Mirror, mirror.
Death is stern master.
Like its counterpart Lady Luck her mood influences the entire world, one putrid disposition and the entire population suffers beneath her fury, their souls leaving their earthly bound shells to begin their journey to land of the dead.
The underworld.
Earthbound friends and relatives hope the best for their deceased loved ones, imagining them amongst a land of tranquillity and endless cordiality. But no matter how many times they prayed for their lost souls to the ever watching gods, it would not change the finality of things that death was final and the underworld was not made of sunshine and bountiful rice fields.
It was made of death itself.
Radiating despair and pure gloom, the wandering souls left to their own accord amongst the wretched lands of Yomi whilst the gods watched from their divine seats in Takama-ga-hara, otherwise known as the Plain of High Heaven. Yet there was one god who remained in the cursed lands of Yomi and that was Izanami no Mikoto. Abandoned by her husband after eating the execrable fruit of the damned, she would spend eternity dwelling amongst sinners and the forsaken whilst her husband would dwell with their children in the sunlit skies.
The land itself was also dead, nothing grew or flourished and what did exist was rotten, through and through. One bite from the posing food would leave a person perpetually chained, they forbidden to leave and return from whence they came. They were the prisoners of the shinigami's and the other horrifying beings that inhabited in the shadows, their cruelness and tyranny indescribable that no soul dared to utter a single syllable during their everlasting and pain ridden sentence.
There are many types of pain, both inflicting dreadful abrasions upon the heart, be they physical or emotional, the pain chipping away tiny fragments before long the overworked muscle is rendered useless and marred. Reina winced inaudibly, her teeth grinding together as she tugged the fabric of her torn cloak tighter, the bindings around her abdomen jerking around her pale waist beneath her torn and shredded shirt.
Itachi watched silently, his own cloak incapable of being worn after being clawed to smithereens by the hell scorned ningyo; he studied Reina's frame closely, she was a curvaceous young woman, puberty had certainly been kind to her. His eyes lingered on an area of skin that had once made his lips twitch into the faintest of smiles; there along her pale side where her shredded shirt did not cover was a delicate tattoo. The scripture along her ribs was unreadable from a distance, but lately his curiosity about the young woman led him speak aloud about these little oddities.
"What does it say?" Itachi murmured as he perched on a moss covered rock, motioning to her ribs with an inclination of his head. Reina looked up, her hair straggling over her shoulders as she glanced down and gently outlined her ribs, the torn and mud ridden fabric shredded.
"When evening mist rises from the reed leaves, in the chill dusk, I'll think of you." Reina murmured softly, her golden orbs never leaving his as she spoke; Itachi nodded somewhat in approval appreciating her taste in poetry. It was then he noted the three surrounding cherry blossoms that ebbed around the scripture, Reina smiled a little watching as his eyes took in her inked skin. "Two for my parents and one for my Grandfather." She murmured quietly her own eyes lingering on his own inked skin, the ANBU sign standing out against his chalky exterior.
Itachi nodded remembering in their past years the funeral of her Grandfather, he was a kind and gentle soul just like herself; perhaps it was an Hitori trait to have golden hearts just like their eyes. Reina glanced at the katana that inhabited her hands, her thoughts swirling about before she stood before him, the katana presented in her open hands.
"You should take it Itachi-san. You are best suited having trained with such a weapon at a higher, more advanced level." Reina smiled warmly, knowing she was right, given a time where they would encounter such beings, Itachi wielding the katana could prove the factor that came between life and death. Itachi simply stared at her incredulously, this girl simply continued to surprise him, a feat not easily achieved. Reina urged him to take it, her lips twitching as he reached out his hand, his fingers grazing over the patent ebony scabbard, it having been near a decade since he handled such a blade.
"How will you defend yourself?" He susurrated lowly, glancing up to meet her gaze, his almost hesitant.
"I have my ways, don't you worry Itachi-san. So please?" Reina asked again, her smile lingering as he finally grasped the sword and bowed ever so slightly.
"Arigatou Reina-chan." Itachi replied, returning to his full height and donning the blade. Reina returned the low bow before hearing the placid water break and the tides ripple upon the shore. Both ninja turned, their chakra flaring in an instinctive manner as the funayūrei began to take form from the death stained waters themselves, their forms were ragged and their faces hollowed from years of torment.
Reina stepped towards the forming funayūrei kneeling at the water's edge.
"Reina~" Itachi started only to be stopped with a soft glance which he returned with a single nod.
Reina stayed kneeling as the waters lapped further and further up the shore, the funayūrei edging closer before they stopped mere paces away. Reina bowed lowly, her arms outstretched in front of her, the water caressing her blood and dirt stained skin. The funayūrei returned the bow much to Itachi's surprise; he watched silently, the blade at his side ready to intervene.
"We have waited many millennia to fulfil our revenge and we thank you. You spilt the blood of the old one and freed our souls, and for that we wish to repay you." The funayūrei spoke, the woe stricken appearance channelling in their dreary and sombre voices; Reina gazed at them silently as they reached into the waves, her eyes flittering with inquisitiveness. Itachi's eyes widened a little as they pulled an item from the murky waters and presented it to Reina, her eyes widened in surprise as the funayūrei handed her a crafted bow, its craftsmanship unlike any other she had seen before.
"We give this to you so you may continue on your journey and wish you safe passage." The funayūrei bowed once more before they dispersed back into the water leaving the pair awestruck. Reina stood from the muddy shore as she admired the bow intently, her muddy fingers barely touching the engravings as not wanting to dirty the pristine pattern. Itachi stared blankly the question that was begging to pass his lips written on his face.
"I don't need arrows." Reina glanced up at him, a smile dancing on her lips as if she was holding back an amused secret. Itachi quirked a brow and nodded, taking her word as she donned the bow, the string slung across her chest along with the satchel strap. But the smile soon disappeared from her peachy lips as realisation soon crashed upon once more; they were in the underworld and had to enter into its heartland.
And she knew what lay ahead of them.
"Where to now?" Itachi asked giving her a moment to calm her thoughts feeling that familiar sense of apprehension beginning to build in his stomach. Reina was broken from her thoughts by his words; she shook her head lightly, breaking her daze before answering the silent Uchiha as she re-tied her hair in a ponytail, her straggled locks falling between her shoulder blades.
"To Onogoro Island. It's rumoured the mirror lies in the inner sanctum of the Oujou Palace, the place where Izanagi and Izanami performed their courtship ritual." Reina spoke, the information passing her lips as if she was reading it from a text book; Itachi nodded trusting her words as they began to head along the winding road, the forest becoming less dense and adapting a more mountainous like feature.
The pair continued to trudge along the pebble dashed road, the greenery that once inhabited the landscape thinning out as the gargantuan mouth of a shadowy cave greeted them. Itachi glanced over to Reina questionably, she nodded silently, inhaling deeply before heading in first, the large cave face that first greeted them beginning to become more narrow and constricted. Admittedly Reina was the nimblest of the duo, sliding through the claustrophobic passageways as Itachi followed, the handle of his katana and handle of her bow grazing the water soaked cave walls and crying out slightly.
Then the walls began to tremble and makeshift floor began to shake.
Reina's eyes widened feeling the walls quaking beneath her hands as they continued to squeeze along the crevice of the cave, the crevice so constricted that the walls pressed heavily against their chest. Itachi pressed on behind, their bodies occasionally brushing against each other as they struggled through the tight fitting fissure.
"Take my hand." Reina murmured urgently, glancing over her shoulder at Itachi, it was strange to hear her normally placid voice so firm but he complied reaching out into the dark and grasping her hand, inwardly jumping at feeling a spark flicker between their skin before a familiar feeling began to ebb around his body. Reina gasped inaudibly feeling the small volt pass between their skin before grasping his hand firmly and beginning to concentrate, the cells of their body adapting and changing to become permeable as they moved quicker along the crevice-way, the shakes becoming bigger and more violent. Suddenly, rubble and stone fragments began to shower the pair, the gravel passing through their bodies as if they weren't there.
After what seemed like miles of hindered walkway the pair emerged from the cranny and were greeted by wide chasm, the chilly air nipping viciously at their exposed skin. Stalagmites and stalactites draped the entire cave as if reaching out to claw people passing by, the cave radiated doom and gloom as critters and ghouls lurked in the dark abyss. Reina looked about but was greeted by darkness, she couldn't even see her hand in front of her face. Even with his newly sharpened vision Itachi could not see into the thick blackness, he could only feel the heat of Reina's body close to his as the iciness of the cave attempted to come between them and smother any form of warmth.
It was then Itachi witnessed another strand of Reina's kekkai genkai, he could feel her chakra flair ever so indistinctly as if it were not effort at all; a faint spark flickered on a nearby stalactite, the sulphur that inhabited the wet rock igniting effortlessly, emitting a pale blue glow as it lit the cave faintly, giving off a faded warmth.But another source of warmth enveloped his body; Itachi narrowed his eyes feeling an odd sensation crawl over the skin of his abdomen.
Then he felt it.
Itachi reached underneath his shirt only to be met with a tepid liquid oozing from his skin.
It was blood. Reina's eyes widened, that familiar particle filling the air; she turned curtly in the direction of Itachi sensing the blood exuding from his abdomen. She reached out into the darkness, her fingers grasping at his shirt using it as a guide to edge closer to him; Itachi stiffened at her touch before relaxing as she edged closer, the pair now merely breathes away. Carefully Reina let her fingers slip beneath the fabric of his shirt, her hands cold to his flaming skin; Itachi made no effort to stop her, fascinated how protective she was towards him. The gods were most definitely smiling upon him when they entwined their paths together.
Reina peeled away the soaked fabric, her eyes widening at what they saw in the pale light: there etched into his pale skin was the wound the ningyo inflicted upon her. With doe-like eyes Reina stared up at Itachi, her lips parted in shock and slight fear; Itachi gazed back with an impassive reassurance lingering in his eyes. Reina bit her lower lip anxiously as she reached into her satchel and pulling out torn shreds of her cloak, silently she rolled up his shirt, gently dabbing the wound, it not as deep as the one she had received.
Itachi watched silently as she continued to dab and treat the wound, captivated by her affection towards him when he was more than capable of tending to the laceration himself. Despite the dim light he admired her features clearly, something he found himself doing more often without realising; even with her normally immaculately clean skin smeared with mud and blood she was still a beautiful young woman, one that oozed a doll-like innocence and was almost begging to be ruined and ravished. Reina wrapped her arms around Itachi's waist, a long sheath of fabric in her hands as she neatly began to wrap the wound; Itachi stood motionless his thoughts still swirling with the young woman who stood before him.
His entire body became rigid as she pulled the fabric tightly, a quiet 'gomen' passing her lips; but it was not the only reason he stiffened, unbeknownst to her, every time she passed her arms around his war-stricken body, her breasts would press against him gently, an action that would send a man wild with lust. But he was man who had no need for such emotion, yet at the back of his mind, a demon like presence egged on the impure thoughts.
It was as if the Deity of suppressed lust, Aizen Myō'ō himself was urging him forward, to claim her lips as his own and taste the sweet nectar that laced them. Little did Itachi know that, this was exactly the case, the scarlet Kami was gazing down at the star-crossed pair, incensing the dark haired male's sealed desires in the pit of his stomach as the ore orbed kunoichi neatly tied the ends of the ragged bandage, her nimble fingers occasionally brushing over his stomach in an unconsciously innocent yet sensual manner. Aizen Myō'ō stirred the rising lust in the Uchiha further like he was stirring a spicy broth, the action so simple yet yielded much more multifarious results- for they had entered into an uncharted domain, one where the impossible is possible and the stuff of human dreams was stuff of the Kami's reality.
Reina adjusted the bow of the bandage, satisfied that the indenture induced wound would not aggravate him any further, a faint smile gracing her lips as she looked up to Itachi, a strange expression plastered on his scuffed face. Itachi just stared at her, a storm of emotions brewing in his dark eyes; Reina frowned slightly unsure of what was going on in his head.
Yet something began to brew in both their stomach's the ruby Kami's wishes influencing them both, coveting them to experience that raw emotion before the dreaded world around them sucked every ounce of emotion and sentiment from their bodies all together. They simply stared at one another, the intensity of their gaze hitting a wild crescendo as the incentive grew more appealing. Itachi reached for Reina, the skin of his grazed and weapon marred hand cupping her cheek, his thumb caressing her freckle speckled skin; Reina instinctively leaned into his hand, momentarily closing her eyes and savouring the tender touch.
They both knew what was happening was the doing of something supernatural, but they couldn't help themselves, their bodies were urging them on but a part of them wanted it, a small selfish ember that was begging to be ignited at any given moment. Reina opened her eyes, once more gazing at Itachi, the tension beginning to coat the air like a thick, glutinous syrup. Itachi slid his hand from her cheek, his fingers tugging the bobble from her hair, allowing it to fall freely before grasping the bow and lifting it over her head, the item falling to the floor with a dull thud before he tangled his fingers in her chocolate locks, cupping the nape of her neck. Reina could feel her heart thump rapidly in her chest, as if it was hitting every rib and ricocheting off in random directions.
With his free arm, Itachi shrugged off the katana, it too crashing to the floor before he tugged Reina close, holding her close as humanly possible in a possessive manner, memories of Deidara's tribulations fuelling the growing flame in his stomach. Reina barely allowed a breath to pass her lips as she held onto his shirt, the dim light, illuminating his features lowly; Itachi breathed slowly and deeply as the gap between their lips began to grow smaller until their breaths mingled in an array of emotions. Aizen Myō'ō smiled upon the pair from his place in the divine fields, satisfied with his divine intervention. By now the pair were nose to nose, their breathes quivering with desire; Reina gulped silently feeling his grip around her waist and hair tighten a little.
Itachi grazed his nose against hers, their lips brushing accidently both jolting as the familiar spark ignited upon their lips; Reina gasped quietly involuntarily snatching the breath from his mouth. Itachi couldn't stand it any longer, her lips were his for taking, his to claim with his own.
He did exactly that.
Itachi urged forward, his lips claiming the sought prize he had been eyeing; giving in to the scarlet sin he closed his eyes and moved his lips against hers, Reina too yielding to the feeling in her stomach. She leaned against him, raising herself onto her tiptoes to accommodate the difference in height as she swathed her arms around his neck, holding him to her. Their lips moved against one another, yearning for each other to forget the world they were in, to dismiss their missions and lean into the fall like they had been unknowingly doing. Reina tugged the tie from his hair, freeing his raven locks before capturing them in her hand and claiming him once more, his headband falling to the ground.
The pair took a gasp of air, their lips reuniting almost instantly in a wave of indescribable want. Itachi kissed her harder, as if pouring unspoken feelings against them after years of keeping them locked under heavily padded mechanisms. Reina returned the fervour smiling as he nibbled ever so lightly on her lower lip and tugged it gently; his own lips twisted into a smile feeling her tongue slid over his lips, they parting to greet the fluid muscle with his own. Itachi snaked his hands from her hair and waist, they gliding over her hips and exploring the curvature of her backside, his theory of how puberty treated her well proved immediately.
Reina's grip on his hair tightened holding herself to him as his hands slid over the back of her thighs, hoisting her up from the floor with ease as she impulsively wrapped her legs around him securely. Aizen Myō'ō's intervention was now long over, the pair now acting of their own accord and own impulses as their lips continued in a wild dance, exploring the dark caverns of each other's mouths ardently. Itachi supported Reina effortlessly as he felt about the cave, his hand meeting the cold, damp wall before leaning the fervid kunoichi against it, she wedged between him and wall.
But the tone of their exchanges changed, the lust began to dissipate it being replaced with it a longing of acceptance; their kisses became less ragged and began to soften as his hands slid back to her face, holding her jaw lovingly with a tenderness that was reserved for Sasuke. Reina kissed him sweetly, her fingers carefully twisting his locks affectionately; no lust inhabited the air of the cave, instead it was replaced with kind-hearted kisses and small exchanges. The kisses began to slow down, lingering as if begging them not to stop.
But all good things must come to an end.
Their lips parted for the last time as their breaths mingled in an array of mixed emotions; Reina couldn't think straight, it felt like her head was full of helium, it light and airy as she warily glanced up at Itachi, their bodies still tangled in a woven mess. Itachi simply stared back, no words able to describe how he felt at that very moment; he had a mission that he was determined to fulfil and nothing or no one would hinder that, not the gods.
And not Reina.
Itachi removed his hands from her skin and waist, once again at war with his heart and mind. Reina slid against the wall, returning to her full height as she watched Itachi in awe; she could feel turmoil ravish his body whilst confusion and yearning enveloped her own. Itachi turned away from the awestruck kunoichi, silently re-donning the crafted blade and retying his etched headband, the fabric keeping his dark locks from straying in front of his face.
"I-Ita~" Reina began, her voice soft and hesitant.
"This never happened. I feel nothing for you and you are nothing to me Reina." Itachi muttered, his eyes lit up dangerously with the Sharingan, his scarlet orbs emitting a perilous tension as he stared sternly down at her. Reina's eyes were wide in shock, her lips parted in astonishment his words cutting her as deeply as the ningyo's claws; she could feel her eyes water and gloss over with unshed tears.
"You can't do that to someone Itachi! You can't make someone care for you, protect them, kiss them and then toss them aside like an unwanted toy!" She yelled in frustration, the tears continuing to build in her gold orbs as her voice echoed about the giant chasm, the monsters that lurked there rousing at the commotion.
"I did not make you do anything. You conjured those sentiments of your own device…and I have kept you safe as you are needed in this mission." He muttered lowly as guilt gnawed away at his insides as the tainted words passed his lips, the now seemingly distant memory of her lips upon his being suppressed like so many other things. Reina pushed herself from the wall, her stomach panging with his words as she strode towards him, an inextinguishable fire dwelling her eyes.
"How can you say that?! You threatened Deidara when he approached me when I was capable of protecting myself! An~"
"If you were a worthy opponent, able to defend and protect yourself then you would not be here would you? You would be home with your precious Neji instead wouldn't you?" Itachi interrupted, staring down at her with a wash of disgust wavering over his dark features; Reina stepped back in shock, her heart feeling like it was being squeezed cruelly as his words ravaged her ears.
Reina bit her lip and turned away from him refusing to let him see her cry, scooping the bow and satchel from the floor she headed further into the darkness of the cave, the tears now flowing freely down her porcelain cheeks at his harsh dismissal.
"It's not him I hold dear Itachi-san…" She whispered, her chest tightening at his words, they echoing around her head like a vinyl record stuck on repeat.
"Gomenasai Reina-chan…but this is how it has to be…" Itachi whispered his own voice ladened with heartbreak and self-resentment; if only things were different, if the Uchiha clan had not been so selfish and full of their own self-importance then he wouldn't turn her away and allow her to walk amongst living nightmares. He would have cherished her as she ought to be cherished and respected for the bold and strong kunoichi she was; he would relish the feel of his lips upon hers and the feel of her skin beneath his fingers until his final days, no one would know, not even Reina herself.
She would be his dirty little secret.
The one that got away.
The one he let go.