Disclaimer: Not mine.

Sorry for the long wait. I start my Masters in a few weeks so expect rare and slow updates on most stories as I need to focus on my studies

Very exciting! My fic, A Marriage of Convenience over at Scififan33 has been nominated for best family fic by Hermione's Haven. Voting starts on the 21-26 of February so please vote. h*ttp*s:*/goo*.*gl/form*s/jyNIPN49Ys*rG77Yj2 (Please remove the * in order to access the links since does not allow us to share outside links.)

Chapter 14

Harry grinned as he blocked the blow and lashed out with his own kunai, trying to slip passed his guard but he was blocked. They leapt back and apart before clashing again and again. After half an hour they stopped and sat beneath a tree to refresh themselves.

"You're good," Iruka commented.

"Thanks."

"How much formal training have you actually had?"

Harry shrugged. "It was choppy, whatever we could fit in when we had spare time. And we focused a lot on the physical, weapons fighting, speed…only a handful of jutsu. Itachi is a very exacting teacher, we didn't move on until I had something as perfect as possible. Guess that's why they decided I can teach, the theory part is pretty easy to read up on and I know the physical.

"It wouldn't take much to get you to chunin level," Iruka pointed out.

"No thanks, I'm not good with taking orders," that was an understatement. Iruka laughed and then hauled him up for round two.

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"Welcome home," Harry mumbled as he opened his eyes and smiled sleepily at his lover. Itachi smirked and kissed him, helping him wake up. "Injuries?" Harry asked as Itachi pulled back for breath.

"None," Itachi assured him, hand slipping under Harry's top. The wizard chuckled, and their clothing vanished.

"Better?"

"Definitely."

Later Harry lay curled into Itachi as the shinobi ran his fingers through messy dark hair. "Home for a while?"

"A month down time, unless there's an emergency," he promised.

"Good, missed you," Harry settled to sleep and Itachi smiled.

"Missed you too," Itachi whispered, kissing the top of his head before settling in to sleep.

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Harry put the pot down, brushing his hand against Itachi's arm in a specific way, someone had triggered the wards. Itachi poured the tea as if nothing was amiss even as he stretched out his senses for their intruder. It was no one Harry knew because they were all accepted by the wards. Harry took a seat, knee brushing Itachi's, his magic rising around them protectively. Itachi handed him a cup, fingers twitching in the code they had created over the time together in the cave. Harry took a sip of the tea, hiding his surprise and concern, there was no room for errors. Itachi would never forgive himself if he harmed his little brother permanently.

Itachi looked at his lover and best friend, he was worried. He could easily hold his own against Sasuke, but if his baby brother harmed Harry then Itachi would never forgive him. It had all started with wanting Harry to help Sasuke with his seal but that had changed the more he had spent time with the wizard until he couldn't imagine life without him. That was a good thing about Harry working at the Academy, he was in a well-protected area of the village with several chunin around for extra protection. And Harry was hardly defenceless. But against Sasuke? Then again Harry had held Kisame off in a fight. Itachi sighed, hopefully the house would still be standing. Itachi swiftly swapped out with a clone and moved to intercept his brother. Harry remained at the table but Itachi felt magic wrap around him in a shield, allowing him to safely play bait with the clone. They'd quickly found that most ninja couldn't sense magic; Harry's theory was that Itachi had been dosed on a lot of high magic potions and then kept in a magically created cave/bedroom. His body had been saturated by magic and then he had gotten together with Harry, one of the most powerful wizards since the Founders and Harry's magic had a mind of its own when it came to protecting the people he loved. All of this together seemed to have made Itachi sensitive to the energy.

Sasuke crept silently up to the only house with lights on within. It had been so easy to get into the village and then the Uchiha compound, scoffing at the traps since a few were ones he'd set when he lived there alone. He was a little confused the traitor hadn't moved into the clan heads house but one that had belonged to their Aunt and Uncle. He had snuck away from Orochimaru in order to do this, he would get his revenge on his brother and no one was going to stop him. Glancing in he spotted his brother and a stranger seated at the table drinking tea. Fools! He activated the Sharingan and realised he had been fooled, there was a clone at the table in his brothers' place. He dodged to the side and several senbon hit the wood where he had been.

Itachi was unhappy at missing, the senbon were coated in a fast-acting sedative and would have ended the fight in seconds, without any damage. "Sasuke," he greeted, his own Sharingan activated.

"Traitor," Sasuke snarled and went on the attack.

Sasuke was good but Itachi hadn't been the youngest Anbu member and Captain for nothing. Orochimaru had feared his skills, that was why he had placed the seal on him in a surprise attack. The brothers clashed again and again, Sasuke aiming to kill while Itachi was trying to knock him out or restrain him. If Itachi was aiming to kill, then the fight would have ended in seconds. He felt Harry's magic surge and then Sasuke tripped and Itachi slipped a handful of drugged senbon through his guard. Harry appeared a few feet away as Sasuke stumbled as the drugs went to work. Red eyes faded to dark before rolling back as Sasuke went down, Itachi moving to catch his sleeping brother. He gently lifted his brother into his arms, not liking how light he felt.

Of course, once it was over was when Anbu showed up, along with Team 7 and the Hokage. She looked at the three of them and rolled her eyes, dismissing the Anbu teams to plug up the holes in their defences…again.

"Sasuke," Sakura hesitated, wanting to look him over.

"I used drugged senbon, he will be fine." Itachi assured her, he was getting better at that thanks to Harry pushing him to socialise.

"I guess that means you're up Potter-san," Tsunade looked to Harry who nodded.

"I've prepped a room already," he admitted, heading deeper into the compound and into one of the old training buildings which he had warded thoroughly. Itachi followed an then glanced back at the others before nodding for them to follow, glad that Sai was not with them. Something about that boy made him wary.

"Will he be okay?" Naruto asked as they walked.

"Harry has already performed this on me, I was ill afterwards but that may not have been from this," Itachi assured him as they entered the building. He lay Sasuke down where Harry indicated. Harry had continued his research on the seal whenever possible and he thought he had a better plan of action in place…. but Sasuke's seal was a newer version. He sat beside Sasuke and went to work studying the more advanced seal.

TBC…..