Minato walked amongst the outer wall of Konoha, watching the outer guard squads pensively. The rain had forced him to wrap himself up in a heavy cloak. He drew up the collar and examined the surrounding forest. They could come right up to the wall and we wouldn't even know it until they did.

"Sensei?" Obito asked beside him.

"What is it, Obito?" Minato replied, eyes still searching the countryside.

"Do you think Kakashi is alright down there?"

"Of course he is. Kakashi is a capable shinobi, he no longer needs me to guide him." Minato said, giving Obito a reassuring smile.

"Being the forward guard is quite an honor. Why aren't you down there sensei?" Obito asked, curious.

"I don't know. It was the Hokage's decision, not mine." Minato lied, laughing when Obito looked even more confused than before.

"Obito, quit bothering sensei. He's got a lot on his mind right now." Rin said, popping out of the blue and causing Obito to jump out of his skin. Rin smiled at Minato, who returned her smile and ruffled Obito's hair. They shouldn't be here. I'll make sure to assign them somewhere else before the real fighting starts.

*****************************

Kushina scanned the trees around her with a keen eye, looking for movement or any sign of Iwagakure headbands through the green surrounding her. Her team was fanned out to each side of her. Their Jounin team leader patrolled just ahead of her, a young grey haired boy named Kakashi. She did not expect such a young ninja to be so knowledgeable, but it was so. Konoha continues to surprise me.

She had also been given a special kunai with a strange seal on it. Something about it tickled her memory, but she couldn't quite place where she had seen it before. She dismissed it as a strange fancy. The rest of her squad had also been given one. All Kakashi had said was that it was only to be used in the most extreme emergencies. How this is supposed to be any different from a normal kunai is beyond me.

The seal on the handle was like nothing she had ever seen, and was so complicated she thought she could spend days trying to figure out what it was. Kakashi stopped abruptly in front of her, putting out his hand to signal the other five under his command to stop.

"There are enemies ahead." Was all he said.

The squad all came together. Kushina looked around at her five other companions. They were all Jounin with the exception of her and one other person, who also happened to be the only other woman in the group, Shizune. She was even younger than Kushina, but still older than Kakashi. The only other person that looked to be under 20 was a Jounin named Aoba, who was on par with Kakashi in terms of skill. She had forgotten the names of the other three, but even having just met them, they had been very kind and welcoming. Right now, though, they were all business and all were looking ahead with anticipation. Another thing Kushina marveled at. It was if the Konoha shinobi enjoyed fighting.

"OK, Kushina and Saizo, you take the left. Judging from the chakra I'm feeling, they can't outnumber us by any more than a few. Saizo, you specialize in fighting multiple enemies, and that's where the most of them will be coming from. Kushina, you watch his back. As for the left side, Aoba and Shizune will take care of that. Jashin and Li, you follow me. We'll attack the center and provide support to each side if need be. Move out!"

Kushina leapt among the trees, following Saizo. A kunai whizzed through the trees ahead of them and went far right of both of them. Saizo was already making handsigns. Kushina's fingers began flashing with the use of them as well.

"Let me take care of this, Kushina. You just be the rear guard for now." Saizo yelled back to her.

Kushina nodded and stopped the preparation for her jutsu. If Saizo thought he could handle it, then he should have no problem. Three enemy shinobi sprung out of the trees in front of them, all heading for Saizo. Saizo sidestepped a kick from one, grabbed his foot and sent the man flying before the other two managed to get an attack in. Suddenly, though, he flew back into one of the trees as a kick landed on his chest.

"Haha! Second rate Leaf Jounin eh? You're gonna have to do better than that." The Rock ninja said, heading towards an unconscious Saizo with a knife in his hand.

Kushina sprung into action, performing a quick disarm maneuver, breaking the Rock ninja's wrist in the process. The man yelled in pain as Kushina released him and dodged a kick from the last remaining enemy. She counterattacked but that was blocked. Dropping backwards, she spun and aimed a kick at the enemy's head, but it was blocked. The enemy's stomach was wide open due to his hands blocking his head, so she surged forward and delivered a swift elbow to his midsection.

The man gasped for air and dropped to one knee. Kushina brought her elbow down on the back of his neck and heard it snap before the man fell motionless. She picked up the kunai and went over to the other ninja, who was cradling his wrist and just beginning to stand.

"I suggest you surrender. You can't fight me with your wrist injured like that." Kushina said, folding her arms expectantly.

"You're right, I can't fight you. But he can." The rock nin pointed behind her, and she spun only to be kicked squarely in the face.

She grunted in pain and felt herself flying through the air, her eyes shut with the pain. The ground hit her and knocked all the air out and she felt someone pick her up by the collar. Wincing in pain, she felt hot breath on her face.

"I'm going to fucking kill you because of what you did to my wrist. Time to die, bitch."

She felt a kunai press to her throat. The man Saizo had thrown apparently wasn't dead, and had arrived in time to save the ninja who was now about to kill her. She reached in her pocket slowly, so as not to attract attention to her movements, and felt the kunai with the special seal. She grabbed it and rapidly brought it out, slashing at the man's outstretched arm. She felt the enemy kunai nick her throat as the man tried to slash her throat before she could pull away.

The ninja stumbled back, holding his other arm, which was gushing with blood. Both of their kunai spun away into the forest. She saw Saizo stir but barely had time to think about him, as the last remaining enemy ninja walked towards her with an arrogant saunter.

"Quite impressive. But I'm afraid it's not going to be good enough. You see my two companions are nothing like me. They may have been nothing special, but I am another story. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to kill you."

Kushina leapt forward to meet him, bringing up her hand to block his incoming fist as they reached one another. She blocked a furry of his punches, but one of them got through, connecting with her mouth and causing blood to seep out from between her lips as she dodged and parried. Damn, he's fast. All I can do is defend. Ugh....I have to beat this bastard!

The enemy was smiling as he pounded away at her. She increased her speed and attacked with renewed ferocity, putting him on the defensive for a change, causing his smile to change from a surprised look, to a look of concentration.

She smiled as she knew her next hit would land, but her foot gave way as her leg came up and she stumbled to the ground at the man's feet. Her face hit the wet grass and the wind was knocked out of her as her torso crashed against the ground.

"Slippery grass eh princess?" The man said, chuckling and putting his foot on her head.

It can't end now. She spun on the ground, a leg coming up and catching the man in the stomach. He grabbed onto her leg and twisted and she felt it snap. Screaming in pain, she took her other leg and jammed the man in the face. He fell backward, blood squirting into the sky above him. Kushina's broken leg hit the ground with a sickening snap and she screamed as the pain jolted up her leg and into her hip.

She tried desperately to get up, but every attempt left her flat on the ground, gasping in pain. She heard the enemy getting to his feet, mumbling curses under his breath. She heard the sound of a kunai being drawn. She rolled over on the ground and turned to face the man, who was walking toward her with a murderous look.

"Time to end this shit." The enemy said, smiling through the blood running down his chin.

He charged at her with the kunai. She fumbled in her pockets for another weapon but couldn't manage to find one. The sealed kunai had been all she had stored away. She desperately tried to devise a plan in the mere seconds of life she had left, but could think of nothing. She was going to die here.

"What the hell!?" The enemy shinobi yelled, drawing her out of her thoughts.

She looked to see that the kunai in the enemy's hand had disappeared completely. In fact, so had his headband. Both had just vanished without a trace. The man's hands went to his forehead in shock and he blinked a few times as if he couldn't believe his eyes. Suddenly, cuts appeared all over the man's body, slicing his clothing and cutting through him as if he was tissue paper. Blood sprayed in every direction and the man fell forward into a pool of his own blood on the forest floor. Kushina laid, her leg causing her nearly unbearable pain, stunned at what she had just seen.

"Are you ok?"

The voice came from behind her, and her head swiveled immediately to see a yellow haired ninja crouching beside her, holding an Iwagakure headband in his hand.