Naruko Uzumaki-Namikaze, the hero of the fourth shinobi war, jinchuriki to the nine tailed fox, and the most unpredictable kunochi of the nations was pacing in nervousness in front of the great gates. Near her stood the original Team Seven that she had been placed on so long ago, each sending their own worried glances to the pacing young woman. There wasn't much any of them could say that could calm Naruko down, but they were here in support as her entire life changed. They were also here as a threat to the man that was planning to change their favorite orange wearing, blonde friend.

With the fourth great shinobi war over and a much more stable peace established between all of the shinobi villages, it was time to rebuild. It was a good thing that everybody had agreed to peace as no village would have been able to wage war even if they wanted to. Each village's coffers were almost empty as well as every clan in each nation. That was why each village had looked for new blood to inject into their system and get their economy flowing once again. Each clan had been required to offer up at least one member for a marriage outside the village walls. Sasuke had gotten lucky in courting Sakura and thus avoided the draft, but Naruko had not been so lucky.

In truth, Naruko wasn't depressed that she had been forced into marriage negotiations. She had never really thought about a relationship beyond the occasional crush and after the war it seemed to be too late as relationships seemed to be formed every second. Naruko didn't begrudge any of her friends for this, but in truth she was scared. She was scared that after everything she had gone through that she would be alone once again. Even if she had to marry some fat lord that was scared of what she could do, at least she would have someone close to her.

-A Marriage of the Chosen-

Harry Potter sighed as he walked on the well-worn path through the forest on the way to his future. When he had finally sent old snake face to hell he had thought that his life would be looking up from then. Apparently fate didn't like her whipping boy to be happy as he soon found out that nothing really changed. He had sacrificed his childhood and actual life to take down Voldemort and his followers, but it seemed that no one actually wanted to fight for change. The old pureblood laws were still in effect and many of the old purebloods had once again escaped their time in jail, though it wasn't the imperious curse defense this time. Harry had redecorated Grimmauld Place when he figured out nothing had truly happened beyond the loss of life.

It was then that those in charge bemoaned the loss of their pureblood lines and whispers were formed about a marriage law forcing all unwed suitors between certain ages to marry into a pureblood line. Pairing were formed on the spot even if the couples were brand new. Harry hadn't gotten back with Ginny just yet as he had been trying to purge his demons and when he looked up, she was already engaged to her former boyfriend, Dean Thomas. Knowing that any girl he would chase afterwards would be a fangirl to some degree, he went to the goblins.

The goblins were actually helpful when the reason for their break-in was explained as they thought horcruxes were an affront to nature. To have one in their bank was an embarrassment to the highest degree for them and once Griphook was taken care of, Harry didn't ask for details, they were ready to help their biggest customer. That had been a shock to Harry as well when he found out how large his fortune was. With the combination of both the Potter's and the Black's fortune, he could have bought the wizarding world and then laughed as they tried to force him into a marriage. Harry was tired of the wizarding world though and decided that a move was the best possible choice and even if he was required to marry or be engaged so that he could not be summoned back, at least he had a bit of choice in the girl that would be chosen.

So, here he was in a beautiful forest that actually had a tangible energy that he could feel pulsating with a casual eye roving the path before him as he searched for either his guides or the bandits that were said to occupy the road occasionally. He didn't know much about his future wife, other than the fact she was a war hero like himself and was blonde. He hoped that she was close to him in age and while he knew that the physical aspect of a relationship wasn't something that could make a relationship, it certainly help to break the ice. He looked down at himself and while he was not the tallest, he had filled out and his coat and pants combination he had chosen to wear helped accentuate what he thought was a rather good looking body.

He sensed them only a moment before they landed in front of him. Four of the shinobi of these lands stood before him and each wore a mask depicting a different animal. "You are Lord Harry Potter?" The lead shinobi in a cat mask asked directly.

"Indeed," Harry nodded as he reached for his identification and each member slightly tensed. Harry made a mental note to not make any sudden movements until he had been verified.

He passed his identification to the cat shinobi who took a quick moment to verify the authenticity before nodding and passing it back. "Very well Lord Potter, we shall be your escort for the last mile and to our Lady Hokage's office."

Motioning them to lead on, Harry found himself in the middle of the four-person squad as they set off at a fast walk towards Konoha. The AnBU squad was silent as they observed this new lord. While none of them were part of the Konoha Twelve, each felt their own connection to the loveable blonde and while they needed the currency that this lord was bringing, if he turned out to be a monster he would meet a quick and violent end. Harry could sense the stares on him as they made their way closer to his future, but it didn't bother him. Sure, they were trained killers that would make most of the Death Eaters look like first years, but he had walked calmly to his own death and he no longer feared it for himself. The confidence was visible to the four-man squad and questions were already being raised about this foreigner.

-Marriage of the Chosen-

As the squad of AnBu broke through the trees with a foreigner in the middle, the four members of Team Seven instantly came to attention. With their enhanced senses, each could see this Lord Potter well before he would notice him and each were evaluating him by their own standards.

It was unfortunate, Kakashi thought as he looked at Naruko's future husband, that he isn't riding in a carriage. You could tell so much by how the affluent traveled and the fact that he was walking spoke highly of this lord. The way he walked spoke of a strong spirit that had been tested. Because of his relationship with Naruko and his status as an elite jonin, Kakashi knew this Lord had been a pivotal piece in his own society's war and respected him as a fellow warrior he didn't think he was good enough for Naruko. Granted, in Kakashi's mind no one was good enough for Naruko.

Sasuke stood by his mentor, thinking much the same thing. Naruko had brought him back from the horribly dark place that he had found himself in. While the rest of his comrades had given up on him and thought him a lost cause, Naruko did not. If anybody were to ever harm his best friend, there would be hell to pay.

While Sakura agreed with her boyfriend's and sensei's thoughts and would join in on any torture if it was warranted, she was also the foreigner's best ally on Team Seven. She knew of Naruko's fear and Sakura's heart went out to her friend who had helped her out through so much. When she saw that this lord was near their age and not a horrible thing to look at, he was very attractive she thought with a blush, she held hope for Naruko. Her friend deserved every bit of happiness that she could get and if this man could give it to her, she would support their relationship every step of the way.

Naruko's thoughts were much simpler, but less coherent than her teammates because she was freaking out. She hadn't been completely okay with the idea of an arranged marriage as she really wanted to follow her parents' footsteps, but it was just an idea up until a few moments ago and she could hide from it. Now, in this moment, it all became real. Admittedly, she found her fiancé attractive, but she wasn't ready for this. Inside her, Kurama was trying to calm his favorite human down and it appeared to be working. He was right, she thought, take it one step at a time. She wouldn't meet him for a few hours yet as Auntie Tsunade had to meet him first.

-line-

It was not the most uncomfortable silence Harry had ever experienced, but all the same, as they approached the check in he was ready to be rid of his escorts. Standoffish in order to be polite, but Harry just found it incredibly rude. Beyond the few words the cat shinobi had said the twelve-minute mile had been conducted in complete silence and his attempts at conversation were rebuffed. He thought after he had checked into the village, but other than new scenery where Harry was generally interested it was the same thing.

Before he knew it, Harry was in front of the Hokage and waiting as she tried to stare him down. After a few minutes of silence as the leader of Konoha stared him down he sighed. "I wonder if the position in Kiri is still open? They were a hell of a lot politer than anyone I've met from Konoha so far."

"What do you mean?" Tsunade bit out tersely.

"I mean," Harry leaned forward showing his aggression, "That this little stare down is doing nothing to me. I have faced down individuals that held my life in their hands and have calmly walked to my own death. It is only by happenstance that I came back to life and I can tell you right now, you do not scare me. This little silent treatment is doing nothing more than pissing me off and according to the contract between my lawyers and Naruko's I am allowed to choose where we live. So, if you would like to keep your shinobi within these walls, I will be treated with a modicum of respect and you will send those that are hidden within the room out."

Tsunade glared at the young man in front of her, but it was as he said, he didn't so much as flinch. Instead, she could tell that he was growing more impatient and as much as she wanted him to leave, there was too much at stake for that to happen. Grudgingly, she dismissed her guard and just as grudgingly they left. "Look," She tried to say, "I don't think you understand the situation."

"No, I think I understand the situation perfectly, Tsunade Senju. My lawyers were very thorough and I wonder what gives you the right to even be in this office, let alone as the leader of the village. After all, when my family was murdered and I was abused up until last year, I did not run away." Tsunade looked as if she had just been slapped and Harry softened a little bit. "Look, it was not my intention to ever come to Konoha, but circumstances beyond my control forced me to seek sanctuary. I could have fought the decision, but not one of my friends was willing to go to war so soon after just getting through with one. Instead, they were okay with the status quo and leaving it for someone else to deal with later down the line. My lawyers found your continent and thought it was the best fit for me and this Naruko Uzumaki girl would be able to relate the best to me."

"Can you explain that?" Tsunade butted in, though it wasn't with the anger simmering just below the surface. She would do anything to make Naruko's life easier and if it meant playing nice with this man in front of her, then she would swallow her damn pride. She felt for this Lord Potter, but it was Naruko first.

"She's a child of a prophecy, marked by something beyond her control. At a young age she was thrust into a role in the war that basically determined the future of her community. An orphan before she was able to know her parents and then abused and neglected for most of her life. Yeah, I'm looking at a mirror image," Harry smiled wistfully.

"What are your intentions to Naruko?" Tsunade got to the heart of the matter.

"I want a partner Tsunade, I want someone that if I cannot grow to at least love, can become a friend." Harry chose honesty at the moment, because no matter what else he said he knew he needed this woman's support if there was any hope of him establishing a life here. The goblins had other options of course, but this seemed to be the best for him. "If nothing else, Naruko is experiencing fanboys and people wanting to get with her if only to say they are with the hero and I understand that."

Tsunade stared for a moment, but Harry didn't mind it at this point. It meant that she was thinking and that was something he wanted. "As much as I want to throw you out for your reaction," Tsunade broke the silence, "I understand your position and you handled it much better than I would have been able to. I'll warn you now though, even though she is just now getting the respect she deserves from civilians and most of the shinobi population, Naruko has friends everywhere and most of them are the top tier in shinobi, highly decorated from the war. If you hurt her, they'll all be coming for you."

Harry let his laughter out and continued for a good while, "No matter how much things change, the threatening speech will always be present. So, I believe I was supposed to have a few papers to sign so I can start to settle in."

A/N: So, after I published the one with Tsume, I had this little bunny hopping around in my head. Which sounds more interesting? I plan on working on one story from this collection at the start of the new year. Maybe... Perhaps... Anyways, as always this is up for adoption and if someone ever does take up the challenge I will let everyone else know.