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Disclaimer: Unsurprisingly, I own nothing. Naruto and Harry Potter belong to their respective creators.

Flashback: T minus 3 weeks: Britain

The wizard disappeared.

The jounin team had made camp in a forest. They had been informed that the forest was guarded by wards set against non-wizards, and was unlikely to be visited by any wizards. Still, the jounin team were careful. The fire was small, covered and easily extinguishable. The sleeping rolls were camouflaged. The perimeter was guarded by several traps: explosive tags, some basic nets and a few collapsible pits. It was a reasonably secure base of operations.

They had met the wizard on the border of Fire Country. His name was William Borritt; he was a nervous man with narrow eyes and a large, bulbous nose. He had been terrified when the jounin team swooped down on him, fainting and striking his head on a rock. They had woken him up, then spent a good hour calming his nerves until he was able to speak coherently. Despite this, he had proven to be a good source of intelligence. He had met Jiraiya some twenty years previous, during one of the Toad-hermit's journeys to the West. The Sannin had saved him from a vampire attack, and he felt indebted to the man ever since. Borritt gave them a full briefing on the current state of affairs in the West, correcting some errors in the file Tsunade had given them. He also gave them a run-down of a wizards basic offensive and defensive capabilities, as well as an idea of the kind of wizards they would be likely to face. He had then transported the team to Britain, using a special kind of space-time jutsu called Apparition. Kakashi had been extremely interested in this at first, but his interest waned when he learned that he would have to master channelling chakra using a wand first. "I have no time to learn how to wave a stick" he had said. The wizard had tittered a little when he made that declaration, claiming that Jiraiya had said almost the same words on their first meeting. After transporting them to the forest, the wizard had left, claiming that his work was done. The jounin were not sorry to see him leave. While his Apparition skills would have been useful, the man's demeanour was too fragile for him to be of use on a mission as dangerous as this. Plus, the man seemed terrified of Voldemort, preferring to refer to him in with several euphemisms, the most amusing of which had been 'You Know Who'. Genzo had needled the man constantly by using Voldemort's name in his presence, which would cause Borritt to jump and look around, as if he expected the dark wizard to emerge every time the name was uttered. "He's a wizard, not a damn bogeyman!" Genzo had shouted after the third such occurrence.

Toshi was on watch, scouting the area for any possible trouble. Jiro was asleep. He had taken the first watch, and so was entitled to a little rest. Kakashi emerged from his blankets. He didn't feel tired; his mind was buzzing with different courses of action. He saw Genzo was awake as well. The older man was sitting by the fire, his head cocked to the right, staring at the flames.

"Can't sleep, huh?"

Genzo looked up. He shook his head once, then returned to watching the fire. Kakashi nodded, and moved to sit next to the former ANBU captain. He stared at the fire too, watching the flames lick at the wood, delicately shifting and twisting. Neither man spoke for a while, both snared by the hypnotic rhythm of the flames. Eventually, Genzo coughed slightly. Kakashi looked at him. "I was wondering what your plans were, Sir."

Kakashi smiled. "Please, don't worry about formality. I feel weird having someone of your experience calling me Sir."

Genzo nodded. Kakashi continued "As for my plans, well, that can wait a moment. I know Hokage-sama appointed me in command, but I would like you to be my strategic advisor. So tell me, what do you think we should do?"

Genzo pondered the question. An ANBU member for almost thirty years, and a captain for twenty of those, he'd already been drawing up some hypothetical courses of action. This mission worried him. There were too many unknowns: Orochimaru's forces, Voldemort's forces, the combat-abilities of wizards and the long, dark shadow of Akatsuki. He had tangled with one of their members before, Hoshigaki Kisame, when the shark-like man had merely been one of the Mist's Seven. He had been a formidable opponent, with near-unlimited chakra and a terrifying weapon. If the others had only half his strength, then they were truly a mighty force. Grimacing a little, he looked at his commander.

"I think our first course of action should be to test the combat-abilities of wizards. To achieve this, we can take three courses. The first is to locate one of these so-called Death Eaters and engage them. This has the advantage of letting us see the average strength of the opposition we are most likely to deal with; however, there are two main difficulties. Firstly, Death Eaters will be difficult to find. Wasting time looking for one could jeopardise the mission. Secondly, should we engage one and they escape, our presence will be blown, and we would be forced to abandon the mission there and then. The other option is to attack a large group of wizards ourselves, hoping to get an accurate view of the average capabilities of wizards in general. Of course, this would be in violation of shinobi rules, not to mention the potential risk of alerting the wizard world to shinobi activities, something we have long tried to avoid."

Kakashi nodded. Genzo's logic was irrefutable. "What's the third way?"

Genzo smiled and lowered his voice, speaking for a good ten minutes. At the end, Kakashi was smiling too.

T minus 21 days: Upper Chorlesbury, 13:35PM

The Wizard's Staff pub in Upper Chorlesbury was a well-known haunt. Based inside a small, ramshackle mock-Tudor exterior, it housed seven bars, five children's areas, a medium-sized casino, four gourmet restaurants (including a Goblin's dining room) two conference halls and a well-sized Quidditch field outside, used by many amateur sides. Currently, the Old Knobs were facing the Small Kittens in the Chorlesbury Derby. A good two hundred people had come to watch the two amateur sides, and old wizards gave long and thrilling tales about the legendary Knob-Kitten rivalry.

In the Vermillion Lounge, a group of sophisticated young professionals were discussing business ventures in the current security climate. One of them was pushing for an import-export deal with the German Hoffbeinder Enterprises, which he claimed would guarantee a four-hundred-percent return after one year; he was being shouted down by the more conservative elements of the consortium.

Erik the bartender was doing his usual polishing, feeling his usual embarrassment at the Viking helmet he was forced to wear. He wasn't even from Scandinavia, for Merlin's sakes! But Mr Frisket said it looked good, so he forbore, as usual. He chuckled at the argument going in front of him. The Chorlesbury Consortium was a ridiculous affair, made up of the not-so-skilled and the not-so-savvy. The thought made him chuckle. The Consortium were still arguing, only now they were considering buying up Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Erik blanked out to avoid hearing the inevitable stupidity.

A piercing alarm cut through the chatter. "ATTENTION! ATTENTION! DARK WIZARD ATTACK! LEAVE THE BUILDING BY THE CLOSEST EXIT! DARK WIZARD ATTACK!" The panic was instant. The Consortium burst to the exit; families overturned tables in their haste to get to the door. A small number of people rushed to the source of the alarm, desperate to secure the escape of their loved ones even if it cost them their lives. Erik was one of them. Charging out of the Vermillion Lounge, he sprinted down the main stairs to the entrance hall. He arrived at a nightmare. Black smoke filled the hall; two pillars were reduced to rubble. In the centre, three Death Eaters stood, wands raised, cackling madly. Erik whipped out his wand, aiming for the nearest one, but the dark wizard saw the movement, and leapt to the side. An explosion by the stairs hurled Erik sideways into a wall. Picking himself up, he aimed his wand. "Stupefy!" The curse hit the Death Eater full on, knocking the wizard into a wall. Erik turned to the other two. Suddenly, the room was filled with smoke, clouding his vision. He began coughing, barely able to breathe. Another explosion came, this one larger than the last. Erik slammed headfirst into a wall. Barely conscious, he heard the distinctive pops that meant people Apparating into the hall. Aurors… he though. Thank Merlin… The world went black.

Dawlish, Kingsley and Moody had already engaged the Death Eaters. Tonks went first to help the injured. She saw Moody trading curses with one of them. More accurately, Moody was jinxing his opponent, while the Death Eater merely dodged and shouted. There were no corpses. Tonks marked the most seriously hurt for the St Mungo's Emergency Healers, then ran to assist Dawlish. The four Aurors made short work of their opponents, connecting with almost all of their jinxes. They forced them towards the eastern wall, attempting to pin them, when an explosion hurled them backwards. The room filled with even more smoke. It was impossible to see more than a half a foot away. Coughing and gagging, the Aurors cast a few dispelling charms. The smoke cleared. The Death Eaters had vanished. Tonks ran outside. The Dark Mark had also disappeared.

he rejoined her comrades. There was no lasting damage, but they had a report to fill in. Apparating, they left the scene. Tonks was the last to leave. Of all the recent attacks, this had been the mildest. No deaths, a few serious injuries, and some rubble, but compared to the last one, it was like a schoolyard scuffle. She still couldn't help but feel something wasn't right. Why didn't the Death Eaters put up more of a fight?

Safely hidden, Genzo and Jiro relaxed. The attack hadn't been too tiring, but getting the timing right had been a little tricky. Hopefully, Kakashi had seen enough with the Sharingan to analyse their enemies.

Inside the pub, hanging from the ceiling and concealed by a Henge, Kakashi closed his left eye and covered it. He had seen enough to know what they were dealing with. Dropping silently to the floor, he released the Henge and concentrated on diminishing his presence. When he was certain he was ready, he walked out of the main door. A wizard looked right at him without seeing him. Now for part two, he thought. Toshi, it's all on you.

The pub had been cordoned off.

Half the population of Upper Chorlesbury had disappeared, and the rest would follow soon enough. No one wanted to stay in an area so close to such an attack. Who knew what the Death Eaters had been after? Maybe a target, maybe just murder. All that was certain was that the area was no longer safe. Maybe they'd come back, when it was all over. Maybe.

The bell tower chimed the hour, then tolled twice. The sky was cloudless, but the moon was nowhere in sight. Only a faint glimmer from the stars illuminated the village square. It was quiet. No revellers making their way home, no animals playing in the streets. Only the faint rustle of the trees disturbed the stillness, ebbing and flowing with the wind.

Two loud pops shattered the calm. The cloaked figures seemed a dark shadow, floating over the green towards the wreckage of the pub. Approaching the ruined entrance, they separated, one entering while the other stood watch.

Inside the pub, the walls were covered with markings. Magical Law Enforcement had done a good job tracking the devastation and gathering evidence, but they would need a few more trips to try and pick up any residual traces. With luck, they would be able to separate the wand activity of the Aurors and the civilians to pick up on the spells cast by the Death Eaters. That was the usual procedure after attacks, and the Death Eater examining the hall was confident that the same would be applied here. Stopping in the centre of the hall, he looked up at the ceiling. It had remained miraculously untouched, despite the damage done to the walls. Frowning, he continued his examination. The Dark Lord had ordered him to investigate the attack and determine its purpose. He had told his master that it must have been the work of sympathizers, mimicking the acts of their betters, but the Dark Lord demanded that he visit the site first. Better to get away for a bit, he thought. The attack puzzled him. It looked spectacular, but very little had been achieved. No deaths, only a few wounded. Very amateurish. If he didn't know any better, he'd reckon it was a fix, but no one could stand to benefit from it. A year ago maybe, but not now. Not when the real Death Eaters could kill anyone at any time.

So caught up was he in his examination that he didn't hear his comrade's muffled cry outside, or the whisper of sound as a figure dropped behind him. The blow to his back came suddenly, knocking him off his feet and into a wall. Hurt and disorientated, he turned to face…

A shadow.

The figure before him shimmered in the air, sometimes there, sometimes not. Drawing his wand in a flash, he launched a Stunning spell. The figure slipped to the side, avoiding it, then dashed towards him. He launched a Killing curse, but missed by inches as he was blindsided and shoulder-charged into the wall again. The figure flipped backwards, then vanished. Rising, the Death Eater cast a Light spell. The hall was illuminated with a faint glow. He couldn't see the figure anywhere. Then he saw it, on his right. "Avada Kedavra!" The green light struck the figure, who disappeared with a puff of smoke. The Death Eater stared. That was impossible! A flash of movement on his left made him spin round, wand ready, only to meet a kick which crashed into his temple like an axe. Only the mask saved him from unconsciousness. Swaying, the Death Eater launched more curses. They were all dodged. The figure disappeared again. The wizard again cast a Light spell. There! The figure had its back to him. Aiming carefully, the Death Eater cried "Crucio!!" The curse missed. A shadow hurtled toward him. The Death Eater tried to dodge, but it struck him in the face. The world went black. He was blind! He took two steps, then stumbled headlong to the floor, smacking his head against the marble. The pain was excruciating. He felt a hand relieve him of his wand, and a rope tied round his body. He tried to struggle, but it was in vain. Someone dragged him along the floor, causing his head to smack against the cracks several times. Each time, the Death Eater gave a groan. Then, he was dropped, untied and left in the middle. He heard voices around him, speaking a language he couldn't understand. After a few minutes, the voices stopped. The Death Eater was getting scared. He prayed that this was a test of his loyalty by the Dark Lord. The alternative was too terrifying.

"Can you hear me, wizard? Do you understand me? Say yes if you do."

The Death Eater hesitated. A kick to his chest made him reconsider. "Y-Yes!"

"Good. I'm going to ask some questions. Any time you refuse to answer, hesitate, attempt to lie or speak out of turn, you will suffer. Understand?"

The Death Eater froze. This couldn't be happening. It was impossible! No one would dare! About to scream his defiance, a boot stamped into his groin, then ground in twice. The pain was unbearable. His mind went blank; his limbs went numb. Choking and gagging, he gave his answer. "… gh… kh…. Y-Ye-s…"

The questioning began.

Their captives were asleep.

Genzo had used some rudimentary medical techniques to disguise the worst of their damage. Once the pain was gone, Jiro cast a genjutsu with Kakashi's assistance. They implanted memories of the night, altering the record of experiences. It would be good enough to fool anyone with the power to check, though eventually the memories would spill out. It might take a year, it might take six months. Still, for the time being, the team would be safe.

Toshi sat to one side, clearly a little uncomfortable about the whole proceeding. Kakashi stepped towards him, but Genzo beat him there. Maybe it's best if he handles it, thought Kakashi.

Genzo sat next to Toshi. "You did well there, with the capture. Kakashi got a good record of the fight. We now know what our enemies capabilities are."

Toshi simply nodded. Genzo looked at him. "Was that the first time you've done an interrogation?"

Toshi nodded again. Genzo sighed. "Well, let me tell you. I've done hundreds. And believe me, it never gets easier." Toshi looked up, shocked. "It's true. No shinobi enjoys interrogating a captive. The only people who do are so twisted they should be put down like animals. But this is part of our duty. We cannot show compassion to our enemies. If we must torture them, then so be it. You're a jounin now, and you should understand that. We must be able to do our duty."

Toshi looked away. "I'm sorry, Genzo-san. I won't let it bother me again." Genzo shook his head. "Let it bother you. It shows you're still human. But don't let your discomfort override your duty." Toshi nodded. "Hai, Genzo-san." Genzo smiled. "You did well today. Very well." Rising, he looked at Toshi once more. The jounin seemed a little more relaxed. Genzo walked away. Just a kid. I know times are desperate, but still…

Kakashi joined him. "Are you pleased your plan worked?" Genzo smiled wryly. "Kakashi-san, I'm pleased we're all alive. If that round-eye had killed any of us, I would have died of shame." Kakashi chuckled. "They should wake up in a few minutes. We'll leave now, and get some rest."

The jounin team unbound their captives, then ran into the night, Kakashi in the lead. Stage one: Obtain intel about enemy combat skills. Check. Stage two: Learn the location of the target. Check.

Now for stage three...