The sun was casting a yellow glow, illuminating the dew droplets scattered on the trees and grasses. The earth was cold, damp and hard, but the warm sun made the brisk morning more bearable. Reina stood in a small group of teens and young adults on the Ashikaga training grounds. She watched blankly as Nao demonstrated their exercise drill. She wasn't exactly thrilled for waking up so early and being brought out to train. Not to mention the fact that she was unhealthily thin and frail, causing her even more discomfort as she faced the chill of the air.

Reina's conscious was broken as Nao turned to face everyone. "Does everyone understand what they're doing?"

"Yes, sir!" The group replied, all except for Reina.

Nao looked at Reina and then at the rest of the group. "Begin!" Reina lethargically started running laps around the training grounds with the rest of the group. Nao inwardly sighed as he thought back to his conversation with Kimi earlier that morning.

"It's very personal, the things she's been through." Kimi spoke gently as she walked around the garden with Nao. "I know you have a good heart and will want to see her grow, but you can't be too hard on her just yet."

Nao stopped in his tracks and looked up at her. "Well, why not? Shouldn't she be forced to adapt and push past her limits?"

Kimi turned to face him with surprise. "Have you seen her? She's practically emaciated. Even if she had the mentality to progress, her body will reject it and it'll do more damage. She needs to stabilize herself physically first, but we still need her to partake in some form of physical activity. Not to mention, she has a peculiar ability that is extremely powerful. We don't want that to get out of hand. So, please, Nao… be smart."

Nao furrowed his brows. "What exactly happened to her?"

Kimi looked away and continued to walk. "That is confidential. If you want to find out, earn her trust and she'll tell you."

Nao closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. He opened his eyes and watched as everyone was wrapping up their warm up with burpees. Reina did them all, but at a slower pace. Though she was slower and weaker than the rest of the group, she was still trying her best and doing well. This brought a smile to his face.

Nao clapped his hands together to get the group's attention once they finished. "Alright! So, today, we are going to focus on sparring. It's important to learn proper techniques, so you can shortcut your movements as you progress, but not lose speed or power. Mostly everyone in this group has a good grasp on fundamentals, so we are going to go straight into some sparring drills. We'll follow it up with free sparring and then a cool down. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" The group replied once more.

Nao walked up to the group. "Okay, let me put you into pairs." He began paring people up based on their strengths and weaknesses. He walked up to Reina with a small smile. "Reina, today I'm going to pair you with Han. He's strong, so it'll be a bit of a challenge, but I'm sure it'll only benefit you in the end."

Reina nodded. "Yes, sir…" She said gently as he guided her over to Han.

Han gave her a cheeky grin. "Good morning, Reina! Let's do our best, okay?" He slowly extended his arm and held out a fist.

Reina looked at his hand and then back up at him. She gave him a light fist-bump and smiled. "You got it."

Nao demonstrated the first drill and watched as everyone practiced it afterward. He monitored everyone's progress and walked around, correcting people as they continued. He turned his attention to Reina and Han. Han was fast and strong. Reina was fast, but rather weak in comparison. Nao was still quite impressed by her technique. It was accurate and she moved very fluidly as if she was dancing. He continued demonstrating other drills until it was time for free sparring.

Everyone was standing on the training grounds in a circle. Nao stood in the center and looked around as he spoke to everyone. "Now, use the techniques you've learned today, coupled with what you already know. And remember- use control! Now, everyone square up with your partner."

Reina and Han faced each other. Han smiled down at her, "Okay Reina, let's see what you've got."

Reina was ready to go. She got into a fighting stance and focused on Han. "Don't go too easy on me, Han."

Han chuckled. "You're feisty. That's the spirit."

When Nao instructed everyone to begin, both Han and Reina went in to kick each other. Reina quickly sidestepped to the right and blocked his kick with her left arm. She lifted up her left leg like a whip, chambering to kick Han. He dodged her kick and spun into her range, ready to strike with his hands. Reina blocked him and went for an uppercut as a counter. The two of them were consistently blocking each other's attacks as if they rehearsed the fight.

Nao examined them closely from afar. "They both move similarly, but Reina is swifter. However, Han hits harder, draining her energy every time she blocks. Still, I'm quite impressed. Then again, she is a Senju." He sighed. "I wish she'd just get some power behind those hits." He cleared his throat and walked to the center of the field. "AND TIME!"

Reina was sitting down on her bed. She calmly sipped a steaming cup of tea while drying off from her bath. She inhaled deeply and exhaled softly. Though she had a busy morning so far, she felt energized and content. Reina gently set her tea down on a nearby table and dressed herself up in a burgundy colored yukata. When finished, she slipped on a pair of sandals and made her way outside to the garden. It was a small garden, but peaceful nonetheless. She looked at the variety of flora, gliding down a narrow path. She came to the edge of a koi pond and sat at the edge.

Reina stuck her hand into the water and smiled. "Hello, little fishies." She said sweetly as they curiously swam around her fingers.

"I've never seen fish behave so friendly before."

Reina turned around and looked up toward the sun to see Han. "Oh, hello, Han… What're you doing out here?"

Han sat down next to her. "I was looking for you. I wanted to get to know you more. You seem to be sweet, just very quiet. I mean, I get you're probably dead inside and just want to be left alone until you actually weigh one hundred pounds, but I think that friendship is important, so I've decided that we're going to be friends and I'm going to bring you out of your shell."

"Wow, that was a lot." Reina said while nodding. "I appreciate it nonetheless."

Han chuckled. "Yeah, I have a tendency to just talk."

"But, hey! At least you wear your emotions on your sleeve. That's a great feature to have." Reina smiled. "I like you, Han. You're honest and very kind."

Han blushed. "Th-thank you. No one has ever said that to me before."

"Honesty is the best policy. I mean it. Also, you're in line to be the Ashikaga clan leader someday, right?" Reina took her hand out of the water and shook it in the air to dry off. "Everyone loves an upbeat, truthful leader. Always be genuine and people will love you for who you truly are. At least, that seems to be working for my brother."

Han smiled. "That's nice of you to say, Reina. You don't seem to shy away from expressing your feelings either." He shyly turned to her. "I'm sorry that your life has been full of trials and has made you feel so glum. I-I-It's not like I know any details or anything. I just-"

Reina chuckled. "It's fine. I really don't care if you know or not. I just want to get stronger and see my brothers again. I want to make the most of my time here and that includes being open and loving to my new family." Reina stood up and held out a hand for Han.

Han took her hand and stood up. His eyes met with hers as they shined in the morning sun. "I like the sound of that." He let go of her hand and grinned cheekily from ear to ear. "So, what do you like to do for fun?"

Reina sighed. "I mean, I like exploring, swimming, drawing, eating…"

"Eating…?" Han eyed Reina up and down. "You sure 'bout that?"

Reina laughed. "Rude! Just because I'm thin, it doesn't mean I don't like eating." She sighed. "Believe it or not, there was a point in time where I didn't look like a walking skeleton."

Han gave a hardy laugh. "You have a very good, self-deprecating sense of humor."

Reina waved her hand in dismissal. "Eh- how else do you walk through life? Life really sucks, so I tend to focus on my own amusement a lot of the time."

"Aaaah! The chaotic hedonist has revealed itself." Han nudged her with is hand.

"I wouldn't say that." Reina crossed her arms and hip checked him back.

Han crossed his arms to mock her and returned the gesture. "You're my age, right? Yeah, just wait until those hormones start revving."

Reina pushed Han with both her hands out. "I've already started puberty you jerk!"

"Then why do you still look like a little boy?!" Han chest bumped her to mock her underdeveloped body.

"Ow! They're tender!" Reina held her chest. "Damn it, Han. I don't sprout tits and ass overnight! Give it some time."

Han patted Reina on the head. "Whatever you say, little brother."

Reina pouted, but then stopped in her tracks when she heard someone. "Do you hear that?" Reina cupped her hand and held it against her ear. "It's like, grunting in the forest beyond the garden."

Han closed his eyes and listened. "Yeah… yeah, I got nothing."

Reina tilted her head at him and blinked a few time. "You yankin' my chain?"

"Maybe just a little bit." Han began snickering. "You're so easily triggered."

"Stop being a buffoon! Let's investigate." Reina concealed her chakra and began walking ahead. She waved a hand at Han, beckoning him to follow. "Come on!" She whispered.

Han nodded. "Adventurous. Check." He concealed his chakra and walked with her through the garden and into the forest.

The two of them meandered through the woods as quietly as they could. They followed the grunting voice until it became louder. Han sniffed the air, sensing where to go. Reina wandered while sticking close to Han. Eventually, they saw a kunai in the distance. They followed until they stumbled upon a person training in a forest clearing. They two of them hid behind a bush and peered through the leaves.

Reina squinted and gasped when she saw who it was. It was Nao, and he was training shirtless. He had sweat glistening down his toned body as the sun beat down on him. The shadows defined his muscles with every movement. Reina covered her nose and mouth with her hands.

Han looked over at her and smiled. "What's wrong?" He whispered.

Reina gestured in Nao's direction with her head. "He's shirtless. I-I mean, I've seen shirtless men before, but he's… he's- super attractive."

Han's mouth was gaping wide open. "Noooo waaaay. You have a thing for Nao?"

Reina shook her head wildly. "No! He just happens to look attractive right now!"

"You want hiiiiiiiim. Your hormones are raging."

"Stop blaming everything on hormones you weirdo." Reina scolded him. "I don't know anything about him. His personality could be foul for all I know."

Han stared at her blankly. "Foul? What are you an elder?"

Reina sighed and held her head with minor frustration. "Why do you focus on that?"

"Because it's funny." Han shrugged.

"Well, mystery solved. We now know that it's Nao… who grunts… as he trains shirtless in the forest… Can we leave?" Reina asked innocently.

Han put a hand on her shoulder. "Okay, but after I expose our whereabouts." Reina's eyes widened in fear, earning a chuckle from him. "I'm only kidding. Let's bring you back so you can clean yourself up."

Reina looked bewildered. "Clean myself up? But I just had a ba- Oh, you're nasty!" She hit his arm and began crawling away before standing up.

Han followed her. "I didn't know you were into older guys."

"How old is he?"

"He'll be seventeen in a few weeks." Han shrugged. "Not that much older."

"Oh…" Reina nodded and looked down on the ground. "So, he probably has raging hormones too."

"Yeah, and nothing but his right hand to help him out." Han sighed. "It's a cruel world."

"Oh, shut up!" Reina hip checked him again.

The two teens bantered as they walked back to the Ashikaga manor. When they arrived, Reina had etiquette lessons. Days passed as Reina lived a simple life of training, eating, and sleeping. Slowly but surely, Reina began to gain her life back. More color came to her complexion. She began gaining weight and started to look healthier. Her hair began to shine and her energy climbed. All in all, she was on a speedy road to recovery and was thankful for the Ashikaga clan. However, she couldn't help but to stop and think about her brothers.

Hashirama and Tobirama stood at the front of their clan, their faces glowing bright orange. The wind whistled, blowing the scent of smoke and blood. The brothers stood their ground and watched the scene before them. Dead bodies sprawled out along a field of burning grass. Further ahead, two men stood in front of a mass of people. One man carried a large fan, the other a sword.

On the other side of the field was Madara and Izuna Uchiha, ready to fight a second battle alongside their clansmen. Hashirama spoke, "Madara Uchiha and his clan have arrived! Stand your ground!"

"YES SIR!" The clan roared.

"We fight for our lives! We fight for our future!" Hashirama furrowed his brows as he watched the Uchiha clan charge in their direction. "And we fight for you, Reina… We'll see you soon…"