"Chakara? What's that?" Draco asked, he was always curious in class as well, though he asked questions when he thought no one was looking or listening.
"That's one the of the things I can't explain. Give it a couple of months and you can ask Harry." Naruto said standing up. "Alright, I have a hebi to catch!" Naruto said.
"A what? Do you have a lead on the heir or something, is it really a Slytherin? Hebi is snake in Japanese right?" Draco asked with a hopeful expression that made Naruto sad he didn't have one exactly.
"Not that kind of snake, you see there is another shinobi among us, this one used to be a team mate of mine until he turned traitor and joined the Snake Sannin Orochimaru. You could say he's our version of your Voldemort -Draco winces- only worse cause he's not dead yet." Naruto lifted up his shirt and showed Draco the hole in his chest. "This is where he shoved his bear hand through my chest trying to kill me because I was trying to stop him from leaving. I considered him a brother, but he longs for power and he doesn't care how he gets it. He's here some where right now spying and probably sending information back to his 'master' about this school. I need to stop him and pray Orochimaru doesn't take an interest in magic." Naruto said hanging his head and shaking it at the thought.
"If he's really as bad as the Dark Lord then I hope some one stops him soon, I wouldn't want another snake obsessed dark lord rising up and tainting the name of Slytherin anymore. They say most death eaters were Slytherins, but that's not true only a forth of them were, the rest were either Ravenclaw or Gryffindors that agreed with the Dark Lords views. Hufflepuffs tend to be too open minded, though they usually are the only house that will even sort of defend us." Draco said.
"You know you should try and get along with Gryffindor more, it could save you guys a lot of trouble in the future. Yeah it'll take them a while to fully trust you, but in the end it will save Slytherin's name from being tarnished so much." Naruto said, Draco nodded.
"A Gryffindor and a Slytherin getting along are about as good as the chance of Duel Monsters being real, which by the way is what this dragon looks like, can't remember the name of it though... don't tell anyone I said that, but I learned of it when my father met with some muggle CEO, his little brother was obsessively talking about it and the game looked kind of fun, like wizards chess or something..." Draco mused for a second before shaking it off. "But I would never really be allowed to get into it, the few cards the boy gave me, mother burned when her house elf found them. I hope these gifts don't meet the same fate." Malfoy said with true concern, it looked as if another thing was bothering Malfoy.
"Just leave them here over the summer, then she wont be able to get to them. But you look like you want to ask something." Naruto said.
"Well, yes I do. You told me back shortly after we first met that your home treated you badly, do they know you're a ninja, is that why they treat you so badly?" Malfoy asked, he could see how a wizard community would frown on that.
"No, almost every on in our village is either shinobi, retired shinobi or civilians who run shops and things. You see the Yondaime Hokage, the Fourth Hokage, sealed away a great evil demon inside of new born who's umbilical cord had just been cut to save our home, sacrificing himself for his precious people. Just before dyeing, he asked that this child be seen as a hero for being the jinchuuriki, container, and keeping the village safe with his own body. Instead those that had lost loved ones and fought in that great battle saw the boy as nothing more then the demon it's self. So then Sandaime Hokage, the previous Hokage who came out of retirement when his successor died, issued a law that the villagers who witnessed the battle and knew of the truth were never to speak of it again, especially to the boy least they be charged with treason so that the younger generations wouldn't be bare the same hatred." Naruto explained sitting back down then shifting to get more comfortable on his bed.
"You were that boy weren't you? You aren't a demon are you? I mean you don't look that scary." Malfoy said, his tone wasn't fearful but curious.
"I'm not exactly. I went thirteen years with out knowing what I really was. Then during a battle against an enemy on a mission, I thought a friend had been killed, the one I now hunt by the way. I freaked out, went berserk and tapped into the demon's power. The demon's power co-exists with me, the seal the Yondaime Hokage used is more like a strainer. Say you strain pasta from boiling water, the water would be the power, released from the strainer where ever the strainer directs it to, but the pasta which is the body of th demon remains in the strainer no matter how hard it tries to get out. But even that isn't an accurate description, because that power can physically change me. Unlike the strainer, my body wasn't made to strain that much power, it's more like the water from the pasta is acid, there isn't a noticeable change when the acid first starts coming out, but after time it slowly expands and warps those wholes, but once the strainer is gone desolved, the pasta is too... do you understand what I'm saying?" Naruto asked, he sighed folding the paper and placing it in his pocket. This was going to take longer then he thought.
"It think I do, are you trying to say that it's slowly killing you faster? Wait, that's an oxymoron, I mean that you're dyeing and the demon will too?" Malfoy asked, concern marring his face.
"I would be, if the demon in me hadn't changed my body recently to adapt to that power. That's why I said I'm not a demon exactly, but I'm still the me I always was and will always be, it doesn't change my personality." Naruto said with a shrug.
"Good enough for me, it's nice to get to know a little more about you, you know. You're all surrounded with mystery and everything, we know you but know nothing about you. Potter's the same way, I might not like him, but even father notices how malnourished he looks. I admit that he looks better now then at the beginning of the year, much better then last year, but when he came back from summer I could really tell. I'd blame it on growth spurts, but he really hasn't gotten much taller, do you think it's possible his family treats him badly?" Malfoy asked, Naruto could tell this was awkward for Malfoy to talk about. Kami forbid he show concern for the 'enemy'.
"I would stake my life on it. Our mission ends when school ends. Kakashi Sensei gave him a way to keep in touch with us via port key, but as far as protecting him from his relatives, Kakashi Sensei said there's nothing we could do. He said that Harry didn't want to leave because of something called bloodwards, but Kakashi Sensei wouldn't say much more then that. So I researched bloodwards and with what I found, from a tactical stand point if Voldemort -Draco winces again- were to come back or some other big bad wanted him, he would be completely safe in that house." Naruto said, Malfoy's eyes widened when he heard the term blood ward.
"Our mansion has one, only people who share the same blood are protected by the ward. Outsiders can't find you as long as you remain in the ward, they also can't step foot on the grounds with the intention to hurt some one in side. Potter's actually making a smart move by staying with in the confines of the bloodward, he's completely safe for as long as he's there." Draco said musing over the pros and cons of Harry's situation. Naruto stood once more, pulling the paper from his pocket and heading for the door.
"Huh, Naruto, I know you said you were going hebi hunting, but it's past curfew now and you'll get in trouble for being out after hours." Malfoy said.
"Even if I get caught, which wont happen unless I want it to or I royally screw up, I wont get in trouble. Hired guard remember, no one's going to question why I'm out of bed." Naruto said, Malfoy made the 'Oh' motion before standing.
"Can I come? I mean it wouldn't hurt to have a extra set of eyes and I can be quite sneaky when I want to be... plus I really want to wear my new outfit around for a while... can't do it during the day with out my cloak, like you said." Malfoy said with a pleading look.
"I'm tempted to say no and just knock you out so you can't fallow me, but you're right. I'm no very good at guessing wizarding behavior, you might be able to point something out that I miss, but as of right now I'm just bugging some places I know first years hang out. So I don't see the harm in you following me." Naruto said, opening the door.
"First years? Isn't this guy supposed to be your team mate? Is he that much younger then you?" Malfoy whispered as they walked.
"No, but we can create illusions to make our selves look like anyone, younger, older, animals, inanimate objects, we can even do a little bit of invisibility, but it's hard to use and waists a large amount of energy. It's kind of like your pollyjuice potion only better, it's one of the jutsu I taught Harry." Naruto whispered back, whispering wasn't necessary because he couldn't sense anyone in the area, but it wouldn't hurt to be cautious.
"That could be handy, so Harry could be pretending to be you at the moment and I wouldn't know it." Malfoy mused giving Naruto a once over.
"No he can't, not exactly anyway, he still needs practice with it. He's getting closer though. He can tell you the rest of the jutsu later, it's too risky for me to talk about it right now." Naruto said as they approached a place near Ravenclaw tower were Ravenclaw first years usually hung out. Naruto jumped, clinging to the wall and placed a winking surveillance camera that Fred and Gorge sold him, just like the twins promised it sunk into the wall and vanished form sight.
"That was cool. How did you do that?" Malfoy asked when Naruto landed silently beside him.
"Fred and Gorge invented them, they're like muggle surveillance camera's only better and they hide them selves." Naruto said, he knew what Malfoy wanted to know, but this got that explanation out of the way first.
"Not that, though that is awesome as well, the wall thing, it was like you were stuck to it." Malfoy whispered with excitement.
"Chakara, it's another thing you can learn from Harry after we're gone. Now come along, I've got many stops to make." Naruto whispered and took off at a fairly speedy pace, it made him proud that Malfoy could keep up with the pace without much effort.
The next day Harry had yet another run in with Gilderoy, Harry and Ron had seen spiders making their way to the forbidden forest earlier, waiting for every one to leave dinner while sitting on his invisibility cloak was nerve racking. The thought of he's clumsy friend following him into the forbidden forest wasn't much help, he couldn't use his abilities in front of Ron unless it was life or death. Why he kept bringing Ron was beyond him, but he was his best friend and who knows, he might need his help at some point like last year...
It was hard work maneuvering Ron out of the castle past the teachers and Kisame who was on patrol. At one point he could have sworn Kisame looked right at them, but Mr. Sinky Fish Face must have not cared enough that his charges were sneaking out. In fact he probably thought it amusing. It made no difference as they stepped onto the moonlit grounds.
"Coarse." Said Ron abruptly as they made their way toward Hagrid's hut. "We might get to the forest and there's nothing to follow, if you ask me they weren't headed in that direction..." He trailed off hopefully, Harry shook his head.
"No Ron, I'm sure that's where they were headed, now come on." Harry said pushing open Hagrid's door, the place was dark and grim, if not down right creepy with out the cheery game's keeper around. Harry placed his invisibility cloak on Hagrid's table, they wouldn't need it in the forest and he didn't want to chance loosing it by some chance. Calling to Fang, who had been alone for the most part all this time bound to Harry's side as they made their way into the forbidden forest, Ron was startled when Fang's nose brushed his hand and Harry almost wanted to laugh when something ahead moved. Before they could make out what it was a bright light blared through the trees, Harry and Ron began to run and stumble toward the light, Harry had a pretty good idea what the light was.
"Look it's Dad's car! Being in the forest has turned it wild, look." Ron said, the car was all beaten up, one of the doors didn't close right, but there it sat. "And here I thought it was lost." Ron said walking up to it and patting it like a pet. The hairs on the back of Harry's neck stood on end, the sudden overwhelming feeling of danger told him they were surrounded. Something long and hairy grabbed Ron before he could shout a warning, his concern for his friend left him open and something grabbed him as well.
What ever had them carried them deeper into the forest, clicking told Harry that there were others, lots of others around them. They entered a clearing where the moon and stars lit the forest floor to a scene that made Harry's blood run cold. Spiders, not just any spiders, horse size spiders that surround every inch of the very large clearing. Harry and Ron were roughly dropped the spider holing him made a clicking noise but Harry managed to make out words, it was speaking.
"Aragog!" The spider yelled at the center. From the dome shaped spider web crawled an elephant sized spider. It had gray on it's back and it's eyes a milky white, possibly blind, but Naruto had mentioned a clan of ninja that had white eyes and their eye sight was better then normal humans. That was discounted with the giant spider's response after the rapid clicked questions and answer of what was going on.
"Is it Hagrid?" Aragog asked after the spider said that it was men. Harry knew that if the gigantic spider before them could see, he need not ask if it were Hagrid.
"Strangers." The spider clicked, Aragog ordered him to kill Harry and Ron.
"We're friends of Hagrid's!" Harry shouted, thinking on his toes for a way to avoid fighting these things, he doubted he could protect himself from so many, let alone himself and Ron. Aragog questioned why they were there, stating Hagrid had never sent anyone to him before. Harry explained Hagrid was in trouble, he explained that the people at the school thought it was Hagrid who had sicked the monster from the chamber of secrets on the students. Aragog told of how Hagrid had come to find him, raise him, how they thought it was he who come from the chamber and killed that girl in the bathroom, but clarified that he wasn't the monster.
"Do you know what killed that girl, what the monster in the chamber of secrets is?" Harry asked, their situation was looking better for the moment, something at the edges of Harry's sense told him to stay alert which he obliged, he wasn't going to take any chances.
"The thing that lives in the castle is an ancient creature, a creature that we spiders fear above all else. I can remember begging Hagrid to let me go when I sensed it moving about in the castle." Aragog said, his voice drifting, lost in fearful memories.
"But what is it?" Harry asked, he knew he was pushing his luck.
"We do not speak of it! I never told Hagrid no matter how many times he asked me." Aragog said. Harry felt that they wouldn't get anymore out of the giant spider so he tried to leave politely at first. That's when all hell broke out, it was like a Typhoon struck and the pelting rain was replaced with giant spiders.
Harry grabbed the collar of Ron's shirt and almost literally dragged him at break neck speeds to the car. Ron managed to stumble to his feet long enough to dive in the car, Fang already cowering in the back seat. Harry had one foot in the car and a hand on the door when one of them grabbed him, the force of the lurch nearly knocked the wind from him. With more grace then he thought he possibly ever could muster, Harry twisted from the spider's grip and landed cat like on all fours, kunai sliding smoothly into his hand form his sleeve. He drove the kunai into one of the spider's eyes, a horrible screech filled the area that seem to super charge the other spiders. Harry waisted no time diving into the car, shouting accio kunai once he was safely planted behind the driver's seat.
The car took off on it's own once Harry had the door closed, kunai still clutched in hand while gripping the steering wheel for dear life. They shot up the hill from the spiders nest and when they landed Harry felt a sharp pain deep in his chest near his shoulder. When the car finally smoothed out enough for him to be able to look, the kunai was half imbedded in his chest, too high for vital organs he deduced, he had studied the book Professor Uchiha had given well. But a few centimeters closer to his arm pit with how deep it went it might have nicked an artery, though Harry wasn't completely sure. He pulled the kunai out before Ron caught sight of it, placing it back in his robes so he couldn't accidently hurt himself again, his black clothing would hide the wound until he could tend to it.
When the car finally broke the tree line it waisted no time depositing Harry and Ron roughly out onto the grass, Fang trotting out and back to Hagrid's door like he was the hero of this little adventure. Harry covertly put pressure on the wound, it was bleeding pretty badly, but not enough to cause Harry to panic just yet. Ron moving stiff neck stood then rushed over to the pumpkin patch to be violently sick. Harry patted the car in thanks and it took off back into the forest once more. Harry wondered if he'd ever see the car again as he made his way into Hagrid's hut to get the invisibility cloak, Fang dove in and curled up in his basket, exhausted from their trip into the forest. Ron was leaning on the scare crow post panting and shaking a little but looking slightly better.
"Follow the spiders he says." Ron grumbled venomly. "I'll never forgive Hagrid. We're lucky to still be alive!" Ron growled, for being so queazy looking he sure sounded like he could fight at the moment.
"Don't be that way Ron, I bet he thought Aragog wouldn't hurt friends of his." Harry said tiredly and with as much soothing tone as he could muster.
"Exactly! He's always making monsters out to be not as bad as they seem. Look where that's gotten him! A cell in Azkaban. And what did we learn from going in there? Nothing! That's what!" Ron said, anger, left over adrenalin and the cold causing his body to shake.
"That Hagrid's innocent, that's what! And that Aragog wasn't the monster." Harry said, Ron snorted obviously thinking hatching a giant spider and raising it didn't count as innocent. It hurt Ron could be so cruel talking about Hagrid, near death experience or not, it was uncalled for. But the thought Hagrid was defiantly innocent and that it wasn't even an accident made him happy. This meant Riddle had caught the wrong person.
They made their way back to the Gryffindor tower in silence, Ron stiffly crawled into bed, immediately falling asleep. Harry patched up his wound, it hadn't been too bad, double checking where it was with the book, before butter fly bandaging it, then placing another larger bandage over that. He pulled his ninja clothes off, putting them away after muttering a reparo to the few cuts on them and pulled on his pajama's. It was taking him for ever to fall asleep, he couldn't stop thinking about who the heir could be, then something Aragog had said made him bolt up right.
"Ron. Pts, Ron." Harry whispered. Ron sat up groggily and grumbled angrily.
"Ron, I just thought of something. Remember that girl Aragog said they found in the bathroom dead, what if, what if she never left that bathroom." Harry said to Ron in excited whisper.
"You don't think, not Moaning Myrtle?" Ron asked, Harry nodded excitedly, Ron grunted and rolled over going back to sleep.
Naruto had crossed off every first year name as potential Sasuke's by breakfast time, shadow clones patrolling by the hundreds. He was done with second years by lunch time, it didn't make any sense for him to be one of the upper years who had been there a long time and every one knew pretty well... so who did that leave? He banished his clones, he was running out of time, but he was tired and exhausted.
Naruto moved with some other fifth year Slytherins to his next class as they passed Gilderoy leading second year Gryffindors, he caught Harry agreeing with Gilderoy on something which was odd. Naruto slipped to the back of his group then followed the direction Gilderoy's group was headed. When he caught up to the group Gilderoy was no where to be seen, nor was Harry and Ron for that matter. He followed the only other hall they could have taken, it was in the direction of the infirmary and the lavatories, then onto some of their other classes. With a burst of speed Naruto caught up to the two in seconds, they weren't moving fast but they weren't strolling either.
"Hey, where you guy's headed?" Naruto asked startling the two boys, they were about to answer when McGonagall stepped out of one of the rooms.
"Two Gryffindors and... a Slytherin? What are you boys doing in the halls and where's your teacher?" McGonagall asked, Ron began stammering but Harry answered, keeping his words calm so as to not answer too quickly.
"We were on are way to the infirmary to see Hermione and tell her the good news, Naruto heard us and asked Raven to watch us so he could go see Sakura as well... we haven't gone to see them in a while and..." Harry said softly, hanging his head sadly, for a split second they thought it hadn't worked, but then McGonagall took in a breath and sighed shakily.
"Of coarse, I can understand..." McGonagall said her tone soft for once. "Where's Raven then?" McGonagall asked, her tone returning to normal.