Lost Chapter 12

Minato's feet slammed into the ground as the trio reappeared in the foyer of their London Townhouse. He stumbled and released his hold on his sons as he fought for balance.

"Dad?" Naruto had his hand on Minato's arm, trying to help Minato keep his balance.

"Sorry. I did that badly." Minato offered his sons a weak smile.

"Dad. We don't buy that for a minute. Why are you panicking?" Minato rolled his eyes at Harry.

"I'm not panicking-" Naruto interrupted Minato.

"Yes you are, Dad. We aren't stupid." Minato sighed. The boys could sometimes be too observant for his tastes.

"Why are you panicking.?" Harry broke the suffocating silence that had settled on the group.

"I will tell you but first you need to promise me that you can try to stay calm." Both boys nodded at this.

"There were shinobi in that Alley." Wide eyes greeted Minato.

"What?" Harry echoed his brother's disbelief.

"Yes. I apparated us badly because I needed to get us out of there quickly. Actually, I didn't even apparate us." Naruto looked at Harry confused.

"Dad?" Minato looked at the black-haired child and almost grinned at the completely lost expression on Harry's face.

"Yes, Harry?" Harry took a deep breath and tried to align his thoughts.

"What did you get us here with if you didn't apparate us?" Minato blinked.

"I said that out loud, didn't I?" Naruto nodded.

"Oops. Well, since I already let that cat out of the bag, I brought us home using a jutsu that I developed a long time ago. It was designed to carry me long distances. I panicked and didn't think before activating my jutsu."

"That's why it felt different." Naruto quickly agreed with his brother.

"Dad?" Harry was watching his dad's expression.

"Yes, Harry?" "I still love you." Minato blinked.

"I wasn't worried about you both not loving me anymore, I was more worried about whether I hurt you." Harry smiled and Naruto looked confused.

"Why would you hurts us?" Minato rubbed his eyes and glanced at the clock.

"Maybe we should go to the kitchen and eat dinner?" The boys blinked and also looked at the clock. They must have spent the entire day shopping.

The two shrugged and headed to the kitchen. It was Minato's turn to cook.

It was several hours later when Minato finally had the chance to put away the items they had bought. Almost all of it was the boys' school supplies but that didn't matter.

Minato had just closed the lid on Harry's trunk when he heard a sharp rapping on the door.

He crept carefully down the hall from the den and into the foyer. With caution in his steps, Minato opened the door just a crack.

Standing on his front step was a man with long, spiky white hair carrying a few bundles on his back.

"Sensei?" Minato blinked in shock. "Kai!"

"Minato. Seriously? Why would I be a genjutsu?" It was definitely his old sensei with that comment.

"Close run in today. Come in, please?" Jiraiya rolled his eyes and followed Minato back into the kitchen.

"We've got to stay quiet. My boys are sleeping." Jiraiya looked confused.

"I know you have Naruto, but who else do you have?" Minato sighed and explained Harry to him.

"So you have two somewhat abused children? Are you cursed or something?" Minato buried his head in his hands.

"Lately I've been wondering that as well. Both of then are like me. They both have chakra and magic. They also both attract bad luck. I took them shopping for school supplies today and we end up being in the place when it gets attacked. I take them to the zoo, one of the gets attacked by a snake! I can't even train them to fight off the bad guys as well as I want to now because they will be in school for nine months!" Minato groaned and buried his heads in his arms while Jiraiya looked on amused.

"I am so glad I'm not you." Minato lifted his head a bit and stuck his tongue out at his sensei.

"So, you were training them?" Minato glared at Jiraiya.

"They are bad luck charms. What do you think?" Jiraiya smiled.

"I was asking because I want to know if you want them to become fully fledged ninja." Minato took a deep breath.

"Yes. I am going to see if they can take their chunin exams in a few years. Maybe at twelve." Jiraiya smiled.

"That's great. There is talk of the summer exams being back in Konoha that year." Minato looked at him shocked.

"What? I thought they would be in Kiri or something?" Jiraiya shook his head.

"Kiri is currently involved in a civil war. It doesn't show any signs of abating for at least a few years." Minato sighed.

"Of course it doesn't. Why is my luck so shoddy?" Jiraiya patted him on the shoulder.

"Maybe you pissed someone off in a past life." Minato nodded, content with that answer.

"So do you need a place to crash?" Jiraiya grinned.

"Follow me." Minato led him up to the guest bedroom (Harry and Naruto decided to share) and left him there to get settled.

"Goodnight, Min."

Naruto rolled over and fell out of bed.

"Ow!" He sat up and rubbed his forehead.

"Are you okay Naru?" Harry poked his messy head over the edge of the top bunk of his bed.

"I'm fine. Fell out of bed." Harry grinned.

"I was getting up anyways, it's already nine o'clock! Come on lazybones, your gonna make us late for the train!" At the word train, Naruto leaped to his feet and gasped.

"I forgot!" He was then a whirlwind, grabbing an outfit out of the closet before heading into the bathroom to change.

Within five minutes, Naruto was out of the shower and began pulling his fully packed trunk down the stairs.

Harry was already downstairs and their dad was making breakfast.

"Morning sleepyhead! Hungry?" Naruto's stomach growled in response and the everyone laughed.

"Leave your trunk by the door, I'll take it to the car in a moment." Naruto did so and took a place at the table.

"Itadakimasu!" The two dug in while Minato smiled and began to take the trunks out to the car.

"Wow!" Harry gasped as he saw the enormous scarlet steam engine.

"Amazing isn't it?" Minato put his hand on Harry's head and ruffled Harry's hair.

"Daaad!" Harry knocked the hand off and hugged his father.

"Love you Dad. I'll miss you." Naruto tugged Harry further down the train while their dad pushed the trolley with the two trunks on it.

"Here's an empty one!" Minato smiled and started to load the trunks onto the train through the door closest to their compartment.

"Don't forget, I expect you to behave,"he glanced at Naruto, "and I want you both to try your hardest. Remember, Hedwig will carry any of your letters, if you want to contact me, I will be in Konoha in October and November." He hugged them both and lifted them onto the train.

"I love you." The boys hugged him as one and whispered their farewells before heading into their chosen compartment with their trunks.

Naruto opened the window and waved to Minato.

"You'll send us anything we forget, right?" Minato smiled.

"Of course Naruto, Hedwig will be there by the end of the week with anything you forgot." Naruto smiled and waved again before putting the window back up.

The clock struck eleven quite soon after, and the train began to move. The brothers were finally on their way to Hogwarts.