Mirror, mirror. [Naruto] [Itachi Uchiha] (Complete)

Chapter 33

Dreams are funny things. They are places where boundaries are non-existent and the most inconceivable ideas are brought to life. Nonetheless, regardless how magical the scene or how wild the journey, every face we see in our dreams is a face we have encountered in our conscious life. Now consider that number. Whether we consciously study the fine lines of a loved ones' face or simply pass our eyes over a stranger in the street, our brains register their features. Their eyes, their hair, their stature. All these seemingly minuscule details are logged in the brain's personal inventory so that they may be used at a later date.

On one hand the notion is romantic; the fact that at some point in your life you may have walked past your soul mate without even realising. That chance meeting where you both share an awkward smile as you hide beneath a shop canopy during unpredictable seasonal showers. Or the flustered look you give a stranger, having stared off into space without realising. That person you were unknowingly gawking at could be the one you ogle for the rest of your life.

And then there are the less romantic notions.

There are the faces that are the cause of pain; a pain so deep rooted that the briefest description initiates a catatonic state of pure terror. Yet that is the sadistic beauty of a face; regardless of whether you are awake or sleep, a face, once imbedded in your brain, can haunt you at any given moment. That face that chills you to your very core may appear outside your window, their features distorted by the shadows of the night.

But what happens if you can't see the face in your dreams?

It was a case of smoke and mirrors for Reina. She saw the same silhouette every time she dreamt. And she hated it. Every time she came close to revealing their identity she woke up and any progress she had made was snatched from her. It was infuriating. She knew them. She could feel it deep within her battered bones; that person, the person who hid from her in the darkness was familiar to her.

But for the love of the gods she didn't know why.

It was June. Summer had well and truly took hold of the village. The sun was shining, flowers were in full bloom and the streets were full with the hustle and bustle of civilians. It was like a hive, each person, civilian or ninja, were going about their business, ensuring that everything was running smoothly. That was also the case for Reina.

Reina and her fellow academy teachers were perched on a park picnic table, they indulging in a well-deserved break after a day of dodging stray kunai and observing bizarrely formed shadow clones. In Iruka's case it was a matter of shoving tissues up his nostrils whenever a rogue student opted for a more risqué jutsu. No matter how many times he witnessed such a technique they always managed to catch him off guard; and having worked with Iruka for many a moon, Reina learned to keep an abundant supply of tissues on hand, just in case.

And for poor Iruka it was always the case.

He was an easy target for the rebellious youths. Kakashi knew it, Reina knew it and Iruka had come to terms with it. The fact that Iruka had managed to survive teaching the number one knuckle headed ninja without succumbing to blood loss was an ode to his teaching ability. Kakashi either had an infinite supply of patience when it came to children or he was simply too engrossed in his book to care. Reina smiled to herself at the thought, mentally noting it was likely the latter of the two options.

"What has you smiling like a goon hm?" Iruka asked, taking a bite of a bright green mochi, the sweet leaving a trail of fine powdered sugar around his lips. Broken from her thoughts Reina blinked, a doe like expression creeping onto her face.