Raidou glanced over the past reports with a heavy sigh. He flipped through the stack of papers while feeling the piercing glare of the guards. He sympathized with Kakashi. He understood why Kakashi would weasel his way out of reports with excuses about his dogs or just not turn it in at all for weeks. Honestly, he would be lying if he wasn't tempted to turn in a bit of sloppy work too if it wasn't for the fact that the desk chunin would give him that look of disappointment.

That, and he also didn't want to deal with Genma. Genma was a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to stuff like this.

He hasn't been on Naruto's Guard for a while, which means he was a bit behind on what was going on. If he wanted to turn in a perfect report, adding information that he thought was new would definitely not be the right call.

Reading the newer reports, Raidou couldn't help but be a bit impressed. For a civilian, Teuchi's daughter has guts. Considering Kushina used to be Teuchi's favorite customer and he even made a ramen specifically reserved for her, it made sense that they would treat Naruto well.

Many civilians were ignorant while other shinobi were willfully blind, but there were others who quickly saw through the ruse the Hokage created.

One of those who saw it first was Mikoto, who threw a fury about not being allowed to take in her godson. The council shot her down with hints about an Uchiha being unfit to take in a jinchuriki, with such a potentially powerful weapon in their hands. Raidou didn't know what happened in that room, but there were likely insults, accusations and grudges flying back and forth, faster than several kunais exchanged during battle.

Raidou despised politics. When a child was in such poor conditions and they had a parental figure wanting to take them in, they should be allowed to. It wasn't fair that Naruto had to be left alone.

He wanted to grab Naruto and shove him into Mikoto's arms. Naruto had a godmother who would absolutely dote on him and show him every ounce of love that Kushina should've been able to. He lived that life once and that left terrible scars. It was infuriating that Naruto was left to be treated this way. Someone should be standing up and protecting him, if he couldn't protect himself. It wasn't. Fucking. Fair.

He wanted to trust the Hokage. He wanted to believe that Sandaime knew what he was doing. It was Raidou's duty to protect Minato and he failed to do so. He had to protect the Sandaime at least. He was the only one holding Konoha together, after the Kyuubi.

(Dumbledore made mistakes too. He made many, many mistakes, even if he had your best interests at heart. He knew he made mistakes as well. Leaders are not infallible, especially the older they get. You're naive if you really think things will be okay if you stand aside. You have to do something)

Raidou clutched his head and squeezed his eyes shut in pain. His head was throbbing in pain. He felt someone appear beside him, hovering by him.

"Are you okay?" someone flatly asked him. Raidou nodded frantically, stumbling as he shoved all the documents back into the cabinets. The lights were flickering and he could see stars.

"I'm fine," Raidou muttered, before stumbling out of the room, His head continued to throb in pain, while he couldn't focus on where he was going. His head felt muddy and his thoughts kept escaping him.

He needed to get out of here.

The next moment Raidou stumbled, hands reached out to catch him. There was a loud cracking sound and everything faded away.

~OoOo~

"What have you done to him!?" there was a loud shriek.

"There was a deal and I followed through with it, just as I am doing with you," someone calmly stated. "There is a reason why those who reincarnated do not have their memories. They might have the same soul, but they are shaped by the people around them and the life they lived. He's being overwhelmed. Is he Raidou? Or is he Harry? They were different people. It's tearing him apart." There was a cold, mocking laugh. "He managed to push it aside through pure willpower and stubborness, but that isn't enough. There were already some cracks and it's slowly fracturing further. "

"Why don't you do something about it!?"

There was another chuckle filled with ridicule. "It's something he'll have to deal with himself. It's out of my control, especially since this was never supposed to happen in the first place. I already gave him the tools to help. That's why he has to follow my mark… But I do wonder if he will crack beforehand. How curious."

"Oh Harry…" someone said mournfully. "I'll come find you. I promise, fletchling."

"Quite loyal, are you? Not many animals choose to make a deal with Death, much less after dying for their master," the voice taunted. "Well, that isn't your call either. You can't decide if he will sign your contract since you're still young. I know for a fact that there are others keen on him too."

There was a frantic flapping sound and a loud screech.

"Why do you care about him so much? There are other humans out there too. There are animals willing to wait for their masters in the afterlife, but few willing to follow them for all of eternity. Do you even understand what you agreed to? He's the Master of Death now."

"You wouldn't understand. He was a kind, lonely boy. He grew up in a bad life and I was his first friend. I watched him grow up into a brave young man. I want to be there for him till the end, and that will never change. Even death won't stop me from being by his side!"

"You're just going to die again."

"I'll watch over him until I do. He's my fletchling and someone needs to watch out for him, if he won't even take care of himself."

"Maybe you're right. I won't understand. Even before love, death bows down. But that same love can drive death as well and only ruin will follow. Look at this world. It's destined for death."

~OoOo~

Raidou woke up to blinding lights. He groaned as he hid under his blankets, before they were yanked off of him.

Genma was staring at him with a flat look. His messy hair made him look more ridiculous since Raidou knew the amount of time he spent in front of a mirror to perfect his looks. His hair defying gravity reminded Raidou of Kakashi.

"You look ridiculous," Raidou pointed out blandly, Genma simply smirked and cocked his brow.

"At least I'm not an idiot who passed out in the hallway," Genma replied casually. He sipped his cup of coffee, before wrinkling his nose.

What an idiot, Raidou sighed fondly, before taking the cup of coffee and using a controlled wind jutsu to cool it down. Genma stared dumbfounded, while Raidou pushed the other out of his room. As Raidou closed the door, Genma called out.

"Not even a thank you for dragging your sorry butt to bed?"

"You're the one who is permanently crashing at my place since your apartment is a dump. I think that's a thank you enough," Raidou snarked back, before crashing back onto his bed.

His head was still hurting.

He could barely think straight.

He really didn't want to get up.

The first thing he did was swallow some painkillers and tried to wave away the drowsiness.

By the time Raidou got ready, Genma was already changed and eating breakfast. He was drinking a new cup of coffee.

Raidou contemplated reminding Genma about how the medics stressed less coffee, but then again, who did listen to the medics?

Finishing some grilled fish and miso soup, Genma broke the uncomfortable silence over them. Unsaid words about Raidou's condition were finally spoken.

"Rai, you have to take care of yourself. You're on light duty. It really scared a lot of us back there. You almost died. You did die. Don't push yourself, okay?" Genma said in a very serious tone that made Raidou sit up straight.

"I'll try," Raidou said seriously, but with no promises either. They both knew duty came first if necessary. Genma gave a small nod and the tension in the air relaxed.

Genma was a paradox at times. He was prickly about the way his poisons were arranged, but was an utter mess when it came to his living spaces. Genma had the patience others didn't, which was why he was always watching. Genma knew how to pick someone apart with the right words and tear down hidden walls. He knew how to make someone reveal their weak point and strike when they least expected it. Genma had the full capabilities to be an ANBU Captain, if he really tried. Unlike Kakashi, who wore his laidback demeanor like a mask, Genma was that mask.

However, he was perfectly content with where he was. He saw his limits and potentials, but drew the line to focus on what he loved. With what he excelled at, he was one of the best at. While he was good in combat, he was more brilliant with people. He knew how to rope people into his gravity without them even realizing it. That was a skill emotionally stunted shinobi will never learn, no matter how genius they are. It may be impossible to have the powerful bloodlines that Konoha flaunted with pride, but Konoha needed a steady foundation of other talents to fill in the holes it left behind. Genma was one such example.

"I'll take care of myself. But how did you know that I wasn't even feeling well so fast? Weren't you out on a mission?" Raidou asked. Genma nodded his head, leaning back into his chair. He fiddled with his pouch that contained some new poisons he's been experimenting with. Genma had a distant, tired look on his face. There were obvious signs of stress.

Looking closely, Raidou noticed the dark circles underneath Genma's eyes that he didn't notice the first time.

Raidou quietly took the dishes to wash and made Genma a new cup of coffee. The other gave a tired thanks, before downing another cup.

"Cat asked Aoba to check on you, who then alerted Iruka, but he was too busy with studying for exams. Talks went down to Izumo and Kotetsu, who both alerted me to check up on you when I got back," Genma explained.

Raidou sighed. "So basically, if anyone hadn't an inkling of the incident that landed me in the hospital, they definitely know now."

"Most of the shinobi population already knew you were in the hospital though," Genma pointed out and Raidou rolled his eyes. He gave Genma a pointed look.

"And whose fault is that? You're the center of all gossip and bets in Konoha!" Instead of being embarrassed, Genma gave a proud smirk.

"There are perks to being a tokubetsu. I can interact with chuunin, jounin, and ANBU. Might as well liven things up a bit. It makes things interesting!" Genma said smugly, obviously preening. Despite the tiredness on his face, it was reassuring to know Genma's ego was still there.

Raidou rolled his eyes, before saying, "That's for sure, but don't make bets on who has the guts to prank Danzo. Anko was much too smug about that, and T&I weren't very pleased either."

Genma gave Raidou a look. "Don't lie. You loved it!"

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't," Raidou said in a smug voice. Genma maturely stuck his tongue out, before standing from the table. "Where are you going?"

Genma tilted his head, before vaguely saying, "The hospital."

Raidou simply nodded. He probably wasn't going to get any more answers from him. "Try not to fall over from exhaustion."

"Like you?" Genma chuckled and he rolled his eyes.

"Get out of here!" Raidou said and shooed the other away. He should be heading out soon too.

~OoOo~

There was a tiny body placed in front of him wearing a porcelain mask. The ANBU Commander patted the ANBU (the child) on the shoulder.

"Weasel, this is Bear. Bear, this is our newest recruit. He was placed on Team Ro, but his captain and his team were dispatched on an urgent mission. I thought you could show him the ropes," the Commander explained. Raidou sighed. The gossip must have reached the Commander's ears, so he was relegated on babysitting duty as punishment. It was way better than cleaning out the toilets though.

"Of course, Sir," Bear replied. He wondered if they were all going to pretend that they didn't know who was under Weasel's mask, but gave a nod towards Weasel.

Weasel simply gave a small nod, watching and observing. It felt as if the kid was trying to pick them all apart to find their weaknesses.

(There were some discreet glances from other ANBU. They could hear whispers of an Uchiha among them and the discontent in their voices. Many were unhappy when Crow joined. Another Uchiha! The blasphemy! The three of them pretended to be oblivious to it, despite the many political issues brewing underneath the surface)

Bear wondered if Itachi ever learned how to laugh. Considering Fugaku was his father, he highly doubted it. One of Kushina's complaints about Mikoto's fiance was that he didn't know a joke even if it was beaten into his head. Clearly, it passed down to his oldest child.

"The Hokage has the utmost trust and high expectations for Weasel," the Commander said. His voice echoed in the silence as some ANBU ducked their heads in embarrassment. "I do as well."

With those words, the ANBU Commander departed. Bear watched the ANBU Commander departing sympathetically. It was no secret that, much like the Hokage, the ANBU Commander was keen on retiring. It was also no secret that the Commander hoped Hound would fill his position. Despite Hound on the clear road towards said position, Bear was hesitant to say if he would. Hound was an enigma with such matters.

"I'll show you around," Bear said and motioned for Weasel to follow him. Maybe this wouldn't be that bad.

~OoOo~

After their tour, Bear couldn't say how bad it was. Weasel was a skilled shinobi. Bear knew the rumors, but it was a different story to see Weasel pummel so many egos down to dust.

However, his social awareness was a different story. He's seen many females throw themselves at the oblivious heir before, but Bear assumed that Weasel didn't care. It was strange to see so many ANBU members bearing a heavy grudge, but Weasel never gave them a second glance, much like his attitude towards his many fans.

Weasel acted like a mini adult, much like another genius he knew. Bear grimaced at the thought. He wouldn't wish any of the sufferings of Hound on Weasel though.

It wouldn't be good for his mental health. Not to mention the ancestors from the Uchiha Clan would be rolling in their graves at the thought of their beloved prodigy being a pervert.

Then again, one must consider Weasel's mother. Even death itself wouldn't stop Mikoto from beating sense into her son. Bear could not, for the life of him, understand why some people thought Fugaku was the main concern, when his wife used to be (unofficially) an ANBU operative with Kushina. Clearly, there was a winner on who was more terrifying.

Fugaku would never say it outloud, but he would probably agree. Kushina told many gleeful stories, to anyone who would listen to her, about the many pranks on her best friend's betrothed. She only stopped because she saw her best friend ream Fugaku so hard, he was meeker than a mouse. It is a shame that the defiant spark Mikoto once had no longer flickered as strong after Kushina's death…

Bear absentmindedly thought about what Konoha would be like if Kushina became Hokage instead of Minato. She was the more… extreme option, to say the least. She had a lot of radical ideas, and more radical ways to carry them out. She was fully prepared to flip Konoha on its head, and that was partly what made her so terrifying. Many Elders balked at the idea of such a woman wearing the hat, besides her… furry little problem.

They would never know though, but maybe Naruto would carry out his mother's wishes and his father's legacy. He definitely had the drive to do it. If someone nurtured him the right way, he may even surpass both his father and mother.

"Bear-taichou?" Weasel said and jolted Bear out of his thoughts.

Weasel was standing straight up. He was polite enough not to say anything, but Bear withheld a wince. It was not a good look for an ANBU to have wandering thoughts while giving a tour.

"I have basically shown you everything. As a heads-up, as the newest recruit, you are likely going to be subjected to a lot of bathroom cleaning," Bear said, waving towards the bathrooms.

Weasel gave a nod. "Crow told me about it," he said simply. Bear snorted at the words.

"Figures. Crow had to clean a lot of bathrooms and barracks for months," he said wryly. Weasel didn't say anything. There was a pause of silence. Bear was unsure to continue the story. Weasel only gave short, simple responses to everything. It felt like talking to a wall.

Hound was a stickler for rules, while Weasel had the emotional range of a teaspoon. Konoha obviously took very well care of their geniuses.

Besides Sasuke and Shisui, did Itachi have any other friends?

Considering the genius was thrown into a war and ANBU at such a young age, Bear doubted it. With the stigma and rumors surrounding his clan (not to mention the anti-social nature of the clan itself), it was unlikely that anyone his age even reached out.

It was sad. The kid was put on a pedestal and grew up too fast, much too young. It is too late to turn back the hands of time as well.

He might not be able to be the kid's Ron, but even having an adult reach out could go a long way.

"Did Crow tell you it is also used for punishments?" Bear asked with a hidden grin. He could feel the questioning gaze, before Weasel hesitantly shook his head. "Crow got into a lot of trouble. Let me tell you a few stories, such as the time he accidentally blew his cover due to falling into the female hot springs…"

~OoOo~

Raidou yawned as he rubbed his eyes. It was hard to get a response out of Itachi, but maybe he could work on getting the kid to open up. Sage forbids that his role model in his life is his father. If the guy can't even give a good laugh in the middle of a war, much less a genuine smile, Itachi clearly needed a lot of help.

Entering his apartment, it seemed like it was torn up in a storm. In the middle was a very frazzled and stressed out Genma.

"Where's the medic kit!?" Genma loudly demanded.

Raidou's vision narrowed as he immediately dashed towards the cabinet, while mentally examining his memory. Genma did not go on a mission and earlier went to the hospital. If he was injured, he would have gotten it patched up already. He also did not seem to be hurt. The kit must be for someone else, which meant he saw someone injured. Perhaps it was a civilian, since shinobi were typically given priority, but Genma would not be this riled up.

This meant Genma saw someone he knew, but was not given proper treatment. It ruled out all their comrades and the only person that could have been refused treatment was-

"Bloody hell," Raidou muttered under his breath as he yanked the medic kit from the top of the fridge. He threw it to Genma, who reflexively caught it. "How bad is it?"

Genma threw open the kit to quickly go through the contents. "Fucking nurse refused because Naruto was a "demon brat" who would apparently be fine anyways. While it is true that Naruto has a healing factor, the fucking fox only heals life threatening injuries. He was all battered up and they didn't even want to give him bandages."

"The only things they do in his medical exam is check his weight and height. While Naruto may not need shots, they didn't even comment on his potential malnourishment," Raidou quietly muttered to himself, putting the pieces together from Naruto's medical records. Fucking civillains. Fucking shinobi. Naruto was a kid, but everyone just wanted a scapegoat. All because it was convenient.

"Isn't Panther supposed to be on Naruto's shift today? Maybe not the others, but she definitely would have patched him up," Raidou asked as Genma shut the kit in satisfaction.

Genma grimaced at the question. "You probably didn't hear about it, since it was just announced suddenly but… Naruto's guard has been disbanded. All the councillors felt that such resources are better diverted elsewhere."

"All of a sudden!?" Raidou gaped. Genma shrugged helplessly, avoiding Raidou's eyes.

"They no longer felt it was necessary and the councillors made a convincing argument, I assume."

"Naruto was literally hunted down and beaten up by a bunch of drunk adults last week and you're telling me that they no longer feel like it is necessary!?"

"I know, but they have already gone and done it!" Genma spat out angrily, snapping his senbon into two. Genma stilled, before taking a deep breath. "I am going to patch him up anyways. Fuck orders."

Raidou stood up, before walking towards the door. He felt a killing intent with Genma's eyes piercing his soul.

"Where are you going?" Genma asked calmly. There was a threatening undertone.

Raidou closed his eyes. In his mind, he could vividly remember the claustrophobic feeling of being trapped in darkness. He could hear Uncle Vernon pound at the door and yell that a freak didn't deserve a lunch, much less a dinner. The hungry feeling in his stomach clawed at him as the happy family munched on their food and laughed mockingly at their misbehaving freak of a nephew.

It should have felt like it was a lifetime ago, because it was a lifetime ago. Yet, it only felt like a few years ago with the desire still clawing at him to leave this house and be with people who actually cared about him. The Weasleys, despite their poor financial situation, showed him more kindness and love than anyone else. His godfather was so eager to take him in, before that chance was ripped away from both of them.

Nails dug into his palms. Harry's godfather never had a chance to be with him, but wanted to. Part of him understood Jiraiya's duty was outside of the village and not inside. There were many exchanged messages between the Sannin and the Hokage. There were likely many different factors at play, but the only thing Raidou could think of was the happy look on Kushina and Minato's faces as they announced Naruto's name and its origin.

The word coward traitorously sat on his tongue, before he swallowed it.

"I am going to get some groceries," Raidou said. "Naruto deserves a warm meal besides ramen for once."

Disclaimer: I don't own anything of Harry Potter or Naruto.

Everyone in the Naruto universe needs a hug. Raidou especially needs a hug.

I essentially had a burst in inspiration at the beginning, felt like a zombie in the middle, before a burst at the end. Ah, the woes of writing. I tried to get this out in June, but it was not meant to be. I wish I could get everything out at once like I used to when I was younger, but that was probably because those were one-shots. I have so many ideas for upcoming scenes, so the fact that I have to actually have to write things out instead of jumping around is agonizing for my muse.

I don't know how I feel about this chapter, but it would have sat in purgatory if I tried to add more to it. I tried, to sum it up. I am, essentially, taking aspects of both fandoms as a roadmap, mashing them together, before throwing the map out of the window. Let's see where it takes us from here!

I did not look over this chapter, nor the previous. I probably need to get around to doing that someday.

Sorry for this mess of a writer. I'm trying haha... but thank you for all the support! I was a bit sad when I read a review, and made me really doubt myself and I actually debated about just deleting this story altogether. However, all the other reviews really cheered me up. Thank you so much!

I said this in an earlier chapter, but I am well aware that I am not a perfect writer and I may not write characters perfectly. I also have my own idea where this story is heading and may even have an explanation behind certain scenes. This is fanfiction. I am definitely not an author and this is a hobby. The whole concept of this story is tossing canon out of the window because we all know Harry Potter was not in Naruto haha. I understand constructive criticism, and while I am usually open to it, I am currently not in the mindset for it, if it isn't going to say anything positive at all. Thus, if I do not ask for it, please do not leave it. That aside, there won't be a Review Corner this chapter since I feel like this author note is already too long.

I am really sorry and I hope you all understand.

Anyways, I hope you are all doing well! Thanks for all the support! I love you all!