A/N: Hey Everyone! It's here!
I'm so sorry this took FOREVER to come out. I have a ton of excuses for the long wait. They range all the way from I was shocked by the latest Naruto chapters to getting a kidney stone and many things in between. (That kidney stone thing was intense and it didn't help that I was misdiagnosed the first time I went to the ER.)
But I'm sure you don't really care now that it's finally here. :)
I really have to thank everyone who left a review. I'd really like to thank DirtyLikeHell, the many "Guests," riajaria, Halestrom, marionme, xoxo, callmewhatuwant, Saint Row, SilverRider, Peaches, Grassy, and weeaboo (you made me smile).
Thanks for all of your support. And good news: I've already started on the next chapter.
Remember this is all in fun, and thanks for taking the time to read it. Things calm down a little but they'll get crazy again soon. I'll also explain a lot that happens in this chapter later.
Italics are thoughts.
Temari woke up lying on her side on the bathroom floor to a grating pain in her throat. She closed her eyes against the bright light above her and began to cough and vomit water and whatever little else was left in her stomach.
The pain in her throat was soon joined by her stomach cramping from the convulsive vomiting and a sudden pain in her head. She felt like she was about to die.
She slowly opened her eyes to allow them to adjust to the light, and everything that had just happened in the onsen came back to her in a flash. The memory caused her to take in a sharp breath which only made her choke more.
When her body finally calmed down she groaned and looked around. She turned towards the door and saw the cause of everything. His face gave away nothing but his eyes showed the dark amusement he felt. She tried to ask him why, but nothing came out but a throaty rasp.
He smirked and walked towards her. His black and white sandals were deafening as they clacked against the stone floor. She turned away from him as tears began to fall. She was certain that he had just tried to kill her and she was ashamed that she almost allowed it.
"I'm glad you're still with me. For a minute there I thought I lost you. Can you stand?" His voice held no sarcasm or malice but Temari didn't like something about the tone of it. His words were more than what they were, but she couldn't figure it out.
She turned away and tried to push herself off the floor. She was too weak and her mind was too flooded. She managed to get into a sitting position when she felt Madara reach under her arms to pick her up.
He put her over his shoulder and brought her to the small adjacent bathroom. He sat her on the closed toilet seat and leaned her against the back. The cold porcelain on her bare skin jolted her mind, and she sat up visibly more alert than before. Madara turned towards her and asked her how she felt.
"I'm fine. You don't need to put me in the shower." Her voice was raspy and pained. She moved to stand when Madara's hand stopped her. The shower pipes groaned as he added more cold water than usual getting the water to a lukewarm temperature.
"You do need to go in here. You've been vomiting on yourself." He lifted her and leaned her against the small shower's wall as her removed her top, the last piece of clothing she had on. Temari instinctively tried to stop him but she was so weak that she couldn't even hold her arms up for more than a moment. She groaned and rolled her head against the wet wall wishing for unconsciousness again.
"Calm down. I'm just trying to clean you off. You're obviously not even strong enough to stand on your own. I would normally have one of the zetsus do this, but this is just easier right now." He pushed her underneath the showerhead and quickly washed and dried her off.
"How are you? Are you breathing okay?" She nodded. "Temari, I still don't trust you to sleep with me unrestrained. Tonight, even though you are exceptionally weak, you will be completely restrained." He put her in her bathrobe and carried her to his bed.
Z came in behind them carrying a bag filled with restraints and a short white nightgown. They dressed her before binding her arms behind her by cuffing her wrists and elbows together. Z tied her upper arms to her back as well.
Madara pulled out an array of straps and tightly fastened her legs together at the ankles, calves, and thighs. It could've been worse, so she decided to be quietly thankful for the way she was restrained.
She thought they were done but Madara tied one last rope around her waist so tightly that she found it uncomfortable to take a full breath. He tied it off in a knot and then tied it around her arms and waist again.
"That one is too tight."
"It's exactly how I want it. If you don't like it then you can prove to me that you won't try anything while I'm sleeping."
"Are you actually worried that I'm going to hurt you?"
Madara looked at her for a long while and then turned towards the door. "Absolutely not, but I don't want you to try. Even though you'd fail and I wouldn't mind having to reprimand you and your naughty behavior. I would much rather you accept this condition. You've been a really good girl so far, and I don't want you to ruin it." Madara reached the door and turned around one last time, "Don't abuse the fact that I'm not gagging you."
Z began to follow him out when Temari's voice reached him. "Wait, can you put me under the sheets? I don't need the bedspread, but the sheets would be nice." Z walked back towards her with Madara's consent.
He turned down the bed and moved her under the sheet and spread. "I'll come and wake you up at the usual time tomorrow, but there won't be any breakfast for you. Madara said that you can only eat when you're with him from now on."
"Fine. You stopped feeding me breakfast for a while anyway." Temari managed to turn herself away from the door by the time she heard it close. She fell asleep quickly and deeply until she felt Madara enter the room.
"I know you're awake. It's rather late, and I'm going to get a few hours of sleep. Do your best, and try not to disturb me."
Do my best? What does that even mean?The bed sunk as Madara laid down to sleep. She held her breath readying herself for contact but it never came. She began to relax, and she realized that he had actually fallen asleep. As gently and slowly as she could she turned around to look at him.
She observed him for a few moments before realizing that this was the first time she actually looked at him without the expectation of something horrible happening to her. She watched for some movement but saw none. He seemed unnaturally still and she perked up at the thought that he died in his sleep. But that would mean that shewas the one sleeping because that could only be a dream.
He was on his back with his arms loosely crossed over his chest, and she couldn't see his whole face. He looked younger in his sleep and Temari wondered what age his body was resurrected as. He seemed so peaceful and guiltless. Just looking at him now would never reveal the atrocities he's committed and willing to commit in the name of his vision and ego.
He turned towards her and Temari stifled a scream. He still looked like he was asleep but it nearly scared her to death. Who knows how he would react to finding her staring at him.
His new position allowed her to see his whole face and it just confirmed her thoughts. She was still having a hard time wrapping her mind around a tranquil Madara when his arm reached out towards her.
The restraints on her body prevented her from moving quickly and his arm landed on her side. She stopped breathing hoping he would cross his arms again.
He didn't move and she released her breath. Even if his arm was on her at least he was still sleeping. She thought that maybe if she was slow and careful enough she could roll his arm off of her without waking him. She prepared her legs to wiggle away, "Temari."
Her eyes shot up towards his face and met ones that seemed to glow purple in the near dark. "I can feel you staring at me, Temari." He pulled her towards him, close enough that she could feel the texture of his black linen pajamas.
"It's OK. I don't mind you staring, but you should be sleeping." He wrapped both arms around her and pulled her flush to his chest. "My father never let me have toys or stuffed animals, not even a pet. Children weren't really seen as children when I was growing up, and I'll admit that you are the first thing I've ever held like this."
Temari could feel his chin on her head and fought her urge to try to wiggle out of his embrace. She knew she wouldn't have gotten away anyway. She sighed and tried to relax as much as she could. She heard his breathing even out again and figured that he went back to sleep.
Her night was shot and she knew there was no way she could fall asleep this way. Not only did she feel incredibly uncomfortable but that rope around her mid-section was starting to give her trouble. Without the fantastic fatigue that put her to sleep earlier she felt every sore muscle and restraint on her. Every time she began to doze off the rope around her mid-section would wake her up. If she relaxed her abdomen or breathed too deeply the rope would cut into her. It dug into her stomach keeping her in a constant state of tension.
For the next four hours she lay there, getting rest at times but not sleeping. However, it did give her plenty of time to think about her position, both literally and figuratively.
What am I going to do? I'm pretty sure that I almost died tonight because of some sick fantasy of his.
Thinking back on it, if anyone found out that I had drowned while being raped by Madara, I think I would die from the shame of it all over again in the afterlife. I deserve a better death than that.
I deserve a better life than this, but…I'm not going to let myself die here. No matter how much I may want to end it, I have to keep going. If I don't value my life, he never will.
Temari didn't want to complete the next thought that nearly ran through her head, but she still half wondered if this existence was even worth the effort.
All four hours Madara hadn't let her go and she thought that once he even smelled her hair unconsciously. That night confirmed something for Temari. Madara had some very deep issues and she was being punished for them.
Tenten stared at her breakfast and began to give up on eating that morning. That was when she felt Lee's presence approach her. "Hi Lee, are you about to eat breakfast?" She didn't take her eyes off of her food.
"Good morning, Tenten! I have already eaten after my morning run. Are you still not interested in joining me? It would be much better with your company."
Tenten noticed that Lee was purposefully not saying his and Gai-sensei's trademark phrase, and she was slightly surprised that she already missed hearing the words springtime and youth.
"I'm sorry, Lee. I'm just not ready yet. Give me a bit more time." Tenten just couldn't bring herself to say that training with Lee was too painful a reminder of Neji and Gai-sensei. But she figured he already knew that.
"It's OK, Tenten. I'll continue to wait for you in case you change your mind. Have you heard the big news yet?"
"I can't believe I'm getting the latest gossip from you, but I haven't been very social lately. What's going on now?"
"They found Yamato and they're going to start debriefing him."
"I'm pretty sure 'debriefing' means interrogating. Do you know who's talked to him yet, if anyone? I guess they can't really trust him can they? I mean he could very well be the enemy by now."
"I can't believe that Yamato would try to hurt us. I'm sure they've already proven that he's not a Zetsu in disguise."
"I'm an idiot!" Tenten dropped her chopsticks and hit her forehead. "How could I have forgotten to tell someone?"
"Tenten, I assure you that you are not an idiot. I can help you with whatever is wrong."
"Well, it's probably nothing, but during the last fight I saw Madara throw something aside so I went after it. It was the Benihisago and the Kohaku no Johei. While I was trying to seal them in a scroll two zetsus came out of the ground. I started to fight them but they were only interested in the items. I meant to tell someone, but so much happened since then that I just didn't think about it."
"I don't think that's any reason to berate yourself. Ultimately you weren't hurt and a lot of things did indeed happen. It doesn't seem like it's that important really. Who do you think you should tell?"
"I don't know. I don't even know if it matters anymore. It would probably be better for everyone if I just keep it to myself."
"Hmm, I think that I will tell this to Sakura. It can't hurt to share this kind of information. If it means nothing, then it's nothing. But if it is important, she'll know what to do. It will be a good reason for me to talk to her. I'll also try to find out everything I can for you about Yamato."
"There's no reason to do it for me, Lee." She looked up from her plate just in time to see his face fall. "But there's also no reason you can't do it for yourself and then tell me afterward." She saw his eyes widen and glow and decided right then that she would do her best to make sure Lee always kept that radiance about him.
"I wonder if Sakura's had breakfast yet. I can always go by her tent and bring her something to eat." He began to get up from the table, but was stopped by a gentle pressure on his shoulder.
"She's over there in the corner, Lee. She just sat down, but she looks tired. Maybe you should give her a few hours before you approach her. You know then she may actually have something to share with you about Yamato."
"That's a great idea, Tenten! I will meet with Sakura at lunch. Until then I'm going to go train some more." Lee was almost out the dining tent before Tenten managed to say bye. She knew that training was Lee's way of coping with their teammates' deaths. And if that would make him happy she wouldn't get in his way.
The tent was noticeably busier than it had been when Tenten first entered for breakfast and it took her a few minutes longer than she thought to dispose of her food and tray. To avoid the growing traffic she took a circuitous route to the door and happened to pass by Sakura's table. Naruto had joined her by this time and she decided to slow her gait to overhear what they were talking about.
She didn't catch much but what she did hear made her want to definitely meet up with Lee later on to find out what was really going on.
Her eyes squinted from the morning sun and from her thoughts as she tried to piece together what she overheard.
Sakura said she was going to go with someone to do something having to do with Yamato. Well, that seems normal enough. She's probably been assigned as his doctor or something. He was assigned to their team for a while so he'd probably be comfortable with her.
But I know I heard the names Madara and Senju. Yamato uses wood style like them so does that mean he is a Senju? Or does it mean he's like Madara? I guess it doesn't really matter as long as he's still the Yamato we know.
Tenten didn't really have anything to do. She knew everyone was being extra nice to her and it resulted in her not really having any serious duties around the camp. They were giving Lee the same treatment, but she wasn't sure if he actually realized it.
The tents in the encampment suddenly seemed sparse and she cursed herself for her absentminded wondering. If she weren't careful, her feet always led her towards the Shinju tree. She sat at the edge of camp and stared ahead.
She hated to admit that the tree was beautiful, but it was. The bark was more like twisted vines with sprouts coming out in random spots than an actual tree's bark. At the top was a bud just beginning to open, but it was already large enough to block out the sun from certain angles. The green of the plant was contrasted with a vibrant red that peeked out between the green of the bud.
Tenten could tell that it would be the most beautiful plant on the planet and she would welcome it if it didn't also represent the death of everything she had ever loved.
It radiated an alluring aura. One that beckoned and calmed her, but she could also sense the underlying danger.
More than once she had to hold herself back from getting any closer than she was now. Sometimes she would test her limits and she could feel its power begin to overwhelm her own as she closed the distance between them.
She settled into a comfortable position and began to meditate. Her first thoughts always went to Neji and Gai-sensei. The only difference between the few days separating her from the day she lost them is that the images of their deaths began to shorten by a fraction of a second. It's hardly perceptible, but Tenten can feel the difference.
Each fraction of a second shaved off the memory of the death gets replaced by a memory of their life, and she decides to live for the day when her first and only thoughts are the good memories of them.
"Good Morning, Sakura-chan!" yelled Naruto.
"Good Morning, Naruto." Sakura barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes at Naruto's chipper attitude.
"You look annoyed at something. Why are you so upset so early in the day? Did something happen?" He sat down in the seat next to her.
"Not really, I'm just fed up with everything. I'm ready to go back to Konoha and have everything go back to normal."
"I know how you feel, but I don't want things to go back to the way they were before. It would mean that all of this was pointless. I…"
"You what?" Sakura looked over to him and noticed the faraway look in his eyes.
"I'm really curious about why you were so upset in the first place. What really happened?" Sakura knew that wasn't what he was thinking. It didn't match that look she just saw, but she decided to let it go.
"It really is a combination of everything piled on top of me. Last night the Raikage added two more guards to Yamato without telling me. It makes me worry about what else he's going to do without telling me."
"He is the Raikage. I mean, I would tell you everything, but he's not me."
"What are you talking about, Naruto?"
"I don't know. Have you talked to Kakashi-sensei about it yet? He is technically the Hokage."
"No. We're supposed to meet in about fifteen minutes to interview Yamato. I think he might actually be on time for this, but I'm prepared to start without him. There's just so much we need to find out about Madara and his wood release. After seeing what Uchiha Madara and Senju could do with it, it makes me wonder if there's something about Yamato we're missing."
"Well, I'm going to go hang out with Gaara. I'll see you around."
"But you didn't even eat breakfast."
"I, uh, I actually ate earlier. See ya." Naruto ran out before she had a chance to ask who he was with, but it wasn't really important. She needed to clear her mind for Yamato.
Madara left her in the morning without a word and she wondered how long she would have to lay there until someone untied her. Right as she finished the thought, Z opened the door.
"Good Morning! Did you sleep well?"
"No."
"Hmm, well maybe you won't be so uncomfortable if you talk to Madara about your sleeping arrangements."
"Just untie me. I have a horrible headache, I'm sore, and I'm starving."
"Right, right, lucky for you, I'll be preparing the meals for a while. So all you need to do is prepare yourself. You should know the routine by now."
"Yeah, I got it. I know you're only cooking so I won't be able to sneak any food. Are you all trying to make me lose weight or are you just trying to make me weak?"
"The answer to that doesn't matter. I think you've been losing weight anyway. I've been cleaning up after you, and you barely eat anything to begin with."
"I guess I just don't have much of an appetite these days."
"Don't tell Madara that. He'll ask you to prove that statement."
"Aren't I talking to him when I'm talking to you?"
"More or less, but I don't tell him everything. He doesn't even want to hear everything to begin with, just the important things for him."
"Are you going to tell him that?"
"No. I don't think you really mean it. You can do any kind of dance you'd like for today. There were no special requests."
"Whatever Z, I'm already ready for today to be over. Is there any way you can give me some water and aspirin or ibuprofen or some kind of pain killer?"
"No to the pain killers, but there's water waiting for you."
Temari thought about asking him to heal her again but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. She wanted to hit herself for never learning how to heal with her chakra. She didn't even know if she had the talent for it.
She entered the dining room/entertainment room and began to create her dance for the evening. She tried to figure out why she was in more pain than before and figured that she had so many small injuries from the war and Madara that they just all blended together. However, after being forcefully healed she remembered how good it felt to be relatively pain free. Now every new injury felt ten times worse than it would have before.
The best way to combat pain (without any outside help) was with distraction, either physically or mentally. She took the route that made sense to her and avoided thinking about the pain by focusing on her dancing. She treated it like training and just moved through the pain all morning.
Sakura had pen and paper ready and out for them to begin. A was the first to arrive and Kakashi was only twenty minutes late. Someone must have warned the Raikage about Kakashi because he was only beginning to get upset by the time Kakashi showed up.
Sakura gave Yamato's vitals a quick onceover and after everything checked out they began.
Kakashi cleared his throat before beginning, "Yo, it's good to see you after so long. How long has it been anyway?" Yamato knew what this was, and he didn't blame them. He wouldn't trust him either in this situation, and he was prepared to go along with whatever they required of him.
"Well the last time I saw you was before I left with-wait, there was that idiocy with Maito Gai on the ship. That was the last time I saw you."
"Do you know how long it's been though?"
"Not really."
"That's fine; I have a hard time telling how long it's been too. What's happened since they took you?"
"I honestly don't know. After they knocked me out on the island I think they put me in some sort of genjutsu. Every time I was able to release it I was in darkness for a moment before it started again."
So far Kakashi was the only one talking to him. A seemed fine with that, but Sakura was itching to say something. "What was it like in the genjutsu?" she asked.
"Hello Sakura, I'm glad that you're OK and that you're here to see me. The genjutsu was strange. I was in Konoha and sometimes people were there and sometimes they weren't. I had this weird best friend named Guruguru who would follow me around everywhere.
"I'm pretty sure he was the main one trapping me. I also think that he was collecting intelligence about Konoha through me. I tried to stop him, but his genjutsu was incredibly insidious. I realized that he was using my memories to create Konoha and everyone in it. I tried to stop, but it was too late for most things.
"As far as things happening…nothing happened. Everything was normal with no significant events. That was when I realized that everything being normal was the event. The purpose of the genjutsu wasn't to defeat me in some way, but to use me." Yamato shook his head and looked away from them.
"I'm truly sorry if the information they got from me caused you all harm." A loud snort was the first sound the raikage made all morning and everyone took note of it. "I'll do my best to make it up to everyone."
Kakashi jumped in before Sakura had a chance to say anything in response. "We're all glad you're back. We thought we would never see you again, and as soon as all of this is over I'll send Naruto in to say hello. Do you know why Kabuto targeted you?"
"The Raikage asked that yesterday and my answer hasn't changed. I assumed he was looking for anyone from Konoha. Did he actually target me specifically?"
"From the eye witness accounts I believe that you were perhaps a more important target for Kabuto than Naruto or Killer B. I think it was your special ability and your unique history that put you on Kabuto's radar. He did work for Orochimaru after all."
"Yes, I see what you mean now. I'm almost positive that you're right. On another note, I'm glad that Naruto is safe. I worried about him, but I wasn't sure if I should ask." He turned to the Raikage, "And I'm sorry about B. He was a really great guy."
"I'll definitely pass on your greetings to Naruto. So do you have any questions for us, Tenzo?" asked Kakashi.
"It's still Yamato. I know what you're doing. There's no way I can definitively prove it's me since I just told you that whoever Guruguru is knows most of my memories. However, you're probably the only person who still calls me by that name."
"Yes, you may be right about that, and you've arrived at our problem about your identity. You were with them for quite a long while and you might not even realize you're one of them now. So we're going to have to keep you here in isolation for a while longer."
"I completely understand. I'm not upset about it. I've spent more than a little bit of my time alone. A few more days won't hurt me."
"It might be longer than a few days." replied Kakashi.
"Then a few weeks. I don't know what's going on, but, since it appears that all of the nations are camped out here, I'm going to guess that the war isn't over. If I'm right, then it's even more important that you play it safe and keep me here."
A cleared his throat and sat up. "I'm glad you're being so understanding and cooperative. Is there anything else you think we should know?"
"Not that I can think of. I was kidnapped, placed in darkness and a genjutsu, and then I woke up to this world in the middle of nowhere." Sakura looked to Kakashi and A to see if they picked up on what he just said. She saw no change in either of them. "Sakura, I see that you're concerned about my last statement."
Her eyes widened when she realized her mistake. "It's OK. I honestly am not sure if you guys are really you. I'm a bit worried that this is just another genjutsu. I've tried to release it and I'm still here but that doesn't mean much. I'm perfectly fine staying here until you and I are both satisfied."
"That's good to hear," stated A, "because I'd rather keep you here until the war is over. But knowing that you won't try to leave is a welcome comfort. Sakura tells us that you're perfectly healthy. Do you feel that way?"
"Well, I do feel healthy. I appreciate the kind treatment."
"I'm done for now. Kakashi, Sakura, can you two please join me outside?" They all stood and said goodbye to Yamato before exiting the tent. "We'll discuss what we just learned with everyone at the usual meeting."
"Don't forget we changed the time to be later in the day." added Sakura.
"Right." With that A left with the two guards he brought with him. Sakura turned to go back in the tent when she was stopped by Kakashi.
"Sakura, I want you to be careful about what you say in there."
"What do you mean? Do you really think I'm going to give away our plans or our secrets?"
"No, I don't think that. I just want you to be careful. I don't think Yamato even trusts himself right now and the wrong thing could do damage to everyone involved. I'll see you later this afternoon." Sakura watched Kakashi walk away before returning to Yamato.
"Thank you for coming back in, Sakura. I must admit that I am getting a bit lonely."
"I can't stay for too long. I just wanted to say that you shouldn't blame yourself for the information they took from you. If it wasn't you, then I'm sure that it would've been someone else."
"Did everyone make it out alive?" Sakura turned away from him and shook her head before recounting all those they lost. "I am sorry I couldn't have been there to help."
"No, what's done is done. It can't be helped now." She turned to leave but Yamato stood to stop her.
"Wait, I know you can't share much information with me, but could you try to explain what's happened so far. Surely both sides know that. I don't really mind being here alone, but wondering what has happened is making me a bit uptight."
Sakura thought about it for a moment. Kakashi had just warned her to be careful, but she couldn't see how telling him what happened in the war could hurt. It could only do Yamato good. It would relieve his stress and perhaps ignite some memory that might be important for them.
She also didn't see how sharing common knowledge would hurt. So she took a seat and began to tell Yamato an overview of what happened. How the key players died, about the fights with Madara, and how now the Shinju tree is blooming.
Z came in to put on her collar and to let her know it was almost time for lunch. He also informed her that she could wear her own clothing for lunch today.
What would have made her relieved a few days ago now just made her nervous. She just hoped that whatever Madara had planned for her wasn't too horrible. Her stomach flipped and growled as she thought about yesterday's lunch. She did not want that to happen again.
She chose what she usually wore at home in Suna: a black long-sleeved wrap top and a black skirt with a black apron-like overlay. It was the same thing she wore to see off the Konoha shinobi when they saved Gaara.
She re-entered the dining room to find the food and Madara already there. She noticed he wasn't wearing his usual clothes. Until now she mostly saw him in a plain navy or black high collared shirt and sweatpants. Today he wore traditional casual work clothes. He had on a navy kimono like shirt and matching loose cotton pants. His shirt reminded her of the face beneath it and she shuddered involuntarily at the mental image.
Lunch was some kind of bean soup and she devoured three bowls of it before her stomach started to ache again.
"After fasting one shouldn't eat so much so quickly."
"It's not 'fasting' if you starve me." She hated how full of himself he sounded and she wished that she could bring him down to reality.
"I'm in a very good mood today, so I'm going to overlook that last remark. But if you don't want to fast for another two days you will watch what you say to me." Temari stopped herself from replying to him. She quickly remembered that her reality was his whim and she calmed down.
She really didn't want to go two days without eating. Sure it wouldn't kill her, but she didn't need to add hunger pains to her long list of aches and pains.
She also desperately did not want a repeat of yesterday's lunch. So she made a decision to really watch what she was going to say. "I'm glad you're feeling well. Did something special happen?"
"A plan of mine is beginning to take shape. As things continue to go my way, it's further proof that I am right and that my vision will be the truth."
"What's your plan?" she asked. Madara eyed her for a second before continuing.
"Do not ask me questions like that anymore. They make me not trust you."
"I didn't mean it like that, Madara-sama." She looked down at her empty bowl and hoped he would just drop it.
"You seem different today. So far I like the change in your attitude. If it continues, I might decide to reward you."
Temari hated that he was right. Not more than a moment before he spoke she had decided that she needed to reprioritize things. Minimizing the physical pain Madara put her in was number one on the list. If she was serious about living, then she wanted to at least have a relatively pain free existence. It would require swallowing her pride and holding her tongue, but she had to try.
"I am- I am going to try-" Tears started to form in her eyes and her throat got tight. She felt like a wreck. Her emotions were all over the place and now she was about to cry.
"Stop Temari, I know what you're trying to say. I will acknowledge a genuine effort."
Temari nodded her head and hoped that he would recognize her effort before the next time he decided to entertain himself using her body. It seemed that unless she was covered in bruises he wouldn't care how hurt she was. She didn't want to be continuously battered and beaten by him. If this was the way to stop him from hurting her then she would deal with it.
She also knew that she needed some diversions for herself. "Madara-sama, can I read this afternoon? I don't have to cook for you and I've already figured out my dance. I would like to grab a few books from the library to pass the time."
"I see nothing wrong with that, but you cannot enter the library right now. I'll bring you some suitable reading. Come and wait out in the large room. It's been a while since you've spent time there anyway."
Temari followed him and stood next to the tree trunk like couch as Madara retrieved some reading for her. He left the door open. She began to peek inside but stopped. Her curiosity about what was going on in the library wasn't enough to risk Madara's anger over.
She pointedly turned away from the library and leaned against the back of the couch. She looked up and noticed the change on the ceiling. It was almost completely covered by roots. When she had first arrived they were grouped around the center of the cave and only stretched out about three or four feet. They were now at least ten feet long. The growth they showed was remarkable.
She heard Madara close the library door and turned to face him. He came out holding three books, and Temari was visibly enthused by the sight of them.
"I remember you said you like plants, and, since you won't be seeing them any time soon, I brought you a book on flora." He pointed to the second book. "This one is about international relations between shinobi villages, and the last one is on the cultural history of Konoha."
"Thank you so much!" Temari almost gave him half a smile as she reached for the books but Madara moved them away from her.
"What are you willing to do for these books?" Temari's heart plummeted to her stomach.
"I-I don't know. What do you want for them?" Madara's eyes seemed to get darker as he leered at her.
"There are three books. I want three things. It's either all of the books or none of them. Do you want to continue?" He leaned into her and ominously cast her in shadow.
Temari thought about this. She knew if she said no that Madara would somehow punish her for it. He would never let her out of this situation with a simple "never mind."
She answered, "Even if I were to say no, you could still ask me to do the things you want. I'll continue." Madara chuckled at her response.
"That is very true, and you are right. If you had said no, I would have just made you do the things I wanted without giving you the books." He walked around her and took a seat on the couch.
"What do you want me to do?" Her voice came out weak and trembling and Temari almost didn't care. If he didn't know by now that he scared her more than any person in her life then he never would. But his small smile informed her that he knew exactly what he did to her.
"Come around here, and stand in front of me while I talk to you." She stood in front of him out of arm's reach hoping that what he was about to ask of her wouldn't be too difficult for her do. She could feel the coffee table behind her calves stopping her from retreating any farther.
"Tell me what I am to you, and don't lie to me."
A test. This has to be a test. "You are…You represent…everything to me. You control everything about my life. When I eat, when I sleep, where I go, what I see. It's all up to you. I'm sure that if you'd like to you could control even more. You've proved that you are the one who decides if I live or not."
He motioned for her to come closer and after a moment of hesitation she did. His hands crept up her legs, over her skirt and rested around her waist. The touch was so gentle it almost tickled, and yet it still tormented her.
He could feel every little muscle tense beneath his fingers, and he temporarily pushed down the impulse to grab her as hard as he could. She was too soft and too firm at the same time. "And what does all of that mean to you, Temari?"
"I don't understand what you're asking me." She could feel her pulse begin to rise and her mouth felt bone dry.
"Are you pleased with this arrangement? Do you like having me in your life?" His grasp of her waist became stronger and his thumbs began to rub her stomach. Her heartbeat was in her brain and panic was setting in. Her mind raced to find an answer.
What does this maniac want from me? If I say yes, I'm obviously lying. But if I say no he's obviously going to punish me. He said not to lie to him, but if I can convince him I'm telling the truth it wouldn't really matter.
No, I probably wouldn't get away with it. Will the punishment he gives me be worse for lying or for telling him the truth? She took a deep breath and answered him.
"I would prefer my life to be as it was before you brought me here and before you made yourself the most important person in my life. I don't like anything about this 'arrangement,' and I definitely don't-" Temari couldn't breathe; she couldn't think. All she could feel was a suffocating crush. His hands were like steel claws and her stomach a pillow.
"You didn't finish Temari. You 'definitely don't' what?" She tried to push his hands away from her but it did nothing. "I'd really like to hear what you have to say, because I thought you would be grateful that I chose to keep you with me." He loosened his hold enough for her to function, but he still held her too tightly.
"Thankful that instead of the torture I had originally planned for you I decided to make you mine." One hand stopped squeezing and traveled down her thigh, up her skirt and stopped at her bare hip.
"But I forgive you." His eyes left her face and traveled slowly down her body. "I recognize that you are not used to this kind of attention." She tried to step back from him but was stopped by his harsh hold on her. "Tell me how you feel now, Temari."
She could feel the hunger he had for her and its intensity scared her. She reached for his shoulders to try to push away from him, but she stopped herself.
She let her hands lay on his shoulders as she answered him, "I'm grateful. You've allowed me to live, and I'm very grateful." Her voice was stilted and soft from holding back the fear building up in her.
"I want you to show me the gratitude and joy you feel every time you see me. You've really been quite rude to me up until now. From now on, you are to properly acknowledge me when you see me." His fingers were tracing light designs into her bare hip and playing with the thin band of her panties.
"I will from now on. I promise."
"We'll see." He opened his legs and leaned back on the couch bringing Temari closer to him. "Show me how you'll greet me." He brought his hand from her waist to her cheek, "Show me now."
Temari nodded and took a deep breath. She brought her hands in front of her and gave a deep long bow. "Good afternoon, Madara-sama. I'm glad you're- ugh" Temari felt his knee in her stomach and then a sharp pain in her back. He kneed her so hard it sent her flying into the stone coffee table behind her.
"Try again." Temari was barely breathing through the pain coursing through her body as light tears snuck out of her closed eyes. He grabbed one of her top ponytails and pulled her up so that they were both standing. "I said to try again." He shook her with every word before pushing her back. "Now."
Temari opened her mouth but nothing came out. She stopped and tried to calm herself by forcing deep breaths. Think, Temari! What does he want from you? It has to be about him. Maybe he doesn't want something traditional…But he's just so traditional. I don't understand and I have to hurry before he hits me again.
She looked up at him and he looked wilder than she had noticed before. His eyes were still black so she figured he was still in control of himself. But somehow those black eyes seemed more dangerous to her than his rinnegan. She needed to end this quickly.
She stepped towards him, "Madara-sama, how are you this afternoon?" She brought her arms around him in a soft hug and prayed that he wouldn't strike her.
She felt his arms move around her and return the hug. "This is much better." He kissed her forehead before leaning away from her. "That still isn't great, but it's going in the right direction. I expect you to get better with each greeting. You've earned one book; let's start on the next."
He pulled her into his lap as he sat back down on the couch. "I must admit that I'm a little embarrassed to voice my next request." he said more to himself than to her.
Temari tensed at the thought of Madara asking for something that embarrassed him. If he didn't want to ask, she knew she wouldn't want to do it.
"You must know that this relationship is special to me, and I think you feel the same way. I want you to show me how special I am to you. I need you to be more affectionate towards me. I know you're scared, but just embrace your feelings for me and what I do. We'll start slow."
Temari was absolutely bewildered. "Start slow?" What does he want from me now? "Hurry up, Temari; I have other things to do today."
"Sorry, Madara-sama, I'm just not sure what you want me to do." He reached around her shoulders to bring her into a tight hold closer to his chest while he stroked her bangs.
"I thought you were smarter than this. Or is it that you have an idea and you're too scared?" With one swift motion Temari was on her back with Madara above her. The quick movement made her light-headed and she didn't notice his advance until his mouth was on hers and his long thick hair fell around her face plunging her into darkness.
The kiss took her by surprise and she struggled to keep her mouth closed against his lips and tongue. He pressed against her stomach inadvertently causing her to wince in pain. Madara took the cue and pressed harder making her lips give in to his. He forced his tongue past her teeth and took his time exploring her mouth.
His tongue circled inside her mouth and she tried to keep her own tongue as still as possible. His tongue found hers quickly and began to toy with it. She wanted him out of her mouth.
He pushed on her midsection again harder than before. She moaned from the pain in her stomach, but it only served to excite him. One hand traveled south while the other went behind her head. She tried to ask him to stop but it only deepened the kiss. His tongue tangled with hers as he left no room for escape.
He pushed up her skirt and roughly massaged her thigh. Every part of her felt smothered by him and she could feel something deep within her disappear. He bit her lip before kissing all around her face and neck.
"Don't you like it when we're together?" He continued to kiss her face and moved his hand farther up her inner thigh until he reached her panties.
"Answer me. Do you like being with me?" Temari ground her teeth and tried to not hyperventilate. She knew what she had to say but it was so hard to voice. He grabbed her ponytail and pulled on it. "Answer me now, or I might jump to the wrong conclusion."
She opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out again. She tried again and managed a squeak. He let go of her hair and spoke into her ear. "Why do you have to be so difficult?"
His fingers rubbed against her through her panties as he raised himself a good distance from her. She saw his face twist into something dark and foul. An apology was on her lips when he grabbed her throat with a force that startled and silenced her.
He kissed her open mouth and groaned with pleasure into her mouth. He slid her panties to the side and pushed two of his fingers in her before rising above her.
He looked down on Temari struggling to breathe and writhing beneath him. Her eyes were brilliant and shining from tears and her mouth was open inviting him in. Her body was screaming for him.
"Why are you so beautiful? I look at you sometimes and I can't believe you really exist. You upset me and then I look at you like this and I can't help myself." She pulled at his hand around her neck but it made no difference.
"I can't control myself around you and you know it." He pushed another finger in her to see the twist he knew her body would do. "You know it and you still provoke me. Why? If I hadn't been your first I would have sworn you were a whore the way you play with me." Temari was barely staying conscious when he finally let go of her neck. "Tell me why, Temari."
Temari was coughing and gasping for breath as she tried to speak, but it wasn't fast enough for Madara. He slapped her with both sides of his hand and commanded that she respond to him. She tried to shield her face but he slammed his fingers into her with the force of a punch and she instinctively tried to pull him out of her.
He hit her again and cruelly pressed his pressed his nails into her inner most flesh. Her scream came out as a pitiful whimper. She had to stop this.
He licked the blood on her cheek from his last blow and kissed her again. "Just answer me."
"I-I like it. I like it, Madara-sama." It came out as a hoarse whisper.
"Hmm? You do?" He nibbled and kissed on her ears.
"Yes, I do. I like it." He traveled to her neck and collarbone sucking along the bruise forming on her neck causing more pain on the sensitive area.
"What do you like?" He flicked one of the rings on her collar back and forth.
"Anything." He brought his fingers that were within her to her lips. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw a trace of blood.
"Anything?" He rubbed the fingers that were inside her along her lips.
"Everything. I like everything you do to me." Her chest became hollow with the words. It felt like her heart abandoned her and she was left a shell. He kissed her more intensely than he ever had before.
"Doesn't it feel good to admit how you feel?"
"Yes," she couldn't hold back her sobs anymore and she hated herself for everything. She hated herself for crying. She hated herself for giving in to him. She hated that she wanted to live. "Yes, it feels good."
"I want you to let me know how much you enjoy our time together as much as possible." He continued to kiss her between his words. "There is no such thing as telling me too much. I told you we'd start slow, and we will."
She heard him between her sobs but he just wasn't making sense. She decided that she must have missed something crucial because she didn't really understand what he was talking about, but ultimately she didn't care. If it was important, she was sure that she'd be punished for whatever impossible thing he wanted from her later. So it didn't really matter.
"Are you going to do your best?" She nodded just to please him. She wasn't sure what he was talking about. She just wanted him to leave her alone before he went any further.
Gaara was finding today's meeting more trying than usual. No one had come up with anything useful and they were quickly running out of time. Soon their only option to defeat Madara would be an all-out assault on the Shinju tree just like during the war. They needed something new or they were already dead before they started.
He noticed that A was avoiding talking about Yamato. Gaara found that quite interesting as A couldn't talk about anything else the other day. That could only mean one thing: things hadn't gone how A planned.
Gaara could tell that he wasn't the only one waiting for A to bring up the topic so he finally did it himself. "I'm sorry to interrupt you, but how did the talks with Yamato go? If I'm correct, you've had a chance to talk with him twice now: once after our meeting yesterday and once again this morning. You must have gotten something valuable out of him."
Everyone turned to A, and he sighed in disappointment. He hated being wrong in any way, even if he technically wasn't. "He doesn't remember anything real, and he doesn't know much."
"I'm not surprised. Madara wouldn't just drop answers in our lap. Have we tried any mind probe tactics on him?" asked Onoki.
"Yes, I had some performed on him last night and all they found were the remnants of a powerful genjutsu." A went on to tell them about the two interviews and everyone showed they understood.
"Who is this Guruguru?" asked Mifune.
"We don't know. He could be dead already, another one of Madara's accomplices, or even Madara himself. I don't think it really matters who he is." No one had seen A so resigned to an outcome he didn't dictate. Perhaps the loss of his brother was affecting him more than they initially thought.
"Well, if he has no information for us, maybe we need to treat his appearance differently." said Mifune.
Onoki rubbed his chin and slowly nodded. "Yes, why did he appear now?"
"Because the zetsus can't infiltrate us anymore," Naruto spoke for the first time that meeting. "If his purpose was to gather information from Yamato, then he has no reason to keep him if that information is no longer useful."
"But if that were the case, why is he still alive? Wouldn't it be easier for Madara, or this Guruguru, to just kill him instead of releasing him?" asked Mifune.
"That's because he's still serving the same purpose. He's just gathering new information. He was released to us in order to get new information for Madara." said Onoki knowingly.
"Yes, that has to be it." A said as he slammed his fist on the table. "That snake! I knew there was something I didn't like about all of this."
"Wait, there's a lot to think about here before jumping to conclusions. Like how would he pass on information to Madara if her were to get anything useful." said Kakashi.
"Yes, if we're all in agreement that he's here for Madara then we need to figure out their method of communication. It could be the way to locate him and create a surprise attack." said Onoki.
Sakura stood up. "I don't think he's doing any of this on purpose though. Whatever we decide, we have to take Yamato's predicament into account. He's being used and we shouldn't punish him for that." said Sakura.
A rolled his eyes before grunting in annoyance. "Kakashi, I get that you can have whoever you want to accompany these meetings, but can you please do something about her. I can't take this kind of attitude for much longer."
"What attitude? My point is valid. We should all be treating Yamato as if he's one of our colleagues, not just some problem."
A growled, "Kakashi, we don't have time for this. Either you talk to her now or she leaves."
Kakashi hated moments like this especially when he had an audience. "Sakura, we can talk later about Yamato's wellbeing, but right now, let's just focus on the problem that could ruin any and all of our efforts." He smiled with the one eye she could see and she acceded by taking her seat.
Shizune decided to speak up and ease some of the tension felt in the Konoha faction. "I honestly don't think it will help us to figure out how Madara is getting or going to get information from Yamato. If he's as evil as we think he is then even if we find out something we can use against him he'll just kill Yamato before it matters."
"Not to mention there are countless ways we'd have to account for." added Mei. "I think we should focus on misinformation. If we are correct in assuming Yamato's only here to get information, then we can also assume that Madara is concerned about what we're planning."
"And if he's concerned that means that there is some way to defeat him." said an excited Onoki.
"Exactly! We can manipulate Madara with this. I think that we should come up with at least two plans. The first is our real one, and the second we let slip to Yamato." Mei was confident in her assessment and waited for comments.
But none came. Everyone agreed. "Well that just puts us back to square one. What are we going to do?" asked Mifune.
Naruto lightly cleared his throat. "I've made some headway in looking for him. I can definitely say that he's nowhere in a three-hundred mile radius." Naruto smiled at his accomplishment, but only Gaara and Onoki seemed to understand why that was a good thing.
Kakashi leaned over to Naruto and asked the question that was on everybody else's mind. "Naruto, um, that's not really good news now, is it?"
Gaara butted in, "On the contrary, Kakashi. Sometimes it's as good to know where he's not. Why would Madara leave the Shinju tree under our supervision? Is it invincible? Is it doing something to us, that he doesn't want done to him? There's a lot we may be able to figure out from this."
"Assuming this is true, that is. I'm sure that you couldn't find him, kid. But where all did you search?" asked Onoki.
"I searched everywhere for him: high and low. I used my nature chakra and there's no way he could escape from my search."
"I want to trust you, Naruto, but I'm just not sure. Did it occur to you that he was masking his chakra?" Onoki persisted.
"There's no way that would work with my senses. He couldn't hide his large amount of power from me."
"So if you didn't find Madara, what did you find?" asked Gaara. Everyone knew he was hoping for a word about Temari, but they also knew that she was either dead or also beyond their reach.
"I only found us and the tree. Everyone else has long abandoned the area."
"I see. Well we have a lot to think about, don't we? Anyone else have anything to add?" asked Gaara.
"I've had an idea rumbling around in this old noggin. How about we try to resurrect the hokage again? They really did some damage during the war until Madara sealed them all. I think we should try to unseal them again." said Onoki.
"That's a good idea if it can be done. Onoki, I want you to get together anyone and everyone who has some skill in sealing and figure this thing out." After A said his statement he pointed to Kakashi. "I want you in on this too since it involves the hokage."
"Of course, I also have some skill in sealing so I would be involved anyway."
A stood and effectively dismissed the meeting. Sakura went to go complain about her treatment to Naruto but she saw that he was already talking to Gaara. She turned to find Shizune and she was already gone too.
Sakura needed to talk to someone about what just happened so she left the tent to find a willing listener and she didn't care who it was at the moment.
Temari quickly stood up to straighten her clothes and almost fell back down again. She was incredibly dizzy and light-headed.
"Is something wrong with you? Get up before I make you get up."
She slowly shook her head before carefully standing up again. Her abdomen hurt when she stood at full height so she hunched over to straighten her clothes and hide the pain.
She didn't know why she felt that she had to hide her aches from Madara. Maybe she was ashamed that she had let him affect her so much already. She thought about it as she gradually stood up straight.
"You're starting to look rather pale."
"Well that's what happens to people who are kept in underground prisons. Just tell me the third thing you want me to do."
"What are you really trying to say Temari?" She heard the threat in his tone and she wondered herself what she was saying. Didn't she just tell herself that she had to watch out for her safety?
She stood there and realized that no matter what she did or what she said pain was always in her future. She finally grasped her real situation. There was no way she could ever talk her way out of this suffering. Even if she somehow did exactly what he said when he said it, he would always torment her.
He liked hurting her. He was eager to harm her, and he got excited from seeing her suffer. Temari finally saw him. She finally saw Madara for the man he was. And she also realized that she had no hope here.
She felt like she was going to vomit all of the soup she just ate. She needed to get away from him and reevaluate her actions.
"I'm getting tired of having to remind you to answer my questions."
"I'm just trying to explain why I might seem pale. I've never been the tannest of people, but I'm still used to getting a lot of sun. There's literally no natural light down here."
"Go lie down. I'm going to have Zetsu check on you." Temari knew there was no use arguing and left him. "Stop." She turned expectantly. "I'm going to give you the three books. I'll accept payment for the third book later."
She found Zetsu waiting for her in Madara's bedroom. "Hello Temari, did you have a good lunch."
"Just check me over." She laid on the bed and waited for Zetsu with her eyes closed.
Zetsu readied his healing chakra and walked over to her. "I'm surprised you're letting me heal you. Wait until I tell Z about this."
"It doesn't matter whether I let you or not. And I'd hate to die down here just because I hate having to feel your chakra."
They both kept silent as he checked her whole body. She thought he was done but he came back to her abdomen. He stood and walked towards the door. "I need to talk to Madara."
"Wait, why did he have you look at me? I only have a handful of marks on me, so why does he care?" Zetsu continued walking out of the room as if he hadn't heard her.
She gently pressed on her stomach until she could pinpoint the pain. It was on her left side, but she realized there was no real point to what she was doing. She hurt all over. Her stomach hurt, her chest, back, and even her shoulders were sore.
She arduously sat up on the bed and reached for the books from Madara. She looked for the one on flora considering it to be the lightest topic. She really didn't want to think about anything of substance at the moment.
She flipped through the book and found many pictures. Some were drawn and others were photographs. She came across a photograph of a field of lavender and almost cried. She saw the wind bending the tall flowers and she could almost feel it.
She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath and came crashing back to reality. Instead of the lingering smell of lavender she was bombarded with dank earth.
Her eyes shot open and she couldn't stop a few gentle tears from falling. She tried her best not to think of Madara, but that was where her mind went. He didn't smell like earth. She tried to remember his smell and she was glad and surprised that she couldn't.
She was usually in so much pain or panic when he was close to her that she could barely breathe around him let alone smell him. She wondered if she still had her own smell.
She turned at the sound of the door to meet Zetsu. "OK, lay back down so I can heal you." He healed her in silence and Temari breathed a sigh of relief when she felt most of the pain leave her body.
"Stand up and move around." Temari stretched and moved around with ease. "Let me or Madara know if you feel more pain tomorrow." Zetsu quickly left and Temari noticed it was the first time he didn't say hello or goodbye.
She sat back down on the bed and continued going through the book on plants until she found it too painful a reminder of what she couldn't have. She threw the book aside with contempt but was disappointed at the muffled noise it made against the floor. She had to figure out how to deal with this situation of hers without going crazy.
Temari opened her palm above her and wiggled her fingers. She couldn't count how many times she had been on the brink of insanity down here and she was getting close to the edge once again.
She had to stop this rollercoaster or her lucidity might never be the same. She tossed onto her stomach and her mind went to the last question she asked out loud.
Why did Madara bother to heal her?
Why? She laid there with her eyes closed before turning onto her back. She looked at the ceiling for a while before she came up with something.
He heals me because he actually likes me. That bastard might even think he loves me. He doesn't really want me to die.
When Temari really thought about it, he never really tried to kill her. She winced as she remembered the near drowning incident. She had almost died but he chose to bring her back to consciousness.
Didn't he tell me before that he wouldn't kill me? I didn't really believe him, but now I think he was telling the truth.
Just as soon as this revelation came another one did as well. Madara may not mean to kill her, but that doesn't mean he won't kill her. He's an insanely powerful man who likes to hit and strangle her. How easy it would be for him to hold onto her neck for a minute too long, or harm her beyond repair.
More time passed than she thought and before she knew it Z was dressing her in an elaborate and heavy furisode and uchikake complete with ornate and hanging kanzashi.
She thought she was done dressing for the evening and started for the door when Z stopped her. "Temari, I know you haven't really been down here that long," Temari snorted so loudly she wouldn't be surprised if Madara heard it.
Z continued, "I know you haven't been here long, but I think there's something you should know."
"Then spill it, Z. I'm already annoyed at having to take so long to get dressed."
He stepped towards her and Temari instinctively stepped away from him. "I'm sorry, Temari, I forget how certain actions may seem." He sat down on the bed and motioned for her to sit next to him.
"I'll stand."
"Forget it. You'll figure it out soon enough. Just a word of advice though. Please listen to Madara."
"I don't really have much of a choice, now do I? Are we done here? I'd hate to keep Madara-sama waiting and I'd really hate to forget my dance. It's one of the three purposes I serve here and I don't want to disappoint him." She slammed the door behind her and headed to the dining room.
She didn't know why that interaction with Z upset her so much, but it did. The minute Madara laid eyes on her he knew something was wrong.
"What's wrong with you now? Haven't you been healed?"
"Uh…yeah, everything's fine. I feel fine." She walked to the table and almost sat next to him when she remembered their afternoon. She looked to Madara and he almost smiled at the bewildered look on her face. He assumed he figured out what was wrong with her. She still wasn't sure how to greet him.
She stooped down and tried to hug him in the awkward position and through the yards of fabric she was wearing. "Good evening, Madara-sama. I've missed you." His arms went to her sides holding her between his hands. She took a step back and would have tripped over her kimono had Madara not been holding her.
"I'm glad you missed me, but tell me what's wrong."
"Nothing, Madara-sama. I'm just not used to being in this position in such a big kimono."
"Do you want to wear something else?"
"I know that question is some kind of trick, so let's just skip the pleasantries and go right to the punishment." The slap that came from Madara sounded like a whip cracking when it made contact with her face. The force of it alone qualified as a punch and it knocked Temari on her side.
He grabbed a ponytail and pulled her to her knees. "I used to think this hairstyle was a bit ridiculous, but I'm beginning to see the practicality of it." He dragged her to the table and pushed her head down. Temari didn't put up any resistance because she knew it wouldn't make a difference. She also knew she shouldn't have said what she said.
"Eat; you need to take it easy, so I'm not going to be that rough on you. Tonight, I just want you to entertain me and be pleasant for a change. Tomorrow morning we'll have a serious talk about our future."
Temari kept her head down and asked, "What's wrong with me? Why do I 'need to take it easy?'"
"I said we'll talk about more serious things tomorrow. Tonight, I just want a dance and some conversation."
"Fine," Temari raised her head and reached for a plate to serve Madara. "Whatever you want. That's why I'm still here right?" She handed him his plate and began to fix hers.
"Whatever I want…" Madara looked at his plate then over to her. "Did you read any of your books this afternoon?"
"I tried to read the one on plants and flowers but it made me too depressed. Knowing that I'll never see them again in person is…" She felt her eyes begin to water and stopped.
"Temari…" His voice was admonishing, and she quickly wiped her face.
She added, "It's no use getting upset over it now. I really don't want to read about flowers anymore. But don't take the book away! I might want to read it at another time."
Madara lightly chuckled at her, "Don't worry, you've earned those books. I wouldn't take them from you."
"I haven't earned all of them yet." She could've hit herself for reminding him of the third book.
"No, you have earned them. I must admit that I've been a little hard on you." She looked up at him wearily. Something had changed and she couldn't figure out what it was. She would have sworn that he didn't have a compassionate bone in his body. But he seemed to be making an effort to be kind by his standards.
"I would hate for you to take that back tomorrow, so will you accept tonight's dance as payment?" Temari carefully watched every twitch in his face looking for some clue to what was going through his mind.
He slowly took a drink of water before answering her. Temari felt her anxiety rise and she wasn't sure why. "I'll accept that. Although, I would have hoped that you enjoyed dancing for me too much to possibly bargain with it."
"I knew you would accept it, and there was no chance you'd tell me not to dance even if you didn't take the deal. You enjoy it too much." Madara smiled and Temari almost choked. It was the first smile without a hint of malevolence she had ever seen from him.
"If you know that's true, then don't keep me waiting.
She felt her temperature rise and she had to stop herself from throwing her chopsticks down. This man was impossibly infuriating. She hadn't felt so annoyed so suddenly since the last time she tried to have lunch with Kankurou and Matsuri.
Her stomach lurched and she had to bring her hand up to her mouth to stop from showing how sick she felt. She turned away from him and began coughing. She didn't want Madara to notice anything. The last thing she wanted to hear was his concern for her.
She stood slowly and began to clear her mind. Her brothers. They came to her mind at the worst time and they wouldn't leave. She struggled against the urge to cry. She remembered that time with Kankurou and Matsuri.
She was walking to her favorite restaurant. She was just going to order some takeout and bring it back home when she turned at her name.
Matsuri had spotted her and was yelling her name through the street. She caught up with Temari and decided to get take-out as well until Kankurou joined them in the same manner. But her brother wouldn't settle for them all going their separate ways.
"Let's just eat here. Come on, you know Gaara and I would just steal your food if you brought it home anyway. At least if you eat it here you'll take less food home and have less food stolen."
"I knew it was both of you! Gaara never admits to stealing my food!" She saw that Kankurou realized his mistake and laughed at the thought of what Gaara would do to him when he found out.
She remembered his smile and his voice. That stupid way he had of talking and how he finally took her advice about changing his face designs on a regular basis. She wanted to hug him so badly.
She made it to the wall and took her time setting up the music. She wasn't ready to turn around and see Madara again, but she knew she had no choice. Her throat was tight and she was thankful she didn't have to use her voice.
She set the music and picked up the two large black and red fans. The song she picked earlier was rather slow and fit her mood perfectly. She felt nothing but longing and anguish. She cursed her brothers for coming to her mind at that moment. They never knew when to quit and this was just more evidence to prove her point.
She was even mad at Matsuri for encroaching into her life as more than just a colleague. Temari knew there was a reason she tried to keep everyone at a good distance. If she were anything like Naruto right now she'd already be half-dead from missing all her friends. And they'd be half out of their minds from searching for him. At least she knew the few people who cared about her would be able to move on eventually.
The music began and she tried to hide the feelings running through her heart.
(The song she chose was "A Paper in the Air" by Hiromitsu Agatsuma. [youtu. be/ Ec35duqxWsg])
Temari wanted this dance to be tranquil. She knew that she couldn't use her dancing to try to get Madara to not touch her and to leave her alone, but she could still try to affect her own mood. She needed to be composed. And even though she no longer felt the pain she had that morning, she was on the verge of tears just from remembering her brother's laugh.
She could practically see Kankurou in front of her. She knew what he would say to his sister doing turns and tricks for a man, dancing in a buttercup yellow and green kimono she would never pick for herself. First he would laugh for a good five minutes not able to get a word out. Then he would say, "I can't believe my sister is actually acting like a girl. She even looks like a girl…almost. I guess nothing can really fix her face."
He would make jokes that everyone would think are insensitive and inappropriate and he would get away with it because only Kankurou could. She would say something back to him and after a brief back-and-forth they would get the hell out of there. They would leave together and it would just be some stupid moment they would laugh about.
Gaara would laugh too once the retold the story, but only in the small way he always did. Only those close to him could tell when he was actually enjoying himself, and Temari loved that about him.
The music made its way past her body and into her mind. Gaara and Kankurou began to fade away and she was left with nothing. The nothingness felt so deep that she wasn't sure if any of her was left.
The song was almost over and for the first time in her dance she looked at Madara. His hair cast his eyes in shadow and for the first time since she had been held captive by him she felt something real stir deep inside her from looking at him. It was dark and menacing. Whatever it was, it already threatened to overwhelm her.
She never imagined that something about Madara could scare her more than she already felt, but here she was dreading him for a new reason. One she didn't even understand.
The song ended and she bowed before placing the fans back against the wall. She carefully took off the cream uchikake and faced him while standing next to the wall. She didn't know what he wanted. Normally this was when she was assaulted by him, but he hadn't moved and she didn't want to tempt his ire.
He continued to stare straight ahead. The rustling of fabric filled the room as she fidgeted. She made the slightest twitch to move and Madara stood swiftly. He walked to her and she still couldn't see his eyes.
She stared at where they should be until he was too close for her to see anything but his chest. An instinctive step away from him was stopped by his hand.
He pulled her to him and held her. She cautiously lifted her arms to return the embrace afraid of what would come next if she didn't and apprehensive now that she did. Even through the thick fabric she could feel his hand lingering on her rear. She should have known that her night wouldn't end peacefully, but then she felt his hand move lower.
He swiftly picked her up holding her knees and back and brought her to their room. Temari felt like nothing in his arms. She wished that she were too heavy for him to pick up. As heavy as he was at least, then maybe he would think twice about moving her around like a doll.
He put her down gently on her feet before moving to the dresser. She watched him as he pulled out a pair of pajamas and began to undress. He didn't say anything when he noticed her turn away from him. He let her be until he reached the bed.
"These are yours for tonight." He threw something navy on the edge of the bed before walking behind her. She felt him undoing her obi, but by now she was somewhat mentally prepared for what was probably going to happen.
He let the obi fall and then settled onto the bed with his back against the headboard. "Take that off and change. Zetsu will get the kimono up later." Temari stood there looking away from him for a few minutes. Her hands just wouldn't move to take the kimono off. Her body felt frozen.
"Temari, take it off now." She jumped at his volume and her arms started to tremble. She knew she had to do it and she tried to reason with herself that it wasn't a big deal. He had seen her before. So why couldn't she move?
"I'm not playing with you Temari. I'm giving you to the count of five to have it off you and on the floor. One." Her arms finally started to respond.
"Two." She started to shrug off the kimono baring one shoulder then the next.
"Three." She began to feel the weight of the fabric fall.
"Four." She thought that he had never made her strip for him before as she untied the some of the ties still holding layers on her.
"Five." The many layers of the kimono fell around her ankles and her whole body was shaking. She felt embarrassed and awkward. She only had her purple panties left and she snatched what he gave her off the bed. She puts it on so quickly she's not even sure of what it is.
She looks down at herself and sees that it's a simple cotton navy babydoll nightgown. She takes a closer look at herself and feels the heat rise in her cheeks. The hem doesn't even go past her underwear and the neckline was low and square. It squeezed against her chest and a lot of her cleavage was out.
She tried to adjust the dress a bit but it just didn't fit right. "Leave it alone. Come on, we're going to sit here and read until we fall asleep. Do you need to be restrained?"
"No, I don't."
"I expect you to prove that."
A/N: Hope you liked it. Thanks for reading!