21: Replacement-Yoko Kurama & Kuronue
Kurama didn't steal things because he needed money...he stole them to prove that he could. Half the things he took he hoarded because he found them appealing, or wound up trading them off with another group for something that could be later traded again. A bartering system between thieves kept them fed and comfortable, and sometimes, very drunk. Stealing was a challenge; the more heavily guarded the object was, the more he wanted it. And the more they liked it, the more he wanted to take it from them.
"Kurama," Kuronue whispered, crouched in the bushes next to him, "This is going to be very dangerous." He sounded like he wanted to laugh. Kurama just grinned, "I know. But that's part of the fun. You ready?" Nodding, the bat demon held up one of his grenades, designed mostly for noise and to be a distraction,
"Count of three?" "One..."
"Two..."
"Three!" BANG. They shot off in different directions, Kurama slashing with vines and Kuronue with blades, killing the guards before they could scream. Inside the temple, they glided in and out of shadows, silently avoiding the guards and clearly marked alarm trips. "Too easy" Kuronue mouthed, pointing to the shimmering vase. It was nearly as tall as he was, and decorated heavily with gems; it was a heavy son of a bitch, but worth a fortune.
"Honestly," Kurama whispered into his ear, "You'd think they would have moved the new one to a different location." It was hard not to laugh; the original vase they had taken over a week ago, and it sat in their den, protected from the outside world. But the replacement would be more fun to take...because no one would suspect the thieves to hit twice.