The squad headed out from Konoha a little after dawn wanting to make the most of available sunlight. Tenten and Hinata had been the first to arrive at the village gate just as the sky was starting to turn blue with the dawn. They had expected to wait awhile for Naruto to arrive but were pleasantly surprised to see him arrive soon after them eager to hit the road.
"Why did I even bother getting up early if Kakashi Sensei's just going to have us wait around anyways?"
Naruto growled sitting down on one of the benches next to Hinata tilting his head back looking at the sky changing colors.
"I-I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for this. He is a busy person after all."
Said Hinata looking over to Naruto her face slightly flushed from his close proximity to her.
"I'm with Naruto" added in Tenten. "You would think a high ranking Jōnin could do something as simple as be on time for a mission."
"Yeah he was probably up all night reading his perverted books and lost a lot of sleep I guarantee it." Naruto explained crossing his arms eyes still fixed on the changing sky clearly still drowsy from having to pull himself out of bed so early. Tenten could tell Naruto despite all his energy wasn't a morning person.
"What books?" she asked. "You mentioned them before Naruto what's he reading?"
"His Make out Paradise books he reads them all the time."
Tenten's eyes widened. "Wait… he… reads those?" she asked thinking of the books she carried in her own collection of Make out Paradise books at home.
"You heard of them?" he asked looking at her.
The kunoichi put her hands up defensively. "Oh no it's just that title sounds like something a girl might read not something for an elite Jōnin."
"Well what can I say Kakashi Sensei's a closet pervert." Naruto said leaning his head back again and closing his eyes drifting off into a light snooze. Tenten's cheeks burned lightly having been inadvertently called a pervert by Naruto.
Soft hardly audible snores came from Naruto as he completely passed out from boredom. Hinata smiled and looked over to the sleeping Naruto. His shoulder slumped and his body leaned into hers. Hinata's smile faded and her cheeks turned red as he unconsciously pressed into her.
Tenten covered her mouth to stifle her own laughter. Hinata was trapped in that place between being embarrassed and being happy. Tenten managed to stifle her laughter and smiled to Tenten followed by a wink. After a few minutes of sitting petrified she managed to let a smile cross her face and eased up letting her body relax to the sleeping boy pressed against her.
"Hmm I thought you would all be ready to leave." Said Kakashi coming up to her his normal eye fixed on the sleeping Naruto and blushing Hinata.
"But it seems Naruto's asleep and Hinata's preoccupied."
Tenten felt one of her veins pulse. "Well it's your fault for being so late! We could have been on the road almost an hour ago if you just showed up." She growled to him.
Kakashi smiled to the kunoichi under his mask. "Sorry I left early but I remembered I forgot to sharpen my kunai."
"Liar" she mumbled figuring the Jōnin's habit of being late was going to be taxing on her.
"Well no use trying to move back in time." Said Kakashi dismissing the accusation of his tardiness Hinata please be so kind as to wake Naruto up for us please."
Hinata reluctantly poked Naruto in the chest with her index finger. "N-Naruto please wake up… its… time to go."
Naruto stirred he opened his eyes and looked over at her before sitting up and looking. "Sorry I guess I fell asleep on you Hinata." He laughed and scratched the back of his head flashing a wide grin at her.
"Got to admit though you sure are comfy Hinata."
Tenten almost expected Hinata to faint at that but was surprised to see she managed to keep her cool having only to suffer her face getting even hotter.
"So are you ready to go Naruto?" Kakashi asked smirking at the scene playing out before him smirking behind his mask.
"I've been ready since dawn Kakashi Sensei. I only fell asleep because of you." Naruto turned away from his sensei and started down the road out of the village.
"Come on we've wasted enough time already so let's stop sitting around."
No stars shone over The Land of Wave as rain clouds poured down over the small village. A man named Doro stepped out of the local tavern his steps were displaced and he moved with a distinctive swagger. The man could care less about the pouring rain and muddy streets as traveled out of the village to the roads leading out of the tiny village. The man's swagger began to lessen and his steps fell back into their proper order.
He walked determined through the rain his humble clothing clung to his skin and his black hair hung dripping over his eyes and covering his face.
He stopped and turned walking off the road and into a small clearing where he was greeted by a massive sword standing tall alongside a wooded headstone both overlooking there respected mounds of green moss.
The man tucked his wet hair behind his ears and looked the grave up and down eyeing the sword as it stood tall over the patch of earth. With a sneer crossing the man's face he cocked his head back and spat a wad spit upon the green mound. As soon as the spittle had left his mouth the man was in motion ducking a flying arrow as it passed over his head.
The drenched man's hands moved forming a quick succession of hand signs. From the mud rose a long pillar of mud caught between the wet hardened earth almost invisible in the dark was a single steel thread cutting halfway through the mud pillar. He couldn't see the thread but he knew it was there. He could see the split in the pillar it made and saw how the rain hit it. It probably would have cut him in half if he hadn't been expecting it.
More hand signs flashed and the mud gathered at the man's feet and moved up his body covering his skin leaving only his head uncovered by the wet dirt, it moved across his arms and over his hands forming spikes.
"I knew it was you." He said to the dark forest moving into a battle stance. "Those bodies were a dead giveaway Kumo Sabaku. I knew the minute I saw them you used your Razor-thread Jutsu. It always was your specialty."
A hail of arrows few out of the woods towards him. Doro moved into action knocking the arrows away with his spiked arms moving with both grace and strength removing them from their flight.
"You were never half as smart as you thought you were Doro. Though I never thought you would be stupid enough to disrespect our master's grave."
Doro looked up into the tree and spotted his assailant. A dark grey hooded figure stood in the trees a painted steel compound bow clutched in his hands. Doro moved the mud away from his hands and made the appropriate hand signs. The mud beneath his feet stirred and spat forth a hailstorm of stone towards the archer. The shinobi moved through the branches drawing arrows from his quiver and sending them off. The quiver was made of wood and steel plates shaped like a scorpion its tail curled and the legs wrapped around his torso and hooked onto his jacket, the claws were folded at his sides. Kumo drew the arrows from the scorpion's mouth and sent them flying. Doro lifted up a wall of mud to block the arrows. Doro watched Kumo move from branch to branch keeping an eye on his hands. He knew better than to assume he planned to only use his bow. Razor threads and arrows were the least of his problems. Kumo was a skilled puppet master able to control many dangerous automatons with chakra threads so fine he could cut people as well as any steel threads.
An arrow struck the ground in front of him he was already trying to deflect a second arrow when he noticed the paper bomb. It exploded and knocked him back he expected be thrown onto the mossy patch of Zabuza's grave but suddenly found himself being struck from behind. He fell to the ground and twisted catching his balance to land on his feet. He looked up the see a new assailant looming over him clad from head to toe in black plates. An armored hood covered his head and hid him all Doro could make out in the dark was wisps of bright red facial hair framing the mans face.
"You? Nenshō Kinzoku… I wouldn't have figured both of would be alive." Doro stammered the figure moved and he blocked the kunai with mud covered forearm.
"It doesn't matter" he snarled. "I can still kill you both."
Kumo jumped down from tree perch and stood next to Nenshō. His eyes were covered by brass goggles and his thin lips curled into a sinister smirk. "You fool." He said shaking his head in disappointment.
"We already won." Finished Nenshō.
"What are you talk-" Doro was cut off as Kumo jerked his arm up a thin blue chakra string trailing from his clenched fist.
Doro limbs were suddenly incapacitated and tied to his body down he felt many of the thousands of razor threads wrap around him. Some even managed to cut past his mud armor and draw blood.
"You were trapped in my razor threads as soon as you entered this clearing, I've booby trapped this area with my razors.
Nenshō smiled and moved his hands into the proper signals. Doro watched in horror as the kunai stuck in his arm melted and moved across his body to his chest covering his torso in liquid metal. He felt the metal contract and begin to squeeze him tightly as it shrank.
"Wait!" he screamed as he felt his collar bones snap under the pressure. "I'll give you two anything. Just please don't kill me."
Both ninja chuckled and listened to his ribs begin to pop. "You betray our masters… defile his grave and you expect to live. Don't expect us to sink to your level you bastard."
Doro felt his ribs collapse his lungs he couldn't even scream for help anymore.
"Your all going to die Doro we'll kill every last one of you." Said Kumo tightening the razors.
The metal crushed Doro's spine and the night disappeared.