Chapter 5
Mist Village: To Outsmart a Thief
Day 5
Of all the crappy luck! The thief isn't some common pickpocket nor is he some random purse-snatcher. Instead, he had to be a professional. And he had to be the best at what he does. That's it, we're all screwed.
Ugh. How the hell are we going to steal the scroll back from that kind of thief? We can't! That's what! But does anyone listen to me? No! They just sit around and look at the freaking team leader as if he knows everything. Ha! I doubt Shikamaru knows jack squat about thieves. Instead, he had to say that we have to steal the scroll back or else the mission will be a failure and the Hokage doesn't like failed missions too much…and then he later said that it would be a pain in the ass if she yelled at us for failing the mission.
This sucks. The thief is smart—otherwise, he wouldn't have lasted as a thief for a long time. So, obviously, he's going to be on to any attempts at stealing the scroll from him. And that means it's going to be almost impossible to get the scroll back. Of course, nobody said it was going to be easy. Damn it! Why can't I be given an easy mission, a mission that involves killing a high profile douche bag? You find the target, you knock on their door, and then you stab him. Easy! It's a lot simpler than stealing a scroll from a professional thief who stole that same scroll from two S-ranked missing ninja who stole the very same one from Konoha, right?
I mean, seriously, there are a handful of botched assassinations that did not have as big of a mess-up as this retrieval mission. And, this is not counting that one assassination that involved a drug lord with the alcoholic and drug problem and the room full of scantily-clad women who belonged to the drug lord's friend, the owner of the local prostitution ring in Rain Village. But, I digress.
Anyway, while the search for a solution to our thief problem is still in progress, I do have to admit that my relationship with the team has improved a bit. Since the flying kunai incident, Ino has been acting a lot better towards me. Lately, she hasn't made any remarks that are a veiled insult to my competence or my knowledge. And, for the most part, she's too busy talking to Shikamaru and Hinata. Although, when she's talking to Hinata, she doesn't blush or act uncertain as much as she does when she's around Shikamaru. And, on some occasions, I've seen her looking at Shikamaru when she thinks no one is watching. Seriously, the way she looks at him, it's like she wants to take a flying leap at him and start reenacting page seventy-two of Make Out Paradise. And, for some reason, Shikamaru doesn't even notice. Seriously, despite what I've heard from other people, that guy is a complete moron when it comes to girls.
Speaking of the pineapple-haired guy, he's been acting the same—more or less—since the whole incident. He still talks when he wants to, he's a bit laconic, and (according to Ino) he's too busy planning a strategy. So, I think he's still the same…judging by Ino's standards. (Since I don't know him well enough, I can't really read his mannerisms very well.)
However, I have a feeling that Kiba and Shino don't trust me. Actually, scratch that, I know that they don't trust me. Every time I try to talk to Hinata, dog-boy or four-eyes always pop up. I wonder, do they think that I would snatch her up and make her do unspeakable things like wear makeup and go dance on top of a bar while inebriated?
I don't know which is worse—the professional thief or two overprotective pseudo-brothers. Frankly, I'd take the professional thief over the brother figures any day.
A row of six small vials stood in front of her as Setsuna sat at the table and studied each one closely. Each vial had its own power and, if not handled correctly, it could mean the end to the person. And, frankly, the girl couldn't let that happen. They were her solution to the matter at hand.
"Okay," Setsuna murmured to herself. "Best case scenario, the thief doesn't set any traps on the scroll in the event that we successfully steal the item…and the thief is clueless as to what we are doing and has no idea that I am not working alone. Although, the likelihood that he isn't on to me wanting to steal the scroll is slim compared to him thinking that I have accomplices. Worst case scenario, he's on to any strategy that we plan and he has ways to counteract any of Shikamaru's strategies. If that's the case, then there's the last resort. And they won't like it."
It had been two days since Setsuna discovered the thief's identity. It had been one day since the disastrous meeting with the thief and the subsequent attempts at getting the scroll back. Now, she and her teammates are at their wits' end and something needs to be done about the thief. Unable to think of anything, Setsuna looked up from her vials and sighed. She stared off into space, remembering what happened two days ago.
2
"You!"
Setsuna's eyes widened just as she recognized the thief. Then, before she realized what was happening, she felt herself get flung to the side as the thief pushed her off. Once again, they scrambled to stand, each poised in a fighting stance, prepared to fight the other if necessary. It reminded Setsuna of the time when she first saw a particularly venomous viper.
"Viper." Setsuna nodded to the thief. She noted a slight change in his otherwise neutral expression.
"Coral." The thief, now known as Viper, acknowledged.
The two continued to stand, waiting for the other to make a move. Viper turned and fled. Setsuna sighed, disappointed, before she started to chase after him.
When she turned a corner, she stopped. "What the hell?"
Around her, a heavy fog-like mist started to form. From the distance, Setsuna could barely see five human shapes that were blocking her access to Viper. The shapes started to walk towards her, revealing men sporting dark grins on their faces. They must be his minions, Setsuna thought. She noticed the lecherous looks in their eyes. His pathetically perverted minions. She took out her tantō and one of the senbon needles in her hair as she got into a fighting stance.
"Well," she said, tuning her voice as to not show any fear. "This looks like this won't be a complete waste after all."
3
Soft, shuffling footsteps coming from outside the room shoved Setsuna from her thoughts of Viper. Quickly, she put the vials away as she heard the footsteps coming closer. By the time she stood up, with her shoulders tense, the door swung open. As she saw the thoroughly disguised Ino, Shikamaru, and Hinata, Setsuna instantly relaxed.
"How did it go?" Setsuna asked, without any preamble.
"How do you think?" Ino retorted. She removed her disguise and slumped into a chair right next to Setsuna, much to the others' surprise. It was rare for the blonde to be anything but graceful.
"That bad?" Setsuna looked to Hinata for confirmation. The Hyuga nodded.
"We didn't even hear of the thief's whereabouts," Shikamaru commented. "And, according to Ino, there weren't any reports of a thief wandering about the teahouse."
"Of course there isn't," Setsuna mumbled to herself.
Intense brown eyes stared at the disguised blue-haired girl. "Have Kiba and Shino reported back yet?" The Nara asked.
Setsuna shook her head. "I haven't seen them since they left early this morning." She glanced at the two girls nearby. "Maybe we should take this somewhere else?"
Shikamaru followed the girl's line of vision and nodded. The two went to the small sitting room. As soon as they were seated, Setsuna turned to the pineapple-haired ninja and folded her arms over her chest.
"Okay, so now what's the plan?" Setsuna asked.
Shikamaru grunted. For some reason, she could tell that Ino's sort-of-but-not-really boyfriend was thinking that the whole situation involving the thief was a pain in the ass.
Huh, she thought, maybe I'm spending way too much time with them.
"Do you have any contacts within this village?" Shikamaru asked, interrupting Setsuna from her thoughts.
"That depends," she answered evasively. "Why do you want to know?"
"We may have to use the last resort."
"In that case, I do have some contacts that are independent of Jiraiya-sensei's information network." She leaned back in her seat and crossed her legs. "But, I doubt you or any of the others would want to meet them."
Dark brown eyes stared at her; she almost shivered, feeling as if she was being scrutinized under a large microscope. "You want to go alone," he said, at last.
Setsuna nodded. "I think it's better if I do."
"Would you like to tell me why?" Distrust showed in the Nara's tone.
She shook her head. "All in good time," she answered cryptically. "You wouldn't want to learn everything about me so early on, right? 'Cause that would spoil the fun."
"Fine." The distrust still remained in that single statement. "But, if something happens that jeopardizes this mission and is directly related to what you're hiding, I won't hesitate to kill you."
"I'd think less of you if you didn't." She smirked. "And who says I'm hiding?"
His only answer was a dark look.
Setsuna stood up. "I'll get ready, then." She moved to go to the bedroom.
"For what?"
She paused in her step. "Well, no offense, but I figured you guys wouldn't get any new information on the thief at the teahouse. So, I took the liberty of arranging a meet with one of my sources at the local watering hole."
"And what makes you think that?"
She scoffed. "Well, the thief got what he came for. Why would he stick around in a teahouse?"
"If what you say is true, then why would he remain in the village?"
"Because, he's in no rush to give the scroll to his client. And, he's the type who likes to stay and taunt us for getting the scroll from two S-ranked criminals before we could." She slightly tilted her head to think. "And, more importantly, I'm sure he has other jobs lined up."
"How are you so sure?"
"I'm not. That's why I'm meeting up with my other contact to give me confirmation. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get ready."
Without waiting for his reply, Setsuna left. Upon finding the room empty, she grabbed her clothes and went to the bathroom.
This isn't going to be easy, she thought as she put on dark pants and a form-fitting dark shirt. She looked into the bathroom mirror, only to be reminded of what happened with the thief.
4
The fog continued to thicken, leaving the men fully blanketed in the white expanse. Setsuna scanned the area around her, trying to calm her breathing as she did so. There was nothing but a wide expanse of white. She waited; tense, as she tightly gripped her weapons while she listened intently through the thick mist.
Damn it! There are only two reasonable explanations that can explain this misty phenomenon. A kunai whizzed a few inches away from her face, giving her barely five seconds to move back before she had to dodge the ninja stars that were coming at her from the back. Damn, that was cutting it close. Okay, it's official. One, they're all Mist ninja. And two, they are using a very nifty jutsu that can camouflage them. Very nifty, she added as the fog continued to get thicker.
Hating the fact that she didn't know who she was fighting and the amount of men against her, Setsuna continued to look at her surroundings only to barely make out the silhouette of the trees' canopies above her. The leaves above her rustled as several sharp-looking weapons flew towards her like a hail of rain. Tired from her earlier chase, she barely managed to dodge most of the flying weapons.
"I really need to improve my speed," Setsuna panted as she noted the medium-sized cuts on her arms.
Just as she thought it was over, another hail of weapons descended upon her. Once again, she attempted to evasively dodge the flying objects. As she tried to lose the last flying weapon, a flying star grazed her shoulder, leaving a painful cut. "Damn it!" she muttered.
Behind her, she heard a twig snap. Pivoting on her left foot, she prepared herself for the oncoming attack. The attack came swiftly, just as she expected. She sprung into action, blocking most of the kicks and punches and evading the sharp ends of their kunai. They kept her on the defensive for a while until she saw an opening and took it.
With a powerful front kick, the attacker in front of her flew several feet away from her. With a pivot on her left foot, the assailant behind her had his throat slit as she stabbed the one standing next to him in the stomach. Just as she finished, another one charged at her, screaming, with his short sword at the ready. Caught off guard, she barely stabbed him with her decorative senbon needle.
Hearing another snap of a branch, she spun, prepared to deliver a killing blow to the attacker. Stopping her attack, the Mist ninja grabbed her wrist and squeezed. Reflexively, she dropped her weapon, leaving her vulnerable. Before she could move to get out of the way, deep pain gathered around her abdomen as she doubled over in pain. Suddenly, pain met her lower back and she fell to her knees from the force of the assault. Before her body could meet the ground, the ninja kicked her abdomen again, leaving her on the ground, beaten and exhausted.
Grunting in pain, Setsuna tiredly got up, making sure to grab her fallen tantō. She scanned the area, seeing more ninjas circling her like a pack of vultures. She did her hair up in a messy bun, using her senbon needle as a hair stick. "Ah, I see." She winced as her actions sent a new wave of pain through her body. "The first and second waves of raining kunai and other sharp things were just distractions to exhaust me and keep me occupied. By the time your little ninja ran out of weapons, you were counting on the fact that I would be disoriented enough so that you could easily take me down. How pathetic." She scoffed. "Now, why didn't I think of that earlier? It would've saved me the trouble." She dropped into a fighting stance, having regained her second wind. "I'm going to have to remember that for later." The killing intent in her eyes gleamed as she took out another weapon.
Before she could attack the band of Mist ninjas, a black blur raced past her. She could barely see the speedy figure but as she looked at the fallen bloodied bodies, she knew that the blur was responsible for incapacitating and killing the ninjas. Her eyes narrowed in anger as she saw the last ninja fall at the swoop of gleaming steel. The blur materialized as it stood over the last ninja's dead corpse and she instantly recognized the form as Viper. Intense onyx eyes met blue ones.
Setsuna fumed. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she shrieked.
"Saving the damsel in distress," Viper answered blithely.
"Damsel in distress," she growled. She marched up to the thief. "Who said anything about me being a damsel? And who said I was in distress?"
"You were cornered, they punched and kicked you multiple times, and you have several cuts on your arms and legs," he stated.
"Your point is?" Setsuna rhetorically asked. "I was about to attack them before you showed up like some demented knight in shining armor. Well, news flash, I don't need one."
There was a tense silence before Setsuna gestured to the field of dead and unconscious Mist ninjas as she remembered something. "So, I take it that they're not friends of yours?" she asked.
"Hn. I could say the same for you," Viper retorted. "And no, they're not."
"Then why the hell would they be after me?" Setsuna whispered to herself.
"So, what should we do with their bodies?" Viper asked, interrupting her from her thoughts.
Setsuna shrugged. "Might as well bury them," she answered, referring to the dead bodies.
"And what about the ones who are incapacitated?"
"We kill them. They're as good as dead anyway…we might as well be merciful and make their deaths quick and painless." Setsuna turned; her short sword at the ready.
Viper stared at the girl's back appraisingly.
"What?" Setsuna demanded, feeling the thief's eyes on her.
"For a second there, I almost thought your time away from the Village had made you soft." At the comment, the disguised teenager rolled her eyes as she started to work.
It wasn't until an hour had passed that the duo completed in disposing the bodies. Exhausted and sweaty from burying the bodies, Setsuna and Viper sat in a booth at the local watering hole. Evening had settled over the seedy pub as the patrons started to trickle in. Setsuna looked up from her cup only to see Viper staring out into space.
"So," Setsuna awkwardly began, "how's Rain Village?"
"Rainy, as always," the thief brusquely replied. "It's been that way since before you were born, it's been that way since you left, and it'll always be that way."
"Good to know that some things don't change." She inched closer to the table. "So, why are you here?"
"Why are you?" Viper shot back.
Setsuna glowered. "I asked you first."
Viper rolled his eyes. "I'm here on a job, obviously. A wealthy client in Rain wanted me to procure a valuable item that was en route to a certain place before it reached its final destination. Apparently, the client has big plans that involve the item in question." An eyebrow arched. "And you?"
"I'm here to work off a debt. I may have broken something valuable and I let one of our guest's possessions get stolen," Setsuna mumbled into her cup. After taking a sip of the dry soda, she looked back at Viper. "You do realize that your item in question is a scroll that belongs to two dangerous-looking men, right?"
"And your point?" Viper asked.
"They're not going to be too happy when they discover their precious possession was taken," the teenager pointed out. "Frankly, we both know that they're from that very exclusive organization full of S-class missing ninjas. And when they find out about you taking the scroll, they're going to come after you with everything in their arsenal. I think you should give it to me so that I can return it without anyone being the wiser."
Viper looked deep in thought as he processed what the girl had said. "That does sound scary." He slammed his Sake cup down and sat back. "But, no."
"May I ask why?"
"Easy. While the thought of having two S-class missing ninjas chasing after me sounds terrifying, the wealthy client who hired me has a lot of friends—friends in high places, as a matter of fact. And honestly, she scares me more than they do." He stood up. "So, thanks, but no thanks. I'll take my chances."
Without a by-your-leave, Viper left. Setsuna blankly stared ahead, dumbfounded.
"Huh. Who knew there was honor among thieves?" she asked aloud. If someone had that much power to scare a professional thief, then who is this person? She wondered. And what's so important about the scroll that would make someone from Rain Village hire a thief to get it?
5
Setsuna finished putting the last finishing touches on her outfit. Standing in front of the mirror and finding nothing out of place, she left the bathroom only to find Kiba and Shino waiting for her near the table.
"Hey, guys," she said, setting her clothes on top of her bag. "How was the recon?"
"Terrible," Kiba answered. "There were too many scents around the village. And, even if I had Akamaru, we couldn't track the thief through his scent since we never met him to begin with."
Setsuna nodded in understanding. "Oh, right," she said as she just remembered something about the enormous white dog. "Akamaru's still recovering from that chocolate incident."
Before the Inuzuka could reply to that, Shikamaru entered the room. After having a quick talk with the two members of Team Kurenai, the pineapple-haired teenager gestured at the girl to follow him. "So, you're leaving," the Nara stated after glancing at the girl's outfit.
Setsuna nodded. "Yes. I already sent a message to arrange a meet with my contact while you, Ino, and Hinata were out."
Shikamaru nodded. "Fine. Kiba and Shino will act as back-up in case anything should go wrong."
"Is that right?" She crossed her arms. "Because, for some reason, I think you want them with me to confirm everything I report to you."
"Have you given me any reason to trust you?" Shikamaru asked. "Besides, being a ninja requires working as a team with other ninjas. Without teamwork, missions fail. I'm pretty sure they taught you that at your village's ninja academy."
"Actually, I never went to a ninja academy," she stated dismissively. She turned away from him and headed to the door. "I never got a chance to go, really. Anything ninja-like was taught to me or I picked it up from Jiraiya-sensei. That's actually one of the reasons why Jiraiya-sensei wanted me to be an official ninja for Konoha. And by the way, on my missions, there's not a lot of room for teamwork." And then, without a glance, she left.
Setsuna slipped into the pub and took a seat in a booth at a dark corner. After ordering Sake, she noted the layout of the place and its customers. Despite the mid-afternoon sun, the pub's crowd was moderate with only less than twenty customers. Most of them, she guessed, would be ninjas who had returned from a mission and just wanted a drink before reporting to the village's leader. The minority, she knew, were either drunk or alcoholics.
She started to tense when she heard footsteps approaching. "You know," a gruff male voice slurred, "it's sad to see a woman drinking alone."
"And it's sad to see a grown man hitting on a woman who wants to be alone," she retorted. She looked up and saw a dirty-looking male towering over her. "Especially since he's smelly, dirty, and drunk."
"Watch what you say, girl! I'm a chūnin. I can take you on!" The drunken man banged his fist violently on top of the wooden table to prove his point.
"Uh-huh," Setsuna said, unimpressed as she absently noted her back-up entering the pub. A dark look flashed in her eyes. "And I can kill you in twenty different painful ways if you don't leave me alone. Now leave."
Turning her attention back to staring at the cup, she listened to the man's departing footsteps. Her staring contest was short-lived, however, when she heard someone sitting in front of her. Sitting before her was a relatively pretty female with dark hair and an intense shade of green eyes.
"Long time, no see, Nezumi," Setsuna stated.
"Yes, it's been a while," Nezumi acknowledged. "I believe it was about three or four years since we last talked."
"Yes, it has. Last I checked you were based at the pub that was on the mainland." The disguised girl leaned closer. "So, what happened?"
Nezumi shrugged. "And last I checked you didn't care much about where I was located, just as long as I'm accessible and I had what you were looking for." She tilted her head in a considering manner. "You were looking for information then. So, what are you looking for now?"
"Information, of course. But, not about what happened four years ago," she quickly added. "I'm looking for information on any thefts in the area."
"Thefts?" Nezumi wrinkled her brow. "Since when did you get so interested in thefts?"
"Viper's in town," Setsuna answered, as if that explained everything. From the widening of Nezumi's eyes, it probably did.
"No, really?"
Setsuna nodded. "I saw him myself. He stole something from me and I want it back."
"Hm. That explains the recent events going on around here," Nezumi murmured as she lifted a Sake glass to her lips.
"Events? What events?"
Nezumi surreptitiously scanned the pub for any eavesdroppers. Finding none, she leaned closer to the table. "There've been rumors of recent thefts involving several prominent crime lords. What's more is that the crime lords didn't even know they were being robbed until it was too late and their prized possessions get stolen. They've taken to calling him The Ghost."
Setsuna nodded to show her understanding. "I see. And how long ago did these thefts start?"
The contact shrugged. "Right around a week ago, give or take a few days."
About the same time those two Akatsuki members came to Mist, Setsuna thought. "I see. Did you hear anything else?"
Nezumi shook her head. "Nothing of great importance. Just that Lord Yomi, the top drug lord, has increased security at his home. Word among the fences is that The Ghost is planning a heist tonight to get his newest drug shipment."
"Really?" Setsuna asked, interested. "But, what would Viper want with drugs? That doesn't sound like his style."
"Yeah, it doesn't make sense to me either. But, you can never tell with thieves. They're almost as bad as assassins."
"Uh-huh." Setsuna gave the other girl a look. After putting some money on the table to pay for the drinks, she stood up. "Anyway, thanks for everything." She moved to leave.
"Wait." Setsuna stopped and turned her head to glance at Nezumi only to find that the latter hadn't moved her position in her seat. "The information that I gave you four years ago, did it help you?"
"Yes and no," Setsuna answered truthfully. "I gave up that mission after I met someone. But, I passed it along to Aya."
"I see. And how is she?"
The disguised blue-haired teenager shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I've lost contact with her after I gave her the information." She paused. "She didn't respect my decision to not continue the mission."
"Ah. Will I be seeing you again?"
Setsuna nodded. "Most likely, yes. You're still my favorite go-to gal for information." She started to walk away. "Besides, just because I gave up that mission does not mean that I might have other jobs lined up."
"It's nice to know I'm still needed."
That was the last thing Setsuna heard as she left.
6
Dusk had fallen and Setsuna had found herself cleverly concealed in a very tall tree that overlooked a grand compound. She had also found herself very bored.
"Damn stakeouts," she muttered as she sat on a very thick branch, thankful that she had the foresight to mask her chakra earlier. "I should've let Shino tag along. At least he could've bugged the place and I wouldn't have to be that alert."
After her meeting with Nezumi, the disguised teenager had little time to get back to the inn and report her findings to the lazy team leader. During their debriefing, Setsuna had suggested infiltrating the drug lord's house. However, Shikamaru reminded her that they didn't have enough time since the heist was taking place that night. Inwardly, Setsuna cursed at the Nara for suggesting that she tail Viper when he escaped with the stolen goods.
And why didn't he bring back-up? Setsuna asked herself. Suddenly, she remembered what she said to the pineapple haired chūnin. Oh yeah, that's right. I told him that I didn't need one and that Viper would get suspicious.
The girl was interrupted from her thoughts as she barely heard the leaves rustle as she saw a black blur come from the trees. Setsuna narrowed her eyes as she followed the blur's movements as it slipped pass the guards and into the compound through an empty room. A few seconds later, she spied the thief slipping out and taking to the trees. Feeling his chakra signature, she followed at a safe distance. As soon as they were out of the forest, Viper took to the rooftops while Setsuna slipped into a nearby crowd, still trailing him from a safe distance. Just as she caught up to him, a familiar building caught her eye.
The House of Leaves?! She pushed herself away from the dark alley wall and slipped into the teahouse just as another group of customers entered. Through her peripheral vision, she spied the thief talking with the host. Through the noise, she could barely hear the conversation. Casually, she wandered closer to the duo, trying to hear any snatches of conversation. After hearing the information she needed and spying the host handing the keys to the thief, she slipped out of the building without anyone being the wiser.
Ten minutes later, dressed in her maid uniform, Setsuna crept down the deserted hallway, searching for Viper's room. Recalling the conversation she heard earlier, she knew she only had a window of a few minutes before he realized something was wrong. She had to act quickly.
Through the door, she barely heard the sound of the shower running. Quietly, she turned the master key in the doorknob and carefully looked inside the room. Spying no thief, she crept inside the room. Looking around at what she assumed was the formal sitting room she started rifling through the little items that were on the small table, taking care not to disturb the tea pot and the tea things.
"If I were a scroll," she muttered under her breath, "where would I be? Maybe I should've taken up stealing when I was younger. I probably would've had more success than I am now."
"And you would probably be right." Setsuna whirled around to see Viper leaning on the doorframe, arms crossed and dressed in a yukata; his hair was wet from the shower. He hoisted himself up and walked into the sitting room, his voice mocking, "Why, Coral, with all this rummaging around, were you trying to steal from me?"
Without deigning to answer him, Setsuna charged at him. Before she could tackle him and render him unconscious, Viper kicked her in the solar plexus, sending her across the room.
"Well, that was pathetic," he commented as she crashed into a potted plant. "I've seen you fight Mist ninja—you were more graceful then. Why would you charge head-first like some common thug?"
Setsuna grunted in pain as she sat up. Slowly, she stood and dusted her kimono as if there were dust on them. "Well, it was either that or having to seduce you before I knock you unconscious." She shook her head. "And…yeah, no. I never had to seduce a target and I'm not about to start now…even if you are attractive."
She gave him a perusing stare from head to toe. Pale skin, dark eyes, and shoulder-length coal-black hair set in a thin, oval face. His jaw was narrow and angular, his nose was small and slightly narrow, his cheekbones were high, and his eyes were slightly wide. If he could disguise himself as a girl, Setsuna evaluated, he probably would succeed with those feminine features.
Viper gasped in pain. "Oh, I'm hurt," he said in mock pain.
"It's nothing personal," Setsuna said as she walked closer to him. "It's just that I don't want to lose my virginity at this time."
Without hesitating, she drew her trusty tantō to stab the thief. Viper caught her wrist and disarmed her. Before he could make another move, Setsuna grabbed him by the neck and kneed him in the lower abdomen. In an instant, she brought his head down and kneed him and then she punched him in the jaw, twice. Just as she was about to deliver another punch, he caught her arm and grabbed her shoulders. Bringing his head down, he hit the bridge of her nose. Not stopping in his momentum, he punched her in the face, left, right, and then left again. He brought her head down and kneed her stomach before lifting his right leg up and kicking her into the television.
Crashing into the television, Setsuna delivered a kick to the solar plexus, leaving Viper to stagger back a few feet. Taking advantage of the small window of opportunity, she got up and tackled him to the ground. Straddling his upper body, she took out her hair stick and only managed to leave a small cut on his cheek before he tossed her off him as easily as batting a fly. He walked over to her and hoisted her up, her feet hanging a couple of inches above the ground.
"Did you really think you could steal from me and succeed?" Viper asked before he threw her into a bookshelf. "Your time away from Rain must have really made you weak. Look at you. You don't even have the strength to stand. You're just lying down…like a woman, a very weak woman." He walked over to her.
Grunting in pain and taking large gulps of air, Setsuna struggled to sit up. Before she managed the feat, Viper stood over her prone form and put his right foot on her chest, shoving her back on the ground. "No, stay down." He looked down at her scornfully. "You know, you'll never make it as a thief. You're a failure," he said as he stomped on her left arm. Setsuna cried out in pain.
"You're weak." His heel dug into her left hand.
"You better hope that there is some knight in shining armor coming to save you because this damsel in distress won't be able to get out of her own mess." He scoffed. "Hn. Some independent woman. You can't even steal a simple scroll from me. Pathetic."
Just as he moved to step on her chest again, an angry shriek erupted from Setsuna as she grabbed Viper's left foot and pulled it out from underneath him. His body met the floor and she moved to get on top of him. With her senbon needle disguised as a hair stick in her right hand, she angrily gave him numerous small cuts in the chest with her accessory on his chest. Before she could stab him in the face as punishment for his taunts, he pushed her off. She landed on her feet and stood, waiting for the next attack.
Refraining from wincing at the sight, Viper inspected his injuries. Feeling something trickle down his left cheek, he wiped away the fluid only to find blood on his fingers. "Well, that hurt," he said, trying to sound as indifferent as possible. "You know, you're not a very good thief and you haven't even made me vulnerable enough to steal the item you wanted. You know I'm the best at what I do. You might as well give up now."
Setsuna glanced at her fallen weapon and considered her options. With a sigh, she put her hair stick back into her bun and she bent to retrieve her weapon while carefully eyeing the male at her periphery. He's getting arrogant, she thought. He is arrogant. "I guess you're right," she said, tucking the tantō into her obi. "What was I thinking when I hatched this hare-brained scheme to steal from the master thief?"
Viper smirked. "It's okay, Coral. It happens to the best of us."
"Well, I do feel bad for injuring you," Setsuna said, scratching the back of her head. "As a sign of good sportsmanship, how about I serve you some tea?"
Viper gave her a skeptical look. "Will you drink with me?"
"Of course!" She paused. "Oh, I see how it is. You want to make sure that I don't poison you." She gave him an odd look. "Did you really think I would poison your tea?"
"No," he quickly answered.
"Okay, then. Because I wouldn't do that if I didn't have the time." She positioned herself at one side of the table and took out the tea cups. Gesturing for him to sit on the opposite side, she served the tea, placing the filled tea cup in front of Viper as he sat himself opposite her. He was about to take a sip only to have his cup fall, spilling its contents, as he dropped to the floor, curled into a ball.
"What—what did you—?" he asked in labored breathing as searing hot pain coursed through him.
"Oh, would you look at that?" Setsuna asked. She stood up, towering over the prone form lying on the floor. "I might not be a good thief. Hell, I may not be a master thief, but I'm very good at what I do. Arguably, the best. Besides, I never said that I wouldn't poison my accessories."
She walked into the bedroom and started searching through the closet. Glancing at the open door and listening to the man's pained groans, she said, "Personally, I would've preferred using this particularly powerful snake venom that I had recently acquired when I arrived. You see, this snake venom contained a hemotoxin that would've left you bleeding internally and externally. I would've loved to see that. But, the bitch of it was, was that it would've taken at least an hour for the victim to actually feel its effects. And, I couldn't have that. I needed you to be distracted enough so that you couldn't stop me."
"What…did…you…use?" he asked, sounding more in pain.
Setsuna rummaged around his pack. "This other snake venom that I also acquired while I was here," she answered, feeling that he had a right to know. "Black mamba, I believe. Its effects are quite painful. Aha! Got it." She grabbed the scroll and tucked it into her uniform sleeve. Reaching into her obi, she took out an exact replica of the scroll and placed it into the travel pack. She walked into the sitting room.
Viper lied supine on the floor, his eyes stared up at Setsuna, and his face was sweaty. "How?" he asked.
"I never said that I wouldn't put poison in my accessories," she repeated. "My decorative senbon needles are very good to use as hair sticks. They're stylish and yet very practical weapons. It's really handy to have a jutsu that could perpetually keep the poison or venom from being evaporated. The black mamba's venom can be pretty fast acting, so I've heard." She gave Viper a cold look.
Shifting from being informational and light in her information-sharing, Setsuna's demeanor turned serious, almost grave. "You have at least fifteen minutes before you die. Before that, you may have convulsions, cardiac arrest, and respiratory arrest before you slip into a coma and die. I just thought you should know."
Without another word, she left him lying on the floor.
7
Setsuna arrived back at the inn just as the night life in Mist Village was getting rowdy. Upon entering the room, she spotted her teammates sitting in various spots and waiting anxiously. When they saw her, she could see their shoulders relax. She nodded in greeting to them.
"Guys, get ready to leave."
Walking to Shikamaru, she reached into her uniform sleeve and handed the scroll to him. The two exchanged a look.
"What did you do to the thief?" the Nara asked.
"What I had to," she answered enigmatically.
Later that night, with their packed travel packs, the team checked out of the inn and left the populated part of Mist Village.
8
A few days later, the group was greeted to the sight of Konoha's gates looming over the horizon. Dirty and exhausted, the group of six nodded to Izumo and Kotetsu as they walked by. Without bothering to stop and rest, they walked to the Hokage Tower and trudged up the stairs.
They entered the Hokage's office to find Tsunade sitting behind the desk and doing paperwork, for a change. Being the team leader, Shikamaru placed the mission scroll on the desk. At a glance, the buxom blonde sat up straighter.
"Report," she ordered.
Shikamaru sighed before he began. "We arrived in Mist Village undetected. Setsuna met with her contact and we infiltrated the place where the two Akatsuki members were staying. A third party stole the scroll before we could retrieve it."
"Uh-huh," Tsunade said as she read over the mission report. "This doesn't look like your writing, Shikamaru."
"It isn't." Shikamaru and Setsuna shared a look.
"Then whose is it?"
"Mine," Setsuna answered. She noticed the others' questioning looks. "What? I keep a journal for all of my travels. Because of my memory, I can write everything without missing a detail. Besides, I thought it would be good practice to always write a duplicate." In a lower voice, she muttered, "And Shikamaru may have threatened me to do it."
Giving an odd look at the girl, Tsunade looked back at the scroll. "It says you knew the thief…or at least recognized him."
"Only by reputation," Setsuna replied.
"And you stole the scroll back," Tsunade clarified.
The formerly blue-haired teenager nodded. "Yup. I replaced the scroll with an exact replica of the scroll. The only difference is that the replica had a recipe for ramen."
"Why would you leave the thief with a replica of the scroll?" the blonde Hokage asked, curious.
Setsuna shrugged. "It was just in case he survived."
"What did you give him?" Ino asked.
"Nothing much, just some snake venom," Setsuna answered, sounding as if she were talking about how much salt to put in pot of boiling soup. "Assuming that he does survive, the scroll is a contingency plan so that his client would kill him for getting the wrong scroll."
"Okay and what are his chances of survival?" Tsunade asked.
Setsuna smirked. "He doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell."
"Which venom did you use?" Tsunade asked, gaining a new interest in her former teammate's "apprentice."
"You'll read it in the report," Setsuna answered, giving a dismissive wave.
"Okay," Tsunade said, not satisfied with the answer. "So, if you retrieved the scroll, where is it?"
Shikamaru reached into his pack and placed it before the Hokage. As the Hokage removed the seal from the scroll, the other occupants in the room leaned closer to see its contents. As the older woman unfurled it, Setsuna's eyes widened.
"Oh, crap."
Author's Corner:
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Sorry for the long wait. Hope it was worth it. Enjoy! All reviews are welcome. Please read and review.