Title: Harry Potter and the Kyuubi no Youko

Chapter: 1

Fandom: Harry Potter/Naruto, crossover

Summary: Lily Evans had a brother. But no one knew, not even James, not even after she took in her brother's son and pretended he was her son. So when Harry discovers some rather odd abilities not even wizards had, he's understandably confused.

Pairings: Undecided.

Rating: R. Some details on childbirth in this chapter.

Genre: General

Disclaimer: I own neither.

Notes: Inspired by "Mordred's Lullaby" by Heather Dale. Then it veered out of control. (And yes, you are not supposed to know everything that is actually happening. There are ninjas. They're supposed to lie and hide.)

Recommended Music: "Mordred's Lullaby" by Heather Dale.

EDIT: I got two reviews that commented on how old Harry is at this point. When I went back, I realized that he WOULD be a bit too old in this chapter. So I have changed what I think is everything that hints to him being older than a newborn. I'm sorry for any confusion. If there's an inconsistency with what should now be Harry newborn-status, feel free to point it out in a review.

oOo

There is no justice in this world, was the thought that streamed through Lily Potter's mind, dancing and taunting her.

She had thought she knew injustice... as she watched the crimes against humanity committed by Death Eaters, the loyal followers of the insane Dark Lord Voldemort, the intricate and delicate art on the floors made of blood of the dead. When she went to visit her friend on her day off only to find a broken, nude corpse of the friend, dignity and virtue taken forcibly from her. When she came home to tell her parents of how she would marry James Potter, he proposed, she was engaged, wasn't that wonderful? but instead saw a black cloak slip from her view, the glowing green Dark Mark and her parents, dead.

Lily was wrong. That was only one step of injustice. Not the worst, either.

James Potter was a miracle in her eyes. Without him, Lily never would have gotten over her parents' deaths, or her sister's harsh words and blame. Without him, she would have been alone at night, to face her nightmares and fears. Without him, no one would hear to her whispers when she talks to photographs of dead people and understand how much each person meant to her.

Without him, no one would keep her steady on the world.

Lily married him nine months ago, and already he knew nearly all there was to know about her.

Nearly.

There was one secret she has yet to say, but say it she never will. Such a secret Lily preferred to take to her grave, to bury in memories. She almost succeeded, until the final injustice.

When James' seed had created life within her, Lily had been ecstatic. The world was less dangerous and colors brighter. Feeling James' baby kick in her womb gave her a sense of elation she hadn't thought possible. She picked the colors of their baby's room, his name, talked excitedly to Alice Longbottom, who was also pregnant; all Lily spoke of for months was their baby. James, Sirius, Remus and Peter all listened, even if they tired of it.

Lily felt so lucky then. She had a wonderful husband, and a baby on the way.

But then there was a complication.

Lily was alone, resting. She fell asleep, and woke by the pain of contractions.

Lily assessed her situation. She was alone, with no method of transportation (she had told James they needed a car, but they had never gotten around to it) as Floo powder would be too dangerous for the baby, and she might go off-course if a particularly painful contraction struck. Apparation was no better. Many horror stories Lily had heard from older witches who had had complications due to Apparating in the last trimester of their pregnancy.

So Lily prepared herself. On the floor of her kitchen, she set up towels and rags she wouldn't mind vanishing afterwards, put cleaning clothes and necessary medical tools to the side for taking care of the baby after it had arrived.

James wasn't due back for hours, Lily knew. He was working with Dumbledore; they had thought it would be fine for Lily to be alone, since the baby was predicted to arrive in two weeks.

Lily did for herself what she had done to too many girls, muggle and magical, unfortunate enough to have been raped by pureblooded bigots. She cleaned herself out to avoid unnecessary mess during the birth, and kept herself walking to have gravity helped the baby down for as long as she could.

The baby came just a few hours later. Lily felt pleased as the pain began to fade; but then horror set in.

"Why isn't my baby crying?" she whispered in the silence but she already knew, already felt the misery settling in her heart. The baby's umbilical cord had wrapped around his neck, strangling him.

The world twisted as she mechanically cut the umbilical cord, the bright red of her blood mingling with the Gryffindor colors of the bedroom James had insisted on, until it was all one, and nothing matter other than the still body of her baby boy.

"What a shame..." A voice, smooth as silk and calculating as a stalking cat washed over her.

She knew that voice.

It wasn't one she ever wanted to hear again.

She turned her head slowly, feeling so stiff she was certain her neck would creak as it moved. She saw him, dressed in his uniform, the headband gleaming, even in the dim room. The shadows embraced him, hiding his features from view, strengthening the vampiric appearance he naturally had.

Futilely, Lily hugged her baby's corpse closer to her. She dimly realized that a better idea would have been to cover her half naked body.

But if he tore through her baby's body, it would hurt her more than any humiliation ever could. They both knew that.

A low, mocking chuckle floated through the room and sent chills down Lily's spine. "Don't worry, sister of my friend, I'm not here to harm you.

"You see," he continued, "my friend made a mistake a few months ago, and has to leave that mistake behind. Unfortunately, such a mistake doesn't disappear very easily, nor does many find it within their morals to rid themselves of." He sighed, the very action a mockery of human emotion. "I volunteered to aid him... but you see, I need your agreement to do so." His eyes, which she tilted her head down to his feet to avoid contact with, slyly moved to her face, awaiting the response.

Lily's tongue felt as though it would crack and bleed at any moment, but she forced herself to talk. "What sort of mistake?" Her voiced was raspy, her words broken. Lily knew her normally pale complexion had whitened to an unhealthy state during the man's explanation.

The man languidly stepped from the shadows, revealing what had been hidden before. In his arms was a small bundle wrapped in blankets. Although Lily's instinct was telling her exactly what was in those wrappings, she still asked, "What is that-?" But it died on her tongue when one of the blankets shifted and a small face was revealed.

While her dead baby had hints her red hair, even if a darker, muted shade of red, he looked very much like his father. Lily had known he would have been handsome if he had lived. In the bundle was a mass of black hair, twisted every which way, somewhat feathery. Lily noted that he couldn't be that old; he didn't look too different from her baby.

In fact, he looked too similar than another baby should.

Lily squeezed the corpse tighter. "Is he...?"

"Yes," the man cloaked in shadows muttered. "He is your brother's son."

"Get him out of here!" Lily rasped, throat closing. "I want nothing to do with them." Flashes of Petunia yelling at her, hating Lily for her magic rose to her mind. "I will not have the that traitor of a brother in my life," she hissed.

"Lily, please. Listen to me. This child needs parents to take care of him. Your brother cannot, and I cannot. My granddaughter cannot."

Tension lessened slightly in Lily's shoulders with the sincere plead. "Your granddaughter... you mean...?"

"Yes. She is this boy's mother." The note of displeasure carried in the room and set like a heavy comforter.

"I always forget you're so much older than us." Hoping she wouldn't offend him, she continued. "You look to be our age."

"I'm flattered," he drawled, "but your husband is almost home. Will you raise the child?"

Could she? Could she stand to raise her brother's child in place of her own? Could she forgive her brother for his crimes? To see both him and his son as her family?

No. She could not.

"Please," was whispered.

Lily felt herself speak, giving in. She took the child and held him instead of the limp body of her son. Her son was gently lifted out of her arms, and even though she longed to keep her baby, a part of her spoke and told her it would be a fruitless act; if she was to pass off her brother's child as her own, a small voice in her mind murmured, she must be rid of all the evidence.

Hate burned in her chest at the voice, her brother's voice teaching her lessons to survive in the war, to make sure she didn't get herself killed because she didn't know how to appear innocent.

She would never admit his lessons saved her life more than once. She would never acknowledge such a thing.

But still, Lily acquiesced, and held the baby as she had her own just a few moments ago.

"Thank you, Lily. Sayonara." He and her baby vanished in a fraction of a second, leaving her alone with black hair and green eyes.

"...Good bye, Madara." May I never see you again.

It was startling to see her own eyes on a small face so unlike her own. Would my own child have had those eyes? Lily should have checked before Madara took him, to know- it didn't matter. She had her brother's son to raise as her own.

And that she would. She would love him, care for him, feed him, clothe him, educate him and be his mother.

A whisper of the blankets against the cover of her and James' love seat as she set him down. Lily took out her wand to clean herself up, and to vanish the dirty clothes.

Mid-way through this, the boy began to wail. Lily continued with her cleaning, her soreness gone with a couple of potions from her bathroom shelf.

When she finished, she lifted the boy, shifted off her shirt, and let him feed. "You'll be a good boy, won't you?" She cooed, once he fell asleep. Kissing his brow, she whispered, "You'll love me, the woman who raised you instead of your traitor of a father. You'll love me."

A small hand reached up in his sleep and brushed her cheek. Smiling, Lily kissed the boy, and with a wave of her wand and a muttered spell, she finally left the room. "Yes... he'll be a wonderful son."

"LILY, I'M HOOOME!" Said woman stopped, for her husband rushed into the room, casual until noticing her lack of a swollen belly.

Then his frantic eyes searched her, to assure himself of her well being. He eyed her and fretted over her, asking "Are you okay?", "Where's the baby?", "Is it alright?", and "Are you alright!?"

"Sweetie," she kissed him, "I'm fine. The baby is upstairs sleeping. It's a boy," she said, smiling. "He's a beautiful boy."

James' face filled with shock, and then relief. He beamed. "Let's go see him!" And he raced to the room. Lily followed, amused. Inside the room, James was glowing down at his son, who now looked like a tiny James, and her husband had pride in every line of his face.

"What's his name?" James asked. He had left the decision to her, as he didn't really have a preference, and Lily didn't trust him after finding out the nicknames the Marauders made for themselves.

Lily was quiet for a little while and said, "Harry."

"Hairy?" James blinked, and curiously looked at Lily. "Oh... Harry... you want to name our son Harry?"

"Yes," Lily said. "I've always liked that name." No, she hadn't. But she didn't like her brother's son, so it fit.

"Oh... all right. Anything works for me." Suddenly James' eyes glossed over and he yelled, "Lily! Bloody hell, you should be at St. Mungo's! You just gave birth on your own- blimey, I'm a horrible husband- Let's go!"

Lily carried her brother's- no, her son to the door where James was ready to fly them all the way to St. Mungo's.

Little Harry rested peacefully, sucking his thumb, an act so innocent, Lily thought for a moment Madara had made a mistake and this wasn't her brother's son after all. But the thought passed when she remembered the boy's features before she charmed him to be in James' image; refined, aristocratic, much like Madara, with her eyes, but his hair was black and feathery, most likely from Lily's father, who had had soft red hair. He was definitely related to her and Madara, even if her brother showed through very little.

Now, Lily thought as she settled in front of James on his broomstick, I will have revenge.

But Lily was wrong. She never got her revenge.

She died protecting Harry a little more than a year later.

There was no justice.

oOo

End Chapter

Note: I'd like feedback and responses. And I repeat, there will be explanations, but those come gradually.