Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Naruto
A/N: Hey guys. Quite a few people have left reviews asking for an update. I would like to point out that this is a Challenge and the Prologue I wrote is all there is. So far no one has taken up the Challenge, but if someone does I will update this to let everyone know.
From Wizard to Shinobi
Harry Potter opened his eyes and immediately recognized the three people in front of him. His heart skipped a beat at the sight of their familiar faces, and before he could wonder how it was possible that he was seeing them, he suddenly remembered his own death.
A few months after the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry was finally able to appease the Goblins for breaking into their bank. It cost him nearly twenty percent of the combined Potter-Black fortune, but Harry didn't care. There was still enough galleons left in both of the vaults, that his descendants could live lavishly for several generations and still not make a dent in the family wealth.
Once the Goblin King agreed to let bygones be bygones, Harry's Account Manager was quick to have him take up his Lordships and create a Will. At the time the Goblins were insistent that he also name a beneficiary in case of his death and seeing the logic behind it, Harry decided to choose his godson as his heir.
To make sure his godson's claim to the Potter line was as strong as the one he had to the Blacks, with Andromeda's blessing Harry blood-adopted Teddy at Gringotts. The trio had just finished a final checkup for Teddy with the Goblin healers, and were leaving the bank to go back to Grimmauld place, when they were suddenly attacked by five men wearing Death Eater masks.
Despite the suddenness of the assault, Harry's battle reflexes were still well honed from the recently ended War. With speed and skill that far surpassed his attackers, he was able to quickly subdue the Death Eaters with minimal effort.
By the time a crowd gathered around him, Andromeda and Teddy, Harry had already bound and stunned his assailants. Unfortunately for him, he never suspected the presence of a sixth attacker. The last thing Harry remembered was a sharp pain as something tore through his throat and sprayed his blood across Andi's face.
"Mum? Dad? Sirius? Am...am I dead?
"Not yet, sweetheart," Lily replied gently, as she walked up to her son and pulled him into a warm embrace. "While your soul may be here with us right now, your body is still fighting to live back on Earth."
"What about Andi and Teddy?," Harry asked frantically. "Are they alright?"
"They're fine, pup," Sirius answered for the group. "Andi took care of the vampire before he could hurt anyone else."
"Vampire?," Harry asked in surprise. "How the bloody hell is that even possible, Padfoot? We were attacked in the middle of the day."
"He was wearing a Daylight ring," Sirius explained with a soft growl. "Another oh so wonderful creation by the illustrious Black family. The rings not only allow the Vampires wearing them to walk in the sun, but they also give their wearers a more human like appearance. After the Clan Wars in the 1600s, the Ministry classified the rings as level ten Dark objects and forced the Black family to take a blood oath not to make them any more. Thankfully only a dozen rings survived the purges, and nowadays they are usually owned by the oldest or the richest of the Vampire Lords. I can only assume the idiot that attacked you picked it up during the final battle, because he certainly wasn't worthy enough to be in possession of one normally."
Even though Harry had never heard of a Daylight ring before, he wasn't about to doubt his godfather's word on the topic. If there was any family that was capable of creating such an object, it was certainly the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black.
"Fine, but why would this guy come after me? I'm pretty sure I've never even met a Vampire before."
"His clan joined Voldemort during the Final Battle, Harry," James explained with an irritated huff. "Despite the fact that it was the Aurors that fought alongside you that were responsible for killing off his Coven, as the new Leader of the Light, the bastard placed their deaths entirely on your shoulders."
Harry groaned as soon as he heard the new title that he wasn't even aware he'd been given. No matter how hard he tried to get away from his fame, the world just kept sucking him back in.
"Alright fine," Harry replied, as he reluctantly accepted that his Potter luck always made things complicated for him. "Now that I know everyone is okay, how much time do I have with you guys before I go back? And where exactly are we? This place seems different than the last time I almost died."
Lily winced at the reminder that this wasn't the first time her seventeen year old son had faced death head on. "Right now you are in the Void, Harry. Think of this as a place that's outside of normal time and space. And you have been brought here to give you a choice."
"A choice?," Harry asked nervously, not liking the serious expressions on the faces of his parents and godfather. "What kind of choice are we talking about, mum?"
"A choice between Immortality or a new life," Sirius answered bluntly for the group. "I know you believe the Deathly Hollows to be nothing more than a bedtime story, pup, but the Legend is closer to the truth than you can imagine. The only difference is once you complete the bond with the Hollows, you don't become the Master of the entity known as Death, but of your own death. That means even if your body is incinerated and your ashes thrown to the wind, you would still reform in a couple of minutes. I know you don't want to hear it, kiddo, but if you go back to your body on Earth, you will literally live till the end of time."
"Wh..what?," Harry asked in shock. "What the hell are you talking about, Padfoot? I don't want immortality, and I sure as hell don't want a new life. I just want to go back to my friends."
"And you can, sweetie," Lily replied sadly. "But at the cost of seeing everyone you love grow old and die for the rest of eternity."
Harry felt as if he'd been hit by a truck. "Why me?," he asked softly.
"Because of who you are, son. As the closest blood descendent of the Peverells, as well as being the Child of Prophecy, short of the three brothers themselves, you were always meant to be the strongest candidate to unite the Hollows. From the moment your mother and I died, we have been preparing for this day. It was our hope that when this day finally arrived we would have more options to give you, but that damn Potter luck struck sooner than we expected."
Harry felt his world shatter around him. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine that the Hollows would be real, but now that he knew he wanted nothing to do with them.
"Then take them back, dad. I don't want the Hollows. If I can just go back to my friends, then Death can have his gifts back."
James shook his head sadly. "It's not that easy, kiddo. Unfortunately the deal Death made with the Peverell brothers was worded in such a way, that he couldn't take back the Hollows for as long as they or their descendents lived in our world."
Harry wanted to scream at the unfairness of the situation, until his rage filled mind calmed down long enough for his inner Slytherin to realize what his father just said. Hoping his family had a solution ready for him, he took a deep breath to control his anger.
"I assume you guys are here to help me get around this Immortality thing."
Lily smiled brightly at her son and replied, "That's right, sweetheart. As it stands right now you're near death state has partially activated your bond to the Hollows, so you can't die and join us in the Pure world, and going back will only complete the bond and make you Immortal. Your only hope of breaking the connection to the Hollows is to tie your soul to a new body and send you to a different world."
"You want to send me to a new world?," Harry asked nervously.
"That's right, son," James answered hesitantly. "The place we want to send you to is called the Elemental Nations."
Sirius decided explaining everything about the new world would take too long, so he walked up to his godson and tapped him gently on the forehead, transferring all of the knowledge he would need about his new home.
It didn't take long to see if his trick worked, because a few moments later he heard Harry yell, "Have you people gone completely insane? You want to send me to a world full of SUPER NINJAS? What the HELL are you people thinking? In case it hasn't occurred to you, but I have no clue how to fight like those guys. If you send me to that world, with my luck not only will I be dead inside of a week, but even if I lived somehow, I still wouldn't know how to use their stupid Chakra."
"It won't be that bad, pup," Sirius tried to explain in his typical nonchalant manner. "Not only will you be given a body that can use Chakra, but you will also be sent to the new world as a baby. Think of it as a chance to have the childhood you always wanted. If it helps, your parents even managed to negotiate with Death to get you a bloodline of your own."
"I'm seventeen years old, you stupid mutt," Harry replied with a snarl. "I can't, no, I won't be a baby again."
"Well, then it's a good thing your current memories will be suppressed until you die. It'll be like you were reincarnated or something."
James and Lily groaned at their friend's insensitive explanation, and the pair simultaneously wondered why they even brought the idiot to this meeting. When they saw that Harry was about to lose what little composure he had to begin with, Lily quickly grabbed her son's head in her hands and forced him to look at her.
"Calm down, Harry," she ordered. "I know the situation isn't perfect, but it does come with some benefits."
"And what benefits would those be, mother?"
Lily was slightly hurt by her son's tone, but she knew it was only because he was scared.
"Death isn't pleased with having a True Immortal walking around on Earth, but because of the deal he made with the Peverell brothers there wasn't anything he could do to prevent it. Thankfully your father and I were able to find a loophole for you and if you agree to leave your world for another, in exchange for the Hollows, Death has graciously agreed to grant you several gifts for your new life. In return for the death stick, you will be given a new body with a Dojutsu bloodline that was created during the birth of the Elemental Nations, but for some reason was never seeded into that world. For your father's cloak, we got Death to alter your Chakra enough to let you use Runes and Potions. And for the ring..."
"One second, mum," Harry interrupted Lily brusquely. "I'm hoping I heard you wrong, but are you implying that I will lose my Magic if I go to this new world?"
"Ahhh...kind of," Lily replied with a wince. "While Chakra and Magic share a few similarities, and can co-exist in small amounts, they are extremely volatile if they're mixed in large quantities. Since you will need Chakra to live in the Elemental Nations, you won't be able to transfer your Magical core into your new body."
"If that's the case, then how was Death able to add any Magic to this new body's Chakra?"
"Your ability to continue using Runes and Potions with your new body, came at the cost of removing that body's ability to use any Elemental jutsu," Lily answered reluctantly. "But it's not as bad as it seems, sweetheart. With Runes and Potions you will still be able to..."
"I've heard enough, mother," Harry growled back in anger. "I refuse to go to this world. What are my other options?"
James sighed in frustration and ran his hand through his unkempt hair. From the moment he died and learned of his son's fate, he always knew this conversation wasn't going to be easy, but he never thought it would be this bad. To be fair he understood his son's anger over the situation, but the deal they made with Death was literally the best they could get for him.
"There aren't any more options, Harry. It's either this, or you go back to your own world."
Harry glared furiously at his father, refusing to accept defeat. It's bad enough that he was being asked to leave his friends and world behind, but now they were asking him to give up his Magic as well. That to him was unacceptable. "Why can't I just go to another world, dad?"
"Because no other world will accept you," Sirius answered.
"Why the bloody hell not? What's wrong with me?"
"It's because you're a Child of Prophecy, pup. Since your soul has been touched by the Fates, your very presence can change a person's destiny. The Death from our world tried to make a deal with his counterparts in the other universes, but only the Shinigami of the Elemental Nations allowed you entry. And before you ask, I have no idea why he did so. All we know is that he agreed to give you passage into his world, and that he didn't require anything from you in return."
Try as he might, Harry couldn't find a way out of his current predicament. If there was one thing his young life had taught him was that if something could go wrong for him, it would go wrong for him. This simple rule forced him to become adaptable at young age, and it was because of this skill that Harry knew there was only one choice for him to make.
As much as he wished to return to his own world and the friends he had made there, Immortality was a curse that Harry wanted no part of. While he knew that there were people that would miss him if he died, for the most part he realized he was expendable.
With Teddy as his heir and Andromeda looking after him, the Potter and Black line would continue on after his death. As his best friends, Ron and Hermione would miss him the most, but they each had their families to fall back on, as well as the burgeoning relationship the two were trying to hide from him. Even the friends he made through the DA would mourn his passing, but in the end there was nothing keeping him from moving on.
Once his decision was made, Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm his emotions. As soon as he was finally in control of himself, Harry decided he was ready to adapt to this current situation.
Turning to face his parents and godfather, Harry flashed the three of them a reassuring smile, letting them know that he was no longer upset.
"Mum, Dad, if my new body can't have a Magical core, do I really need to alter my Chakra to use Runes and Potions? From the information Padfoot downloaded into my head, it seems these Ninja use a lot of elemental jutsu in combat. This new world seems dangerous enough without me having an added handicap if I have to fight against someone."
When she saw her son accept and deal with his unfortunate situation, Lily couldn't help but feel proud of the man he'd become. "You can, sweetheart, but I would advise against it."
"Why is that?," Harry asked curiously. "I understand why Potions can be useful, but what could I possibly do with Runes?"
Lily smirked at her son's cluelessness, and replied, "A better question would be, 'What can't you do with Runes?"
When he saw the confused expression appear on Harry's face, James explained, "What your mother is trying to say and poorly might I add, is that you can theoretically convert any wanded spell into its Runic derivative and cast it through a Rune stone. The modern world may have forgotten all about it, but long before there were wands, that's how Witches and Wizards used to cast their spells."
Harry felt his jaw drop at the news. While he knew from Hermione's rants in third year that Runes were powerful, he never imagined they could be this versatile. When he finally realized he would still be able to do Magic in the new world, albeit in a manner he wasn't yet sure how to do, he couldn't help but feel a little hope for his new beginning.
"That...that's amazing, dad. I can't believe Runes can be used like that."
"I know, kiddo. It blew my mind when I found out about it too. A few years back in the Pure world, your mother and I saw a Rune Master spar against a wanded Wizard, and let me tell you it was simply a sight to behold. I promise you won't have to worry about missing out on any Elemental jutsu, because there are plenty of Runic spells you can use instead."
"But how am I supposed to use these spells, or even Potions in the new world? I never took Runes at Hogwarts and to be honest I'm kind of pants at Potions."
Lily growled softly at the particular statement from her son. As a Potions prodigy herself, it irked her that her little baby was so poor at the subject and she knew her former best friend was solely responsible for the lapse in knowledge.
"That's where the third Hollow comes into play, sweetheart. Unfortunately, except for knowledge you can't take anything from your old world with you. In return for the Peverell ring, the three us will have ten years in the Void to teach you everything you need to know about Runes, Potions and Herbology. At the end of that time, only the things that you have personally learned will be converted into a Clan scroll for you to take with you."
"What exactly do you mean by a Clan scroll, mum?"
As soon as he heard the question, Sirius walked up to Harry and threw his arm around his godson's shoulder. "That's right, my little Kuraku Clan heir. Between your new Dojutsu and all the scrolls we will eventually be sending with you, everyone will believe that you are the last member of a Clan that's somehow managed to keep itself hidden since the Warring Era. Your mother even convinced the first Uzukage to create the Clan Scroll himself, which will further convince anyone who recognizes the Uzumaki sealing technique, that the your made up Clan has been around for a very long time."
"And why would this Uzukage do this for me?," Harry asked with an arched eyebrow.
"First off, because your mother is scary as hell," Sirius yelped as said woman smacked him upside his head and glared at him with her piercing green eyes. "Secondly, because one of his descendents is the Child of Prophecy in the world you will be going to. Arashi understands how much you suffered to bring peace to your own world, and he wants you to consider the scroll a gift from him to help you with your new beginning."
"Okay...that's nice of him. But what's with the Kuraku name?"
"That would be the name I created for you," Sirius answered with an arrogant toss of his long hair. "Kuro means black, while Raku is a very expensive style of Pottery that is used in Tea ceremonies. Usually only Daimyos, or the richest merchants in the Elemental Nations can even afford these pieces. Be thankful your dad is crap at cards, pup, or you would have been stuck with some idiotic family name. Because of my awesomeness, at least you will get to carry on the Black-Potter legacy in the new world."
"Oi," James exclaimed with pout. "My suggestion wasn't that bad."
"Was too."
"Was not."
Harry smiled when he felt Lily's arm link through his own. For a few minutes mother and son laughed together, as they watched the two men mock wrestle with one another. Eventually when the pair finally settled down, Harry knew it was time to start on his new beginning.
"I'm ready, mum. Tell me what I have to do."
When she looked into her son's eyes, Lily could see that he was at peace with his decision, and she was happy he was getting a chance at a new beginning. If anyone deserved such a gift, it was definitely her little baby.
"Then give me your hand, sweetie."
As soon as Harry lifted his hand towards her, Lily wandlessly conjured a small glass vial and a black dagger that looked like an Athame. She carefully slid the blade across her son's palm, and drained the pooling blood into the vial. Once it was full, she caressed the wound close with a pulse of her Magic.
"What are you going to do with my blood, mum?," Harry asked curiously.
"I'm going to use it to create a new body for you, and infuse your Chakra with the Magic you will need to use Runes and Potions."
"But how is that possible? Won't I need a Magical core for that?"
"Normally that would be the case," Lily explained with a knowing twinkle in her eyes. "But your blood is special, since it's mixed with Basilik venom and Phoenix tears. The latent Magic within it will be enough to alter your new body's Chakra to use Runes and Potions, as well as allow you to retain the passive abilities your current body possesses."
"What passive abilities are you talking about?," Harry asked in surprise.
"Right now you have two passive abilities. The one you were born with is the ability to become a Master Occlumens, but sadly Voldemort's horcrux in your scar prevented you from using it. Had you tried to learn Occlumency after its removal, you would have found that you were a natural at the art."
Harry grimaced at the thought of learning Occlumency. He could still recall the "lessons" he received from Snape in his fifth year, and he wasn't looking forward to going through something like that again.
"What about the second ability?"
This time it was Lily's turn to grimace, knowing her son would not appreciate the gift he inherited from the Dark Lord. "The second ability you possess is Parseltongue, sweetie. It may have originally come from Voldemort, but the horcrux was apart of you for so long that the ability transfered to you even after its removal. It's now a part of you and will be passed on to your children."
James could tell that his son didn't appreciate the gift and to be fair the Gryffindor inside of him wasn't a big fan of it either. But from his time in the Pure world, he'd learned that his bias against Slytherin was a result of several misconceptions the Magical world made about the House and the man it was named after.
"I know it may not seem like it now, son, but there is nothing wrong with being a Parselmouth. Despite what you were led to believe, being able to speak in Parseltongue is no different than speaking in any other language. There is nothing inherently evil or dark about it."
"How can you say that, dad?," Harry shot back. "Slytherin and Riddle were Parselmouths and they were both considered to be two of the worst Dark Lords in the history of our world."
"That's not exactly true, pup," Sirius replied calmly. "Riddle may have been an evil bastard, but Salazar Slytherin definitely wasn't. The three of us met the man on the other side, and while there is no denying he's an arrogant tosser, he certainly wasn't evil. In fact, out of the four Founders Salazar was the only Muggleborn."
"Wha...what? Slytherin was a Muggleborn?"
"Yup," Lily answered, with a pop on the p. "Good ol Sal was a Muggleborn just like me. The whole rivalry between him and Godric was nothing more than a story that was made up years after their death. In fact, not only were the two of them good friends, but once Hogwarts was up and running, both men retired together and traveled the world looking for kids they could send back to Helga and Rowena."
"Then where the hell did the Pureblood supremacy thing come from?"
"That would be from Salazar's great-grandson," James answered. "The idiot went crazy while practicing the Dark Arts, and started proclaiming his blood was more pure than any other family. He eventually beat that ideal into his three sons, and they carried the message to their Housemates at Hogwarts. To be fair, even now the majority of people in Slytherin weren't bad people. It was only a handful of idiots that gave credence to the belief that everyone from that House was dark and bent on world domination."
Once it looked like Harry wasn't going to protest any further, Lily pulled out the scroll that Death had given to her and opened it up. She poured the entire vial of blood on top of it and within seconds the seal began to vibrate in her hand. A bright light suddenly erupted from the scroll, briefly blinding everyone in the room. When it disappeared, in place of the scroll there was a newborn baby with black hair and emerald green eyes.
The moment he saw the child, Harry felt something snap inside of him. The empty feeling left almost as soon as it came and he was surprised when he suddenly felt a connection form between himself and the child in his mother's arms.
"What in Merlin's name just happened, mum?," Harry asked, as he stared in awe at the baby in front of him.
"Back on Earth your body died, sweetheart," Lily explained with a sad smile. "And your soul was reconnected to this one. Harry Potter...say hi to Kuraku Hari."
As he waited on his family to make his final goodbyes, Harry couldn't help but think about his time in the Void.
The ten years passed quicker than he expected, but it was also the happiest time of his young life. He finally got a chance to know everything about his parents and godfather and he cherished every minute of their time together.
However, things weren't all fun and games for the group. Since the knowledge that would be sent with him to the new world was dependent solely upon what he himself learned, his three teachers were adamant that Harry was trained to the best of their ability.
The first two years in the Void was divided equally between Lily, James and Sirius. From Lily Harry learned the basics about Potions that Snape failed to impart to any of his non-Slytherin students at Hogwarts.
Finding out the reasons behind why ingredients were cut, diced, shaved or smashed and the need to mix certain potions in a particular direction, went a long ways towards helping Harry get over his fear of the subject. By the time the two years were complete, not only was Harry able to brew any potion in the Hogwarts curriculum perfectly, but he also found that he inherited his mother's gift in the art.
Meanwhile James spent his allotted time covering Runes with his son. Throughout those two years Harry was able to complete the full curriculum Hogwarts provided on Nordic Runes, and as an added bonus he also memorized the additional Runic alphabets for the Greek, Egyptian and Japanese variations.
This was especially important since Harry learned that each of the alphabets had an affinity for a specific branch of Magic. The Nordic runes worked best with general spells and charms, while the Egyptian ones were superior at transfiguration and wards. The Greek runes were primarily the best at healing Magic, while the Japanese alphabet was the ideal choice for elemental based spells.
Thanks to Sirius Harry finally learned Occlumency the right way. The Blacks were known to have the best mental shields amongst the Pureblood families in Britain, and Sirius made sure his godson learned everything his family knew on the subject.
Without Voldemort's horcrux hindering his development, Harry's natural skill with the ability came shining through. Over the next two years he was able to perfect his mental barriers to the point where he was certain that neither Dumbledore nor Voldemort could hope to pierce through his shields.
In the end his proficiency with Occlumency was particularly important to Harry, because of the knowledge Sirius gave him about the Elemental Nations. Not only did that information tell him about the basic geography and history of the new world, but it also gave him a general overview of the kekkei genkai or skills that the various Clans in each of the villages possessed.
While a number of Clans left him awe struck with what their bloodline limits were capable of, the Clan that Harry worried about most was the Yamanaka. After the number of times his mind was invaded in his past life, he certainly had no desire to see the same happen in his next one.
From what Harry was able to discern about the Clan, the Yamanaka's version of entering the mind was significantly better than the Legilimency spell used by Witches and Wizards. On the flip side however, their methods for shielding the mind paled in comparison to what Occlumency could offer. Based on the information he was provided with on the Clan's abilities, Harry was fairly certain that his barriers could more than withstand any form of assault by a Yamanaka.
Once his three teachers were convinced their student was sufficiently competent with the basics in Potions and Runes, their next step was in deciding what spells and potions he would take with him to the new world. Since Harry couldn't realistically learn a thousand years worth of knowledge in the time they had left, in the end the four chose around sixty potions, three light based temporary enhancement rituals and a little over a hundred and fifty spells for him to learn.
Over the next three years, Harry mastered the Runic arrays necessary to power each spell, while simultaneously learning the herbology behind the plants and various ingredients he would find in the Elemental Nations. Unfortunately it was also during this time that the quartet learned of the challenges Harry's new body would face when it came to powering the runes.
In the Magical world there were two ways to use Runes. The first method required etching the arrays onto a solid surface and then using a tremendous amount of power to make the runes permanent. The second method used Runic ink to accomplish the same thing, and while in comparison it only needed a small amount of power to work, it was also a temporary solution since the ink would eventually be degraded by time or through prolonged use.
During the course of their investigation to determine how best to power the Runic arrays for each spell, the first thing the group discovered was that unlike Fuinjutsu, runes not only required specially made ink that was created by pumping Harry's Magic infused Chakra into it, but they also needed a solid and fairly durable medium in order to work.
Unfortunately that meant they couldn't use Runic ink to write the arrays on scrolls like Fuinjutsu. Since stone masons weren't easily found in the Elemental Nations, in the end the medium of choice the group decided upon was wood. Not only was the material abundant in the new world, but the wood runes were easy to shape into a size that was small enough for Harry to carry on his person.
The next part of the group's experimentation revolved around creating said wood runes. Through trial and error, the quartet determined that a 3in x 3in piece of wood was more than large enough to contain any runic array drawn upon it, while simultaneously being light enough to not hinder Harry during combat.
It was at this point that the quartet encountered their first problem with the runes. Regardless of the amount of Chakra pumped into the runic array, they always disintegrated after the particular spell was cast. The group tried experimenting with other mediums to see if there was a difference in the power requirement, but the results were always the same. Once it was decided that Harry would have to carry multiple variations of certain runes with him at all times, their next step was in creating a mode of transport for the runes.
Their first thought was to store the runes inside of storage seals, but the group quickly learned that Fuinjutsu and Runes didn't make for a good mix in large amounts. While storage seals could readily contain a handful of runes without a problem, anytime they put more than ten runes in a seal, the seal imploded upon itself and destroyed everything inside of it. Since storage seals were the preferred method of transporting things in the Elemental Nations, the quartet decided to re-create an item from the Magical world.
The Mokeskin pouch was a bag that was used for storing any type of small or medium sized item. Normally made from the hide of a Moke, a small greenish-blue class one type Magical lizard, the bag made it so no one but the owner could retrieve the items inside of it, going so far as to shrink if anyone but its designated owner tried to hold it.
Thanks to Lily's skills with Charms and James' know how with Runes, the pair was able to re-create the pouch by using Salamander hide that was commonly available in the new world. Once they were done, the pouch was able to easily carry several hundred wood runes, with the added benefit of Harry having to only think of the rune he wanted in order to retrieve it from the bag.
The completion of the pouch returned the group's attention back to powering the runes. This in turn led them to their second and largest problem with the arrays. While the amount of Magic infused with Chakra in Harry's new body was enough to make Potions work without any problems, when it came to powering the Runic spells, the group learned that Magic was significantly more potent than Chakra.
It took another year of experimentation, but eventually the quartet was able to rank the newly named Runjutsus in a similar manner to the way Jutsus were done in the Elemental Nations. While the E-B rank Runjutsu spells were fairly easy to use, the A and S ranks were nigh impossible even with Kage level Chakra reserves. In some cases, the amount of Chakra Harry would need to power the runic array, would kill him long before the jutsu could even be cast.
It was at this point that Lily suggested they create a battery to help power these high level Runes. The idea was initially met with derision by James and Sirius, since the pair had no concept of how a battery actually worked. But eventually they caved to her persistence. The quartet spent another two years developing the Chakra battery, but in the end they were successful.
The battery itself was the ultimate culmination of the Runic arts and if it had been created in the Magical world, each member of the quartet would have been awarded their Rune Masteries on that alone. It worked by storing the Chakra pumped into it indefinitely, while the triple layered expansion runes allowed it to store a nigh infinite amount of Chakra.
In short it was more than enough to power any of the A and S-rank Runjutsus they created for Harry, while being small enough for him to carry one into battle if he needed to. The only downside to the battery was that it would only hold Harry's Chakra. Normal Chakra not only lacked the Magical component necessary to keep the Runes in the battery active, but too much of it made the battery volatile and turned it into a high powered grenade.
With his Magical education nearly complete, the final few years of Harry's time in the Void was spent learning about his new Dojutsu, as well as working on the three side projects that were very important to him.
Initially Harry was hesitant about his new bloodline, but the more he used it, the more he came to appreciate the abilities the Dojutsu granted him. While his gifted eyes may not have been as versatile as the Sharingan or Rinnegan in their given powers, they were still a powerful tool at his disposal. By the time Harry mastered the Dojutsu, he was more than pleased with what his eyes could do.
The Dojutsu was eventually named Kuromegan by Lily, and translated into the Black eye wheel.
Once activated, the entire eye turned pitch black, while Harry's killing curse green pupils became brighter than normal. Each subsequent level that was unlocked was represented by a green tomoe, and with his family's help Harry was not only able to unlock all four stages of the Dojutsu, but he also learned how to use his new abilities in unique ways.
When not working on learning his Dojutsu, or hanging out with his family, Harry spent the remainder of his time in the Void working on his pet projects. One of those projects was creating a racing broom.
It took countless hours of research and reading through dozens of books on Broom creation, Arithmancy and Charms, but in the end Harry was able to build a broom that frankly surpassed the Firebolt Sirius bought for him in his third year.
After taking the broom out for a spin themselves, the Marauder duo fell in love with it and playfully dubbed it the Lightning Bolt, as an homage to the scar that made its creator so famous in the Magical world.
Made from cedar wood with birch twigs, the Lightning Bolt could match the Firebolt's speed by going zero to one fifty in ten seconds, but it surpassed the other broom in maneuverability and balance while in the air. The only drawback to the broom was the power required to fly it.
Since Magic was so potent, a Witch or Wizard could literally spend hours flying a broom and not come anywhere close to Magical exhaustion. Unfortunately Harry's new Chakra was infused with only a small amount of Magic, which meant the power needed to keep the broom in the air drained his Chakra reserves significantly.
At best Harry figured he could comfortably fly for two to three hours, but only if he wasn't expecting to fight the rest of the day. In the end Harry didn't care too much about the handicap. Irrespective of how long he would be able to fly, he consoled himself with the fact that at least he would still be able to do so in the new world.
The second most important of Harry's pet projects dealt with armor. The Elemental Nations had nothing like Dragon hide or Basilik armor to protect him in a fight, and since Harry wasn't too keen on fighting in the standard clothes that most Shinobi wore, he wanted to see if runes could be used to improve their durability.
After weeks of researching the various types of material that would be available to him in the new world, Harry decided that leather was the best choice for his new armor. Though the material was on the expensive side, not only was it readily available in every major or minor village, but depending upon the size of the article of clothing, it was also durable enough to sustain multiple runic arrays at one time.
The next step in creating his new armor was in the actual design. Since Harry had little to no knowledge in either Muggle or Magical fashion, he decided to keep the outfit simple, while making sure that the dark green, almost black color he chose for the armor, would be perfect as camouflage throughout most of the Elemental Nations.
It started with a pair of calf length steel toed boots, with a thin layer of metal along the shin and a three inch blade that could be released from either heel. Due to the size and durability of the shoes, Harry was only able to safely add three Runjutsus to the boots. The first dealt with weather proofing them against the elements, the second with keeping his feet cushioned at all times and the last and most important one was used to silence his footsteps when he was walking.
The core of the outfit was composed of boot cut leather pants that were loose enough to allow Harry's body a full range of motion in a fight, and a sleeveless form fitting leather jerkin that hung to his mid thigh. The Runjutsus used with this part of the armor were two-fold. The first array made sure that Harry's internal temperature was regulated regardless of the climate he was in, while the second array was a modified version of the unbreakable charm.
Despite all of his hard work, Harry was unable to make his new armor truly unbreakable. Since leather was no where near as strong as Dragon hide or Basilik armor, he couldn't keep it from tearing before the charm was fully activated.
In the end the best he could do was make the armor slightly stronger than Kevlar. It would readily prevent him from being injured by any bladed attacks, but only offered minimal protection against elemental jutsus. While Harry wasn't exactly thrilled with the final product, he was pleased his new armor was significantly better than what anyone else would wear in the new world.
The biggest drawback to the armor was that the arrays had to be re-drawn every few months. While leather was sturdy enough for Harry to etch the runes onto them without a problem, when he used the Chakra battery to make the Runjutsus permanent, the material was unable to withstand the sheer amount of power required to so. It took tearing through a dozen versions of the outfit for Harry to figure it out, but in the end he decided reapplying the arrays was the best he could do with leather.
The final project Harry spent his time on while in the Void, was on ward stones. From what he'd learned from his parents and Sirius, the dual bloodlines Death had gifted to him would definitely be passed on to all of his descendants.
The way his parents explained it to Harry, for at least five generations, every one of his descendants would have both his Dojutsu and his special chakra, regardless of who married into his new family. After that time the special chakra would still be inheritable without a problem, but the Dojutsu would only have a sixty percent chance of being passed on.
Due to the knowledge he had about the new world, Harry knew any of the hidden villages wouldn't hesitate to acquire his bloodline for themselves. He wanted to make sure his future family would be protected at all costs, and so his final year in the Void was predominantly spent working on creating a ward stone that he could use in the future.
Unfortunately that was easier said than done. Normally ward stones were powered by the excess ambient Magical energy that could be found in Magic rich areas like Hogsmead or Diagon Alley, or they were directly tied into a ley line like Hogwarts or the Ministry.
Since there weren't any ley lines in the Elemental Nations for Harry to use, and it would be decades before the Kuraku family was large enough for a ward stone to run off of their excess Magical energy, in the end Harry realized he needed to find a way to use normal Chakra to power the ward stone.
For nearly three months Harry poured through hundreds of Magical texts trying to find a solution to his problem, but sadly the Magical world was so content with what they had, they rarely tried to make any innovations. From the time of Merlin all the way to his own death, the Magical world only made three improvements to the creation of ward stones and none of them were an answer to his Chakra problem.
It was at this point that Harry turned to his parents for help, and his brilliant mother was quick to make a suggestion. Thanks to Death the quartet had access to all forms of Magical knowledge, which meant they weren't limited to just the human species. Because of Lily's suggestion, the group focused their attention on Magic wielded by the other sentient races and it wasn't long before Harry found the answer to his problem in Goblin Magic.
Goblins as a race were naturally resistant to most types of Magic, but in turn their inherent Magical cores were significantly smaller than the average Witch or Wizard. As a result of this discrepancy in power levels, the majority of Magic they practiced was blood based or ritualistic in nature.
During the time of the Founders, when Gringotts was first created, the land the Ministry allotted to the Goblin Nation, conveniently lacked a ley line for the bank to tap into. Since only a handful of Goblins had a core capable of matching the average Wizard, a normal ward stone would require dozens of Goblins constantly powering the stone for it to work properly.
Due to the constant risk of war with the Ministry, the Goblin King at the time realized he couldn't waste his strongest warriors on such menial a task, and so he ordered his people to begin researching alternative methods for supplying the needed power. Thankfully the treaty with the humans made Gringotts sovereign territory, and they didn't need to abide by the same rules the Wizengamot made in regards to Witches and Wizards.
Through the use of Blood Magic the Nation created their own version of a ward stone, which they called a blood stone. It worked by absorbing the ambient Magical energy released by Witches and Wizards whenever they cast a spell, which was then filtered by the Goblin blood on the stone and converted into Goblin Magic. Since the number of shops that opened around the bank meant there was a constant presence of wanded Magic in the alley, the steady stream of Magic their blood stone absorbed, just made their wards stronger every year.
Even with the Goblin blood stone as their template, the answer to their Chakra problem wasn't resolved right away. Harry and his family still spent the rest of the year figuring out a way to make it work in the new world, but eventually they were able to replicate something similar for the ambient Chakra that Shinobi released after each Jutsu.
Based on their calculations, as long as Harry ended up living in one of the five hidden villages, not only would his blood stone have the power needed to protect his home, but since the absorbed Chakra was converted into Harry's Chakra, it could also be used to power his runic batteries.
The completion of this last project was a godsend for Harry. Even though his new body would lack the memories he has now, he was content knowing that his other self would have all the knowledge he would need to protect his future friends and loved ones.
Harry was pulled from his musings when he heard the footsteps approaching behind him. Turning around, he smiled at the sight of his parents and godfather. "I'm going to miss you guys," he said with a sad smile.
As she wrapped her arms around her son and pulled him into a tight embrace, Lily couldn't stop the tears that fell down her face. "Don't worry, sweetheart. I promise you we will see each other again."
"But I hope it won't be for a long time, son," James added, as he reached over his wife to grasp Harry's shoulder.
Sirius smiled at the sight of the happy family, and a part of him wished his godson had the chance to experience this in his own world. After everything Harry suffered through in his last life, the Marauder prayed his pup had a chance at true happiness in the next one.
When he saw Harry look towards him, Sirius smiled proudly at his godson and said, "Enjoy your second life, pup. I expect you to live, love and prank the hell out of the Elemental Nations. Show them what it means to be a Marauder."
Harry rolled his eyes at his godfather and replied, "You do realize I won't have my memories of this life, Padfoot."
"Hah," Sirius barked. "No matter where you are or what name you call yourself, you're still the son, godson and nephew of a Marauder. I have no doubt that will carry over to the new world."
Lily smiled at the light banter between her son and friend and then wiped away the tears falling down her face. As she saw Harry pick up his younger self and walk towards the light, she prayed that in this new life he would find the love and happiness that he deserved.
Suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around and she felt herself pulled into her husband's warm embrace. "Don't worry, Lily flower," James whispered into her ear. "He'll be fine. This time around our son will have the life he was meant to have."
When the door to his office opened, Sarutobi Hiruzen smiled at his unexpected guest.
At 5'10", Kaiba Nobu was a middle aged man with shoulder length grey hair that was tied in a ponytail. After a lifetime of working at the forge, his massive arms and shoulders made him look more like a Shinobi then a civilian. What was unknown to most people in the village was that Nobu was not only Sarutobi Hisako's youngest nephew, but also Hiruzen's favorite cousin growing up.
Despite being born into two separate lifestyles, Hiruzen always treated Nobu like a little brother. Initially he'd even tried to get the younger man to join him at the Shinobi Academy, but Nobu was adamant that he wasn't meant to be a Ninja. His life's dream was to become a great blacksmith like the ones found in the Land of Iron, and so Hiruzen supported his cousin wholeheartedly.
As the years passed the two cousins briefly drifted apart. While Hiruzen began his tutelage under Senju Tobirama, Nobu became an apprentice to a well known blacksmith in the Land of Iron. For nearly ten years the pair didn't speak beyond a handful of letters, but still they remained steadfast in their loyalty to one another.
When Nobu's apprenticeship was complete and he returned to Konoha, he spent every ryu he saved over the years to start his own business. Hiruzen was not only his first customer, but his status as a premier Shinobi also brought other ninja to the store. As word of mouth spread about Nobu's skills, his business picked up rapidly and within a year he was known as the premier blacksmith in the village.
Over the years the brotherly bond the two men shared only grew in strength. Despite having actual siblings of their own, the pair chose each other as the best man for their respective weddings.
Nobu's life was everything he could dream of, until tragedy struck in the death of his wife. Aiko was a Kunoichi from a civilian family, that became a well respected Iryo-Nin at the hospital. Their attraction for one another had not been a surprise for either of their Shinobi or civilian friends, and when they learned she was pregnant with their future son, the happy couple was thrilled beyond imagination.
Everything was going well for Nobu, right up until the moment Aiko was about to give birth to their child. During the delivery several complications arose that led to the death of both his wife and his unborn son. That day nearly broke the gentle blacksmith, but thanks to the love and support of Hiruzen and his wife, Nobu somehow found the will to move on.
Time managed to dull the majority of his pain, but Nobu was never the same again. Though still friendly and kind to those around him, the passion for life that once shone through his eyes was gone for good. The loss of his family had broken him to the point that he never looked to find love again.
"Come in, Nobu-kun," Hiruzen called out, as his hawk like gaze took in his cousin's disheveled clothes, as well as the small child held in his man's arms.
"Thank you for seeing me on such notice, Hokage-sama," Nobu replied with a full bow.
"How many times have I told you not to call me that in private," Hiruzen growled.
Nobu looked into the stern brown eyes of his cousin and smiled softly in answer. "I'm sorry, Ni-san. It's just hard for me to call you anything else in this office."
"Well try harder. I already have enough people bowing to me everyday and I don't need my little Ototo doing the same."
"Little?," Nobu asked with a snort. "I believe I'm a lot taller than you, Ni-san."
Despite the power Hiruzen wielded as the Hokage and the God of Shinobi, his height was always a sensitive topic for him. Thankfully only a rare few ever made the mistake to comment on it.
"Be that as it may, what can I do for you Nobu-kun? I assume it has something to do with the child in your arms."
All thoughts of banter disappeared from Nobu's face, as he looked down sadly at the sleeping child.
"It does, Ni-san," he replied with a slight grimace. "In light of the war going on right now, after I paid my respects at my Master's funeral, I joined a caravan that was heading towards the Fire Daimyo's palace from the Land of Iron. I figured it would be safer to travel with company and I'm glad I did since we were attacked by bandits the first night we entered into Fire country."
Hiruzen was instantly alert by the news. Even in these uncertain times bandit attacks weren't uncommon. But with the Third Shinobi War having recently begun, it was always best to be make sure the brigands weren't enemy Shinobi in disguise.
"The guards with the caravan did their job well, but the attackers still burned down several of the wagons in the rear of the group. Most of the people made it out okay, but the child's parents were one of the unlucky few who didn't survive."
The Sandaime sighed at the tale. From his time as a Shinobi he'd seen such atrocities being committed several times, and he was always disappointed with his inability to prevent the deaths of the innocent. Unfortunately, as much as he wished to help those who were traveling on the trade routes, with a war going on he couldn't afford to move troops from the country's borders.
That being said, the village was currently under Martial law and remained locked against any but Shinobi from entering or leaving Konoha freely. Hiruzen made an exception for his cousin to go to his former Master's funeral, but he was still wary of allowing anyone else into the village.
"I'm sorry for the child's loss, Nobu-kun, but why did you bring him here? You know Konoha is under Martial law right now."
"I couldn't leave him there, Ni-san. I owe my life to his father. The foolish man had his entire life ahead of him, but he still took an arrow that was meant for me."
"And what of the mother?," Hiruzen asked with an arched eyebrow.
"She died giving birth to the boy during the attack," Nobu answered with a touch of anger in his voice. "It should have been me that died that day, Ni-san. I've already lived my life. But those two...they were still young. They were just kids themselves. I had dinner with them every night that the caravan stopped and they were good people. Jemuzu was a fantastic chef and his wife Yuri was a seamstress. They saved up all of their money to open a small restaurant in the capital and they deserved to watch their son grow into a man."
Sarutobi sighed at the anger and frustration he could feel pouring off of his cousin. Survivor's guilt was something all Shinobi faced at some point in their life, but it wasn't an emotion that was easily dealt with. He could understand his cousin's need to protect the child, and in deference to the sacrifice the boy's father made for his favorite cousin, he would make sure the child was taken care of.
"I understand what you're feeling right now, Nobu-kun, and I promise the boy will be taken care of. I'll tell the orphanage..."
"NO," Nobu interrupted angrily. "I won't send the boy to an orphanage. I owe his father my life, Ni-san, and I'll do right by the boy. I will raise him myself."
"Are you sure, Nobu-kun?," Hiruzen asked in surprise. It was no secret to those that were close to the blacksmith, that after the death of his wife and son, he'd kept his distance from children.
As he stared into the hazel eyes of his cousin, Hiruzen could clearly see the man's determination. He knew he could force Nobu to give up the child, but he didn't have the heart to do so.
"Very well. I'll have the adoption paperwork brought up immediately."
The Hokage was surprised when he saw his cousin shake his head in response.
"I won't adopt him, Ni-san," Nobu explained. "His parents gave him a name, and I won't take that away from him. I'll raise the boy as my ward, and when he's old enough, I'll tell him what little I know about his parent."
Before either man could say anything else, the child in Nobu's arms woke up and began to cry. Hiruzen gasped softly as he stared at the greenest eyes he'd ever seen. .
Nobu smiled at his cousin and lifted the baby towards the Hokage. "Kuraku Hari, meet your Hokage-jiji."
Hiruzen snorted at the title, but he was pleased with it nonetheless. Having experience with raising three children already, the Hokage gently took Hari into his arms and held him securely against his chest.
"Welcome to Konoha, little one," Hiruzen called out in greeting.