Mirror, mirror.
In the view of evolutionary psychology, "the mind is a set of information-processing machines that were designed by natural selection to solve adaptive problems faced by our hunter–gatherer ancestors." It was a matter of fight or flight, die or survive. Reina had seen the impact death had on people, the subdued nature of a once fiery persona, their light extinguished by one single event. The same could be said about her current turn of events; Reina had to survive this ordeal, she had to get back to her Grandmother and her family. She was determined to shine a light on her Uncle's misconducts, to prove to the world what a villain he actually was.
Villain.
Reina had been spending a lot of time with those in that category in fact all of her time had been spent with those people. But to her surprise they went about their day to day routines like everyone else, Reina half expected them to be like the antagonists she had read about in fiction. Yes, the Akatsuki had the dark cloaks and villainous characters that was a given and well known in shinobi world. Yet having spent time with a so-called villain, Reina began to realise that he wasn't actually that heinous.
Reina knew of the crimes Itachi Uchiha had committed all those years ago, but she would not label him as evil incarnate. That was reserved for those who lacked any form of empathy and were devoid of any human compassion. Reina had found that the eldest Uchiha did not fit into that category, he had been compassionate in his own, individual way. It was a bizarrely comforting thing she had found, it was ironic that her captor had become her confidant and knew things only her Grandfather had known.
Things were turning out stranger than she could have ever imagined.
The night had be long and arduous, sharing a futon with your jailer was nerve-racking to say the least; every small touch or brush of skin made her senses jump on hyper alert. Many a time Reina had heard Itachi rouse and enter the water closet, a wave of coughs echoing behind closed doors. She too experienced it, the indenture most definitely binding more than their chakra; the lesser fits of coughs were nowhere near as severe as his, yet it was enough to make her throat raw and her eyes water.
Kisame had returned for the night during the early hours, the aroma of sake floating into the room as he flopped ungracefully onto the nearby futon, a low grunt passing his lips as he fell into an alcohol induced inertia.
The sun had barely risen over the horizon and Reina was up, her side of the futon made neatly leaving a peacefully slumbering Itachi in his place. Reina dressed quickly and slipped through the patterned shoji screens silently, the Kojiki and satchel cradled in her arms as she made herself comfortable on the wooden porch outside. The air was chilly, nipping at her skin and causing it to tinge pink as she huddled her clothes closer around her.
Reina sighed softly, her breathe appearing then disappearing almost instantly in the air; she admired the withered binding of the Kojiki not being able to believe that this artefact is the reason she is here. If she hadn't been lecturing that night, how things may have panned out differently. She could be back home, snug in her bed for another few hours before having to head to the academy to teach, not await orders from the Uchiha clan killer and the monster hidden of the mist.
It was as if the latter of the two had heard her thoughts as he slid through the screen doors, groggily stretching and yawning casually. Reina stared up at him, silently musing as he winced and cursed at the sunlight that invaded his vision.
"Urgh…too early." Kisame muttered as he took a spot opposite Reina, leaning against the foundation post of the porch, one arm swathed over his knee leisurely. Reina watched him silently, not entirely sure what to make of the situation at hand; Kisame groaned quietly, it obvious to Reina just why he was so susceptible to harsh light.
Kisame Hoshigaki was hung over.
Reina smiled and allowed a quiet laugh to pass her lips, it earning her a confused and slightly curious look from the shark like man.
"Aspirin Kisame-san? From the amount of alcohol in your system…you probably need it." She smiled sympathetically, routing out a small jar and offering it to him; Kisame blinked before smirking and taking the jar from her, a low bellow of a chuckle rumbling in his throat. Kisame popped the lid from the jar and swallowed two of the tiny pills before watching the now silently reading kunoichi. He was no fool, perhaps he was not on par intelligence wise with his partner, but he was no idiot.
"You're lucky, do you know that girl?" Kisame mumbled nonchalantly, this catching Reina's attention, she glanced up, setting the Kojiki down in her lap carefully.
"I know." She murmured softly, her eyes meeting his beady ones and nodding a little. Kisame quirked a brow in wonder having expected her to ask why, not merely agree with his statement.
"Oh? But you don't know in what manner I meant it." He retorted, a wry smirk winding onto his scaly features; Reina tilted her head slightly, leaning her head against the post before replying.
"I'm still alive am I not? By some stroke of fate I'm still alive…I'd call that lucky Kisame-san, considering my circumstances." Reina smiled faintly, folding her hands in her lap, the past weeks replaying like a film in her head. Kisame stared at her incredulously, this girl was most definitely anomalous, but it would seem that it was her peculiar persona and ability to adapt that was keeping her alive.
And the fact that Itachi Uchiha had a strange enthrallment with her.
The room was considerably dark despite the time, it was the early morning as the sun was barely above the horizon. The darkness in the room conveyed the general and typical ambience of the people that inhabited it; the occasional ray of light would pierce the room, sporadic in fact.
Sasuke Uchiha was a woeful young man, his eyes dark and dulled; whatever sparkle they once had, had been diminished indefinitely and replaced with a futile want for revenge, fuelled by hatred and pure animosity.
He was unrecognisable.
Sasuke lay on his side staring vacantly at the unpatented shoji door, the screen reflecting his blank expression which was ironic as the previous day's events had been eventful to say the least. Team Hebi had encountered the blonde artist Deidara, his own life coming to an ironic bang at the end of the fight against the younger Uchiha, who truthfully, although victorious did not come out unscathed.
Right now it wasn't merely his physical state that was scathed, it was his pride too. He barely came out of the battle, the blonde's suicide technique catching him in the blast. If he could barely escape that battle how was he to survive the showdown against Itachi? Sasuke snarled silently to himself, his face scrunching up in utter disgust; he would kill that murderous bastard, there was no losing when it came to that. He would avenge his clan.
Sasuke's rolled onto his back, one arm swathed over his bandaged torso, his free hand gripping the small metal tomato from his last encounter with the Hitori heiress. He had underestimated her as she had certainly grown since their younger days; admittedly they were not the best of friends, mere acquaintances through mutual ties of their clans. But it was not only her abilities that had changed but her appearance too; the last time he saw her, her eyes glowed a soft gold yet when she was young her eyes matched her hair, the dark shades of brown and hazel merging into one another.
Perhaps it was her kekkai genkai? He grunted lowly in discomfort, his body shouting out in pain whilst his mind wandered to his own bloodline; he would obtain the mangekyō sharingan by any means possible. He would dispose of anyone who stood in his way no matter who they were and no matter of their past relation to them. He would obliterate any traces of them if they opposed him.
That went for Reina Hitori too.
Sasuke held up the metal tomato and studied it idly remarking the craftsmanship of the object, its calibre matching that of the finest blacksmith's, he noted how her chakra residue remained on the object, it giving off the faintest of dossiers as if her chakra had moulded with the steel itself.
She was one to watch.
His idle thoughts drifted to Karin, the slightly neurotic kunoichi, wondering if she could tell him more about the young kunoichi's chakra abilities as they could prove useful in the near future. Sasuke allowed a quiet sigh to pass his pallid lips once more, his breathes slightly ragged and the lids of his eyes feeling like lead curtains as he struggled to keep them open any longer. He finally gave into the slumber that his body craved, the sandman's job easier than he thought as the young avenger fell into what would seem a well-earned sleep.
It's said that woman's job is never done: fact.
The same could be said for Karin. It was hard being a love-struck [neurotically obsessive] young woman as well as a self-empowered kunoichi that was travelling with the cause of her love-stricken state. Sasuke Uchiha. Karin adored the raven haired male, everything about him oozed power and sex appeal; she had heard rumours of his elder brother's looks but surely they couldn't compare to her Sasuke.
No one could- it was impossible.
Clutching her beloved's sweat drenched shirt Karin trudged through the crowded streets, expertly weaving in and out people as she headed towards the apothecary.
Damn Suigetsu and Jūgo standing in the way ofmySasuke-kun.
She goaded exasperatedly. If it were not for that pair of imbeciles she could be skin to skin with the Uchiha heir, his snowy skin chafing in frivolous friction against her own. But no, no instead she was sent into town for supplies and was left with a souvenir of something that had only happened in her mind. 'Numerous times' she added with a slightly perverse chuckle rumbling past her lips as she brought the perspiration ridden shirt to her nose inhaling the scent deeply.
It was as if the gods had created a sweet smelling nectar and bottled it in the form of Sasuke Uchiha; even his chakra had a particular scent which was oh so appealing and delectable, Karin couldn't get enough of him and the day he chose to restart his clan, she would be first in line. Karin continued to cling onto the tattered and torn shirt for dear life as if her life depended on that very item as she continued to wade through the sea of people, her nose turned up as she unconsciously compared each person's individual chakra signature to that of her beloved.
But then there was signature that stood out from the rest of them; it was familiar yet a complete enigma to her. Being the curious young kunoichi that she was Karin pursued the chakra trail, it growing stronger and more familiar the closer she got to it. The chakra trail was different from any other she had encountered before, it was not that of a jinchuuriki, it resembled two intertwining threads of chakra as if they belonged to two individual people and were joined in a harmonious equilibrium. It intrigued her to say the least.
The mass of people that inhabited the street became even more crowded, the local market filtering the crowd into tightly cramped alleys like rats in a maze. Yet Karin continued on her self-assigned mission, sifting through the horde of haggling people; occasionally she would glare viciously at those who got too close for her liking or simply if their qi signature was not to her taste.
Karin craned her neck above the crowd as the chakra signature peaked at its strongest; it was then that she laid her eyes on the cause of the chakra.
Itachi Uchiha.
How could she have been so blind? Of course she knew that signature, hence why it was so familiar and appealing to her; the Uchiha's chakra was by far the most delectable qi she had ever encountered in her life, so it came as no surprise that Sasuke's older brother would possess the same alluring life force.
Yet something was not right, in her eyes a person's chakra appears as a single strand of thread, like the thread of fate that linked people infinitely; but his thread, no his chakra consisted of two strands that interlinked with each other, one lighter than the other. Karin stopped mere paces from the obvious Akatsuki duo pretending to idly admire a nearby kanzashi pin stall, an array of decorative hair pins littering the display stand. The spectrum of colours appealed to almost every woman- including a young woman around her age with striking gold eyes; Karin continued to falsely inspect the hairpins, occasionally glancing over at the infamous duo.
Karin then realised something spectacular and mind-boggling, the thin thread that ebbed from the elder Uchiha twisted and winded its way to the young woman that stood beside her, the thread tidied neatly around her pale, slender wrist. Karin blinked in awe, her mouth agape in shock, she had only heard rumours of chakra indentures and they were forbidden and dangerous rituals that few, if any ever lived to tell the tale.
Reina eyed the kanzashi pins avidly, a light of excitement that had once been extinguished by the perils of her mission now dancing in her gold irises; one pin in particular caught her attention, the rubicond beading glistening in the soft sunlight, she smiled knowing how her grandmother would adore such an item. But before she could make a purchase Itachi spoke from behind, his voice as impassive as ever.
"Come Reina-chan, we need to press on." He murmured lowly, casting a claret glance at Karin, she shuddered inwardly at its intensity whilst the now named girl nodded and obediently followed her raven haired counterpart. Karin continued to watch the trio as they headed off into the distance before she felt the fear creep away from her body, then a thought struck her. She could win her beloved over by giving him the location of his brother- she felt her stomach flip at the thought.
She would be his partner in crime and he would be grateful for practically delivering his brother to her. So she thought as this was Sasuke Uchiha she was fantasising about, the odds of the coal orbed avenger swooning before her feet were highly slim, verging on impossible. But like her hair, Karin had the will of fire and would not permit her determination to extinguish. The grip on her beloved's shirt tightened as she sped off back towards the dingy ryokan they called their temporary home, her strides quick and agile.
The journey back seemed so much longer than it did on the way there; Karin put it down to the anticipation, she knew just how much Sasuke wanted to face his brother, every enemy he defeated she knew he was imagining his brother dead. Karin remembered the first time she met Sasuke, he was a young and ambitious prepubescent who craved power and now…now he had achieved a state of power but his hunger for wider horizons of supremacy were insatiable.
The rickety looking ryokan came into view, the corrugated roofing acting as a pit stop for flocks of birds, the wry squawks filling the air as they fought over meagre and measly scraps. Karin could feel her heart beat rapidly against her chest from her impulsive sprint, she skidded to a halt outside their communal room, her breaths staggered and ragged as she attempted to rekindle the oxygen that had been flushed brutishly from her body. Karin inhaled deeply as if oxygen was not the only substance that she craved for, a spot of courage wouldn't go amiss as she was about to announce that Itachi Uchiha had signed a chakra indenture, thus making him stronger.
Sasuke was not going to be happy.
Karin steadied herself, her fingers digging into her palms as she squeezed them tightly; she could feel her nails almost break the skin as she urged herself to enter the deathly silent room. Gathering her thoughts and courage she opened the door, her eyes immediately landing on Sasuke who was sat up right, still fingering the metal tomato idly. Then it hit her.
"That chakra." Karin gasped, her coral eyes wide in shock as the realisation hit her almost instantaneously. Sasuke stared at her with a devoid expression on his face; Karin pointed at the metal trinket in his hand, her arm shaking slightly.
"What is it?" Sasuke muttered, his face scrunching into small snarl, wondering what on earth she was on about. Karin gulped ever so slightly before answering him, her pulse thumping away once more.
"I…I saw your brother in the market and…and that chakra, the chakra that is imprinted on that trinket was woven with his…they had pact a chakra indenture. I saw it with my own eyes…that girl and your brother…they're amalgamated…" Karin's voice faded off, her tone surprisingly weak as she eyed Sasuke suspiciously, awaiting his response.
A sudden chill filled the room, the tension building rapidly and escalating in a shadowy crescendo; Sasuke grit his teeth together as the tomato that inhabited his hand began to melt, the chidori that enveloped his hand decomposing the innocent item mercilessly. Sasuke stood, re-donning his yukata top silently as he attached his sword, the once glistening tomato resembling a contorted lump of ore as it lay sprawled on the grain of the dark floor.
"Take me to them." Sasuke muttered, his eyes flaring viciously into the infamous Sharingan.
Reina Hitori . You'll suffer the same fate ashim.
It was already midday, the sun cast her glow over the land generously, illuminating the land that the god's had strived to create; Amaterasu strew her gaze over one area in particular- the Uji Bridge. Nearby wisteria trees once again bid farewell to their petals as the harsh winter wind blew ravishing the branches causing the once flourishing tree to become less and less vivacious. The waters below flowed beneath the bridge, the waves lapping and crashing against the foundation posts that were sunk deeply into the river floor; even just from looking the waters seemed icy, ready to claim innocent lives that entered the water, accidently or not as Mother Nature was unpitying at times.
Despite its rickety looking frame, the Uji Bridge was a strong and fortified structure and just like the people of the land of fire their will was impermeable, like the bridge it may waver in places, but the other parts support the weaker, frailer portions yet stands strong as a whole.
Reina admired the craftsmanship of the bridge having only been here once before in all her years; the heels of her boots made a dull 'click' as they hit each individual plank of wood paving the sound tripling as Kisame and Itachi walked beside her. Her gut was telling her the information they sort after resided in the Ise Grand Shrine for it was the shrine dedicated the goddess herself, any information about the mirror should be there. She hoped anyway as she dared not think about the consequences if she was unable to locate the mirror.
Itachi glanced over at Reina, his stomach bubbling away with worry and anxiety, yet it was not his anxieties that brewed in the pits of his abdomen, it was hers; the indenture was proving more interesting than he could have ever imagined. The more the hours turned into days he could feel their bond strengthen on more than one level; she was his captive, his responsibility on this mission yet he found himself becoming used to her company and seemingly Kisame was also on amicable terms with the porcelain skinned kunoichi having found them conversing amiably earlier in the morning.
"Ne girl, what happens when we get to this shrine?" Kisame mused allowed as he strolled along the bridge, his arms folded behind his head in a relaxed manner, his samehada bobbing slightly with his every step. Itachi continued to watch Reina as she conversed with Kisame but something about her tone added to the bubbling concoction of apprehension in his stomach- she was unsure of what lay ahead.
"The murals and scriptures should shed light on the whereabouts of the mirror but…" Reina faded off, her eyes cast downwards in thought.
"But what?" Kisame interjected, glancing over curiously, his beady eyes watching her like a hawk. Reina sighed softly, brushing her bangs from her face before speaking, her next few words shocking the pair.
"But the mirror is supposedly heavily guarded in the realm of the underworld…" She murmured glancing at Itachi whose eyes were filled with a glimmer of disbelief but he knew she was telling the truth, Itachi knew that Reina was not lying she truly believed that, that was where the mythical mirror resided. Kisame however was oblivious to her words, cackling manically his dagger like teeth on show for all to see; Kisame patted Reina on her back, not realising his own strength she stumbled forward and smiled weakly knowing she must have sound like a complete lunatic.
"You've got to be kidding me?! Leader sent us after something that's in the underworld? Can you believe that Itachi-san?!" Kisame chortled gruffly as they continued over the bridge, the Ise Grand Shrine coming into view. Itachi and Reina continued on ahead whilst Kisame recovered from his laughing fit; Reina kept her eyes to the ground once more avoiding looking at the young Sharingan master, the thoughts of what would happen if she failed circulating around in her head like the familiar sense of static.
"Reina-chan~" Itachi murmured softly, attempting to offer rare words of comfort only to be interrupted by a loud, blood-thirsty cry, it cutting through the air like a hot knife through butter.
"ITACHI! You bastard!"
It was Sasuke.
Reina gasped softly, turning sharply and gazing into the distance from whence the almost battle cry had come from. Sasuke was livid. His eyes lit up, the Sharingan blazing fiercely as he sprinted towards them, the rest of his team following closely behind him. It was then Reina realised that Sasuke's red haired female companion was the very same young woman from the market stall.
She is the one who told him.
Reina pondered silently, unconsciously leaning closer to the elder of the brothers almost in shame of her alliance; Itachi stood in front of Reina, sheltering her from the rancorous glare of Sasuke as he continued across the bridge, edging closer and closer to them his sword drawn and crackling as his chidori flowed through the razor like steel. Sasuke skidded to a halt mere metres away, the demon of mist coming between him and his goal; Kisame smirked darkly as he unsheathed his own sword, handling the large legendary sword with one hand with apparent ease.
"Itachi-san, you head on with the girl. I'll see to these brats." Kisame chortled menacingly as he glanced back at his partner in reassurance. Sasuke growled impatiently as he alternated his glare back and forth between Reina and Itachi, it as venomous as the snakes he summoned; his gazed lingered on Reina it now as clear as day that she had indeed joined her chakra with his bastard brother's. But why? Why would she lower herself to such a thing? And to him of all people?
He couldn't fathom why, but it angered him to his very core.
Reina stared sympathetically from her position, her golden eyes full of unspoken apologies aimed at the young avenger; for some reason she felt like she had betrayed him, until now his hatred had been solely aimed at his brother, but now…but now she could feel it was aimed at her too…and she couldn't take it.
"Itachi-san let's leave please, there is no need for bloodshed here." Reina pleaded softly as she gently grabbed the sleeve of his cloak urging him to heed her words; even seeing this small act of interaction between the pair angered Sasuke even further. Itachi's eyes had not left his brother since he had heard him approach, with his new found sight he took in his brother's appearance. He had grown since their last encounter, his eyes and heart both consumed with darkness and hatred; it saddened Itachi to see such a drastic change in Sasuke, but he knew it was for the best, it would all be worthwhile in the end.
Reina exhaled in discomfort, tugging on Itachi's sleeve imploringly and breaking his self-inflicted trance; Itachi nodded and turned his back on his brother once more knowing that it would not be long before they met again.
"Don't you walk away from me you bastard!" Sasuke snarled ferociously, edging forward and preparing to dart after the pair only to find his path blocked by a grinning Kisame.
"I don't think so kid." Kisame crooned. Sasuke simply growled once more, his eyes meeting one last time with Reina's as she whispered almost silently.
"Gomenasai Sasuke." Reina gazed at him seemingly begging for his pardon before turning and following Itachi up the moss ridden steps of the shrine, their cloaks flowing in the wind. Reina bit her still split lip slightly as she continued to climb the steps, refusing to look back knowing her conscience would once again torture her for her actions; Itachi glanced down at the silent kunoichi, her grief painted as clear as day on her freckled face. She obviously felt guilty for some reason it was evidenced in her body language, her subdued posture betraying her attempted façade.
Itachi made no attempt to console her, instead he pushed onwards they entering the inner sanctum of the shrine, the sunlight filtering in, in an array of streams. Reina glanced around the Kotaijingu, the main shrine, recalling how legend said the mirror was housed here but unless the indenture had impacted her sight to near blindness…the mirror was nowhere to be seen. Itachi watched silently as she walked about the surprisingly empty shrine, the walls adorned with decorative murals of the sun goddess herself as well as the tale of her ascension.
"How do we locate the mirror Reina-chan if what you say is true?" Itachi murmured lowly mimicking her footsteps as they explored every nook and cranny of the hall; Reina glanced back at him wordless motioning for him to follow her into the courtyard of the shrine. There in the middle of the sand ridden courtyard was a small wooden bridge, the end of the bridge meeting a large circular archway, decorated with numerous, intricate carvings.
"Legend has it that the entrance to the underworld was sealed off by Izanagi upon his flight from Yomi, at which time he permanently blocked the entrance by placing a massive boulder at the entrance upon his return to Ashihara-no-Nakatsukuni." Reina paused eyeing the bridge and archway closely, a certain area standing out in particular; Itachi listened attentively, having heard that tale when he was younger unable to believe that he may actually encounter the mythical realm.
"Yet…the myth also states that the boulder blocked the path to Yomi and we are obviously not at the foot of a mountain…" Reina added, a wry smile dancing on her lip faintly; Itachi nodded and patiently waited for her to get to her point, observing closely as she approached the archway.
"But death has many doors Itachi-san, for it is a greedy and unrelenting force…" She whispered knowing all too well the impact death can have, they both did. Reina gazed at Itachi, her usually cheery disposition hardening as the reality of the situation kicked in. "Itachi-san if we are to carry on? I need my katana, the things we could encounter there are…evil incarnate and purifying the sword may prove lifesaving…" She murmured, her eyes portraying the seriousness of her words. Itachi considered her words, she had cooperated without defiance allowing her to arm herself and fend for herself would be the intelligent thing to do.
The pair knelt beside a small running waterfall, the stream flowing from the Isuzu River, the mosogi purification ritual was normally performed under a waterfall, the person being purified standing beneath the current of the water, but they were pressed for time. Reina could hear the commotion from the bridge escalating, before long Sasuke could be upon them and she couldn't bear to see the brothers fight before her very eyes. The silent pair cupped the water and both dribbled the somewhat sacred water along the blade watching as the droplets slid effortlessly from the blade's edge.
Reina closed her eyes and inhaled deeply preparing herself for what could be on the bumpy road ahead; whatever lay on the other side of the gateway would be perilous and she wasn't sure if they would even make it out alive. She was only human after all, unlike her silent counterpart she was not numb to the ways of the world, fear was still an imminent factor in her life and unlike him her emotions were still intact. Itachi watched Reina from his spot beside her, feeling her pulse quicken as she attempted to calm herself; surprisingly softly he reached out and grasped her shoulder, his thumb grazing almost tenderly over her collarbone.
"Reina-chan, it will be alright." He murmured with a slight hint of warmth to his voice, the usual impassive murmur no longer there. Reina jumped slightly, her eyes wide at his tone and words of comfort, an involuntary shiver rolling through her entire body from the meagre touch. She parted her lips to reply to his ostensible words of kindness only to jump up quickly, her katana at hand; the commotion had moved from the bridge and Sasuke's snarls and tweets of his chidori were closing nearer.
"Do you trust me Itachi-san?" Reina asked, her words rushed as the crashes and bangs grew louder and more violent; Itachi gazed at her, scarlet meeting gold before he nodded. Deep down he did, she had given him a piece of his life back that he thought he would never have again and was willing to risk her life, even if it was for the wrong reasons. Reina nodded and tied her katana to her side tightly, her head snapping back as Sasuke skidded through the doorway, his sharingan ablaze in blind fury.
Reina gasped silently before lacing her hand with Itachi's, the ring on his finger grazing her skin as she tugged him towards the gateway; she concentrated, their combined chakra flowing and enveloping their bodies in perfect harmony. She took once last glance back at Itachi who squeezed her hand ever so lightly as they ran towards the gateway before the pair of them reached into the seemingly vacant entrance, their bodies melting into nothingness and disappeared beyond the gateway.
They were joined in unholy matrimony, bound for eternity.
They were the damned.
And they had entered the world of the damned and forsaken together.