Hello, again!

Now we'll be following up from where we left off with Naruto (at least somewhat). Not to mention that there are a few things I kind of need to deal with as well for the time being, such as how Naruto relatively acts.

Bold and Italicized is in a different language to the main language.

Don't own Harry Potter or Naruto.

Light and Dark

"Hey, Naruto." Luna called after she noticed him come into the Great Hall the morning after the latest Quidittich match of the year. "How'd things go with Madam Bones?"

"Better than could be expected, at least." said Naruto, albeit with a bit of an emotionless tone to his voice. Luna caught on immediately.

"What happened?" she asked sternly, stating that she'll be getting an answer one way or another. Naruto's cold gaze didn't deter her, but eventually she relented, knowing that Naruto was the most stubborn boy she had ever met. "Fine then, but I will find out sooner or later. You can't keep it inside forever."

Naruto acknowledged the truth behind her words, but wasn't quite yet willing to follow them to the fullest. Even with his connections with Hinata, Sakura, and Ino, he wasn't the easiest person to get information out of.

Years of being unable to speak, as well as too many people hating my guts, can do that to a person. He thought to himself.

Right after he thought that, he felt feelings of comfort from three different sources, alongside a slight one of comfort and confusion that was coming from a much closer location than the others. Unfortunately, before he could begin to identify the source, it stopped, leaving him confused about it. Just what was going on?

Harry was just as confused after he felt the need to project comfort to someone. But for the most part, he was more concerned with Naruto's current mood. Just what could've been brought up during the meeting that got Naruto so cold?

"You're better off leaving that to his Light." came up from inside Harry's mind. "Light's the only one that could truly get Dark or the Void to listen to reason."

While Harry hasn't quite gotten an actual name out of the man yet, whenever he did speak up came with some decent advice for Harry. Albeit, some of it he had yet to quite understand, like this last statement about needing 'Light' to talk some sense into 'Dark or the Void.' Unfortunately, the man wasn't quite forthcoming with answers, and it wasn't exactly like Hermione would actually know the answers to these particular issues herself, so he was kind of stuck on his own with that.

Harry thoughts were momentarily interrupted when he heard Ron's eating habits start again nearby. Looking over at his former friend, he saw that it didn't look like the ginger didn't either didn't care or didn't notice that he wasn't sitting with Harry and Hermione. But by then, the two didn't quite care. They had by then realized that Ron just wasn't the right person to be around, at least academically and physically. And it was showing.

Both Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey were seriously considering taking a page or two out of Naruto's book and incorporating it into the Hogwarts curriculum. The biggest problem the two women were facing, for the time being, was the Board of Governors, who they weren't sure would be all that accepting of the idea. But they were intent on finding a way to make it so, because, among other things, it would mean that less students would have trouble keeping up whenever the spellwork was rather taxing in later years. They would already be ready for it when the time comes.

Magic just really had the unfortunate side effect of making people not really care about logic, reason, and physical prowess all that much.

XXXXX

Amelia, in the meantime, was both reeling and incredibly angry at what was going on.

The anger was easier to explain, should she have had need to. Fudge, Umbridge, and most likely Malfoy to say the least, had definitely crossed the line this time with their attempted attack on what pretty much surmounts to a foreign diplomat and a national treasure being threatened. If that didn't get them at least sent to Azkaban, then she had no idea what would.

Willful disruption, attempted murder, conspiracy to murder, and I wouldn't be surprised if their was anything such as bribery as well on the list. Their allies are going to have a tough time getting them out of this one. Was her thought on that account.

However, that was relatively trivial in comparison to what else she had ended up learning about Naruto by accident. While he was explaining the situation, it was clear that he was distracted by it. Enough to let slip a few things about his past, including a small part from the first storm that had shown up nearly a year ago. She just hoped it didn't make a rift develop between them. The boy was already a treasured companion to her, both in her job and as a person.

Even still, if what I deduced was correct, he's gone through a life that no child-no, living being-should go through. Thought Amelia as she made her way back to her office in the Ministry. Along the way, she started barking orders out to the Aurors there at that time. "I don't care where they are, even if they are raping someone or using the loo, I want all Wizengamot in the chamber NOW! Fudge and his lackeys have gone and done it now, and I'm not about to let them get away with it!"

However, a few saw fit to question her orders. "Fudge is the Minister. We listen to him, not arrest him."

The one who spoke was Dawlish, an arrogant man who was usually on Fudge's personal bodyguard detail. But Amelia wasn't about to have anything get in her way of doing her job, and proceeded to promptly proclaim so by grabbing Dawlish's head, slamming him on a nearby desk, and state, "Then you can listen to him in prison! Is that what you want?!"

The others were realizing just how upset/serious Amelia really was. After she shoved Dawlish away, they grabbed hold of him and dragged him off before he could potentially cause any more problems. However, she did stop Kingsley and gave him a different job. "Shacklebolt, you get in contact with the Prime Minister. Naruto may not like it, but he's going to have to meet the man sooner or later. We need to warn them that while Naruto is honest and trustworthy, that doesn't mean he's going to be entirely forthcoming to just anyone. I'm lucky I have gotten all that I have already."

Nodding at her words, Kingsley went over to one of the available open fireplaces. Stepping in, he called out "Prime Minister's Office." before disappearing in a flash of green flame.

Once they were all gone, Amelia went to her desk, slumped down in her chair, and sighed. Now alone, she didn't have anything keeping her from her thoughts.

"So that's everything concerning the incident?"

"Everything necessary...though it makes things more confusing with Void Heart. How could me going through all that be as good a thing as that lady was saying?"

"All of what?"

"That doesn't concern you."

Sigh. I just had to press the issue a bit further afterwards. She thought to herself sullenly. And I'm not in ANY position to try and help with whatever is bothering him.

She couldn't keep herself focused on that particular part of their conversation, especially when people started coming back with responses to their respective errands. Amelia got herself back into her work facade and got down to business.

XXXXX

A few weeks later, during a Transfiguration class, Naruto was watching another lesson when Amelia showed up.

"I'm sorry, Naruto." she told him. "But it's time that you meet with the Prime Minister. At the very least, we can get a few thing settled."

Naruto nodded, albeit grudgingly thanks primarily to the Konoha Council giving him grief over the year. He doesn't have quite a pleasant history with politicians, so he has at least some doubts that this coming meeting will be any better.

He bowed himself out of the room before heading off with the woman to the Headmaster's Office. They were going to be using his Floo to head on over. However, as they got ready to set up the connection for use, Naruto's arm started moving.

"What the?" he asked out loud upon noticing, having no idea what was going on. Although that change to confusion when his fingers got covered by what seemed like Void Heart's energy and raked across open air, leaving a think line of the energy floating in the air in front of him. "This is new."

"Open it." Void Heart said, catching Naruto's attention. Not only that Void Heart spoke in an actually sentence, even if it was only two words, but he said to open it. Could it actually be opened?

Reaching out, Naruto found that he could actually grab hold of it. Shrugging, he pulled apart, resulting in the 'line' actually becoming an opening of sorts, with a man sitting at a desk in view within. Said man was staring at Naruto in shock/surprise, while Naruto just stared back with a raised eyebrow.

"I think we might have a new route available." said Naruto.

"You sure it is safe?" asked Amelia, only to remember just who she was talking to as Naruto deadpanned at her. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry."

Turning back to the 'window,' Naruto decided on trusting Void Heart and climbed through, careful to keep hold on the other side to allow Amelia to walk through as well. When she was fully through, he let go, letting it close up again. However, the original line that had appeared was still there, as though it was on standby until they needed it to return.

"Very interesting." mused Naruto before turning to the man at the desk. "Prime Minister."

"Naruto Uzumaki." the man acknowledged in greeting. "What exactly was that, may I ask?"

"I'm not quite sure myself, sir." said Naruto, being the one with the most knowledge of the situation. "It's the fir-"

He cut himself off as he realized that what he was saying was somewhat wrong in reality. "Actually, it's the first time it happened that humans were able to go through. I'm pretty sure it had something to do with how some of my gifts had made it to Konoha overnight."

"That's impressive." Amelia idly noted. No known portkey or apparition had gone that alleged distance.

"So you're now capable of opening holes in space-time and walking through them? And no side effects?" confirmed the Prime Minister, earning nods from the boy. He turned to Amelia and said, "I'll take that to apparition any day of the week. It's a lot better than being taken through a wire-sized tube."

The woman sighed, agreeing with the man.

"So, what exactly did you want to speak to me about, at least before we make the setup official?" asked Naruto after a bit, wanting to get things on track. He knew that the man had a few questions for him, but they weren't quite formed just yet.

"Konoha teaches children how to fight, right?" asked the minister.

"As shinobi." said Naruto. "We're in a relative peacetime, though."

He was silent for a few moments, before continuing with his questions. "...Then how come I see the vague haunting from a war veteran in your eyes?"

The somehow surprising question caught Naruto off guard enough for him to visibly, if minutely, flinch. The other two in the room, however, noticed it.

Amelia now had a pretty solid idea as to what was going on with Naruto that she learned from their last big talk. The boy must've been through more than is actually allowed in Konoha's training. Perhaps far more. Either way, it wasn't something she would really care to think about all that much, considering it's still training children to be killers and soldiers.

Naruto sighed as he slumped some and hung his head. "...I was hoping no one would notice that."

Raising his head back up, Amelia could clearly see just what the man was talking about, and had no idea how she managed to miss it. Even if Naruto's eyes still had a pleasant light to them, it wasn't quite as bright as she ultimately led herself to believe. The blankness that comes from incredible trauma was there behind it, but it did also seem like he didn't come straight from said trauma.

As though he's already had gotten help. Thought Amelia, a small smile temporarily forming from the thought that the light in the boy's eyes wasn't fake like a number of others would.

"Your sentiments about that are common, child." the minister explained. "Most who suffer similarly usually have trouble letting people in to help them heal from the pain of the incident."

"Not like this." said Naruto, walking to look out of the windows of the room. "None of them had their own heart come to life in an attempt to save them."

That confused his audience greatly, so he elaborated, albeit a bit hesitantly.

"On the night before my 5th birthday...I was thrown out of the only home I knew. Even then, it wasn't a good one. Unfortunately...after some...wondering...oh this is hard for some reason...I was accidentally struck down by...people...who were too drunk to notice me truly. It was...too much...for me to handle, and I slipped from this life."

A gasp was heard, but he ignored it to continue.

"But...while my body was ready...my heart wasn't. I don't know how, but...it...something...changed. My former prisoner, the Kyubi no Kitsune, it was...absorbed, I guess." He raised his hand as it gained a light covering of shadowy vapor. "It became a...shell...of darkness...and pain."

"Void Heart." said Amelia, getting a nod.

"Yes. However, those days were rather...different. Too many hated me, which only fueled his power and anger. And to make things worse...the incident also got rid of my light...so there wasn't really anything to...hold him back. It was made worse when I started gaining the memories from Void."

It was pretty obvious that what was about to come up wasn't something to take lightly.

"They may be snippets for the most part, but it was still enough. The faces as my provokers as I they were struck down, their flesh being ripped apart by Void's claws. There was even one time that Void Heart bit someone in half. Still not quite sure if I've fully cleaned my mouth out from that."

Void Heart chuckled sheepishly as best he could for that.

Amelia and the Prime Minister were quiet from what they heard.

Naruto's next words switched a lighter tone. "But all that changed when I was...reunited...with my light. Which happened to be inside Hinata Hyuga, Heiress of the Hyuga Clan of Konoha." He turned to them with a smile. "When my light was torn away, she was the first person it came across. And accepted it without knowing the full story."

"Mind elaborating on the term 'light?'" asked Amelia, wanting to be sure of her thoughts.

Naruto grew a thoughtful look at that question. "It's at least the best way to describe it. It's not quite things such as strength or speed, or a sense of justice. Most of what we've found so far that can truly be considered 'light,' is healing, compassion. Stuff like that. Ultimately, as far as we can tell, the less likely the chance of having to do things like take a life or stain your body and soul, the better."

"Okay." said Amelia. "But what about darkness."

Naruto's expression switched to one that showed just how serious he was with his next words. However, as he spoke, it was as though someone/something else was speaking through him. "I'll keep this simple. If becoming a monster, means that my precious people cansmile at another dawn, the so be it!"

A wave of energy burst from Naruto once he finished, washing over the two adults and out into the city. The boy then swayed a bit, holding his head as though he was just waking up. When he focused on them again, he asked, "Wha-what happened?"

Void Heart sent a mental shrug, wondering himself.

Amelia shook her head to clear it. "Let's just say that you've given us some food for thought."

Naruto did notice the memory, but didn't quite care at that moment. Wasn't like he was in any position to do anything about in the first place.

"Although it was definitely an interesting and profound statement, hon." said Hinata, speaking for Sakura and Ino as well.

"Tha-"

"Thankfully it doesn't include thinking about the three of us in the hot springs, like we currently are."

Naruto banged his head on the man's desk from that. Coming back up, he asked the Prime Minister, "You wouldn't happen to know of anything that could possibly get a girl to stop trying to turn me into a pervert, would you?"

He got a shake in response. "Sorry, but that sort of question isn't one a guy can answer. And it isn't likely that you'll find a lady that would answer it as well. They have a tendency to leave us in the dust like that."

Naruto groaned at that, with some crocodile tears forming to show his displeasure with that answer. All he got in return, though, was just the two of them starting to laugh in his expense.

Basically, using video game references, 'Light' is more Healers and Barriermasters. The ones that kept the 'Darkness' focused and ready. While 'Darkness' is more Beserkers and Hunters. They are the ones that go out, getting their hands dirty, so that the 'Light' don't have to themselves.

As for Naruto's backstory, it's one of the darker types, but not like every moment he's under attack. After a while, any attacks start petering off and get replaced by him being afraid of Void Heart. Not saying just how afraid unless people ask for it (minimum is six people – 6/10).

Until next time. Please let me know what you think.