Konoha. A large village, yet its residents are all familiar with each other. It is a humble place free of war and strife, although it has had its rough patches in the past. It was a sunny day with clear skies, the air was warm and welcoming. In the back of the village upon a giant cliff, were the faces of past Hokage carved into the cliff, and below the faces, rested the Hokage's mansion.

The village's tall gates stood open to travelers, merchants' and returning shinobi. One of the returning shinobi, Ominichi Camaru, had recently finished a mission and was on his way to the Hokage's mansion to file his report. As Camaru travled through the streets, he heard a familiar voice coming from the village's famed Ichiraku Ramen shop.

Camaru entered through the shop's curtains to find a jounin by the name of Ichihara Ayame treating three gennin to the shop's delectable ramen. Ayame turned to meet Camaru.

"Ah! Camaru, you have returned. I suspect your mission went without a problem?" she asked kindly.

Camaru nodded, "Yes, just your usual escort assignment. Who are these three?" Camaru inquired.

"Oh, they are, Akimoto Kenji, Nakamura Kyo, and Hajime Izumi."

Kenji turned to meet Camaru, "It's a pleasure to meet you sir." Kenji's appearance was mostly feminine yet his voice was that of a young boy. Camaru seemed confused with the boy. Seeing that Camaru was thrown off, Kenji cleared up the confusion.

"I was born with offset hormones. I may look like a girl, sir, but I can assure you that I am male."

"It's true," Ayame added, "Kenji has had some difficulties, but he's strong. All of these children are. They can already exert their change in chakra nature and they were assigned to me from the academy only a few days ago. These gennin are sharp."

Ayame turned to her left to face the other two gennin, "Don't be rude you two! Introduce yourselves." she instructed.

Kyo, the boy to Ayame's immediate left finished his bowl of ramen and turned around, still wiping his mouth clean from the broth and let loose a massive belch.

Izumi, who sat next to Kyo laughed hysterically, "Kyo, you're going to be a huge hit with the ladies!"

Kyo chuckled, "Perhaps if you actually looked like a girl instead of being such a tomboy, you would get more dates."

Izumi quickly became annoyed, "Don't make me hurt you."

"Settle down you two." Ayame ordered, pinching the bridge of her nose and shaking her head. "They still need some work. Sometimes I swear i'm a babysitter."

Camaru chuckled to himself at the sight of the youths, "It seems like you have your hands full Ayame. It was nice to see you faring well, but I must go and meet Lady Hokage to file my report.

Everyone bowed their heads as Camaru exited the building. After walking through the streets of the village, Camaru walked up to to the Hokage's mansion, dawning a large character for "fire". Camaru entered the mansion and came across the door that led into the Hokage's office. He knocked three times and heard a voice from within, "Enter." He entered the room slowly to see Tsunade gazing through the window overlooking the village whilst he assistant Shizune stood by the desk. Over in the far right side of the room, Tsunade's pet pig, Tonton was sleeping in a small bed.

"Camaru..." started Tsunade, "...i've been expecting you."

"Yes lady Hokage, I'm here to file the report on my latest mission."

"Actually, I have recently returned from the land of iron...I need you to go on a possible S rank mission, if you are able."

Camaru was surprised, "An S rank mission? What's going on Lady Hokage?"

Tsunade turned to face Camaru and sat down behind her desk. She paused for a short moment. "A waterfall ninja is leading a mission into the land of rivers to investigate possible Akatsuki activity. If you accept, you will be also working with a mist and sand ninja. You must work together with these three to make sure this mission is a success."

Camaru seemed almost disgusted at the thought of working with such a small village for such an important mission. "But Lady Hokage, the waterfall is such a small village, how could they possibly expect to put forth the strength for this mission? They are small and weak."

Tsunade became frustrated at Camaru's comments. "Do not underestimate the leadr of this mission. He is one of the strongest shinobi i've seen. He was able to find the hidden location of the Five Kage Summit, infiltrate its maximum security halls, and enter the conference room without anybody finding him. Not even the other kage were able to even sense him until he was there, and when he was, he was able to defend the area from an Akatsuki messenger who was highly skilled. This man is anything but weak."

Camaru suddenly became ashamed of his actions, "I apologize Lady Hokage. I accept the mission, anything to help the village."

"Good then. You have three days to prepare, head to the hidden waterfall once you are and meet up with a man by the name of Yoshiaki Kageru."

Camaru bowed his head and began to exit the room, but was stopped by Tsunade once again as his hand grabbed the handle to the door.

"Before you make your preparations, I want you to seek out Matori. If you are unaware she is our newest nine tails jinchuuriki since..." Tsunade paused for a moment, grasped by immense sadness and grief. "...that's not important right now. See if you can get her to accompany you. She's been really distant and I believe she needs to get some interactions with others."

Camaru respectfully completed his exit and went in search of Matori, near the outskirts of the village. As Camaru wandered the forest near the edge of the village he heard a distant sound. Nearing the source of the sound, it became clear that somebody was training in a nearby location. There was a small, insignificant, explosion, yet large enough to send nearby wildlife scurrying in fear from the source.

"Matori?" Camaru called out, "Matori?"

Before he could utter another word, Camaru noticed that the sounds had ceased. Soon after, Camaru found himself with a kunai knife at his throat, held from behind him.

"Who are you? What do you want?" said a harsh voice. The sound of the woman's voice sent a chill down Camaru's spine.

"M-my name is Camaru." he stuttered, attempting not to anger the woman more than it seemed he already had. "Lady Hokage sent me here to talk to you."

The kunai seemed to come closer to Camaru's throat at the sound of the sentence.

"Speak then." Matori commanded, frustrated.

Camaru hesitated for a moment, "The Hokage is sending me on a possible S rank mission and sent me here to ask if you wished to take part."

Matori stood silent before quickly turning Camaru around and knocking him to the ground with a swift punch to his face.

"I want nothing to do with this pathetic mission,I have no interest in sacrificing my life or endangering it for the sake of others. Now get out of my sight before I make you." Matori glared at Camaru on the floor as the air was filled with the sound of surging energy and Matori's face became covered in black markings that resembled flames.

Camaru slowly crawled back up to his feet, careful to come into further contact with Matori. He slowly took his leave, but as he looked back he noticed that Matori's eyes had changed, her right eye had turned into a deep, hollow, blood-red color and her left eye had changed into a deep blue. Camaru's worst fears seemed to flow throughout his mind like a river, raging like a fire. He was paralyzed with fear, becoming covered in a cold sweat that he felt was unable to be wept from his now pale face. He tried to move but was unable to, it felt as if something had been holding him in place, something had begun to play with his mind like a chid with anew toy.

Matori closed her eyes which seemed to free Camaru from whatever had gripped his mind in fear. Camaru quickly stumbled away from the area, working his way to his apartment in the village. Camaru walked over to his restroom and splashed his face with water. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, "What the hell was that?" he said to himself. Camaru wiped his face off with a nearby hand towel, his heart finally beginning to slow down from the traumatic encounter.

Camaru entered his living room and cleared the floor and placed his scroll down on the edge of the room and unrolled it across the floor. The scroll had a variety of runes and seals upon it, some of which many had never seen before, along with more common seals nad formulas. Camaru focused chakra into the fingertips of his right hand and placed them in a small box in the center of the scroll, causing the materials sealed within to appear. The items ranged from giant kunai, shuriken, large spools of wire and tags, to elemental scrolls, food, and other materials for combat and survival.

Camaru stood over the scroll's contents and took a mental inventory. Noting what he had already and what was required, Camaru began his final preperations for his departure.