Disclaimer: All HP characters are the property of JKR, the WB, and respective publishing companies and all Naruto characters are the property of Masashi Kishimoto. This is nothing more than a simple FanFiction that I have written. I have made no money from this or any of the other stories I have posted on this or other sites.
Warnings: AU for parts of both worlds (i.e. kiss canon goodbye), mild character bashing, mild to moderate violence (there are shinobi involved after all), and a few others that will be announced as they crop up.
AN: This story is self-beta'd; so there may be occasional grammatical or spelling errors that crop up every now and then and for those I apologize in advance.
Chapter 11: Clarification
Saturday, August 14, 1999, Late Afternoon and Evening
No. 12 Grimmauld Place, London, England
Harry could feel his little cousin tensing beside him and he just knew that the kid was fretting about the knowledge that he would have to return to the one place that he'd hoped to never see again. Harry felt a thread of guilt eat through his heart over the knowledge that he was half the reason why Naruto would have to return. He also felt uneasy because of the prophecy that was hanging over Naruto's head; even if the existence of said prophecy wasn't really that much of a surprise. Letting out an inaudible sigh, Harry snaked his arm around his cousin's shoulders and pulled him closer so that the blond nestled right up against his side.
"How much of a hassle can I expect to face when it comes times for us to head to Konoha?" Harry inquired once he was certain that Naruto was comfortable.
"That will depend on whether you chose to enter the village as a civilian, as a merchant or shopkeeper, or as a potential shinobi. It would be easiest to enter as a civilian; however, you're movements would be greatly restricted since Konoha is a military village. If you intend to open a store or become a traveling merchant, then you would have more rights but it is also far harder to get a foot into the village; you'd need to provide a unique product or much needed service and have a solid business plan that shows that your citizenship would be beneficial both economically and commercially."
"Lastly, the hardest but most beneficial way to enter the village would be as a potential shinobi. As a shinobi, you'd have far more rights than any civilian or merchant, you'd be guaranteed employment for so long as you are both mentally and physically capable of working, and as a member of the Namikaze Clan, you'd have a voice on the council. The downside to going this route, is that you will be subjected to an intensive interrogation, would be placed on probation for one to five years, prohibited from leaving the village until your probation is over, and likely assigned to a handler for another five to ten years to insure that you do not betray the village."
"Furthermore, should you enter the village as a civilian or a merchant; the moment they learn about your ancestry, the Kyuubi, and your magic, the council will seek to turn you into a weapon and attempt to coerce you into repopulating the Namikaze Clan in order to produce future generations of shinobi capable of using magic. The only way to stonewall the council to prevent them from meddling in your life would be to join the shinobi force before that information is made public. As a shinobi, the council would have no say in your life because the Hokage is ultimately responsible for all of the shinobi regardless of their skill level or clan affiliation."
"Ano… the entire village already knows about the Kyuubi, tousan," Naruto pointed out as he scrunched up his face in confusion.
"No, they only know about the half of the Kyuubi that was sealed inside of you," Harry corrected absently as he turned over the three options that Minato had given him. "How invasive are the interrogators going to get? If my magic senses that I am under attack, it will lash out; the lethality of the attack would be directly proportional to the level of threat and the amount of pain any such attack produces."
"You will not be tortured, if that is what you are asking; unless they believe that you are responsible for Naruto's disappearance from the village but I can't see that happening so long as Sarutobi is in charge. Even if he isn't, your status as a Namikaze should offer you some protection and a simple blood test would confirm your ancestry."
"I imagine that providing the proper documentation would also be paramount to smoothing the way," Harry mused as he closed his eyes and leaned back against the couch. "Okay, I already know that I won't be able to tolerate being treated as a second class citizen; so, entering the village as a civilian is completely out of the question and that would leave going in as a merchant or as a shinobi. As a former leader of the village, can you tell me what would type of product or service would be in the highest demand with the greatest chance of getting me a foot in the door?"
"Medicinal products and healing abilities are always in high demand; the only problem with going that route is that you'd have to compete with both the Yamanaka and Nara Clans. The food industry would be another potential route to go but not only would you have to compete with the Akimichi Clan, you'd have to compete with all of the other café, bar, and restaurant owners (of which there are many). The only other occupation that I can think of off of the top of my head is a construction or a general repair service; shinobi are forever destroying buildings, furniture, and the environment in the line of their work, during their training sessions, when they get drunk, or when disagreements inevitably break out into fights."
"And the requirements for joining the shinobi force?"
"The requirements for entering the shinobi force are fairly straight forward. Each person is tested in four areas; knowledge, ninjutsu, taijutsu, and shurikenjutsu. The knowledge you would be tested on would include geography, the history of the Elemental Nations and Konoha, Konoha's laws, practical math, and common sense. In ninjutsu, they are looking to see if you can perform the three basic jutsu that are taught at the Academy (the Henge, the Kawarimi, and the Bunshin) as well as get an idea of what other ninjutsu you know. Taijutsu is fairly self explanatory; they want to know that you can fight and defend yourself using nothing but your hands and feet."
"And lastly, they will test you on your ability to handle the two most common shinobi weapons; the kunai and the shuriken. Not only will you need to demonstrate your ability to properly handle and care for the weapons, you will need to demonstrate an ability to use and throw them with adequate accuracy, speed, and force. On top of your current skills, they will look at your stamina (both your physical stamina and your chakra reserves), speed, force, survival skills, and your ability to think on your feet. They also won't just look at your current abilities and skills; they'll want to know that you have the potential to improve and grow."
"There are other skills that could improve your chances of being inducted into the force; genjutsu, kenjutsu, iryojutsu, senjutsu, kinjutsu, and fuuinjutsu. Additionally, possessing a Kekkei Genkai (such as your magic) or a secret technique would be seen as a bonus and make up for mediocre skills or limited potential. Unfortunately, in your case, your age is going to put you at a disadvantage because you have very little room for growth now that you've passed your eighteenth birthday."
"Actually, magicals don't reach full maturity until age twenty-five due to our extended life spans; otherwise last night's misadventure and my new status would have killed me," Harry corrected offhandedly while he mentally reviewed his options based upon the information that Minato had just given him. "The only true disadvantage I have right now is a distinct lack of teachers and trainers to help me reach an acceptable level within the next two years as well as help me to effectively harness my full potential within the next six years."
"Did you just say that you almost died last night?" Naruto demanded as he jerked away from Harry's side just far enough so that he could stare up at the wizard in horror.
"No, Naruto; I was merely pointing out that what happened to me last night had the potential to kill me. I made a slight miscalculation and the consequences could have killed me if I had been anyone else. In the future, I will take care not to get myself into those kinds of situations; I have no wish to leave you and Teddy without someone to look out for your best interests."
"You better not or I'll bring you back to life just so I can kick your butt; dattebayo," Naruto growled fiercely as he scowled up at Harry for several seconds before he curled back into the teen's side.
"Your warning has been duly noted," Harry dryly retorted as he poked the eight year old in the side; soliciting a soft giggle from the kid before earning a return poke from Naruto.
"Did you have any other questions you wished to ask me?" Minato inquired after watching the two of them interact for a few minutes.
"Not particularly… though, I was wondering if you might be willing to teach me basic theory until I can find a way to send you on to the afterlife. Practical lessons will most likely be beyond your current capabilities though."
"I would be more than happy to help the both of you in any way that I can for as long as you need me to. As much as I look forward to the day when I will be reunited with Kushina and my parents, I would not wish to leave the two of you without the knowledge and skills that you will need to survive in the Elemental Nations. I also know the names of several individuals that could potentially help the two of you in specific areas; such as Kushina and Mito-sama being able to help you better understand the potential you have as a host to the Kyuubi."
"Thank you, Minato; I really do appreciate your willingness to help me."
Their discussion ended just a few minutes later as Kreacher announced that Teddy was awake. Harry left Naruto with his father (so that the two of them could have a moment of privacy to clear the air between them) and so that he could have time to process everything he'd just learned before he needed to speak with Naruto about the Kyuubi. It would also be a chance for him to spend some time bonding with his godson since he'd spent far more time getting to know Naruto over the past few weeks than he had doting on Teddy. It was at that point that Harry realized that there was one thing he hadn't taken into account when he'd been making plans to relocated to Konoha when it was time for Naruto to return to the village; his godson.
Could he knowingly risk Teddy's life by taking him into a potentially hostile situation? Could he potentially deny Teddy part of his heritage by taking him through the portal? Could he take Teddy away from those individuals that were close to him (like Andromeda)? Could he potentially leave Teddy behind knowing that there was a chance that he'd never see his godson again? Who could he trust to watch over his godson if he was left behind? How could he protect him if he took the toddler with them? How could he insure that Teddy got a magical education if they were unable to ever return to England? What would happen to Teddy if he was to die while living in the Elemental Countries?
Harry collected a roll of parchment, a couple of quills, a bottle of ink, and a couple of Teddy's favorite toys before he carried Teddy downstairs to the dining room. He then sat down at the table and settled Teddy on his lap before he opened the bottle of ink and unrolled the parchment so that he could start writing out a list of things that would need to be done and a list of decisions that would have to be made within the next fifteen to eighteen months. By the time that Kreacher popped up to announce that supper was ready, Harry had filled close to five feet of parchment with his cramped chicken scratch and he was no where near finished.
The nineteen year old wizard took a few minutes to clean up his messes and get Teddy situated in his highchair while he sent Kreacher to inform Naruto that it was time for supper. All through the meal, Harry's mind was preoccupied with the decisions he was going to have to make and the many, many things that would have to be done before he could leave with Naruto (there was no way he was going to send his cousin to face his destiny alone in a potentially hostile village). Naruto didn't seem to notice; the eight year old happily chattering away to his father (the kid apparently was no longer inclined to carry a grudge against the man despite his earlier anger).
After the meal, Naruto willingly entertained Teddy once more while Harry returned to his life altering brainstorming session as he added yet another three and a half feet of questions, ideas, requirements, benefits, and disadvantages to his earlier parchment. Another hour was then spent rereading though the eight and a half feet of notes; crossing out those things he knew weren't an option, making comments in the margins for those items that would require research, adding the little odds and ends he'd forgotten the first time, and answering those questions that didn't require input from another party.
He took a break at that point to give Teddy a bath, read him a bedtime story, and tuck him into bed for the night. Harry smiled tenderly as he kissed the sleeping toddler; Naruto had worn the child out so completely that he drifted off to sleep before Harry even reached the second page of the story. He then stood there for several minutes watching his godson sleep while he considered his family's future (which at this point included both Teddy and Naruto as well as his closest friends, and dare he say it, his cousin Dudley too). Harry eventually pulled himself away from Teddy's cot and headed back down to the drawing room where Naruto and Minato were both waiting on him (Minato had been invited to join them for the coming discussion since there wasn't much else for the ghost to do).
Harry tiredly dropped onto the couch, sprawling himself across more than half of the chesterfield as his late night, his transformation into a horcrux for a demon, and the long mentally exhausting day caught up to him once again. Now, if only his body would stop aching and his magical core would stop feeling like an empty hole. If he was lucky, then he'd be feeling good as new after a good night's sleep. If he wasn't lucky, then it would be a full week before he was back to normal. Harry wrinkled his nose in distaste at the thought of being a virtual invalid for seven long days before he let out a soft snort of amusement tinged with annoyance for the direction his thoughts were going in.
Another three minutes passed as he cleared his mind of useless trivialities and focused on the blond bundle of energy that was currently camped down on the floor on his belly building an elaborate fort out of blocks (an obvious attempt to not think about the coming discussion). He then cleared his throat and asked, "Did Minato have a chance to explain to you what it means to have the Kyuubi sealed inside of you, Naruto?"
"Hai."
"Um… hai means 'yes', right?" Harry asked as he racked his brain for what little information he'd gathered from the hours he'd spent with the active translation spell the night before.
"Yeah."
"Thank you, confirmation that the translation spell worked as it should have is always helpful. I'm also glad that your father explained things to you since I'm certain I would have stuffed up the explanation simply because there's still so much that I need to learn. And since the Kyuubi is one of the things that you and I need to discuss, it is important that you fully understand what it means to be a host to the nine-tailed fox. So, if you still have any questions about the Kyuubi, don't hesitate to ask me or your father."
"I'm good; tousan answered all of my questions earlier."
Harry nodded in response before he closed his eyes and took a fortifying breath that he let out slowly before he brought up a subject that he would have preferred to never broach with his younger cousin, "When I told you the story of my life yesterday… was it really only yesterday? Feels like it's been ages… anyway, when I told you my story, there were a few things that I left out at the time because the information would be extremely dangerous in the wrong hands and because I felt that there were some things that you were just too young to know right now."
"However, because of what happened last night after you went to bed, I'm going to need to share one of those secrets with you in order for you to understand the consequences of my actions. I am going to go for a brief summary of the bare basics right now because I'm still recovering from last night and won't be able to stay awake for too much longer. I will, of course, give you more details and answer as many of your questions as I can once I've had a chance to rest."
"The secret starts with three powerful wizards who just happened to be brothers and legend states that they used their magic to cheat death and in doing so were granted a boon from the being known as Death. Each brother asked for a powerful object that would allow them to conquer death in some form; the oldest brother asked for an unbeatable weapon, the middle brother asked for a way to bring back the dead, and the youngest brother asked for a way to hide from death."
"The oldest brother was given a powerful wand that amplified his magic, the middle brother was given a stone that would command the souls of the dead, and the youngest brother received an invisibility cloak that would hide him from Death. The three items were the Elder Wand (also called the Deathstick and the Wand of Destiny), the Resurrection Stone, and the Cloak of Invisibility and the three of them together are collectively known as the Deathly Hallows. The stories of the two older brothers are rather tragic and they both died fairly soon after receiving their gifts while the youngest brother lived a long life before he passed the Cloak of Invisibility to one of his children and embraced death."
"Whether or not the three Deathly Hallows were made by Death or if the brothers made them themselves is debatable but there is no question that all three items exist. The Elder Wand is the most well known out of the trio and it has a long and bloody history as it passed from hand to hand through the centuries. The Stone and the Cloak on the other hand fell into near obscurity aside from the myths that rose up around the three brothers and the Deathly Hallows. Since the day the Hallows were first created, there has only ever been one wizard who has reunited all three items; though he was not the first person to have possession of all three items within his lifetime."
"Are you still following along, Naruto?" Harry asked as he paused in his story telling.
"I think so."
"Okay, I just wanted to make certain," Harry stated as he pushed himself up and dug out the Resurrection Stone from his front pocket and withdrew the Elder Wand from his robe pocket. He then held up the pale wand so that Naruto could clearly see it as he explained, "This is the Elder Wand; I won its allegiance two years ago when I defeated Draco Malfoy who had defeated Albus Dumbledore who in turn had taken the Wand of Destiny from Gellert Grindelwald who had stolen it from a wandmaker well over seventy years ago."
"I tried to get rid of the wand but people kept stealing it from Dumbledore's tomb and after the last time I reclaimed it, I decided that it wasn't worth the trouble of having to hunt it down yet again and just kept it when I was unable to destroy it. Most people believe that I destroyed the wand because I created a realistic copy to replace it and promptly snapped the fake in half. I still occasionally have people challenge me to a duel in the hopes that they will take the wand from me but I never take the wand out of the house and most people change their minds the moment they see me using my original holly wand; because why would I use an inferior wand when I have such a powerful wand at my disposal?"
Harry tucked the wand back into his pocket before he held up the Resurrection Stone next as he continued, "This ring holds the Resurrection Stone and it was through the Stone that I called on your father's spirit. I don't expect you to just take my word for it, so I'm going to call on another spirit."
The wizard closed his eyes once more in order to concentrate on the spirit he'd decided to call upon but yet again he made a slight miscalculation, though this time his mistake would actually be a good thing. He'd planned to call on Naruto's mother but because of how many similarities Uzumaki Kushina shared with Lily Potter (both women were redheads, were well known for their temper, were married at a fairly young age, and they both had died protecting their only child), Harry ended up calling upon both women.
"Kushina!" Minato breathed the instant the two redheads shimmered into being.
"Minato!" Kushina all but yelled as she whipped around to stare at the older blond before she dashed forward to wrap him in her arms.
"Is… is that my mother?" Naruto asked timidly as he hungrily stared at the ghostly woman clinging to his father's ghost.
"Yes, Naruto; why don't you come over here and let me introduce you to my mother while your parents have their reunion (they haven't seen one another in close to nine years, after all)."
"How does that work? Aren't they both dead?"
"I'll explain in a few minutes," Harry countered as Naruto joined him on the couch once more and turned his attention to the second redhead in the room. "Mum, I'd like to introduce you to Naruto; he's related to us through Grandpa Evans. Naruto, this is my mother; Lily Potter. He unfortunately met Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon first and the two of them didn't take the news that we had more family out there well but Dudley stepped in on his behalf before owling me to let me know about him. Life has been anything but dull ever since."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Naruto," Lily murmured as she gave the blond child a warm smile before her expression turned regretful as she continued, "I am sorry for the pain that you suffered during your short stay with my sister. I am partially to blame for the hatred that she developed because I allowed our differences to create a gap in our friendship and disregarded her feelings far too many times. Tuney is not a horrible person but she is full of bitterness and that bitterness distorts her perception and colors her world in anger and spite."
"It's alright, dattebayo; Dudley saved me and then he called Harry to come get me."
"Naruto-kun…? Is that you?" the redheaded woman still wrapped up in Minato's arms demanded the moment she heard him use that verbal tick. She then turned to Harry and furrowed her brow before asking, "And who are you?"
"Our little boy sure has grown, hasn't he?" Minato inquired rhetorically as he smiled at Naruto.
"Kaasan?"
"Oh my little baby, you've grown so much since I last saw you and you look so much like your otousan; dattebane."
"His temper is all yours, though, dearest," Minato bravely pointed out before he ducked the backhand swing that Kushina blindly aimed at his head. "And the unfamiliar young man beside our son is Kichiro-oji's grandson; Potter Harry. I'm not too certain who your near twin is though, I've not met her before."
"I'm Lily Potter, Harry's mother," Lily answered in Harry's place since the wizard was a little out of it because he'd used more magic than he'd expected to call upon the two women's spirits (magic that he hadn't really had to spare). "My father was Gregory Evans who is apparently related to Naruto in some way; though I confess that I am more than a little confused as to how that is even possible though. I grew up believing that my father was an only child and I never crossed paths with any spirits beyond those I already knew in the afterlife and my father was always tight-lipped about his childhood – even in death. Am I to assume that the two of you are Naruto's parents?"
"Yes, I'm Namikaze Minato and this is my wife, Uzumaki Kushina. According to what Harry-kun and Naruto-kun both told me, after Kichiro-oji left our village due to a health problem that would have made him an outcast in the Elemental Countries, he changed his name before making a life for himself on this side of the barrier," Minato explained for the benefit of both women. "Travel between the Elemental Countries and the Outer Countries has always been limited and communications from those who leave the Elemental Countries are pretty much non-existent to prevent word of the existence of the Outer Countries from spreading to the general population for security reasons. Ojisan probably took the secret to his grave in order to protect Konoha from those that would feel threatened by an entire hidden society."
"Much like the magical society is hidden from the rest of the world," Lily murmured in understanding before she turned back to Harry. "As much as I love having an opportunity to meet long lost family members and to see you again, son; why exactly did you call me here? For that matter, why did you call Naruto's parents here as well?"
"I didn't mean to call you, mum, but apparently you and Kushina have nearly as much in common as Naruto and I do and the Stone called you both when I used it," Harry replied as he shook off his exhaustion as best he could. "I needed to prove to Naruto that the Hallows existed in order to explain a few things and I called on Kushina because I thought he'd like a chance to meet his mother. Minato's situation is far less straight forward… I'd originally called on Minato because Naruto said that he was one of the people that would have the answers that I needed in order to understand what had happened to the Kyuubi. Like when I called Kushina though, someone… or rather something else tagged along for the ride when I called on Minato last night."
"What do you mean?" Kushina asked with apprehension as she glanced between Harry and her husband.
"The shinigami devoured my soul and half of the Kyuubi the night of the Kyuubi's attack and when Harry called upon me, it was the shinigami that answered the call because I was still trapped inside of the shinigami's stomach," Minato answered when Harry couldn't seem to find the words.
"I was horrified when I learned that the shinigami had eaten Minato's soul; my only experience with soul eaters in the past has been with the…"
"Dementors," Lily supplied with grim understanding.
"Exactly and just thinking that some demon had swallowed Minato's soul both angered and disgusted me and I didn't really think things through before I was demanded the shinigami let him go. I should have considered the consequences of demanding things from unnatural immortal beings without asking about the prices involved but I just wanted the shinigami to let Minato go."
"What happened…?" Naruto demanded with concern the moment Harry trailed off.
"There was a rather large complication involved in freeing Minato's soul; his soul was tied to the half of the Kyuubi that had been devoured by the shinigami on the night of the attack. Releasing Minato's soul inevitably also meant releasing the other half of the Kyuubi's soul."
"You unleashed the Kyuubi on the Outer Countries?" Kushina demanded in pure shock and no little anger; she'd died to help end the threat the Kyuubi represented, after all.
"No; the shinigami's price for releasing Minato's soul was to turn me into the host for the second half of the Kyuubi. The shinigami also forcefully expanded my chakra coils in order to accommodate the Kyuubi's chakra and gave me an estimated five years to live before the Kyuubi's chakra killed me and unleashed the demon on the Outer Countries. As I understand it, a portion of the Kyuubi's chakra will constantly be transferred into my chakra reserves and the constant growth of my reserves will stress my body if I don't learn to use my chakra in order to keep my coils flexible so they can accommodate the constant influx of foreign chakra. However, so long as I learn how to mold and use my chakra before the five years are up, then I will be fine."
"The only reason I didn't die last night was because the shinigami used my magic during the process to heal the initial damage done to both my body and my chakra network. Well, that and the shinigami said that my soul was hidden from Death and all of the beings associated with Death (bar those souls I call through the stone) due to my connection to the Deathly Hallows. I don't regret helping Minato but I do wish that I'd thought things through a little better before recklessly jumping in headfirst while wearing a blindfold. I'm at least thankful that the shinigami didn't choose to force the burden of holding the other half of the Kyuubi onto Teddy."
"So, you've basically just traded one soul fragment for another?" Lily asked softly as she stared at Harry with grief and regret.
"Yes and no… I was told that the portion of the Kyuubi sealed inside of me was no mere soul fragment because the tailed beasts are not mortal creatures."
"How can you have the Kyuubi sealed in you when I have the Kyuubi sealed inside of me?" Naruto asked as he once more pulled away from Harry and scrunched up in confusion.
"We only sealed half of the Kyuubi into you on the night you were born," Minato answered. "The Kyuubi was far too powerful to seal his entire being into a newborn; so with Kushina's help and through the power of the shinigami, I ripped the Kyuubi's yin chakra from it and sealed it into myself before the shinigami consumed my soul and the half of the Kyuubi that had been sealed inside of me. At the time, I did not know that stripping half of the Kyuubi's chakra would also take half of its soul."
"So… that means that me and Harry each have half of the Kyuubi now?"
"Yes," Harry confirmed.
"Is that the reason why you said you'd go with me to Konoha?"
"No. I'm going with you when you return to Konoha because you are family. I would have chosen to go with you even if half of the Kyuubi had not been sealed inside of me; the only thing that has changed is that I have to learn how to use my life force, my chakra, much like I already use my magic."
"I can help you with that, dattebayo!"
"I was hoping you'd say that," Harry murmured as he reached out and ruffled Naruto's hair.
Translations: Japanese to English
Okaasan/kaasan – mother
Otousan/tousan – father
Techniques/Skills:
Fuuinjutsu – Sealing techniques
Genjutsu – Illusion techniques
Kenjutsu – Sword skills/techniques
Kinjutsu – Forbidden techniques
Iryojutsu – Healing techniques
Ninjutsu – Ninja art techniques
Senjutsu – Sage techniques (think sage mode)
Shurikenjutsu – thrown weapon techniques
Taijutsu – hand to hand techniques/martial arts
10-24-15: Minor edits made to chapter to fix spelling/grammar mistakes and removed unnecessary author's notes.