The sun rose on the horizon, its golden rays chasing away the clouds and mist.
Deep in a forest in the Land of Fire, A and Killer B led a force of fewer than a thousand Cloud Ninja, moving swiftly through the trees toward Konoha. Every ninja in the force was skilled, and despite their numbers, they made little noise as they traveled through the forest.
"Big brother, we're being followed!"
As they moved, Killer B turned and quietly spoke to A. His senses reached farther than those of any sensory ninja in the force. He had already detected the few men tailing them.
"How many?"
A nodded slightly and asked.
"Three!" Killer B said quietly. Then a smile spread across his face. "I'll take care of them and catch up with you."
At Killer B's suggestion, A nodded. With his approval, Killer B slowed down and drifted to the rear of the force. He set a trap among the trees, then hid nearby, ready to ambush whoever came.
Killer B was still young, and this was his first time leaving the village on a mission as a Jinchuriki. It was also his first time on a mission behind enemy lines, so he was eager to make a good impression.
A little over ten minutes after the Cloud Ninja had left, a three-man squad appeared in the forest and hurried in the direction they had gone. But as they made their way through the trees, one of them triggered Killer B's trap. A thunderous explosion ripped through the forest.
Killer B shot out of hiding and attacked the three men.
"Damn! It's—"
"Boom!"
The explosion echoed far into the distance. In a mountain ravine more than ten kilometers away, Uzumaki Kuming, resting with his team, suddenly opened his eyes.
"Captain!