Suzu amused herself with training while Sakura was at school. In the forests out the village, in the old, abandoned ruins of what used to be a Senju estate, was an underground base that Suzu had stumbled across while coming back from a mission during her early ANBU days.

No one else knew it existed. Suzu had placed so many ruins and notice-me-not charms around it that she doubted Dumbledore could have managed to break in.

She can remember Harriet here.

The burn in her muscles was familiar and a welcome relief from the unhappiness that normally clouded her mind. She didn't know what she's doing in this world, even after 20 odd years here.

Sakura was the only thing holding her together.

Suzu went through the stretches with half a mind, the movements engrained in her body's memory after spending so much time learning them. That's one thing that she didn't mind about this world. She was so much stronger here. Training her body had never been something she had done as Harriet. Harriet had relied on pure grit, instincts built from years of abuse.

Suzu wasn't like that. She wasn't even sure if she was Harriet, but Harriet's faded memories, more echoes than actual memory, and her magic had carried were a part of her.

Suzu was faster than Harriet had ever been, so fast that sometimes it felt like time was moving slow. And she can crush a rock between her fingers with a small pulse of chakra running through her body.

This was nothing compared to her magic and ninjutsu. Harriet's magic, pressed against her body, hidden away from fear of her aunt and uncle, had suffered in her old life. It had fought to survive until she went to Hogwarts. Years as a horcrux corrupted it.

Here, strengthened by chakra, honed into a sharp weapon, it blossomed. Suzu can do more with her magic here than wizards had though possible in Harriet's world. In this world where chakra ruled, Suzu had been born with all the tools to make her untouchable.

It was frightening to think that she held so much power but, she's glad she did. Without it, she couldn't protect Sakura and the village was her home.

Her mind flashed to the faceless years she spent in ANBU. The smell of blood, the blank cold pit that had formed in her gut and never left, seized her. Lion was a killer, a shinobi of Konohagakure, a hand in the dark guiding the Hokage's blade. Lion was the face she wore when she wants to be no one and nothing.

Lion was not Harriet Potter.

Lion was Haruno Suzuran.

And Haruno Suzuran killed.

The tendons in her body ached as she cooled down. Her fingers were red and callused, the skin of her knuckles still split. As she finished, she slipped into the other room of her base.

A combination of seals and runes, built slowly over the years, failing, and failing until finally, Suzu managed to create something close to the Room of Requirements.

The room was a strange combination of her mother's tearoom and the Gryffindor common room. Her mother—not Harriet's because Lily Potter had never been her mother—had been a tea merchant and Suzu remembered learning every step of the hours-long tea ceremony from her. The floral scent of tea blossoming beneath the steam from an iron kettle. The silk folding over her wrists. Her mother's soft hands guiding her through each step. Making tea was soothing (her hands are not used to being used for something other than killing).

Suzu jerked, her tea spilling over the rim of the cup. There was still the matter of Icha-Icha. .

Sakura was upset. She didn't mind being on a team with Naruto and Sasuke-kun, a part of her had been secretly hoping that Ino would be with her. Logically, two girls to one team were rare. Suzu-nee had explained the way that genin teams worked and even though nee-chan never had her own, she knew a surprising amount about it.

And sure, while Sakura was glad to have a chance to talk to Sasuke-kun, she knew that he wouldn't respond unless he wanted to. Suzu had explained that to her as well. She remembered the terror in nee-chan's eyes when she got home the night of the massacre, wrapping Sakura up so tight that it hurt.

The Uchiha were gone.

Dead.

Everyone but, Sasuke.

It made her sad when she looked at him, the same way it did when she remembered that Naruto was all alone. But she was determined to help them. Naruto was her friend, even if he shied away from her whenever she did something for the sake of being kind.

Sasuke-kun was strong and smart and cute. She hoped that he'd be happy having her as a teammate.

And if he wasn't, then that was okay too.

Her sensei, on the other hand, was an idiot. She almost cracked up when the erasers fell on his ash-grey hair. Naruto hadn't even bothered pretending and burst into a loud round of laughter straight away.

Kakashi-sensei, though forcing them to do introductions, told them nothing about himself. Sakura knew he was a jounin and one of the good ones, but she can't help but wonder if he was qualified to teach. He seemed young and the mask on his face was annoying. Sensei tried to exaggerate his expressions to show his reaction behind the thin mask, but he just looked stupid.

Naruto finished his ramen induced ramble. Sakura sat straighter, staring her sensei in the eye.

"My name is Haruno Sakura. What I like is," she paused, realizing that she should have thought of something while Naruto was speaking. Her face flushed, eyes falling on Sasuke's blank face. "My dream for the future is to be a great shinobi like my sister. What I hate is people hurting my friends or my sister!"

Naruto grinned, holding his fist out towards her. She casually bumped hers against his, eyeing their sensei to try and gleam out what his plan was.

Sasuke-kun went next, speaking more than she thought he would. He didn't look over at any of them, holding his folded hands before his face. Sakura shifted closer, feeling bad that her and Naruto formed such an obvious divide without realizing it.

His announcement that he wanted to kill someone made her freeze.

"Good! The three of you are all unique and have distinct personalities," Sensei announced, his hand reaching up to ruffle that stupid hair of his. Sakura watched enviously as it maintained its style. He hopped down from the ledge he perched on and stalked towards them.

"We'll have a mission tomorrow," he said cheerily. Sakura had the distinct feeling that their mission would be anything but fun

"Yes, sir! What kind of mission?" Naruto shouted, saluting their sensei. She dropped her head into her hands, sighing loudly. Naruto could be so oblivious sometimes.

"Well, it's a task that only the four of us can do together."

"What? What is it?" Naruto nearly jumped out of his skin in his excitement. Sakura eyed their sensei again, wondering if he was just playing with them by dragging out the mission details.

"A survival exercise."

"Why are we doing an exercise when this should be a mission?" Sakura asked over Naruto. Something about the way he was telling them about this 'mission' doesn't sit right with her. If it was a real mission, he would give them more details. "Besides, we already did survival exercises in the academy. That's why we're here."

"This is no simple exercise."

"Then what kind of exercise is it?" Naruto asked.

Sakura glanced at Sasuke-kun, taking in his disinterested face. After this meeting was over, they should all grab lunch, thought Sakura. She had spent enough time with Naruto to predict his every move, but Sasuke-kun seemed a bit lonely to her.

Hatake-sensei giggled in a way that made Sakura feel both creeped out and frightened. Hadn't Suzu-nee said something about the signs of a pervert? She'd have to ask her again.

"What's so funny, Sensei?" she asked, glaring him. It seemed to spur his craziness even more, his eyes shutting in mirth as he waved his hand around.

"If I tell you, you're not going to like it."

"What?"

"Of the twenty-seven graduates who came here, only nine of you will be accepted as genin. The remaining eighteen will return to the academy. In other words, this exercise is an extremely difficulty test with a 66% failure rate." Despite the voice he put on, she caught a hint of glee in his posture as if he were refraining from rubbing his hands together and laughing.

Sakura's face dropped at the information. She hadn't studied for so long to be denied by some stupid test her crazy sensei decided to give them.

"I decide whether you pass or fail. Be at the designated training spot at five in the morning and bring your gear."

Sakura nodded sharply, clenching her fists at her side. She wouldn't fail now. Ino would never let her live it down. And Suzu-nee had done it all on her own, Sakura had a team behind her. She wouldn't disappoint her sister.

Hatake-sensei turned away from them, leaning over the ledge. Just as she thought he would disappear, he turned back toward them, his hand in the air.

"That's it. You're dismissed—oh and skip breakfast tomorrow. You'll throw up."

Angered at the blasé attitude of their jounin-sensei, Sakura lunged, pulling Naruto with her. Stalking over to Sasuke-kun, she stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. Her eyes, narrowed, burning brightly, she pointed a finger at him.

"Sasuke-kun, get up."

He stared at her, unblinking. Her hand wavered slightly, but she repeated the motion.

"Get up. We're getting lunch and then we're going to my house to strategize. I'm not failing this test."

"Sakura-chan, does he have to come?" Naruto whined, pulling at her sleeve. She turned her glare towards him, taking satisfaction in the slight flinch. He should be scared.

"Yes, Naruto. He's our teammate."

"But, he's—"

"Enough, Sasuke-kun is the best in our year. Everyone knows that."

She turned back toward Sasuke-kun, holding her hand out, willing him to take it. He didn't but, the fact that he waited for her to move before following was good enough.

This can work.

It must.

Momo-chan was sitting with a plate of dumplings in front of her. He was surprised to see her dressed in light, civilian clothing, looking every bit like one of them rather than the shinobi that lingered below the façade. His book was placed on the table in front of her, next to the oily dumplings. Kakashi cried internally.

She turned and he swore she had cast some sort of genjutsu from the sudden glitter cloud that appears around her head. Far too innocent and pink-cheeked like a schoolgirl rather than a shinobi. Every instinct told him to run.

He pushed it down, not missing a step as he slipped into the booth. He flung one arm on the back of the booth, spreading his legs wide to relax, and attempted to steal back his novel.

"Say you're sorry," she said, snatching the book back before he can grab it. Quick.

"I'm the one who was assaulted and robbed. You should say sorry," he said evenly. His lips curl at the annoyance that blossomed across her face. Her mouth opened and shut once before she waved her hand, and the book disappeared from his sight.

"You're rude and late," she said around a dumpling. Her cheeks puffed out like a petulant child. "I sent you that note an hour ago."

Kakashi leaned forward, smiling lightly. "A dog outside my house gave birth to a litter of puppies. I had to help the owner find a home for all of them before it got cold."

"It's summer."

Kakashi shrugged, tapping his fingers on the table. Suzuran rubbed at her temple. The closer he looked, the more he suspected the genjutsu. There were bags under her eyes and a thin gash on her chin that was red and oozing slightly. She still hadn't gone to the medics. Her eyes were old, tired, and weary in a way that looked off on a face surrounded by pink hair.

"Don't make that face, Momo-chan." He paused, thrilled when her face exploded in confusion and slight disgust at the nickname. "It's my job to check on my team before I meet them. I'm going to be keeping them alive for the next couple of years."

"Momo-chan?"

"Hatake Kakashi."

"No, my name isn—forget it. Just call me Suzu." She ran a hand through her hair, and a mix of peaches and mint hit his nose. Was it on purpose? Most likely, she knew his sense of smell was stronger than most. And no shinobi would go around giving themselves away like that.

"Maa, are we friends already?"

"I didn't think Sharingan no Kakashi had any friends. You're a legend in ANBU, you know. People still whisper about you."

Kakashi didn't react to her words. A stone dropped in his chest making it hard to breath. ANBU was death and darkness. It was somewhere he went when he wanted to forget himself and leave behind the name that had made him famous.

Suzu's eyes widened across the table, her own hands twisting. Her shoulders dropped and she had the decency to look ashamed.

"Sorry," she said, her hand reaching across the table. She stopped halfway, hovering awkwardly in the air before pulling it back. A beat of awkward silence passed as Suzu fidgeted, the energy around her jittering as if she was waiting for the right moment to flee.

His book appeared on the table in front of him. He pulled it toward him, placing it in his vest before she decided to change her mind again.

"It was good," she offered. An odd half-hidden apology behind her eyes. "There are some parts I would change. The sex namely. Do you think Jiraiya-san ever actually took a hone—"

His face was burning beneath the mask, the tips of his ears turning red. Kakashi cut her off swiftly, "You actually read it?"

Suzuran gave him a wicked grin and he lowered his head into his hands with a groan. She laughed slightly, the sound breathy and wild.

He wondered if it was possible to die of embarrassment.