[OP: Bitter Water-The Oh Hellos]

Kurotsuchi did appear a second later.

She found them all waiting almost in formation, thought it was unintentional.

It was a little daunting with so many people.

But she straightened and tried to look professional.

"My gra-- I mean, Lord Onoki sent me to tell you that he regretted making such a hasty decision," she said. "And he wants to take more time to consider what to do...so for now, he asks that you just wait."

"He does?" Temari said. "That was fast."

"Temari please," Gaara said again.

Temari wasn't falling into line as fast as she usually did when he said something, and it was bothering him.

Temari perhaps had gained a little more boldness about disagreeing with Gaara recently without even knowing it. At any rate, she wasn't sure he was being wary enough.

"Why did he change his mind?" Shine asked Kurotsuchi directly.

"I...he didn't say...Perhaps it was Lady Tsunade's protests," Kurotsuchi seemed uncomfortable.

Karin frowned.

"She's lying right?" Suigetsu asked.

"I can't tell," Karin said. "Her chakra is confused, but it's not as unsettled as if she was lying deliberately. I would more guess she doesn't know... and that bothers me already."

Shine probably could tell the same thing even without the special ability, since she frowned also.

"It seems Onoki is getting more flexible with time," she said in a tone that said she didn't believe it. "So he wants us to wait?"

"Yes," Kurotsuchi said.

"And he didn't say why?"

"Other than to think more carefully about the diplomatic way to handle this, no."

"Perhaps he realized that there wasn't enough reason to dismiss us yet," Gaara was relieved. "I knew he couldn't truly turn on us just over one conversation. He's more sensible that that."

"Hold on," Temari said.

"Temari, will you just stop it?" Kankuro hissed. "You're making us look bad."

Temari gave him a surprised and, honestly, somewhat hurt look.

"This is too convenient," Sasuke muttered behind Naruto and Sakura. "No way that's all there was to it."

"And you're an expert now?" Sakura said testily. "Since when could you read people?"

"Sakura," Naruto was uneasy. "Why are you being like this?"

"He must have take what I said seriously," Tsunade said. "He won't risk alienating two villages, possibly three."

"Well, I guess that's good," Wally wasn't as analytical as his partner, but he had very good gut instincts, and his was telling him this didn't quite sound right.

"So will you wait?" Kurotsuchi asked them.

"Of course," Gaara said. "We must give him more time."

"Must we?" Shine looked at him. "Gaara, this is not the time to argue, but, I'm not so sure we should stay. Once warned, it's usually best to proceed either with open defiance, or to clear out. Limbo is the worst thing you can do."

"I don't agree," Gaara said. "He was probably angry because of what you said an spoke rashly, but now his better judgment has told him that we can't be crazy. We must try to think better of him if we want to maintain peace. I'm a little surprised that you're the one who is suspicious here, Shine-sensei."

"Shouldn't that tell you something?" Dabi said. "Shine is the one who's suspicious."

"She can't always be right," Kankuro said. "For example, she wasn't righ to blow up back there and make us look erratic. And she wasn't right about Tsunade."

Sakura frowned. "Hmprf."

"What?" Sai asked her.

"I wash just thinking," Sakura said in a low voice. "That Shine was right about Tusande."

"How do you mean?" Sai was puzzled. "Tsunade wasn't selling us out."

"She was watching us," Sakura said. "She's just admitted it in front of all of us. I mean I knew...I guess. I just couldn't understand why she would. Maybe she was more fair, but she was doing it. And it seems that they did work it out...I hate that I have to admit that Shine was on point, but it seems like it's undeniable."

"Shine is very perceptive," Sai agreed. "It's one of her gifts. To keep her from making missteps, I suppose."

"That's just like what we were telling you earlier," Camie nudged Sasuke, startling him. "See normal people aren't that good usually at spotting this kind of thing, but DJs have special perception."

"I'm just surprised that Sakura was the one who pointed it out," Sasuke replied flatly.

"Shut up," Sakura grumbled.

"Guys, we can't do this right now," Wally urged the Sand Siblings.

Kurotsuchi looked more uncomfortably. "So what should I tell him?"

Shine looked up. "Since we're still deciding it, tell him that we'll let you know by tomorrow afternoon, since he gave us 24 hours or leave anyway. Then if we go, we'll go and if we stay we'll still be here. That work?"

"I think it should," Kurotsuchi said. "I ...suppose, thank you for your willingness to compromise."

She bowed to Gaara and then left.

"I don't know her that well, but does anyone else get the feeling she's not nearly as sure about this as her granddad is?" Wally said.

"She's a lot less traditional," Temari said flatly. "But she's spineless from all I remember. She didn't aid him at the summit when he was causing problems, but she didn't do anything to stop him. To think, she'll probably be the next kage here is not reassuring."

"Considering how much you guys have to respect your elders, even not supporting him directly seems like showing more of a spine than most people," Wally pointed out. "Maybe you're being hard on her. At least she didn't jump on us too much back there. And hey if alliance with Onoki doesn't work out, she's your best shot at recovery down the line."

"That's not a nice thing to say about him," Gaara said. "We don't hope for his removal anytime soon."

"Speak for yourself," Sasuke muttered.

"I guess we need to discuss what to do now," Shine said. "But inside."

"I suppose your compromise was reasonable," Gaara was a little salty. "But still would have been better to just agree now. We could have changed our minds later also if you had an objection."

"I had to think of something to stall her," Shine said. "I don't see what the problem was. Why didn't you just ask us to confer before you answered her? Who really was disrespectful?"

"But as the kage, I have to make the decision, or at least seem like I am," Gaara said. 

"Since when did you do this alone?" Shine replied.

"Aginat let ge tinted," Wally said.

They rulcn sttope talking til they could get tinsde.

"'venev erhad them fight, ever," Momo was upset. "Gaara nd shien always get along."

"Yeah, geez he suodna like evy other teenag by whof ith shit his mom," Daib iad. "I mean, on TV. my fiths with my om were alot more...distuibn than that."

"not hleiong," Stho glared at him.

"Shoto,"Mo was soo ups tot care about their cointusin differences of opinion right tnow. "This is dreadful."

Sho also knew it was not the tiempo think about their fights and took her hand. "WE'l lbe fine, we always fidn some way to get on with things."

"SAkura do you think that the Stoen is lying?" Sai asked her.

"Me?" Skru Aida.

"wEl you were saying that Shien had point before," Naruot said. "so we' rejsut iown if you think seh' right to be spscuis."

"I ath sayt thwros Shien's wrihg about anting," Skaur win her nose. "And Im' not that good at know Fi poepel are lying...but it did seem kind of abrupt idndi ti? I don't know. But that could jstul mean he wastir ot scare us before..."

"No I dot think so," Ino chipped hin. "But I'm not sure wha't true."

"Hey, he wan lying when he said hea not us out," Karin spoke. "I knew that. I wish I could go back there and see if he's lying now, but th'e never tlat to me about it. 

***

https://youtu.be/xrU1vCC5soc

[Faust, Midas, and Myself--Switchfoot. Underrated song by them.]

Once they were in the compound, the argument picked right back up, despite the eopes of osen work that they would calm down.

"WE have to stay," Gaara was adamant. "this is how we show we're above petty vengeance. If we left, it would show alack f trust."

"Because you sshod trust osemien who'e already trying to defraud you!" Shien replied heatedly. "I know you are smarter than t his, Gaara. Why do you want to do this?"

"Even if it was a lie, we can still rise above it," Gaara insisted. "What has come over you anyywa? You'v ealwya been so brave and willing to gorive, WAht has Onoki done to deserve this kind of censure?"

"What has he done?" Shien reported, still heated. "You and he are not the same. When I met you you were an honorable person even before you had taht' demo removed. The SAnd Raccon could not make you into the ekind of liar that Onoki has been without the hlepf of a any devils in his head. Bitterness does more to corrode aman's character that pur espirsotu oppression does. This is not about my censuring him. He has already turned face to us twice, now. If he would do it at the edorp of ahat like this, he'll do it again. We're not safe here. And while some risk are with it, only ones that will yield any kind of reward. I see no reason or stay."

"Iv' never hear dtoo poepel argue like this," DAib said to Theo rhs, most of them ewr ejstu seit at the table and not participan in this directly. "Both of them are praising each other in the most angry way I've heard at least one of them talk, while disgareea at t same time. It's haialiarulr."

"i'm glad soeoen is ejoyg it,' Mmo said to him reproohbiuly. "This is terrible. They'v ealwya bene untied."

"Wally istn said much,"B akgusid I'd. "But he'ell side with shine, n principles. makr my words."

"He's not aroopar,m Fi he htisnk Gaar is right, he'll Sid with I'm," Shot said. "Shine might chagn ehr midna Fi he does, I'm sure seh' rutst shi opiong."

"If shes' smart, she won't," DAbi aruged. "she's 100 right. I've seen this kind of thing before. Onoki is not to be trusted."

"He's not aviocous person," Mmo said. "Why so quick to jdug ehim?"

"I'm sorry, am I the one who held us under supsoci, set osemone tow athc us, and then take to us like we were fools before say we had ot lvea, and  minutes later said nevermind, I need othkna ob tit? Who's being judgmental?" Dabi shot back.

"Hey, the Dab-king has paoit," camei said. "Tah't so whacked how fast he hcang shi mind. I just don't buy it."

"neit do I,"B Akgu said. "His words odn't mat the lol in his eyes when she provokei him."

"Oh and let not fors she did that on purpose,"t enns aisd. "Gaara is tjust ryitn ot cover her mistake by being more mature. And he's 17 and she's 20...wait how odle is she?"

"23 now," Momo said.

"6 years isn't that much of difference," Dabi aid. "Both of them are young, but Shie acts like a n older person."

"sod ones Gaara," Shiraksm said. "Hs pion is just as viald. and more, he's led us Thora a war. Shine is just a teacher who can travel through...place no one else does."

"Just a teacher?" Shtoo said. "You know, our Lord was Laos a teacher, ano other ebook."

"my point is, she's not a world leader," Shirma Sid."

"She is in one sense, and so is Wally," Bkaguo countered. "Why can't you frikesr dri your biases about ninja and relai sthat this stiousiotano is rigged against us? Onoki never rinted to be open minded, that was bullss-. I be he was just iat of spent to nail us on."

"This is not hleiong us," Ino rub her forehead. "I wish I knew what the right thing to do was."

"Someone has to make a decions," WAlly pointed out, as Shiena DN Agar aadh obh pause ot think over their next remark.

"You're the tie-breaker, honey," Shien sighed.

"Wait, I think in this case, Temara and I shodl ahv mor eaof say" Knakrus aid. "IT's our...country, no t yours. And yo8rue the one who lost your cool earlier. I still donw knows that you ewrn thinking."

'I t'le teyou what I was thinking," Shine's eysel falhse godl aginat. "I realized while lsitn to him that this wan't going to to hel us. And usdl I Felt that it waasn't right. That we were being psuehi notice some kind of mold, one that ucl be controlled or nullified, or dismissed, whatever sutied them. So it didn' matter what we did. Tehya atne us to bend to their stupid will of Stone. And I won't do it. I blie wWhat I believe and they can't change that and I wont' rptiet I don't thinkt hey're wrong."

"You see this it the thing, you enve want to compromise," Kankaru said. "But ssomeot you ahv to."

Temari rubbed her forehead like she was getting aheadache--which she was.

"I do'nt think we're going ot agree," Gaara said sombelry. "So someone will have to decide whose plan we go with."

"In case sliekt these, the decin faion shoe be the will of God," Shine stated.

"And you assume yokow ath that is," kanakruo asaid ot her. "but you could be wrong. MAby you're just afraid of Stone Village."

Shien frwnoa athim. "WAth your tone, young man. I'fve face worse poepel than Onoki before and not backed down. Fear is a part of my life like evy eotherp erosn, but it is not my master. Yes, I' ascar. Im' and of hwt he will do to all of you. But, I'm not saying this out o fear. WE took risks doing this mission at all, I made peace with that. This is too far. And it's not stuyou Vialg ehtat is in danger. Our other sudn are too. All of our lives oculus be complirisme. I don't want o face thier parents if they don't come back, and least of all ifth ereaosn was because we had due reason to leave this place and we didn't."

The'r ewa s teril as afoth at being this point was valid. It was onse to consider.

"The thing about that," Bkagu spoke up. "IS taht' if we dsiapred, we have no reoans here's, you know that, Sand man. So if they look to make an example otuof anyone, we're th elikley choice."

Tsusand usodn loekd wary. She'd come with them...most binoe ther' was little eoint othidin thie form her now that she was balcla o their sdie

"I'm afraid I did mentioned I never oudn reo of you,"s he said. "Drat, I never thought tof that being  reason to have eyou eliminated."

Shien foan t her but dind' even both erotic say something, which was a bad sign.

"Why don't you ahv reocs?" Tsuanda ske then.

"Don't msitn the fact that we're on better trm fo cpemt rust," Shien asid hsarly. "I wo't answer that."

Tsud frowned. "You oknw I'm ruign the irsko f tul also by defniend you. You could show some gratitude."

"I am grateful, but it's better ri yodo ton' know,f or you, honestly, so don't ask," Shine said.

Karin put her have in her hena.s "This is so stressful... what are we going to decide?"

"mAby we hosudl give it some time," Wally asid. "we're all worek dup. Any choice we make now will be emotional. Like Shine said, we should do the will of God. None of us are sure ath that is, we can pray, we can study, that kind of thing."

Gaara looked serioys. "Yes...I suppose tha'ts the only thing to do."

"At least we're packed alareyd," Temari said ruefully. "but we might need more supplies since it's been a few days. First thing tomorrow, some people need to go to the market."

"Yeah, okay," Ino WA sasino to do Antigua ot help. 

"I Dnt ins tost the  emdil work," Tusand spoke up. "At least not if I'm not foec to. might as well try to salvage this for Leaf. They wotn want to ruint heir chances ot learn new techinques ove this, I think...Skauar is welcome to jio me if the rest of you decide you're out of here. Ino and Karin also. WE need as much help as we can get."

Karin was surp to b einted.

"Well tha't very generous," Sakru said. "I'll... think about it."

No one thotu seh'd even hesitate give ehow this sitouao was devolving rapidly.

Shine shok her Hana ND left the room.

Wally dieed to go also.

"I flew so useless," Ino sighed. "WE cna't even ehlept hem deicide."

"WE're not unasie,d" Shirank said. "I want ot apeas the villages, but that's not thoe ny goal fo Team Zoe. MAby Evo else was smiskt after all. I do think that no amtt what, the TUSkage does not ruts us, so stay or go, we have a problem."

'OJ you think?" Temari said sracilary. "but what do I know/ Mayb eh's sinder." Wthign ag alr at her borhters.

"Im' not sure why yoru'e upset," Gaar said. "You'v early back m up, I Wa suspr back there when you didn't so openly. I thog we were auntie front."

"IT would be nice if you lisnt to me once in awhile,"t emrai Sid. "I'm not thonlyone who thought it was suspicious."

"But you don ahot say it like Tah whalei seh' was there," Kanrksua I'd. "Common, you know that we don't do that."

"Better than makgin apromsie we're not sure we can keep yet," Temrai repeild. "GAars was not sup to be unilateral on this mission. AT home is one thing, when its just our Vialge, but it's not now. This is not soem rescue mission. WE're resist alfl the Vialgle's togher, almost. Why are eyou not suspto ot be queiostn? You didn' tback Shine or Wally up either."

"IT ri to, but I didn't get much of ahcna aft whlei," Gaar asid.

"Oh boy,"d Aib isad. "Even yeou Gus are at it? I Gus yoru'e not the perfect siblings afar all."

They all gared at him.

"Oh no I think ti's great,t" DAib I'd. "You were always little too clannish for my taste. I like this, dfiene ofopeiong, that's how you get shaprer. Gaar's slitlte too spoiled about tgeti hsi Way all the time and tyour toher two are laitlte to submissive about it. Give ehim crap too." He nodded eotahtasilt.

"you're 'ushc a jerk," Knakru was not ahi I form DAbi.

"And your mesup roaisn with your boreht is not reoan to disso n ours," Temrai shot back rather mealny.

DAbi frwoend. "sure, we're cmeo different aern't we?"

Temari bit her lip.

"dAib and I have our own problem,"S Hto poke,. "But w'er enot running a aniotn. I do think you all need to respect each other if you'r egoingo ot handle this the smart way. Tryigno n each other now is the worst thing you can do."

"Yes, you love aeh other," Momo asid. "An GAra no one has rp yo more than them. surely Tmear didn't mean nytiing bad by it. You have to trust her character."

Gaara was a reasonble person, and he knew Momo was probably right.

"Your'e dust to fight," Tentn said,r ot her yes. "EvnekAkar is only ito protect you, thohg he's a pain int he enxa ob itt. Why are you even fighitna bout this?"

"I've erlan soetin," Gaar said. "Just now. Lovin' peo o no mean you'rella gre with them all of th etime. But that thorht disagreements you will still care about each other. Even Shien an Wally are woria bout Tus, ath it what wer fighting. I us cons that carefully. I Think I should be alone for while now."

He left.

Temari alsm alguh Arly, bot it was a lot like a sigh too.

"What?" Shiark asked her.

"You now Gar's never esaid he loved us in his hoel life," seh' said. "IT's t the kdinof thing we say to each other. I'm sur eId' rather eat sand than say it, that w as the closets he's eve gotnand, and this is the fsit iem we'rve turlsy aruged in...oh, 10 years probably."

"WE kdnfo ostp fighting after he went crazy," Kanrk said. "There was snow point. IT' wir bioe this is lieka good sign and bad sign an tehseam time. Thea gin Temar and I never ifht either. I'ms til pissed at you by e thway."

"The fuel is mutla," Temari fwroned. "My we should get some space."

"Fien with me, " KNarksleft. then tEMri did also.

"Odd people, the sand," Dabi said. "Even fighit they admit that this is progress. I think I See why they get along with Lisktar so well."

"I Dt think this is good,"Momo said. "And I do'tn kwno what we shod do either. I'd rather leave, but I wory taht' the coward talking in me."

"Your enot a coward," Shot said.

"Abut conftaotn, I am," Momo asid "I hat that."

"I don't aht' onaoif and I Thnk we shod Lea also,"Stho said. "but I do tent ijust not want to have anthi tod wo with people once we'e had a falling out."

Ssauek ga vheim alok like a lot was making sense right now to him.

"WEll, I think this is dumb," Naruot delacted. "Im sure if I could just talk to the Tsuchikage, I would be able to show him taht' we're tyrinto ot do good. To mend the bond bi the vilnas, tha'ts all we're doing."

"If you told him that yodu b elying," Momo asid. "WE are tyior to do more...MAyb the was our mistake. Two things at once."

"I dot think it's wrong," Bkagu Sid. "PEo esho kwno WAht you stand for. Taht' idnls oru faith. It would lahb e been less hosnt to keep it to ourselves."

Cae path his arm. "BKagu always keeps it real."

BKagu dios so to this praise oso Caime fiugo he must be fine with it.

"All this fuss over it, you shodul ahv ejust not bothered," TEnten said. "No one care WAht you bleiv,e if you kept it to yourself."

'wel thank you Tenten, tha't really coorint," Shoto was mad now. "But since you have no blelifes, MAby you're no th ebes person to judge if they matter."

"WAht? Hey!" Tentngalred.

"We're all getting upset now," Dabi said. "And while I enjoy eait you fight, for the sake of our ansity, amby we shodu all take a breather again"

"Fine," Shtoo sadi Elaine the eorm now.

Evern else die to do the same.

***

"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." [Ezekiel 36:26]

"You also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." [1 Peter 2:5]

"And all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ." [1 Corinthians 10:4]

Shine was reading some passages about stones, when Wally intpre her.

"So...that was slot," he said.

She nodded.

Wally sat down onto he floor next to her.

"I wa'snt wholly on board with what you did," he said. "Not at first. But now I think it would have worked out either way. Teh confrontaion aproa is counterinotiove to a lot of us, taht' why they're upset, but that odens amkea it wrong. Onoki was goin to bully us into twoin the line or he was going to get mad if we dn't, that's the long and short tof it."

"Well I lost my cool," Shien said. "But I think it was fo the ebes still...maybe I was exceiseive, but to be spoke to that way...I could stand it anymore."

"I know...hey maybe its' for the best. might asll ahv th eCards on theatlbe," Wallys aid. "hiding what we think sit aosn 'ev e'er tri ed Oto. IT did feel wrong. So, I was glad you stood upf for it. I wish I'd help more, but you seem to ahv ti all look out what you'd say. I dwnt o talk over you."

"IT fine...you were moral support."

"Shine...I'm proud of you, yo nw that?" Wally Sid. "Most poee would ahv ejstu buckled under the pressure and told him WAht he wanted o hear. And yeh I might get us in trouble, but, they cn'at alsy crush everyon'es spirit with this village will crap. They should have to see that. For what it's worth, I thought ti was inmpseisve."

"Impressed,s" Shien said wryly. "Thanks, but, I think it just flew like eJermiha. IF ID d speak the fire would be buying in my bones...unit it came out. I dot wno Fi its vlaor or just that I cna't help it. But  yo wen I dot feel guilty about doing that when its just me I have to worry about. The kids though, I'm worried aob tthem. And that I did make Matt's o fo Gaara. SAnd Avialls' fast isant a thin I Shodul paly with lightly."

"IT was hi idea, and he a sthoe who told Onoia obu tit," WAlysaid. "iT's too unfor ot say taht's on you. They'll riea that tonce they clam down. ITs' not our fault.  Onoki didn't seem so bad though...I onder why he decide to do things like this."

"Teh tirk thing, hon, is that he didn' 'seem so bad', but I've me tmany people who d'n, an then they turn iniot viper,s" Shien shok her head. "And so ahv eyou. Gaara is so use ot driec ataston his life or coup d'etat, that this kdinof of sbusts mallice is not the kind fohting he picks up on. But I grew up in Chruch, I know all about tsubelt malice."

"That is so sad-- and I work with the news network a lots, so I do too," WAly shculs wryly. "I also pre th assaisn asttmpes, at least their honest."

"Jsu the same, world leaders who've le the concern for their nations make them act as moral coward have only have brought those or their allied nations to ruin," Shine said. "And he'll have to learn that in some way or other.

[She's right historically speaking. WWII comes to mind with Wilson. But there are other examples. Including biblical ones.]

[Whose side are you on? Do you think they should get out while they can? Or do you think Gaara is right about them needing to stay and try to overcome the problem.

Granted you may think that the story is hinting at something, but if you didn't know that, what would you say they should do?]