The Greatest Heist

Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine. Believe it! …And I don't own any other brand names or organizations alluded to in the course of this story. Believe it!

WARNING: If you hadn't realized already from the summary and previous chapters, this story will contain mild shounen ai and shojo ai. In fact, there's a bit of shojo ai in this chapter, although its nothing graphic.

A/N: I am extremely apologetic for the late update. I've been really busy, what with science fair (which is over, thank God), music rehearsals (which are not over), and school in general. I actually meant to have this chapter finished two weeks ago, but life caught up with me and I caught a case of writers block. -bows- Gomen. I also apologize for the lack of action (of any sort) in this chapter. I'm still establishing the back story, but I promise chapter four will have all sorts of exciting chase scenes! Anyway, Read and Review!

Thanks to Mrs. Usui for making me realize how stupid I was by calling the thieves after animals from the Chinese zodiac. Also, thanks to fourthiv for giving me inspiration (albeit indirectly) for Gaara's outfit. I love you both!


Chapter Three:
We're Queer! We're Here! Get Used to It!

The inner sanctum of Konoha City's police station was as dark and quiet as a tomb. Most officers were either at home or on duty, with only two left to hold down the fort. That pair was up front in the lobby, idly watching television and playing cards. The only other officers in the building were locked up in their offices, either organizing their files or preparing case reports.

Both Sasuke and Neji had opted to stay on after their shifts to review various unsolved robbery cases in and around Konoha City, trying to find which ones could have possibly been caused by their mystery gang. So far, their search had only encompassed a third of the robbery files.

"Damn him." muttered Uchiha Sasuke vehemently. "Damn him." His normally gelled and styled hair looked unkempt, and there were dark circles under his eyes, evidence of many late nights of working and sorting paperwork. In front of the officer was a slim computer, the pallid light from its surface reflecting in the pale man's ivory skin. He typed a few commands on the keyboard angrily, then picked up one of the large dossiers lying to his right. "Suna District." he muttered, entering the information into his computer. "June 12, 2004. A shipment of various precious metals from the mining camps. Worth approximately six hundred, twenty-five thousand dollars." He whistled softly, taking the paper and placing it on top of a rapidly growing stack of cases he had already investigated.

Sasuke leaned back on his swivel chair, running a weary hand through his hair and massaging his temples. He began to think aloud. "Many unsolved robbery cases are unrelated and happen in random places. They are also seemingly unplanned and spontaneous, such as various convenience-store holdups. But there is another group of thieveries that seem well planned and thought out. They also involve greater sums of money and more valuable items. In this category of planned robberies, there seems to be at least two groups at work. One steals mostly mediocre treasures, such as second-rate artworks or small, virtually unguarded jewel shipments. They cover their tracks well, and the cases involving them are usually dropped quickly. The other goes for high-value items, often those that are hyped up by the media and involved with celebrities. This would seem to be the gang we are looking for."

Neji looked up from where he had been bent over trying to decipher cramped script on a preliminary case report. "None of them have been caught so far." he informed Sasuke. "This gang is, I assume, relatively new or very, very good, as we haven't even come close to catching them before."

Sasuke nodded, pinching the bridge of his nose. "And Orochimaru wants us to sort through this mountain of data looking for information on a gang we've only encountered once, expecting us to find their secret hideout, mount a raid, and capture them all in one fell swoop."

His partner laughed wryly. "Anything's possible." he commented.

"And that theory seems exactly what Orochimaru is trying to test." replied Sasuke, closing his eyes. "I can't do this anymore, Nej. Let's go."

His partner nodded. "Great idea. It's already-" he checked his watch "-one 'o' clock in the morning, and I'm exhausted."

The two stood up stiffly, grabbed their belongings and stuffed them into briefcases, then left the room.

---

"This is delicious!" exclaimed Naruto, muffin crumbs spraying out of his mouth to land on the table and his companions.

"Ack!" Kiba shoved his chair back quickly, nearly falling off in the process. "Say it, don't spray it!" Akamaru, zipped up safely in his tan jacket, yipped in agreement.

The blonde finished chewing his large mouthful and swallowed quickly. "Sorry." he said contritely, shoving even more of his giant poppy seed muffin into his mouth.

"Geez, Naruto." commented Anko, sitting back and clomping her booted feet on the table. "If you're gonna be a pig, you're gonna pay next time." She slurped her brightly colored smoothly loudly.

"Like you're any better." muttered Shikamaru, his head pillowed on the table, Danish lying forgotten in front of him. He scooted away from the trench-coated woman's combat boots.

"Shika, I think you're starting to drool." Anko retorted, sticking her tongue out at him.

The genius' only reply was to close his eyes and go back to sleep.

"Hey guys, I'm back!" called Tenten, exiting the café with two steaming cups. She was wearing her customary Chinese-style pink blouse coupled with pale green slacks, and her hair was done up in identical brunette buns. The woman walked over to their patio table and set one in front of Shikamaru, keeping the other for herself. "Here ya go, Shika."

The pony tailed man muttered something that sounded like 'thanks' and sat up slowly. His black collared shirt was unbuttoned to reveal a tight mesh shirt which outlined his tight muscles as he lethargically sipped his drink.

Naruto watched him interestedly for a few minutes, then shook his head and looked up. "I'm bored."

"I'm not." replied Kiba happily, flashing his trademark grin at a group of giggling girls.

Anko smacked him upside the head, nearly causing him to fall face-first into his chocolate éclair. "You disgust me."

"Hey!" complained Kiba, sitting back up and checking to make sure Akamaru was unhurt. "What was that for?"

"Not so cool now, are you?" asked Naruto smugly. It was his turn to ogle the laughing group.

Anko shoved him so hard that he almost fell of his chair.

"Yah!" the blonde yelled in fright, grabbing at anything that would keep him steady. He finally regained his balance and pouted. "That was totally uncalled for!"

Anko grinned at him and returned to her croissant.

Shikamaru chuckled slightly. "You guys are troublesome." he stated, still smiling.

Tenten was too busy giggling to say a word.

---

The café was warm and cheery, filled with businesspeople getting a quick coffee and a bite to eat before heading off to their jobs. Neji sat with Sasuke at a small corner table, a ritual that had begun when the pale-eyed man had first been partnered with the rookie. He sipped his light-colored latte pensively, observing the other guests with their suits and hurried demeanors.

"Shift starts at two." muttered Sasuke, slowly tearing apart his croissant.

His companion nodded, taking a bite of his cheese Danish.

"Have you gotten any ideas about the robberies?"

Neji shook his head. "None. I know we're close to finding a pattern, but… none of the carefully planned robberies are alike, and the unplanned ones aren't what we're looking for."

Sasuke nodded, getting up from his seat and walking around to Neji's side of the table. He extracted a black laptop from his briefcase and opened it in front of the brunette.

The pale-eyed man found himself staring at a map of Konoha's inner city, the district where most of the robberies had occurred. The unsolved, planned thefts were marked in green, while the uncompleted burglaries were in blue.

"What do you notice about this map?" asked Sasuke, leaning over Neji to look at the screen.

"Most of these robberies seem to focus on the warehouse and shipping district and the financial center." replied Neji, willing his mind to make sense of the multitude of dots covering the map.

His partner shut the laptop with a decisive click and withdrew to his side of the table. "Exactly. So I assume that the thieves are based in the warehouse district."

"Why the warehouse district?" Neji asked, although he already thought he knew.

"Big empty buildings, infrequent police patrolling, valuable shipments…"

Neji nodded. "So… how're you going to use this?"

Sasuke pursed his lips. "I'm not sure yet, but at least we have an idea of where they are. I think it's time to visit our informants."

His companion nodded. "Who are you going to see?"

"Gaara."

"Who?" Neji was confused - the name sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it.

Sasuke smirked. "Just look him up in the IT files (1). You'll find out who he is soon enough. Who're you visiting?"

"Hinata and her journalist girlfriend whatshername."

"The psycho one?"

Neji nodded and smiled slightly. "Well, she's a high-ranking crime reporter. I'd assume she knows something."

Sasuke snorted. "She's more of a psycho gay rights activist than anything. Good luck with that."

Neji got up from the table and threw the remains of his latte into the trash. "You too. I had better get going; you made me curious - I want to look up Gaara in our files."

"Heh. See you at two." replied Sasuke, tossing back the rest of his espresso with one gulp.

The partners exited to their separate cars and drove off quietly.

---

Haku yawned as he plodded into the police station, flanked by Zabuza.

A man looked up as they entered. He had gravity-defying white hair that flopped up and to the side, and was wearing a scarf that disguised most of his lower face. "Rough night, Haku?" he asked, winking.

"Yeah, Kakashi, I… Hey!" Haku looked indignant as he figured out Kakashi's innuendo. "Pervert!"

Zabuza chuckled. "Just a little bit. We only-"

His companion interrupted him, blushing. "I do not appreciate you talking about our sex life to random perverts!" he declared angrily.

Kakashi looked insulted. "I'm not just a random pervert!" he cried, holding a hand over his heart. "You wound me, my dear Haku! I am a super pervert!"

The feminine officer grinned, laughing. "That's not much better, Lieutenant."

Zabuza rolled his eyes, grasping Haku's shoulder and steering him away from the white-haired policeman. "Let's leave the 'super pervert' to his naughty imagination."

His companion smirked and winked lewdly at Kakashi, then left to find his new workspace.

Zabuza smiled at his shorter companion, watching Haku's long brown locks sway against his back as he moved. The happiness left his face almost immediately when they reached the small desk that was now Haku's workspace. It was piled high with messy stacks of papers for him to look over and complete.

"Matching fingerprints… writing up case files… sorting intelligence… Haku, this is going to take you at least a week!" Zabuza could feel his anger growing at Orochimaru and his sadistic punishments.

Haku's lips tightened into a slight grimace. "Well… I'll just have to get it over with." he said tersely, pulling out his chair and flopping into it. His eyes narrowed as he grabbed a random file and opened it, spilling out the papers across the desk.

The taller man could see Haku's knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists tightly. The brunette's face was pale, and he seemed to be barely holding his anger in check. His frustration and helplessness made Zabuza want to go and punch the living daylights out of their heartless commander. He barely mastered the impulse, and said instead, "Hey, Haku?"

"…Yes?" the feminine police officer managed to choke out through gritted teeth.

"If you need any help, just call me, 'kay?"

His companion gave him a tight, mirthless grin. "I'll be finished by tonight."

Zabuza stared.

"I'm not a genius for nothing."

---

The Suna district of Konoha City was largely unpopulated. It was one of the poorest and most crime-ridden areas, home to at least three known gangs and probably more the police had not encountered yet.

Sasuke strode down the deserted streets, alert for any sign of life. He was off-duty, wearing his customary black shirt, slacks, and long trench coat. The wind blew dust and scraps of paper over his boots as he hurried towards one of the few occupied buildings in the area. It was a multi-storied apartment complex, dingy but lived in. Outside the door stood a stone-faced red-head, watching the world through a pair of slitted eyes.

He was shirtless under his black leather jacket, a row of sheathed knives strapped diagonally across his chest. His dark pants were tight and tucked into a pair of medieval style boots. Eyeliner was smeared thickly around his eyes, and there was a metal-studded leather band around his throat, presumably to protect it.

"Gaara." acknowledged Sasuke with a nod.

The teenager turned his chilly aquamarine gaze onto the man, but stayed silent. He blinked his strange eyes once, to show he was listening.

"I have some questions for you." continued Sasuke.

The boy shifted slightly, red locks falling away to reveal the Japanese kanji for 'love' tattooed onto his forehead. "Ask away." he commanded in a deep voice. "I don't have to answer you."

Sasuke, used to Gaara's taciturn nature, went ahead with his questioning. "Did your gang have anything to do with the mining shipment robbery two years ago?"

The teenager watched him silently before asking, "Which one?"

"Various precious and semi-precious metals, already refined, with a value of approximately six hundred, twenty-five thousand dollars."

The red-head blinked owlishly at him, then shook his head.

"Do you know who did it?"

"Not us. New guys."

The dark-haired man nodded slowly, thinking. "How about the Andy Warhol painting in 2005?" (2)

"Don't do paintings."

"Was it stolen by the same people?"

The boy shrugged, expression unchanging. "Don't care." he replied.

Sasuke barely refrained from rolling his eyes. "And yesterday?"

"What about yesterday?"

"The attempted robbery at the Gaskill Industries- don't tell me you haven't heard about it."

"I have…"

"Well? Did the same people do it?" pressed Sasuke, becoming impatient.

"The same people as what?"

"The same people that stole the metals, and possibly took that painting!"

Gaara did not reply. "I need to get going." he said instead, turning to leave.

"Why can't you tell me anything?" asked Sasuke, frustrated at the lack of help.

"We're on opposite sides, remember?" With that, Gaara turned and walked back into the building, locking the door behind him.

Sasuke sighed. "Right…" he muttered, walking away.

---

'Sabaku Gaara. Age: 18. Accomplished knife fighter, became leader of the infamous Kazekage gang at the age of sixteen. Suspected in the Trent, Yashamaru, Sinclair, Kessinger, and Danielson murders, however was not prosecuted due to lack of evidence. Certifiably insane with multiple personality tendencies and is thought to be bipolar.'

Neji put the paper down slowly, whistling in awe. "Sabaku Gaara, eh?" he muttered. "Where does Sasuke get such crazy informants?" The guy's record was impressive - only eighteen, but suspected in at least four murder cases. Add that to the fact that he was the leader of one of the city's largest gangs, certifiably insane, and had never spent even a day in jail… That Gaara was one hell of a guy.

As he looked up, he saw a spiky-haired blonde woman approaching. "Good morning, Officer Hyuuga." she greeted, smiling politely.

"Hello, Officer Sabaku." Upon saying her name, it hit him. He looked down to the paper he was holding - 'Sabaku Gaara' - and back up to Temari. "Are you related to Sabaku Gaara?" he asked curiously.

Temari paled slightly. "…He's my brother." she replied hesitantly. "Has he gotten arrested?"

Neji shook his head. "No, I just found his name in the IT files. Just curious."

The blonde nodded, biting her lip. "He… I don't really have anything to do with him anymore." she said.

"It's fine, Temari. I was just wondering."

The officer nodded and hurried away. After a moment, Neji emulated her, walking quickly towards his car. He still had a lot to get done.

---

The bright sun beat down on the lush green grass of the park. Shikamaru was lying on his back, sleeping, while Naruto and Kiba busied themselves by tossing an orange Frisbee back and forth, playing keep away with Akamaru. Anko was reclined comfortably in the wide, shady branches of a tree, kicking her legs back and forth. Tenten sat under the same tree, leaning her back against the wide shaggy trunk. The two watched the boys silently for a while, grateful for the cool shade.

Finally, Tenten spoke. "Hey, Anko?" she called up to the woman, looking up to see her combat boots dangling down through the foliage.

"Mm-hm?" came the lazy reply.

"Um… where did you guys come from, anyway?"

"Well…" Anko began mischievously. Tenten could imagine the devilish grin on her face. "When a mommy and a daddy love each other very much-"

Tenten cut her off with a snort. "That wasn't what I was asking, and you know it. I wanted to know- Yipe!" Anko had launched herself from the branch and landed in a crouch at the brunette's feet. Tenten clutched at her rapidly beating heart, breathing hard. "Don't ever, ever do that again." she said shakily.

Anko smirked impishly. "Haha! Scared you!" she declared, laughing.

The brunette huffed.

Settling herself comfortably against the tree trunk, Anko ended up sprawled next to Tenten. "You wanted to ask something?"

Her friend nodded. "Sorry if it's uncomfortable, I was just wondering - what are you all's stories? Like, what happened to make you join this?"

The purple-haired woman smiled brightly, although there was a shadow of pain left in her eyes. "No problem." she said easily. "Who do you want to start with?"

Tenten thought for a moment. "…Shika, I guess. What happened to him?"

"Heh. You picked the most interesting one, that's for sure. Unlike us, Shika had a pretty normal childhood - two parents, a sister and a brother, a dog and a cat, a nice house, money; all that good stuff. His parents were always encouraging him to try in everything he did, and, being a good little kid, he didn't want to let them down. So he did his best. He graduated high school at age fourteen and was the valedictorian of his class. But after he got into Notre Dame, his parents' pressuring got even worse. Finally he got fed up with school and dropped out. He thought his parents would support him, but…" Anko bit her lip.

"They kicked him out?"

"Right. So Shika used his hacking skills to get some money and lived on the streets. He hired himself out to various people that needed an a computer whiz, and… that's how we found him."

"Wow… that's pretty messed up."

Anko snorted. "No kidding." she said dryly. "Who's next?"

Tenten gazed at the two boys, now wrestling each other for control of the toy. She hesitated slightly, not sure which one she should ask about.

The purple-haired woman gave a lopsided grin. "I guess it doesn't matter who you choose. Their stories are basically the same. Kiba's dad was an abusive drunk, his mom was always hopped up on drugs. Finally, they just kicked him out. Naruto's parents both died in the turf wars between the Akatsuki and the Kyuubis - Yondaime, his dad, was leader of that gang; it died out a couple years later. He lived on the streets after that; the police didn't care enough to take him in. Somehow, they both got together and lived by stealing. Trust me - you don't want either of them near your wallet… and locked doors don't stop them either." She paused for a reminiscent laugh. "Anyway, they were trying to rob this guy's house, and they were caught. But instead of turning them into the police, the guy adopted them. That was Mom."

"Iruka-sensei?" asked Tenten, smiling. That sounded exactly like something the kind man would do.

"So anyway, we contacted them because of their infamous stealing skills. And when they joined us, Iruka joined too."

"Does he have a story?"

"Everyone does." replied Anko. She halted Tenten's retort with a wave of her hand. "He was a university student who couldn't get a good job. What he really wanted to do was teach, but the salary wasn't enough and there were no teaching positions available. So he joined us, and now he's Mom."

The brunette closed her eyes for a moment, wondering her companions' pasts. "And yet, they're almost normal."

At this Anko laughed happily. "Good one, Ten."

After Anko explained about her friends' pasts, there was a comfortable silence as they both reflected on their past experiences. Finally, Tenten piped up again. "What about you?" she asked hesitantly.

Her friend gave a short laugh that sounded slightly like a sigh. "Long story." she said dryly, slumping lower until she was lying on the ground.

The brunette looked down at the grass, plucking a few strands and rolling them between her fingers pensively. "Care to tell me?"

The purple haired woman pursed her lips, indecision wavering in her eyes. "I guess so." she said quietly. "I can't tell you about all of my friends without talking about myself." She paused for a moment before beginning. "I was a member of Yondaime's gang, the Kyuubis for as long as I could remember. My parents died the same time as Naruto's mom and dad, fighting the Akatsuki. I stayed with the Kyuubis for a while longer, until they fell apart. When that happened, about eight or so years ago, I was lost without anyone to turn to. Then Orochimaru took me in."

She spat out the last sentence bitterly, causing Tenten to look up curiously. "Isn't Orochimaru commander of the police department?"

Her companion nodded slightly, expression growing bitter. "He fed me and clothed me, which I felt indebted to him for. So when he treated me like a possession, like a toy, I felt that I was only giving him his due. I was only fourteen, after all."

"What?" Tenten was horrified at this revelation. "You mean-"

"Heh. Exactly. He raped me, abused me, and I took it passively. Exactly like I was supposed to. I lived with him for three years until Kankuro, one of my friends from school, saw the bruises. He wouldn't stop bugging me about them, so finally I caved and told him about Orochimaru. He was disgusted - just like you are now, I suppose." Anko noted, smirking at Tenten's wide-eyed look of revulsion. "Anyway, he brought me to his brother, Gaara, who was leader of the Kazekage gang in the Suna district. He agreed to get me away from that snaky bastard if I joined the Kazekages - they needed a strategist-hacker person. So they saved me and gave me a place to live. I left them two years ago, not because of any hard feelings, but because they had found a better hacker and I had found a better gang - this one." Anko smiled brightly, not quite disguising the pain in her eyes.

Tenten couldn't speak, she was so disturbed by Anko's revelations.

"So, now what? Are you going to leave because you can't bear sitting next to someone as defiled as me?" Anko spat, glaring at Tenten confrontationally.

"No." the brunette replied firmly. "It's disgusting what that bastard did to you, but I'm not going to leave. It's not your fault. Got it?"

Anko let out her breath in a small 'huff.' "Sorry, Ten." she said.

The two sat in in a awkward silence until Tenten spoke again. "Anko… are you bipolar?"

The shorter woman burst out laughing. "Gee, thanks." When her laughing fit had subsided, she leaned back against the tree trunk again, wearing a small smile.

---

Neji sat awkwardly in the waiting room, trying to find something to occupy himself. The thirty storey view had been interesting for the first five minutes, but now he was just bored. It had been at least fifteen minutes since the secretary had paged his informant, and she still had not arrived. He was about to get up himself and fetch her, when a panting woman burst through the doors.

Her long, blue-black hair was braided so that it hung down behind her back, and her strangely pale eyes were accented by a thin layer of eyeliner. "I'm sorry…" she panted, smoothing down her skirts. "I didn't mean to keep you waiting, but we had just received a call from the commander-in-chief of the- Oh! Neji!"

"Good morning, Cousin Hinata." replied Neji. This woman was a far cry from the timid, insecure girl he used to be like a big brother to. She had matured in both body and mind, gaining new self confidence and filling out her slim curves.

"Sorry about the wait." she said, laughing slightly. "It's just that Ino got a call from one of the higher-ups in the army, and she made me stay to see what he wanted. Come on back, I'm sure she'll be happy to see you."

Neji followed her down a bland corridor to a pale walnut door. He watched amusedly as she knocked, calling "Ino! Neji's here!"

"Come on in!" came the reply from inside.

The door was opened to reveal an office hung with all types of framed photographs and activist posters, the most prominent one solid black, proclaiming in rainbow-striped block lettering "We're here! We're queer! Get used to it!" (3)

A platinum blonde woman was lounging behind a large mahogany desk. Above her head was a large rainbow flag, bearing the slogan "National Gay and Lesbian Task Force." (4) In contrast to the bright rainbow colors of her decorations, she was dressed demurely in a professional black skirt and pale purple collared shirt. "Good morning, Neji." she greeted him. "You're Hinata's cousin, right? What brings you here?"

The police officer stepped hesitantly into the room, a little intimidated by both the blatant signs and the blonde's domineering manner. "Good morning, Miss Yamanaka." he said courteously.

"Ino." she replied firmly, gesturing for him to sit. "What do you want to ask me about?"

Neji took his place gingerly in an uncomfortable looking hard plastic chair, while Hinata resumed her usual place at a smaller desk placed off to the side. "Right. I was wondering if you knew anything about a gang responsible for a recent robbery spree, culminating with the attempted heist at Gaskill Industries."

The tall, teal-eyed woman tapped her chin thoughtfully with a pencil, pursing her lips. "Tell me more. I heard about the attempted Gaskill robbery, but I don't know how it could be related to other cases. Do you know any other robberies attempted by this 'gang'?"

The pale-eyed man nodded. "We suspect them in the robbery of that Andy Warhol painting in 2004."

"The one that was on tour?"

Neji nodded. "Also, that safecracking in the Oto Hotel when the billionaire was staying."

Ino nodded, looking even more serious than usual. "I can't really see how those could be related to any other cases I've been studying." she said slowly. "I'm sorry."

The man nodded, trying to hide his disappointment. "If you're sure." he replied reluctantly, turning to leave. Thanks anyway, Ino."

"No problem." the blonde replied, looking distracted.

"Good-bye, Neji." called Hinata. "Good luck on your case!"

The policeman nodded and hurried out of the office.

As soon as he had left the building, Ino turned to Hinata urgently. "Lock the office doors, love. We've got to warn Fox."

---

When the gang finally returned to their warehouse, it was almost two 'o'clock in the afternoon. Iruka was already there, waiting nervously for them at the entryway. "There you are!" he cried when the five trooped inside. "You guys have visitors! They've been waiting forever!"

"Calm down, Mom." Naruto snickered at Iruka's typical 'mother hen' attitude. "Let's go see what they want."

When they reached the main room, the thieves found Kotetsu, Izumo, Ino, and Hinata conversing animatedly. Gaara was sitting off to the side, looking distinctly uncomfortable in such a social situation.

"Hey, Hinata!" called Naruto, waving to her.

"Hello, Naruto." the dark haired woman replied. "Hi guys." She waved to the four friends standing behind the exuberant blonde.

"Gaara!" Naruto cried, running over to him excitedly. "Why are you here? You never come and visit me!"

"Police." grunted the redhead.

"What?"

"A policeman asked me about you guys. He's really on your trail." the taciturn boy elaborated.

"Who is it?" asked Anko, bristling as she always did when the police were mentioned.

"Uchiha Sasuke." replied Gaara, feeling a slight twinge of guilt at betraying his former friend so easily. The prickle of conscience, however, was quickly squashed. "He's an officer working under Orochimaru - he's only been on your case since that Gaskill Industries robbery, and he's already almost managed to set up a pattern for you and pin some of those unexplained cases on you guys."

Tenten paled visibly. "Are you sure?"

Gaara looked at her as though she had asked the most obvious question on Earth. "Of course." he answered simply.

"That's what we're here for too." piped up Ino, looking up sharply. "A different policeman came to us; I think he's the Uchiha's partner. He asked me if I knew any cases related to the Gaskill break-in, the Warhol painting, and the Oto safe-break. Those are all thefts attempted by you guys. I'd say they've got the pattern pretty down pat."

Shikamaru frowned. "We'll have to lay low a few days, guys." he stated.

"Why don't you guys just take a break?" Izumo asked, breaking into their conversation. "It's not like we need the money anymore."

"It's the challenge, though." replied Anko, her eyes shining. "When you get away with the perfect robbery…" she trailed off, grinning like a madwoman. "It's amazing."

Kiba nodded fervently. "And we're giving money to the poor, anyway. Helping out all those homeless little kids!"

Kotetsu snorted. "Those 'poor little kids' can survive a few days without a three thousand dollar donation, Kiba. I mean, your thieving was getting ridiculous - last week, if I recall correctly, you committed four successful robberies. Maybe it's time to take a few weeks off."

"You can play Robin Hood another time, guys." added Ino. "Unless you want to get caught. The kind of thievery you guys do is a felony under law, and can be punishable with life imprisonment. Taking a few weeks off won't kill you."

Naruto shook his head, frowning. "No way." he replied stubbornly. "It's funner when the police are after us, anyway." He turned and left the room, motioning for the others to follow him. "Guys, let's go plan the next robbery."

"Thanks for the warning, guys." said Tenten softly as she and her fellows followed the blonde. "We appreciate it."

Ino huffed angrily. "You're just digging your own grave, you know!" she yelled after the retreating five before getting up angrily and striding out, followed by Hinata. Gaara had already left.

Kotetsu glanced at Izumo, who was shaking his head slowly. "They're so screwed."


Footnotes
(1) - In this fic, IT stands for intelligence. The Konoha City police, when they refer to 'IT Files', are talking about short information sheets gathered on suspected criminals.
(2) - Andy Warhol was a famous pop artist of the 1950's whose painting of a Campbell's tomato soup can has become an icon of the 'pop art' movement.
(3) - A quote from Peter Tatchell, a British activist.
(4) - An organization that works for homosexual rights, if you hadn't guessed.
It is now two 'o'clock in the morning. I hope you're all happy I stayed up this late to get this next chapter out to you all! Next chapter will have action - high speed chase scenes, intense rooftop battles, life-threatening revelations… I promise!

Please review! Just press the little purple button that says 'Go' and say something about my story! Reviews make my day!