Kakashi turned the page of the book and looked up at the clock in the corner; he'd been waiting for Tenten for a half hour now. He had already spoken with the local police chief about the victims' connections to organized crime. Apparently five of the victims had been found dead in local underground casinos and opium dens, three other victims were know loan sharks and one was even a wanted assassin and was identified as being a rouge shinobi from the Hidden Rain Village, Lady Tusnade's theory about these killing being directed towards the remnants of Gatō's gang was starting to make the most sense.

Seeing the minute hand move Kakashi sighed and marked his page deciding he should go after her and get back on schedule, he stepped out into the drizzling rain and set out towards the inn. He watched people hurry through the streets trying to keep dry and get to the comfort of their warms homes.

He stopped after turning into an alley, "You've been following me since I passed the raman shop on the corner.

The armored man dropped down from the roofs to face him. "Kakashi Hatake" the man said an excited grin plastered on his face.

"It seems my reputation precedes me, excuse me if this seems rude but I haven't the slightest idea who you are" said Kakashi crossing his arms.

"That's to be expected I've gone to great lengths to keep my anonymity, and to arrange this little meeting, I'm here to tell you to leave the Land of Waves, I've already relayed the message to that girl that was supposed to meet you at the town hall."

Kakashi smirked, he figured as much, "Somehow I'm guessing you won't just leave me be if I say I'll take it under advisement."

"No" he said popping his knuckles, "I'm supposed to make an example, a deadly one if I have to."

Kakashi sighed, "I was afraid as much, I suppose if you're responsible for Tenten's absence then your teammate's currently targeting both Naruto and Hinata."

"How'd you figure that?" he asked.

"I just figured as much, I'd be exhausting for just one person to take care of all of us even divided as we are. I'd be quite impressed if Naruto and Hinata both couldn't handle a single opponent."

"Then I guess you'll find my friend to be quite impressive Kakashi, he specializes in handling multiple opponents' at one time, I however enjoy more direct personal methods."

Steam begun rising from the man's hands, red and orange wisps began to swirl into his hands and form into a glowing ball of fire. Nenshō charged forward hurling the glowing orb at him. Kakashi jumped letting the fire pass under him, the fire hit the ground behind him and shifted shape moving to form a barrier behind him stretching from wall to wall of the alley but not burning the buildings. Kakashi closed the distance and swung at him; he dodged the swing and aimed a punch for his face, Kakashi caught his fist and swiped at his legs knocking him off balance. The metal plates of Neosho's rippled and warped shooting out forming long spikes around the surface, Kakashi jumped back the spikes just barely brushing his vest.

"So… it seems fire isn't your only trick, you have the ability to control metal as well." Kakashi tore his headband off and removed his metal plated gloves throwing them over the wall of fire. The metal spikes receded back into the chest plates and the surface smoothed out again, Kakashi watched with interest his red eyed Sharingan shone through the dark rain.

"Don't think you can copy this Jutsu Kakashi my ability to control fire and metals are my inherited traits my Kekkei Genkai." He explained a proud smirk on his face. "Zabuza was very excited to train me and my unique abilities… I once almost bested him with this ability."

"And now you wish to best me with it? I've removed the metal from my body and I've learned a few tricks in those four years."

Kakashi darted forward and delivered a kick to his chest, the chest piece shifted around his boot and as he pulled his foot away the metal had already consumed it his foot slipped out. He crouched and rocketed off his bare foot sending a straight punch into his chest hitting his own boot to avoid touching the metal slam him into the wall behind him.

A single metal spike shot forward but he dodged it before blocking a right hook, Neosho's hand shot forward another glowing orb of fire clutched within it, Kakashi sprung back as the orb brushed against his vest setting it on fire. Kakashi ripped the blazing vest off of him and tossed it aside on the wet ground, Nenshō held the orb up and threw it on the ground creating a bright blinding flash, Nenshō charged forward extending his metal bracers into a long blade and thrusting it through Kakashi's chest.

"I got you!" but as Nenshō heard it the sound of a thousand birds caught his attention, the Kakashi he stabbed disappeared in a puff of smoke as a cluster of lightning in his hand, he forced the armor place to form spikes to intercept him but it was too late, Kakashi tore through he spikes with his Chidori the split metal formed into new spikes and cut into his skin stabbing through his shoulder and belly.

The Chidori cut through Neosho's armor and tore through his skin, blood streamed through the wounds and pattered on the wet ground mixing with the mud and the rain swirling with the brown water turning it maroon.

A thin blue thread of chakra cut into Kakashi's arm keeping it from driving the Chidori into him further, Kakashi grabbed the metal spikes and tried to remove them but they wouldn't budge. Nenshō looked up to see Kumo perched up with a single chakra thread extending from his fingers and looped around Kakashi's arm restraining it from causing him further damage. The forked spikes coming from his armor had stabbed into Kakashi's belly and shoulder just inches away from his heart. The sound of the Chidori stopped and it took all of Neosho's strength to keep himself from keeling over from pain, it he didn't get any medical attention soon he was going to bleed to death, so was Kakashi.

Kumo looked worse for wear, he had no external injuries but he was clearly low on chakra from his Byakugan and taking care of the other two. The sound of feet splashing water sounded from behind and turned to see the brown haired girl run towards him a wooden bo staff in hand, somehow she had managed to free herself from her bonds.

"TENTEN!" shouted Kakashi causing her to stop, "STAY BACK!"

"Kakashi Hatake" said Kumo his voice sounding steady despite his apparent exhaustion, "None of us are in any condition to continue to finish this fight."

"Speak for yourself creep I'm still ready to go." Tenten shouted pointing the staff at him.

"TENTEN!" said Kakashi pulling his arm away from Nenshō's wound.

"We will part ways here" said Kumo releasing the chakra string around his arm as a sign of good faith. Nenshō moved away and with the help of a chakra sting Kumo pulled his comrade up to the roof will him. "Leave the Land of Wave's Kakashi Hatake, our presence and our work does not affect the Leaf Village." Said Kumo.

"You two are sounding like a broken record at this point." Said Tenten between gritted teeth, Kakashi shot her a look but decided to spare her the verbal lashing.

Kumo ignored her, "You can find your other two comrades next to our master's grave where I left them… alive if you're curious."

Kakashi slowly nodded as both shinobi disappeared into the rain.

"Tenten… we need to find Naruto and Hinata."

They walked through the muddy roads towards the grave keeping their pace brisk and steady though Kakashi was in no position to run. Despite her concerns about his wounds Kakashi walked on through the rain content with the simple patches he had slapped on for the moment.

He found them in the mossy clearing were he had buried Zabuza and Haku. Naruto was kneeling over Hinata a kunai stabbed into the ground for his to grab at a moment's notice. His jacked was on her zipped open the one she had been wearing was torn up and bloodied Naruto had stripped it off and given her his own to keep her warm, her shirt was cup open at the center exposing her chest were Naruto was applying whatever first aid he knew to her numinous wounds. The rain had soaked him and mud and blood covered Naruto's body, his hands were ghostly white from the cold as he worked the thread and needle to stitch a gash in her chest closed, his spikey blond hair was weighed down from the water and despite the rain his swollen red eyes betrayed tears.

"NARUTO" cried Tenten running to him as soon as he came into sight; she moved to help her injured friend taking out her own first aid kit to administer treatment as well.

"Help me" Naruto begged them, "help me… I… I can't stop the bleeding."