Castle Guards: A Naruto, Harry Potter crossover
Castle Guards: A Naruto, Harry Potter crossover
By Ammie Hawk
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Harry Potter (sigh), only in my dreams right
AN: I've decided to put up all the chapters I have written, true I only got one review, but it's more than I've ever got on a story before, so here's more of the story. I hope you enjoy.
This is more like a warning, in this chapter and later ones I use sections from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, it's just to keep track of where they are in the book and how Harry feels about certain things, I'm not claiming any credit for those sections, just borrowing them to help my story.
Japanese: "Blah."
Kyuubi talking to Naruto: "Blah."
Chapter 2: First Impressions
Naruto jumped down the stairs, landing cat-like before the door Dumbledore had opened earlier. He reached out a trembling hand to the doorknob. Not that he was nervous, far from it actually, he was excited. This mission was just what he needed at this point. Not only did he get to spend time with his squad and Sakura, but Gaara and his siblings were there was well. And maybe, just maybe, this mission would be the one to stop his regret. And he, he was gonna be the fucking Hokage, damn it, he had a right to be excited, it had been his dream since before he could remember.
"Naruto!"
"Shit," he muttered under his breath, placing his hand over his now frantically beating heart. "Damn it, Kiba, don't sneak up on me like that."
"Oh come on," the dog boy grinned, revealing his fang like eye-teeth, "as if we'd let you come in here alone and ruin all our reputations before school even started. And hey, I thought you were an ANBU."
"Don't start, Kiba, I was just thinking about something," Naruto growled.
"Ah," Kiba placed his hand reassuringly on the blonde's shoulder. "I understand."
All the shinobi present knew that Naruto's 'something' was actually the one mission he failed or the Kyuubi. None of them really knew how to talk to him about those things either, so when he was like that they usually just let him brood on it for awhile and then he'd return to his usual bubbly self.
Suddenly, from behind them, they heard the door handle jiggle as it was unlatched. The two turned instinctively, hands dropping to the pouches attached to the back of their belts, searching for kunai.
"I'll be back in a moment," they heard a woman's voice. "I'm just going to see if the new transfer students would like to join us, or if they'd rather just go up to their rooms like the others."
"Actually, we're here to join you," Naruto popped his head around the door, his headband glinting in the firelight. "Or at least two of us are. Oh, no, wait, here come the others."
"Oh, you gave me such a fright, dear," the red headed woman who had opened the door placed her hand on her bosom, right over her heart.
"Sorry," the blonde grinned sheepishly, with his hand rubbing the back of his neck. "Well since we're here now, I'll start the introductions. I'm Naruto Uzumaki, this mutt is Kiba Inuzuka, pinky there is Sakura Haruno, the silent one beside her is Neji Hyuuga, the other silent bug is Shino Aburame, and that's Kankuro, Temari, and Gaara Sabaku."
"I'm Molly Weasley," the red headed woman extended her hand, but when the shinobi showed no sign of recognizing the gesture, quickly withdrew it. "I'm sure the others will introduce themselves as you mingle. Make yourselves at home. Oh, and there's food over on the table along the far wall."
Naruto and Kiba shared a grin and made their way over to the aforementioned table. The two boys each grabbed a plate and loaded them up.
"Wow," a red headed boy said as he eyed their full plates. "Looks like you two are hungry, and I thought I could eat. I'm Ron by the way, Ron Weasley."
"Naruto."
"Kiba."
Suddenly, a nose appeared at the top of Kiba's jacket, sniffing the air anxiously. Ron jumped about a foot in the air at the sight.
"WHAT IS THAT?!" he practically screamed, pointing at the nose, and drawing everyone's attention to him and the two ninja.
"Oh, that's Akamaru," Kiba unzipped his jacket till it was halfway undone and the pup's head appeared.
"He's so cute!" squealed the two young witches in the room as they came over to ogle the puppy.
"He's not cute!" Kiba growled as he placed Akamaru on his head and out of their reach. "He's a fierce fighting machine."
Akamaru yipped happily at his new vantage point. The other ninja laughed at the dog shinobi's indignation. At their laughter the other people in the room returned to what they were doing.
"So what're your names?" Naruto looked at the two girls curiously.
"Ginny Weasley," the redhead smiled, trying to coax the puppy down with a piece of chicken.
"Hermione Granger," the brunette turned her attention from the dog to the blonde. "So where are you guys from?"
"Ko…" Kiba elbowed Naruto in the side. "Japan. Damn it Kiba, it's not like it'll hurt anything."
"I understand," Hermione smiled. "The rivalry between wizarding schools is great, it would be best that we just know the country, though I do commend you on your command of the English language."
"Huh?" both ninja looked at her confused.
"You used big words didn't you?" the pink haired kunoichi summed up the situation expertly. "You have to excuse these two, Naruto is known as the number one hyperactive, knucklehead of our village, and Kiba would be ranked number two. I'm Sakura, by the way."
"Hermione," she smiled. "What are those things on your heads? And how did your English become so good?"
"Those are our headbands, noting what village we come from," Sakura shrugged. "And Dumbledore placed a spell on us, to help us fit in."
"How do you know what he did, Sakura?" Naruto asked incredulously.
"I was told of this mission months ago, and have been doing extensive research on it, just follow my lead, okay?" emerald eyes rolled in annoyance. "Anyway, I hope I get put into Gryffindor House, I've read a lot about the different Houses, and I think it's by far the best."
"Oh," Hermione was taken aback. "I didn't realize you were going to be sorted this year. What year are you guys in anyway?"
"Fifth," Gaara arrived on the scene, his headband wrapped around his upper arm.
Hermione, Ginny, and Ron all took a step back from the stoic redhead. They didn't know why but he made them nervous.
"Oh, don't mind Gaara," Naruto threw his arms around the Kazekage's shoulders. "He's a bit rough around the edges but once ya get to know him you'll find he's quite the softy."
"S-s-so y-you're from another village then?" Hermione stuttered out, noting the different insignia on the Kazekage's band.
"Yes," he shrugged off Naruto's arm and headed for the door. "I'm going to the roof."
"I don't know if he can do that," Hermione bit her lip and then took off after the redhead.
"Well, it was nice to meet you guys," Naruto smiled at Ron and Ginny. "I think I'm gonna go upstairs now and find my room."
"Naruto…" Sakura placed a hand on his arm, sensing something wrong with her former teammate.
"I'm fine, Sakura," he gave her a reassuring look that didn't quite reach his eyes.
He headed toward the door, his mind suddenly on something else. Before he had gone ten steps, however, he ran into someone.
"Sorry about that, I wasn't watching where I was going," he stopped and helped the black haired, bespectacled boy right himself.
"It's my fault," the boy smiled, showing he was alright. "I wasn't exactly paying attention to where I was going either."
"I'm Naruto, by the way," the blonde beamed.
"Harry, Harry Potter," he extended his hand. Naruto raised a questioning brow. "You shake it," Harry explained. "It's the customary greeting when meeting someone new."
"Oh," Naruto nodded and grabbed Harry's hand and shook his whole arm enthusiastically. "In our country we bow, this is a bit more personal though, I like it."
"So are you enjoying the party?" Harry asked, finally reclaiming his arm.
"It's not bad," the blonde chuckled. "Though I was just about to go upstairs and crash for the night, it's kinda been a long day."
"I hear that," Harry nodded.
"You wanna come upstairs with me? I'll probably be pretty boring at the moment, cause I'm tired, but I wouldn't mind the company."
"I… um…" the wizard was seriously considering the offer.
"You all right, Potter?" growled a man beside them.
"I'm gonna go," Naruto bowed and left the two wizards behind.
He made it to the landing when he sensed someone behind him. He turned and blue eyes locked with pale silver.
"What do you need, Neji?" he sighed, his exhaustion showing.
"I'm not one for parties," the Hyuuga prodigy shrugged.
"Yeah it's kinda hard to picture you letting loose," the blonde chuckled.
"Are you alright, Naruto?" the brunette's eyes narrowed slightly in concern.
"I'm fine," he shook his head. "Why do people keep asking me that?"
"It could be because of the exhaustion written all over your face, or, if one knows where to look, the sorrow," Neji said matter-of-factly.
"Sorrow?" Naruto scoffed.
"It was not your fault, you know," Neji placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Stop blaming yourself, you are a great shinobi and leader, no one doubts this. You get this way at the beginning of any long mission."
"Hey, you guys all right?" a voice asked from behind them.
"Yeah," Naruto whipped around, his hand instinctively flying to his kunai pouch, as Neji dropped his hand.
"Do you guys hear someone crying?" the brunette's pale eyes narrowed, trying to draw attention away from his captain's actions.
Harry looked around. Someone was sobbing in the drawing room.
"Hello?" Harry said.
There was no answer but the sobbing continued. He climbed the remaining stairs two at a time, walked across the landing, with Naruto and Neji hot on his heels, and opened the drawing-room door.
Someone was cowering against the dark wall, her wand in her hand, her whole body shaking with sobs. Sprawled on the dusty old carpet in a patch of moonlight, clearly dead, was Ron.
"What the…" a kunai sprang into the blonde shinobi's hand faster than Harry could blink. Naruto took a defensive stance in front of Harry, his blue eyes darting around the room, trying to catch the intruder. "Damn it!"
"Mrs. Weasley?" Harry croaked.
"R-r-riddikulus!" Mrs. Weasley sobbed, pointing her shaking wand at Ron's body.
Crack.
Ron's body turned into Bill's, spread-eagle on his back, his eyes wide open and empty. Mrs. Weasley sobbed harder than ever.
Naruto jumped and landed about a foot to the left of Harry. 'What's going on here? This is weird. First I thought we'd failed the mission cause Ron was dead, but now…'
"This is strange," a voice answered within his mind. "I've never seen anything like it before."
'I didn't ask you, Kyuubi.'
"Some sort of genjutsu, it seems," Neji muttered in his captain's ear. "Though I'm not sure what kind."
"I could've told you that, brat," the Kyuubi sneered.
Naruto, ignoring the fox, looked at his friend and noticed the signs of his kekkei genkai. He turned his attention back to the thing on the floor. It was still transforming, finally coming to a stop on Harry's figure.
"Mrs. Weasley, just get out of here!" shouted Harry, starting down at his own dead body on the floor. "Let someone else—"
"What needs done, Harry?" Naruto asked urgently.
"What's going on?" someone said at the same time.
Naruto and Neji stepped to the corner, letting the three grown wizards who had come in handle the situation, as they seemed to know what to do. A good sign of an ANBU, if someone else can handle it better, let them. Once Mrs. Weasley was calmed down Harry, Naruto, and Neji headed up the stairs together.
"Sorry, I know this is probably a stupid question," the blonde chuckled nervously, "but what the hell was that thing?"
"Huh?" Harry looked at him confused. "You've never heard of a boggart before?"
"Musta missed it," Naruto smiled, and Neji nodded in agreement.
"Well, a boggart is a shape-shifter," the wizard explained. "It takes the shape of whatever the person facing it fears the most."
"So, I take it that Mrs. Weasley is scared of her family dying," the blonde sighed. "I don't blame her. But she should buck up and face it, death happens. It's a natural part of life, if you can't learn to accept it and move on, then you'll be forever vulnerable. Not that I want anyone to die," he felt the need to explain himself to the wizard. "I would hate it if my friends or someone close to me died, but I would remember the good times." His face took on a slight whimsical expression, as if remembering something. "Yeah, remember the good times, never let them go. Let the bad times just slip your mind."
"Sounds like someone should take their own advice," Neji scowled.
"I follow that advice every day, Nej," the blonde shook his head. "There's just times when it's not as easy as others."
"Wow, who knew the knucklehead could be so deep?" came a voice from behind them.
"Shows what you know, Kankuro," Naruto didn't even turn around but kept walking.
Harry, however, had been startled by the sudden appearance of the third ninja and stopped in his progress up the stairs. When he realized who it was, he pressed himself against the wall, the three siblings made him nervous for some reason.
"You know I'm kidding, squirt," Kankuro went up and threw his arm around the blonde's shoulders. "I mean come on, you'd have to be pretty deep if you broke Gaara's streak, for which I am eternally grateful. Anyway, I was just gonna show you guys to your room, well our room actually, since all us guys are rooming together. The girls are in with the other two girls."
"How are you all going to fit in one room?" Harry looked at the ninja confused. "Last time I checked there were six of you."
"Technically, there's eight," Kankuro turned an amused gaze on the wizard. "But we won't count the girls. And its not gonna be that difficult really, there are four cots and two beds. By the way, I call dibs on a bed."
"No way," Naruto gave the puppeteer an annoyed look. "Gaara and I get the beds, so there." He even went so far as to stick his tongue out.
"Gaara doesn't sleep, idiot," Kankuro rolled his eyes. "And if he wanted to, it's not like he couldn't share with me, it's not as if we haven't shared before. As for you getting the other, you have to duke it out with your 'friends'."
"Like I said, I get one of the beds," the blonde crossed his arms over his chest.
"Of course," Neji smirked.
"Your duckies know how to behave," Kankuro chuckled. "I never thought I'd see the day when you'd actually be in charge of a group."
"You just wish it was you, admit it," Naruto looked smug.
"I've got a more important position than you," the puppeteer scowled.
Harry looked from one shinobi to the other during their verbal spar, confused as to what they meant. He looked to Neji for answers, but the long haired boy was just watching the other two with amusement in his pale eyes and a smirk on his face. All four of them were drawn from the scene by a voice at the top of the stairs.
"Kankuro," green eyes locked with brown.
Harry barely suppressed a shudder at the tone used by the redhead before him. He watched as the brunette paled slightly and began shifting his weight nervously from foot to foot.
"Listen, Gaara, I was just…" Kankuro began but stopped abruptly as his brother took a step forward. "I didn't mean anything by it."
His breath was coming faster and shorter with every step the younger boy made. True, Gaara had toned down his killer instincts, but Kankuro knew he had almost said too much and the Kazekage didn't tolerate insubordination or the compromising of a mission from anyone, not even his siblings.
"I think I know what Kankuro's boggart would turn into," Naruto chuckled and looked over at Harry and Neji, then back to the redhead. "Listen, Gaara, its okay. Give him a break this once. Next time you can do whatever you want, I won't stop ya, but let's make a good impression here, okay?"
Impassive green eyes met hard blue steel. Gaara nodded almost imperceptibly. Kankuro let out a sigh of relief, but his mood wasn't lightened in the least as Gaara turned his attention back to him and motioned him up the stairs with a firm toss of his head. Without a backward glance he dashed up the stairs and a moment later a door slammed shut. The Kazekage made his way the rest of the way down to the three remaining boys and stood toe to toe with Naruto.
"I would suggest you and my brother watch your banter in the future," he said with a note of authority.
"Uh, yeah, you're probably right Gaara," Naruto rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Good," Gaara nodded. "Potter, you should get to bed. Tomorrow will be a long day in and of itself."
"Huh?" Harry looked at the three ninja confused. He was still trying to figure out what had upset Gaara so much about the argument. "Oh, yeah, you're right, I should get to bed. Good night."
"He's weird," Naruto watched Harry till he was out of sight. "Oh well, I'm sure there are more like him. Well, I need to get on that reading Dumbledore assigned, wanna join me, you two?"
"I have nothing better to do," the redhead shrugged.
Naruto nodded and the three of them continued up the stairs to the room assigned to them.