"Shika, you can't ... towards Reina. She's … stress … adjustment period."

"I don't understand … operate this way. She is … capable of … care of herself."

"Yes, but … risk her … fragile … know … happen or when."

"You mean … no control over herself?"

"We don't know the specifics."

"Perhaps it … learn seals."

"We considered … been discussing … secret with … clan."

"… Seems … best move."

Reina was fading in and out of consciousness as the conversation transpired. She couldn't tell who was in the room or how many people were there. Eventually, she succumbed to her tiredness and fell into a deep sleep.

"Do you fear me, Reina?" A soft, feminine voice echoed.

"No… you are me… or… I am you." Reina replied faintly.

"Would you like to know more? Would you like to embrace who you truly are?"

Reina looked into the pitch-black nothingness. It was as if a presence was within the void she was standing in. "I want to be free. I want to be happy."

"I can help you with that."

"Can you?" Reina's voice echoed as she slowly drifted away from the void.

"Lady Reina, it's time to wake up… Reina… REINA!"

Reina bolted upright and blinked a few times. She saw Shika standing at the side of her bed. "What is this, de ja vu?!"

Shika sighed. "It's sundown and it's time for you to get ready for the election."

"Sundown?" Reina looked at the crisp white sheets. "What happened? How long did I sleep for?"

"You had an anxiety attack and slept for eight hours or so," Shika said. "Now, get up. It's time to get ready."

Reina nodded quietly. "Fine." She said while slowly removing the covers and peeling herself out of bed.

The sky was a sapphire blue and the stars sparkled like diamonds. The village was illuminated by lanterns casting a warm glow throughout the settlement. A soft breeze weaved through the massive crowd consuming the streets. People watched in awe as two of the most powerful shinobi stood face to face on a stage. There they were Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, waiting on the election votes that would determine who would reign as the first Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village. All was quiet aside from the surrounding leaves rustling with anticipation.

Reina felt a pit in her stomach. She could feel the tension sticking to her body as if she were wading through a pool of molasses. She knew that Madara would not take lightly to defeat. Though she had just met him it was evident that he was determined, dominant, and deadly. Reina closed her eyes and prayed no turmoil would come from his defeat. She could feel Tobirama's eyes on her but put a mental wall between the two of them. Her face tensed as she focused on her pleads to the divine, sending electricity down her neck and straight to her abdomen where it sparked a fire burning in her belly. Reina was not only nervous but for some reason, she was also fearful.

A man with a spikey ponytail stepped forward between the two shinobi. He was in charge of the operations for the election and counted the votes. He was an intelligent man from the Nara clan. "We have the results from this evening's election! Let us all accept the decision with dignity and work as a unit to make this village thrive." He paused. "It was a close call, but it is time to announce the winner!"

Reina shut her eyes and swallowed stiffly. "Please be Madara Uchiha. I know it's a long shot, but if any god can hear my prayers… please be Madara Uchiha. Please choose Madara. Please. Please. Dear God!" She whispered silently. She could feel her heart beginning to pound and her whole body warm up. Her skin prickled as if thousands of needles pierced her skin. Beads of sweat rolled down her back, causing her to shiver abruptly as the shock rattled up her spine.

The Nara man raised his voice. "From this day forward… the future Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village will be…!"

Reina breathed in deeply and let out a slow exhale. "Please, God."

"HASHIRAMA SENJU!"

Reina slowly opened her eyes as the crowd roared and clapped at the news. Suddenly, she realized that she was up on stage and had to act properly. She clapped her hands together and flashed a small smile. "Why am I so scared?" She said as she watched Madara and Hashirama shake hands with each other.

"Well, that's a relief. Imagine how depressed Hashirama would've been if he didn't win." Tobirama said as he clapped.

Reina turned her head with a jolt forgetting that Tobirama still existed. "Ah! Yes. It's a wonderful result indeed!"

Tobirama furrowed his brows slightly at Reina's reaction but shrugged it off. "I assume you're worrying about the other party?"

Reina's heart stopped. "Yes…"

Tobirama nodded. "We all are, but not to worry. We will make sure you're safe and in good hands, Reina."

Reina furrowed a brow. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing. Just that we will keep everyone safe including you. So, don't worry." Tobirama smiled. "Come now, let's congratulate them both. The festival is about to commence soon!"

Reina was sitting at an open bar, slightly isolated from the noise of the festival. She sat in a corner away from most other people. She sipped her whiskey and set the glass down with a sigh. "What the actual fuck?" She cursed herself mentally for putting herself into a frenzy. Reina knew Hashirama was going to win, but had the faintest glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe Madara would pull through. "Damn…"

"You seem flustered."

Reina lifted her head to see Madara standing at the opposite side of her table. "Pleasure to see you, Madara. What brings you here?"

"I came to find you, actually." He said bluntly. "Mind if I sit?"

"Oh, please do!" Reina gestured for him to join her. "Sorry, I would've invited you, but you took me off guard for a moment there."

Madara sat down and crossed his arms. "Yes, you seemed to be deep in thought. May I ask what's troubling you?" Madara inquired while looking down at her glass of whiskey before meeting her eyes.

"Do I tell him?" Reina bit her lip and then looked up at him. "I don't see the harm in telling you."

"Waiter, could you bring us some more whiskey please?" Madara flagged before turning his attention back to Reina. "Please share then."

Reina sighed. "Well, I don't mean to come off as unsupportive or uncaring for my brother, but I was hoping you would win the election." She closed her eyes and gave a relaxed smirk. "Actually, I voted for you…"

Madara's eyes widened in genuine shock before returning to normal. He unfolded his arms and leaned in as the waiter set down a bottle of whiskey for the two of them. "Why wouldn't you want your brother to win?"

Reina eyed the bottle of whiskey. "I believe that you would've made a better leader. You and the Uchiha clan command so much power, as do the Senju, but the Uchiha clan has a much more domineering presence… in a good way." Reina watched as Madara poured whiskey for the both of them. "There would be much less of a threat from outsiders. Not only that, but I feel like there is less of a balance of power. Why couldn't both of you govern together? You're best friends with the same dream. You founded this place together." Reina shook her head and downed her glass. "It doesn't add up."

"That's a very interesting perspective." Madara sipped his whiskey and poured her some more. "Go on."

"Thank you." Reina cleared her throat. "I also feel as if this village is important to you because I believe you have a greater sense of pride and would want to protect it with all you have. You have lost more than my brothers have and your clan and this dream the two of you have materialized must mean the world to you. Ultimately, you are the one who ended the war." Reina looked at him sincerely. "I admire you. I know how you feel." She downed her glass again.

Madara was frozen in place. She definitely struck a cord and both of them were aware of it. However, not only was she accurate with her statement, but it felt as if she was peering into his head, skipping through the corridors of time and retrieving whatever information she needed. "What is this power you have, Reina Senju?" Madara swallowed his whiskey and poured them both more while clearing his throat. "You seem to be very empathetic, Reina."

"I suppose you could say that." Reina sipped her drink.

Madara tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

Reina all of a sudden became uncomfortable with the conversation. "Perhaps my brothers can best explain it to you." She cleared her throat. "Anyway, will you still be involved with many decision-making processes for the village? I can only assume that would be fair."

Madara nodded. "To a degree. There's only so much I'll be able to do now."

All of a sudden there was loud laughter coming their way. Hashirama Senju waltzed over with Tobirama and a posse of Uchiha men. "Reina! Madara! There you are!"

"I really just wanted to be alone." Reina smiled with a sigh. "Hello, Hashirama. I can see you've had one too many already."

"Nah!" Hashirama sat next to Madara and the other men filled in the seats. "Everyone, let's have a toast!"

Reina saw the drunken mess and quickly excused herself without most of them noticing. Madara watched her leave and gritted his teeth. "Don't go… Damn it." He was about to get up when he felt Hashirama wrap an arm around his shoulders, instantly gluing him to his seat.

Reina was sitting on a pier by a lake when she realized how hot she was. Her heavy kimono wasn't helping. Though it was beautiful, being golden in color with red flowers stitched in and a black obi to tie it all together, it wasn't functional. Reina stood up and took off her obi. She then slipped her kimono off, followed by her underwear. Reina looked at the water that glistened in the moonlight and shimmered with the stars. She smiled before running and jumping into the water with a loud splash. The cool water enveloped her body and she relished in the exhilaration.

Reina surfaced and looked up at the sky, thinking about her time with Nao. Her heart panged as she thought back to the bittersweet moments when they declared their love, but knew they had to depart. She closed her eyes, fighting back her tears. In the end, this is the path that she chose and Nao chose not to accompany her. She breathed in the night air, calming herself down. She genuinely wished the best for her lover.

"Oh, how I miss you, Nao." She whispered softly as she stared down at the water. Reina remained there in a near-hypnotic state. She watched the light reflect off the water as it rippled with her movements. Reina kept staring deep into the glistening lake when she started to see something in it. "What…?"

Reina watched as images were displayed before her in an indigo cast. She could see a wedding, though she looked dismal. There was a scene of her crying and clutching her head in pain in the corner of a room. In another, her hand outstretched in desperation. Reina gasped for she then saw a premonition with Madara. Reina leaned in with wide eyes terrified but engrossed when a loud bang startled her. She jolted and gasped, losing her focus. The images in the lake disappeared and left her dumbfounded. Reina shuttered at what she saw, or perhaps didn't see, and then flinched when another loud bang interrupted her thoughts. She looked up to see fireworks exploding in the sky.

Reina quickly swam to the end of the pier, knowing people were looking for her as the festival reached its finale. She grabbed the edge of the wooden planks and lifted herself up onto the pier. Reina hurriedly dressed and jogged away while ringing out her hair. She made her way through the crowd until she saw Hashirama, Tobirama, and Madara standing around with drinks as they watched the display.

Reina tried to hurry past them when Tobirama spotted her. "Reina! Come join us!"

Reina looked visibly tense with her dripping wet hair nad dishevelled kimono. She closed it with her crossed arms and came over to them with a furrowed brow. "Um, hey…"

A firework went off as the trio looked down at her. Tobirama furrowed his brows. "Why are you wet?"

Hashirama nodded. "I knew you looked different."

Madara sighed. "You're such an idiot."

Hashirama crouched down on the ground depressed. "I've just had a bit to drink, that's all!"

Reina blinked a few times to break free of her funk and chuckled half-heartedly. "I went for a dip!" She smiled, but on the inside, she was panicking. She looked over at Madara who returned her gaze. She quickly averted her focus to her brothers and smiled again. Reina was beginning to feel uneasy in his presence, not knowing why she saw him in her future. "Well, I'm cold, so I'm going to go back home."

Hashirama sprung up. "Nooooo! Staaaay!" He begged with teary eyes.

"Please, she'll catch a cold, Hashirama. Leave her be." Tobirama said. "Though, you probably shouldn't have done that, Reina. You could get sick."

"I'll be fine." She bowed. "I'll take my leave."

"Would you like for me to walk you back?" Madara offered out of curiosity to see how she would respond.

"Oh, thank you, but I'll be alright. I appreciate your offer, however. Have a good night." Reina bowed and walked off.

Madara smirked with amusement. "She seems to be in a fragile state…" He turned his attention to Hashirama as he bickered with his brother. "You will tell me everything about her."

The door to Reina's room burst open as she sprinted in. She immediately took off her kimono and ran into her bathroom. She drew a bath and waited for the water to fill. When the tub was almost completely full, she stepped into the water and sat down, soaking up the warmth.

"Okay… show me." Reina looked into the water and waited… and waited… and waited. "Please…" She sighed, realizing that nothing was going to happen. Reina stepped out of the tub and let it drain. She dried herself off, walked to her bed, and slipped underneath the covers. Reina closed her eyes, praying that what she saw at the lake was nothing but a hallucination.