If you recognise it… I don't own it.
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"Naruto & Harry Potter" – Middle
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"What's up?" Naruto looked at the crowd around the Ravenclaw dorm entrance, "Sakura wanted me to come and see her. Can you guys get out the way? Let me in!"
"We can't get in!" Cho rounded on Naruto, "None of us know the answer."
"The answer?" Naruto frowned for a moment, "Oh, yeah! That's right, you guys have to answer a question to get in. It's really annoying, you know that. I think that's why Sakura insists I come to her once a week. Just to make me think. What's the question?"
"Like you could get it." Michael Conner snorted, "No offence Naruto, but you ain't the smartest guy around."
"And you lot are," Naruto pointed out, "So if smarts can't answer it, let a fool try."
"I know I got the answer right!" Hermione declared.
"Well obviously you didn't!" Marietta countered, "Because the door's still shut!"
"A Jinchuuriki is a human sacrifice!" Hermione fired back, "That's what the word means!"
"The question is 'What is a Jinchuuriki'?" Naruto was startled, "Let me through. I know the answer."
"Yeah right!" Anthony laughed, "Naruto, you don't know much."
"I know this." Naruto's voice was low and quiet now.
"Let the boy through," Professor Flitwick instructed, "Any try is worth something at this point. You think you know the answer, Mr Uzumaki?"
"No," Naruto shook his head, "I know I know the answer."
"What is a Jinchuuriki?" the bronze knocker spoke.
"A Jinchuuriki is a Victim," Naruto replied quietly, his voice still carrying though, thanks to the discrete spell Flitwick had cast on the boy, "A child decided by Fate, Destiny or Chance to be a Vessel. The Bottle holding the Water. The Prison for the Prisoner. Inside their body resides the soul, spirit and power of a Demon. The sealing is done for a weapon or for salvation. But the child has no choice. Yet they are seen as the prisoner they contain. They are perceived as the Demon. They are hated. They are despised. They are told to die. They are Weapons. They are Victims. They are lonely. A Jinchuuriki is condemned to be alone. To suffer in place of their prisoner. Damn the Jinchuuriki. Deemed less than human. And labelled as such. Used as such. A Jinchuuriki is an innocent Victim… Condemned from birth. Damn the Jinchuuriki. Damn you all."
"You understand." The bronze knocker acknowledged. "Well done."
The door opened, but Naruto only took one step inside.
"Sakura!" Naruto yelled, "I came! I'm going to punch a tree." Naruto turned and holding his head defiantly, he marched through the crowd of mainly Ravenclaws. The students parted for him, like the Red Sea. At first his steps were slow, but they sped up until he was in a full out run, heading outside.
"What's up with him?" Shikamaru looked up from his position on the sofa.
"Dunno!" Terry Boot shrugged, "He answered the question and then he left. He was really quiet answering the question too. I'd've thought he'd be bragging about it. None of us knew the answer."
"What was the question?" Sakura asked coming out of her dorm, rubbing a towel over her hair.
"'What is a Jinchuuriki?'" Roger Davis replied.
"What a drag!" Shikamaru sighed, "I'll deal with it Sakura." He got up and headed out after Naruto.
"Thanks Shikamaru," Sakura smiled, "I don't think I'd be able to help."
"A Jinchuuriki is a human sacrifice." Hermione stated again, "Not all that stuff Naruto was spouting."
"No," Sakura countered, "That's just what the word means. It explains Naruto at least."
"What?" the cry came from many lips.
"Not my place to tell." Sakura shook her head, "Not many things affect Naruto like that. Jinchuuriki… Well… That's a touchy subject around Naruto."
"Why?" Cho frowned.
"Not my place to say," Sakura answered, "Just Jinchuuriki… well, they do exist. They're not unheard of, where we come from."
"Demon in human form?" Marietta was appalled.
"No," Sakura disagreed, "Humans carrying Demons as unwilling and unwanted prisoners. If you want more information, talk to the sensei."
"Do you know one?" Marietta pressed.
"Know of one." Sakura shrugged, "I won't say I know him. We have never talked. However Naruto does know him. He counts him as a friend."
The last six words caused uproar in the Common Room.
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It didn't take Shikamaru long to find Naruto. In the absence of Ramen to calm him, being banned from pulling pranks while angry, and with no desire to actually hurt someone, Naruto had resorted to finding a tree to pound.
"What did the tree do?" Shikamaru spoke in Japanese, to catch Naruto's attention.
"Go away, Shika." Naruto growled, in the same language.
"No," Shikamaru replied, "It's a drag, but I can't do that. I know why you're angry."
"You have no idea." Naruto almost spat.
"Yes I do, kid," Shikamaru leant against the tree. "You told me yourself. You've got a real Demon inside you."
Naruto froze. All colour drained from his face. He crumpled to the ground, like a puppet with his strings cut.
"Don't worry," Shikamaru grinned, "I didn't tell anyone. And you're not the Fox, for all that others would think."
"But…" Naruto looked up. For a moment Shikamaru flashed back to that hospital room. The fear in Naruto's eyes was different then, but no less intense.
"I may hate the Fox," Shikamaru smiled, "But never the Boy. I couldn't hate you. You're a fool. You're an idiot. But after my team, I'd rather have you guard my back than anyone else."
"What…?" Naruto was too shocked to get much more than that out.
"I'm not a fool," Shikamaru spoke softly, "I knew you were hated. I just never thought I could help. I was a scared little kid. I hung out with you. I laughed at your jokes. But I never thought that you were lonely. I never realized. But when you said you had a Monster… Well, I'm not dumb. Doesn't take much to put the pieces together. Especially not with Gaara around. After all if Suna could, so could Konoha.
"Kid, you're hot-headed. You charge in, when I'd stand back and think. Sometimes I wish you'd got a little more restraint. Sometimes I wish you'd listen to me more. Sometimes I wish you'd think things though. But without you… I wouldn't be where I am now.
"We may have called you 'Kid' at the Academy. We may have insulted you. We definitely underestimated you. Time and time again. But you rose above that. You'll get stronger. You do so everyday. But you're not Gaara. You're not Kyuubi. You're not alone. Not anymore.
"The others don't know. But Neji suspects something. Shino does too. The rest… Well, they know you're different, kid. Just not why. It's a drag, but you need to get stronger. You need to be smarter. You used to use your brain. You still do… In fights. Like when you fought Neji. Like when you fought Kiba.
"I can help there. We all have our strengths. You want to be Hokage… You need to think more. Hold your tongue more. Not always dash in. We're in a different place. Apart from me, only the sensei know. You can change a little. Not too much, you wouldn't be you if you changed too much. But you can learn. Think. Plan. Strategise. We'll help. You're not alone. And I seriously doubt that any of us would reject you."
"You know," Naruto had calmed down a little, "I think that's the most I've ever heard you say."
"Well, don't be expecting it again," Shikamaru smirked, "It's too troublesome. Now, what exactly set you off?"
"Hermione," Naruto sighed, "Summing everything I've suffered in three words. Jinchuuriki, human sacrifice."
"And it's a lot more than that." Shikamaru nodded, "What would you do without me? Get your anger out. I'll watch the clouds."
"Thanks Shika." Naruto turned back to the tree, and started to punch it.
Shikamaru smiled as he lay down on the grass, staring up at the sky. The punches weren't as fierce or as quick as they had been earlier.
However the worst of the storm the question and answer had begun was yet to come.
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It was at breakfast the next day. All the Shinobi knew something was wrong the moment they stepped into the Great Hall after their morning exercises (apart from Lee and Gai-sensei, who were still, of course, exercising.
It didn't take them long to hear the whispers as they took their seats. It was the topic of the school. The thing on everyone's lips.
"Demons!" The voices almost hissed, "In human form."
"They're called Jinchuuriki."
In retrospect, the Sensei's realized they should have seen it coming and taken precautions. Sakura was cursing herself for days that she hadn't just taken Naruto to the kitchens for meals for a week to give it time to die down.
"Not human."
"Shouldn't be allowed to live."
"Shut up!" Naruto's voice was heard by all. "You have no right to judge them. Shut the hell up! They're children! They have no choice! Remove the Demon and they die! You have no right! They're alone. They're hated. Damn you! Don't you dare judge them!"
Naruto stormed out of the Great Hall. Kakashi rose to his feet.
"I'd better calm him down." Kakashi sighed. "Before he destroys a tree. I wish Iruka was here. He's a lot better at this than I am."
"If you get stuck," Asuma leant back, "Send word. I heard that Shikamaru managed last time."
"Thanks," Kakashi nodded, "But it's my duty. I'm his sensei after all."
"How does Naruto know so much about Jinchuuriki?" Flitwick spoke up, "He beat all my Eagles to an answer. I'm a little surprised. Naruto's not the academic type."
"He knows a Jinchuuriki." Asuma was quick off the mark, "He's close friends with one. From another Village. He understands him. Gaara's suffered and Naruto can sympathise. They get along."
"You know a Jinchuuriki?" Snape stared, "They are abominations. Although I have heard that they can be used as potions ingredients, to a great deal of effect."
"You take that back!" Kurenai growled, "They have no control over what they are. You would kill a child, who has done nothing? Just for a few potions? You make me sick."
With that Kurenai stormed out of the Great Hall, leaking Killing Intent the whole way.
"She's right," Asuma sighed, "I may not particularly like Gaara, but I won't deny he's human. Misguided, and confused, yeah. But he is human. And he's getting better."
"You make it sound like he's ill." Snape scoffed, "He's a Demon. There's no cure for that!"
"No," Asuma almost agreed, "There isn't. But there is a cure for a pain in the heart that won't go away. There is a cure for being all alone, for the whole of your life… While Gaara was growing up, only one voice in the whole world ever stuck by him. Only one voice seemed to care for him. The Demon. Is it surprising that he turned to the Demon, in his loneliness?"
"No one else?" Professor Sprout was curious.
"I heard he had an uncle," Asuma shrugged, "But when Gaara was six, his uncle tried to kill him. On the orders of Gaara's father. No… Gaara had no one but voice in his head. And considering it was the voice of an insane Demon, I'm surprised Gaara's as sane as he is. And he's getting saner. Naruto did something to him. Or said something. No one really knows. But Gaara's changing."
"How can you be sure?" Snape sneered, "He's a Demon, after all."
"No, just the container of one," Asuma countered, "And as for how I can tell… Gaara has a brother and sister. They used to be terrified of him. They're not anymore. I even saw Temari hug him. Considering she used to be scared that he'd kill her if she so much as touched him… that's impressive."
"How do you know all of this?" Professor Sinstra asked, "You said he was from another Village."
"Shikamaru and Temari…" Asuma smirked, "There's something going on there. That means that Temari has to talk to Shikamaru, and talks to Ino. Ino tells me. And I have eyes. Gaara may be from another Village, but he's from an allied Village. We communicate. I'd better go and calm Kurenai down. Or the first year Ravenclaws and Slytherins will have to be taught by Gai. And I think that would not be a good idea straight after breakfast. Especially while he's halfway through his lesson with Lee. The poor brats would die."
"Is it really that tough?" Flitwick was slightly curious.
"They're stamina freaks." Asuma shrugged, "As is Naruto. I think he and Kakashi are the only people, who could keep pace with the two lunatics. Even I wouldn't want to try. I wouldn't expect Naruto to turn up to lessons today. You just insulted one of his best friends. He needs to calm down. That'll take some time."
"Undisciplined brat." Snape sniffed.
"Brat?" Asuma smirked, "Yes. Undisciplined? He'll take orders. Just not from you. And right now, almost the entire school hurt him. He'll take this badly."
"You seem to know his moods." Flitwick was surprised.
"Naruto's a little bit of a legend in our village," Asuma laughed, "We used to tell tales of his exploits. So yeah, I know him. Hopefully Kakashi will calm him down. And hopefully Kurenai will calm down."
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Please Review.
This has been sitting on my hard-drive for a while. And yes, it is that old, old formula of the Konoha Eleven attending Hogwarts.
I hope this section though, is fresh.