A New Way of Ninja, (Naruto)

10: The Hokage

Day 3:

Sometime very early the next morning, Temari woke everyone up by hitting the wall loudly.

Shoto was in that keyed up state where he was easy to wake up, and he jumped out of his cot.

The others stirred more.

"Please tell me it's the morning after the next day and I slept through a full 24 hours," Dabi groaned.

Shine got up. "Dimension lag," she groaned also. "Really bites in the first day or so. I feel like I didn't rest at all."

"I'm surprised you did," Temari said dryly.

Kankuro muttered something that sounded like curse words and rolled over, pulling a pillow over his head.

Temari kicked the foot of his bed. "Get up. We have important things to do. The Hokage wanted to see us." And by us, she meant them.

"You mean us too?" Shine noted. "Oh, is that who you were talking to last night?"

Temari was startled. "You heard?"

"I heard you talking to someone, I just wasn't sure who," Shine replied.

Temari noted to herself that Shine clearly understood the ninja's general ways better than the other three. Temari hadn't failed to perceive that Shine was far more observant in general than the others, even though Shine had talked less than any of them about her issues with what was going on around them--that was actually why Temari thought she was paying more attention. The other three were too busy commenting on how different and unpleasant it was to pay attention closely.

Also Shine had clearly pinned Temari as the observant one out of the Sand Three, and Temari herself knew this was the truth. People who are perceptive tend to pick each other out right away.

So she spoke to her directly when she replied, "Did you hear anything else?"

"No, just voices." Shine could have faked otherwise but chose not to. "However, I figured she is wondering if we are spies, and why you brought us with you."

Actually Tsunade had said that more at the hospital before Temari left, but since Shine had heard none of that, it was even more impressive that she guessed it right off.

"Not bad," Temari had to grudgingly admit. "I don't recall actually saying that might happen, but it was likely."

Shine shrugged. "I get suspected of being a spy all the time--it wasn't hard to guess. I should get a stamp for it."

"Perhaps it's your ability to just appear," Shoto suggested moodily. He was not a morning person.

"Or your vague and cryptic way of talking," Dabi offered.

"I'd think it's more like her perception," Momo mused.

"Well, whatever it is, we know what this lady will probably think. I'd like to pass on meeting with her," Shine said. "But that would likely be taken as an insult."

"Yeah, and get you kicked out," Temari said.

"Then let's get dressed and go," Shine said.

"We are dressed." Momo looked at her rumpled clothes with some dismay.

"Then primp up and get ready," Shine amended.

"You too," Temari told Kankuro. "We're going with them. Or it'll look bad."

"Between the two of you, it's like getting bossed in stereo," Kankuro complained.

Gaara stood up. He was pretty much ready to go anyway, except for using the bathroom facilities.