Author's note: Saiyuki's a new obsession of mine. I just thought that it really mixed with Yu Yu Hakusho since Kurama, being a thief, would obviously try to steal the scripture if he knew about it.

Note: italics indicate thoughts.

Once Upon a Thief
Chapter One

The tavern was shabby and filth-ridden, typical of the Makai, but youkai still frequent this particular one. It was in the middle of nowhere, hidden by mountains on one side and trees on the others. The general rule of the tavern was "don't ask questions"; doing so could get you killed. Added to the fact that it was governed by no ruler, this little bar provided the perfect place to gather and share information.

"Hey, did you hear about what happened to Ryoku and his team?" one youkai said to his companion to the right to him. He had dark green skin, pointed ears and sharp teeth and claws. "Weren't they in the Ningenkai?" his companion asked and took a drink from his cup. He had grey skin and red eyes. "Yeah," the first one replied.

"Don't tell me they got killed by some human," the grey one said.

"Actually, he did," the green youkai said, "But apparently, it was no ordinary human." The green youkai leaned a bit closer to his companion and whispered, "Have you heard about the five Founding Scriptures of Heaven and Earth?" His companion shook his head. "It's a rare and sacred artifact that's being sought out by youkai all over Togenkyo. The human, this Sanzo as he's called, holds one of the scriptures."

"Ryoku's team wasn't that strong but killed by just one human? I don't buy it."

"The human wasn't alone; he's traveling west with three others. All youkai, supposedly. Thanks to them, no one can possibly get near the scripture, much less steal it."

Neither of them noticed the eavesdropper sitting in the back corner, hidden under a dark cloak. Despite how quiet they tried to keep the conversation, they could not hide it from the sensitive ears of Youko Kurama. He knew this would be a great place to catch wind of valuable heists, but he did not expect to hear about something like this. If this scripture really was so impossible to steal, then it would prove as the perfect challenge for Kurama. The youko smiled, downed the last of his drink and left the tavern.

- - -

"Genjo Sanzo, we're here for you life. If you want to keep it, hand over the scripture now." The band of youkai standing before the four travelers raised their respective weapons to emphasize the point.

The four them were unimpressed. In fact, they looked downright bored.

"Couldn't they come up with something more original?" Goku complained as he slowly climbed out of the back of the Jeep they were traveling on.

"Nah," Gojyo retorted as he did the same, "that would be expecting too much from them."

Sanzo and Hakkai stepped out of the vehicle as well. "Quit your yapping and let's get this over with." The monk was not happy.

Needless to say, the battle was over too quickly. The band was smaller than the usual size and they just as incompetent as previous ones. Despite all that, Sanzo was getting more and more pissed off. This routine was getting really, really old. As much as he enjoyed shooting the crap out of moronic demons – it helps in relieving stress – all the interruptions were slowing down the journey west. They were already a week behind schedule. However, that was not the only reason behind his mood. Lately, it felt as if…

"Sanzo, let's get going," Hakkai said as he climbed back in the Hakuryu.

The four rode on for a while in silence. Goku, watching from the back, noticed that everyone was tense. He simply accredited it to the annoyance of yet another pointless attack. As the miles stretched on, however, their tension did not lessen and the silence dragged on. Something was wrong.

"What's going on? Why's everyone so quiet?" Goku demanded.

"Sanzo, you felt it, too?" Hakkai asked the monk, completely ignoring Goku's question.

Sanzo nodded.

"Felt what?" Goku asked, getting a bit angry at being ignored.

"Do you think we can lose him?" Gojyo inquired. Again, Goku's question remained unanswered.

"I tried to a few days ago," Hakkai replied, "but with all these attacks, he keeps catching up."

"What are you guys talking about?" Goku screamed.

"Urusai, baka saru," Sanzo said, "Haven't you noticed yet? We're being followed."

"Followed?" The anger turned to confusion.

"Yes," replied Hakkai, "It seems for several days now."

"Who's following us?" Goku asked, glancing around and trying to see if he could spot their stalker from the back of the Jeep. "Is he one of Kougaiji's?"

"I don't know but I somehow doubt it," Hakkai responded, "This one just feels different to me."

"Ch, who cares?" retorted Sanzo, "He'll show his face sooner or later, and then we'll deal with him. For now, we wait."

- - -

Finding the portal that led to Togenkyo, the so-called land of paradise in southwestern China, was harder than the youko previously thought. While Japan is littered with portals between the Makai and the Ningenkai, they are rare in China. Added to the fact that Enma-daioh placed a barrier on all the portals, Kurama had a very difficult time.

Finding Sanzo-ikkou, however, was quite the opposite. All the youko had to do was follow the path of dead youkai bodies. And there were plenty of them to follow.

Kurama had been tracking the four of them for a week now, watching for an opening to make his move. He did his best to hide his youki and keep his distance, but it seemed that he must have slipped up somewhere because they became conscious of his presence. That would make the job a bit more challenging but then again, that was why he was here. The more difficult a heist is, the more Kurama wanted to accomplish it. And this heist was said to be impossible.

And once I steal what apparently can't be stolen, my name will be known all across the three worlds, Kurama thought.

From the week of watching from afar, the silver youko could tell that if he were ever to battle them face to face in a fair fight, he would probably not stand a chance. Despite how strong Kurama was, the four of Sanzo-ikkou worked too well as a team. They were not brainless youkai that made up the majority of the Makai. No way could the youko take on all four at once.

With them aware of my existence, the sneak approach will be a bit trickier, Kurama thought to himself, but I wouldn't be Youko Kurama if I didn't know how to get around that. He stared at the direction the Jeep and smiled in anticipation. It won't be long now, Sanzo Houshi.

Yeah, this story may die. It sounded like a cool idea when I started writing... Anyway, do tell me what you think.