instantaneously that she fell asleep, her haunted thoughts once filled with self-loathing and abhorrence now blank and finally tranquil.

Itachi Uchiha was a patient man, the epitome of patience in fact. He had endured years of pointless violence all without uttering a word of disapproval or hesitation. But now he was tired, he had been waiting for the Hitori heiress to come out of the washroom for nearly half an hour now. He sighed and sat up from his space on the bed, the Kojiki remaining in his place; for the past half an hour he had marvelled at the writing with the book, its scriptures detailed and brimming with traditions of the past. Inwardly he admitted that his new found sight was certainly a treat, some people take for granted their view of the world, not realising how saddening it is to not behold nature's full beauty after Mother Nature had strived for its perfection.

"Reina-chan?" Itachi murmured softly, rapping his knuckles on the door.

No reply.

Thinking the worse he reached for the door handle only to be met with the nuts and bolts of the mechanism rattling away as it continued to block his way. It was then he felt the strangest sensation, slowly the wood of the door began to absorb his hand, his individual fingers sinking into the grain hungrily.

This was the doing of the indenture.

Curious of his impermanent abilities Itachi pressed on further, his arm passing through the door before he too stepped through the door, a sense of permeable weightless overcoming his body. This is what it felt like to have the soujuu kekkai genkai, to be completely at one with the elements and molecular compounds that surrounded you. Once through the door his expression softened at what he saw, there fast asleep was Reina; her exposed back contrasting to the dark metal of the tub.

It was then he noticed two things. One made his lips twitch into the faintest of smiles, the other; the other wiped the brief smile off his face immediately. He would consider asking her about it one day, but now, now he needed to wake the sleeping beauty without seeming like a pervert.

He sighed quietly and unfolded a nearby towel from the basin, holding it out in front of him and calling her name with closed eyes.

"Reina-chan, you need to get out otherwise you'll catch pneumonia."

Reina's eyes shot open, her now stoma-less orbs wide in shock. She immediately wrapped her arms around herself in embarrassment, a slight tremor of fear inhabiting her expression.

"What on earth are you doing in here?!" She muttered, her cheeks flushing a deep scarlet almost matching her eyes; Itachi's eyes remained closed, the towel still extended in his arms.

"Like I said, you'll catch pneumonia…Now come, we have to rest before the mission tomorrow."

Reina eyed him conspicuously before deciding upon moving; wearily she stood from the comforts of the warm water and stealthily wrapped the towel around her, clutching it to her chest as if her life depended on it. But Itachi did not open his eyes once, instead he merely turned around and disappeared from the room as silently as he came; Reina sighed out in relief, having not known just what to expect, the worst thoughts running through her head.

Stepping out of the tub and quickly drying she noticed something which brought the feeblest of smiles to her lips. There, extended through the closed door was the arm of Itachi, a bundle of clean clothes in his hand. Perhaps he wasn't the ruthless villain everyone made him out to be, or perhaps he was.

But one thing she was sure about was that Itachi Uchiha still had manners.

Of sorts.