To Catch a Thief, You Need a...

Mission details here

It had happened again! And now, people were getting tired of it. There had been numerous complaints about a petty thief, one who would break into shops and steal money, items, or other goods of value. Konohagakure was usually considered a 'tolerant' place to live in, compared to some of the other villages, and this was perhaps the reason some petty crimes could be more ready perpetrated here, than in more draconian environments. Still, a crime was a crime, and had to be dissuaded. And, it was a mission that had been put up by Mission Command... even though it was still a low ranked mission.

Perhaps this mission would offer a bit of activity, at least a notch higher than what she had been doing as of late. Sadame wondered what the activity would be like. She was not really keen on having to hurt a fellow citizen of Konoha, but the onus was now on her to ensure that the stealings stopped. She would probably have to attempt reasoning to their sense of justice and morality, and hope the thief would be "moral" enough to see reason. It was also unlikely that this thief was not a member of the village. The mission would probably be higher ranked, since it was difficult for just anybody to get into any ninja village uninvited. No, the thief was a member of this village.

First things first, she had to do some investigations. According to the books, the first place to always check out was the scene of the crime, and if possible, engage witnesses and those affected. So she checked out all the places the thief had struck. She discovered that the thefts were very recent. At the ramen shop, it had taken place just last night. The flower shop had the same story. From the things tampered with, the thief was only after the money, though in the ramen shop, they had also pilfered a few food ingredients. It would have been odd if flowers had also been stolen, but no, they hadn't been tampered with, meaning that the person was after cash, or some other basic necessity.

First clue: thefts seemed to take place in the night.

Next, Sadame tried to ascertain the mode of break in. The windows were unaffected, but it seemed that the locks in both shops had been picked. Okay, that implied an expert of sorts. She also discovered that the robbings had occurred after a day of good sales, according to the shop owners. So, this was a person who knew some information... perhaps they had informants. Sadame reasoned that her best option would be to set a trap for the thief and see what would happen next. So, she went to the grocer and informed him of her idea. After some discussions and deliberations with the parties invested in this venture, they came up with a plan.

Time passed, and business went on as usual in Konoha. Sometime in the afternoon, a strange person walked into the grocery store. After some purchases, they left, taking with them a fair amount of merchandise and obviously paying a small fortune for it. The grocer was elated, and spent the rest of the day thanking all the deities involved in his successes. At evening, he closed up shop as usual, opting to leave the "package" the mysterious customer left behind in the shop. It was too valuable to be carried about, said he, and he would make a stop at the bank tomorrow, after retrieving it from his shop. Everyone went home, but Sadame stayed hidden in an alley, and watched the shop. She would have preferred to be able to see the back door, but that would not be too much of a problem; with the way the houses around the shop were built, anyone who would approach the shop would have to come at the front, then go around to the back. Twilight turned to night, and all was dark and silent, save the occasional clatter caused by a scavenging rat attacking a trash can, or some other stray animal. Still, Sadame sat still and persevered.

She had started feeling rather drowsy eventually; by this time, it must have been close to midnight, when she heard some scurrying sounds, though the sounds came from a creature much too big to be a rat. Bolting into full awareness, the girl sat up straight and peered out of the darkness towards the well-lighted shop front just across the street. She eventually noticed a figure propel themselves cleanly over an adjacent wall to the shop, glance furtively about, then creep around towards the back door. Sadame slowly rose to her feet and waited. For a while there was silence, then she could make out movement in the shop. The thief had successfully broken in. She quickly crossed the street, keeping to the shadows as much as possible. If the thief noticed her, they might quickly get away. She needed to catch them while they were still red-handed, so that there would be no chance to deny the crime.

She made her way to the back door and into the shop, quietly slipping behind a shelf as she watched the thief move about in the shop. If the thief was a shinobi, it might have been easier for them to notice her presence. It was a good thing they were not, because at least, if they had to fight, she would probably have the advantage. The thief crept past her, not knowing that the kunoichi was right there. From build and movement, Sadame guessed that this thief was not much more than a child. Slowly, quietly, she drew a kunai and followed the thief out of the shop. Just as the thief was about to turn towards the wall by which they came, Sadame stepped forward and put a kunai to their throat from behind.

”I’d very much prefer if we did this the very easy way. That way, no one will get hurt. If you try to fight me, well, I’m sure you know it won’t end well for you.”

It was obvious the thief was too stunned to reply, but after a moment, they regained their senses. ”I haven’t hurt anybody...” ”Yes, except those you stole money from. They’re making an honest living. You could do the same, you know?” The thief scoffed. ”Who’d want anybody with my skill set?” ”You’d be surprised,” Sadame replied, slowly withdrawing the kunai. ”I’m not going to hurt you, if you cooperate. Turn around slowly. If you run, you’ll force my hand, and there’ll be a lot of pain in it for you.”

The thief acquiesced, and Sadame noticed it was a boy, a little younger than herself. ”Hmm... you shouldn’t be getting caught up in criminal activities at your age...”

”That’s what they always say, but what do you know? I have to look out for myself.”

Sadame shrugged. ”A ninja is basically on their own once they leave the academy. But that’s not the point. I want to help you, if you’re willing to be helped.”

The boy still looked unconvinced, but he said, ”I’m listening.”

”Sooner or later, you’re bound to be caught. I would advise you to turn yourself in, and I’ll put in a good word for you, and we could get you to work with someone who’ll pay for your services. Or, you could try to fight me or run away, I’ll only get pissed, and you will still be turned in, but with more bruises.”

He sighed and threw up his hands. ”I don’t suppose I have a choice.”

Sadame smiled. ”I’m glad you see reason. You look like a reasonable sort of person.” She closed the door to the shop and escorted him towards the police station. ”Don’t be scared. I know some people I can talk with, who will be sympathetic to your position. I’ll even tell them you turned yourself in. That will account for something...”

Sadame was inwardly very pleased that the boy had not tried anything stupid. She was sure that the system would be able to gainfully employ him somehow. That would mean another criminal off the streets, and Konoha would be a better place to live in.

Are you going to finish these claims?