Rain poured down from the sky, soaking the ground and bringing about the fresh scent of earth. Water rolled off the rooftop and droplets clung to the last very last tile before plummeting into a puddle. Reina sat on the porch as she watched the rain sprinkle the garden before her. She sat with her legs loosely crossed and her body hunched forward. Her arms rested on her thighs as she stared at the gray scenery. In her hands was a hand-crafted teddy bear which she lightly squeezed as her mind aimlessly wandered into a foggy nothingness. Reina's unkempt hair frizzed up as the humidity attacked it. She couldn't care how she looked. That was the last thing on her mind.

At the forefront, Reina was fighting depression. From when she was living with the Ashikaga clan, once she learned that she would be moving to the Hidden Leaf Village, all she had wanted was a joyous future and a family to call her own. Her hopes were high, a dangerous gamble she allowed herself to play. Though she and Madara had a turbulent past, Reina knew that the two would make it. Now they were husband and wife, legally, officially, emotionally, and spiritually. They had finally come to love one another and had hit a wall once they desired to move forward together. Everything she had wanted was stripped from her. There would be no baby. There would be no happy family. There would just be her and Madara, living their busy lives as the world progressed around them.

Just then, the door behind her slid open and Madara stepped outside onto the porch. "Reina, are you okay out here?"

"No…" Reina shook her head in shame. "What's wrong with me?" She whispered softly. "I-…I don't want to give up my shinobi life… but I want a baby… I want a family… I can't decide."

Madara simply stood behind her and watched as she gripped the teddy bear in frustration. "There isn't anything wrong with you."

"But my body-" She whimpered.

"Your body is fine," Madara stated firmly. "This is just one of the many obstacles we will overcome." Madara walked over to Reina and sat down next to her, overlooking the garden. "You do not have to choose. You can be a shinobi and you can have a baby. It might not happen now, but it will happen." Madara reached over and grabbed hold of her hand. "We will get through this together. We will have a small family of our own."

Reina looked over at him with a miserable, droopy expression. "Really? Do you really think that is possible?"

Madara nodded with a small smile. "Of course I do. You and I will have at least one baby. And the child will grow up and be a talented shinobi with a splendid heart. And you'll have the luxury of dying before our child. And our child will have a family of its own too."

"Ya' think so?" Reina wiped her eyes as tears began to well-up and sting them. "Please don't just say it to say it."

Madara gave her hand a light squeeze. "You know me, Reina. I am not one to hope, especially in a false light."

"I know you don't lie." Reina lowered her head and looked at the bear in her hands. "I just- I'm not so sure about what I believe anymore... What will I allow myself to believe?"

"You will find the answer. You always do." Madara let go of her hand and stood up. "I am sorry to leave you on your own, but it's essential that I complete my work in a timely manner. I'll be in my office if you need me."

Reina nodded. "Sure. That's fine." She said quietly before glancing out into the hazy garden like before. As she heard the sliding door click shut, she laid down on her back. Reina closed her eyes and listened to the pitter-patter of the rain as she drifted off to sleep.

"Reina, you still have not recovered from your emotional distress." The woman crossed her arms and placed her hands in her billowy sleeves. "I am growing rather concerned."

"I am growing rather tired." Reina sat in the crimson puddle beneath her. "Why me?"

"It is the price you pay for being special, Reina." The woman, nearly a reflection of her, crouched down and gently placed a hand on her chin. "You did not choose this path, I know; however, you are part of what I believe to be a karmic cycle."

Reina met the woman's gaze. "What do you mean?"

The woman trailed her finger along her chin as she slowly let go. "Venture to the Uchiha stone tablet and I will tell you everything I know."

Reina closed her eyes and lowered her head. "That's right… I haven't yet gone. I'm sorry."

"Your apology is unnecessary. I will always remain. It is your prerogative to want to learn valuable information." The woman gave a soft smile. "However, it might bring you closure."

Reina jolted awake as thunder cracked outside her window. She gasped and sat upright as she took in her surroundings. She was in her and Madara's bedroom, tucked under their sheets with Tadao. "Madara must have brought me here." She muttered before climbing out of bed. Reina groggily walked to her wardrobe and dressed in navy shinobi pants and a yukata with an Uchiha clan crest on the back. It was very akin to what Madara could be seen wearing on a daily basis. Reina tied her hair up into a ponytail and tiredly shuffled out of the room. She walked downstairs and made her way to Madara's office. Reina gently tapped a knuckle on the door. "I'm going out!" She hoarsely called before walking away.

As Reina made her way down the hall, Madara's office door slid open. "What is this? A hit and run?" He called.

Reina simply yawned and shrugged her shoulders. "I didn't wanna waste your time. Oh, thanks for bringing me to the bedroom by the way."

"You are not a waste of time." Madara furrowed his brows. "Wait, you said I brought you to the bedroom?"

Reina stopped walking to face him and nodded. "Yeah. I fell asleep outside on the porch and I woke up in the bedroom." She looked at him, more alert now. "I assumed you had brought me inside."

"You fell asleep outside? Are you trying to get yourself sick-" Madara shook his head as he approached her. "Never mind that. No."

"'No' what?" Reina raised a brow.

"'No,' I did not bring you inside. I was in my office this entire time." Madara turned on his Sharingan.

Reina turned on her Rinnegan. "Do you think we have an intruder?"

"It is highly likely." Madara looked at her. "Unless you sleepwalk."

Reina raised her hand up. "Honest to God, I have never sleepwalked." She sighed. "Did you seriously not bring me inside?" She ran past him and made her way outside to the porch. Reina tipped her head into the air and focused as she sensed nearby chakra, sounds, smells, and vibrations. "Nothing here…" Reina ran back inside and met Madara at the stairway. The two raced upstairs and positioned themselves outside the bedroom door.

Madara swiftly opened the door and appeared inside the bedroom, kunai ready. He surveyed the room and signaled for Reina to enter. "No one is in here."

Reina stepped inside and sighed in frustration. "This is bizarre."

Madara put his kunai away. "The only thing in here is that stupid bear of yours."

As Reina glanced at Tadao, lightning struck and thunder roared. "Maybe I did sleepwalk?" She looked at Madara. "There's no way you wouldn't have been able to feel anyone in the house. There's no way anyone in the village would've done this. Also, the barrier is up around the village, so if any outsiders tried to infiltrate the ANBU and my brothers would be notified before they would even get here."

Madara stared at the bear. "Maybe it's the bear."

Reina pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. "Really, Madara? A bear?"

"What if its creator has a teleportation or substitution jutsu tied to it?" Madara walked over towards the bear and picked it up. "Think about it."

"Madara, that bear was made when Nao and I thought we were going to grow old and get married. It was a method for comfort, not a way to spy on me since he already had me." Reina chuckled. "Why would he need to teleport here via teddy bear to stalk me when at the time, I wasn't going anywhere?"

"A skilled shinobi plans ahead," Madara said quickly.

"But this isn't a ninja tool!" Reina laughed. "Madara, it's just a teddy bear. Have you lost your mind? Besides, he never displayed any teleportation abilities."

"Reina, I have an inkling that it is not just the bear." Madara held it up to her face. "It's rather menacing when you actually study it."

Reina sighed with a grin. "Alright, you've lost your mind. Perhaps you should take a nap now." She turned around and walked out of the bedroom.

Madara followed her, teddy bear in hand. "At least I got you to smile."

Reina blushed. "You did." She made her way to their entryway and slipped on her boots. "Do you need me to pick up anything from the grocery store?"

Madara furrowed his brows. "You're going shopping in this weather?"

"It'll let up." Reina shrugged. "It's just water."

Madara sighed. "In that case, we could use some meat and vegetables." He scrutinized her appearance. "I don't think I've seen you wear any of your Uchiha garb. This is new."

"I thought I'd try something new. Assimilate more. That stuff." Reina stood up and pulled her keys off their hook. "I'll be back in a few hours." She grabbed an umbrella from next to the door.

"That sounds like a rather long grocery trip." Madara crossed his arms.

"I like long romantic walks in the rain and expensive dates in the grocery aisles." Reina sassed.

Madara chuckled. "Wow, what a charmer. Be safe then." He waved.

Reina bowed. "I'm off then."

Reina kept to herself as she made her way through the relatively empty streets of the Uchiha clan compound. She held her head low as the umbrella shielded her from the rain, camouflaging her presence. Though she was now a member of the esteemed Uchiha clan, she couldn't help but feel as if she was trespassing on their property for the sake of treason. Reina kept walking until she found herself in front of a set of stone steps that led to the Naka Shrine. She quietly walked up the steps and wiped her feet before entering the shrine. Reina closed her umbrella and looked at the floor tiles around her.

Reina thought back to when she took the Uchiha clan's oath here. She never thought she would be back visiting the temple. She didn't even know it actually had a name. Reina fished for the memory of which floor tile led to the secret meeting room. She tried one mat, but it didn't budge. She tried another but to no avail. "Alright, which one of you fuckers was it?" She said through gritted teeth as she prayed that no one came by.

Madara was doing paperwork when he glanced up at the teddy bear sitting on his desk. He lowered his head and continued writing up various plans. He stopped and looked up at the stuffed animal again. He dropped his pen and leaned back in his chair. Madara crossed his arms and glared at the toy.

"I hope you know I don't trust you." He spat at the bear. "If you're just a bear then it wouldn't matter if you disappeared or not, now would it?" Madara smirked. "However, I can't do that as I must study you and the interactions you have with my wife more. It seems as if her attachment towards you is weakening. There are more important things to her now." Madara sat there staring at Tadao. "You're not much of a talker, are you?"

Reina walked down the staircase made of stone. As her foot touched the ground, torches lit up the underground room as if welcoming the Uchiha clan member. "Greetings to you too," Reina stated as she walked over towards the stone tablet.

"Turn on your Rinnegan. You will be able to fully decipher the Uchiha stone tablet." The woman echoed in her head.

"If you insist." Reina sat down in front of the tablet and turned on her Rinnegan. Her eyes widened as she began reading the prophecy. "This cannot be right."

"You are correct. The tablet has been altered."

Reina gasped. "I must tell Madara-"

"No! Do not inform anyone of this alteration."

Reina was taken back. "Why not? This is a precious artifact forged by the sage of the six paths! It was created to guide the Uchiha clan towards more peaceful ways of living."

"Yes, my son created it after he sealed me away." She closed her eyes with a pained expression before opening them back up with determination. "I was the one who had it altered. It was my will in material form who had forged the new inscription. However, I do believe that life force to be dormant."

"You physically manifested will? Wait, but why did you want the tablet to be changed?" Reina furrowed her brows. "This dream it speaks of… it isn't a dream at all, is it?"

"No… It is a method for my returnal, my reawakening."

"I don't understand, I have the Rinnegan, but you haven't once tried to lead me astray. Why not act now?" Reina inquired.

The woman lowered her head. "Though you would be most capable of executing my rebirth, it requires much more than simply acquiring the Rinnegan. That and you are not one to be manipulated. We are one and the same. You think as I do. Therefore, you operate more in self-interest whether you think so or not." She smirked. "Tell me, Reina. Would you sacrifice your life force for a different version of yourself to resurface? Think of it like me in the forefront and you in my current position."

"Not at all." Reina furrowed her brows. "This is my life and I will do as I see fit. You had your time."

"Precisely… As is how I operate." The woman tipped her head back. "Not only that, but the timing is more than unfavorable."

"Why is that?" Reina demanded answers.

"In order to summon me, one must first start by collecting all nine legendary tailed beasts."

Reina's eyes widened. "That would only spark a war."

"Correct. Since there warring states period had ended, every shinobi, clan, and nation is on high alert for any disturbances. Therefore, now is not an optimal time to act."

Madara was boiling water for tea while he and Tadao sat on the kitchen counter together. "I hate waiting for water to boil. It takes so long." Tadao simply sat there with his crooked smile. "You know, I just want to talk. You really shouldn't ignore someone who is speaking to you. That is rather rude and distasteful." Tadao tipped over and fell on his side. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I hurt your feelings?" Madara placed a hand on his chest with sarcastic sympathy. "Serves you right."

"Eventually, I will return and reign as a god once again."

Reina simply blinked as her mind swarmed in a thousand directions. "Well, that's ambitious and all, but how did I end up with you as my reincarnated spirit?"

The woman shook her head. "To be honest, I am not completely certain, just as I am not certain as to how my son's spirits were selected for their current hosts over all other candidates. The strangest occurrence is that two reincarnated spirits have come from the same clan within the same era. You could call it fate. As I said before, it could simply be karmic. Everything happens for a reason, does it not?"

"I tend to attribute everything to will-power rather than destiny, but I understand what you're trying to convey." Reina took in a deep breath. "So, my body…"

"Oh, yes. Now that you have been properly educated on my history and the origins of chakra, I can give you the closure that you desire."

"Please, produce." Reina insisted.

"Because I have committed a great taboo and because your clan and the Uchiha clan have originated from my bloodline alone, I can only speculate that you were born with a defect."

"A defect?" Reina looked personally offended for a moment but brushed it off. "What do you mean?"

"Yes, Reina. You are not only connected to me by spirit, but you are connected to my roots as well. The almighty God Tree." She raised a finger and pointed at her inside her psyche. "You, a Senju with an Uchiha seed, trigger an automatic response to absorb any life force within you because you are one and the same with the legendary God Tree." She chuckled. "Just as I have done in the past, just as I wish to do once again, just as the God Tree behaves by its very nature, your body wishes only to reclaim all power that rightfully belongs to it." She said devilishly. "Reina, you remember the incident that occurred when you were fourteen, yes?"

Reina gasped. "That was."

"Yes… that was your true self. That was you, me, and the God Tree acting as one." She smirked. "Can you fathom the insurmountable power within this vessel? All of the chakra you can harvest in your corporeal form! Is it not splendid?!"

Reina simply sat there in disbelief. "It is rather unfathomable, however, how come I only absorbed the baby when I used jutsu?" Reina was genuinely intrigued, though she felt as if she should be more mortified than she was. Perhaps it was because she always knew something else was there.

"Ah, the God Tree is most aware of a life force when it uses chakra. Think of it as being sensory-based."

"I understand." Reina nodded. "Well, thank you for your time." Reina bowed to the monument and began standing up from the floor.

"Absolutely, but remember, Reina, you are honor-bound to keep his information a secret."

Reina smiled softly. "Of course. I am you and you are me. I would never betray myself, and I would never betray you… Kaguya."

Hello,

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a comment giving your thoughts and opinions!

Love,

Spliced