I can't tell you how much willpower it took me to sit down and write, but I am determined to finish this story! We are so close.

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-Spliced

A loud squawk pierced the sky as a hawk soared below the clouds. Reina stood on the treetops, arm extended for it to land. The hawk swooped down and softly flapped its wings as it clutched its talons around her arm to land. Madara kneeled on a tree branch beside his wife and watched as she opened the dainty scroll carried by the bird.

Reina unwound the note and her face lit up. "The trail's getting hot."

Madara stood up. "What happened?"

Reina smirked. "Team K found suspicious movement in the Land of Wind. There is apparently a trail of vendors selling goods as one approaches the newly formed Hidden Sand Village. One new vendor popped up, and they sell mirrors."

"Do you think it has anything to do with the Miyashita clan, however? It could simply be a vendor." Madara stated. "I'm assuming you want to travel there and check it out?"

Reina nodded. "That's exactly what we'll do." She took out a pad and pencil and wrote a note. She rolled it up and stuck it in the hawk's holster. "We will inspect the seller ourselves. Even if I fully informed the ANBU, they still wouldn't know what to look for or know how to make sense of even the most minute of details."

"Details, that to us, are huge clues." Madara lowered his head with a smirk. "I see."

Reina lifted her arm, signaling for the hawk to return to Team K. "Shall we?" She pointed to follow the bird.

Madara grinned. "With pleasure."

Arata was working the mirror-shop floor, helping a wealthy couple select a mirror. One of his clansmen slinked past him and wandered into the back office where Nao was packaging goods and managing the books.

"Lord Nao." The man spoke softly with dead, empty eyes. "I came to inform you that the decoy stores have been set up in each major land."

Nao nodded. "Good work, Fukase. Thank you for informing me. You are dismissed."

"With pleasure. Have a good afternoon, my lord." With that, the sociopathic man stepped through a mirror and left Nao be.

Arata bowed as he escorted the couple out of the shop after making their purchase. "Have a wonderful day! Please come again." Once the couple was out of sight, he walked towards the back office and tapped on the partially opened door. "Nao, what did Fukase say?"

"I am never going to get this order done." Nao sighed. "He came to inform us that all decoy shops are set up in the major lands where consumers can typically find mirrors of decent quality."

"That will surely throw your lover off," Arata smirked. "They are hot on our trail, but this should buy us time."

Nao nodded. "Yes, but once she catches wind of this place, we need to act fast. Reina doesn't slow down. She charges straight for her prey. She's a natural hunter. A detective. An intellect. And Madara will do anything to help her succeed." He clenched his fists. "If they see through this, it will ruin everything."

Arata chuckled. "And we do have shipping speed to worry about."

Nao clenched his jaw. "Yes, that was a grave miscalculation. You would think after a few years of the warring states period ending that we would have had more organized and prosperous industrialization. However, it seems our postal services are still lacking. We could be in deep trouble."

Arata chuckled. "You could be right."

"This isn't a laughing matter, Arata." Nao glared up at his twin, who was staring down at him, grinning from ear to ear.

Arata held up a finger and waved it side to side, like a ticking metronome. "You forgot one thing."

Nao furrowed his brows. "And what might that be?"

Arata snickered and held a hand up to his face. "Oh, come now. You know what it is."

"But I don't." Nao's patience was wearing away.

Arata gave a playful sigh. "You could say it puts a little bump in their investigation."

Nao stopped, and his eyes widened. "Reina's due soon."

Arata nodded. "Bingo! By the time she delivers, a large selection of our mirrors should already be distributed to our major clientele. If her investigation goes as planned, we will have just enough time to take control of various lands while she nurses her newborn. If her investigation is slower than you predict, then we are definitely in the clear."

Nao looked up at him. "I almost forgot about that."

Arata laughed. "Oh, don't worry. You may be the brains, but even you get so consumed sometimes." He patted Nao on the head. "She will soon be ours… well, and the baby. And Madara Uchiha will be dead."

Nao swatted his brother's hand away. "Cute. You can go back to work now."

"So rude." Arata stopped, and his face turned into a serious one. It was so sudden that even Nao froze. Arata turned to his brother. "You don't think she is the kind of person to give birth and immediately go back to work, right?"

Nao laughed light-heartedly. "She might be, but you forget it's imperative that a mother nurses her child for the first three months after birth. The child needs constant attention, and she will need to heal completely. That and I doubt Madara or Hashirama would want her to work immediately after. It will give us the perfect buffer time to act."

Arata smiled. "Understood! That's what I like to hear." He heard the jingling bell of the shop door open and perked up. "That's my cue! Gotta go, little bro."

"Don't cause too much mischief," Nao called.

"No promiseeees!" Arata sang before leaving him be.

After a few days, Reina and Madara made their way into the Land of Wind. They had hats and face scarves on to protect themselves from the incoming sand as they marched endlessly among the ever-changing dunes. The couple also did a transformation jutsu so they wouldn't be easily recognized. Reina gave herself straight red hair and a slender frame, whereas Madara gave himself short white hair and a leaner build. They were nearing the end of the week-long investigation and were becoming desperate. They could always extend by another week, but that was the last thing they wanted to do. The couple trekked tirelessly until they neared the Hidden Sand Village. Surprisingly, the sand storms died down and cleared up a lot of the view. Different merchants and vendors created a pathway leading to the village gates.

"Reina, let's take our time at each vendor and integrate ourselves like tourists if not locals," Madara suggested.

"Right." Reina pointed to a ceramic stall. "Let's see what's here. Maybe we can find new dinner plates and vases!"

Madara was taken back by her charming nature. "S-sure thing, love."

Reina inspected the place before turning to Madara. "These are lovely, but I don't think they have what we're looking for."

Madara nodded. "Let's keep moving." The two kept visiting home-décor stalls until they finally noticed the mirror vendor. It was a chic, quiet set-up. The vendor sat behind a counter with a scarf covering their lower face. "What about this place?"

Reina nodded. "Mirrors are always a nice addition to a home. Can we afford it, though?" She pretended. "We spent so much on our honeymoon."

"I am sure it will be alright." Madara led her to the stall. "Excuse me. We were interested in looking at your mirrors. We just got married, and we want something of high quality in our new home."

"You've come to the right place." The man spoke softly. "Our mirrors are made from the finest materials."

Reina checked the price tag. "Wow, that is rather expensive."

"That is because we hand make each mirror. The tradition runs in our family, and we are masterful in our craft. Our clients are some of the most wealthy and regal people in the land. Our mirrors are a symbol of class." The man said, attempting to sell 'his' work.

Reina crossed her arms. "But how do we know you aren't trying to swindle us? These could be run-of-the-mill, low-quality mirrors that aren't worth a grain of sand."

"I assure you our resources are the best one can find." The man insisted.

"I am not sure, honey." She turned to face Madara.

Madara nodded. "If you do not want to buy one, you do not have to. We can look elsewhere."

"Perhaps we can ask our good friend to make one custom," Reina stated loud enough for the man to hear before turning to him. "You see, we have a good friend who gets his materials from the Land of Earth. He has been in the mirror-making business for ages. But his prices aren't wallet-friendly. They are more expensive than these."

"The Land of Earth, you say?" The gentleman sighed and waved his hand. "They have decent materials, I admit, but nothing like the Land of Wind. You don't want mirrors formed from compounds in the Land of Earth." He insisted. "I am assuming you are out of towners?"

"Yes." Madara nodded. "We heard the Land of Wind has some of the finest home décor. But thus far, we aren't impressed. We travel to buy local and have a piece of culture in every corner of our home."

"That is very ambitious. Where are you from, if I may ask?" The man inquired.

Reina thought for a moment. She could tell him where they are from and see if he will give a visceral response, or she could lie and fabricate her connections to the Hidden Leaf. She cleared her throat. "We don't mind at all. We are proudly from the Land of Whirlpools. We actually are part of the Uzumaki clan and have close ties to Hashirama Senju, the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf. He married a member of our clan, and we wanted to hopefully purchase a luxury mirror for the two of them as a housewarming gift, but we simply aren't finding what we are looking for. Perhaps we will simply have to travel to the Land of Earth for home décor."

Madara nodded. "It seems so."

The man appeared to be visibly tense. He was torn as whether or not to lead them to the Land of Earth to get a custom mirror from the Miyashita clan's new shop or deter them from making such a trip to throw them off. What were the chances they were connected to the ongoing investigation against the Miyashita clan? If they were from the Land of Whirlpools, it would likely be slim. The man cleared his throat. "It is rather unfortunate that I cannot provide you with what you are looking for. I do have a few more mirrors in my collection that you are more than welcome to browse."

Reina gasped. "Oh, that would be lovely. Thank you." She bowed and followed the man deeper into his tented stall, covered only by a tent flap. Madara followed. "Wow, these are very large."

"Yes. The best quality about these mirrors is that their frames are made out of precious metals. Some imbued with shining gems." The man continued. "I typically do not show these for fear of them being stolen; however, you seem to be worthy customers."

"How kind," Madara said cordially.

"Please feel free to look around." The man said before hearing other customers approach his stall. "Take your time, but allow me to help these other customers. If you would excuse me."

"Of course." Madara waved his hand. Once he was out of sight, Madara and Reina began inspecting the mirrors. "What are we looking for?" Madara whispered.

"Something. Anything." Reina muttered. "A seal. A symbol. A clan crest. Anything." She peaked on the backs of mirrors, but to no avail. Reina sighed and looked around her when she saw a dense shadow behind one mirror. Reina stepped over and tiled it back to see another mirror. "That's odd." She tipped the mirror back and saw an intricate symbol painted on the back. She couldn't tell if it was applied with blood or a stain, but one thing she knew was that it was ominous. "Get over here." She whispered.

Madara made sure the shopkeeper wasn't coming in when he maneuvered over towards Reina. "What did you find?"

Reina pointed. "This can't just be a clan crest. This looks like a seal. Doesn't it?"

"It does, but almost ancient. Or… religious?" Madara reached into Reina's pouch to take out her pad and pencil and began sketching the symbol. "There. Got it." Madara ripped the paper from the pad and folded it into his pouch. He tucked Reina's pad and pencil in her pocket and pretended to browse the mirrors more.

Reina quietly tipped the mirrors back and joined him on the other side of the room. She took in a calming breath. "This one is nice, no?"

Madara waved his hand. "Too gaudy."

"You don't think they would like it?" Reina placed a hand on her hip.

"I am sure they would appreciate it, but this doesn't seem like their taste." He stated loud enough for the shopkeeper to hear.

The man lifted the curtain and went back to join them. "I apologize for the wait. Anything strike your fancy?" He asked smoothly.

Reina placed a hand under her chin. "Hmmmm. These are lovely, but I am looking for a more natural frame. You know, to honor Lord Hashirama's wood style."

'Great idea, Reina.' Madara thought. "I agree, love. That would suit him more."

"I understand." The shopkeeper said. "Well, if you'd like, I can direct you towards a new shop that opened up in the Land of Earth. It's a sister shop of ours. I am sure our people would be more than willing to help you out there. They have more of the natural, minimalistic look you desire."

"We would greatly appreciate that," Madara spoke. "Would you mind writing down the address?"

"Certainly. Let me walk you out to the front." The man directed them out and wrote down the address for them. "I can let you know you're coming."

"That won't be necessary. It's a long trek from here to there, so we will likely have to visit next month. But thank you." Madara stated.

"Of course. Just let them know who you are purchasing for, and they will surely steer you in the right direction." The man bowed. "Have a nice evening."

The couple bowed in return and continued into the Hidden Sand Village. Reina and Madara meandered through the busy streets and found a hotel to stay in. Reina and Madara got into their rooms, released their transformations, and sighed in relief. The two sat at the edge of the bed and turned to each other.

"Are you as drained as I am?" Madara inquired.

"Yeah… And starving." Reina held her big belly. "This isn't easy."

"I can't even imagine." Madara rubbed her stomach. "I am sure we can get food delivered."

Reina nodded. "That would be great. I need a warm bath." She walked to the bathroom and turned on the water as Madara ordered delivery from a local place. Once off the phone, he walked into the bathroom and watched as Reina added epsom salts and bubble bath to her water.

"Food should be here in twenty," Madara stated tiredly.

"Perfect. That's music to my ears." Reina sighed and stripped. "Those sandstorms can kiss my ass. I am so glad we don't live here."

"Agreed. I have no idea how people can even smile here." Madara sat on the sink countertop. "The weather is miserable."

"I commend these people. The Sand Village is known for having strong shinobi with unique abilities. We should be careful." Reina commented.

"We can take them." Madara rubbed his eyes. "It's a non-issue."

"Yes, but we can't draw attention to ourselves." Reina kicked off her pants and turned off the bathwater, slipping into the tub. She sighed. "You think we got 'em?"

Madara turned to her. "It will take us a week to get to the Land of Earth. If that is indeed them, then we won't have enough time to make it and then get back for your appointment with the doctor. You're nearing the end of your pregnancy, and we still have many preparations to do. So, we can't waste any time. If we engage now, we will be completely unprepared for their counterstrike."

Reina grumbled. "By the time we have the baby, anything ordered by daimyo and feudal lords will have been delivered. We have to start planning our next move whether or not we are ready."

Madara nodded. "I understand. This is becoming rather difficult." He sighed. "If only we had Hashirama to back us."

"In due time," Reina stated. "Trust me. And if it's too late when he finally acts, he will certainly pay the price."

Reina and Madara chatted in the bathroom until their food arrived. Reina got out of the tub and joined him while they talked about whatever to get their minds off of their mission the best that they could. Eventually, the couple went to bed. That morning, they once again used a transformation jutsu and proceeded to exit the village the same way they came as not to seem suspicious. The couple began their trek back to the hidden leaf village. After a day of travels, they arrived at the ANBU Black Ops hub, where each time arrived shortly after.

When everyone was assembled in the atrium, Reina addressed them. "It's been a long week, hasn't it?" She spoke calmly. "I want you to go home and rest. Team M… In one week, we will meet again for a special mission. Please take this week to ensure you have everything sorted out in life in case of any casualties. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am!" They said in unison.

"Have a good night, everyone," Reina spoke and watched as the three teams disappeared in a flash. She turned to face Madara. "Can we go home?"

Madara nodded. "May I ask what your plan is?"

Reina closed her eyes and took in a deep breath before exhaling. "I'm still working out the kinks, but I'll let you know when it's as seamless as I can get it."

Madara nodded and took hold of her hand. "Let's go home."