Summary: ANBU-in-training Uchiha Sasuke and his teacher, ANBU Commander 'Fox' are sent on a year-long mission to Hogwarts during Harry's fifth year. Loosely based on the book, but as I haven't read it for a few years, not a very close plot following. Some ideas may appear borrowed from the story "The ANBU and the Teacher" because I thought it was hilarious.
Warning: Language use and mild hints of shounen-ai. Don't let it scare you away, though, because it's not going anywhere...yet.
Disclaimer: I own neither Harry Potter nor Naruto. They belong to their respective author and manga-ka. Please don't sue me because I have no money anyway.
Chapter 1: A Little Background Info and the Beginning of the Mission
Uchiha Sasuke was sitting calmly on the side of his bed, contemplating his life. At the age of 9 he had graduated from the Academy and become a genin. He really had an amusing rivalry going with the 10-year-old, dead-last Uzumaki Naruto. It was actually kinda fun, but an Uchiha would never let anyone know. Then, 3 months after their graduation, Team Seven ran across Zabuza and Haku, rogue ninja and pupil. Kakashi-sensei had taken care of Zabuza, but Haku had virtually killed Sasuke. Then, the impossible occurred: Naruto managed to defeat Haku, a ninja carrying a powerful bloodline limit. Sasuke still had no idea what actually happened because he was unconscious, not to mention practically dead.
Six months later, at the chuunin exam, Orochimaru appeared. Sasuke had to admit he was fascinated by the legendary ninja's jutsu, so he decided to learn them for himself. He always
knew that Orochimaru was just after his sharingan bloodline limit, but that didn't stop him. He realized that he was valuable to the rogue Sannin, which meant he was not likely to be killed unless he really pissed the snake ninja off. Some of the jutsu Sasuke learned during his stay at Orochimaru's hideout were rather demeaning and disgusting, but he learned many others that more than made up for a little discomfort.
After three years, Orochimaru decided Sasuke's body was ready for him to inhabit. Sasuke, never an unobservant idiot, quickly realized it was time to leave. Accordingly, he left. Even Orochimaru couldn't find the young ninja genius when said genius didn't want to be found. After leaving the Hidden Village of Sound, Orochimaru's stronghold, Sasuke resumed his lifelong hunt for his brother, Uchiha Itachi.
A month later, Sasuke found Itachi, but was not strong enough to fully match his older brother. Defeated and wounded, Sasuke was left on the scorched ground, convinced that his life was going to end. However, he was saved by an unexpected figure: a Konoha shinobi. Plus, not only was the ninja from Konoha, he was also a member of the ANBU, the elite assassination squad of the village. All Sasuke could remember of the ninja was a white porcelain mask, decorated crudely to resemble a fox. Then he fainted.
After being carried back to Konohagakure, the Hidden Leaf Village, his wounds were tended while the ANBU guarded his room. For the weeks he spent recovering, there was an ANBU in attendance at every moment, but never the ninja with the fox mask. The GodaimeHokage, Tsunade, reviewed his case. Although he had abandoned his home village, fraternized with an SS-Class enemy, and almost killed Naruto when the blond kid tried to stop him, Tsunade said that the ANBU with the fox mask had vouched for his conduct.
This astonished Sasuke: why would an older ninja, who most certainly remembered the day Itachi slaughtered his entire clan, trust him? After all, Sasuke did do all the things he was accused of, and more besides. More a mystery was why the Hokage and council would be convinced by one man to allow such a renegade to live. However, they had made a decision, however grudgingly, and allowed him to remain in the village. There were precautions, of course, a kind of probation. However, as time passed, the restrictions eased.
And so it was, that Uchiha Sasuke, age 14 years old, last surviving member of his once-powerful clan (except his brother, who was never mentioned), regained enough of the villagers' trust to be allowed to apply for ANBU. He had already made it past the level of chuunin before returning, easily proving his capabilities in battle. Although the council was still wary of him, Tsunade convinced them to approve his promotion to jounin.
As he rose through the ranks, so did the Fox ANBU. Although he never caught sight of the ninja, he heard tales of the man. Apparently this ninja joined ANBU at the age of 13, which, although not unheard-of, was rather young. More surprisingly, however, was the speed at which he was promoted. After only a year, this certain ninja had not only achieved the rank of Captain, but had also become the supreme Commander of ANBU. Thus he was directly under the command of the Hokage and quite probably the second-strongest shinobi in the village.
As he contemplated these thoughts, Sasuke prepared himself mentally for the ANBU training he was about to receive. According to all he had heard, the final step for a jounin to become an ANBU was emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausting. Only ANBU Captains could approve the creation of a new ANBU member by requesting the jounin as a member of their squad. And the Captains were notoriously difficult to impress enough to do so.
Suddenly realizing he would have to hurry or be late for his audience with the Hokage, Sasuke leapt out of his bed, dressed in his jounin equipment, and headed out the door. Along the way, he found he would still be late even if he ran at top speed. Sasuke sighed. He had completed the teleportation jutsu only a week ago and was still shaky at it. Although he could generally make it work right, he was still a little inaccurate when it came to where he reappeared. However, he had no choice because Tsunade-sama was not well-known for her patience. Forming a handseal, Sasuke released his chakra and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
As he reappeared in the Hokage's office, he let out the breath he had been holding. He had managed to teleport to the right place. That should actually work as a plus for him. Then, as he oriented himself more closely, he noticed that Tsunade's face was a mixture of shock and amusement. Glancing around to see what it was, Sasuke finally noticed the man lying under his feet. He quickly leapt off, deducing that he must have teleported directly onto the man's back.
Only after he stepped off did he notice that the man he had been so blithely using as a footstool was clad in ANBU gear and had the ANBU membership tattoo on his left shoulder. 'Oh shit!' thought Sasuke. 'I teleported right onto the person I was trying to impress! Well, there go my chances at ANBU. I guess I'll have to reapply next year and hope I get accepted by a different Captain…Shit!'
The man grumbled something that did not sound very complimentary and slowly stood up. He was facing away from Sasuke and his mask was not visible. With a shock, Sasuke realized that he was actually about 8 inches taller than the Captain. As the ANBU was not wearing a cloak, Sasuke could see that he was short, slender, and lithe. All ANBU had to be in excellent physical shape, but this body was perfectly formed as well. The way it moved was as graceful as
a hunting hawk. If Sasuke had had such a body a few years ago, Orochimaru wouldn't have waited to train him before taking over.
The man finally turned around. Sasuke just about fainted as he saw the mask: the Fox! He really thought he was dead. Not only had he knocked his potential Captain on his face and stood on his back (granted, it was an accident, but the ANBU didn't seem likely to know that or care), but the Captain turned out to be the Commander! 'Damn,' he thought. 'If he doesn't dismember me, I guess I should feel lucky. I'll be happy staying a jounin for the rest of my life as long as I get to keep all my limbs.'
Tsunade burst out laughing. "Haha, Fox! You should see yourself! Commander of all ANBU, ultimate assassin of the Hidden Leaf Village, knocked on your ass by a jounin!" She collapsed on her desk, cradling her head in her hands as she shook with laughter.
The ANBU was obviously not amused. He looked up at Sasuke and said scathingly, "Learn to land properly, or at least make sure you wind up on her next time." He gestured with his chin toward the hysterical Hokage.
Tsunade abruptly stopped laughing and glared at her second-in-command. "Now that would be a disaster. The Hokage-sama can't be seen to damage her reputation by being stood on."
Sasuke cleared his throat as the Fox started to say something about a Hokage with skewed responsibilities. His two arguing superiors cut off in mid-tirade and looked at him. "I beg your pardon, taichou-sama. I was not aware there was anyone else in the room."
The Fox just snorted and said, "You can just go ahead and admit that you haven't quite mastered the technique."
Sasuke squirmed a little. He hadn't thought his lack of control was so painfully obvious. Apparently it was. He studied the ninja in front of him. The Fox didn't seem too dangerous at first glance, but a closer examination proved that his lazy posture and attitude was just for show. Although this man appeared to take everything as it came, Sasuke could sense a sharp alertness behind the animal mask. The mask itself was different from what he remembered: it was still obviously a fox, but the visage was sharper, more detailed, more easily identified, and much scarier. The fox looked like it was laughing carelessly at everything. That was way creepier than a snarl ever could be. The hair above the mask was a bright yellow reaching down to the shoulders. It was well-tended, but unruly, trying to stick out in all directions. Sasuke also caught a glimpse of blue eyes. All in all, the ANBU Commander struck Sasuke as a dangerous man: one that was easily underestimated.
Said Commander suddenly turned to Tsunade and said, "Hey, baa-chan, isn't it time we enlightened our new pupil? He probably should be informed about the mission."
Sasuke was even more confused than ever. First, the ANBU Commander seemed to have very little respect for the Hokage, then he called Sasuke 'our new pupil' which would seem to imply he was in training for something, and then he went and mentioned a mission. Sasuke had no idea what was happening anymore.
Tsunade yelled, "Don't call me 'baa-chan'!" Apparently this wasn't the first time he had called her that. "I was getting around to it!" She turned to Sasuke and continued in more reasonable tones. "I have received a mission request that requires the services of the Fox. As it is not a particularly dangerous assignment, we thought it would be a good chance to let you gain a little pre-ANBU experience. In addition, Fox has expressed his concern at leaving you alone in
Konoha for an entire year. You may not be aware, but he has played a large role in convincing the council that you are no longer dangerous."
Sasuke thought for a moment. Apparently he was going to be accepted into ANBU despite the minor fiasco just a moment ago. He had already guessed that the Fox had continued to speak for his character even though he had no idea why. He agreed that a year without such support could quite possibly be enough to change the council's mind about an execution. However, why was the mission to last an entire year? And, more importantly, why was a 'not particularly dangerous' mission so vitally important as to require the ANBU Commander?
Sensing his thoughts, Tsunade nodded. "Yes, the mission may not be dangerous, but it so happens that only the Fox has the power to complete or even begin it." Sasuke was even more confused. "You will see what I mean soon enough," Tsunade continued. "For now, return to your home and prepare for the mission."
Sasuke bowed, and exited the room. He headed down the stairs mechanically, considering all that had happened. He had been accepted into ANBU by the Commander without a test of any sort. The Commander had been his invisible friend in the council since he had returned, and Sasuke still had no idea why. They were both to go on a not particularly dangerous mission that couldn't be completed by anyone except the Fox. Strange. All of it was very strange. Sasuke just shook his head and left to pack.
After packing his weapons, clothing, and other miscellaneous belongings, Sasuke suddenly realized he had no idea what he was supposed to do next. He assumed he was supposed to wait for more instructions, so he sat down and waited. A few minutes later, he heard a slight tapping
at the window. He got up and opened it. A messenger hawk flew in, dropped a slip of paper at his feet and left. The message was short: 'Report to my office immediately.'
Five minutes later, Sasuke was in Tsunade's office. He had decided to skip the teleportation this time, considering the circumstances. Fox was already waiting, with his own belongings in a small sack. 'Hmm,' though Sasuke. 'Not much to be taking for an entire year. I'd guess you could only fit about three changes of clothes in there.' However, he was shortly astonished when the Fox reached into his bag and pulled out an entire set of ANBU gear, identical to what he himself was wearing: Black clothing specially treated against fire, comfortable and practical; leg and arm guards of a dull, non-reflective metal; ninja gloves that protected the back of the hand with a metal plate but maximized finger movement; a hooded cloak for cold nights; the bone-white body armor that was as effective as it was light; black ninja sandals designed for heavy wear; black belt and leg pouches for kunai and shuriken; a sheathed ninjatou that would not reflect light on a stealth operation; and finally, the symbol of the ANBU: a blank white porcelain mask.
Fox nodded at the mask and said, "You are allowed to choose the design as long as it is not already taken."
Sasuke scooped up the gear and quickly put it all on except the mask. He stowed his jounin gear in his pack. Although he was still unused to his new clothing, it would create a better impression on the employer to be in uniform. As he adjusted his leg pouch, Tsunade walked over to her desk and picked up a heavy parchment envelope. She turned and handed it to Sasuke, saying, "Use your sharingan to memorize the details in this letter. Then you will leave."
Sasuke activated his sharingan and started to read. He almost leapt out of his skin as he finished reading because the words suddenly changed and the briefing continued. As he read,
Sasuke skimmed over the material to get the gist, allowing his sharingan to store the details away for future reference. Apparently the mission was to guard a school of magic for a year. In addition, one student in particular needed special protection. Sasuke read something about a prophecy, and a Dark Lord, and quit paying attention. He had enough information: his sharingan would do the rest.
Finishing the final sentence, he felt awed at the letter. Not only did it change itself to keep short while holding so much information, but it also contained a detailed summary of the situation and all the major characters involved. Most mission requests just gave a general outline and left the shinobi to deal with the rest. This client named 'Albus Dumbledore' had thought of everything. For instance, he had learned that the bag the ANBU Commander was carrying was actually enchanted to be larger inside than out. Useful stuff.
After finishing the letter, he turned to Tsunade and asked for the translation charm that had been mentioned. She gave him what looked like a pill and told him to eat it. It was hard, yellow, and tasted of lemons. He just about broke his teeth when he tried to chew it! He swallowed it quickly and turned to his Commander.
Fox nodded his head, and then turned toward the middle of the room. Sasuke realized Fox must have been busy while he was reading the letter because the floor was covered in writing. 'A seal,' he realized. 'But why? What is its purpose?" He turned to Fox with a quizzical look and was rewarded with what he could have sworn was a grin under the mask.
Tsunade explained. "As you have read, Dumbledore's school is not in one of the Five Great Countries nor any of the minor nations surrounding them. In fact, I believe that it is in a dimension slightly removed from this one. This is why Fox is required for the mission: only he has the ability to get to this other dimension. I understand it was almost impossible for
Dumbledore to send the message, sack and translation charms, much less transport a shinobi with full gear. The seal on the floor is to prevent excess chakra from destroying my office. That's my exclusive privilege. If you are ready, please step inside so I can activate it."
Sasuke and the Fox stepped into the ring and watched as Tsunade infused the circle with her chakra. Sasuke personally felt that such measures were unnecessary. After all, wouldn't all the chakra Fox produced be channeled into the teleportation? His thoughts were cut off as he felt the Fox's chakra for the first time. 'He must have been shielding it!' he realized. His eyes widened at the sheer amount produced. Suddenly, he understood the Hokage's caution: this much chakra could destroy the entire building if it went out of control.
Sasuke felt Fox's chakra increase as it passed the amount required to summon Manda, the snake boss. The air started to take on a visible bluish color as it became saturated with pure chakra. Then, suddenly, the color changed to a red-orange and Sasuke felt the amount of chakra suddenly spike to double the previous level. Alarmed, Sasuke glanced at his companion. He was startled when he saw slitted eyes the color of the chakra glinting in the depths of the mask. Then Fox clapped him on the shoulder, formed a handseal, and teleported them both. Everything went black.
Author's Notes: For those who have already guessed who Fox is, Kudos to you. It's not like it isn't terribly obvious, eh? Sasuke's just a little tad slow to piece the clues together because he's always been such a self-centered idiot.