A New Way of Ninja, (Naruto)

4: Desert, Discussion, Decision

"Why are you hunting Gaara?" Temari asked before they could say anything about themselves. Apparently she wanted this settled first. "What are you trying to pull?"

"Fits the bill of the people I usually hang out with," Dabi said, "rude, abrasive and petty."

Shine frowned. "We're those people now. Rude and abrasive I get, but why petty?"

"Snowflake's petty," Dabi said, just to annoy him. But all he got was a glare. Shoto didn't want to argue anymore in front of the strangers.

Shine also ignored Dabi's attempt to start a fight--again.

"Well, Temari, I'm not sure why you're so quick to suspect us. As I recall, you attacked first, and all of you followed us out here with the intent to kill us, on very little to go on. Is Sand Village usually so swift to assume the worst and act upon it without a second thought? Or are you three just reckless?"

Temari opened her mouth--and then shut it again, frowning.

"Well, you said you were looking for Gaara," Kankuro pointed out shortly.

"Mmm," Shine said, between sipping water. "We perhaps gave the wrong impression there. I meant he was who we were trying to find, but we didn't have a name or occupation or clear idea of anything. I simply knew it when I saw him." She pointed to her chest. "I could tell here."

Gaara looked a little startled at this.

"Then why provoke him?" Temari, clearly not swallowing any of this, demanded.

Shoto gave her a sideways glance of disdain at the accusation.

Shine merely shrugged. "Is it really my fault that rat thing appeared once I began to understand? It got angry and threatened, so it lashed out. But for driving it away in order to protect all of us, can you really blame me?"

She was making it all sound ridiculous somehow. Even the Sand teens began to look a bit foolish. Gaara made no attempt to contradict her assessment of it. Instead he asked, "How did you do that?"

In response, Shine drew her sword again--he leaned away.

"Have you never heard of God before?"

They frowned.

"I've heard," Gaara said cautiously.

Shine ran her finger down the blade fondly. "God gave me this. The only thing stronger than demons is God and His angels, after all. I have no angel to wield, naturally, but I have a tiny amount of God's power. We call it the Holy Spirit. Was no one ever able to stand before that monster in the past?"

"One," Gaara said slowly. "But he had a demon also.... It was different."

"I've never heard that two demons ever fought," Shine said skeptically. "Are you sure it was not an angel?"

"Was that the fox you mentioned before?" Momo spoke. "You said there was a fox.... Is it like the raccoon?"

"Yes, the Nine Tailed Fox," Temari answered.

"I've read about those," Momo said to Shine. "They are sometimes seen as chaotic but neutral spirits. Not exactly evil or good, just wild. Other times evil. The more tails, the more powerful."

"That makes the One Tail the weakest, then," Dabi said snidely.

"Weak only if the Nine Tailed host could fully use his power," Kankuro said sourly. "Which he can't."

"Who hosts..." Shine made a face at the term. "...the Nine Tails?"

"Someone," Gaara said before his siblings could stop him, "of the Hidden Leaf."