Disclaimer: Still don't own them.
Chapter 13Naruto lay on his brand new bed in his brand-new home….he had a house! Not a cramped, old, apartment, but a real house! He didn't think it equalled fourteen missed birthdays at all, a house had to cost a lot more than presents, even years of them. No one had ever done so much for him, the Third had given him his apartment but the allowance had been from a fund and with the way he was overcharged, it hadn't really gone very far. He figured Harry had the house in his name or had used magic otherwise he would have paid a fortune for it. He kind of wished Harry had shown up years ago, then again, they might not have met if he had. If it had been before he graduated then it would have been a different team who found him that day.
He had training in the morning but he was just too excited to sleep, though with how comfortable the bed was he might never get up.
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Harry sat nervously outside the Hokage's office. He'd been sitting there for twenty minutes already and had been doing his best to focus on Occlumency to keep his nerves under control. He looked up as the secretary cleared her throat.
"The Hokage will see you now."
Harry nodded, stood and then entered the office. He gave a small bow. "Hokage-sama."
"Harry. Congratulations on passing and the beginning of your shinobi career. Now, as you didn't graduate with an Academy class we would usually place you with a team that is missing a member. However, given the circumstances, you will be joining Team 7 under Kakashi. You already know your teammates and get along with them so that won't cause any problems. Plus it will enable them to take more missions since they have had to cut back when one team member has been receiving training from their personal sensei. Having an older presence on the team will also help them mature a bit. At least, I hope you haven't picked up Kakashi's disgusting habits?"
Harry smirked at that. "No ma'am. Actually I think he's getting sick of my stealing his books and resetting all of his clocks."
Tsunade laughed at the mischievous look on his face. "Impressive. Any questions?"
Harry paused to think about it. "Not at the moment ma'am. Itachi actually had a suggestion that is worth mentioning thought it could bring more attention then I really want."
"Oh?" Tsunade frowned slightly at the mention of the missing-nin but didn't say anything else. As long as Harry stayed loyal she couldn't really do anything.
"He suggested I claim my magic as a bloodline if needed."
She thought about it. "Not a bad idea in theory."
"Magic is simply manipulating a different type of energy to chakra so it is plausible I guess," Harry shrugged. "I don't plan on really using it unless I have to though."
She nodded.
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Harry leant against the bridge rail, lost in thought. Today was his first day as an official member of Team 7 and he was nervous. His having the occasionally spar with and watching them was different to actually being part of the team, he'd be going on missions now, would be expected to represent Konoha when away from the Village.
"Good morning Harry."
He looked up and smiled at Sakura. "Good morning Sakura. Looking forward to training or missions?"
"Yes," she nodded happily.
"Because you get to spend time with Sasuke?" he pressed, curious and concerned. There'd been girls like that in the DA, who'd thought they could fight when they'd mainly shown up to be close to him, and he'd seen several of them go down when they were fighting to free Hogwarts.
She blushed and opened her mouth to retort but he beat her too it.
"You should be a shinobi only because it is what you want to do with your life, not because you think it will cause a boy to like or notice you. Getting yourself killed because you're too boy crazy to fully pay attention or train properly only puts others in danger as well and is a stupid reason to die. You've known Sasuke how long? Has he ever done anything to make you believe he feels anything more than friendship for you? Think hard about it. I know what its like to be in his place, with girls and boys forever chasing after you, its not a nice place to be. Stop being just another obsessed fan girl and just be his friend. If it's meant to happen it will happen but really, you're only fourteen. Wait a few years before trying to get stuck in a relationship, it'll be better in the long run."
Sakura stared at him in shock before turning and walking away, lost in thought.
"Thank you."
Harry nodded at Sasuke as the teen revealed himself. "No problem, like I said, I know what its like. Hopefully what I said will get through to her and she'll give you some space, at least for a few years." Harry shrugged as Sasuke joined him at the rail.
"Where are you from?" The sudden question caught him off guard.
"Far, far away," what else could he say?
"We know nearly nothing about you and yet the Hokage was quick to trust you," Sasuke eyed him as he spoke, arms crossed.
"Was she? Why do you think I live with Kakashi and helped at the Academy when you were away on missions? It was to keep me under watch."
"And yet now you are a shinobi of the leaf," Sasuke pointed out.
"It wasn't my idea. I've been fighting for so long; I just want to live in peace. The Hokage knows everything Sasuke; she pushed me to become a genin so that I would have to stay here. It's funny but in the brief time I've been here this place has become more of a home to me then anywhere else ever has."
"You aren't really a traveller that was attacked by bandits," Sasuke stated, and Harry smiled.
"No, I'm not. Maybe one day you'll find out exactly who and what I am. But you are not ready yet."
"Naruto knows."
Harry didn't answer since the previously mentioned shinobi had just appeared. Harry grinned at the change in the other genin's wardrobe. There was still a little orange in his outfit, but it was a much darker shade and only in a strip up each pant leg and the panel that ran from under his arms to the waist of his jacket, much to Sasuke and the just returned Sakura's shock.
"Naruto?" Sakura blinked at him.
"Hay Sakura! Sasuke. The clothes are great Harry! Thank you so much!"
Harry managed to catch the blond missile and stay on his feet, barely. "You're welcome. Don't forget to thank Iruka too, he helped me."
Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "Are you going to train with us today or just watch?" Naruto asked.
"Harry will be joining us on our mission today since he is the fourth member of Team 7," Kakashi stated as he finally arrived, but only an hour late. He shot a glare at Harry for somehow changing his clocks again. The changes were by random amounts so he couldn't figure out the pattern and simply show up late. Some days he was on time, others he was anywhere from a few minutes to one and a half hours late but never any more than that thanks too Harry's intervention. The teen smirked in return. Hey, what do you expect form the son of a Marauder?
"Yeah! Harry's on our team!"
Harry grabbed Naruto before he could jump around too much. Kakashi looked at the other two members of his team and then to Harry who shook his head slightly. Kakashi nodded and they headed off.
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Sakura watched as Harry faced Sasuke-kun. She bit her lip, not wanting to accept it but…Harry, a brand new genin…was better than her. He might not have her perfect chakra control, but his other skills were better than hers. That hurt. She'd been training a lot more since the chūnin exams, she was even apprenticing as a medic-nin, but her combat abilities still weren't where they should be…and it was her own fault.
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"How did it go?" Kakashi smiled at Iruka's question. The teacher hadn't even looked up from the papers he was grading.
"Well. They seem to have accepted him, especially Naruto."
Iruka looked up and smiled. "I really doubted Naruto would complain about his aniki being on his team."
Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
"Harry's never really had a family, neither had Naruto. Is it really that surprising that Harry would take him under his wing?"
"Guess not. Looks like he's started with Sasuke too." Kakashi leant on the edge of the desk, bending down to claim a kiss and smiling as Iruka blushed slightly since it was in the classroom.
"His past is a mixture of theirs really. He's been hated and fawned over so if anyone can understand them its Harry."
"It won't be pretty when Sasuke eventually learns of Harry's relationship with Itachi though," Kakashi pointed out. "You finished yet?"
Iruka shook his head. "Sorry, looks like I'm going to be at this most of the night." He smiled at the pout he could see behind Kakashi's mask. "I'll be free tomorrow night?"
The pout turned into a smile. "Then I'll see you then." Kakashi raised his mask enough for a proper kiss and then vanished, leaving Iruka to finish his work in peace.
The teacher sighed and sat back in his chair, stretching his back. He knew Kakashi's reputation, had been wary because of it, but beneath the surface he wasn't really lazy or perverted; it was as much a mask in some ways as the one he wore on his face. Iruka was glad he'd taken the risk; he was happier than he'd ever been.
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Harry dodged a blow and lashed out with his own only to have it dodged and to suddenly find himself staring up at the sky. He groaned quietly and decided he was too comfortable to move.
"You're improving."
Harry shot his companion a glare. "Tell that to my body, I ache all over."
Itachi chuckled earning himself another glare. "So, how was your day?"
Harry shot him a look and then sat up. "I think Sakura's mad at me after I told her to leave Sasuke alone and to pretty much grow up. Sasuke thanked me but is suspicious since I'm so secretive about my past. Naruto's just so happy that I'm part of their team now. He dragged me out for Ramen to celebrate, I've decided I hate the stuff."
Itachi laughed. "Thanks for getting her off his back even if it's only for a while. I've never envied him the hordes of girls chasing him. After the invasion during their chūnin exam and facing Orochimaru, I would have thought she'd change more. I know she's training as a medic-nin but everything I've heard says she's still lacking combat skills…and still very much a fan girl, despite Sasuke almost defecting."
"No problem, as I told Sasuke I know what it's like. On a happier note, I think I've almost got the portkey idea worked out. I can drop it on a mission that takes us out of Konoha and then tell you where to find it that night. I'll hide it with magic so that only you can see it. I'll make it a two way so you can get back to where you were as well."
"Sounds good. When can we test it?"
"When we're given a mission. Don't think they want me wandering the countryside just yet," Harry shrugged slightly, he was glad Konoha was as big as it was or he'd be going stir crazy.
"It is understandable, frustrating but understandable."
Harry just snorted and Itachi pulled him into his arms. They'd trained enough for the night.
"I wish we could stay like this forever," Harry whispered softly, and Itachi kissed him tenderly.
"I know."
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Iruka chuckled as Kakashi collapsed on his couch. "The kids running you ragged?" he teased as Kakashi pulled his mask down.
"I thought Sasuke and Naruto were competitive before…having Harry there is actually making it worse since Naruto wants to impress his big brother," he groaned.
Iruka winced. "Ah, yes, we should have expected that. But he's otherwise settled in well with the team dynamic?"
"For D-rank missions, yes. We'll have to wait and see how they do away from the Village."
"Think you'll get hit by the C-rank curse again? Harry is a rookie after all," Iruka put a cup of tea down for him before going to finish their meal.
"Ugh, please don't jinx us," Kakashi shook his head but drank his tea.
Iruka was happy when Kakashi made no move to leave after dinner, the two retiring to his bedroom.
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"Harry."
The teen looked up from where he was nursing a few cuts courtesy of their training. From the sound of his lovers voice he was not going to like this. "What's wrong?" Harry lay what he hoped was a comforting hand on Itachi's.
"Remember when you rescued Kisame and me?"
Harry just shot him a look that said, 'how could I forget that?'
"Right, dumb question."
"Itachi what is it?" Harry was really worried now.
"With how quiet Akatsuki's been we decided to go back and look around. We found…" Itachi trailed off, and Harry grimaced.
"How many?" He asked softly. Itachi moved so that he was holding the younger shinobi. "How many Itachi?"
"Six that we found. Harry what you did you did to protect us; it was an act of defence, not murder."
Harry closed his eyes, six more people dead at his hand. How many had he killed during the invasion of Hogwarts? What would…no, he shook his head, his parents had fought in the first war, they had to know that putting them down permanently was the only way after how the first war simply led into the second. It had been war and people died in war, and those six had been trying to kill Itachi and Kisame…who knew how many innocents they had killed over the years, they were S-ranked missing-nin for a reason after all.
"I know you hate killing Harry but you are shinobi now," Itachi murmured. "Even if you become an Academy teacher there is still no way to stop from ever having to kill on a mission or having to do so to defend your students or village."
"Should I tell Tsunade?"
Itachi let him change the topic, for now. "She should be told. But after you wake up." Itachi tightened his hold on Harry, kissing him softly occasionally but letting him sit silently. He knew the young wizard needed to absorb what he had been told. His culture had a very different attitude to killing than the Elemental Nations and Harry had grown up with those ideals.
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Tsunade looked up at the young man sitting in front of her. Harry looked nervous which meant either another bombshell or that he was relaying a message from a certain missing-nin, neither reason was very good. Though he was getting better at hiding his emotions, which was good for a shinobi.
"So, what did you want to speak to me about?" She did have mountains of paperwork after all.
"He told me some things last night that you should be aware of ma'am." Harry took a deep breath, and Tsunade let him take his time, for now. "They have confirmed that six members of Akatsuki are dead," he stopped, but Tsunade just stared at him.
"What? What has the power to kill that many powerful ninja at once?"
Harry stared at the wall. "I do." It was said so quietly she almost didn't hear him but his words made her frown.
"What?"
"I killed them. I didn't know till last night though. I just reacted, they were going to kill them, and I had to do something. I stopped their attacks, absorbed them and flung them back but more powerful. I didn't know what happened after, I woke up." Harry explained stiffly, still staring at the wall.
She had known the boy was powerful but this powerful? Could any of them stop him if he decided to turn against them? But then she looked at him closely and felt something within he relax. Kakashi had been correct that day, Harry was no killer. She could see the pain in his eyes at the fact that he had killed six people, even if it was to defend a loved one. Perhaps she had done the wrong thing in pushing him to become shinobi.
"You did what you had to do and in doing so have helped to protect your brother." She smiled at him, hoping to break him out of his growing depression. "Akatsuki is after all the demon vessels, by taking out that many you will have made them weaker and Naruto safer. Think about that."
Harry nodded and left.
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"Do you plan to nominate your team again?"
Kakashi nodded at the Hokage. "Will that cause a problem?"
"The council of elders are not entirely sure about the Sasuke entering, he still bears the curse seal, and the fact that if it weren't for Naruto he would have gone to Orochimaru makes them nervous."
"So he won't be allowed to participate?" he hadn't expected that at all, he'd held them back for the last two years, not even bothering to try to nominate them, so that Sasuke could prove he wasn't going to leave. So why would they still block him? They didn't even keep a watch on him anymore.
Tsunade sighed. "It has yet to be decided."
"They can't participate without a full team… Harry," he grimaced, and she nodded.
"They are curious about him. They could be making such a fuss because they want to see why the boy's gotten so much attention."
"He's not ready. You saw his reaction to finding out he'd killed those six and his memories of what happened in his home," Kakashi argued. No matter how well trained, accidents happened in the exams, and killing was allowed, especially in the second stage. If Harry froze or worse, that would leave Naruto to carry the team, and while Naruto was good…even using Kage Bunshin it would slow him down and risk them all.
"You may be right, then again this could help him accept it."
"Or send him over the edge," he warned.
"In the end it will be his choice, he can decide not to enter."
Kakashi shook his head. "He already knows that to enter your whole team has to. He'll do it so that Naruto can enter."
"Then I'll make sure you start getting more missions outside the village. We need to see how he'll react in an actual fight and he will need more missions on his record to qualify."
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Harry smiled as Naruto bounced along. He felt bad for being the reason that this was the team's first mission out of the village for a while, especially with how happy being away from the stares made his little brother. His fingers moved to brush the phoenix necklace he was wearing and his smile grew. It was time to test the portkey. He would dump it in a few days and leave it under several illusions keyed to Itachi and then let him know where he'd left it.
"Glad to be out of the village?"
Harry turned to Sakura and nodded. The girl hadn't said much to him since their chat about her obsession with Sasuke but he could tell she'd been thinking about it.
"Would…would you train with me Harry? Sasuke and Naruto are both stronger than me, I realise that now. And you're good but you're still new and."
"Alright," Harry said, cutting her off.
"Really?"
"Really," he told her.
Sakura smiled and moved off. Harry just shook his head, smiling softly. He looked at Kakashi as the man moved forward to walk beside him.
"How are you doing?"
"Kakashi?"
"The Hokage told me."
Harry looked away and Kakashi sighed.
"You did what you had to do to protect those precious too you. Do not regret that. But you need to learn to control that so people only die when you mean for it to happen. You are shinobi now, killing is something you will have to deal with."
"What if I can't?" Harry asked quietly.
"Then you will die or someone you care about may die."
The wizard nodded and Kakashi dropped back again, supposedly reading his book but in reality watching his oldest charge.
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Harry dodged, blocking a blow with his own kunai. He was aware of Kakashi facing off against two of the enemy while Sasuke and Naruto were back-to-back, fighting well together. But where was Sakura? The four Konoha nin looked up as a female scream pierced the air. Harry didn't even stop to think as he focused his magic. He reappeared mere inches in front of Sakura, blocking the enemy shinobi. The man looked shocked for a split second before resuming his attack but it never landed as
Harry cast before he could. "Reducto." At such close range the man didn't have a chance.
Sakura stared in shock as her attacker suddenly crumpled to the ground, dead. She looked up at Harry to see him staring at what he had done in shock, he looked like he was going to be sick and she had the horrible feeling he'd never killed before. "Harry?"
He looked up at her and then vanished. She spun as the other three suddenly joined her.
"Sakura what happened?" Kakashi asked quickly.
"He…Harry just appeared right in front of me. He raised his hand and said something, and then." She pointed to the dead body. "He looked like he was in shock so I called his name but he just vanished."
Kakashi frowned, worried about Harry's reaction and whereabouts. He knew enough of the teen's abilities to know that he could be almost anywhere.
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Kisame and Itachi leapt to their feet only to freeze in shock as a familiar figure suddenly appeared.
"Harry?" Itachi questioned, stepping closer. Wide green eyes met his before rolling up. He moved, catching the wizard before he could hit the ground and shared a mystified look with his partner. What had brought Harry to them and where was his team?
TBC…