To say that there was a party at the Uchiha estate that night would be an understatement of the event. Fukurou had pulled out all the stops, with a little help from the other Uchihas of course. Magical displays were set up among the games, lights, tables of food and drink, and the occasional fireworks platform.
It was a festival the genin and new chuunin arrived to, and when Hanabi arrived between Neji and Hinata, her face lit up, as was right for children when faced with such a sight.
"Well, Hanabi-san is an unexpected, but welcome, visitor tonight," Fukurou said, smiling as she greeted the two older Hyuuga children, indicating the youngest as she ran directly to a display of fish that were swimming around in their element, though the water was clearly not contained as it floated, changing shape fluidly as the fish swam around. "Congratulations," she added, beaming at them.
"Thank you sensei," Hinata said sincerely, embracing her teacher before being waved on to join her excited little sister.
"We almost were unable to come," Neji said, once he had greeted the woman. "Hyashi-sama was most reluctant to permit his daughters to visit you, and not understanding of my desire to visit you with them. It was the word of Hinata-san's mother that permitted us. She said that she was proud of her, and that Hinata-san should be allowed to celebrate her achievements with whomever she pleased. Hyashi-sama said nothing after that, and we took it as permission."
Fukurou laughed; it seemed that she had gotten under the skin of the great Hyashi. A time for celebration indeed, even if they weren't her genin team any more.
Kakashi called for everybody's attention just before the fireworks were to be set off, and pulled Fukurou to the centre of the garden where they could see everyone and likewise be seen by all.
"Congratulations to everybody who passed," he said, smiling happily beneath his mask, "and to those of you who didn't congratulations on surviving the drilling you got in the lead up to the exams."
Team 7 and Sasuke laughed weakly, while everybody else laughed heartily, those who were drunk added a giggle on the end as they nursed their drinks.
"Now, some of you may recall how at a dinner just before the exams started, I asked for advice on how to propose to our lovely Fukurou-sama, who has been fortunate enough, and strict enough, to have all of her genin make chuunin in their first examination," Kakashi continued.
Several heads nodded and a few expectant smiles erupted.
Kakashi got down on one knee, holding onto Fukurou's hand.
"I know you're the head of your clan, but could you maybe accept lowly little me as your husband Fukurou?" Kakashi asked. "I'll even take the name Uchiha, rather than you becoming a Hatake, if it means you'll say yes," he added.
Wolf whistles and cat calls broke out all around them.
Fukurou smiled, widely, hugely, and nodded.
Itachi started setting off the fireworks – some of which had come from the first trip to Diagon Alley and were even more impressive than the locally bought ones.
When the fireworks were over, Fukurou ushered everybody into the spare rooms of her family complex, bidding yawning faces pleasant dreams.
She was just sweeping up the streamers before she would allow herself to sleep for the night when she heard the distinctive thump of two civilians landing behind her and felt the tingle of magic in the air. Turning, she saw Fred and George standing up from where they had landed.
Gaara had dropped down behind them when he saw them land as well, kunai drawn.
She waved gently to indicate they weren't a threat.
"We're really sorry for dropping in like this," Fred said.
"But there is an emergency," George finished.
Fukurou nodded her acceptance and sighed, though Gaara was clearly confused, having not understood the twins, as they were speaking English.
"I have to see my boss before I will be allowed to come, and it's several hours until morning. I'll show you somewhere to sleep for now," she answered them in the same language, setting aside the rake she had been using to sweep with and guiding them to the two rooms furthest from the sleeping shinobi.
"Sleep sounds -"
"- heavenly. We haven't -"
"- had the chance to sleep properly -"
"- for days. It's been -"
"- too risky."
"This emergency is able to wait until morning isn't it?" she asked, concerned.
"Yes," they answered at the same time. "But probably not much longer than that."
"Fukurou-san?" Gaara asked when she had returned.
"Friends I made on a mission in a very far away country. They're mischievous, but not dangerous," she assured him, adding privately to herself 'to shinobi at least'. "We'll see what they need in the morning."
~oOo~
When Fukurou arrived at the breakfast table after her meditation with two identical carrot-tops who were mumbling in a different language, there was a general reaction of surprise and wariness. The three Uchihas, Kurenai and Kakashi, who had been to Diagon Alley and the Weasley Wheezes shop, and were able to recognise these two figures, were equally surprised to see the wizards in Konoha.
Fukurou cast a translation charm and conducted the introductions while serving the twins their breakfast.
"So what's the emergency you've got?" she asked once they had transfigured their chopsticks into forks and had finally managed to get some food into their stomachs.
"Dumbledore," they answered.
"It looks like Mouldy-warts wasn't the only one to have bits of his soul anchored in different places," George said. "Albus was doing it too."
"And it seems he's not quite so pleased about what's happened over the past year with our boy Harry, and so he's decided to not stay dead," Fred added, frowning.
"The Ministry is shot to pieces in the last month since he showed up again too," George interjected, fielding a possible question before it could be asked.
"There are still a few of us with the training to fight off powerful dark wizards, but most the magical world still hasn't recovered enough for another one so soon after the last bugger," Fred explained.
"And none of us ever thought we'd have to fight our dear old Headmaster who even Mouldy-warts was edgy about," George finished.
Fukurou sighed and said that she would be back shortly, forming the teleportation jutsu and taking herself to the Hokage Building.
~oOo~
"You are emotionally involved, Uchiha-san, which is not wise for any shinobi."
"I know that Hokage-sama, but I am also the one who knows the place best, and if they have trouble then it could leak across to us."
"I am assigning Team 9 to you for this then, also Hatake Kakashi, whose team will be given to a shinobi called Yamato, who will train the team until you all return."
Fukurou accepted the mission scroll and nodded.
"Hai."
~oOo~
When Fukurou returned to the Uchiha estate, everybody was still eating breakfast and asking the Weasley twins questions about Quidditch, though how the boys had gotten onto that in such a short time, with an emergency looming over their heads, she did not know.
"Team 9, you have a mission. It could last a long time, or be over quickly. Pack and return here as fast as you can," Fukurou said once she had everybody's attention. "Team 7, I'll be taking your sensei on this mission as well, so the Hokage has assigned another shinobi to be your team leader in his absence."
Team 9 and Kakashi stood, nodded and left quickly.
"George, Fred, do you know what Dumbledore is using as his horcrux?"
"We know he made five of 'em," George answered first.
"And we know we've busted one already," Fred continued.
"It was a prophecy orb he kept in his office."
"We listened to the prophecy first of course."
"We reckon it was another one about Harry."
"Poor kid flipped."
"Tried to kill himself."
"Ginny's watching him right now, in shifts with Ronny-kins."
"Snape's been working on potions to keep him calm, and McGonagall's been searching through Dumbledore's documents to figure out what the other four horcrux are."
"Right," Fukurou said, putting an end to the back-and-forth that the twins always did without thinking. "We've got two ways of doing this. Kill Dumbledore over and over until he uses up his horcrux, or just destroy the items. Do we have any idea of who is still following the old coot?" she asked.
"Our parents," the twins answered unhappily.
"Also Mad Eye and a bunch of other Auroras, and just basically everybody who was an Order member except McGonagall, Snape, Lupin and Tonks."
"Our dear older brothers are busy elsewhere in the world."
"Except Percy, who's busy trying to salvage the Ministry all on his one-some."
"So don't expect help from any other Weasleys on this one to either side."
"Could be sticky then," Fukurou said, pinching at the bridge of her nose while she thought about some of the possible scenarios. She headed to her room to pack, calling to Tsunade as she walked out, "Tsunade-hime, how is Sakura going at bringing the freshly dead back?"
"She's got it nearly mastered," the sanin answered, not questioning why she was being asked this right now, but following after. "If the body is very damaged then it's harder, because she has to fix up the body as much as possible, then bring them back and finish healing quickly so that they won't die again from having organs that cannot function. If she has to repeat the process on the same person, the second time will be harder, also if she cannot act within the first five minutes it will be more difficult, and the person will suffer from some minor brain damage, due to lack of oxygen to the brain."
Fukurou nodded. Physical damage was not generally a problem when fighting wizards, at least as far as shinobi considered it. Strange disfigurement completely aside of course. She still remembered that incident when Malfoy had hexed her. She grabbed her broomstick, and those of her team, and headed back to everybody else.
"Sasuke, you remember to train hard, alright? You too Naruto. If I come back and find out that you haven't improved then you're going to be following my training schedule for a month."
"H-hai!" the boys yelped, saluting sharply.
"And listen to what Itachi-chan and Zabuza-san tell you, alright?" she added, smiling slightly at their reactions.
Team 9 and Kakashi reappeared.
"Said your goodbyes?" she inquired as she handed over their brooms for them to put in their packs.
Shikamaru and Sakura nodded. Hinata moved to Neji and Hanabi to do so once she had stowed the length of wood.
The Uchihas gathered around Fukurou for a hug. "Love you," she whispered to them, squeezing them back.
"Come back alive Fuu-nee-san," Sasuke insisted fiercely. "I'll never forgive you if you don't."
"I'll come back," she promised, ruffling his hair before turning to her waiting team and clients with a smile. "Let's go."
Fred pulled out the photo of her as Hermione, and she instructed her team to touch it. They all groaned, remembering their only other experience with this sort of travel had not been enjoyable, but did as they were told.
George spoke the keyword, "Weasley," and they were gone.