Cat's Notes

Hi! Sorry about missing last week; I was on vaca with family :)

So stuff about this chapter...I should probably start doing this stuff at the end of the chapter but I'm so used to doing it at the beginning. Whatever...

Haka's explanation is vague and thin and is supposed to be that way. It's Aiyana's story, not Haka's, so Haka leaves it up to Aiyana to fill in details...which she does...eventually. (Just so you know this story will probably have between 30-40 chapters. Right now I'm working on chapter 22. Just to give you an idea.)

Also, I kind of give you a glimpse into the thieving world; it acts a bit like an unofficial guild, I guess. Um...quick poll question! Please answer! Would you like me to post a chapter explaining the dynamics of the thieving world or would you prefer to wait until (approximently) chapter 25 for an explanation? Just a question, send me a review/message with the answer if you feel so inclined to.

I also left ya with a cliffhanger (my first one I believe!). Mwhaha!

ReadEnjoyReview. :)

One last thing! Aiyana went to the bathroom to put the communications device on her ear ;)


Wolf Thief

Chapter 9: Between Thieves


Kakashi gathered the team up early the next morning to discuss their next move. Aiyana yawned and lazily scratched a still slumbering Mingan behind his ears. Naruto had fallen asleep in the three second lapse of silence. Sakura was constantly drifting off and then shaking her head in an attempt to keep herself up. Sasuke, being the perfect ninja, was sitting straight up and paying close attention.

"Today, we're going to be normal civilians."

Naruto jerked awake at the announcement and touched his forehead protector. "Why, sensei?"

"Aiyana-chan thinks that the thieves are still in the village. Therefore, we cannot let them know there are ninjas here or they'll flee like scared chickens." Aiyana huffed and crossed her arms. Scared chickens was certainly not the similarity she would have used. It was more likely that the thieves would relocate like the foxes they were.

"So we're going to look for them in the village today?" Sasuke concluded.

"And what happens if we find them? How are we going to find the art? They probably won't tell us where they stashed it," Sakura asked.

Kakashi leaned back and directed his gaze to the former thief. "No, they won't tell us, but I'm sure they'll tell Aiyana."

She froze and stared blatantly back at him. "And why do you think that?"

"Thieves trust each other, don't they?" Her expression darkened and he took that as a confirmation. "Then they'll trust you; they don't know that you're training as a ninja in Konoha. So all we have to do is come up for a reason for you to see the paintings and they'll lead us straight to them."

"I won't do it." Four pairs of eyes stared at her for her blunt refusal. "I am not about to misuse their trust in me so you can capture them and haul them off to jail!"

"They're criminals," Sakura said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"And I'm just like them!" Aiyana snapped at her. She didn't notice her mistake of using present tense, but Kakashi did. "In fact, I've stolen more than they ever can! But you wouldn't dare call me a criminal, would you, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura immediately flushed and looked at the ground. Naruto picked up the conversation instead. "But you're one of us now!"

"I'm not wearing a forehead protect, now, am I?" she dead-panned.

"Aiyana-chan, why did you come on this mission?" Kakashi asked. His calm voice penetrated the argument like an arrow. She stared at him for a full ten seconds without really understanding what he asked. So he asked again. "You knew the mission meant you would have to capture a thief. You knew it meant that you had to turn your back on thieving. So why did you come?"

She didn't know how to respond. "Tell him," Haka ordered.

"No, they don't need to know about my personal life."

"Then I'll tell."

Aiyana didn't get a chance to object when Haka took over. Haka kept her eyes shut, made it appear as if she was thinking or reminiscing as she spoke. "I used to attend the ninja academy at Amekagure. My mother was still alive back then, so I foolishly promised her that I'd be one of the best ninjas, that I'd make the world a better place for the both of us."

"I hate you, Haka! Give me control of my body right now!"

The wolf spirit complied and Aiyana continued without missing a beat. Her eyes snapped open. "Of course, she's dead now and it was a foolish promise. I shouldn't even be trying to accomplish it now."

Team 7 was shocked by her sudden (and forced) admission. "But...but it's your dream Aiyana-chan! And you promised your mother!" Naruto exclaimed jumping up from his chair and grabbing a hold of her hands. "You have to become a ninja now!"

Aiyana yanked her hands out of his grasp. "Actually, I just decided I don't."

"But what would your mother say? Suddenly turning your back on your dream?" Naruto asked solemnly.

"Not much," Aiyana admitted. "Our family has a history of failed dreams."

"Then shouldn't you be the first to break that trend?" Sasuke asked calmly from his seat. "I even think Haka would support that."

She glowered at him as Haka chimed, "I like this kid!" It was the first time Sasuke had mentioned Haka since the night she was trapped in his apartment. He had recognized the fact that Haka had taken control a moment ago. And if he had noticed, then Kakashi probably did too. The jounin was staring at her as if she was an alien.

"Fine," she snapped at Sasuke before turning to Kakashi. "What do you want me to do?"


Naruto and Sasuke were the ones who located the two brothers. With directions being yelled into her ear through an earpiece, Aiyana managed to position herself for the perfect interception. Already she felt the guilt setting in and she sincerely hoped that she would not spot them and they would not spot her. Of course, she had no such luck. It was easy for her to pick out the familiar faces and Mingan was usually an obvious indicator for her. They waved and she reluctantly returned the gesture.

"Comrade Wolf," the brothers greeted simultaneously. It was a traditional thief greeting.

"Comrades Tori," she replied with a small nod. "I was nearby when I heard about a recent theft that sounded like your handiwork. Guess I was right."

The brothers smiled. The two of them weren't twins, but anyone could mistake them as such. The taller one was younger by a year. Both had a mop of dark hair that hung over their brown eyes. The older one's smile was a bit more lopsided; the younger one's nose was crooked. She never managed to remember their real names, so she simply referred to them as Tori-kun and Tori-chan, the older and younger respectively. On the other hand, the brothers had always managed to remember her name.

"Look at that, nii-san! Aiyana-chan knows us by our thieving ability!" Tori-chan grinned at her. Though he was older than her, the two had just recently entered the thieving business. She had a run-in with them on one of their first thefts and instantly scolded them on their sloppy handiwork.

Tori-kun chuckled. "I don't know if that's a good or bad, brother." He smiled his endearing lopsided smile at her. "How have you been, comrade?"

She let out a small laugh. "Well, I've had a couple of people on my case about my last theft. For now, I'm lying low and trying to throw them off. What about you two? How was this one?"

"Easy-"

"-Peasy."

Shit, she had forgotten about their habit of finishing each others sentences and thoughts. It was as if they were mentally connected on the same frequency. "Have you gotten buyers for everything yet?"

They looked at each other and shrugged. "We've got three left. Two of them have potential buyers, the other one…"

"…everyone is too scared to buy. It is the most famous out of all the ones stolen."

"The Dawn Voyager," the two said simultaneously.

Aiyana could feel a headache coming on. "Well, in that case, let me take a look at it. I may be able to think of someone who'd want to add it to their collection."

Again the two brothers looked at each other and smiled. Tori-kun spoke first. "Good, we need a buyer for it."

"It is much too large to carry."

"We won't be able to leave town with it."

"At least, not without drawing notable attention to ourselves."

Did you catch that Kakashi? They're trapped until The Dawn Voyager is sold! Aiyana pursed her lips at the thought and noticed that the two thieves were watching her with a bit of confusion. She needed an explanation for her expression. Luckily one came easily to her.

"You two should know better by now," she scolded, "you shouldn't steal something of extreme value unless you have a confirmed buyer. If you don't, then you'll be stuck with it and if police catch you. Well, that puts you in a tight spot." The two of them flushed with embarrassment. "Anyways, when can you show me the painting?"

"Tonight," Tori-chan replied adamantly.

"At eight," Tori-kun added.

"You can meet us at the bar across the street."

Aiyana's eyes followed Tori-chan's extended finger to the bar he was pointing at and nodded. "Okay, eight o'clock then."


"They're late."

Aiyana grimaced with annoyance as she heard Sasuke complain through the radio. Yes, the two brothers were late, but it had only been five minutes since the appointed meeting time. She shot a glare in their general direction and hoped he noticed. The earpiece was meant for her to hear instructions not complaints.

"Aiyana-chan! Mingan-kun!"

Aiyana turned to see Tori-chan running at her and Mingan with a grin. Unfortunately, she felt too guilty to return the smile with enthusiasm. Even Mingan felt the guilt; it was obvious in his lack of tail wagging. Instead, she gave him a weak one and hoped he didn't notice. His brother did. Tori-kun cocked his head in a quizzical way.

"Is there something wrong, Aiyana-chan?" he asked calmly.

"It's nothing," she replied instantly massaging her head as if it was bothering her. "Just a headache." To her surprise, he place two fingers under her chin and lifted her face up until she was looking in his eyes. Though Tori-kun wasn't her type, she felt her cheeks burn at the gesture and dark intensity in his eyes. It was a bit unusual, but Tori-kun had always been the more serious of the two. "Comrade Tori, are you feeling alright?"

Immediately he took a step back. "Just making sure you were telling the truth, Comrade Wolf."

She frowned and wondered if they had gotten whiff of the ninja in town. Kakashi had done as much as possible to keep them incognito, but Tori-kun seemed suspicious. And she was anxious. All she wanted to do was finish the mission and put everything behind her.

"It is a bit unusual for you to feel ill," Tori-chan chimed, perhaps trying to explain his brother's behavior. She smiled at him and realized that it was true. Thanks to Haka, she rarely fell ill. "In any case, tell us about this buyer, Aiyana-chan!"

She laughed, perhaps a little too dryly. "After I see the painting. I don't want to get your hopes up. My buyer has a tendency to be a bit on the picky side."

From there, Tori-chan held most of the conversation with occasional inputs from his brother. Was it just her or had he become a bit more talkative since she last saw him? She shook her head at the thought. Tori-chan had always been talkative and friendly. It was simply the anxiety getting to her. And with Naruto and Sasuke having loud verbal arguments over the radio and into her ear, the anxiety was getting to her.

The Tori Brothers hide out was a well hidden cabin in the woods surrounding the village. Other than the camouflage, the structure had no defense. From what she could see, there was a door and a window on each side of the door. It was a very typical looking cabin. And, on the inside, there was absolutely nothing.

"Aiyana, we're waiting for your signal," Kakashi said over the earpiece. The signal was a flash bomb, something that would momentarily stun the two thieves and give the ninja a chance to move. But she was only supposed to use it when she confirmed the paintings were real.

There were no paintings.

"I don't understand," she said turning to face the brothers. "Did you get…"

The brothers were gone.

In their place stood two recognizable S-class criminals.