The sun rarely shone in Water Country. That day was no less dreary than the last, the sky dark and overcast. Jin didn't mind. He often found that warm, sunny days made him feel ill, and was never eager to feel that way. He was used to the cold, foggy air that rose up from the sea and lakes. The scent of the ocean soothed him, and reminded him that he was a master of the waves, the fog, the rain, and the snow and ice that sometimes fell, that nothing could stop him from achieving what he desired.

Fire Country was different. It was warm, and the sun was almost always shining, something that Jin would need to get used to. The warmth of the sun made him dizzy, and forced him to take long breaks. His journey to Konoha had been easy up until now, and he was almost certain that the sun was going to be the death of him, that he would burn up beneath its bright, warm rays.

Jin raked a hand through his black hair, closing his eyes to calm himself. When he opened them next, he removed the headband that marked him as one of Kiri's shinobi. He stared down at the headband, staring into the violet eyes that stared back at him. He hated those eyes.

It took a moment for him to compose himself, to slip back into the charming smile he had learned to wear, had perfected with years of practice. Men and women alike were all charmed by him, by his eyes, his delicately pale skin, that was almost, but not quite, sickly looking. They were charmed by every word he spoke, every look he flashed them, the way he seemed to hold an ethereal beauty that most could not match. Reminded of this, Jin felt more himself again. He was confident in himself again, comfortable with who he was, and what he could do.

The warmth of the Fire Country would not beat him. With a weary sigh, Jin rose to his feet and continued on his way towards Konoha. The Hokage knew of his arrival; a letter had been sent ahead of time to discuss cooperating in the interest of both countries' mutual benefit. Jin was to act as ambassador to discuss these matters, and then would be at the Hokage's disposal for whatever he needed, so that they could complete their task.

Jin was not fond of the Fire Country so far, but he supposed that the village of Konoha would have much to offer him in the way of information and perhaps access to beautiful kimonos that he did not have access to in Water Country. Either way, he was hanging on to the hope that things would get better, and perhaps that the heat and sun wouldn't be so bad inside the village. His hopes were soon to be dashed.

Shadows hid the faces of two men speaking hidden within the trees. Their voices were hushed and secretive, as if this were something they didn't want overheard by outside parties.

"They haven't caught on yet. We should have another three months before they figure anything out, and at least another six months after that before they figure out how to fix their problem. Everything will in motion by then, and it won't be possible to stop us by then. Everyone will be in place." The first man whispered, his gaze shifting along each branch and bush, in search of anyone who could overhear them.

A resounding crack rang out through the trees, startling the birds perched in their nests into flight. "There's no way they can figure it out now." The second man let out a contemptuous snort, allowing the first man's corpse to drop to the ground, his neck bent at an impossible angle. "You will not let anything slip again." A moment later, he was gone, his departure hidden by the shadows and smoke he had let loose. He was certain that their plan would proceed more smoothly now.

Several miles away, a child screamed. The sound resounded throughout the soundproofed building, warning the other children of what fate was soon to befall them. The scream was cut short a moment later, replaced by the snarls of something distinctly inhuman.

The other children were scared. Who was to be next? What was going to happen to them? Were they even going to survive? Most of the children who were beckoned away never returned, and those that did return, only returned for a few moments, soon to be pulled away to who knew where. The ones that returned always returned with dead eyes.

The children were scared.

"Hatake-san, is Team Seven ready for a B-ranked mission? Normally, I would not assign a B-ranked mission to a genin team. However, you have been requested personally for this particular mission." The Hokage spoke quietly, eyeing the copy-nin quietly, as if gauging his reaction.

"Oh? I see." The copy-nin's expression didn't change except for the narrowing of his one visible eye. However, even if his expression had changed, his mask would have hidden it. "Team Seven are well on their way to being ready for the Chuunin Exams, even Naruto. With how they proved themselves protecting Tazuna-san and taking on Zabuza and Haku, I believe they would be capable of taking on a B-ranked mission."

"I see, I see…" The Hokage breathed a heavy sigh, and then took a deep breath. "Kirigakure has requested our help in a matter that extends far beyond their reach. They have sent one of their jounin as ambassador to explain what exactly is going on, and to assist in this matter. Shiraishi Jin-san is expected to arrive sometime this week. I have been assured that despite his...quirks, he is more than adequate to assist in this matter. That being said, once he has arrived, it will be up to you and Team Seven to make sure he settles in, and to make friends with him. Without his friendship and cooperation, this will not work. Do you understand, Hatake Kakashi-san?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama." Kakashi bowed his briefly and took the file the Hokage extended to him.

"Good. You may go. I'm sure Team Seven will be excited for their next B-rank mission." At those words, Kakashi turned and left the room.

Once out in the bright sunlight, he made his way towards the training grounds, where he was sure that his students awaited him. When he arrived, he avoided them, instead making his way into a tree where he could read the file he had been given and watch his students become more and more impatient with every passing minute.

Kakashi shifted his gaze to the file and opened it. He was met with the photo of a man who smiled charmingly back at him. The expression on his face made him wonder if this 'Jin' was actually a prostitute. The expression on his face practically screamed 'come hither, and I'll please you beyond your wildest fantasies.' Kakashi wondered if he should expose his students to someone like this, when, ironically, his preferred genre of literature was something they probably shouldn't be exposed to, either..

He continued reading down the page, curiously now. Most everything before the age of twelve hadn't been included in his file, not even where he had grown up, or when he had graduated from Kiri's academy. It did, however, mention that Jin had once been ANBU, and had also formerly been a hunter-nin. Kakashi supposed that Jin's reputation was rather impressive, considering that he was only twenty-three, a mere three years younger than Kakashi, who had also been ANBU. It was suspicious, though, that so much was missing from his file.

Kakashi glanced up when the birds in the surrounding trees burst into the sky, startled by Naruto's unintelligible shriek of impatience from below. He supposed it was about time he go down to brief his students.

"KAKASHI-SENSEI, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Naruto shrieked, his lips drawn back in an irritated snarl, and his face red with his impatience. Sakura only looked mildly irritated, though he was sure that she was seething inside. Sasuke was the only one who looked as if he didn't care, his dark eyes bored and impassive.

"Yo, I was just helping an old lady across the street." Kakashi replied, smiling beneath his mask. And then his expression grew grave. "Never mind that, I have some news for you…"