The Psychic, The Swordsman, and The Sorcerer

Chapter 21

I don't own Naruto, which is owned by Masashi Kishimoto, X-Men, which is owned by Marvel Comics and Twentieth Century Fox, Zorro, who is public domain despite what Zorro Production Inc. attempts to claim, or Harry Potter, which is owned by J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros. (and the Warner Sister Dot). I apologize for this chapter being a day late. Fun Fact: At some point in his early development as a character, Wolverine was going to have been a real wolverine that was mutated into a humanoid form, and his claws would have just been part of his gloves.

When Team Seven disbanded after the mandatory meeting with Kakashi, they each went their separate ways, with Sasuke intent on talking to his brother, Sakura off to continue practicing with her fireballs, and Zorro heading off to have lunch with Hinata while his clones researched different swordsmanship techniques he could use.

"I'm glad that we were able to get together for lunch," the blond smiled, holding her hand as they waited for their ramen, "We haven't gone to a restaurant for some time."

"I'm glad as well, Zorro-kun," she responded, returning the smile, "Do you think your team is ready for the Chuunin Exams?"

"I believe that we are," he replied, "Sakura and Sasuke have been practicing their techniques, and I have been doing the same, both with and without Shadow Clones. How do you think that your team will fare?"

"I think that we will do well," she answered, "Kiba and Shino are both training with their parents to get better at their clan techniques."

"You're improving, as well," he stated, "I've seen the three of you train. You've improved quite a bit, and you've been adding some other forms of taijutsu to your style for some time now."

"Thank you, Zorro-kun," she blushed, almost saying his real name.

"You're welcome, Lady Hinata," he replied, kissing her cheek as their food was placed in front of them. Each content with the other's presence, the pair took out their chopsticks to eat their meals.

At the same time, near Training Ground Seven, Sakura was practicing throwing fireballs, as she couldn't think of anything better to do. Nearby, Kakashi was idly walking around, caught up in his new copy of the Icha Icha book that Zorro had damaged. It was the latest in the series, and he was eager to find out what was going to happen with the princess and the knight who'd vowed to defend her honor. After having been rereading this story for a good amount of time, he had finally gotten to the page he'd been on the last time he'd had a copy of that book. It was, therefore, very unfortunate for him that another team of genin had happened to be chasing Tora through this area. As Sakura prepared to let loose a small fireball to see the effect it had, the cat bumped into her leg, causing her attention to be diverted, which altered the destination of her fireball. as the second page got badly singed, obscuring some words and burning away others, Kakashi nearly cried, before he shoved that feeling deep down inside himself in case Gai was nearby. He didn't want Gai to attempt to help. Giving a tired sigh of one who was used to having to deal with great disappointment or complete misery, he placed the ruined copy in his kunai pouch and raced off to the bookstore. He needed to make sure he got a new copy before they ran out again.

Meanwhile, in the Uchiha District, Sasuke was talking with Itachi.

"So, when were you going to tell me about you and Hana?" he asked conversationally.

"To be honest, I did't think I needed to," Itachi replied, "I thought that it was pretty obvious. She was mad at me for not sending a letter, we were both very close friends, and I spend most of my time with her when I'm not with you. I just thought that you'd figure it out on your own, so I didn't see a reason to bring it up."

"Fair enough," Sasuke shrugged, letting the matter go for the time being, "Do you know where I could find a boggart?"

"Did you check the wardrobes, cupboards, and things like that?" Itachi inquired.

"Of course I did," Sasuke responded, "But I couldn't find anything. I thought that you'd know a way to get one."

"Nothing I can think of," Itachi said, "most of my contacts in the Alley aren't going to pick up my call, and those that are wouldn't be able to get through the village gate. I'm a wanted criminal, remember? Until we catch that rat, I don't have access to that many resources."

"I guess we'll need to figure something out," Sasuke mused.

"Speaking of figuring things out," Itachi remarked, "What's this I hear about a troll and a Cerberus?"

"That story?" Sasuke inquired, "That's one of my favorite stories to tell. It all started when the three of us first met in the Academy. . ."

In another part of the village, Tenten was coming up with a new plan. If her masked target was not going to be reasonable, she was going to need to put more effort into her traps. This plan was going to require subtlety and several details.

Haku was walking through the village while looking around to see if she could spot the bun-haired assassin. As she stepped onto what felt like a very soft patch of land, the instincts of a missing nin kicked in. Leaping back as the cover of the tiger-trap fell into the pit, Haku noted that it was clearly the work of the bun-haired assassin. While she mused on what could be down there, Haku noticed a shadow that seemed to be growing. Quickly rolling away, she found her ankle grabbed by a snare trap. Before the rope could get fully taut, however, she cut the knot, grabbing the rope as it pulled her up the tree. As she got higher, she quickly used the rope to swing to a nearby rooftop. Once she got onto the roof, she looked over her shoulder to ensure that the bun-haired assassin was still on the ground and not chasing her before she quickly raced off.

Still on the ground after Haku had rolled away from her pounce, Tenten sat there, completely surprised. She hadn't expected such a grand escape. He had countered every single attack and had paused, most likely to wordlessly say that he'd won this round. That was as good a sign as any that he was interested. That meant that she was going to need to up her game.