A/N: I've made two small changes to previous chapters, thanks to a couple of sharp-eyed reviewers. In Chapter 13 I got James Potter's Quidditch position wrong – he was a Chaser, not a Seeker. And I call myself a Harry Potter fan – embarrassing! The second slip-up isn't quite as bad – in the Dueling Club scene with Harry and Malfoy, I decided to make Harry whisper his spell instead of shout it. As Shadow Owner astutely pointed out, it makes more sense for Harry not to advertise his new spells, especially when some students might try one out on their own and hurt themselves or others. I wonder if, in canon, anyone tried out Serpensortia and got a nasty surprise when they couldn't control the snake… that would kind of suck.

As for this chapter, I hope the ninja action satisfies all of the Sarutobi fans out there (you know who you are, and I'm right there with you). I had a blast writing it, and I hope it does justice to my vision of how completely cool the Sandaime is. There will be three – maybe four – more chapters to bring the events of Year Two to a close, and then it's on to bigger and better things. I'm beyond pumped to get into Year Three – I'm planning to introduce a few new characters, and show a new level of cunning from Orochimaru.

Disclaimer: I own neither Harry Potter nor Naruto

Chapter 14: Jailbreak

Azkaban rarely had visitors, for obvious reasons. The crowd of Dementors generally sufficed to keep even relatives of prisoners far away. However, there was one room in the prison compound in which those brave enough to request a visit could meet with an inmate. Such requests were uncommon, and even more uncommon was for the Ministry to accept those requests. But Albus Dumbledore was rather a special case, and when he asked to meet with Sirius Black the Ministry was not about to say no.

That was how the Headmaster came to be in the Visiting Room, a warded room with stone walls and no windows. There were two rickety wooden chairs and a wooden table, across which Sirius stared at Dumbledore like a man who sees a mirage in the desert. Normally there would be Aurors in the room, but Albus had requested privacy and as the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, he got what he requested. However, a crowd of Dementors hovered outside the iron door that was the only way in or out of the Visiting Room, just waiting for an excuse to subdue the dangerous convict Black.

"Sirius," Dumbledore said, "I am so sorry. If I'd have known-"

Sirius cut him off with a weary sigh. "I know, Headmaster. Let's not fight about what's past. Here's what I want to know: where's Peter?"

Albus hesitated, causing Sirius' eyes to sharpen. "So it was him," Sirius said, his voice brooking no arguments. "There's no other way you would have become convinced of my innocence. How'd you find him?"

Albus knew it would be futile to try and hide the truth from Sirius, even though he feared that once Sirius knew the whole story he would be driven to take drastic measures.

"It was actually your godson who brought Peter to my attention. It seems that Peter had become very comfortable living as a rat in the Weasley household. Thanks to some help from the Marauders' Map-" Dumbledore chuckled when he heard Sirius' sharp intake of breath. "As I say, thanks to the Map, Harry became aware that his friend's rat went by a different name."

"Merlin's Beard," Sirius breathed. "To think that Harry would find that old Map…" he trailed off, lost in memories. But a second later he was back, his eyes riveting on Dumbledore with renewed force. "Where's Peter now?" he demanded.

"He managed to escape," Albus answered gravely. "Harry said his name inadvertently, tipping him off. It wasn't until Harry came to me that he learned the truth about Peter and yourself. That was actually the first time he learned of your existence. We all thought- well, you know what we thought, and no amount of apologizing will ever make up for our mistake."

"That's not important now," Sirius said impatiently. He looked over his shoulder uncomfortably, then back to Albus. "Can they hear us?" he demanded.

Albus shook his head. "No; we are secure. Why?"

Sirius grimaced and pushed a ragged lock of hair out of his eyes. "Because I don't want them hearing that I'm planning to escape. I won't leave Harry undefended while the bastard who betrayed his parents is running free."

This was exactly what Albus had feared – Sirius was preparing to do something very rash indeed. "Sirius," he implored, "please, be patient. I'm trying to get you free, and in the meantime Harry is as safe as Hogwarts can make him."

"Little good that'll do him, seeing as how Peter was hiding with his friend for all these years!" Sirius snarled. Albus didn't think that now was the time to tell Sirius about the new Marauders' Map-centered security system, so he only nodded in acknowledgement of Sirius' point.

"Look, Headmaster, you and I both know that the Ministry will never let me out of here. They'd have to admit they got the wrong guy. Unless you had Peter and interrogated him with Veritaserum, there's no way in hell you could get me free. That makes my choice very simple: stay in here and rot, or escape and help protect Harry. That's not a choice I have to think about."

Albus knew that Sirius was most likely correct about the Ministry. Fudge was a weak, vain man, and a poor excuse for a Minister. He was almost entirely in Lucius Malfoy's pocket, and he would resist releasing Sirius if only because Albus was asking. But to force Sirius to live as an outlaw… it was so cruel. But then, could it possibly be worse than spending a single day in Azkaban?

"I'm going to do it, no matter what you say," Sirius declared stolidly. "You know I respect you, Headmaster, but Harry's my godson. He believes I'm innocent, and that's all that I need. I don't care if the entire world thinks I killed Lily and James, not if Harry knows I'm innocent and I'm there to protect him."

That settled it. If Albus couldn't get Sirius to abandon his plans for escape, he could at least do his best to make sure they went off without a hitch.

"I won't try to argue you out of it," he said at last. "All I ask is that you give me three days before you try anything. Just three days. If you're not free by then, do whatever you wish. I won't try to stop you."

Sirius looked confused. "Three days? Headmaster, that's not enough even to formally petition for them to reopen my case! What are you going to do in three days?"

Albus spoke with a hint of steel in his voice. "I'm going to get you out of here."

Silence hung between them for a moment, until Sirius grinned widely. "Headmaster, are you planning to pull a prank on the Ministry?"

"I don't know what you mean," Albus replied absently, getting up to leave. "After I meet with Fudge later today, I'm going straight back to Hogwarts, and I'm not leaving until at least next week. And that's exactly what the Aurors will find out if they ask me. Good day, Sirius."

He swept his hat off to the man as he passed, and turned just before opening the door. Sirius was sitting at the table, eyeing him with a kind of stunned appreciation. "Three days," Albus reminded him, and winked. "Trust me." Then he left the room, brushing the waiting Dementors aside as if they were particularly pesky gnats.

oOoOo

Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge was a small man with a small mind. The only thing large about him was his ambition, or perhaps his over-inflated opinion of himself. Dumbledore knew that going into his office, yet he was still taken aback by the man's obstinacy. No matter how many times Dumbledore explained things to him, Fudge simply refused to believe him.

"You're telling me," the Minister said skeptically, leaning back in the plushy armchair behind his desk, "that you want me to reopen the case on Sirius Black because you suspect a boy's rat of being a dead man?"

Dumbledore sighed wearily. Cornelius was reacting exactly as he'd feared he would. Just the thought of bringing Black back up before the courts made him blanch, and he was dismissing everything about Peter Pettigrew out of hand.

"I've told you, the rat in question has been alive for over eleven years, and is missing a toe on its front paw. All they found of Pettigrew was a finger, Cornelius! You must admit it's more than a coincidence."

"I'll admit nothing of the kind," Fudge snapped, nettled. "The case on Sirius Black was closed because he's guilty. There were a dozen witnesses who saw it clear as day. Don't come to me with nonsensical tales of dead men – if you want the Ministry to take action, bring us some proof! But I know you won't find any, because this whole thing is a crock of nonsense."

"Minister, I beg you to at least hear me out. You must agree that if what I'm telling you is true, then there has been a gross miscarriage of justice, and an innocent man is suffering a terrible fate. At least re-open his case! I'll find Peter Pettigrew, and the truth will come out."

Fudge shook his head obstinately, his bowler hat dipping a little over his eyes. "I'll not hear another word of this, Headmaster! I don't know what you're playing at, but it seems as if you're trying to stir up trouble in my Ministry! I won't hear of it."

"Cornelius, this has nothing to do with you or me. I've told you before and I'll tell you as many times as you want to hear it – I'm not interested in your job. I love teaching, and I have no interest in meddling with the affairs of the Ministry. So please, suspend your suspicion of me long enough to give Sirius a fair shot!"

In hind sight, Albus would admit that he might have been unwise to bring up Fudge's crippling insecurity. The Minister of Magic knew that it could easily have been Albus wearing his robes, and reminding him of that, even though he was denying it, served only to make the man more determined to resist listening to reason. "Proof, Albus! I won't do anything without proof, and I'd appreciate if you stopped trying to cast this Ministry in an unfavorable light."

"Oh, Cornelius," Albus said sadly, shaking his head. "You do that without my help."

Fudge purpled with rage, only gaining control of himself when he realized that he had as little chance of retaliating against Albus Dumbledore as he did of blocking out the sun.

"I will take this last opportunity to beg you to reconsider," Albus said, preparing to leave. "You have nothing to lose in freeing Sirius and everything to gain. When Sirius is found innocent, it will look terrible for the Ministry that falsely imprisoned him. If you do not act now, you may not like what happens as a result."

Fudge came to his feet, and pointed a shaking finger over his desk at Dumbledore. "Are you threatening me? I won't stand for it! There are some things even you can't get away with, Albus."

"Not threatening you, Cornelius," Albus said, taking one last look at the pompous, ignorant little man. "Merely trying to help you see the truth. But it appears you are determined to keep your eyes shut. I hope you realize your mistake before it is too late."

He doffed his wizard's hat to the Minister and left, ignoring the angry splutters that followed him out.

Albus used Floo powder to travel from the Ministry fires to his office, where Professor Sarutobi was waiting for him. The Defence Professor was smoking his pipe contentedly, but got up when Albus materialized out of the fireplace. "How'd it go?" Sarutobi asked.

Dumbledore shook his head with weary resignation. "About as well as I expected. Still, I was hoping that things wouldn't come to this."

Sarutobi, who had been briefed by Dumbledore about the situation with Sirius and the Ministry, couldn't help but smile. "You obviously don't have enough experience working with governments, or you wouldn't have even bothered trying. But because we're friends, I'll let you in on the secret of my political career."

"Oh?" Dumbledore quirked an eyebrow at the former Hokage. "What's that?"

Sarutobi's grin stretched from ear to ear. "When diplomacy fails, send ninjas."

oOoOo

Dumbledore Apparated with Sarutobi to a remote location by the shore of the North Sea. Somewhere out in those wind-tossed waves was the island housing the Wizard prison of Azkaban. Dumbledore, much to Sarutobi's confusion, took a dirty sock out of his robes and placed it on the sand.

"This is a Portkey keyed to you and Sirius," Dumbledore explained. "When you touch it, it will transport both of you directly to my office. As Sirius is one of the creators of the Marauders' Map, the new security system would not dream of labeling him an outsider. Now, there are two things you need in order to reach Sirius safely. The first is this compass."

Dumbledore gave Sarutobi a small pocket compass, which possessed a needle that pointed off towards the sea. "Azkaban is Unplottable, and possesses charms meant to mislead anyone who comes too near. However, I have devised a way around this. This compass searches out Dementors, orienting itself towards the greatest concentration of Dementors in a 100-mile radius. That means that the needle will lead you to Azkaban without fail."

Sarutobi pocketed the compass with a nod of thanks. "And the second thing?"

"A warning," Dumbledore said. "You know about Dementors, but I'm not sure if anyone can ever be fully prepared to face them. Wizards at least can cast the Patronus Charm to defend against the Dementors' oppressive powers, but you couldn't cast the spell even if you knew it. Dementors will sap your body and your mind, bringing out the worst memories you possess and making you relive them. Are you sure you can do this?"

"I'm sure," Sarutobi said. "These Dementors may be magic-resistant, but I doubt very much they are chakra-resistant. I also have many years of practice defending my mind – genjutsu is a threat for which a shinobi must always be prepared. If these creatures think to use my mind against me, I will show them the error of their ways."

"Then there is nothing more to be said. Hiruzen, you are truly noble and courageous, and if it wasn't clear to me that you are enjoying this, I would say you are selfless as well."

Hiruzen coughed, embarrassed. "Is it that obvious?" He was wearing his combat outfit, and even though it sagged in places and reminded him of his age, Sarutobi felt like a jonin again, at the height of his powers. An infiltration mission to rescue a high-value prisoner – as much as Sarutobi enjoyed teaching, this was better than grading papers any day.

Dumbledore only smiled. "I had best get back, my friend. When the Minister comes stomping in, demanding to see me and determined to find out what happened to the criminal Sirius Black, I want it to be clear that I was in my office the whole time."

"Playing Exploding Snap with me," Sarutobi laughed. "I only hope my clone doesn't get too antsy waiting for you. It could get into a lot of trouble with all the toys in your office."

Sarutobi had been very amused by the notion of an "alibi." For a shinobi, being in two places at once was practically a necessity. But in this world, if you could prove you were somewhere else when a crime had occurred, you were automatically innocent. For someone with Shadow Clones at his disposal, it was really just unfair.

"I'll see you soon," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling. Then he Disapparated with a faint crack, leaving Hiruzen alone on an empty shore.

"Time to get going," the shinobi said to himself, sliding the compass out of his inside pocket to take a quick look. Then he shrouded himself in a low-power genjutsu, one that would make him look like a swirl of mist above the waves, and ran out into the North Sea. It was good practice for his chakra control to vary the amount of chakra he channeled to suit the motion of the waves. Running on an ocean or a sea was quite different from a standing body of water like a lake or a pond.

Hiruzen used Dumbledore's compass repeatedly to steer himself in the right direction. He darted across the water with single-minded purpose, his skull-cap cutting the spray that kicked up around his head. At the speed he was going, it took less than an hour to come within range of his destination. He knew that he was getting close when he felt the tell-tale signs of a foreign spell beginning to affect his mind. This, Sarutobi knew, must be the effect of the Charm meant to mislead visitors without them even knowing they were affected. But Sarutobi was no ordinary tourist, and he had decades of practice recognizing when someone was trying to tamper with his mind.

Out of curiosity, Hiruzen performed the technique that dispelled most genjutsu. It disrupted all of one's chakra, so Hiruzen had to jump high in the air before casting, so as to avoid falling through the water when he stopped his chakra flow. The technique worked, completely eradicating the influence of the mysterious Charm.

Soon Azkaban came into view. The waves around the rocky island were larger and more violent, and the towering iron walls made the place seem a formidable fortress. All in all, it was not a very welcoming place.

Sarutobi circled the entire fortress from a wary distance, checking for weak spots. The fortress walls formed a gigantic triangle, and they extended all the way down to sea level. There was not a single break or entrance point, not even a small dock for a boat to anchor. Apparently the only way in or out was by Ministry-regulated Floo powder or by flying. The only boats that ever approached would be Muggle contraptions turned away by the Misdirection Charm.

That meant that there was no need for sentries watching the walls, and Sarutobi didn't see any. He was keeping an eye out for these flying creatures called Dementors, but there weren't any that he noticed. They were prison guards, however, so it made sense that the Dementors would stay inside the facility.

Sarutobi closed the remaining distance to the wall, and began to walk up it. It seemed far too smooth to be just natural stone, but his chakra kept him anchored all the same. This, Sarutobi thought with satisfaction, is why we place such importance on tree-walking for genin. The mighty walls of Azkaban might as well be a welcome mat!

Ever careful, Sarutobi altered his genjutsu so that any watching eyes would see nothing more than an unbroken section of the prison wall. As he ascended he thought he began to feel an increased chill, recognizing one of the signs of which Dumbledore had warned him. There were Dementors nearby, probably inside the very walls he was currently scaling.

Sarutobi reached the top of the wall, and spared a second to look out over the sea. He felt tremendously powerful from up here, the only elevated position for miles. From his perch on the highest point of the prison, Sarutobi took the opportunity to survey the grounds. It was clear that the walls took up the bulk of the space on the tiny island. In fact, what Sarutobi had taken to be walls actually formed the prison itself – the triangular structure of solid black stone housed all of the cells.

At least, Sarutobi could see no other possibility, because inside the towering walls, which were thick enough to contain several houses end-to-end, there was only a courtyard. Sarutobi could make out a few buildings, tinier than ants so far below his feet. Those buildings couldn't possibly contain all of the prisoners of Azkaban, unless they were all outfitted with space expansion charms so that their insides were larger than their outsides. But that seemed like an absurd waste when there was more than enough room inside the enormous walls to house the entire population of Konoha. Sarutobi guessed that the courtyard was specifically for the use of prison guards, or perhaps used as a reward for good behavior. But from what he'd heard about Dementor-induced depression, he doubted the prisoners engaged in any behavior at all, whether good or bad.

Sarutobi didn't fancy searching the entire prison for Sirius, so he decided to venture down into the courtyard in search of someone who might be persuaded to point him in the right direction. As he descended the inner side of the wall, he noted that there didn't seem to be any Dementors here, either. Perhaps the Wizard guards didn't want to spend any more time with them than absolutely necessary.

It didn't really matter which universe you were in, Sarutobi realized. Guard duty was still guard duty – mind-numbingly boring. And for those shinobi or wizards unfortunate enough to pull late-night shifts, it could be very tiring as well. In shinobi fortresses that usually meant that there was a guardhouse of some kind, where off-duty shinobi could take naps between shifts. Azkaban had one of these as well, though it was like no guardhouse that Sarutobi had ever seen. In the middle of the courtyard, set a ways off from a group of official buildings, was a small, cozy-looking house. It seemed to be there for wizards who were off-duty, because a quick peek in the windows showed a kitchen and a room filled with cots. This was where Sarutobi could find the information he needed.

After looking around to make sure that the courtyard was deserted, Sarutobi entered the small house through the front door. Inside he found three main rooms: the kitchen, a recreation room with chessboards and a few enchanted packs of cards, and the sleeping quarters. Sarutobi cased the entire place, and found only two wizards currently in the building. Both were middle-aged men, one portly and the other beginning to go bald around the edges. They were playing a game of Wizards' chess in the recreation room. As the room had no windows, it was perfect for Sarutobi's purpose.

Sarutobi paused at the entrance, gathering his chakra for a much more detailed genjutsu than the one that was currently hiding his presence from the wizards. He pictured the details that he wished to implant in the mens' minds, and then made the hand seals to form the jutsu. He stomped one foot, causing both of them to swivel their heads just in time to fall under the influence of his technique.

They both froze, trapped by magical ropes that existed only in their minds. Their mouths were open, but they couldn't speak due to the gags that they thought were tied tightly around their heads. Sarutobi walked forward in a deliberately casual slouch, appearing to them as a monster with glowing red eyes, enshrouded by a dark cloud.

"This is very simple," Sarutobi said, his voice sounding an octave lower and utterly menacing to their ears. "One of you will tell me where the prisoner Sirius Black is being held. If you do that, I will spare both your lives. If not, I will be very disappointed. However, I believe in second chances, so I will only kill one of you. Then I will give the survivor one more chance. Understood?"

The wizards merely stared at him, robbed of their senses by fear. Sarutobi sighed. "I don't have time to waste while you search for your pitiful courage. You two are not warriors. You probably have homes, wives, and children. If you wish to see them again, tell me what I wish to know."

The man on the left, the balding one, managed a weak nod. Sarutobi pointed at him, and the imaginary gag disappeared.

"Sirius Black is in the maximum security ward," the man stammered. "It's on the top level."

"Thank you for your cooperation," Sarutobi said kindly. "If it makes you feel any better, he's innocent." Then he knocked their heads together, and let them slump unconscious over their chessboard, scattering pieces to the floor. He used a technique originally developed by Morino Ibiki, which was invaluable for infiltration and interrogation. It was a genjutsu that targeted the memory centers of the brain, wiping out everything that occurred in a recent span of time. The amount of time varied with the chakra applied, so Sarutobi only expended enough to erase the wizards' memories of the last five minutes.

Sarutobi could have tried to hide them, but he didn't want to waste any more time. He hurried back out into the courtyard, reactivating the stealth genjutsu that would allow him to walk back up the wall unnoticed. If Sirius was in one of the cells on the top level, it would be quite a chore fighting through level after level of Dementors and Aurors. The most efficient solution would be to enter through the ceiling.

So Sarutobi climbed up to the top of the wall, and picked an entrance point directly in the middle. If he was lucky, he would break through ceiling and fall into the hallway, and not into a cell with a dangerous criminal. Either option was acceptable, however, as long as he found his way into the maximum-security wing somehow.

Sarutobi had not been idle while at Hogwarts. He knew the technique for creating exploding tags, and these days he never went anywhere without a full stock of ninja tools, in case of an ambush by Orochimaru. It was the work of a moment to prepare a small circle of explosive tags on the black stone, angling them so that the explosive force would propel downward, blasting a hole through the ceiling. Sarutobi lit the explosive tags and jumped, pushing chakra through his legs so that he would clear the blast radius. The tags detonated beneath him in a burst of fire and smoke, creating a percussive blast that rang out in the air. The explosion gouged great chunks of rock out of the ceiling, which fell in a cloud of dust down into a wide corridor.

Sarutobi fell gracefully, landing nimbly on the pile of rubble his explosive tags had created. He looked around, taking in his surroundings. He had chosen his entrance point well – he was in a long, wide hallway, with cells on each side separated by iron bars. Sarutobi took in the faces of all the inmates, most of whom had barely even bothered to look up at the sound of the explosion. The effect of the Dementors must have been severe indeed, if not even the ceiling collapsing could bring these doomed men and women out of their apathy.

A second later, an alarm started ringing. Sarutobi swore loudly, but it wasn't entirely unexpected. Most prisons had ways of knowing if an enemy was trying to blast their way in. It wasn't a particularly subtle form of infiltration.

Sarutobi created two shadow clones, giving them instructions to search the top level for Sirius. He had memorized the man's face from pictures Dumbledore had shown him. As they ran, Sarutobi walked down the hallway, looking for the entrance where the guards were most likely to emerge. As he walked, he made sure to look at the faces of the prisoners he passed, memorizing every detail that he could. That would come in handy once he managed to find Sirius.

It was only seconds later that Sarutobi noticed the drop in temperature. His breath came out in a cold mist, and the air became icy against his skin. He set his jaw grimly. The Dementors were coming.

The first of the dark cloaks rounded a corner ahead, and Sarutobi realized that these creatures were more powerful than he'd anticipated. The hooded monster wasn't fooled by his genjutsu for a second, gliding directly toward him with a palpable malice. The Dementor was not alone, as over a dozen more followed close behind. Sarutobi experienced the full force of their ability.

Dumbledore had warned him about what Dementors could do. Sarutobi knew that they could pick out your worst memories and force you to relive them – what he didn't know was that none of his mental defenses were of the least use against Dementors. Not even disrupting his chakra, which worked on all genjutsu and even the Misdirection Charm surrounding Azkaban, could break their hold. The air grew ever colder as the Dementors brought Sarutobi's worst nightmares to life.

Kami only knew, the Dementors had enough memories to choose from. The horrors of Sarutobi's past often visited him in his dreams, but never as vividly as he experienced them now. He saw Orochimaru's laughing face, deep in the underground tunnels where the depraved madman conducted his twisted experiments. He saw the battlefields littered with the corpses of Konoha shinobi and civilians, mementos of the Shinobi Wars. Worst of all were the pale, blood-spattered faces of the Uchiha clan, dead eyes opening to stare at him with reproach. They damned him without speaking, wordlessly crying out that he was responsible for their deaths.

The Hokage sank to his knees, clutching at his head with nerveless fingers. Still he fought, clinging to his sanity with all of his strength. Bit by bit, he exercised his will in building up chakra at the point just below his navel. He inhaled sharply, the cold biting into his lungs like a sharp knife. Slowly, excruciatingly, he formed a hand seal for the strongest fire technique he knew. Then he exhaled, sending out a column of pure chakra infused with the essence of fire.

Sarutobi did not even know if the Dementors were made of flesh – all he could see of them were their robes, and beneath them, cavernous, gaping mouths. But whatever substance the Dementors were made of, it could not stand before his Fire Release technique.

The Dementors burned, their agonized howls drowning out the alarm that was still blaring off in the distance. All along the hallway the prisoners began to stir, the sight of the Dementors perishing giving them new life.

Just as the last of the Dementors was converted into a pile of smoldering ash, one of Sarutobi's shadow clones dispersed, giving him the location of Sirius' cell. Before sprinting back in the direction he'd come from, Sarutobi created two new Shadow Clones.

"Guard this hall," he ordered sternly, after having them Transform to look nothing like two of the inmates. He made sure that their Transformed selves gripped fake wands, so that the approaching guards would believe that there was a large-scale jailbreak in progress. "Let no one pass. Do not kill any humans, but destroy as many of those cloaked demons as you see fit. Use your chakra sparingly."

They saluted, then turned to take up defensive positions. Sarutobi raced off to where his clone had dispelled, at last coming face to face with Sirius.

The man looked almost nothing like the picture Dumbledore had shown him. His hair was matted and ragged, and he wore a beard that probably hadn't been trimmed in the last eleven years. But his eyes were more alive than any of the prisoners Sarutobi had yet seen, and he stood of his own accord as Sarutobi approached.

"Who are you?" Sirius whispered.

"A friend," replied Sarutobi. "I was told to deliver this message so you'd trust me: three days."

Sarutobi thought he saw Sirius mouth the word, Dumbledore. He bowed low. "If you're satisfied that I am a friend, may I suggest that we make our escape? From the sound of that alarm, there will be more than a few guards joining us momentarily."

Sirius could only nod, dumbfounded. Sarutobi performed the Summoning Jutsu, and his old friend and ally Enma the Monkey King appeared in a puff of smoke. "We're on a bit of a tight schedule, my friend," Sarutobi said with a smile. "Would you mind transforming so I can free this man?"

"Of course," Enma said, the old Monkey King needing no more than a second to process the situation. He disappeared in a second puff of smoke, replaced by a staff harder than diamonds. Sarutobi swung Enma's alternate form at the lock on the cell door, and whatever enchantments the wizards had used to reinforce it were no match for the staff. The lock went flying, and the cell door flung open. Sarutobi repeated the feat on the chains keeping Sirius anchored to the wall, and just like that the man was free. He stared at the broken chains on the metal bands around his wrist, an expression of awe on his face.

"No time, no time," Sarutobi said. "I mean no disrespect, but I doubt you're in any condition to do much running. Would you allow me to carry you out?"

Sirius looked at him with frank disbelief. As gaunt and haggard as he had become, he was still considerably heavier than the old man before him. Sarutobi laughed, seeing the direction of the wizard's thoughts. "I assure you, I am not as frail as I look." Sarutobi let Enma fall, the Monkey King disappearing for good before hitting the floor.

Sarutobi waited for Sirius to nod before he swept him up onto his back. The former prisoner let out a shocked grunt as he experienced a fraction of Sarutobi's deceptive strength. Hiruzen took off immediately, heading back to the giant hole in the ceiling that would be his escape route.

"I'm not sure-" Sirius said, periodically gasping for breath, "-that I want to know – how you're doing this."

Sarutobi chuckled lightly. "I had a good education."

When they were outside the fortress, Sarutobi risked a quick look down into the courtyard. He could see wizards milling around in a frenzy, giving the compound the feel of a kicked-over anthill.

"I doubt they'll get past my clones for a while, but it's better to be safe than sorry," Hiruzen said. "Let's give the fellows down there something else to worry about while we escape."

He poured a significant portion of his remaining chakra into creating four more Shadow Clones. Sarutobi was no Naruto, but when the situation demanded it he could create a sizable cohort of solid clones. These were very low-power, meant to create a diversion rather than hold off Dementors. According to his instructions, the Shadow Clones transformed into exact likenesses of four of the inmates near Sirius. He had memorized as much detail as possible, so his clones were spitting images of the prisoners.

"Let's see how these wizards deal with a riot," Hiruzen said, chuckling. He waved a hand at his four clones. "Go on, you lot! Cause some mayhem, and steer clear of the Dementors as long as you can."

These four saluted as well, and ran down the inner wall to the main courtyard. Sarutobi didn't bother cloaking them with a genjutsu, because there was no point in creating a diversion if the wizards below didn't see his clones soon.

Then Sarutobi ran in the opposite direction, exercising his near-perfect chakra control to anchor himself to the outer wall while balancing Sirius deftly on his back. Sirius gulped visibly as he saw the sea that was approaching far too fast for his comfort. He closed his eyes and buried his face in Sarutobi's neck, holding on for dear life. Sarutobi could only hope that the man wasn't prone to seasickness, otherwise the rest of this trip would get old very soon.

Sarutobi checked over his shoulder many times while racing back across the water, but each time there were no pursuers in sight. It was a difficult journey for Sirius, who was repeatedly drenched by the spray kicked up in Sarutobi's passing. The Defence Professor worried about the man, who was clearly far from healthy as it was, but he guessed that Dumbledore would be able to find a safe place for Sirius to recover.

Some time before they reached the sock Portkey on the beach, Sirius had given in to his exhaustion. He slept fitfully, waking in short starts, but settled into a deeper slumber as they reached the safety of the sand. Dumbledore's sock was a welcome sight to Sarutobi, who had expended more chakra on this venture than he cared to think about.

As Sarutobi activated the Portkey by brushing his finger against it, he had room for only one thought. "I am getting far too old for this shit."

oOoOo

Three men stood in the Headmaster's Office, watching carefully over a fourth man who was fast asleep on a conjured cot, a thick quilt covering his wasted frame. "He doesn't look like much," one of the men said gruffly. He stomped his wooden leg as if to emphasize his point, and the glass eye in his left eye socket whirled alarmingly.

"Eleven years in Azkaban will do that to you, Alastor," Dumbledore said, a bit of a reproving tone in his voice. "Anyway, I appreciate you agreeing to do this. I can't keep him in the castle, as much as I would like to."

Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody only grunted. "I owe you more than I care to think about, Headmaster. And I won't deny it brings a smile into my heart to stick it to that pompous, arrogant windbag of a Minister."

Sarutobi had been very impressed when he first met Alastor. The man was clearly a professional, and his experience with fighting the Dark Arts made him a wizard to be respected in Sarutobi's eyes. Mad-Eye was a fighter, and Sarutobi had met precious few of those in his time at Hogwarts. Sarutobi agreed whole-heartedly with the man's motto of "Constant Vigilance," thinking it the most sensible philosophy he had encountered since leaving Konoha. In his turn, Mad-Eye Moody seemed to sense that Sarutobi was someone who deserved his attention. He treated him with the same gruff, yet respectful tone that he used with Dumbledore.

There was also his glass eye, which couldn't help but remind Sarutobi of Kakashi. The resemblance was slight, but it served to make him much more inclined to view the Auror as a potential friend.

Moody was not one to waste time, which he proved by immediately taking his leave. He levitated the bed containing Sirius with a few motions of his wand, leading it to the Headmaster's fireplace. He threw some Floo powder into the flames, and disappeared with the sleeping form of Harry's godfather.

Dumbledore turned to Sarutobi with a pleased smile. "That's taken care of, then. Alastor will take good care of Sirius while he recovers his strength. When he's better, I think it will even be possible to arrange a meeting between Sirius and young Mr. Potter. In this matter I'm sure it will be safe to trust to his discretion."

Sarutobi nodded. "I agree. Harry would never say anything that might get his godfather sent back to Azkaban. Let them meet, and then keep Sirius out of the way until Pettigrew is found. Sirius could even help search for him – I don't know for sure, but I get the feeling that Sirius is quite a skilled wizard. He withstood the effects of the Dementors much better than the other inmates that I observed."

"Yes," Dumbledore agreed, "Sirius was one of our brightest students, and would have gone on to great things were it not for his tragic imprisonment. I have no doubt that once he is back on his feet, he will be more than capable of tracking down Pettigrew. In fact, the only reason I asked you to… expedite… his release from Azkaban is that I feared he would try to escape by himself if I left him too long. Who knows – he might even have succeeded."

Sarutobi doubted that, but he supposed that stranger things had happened. "It is fortunate that you didn't have to risk it."

As Sarutobi was turning to leave, one of the portraits on Dumbledore's wall called out, "Minister arriving by Floo, Headmaster!"

Dumbledore pushed his glasses a little higher on the bridge of his nose. "Oh dear. I suppose Cornelius has heard the news. Hiruzen, I think it would be best if you were to leave before our estimable Minister arrives."

Sarutobi nodded, though he would have enjoyed staying to hear what Albus said to the man. It was sure to be an interesting conversation, at the very least.

After Sarutobi left, Albus sat down carefully in the chair behind his desk. He folded his hands in front of him, and waited for the Minister. Cornelius' arrival was heralded by his fire turning emerald-green, followed by the man himself, bowler hat in hand.

"Cornelius," Albus said warmly, "welcome-"

The Minister cut him off with an angry snort. "Don't try to wind me up, Albus, I won't have it! I just received word from Azkaban that Sirius Black has escaped!"

"Dear me," Albus replied. "I feared something like this would happen."

"Bollocks!" the Minister snapped, fuming. "Someone broke him out! Albus, if that was you, so help me-"

Dumbledore didn't raise his voice, but he cut the Minister off mid-sentence just the same. "I would appreciate it if you would refrain from threatening me, Minister. I was in my office all day today, and any of these portraits will confirm it. I was with a Professor the entire time. I don't know who is behind this crime, but it certainly wasn't me."

The Minister struggled to keep his temper in check, gripping his bowler hat as if it was a human neck he wanted to wring. "I find it quite… interesting," Fudge said, spacing his words deliberately, "that the day after you try to convince me that Sirius Black is innocent, and warn me that I might not like what happens if I don't reopen his case, Black just happens to get broken out of Azkaban by a wizard strong enough to evade all of the Ministry's Dementors and Aurors."

Albus looked down his nose at the Minister, examining him with the slightly disappointed air of a teacher who expected more from his student. "It is more than interesting," he said at last. "It is strange, mysterious, and even rather ironic. But if you mean to imply that you believe I am in any way involved," Dumbledore broke off and coughed disapprovingly, "then I can only repeat what you once said to me, and ask you to find proof. Once you have done that, I will be more than happy to continue this conversation."

Fudge was so angry that he lost control of his tongue, sputtering incoherently for fully half a minute. When he regained control, his face reddened to an alarming shade of puce, and he addressed the Headmaster in a tone of barely repressed rage.

"I see what it is you're up to, Albus! Interfering with the Ministry, gathering supporters and destabilizing our security… I won't stand by and watch you ruin what I've tried to build. I have given you far too free a hand here at Hogwarts in the past – that will change. Good day."

The Minister whirled around, stalking angrily back to the fire. He disappeared in a rush of green flame, leaving the Headmaster watching the fireplace steadily. Albus had been expecting something like this, but the extent of Cornelius' reaction was quite alarming. He was now quite determined that Albus was an enemy, which did not bode well for the future of Hogwarts.

From his portrait on the wall, former Headmaster Armando Dippet blew a loud raspberry. "Slimy little back-sliding politician. Still, he could make things quite difficult for you, Headmaster. What was that about a free hand – and changing things?"

"Hm…" Dumbledore mused. "I don't know. It was quite ominous, though, wasn't it? In any case, we have yet to see the last of meddling from the Ministry – of that I'm sure."