Firstly: this is a vastly different version of the first chapter. I've taken the criticism of the whole "the three hundred year old harry is a weak idiot" criticisms to heart. this is re worked version of the first chapter. frankly, I'm a little undecided if this version is preferable or not.

Secondly: I still have the original version, which can be resurrected, but i supposed that depend on which version is preferable. i think i'll sleep on it.

Chapter One: Capture and Interrogation

According to the information that Shin had told him, Konoha was the single powerful Shinobi, hm. Still can't get used to that word, village in the elemental countries, coming out on top as it did after the third great Shinobi war. Despite the current peace, Konoha had not forgotten past lessons and had adopted the approach of "write laws for peace but arm for war." As a consequence, it had the most numerous and well trained Shinobi's of all the hidden villages.

However, Harry was not impressed.

For one, despite all its touted reputation as the premier Shinobi village in the land, Konoha was almost absurdly easy to get into. An effortless notice me not charm and Harry had simply just walked through the main gates, past the guards who could not see him and through the crowds that unknowingly parted for his passage. To be fair, it wasn't their fault that they didn't know magic.

Once inside the village, Harry looked around him the mild surprise. While the word Shin had used was village, Konoha was anything but a village. Almost as large of a small city, it was a curious mix of early 20th century technology coexisting comfortably with what could not have dated early renaissance, if even that. Electricity poles stood alongside stone paved roads as people in sandals wooden carts rolled along them. Televisions sat on the counters of shops that were thatched with yellow straw. In the distance, Harry could make out a radio antennae.

Harry spent maybe an hour just wandering the streets, taking in the sights and sounds. It was one of the reasons that Harry enjoyed his job, if you can call it that, so much. It was always a distinct pleasure to see the different worlds and culture and compare notes on each to see all the missed forks in the road. The more Harry explored the city, the more aware he became of the distinct, almost Japanese influence upon this world. It was when the sun had reached its zenith that Harry finally turned his attention back to the task at hand.

Now, where is the Uchiha compound?

That gave Harry pause. It was a few seconds before harry realised that Shin had never actually told him where the Uchiha compound was. Of all the stupid –. The Death god had been a fount of information on the geopolitical situation of the elemental countries and a surprising amount of gossip. While Harry had to admit it was understandable, most Death Gods develop some kind of interest to while away the time, who was having affair with who was not exactly useful. Concerning actually relevant information such as the location of the Uchiha clan, Shin could produce nothing aside from a close to useless "it's somewhere in Konoha."

And that mean Harry had to ask someone.

Dammit.

The bar looked like every single other bar that Harry that ever been in over the centuries. Obviously not exactly, but the most important points were all there.

Counter. Stools. Bottles and bottles of liquor shelved behind the bar. Television in the corner. Rowdy drunk.

Check, check, check, check and check. The bar was actually pretty empty. No surprise considering that it's the middle of the day. To the right side of the bar was a failing miserably at singing what Harry could only assume was a song of some sort. It was either that or the man was succeeding at yodelling. A few seats the left of him was a black haired ninja silently brooding over his drink.

Still, Harry had a soft spot for pubs. Lady knows I spent more than my fair share of time in them trying to get drunk. Certainly enough that by the end of his tenure as the head of the Aurors, the hogs head had become something of a second home. There was a certain atmosphere that a proper pub had that Harry had always found to be comforting.

Harry found help himself to an empty seat at the counter and tapped his finger on it to remove the notice me not charm before signalling for the barkeep.

"Hello there. Haven't seen you around here before."

Right. Forgot I don't actually look like anyone from around here. "I'm from out of town," Harry told the man.

"You must be," the barkeep replied with a laugh. "I've never seen anyone who looks like you. And in this line of work, trust me, I meet a lot of people."

Harry shrugged. There wasn't much he could say to that. "I just want a glass of what that guy is having," he answered, pointing towards the man who was trying to yodel, "Whatever he's having must be good if he drink that much of it."

"You sure about that? That guy has weird tastes."

Harry wondered for a second about the warning tone in the barkeeps voice before mentally shrugging. He's been to a lot of places and tried a lot of things. Whatever it was, it couldn't be worse than that year he spent on a world called Atlean. ""I'm game."

"Your funeral,' the barkeep told Harry with a sigh as he poured the drink, "just don't say I didn't warn you."

Harry stared at the almost purple liquid for moment before he handed over the money and took a sip. Yeargh! What kind of grown man drinks something this sweet? What is wrong with that guy?

The barkeeper must have seen Harry's wince, because he chuckled and set a small glass of water down in front of Harry. "I think you might need this. That stuff is for all intents and purposes sugar and alcohol in equal parts. That guy there is the only person I know who can stand to drink this stuff. I pretty much just make it for him."

"It's because you're a shit barkeep," the man suddenly yelled out, "the drinks you make taste like crap."

"Like you can taste the difference. There's enough sugar in that thing to give a dead horse a sugar rush. You're half a woman for drinking that crap." the barkeep yelled back at the man, who gave the barkeep a rude gesture and retreated to his singing. A look of satisfaction on his face at winning the exchange, the barkeeper turned back to Harry apologetically. "Sorry about that, just ignore him. He's a regular, gets like that every time he's had a few drinks."

"No problems," Harry smiled in response to the friendly familiarity of the hurled insults, Lady I miss that, and held out a hand. "The name is Harry."

"My name is Takuma." Takuma shook Harry's hand. "So Harry," The man stumbled over the obviously foreign name. "What brings you to our little village of Konoha?"

"I'm actually lost," Harry admitted. "I'm to take up an old friend on his standing invitation to visit, but I can't remember his address. His clan is the Uchiha clan. I was wondering if you could help me."

Harry did not expect the reaction that came next from Takuma. The man's smile vanished and was replaced by a sombre expression. "You haven't heard?"

Harry frowned. "Heard what?"

The barkeep sighed and poured Harry a glass of something green. "Have that, on the house." The look he gave Harry was filled with pity. "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, but it's safe to say that your friend is probably dead."

"What do you mean?"

"The Uchiha are all dead. Something happened in that compound of theirs last week that killed every single one except for the clan head's son Sasuke."

"What do you mean something?" Harry demanded. And why didn't I know about this? Shin and I are going to have words when I get the opportunity.

"Just what I mean." Takuma told him with a shrug. "The whole compound is locked down tight and the Shinobi are being as tight lipped about the whole thing as," he glanced warily at the ninja sitting off to one side, "well, you know what they're like."

Harry didn't know, but had a pretty good idea. Information lockdown was the first step of any good cover up. Someone in power had slipped up and was now taking measures to ensure damage control. That meant the place was going to be locked down tight.

"Can you give me directions to their compound? I would like to go and see what happened. Pay my respects." Harry asked Takuma with well-practiced sadness.

"Sure." Takuma wrote down the address and handed it to Harry before giving him a warning. "Be careful though. ANBU have the placed locked down tight. You don't want to get on their bad side. Just stay outside and you should be fine."

"Thanks." Harry looked at the address before folding up the napkin and putting it inside his pocket. "Thanks for the drink too," Harry told Takuma as he left his money on the counter, with enough in tips to pay for the second drink and then some before striding out the bar, squinting a little under the bright sunlight.

Now let's see what the hell happened to the Uchihas.

Standing outside the front gate to the Uchiha compound, Harry had to be a little impressed. The main door was a grand thing, a large timber circle easily twice Harry's height with a smaller normal sized doorway on the left half two massive semicircles. The entire thing was made entirely from a dark solid wood that produced a dull sound when Harry experimentally rapped his knuckles upon it. One either side, the walls of the compound stretched out for quite some distance before angling away, encircling a substantial portion of land.

Harry gave a low Whistle. Of course he's seen better and larger. After all, harry had been travelling for some time. However, one does have to take consideration the average of each world. Considering the standards of this world that Harry had been able to see, it was impressive.

Well, compound was certainly the right word. This family must have been loaded.

The door was locked but a wave of his wand took care of that. Harry paid no attention to the two animal masked ninja that must have been the dreaded ANBU perched on the roofs of the buildings behind him. The notice me not Harry had cast on himself when had left the bar should ensure that Harry remained ignored.

The first thing Harry noticed was just how silent the compound was. Outside, there was the sound people going about their lives. Inside, the air was as still as a tomb, though Harry doubted tombs normally smelled faintly of pineapples.

Harry's smile suddenly disappeared as a tide of rage and sorrow slammed into him with enough force to make his stagger backwards until his back bumped against the door. Leaning forward with his hands on his thighs, Harry closed his eyes and while the tide of feelings washed over him. The sheer power of it surprised him. It had been a long time since he had been this uncomfortable.

Harry had walked through battlefields where in the space of one after noon the blood of hundreds of thousands of dead and dying men soaked the ground into a churned, torn up hell of crimson mud. He had been to what were effectively concentration camps, where millions were systemically murdered. There had been rage, yes, terror and sorrow, but none of them had the vast sense of betrayal that hung so heavily in the air. It left him more than a little curious.

Hm. What happened here?

Standing upright, Harry looked around the Uchiha compound. It was like a mini village within a village. Leading to the main gate was obviously the main road that was probably the spine of the compound. On either side were the numerous houses that must have housed the individual families of the Uchiha clan. Walking down that central road, Harry could feel the dark lingering presence behind the door of each house.

Whoever murdered them, it's definitely murder, no doubt about it, were, not to put too fine a point on it, professionals. It was quiet, discreet, well planned and judging from what Takuma had told him, very very thorough.

Walking up a house he picked at random, Harry opened the door and was assaulted by the smell of blood. Harry paced what was the living room, examining the twin pools of blood on the floor. Looks like these two bled out. Harry reached once again with his senses and felt nothing but rage and sorrow, like of those were murdered, yet the sense of betrayal was so much greater.

Harry sighed. He doubted there could be very much information to be gained here. He needed to speak to the survivor of whatever happened here.

Harry turned to leave and stumbled, sending him sprawling to the ground.

Harry climbed to his feet and looked around in confusion.

What just happened?

That was when he noticed it. The feeling of discomfort he had been feeling earlier suddenly became a great stronger. It felt like his veins were in fire. Someone's trying drug me! Whatever poison this was must be new one, because it wasn't affect by his body's natural immunity. The pineapple! The alcohol from earlier and the sudden shock of emotions still lingering in the compound had prevented Harry from feeling it he was being drugged. Harry stumbled outside the house and started towards the main gate. He took another slightly unsteady step towards the main gate and suddenly realised just how sluggish his reaction time was.

That's not good. Trying to apparrate in such a state was just asking to be splinched.

Harry shook his head and futilely tried to clear his mind. That was when he caught side of one of the animal masked figures crouched upon a rooftop, staring directly at him. They can see me? How? They don't have any magic. Harry pointed his wand at the racoon mask and fired off a stupefy just to check. Instantly, the man vanished from the spot.

Harry's eye widened.

FUCK!

I need to get out of here fast.

He didn't get a chance. In a move that was almost too fast for Harry to see, two ninjas, one with a rabbit mask and other with a fox mask, jumped in front of him.

"Hello. Nice to meet you. Now please get out of my way," Harry growled at the two through clenched teeth. I wish I could apparate right now without losing a goddamn arm!

"Stranger, you must know that you are poisoned. Come with us quietly and we will give you the antidote.

Harry gave them a sneer that would have been worthy of Snape despite his agony. Then again, he was always good at ignoring his pain, be it physical or otherwise. I don't need your antidote. I just need time. "Let me leave."

"If you refuse, we will have to force you to come with us." The rabbit warned.

In spite of the pain, Harry bared his teeth at the two of them in savage grin. He was always a stubborn idiot. "No."

Without giving the two time to react, Harry flicked his wand and his magic responded. Suddenly the two ninjas were bound and gagged with ropes that Harry knew to be stronger than steel. Harry staggered past the two collapsed ninjas, sparing them a mocking, "Gentlemen," as he did so.

Taking another few steps, Harry clenched his teeth as he walked down the road, his limbs felt leaden, making each step a struggle. Each breathe was like fire searing his lungs as his vision began to waver. What messed up poison did these idiots use? It was going to take him days to sleep this off.

Another flash and Harry suddenly found himself surrounded by more ninjas, all of them animal masked.

This time Harry didn't even try to speak, nor did he use his wand. Like the scalpel, that wand was a precision tool. To create a charm, to transfigure something complex, to cast curses that broke bones or caused unimaginable pain. Specific movements of the wand – specific triggers and their effects. Something that Harry did not the capacity for at the moment. Instead, Harry chose to use something far more primal, the brute force of elemental magic.

Not missing a step, Harry called for his magic and fire answered.

Harry kept walking as flames erupted around him, crackling and roaring with delight. The ninjas leap back from the searing heat. Harry ignored them, trusting in his magic as the creatures leap from the fire to follow the ninjas. Wolves and bears charged from the flames with a roar and eagles of fire so hot they burned almost blue circled the sky, screeching as they searched for their prey.

The ninjas did what they did and summoned water to douse the flames. Harry wasn't concerned. As long as his magic powered the fire, they would recreate themselves if even a spark remained. Besides, the goal is not the kill the ninjas but to keep them distracted enough that he could get away.

Unfortunately, his choice of magic may not have the best one under the circumstances.

I shouldn't have done that. Harry felt his eyes struggling to stay open. In his current condition, that feat of magic and keeping it active took more out of him than he had anticipated. As he saw another group of ninjas land on the surrounding roofs with weapons at the ready, Harry knew he wasn't going to get away, not matter how much magic he threw out. Whatever poison they had used on him was incredibly effective. Already, he could feel see darkness at the edges of his vision as his body prepared to shut down in order to concentrate its efforts on neutralising the poison.

Harry tried to take another step and suddenly realised he had fallen to his knees. His body refusing to respond, his last thoughts before darkness claimed him was to curse his own stupidity.

I knew I should have created an emergency portkey the minute I got to this city.

"This is absurd! Don't you people have any laws? What makes you think you just grab people off the streets here? I demand to see whoever is in charge!"

Hiruzen watched through the observation window as the foreigner tied to the chair curse at them with some truly remarkably imaginative curses. It was the strangest thing. Hiruzen found that he had to concentrate to a remarkable degree to even see the man. Several times he had to mentally slap himself when his concentration wandered and he found his eyes sliding from them man as if something was actively repelling him. He watched in interest as the black haired man struggled with his restraints, the chair he was tied to rocked side to side, tilting further and further until for a single moment, the chair the prisoner tied to it were perfectly balanced on two legs. Then with the slow inevitability of a falling mountain, the chair toppled with a resounding crash.

Following by another loud string of cursing.

The Hokage winced and turned to his chief interrogator with concern. "What technique is this? I know he's sitting there but I'm finding it extremely difficult to even see him."

Ibiki nodded. "We've all have the same problem barring the few with eyes that are resistant to genjutsus. The member of ANBU who saw him enter the Uchiha compound discovered the same problem when he tried to inform the others. He had triggered a poison trap that ANBU had placed over the main entrance of the Uchiha compound. From my reports, he used the wooden stick we found on his to activate some kind of jutsu that tied up two members of ANBU, and a sealess fire jutsu that tried to set the other on fire before collapsing."

"I see he's fine now."

"We gave him the antidote as soon as ANBU brought him in."

"So who is he?"

"We don't know. He didn't make any papers or identification on him. We suspect he entered the city using the same jutsu that's making it so hard to see him. The Chuunin on guard duty wouldn't even realise that he was there. However," Ibiki paused to look at the his notes, "A large amount of notes on him, detailing the political systems of the elemental nations, history and legends, some on the various hidden villages and a large amount on the Uchiha clan."

"So where is he from? What village, what clan?"

"We initially thought he might have been an Uchiha. Maybe one the cousins that escaped the massacre. In fact, if you kind of squint, he does kind of look like an Uchiha, even if his skin is far too pale."

The two Shinobi cocked their heads as one and looked figure currently sideways on the ground. He was still struggling with the restraints. Unfortunately, whoever tied the knots knew what he or she was doing and there was no slack at all. Instead of freeing himself, the man's struggles were somehow spinning his chair around on the ground. While it wasn't a loud as before, they could still hear the string of muttered curses emanating from the man.

"So he's an Uchiha?" The Hokage asked, doing a marvellous job of keeping the doubt from his voice.

"That's the weirdest thing. We're not even sure if he's a Shinobi. Technically he shouldn't even be alive." The interrogator scratched his chin. "We had Kakashi take a look at him and according to Kakashi, this guys has a less chakra than a civilian. He's has no chakra at all. He's got chakra points, but none of them are where they should be, or doing what they should be. Kakashi tells me he's seen corpses with more chakra than this guy, yet I've ANBU reporting that this guy was using high level unknown fire jutsus."

"So what are you going do with him?"

"That's why I called you up here Hokage-sama. I've tried to interrogate him, but he's wasn't susceptible. He has refused to speak to anyone but you. Normally we would'nt even consider bothering with a prisoner, this one – " Ibiki stopped and sighed. "I'm not sure what to do."

Hiruzen looked at his chief interrogator and glanced back at the man in the interrogation room trying to draw circles in the ground with his chair. "Maybe I should talk to him."

Ibiki instantly began to protest. "Hokage-sama, he's dangerous unknown! You don't know what he could –"

"Tied up and with no chakra?" Hiruzen asked dryly. "I'm not that old and decrepit am I?"

The other man fell silent, but the expression did not change.

"Fine. Call up a few more guards if you must, but I think I it's time I had a talk with our mysterious stranger. And someone get him off the ground."

Harry knew they were watching him. He could feel them on the other side of wall when he closed his eyes, two balls of light, one a great deal dimmer than the other, standing next to each other. He hoped one of them was the Hokage, because Harry was getting pretty tired of being tied up. The only reason that Harry was still here was that he thought it would be an opportunity to see the Hokage.

Harry ran his tongue over his cracked lips. Whatever that rat bastard of a ninja had drugged him with had left him walking up with what felt like a bludger bouncing around in his head. He hadn't felt this bad since that time Ron and him and went pub crawling along Diagon alley and wound up three days later in the ministry fountain with no memories of how they got there.

By the time Harry had cleared his head a little and his thoughts a little more coherent, he had looked around and found himself in an interrogation room. Harry had been to scores of worlds and apparently there was something universal about interrogation rooms. The same grey featureless walls, the same Spartan sort of table and the single source of light from what appeared to be a window of some sort in the ceiling. Huh. That was new.

It wasn't long before the door had opened and Harry found himself looking at a man who looked like he went three rounds in a ring with a hippogryph and lost.

Harry had demanded to see the Hokage and they refused. Instead, they started to question him and Harry found his headache returning with a vengeance.

Who are you? Who are you working for? What village are you from? What clan are you from? What are you doing in Konoha?

Harry James Potter, First Magi of Greater House Death. Lady Azrael, also known as She who waits, the silent one, the final companion, the Death all creation. Small place called surrey just outside of London. The Noble house of potter. Looking for Madara Uchiha with the goal of putting him six feet under, in pieces, hopefully avoiding the sodding Beast of Destruction if he could help it.

Unfortunately, these were not answers that Harry could give. He wasn't really to show his whole hand. No yet, anyway. Not that they would have been believed. So Harry spun for the scarred man a delightful story involving cheese, duck feathers and three buckets of tar. The man's face didn't crack a single smile at the story, which Harry had always found to be hilarious.

Apparently some people don't have a sense of humour.

But then again, these people were interrogators and they were professionals at not having a sense of humour to speak of. So they went away for a while before coming back with a box fill of sharp implements.

Harry demanded to speak to the Hokage again. They refused. And the questions began again. Variations of the same questions, punctuated by threats and blandishment of what looked like hideously deformed daggers with circular hole on one end. They looked really sharp. This time Harry told him the story about the man, the cheese of peace and the duck of doom.

That one didn't go over very well either. Tough crowd.

So the man left with vague threats of that Harry's imagination was apparently supposed to fill in.

It was actually a pretty effective interrogation technique, it just didn't work on Harry, who was only really there because he wanted to be.

Still, Harry was becoming increasingly impatient.

"So your name is Potter is it?"

Harry looked up to see what appeared to be an old man standing over him. At each shoulder behind him stood two men in black clothing and animals masks. Harry narrowed his eyes. This must be the Hokage. Dressed in what appeared to be simple clothes he might be, only a blind man could miss the quiet confidence that this man exuded, even if that pointed hat made him look ridiculous. Unlike weak men like Fudge who hid behind their bluster, this was a man confident of his power, with no need to flaunt it. In fact, the old man reminded Harry a great deal of Ducos, the King of his House.

"Yes, but call me Harry." Harry tried to shrug, only to find that the ropes prevent him from doing so. "I'd shake your hand, but I'm a little tied up." In the back of his mind, Harry could almost hear Ron groaning.

Harry saw the corner of the old man's lip twitch with the faintest hint of a smile before one the guards in animal masks, a weasel, strode forwards and raised a hand to hit him. "You will show respect for the Hokage!"

The old man simply held up a hand and the weasel froze in mid step. Impressive. This man I may be able to work with.

Harry gave the Hokage a smile. "How can I help you?"

Hiruzen carefully studied the black haired man. He looked nothing like any person Hiruzen had ever seen. The man's skin was so pale. And those eyes, like emeralds. However, it wasn't the colour that Hiruzen found so interesting. Despite his seeming youth, those eyes were ancient.

When the ANBU guard raised his hand to strike, those eyes did not flinch. There had been no fear in them, just a cool recognition of incoming pain and acceptance of the pain to come. The look the prisoner had given his guards was one of assessment and dismissal. Hiruzen had seen eyes like that before, but not in young men. Those were the eyes of his father, his grandfathers, ancient warriors who had seen and experienced death and destruction on a scale unimaginable, men who had faced death without flinching in the knowledge that somewhere, they had already died on the battlefield.

In that instant, Hiruzen realised that this man could not be broken. No matter what inventive methods of persuasion Ibiki, or even Anko could devise, the man had seen, and experienced, far worse.

Hiruzen raised his hand to stop the ANBU guard and found those green eyes that had been quietly assessing him flash with knowledge.

"How can I help you?"

"Harri, Hari-san," Hiruzen found his tongue stumbling over the strange name, "You can begin by telling how you got into our village."

"Why do you call me Hari-san?" Genuine curiosity. Hiruzen filed that away. A foreigner indeed not that there had been much doubt given the mans appearance.

"A small measure of respect."

"I presume I call you Hokage-san?"

Hiruzen felt the guards on both sides stiffen at this lack of disrespect. He gestured for the two of them to leave.

"But Hokage-sama!" one began to protest, quickly followed by the other.

"Enough. Go."

Hiruzen turned back to the foreigner, who had silently watching the exchange. The black haired man cocked his head. "Sama?"

"A different measure of respect."

"One that I apparently should be using."

"No need."

"No, I insist."

Hiruzen said nothing. He returned his line of questioning. "Once again, please tell me how you got into the village."

"So I'm assuming you don't believe me when I say I walked through the gates?"

"That much," Hiruzen told the man, "I believe. What I want to know is what this technique of yours is."

"That's right, you can see me, can't you?" the man replied with genuine surprise. "I wonder why that is?"

"If you can tell me how the technique works, I'm sure we can help you there," Hiruzen pointed out dryly.

Hiruzen found the green eyed man studying him carefully, the smile gone from his lips. When he spoke again, there was a seriousness that had not been present before. "What would you say if I said magic?"

Magic? Hiruzen gave a small laugh, a laugh that faded when he saw the younger man's face. He stopped and considered the word. Magic? Perhaps that was what this foreigner called their Jutsus. Certainly to the civilians they seemed like magic, but almost everyone knew it wasn't. That must be it. Yet Ibiki's words returned to him: He's got no chakra at all.

"I would ask for proof."

"Well, I would love to show you, except I'm a little indisposed at the moment." The man nodded to the ropes.

Hiruzen almost dismissed the request immediately.

But he didn't.

His head screamed for him to lock this man up and throw away the key, yet some part of him disagreed.

Was it the sincerity in this foreigner's voice? Was it his own damned curiosity? Was it the confidence that this man had no chakra and could do no harm? Or was it just insanity?

Hiruzen slowly nodded. However, he might well be mad for even contemplating this choice but he wasn't a fool.

"Ibiki. Bring half the guards in here. Station the rest outside and then untie Hari-san." Hiruzen held up a hand to forestall the storm of protest. "Just do it."

Never taking his eyes off the foreigner, Hiruzen heard the ANBU guards enter the room and saw a few of them walk behind the prisoner, keeping a safe distance away. When they were completely surrounded, Ibiki began to untie to ropes holding the prisoner. As one, the entire room stiffened and the tension in the room skyrocketed.

When the last of the ropes had fallen Harry stood up with his hands help up, palms out in the almost universal gesture for surrender. Slowly, so not as to alarm anyone, he rolled his head to ease away the tension there before cracking his fingers, enjoying the feeling of blood returning to digits long starved of them.

"In my possessions, there was a small stick. Do you mind if I get? I won't need to leave the room."

The Hokage gave a hesitant nod. Harry smiled. Now that was one hurdle passed.

"Act one: Accio Deathstick."

Almost instantly, the elder wand appeared in Harry's wand. The minute his fingers clasped around elder wand, Harry felt a warmth run through arm. He was complete. He knew he didn't really need the elder wand, but with the stone and the cloak, they were the only reminders he had of his friends, of Hogwarts, of home.

There was some mutterings from the animal masked people. Harry grinned. Now for part two of his trick. Harry drew circles in the air above the opened palm of his left hand with the point of the elder wand for a few moments before declaring. "Act two: Summonitionem papers."

There was flicker of red from the tip of the elder wand before the papers that Harry had one him when he had been captured appeared in a neat stack in his hand. Harry carefully folded them up and put them in his pocket.

"What do you think you're – " the scarred man behind began. Harry held up a hand for him to be silent. "I'm trying to demonstrate here. You don't think I'd be able to escape with all these guards surrounding me, do you?"

He turned his attention back to the Hokage, who was looking less sceptical by the minute.

"For my third act, I will now turn the table into a snake," Harry declared dramatically and smiled with amusement. He had been a stage magician once. An extremely successful one at that. He never lost his flair for the dramatic though.

Striking a pose, Harry waved the wand and transfigured the chair into a cobra.

The room might have been surprised before, now they were shocked into silence.

Suddenly, it was filled with the yells of "KAI!" as every single person in the room placed their hands together and roared the same word. Harry looked around the room in curiosity as he felt something not unlike a warm breeze gently buffet him from all directions. It wasn't wind, nor did it have discipline and hard edges of magic. For moment, the air tasted of something inexplicable and Harry felt the centuries almost fade from his mind, reminding him of better days.

Then, as suddenly as it had come, the breeze disappeared and Harry realised what he had just felt.

Harry couldn't resisting laughing in wonder, shaking his head as he did so.

Of Course! It was Chakra! This world was still young. The song of elements till lingered and the Magic of creation, of life itself could still be felt here. And these people had learned to tap into it. Maybe in a million years, the song would fade and the primal magic of elements die, but for now –

Harry laughed again, stopping only when he saw the look the rest of the room was giving him.

"Ibiki?"

"It's not a genjutsu, Hokage-sama." Harry heard the voice of scarred man reply, the confusion evident in his voice.

"Finally, I will demonstrate my final trick." Harry gave a Hokage a low bow before straightening and giving the old man a wicked smirk. "A disappearing act." Never looking away from the Hokage, Harry addressed his next words to Ibiki, "when you think about this conversation later, remember I never lied. I never said I couldn't escape."

With that, Harry apparratted out of the room with a sharp crack.

Hirzuen blinked as Hari disappeared with a crack.

After a moment, Ibiki reached forward and his hand moved through where Hari had been.

There was silence except for the hissing of the snake in the middle of the room that had once been the chair. Then all of a sudden, every single person in the room began to speak.

"What the hell?"

"Where did he go?"

"Where is he?"

"What that a time space jutsu or something?"

"Can't be, Kakashi said he has no chakra remember?"

"Explain that damn snake then."

"It sertainly wasn't a genjutsu, not with every single person in the room cancelling it."

"It's still there."

"So how did he disappear?"

Hiruzen studied the room careful to find Hari most definitely gone. That meant Hari had either used a time space jutsu, which was impossible as Hari had absolutely zero chakra, or he was indeed a magician. Hiruzen frowned at the thought and did not attempt to deny it. Unlike when he was a younger man, he was old and wise enough to realise how much there was in the world that he did not know.

No, this could very well have been magic. However, the first step was to find the black haired man.

"Enough." Hiruzen spoke and the entire room fell silent. "Go. Find the man. Be careful though. You've all seen what he's capable of and read the reports of your colleague who were sent to capture him. Equate him to an S-class Missing-nin. Incapacitate, but do no kill unless you have to. I repeat, Incapacitate, do not kill. I also need some of you to go and put Sasuke uner guard in case this man goes after him. Now go!"

As the ANBU disappeared, Hiruzen turned to ibiki. "I need you to bring kakashi up to my office. I need to speak with him.

When Ibiki hurried way, Hiruzen started towards his office at a brisk pace. From what this Hari character had on the Uchiha clan, Hiruzen had no doubt the magician would stay in konoha, if only to try and gather more information.

Hiruzen opened the door to his office and froze. He scanned the room carefully with all of his senses. They all told him that the room was empty, yet decade of on the battlefield told him that there was absolutely someone in the room. Hiruzen entered the room and turned to close the door, sliding the kunai from his sleeve his palm as his did so.

"Really, there's no need for that."

Hiruzen spun and flung the sharp blade towards where the voice had sounded like it had originated from. The weapon flew through the air stopped just inches from the outstretched hand of one Hari potter - who had suddenly appeared and sitting on his desk - dropping to the floor with a thud. But Hiruzen was already moving, his hand flying through the correct seals and he drew in a deep breath, exhaling it in a massive fireball that engulfed the room even as Hiruzen shielded himself from the flames.

Over the massive roar of fire, Hiruzen heard the voice of the magician. "Really? Is this necessary? I have absolutely no intention to harm you or yours."

There was the sudden feel of wind and the orange flames disappeared, leaving behind the sight of Harry potter sitting on his desk, both untouched by the explosion. The rest of the room was incinerated, with the walls heavily singed and coloured with soot. Scattered around the room were piles of ash that had once been various scrolls and bits of furniture.

Hiruzen paused. He glanced towards the black haired magician, whose only sign he had been there during flames was what the wind – must have been wind, but where did it come from? – did to his hair, leaving it a ruffled mess. "If you wished no harm, then why did you disappear from the interrogation cell before?"

The other man gave him a small smirk. "You've just answered your own question right there. What kind of conversation could be had in an interrogation cell surrounded by your guards?" He shook his head. "No, I think your office would be much more constructive towards a civilised conversation."

Hiruzen watched warily as Hari hopped off the desk and seated himself in front of it before gesturing for Hiruzen to sit behind the desk. When Hiruzen carefully did so, the black haired man waved his stick and the office return to what it had been and the piles of ash that had been furniture vanished. The paperwork too. Hitruze cheered a little at that thought.

Then a different thought occurred to him. "So you need that stick to perform you magic?"

"Aren't you a sharp one?" Hiruzen heard the admiring tones in Hari's voice. The man held up a hand to one forehead in mock despair. "You're discovered my weakness, whatever will I do?"

"What you doing here?"

"Actually, meeting you was my intention this whole time. You know, I'm not actually surprised that you're the dictator of this village. You certainly have the gravitas for the job. And to be honest, that fireball was really something."

"I'm not a dictator," Hiruzen growled. "I was elected."

"But with absolute authority. Which is practically the definition of a dictator." The other man countered.

In spite of himself, Hiruzen found himself becoming a little angry. "You break into my office, you burn it down –"

"Actually, you burned it down. That fireball was your doing. Not mine."

"What do you want?" Hiruzen roared in frustration. "I thought you wanted to talk."

Hair sighed, and the playful demeanour has disappeared as if a mask had fallen away place. In it's place Hiruzen was treated to the mien of something ancient and powerful.

"Yes. Then let's talk."