A/N: Please note that this is AU. Mainly the Konoha twelve joining ANBU, Deidara did not get killed by Sasuke, Sasuke decided to return to Konoha after killing Itachi instead of joining Tobi and events after that like the forth ninja war did not happen.
It was raining in Konoha that dreary Tuesday afternoon. Not only was that unique in the often sunny village, but it wasn't just some small drizzle. It was a full out angry storm that was raging in the ninja village; with winds howling and thunder screaming it's rage.
It was almost ominous, prophesising the dark events that was happening in the Hokage's tower.
Tsunade, Fifth Hokage of Konoha, stared stonily at the nine elite ANBU ninjas before her. They were the ones, the ones she had specifically chosen for this mission.
The ones that would either save the whole of the ninja continents, or shatter everything in the world.
"Do you understand what your mission is?" She asked in a low tone, fixing her honey brown eyes on each and every one of the ninjas before her. There was a low murmuring of confirmation coming from the room, and only one of the men did not answer.
"Uzumaki." Tsunade stared hard at the blonde who was looking on the ground, not willing to meet the eyes of his leader "Uzumaki, look at me."
Cerulean blue eyes stared grimly at honey brown ones.
"Yes." He muttered lowly. "Yes, I understand."
"Uzumaki," The Hokage murmured in a softer tone, "I know you do not like this mission, but you know why this have to be carried out."
"Yes." He took a deep breath, "Yes, I know." And his face became much controlled. Tsunade marvelled at how much being an ANBU had changed the previously loud and annoying childish ninja into the strict captain that anyone could be proud of.
"Very well." She got onto her feet and strode towards her ninjas that were standing at attention, "Fox, Snake, Slug, Raven, Wolf, Dove, Panda, Hawk and Deer. Your mission officially begins tomorrow. Meet at the front gate at oh four hours sharp, tomorrow morning. There will be someone there to guide you outside of the ninja continents."
The resounding 'hai!' did nothing to make Tsunade feel better. It was almost disturbing to see the enthusiasm the ninjas had to the apocalypse of a task handed to them.
It was still dark in the village of Konoha and most of the citizens were still sleeping. The only ones still awake were the ninjas on night and morning duty, shinobies getting ready for their own missions and the people in the hospital.
"Uzumaki Naruto!" Haruno Sakura, one very annoyed citizen, let out a soft yell, aware of the early hours. "You're late!"
Uchiha Sasuke placed a hand on his female teammate's shoulder lightly. "A few years with this dobe and I thought you would have lowered your expectation on him ever being on time."
"Hey-" Naruto protested weakly as he joined his team mates who were waiting impatiently at the front gate, "I'm sorry, but if there's one thing I learnt from Kakashi-sensei is his sense of timing!"
"How troublesome," Nara Shikamaru reminded in the calm tone, "Calm down Naruto. Do you know what time it is?"
"Yeah, it's four." Naruto grumbled tiredly, "So let's get this party started."
"Indeed," A sleepy female voice called out, "Can we please start?"
"Who- are you?"
"My name is Yuetsumea Kira," A small female stepped from behind where Tenten was standing, "I'm your guide to outside the ninja continents. So, are you guys ready?"
There was a general murmur of confirmation.
"Okay okay," Kira murmured as she took out a bunch of seals from her pockets and started handing it out to the group. "Please paste it around your wrist please, and no matter what you do please do not remove them. It'll allow you to understand the language your target reads and write, and will keep you outside of our world. Anytime to this seal is broken you'll instantly be teleported back here."
There was some scuffling as the teens passed the seals around, shifting restlessly at being awoken at such an early hour. Kira rubbed her eyes wearily, seeing how she was still a kid and a genin with a wonky body clock, but seeing how her seniors were all ready she pressed her hands together.
"Okay, this might feel a little strange but if all goes according to plan you should be arriving at Club Kunoichi." Before anyone could ask what sort of place it was Kira ploughed on.
"The club is kind of like the bridge between our world and whatever else there is. It's kind of like our base of operation on the outside. When you reach, please ask for Kiys Zaru. She's the owner and the bartender, and she will give you your next batch of instructions."
There were some grunts and nods, and Kira nod. "Okay, here goes. Ninja Arts: Hyperspace Base release!"
Instantly everything seemed to melt away. Konoha, Kira, even the dark morning sky blended into a mess of coloured blur as a strange howling rose around the group of eight. There was some screaming coming from the strange mix of background whirling around them like as though they were in the middle of one of Naruto's famous Rasengan while there was an uncomfortable sensation of being squeezed. From the howling wind there were some strange snatches of conversations, as though someone was fiddling with a badly tuned radio and only brief parts could be heard.
A burst of bright green light, and a burning orange glow.
"CHANGE, CHANGE BACK! GIV-"
Red and golden turned to a pleasant pink.
"Mistress! You-"
Dark blue, a streak of purple.
"-scream you failed me for the last ti-"
Slowly, gradually, the howling died down while the surrounding seemed to settle. The very last thing that could be seen though, was a rather ominous sight.
A flash of black and red, and a scream of triumph, "I win!"
"That was one of the most awful sensation ever!" Inuzuka Kiba broke out of the circle as he staggered away, drawing in a deep breath while Akamaru wuffed sympathetically.
"I- I feel sick," Yamanaka Ino groaned as she tried to stabilise herself, Hyuuga Hinata and Sakura was instantly beside her patting her back.
The club was almost like a mix of a café cum teahouse, with its wooden tables, seats and big windows that filtered in bright sunlight and gave the place a rather cherry feeling. There was a bar on the right side of the Club, with a stairs leading upwards on either side of the huge room.
"Hello," A soft female voice called out as the heads of the Konoha ninjas snapped towards the bar, where there were two women on the either side of the counter. One of them, on the tending side of the counter, was a mid twenty years old woman with shocking green hair tied into a high ponytail who was using a cloth to wipe a glass cup. "Welcome to Club Kunoichi. You must be the team from Konoha, yes?"
"That's right," Naruto said as he moved out of the group to approach the woman, "My name is Fox, I'm-"
"Please Uzumaki-san," The green haired woman smiled gently as she stared at the blonde with her bright blue eyes, "There's no need to use codenames here. Even if I hadn't been briefed on your mission, I would still recognise you. The Namikazes are famous in my home."
She shifted slightly, and the headband that was tied to her right arm flashed briefly in the light.
It bore the mark of Iwa.
In a flash, kunais and swords were out as the killing intent spiked.
"Peace, please," A duller voice said lazily, and on the other side of the counter there was another woman of the same age with long navy hair swirling a cup with sake in it. "Do remember where we are."
"That's right guys," A much familiar voice called out, and some heads turned to look at the top of the stairs on the north side of the room. "Weapons away."
"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto called out brightly to the silver hair man, "So this is where you have been for the last few weeks!"
"That's right," The lazy jonin was leaning on the railing at the top of the stairs, looking down at his students. "Nice to see you guys again. Now listen to Yuetsumea-san."
"Kira, where?"
"Not Kira, me." The navy haired woman said, "I'm Yuetsumea Kyirax."
Her forehead protector gleamed with the symbol of Ame.
"But how are you related with Kira then?" This question came from the shy Hyuuga Hinata.
"She's my cousin. I was from Konoha. I quitted."
"You're a deserter." Hyuuga Neji said without much emotion, pale eyes fixed on the older woman.
"No really the main point now is it? Kakashi-san, would you like to explain the rules of the Club or would you like me to?"
"I'll do it. Alright guys," Kakashi straighten to fix his attention on his students, " Listen up, I'll say it once. Club Kuunoichi is not just our base of operation. It's also a safe house and it's every ninja who comes out here base too. So the very first rule, no inter-village rivalry. Even if you see the ninja who tried to kill you last week here, you don't try to kill him. Everyone who comes here abides to this rule no matter who they are, Kage or Akatsuki. Punishments for trying to attack are up to Kiys-san."
"Just how strong is Kiys-san to be able to punish the Akatsuki?"
"Not how strong I am, Yamanaka-san," Zaru said, still wiping the glass cup "But the Club is enforced with the strongest seals in our world. Every ninja that took up the title Kage is duty bound to give up their strongest seal to protect the Club. Generations and generations upon Kages. That's why this is called a safe house. My strength is limited to my club."
"So what's the next rule?" Tenten asked curiously but Kakashi shook his head. "Nothing else, that's the main one we all have to abide to. Now that you're all briefed, you guys should go to your room and prepare. We head to Hogwarts tomorrow."
"Girls on the left, boys on the right." Zaru said kindly as the ninjas began to trop towards the stairs Kakashi was standing at. "And…it's the other stairs."
Breakfast was a hurried affair the next morning. Everyone was shoving food into their mouth as quickly as they could even though Shikamaru could somehow still manage to make his hurried movement look slow and lazy. There was a general confusion around the group as men and women alike was rushing about searching for their mysteriously missing things in a frenzy that did not fit their rank while Zaru was chasing after them with a chop in hand.
"Guys!" Zaru was yelling in an undignified fashion as she chased Sasuke who was chasing Naruto who took his ninjaken, "This stamp will allow you to enter the Club through any doors. You just need to channel chakra through the stamp and knock on any door four times. So please STOP RUNNING AWAY!"
"Ah, kids." Kyirax said lazily swallowing her cup of sake as she watched Kiba rush back to his room with an ANBU hawk mask in his hand and yelling at Neji that their mask was swooped. "So carefree."
"You look almost as young as them." Kakashi said conversationally from where they were sitting at the bar.
"But we both know differently. War changes people, doesn't it sempai?" Her grey eyes were weary.
"Sensei did you see-never mind."
"They sure don't act like ANBU."
"INO-PIG THAT'S MINE!"
"No. They don't. Maybe that's what makes them special."
"Is everyone ready?" Kakashi addressed the group before him, black eye peering out of the hole of his old ANBU mask that Tsunade required he rack up specifically for this mission. He didn't wear the standard uniform though, seeing how he wasn't officially that rank.
Three in the afternoon and the nine ANBUs were already standing in front of a door of Club Kunoichi ready to go. Each of them wore the standard ANBU outfit with black and grey amour, metal arm guards and gloves, ninja sandals with spikes together with their standard ninjaken strapped to their back. They too wore their respective animal mask that goes with their code name.
"Hai." Fox's emotionless voice came from under the mask. "Ready sir."
"Very well captain." Kakashi turned to face a door, knocking on it four times before opening it. If any of the ninjas was shocked at what they saw they didn't show their shock.
"Welcome," Kakashi said slowly as he stepped through the door; from the wooden floor of the Club out to the sunny grounds of the school of magic. "To Hogwarts."
Harry Potter/Naruto belongs to respective owners.
Club Kunoichi and Zaru Kiys belongs to Never Ending Illusions
Reviews are much appreciated.