Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Naruto

The Road To Forgiveness

Prologue

"You've finally lost it."

"Ninjas Albus?"

"The Dark Lord will know about this. He has contacts with the ninja world too."

Albus held up a hand. Everything went silent. He fixed his gaze upon the youngest member there, who was staring at the paper given with calculating eyes.

"Itachi?" Dumbledore asked.

Itachi sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I don't know…it could work…it all depends on who you have."

Severus snorted.

"You may think of yourself as a ninja, Itachi, but the Dark Lord has connections with the strongest ninjas known to man."

Itachi ignored him.

"Of course the Dark Lord will have ninja too. Missing nin probably. Worst case scenario he has Akatsuki." Itachi absentmindedly twisted the ring on his finger.

Albus gazed at him critically.

"Can you defeat them?"

Itachi suddenly looked up, square into his eyes.

"For all our sakes, I hope so,"

McGonagall spluttered loudly.

"I don't think that is the point Albus. Ninjas? Here? It'll be chaos."

Albus smiled gaily at her.

"On the contrary Minerva. Ninjas are civilized people. Why just look at Itachi here!"

McGonagall flushed a deep colour red.

"I didn't mean to insinuate that they were uncivilized, I just meant that we can't have restless men around the place. How would we ever explain it to the ministry? They're evaluating us this year."

Albus opened his mouth to answer her but was cut off by Severus.

"We don't need men McGonagall. Children fight as well as adults in their society." He leant forward. "Albus I don't think you know what you're getting into. The Dark Lord had a Ninja apprentice for about a month a couple of years ago. In that time the boy had surpassed many wizard's skill in a lifetime. He was fourteen."

"Thirteen," murmured Itachi.

"What?" spat Severus.

"He was thirteen."

Severus glared at him.

"The point is, if a boy is that good, how good would a ninja adult be? The Dark Lord will only know the best."

Itachi rolled his eyes.

"He may know the best. But can he afford the best? Many of the strongest ninjas are uninterested in other's affairs."

Severus snorted.

"And you would know anything about this?" He choked as Itachi held him against a wall on the other side of the room.

"I know you don't believe me, Severus," he spat the name like it was dirt, "but your constant nagging is beginning to wear me down and if you don't want to be dead by daybreak I suggest you stop it."

Everyone held their breath. Sometimes it was hard to remember what Itachi was really like when he was acting like everyone else.

"Put him down Itachi," Dumbledore said calmly. Itachi sneered, before dropping him on the floor and turning on his heel. Severus got up and dusted himself down before also returning to his seat. They glared at each other across the table.

"What will the ninja be doing while they are here?" Lupin asked. Albus smiled relieved. Finally, someone who was going to go along with his idea.

"They will be undercover in Fifth year, protecting Harry and gathering Intel from the death eater sons and daughters." It sounded crude when he said it aloud.

There were heads nodding around the table.

Itachi steepled his fingers.

"Who are you asking?"

This was the question Albus had been dreading.

"I actually took the liberty of asking around and have decided, if we do decide to take this plan of action, to hire ninjas from Konoha," Albus paused here, looking around at the sea of faces. Most didn't react to the name at all although Sirius looked puzzled as if trying to work out a complicated problem. It was Itachi and Severus however whom he was most interested in. Severus hadn't reacted at all but Itachi had suddenly frozen. He understood how he felt. Everyone knew Itachi in the shinobi nations. After all, who hadn't heard of him? But Konoha had the special grudge on him. This was going to be tough on him. And it would only get tougher when he realised who he was hiring. If Albus had ever had a reason to fear for his life, it was now.

He quickly continued, before Itachi had a chance to intervene.

"I have discussed it with the Hokage and she has decided, that if we were to hire them, she would send a Miss Sakura Haruno, a Mr Naruto Uzumaki, and a Mr Sasuke Uchiha."

The effect was immediate. Both Itachi and Severus had jumped up from their seats and were shouting at him.

"Uchiha? That's the name of the Dark Lord's apprentice. What the hell are you thinking?"

"You can't invite them here! I'll be killed, and Konoha sure as hell won't accept your proposal once they realise I'm here,"

Albus sighed, showing his age.

"I'm afraid I have no choice. Tsunade chose, and I think it would do you and your brother good."

Itachi spluttered, incredulous.

"Good? Good?! I've been running from the kid for seven years now! He wants to kill me! What the hell are you taking?!"

"Brother?" Mrs Weasley questioned looking between Albus and Itachi. Itachi groaned, sitting down with a thump.

"Now look what you've done."

"You chose to keep it a secret," Dumbledore replied.

"What brother?" Severus asked urgently, "You don't have a brother."

Itachi looked away.

"This is not what we should be discussing."

"No. It matters. What brother. I thought your whole family died," Severus sneered at him.

"Severus!" Mrs Weasley gasped. They both ignored her.

"So who is it? Uchiha or Uzumaki? Should have guessed Itachi wasn't your real name."

Itachi pushed his chair back, away from Severus' close survey.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

Silence followed his departure.

"Severus did you really have to?" Mrs Weasley asked softly after a couple of seconds. Severus roughly pulled his chair around to face Dumbledore who was watching the display with a look of resign.

"So who is it?"

Dumbledore shook his head. Sirius glared at Severus.

"Shut up. You have no idea what it feels like to have a brother that hates you. One that joined the wrong side. You have no right to say those things to him."

Albus looked down at his hands.

"Sirius, please." He sat up again as Sirius fell silent. "We still have a lot to discuss. First off, are we all agreed on the ninjas?"

They drew a vote, winning by the majority. The ninjas were coming to Hogwarts.