Prologue

Like most places Konoha is a much quieter place at night than compared to the day time. People are no longer hustle and bustling about the streets on their errands or training in the fields. Instead during the darker hours the general population is sleeping quietly in their beds. Which leaves the local wild life (it should be noted by the reader that "local wild life" would include the general sort of furry woodland creature as well as the occupants of the village's one bar) to make up the soundtrack of a leaf village night. As well as members of what would not be considered the general population, such as the Konoha Gate Patrol. Although the Gate Patrol when performing their job effectively does not contribute to the night's soundtrack, tonight is not one such night. As from the top of the guard tower in front of the main entrance the voices of two very bored guards were being carried for some distance.

"I just don't see it. That bunch of dots looks nothing like a scorpion."

"Have you ever even seen a scorpion?"

"Of course I've seen a scorpion! A ninja of my caliber has been on many missions to the sand!"

"Caliber there's a fancy word for you, are you sure you don't mean age?"

"I meant caliber which is plenty enough to knock you all the way to the sand! And maybe before you limp your way back from there you can grab a scorpion to settle this debate!"

"Looks like I struck a nerve old man."

"It seems you really do want me to send you on that trip!"

"Will you two knock it off!!!" A third voice, belonging to the one female guard in the guard tower that evening, interrupted the two bickering males that until moments ago she had been trying unsuccessfully to tune out. The two looked at her with expressions that were a mixture of fear and shame as they mumbled their apologies. The two then glared at each other and returned to their duty of staring silently out at the road leading to the village. At least for a minute…

"First however, could you help us settle our argument?" The older guard asked. The female guard responded only by giving him an annoyed look.

"Come on we won't talk any more after it's settled!" The younger guard promised.

The female guard gave a sigh as she rolled her eyes. "Fine…you're both idiots."

"That doesn't settle anything!" They both said.

"Alright! What are two arguing about then?"

The younger guard spoke first. "This befuddled nit wit can't see the scorpion in the sky."

"I am not befuddled nor am I a nit wit that clump of stars merely looks nothing like a scorpion!" exclaimed the older guard as he gestured toward the northern part of the sky.

"You really are a nit wit, Scorpios is over there." The younger guard said as he grabbed the wrist of the older guard and dragged it to the southern part of the sky so as to point him to the constellation in question.

"Ooh…well I still don't see it." The older guard said while leaning forward trying to better examine the sky, but of course he wasn't really bringing himself any closer to the incredibly distant stars, or an agreement between himself and the other guard.

"I really can't see it either."

"Why tha-" The old guard dropped his thanks in his mouth when he realized the agreement had not come from either of his fellow guards. The three of them turned around to see three shadowy figures standing at the other end of the guard tower.

"You're welcome" The tallest figure said as he stepped forward into the light of the moon. But even in the light all the guards could make out clearly about the figure was the big smirk across his face which was highlighted with purple face paint. "If you'd like I can show you what a real scorpion looks like" The man reached behind his back toward what appeared to be a large sack.

"Keep your toys put away Kankuro" A female voice commanded, and a sandy blonde haired woman came into the light beside him. "We don't have time to waste with games."

"What do want?" The female guard asked. She had been standing tensely prepared in a fighting stance since Kankuro had first spoken. The same could not be said for the young guard standing beside her. He stood still with his jaw hanging wide open, awed that they had been snuck up on. To the outside observe this probably would not seem so shocking, since there had been quite a bit of slacking off leading up to their surprise visitors. These guards may expect some pink slips in their future, assuming they live long enough to receive them.

"Relax if we had wanted to kill you the befuddled nit wit still wouldn't know where to find Scorpios." The blonde woman said and Kankuro chuckled in agreement.

The female guard however was not about to start looking forward to her pink slip just yet, and remained ready to fight. "That doesn't answer my question. What do you want?"

"Do you recognize who this is?" The blonde asked gesturing to the last figure standing in the shadows who stepped forward as she spoke. Once the final figure entered into the light the three guards leaned forward in an effort to study him. He was a tall man a head taller than the female but still not as tall as Kankuro, and with a slimmer build. He had red hair that in the moon light shined like a fire. His face possessed two striking features: the first was the darkness the circled completely around his eyes, just looking at them made one feel tired, and the second was a character cut into the left side of his forehead "love".

"Of course!" The old guard spoke quickly rushing forward to bow. "The Kazekage, Gaara of the sand!"

"I need to see the Hokage immediately."