Capítulo 70: Cutting the Threads
Maki returned home, wounded and exhausted, after another mission that nearly cost her life. Her empty home lacked the warmth of family, and no one welcomed her.
She wasn't having a good week.
No, who was she trying to fool? Since sensei died at the hands of those damn ninjas from Kirigakure, everything had gone downhill.
She found that several of her friends stopped talking to her after offering condolences, as if she had lost her usefulness in their eyes, and the team she was in began taking on more problematic missions.
At first, she believed it was because the village urgently needed them, and it was only temporary, but she began to suspect when she realized that whenever scouting was needed, she was the one pointed out by the team leader.
The number of explosive tags and traps she found during this time was much higher than she had ever seen in the past.
She was an expert in sealing techniques!
She was supposed to stay in the back and provide support, so what was the point of sending her to scout?
She was the least suited of the four!
It wasn't until four months later that she accidentally overheard a conversation between her team leader and Rasa, where he expressed dissatisfaction with the "results" so far.
She couldn't believe it as the conversation continued, connecting the dots that previously made no sense to her.
Was Rasa suppressing her just because she had a close relationship with Pakura?
What was the point?
Her sensei was already dead! How resentful could their Kage be?
But she couldn't act differently even if she knew the truth, at least not immediately. Throughout the last few months of missions, she started complaining about how tough a kunoichi's life was and dropped hints about maybe quitting being an active kunoichi and switching to making explosive tags and storage scrolls to make a living.
It wasn't what she wanted in her heart, but what could she do? She didn't want to die.
And out of nowhere, the missions started becoming even more dangerous and lucrative.
The last mission she had just completed almost took her life three times, and the fabric she used was completely ruined. She didn't have enough money to buy another roll as large as she needed, and the next mission might be her last. She was desperate and sat against the door, hugging her knees to cry.
If only her sensei were here, she missed her so much!
And that's when she thought she heard the voices of the dead.
"Maki?"
It sounded so real, almost as if she were right there. She could even feel the warmth of the hug and how her head rested against the elasticity of...
Eh?
She lifted her tear-stained and snotty face, with the lower lip bleeding from biting it in frustration and several bruises, to see in amazement her sensei looking at her with that concerned look that was only for her.
"S-Sensei?" Maki asked in disbelief and astonishment.
Was she so tired that she fell asleep, or was she delirious?
"It seems the village quickly forgot my 'sacrifice,'" Pakura replied with a snort of obvious dissatisfaction. "Get up and wash your face; I made your favorite macaroni."
A few minutes later, Maki sat at her kitchen table, looking at her favorite dish, which was still warm. But instead of following her hunger, she looked at Pakura, confused.
She didn't even doubt that it was an impostor or something, because only Pakura knew what kind of macaroni she liked, and the dish was not at all easy to prepare. Several of the ingredients for the sauce couldn't even be found in the village, so she rarely ate them even when her family was alive.
"And?" Pakura looked at her apprentice with affection. "Aren't you going to eat it while it's hot? Once this dish gets cold, it's worthless. That's what you told me, remember?"
Maki wanted to ask many questions, but no matter how much she opened and closed her mouth, she couldn't get her voice out. Still a bit dazed, she took a bite of the macaroni, and savoring that familiar taste, she convinced herself that this shouldn't be a dream.
And if it really was, she didn't want to wake up.
Maki ate slowly, savoring every bite as tears fell down her cheeks. It was fortunate that she had washed her face; otherwise, the purple makeup on her cheeks would be ruined right now, and it would be embarrassing for her sensei to see her in that state.
"Sensei," Maki called when she finished the meal. "How...?"
"Am I still alive?" Pakura saw Maki nod with uncertainty. "Well, it's a pretty incredible story. Let's sit on your couch, and I'll fill you in."
Maki listened to her sensei's tale with disbelief.
How Rasa sent her to die, causing any feelings for the village to die at that moment.
How a tall man rescued her at her worst moment, annihilating her attackers in seconds.
How she had been recovering and living in a newly founded village.
How she managed to take the opportunity to come back when she could.
If anyone else told her such a fantastic story, Maki would think they were mocking her, but she believed she knew her sensei well enough to distinguish that she was telling the truth.
"But why did you come back?" Although Maki was ecstatic that Pakura didn't die, she didn't understand why she took the risk of returning.
"Before that, could you tell me how things have been for you since I left?" Pakura countered.
Maki shrugged and began telling Pakura everything without holding back or omitting anything.
When she heard what Rasa was trying to do to her apprentice despite her supposed death, she regretted convincing Enel to make a deal with Sunagakure even if he obtained gold from the Scorpion Clan.
After leaving, she would stop hiding, and nothing that happened in the village would have anything to do with her.
"Maki," Pakura called once the two caught up. "Although half the reason I returned is to escort the Kage of my village, the other half was to come see you. Would you be willing to leave Sunagakure and join Seimeigakure?"
"Yes!" Maki didn't hesitate. Although she had some friends here, her life and loyalty to Pakura were greater.
REFLEXIONES DE LOS CREADORES 
Cadenadeaventuras
Cadenadeaventuras Already more than 150 caps on Patreon~! I'm just saying O_o
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