Thanks for the chapter,
@Velorien! I especially enjoyed all the pangolin puns. Panoptikon the scout, Panteon the religious, Panjandrum the grand poobah. (I wonder what he got demoted for; we should try and wring it out of Pandaa.)
Also, that was a remarkably gentle series of love-taps with the cluebat. If I didn't know better it might seem Iike you *liked* us or something.
Re: Mari, this isn't just a Keiko style crisis of confidence. I think it's more about identity and self-perception. She can't be heartless Heartbreaker any more, but she doesn't know how to reconcile her compassion (and support for Hazou's dreams) with the things she's done as Heartbreaker, and that makes her a) want to not be a ninja anymore and b) feel like she's faking (wearing a mask) when she's trying to be Compassionate New Mari, since she did all that terrible stuff as a ninja.
I think the "you don't need me" thing is less about self-confidence than about wanting to be done with ninja stuff in any capacity. (Though she's surely feeling bad about herself and her capabilities as a result of this.)
Best approach imo is to remind her that she's always had this compassion and now she can express it, both by small things like helping civilians with walls and water and through uplift long-term. She doesn't have to be Heartbreaker to be a ninja, she doesn't have to be a civilian to be compassionate.
But if she really wants to give up ninja stuff entirely once we're in a safe position, that's her prerogative and we'll support her. (Though true safety is hard to come by, especially for someone with Hazou's big dreams and big mouth.)
