Ketchum's Twelve

04: So, what are we stealing?

A PikaFlash's Studio Fanfiction

Disclaimer: All characters, songs and scenes belong to their respective owners...

An A/U Crossover Type fanfic...

A blonde man with blue eyes and whisker-like cheeks was gambling at a casino. His luck of the game somehow gave him his charisma as everyone watched him.

Ash's V/O: Alright, the Night Fox has a name. Naruto Uzumaki. Hokage Naruto Uzumaki. He's an orphan, who beat a lot of odds to become the leader of a village of Ninjas. It turns out that his father was a former Hokage before he died. The bad news is that he's a ninja, he's rich, and he's bored. The really bad news is that he's been trained by Clow Reed.

Koichi's V/O: Oh no.

Metabee's V/O: That is really bad news.

Yugi's V/O: Clow Reed? You mean The Clow Reed?

Ash/s V/O: The one.

Koichi's V/O: Oh no. We're doomed.

Koji's V/O: We're not doomed. He's just one guy and he's a ninja.

Eriol's V/O: Yeah, before we get too impressed by this geezer's background. Let's find out what he's done.

Ash's V/O: He's started when he was 16. Bank of Hong Kong, the Japanese Treasury, Bank of Korea, Tokyo Diamond Exchange, NERV's treasury...

Koichi's V/O: Wait, all those when he was a teenager?

Ash's V/O: I'm only up to when he's eighteen.

Koji's V/O: Seriously?

Ash's V/O: When he's nineteen, he started to go on an Anime phase. Stole the Dead Sea Scrolls from Tokyo-3's Library, robbed the Miyazaki Museum, twice and swiped a First Edition Astro Boy Manga Volume 1 in mint condition from the Manga Museum in Osaka.

Yugi's V/O: Wait, I thought the First Edition Astro Boy was stolen by Ninetails? Everyone knows that...

Ash/s V/O: He is Ninetails. It's one of his aliases.

Pikachu's V/O: Pika chu pikapikapi chu.

Ash's V/O: For the interests of time, I'll skip to my favorite. When he was just promoted to Hokage at the age of 21, he stole the Straw Hat Pirates' Ship, the Going Merry. Vanished into thin air. Crew surfaced a few days later in a life raft. Couldn't remember a thing.

Yugi's V/O: How does one hide a pirate ship?

Ash's V/O: If the pirates know, they're not telling. Got it back a month later and they now rely on Naruto for treasure locations.

Yugi's V/O: We're in some serious trouble here.

Koji's V/O: Copy that.

Yugi's V/O: So, what do we do?

Ash's V/O: We respond.

Naruto wakes up from his bed and walked through his mansion. He suddenly felt that something is missing. He looks around and notices an empty bookshelf that was supposed to hold some books and scrolls.

Yugi's V/O: Respond? How?

Ash's V/O: In kind.

Konoha, Fire Country.

Second Friday, Five Days Left

Ash looked at the gardens of the Uzumaki Mansion.

"Welcome to Konoha, Mr. Ketchum." Ash turns around and sees Naruto in an orange jacket and pants.

"You broke 'Rule Number One' and that has consequences," said Ash.

"You mean my books and scrolls?" asked Naruto. "Don't worry, in five days, you'll be dead and I'll have my stuff back."

"Not unless you have an accident first," said Ash.

"I don't think so, Satoshi," said Naruto. "Perhaps you want to know why I'm tormenting you."

"I would like that."

"You see, about a month ago, I was visiting my mentor in Okinawa..."

"Clow Reed," said Ash.

"Yes. An annoying business man from Domino City was there on the same day," explained Naruto. "He was the one who recommended Kaiba as a target for you. You know him?"

"What about him?"

"He was going on and on about the job, and then, he said that Ash Satoshi Ketchum is the greatest thief in the world," said Naruto. "What was worst is that Clow Reed never corrected him."

Naruto sat on a chair and removed his sandals. "When I asked Clow Reed about it, he said that one can never compare one job with another. I thought about it for 3 weeks...then I realized that he's right. You can never compare two different jobs. So, the only way to know who's the best is for us to go after the same object. Do the same job."

"You're being awfully cavalier with people's lives just to play a game. Someday, you're going to regret it." Ash puts on his cap and begins to walk away.

Naruto had a laugh. "Come on, Mr. Ketchum. How are you going to get 97 Million by next Wednesday when every safe you crack open between now and then will be empty. But if you are to accept my challenge, I will pay back your debt to Kaiba. And Clow Reed will hold my money in escrow as a guarantee."

Ash stopped walking and looked at Naruto. "So, what are we stealing?" he asked.

Hong Kong

A security guards were preparing to place a rare object into a box for transportation.

Naruto's V/O: The Mysterious GS Ball.

Ash's V/O: Is this Clow Reed's idea or yours?

Naruto's V/O: I think Clow Reed would agree that this is the most appropriate thing for us to compete for.

Ash's V/O: Where is it?

Naruto's V/O: The GS Ball left Hong Kong at 9:30 this morning under heavy security. Sometimes they show the replicas without anyone knowing. The GS Ball will be on display at Konoha Museum on Monday morning. From there, you have 72 Hours to steal it. Of course, if you don't have the GS Ball by the time the deadline passes, Clow Reed will know who's the best.

Hong Kong, CLAMP HQ

Syaoran was at his desk when Sakura's cell phone rings. Syaoran writes down the time and where the phone number is from, before answering it.

"Sakura's phone."

A girl with blonde hair tied into two meatballs was on the other end of the line in her workshop.

"Who's this?" she asked.

Syaoran (on phone): Sasuke. Who's this?

"Serena," replied Serena. "Where's Sakura?"

Syaoran (on phone): She told me to tell you that she's at Mimi's if you called.

Serena was confused. "Mimi Tachikawa? What's that about?"

Syaoran (on phone): You have a message for her?

"Yeah. Tell Sakura that it's going to cost her double than what it was. I had to go three times as thin on the layers. And tell Sakura that if she wants it by tomorrow, it's going to cost more than double. It's beautiful enough to even fool the Oaks. And tell Sakura that she dresses up like one of those Anime Magical Girls. And tell her that dying her brunette hair pink will make anyone mistake her as that Kunoichi Sakura Haruno."

Back in Hong Kong.

"Anything else?" asked Syaoran as he takes down a few notes, including a call from Konoha at 3:00 pm, Serena's name, knows Sakura, knows Mimi, wants money, wants it done by Tomorrow.

"No...wait, tell Sakura that having a cool-voiced male assistant is such a crappy cliché," said Serena before hanging up. At that moment, a man wearing a tuxedo entered the workshop.

"I got what you need Serena," said Darien, looking at his palmtop.

"Thanks Darien," said Serena. "By the way, could you get some coffee? I'll pay, of course."

"Sure."

Konoha - Second Saturday, 4 Days Left

Syaoran was making a call to Tsunade as Syaoran entrance to Konoha.

Tsunade (on phone): You call me on a Saturday to go to my office and ask me to sign a 1077 for something I don't know about.

"I can go over to your house."

Tsunade (on phone): I'm about to leave for my holiday house near the sea in two hours. We'll discuss this on Wednesday when I come back.

"It will be gone by Wednesday."

Tsunade (on phone): What will be gone?

"Something that Avalon and her friends are trying to steal. They were the ones involved in the Kaiba Land heist three years ago..."

Tsunade (on phone): If that is the case, then we will let the Japanese Police handle it.

"But..."

Tsunade (on phone): Agent Syaoran, a 1077 is no small thing. Unless you have any idea what they are stealing, it's no point discussing about it over the phone.

Syaoran looked up and sees an advertisement of the newest attraction at Konoha Museum, The Mysterious GS Ball...

Ash arrives at his hotel room at Konoha. As soon as he opened the door, he sees an opened black duffel bag with food spread around. He looks at his king-sized bed and sees Pikachu jumping on it. After all, being cramped in a bag, Pikachu certainly has a right to be happily jumping around.

"Pikachu," mumbled Ash.

CLAMP HQ - Konoha Branch

"It's because Clow Reed stole it 25 years ago where 23 others have failed and the Night Fox is trying to prove that he is better than Avalon and her friends."

Syaoran was sitting at a desk in front of Tsunade, the head of Konoha's branch of CLAMP. "If I am hearing this correctly, you said that the GS Ball has been stolen by Clow Reed 24 years ago and they're going to steal it. Which is it?"

"Both," replied Syaoran.

"Excuse me?"

"Clow Reed's wife forced him to return the GS Ball," explained Syaoran.

Tsunade sighed. "When we were still in Hong Kong, I signed for a 1077 in the Hong Kong Museum Case. You borrowed 15 Jounins, 10 Chunins from my teams for three months and made no arrests." She puts the 1077 form on her desk. "I won't do it again."

In the night, the Konoha Museum has a lot of state-of-the-art security systems, with a laser field in the Great Hall.

Metabee's V/O: Ok, the first thing we know is that we cannot go at night. The Great Hall is surrounded by a laser grid that's impossible to get through.

Sakura's V/O: Nothing's impossible.

Metabee's V/O: It's impossible. The lasers are programmed to move constantly and to improvise in random directions, making it impossible to plot our way through.

Sakura's V/O: So, it's a daytime job.

The next day, Eriol, Yugi, Koji, Koichi, Tai and Metabee entered the museum to scout around.

Metabee's V/O: We are still three short on the inside because Syaoran has made you, Pikachu and Ash. We could try a Gohan's Baton Pass

Sakura's V/O: Hasn't worked since the 80's.

Metabee's V/O: 84, actually.

Sakura's V/O: What's option 2?

Metabee's V/O: Jupiter Lita MiniMoon followed by a Number Two Sailor Senshi. It's complicated, but has a high success rate. Unfortunately...

Sakura's V/O: We can't do it, not without Pikachu.

Sakura sighs.

Sakura's V/O: Ok, we'll risk it. Put Pikachu in disguise.

Second Sunday, 3 Days Left

In a warehouse, the team has set up a scaled model of the museum and the plan on how to steal the GS Ball.

Sakura starts off with what she's doing. "10:10, I leave the Ramen shop. Proceed north. 10:11?"

"Chu pikapika pikachu pikapi," said Pikachu.

"I go to the second floor bathroom," said Metabee.

"10:13?"

"I approach the Hokage Mountain from the east," Ash said.

"Eriol and I will go into the Museum through the main entrance," Yugi said.

"10:15?"

"I help Pikachu into the ventilation duct," Metabee said.

"10:18?"

"I move Tai from the East Wing into the Ball Room," Koichi said.

Yugi says, "I pause in the Great Hall while..."

"I go into the Egg room," finished Eriol

"10:21?"

"Pikachu enters the mainframe room, he cuts power to grid 14-A," said Metabee. "He radios me, I signal Yugi."

"I go into the Ball Room," said Yugi.

"10:22?"

"I drop my keys and move Tai to his mark," said Koichi.

"And?"

"I blind Camera one," said Tai.

"I blind Camera two," said Eriol.

"I blind Camera three," said Koichi.

"I blind Camera four," said Metabee.

"I make the switch," said Yugi.

"Good, 10:24?"

"I pull to the southwest corner of the main entrance," said Koji.

"I meet Ash at the Hokage Mountain, we head west," said Sakura. "10:25?"

"Koji and I will make the drop," said Yugi.

"Good job!" congratulated Sakura. "We'll take it of from there in an hour."

As everyone else leave the warehouse, Sakura mumbled to Ash, "10:45, we all get arrested."

"You bet," replied Ash.

"How was Naruto?" asked Sakura.

"Predictable. You heard from Rini?"

Sakura had to think of an answer fast. "She'll be here," Sakura said.

Ash looks at Sakura. "That's a lot to ask for from Rini. Follow it up."

Sakura had a quiet sigh.

Syaoran has just left CLAMP HQ when he suddenly receives a phone call.

"Syaoran here."

Ogata (on phone): It's Ogata here. I've just set a 6:00 meeting with a Konno Kitsune who says that he has 3 first edition mangas and a scroll missing from his mansion in Konoha. The First Edition of Dragon Balls volumes 1, 2 and 3.

"What about the scroll?" asked Syaoran

Ogata (on phone): The scroll contains an ancient map of Konoha. There is supposedly a surveillance video but I hadn't confirmed that.

Back at the warehouse.

"It's all about error correction."

Serena holds a plate and puts it on a pedestal. "3000 translucent digital silvers instead of the 1000 I had originally thought. Luckily, it doesn't have to move."

Serena presses a remote, the plate creating a hologram of the GS Ball on its stand. "It was a pain to recreate the lighting as it has a mixture of tungsten and real light. But I got the color rendition pretty accurate."

Everyone admired the hologram of the GS Ball. Its sure looks like the real thing.

"It's good," said Ash.

"I agree, Ash," said Sakura. "You're a hero, Rini."

"I know I am," said Serena. "You'll never get past that grid, so that's why I'm asking for double."

"Excuse me?" asked Sakura.

"You got my message. Who was that hunky phone voice? Very deep and calm."

"What message?" asked Ash.

"The message I left with Hunky Phone Voice Sasuke. You got something going on with Mimi? Am I in?" asked Serena.

"When did you leave that message?" asked Yugi.

"About a couple of days ago." Everyone was silent. "He had your phone!" screamed Serena.

Ash gives a glare at Sakura, who looks away. "He has your..."

"Yep," answered Sakura before Ash finished his question.

"That means..."

Sakura nods. "Yep."

"Well, you'd better..."

"Yep." Sakura started to walk off. Everyone else took the opportunity to leave, most of them frustrated at the turn of events. "Great..." Eriol mumbled, before walking off.

"Wait, who has my money?" asked Serena. "Come on! Who has my money!"

End of Chapter 4

Author's End Note: I bet you all wondered why I choose Naruto to be the Night Fox? Easy, he's a ninja and he has a bit of fox in him.