Hello! I really want to apologize for taking such a freakin' long time to update, but life has been really crappy for me lately and inspiration for this story has been hard to come by (though I luv this story more than anything!!) and I want to put my best work out there for you guys because I truly appreciate you all so much.
Anyway, before I want to thank those who reviewed, I want to let you all know something—THERE IS GOING TO BE A NEW NARUTO MOVIE IN AUGUST ENTITLED "NARUTO SHIPPUDEN 3: INHERITORS OF THE WILL OF FIRE" AND IT WILL BE CENTERED ON KAKASHI! Please go to my profile to learn more information.
Reviewers? Gotta luv ya! SutaakiHitori, KatonRyuuka, Lupanari, MichaelTheUchiha, Madeline Cullen, hokage of dragon, Megaolix, Sonia120462, SongoftheDarquePhoenix, Magestig20, Utena-Puchiko-nyu, darthgamer, Jumpingbeans480, Moonfayth, MadnessLover, Kakashifangirlnumber1000, Shai Neko, romantiscue, Fox Loves Shinigami, Harrharr, LazyNerd, moonray9, cardcaptor eternity, AvatardsUnite MM, dragoncrazy247, kyuubilord, the true elec, DarkRavie (2), candyman123, X59, Orihime-San, lambastic, evil-step-sister, kimcat, kitcat, hugglestheknowitall, geetac, Belrevan, Namikazelil, Sakamoto Michiko, Kurotakai, stars among dust (9), KakashiKrazed, atem4ever (11), dark0anglez, pamellka, landmonster (2), sarahSADISTIC, sugarcrazedninja, das boot, nice, 6tailedninja, SumireMayonaka (18!), Lord Perle, PedroCullenBloomTM, bored wonder, Little Kunai (14!), and DarcSlayer!
Oh, and SumireMayonaka was the 900th reviewer! Hurray! She also went through and reviewed all 18 chapters, so she gets two requests! Her first request was to see how Gaara changed from the chuunin exams, and for her second one she's still thinking. Here's a cookie to tide you over! Thanks!
And as always, here is a great big thanks and some homemade cookies to my beta cardcaptor eternity!
Like I said before, this is when things with Voldemort start building up so please enjoy!
QUICK NOTE: Before I forget, I know a lot of you were displeased with my portrayal of Philosophical!Kyuubi in chapter 11 when Harry gets thrust into Naruto's consciousness and meets Kyuubi and I have fixed it! I didn't like it too much myself, and I've spent a lot of time thinking on how to fix it and I've finally come up with the answer—DELETE IT ALL!! Yes, I just went and deleted the whole 700 word exchange because it just didn't fit. I was, however, still able to keep the little foreshadow/spoiler effect I wanted so I connected the storylines with this phrase:
"There was silence after that, with Harry not really knowing how to continue. He couldn't imagine how horrible it would be to have something so evil inside of you, something you never wanted in the first place and were afraid of having it consume you. He was just glad it wasn't him."
Also (sorry for the massive amount of notes, but a two month update can do that to you) iAlly has done it again with her amazing art and has created a FLASH for the previous chapter with Kakashi and his super amazing colored hair—courtesy of our favorite little genin.
http: //ially. deviantart. com/art/ Rainbow-Hair- 116203154
(If for some reason this doesn't work for you I have the link in my profile!)
"My head feels like it's going to explode!" Ron cried, burying his face into his hands.
"Oh, grow up," Hermione sighed. "This can't be worse than schoolwork." The three of them were currently studying in the Gryffindor common room while the rest of the school was outside enjoying the sunshine. "For you at least," she added in an undertone.
"You're right!" Ron's demeanor brightened slightly.
"Besides, you're not the one who has to remember all this stuff," Harry grumbled. As much as he enjoyed learning more spells, the stress was starting to get to him. Right now he was tied with Cedric so this task would be the difference between losing and winning. Despite his earlier reluctance to entering the tournament, now that he was involved no matter what Harry couldn't help but imagine the taste of victory.
"Break?" Ron suggested hopefully.
"Honestly," Hermione chided. "How do you ever get anything done, Ronald?"
"Magic," he said smugly. Hermione rolled her eyes while Harry chuckled.
"Working hard?" The three wizards turned towards the source of the noise and were surprised to see Kakashi standing there, a stack of books in hand.
"What are those for?" Ron asked.
"Oh these? I thought I'd teach Naruto and Gaara some more about the magical world—things they haven't been taught already in their classes." Kakashi shifted his grip on the pile of books and the one on top fell to the ground. "Oops."
Harry bent down to pick up the book for Kakashi and was drawn to the title, Hexes Your Mother Wouldn't Want You To Know.
"Kakashi . . . is this from the Restricted Section?" Harry asked tentatively. Its current dilapidated condition reminded him of all the other books he had seen there.
"That? Yes—since I'm not a student I don't need permission to check out books, much to Madame Pince's dismay," he chuckled. Harry tried to return the book to Kakashi but the jounin shook his head.
"I've already got too many books—maybe you can find something useful in it?" Kakashi said offhandedly. He smirked at Harry's shocked expression and continued on his way towards the boy's dormitory.
"I hope he doesn't get in trouble for that," Hermione said.
Ron rolled his eyes. "Oh please, Hermione! No one else will know." He stared at the book with a hungry gaze. "Let's see what it says!"
It was all too soon for the morning of the Third Task. Harry woke up with an odd combination of dread and excitement, leaving him slightly dazed. His fears were slightly abated at the good luck note he received from Sirius—a muddy paw print.
"You get that from Snuffles?" Naruto asked. He peered over Harry's shoulder.
"Huh? Yeah," Harry said, a small smile forming on his face.
Naruto grinned and opened his mouth to say something but whatever he had to say was drowned out by Hermione's outburst. She had just picked up the Daily Prophet and spat out her pumpkin juice all over the cover.
"What?"
"Huh? Oh—nothing!" Hermione said quickly, shoving the paper out of sight. Naruto snatched it out of her grasp easily and he and Ron stared at the headline.
"No way. Not today. That old cow." Ron looked disgusted at the paper.
"What?" said Harry. He was getting irritated at being in the dark. "Rita Skeeter again?"
"No," Naruto said before putting it out of sight just like Hermione. Before Harry could demand to see the paper Malfoy shouted across the Great Hall.
"Hey, Potter! Potter! How's your head? You feeling all right? Sure you're not going to go berserk on us?" Harry frowned, unsure of what Malfoy could possibly mean but once he noticed the copy of the Daily Prophet in his hand he could make a pretty good guess.
"Give it to me," Harry demanded. Ron, Hermione, and Naruto exchanged nervous glances before Naruto reluctantly passed over the newsprint.
Naruto watched Harry's alternating emotions with sadness. He had only been able to read "Harry Potter" and "Dangerous" in the headline, but he was able to get the gist of what it was saying. From what he had heard, the wizard was quite used to that sort of thing, but on the day of the Third Task Harry needed all the confidence and courage he could muster. The article was sure not to help.
"Gone off me a bit, hasn't she?" said Harry dryly as he folded up the paper.
As the three wizards discussed Rita Skeeter, Naruto focused on his breakfast (ramen and toast) and thought about the upcoming task. Kakashi had informed them earlier about what type of creatures they should expect in the maze, and they had spent the better half of last night making sure the creatures were properly situated. There were a lot of fascinating creatures.
Kakashi had brought an armload of books from the library earlier that week that were full of information about the types of animals that they would be dealing with. The jounin had been assured that the handling would be simple and nothing to worry about, but he had wanted to take precautions. He had told them that, whenever they could, a shinobi should be as prepared as possible.
The most helpful book had been Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, though the other books he brought from the Restricted Section provided more detailed descriptions about the more dangerous ones, like the Blast-Ended Skrewt and Griffin. It had certainly been an interesting night.
When the wizards from the Magical Creature Department arrived near the maze, there were three shinobi waiting for them.
"Are you the help that Dumbledore sent?" A large, burly man with a neatly trimmed black beard stepped forward to meet the shinobi. Judging by his physique and numerous scars that littered his body the shinobi could tell that he had been in the magical creature business for a number of years.
Kakashi nodded. "He apologizes for not being able to be here at this time but his attention has been drawn elsewhere at the moment. I have a detailed map of where each creature is supposed to stay though." He waved it around for emphasis.
The leader grunted. He and the rest of his men then glanced at Naruto and Gaara with skeptical expressions.
"Oh you don't need to worry about them," Kakashi chuckled. "I assure you they won't cause any trouble." Naruto glanced up and scowled at his sensei who simply smiled in return. Gaara sighed and folded his arms. He hated it when people underestimated the both of them.
The leader and his men glanced at each other for a second and then shrugged. "Bring 'em out."
Naruto gasped while Gaara's eyes widened at the sight of all the creatures, despite their previous knowledge of them. There were fire crabs, a sphinx, doxy, pixies, enormous Blast-Ended Skrewts, large spiders that looked like the ones they battled in the forest, an Erumpent, a Graphorn, Kneazle, and Griffin. Even Kakashi found himself staring in awe at the strange yet glorious creatures. The leader watched them in amusement.
"Beauts, aren't they?" The man was pleased as the three nodded in agreement. As far as he was concerned, they passed his test. Most people would have taken one look and ran, but these guys—even the kids—stood their ground and actually seemed to be enjoying themselves. That—or they were just plain stupid.
"Now, each animal has their own set of special precautions we need to take," the leader began. "For instance, the ones that can fly will need a magical barrier erected around them that will prevent them from escaping, yet it needs to be nearly invisible and allow easy passage of humans. For some, they need . . . "
Naruto was simply beside himself with all the wonderful and exciting creatures. If only his world had animals like these! He knew that if the wizards knew of their enormous, mountain-sized summons that could talk they would probably say the same thing, but no matter. The blonde was assigned to help with the Erumpent. It reminded him of a rhino. From his readings, it came from a place called Africa, and the horn on its head could pierce through almost anything while it released a deadly fluid. Despite this the animal was actually quite tame, yet a warning was given not to provoke it, or the consequences would be deadly.
Naruto reached out tentatively and stroked the animal's hide. It was gray and the skin was very rough, seeing as how it could repel curses. To his surprise, the creature leaned in closer to him as if it wanted him to pet it more. One of the men noticed Naruto's astonished reaction and chuckled.
"This one's name is Alfred, and you're lucky he ain't a girl."
"Why?"
The tall man leaned in closely, "Because it's the females you want to look out for. They're the nastiest of the bunch and wouldn't let you touch them. Seem like any women you know?" he chuckled, lightly elbowing Naruto in the ribs. The genin thought back to Sakura and Tsunade and found he had to agree.
At that moment Gaara was escorting a pack of fire crabs. There were six in all and Gaara pitied whoever came upon them. Since the fire was emitted from the rear, they didn't really have any blind spots. The only exception was from above or below, yet Gaara had a feeling none of the wizards would be able to jump that high or be able to use a simple earth jutsu. What fascinated him were their jeweled shells, and the employee with him was explaining the origins of their unique backside. His name was Justin and he was more of a boy than a man. Gaara guessed his age to be just under Kakashi's, and he appeared to have Naruto's enthusiasm. It suited Gaara just fine though—seeing as how he'd rather listen than talk anyway.
Suddenly the ground shook and the two glanced towards the source to meet a terrifying sight. Somehow, the Graphorn was going crazy and it was all everyone could do to prevent the other animals from escaping as well. The European creature charged through, his two, sharp horns in front of him like a bull and his purple, humped back making him seem all the more crazed. Those who could spare a few moments from trying to contain their own creatures tried desperately to subdue him, but their spells bounced right back off, due to the fact that it had a hide tougher than a dragon.
Gaara got into a ready stance to meet the creature head on and he spread out his hands while commanding his sand to come forth to his aid. Suddenly he was thrust to the side.
"Stay out of this kid!" Justin yelled. "Make sure those crabs don't set the place on fire and leave this to me!"
The Suna shinobi highly doubted that he would have much trouble with the beast, but seeing as how Justin was an expert, Gaara figured it might be best to listen to him. His sand quickly encircled the fire crabs and Gaara made sure that the other workers (who were currently staring at him with comical, stunned expressions) weren't in the way, the Jinchuuriki trapped the fire crabs in a protective dome. Even if they tried to blast their way out it would take them a while.
A loud scream and sickening sound of bones cracking interrupted his thoughts and Gaara spun around. Justin was lying on the ground, some blood already pooling underneath him from a large gash across his stomach and Gaara could tell there were a few ribs broken. The Graphorn looked to be preparing for another attack, and Gaara knew Justin wouldn't survive it. Without thinking, he leapt in front of Justin protectively and brought up a sand shield just before the creature struck.
As Gaara's heels dug into the earth while he struggled with the brute strength of the animal five times his size, Gaara found himself slightly surprised at his actions. Less than a year ago, Gaara would have let the man die on account of his own foolishness and would have only tangled with the creature if it directly confronted him. Now, here he was putting himself into danger for a person he barely knew. Naruto must have had a greater effect on him than he thought.
Gaara grunted from exertion as his shield broke from the pressure but before the animal could come more than a few feet closer, the genin reformed the sand to shackle the Graphorn's limbs. If only he had stronger minerals in his sand his shield would have held. As the Graphorn struggled with its new chains and Gaara struggled to keep them from breaking, the redhead noted with relief that Kakashi and Naruto were able to jump onto the animal's back and stab it with some type of needle.
It took quite a few seconds for the desired effect, and the only reason Kakashi and Naruto were able to stay on the thrashing animal was because they practically glued themselves to it with chakra. Only when the Graphorn didn't move for a full minute did Gaara release his sand. His shoulders heaved with slight exhaustion as his sand went back into his specially made robe.
"Thank you for your help," the leader said. He wiped his brow in relief. "We've discovered a very unique potion and needle to be able to subdue them, but as you can tell, with the soft spots being on a very specific spot on its hump—the actual delivery is more a dream than practical idea."
After making sure the fire crabs were being handled by the other men, Gaara turned his attention towards Justin.
"How are you feeling?" he asked as he knelt down beside him to inspect the injuries. Gaara always felt it was rather a ridiculous question to ask—of course the person you just watched get skewered by the enemy nin's senbon needles was feeling like a pin cushion and was most likely going to pass out from the pain any second—but it just seemed the natural thing to say.
Justin let out a chuckle that resulted in a small coughing fit with blood trickling down his chin. "Better than it could have been," he joked dryly. He smiled at Gaara. "Thanks, kid." Gaara simply nodded as he wiped away some of the blood so the wounds on his chest would be more easily visible. "Sorry about your clothes though." Gaara blinked and glanced down to see what Justin was talking about, and noticed that they were stained with Justin's blood.
Gaara shrugged and said without thinking, "I've seen worse." And it was true—before the chuunin exam and when he found himself in somewhat of a frenzy, Gaara had gleefully been drenched in more blood than most could stomach.
The worker looked shocked for a moment, then winced as Kakashi tightly wrapped his chest with bandages. The jounin nodded at Gaara, signaling he would take over and the genin stepped back to be next to Naruto.
"Whatever you're teaching these kids," Justin remarked through clenched teeth, "it sure works. I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you guys. Thanks." Naruto flashed a half-smile, obviously concerned for the man's well being while Gaara gave a tiny smile. Kakashi responded with a final tug on the bandages that nearly sent Justin into unconsciousness.
"You're welcome," the jounin smiled. "I must say I'm not going to envy the pain you'll feel when you wake up." After Justin's eyes rolled into the back of his head Kakashi gingerly picked him up and created a kage bunshin.
"Please take this man to Madame Pomfrey," he instructed before handing over the bandaged man. "And be careful!" he added in what seemed to be a scolding tone. The clone just rolled his eyes, muttering about the original's eccentric behavior before disappearing.
Kakashi dusted off his hands and turned to the shocked men before him. "So—shall we continue?"
"Where did Hermione go?" Breakfast was almost over as Kakashi made his way over to the Gryffindor group.
"She ran off to the library, muttering like a nutter," Ron sighed. "I never know what gets into that girl. Anyway, it's time for us to get to Binns' class. See ya, Harry!" Ron gave a small wave as he, Naruto, and Gaara left the table. Naruto grumbled about stupid written exams as they walked.
"Did you know that I once passed a written exam without writing anything down at all?" he boasted.
"Only because the test wasn't really about the answers in the first place," Gaara pointed out. "And I highly doubt a ghost professor is going to be testing your ability to cheat."
Naruto paled. He never particularly enjoyed Binns' class in the first place, him being a ghost and all. The first day of class with the man resulted in a highly amusing chase down the hallway as Gaara tried to calm his friend down. The redhead had eventually been able to convince the blonde to sit in the very back of the class, near the door. Seeing as how the professor never really left the spot at the front of the classroom just beside his desk was probably the only reason Naruto was able to sit in the room without bolting.
"Besides," Ron pointed out, "you don't even have to be a ninja to cheat in Binns' exams if you wanted to. The old man probably wouldn't even notice. There are times that I think he's just a moving picture that teaches like a broken record." Both shinobi stared at him in confusion and Ron slapped his forehead upon realizing he set himself up for a long explanation about what a "broken record" meant.
Kakashi chuckled at the three boys who were disappearing from sight. "Must be nice not having to take any exams," he said cheerfully.
"I'm not complaining," Harry smirked.
"So do you want to spar or read some more of your books?" Harry stared at Kakashi in excitement. He had only sparred with the jounin once before and while it was obvious he was centuries beyond the man, it was still a thrilling experience.
"Really? Then—"
"Potter!" The two watched as McGonagall made her way over to them. "The champions are congregating in the chamber of the Great Hall after breakfast," she said.
"But the task's not 'til tonight!" Harry exclaimed. There was no way he could have missed something as important at that! Kakashi seemed just as surprised.
"I'm aware of that, Potter," McGonagall sighed. Harry had trouble deciding if she were amused or irritated by his comment. Most likely both. "The champions' families are invited to watch the final task, you know. This is simply a chance for you to greet them." Then she left.
"Do you have any relatives that I didn't know about?" Kakashi asked, puzzled.
"No, I swear." Harry was equally confused. "There's no way the Dursleys are here. They'd rather walk into a cave of bloodthirsty animals than set foot in such a magical place."
"Then why—" The two were interrupted by Cedric's shout.
"Harry, come on, they're waiting for you!" Harry frowned and glanced at Kakashi who simply shrugged. Slightly curious but nonetheless puzzled, Harry decided to follow Cedric into the chamber with Kakashi right behind him. First he saw Cedric with his parents, then Krum with his father who looked just like him with his hooked nose, then Fleur and her sister with their mother. The two young girls waved to him and Harry waved back. Soon he found whom Cedric was referring to and grinned widely.
"Surprise!" Mrs. Weasley said excitedly as Harry made his way over to them. "Thought we'd come and watch you, Harry!" She bent down and kissed him on the cheek.
"You all right?" asked Bill, grinning as well. He shook Harry's hand and Harry briefly noted how large they were. "Charlie wanted to come, but he couldn't get time off. He said you were incredible against the Horntail."
Kakashi watched Harry interact with two people who were undoubtedly related to Ron and Ginny with a smile. He knew the boy had a strong friendship with the two Weasley kids and now it was evident he was a part of the family. I'll just leave them be, he thought. Now that he had some free time he might as well see how the creatures in the maze were doing and then go train some more.
After giving a tour around the castle, Harry, Bill, and Mrs. Weasley returned to the Great Hall for lunch.
"Mum—Bill!" Ron exclaimed, looking stunned as they joined the Gryffindor table. "What're you doing here?"
"Come to watch Harry in the last task!" said Mrs. Weasley brightly. "I must say, it makes a lovely change, not having to cook. And who are your friends?" Ron could tell his mother was struggling to sound cheery as she examined Naruto and Gaara, her pursed lips obviously disapproving of their choice of hairstyle.
Ron gulped, hoping things didn't turn out the way he thought they would. The Rita Skeeter article matter hadn't been exactly resolved—or discussed for that matter. "Uh . . . t-this is Naruto, and Gaara—and then that's Kakashi," he introduced as the man made his way over to them. Judging by the astonished and red-faced expression on his mother's face, Ron had a right to be worried.
"What are they doing here?!" she demanded as she yanked her son closer to her. "I thought they would have been banished from the school! Dumbledore sent me a letter saying everything was taken care of and all right—but I had always assumed it meant they were gone!"
Kakashi and Gaara were able to school their expressions into one of neutrality, but Naruto failed. His hands were clenched at his side and he stared at the ground. He knew Ron's mother was just being protective of her own son, but it still hurt.
"Lemme go!" Ron protested, struggling in his mother's grasp. When she finally released him, he walked over to the shinobi trio, putting himself in between them and his mother. The three shinobi watched in amazement as Hermione and Harry did the same, unable to mask their surprise.
"While most of what Rita Skeeter said was true, she was wrong about them being monsters," Ron said. "These guys are my friends and they've looked out for us and I don't want you treating them that way."
Bill appeared surprisingly proud of his younger brother while Mrs. Weasley just gaped at Ron, rendered speechless. Harry stepped forward, determined to help his friend and shift some of the anger onto him.
"Mrs. Weasley—we understand how you feel, but you do know how Rita is. Kakashi has agreed to protect me, and Naruto and Gaara have been helping Ron and Hermione prepare me for the tasks! Ron has made the decision that he can trust them, as well as Dumbledore. Don't you think that means they're deserving of another chance?"
Hermione and Ron smiled and the shinobi had to be impressed with Harry's logic. From what they had seen about people's opinions about Dumbledore it was obvious that he was as respected as a Hokage, and now it appeared his judgments carried as much weight.
"I . . . I-I must apologize," Mrs. Weasley stammered, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I just—"
"It's all right, Mrs. Weasley," Kakashi cut in. "You were concerned for your son's safety which any good mother would." At this he bowed slightly while Naruto and Gaara followed suit. Mrs. Weasley blushed harder.
"Hey guys! Hey Ginny!" Bill called out, sensing a need to break the awkward situation. Fred, George, and Ginny glanced up in surprise at their brother's voice and quickly ran over, excited to see him and their mother.
"I see mum hasn't been able to chop your hair off yet," Fred teased, swatting Bill's hair playfully.
"Though I'm pretty sure she's tried," George chuckled as he clapped his older brother on the back.
"And uh—" Mrs. Weasley whispered to Harry. "There's nothing going on between you and uh—" Harry followed her gaze to rest on Hermione. She was shaking her head at something Ron was saying. From what he could tell it was about how he had created names for various trolls in his History of Magic exam.
"Absolutely nothing," Harry said firmly. This seemed to put Mrs. Weasley at ease.
"That is a beautiful shirt you have on Hermione!" The young girl looked to Mrs. Weasley in confusion, obviously recalling the small egg she received for Easter. Harry gave her a small nod and Hermione beamed back.
"Why—thank you, Mrs. Weasley!"
It was finally time for the evening feast. The staff table was more crowded than usual, and Kakashi found himself next to Ludo Bagman who liked to chat too much for the jounin's taste. Due to his mask, Kakashi was unable to eat leisurely and tried to tune out what the energetic man was saying to him. Kakashi found himself desperately waiting for the time that he could start going over to the maze.
Meanwhile, Naruto and Gaara were being harassed by Gryffindors who were curious as to what would exactly be in the maze.
"So what sort of creatures are in there?"
"Any really, really dangerous ones?"
"Idiot! This is the third and final task! Of course there are dangerous creatures!"
Naruto smirked. He was enjoying the attention. "Sorry guys—that would be against my orders," he said dramatically. "But I can tell you this—" (he leaned in closer and the curious group of boys leaned in as well) "—you would wet your pants at the sight of them and run home to your mommies!" The younger and more gullible boys gasped in horror while the others snorted.
Harry picked at his food, not really in the mood to eat too much. The upcoming task weighed too heavily on his mind and he couldn't shake the feeling that it would be a lot tougher than he thought it would be, like most things were. Finally the time came for the end of the feast and the young wizard awaited Dumbledore's instructions with eagerness.
"Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch field for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Would the champions please follow Mr. Bagman and the guards down to the stadium now."
"All right, come on, Harry!" Naruto grabbed Harry and pulled him away from the table. He made sure to give the wizard one of his biggest smiles, in the hope that it would help ease some of the worry on his face. The young genin had overheard Kakashi talk about how his enthusiasm was quite catchy and he figured he could put it to good use. While the creatures in the maze weren't entirely S-rank material, the boy needed his head on straight to survive some of them.
"Okay, okay, I'm coming, Naruto," Harry chuckled. Naruto smirked. Success!
"Now, remember to have a firm stance and keep your eye on the enemy at all times when fighting," Naruto instructed. He held up a finger for emphasis the way he had seen Iruka-sensei do on more than one occasion. "Always be on the lookout for the enemy and never let your guard down."
Harry sighed. "Of course, sensei," he teased. There was no way he could forget those key points, seeing as how Naruto and Gaara had practically beat that into him over their numerous training sessions—quite literally in fact. He had the bruises to prove it.
Naruto seemed to perk up at the title given to him and he walked a little taller. "Be sure that you do. I don't want to have to drag your sorry self out of the maze."
"You won't have to. I promise."
After what felt like centuries later, the small stadium was filled with energetic spectators while the tournament council and champions were huddled near the entrance to the maze.
"Naruto, Gaara, and myself will be patrolling the outside of the maze," Kakashi began. "If you get into trouble and want to be rescued, send red sparks into the air, and one of us will come and get you. Do you understand? It will result in an immediate forfeit." All the champions nodded.
"Off you go then!" Bagman said brightly. Kakashi nodded and the three shinobi body-flickered away to the awe of some of the unsuspecting spectators who had been watching the small discussion.
The shinobi each took their respective positions on the maze hedge and stood patiently while events went underway. Soon the whistle pierced through the air and it was Harry and Cedric's turn to enter the maze. Naruto could hear some of the various animals rustling around in response to the whistle, but other than that they stayed put in their designated areas.
Just when Naruto felt like his hopes for some excitement were about to be dashed, there was a very loud scream, and it sound like it came from Fleur.
"Did you hear that?" Naruto talked into his mike in concern. Normally, electronic devices such as those wouldn't work at Hogwarts, but Kakashi had blended magic and a jutsu to allow them to work for a few hours, seeing as how it would be the most effective way for them to communicate.
"Naruto, I think that even those weak wizard ears in the stadiums could hear that," Kakashi said sarcastically, the quality of his voice somewhat dimmed due to magical interference.
"She doesn't seem to be moving," Gaara cut in. "Naruto—since you're the closest you should see how she's doing."
The blonde nodded, then realized it wouldn't be seen. "Right." He was near Fleur in seconds with his kunai poised against any attack. Sensing none, he crept closer to the girl and examined her. She seemed to be breathing normally, though there was a large bump on her head and a lot of cuts and bruises all over her arms and legs. She was quite close to the fire crab area, and something must have happened. He could sense faint traces of Krum's magic, though most likely it meant that he had passed through this area recently.
Naruto tried to shake the young girl but she barely stirred. He pulled back an eyelid and decided that she could be suffering from a concussion.
"How is she?" Kakashi asked.
The blonde genin glanced back towards the fire crabs who were inching closer and closer, steam issuing from their nostrils, and their jeweled shells glistening in the pale light. He bit his lip and sighed. "I think I need to pull her out."
"Are you absolutely sure?" Kakashi would have to deal with Madame Maxime if this were not a life or death situation.
"I'm positive. If I leave her here then the fire crabs will roast her alive. I think she has a concussion." Naruto could hear faint swearing on Kakashi's end and would have smirked if he didn't feel so bad for the girl. She had already been unable to finish the second race—what would this setback do to her? As Naruto scooped the older girl into his arms though, he figured her life meant more than her pride.
"I made sure a medic team will be standing by to meet you at the entrance."
Sure enough, the moment Naruto landed on the ground in front of the maze, Fleur was snatched out of his hands by a frantic Madame Pomfrey. She was muttering something about stupid tasks that marred perfectly healthy children for no reason. Fleur's family and headmaster were staying just out of the nurse's reach, worry clearly etched on their faces.
Knowing that Fleur was in good hands, Naruto disappeared to resume his post. Not long after, red sparks flew into the air near Kakashi.
"I got this one," he informed the genin. He found the boy lying on the ground unconscious. He sniffed the air and found Harry and Cedric's scents, both quite fresh. So they must have sent up the sparks, but why? He could have sworn he heard the word Crucio a few moments before the red sparks were shown, but that couldn't be right—could it? Did Krum really use an Unforgiveable Curse?
"Who is it?" Kakashi could hear the concern in Naruto's voice.
"It's Krum this time." The jounin could hear the gasps coming from both ends, and he had to admit he was surprised himself. Of all people to be eliminated—Krum just didn't seem to be one of them.
"He gave up?" Gaara asked.
"No, he is unconscious like Fleur yet I suspect he was stupefied." He lowered his voice. "I have a feeling that there is more to this than meets the eye. I think someone is interfering with this task, so I want both of you to start trailing Harry. I will bring Krum back and then make sure none of the animals have been magically altered in any way."
"Understood," the two genin said in unison. Both were uneasy as they body-flickered near Harry's position together.
"Do you really think someone's trying to kill Harry?" Naruto asked in concern. Gaara shrugged. Assassination attempts were quite old news to him.
"From what he's told us and what we've seen—it's quite possible."
"What do you think is going on down there?" Naruto asked. They could sense Harry and Cedric talking to one another.
"It's very strange," Gaara admitted. "Maybe—" He and Naruto spun around and held out some kunai defensively.
"Put those blasted things away," Moody said gruffly, coming into view. The shinobi visibly relaxed, though Gaara seemed more reluctant to do so.
"I thought we were the only ones with authorization to be here," he said skeptically.
The scarred professor snorted. "Don't worry—orders from Dumbledore. Kakashi came back with Krum, saying that something didn't seem right. Since Kakashi wanted to check up on the animals, I've been sent to make sure you have everything you need and see if I could be of help. Dark Wizards are my specialty you know."
There was silence as Gaara pondered this explanation until he nodded. "So far nothing else has happened, and while we appreciate your offer, we don't need any help." Moody shrugged.
"Hell if I care. Oh, by the way . . . " He reached into his coat pocket and withdrew two small coins. "These are from Dumbledore—magical coins to allow you to talk back and forth with him since he doesn't have one of those mechanical things." The professor tossed them to the shinobi and they caught them before turning them over in their hands curiously, not noticing Moody glancing at his watch apprehensively.
"Well—I've got to go, seeing as how I'm not allowed to be here," he chuckled. "Carry on." The man left quite abruptly, leaving two bewildered genin.
"How are we supposed to use these?" Naruto asked in frustration. He examined it closely. "They don't look any different than normal coins!"
"There is definitely some strong magic here," Gaara muttered. "Though it doesn't help us figure out how to use them."
"I'll call Kakashi-sensei," Naruto decided. He pushed the appropriate button and waited for Kakashi's signal, but he was met with static. "Kakashi-sensei? Come in, Kakashi-sensei!" No response.
"Mine must be broken or something. Try yours." Gaara nodded and did the same, yet he got the same response.
"I don't think that both of our devices would stop working on their own," Gaara said. "And Kakashi's spell was supposed to work for hours and I doubt he made a mistake."
"Do you think something happened to him?"
"I think he'll be—" The shinobi glanced up and Naruto swore.
"Harry!" Naruto clenched his coin tightly. How could the boy have slipped through their fingers so easily? Without a word the two took off. "Where did he go? One moment he's there—and the next he's not!"
"Cedric is gone, too," Gaara said quietly. Within seconds they reached where the trophy was supposed to be, but it was gone, along with the two that were standing next to it moments before.
"This is really bad," Naruto whimpered. "Whoever has been messing with this tournament finally has Harry!"
"We need to reach Kakashi," Gaara said quickly. "It's clear that whoever took Harry might have also interfered with our communication devices so we need to get to him as quickly as possible."
Just then the coins lit up and started to vibrate. Naruto and Gaara looked at each other in confusion, then glanced at their coin, waiting for Dumbledore's voice to come through and be able to inform him of the situation. However, when the two genin felt a strange tug at their navel and it seemed as if their bodies were being sucked through a straw, they knew they were in trouble.
The moment Kakashi sensed Harry and Cedric disappear, he knew there was something terribly wrong. It felt as if they had Disapparated, yet that would be impossible on the school grounds, especially since the wards had not been lifted. No—they must have been taken through other means. A Portkey, perhaps? But how? How could both boys disappear at the same exact moment?
The trophy! Somehow, they must have gotten there at the same time and wanted to take it together, seeing as how it would still be a Hogwarts victory. As Kakashi raced towards the center of the maze he mentally berated himself.
How could he have been so stupid! The trophy was one of the last places he would think to look for something sinister—which made it all the more imperative that he did! If Harry died because of his lack in judgment Kakashi didn't know what he would do. He was so sick and tired of that seeming to be a common trend among those he got close to.
"Come in, Naruto . . . Gaara . . . come in." When he was met with static Kakashi swore loudly. He knew for a fact that the devices should last for another hour, so something must have been interfering with it. The tactic was a wise one, he had to admit. Cut off communication between your foes. It didn't matter though—in moments he would be right beside them and they would be able to discuss——
Kakashi actually lost his footing and fell to the ground in the middle of the doxy section. As the creatures swarmed and attacked his body the jounin weakly swatted them away before jumping back out of their grasp. He was able to easily pass through the magical barrier on top and he fell to his knees on the top of the large ledge. The jounin's breath came out in shallow rasps as his brain struggled to process the information.
Naruto and Gaara had disappeared as well.
How was that possible?! After all the precautions they'd taken, after all the worry and trouble and training—they were still taken! That made a total of four people who were in the hands of whomever was behind all the nefarious events. Kakashi easily placed the blame on himself and clenched his fists in anger at his inability to protect four young boys. If any of them died . . . he didn't know what he'd do.
Harry was obviously the one everyone in the Wizarding World looked up to, so what would happen if he was taken away? How could he face Hermione, Ron, and all the Weasleys and anyone else the boy called a friend? What about Cedric? What about Naruto? How could he face Sakura or Tsunade or Jiraiya or any of the people Naruto had been able to push his way into their hearts? How could he face Temari or Kankurou—Gaara's siblings—and let them know he failed to protect someone they were beginning to see as more than the terror their father had forced them to see?
No . . . he would not do it. Kakashi stood up tall and took off toward the center of the maze with such a speed that would make Gai cry with happiness. There was still time and Kakashi was prepared to fight until his last breath to make sure the boys made it safely home.
When he arrived at the scene his suspicions about the trophy proved true, and the amount of lingering magic was so thick Kakashi could almost touch it. Whoever took them brought them a long distance from the school. Hopefully . . .
Kakashi immediately set to work. It would prove a little tricky, but he was sure he would be able to figure it out. He closed his eyes and let his chakra flow off him like thin tendrils, probing for information from the surrounding magic. Once he got what information he needed, Kakashi opened his eyes and began drawing a few rapid runes in a simple circular pattern on the ground with his blood. Since the trail was still fresh, the jounin was able to gather enough magical information about where the four were heading, and he planned to use it.
Satisfied with his somewhat hasty but nonetheless effective preparation, Kakashi made a few quick and calculated hand signs, slammed his cut finger on the ground, and yelled, "Reverse Summoning!" The ground lit up in a bright mixture of his blue chakra with what he supposed to be white magic. He smiled—it had worked. He was able to hold onto the position with his "magic side" and propel himself towards it with his chakra.
Just as the jutsu/spell was about to finish, Kakashi was vaguely aware of a swift motion near his side accompanied by a sharp pain in his right shoulder. Before he could do anything though, his unique jutsu/spell was completed and he felt the world spin underneath him. He would have to solve that puzzle after he was dragged to wherever the missing boys had disappeared to.
"Mad-Eye Moody" simply stared at the vacant space where Kakashi had stood just moments before, then glanced at his right hand. He chuckled as he tucked the empty syringe in one of his many coat pockets. The man shifted his gaze upwards towards the stars.
"That should even the playing field for you, my Lord," Moody mumbled.
Ahhhh, cliffhangers. How I luv thee. XD
Anyway, what does Voldemort have in store for our beloved shinobi? Find out next chapter in The Graveyard. (original—I know) If all goes well I should have another chapter out by the end of the month! Preview for next chapter:
Kakashi's eyes widened in alarm as he saw Naruto and Gaara slowly being killed, and one thought ran through his mind, I must protect my comrades.
Regarding Mrs. Weasley's introduction—don't get me wrong, I totally luv her but I realized I had neglected her reaction to the article (what mother wouldn't be worried?) so this was the perfect chance for me to fix my mistake.