Thank you to the reviewers: Mon Esprit Libre, Guest, xXSolaine-GirlXx, AnAncientBard, Kyuubi No Tenshi, TheNSIGirl, NyxLilium, Hodgeheg, moonlightrurouni, Flower in the River, MadDogMatt13, nightliliesu, AcanthaEdens, Masked Bard of Chaos, Ichigo Mirai, shadowangel9999, xXx Feathered xXx, JuiceBoxPenguin, XxXAkumaNoTenshiXxX, Guest, The Masked Idiot, Nerd4ever243, monkeygirl123, Guest, Metoochocolate, Soaha, Guest, LadyOfTheAnimals, Tenshi and Akuma, CalcBoy91, Guest, RedRangerBelt, Guest, Guest, Naruto forever, SpiritWolf284, Veronyka18, Guest, pucflek, SiriusBalisticPretzels, Bloody-Rozez, Seiren Cross, Miko Potter, Soccergrl, Rasengan 918, NamiNavigator, Kickilia, BewareTheIdeasOfMarch, and sheep-a-rama.
I got a lot of 'Guest' reviewers XD
Thank you for those who answered the poll in the last chapter. Just to make things clear: No, it is not a three-way crossover. It was just something I was curious about (and hey, I was pleasantly surprised to find another person who liked Code:Breaker as much as me :D).
Chapter Twenty Nine: Shadow
Whump!
The dizzying darkness was gone, and Harry jerked, his eyes flapping open, to find himself standing in the middle of the Great Hall.
Wait, what?
Harry stared at his surroundings, trying to take in whatever situation he had landed himself in. It was the Great Hall, but the four house tables were gone, replaced with smaller desks, all facing the same which, at each of which sat a student, head down and scribbling furiously over ridiculously long pages of parchment. It was completely silent.
Though Harry wasn't sure how, he knew that there was something wrong with this place: time. The time was wrong, somehow. As if it was all in the past; everything had an odd bronze glow.
"Wow," commented a voice on his left. Harry yelped loudly and jumped a metre into the air. None of the students looked up. He whirled around and came face to face with the newcomer. Or rather, newcomers.
"Naruto," Harry said, his mouth gaping open. "Nara."
Naruto and Shikamaru were indeed there. The blonde was peering around expertly, his mouth stretching into an excited grin. Shikamaru, on the other hand, was slouching and looking thoroughly bored.
"Yo, Potter-san," Shikamaru grumbled. "Why do you hafta poke your nose into other people's business?"
"Um…" Harry said, still trying to get over the shock of seeing two of his missing guards. "I was curious."
"Curiosity killed the cat," Shikamaru reminded him with a yawn. Naruto made a face.
"I thought it was: Stupidity killed the cat. Curiosity was framed," Naruto said.
"Of course you would get the modern version," Shikamaru said under his breath. "But that's not the point. The point is: How do we get out of here?"
"Uh…"
"… You don't know?"
Harry shook his head. Shikamaru huffed.
"Well then, where are we?"
"We're in Snape's memories."
It was Shikamaru's turn to make a face while Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"Memories are private things," Naruto said, scratching his cheek. "We should get out of here."
"So, what are you guys doing here anyway?" Harry asked, trying to dodge the question.
"We may be gone from sight, but that doesn't mean we're not watching you," Naruto said, bending over a student's work as she scrawled messily away. "You're still our charge. Our mission is still intact."
"So you followed me," Harry accused.
"Don't we always?" Shikamaru asked with a bemused smile.
"True…"
While Harry got excited after spotting his father, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and (perhaps not so excitedly) Peter Pettigrew, Shikamaru perked up and nudged Naruto.
"I've just got word," Shikamaru said, shaking out the soreness in his joints, "that Uchiha Itachi is dead."
Naruto blinked. "WHAT?!"
Harry glanced over at Naruto's outburst, and his brow furrowed as he saw Naruto's face. Shikamaru sighed and muttered, "Troublesome."
"How?" Naruto demanded.
"How else?" Shikamaru said. "Sasuke killed him. He arrived in the wizarding world a few weeks ago."
Naruto fell silent and he gritted his teeth. "Damn. The teme has gotten even stronger, hasn't he." It was a statement, not a question. Still, Shikamaru nodded.
"Who's Sasuke?" Harry asked. "Who's Itachi?"
"Some old friends," Naruto said darkly. His expression then cleared, and he said, "Your father's moving."
Naruto knew that James Potter was Harry's father, and he found him easily, purely because Harry and James looked so alike.
"Ha, look at Black-san," Naruto crowed. He flipped and landed near Sirius and started to stare at his face. "Hm, he was pretty good looking, but not as good as me!"
Shikamaru rolled his eyes.
"… got the snout shape, the pupils of the eyes and the tufted tail," Naruto heard the one called Peter said anxiously. Harry liked to call him Wormtail, "but I couldn't think what else–"
"How thick are you, Wormtail?" said James impatiently. "You run round with a werewolf once a month–"
"Keep your voice down," implored Lupin. James and his three friends strode off down the lawn towards the lake, Snape followed, still poring over the exam paper and apparently with no fixed idea of where he was going. Naruto and Shikamaru was examining Snape's memories, searching for tiny little details.
"Well, I thought that paper was a piece of cake," Naruto heard Sirius say. "I'll be surprised if I don't get 'Outstanding' on it at least."
"Me too," said James. He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a struggling Golden Snitch. Naruto blanched when he saw the Snitch, which reminded him of his painful ride on a broomstick. Shikamaru turned away as his lips pulled him into a smirk at the sight of Naruto's expression.
"Where'd you get that?"
"Nicked it," James said casually.
They stopped in the shade of a tree by the lake, and threw themselves onto the grass. Harry, Naruto and Shikamaru stopped behind them, and Naruto saw that Snape had settled himself near the group.
Lupin had pulled out a book and started reading. Sirius stared around at the students milling over the grass, looking rather haughty and bored, but very handsomely so. James was still playing with the Snitch, letting it zoom further and further away, almost escaping, but grabbing it at the last second.
"He has good reflexes," Naruto commented.
"Troublesome," Shikamaru said, as a way of replying.
"Put that away, will you?" said Sirius finally, as James made a fine catch and Wormtail, who had been watching him, let out a cheer, "before Wormtail wets himself in excitement."
"If it bothers you," James grinned, stuffing the Snitch back into his pocket.
"I'm bored," said Sirius. "Wish it was full moon."
"This'll liven you up, Padfoot," said James quietly. "Look who it is…"
Sirius' head turned. He became very still, like a dog that had scented a rabbit.
"Excellent," he said softly. "Snivellus."
Naruto had started to frown. He was starting to pick up on this pattern of behaviour, mostly because it had been directed at him many times before. A bully's behaviour.
Naruto knew where Sirius was looking without even having to turn his head. Snape was getting on his feet again, and was stowing the OWL paper in his bag. As he left the shadows of the bushes and set off across the grass, Sirius and James stood up.
Lupin and Wormtail remained sitting: Lupin was still staring down at his book, though his eyes were not moving and a faint frown line had appeared between his eyebrows; Wormtail was looking from Sirius and James to Snape with a look of avid anticipation on his face.
"All right, Snivellus?" said James loudly. Shikamaru sighed and dragged a hand down his face.
Snape reacted so fast it was as though he had been expecting an attack: dropping his bag, he plunged his hand inside his robes and his wand was halfway into the air when James shouted, "Expelliarmus!"
Snape's wand flew a few metres into the air and fell with a little thud in the grass behind him. Sirius let out a bark of laughter.
Naruto watched the scene unfold stonily, his eyes moving from the defenceless figure of Snape, and then towards the gleeful faces of Sirius and James. They then flickered around to study the expressions of the bystanders, and his lips pressed together.
A flash of red caught his eyes, and Naruto found himself staring at Harry's mother. For an unknown reason, a lump suddenly formed in Naruto's throat, and his hands quivered as he watched Lily Evans shouting at James Potter.
"You okay?" Shikamaru asked quietly. Naruto nodded and turned away. Shikamaru looked at his friend sympathetically. "She looks like her, doesn't she?"
"Yeah," Naruto mumbled.
"What's he done to you?" Lily shouted. James shrugged.
"It's more the fact he exists, if you know what I mean."
Hearing those words, coupled with the expression on James' face; the uncaring, callous eyes, made unbidden memories come to the surface.
It's more the fact he exists…
Those were such cold words.
Snape was now hanging upside down, and a furious expression contorted James' face.
"Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?"
But whether James really did take off Snape's pants, Naruto, Shikamaru and Harry never found out. A hand closed tight over Naruto's upper arm, and Naruto grabbed Shikamaru as he felt himself rising up into the air.
Naruto stumbled onto the cold stone floor the dungeon and the fully-grown Snape himself was standing beside the Pensieve.
"So," Snape said, glaring at all of them, but especially Harry. He was gripping the boy's arm tightly. "So… been enjoying yourself?"
"N-no," Harry said, trying to free himself. Shikamaru stepped forward and placed his hand on Snape's arm.
"Let the boy go," Shikamaru said quietly. "You're hurting him."
Snape's lips were shaking, his face was white, and his teeth were bared.
"Amusing man, your father, wasn't he?" said Snape, shaking Harry so hard that his glasses slipped down his nose.
"Snape-san," Shikamaru warned.
"I–didn't–"
Snape threw Harry from him with all his might. Harry would have landed on the hard on the dungeon floor if Naruto hadn't stepped in and caught him.
"You will not repeat what you saw to anybody!" Snape bellowed. He completely ignored the ninja; his black eyes were only fixed on Harry, perhaps because he looked so much like his childhood tormentor.
"No," said Harry. "No, of course I w–"
"Get out, get out, I don't want to see you in this office ever again!"
Shikamaru nudged him, and the he and Harry swept quickly towards the door. A jar of cockroaches exploded over Shikamaru's head. The door was wrenched open and they both stopped only when there were three floors between themselves and Snape.
Back at the office, Snape had smashed another jar and was now gripping the edge of his desk, his face white with hatred.
"Our deepest apologies, Snape-san," Naruto said softly, bowing to him. "We had no right to see them. You have our word that nothing of this will be spoken of to outsiders."
He flashed away.
"Don't leave," Harry managed to croak out. He knew that the ninja weren't supposed to be seen, and weren't supposed to be in the castle, yet he selfishly wanted some company. He needed someone with him.
"We're not going anywhere," Shikamaru said gently. The three of them were sitting in front of the lake. It was dark, the moon was bright, and Harry wasn't supposed to be outside, but right then, he didn't care.
Harry felt so miserable. He had been so sure his parents were wonderful people that he had never had the slightest difficulty in disbelieving the aspersions Snape cast on his father's character. Hadn't people like Hagrid and Sirius told Harry how wonderful his father had been? Yes, he had once overheard Professor McGonagall saying that his father and Sirius had been troublemakers at school, but she had described them as forerunners of the Weasley twins, and Harry could not imagine Fred and George dangling someone upside-down for the fun of it… not unless they really loathed them… perhaps Malfoy, or somebody who really deserved it…
Harry tried to make a case for Snape having deserved what he had suffered at James' hands, but hadn't Lily asked, "What's he done to you?" And hadn't James replied, "It's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean." Hadn't James started it all simply because Sirius said he was bored? Harry remembered Lupin saying back in Grimmauld Place that Dumbledore had made him prefect in the hope that he would be able to exercise some control over James and Sirius… but in the Pensieve, he had sat there and let it all happen…
Harry kept reminding himself that Lily had intervened; his mother had been decent. Yet, the memory of the look on her face as she had shouted at James disturbed him quite as much as anything else; she had clearly loathed James, and Harry simply could not understand how they had ended up married.
For nearly five years the thought of his father had been a source of comfort, of inspiration. Whenever someone had told him he was like James, he had glowed with pride inside. And now… now he felt cold and miserable at the thought of him.
Did he want to be like his father anymore?
"Harry," Naruto said kindly. "I've never told you about my father, have I?"
"No," Harry mumbled. "You shinobi don't tell us anything about yourself."
"For good reason, too," Shikamaru said.
"Harry, you know my father was an idiot as well?" Naruto said. Harry glanced up at the blonde. There was a wistful, faraway look to his face.
"Did he ever hang someone upside-down just for the fun of it?" Harry asked bitterly.
"No," Naruto admitted, "but he… gave me something that made my life miserable. He was the one who sealed the Kyuubi into me."
"Children of the tailed beasts live harsh lives," Shikamaru said. His voice sounded like the wind. "They are outcasts in their own village. They are sneered and scorned at. Villagers refuse to do business with Jinchuriki. Jinchuriki have rocks thrown at them, they get kicked out of restaurants, and no child their age will play with them. To be a Jinchuriki is to live a cold, lonely life. I'm sure you know how that feels..."
Yes, Harry did know. He knew all too well.
"But," Naruto continued, "I managed to meet my father for the first, and probably last time as I am now. My parents are both dead, you see, but this was like a mirage of him; a memory. When I talked to him, I realised that it doesn't matter what stupid things he did during his life. He was my dad, and he loved me. He trusted me with the Kyuubi, and had faith that I could handle it."
"But, that's your father," Harry said. "Your parents loved each other. I'm sitting here worried that my dad even forced my mother to marry him…"
Naruto laughed. "My parents hated each other when they were little."
Harry looked at him again, his hope rising.
"My parents both decided they wanted to be Hokage, our village leader. They were both competitive, and they both fought over that title. Eventually, they fell in love," Naruto grinned. Harry managed a small smile as well. "Opposites attract, I suppose you can say."
"When we were in the memory," Harry recalled. "When you saw my mother, you went a little weird. Why?"
"Looking at Lily Evans was like looking at my own mother," Naruto said, his face turned towards the lake. "They are very similar, you know. Both our parents."
"Why?"
"Well, both our mother and father were rivals. They both hated each other at first. Lily Evans and Uzumaki Kushina both had hair the colour of fire, and…" Naruto trailed off. Harry stared at him, and Naruto continued, "Both our parents died protecting their sons."
There was silence, and the only sound was the gently ripple of water from the lake and the whooshing of the wind.
"Be proud of who you are," Naruto said. "Don't worry; I know your father isn't as bad as he looked in that memory."
"You know," Shikamaru muttered, his face turned to the moon, "that the only thing a parent needs to do is trust in their children. That's all… and that in itself has true value (1)."
A cool breeze swept through Harry's hair. Harry knew the true meaning, the weight of those words.
"I'm not going to be a parent anytime soon," Harry said, laughing nervously. His face was a little red, and for some reason, his mind flashed to Ginny. "But I'll keep that in mind."
"Be sure that you do, Harry," Shikamaru said.
"I will. Thanks, Shikamaru," Harry smiled, "thanks, Naruto."
"But why haven't you got Occlumency lessons anymore?" said Hermione, frowning.
"I've told you," Harry muttered. "Snape reckons I can carry on by myself now I've got the basics."
"So you've stopped having funny dreams?" said Hermione sceptically.
"Pretty much," said Harry, not looking at her.
"Well, I don't think Snape should stop until you're absolutely sure you can control them!" said Hermione indignantly. "Harry, I think you should go back to him and ask–"
"No," said Harry forcefully. "Just drop it, Hermione, okay?"
In truth, Harry had been planning to pay Sirius a visit, how, he didn't know, but after his talk with Naruto and Shikamaru, Harry felt a little more peaceful. He had written a carefully coded letter to Sirius, who had replied, and the reply instantly made Harry feel better about his parents.
Naruto had also told him that the ninja were still in the castle, but they were hidden.
"Look out for some hints," Naruto had said. "We're always there." And then he had disappeared.
(1) Quote from the Fourth Kazekage. I'm pretty sure our little Namikaze Minato says it as well, but I can't seem to find it…
There you go. Shikamaru and Harry have started calling each other by their first names.
