Today is a very special day, because first of all it's the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of this crossover! Also, as many of you know, it is the birthday of JK Rowling and Harry Potter! I seriously cannot believe the sheer coincidence of this, because I just posted the first chapter on a whim. I then noticed after posting the last chapter that it was on July 31st, and was quite shocked. Anyway, that just makes this all the more special! Oh, and it's also the b-day of one of my dear friends, cardcaptor eternity.
So, on this special edition, I have many little surprises and stuff. I would like to start out by thanking all the people who have reviewed these past 12 chapters. You have all stuck with me through quick updates and long updates as well as many other trials. Each and every review has meant more to me than you'll ever know, and it has been a lot of fun getting to know a lot of you through PMs and such, and I have done the best I could to read as many of your stories that I could, and I must say that you all are amazing!
Secondly, I would like to especially thank a very special reviewer, who over the course of about three days, read through all 12 chapters for the first time and reviewed for each and every chapter! That person is . . . A Biliophile! In gratitude for doing so she get a blue lemonade seahorse.
Thirdly, two people have asked to know what happened when Ginny went to visit Kakashi at the hospital before he woke up, and I whipped a little something up for them, and they enjoyed it, so I decided to leave a little Omake treat for all of you with that little excerpt! I've never done this sort of thing before, but I feel like it could be my treat to all you wonderful and dedicated readers! And please remember, that Ginny has a schoolgirl crush on Kakashi, so I don't want people trying to shoot me down for having a Kaka/Gin pairing. The reason I'm having this is to make it more realistic, because things like this happen all the time, so why not at Hogwarts?
And finally, thank you all reviewers from the past chapter!: Lupanari, Megaolix, Quoth the Fool, sugarcrazedninja, Zetsu's Other Half, Meca Vegeta, actionliker, Ashle, r2d2cool, greengirl6, MadnessLover, candyman123, cardcaptor eternity, Silver Star Celine, UzumaiToba, icedragon54, My Solitude, Cooltony101neo, SongoftheDarquePhoenix, Tsukia13, bored wonder, Harmony909, Lily Yamamoto, The-Sponge-Who-Could-Fly, lidiladilon, pamellka, Uzumaki Naruko14, Lunatic Pandora1, Acara Whitefox, eternal-uchiha, Spirit HellFire, Utena-Puchiko-nyu, Sakuramar, 13kanashii13, xX Naru Fantasy Xx, yuroshima, purplepuppyluver, AvatardsUnite, ArrangeloveMatch, Hailey619, ProfChaos, Sakamoto Michiko, Blazer-of-Heat, A Bibliophile (12!), whiteinu1, Kitty-chan and Nya-chan, zornoid13, Madeline Cullen (2), Flame05, zfgaryw4f5t3r45trf, spiritkiller100, StarDancer1234, DarkAmber112, Jumpingbeans480, Ce-Ce Riddle, kimcat, Moonfayth, and FantomoDrako!
If this chapter couldn't get any more special, I have a 450th reviewer to thank, as well as a 500th reviewer! UzumakiToba gets a batch of chocolate chip cookies and DarkAmber112 gets a hug from Gaara and Kakashi! (They will arrive momentarily)
Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to JK Rowling for creating Harry Potter, the character Harry Potter himself, cardcaptor eternity, and all my SUPER AMAZINGLY FANTASTICAL REVIEWERS and READERS! I luv you all!
Naruto's fame spread like crazy as his story of turning into a naked woman swept across the school. He rather enjoyed it at first (while Gaara thought it a nuisance) but then it became incredibly cumbersome as boy after boy would ask for a demonstration while the girls would glare at him menacingly for being so disrespectful. McGonagall was obviously mortified, and while Dumbledore didn't say anything, his bright blue eyes would twinkle with laughter at the blond foreigner's antics.
With all the popularity and approval of the shinobi, they soon fell into a sense of security that perhaps their "outburst" would be forgotten, but sadly, with the arrival of one person in Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures class, it was clear that the event was not to be locked away in memory just yet.
"Well, well, well . . . this does look like fun." Everyone rotated their attention towards the voice, and mostly to Harry's annoyance, saw Rita Skeeter.
"Who're you?" Hagrid asked after he captured the remaining skrewt. He still remained oblivious to the fact that none of his students were as excited about his lesson as he was.
"Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet reporter," the hag replied. Naruto shuddered at her gold teeth.
"Thought Dumbledore said you weren' allowed inside the school anymore," Hagrid pointed out.
Apparently she didn't hear him and proceeded to be fascinated by the creatures, asking him questions about where they came from, and practically demanded an interview with Hagrid. Gaara noticed the photographer that hovered behind Rita, who appeared incredibly anxious to take pictures of the strange creatures before him.
Once she and Hagrid made arrangements for an interview, she began to leave and then rounded on Naruto, Gaara, and Kakashi, as if noticing them for the first time.
"Oh, so you're the three foreigners." Before they could say anything, she tore out her levitating green pen and notepad.
"Rumor has it," she said, sliding her tongue over her teeth in anticipation. "That you were all involved in a teensy weensy accident a few weeks ago? Something that sent you to the hospital wing? Damaged some school property?"
Before anyone else could respond Gaara stepped forward, arms folded and nodded. "Yeah."
Rita practically beamed. "Would you mind giving a brief recount of the events?"
Gaara curled his lips into a small, dangerous smile that everyone else knew meant trouble. Rita, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice.
"Of course. Wouldn't you like a picture as well? We can pose for it first." The photographer almost jumped for joy, and Rita seemed to have tears in her eyes.
Unsure of what was going on, but trusting Gaara, the three moved awkwardly closer together and blinked furiously at the blinding light of the camera.
"Now, what happened?" Rita asked in a very hushed voice, as if speaking too loud would ruin the moment.
Gaara flashed his demonic grin before replying, "How about a demonstration?" Before she had a chance to blink, Gaara's sand shot out, snatched the camera out of the man's grip, and smothered it in the sand. Then he did the same to her quill and notepad that were levitating in the air. He brought the wrapped devices closer to him, and, sticking out his right outstretched hand, closed his fingers into a fist.
"Sabaku SouShu!" The two balls of sand folded in on themselves, and there was a loud BANG! Smirking, Gaara released the sand, allowing the smoldering debris to fall in front of the gaping reporter.
"Now," Gaara said calmly. "Unless there's anything else you'd like, leave." He narrowed his eyes. "Now."
Rita opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out was something that sounded like a gurgle. Gaara raised his sand again and the duo ran away at a speed so fast Gai-sensei would be proud.
After the initial shock had worn off, all the Gryffindors cheered emphatically, with Naruto thumping Gaara on the back.
"That was bloody brilliant!" Ron exclaimed.
"Gaara! How could you do that?" Hermione asked in horror.
"I just destroyed her pen," he answered coolly, wondering what the problem was. At least he didn't kill her, so in hindsight, he was doing her a huge favor, really.
"She'll buy another one, and then find a way to get back at you!" she responded, clearly distressed.
"You know, she's right mate," Ron admitted. "That witch'll do anything for a story."
"Remember what she said about me?" Harry added.
Naruto shrugged. "Can't say anything worse than what people have said or done in the past," he concluded darkly.
"Besides, we don't live in this world, so as soon as we leave it won't matter what she said," Gaara said with his arms folded.
"S'pose you're right," Ron shrugged. "Let's go to lunch, I'm starving!"
After lunch the group separated, with Harry, Ron, and Naruto going to Divination, and Hermione and Gaara went to Ancient Runes. Ever since his outburst in Divination, the brainy girl had eagerly invited him over to her class, obviously pleased with his actions.
The three friends were concerned however, when Gaara and Hermione weren't at dinner.
"Maybe they're at the library?" Ron suggested hopefully.
To their dismay they only found Victor Krum and his fangirls close by, discussing the best methods on how to get his autograph. The three boys left rather quickly.
Just as they were about to enter the Gryffindor Common Room, Hermione came running through the corridor to their left and slammed to a halt.
"Harry!" she panted. "Harry, you've got to come—you've got to come, the most amazing thing's happened—please—" she pleaded as she yanked on Harry's arm and tried to drag him down the way she came.
"What's the matter?" Harry asked, clearly confused.
"I'll show you when we get there—oh come on, quick—"
The three boys glanced at each other completely bewildered, then Ron shrugged and Harry nodded. Then they took off after Hermione.
"Oh don't mind me!" The Fat Lady called in annoyance at their retreating forms. "Don't apologize for bothering me! I'll just hang here, wide open, until you get back, shall I?"
"Yeah, thanks!" Ron shouted over his shoulder.
Naruto turned around, being the closest, and quickly jogged over and closed the portrait shut, swiftly yet gently.
"Thank you, dear," the Fat Lady said sweetly. She heard gossip from the other portraits concerning the foreigners that wasn't all kind, but she found she had to disagree. From all she saw, the three foreigners were incredibly kind and polite (though obviously reckless and strangely intimidating) especially the blond, Naruto.
Said boy grinned widely, the type of smile that would warn an old woman's heart.
"Oi! Naruto! You comin' or what?" Ron called back, already at the end of the corridor.
Naruto spared a second to see where his friends were then turned back to the portrait.
"See ya," he saluted before speeding off so fast it seemed as if he Apparated and the Fat Lady craned her neck to try and follow him, but being closed now it just wasn't possible.
There was a large gust of wind that flew past the wizard trio, and once it stopped Naruto was calmly jogging at their side, not showing any indication that he had just run the entire length of a corridor in under two seconds.
Just as Ron was about to ask him how he accomplished such a feat, Hermione suddenly stopped in front of a large portrait of a fruit bowl.
"Oh hang on . . . " Harry said slowly, looking back and forth between Hermione and the picture. "I know what this is about."
"What?" Harry gestured to the picture for Ron and realization dawned on his face.
"Hermione! You're trying to rope us into that spew stuff again!" Ron complained.
"It's not spew," Naruto said indignantly. "It's S.P.E.W.!" At his correction Hermione beamed at him with pride while the other boys looked disgusted. Then they tried to dissuade her from tickling the green pear but eventually gave up and resigned themselves for whatever lay in store for them, especially Harry.
As soon as the portrait opened, Naruto was given a mere second to glance at the enormous room with mountains of shiny pots and pans and a huge fireplace on the wall opposite them when something came hurling towards the group, shouting Harry's name. Acting purely on instinct, Naruto jumped in front of Harry to stop the creature and withdrew a kunai that he had embedded within the pockets in his robes.
The creature stopped running barely a breath away from the kunai tip, growled at Naruto, then snapped its fingers and Naruto found himself being sent flying into the wall on his left. His years of shinobi training allowed him to easily rotate his body so he pushed off the wall and charged back towards the wizards and strange creature.
Suddenly he found himself stopped in mid-air by sand curled around his legs, torso, and extended hand with the kunai.
"Impressive Naruto, but there's no need to hurt Dobby." Naruto glanced down and saw Gaara walking towards him, a container of butterbeer in his left hand and his right hand extended, no doubt controlling the sand.
"Eh?" The blond shifted his attention back to the group and saw the strange creature standing in front of Harry and his friends protectively. Now that he got a good look at him, it was the most peculiar creature he'd ever seen. It had large batlike ears, a pointed nose, was probably only three feet tall, and had eyes the size of grapefruits. What was even stranger were the assortment of what Naruto took to be clothing on him.
"Um—Dobby . . . was it?" Naruto asked sheepishly. The creature nodded slowly. "You can put me down now, Gaara!" the genin said in annoyance. Once he was safely on the ground Naruto put his kunai back in its hidden pocket (being careful to avoid Hermione's glare) and walked up to Dobby, who still stared at him warily.
"I apologize for almost attacking you," he said humbly as he bowed. "It was too much of a reflex, and I—"
Whatever Naruto would have said next was drowned out by Dobby's wail. Both the shinobi were immediately confused and tried to locate the source of danger, their senses heightened by chakra. Only the wizards appeared calm.
"Shhhh, it's okay, Dobby," Harry said weakly, trying to pacify the crying House-Elf.
"What's wrong?" Naruto asked in concern.
Dobby looked at Naruto with pure awe and devotion while also seeming incredibly embarrassed. "You—you are a . . . great man . . . just like Harry Potter," he sobbed. "Bow—bowing to a . . . House-Elf like Dobby . . . "
"It's just one of his customs," Hermione cooed softly. "Naruto and Gaara are not from around here, so some of their customs are different than ours. It's his way of showing respect or regret."
Dobby's mouth opened wide and he glanced back at the shinobi as if to ask them to confirm what had just been revealed, and Naruto nodded, only to have himself assaulted by a large hug from Dobby.
"Thank you, sir!" he hiccupped. "If there is anything Dobby can do for you, sir, Dobby would be glad to do it!"
Naruto chuckled and hugged the House-Elf back, patting his head. "Sure! You're my new friend now, Dobby!" The elf beamed at Naruto's smile and glanced at Gaara, who gave him a slight nod. Then Dobby looked around between the two shinobi and the three wizards with tears in his eyes.
"Dobby is so lucky, to have such great friends," he declared. Then he quickly wiped his eyes. "Would Dobby's friends like some tea?" At their nod, six house-elves trotted up to them with silver trays laden with tea, milk, and a large plate of biscuits.
"Great service!" Ron exclaimed as the house-elves bowed in delight before retreating to their duties.
"So, you guys all cook the meals here?" Naruto asked in fascination as he began eating the delicious food.
Dobby nodded vigorously. "The Hogwarts castle is in our care, from cleaning to preparing all the food." (Hermione sighed sadly) "If there is anything you need, sirs, feel free to ask!"
"Oi, Dobby," Naruto whispered, leaning towards the elf, "Could you guys make some ramen?"
"Of course, Naruto, sir!" Dobby beamed, then his face fell. "Excuse me, sir, but what is ramen?" Naruto was momentarily shocked but quickly overcame it and explained his favorite dish to Dobby rapidly, and then some house-elves set to work preparing it.
Then next ten minutes were composed of discussing how Dobby came to work at Hogwarts, and then he led them over to another elf named Winky, who was a pitiful sight. At that time five house-elves came to Naruto and delivered him a large bowl of ramen and another butterbeer for Gaara. Then the two stood next to each other a few feet away from the wizards and two house-elves because the discussion had turned away from matters they understood or (quite frankly) cared about.
Besides, Naruto was eating his ramen so fast he didn't have time to focus on a conversation anyway.
"So, how'd you get here, Gaara?" the blond asked as he began to slow down. The shinobi shrugged.
"I came here with Hermione after our class because she wanted to check something, and we ended up meeting Dobby. They chatted for a few minutes and we both got lunch here, and then she ran off to get you guys while I talked with Dobby." He took a drink of his butterbeer. "They are very interesting creatures, these house-elves."
"They're excellent cooks!" Naruto exclaimed to the delight of the elves who returned to take his bowl and bowed respectfully as he asked for another.
Before long the group of five had to leave, and while they left their pockets were filled with all types of treats, and Naruto was able to get a request for ramen at every meal. The two shinobi were also carrying their own bottle of butterbeer.
The focus of their conversation was on S.P.E.W. until they returned to the dormitory, and everyone but Naruto seemed quite keen to have Hermione go up to her room.
"Would you three pay attention and act your age!" McGonagall shouted. Harry, Ron, and Naruto flinched at the sound of her voice and quickly hid the fake wands they were playing with, trying to feign innocence.
All the fourth-year Gryffindors and above were summoned to a vacant room, and McGonagall had them sit according to gender, with boys on one side and girls on another. The boys eyed the enormous phonograph that Filch was fiddling with nervously. No one had any idea what they were doing there.
"Anyway," she continued in annoyance. She had tried to begin and tell them why they were all gathered there, but the three boys had assumed that since they were so far down the row that the headmistress couldn't see them and the fact that they felt they couldn't care less about what she would say, gave them free reign over what to do.
"The Yule Ball is approaching," she began when she noticed she had everyone's attention, "and as representatives of the host school I expect you all to put your best foot forward, and I mean this literally because the Yule Ball is first and foremost—a dance."
As soon as she ceased speaking the students erupted in a near pandemonium of chatter. The girls gasped and began eagerly whispering back and forth, already making plans about what they'd wear, how they'd do their hair, and most importantly, who they'd want to go with.
The boys however, groaned loudly and some even put their heads in their hands as if hiding would make it all go away. Others just sunk lower into their seats, the overwhelming fear of having to ask the girl they cared about to the dance consuming them, already trying to deal with the anticipated rejection and therefore humiliation.
"Dance?" Naruto asked in confusion. He turned to Harry. "What does she mean by that?"
Harry and Ron gaped at their friend's ignorance and glanced at Gaara, who had the same look of curiosity, though he tried to hide it.
"You guys don't have dances from where you're from?" Ron asked in bewilderment.
"A shinobi lifestyle is filled with training and killing; no time for dances," Gaara remarked honestly, having a bit more knowledge about the meaning of the word than his friend.
Harry gulped at the carefree tone in Gaara's voice. The strange shinobi were no doubt friends of his now, but the way they threw around the subject of death and killing so freely always unnerved him. He then did his best to convey the meaning behind dances to a curious Naruto.
"Silence!" McGonagall commanded. For some reason she didn't look that interested in it herself. "The House of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the Wizarding world for centuries and I will not have you besmirch that respect by behaving like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons!"
"Try saying that five times fast," George whispered to Fred and they spent the next few minutes trying to outdo each other, causing nearby boys to snicker.
"Now, to dance," the headmistress continued, seemingly oblivious to the twin's actions, "is to let the body breath. Inside every girl a secret swan slumbers, longing to burst forth and take flight!" She said this with such poetic conviction that all the boys (and a few girls) could not help but snigger and begin to poke fun at her passionate observation.
"How many decades you wanna bet it's been since McGonagall's swan has been able to 'burst forth'?" Ron whispered to Harry and Naruto, who had to stifle their laughter without much success.
"Inside every boy, a lordly lion prepared to prance." She turned to the red-head, a dangerous look in her eye. "Mr. Weasley?"
"Yes?" Ron immediately regretted opening his mouth and fearfully glanced up at the professor, dreading what would happen next.
"Will you join me please?" she said as she extended out her hand. Ron's eyes bulged and he reluctantly got up, "assisted" by a grinning Harry.
"Now, place your right hand on my waist," she instructed when he came close enough.
"Where?" His horror and disbelief was evident.
"My waist." Ron could have sworn she was hiding a smirk. As he unwillingly put his right hand around her waist, there was a wolf whistle (most likely from one of his brothers) and he made a motion with his right hand that would most likely turn into a rude hand gesture, but McGonagall grabbed it and placed it back on her waist. "And extend your arm," she finished.
"Heeey!" George smirked, raising his eyebrows suggestively at his younger brother.
"Mr. Filch, if you please?" The old man nodded vigorously and struggled with the decrepit machine, then succeeded as soft, crackly music burst forth.
"One, two, three . . . one, two, three," McGonagall began, leading Ron around in circles around the room, "one, two, three . . . "
Once she was satisfied that the students got the basics down, she instructed, "Everybody come together, boys on your feet."
All the girls immediately leapt to their feet, giggling as they did so, while the boys simply sunk further into their seats, staring at the ground, their hands, or ceiling in fascination, not wanting to make eye contact with anyone.
After a few seconds Neville gulped and stood up quickly, as if he were afraid his courage would soon run out, and cautiously asked Hermione to dance. She smiled warmly and obliged.
"I'm not afraid to ask a girl, dattebayo!" Naruto proclaimed, and jumped up to join Neville, asking a beautiful girl who reminded him of Sakura somewhat and asked her to dance.
Betrayed, the boys realized they had to comply (in order to not be considered cowards) so they slowly got off their seats and asked various girls to dance. Gaara, however, backed up into the shadows and was merely content to observe.
The Yule Ball was all that anyone could talk about for the rest of the day, and there was quite a large crowd of Gryffindors discussing it late that night in the common room. George was talking to Lee Jordan when he suddenly stood up and walked over to Ron, who was sitting on the couch next to Harry and Naruto.
"Ron," George began, in a way that everyone knew he was in for trouble. "I've got to say that earlier today I was quite proud of you."
"Really?" Ron asked, not convinced in the least bit. He tried to figure out what his brothers were going to do before it actually happened so he could prepare himself.
"We both are," Fred continued, speaking from one of the chairs. "Your performance with Professor McGonagall was astounding!"
Ron growled at the particular memory, wishing that his brothers would shut up. "You guys are such prats," he mumbled angrily.
"There, there, Ron!" George said in a shocked voice. "We only have your best interests at heart! We know that if it weren't for the rest of us being there, the exchange would have gone a little something like this." He faced Fred and cleared his throat dramatically, willing everyone to quiet down and listen to him.
"Now, place your hand on my waist," George cooed in his best imitation of Professor McGonagall's voice.
"Oh, Minerva!" Fred exclaimed in a high-pitched voice. "I thought you'd never ask!"
Then he leapt off the chair and dreamily put one arm on his brother's waist and the other in George's outstretched hand and the pair began to dramatically parade around the common room to the music of laughter from fellow Gryffindors.
"I've been waiting for this moment for decades!" George continued emphatically. "I've had to sit through all those Weasley boys for generations until you finally showed up!"
"I know how you feel, Minerva," Fred pronounced, drawing his brother closer. "It's been so long, and the moment I met you, I knew that you were the one! Words alone cannot express your beauty!"
By now people were laughing so hard they couldn't breathe, the sole exception being Ron, who was such a deep shade of red Harry thought his friend would burst, but at the moment he was too busily focused on trying to cease laughing long enough to get enough air to his lungs.
Hermione wasn't fairing too well either, and her hands were covering her mouth in a desperate attempt to silence herself. She had held out the longest, but eventually succumbed.
Naruto was simply beside himself, having never laughed this much in his life before. It made him so ecstatic to know that there were others out there that shared his love for comedy, and they were exceptionally good at it. Gaara stared outside in an attempt to distract himself and not embarrass himself by laughing again.
Just as Ron jumped up and was about to utter a long string of curse words Harry was sure his mother would not be proud of, someone started clapping behind them.
Everyone turned around quickly, not understand why they had a bad feeling about the new intruder, and all paled as they realized who it was.
"Quite an entertaining performance, young Mr. Weasley's," McGonagall's stern voice announced as she emerged from a dark archway.
Fred and George were still holding onto each other, completely frozen in place with a small amount of fear on their faces. Ron (if it were possible) turned an even darker shade of red. All the other students felt as if their life was at an end and wanted to flee but felt they couldn't. It was as if Professor McGonagall was emitting some sort of killer intent at them and they were unable to move. Gaara was the only one who didn't seem affected, and quite frankly, looked like he was holding back a smirk, as if he believed they all deserved it.
"I had no idea that my students seemed to think so highly of me," she continued dryly, coming closer and closer, causing the students to practically wilt underneath her suffocating presence.
"But it appears that you Weasley boys are my absolute favorite," the headmistress smirked as she stopped a few feet away from the three boys, two of whom hadn't moved since she arrived.
Then, to the terror of everyone present, (the twins practically whimpered) McGonagall lifted her wand up to her face, yet held it strangely, with two fingers resting vertically against the wand as if she were about to silence them.
She opened her mouth as if to utter a curse, then suddenly disappeared underneath a cloud of smoke and revealed . . . . Kakashi.
There was complete and utter silence for the next few seconds as everyone's brains struggled to grasp what just happened, and Kakashi chuckled, pocketing his wand as he did so.
"You really should have seen the look on your faces," he teased, crossing his arms smugly.
The twins quickly let go of each other while staring at Kakashi with expressions that were a cross between respect and fury, then glanced at each other and with a barely perceptible nod, whipped out their wands and tried to hex him.
As expected, the curses sailed through empty air and collided with the wall in front of them. Before the twins even had a chance to blink they found themselves hanging upside down and Kakashi in front of them, twirling a barely noticeable string around his fingers.
"Did you really think you could pull something over on me?" the jounin taunted. "I'd no sooner pronounce my undying love for the Giant Squid than let you succeed in pranking me."
"Is that a challenge, Kakashi?" Fred gasped, placing a hand on his heart.
"I do believe it is, dear brother," George grinned maliciously.
"We accept your challenge," they said in unison.
The jounin shrugged. "Challenge for you, child's play for me." And with that he yanked on the string and let the boys fall, only to catch them at the last second and flip them right-side up. Now that the excitement was over, all the other students went off to bed, leaving only the shinobi, Harry's group, and the twins.
"Haven't had that much fun in a while," Kakashi chuckled as he sat on the couch next to Naruto. He paused as he looked at all their faces. "So tell me, why Ron was dancing with Professor McGonagall?"
Their good moods slightly dropped. "Because the Yule Ball is coming up," Ron muttered darkly.
"Yule Ball?" Kakashi was confused.
"It's basically this big dance that's done with the other schools and—"
"Da—dance?" The jounin looked absolutely mortified.
"What's wrong, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked. How did he know about dances when he didn't?
The man simply shook his head wearily. "When I was younger, I went on a mission with my team, and learned all about the horrors of a—dance."
"Really? Tell us!" Naruto hardly ever got to hear about his sensei's past, no matter how hard he tried. Kakashi shook his head.
"Oi, you owe us, mate," Fred said sternly.
"Yeah, after that stunt you pulled, you can tell us a little story," George prodded sweetly.
The man frowned, but everyone present began pestering him so he sighed and relented.
"Well, it was during the calm, but tense time just before the war started," he began, drawn back into his memories . . .
"Minato-sensei, remind us why we're doing this again?" Obito complained as they made their way through a large manor. They had just completed their mission, escorting some nobles from the Land of the Moon back home. Because of the threat of war, the traveling nobles had to end their sightseeing journey early and had eagerly requested Konoha's help. Because of the high payment, Sarutobi had thought it best to show their appreciation by sending the infamous Yellow Flash and his team to carry out the job.
The job went relatively smoothly, with only a few skirmishes that were easily defeated by the powerful team, though many attributed it to the fact that the moment any bandits saw the shinobi who were protecting them included the Yellow Flash, they gave up.
"It's to show their gratitude for a safe passage, and it would be incredibly disrespectful to refuse," Minato grinned. Once the caravan had returned, the leader, Yukio, humbly invited them to join in a celebratory ball. Their country was notorious for the nobles to party incessantly, so a dance to commemorate the return of the caravan was no surprise.
"You look quite pleased with yourself, sensei," Kakashi noted dryly.
Minato chuckled. "Well, it's not everyday that a shinobi gets to go to a dance!"
"Is it the dance you're excited for, or the excuse for you to show off in front of the ladies?" Rin teased as she raised an eyebrow, provoking a smirk from Obito and a small smile from Kakashi.
Their sensei waved them off. "The ladies are just a bonus," he lied. "What I'm more excited for is the chance to see my star pupils enjoy themselves at such a lavish celebration!"
"But we don't even know how to dance!" Obito protested.
"It doesn't matter," Kakashi sighed. "You'll just end up making a fool of yourself anyway."
"And why's that, teme?" the genin said hotly.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow and glanced at him reproachfully. "If it's so hard for you to carry out the simple task of walking from one place to the next without tripping over your own two feet, then doing something as complicated as dancing is impossible."
The Uchiha growled and made a lunge for his teammate when Minato caught him around the waist.
"Maa, calm down, Obito," his sensei sighed, all too used to their bickering. "I think the real reason Kashi is being so mean is because he's too afraid of having to dance himself!"
The chuunin's teammates and sensei snickered at this, causing the boy to unwillingly turn a light shade of pink.
"Dancing is stupid!" he remarked. "It serves no useful purpose and it just makes you look like a fool!"
"Is not, Kashi," Rin chided. "Dancing teaches you grace and culture."
"Well said, Rin!" Minato beamed.
"Which is exactly why Obito will fail at it," the boy muttered under his breath.
"Anyway, the dance starts in a few hours, so we need to get settled in, get dressed, and let your ol' sensei teach you some dancing moves!"
Three hours later found three 13-year-olds standing by themselves in an enormous ballroom, abandoned immediately upon their entrance by their beaming sensei whom appeared to have an avalanche of young, beautiful women descend on him almost at once.
The two boys tugged at their obi that lay across their stomach, tied across their kimono. Both were horrified at the outfit they were presented with by their sensei, but because servants were there in the room, they had to disguise their disgust with a look of respectful indifference. The servants were there because it was well known that shinobi didn't attend many formal ceremonies or occasions, so Yukio had ordered that they be assisted in getting prepared.
Rin surprisingly had no trouble getting ready, and she was simply beautiful in the purple spotted kimono she wore, and had a dark, pink obi wrapped firmly around her upper waist. Her normally straight, brown hair was tied back into a bun and an extravagant headdress lay on top of her head. The normal tattooed markings on her face were hidden underneath the traditional makeup and she smelled of sakura blossoms.
Her teammates slightly blushed at her beauty and quietly complimented her on it. No one would be able to suspect she was a tough kunoichi who had seen too much death and violence for one so young looking like that.
Obito's kimono was a rich blue with designs of various, colorful sea creatures threaded throughout, and wore a deep purple obi. It fit along nicely with his dark hair and one of the servant girls who had assisted Rin blushed upon seeing him, which easily raised his spirits.
Kakashi, on the other hand, wore a more simple kimono, with a black background that matched his mask, (he had flat-out refused to remove his blue one, on the grounds that he was severely scarred and did not want to show his face, so Yukio had immediately set out for a black mask for him to wear) and there were numerous silver swirls that lay on top of the dark shade underneath. His obi was light gray.
Their sensei's kimono was by far the most outrageous, but it strangely suited him. The background was white with red and golden flames consuming it. The flames were more centralized near the bottom and the sleeves, and an orange obi was tied tightly around his waist.
Rin was soon asked to dance, leaving the two boys to brood by themselves.
"Soooo, what should we do?" Obito asked warily. The chuunin rolled his eye.
"You're the one who has to ask the girls to dance," he growled. "It's impolite for them to come to you."
"Ooohh," he responded simply, clearly embarrassed. "Well—why don't you ask anyone then?"
"Because it was not my wish to do this in the first place," was the answer.
The Uchiha sighed and peeked at a group of girls nervously, all whom giggled when they met his eyes and held their fans in front of their faces, obviously engaged in furious chatter. Feeling incredibly brave and courageous, Obito left his surly companion and asked the red-haired girl to dance.
Then, as an afterthought, he leaned in to a more boisterous brunette and whispered, "You see the boy over there, in the mask?"
The girl glanced over and nodded, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks despite the amount of white makeup.
"He'd really like to dance with someone as beautiful as you," he cooed. The girl beamed and whispered back.
"Really?"
"Hai," (Obito knew he might pay for this later, but he couldn't resist) "only thing is, he's incredibly shy, so it would be best if you went over there to him." Then he turned to his dance partner and added over his shoulder, "And when you're done, be sure to let your friends know so he won't ever be lonely."
"And so, I spent the rest of the night dancing with all these girls who would come up to me and ask to dance, never allowing me a moments peace," Kakashi concluded, shuddering at the memory. "It was the most terrifying thing I've ever done in my life."
Once he was finished the Weasley twins and Naruto laughed at his predicament, while the rest either sympathized with his horror, or simply sighed.
"Blimey, that Obito bloke seems like a great guy!" George observed.
"Is there any way we could meet him sometime?" Fred asked, clearly impressed by his show of skill in the area the two boys excelled in.
Kakashi paused for a moment before replying, "Not really, he died a few months later by a rock avalanche." The airy tone with which he responded hinted at the fact that story time was over.
"Ahem, well . . . I guess it's time we go to bed then—eh?" Ron announced awkwardly. Everyone rose up at once and tried to shrug off the hidden sorrow with lightheartedness.
"Oh, Harry, what was it that Professor McGonagall asked to speak to you about?" Hermione inquired before they went their separate ways up the stairs.
Harry groaned. In all the excitement he had completely forgotten. "Uh—she said that the, uh . . . champions are going to begin the dance with—with their partners."
"I feel for ya, mate," Ron said in a mock, solemn tone, even though Harry knew he was enjoying himself at Harry's expense.
The two boys then spent the rest of the night discussing which girls were eligible, and eventually succumbed to slumber, all the while dreaming of being with the girl they secretly wished to be with.
So, you like? I really apologize if I butchered any Japanese dancing customs, but I tried to be as vague as possible by not leaving too much detail about how they danced and instead focused on their clothes. I tried to research though, so don't hurt me!
I hope you all forgive me for using another small little detail from the movie, 'cause I really wanted to have that teasing bit in there with Ron. I just couldn't resist! (Neither could Fred and George, they were literally begging me!) I used some lines from the movie and added some of my own, so I give credit to the creators of the Harry Potter Movie IV!
Anyways, I'm really excited because next chapter is all about the Yule Ball and Christmas! Until then . . .
Here's your Omake present! Remember, it takes place during the last chapter, before Kakashi woke up.
Ginny sighed as she stared out across the lake. She felt really awful for the shinobi people, because she knew exactly what it was like to have something possess you, and have that monster make you do things you didn't want to do that were against your will.
She felt as though she should be mad at Naruto for hurting her brother, but she knew he would never have meant to do that on purpose, and Ron was all better now, so there was nothing to worry about.
Then her thoughts drifted over to Kakashi, their sensei—or whatever they called him—and her stomach did an involuntary lurch as if it was doing somersaults. All she remembered was seeing him jump into action to protect everyone, especially his students with such honorable ferocity that she couldn't help but be astonished. Then as she saw him burst from underneath that rubble, looking as if he had wrestled with death himself, the young Weasley girl's heart stopped for a moment, having never seen another human being that injured before.
When his mask was removed in the hospital wing, all she could do was stare, and try to engrain that image in her memory forever. He was the hottest man she had ever laid eyes on, and wondered if that was why he wore the mask. If anything it made him more mysterious, and she felt privileged to be able to have seen his face. Despite the fact that his hair was the weirdest style (and color) she had ever seen, and that scar across his eye looked painful, it somehow seemed to fit him and made him all the more attractive.
However, even though he was younger than she originally thought, he was still too old for her, but Ginny found she could not dispel the feelings she had for him. No matter how hard she tried, she could not stop herself from imagining herself (older and prettier of course) being wrapped up in those muscular arms of his as he gently brushed his fingers through her hair, or him slowly pulling down his mask to let their lips touch . . .
She shook her head as if to rid herself of the images. You better stop that Ginny Weasley, she chided herself. Just think of what you're saying! What would mom say? What would Ron, Fred, and George say? There's no way he'd like you anyway, and he's probably got a wife and children at home, or at least a lover.
Ginny glanced at the reflection of the setting sun in the water's reflection, and saw Kakashi in it. She shrieked in frustration and tossed a rock in, shattering the image.
"That's it, I need to visit him," she muttered to herself.
And so, a few minutes later Ginny was at the entrance to the infirmary, a small vase in hand with a couple bright, yellow flowers delicately arranged. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.
It's okay, all you're doing is bringing him a few flowers—just because you're concerned about him. He hasn't woken up for three days, and he got hurt protecting you and all the other students. It's something anyone would do, she consoled herself.
Pushing open the door, she glanced around and noticed with relief that Naruto and Gaara weren't there, or else that would have made it all the more embarrassing. Naruto probably wouldn't think much of it, but she knew Gaara would be watching her very closely, most likely guessing the reason behind her visit.
"What can I do for you, dear?" Madame Pomphrey asked sweetly.
"Oh—I . . . uh—wanted to give these to Kakashi—so he gets better," she stuttered, wincing slightly as she stumbled over the words. So stupid!
For a fraction of a second a small smirk flashed across Madame Pomphrey's face, but was so quickly replaced by a warm smile that Ginny figured she had to have imagined it.
"Of course, Ginny, I think he would appreciate that." She then turned her attention away from the girl and allowed her the privacy to lay the flowers down herself.
Sighing with relief, Ginny walked to Kakashi's bedside and sat on the adjacent hospital bed. As she gazed at his limp form, she noticed with slight disappointment that his mask was put back on, probably because Madame Pomphrey was too afraid for him to realize that she had removed it. He still had hospital garb on, but his newly patched shinobi clothes were hanging neatly over the small rail at the foot of the bed.
After staring at his peacefully slumbering form, Ginny cleared her throat and shook her head.
"Well—I uh . . . wanted to thank you—for protecting all of us and uh—," she struggled, unsure of what exactly to say. She knew he was asleep in some sort of coma or whatever, but she had always heard that comforting words helped bring a person out of it, and eased their suffering. "We all . . . miss you and hope you get better soon."
Now she got that out of the way, Ginny felt slightly better and more relaxed, so she stood up to place the small vase she had on the little bed stand to his right. Once she set it down where it wouldn't fall, she noticed the headband that he always wore over his injured eye. Picking it up, she held it in her hands gingerly and traced the strange swirl carved into the metal. It was the most peculiar symbol she had ever seen, but she figured it had to do with where they were from or at least a symbol that they were shinobi.
As Ginny inspected the Hitai-ate, Kakashi stirred from his sleep and slowly opened his eyes, but after a quick burst of chakra drain in his left eye closed them again. Shikusho! I always forget about that when I wake up in a— (Here he paused then quickly opened just his right eye and examined his surroundings) hospital, he groaned. Then all the memories came flooding back about Naruto and Gaara transforming because of some strange creature and he shot up in bed, worried for their safety.
There was a loud shriek followed by the sound of glass breaking and Kakashi whipped his head around, hand gripping for a kunai due to sheer reflexes, but came up with nothing. Glancing down he discovered with disdain that he was covered in a fading blue tunic, then his hand immediately went up to his face, but sighed in relief that his mask was still on.
"Y—you're . . . awake?" a small and feeble voice called out. Kakashi's attention snapped to the source of the noise and saw one of the Weasley girls—actually, the only Weasley girl—crouching beside a hospital bed stand, gripping its side for support. Clearly she had found his awakening as surprising as he had.
Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. "Ano—sorry for startling you like that, sometimes my reflexes get the best of me." He then got out of his crouched position and calmly sat on the bed as Ginny crawled out from her hiding spot in between the opposite bed and nightstand.
"Please tell me you don't always wake up like this," the girl teased weakly.
The jounin chuckled. "Only when I don't know where I am." Then he noticed the yellow flowers lying amongst the broken glass and puddle of water. "Oh, I'm sorry—"
"It's okay!" Ginny assured him, albeit a little too quickly. She flicked out her wand and waved it at the mess. "Reparo!" Kakashi watched in amazement as the mess flew up and pieced itself back together safely on the bed stand. It was like watching it fall in reverse. Of course, Kakashi had already learned that spell, it being among the first few he learned while pouring over the wizard books he found in the library, but the abilities of these wizards still fascinated him.
"Are those for me?" he asked in amazement. He had been in hospitals countless times before, and only a choice few (mainly Jiraiya, his sensei, and old team) ever came to say hi or even brought flowers.
"Yes! I—I brought them . . . because I thought it might make your stay a little nicer," Ginny announced sheepishly. Kakashi lifted his eyebrow at this, able to ascertain the real reason behind them, but smiled warmly nonetheless.
"Well that's very thoughtful," he said kindly. "I'm not one for hospitals, so I appreciate the gesture."
Ginny's smile grew and her shoulders relaxed slightly, as if she had been on guard ever since she walked in.
"You're welcome!" she said brightly. "Now, I guess I'll leave you to change before Madame Pomphrey comes then."
Kakashi nodded and looked up at the curtains that lay near his bedside and stood up to pull them around his bed so he could change in privacy.
Once the curtains were fully drawn, Ginny glanced around for any sign of Madame Pomphrey, and upon finding her in her office sprinted out of the hospital wing, eager to let the others know of Kakashi's condition, and her mood considerably lighter and she felt as if someone had cast a Cheering Charm on her.
The hospitalized jounin put on his clothes as fast as he could, yet slower than he would have liked because of his still healing ribs, then yanked the curtains back so he could escape, but lo and behold his way was blocked by a smirking Madame Pomphrey.
"Now, where were you off to?" she asked dangerously, in a tone that Kakashi had only heard Tsunade use on her patients.
Kuso! Kakashi swore mentally. I knew I should have transported out of here!
All right, hope you all enjoyed that and thank you all so much again! It's been a very enjoyable year! :)