Hashirama and Mito were standing outside of the Hokage's tower, waiting for the ANBU Black Ops applicants to arrive. The sun was setting and it wouldn't be long before everyone began to show up. Reina was inside the Hokage's tower, snacking on raw vegetables as she waited for the sun to go down. She was well-rested since she postponed her morning training with Jun and slept in until the afternoon. Jun didn't mind as he was able to go on a second date with his love interest, which, to be frank, Reina found to be adorable. As the sun dipped below the tree line, Reina cleaned herself off and walked to the interview room. She had planned to interview half the applicants that night and the remainder the following night. There were ten meeting rooms set up and she aimed to keep every interview less than fifteen minutes long.

Hashirama watched as individuals began approaching the tower. He opened the door to the tower and smiled at Tobirama excitedly. "Tobirama, it's time."

"Alright," Tobirama smirked. "I'm ready." He said. As Hashirama shut the door, Tobirama produced ten clones to assist with escorting applicants to the interview rooms.

A blonde man with long hair approached the tower and immediately bowed once he realized the first Hokage and Lady Mito were standing outside. "Lord Hokage, Lady Mito, what a pleasant surprise."

"Oh, hello! Thank you for coming!" Hashirama grinned, luring them into a false sense of security. As others arrived, he greeted them with a bright smile and enthusiasm. "Okay, it looks like enough people have arrived! If everyone would be so kind as to line up military style, we will check you in one by one and send you in for your interview! Lady Mito will place a seal on your right hand and I will then check you in according to your name presented on our roster! If you are lying about your identification the seal will activate and incinerate you on the spot! This will ensure no traitorous shinobi enter the tower for personal or political gain! Those who flee will immediately be arrested and questioned! If you've come here to cause chaos, you have made a terrible mistake and I strongly recommend leaving to avoid being reduced to nothing but ashes!" As Hashirama's tone shifted from cheery, to clinical, to deadly the crowd became increasingly uneasy.

Everyone looked around to see if anyone was about to leave, but no one did. Hashirama cleared his throat. "Wonderful! Let's continue! After we verify who you are, the seal will fade from your hand if you tell the truth. Lady Mito will then place a second seal on your forehead! This seal is to ensure the interview isn't discussed until the entire process has concluded to ensure no shinobi receives an unfair advantage. It also acts as a location tracker so we know where you are at all times! Lady Mito will then open the door where you will greet Lord Tobirama. He will then escort the first person to their interview. Ten people will be sent in for their one-on-one interview! Once one interview has finished, the door will open, and the next person will be escorted to their interview, and so on! We expect everyone here to remain silent and only leave if they've become uninterested in this position! Are there any questions?! Now is the only time we will answer anything!" No one raised their hand. "There are no questions! Therefore, we shall begin! Will the first person please step forward?!"

The first man to arrive came forward and was greeted by Mito. "Hello, please show me the top of your right hand." She asked softly. Mito took hold of his hand and traced a seal on it. The seal appeared and she nodded toward Hashirama while taking a few steps back.

Hashirama smiled towards the man. "Please state your name."

The man smiled politely. "My name is Inosuke Yamanaka." The crowd waited in anticipation, but nothing happened.

Hashirama checked his name off the list. "Please proceed."

"May I?" Mito asked politely. As the man stepped forward and lowered his forehead, Mito placed the second seal on it. "Please follow me, Inosuke Yamanaka." Mito guided him to the tower entrance and opened one of the double doors. As they stepped inside, they greeted Tobirama. "Tobirama, this is Inosuke Yamanaka. Please escort him to his interview."

"With pleasure. Please follow me, sir." Tobirama gave a polite bow. As Mito left to place seals on the next applicant, the two began walking through the tower and up various flights of stairs. "How was your day today?" Tobirama inquired to make small talk.

"Pleasant, actually. Thank you for asking. How about yourself?" Inosuke asked while noticing there was no source of light in the tower. Only the faintest glow from light pollution cast itself through the scarce amount of windows.

"I had a rather peaceful day myself. Thank you." Tobirama stopped in front of a set of double doors with a seal on it. "This is the interview room. Please push the doors open and step inside to greet your interviewer. I will be waiting here to escort you out when you're finished."

"Thank you for taking me here." Inosuke bowed.

"Best of luck." Tobirama watched as he approached the double doors.

Inosuke pushed the double doors open and stepped inside the room. He noticed it was completely dark and devoid of light. Once the doors shut behind him, he was locked in a black abyss. He closed his eyes and sensed for a presence, but there was none. When Inosuke opened his eyes, he gasped at the scenery before him. It was midnight and the pale moon barely illuminated the dense forest in which a battle was taking place. He was surrounded by shinobi he had never met, but he had a sense they were his allies.

"She's getting away!" One of his allies called.

"Who?! Where?!" Inosuke inquired.

"That woman! She's about fifty meters ahead! If she leaves with that scroll, the village will be in great danger! War will start all over again!" The man hissed. "You have to hurry! We'll hold them off!"

Inosuke nodded. "Roger!" He ran after the woman, sensing her not too far up ahead. "What's going on?" He thought to himself as his adrenaline rushed, but was pulled from his thoughts when he saw a figure not too far up ahead. Inosuke sped up until he was on her heels. "Hey! Return that scroll!"

The woman turned to the side and threw explosive kunai at Inosuke. "As if!"

It was as if time stopped when Inosuke noticed his foe was pregnant and well into her third trimester. "She's pregnant?!" He dodged the kunai explosions and continued after her. "A mission is a mission." When he was close he leaped forward and attacked the woman.

"Ah! Please! Stop! I'm pregnant!" She cried out. "That hurts! My baby!"

Inosuke tightened his fingers together and did a knife-hand chop to her throat. The woman collapsed as he knocked her out and fell to the ground. Inosuke pulled a rope out of his pouch and bound the woman. He could hear his teammates calling for him in the distance. "I'm over here!" He called and they came rushing toward him.

"You captured her! Mission complete." The guy from before said.

"Let's bring her back to the village for questioning." Inosuke said.

"But she's pregnant." Another member said.

"She's still an enemy. I didn't have to let her live." Inosuke stated. "Let's move out."

The world shifted around Inosuke and he was once again in a black room. A woman sat in a chair in front of him, bound, with a candle barely illuminating the room. He could hear her whimper. Inosuke walked up to her with careful steps.

"Hello?" He asked softly.

"I didn't do it!" She exclaimed in a panicked voice. "I'm innocent!"

"What did you not do?" He inquired.

"I didn't leak any secrets. I didn't kill the Hokage! I didn't! I'd never!" She cried.

Inosuke crept forward and gasped when he realized that the woman was none other than his twin sister, Inoko. "I-Inoko!"

"I didn't do it, brother." Her breathing was shaky. "If they find me to be guilty, they'll execute me!"

Inosuke closed his eyes with a sigh. "There is only one way to find out."

"No! No, don't do it!" She shrieked.

Inosuke placed his hand on her forehead and scanned her memories. He saw that she did in fact kill the Hokage and leaked critical intel to neighboring lands. Inosuke removed his hand and shook his head. "Inoko… how could you?"

"You- you liar! I'm innocent!" She screamed.

"I have no choice but to report the truth about you-"

"THE WILL KILL ME! YOUR OWN FLESH AND BLOOD!"

Inosuke tensed up. "Whatever they do to you is beyond me now. I'm sorry. You should have chosen better."

Hashirama watched as the other shinobi patiently waited in line. "I wonder how the interviews are going."

Mito giggled. "Knowing Reina, she's probably toying with the applicants. After all, she does have a rather wicked mind."

"Tsk! You got that right! I can only imagine what her child is going to be like." Hashirama grinned. "It's exciting to think about, but wow, what a powerhouse that kid will be."

Mito blushed. "We'll just have to do better once we're married."

Hashirama's face turned bright red. "If your clan even approves of me."

"Of course they will!" Mito chuckled. "You're… well, you."

Hashirama turned his face away. "Oh, umm… thank you."

The scenery faded until Inosuke was transported back into a world of nothingness. He had no concept of time or space. All he knew was that he had essentially gone through hell and back and was exhausted from the eternity of psychological torment. However, Inosuke stayed strong, and went through with everything that had to be done. From life-or-death scenarios, to sacrifice, to absolute brutality, sadness, and suffering, he faced it all with the utmost courage and intellect. The darkness around him evaporated and he found himself standing in a fully illuminated room. In front of him was Reina, sitting on a desk with the same seal on her forehead as his.

Inosuke bowed. "L-Lady Reina. Forgive me for not recognizing you were here any sooner."

Reina held up a hand. "No need to beg for forgiveness." She lowered her hand and smiled sweetly. "How long would you say you were in there for?"

Inosuke placed his hands behind his back. "It felt like weeks."

Reina chuckled. "It was only three minutes. You did very well." She popped off the desk and took a few steps forward. "Now that you've completed the psychological portion of the exam, might I ask you some questions now?"

Inosuke nodded with a smile. "Absolutely, ma'am."

Tobirama was leaning against the wall adjacent to the double doors when it creaked open. Reina escorted Inosuke out of the room. "We are finished here. Please escort Inosuke Yamanaka out and bring in the next applicant."

Tobirama nodded. "Of course, please follow me, sir."

As Tobirama led Inosuke out of the tower, Reina returned to the meeting room. The doors sealed shut and Reina propped herself back up on the desk. The seal on each applicant's forehead wasn't actually meant for tracking, but it was a tie to Reina's psyche and immediately placed them under a genjutsu once they passed through the double doors. Therefore, once they entered the interview room, Reina could take full control of them without exhausting her chakra supply. It was a wonderful torture method created by the Uzumaki clan.

As the hours progressed and midnight approached, Reina was wrapping up her final interview. Eventually, two-hundred and sixty interviews were completed and it was time to call it a night. She met Hashirama, Tobirama, and Mito in the Hokage's office and briefly discussed the applicants' performances. Naturally, Reina was impressed by some and poked fun at others. There was a rainbow of applicants in the vibrant colors of brutal, strategic, indifferent, soft, and cowardly. It was quite amusing to the group.

Reina sighed. "Well, I should probably get going."

"We were actually going to grab some drinks. Did you want to join us?" Mito asked.

"Well, I-" As Reina was about to concoct the world's saddest excuse, there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" Hashirama called.

The door opened and Madara stepped into the office. "Sorry, I know it's late, but I'm looking for my wife."

Reina shook her head as a toothy grin crept onto her face. "You're too much." She giggled. "You came to walk me home?"

Madara walked towards the group. "Of course. I might be busy, but I would never let my pregnant wife walk home alone this late at night. Where's the chivalry in that?"

Mito eyed Hashirama. "Take notes." The group erupted in laughter.

Reina sighed. "Well, everyone, enjoy your drinks. I'll be at home, eating snacks while soaking in a bubble bath."

Hashirama hugged Reina tightly before she could escape. "FINE! Just know I loved seeing you and I miss you all the time!" Tears streamed down his face.

"Elder brother, please control yourself." Tobirama sighed. "Reina, take care of yourself. We will wrap this up tomorrow."

"Sounds like a plan." Reina muffled as her face scrunched against Hashirama's chest. "Hashirama, you're going to break my face."

"Oh! Sorry!" He let go of her and sighed. "Take care."

Mito grabbed Reina's arms and the two kissed each other's cheeks. "Have a good night, dear."

"Thank you." Reina waved.

"Have a good night everyone!" Madara gave a curt bow, before leaving with Reina. Once they were outside, Madara locked his arm with hers. "How was everything?"

Reina sighed. "The interview process went very smoothly. We have some very strong-minded shinobi in this village. I can project that about 200 will make it to the physical test and about 140 will be hired."

"Those are excellent numbers considering the population of the village." Madara looked over at Reina. "How are you feeling?"

Reina took in a sharp breath through her teeth. "Honestly, I'm sore, stiff, and starving." She chuckled.

Madara let go of her arm. "Well in that case, would you like for me to carry you on my back?"

"Wait, really?" Reina's eyes widened.

"Really." Madara walked in front of her and bent down with his arms back. "I'm ready when you are."

"YES!" Reina cheered and launched herself onto his back. She wrapped her arms around Madara's neck as he caught her legs. She sweetly kissed his cheek. "Thank yooou."

"You're welcome." Madara smiled and carried her all the way home.

Once they were home, Madara set Reina down to unlock and lock the door. After they took off their shoes, Madara scooped Reina up and carried her bridal style upstairs. He brought them into their room and set Reina down on the bed. He kissed her before walking into the bathroom where he turned on the bathtub for her. He lit some candles and turned the lights off to set a comfortable mood.

Madara entered the bedroom. "What do you want to eat?"

Reina blushed and gave a sheepish grin. "Leftovers?"

Madara snickered. "Reina…"

"Pleeeease? I haven't eaten for four hours!" Reina frowned. "Just this once."

"You and I both know this will become a reoccurring thing." Madara shook his head. "Fine. I'll bring some dumplings and vegetables up for you."

"Thank you!" Reina giggled.

As promised, Madara returned with a tray of food and a tall glass of water. He set the tray down in the bathroom and turned the tub off. He walked back into the bedroom and scooped Reina up from the bed. Madara walked her into the bathroom, but instead of setting her down on the ground so she could undress, he smirked and gently plopped her into the warm bath fully clothed.

Reina shrieked. "What are you doing?!"

Madara jumped back so she couldn't splash him as he laughed. "Reina, that's not how you bathe."

"Gee! Really?!" Reina laughed in disbelief. "I can't believe you."

Madara was practically wheezing at her reaction. "This! This is revenge for the other day!"

Reina couldn't help but laugh with him. "You're an ass!"

"An eye for an eye." Madara caught his breath. "Alright. Now that we are even, hand me your clothes."

Reina pouted as she stripped. "It's sticking to meeeee! I hate this!" She whined, earning more laughter from Madara. As she handed Madara her clothing, Reina pulled him in and grabbed his arm, yanking him into the tub with her.

Madara gasped as he collided with the bathwater. "Ooooh, you're in troooouuble!"

Reina laughed so hard that she couldn't even breathe. "I-I'm… Pfft-!" She continued laughing. "I'm not even sorry!"

Madara laughed with her and took a moment to register what had happened. "I should just stay here to spite you."

Reina giggled. "The tub is big enough for the two of us."

Madara stepped out of the tub and took his soaking wet clothing off. "I cannot believe you would pull such a traitorous move on me."

"I don't play to get even. I play to win." Reina snickered devilishly.

Madara set a tray across the tub and placed her food and water on it before slipping into the bathtub. "Wow, I never realized how big this tub was until now."

"Isn't it?" Reina picked up a dumpling with her chopsticks and popped it into her mouth. "Mmm, delicious." She picked up another. "Here, have one."

Madara leaned in and opened his mouth as Reina fed him a dumpling. "Mmm, second-day dumplings."

Reina chuckled and shook her head. She stopped for a moment and looked him sweetly in the eyes. "I love you, Madara. I really do."

Madara's eyes widened before his face softened into a sweet smile. He finally got it, the words he was waiting so long for. "I love you too… except when you sabotage me."

"Boooooo!" Reina stuck her tongue out at him. The two of them remained in the tub, snacking and bantering before drying off and going to bed.