(A/n- 124/200... 3 chapters this week, On Saturday Chapter won't be published... If you guys reach 150 Powerstones or 3 paid Patreon members by this Sunday, I would increase this to 4 chapters next week)
"Well, that settles it," he declared, turning on his heel. "I'm out of here. I just remembered I have some very important income tax forms to file back in Konoha. You guys have fun with your creepy ghost ladies and giggling shadow spirits.!"
Before he could take more than a step, however, Shikamaru's hand shot out, grabbing the back of Sora's shirt and lifting the small boy off his feet.
"Not so fast, you troublesome kid," Shikamaru said, holding the squirming Sora at arm's length like a misbehaving kitten. "You can't just bail on a mission."
"Watch me!" Sora protested, his legs flailing in the air. "I'm not cut out for this spooky stuff! I wasn't paid enough for this! Actually, come to think of it, I wasn't paid at all!"
The other three ninjas stared at Sora, momentarily speechless. Was he actually serious about running away, or was this just another of his dramatic acts?
Shikamaru, ever the strategist, decided to change tactics. He set Sora down and adopted a disappointed tone. "Well, if you really want to go, I guess we can't stop you. It's a shame though..."
Sora, who had been preparing to make a break for it, paused. "A shame? What's a shame?"
"Oh, nothing," Shikamaru said with an exaggerated sigh. "We were planning to have lunch at the Jade Dragon Inn. I hear their food is amazing. But I guess if you're leaving, it'll just be the three of us enjoying it."
Ino and Choji, catching on to Shikamaru's ploy, nodded solemnly. "Yeah, too bad," Choji added. "I heard they have some dishes that are so good, they're practically legendary."
Sora's resolve visibly wavered. His eyes darted between his teammates and the road leading away from the town, clearly torn between his fear of the supernatural and his love of good food.
Finally, he threw his hands up in defeat. "Fine! You win! I'll stay. But only because I can't let you guys face this danger alone. It has nothing to do with the food, got it?"
The others nodded, struggling to keep straight faces. "Of course," Shikamaru said. "Your bravery is truly admirable, Sora."
As they made their way to the Jade Dragon Inn, Shikamaru filled Ino and Choji in on what he and Sora had learned about the thefts. "So we've got disappearing old ladies on the mountain and giggling shadow thieves in the inn," he summarized. "This mission is turning out to be far more troublesome than I anticipated."
They entered the inn, the delicious aromas wafting from the kitchen momentarily distracting them from their worries. As they were seated at a table, Sora's eyes widened at the sight of the menu.
"Whoa," he whispered, "that's some expensive stuff."
The others nodded in agreement, though they seemed less fazed by the prices. Sora glanced at his teammates, a mischievous glint in his eye. It was time to employ his secret weapon.
Putting on his most innocent expression, Sora said, "You know, Kakashi-sensei always says that during a mission, it's the responsibility of the senior members present to treat their juniors. What do you guys think about that?"
The others' eyes twitched in unison. They knew Sora could be shameless, but this was a new level entirely.
Ino opened her mouth to protest, but before she could get a word out, Sora unleashed a forbidden jutsu. A jutsu created by Lord Fourth Himself during his younger days, its potency was so high that he had to put it in the Forbidden scroll himself, so that nobody would misuse it.
The Puppy Eyes Jutsu. His eyes grew wide and shimmering, his lower lip trembling ever so slightly as he gazed up at Ino.
"Onee-chan," he said in a voice that could melt the heart of even the sternest jounin, "you agree with Kakashi-sensei's words, right?"
Ino felt as if she'd been hit by a particularly potent genjutsu. Her resolve crumbled in the face of Sora's overwhelming cuteness. "O-of course," she found herself saying. "Kakashi-sensei is absolutely right!"
Sora's face lit up with joy, and before Ino knew what was happening, she had pulled the young ninja into a tight hug. "You two agree too, right?" she asked Shikamaru and Choji, her tone making it clear that disagreement was not an option.
Faced with Ino's determined gaze and Sora's triumphant smirk peeking over her shoulder, the two boys could only nod in defeat.
As Sora settled back into his seat and began ordering with gusto, Shikamaru and Choji exchanged bewildered glances. They had just witnessed a master manipulator at work, and they weren't sure whether to be impressed or terrified.
As they waited for their food to arrive, Shikamaru decided to use the time productively. "Sora," he began, "I've been meaning to ask you something. Where do you get your sealing materials? That ink you use isn't the standard stuff they provide at the academy. It's pretty high-grade stuff, and expensive too."
Sora, who had been eyeing the kitchen door in anticipation of their meal, turned his attention to Shikamaru. "Oh, that?" he said casually. "I steal it, of course."
Shikamaru choked on the water he'd been drinking. "You what?"
"I stole it," Sora repeated, looking at Shikamaru as if he was the one saying something strange. "You know, stealing? Like when you take something that isn't yours without paying for it or asking permission?"
"I know what stealing means!" Shikamaru spluttered. "But... but you can't just..."
Ino, seeing Shikamaru floundering, decided to step in. "Sora-chan," she said gently, "you do know that stealing is wrong, right?"
Sora looked at her, his brow furrowed in confusion. "No, nee-chan, stealing isn't wrong. Getting caught is wrong."
The three older ninjas stared at Sora in shock. What kind of moral education was this kid getting? Had the academy curriculum changed that drastically since they graduated? Even Choji had stopped eating his pre-meal snacks, too stunned by Sora's casual admission to continue.
Sora, noticing their shocked expressions, quickly took advantage of the situation. He activated his shape-shifting jutsu, enlarging his mouth and using his teeth like drills to devour his food at an alarming rate. Choji, snapping out of his daze, quickly resumed eating, not about to be outdone in an eating contest.
Ino, still reeling from Sora's statement, tried again. "Sora-chan, who taught you that stealing is okay as long as you don't get caught?"
Sora paused in his eating frenzy long enough to answer, "Grandpa Third Hokage said so."
If the trio had been shocked before, they were absolutely floored now. "What do you mean, the Third Hokage?" Shikamaru asked weakly.
Sora cleared his throat and adopted a deep, gravelly voice in what was clearly meant to be an imitation of the Third. "'A true shinobi must be as silent as the night and as invisible as the wind. Our greatest victories are often those that go unnoticed by our enemies.'"
There was a moment of stunned silence as the older ninja processed this. Then Ino said slowly, "That... does sound like something Lord Third might say."
"Exactly!" Sora exclaimed, his eyes shining with excitement. "Don't you see? The old man was giving us the ultimate ninja life hack! 'Silent as the night,' 'invisible as the wind,' 'unnoticed by our enemies' - he's basically giving us a master class in theft! And those 'greatest victories' he mentioned? Obviously, he means successful heists!"
The others exchanged alarmed glances as Sora continued his enthusiastic interpretation of the Third Hokage's wisdom.
"As long as no one notices us taking stuff, we're being true shinobi," Sora concluded. "It's just like Kakashi-sensei always says: look underneath the underneath!"
Shikamaru pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. "Sora," he said carefully, "I don't think that's quite what the Third meant-"
But before he could finish his sentence, a commotion from the kitchen interrupted him. The sound of pots and pans clattering to the floor was followed by a high-pitched giggle that sent chills down their spines.
All thoughts of their moral education debate vanished as the four ninja leapt to their feet, instantly alert. The giggling shadow thief had struck again, and this time, they were right in the middle of it.
As they rushed towards the kitchen, Sora couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and trepidation. This mission was turning out to be far more interesting - and troubling - than he had anticipated. Between vanishing old women, morally ambiguous Hokage teachings, and now giggling kitchen bandits, he was starting to think that maybe filing those imaginary tax returns wasn't such a bad idea after all.
But as he followed his teammates into the chaos of the kitchen, Sora knew one thing for certain: whatever this shadow thief was, they were about to face it head-on. And hopefully, they'd still get to finish their lunch afterwards.
***
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