Chapter 5
Temari couldn’t feel her legs and arms after the deadly walk they had earlier. She rests in her tent after eating their lunch. It’s already 1:30 in the afternoon and their leader instructed that they’ll have a kendo session at 3:00 pm. Her eyes shut and rubbed the minted pain reliever into her aching body that was inside of her supply sack.
“One and a half hours of rest is all I need. Who says I’ll give up?” She said to herself
After taking her rest, a loud gong was heard from the outside. Temari immediately stood up and prepare herself for the kendo session. They were all lined up in the grass ground of the village while waiting for Shikamaru to start the session.
It was a hot and humid day, most of the young samurais were sweating profusely but Temari isn’t. When Shikamaru arrived, he jumps from his horse and grabbed his wooden Katana. He walked in front wearing his usual deadpan expression.
Shikamaru removed his haori and the upper part of his Kimono, exposing only his torso due to the hot and humid weather. Temari’s eyes widened when she saw his battle scars, covering almost his body. She didn’t see it during the bathroom incident due to the steams but today, it was vivid in her eyes.
Those scars reminded them that they have been fighting in the war for four years.
“Tanaka!” He yelled
A young samurai walked in front and grabbed the wooden katana from the basket.
“Saito!” Another name was called
The two samurais started their sparring session. Saito won this round then Shikamaru called another samurai to fight with the current winner, that’s how their sparring works. Temari observed the young samurai and judges them in her mind, the way they sway the sword, their feet, their body movements, everything.
“Omoi!”
Omoi stood up than positioned himself in front and waits for his opponent. After a few rounds, he defeated two samurais during the session.
“Takeo!” Temari was called to fight Omoi in his third round.
She stood up and grabbed the wooden katana in the basket. They position themselves in front and Omoi whispered.
“May the best man win”
Temari nodded at him then they both raised their wooden Katana to start the session. She observed every movement, lift of his finger, the pace of his feet, gaze, everything. She knows her opponent’s next move by the different combinations of small movements, and that’s why she’s at the top of her class.
Omoi sway his Katana at her but she blocked it immediately, then blow him with an offensive move. He was surprised at how fast her movements were. Another attack was released by Omoi but she blocked it again and gave him two offenses move in return. He stumbled on the ground and Temari declared the winner.
“Hiroko!” another name was called for her second session.
Temari won again, and again, and again.
Shikamaru furrowed his brows on her fourth win. This is the first time someone surpassed the fourth session and everyone was already called so there was no one she could fight now.
“The session is now ended. You can take your rest and prepare for supper” Shikamaru immediately left after that and his eyes met with Temari who was now wiping her sweats from the session. She bowed at him when he surpasses her.
He walked to where his friends were and sits beside them.
“Hey! We saw one of your samurai fights. He’s a potential!” Kiba exclaimed
“How many did he defeat? I lost count because I got distracted by how good his moves were!” Naruto followed
“Four. He defeated four” Shikamaru answered
“What’s his name?” Neji curiously asked
“Takeo”
“Does he have a clan? He probably trained young” Sasuke said
“I didn’t ask” Shikamaru said while fixing his haori
“Well, this is the best time to interview him. Let’s invite Takeo tonight to the red district” Kiba said
“That’s right! Hold on, let me just talk to him” Naruto said while standing up.
He and Kiba walked to where Temari was seating and they invited her, and she agreed. After eating dinner, they grabbed Temari’s arm and walked with them into the dim side of the village. Entertainers and girls with tight clothes greeted them in the red district.
“You see Takeo, this is the best part” Kiba said while wrapping his arms around her shoulder while Temari tried to push him away.
“Have you been in a red district?” Naruto asked
“Uhm, no. Never” Temari answered
“No? That’s impossible! Or probably you have a girl in your village, waiting for you to come back?” Kiba added
“No, there’s none” she impassively answered
“He just probably not exposed to these kinds of things Kiba” Naruto said
“You’re right. Poor guy! Hey Takeo, how about I’ll pay for your entertainer? Come one! You’ll love it!” Kiba offered her. Temari was surprised by his offer and wanted to roll her eyes but could not, they were bugging her for the whole night.
“Kiba! Naruto! Stop annoying Takeo!” Neji yelled
She chuckled “Why did you invite me here anyways?”
“Coz you got skills and you’re a potential leader. You should teach me your techniques, what do you say?” Kiba said
They stopped in one restaurant and entered a private room, only reserved for them. It was dim and only red lights were flashing. Temari glanced at every corner of it because it was her first time seeing this kind of place. She saw Shikamaru observing her with narrowed eyes like he didn’t want her to be with his gang, and she mirrored him with the same expression.
“Tell me Takeo, do you have a clan?” Neji asked
She doesn’t know what to answer so she just comes up with different lies “Uhm, no. I’m just a young man from Suna, a nobody. I’m not a prince, or the child of Rasa, or something. Pshh!” She gulped the sake and choked on it.
“Then, why are you so good with swords?” Naruto asked
“Well, about the swords. Yup, I uhm---actually trained with the princes. Gaara and Kankuro, we always do kendo sessions all the time”
“Sons of Rasa huh?” Kiba said
“Yup” she gulped another sake while hiding her nervousness.
The room was now filled with the smell of cigarette smoke and alcohol. Temari glanced at the five young samurais in front of her, observing them. Neji and Sasuke were the quiet ones, they don’t look rude as much as Shikamaru does. Kiba and Naruto were indeed fun to be with, she agreed now with Omoi and Lee. Shikamaru—well, he’s rude yeah but she felt there was something hiding beneath all those expressions. Temari remembered the time he helps her when she almost died during the walk earlier.
An old lady knocked on their door and present the six girls to them. Kiba immediately introduced himself to them then he grabs one of the girls and walked to Temari’s side.
“Takeo! Here’s yours. Have fun boy!” He excitingly said
The girl immediately sits on her lap and Temari was startled by it.
“Hi, pretty boy. You looked young for a samurai” The girl gently said to her
“H-hi. What’s your name?” she said, trying to lower her voice to mask her femineity.
“Yui, and you’re Takeo right?”
Temari nodded in response and the girl starts kissing her neck. She immediately pushed her which made her stumbled to the ground. The five young samurais were surprised by her action. Seeing the girl, Yui on the ground while in pain by being pushed is new to them.
“Damn! I’m sorry” she shrieked and helped the girl stand up. Yui was now looking angry at her and Temari offered her chair instead.
“Here, sit. I’ll just stand up. Drink, we have a lot of sake here” she said and Yui’s angry face lightened with her offer.
“You are weird” Yui said in her sassy voice
Kiba and Naruto laughed loudly, the girls that were wrapped around the five samurai's arms were also laughing, while Neji, Shikamaru, and Sasuke just smirked.
“I guess, our boy here hasn’t touched a woman yet? Is that right Takeo?” Naruto teasingly said to her
She pulled in her lips and rolled her eyes “No”
“Man, you suck at women!” Kiba added while laughing
“So that’s why you’re that sensitive to my touch? I like that, I like the first timer, let me help you with that pretty boy” Yui stands up and glides her arms up to her shoulder.
Temari removed them and intently said “No!”
“No?” Yui raised her brow. Everyone was now staring at them.
“Yeah. Just because you were paid to be with someone doesn’t mean you don’t deserve other treatment. I’m no fun with the things you usually do. Let’s just have some good conversation, shall we?”
Yui’s eyes widened and all the girls in the room as well. Amazed by what they just heard, it’s rare for a guy to say those things in them.
“Uhm, yeah” She answered while flickering her eyes and glancing behind to assess the room “Would you like to have a conversation outside?”
“That’ll be great” Temari agreed and they both walked outside
Temari and Yui had a conversation for the whole night and waved goodbye after. She woke up in her tent the next day and breathed the fresh air of the Land of the Rivers. She saw the five young samurais walk out of their rooms, fresh from the sex they had last night.
It’s already 10 in the morning, so she starts preparing herself for another walk to the other side of the village. She peeked at the leader's side again and saw they were having a conversation with the three girls they had been with last night, including Yui.
“Takeo!” Kiba called her.
Temari immediately walked to their spot “Yeah?”
The three girls walked in front of her and gave her Dango, flowers, and a wooden box as a gift. She was surprised and confused at the same time.
“Thank you for last night. Uhm—if the war ended, please visit me here. And if—uhm you want to marry someone, I’m here. I'll do everything to take care of you” Yui said while handing her gift to her
“Mine too. I hope you survive Takeo” The girl with Dango in her hand offered.
“I’m waiting too. I’d like to present myself in case you wanted to marry someone” The girl handed her a bunch of rare flowers
Temari scratched her neck, she didn’t know what to do. The five young samurais were looking at her suspiciously, with envy in their eyes.
“Yeah, of course. I’ll marry—I’ll marry someone. You know” Temari grabbed their offers and the girls giggled, winked at her, then left.
“Looks like someone beats you with girls, Sasuke” Naruto jokily said
Shikamaru looked at her from head to toe, observing again while puffing his cigarette.