Title: Sneaking Around Konoha
Author: enchanted nightingale
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto, or the characters from them and I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Summary: Loneliness was not for him, Harry knew that. Then he met Kakashi and he found a solution to his problem.
Pair: Harry Potter/ Kakashi Hatake
CHAPTER 32 – Grass Sprouting
Teddy followed Harry and Kakashi back home, feeling off somehow. Logically, it could be the shocks he received today, or the fact that the 'Calming Draught' was slowly fading. He knew that Harry kept shooting him worried looks. He was a steady presence by his side. Supportive, but without trying to tell him what to do. He could logically understand that a child, if they came into the world, would need to be retrieved. Having an untrained wizard out there was a recipe for disaster. Not to mention whatever political game was going on behind the scenes. That was a headache above his paygrade, and he was happy he would be sitting that mess out. He was considered an adult the moment he became a Genin, but days like these, he felt like a little kid. All he wanted was to curl up next to either Harry, or Ebony, and cuddle until the world around him was not as overwhelming.
o
o
Harry was the first inside the house, directing the two Shinobi to the living room while he locked the house.
"Nara -san will come by soon," the green-eyed wizard said. "I have to get the potions ready," he explained, mostly for Kakashi's shake.
"Will I finally see what you keep in the hidden room I'm not supposed to notice?" the silver haired Shinobi asked.
"I never said anything," Teddy hurried to say.
Kakashi tapped his nose. "I can sometimes smell the absence of any smell from that direction."
Harry rolled his eyes and lowered the wards from his personal lab. The sudden appearance of a new room seemed to surprise Kakashi, who even after years of living with them, kept finding out about all the things his partner could do.
"I'll stay here," Teddy said. "And have some tea ready for you."
"Sure," Kakashi told him and followed Harry into the newly revealed room. His eye was working overtime trying to take everything in.
It was a series of rooms that led deeper than logic made possible. Kakashi wanted to question how such a thing could happen, but then he thought back to the hidden training ground underneath the house and reasoned that his partner could make something like this easily enough. He passed by a library that held some very odd books. Leather bound and old looking but they exuded a very odd aura.
"They are cursed books," Harry answered the unasked question. "I could not leave them out there with the rest of the books we usually read, and they are too valuable to simply destroy out right. A couple of them have recipes and formulas to some very nasty poisons. Here we are," he said and pushed inside a room that looked much like a lab.
"How many hidden rooms are still in this place?" Kakashi asked.
"Well… a couple more. One of them is were I keep my gold," the wizard readily answered.
"I knew a long time ago that you never needed to work, not really," Kakashi said. "So that one is not much of a surprise."
"I was going to show you the room, but I kept forgetting it, because frankly, between my shop and your salary we make more than enough to live a comfortable life."
"I know. And I like that about you. So, here is where you keep all the potions and such?"
Kakashi looked around the room. It looked a lot like Harry's work lab. Various shelves and cupboards were filled with vases and vials and various substances. The smells he was getting from the room were many and some of them quite dizzying.
"Yes," Harry replied. "Teddy hates coming here. With his sensitive nose, he keeps sneezing. He could also be allergic to a few substances, but since we have no idea to what, I decided he should stay away. He helped me brew a few things, before he became Chunin, but he never had a talent or interest in brewing." He walked straight to a cupboard and used what was obviously a type of 'jutsu' to unlock it. Then he took out two exceedingly small vials and two droppers.
"Is that the truth serum?" Kakashi sounded a bit dubious.
"Three drops on the tongue of a person are usually enough for them to start answering questions, or you can mix them with a liquid like tea and water; I have no idea if mixed with sake will be as effective. Usually, regular people can be poisoned by this. Hopefully, chakra wielders are like magic users and the people under questioning will not die halfway through the process."
Kakashi chuckled as he approved the green-eyed man. Then he slipped his arms around Harry and hugged him. "I love it when you get so vicious."
"I hate it when the people I care about are in danger. You can imagine I'm furious about this."
"Hm. You looked remarkably calm in Naruto's office."
"I'm barely holding back from tracking down those elusive Elders of yours and doing my own investigation."
Kakashi's arms tightened. "That… I would join you," he admitted. "You know by now. Teddy is family, not just a student."
Harry turned around and buried his face against Kakashi's chest. "I know."
The Jonin sighed and hugged the wizard tighter. "We'll be fine. All of us. Teddy is a strong young man. And he has us and his friends, practically most elite Jonin in the village, for support."
"I'm worried," Harry said.
"About Teddy? Or this unknown baby that is somewhere out there? Or about the Elders?"
"I hate that someone hurt my kid, Kakashi. It was not just a punch or a stab. He was put in unnecessary danger. Nara-san was correct, it could be just bad luck that it happened to my kid and not to any of his teammates. That does not make me feel any better."
Kakashi sighed. "I could speak with Ibiki, at the T&I. Anko likes you well enough. I could make it so you can punch whoever is responsible; that should make you feel a little better."
Harry started laughing. "Kakashi!"
"Just say the word and I will try to arrange something."
The raven-haired man smiled and pulled Kakashi's mask down, just to peck his lips. "Thank you."
"I mean it."
"I know. I can feel someone at the wards, approaching. Let me write down instructions for them and then I need to check on the ritual, see what stage it's at," Harry said.
"I'll go keep Teddy company."
o
o
The ritual was still not finished when Harry checked on the spell. It seemed to focus away from Konoha, which could complicate matters if the mother was part of an enemy village. If she was simply a civilian caught up in Teddy's last mission, then that situation would not be ideal either.
"What a big mess," Harry muttered to himself.
Then he set to write down instructions on the use of 'Veritaserum' as well as known side effects the shinobi should keep an eye on. He put everything in a small case, after casting charms that prevented damage to the vials and left his lab, just in time for the bell to ring.
It was not Nara Shikaku at the door, but a very grim looking Mitarashi Anko.
"I'm told you have something for me?" she asked.
"Here," Harry gave her the small case. "They are safe to be carried and instructions are inside."
"We will make sure your kids get justice," was also she said before using her speed to depart.
"Tea is ready!" Kakashi called out.
Harry turned and joined his godson and his partner as both men seemed to curl up, each holding a cup. A quick look to Teddy, and the green-eyed wizard changed into a wolf, before walking over to the now grateful young man and cuddling up to him.
o
o
Things moved quickly after that.
An hour into the cuddle session with his godson, Harry felt the magic of the ritual wane and turned back into a human. Kakashi and Teddy followed him in his secret lab area and towards a table that was cleared save for a mostly damaged map of the Elemental Nations. The map looked mostly wet and faded, except for a particular area in Grass Country. Harry pretended he did not notice how the shinobi both tensed.
"I will go and alert Shikaku," Kakashi stated. "And I'll try to find out what happened with the Elders."
"Stay safe," Harry told him.
Kakashi nodded, and before leaving, he squeezed Teddy's shoulder gently, earning himself a thankful smile.
o
o
What Kakashi found out could be summed up to a few key points.
The Elders, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado and Danzo Shimura, were already under house arrest when ANBU units moved and apprehended them before a serious fight could break out. Then they were quickly transported to a safe location to be interrogated. The serum Harry provided seemed to work wonders the moment it took effect. In the time Shikaku had to plan the arrest, he also got enough time to compile a list of questions about various dealings and matters he wanted answers to. Many of the cases were dating back to the Third Hokage' first term under the hat. The list of offenses, underhanded deals and plainly criminal activity was staggering, and in Danzo's case included sabotaging missions via ROOT or by using foreign shinobi since before Namikaze's turn as Fourth Hokage. While Danzo was at first the one seemingly orchestrating everything, from the abductions of children from various Konoha clans, to the Uchiha massacre, and even two plots to assassinate Naruto before Tsunade could pass the hat to him, the other two were equally guilty. On the surface Koharu and Homura had little to do with ROOT, but it slowly came to light that they had funded the original team and over the years kept slipping fund to keep the operation running. All three were found guilty for treason and with their confessions now documented, there was nothing that could protect them.
They were still under the potion's influence and being grilled for details recounting of their deeds by a very angry Morino Ibiki, when Kakashi tracked down Shikaku a few level above the cells, taking a match needed brake.
"This is a huge mess," the Nara Clan Head admitted. "So far we have confirmation of at least five unsanctioned assassinations of loyal to Konoha shinobi. Their only crime was that they stumbled upon Danzo's actions and were unable to escape. Ibiki is beside himself. Our Hokage and Tsunade called for a Clan meeting and are now in the process of informing everyone about all… this."
"So, it was Danzo behind the misclassified missions?" Kakashi asked.
"Homura actually gave them the idea, but a few of Danzo's agents implemented it. We missed a few ROOT agents, or at least Sai did not know of them, but this time we got everyone," Shikaku admitted. "Some were being hidden by Homura and Koharu as part of their private guard. Now that they were under house arrest they posed as helpers and the like; it's how they got overlooked. I cannot even begin to say how valuable that serum from your partner was. They literally cannot tell a lie."
Kakashi shuddered. "Yes, Harry is rather talented."
"I know he did not explicitly forbid it, he even mentioned trying to recreate it for us, but that is one dangerous serum. Ibiki is guarding it like a dragon its hoard under so many protections that it's borderline crazy. That vial has enough liquid to interrogate a lot more people. If used by the wrong person, they could make anyone spill so many military secrets… It gives me nightmares that such a concoction even exists. I half wanted to just dump the contents and pretend this never existed. It's the nightmare of Shinobi all over the nations. We trade in secrets."
"Well, I am constantly glad he seems to love Konoha enough to side with us," Kakashi admitted.
"I as well," Shikaku said. "So, do you have a location?"
"Grass. I'm guessing here, but it seems to me they did not expect for Teddy to father a kid."
"They did not. It was like I guessed; they wanted the Hyuga, but since that did not pan out, they made no move to kidnap the civilian who fell pregnant. That poor woman thinks it is her husband's baby. She should be, what? Seven or eight months along? Close to birth," Shikaku sighed.
"Are you certain Lupin was not the intended target?" Kakashi stressed.
"He was not. They were out of the loop and they don't think your boy is anything but a regular shinobi coming from civilian background."
Kakashi nodded, feeling relieved that Teddy's abilities had not been leaked. It was just bad luck and a series of coincidences. "I'm guessing the Hyuga will demand their heads."
"Well, we also found out that they were planning to steal Uchiha's future offspring. Make it appear like the baby was stillborn and nab themselves an Uchiha in order to start ROOT back up," Shikaku commented. "Between your former student and the Hyuga, not to mention the Aburame who have lost several clan members to Danzo, I have no idea who will get to them first."
"Good riddance," Kakashi commented.
"I could not agree more. Are you still willing to be the one to retrieve the baby?"
The silver haired Jonin nodded. "I offered before Harry could, to be honest."
"Yes, that man is beginning to frighten me," the Nara admitted. "So much potential…"
Kakashi remained quiet at that one.
"We are setting up a team to overlook and spy on the mother. Tsunade made a suggestion about a plan of actions that even Naruto did not oppose. We are going to switch the babies. Grab an orphan from one of the orphanages across Grass or another nearby country and make the switch with Lupin's kid. That way a mother does not technically lose a child, we get Lupin's kid, and a random orphan gets a family," Shikaku commented. "It's will need a sleight of hand, so to speak, but it is doable."
"That does not sound like your plan."
"My son Shikamaru suggested this."
"That is outside the box thinking," Kakashi mused. "But that will require a lot of coordination to happen."
"I have already given marching orders to four teams," Shikaku replied. "While they were all glad that we ware doing this, they have all started wondering if this is because of favoritism or because Lupin has some strange ability."
"Well, it is actually a bit of both. Are there any rumours?"
"Nothing has reached my ears just yet. But considering Naruto is our Hokage, most are willing to believe he is doing this because he wants his Shinobi safe and happy. I'm not going to dispute that," the Nara commented. "You should probably head to Grass and be ready just in case. Before you leave, stop by the hospital. Shizune should have a kit ready for you to care for the baby. Officially, there's no mission. Unofficially, have fun explaining a child popping out of the blue."
Kakashi chuckled. "We'll figure this out."
o
o
Lupin Sorano was born just as her mother entered the ninth month of the pregnancy in the early morning hours, with bright lavender hair and her father's eyes. And a couple of days later was cuddled in her father's arms.
o
o
End of chapter
A/N: Sorano means "of the sky".