Here's another Suna story. Can't get enough of them, no sirree.

As usual, I have no copyrights to Naruto or whatever.

On with the show.

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In all her life, Temari hated teachers. Nin teachers, anyways.

How often they would repeat their patronizing voices, over and over and over and ove —

Frankly, it was unbearable.

After at least scaring away or sometimes minorly injuring seven of them in the Academy, she had no wish to hear anyone else telling her what was right and what was wrong. She'd learn from her mother. Like she always did.

Until the day her father introduced to her and Kankurou their new younger brother, Gaara. And it was also the day when her father informed them of the passing of their mother.

That much had quelled Temari's rebellious soul. She had quietly accepted the newly appointed tutor for the Kazekage's children.

Only for a while, though.

"Sabaku no Temari."

Her temporary blank eyes snapped out of reverie and looked at the Head Elder that sat across from her. Despite the loud deep voice that boomed out from the man, to her, he looked fragile. Pathetic. Like the rest of them. Teal eyes observed the other occupants of the table.

This was the Council. Sunagakure's lead ruling group. Despite the power the Kazekage might hold in Suna, he could not even overturn the ruling of the Council. Comprised mostly of old men and some ambitious young ones, the entire organization was collected together for one sole purpose: political power.

Teachers were one thing. Politics was something Temari detested even more.

Ever since she had learned the truth about Gaara's monstrous infant birth, an event that had been the decision mainly of the Council's, her detest for them grew exponentially. As she saw it, the group was like a bunch of teachers from her past. Always trying to patronize her to be the model kunoichi for the village, to marry a feudal lord in order to bring prospects (and additional power) to Sunagakure.

Well, things haven't changed since her childhood. After all, she still hated teachers.

"Temari-san!"

Her eyes flickered to attention once again towards the Elder in front of her, her mouth twisted into a dark frown.

"No. I decline."

A round of whispers spread throughout the group, their voices carried upwards by the domed ceiling of the heated room.

"Young people these days."

"How unfit for a Suna nin. Perhaps she does not understand her place at all."

"To think her father was the Kazekage. The entire family is a disgrace after all."

Temari's rage increased steadily at the whispering, her ears twitching in irritation. She glared at a group of Council members to her right who had opened their mouths to retort her words. Their mouths closed without hesitation, and their eyes looked elsewhere.

I know you might want to kill them, but it's kinda best if you don't. They'll be giving Gaara hell for it if you do. Do him a favor and be a good little girl for once.

Tch. A good little girl, huh?

Her mind went over the advice Kankurou had given her after escorting her to the Council chambers for the appointed hearing. However, her hands were already formed into fists in her lap and her fingers ached for the feeling of her fan. Her brother never made a good conscience anyways.

The murderous thoughts in her mind were cut short by an interruption once again.

"Temari-san. It is understandable that you are one of the elite nins within this entire village. However, as the sister of the Godaime, and a daughter of our previous Kazekage-sama, you must provide the village with things other than your service."

"Is my service not enough?" Her eyebrows arched quizzically, knowing damn well that it was.

"Despite your outstanding records in completing the highest ranked missions, I'm afraid not." The Elder gestured at the papers in front of him, which no doubt indicated the long years of missions and hell Temari had put up with. He moved on from them without so much of a glance.

"It is your position in Suna that demands your service as a wife and to produce a suitable offspring to replenish Suna's population. The rest of the village will follow suit if one, such as yourself, of a higher rank sets an example for them."

Wife? Replenish? What the hell did they think she was? Female, no doubt, but she was not some sort of a girl that would be obliged to pop out babies to "replenish" Sunagakure. It was as if they were speaking of livestock.

"We have listed for you eligible husbands that we think will prove the village beneficial, in both the marriage and the bond that will be established. Please review the list, and the Council will hear your decision two months from now."

"Two months!" Temari leaned forward in her chair and slammed her fists on the table. "I refused, damn it! Didn't you hear me?"

The Elder in front of her looked positively frightened; however, he composed himself quickly and looked back at her sternly. "Temari-san, we have given you the choice of finding a suitable husband for yourself a year ago. In conclusion, you have failed to provide such a choice; therefore, we must result into seeking a husband for you before your prime age for childbearing is over."

Prime age! she shrieked in her mind. She was only twenty-four! There was plenty of time left! Why the hell should she be hurried now? "I am refusing such an order. My service is vital to the nins of Suna. If I should beget a child, it would be impossible to keep up to such a demanding service afterwards."

With a weary sigh that collected no sympathies from the hot-blooded kunoichi whatsoever, the Elder massaged his temples and closed his eyes. "Very well. If you insist so strongly upon it, I imagine there may be some truth in your words." A hidden tone of dislike lingered upon the 'some' in the sentence; a tone that Temari heard well.

"If you are unwilling to take up this role, then we have no choice but to look for another candidate. So far, after yourself, we have collected several candidates from the elite ANBU squads. There is one Takuchi Tenka, who looks promising." He opened a bulky folder that was laid next to Temari's mission papers and continued to name other candidates from it.

Temari's anger released momentarily as she heard the name.

Tenka. She knew the woman. Actually, to be more correct, the girl.

Several times, the red-headed nin had worked under her in missions. Her cheerful disposition and deadly accurate skills were beneficial to the team, saving them several times from the dangers and the depressing factors of the mission. And she was only eighteen.

To know that this young kunoichi would be taken from a life that she loved just to replace herself caused Temari to feel a small ebbing guilt within her. And how about the rest of the kunoichi's in the file? They would be taken from their livelihood as well.

She sank back into the chair with a sigh, her hands unclenching as they rested on the arms of the chair.

"Stop." The mumbling from the Elder ceased as Temari's cold command echoed throughout the chamber. He looked up expectantly at her, his cracked lips turning into a slow disgusting smile.

"Yes, Temari-san? You have something to say?"

Her mood darkened again as she heard the gloating within the old fart's voice. "I'll take a look at your list. However, I request a year instead of two months."

No doubt was the issue entirely about Temari's own consent into fulfilling the role, rather than the matter of time, as the Elder immediately consented to her request.

"Agreed. However, Temari-san, this will be the last time we give you the opportunity to find a suitable spouse for yourself. Otherwise," he rested a gnarled hand on top of the kunoichi profiles, "we will be forced to choose one ourselves or result to other alternative means. You are dismissed."

Temari stiffly bowed towards the direction of the Elder, accepted the scroll that contained the list and walked out of the room in the same manner.

- o -

Kankurou looked up from his seat outside the chamber, as the door across from him opened. Upon seeing the dark look on his sister's face, he knew that things had not gone well.

"I didn't hear any screams of agony and pain. Did you make new friends?"

Temari ignored Kankurou's sarcastic remarks. "I have one year."

"I thought you refused."

"I did. But there were...complications, if I refused. So I accepted it." She started to walk away from the room, wanting to get as far away from it as possible.

Kankurou jumped up from his seat and followed her. "What complications?"

She waved the question away with a shake of her head. "Forget it. I need to see Gaara."

"He's in a meeting now. What do you need him for?"

"Permission to get out of this place."

And Kami be willing, to visit a certain someone. She was sick and tired of Suna at the moment. Hopefully this new turn of tide wouldn't scare that person away, even though he had probably gotten used to her enough not to.

On the other hand, she probably shouldn't tell him.

"To where?"

"Konoha."