The Gambler, the Thief, and the Black-market Boss

Chapter Six: That One Filler Chapter

"I'm sorry!" he wailed. "I didn't mean to cause trouble-"

"You're a mole."

"I know I'm a mole but please give me a second chance! I promise I'll be honest this-"

"No," Suyo snapped. "You had your chance and you took advantage of Lady Sakura's goodwill!"

Michi once again buried his head in his arms. "I didn't mean to! Lady Sakura was so nice! It was my first day out of the forest and Lady Sakura picked me off the streets and gave me some warm food and clothes and..." his voice trailed off into unintelligible sobs.

"Why did you betray her if she was so nice to you?"

A pause. "I...I didn't realize that it would be that big of a deal-"

"You're a mole, a traitor, a spy-"

"Wait," Michi said, his head snapping up, "I may be a mole but I would never sabotage Lady Sakura and spy on her!"

Suyo stared at him. "What the hell are you talking about? You're a mole, a spy!"

"No, I'm just a mole!" Silence.

"...as...as in the animal?"

"Yes," Michi said quietly. "Did you really think I was a spy?"

"Everyone thinks you're a spy. Wait, how can I trust you?"

Michi stood up and shakily made a hand seal. "Release!" He went up in a puff of smoke and when the smoke cleared...he was gone, replaced by a mole. Suyo stumbled backward in horror.

"Dear Kami," he muttered, "you're an actual mole! What the actual hell?!"

Michi's little mole hands formed into the same seal and he yelled, "Henge!" He was once again a normal human man. As Suyo continued to stare at him in horror, Michi glanced away, a scowl on his face. "That's why I didn't tell anyone. Everyone says that all humans are speciesist."

"A-And by everyone you mean...?"

"My friends and family back home."

"Where's your home?"

"The Forest of Death."

"I'm going to need a minute to process all of this..." Suyo promptly proceeded to fall face-first into the ground. Michi winced from inside his cell.

"Wait, if I become a mole, I should be able to squeeze through the bars..." he mused. Well, food for thought.

-/_\-

Naruto cautiously opened his window and glanced outside. When he was positive that no one was watching him, he let out a sigh of relief and climbed out, using his chakra to stick to the wall. Three stories is a piece of cake, he thought as he hauled his pack up onto his back. He quietly closed the window and made his way to the ground. Almost there, just gotta-

"Naruto?" a voice asked hesitantly. Naruto's head snapped up and his eyes widened when he saw Ino Yamanaka looking out a random window and staring at him. "What are you doing?"

Think fast! "What do you think I'm doing?"

"Sneaking out of your house to visit a secret gambling ring."

"Um...no?"

Ino rolled her eyes. "I figured. What are you really doing?"

"I'm, uh, visiting the library."

"Nice one."

"What's so bad about going to the library?"

"Nothing. The fact that it's you, though, is highly suspicious."