The ninja seemed surprised to find them all waiting there calmly.

Shoto was tensed for action, but other than that he was still. Momo was pale and leaning on the rock, not very threatening. Dabi was scraping two stones together in a bored way. Shine was reflecting her sword in the light and singing real quiet:

"The sorrowful gust of wind that blew right between you and me. Where did it find the loneliness it carried on the breeze...?"

https://youtu.be/FB50H91a1IA

The ninja just stopped. Certainly they had never found any enemies waiting for them in this posture before.

Gaara stepped forward. A wall of ice shot up between him and them.

Shoto hadn't even moved. He'd just pressed his foot into the ground a little.

"Don't try that thing again," he said warningly.

Momo sat up more, trying to be ready. Temari eyed her burned arm.

"Who sent you?" Gaara demanded coldly. "They sent you to kill me."

But if he expected an answer, it wasn't the one he got. Shine and Dabi both started laughing ironically. 

Kankuro and Temari looked at them like they'd lost their minds. 

Shoto only looked puzzled further. "This again?" he said. "We're not here to kill you."

"How awful," Momo said. "You still don't believe us? Did you attack us out of self defense, then? That's not so bad, I suppose. What a relief." She managed a weak smile. "I thought you just didn't like us."

That was meant as a joke, but Gaara didn't get it.

"I don't like anyone," he said coldly. "I'd probably kill you anyway--" He hesitated. "But you're not from Leaf Village"

"I almost want to be, the way you all keep bringing it up," Shine said jocularly. "But no, we're from a much farther away place than that." She didn't elaborate.

"Boy, do you guys look stupid." Dabi could never stop running his mouth. "Just standing there, all set to kill us, and now you don't know what to do."

Temari glared at him.

"I don't understand," Gaara said. "Why aren't you here to kill me? Everyone else tries to do that. None of them ever succeed..." Threateningly.

Shine frowned. "That's dark, sir. But whatever everyone else has attempted, we have a strict 'no killing' policy--with the exception of venomous animals, because I'm not that zen. Snakes are snakes."

"But you said you were looking for Gaara," Temari said. "People only look for Gaara for one reason."

"To kill him?" Momo said in horror.

"Maybe it's the spirit thing inside him they're afraid of," Shoto said coolly. "What are you exactly?"

"A monster," Gaara said offhandedly. "I was born a monster. Confined in solitude. I like to kill the people who try to kill me--or any others I don't like."

Momo's mouth dropped open.

"It's the only meaning for my existence," Gaara went on, like a drone.

Shine was frowning.

"Crap," Dabi remarked. "This makes me not look edgy by comparison."

"That's..." Shoto gave Shine a look. "That's not...not what we..." he trailed off. He felt kind of sick.

Shine was still staring at Gaara hard. "You were born a monster? I don't see how that can be possible."

Temari shook her head like "don't ask."

But Gaara, who seemed to be of Shoto's mind about not hiding horrifying details, told them in very brief words that, for power, his father and other ninja had bound the Sand Raccoon into him through killing his mother.

Shine listened to this with varying expressions of horror or pity...but notably, Temari, who found it sickening herself, thought she never looked afraid. The same could not be said for the other three. Gaara seemed to be waiting for that, however. But though the other three were unnerved, they certainly didn't seem the kind of terrified people usually were when they heard this.

Dabi said, "And I thought my family was messed up, but holy s---."

The sun had nearly set by now, and Shine didn't think it was wise to remain so low down the mountain for the night, especially with jackals around. [Jackals don't eat people, though. But they might attack one if they wanted to drive them away.]

"I have heard stories like yours," she said quietly to Gaara. "They are not enviable for anyone. I'm sorry."

Gaara looked startled.

"But...that's...serious," Shoto said to Shine.

She nodded. "It is. It is serious. We're not a minute too soon here. But really, I'm truly sorry." She gestured at Gaara.

Temari's mouth dropped open, and Kankuro just blinked at them like they made him dizzy.

But the effect wasn't what you'd expect. Instead of surprise, Gaara got a wild look, briefly, and then it gave way to a sinister one.

Momo now sat up sharply, wincing, because she felt a sense of danger. The air seemed to darken, though not visibly. This happened all in a split second, then Gaara grabbed his head and began to cry out in pain.

[Those of you who don't remember Gaara's pre-redemption arc self very well probably don't recall how horrifying it was.... Would have given me nightmares if I hadn't felt so sorry for him when it happened.]

Temari snapped out of her daze and looked at him in alarm. "Uh oh," she muttered.

Kankuro backed up, spooked.

"It's coming out." Temari's voice was harsh from fear. And she was talking too fast. She looked at Shine with anger. "Now you've done it! What's with you?"

"With her?" Dabi straightened up. "What's with him? He's losing it."

In this time of about 3 seconds, Gaara suddenly stopped crying out and froze--but something else changed. Momo almost bit her own tongue as some lumpy, grotesque shape emerged, covering half his body and one of his eyes turned yellow.

Shoto made a strained sound.

It happened so quickly, Temari backed away to the side. "It's too late now," she said. "You're all dead, I'm not sure why."

"Why are you acting like this is normal?" Shoto found her acceptance of it almost worse than watching it itself.

Shine had her hand on her sword handle, but she hadn't lifted it yet.

"That's like what I saw," she said in a calm voice--she was literally the only calm one. Even Kankuro was hiding behind some rocks. "But why half of it?"

"It's not full possession yet," Temari said. "This hasn't happened in months.... He's been doing better since...but you've set it off somehow. I don't know what you did, but something!" She was getting more frantic now, but she still did nothing to stop it. Though her tone wasn't that frantic, you'd not have thought she was scared, but Momo looked at her eyes and she saw the frantic fear there.

As if to punctuate Temari's words, the lumpy side suddenly shot forward at Shine like it was throwing itself.

Momo screamed, but she choked on it a little with the dry air.

Shine never showed any concern whatsoever. She just lifted her sword as one lightning fast motion and blocked it.

The substance hit the blade and shattered into sand, shooting away from her. Not one grain hit her.

Momo lurched away from the sand also, wincing.

The failure shocked all three of the ninja, but Gaara seemed only angered further.

Shine faced him. "What are you?" she asked calmly. "I never saw your like before."

Gaara didn't answer in words, instead he cried out again...and it sounded like a growl at the end.

Temari backed up more.

The other half of the creature came out. Gaara was now pretty much covered in the lumpy stuff. His eyes were black with yellow centers.

"What the h--- is that?!" Dabi was freaked out.

Temari gave up trying to seem calm and tried to run for it.

But Shoto froze her to the ground and put a wall behind him and Momo again.

"Hey!" Temari tugged at her leg, to no avail. "Let me out of this stuff!"

"Tell us what that thing is," Shoto said. "And how can we stop it." He was frighteningly intense.

Temari seemed to accept she had no time to debate over it. "The Sand Raccoon," she said. "The One Tail, like we said."

"That doesn't look like a raccoon to me," Momo said in a small voice.

"It comes out when he's angry," Temari added. "And there's no stopping it till it's tired out, unless perhaps you were the fox, but you're not, and now we're all going to die along with you, if you don't let me go. This is your fault for provoking him anyway. Let Kankuro and me go. He won't kill us if we're not in his way."

"What do you mean there's no stopping it?" Shoto said.

"At least he didn't go to sleep," Temari said, like she hadn't heard. "The whole village would be in danger then."

"There must be something we can do," Momo said.

"There's nothing!" Temari struggled harder and was now losing her cool. "Nothing can stop it. He's too worked up."

While they were arguing this, Gaara--or the Raccoon, really--got tired of waiting for Shine to move. It struck at her again. She deflected it as easily as before. She'd listened to Temari's explanation also.

"I see," she said. "This is rather typical stuff for this sort of spirit. Don't worry, it's of no concern whatsoever to me. I may not be able to remove it without his consent like this, but it won't dare do anything to us. Kids, Touya, what is wrong with you? Where is your courage? You know no spirit like this can harm us without our allowing it to. Did you give it leeway? If not, stand up to it like warriors. "

"It's attacking you pretty hard for something that can't harm us," Dabi said, tensed as if to run.

"It senses your fear of it," Shine said. "Don't be a fool, Touya. This is nothing to worry about."

Kankuro and Temari must have thought she was crazy.

But the Sand Raccoon itself surprisingly didn't do anything to stop her from saying all this, nor did it try to hit her again immediately. Hitting the sword twice seemed to have surprised it a little.

"Gaara," Shine spoke to him directly though he was nowhere in sight, "I know it's no use to ask you to stop this yourself...but if you can hear me, don't be afraid of what comes next. It won't hurt you, just the beast."

"What is she going to do?" Temari said suddenly. "Seal it? It's been tried before.... Let me go, d--- it!"

"No way," Shoto said. "Besides, if you move, you might set it off again. It looks like it's hesitating."

"It's so horrid," Momo said. "I mean...it's not like any animal I've ever seen. It looks like some villainous quirk would...but Gaara is still under that stuff?"

"Somewhere..." Temari said in a low voice. "But I can't reach him. No one can."

"Now listen to me, you ugly raccoon," Shine spoke again, no fear still, "I see your hold on this boy, no doubt through some unholy means that they were mentioning a moment ago. Perhaps you have a hold on him, but you have no authority over me or any of these others. You'd best retreat before I cut you apart." She flashed her sword at it menacingly.

The two ninja siblings had never seen anything like what happened next, and they were unlikely to forget it for the rest of their lives.

The raccoon howled in a way that was certainly unlike any normal creature would have sounded and tried to claw at Shine, but then it drew its ugly, misshapen paws back, like it hurt, and made a low gurgling sound of anger.

"You will be my prey--" it said in an inhuman voice that sounded a bit like Gaara's, but far more like something else.

"No," Shine said, like it was not open for debate. "Now go. By the authority I have to drive away creatures like you, from above. You get! and release that poor child."

"I'll be back," the voice said. "You won't free him. I have a hold, bound by blood and dark arts...locked in this body.... I'll do what I please."

"Shut up," Shine cut it off.

To everyone's shock, it did as she said.

Then suddenly the gooey stuff fell away, and Gaara was there before them, his eyes turned back to their normal light blue color, though he still had dark circles around them.

He also looked stunned, then he fell to the ground like he was all worn out.

"Gaara!" Temari finally used her fan's edge to break the ice, and she stepped over to him and turned him over.

"He's alive." She looked up at Kankuro, who was coming out of hiding now.

Kankuro stared at Shine in horror.

"What was that?" Temari looked up at her, also afraid. "What did you do to him?"

"I did nothing to him at all." Shine put her sword away--and they watched it disappear, in more astonishment. "That nasty monster was interrupting our conversation. I didn't care for it. You can come out now, Touya."

Dabi came forward.

"Well, it wasn't that scary," he said, now that it was over. "I was just getting ready in case it did something else."

"Shine, that was incredible," Momo said.

"You could have done it also," Shine said, a bit reprovingly. "Why didn't you help me?"

"I..." Momo faltered.

"Well, it's all right," Shine brushed it off. "It's a bit of a shock the first time you see something like that, I admit. I'm so used to it now, it's nothing. But after Chisaki and his crazed tower, I didn't think that would faze you."

"It..." Shoto now that it was gone, did feel a little foolish. "It wasn't... I just didn't think it would be that simple to fight it. We'll know next time. I apologize." He bowed.

"It's all right. It wasn't so bad," Shine said.

"You!" Temari jumped up and pulled one of the short knives out. "Did you hurt him?"

But then Gaara pushed himself up and looked at them, startled.

"What just happened?" he said.

His voice was still hoarse, but all the malice was gone from it. The others could tell at once he was different.

Even his siblings could tell.

"The spell has passed," Temari said, a little hesitantly, like that might be too much to hope for.

"Yes, I..." Gaara put a hand to his head. "I feel as if I wasn't myself before...when we first spoke." He stood up. "I apologize," he said to Shine, shocking the others. "The beast's influence on me is strong. Perhaps I did not speak to you like I understood. I may have been more angry than I should have been.... It's a little hazy now."

"I suppose you weren't really the one talking to us most of the time," Shine answered him without sounding like she found that odd. "That's why that was good that it popped out there. I figured it would sooner or later--those things always like to make a big fuss. Now that I scared it, you may talk to us freely for a bit, and we'd best make the most of it. I'm afraid that thing won't stay gone forever as long as it's tied to your body. But I'm happy to see you have a sane side underneath that."

Temari bit her lip.

"Come on," Shine said with more authority, and somehow her tone seemed to cow all three of the ninja.

* * *

Farther up the mountain, they found some shrubbery that had plenty of dry branches in it, so Shoto started a fire, because it was getting a little chilly with the sun down, and the darkness was kind of overwhelming, so far from city lights.

The Sand 3 didn't mind it at all. Temari even said that a fire would make it obvious where they were and they were foolish to light one.

Shine said that they'd worry about that and she should focus on the important part.

Kankuro couldn't control himself any longer after the fire was going.

"Who in the h--- are you people, and how did you do that thing to the raccoon?" he demanded.

"We should be wary still," Temari said in a low voice to him and Gaara. "We don't know that they did it to help. Perhaps they want to steal the One Tail or seal it away so it can't be used."

Gaara ignored her.

"Is it all right if we eat and talk?" Shine asked, refusing to play the formal role with them. "It's been nearly two hours."

Momo and Shoto were pulling out some snack food that wouldn't get too easily full of sand and ants if they opened it. Dabi wasn't that hungry--he had a small appetite when it was hot--but he nibbled at a rice ball. They also had cherries and apples, though Shine didn't like cherries, but they did and they were small. But all this fruit had to be eaten quickly before it went bad.

Shine took out an apple. "Do you guys want anything?" she asked.

"What is that?" Kankuro stared at it like it was poisonous.

"Have you never seen an apple before?" Shine asked.

"I think they have those in Leaf." Temari peered at it warily.

"Here." Shine pulled out more and tossed it to them. "Try it.... Oh, come on, I'm eating it. Why would we poison our own food?"

"Could be a trick," Kankuro said.

Shine bit into it and shrugged. "Suit yourself. Not like we'd know we'd get this far."

"Sharing our food with them when we don't have that much seems little stupid," Dabi said to her.

"We shouldn't be stingy," Shine said. "It's not a good attitude to have. Now, let's introduce ourselves proper. I know Temari already, and I know your name is Kankuro. But you didn't hear ours. I'm Shine Likstar."

"Momo Yaoyurozu," Momo offered readily.

"Shoto Todoroki," Shoto said flatly.

"Dabi," Dabi said.

"Dabi?" Kankuro said. "You the only one not from a big family or something?"

"Excuse me?" Dabi said.

"You all gave a last name." Temari kicked her brother like he was being a pest. "We just assumed it meant you were from large clans, but not ones I've ever heard of.... Likstar doesn't even sound like our language."

She said the name with two short sharp vowel sounds, not the long ones of English.

Shine choked on a laugh at that. "You can just call me Shine," she said. "I don't like being called Likstar, but people who don't like me much always call me that--and these kids, because they say it's more respectful."

"I've tried to use your first name since you asked," Momo said.

"Shine-sensei sounds better," Shoto said.

"Well, it sounds better than Likstar-sensei did," Shine allowed. "What about you ninja? Do you use first names or last?"

"Most of us have no last name," Temari said, oddly. "So first, but you will address us as san or sama."

"Sama?" Shine said. "Isn't that 'lady' or 'lord'?"

"In English it might be," Momo said. "It's hard to explain.... It means she's highly respected, even more than the usual term of formality."

"Is it because the Kazekage is your father?" Shoto said. "Whoever he is."

"He is...was..." Temari said. "He's dead now."

"He's dead?" Dabi said. "You didn't say that before."

"I thought you'd know that. It's well known how the deserter of the Leaf Village, Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin, killed the Kazekage and some others," Temari said, "the 3rd Hokage also."

"Hokage means he was the king of the Land of Fire, I think," Momo whispered to Shine. "King isn't the best word for it."

"Enough about us," Kankuro said. "Why don't you answer our question?"

They all looked at Shine, who just took a sip of water and nodded at the other three.

"You want to know who we are?" Shoto said, stalling.

"Can we answer that?" Momo asked uncertainly.

Shine swallowed. "Either they believe us or they don't."

"Yeah, it'll be one of those two things," Dabi said flatly. "But which one?"

"If you're not Samurai and you're not from one of the villages around here, I can't think of anything else you could be except war orphans," Temari said. "So unless you lied, which is likely, you'd better have a d--- good explanation."

Momo tried to shift to a better position and gasped. Her burn had locked up.

"I would have to get hurt on the first day," she said, frowning at herself. "I always get hurt first."

"You do seem to," Shine said, not very comfortingly. "I think you are just too talented. The evil one must hate you a lot, but you pull through just fine every time."

Dabi frowned. "I call it bad luck. Now, what are we telling them?"

"The truth," Shine said.

"Can we talk about what that is?" Shoto said. "Alone?"

The Sand 3 looked at them dubiously.

"If you want," Shine said. "Can you three excuse us for a moment? Just move that way. I don't want to make Momo get up."

The ninja clearly didn't like it, but they must have respected someone's right to have team discussions, because even Gaara got up and moved a ways off with the other two, but they watched them with suspicion.

"We can't just tell them we're from another world again," Shoto said immediately. "None of us believed you when you said that, Shine. They'll think we're crazy."

"Hey, up till this day, we never had any proof of that," Dabi said. "I don't even know why I bought it when I did."

"Why did you?" Shine put a hand on her hip.

"I don't know, because you seem too much like an alien maybe?" Dabi said. "I guess I just...knew it was true after a while."

"You're not a liar," Momo said. "I think I could sense it.... But at first, yes, I wasn't sure what to believe, and you asked me what I'd believe.... But these three don't seem very trusting."

"We tell them a story like that and there's no telling how they'll react," Shoto said.

"I'll tell you how--they might just slay us on sight for being out of our minds," Dabi said. "We don't know how this world deals with lunatics, could be worse than at home."

"If we try to tell them something else, they won't believe that either," Shine said, steadily. "Think about it. They have all these ideas already, unlike you guys, who just thought we were weird, maybe villains, but you didn't know more than that. You weren't wary of other villages or anything. You didn't have people trying to assassinate you, other than the League, and it's not quite the same reason. That said if we make up anything we have no way to back it up, and they'll expect us to. We know nothing of this world, so we can't lie effectively. If we just say 'from far away' that won't satisfy them either. It's not usually my policy to tell people up front, but in this case, I believe we have no choice. If they don't buy it, then there's nothing we can do, but only the truth has a chance here."

"I'd think we could find some way around it," Shoto said.

"For how long?" Momo mused.

"I don't trust them yet," Dabi said. "The only reason they're even listening to us is because you did that thing, but they don't trust us for it. As far as they're concerned, we're still trying to hurt the guy.... Can't imagine why anyone would want..." He stopped suddenly.

"What?" Shoto said.

"Anyone else see that?" Dabi lowered his voice. "Behind you, Princess. Don't move."

Shoto and Shine looked behind Momo.

Something was floating in the darkness near the rock she was leaning on.

"What is that?" Shoto asked.

"Some orb-like thing," Shine said.

The thing disappeared.

"And it saw us," Shine said. "Must be something one of the ninja could use. They were spying on us."

"Those little punks!" Dabi was furious. "We asked to be alone, and this is what they do."

"Well, given the history of ninja, spying would be in line--" began Momo, but she hadn't even finished when Dabi lurched toward the ninja three, who all jumped up and looked ready to attack.

"Shoto, keep an eye on Momo. There may be a trap," Shine said. "I have to stop your dumb brother from starting another fight."

"Careful, Shine," Shoto said.

Shine leapt after Dabi, almost tripping on the incline of the mountain; it didn't have great traction with all the sandy dirt.

"You were spying on us!" Dabi had fire in his hand already. "Don't even try to lie to me about it. One of you was."

Temari and Kankuro looked at him warily.

Gaara, not at all like he was sorry, said, "Yes, I was using my Eye. It allows me to see things from far away."

An eye formed out of the sand next to him. It looked like a real eye.

"Gross," Dabi said. "Well, that's sick and wrong, and also it's ashes--" He raised his hand.

"Touya!" Shine grabbed his arm just in time. "Put your fire down, now."

Dabi paused. "You saw," he growled.

"Can you blame them for being wary?" Shine yanked him back. "Stop this now. This is no way to prove we're trustworthy.... Well, I suppose all three of you heard what happened?"

"Actually only Gaara could see it," Kankuro said. Temari shoved him.

Gaara looked at them with no sign of surprise. "I couldn't hear. I was watching to be sure you didn't pull out a jutsu or weapon," he said, still in his flat tone.

"All right, you can come back to the fire," Shine said. "We'd best just tell you now. No use anymore.... For the record, Touya, had we just done what I said from the start, this problem would have been moot."

"Like you knew," Dabi said sullenly.

"Is this how you talk to your sensei?" Temari looked at him with contempt. "I'm surprised she hasn't killed you yet."

"I'm surprised yours didn't kill you," Dabi shot back.

Temari's response was to take her fan and hit him with the edge of it hard enough to knock him flat.

"Are you questioning my honor?" she said fiercely.

"Hey!" Shine said sharply, and Temari looked at her, startled.

"Let's get one thing clear, Temari." Shine stepped in front of Dabi. "I stop him from attacking you, but that means you don't attack him either, unless you want to declare an open skirmish. That won't end well for you, I don't think, or us. You keep that fan of yours to yourself."

"That was nothing to what I could have done. That was a warning shot," Temari said, not sorry.

"And I'm warning you now." Shine narrowed her eyes. "I don't allow anyone to hurt my students in front of me."

"Give it a rest, sis." Kankuro grabbed Temari's shoulder. "She's the sensei. It's her right to protect that moron. Too soon to start trouble. I still want answers."

"Fine, I'll hold off," Temari said. "But he should watch his tongue."

"Someone should watch their back," Dabi muttered.

Shine shot him a fierce look.

"Well, anyway, she's lucky I'm reformed." Dabi got up and brushed himself off. "What's that thing lined with, steel?"

Temari nodded like it was nothing.

"Must weigh several kilos, huh?" Shine mused.

"Now that we have agreed," Gaara spoke coolly, "please explain."

"Here we go," Dabi muttered.

https://youtu.be/i09zpoSUWDw

["No more No Less", Mercyme]