Interrogation and the Truth.
Enjoy.
Truthfully, she had missed this, missed the simple things in life. Having control in another's domain, it had been what she was trained for, what he had trained her for, to be the weapon used against her father, to be used, that was her true purpose.
Even free she had always been chained.
It really was like from one of those spy movies Kankuro had made her watch when they first found out what a TV was at Sasori's cabin. Four white tiled walls, one with a door, a metal table, two chairs, a camera in the corner, and her hands restrained for the time being. A part of her was excited to share this with her brother when she saw him again, if she ever saw him after this. Since when did she have doubts?
Interrogation.
All that was missing was the good cop bad cop routine.
For now, she would play nice, play his game, the one he had planned as a follower, her own plan to sit back and watch, see where true loyalties lied. She didn't want to assume until she was sure, so she watched him put on his mask and enter into the domain of another, cautious as she was. He had his own priorities, hers just happened to partially align with his in the crossfire.
Her truth was always stronger than any lie.
The first buzz, two entering, and she almost groaned at the sight. Now it really was about to be a movie.
"Hello" the cheerful welcoming voice of Choji, one of the agencies intel seekers, at first glance she was unimpressed, but she knew better than to underestimate these legacies "I'm Choji Akamichi and this is Kiba Inuzuka" pointing a thumb behind him to his partner.
"I know who you both are, I poisoned both of you" Temari stated plainly with a roll of her eyes "how was the trip in the dark depths of your memories?" Looking to Choji as he settled in the chair before her, his partner left standing and glaring back to her "How where your nightmares and hallucinations, did you find some truth in them?"
"A lot of childhood fears, surprisingly" Choji sighed, friendly, her quick conclusion to the man, relaxed as if he knew her, able to keep consistent and calm in situations, he reminded her of Shira, though her own comrades stoic glaring look never changed, years of war hidden behind his scars.
His companion, however, was antsy, Kiba, circling her as if she was prey, irritated and someone who held onto grudges, a thought she pinned to remind herself to fight against him with the opposite, keep calm until her final strike. Her first move would be their last. Glancing at the camera for a brief second, knowing he was watching, she decided to keep even, no indication that she would fuck with the first two opponents for kicks. So she allowed one slow nod accepting the two to speak to her.
"It is what the venom is meant to do, it makes you fight your fears and overcome them, makes you fearless" she explained evenly, feeling the presence of Kiba at her side, glaring back at her.
"You're going to be tough to crack aren't you" close, attempting intimidation, she could almost lean over and touch him, when she turned the indifferent teals to him, her eyes narrowed, he leaned away slowly at her silent warning, but her voice, calm, betrayed the look.
"I have been told I am quiet troublesome, and this is pointless really" she huffed, more effort needed to get to the head of the beast "but it's protocol, I suppose, so go ahead and try" she gestured to Choji with a wave of her cuffed hands.
"First let's start with names" Choji looked up knowingly "we know who you are, Lady Temari"
"I would appreciate it if you refrained from lost titles, I am dead remember" she reminded him.
"Sorry Temari" Choji apologized, good cop, and looked to Kiba, bad cop.
"So what, you don't like being called a princess?" Kiba leaned to her side, one hand to the table, glare tight and attempting a look she could only assume was meant to intimidate, she almost laughed, instead offering a simple grin and a two for one hit.
"Not by you" she glanced away from Kiba to look at Choji, keeping her sights on the calm man, suddenly irritating Kiba as he pulled away and stalked behind her. A purposeful move to ignore the one who sought her attention, a move to unnerve the shadow hidden behind the camera, wondering briefly why she had allowed the nick name to go on, it didn't bother her so much when he said it, she pushed that thought aside in the back of her mind, focus on the now.
"Do you know why your here?" Choji asked after a uncomfortable clearing of his throat.
"If your attempting to go through some checklist of trivial questions" she sighed, already losing interest in the two "it really is a waste of your time, I don't want to speak to either of you, I want Tsuande"
"Why?" Kiba grumbled behind her.
"I do not speak to followers, I want your leader" simple statement mer with Choji leaning in.
"Does this mean your a leader?" He asked, calm as she was leaning in closer as if she was going to tell him a secrets.
"Karui" he froze at the name "when do you plan to talk to her again? She has been worried about you" attempting to work his mouth to speak, she leaned back, relaxed "I know more about you than you know about me, remember that Choji"
"Alright then, if you know so much about us" Kiba leaned a hand against the desk, she huffed "when's my birthday?"
"July seventh"
"What's my dog's name?" He leaned closer.
"Akamaru"
"My address?" He raised his voice louder.
"Seventh avenue, apartment 2D"
"She's good" Choji muttered, impressed, but worry lingering in his gaze.
"Alright who are you working for then!" Kiba slammed the table and looked at her, Temari sighed having not flinched at the sudden noise, but tired of the attempt, keeping calm "Not gonna talk huh well we have ways of making you talk"
"Kiba maybe you should be a little more nicer about asking? Your being rude and she's been nice so far"
"why she's an assassin, a killer"
"So are you" Temari piped in, a smirk following when he turned a glaring look to her.
"That's not the point" he grumbled "we do it cause its our job, you do it for some sense of sick pleasure" he began to circle her again "Well do you?" and her calm left.
Sen had prepared her well, but it was the unexpected fight her brother boosted about that was her path to follow.
"How's that black eye healing up?" She hummed, a smirk growing as she continued, practically feeling the man's confidence vanish as he paused behind her, taught to control, this was her purpose "my brother didn't mean to hit so hard, he can be a little rough sometimes, but really he's nothing more than a gentle giant" she grinned, voice sweet and apologetic, quickly shifting to a strike to bring him down "Bet you remember him, the way you fought, he just couldn't stop talking about it for days" her final hit, the man turned a shade of red brighter than blood "or you for that matter"
"Dude, why are you red?" Choji looked past her concerned by Kiba's stiff posture.
"I don't want to talk about it" he snapped defensively.
"This isn't going to get very far is it?" Choji glanced back to her.
"Told you" she stated simply and leaned back. The fight back was expected, Kiba already snorting and denying the end.
"I'm not done here, Choji, she's just fucking with us" a fighter's last ounce of strength, so she finished with her backup plan, blunt and on the verge of annoyed.
"Are you perhaps embarrassed to be pinned down so easily or" she grinned glancing over to him, knowing, excited to tell the tale to her brother after this "was it the fact that you liked being a bottom during your little fight that has you blushing like some schoolgirl with a crush"
"What" the question stuttered and forcing the red to brighten, too easy.
"So you are gay" she confirmed and looked back to Choji, looking between the two in worry.
"What? No!" Kiba quickly made his way to the table, cheeks red and his anger mixing with the embarrassment "I like women, no, in fact I love women!"
"Denying your guilty pleasure to your friends is not healthy" Temari tutted, glancing at Kiba "you should just accept your own truth and" she smirked "enjoy yourself" glancing back at the camera, already knowing the look back he was giving while observing the interrogation.
"Kiba it's ok, we all already know" Choji piped in with a kind smile, attempting to aid his friend as the realization hit him.
"I haven't told anyone" Kiba confessed "except Akamaru"
"We've been waiting for you to-"
"Listen" Temari interrupted the conversation, finished with her first task, annoyed to be wasting time "as much as I would love to sit here and watch you confess" her eyes rolled "with such agony, you coming out, I have more pressing matters to get to, so leave now" if she could she would have crossed her arms, her words final, Choji only nodded to her and stood, Kiba already leaving the room with his friend patting his back to comfort him.
Easy win, her methods watched and calculated behind the lens of the camera, she wondered who sat in the room with him watching her. She hated waiting, but he had made her patient.
Her annoyed huff met with the door opening, two entered, she resisted the urge to groan a second time. Men were easy, pick apart at their masculinity enough and they fell easily, but women took time and precision, finding flaws that they learned to cover over years of practice. Thankfully she at least got to introduce herself to one of them this morning, a memory of dirty secrets that neither of them could hide written on their bodies.
"Blondie, two times in one day? How lucky am I?" She offered a tight smile to Ino, the grin returned just as falsely, distrustful, yet forced, the woman behind her took her attention now, unusual pink hair and a look as stoic and cold as hers could be "and look, you brought Sasuke Uchiha's little girlfriend along, Sakura was it?" the glare was instant, blues narrowed in anger and suspicion, so she fueled the fire "how is he by the way?" Temari asked, keeping her posture proper as she looked back to Sakura.
"Better, no thanks to you" Sakura muttered, the bitter note in her words pinned in the back, someone who already disliked her. At least she had been right to send Sauske off to her apartment, backup plan at the ready.
"Please" Temari scoffed, unconcerned, still wishing to cross her arms and lean back comfortably "I've survived larger doses than what he got, he'll be fine"
"Wait" nosey Ino, curious, Sen had been right, one plucked blonde brow raised as she sat in the chair across from Temari, Sakura standing behind her with her arms crossed "so you got the same injections of that bug venom?"
"It's an arachnid" she corrected "and yes I have"
"How many times?" Ignoring the correction, Ino leaned in.
"More than once" Temari smirked, unfazed in her gaze, easily annoying the blonde to straighten and change her approach.
"Listen all we want is to get to know you" trying to be friendly now, Ino offered a false smile.
"We've both seen each other naked" the reminder, Ino blushed and glanced away, the morning surprise aiding in keeping her quiet mostly "I think we know each other pretty well by now"
"You have no shame, do you?" Ino deadpanned.
"None at all" Temari shrugged, dropping the amusement, back on the right path, and demanding their attention with a narrow of her eyes "I'm here to speak to Tsuande, not have you two turn this into some sappy session where we braid each others hair and talk about the boys who broke our hearts" blunt sarcasm usually worked for her, kept her opponent at bay or made them retreat.
"Geez, you really are mean" Ino mumbled, a sigh following.
"I'm also impatient, Ino" it was almost over, she threw her brick wall up and Ino was ready to leave, but not her partner.
"Why did you pick Sauske?" Sakura spoke up, eyes glaring and serious, unaffected by her mood. Temari leaned back with a slow narrow of her eyes, contemplating her choices as she looked back to Sakura, the woman was hurt, revenge lingering in her hardened blue eyes, emotions, and strong ones at that.
"Are you asking as his friend or his lover?" her simple question, even and calm.
"Does it matter?" Sakura raised a brow in question, confused by the change.
"Yes, because the bonds, the emotions you feel, between the two are different" she explained, giving her the closure she sought "as his friend, I will tell you that he was simply of use to me, his ties with his brother Itachi is why I kept him for so long, I needed him to be ready"
"Ready for what?" Sakura leaned her head in slightly, as if to hear more.
"Men need to understand that they should never underestimate women, Sakura" she grinned, faint and cautious of the glare back "because we are the most dangerous beings in this world when we get mad"
"You know he wants to kill Itachi" Sakura furrowed her brows, looking down into the metal table, fists clenching at her sides.
"Exactly" she hummed, the woman was smart, able to keep up, so she choose the next words carefully "Now as his lover, I will simply say I wanted to hurt him for lying to me" she lifted her head, leveling her gaze with Sakura, cold "he was tasked to go to Suna and kill my brother, Lord Gaara, and he refused to give up that information to me"
"How?" Sakura trailed off, question caught in her throat, looking from Temari to Ino, the former glaring, the lather looking guilty for already knowing about it.
"I have my ways" a cold response to the two women.
"This is not going well" Ino blew out a breath, knowing Temari was done with them.
"Glad to know we've come to an understanding" she finished finally and looked away as they left.
Emotions, helpful and hurtful, a recoil when it came to a final strike.
The next opponent to come through the door was a surprise, but she covered the look as soon as he spoke, his voice low and vengeful, his hand twitching and eyes bloodshot with rage.
Venom lingering in his veins.
"You" Sasuke Uchiha.
"Uchiha, good to see you again" calm against his storm.
"Tell me where he is now!" the shout, the slam of white clenched fists on the metal table, she blinked back at him, not in fear, but the wild and feral movements as he neared her so suddenly. She gave him a moment to settle, before she sighed, disappointed in the display.
"Sorry, I don't break my deals" she grinned back to him, fearless in looking away from his bloodshot gaze "besides you failed to tell me who your target was, so no" she felt it, knew it was coming, but she refused to look away when his hand raised. She had suffered worse.
Pain.
Turning back to him, pinning her narrowed gaze back to his sleepless dark glare, she drew her tongue out licking the side of her lip, cracked and bleeding, an unfortunate addition, annoying really to get hit so suddenly, she hated bruises to her face, always the hardest to hide.
"You hit like a child having a tantrum" she deadpanned, leaning forward with a jab "sloppy" leaning back in the chair, she knew his next move would be his last, he would never allow it.
"Tell me where Itachi is!" At the shout, the demand to know, the need overpowering his reason, pure primal instinct, she glared back as he raised his hand a second time.
The door slammed opened and she smirked.
"Sasuke!" The snarl in his voice, calm gone, Shikamaru ramming into Sasuke as he pushed the man into the wall, hands gripping into the black tee as he subdued the fight back from his weakened comrade "What the hell are you doing?"
"She knows where Itachi is, Shikamaru" Sasuke shouted back, attempting to push away from him to get to her "we have to find him!"
"Even if she does, what will this solve?" He leaned closer, voice lower, angrier "What kind of man hits a woman, especially when she can't fight back" she had been right, the man's protective nature was strong, and becoming something that he deemed worth protecting had aided her, but for what reason was she pinning this on. A need or a want? Or had she simply trusted him that she wouldn't get hurt in the four walls of the building.
"Why are you protecting her?" Sasuke stared back in disbelief, eyes sharp and narrowed, angry himself with his own shout "after what she did!" Shikamaru's grip tightened, holding him as he pulled Sauske off the wall.
"Get out, that's an order" ignoring his question, he pushed Sauske to the door "there's more important things to think about than Itachi right now"
"Who do you think shot Dai, it was him, it was Itachi" Sasuke fought back, able to stop and face him, gripping his arms to get his attention "I was going to tell you, the day Tsuande sent me to go to Suna, I was going to tell you how Itachi did it, it's why I went on my own to see Kisame, but this bitch" he shoved a accusing finger at Temari, her eyes slightly narrowed at the statement, not because of the name calling, however "caught me!"
"Sasuke" his voice shaking, attempting a calm breath "not now"
"Itachi shot Dai" Sasuke growled firmly.
"He's not wrong" Temari interrupted the tense silence, smirking past the bright red blushing on the side of her face, ignoring the trail of blood dripping down the side of her mouth "he did shoot Dai"
"And you called the shot, you bitch" She flashed his frustration with a pull at her lip, dangerous, but remained quiet, his fight back returning with the gesture and his voice raised "Where is he?" His step forward met with a firm hand to his chest, his way blocked by Shikamaru.
"Our deal Uchiha, you can't demand something from me if you dont have something I want in return, you decided you wanted to be my enemy so" she leaned forward with a tight grin "fuck off"
"Get out now" with the firm shove to his shoulder, warning the agent to keep his cool and obey his leader, Sauske growled in frustration and left.
The door shut and she was left alone with Shikamaru, left alone in the quiet. Her smile fell and she shut her eyes, the breath escaping her heavily, leaning back in the chair, the anger held back as she swiped a thumb at the blood from the side of her mouth, ignoring the gaze that had turned to her, his own frustration mixed with a hint of worry.
Pity her, how dare he.
"Don't" the demand for his gaze to return to hers, and his mask slipped on.
"Is it true thought?" he glanced down and up just as quickly, quiet "about Itachi?"
"Of course it is" she scoffed, annoyed at his calm tone against hers "Itachi is the best sniper shot I've ever seen and I used him to help myself out, you know" she raised her cuffs, snarky in response "keep my hands clean"
"You seem to like using people to do the work for you" his statement met with a sigh, her next opponent, half of her still poised and ready to strike, another part laid bare under the quiet look, a part far in the back that wondered how it would feel like to be taken on the table by him.
"It depends" she shrugged casual.
"On what?" The cold response.
"On what they have to offer me" her glare tightened, his remained quiet, she needed to change that, she hated lies.
"Selfish if you ask me" now irritated by his monotonous remark.
"Then it's a good thing I didn't ask you" the tense in his jawline, already getting under his skin, so she smirked forcefully fueling the fire in his cold gaze, sparking his own anger "I survive on this attitude as you so plainly put it back in River, Nara" no reply, she scoffed and looked away "I want Tsuande, it's the only reason I agreed to this, not to have your little pack question me" she lifted her head, purposeful in showing the mark on her lip to him "or hit me"
"She'll be here soon" his eyes downturned, a flash of guilt, a broken promise in protecting her.
"It's rude to keep a lady waiting" she leaned her head back with a moan, just wanting things to be over, the obstacles more tedious than the next.
"Well apologizes, Princess" she smirked at the drawl of the nickname, low and soothing her, she trusted it "but you have to follow the rules in here"
"Rules" she scoffed leaning her head up to look at him, his gaze had been set to the bruise against the side of her neck, his mark made only hours ago "the only thing rules have given me is trouble, it's why I'm selfish with things that are mine" she huffed and glanced away from him "I lost control of an entire nation practically overnight, because I had been selfless, following rules and traditions and for what?" She glanced back at him "for nothing"
"Because you were scared" he corrected her, her eyes narrowed tighter.
"We are controlled through fear, it is the most basic of human instincts, keeps us alive, reminds us that fear, is a shit way to die" she huffed in her own frustration "hell, I'd rather be a princess again than be scared"
"I thought princesses were supposed to spoiled and worshipped" confused by her statement, hands in his pocket, stance kept by the side of the door.
"Maybe in fairytale books" she scoffed adding a roll of her teals as she leaned against her palms looking back to him "But not all of us are so fortunate to have choices in life, the moment I was born I had a set path to follow, one that was expected of me" she leaned back with a short huff, a annoying sense of familiarity washing over her as she spoke to him "If I had never left Suna, eventually I would have be wed off to some cocky noble to be his prized bed warmer, nothing more than a womb for his seed and a pretty face he could exploit to the family, nothing more than an submissive woman in a outdated system created by men, for men" she straightened glancing at her cuffed wrists "another reason I took control of Suna, to force change"
"So lawless assassin sounded more appealing" a statement rather than a question.
"Sounds better than wife" she deadpanned.
"You'd make a terrible wife" he jab back at her.
"I'd probably kill my husband in his sleep" she agreed with a nod, a moment, the quiet gaze against her and she laughed, the sudden humor fueling his mask to crack and he grinned at her remark, a moment to breath the fresh air between them, guards down, before her cold heat returned "Let me guess you next" he raised a brow at her interest in keeping with the conversation, backup plan set in motion as she gave him a once over and hummed "you wanted a simple normal life, wife, couple of kids, and who knows maybe a pet to spice things up, but instead you decided to follow this lonely winding path of an agent for some sense of purpose and belonging, some sense of obligation to your nation" she hummed knowingly, seeing the tense in his stance, like the strike of a snake she attacked "it was expected of you"
Song Suggestion- Ride- Omido and Kae
"It's not something easy to get into, agents keep their life and work separate" and her hit was instant, she had her opening and the man before her became nothing, the touch forgotten, it's why he could not have ties to her. His eyes trained to the cruel smile as it pulled at her pink lips, making his mistake known, his test beginning now.
One gesture.
The devil returned.
"That's the reason then?"
"What's the reason?" caution behind the stoic look, he knew who had come out.
"The ex, Nara" she stated obviously "you don't want to be with her, because you don't want someone close to you so they don't get hurt, you want to keep her safe, protected, innocent and in order to do that you had to break it off, so she could remain normal, untouched by your filthy hands" her head tilted, teals narrowed, reminded of his hunger, his touch rough, claiming her, a backup plan "or was it just bad sex?" she added bluntly.
"Why are we talking about this right now" to witness the uncomfortable blush, a stutter, almost made her laugh off her hold on him.
"Because it bothers you to know that you don't have the control in here anymore" her smile fell and she glared back at him expectantly "the truth now" the only way she would trust him, to lay him bare before her gaze.
His death promised by her hands.
"If you must know, I just didn't like having to lie all the time" he confessed, a hand coming to rub his neck, quick in dropping it to shove in his pocket, knowing he had disappointed her time and time again, guilt "or explain every bruise I got, or why I had to leave for days without calling, and it was getting troublesome to keep doing it"
"So" she hummed, unimpressed "you strung the poor girl along for what?" her final hit, a kick, his gaze unable to look away from her freezing winter, emotionless "a warm place to stick your cock in when you got bored?"
"How is it" he growled, frustrated to be thrown off "that your the one in handcuffs and I feel like I'm being interrogated" the quick swallow, nerves pushed down to hide the boil in his blood, anger.
"Because I am just that good, especially when I've been close to someone" she relaxed the cold look, slowly leaning back, tapping the metal of the handcuffs at the table, satisfied with his fall, but finding no amusement in it "it's another reason they called me the Mistress, you know, because I could get any reaction I wanted out of anyone" her eyes narrowed, softer than before, no longer seeking to break, but to see if he'd give in "now it's your turn to decide if I am lying to you"
"Still deciding" he muttered, calming with the realization, not a simple minded man by any means, now a witness to the true power she held with words alone.
"This, Shikamaru" name spoken calmly, soft like she had that morning "is how I controlled my father, how I controlled the country, with my words" she leaned back and took a breath, serious "I used to be able to calm him, to make him listen to reason when he thought to rashly, when he was too angry, the insanity as we called it" she kept her gaze down to the table with a sigh she continued "he'd wake up some days, enraged, and I would spend the whole time at his side calming him as his shadow, keeping Gaara away from him, keeping everyone away, so no one would see how far he had fallen" she bit her lip, tasting the blood, confessing and speaking her truth.
The truth lied with her, just as he had.
"Until, The Serpent came and I could no longer control Suna through him" she looked up at Shikamaru, the words they had shared in the dark, with scotch and pleas for more, the trust she gave returning to keep her calm "He gave me the option, I chose Gaara, and I sat at my father's bedside after I poisoned him, making sure it worked, making sure that he died. The entire time he just kept calling out for my mother. He might have been a shit parent, but he was still my father" she put a hand to her chest "my blood" setting it down with a soft shift of the cuffs against the table "and to break those sacred ties, one becomes nothing" she turned to the camera and narrowed her eyes back at the person she knew had been watching "how are shadows created?" She asked him in Sunian.
"By the sun" he answered her trivial question.
"I am that sun" she confessed and looked back to him with a short smile, soft.
Reminded that he had called her beautiful.
Her confession, the true way Lord Rasa had fallen, finally brought her who she wanted. The head of the beast, her presents into the room grander than any of the others, her pawns simply used to test who she would be dealing with.
"Agent Nara" Tsuande greeted the room coldly, glaring hazel gaze turning from her prisoner, to her lead agent.
"Tsuande" Shikamaru bowed his head formally, a sheep, Temari thought instantly.
"I'm glad to see that you are alive" Tsuande softened for a fraction, the news that he had survived bringing relief to her, but it was brief "you really are a step ahead of us"
"Always am" he gave a short shrug, as if he didn't care to much to be called out. Leaning against the side of the door, hands in his pockets, watching and making it known he'd be here for the interrogation.
"So this must be our dead princess" turning her hazel gaze over to Temari, sat straight and looking back just as coldly, ice shards threatening to form between them "Lady Temari Sabakuno of Sunagakure, the true Lady of Wind, alive and well" a pause, each sizing the other up, before jumping to the point "You wanted me here, why?"
"So I can confirm with my own eyes that you are in fact the woman of legend, Sanin Tsuande" Temari dropped her gaze down the woman's grand frame and hummed "you age like a fine wine don't you? Not a wrinkle in site" when their eyes met she curled her lips "in fact, it's the same face I remember in Suna fifteen years ago"
"How do you know it was me?" Hazel eyes glaring back stoically, unaffected by the words
"I don't forget faces, and yours hasn't changed a bit" she scoffed in amusement "literally"
"No one will miss you when we kill you" the calm threat.
"Tsunade" Shikamaru's interruption as ref ignored, neither of the woman bothering to look at him.
"Director" Temari grinned slyly, knowingly "don't do something you'll regret, again" Tsuande narrowed her eyes tighter, suspicious "you know exactly who is in Suna right now, because he was there that night, it's why you failed to kill Lord Rasa, it's why me and my brother were wanted dead, because you failed to see his death through, and now in some desperate attempt to take back control, to redeem yourself, you want to start a war against our nations"
"Orochimaru" Tsuande stated, taking a calming breath with the confirmation "so he's still alive and controls Suna along with the Sound. You know, Asuma mentioned something about shadows, right before Yashamaru betrayed him"
"Do not speak of my uncle" Temari narrowed her glare, colder than before, freezing "his one request to aid Fire and instead you convinced Hiruzen to kill us, because of your failure in killing my father"
"Priorities changed" Tsuande scoffed, unconcerned at the mention "and it was no longer useful for us to have you and your brother alive for ransom purposes"
"How low you have fallen" Temari sighed, shaking her head "from a comrade's death on your hands, to innocent children"
"Innocent?" Tsuande scoffed, a slight raise in her voice as she leaned towards the table, putting a hand to it to look directly at the teals "I stood among those guards with Asuma and watched you, a child, watched the way you obeyed him, you didn't even flinch when you killed that man" she curled her lip in disgust "how is that innocent?"
"Wasn't my first time" Temari flashed a tight grin back to the glaring director, her hazel gaze tightening at the calm facade.
"Why did you bring her here alive, Shikamaru, I wanted her dead" Tsuande turned her question to Shikamaru, his brows furrowed and eyes returning to his boss, the discussion before having stilled him, realizing the lies he had been told.
"Why, so you could bury the truth with her?" He pulled away from his calm stance, having simply been watching their exchange, pinning each word in its proper place in the puzzle "The Final strike on DesertStorm" Tsuande tensed "so you were there in Suna too, huh, with Asuma. You took your name out of the archives, it's why the report didn't make sense, he never did his missions alone, especially ones he did outside the borders"
"Neither of you understand what happened that night, how everything fell apart right before my eyes" Tsunade straightened "We gave Yashamaru one task, securing the three children with Asuma, and I was going to kill Lord Rasa where he slept, that was the plan" shaking her head bitterly "but when I saw Yashamaru only taking you two out, I knew we'd been compromised, so I left and waited for Asuma to return so that I could call the mission off"
"Who else was there that night?" Temari added, still seated calmly "who betrayed your undercover positions"
"Orochimaru" Tsuande nearly whispered the name, bitter now "he stood among those guards as well, but not with us, he stood at Rasa's back, aiding in his insanity" the term making Temari inhale sharply but she stayed quiet "so what do you want now, revenge, because we tried to kill you, is that it?"
"I don't seek revenge, that is not why I am here" Temari shook her head, taking a moment, brief as she admitted, trust "we wanted to ask for help, that is why we allowed these negotiations to continue, because Gaara wanted it, it's why Orochimaru allowed it, to give us a false sense of hope, and hope is dangerous" She licked her lip, the blonde having stopped, but the metallic taste still there "he's controlling everything, Gaara's image is the puppet he uses" she sighed "If I don't get you to come to him, then everything I did here would have been a huge waste of my time and time is something you don't get back" she subtly glanced to Shikamaru, quiet "You've been lying to your people, hiding like a coward behind your failure, that is not a sign of a good leader, and you would rather start a war than face him yourself. He only wants you Tsuande, his revenge for you has clouded his reasoning"
"Why haven't you killed him?" Tsuande narrowed her gaze suspiciously "Clearly you possess the skill, seeing as you're the one who killed my four generals"
"I am simply a weapon to be used, and he used me to get to you" her tone, emotionless, cold, as if the very sun left her soul "I have little room for compassion in my life, and the things I care about are in danger. He knows that I will burn down nations to protect what is mine, and if you kill the only hope Wind has in stabilizing its balance of power ever again, I will not flinch as I kill you myself" her threat made, quiet.
"Why should we stop?" Tsuande remained calm on the outside, inside her own storm began to blow "Why should Fire ever trust Wind again?"
"Because Gaara is pure, unlike me and Kankuro he has never touched death, he has never killed anyone, he is what Suna needs, he's the one who can create change and we need him to be alive for that" she took a breath "the deal I made with Orochimaru was your life for my countries future and my brother's safety and I've already followed through with this type of decision once" her head lifted, teals never leaving the hazel "You're the head of the beast Tsunade, and I've already got all of you legs down" Temari leaned back into the chair, chained hands linked before her on the table "choose wisely how you want to be slain, by me, or by your old friend"
"How dare you" each word threatening Tsunade's calm.
The sun, that is what she was.
"How dare you!" Temari stood suddenly, chest heaving with her shout, the slam of the cuffs on the metal table echoing, eyes burning with the sun of the desert, the grief seen behind her unforgiving eyes "you knew he was there, waiting! Waiting for the chance he could a take the power and change the balance of Wind. You want a war, well this is how you start one!" she leaned closer, spitting venom through her bared teeth "by being blinded by your past, by lying not just to others, but to yourself" with a heave in her chest, her shout as loud as it had been in River, her voice suddenly dropped just above a whispered threat "If you make me your enemy, you will regret it"
"I do not regret anything that I've done" Tsuande lifted her head, full of rage, the glaze of revenge clouding her judgement.
"Neither have I" Temari mimicked her, teals against the hazel, both set ablaze.
"Enough both of you!" Shikamaru stepped to the end of the table, a part afraid they would physically jump at each other, another to settle the truth that had been spoken "do you see the two sides here? War is the last thing either of our nations need or want"
Reminded that she would not bend.
Reminded that his boss would not give in.
Stubborn angry women.
"Pick your side then, Shikamaru" Tsuande's stern glare his way and he forced his own back to her.
"I'm on the side of the people of our nations, not those above them" he declared looking between them, neither giving an inch "we are not starting a war against anyone" Tsuande groaned, holding a hand over her eyes in frustration as she looked up to him
"I am tired of your caution, what you don't know is that Suna is nothing more than a land of savages, and rebellious criminals, even their royalty" she gestured to Temari, a narrow of her eyes to follow the comment "act like feral dogs. These are not people worth protecting, and I refuse to aid them against Orochimaru" she slammed a fist into the table, the metal shuddering under the hit.
Two dents in the table, each made from the woman before him.
"That doesn't mean we have to use force against them, we can do this through the negotiations, that was the plan, that's the whole reason I started them, not to have Gaara assassinated like you want" he argued back.
"Once again you fight with words" Temari scoffed and sat back with a heavy huff, slamming the cuffs on the table in her frustration.
"That's why he ordered his men to kill the general, to provoke both of you" he looked between them, Temari tensed at the mention, but refused to look at him "we don't have to kill anyone else Tsuande, we just have to go for the head, we have to go for Orochimaru, he should be our priority"
"I will not negotiate with anyone from Suna" Tsuande turned away crossing her arms "especially with who controls it now, we will take it by force and kill Orochimaru that way, that is final" she went to leave, heading towards the door "do as your told and get her out of my sights, Agent Nara"
"No"
A long silence followed after he spoke.
"No?" Tsuande turned back to him, conflicted behind her gaze, only a moment before it hardened.
"I tried to be nice about this, to talk it through, but if you try and start this war, I will stop this on my own if I have to. We are peacekeepers, not mindless soldiers, we don't start wars, we end them, and you Tsuande have forgotten the oath we took" his promise made, he straightened his stance to glare back at the woman he had once trusted, she offered a smile, almost seeming regretful in her words.
"Well aren't you just the spitting image of Itachi right now, a traitor. I can't trust you to do what needs to be done, clearly" she turned her glare from Shikamaru to Temari "Suna does not bend doesn't matter who is in charge and neither will I change my mind" turning back to her former lead agent she shook her head, turning away with her last words, like a bullet to the chest, he knew what that felt like "Asuma was wrong to pick you as his replacement"
The door shut, and the quiet began