Caught by the Rain (M)

Mission Details:

"What do I feel like today... ramen?  Sushi?  Cooked pork?" Arashi spoke to himself, walking down the main road by a bunch of shops, including restaurants to eat at.  It was a slow day, especially since his training was currently at a standstill.  He started to take missions here and there, but until he could meet up with Koga and find Akari, he was stuck on his own.  He decided to go to a barbeque place and was just about to answer when he heard a shout.

"Help!  Thief!  Stop!"

Arashi stepped back to see a figure dashing off on the rooftops, and a frantic shop owner screaming from the ground.  Arashi ran up to her to help her up, when he heard another shout, and then a third shout.  He looked up to see the same person running off the rooftops again, like deja-vu, until he saw a third person running.  Again, looking exactly the same.  If it wasn't for the fact that he saw the second and third running off at the same time, he would have been confused.

"Are you alright?  What did they take?" he asked, getting the old woman up, and looking up at the other people coming out of their shops and going to Arashi.

"They stole some of my crafted goods!" she cried out, and then the others also chimed in, everything from food to tools and weapons.  Someone decided to go shopping at the expense of others.

"Alright, alright, I saw where they are headed, and I'll get everything back, you can count on me." he said, cracking his fists and then running a few steps to jump onto the roof.  Without missing a step, Arashi took off, following the trail of the twins.  It was curious, that there would be at least 3 identical ninjas stealing in the village.  He kept eyes on them as he jumped from roof to roof, until a figure in his peripheral vision caught his attention. 

"Looking for me?"

Arashi turned to see the same person he was chasing was suddenly right next to him, and he was kicked into an empty food cart below.  Arashi was dazed for a moment as he looked up and saw that person running off laughing, and then a 5th.  Now he was sure there was a trick here, and Arashi was not going to let them get away with it.

Getting back up and taking off again, Arashi tailed the thieves at a distance, watching which direction they were going.  It looked like a park, or at least a clearing in the building where trees were plentiful.  This was Arashi's chance.  He dashed forward and stood in the trees while the 5 shinobis were on the ground, going over their haul, and laughing about the genin they kicked down.

"Maybe he got knocked out." he heard one say, laughing.

"Or maybe I'm better than you thought." he shouted, and before the 5 could react, Arashi summoned a thick mist around the group.  The five took defensive positions around their stash, but without being able to see, they couldn't brace themselves for Arashi slipping in and knocking each one out one by one.  They tried to fight wildly, but these people, as skilled as they seemed, did not have much training.  When Arashi had knocked 3 of them down, he cleared the fog as he rounded on the 4th, kicking him hard enough to send him into the pile of bodies. 

It was then that Arashi realized they weren't all identical twins, just kids using a transformation jutsu to appear like their ringleader, the last person Arashi left standing.  Arashi jumped and did a roundhouse kick to the kid's head, sending him flying back, and Arashi responded by dashing forward and grabbing the kid's collar, lifting him up and against the tree.

"That wasn't nice.. and I do not like being sent into the carts.  Do you understand?"  The poor kid had no choice but to nod and beg forgiveness.

"I'm not the one you should apologize to.  Well, I am, but I'm not the only one.  Now you and your friends are going to grab what you stole, and take them back to where they were.  And only then will I let you go."

"Really?" he said, hopefully.

"Sure, I promise I will let you go after you apologize to them." he said, with a grin.

Ten minutes later, the 5 boys had returned what they stole and begged forgiveness from the shopkeepers.  Arashi was true to his word, he did let them go after they apologized.. but he let them go to waiting shinobi who were going to ensure the boys were reprimanded.  Hey, technically he did keep his word.

(WC: 792)
(Reward: 400 ryo)