A New Way of Ninja, (Naruto)

24: Assembling a Search Squad

Surprisingly Gaara actually hugged her, which caught the kages quite off guard--and Shine almost as much so.

"Temari told me you would come, but I was starting to think it was going to be too late," he said, in a tone much more softened by time than he used to talk, though still with his roughness.

"You haven't changed at all..." Gaara said, looking at Shine more closely.

"I haven't exactly had the time to change much," Shine said. "But I've been keeping up with all of you. I'm so proud of your efforts with this uniting of the five nations... These are the other kage, right?"

Only Mei looked vaguely amused by this; the others were affronted that she was speaking of them so familiarly.

"Shine Likstar?" Tsunade finally spoke. "Why are you back? I thought that we were rid of you last time."

"Well, it's nice to see you too, Tsunade." Shine didn't even use her title. "I thought you could use all the help you could get. And you brought Naruto."

Naruto, in fact, wasn't that far away.

"He just left us," Gaara said. "He says he can help us spot the clones."

"Well, I guess that takes care of one problem then," Shine said. "I thought us doing it would take a long time even with Wally's speed. Oh, and the camp is safe, for a while anyway. We blocked it off. Temari is all right also. I haven't seen Kankuro yet."

"He should be all right," Gaara said, relieved. "Thank you. That's already a huge help. Did you all return?"

"All of us and 3 more," Shine said. "You have to meet them--but I guess that can wait." Noticing the looks the kage were giving her. "How else can we help you?"

"I don't know yet. I'd have to consult with the others to see where we most need help," Gaara said more seriously.

"Ahem," Lord Ay said louldy. "Would someone tell me who this person is and why she's acting on your behalf?"

"Oh." Gaara had forgotten they didn't know. "Kage, this is my esteemed teacher, Shine Likstar. She and her team were of great help to me 3 years ago and have kept in touch since then to offer help when we need it."

"This is the first I've heard of her," Onoki, the Tsuchikage, said warily. "Is she a spy?"

"Why does everyone think that?" Shine asked, though she knew.

"She looks foreign," Mei said. "Where is your headband?"

"Oh, in my other clothes, I suppose," Shine said lightly. In fact she did have headbands in her traveling pack.

"She works with Sand," Gaara covered for her swiftly. "Wearing the headband openly right now would give her away to the enemy. I assume you were gathering intel." He really hoped that Shine in fact had.

Thankfully he was right.

"I do have some," Shine said. "But how useful it will be, I can't say. My team is focused on the clones right now. We should let them know Naruto is going to help with that...but wasn't he not supposed to be here?"

"Well, he persuaded us to let him fight," Tsunade said. "And we need his help. I would like to know where you've been for years that you have intelligence on our enemy? In the Akatsuki?"

She was fully expecting to insult Shine by that idea, but Shine just laughed at her, which made her mad.

"Do I have purple nail polish on?" She held up her hands. "Or that ugly coat they all wear? Geez, I'm not Sasuke, all right? I don't join terrorist groups. But listen, you probably should know that Kabuto has a trump card."