Along the northern border of the Land of Hot Water, clouds hung low, and the air was thick with the stifling tension that preceded a great battle.
Far from the coastline, these hills held none of the misty warmth of the land of hot springs. Only the mountain wind's mournful howl and the rustle of trampled vegetation remained.
In a dense forest roughly ten kilometers from the Konoha Border Outpost, over a thousand Kumogakure ninja quietly assembled like a pack of wolves beneath the cover of night.
Most were powerfully built, clad in dark armor that allowed easy movement. Their forehead protectors reflected a cold gleam whenever moonlight slipped through the gaps in the trees.
No one spoke. Only their quiet, steady breathing and the faint scrape of metal marked them as an elite force of exceptional discipline.
Two particularly striking figures stood at the head of the formation.
One was a young man of extraordinary height and bulk, with dark skin, short blond hair, and a face as resolute as iron.
Merely standing there, he resembled an immovable mountain. Fine arcs of electricity flickered around him, giving off a wild, formidable aura. He was A, the future Fourth Raikage and Kumogakure's current frontline commander.
The other was a little shorter but equally muscular, a youth with long black hair and a lightning-shaped tattoo beneath his left eye.
His lips seemed to be silently working through a rhythm, and his body swayed slightly to some unheard beat. He looked somewhat... distracted.
This was Killer B, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki and future "Murderous Bee."
"Big brother, they're just Konoha's border troops. Do we really need to be this careful? Why wait until the dead of night?"
Killer B finally couldn't hold back any longer. He lowered his voice, a trace of impatience