House of Masks

There was no doubt that Kagome Higurashi was a catch, not only for her healing and offensive skills, but in personality as well. There was no ninja or civilian immune to her calming aura. And as she rose in rank, the pure caliber of her skills outranked many – there was never a shortage of suitors behind her. So it took almost a decade before the one White Fang celebrated his victory in making her the lady of the Hatake clan.

Their life wasn't easy, but they were happy. Kagome couldn't live a day without thinking of her husband Sakumo Hatake, his presence giving her a sense of peace. She wasn't sure if the man knew that he was the reason why she could finally let go of ever returning to her original home. She lived and thrived in Konoha, but she had always held onto the hope that she would be returning some day to Japan. But she could only hold onto so much, she only had two hands.

So the day he asked her to marry him, she gave herself to him in full – no regrets.

Then they had a son, and Kakashi Hatake was their next reason to always make their way home.
Every mother would boast about their child being the best. But Kakashi, Kagome could attest was beyond any child around him.

And it scared her and Sakumo. Of course, they prided and supported their son in his decision to become a Shinobi of Konoha. But with every jumped rank and grade, Kagome's heart skipped. Closer and closer to the hard life that she and Sakumo lived.

But she loved him with all her heart. Just as much as she loved her husband.

However if there was anything ninjas were good at, it was putting on a fascade.
And with two powerhouse ninjas in one household and another on the rise, it was a house of masks.

Sakumo Hatake was broken, broken beyond repair. Physically, he was excellent – his wife was the number one healer in Konoha, she wouldn't accept anything but perfect health. But mentally, his will was dying. Without a doubt, he probably would have not been in such state, had the entire village not turned on him. He held on by a thread, a thread held by his wife and his child.

Kagome Hatake had a death grip on her thread, she supported her husband in his entirety, including his decision. And she made that known every time she was around him, their child, and the public. No one even looked their way with a hint of judgement without facing her ire. Thankfully their compound and property were sizable and away from the general population, surrounded by a crop field. There the whispers would not reach their ears and Sakumo could heal.

But let it be known, Kagome Hatake was ready to walk away from the village if Sakumo decided so.

So it was no wonder something in her broke the day she saw their son walk around with a black cloth around his face.

"Kakashi! Sakumo! Get down, breakfast is ready!" Kagome called, placing the final dishes on their breakfast table. This was her third time calling for the two males, but that was not an abnormal occurrence in their household. Both boys could be lazy to the bones when they wanted to be, though lately Sakumo held a heavier weight on him after his failed mission.

She could hear the shifting in the ceiling as movement stirred, she could imagine her husband dragging himself out from under the covers to get ready. Her son, despite his lateness, always woke at the break of dawn to train and was shuffling in from their backyard.

And as she heard the light pitter-patter of her son, the black-haired woman swung around with a smile.

A plain black cloth blocked her view.

Her mouth stuttered, dropping the smile. Kagome's eyes widened until they burned.

Kakashi Hatake lowered his eyes, unable to face his mother, choosing instead to stare down at his feet. His chest burned in fatigue as he had to work to get used to the new attachment to his face. Even morning practice had taken extra effort to take in oxygen through the thin cloth. The past few months had finally taken a toll on his mentality. For the first few weeks, when he was isolated at home with his family – all he could think was that he was so grateful to has his father come home after the botched mission. His mother found no fault in Sakumo and Kakashi believed the same – until he returned to school. And all the whispers and comments crawled into his brain.

The crow knew deep in his heart, he did not think his father did the wrong thing. His mother taught him beyond the walls of the ninja mentality, and Kakashi was grateful to have both his parents. But the constant stares were beginning to be too much for the adolescent boy. And this was his solution, his facial mask could barely hold on so he chose to wear a physical mask.

And now that he saw his mother's reaction, Kakashi felt the sliver of doubt appear.

Kagome trembled, all because of the black mask covering her son's nose and mouth. All the thoughts in her head swirled in a violent tornado, she wasn't sure what to ask.

"They wouldn't stop staring…" The boy finally spoke, dirtied hands clenching.

The Priestess could have done many things, snatch the mask right off her son's face, lecture him until his tiny head exploded, cry until her son was traumatized. Instead she closed her lips into a sad smile and crouched down to hug her son tightly. Kakashi was still a child, but he was also a ninja – he would be making a lot more decisions on his own from now on to protect himself. And as much as that hurt her, she would show her support.

The body in her arms stilled before trembling the slightest, his short arms coming to wrap around her neck.

With a steady breath, Kagome stood, lifting the distraught boy into her arms. He rarely allowed her to hold him like this anymore, but Kakashi stayed in her grasp. She began humming, nothing in particular, but a soothing rhythm as she rocked the two of them around the kitchen. It wasn't just Sakumo that needed comfort anymore, she would push away all her own doubts and weaknesses – her family needed her.

Kakashi did not want to skip school, so she let him go.

She made sure to stay outside until she could no longer detect him in her range. With a bit of maneuvering, she was able to keep Sakumo from seeing their son's new attire. Kagome would need time to figure out how to break the news to Sakumo without it destroying whatever process he had made.

"…Kagome?" Her beloved called from the door.

Eyes tore away from the road and towards the door of their home. The haggard appearance of Sakumo Hatake calmed her frayed nerves, there wereobvious bags under his eyes but there was a lightness to his voice that warmed her soul. His long white hair loosely tied and swaying against the breeze. His dark eyes displaying an inescapable fatigue but they were sharp as they took in his wife's posture.

With a smile, she quickly made her way towards his looming figure and looped her arms around his tapered waist. With little prompting, the man gave in and leaned down to place a kiss on her waiting lips.

"Good morning love," She soothed, lifting on her toes to take another kiss, "You look less of an old man today!"

The lift in his lips bloomed fondness in her heart, he was just as handsome as the day he asked her out.