A/N: So I had originally had this chapter completed much sooner, but no Beta to read it through and had to check this myself. In doing so I decided to rewrite it about six times and I decided 'no more!' People are waiting! So here it is :)

Thank you to everyone who reviewed! I am very happy that this story received so much positive attention. Especially as this is my first fic, and English is not my first language.

Without further ado.


In which there are observations.


They'd made it to England relatively unscathed on the fourth day of the school holidays, disgruntled and unimpressed with Wizarding methods of transport. Sasuke's memories of the long days since were vague, blurred between copious paperwork sent from Konoha (Stag, that lazy little shit was going to get it - in a dignified manner, of course) and coordinating his small squad. He recalled a heated debate with the old man Dumbledore, who had asked for all the Shinobi to stay within the depressing confines of Grimmauld Place, but argued that that would be detrimental to the mission and he was not authorised to command his troops as he saw fit - and who in their right mind would stay here anyway?

No, he had said with finality. My squad would be wasted here.

He didn't add that they knew he only wanted the Order to keep an eye on them.

And so he'd stretched himself thin, endlessly portkeying between the dusty walls of Sirius' home to the seemingly endless expanses of the Hogwarts' grounds. He'd set himself and his team a strict routine where he'd get up an hour before daybreak, activate the seal that allowed Tora to return from his watch post at Little Whinging before setting another for the sullen Hunter-nin to take his place. She would nod at him stoically before taking off and he'd give a gruff order for Tora to eat before continuing his English studies - by writing his intel he'd gathered throughout the night in the foreign language. He'd work on paperwork his replacement back at Headquarters sent him while he waited and sent his own report on to the Hokage via his hawk familiars.

As soon Tora was done he'd take the portkey Albus had given him to get to the school. There, he'd spend hours mapping out the grounds, profiling each staff member that caught his interests and probing the school's defenses. It usually wasn't until the sun had long sunk past the horizon did he return to the Order's base to present his findings to his squad in the spare room, unmasked and away from the nosy Wizards. The pale boy would always comment on the wizards he deemed needed more careful observation and the red-haired girl would quietly suggest seal matrixes that could improve the school's security measures. She'd make them herself, quickly, efficiently and with hypnotic grace. Sasuke would install them where she suggested the very next day.

It was tedious work, and a stark contrast to the ruthless tasks he'd endure in his usual post, but Sasuke didn't care. It keep his ever wandering mind from thoughts he'd tried his best to bury long ago.

But lately Uchiha Sasuke had found another distraction in the form of the lithe kunoichi Uragiri.

His interest lay in her quirks: some which wouldn't seem strange within the confines of ANBU but irked him on such a low-profile mission. It was little things at first, like how she avoiding speaking when she could; preferring to use the ANBU sign taught to every operative within the Corps. How she'd sit at the table, glaring down at whatever she'd been working on and twitch as if having an internal debate with herself and losing. She hadn't once removed her mask. She hadn't once slept in the weeks they'd been here.

The next were the parallels between the Hunter and Naru, which at first he had dismissed as he always did. He often found likeness of Naru in other women, sometimes in the bow of their legs or shape of their faces, but found flaws that immediately rendered them different. The fact that he was looking for her in other women irked him. It was if his soul would not believe that she had gone, despite the long-winded report Kakashi had given him that more or less confirmed it. Logically, he knew that Naru was mortal, even though her undying will made her seem otherwise, but the longer he looked at the female operative, the more similarities he found.

She was similar in height and build, and in her interest in the sealing in arts; those were the first things he had noticed. The next were more intimate, like how her hips swayed as she walked and her healthy appreciation of food (which Molly Weasley loved, accustomed to feeding many mouths as she was). Her hard work rivaled only his blonde team-mate, and her unpredictability in spars was reminiscent too. In fact, as time wore on the only differences he found lay in her bright red hair, introverted nature and her vast skill in Kenjutsu: the latter Sasuke had witnessed when she'd nearly carved up Tora in last week's spar. She had held the thin, three-foot-eight blade like a long-lost friend while Naru had never really cared for weapons, preferring to beat that friendship bullshit into her opponents hand-to-hand.

Each day the troublesome list grew longer, until eventually Sasuke heard something he'd never thought he'd hear again.

It had been nothing really, just a simple slip of the tongue that really, anyone could have said. Except, it had been said with such determination that only Naru could have accomplished it.

It occurred when Molly Weasley had expressed some concerns over her children's safety at Hogwarts this year, afraid that their protection only extended to Harry and the School itself.

And how did she reply?

"Ne, don't worry Molly-San. We'll watch over them. Dattebayo."

He remembered staring at her for a long time. Long enough for her to shift uncomfortably before uttering in Japanese for him to stop. Which he did, abruptly, but not before his heart had skipped a beat in his chest.

The Uchiha shook his head at his thoughts.

Naru was long gone. Anything similar he saw in the hunter was merely his wishful thinking.


Her body clock alerted her to sunrise just before the first dregs of light filtered through the grimy dining room window. Slowly, she packed the seals she had been working on into a spare scroll for later.

Her thoughts had been muddled lately, divided between her mission and the ever-present Commander that watched her like a hawk. She suspected that he was growing curious to her true identity (his piercing gaze never wavered from her if they were in the same room, after all) but that was to be expected.

He was Uchiha Sasuke, a genius prodigy in his own right.

Given, that right was as a previously international criminal.

With that, she shoved all thoughts of him away again, reminding herself that he wasn't good for her and tapped her false arm in silent reprimand. She had other things to think about.

A small burst of chakra alerted her to Tora's arrival, announcing the start of her shift. She made her way to the third floor, brushing a hand across Sai's shoulder as she passed him and entered the spare room the ANBU were lodging in. Sasuke wasn't there this morning, meaning he'd probably been called by Dumbledore to discuss something nonsensical.

Shrugging, she pushed aside the threadbare rug that hid the seal she'd applied on the floor weeks ago and went through the hand signs that activated the complex matrix. Black kanji glowed gold and orange for a moment, the ropes of light moving to wrap along her legs before she vanished.

Sasuke stepped out of the shadows, Rinne-Sharingan narrowed, boring into the seal. Quietly, he concealed the once-again black kanji beneath the rug and vanished.

He would skip Hogwarts today.

He needed to have words with the Hokage.


Harry sat comfortably on his bed, shirtless with a book in his lap, trying not to squirm as Uragiri's paint brush fluttered across the skin of his back.

"Don't move." She muttered, and even without looking, Harry knew that she was frowning, probably from him smudging something.

"Something wrong?" He asked, tensing as not to bump her as she worked.

She squinted at the seal she applied to just below his shoulder-blade, scrutinising the complex swirls and kanji. "No, the seal is perfect." She replied.

"What does-"

"This one is another muscle-building seal. The old one isn't any good since you've surpassed the muscle mass specified within the matrix." Uragiri said before he could finish. She knew there was little time before Voldemort struck again and believed in preserving breath and time. She often came off as rude, but she knew Harry understood that she was simply worried.

She applied one more seal, one that promoted healing, before she sat back, admiring her hard work.

The last four weeks had been trying on both of them, but the work had paid off. With the help of her seals, Harry's body was now a healthy weight and sported lean, muscled limbs. His body was covered in Fūin of her own design and those designed by her father and his sensei. There were maybe forty or so, each with a different purpose that ranged from boosting his immune system to smaller seals that helped his body glean maximum nutrition from his food. Weight seals for speed and muscle growth, and many more.

With a bit of cheating, he was now as fit as a graduating academy student, but as soon as she figured out how magic and chakra were related she estimated he would easily be high Genin level.

Changes made in Harry were not only physical either. The boy was generally calmer, more reserved and prone to listening. He followed her orders to the 'T' and never complained when his body collapsed from exhaustion. It made her wonder how often the boy had been given direction in his life, or if he'd ever had a role model as strong and as lasting as her. Uragiri doubted it, but was pleased he'd trusted her and as a result made such progress since their first meeting a month ago...


She tapped on the window again, uncaring that her ward had turned ashen pale quickly, and was pointing his wand to her face as he cautiously opened the window.

"Who are you?" He demanded. Harry's grip on his wand was fearsome, knuckles white- but that did not disguise the fact that his arm shook with unbridled fear at that sight of her.

Slowly, she stepped in, bringing the humid air in with her. She didn't want to frighten him. At least, no more than she already had. The initial shock from glimpsing her bone white armour and mask that seemed to shed blood tears was slowly wearing off.

"Calm, Harī." She winced at the thick accent that slurred his name, but pressed on, raising her arms to show she meant no harm. "I am Uragiri. Dumbledore has hired my comrades and I to protect you."

She expected relief from the boy. Perhaps even a smile. She did not expect her charge to storm closer to her, pressing the stick he wielded into her neck. Uragiri could have stopped him, of course, but she curbed her screaming instincts and let him closer; let him feel in control.

"I don't need guards." He spat, green eyes narrowed. "I need to find Voldemort and kill him before he does me and my friends!"

Behind her mask, her blue eyes narrowed. So quick was this boy to wish he were at war, when he didn't really know what war implied. This boy had no real combat experience. He hadn't marched to the drums of war and hadn't seen his comrades die beside him as she had. Harry was too green; and yet expected - was expected - to save the Wizarding world.

Naturally, not a single Wizard was doing anything to prepare him, help him. They merely sat back shame faced as he threw himself at the enemy four years in a row. It was no wonder why the boy thought he needed no one, didn't need to get stronger. Dumbledore obviously hadn't told him that what he had achieved thus far was only the tip of the iceberg.

The very thought disgusted her, and would disgust her comrades who she would recall this tale to later tonight. After all,"The Chosen One" was nothing more than a flashed up title for "Everyone Else's Bitch and Scapegoat". She herself would know. And over her dead body would she let another orphaned Child of Prophecy go through what she had. Uragiri would make sure he was prepared, and not break under other people's expectations.

Lightning quick she moved; shoving the boy against the far wall, and pinning him by the collar of his baggy shirt. A sword had been drawn and placed at the hollow of his neck. She leaned in, close enough that her mouth might've touched the shell of his ear.

"I disagree, Mr. Potter. Just by looking at you," she gestured to his body, scrawny and unimpressive, "I can tell you don't have a snowball's chance in hell with trying to protect your friends. Or save the world."

The boy swallowed thickly, his mind reeling at the impossible show of speed displayed by the woman. She had no magic that he could sense, and was clearly some sort of muggle Samurai. Or perhaps a vigilante. Either way, any courage and anger he felt was quickly diminished, replaced by undeniable fear for his life.

Would she kill him now? Her blade was digging into his neck so that he had to tilt his back against the wall to avoid lacerations. All she had to do was press forward, and the blade he instinctively knew was lethally sharp could end it all... No, that couldn't be right though. Dumbledore had sent her to protect him. Keep him safe from harm and dangerous people. Dumbledore wouldn't hire some insane killer to watch over him ... right?

True to his thoughts, Uragiri backed off, letting the boy sag to the ground at her feet. He panted heavily, clutching at his neck and trying vainly to slow his breathing.

Slowly, he raised his head, new thoughts replacing arrogance within himself. If people like her were around, there was no argument. He needed to get stronger. This person was strong, he could feel her power rolling off her body in waves, the permeating energy of it threatened to suffocate his battered body. He hadn't felt such power since he had gone toe to toe with Voldemort a week ago.

Noticing a familiar change in his eyes, the Shinobi knelt until she was eye level with him. Where angry green eyes had nested; determined and resolved emeralds replaced them. Ah, yes. She was well aware that when knocked down into reality, people either gave up on their goals or fought harder to obtain them. She smiled forlornly, glad that Harry was one of the latter.

"We were hired the same day you arrived home." She revealed, which meant that she had watched him for two days straight, but he didn't need to know that, just yet.

"We have noticed that you have been held back, far more than you should have been, and believe that you could do better."

He scowled at her, looking very Uchiha-like with his frown and messy black hair.

"I'm not taking a dig at your school work, Harī. I'm just saying, you could be stronger. In fact, my Commander has asked that I offer to train you. Prepare you for the worst should it occur. Based on previous experiences, we think it will, and very soon." She said quietly, sitting heavily on his bed. She didn't mention that Sasuke had ordered that she make Harry trust them should the worst happen and Dumbledore did use what he knew of their country against them. The old man could blackmail their leader, but they could coax their saviour on to their side. At least, in theory.

The idea left a bitter taste in her, which worsened when he seemed to genuinely like the offer. She was named Betrayal for a reason, and she didn't like tricking Harry. She hoped that this twisted manipulation didn't come to fruit and that she really could prepare him for future battles.

The boy would need it.


Snapping out of her thoughts, she squeezed his shoulder to tell him she had finished and opened the window as he redressed.

Once he was done, she made what she had called a Shadow Clone, which would replace him for the day as the two of them trained together in the park, hidden under several layers of Fuuinjutsu Uragiri set before her arrival.

The not-him nodded stoically, uncharacteristically blank-faced as it headed down stairs to make breakfast for the Dursleys. He didn't think that the Clone seemed like him at all, but Uragiri assured him that his relatives, being as ignorant of him as they usually were, wouldn't notice.

The past few weeks were a testament to that, and somehow, Harry didn't care. His relatives might not notice him, but the red-haired Hunter that stood before him did, and for the past four weeks, that was all that had mattered.

Uragiri pointed to the window and without a fuss, Harry checked his bearings before deftly jumping. He landed with a harsh thud before dropping down into a roll to decrease the impact. Harry was up again in an instant, always aware of Uragiri's words from previous lessons. 'Never stay down too long.' 'Your opponents will always take advantage of the time it takes for you to make your next move. Don't let them. Always keep moving.'

With Uragiri by his side, Harry was sure he'd never stop again.

00

Shit shit shit shit shit shit!

Uragiri growled, swiping at the wraith-like menace again only for her katana to pass through the damn thing for a third time. It didn't help that she had been forced to protect Harry's cousin Chubby (Naru could never remember his name) who wailed and clawed at her while Harry pushed the other flying rag away with a ball of light.

He had already been dead-tired after a full day's training but now was swaying dangerously on his feet as he tried to combat the biting cold that swept through the alley and dodge the Dementors.

Frustrated, she pushed Chubbers to the side as the thing dove past, and jumped in front of it so that Harry was hidden behind her.

"Their weakness is pure positive energy!" Harry informed her and he aimed another Protronus at the Dementor before him, which thankfully banished the being from the scene.

Uragiri snorted at the comment. Only the Wizarding world creatures would have such cheesy weaknesses.

Instead of anything remotely relevant to Harry's suggestion, she pulled a standard sealing scroll from her pouch, and unfurled in with a flourish.

She bared her teeth at the creature, the cloth scroll draped over her arm and shoulder.

"Come at me."

It was over in seconds.


A clone held an exhausted Harry in its arms as she wiped Dudley's memory of the event. The last thing she wanted was for Harry to be blamed for the attack and his family's biased opinion of him wouldn't help things. Instead, she replaced the last few minutes with dull images of the walk home. Another one of her clones close by would wake him nearer to the house disguised as a civilian bypasser, who would claim he had passed out. With the amount of alcohol she sensed in his system, it wouldn't be hard to believe.

She sighed as she spotted Arabella Figg staring at them. The Order was supposed to be watching Harry (or rather, the Harry Clone as the real Harry was busy getting beaten bloody,) and if memory served, a man named Mundungus had been scheduled to watch him.

The Shinobi were not to interfere with Order buisness, which they evidently had, although Arabella was having a hard time being angry that this one had (as she had directly disobeyed Albus) since she had saved Harry.

The warrior approached her, and Mrs. Figg had a hard time curbing the instinct to flinch at the horrid mask the other wore.

"When Fletcher returns, you will have him report to Dumbledore-san immediately."

The elder woman nodded timidly.

"Have Harry recuperate at your house until he wakes up. He's exhausted but will need someone to explained the repercussions when he awakens. I'll erect some temporary wards and make sure you're protected. This way, I can keep an eye on both of you."

Another nod.

Uragiri knew things were about to get more complicated, but she didn't want to leave Harry by himself just yet.

She turned to the clone that carried Harry, the latter littered in bruises and deeply drained.

"I'm heading back to base. The Commander will need to hear this."

The clone nodded, following the skittish Figg to her home.

She made four more clones. One would oversee out the mission of Harry's cousin and the others would scout the neighbourhood and watch over her ward and his temporary guardian. She relayed this tiredly, and watched them disappear to their duties.


Uragiri returned to Grimmauld Place, only to find an unmasked Sasuke sitting on one of the borrowed beds, Sharingan swirling lazily as he studied her.

Uragiri watched him warily. She wasn't sure if her bristling sensing were still running high due the first real combat situation she had had in weeks, or if she was actually in danger.

"Commander, I need to report to you about-" She stopped suddenly, unsheathing her sword to meet his in a show of sparks. Danger it is, then.

The last Uchiha was not playing. His face was stony and unforgiving, much like it had been when she had found him him in Otogakure the first time. Only her lightning quick reflexes had saved her neck, and even then, by a thin margin. His sword crossed her neck horizontally, so close that if she swallowed hard enough her throat would brush his blade. Her blade wielded vertcally, slightly to the side of her body where she could parry if need be, but her hands were more or less nullified. She grit her teeth as he pushed down harder, forcing her back a few steps until her back foot hit the wall behind her.

Where the hell did this come from?!

"Wolf, stand down!" She bit out. "This isn't the time for a spar! I need to tell you-"

She was cut off again as she tilted her head to the side, barely avoid a kunai that lodged itself beside her head in the wall, courtesy of a clone Sasuke had hidden in the corner under Genjutsu. Her eyes tracked several red strands floated toward the floor, glad that it was only hair and not her neck. Her relief was short-lived, however, as she heard the faintest whisper of string snapping where the kunai had brushed past her.

All colour drained from her face as her mask tipped forward. Her hands effectively useless, she watched as the porcelain mask of Uragiri fell to the floor with a clatter, revealing her blue eyes and whiskered cheeks - the only two things Kurama's Henge couldn't hide.

"Yes. There's definitely something you need to tell me. Uzumaki Naru."


A/N: Reviews are appreciated! If you have ideas of where you want to see the plot going, feel free to PM me or review the story.

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Next Chapter: 'Coming Clean and Cleaning Up'. Give me two weeks, 'Kay?