SUMMARY: Sometimes the 'boring stuff' is helpful.
Temari breathes in sharply.
It is her responsibility.
She is the eldest.
This is her way of her protecting her brothers.
If she fails, they will be safe.
Her friends will be safe.
They will all be safe.
Temari has to tell herself that.
It is a lie.
If Konoha realises her friends knew about the invasion...
If they think her siblings sided with her against their father and she is gone...
Sometimes lies are necessary.
So she tells herself that it is okay.
That it will all be fine.
For everyone else at least.
Temari is not stupid.
It is unlikely.
But Konoha cannot afford to turn away so many of its heirs.
They will be safe at least.
But what about Lee?
Lee who cannot cast Genjutsu, whose chakra is 'broken'?
Tenten, Re and Ra who are orphans, easily replaceable, not likely to be missed?
What about the rest of them?
Temari only has one choice - win.
It is unlikely.
But she has to try.
She will.
She is going to have to use every advantage she possesses.
She will not come out unscathed.
But she has to do this.
In terms of damage, this will be the least impactful.
Temari swallows the bitter tears, the anger, the resentment, the fear and strides up to her father.
The Kazekage.
Distant, not quite loving but more than a shadow.
The man whose approval she has sought since she was old enough to understand.
The man who looks at her now.
And she declares her challenge.
Her father is a strong man.
But Temari is strong too.
And she must win.
She has what her father doesn't - desperation.
Temari stands strong, unflinching before the man she does not know whether to love or hate, and growls.
She is Temari of Sand.
She is as sharp and vicious as the wind.
She has to win.
But she doesn't think she will.
Temari is arrogant, not delusional.
She knows the only way she will win is by fighting dirty.
So she will.
Honour is unimportant in the face of their lives.
Suna's customs dictate that any contestant for the position of Kage must be treated seriously.
They are banking on it.
Temari is a Genin - an adult.
Technically.
She is the Kazekage's daughter.
Her challenge will be accepted.
It has to be accepted.
To do otherwise would be to defy the laws of Suna.
And a ruler cannot be a ruler with no people to rule over.
The Kazekage may attempt to turn down her challenge but he will lose his position.
They need him to accept.
But Suna's customs are unclear about the fate of the loser.
There is a chance the Kazekage will spare Temari if she loses.
Perhaps he loves her in some way.
He is distant not emotionless.
Perhaps neither will have to suffer too long.
It is unlikely.
Anko curses.
Just when she thought it couldn't get any worse.
Ra's plan was flimsy and the Sand brat had to go and wreck it.
Anko respects the girl for it.
Still, did she have to be so self-sacrificial?
Now she is going to have to console the brats if anything happens to her.
When.
The Fourth Kazekage is feared for a reason.
Why does she have to be stuck with these idiots?
Anko laughs bitterly.
Better them than him.
Him who she still loves.
'Real feelings don't just go away.'
She can't hate him so she hates that quote instead.
Because it is so much easier.
But there is no point.
There is no point.
Because the Eldest Sand brat is going to die.
And all the other brats are going to be upset.
And Anko doesn't want that.
Crying brats make a mess.
More than three crying brats make a disaster.
She does not - cannot - deal with that.
She continues on.
She needs to get back there on time.
There is still a chance.
Suna's traditions are actually coming in handy for once.
Anko didn't think she would ever be thankful for the drawn-out formalities.
They usually bore her to death.
But she is grateful.
She could make it.
She wishes she'd just ignored the irregularities.
That she hadn't followed those brats.
She did so now she has to deal with it.
And dealing with it is getting there soon.
Maybe they will be lucky, just this once?
Doubtful.
Kabuto frowns as he searches for Orochimaru-sama.
He has a tendency to get worried before such battles.
Orochimaru-sama is powerful but a little reckless.
And he cannot let Orochimaru-sama die.
He just cannot.
He owes the man too much.
And he has served other people too long.
Kabuto could not be his own master.
It scares him.
But Orochimaru-sama will be immortal.
Kabuto will never need to worry about it.
But Orochimaru-sama is not immortal yet.
So Kabuto needs to keep an eye on him.
He has no doubt Orochimaru-sama will survive this.
He simply needs to ensure that he makes it out in the best condition possible.
Otherwise Kabuto will...
He doesn't know.
But he doesn't need to know.
It doesn't matter.
Orochimaru-sama will become immortal.
Kabuto will have orders until he dies.
Or if he is made immortal, until the end of his existence.
Kabuto will be fine.
He just has to follow Orochimaru-sama's orders.
Pretend to be a normal medic.
Nothing more or less.
It will all be okay.
But it won't, will it?
Because Nono is dead.
Nono is dead.
Sometimes Kabuto wants to join her.
But that isn't what Nono would have wanted.
So he stays.
Tenten is horrified.
Maybe that is not the right word.
She is angry.
Scared.
She prefers angry.
She didn't think Temari was suicidal!
What is her friend doing?
If she just stuck to the plan maybe-
Except that wouldn't work would it?
Ra's plan (heavily edited by Shikamaru and Shino) was a compromise.
It was a mishmash of acceptable compromises.
Temari is sacrificial.
Tenten hates it.
But she has to admit (however grudgingly) that if Temari pulls it off, it might just help.
Still, she doesn't know if Temari can manage.
The Kazekage is strong - insanely so.
Tenten can almost see his chakra.
Gently, she extends her own, prodding it.
It is familiar.
Too familiar.
Tenten cannot quite swallow her gasp.
She feels faint.
Out of the corner of her eye, she can see the approaching Anko.
She seems panicked.
Tenten feels strange.
But still, her whisper slips out.
It echoes.
"Orochimaru!"