A tiny wooden teahouse sat along a forest path in a small clearing. It stood there all by itself serving as a rest-stop for travelers; one such traveler being Reina Senju. Reina was sitting at a table enjoying a cup of tea as she began sketching a portrait on a piece of paper. She took her eyes off her project as a plate of fresh, sweet dumplings was placed in front of her.
The elderly woman who served the Senju smiled. "Here you are, madam! Enjoy."
"Thank you. They look delicious." Reina said softly with a small smile. She was about to reach for a dumpling when she noticed the old woman was still standing by her table. "C-can I help you?" Reina asked uneasily.
The old woman looked down at the young Senju with a perplexed look on her face. "Say, what's a beautiful, young woman like you doing out here all alone?"
Reina stopped what she was doing and furrowed her brows with confusion. "Um… Is it unusual for women to travel on their own?"
"Well, we did just end a war. Don't you have a clansmen or at least a companion to protect you? Or perhaps a lucky man?" The elder woman's face softened. "I don't mean to pry, but I'm an elder who has seen some terrible things. I didn't get this old by being reckless."
"And I'm about fifty years your junior. I am also lucky to be alive, but from being more strong than anything else." Reina retorted, but sighed as she immediately felt defeated. It was much too early to be hostile. "I'm sorry… I'm on a solo journey to find someone dear to me and to help those in need."
"Don't apologize, dear. I'm the one being nosy." The elder gestured toward the seat across from her. "Mind if I join you briefly?"
"No, not at all." Reina smiled and bowed her head. "Might I ask why you have a tea shop in the middle of nowhere?"
The elder chuckled. "Aaah, well, my husband and I are very old. He works in the kitchen." She gestured to the back of the teahouse. "For most of our lives we wanted to do something peaceful; such as running a teahouse. It was our way of keeping ourselves mentally afloat. War was brutal, but we clung to our dream. Now that we are old and gray we finally have the time and resources to make our dream a reality. We can relax while being pre-occupied. We help direct travelers to neighboring lands and also provide food for them. It's a nice way to make a living and stay out of trouble at the same time since we aren't directly involved with any village in particular. No politics. No fuss. Does that answer your question?"
"Yes. That's a wonderful story. I'm happy to hear that you and your loved one have fulfilled your dream together. It's touching." Reina sipped her tea before reaching for a dumpling. She popped the sweet treat into her mouth and her eyes widened. Reina looked at the elder with excitement and covered her full mouth as she spoke. "These are so good!"
The elderly woman chuckled. "I'm glad you like them." She cleared her throat. "May I ask you something?" When Reina nodded the elder leaned in. "Do you plan on traveling northwest?"
Reina looked at the elder with slight surprise. "Yes, why do you ask?"
"Well, the reason I was so concerned is that there are rogue clans who still desire war running rampant across the land. Many have been causing mass destruction as they pillage settlements and villages for their resources. I wouldn't want a young lady such as you getting caught in the crossfires." The elder said with genuine worry.
Reina sighed. "I thought as much would happen… I do plan on continuing my journey, but I appreciate the heads up."
"Yes… I suppose a woman on a mission can't be stopped. Best of luck on your journey." The elder stood up from her seat and greeted another guest as they walked in.
Reina watched her leave to greet the new guest. She sipped her tea and watched their exchange before reaching down for another dumpling. Reina's mind began to piece the elder's words together. She tapped her foot anxiously as her gears turned. Reina's chair screeched across the wooden floor as she abruptly stood up from her seat. She set money down on the table, picked up her portrait, and waved to the elder with a smile before hurrying out of the shop.
The afternoon sun blazed as Reina and Kurama ventured through the wilderness. Reina was staring at the ground as she walked; looking at the shadows of the treetops on the forest floor. Kurama simply watched the scenery before looking down at his corporeal companion. He noticed she seemed to be deep in thought. It was as if she was meditating with her eyes open.
"Oi! Reina!" Kurama called.
Reina snapped out of her trance-like state and looked up at him. "Yeah? What's up?"
Kurama side-eyed her. "Just making sure you're alert."
"I'm fine. Just thinking." Reina sighed.
"What about? Your next meal?" Kurama joked since all Reina ever seemed to care about was her stomach.
"No…" Reina looked up at the tailed beast. "You know how the elderly woman at the teahouse told me there were clans still feuding in the northwest?" She gave a small, bittersweet grin. "What if the man I'm looking for is involved with that? Or… what if he's in danger?"
Kurama looked at Reina as if she had ten tails. "Reina, I understand it would be upsetting if he was directly involved in conflict, but if he's in danger why worry? What's stopping you? You're strong-willed and very capable. You would save him without being scathed. Not only that, but you said he was powerful himself, correct?"
Reina nodded. "Yeah."
"He can fend for himself then. I'm certain he's alive and well, so don't worry. If there's nothing you can do about his situation, whatever it may be, then don't worry. If you can do something to help him, then don't worry. It's either fully in your hands or out." Kurama grumbled as he tried to help his friend.
Reina looked up at Kurama. "You're right… You're absolutely right." She looked back at the ground. "This all feels so surreal!"
"How so?" Kurama raised his ears.
Reina shook her head. "Well, one moment I'm marrying someone and the next moment I'm leaving him for someone else! Someone who might not even be alive- or single!"
"I'm sure if he loved you he'd wait for you." Kurama said softly.
"Well, I love him and I got married!" Reina raised her arms up in the air. "Therefore, he, being the strong, handsome guy that he is, could inevitably get married."
"Perhaps not. You were a special case, Reina." Kurama looked down at her. "With that said- do you feel anything for Madara? "
Reina nodded. "Yes. As a matter of fact, I thought I could love him." She closed her eyes and opened them slowly. "I thought he could love me. I wanted it to work, because I didn't want to be in this situation. If my family would've just let me live my life I wouldn't be here!" Reina chuckled. "I feel terrible, but I would be in a worse mental state if I was with him right now. I can't be the only one trying. Even if he ended up using my power- if he would at least try to let himself love me."
Kurama nodded. "Does Nao still have your heart?"
Reina immediately snapped her head in Kurama's direction. "Absolutely... but-"
"You were starting to feel something for Madara." Kurama finished her sentence.
Reina nodded. "Yeah, but I think it was all an illusion."
"Or maybe it was his. Those Uchiha and their genjutsu." Kurama remarked as the duo continued walking toward their destination.
The sun was setting and Madara was simply resting on a tree branch. He watched as the ghostly rabbit sitting on the branch with him started to become transparent. "You're passive like the earth." He said, but the rabbit said nothing. "As long as you aren't willed to attack me, you won't. All I have to do is wait." Madara looked up at the sky full of oranges, pinks, and reds. "This is a nice way to conserve my energy. I can't remember the last time I simply stared up at the sky." As night fell, the once glowing rabbit had completely vanished.
"'Twas nice knowing you, rabbit." Madara sighed and stood up, dusting himself off. "You impress me, Reina. Not only can you cast a jutsu that lasts a full day on this plane, but you can also project your will so you don't have to be here to control it." Madara pulled out the topographer's map from his pouch and opened it up. "Well done, Reina. Now, where were we? Ah!" Madara closed the map and grinned as he propelled himself through the winding terrain.
Reina and Kurama were walking under the cover of night when they both stopped to look at each other. "Do you smell that?" Reina asked.
"Smoke." Kurama confirmed.
"And it's not barbeque. Let's hurry!" Reina and Kurama began sprinting in the direction of the smoke and could see a faint glow in the distance.
As the two ventured through the northwest Territories the atmosphere was much more quiet. They assumed many people have evacuated the area due to the recent battles that have been occurring. However, the sudden appearance of smoke and fire giving the location of a village not only proved that peaceful settlements aim to exist in these areas, but that the battles have started spreading outward from the northwest into other lands. Reina became increasingly concerned that these clan wars would continue to spread into central and lower lands where peace had already been established. She wouldn't allow for her brother's village to be ravaged by war; not after just ending one that lasted a millennium.
The fiery glow became more intense as Reina and Kurama approached the village. Reina weaved hand signs to produce shadow clones. "Kurama! Conceal yourself! Those bastards might be power-hungry animals."
"Way ahead of you." Kurama concealed himself and remained outside the village.
Reina and her shadow clones ran inside the village, searching for survivors. In the distance, she could faintly hear people screaming out for help and crying. Reina called out. "Where are you?! Help is on the way!"
"Over here! Please help!" A frantic man called.
Reina could see his silhouette crouching through the smoke and ran over towards the shadowy figure. "I'm here! What can I do for you!"
The man cried while clutching onto something bundled in a blanket. "I grabbed the baby, but my wife is still inside there! PLEASE SAVE HER! Our house is on fire!"
Reina looked down as the man revealed a sleeping baby, somehow calm in all the chaos. "Y-yeah! I'll go get her." She immediately ran inside the burning building as one of her clones arrived outside. It weaved hand signs, 'Water Style: Raging Waves!' As Reina's cloned opened its mouth to blast a wave of water onto the house, Reina sprinted upstairs to find the man's wife. Reina kicked the bedroom door open, but saw no one in the room. She entered the nursery and found a blazing crib and knocked over rocking-horse. Reina barged into the bathroom and gasped. The woman was unconscious on the floor, likely passed out due to the heat and smoke.
Reina ran through the floating embers and scooped her up. She quickly left the bathroom only to see a wave of water rushing toward her. "You've got to be shitting me!" Reina set woman on the ground and quickly flashed her hand-signs, "Water Style: Water Sanctuary!" Reina yelled and encompassed both herself and the woman in a sphere of water. Reina scooped up the woman and ran through the wave toward a nearby window. She jumped out and landed on the ground next to her clone; dispelling her jutsu. She looked over and glared at her duplicate. "Next time, wait until I'm out!"
"Yeah, but it worked, didn't it?" Her clone grinned. "The house isn't on fire."
Reina sighed and walked over to the man. "Hey you…" She called casually. "I found your wife thing. Follow my clone outside the village."
The man looked up at Reina in disbelief. "That's my wife! You found her!"
"That's why I just said! Now move it!" Reina growled.
"Yes! Terribly sorry!" The man stood up from the ground. "Lead the way!" He said to the clone.
Reina's clone scooped up his wife from Reina's hands and nudged her head in a general direction. "Alrighty. Let's go." Reina watched as her clone left and continued helping those in need.
Reina rushed through the village as flames hissed around her. She came to the village center; a hub where she could pivot and see three-hundred and sixty degrees around. Reina looked around her as she came towards the center and watched as her clones jumped in and out of buildings. She turned to look behind her and felt the soil beneath her boots change in consistency. There, beneath her feet, Rein was standing in a huge symbol made of blood. The symbol was of a square with a vertical line going through the center and past the edges of the square. Most likely, the symbol was a clan crest, which meant that Reina could get take action against one of the many clans still at war with each other.
Reina shook her head, "No time to think. Time to play the hero." She then jumped into the air and disappeared in the smoke to help other survivors.