Sphere of Influence

R. Winters

Disclaimer: As of now, I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto. The outlook doesn't look good for tomorrow, either.

It seems I overestimated how quickly I could get a chapter from paper to hard drive, so it's a day later than I thought I'd be able to get it up... Ah, well, not too bad. Chapter 22 will probably be late, too, as I'm going to be in Washington DC for a little over a week. I'll aim for June 23 at the latest, although hopefully I'll be able to get it up before then.

Anyway, thanks for your responses to chapter 20! As you know, it's been hectic lately, so I haven't had a chance to reply, but I'll do my best to get back to most of you over the next couple of days. As it is, I'm going to have to post this and run off to a performance. Hope you enjoy chapter 21!

Thankst to Escalus for the catch on a typo.

Chapter 21 - Responsibility

"How's your arm?" Harry asked eagerly, jumping to his feet even before Sirius realized the older ninja was there. "Did Madam Pomfrey fix it?"

"Her techniques didn't work," Kakashi's tone was neutral and his face gave nothing away, eyes fixed on Sirius.

Harry frowned, "Oh... well, is she going to try again?"

The Jounin shrugged with one shoulder. "Probably," he said, "She believes there's a chance for complete recovery."

Harry raised his eyebrows, "Even though it hasn't improved at all in the last month?"

"Who said it hasn't improved?" Kakashi asked casually.

"Well... you can't move it," Harry said uncertainly, "Can you?"

"I can feel pain in the center of my hand," Kakashi stated, "Which means the nerves up and down the length are still alive."

"Ah... so... what did she say she was going to do?" Harry asked, frowning.

"I don't know. She kicked me out of the infirmary and told me not to bring my kunai next time," Kakashi replied promptly.

Harry's frown deepened, "What?"

"She wasn't happy when I stabbed my palm to make the point," Kakashi supplied.

"You what!" Harry looked across at Sirius in surprise when he realized they had both spoken at once. The man smiled sheepishly and Harry turned back to his brother.

"You stabbed yourself?" He asked incredulously, before switching languages and repeating the question.

Kakashi ignored the switch and shrugged, "It wasn't deep. Pomfrey-san healed it quickly."

Sirius shook his head in exasperation. "You ninja are all crazy."

Kakashi scowled and looked from the wizard to Harry. "What is he doing here again?"

Harry smiled before he could stop himself, and quickly wiped the expression from his face. "He—uh... we were just talking."

"Harry wanted to know about his parents," Sirius added, frowning back at the Jounin, "You don't have any right to try to stop him from knowing the truth."

Harry flushed with embarrassment. "I was just curious," he said quickly, scrutinizing his brother's expression in an attempt to tell what he thought of the matter. "It doesn't really matter, I'm..."

"You should know about your mother's heritage," Kakashi said abruptly—Harry stared at him in surprise. The Jounin glanced at him, "A shinobi should know everything there is to be known about himself. The unknown can always be used against you."

Harry glanced between his brother and godfather. "Yeah," he agreed hesitantly, "That's... what I mean."

"There's something else you should know about, too," Kakashi said, "Come with me." He turned quickly, and began to walk even before Harry agreed.

"Maybe we can try out that broom later," Harry offered in a brief apology to his godfather before hurrying after his brother, his face still red. He heard the murmur of Savage's voice behind him, and glanced over his shoulder to see the man smile at Sirius before following after them.

Harry increased his pace to walk astride the young man and shifted languages a second time. "Niisan, it didn't mean anything."

This time, the Jounin followed suit. His eyes were focused straight ahead, his gait swift. "You are more susceptible to sympathizing with the enemy because you have family among them, Harii," he stated crisply, "You need to be more careful."

"I'm not—!" Harry bit back his retort halfway through and forced himself to think over the situation.

Kakashi glanced at him, "Yes?"

"... Maybe... I sympathize a little," Harry said grudgingly, "But they aren't really the enemy—are they? Not all of them, I mean."

The Jounin raised an eyebrow, "Did you forget that they abducted us? That all along they've been forcing us to play their parts in this stupid game?"

"You've been helping them," Harry defended, "You hurt your arm to destroy those things."

"Because the only way to get you out of here is to beat them at their own game," Kakashi said irritably, "Are you starting to think you want to stay here? Should I just forget the whole plan and leave you to become a wizard in this—place?"

Harry cringed and increased his pace again to match his brother's. "I don't want to stay! I want to go back to the village! I want to live there and I want to become a Chuunin and protect everyone! But..." He hesitated, glancing at the castle briefly and then back at his brother. "Isn't it alright if I want to know about my... my mother, too? If you didn't know anything about her—wouldn't you take the opportunity to know about yours, too?"

Kakashi didn't look at him. "I don't know anything about my mother," he said sharply, "And I don't care. I know as much as I need to, and so do you. All you're doing is creating an emotional attachment to this place."

"Kakashi!" Harry protested again, "I was just talking with my godfather!"

The Jounin stopped abruptly and fixed his brother with a hard look. "I don't care if you make friends here, Harii, but you know you're going to have to leave them behind. It will be harder for you if you become too attached. Listen to yourself—you hardly know that man and you're already so familiar. You don't even know that he really is your godfather; if such a position even exists."

Harry didn't reply immediately, and after a moment the two began walking again. "I know my parents existed," he said at last, quietly. "I know that Lily and James Potter existed. And Sirius can tell me about them; that's all that really matters. Niisan, I don't want to stay here, but even so, since I am here now, I might as well learn about them."

"Then ask your godfather to talk quickly," Kakashi said sharply, "Because we will be leaving by the end of the month."

Harry didn't have the opportunity to question the declaration, because his brother vanished in an instant. The Genin kept up his pace—he didn't feel like talking to Savage, and he had a lot to think about.

"I think I know where a Horcrux is," Kakashi said without preamble upon entering the Headmaster's office.

Dumbledore seemed to take the announcement in stride. He set the book he was studying on his desk and peered over his reading glasses at the young man. "I see."

"I know where it is," Kakashi repeated, "But I don't know how to reach it. If I provide the location, you provide the means of entry, and I provide the means of destroying the item, then you will give me the final coordinate, correct?"

"... I hardly think you are in any condition to destroy another Horcrux," Dumbledore said calmly, "Perhaps it would be wise to give yourself more time to recover."

"You will give me the coordinate, correct?" Kakashi repeated.

The old wizard sighed, but nodded. "If you provide the location, as well as the means of destruction, then, yes, I will give you the final coordinate."

Kakashi nodded shortly. "I found a cave near the sea," he stated, "Inside there was something I couldn't understand at the time. I was able to see something that might have been a tunnel, but it was hidden to me. The cave is the one connected to your Tom Riddle-san, which means the hidden tunnel could lead to a Horcrux."

Dumbledore frowned, "Why didn't you tell me about the cave earlier?"

"You didn't offer me a coordinate for its location," Kakashi said coolly.

"..." The wizard was silent for several seconds. He released another sigh. "Very well. I will examine the cave and see if there is anything to be found there. In the meantime, you will tell me anything else you have been holding back from me. If you're going home soon, it's the least you can do."

"The least I could do is kill you," Kakashi said dryly, "Maybe I will leave you what you want in a letter, if everything works out."

Harry sat in a tree near the edge of the forest, staring blankly into the darkness between trees. He wasn't entirely sure what to do about Sirius and Kakashi and the couple in the picture in his pocket.

He wanted to know more about them—he couldn't say exactly when, but somehow he'd started to think of them as people. He'd started to think of them as important people. People who loved him and deserved his recognition, at the very least.

But he didn't want to alienate Kakashi in the process. James and Lily might have been his family when he was a baby, but Kakashi was his family now. And he really didn't want to stay at Hogwarts. He wanted to return to Konoha. He wasn't sure how he could make his brother see that when he construed everything he did in the worst possible light.

The boy sighed in frustration and swung his head against the tree trunk behind him, just hard enough to cause a brief flash of pain followed by a distracting numbness. He scowled.

It would have been so much easier if Hagrid hadn't given him the photo in the first place.

"I'm a Genin," he muttered out loud, the words barely audible to his own ears. "My first responsibility is always to the village."

His second was to his teammates and comrades. His family didn't factor into the equation until number three. So did that mean it was wrong for him to want to learn about them as long as he was stuck here?

Shaking his head to clear it, Harry dropped down from the tree. Family was important—any shinobi would agree, and especially those from the major clans. The only real complaint Kakashi had was that he was growing attached. And he wasn't.

Harry turned to find Savage stepping through the dense underbrush, a frown on his face. His mouth opened, but another voice beat him to his reprimand.

"There you are!" Sirius' voice was exasperated—Harry watched as the long haired man fought against a snag in the brush.

"Savage-san," Harry acknowledged coolly, "Sirius-san." He wasn't attached to his godfather, whatever his brother thought. When he looked at him, it didn't inspire the sort of feelings he experienced around Kakashi, Tenzou, Naruto, or even his teammates.

But, a small, traitorous part of his mind felt compelled to amend, he did feel something. And it wasn't altogether bad.

"San?" Sirius repeated, glancing between the thirteen-year-old and Savage. "What does that mean?"

"That Harry's feeling antisocial and doesn't want to talk with us right now," Savage supplied swiftly.

Harry felt his face beginning to heat up. He scowled. "It does not," he grumbled, despite the fact that he didn't want to talk with them at the moment. "It just means... it's a more—polite—way of saying someone's name. Similar to Mister, I guess."

Frowning, Sirius nodded. "I see." He glanced at Savage, "So he says that when he doesn't want to talk. Interesting."

Harry glowered, considering arguing back—he didn't use suffixes just because he didn't want to talk!—but that was what they wanted. Turning abruptly, he began to stalk away, angling towards the edge of the forest without passing too closely to the wizards. They hurried after him.

"I thought we were done with angry-Harry," Sirius said, struggling to keep up with the fast pace the Genin set through the woods. "Did I say something offensive again? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Harry shot him an irritated glare. "Don't assume to know what I think or feel—you don't even know me."

"If we don't," Savage pushed his way past Sirius, "It's only because you do your best to keep everyone out. There's no reason to act angry over it now. We can't know what's bothering you unless you say it."

Harry shot the man a sidelong glare. "What bothers me is that you think you have any right to know. Stop acting like you think you're my friends—you don't even belong to Konoha."

Sirius bristled. "I get it. So you can't acknowledge anyone outside your village. Sounds like a merry group of bigots."

"There's no point in forming relationships with people who just want to keep me from going home." Harry said coldly. "Besides, I'll be leaving soon. There wouldn't be time to form any sort of bond if I did want to. Of course, I don't."

"You've been talking to your brother again, haven't you?" Savage asked.

Harry glared. "What's that supposed to mean? We're brothers—we talk. That isn't unusual."

"I'm just not sure I like the ideas he puts in your head," Savage said as they stepped through the last layer of trees at the edge of Hogwarts' grounds.

"That's something you have in common, then," Harry said sharply, turning to face the man. "But what neither of you seem to understand is that I can think for myself. You can try to make Kakashi-niisan out to be a bad person, but you won't convince me when there's so much you don't understand. And the same goes for him—I don't trust my brother blindly, Savage-san, whatever you might think, but we do share many of the same beliefs. I might not be as old, but there are things I understand better than anyone. And I'm not going to let you or anyone sway my thoughts just because you have a large sense of worth."

Sirius laughed—the other two looked at him in surprise. Still laughing, the man clapped Harry on the shoulder; the Genin only flinched a little at the sudden, unexpected contact. "That's the spirit, Harry! Never let anyone tell you what to think. I'm sure your parents would all be proud of that ideal."

Harry raised an eyebrow, staring at the man with an edge of incredulity.

Sirius laughed again. "At least, your godfather certainly is."

Harry shrugged off his hand. "Then you won't mind if I don't take your words to heart, either—naa, Sirius?"

The disturbing, wrenching feeling was accompanied by an intense pressure everywhere on his person. Kakashi's ears popped when the excess pressure disappeared an instant later.

He shook off the hand on his arm and stepped forward.

The sky was heavily clouded, and the air thick with humidity, small crystals of liquid already misting around them. Kakashi's eyes narrowed, peering through the darkness. The bay below them was choppy with violent waves.

"... The entrance to the cave is partially below the water level," the Jounin announced after a moment. "Is that going to be a problem?"

"Nothing a simple spell can't take care of," Dumbledore replied, his breath coming in heavy heaves.

Kakashi looked back at him with a frown. "If you were too weak to complete the task, you should have sent one of your staff."

"All we're here for is to take a look around," the wizard replied tersely, "I'm not so decrepit that I can't handle a bit of scouting." He straightened with an effort and moved closer to the Jounin, standing at the edge of the cliffs where the wind whipped his robes more violently than ever. "Down there, you say?"

Lifting his left arm, Kakashi pointed, and Dumbledore followed the line. He made a noise of dissent.

"It's there," Kakashi assured him, "My night vision is among the best in my line of work."

The wizard made another grudging noise. "If you say so, Mr. Hatake."

Kakashi waited as the old man gathered himself, his breathing slowly returning to a steady rate. The Jounin masked his impatience with practiced ease and took the time to study their surroundings once more.

"Assuming you are ready, Kakashi," the wizard prompted at last.

Together, the two leapt from the cliff.

"Kakashi!" Harry shouted.

The Jounin either didn't hear him or he ignored him, his arm thrusting forward with a wave of destruction, driving through faceless figures in robes and half of the Hokage Mountain.

Harry was helpless to do anything. His legs wouldn't move and he couldn't seem to form further words, no matter how much he tried to scream and shout and warn his brother of the robed figure that had appeared behind him while he was otherwise distracted.

The wizard had the grotesque face of a Mountain Demon; a wide, square-toothed mouth, a pair of beady eyes, bulging cheek bones, and a gray, sickly tone of skin. The Genin knew immediately that this was the monster that had killed the Potters. And the queasy feeling in his gut suggested he would not like the things he was planning to do with the wand perched in his hand.

Harry struggled to free himself from whatever was binding him in place, but the oni flicked his wand, and with a jet of green his brother couldn't even have seen coming, Kakashi toppled off the edge of the cliff.

He was screaming before he could stop himself, and running, although he wasn't sure when that had become possible. Voldemort turned to face him, and the unwieldy robe melted from his figure, leaving him in a bulky brown flak jacket and tight, black leggings around knobby legs.

The wizard's unnaturally wide mouth twisted into a feral grin and a glint of metal distracted Harry, his gaze drawn to the demon's forehead, where a hitai-ate was tied. The Genin stared, horrified, at the struck-out symbol of a Leaf.

With a hacking sort of cough, the wizard spoke in a hissing voice. "As you would say… Sayonara, Harii-kun."

Harry started awake in his bed, breathing heavy and mind racing. It took him a moment longer than it should have to identify the enclosed canopy of his bed in Gryffindor Tower.

He didn't move, remaining exactly where he was as his breathing rasped in his ears and Voldemort's words to him echoed in his mind, accompanied by the haunting words of Professor Trelawney some three months earlier.

Kakashi watched, eyelid heavy with skepticism as the elderly wizard examined the wall he'd pointed out to him. The occasional "mhmm" and "yes" escaped him and a few minutes later he drew a knife from somewhere on his person.

"I see."

The Jounin tensed, ready for anything, but he didn't have a chance to question the wizard's motives verbally because milliseconds later, Dumbledore had brought the knife to bear on his own arm. The spray of blood suggested he had nicked one of the lesser arteries, but with a wave of his wand, already employed in lighting the cave, Kakashi was sure the bleeding had stopped.

Possible injury was far from his mind, however, as the rock face disappeared under the wizard's splattered blood. Dumbledore made a disgruntled sound and Kakashi's nose wrinkled under his mask as the stagnant air from beyond wafted out of the doorway, carrying the bitter stench of decaying flesh.

"I would have thought even he had higher class than that," the old man grumbled before leading the way through the stone archway, feet sloshing through the ankle deep water flooding the cave floor.

It was a short two meters before the tunnel opened into a large cavern. The scent of decay was stronger than ever and Kakashi was glad they hadn't brought his brother. He had grown used to the smell after years on the battlefield as a Chuunin, but Harry had a bit of a weak stomach.

Dumbledore held his wand aloft, for what help the small light provided. Far out, in what looked to be the center of an expansive, subterranean lake, an eerie green light reflected off the dark surface of the still water. Closer at hand, though, the light only revealed a portion of the thin, curved path around the lake—little more than a ledge—and the dark surface.

Kakashi took a step closer to the bank, peering at the lake. Even so close, he couldn't see through the liquid. It looked black, or some other dark, dense color. The stench suggested blood, and even the Jounin was uneasy at the thought of what might have occurred to form such a large pool of blood—if that's what it was.

Kakashi crouched, dipping two fingers into the edge of the lake and removing them, examining the substance. The way it felt on his skin, the liquid viscosity as it dripped back into the reservoir, and the sheen of the light reflecting off of it. He sniffed cautiously, but couldn't make out anything insightful over the stench of rotting flesh. He straightened.

"It isn't entirely blood," he decided, glancing at the wizard, "It's too thin. But I suspect a higher concentration than I have seen mixed with water like this before. For a lake of this side, dozens of people would have to be drained completely."

He glanced across at the light again. "If there is a Horcrux here, it must be in the center. Stay here and I will run across and get it."

The wizard frowned. "I am not sure that would be wise, Mr. Hatake. As you say, these waters contain a high concentration of blood. There is only one creature I know of that could thrive in an environment like this, and it is not one you would want to come into contact with in any situation."

"I think I can take care of myself," Kakashi said coolly.

For a moment, the old man looked as though he was going to protest further. Instead, he shook his head. "Very well. Run across, if you can make it. I will look for a boat in which to join you. I doubt the lake will be the last of the magical traps Tom has set, and a wizard may yet come in handy."

Kakashi gave a slight nod, as though to say "suit yourself" and stepped off the bank.

Immediately, his senses were flaring with alarm—something was moving towards him quickly from below the surface. The Jounin sprang to the side as something pale leaped from the waters like a large fish.

Kakashi's mouth felt acrid as he realized what it was. For him, so close, there could be no mistake. It had definitely been a corpse. At least, it was something that looked and smelled like one, although he had rarely known corpses to rise up and fight, and certainly never in such a manner.

He didn't have time to analyze his grotesque attacker further, because the surface of the lake was rippling slightly with further movement just below the surface. The Jounin ran with a sudden burst of speed.

Behind him—and in front—the still lake burst to life. Waves churned on the surface as more of the corpse-like creatures leapt at him. They were quick—and faster still as he neared the source of the light, a small island in the middle of the lake—but none of them was a match for shinobi.

Coming to a halt on the island, Kakashi spun, kunai already in hand, and let them fly, impaling several of the still air-born monstrosities. They fell limply back into the water. A few more jumps followed further out, and the lake became still once more, so quickly that it only made the Jounin more nervous.

Kakashi frowned, muscles remaining tense and senses alert. Even though the lake appeared still, he could hear something moving through the water—behind him!

The man spun around, knives at the ready in his left hand. Dumbledore's raised wand illuminated the small, rickety boat that he rode in, slowly making his way across the lake. Kakashi slowly lowered his weapons.

Moving around the small island, the Jounin took it in, keeping half an eye on the wizard's progress. It was very small; not even five paces across. In the center a stone basin was raised on a dais, brim full of a bright green liquid radiating the bright, sickly green light he'd seen from the shore.

Leaning over the basin, Kakashi peered inside. Something sparkled at the bottom. The shinobi presumed it was what they had come for.

He reached into a pouch on his belt, pulling out a coil of wire and expertly rigging a slipknot at the end—even having his right arm immobile only hampered him slightly.

He was about to feed the wire down when the soft crrshnk of the boat running ashore brought his attention back to Dumbledore, who was climbing out of the dingy, one long, spindly leg after the other. The wizard stood nearby, peering at him through his glasses but not saying a word.

Kakashi returned his attention to the cauldron and the item it held, carefully lowering the wire into the liquid. Sliding it underneath the object, Kakashi gently pulled, slipping the knot closed until it fit snugly. He pulled.

The Jounin frowned, shifting his grip on the wire a little more tightly, and pulled again. The wire was taut but refused to yield. Gritting his teeth, Kakashi straightened a little, yanking hard on the wire—it snapped and he stumbled back a step or two before regaining his balance, heel touching the water.

Frowning, Dumbledore approached the basin. Kakashi watched, scowling, as he waved his wand over the surface of the liquid, murmuring as the tip drew out one intricate pattern after another. Finally, the wizard stepped back.

"I suspect the Horcrux is spelled to be impossible to move until the liquid is emptied." He eyed the suspicious liquid. "And drunk, I would guess; further weakening any who dares to intrude." He waved his wand once more, and a crystalline goblet dropped into his waiting hand.

Kakashi scowled—it seemed magic could be useful and dangerous in more ways than he'd imagined. "It's obviously poison," he said disdainfully, "There must be another way."

Dumbledore said nothing. Kakashi took the goblet from his hand and roughly thrust the mouth into the cauldron, drawing out an overflowing draught of the liquid. He tipped it to the floor, but stared at the cauldron with surprise when the level refilled.

Shaking his head in exasperation, Kakashi stood again, reaching into a different pouch. He pulled out a small, plastic bottle and dished out another mouthful of liquid into it. He shook the bottle at the wizard.

"I assume Pomfrey-san is capable of analyzing poisons?"

Dumbledore frowned. "Voldemort may have means of discovering when his safeguards are tampered with. It would be unwise to leave this be for very long."

"Do you want to drink this?" Kakashi asked irritably, shaking the bottle again. "I'm a shinobi, Dumbledore-san. I am not going to deliberately poison myself. Leave a guard to notify you if anyone tries to enter the cave or Voldemort's followers arrive."

The Jounin tucked the vial away and frowned. "If he is going to respond, it will likely be within the next several hours. We can keep watch through then."

"Hermione!" Harry called out, winding his way through the crowded hall to catch up with the girl, who was no longer in his last period Divination class.

The witch paused and Harry caught her by the arm, tugging her quickly away from the crowds. He knew Savage was behind him, but paid the wizard no attention. He wasn't planning on saying anything sensitive to the girl, anyway.

"Harry?" Hermione asked bemusedly. "What is it? Is something wrong? Is it Kakashi?"

"Hermione, do you know about prophecies?" Harry asked without preamble.

The girl blinked, unable to answer right away for her surprise. "I… well, yes, I took Divination, same as you. But you would know more than me. Besides, I thought you didn't believe in that hogwash."

"I don't," Harry said, scowling, "At least… not that tealeaf stuff Trelawney-san uses in class. But…"

Hermione watched him silently, expression intent, and Harry found himself hesitating.

"Something happened," he said at last, glancing anxiously at Savage over his shoulder. The man shrugged.

Harry continued, "Trelawney-san… we were alone at the time, and… her voice seemed strange—she seemed ill. And when it was over, she didn't seem to remember anything."

The girl frowned, her lips pressed in a thin line. "I... have read about things like that in our book," she admitted reluctantly, "It says when a witch Sees a vision, her entire countenance changes—like someone—or something—else is speaking through her. Harry, are you sure…? I mean, she wasn't just faking again?"

Harry raised an eyebrow, giving the girl a dry look.

She flushed a little. "Of course not. You wouldn't have brought it up if you weren't convinced that it was genuine. Well… it sounds like a real prophecy, doesn't it…? I suppose she couldn't have been complete rubbish for Professor Dumbledore to have hired her."

"How do you know it's a real prophecy?" Harry pressed, "Does that mean it will definitely come true, no matter what anyone does to try to change it? I don't believe the future can be known already."

Savage cleared his throat—both teens looked back at him. "Prophecies are useful because they offer the opportunity to change something," he stated confidently, "I haven't heard many, and most of those were second and third hand, but prophecies usually include a setup of facts, so you'll recognize the situation when it arrives, and then a possibility of two or more outcomes. The choices of those involved determine which outcome will come true."

Harry frowned thoughtfully and nodded. What Trelawney had said to him certainly seemed to fit the pattern.

"It isn't as though the future is set in stone, at any rate," Hermione said. "Even if it was a proper prophecy… what happens depends on the choices people make."

Savage nodded his agreement. "In the Auror department, we think of them mostly as warnings."

Harry considered the possibility. Thinking of the witch's words as something like a warning rather than an inevitability was much more tolerable, but the unease he'd felt the moment of the encounter still hung with him. If it was a warning, some part of it would come true, and he couldn't accept any of it.

Shaking his head, the Genin decided he needed to clear his mind. He would think about it later, but now wasn't the time. His judgment was probably affected by the stress of his brother's injury, thoughts of his parents, and the lingering problem of being stuck where he was.

"Do you know where Sirius is?" Harry asked abruptly, "I think I'll take him up on his offer to test out my broom."

Savage grinned. "That's the new Firebolt, right? I think he was expecting an owl, so you might find him in the Owlery…"

"Brooms?" Hermione repeated with a frown.

"I kind of promised Sirius," Harry excused. "Thanks for the information, Hermione-san. I'll see you later."

The girl blinked, staring after the pair as they left her in the empty corridor. She looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings she had been dragged into.

"Now where am I?" Rolling her eyes, Hermione drew her wand. "Locas: Gryffindor Tower!"

With a brief flash of violet, the wand turned in her hand, exerting a gentle, steady pressure until she was pointing the correct direction. Muttering under her breath, Hermione headed out.

Harry was in Potions the next morning, halfway through adding Flitterbloom Root to his bubbling cauldron when the classroom door burst open. The entire class looked up and a sudden hush fell over everything as students all across the room froze to stare. There was a clatter from behind Harry as Neville Longbottom dropped his knife and Snape's face turned red with anger.

Kakashi casually strolled through the door, right arm hanging limply at his side, smiling and apparently oblivious to the scene he was creating.

"Professor Snape," the Jounin started with more politeness than Harry had heard him use around any of the Hogwarts teachers, let alone the man he was convinced was a traitor and a spy. "I am here to withdraw Harii."

Snape's face twisted with a nasty scowl. "As you can see, Mr. Hatake, your brother is currently involved in his lessons. He is far enough behind without you showing up to take him out of the few classes he chooses to attend to begin with."

The shinobi's cheerful expression didn't waver, his uncovered eye continuing to curve into the Jounin's approximation of a smile. "The Headmaster has requested to speak with him immediately."

Snape's expression darkened further. For a moment it seemed as though he might continue to argue, then angry eyes turned to the student. "Well?" He snarled, "What are you waiting for, Hatake? A gilded invitation? Go!"

Harry didn't grace the man with a response. He grabbed his books quickly and joined his brother without bothering to clean up his potion. Behind him, Savage vanished the half completed concoction before following. Harry wondered why he still attended the class at all and reminded himself that for a shinobi information was power, even if the source was insufferably irritating.

"You shouldn't antagonize Professor Snape like that," Savage said disapprovingly when he caught up.

"I don't care about my grade," Harry said coolly, "And he… antagonizes me. He's lucky that I treat him civilly."

"As long as you're a student here, your professors deserve your respect, Harry," Savage insisted.

"Then let them expel me," Harry said dismissively. "Kakashi-niisan, where are we going?"

Savage, who was used to the two ninjas' seemingly infallible sense of direction, even in the ever-changing maze the castle had become, looked between them in surprise. "I thought we were going to see the Headmaster."

"I lied," Kakashi shrugged, shoving his left hand into his pocket. "Snape will probably be angry later, even though he should really be thankful that I didn't make a fool out of him in front of his students."

"So where are we going?" Harry pressed again.

"The forest," Kakashi said. He leveled a stern look at the Auror. "For training. You can't come past the edge of the trees—I'll kill you if you try to spy."

Savage frowned uneasily, "How long will it take?"

Kakashi shrugged, "We'll probably go back to the castle to sleep." He didn't allow the man to question further, immediately turning his attention to his brother.

"Harii," he said sharply, before taking off at a run. Harry, too interested to do anything else, hurried after him.

"Take a break," Kakashi said at last, and Harry collapsed gratefully to the ground, his arms aching and muscles throbbing as he struggled to catch his breath.

Kakashi stepped beside him, frowning down at the exhausted Geniin. "You should stretch or it will be worse later."

With a groan, Harry flopped onto his back. "Niisan… is all of this… really necessary?" He asked tiredly, moving his heavy limbs into a stretched position. They burned in protest.

For days he'd been doing nothing but physical training. Hard workouts that were particularly vicious on his arms. He hadn't been to any of his classes in days, and hadn't seen his classmates, either, as they always returned to the castle late enough that the other students were asleep.

Kakashi had refused to tell him what technique he wanted to teach him, too; only that…

"Your body still needs to be stronger to handle this jutsu," the Jounin said blandly. Harry was getting tired of hearing those words over and over again. "You haven't been spending enough time building your muscle since we came here."

Harry bristled. "I've been working out every day! Out here I can't keep up the kind of schedule as usual, though—especially with classes! You're the one who keeps wanting me to stay!"

Kakashi didn't respond, looking past the teen, instead. "Didn't Savage-san tell you we were busy?'

Harry looked up, then scrambled to his feet, wiping his sweaty face on his arm. "Sirius! What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you again before I left," the man said, eyes roving up and down the Genin's form. "You haven't been around the castle, so…"

"We've been busy," Kakashi interrupted coldly. "We're busy now. You've seen him—you can leave."

"Niisan!" Harry exclaimed indignantly. He shot his brother a glare before turning back to Sirius, rubbing the back of his head. His hair felt grimy under his fingers. "Sorry; it's fine, we're on a break. You're leaving again already?"

"I've got a job now," Sirius reminded him, "It's about time I get back to it. I'll come by to visit again." He hesitated, looking briefly at Kakashi and back at Harry. "You… could spend the summer at my place. If you're still around."

"We'll be back in Konoha by then," Kakashi said sharply.

"Maybe we can see you at the Ministry before we leave," Harry offered. They would need to have a Portkey made once they had the third coordinate.

"We need to get back to work, Harii," Kakashi interceded, fixing the younger boy with a stern glare.

"You mean I need to get back to work," Harry grumbled, crossing his arms in a stretch in front of him. They tingled, but the soreness was already receding. He nodded reluctantly.

"Sorry, Sirius-san," he said, turning his attention back to the older man, "But we are busy. And we can't get started until you leave."

The Auror eyed the pair suspiciously before releasing a sigh. "I'll leave you to it, then. Don't work yourself too hard, Harry." With a final, reluctant look, the man retreated from the clearing.