Hanging by a Moment
Chapter Seven: Planning

"I don't know what it is," answered Fiver wretchedly. "There isn't any danger here, at the moment. But it's coming – it's coming." (Richard Adams, Watership Down)

Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things. (Unknown)

Your friends are the people that will put up with you not only when you're happy and joking and laughing, but also when you're sick and tired and miserable. (Anon)


Hogwarts School
December 7th

Sakura sighed in frustration.

They'd left Konoha a week ago, and yet they'd still had no luck in finding Naruto. They'd searched throughout the Outside's Japan and Korea, moving swiftly at night and using genjutsu to hide some of their oddities in the daylight. But they'd still found nothing. Shikamaru had suggested that they search the areas closest to the Shield, theorizing that going through the Shield would have drained the jutsu of a lot of its power, therefore making it deposit Naruto somewhere close by. But so far, it looked like Shikamaru, for the first time Sakura had known him, was wrong.

Sakura looked over at Shikamaru. The team was staying in a dingy hotel in Tokyo, a place where they could come and go as they pleased without anyone noticing or commenting. Shikamaru currently sat on one of the beds in Hinata and Sakura's room, not paying attention to the discussion Kakashi, Neji and Hinata were having about their next move. His eyes were dark and thoughtful, and he'd adopted his thinking pose. Sakura sighed and moved over to his side.

"Shika?" she said quietly. Shikamaru didn't look at her. "Shikamaru!" His head jerked up. She smiled slightly at him. "What's on your mind?" she said, more gently.

Shikamaru shook his head, frowning. "We should have found him by now," he said lowly, troubled. "Since we haven't . . . that means he really could be anywhere."

"That's what we thought before," Sakura pointed out pragmatically. Shikamaru's frown deepened.

"Not entirely," he said. "We assumed that he would be near the border of the Shield – in this case, in Japan or Korea, the two closest countries to the Shield. But he isn't. That means that the transportation jutsu was strong enough to send him outside the border of the Shield, which means that it was strong enough to send him anywhere in the Outside at all – no matter how far away." He sighed. "Naruto always does like to be unpredictable," he murmured.

Sakura smiled, thinking of her teammate's antics. Then her face turned somber. "So, how do we narrow it down? It could take weeks to search every country the way we've been doing here."

"It's the only option we have," Shikamaru said. "Unless Naruto decides to get himself into trouble and sends off a pulse strong enough to feel if we're close by . . . . We'll have to rely on Neji and Hinata to get us through each country faster, since they can see Naruto's chakra if it's in their radius."

Sakura sighed. She'd known that this could take a while, but it didn't stop the itching to find Naruto. She could count on one hand the times she'd gone a day without seeing her teammate since he came back with Jiraiya, and being this long without him was making her antsy. She turned to see Neji, Hinata and Kakashi all watching them, their conversation done as they took in Shikamaru's words.

"We might cover more distance if we go in separate teams," Neji drawled. "We can communicate via summons if one of us finds Naruto first."

"Hinata and Sakura and then Neji, Kakashi and I," Shikamaru said instantly.

"I can work on my own, Shikamaru," Kakashi said smiling. "My nin dogs know Naruto's scent well, and if he was nearby they could find him as quickly as Neji or Hinata."

Shikamaru frowned. "It's the Outside, Kakashi," he warned. "You're sure you want to go on your own?"

Kakashi eye-smiled. "I can take care of myself," he said. Sakura blinked. She always forgot that her teacher had been an ANBU once – had been the prodigy child even, graduating as young as he did. Kakashi hid his abilities well.

Shikamaru took him in, then sighed. "Alright," he said. "I have my deer, Hinata has her ravens, and Kakashi, of course, has the dogs – if anyone finds Naruto first, send out a summons immediately with the location."

"Yes Shikamaru," they all chorused, most of them rolling their eyes (except for Neji, who had deemed himself above eye-rolling, and Kakashi, who just eye-smiled instead).

Shikamaru was always their de facto leader whenever Naruto wasn't around, and sometimes he took his job too seriously. Sakura smiled a bit, remembering his younger self – back then, she couldn't have imagined Shikamaru being a good leader. But he was, even if he still did complain about all the work he had to do.

"We'll leave tomorrow at dawn," Shikamaru continued. "Hinata and Sakura will stay here and work their way through China, India and the Middle East into Europe, Neji and I will tackle the Americas and Canada, as well as any islands around them, and Kakashi will work his way south into Australia, coming back to Africa if he can't find Naruto there. Understood?" They all nodded. "I know Kakashi is well-versed in the Outside, but all our team has had were the crash courses before we left. Do we know everything we need to? About the money, the layout . . . .?"

"Genjutsu anything odd," Sakura parroted, rolling her eyes. "Keep to ourselves. Use basic English if we need to speak, and they'll assume we're tourists."

"And yes," Neji added, seeing Shikamaru about to speak, "we all know the basic phrases that Tsunade pounded in our heads." He shared a look with Sakura.

"Use maps whenever possible, the money changes by the country, ect ect. We get it, Shika," she finished. "Now stop being a mother hen. You know Naruto would laugh to see how you're acting now."

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Troublesome," he murmured, standing. "I'll see you all in the morning," he said as he strode out of the room. Neji and Kakashi followed him, the former nodding in goodbye as the later gave a cheery wave.

Sakura sighed, sitting on her bed as Hinata went into their small, dingy bathroom to wash up before bed. She could only hope that this plan of theirs worked. She didn't know what she would do if they'd lost Naruto forever.


Harry looked horrible.

Naruto frowned as he entered the Great Hall. Harry hadn't looked horrible the day before, but today he looked gaunt. Dark shadows decorated the hollows underneath his dulled eyes, and his robes seemed to hang off of him. Immediately, Naruto went to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Harry. The Great Hall quieted for a moment, but not to the extent it had the first time he'd done the stunt.

"Harry," Naruto said gently, looking at Harry's plate. All that was on it was a piece of chicken breast that had been nibbled at. "Why aren't you eating?"

Harry looked at Naruto with exhausted eyes. "What do you mean?" he asked. Naruto could hear the slight slur to his words.

"Harry," he said, with more concern. "What's going on? You didn't look like this yesterday or the day before. What happened?"

Harry frowned at him. "Nothing, Naruto," he said more clearly, trying to work up a smile. It came out as more of a grimace. "I'm just a little tired."

Naruto eyed him skeptically. "A little tired is when you've missed a few hours of sleep the night before and you're a little groggy," he corrected. "You look more like you haven't slept for months." Harry made a face and Naruto's concern grew. "Harry, you have been sleeping, haven't you? I know you're an insomniac, but you do need to catch a few hours here and there." Naruto looked down at the plate. "Besides that, you have to eat."

Harry scowled at him. "I don't need a babysitter," he snapped. "Why don't you just go nag someone else, Uzumaki?"

Naruto took the snap in stride. He was friends with some of the moodiest people on the planet – Harry's little temper tantrum couldn't even faze him.

"Because, unlike you, everyone else looks remotely healthy," Naruto pointed out, with a dryness to his tone that suggested he was spending a little too much time with Snape.

Harry's scowl deepened. "I'm fine," he stressed.

Naruto sighed. "If you insist," he said, knowing stubbornness when he saw it. "But can you at least eat something more than that?" He waved a hand at the nibbled-on chicken. Harry gave it a look and nodded, reluctantly grabbing some mashed potatoes and shepherd's pie.

Naruto kept an eye on him as he ate his own dinner. Harry seemed to gain some motivation during the first half of dinner, but as the hour wore on, his movements got slower and more sluggish. He could feel other Gryffindors around him giving Harry concerned looks, but they didn't say anything about it. Naruto wondered where Ron and Hermione were – surely if anyone could get Harry to go to the Hospital Wing, it'd be them. But they were missing. Naruto scowled and made a mental note to scold them for leaving Harry alone when he looked as horrible as he did. Hadn't they been friends for six or seven years? They should know how to look after him by now.

Naruto turned away for a second to grab some pudding when he heard a thump behind him. Immediately, he turned to see Harry had collapsed, falling backwards off of the bench he'd been sitting on. His eyes were closed, and he was clearly unconscious. The Gryffindors were going into an uproar, but Naruto ignored them as he knelt by Harry's side, checking his eyes and his head for bruises. He heard hurried footsteps next to him and looked up to see McGonagall coming over to him, closely followed by Dumbledore and Snape. Naruto sighed.

"What happened?" McGonagall demanded as soon as she was close enough. All around them, students were murmuring amongst themselves, the yelling having died down, and they all leaned in to listen. Naruto looked up at the sea of expectant faces and shook his head.

"We should get him to the Hospital Wing," he said.

Carefully, he leaned forward and grasped Harry's shoulders, pulling him over his shoulder in the way he'd carried many fallen comrades before. He heard McGonagall gasp, and wondered if she was more surprised that he could carry Harry so easily or that he was a Slytherin that was helping the Boy-Who-Lived. Naruto frowned when he felt just how light Harry was – he was hardly more than skin and bones. Naruto scowled and wondered why no one, including himself, had noticed it. Harry had looked fine, not two days ago. Why had he started looking horrible all of the sudden? Maybe he'd been using magic, Naruto mused silently. Maybe there was magic that could cover thinness and dark bruises under the eyes, like a genjutsu could.

He heard yelling follow his exit from the hall, but he paid it no attention. He'd explored a lot of the castle during his nighttime roaming, and he had a vague idea of where the Hospital Wing was, so he started in that direction. Soon enough he heard footsteps following him. He was unsurprised when Dumbledore and Snape came up on his sides.

"Tell us what happened, Uzumaki," Snape said sharply. Naruto took a deep breath.

"Harry's an insomniac," he said. "My guess is that he hasn't slept for who knows how long – and he needs some sleep. He also hasn't been eating, and I guess having a madman after your head would make anyone a little stressed." Snape snorted. "So he probably collapsed because of all of that combined. It's probably nothing your mediwitch can't heal."

"Yes, I'm sure he'll be fine," Dumbledore interjected, looking thoughtful. "Although, I must say, I'm not sure how you'll handle this, my boy," he said to Naruto.

Naruto blinked at him, shifting Harry's weight on his shoulder. "What do you mean?"

"He means the entire school saw you carry Potter out of there, Uzumaki," Snape said irritably. "If they didn't know your allegiances beforehand, they're going to know now. And there's no doubt that some of the students won't let it rest."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "I think I can take whatever they dish out," he pointed out. "I've faced a lot worse than a few schoolchildren with some nasty insults."

"That is true," Dumbledore mused. "You did live with Severus for a few weeks. I'm sure anything the students say to you will pale in comparison to what he could say."

Naruto beamed at Dumbledore as Snape scowled. "Exactly, old man!" he said, deciding not to mention all the other acerbic people he'd known during his lifetime. Snape came close to trumping them all anyways.

"It may not be only the schoolchildren he's facing," Snape snarled. He lowered his voice. "Our mutual friend has expressed an interest in him as well, Albus, you know this. He won't be happy about how close to Potter Uzumaki is getting."

Dumbledore tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Or maybe he will," he said. "If you tell him that you've spoken with Naruto, and he's sympathetic . . . . Maybe he'll believe that Naruto is plotting to get close to Harry to spirit him away."

Snape's angry expression cleared into a thoughtful one. "That might work," he murmured.

"Well, it was nice of you to consult me on this," Naruto interjected, a little annoyed at how they were discussing him as if he wasn't there.

Snape sneered. "Well, next time perhaps you should think before acting, Uzumaki. If you'd let the other Gryffindors rush to Potter's defense – and if you stopped sitting at the Gryffindor table – perhaps we wouldn't need to make a cover story without your consent."

Naruto scowled. "I like the Gryffindors, but they were like headless chickens back there," he said. "Harry needed to be taken to the Hospital Wing, and they were all screaming in a panic because he'd fainted. Someone needed to take care of him."

Snape harrumphed. "As you've said, his condition is not life-threatening. He could have waited an extra minute for another student – or, dare I say, a teacher – to carry him out."

Naruto bared his teeth. "I did what I thought was best, Snape," he said, more acid in his tone than he'd ever used towards Snape before. He saw that it startled the man, and quickly drew his anger under his mask.

He didn't like seeing his friends hurt. It always made him panic – what if they never got better? What if they left him? Harry's condition, however, didn't make him worry so much as it made him feel guilty. Whatever he had used – Naruto should've seen through it. He should've been able to help. He'd dealt with insomnia and stress and not wanting to eat before – he should've been able to see the signs and prevent Harry from getting bad enough to collapse in the middle of a meal. The guilt was making him angry, and his anger always made him sharp with everyone, no matter how close he was to them. He remembered a time when Neji had been hurt protecting him and he'd talked to Hinata in a way that made her burst into tears. Sakura had punched him for that.

Naruto sighed in relief as they reached the Hospital Wing doors. He hurried in after Snape, who was calling for Madame Promphrey. She hurried out of her office and gasped in shock when she saw that Harry was slung over Naruto's shoulder.

"Oh my!" she said, hurrying Naruto to one of the beds. "Put him down here, dear. What happened to him?"

"He passed out," Naruto said, laying Harry down carefully on one of the medical beds. "He hasn't been sleeping or eating well," he added, watching as Madame Promphrey began to wave her wand over Harry. The wand sparked various colors, which seemed to tell her something, but left Naruto clueless. "Is he alright?" he asked anxiously.

"Let me find out, dear," Madame Promphrey said impatiently.

"Let her do her job, Naruto," Dumbledore said kindly, drawing Naruto away from Harry's side to where he and Snape were standing and watching.

Naruto tapped his feet and watched anxiously as Madame Promphrey continued to do her magical tests. Several things seemed to concern her, for when her wand sparked a certain way she exclaimed and frowned. Finally, however, she seemed to finish, for she put her wand away and turned to the threesome standing by the door.

"As Mr. Uzumaki has said, Harry hasn't been sleeping or eating well," she said professionally. "He's also been under extreme stress. He's wasting away," she added, shaking her head. "It's a wonder that he hasn't collapsed before this! He's only around seven stones (1) Albus!" she exclaimed.

"Seven?" Snape asked, frowning as he stared at the figure on the bed. "You're sure?"

"Of course!" Madame Promphrey said. "He's underweight and his nutrition is horrible – even worse than a child who eats nothing but sweets all day. Not to mention, he might be developing stomach ulcers."

Naruto frowned, and was about to ask what those were when Snape said, "Stomach ulcers are small holes in the gastrointestinal tract. The stomach and intestines," he added, when Naruto's face remained blank. "They has been research that suggests they are caused by psychological stress." He turned to Madame Promphrey. "You're sure he has them?"

Madame Promphrey sighed. "It looks like the walls of his stomach are starting to wear down," she said wearily. "In several places, there might be holes, but at this point there're too small to tell. All I can tell you, is that it's a very large possibility that he'll develop them in the future. He'll need the potion if he does, Severus," she added to Snape. "You know they can be painful."

"Of course," Snape said, bowing his head. "Is there anything else wrong with him?"

"Other than ulcers, malnutrition and sleeping problems?" Madame Promphrey asked dryly. "No, there isn't. But you know I only examine the physical, Severus. You know what this boy has seen, what's been done to him. It's more than possible that there are psychological scars."

"What's happened to him?" Naruto asked, eyes intense. The adults all exchanged looks.

"I do believe that that is Mr. Potter's tale to tell," Dumbledore said gently. Naruto frowned.

He supposed that if Harry's history was anything like his, he wouldn't be very willing to tell it to complete strangers. Still, Naruto couldn't help but be a little curious. Curiosity was in his nature.

"For now, it's best that he be left alone," Madame Promphrey said. "When he wakes, I'll give him a Dreamless Sleep potion and make sure he sleeps. If he continues to sleep more and eat well, he'll be alright. He'll need to have a monthly check-up for those ulcers, though, and if he develops them he'll need the potion, as I said before."

"Thank you, Poppy," Dumbledore said, smiling a little. "I know we leave him in good hands."

Madame Promphrey sighed. "I just wish I wouldn't see him in here so often," she lamented. "He's one of the most frequent patients I've had outside of the Marauders." Snape stiffened. Naruto stared up at him curiously. Madame Promphrey seemed to notice his sudden tenseness as well, for she gave him a side-long look and added, "And Severus, too, of course."

"Now that the brat has been seen to, it is time to take my leave," Snape said stiffly. "Uzumaki, you should return as well. Likely the Gryffindors will be frantic now that their pack leader is missing."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Thanks for everything," he told Madame Promphrey. "See you around, old man!" he added to Dumbledore, and then followed Snape out of the Hospital Wing.

Snape was walking fast – so fast that Naruto had to half-run to keep up with his long strides. "What's irritating you now?" he asked with annoyance. "And can't you slow down?"

Snape frowned, but he slowed down a little. Naruto sighed in relief. "Nothing is irritating me," he said.

Naruto snorted. "Of course something is," he said dismissively. "You don't walk fast when you're calm, Snape."

Snape scowled. "What's it matter to you?" he snapped. Naruto held up his hands in a peaceful gesture.

"Nothing!" he said. "It's just, if you're going to make me run to keep up with you, you might as well tell me why."

Snape regarded him out of the corner of his eye for a moment before he took a deep breath and slowed to his normal walking speed. "It was nothing of consequence," he said, still a little short. "Just a bad memory."

Naruto frowned. "Did it have to do with those people Promphrey mentioned? The Mara-something?"

Snape tensed again. "Just let it go!" he snapped. "It doesn't matter!"

Naruto eyed him for a moment, then sighed. "Alright," he said, more gently. "I didn't mean to pry."

Snape snorted. "Of course you did," he said, in a tone that was a little calmer. "If you had a middle name, it would be Pry."

Naruto tilted his head. "Uzumaki Pry Naruto," he said musingly. "It has a little bit of ring to it."

Snape's snort was his amused one instead of his 'you're-such-an-imbecile-I-have-no-words-for-you' snort. Naruto grinned happily. He liked making Snape almost-laugh. One day, it was his goal to get a full laugh out of him – honest-to-god belly-laugh, the kind that made tears run out of your eyes and your face go red. Until then, he'd content himself with the occasional chuckle and the Amused Snort™.

"You like Potter, don't you?" Snape asked abruptly. Naruto blinked at the sudden subject change.

"What?" he asked in confusion.

"Potter," Snape said again. "You like him."

Naruto frowned. "Well, yeah," he said honestly. "Harry's a good guy and a good friend. Why?"

Snape sighed. "If you like him," he said, "you need to know that he gets into a number of life-threatening mishaps every year and is the most insufferably stubborn idiot I've ever met in my entire life, and that includes his bullheaded father."

Naruto considered this, then grinned. "He sounds like me," he said brightly. Snape sighed again.

"Just . . . be careful," he said cautiously. "If you're Potter's friend, things are bound to happen to you. You're going to get mixed up in this war."

Naruto stopped in the middle of the hallway. Snape stopped with him, turning to stare at him in puzzlement. "Thanks," Naruto said sincerely. "I appreciate the warning, I really do, but . . . I can take care of myself. You, of all people, should know that."

Snape frowned. "I do not know much about your abilities at all," he said. "But I do believe that you can protect yourself."

Naruto grinned and started to walk again. "Well if you knew, why'd you warn me?" Snape said nothing and Naruto's grin widened. "Aw, was Snapey worried about little old me?" He fluttered his eyelashes.

Snape growled. "Do you like your penis attached to your body, Uzumaki?" he asked in a soft, dangerous tone. Naruto gulped and nodded fervently. "Then you will be silent."

Naruto decided it was in his best interest not to talk for the rest of their trip to the Great Hall.


"What were you thinking?"

Naruto sighed as he took in Draco's angry face. They were sitting in the library, which was a blessing because Naruto suspected that if they hadn't been, Draco's voice would be much louder and much more shrill.

"Not only did you sit at the Gryffindor table, yet again, but you carried Potter to the Hospital Wing!" Draco whispered furiously. "Do you know how that looks?"

Naruto glanced around and leaned forward. "Of course I do!" he muttered. "But I couldn't just leave him there!"

Draco groaned. "You know that there are some Slytherins who want your blood, don't you? Not only are you a squib, but you're Potter's friend. Do you know how much danger you're putting yourself in?"

"Why, Draco, I didn't know you cared," Naruto said, smiling a little.

They'd gotten closer, Draco and him. Mostly it was because of Blaise, who was their mutual friend, but it was also because Naruto had dealt with many prissy and arrogant people in the past, and Draco's attitude didn't faze him as much as it would someone else. Why Draco continued to bother himself with Naruto's presence, despite his many complaints about Naruto's general Gryffindor-ish nature, was a mystery to Naruto. Still, Draco was a good friend, in his own way. He complained and acted snotty, but he worried too, and he was pretty reliable.

Draco flushed just a tiny bit before he forced it back. Naruto was reluctantly impressed. He'd never been able to control his own blushing.

"I don't," he snapped. "Except that Blaise would be sad if you were to be kidnapped and tortured by the Dark Lord so that Potter would come rushing after you like the fool he is."

Naruto's grin dropped. "Draco," he said softly, "will you promise me something?"

Draco stared at him for a long moment, then sighed. "It depends on what it is, of course," he said wryly.

Naruto bit his lip. "If I ever do get kidnapped," he said. "Make sure Harry doesn't come after me. Make that no one comes after me, do you understand?"

Draco regarded him with curious eyes. "Why?" he asked. "If I was captured by the Dark Lord, I know I'd be welcome to any rescue, even if it was headed by Potter."

Naruto smiled a little. "I don't want anyone to die on my account. And I'll be able to take care of myself. Just promise me that you'll stop Harry if I ever get captured."

Draco sighed. "Alright," he said reluctantly. "But you owe me one. Getting Potter to listen to his worst enemy who's telling him not rescue his friend isn't going to be easy."

Naruto's smile widened. "Oh, Draco. You're not his worst enemy." Draco's eyebrow rose in question. "Voldemort is. In comparison to him, you're like a gnat flying around Harry's head."

Draco sputtered in indignation. "I'll have you know, I am one of Potter's worst enemies!" he cried. "I torment him on a daily basis!"

Naruto bit back a laugh. "I think, in comparison to fighting for his life, Harry would prefer your insults." Draco continued to look insulted and Naruto let out the laugh he'd been trying to fight back. "C'mon, it's not that bad. Just think, it'll make it all the easier for you to fall in luuuurve now!"

Draco scowled heavily. "I'm not in love with Potter!" he snapped.

"Well, that's good news Malfoy, because I'm not in love with you either."

Naruto burst out laughing at the horrified look on Draco's face as Harry sat down in the extra chair on their table.

"What perfect timing!" he gasped, trying to control his giggling. He looked over at Harry, and his laughter died off when he saw that Harry still looked a wreck. "Why're you out here?" he asked in concern. "Promphrey said she was going to keep you for another day."

"I busted out," Harry said nonchalantly. "Are you studying for the Potions test?"

Naruto's eyes narrowed. "Harry," he said in a low, dangerous voice. Harry tensed. "You will get your ass back up to that Hospital Wing and sleep. Then you will eat a nice, big dinner before you leave – with Madame Promphrey's permission."

"Naruto—" Harry started, looking stubborn.

"Harry," Naruto interrupted. "I'm sorry."

Harry frowned. "For wh—" He slumped down into the chair as Naruto hit the nerve on his neck that would make him fall unconscious.

Draco stared at the comatose figure next to him, then turned his stunned gaze onto Naruto. "What did you do to him?" he asked incredulously.

Naruto sighed. "Just knocked him out," he said tiredly. "I never thought I'd meet someone who was more of an infuriating patient than me," he muttered, mostly to himself. He eyed Harry's body. "I guess I'd better take him back up before Madame Promphrey freaks out," he told Draco.

Draco scowled. "You do know that the hallways are flooded with students?" he asked grumpily. "The entire school will see you carrying him again."

"What, do you want to do the honors?" Naruto asked, still grinning. "I'm sure it will make better gossip for Draco Malfoy to be carting Harry Potter around."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Be off with you," he muttered. "I can't be around your idiocy any longer."

Naruto laughed and hoisted Harry over his shoulder for the second time that day. "Aye aye, captain!" he saluted, then turned on his heel to leave.


The sharp ring of a sword leaving its sheath echoed in the empty stone room.

Sasuke didn't draw the sword out quickly, as he would whenever he was in an actual fight. Instead he drew it out slowly, inch by inch, as if he was in a traditional two-man duel where honor and rules were more important than winning. Sasuke took a deep breath once his sword was out all of the way. It glinted a little in the sunlight streaming in through the only window in the room and Sasuke's lips tilted up a bit at the corner. He loved his weapons.

He slashed the sword downwards, beginning a set of katas that he'd learned once he'd begun learning kenjutsu (2). Orochimaru had been the one to teach it to him, although his mentor no longer used a sword himself. He'd learned from other experienced swordsmen who lived in Oto as well, of course. Sasuke took another deep breath as he stepped forward, his sword strokes going faster and sharper.

He felt it the moment a person stepped within the room. Sasuke was extremely sensitive to other people – he knew when someone was standing nearby him, no matter where they were, and he also knew whenever someone was watching him. Sasuke frowned, but his sword strokes never faltered. He'd expressly instructed the shinobi with him to never interrupt him during his training. Either something dreadfully important had happened or one of the wizards had decided to come and watch the show. Sasuke's eyes narrowed and swiftly he turned and pitched his sword at the person standing behind him, wondering if they'd be able to stop it.

An elegant white wand was out in a second and the sword hung frozen inches in front of red eyes. Sasuke scowled. Why did Voldemort always insist on interrupting him?

"What do you want now?" he asked, moving forward to collect his sword. Voldemort huffed and, with a wave of his wand, sent it flying back to Sasuke. Sasuke caught it in his hand and deftly re-sheathed it, still scowling.

"I have your fake identities ready," Voldemort said calmly, as if he hadn't almost been killed by one of his supposed allies. "I'll need to know which of your people you plan on sending in, so they can be prepared."

Sasuke sighed. "I'll call for them," he said. "We'll all meet in your study." He didn't wait for a confirmation.

Instead he worked unrolling one of the scrolls at his waist and biting his thumb, pressing the blood into the marks on the scroll. He ignored Voldemort, who was watching in fascination. Four little snakes appeared. Sasuke knelt down to speak quietly with them, not seeing the way Voldemort was eyeing him in delight. The snakes, knowing their messages now and who to bring them to, slithered away. Sasuke turned back to Voldemort, only to see the man scrutinizing him closely.

"You speak with snakes?" he asked.

Sasuke lifted an eyebrow. "I do not speak their language," he said. "They speak mine." Voldemort blinked in surprise. "They are Summons," Sasuke added, then turned on his heel. "They will meet us there in ten minutes time."

Sasuke led the way to Voldemort's study, wondering if Voldemort thought he would have forgotten how to get there. Of course, Voldemort didn't know about his memory or his Sharingan. Sasuke wondered if he should tell him, but then immediately decided against it. Voldemort knew what he needed to, and that was it.

He was surprised to see that the shinobi he'd selected were already at the door when they arrived, five minutes later. They were early. Sasuke glanced down at the snakes that were curled on their shoulders, looking pleased with themselves, and waved a hand, indicating that they could leave. They disappeared in a poof of smoke.

Sasuke turned to regard the four shinobi he considered for the job. There were two women and two men, all of them well above Jounin level and good at infiltration jobs.

The first woman was short with dark brown hair and brown eyes. Her features were plain, which allowed her to blend in easily wherever she went. Her name was Kamia Noki, and she was an expert in all things poison, as well as being very skilled subterfuge artist. The other woman, however, was taller and more elegant. Her hair was a very dark red and her eyes were a light blue. Sasuke had chosen her because she was one of the most powerful kunoichi he had with him and a very skilled actress. Her name was Taku Rukia.

The two men were more similar than the women. They were both of average height and mostly average looks, their very light green eyes being their only unusual feature. They were brothers, in fact – Goran Riku and Goran Makao. Their specialty with weapons was the main reason Sasuke had chosen them, as well as their nondescript looks that would make it easy for them to fade into the background.

He had numerous shinobi to choose from, of course, but Sasuke had wanted people that would be, for the most part, easy to overlook, underestimated even, the people that could move through the crowds and not attract that much notice. He wanted people skilled in subterfuge in acting, but also powerful enough to get them out of a bind if they got trapped. Overall, he felt that this team would the best to do that, especially if Sasuke added himself onto it.

Of course, Sasuke was well aware that his looks would be a nuisance. Sometimes he wished that he had been born plain – it would make being a shinobi that much easier. When you were a civilian, being born handsome was a blessing – when you were a shinobi, it was something of a curse. Being handsome made you all the more noticeable, it made you stand out more. And if there was one thing shinobi didn't want it was to be noticed. Still, Sasuke didn't want to use a genjutsu. He wasn't sure how it well it would hold up within the castle, and it was a risk he didn't want to take.

"What did you want us for, Uchiha-sama?" Rukia asked him, her light eyes focused and steady. That was another reason Sasuke had chosen her and Noki – they both only saw him as a leader, and didn't moon over him the way some other kunoichi did.

"We're planning a mission, dated on December 21st," Sasuke told her calmly. "It will be an infiltration mission, and, including myself, you are the team." He gestured to Voldemort, who still stood behind him. "Lord Voldemort has put together our identities and you are here to receive the information you will need to be convincing in your roles."

Sasuke turned to Voldemort, who immediately moved forward into his study. The five shinobi followed him closely, Sasuke in the lead. There was only one chair in the room, which no one took – the other shinobi because they felt Sasuke should have it, and Sasuke because he didn't like sitting very often.

Voldemort rifled through the papers on his desk and soon held up five folders, sliding them over.

"Of the male variety," he said dryly, "there are several choices. You will all be dates for the daughters of my Death Eaters – one of you will accompany Daphne Greengrass, one will accompany Tracey Davis and another will accompany Millicent Bulstrode. They are all identities of Durmstang students who are vacationing in England for the winter and are sympathetic to me." Voldemort gestured to the three folders on his left. "Take your pick." He turned to the kunoichi. "The females will be slightly younger, and be students at Beauxbatons with relatives living in England who they are visiting for the holidays. One of you will accompany Theodore Nott, the other will accompany Gregory Goyle."

Sasuke glanced down at the names on the folders. He picked up the one that read Jeremy Olson, skimming the file that read out his history and mannerisms with a nod. He saw Riku pick up the file labeled James Selness and his brother picked up the file that read Thomas Gervais. He glanced over to see Rukia flipping through a file labeled Isabellè Reuve and Noki reading the file labeled Anastasia Thompson.

"Decide on who you will accompany," Voldemort told them. "And read those files well. This is one duty none of you are allowed to screw up."

Sasuke frowned. "You do not lead my people," he said softly, with only a hint of a threat in his voice.

Voldemort blinked and then smirked. "Of course not, Uchiha," he purred. "Forgive me for overstepping my boundaries."

Sasuke didn't say anything more to him, instead turning to his shinobi. "Ready yourself by the day of the 21st," he told them. He frowned and turned back to Voldemort. "You will have the costumes necessary ready?"

Voldemort inclined his head, wicked grin still in place. "Of course," he said, regarding them all. His smirk widened. "I do believe that this year's ball will be a night to remember."


Author's Note: Sorry for the influx of OCs, but I hate Karin and both Juugo and Suigetsu were experiments, so they wouldn't allowed to go with, of course. The OCs won't really be that important – they're mostly there as placeholders. Next chapter will have a Snape and Naruto heart-to-heart and more interaction with Harry and Draco! Please leave a review!

(1) Seven stones is around 98 pounds. For Harry's age and height, that's pretty thin.
(2) Kenjutsu is the art of the sword.