"Everyone sees what you appear to be, few experience what you really are"
Niccolo Machiavelli - The Prince
Temari was a woman of many faces.
In the world of politics, where spreading rumors came as natural as breathing, her name always evoked an air of hushed reverence. She was one of the few players who not only resisted the world of temptation and corruption, but could also bring the most experienced dealers to their knees. While everyone knew the face to the name, no diplomat ever found a way to evade the machinations of the "Glass Tongue of Suna".
"Did you hear? She's heading the delegation from the sand in the annual renewal of the Suna-Kumo trade policies."
"Really? Perhaps it's time that we looked into favorable merchant routes to Suna."
§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§
Stories, far and wide, spread over the world to tell the tale of "The Cruelest of the Kunoichi". She had grown up in the same household as one of the fabled jinchuriki and emerged an equal; honing her mind, her body, and her chakra until she had become one of the most dangerous shinobi in the world. Some of her most dedicated supporters would argue that she could rival the Godaime Hokage or the Godaime Mizukage as the strongest of the kunoichi. Even in Iwagakure, the long-standing rival of the Village in the Sand, aspiring young girls trained for hours on end in hopes of, one day, becoming the next "Wind Mistress of Suna".
"Sensei told me that if I train harder, I could end up like her."
"Yeah right, I heard that the only battle she ever lost was to one of the nine demon hosts" (1)
§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§
In the late hours of the night, when men gathered behind closed doors, they would exchange tales about the fabled beauty of the Kazekage's sister. Some would stare off in the distance while their mouths spoke of hair as bright as gold and eyes more piercing than the purest of sapphires. Others would exchange knowing grins while their minds pictured long, sculpted legs and killer curves. Yes, many a night was spent discussing the true "Treasure of the Sand".
"Tell me again, what did she look like?"
"Well, I didn't see her myself, but my brother told me that the skin of her hand felt like the softest silk and when she moved, her ass..."
§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§0§
None of her faces mattered to him, because he could see through them all.
No matter her strategies or her intentions, he was always one, five, or one hundred steps ahead, and all without even trying.
Even though she held the higher rank, neither of them would ever forget the moment when his shadow captured her own and bent her will before him.
His eyes always remained politely fixated on her own, even in her most scandalous, and elegant of moments.
It wasn't until after the war that she noticed that no one else ever earned quite the same level of scrutiny.
"Tch. Troublesome woman. What are you smiling about?"
(1): First off, although she technically lost the battle to Shikamaru in the chuunin exams, since he forfeited, I counted that as a win for Temari. Secondly, I omitted the loss to Sasuke in the filler arc since I didn't think that that would end up being spread in the rumor mill. (For anyone who wants to argue against me LA LA LA - I CAN'T HEAR YOU. Yes, I know that I'm mature.)
This is my very first one-shot. I just finished my longest chapter for "Pulling the Strings" (chapter 4) and felt a little lazy after writing out the outline for chapter 5, but as a Boston resident, I got caught in the recent lockdown and found myself with an entire day to kill. Don't worry, I have the wine ready. Long story short, I suddenly started thinking about the comparisons between Machiavelli's "The Prince" and the leadership styles of Shikamaru and Temari. Normal, right? Well, voila, insta-one-shot.
Please review and let me know if you guys want more! I have a couple ideas for more chapters, but I understand if you're not into it.
Oh, and obviously I am neither Machiavelli nor Masahi Kishimoto, and therefore I own none of this.