Not Just Yet
Sum: The fates are not ready to release Harry from his duties as a hero just yet. Say hello to NaruVerse Harry. May contain slash you have been warned. Don't like, Don't read. otherwise enjoy.
Chapter 2: Meeting the Child
The next morning Harry awoke bright and early. The sun had just started to peak through the curtains. He sighed as he got up and got dressed. He checked the wards on the bed for Naruto before setting off to explore the house, casting cleaning charms as he went.
He started at the top which was where his bedroom was. His suite was a medium sized sitting room connected to his bedroom and bathroom. His bathroom had a sunken tub that was large enough to house four grown men for a nap with room to wiggle. The shower had three shower-heads overhead and a couple more on each wall. Most likely to give a water massage.
A door also connected the bathroom to his bedroom. His bed was a western style bed that had a wrought iron headboard and footboard. He saw two trunk similar to his school trunks only more ornate at the foot of the bed. There were several bureaus and a full length mirror leaning near the wardrobes. He noticed a spot in a hidden corner that shimmered enticingly to his eye as if calling to him. He went to it and examined it, it appeared to be a slide small enough for children and perhaps a young teenager or small person.
He sent a scout spell to see what was at the bottom. It appeared to be a large metal encased room that had some non-perishables and water in a corner. There was several bunk-beds in the room. He saw a door that had a bank-vault turn-style handle. He examined the seals on it and saw that only blood family could open it but it could be set to open for certain people. So it was a way to get children to the bottom floor quickly incase someone managed to get through the guards and into the house.
There were some photos on the walls and on the bedside tables of a blond man and a red-headed woman. She was pregnant in some but not all of them. The rest of the floor had many decorated and large rooms, but none as homey as his except the room right next to his set up as a babies room. He decided to call it the family floor.
The next floor down also had bedrooms and bathrooms but it seemed less personal than the ones above. There were more rooms on this floor but they were smaller than the family rooms. The biggest room was at the end of the hall opposite the staircase. It was a training room. It had many free-weights along with some stuffed chairs and a large scroll shelf. He noticed seals all over the room for durability, endurance, strength, element-proof, and other such seals especially protection/deflecting seals around the scrolls. When he opened one of the rooms he noticed some of the twins things. He noticed that the room was just beneath where his room was. He also noticed in that same corner the hidden slide. Most likely to send down the children of the guard if they had any. He suspected there was a slide on each floor.
He decided these were the soldiers or guards quarters. A pretty good idea in his opinion, strategically speaking. Having the guards below so that any threat would have to go through them first. And if that didn't work send the children to safety first then the adults stand to fight without having to worry about protecting the children.
The next floor appeared to be the library, his study, a conference room, a meeting hall, and a few zen and meditation rooms. He went on to the next floor and saw that they were decorated in neutral, soothing colors. It was most likely the guest floor. The ground floor was next and it had the kitchen, the formal and informal dining room and living room. There was also a large room similar to the great hall though maybe only three-fourths of the Great Halls size. It held many tables. It looked big enough to fit the whole household plus a few more. He decided this is where everyone will eat for at least one meal a day when he got more people living here. But for now the small round kitchen table would do. It would be a nice way of being where the household could see him and have them come up to talk to him if they needed anything.
The floor also held the servants rooms, they were near the kitchens. He went to the room that was directly underneath his he found it to be the informal living room. It also had a slide but it also had a trapdoor in the floor beneath the liquor cabinet. It had some seals that were integrated hidden within the cabinets seal matrix. So that if someone were to notice the wards they would assume after examining them that they were to keep children and unauthorized people out of the bubbly.
He was about to move the cabinet aside to examine the room when he felt the wards around Naruto shift to inform him that he was awakening. He walked calmly up the stairs to the top floor. He entered his room and saw Naruto sitting up and rubbing his little eyes. As soon as Naruto saw him he lifted his arms as a show that he wanted to be picked up. Harry walked over to pick him up before he went downstairs grabbing a few toys from the baby room on the way. He walked into the kitchen to Fred and George walking in from a workout. They were joking and laughing with each other. they greeted him before going off for a quick shower. Harry put Naruto to on the floor in easy view with the toys before he started cooking.
Harry used the rest of the groceries to make some cheesy omelets and bacon. The twins came in while he was setting the plates down on the table. Fred grabbed Naruto who was slobbering on a stuffed white tiger. George grabbed a jar of baby food from the cupboard and sat down next to his brother. Harry sat across from them discussing his explorations and the slide to them. They talked quietly while they ate of other things too.
Harry found out that while he was exploring the house they had gotten a lot of things done. Before their workout they had gone to the Hokage tower and several other public posting boards to place notices that there was need of staffing for the house. They handed him a copy of the flyer. It asked for people who were willing to live on the grounds, were able to cook, clean, landscape, or other such skills. It told them to come to the Namikaze gates today and tomorrow at ten a.m. to four p.m.
He checked the time and saw it was eight-thirty. They still had time. He said goodbye to the twins before taking Naruto outside to see the grounds. He walked out of the back door and saw some stables to the right near the back. It only now had just his horse, Jin. But he planned to change that. His passion back home had been horse breeding. He had to have something to keep him sane from all the ministries political dealings and his failing marriage with Ginny. There was only some much politics one could handle before they became disgusted with it and needed a break. And he would rather not think of that lying, backstabbing bitch.
He headed toward it and saw his horse in the pasture grazing on the sweet, long grass that had run wild without someone to take care of the grounds. After looking around and pointing out the various things to Naruto he set off to the training yard half of the backyard. He saw one big area and some other areas hidden in the trees. There were several targets and he saw an electric box off to the side. He went over to it and opened it.
Near top it had the words "Target Practice/Dodging Skills" The first three buttons were labeled targets/dodging, targets, dodging so you could pick which one you wanted to practice on. The other buttons said beginner, novice, easy, medium, hard, adept, and expert. There was one that had a plastic casing and was red, it was labeled burning rage. It also had a warning sign. He closed the box before walking around the house to the front of the grounds.
He saw a large cobble walkway that was lined with weeping willows and sakura trees. On either side of the drive was large beds of now overgrown flowers beds. The landscaping was beautiful but he would like for it to be changed sometime later. Maybe put in a lake or some koi ponds. He looked at his pocket watch and saw it was nine-thirty. He walked to the front doors and handed Naruto to the waiting Fred, no Fred-clone. He cold now sense the difference in the clones signature. It did not have the bright, distinct aura of either of the twins. The clone bid him goodbye before taking Naruto upstairs to play in his room.
Harry walked up to his study and sat down. He prepared his mind for the leglimency he was about to perform. He had learned after a murder attempt that not all people are good even if they had the most deceiving of personalities that you never know what's going on in their head unless you took a look. Anyways he wasn't going to search deep just skim the surface thoughts to check their intentions and to tell if they are telling the truth. He would also ask specific questions to them to make their thoughts on certain matters come to the surface so he could check them. He set aside some space in his shields for the interviewees thought so he would not get a head ache from their foreign ways of thinking.
He wrote down a checklist of questions and criteria of what he wanted before feeling the wards tell him someone was at the gate. He sensed George go to get them before setting back into his seat and started to write down the materials needed for his horses, the grounds, the household, and other such things. He knew that even if he were to live lavishly here he didn't need to work but he needed something to do. He decided that he would keep his horse breeding as hobby and make it their side venture business while they would sell wards and seals. He could see the knowledge of seals in his head that were so similar to his families specialty of wards.
He wrote down to buy some space in the shopping district and set up selling explosive tags, storage scrolls, and other such items. He also noted to offer security seals and wards for a price. He looked to his gazing crystal when he heard a knock. "Bring them in one at a time unless they came together George. Show the rest to the wait in the meeting hall." He saw Fred point them to the right room before the first two people come into his room. A married couple by the looks of it. They were in their late thirties and their hands were calloused to show that they knew the meaning of hard work.
"Good evening I am lord Namikaze and this is my estate. I am looking for hardworking people to staff my household. Please tell me your name and what skills you think you would bring to me." He was polite but commanding in his speech.
The man spoke for them, "Milord I am Kinsaru Hiro and this is my wife Hana. I am good with yard work and landscaping. I also have some experience with restoring shinobi training grounds. My wife is a wonderful cook and knows how to keep a house hold."
"What moved you to try for this job?" Naruto had been skimming Kinsaru's mind along with that of his wife's and they seemed to not be hiding anything untoward.
"We worked in the Kaguya household of Grass Country there had been some problems recently between them and the village. We felt it time to move to safer grounds just in case those problems became of the bloodshed type." Harry saw the truth in his mind but he also saw a certain honesty in his mind that he liked. He probed the rest of the interview with minor questions to infer if the couple would betray his secrets and was happy with the results.
"I am happy to say you are hired. This is the contract. It includes a confidentiality clause and some other minor things. You may read over it in the Meeting Hall. Third door on the right. Also please send in the next person." The rest of the meetings went well, and so did the one's the next day. Some he did not like at all and some were just plants from an organization called Ne, or Root. He ended hiring the Kinsaru's and two more cooks, three more landscapers, two hostlers with animal experience, and five maids to keep the house.
They were all to start in two days so they could have time to move in and get settled. Harry sighed when the last of the newly hired staff left the meeting hall. They understood their duties and the house rules. He picked up the pile of contracts and took them to his study. He placed them into a vault and left the room to go play with Naruto. He had not gotten to spend much time with the little guy in the last two days so he decided to take him out for a walk on the grounds.
He had though been getting ready for the adoption ritual. Though Naruto was already related to him by blood the ritual was made to remove all physical injuries and give the adoptee a closer bond to the adopter. He figured that the ritual would get rid of the whisker scars. He had found out through lucrative information that they were the result of a grieving widow. They hadn't healed like all other injuries on the boy because the kyuubi chakra had not yet fully integrated with his system instead the red chakra burned the marks into his skin while trying to heal it at the same time giving it its darker appearance in contrast to his skin while still not puckering like a scar.
He did not want Naruto to go through what he did of being identified by a scar. He had found out through the gossip in the village when shopping that no one really knew the name or appearance of the "Kyuubi Brat" just that he had three whisker marks on his cheeks. He figured that the ritual would get rid of the marks and any other problems he might have picked up while being at the orphanage. He could already see some of the signs for malnourishment in Naruto's aura. He had dealt with problems of malnourishment and he didn't find being shorter than everyone in his year very fun. Luckily here he was very tall in this life.
He also had time to explore the panic room. He added some wards to it and also found a lab, or blast chamber would be a better name. It was made to test out new seals in a safe environment. He modified it with some wards to be able to resist a nuclear explosions. He figured he could use it for his experiments and for the ritual.
He made plans to set up a magical core for the house in the future. Home with a sentient conscience are always the safest. Look at Hogwarts for instance it was so safe because the castle can sense if it is in trouble. He put his thoughts aside as he came into the room Naruto was playing in. He picked the happy baby up and started walking to the door. The rest of the days leading up to the rituals were not quiet. The staff moving in and the noise of them settling around. Harry gave Hana a budget for the house supplies as she had experience for it. Plus he knew she was trustworthy.
The kitchen staff went out to get supplies and the yard staff went straight to work fixing six months of neglect. Harry and the hostler worked to make sure the stables and pasture were ready for when the horses he had ordered came in. Harry also set time out every night to carefully start inscribing the seals and wards onto his new ritual chambers floor and walls. Tonight was the night that he would formally adopt Naruto in front of the twins, magic, the elements, and the mother Gaia as witnesses.
They gave the staff the night off after the dinner together in the Great Hall before they went down into Harry's lab. They stripped and cleansed themselves before dawning robes of white. The chamber was painted and marked on every surface with runes and seals. They chanted and gave blood to seal the adoption. Naruto glowed brightly and was surrounded in a corona of light for several minutes. They could hear bones creaking, muscles tearing and reforming, and many other sounds of torture and healing. The sounds made Harry glad that the ritual healing was painless.
He knew the ritual had ended when the runic array and wards flashed and disappeared as if it were never there. The light around Naruto disappeared as if it were never there leaving a changed child. He still looked like Naruto only there were some changes. His hair had grown some and the whisker marks had disappeared. His ribs were no longer seen. He no longer looked emaciated and though he could not see it Harry knew that there would no longer be any long-term effects from his time at the orphanage. He was maybe a half an inch to an inch taller. He was still just six months after all. After the quick inspection of Naruto to check that everything went okay they went tiredly back up to there rooms and to bed.
The next morning Harry woke to the sound of life in the house. The maids were cleaning while gossiping, the cooks were baking bread and making breakfast, and the yard workers were cutting the grass and grooming it back to its former grandeur. Harry got up and got ready for the day. He got downstairs to the ground floor and sat down in the informal dining room that was near the kitchen. Hana came out of the kitchen with a big smile and an even bigger plate of food.
He thanked her and tucked into the food. He was just finishing up when George walked in with a giggling Naruto. The little baby reached for him when he saw Harry. Harry walked over to him and took him into his arms with a smile. The baby gurgled at him happily as Harry adjusted the baby into his arms more comfortably. He smiled down on the baby and announced to his plans to go shopping for clothes.
George nodded and disappeared to go tell Fred so that one of them could follow along with Harry even if it was just to carry bags or to provide comic relief. They decided that Fred would go with Harry and Naruto. They got ready and one of the maids dressed Naruto in a cute little red child haori and hakama. Harry and Fred walked out the gates and were soon in the market district. The people looked at them briefly but other than that paid them no mind. It was not odd to see a noble and his guard shopping even if it was an unknown noble.
Their first stop was in a clothing store. Harry bought a full wardrobe for himself. He also got many outfits for Naruto for the size he was then and for when he grew a bit more. He got Fred to pick out some clothes for himself and George. once the clothes was paid for Harry paid extra to have the clothing taken to the manor. They left in high spirits to many other stores. They stopped for lunch at a nice restaurant before going back to shopping.
Harry could sense them even if he could not see them. Fred had signaled that he to sensed it. They had been following them since they left the Namikaze estate. Since he could sense no ill will Harry signaled for Fred to leave it be but to be prepared. It came as they were on their way out of the market district back to the estate. Harry sensed a saddened mind. Harry sensed a saddened child heart. He handed Naruto to Fred and told them to meet him later at the estate. Harry walked to an alley close by and silently apparated to a hidden place close to the source.
He walked out and saw a courtyard of students and parents. The students were around the ages of twelve and the parents stood proudly with the children who wore a hitai-ite. There was one student who stood apart. He was younger by far than the rest of his classmates. He looked to be about six years old. He held a cold look on his face despite the sadness and disappointment Harry could sense in his aura. Harry looked around for anybody who had a similar aura or features as the boy and found known. The older students seemed to ignore or avoid the young child. He saw jealousy and hurt prides in some as they looked upon the child. Some looked maliciously at him for having nobody there for him.
Harry had had enough he walked over to the young child with a kind smile. He quietly congratulated the young child on his accomplishment. The child nodded without a word accepting the congratulations. Though it was not seen on his face Harry could see some lightening of the sadness in the child's aura. Harry walked away as he saw a young woman coming carrying a baby around Naruto's age. The young woman smiled when she caught sight of the young boy. Harry watched the boy's aura bloom to bright, happy fluctuations. Harry noticed there was still some disappointment it was not as strong as it was. Harry whispered the spell for a magical trace monitor on child to watch over him in case the sadness became so low again.
Harry walked off with a lighter step and made his way back to his estate. He walked into the kitchen and saw a funny site the twins had been trying to sweet talk some sweets from Hana but she was having none of that stating it was too soon after lunch. They finally gave up trying to sweet talk her and waited for her back to turn to snatch one of the fresh cookies. *smack* She hit them each on the hand with a wooden spoon. They gathered what was left of their dignity and exited the kitchen. Harry barely kept in his laughter as he saw the whole scene.
He spent the rest of the day sorting through his and Naruto's new purchases. He put Naruto down for bed after a bath. He watched the small babe nod off to Morpheus's realm. He went to his office to look through some of the older documents he found the day before. He sorted them and put them into place. He noticed that there was some documents with the official Hokage seal. He set those in a folder that held all Hokage correspondents. Once everything was settled he noticed it was late. So he walked upstairs to his bedroom to ready himself for sleep.
He did not expect the trace to react so soon after it was applied. All traces of sleepiness vanished and he apparated near the trace's location. There was the child pounding away at a training log with tears trailing down his cheeks. His knuckles were bloody and his body trembled with the signs of a body pushed too far. He felt the trace become more urgent as the boy finally collapsed into exhaustion. Harry was there immediately to gather up the child. He apparated to his bedroom and walked into the bathroom. He cradled the six-year-old against his hip as he gently cleaned the boy's knuckles and wrapped them after applying a healing salve. He gently scrubbed away the tear tracks and dirt with a soft flannel.
He walked into the bedroom and to one of the dressers and deftly removed the child's weapons and placed them onto the dresser's top. He removed a pair of his pajamas and shrunk them down to the child's size. He quickly spelled the new clothes onto him. Harry placed the child gently on the bed before gathering up his clothes to have the maids wash. He flicked a weapon's cleaning/polishing charm at the boy's weapons before walking downstairs and throwing the boy's clothes into the wash. One of the maids was awake and promised that they would be cleaned and folded in the morning once he explained the situation.
He walked upstairs and pulled a chair up next to the bed. He stroked the child's hair when he thrashed in his sleep and brushed away his tears when they came. He drank a large cup of coffee that the maid brought up for him along with the clothes as he read a book. This was what he was doing when he noticed the boy's breathing changed. It was in the wee hours of the morning and the boy noticed something was not right right away and slowed down his breathing to feign sleep. Harry watched as the boy feigned sleep and access his situation.
Harry cleared his throat and said wryly, "I know your awake, so would you kindly tell me what you were foolishly doing out at that training ground pushing you body way past its limit. You should know better than that." Through his words he watched as the child opened his eyes and take in his surroundings before looking towards Harry. His eyes lit up with recognition briefly before returning to emotionless. Harry sighed before standing up, "Well I guess that's the best I'm going to get." He walked to the salve and fresh bandages he had placed onto the night table sometime in the night. He gathered the items and gestured the child closer.
The child looked at him distrustingly, "Look I'm not going to hurt you. If I had wanted to I could have done it while you were sleeping." The child nodded and scooted closer. Harry to the child's hands one at a time carefully unwrapping them then inspecting the salves job before nodding to himself and smearing some more salve onto it. He wrapped it carefully rewrapped the wound and stood up. He surprised the boy by picking him up and placing him on his hip. "Let's go see if Hana has anything for us, shall we?" Harry's mischievous smile did a lot to set the child at ease.
Harry watched the child watch his surroundings carefully. Though he had put up a token struggle at first the child had made no move to be put down. Harry heard the sounds of kitchen noises and sound of gossip as he passed the kitchen. He walked into the great hall and saw the houses staff except for some cooks and the twins. One of the maids had Naruto in a highchair and was spooning some home baby food into the child's mouth with some success. He looked like he was having as much fun eating it as he was smearing it all over himself and the chair's table. Naruto giggled at the maid's attempt to keep the mess down.
Harry moved to his place at the center of the hall with the occasional, "Good morning milord." He nodded to them as he passed. He settled the child into the chair next to his. He filled his plate with the various platters on the table and gestured for the boy to do the same. Harry noticed that he was looking at some of the stuff curiously and was not tall enough to reach some of the stuff. He saw one of the maids bring a padded booster chair. Harry gestured for the child to stand for a moment so the maid could place it into the chair. Harry lifted the boy into it before filling the child's plate with a little of everything.
While Harry tucked into breakfast he watched the child cautiously taste some of the items and smile minutely. Harry made small talk and found out the child's name was Itachi but that was all Harry got out of him. The staff and their families slowly finished their breakfast and one by one the went out to do their duties. Harry took command of Naruto and exclaimed about how dirty he looked in comical proportions much to both children's amusement. Harry saw Itachi's eyes crinkle slightly in hidden laughter. Harry held Naruto in one arm and held out an arm to Itachi so he could decide if he wanted to be held or not.
Harry could see the want to be held in his aura but the Goddess knowledge let him know exactly who this boy was the moment he had scene the crest on Itachi's shirt. He saw the mask fall into place and squash down the want and Itachi just held onto Harry's hand instead. They walked up the stairs to the family floor and into the bathroom. Harry plopped the giggling Naruto into Itachi's hands before he knew what was going on Harry was out of the bathroom to gather clothes. Harry instructed him to watch Naruto for a bit.
Itachi was alone with the small baby he was covered in mashed peaches gave him a toothless smile. Despite his himself he smiled back to the gurgling baby. Harry was back with some clothes for Naruto and Itachi. He set both on the counter and started the water for Naruto. He took the squirming baby and removed his clothes and settled him into the warm water. Harry talked softly to them both. Telling them a story of a young family that forced a revolution on an island of rolling pastures.
Itachi recognized a family history lesson in the story and wished he could of learned his family's history like that in a story instead of reading and memorizing it from a book. Thoughts were zooming through his head as they had all morning he could not understand he had seen this man just the day before and now here he was in this Lord Namikaze's home. He remembered the Namikaze's as one of the founding family's but they were supposed to have died out in the several wars they had suffered. He felt himself relaxing and enjoying the story. He quickly reprimanded himself for that he was not supposed to feel more relaxed here in Harry's home than in his own home.
The thoughts whirled through his head at such a pace that he hardly noticed as Harry handed a now clean Naruto to George to look after. He did notice as Harry gently undid the buttons to the soft silk pajamas. Itachi looked up and saw the bath tub filled with fresh water that smelled faintly of (AN)sandalwood. He quickly pushed away the hands and pushed Harry out the door stating that he could bathe himself. Harry smiled and showed him where the soap, shampoo, conditioner, and towels were. He told him he would be just outside if he needed him. He sat down in his chair and read his book as he listened to the sound of water splashing.
About twenty minutes later Itachi came out dressed in his shinobi clothes. Harry stood and walked the over to the dresser. "Though I am loathe to place weapons into the hands despite that you are an adult in the eyes of Konohagakure, I trust that you will be careful?" Itachi looked into Harry's eyes and saw genuine concern and worry not chastisement or any other type of emotion. He nodded quickly before deftly replacing the weapons into there proper spot as they were handed to him. During his cursory observations of them he saw they had been cleaned and polished. He did not comment on it.
Harry walked downstairs and told the household that he was going out. He walked slowly with Itachi out into the grounds. He spoke to him of nonsensical things and told funny stories as they walked toward the Uchiha district. He told Itachi in a round about way that he was always welcome in the Namikaze estate even if it's just because he wanted to to snag one of Hana's delicious cookies. He shot a cheeky smile to the young Uchiha. They soon came upon Itachi's house Harry could see the face of a stern older looking man and smiled to him. He said goodbye to Itachi, gave him a bundle of Hana's cookies and whispered for him to remember the offer. With a wink he walked off with a whistle.
Though his father asked Itachi would not say a thing about where he had been the night before or who the blond man was. He walked into his brother's room and ate one cookies while he watched his brother Sasuke play with his toys.
(AN)Sandalwood - This is still burned in many homes today in incense form. A very sweet woody scent helping promote relaxation, spiritual harmony,and healing. Also, help with dry hair and skin.
So that's the chapter. I've decided not to change Naruto's name. Also I'd enjoy it if you reviewed and told me what you would like to see from this story. It always helps an author to get feedback from her audience. Can anyone tell me the names of the two elders on the council?