Sacrifice and Surrender

21: Discussions

Hashirama watched his wife work in silence. His emotions were heavy, and his arms were folded over his chest. In some hours, she and Sakura were going to somehow speak to the Nine-Tails. To keep the village safe and everything secret, Mito had decided they'd go outside the village in a cave she'd discovered. She was applying seals inside it, so that in the event that something happened the Nine-Tails would still be contained. Hashirama agreed that it was a necessary precaution, but he was still going to be there - outside of the cave if they didn't want him inside -  to oversee the whole thing. If there was an incident, he and Madara were the only ones who could stop it from escalating.

Hashirama had taken Sakura's words to him earlier seriously. It was hard to split between the Hokage and husband in a situation that was so serious and could affect the entire village and international relations. But Mito's silence since she'd told him of her plans had been bothering him, and he could see the reason behind Sakura's lecturing. 

Mito finished and sat back on her heels, letting out a sigh, before she stood up and brushed the dust off her knees. Without thought, Hashirama moved. He walked over to Mito and before she could move away from him or turn, and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to him. He felt her back press against his chest, and he felt her flinch, which sent a shot of pain through his heart. She tried to slip away from him, but he didn't let her go.

"Let me go," she said in a strangled voice.

"No," he responded, ducking his head down and pressing his lips to the top of hers. "I won't."

"Hashirama, please," she said again, trying to shake herself out of his grip, forcing his head up.

He tightened his hold on her, finally understanding that he'd been too caught up in the village affairs and had been overlooking the issues that had been brewing in his own home. Mito was in pain, the kind of pain he couldn't see, but he could now hear and feel it.

"I'll never let you go," he said to her in a low voice. "I love you, Mito. I love you."

Mito ceased her struggling but she was still tense against him. He could only hope that it meant she was hearing him. For him, there would be no one else and he wasn't going to lose her, or let her lose herself.

"No matter what happens, I'm going to be here," he said to her. "I'm not going anywhere. You're my wife, the mother of my child."

He felt Mito begin to tremble, and her hands reached up and gripped his arms tightly.

"Talk to me, darling," Hashirama pleaded.

He felt her hands tighten slightly.

"I'm scared," she breathed, so quietly that he almost couldn't hear it.

He released her and turned her around, bending slightly so their faces were at almost the same level. He cupped her cheeks with his hands and saw her eyes were watering.

"Do you think I'm a monster?" She whispered.

"No, darling." Hashirama felt disbelief course through him that she could think that of herself. "I know you're not."

"You didn't see me. You couldn't feel what I felt," she whispered. "So much hate. So much anger."

Hashirama gave her a gentle smile and brushed away the tear that fell with his thumb.

"I don't know much about what you're going through, I'm not Sakura. But I want you to know that you never have to hide anything from me. I'm not just the Hokage, and I'm sorry I've been absent lately and haven't noticed your distress."