Night fell over the sleeping giant known as Sunagakure, it’s hundreds of thousands of denizens made their way into their homes, each with a single goal in mind, rest. Soon the colossal village would almost completely silent save for the noises of various creatures beyond her protective walls and the eternal howling of the desert winds. Tonight would have been like any other night for an elderly man known to the villagers as “The Midnight Bandit”; he would have struck his mark effortlessly and reaped the benefits of his labor with no resistance. However, tonight was not like any other night, in the under the light of the moon, atop an apartment building across the street from the Bandit’s mark sat Uchiha Akiko.

Akiko had been hunting this Bandit for several days, gathering information on his appearance, age, even the scent of his favorite cologne. Her real golden nugget of information came from a conversation she overheard, the Bandit had become cocky apparently, and he had told someone where his next heist would be. So, Akiko had sat on the top of this building that overlooked his mark for the better part of a day, waiting and watching for the Bandit to poke his head out and fall into her clutches.

While Akiko had been waiting for night to fall she had researched into her mark, whoever this was he held little to know knowledge of jutsu beyond that of an academy student. However, he was reported to use rather complex tools and elaborate traps in effort to either escape or ensnare his captors. Akiko applied this knowledge to her strategy; she would capture the man through use of Genjutsu.

In an alley way beyond the tiny ramen house movement caused the rats to flee, they screeched as they attempted to avoid what they perceived as an unknown threat. One of their brethren was not so fortunate, he had been born with a deformity he only had three legs. While this deformity would have usually caused his brothers and sisters to devour him in times of need he had been fortunate, because food was always in excess in Sunagakure. So this rat had lived to the ripe old age of four, many villagers almost took pity upon the old three legged rat, feeding him if he was caught in the open by the time the sun was in the sky, truly it wasn’t a horrible life for him. However, his luck ended with a sickening crunch as the heavy foot of an old man crushed him under his weight, the poor rat didn’t even have time to squeak out his final breath of distress as life was drained from his body, and he just flickered out of existence, fat and happy.

This old man let out a yelp as he heard the rat die underfoot, while the old man was a bandit, a thief, and a crook he was no killer. “The Midnight Bandit” as he was called in fact was a kindly old man who had been stealing Ryo from businesses to help support his newly inherited grandchildren after their parents had been murdered in a mugging. The old man had attempted to find legitimate work to support the two hungry mouths, but he always received the same answers “You’re too old” or “I am sorry I don’t think we need your services.” What choice did he have left? The children needed food and he had enough understanding of ninja tools to be able to perform minor heists to feed them. So he had taken to a life that he could have never foreseen, a life of crime.

Please don’t be dead, please don’t be dead. The old man cried as he knelt over the obviously expired vermin.

The old man didn’t notice the movement of another person sliding down the water pipe of the apartment complex across the street as he scooped the dead rat into his hands. He suddenly shifted his weight to fall backwards on his posterior as he held the tiny rat in both hands, bouncing it up and down as if it would miraculously bring it back to life. The old man let out a long pitiful wail as he lamented the creatures passing at his hands…or foot.

So you are the infamous Midnight Bandit? Akiko questioned, obviously unimpressed by the “fearless” bandit.

The old man suddenly leapt to his feet at the sound of an intruder, he attempted to strike some sort of heroic pose. This was quickly dashed as a nerve in the deceased rat caused it’s only back leg to twitch, the old man squealed like a woman and dropped the rat, fearing that it had come back to life and would seek revenge by clamping down on his hand. After a few seconds of silence and the old man staring at the deceased rat, he would attempt to salvage whatever shreds of imagined dignity he had left.

Yes, it is I TH- The old man started to say in a deep “heroic” voice but was cut short as he started coughing and sputtering. I am getting too old for this shit… He muttered

Akiko stared down at him, even more unimpressed then she was before, had he seriously dropped that dead rat in terror? More importantly was he holding the damned disgusting vermin? Akiko began to wonder if this man was truly the villain she had heard whispers of, or simply an old man masquerading as some imagined anti-hero who stood up for animal rights. Akiko rolled her eyes as the man coughed and gagged on his own bile after trying to either impress her or scare her with some cheap false deep voice.

You are going to try and run aren’t you? She asked in a monotone voice.

As if the old man was answering her, a smoke bomb was thrown on the ground, unfortunately for the old man it was a dud. The old man stared down at the failed smoke bomb expectantly but it was to no avail, nothing occurred. The old man looked back up at Akiko and began to say “This usually never happens” when his face met with the pommel of her katana, rendering him unconscious.

What a waste of my time… Akiko muttered as she leapt off to collect laundry lines to restrain the man.

When “The Midnight Bandit” awoke he found himself tightly bound by string and hanging on several laundry lines that had been twisted into a thickened single braid. The old man screamed in terror as his mind slowly unfogged and realized the predicament he had found himself in. How had he gotten here? The answer would come from a female voice perched on the edge of the building.

Listen up, I am only going to ask you this question once, if you lie or refuse to tell me I will cut the line that holds you up and you will take a quick drop to the alley below. So unless you want to end up like the rat you crushed earlier, I would suggest you tell me where you placed the Ryo and how I can get it back. Akiko demanded as she gently placed her Katana on the line that held the old man up.

You wouldn’t da- The old man said when he was suddenly cut off by Akiko.

Oh? I wouldn’t? Akiko questioned with false innocence in her voice as she gently pushed down on the line with her Katana, causing one of the lines that formed the thickened whole to pop.

The old man squealed in terror as he heard the line snap against the sharp edge if her Katana, tears flowed from his eyes and hit the alleyway ground as he hung helplessly in the air.

ARE YOU CRAZY? He shouted in panic as he sobbed violently

That’s two. Akiko responded as her Katana’s edge popped the second of the five lines.

In response the line the old man hung from began to sag deeply as his weight stretched the line thin. The old man screamed even louder as the fear of death set in upon him.

Okay, Okay. I don’t have the Ryo anymore…my grandchildren, their parents died, I had to take care of them. He shouted up to Akiko.

When Akiko heard this she rolled her eyes, of course he didn’t have the money. Akiko didn’t doubt the man’s words; he was too much of a coward to lie in this situation. Akiko exhaled sharply through her nose before addressing him again.

Okay then, where do you live Bandit…I will make sure your grandchildren are taken care of. Akiko offered.

Why? You aren’t letting me go to them? The man cried out in panic.

I can’t, you stole from Sunagakure, you cannot repay the Ryo you took from those who worked hard to earn it, and you must pay penance for you deeds. Akiko responded, she would pause for a moment before addressing him yet again. However, your grandchildren did nothing wrong, they are innocent and will be taken care of as you serve your sentence…perhaps the Kazekage will go easy on you and allow you to return to them. Akiko said to inspire false hope within the man, she knew he would have to serve his time and probably would die in the process of it.

The old man exhaled sharply before he told Akiko his address and begged she didn’t wake the two young ones at this hour. Akiko listened carefully, she agreed to his terms and then leapt off, and left the man between the two buildings to contemplate what he had done to Sunagakure. However, even as she made her way towards his home she heard his screams echoing through the night.

YOU CAN’T JUST LEAVE ME HERE!