::35::
The smell of dirt and leaves infiltrated Harry's nose, almost making his eyes pop open in surprise. He was lying face down on the ground, his glasses pushing into his face and his arm bent at an awkward angle. Surprisingly enough, the forest was quiet around him. Had Voldermort left him here to rot? Harry dared not open his eyes to find out.
"My Lord," Bellatrix's slightly quivering voice almost made Harry jump. She sounded relieved. "Should we check if the boy is dead?"
So they hadn't left after all. He became sick with worry that a bead of sweat might roll down his forehead or an eyelid would twitch, alerting everyone to the fact that he wasn't dead at all.
"You." Said Voldermort. There was a bang and a shriek of pain. "Go check him."
There was a bustle of robes and he could feel the presence of someone next to him, keeling. He could feel their breath on his exposed neck. Harry held his breath, just waiting to be discovered as his heart pounded in his chest. It gave him a slight comfort that Voldermort did not have the gall to check himself…
Then, hands much softer than he had been expecting slid down his chest to feel his heart. He could hear their fast breathing and knew that they could feel his heart pounding away. "Is Draco alive? Is he in the castle?" Her whisper was barely audible and her lips tickled his ear.
"Yes." He breathed.
There was a pause before the hand slid back up his shirt.
"He is dead!" Narcissa Malfoy shouted out.
"You see?" Shouted Voldermort. "Harry Potter, dead by my hand! No man alive shall threaten me now!"
Then came the applauding, the yells, the cheers that Harry had expected to hear the moment he hit the ground. Through his eyelids he could see shots of red burst through the air. The ground vibrated with stomping feet.
"Watch!" Called Voldermort. "Crucio!"
Harry had been expecting the pain to come. He knew that would not be allowed to remain untouched upon the forest floor. Voldermort would torture him to prove a point. He felt himself lift into the air and he was tossed around. He struggled to remain limp and look lifeless. His glasses fell off his face and he could feel his wand slipping from his pocket. Then he fell back to the ground with a hard thump and Harry suppressed a grunt. There were jeers from the crowd and snorts of laughter.
"Nagini." Voldermort called.
Harry could feel his body unconsciously begin to tense up again, in preparation for another round of torture. If the snake bit him…if he ended up dying for real in the same horrible way that Snape had went, then what use was any of this? Just when Harry could no longer bear the agony of awaiting the impending attack any longer, he heard something crash through the underbrush. Harry resisted the temptation to open his eyes and turn his head to see what was going on. A spell hit the ground and exploded only mere inches from Harry's face – so close that Harry could feel the hit from it and felt the dirt kick up into his face.
"Weasley, is it?" He heard Voldermort ask mockingly, "Come to mourn dear Potter?"
Ron! Harry's heart lurched into his chest. No! It couldn't be! No one had known that Harry had come here except for Naruto! Unless Naruto had returned to the castle to inform Ron and Hermione that Harry had sacrificed himself? Why would he be stupid enough to come here by himself?
"I'm not here to mourn." There was no mistaking Ron's voice and Harry felt a rush of panic run through him again.
He heard Ron issue a spell before something large thudded to the ground. The sound of scuffling reached Harry's ears and once more, he longed to open his eyes to see what was going on. Was Ron alright?
Harry didn't have to ask himself that for long. The force of the spell was so strong that Harry felt his heart skip a beat as it was caressed by icy tendrils of dark magic. The feeling vanished in seconds, followed by the sound of a body dropping down onto the ground with a dull thud. But that wasn't what made the breath leave Harry's chest. His best friend was dead; he had killed his best friend!
A shrill scream erupted through the forest, piercing Harry's eardrums. It was a terrible sound, like the sound of someone being cleaved in two. Nothing could be heard beyond the sound until it morphed into a shrill accusation.
"YOU KILLED HIM!" Sakura bellowed.
There was a short scuffle, followed by a series of grunts before the bark of a tree trunk cracked as if someone had hit it. There was a shout of rage that was quickly cut short. Whoever it was must have crumpled to the ground.
Silence took over the forest. Whatever had happened seemed to have effectively silenced the crowd before Voldermort broke it.
"Bellatrix," He commanded, "Attend to the girl."
Tentative footsteps and the rustle of robes on the ground alerted Harry to Bellatrix movement. Silence echoed through the forest once more before it was broken by a shout of rage, this time from Voldermort himself.
"Imperio!"
A short gasp, followed by the gruesome sounds of someone choking assaulted Harry's ears. A murmur rippled through the crowd as a tense, almost tangible feeling of murderous intent filled the air like syrup.
The gasping, choking sound continued for a few more seconds before Voldermort finally snapped "Spare me" and the sound was abruptly cut off as a body hit the ground. The thick feeling vanished from the air immediately.
"Months of planning, of researching…" Voldermort said, his voice thick with barely controlled rage. "Now all for naught!"
"He masked his chakra well…" Began Orochimaru before he trailed off, unsure if it was wise to say more.
Now Harry was confused. Voldermort wouldn't give too hoots if Ron was dead, especially now that he thought Harry was taken care of. But someone had died. Harry heard the spell, felt it in his heart. Furthermore, there was no mistaking the sound of Ron's voice earlier, nor the absence of it now. Unless it had been someone who had disguised himself to look like Ron…
No.
"There are other Jinchurriki," Said Orochimaru finally. "Others that have not yet fallen to Akatsuki…"
"Yes," Said Voldermort curtly. His robes swished against the ground, "But none as powerful. None that will come as easily."
Voldermort let out a long sigh that sounded more frustrated than anything. He was standing only a few paces away from Harry, yet Harry surmised he might as well have been invisible. "I should kill you now." Voldermort finally said.
The crowd bristled. "You wouldn't dare." Orochimaru hissed.
"Wouldn't I?" Voldermort asked mockingly.
Orochimaru laughed despite the tension in the air. "You need Otogakure. You need –"
"I have no need of your ninja." Voldermort interrupted, "The Ministry has fallen and now my greatest foe is dead. The girl is mine. Tell me, what more do I need you for?"
"If you try it, I could gut you as easily as I would a fish." Orochimaru threatened.
There was a pregnant pause from Voldermort before Orochimaru let out a strangled sort or cry. "Stay out!" He said through gritted teeth.
"You still need me." Said Voldermort with venom in his voice. "You still need my world."
There was a dry rustle as Voldermort's robes passed over the ground as he paced. There was a bang and a short, stifled cry as Voldermort stopped moving. "Go ahead, Hagrid, pick up poor dead Potter off the ground. And someone put the glasses back on. He has to be recognizable."
Voldermort's words seemed to revolutionize the Death Eaters into action. Murmurs broke out among them as the ground vibrated with footsteps. Harry's glasses were jammed back onto his face with deliberate force before gentle hands lifted him off the ground and cradled in warm arms. Hagrid's giant arms were quivering as he held Harry, but not from the weight. His beard smelled of wet tears and dirt.
Harry dared to crack his eye open. The sky was still dark – not much time had passed since he first entered the forest. Bellatrix was standing beside an unconscious Sakura who did not look well at all and not far from her…Naruto was lying on his back, lifeless eyes staring up at the sky.
Harry squeezed his eye shut. He did not want to see anymore.
"We will go to the castle and show them what has become of their hero."
Sai made it to Dumbledore's office in a matter of minutes. The halls were deserted as everyone was still assembled in the Great Halls and perhaps the staircases were desperate for company as they took Sai directly to his destination.
He felt a little stupid – he had never spoken to an inanimate object before – but Sai placed his hand on the banister and said a quick 'thank you' before departing.
"Fizzing Whisbee." Sai said once he was in front of the stone gargoyle.
The gargoyle looked a little worse for wear – although the rest of the hallway was seemingly untouched by the earlier battle. Despite this, the gargoyle remained staunchly in place. With dismay, Sai realized that Snape had likely changed the password. But Sai couldn't even begin to guess what Snape would have changed it to. Dumbeldore seemed to prefer using various wizarding candies as his password, but something told Sai that Snape wasn't inclined to use candies as well.
Sai placed a hand on the gargoyle. There had to be some other way of getting in. No doubt the entrance was magically enforced, so Sai didn't think that using physical means would matter much. Bending, Sai pulled his scroll and brush from his belt and with great precision, drew the tiniest bug that he had ever drawn. It was barely a blip on the page but it jumped off when Sai activated it with a bit of chakra and easily squeezed past the gargoyle to the concealed staircase.
It was a few seconds later when Sai received his answer. Dumbledore's office was completely empty, which meant that Naruto and Harry were missing.
Sai couldn't say that he was surprised.
Sai quickly hurried back toward the Great Hall, once again thanking the staircases when they got him there in record time. Could Harry have been dumb enough to go after Voldermort by himself? Or had Harry been kidnapped?
Sai spotted Neville Longbottom outside the door to the Great Hall, sweaty with exertion. He was standing over the bodies of a girl and two boys who were propped up against the wall and was wiping his forehead with the back of his hand.
"Neville." Said Sai, running up to the wizard. "Have you been here long?"
"Oh," Said Neville, looking a bit startled. "Sai, right? Naruto's friend."
Sai nodded his head. During their time at Hogwarts, Sai hadn't been well acquainted with the Gryffindor boy, but he heard Harry, Naruto and Sakura speaking about him frequently.
"Have you seen Harry or Naruto pass through here?" Sai asked.
"Oh, blimey, not you too." Said Neville grimacing. "Merlin, I knew I should have stopped him…" He muttered, wringing his hands.
"You saw them?" Sai asked, raising his eyebrows.
Neville nodded his head sheepishly. "Harry came through here a while ago, although I don't know where he went to afterwards. And then not long after that, Naruto came by, asking the same thing as you. He seemed to know where Harry was going though; he disappeared outside." Said Neville, turning to point to the door.
So Harry had disappeared. To find Voldermort or the snake perhaps? And Naruto had gone after him by himself, without alerting anyone. Idiot.
"I should have stopped them, or told someone." Neville groaned as he slumped down next to the bodies he had collected next to the doors to the Great Hall. "You don't think…Harry said he wasn't, but…you don't think…"
Sai didn't know what to think. And he was the last person to offer Neville some comforting words when even he didn't know what type of situation Harry or Naruto had gotten themselves into.
"Thank you, Neville." Said Sai with a short bow. He quickly left the Gryffindor boy to his own destructive thoughts and slipped through the doors outside.
The grounds were silent and still, and there wasn't the slightest flicker or hint of chakra in the air when Sai got outside. But that didn't mean that something bad hadn't already happened. At the edge of the grounds, the Forbidden Forest was dark and looming, shrouded in an impenetrable darkness. If there was any place that Voldermort could be hiding out, Sai supposed the forest would be the best bet.
The Forbidden Forest was unscathed by the prior battle, except for the occasional patches where it looked like a giant or a humongous spider might have stomped through. Sai had never been in the Forbidden Forest, but he understood how the forest had gotten its name; he could sense the danger lurking within. He immediately took to the trees and made sure that his chakra was thoroughly masked.
Heading deeper into the forest, Sai pushed his senses out, looking for something – anything – that would tell him which direction to head in. The forest creaked, moaned, sometimes growled, but otherwise gave little indication of where Voldermort was or where Naruto or Harry could have went. Finally, the sound of voices and footsteps came to Sai's ears. The sounds were getting closer, like hundreds of people stomping through the forest. Sai pressed himself against the bark of the tree he was in, using a dense cluster of leaves to obscure himself from view.
The leaves left little of the forest for him to see, but dozens of faint magical signatures registered on Sai's senses as they got closer to his hiding spot. Among them, like a beacon, Sai could feel the intensity of Voldermort's powerful magic. Was he leading the Death Eaters toward the castle for another attack? There were Oto ninja in attendance as well, the strength of their chakra amassing together, although Sai was still able to easily single out Orochimaru and Kabuto from the crowd. There was no way to tell if Harry was with them, but Sai couldn't detect Naruto or even Sasuke Uchiha.
Once the sound of their voices and footsteps faded away toward the castle, Sai emerged from the leaves. If Voldermort was to attack the castle again, there was nothing that Sai would be able to do. But he could retrace their steps through the forest.
Sai quietly trekked deeper into the forest, keeping out of sight just in case there happened to be stragglers. He slowed when he approached what looked like a large clearing with a flickering fire that was just visible through the underbrush. Sai drew a kunai as he jumped from the tree onto the ground and entered the clearing.
Voldermort and Orochimaru hadn't left anyone behind, taking their full fighting force with them to Hogwarts. All except one.
Sasuke Uchiha was standing in the clearing, his head bent over a body on the ground that was unmoving and – to all of Sai's senses – dead.
Sai felt his heart leap into his throat when he realized the body was Naruto.
Naruto didn't get a chance to think about all the things that he wouldn't do if he died. He would never realize his dream of being Hokage; he would never find out who his parents were. He would never save his best friend, his brother from himself and he would never get a chance to tell the girl of his dreams how he felt. All of Naruto's senses died the moment Orochimaru's hands touched his chest, although surprisingly enough, there was no pain.
Just nothing.
Kurama could feel the curse, even through the bars of his cage. The steady sound of Naruto's beating heart had vanished and Kurama smelled death in the air.
"You stupid brat," Kurama growled, "You aren't supposed to die yet. Not until I've had my revenge!"
But there was no reply from Naruto. Kurama could barely feel the boy's presence. With a growl, Kurama spread his chakra throughout Naruto's body, doing his best to fight off the curse before it could finish the job. But whatever was killing Naruto, it was like nothing Kurama had ever felt before. It was powerful.
There was a click that resounded through the now empty spaces of Naruto's subconscious and the gate to Kurama's prison opened a fraction. Kurama glanced at the door. He could still feel his chakra spread throughout Naruto's body, struggling to salvage Naruto's dying organs into working again. Before him, he could see what was left of Naruto's consciousness lying in the water before his cage: a barely visible slip of a boy with too pale skin and a dying light in his unseeing eyes.
Kurama moved to push the gate open.
There was a flash of light and then a powerful force slammed the gate shut once more. Kurama let out a growl as he reeled back.
"Naruto! What did you do to him?!"
Kurama let out a dark laugh as he watched the blond man in the white jacket hover over Naruto. His hands were anxiously outstretched as if to hold the boy, but his hands passed right through.
"Fourth Hokage," Said Kurama with a growl. "Why don't you come closer so I can rip you to shreds?"
Minato Namikaze spun toward Kurama and the Tailed Beast could see a fury lurking in his blue eyes that was foreign to his features. "What did you do to him, you monster?"
"It is true that assassinating Voldermort has never been tried before." Said McGonagall diplomatically. "But we also have to take into consideration that for years, Albus maintained that Harry Potter was the only one who had any prayer of stopping him."
Kakashi let out an inward sigh as McGonagall lightly put down his suggestion to lead a small tactical squad to put Voldermort down once and for all. But what other choice did they have? Hogwarts wouldn't be unable to sustain another round of attacks, especially if Voldermort and Orochimaru came at them with the full strength of their combined power. He wouldn't dare bring Naruto or Harry into Voldermort's reach, but with Kingsley, Sai and perhaps Professor Flitwick who had proved he was an extremely crafty and able wizard they would be able to secure a victory. Kakashi had considered bringing Arthur Weasley, but he didn't want another Weasley's death on his conscious in case things should turn sour.
"As much as we want to believe in Harry, we know that the castle cannot sustain another round of attacks!" Protested Kingsley, putting words to Kakashi's exact thoughts. "Until we can regroup our forces, a tactical retreat may be our only option."
"Regroup? And who can we expect to join our fight, Kingsley?" McGonagall argued.
"Minerva is right." Said Kakashi regretfully, "The people were scared already, how can you expect them to react now, that Hogwarts has been attacked? Now that their children have died." Kakashi thought of Fred briefly before he pushed the thought away.
"Hogwarts was the one pillar of strength the wizarding community had. For millennia we have always called these walls a safe haven. And now that these walls have been breached, there will be no safe place for anyone! What happened here won't make the people want to fight, it will make them want to hide." Said McGonagall shaking her head.
"So you suggest we all go down with the ship?" Kingsley asked incredulously. "Put our faith in Potter's mission? Perhaps if I knew what it was, I would be willing to do so, but…" Kingsley let out a sigh and rubbed at his forehead.
"Harry Potter is dead."
The Great Hall fell silent at the sound of Voldermort's booming words reverberated through the walls. Kakashi felt McGonagall freeze beside him, her eyes going wide behind her spectacles. Kakashi looked toward the Weasleys who were all sitting around Fred's body, looking agape, but there was no sign of either Naruto or Sai.
"He was killed as he tried to run away," Voldermort continued, "He tried to save himself while you continued to lay down your lives for him."
"That's not true!" Hermione said shrilly. She was sitting beside Ginny and her hands were clenched tightly into fists as she shook her head. "He's lying! Harry's in Dumbledore's office, watching Snape's memories!"
Ron looked uncertain as he pulled Ginny closer to him while the girl furiously shook her head.
"The battle is over for you. You've lost a significant amount of fighters and now our troops outnumber you. Without Harry Potter, you have no reason to fight any longer."
Kakashi looked at Kingsley who looked just as uncertain as Ron. Around them, the Great Hall was erupting into confusion. Harry couldn't possibly be dead, could he? McGonagall was rubbing at her eyes as she shook her head.
"We mustn't listen to him," She said softly, "We have every reason to continue fighting." It sounded as if she were speaking mostly to herself than to any of them.
"Enough wizarding blood has been spilt. Surrender and kneel before me and all will be forgiven. You will join me in the new world that we will build together. However, attempt to fight me, and you will be slaughtered followed by every member of your family. I will give no mercy to those who challenge me." Voldermort paused, letting his words sink in before he continued. "Join me outside and I will show you your proof that your savior is dead."
And then Voldermort's voice was gone, leaving the castle in a frenzied silence.
"Everyone!" Said McGonagall, holding her hands out as she moved toward the dais, attempting to perform damage control to the now frenzied crowd. "We must remain calm…"
It could be a trap, Kakashi reasoned to himself. Voldermort and Orochimaru could be luring them all outside the safety of the castle walls in order to really and truly slaughter them all. But if Harry was still alive, then why hadn't he appeared yet to assure everyone that he was alive and well? If Harry was alive, why would Voldermort gamble with him appearing and thwarting his whole plan?
"Wait, Hermione!"
Hermione had jumped up from her place on the ground and seemed intent on storming outside. Ron jumped to his feet after her and grabbed helplessly at her arm but she pushed him off.
"It could be dangerous!" Said Ron.
"I have to know!" She cried. "You have to know!"
At the sound of this, Ron seemed to resign himself to following after Hermione. He reached for her and she walked toward the doors and grabbed her hand, entwining his fingers with hers. This time, she did not stop him. Kakashi turned to Kingsley and Kingsley's face was grim. Kakashi wished that he had something better to say to the wizard, but he didn't.
"I…I don't think he's lying." He said softly.
Kingsley looked startled for a moment, but then Kakashi brushed past him and followed Ron and Hermione out into the hallway. Arming himself with a kunai, Kakashi braced himself.
The door chimed as it opened and Sakura heard Ino give a long sigh as she walked into the Yamanaka Flower Shop.
"What are you doing here, Billboard Brow?" Ino asked as she slung her bag onto the counter where Sakura was waiting.
"What do you think, Pig?" Sakura asked as she swung her legs against the counter. "I'm here to see my friend."
Ino swiped some of her long bangs out of her eyes as she took her seat behind the counter. "No you aren't." She deadpanned.
Sakura turned to Ino, her green eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?" She asked, slightly mystified.
"You're here to mope." Ino clarified. Sakura's mouth twitched in annoyance.
"It's not exactly a secret," Ino continued, utterly oblivious. "Practically the entire village knows what happened. You found Sasuke, Sasuke almost killed you, but didn't because Orochimaru told him not to."
She fixed Sakura with a knowing look which caused Sakura to wilt as she hung her head and looked down at her shoes. "Good news travels fast, huh?"
"Not as fast as juicy gossip." Said Ino resting her chin on her hand. "You should go be with Naruto." Said Ino softly.
"Naruto?" Said Sakura incredulously, her hair swishing around her face as she swung her head to look at her blond friend.
Ino shrugged. "Like it or not, your strongest bond is with him now. He's the only one who is really gonna get you through this, Sakura."
Sakura sighed, the tension deflating from her shoulders. Ino wasn't telling her anything new. "Ino…Can I tell you something…personal?" Sakura swung her body around to face her best friend turned frenemy turned friend again.
Ino regarded Sakura's words with surprise. "Of course, Sakura." Said Ino. She moved her hand to cover Sakura's own.
"When I think about how Sasuke tried to kill us…a piece of my h-heart breaks every time." Sakura choked back a sob as her voice cracked. Ino's face tightened and she gripped Sakura's hand tighter. Sakura wiped at her eye with the back of her hand.
"But there's a part of me that isn't sad. Because that piece of me left when he left us the first time. And you can't be sorry for something you no longer have. But Naruto…" Sakura sighed. "You were right, Ino-pig. He's become a big part of my life. And I'm afraid of what will happen to me if he leaves too."
Sakura came to, not knowing where she was. Someone was talking – although gloating would have been a more appropriate word – and then someone was shouting in response. There was a hand gripped like a vice around her arm. She tried to remove the hand, but her body didn't feel like her own – it didn't listen to any of the commands that she gave it.
Kakashi saw them all lined up as he entered the darkness behind Ron and Hermione. Voldermort was standing front and center, a terrible grin on his face. Ron and Hermione froze a couple of feet from the door, too scared to come any closer. As Kakashi came to a stop just behind them, his eyes were drawn to very large man standing next to Voldermort. Harry Potter was clearly visible in the man's shaking arms and Kakashi squeezed his lone eye shut at the horrible sight of Harry laying there limp with his mouth lolling open.
Kakashi could tell the exact moment when Ron and Hermione spotted Harry, for Ron gave out a horrified shout and Hermione screamed Harry's name before she fell into the grass, Ron beside her.
"NO! HARRY!"
Ginny brushed past Kakashi and was darting toward Hagrid and Harry when Ron reached out, grabbing her by the arm and restrained her from moving any closer. Sobs wracked her frame and she once more collapsed into her brother's arms. Ron and Hermione's departure from the Great Hall must have roused the rest of the crowd to ignore McGonagall's warnings and they were now pouring out of the door. There were a few cries and shouts at the sight of Harry, but none were quite as loud as Ginny and Hermione's.
"SILENCE!" Shouted Voldermort. He flicked his wand and there was a bang as silence was forced upon the crowd.
"Set him down at my feet, Hagrid, where he belongs!" Commanded Voldermort.
Hagrid didn't speak, did not so much as even look at Voldermort. He kept his eyes trained on the ground as he carefully placed Harry down on the ground in front of Voldermort.
"You see?" Voldermort sneered. His foot stuck out, kicking Harry over onto his stomach as Ginny gave out an anguished cry and the rest of the crowd bristled.
"Harry Potter is dead!" Voldermort taunted. "Do you understand now, deluded ones? Harry Potter was nothing more than a boy who relied on the sacrifice of others!"
Now that Kakashi was over his initial shock, he let himself study the crowd before him. There was no way of truly knowing if the Harry before him was the true Harry. There was still a slim chance that they were being presenting with a clone, a mere copy of Harry. The boy had no trace of a chakra or magical signature and there was no disguising the fact that whoever it was, was truly dead.
But that only brought Kakashi back to his original question. If this were a ploy, then where was the real Harry?
"He beat you!" Shouted Ron in protest. "He's beat you every time!"
Some of the others in the crowd behind Kakashi murmured in agreement while others were bold enough to begin flinging insults toward Voldermort. Voldermort pursed his lips and flicked his wand in an aggressive arc, forcing silence on the crowd once again.
"I did nothing." Kurama spat as his tails lashed out around his form furiously. "The brat did that to himself."
Minato turned his back toward Kurama and Kurama watched his figure shake. Terse silence passed between them. Naruto's pulse was faint under the Kyuubi's hold…too faint. Soon, it would slip away.
"He's dying." Said Kurama finally, although there was no hint of malice in his voice. Minato seemed to freeze at the fox's words, but he did not turn toward him. Perhaps he was making his peace with the son he would never know.
Finally, Minato stood and turned toward Kurama. "Then I will seal you in. And you will never know freedom."
Kurama's eyes flashed with rage and he let out a snarl. "A Tailed Beast cannot die!" He roared. "You won't kill me by sealing me in here." He said darkly.
"I know that." Said Minato calmly. "But it could take years…centuries for you to regain all your chakra. By then those you seek revenge against will be long gone."
Kurama let out a spit of laughter. "You would have me go down with the ship then. As your own revenge? Because the brat is dying? I did not kill your son!" Kurama roared.
"The ninja world will be spared your presence." Minato replied.
Kurama regretting his next words and they tasted like ash in his mouth, but he spoke them anyway. "I can save him. If you let me go, I can save him."
Bingo Book