Chapter 1
“Are you excited about your marriage Temari? You’ll marry someone soon, you know. And I’m going to marry mine next week”
The short brown-haired lady from Suna asked, she was brushing her hair in front of the mirror while having a conversation with the princess in her room.
“Tell me Matsuri, how do you see marriage? Was it supposed to have love before getting married?” Temari responds while writing a letter on her vanity table.
“Oh come on, Shira seems a good guy”
“You literally just met him last week. The day your parents decided for you two to get married” Temari shrieked, the idea of marriage for her is different from the views of the people around her.
“Well princess, that's how it works in here. You will soon be wed to someone with a high position, securing your bloodline and political power” Matsuri said while preparing the princess kimono.
“Pshh, yeah. For Suna? And not for me”
“What are you writing?” Matsuri walked towards the Princess’ vanity table and glanced at what she was writing.
“A letter for my future husband” Temari said and a smile appeared on her face. The idea of love, the passionate love is rare in her eyes. She knows different kinds of love, she does, love for her brothers, love for friends, and love for her village. But the love for someone that you could give your heart, soul, and body is rare and hard to find. So, she wrote him a letter, to her future husband for someday she’ll give it to him. Temari promised herself that she will only marry if it was true love.
“Wow! I didn’t know you’re soft when it comes to this. What happened to the strong and brassy princess of Suna?”
Temari just laughed and glanced at the window next to her vanity table. Matsuri positioned herself at the window and looked out where the busy crowd was. Temari becomes curious about the commotion outside, there were a lot of people walking around the palace. A lot of merchants offered their goods to people, politicians entered their palace, a group of young men lined up, and fully clothed samurais with protected armor.
“Why are there so many people in Suna? What’s happening?” Temari asked
“I saw them arrived earlier. There’s a lot of handsome young samurais outside I must say, do you want to meet them?” Matsuri teasingly said to her.
“Uhm no. I’ll just probably just stay in here. I need to go downstairs it’s already lunchtime, I need to meet my father and brothers for lunch”
“Right, and I need to prepare myself for my wedding next week. See youuu Temari” Matsuri waved her goodbye and left her room.
Temari prepared herself before going downstairs for lunch, she pats her multi-layered floral silk Kimono and glanced at herself in the mirror to make sure everything is perfect. Because her father is very keen on every little detail, once satisfied she left her room.
Unbeknownst to her, the letter that she wrote flew out from her window and danced with the wind leading to somewhere, to someone.
At their lunch table, the servant hands her a plate of fish and a bowl of vegetable soup, her favorite, kenchin. She said thanks and starts eating it. Temari glanced at her father and brothers who are wearing full-suited samurai armor. She can’t help but feel curious about it, Temari has no idea what’s happening.
“Father, is there something going on?” She asked without looking at him, her eyes focused on the food that she was eating.
Rasa chewed on his food before responding to her “We are going to the war Temari, me and your brothers will going to fight and you need to stay here”
“War? I’m going too, I can fight. I can help you with the war. I’ve been doing kenjutsu with my brothers since we were a kid and I’m good with Katana.” Temari said while glancing at her brothers. Kankuro and Gaara did not glance at her, they eat and ignored what she was saying.
“I need someone from my blood to stay here in Suna. If me and your brothers weren’t that lucky to return, atleast we have you to look out for our village. You will continue my blood in here, in Suna” Rasa said while staring at her intently.
“The world is going through war for four years now, Temari. The other villages seek assistance from Suna, it’s time for us to make a move. Leave it to our hands, stay here in our village” Gaara said to her
“Never in existence that a girl joined in a war. The daimyos, the Hamamoto, and the court wouldn’t allow any woman to wield their katana on the battlefield, and you know that” Kankuro added
Temari starts breathing profusely, it’s heartbreaking to hear that they were underestimating her. She’s the top student in their kenjutsu session and her brothers know that.
“I AM GOING TO THE WAR!” Temari yelled as she stood up and stomps their table “I am good at wielding the Katana! more than Kankuro and Gaara! and you know that! You saw me defeat multiple men during the session! If someone deserves to be in front protecting you and my brothers, it’s me!”
Her father and brothers glared at her wearing impassive expressions, still unfazed by how she acted, they know she will do this when she finds out.
Rasa released a heavy breath after gulping his sake “After you finished your food, wait in your room and prepare yourself. Wear your suit and we will call you to leave for the war”
Temari was surprised at how fast her father decided but she was pleased because she will join them in the war. After lunch, she immediately left their table and runs to her room. She opened her wardrobe and took out the full-suit samurai armor that Baki gave to her. She took a shower, pat her hair dry, and wear her Kimono. A servant knocked on her door delivering a cup of special tea.
“Princess, your father sends this tea to calm your nerves” The servant said to her while placing the tea on her table.
“Thanks, I think I need that today” She walked to the table where the tea was placed and took a sip.
Temari was exhausted from all the preparation she did before going to the war. She could feel her eyes slipping away and her senses were starting to shut. Unaware, it was the effect of the tea that was given to her. Temari slept for the whole day and woke up the next day. She immediately rushed downstairs wearing her clothes from yesterday looking for her brothers and father. They already left.
She starts pacing back and forth from her frustration. Temari could feel her throat closing up, her stomach hardened, and a sharp tightness on her chest. Her hands gripped hard to her chair as she clenched her jaw, disappointed because she has been fooled by them. A noise from the busy crowd echoed from her window, she glanced at it and saw the groups of samurai were still outside, the last batch will be leaving later that day.
She decides to do something erratic and unimaginable.