The Anti Thieving Duo
"Hello" - (Normal talking)
"What happened?" - (Thoughts)
"What do I do?" - (Flashback)
{"Hey, can you hear me?"} - (Communication)
":Now arriving at your destination:" - (Another Language)
"\Prepare for departure\" - (Radio and speakers)
Hope that you all enjoy this chapter.
Chapter 21 - The Masks of Venice Caper
(VILE Castle)
The Faculty members were all sitting at their head table, eating Halloween candy.
"What have we become? I never fathomed that we could be capable of such excess" Cleo said, as she picked up a small piece of chocolate before eating it.
"New neighbourhood, didn't know how many trick-or-treaters to expect" Brunt said with a smile, as she gave a chuckle, before picking up a piece of candy and tossing it into her mouth.
"We are occupying a secret base, Coach Brunt. What made you think that we would expect any?" Maelstrom asked with a flat tone of voice, as he gave her a flat look, as he ate some chocolate.
Brunt just gave a shrug at this, as she ate some chocolate.
"And was it worth making ourselves sick?" Countess Cleo asked, as she slightly retched.
"If any of you come across any with nougat, do put them aside for me, please" Dr Bellum said, as she rummaged in her pumpkin bucket.
"Now, my candy coated Countess, after last night's bayou fiasco, we are looking forward to your mask themed scheme" Gunnar said with a grin, as he put a ball of candy in his mouth.
"The assigned operatives are preparing to rendezvous as we speak, and I shall provide all pertinent details….right after one last little morsel" Cleo said, as she held up a small piece of candy that looked like a ghost.
0o0o0o0
(With Naruto and the others)
The group were on their private jet, as it flew through the air, which had just taken off from New Orleans, with everyone having something to eat and drink.
"You smack down VILE in one part of the world, and then they pop up in another," Naruto said with a frown, as he ate a sandwich.
{"And in this case, Venice, Italy. The entire city is constructed on 118 small islands, separated by canals and connected by something like 400 different bridges. It's completely surrounded by water,"} Player said.
"And that's why you'll never see an automobile in Venice, Player. Everyone either walks or rides in boats" Carmen said, as she ate a muffin, before having a drink.
{"Hey, check it out! Venice has an annual event called Carnevale, where people wear elaborate costumes and masks,"} Player said.
"It's a shame that we're here in the fall rather than spring. The masks and costumes of Carnevale di Venezia can be molto bello, or 'very beautiful' as they say in Italy" Naruto said.
{"Whoa. Looks like they can also be molto creepy. But since VILE's managed to mask the particulars of their plan this time around, I thought that you might want to do recon by touring the city's canals with old friends"} Player said with a smile.
"Thanks Player. Since it'll take about 12 hours, before we land at the airport, we've got plenty of time to kill" Carmen said.
"Yep, so see you later mate" Naruto said, with Player giving a nod, as the screen went blank before Naruto closed the laptop.
"So, what do we do until we arrive in Venice? Play a few games?" Zack asked curiously.
"Oh, how about we watch Fallout? After playing the different games, I want to see what the TV series is like" Ivy said with a grin, as she grabbed the TV remote and turned on the TV, before she sat down and scrolled along to find Amazon Prime Video.
"Yea, good idea" Zack said with a nod of agreement, as he sat down next to her.
"Since neither of us have played any of the games before, we'll take a hard pass and leave you both to it" Carmen said, as she and Naruto headed towards the bedroom.
"Okay" Ivy said with a wave of her hand, as the first episode started playing, as Naruto closed the door behind them.
||LEMON SCENE (YOU'VE BEEN WARNED)||
Naruto locked the door behind him, before he grabbed Carmen and pulled her into a searing kiss, who was only too happy to return it.
They began walking towards the bed while kissing, taking off their own clothes and each other's clothes as they did, while tossing them off to the side, until they were in their birthday suits as they reached the bed, where they fell upon it, laying next to each other.
After kissing each other like this for a few minutes, Naruto then rolled them over, so that Carmen was on top of him, as they continued to makeout while running their hands all over each other and in each other's hair.
They did this for a couple of minutes, before they separated and smiled lovingly at each other.
Naruto brushed some of Carmen's hair behind her ear, then he cupped her cheek with Carmen leaning into his touch, as she kissed his hand.
"So, what do you feel like doing?" Naruto asked curiously, as he ran his hands up and down Carmen's sides.
Carmen looked up at the ceiling and thought about it for a moment, before she grinned down at Naruto. "Why don't we do something that'll make us both feel good" she said, before she spun round, so that her damp pussy was over Naruto's head while she was looking down at his semi erect cock.
"I like the way you think, babe," Naruto said with his own grin, as he reached up and placed his hands on Carmen's ass, before he massaged it slightly.
Carmen gave a slight moan at this, as she glanced over her shoulder at Naruto and gave him a sultry smile and wink. "I thought you might" she said, before she lowered her head to Naruto's cock, while moving her pussy to Naruto's lips.
Naruto chuckled slightly at this, before he stuck his tongue out and licked the entire length of Carmen's pussy, which caused her to moan in pleasure at this, as she was kissing and licking Naruto's cock, while one of her hands playing with his balls, with her other hand pumping his cock, which made him groan in approval, as they both did this to each other for a few moments.
Naruto gave a hidden smirk, as he placed his index and middle fingers from both his hands on Carmen's pussy lips, which he parted, before he stuck his tongue inside her and began wiggling it around.
This caused Carmen to throw her head back and let out a loud pleasurable moan, before she went back to Naruto's cock, this time wrapping her mouth around his cocks head and bobbing her head up and down, taking more and more of Naruto's cock in her mouth as she did, which made Naruto groan into her pussy.
The two of them both did this for quite a while, with Naruto also adding his fingers into Carmen's pussy, while she played with Naruto's balls as she bobbed her head up and down on his cock.
They both did this for quite a while, before they both climaxed into each other's mouth at the sametime, where they both moaned/groaned together in pleasure.
After calming down and swallowing the others cum, along with cleaning any off themselves, Carmen spun round to look at Naruto, with the both of them slightly sweaty and panting for breath.
"So, do you wanna continue, sleep or do something else?" Naruto asked, as he smiled up at Carmen.
Carmen gave it some thought, before she grinned down at Naruto. "I could go for another round" she said, before she stood and sexually walked over to the wall, where she placed her hands against and leaned down, as she stuck her ass out.
Naruto smirked at this, as he knew what Carmen wanted to do, before he too got off the bed and walked towards her. Once he approached her, he grabbed hold of her hips with one hand and lined his cock up with her pussy using the other.
Naruto then gave a smirk, as he decided to tease Carmen a bit, so he rubbed his cock against her outer pussy lips.
"Oh baby, please don't tease me" Carmen moaned out, as she moved her ass back a little, to get Naruto's cock in her pussy. But Naruto moved his cock out of the way, and went back to rubbing it against Carmen's pussy lips, when she moved her ass back forward.
"I'll put it in, only if you beg for it, baby," Naruto said with a chuckle, as he continued to rub his cock against Carmen's pussy and move it out of the way, as she tried to get his cock inside her.
"Please babe, put your cock inside my pussy! I want your cock inside me so badly! My pussy is waiting to feel your wonderful cock" Carmen half yelled, as she looked over her shoulder at Naruto, a look of lust on her face.
"As the lady wishes," Naruto said with a grin, before he pushed his cock into her pussy, while his hands were holding onto her hips.
"Oh yes~! That feels so good!" Carmen said with a moan of pleasure, as she moved her hips in time with Naruto's thrusts, filling the room with the sound of skin slapping against skin, along with the smell of sex.
Naruto then leaned down, so that his chest was pressed flush against Carmen's back, before he reached his hands round and grabbed hold of Carmen's breasts, which he began to play with.
"Oh yes, babe~! Your hands always feel so good" Carmen moaned out in pleasure, as she thrust her chest out, so that Naruto could fondle her breasts even more.
Naruto moved his head to Carmen's neck, which he began to kiss, lick and suck on, causing Carmen to move her head so that Naruto could access her neck better, while his fingers would pinch, tweak and roll her nipples on one breast while his hand played and fondled the other one, before he swapped, which he did over and over again, as he continued to plough into Carmen, who eagerly met his thrusts.
They both did this for quite some time, before they started to move about frantically.
"Oh babe, I'm close" Carmen said, as she started to pant.
"Me too. Let's do it together" Naruto said, before he turned Carmen's head and pulled her in for a kiss, which she eagerly returned, as she took one hand off the wall and threaded it through Naruto's hair, while they sped up their hips movements.
After a few moments of doing this, they both climaxed, which caused them both to moan/groan into each other's mouth.
Once they'd calmed down, and after waiting a couple of minutes, Naruto pulled himself out of Carmen, which caused both of their sexual fluids to fall out of Carmen's pussy onto the floor, forming some small puddles.
"Well, looks like the cleaning crew are gonna love cleaning that up" Naruto said with a small snicker, as they both walked back towards the bed.
"Yea. And luckily I'm on the pill, so that I don't get pregnant. Which I probably would be, with how many times we've done it" Carmen said with a smile, as she opened up a drawer next to the bed, before taking out a bottle of pills, which she opened and took one out, then popped it in her mouth and swallowed it, by tilting her head back slightly.
"Are you saying that you don't want kids someday?" Naruto asked with a mock hurt tone, as he climbed into the bed.
Carmen shook her head at this with a small grin, as she too climbed into the bed, before she dope slapped Naruto on the back of his head. "Of course I do. But until we defeat VILE for good, I don't want to risk them taking either of us or our kids and using them and us for their own personal gain" she said, as they both laid down, with Carmen resting her head on his chest, while Naruto wrapped his arm around her.
Naruto hummed at this, as he lightly ran his hand up and down her back. "Yea, you make a good point" he said with a small nod.
"Of course I do, since I'm the smart one," Carmen said with a smirk, as she looked up at Naruto.
"Oh? Since when?" Naruto asked with a raised eyebrow, as he looked at Carmen with a smile.
"Since forever, of course," Carmen said with a grin, as she laid her head back down on Naruto's chest.
Naruto chuckled at this, as he too laid down, before they both went to sleep.
||LEMON FINISHED (SAVE TO READ AGAIN)||
0o0o0o0
(Venice)
Everyone had woken up with enough time to have something to eat and drink, shower, clean their teeth and change their clothes, so that once the plane had landed, all they needed to do was grab their stuff and walk off the plane.
Once they'd gone through the airport, they then walked towards a jetty, where Player told them Shadowsan was waiting, where he was waiting with a taxi boat that he'd hired for them to use to get around Venice.
"So, how was the Fallout series? Was it any good?" Naruto asked Zack and Ivy curiously, as they walked.
"Yeah, it was awesome!" Zack yelled with a grin.
"It was actually a great series," Ivy said with a nod, as she gave a smile.
"So, you were able to watch the entire thing then?" Carmen asked with a cocked eyebrow.
"Yup, and we even had plenty of time to sleep, before landing here" Zack said with a nod, as they approached the docks, where they saw Shadowsan standing next to the boat, which was tied to a post.
They all climbed onto the boat, and once they'd untied it, the driver started it up and drove off towards the city of Venice, with Zack and Ivy standing at the front of the passenger area, while Naruto and Carmen stood at the back with Shadowsan.
After driving along for about an hour and a half, everyone noticed the city of Venice coming into view, before the driver drove the boat down one of the canals.
"I am sorry that your quests to find your mothers has been sidelined by business as usual" Shadowsan said, as he looked at Naruto and Carmen, who were looking at the buildings they went by.
Naruto and Carmen both frowned at this slightly. "It was entirely our choice," Naruto said.
"And besides, the more good people that we manage to meet in this crazy world, the more we're reminded that family comes in many forms" Carmen said, as they both smiled at Shadowsan.
"I for one, can not argue with your sentiment" Shadowsan said, as he smiled back at them, as the boat drove along the canal.
0o0o0o0
(Back at New Orleans)
Chase was standing at the bottom of the steps of an ACME plane, while Chief's hologram was on the steps, giving him a firm look.
{"Agent Devineaux, since your first solo outing wasn't exactly an arousing success, I'm assigning you with a new partner"} Chief said, just as an ACME car pulled up, causing Devineaux to turn around.
"I hope that it's someone who will not slow me down," Chase said with narrowed eyes, as the driver's door opened and Agent Zari stepped out of the car, before she walked over.
"Agent Zari, bonjour" Chase said with a smile, as Zari walked past him and up to the hologram of Chief.
"Chief. Agent Devineaux" Zari said to them both in greeting.
{"You'd better make that buongiorno. You're both heading for Venice, Italy, which our Crime-New technology has pinpointed as Carmen Sandiego and Naruto Uzumaki's current location. Find out what they're targeting and report back"} Chief said firmly, before her hologram disappeared.
"Just try not to slow me down, partner," Zari said to Devineaux, before she got onto the plane.
"Of course not" Chase said, as he cleared his throat, before picking up his ACME pen and followed her.
0o0o0o0
(Back in Venice)
The boat taxi stopped off at a dock at what looked like some kind of city square, as everyone climbed off.
"The Piazza San Marco" Naruto said, as they walked off the dock.
"Ooh! Is that the one they make with peppers and onions?" Zack asked with a grin.
"It's 'piazza' Zack, not 'pizza.' It's the Italian word for 'public square.' Sorry" Carmen said with a shrug, as they walked off.
"Aww" Zack said with a downcast look, before he followed after the others.
"Hey, guys, check it out. Masks all over again" Ivy said, as she pointed at a poster of a golden mask outside a museum. "Coincidence?"
"Not likely. I just wish that we had more to go on then a hunch" Naruto said with a frown.
"We do" Shadowsan said, as he looked off to the side with a glare.
Everyone else raised an eyebrow at this, as they looked where he was looking and saw a familiar mime performing on the street.
"Oh great, Mime Bomb. He could be casing the museum" Carmen said with a scowl.
"Or preparing to rendezvous with another operative" Shadowsan said.
Mime Bomb saw the group looking at him, as he mimed changing his happy face into a look of shock, before he turned and ran off.
"Mime on the move" Ivy said with narrowed eyes.
"Keep a lookout" Naruto said to her and Zack as he, Carmen and Shadowsan ran after Mime Bomb.
Moments after they'd gone, Zack and Ivy saw someone walk over to Mime Bomb was, wearing a green shirt with flowers in a line down one side, a wide brimmed hat, brown shorts, beige shoes and sunglasses.
"Now, where is Mime Bomb off to?" Neal asked curiously, as he looked up from his phone, trying to find the VILE operative.
"Hey, it's that Australian guy!" Zack exclaimed, which caused Neal to spot them
"I'm from New Zealand. Completely different country, nitwit" Neal said, as he turned and ran off, with Zack and Ivy in hot pursuit.
Zack groaned at this. "He's right, Ivy. I really should know that by now" he said, as they chased the VILE operative.
With Naruto and the others, they continued to chase Mime Bomb, as they ran down a small street, before Naruto and Carmen used their grappling guns to get to the rooftops, as Shadowsan kept on chasing Mime Bomb, with Naruto and Carmen following by rooftops.
Meanwhile, Zack and Ivy were chasing Neal, who took off his hat and shoes, before throwing them at Zack and Ivy, obviously trying to slow them down, which didn't work.
As Neal ran, he noticed a tunnel coming up, so he slid to a stop before running down it, with Zack and Ivy following after him….only for them to get stuck, as it wasn't big enough for two people to go down it together.
"Oh, come on!" Ivy said with a scowl, as they tried to move, while frowning at each other.
Neal came out of the tunnel with a laugh, as he took the sunglasses off and tossed them to the side, before he stopped, as he noticed that he'd reached a deadend.
Neal then glanced over his shoulders, as Zack and Ivy came out of the tunnel. "Okay, you got me" he said with a grin, as he raised his hands in the air.
Ivy quickly ran over to him and wrapped her arms around his, before Neal slipped out of her grasp, leaving his shirt in her hands, as Ivy gasped in shock, with Neal sliding along to get behind her.
Zack then ran over and wrapped his arms around Neal's chest, before Neal bent over backwards to climb over Zack, leaving his pants behind, with Zack growling in annoyance at this.
"Not really," Neal said with a laugh, before he ran back down the tunnel.
Zack and Ivy both scowled at this, as they tossed the clothes aside and raced after him.
Meanwhile, Shadowsan was still chasing after Mime Bomb on the ground, with Naruto and Carmen keeping pace on the rooftops.
Mime Bomb looked back at Shadowsan for a moment, a look of worry on his face, before he looked forward and saw a canal coming up, with two gondolas beginning to pass each other.
This caused Mime Bomb to smirk, as he jumped off the side onto the first gondola, then he jumped onto the second one, with a man shouting out in shock at this, where he landed on the other side of the canal with a bow, before looking over his shoulder at Shadowsan with a smug look, with Shadowsan growling at this, as the gondolas had sailed past.
Mime Bomb continued to give Shadowsan a complacent look, before it quickly changed to shock, as he saw Naruto and Carmen's grappling hooks hit the wall of a building, causing him to run off again, as Naruto and Carmen swung over and pulled the hooks off the wall with a flourish and back into the grappling gun, then ran after the VILE operative.
As this was happening, Neal was running down an alleyway, before he glanced over his shoulder and saw that he wasn't being followed, which caused him to stop and smile. But when he looked up, he had a look of shock, as Zack and Ivy were on top of an archway, as they dropped down on Neal.
Zack and Ivy both had triumphant looks on their faces, as they laid on top of Neal to stop him from getting away….only until Neal slipped out from under them, and flipped himself back onto his feet.
"If you two are trying not to catch me, then you're doing a spectacular job" Neal said with a laugh.
Zack and Ivy glared at him at this, as they stood up and grabbed hold of him again, this time wrapping their arms around him….before Neal slipped out of their grips by going down, causing the twins to slam into each other, which caused them both to yell in disgust, as they pulled away from each other.
Neal then gave a laugh from behind them, before he raced down a tunnel, with Zack and Ivy following him and once they exited the tunnel, they saw they'd arrived at what looked like a small market area, with Neal nowhere in sight.
"Olive oil?" a man asked Ivy with a smile, as he approached her, while holding a bottle of olive oil.
While this was happening, Naruto and Carmen were still chasing after Mime Bomb, who turned a corner, and once the two of them turned it, they stopped, as they saw they'd arrived at a canal with a few gondolas about, as they looked around for Mime Bomb, before they walked off.
0o0o0o0
(On a gondola)
Neal was sitting on a gondola, while Mime Bomb was behind him, dressed as a gondolier, as he mimed rowing the gondola they were using, that was actually tied to another gondola, pulling it along.
"Well, we sure gave them the old slipperoo, didn't we mate? You might say that you and Neal the Eel make quite the team, don't you think? Well, you might say that, if you weren't the quiet type" Neal said with a smile, as he leaned against the side of the gondola.
Mime Bomb rolled his eyes at this, as he mimed talking in a mocking manner with slightly narrowed eyes.
"We should move up the timetable and steal those masks, tonight" Neal said with a smirk, as they passed underneath a bridge….which Agents Zari and Devineaux just so happened to be walking across.
"And upon sighting both La Femme Rouge and L'homme Blond among the crowd, I cautiously closed in upon my prey" Chase said with a grin, as he creeped along the bridge.
"You didn't peel off after them?" Zari asked with a cocked eyebrow, as she looked up from her phone to glance over her shoulder slightly.
"It was not a pursuit, not yet" Devineaux said with a scowl, before smiling widely as he clenched his fist. "More like a battle of wits between archrivals."
"Wits doesn't explain why Chief wanted you to play second banana to me" Zari said, as she looked over her shoulder at him.
Chase had a look of embarrassment on his face at this, as he cleared his throat nervously. "Wait. You heard about my….disguise?" he asked her, as he fiddled with his tie for a moment.
"We're a covert surveillance agency, Devineaux. Details matter." Zari said, as she walked off the bridge, as Chase slumped over slightly, before following her. "But, really, you couldn't just wear a mask?" she asked him.
Devineaux gave a small chuckle at this, as he glanced off to the side for a moment. "Yes, a mask would've been…." he was saying, before he looked up, which caused him to smirk. "I mean, it would be precisely what Naruto Uzumaki and Carmen Sandiego would try to steal if it were a valuable enough mask," he said, as he pointed at a banner that had the same image Naruto and the others had seen.
"Devineaux, you may be on to something" Zari said to him with a smile, as Chase looked quite pleased with himself.
0o0o0o0
(At the museum)
Once everyone had met up back outside the museum and exchanged info, they went inside the museum, and had someone explain about the mask they'd seen on the poster outside the museum.
"The mask of Agamemnon is a ceremonial burial mask dating from Ancient Greece, over 3000 years ago. It was raised from a single sheet of gold" a man said, who wore a museum guide uniform, as he stood next to a glass case with the mask inside it.
"Whoa. It must be worth a fortune" Zack said with a smile.
"Indeed, but every mask of our exhibit is truly priceless" the guide said with a nod, as Shadowsan walked off to another mask that was housed in a glass case.
"A mengu mask worn by samurai" Shadowsan said, as he looked at another mask in a glass case.
"These particular masks have been gathered here for the first time under one roof, accompanied by scholars from their respective countries of origin. They will be speaking about the unique culture and heritage of each mask during a lecture today" the guide said, as he walked past Shadowsan towards another group of people.
"Would one of these visiting scholars be from Japan?" Shadowsan asked the guide curiously.
The guide thought about this for a moment before nodding. "Yes, he was here just a moment ago. But if you excuse me, I must begin a tour group" he said with a grin, before he walked off.
Shadowsan looked back at the mengu mask for a moment, before he gained a look of surprise, as he saw his brother in the reflection of the glass, which caused him to remember the last time they saw each other.
(Flashback starts)
Hideo stood before a painting in glass, before he gasped in shock, when he saw Shadowsan in the reflection, which caused him to turn around, to see Shadowsan was knelt in prostration on the floor.
"I do not expect your forgiveness. I only ask that you allow me to correct this grave dishonour" Shadowsan said with his eyes closed, as his brother looked down at him.
(Flashback over)
Shadowsan looked at the reflection of his brother for a moment, before he closed his eyes as his brother walked past him, who paused and looked at the case where the mengu mask was, only to see no one there. Hideo looked around for a moment, with a raised eyebrow, before he continued walking.
Meanwhile Naruto, Carmen, Zack and Ivy were looking at a bunch of other masks in another glass case.
"These masks are historically and culturally significant, but that won't stop Countess Cleo from treating them like fashion accessories, before selling them off to the highest bidder" Carmen said with a frown, as she placed her hand on the case.
"Heads up guys, ACME is in the house" Zack said, as he looked off to the side, before the others did too, where they saw Devineaux and Zari talking to someone. They quickly ran off to the side to hide, just as Chase looked in their direction, before looking away.
"Is that such a bad thing, though? I mean, why not just tip them off about the caper and let them handle it?" Ivy asked, as she looked at Naruto and Carmen curiously, who had both put their hoods to hide their faces.
"We might have been able to trust Jules, but it looks like Devineaux is now riding with a new partner," Naruto said with a frown, as he and Carmen peeked round the corner, before they pulled back, just as the two ACME agents walked past where they were hiding.
Once the two ACME agents had gone past them, the group came out of their hiding place.
"Whoa, did we lose Shadowsan?" Zack asked curiously, as he looked around for the man.
Everyone else looked around at this, before Naruto and Carmen saw Hideo walking by, causing them both to look at each other in sadness.
"We'll find him, while the two of you get out of here" Carmen said, as she looked at the twins.
"Are you sure?" Ivy asked with a look of worry.
Naruto gave her an easy smile at this. "Yea, we'll be fine," he said to her.
Zack and Ivy then both gave a nod, before they walked off, while Naruto and Carmen went looking for Shadowsan.
After looking around for a few minutes, they found Shadowsan outside, leaning against a stone railing, before they walked over to him.
"I can not steal something so meaningful to my brother on his watch. Not again" Shadowsan said, as he could tell they were behind him.
"We aren't stealing the masks, you that" Carmen said, as she and Naruto walked over to lean against the railing on the other side of the pillar next to Shadowsan.
"Hideo would not discern the difference. You both know that" Shadowsan said.
"He won't see you. No one will. After all, you're a ninja" Naruto said.
"A dirty word to one who has devoted his life to studying the ways of honourable samurai" Shadowsan said, as he turned away and closed his eyes.
"You also know that if we don't steal them first, then VILE will" Carmen said with a firm look and tone.
After a few moments, Shadowsan gave a slight nod and opened his eyes, before they left the museum to meet up with Zack and Ivy, so that they could make a plan.
0o0o0o0
(Back in the museum)
Devineaux and Zari stood before the various scholars and some of the museum staff, as a member of the museum security stood next to them.
"We do not know if or when the thieves will strike, but please be on the lookout for any suspicious behaviour. Museum special security has further details" the security woman said, before she gestured to Chase and Zari.
"There leaders are a young man and woman, who respectively go by the names Naruto Uzumaki and Carmen Sandiego" Devineaux said, as he held up his Ipad and tapped on it, causing an image of Naruto and Carmen wearing their mission outfits to be shown to everyone, which caused Hideo to frown slightly upon seeing the image.
"And these, are two of her known accomplices" Chase continued, as he swiped down on the screen, first showing the sketch of Coach Brunt then the one of Shadowsan, with the latter of the two causing Hideo to gasp slightly in shock, before he gave a frown.
0o0o0o0
(Later, that night)
It was now nighttime with Naruto, Carmen and Shadowsan wearing dark clothes with dark cloaks, as they stood on the rooftops.
"Is everyone in position?" Naruto asked, his hand pressed to his ear.
"On the ground" Zack said with his finger against his ear, who was wearing a museum curator outfit, as he stood outside the museum.
"On the water" Ivy said into her phone with a smile, as she was on a boat.
"In the security system" Player said, his fingers ready to begin typing.
"Let's do this" Carmen said as she, Naruto and Shadowsan then put dark tricorne hats on, before putting masks on to cover their faces, with Carmen's being red on one side and dark blue on the other with a diamond line going down the middle and a line of diamonds under her eye on the right hand side. Shadowsan's mask was all white, with black squares at a 90 degree angle going down both sides, while Naruto wore a guy fawkes mask.
The three of them then ran along the rooftops, sliding down the roofs before jumping to the next roof at times, as they ran towards the museum.
After running for a few minutes, they soon arrived at the museum.
{"Perimeter alarm deactivated"} Player said into their comms, as they approached a window.
"Copy that, Player. We're moving in" Naruto said, as they opened the window.
With Zack, he was looking around, before he spotted Zari and Devineaux walking over. He took a deep breath and put a fake moustache on. "Initiating Operation Carnevale" he said, before he cleared his throat, as the two ACME agents walked past him, causing them to stop and look at him.
"Scusa, the museum….she is closed" Zack said in an Italian accent as he gave a chuckle.
"Not to us, she isn't" Zari said, as she and Chase took out their ID cards and showed them to Zack.
Meanwhile, inside the museum, a security guard was walking around with his torch on, whistling a jaunty tone as he did, while making sure that all the masks were still in their glass cases.
He stopped to look at one of the masks along the wall for a moment, before he gave a groan at it, which he chuckled at, as he walked along with the torch shining on the masks, where he then came upon Naruto and Carmen who had their eyes shut.
The guard paused for a moment, as he pointed the flashlight at them, before he gave a gasp as they both opened their eyes.
The guard stepped back at this, causing him to back into Shadowsan, who grabbed the guard's neck and squeezed, which caused the guard to fall unconscious, as Shadowsan lowered him to the ground, while Naruto pushed a box on a trolley over, which Carmen soon opened.
"Deactivating the pressure sensors" Player said, as he typed on his computer keyboard, before boxes on his screen with locks were changed to check marks, as the lights in all the glass cases went off.
The three of them ran to different glass cases, with Naruto and Carmen each using a laser cutter to open their glass cases, before they carefully reached in and lifted their masks off the stands. They looked over at Shadowsan, who then opened his glass case and took the mask off its stand, where he fumbled with it for a moment before grabbing hold of it.
"He'll never know you were even here" Carmen said, as Shadowsan looked at the mask in his hands.
Shadowsan closed his eyes for a second, before looking at Naruto and Carmen, as they walked over to him. "Let us hurry," he said to them.
They both nodded at this, as the three of them got to work putting all the masks in the box.
Meanwhile, in another part of the museum, Zack was showing Zari and Devineaux around the room, which had masks on display.
"As you can see, the exhibit is safe," Zack said, still speaking with an Italian accent.
"What magnificent treasures" Chase said, as he looked at all the masks.
"This isn't what we saw earlier," Zari said with narrowed eyes.
"Uh….we have moved the most valuable masks here for, how you say, safekeeping?" Zack said, as he clasped his hands together while smiling at her.
"Then why weren't we informed?" Zari asked with a frown, as Devineaux scratched his chin, while looking at the masks.
"Eh? I am sorry, my English is not so good" Zack said, as he gave a nervous chuckle.
":If you want, we can talk about it in Italian:" Zari said, as she began speaking Italian.
Zack had a look of surprise on his face for a moment, before he grinned at her. ":Your Italian is excellent, ma'am:" he said in Italian with a raised eyebrow.
":I studied in Florence for two years. Where are you from?:" Zari asked with a raised eyebrow, as Chase looked at him with narrowed eyes.
Zack sweated slightly at this, not knowing what she said.
{"She's asking where you're from. Say this"} Player said into his earpiece, before there was a click of a button. ["La mia famiglia è di Milano"] his computer said.
":My family is from Milan:" Zack said with a grin as he chuckled slightly, before he switched back to English. "It is in the north where we are fair of skin and red of hair."
"Wait here. I'm checking the rest of the exhibit" Zari said to Devineaux, before she walked off, as Chase looked at Zack with a frown who smiled nervously at him.
Back with the others, they were still grabbing the masks off their stands in the glass cases and putting them in the box.
Shadowsan was looking at the mengu mask he saw earlier for a moment, before he opened the glass case and reached to grab it.
"Suhara" a familiar voice said from behind him, which caused Shadowsan to stop as his eyes widened, before he closed them.
Naruto and Carmen both looked at Hideo, who was at the top of some stairs before watching as he walked down them towards Shadowsan, who turned around to look at his brother after a few seconds of hesitation.
Hideo had a scowl on his face as he looked at Shadowsan, who took the mask off and looked at the floor in shame.
0o0o0o0
(Meanwhile)
In an underpart of the museum, a sewer grate was removed before Neal climbed out of it feet first, as he crouched on the ground, with a mask on his face.
"And I'm in like Flynn" Neal said with a grin as he looked around, before putting his finger to his earpiece. "Hey Mime Bomb, I'll see you at the window. And remember to wear your mask" he said with a grin, before he stood up and ran off.
Outside the museum, Mime Bomb was driving a boat alongside the museum, before he frowned at what Neal said, as he parked the boat.
0o0o0o0
(Back with the others)
"Have you alerted the authorities?" Shadowsan asked Hideo, as he kept his head down.
"And bring even further shame on our family name?" Hideo asked with a glare.
"Hideo-san, please trust us. Not everything is what it seems" Naruto said, as he and Carmen ran over and stood before him, as they took their masks off, as Shadowsan looked at them.
Hideo backed away slightly with a look of shock on his face. "I remember the two of you," he said with a frown, as Naruto and Carmen gave him a small smile.
{"Guys, company's coming. I've got eyes on VILE"} Ivy said in their comms, while outside, Ivy was looking through a pair of binoculars at Mime Bomb, which Naruto and Carmen saw on their phones, as the binoculars were connected to them.
This caused Naruto and Carmen to both sigh at this, as Shadowsan looked over their shoulders with a small frown. "Look, we are taking the masks, but only to protect them from real thieves" Carmen said, as she turned her phone around to show Hideo Mime Bomb, who was miming that he was fishing.
"A street performer?" Hideo asked with a scowl.
"He is no ordinary clown. He is an elite member of -" Shadowsan was saying, as he stepped forward, before pausing, as though wondering what to say, before he gave a sigh "- an international criminal organisation."
Hideo had a firm look on his face. "You mock me. It is clear that you're all attempting to distract me while your cohort does the dirty work" he said with a firm tone, as he pointed behind them.
Naruto, Carmen and Shadowsan turned around at this in shock, and saw Neal was taking a mask out of a glass case that he'd cut into.
"Don't mind me, I'll be through in a jiff" Neal said with a smirk, as he put a finger through an eyehole and spun the mask on his finger.
Shadowsan scowled at this, as he took of his cat and coat, showing that he was wearing his haori and hakama, before he ran at Neal and tried to take the mask from him, only for Neal to jump to the side, as he grabbed a corner of the glass case to come from behind Shadowsan, kicking him in the back, which sent him sliding on his feet along the floor.
Naruto and Carmen both frowned at this, before they ran forward to help Shadowsan, as he tried to grab the mask from Neal, who easily avoided all of his attempts to grab the mask, before Neal fell down and swept his leg at Shadowsan, trying to trip him up. But Shadowsan jumped over Neal's leg sweep and grabbed the mask, as he landed behind Neal.
"Naruto" Shadowsan said, as he tossed the mask, just as he was electrocuted. Naruto caught the mask and saw Shadowsan fall to the ground, showing Neal holding a pair of high tech tasers in his hands.
"Suhara!" Hideo yelled out, as he tried to run towards his brother, before Naruto held his hand out that was holding the mask, causing him to stop.
"Be careful, it's delicate," Naruto said, as he handed the mask to Hideo, before he and Carmen ran forward slightly, so that he wouldn't get caught in the fight.
"Beware of electric eels" Neal said with a smirk, before he ran towards them with a scowl.
Naruto and Carmen both just smirked at this, as they removed their cloaks, before they both tossed a bottle of olive oil on the floor, causing it to spin around as it poured olive oil all over the floor, which made the floor slippery and caused Neal to fall over, and everytime he tried to get back up, he'd fall over again.
"Olive oil. You can find it everywhere in Italy" Carmen said, as she and Naruto both grinned, while gesturing at the bottles.
Before Neal could do anything, Shadowsan then kicked him in the face, which sent him slipping across the entire museum floor, before he crashed into a glass display.
"Oil's well that ends well" Naruto said with a smile, as he and Carmen helped Shadowsan back to his feet.
"Stealing cannot be the only way to protect the masks" Hideo said with a scowl at Shadowsan, before he looked at the mask in his hand with a concerned look.
"It is the only way that we know" Shadowsan said.
Hideo looked at the mask in his hands for a few moments, before holding it out to Shadowsan. "What can I do to help?" he asked them.
They looked surprised at this, before smiling at him in gratitude.
As this was going on, back in the other part of the museum, Devineaux had a look of boredom on his face, as Zack was talking about the masks in the room with them.
"And this mask dates back to the, er, 16th century from the, uh, Al Dente region" Zack said, as he gestured at a random mask.
"Ugh. Dull facts, boring things" Chase said with a roll of his eyes, as he leaned on a stand that a mask was on….causing it to topple over as the mask fell off.
"Whoa!" Devineaux said in shock, as he quickly grabbed the mask, before it hit the floor, where he gave a sigh of relief.
Chase then raised an eyebrow, as he looked closely at the mask. "What is this? Five euro? This is a souvenir mask!" he exclaimed, as he looked up, only to see that Zack was gone. Devineaux grumbled angrily at this, as he quickly ran off.
With the others, they'd just finished putting the masks in the box, as Naruto closed the lid.
"Don't move," Zari yelled out.
The three of them gained looks of shock, as they turned around, and saw she was pointing her ACME knockout gas gun at them. "If it isn't Carmen Sandiego and Naruto Uzumaki….and their mysterious partner -" Zari was saying with a smirk, before Hideo came up behind her and knocked her out with a metal pole.
Naruto, Carmen and Shadowsan looked at the unconscious Zari, before looking at Hideo with wide eyes.
"What? I did not have olive oil" Hideo said, before he looked down and gasped. "Oh no. She is -" he was saying in shock, before he was cut off.
"Law enforcement" Shadowsan said with a nod.
"Like we said earlier, not everything is as it seems" Carmen said, as she and Naruto pushed the box along, not knowing that Mime Bomb was watching them from a window.
Neal then came round a corner, wiping off some of the olive oil as he did, before he approached the window Mime Bomb was at and opened it.
Mime Bomb placed his hands over his eyes like goggles, before he pointed off to the side.
"Hey, look. No worries. We're gonna go with plan B. All right, bro?" Neal said, as he wiped some olive oil on Mime Bomb's shirt before he walked off, as Mime Bomb had a look of disgust appear on his face, before he scowled at Neal as he climbed through the window and followed him.
Meanwhile, the guard that Shadowsan knocked out came to, as he looked up and saw Neal and Mime Bomb running past him. "Stop!" he yelled out, before he pulled out his walkie talkie. "Theft in progress. Two suspects are leaving the Palazzo Ducale now!"
In a different part of the museum, Chase was walking along, as he carefully stepped over a trail of olive oil, before looking around and spotted Zari getting up.
"Agent Zari. What happened?" Devineaux asked, as he ran over to her, just as she slumped into his arms.
"Sandiego and Uzumaki, they're getting away" Zari groaned out.
"Not on my watch" Chase growled out, as he sat Zari up before he ran off.
On the roof of the museum, Hideo watched as Shadowsan was carefully lowering the box onto the boat, with Naruto and Carmen standing on it, while Ivy made sure that the boat didn't move. Once the box was on the boat, Naruto and Carmen gave Shadowsan a thumbs up, as he dropped the rope down onto the boat.
"I feel like they are my responsibility," Hideo said to Shadowsan.
"It is best that you are not seen by the authorities" Shadowsan said, as he placed his hand on Hideo's shoulder, before leading him off the roof.
"The cargo is secure" Ivy said, as she'd finished tying the box onto the boat, while Naruto and Carmen put their respective hats and coats on, as Ivy climbed off the boat.
"Arrivederci" Naruto and Carmen said together with a smile as they both gave a two finger salute, before Naruto started the boat and they drove off.
"La Femme Rouge and l'homme blond!" Devineaux yelled out, as he watched them go from a museum balcony. He looked down and saw a mask stand underneath him, so he jumped over the railing and slid down the overhang, causing the stand to slightly break, before he took off after them as he watched them drive off, which caused him to scowl at this, as he ran faster.
Meanwhile, Neal and Mime Bomb climbed onto their boat, with Neal behind the wheel.
"Quick, untie us! They're getting away!" Neal yelled out.
Mime Bomb mimed untying rope from a post with a smile, as Neal glanced over his shoulder with a scowl. "The real rope!" he yelled at Mime Bomb, who frowned, as he pulled the rope off the boat, before Neal drove off.
With Naruto and Carmen, they were driving along, before they heard the roar of another boat's engine, causing them to look back and see the two VILE operatives chasing after them.
The two of them both frowned at this, before they turned a corner, going under a bridge as Chase watched them go, as he growled at this, before he continued to run after them. He ran towards the next bridge to crossover, then he ran down an alleyway.
As Devineaux ran down the alleyway, he occasionally looked through the gaps of the buildings, checking that the boat Naruto and Carmen were on was still going straight. He then looked ahead and saw an iron fence, so he got on a box in front of the fence to try and jump over it….only able to get about halfway over.
"Damn, so close!" Chase growled out, as he saw the boat drive past, before he tried to climb the rest of the way over, while the VILE boat drove past him.
Neal and Mime Bomb both had scowls on their faces, as they chased after Naruto and Carmen. They saw that a crossroad was ahead, with Naruto and Carmen taking the left one, as Mime Bomb mimed to Neal with a smile.
"No side seat driving, mate" Neal said with a frown, as he turned right, while speeding the boat up slightly.
Naruto and Carmen looked back and smiled, seeing that no one was following them, before a look of shock appeared on their faces, as they saw Mime Bomb on the VILE boat, miming a wall, as Naruto slowed the boat to a stop, causing it to bump slightly with the other one.
"Prepare to be boarded" Neal yelled, as he stepped from behind a pillar, holding one of his high tech tasers.
Naruto and Carmen both scowled at this, as they held their hands up.
Mimb Bomb and Neal climbed onto the boat and picked up the box, before they carried it over to their boat. Once it was placed down and secure, Neal took the wheel while Mime Bomb sat at the back.
"Addio!" Neal said with a two finger salute, while Mime Bomb waved at them, before they drove off.
"And the eel takes the bait," Naruto said, as he and Carmen smirked, before he drove away.
Meanwhile, back at the museum, AMCE agents were looking around the area.
"Devineaux, report" Zari said into her ACME pen, as she held her head with a slight groan.
"I am in pursuit!" Devineaux yelled out, before a look of surprise appeared on his face, as he saw Naruto and Carmen driving past him, going back the way they came, causing him to quickly turn around and run after them, panting for breath as he did.
Naruto turned the boat left and headed towards a dock, where Zack and Ivy were waiting, with Ivy sitting on another box, as Naruto slowed the boat to a stop.
"Mask and you shall receive" Zack said with a smile, as he gestured to the box.
Naruto and Carmen both smirked at this, as Ivy hopped off the box before she and Zack placed it on the boat, with Naruto taking off, once the box was secure.
Chase stopped to rest for a brief moment, breathing heavily, as he placed his hand on a post to keep himself up right, as he saw Naruto and Carmen driving along. Devineaux inhaled sharply, before he started running once again, a look of determination on his face.
Zari came out of the museum, holding her head, before a look of surprise was on her face, as she saw Naruto and Carmen drive past her, with Chase running after them.
Naruto turned right, going under a bridge, which Devineaux ran onto, before he jumped off it with a yell, landing on their boat, causing them both to turn around in surprise, with Naruto slowing the boat to a stop.
"Halt! Naruto Uzumaki and Carmen Sandiego, you're both under….arrest" Chase said, as he sighed sharply, obviously out of breath, while pulling out a pair of handcuffs, as he kneeled on the boat.
"Handle with care, Devineaux. They're fragile" Carmen said with a grin, as she pointed behind him, with her and Naruto having their hands up.
"What?" Devineaux asked in shock, as he looked at the box behind him.
"Oh, and make sure that the Palazzo takes note of all points of entry," Naruto said with a smile.
"Yea, as getting in was too easy" Carmen said with a nod, causing Chase to look shocked at this, as he looked at them.
"Jules would understand," Naruto and Carmen both said with smirks, as they activated their grappling guns and shot the hooks to the building opposite the museum, before they winked at Devineaux, as they were pulled up to the roof, where they disappeared over the edge, unhooking their grappling hooks as they did.
Chase watched them go with a dumbfounded look on his face, as he remembered a conversation that he and Julia had.
"Well done, Devineaux" Zari said, as Devineaux looked over and saw she was on the boat, looking inside the box.
Chase stood up and walked over, seeing that the masks were all inside the box.
"Uh, I was thinking perhaps that I did not not do it alone" Chase said with a smile.
0o0o0o0
(In a hidden canal)
Neal was crouched before the box, with Mime Bomb standing behind him.
"Winner, winner, chicken dinner" Neal proclaimed with a grin, as he opened the box, before his smile vanished off his face, as he saw that it was full of fake masks. "What? A bunch of cheap souvenirs?" he exclaimed in shock, as he picked one up.
A look of concern appeared on Mime Bomb's face, as he heard the crackle of a radio, before he turned around as he heard footsteps approaching, seeing a few shadows heading their way. He then waved his arms in the air to get Neal's attention, before he began marching in place with a stern look on his face.
Neal looked over his shoulder at this with a raised eyebrow. "What's that? You enjoy marching bands? Your spandex is riding up on you? You're not making any sense, mate" he said, before he looked back at the souvenir mask in his hands with a frown.
A flat look then appeared on Mime Bomb's face, as he turned around before jumping into the water and swam off.
":Stop!:" a policewoman yelled, causing Neal to turn around a surprise, seeing two police officers walking towards him, both pointing their tasers at him.
"Buongiorno, fellas. Just out doing some early morning souvenir shopping!" Neal said with a smile, as he held his hands up.
"That is him!" the guard from the museum yelled, as he pointed at Neal.
This caused Neal to look worried, as he glanced at the boat keys, before he tossed the souvenir mask away and reached for the keys….only to be shot by the policeman with his taser, causing Neal to twitch and groan, before he fell to the floor.
A few metres away, Mime Bomb climbed out of the water, missing his beret, before he began walking off.
A policeman was seen walking along, looking at his phone. {"Second subject is still at large, with the painted face of a mime"} came from the policeman's phone, showing that he was talking to someone on it, before he accidently bumped into Mime Bomb.
":Excuse me:" the policeman said, as he gave a small nod, before he walked off with Mime Bomb watching him go, showing his make-up was washed off, before he turned and walked off.
0o0o0o0
(Sometime later)
After everything had calmed down, Hideo went to the docks outside the museum, where he saw Shadowsan waiting for him, with Naruto, Carmen, Zack and Ivy already on the boat.
"Rest assured, that the masks have been turned over to the authorities" Shadowsan said.
"So, you are working with the police?" Hideo asked curiously.
"It is complicated" Shadowsan told him, as he averted his eyes slightly.
Hideo looked off to the side for a moment, before facing his brother again. "You are performing a samurai's work in ninja's clothing" he said, which made Shadowsan look at him in surprise.
"Then I cannot welcome you back home" Hideo continued to say, as he looked down, which caused Shadowsan to close his eyes in sorrow.
"Not while you still have important work ahead of you" Hideo finished, as Shadowsan opened his eyes and looked at Hideo in shock.
Hideo smiled, as he looked over Shadowsan's shoulder, causing him to turn around and see Naruto, Carmen, Zack and Ivy leaning against the boat and each other, with grins on their faces.
"My place is with them for now" Shadowsan said, as he faced his brother with a smile of his own.
Hideo nodded at this, as he stepped back slightly, before he bowed to Shadowsan, who bowed back.
After a while, Shadowsan climbed on the boat, as Zack started it up and then they drove off, with Hideo watching them go, before he turned and walked back into the museum.
0o0o0o0
(VILE Castle)
The Faculty were sitting at their table, looking at the large screen, which was divided in two, showing Mime Bomb on one side, with his face painted once again and his beret back on his head, and Roundabout on the other side.
"You are a snake?" Cleo asked curiously.
Mime Bomb face palmed at this, before he began waving his arms up and down.
"No, Cleo, an eel," Maelstrom said with a scowl.
Mime Bomb nodded at this with a wide smile and two thumbs up, before he held his wrists together, with a worried look on his face.
Dr Bellum gasped at this, realising what Mime Bomb was trying to tell them. "Neal has been captured," she said.
"The silly fool," Countess Cleo said with a scowl.
{"Chin up, team!"} Roundabout said cheerfully, as the Faculty looked at him. {"Before the day is over, we will have Neal the Eel slithering free and Naruto Uzumaki and Carmen Sandiego in our clutches"} he said, as he gave them a smirk.
"Oh? And how do you intend to pull that off, Roundabout?" Brunt asked him curiously.
{"Why, by baiting them with a most impossible heist"} Roundabout said with a sinister grin.
0o0o0o0
Authors Note: To those who want me to lemon/sex scenes in every chapter or so, I can't as I need to find the right time/moment to do them. Such as, on their plane, in a hotel room or in a train's sleeping carriage. So please, stop asking me to keep adding them, as I'll do them when I please.
Hope that everyone enjoyed the chapter, and that you're doing what you can to avoid getting this COVID by following the rules, while any and all flames are no longer welcome. Also, for some reason, if I get a PM from anyone, it wouldn't show me the number(s) on fanfiction (so if you send me a PM, and I reply to it late, that's the reason why). Let's hope that now the vaccines are all done, we can rest a bit easier.
I have also posted a few story ideas on my home page, and if any of you want to use them please, PM me and let me know.