Author's Note: Extensive rewrites for this chapter as of 6/3/10.
Chapter Two
Outskirts of Tokyo, Japan
November 2, 1988
Madara's eyes followed his grandson as the boy completed the last lap around the pond. Madara noticed that his grandson was only panting slightly; the last month of constant exercise had been good for the boy physically. He was unsure of how Naruto was mentally and emotionally, his grandson hadn't discussed the conversation they had on Naruto's birthday. The boy obviously harbored resentment toward him, but his grandson did little more than give him the 'silent treatment' whenever possible.
"You are fit enough to begin moving on to Chakra related exercises," Madara commented when Naruto approached. "We will not be dealing with actual techniques for some time. We will first begin with Chakra control training."
Madara walked to the side of a nicely sized tree and began his instruction.
"This is called the Wall Walking Exercise," Madara stated as he began calmly walking up the tree trunk. "You apply a small amount of Chakra to the soles of your feet, allowing you to adhere yourself to the surface. Too much and you propel away, too little and you will not stick."
Once he returned to the ground he ordered Naruto to start trying, "Now you."
He watched with amused eyes as the boy was propelled from the tree dozens of times. It would take days before his grandson would get this down. He made a mental note to bring a book to read next time.
-o-o-o-
Outskirts of Tokyo, Japan
November 15, 1988
"You will have added incentive to learn this next control exercise quickly," Madara said as he walked his grandson to the edge of the pond. "The temperature of the pond is very cold this time of the year, the quicker you learn this, the sooner you can stay dry. In this next Chakra control training method, you apply a finer and more precise amount of Chakra to allow you to stand on top of the water's surface. Too little and you slip into the water, too much and you displace the water below your feet and you splash into the water."
He displayed the skill by walking onto the water and then off, not bothered by Naruto's astonished face.
"The amount of Chakra needed is much smaller than what you used for Wall Walking," Madara remarked as he moved to take a seat a decent distance away from the pond. "This will be much more difficult for you to learn. Do not allow your emotions to become too intense, self-control is important for this exercise."
He pulled a book from his cloak sleeve and allowed himself to be immersed into the words. He knew Naruto would take weeks if not months to get Water Walking down.
-o-o-o-
Naruto's Room
December 17, 1988
Naruto glanced up as he heard the door open; he closed his eyes in exhaustion after seeing that it was just Anko.
"So, what's up Foxy-sama?" She had taken to calling him that when he talked to her about what the Kyuubi looked like.
"How long did it take you to learn to walk on water?" Naruto asked while allowing his sore muscles to rest.
"Umm," Anko replied thoughtfully, "I'm pretty sure it took around two weeks."
Naruto groaned in response. "Jeez, I know I learn things fast, but I'm going on over a month and I still don't have it," he remarked with a slight whine. "Ojii-san said I have a lot of Chakra and that makes it harder from what he says, but it'll take me another month at least to get this down. And now I have to wait for the weather to warm up, the stupid pond is frozen," he exclaimed. He wasn't happy about the frozen water; he wanted to master Water Walking and didn't like the idea of being forced to wait, even if it was tiring work to learn.
Naruto opened his eyes finally to look at Anko. He sighed in relief as he took in her clothing; she was wearing a thick sweater and warm pants. Nearly every inch of her skin was covered, something that she rarely did nowadays. Naruto couldn't go a single hour without her teasing a severe blush out of him. He knew it was odd for a developing young woman to flirt with a young child, but Naruto was aware that nothing about their situation was commonplace; it didn't really matter since his life was normal to him.
-o-o-o-
Outskirts of Tokyo, Japan
December 22, 1988
"While the pond's surface is frozen, we will start working on activating your Sharingan," Madara intoned with a cold, emotionless voice.
He did not like what he was about to do, but it was necessary. His grandson would need to feel true fear before the Sharingan was unlocked.
Madara vanished from the spot he had been standing, without warning he appeared behind his grandson with his fist poised to strike at the back shoulder.
Naruto didn't have any time to defend himself as he was knocked to the ground a dozen feet away, a large bruise forming where he had been struck.
"What the heck!" Naruto screamed while massaging his shoulder.
Madara did not spare any sympathy. "Defend yourself," he said, his voice held a dangerous edge as he disappeared again.
The day continued on like that for hours. Madara did what he could to cause Naruto to fear for his life. He needed the boy's body to reach deep within itself and call out the Sharingan during moments of terror and anger. Madara was thankful for the Kyuubi, every bruise, cut and broken bone was healed within minutes because of the kitsune's unrequested assistance.
-o-o-o-
Outskirts of Tokyo, Japan
March 3, 1989
"Yes! Yes! Yes!" Naruto exclaimed; joy, pride, happiness, relief and many other emotions filled his voice. "I finally got it! Suck it, water! You're my bitch now!" He called out while jumping around.
Naruto cursed himself for his momentary loss of control as his feet slipped from the top of the water's surface and he was pulled under. After coming up for air, he could hear Anko laughing on the shore of the pond; a blush of embarrassment stained his cheeks.
"Looks like you're still the bitch." He heard Anko taunt him as he climbed to the surface of the water.
-o-o-o-
Tanaka Naoto's Home
June 8, 1989
Madara was sorting through his Fuuton scrolls inside his study. He had found that his grandson possessed a wind affinity. He assumed it came from the boy's father since Uchiha's generally had fire and Kushina possessed a water affinity.
They had been in their new world for nearly ten years and it had been easy to adapt to Japan for the most part. Madara knew they had been most fortunate to appear so close to a recluse like Tanaka Naoto. With the exception of the man's daughter visiting a couple times a year, they hadn't had to worry about much. This allowed them to comfortably adjust to the different technologies of Earth.
Madara found the new world to be very civilized and health-conscious. In the Elemental Countries people rarely lived beyond their 30s. A large percentage were killed and murdered; an even larger amount died from disease and illness. Outside the ninja villages, you were only as safe and protected as your personal strength and wealth could guarantee. That wasn't the case in this new world. Even the weakest and most poor were protected by the laws of the land.
A terrified scream from his grandson pulled him out of his thoughts. He was crouching over the boy in an instant.
"Naruto, wake up," he ordered. The boy was thrashing around in his bed while being haunted by a nightmare.
Madara spared a brief glance at Anko as she rushed through the door, a concerned look on her face.
"Naruto," he stated more forcefully. It did the trick and the boy's unfocused eyes opened wide in fear. "Calm yourself."
Naruto blinked to get his eyes to adjust while his body shook slightly. Anko took a seat on the boy's bed and pulled him into her lap.
"It's okay," Anko soothed, "It's just a bad dream. It can't hurt you."
Naruto frantically shook his head while exclaiming, "But it seemed so real! I swear it was," he mumbled. "It… It was like I was trapped inside someone's body."
That caught Madara's attention immediately.
Anko wiped a stray tear from Naruto cheek.
"Anko-san, leave us," Madara ordered. She looked ready to protest, but his glare told her that he wasn't asking.
Once the door had shut, he activated privacy seals inside the room and pulled a chair over to the side of his grandson's bed.
"Ojii-san," Naruto said in confusion.
Madara inwardly sighed, since the boy's birthday he had lost a lot of respect from his grandson. He refused to admit it, but it hurt to know.
"Naruto, I need you to describe your dream," Madara said. "You said it was like being trapped inside someone's body, start with that."
"Umm, it was weird," Naruto started. "When I saw my arms, they were pale and had freckles. My hands were more hairy too." The boy scrunched his brow in concentration. "I had a wedding ring on as well – it was gold, and a watch on my left wrist. I could see and taste everything as though it was my own body, but I couldn't control my movements."
Madara felt pleased that his grandson shared this ability with him, and a small amount of sympathy. It could be extremely harsh to possess true Precognition.
"Naruto, what you had was not a dream," Madara asserted. "It was a vision. I need you to tell me what happened while you were inside this other man, even the little details. Those can often be the most important. We want to know when and where the event happened, not just what actually took place."
"But… I… I don't," Naruto's hushed voiced tailed off. Madara recognized the signs of fear and would need to alleviate those concerns.
"Naruto," his voice was hard and confident, "Whatever happened in your vision has not happened and I will not allow you to suffer injury."
"I… I don't really know where to start."
"Let us start with the time of day," Madara coaxed.
"Umm, around noon I think," Naruto said with some uncertainty. "Yeah, noon because of where the sun was."
"The location?"
"A restaurant," Naruto stated with more confidence. "One of those places to eat with tables outside the building."
"And the people? Their skin color, the language they spoke, clothing styles."
"They were Caucasian mostly," Naruto answered with eyes narrowed in concentration. "And they all spoke English, but they had a weird accent… Oh!" His grandson's eyes lit up realization. "London! I could see that big clock tower like in that one picture book – Big Ben."
Madara was grateful that he began his grandson's education at such a young age. When he had seen how the English language was often used in the international business world, he made sure the boy was at least bilingual. So he knew where this vision would happen; now he needed to know what and when.
"What happened in this vision?" Madara continued to press.
Naruto's eyes unfocused slightly in memory, "They came."
"Who did? Remember," Madara softened his tone, "they cannot hurt you. This is only a possible future and I will not let them hurt you."
Naruto relaxed noticeably at the vow.
"Umm, they were wearing cloaks. Black cloaks and they had masks covering their faces," Naruto said as calmly as the boy could manage. "They had thin sticks in their hands and were shooting colored lights out of them. Like the magical wands in some of my fantasy books. When the lights hit people… the people screamed in pain," Naruto said with a grimace. "Some of the people, they just stopped moving… I think they were dead after the green light hit them."
Madara was now even more thankful that he raised his grandson as a hunter. The years of hunting, killing and skinning large mammals had made it easier for the boy to accept the death of a human, at least more so than an unconditioned child would deal with death.
Now they needed to figure out when this event would happen. If Naruto was given the vision by the Kamis, then he would be expected to affect or change this event in some way.
"When is all we need now, Naruto," Madara pushed the boy on.
"I… I don't know, there were cars on the streets," Naruto rambled on, "But I don't know enough about cars to tell anything about the years they were made…" Naruto finished with an apologetic smile.
"That is fine, Naruto," Madara assured the boy. "I am surprised you were able to find out as much as you did from your first vision. They come infrequently and are difficult to understand at times."
Naruto relaxed at his reassurance.
"Ojii-san," Naruto started with some hesitation, "You said on my birthday that you had Seen my mother die, even if you didn't send the Kyuubi to attack, right?"
Madara nodded.
"And you Saw my… death," Naruto said with a slight gulp, "If you had left me in Konoha?"
Madara inwardly scowled as he remembered the boy being assassinate before the child even reached his sixth birthday. "Yes, I could not tell who ordered it, but you were to be assassinated as a young child."
Naruto leaned against his headboard, lost in thought for a moment.
"I feel no guilt for causing your father's death," Madara said with a calm voice, unaffected by his grandson's glare. "Your father would not have been able to properly protect you alone and I was considered a fugitive of Konoha and would have never been allowed to stay inside the village to protect you. I could not allow you to stay inside Konoha and I felt that the Elemental Countries did not deserve the person you will grow into. I did what was best for you and I make no excuses for my actions."
He had no hesitation throughout his short speech. While he wanted to be back on good terms with his grandson, he would not hold back or lie to the boy.
"I don't…" Naruto started to say with clenched fists. "I don't like what you did, but… I guess I forgive you. You did what you thought was best," the boy forced out.
Madara could easily tell from the child's body language that his grandson was trying to convince himself as much as the boy was trying to convince his grandfather.
-o-o-o-
Tanaka Naoto's Home
June 13, 1989
Anko yawned as she relaxed into the sitting room futon. It was raining out and she was forced to stay inside where she was becoming more bored by the minute.
She had finally reached a level of education that satisfied Madara. The English language had been the toughest thing to learn. She still didn't understand the need to know the language, but Madara had ordered her to begin learning it years ago since it wouldn't do for her young owner to speak a language she didn't understand.
Aside from her education, she had kept herself busy over the years by furthering the kunoichi skills that Orochimaru had taught her. Without the Cursed Seal anymore, Anko found her Chakra much easier to use and control. She was very disappointed that she couldn't use the Snake Summoning Contract anymore. However, if losing that ability freed her of Orochimaru, then she was more than happy with the sacrifice.
To her surprise, in the past ten years she had spent with her new owner and his grandfather, Madara had not once attempted to make use of her. She had expected him to fulfill his sexual needs through her for years, but – to her relief – he never once did. Anko privately thought that he reproduced asexually and that he was Naruto's grandfather and grandmother. She never vocalized this belief though, she knew her limits when it came to joking with the stoic and unemotional man.
Naruto was even more a surprise to her. And it was a most welcome one. He truly cared about her and some days she would lay around thinking about the boy that would set time in his day aside to check on her and simply talk to her. He had complete authority over her and he still asked her for her preferences more often than not.
Anko smiled as she thought about one of the few times he gave her a direct order. She often struggled with violent nightmares from her time under Orochimaru and inside Konoha, something that she was ashamed of. Naruto had overheard her one night and woke her up. He demanded to know what haunted her dreams. She gave him a brief overview at the time and – while he didn't understand everything that scared her because of his young age – he knew enough that she needed comforting. He ordered her to sleep with him every time she woke up from a nightmare. Nowadays she spent as many days sleeping with him as she did in her own bed. It seemed that the wish she had made when Madara had given her to Naruto had come true and he genuinely cared for her.
Anko was snapped out of her thoughts as her owner took a seat next to her, leaning a little into her side.
"Bored, Anko-chan?" Naruto asked conversationally.
"Yeah," she grumbled, "I can't even sun bathe today because of the rain." Anko glanced at the boy and noticed his dreamy expression; it didn't take long to work out what the boy was thinking of. "And I was thinking of getting rid of my tan lines too," she faked a look of disappointment, "Today was the day I was gonna tan in the nude."
She smiled victoriously as Naruto turned bright red and spluttered.
"Just messin' with ya, Foxy-sama," she said before allowing a smirk to play at the edge of her mouth, "The first time you see me naked is the same time you pop my cherry."
She outright laughed at the boy's wide-eyed expression. She had made sure her owner knew things nine year olds wouldn't normally know. She knew Madara hadn't been pleased with her foul mouth, but he hadn't stopped her either.
"Yeah, I'm bored," she said once she had stopped laughing. "Madara-sama says I'm done with learning stuff and I don't enjoy studying like you do. With the rain and us not being able to spend a lot of time in the city, there just isn't anything to do today."
Naruto nodded in agreement, "Mhmm."
"What's he been doing, by the way?" Anko curiously asked. "Madara-sama's spent a lot of time in the city for the past week."
"He didn't tell you?" Naruto enquired with furrowed brows, "I thought for sure he would have told you."
Anko scowled at the thought that something important had been hidden from her.
"We're moving," Naruto declared.
She blinked in shock before becoming excited, "To the city?"
"No," he started before correcting himself, "Well, sort of. Not Tokyo, but somewhere in England."
"Huh," was her intelligent response.
"Yeah," Naruto said with a nod. "I don't know where exactly, but probably somewhere near London."
Anko was grateful that all the time she spent learning English wouldn't be wasted, but she was confused.
"But, why, what's in London?" She questioned. Anko didn't miss Naruto's frown. "Do you know?"
"Yeah," Naruto said as he looked away from her. "Remember my dream from a few days ago?"
"Yep," she said casually. On the inside though, she was concerned. Naruto rarely ever had bad dreams, and he never screamed out in his sleep before.
"It was…" Naruto hesitated uncomfortably, "It was actually a vision… of the future. Err, a possible future from what Ojii-sama explained."
Anko simply stared at him blankly for a moment. Before meeting Madara she would have doubted the possibility of seeing the future, but after traveling to another world… Or was it universe? She mentally shrugged. Now, she didn't really have too much difficulty accepting the possibility. And Naruto wasn't one to lie about something like this.
"What did you see?" She questioned softly, knowing that he must have seen something unpleasant to wake up screaming.
"People getting… killed," he mumbled.
Anko pulled him onto her lap to offer comfort. She relished in the act, soon he would be too large to do this to.
"Thanks," he murmured quietly. Naruto continued on, notably more relaxed, "Anyway, it happened in London, England. Ojii-sama says that whenever visions like this happen, they come from the Kamis and we're supposed to intervene in some way. I dunno what yet. Maybe we stop it from happening or something. The weird part of the vision is how the people were attacking. They used colorful lights that came out of thin pieces of wood that looked like wands from fantasy books."
Anko thought about that and it did sound weird… A little fruity even to fight with a magical wand, but if it could be used to kill, then it wasn't something to take lightly.
"The good thing is that we'll officially exist finally," Naruto said with a small smirk. "Ojii-sama says that he'll be getting us legal identities, so we don't have to be so reclusive anymore."
Anko grinned at that, she could finally relax when she went into town.
"And since we'll be moving closer to a city, we'll be able to have electricity," Naruto smiled widely.
"Awesome, I really want to check out Cable television!" She cheered loudly as she pumped a fist in anticipation.
-o-o-o-
Bexley, London, England
August 11, 1989
The now-legalized Madara Uchiha was satisfied with his newest home in Bexley, London. It was roughly 30 kilometers away from Big Ben, which had been visible in his grandson's vision. The house sat in a remote location that would permit them to continue their Chakra training without fear of being found out, it had been one of the main buying points for him. The house had many amenities for the group. Madara was most pleased with the multiple study rooms – one for him and another for his grandson, and the library that he would need to stock soon. His grandson – and Anko, he supposed – was most excited about the game room with a billiard table and the room with a heated whirlpool bath. It was also much larger than their former home.
Madara audibly sighed as he through of Tanaka Naoto. To the rest of the world, the reclusive former businessman had suffered a severe heart attack, only three people knew that the man's nervous system had been overstimulated by a Raiton based assassination jutsu. His grandson had not been pleased when the boy learned of Naoto's fate. That had been a tiring conversation but eventually the boy grudgingly accepted that leaving the man alive was too risky. Madara had other means to deal with Naoto, he had access to a Cursed Seal developed by Konoha to keep people silent, but he had wanted the boy to face a person's death as early as possible. Especially since they would likely have to kill the men in black cloaks when the time came.
Madara hadn't bothered taking any of the man's money after leaving, to do so would only draw attention. But it didn't really matter anyway, Madara always had everything he owned sealed onto his body and the countless jewels and precious metals that he had collected in his hundred years of life made worrying about money a non-issue.
Getting official identities was also something they no longer had to be concerned with. He had spent the past ten years studying the intricacies of this world's government and legal system. Using that knowledge and some extensive use of Genjutsu had made getting legal identities easy.
Another thing that had Madara pleased was the sense of energy he felt coming from central London. He had always felt the energy in this world, but it had been so spread out that he couldn't precisely locate its source. He no longer had that problem here; he silently thanked the Kamis for sending Naruto that vision.
Madara would take his grandson to investigate soon.
-o-o-o-
Charing Cross Road
August 17, 1989
"Can you see it?" Madara quietly asked.
"Yeah," his grandson whispered.
It had been a few days since they had finished their move to London. Madara decided it was time to track down the source of energy he had felt since arriving on the continent. It hadn't been difficult, most of the energy originated from one location.
The group was currently standing in front of a rundown building's entrance. Madara and Naruto could see the energy coming from within the building with their Sharingan.
"Place looks like a dump," the two male's female companion bluntly summed up the exterior of the building. "The Leaky Cauldron… Even the name sucks."
Madara barely restrained his sigh. "Anko-san, I expect you to curb that loose tongue of yours."
Anko paled slightly, she apparently heard the unspoken threat.
"I am unsure of what we will encounter in the building," Madara firmly stated, "We must do our best to appear casual and comfortable in the environment while we gather more information and before making any decisions. Do not attempt to use Genjutsu or Chakra-based techniques; we do not know the capabilities of this unknown energy. Naruto, this means no Sharingan." Both he and his grandson deactivated their Sharingan. "Both of you stay close to me and follow my lead."
Confident that they would handle themselves well – Anko knew she would be punished if she made a serious mistake and he knew his grandson was perceptive and intelligent enough – he turned and led them into the building.
Once inside, his eyes quickly took in the interior of The Leaky Cauldron. He inwardly grimaced, the inside wasn't much better than the outside. It was dark, even at midday, and messy. Tables and chairs were scattered on the old and worn unvarnished wooden floor. Madara was surprised to see fire-based chandeliers and candles as the source of lighting. It did little for the aesthetics of the place, something that was easy to see as the place was currently completely empty. Only the bartender was inside the pub. Madara knew the incoming conversation with the man tending the bar would be Anko's greatest test in self-control. The man was unsightly; heavily bald with odd patches of hair scattered around the top and sides of his head, a large nose that appeared as though it had been broken severely at some point in the man's life, a pointy chin that jutted out, and the man appeared to be completely toothless from what Madara could see.
Without breaking stride he walked toward the man at a leisurely pace, as though he took no notice of the rundown condition of the building or the physical appearance of the bartender.
"How y'all doin', I'm Tom and welcome to The Leaky Cauldron," Tom said with a gummy smile.
"Afternoon, Tom," Madara faked a pleasant tone and friendly smile. He paused briefly, hoping the man would give him something to improvise from.
Fate was working with him on that day.
"Hogwarts?" The toothless man asked brightly while looking at his grandson.
Madara had no clue what that could be, but he had nothing else to work with. He nodded easily.
"Congratulations, I still remember gettin' my wand at eleven," Tom said cheerfully to his grandson. "I'm guessin' y'all are muggles, give me a moment and I'll let you into the Alley." The man turned away and began messing around behind the bar.
Madara never lost his pleasant smile, but he was inwardly frowning at the unfamiliar terms. He could not recall 'hogwarts' or 'muggles' being a part of the slang lexicon that he knew of. The man also seemed to believe his grandson was eleven, considering his ignorance, he would allow the bartender to keep that assumption. He watched Tom return and signal for them to follow the man through the door in the back of the building, which they did.
"Now, the first place y'all will want to go is Gringotts bank, it's the large white buildin' on the right. Can't miss it," Tom said while they walked through an empty courtyard that was behind The Leaky Cauldron. "You can exchange your muggle money there, after that most people stop by Ollivander's to get their wands. Kids can't usually wait any longer to get their first wand," the man commented as they stopped in front of a brick wall.
Madara watched as the man pulled a thin piece of wood – a wand, he mentally corrected – out of his pocket and tapped a few bricks on the wall. The wall opened to reveal a cramped alleyway with large oddly shaped buildings, the road was filled with many people wearing cloaks moving from shop to shop, most of them had children that appeared to be his grandson's age.
"Welcome to Diagon Alley," Tom exclaimed with pride.
Madara brought his thoughts back to the man that was currently guiding them. Everything about the man came off as friendly and helpful to Madara, he saw no reason to skip the opportunity to ask a few questions.
"Refresh my memory, Tom," he said with a smile of feigned embarrassment, "I'm getting up there in my age and I forget things easily, but what was a 'muggle' again?"
Tom blinked at that before smiling again, "Don't worry about it, I'm gettin' up there too. Muggles are what we wizards call you non-magical people. You best be finishin' your shoppin' soon, Hogwarts will be startin' in a couple weeks."
And with that, the toothless man ushered the small group through the opening, which promptly closed again once they had passed the archway.
Glancing around, Madara did not see any particular reason to continue being as wary as they had been. The people shopping all had their children with them and they were all relaxed and inattentive to the newest members of this 'Diagon Alley'. Well, most didn't pay the group any attention; occasionally some people would scowl and glare at their clothing. Madara figured it was unpopular to be without a cloak when around 'wizarding' people.
"You have enough money in your wallet?" His grandon asked.
Madara heard the emphasis during the question. It wouldn't be wise to use a sealing scroll in this situation. "I do, now come. Let us see this 'Gringotts bank.'"
As they began walking down Diagon Alley, Madara couldn't help but feel unimpressed by the underground world. It was like one of his grandson's story books about witches and magic had come to life. There was a shop on his left that sold potion cauldrons and one on his right that sold animal ingredients for the potions; he heard Anko gag when she noticed that particular store. Madara nearly snorted at the shop for flying brooms. They seemed to hit every stereotype, even the pointed hats, which most people seemed to go without.
"Flourish and Blotts," his grandson whispered as they passed by that particular store.
"Figures," Anko teased, "The first thing that catches your eye is a bookstore and not all the cute girls checking you out."
His grandson turned a very slight red at that and the boy glanced around to confirm Anko's statement. That was one of the reasons he permitted Anko to flirt and act the way she did with his grandson, because eventually the boy would be so accustomed to it that his grandson wouldn't be too affected when women attempted to seduce him in a few years.
After continuing past a few shops, they stopped a few dozen yards away from the entrance to Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Tom had been correct, you couldn't miss it. It was very tall, towering over the adjacent buildings, and pearly-white. Its doors were also large and seemed to be made of bronze. It was the workers that guarded it that caught Madara's eye though. They were very short, peach colored humanoid-looking creatures; their ears were large and pointed, as was their claw-like fingers.
"What are they?" Anko said with unveiled disgust.
"Goblins," a passerby responded, their tone matching Anko's, "ugly little creatures aren't they? But I suppose they serve a purpose, they protect our money, so we have to put up with them."
Madara spoke up once the person had moved on. "We have wasted enough time looking at the building," he declared as he began leading his small group into the building.
A wide nicely furnished room with marble flooring greeted them once they had entered. There were a dozen people who formed a line waiting for a bank teller to become free.
"Just to be sure," one of the men not wearing a cloak said after Madara joined the line, "£5 is roughly equal to one of these golden Galleons. A Galleon is worth 17 silver Sickles, and how many Knuts was a Sickle again?"
The stern faced woman with graying hair answered. "29 Knuts to a Sickle."
"Daddy!" The little girl standing next to the man called out. "Can I get a flying broom? Michael from down the street always wanted to fly and since his birthday is next week, I could get him one."
"Ms. Johnson," the older woman said firmly, "You are not allowed to reveal anything of the Wizarding World to your friends."
"But Professor McGonagall," the girl – Ms. Johnson – whined, "why can't I just tell Michael? He's my best friend since we were little!"
Madara watched Professor McGonagall pinch the bridge of her nose briefly. "We have already gone over this, Ms. Johnson. It is against the law to reveal information on the Wizarding World to non-magical people. Now come on, that goblin over there is free." Professor McGonagall, Ms. Johnson and the girl's father walked to the free teller.
"How much are you going to exchange, Ojii-sama?" His grandson asked as they waited for their turn.
Madara thought about that for a moment, thinking back on some of the objects he seen displayed in the shop windows and the prices they were advertised for.
"The books displayed at that bookstore averaged 3 Galleons. If that man was correct, then that is around £15," Madara mused. "Going from that, I believe we would be fine with £2500, but to be safe I'll exchange a bit more."
Madara's eyes caught sight of an open teller and he led his grandson and Anko over to the small creature.
"Yes," the goblin sneered.
"I want to exchange £3800," Madara said with an unemotional voice while handing the money to the goblin. He saw no reason to fake a friendly tone with such a grouchy little creature.
"Do you have a bag for it?" The goblin questioned harshly.
Madara remembered that the man had said they were 'golden' and 'silver' currency. "No, I assume you can provide one."
The goblin's response was to increase the severity of his sneer before calling out loudly in an inhuman-sounding language that Madara didn't understand. A few goblins scurried around before rushing over to the goblin teller.
"Here," the teller rudely said, "752 Galleons, 13 Sickles and 20 Knuts. We took the 7 Galleons, 3 Sickles and 9 Knuts out already for the bottomless bag." The goblin nearly threw the bag into Madara's hands before glaring at him, his grandson and Anko.
He led his group out of the bank quickly; he knew Anko would snap if allowed in the vile creature's presence for too long.
Once outside, he turned to his grandson, "Tom recommended we stop by 'Ollivander's' first and I have to agree. We can see this energy, but we have yet to find out if we can use it," Madara whispered low enough that only Anko and his grandson would hear.
"I didn't see any Ollivander's or a wand shop on the way to Gringotts," Naruto said. "It is likely down there," the boy pointed down the side of Diagon Alley they hadn't come from. "I doubt it's over there down that dark alleyway, Tom doesn't seem like the type of person to shop from such a dark-looking street."
Madara agreed and the group began looking for the wand shop. The street wasn't very long, so it didn't take much time to find it near the end.
"There it is," his grandson pointed out. "Ollivander's: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C., I find it hard to believe that this world has remained unknown for that long with people like Tom working the entrance."
Madara silently agree with him as they walked into the shop. Cramped and dusty were the main ways to describe the interior. Countless thin boxes lined the high-ceiling walls.
"Good afternoon," a soft voice called from the back as an elderly man with white hair and pale silver eyes stepped out.
"You are Ollivander?" Madara enquired.
"Mr. Ollivander, yes," the man nodded, "This shop has been in my family since 382 B.C. You've all come for wands I take it? I sense the magic from you… It's a new feeling of magic, if possible, it feels… fresher than any type of magic I have ever felt before. Curious. Ah, I see, only two of you for wands then, the boy will have to wait for two more years."
Madara raised a brow, "What prevents him from purchasing a wand now?"
"Ministry law," Mr. Ollivander said with a piercing gaze. "He can only own a wand once he becomes eleven years of age. Moving on though, I'm intrigued by what type of wand your fresher magic will chose. Who's first?"
Madara motioned to Anko to step forward, which she did after his grandson gave her a nice shove.
Anko scowled at the boy as she hesitantly walked to where the old man had called her.
"And you are, miss?" Mr. Ollivander asked while pulling out what seemed to be a tape measure. "Which is your wand arm?"
"Anko Mitarashi," she said shortly, "And what do you mean by wand arm?"
The tape measure sprung to life and began measuring various parts of her body. "Which is your main arm?"
"Oh, well," Anko replied as she batted the tape measure away when it began measuring the size of her nose, "I'm able to use both hands and arms equally."
Mr. Ollivander did not seem to care for the now-unmoving tape measure, it lay forgotten on the ground as he left and returned with a narrow box. "Willow with Dragon heartstring," the man said has he held the opened wand case out to Anko.
A few sparkles flew out of it when she grasped it with her right hand, but the wand maker seemed dissatisfied with it as he immediately returned the wand to the case and left to grab another.
After ten minutes, Anko was visibly becoming irritated with trying wand after wand. Mr. Ollivander on the other hand, only seemed to become more excited as time when on.
"Ah!" The man exclaimed as he returned with a dark purple-almost black case. "I think this'll do the trick. Elm with Firedrake heartstring, 10½ inches."
Anko sighed in pleasure as she grabbed the wand and it shot out a large amount of sparks. Madara watched her nearly run back to Naruto's side, obviously grateful to be done with her selection.
"Now you, mister…"
"Uchiha," Madara replied, taking Anko's former spot. "I can use both hands as well. However, I'm right hand dominant." He glared at the tape measure as it returned to life and approached him; it seemed to cower beneath the heated gaze as it chose to rest itself on a dusty table nearby.
His wand selection took twice as long as Anko's had, eventually finishing with his selection. Madara felt a shiver of power run through his spine as he held the thirteen inch, yew and Roc feather wand.
"Excellent!" Mr. Ollivander cheered. "Now, that'll be 23 Galleons total."
Madara reached into his wizard currency bag, but before he had begun removing any of the coins a question entered his mind. "Mr. Ollivander," he said, "Are there any ways to hold our wands, other than simply in our pockets. It does not seem wise to hold such an important item in such an unsecured manner."
"Absolutely, Mr. Uchiha," the man answered with a nod. "There are wand holsters that attach to your forearm and allow you to quickly and easily draw your wand whenever the intent is there."
"We'll take two, along with the wands," Madara declared. A few minutes later they were back in Diagon Alley.
"Where to now?" Anko asked while tweaking the one of the holster straps on her arm.
"Flourish and Blotts," Naruto answered her, "It's the best location to find out more about this place."
Madara nodded in agreement, "I agree, after that we will take a look down that dark side alley across from Gringotts."
It did not take long to make their way back to the bookstore. Once they had entered, Madara was pleased with the place. Flourish and Blotts was the largest store on Diagon Alley and it was filled with reading material. There were two floors packed with books. He could see around two dozen children escorted by adults choosing various books. He assumed that Hogwarts was a school for children and they were buying the school textbooks.
"Ugh," Anko's voice whined, "Too many books."
Madara silently sighed, he did not wish to deal with a complaining Anko. "Naruto," the boy turned to him, "Take Anko and look around, try to find out whatever you can." His grandson nodded and dragged Anko off by the hand.
Now that he was alone he glanced around for the proprietor of the shop, or at least someone who worked at it. After seeing the person he was looking for he casually made his way over to them.
"Excuse me," he said with a friendly smile, "My grandson will be entering Hogwarts soon and I was wondering if you could point me toward books that would help our adjustment." Madara hoped he was correct in his presumption that Hogwarts was a school for children.
"That cute blond boy you walked in with?" The saleswoman asked with a smile. "He's going to be a little heartbreaker. I've never seen such an exotic and good-looking boy."
Madara nearly scowled at the woman, he did not wish to waste time gossiping. "Yeah, takes after his father," he forced out with a warm tone. "He's such a studious boy too, loves reading and learning new things. I would like to know what he's talking about though, reason I desperately need your help." He tried to direct the conversation back to the original topic.
"Are you sure you aren't his father?" The woman asked as she shamelessly looked him over. "You're definitely handsome enough to be."
Madara inwardly sighed.
"I find you pleasant to look at as well," he teased with a slight smile.
It took him a while, but he was able to get her to truly assist him in finding out more information on the Wizarding World. The saleswoman – Kate – tested his patience constantly. Her behavior cycled between making blunt attempts at flirting with him, completely forgetting what they had been discussing, and gossiping and making snide comments about one of the customers. As much as he wanted to be done with her, he ended up spending over an hour leading her around learning as much as he could.
By the time he excused himself from her company to rejoin his grandson he had over twenty different books. Most of them general information guides about the Wizarding World and the different branches of magic.
"Naruto," Madara called out once he had located his grandson. The boy had his head buried in a large book while Anko was sleeping on a chair beside him, drool leaking from her mouth.
His grandson jerked his head up, "I found out quite a bit, Ojii-sama. There were a group of kids that I was able to hang out with, I was able to pick up a bunch of information."
"Good," Madara said, "Kate was helpful as well."
It was only after he had spoken did he realize the mistake he made.
"Kate?" Naruto said with a grin. "Ah, the woman you were spending time with? I didn't know you were on a first name basis with her already."
It was times like this that made him regret not killing Anko. "Naruto, she already pushed my patience to their limit, I have no desire to joke about with you. You will leave it be," he sternly ordered. Kate had been the most obnoxious and thoughtless woman he had ever met.
"Wow," his grandson said, an expression of awe on his face that made Madara inwardly groan. "This Kate seems to bring out a rare passion in you. Perhaps I'll have a mother figure now! Anko-chan and I will plan the wedding! You did get her number, didn't you? Err, Owl Address I suppose for the Wizarding World. When's the first date?"
"Naruto," he said, voice holding a very dangerous edge, "You will drop this matter or we will be sparring once we return home." He was satisfied when his grandson turned white and kept quiet. "Now, how many books have you picked up?"
"Eighteen," his grandson said as he motioned to the stack of books on the table. "One for Potions, two for Transfiguration, two for Charms, two for Defense Against the Dark Arts, one for Arithmancy, one for Ancient Runes, two for Divination, two for Warding, one copy of Hogwarts: A History, one copy of Wizarding World Laws and You, and three general books about the Wizarding World and magic."
Madara was pleased with the boy's selection. They would have ample time to come back to Diagon Alley and purchase more books at a later date, but for now this would do.
"Help me place them in this book trunk that Kate gave me," Madara said with a sharp glare to cut off any teasing. "Afterwards we'll check out that dark side alley before heading home, we'll look into the other stores on Diagon Alley when we have more information on this world. And wake Anko up, she's drooling."
The books had cost more than Madara had anticipated, but it didn't matter. 150 Galleons later, they were outside the bookstore and walking toward the dark alley. Just as they were about to enter it, they were stopped.
"Wait! Stop, don't go in there!" A woman called out frantically.
Madara and his group turned to see a shorter-than-average overweight redheaded woman hustling over to them.
"Thank Merlin I got to you in time!" She exclaimed. "You don't want to go in there, trust me. You muggleborn don't know it, but there is nothing but nefarious things down that way."
"What do you mean?" Naruto asked.
"Knockturn Alley is the place for Dark objects and people," she whispered, as though sharing a secret. "Nothing but evil down that way, I tell you."
Madara quickly went over his options. He could tell the woman to leave and simply walk down Knockturn Alley anyway, but that would draw far more attention than he would want. He could also pretend to leave and simply return once the woman was gone, but he didn't really need to see the other alleyway that badly today. He went with the third option – he would simply leave and return at a later date when they had more information on the Wizarding World. They still needed to explore all the other stores on Diagon Alley, so they would need to return eventually anyways.
"Thank you very much, miss…" He said with a forced smile.
"Mrs. Weasley dear, Molly Weasley," she returned the smile. "Don't mention it, I had been buying some last-minute supplies for my twin sons – they're going off to Hogwarts this year – and I noticed you people. I just couldn't, in good conscious, allow you to enter such a bad place without warning you."
"Well, thank you again, Mrs. Weasley," he said with a warm tone. "We need to be leaving now, do you mind telling us how to get out of Diagon? Tom was the one that opened the entrance for us."
"Oh, that's easy," Mrs. Weasley replied, "You can Floo or Apparate out, but if you want to go through The Leaky Cauldron entrance, you just tap the green brick on this side of the wall with your wand and it opens right up."
"You have a pleasant afternoon," Madara faked another smile and led his grandson and Anko away from the woman and toward home.