Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or Harry Potter.
Ghhghh – talking mentally
Fndfjf – kyuubi talking mentally
Chapter 2
Naruto stared out at Konoha from his window. It had been two weeks since he had met Harry and he was beginning to doubt wether he was real or not since he hadn't seen him since. His body had healed the damage down by the villagers before he had even woken up in the alley and run home. He had hoped that once he started at the Academy things would get better but they hadn't. No one wanted to be his friend and the teachers wouldn't help him at all. He sniffled slightly and rested his head against the glass. His only friend was the old man but he was always busy. Naruto stood up and crawled into bed, praying that he hadn't imagined Harry and that he really did want to help him even as he drifted off to sleep.
"Was wandering when you were going to come back little one." Naruto looked around in surprise to find himself back in Harry's room. He threw himself at Harry, who caught him and hugged him back,
"Hey, what's wrong?"
"I thought you weren't real." Naruto answered softly.
"I'm real kiddo. Have you been okay?" Harry set him down on the bed, sitting next to him. Naruto shrugged and looked down, blinking in surprise as Harry gently lifted his chin with a finger.
"What happened little one?"
"Why do you call me that?" He asked curiously.
"Because you are little, at least compared to me and well you're my little brother right? You're also the closest I'll ever get to having a kid of my own." Harry smiled sadly.
"Did you want kids?"
"Yeah. I was engaged to a wonderful girl by the name of Hermione. We planned to marry and have a big family once the war was finished but…she would have adored you." Harry shrugged.
"And don't change the subject kid. What happened?"
"I thought it would be different at the Academy but none of the kids will play with me and the teachers are all mean." Harry hugged him and told him about his own time at primary school with his bully of a cousin.
"But you've got something I didn't have." Harry finished.
"What?"
"A twenty year old wizard living in your mind. So school is now in session." Naruto groaned and Harry laughed.
Naruto snuck into the building, being very careful not to set off any alarms or anything.
'Good, now look for the history section. Frankly your knowledge of the past sucks little one.' Harry commented from where he was sprawled on his couch.
'Nii-san!' Naruto wailed mentally, causing the wizard to cover his ears.
'Cut the volume would you! Watch it! Step back slightly. That's it, now move to the left.' Naruto followed Harry's instructions carefully and made it to the correct section of the library without any further problems. It had been three months since he had met Harry and one since they had figured out how to let the wizard piggyback on Naruto's senses so that he could observe the outside world. After that his lessons had intensified since he could observe the Academy curriculum and see the world that Naruto would have to survive. Hence the late night trip to the library to 'borrow' some history books and scrolls. Since Harry had discovered that he could detect traps and alarms while looking through Naruto's senses it had gotten a lot easier to sneak around. He never told Naruto off for sleeping through class either since he listened to the lectures and then explained them in simpler terms to Naruto later that night. Naruto had been annoyed that Harry wanted him to act the role of 'dead last' even though he was learning until Harry had explained his reasoning. If everyone thought of him as an idiot then no one would suspect him for the break-ins or anything odd that happened and he had allowed Naruto to continue on his career as a prankster, even going so far as to give helpful tips. Naruto's favourite stories from Harry's memories involved the Marauders, new and old.
'Naruto wake up! Something's wrong!' The boy instantly obeyed, opening his eyes to see his apartment. He could feel Harry observing the world through his senses as he stretched them out to get a feel for the village. His nii-san was right something was very wrong but what and where? He focused as hard as he could, feeling Harry giving him a helping hand. The eight year olds eyes suddenly darted to stare in the direction of one of the clan compounds.
"The Uchiha district." He gasped and flew out of bed.
'Clothes!' Harry yelled. Naruto quickly threw his clothes on and dashed from the apartment. The dark cloth allowed him to blend in as he ran from shadow to shadow, staying out of sight as best he could. It would surprise everyone to know that he absolutely hated the orange jumpsuit he wore but it was part of his disguise. Harry had had a few very interesting comments to make about the thing the first time he had seen it through Naruto's eyes but had insisted he keep wearing it. Hidden inside his wardrobe was a secret stash of far more practical clothing for a shinobi, clothing that Harry had taught him how to make. It had taken a lot of time and practise but he had finally managed to alter the cloth and make the changes stick.
'We need to alert the Hokage or ANBU that there is a problem, whatever it is is too much for you to handle.'
'How? No one will listen to me!'
'Calm down. Here's what you need to do.' Harry swiftly outlined his plan and Naruto went to work.
'It's my fault. They didn't get there in time and now Sasuke is all alone.' Naruto collapsed onto his bed, tears gathering. Sensing his distress Harry reached out and coaxed him to sleep and into his rooms. He wrapped his arms around the boy and rocked him gently.
"It isn't your fault little one, you did your best. You aren't ready to face someone like Itachi and you know it." Harry soothed.
"He killed them, his own family. Why?" Naruto sobbed into Harry's shirt. It was only here that Naruto would ever let himself cry. To the outside world he was forever happy and immune to their looks and comments. Only his nii-san was allowed to see otherwise, after all he had gone through something similar and they were technically the same person.
"Sometimes people do bad things for reasons that seem good to them but that no one else can understand or explain. Without getting into Itachi's head and taking a good look around we will never know his true reasoning."
"Could we?" Naruto asked and Harry thought about it.
"Maybe, but it will take a lot of training. Your shields are very good, especially considering your age but you're not ready for legilimency training yet."
"What about Sasuke?" Harry sighed at Naruto's question. The boy could go one of two ways, he could be like Harry although that was doubtful since he was so much older when his family was murdered plus he knew the murderer. The more likely outcome was the boy becoming consumed by thoughts of vengeance, especially in a society were children were trained to kill.
"Don't treat him any differently but let him know he isn't alone. The last thing he will want or need is pity. He may push you away but don't let that get to you. No training tonight little one. Just sleep." He held Naruto until he was asleep and then settled him into his own bed, once again sitting beside it to watch over the boy. In a way he was glad for the mess up all those years ago, he wouldn't trade his time with Naruto for anything. The boy was eager to learn and a fast learner when things were explained thoroughly to him. He learnt best from practical lessons and seeing something done so Harry often manipulated things in his rooms to give historical re-enactments. His magical training had been slow at first but Naruto's body seemed to be absorbing and adjusting to higher and higher levels of magic. He was still nowhere near the level Harry had been at when he died but he was a lot further along than a pureblood eight year old would have been. So far he hadn't shown any of Harry's magical 'gifts' but there was no guarantee they would have been passed on. Poor Naruto had spent several hours staring at a snake trying to talk to it but to no avail. There was a chance that if Naruto ever underwent magical puberty that some would show up but there was no way to know before hand. All he could do for now was continue training him the best he could.
'Why can't I manage bunshin Nii-san? It's not fair, everyone else managed to graduate.' Naruto sat on the swing and watched as his classmates were congratulated by their families. He heard Harry sigh mentally and then the sensation of warm arms wrapping around him. They had learnt a year ago that if Harry concentrated Naruto could feel his touch without having to go to Harry's rooms.
'I don't know for sure little one but it has to do with your chakra control. You just don't have the necessary control; you keep overloading them causing them to look pretty dead. You need more time for the control exercise to truly make a difference and we found them too late to help with these exams. I'm sorry.'
'Not your fault Nii-san.' Naruto withdrew from the conversation as he noticed Mizuki-sensei approaching. Curious he waited for the man to join him.
'What's he going on about? Another way too pass, yeah right!' Naruto exclaimed sarcastically, earning a warm chuckle from Harry.
'Go along with him for now. I want to see what he's up to. Whatever it is I doubt it is good and we can stop him.' Naruto nodded mentally and listened closer to his teacher.
'Kage Bunshin?' Naruto stared at the scroll in disappointment.
'Actually that might be exactly what you need since it uses a tonne of chakra. Open the scroll further, I'll read the rest while you try the bunshin.' Naruto opened the scroll and ignored the weird feeling of Harry using his eyes to read while he practised the jutsu. They continued that way until Harry finished memorising the rest of the scroll.
'Okay, give it a try.' Naruto concentrated and then let out a whoop of joy as the clones materialised.
'At least you have sparring partners now since these things are solid enough to take a hit. Keep practising, you need to appear tired out when the idiot teacher gets here.' Naruto snickered at Harry's description of the silver haired teacher. But it wasn't Mizuki who found him.
'Oops.' Naruto commented mentally.
'Play dumb!' Harry yelled. This was the one thing they argued on. Naruto loved Iruka like another older brother or even father figure and hated lying to him, arguing that Iruka wouldn't tell and would accept him since he was nice even though Naruto had learnt the Kyuubi was responsible for the death of the older mans parents. Naruto had known about the fox ever since Harry had explained it to him when he was nine and had shown him the heavily reinforced cage. Harry disagreed and said that Iruka would believe Harry to be Kyuubi trying to manipulate Naruto and would therefore tell the Hokage.
"Naruto!"
"Hey Iruka-sensei! Do I pass now?" He grinned up at the now dumbfounded teacher.
"What?"
"Mizuki sensei said if I learned a technique from the scroll you would pass me!"
"Mizuki?"
'Naruto snap out of it!" Harry yelled but the boy ignored him, tears falling silently as the two men talked. He hid his head as he listened to Iruka say he was the demon and that he would betray them. But then…his head snapped up as Iruka acknowledged him, admitted that he wasn't the demon. His eyes narrowed angrily and he moved to intercept Mizuki.
'Kick his arse kid.' Harry cheered.
Iruka watched in shock as Naruto easily defeated Mizuki and saved his life. He smiled at the boy, knowing that what he had said was true. He was Uzumaki Naruto, not the Kyuubi.
"Come here Naruto." He beckoned the boy over and had him close his eyes before tying his own hitae-ate around his head.
"Congratulations, you pass." He gasped as his wounded back hit the tree but hugged Naruto back.
'Congratulations little one.' Naruto smiled as both his sensei and his nii-san hugged him. He had managed to save Iruka-sensei without revealing anything that Harry had taught him so he was happy. Plus he had pulled off an excellent act when the traitor told him about the fox.
'Yeah, remind me to give you an Oscar.' Harry joked.
'Nii-san!' Naruto grumbled at Harry's sense of humour as he followed Iruka towards Ichiraku's, already envisioning how many bowls he was going to eat and ignoring Harry's groans of dismay.
TBC…
Doubt I got the words correct for the scenes with those three at the end but it is close to what was said, I think.
