Naruto 1. The Phantom, Saint Tanuki

**A Kind of Magic**

Disclaimer:I don't own Naruto. This story is inspired by the tales of a sweet little thief.

Author's Note:Enjoy the sweet adventures of a new thief, a phantom named, Tanuki. This is the pilot chapter.

Summary: By day, Midori Niwa is a less-than-average kunoichi who much rather work at the Yamanaka flower shop than take on any missions that aren't D-Rank. But by night, Midori is an elusive thief that plagues the Hidden Leaf, pulling off magical capers. No one knows her true identity and the Konoha police are unable to stop her. She is known only as Saint Tanuki. Kakashi Hatake takes up the assignment to pursue the thief, determined to capture her. However, he soon realizes her intentions as a nocturnal bandit are pure because she only seems to take from the unjustly and returns the items to their original owners. Will he catch her… or will she steal his heart first?

**Chapter One: The Phantom, Saint Tanuki**

* * *

She never stole for personal gain and never for wicked purpose. Her thieving was of pure intentions. Despite what others may have thought of her, she wasn't selfish, and she wasn't greedy.

She was _good_.

Sometimes it was difficult to remind herself of that as she clad herself in black and let herself out the second story window of her apartment. Gazing over her beloved home, Konohagakure, always helped her remember why it was she did what others wouldn't risk.

Her duties, as she often considered and deemed her deeds as, were not to take for herself but to take back from the wayward people and give back to their victims who had been wronged by life's cruelties and misfortunes. Redemption and justice. Those were the words she was looking for. She was redeeming the seeking and bringing justice to the displaced.

No one knew better than she. Our actions and values define who we are in this life, and tonight, she'd continue down the path she deeply believed was right.

A deep breath allowed the built tension within her to flee like a passing note to a beautiful chord. The melody of the night welcomed her as light footsteps padded against the tiles of the roofs in her pathway.

The evening was laced with stars, encouragingly shining the way for her as she made her way through a neighborhood of desirable residence. She crouched low on a roof adjacent to her target. In the distance, she could hear the prominent chime of Konoha's clock tower proudly announcing that the midnight hour had been reached.

Confidence surged through her as she embraced the midpoint of night. It was time to strike.

Her lithe form unflinchingly broke through a grandiose windowpane, granting her the intended dramatic entrance she had hoped to make. Subtlety was a part of her usual methods of operation, but her self-assuredness had promised the luxury of an easy heist tonight.

From the window, she took in her surroundings and mapped out the entire layout of the house before her. To her left and right the corridor extended until it ended in stairs. She counted eight rooms, four on each side of her and she assumed they were locked. Her eyes moved onto the floor below.

The layout was similar with the exception of an extra door near both the front entrance and back exit. Directly across from her was the main entrance of the home. Her pursuers would likely enter through them as was their policy when searching a residence. The owner of the home would enter from the extra door, probably a study of some sort, a room to conduct his experiments in. Closing her eyes briefly and focusing, she could hear him hurriedly scrambling up steps. The echo of his feet suggested just as she had suspected, it was a secret basement.

She needed to act before he reached the top. She lowered herself to the first floor, maneuvered through a maze of antique furniture until she made her way to a desk. She recognized which scroll she was after although several were carelessly spread throughout the room. His lack of caution would be his undoing. He should have hidden them in his basement. It would have given her a more difficult time.

Swiftly, she managed to wrap her fingers snugly around her aimed object of burglary just before the sixth ringing of an alarm sounded noisily, resonating throughout the dwelling. She remained unshaken by this as she tucked the hulking scroll underneath a firm arm and leapt capably to the second story, using the surface of a cabinet to jettison herself. She concealed herself within the black shadows, cautious not to catch any light that was being poured through the window she'd broken through earlier.

She watched as secret audience to a disgruntled man—she guessed to be Toyama, the owner of the home—while he sprawled out hopelessly on the floor after entering through the mysterious side door that was unnoticeable at first glance. He raked the floorboards with his fingertips and let out a wail comparable to the resounding alarm.

As expected, by the eighth ringing, her usual chasers had arrived onto the scene as well. Konoha Chiefs of Police Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki led their force through the intimidating large front doors of Toyama's manor.

"It's stolen! The scroll that I treasured so much!" Toyama's quaking hands lifted, pretending to affectionately hold the irreplaceable scroll he'd never see again.

Kotetsu spared himself an eye roll. Izumo was more compassionate as he placed an empathetic hand on Toyama's shoulder to steady him.

"The lights won't turn on," reported an officer from the force.

The raven-haired shinobi's eyes narrowed, focusing on their surroundings. He could barely make out the faces of his comrades and subordinates through the darkness. He spoke into his headset and said, "Team Eight, move in."

Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame and Hinata Hyuuga emerged from the throng of scattered police. The sensory squad went to work quickly, but she had been tipped off prior to the caper that the team would make an appearance tonight. She made the necessary preparations before their intrusion.

Timed confetti bombs showered them with countless colorful minute particles, sending the police force into temporary pandemonium as they tried to discover their source.

She wisely used this time to work her intelligent hands around the scroll, strapping it securely to her person so she wouldn't have to worry about losing it as she made her escape. She stood resolutely and bounded for the staircase's railing, gliding up it like a phantom.

"After her!" Kotetsu shouted, giving signal to Team 8 and the rest of the police force to follow his lead.

It would take them some time before they reached her from where she stood at the top of the right side's set of stairs. She formed the necessary hand signs to create three feather clones of herself, judiciously distributing her chakra evenly within each of them as to avoid the Hyuuga progeny's Byakugan.

Her first feather clone dropped down to the first level and went through the trouble of engaging Hinata in battle to distract her. The subsequent clone had set to her divertive work by scrambling Kiba's and Akamaru's olfactory system with sprits of potent perfume she'd concocted herself. The third clone calmly removed a tiny cylinder from the holster on her leg. She unsheathed the cap and dabbed the contents onto several places of her body to distract the insects.

The moment Shino released his beetles, they clustered around the third clone in a haze of pheromone driven insects. He tried to draw them back to him, but to no avail. They were completely out of his control, buzzing madly in swarms as they'd begun to perform their unique mating rituals.

A triumphant smile touched her lips as she gazed upon Kotetsu and Izumo. Their force of inexperienced genin awaited orders before taking any sort of action. She was fortunate in the fact that they had all required a great deal of training and were a light threat if any at all.

The Konoha Police Department was fairly new, finally being restored several years after the Uchiha Massacre under the request of the village's elders. Small crime had risen significantly in Konohagakure over the past few years and it was decided that a small police force of amateurish genin would serve as officers under the tutelage of Kotetsu and Izumo.

She catapulted herself towards her initial entrance through the broken windowpane. Kotetsu used Izumo as a makeshift springboard to grant him greater distance as he leapt into an aerial launch of his own. He was just a hand's breadth short of her.

He was _so_ close.

Three laughing feather clones guarded her, taking the hit for the original as he grasped one of their legs. The clones burst into what seemed like a limitless amount of pure white plumes as they cascaded down.

When Kotetsu had no more space to gain and met the extent of his leap, he fell back to the ground, landing softly in a magical blanket of white feathers. Izumo would have tried to lessen the impact of his partner's fall, but couldn't see well enough to do so. The feathers swirled relentlessly in a whirlwind, successfully blocking every line of vision no matter how the group below struggled.

She reached the ledge of the window, balancing upon it with victory. Her form casted an elegant silhouette against the full moon that intensely beamed from outside, giving her a spectral appearance, and then the apparition was gone.

"My precious scroll I worked so hard to steal," whined Toyama through the fluffy plumage. He hadn't moved from his place since he entered the room.

"What was that?" Izumo asked, plucking pesky feathers from his mouth as his partner, Kotetsu ineffectively swatted down the obnoxious onslaught of quills.

"Nothing!" Toyama clasped a quieting hand to his mouth as he made an attempt to sneak away, but Izumo and Kotetsu had made their way through the heaps of feathers and detained him.

"Kotetsu-san," Hinata called in her small voice. Wisps of feathers toppled down a scroll she held in her hands as she examined it thoroughly with her keen eyes. She recognized the familiarity of the scroll. "This belongs to the Hyuuga's. It was stolen from us months ago."

Shino moved his hand to hold up another scroll. "This one's from the Ichikawa Clan."

Izumo frowned as he continued the investigation and discovered yet another stolen scroll. "This is the missing forbidden scroll from Lady Tsunade's office. We've been searching everywhere for it."

Lord Toyama farced a look of innocence, raising his hands in defense. "This isn't what it looks like," he claimed through clamped teeth. It wasn't hard to detect the false sincerity within his voice.

"I think you've got some serious explaining to do down in the Hokage's office," Kotetsu remarked, restraining him in an unbreakable grip and shoving him forward near the exit. "In fact, let's go see her right now."

**-The Next Morning in the Hokage's Office-**

Daylight poured in through the windows of Tsunade's cylindrical office. Midori Niwa struggled to hoist a large vase atop the Hokage's desk, waiting for an opportunity to ask the demanding woman where she'd like her to deliver the arrangement. She'd managed to receive approval—at least, that's what she thought Tsunade's flickering glance had meant. Admittedly, she could have easily imagined the softened expression entirely.

Midori didn't have much difficulty in maintaining her patience as Lady Tsunade paced back and forth, perturbed by an article in the wadded Konoha newspaper she clutched in her hand. This morning's issue of _The Foliage_ featured a story on a thief's whose recent fame had skyrocketed the past couple months. After being scolded by the village's elders on more occasions than necessary, Tsunade had her fill of this petty thief and was ready for greater action to be taken.

Shizune could only offer an apologetic expression in an effort to be supportive. Midori returned the gesture with the flash of a small smile and shrug of her slender shoulders. The moment was interrupted by Tsunade as she slammed down the rolled newspaper forcibly against the edge of her desk. Both the young women were racked with a shiver of surprise and fear, but Midori managed to recover quickly in order to secure the flower arrangement at another counter farthest from Tsunade's lethal blows. She made a quick mental note never to rest an arrangement on the Hokage's desk again for future deliveries.

Bracing herself for a tangent, Midori winced and waited. Tsunade, however, had become too distracted to berate Konoha's newest bandit. Her lips pursed as she eyeballed a plate of liver sashimi, her least favorite food. Repulsed, she took a step back and continued to glare, as if under the ferocious glower, the liver sashimi would shrivel up and cease to exist.

Contrite and with a trembling mouth, the shinobi who had brought Lady Tsunade the undesirable snack seemed to wither with each passing second underneath the Sanin's daggering gaze.

Sakura Haruno patiently entered the room with a documents folder in her hand. She took her place next to Midori while she waited for Lady Tsunade's attention.

"Did you hear that Saint Tanuki struck again?" Sakura whispered. It was then that Midori realized just how busy the office was that morning. Many shinobi were present, all waiting for Tsunade to give them just a few seconds of her time in order to receive a mission or ask a question of the utmost significance.

Midori couldn't help but smile at the moniker. Although the village elders considered her a nuisance more than anything, Leaf's kunoichi had adored her, calling her a modern-day Robin Hood type. "People seem to think she's some sort of apparition. She certainly comes and goes as one."

"I'm a huge fan of hers," Sakura admitted, sheepishly sweeping her glance downwards and then lifting it back up. "She's really cool."

Hotaru Hyuuga emerged from the door with a second arrangement and crossed the room to place it next to the one Midori had left at the counter. Ino Yamanaka followed directly after with a third vase brimming with freshly cut flowers. Midori couldn't help but note the significant difference in size. Why did she always get talked into carrying the extra large arrangements?

"The mysterious thief Tanuki, right? With a fluttering ponytail, she appears and steals from the village's criminals. Her dignified ways have made her quite popular in Konoha. Every girl, young and old, here considers her a role model." Hotaru paused to straighten a slightly skewed flower in her vase. Pleased after nestling it in a more flattering position, she continued. "They've affectionately nicknamed her Saint Tanuki. No one knows her true identity for she's a master of genjutsu."

"She's never failed," remarked Ino. The blonde leaned her back against the counter to face her friends. She had kept her voice relatively low as to not disturb Tsunade until the point when her excitement got the best of her. "And the way she moves is so graceful and elegant. I bet she never fails in love either! She's really something else!"

"Something else is correct," interjected Kakashi. As usual, his presence had come as a stealthy surprise. "Sailor Raccoon or whatever it is they call her… A thief is a thief. I'm disappointed you'd consider her a role model, especially you Sakura."

He hadn't bothered to look up from the graphic novel he'd been reading from. Eye contact was a commodity to be earned from him and not bestowed willingly if he was absorbed in his book.

There was something about his demeanor and self-assured attitude which made Midori tense with irritation. "I'll bet you'd like to meet her too," she said with little attempt at friendliness.

"I'm not interested in meeting a D-rank thief. I find it hard to believe that Konoha's recent unsolved mysteries are a result of this Saint Tanuki's moonlighting. Stolen scrolls, jewelry, statues all stolen within the past month by her," Kakashi commented with a turn of a page.

"Kakashi, just the man I wanted to see," said Tsunade, looking unexpectedly thoughtful. The liver sashimi was out of her sight and she was ready to slip back into the Hokage persona before she lost her cool over something else. "A jounin like you probably won't have any problem catching her. Kakashi, I'm assigning you to the case. You can work with the Konoha Police Force chiefs Kotetsu and Izumo. You can also call on a specific team of the rookie nine should you need to and should they be free."

"Sure," Kakashi replied before disappearing, "I'll see what I can do."

Midori couldn't help but to allow herself a roll of her eyes. His nonchalant mannerisms were incessantly irritating to her, and the way he freely came and went. When her lips began to pucker, Hotaru nudged her gently to stir her.

"Shizune told us to just leave the arrangements here," Hotaru murmured as she led Midori from the office. "Ino's already on her way back to the shop. We'll catch up, but there's something I'd like to talk to you about first."

"I understand." Midori nodded. Whenever Hotaru's features moved into a more stoic expression, she knew that there was something troubling her. She waited patiently for them to generate enough distance between the Hokage's office and their position. This discussion was something that neither of the two could afford an eavesdropper with.

"I overheard something today," Hotaru said, "about a young shinobi named Shishio."

"Shishio? The one that just graduated from the Academy a few months ago?"

Hotaru nodded. "Yes, the very one. He'd recently gone on a mission, his first C-Rank mission, in fact. He's made a terrible mistake."

"What kind of mistake?" Midori asked, looking down at her, "is everything alright?"

"If only they were, but there's no easy solution," Hotaru began to explain. "He was supposed to escort two gems, an original and a duplicate, back to the jewelers who hired him. When he delivered the stones, he accidentally switched them. Later, he realized that he'd given them the duplicate and not the original. Thinking they had received the original, they'd given him the supposed duplicate as payment. He's barely realized the mistake after getting the gem appraised. He's so afraid of bringing shame to himself and his family. He doesn't want to be labeled as a thief because the jewelers have sold their gem to a wealthy Konoha clan."

"I see," Midori murmured, allowing for several moments to pass between the two as they strode through Konoha. They passed a small shop which sold stationary, notifying Midori that they were around the corner from their workplace.

"Saint Tanuki is expected to switch them and make things right," Hotaru said once they were a few yards away from the Yamanaka Flower Shop.

"Of course." A small grin replaced the look of worry that had settled during Hotaru's story. Her hand extended out to the door, pulling it open and holding it politely in place to allow Hotaru to walk in ahead of her. The jingle of bells sounded from the disturbed door. "Tonight," Midori promised.

**-Just as Night had Fallen-**

Two heists in a row caused her to think that she was perhaps pushing her luck, but what needed to be done needed to be done.

She felt the same confidence the night before when Konoha's clock tower sounded, resonating throughout the village. The chime always brought her comfort no matter what hour it clattered. It was a reminder that she was safe under the protection that night guaranteed.

Although it wasn't midnight and she'd set off earlier this time, she still felt relief. Twilight had already settled over the village, quieting it to a peaceful state.

She absorbed that peace and comfortably made her way to the Saito mansion, slipping in without difficulty or hindrance and navigating her way down a series of long corridors.

However, when she tried the door to grant access to her target, she couldn't help but feel something was amiss when she found it was unlocked. 'That's surprising,' she thought, pressing it open with astute gentleness.

Apparently not gentle enough for an alarm to ignore. A shrill ringing threatened her hearing as she entered through the door.

Her eyes fell to an open window as a silhouette soared through. Shooting her glance to the center of the room, she realized that the gem she'd come to take had already been stolen.

She wasted no time in exiting the same way as the first thief. She tracked him discreetly through Konoha's no longer still evening. Judging by his thicker and taller shape, the shadowy figure was indeed male.

He slid through alleyways and unmarked routes of the village in an erratic manner, but his strong sense of direction told her that he'd mapped this escape route ahead of time and that he certainly had a predetermined destination in mind rather than a spontaneous one.

This disturbed her to an extent, made her believe that because he had an intended course, she could run into several different sorts of complications that she was not exactly equipped to handle. She preferred to be prepared for capers and did not favor surprises.

She steeled herself for the unknown events which lied ahead for they themselves were uncertain but that didn't make them any less imminent or any less daunting.

With her back pressed against the outside wall on the balcony of the room the man had entered, she listened circumspectly to the conversation which took place inside.

"Took you long enough," rebuked the first voice.

"I'm here, aren't I?" She could hear the relaxed way of speaking in the second voice. "Pretty sweet setup we've got here." There was a short chuckle.

"Selling rare gems for a ridiculous amount of money and then stealing them back only to do it all over again? I can't imagine a better get-rich-quick scheme."

"I'm not sure where you come up with these ideas," the other man complimented.

It was unnecessary to listen any further. Instead, she put about a block's distance between her and the home. She needed to collect her thoughts to formulate a proper plan as well as consult Hotaru.

"Hotaru-chan," she called into her headset, "I have a bad feeling about this one."

"What's going on?" asked Hotaru, voice riddled with concern. During missions, Hotaru was always poised and collected, but the thief could understand how her teammate felt helpless when it came to these capers. Hotaru had difficulty keeping calm in these situations where she couldn't be present or visualize the setting properly.

Saint Tanuki promptly explained the situation as an attempt to alleviate her teammate's worries and gain her insight. Silence settled between the friends. She could tell Hotaru was likely fretting. She could just picture her comrade pacing through the flowered aisles of the Hyuuga courtyard nearest her room with a look of anxiety crinkling her delicate features.

"I think you should let this one go and not press the matter any further," Hotaru finally resolved. "It's too dangerous."

"I'm heading back," the thief replied, determinedly. "I'm going to turn the head set off for now. I'll get back to you after I'm done." Hotaru had tried to object, but she switched the head piece's power off. 'Forgive me my friend,' she thought woefully, hoping she wouldn't bring her friend too much worry.

Breaking and entering was one of her specialties, something she could do so inconspicuously and secretly she'd often surprised herself. It had become an art for her. This was no different.

This time, she chose to slip in through a bathroom window on the second floor, which was just big enough to permit her entrance. She exited the room, closing the door softly behind her and taking in her new surroundings. Cautiously, she walked toward the center of the hallway to where the stairs formed and flowed down to the first floor.

She hadn't grown too concerned until she heard the doorbell ring. Halted, she returned to the shade of the poorly lit corridor. The stairs were too illuminated to serve as a good hiding place. She allowed herself to peer ever so slightly from around the corner and observe the scene before her.

Squelching her surprise, she felt her heart push aggressively against her ribcage as Kakashi, Kotetsu, and Izumo entered the residence.

"Hello, Mr. Nakajima. We'd hate to disturb you at this hour, but we've got reason to believe that your home could be the next target for Saint Tanuki," Kakashi informed the men.

Her body drew further into the shadows of the dim corridor as his keen eyes swept over the main entrance directly across from the stairs. Though he hadn't been granted permission to freely roam and examine the home or set up some sort of trap, he still wasn't going to make the foolish mistake of not investigating what he could.

"How do you figure that?" asked Nakajima. His arms folded in front of his chest in an effort to display his skepticism. He was doing his best to portray his disbelief, anything to keep them from investing their analytical endeavors in a search of his home. He couldn't run the risk of them prying.

"Through process of elimination, I've been able to determine and isolate your home as the next target. It's really quite logical," Kakashi explained so matter-of-factly that Nakajima and his partner found trouble in locating a proper excuse.

"If you gentlemen don't mind," Izumo said, "we'd like to stake out your home for the rest of the evening."

Before any objection could be made, Saint Tanuki decided it was time to act. She couldn't let this continue any further. She had cut the power breaker, submitting them all to the darkness that a lack of electricity presented.

"You're kidding," Kakashi grumbled within the shadows.

Kotetsu's hand sought a light switch through the darkness. His pointer finger fruitlessly toggled the switch up and down.

"Please take your seats everyone," the thief called assertively from the looming staircase. Her voice echoed. The reverberation disguised her exact location and gave no hint to it. "The show's about to begin."

"Let's get some light in here," Kakashi instructed, "open up a window."

Izumo and Kotetsu hurried to draw back the curtains of two tall windows located near the front doors, releasing the moonlight they had been imprisoning with their drapery. Light began to filter in as they unlatched the windows and pressed the panes open, exposing them to the outside.

The two men flew back almost immediately as an overwhelming horde of Saint Tanuki clones charged through the windows without shattering the glass, disorienting the befuddled men. Saint Tanuki took advantage of the situation, materializing from her previous hiding place and racing past them toward the room she needed to find. If her calculations had been correct, and they often were, when she counted windows before entering the home, the room should have been the fifth on the right.

Upon entrance, she placed two separate kunai at either sides of the room, connected by a thin but strong wire that threatened to make its unsuspecting victim falter. She set up a secondary trap that depended upon the first being triggered in a chain reaction. A cord was attached to it so that once the first trap activated, another wire that stretched from the floor to the ceiling would act to secure the victim further. She then made her way to the safe.

She placed her expert ear to it and began to work the combination lock at an efficient pace. After the required clicks, it popped open to reveal a small wooden jewelry box. Clamor was heard behind her, suggesting that Mr. Nakajima and his accomplice had finally made their way to the room.

Reacting slightly to the intrusion, she turned to face the fallen men. Stunned, they lied face down on the floor. Their daze wouldn't last more than a minute. Small hands lifted the jewelry box lid open and switched out a dazzling sapphire with its copy. Several other gems glistened from the wooden box.

'I'll leave the rest to Kakashi and the KPD,' she thought to herself after placing it directly on the back of Nakajima.

She recoiled into the secure darkness when she could hear another figure making its way to the door. Kakashi was a much more effective shinobi than Kotetsu and Izumo. With the legendary Copy Ninja now on her trail, she'd have to be additionally cautious and clever.

In order to keep from giving herself away, she suppressed a gasp when she saw Kakashi smoothly stroll inside with his Icha Icha Paradise novel. Nestled to the binding of the page, a book light hovered over the text so that he wasn't forced to try to read in the dark.

Her lips pursed, insulted that he deemed her so mild a threat that he dared to read his adult novel. She vowed to make him regret bringing the soft perverted book he was so fond of.

The silver-haired man paused before the jewelry box, reaching over to lift and examine its contents. One glance and he recognized each and every one of the precious stones. He fastened the latch after closing the lid back down before burying his vision back in his novel.

"What do you think you're doing?" Nakajima demanded, recovering somewhat from his dazed state of being.

"I was admiring your little plan. You've been stealing from the exact same customers you sell to. Clever setup you have," he replied.

"You can't accuse me without proper evidence!"

This caused Kakashi to look up to give Mr. Nakajima and his accomplice a disapproving look. "All the evidence needed is here. All that's needed to do is to go through some of the paperwork I saw the Hokage filing today. Nothing but reports on missing jewels in which you happened to be the seller of. I suppose I should have known better. Saint Tanuki may have a ridiculous moniker, but she's not a dirty crook. She usually has a reason behind her thefts."

The bandit felt the heat rising to her cheeks, flushing them with color and warmth. Kakashi set the box of jewelry atop a nearby table and allowed his gaze to freely travel back to his novel.

"But she's the thief," argued Nakajima, struggling to his knees. The temporary paralysis was wearing off. It would have lasted longer if he hadn't have struggled so determinedly.

"The only thief I see here is you."

It was then that Nakajima executed a charge, but Kakashi was prepared for him. Book in one hand; he defended against his assailant with the other as he dug his shoulder into his chest cavity.

Nakajima's partner, too, wriggled fervently to gain proper control over his body once more. Maneuvering a working hand to the holster at his leg, he drew a kunai. Saint Tanuki, with a flick of her wrist, threw a group of small shuriken, precisely and effectively pinning him in his place.

Satisfied, she moved to make her escape, but soon mistakenly realized that Kakashi hadn't forgotten about her or that she'd given her position away. He'd taken hold of the trap she'd set prior and threw it in her direction like a lariat. The weight of the kunai lassoed and coiled tightly around her legs, ensnaring her. With a swift tug, he reeled her in toward him.

Her heart threatened to explode from her chest and make its own escape without the rest of her as she helplessly continued in her lurch. Hands defensively went up to block her identity as she allowed herself to loom closer to Kakashi, surprising him by purposely giving into the gravitational pull. He hadn't expected her to be so bold and she used that to her advantage as she leered toward him.

She worked zealously to manage a single leg from the tightly wound cord as strategic hands grasped the bottom edge of his novel, shoving the book into his face entirely when she finally made direct impact.

His attempts at craning his neck over the pages of the book to catch a glimpse of her identity where of no use. The book light that had once saved him from reading in the darkness was now blinding him. He resolved to rely on his other senses, shutting his eye to the bright book light.

He was greeted by the distinct scent of perfume. It started out sharp with very peppery bergamot and a light hint of fresh peach nectar until it calmed into a sweet floral mix of freesia, iris, night-blooming jasmine, vanilla, and sandalwood.

Making a quick mental note, he knew he'd be able to distinguish the scent again should he ever come across it. There would be no mistake in the unique woody-musky undertones.

Squirming, she shoved the novel more harshly onto his face, pushing off of it to place herself back into a standing position. Now completely freed from the cord which had entangled her, she made her way across the room and to a large windowsill. Back against the window, she forced it open.

Peeling the book from his face, Kakashi gazed out toward the window. The book light had interfered enough with his vision. As he rolled to his side, he was barely able to make out a womanly silhouette against the moonlight as strange orbs of light floated in every direction he looked. His retina's overexposure of the book light had obscured his sense of sight. He clumsily sat up and faced her, tucking his book back into his waist pouch.

"You'll send me a calling card next time you pull off a heist."

It wasn't a question.

The thief smiled, gazing down at him as he tamely sat in his place. Unsure if he was permitting her to leave to be kind or because it really wasn't worth the chase after already catching two other jewel thieves, she couldn't help but note the possibility of handsomeness beneath his mask.

The corners of her delicate lips pulled the smile wider once she decided that even with the mask on, he was still very handsome. She wasted no more time admiring him. She needed to leave.

She had two more things to take care of that evening. One was to pay a quick visit to Shishio and leave him behind a note to let him know everything had been taken care of by his friendly neighborhood, Saint Tanuki. The second was to assure Hotaru that everything had gone accordingly to plan—well, perhaps not accordingly, but close enough.

Kakashi wasn't sure why it was he conceded defeat this instance, but didn't want to ruminate on the matter too much longer. He convinced himself that the reason was because she had done the right thing. Her intentions had been pure from the start.

Collecting himself, he casually made his way to the door, not bothering with Nakajima and his unconscious partner. Kotetsu and Izumo could handle them he decided as they burst through the door, late as usual.

"Kakashi?" The pair asked in unison, voices concerned and confused.

"You can arrest those men. They're the real thieves," he told them, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

There had been no point in sticking around for Izumo and Kotetsu to get their acts together. He considered whether he'd be better off working alone or not in the future when it came to Saint Tanuki.

She seemed youthful, but she couldn't be much younger than him. He made a note to keep an eye out for someone of that demographic.

Then an intruding thought occurred. He wondered briefly if perhaps she was pretty because when she had deliberately fallen atop him, she felt lovely enough.

He ended the reflection there, surprised at his own thoughts. Shaking off the notions, he blamed the fact that his face had nearly melded with the text of his Icha Icha novel earlier that evening and was the cause for such tainted delusions.

**-The Hokage's Office, Early that Morning-**

Glad to have gotten a chance to sleep in, Kakashi finished up his debriefing of last night's events. Tsunade wasn't too cross with his failure. She seemed more amused than anything. She had also been contented with the capture of the two troublesome jewel thieves that had been causing uproar amongst the village's more elite class. Representatives from wealthy neighborhoods could stop harassing her with strongly worded letters of complaint.

"I'd really love to do research on such a fine specimen," Jiraiya admitted, not bothering to contain his perverted enthusiasm as he scribbled onto a notepad. He had let himself into the office early that morning to keep Tsunade company likely to listen in on Kakashi's report. The Sannin rarely missed a research opportunity.

Tsunade's good mood was ruined by his sexual innuendos as she shot him a warning glance. Her eyes returned to Kakashi's as she spoke. "I know this mission is much lower than what you're used to now, but she's become quite a problem in this village. No one's been able to catch her. Not even those from the rookie nine. I'm up to here with her, so if you could please take on this mission permanently?"

"I accept," Kakashi replied.

The answer instantly relaxed the Hokage as relief washed over her in a resolute wave. "Thank you, Kakashi. You may go now."

He nodded and took his leave, pretending not to hear Jiraiya's perverted remark about him wanting to be his research assistant.

Though a true enthusiast of the series—perhaps the number one enthusiast—he'd leave the Icha Icha novels to the expert.

Once welcomed by the inviting sun, an urge to read the book persuaded him to take it from his back pouch and begin reading where he'd left off last evening. Absorbed in the literature, the world around him began to slowly evaporate until he was called back from the reveries.

"I heard you got close to catching Saint Tanuki," a voice said from behind an overwhelmingly large flower arrangement of lilies and gardenias. Midori Niwa's sapphire blue eyes peered at him from above the gaudy assortment.

She lowered the flowers to reveal a clearer image of her visage. With the assortment no longer obstructing her face, he could see that she was offering him a friendly smile.

In an effort to be polite, he too removed the object that had been blocking his face from hers. He observed as her smile widened in the slightest at his gesture of lowering his novel to his side. "Yes, I've been assigned to catch her."

Her expression was one of astonishment as she struggled to balance the arrangement in her arms. Nestling the collection in a firm grasp after a quick balancing act she smiled again. "Well, best of luck with that," she said sincerely before continuing on her way.

"Thank you," he replied, watching curiously. Auburn hair spilled down her back until it reached her thighs as she bobbled down in the direction of the Leaf Hospital. Not very many kunoichi grew their hair so long as she. They found it a hindrance during missions, but he found it a refreshing change.

* * *

Author's Note:I hope you enjoyed the pilot chapter! I'm so excited to share the adventures of Saint Tanuki and her pursuer, Kakashi. Let me know your thoughts in a review!


	2. My Rival, The Copy Ninja

**A Kind of Magic**

Disclaimer:I don't own Naruto. This story is inspired by the tales of a sweet little thief.

Author's Note:Enjoy the sweet adventures of a new thief, a phantom named, Tanuki.

Chapter Summary: Saint Tanuki has her hands full with her new rival, Kakashi. However, when someone mistakes the two as accomplices, things quickly take a dangerous turn.

**Chapter Two: My Rival, the Copy Ninja**

* * *

The sun had finally risen over Konoha, showering the village in daylight. Throngs of villagers roared past her, absorbed in their own individual thoughts, to-dos and lives. The weight of an expansive bouquet of sunflowers nestled in the crook of her arm and reminded her that she was on a honey-do of her own. Ino had sent her on what was supposed to be a quick delivery.

Flecks of golden yellow, burnt orange and warm red beckoned her to take in a quick whiff. The musk of the autumn scents wafted, causing her to become briefly distracted and forget her obligation to deliver the flowers promptly.

Moments passed by as she allowed her eyes to linger on every sight, enjoying the livelihood that bustled through the heart of Konoha. Her legs, halfhearted and reluctant, had begun to move back onto their original course. Startled, she came to another halt and gazed out to a spectacle she was incapable of ignoring.

She wasn't usually the type to eavesdrop on others, even considered it distasteful at times, but when she spotted Kakashi roaming through the village she couldn't help but conceal herself behind a thicket of trees and bushes to subtly observe him.

Out of shame at her own thoughts, she felt herself sigh. Just because he had become her most recent rival didn't give her a right to discreetly stalk him. She had realized that it was only an excuse to, the justification she needed to trail him tirelessly as he was now trailing her.

Pressed against the rough bark of a vast tree, she mulled over thoughts of continuing on her path. An intense voice changed her mind immediately. She peered inconspicuously from behind her post.

"I heard you've been put on the Saint Tanuki case and that you let her slip away last time. Kakashi, are you losing your touch now? It's not like you to let someone like that get away."

Without so much as a courteous glance, Kakashi continued to stare down at the novel in his hands. "I'm sorry, Gai. Did you say something?"

Sparks burned within Maito Gai's eyes, threatening even more intensity than usual. Feeling riled, he clenched a fist and pumped it into the air, exclaiming, "You and that tough guy attitude! I heard Kotetsu and Izumo have been after her for months now. She's really been taking them for a ride. Now that you're on the case, I bet you'll show them how it's done. Right, Kakashi?"

He struck a melodramatic pose, loving the theatrical gestures which emphasized his passionate intensity. "You've practically already got her beat." Flashing a bright grin, he gazed down at his old friend, hoping to find the over exaggerated zeal he had hoped to instill in him through his speech.

"She's overrated if you ask me," Kakashi replied off-handedly before returning his attention entirely back to his novel.

"Overrated?" Midori repeated from her place in disbelief, like the word was poison on her tongue. "Overrated!" Her second pronunciation of the word was significantly increased in volume and anger. "Who the heck does he think he is? Calling me overrated!"

An autumn assortment of flowers was callously thrown to ground as shaking hands moved to roll up her sleeves. "Why I oughta…"

Gentle hands clasped over her mouth, holding her steadfastly so that she could no longer proceed on her rampage. Straining to see her assailant, a shock of dark hair with purplish hues flashed in the corner of her eye. The owner of the hair hushed her by pressing a finger to her lips.

"Kakashi-san is very good at detecting presences and if you yell any louder, you will make yourself known." Midori saw her best friend stiffen suddenly, and her own body went rigid in anticipation of eyes glancing over warily in their direction.

A burly hand slammed against Kakashi's back which caused the silver-haired man to divert his gaze away from the direction of prior noise. "What do you say to a race to the Hokage's office?" Maito Gai enticed, waggling thick eyebrows.

Kakashi feigned disinterest and said, "I don't have time for trivial competitions, Gai." Before Gai could even muster a reaction, Kakashi was on his feet like silver lightning in the direction of Lady Tsunade's edifice.

"You smooth cheater," Gai called as he took his own place in their race, gaining speed and intensity with every stride until the two were no longer viewable in the distance.

Hotaru's body language became appreciably more relaxed as she released a relieving breath. "Thank goodness. That was a close one. You really must get a better hold of yourself, Midori-chan."

"Sorry, I know," Midori grumbled, feeling quite embarrassed over her lack of restraint as she attempted to fix the arrangement she'd unsympathetically manhandled earlier.

The flower delivery went by quickly. It was her last flower run of the afternoon and so she was able to freely travel alongside Hotaru in the direction of the Hyuuga Residence. The two young women held private audience with one another in a secluded section in one of the Branch Family's courtyards.

Still incensed from that morning's events, Midori said, "As if I'd let him catch me! He just sees it as another notch in his belt. I won't let him." Her arms folded over her chest to emphasize her rebellious stance.

Hotaru took a seat on a welcoming bench, understanding that her friend wouldn't continue on their path of weaving through the lush aisles of foliage while she was in the middle of venting her frustrations. A teasing smile graced Hotaru's lips as she spoke. "You're very fired up by him, aren't you?"

Annoyance crossed Midori's features. "What are you getting at?"

Eyes crinkled with sincerity as Hotaru's smile curved slightly. "Oh, nothing. I guess you can just use it as fuel for your next mission." She paused before beginning again. "This morning when I was returning from a mission, I overheard a group of ninja gossiping. Apparently, they had stolen a tiara for a man that lives in downtown Konoha."

"I'm not sure if this is the best time for some more of my heroic moonlighting. I barely made it unscathed from the last mission. The Konoha PD is hot on my trail and now they've got that stupid Copy Ninja on my case too!" Midori expressed her concern further through erratic gestures and facial expressions.

"Forgive me, Midori-Chan. I didn't realize Hatake Kakashi was so intimidating to you. You must feel very threatened." Her voice was calm, but her words resonated in Midori's mind.

"What?" The copper-haired young woman demanded, fixing her hands into balled fists.

With a slight shrug of her shoulders, Hotaru said, "You're probably right. If Hatake's on the case now, it's better to just skip it entirely. He's a well-renowned ninja after all, feared by many."

There was a challenge embedded within those words, so passive-aggressive in their attack, but Midori couldn't disregard it. Defiance swelled in her chest at the thought of a future confrontation with her newest rival.

"Hey, wait a minute. I didn't say I was scared of him! I only meant that I'll have to be more careful this next time." His domineering reputation wouldn't coerce her. With newfound confidence she spoke again. "He can't catch me."

**-At the Ichiraku Ramen Shop-**

The sensation of satisfaction brought on by a good meal quieted his stomach into contentment. There was even greater satisfaction in knowing that the meal was being purchased for him because of his accomplishment of winning a race.

Though, on the surface, he maintained his usual smooth exterior.

Leaning back, he stretched his limbs freely as he waited for Gai to finish the remains of his ramen bowl.

"Gai-Sensei, you must see this! There is a bouquet of balloons gathered outside with a note addressed to Kakashi," Lee's voice reached them from the entrance's threshold.

Swallowing impatiently, Gai slammed his bowl to the table, promptly paid for his and Kakashi's meal, and then joined his young charge, Lee outside. The Sharingan user followed soon after.

As guaranteed, a collection of balloons were assorted, floating carelessly outside the ramen shop. Directed to Kakashi, the note secured to the balloons related in notably feminine flourish that Saint Tanuki would make her next appearance in downtown Konoha to steal the Masako Tiara at eight that evening.

"That's pretty blunt of her, Kakashi," Gai remarked, wiping an extremely gratuitous tear from his eye. "I'm truly impressed by her overwhelming youthful spirit."

Lee's eyes watered too as he exclaimed, "She is so cool! I will do one hundred push-ups in the hopes that I may meet her one day and marry her!"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say she had a crush on you, Kakashi." Kurenai had appeared beside the group, admiring the extravagant exhibit of balloons as if admiring the craftsmanship of an artist.

From a hidden post around the corner, Midori brimmed with pride as she watched the village's people gather to examine her overgenerous display. She afforded herself a smug grin as she memorized Kakashi's stupefied facial expression. It was something she'd always cherish.

"I think that was a bit over the top, Midori-chan. You're going to get caught if you keep it up," Hotaru chastised her with gentleness to lessen the impact of the rebuke. She had only meant to caution her and advise her, not scold her.

The self-satisfied smile never left Midori's lips as she shrugged casually. Over the top and dramatic were luxuries she rarely permitted herself to take. The way of ninjas were of subtly and secrecy. Why not take advantage from time to time and allow room for fun?

There could be no harm if she remembered to be humble and cautious in her calling cards—as humble as she could be.

If she had to confess it to herself, playing with Kakashi this way would prove entirely amusing and fulfilling.

"Well, I'm going to take off so I can prepare myself for tonight. I'll go and face down Hatake, but not because I'm eager to see him, only because it's inevitable." Midori raised an eyebrow as if to give Hotaru permission to challenge this.

"The thought never crossed my mind," Hotaru replied with a knowing smile, although she knew very well that it had.

**-Later that Evening in Downtown Konoha-**

Word of such a flamboyant calling card had spread through Konoha as if it sprouted wings, making everyone aware of the heist that Saint Tanuki had threatened to pull that evening.

As the silver-haired shinobi explained languidly the situation before him, Ishida felt his eyes narrow in scrutiny. How very convenient it had been for the calling card to raise such uproar that afternoon. It had also raised Ishida's suspicion.

Ishida considered himself a wise and clever man. If he weren't clever, he would have never made it this far with the Masako Tiara in his possession.

Certain that Kakashi and this Saint Tanuki character were secret accomplices, he had taken the necessary means to prevent the theft of his prized tiara.

"I have several shinobi guardsmen and don't need help," explained Ishida, referring to his genin-level members of staff.

"I understand that, Mr. Ishida. However, the Hokage has personally asked me to see that Saint Tanuki is caught," explained Kakashi. He paused in order to allow Ishida to absorb his words and give the hesitant man time to accept what he'd relayed to him. "Where is it you've hidden the tiara?"

"I've hidden it behind the hour hand of this clock tower," replied Ishida. His forehead crinkled with worry, hoping that Kakashi wouldn't see through the deception. Truthfully, he'd hidden the tiara behind the minute hand.

"The hour hand then," Kakashi murmured to no one in particular, thinking to himself that it wasn't a very sensible hiding place for such a rare item. Any shinobi with good chakra control could defy gravity and walk against the surface of the clock tower with ease.

'To each his own,' he thought unceremoniously as he followed Ishida through the clock tower.

His eyes traced over the man, sizing him up and assessing what skills Ishida may possess. Kakashi was no fool. It was immediately evident that Ishida had lied about the tiara's location. The minute hand was a much more logical location, not the hour hand.

Reaching the end of their journey atop the clock tower, Kakashi asked Ishida to kindly conceal himself as he did the same. He readied himself from behind a pillar, staying as sharp as possible.

There was much ground to cover and she could appear from any direction. That was to his disadvantage, and she'd likely exploit it.

"Yo," her voice greeted, reaching from above as he craned his head in her direction. "What a nice night. The sky is clear and the stars are shining brightly. There's a lovely full moon. It's really romantic, don't you think?"

He watched as she removed the Masako Tiara from the minute hand and secured it atop her head. Slender arms windmilled into a graceful pose. She was modeling the tiara for him and being quite playful about it. "Do you think it suits me?" she mused.

Time was not squandered as Kakashi demonstrated excellent chakra control and raced up the face of the clock. Not halfway up the clock's countenance, a figure charged through the night, tackling Saint Tanuki just as she had intended to make her escape.

Struggling, she managed to wriggle free from Ishida's grasp. She was careful to dodge the several shuriken targeting her. Ishida wasn't letting up, not even as she put more distance between them.

An assemblage of shuriken threatened her well-being as she twisted and cavorted her way around them in fluid acrobatic movements. She had miscalculated slightly, perhaps from a lack of experience or from fatigue, and was grazed on her cheek by a single blade.

The stinging she was met with caused her to wince, but she unwaveringly continued up the clock tower. Ishida was gaining on her, and Kakashi was closing in as well. Turning her head slightly to check over her shoulder was all the proof she needed of that.

"She can't run if a kunai sails through her heart," growled Ishida as his hands worked to the holster fastened to his right leg. He captured a kunai in his right hand, brandishing the perilously sharp blade. It gleamed sinisterly under the moonlight.

"Killing her isn't necessary," Kakashi argued, turning toward Ishida. "The Hokage wants her brought to justice alive."

"I could care less about what the Hokage wants," Ishida grunted, wielding the kunai in an effort to throw it, but it was met with a secondary kunai. Sparks sprayed from the friction of the contact. "I had a feeling you two were in on this together!"

Unyielding, Kakashi forced Ishida's feet to drag backwards. His advantage over the man was short-lived as soon as Ishida's bodyguards arrived to provide back up. The men swarmed over Kakashi, lugging him down to the ground forcibly.

Dogged perseverance gave him the strength and the will needed to fend them off. Experienced hands moved with precision and determination, blocking every strike that had threatened a fatal blow.

Defense was not an issue. However, it would be exceedingly difficult to switch to more offensive means of battle with such an overwhelming number of men. They'd have to be focused upon and taken down individually.

"Eleven against one just isn't fair," Saint Tanuki proclaimed and quickly set to work in a performance of hand signs.

Instant submersion within her genjutsu ensued as innumerable flocks of looming white doves soared dangerously towards Kakashi's assailants. Heavy snow white wings pounded against Ishida and his guardsmen with astonishing force. The chirps and twitters of the doves reverberated through their ears, disrupting their equilibrium completely and causing them to dizzily waver in their fighting stances.

Rising from his crouched position, Kakashi watched as the men forgot about him and attempted to beat back invisible attackers. He recognized the high level genjutsu, noting its uniqueness because she hadn't cast it upon him and only upon his assailants. Her targeting abilities were impeccable.

Spinning around, he watched as her lean form floated within a lustrous bubble over Konoha's heart, another interesting jutsu he had never seen before. Her eyes were shielded by the coppery fringe of her hair, making it difficult to recognize any distinct feature other than perhaps her mouth. She seemed to be smiling lightheartedly with her mocking mouth as she peered at him from the iridescent bubble.

"I don't want you getting the wrong idea about what I did. The Hokage specifically ordered to bring you in alive, and that's what I'm going to do," he said, projecting his voice loudly and resolutely so that she would be able to hear him, even at her distance.

He thought he could hear a light giggle as airy as the bubble she traveled in escape from her in response.

His attention returned to Ishida and his gang of guards. They sat, obediently petrified and utterly bewildered by their surroundings. Kakashi surmised that the genjutsu had now worn off and left them in the daze. Taking advantage of their befuddled predicament, he punctually arrested the men and escorted them to the Konoha Police Department.

**-Early Morning, the Following Day-**

"I can't believe you let Saint Tanuki get away, Kakashi-Sensei," whined a whiskered boy, clad in vibrant orange attire.

His other charge, Sakura, smacked her teammate upon his blond head, causing the boy to yelp in agony. "Naruto, at least our Sensei caught the real criminals. Be more respectful," she scolded.

"I guess," Naruto replied, rubbing the back of his head in remembrance of the pain dealt to him. "I just can't believe Kakashi-Sensei messed up."

The pink-haired girl plucked Naruto unsparingly by the ear and began dragging him away from their instructor. "I apologize for Naruto's rudeness, Kakashi-Sensei. You know what an idiot he can be… Anyway, congratulations on your successful capture of eleven men. That's really impressive, Sensei." She turned to her orange captive and growled, "Isn't that right, Naruto?"

"Whatever you say, Sakura. Just let go. You're hurting me!"

Kakashi couldn't deny the great sense of relief he felt as Sakura and Naruto vanished into the distance. Slipping out his favorite graphic novel, he decided to take this private time to reflect and become lost on the path of life.

Treading across a bridge, he caught sight of Midori Niwa, a shinobi with mediocre skills but a loud personality which reminded him of Naruto on more than one occasion. Her face was buried in a garish flower arrangement, typical when sighting her. She could barely see through the forest of leaves and flowers of the vase she struggled to carry.

Her foot caught the edge of the bridge's wooden panel as she stumbled forward awkwardly. She was able to maintain her balance and become settled again. Craning her neck from around the arrangement awarded her a better view of her path. He took the time to admire her uniquely honey-ish hair as it spilled forward over her shoulder.

When the proximity between them shortened, he feigned unawareness of her presence. Instead he chose to focus on his novel again.

"I heard you caught eleven ninja last night and booked them. That's quite an accomplishment, but then Saint Tanuki got away. Is it true you let her go again?" She asked him, blue eyes peering from beyond the assortment of lilies.

There was slight concern he felt in wondering why it was she always seemed to bother him incessantly. This was undoubtedly one of the occasions she reminded him of Naruto in his younger days. Shrugging, he asked, "Shouldn't you be off counting flower petals?"

Straightening her heavy arrangement of lilies of the valley, her whole countenance became suddenly visible. Her left cheek sported a bandage. The wound was abnormally familiar as he remembered that Saint Tanuki had received a clean cut from a shuriken the night before.

She rolled her eyes, sarcastically. "Just thought I'd be friendly," she told him.

He watched as she stumbled on another wooden panel of the bridge, cursing her own clumsiness before continuing on her path. Silently, he returned to his novel, concluding to himself that though she bore a similar wound on her cheek, she was by far too mediocre and incompetently clumsy of a girl to be Saint Tanuki, thus rendering the theory an improbability.

* * *

Author's Note: I absolutely cannot wait to post the next chapter, but I did promise my readers that I won't post for this story until I firstly update "The Life and Times of the Kazekage's Assistant." That story features Gaara and my OC Tsubasa Imamura. If you have yet to check it out, I definitely encourage you to read it.

Anyway, I hope you were delighted with chapter two of "A Kind of Magic." What do you think about the chemistry–if any—between Kakashi and Midori as well as her alter ego Saint Tanuki? What do you think of Midori's relationship with her teammate, Hotaru? What do you think about Saint Tanuki's heroic efforts—is she right to do what she does as a vigilante?


	3. Cat and Mouse

**A Kind of Magic**

Disclaimer:I don't own Naruto. This story is inspired by the tales of a sweet little thief.

Author's Note:Enjoy the sweet adventures of a new thief, a phantom named, Tanuki.

Summary: Midori makes an unexpected friend in a kitten she affectionately names Rinku-chan. Meanwhile, Saint Tanuki is on a mission to clear the name of an innocent young man accused of stealing a Chakra Crystal.

**Chapter Three: Cat and Mouse**

* * *

A light breeze cooled her exposed skin as she cycled through Konoha's village square. She felt infinitely grateful that she had convinced Ino that a bicycle was a necessity for future flower deliveries, especially the oversized orders. The exhilaration she attained through bicycling was equally wonderful as was her victory in persuasion.

Alert to a sudden clamor, she twisted her neck to check over her shoulder and immediately discovered an argument taking place behind her. Sai had insulted Choji by pointing out his weight problem, and he had managed to offend Kiba through suggestion of Akamaru being more greatly endowed than he.

'Boys will be boys,' she thought lightheartedly until she realized that she could be at possible risk for being caught up within their drama.

Pedaling faster to evade the scuffle, she narrowly avoided colliding with a street vendor and his cart. It forced her to brake and offer up an apology as he shook his fist at her, scolding her to be more careful. Rubbernecking, she saw Naruto arrive on the scene in an attempt to keep Kiba and Choji from clashing with his new teammate. He too had gotten sucked within the now physical brawl.

Snowballing towards her, flying punches and kicks threatened to knock her from the bike. Panicked, she said another quick apology to the disgruntled street vendor and had begun to pedal as fast as her legs could muster.

A relatively violent cringe raked through her when she heard Lee join the fight, affronted because he had not been invited to the showdown. All five boys' speed seemed to increase and gain on her no matter how quickly and passionately she pedaled.

Huffing as she furiously cycled through the village, she dreaded the thought of being hit by Kiba's Fang over Fang, Choji's Human Boulder, Naruto's shadow clones, Lee's Leaf Frontal Attack or Sai's Ink techniques. She wondered if it was possible that she'd be seriously injured or dead by the end of this rough tussle turned dangerous.

Ink splashed across her Yamanaka employee apron, and spilled onto the flower arrangement. A fretful hand attempted to wipe away the ink splashes from the petals as the other hand erratically guided the bike in the direction of freedom. She gave up when another wave of ink doused her and the white Gerber daisies, completely tarnishing them.

An alleyway beckoned her, as she executed a sharp turn into the haven. She sighed, believing for a moment that she'd lost the fighting boys. That moment of triumph was gone in an instant when she heard the unmistakable cries of both Choji and Kiba.

Screeching as she pedaled harder than ever before, she could sense the intimidating attacks of Choji rolling into a human boulder and Kiba rambunctiously becoming a human tornado with the help of his canine accomplice. Shuriken flew out, and though she could avoid them, the flower arrangement was not so fortunate. Petals and leaves scattered in the air as she sincerely wondered if this was the end of her.

What a way to die; trampled by Konoha's finest prospective young shinobi. What would her family say?

She veered onto another street, finally losing complete control over the bicycle and crashing into a display of pet toys just outside the Konoha Pet Store. Wincing from a scraped knee, she shook her fists at the boys, "Watch it, you jerks!"

They either were too enveloped in their brawl to notice or they just ignored her purposefully for they continued on their warpath of destruction. Breathing heavily, she tried to compose herself and pushed off the ground into a standing position.

Peals of laughter drew her attention toward the inside of a pet store. A white kitten with patches of orange splashed sporadically on its coat mocked her from within its kennel as it shook with humor. "You rude feline," Midori huffed angrily, placing her hands on her hips to further demonstrate her irritation.

**-The Following Morning-**

Anticipation caused her scraped knee to throb along with her tattered palms as she passed by the same pet store again. Her limbs ached, remembering their exposure to hard asphalt. She was traveling on foot since yesterday's accident had totaled the brand new bike she had worked so fervently to talk Ino into supplying her with.

A crying young woman emerged from the pet store, startling Midori as she drew back to avoid getting a shoulder to her chest. She preferred not to face anymore injuries for the week if should could help it. Chestnut colored hair whizzed past Midori next, but the crier successfully had made her getaway.

"I can never do anything right," the young man muttered, eyes falling with disheartenment. His mood swiftly changed from defeated to perseverant as he gazed at Midori. "Please, could you watch the store for me? I can't leave it unattended, but I have to apologize to my girlfriend."

Without waiting for a response, he rapidly took his leave. This caused for Midori to roll her eyes irately as she crossed the threshold into the pet store, burdened by the sudden responsibility. Her blue orbs trailed over the various cages and kennels, each animal had a mate. She smiled until her eyes lingered on a particular compound. In the kennel was the same kitten that ridiculed her yesterday.

"You're the rude one from yesterday, but you're all by yourself. I bet you feel alone, huh?"

The feline offered her a martyred look and mewed sorrowfully. The act erased any sentiments of a grudge Midori might have held against it.

Chimes called her attention back to the main entrance of the pet store as the young man employee from before materialized. A red hand-shaped contusion tainted his cheek like a splash of red paint had assaulted him.

"How did it go?" Midori mused, trying her best to suppress a small laugh. Unsure of what he'd done to his girlfriend, if it merited a stinging slap, she was certain he deserved it.

"It could have gone better," he admitted, "but she's calm now. It took her slapping me across the face to get calm, but that's the way it goes I guess."

After offering an apologetic expression, Midori returned her attention back towards the kitten. "I'll be back to visit you so you won't be so lonely," she promised with a smile.

"That kitty is always so anti-social, but it's taken a liking to you," speculated the young man. "It's got good reason to. You're very pretty." He winked.

For the first time, Midori noticed his employee nametag shining from the front pocket of his blue collared polo shirt. "Hideo-san, I guess you didn't learn your lesson from that slap your girlfriend gave you."

"Oh," he managed to muster.

"I'll have to come in and buy it once I get paid at work," she promised. Her eyes swept to the clock, and she let out a gasp once she discovered the time. "Don't sell her to anyone else but me, please!"

"No worries. I owe you one anyway," Hideo called after her, but she was already down the street, making her way towards the Yamanaka flower shop.

**-After Work-**

Paychecks often served as a basis of living for Midori Niwa. Missions poured excess cash into her pocket, but they never put food on the table or paid the rent or any other bill for that matter. The money she earned from her missions, which were usually low pay D-Rank missions, went directly to her savings account. Living on her own for the past four years had really taught her the worth of money and how to budget properly.

Tucking away the precise amount needed for her future pet kitten, she smiled with satisfaction. She wasn't sure whether a kitten could be considered an investment, but she'd count it as one so she could ease her mind from feeling guilty. She would have to be very frugal for the next month until her next paycheck or until she could replace the money by completing a mission, but it would be worth it.

Her life at home had become too quiet and lonely as of late. Often, she spent her time with Hotaru at the Hyuuga Residence or even with Jhai Aburame, her other teammate, but she knew it was essential to make room for another addition within her own home to keep from becoming lonely.

"Midori-chan," called Sakura as she and Tenten materialized from around the corner of the bank.

"Hey, guys!" Midori beamed, patting her pocket securely to memorize which pocket she had placed it. It was a custom she had developed to replace her habit of losing things.

Looking up had been a mistake. She felt her heart wrench inside of her, cavorting and frenzy, as she watched Kakashi amble onto the same street. 'Why do I even feel this way,' she asked herself.

"Midori-chan, did you hear me? I asked you if you wanted to get ice cream with us," Sakura repeated, her voice heightened with the repetition.

Snapping out of her reverie, Midori donned a smug grin. "I'll have to take a rain check because I've got a date." Her wink had the desired effect as both Tenten's and Sakura's mouths fell agape.

Sneaking a glance in a certain silver-haired shinobi's direction, she confirmed that he had looked up from his book. Their eyes met briefly, such intensity in a fleeting gaze—or so she assumed until he stared blankly ahead and then back to his book, pretending again not to notice her.

She quickly excused herself and headed in the direction of the pet store. Excitement welled inside her chest as she crossed the street towards the shop. Itching with anticipation, her hand slipped into her pocket and removed the money she'd set out for the kitten and all the supplies she needed to maintain its livelihood.

"I'm sorry," Hideo explained, "I was on my lunch break and my coworker sold the kitten to someone else without knowing it was being saved for you. I'm really sorry."

"But you promised me!" she exclaimed.

She ran from the store without waiting for a response from him. There was nothing he could say to make amends. Her disappointment carried her all the way to the training field where she could release her pent frustrations.

**-Hours Later at the Training Field-**

The tension seemed to seep from her as soon as she set foot onto the lush grass of the training field. She'd already spent at least two hours practicing several types of traps, throwing shuriken, and perfecting jutsu. Soothing wind carried most of her worries far into the distance. Puffing from overexertion, she slumped down to the grass and rested her back against the bark of a tree.

Blue wings resembling the petals of dark irises floated before her, resting calmly upon her leg. The butterfly tickled the exposed skin of her knee. Butterflies always signaled her teammate's presence, a sort of trademark.

The Japanese Oakblue butterfly was one of Jhai Aburame's favorite companions while his twin brother preferred the Death's-head Hawkmoth, which Jhai considered repulsive when compared to the beauty of a butterfly. Arguments often arose between the two brothers over which species were superior. For being twins, the two almost enjoyed tenaciously being opposite one another.

Lifting her gaze, she smiled. "Jhai-kun," she greeted as her teammate approached her with gentle steps.

"You look like something's troubling you," he frowned, lifting a finger for his butterfly to return to and perch upon.

"Incidentally, something is," she replied, and then related her entire story about the kitten in full. She had been careful not to leave any detail out and had often repeated herself at certain points of the story to emphasize her distress.

"That upsets me. Those who aren't loyal are scum," Jhai said finally, "which reminds me of something else I heard today. It'll make your disappointment over that kitten feel like a total myth."

"What's that?" asked Midori, straightening attentively to listen.

"I don't know if you've read _The Foliage _lately, but a few days ago the paper featured an article on my good friend Hayao Misami." He leaned his head from left to right, stretching the stiff joints within his neck. She shook her head, but urged him to continue his narrative.

"Well, the story is that Hayao's stolen that rare Chakra Crystal he was supposed to guard with his partner Shugo. They were both on guard duty since about two weeks back. When the Chakra Crystal suddenly vanished, Shugo blamed Hayao. Hayao knows that Shugo was the one who actually stole it, but has no way of proving it. Now, he's the KPD's number one suspect for the crime and all leads have pointed to him. Meanwhile, Shugo's making off like the scoundrel he is."

"I can't believe that," added Midori, mouth dropping in awe.

"Yeah, me neither. I thought it was a total myth, but I know what an honest person Hayao is so I don't fall for Shugo's innocent act. That's the real myth right there. I just hope that somehow Hayao's name can be cleared otherwise he's looking at jail time, but that won't happen unless they find the Chakra Crystal."

"You're joking," said Midori, pulling herself to her feet.

"I wish I were," Jhai replied as he joined her, also standing. He squeezed his fists tightly until his knuckles went white from the lack of circulation.

"Jhai," called a voice from across the training field, which caused the pair to look up. It was Shino Aburame, Jhai's cousin. "We have a clan meeting tonight, and you're late."

Jhai rolled his eyes, an action which caused for Midori to smile although she'd felt exceptionally disheartened by the story he had related mere seconds ago. "Obligations are a myth and so are those damn clan meetings."

"We don't have time for your mythology bit," Shino responded, "we're late."

"Tardiness," sighed Jhai, "another myth to add to my great big book of mythological entities. I think I'll put it next to your ninja rank since no matter how many times I put _you _in that book, you seem to just be stubborn and appear more often." He ran a hand through his long mass of dark brown hair, laughing. "I can't get rid of this guy."

"Where's Kai?" Shino asked, in reference to Jhai's mischievous twin brother.

"Try the photo lab at the Academy. He never leaves the darkroom. I assume you'll be on your way now." Tilting his dark circular sunglasses down, he smirked at Shino boldly. "Toodles, mythological cousin."

This was taken as a challenge. Shino allowed for his beetles to disband, grasping Jhai by each limb and dragging his older relative away. "You'll have to excuse us. Have a good evening, Midori-san," Shino bid her.

"See you later," she replied, unworried that her conversation with Jhai had been cut short despite his pleas for help.

She was already moving toward the Hyuuga Residence so that she could visit Hotaru and relay everything to her. From that point, a plan could be formulated and later executed.

Crossing the edge of the training field in the direction of the village, she vowed that she'd bring justice to Hayao.

**-Yamanaka Flower Shop, the Next Day-**

The beads of sweat that drenched her head were wiped clean as she brushed the sleeve of her forearm against them. Konoha had produced an exceptionally warm day, which had caused her to become overheated during her numerous flower runs that morning. She'd been sent to nearly every part of Leaf, facing down the scorching sun with each delivery she made.

Deliveries weren't her only tasks either. She had been requested to pick up a few parcels from the arts and crafts store neighbor to the flower shop. The store owners of that art store either weren't aware of air conditioning or they were too stingy to supply anything more than a diminutive wimpy fan located at the cashier's counter.

Parcels in arms, she had just made her way back to the Yamanaka flower shop when she noticed a shinobi she never thought she would see as a customer. Nervous, she resolved to take the back entrance to the shop, concealing herself within the work room to spy discreetly while she fixed her next assignment. Greater concentration was usually required for this kind of project, but she was confident that she could multi-task and spy on the costumer.

Chatting away, Ino led Kakashi Hatake from one end of the store to the other, giving him a tour, a custom she maintained for every first time customer. He politely followed her; although it was evident that he was more interested in making a quick purchase than learning which flowers were appropriate for weddings, platonic and romantic gestures, get well sentiments, and funerals. His patience was likely running thin when she went into a detailed description of which flowers were in season and which were not.

Hotaru appeared by Midori's side, hefting another assortment to receive the same furnishings that her current project had. Midori craned her neck, gazing out to the main room of the shop. Grinning, she noticed Kakashi had left his Icha Icha Violence novel at the corner of the cashier's desk.

Her Byakugan-wielding teammate cast her a warning glance, but she disregarded it as she sneaked through to the cashier's desk and slipped a calling card in between the forgotten novel's pages. After doing so, she quickly returned to the arrangement she'd been working on in the backroom, feigning innocence.

Liberated at last, Kakashi treaded over to the cashier's desk for checkout. Hotaru smiled politely as she rang up his order of lilies. Funeral flowers, Midori noted as she peered from the backroom subtly. She surmised that they were for the graves of his deceased teammates, which he valued so greatly.

"Thank you," said Kakashi, taking his book from the corner of the countertop and took his leave.

A triumphant smile spread upon Midori's countenance, touching even her eyes as her skilled hands continued their careful work on the assortment. She allowed herself a sigh of relief once she had trimmed the excess leaves and branches of the floral display, satisfied now that it was appropriate, judging by her high set standards. She could be quite the perfectionist when it came to the art of floral arrangement.

Chimes sounded at the main entrance, alerting the employees that another customer had entered. Looking up, she saw it was Kakashi again. She felt her digits become rigid as she fastened a broad iridescent ribbon around the gathered stems of a bouquet. Her ears strained to listen as she moved to the farthest most tables in the workroom, believing she'd feel more secure with greater distance.

Riddled with anxiety, she realized that he must have noticed the calling card almost immediately after leaving. She hadn't expected him to return and interrogate the shop's employees, but there was no other explanation for him to retrace his steps.

"Kakashi is asking for you," Ino called to her, leaning against the frame of the door with a bag of soil resting at her hip. "He wants to ask you some things—he got a calling card or something like that."

"I'm busy. If he wants to talk to me he can either come in or wait for me to be done," was Midori's curt reply, hoping that her refusal to drop what she was doing to speak with him would deter him completely or at least injure his ego slightly.

"Just ask her if she saw anything," she heard Kakashi call out from the floor.

She didn't bother to suppress a roll of her eyes as she gripped a hot glue gun and squeezed a mass of glue into a pail in order to better secure a Styrofoam piece within it. "Ask if I saw what?" she repeated, drawing out each word slowly as she moved onto the next pail and Styrofoam cutout.

"Did you see anyone suspicious sneak this calling card into my book while Ino was assisting me?" he asked, shocking her greatly with his sudden appearance.

Her hands jolted, misdirecting the glue onto her own hands instead of within the pail. She cried out from the burning sensation and slammed her hands down on the surface out of reaction to the heated glue. "No, I didn't see anything," she replied as she furiously shook her hand, trying to rid her hand of the Styrofoam she had managed to accidentally glue to it.

Glancing up to meet Kakashi's condescending gaze, she repeated herself. "I take it observation isn't your strong suit and neither is competency in gluing pieces of Styrofoam."

Incensed, she glared at him as she peeled the cutout from the palm of her hand. Before she could muster a retort, Ino escorted Kakashi out of the workroom. Midori only relaxed slightly when she heard the chimes of the door sound.

"He is so completely rude and annoying," she growled, scrubbing residual glue from the palm of her hand in the sink. Hotaru had retrieved an aloe vera plant for her. Gently, Midori rubbed the soothing liquid onto the burnt skin of her palm then indifferently tossed it aside near the sink's edge. "He's got some nerve distracting me from my arrangement and then insulting me."

"I'm sure that wasn't his intention," Hotaru offered, but she herself wasn't sure if she believed it. Kakashi's statements were always purposeful in their meanings, and there was no ignoring how amused he became when he vexed Midori.

"No, those were exactly his intentions," Midori grumbled as she nimbly wrapped bandages around her hand. She'd have to concoct a more effective ointment for her burn later that evening before she set out for the caper.

**-Shugo Fukima's Residence, Evening Time- **

"What an interesting pet for a man your age," commented Kakashi as he peered into the pet carrier of a shaking kitten. Timid green eyes gazed back as the small creature continued to shake violently. It let out several bleating meows. An invisible frown formed on Kakashi's face as he realized just how traumatized the whiskered animal was.

He'd recognized this Fukima Shugo. He and his partner Misami Hayao had been in the paper recently. Hayao had been arrested for stealing an invaluable item the two had been assigned to protect. While there was no hard evidence to convict Hayao, the court proceedings seemed to be heading that way. Meanwhile, Shugo hadn't even been a suspect of accessory to the theft. It was interesting that Shugo had been chosen as Tanuki's target, or rather, his pet.

"Mind your business," Shugo responded, snatching at the tiny kennel with groping fingers. His inept alacrity caused him to mishandle the device. Losing grip, the carrier tumbled to the floor and released the petrified kitten.

Elongated orange tail visible, the kitten bounded, using its superior hind legs to gain great speed toward an exit. The windowpane burst open as if ghostly hands had opened them. Freedom was a leap away as the kitten skirted up into the protective arms of Saint Tanuki who had patiently waited outside.

With a playful salute, Saint Tanuki disappeared into the night with the kitten in tow.

It didn't take a moment's hesitation for Kakashi and Shugo to give chase, both deciding to take the low road as she took to the rooftops.

Though graceful, a loose roof tile caused her footing to falter. The kitten slipped from her shoulder, landing tenderly onto Kakashi's soft silvery tousle of hair.

"Hand it over," Shugo yelled from alongside Kakashi, his features skewed into distraught frustration. "Give me the cat, damn you!"

Kakashi paid no heed to him, focusing only on Saint Tanuki. He hadn't even bothered to give the kitten too much consideration as it poked out from his disheveled tendrils.

Leading both men into a vacant office building, she requested the kitten, "I'd like the kitty."

"Well you can try and take it from me then," Kakashi smugly replied, eyes engaged with amusement.

"Have it your way," she said to him, impassively.

She was wise enough to refrain from engaging in hand-to-hand combat with a master of taijutsu like Kakashi. Her only true weapon against him was her bloodline limit, the inescapable genjutsu pheromones she could only excrete during her Tanuki transformation. Afraid of using an excessive amount of chakra usually bridled her deployment of pheromones. But desperate times called for desperate measures.

In his mind, he had ordered his body to move forward yet he found that he had only taken a step backward. Advancing ahead again, he moved rear. Perplexed by his inability to progress onward, Kakashi halted.

The kitten took advantage of the Jounin's confusion, racing forward towards the arms it considered safe.

Fingertips pressed underneath his headband, eager to reveal the intimidating Sharingan.

"I bet you can't solve my Fun House no Jutsu without that precious eye of yours," she challenged, and his fingers paused just before they lifted the headband upward. "I dare you to try without it!"

At this, he lowered his hand, leaving the headband securely over his legendary copy wheel eye. He accepted the challenge and would rely only on his ingenuity to solve the puzzle of her technique as glass walls shot up from the floor of the building.

Shugo stumbled towards Kakashi, finally catching up to them.

One of the glass barriers divided the men from Saint Tanuki. It was then that Kakashi noticed that the partitions revolved and rotated. There was a moment when the glass room he and Shugo resided in conjoined with Tanuki's.

Kakashi's heart strummed anxiously within him as he neared the glass separating them. Her elegant back was to him as the two rooms glided parallel to each other. It was evident in the way she turned her head slightly that she was fully aware of their presence next to her.

Increasing in dramatic beats, his heart continued to hum while she slowly turned to face them. From a distance, her identity could not be discerned because of her characteristically shadowed eyes, like the mask of a raccoon, but up close there was a greater possibility of discovering an essential feature which could give him clue. His eyes widened as she lifted the kitten to conceal her visage even further. Her tongue jutted out from her mouth, teasing them with her hidden identity.

The floor panels beneath their feet halted briefly and then began to shift again, continuing in the opposite direction of Tanuki. "Well, this is my stop," she bid them, prepared to make her prolonged escape.

Confusion laced her eyes when she noticed a strange mist surrounding her. 'Zabuza's legendary Hiding in Mist Technique,' she thought, panicking at the discovery of her fatal flaw.

Kakashi had planned this the moment she placed them within her Fun House technique, knowing that through some point the revolutions of the glass walls would reset and she'd be exposed to attack. He had used a clone to distract her and make her believe he was trapped opposite from her while the original made his way through the labyrinth.

'Clever,' she praised sourly, knowing it was her own fault for underestimating a shinobi of his level. She should have been privy to such a strategy.

A small sneeze caused her to look down into her hands. The kitten's involuntary reaction to the mist allowed for the expulsion of the Chakra Crystal that had been force fed to it earlier by Shugo. Glistening through the mist, Midori plucked the Chakra Crystal from her palm, grateful that it wasn't included inside a notorious feline hairball.

'He ought to get charged for animal cruelty as well,' she thought gingerly, 'the jerk!'

Time was of the essence for she had little remaining before Kakashi honed in on her. She produced a feather clone and handed the Chakra Crystal to the doppelganger while she made her escape with the kitten.

"I leave the rest to you," said the feather clone to Kakashi upon his approach through the thick vapor. After receiving the Chakra Crystal and realizing her purpose for that evening's caper, the Saint Tanuki feather clone disappeared in a swirl of supple white feathers.

He had always been an enthusiast for games, especially mind games. He played them very well, better than most, but this new game of cat and mouse between him and the little thief had proved more challenging than expected. He could pursue her and possibly capture her that evening, but she had left him with a moral dilemma. By uncovering the wicked deeds of a crooked shinobi, Kakashi had no other choice other than to arrest him. Perhaps her intentions were always pure of heart. He was beginning to notice a pattern in her work. She was a fascinating creature, this Tanuki.

With new understanding, Kakashi approached Shugo, who had been stumbling through the mist noisily. His heavy footedness had made his position easy to discern.

"Did you get my cat back?" he demanded when the mist cleared enough for him to see the silver of Kakashi's disheveled hair.

"I found this Chakra Crystal instead," said Kakashi as he advanced upon him, "and it's all the evidence I need to bring you in. You broke the rules by stealing an item you were supposed to protect. Unforgivable for a shinobi, but allowing your teammate to take the responsibility for your actions makes you even worse scum."

* * *

Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The cat was given the Japanese name version of my cat, Link (fondly named after _The Legend of Zelda_'s reoccurring hero). He's currently sitting on me right now, purring like a loud spoiled baby lion, haha. He's clearly delighted that he was the inspiration for Midori's new friend, Rinku-chan!

So, what did you think of Midori's new pet/friend?

Do you think Kakashi sees Midori as anything more than a nuisance?

Do you think Midori sees Kakashi as something more?

What of Kakashi and Saint Tanuki?

And who do you think is the more clever of the two?

Who do you think will win the game of cat and mouse in the end?

I know, I have lots of questions for you. Please let me know your answers and thoughts in a review. I hope to be posting soon. Chapter Four is a fun one!


End file.
