"Hello Temari." He called to her as she neared her front gate.

She was not happy to see him. "Hello Sulamon," she said politely. "What brings you here so early?" She'd had a good day yesterday showing Shikamaru the sights. She'd gotten in some early morning training with Baki and was eager to shower and change before he came over for lunch.

He gave her a polite smile. "Actually I was hoping you and I might have a friendly little chat."

She frowned. "This isn't about your grandson is it? I told Gaara to make it clear I want nothing more to do with him."

"You may rest assured that message was most plainly delivered."

Now she really frowned at him. "If it's not about him I can guess what it is about. You want to talk about Shikamaru don't you?" He nodded. "I'm very sorry bit I really don't have time to talk this morning. Maybe we could schedule a meeting another day?"

He nodded politely. "As you wish Temari." He turned to leave. "I had hoped to discuss this matter in private, but I suppose it will just have to be discussed in the Council."

"What matter, and what does the Council have to do with this?"

"Come and walk with me Temari." He did not bother to turn around or look back at her.

She swallowed a sharp reply. She didn't appreciate being told to chase after him. But whether she liked it or not she did just that. "What is this about?" The two of them walked leisurely down the street from her home.

"Did you know that your little romance has become the talk of the town? Tongues will wag, and people love to track what the nobles are doing. People have noticed that you show this young Leaf a great deal of attention."

His tone was one he might have used with misbehaving child. Temari didn't appreciate it. "What I do in my private life is my business."

"For a private life yours seems rather public."

She sent him a sharp look. "We have had dinner together, walked together, and danced. That is all we have done in public."

He looked at her keenly. "Am I to take that to mean you have done far more in private?"

She blushed and looked at him in open anger. "That is none of your damn business!"

"Ah, but you see there is where we disagree. As Director of Internal Security anything that threatens Suna's peace and stability is my concern."

"Just how does a sixteen year old girl's social life endanger the security of a whole village?"

He shook his head. "Don't play dumb, it doesn't suit you child."

She came to a halt. "I am not a child!"

He stopped as well and frowned at her. "Then do not behave like one. You have grown up surrounded by politics and have been taught our laws and customs. You cannot pretend ignorance of what it means for you to be seen as too close to a foreign ninja."

"Who I see is my business." She crossed her arms and looked defiant.

"If you were a baker's daughter I would agree. If you were the daughter of a leatherworker you would be free to marry him without complaint. For that matter if he were not ninja there would be no issue. If he were a wealthy merchant of even a lord of the land of fire, your activity would raise no special comment. But he is ninja and of a ninja clan."

"So?" she asked contemptuously.

He shook his head, not pleased with her attitude. "Very well, if you wish to I will spell it out. If you were to marry a foreign lord you would form a personal tie between Sabaku and your husband's family. But when one ninja marries another it forms a blood tie. Were you to marry him then Sabaku would form a blood alliance with the Nara clan of Konoha. Their enemies would become your enemies and you would be honor bound to shelter them. Now how exactly would that look to the people of Suna? How are they to trust the oldest and most noble House when they have an allegiance to a foreign clan?"

Her face turned red. "How are they to trust us? My great grandfather was one of the founders of this village! We have been protecting Suna ever since there was a Suna! We would never turn our backs on our village!"

"Perhaps, but were you to eventually marry Shikamaru and join his clan there would be doubt, and that would be enough. Quite often the perception of a situation is more important than the situation's reality." He paused. "So far you have spoken only of your intentions. Have you considered his?"

"What doe that mean?" She said darkly.

"Has it ever once occurred to you that he might be a spy? He is a ninja, almost by definition a spy. Has it even once crossed your mind that his intentions might not be what they seem to be? Have you thought to look underneath the underneath?"

"Shikamaru a spy?" She laughed. "I suppose he's on a mission to seduce me then?"

"If he is then I would have to say he is making steady progress." He saw about to scream at him and he held up a hand. "Seduction is about more than sex. It is about winning over someone's heart and gaining trust. Certainly by that definition you cannot deny his activity is suspicious."

"You don't know anything about what there is between us. He isn't a spy and he's not trying to trying to fool me or use me."

"Really, how do you know that?"

"I just do."

"Well that clears up my concerns."

She wasn't used to such biting sarcasm from anyone. "You wouldn't understand!"

"Well then, seeing as I am just a foolish old man, why don't you try and explain it to me?"

"He cares for me, really cares for me, and I care for him. What we feel is real, it's not any sort of trick." She saw a momentary look of open contempt and it infuriated her.

"You are a sixteen year old girl, kunoichi or not, noble or not, and you may not know as much as you think. I will tell you something about us men, we have been known to lie to get what we want. In that respect at least men and women are the same."

"Well let me tell you something, I trust him a hell of a lot more than I ever have you."

"You do not need to trust me to recognize that all I have told you is simple fact." His eyes focused on her. "I notice that you have not told me that you have no intention of ever marrying him."

"That is none of your business." She said coldly.

"But I think it is. You know Temari, as hard as this may be for you to believe I was young once as well. I can remember what it was like, when the blood is hot. What a thrill it is to simply follow your heart. But there comes a time when the mind must overrule the heart. You are the first daughter of House Sabaku you have a duty…"

"Don't you lecture me about duty! Oh, I know about my duty to Suna! I've been told about it since I was old enough to walk. Let me tell you about duty! My mother was murdered in service to Suna. My brother was implanted with a monster and was then shunned by everyone and forced to endure attempts on his life. I would go to sleep every night and listen to Gaara walking up and down the halls like some lost soul. I would lay awake in my bed terrified that my door would open and he would walk in and kill me. But it was my duty to watch out for him, just as it was his to be a living weapon. I almost died, my whole family almost died fighting in Konoha because it was our duty. So don't you dare stand there and give me a speech about duty." She snapped her mouth shut and took a deep breath. "Gaara has told me I can choose who I marry and he and Kankuro have given their blessing to Shikamaru's courtship. So far as I am concerned the only people who have a say about any of this are him and me. I have sacrificed much for Suna, and I will continue to do so. But I have decided that I will not let the village dictate who I will marry. That at least I claim for myself."

He stared at her for a moment. "That is your final word on the matter?"

"No, my final words are, 'leave us the hell alone.'"

He nodded. "I see, thank you for talking with me." He began walking in the direction they had come. "Good day Temari."

XXXXXXXXXX

When Shikamaru arrived at the gate he was surprised to see Temari outside waiting for him. She greeted him with a fierce hug.

"Hey Temari, good to see you too." He hugged her back. "Is anything wrong?"

She released him and gave him a smile that looked just a little weary. "No, not a thing. Listen I was thinking of us going out again today, but would you mind if we just spent it here instead?"

He smirked. "Do I get to spend the whole day with you?"

She grinned and nodded. "Of course you do silly boy."

"In that case I don't mind at all. Is there any particular reason for the sudden change?"

"I just decided I'd rather not deal with any stupid people today."

XXXXXXXXXX

It was late in the afternoon. They were resting in one of the dozen spare bedrooms the mansion boasted. They were sprawled out on a sofa. There was a large comfortable bed right in front of them, but she didn't like the idea of anyone spotting them lying on a bed together. She was stretched out on top of him. Her head was resting on his chest. His arms were wrapped around her. She could hear his heart beating. It sounded so comforting to her, she wanted to close her eyes and just fall asleep. How could he do that to her? She had never really ever felt safe, not completely. Fear drove her, fear pushed her, it was her constant companion. But when he held her she didn't feel afraid. When his arms were holding her tight she knew nothing bad could touch her. She had only foggy memories of her mother, but she thought that when her mother had held her it had felt like this. She felt loved and protected.

"Do you want to know something Shikamaru?" She asked in a sleepy voice.

"What?"

"You make me happy."

He stared at her. "You make me happy too Temari." He squeezed just a little tighter.

"If I fall asleep will you be here when I wake up?"

"Yes."

She looked at him with trusting eyes. "Do you promise?"

He nodded. "I promise."

She shut her eyes and placed her head back down on his chest. "Good."

He watched as she slept. For once he had no desire to sleep himself. What he wanted was just to watch her and know that she was safe.

XXXXXXXXXX

Tanya was in room twelve. She waited patiently for the sealing jutsu to be completed and for Sulamon-sama to address her.

"I have decided that the contingency I spoke of earlier is now to be set in motion. I will require the services I outlined at our previous meeting."

She licked her lips. She always marveled at the way he could talk about murder in so clean and bloodless a fashion. It is the only way to save my brother. "I understand Sulamon-sama. I know of your reputation, and that you would never break your word. Will you give me your word that if I do as you ask you will have my brother exchanged?"

"I give you my solemn word on the honor of my clan that your brother will be exchanged; on two conditions. That you do precisely as you are instructed and that you reveal it to no one."

"Even if the ah… contingency does not work?"

He frowned but nodded. "If you fulfill your part, then yes, even if the operation suffers failure I will honor my pledge."

She took a deep breath. "Then I shall do what you require of me."