Thank you for the reviews and feedbacks.
I'm posting this chapter so I can address couple things for ALL readers…One, the reason why I don't check/reply the PM is because I'm focusing on writing five different stories at same time and I have limited time, remember? Two, seemly there are some rumors going on around that all the stories I have are one-shot or something else, that is false. I don't know where you people get this idea from and if someone told you that, they're wrong/lying. If any story does not say one-shot, certain tag or have 'Complete' tag under the summary, this story is ongoing until I say so. Three…That is for a certain group…Every action has consequences, please remember that.
Some questions won't be answered to avoid the spoilers and if I miss some questions, sorry!
Most characters might be OOC and there might be some grammar errors but I'm trying my best.
In this chapter, there are going to have some time jumps here and there, just FYI.
Enjoy the first chapter of CMIYC!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Carmen Sandiego and anything else mentioned in this story.
Chapter 1: The Early Years
A five year old red-haired girl runs down the hallway with laughter as she weave through the teenagers and slide through between some people's legs, holding a necklace tight in her hands so she don't accidentally drop it. Her laughter grow when she hear her best friend's cries and shouting get closer to her and she peek over her shoulder to five year old blonde boy as he furiously chase her, also weaving through teenagers. "GIVE ME BACK MY NECKLACE, LAMB CHOP!" The boy shouted.
"I'll give you back if you catch me, Naruto-kitty-kitty!" The laughing girl stick her tongue out at him, infuriating him farther and he pick his pace up with loud shout.
"DON'T CALL ME KITTY!" Naruto roared as they run around the corner and down other hallway. The chase was cut short when the redhead collide into thick and big legs with a groan and the blonde boy jump up with a shouting as he was about to dogpile her but a hand grab the back of his shirt in midair, suspending him in air with a dangle. "Let me go, let me at her, let me at her!" Naruto clawing and kicking the empty air with hiss, almost like an wild cat to the giggling redhead.
"Settle down, kitty cat." A muscular woman with green hair smirked down at the screeching boy then turns her gaze to the redhead, "Black Sheep, sugar pie, please give Naruto his necklace back."
"Awww, okay, Coach Brunt." Black Sheep hold the object up to Naruto with a pout and he snatch it, holding it to his chest with a hiss as she giggle at his reaction.
"Good girl." Brunt put Naruto down as she pat the redhead's head before she straight up with fists on her hip, "Now, lambkins, kitty, time for your lessons."
"Okay!" The redhead smiled and Naruto just glare at the green-haired woman for calling him kitty.
"A…Lesson?" The blonde boy stared at the woman.
"Yes, you have language les…" The giant woman never gets a chance to finish her sentence when the boy swiftly runs in other direction.
"I DON'T WANT TO LEARN BORING STUFF!" Naruto yelled over his shoulder.
Brunt sigh at the fleeing boy before she call out in the distance ahead of Naruto, "Cleaners, stop Naruto!" The two lanky janitors look up from their task to see running boy and they block his way with their hands stretching out to grab the boy but…
"YOU'LL NEVER GET ME ALIVE!" The blonde suddenly punched the tall janitor in groin with all of his strength, causing the poor man to kneel down with rough coughs and the boy threw a stinky bomb, a ball of marble size, at other janitor's face, exploding on contact as the coughing short janitor roll around on his back with screaming while rubbing his watery eyes. Naruto kept running with a roaring laughter as he duck around the corner, "YOU WILL NEVER GET ME!" Brunt blink owlishly at the sight in front of her and Black Sheep tilt her head then turn it up to her mother figure confusingly, wondering why the first cleaner went down with a punch to groin.
In another corridor, Naruto was laughing his head off while running and he turn around the left corner before he crash into a pair of legs, knocking him back on his rear with a groan. He look up to see a middle-aged man with pale skin and balding blond hair, Professor Maelstrom, and a Egyptian female model with tacky green dress, Countess Cleo, as they look down to him. "Ah, little Naruto." Maelstrom smiled lightly at him with hands behind his back, "Making some trouble, aren't we?"
"Yup!" Naruto get up with one hand secretly digging around inside his pocket.
"Aren't you supposed to be taking German lesson with Black Sheep right now?" Cleo said snobbishly with a tight frown.
"No, it's canceled." The boy grinned toothily.
"Yes, I don't believe you." The former model stretches her hand out to grab him but…
"HA!" Naruto threw another stinky bomb at her and it bounce off her leg harmless as everyone stare at the bouncing ball roll across the floor before it stop at his feet. "…Um…" He looked up to the frowning woman and snickering man, "…Bye!" He attempted to run away but the Egyptian woman grab his arm in iron grip then drag him toward a certain direction as his feet skid across the floor, "Let me go, you hag, let me go!" Naruto screamed, "I do not want to learn anything! Let me go! STRANGER DANGER! STRANGER DANGER! SOMEONE HELP!"
"Stupid Cleo, stupid lesson, stupid…" Naruto grumbled with his chin plop on desk as he listen to his latest nanny droning on with German language and Black Sheep giggle next to him while listening clearly to her teacher.
"Don't be like that, Naruto." The redhead smiled, "Learning is fun."
"No, it's not!" The blonde growled through his clenched teeth, "Who invite it should go jump into ocean and get eat by sharks."
"Naruto, please answer this question." The nanny gestured to the blackboard with a smile and the little boy stare blankly at her for few minutes before he slowly take a straw out under desk then spit wad of paper at the nanny's face, splat on left len of her glasses. The nanny stare at him in shock before her face get plummet by dozen of spitballs as she scream at her male student to stop and Black Sheep wrote her answer down on paper with a happy hum as if her best friend wasn't disrupting the class.
"Ha, I get one in her mouth!" Naruto laughed as his teacher coughed roughly with green face before he resume spitting balls at the poor nanny.
In a council room, the V.I.L.E. faculty was having their regular meeting and Brunt lifts a piece of paper with a raising amused eyebrow. "Another nanny just quit." She said as some look annoyed or amused by the news, "How long did this one last for?"
"Two weeks." Shadowsan, a middle-aged Japanese man, replied stoically.
"Huh, this one last a little longer than others." Dr. Bellum, a petite woman with white Mohawk and lab coat, snickered, "Was it little Naruto again?"
"Yes." Brunt confirmed, "According to the report, he hit her with spitballs all day then pull a classic bucket on door prank on her but it was filled with oil, honey, itch powder, fish hooks and…" She squirts her eyes closer to the last word on the paper, "Um…Some unidentified waste…" Everyone look at Professor Maelstrom with various expressions.
"What?" Maelstrom shrugged his hands, "I have nothing to do with that."
"You are the only one here with fish hooks and unidentified wastes." Cleo deadpanned with annoyance expression.
"…Ah, and here I thought I was missing few things." The professor rubbed his chin with a chortle and everyone just stare at him. "So…Shall we set up another nanny interviews?"
Naruto snicker to himself as he watch his former nanny storming off to the pier from the window of his room and he hear the door swing open with a blam, following by a voice. "Kitty time!" The blonde yelped out as Black Sheep jump on his back and he tried to block her wiggling fingers from reaching his birthmarks.
"No, no, lamb chop!" Naruto cried out, "Don't think about ru…" One of her hand touch his whisker birthmark then the boy suddenly purr in bliss as the giggling redhead stroke his birthmarks and he went down like a sack of flour, wiggling his body while she kept scratching him like one does with a pet. After some time, Black Sheep cease her rubbing and Naruto slowly sit up then shot a glare at her. "Why do you keep doing that to me every single day?!"
"Because it's fun." Black Sheep giggled with wide toothy grin.
"Grr, the next time you do that, I will not purr!" He crossed his arms childishly with a growl.
"Ooh, are you challenging me to a game?" She grinned lopsidedly, "I can't wait to win again!"
"Yeah, good lu…" Naruto huffed before he cry out as Black Sheep glomp him down to rub his whiskers until he purr, "…G-God…Dang…It!"
"I won!" Black Sheep cheered with her hands up in air, sitting on her best friend before she look down to him. "Hey, who do you think find you in Japan when you were a baby?" She tapped her chin thoughtfully, "I think Coach Brunt's the one who find me in Buenos Aires, Argentina."
"Don't know." He groaned out as he push his best friend off him to sit up.
"I bet it's Professor Maelstrom!" She snapped her fingers, "Your name means maelstrom and fishcake in Japanese. And he always let you get away with everything, even let you take some of his stuffs for your prank."
"You think?" Naruto scrunched his face in deep thought.
"I know." Black Sheep nodded sagely with crossed arms as she have an 'I'm a genius' smirk on her face, "He is the one who found you."
"Maybe." He shrugged.
"Anyway, let's go out and play catch!" She pulls Naruto up by his arm then drags him out of the room. "Yoink!" She stole his necklace then run off with a laugh as Naruto chase her down with a shouting, demanding his necklace back.
One random night, Naruto was sleeping in his bed with a drool until a soft cracking sound of door stir him out and his eyes barely crackle open as he feel something crawling upon his bed then some rustling noise under blanket. "Wh…" Naruto feel something latching on his side and he turn his head to face Black Sheep as she snuggle up to him with a wide grin. "…Sheep, what? Why are you in my room? In my bed?"
"Because it's cold in my room and you're warm." Black Sheep chirped as she nuzzled her face in nape of his shoulder, "Plus, I want a sleepover with my best friend."
"Oh, okay." He yawned as he hugged her back then fall asleep right away and the redhead pout childishly at him, why does he have to go back to sleep when they can do awesome things at night like playing games in dark!
"Mm, night, kitty." She shrugged lightly before she peck his cheek lightly and went to sleep with a smile on her face.
Coach Brunt was the first person to find the sleeping kids in Naruto's room and she gush to the faulty about how cute and adorable they look in their slumber. Little did everyone know that it become regular for Black Sheep to sneak out of her room at night to sleep with Naruto and no matter how hard the adults tried to break her habit, she just end up in bed with her best friend.
"Alright, here comes the target." Naruto peek over the boulder with a wide smirk as a green boat pull up to the pier before he sit down next to Black Sheep, both appear to be around ten. "Ammos loaded?"
"Locked and loaded!" Black Sheep grinned impishly as she hand a water balloon to him then pick up her water balloon and they peek out again to see a man helping Cookie Booker stepping off the boat. "Now!" The best friends lobbed their balloons at the adults and it explodes all over the man, soaking him immediately then a foul smell emerge. The kids give each other a high-five with loud laughter.
"WHY, YOU…!" The captain runs toward them angrily.
"Uh-oh!" The redhead gasped.
"RUN!" The blonde pulled her as they flee from the chasing captain and they race to the academy while jumping over some obstacles until Black Sheep trip on the wet floor in the lobby and Naruto was about to help her up but the captain was upon them.
"Now I get you two…" The scowling captain was about grab them until a large hand smack his shoulder with iron grip.
"Problem here?" Brunt sharply turn him around then lift him up by collar of his shirt before she punch him, sending him skidding across the floor all way over to the fountain and at same time, the man's phone slip out until it stop at Black Sheep's feet. The redhead quickly pick up then hide it in her pocket as Naruto pretend not to see it and the giant woman turn to them with kind smile. "Oh, let's get you a cupcake, sugar pies." The smiling coach pick the kids up onto her shoulders and walk away from the groaning captain.
"Can I have ramen?" Naruto asked her with a wide grin, "Fifteen bowls?"
"Whatever you like, kitty-kitty." Brunt nodded while ignoring his 'not a kitty' cries and Black Sheep laughed at his face.
"What are you going to do with this phone?" The blonde boy slurped his twenty ramen bowl as he sit on Black Sheep's bed, watching her emptying one of her Russian nesting dolls out to put her new phone inside.
"I dunno." Black Sheep shrugged her shoulders as she put the doll back next to nesting dolls then look out through the window, "…Have you ever thinking about going out there?"
"Outside?" Naruto raised his eyebrow at her, "Didn't we just go outside early?"
"No, I mean out there as in going off the island and see the world." She rolled her eyes at him.
"Oh." Naruto licked his lips clean, "…Not really. I'm happy where I am right now. All new prank victims, endless ramen and simple life."
"Mm." Black Sheep hummed, "But still, do you ever wonder what's it like out there? All the sight, places to be and everything." She smirked at him, "What if they have unique flavor of ramen that you can't get here?"
"…M-More ramen flavors…?" He whispered to himself.
"And imagine it, you can go on a big prank spree and hit every corner of the world so everyone can know the name of the prankster king!" She grinned widely.
"…More pranks…?" Naruto whispered before he look up to the ceiling with crossed arms, "…Now you're making me wish that we can go out in the world."
"Yeah, together." Black Sheep hopped upon her bed next to him as she nudge his shoulder with her own, "Best friends taking the world on together." She suddenly rub his whisker marks until he purred, "Ha, I win again!"
"Goddammit!" He growled and she pecked his cheek innocently with giggles as he grumbled to himself about his birthmarks.
"Wanna go soap-skating?" She asked.
"Yup!" Naruto raced out, "First one to reach the end of the hallway get extra ice cream!"
"Hey, wait!" Black Sheep chased him. She stole his necklace for that so he have to chase her around for hours, trying to take his necklace back.
Few years went by in no time and Naruto was working on his latest prank before he hear some thump in Black Sheep's room and he look at the wall with raised eyebrow, only to shrug his shoulder as he turn back to his craft. Few minutes, he saw her running past his window with her phone and his raised eyebrow went farther up before he shrug again. "And..." He held a blueprint up above his head with a proud grin, "Done! One Elephant in Room prank coming up!" Naruto rubbed his chin with squirted eyes, "But where and how do I get an elephant?" He hummed thoughtfully with crossed arms until he hear someone open his door with a hard slam. "GAK! I DIDN'T RIGGED EVERY STUDENT'S BEDS WITH EXPLODING UNREMOVABLE PAINT, NEITHER PLANT CHERRY BOMBS IN EVERY TOILETS, SAN FEW! I'M INNOCENT, I'M INNOCENT, I SWEAR!"
"It's me, Naruto." The said young teenager spin around in his chair to face the laughing redhead, "Did you really do these things?"
"I can neither confirm or deny it." Naruto coughed into his fist embarrassingly, "What's up, lamb ch…"
"Come on, Naruto, we're going to state our case!" Black Sheep pulled him out of his room then race toward a certain room in other building, "I called everyone ahead of time!"
"Wait, case for what?" He quickly match her pace with confusing expression as they approach the giant doors of the faculty room.
"You know." She smirked lopsidedly to him before they enter the room and she takes a deep breath.
"Black Sheep, why have you requested our audience?" Professor Maelstrom asked, sitting with the faculty members.
"We're ready." Black Sheep said clearly.
"To enroll?" The gaudy man hummed with arched eyebrow.
"I know we're not technically old enough, Professor Maelstrom, but we already have what it takes to be awesome thieves." She said, "Best ever!" Maelstrom's arched eyebrow went farther up, "Um, in…" She stammered, "In my opinion, sir."
"They may be young." Dr. Bellum said with a small grin, "But they has had more training at their age than any recruit, even if only by osmosis."
"Dr. Bellum is right." Brunt agreed, "Lambsie's and kitty-kitty's got gumption. I'd say they're ready to run with the big dogs." Black Sheep smiled at that and Naruto crossed his arms with a quiet mutter.
"I, for one, am not thrilled with the notion of having to endure their lack of manners in a classroom setting." Cleo spoke unpleasantly, "They are feral."
"Precisely why they might be overdue for properly supervised training, Countess Cleo." Professor Maelstrom tapped his fingers with a thin smile and the Egyptian woman's brows furrowed in annoyance.
"I'll like to see you all trying." Naruto muttered under his breath, receive a light smack from his best friend with a shush.
"And you, Shadowsan?" The balding man looked over to the said man at the end of the table.
"We are operating a vocational school, not a nursery school." Shadowsan replied with crossed arms and Black Sheep glared at him.
"But we've never met a case for advanced placement until now." The mad scientist said.
"And last time I checked, majority votes rules." The smirking coach rest her head on her fist and the Japanese man stand up as he lean against the table.
"Black Sheep, Naruto, you had better be certain that becoming a professional thieves are what you truly desire, for if you choose this road, there will be no turning back." The swordsman said firmly.
"We want this more than anything, Instructor Shadowsan." Black Sheep said firmly after thinking it for few seconds, "And I am willing to go to the end of the line."
"I'm with her." Naruto pointed to his best friend, "Wherever she go, I go."
"All in favor?" Maelstrom asked with raised hand and Brunt lift her hand up with Dr. Bellum then Cleo slowly raise her hand. Shadowsan said nothing but left the room coldly and the redhead glare at his back as Naruto crossed hands behind his head.
"Our little lamb's and kitty's gonna be all grown up!" Brunt wiped her eyes with a sniffle.
"Please, for love of god, stop calling me kitty!" The blonde boy said with twitching eyebrow and the redhead smiled happily.
Naruto and Black Sheep sit together in a audience with some older students as Brunt speak on stage behind a podium. "Welcome to VILE Training Academy for thieves." Coach Brunt said, "V-I-L-E. Valuable Imports, Lavish Exports. We traffic stolen goods to the four corners of the globe. You've each been hand-picked for our one-year program due to the extraordinary potential you've demonstrated. I am Coach Brunt, and these are my house rules. Rule number one…No contact with the outside world." She held a smartphone out, "That means no portable electronic devices allowed." She crunched it with bare hand as the older students gasped in shock of her strength, "And rule number two…First names only until you get assigned your code name." She smiled in a certain direction, "Ain't that right, Lambkins? Kitty-kitty?" Both best friends tried to make themselves smaller at that.
"Lambkins, Kitty-kitty?" A brunette teenager boy snickered, "Who knew VILE had mascots?" He laughed out loud and Black Sheep grabbed his shoulders then pull him back over the chairs with a glare.
"Only my friends call me Lambkins." Black Sheep said down to him with one fist on her hip, "My code name's Black Sheep."
"Actually, I call you lamb chop." Naruto pointed out before he look down to the older teenager, "Oh, and don't call me kitty or I'll shove stinky bombs down your throat like I did to my last nanny…"
"Wasn't that the seventh before last nanny?" The redhead asked him, "Or third before last one?"
"I don't know." The blonde teenager rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Which one was the one I used rubber chicken on? Or the one that get corncob prank because she was being very creepy with us?"
"Um…" Black Sheep think deeply before she shake her head clear then turn back to the bewildered brunette, "Do you understand? Nod if you understand?"
"Uh-huh." He nodded with widened eyes before she push him away back in his seat then sit down with Naruto.
"You want me to prank him after that?" Naruto asked her.
"Nah." She waved it off, "He's not worth it." They resume listening to the coach.
"Are you psyching to do it?" Black Sheep set her things up next to a bed near the end of the room as Naruto unpack his stuff on bed next to her, they were in a co-ed room with row of beds.
"Maybe." Naruto shrugged his shoulders, "You know I don't like learning or school…I'm the one who make over hundreds nannies quit in short time to avoid lessons."
"Right." She chuckled at the memories.
"Oh, just because we share room now does not give you an good excuse to sneak into my bed." He shot her a light glare.
"Hey, it's not my fault you're so warm and easy to sleep with." Black Sheep grinned, causing another older teenager boy on other side to look up sharply at them weirdly with widened eyes.
"Seriously, you have a bad habit." Naruto snorted.
"Mm, I don't hear you complaining about it once until now." She snorted before she flash a smirk at him, "Or do you prefer to sleep with me in room alone?" Her best friend never get a chance to reply it when some people enter the co-ed room with their bags. "Hi, I'm Black Sheep and that is Naruto." The redhead greeted the older teenagers kindly.
"Hola." A bulky teenager with spiky grayish hair greeted, "I am Antonio."
"Jean Paul." A tall teenager boy with growing beard said, "Bonjour."
"Sheena." A platinum blonde teenager girl with beauty mark under her mouth replied and a familiar brunette teenager walk in.
"You." Black Sheep crossed her arms with narrowed eyes.
"Uh, Black Sheep, was it?" The brunette teenager offered her hand, "The name's Graham."
"Huh, this where you hide your pearls, little girl?" Sheena looked over the nesting dolls with wicked smirk.
"Please don't touch my stuff." The redhead walked over to her with a hard look.
"What, these?" The platinum blonde gestured to the dolls teasingly.
"I said keep your paws off." Black Sheep said and Sheena just smirk as her hand move to touch the doll until Naruto grab her wrist with tight grip, causing Sheena to wince.
"Don't my best friend warn you to not touch her stuff?" Naruto said with a smile, "If you do…" His smile become a predatory grin, "We're going to make your year a pure hell."
"Damn right we will." The redhead smirked with crossed arms as Sheena yank her hand back away from him with a glare.
"Play nice, you guys." Graham stepped in, "We all have to room together."
"Probably costume jewelry." Shenna walked past them with a scoff.
"Put her on hit list?" The blonde boy walk closer to the redhead.
"Put her on hit list." Black Sheep nodded and Naruto grinned impishly, she know he is thinking up of some pranks to use on this Sheena girl. They walk out with the brunette in the hallway to start their first day of school as she looks up to him, "So, what's your story, Gray?"
"I was working as a junior electrician at the Sydney Opera House." The brunette said.
"Australia!" She snapped her fingers, "I knew it!"
"When one day, a light bulb went off." Graham continued, "I could make a far better living turning out the lights, stealing from the cover of darkness."
"Cool." Black Sheep said.
"You think?" Naruto raised his eyebrow, "Kinda lame if you ask me."
"What about you, kiddos." The brunette chuckled at them, "What's your story?"
"Well, I…" The blonde was about to tell his story until his best friend cut him off.
"Come on, guys, don't wanna be late for Stealth 101." The redhead said somewhat nervous, she doesn't want to share her background with new people.
"Origami, the Japanese art of paper folding, is the surest means of perfecting a nimble touch." Shadowsan demonstrating the origami to his class as he fold paper into a sheep, "Essential for the successful picking of pockets."
"That's kinda tricky, huh?" Graham attempted to fold his paper and Black Sheep was doing slightly better than him.
"Not really." Naruto held a perfect sheep origami out and the brunette blinked owlishly at him, they barely start the origami and he just finished it in short time.
"That's kinda cheating because you always pick pockets or planting something on people for your pranks." Black Sheep snorted in amusement and he chuckle lightly.
"Am I done or do I have to make more of these?" The blonde boy asked the teacher.
"Make more." Shadowsan replied stoically.
"The first rule of self-defense…" Brunt said to her class as they clash each other with bo staffs, "Always protect the face. Unless you wanna be knocked out cold or wind up with a mug like mine."
"What about groins?" Naruto called out to her as his sparring partner curled up in ball with hands on his groin.
"That's rule two." She replied with a deadpan expression as she keep one eye on her lambkins who was sparring with Graham, "And please do not hit your partner in balls…Again."
"But we're thieves in training, we don't play fair." The blonde boy said to himself as his poor partner get up, only to easily sweep off his feet by a young boy. "And can I switch with someone else, he's making it easy for me to beat him up!"
"Pop quiz!" Cleo walked to center stage between two similar vases, "One of these two vases is discount-store-grade garbage. And the other, genuine Ming, valued at three hundred thousand dollars. Which would you steal?" The students don't know the answer because the vases are exactly same.
"Both." Naruto raised his hand up, earn a glare from the woman. "What? You don't say I have to steal one."
"My latest invention…" Dr. Bellum held up a green pole, "The Crackle Rod." She twirled a knob on it as the rod crackle, "Settings can be adjusted here. Emp, stun mode, and so on."
"Sweet." Graham grinned widely.
"To properly execute a bait-and-switch, the objects should be of equal weight and size." Professor Maelstrom held a brown leather briefcase up as Naruto examine his own on other side before the blonde boy open it to see stack of dollars. Naruto close it then face Professor Maelstrom and they walk toward each other until they bump each other, dropping their briefcases. The teenager pick the top one up while the professor take other and they resume walking until they reach the opposite end of classroom. "And there you have the switch." Maelstrom open his case with a smile before his face get blast by paint bomb as the colorful paint splatter all over the classroom. "…Funny, I swear I fill one with live baits…"
"You did." Naruto pull another briefcase out behind his back with a toothy grin, dangling two cases on hands as most classmates blink at him dumbly. "What you got was my trademarked paint-case."
"Very impressive." Professor Maelstrom clean his face with a smile.
"Stand tall." Brunt paced by the students, "Today's goal…" She turned to face the students as they try their best to balance on stilts, "Be the first to reach the target." She pointed to the rock-climbing wall with button on top and Jean Paul kick his stilts off then run to the wall, immediately climb skillfully. Black Sheep push a button on her wrist and the stilts expand out as she easily reach the goal then push it right before Jean Paul does.
"Ha, idiot." Naruto snickered at the gawking teenager as Black Sheep lower herself to the floor with a smug smirk.
"Man, what a first day!" Black Sheep stretched her arms out cheerily as her roommates enter the co-ed bedroom with different expressions from tired to happy. "But what's amazing is that you manage to blow everything out of water!" She looked to Naruto with a wide grin.
"Honestly, everything was pretty easy…" Naruto said before he rub his chin, "Expect for Cleo's class. This one is difficult." Black Sheep nod in agreement, only Cleo's and Shadowsan's classes are hard and she swear that Shadowsan is out to get her for some reason. "Well, I'm beat." Naruto crawl into his bed, it's close to ten and he want to be up early to beat everyone to restroom first.
"Good night." The redhead cheerily slip into Naruto's bed and everyone whip their heads at them with rapid blinks before Naruto turn on his side to face her with a glare.
"Goddammit, I told you stop sleeping in my bed while we're in school!" He cried embarrassingly.
"But you're my body pillow." Black Sheep latch on him with nuzzle, "My favorite teddy bear."
"So, um, you two have been sharing same bed for years?" Graham coughed into his fist awkwardly, not sure what to make out of that.
"Since we were five." Naruto attempted to pry the clinging girl off him before he throw his hands up, "Fine, lamb chop, you can still sleep with me! Just don't try and bite my face off in your sleep again."
"It was one time, jeez!" The redhead pouted embarrassingly, "One time and that was long time ago! If you keep it up then I'm going to bring up this one time you kick me out of bed in your sleep or drool over my face because you was having one of your ramen dream!" The best friend bickered with each other while holding each other in bed and the students just stare at them oddly.
"I gotta tell you, Naruto's a prodigy." Maelstrom smirked to his fellow faculty members, "He mastered the bait-and-switch trick on first day and add a twist while at it."
"Oh, I say." Brunt crossed her arms with a nod, "He has a gift at hand-to-hand combat because he beat five partners in row with his unorthodox method. He's also cunning and unpredictable."
"Mm, I have to agree." Shadowsan said stoically, "He was able to master the complex art of Origami with flying color but the credit goes to his…Prankster nature."
"I think it's overexaggerate to call him a prodigy." Cleo scoffed, "It's just a first day and he might end up either in middle or bottom last at the end of this year."
"We'll see." Dr. Bellum grinned widely as she rubbed her hands manically, "If he is a one then it give me some idea."
"Here's the skinny." Black Sheep said to her older friends as Naruto fill some balloons up behind the boulder near the bay, "Every first day of December, she arrives right on schedule."
"Like clockwork." Naruto added, "Always on same time."
"I'm talking about Cookie Booker, VILE's bookkeeper." The redhead pointed to the said woman as she stepped off the boat then point at a object in the woman's hand, "See that thing she's holding? It's a hard drive, and it's loaded with classified information supplied by VILE operatives all over the world. It's way too important to risk uploading from a remote location, so they make her do a hand-carry by boat to avoid radar detection."
"Ammos all loaded." The blonde prankster tied the last balloon.
"Tak aim, and bring the rain." Black Sheep smirked to everyone as they pick up their own water balloon and they all lob their balloons at the adults, causing them yelp out.
"OH GOD!" The captain choked on the vilest scent that emerge from their bodies, "WHAT IN NAME OF…" He threw up on spot as the students run away with some laughter.
"What did you use this time?" The laughing redhead asked her best friend.
"I mixed it with skunk, durian and corpse lily." Naruto laughed proudly and they race back to the academy, only to be stop by janitors.
"Vlad, Boris." Black Sheep smiled sheepishly, "Hiya."
"I take full responsibility." The redhead said to the faculty.
"No, it was all my idea." Naruto covered for his best friend.
"Did I not tell you Black Sheep and Naruto were immature, impetuous?" Shadowsan said, "I recommend expulsion."
"Uh…" Brunt leaned over to look at him, "Isn't that…Extreme?" Black Sheep look downcasted as Naruto place his hand on her shoulder before someone step up.
"Esteemed faculty, with due respect, Black Sheep and Naruto aren't to blame." Graham said, "We egged them on."
"What?" Sheena sneered, "No, we didn't!"
"Even the elephant in Countess Cleo's valuable room?" Maelstrom smirked as the said woman scowled deeply.
"…Yes." The brunette teenager said as everyone glanced to the whistling blonde.
"We can't expel the whole herd of them, can we?" The coach asked and the faculty looks at the students for few minutes until one of them come up with solution.
"Detention?" Sheena growled with her cheek on hand, "What, are we in grade school?"
"We are in school, dumbass." Naruto deadpanned and the platinum blonde glared at him.
"Thank for having my back." Black Sheep exhaled with a tiny smile.
"I'm going to have your hide." The platinum blonde threatened her bitterly.
"Hey, can we focus?" Graham propped his chin on the back of his chair, "These code names aren't naming themselves."
"Ooh." Antonio peeked over the table to the brunette, "I have one for you…Shocker."
"The Shocksmith?" Jean Paul suggested.
"Lame." Sheena huffed.
"The amazing Elecman." Naruto said, "Or Electro."
"…Aren't they copyrighted?" Graham looked at him flatly.
"Power Failure." Black Sheep smirked.
"Ooh, that's perfect name for him!" The blonde boy whistled.
"Sorry, mates, nothing quite has that crackle I'm looking for." The brunette sighed before he sit up with a gasp, "That's it!" He climb up on desk, "Get ready. Graham Crackle."
"Dude, really?" The redhead looked at him like an idiot.
"It sounds like Graham Cracker, the food." Naruto deadpanned as his best friend agreed, "You sure you don't want to steal 'Elecman' or 'Electro' name?"
"We are criminals!" Jean Paul threw his hands up, "Who would take us seriously if we had puns for names?"
"Okay, I'll drop the Graham part." Graham said disappointingly before he smirk, "I'm Crackle. Light's out, baby!"
"…A-Are you sure you do not want Elecman or Electro because it's better name than…" The blonde boy looked up to him, "Crackle…That's stupid code name."
"…Le Chevre." Jean Paul raised his hand up, "Like the nimble mountain goat, I take the high ground!"
"Like the burrowing mole, El Topo takes the low!" Antonio said.
"…I've earned my stripes." Sheena tapped her chin with a dark smirk, "Call me Tigress." At this time, a mime approach them and very few realize him from some of their classes.
"…So, who's off to the clown college, huh?" Graham asked.
"Ugh." The tall student groaned as the mime perform invisible box trick, "Him."
"The quiet guy from class." The bulky student said.
"Hello?" The platinum blonde said rudely, "Code name?" The mime tapped his wrist then make a explosive gesture, "Ugh. He is so weird!"
"Oh, Mime Bomb!" Black Sheep snapped her finger and the mime tap his nose before he moonwalk away from the group.
"…What about you, Naruto?" The brunette turned to the said teenager.
"Kitty-Kitty-Cat." The redhead grinned.
"NO!' Naruto glared at her childishly, "There is absolutely no way I'm letting you or anyone give me feline-relating code name because of my whiskers!"
"You sure?" Black Sheep scratch his birthmark with a smirk as he purred after some resisting, "Because you purr like one. And I win again, by the way." Her best friend glared at her with big wide eyes and pouting lip, which make her laugh. "Okay, okay, I think your code name should be Kitsune. Since you love pranks and tricking people, like kitsunes."
"…Okay, I'll go with it." The blonde boy crossed his arms with a nod and the redhead grinned widely.
"…Yoink!" The redhead snatch Naruto's necklace then run away with a giggle.
"HEY, COME BACK HERE!" Naruto chased her with a shout and everyone stared at the fleeing best friends.
"…Did they forget we're still in detention?" Jean Paul deadpanned.
"And why does she always taking his necklace?" Antonio questioned and his friends look at him blankly, it's clear that Black Sheep like Naruto more than a friend and did it to get under his skin for laughs.
Today was the finals and every classes have final exams of their own as the students outline the routes on blueprints in Maelstrom's class. Black Sheep flip her paper over as soon as she finished it and she glance to her best friend, who was doodling on the back of his paper out of boredom because he just finished it few minutes before her. She think back to their school year, Naruto keep pass most classes with flying color and there was some moments when he struggle with the lessons, only to overcome it with out-of-box thinking. Black Sheep have to admit that she feel envious of him sometime when he end up in top rank most of time but she let it go since she have take first place few times and there's nothing she can do about his monstrous stamina or tricky nature. 'Only if I have been doing pranks a lot like Naruto, I would be in first place forever as the best thief.' Black Sheep balance her pencil on index finger with a light hum, at least they promise each other to be partners for life.
"For the first exam, I call…" Shadowsan sit in front of his class as he scanned his students, "…Tigress."
"I got this." Sheena holds a sheep origami up to Black Sheep then drop it to stomp on it with a twirl and Black Sheep glare at her as Shadowsan stand up to put a coat on.
"Somewhere in my coat lies a single dollar bill." The swordsman takes his place, "The coat has many pockets. Locate the target and acquire it…" He narrowed his eyes at Sheena, "If you can." He start the stopwatch, "You have two minutes." The teenager girl put her eyepiece on as it lit up with green light and she locate the bill in his coat, thank to her mask's technology.
"Think she'll fail?" Naruto whispered to the redhead as they watch Sheena try to snatch the bill from Shadowsan, only to be block by the teacher.
"Only a girl can dream." Black Sheep smirked before Sheena toss sand at Shadowsan then slip by him while tearing a piece of cloth off the coat and she grab it, pulling bill out.
"Mm." The blonde girl smirked smugly, "Money."
"Shadowsan is so gonna call foul." The redhead whispered to Naruto.
"Unorthodox technique." Shadowsan lift the tattered coat up before he arch his eyebrow up with a smirk, "But excellent results."
"No way!" Black Sheep gasped as Tigress hand the bill back before she lean closer to Naruto and Graham, "Shadowsan is totally playing favorites!"
"Kitsune." The swordsman call out the next person and Naruto get up to take his place as the Japanese man put another coat on. "Your two minutes start…" The blonde boy glanced up and down his coat as the teacher click the stopwatch, "Now." Naruto charge toward Shadowsan and the man sidestep him with a push on the boy's back, propelling him forward away from him as Shadowsan correct his pose to prepare himself for next move…
"Got it." Naruto wave the bill with a cheeky grin and Shadowsan look surprised at that. "Here." He hand it back to the man.
"You…Pass." Shadowsan said slowly as he tuck the bill inside his coat, "With flying color as always…"
"Seriously, does prank help you out this much?" Graham can't help but to ask the young teenager bewildered as Naruto return to his mat and all response he got from him was another cheeky grin.
"Black Sheep." The swordsman called her out and the redhead get up then walk up to him with determination.
"I swear I hit every pocket." Black Sheep said dejectedly with suspicion as everyone exit the class, "If there was a dollar in there, I couldn't find it."
"Hey, so you choked a little." Graham said, "Like that's gonna affect your grade? You're the finest pickpocket in our class next to Naruto. Totally in a league of your own."
"Yeah, what he said." Naruto patted his best friend's shoulder.
"You think?" The redhead glanced between them.
"I know." The brunette ruffled her hair up brotherly and she push him away with a smirk then she turn to squeeze Naruto's hand lightly for a moment with a smile as they walk down the corridor.
Few days later, the students huddle up in front of the bulletin board to look at the result and some students look happy. "I don't believe it!" Antonio smiled.
"Results are in!" Graham waved to Naruto and Black Sheep as soon as he see them walking together and the redhead run over excitingly with her best friend in tow, the blonde was less exciting than her but carry some eager look on him.
"Yes!" Sheena whooped as soon as she see that she have passed and Naruto immediately find his result as most students leave the area after getting their results.
"Oh, I passed." Naruto said then look to Black Sheep, "Have you find your…" She stared at her result in shock and sadness as he follow her line of sight to the result and a big red X was right next to her picture. "Oh…" He put hand on her shoulder and Graham look disappointed behind them.
"I'm really sorry." The brunette sighed.
"Crackle, Kitsune." Sheena jogged up to them to grab their arms with a evil smirk, "Come sit at the big kids' table…"
"No thank." The blonde boy smacked her hand away with hard force as he glared at her, "I'll stay with her." Graham glanced between them unsurely.
"Go on, Gray." Black Sheep spoke to him with a sad smile, "I'll be fine."
"Aw." Tigress mocked, "Looks like someone needs to turn in their stealth su…" Naruto flicked a stinky bomb with thumb into her mouth and she choked on it, spitting some stinky odor out of her mouth with some gag.
"Someone needs a mouthwash badly. Who know what goes into your mouth anymore now, bitch." Naruto led his sad best friend away from the coughing teenager and worried brunette before he turn to the redhead as soon as they walk a good distance away from the older teenagers. "Wanna hit cafeteria and steal ice cream buckets then eat them until we get sick?" He pull his necklace out under his shirt, "I'll let you 'steal' my necklace so we can do another chase that you like to do."
"No thank." Black Sheep sighed sadly before she look up to him, "I…I want to be alone, okay?"
"You sure?" He tilted his head at her worriedly.
"Yeah, I'm sure." She hugged him, "Thank for worrying about me." She step back from him with a smile, "Go. Go and join everyone."
"Okay, if that's what you want." Naruto nodded as he hugged her back before he walk away from her and Black Sheep turn around to walk in other direction, planning to have a talk with Shadowsan. "Let's see, where would everyone be in…?" He muttered to himself until he hears a voice calling out to him.
"Naruto, there you are." He turns to see Dr. Bellum walking toward to him with a smile, "I want to congratulate you on your passing."
"Thank." Naruto replied.
"It come to our attention that you passed every single course with flying color and…" She said.
"Actually, I always fail at one class so I don't pass everything." He corrected her, "I swear this person is out to get me."
"Well, at least this one is not important enough for you to partake for the next level." Dr. Bellum chuckled.
"The next level?" Naruto raised his eyebrow at her, "What do you mean by that?"
"The faculty decides to place you in advancement courses for the next year instead of sending you out on the first caper." She replied, "Only very few people have been chose for that, you can say it's once in a lifetime. What do you say? Want to go for it?"
"Mm…" He hummed thoughtfully, "If I take it and pass them at the end of the next year, will I be partnered with Black Sheep when she pass her courses?"
"Yes, of course." Dr. Bellum nodded.
"Then I'm in." Naruto pumped his fist with a grin, "When does it start?"
"In few weeks." The mad scientist walked away with a wave and the blonde wave back before he resumes his stroll.
'I wonder what kind of courses will I face?' He wondered. Little did he know that tonight is the day that changes everything when Black Sheep sneak out on their friends' first caper and the moment he accept the advancement courses.
Black Sheep frown mentally as she exit Cleo's course, her entire upbringing is nothing but a lie from the very first moment she discovered what her former school friends were trying to do on the first caper. They were stealing from innocents and willing to steal lives while taking piece of their history away. She tried to stop them until the cleaners show up to catch her and bring her back to VILE island, where everything become strained between her and almost everyone…Only the person she trust is Naruto and he was there for her…For few days until he was called to the advancement courses and her intuition went haywire on her because she's start to see less and less of him and when she saw him, he was acting a little strange but she wasn't sure why. Speaking of devil, Naruto appear in her view as he walk by the hallway between corners and she jog up to him. "Hey, Naruto!"
"Huh?" Naruto turned his head curiously before he notices her, "Ah, yo, Black Sheep…" He yawned tiredly, "What's up?" She really wonders what's going in the advancement courses because he look so tired lately and she never have seen him like that before, not to mention that some lights seems to fade from his eyes.
"Nothing much, just same." Black Sheep replied as she looks over him with some concern, "What about you? You feeling okay?"
"Yeah, perfectly fine." He yawned again, "Just a little rest and I'll be hundred percent ready to go."
"If you say so." She muttered before she lift her hand up to wiggling his necklace with a grin, "Oh, and yoink!" The redhead take few steps back with a giggle as she wait for him to react and chase her but…He just stand there with few blinks then rub the empty spot under his shirt and Black Sheep realize there is something wrong with him when she saw a lost look on his face. "Naruto? Kitty?"
"Huh?" Naruto looked up with rapid blinks before he gaze down at her then to his necklace, "Oh, can you give me my necklace back?"
"Yeah…" Black Sheep handed him the necklace back then place her hand on his arm worriedly, "Are you sure you're ok…"
"Kitsune, your course is about to start." Maelstrom appeared with hands behind his back as he smiled eerily at the teenagers, "You better get going now."
"Yes, Professor." He nodded before he turns to his best friend, "Talk to you later?"
"Later." The worried redhead replied as she watches him walk away with Professor Maelstrom and she really can't wait for the first day of December to arrive so she can break out…With Naruto.
December One, Black Sheep sneak through the hallway with darting eyes as she pocketed her phone, that had been confiscated by the faculty after the caper, and she need to find Naruto before the bookkeeper's boat arrive. "Come on, come on, where are you?" She muttered to herself, she already checked most of places that Naruto would likely to be in. The redhead turn around the corner then pause for a second when the light flicks through different colors from the doorway in the middle of the hallway and she inch closer toward the doorway then peek inside. What she saw inside make her gasp and widened her eyes, inside the room was Naruto chained to a reclining chair with some kind of metal helmet, cover half of his face, with cords as the images flicked rapidly on the monitors with recording voice spoke while the boy's teeth gritted.
"Longing. Spiral. Darkness. Daybreak. Ten. Benign. Nine. Gold. One. Sheep." The recorder spoke over and over in monotone.
"Naruto." Black Sheep run over to him after she checked the room to make sure it's empty and she shake him while fidgeting with the iron buckles around his arms but he barely move a muscle and the iron cuff have no locks for her to pick. 'What to do, what to do?' She glanced around the room for anything to free Naruto from whatever it is, all she see is just many control panes and some fox mask with unknown technology inside. 'Come on, come on.' The redhead run up to the main control panes and push some buttons in attempt to halt the process but it only pull a file up on the computer, it read 'Yokai Project'. "Wha…" She open it to skim through the documents before she gasp in shock, the yokai project is some kind of brainwashing program and the VILE faculty are planning to mold Naruto into some kind of perfect thief and assassin that only order to the VILE members. "No…" She run back to him, trying again to free him from this thing and she don't know if she should take this helmet off him because of possible risks.
"Longing. Spiral. Darkness. Daybreak. Ten. Benign. Nine. Gold. One. Sheep." The recorder repeated.
"Come on, Naruto, get up, get up!" Black Sheep shake him until she hear some clicking heels and she duck behind the chair to peek out as the shadow of the bookkeeper move across the hallway, causing her eyes to widened. She get up as she glanced between the doorway and Naruto many times, the widow of opportunity is going to close if she don't do something and with heavy heart, she make her decision. Black Sheep take his necklace, pocketing it as she hugged his chest and her head lift to look at him with sad-yet-determined look. "I'll come back for you, I promise." She kissed his lip for a moment before she break it, "I love you, Naruto." She ran out while fighting the tears back.
The alarm went off about ten minutes later and a figure enter the room, quietly switching the fox mask with identical mask then leave the room without a trace.
"So Black Sheep have escaped the island with the hard drive." Cleo frowned in disdain as she glanced at her fellow faculty hours after the redhead's escape, "Now what?"
"We'll put her on the capture list." Brunt said, "Anyone who spot her must capture and bring her back here alive…And in one piece."
"Yes, I concur." Professor Maelstrom steeped his fingers, "She have the hard drive, something that we need, and she have prove herself to be one of us after this stunt…That's if she want to come back."
"But the best questions here are…" Dr. Bellum clasped her hands with a grin, "Where is on earth is Black Sheep? And shall I put Kitsune out for a field test?" Most of the faculty nod to her and Shadowsan just crossed his arms quietly with a stoic frown. He does honestly not know what will happen from now onward and he does not want Black Sheep and Kitsune to cross paths down the road for her sake.
And that end the first chapter of CMIYC!
The early years of two best friends seem to be normal, despite the fact that they were raised by the villains on a secret island that train the future criminals! We just found few bit more about Naruto and Carmen/Black Sheep, their habits and that Naruto seems to have a knack for everything because of his prankster trait. However everything changed near the end of this chapter when Carmen escape the island and Naruto got brainwashed into some kind of loyal solider…But what's up with the mask switch there?
The next chapter will have a timeskip, just FYI.
How will Carmen save Naruto from the brainwash business? What are the VILE faculty plan to use Naruto for? What capers does they have in mind and how will Carmen stop them? What about the others? What'll happen next? Let's find out in next chapter!
Anyway, I think that's all I can say for now. Thank you for your time to read it.
Please leave reviews and feedback here. The flames will be deal with by the cleaners.