Lineage
"Exactly how many times has this happened before?"
Temari leaned back in her seat, surprised by the intensity of this sudden questioning. Everyone else had already left the meeting room. Perhaps it had been a mistake to tell him, but Temari had wanted to be honest. She thought Naruto was exaggerating, but was she the one who had an unnatural stance on the subject?
Growing up in the family he had, it wasn't too surprising that the matter of murder wasn't mentioned much. Of course, children from influential families were occasionally taken for ransom, regardless of the village. But, he supposed, Naruto might not even know anyone who had had that experience.
"I don't know," he answered honestly.
"How can you not know?" he snapped, doubting her answer.
Beneath all this turmoil, she's sure there's concern somewhere. But why does it feel like she's the one getting lectured for being the target of an assassination attempt? Obviously, life would be a lot easier if these things stopped happening.
“It started long before I could remember. But it rarely happens anymore. Honestly, if they had brains, they would have stopped a long time ago. What do they hope to gain by attacking a jounin?”
"Being a skilled fighter doesn't make you invincible," she replied. Fatigue was beginning to set in. This really wasn't a conversation she wanted to have with him. Temari looked longingly toward the door, eager to escape.
"Who are these people anyway?" he continued. Yes, it was definitely an interrogation.
"I don't exactly know them by first name." She couldn't help the sassiness that laced her tone. And Naruto didn't seem very impressed.
“Look,” he sighed, “I’m just trying to understand what would give someone enough motivation to attack you here in Konoha. Because if they think it will be easier to get to you here, where your brothers aren’t around, or where you don’t have the same security as in the Kazekage tower…”
“Naruto, please,” he interrupted, rubbing his temples. “I know you want to help. But if you’re looking for some kind of answers or a way to locate these people, stop while you can because you won’t find any.”
He didn't understand. She could only tell by his face, which was set in stone. Temari suspected as much. It simply wasn't in his nature to sit back and accept this kind of harsh reality. She saw him clasp his arms together in his thinking pose.
"There has to be some connection," he disagreed.
"It's another disadvantage of being part of the Kazekage clan," he rationalized. "Suna is basically an aristocracy, and my family has been in power for a long, long time. It's not surprising that some people are angry and take issue with it. Honestly, I agree with them to a certain extent."
"There are less violent ways to achieve democracy," he replied. Temari almost laughed.
"These people aren't really the reasonable type and are probably operating on one-sixteenth of their brain capacity," she joked with amusement. "Naruto, you can't take these people down. There will always be someone in a hurry to end my family line."
This was a fact she'd had to accept for years; it was an everyday reality. When she and her siblings were children, assassination attempts were frequent. Sadly, Gaara bore the brunt. It was despicable to target a child, but the attackers saw a limited window of opportunity. Children were naive, weak, and much easier to target than adults.
As the fourth sons grew up, most assassins chose not to take the risk. Now, Gaara was nearly indestructible, and Kankuro, as a highly skilled shinobi and Gaara's right-hand man, was untouchable. Of course, Temari herself wasn't an easy target, but she possessed something none of her siblings had.
"I've never heard of your brothers facing this."
"They do. But now that the war is over and people are starting to seriously consider Suna's future... some have begun to... um, how would you put it... predict how the kazekage line will continue?" Temari bit the inside of her cheek, feeling awkward and embarrassed for even mentioning this.
"So you're being attacked because..." Naruto trailed off, putting the pieces together as he spoke.
"Because my brothers will probably be eternal bachelors and never pass on the last name? That seems to be the conclusion most people have come to. I mean, they're still young; one of them might have a kid someday. Although, in all honesty, it doesn't seem likely."
"Oh."
It was the most evasive answer she could have given. Having the task of continuing her family's lineage was overwhelming and made her anxious. Expecting Naruto not to be shocked was unrealistic. Perhaps 'oh' was the only appropriate response.
"Well, you'd think those two would step up and take on more responsibility," he commented after a moment of silence. "Especially Kankuro, who's always courting every woman he meets."
From his expression, Temari could see he was joking. And she was thankful he hadn't let the mood turn heavy.
"They're surprisingly irresponsible when it comes to certain things," he laughed in agreement.
Naruto sent her a radiant smile, the kind that made her heart beat a little faster.
“But seriously, Temari,” Naruto began, his tone suddenly solemn. “This won’t happen again. Not here. I’ll do what I can, but promise me you won’t take this so lightly. And be careful.” His eyes pleaded with her. With such a sincere request, it was impossible to deny him.
"I promise." He resisted the urge to add that he was always wary of others when he was out. Temari would resist stating the obvious if it made him feel better. "Should I expect to see ANBU following me around town from now on?"
Naruto rolled his eyes and sighed. He ruffled his hair with his left hand.
"Don't tempt me, desert flower."