8

Kage


Harry sat, dazed and nauseous. The strong smell of blood smothered him. His ears ached. The adrenaline that kept his body going in the last hour of running and fighting was wearing off, and he was starting to feel the pins and needles of overexertion. His sweat had cooled, but waves of heat still flushed through his body.

The young man who was treating him had nimble, gentle fingers. He used their blue-colored magic to heal some deep cuts and soothe overworked muscles. He gave Harry and small jar of ointments to treat the smaller bruises and cuts himself. The young man must have been Teddy's age, maybe even younger, but the demeanor and skill reminded him of much older healers. Everyone here had older hearts and minds, Harry decided. He supposed war did that to a person, to a generation. Harry knew this well.

With an encouraging pat, the young medic left Harry in what he figured was the 'clinic', a good sized tent with three white cots squeezed in between piles of gauze, bottles of medicine, and surgical tools.

Ron was to his right, guzzling down another jug of water, and Patrick was to Ron's right, leaning on his knees. Harold was laying on one the cots, asleep. His two neighbors were comatose. They were 20-something young men missing both arms.

Everyone had been given a change of clothes. Harry was especially grateful; his robe was still wet and caked with mud from his near-death dip into the swamp. He received a loose fitting long sleeved blue shirt and long pants, just like the ones the shinobi wore under their flak jackets. He exchanged his soddened boots and socks for their airy shinobi sandals.

"Blimey, Harry," said Ron, laughing, "You look like one of them."

"Speak for yourself, Ron.."

"I like it. Real comfy. Breezy too. All we need is that forehead protector and those flak jackets."

Manami came into the tent with a big grin. She was also wearing the blue shinobi garb. "I found them!" she said excitedly.

"You did?" Patrick pretty much jumped to his feet in one smooth motion, "Where?"

"They're several minutes walk away. They're being kept in one large tent," she answered, "I'll keep an eye on Harold. I can get someone to show you there."

"That's great," said Harry as both he and Ron stood up, "Thanks, Manami." He was glad she seemed to be back in her better moods.

"Oh, and here," Manami reached into her pocket and took out a bundle of necklaces.

"The translation charms!" Ron exclaimed happily, "Excellent! Thanks Manami! Now I can stop feeling like an idiot."

"I got them from Minister Shacklebot," she said with a small smile as they put the charms on, "Who got it from a Canadian officer because they weren't needed anymore, unfortunately."

Harry noticed the sadness that tinged those last words, but his happiness at hearing the minister's named overshadowed it: "He made it!"

"What about the President?" asked Patrick anxiously, "You've seen him?"

"Yes, he's injured but stable," replied Manami, "You can see him."

Patrick sighed with relief.

Harry, Ron and Patrick were put in the care of a young woman with long blond hair tied in a high ponytail. She had a pretty, sweet face under her long bangs, which saddened Harry to know she was a soldier in this war. She was introduced by Manami as Ino, and she was in charge of guards of the tent. Harry noticed she wore one of the translation necklaces.

"Good!" said Harry, "We can understand each other."

"Yes we can," she replied, "Just follow me closely! It's easy to get confused and lost here."

She was right. If they hadn't paid special attention to Ino then they would have gotten carried away by the massive traffic anywhere it headed. Nonetheless, it was a relatively short walk to a rather large, beige tent. The entrance was flanked by young male guards.

When they entered the tent, Harry's face fell. He had already been told that only 23 people survived, but seeing the thin crowd of what used to be the ten country party of 55 strong made him slightly sick to his stomach. The images of bloody and broken wands flashed into his mind. He took in a deep breath and shook the thoughts away.

"Harry! Ron!" His heart jumped. Kingsley Shacklebot. And then there he was, the minister, safe and in the flesh. He saw no sign of Ellen, however.

"Minister!" both he and Ron cried, and embraced their old friend. Patrick had spotted the US President and quickly left them.

"I'm so glad," said Kingsley, his voice quivering, "So glad to see you."

"Likewise," Ron breathed, "But…where's Ellen? She isn't…?"

"No no," Kingsley answered, "The portkey took her back. She's safe."

"We missed the one hour mark then," mumbled Harry disappointedly, "Let's hope people back home get a clue and not send any more people in immediately."

Kingsley frowned and said, "However, there was something curious about the portkeys. They…left before the one hour mark, left at half hour mark."

"Malfunction?" suggested Harry.

"Perhaps," answered the minister, "It happened to the other portkeys, well…at least the ones that are accounted for."

"Whaddya mean accounted for?" asked Ron.

"Well…some parties lost theirs, and no one from Belgian and South Africa parties have made it…so…"

"Is it naïve to think that our missing people went back with the portkeys?" asked Harry, frowning.

Kingsley answered Harry a grave expression of doubt. "We know for sure 4 people made it back with the portkeys, including Ellen."

"Shit…" Ran spat, ruffling his hair furiously, "What went wrong? Why did this happen?"

"Kingsley," said Harry, "Have you been able to talk to any of them? Do you know if they were the one who sent us the letters?"

"We don't know, but we think so," Kingsley replied, "We know they are the Shinobi Alliance, but we haven't been able to make sense of anything else."

"Have you met with their leader?"

"No not yet," answered Kingsley, "They were more focused on getting every one of they could to safety. But that Ino girl told us that they got the last of us, which I think meant you lot."

"I think we should demand an audience with their leader," said Harry, "Dozens of our people are missing. We need an explanation."

Harry turned and caught sight of Ino just outside the tent entrance. "Minister, can you gather everyone else up?" he said, walking towards the entrance, "I'm going to talk to Ino about arranging a meeting."


Hermione's stony face was impenetrable. Teddy wasn't sure how the Japanese minister, Jiro Kurosawa was taking it but Teddy felt a small measure of fear and awe.

They were in the tea room in Hoshiko, four hours since Ellen and the others had come back. Hermione, uninjured and having passed their inspection, was sitting at low Japanese table with Teddy sitting behind her. Opposite to her was the minister, with his posse of somber-faced officials.

Sitting by the sliding door was the old woman, Fujiwara, the caretaker of the hotel who wore the two rosaries on her wrists. Her dark, stern eyes watched the meeting.

"Minister," began Hermione, "You mentioned that we should have never made this trip. It almost sounds like you knew this was going to happen."

"It was a possibility," the minister answered slowly, "A great possibility."

"We knew nothing about it," Hermione said calmly, though Teddy could hear impatience at edge of her voice, "You said nothing! You didn't warn us! You arranged the meeting and yet you refuse to take part or say—"

"I—we did not arrange this meeting for you, Mrs. Weasley," said the minister patiently, stroking the lips of his tea cup, "At least, not entirely and definitely not willingly."

"Then who did?"

"Good question. Who did? How was this all arranged in the first place anyhow? Why was it arranged? Let me give you a riddle, Mrs. Weasley, as you are famous for your wit and cleverness. The barriers to the hidden continent closed off nearly a thousand years ago. We've had little to none contact with the other side. They know as much about us as we know about them—which is very little. Are you following me Mrs. Weasley?"

Hermione nodded slowly.

"Good. Now the first step: think, how did you receive your letters? How did each of the countries receive their letters? How were they addressed?"

Hermione seemed lost at first. She tightened her lips as her mind whirred. Then her eye grew wide as realization dawned on her.

"What?" asked Teddy, lost, "What is it?"

"Teddy, what are the name of the nations on the Hidden Continent?" Hermione asked, looking sidelong at him.

Teddy frowned. "How the bloody hell should I know? Like the minister said, that stupid barrier's been up for a thousand years!"

"Exactly," said Hermione, "So why do they know so much about us already? How could they know?"

Teddy's eyes widened. "That's—that's," he sputtered, "Are you saying all those letters were fake?"

"Not exactly," the Minister replied, "At least not the first one we received."

"I'm still not following."

The Minister nodded at Fujiwara. The old woman turned on her knees and opened the screen door, revealing a solemn broad shouldered man, sitting cross legged with his head bowed.

"You may come in, Takeda-san," the Minister commanded. The man bowed deeply before moving into the room to sit a few feet from their table. He sat on his knees, his palms faced down on his thighs.

"Takeda?" said Hermione, "As in, Ryusuke Takeda?"

The man nodded. "I am he, Weasley-san."

"You asked to meet Harry but you never showed."

Ryusuke Takeda gritted his teeth. "I was prevented from coming."

"By who?"

Ryusuke Takeda looked to the minister, and the minister nodded, giving permission.

Takeda cleared his throat and answered: "By a creature—a kitsune—called Tsubaki no Fuji."


A few hours after their arrival in the shinobi war camp, the surviving and able sixteen wizards and witches were collected into large, gray tent. The rest of the seven were either too injured to move or unconscious.

Somber shinobi stood respectfully along the inside perimeter of the tent. A long wooden table at the furthest end of the tent was occupied by three vastly different looking shinobi. The blonde woman in the olive coat sat in the middle. To her right was an intimidating, hulking, buff dark-skinned man with a glare that could scare off basilisk. To her left was the opposite: a pale, lanky red haired teenager with black circles around his eyes. His gaze was analytical and intimidating, a jarring mismatch with his youthful appearance. These three, Harry had no doubt, were leaders: there was command in their voices, strength in their expressions and pride in their bearings.

The wizards and witches were given polished wooden stools to sit on, facing the three leaders.

"I realize," began the blonde woman, once they were all seated, "The fear and confusion you must be experiencing. This was not how it was supposed to happen."

"No kidding," Ron muttered quietly to Harry, but it seemed to have caught the woman's ears. She merely gave Ron a look before continuing.

"First, let's clear some things up," she continued, "My name is Tsunade Senju, and I am the Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato."

The name was familiar to Harry, though the rest of what she said was lost to him. He glanced at Manami who promptly answered, "Hokage means fire shadow. The translator charm has low sensitivity, so it won't translate name meanings or honorifics. I think Hokage is a title, like Minister or President. So she is the leader of the Village Hidden in the Leaf. "

Harry nodded.

"I am A," said the large man, "Raikage of Kumogakure no Sato."

"Thunder Shadow. Of the Village Hidden in the Clouds."

"Gaara," said the teenager, "I am the Kazekage of Sunagakure no Sato."

"Wind Shadow. Of the Village Hidden in the Sand."

"Please introduce yourselves," said Tsunade, though the 'please' sounded like more of a command than a request. "Well, the leaders anyways. We don't have time for all 16 of you."

The representatives of each surviving country introduced themselves, including Kingsley Shacklebot for the British party.

"As you well know," said Tsunade, "We are in the middle of war."

"With who?" asked Shacklebot, "And why did we end up in the middle of battle?"

"Well, that's our question!" said Tsunade, glaring at them. She stood up and crossed her arms. "Why were you people there at all?"

"What do you mean? What kind of question is that?!" barked Han Min-Seok, one of the two surviving Korean representative, "We came to the coordinates you sent us."

Then Tsunade did something that deeply confused all the survivors. She lifted an eyebrow in genuine question, looked to her colleagues, and then back at them. "What coordinates?"

Taken aback, Han stared at her, speechless. They all did.

Kingsley intervened, "You sent us the coordinate for the meeting. So we could portkey in."

"We sent no such things," said Tsunade sternly, a frown deepening on her forehead, "And I know nothing of a meeting. We were not even sure the barrier could be crossed as easily your people did!"

"You arranged a meeting!" the French minister, Gerard Renaud, cut in, "You sent us a second letter to all of the countries to arrange a meeting on this ground. Then you sent us the coordinates for it! It was you! I know it, I remember your name in the second letter, Tsunade Senju!"

The Raikage frowned at Tsunade. "Did you send another letter?" he asked.

"No," Tsunade answered firmly, "I did not."

"You say 'all of the countries'" said Gaara, speaking for the first time. He leaned forward and rested his hands on the table. "That would imply we sent out more than one copy of each letter, wouldn't it?"

The French minister nodded.

"That's odd," continued Gaara, "Because we only sent one letter to the nearest country."

"Which is Japan," said Kingsley.

"We did not even know it was called Japan," said Gaara, blandly.

"But…how did we get the letters? And who wrote the second one?"

"We did not send anything arranging a meeting!" A cut in impatiently,

"It seems our enemy lured you in here," Tsunade said, sighing, "You're lucky we were quick to find out and respond."

"So did your enemy distribute the letters to all of the countries?" asked Kingsley, "Or was that the Japanese Ministry doing?"

"Whatever the case," boomed A's voice, "We can figure all of this out later. There are more pressing matters."

"Right," mumbled Tsunade, "Now that you are here, we might as well get to the reason we sent that first letter. We are looking for someone. We believe that he ended up on your side of the barrier."

"No, wait," said Kingsley gravely, "We have the right to know why we were lured in here to have half our people killed!"

"We would tell you if we knew," Gaara said, "But it's not farfetched to think our enemy wished to defeat you and your leaders. They lured you in and you took the bait. Thanks to us, you survived. They may have wanted the tool you used to get through the barrier. Perhaps they are also planning to take your places and orchestrate the search."

"They've crossed over into our world?" Gerard Renaud cried, horrified. Harry also understood the consequences of that. The people who were waiting for them in Japan were not expecting a horde of bloodthirsty shinobis. He felt a lurch in his stomach as he thought of Hermione and Teddy, and he could see Ron going white out of the corner of his eyes.

"When you say search, do you mean for the same person you're looking for?" It was Harry who asked this, and the three leaders' eyes fell on him. He introduced himself quickly.

Tsunade answered, "Yes. Naruto Uzumaki."

"So, this Naruto Uzumaki somehow is on our side of the barrier," said Harry, frowning, "And your enemy planned to murder us to get to him. Why is he so important?"

Tsunade seemed hesitant to answer. Her eyes narrowed at them, almost distrustfully. Harry found this rather hypocritical when it was the wizards and witches who had suffered at the hands of their people.

Gaara answered: "His capture is their win. His safety is ours."

Harry nodded. It was as vague as answer as any. "When did you lose him?"

"About four months ago, at most five," replied Tsunade.

"How did this Naruto Uzumaki break down an ancient barrier to get to our side?" asked Kingsley, "I thought that barrier was…well…indestructible. What happened?"

There was a pause before Tsunade answered, carefully, "We are not too sure. But finding Naruto is the priority right now."

"I think the breach of a thousand year old barrier is important enough to discuss," Gerard Renaud cried, incredulously, "Especially in light of what we know about this world."

"And what is that?" asked Gaara, "What do you know?"

"I don't know what you believe about the barrier that keeps you isolated from the rest of us," the President continued, "But on our side, we are told that something or someone called the Rikudo Sennin set up the barrier to protect us from the demons that ravaged this land. We were told that the people of this land were guardians of these demons."

"Interesting," said Gaara. Though there was no change on his passive face whatsoever to indicate that he was interested at all.

"The Rikudo Sennin is almost a myth, even to us," said Tsunade, "We were only aware of the barrier after Naruto disappeared. No, that's wrong, we all knew that it might have existed, but we never had the opportunity to care about it."

"It all might as well been a myth!" A confirmed, "Like the Hokage said, we were too busy fighting a war to care. But since Naruto's disappearance, we've researched the old lore. What you say matches our intel: the Sage did set up the barrier according to some obscure ancient texts, but it did not say why."

"It wasn't until we collected data surrounding Naruto's disappearance were we able to confirm the existence of the barrier and well, your world," added Tsunade.

Harry was surprised to hear this. To these people, Harry and the others were practically aliens they didn't even know existed in the first place. At least the wizarding world was aware of the Hidden Continent.

"It makes logical sense," said Gaara, "That such worlds exist."

"What about the demons?" asked Harry, "Is that part true?"

The three leaders exchanged inscrutable looks. "That is not something you should worry about," said Tsunade.

But, Harry noted, it wasn't a denial either.

"What you should be worried about is our enemy—Madara Uchiha."

Murmurs of recognition broke out at the name.

"We know that name," said Harry, "About 100 years ago, he and two other shinobi ended up on our side."

Tsunade's whole countenance stiffened. The magic around her crackled with indignation. "So he already knows about your world? About the barrier?" was her bewildered response.

"Who were the other two?" asked Gaara. Even the impassive boy-leader appeared perturbed.

"One was named Hashirama Senju and the other Mito Uzumaki." It was then Harry realized that Naruto was also Uzumaki, and Tsunade was also Senju. He wondered how they were all related.

Tsunade rubbed the bridge of her nose. "I see. They knew too, huh?"

"If Madara Uchiha knows about your world," said A, "I can't believe he doesn't have plans to extend his powers beyond the barrier."

"Just who is he?" asked Jingwei Zhao, a Vice-Premier of Magical China. Fortunately for this ancient state, neither the Premier nor the President were part of the meeting party. Jingwei Zhao was the only survivor among the Chinese.

Tsunade answered with a snarl, "He is a megalomaniac who has declared war on all of our nations. His plan is to put the entire world under an illusion technique so he can rule over us."

"Illusion technique? Like an illusion spell?" asked the Han Min-Seok.

Tsunade nodded. "Now that he has the ability to enter your world, he will seek to subjugate your people as well. We will not and cannot allow this to happen."

The wizards and witches looked at each other, partly stunned by this revelation and partly incredulous.

"Is that even possible?" asked Patrick, "A world wide illusion?"

"Can it even be that powerful?" Ron asked.

"With Madara, anything is possible," Tsunade muttered, bitterly.

"There are shinobi who are working for them," said Kingsley, "How could they agree with Madara's plans to put them under this illusion as well?"

Harry wanted to know this as well. Fighting for land and country, or for power or to force an ideology was one thing. But to knowingly allow the entire world to fall under a spell took a special type of desperate devotion.

Tsunade clicked her tongue. Her lips curled into a cruel snarl. A tensed, eyes widening with suppressed fury. Gaara only closed his eyes, as if in resignation.

"They are traitors," said Gaara, calmly. He opened his eyes with an expression of deep regret. "This war has dragged on for months. Madara and his primary forces were too powerful. Some of our more demoralized troops decided that Madara's world is a better option than the war they believe they cannot win."

Harry's eyes widened as realization struck him. "You're losing," he said, "You're losing this war."

"We used to be tens of thousand strong," said Tsunade, looking disgusted, "Now we are only but a fraction of that number."

"But if you lose," said Harry, "This Madara comes for us next."

Tsunade nodded. "Exactly."

"Not even next," A added gravely, "He's already after you because he thinks he has us beat."

"But this is far from over. For us to be able to fight this," said Gaara, "To win. We need Naruto."

"Again, why is he so important?" asked Patrick.

"For Madara to enact his technique, he needs sacrifices," said Tsunade, "And Naruto is…part of that sacrifice. If he gets Naruto, there is nothing we can do to stop him."

A grim pause followed her words. The survivors looked amongst themselves, as if to reassure each other in this nightmare.

"Why Naruto, specifically?" asked Harry. He had experience being targeted by an insane wizard bent on world domination. This Naruto Uzumaki, unfortunately, was a kindred spirit in this regard.

"It has to do with his heritage," Tsunade answered, "His blood. His body." She paused; there was the slightest flicker of doubt in her expression. Harry didn't miss it but he didn't know what to make of it.

"Is he a shinobi as well?" asked Jingwei Zhao.

"Yes," answered Gaara, "A very powerful one."

"We didn't notice any strange person appearing in our world," said Jingwei Zhao, "Japan reported no such incident."

"Perhaps he is in hiding," suggested Patrick.

Surprisingly, Tsunade looked like she wanted to laugh. "Hopefully. Naruto Uzumaki isn't the type to hide well. He's a bit…"

"Loud," Gaara finished, blandly.

Kingsley nodded. "Then what we must do is clear. We must find Naruto Uzumaki. If he is as important as you state, then his safety and retrieval takes priority. Meanwhile, your enemy shinobis that have invaded our world must be stopped before they cause any more damage."

"It's not that simple either," said Tsunade, "I will send teams of our people with you."

Harry tried wrap his head around the fact that Naruto—the powerful shinobi whose life was going to decide the fate of known world—was somewhere in their world. How could someone like that come through, bursting through an ancient barrier, without anyone noticing? Harry's mind went back to the day Nat walked on water after surviving a fall from the castle. He could not think it was possible that Nat—the goofy, friendly Nat who played Quidditch with his son—could be connected to all this. Despite his reservations, the logical parts of his mind were already making the connections.

"How will we deal with his Madara?" Patrick Hensley asked, "He is the central issue here."

"No, we deal with Madara," said A, "He is our problem. There is no way your people can take him on or even the enemy shinobi for that matter."

"There is no need to underestimate us," said Kingsley, "We know our world. We number in more than tens of thousands—we number in millions. In dozens of nations."

"I wouldn't be so hasty to equate one of your people with one shinobi," said A, darkly, "Judging from your performance earlier, I'd say there is no underestimating happening at all. Shinobi are soldeirs first, trained to adapt to anything. Your people are weak."

It was hard to argue with this; the wizards and witches had been overwhelmed easily. Their magic—their abilities—were immense and frightening. Shinobi children fought viciously, displaying bloodlust that would shame a Death Eater. Harry did not want to admire these killer children, but he had to admit that the wizarding world was at a disadvantage in battle just based on pure mental readiness, not to mention the abilities. This very same realization descended on the survivors and slowly blanketed them with fear and hopelessness.

"But so are we," Kingsley persisted. The Minister's calm baritone seemed to lift the doubt that was settling on his people, "We adapt. Like I said before, we are dozens of nations strong. We are not as helpless as you think. I don't blame you, of course, Hokage, Raikage, Kazekage, for thinking what you do. We were ill-prepared and naive. But don't let us fool you into thinking we cannot defend ourselves."

"Those are pretty words," said A, "But it won't save your people from being slaughtered when it comes down to it."

"You don't seem to understand, Raikage," Kingsley pressed on, his voice calm but firm, "You say you have tens of thousands of soldiers? Our nations combined number in tens of millions, billions even, and they are just as willing to defend their countries and their way of life as your shinobi."

"Even the weakest of our people have weapons that can destroy a city with a single hit," Patrick Hensley* put in. Harry glanced at Patrick curiously.

"We may not have given you cause for faith now," Kingsley continued, "But we promise you, no enemy of yours will take our home easily when they come up against all of us."

A murmur of agreement broke out among the wizards and witches. Harry and Ron exchanged amused grins.

A smirk lit up Tsunade's face. "Hah," she exclaimed, "That's what I like to hear."

A, beside her, looked grudgingly impressed by Kingsley's conviction.

"This, then, will become a joint operation," said Gaara, "We need you, and you need us. Most of all, we need Naruto Uzumaki."

Again, Harry's mind went to Hogwarts—to Nat. The stamina, the athletic prowess, the walking on water—it fit perfectly. The only thing that did not fit was the timeline. Loud, Gaara had said. "This Naruto," Harry started, "He doesn't happen to be a blond, blue-eyed teenager with way too much energy, does he? With marks on his cheeks, like whiskers?"

The three leaders froze for a split second. A thrill went down Harry's spine.

"Yes…" breathed Tsunade, the excitement lighting up her wide, unbelieving eyes, "You've—"

Harry nodded quickly, licking his lips. He hands were shaking, partly from excitement at the sheer coincidence of this situation, and partly from fear as his subconscious steadily connected the dots.

"Yeah," said Harry, his voice strained. He stood up, "I've seen him. I taught him! I know him as Nat. He's…he's at Hogwarts."

And, added the voice in his head, if they are after him, they were going to Hogwarts. The children. His children. Everyone at Hogwarts was in grave danger.

"Are you sure?" asked Kingsley, looking alarmed.

Harry nodded. He spoke rapidly as the picture became clearer and clearer in his head, "Obnoxious voice, endless energy and endurance…he was…found by Luna…in Japan. In the Hokkaido area." Everything fell into place. "You're right; the kid is loud."

Tsunade had come around the table towards Harry. She had a photograph in her hands—and there he was, the teenager known to him as Nat, really named Naruto Uzumaki, smiling at him wearing a headband like those on the rest of the shinobis. Instead of a character that supposedly said 'shinobi' etched onto the metal plate, a familiar highly stylized symbol of a leaf was etched on his. Just like the one Slughorn gave him, who got it from his father who took it from the shinobi that crossed over nearly a century ago.

Harry's mined reeled as all the loose parts suddenly came together. The revelation was overwhelming. He wished Hermione was here to help him make sense of it.

Harry gulped and said, "That's him."

Tsunade smiled. "We're mobilizing immediately. I will be sending for the teams to accompany you back to your side. We will meet back here in approximately two hours. Do you agree, Raikage, Kazekage?"

The boy leader nodded and the man grunted in approval.

"Wait," said Harry, "The place where Nat—er…Naruto…Hogwarts is a school. There are innocent children there so—"

"Then the faster we move, the better, right, Potter-san?" said Tsunade, "To protect the children?"

"Right." Harry nodded. The survivors, stunned by how fast things went, were grimly silent.

"There is one problem," said Harry, "Nat—Naruto, has amnesia. He doesn't remember anything."

Tsunade glanced at the other two leaders with a small frown. "I will account for this too. Thank you, Harry Potter."


In the two hours they waited for the shinobi to return, the survivors were given a small bag of something called 'soldier pills'. They were small, brown little balls that had an earthy, medicinal smell.

Harry was too hungry to be suspicious and ate one. It tasted exactly the way it smelled: bitter, smoky and earthy, but the effect was immediate—his energy levels elevated and waves of magic warmed his aching muscles.

"The girl said we shouldn't eat more than one in a four hour period," said Ron, chewing his own pill, "But I'm still hungry." He made a face and shook his head. "I definitely don't want more this."

Harry was still hungry as well, but he no longer felt fatigued. He filled his stomach with water instead.

Harold was able to sit and speak after eating one, and his leg was nearly healed. The American President was still unconscious and Patrick stood guard over him, looking grim. The other survivors were scattered about the tent in small clusters, some whispering, some silent, all grieving.

"Harry," murmured Ron, "Our kids…"

"I know."

Kingsley Shacklebot approached them. "I spoke to the others. We are to going to coordinate an international response to the new threats. I need you two to mobilize aurors to Hogwarts once we are in contact."

"Yes sir," said Harry.

"Be careful," said Kingsley, "If what those three said was true, then there is someone on our side playing us. Someone who orchestrated this and sent the false letters. But one who also knew enough about this world to fool authenticity sensors."

"A traitor," Ron mumbled, "A mole."

"Exactly," said Kingsley.

"Do you think the Japanese Ministry has something to do this? They were the one who opted out of the meeting," said Harry.

"It does cast suspicion on them," said Ron.

"But why?" asked Harry, "What's in it for them?"

Kingsley's expression was conflicted. "Somehow, I think it's more complicated than that. We're missing something. Keep your wits about, Harry, Ron."

"Yes sir," both wizards replied.

"What about this Naruto, Harry?" asked Kingsley, "Is he dangerous?"

"Not intentionally," Harry muttered, "He's a good kid. He has no idea what or who he is."

"If he does remember, can he become dangerous?"

"I can't say for sure, minister. I want to say no. I think it might be better if he does regain his memories. He might be the only one who will be able to protect the children from the shinobi if it came to it."

Ino walked into the tent and all talking hushed. She glanced around, searching, and when he spotted Harry, she grinned and waved at him. "Potter-san," she called, "Hokage-sama wants to see you!"

Harry glanced at Kingsley and Ron. "Just me?" he asked the girl.

Ino shrugged. "She didn't mention anyone else."

"Go ahead, Harry," said Kingsley, "It might be about Naruto."

Harry nodded and left with Ino. She took him to a small, one-story wood building about kilometer away, dodging busy shinobi who were either sparring or trying their best to rest. They gave him curious looks as he passed by.

When they arrived, the Hokage was speaking to a tall man with a spiky, dark ponytail and a pointed goatee, dressed in the standard blue attire with the green flak jacket. Two jagged scars on his right cheek and temple gave him a severe aura that demanded Harry become vigilant.

"You may go Ino," said Tsunade.

The blonde shinobi bowed and left. It was only the three of them now, not counting the two guards outside the tent.

"Potter-san, this is Shikaku Nara," said Tsunade, motioning to the man, "He is our Chief Strategist. He is helping me organize teams for Naruto's retrieval."

Harry nodded. Shikaku's expression was taut and his eyes roved over him, assessing him. Harry wasn't sure what he was expected to say.

"You say…Naruto is at this school of yours," said Tsunade, her eyes softening, "He is safe?"

"More than safe," said Harry, "He's been there since the beginning of the second term. One of my friends have even decided to adopt him."

Tsunade looked intrigued and amused to hear this. "Adopt him? I hope we aren't going to fight over him." Her tone was flippant and full of fondness. "But you said he remembers nothing. Not even his name?"

"No. He calls himself Nat, mostly. I think that name is going to stick until he learns that he is Naruto."

"Nat," Tsunade repeated, gloomily, "Do you happen to know…why he has lost his memories?"

"No. We thought you might. He was already that way when he was found."

"Hm," she said, gazing down at the papers on her desk. Slowly, she lowered herself into the chair. A look of deep fatigue took over her formerly drawn face. The silence dragged on to the point of awkwardness, with her looking down at her desk, the Chief Strategist coolly standing by her side like a statue and Harry staring at the both of them. Finally, the Hokage looked up at him and asked, "Is he there at the school as a student?"

Harry was mildly surprised by the inquiry. He nodded. "Yeah, I heard he might make the Quidditch team next year." Harry had no idea why he offered that piece of information. He felt a measure of protectiveness over Nat-now-Naruto. As far as he knew, the boy was a Hogwarts student who was goofy and friends with his kids; he could not see Nat—Naruto—as anything like the shinobi he saw, exuding magic laced with hatred and intent to kill. How could that boy who handled the Scamander twins far better than their own parents be anything like these people? The boy who learned from Hagrid the ability to love the strangest beasts? But then—there was that boggart. That dark haired teenage who lay dying in a pool of his own blood that Naruto feared was his handiwork.

"What's that?" Tsunade asked, brows knitted into a curious frown, "Quidditch?"

"It's a very popular sport. He's supposedly the favorite to make the team next year."

"Favorite, huh? He sounds happy."

Harry shrugged. "It's the best place for a boy like him to be." More or less, thought Harry. It was certainly the best place when he was an orphaned boy, minus being nearly killed almost every year, but Harry was just morbidly special. He supposed Naruto was special in his own way too.

"You think he is better off there," said Shikaku Nara.

"Well, anywhere is better than in a war," Harry responded, coolly.

Tsunade grinned. "Well, I can't disagree with that. But knowing Naruto, he would be horrified if he was sitting out while his friends were fighting for him. I thought at first it was better this way, but—we need him back."

"Isn't it dangerous to have him out in the open to fight?" asked Harry. He wanted to add—you shouldn't be having him fight in a war at all—but he didn't. This, he knew, was hypocritical: hadn't he, at age 17, ran off to the country side to take down Tom Riddle? He also would not have been happy to have an army that included his own friends fighting for him. Still, it had all been extenuating circumstances. These people systematically used children for war without batting an eye.

"Perhaps. But, he is powerful; with his help, we may turn the tide of war and up the morale of our people. You must understand, Potter-san, Naruto is important to us because of who he is, not just because of what he is. He's a hero to our people. He saved us all many time. Of course we want him back. And we want to save him."

The sentiment, Harry observed, felt resoundingly genuine, because a small, knowing and almost proud smile slid onto the Chief Strategist's previously stern face. It was subtle and brief, but enough to convince Harry that these people truly cared for the boy.

"What about his parents?" Harry had a suspicion the boy was an orphan, but he hoped otherwise. Tsunade's and Shikaku's crumpled expressions told him that his first instinct had been correct. Harry felt a pang of pity for the boy. He chuckled humorlessly. "Nat—I mean, Naruto, he told me he hoped that he had parents somewhere looking for him."

"It doesn't mean he isn't loved or wanted," said Tsunade, "He'll know that. What I wanted to know is the situation at Hogwarts. I understand it is a school, so we will have to take measures to reduce collateral damage. Are the students trained to defend themselves?"

"Not necessarily," said Harry, "They may know spells to defend themselves with, but we do not formally teach our students to…fight or duel."

"Huh." Tsunade glanced at Shikaku Nara and then back at Harry. "So they are defenseless. No guards?"

"The castle is enchanted," said Harry, "Hogwarts is protected by layers of protection spells."

"Is it hard to get in and out of the castle?" asked Shikaku Nara.

Harry sighed. "It is hard in some ways, but there are…ways around it." Like the secret passageways. "But those ways are hidden. Anyone who is not familiar with Hogwarts will have a hard time bypassing the spells."

"How familiar must you be? Is it something that can be discovered through research or investigation?"

Harry frowned. His father and his friends had known about them. Fred and George did as well. Harry had used them as a student. In fact, Harry didn't doubt any adventurous and resourceful student could probably find at least one of those passages. "It's not hard," he admitted, "If someone was truly interested."

"It is a school," Tsunade said, quirking her brows at the Strategist, who looked irritated by Harry's information. "But, what we have going for us is that shinobi are not familiar with Hogwarts. And not only that, they are not familiar with your world. There will be a learning curve that we must take advantage of. Hopefully, Naruto's memory problems is not so severe that he has forgotten how to defend himself."

Harry imagined the teenager in his mind, blinding him with that toothy grin of his. The boy couldn't even cast a proper spell. If Naruto didn't knock himself out, his spells were weak, like his paltry attempt at the levitation spell. For a moment, Harry considered that perhaps Nat was not this impressive Naruto everyone was talking about. But the picture was a match, down to those whisker marks on his cheeks."What about those marks on his cheeks? I was told that it had something to do with foxes."

His question was met with blank expressions. Shikaku nodded at Tsunade, as if confirming something.

"Potter-san," said the Chief Strategist, "Naruto was born under the auspices of the foxes. Those marks are just something that comes with such things. A birth mark, if you will."

Harry was not convinced. "In our world, in Japan, he was rejected because of those marks. Because people thought he was had been possessed by a fox. It upset Luna—my friend—so much that she took custody of him and brought him to Hogwarts."

Tsunade shook her head. "Poor kid," she said, "Never gets a break anywhere, does he? Not that it matters. He'll be coming home soon enough."

Her words and tone told Harry that Naruto suffered the same sort of discrimination even in this world. That is, he surmised, until he became their hero.

"So was he possessed by a fox?" Harry persisted.

Tsunade shook her head. "Nonsense."

"I don't—"

"That is all I wanted to talk to you about, Potter-san. Please return to your people. We will be with you shortly."

Harry knew it wasn't the time to push, so he acquiesced to her command. However, he wasn't ready to go. "What are you going to do about our injured?" he asked, "They can't travel yet."

"Leave them for the time being. It is more important for you to go back to your world as soon as possible and mobilize your people. We'll bring them back to you in a second party. They will be safe with our medical-nins."

Harry knew the others were not going to be happy about this. There was no way Patrick Hensley would leave the unconscious American President in the hands of foreigners in an alien land what was embroiled in a war.

"And the deceased?" asked Harry, "Can we…have them back? To give their family closure."

Tsunade looked up at him. "We didn't collect the dead," she said, stonily, "We haven't had time to do so. It's also too dangerous, far too into the fight zone to send out retrieval teams. I'm sorry, Potter-san, it's not possible until the war is over."

Harry clenched his fists; he knew Tsunade was right.

"Any more questions?" asked Tsunade.

Harry shook his head. Ino was called back in to escort him back to the tent.

During their walk back, he asked Ino, "Did you know Naruto Uzumaki?"

Ino flashed him a grin. "Of course I know that idiot. We were in the same class and went through the Chuunin Exams together." Her tone was warm. "Stupid idiot just had to rip an ancient barrier! Really, it's always something with Naruto."

Harry chuckled. Hadn't it been Professor McGonagal who once bemoaned, "Why is it that when something happens, it's always you three!?"


Back at the tent, Harry recounted the conversation between himself and the Hokage. Predictably, not everyone agreed about leaving the injured in the care of the shinobi.

"I can't leave the President here!" Patrick exclaimed incredulously.

"I know," said Harry, "But she is right. It is better for us to act quickly and send for our injured later."

"Then someone need to stay as well," said Kingsley, "I agree with Patrick—we can't just abandon them."

"I'll stay," said Patrick, "Janine is the Secretary of State." He pointed at a short, middle aged brunette behind him. Janine Rivercross was well known in international politics to possess a quick wit and a certain ruthlessness, but here she appeared completely out of her depth. "She will take over as interim leader from here on out and mobilize the American forces."

Janine stepped up next to Patrick. She cleared her throat, blinked several times to shake off the fright out of her eyes and looked at Harry with a steely expression. "I agree with Patrick. It is more important that your British Ministry get to work to find this Naruto Uzumaki," she said, "The MAUSA will support you in any capacity needed."

The other nations put in their agreements as well, pledging their support in retrieving Naruto Uzumaki from Hogwarts and bringing him back through the barrier. International alliances were hastily made to coordinate a force to defend against any invading shinobi. The helplessness that pervaded the wizards and witches before was passing, and now anger and drive to protect their nations from the shinobi was slowly taking root.

Manami appeared by Harry's side. She had been so quiet throughout the whole ordeal that Harry had nearly forgotten about her. Dressed in shinobi attire, she could have easily blended in with their hosts.

"Harry," she said, "Did the Hokage say anything about Naruto? Anything odd or interesting?"

"No, I told you everything she told me. Why? What are you thinking?"

Manami was frowning. "I was just curious," she mumbled, looking down at her hands, "About what kind of power Naruto must have to be able to fight a man who is winning against all of these shinobi."

"They did sound evasive," Kingsley noted, "Naruto Uzumaki must possess monstrous strength. Have you observed anything odd about the boy at Hogwarts, Harry?"

"Not anything stranger than these shinobi," said Harry, "The only thing I can think of are his whisker marks and the fox connection. But they were vague on that subject too."

"Under auspices of the fox," Manami muttered, "That is as vague as vague gets."

"Tell me about it," Harry said, sighing, "But, one step at a time."

At the end of the two hours, Tsunade returned to their tent with several, young shinobi in tow.

"Alright," she began. She motioned the wizards and witches to gather closer, "We're set to leave. I will introduce you to the teams who will be accompanying you." She looked to her Shinobi. "Is everyone here?"

"Team Kakashi still isn't here," informed Ino, "And the Kumo team is still on their way."

"It's normal for Kakashi to be late," muttered Tsunade irritably, "But the whole team? Anyways, we'll introduce everyone here already." She looked at her guests. "The number one mission objective is to find and retrieve Naruto Uzumaki. The secondary mission objective is to provide offensive and defensive support to your people against Madara Uchiha's invading shinobi."

"What about the barrier?" one wizard asked, "Are you going to close it?"

"We have a working theory on the barrier," said Tsunade, "Once we are sure, we will inform you. Our priority is retrieval and counter-offense. I will expect your people to guide my shinobi and help them complete their missions. Can I count on all of you for this support?"

The wizards and witches looked around at each other first. Kingsley spoke: "Your search will be within my country, in Britain. We will aid your shinobi in their mission objective."

"Understood."

"We also have another request," said Patrick Hensley, "I would like to remain here with the injured and oversee their transport back beyond the barrier. There are three of us who would like to stay. I trust this will not be a problem?"

"No, it won't be. Any other requests? No? We'll begin." She looked to her shinobi. "Members of team Kurenai are reconnaissance and tracking experts." She waved her hands, and three of the teenagers stepped forward to present themselves. "I'm sure you've met Kiba and his partner Akamaru. Next to him is Shino Aburame—" Harry observed the trench coat, hood and eye glasses—definitely not the most social appearance. "And Hinata Hyuuga."

"Bloody hell," Ron whispered to him, "Look at her eyes. Is she blind?" The last member, a girl, had completely white eyes—no pupils or no irises whatsoever. Harry could not believe a reconnaissance and tracking expert could be blind.

"Kurenai herself is still on maternity leave, so joining them as their captain is Genma." Harry was relieved to see this Genma was an actual adult. He was certainly younger than Harry but was still a full grown adult. He was also reassuringly normal looking next to his team, save for the large needle-like thing in his mouth. He acknowledged them with a slight upward flick of his needle. He also looked absolutely bored.

"Next, we have—"

"Ah, sorry Hokage-sama!" a female voice interrupted them. A girl had come rushing into the tent, followed by two males who didn't seem quite as bothered by being late. Now, this was an eccentric bunch, Harry thought. The girl had pink hair. The man had silver-white hair, even though he did not look anywhere near an age for his hair to be that color. This was a guess made purely from the man's physique because the only thing visible on his face was his right eye that looked like it was fighting to stay open. His left eye was hidden under a slanted headband. The third team member, a male teenager, was normal looking in comparison.

"Late, Kakashi," said Tsunade sternly, "I don't have time for your excuses."

Ah, thought Harry, Team Kakashi. Could they really trust a team that can't even make it to a meeting on time on a mission this critical?

"This is Kakashi Hatake. He is the leader of the entire outfit for this mission. He is also one of our generals. Under him are Sakura Haruno, a medic, and Sai." Sakura and Sai bowed slightly while Kakashi just nodded. "Their fourth member isn't here because it's Naruto. This is Naruto's team." There was slight shuffle from the other teams, and Tsunade paused momentarily, her eyes still on the three members of the Team Kakashi. Finally, she cleared her throat and continued, "Joining them is—"

"Me!" A young boy suddenly jumped in front of Tsunade, startling everyone in the room. Tsunade, seeing the boy, rolled her eyes and shouted, "Konohamaru, what in the world are you doing here?!" The boy in question in question looked no older than 12, with spiky brown hair and a teal scarf wrapped around his neck.

"I wanna be part of Team 7!"

"No," Tsunade answered curtly, "You're still a Genin."

"So what?" the boy demanded, "So is Naruto-nii-chan!"

"Don't be an idiot!" Tsunade barked, "Now leave! You're interfering with an important meeting!"

"But—Naruto-nii-chan needs me!" insisted Konohamaru, "If he's lost his memory, he needs an old friend like me to help bring it back!"

"Everyone here is a friend of Naruto, Konohamaru," the pink haired girl named Sakura added, "This is too dangerous for you."

"No way!" Konohamaru persisted. He swerved around and pointed at Shino, "Naruto-nii-chan barely remembers him! I know him better than Shino does!" If Shino was offended by this comment, he didn't show it.

Tsunade let out an exasperated sigh. Harry was beginning to feel like this situation was taking a comical turn. The boy continued to plead his case. Harry was glad to hear they had limits on who they sent out. There was no way he would have been comfortable with a kid this young being involved in situations that he had just witnessed, no matter how trained they were.

"Fine!" said Tsunade, "If Kakashi is okay taking you, I'll let you go." She turned to the masked man. "So, what about it Kakashi? You wanna take the brat?"

"No," Kakashi answered promptly, much to the boy's dismay, "Sorry, kid."

Konohamaru pouted and crossed his arms. "Fine!" he growled, and stomped out of the tent.

Tsunade was rubbing her forehead. "I'm going to kill the guards," she muttered, "Can't even keep a genin out."

Harry almost wanted to chuckle.

"Alright, before we were interrupted, I was going to say our fourth is Yamato." A brown haired man Harry hadn't noticed before nodded. Harry wanted to say this man looked normal too, even if the face guard framing his forehead and cheeks was not a common look, but there was something about his eyes that was inherently odd. At one angle, Yamato's eyes looked creepy, but in a different angle and lighting, it looked terrifying. Sometimes, it looked plain expressionless — not the bored or gazing into the future expressionless—just dead stare expressionless.

"Yamato is the second in command," said Tsunade.

Harry snapped out of his thoughts in alarm. Someone had coughed. Harry looked away. He made a firm decision to no longer dwell on these people's strange eyes.

"Next is Team Shikamaru. You've already met Ino Yamanaka. Her abilities can help with Naruto's memory problems. There's Chouji Akimichi—" She motioned to a large, burly teenager to Ino's left. "And Shikamaru Nara. He leads this team." Like the rest of his team, Shikamaru was also a teenager, though his composure and air possessed a heightened maturity. He was also the spitting image of the Chief Strategist, which, Harry concluded, made sense as they shared a surname. Shikamaru's only acknowledgement of Harry and the others was a brief (and even bored) glance at them. "The team's fourth is Temari of the Sand."

Harry was glad to hear a familiar name and see a somewhat-less-foreign face. Temari's expression was as hard and commanding as the last time she had saved their lives. Everyone looked normal and no one's eyes were weird. Harry liked this team.

Tsunade looked at her shinobi with a stern frown. "Where's—?"

"Yo!" A large black man sauntered in to the tent. "Ladies, hold onto your blouse, cause Killa B is in the house! Crossing worlds to save that damn fox, so get your ass off that damn soapbox! Yeah!"

"No one is on a soapbox, master!" an aggravated voice chided from behind him. The collective attention of representatives of the wizarding world was on this new man. His presence and physique were intimidating, especially with the several swords on his back. He wore sunglasses, Harry noted. These people had also invented sunglasses. Good thing, Harry didn't want to become occupied with his eyes if they were strange too. Not that this man wasn't already screaming eccentric.

Harry also had no idea rap also existed in this world. But it did. Shinobi who rapped. How, he wondered, was this even possible? Could it be that information from their world slowly and unknowingly leaked into this one? Was the evolution of rap in this land independent of rap in their world? There were too many questions.

A young blonde woman and two dark skinned teenagers trailed after this rapper-shinobi, each wearing an expression of exasperation. The blonde woman bowed to Tsunade: "I apologize, Hokage-sama." She then turned towards them, bowed, and muttering, "I apologize, honorable guests."

"You think she's apologizing for that horrific rhyme or for being late?" Ron whispered into his ears. Harry stifled a laugh.

"B!" Tsunade roared, "You better take this seriously! Your brother is counting on you!"

B, ignoring her, turned to face the wizards and witches. "So these are the fools from beyond. The ones who got totally conned. Fools, ya fools!"

Harry didn't know how offended he should be at his words. Rhyming certainly did make everything sound less hostile, he had to admit.

Tsunade also ignored B. "These four are from Kumogakure. This is B, the Raikage's brother. Samui—" The apologizing blonde. "—Karui." Red head teenaged girl with a sword "And Omoi." Another white-haired person, a teenaged boy this time. There was a lollipop in his mouth. "B is our key to get through the barrier. However, he and his team will not be going through the barrier with you. He is needed here."

"How are we doing that?" asked Kingsley, "We no longer have the portkeys."

"These portkeys of yours sounds like they somehow deal with space-time," said Tsunade, "We examined where Naruto disappeared from and we were able to discern a method of travel, also taking advantage of the space-time techniques."

"Is it safe?" asked Kingsley.

"We tested it several times, and yes, it is safe—barring any accident or other freak incidences."

"What do you plan to do, exactly?" asked Patrick, "Do you have something similar to a portkey?"

"Kakashi will inform you when you arrive at your location," said Tsunade, "You will be leaving for the place where Naruto disappeared, the Land of Iron, which is further north of here. Naruto's passage into your world left…what we might call a crack, or a weakness in the space-time fabric that connects our two worlds. Or so I'm told." She paused as her face scrunched up into an irritated scowl. "I'd be lying to you if I said I understood what all of this actually means. The only thing I can tell you that we have a method that works. We had been waiting to conduct our meeting with your people after we perfected it, but my people promised me it works well enough now."

"Sounds good to me," said Patrick, which Kingsley and the remaining leaders echoed.

Tsunade turned her attention to her Shinobi. "Do you all understand your missions?"

There was a collective "Yes, Hokage-sama!" Except from Killer B, probably because he could not find the proper rhyme.

"We cannot tolerate failure," Tsunade continued, her voice becoming deeper with command and passion, "Do you understand?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama!"

"Kakashi!"

"Yes, Hokage-sama," said the man, his tone comically phlegmatic compared to the impassioned cries of the rest of the group.

"I'm leaving this to you, Kakashi."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

With a quick nod at them, and a brief glance at her teams, she left the tent. The four teams remained, however, watching their guests with varying degree of interest.

Finally Kakashi let out a breath. He crossed his arms over his chest in a very leisure manner and regarded them with a single droopy eyes. Kakashi's bearing was odd: a strange mix of intensity and aloofness, perhaps due to the combination of the impressive, even intimidating stature and the enigmatic covered-up look with those sleepy-looking eyes of his.

"Well," he began slowly, "I think it'll be wise if we knew your names too…though I can't promise I'll remember all…sixteen…of you here, right away…but…I'll try."


Updated Commentary:

Forgive me, for I have sinned against all good sense and wrote B rapping. Forgive me my terrible rhymes. I blame Killer B.

So many changes this chapter. The meeting with the Kages have been revised, and this time, Tsunade meets with Harry specifically. I changed the teams around because it made a bit more sense this way. I figured, poor Yamato hasn't been taken yet, so he can tag along to help detain Naruto, since he's so bad at doing it. I replaced Yugao with him. Killer B and his team was originally part of the mission, but then I realized that there was no way A and the rest of the shinobi would allow B to cross into another world where he might be fully exposed to new dangers and Madara. In Canon, it took Naruto, B and Tsunade to convince A to let them get to the war. That was only after Naruto speed-blitzed A. If I was the strategist, I would not let B out either, and instead have him hidden in the giant turtle. B hadn't seem to mind then. However, since Kakashi needed bijuu power, he was allowed to come out and help, but again, no way is he joining the fray.

* Patrick Hensley and the Weapon that destroy the city with a single hit: nuclear weapons. WMDs. He's American, the land of the Second Amendment. I think American wizards, unlike wizards from less gun crazy nations, would have to be on point and knowledgeable about muggle weapons. I'm sure no one missed their muggle government obliterating two Japanese cities with one bomb each. I'm sure the Japanese wizards didn't miss it either, because I doubt even the magical communities in Hiroshima and Nagasaki came out unscathed. So Patrick Hensley is saying, if it comes to it, we'll just bomb the fuck out of the shinobi, and you know, I think it'd work. I am not sure how much of this Harry knows.