It was Friday, the day before winter break. Impatience ran high as students waited for the end of the day.
By now, the ninjas had integrated into the school system while the staff spent the majority of their free time looking for a way to send them back to the Hidden Continents.
All around the school, in the hallways were students talking about their vacation plans. But one word was repeating over and over again, at least once from every wizard or witch.
It was the word 'Christmas'.
Naruto walked up to Harry, Ron, and Hermione who recently just got out from grueling class of Potions.
"Harry, what's Christmas?"
Ron was utterly shocked, "What do you mean? Don't you celebrate Christmas back in your...homeland?"
Hermione wondered about the question, too, before she snapped her fingers in realization, "Since your country is near Japan and is obviously influenced by its culture, does that mean you celebrate the Tanabata Festival?"
Naruto cocked his head, "Yeah. What about it?"
Harry was puzzled, "Ta..naba...ta Festival?"
Hermione nodded, "A day where the Japanese people write wishes on colorful strips of paper and hang them onto bamboo trees. It's sort of their equivalent to Christmas, just without the gift giving."
She turned back to the curious Naruto, "Christmas, I guess, is similar to your Tanabata Festival back where you live, right? Well, Christmas is similar to it, just without the wish-writing. Instead, we decorate trees and give one another presents."
Naruto brightened, "Thanks. I'll be telling Sakura-chan that now, dattebayo! Bye, Hermione-chan!"
Ron was suspicious about Naruto's new nickname for his best female friend, "Hermione...chan?"
Hermione blushed, "Sort of like a affectionate nickname for uhm 'good' friends."
"Oh, ok." Ron missed the slight blush, as he was currently grieving the fact that he had that loony Trelawney next.
The trio departed from one another; Hermione to Arithmency while Ron and Harry went to dreaded Divination. Bleh...that class was practically useless in the world of business.
Later on, Sakura approached the three friends as they did their homework near the flickering fireplace.
"Hey, Harry. Naruto explained to me what Christmas was. And I, well me and my friends, wondered if we could, you know, tag along with you with your Christmas plans."
Sakura mentally admitted it was part of their plan to keep an eye on Harry and his friends, just under the gist of innocent curiosity.
Hermione noticeably brightened, "Yes! Well..."
She turned to Harry for confirmation, "Please, Harry? They don't know about Christmas and they can spend their first Christmas here over at...you know, that place."
Harry, catching onto Hermione's plans to invite all of the ninjas over to Sirius's place, shrugged then nodded with a smile, "Sure. They look like the type to keep certain secrets."
Hermione went back to he patiently waiting pink-haired nin, "Yes, you may! Come down to the common room on December 24 tomorrow at 9 AM. We'll be taking the Knight Bus, along with Fred and George, to our...vacation house."
Sakura nodded, relieved that her charge didn't argue and agreed to let them tag along with him.
"Sure and...thanks for letting us tag along with you all for Christmas," she gave a slight bow in gratitude towards the two.
With that, Sakura went back to her co-ed dorm room, to confirm with Shikamaru on them all going with their wizard friends.
December 24 came and went by the ninjas at a fast pace.
Like no time had passed at all, 9:00 AM arrived at the speed it took for a summon to pop up from a scroll.
Ninjas were packed with their various sealed scrolls full of their weapons and dressed in their casual clothing. Their scrolls were either snapped into areas on their belts or stored in pouches.
Just when the hand ticked to the 12 and the minute hand snapped forward to signify 9:00, the ninjas leapt from the fifth landing all the way down to the common room. The fire long gone since last night, the ninjas settled into the various chairs waiting for their friends to come down.
At 9:05, Hermione and Harry came down. At 9:10, Ron shuffled down the stairs dragging behind him his bulging trunk.
At the sight of him, Hermione shook her head in a scolding manner, "Goodness Ron. You could've done your packing yesterday last night."
Ron grumbled back to her, "I was tired, 'Mione. Besides, I'm here now. Let's hurry up and get to the Hogwarts Express before it leaves without us."
"Fine,'' sighed Hermione as she gave up for the moment to reprimand Ron.
The ninjas walking a leisurely pace while the wizards and witch dragged along their trunks, they made their way out of the Gryffindor Common Room and out of Hogwarts.
As the group made their way over the Black Lake in groups of twos and threes in tiny little boats, they arrived at the station where the Hogwarts Express would take them back to London.
The ninjas could only stare at the black metal beast as it steamed. It was like a mechanical monster had came to life, with all of its steaming.
The wizards gave them a moment to admire the train before they rushed them into a empty compartment at the back of it.
While Harry, Ron, and Hermione hurriedly entered it, the ninjas all hesitantly took cautious steps to enter the contraption they called a 'train'.
Naruto, Sasuke, Neji, Tenten, Sakura, Kiba with Akamaru (who whined a bit before daring to put a paw on the doorway), Shikamaru, Sai, Ino, Chouji, Hinata, Lee, and then Shino made their way into the train and caught up with the Golden Trio who finally spotted a empty compartment.
Although the compartment was meant for a group of ten, the three wizards plus 13 ninjas and 1 nin-dog somehow figured out a way to get everyone situated.
Tenten sat on Neji's lap with his arms acting like a 'seatbeat' for her as his face peered over her shoulder while Naruto sat on the carpeted floor, leaning his head onto Hinata's lap, who was back into her old habit of pressing her fingers together. Sasuke and Sakura squeezed together as Choji, Shikamaru, Ino, and Sai squished together against a wall. Shino and Kiba sat in the middle area of the benches. Akamaru settled on top of Kiba's feet next to Naruto and proceeded to lay his head on his paws. Lee settled next to his team mates, crossing his legs together. He was back in his horrible green spandex, complete with his orange leg warmers and his weights locked securely under it.
Eventually, Hermione casted an Expansion Charm so that she and her friends can comfortably sit in.
In the morning, Lee cried silently hugging his green spandex outfit while smothering his tears in his orange warmers. Tenten had shuddered a bit, seeing Lee back in his regular outfit. Over the course at Hogwarts, she had adjusted to seeing Lee wearing Hogwart's black robes. To see Lee back in his favorite outfit brought quite the rude awakening upon Tenten, her...boyfriend... was quick to agree with her once he spotted that splash of green from the corner of his lavender eyes.
As the train rumbled along its tracks toward its destination in London, the ninjas settled into a relaxing position. Many of the people present took this chance to catch a few more z's.
Shikamaru took this chance to nap while Choji crunched on a pack of chips that somehow manifested in the air. Ino leaned her head on Sai's shoulder while said shinobi settled on top of Ino's head, the two in content silence eventually slipping off to sleep. Tenten leaned her head back onto the seat's cushioning pillow while Neji's head tipped forward, his cheek on Tenten's left shoulder as his arms never slackened from around Tenten's waist. Naruto's settled on Hinata's lap and slept like a baby. Hinata gazed out of the window. As the scenery zipped by the small transparent sheet of glass, Hinata unconsciously brushed Naruto's shock of blond hair free of tangles and snares.
In his sleep, Naruto smiled a content grin and slipped deeper into the realm of blissful sleep. Sasuke sharpened his katana sword while Sakura caught up on some recommended healing techniques given to her from Tsunade. Lee slept upside-down in a handstand; his feet sticking up into the air as he leaned against the compartment's walls. How he slept like that comfortably, Hermione would never know. Shino's position from the time he sat down to present didn't change at all. He was like a colored stone statue. Under his dark sunglasses, not even his fellow ninjas could tell that if he was either awake or asleep. Kiba joined his sleeping friends; he completely knocked out. His feet settled on Akamaru's back, a comical-like bubble appeared on his nose. As Kiba inhaled and exhaled, the bubble shrunked then grew in size according to Kiba's rhythm of breathing.
Meanwhile, Harry was out with Neville and Ginny in another compartment while Hermione and a reluctant Ron did their prefect duties.
Nobody woke up, not even the trolley lady came by their silent compartment.
2 Hours Later...
The train eventually rumbled to a gradual stop.
Shino, who had been keeping watch over his sleeping friends, first woke up Kiba who was the closest to him.
"Kiba, Akamaru, wake up. We are here where the wizards call 'London'."
As Kiba woke and stretched his stiff muscles, Shino proceeded to awaken the rest,
"Naruto, Neji, Tenten, wake up. We are at our stop. Shikamaru, Ino, Sai, and Lee, you too."
As his friends rubbed eyes and/or stretched, Harry was opening the compartment doors.
"Everyone, wake- Oh, you're already up. Just wanted to let you know, we're about to leave the train."
Shino nodded, "We know. We'll follow you to this 'Knight Bus'."
Harry nodded, a bit unnerved hearing the guy speak. After all, during his entire 4 months at Hogwarts, Shino hadn't spoke to him one little word. So, to hear him speak was a slight surprise.
He left the door open and the ninjas trooped out after him.
He, along with the ninjas trailing ninjas behind him, exited the metal contraption and joined with Ron and Hermione, who were waiting for the rest of them to catch up with them at 2 columns.
When they saw Harry approaching them, they turned, walked forward some few steps and disappeared from the ninjas' gaze. A few seconds later, Harry quickly followed.
The ninjas were more than just startled. Neji and Hinata immediately activated their bloodline limit.
Veins around their eyes bulging, Hinata reported, "It seems to be a-"
"-genjutsu. No need to worry, Harry and his friends are waiting for us at the other side of the columns. We just need to walk straight through," finished Neji.
"Yosh! The youthful vigor of mine shall go first!" Lee bounded forward and disappeared, now to be expected.
His friends followed after him, appearing one by one on the other side of the barrier. Had Neji or Hinata not been of the Hyuuga clan, the ninjas would've been scratching their heads for quite some time.
Hermione smiled at them, "Glad to see that you all figured the barrier. We forgot to tell you about it earlier, but it seems we worried for nothing."
Ron gestured with his head, "C'mon. My brothers are waiting for us outside. They already got the Knight Bus summoned."
Harry and Hermione, albeit a little nervous, nodded. Their coloring paled considerably. Sasuke wondered why, it couldn't have been much scarier than the metal contraption they insisted upon calling a 'train', right?
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Sasuke has never more wrong in his life than when he made the decision to step onto the bus.
Not only were the bus drivers suspicious, but the way they drove was hectic. It was all over the place.
If it weren't for the multiple inanimate objects they swerved near that somehow 'got up' and jumped away from the crazy bus, nothing was strapped down.
The ninjas quickly directed chakra to their feet, to better hold them against the shifting floor.
Trunks, nor were other passengers, weren't safely attached to their designated holding area. Rooms that would've been a safe area to lay down in were no longer redeemable. They were all completely trashed, no thanks to the drivers' maneuvering. Even Shikamaru didn't dare to lay his head on a rumpled pillow, which may had spent the better part of its life on the floor crushed under other stuff than on a bed.
It was lucky for them that they all sealed their things in scrolls. He and his friends didn't have to worry about missing clothes or flying weapons.
The moment the wizards stumbled off to the doorway, the ninjas and one nin-dog were already up and rushing for the doorway. Had they been civilians, there would've been a stampede. But the ninjas quickly organized themselves single file and exited the death trap in quick succession.
The wizards followed them, only to see the majority of the ninjas stuffing their faces into bushes to release their lunches.
Naruto came up first, "I am never ever going to set foot in that death trap, dattebayo. I rather enter it with a empty stomach than with ramen inside of me," Feeling another bout of ile rushing up his throat, he stuffed his face back into the bushes.
His friends all quickly seconded that. Only if that vehicle was the absolute last resort, none of them will be boarding it again.
For whoever wants the ninjas back inside that metal machine, they would have to win in a duel to even get one of them inside of it.
The wizards had fared a little better.
Ron, a little pale, chuckled weakly at the ninjas, "Don't worry, you'll get used to it..."
The kunoichis stared at him incredulously. Now they much preferred running and jumping through trees. That bus had taught them to be grateful for trees, their leg muscles, and the long grueling hours spent on tree climbing.
''...eventually," finished Ron lamely.
Hermione shook her brown mass of hair, "Come on. Fred and George are waiting for us at you-know-where."
Harry and Ron nodded, proceeding to follow Hermione.
The ninjas not knowing where the heck they were going, followed.
They walked and walked until they reached a street of houses that all looked the same to the ninjas.
Hermione looked both ways before turning around to the ninjas.
She handed out a single piece of paper, with some kanji inscribed on it.
In English, the kanji would've read out to be "The Order of the Phoenix is at Grimmauld 12."
Kiba looked up, "What's-?"
Harry quickly shushed him, "Shhh. It's our secret uhm home for the vacation. Don't say it out loud."
Kiba closed his mouth and nodded as Hermione proceeded to set fire to that little piece of parchment.
Neji discreetly activated his Byaukugan.
He whispered to Tenten and everyone else, "Between Houses #11 and #13, there's a shimmering something between the two."
The ninjas quickly directed their gazes toward the mentioned space.
As the two Hyuuga members looked on with their byaukugan, a gap between the mentioned houses appeared and widened right before them. Harry took pride in the fact that not they had experienced something like this before. #11 and #13 didn't seem to notice the shove between their houses. In fact, the music booming out of #13 never faltered in its volume.
Seeing their curious gazes, Ron explained, "It's a secret organization of sorts dedicated to defeating You-Know-Who."
Harry explained further, "Voldemort basically."
At this, Ron and Hermione winced at the name Harry had just uttered.
Sai observed the house and asked the question that was circulating through all of his friends' minds, "How is this house—" He gestured to Grimmauld Palace #12 "—like this? While we're still here, who is this Voldemort person?"
"It's made unplottable by a charm and is hidden behind the Fidelius Charm, rendering it entirely invisible to those who doesn't know about its existence. The people living here had long ago accepted it a mistake of numbering. In the case of making it Unplottable, like the name, the area charmed by it is removed from plain sight and from all maps. It's mainly for protection of certain protection and for safety."
Shikamaru explained the second question, "Mental crazy wizard that wants to wash the world clean of civilians. Has a weird infatuation with snakes, kind of like that troublesome Orouchimaru."
Comprehension came fast and swift to the ninjas. So, Voldemort was another snake bastard guy in the Outside. In Shikamaru's words, it was indeed troublesome.
Hermione quickly took back the reins, "We've spent enough diddly-daddling as it is. We got to enter, now. We're causing a scene just standing here talking."
Hermione quickly walked up the stairs and rapped smartly on the wooden door. A motherly voice came wafting through the wooden fibers. Those who hadn't a mother (Naruto) or lost one (Sasuke) immediately stiffened. The door opened, revealing a slightly chubby women with a head full of fiery red hair similar to Ron's.
"Welcome, Hermione! It's good to see you back for winter break! Harry, Ron, I trust you both stayed out of trouble. And— oh, Hermione dear. Who are the group behind you doing? Are they wizards or Muggles?"
Hermione sighed in exasperation, "We'll explain once we're all inside, Mrs. Weasley."
The women, now identified as Mrs. Weasley, contemplated Hermione before she stepped aside.
"Very well. But I expect a full explanation once we all enter the kitchen."
"We know, Mum. We know."
And with that, 3 wizards, 13 ninjas, and 1 nin-dog entered the house before the house disappeared from the eyes of the real world back into its own little pocket of reality.