Two Scarred Souls Heal Each Other
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Naruto. They belong to their respective authors and publishing/media companies.
Warning: Yaoi/Slash. Harry/Ibiki. Please don't read if its not your cup of tea.
Author's Notes: Three cheers for my beta: Latte2. Best of luck on your novella!
To my readers – Once again, I must sincerely apology for the lateness of this chapter. Unfortunately, its tardiness is the result of a computer malfunction as opposed to procrastination. The laptop is still broken but I managed to recover this chapter. Yay!
Once again all comments, critiques, and pm's are very much welcomed. Please review!
Furthermore, I am extremely thankful for all of your reviews too. Most of them are hilarious and brighten up my days considerably. Thank you!
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Chapter 7: A Fox in the Lions' Den
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Evening, Saturday night
Naruto's head snapped up as he peered in confusion at the direction of Harry's voice. Just moments before, he had been walking down the street and kicking pebbles in frustration. The young genin stared in bemusement at Harry's and Ibiki's joined hands before a look of horror flashed across the blonde's face as the wizard's question pierced his clouded mind.
"Umm, well nothing much, Black-san." Naruto sheepishly rubbed a hand on the back of his head while his mind whirled furiously to steer the conversation to a different topic.
"Are you two out on a date?" he asked with an innocent expression upon his face.
"Yes, now don't change the subject. Why are you still out this late at night, Naruto-kun? Is something the matter?" asked Harry as he walked closer to Naruto, pulling a curious Ibiki with him.
"No, nothing is wrong. I am just getting back from late night training. See!" The blonde hastily held his arms outwards and gestured comically at his torn and dirtied orange jumpsuit.
"Oh, okay than." Harry hummed slightly while scanning the genin closely for injuries. "Well then, we'll walk you home as it is late and you really shouldn't be walking alone at this time of night." He beamed a happy smile at the suddenly appalled genin and gestured happily with one hand for Naruto to lead the way.
"What! No! You don't have too. I will be fine by myself." yelped the teenager, completely aghast and panicked by the suggestion.
"It's no bother at all, Naruto-kun. I'll sleep better knowing you made it home safely rather than wondering all night." soothingly stated his boss. By now, the wizard and the jounin knew something was wrong with the young shinobi. They watched for a few moments as the genin hopelessly tried to come up with a good enough excuse to politely decline their escort home.
"The truth would be appreciated, Uzumaki-san." Ibiki bluntly declared. While he did possess patience, he just wasn't willing to have his koneko linger out in the chilled evening air over a genin's shyness.
Naruto stared at the couple before sighing in defeat and hunching his shoulders in embarrassment.
"My landlord kicked me out." He mumbled under his breath, head bowed as he looked at the ground.
"What? What do you mean your landlord kicked you out?" Harry let go of Ibiki's hand and walked directly in front of the genin. The wizard placed one hand on Naruto's shoulder while his other hand lifted the defeated blonde's chin up to look him in the eyes. "Naruto, please explain what is going on. All I want to do is understand and help you." His emerald eyes pleaded for cooperation and conveyed his sincerity to the teen's guarded sapphire orbs.
Gradually the tension in Naruto's shoulder was released as he leaned into Harry for comfort.
"My landlord raised my rent again. He's been doing this more often since I graduated from the Academy. I don't have enough money to pay for the additional rent increase right now." he softly explained, his feelings of embarrassment were subpar to the relief of finally getting genuine help.
Harry's eyes flashed angrily as a feeling of unadulterated rage temporarily overtook him. 'Damn the sheep brained mindset of these bloody gits. Wait til I get my hands on him.' fumed the wizard. Never the less, he valiantly pushed his anger aside to concentrate on the well being of Naruto and to hear the rest of his explanation.
"But I'm only locked out for tonight. I'll get the money in the morning so no worries." Naruto tried to fake a smile in the dubious hope that Black-san would let the matter go. Unsurprisingly, his hope was futile.
"Unacceptable. You're moving in with Hermione and me." came the quick retort from the wizard.
"What?" vehemently denied the genin. "I can't move in with you!"
"Why not? Your landlord is a greedy bastard and you need a place to stay. The manor has plenty of room, ergo you're moving in. Tonight. Lets go get your stuff." Harry garbed a firm hold on Naruto so the hysterical blonde couldn't run away. "Now where do you live? Point in the general direction." he commanded.
"But..but..I can't move in with you!" Naruto looked at Ibiki, realized no help was forthcoming from the jounin, and turned his attention back to Harry. His whiskered face turned mulish as he crossed his arms in defiance. "I refuse to be charity. Oww!" He whined as he gave Harry a kicked-puppy look of betrayal and rubbed his head where the wizard had delivered a sharp rap on his thick skull.
"This is not charity, nor will it ever be charity whenever I decide to help you. You are a good person, Naruto, and you don't deserve the rubbish that people constantly throw at you. We can work out an agreement that suits both of our prides later but for now, we're going to get your stuff. So march mister, before I sic Hedwig on you!" The wizard gave a teasing poke into Naruto's side which resulted in startled laughter mixed with relief.
"Okay, okay. I'll move in, but only for a little while. And I'll help with chores too." he continued to protest as he walked towards his apartment with a determined wizard and semi-amused jounin in tow.
"We'll discuss this later, Naruto-kun. Let's just focus on moving you for now." replied Harry as he trailed his new charge.
Because the apartment locks had been changed, Ibiki had to skillfully pick the numerous locks on the door. After entering, Harry and Ibiki examined the tiny apartment with shocked disbelief as Naruto moved awkwardly around the living room. The apartment complex had an unusual appearance but Naruto's apartment was severally rundown and shabby despite his attempts to maintain organization and neatness. The appliances were noisy and rusty while the cabinets were severely dilapidated in the ancient kitchen. Windows were cracked, paint was slowly peeling off in certain areas, and the flooring was worn and splotchy. All together, Harry was appalled by the living conditions of the genin and was outraged that somebody actually had the audacity to charge rent for such a derelict apartment.
Ibiki was unnerved by the poor conditions of Naruto's apartment too. As an orphan enrolled in the Ninja Academy, his rent and living expenses were paid partially by the Orphans Funds and from his inheritance so his apartment should have been much better than the dump it was. The jounin knew about Naruto's true parentage and had repeatedly scoffed at people's ignorant beliefs that the young boy looked like the Yondaime as a way for Kyuubi's to torment Konoha. He felt deeply ashamed that the legacy of the Yondaime was mistreated to such an extent and vowed to be less passive in the future.
Together, the two men efficiently packaged Naruto's meager belongings into the sealed scrolls that Ibiki quickly created using the material in the genin's apartment. Naruto's brief trip with Jiraiya to find the Slug Princess had sparked an interest in sealing. Following a quick search for any overlooked belongings (excluding the numerous, glaring, orange jumpsuits that Harry forced the blonde to leave behind), they left the apartment after Ibiki finagled one of the locks back in place.
While stepping off the creaky staircase to the first floor, Harry and Ibiki traded dark looks of retribution as they passed the manager's apartment as the triad walked to the building's exit. Both men had paid close attention to the dirty and unkempt potbellied man who had attempted to confront Naruto when they first entered the building. Before Harry could pounce on the man, the landlord had quickly retreated into his apartment when he spotted the entourage of his most hated resident. Unfortunately for him, the new couple would most definitely be paying the man a visit to express their appreciation of his 'hospitality'.
On a brisk ten minute walk later, the small group arrived at the driveway to the fenced Potter-Black complex. When he was twenty feet away, Harry used his magic to 'ping' the wards as a warning to Hermione and Dobby that company was with him. He gave a silent prayer of gratitude that all the magical objects were safely hidden in the secret fidelius basement chambers. Harry swiftly unlocked the front gates and bid the two closer to the lion's head on iron-barred gate doors.
"This is Griff. He is an elaborate security measure that allows people to safely enter and exit the estate based upon blood or chakra recognition. This is only one of aspect our property's extensive security system. It was brought to our attention that greedy merchants would probably hire thieves to break into our house to steal the recipes of all of our medicinal teas. Hence, the security was improved with the assistance of several skilled individuals. Please place your hand in Griff's mouth and pulse your chakra. Once he records your chakra signature, you can unlock or lock the gates at your leisure. You will have to repeat the process with Godric at the Manor's door." Harry demonstrated how to place a hand in the lion's metal mouth.
Ibiki nodded his head in understanding and was the first to register his chakra with the gate guardian. He was familiar with the various ways clans secure their compounds so this wasn't unusual to him. It was only practical that the siblings guarded their prized recipes closely, especially with the public knowledge that Konoha's Hospital and Shinobi Corps had exclusive contracts with the siblings. The jounin mistakenly assumed the movement of the lion's head was the result of puppetry based seals to make it more lifelike.
Naruto was fascinated by the way the lion head seemed alive. The young blonde was determined to learn more about sealing so he could create cool things like Griff. He laughed in amusement when he felt the lion lick his hand with his tongue.
When they reached the manor, Hermione was waiting for them in the front doorway with worry and trepidation in her hazel eyes. She knew something had went awry for her brother to return home with Ibiki and Naruto. After the two shinobi registered their chakra signatures with the manor's door guardian, Godric, they were ushered inside to a richly decorated and comfortable living room to explain the situation to the apprehensive witch.
Ibiki leaned back into the unbelievably comfortable , chocolate suede couch in the living room. Harry unhesitatingly curled himself into the jounin's side while Naruto sat in a patterned wingchair and Hermione reclined on the matching suede loveseat.
"Naruto was locked out of his apartment by his barmy landlord. Turns out the berk has been randomly increasing his rent and locking him out. We found his wondering the streets when Ibiki was walking me home from our date. I decided to force him to move in and after a little bit of fussing, he wisely complied. Now, we need to come up with a fair agreement that appeases both of our male egos. Your assistance please, dear sister." Harry quickly summarized the events while silently communicating he'll explain everything in depth to her later.
"Doesn't want to be charity, right?" Seeing the quick nods of agreement from all three men in the room, she snorted in light contempt. "Men!" she exclaimed before rising up to retrieve one of her notebooks left on the kitchen table. She flipped to a blank sheet of paper before settling back into her seat.
"Okay, then. What are the conditions of this compromise?" she queried with her pen poised to begin over the paper.
After several rounds of heated debates, an agreement was reached that appealed to both sides. Naruto would pay a small rent fee of 2,000 ryos a month, help with the gardening in the greenhouse, and assist Harry with cooking meals at the manor. Harry was determined to teach the genin how to cook meals that didn't feature ramen. Rather than spending the money, the rent would be deposited into a bank account to be used to finance the renovation of one of the small houses in the Potter-Black compound. Once the house was repaired, Naruto could move into the house if he chooses too. The remainder of his rent payments would remain in the bank account for Naruto to use when he needs it.
It was way past midnight when all the parties were finally happy with the new arrangement. Hermione volunteered to show Naruto to his new quarters and there by allow the couple some privacy to say goodbye. Naruto nodded his head sleepy, bid the two men a tired farewell, and drowsily followed Hermione up the stairs to the second floor. He carried Crookshank in his arms; the cat surprisingly liked the young blond and was delighted over his deft hands at petting.
Harry leaned his head wearily into Ibiki s shoulders. Tonight had been a roller coaster of emotions. His apprehension and lust battled for dominance during dinner, and then his protectiveness and rage fought viciously after finding Naruto on the streets. All together, he was completely exhausted.
A callous hand soothingly carded through the wizard's hair as Ibiki laid a gentle kiss on the side of Harry's head. The jounin was completely captivated by his Emerald. The brunet was a intriguing mix of passion and strength. This afternoon, he had to suffer through Inoichi's smugness as the Yamanaka clan head regaled his apprentice about the latest stupidity of the Civilian Council and his koneko's swift rebuttal of the ridiculous charges.. Hearing about Harry's protectiveness over the blonde genin was completely different from witnessing it in person. Rather than being repelled by Harry's fierce temper and biting wit, Ibiki found himself further enticed by his koibito's fierce loyalty, steadfast determination, and sly cunning - all three traits were highly prized by shinobi.
Looking downwards, a low chuckle came from his lips as Ibiki noticed Harry's eyes were half closed in pleasure from the relaxing caresses of having his head petted. 'Just like a koneko.' The jounin was amused by how apt his nickname for his koibito was. 'Sexy.' he mused, observing how the wizard almost purred from having his head rubbed. 'But dangerous. Very, very dangerous.' Indeed, the jounin could feel his body starting to instinctively react to the sensual movements and enjoyment of the wizard. It was time to officially bring the date to a close.
He gave the dark brown locks another soft kiss before gently jostling the sleepy green-eyed man off his shoulders. Harry gave a soft mumble of protest but grudgingly stood up to escort the jounin to the front door. Ibiki was amused by the wizard's valiant fight against sleepiness and made a mental note for their future dates to start or end earlier. Standing just outside the door, Ibiki was surprised when Harry suddenly leered at him from inside the doorway.
"What? No goodbye kiss? Fie on you, sir." He playfully rebuked his boyfriend, only to take a short step back when Ibiki's eyes heated up with a lascivious promise.
Ibiki stalked closer to his prey and trapped Harry in a caged embrace of his arms. Harry only had a brief moment to think 'Déjà vu!' before he was swept into a wanton kiss. Ibiki wasted no time in establishing dominance in the kiss and surged Harry with skillful nips, licks, and heady touches that made the wizard thrum with pleasure. When Ibiki released him, he smirked with dark satisfaction as Harry panted slightly, desperately trying to regain his balance and breathe.
"By the way, I'll handle the situation regarding Naruto's previous landlord." he stated complacently.
Quickly, Harry's aura of debauchedness evaporated as Ibiki's words registered in his lust filled brain.
"What? Why do you get to confront that bloody git?" Harry would venomously deny any future accusations that he was whining. Judging by Ibiki's raised eyebrow and amused expression, the jounin certainly caught the juvenile undertones of his question.
"Naruto is a genin, therefore a shinobi. All matters regarding shinobi are handled by shinobi. Furthermore, as a department head, I have more resources and legal grounds to launch an investigation and persecution." Ibiki was thoroughly enjoying the disappointed expression of poutiness on his Emerald's face. The way Harry glared at him in admonishment of his visible amusement just served to increase his mirth over the situation.
"Besides, aren't you in enough trouble with the Civilian Council already? There no need to pour oil on that fire. I would hate for you to lose another book." Husky laughter erupted over Harry's sputtered dismay that the knowledge of his councilman woes had traveled to his boyfriend.
"What?...How?...Who told you?" Harry demanded as a blush tinted his cheeks a dusty hue.
"You would be surprised. I'll handle the landlord while you help Naruto. Deal?" He gave a charming boyish smile that caused the wizard to falter for a few seconds. After eyeing the jounin contemplatively, Harry reluctantly nodded his head in agreement.
"Fine, but you owe me one!" Harry insisted with a sharp finger jab to Ibiki's chest.
"Ah. So I do." Ibiki gave a quick kiss to Harry's cheek before stepping back through the doorway. He did not leave the front porch until he heard the locks tumble into place. As the ninja shinshuned away, Ibiki mentally reviewed everything he had to do and resolved to see the Hokage the next morning to launch his investigation of crimes committed against Naruto. Tsunade's affection for the genin and her realistic views of the civilians meant his queries wouldn't be brushed aside.
Sunday Morning
Sakura woke with a smile on her face as she smelled the hot breakfast that her mother was cooking. The pinkette was glad it was a Sunday so she could spend a relaxing day pampering herself in order to look her best for Sasuke-kun. She tossed back her pink comforter and padded over to her dressing table. The teen critically examined her face and lamented over how the harsh training and missions had damaged her formally flawless complexion.
"Sakura! Sakura! Come down so I can talk to you." Mrs. Haruno's voice drifted upstairs and caused her daughter to wrinkle her nose slightly. 'I wonder what she wants? Oh, probably to tell me how Naruto will be punished for causing that owl to attack me!' she thought with malicious glee. "I'll be right down!" she shouted back as she rushed to her adjourning bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth. Sakura quickly brushed her hair and pranced downstairs to find her mother waiting for her at the dining table, which was laden with all the girl's favorite foods.
"Wow, Mom! What's the occasion? Did Naruto-dobe get kicked out of the shinobi forces?" she asked spitefully.
"Hmph. You don't have to worry about that horrible boy any more. He's no longer important. Oh, Sakura-chan, you have such a fabulous opportunity before you!" gushed Mrs. Haruno as she hugged her daughter in happiness.
"Huh? Mom, what are you talking?" Sakura pulled herself out of her mother's embrace and moved to sit at the table. As she filled her plate with delicacies, she watched her mother flutter around the table before finally sitting down.
"Well, you are a very important young lady, Sakura-chan. Did you know that even Lady Hokage is aware of how you have wonderful chakra control. In the meeting I had with the council yesterday, she suggested that you should train to become a medic-nin."
"What? Mom, I don't want to be separated from Sasuke-kun. Ino-pig will try to steal him from me!" she huffed in disappointment, completely distressed by even the slightest suggestion to be separated from her one true love.
"Listen, honey, Lady Tsunade has offered to help you become a medic-nin. Do you know how many people want to be an apprentice to Tsunade-sama? Hundreds! You'll be a fool to pass up such an opportunity." rebuked her mother.
"But Mom! I'll still be separated from Sasuke-kun?" whined the genin girl.
"Think about it Sakura? You will be the apprentice to Lady Hokage - The Legendary Medic Nin Tsunade. As a skilled medic-nin and apprentice to the Hokage, you will be the most perfect choice for a bride – prestige, rank, and clout along with your incomparable beauty. Plus, being a medic nin means you will be absolutely healthy to restart the clan after you become the matriarch of the Uchiha family."
"Hmmm, apprentice to Lady Hokage? Bet Ino-pig would love to become Tsunade-sama's apprentice. But she can't because her chakra control isn't as good as mine! This is wonderful news. Sasuke won't be able to resist me when I am the apprentice of the Slug Sannin!" she cackled over the mental image of Ino crying in envy and Sasuke being in awe of her beauty and brains.
Her mother laughed with her, happy that her daughter was seizing the chance to further the reputation of the Haruno family. She knew Sasuke wouldn't be able to resist her beautiful, talented, and well connect daughter. The years she spent grooming Sakura into being the perfect Uchiha bride would unquestionably reap great rewards for her and her daughter.
"Excellent. We'll complete the paperwork to change your status after breakfast. We can pop into the Hokage's Tower on our way to the salon." Mrs. Haruno was going to get the full beauty package today at the spa for the two of them in celebration of this monumental day.
"Thank Kami we are going to the spa today. My poor skin is positively dry from all that vile training. I am so glad that I will be a medic-nin trainee from now one. I couldn't stand another day of getting dirty and sweaty. Ugg!" whined Sakura, shuddering in remembrance of some of the training exercises.
"Don't worry dear. That's a thing of the past now." consoled her mother.
Tsunade rubbed her brows in annoyance. The hokage had previously been ecstatic when she received the paperwork to remove Genin Haruno from active duty to the medic-nin training program. Unfortunately her good mood didn't last very long. Mere seconds afterwards, she received paperwork to transfer an unknown genin named Sai to Team Seven. This was very worrisome due to the fact that the paperwork was hand delivered by Danzo – a sure sign things were about to become problematic. Lady Hokage knew the creepy old man had an underhanded scheme up his perpetually bandaged, geriatric sleeve.
However, there wasn't another candidate to take Sakura's empty place at this time. Without three genins, Team Seven wouldn't be able to complete missions. Normally that wouldn't be a problem to have a Genin Team on standby but the lack of missions could bankrupt Naruto.
"Damned if I do, and damned if I don't. Kami-sama, I hate decisions like this." mumbled the hokage as her eyes swept back and forth between the two conflicting transfer papers.
"Oh well. Here's hoping for the best." She authorized both transfers and gave a brief prayer in hopes that her decision wouldn't lead to ruin.
Suddenly, there was a brief knock on the door. Tsunade lazily called for the person to enter and was pleasantly surprised to see Ibiki enter into the Hokage's Office. 'Ooh, I wonder how the date went late night!' she mused. However her gossiping train of thought was abruptly derailed by the ominous words spoken by the jounin.
"I need your permission to investigate illegal crimes committed against Genin Naruto Uzumaki."
Posted: 3/04/2013 Word Count: Over 4,700
Thank you for reading my story. Please take a moment and review. Thanks a million!
In response to some reviews ( *waves to TobyDR, Cocoa Girl, Venus914*) and regarding the herbal book: its a simple herbal book that was translated via a spell – thus, it was really cheap. It may be rare for the Elemental Countries but its common in the Wizarding World. Hermione and Harry aren't going to burst the delusion of its rumored value and they'll let the Harunos continue to foolishly believe they won something of great value.
Author's Notes: Please read if interested in explanations regarding certain aspects of the story:
This story has AU characteristics. 1 – Harry and Hermione appear in Konoha in August and upon their restaurant opens in September. 2 – Sasuke never leaves the village – Jiraiya helped stem most of the influence in the curse seal so its not mind controlling him. 3 – Sakura becomes a medic-nin earlier and Sai takes her place.
Regarding Ibiki – he is a good man despite his fearsome reputation as the Head of the Torture and Interrogation Division. No, he did not go out of his way to previously help Naruto, but most shinobi didn't either. Please note that the civilian council and elders maintained a lot of power under Sarutobi and Naruto was technically considered a civilian until he graduated from the Ninja Academy. As a genin, his well being fell upon his sensei and not unknown strangers/shinobi. With Tsunade's support and his public relationship with Harry, Ibiki can now run interference in Naruto's life without facing a political fallout.
Security at the Potter-Black Estate – Griff and Godric are just one of the many security measures there. Despite being able to enter and exit, Ibiki and Naruto do not have the ability to explore all the rooms at the manor. Remember the wards contain notice-me-not, muggle repelling, and specialized fidelius wards based upon magic and blood. Thus, Hermione and Harry's secrets are secure as long as they don't flaunt their magic. House elf magic specializes in remaining unseen so Dobby will remain a secret for a while too. Neither shinobi are overly surprised by the security – i.e. Griff or Godric – because they think the siblings hired people to ensure their home was secured. Their wealth is an established fact by this point in time.
Exclusive contract – it is mostly common products but of larger quantity than the products available in the Apothecary Café. However, a few products are only given to the hospital and shinobi corps such as bezoars.
Naruto's Rent – he is rather good at saving money, as witness by the plumpness of Gama-chan (his frog wallet in the anime). Harry doesn't need the money so the 200 dollars a month rent will be collected until Naruto can use it in the future – such as buying his own house, no more renting apartments from other people.
Houses at the Black-Potter Estate: they bought a family compound – its been abandoned due to the Kyuubi's attack and the remaining family members moving back to the capital. Ergo – there are other buildings/houses besides the large manor house. Eventually the potions lab will be a separate village and the siblings will eventually have separate homes. Expect other people to move in to their estate as time goes on.