Hello everyone!

Here is chapter 11!

Hope you guys enjoy!

-EmLights

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The Next Great Adventure

"To the well-organized mind, death is but the next great adventure" – Albus Dumbledore (HPSS, Chapter 17)

Chapter 11: The Academy

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Starting school in the middle of April was an uncommon occurrence, but the Hokage assured Harry that he would be fine. He dutifully filled out the appropriate paperwork the night before he was set to start, but one question made him frown.

He made his excuses to Kakashi and headed down the hall to visit Luna, because his sister "knew" their last name. Luna blinked at him with a puzzled expression when he explained his dilemma.

"I thought we should use the last name of the man who gave us his bloodline," he explained slowly, "But I don't know what his name is."

"But, Harry, there aren't any nargles here to tell me who our benefactor is, so we are going to have to figure out that information on our own," Luna replied. "For now, you still need a last name so you can attend school."

Harry sighed, "I guess we can try to do some research later on. It would be nice to know who this man really is, even if we can't use his name for now. Did you want to use your last name for now…?"

The girl smiled. "Lovegood Harry," she said, "That's a funny name. No, Harry, I think we should stick with your name."

Harry couldn't help but grin, imagining his guardian struggling over the name "Lovegood." He nodded, "You're right, Potter will be easier." Leaning over the paperwork, he carefully filled in his own surname.

"You'd better get some rest now," Luna advised him, when he finished, "If you don't, the poxiduds are likely to cling to you all day tomorrow, and you'll be sluggish and tired on your first day."

"There's no way I can sleep now!" Harry replied. "I'm way too excited!" It was almost as exciting as his first day at Hogwarts had been, and just remembering the magical time he'd had there, he couldn't help but look forward to what tomorrow would bring.

Eventually, Kakashi dragged him back to their apartment to get to bed, and Harry's young body betrayed him, falling quickly to sleep with dreams of the Konoha Ninja Academy captivating him until the morning.

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A huge grin was plastered on his face, and no amount of teasing from his friends could lessen it. Chouji and Shikamaru walked alongside him, amplifying Harry's joy on this momentous occasion. Kakashi strolled leisurely behind the trio, his nose buried in his beloved orange novel.

What amazing things would he learn on his first day? Harry couldn't even fathom the knowledge that would come from a shinobi school. Sure, he was taking lessons from Kakashi, Gai, and Genma, but those were unorthodox. This would be structured learning, just like Hogwarts, with teachers, a syllabus, and a classroom full of kids wanting to learn. He wasn't sure how well he'd be able to socialize with the other children, but he'd done well with the few kids he'd met so far.

"My mom packed a lunch for all of us, so come find me during your break," Chouji said excitedly through a mouthful of chips.

"Oh, that sounds great, Chouji. Thanks!" Harry replied, throwing his larger friend a smile.

"School is boring. And we still have four more years left until graduation," Shikamaru grumbled.

"Not me! I'm going to be just like Kakashi and graduate in a year." Harry turned to see Kakashi nod at him approvingly.

"I remember you mentioning that before. With all the training you've done, I'll be surprised if you don't graduate early." Shikamaru placed his hands behind his head and sighed. "All that hard work would be too troublesome."

"That's just cause you're lazy!" Harry responded jokingly, causing the three of them to burst into laughter. He was so thankful for his two friends. No one could ever fill the void of losing Ron and Hermione, but in a way, they were becoming just as precious.

Kakashi pulled him aside as they arrived outside the Academy, allowing Shikamaru and Chouji to wave goodbye and enter by themselves.

"Now, I know this is your first day and that you are very excited, but take this just in case." Kakashi handed him a large book called "Stealth and Strategy."

"In case what?" Harry asked with confusion.

Kakashi replied with an enigmatic, "You'll see," before giving him a quick pat on the head and ushering him inside.

It turned out Kakashi was right.

The Academy started out just fine. Harry entered the room slowly, his childish nerves creeping through him. The classroom had about a dozen students, all about two years older than him, already inside chatting and laughing. He slid into a chair toward the back silently, deciding to observe the students rather than join in for now.

"Hey, there's a new kid," one of the girls said, pointing and giggling softly to her friend.

"Aw, for being so little, he's kinda cute," the friend replied, and that started another reaction of giggles from the two girls.

Please, please, don't let there be any fan girls here, Harry thought, his mind wandering back to his Triwizard Tournament days, and he shuddered.

Finally, the last of the students came wandering in, along with their chuunin instructor.

"Good morning class. Whoever didn't do their homework will be running extra laps after school." A few of the kids groaned, while the others handed their papers in diligently.

"We have a new student today. Hari?" He gestured for him to stand, which Harry promptly did.

"This is Potteru Hari, who will be joining our class. Hari, I am Fujioka Koh. Now class, Hari is only five, but he has been training under Hatake Kakashi so he should be able to fit into our class easily. I have very high expectations for you." Harry nodded, but felt uneasy as a few of the students turned to glare at him.

Harry's new sensei then began a lecture on Shinobi rule number 12: "A shinobi must be able to blend in to their surroundings." After the first five minutes, Harry had a strong urge to bang his head against the table. How the man could take a simple shinobi rule and expand it to an entire lecture was beyond him.

Genma taught him all the shinobi rules within a few days, and even turned the lectures into exciting days of putting each rule into practice and annoying Kakashi at the same time. The lesson about shinobi blending into their surroundings started out with them being hunted down by Kakashi's nin-dogs. Genma and Harry were both found much later in a mud pit, where the dogs happily joined in. Genma even pulled Kakashi into the pit, and the nin-dogs joyously attacked him with mud-covered kisses. Their summoner was not impressed.

He grinned to himself as he thought about those lessons before his attention turned back to the boring lecture at hand. His eyes rested on the very thoughtful gift Kakashi had handed to him that morning.

He pulled "Stealth and Strategy" from under his desk and began to read the first chapter, How to Cover Your Tracks. He was deeply engrossed in a chapter about hiding your scent when the sensei said his name loudly.

"Er, sorry, Sensei, can you repeat that?" Harry asked, causing a few of his classmates to snicker.

"I said, since this lecture doesn't seem to interest you, could you explain to me how you would blend into your surroundings?"

"Well, since I do not have the knowledge of jutsu that would help me blend in, I would use the surrounding foliage, which is an advantage of living in the Land of Fire. Also, I'd use a breathing technique to quiet the sounds of my breath and stay completely still." He paused, tilting his head thoughtfully.

"Even then, at my level I am unable to hide my chakra or my scent, which could allow me to be found, if the person seeking me is chuunin level or above. I would wear dark colored clothing and even use mud to allow me to blend in to my surroundings, depending on how deep into the forest we are, the weather, and the time of day. Being outside a forest would be much more difficult, and I do not have the experience or knowledge to accomplish that just yet."

"Very good," Fujioka-sensei said reluctantly. "I assume you've already been familiarized with the Shinobi Rules, then?" Harry nodded, ignoring the murmurings of his classmates.

"I see. Well then, carry on with your reading, and try not to be disruptive while I finish this lecture." Harry nodded again and buried his nose back into the book, interested to see how he could find a way to hide his scent.

After two hours of lecture, the class went outside for target practice. Harry excitedly bounded outside, prepared to finally learn something new. They were all handed shuriken that upon further inspection turned out to be quite dull.

"Now class, aim towards the targets. Let's see if anyone is able to land three hits in a row."

So Harry stood back and watched, unimpressed as childproof shuriken were thrown haphazardly across the grounds. He quickly became very thankful for their dullness, considering how many times he was accidently hit by stray weapons. He was growing increasingly annoyed by the lack of skill these children had, and also for the lack of challenge he was faced with.

He stared at the fake shuriken in his hand, wondering what he was doing there. This was not how he imagined the Academy to be like at all. He wanted to be challenged, not babied.

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While Harry was struggling through his first week, Luna was on a mission. She finally spotted her final destination, a flower shop, and walked in. She was looking for two specific ingredients, ginseng and ambrosia, which were essential for the animagus potion and the last ones she needed.

The potion was simple enough to make. When imbued with the drinker's own magic, the potion leads them into a meditative state, where they are able to find their animal form. Once the form is revealed, the real studying begins.

"Hello there, how can I help you?" a pretty blonde lady asked her kindly.

"I'm looking for ginseng and ambrosia," Luna replied while taking in the beauty of the flowers surrounding the inside of the shop.

"Hmm, unusual order, but yes I think we have those in the back garden. One moment please." As the woman left the room, Luna continued her observation of the different plants.

Beautiful roses, irises, and hydrangeas filled the front of the shop with a wonderful melody of colors and fragrances. Lavender, tulips, lotus, and azaleas were others she recognized, nestled cheerfully among plants and flowers whose names she couldn't recall. She also spotted her favorite flower, the sunflower, off in a corner.

"Not as exciting as the plants in Greenhouse Three, but still. This is acceptable," she whispered to no one in particular. She couldn't help but grab a small bouquet of sunflowers to add to her purchase.

"Here you are my dear!" the woman said with a smile, after returning from the back room. She handed her a small package.

"Oh, and some sunflowers as well? An excellent choice. My name is Yamanaka Hanako, by the way."

"It's a pleasure, Yamanaka Hanako. My name is Potter Luna." Luna took the package and held out her other hand. Hanako shook her hand, grinning.

"Anything else I can help you with today?"

"Actually yes, there is something else."

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Harry went to the Academy instructors' office after his first week at the academy ended, as his sensei instructed. It had been a week of absolute boredom, the only part of the day he enjoyed was lunch time with his friends. At least they didn't look at him with envy every time he was able to answer a question correctly.

"Ah, so you must be little Potter-kun," a young woman with cropped purple hair said as he entered the room.

"That's me." Harry delicately chose to ignore the "little" comment.

"So, it appears your sensei has requested you to be advanced to a more experienced class," she stated, looking at the report in front of her.

Harry was elated.

"Yes, please! I'll do anything!"

"Hmm." She stared at him for a moment, before handing him a small stack of papers. "These are just a few questions I want you to answer to see where to place you. I'm not going to give you a physical test, so if you move to a higher class and can't keep up, that's all on you."

Harry grinned and started immediately on the test in front of him. Thirty minutes later, he turned in the papers to the surprised chuunin.

She cleared her throat before saying, "Come into the office in the morning so I can send you to your new classroom."

"Yes ma'am!" Harry replied happily before practically skipping out of the office.

"Cheeky brat," the chuunin grumbled to herself before starting to grade the papers in front of her.

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He walked out of the building only to run right into Sasuke.

"Hello."

"Hey Sasuke, you waiting on someone?"

"Well, I was waiting on Nii-san to pick me up, but it seems something has come up again." Sasuke tried to hide his disappointment by changing the subject.

"How was your first week at the Academy, Hari?"

"Very boring," Harry said with a sigh. Sasuke patted Harry consolingly on the back.

"I remember how slow the first year was. It gets better in the more advanced classes."

"Yeah, I'm hoping so! Oh, no, that reminds me, I have training with Kakashi now. He's gonna kill me if I'm late." Harry was about to take off running before thinking of a great idea. "You should come and train with me! Kakashi mentioned he wanted to meet you anyways so this would be great."

Sasuke hesitated for a brief second before nodding.

"That would be acceptable," he said, trying to hide a smile that tugged on his lips.

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"Hmm." Kakashi put a hand on his chin thoughtfully as he stared at the two boys. Sasuke fidgeted nervously under the scrutiny while Harry just grinned.

"Since there are two of you today, how about a spar?" Kakashi suggested, noticing the gleam in their eyes as the two boys agreed eagerly. "But this won't be a normal spar. You two will be working together. The objective of this spar is for one of you to land a hit on me."

"What are the restrictions?" Harry asked, as Sasuke looked at him warily.

"Taijutsu only for now," Kakashi answered. "Depending on the outcome of this spar, I will be deciding whether your taijutsu is at a sufficient level to begin ninjutsu training or not." Harry's eyes lit up.

"Come with me when the spar begins," he whispered to Sasuke. Kakashi watched with a hidden grin at the two conversing in hushed tones.

"If you are ready," Kakashi announced, "then let's begin." Harry rushed into the woods to the left with Sasuke dutifully following.

"So they are going to plan an attack." Kakashi observed approvingly as the two disappearing into the forest. "This should be interesting."

Sasuke pulled at Harry's sleeve when they had gone far enough into the woods.

"Why do we have to work together just to land a hit? That should be easy."

"Kakashi is a Jounin, Sasuke. He is tougher than he looks. Which is why we need to make a plan if we want to win this spar." Sasuke looked skeptical, but nodded for Harry to continue.

"Since we both are about the same level, you should probably be the one to attempt the hit since you are taller and have a longer reach." Harry crouched down, closing his eyes in thought.

"So this means I'll be the distraction." He snapped his eyes open. "Here's what I think we should do…."

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Both boys burst out of the trees at the same time, charging their target. Harry went for the left side, as Sasuke took the right. Their synchronized attacks forced Kakashi to jump out of the way.

"I'll get you this time, Kakashi!" Harry yelled, charging once more. He swung his fist towards Kakashi's chest and then planted his hands on the ground, sweeping his legs low, trying to catch one of Kakashi's legs with his own. Sasuke fell into his own taijutsu style, following a jab with a cross with an uppercut and failing to connect with any of them.

Kakashi merely dodged the swings, not even making an attempt to fight back. Harry growled, circling his target to give himself a second to catch his breath before launching another attack at the man's back. Kakashi caught his fist and used the momentum to toss him over his shoulder, forcing Sasuke to dodge to one side.

"Sasuke, just stop! You aren't helping at all! I can do this without you!" Harry shouted in frustration.

The announcement startled Harry's guardian. When did Hari get so cold?

Sasuke shot him an angry look. "Humph. Fine! I'll just watch you fail then!"

Sasuke pulled back for a moment, watching angrily. Harry continued to circle and tried to find an opening. He threw a punch at the man's blind side, followed a jab up with a roundhouse, and then launched himself into a flying sidekick behind the man's back. Kakashi blocked or dodged everything he threw at him with a bored expression, and Harry displayed an increasing frustration with each failure.

"Hari, you must remember that teamwork is very important when fighting a stronger opponent," Kakashi chided softly.

"I know, I know, but I want to be the one to land the hit, not him! I don't want any help!" Harry rushed at him again, but this time he leapt over Kakashi, dropping smoke bombs on his way down. He twisted in midair, flinging himself into a butterfly kick. Kakashi instinctively jumped away from his charge to avoid the attacks heading his way. A second too late he realized another attack was coming from the other direction. Sasuke's fist barely clipped his clothing as he twisted to avoid the hit. He landed with a skid and saw two grinning boys through the dissipating smoke.

"Great job Sasuke!" Harry said ecstatically. "You did it perfectly!"

"Hn, I only got fabric though," Sasuke replied, his modesty unable to hide a proud smirk.

Kakashi stood and rubbed his head thoughtfully.

"That was a good plan boys. Make your opponent think you are disagreeing and use it to your advantage." He patted both the boys on the head.

"It wouldn't have been so easy if I had actively attacked, but for academy students using only taijutsu, that was very good. Your taijutsu still needs some work, but I think you are proficient enough to begin ninjutsu training."

"Yes!" Harry jumped on Kakashi excitedly before doing the same to a surprised Sasuke. "Thanks for your help Sasuke! I couldn't have done this without you!"

"If you'd like to join his afternoon training, you are more than welcome," Kakashi stated casually. "It would be good for Hari to have a sparring partner closer to his age."

Sasuke's genuine smile was answer enough.

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Harry walked into the Academy to find out what the verdict was for his class change. The purple haired chuunin was again sitting at the desk.

"Hello again, shrimp," the chuunin said smugly. Harry bristled but nodded his head respectfully.

"Well, it seems that you scored high enough to join a more experienced class." Harry grinned. "But don't blame me if you can't play with the big boys," she added pointedly. "I still think putting such a small kid into this class is a bad idea."

"I'll do my best," Harry stated firmly.

Her features were doubtful as she handed him a paper with his new class assignment. "Room 6 is where your new class is located. Don't be late."

"Thanks!" Harry grinned and took off, excited that finally, he might be on his way to following his guardian's footsteps.

Kakashi, I won't let you down!

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QUESTION: For all of my readers, what do you think Luna's animagus should be? I have a few ideas but I'm curious to see what you guys think! I'm leaning towards making it a flying animal, as I alluded to in previous chapters, but I'm open to anything.

Thanks for reading! If you'd like, please leave a review and let me know what you think!

-EmLights