Rules of Seduction - A Shikatema AU

Chapter 8

Two weeks....she counted, fourteen days and she will be in Suna again. Her arms will be chained once more taking away her freedom and Rasa's hands will hold her neck again controlling her every movement, choking so she could not spill the words in her mind. She and her brothers suffered when their mother died, and her father once calmed and collected becomes more covetous and distrustful.

Fuck! No! I don't want to return to Suna!

She wanted to cry, all the pain and traumas she experienced in the place she once called home echoed in every corner of her brain. Ironically, a stranger's mansion felt more home to her, the Nara's mansion.

When she arrived in Konoha, she felt peace for the first time. The village's wind calms her, its waters embraced her vulnerability, and the soil on the ground made her feel more like a princess than in the sands. She's more willing to be a slave in this village than be a princess in Suna. She discovers new things about life, the world, and herself.

She opened her wardrobe where her book was placed. She flipped the cover and read the remaining pages.

Rule of seduction: Pay attention to the detail

~Flips

Rule of seduction: Poeticize your presence

~Flips

Rule of seduction: Disarm through strategic weakness and vulnerability

~Flips

Rule of seduction: Prove yourself

~Flips

~Rule of seduction: Confuse desire and reality—the perfect illusion

~Flips...The last rule caught her attention the most.

Rule of seduction: Beware of the after-effects - "Danger follows in the aftermath of a successful seduction. Either you caught your victim or your victim caught you. Play your game well"

You're an idiot Temari! You thought you could win and get your freedom? Tch! Rules of Seduction? Marrying a Lord, killing him, and owning his wealth? Next thing you'll know, you're chained again in your fucking sand castle!

She said to herself while tears were forming in the corners of her eyes. She closed the book and beside it was a beautifully crafted amber bottle containing arsenic, the chemical she wanted to use to kill the Lord. On her second day at the mansion, she asked one of the servants to buy her arsenic from an alchemist in the black market. She also paid the servant for her silence, to not spill her request to any person at the mansion.

Temari walked outside, her feet dragging her into the garden. She saw the servant she asked to buy her the chemical, and the servant recognized her. Temari requested the servant once again to return the chemical to the alchemist and tell her to dispose of it, resell it, or do whatever they want with it. She's not interested in it anymore. The servant agreed to her request, she'll go to the market and will add a route to the alchemist that day.

When the servant left, she realized how much of a failure she is. As much as she fought and was eager to win, failure follows in her footsteps. She lost her lover, lost her village, her brothers were not with her, Rasa sucks, and will lose Shikamaru too.

A tear draws her cheeks downward and her breath becomes heavy, and she can feel her throat constricts. A gentle voice called her, she turns around to see who it was.

"Temari are you okay?" Tayuya said, "Do you want to join us in our tea session?"

She nodded and wipes her tears.

Shiho and Tayuya sip their tea, they noticed Temari's gloomy mood.

"Is there something bothering you Temari?" Shiho softly asked

Temari adored these girls, they taught her a lot of things. Both of them support her and they're the sweetest people she knows. Temari is very thankful for them, she sees them as her sisters, the ones she never had.

"Nothing, I'm just pressured about the event last night. Social anxiety I guess"

"You'll get used to it. I can tell that Lord Nara is enjoying bringing you there, so expect a lot more events" Tayuya said while winking at her.

"No, I don't think that'll happen again. I'll try to convince him to bring you or Shiho next time. I think you'll love it more"

"Oh Honey, no. Believe me, I'd rather be here than anywhere else" Tayuya exclaimed while munching the dorayaki.

"Me too, I like peaceful places. Events like that stress me too" Shiho said

"You love it here? The mansion?"

"I mean, yeah. We don't have any other choice actually. But if you'll ask me, I'd really love to go back to my village and teach the young ones how to flute" Tayuya said while her eyes were in the sky, like she was daydreaming.

"You play the flute?" Temari was amazed

"Yeah, I'll play you some soon. You should visit me in my room sometimes. It's funny because I didn't know I could create that kind of music, I found myself amazed by my skills. Like, I can do that?" She giggles.

Shiho chuckles "You know, we really do have the same vision. But for me, I'd really like to teach children in an academy. Imagine a woman teaching? That'll be a first"

"Yeah, prove them Shiho. It's very rare to see a woman domineering in this generation. I think it's time"

Temari could not help but smile, she was amazed at how these girls dreamed. Like what she dreamt about her freedom.

"Do you think Shikamaru will agree if we ask for our freedom?" Temari asked

"Hmm, I don't think so honestly. No one escaped from being a Tori unless they marry you. But then, if not you'll end up being resold" Tayuya said.

"Especially now" Shiho said it with a smile while her gaze focused on Temari. Tayuya giggles, they both know the tension between her and Shikamaru. Everyone could see it, could feel it. Except for Temari, she's still in denial about it.

It was already 6 pm when they finished their conversation and the two went to their rooms. Temari was left in the garden and strolled around to appreciate its beauty. In two weeks, she'll not be able to see this garden again, her affection for the flowers and anything that breathes and blooms is growing and growing each day.

Her feet lead her to the fountain, it was small but the carvings were beautifully constructed. She peeked at the waters and was surprised to see three koi fishes swimming around. She gasped.

Wait! There's no koi in this fountain before?

Her heart was jumping, she was astonished to see something unexpected.

Did Shikamaru buy koi fish?

Suddenly, she heard his rickshaw outside the mansion. Shikamaru arrived from his work at the council. Temari turned around and walked towards where the entrance is. She saw him walking while puffing his cigarettes when he enters the mansion. Temari cocked an eyebrow at him with her arms crossed in her chest.

"Did you just buy koi fishes?"

"Uhm, yeah. You didn't like it?"

She went silent for a moment. Her eyes were still moist from the tears. She felt like crying again.

"I just thought you like it because of how you looked at them last night" Shikamaru scratched the back of her head.

Temari didn't say a single thing, she wrapped her arms around his torso. She tried to hide her tears which are now falling down her cheeks again. She never thought her comfort will be coming from him, from Shikamaru. Temari realized how special he was for her, and how she was for him.

"Are you okay?" Shikamaru was surprised when she hugged him.

"Shut up! I need this"

"Okay" He wrapped his arms around her shoulders as he buried her head to his neck. He closed his eyes feeling her warmth in his body, he realized how her embrace relieves him from his stress.