"Last night Reina fainted," Madara said to Hashirama as he let him into his house.
"She did?!" Hashirama looked concerned. "Is she alright?"
"She's resting now. Follow me." Madara brought Hashirama up the stairs to his and Reina's master bedroom. Madara reached for the door handle and quietly opened the door to their room.
Hashirama stepped inside and walked over to his unconscious sister. "How did this happen?"
"I'm not certain." Madara followed after him. "I was looking for her when I found her in the library. She was reading a book and when I came in she began talking to me about doing community service to fulfill her role in society. I began speaking with her about it and telling her that you would be proud of her. Then, as if her breath was taken away, she fainted."
Hashirama looked at Madara as he spoke. "Reina was very busy up until the wedding. I wouldn't be surprised if she overworked herself." He looked down at Reina sleeping. "Not only that, but suddenly being placed in such an important position, I can only imagine how daunting it can be."
"You would know. We both know. After all, when our fathers died, we had to become clan leaders." Madara spoke sincerely. "We were also young and inexperienced. It was a stressful time."
"That is true." Hashirama looked Madara in the eyes. "Thank you for bringing me here to see her."
"Of course." Madara bowed his head. "Though she is now an Uchiha it doesn't mean you should be left in the dark. You're still family, Hashirama. You entrusted her to him for good reason."
"I appreciate everything that you do, Madara. I trust you. I'm glad that Reina has you to depend on." Hashirama gave a bittersweet smile. "Let her rest some more. She should come to later today. Poor thing is probably exhausted."
"Absolutely. I'll make sure she is cared for when she wakes up." Madara smiled. "There is no need to worry."
"With you, it's hard to worry," Hashirama said sincerely. "Anyway, I should probably leave now. I have a lot of duties to attend to."
"Let me escort you out," Madara said as he began to walk out of the bedroom. He brought Hashirama outside and the two bowed to each other before parting ways. "Take it easy, Hashirama. I'll keep you posted."
"Thank you, Madara." Hashirama waved and walked off.
Once the Hokage was out of sight, Madara walked back inside the house and upstairs to the master bedroom. He shut the door behind him and walked over to Reina's bedside. Madara sat down next to her on the bed and grabbed her lifeless hand. He grazed his thumb over her knuckles and looked up at her pale face.
Madara sneered. "You love me, huh?" He dropped her hand and stood up from the bed. "How foolish. We're married, not in love. At the end of the day, a ceremony means nothing." The clan lord walked out of the master bedroom and shut the door with a soft click.
Reina stirred before bolting upright with a loud gasp. Her eyes shot open and she held her head in pain. Reina looked around her to see that she was alone in the bedroom. She steadied her breath before lowering her hands. Quietly, she peeled off the bedsheets and climbed out of bed. Her foot barely touched the floor as she gradually placed pressure on the cold wood. Reina stood up and walked to the window as inaudibly as she could. She peeked through the blinds and noticed that the sun was already setting.
"It has to be 5:30 or so." She thought to herself before backing away from the curtains. Reina turned around to see a navy blue shirt mere centimeters away from her face. She gasped and stepped back as she looked up at Madara. "Madara… when did you-"
"Going somewhere?" Madara crossed his arms.
"N-no. I just wanted to know how late it was… How long have I been out?" Reina inquired.
"About a full day." Madara turned around and walked over to the bed. "You're brother stopped by today."
"Did he?" Reina watched as Madara sat on the bed facing her. "Why?"
"I wanted him to check up on you," Madara smirked. "After all, I am a very trustworthy brother-in-law."
Reina gritted her teeth. "You! Stop playing him!"
"Relax," Madara commanded in a deep tone. "I simply wanted to ensure we have no visitors."
Reina felt uneasy with his statement. "Why are you doing this?"
Madara chuckled. "To ensure that your power falls in the right hands, Reina. Trust me. It's in your better interest as well." He stood up from the bed and began walking over to her. "Be thankful I'm even considering your well-being, lowly Senju."
Reina furrowed her brows. "I am Reina Uchiha of the Uchiha clan! Wife of Lord Madara Uchiha!"
"Tsk! Please! You could never be an Uchiha. Don't soil our name." Madara scowled at the woman in front of him.
"I am more than capable. I am the woman you married. I am your WIFE!" Reina stepped forward, not backing down. "Do not mock me."
Madara swung a fist at her which she instantly dodged. Reina popped back up and went to throw a palm strike up his nose. Madara blocked her arm from the outside and stepped in to hit her liver with an uppercut. Reina blocked his arm with a light tap and stepped to the side. She chambered her leg to whip a roundhouse kick at him, but Madara was too fast. He grabbed her leg and pulled Reina in. She used her left hand to support herself on the floor before twisting her body to free her leg. Reina threw a kick at him with the torque of her hips, but Madara swiftly dodged her attack. Reina jumped back and looked up at Madara with fiery eyes.
Reina grinned. "You mean to tell me a woman who finally wakes up after passing out, has a concussion, and fights you without getting hit isn't worthy of being an Uchiha?" She clenched her jaw. "Why can't you just accept me?! I love you and-"
"Stop saying that!" Madara flashed his Sharingan. "You know nothing about love."
"You don't know a thing about me then." Reina took in a sharp breath. "If I didn't love you I would just leave. I would fight you and I would want to hurt you. That's not the case, though. I want you to be happy and truly love the village and my family… and me. I want you to learn to trust."
"Well, Reina, I don't feel the same way. Forget about helping me and stop telling me you love me. You'll never hear it back." Madara hissed.
Reina stopped in her tracks and looked up at him with sorrowful eyes. "You mean… everything we've been through… all that we've done… was for nothing?" Her throat began to burn as she spoke.
"Are you finally beginning to understand? It took you long enough" Madara crossed his arms. "To answer your question. Yes, it was all for nothing. I don't love you. I never have. You were only ever my target to harness that incredible power of yours and I intend to keep it that way. You are my weapon and I, the wielder, shall use you."
Reina wanted to cry, but she held herself together. She thought back to the first time they met all the way up until their marriage. There were tense moments, joyous occasions, personal, sensual acts, and the official bond of two spirits. Reina couldn't simply believe that it was all for naught. She looked up at the man in front of her and shook her head.
Reina gave him a bittersweet smile. "I don't believe you."
"What?" Madara snapped.
"I said I don't believe you." Reina sniffled before continuing. "You love me. I know it. You're just afraid to openly give me your affection because your motives and your ego don't align with your heart." She walked closer to him. "But I can see your heart clearer than you can." Reina looked up at him. "You don't like being this way. This isn't who you are. You're just hurt."
"Cease your nonsense." Madara uncrossed his arms.
Reina grinned. "I will never cross you. I will never hurt you. You can always trust me… Madara, I've been rooting for you from the beginning. I see things clearly and you know it." She chuckled. "We are both attracted to each other. We want to be respected by one another." Reina kept taking steps forward until she was three feet away from him. "We want to love each other."
Madara spun and hit Reina with a hook kick. Reina flew to the side and slammed onto the floor. She gasped and held her face before looking up at him with dismay. Madara walked over to her and crouched down, turning her face toward him. His eyes displayed the mangekyou sharingan. "Tsukuyomi!" He yelled as he clutched Reina's face.
Reina simply looked into his eyes, willingly taking the damage. "I won't fight you anymore." She said before fainting on the ground again.
The next morning, Reina woke up to an empty bed. Madara was already up and working. Reina thought about their fight last night and sighed in distress. She had to get through to Madara and she wouldn't give up, but his words still stung. Reina shook her head and got up to take a shower. Reina washed up and immediately dressed in black pants and a mossy green tank top. She put a hair tie around her wrist so she could put her hair up when it dried.
Reina walked downstairs to the kitchen and picked up an apple from a fruit basket sitting on their counter. Shit bit into it and walked to the front door. She stuck the apple in her mouth and pulled on a pair of black boots. Reina stood up and grabbed the apple out of her mouth as she took a crunchy bite. She pushed open the double doors and was greeted by sunshine. Reina smiled and wiped apple juice off her cheek. She felt a dull pang as she brushed over a light bruise on her cheek. Reina grimaced, realizing that if she had a bruise on her face, she probably shouldn't walk around in public. The last thing she wanted to do was attract unwanted attention.
Reina walked around the house to the back where the training ground was. She could hear grunting and shuffling of dirt. Reina continued back until she saw Madara and Jun training together. She finished her apple and chucked the core in a nearby bush. Reina smirked and saw this as her chance.
Once the men stopped sparring, Reina walked over to them with a grin. "Good morning, honey! Good morning, Jun." She waved sweetly while walking over to them.
Madara looked at Reina with a shocked expression. "She shouldn't be awake yet. Why did she call me honey?" Madara cleared his throat. "Good morning, Reina."
Jun panted and looked over at the woman. "Good morning, Mrs. Uchiha. How are you on this beautiful day?"
Reina giggled at the gruff man's charm. "I'm feeling wonderful, actually. Just adjusting to a new lifestyle, but nonetheless fantastic."
"Is that so?" Jun grinned and looked down at her face. "Looks like you got a little bruise there." He gently touched her face and rubbed her bruise with a light brush of his thumb. "You being careless?"
"Guilty." Reina grinned.
"Try to be more careful. We wouldn't want the clan lord's pretty little wife to look all battered and bruised. Isn't that right, Madara?" Jun asked with a small smile.
"Why are they so chummy?" Madara sighed. "You have a point. Too bad I can't monitor her as much as I'd like. Maybe she'd stop picking a fight with the floor if I did."
Jun chuckled. "Haha! That's funny." He wiped his sweaty face with his shirt, exposing his flawless abs. "Anyway, did you want to grab lunch, Lord Madara?"
"I wish I could, but I have a lot of paperwork to take care of. That and I have to meet with Hashirama." Madara took his shirt off completely and wiped the sweat off of his body.
Jun turned to Reina. "Would you care to have lunch with me?"
"I don't believe I have anything better to do at the moment." Reina smiled. "I'd love to."
"Perfect. Do you mind, Madara?" Jun inquired out of respect.
Madara stopped and looked at the man. "Of course not! Please, enjoy yourselves." He waved for them to go.
Jun bowed. "Thank you, Lord Madara." He turned to Reina. "Shall we?"
Reina nodded. "Yes, I'm starving."
The two began to walk off, leaving Madara behind. Madara walked into the house and went to the master bedroom. He entered the bathroom and turned on the shower. Madara stripped and thought about Reina eating lunch with Jun. His heart began to race at the thought of them being alone, enjoying each other's company. Madara shook his head. It's not like it mattered to him. What mattered, however, was that Reina wasn't confined. It would be rather difficult to do so, since most people have an attraction to the amicable woman. Her absence would be noticed even if she were genuinely preoccupied. Reina was loved by many and would have to have some freedom so as not to raise suspicion. Madara clenched his jaw, realizing that he didn't fully think things through. That only meant that he would have to find a way to keep her quarantined.
Reina and Jun were sitting down at a ramen shop chatting with each other. Jun looked over at Reina. "You know, you're looking a bit thin. You taking care of yourself?"
Reina nodded with a small smile. "Yeah, I was put on my diet for the wedding and I've slept for the past two days. Haven't eaten much anything." She shrugged and slurped her ramen.
"Why would they do that? You were perfectly fine before." Jun sipped his sake.
"They wanted me to look a certain way and I couldn't exactly go against their wishes." Reina sipped her water. "Honestly, under that mountain of a kimono, I don't think anyone would notice a five-pound difference."
Jun chuckled. "Yeah, that kimono looked heavy."
"You have no idea." Reina sipped some broth.
"So, how's the married life so far?" Jun asked before opening the menu. He scanned the contents to see what else he wanted to order.
Reina shrugged. "It's not that different from my life with the Senju or Ashikaga clan. Probably less busy, actually."
"Really?" Jun looked at her with surprise. "I'm sure you'll be given duties soon. Like getting involved with the Uchiha clan's community and whatnot. All that political stuff."
Reina perked up. "I think that's just being a good leader. To be honest, I told Madara that I want to help people in our village and assist other villages get settled and establish their lives."
"That would bring a lot of pride and trust to our village and clan." Jun slurped some noodles and then swallowed. "I think you should do it. That's a great idea."
Reina blushed. "Do you really think so?"
"Of course. If it'll bring you fulfillment, then why not?" Jun smiled softly. "It'll also benefit others in the making. It's a win-win, Reina."
"Well, thank you for the encouragement. Maybe one day." Reina grinned. "And I can pass on my will through other people who wish to spread love and make the world a better place."
"You have high aspirations. I like that." Jun continued eating his ramen. "So, mind if I ask you a more personal question?"
"Sure." Reina looked at the man. "What's up?"
"I know that arranged marriages usually blow, but do you genuinely care for Madara?" Jun asked with a blank expression.
Reina nodded. "Yeah, and I hope he feels the same."
Jun snickered. "He's a tough one. On the outside, he's got a hard shell with spikes, but on the inside, he's full of emotion."
"I definitely agree." Reina smiled and continued eating her ramen. "Why do you ask?"
Jun sipped some more sake. "Just curious. Madara needs love and compassion. After Izuna died, he changed. Hopefully, you'll bring the best out of him."
Reina's heart skipped a beat with his words. Suddenly, she had a glimmer of hope. "I'll do my best."
It was evening when Madara was in his study. He stared down at a piece of paper with various scribbled drawings and groaned. Madara stood up and left his office. He walked down the hall and opened up the library door to find Reina.
Madara stepped inside and looked at the woman reading her book. "Reina."
Reina looked up at him and put a bookmark in. She was visibly on edge, but tried to remain calm. "Madara, what can I do for you?"
"Do you have any artistic ability?" Madara inquired like a frustrated child.
Reina nodded. "Uh, yeah. I do… Why?"
"I need you to draw a leaf." Madara walked over to her and handed her a paper and pencil.
Reina looked up at him with a small smile and took the items from his hands. "Just a leaf?"
"That's all." Madara kneeled down and watched as Reina sketched a typical leaf outline with veins. "Wait… draw just the outline."
Reina stopped and drew another leaf. "What is this for?"
"Hashirama and I came up with the idea of headbands for all Leaf Village shinobi and we need a symbol." Madara looked up at Reina with an exasperated expression.
Reina grinned and shook her head. "So, you're looking for something distinctive and a little more abstract?"
"Yes! Not like a normal leaf, but something simple and unique to us." Madara watched as Reina began to draw on paper.
"How about something like this? An open leaf, with a spiral… reminiscent of fire?" Reina shrugged as she drew the abstract leaf. "Kind looks like a snail though…"
"Wait… no. I like this." Madara took the paper and looked at it. "This might be it. I'll show it to Hashirama tomorrow."
Reina smiled and nodded. "Glad I could be of help." She opened her book and continued reading.
"Thank you, Reina." Madara walked out of the library without another word.
Reina watched him leave with a small smirk before continuing with her book. "I love him."