Chapter 9

" And you mean to tell me that they are the Hokage's personal guard?! Tch. Pathetic..."

" If you can think of a better way to arrive for about ten seconds, please, share your ideas..." Ino's taunting voice bothered Sasuke to the edge of the unbelievable. After he replied with a grunt, the blonde girl looked away and muttered something about a 'psychotic shithead'.

" Apparating..." Harry said after a while, when he was finally able to look away from the three strangers, lying on the ground, struggling to breath.

" Eerm...OK, that Granny's out of her mind..." Naruto muttered as he looked at the people, who arrived at the office. Ino, who was helping Hinata and Sakura with the healing, Sai, who was smiling politely, probably just about to say something really disturbing, and Shikamaru, who was muttering something about really unfortunate turn of the events. " How could they help us with force?!"

" Ha!" Ino snorted and glared at the blonde, who dared to speak like that. " You just wait..."

" Hm...We're all full-fledged shinobi, but she should have sent somebody who could, well, actually help us..."

" Full-fledged shinobi?" Shikamaru's brow raised on his forehead, as he looked at his blonde knuckleheaded friend. " You, my friend, are a full-fledged idiot."

" HEY!"

" You really are an idiot." Sasuke agreed on that one and looked at the young strategist. " Why are you here anyway? Do you bring the medallion?"

" It's a locket..." Ron corrected and the Uchiha glared at him. Suddenly, the redheaded Weasley felt, like that boy didn't like him too much. No, he didn't like him at all. Why was that? Deep in his thoughts, he ignored the rest of the conversation.

" OK, a locket, it doesn't matter what fucking accessory it is, did you bring it?"

" Why so demanding?" Shikamaru muttered, but looked at Sai. " Please, give him the stuff, so that he would shut up..."

While the other boy was looking through the backpack, Shkamaru was dragged into the hug of a not so tall girl, with rather large front teeth and a really curly, messy hair.

" Shikamaru! Oh my goodness, I'm so glad to see you..." Hermione said, as if she has just found a rare gem. She didn't notice the jealous looks of Ron, who was suddenly all awake, the confused expression on Harry's face and the shocked on the shinobi's.

" Oh...OH!" Ino snapped, leaving the tired Genma in Sakura's arms after shooting a glance at Ronald. " Oh...look...Hermione, sweet...if I were you...I'd give Shikamaru some..."

'' Private space?" a new voice said from the dark corner of the room. It was a feminine, cold, really harsh and scary voice. Just as she heard it, Hermione shivered and immediately released the boy with the spiky hair. He looked bothered.

" Who is..." Harry started, but Naruto interrupted him.

" You! But..."

" How did you...Sunagakure is..." Hinata stuttered, but there was a gentle smile on her features.

" Don't tell me it's..." Sasuke started and narrowed his eyes at the corner, as if to make sure it was the person who he was thinking about.

" Yeah, it's her..." Sakura nodded and stood up next to him, wrapping her both hands around his free hand. She remembered how that girl has looked at him when they have first met about three years ago, at the Chuunin Exam. Not that she was afraid, that Sasuke would look at her now, that he was with her...she was probably just bragging...yeah...

" Excuse me, but...who is she?" Hermione asked with raised eyebrows and stared into the corner, where she could see a dark figure. But the face was well hidden in the shadows, until the woman stepped in and Harry and Ron tensed.

She was a really hot, really beautiful girl with green eyes and blonde hair, gathered in four, rather spiky ponytails. She was wearing a long, black kimono with short sleeves and a rather revealing neckline. She had fingerless black gloves and some sort of a package on her back...no, not a package...They couldn't tell what it was. Maybe some sort of weapon she was hitting people on the heads with.

" Hello." she said in the same dark, attractive voice. " I am Temari."

" Temari!" Sakura smiled, following Hinata's example. Naruto grinned and waved stupidly, while Sasuke narrowed his eyes. The girl narrowed her eyes at him, too.

" Good to see you old friends..." she muttered and then looked back at Sasuke carelessly. " And you...I really couldn't believe Konoha has let a traitor come back into their lines...such a shame, such a shame..."

Suddenly, Sakura's smile disappeared and she was about to jump on Temari and scratch her eyes, but was held back by Sasuke's arm on her shoulder. Ron and Harry exchanged confused glances, while Hermione shook her head and gave them the I-will-tell-you-later look.

" Don't bother...She's not worth it."

" Ha! And that's why your Hokage turned directly to Gaara to ask for my help! And what about the force now, huh, Naruto?"

The blonde raised his hands, as if he was giving up, the stupid grin still on his face.

" I take my words back...The Granny isn't that stupid, after all."

" I'm sorry, but...I still don't get it...who are you..." Harry stepped in and faced Temari, who suddenly smiled and pulled him, shaking his head.

" Ah. The scar. So you're that little boy we must protect!"

" Little?"

" Yeah, I'm Temari."

" Te-ma-ri." Ron muttered, letting the name sink in his brains. " That's a very nice name."

" Yeah, it's nice." the girl shrugged and stretched.

" Sai!" Sasuke barked all of a sudden. " What happened with that locket?"

The other boy, with the ANBU uniform was suddenly in the centre of the circle of people around him. He looked around and furrowed his brows.

" Well, i noticed how overly protective over SHikamaru Temari was and was fascinated by the woman's behavior. Yes, yes, even in the books I can't find an answer for females' actions...However, here it is."

Sai threw something at Kakashi and even without looking away from the book, he caught it. Then he lay it on the kitchen table carefully. Everybody gathered round, even temari, who had a slight blush on her cheeks, trying to stand as far away possible from the Nara, who rolled his eyes. The sensei then looked at Harry.

" It's the same...We just have to wait for-..."

There was a boom in the other corner of the kitchen and all the shinobi suddenly had kunais and shurikens in their hands. Sasuke-a sword and Temari has taken the 'package' off of her back and now the three wizards realized it was a huge fan. Sakura and Ino were standing behind with Harry, Ron and Hermione, while dragging the tired shinobi from the Hokage's platoon.

" What is that?!" Temari's disgusted voice was to be heard first thing when Kreachur and a little, old man appeared in the room.

" Which one?" Ino muttered and placed Genma carefully on the chair.

" That's a house elf, don't worry, he's our friend. They both are our friends." Ron tried to explain. He then pointed his wand at the man and whispered "Expelliarmus!"

Mundungus's wand soared into the air, and Hermione caught it. Wild-eyed, Mundungus dived for the stairs: Ron rugby–tackled him, and Mundungus hit the stone floor with a muffled crunch.

"What?" he bellowed, writhing in his attempts to free himself from Ron's grip. "Wha've I done? Setting a bleedin' 'ouse-elf on me, what are you playing
at, wha've I done, lemme go, lemme go, or—"

"You're not in much of a position to make threats," said crossed the kitchen in a few strides, and dropped to his knees beside Mundungus, who stopped struggling and looked terrified. " You see those people over there? You know, the shinobi? Dare to move and I swear, we'll catch you and let Snape find you!"

" Didn't you just say he was your friend?" Sakura whispered at Hermione's ear, while she bit her lip.

" He is...kind of..."

"Kreacher apologizes for the delay in bringing the thief, Master," croaked the elf suddenly, startling some of the shinobi. "Fletcher knows how to avoid capture, has many hidey-holes and accomplices."

"You've done really well, Kreacher," said Harry, and the elf bowed low. : I just need to ask you for one more thing. Can you please give me the locket for a few minutes and then I'll return it to you..."

" Y-yes, master..." Kreacher sounded really desperate, but handed the golden accessory to the boy's outstretched arm. Hermione pursed her lips.

" I swear in my own life, Kreachur, that you'll receive it after just a while!"

The elf didn't seem to be happy to hear her talking to him, but for the first time bowed a little and didn't offend her.

" Kakashi, there it is..." Harry gave the man the second locket and the sensei started looking for any differences. But there were none. He sent chakra impulses, but the feeling was the same. Nothing. He even made Hinata check the inside, but they were both just ordinary lockets with no trace of magic in them.

" It's not here. None of these two." Kakashi muttered and Harry turned to Mundungus threateningly, already knowing, that the real horcrux was supposed to be in him.

"When you stripped this house of all the valuables you could find," Harry began , "you took a bunch of stuff from the kitchen cupboard. There was a locket there." Harry's mouth was suddenly dry. He could sense Ron and Hermione's tensions and excitement too. "What did you do with it?"

"Why?" asked Mundungus, "Is it valuable?"

"You've still got it!" cried Hermione.

"No, he hasn't," said Ron shrewdly. "He's wondering whether he shoulder have asked more money for it."

"More?" said Mundungus, "that wouldn't have been effing difficult . . . bleedin' gave it away, di'n' I? No choice."

"What do you mean?"

"I was selling in Diagon Alley, and she come up to me and asks if I've got a license for trading in magical artifacts. Bleedin' snoop. She was gonna fine me, but she took a fancy to the locket an' told me she'd take it and let me off this time, and to fink meself lucky."

"Who was this woman?" asked Harry.

"I dunno, some Ministry hag." Mundungus considered for a moment, brow wrinkled. "Little woman. Bow on top of her head."

He frowned, then added.

"Looked like a toad."

Harry dropped his wand: It hit Mundungus on the nose and shot red sparks into his eyebrows, which ignited. Kakashi was the first to react.

" Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu"

The ground beneath their feet started shaking, as the water exploded from the sink in the kitchen and then fell all over Mundungus, like a waterfall. And then, instead of falling to the ground, it was disappearing. Vanishing. However, the jet seemed to be choking the little man, so Kakashi stopped the technique. He looked at Harry to only notice him staring at Sakura and Naruto. The same shock was reflected in the three young faces.

Sasuke growled and tightened his grip around Sakura's right arm. And Naruto showed his teeth, as he thought of the old toad...The scars on the back of his right hand seemed to be tingling again.

" Umbridge." the voices of all the people in the room, except for Temari, sounded like one, as they spoke the name in perfect sync. All their voices filled with hate, annoyance, disgust.

" So it's obvious what we'll do, right?" Naruto grinned evilly. " We'll infiltrate in the ministry and we'll steal the horcrux! Maybe a genjutsu or two, while we're there..."

" Naruto...you won't be risking your lifes because of me!" Harry repeated this like a mantra. He was getting tired of saying it over and over again. However, he was suddenly pinned to the wall and as he opened his eyes the girl with the blonde hair and the fan, Temari, was leaning against him with narrowed eyes.

" It's already a bit late, isn't it? Besides...we're already here, so shut it and get over it..."

Harry didn't dare to argue with her, because, she wasn't like the other shinobi. She was simply so...offensive and open. He feared her and her attitude.

" However, Naruto is right. If the horcrux is with my co-worker, Professor Umbridge, we'll have to infiltrate the ministry, right?" Kakashi sighed and stood up, finally leaving the book aside.

" Awesome, let's go..." Ino jumped, receiving annoyed glances from Sai and Shikamaru, and even Sakura, who claimed to be her best friend.

" Idiot.." Sasuke muttered and Ino started nagging with him. Naruto and Hinata tried to stay out of the fight, but somehow, they got involved. Kakashi inhaled and exhaled a few times, trying to calm himself.

But Hermione could swear, that while leaving the kitchen, he was muttering. And she heard it damn clear, too!

' What does that woman think I am? A babysitter?!'


Heyo, dear readers...you know everything, right? I love you and so on, but you really disappoint me e.e

Where is your love guys? Please, tell me if you don't like how this is going so that I could change the way of writing! How am I supposed to know what you want, when you don't tell me?!

So once again, please REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!

Another thing, next chapter the action will already begin, and by action I mean, the ministry. and from then on, you know, camping in the forects, wooo :D

So, yeah, that's it, bye :)