This old man has been dissing us for the whole hour and forty-five minutes we've been walking, which I'm not too fussed about. But he's stiring Naruto up like a ferret with a string and that's making this trip a lot louder than it has to be...

"I'm a great ninja, you can't talk to me that way!"

"You're a knee high brat that fishermen could use as fish bait. Only when the worms ran out though, fish go for quality first."

"What'd you say to me, Old Man!"

I tuned the rest out for my own sanity.

The mid-day sun belted down on us as we travelled along the worn dirt path between the high walls of dense forestry. I wiped away the sweat that had been collecting on my forehead and fluffed out my mask to get some cool air on the concealed part of my face and neck. I'd so much rather travel in the rain...

As I thought it, a puddle was coming up on the path in front of us. I was trailing last in our convoy and watched as the other companies avoided the puddle as they walked. I was then distracted from the suns glare off the smooth unblemished surface of the water and as a familiar tingling sensation crept in to the back of my mind.

Someone's watching us.

My dark eyes shifted over our surroundings. The trees faded together. The leaves blended in to a thick coverage for anyone wanting to attack. Has anyone else noticed? Does Kakashi know we're being followed? He's a Jonin, which is apparently a big deal round here. Would he signal if he noticed something? Na, he wouldn't. He's a bastard like that.

I stopped mid step. My foot hanging just over the puddle I had been about to step in. My sandle hung only inches from the surface, yet, there was no reflection.

A gloved hand darted from the water and latched around my ankle, with a flick of the wrist I went flying off the road.

Righting myself mid-air I skided to a stop crouching on my feet, katana unsheathed and held horizontally in front of me. Focusing back on the team just as two assailants pulled their chained limbs and sliced my father to pieces.

Numbing static ran between my ears and the breath froze in my lungs. But my body was already moving again.

My feet barely skimmed the ground as I sprinted behind the two men who were now attacking my team mates. Weaving around the flying chains that struck out behind them before going forward at Naruto and Sasuke. Sakura a small distance away covering Tazuna. I didn't slow as I skidded on my knee low to the ground between the attackers. And with swift, near invisible slices of my blade, violent streams of blood sprayed from both attackers achilles like a broken water faucet.

I spun abruptly behind Naruto and Sasuke as I jumped to my feet again, katana dripping crimson and ready for the next attack. I couldn't feel anything. Not the heat from the sun. Not the breath in my lungs. There was only the numbing vibrations richosheing around my skull that kept everything else at bay and my goals entirely towards the fight in front of me and upholding the mission.

All four achilles we're still pissing out blood as they continued their chained assault. The tips looked to be dripping a purple liquid that I'm sure would cause some problems if it got in to the bloodstream.

We made a wishbone shape, Sasuke, Naruto and I making up the 'U', and Sakura and Tazuna forming the tail for an adequate defense against these unknown assailants. Their clothes suggested great travelling purposes and their faces remained hidden to keep their identities, rogues or robbers maybe? We don't look rich. There were no markings, symbols or styles that suggested a particular region or profession to me. Only that they were here to kill.

Sasuke darted forward to attack the left attacker, dodging the spiked tips of the chained arms and attempting to strike the man's torso with his kunai. Leftys feet were off balance from the still bleeding injury, but he was skilled and deflected all of Sasukes attacks, before he jumped back in to formation.

Naruto wasn't moving. He was frozen. Kunai shakily held out in front of him as his wide blue eyes watched unobservingly.

An extension in one of the chains had me leaping backwards to deflect it before it was a problem for Sakura and Tazuna. I twisted my kunai around the chain and pulled hard, bringing the metal arm appendage out of it's socket and falling to the ground with a plume of dust floating around it's remains.

Just as the second attacker sent his poison tipped chain at Naruto. I saw blood splatter the dirt before Sasuke jumped in to defend him.

A flash of silver.

Suddenly Kakashi was standing next to the assailants that were somehow tied back to back in a crumbled mess on the ground.

A close-eyed smile directed our way as he swung a kunai skillfully around his completely not dead finger.

"Well done team."

What a bastard. How old is Kakashi? Doesn't matter. He's old enough for me to hate him.