BEYOND THE WORLDS

Me: I have returned with the second chapter of Beyond the Worlds. *looks around at the silence*

Yami JK: *tied up and still out*

Chibi Naruto: *grinning insanely* READ READ READ READ READ!

Itachi: *shakes his head* read and review…hit the little button at the bottom.

"English"

~mind speak~

"Japanese"

Chapter 2: Through the Rabbit Hole

Haruko was going to kill him. That was it… death was the only thing that would keep his sanity intact. After all would any one truly miss him beyond the team? The young man glared at the hyperactive blond that was bouncing all over the place. Well he supposed that Tsunade would… and maybe Sakura… oh and Iruka… damn it he couldn't kill him. Not unless he wanted to be missing some very vital body parts plus his life. And for him to be missing those body parts very well may upset Itachi enough for him to take revenge upon those that removed said body parts. He decided instead that banging his head on a wall would be much more useful and if he knocked himself unconscious he would at least escape Naruto's constant chatter of what's interesting and cool. Haruko moved to look over at his other companions seeing Iruka just about ready to also throttle the blond. Hinata moved to grab Naruto's arm and glared at him, the soft spoken Hyuuga heir was the only one that could seem to calm down Naruto when he got this way.

Haruko smirked as the blond blushed and prattled on in Japanese that he was sorry and that he would calm down. He was glad that the others had dressed down for the moment so they could shop for his school supplies before having to catch the train the next morning. He stepped into Madam Malkin's robe shop to get his new school robes seeing as the ones from the previous year were too small for his now taller form. He looked over the different styles and then waited for the woman to finish with one of the other first years that were going to be starting this coming year. Naruto was looking at the robes and frowning before turning to Iruka and saying something.

"How can they wear these things?" he asked in Japanese to Hinata, "there's no movement to it and its heavy"

Haruko shook his head and chuckled as he heard Naruto's complaint. He didn't have a chance to hear Hinata's reply because Madame Malkin had just finished with the first year and motioned him to come closer. He stepped onto the raised platform and she began measuring him, the measuring tape moving on its own to do so. He heard Naruto's exclamation at this and shook his head. Soon he was told to get down and that his robes would be ready within the hour. He bowed to the older woman then turned to head for the door, grabbing Naruto by the collar in the process so he would leave the measuring tape alone. Hinata giggled softly as she followed behind the ANBU leader and wizard. Once outside Haruko released Naruto's collar and once again the internal mantra of 'do not kill the blond' started again.

"Naruto! Do not touch anything!" Haruko hissed out as he moved to try and prevent yet another thing from being knocked over by the blond whirlwind.

"But this is all so amazing Haruko-san" Naruto said as he stopped and pouted.

Even though the blond was 15 going on 16 it was still strange to see him pouting like a 5 year old. Haruko wondered for the umpteenth time if maybe the blond was under a permanent genjutsu that made him appear older, because apparently the intelligence level is not that of a mature teen. He pinched the bridge of his nose before walking towards the book store, looking back to see if the others were following. Kakashi smirked as he pushed off from the wall the green book now replacing the orange one of his younger days. Haruko shook his head at this and stepped into the bustling store and hoping that none of those from Hogwarts were there, besides it was the day before most would be heading for the train to head to the school so not many would be out. Naruto moved past Haruko and began pulling down books, looking through them. Even though they were from the Elemental Countries, Kakashi and Naruto had come up with a seal that each member of the team had that can translate nearly every single language in the worlds. The drawback is that it was harder to switch between speaking languages and concentration was a must to be able to do so.

Haruko moved around Naruto and his pile of books to find the texts needed for the last year of Hogwarts. Iruka headed towards a rack of books that boasted information into apparition and other means of magickal travel. He could see Hinata looking over texts on medical magicks and even Kakashi was browsing silently. The 17 near 18 year old headed to the counter and handed the man his list, soon a stack of books were there waiting for him as well as a few for his various friends. Once finished and everything paid for, he sealed them away into a scroll and led them from the shop.

Naruto looked bored and that was not a good sign "Haruko-san. Where to next? Lunch? Do they have ramen here? Or is it all that heavy English food you talked about before?"

Haruko looked at his school list and realized he did not need anything else, for he still was well stocked from the year before, "We are in England, and it will be the heavier food. Stick with the salad and light sandwiches and you will be fine." He saw the pout on Naruto's lips at this, "I will get you some instant ramen later to make it up to you"

Kakashi smirked and ruffled his little brother's hair, causing Haruko to glare at him, "Ne Ne otouto" he said in English, "It is nothing to apologize for. Naruto-kun needs to learn to exist without ramen"

Naruto pouted, understanding the English that was spoken but then he seemed to switch suddenly, his hand going to a hidden weapons pouch and turning, "Something feels off" he said suddenly.

The air had seemed to drop 10 degrees and became quite tense, the wizards not paying attention to the sudden changes. Haruko frowned at this and realized that if the wizards were too blind to see that this was happening, they had absolutely no chance at winning a war that is nipping at their heels. He looked to the others, Kakashi moving to take up his own position and pointing towards the area surrounding the main of the wizarding world's main market place. Haruko nodded his head at this and then moved to take up his own position, one that he knew well enough when he has worked in the past with this particular team as a fill in. Kakashi looked to Naruto and Hinata and motioned for them to get into position as well.

Haruko moved towards the edge of the street where another intersected it, it was then that the screams began, "We have enemies, death eaters. Do not put your masks on, keep a genjutsu over your looks" he said to them as he looked around the edge of the building, "I count at least 10 Death Eaters, and three Dementors. I will take care of them, only a spell will do so."

Kakashi smirked behind his cowl, "Do not kill, incapacitate only" he told the others and with a chorus of Hai coming from them they vanished into thin air to engage the enemy.

Kakashi nodded to Haruko and then also vanished as he moved to engage the wizards attacking civilians in the middle of the street. Hakuko pulled his wand out of the pouch he kept it in under his sleeve and began heading towards the Dementors that were currently terrorizing a couple and their daughter and son. He smirked as they turned to come at him, his own demons buried deep in him not coming out due to the sheer will power he had over them. He had in his third year been waylaid by those images of his first kill and his birth parents deaths, but now nothing came. The Dementors could tell this was happening could tell their power over him was not there and it was bringing irritation to be nearly visible around the dark creatures.

"You cannot bring me down as you do others." He said then brought the wand out and spoke the incantation "Expecto Patronum" a silver Stag stepping forth and rushing after the first dark creature.

The Stag gouged into the creature, killing it nearly upon contact. The black oily smoke of the deceased Dementor faded into the air leaving only the tattered robes it wore left upon the ground. The stag rushed after the second destroying it but missing the third as it retreated. This type of patronus was one that he had changed and perfected. It was not to chase away the Dementors but instead destroy them through the touch. He released the spell and frowned as he looked up at the sky, the dark mark lingering there. Haruko frowned as he listened for sounds of a fight and found none. That either meant that Kakashi and his team defeated the Death Eaters or they managed to get an upper hand and defeat them instead. He did not even want to think of that one and began running towards the area he last sensed them. He flared his chakra to announce his presence, waiting for the responding flare but did not get one in return.

The shinobi wizard swallowed as he ran, moving quickly through the street. He noticed that some of the wizards were injured and even one or two deceased due to the killing curses thrown around by the Death Eaters. He was glad he did not see any of his family and friends on the ground, but if they were not there injured then where were they. He slid around the corner of a building and saw Hinata leaning over a young woman attempting to heal her, her brow furrowing in concentration. He approached slowly, aware that if Hinata was here one of the others would be as well and he did not feel like ending up on the wrong end of a kunai for startling her or her guard. Iruka stepped into view just then and nodded to Haruko to let him know he had felt him before seeing him.

"Are nii-san and Naruto-kun unharmed?" he asked Iruka.

Iruka gave a terse nod "they are fine. They are tying up the last of the enemy for the wizards' equivalent of police to pick up. Kakashi couldn't respond to your flare at the moment due to the last death eater he was defeating" he said.

As he finished this Kakashi stepped into view, giving one of his infamous one-eye grins "Well that was far too disappointing. They did not fight back as I had hoped they would. Nonetheless it is done and with minimal casualties"

Haruko nodded "I saw two wizards down, how many death eaters?" he asked.

Naruto landed on the ground next to Haruko "None. We managed to take them out using a genjutsu then binding their magic with a seal." He said then frowned a bit, "but something felt off. It was like this was a test of some sort"

Kakashi looked to each one of them, "Naruto-kun is correct in saying so. It did not feel as if this was meant to be successful, only to test what we can do."

"If that is the case, then someone knows who you are as well as what I am" Haruko said to them.

Hinata stood up, brushing off her jeans of the loose dirt and leaves that she had picked up, "She will be fine. She will need rest but she is no longer in danger of dying"

Kakashi moved to look up at the sky and frowned thinking a moment when Iruka spoke, "if that is the case, then we need to inform Tsunade-sama and be aware that there might be more here than we realize"

The others agreed at this statement. Haruko looked to his friends and family before motioning with his head for them to leave. They did not need to get stopped and questioned for being there and taking part in what had happened. It was bad enough that if anyone observed the patronus that took out the dementors they would recognize it as his own. Because he was of age, his wand was no longer under scrutiny by the ministry…not that they could monitor it anyways due to the special seal upon it. The group began walking to the Leaky Cauldron where they had rooms for the night, three in total seeing as Hinata was a female and it would not do to bring attention to them by her bunking with two guys. Naruto moved with Haruko as point, they taking up formation out of instinct that something more might happen. When they managed to make it to their rooms without incident the shinobi still did not relax. What had happened was far too out of the ordinary even for the Death Eaters and the feeling that someone else was involved was not setting well with any of them.

Kakashi headed into his and Iruka's room to get a message written and sent out with one of the messenger birds he kept with him. Iruka joined him to get some rest and to make sure that Kakashi did the same. Naruto headed into his and Haruko's room, bouncing onto the bed as the green-eyed shinobi wizard stepped in behind him. He looked across the hall and saw that Hinata was in her room safe and sound. He worried about the younger kunoichi, but with all that worrying he also knew she could take care of herself when needed. He stepped over the threshold and to the trunk that contained his civilian clothing on one level and deeper within in a hidden compartment were his shinobi clothing and weapons as well as his ANBU mask and uniform.

Naruto looked over at him, "We start our mission correct?" he asked, "Starting with the train?"

Haruko nodded, "I will enter on the train like the rest of the students, but the rest of the team will enter under genjutsu. Dumbledore will introduce you to the school and advise them you are there for their protection" he had sat in on the meeting under his own ANBU uniform and mask. Dumbledore did not know he was an active member of the shinobi forces.

"It will be interesting though. From what I saw of those death eaters tonight, they were masks of skulls and the students may not realize we are not one of those bakayarus" he said with a growl.

"well they will soon learn I am sure" he said with a laugh, "Go ahead and get some sleep. I have something I have to do before I get to bed" he told Naruto and moved to begin writing a letter in a code that only Itachi would know how to break.

Naruto shrugged and rolled over, falling asleep nearly instantaneously, his soft snores filling the room with sound beyond the scratch-scratching of the quill as Haruko wrote his letter. Once done he moved to the window and opened it before summoning the special raven that Itachi had gifted him with years ago. He released the bird once he had tied the letter to its leg and soon moved to his own bed, laying down and closing his eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~-Flash back dream-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Haruko sat behind the desk in the academy classroom, his face twisted into a scowl as he glared at the head of the kid sitting ahead of him. He didn't know why he was glaring at him, but he was. He annoyed him just by his presence and that did not sit well with the young boy. The boy was two years older than him and he was already to the point of graduating, but this isn't what made him want to strangle him with his own hair. It was instead just the attitude he seemed to carry with him constantly. His brother had told him to ignore the Uchiha heir when he complained about him the other day, but he just couldn't. That was it; he was going to make him lose the stick up his arse after school. He had tried to be friends with him at the start of the year, but now he was just being a jerk and he HATED jerks. When the teacher dismissed them for the day, informing that blasted Uchiha he could take his test the next day for the instructor in charge of the genin testing will be in, he moved to stalk after the Uchiha. His nose and mouth covered with the cowl he had taken to wearing since his blood binding to his brother.

He followed close behind Itachi, smirking a bit in the process, "Oi Uchiha… what makes you think you are better than the rest of us" the shorter academy student said to the taller 7 year old Uchiha.

Itachi stopped and turned slowly taking in the one that called him out, "I do not think I am better than any one person Hatake-chan" he said, "I merely have more talent than most genin that are older and I must do as I am urged to do"

Haruko bristled at this, "No you are just a stuck up Uchiha that walks around like all the others thinking that they are better than the other shinobi" he said.

Itachi let out a sigh as if dealing this annoyance was nothing more than something that could be brushed aside, like an annoying gnat, "Hatake-kun you misread into this. I do not think I am better, I know I am better than most. And that very well may include you" he said.

It was this comment that set Haruko off and he rushed towards Itachi to try and punch him. The dark haired 7 year old blocked it and swept the legs of the young out from under him. Haruko hit the ground with a rather loud whoosh as the air was knocked out of his lungs. He lay there coughing and gasping as he tried to regain his breath, Itachi glaring down at him as he just watched with impassionate eyes. The dark haired boy then turned to walk away from the green-eyed one, pausing only a moment to glance back at him before again walking and vanishing into the crowds of civilians walking. Haruko finally managed to get to his feet, tears threatening to spill but not doing so through sheer force of will. He glared to where the Uchiha had vanished before angrily stomping away from the academy grounds. He would get back at the Uchiha one day, he would make sure he graduated and surpassed him, this he promised himself. And he did, a year later he managed to graduate and was on his way to trying to surpass Uchiha Itachi…his annoying and irritating rival.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-end flash back dream-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Haruko groaned as he rolled over, unsure what woke him as he did so. The dream he had was one he had not had in a long time, the first time he and Itachi fought and it wasn't the last time either. He sat up and noticed that it was light outside, but only just. He looked around and still did not know what woke him, but then there it was. It was the lack of snoring that woke him indicating that Naruto was awake. He looked over and saw his bed empty and made up and his equipment also missing. He moved to grab a shower and get dressed into his civilian clothes. He shrunk his trunk down and then put it into his pocket before strapping on his wand sheath onto his arm. In his boots he hid two kunai and in small pouch he kept at the small of his back under his shirt he had shuriken. He hated that he could not carry around his ningato like the others could, but he settled for the other weapons hidden upon his body. He brushed out his long hair and pulled it up using three senbon, smirking in the process. The shinobi wizard was ready to go and stepping out into the hall he sensed Kakashi and his team.

Haruko spoke softly in English, "Platform 9 ¾ is where we are heading. Wall between platform nine and ten can be accessed. You will sense the genjutsu. I will sit in the fourth car in an empty compartment" he began walking knowing that the team will meet him on the train in the empty compartment before scattering to guard the students.

Haruko left the leaky cauldron and headed for Kings Crossing, arriving early as he stepped through the barrier. No one saw him due to his own genjutsu being cast over his body. He moved towards the smoking train, slipping inside silently with the genjutsu now dropped. He slipped into the empty compartment and leaned back, closing his eyes in the process. The trip wouldn't take too long he was certain as long as no one bothered him. He didn't expect anyone to even approach him, not until they were at Hogwarts and in the Great Hall. He dozed the entire train ride to Hogwarts, sensing the coming and going of not only Kakashi and his team but also the students. Once they arrived and were on their way to the castle he smirked when he hear Naruto suddenly exclaiming quietly at the sight of the old castle. Haruko remembered his own reaction being very nearly the same as Naruto's own when he first arrived there.

Kakashi looked to Haruko when they were inside the entrance hall; "We are not under code names from this point further" he told all of them, "Japanese only unless we are around those we trust. I will speak English to our client only."

Naruto looked ready to protest but stopped when he felt Iruka's glare settle upon him. "Hai Ookami-taisho" he said.

Kakashi smirked behind his wolf mask, "Now off you go my sweet little brother. We will see you in your dorm room later" then the team vanished until they were announced to the school.

Haruko laughed to himself and headed into the Great Hall and over to the Ravenclaw table, sitting next to Luna in the process. She was reading her father's magazine the Quibbler upside down as she normally did, the dreaming look upon her face not belaying the strong intelligence of her mind. As soon as the sorting was done for the new first years Dumbledore stood before the school giving his normal speech on where not to go and what not to do. But then the next part is what drew his interest. He smirked behind his cowl as the wizened old man began to speak.

"This year we have the pleasure of welcoming not only our new and old students back to the school, but also some honored guests" he began, "This year the guests I have invited will be here to ensure the safety of all students staff living within the walls of the school this year. They come from across the oceans and within the mists. Please welcome…"

Before he could say who they were, four puffs of smoke went off, and the four masked ANBU stood there before the school. What they didn't expect was the reaction, screams of "Death Eaters" was thrown into the air and every teacher held their wands out and pointed at the ANBU.