Beliefs and Love
(Mako POV)
Your stomach churned as your husband walked in. "I'm back." He said, his voice drained.
He saw you and walked forward. His footsteps could be heard, his body relaxed. He only ever did it around you.
One of the many things you loved about him. He trusted you to know where he was at all times.
He sat down next to you and allowed your head to rest on his shoulder. "Everything alright?" He asked.
You didn't say anything but held him in your arms. He understood what was going on, and wrapped his arms around you. "Anything?" You whispered.
He nodded no.
"Do you believe she is still alive?" You asked Keizo.
You closed your eyes. Your baby girl was gone. For so long, you thought you could become better for her, that your daughter and your family could wash away the sins of your past. That someday, you could no longer scream at the mirror, to force Hotaru to take control as you froze in battle.
But it seems that the gods, spirits or whatever was watching over you did not approve of your attempts to redeem yourself.
First, your mother in law died… murdered, you were sure of it. She was far too skilled, and she was a good friend with her beast.
Someone was trying to keep you quiet or discourage you from getting too involved in village politics. Your recent actions and power moves within the clan made the elders bow to you and Ryuju, your status as the Teacher of one of the great clans heir, Sakumo Hatake, and your friendship with Mito Uzumaki made sure of that.
Of course, you used to have political aspirations as a child, you wanted to be Hokage. You wanted to lead the village and protect it from all harm.
You wanted to embody the Will of Fire like Lord Hashirama had. To protect the village.
You thought being a great ninja would protect the village.
Then the war ended, and Danzo made you an offer at the time, you couldn't refuse.
Help him establish his ROOT Unit, and he would support you in a bid to become Hokage or at least an advisor for Hiruzen.
You accepted. As a nieve teenager who did not have anyone else save for a betrothal set up by your parents before you died, with a man whom at the time, did not love, it was perfect, only staying with him and his mother because it was better than sleeping in an empty apartment, eating premade foodstuffs. He gave you a set of ANBU armor and a mask and gave you the title 'Jackel'
At first, it was just assassination missions and protecting clients, things that you had done before during the war. The fact it was peacetime made you uneasy, but Danzo said that preemptive actions can prevent wars from breaking out.
Then he asked you to kidnap children. You had thought it was training and clan sponsored tests. The entire briefing read like training. You thought it was just to test clan compound defenses, and you were chosen because you were the best.
Taking them away, you did your best to reassure them that soon that they would be back home, that it was only an exercise in pointing out breaches in defenses.
You set them down in the headquarters and played with them, telling them the same lie that you believed was the truth. Their parents would come and pick them up soon in the morning.
It was only after you met the first of the new root recruits, a small civilian boy whom you shared a loaf of bread with before you left back to your home did you finally break and realize what you have done.
Danzo lied to you about your missions and used you.
You told Hiruzen, but he told you that there was nothing he could do. The way he said it filled you with sadness, as if he wanted to do it some other way, but his hands were tied.
You never blamed him… you only blamed Danzo for his lies.
You quit ANBU on the spot, warning Hiruzen that if Danzo ever asked her for help again, you would kill him.
For a few months, you were just a husk, coming and going through movements. Missions felt like a routine that you did. You just wanted your pain and guilt to end. You wanted to die.
Mission after mission, you threw yourself into attack after attack, wishing for it all to end. But it never came.
And then Keizo did the impossible and saved your soul. He was your pillar in the desert of guilt. He may not know everything about what you did, but he was there for you.
Slowly, over the course of your pregnancy, you reconnected with your friends… the ones that were still alive anyway, and made new ones like Mito.
And when your daughter was born, and you came back to life.
You opened your eyes to see Keizo hugging you tightly. "I know she is… She's our daughter, and she's with her friends and Sakumo and Minako. I know she can get home with them."
He then kissed your pregnant belly. "We just to have faith. Just as I had faith in you."
You held each other in your arms for a while. Preying for your daughter and her friends to come home safely.
Reward: Minako regains Trait: Inheritor of the Will Of Fire.
Trait revealed for Keizo: Inheritor of the Will Of Fire.
If you make it to the border of Rain and the Land of Fire: +100 to all rolls if you are being chased by enemy hunters or Zetsu.
AN: Enjoy this quick Rush omake before Work.
