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As incredible as the idea sounded, it turned out that yes, Gai did want to train a dragon.

And not just any dragon. A bloody Norwegian Ridgeback at that.

Well, at least it wasn't a Hungarian Horntail or a Peruvian Vipertooth. Both species were notorious for their preference to eat human flesh.

"Where exactly did you acquire this beast?" Severus asked as he regarded the dragon, who was eying the shinobi up hungrily. It hadn't attacked yet but Severus was sure that it was only a matter of minutes.

Gai and Shizune had led him to the forty-fourth training ground, which was strangely devoid of any shinobi teams. Severus had the feeling that this particular training ground wasn't utilized very often, which was probably why it had been chosen in the first place.

"That bank of yours," Shizune said. "The white building."

"Gringotts?" Severus mused. He had known that the goblins kept dragons in the depths of their banks but according to laws set down by the Wizengamot, the dragons were supposed to be common breeds, like the Welsh Green or the Ukrainian Ironbelly, not an endangered species like the Ridgeback.

Of course, there were very few wizards that were willing to check to make sure that law was being followed and no doubt the goblins had figured that out very early on.

The Norwegian Ridgeback raised its head and let out a piercing screech, spreading its wings as it expressed its…displeasure? Pleasure? Severus had no idea how to read a dragon's mood. As the dragon turned its head back and forth, looking around, it lunged toward the top branches of the tree above Severus, who dodged to the side out of pure reflex.

"Does it normally eat venomous slugs?" Shizune asked as the dragon sat back and began shaking its catch violently to rip it into more bite-sized pieces. "The venom won't affect it?"

"Dragons are not my area of expertise, unless their scales are powdered or their heartstrings diced," Severus drawled. "All I know that the majority eat large mammals, such as sheep, deer, or cows and are very territorial."

"Of course they are! They are the beasts of beasts, the king of all creatures on both land and air!" Gai declared. "They cannot expect to share that title with any other, even others of their kind!"

"Remind me to introduce you to Rubeus Hagrid in the future. I have a feeling you two would get on marvelously well," Severus muttered under his breath.

"Now that we've figured out what to feed it, how shall we train it?" Gai asked, turning to the wizard.

"There is no we," Severus announced with a sneer. "Dragons are unable to be tamed or domesticated, so this endeavor is entirely your own because I refuse to try and accomplish the impossible.

"But the bank…"

"Goblins chain them up and beat them until they expect pain at the smallest noise. However, it is only effective as long as their movements are restricted and as soon as the dragons break free, they will kill or eat any goblin that crosses its path. The goblins do not train the dragons, they merely imprison them."

"Then we will tame this dragon with kindness!" Gai declared.

Severus sighed as his words went unheard. The shinobi was too stubborn to listen once he had an idea in his head.

"If this dragon decides to eat you, I am not taking in your son," Severus declared. "He will not be living with me."

"Do not worry!" Gai said. "I have already faced this beast once. I am confident in my abilities."

Severus rolled his eyes and turned away. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Shizune do the same.

"You're leaving him alone with that dragon?" he questioned once they were out of the clearing that Gai and the dragon were facing off in.

"Other shinobi will be along shortly to see what the commotion is about and I have faith in Gai's abilities. Once he puts his mind to something, he is determined to succeed and he nearly always manages."

"Nearly always?" Severus raised an eyebrow. Shizune smirked.

"He's determined that Harry will become a shinobi, despite not having chakra. However, that will be proven a few years and therefore I cannot consider it a success yet."

Severus didn't reply.

Upon reaching the Hokage tower, Shizune led Severus straight up to the main office of the Hokage. As they entered the circular room, Tsunade glared at the pair.

"What's happening now?" she demanded. "It's barely been a day!"

"All seems to be well," Shizune said. "I believe the first lessons went smoothly." As Tsunade's eyes slid over to Severus, the wizard inclined his head in reluctant agreement. The Hokage smirked. "The forty-fourth training ground has acquired a new beast to roam within it. I suspect that the population of the other beasts within it will be on the decline. Gai is currently attempting to tame it and train it and I suspect that other shinobi will want to try and face this creature."

Severus relished the sight of Tsunade's smirk quickly disappearing.

"What kind of beast?" she demanded.

"A dragon," Shizune replied promptly. Severus nodded again when Tsunade looked in his direction.

"One of the largest creatures in the world," he said. "Known to temperamental and has the ability to breathe fire. If I recall correctly, this particular breed also has a venomous bite that brings a slow, painful death if not treated properly.

"If it's not one thing, it's another," the Hokage muttered under her breath. "I don't know how my predecessors put up with all this madness. You never hear about these things happening in the other villages…"

Shizune rested a hand on Severus's arm and led him out of the room. As the door swung shut, the pair heard Tsunade shout, "His living arrangements are ready!"

Severus wanted to sigh in relief. The previous night he had no place to stay and had been forced to share a house with Gai and Harry. Never again, he vowed. He needed his own space.

"Despite your Hokage's vices, she seems to be efficient," the dark-haired man commented reluctantly as Shizune showed him to his new home for the next several years. He was impressed that his housing had been arranged so quickly.

"Housing is simple to arrange," Shizune replied. "With shinobi coming and going on missions, there are always a couple of apartments ready and the keys are just handed over. However, if they are going to stay for a longer amount of time, we have to give twenty-four hour notice to the managers of the buildings, which is why there was a delay for you. Shinobi villages are meant to be efficient, with or without a kage. It's the only way to survive."

The rest of the walk to the apartment building was done in silence. Severus resisted a few sighs when he heard the piercing cry of the dragon. Thankfully, it was relatively faint and Severus hoped to keep it that way. He wasn't Hagrid, who was fascinated by the beasts and wanted to be as close to them as possible. Severus was quite content to stay far away from the fire-breathers and the only interest he found in the creatures were in the potions ingredients that they could provide.

That reminded Severus that eventually he needed to find a location where he could brew. Preferably away from any shinobi. He didn't trust any of the warriors not to mess something up, including Shizune. However, he would gladly listen to her when it came to the local fauna. He had only walked through the village a few times and had been to only one training ground but already he could tell that the majority of the plant-life was very different from the materials he could acquire in Europe.

"Here we are," Shizune announced, stopping their journey in front of a nondescript building. Severus already approved, especially when he noticed similar buildings along the entire street. They blended in well with the nearby civilian homes. "Apartment three-one-seven is the one you've been assigned. I'll leave you to get settled."

Severus nodded and barely blinked when Shizune disappeared in a flurry of leaves. The first time had startled him somewhat but after a few times of witnessing various shinobi use the technique, Severus had adjusted. It was merely another way to travel, much like apparation or using the floo.

The wizard examined the key that Shizune had handed him. There was no label on it, which wasn't surprising. The wizard was finding that not only were shinobi villages efficient, they were also paranoid. Those were certainly two qualities that he could appreciate.

The apartment Severus had been assigned was small. The entrance way opened to a hallway containing three doors and the kitchen. Beyond a sliding door was a room that doubled as a living room and bedroom. It was a slightly unusual set-up for the Brit but, like everything else he had encountered so far, it was efficient.

A quick look around proved that the cupboards were stocked with food and extra furniture and on top of a wooden pallet (most likely the bed), there were linens and a piece of fabric that was a frightening familiar shade of green. Severus grimaced as he picked up the green fabric and unfolded a note left on top of it.

Severus,

To show my gratitude and as a gift to welcome you to Konoha, I have bestowed upon you this uniform to bring out the youth I know is inside of you. Train well in it.

Gai

Severus didn't bother to unfold the garment. Instead, he acted like it had suddenly burst into flames and promptly dropped it, giving a slight shudder as he did so. He refused to wear any jumpsuit, especially one that was an exact copy that Gai, Lee, and Harry were keen on wearing.

He would stick to his robes, thank you very much.

The piercing scream of the dragon rang throughout the village.

Glowering at the offensive piece of green fabric, Severus hoped that the dragon won and ate Gai.


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