Thank you for the reviews and feedbacks.
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.
I'm cutting this story short because of time and I lost my interest in the show. I don't want to leave this story hanging so I'm going to finish off the Kitsune arc in this chapter and next chapter will be many timeskip so the readers can get some closure.
Enjoy the third chapter of CMIYC!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Carmen Sandiego and anything else mentioned in this story.
Chapter 3: And Catch It By Tail
"Esteemed fellow VILE faculty, as you know, I, Gunnar Maelstrom, have been called demented, deranged, psychotic, even." Professor Maelstrom spoke to the faculty as they sit around the table, "Justifiably? Perhaps. But I feel these are merely labels, safe ways to categorize my unique intellect, which enables me to see opportunity where others do not. So allow me to draw your attention to this, the very foundation of law and order in the Western world." He gestured to the screen.
"Looks more like a lion cub sniffing its own tail if you ask me." Coach Brunt said and the confused professor turn his head to the screen to see one of his Rorschach test.
"Wrong slide." Professor Maelstrom swiped to right to bring up a picture, "This. The Magna Carta!"
"You're saying words I don't understand." The muscular woman said on her hand.
"Ugh!" The professor groaned annoyingly, "Coach Brunt, I suspect you are familiar with the US Constitution?"
"Darn right!" Brunt banged the table with her fist, "I'm Texas proud."
"Think of the Magna Carta as the British version of it, written more than five hundred years earlier." Professor Maelstrom smirked, "And for the first time in history, every known original copy of this historic document, all seventeen of them, will be on display under one roof." The screen display seventeen pages, "Here, at this renowned museum in Mumbai, India." He turned back to his fellow faculty members, "Which means we have an opportunity to steal it in the name of law and disorder." He clenched his hand with a wicked grin.
"Would I be correct in assuming that you have a particular operative in mind for this misdeed, Professor?" Shadowsan spoke.
"The crime involves stealing paper, does it not?" The professor smirked.
"She is far from ready." The Japanese man frowned.
"Questioning my sanity after my compelling intro, dear Shadowsan?" The professor's smirk widened.
"Carmen Sandiego was unruly and undisciplined when she was a student here, and your newest star pupil is cut from the same cloth." Shadownsan replied stoically.
"Shall we vote?" Professor Maelstrom lift his hand up, "All in favor." Three members lift their hands up, "Excellent. I'll send her to meet up with other two in India." He smirked wickedly.
"That multicolored freak show owes me a new hat." Carmen looked at her red hat with one side cut off. She have a run in with Paper Star at the museum last night and the paper-obsessing thief have got away with Magna Carta documents.
"Make her take you shopping." Player replied.
"I would if she left a paper trail." The redhead pressed her earpiece, "We need to find Paper Star before she hands off the Magna Carta to the next operative."
"Why not just take them back to VILE herself?" The white-hat hacker asked.
"Standard procedure on all VILE operations." Carmen explained, "This way, no one operative knows too much about any given job. If they get nabbed, they can only divulge so much information."
"Well, don't sweat yet, Red." Player said, "I'm scanning all local surveillance and pushing my new facial recognition software to the max. If she's still in India, I'll pin her down."
"Get it." Carmen turned the earpiece off before she gives out a heavy sigh, she was disappointed that Naruto wasn't there last night and it make her feel more upset. She feel so much guilty for abandoned Naruto and left him to be control by VILE, doing who know what nefarious deed. Only if she was stronger or smart enough to free him from this damn chair, they would have escape together and live out their life together while pilfering from VILE…Or able to capture and fix him without VILE's inference. Carmen often have what-if questions swirling around in her head, even have some dreams that have different outcomes but she wasn't fool enough to know that it'll change anything until she do something. "…Naruto, where in the world are you right now?" She sighed again.
Somewhere in a ancient temple within India at night, Le Chevre hop down on stone floor with Kitsune behind him and they walk deeper inside the temple as a humming tune echoed within the temple until they met Paper Star near a large head statue. "I see I am not the only one who admires Mumbai's historic Elephanta Caves." Le Chevre smirked but Paper Star simply fold paper with a humming tune before he clear his throat, "The fish swims at midnight." A hum, "…I repeat, the fish swims at midnight."
"No need to speak in code." Paper Star held a paper fish out as her other hand place on a tube, "Tell me where to escort this. A designated safe house outside this country's borders, I assume?"
"What?" The bearded thief walked up to her with a frown, "That is not how this works. Protocol dictates that you give me the package to deliver!"
"Protocol exists to protect VILE should an operative get caught." The paper-obsessing thief replied, "You look like an operative who would get caught. And beside, I'm supposed to turn it over to Kitsune, not you." She smirked to the silent thief, "In fact, I'm taking your place, Le Chevre."
"I have completed more successful missions than you, Pippi Punkstockings!" Le Chevre said smugly before he hold his hand out, "Now, give me the package." He reach down to grab the package but Paper Star swipe her paper fish at his hand, causing him to retract it with a cry. "OUCH!" He suck onto a paper cut on his index finger.
"Perhaps the fish does swim at midnight." Paper Star stand up with a wicked smile.
"You gave me a paper cut!" The bearded thief yelled before he gulp when the paper-user puff her paper fish up.
"Puffer fish." She walked toward him, "Very lethal. It will give you a thousand paper cuts unless you tell me the next drop location."
"No, not my hands!" Le Chevre backpedal until his back hit the pillar, "Kitsune, help me!" The masked thief merely walks over to pick the package up then stand there as Paper Star smirk crazily, "NO, NOT MY HANDS!"
Shadowsan take a deep breath before he open his eyes to Le Chevre on monitor after a quick briefing, "Where is she now?"
"On her way to Agra City with Kitsune." The bearded thief answered.
"And how did she learn of Agra?" Professor Maelstrom asked.
"I-I-I had no choice!" Le Chevre held his bandaged hands up, "She is psychotic! Laughing every time she cut my hand up and Kitsune did nothing to help! He just stand there!" The faculty turn to look at the professor and he glance between them before he laugh.
"Merely a label, you know." The professor said.
"Hmm, I think I need to make things more clear for Kitsune." Dr. Bellum tapped her chin with a hum, "The mission said he have to deliver the package with a operative and follow orders, but it don't say whose operative he was suppose to follow." She tapped again.
"NOW YOU'RE TELLING ME!" The bearded thief cried, "I KEPT BEGGING HIM FOR HELP UNTIL MY VOICE GAVE OUT!" The monitor shut down to cut him off.
"But it's odd…" Dr. Bellum hummed, "Kitsune was supposed to prevent any harms from falling upon the VILE operative…" She shrugged her shoulders, "Oh, well. More tweaking for me."
"This was taken less than an hour ago, on a ferry coming into Mumbai Harbor." Player said as Carmen zoom into the picture on her smartphone, Paper Star was standing next to Naruto in a causal clothes without mask but she can see lack of lights in his eyes.
"Looks like our litterbug is still packing the Magna Cartas and under Naruto's protection." Carmen frowned, "Can you access the passengers list?"
"Coming your way." The hacker send her the list and she scroll through it until she find a name.
"Tammy Origami." The redhead looked up with another small frown, "She's going by an alias."
"That's not too obvious." Player said sarcastically.
"It's Paper Star's way of saying, 'Come and get me if you dare'." Carmen replied, "Which suits me just fine. Player, I need you to cross-check that name against any mode of transportation you can think of. Plane tickets, train tickets, car rentals."
"Found her." The hacker announced, "Tammy bought two one-way tickest to Agra City on the 9:30 AM express train. Guess she wants to see the Taj Mahal."
"Let's chase that paper." She smirked, "And trying catch a fox by his tail."
"Want me to send Zack and Ivy to you there?" Player asked.
"No." Carmen shook her head, "They have their own things to do." She hear the hacker's affirmative response.
"First-class ride is the best!" Paper Star hummed a tune as she explores each inch of the first-class room within a train before she turn to Naruto with a psychotic smile, "Right, foxy?" Naruto simply stare blankly ahead as she giggled, "I totally know you'll agree with me! Do you think Red is going to find us here?" No response, "You're right, she will and I sure hope she do!" She bend down to pick the fox mask up then put it on Naruto's face before she bop the fox's nose, "Just in case, foxy." She skipped out, "Stay here, I'll be right back." The masked thief sit still for about ten minutes until the crazy thief enter their cabin, "I'm back!" She put the package on the overhead shelf before she suddenly turn around, tossing paper stars at the door and Carmen dove under the flying stars then tackle Paper Star down. "HEY!"
"Black Sheep." Kitsune get up as his partner kicked Carmen back into his hold and the redhead quickly break out by ramming her elbow into his stomach, hook her left foot around his foot to trip him over onto his rear. Paper Star reach inside her poaches to grab the papers but all she feel was nothing but air and she look up in time to see the redhead dump the colorful paper down the toilet.
"Stinks running out of paper." Carmen smirked teasingly as she kept her guard up in front of two opponents, "Now, can we try chatting without killing any trees?" Kitsune stare straight at her while Paper Star put the package around her shoulder until she notice a brochure on table.
"You should run." Paper Star smirked wickedly and the redhead make a first move, diving for the paper but Kitsune move to block her as his partner lunge to the table. The masked thief deliver a Brazilian kick, which the redhead parry it as she duck under to grab the brochure first and the paper-obsessing thief threw series of punches, follow up by a roundkick. Every attacks were evaded by the nimble redhead and she swiftly move behind Paper Star to grab the package, spinning her around as the multi-colored-haired thief clash into Kitsune, knocking them down.
"Ha, no more…" The redhead brings her hand up to wave…Nothing, "Huh?"
"Care to run now?" The insane thief leap back up on her feet with brochure in her hand then she craft them into paper shuriken with a smirk before she drop it when she see the redhead ran out with the package on her back. "Wha…?" She looks at her back before she chase after the redhead with a growl, following by Kitsune. The chase led them to the top of the train, "Nowhere to hide." She smirked to Carmen as soon as she reaches the end of the train, "Not very smart." She toss her paper weapon at the redhead, only to duck under the very same paper as it flew backward.
"Oh, really?" Carmen smirked, "Wind beats paper.
"Ugh, foxy, stay back!" Paper Star ordered Kitsune before she rush toward the redhead, who also charge toward to her and they deliver their own attacks, which have been parry or evade with an acrobatic move. After the initial attack, they trade some moves until Paper Star flip over Carmen then grab the container, swing her opponent around to remove the tube from the redhead. Carmen immediately grab the straps with a yank then grab the insane thief by her collar to pull herself up, just in time to avoid several metal posts before the redhead surprise Paper Star with a headbutt. They wrestle with the container as the crazed thief swing the redhead around until Carmen slip off the side of train and she quickly grab the edge to prevent her falling. "Kitsune, see this ladder under the bridge?" Paper Star pointed to the incoming bridge with ladder, "Get up first, I'll be right behind you." The masked thief wait until it get closer and he jump onto the ladder, climbing up as Paper Star jump up to grab the bottom rung while Carmen pull herself up then the redhead race toward a steam dome to remove the lid with a grunt.
"Here goes nothing." Carmen retract her arm back then throw the lid toward Paper Star and it cut through the straps, causing the container to fall onto the top of train as the redhead catch it at edge of last car.
"Dammit." Paper Star glared at the redhead as the train zoom farther away from the VILE thieves before she tilt her head up to Kitsune on the foothold, "Oh well, this keycard will cover our failure." She lift a white keycard up between her fingers with a smirk and she climb up to the masked thief then they disappear into the shadows.
Carmen feel very satisfying today after gloating to VILE facility via Tigress' phone, had successfully stealing one-of-a-kind stamp from her enemy. However, she also felt disappointed because Naruto wasn't present at the stamp heist and it make her worried, what if VILE finally send her childhood friend out on an assassinate mission or something similar? "Where in the world are you, Naruto?" She muttered under her breath before the stolen phone vibrates in her hand and she glance at it, only raise her eyebrow suspiciously when she read the text.
"Black Sheep, go to Switzerland within three days immediately. Naruto will be there in four days to kill his target. Lead scientist. Sci. Expo. Stop him before it's too late."
"Player, is there any caper in Switzerland?" Carmen pressed her earpiece as she destroys Tigress' phone then tossing it into the water over the bridge, this text must be a trap.
"Let me check…" Player said, "Yeah, there's one…Holy! It's assassinating mission! It say here that they are sending someone to kill Samuel Banner, a scientist, because he's getting close to a breakthrough for a cure to something. What kind, it don't say here. Do you think…?"
"VILE will send Naruto for this one?" The redhead frowned, "I believe he'll be there."
"Can I ask how did you know there's a caper in Switzerland?" The hacker asked curiously.
"A VILE insider, I think." Carmen replied, "It must be a setup but we are going there anyway to check it out."
"Alright, I'll let others know." Player said and the redhead walks ahead, many questions swirling around inside her head. Is there really someone supporting her team from the shadow and who? But the important thing she need to focus on right now is catching Naruto.
Somewhere in expo building within Switzerland, a familiar redhead and orangette siblings, all wear waiter uniform, set tables up as they examine every inches of a meeting room they are currently in. "I see five possible entryways." Ivy whispered as she glanced up to vents in ceiling, "I might rig two of vents with either traps or alarm."
"Alright, we'll mark them down." Carmen nodded subtly, "Few more rooms then we move to another floor." The team have arrived in this country two days earlier and they have been casing the building since day one, coming up with plans and plans to back everything up in case.
"Next floor…" Zack hummed, "How many rooms is it?"
"Thirty." His sister replied, "Plus one entry to rooftop."
"…Ugh." He groaned, "I wish I was staying at our hotel, enjoying the taste of Swiss chocolate and rosti…Oh, and cheese fondue."
"You will after we finish casing." Ivy huffed, "The caper don't go down until a day after tomorrow." That make Zack smile, "So, Carmen, we're going to pull out all the stops?"
"Yes, that is a rare chance for us to get ahead of Naruto and we can capture him this time." The redhead frowned, 'I won't let this chance slip past me again.'
"Um, I gotta ask." Zack spoke up, "When we get him, how do we deal with the whole brainwash thing? Like, how do we cure it?"
"We'll figure it out when we get there." Carmen said before they leave to go to the next floor.
Somewhere else, Julia glances between Chase and two senior ACME agents as they meet up in a random cafe. "Carmen Sandiego has been sighted in this town a day ago." Agent Zari spoke as her partner slide a folder over to Chase, "For what, we do not know but we suspect her target to be Science Expo."
"Ah, so she can steal bunch of top-cutting science junks?" Chase snapped his fingers with a smirk before he blink confusingly, "Um…What stuffs are the nerds bringing?"
"We don't know if she's going to be at this expo." Julia sighed at her partner, "Neither stealing…"
"Shh, I'm speaking here." The detective shushed with his hand up and his partner release another sigh with small eyeroll.
It was nighttime when a grappling hook flew up across the wall until it go over the ledge, hooking it in process, and a figure climbing up the rope. The figure flip over the ledge onto the rooftop then coiling the rope back into the grappling gun, attaching it to the belt and the figure stand up, the moonlight reveal the figure to be Kitsune. The masked thief approach a vent and he unscrew it to open an entry, entering then move the cover back in its place before he quietly crawl through the vent, making no sound thank to the silence technology in his suit. He halt in his track as soon as he reach the fork and his mask was warning him about sensor trap on left side so he crawl to right. After few turns and many reroutes, Kitsune reach the end of the vent then peek down through the vent screen, scanning the room for any signs of locals before he quietly unscrew the screen down to one screw then slide the screen open so he can drop down from the vent to floor with a soft landing. The masked thief barely takes one step before the light flick on with a click.
"Hey, Naruto-kitty-kitty." Kitsune's head turned to see Carmen with a smirk.
"Black Sheep." The masked thief reached behind his back to pull his expandable weapon out.
"Come and get me if you can." The redhead suddenly bolts out of the door and the masked thief ran out through the same door, sliding on his feet as he scanned the corridor. The display behind his mask pull up a building blueprint as soon as it detects a problem, one side of the corridor has been walled off for some reason. "Over here, kitty-kitty!" Kitsune shove the blueprint out of his view to see Carmen waving at the end of the hallway before she disappears around the right corner.
"Priority, catch Black Sheep at all cost before everything." Kitsune said to himself emotionlessly before he run after her around the corner and down the hallway.
'Good, he's following me.' Carmen glanced over her shoulder for a moment to make sure that he's chasing her as she leap over some obstacles that she and her allies set up early, knocking few things down on purpose to slow him down. Part of her wonder if the chase would trigger some memories in Naruto's head and override the brainwash to some degree since some of obstacles have been set up to resemble their childhood 'tag'. Two soap bars appear in her view and she jump…
Young Carmen land on two soap bars then skate down the corridor as she spin around to blow raspberries at the young Naruto with wiggling hands at her ears, causing the boy to scream out in furious as…
Kitsune speed up as he toss several throwing knives toward to the skating redhead and she narrowly dodge them by ducking down then skid around the corner, the knives embed into the wall. The masked thief turn around the corner to see her run toward to two mannequins that dressed up in a familiar grey janitor uniforms…
"Coming through!" Young Carmen slide under the tall cleaner's legs and the cleaners barely look down before the young Naruto charge through them, knocking them down in process as the young blonde shout out at her…
"Lamb chop." It slip out of his mouth with a low growl and Kitsune don't realize it but Carmen notice his slip.
'It's working?!' She thought to herself in surprise, the brainwash must be not this strong as she thought and it give her some hope. The redhead enter a room, slamming the door close and the masked thief ram his shoulder against the door but it hold up until he change his weapon into sword, slashing it in three pieces to gain access to the room. "Still slowpoke as always, Naruto-kitty-kitty." Kitsune turned his head to see his target making a face at him from an open window before she climb up the fire escape and he leap out through the window then chase her up to the rooftop. By the time he reach the rooftop, he spot the redhead leap across the rooftops and he follow suit. "Guys, it's working." Carmen whispered into her earpiece, "He's still following me. You know what to do when we get to the mark?"
"We know for tenth time." Player's voice replied.
At same time down on the street, Chase pull up to the curb in front of a building that host the expo and he step out of the car with Julia and two ACME agents. "Once we get inside, keep your eyes pe…" Chase said until his partner cut him off.
"Look!" Julia pointed up and everyone look up to see their suspects hopping across the rooftops away from the expo building.
"After them!" The detective took off on feet.
"Wait, we can take the ca…" She called out to him but the man disappeared from their sight and she give out an sigh as she get back inside the car with agents, "I'll drive."
"What the…?" Dr. Bellum frowned in puzzlement at the monitor as it show Kitsune's GPS moving away from the target and she check the news related to the expo…Not a peep about murder. "What's going on?" She typed into her computer with a confusing frown.
'Almost there.' Carmen hopped down across several smaller building's rooftops with her chaser in tow and she tuck-roll across the rooftop of a retail store, spin around to face the masked thief with a small skid.
"Surrender, Black Sheep, or I will…" Kitsune bring the staff up in a stance as it crackle electricity and his target get into a guard stance, her right hand reach behind her back. A low buzzing get close to him from behind was all warning he get and the masked thief quickly check the source over his shoulder to see two small drones flying toward him with some net. Kitsune swiftly pull an short sword to cut the net in half and a zooming noise reach his ear before he bring the staff up to block an grapple hook that was fired by Carmen, the hook wrapping around the handle in process. He cut the rope with the sword and he charge toward to the redhead, only to stop halfway when one of the drone zoom by his face as it nearly take his mask off. The second drone get close before it bat down on the ground by Kitsune's swinging staff and it broke down on impact as he bring the sword up close to his face to protect the mask.
'I need to get this damn mask off him.' Carmen thought to herself as she lunge at him with a roundkick, which the masked thief block with his staff and she use it as a springboard to get away from his swinging sword with a flip. As soon as she make a land, the redhead toss a bola rope at him and Kitsune block it with the staff as it entangle around the weapon. If Kitsune can express his emotion, he'd be surprised by the heavy weight behind the bola balls as it wring the staff out of his hand roughly and the redhead shot in close to him. She grab his wrist that hold the sword and with few well-placed strikes, the masked thief was forced to release his second weapon before she ram her shoulder into his stomach.
Kitsune stumble back a little before he narrowly dodge Carmen's upward palm strike as she attempted to hit his chin and he knock her away with a kick to stomach. He launch himself at her with a right hook and she block it with her forearm, lashing out with a high kick to his mask but he defect it as they start to trade some blows that barely reach each other. They were too focused on their fight that they don't know they were moving close to the edge of rooftop. Kitsune sweep Carmen's foot out under her after she threw a snap kick and she land on her back with a grunt as the masked thief pull his fist back, aiming at her temple. He never get a chance to make it connect because a drone smash into the side of his head out of nowhere, pushing the mask around to hang off his side.
"Ugh!" Kitsune shook his head before he pull his fist back again until something catch his eyes and his gaze shift down to an orange swirl necklace around Carmen's neck, it somehow fall out of her shirt at some point during her fall. "…T-That's…" He winced with hand on right side of his forehead, "My necklace…?" The redhead widened her eyes up at him with some hopeful glint.
"Y-Yes, it is!" Carmen held the piece up to him, "That's your necklace, Naruto. Remember how I always steal it from you and you have to chase me all over the place!" The blonde winced again, "You keep get all grumpy and hissy like an kitty because I kept call you kitty and you call me lamb chop, which was pretty lame if you ask me."
"Y-You…Ugh." He stepped back with another wince as the rings echoed in his head, "L-Lamb…Black S-S-Sheep…"
"You really love pranks so much that you drove many of our nannies to quit in short time!" She kept bring their childhood memories up as it seem to affect him, "Our favorite one was when we plummet this lady who come by a boat every month. Every time you commit a prank, you keep ranking it up even when we thought you can't top the elephant in room prank! Seriously, no one figure out how you did it!"
"…Y-Yeah…" The lights seem to appear in his eyes before they disappear with another wince, "Ugh! S-Stop…" The redhead doesn't listen to him as she kept reminding him everything they did together and he stumble back some more…
"And I have a habit of sleeping in bed with you…" Carmen said before her eyes widened in horror, "WAIT, NARUTO, DON'T MO…" Her warning comes too late as her best friend bump into the ledge and he trip over it. "NOOO!" She shot forward with outreaching hand and everything feel like it's an slow motion in her eyes as her fingertips barely brush his stretching hand before he disappear from her sight. "NARUTO!" She looked down to see him crash into an opening dumpster and she was about to jump down until Chase ran up to the dumpster to look in. He check the blonde's pulse as the car pulled over and the agents exit the vehicle.
"Chase?" Julia noticed the scene right away.
"He's alive." Chase called back to the redhead's relief before he look up to see the thief with narrowed eyes, "Freeze rig…"
"He's brainwashed, the mask!" The redhead hollered down before she vanish from their sight and one of the agents quickly climb up the wall to the rooftop, only to see nothing.
"She's gone." The male agent look down to them with a headshake, there is no track to follow.
"Did she said that he have been brainwashed by a mask?" Julia looked puzzled as the agents gathered around the unconscious blonde.
"Don't be ridiculous." Chase picked the mask up with a scoff, "A mask can't braiiiiiiiii…" He looked inside the mask as his eyes glossed over with drool while the lights dance around on his face before the bewildered woman knock it out of his hand, "IIIIIInwash anyone that wear it." He returned to normal right away with another scoff before he look at his empty hand with confusing blink, "Where did the mask go?"
"There's some brainwash technology built into it." The male agent check the interior of the mask with blocked-out glasses, "We better take this boy in and run some diagnostic on him." They carefully haul the boy out of the dumpster to take him to a hospital.
Carmen exhale softly in the airplane as she receive a message from Player that Naruto have been brought to hospital then will be send to an secret location under heavy surveillance of agents. He'll give her head-up if any VILE agents come close to the hospital. "Is that okay?" Ivy looked at the redhead with some concern, "Leaving your friend with Chase and these agents?"
"Yes, it's for the best." She sighed, "Maybe they can do something about his condition and let's face it, there is nothing we can do about it if we take him with us."
"…Well…" The orange-haired teenager rubbed the back of her head with an understanding nod.
"On bright side, he's not in VILE's hands anymore and with him out of the game, the capers will be little easy." Zack spoke up from his seat, "No more brainwashed assassin trying to take our heads off."
"There are still assassins that want to take our heads off." His sister pointed out.
"Yeah, but they're not brainwashed." He countered and Carmen look out to the city light from the window as the clouds slowly cover them.
A groan escape his lips as Naruto stir up in a bed with a killing headache and he reach up to his head, only to have it restricted. "Huh?" He glanced down to an handcuff that hold his hand to a bedrail, "What the…?"
"You finally wake up." A voice spoke and the confused blonde look up to see some unfamiliar faces in front of him, a man in coat and two women…One appear to be some kind of hologram?
"Oookay, why is there a stereotypic detective, a librarian and…" Naruto looked at the hologram weirdly, "Either you're ghost, holographic or AI."
"Second one." The black woman replied as the other adults exchange looks with each other.
"Stereotypic…?" Chase uttered and his partner shrug her shoulders, she don't want to say that he does fit the bill.
"Holographic lady in my room?" He glanced around as soon as he realize that he was in an unfamiliar room, "Wait a minute, that's not my room?"
"You're in a secret location within one of ACME's many safehouses." The hologram answered, "You have been out for weeks. It took us a lot of time to locate the keywords from the mask and cleanse you from the brainwash…"
"Wait, what?" Naruto blinked rapidly at the adults before he remember something, "…OH, BELLUM, THIS BITCH! High level, my ass! When I get my hand on…" He sat up with a grumble under his breath as he wring empty air with his hands as if he was strangling someone's neck, this Bellum woman the adults assume.
"…Wait, how did you get out of this handcuff?" Julia noticed right away and the others finally realize that he somehow got out of the handcuffs.
"I picked it." The boy replied casually as if it's a common thing and before their eyes, he snap the cuff back on then lie back to make himself comfortable. "Soooooo…Is that part where you going to interrogate me?" He pointed at Chase, "Is he going to play the bad cop that shine light in my eyes, shouting at me for names and this lady over there try to be a good cop but they're going to fail it poorly because…"
"Yes, we're going to interrogate you but not in a way you'll think." The boss lady cut him off.
"Oh, so you're going to torture me then?"
"NO, WE DO NOT DO THAT!" Chase cried out.
"Alright then." Naruto chuckled at the man's reaction, "But I'm afraid there is nothing much for me to give you if you want to know anything between before and after I end up here. Just some…Pieces and bits here and there."
"Yes, they said memory loss is common for anyone who have been brainwashed." The holographic woman replied with a tiny nod, "Will you kindly tell us what was the last thing you remember before that?"
"Let me see…" The blonde hummed, "I remember passed my pickpocket exam and…"
"Hold on, what exam?" Julia stopped him right there with odd look.
"Oh yeah, I was raised on a random island where they have school for thieves." Naruto shrugged his shoulders as everyone blinked rapidly.
And that end the third chapter of CMIYC!
I decide it's good place to end the chapter here and the next chapter will be many jumps.
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.