The thick fog covering Kirigakure was more than usual on this summer day. The village itself was starting to thrive compared to how it used to, and the development politically has finally been balanced for all Shinobi's. Within the village's academy, out rushes a girl with long black hair and ice blue eyes apologizing to the students. Rushing through the fog, almost like it's a dance too familiar to her, she makes her way even farther east.
"Mio! Just where are you going in such a hurry? Did Seijitora go on some sort of rampage?!" joking suggests a local farmer passing into her. The girl angrily turns towards him and barks back at him, "How dare you even joke like that! He is the most harmless nin in our village! His bravery is more than enough to deserve your respect!" The man stops abruptly from the harsh words, seeing nothing but the trial of her movement within the fog.
Mio finds herself at the shore of the mainland of Kirigakure. The fog at its most dense, she smiles, sits in the sand, and hums to herself playfully. Two figures begin to take form after a few minutes, and a big smile comes across her face. Out of the mist come two tall male ninjas. Both towering over six feet tall; the humorous part of it was how hard both were to stick out. One boy had orange hair, long enough to cover his entire face, however the only visible parts of his actual body were his head and below his knees. The boy sadly had thick chains around his body with sealing marks covering most of the metal.
The other was not as tall, but he was mostly a puff of white fur. With loose black cloths, no actual ninja tools in sight, and where his head is has several masks as part of the fur that covered most of his body. The silence broke as the boy with orange hair happily saw Mio waiting for them. He begins to run on the water, gaining speed as he is getting closer to her. Her face begins to worry as she can notice his face slowly turn to a dark gray color, but the smile on her face charmed her so well originally. The boy finally reaches the shore and throws both legs into the sand to stop. Mio, ready to hug him hello, face begins to show dread. "Seiji! Please calm down! I don't want to see you get in trouble!" she screams at him.
Laughing playfully he accidentally trips and begins to roll, passing both Mio and the entire beach. Mio laughingly goes to make sure he is alright. Using the fog, you see her forms seals for a jutsu, an ice mirror forms, and like a magnet she flies towards it. Emerging out of it, the ice shatters, and she bends down to check on him. His skin color returns to normal, and a shadow towers over her and Seiji. "And just what do my cute little ninja teammates think they're up to on such a clear day as this one?" Mio blushes and turns to stick her tongue out her sensei, "Hello Ramos-sempai, and what clear day? The fog can't all be Kurokano…..can it?"
Their sensei chuckles and releases the Genjutsu that their companion was using on everyone in the village. The fog clears and the sun actually begins to shine, as bright as it gets in Kirigakure, and Mio and Seijitora's face disappointingly look down. Their eyes meet and they begin to smile and eventually laugh. An upset scream is soon followed as the masked boy scares their sensei and he is scolded. "There's no need to do that Kurokano, you little shit! You know better! Damn water spirit…" she barks at him.
He only tilts his head slightly to the right and then spins his mask. The fur fluffs for a moment and an angrier looking Oni is seen. "Alright you prized little potatoes. We have an important mission. I see that all your gear is ready, and we need to investigate the Konohagakure!" Mio confusingly asks, "What for? We're in a time of peace and prosperity. The 4th Shinobi war has been over for nearly ten years, and right now is a matter more of sharing all lands economic resources with each other. Ninja missions at this point are to appease and assassinate lords from all of the lands. All Kage are even friends from battle, what need is there for investigation over the simple little leaf village in the first place?" Her sensei, once again, sighs at the response from her squad member.
"Although you are right about that, there have been a lot of unanswered questions about population growth. We are one of the minor countries in terms of land compared to places like Iwagakure or Konohagakure. We have to make do with the resources of our current population, and we are progressing, just not slow enough to build properly." Mio's sight trails off and a sigh is let out.
Seijitora can see the frustration in Mio's disappointed face. He softly speaks up to his comrades saying, "You know…..if it weren't for these kinds of details being overlooked, we could all live in such a happier place. Why is it important about who gets the most or where you're from? Why can't we all just happily live together?" Mio and their sensei's faces drop in amazement at the actual intelligent thing Seijitora said, and even Kurokano switches his mask to a sad Oni. Kurokano actually comes up behind Seijitora and hugs him. "WOAH WOAH WOAH!" screams Ramos-sensei.
"Both of you need to calm down. This isn't an investigation to start another war or anything in particular. If anything we might find a bunch of supplies ready for our village! Let's stop all the ninja love before the waterworks start. Remember the last time you all got me to cry?" The squad, in unison, trails off in thought to the day that they all became Chūnin, and when Mio had finally achieved the rank of Tokubetsu Jōnin. Ramos-sensei is a specialist in water based jutsu. Her tears had nearly caused a flood each time.
The team itself all chuckle at the good times they've all had growing as ninja squad 4 of Kirigakure. Seijitora slowly gets up and smiles at Mio, almost telling her, "Let's get going then." She grabs his chains and uses him as a way to get up and finally gives him the hug hello he had been waiting for. His entire face turns bright red and she smiles.
Their eyes meet before Ramos-sensei puts her hand in-between the too saying, "Alright, we get it. You like each other. Date or something, but not on my time, eh?" Both Mio and Seijitora blush and separate at a considerable distance, using Ramos-sensei as a wall, only their eyes meeting as they're smiling. They all walk away from the shore, heading west towards their mission location.
Kurokano, almost looking puzzled again, tilts his head and a low toned mumble begins. He turns his masks once again, makes a seal, and lets the fog overtake the island once more. He looks over his shoulder one last time at the shore, almost feeling as though they were being watched. He gives an approving nod, and begins to follow his fellow squad members.
For the mission, and the story, all start from here.