"Blah": Talking

'Blah': Demon speaking/Inner Sakura/Extreme shout

'Blah': Naruto's thoughts/other people's thoughts

'Blah' Harry talking to Naruto

Welcome back!

I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, but there is a very good reason for it.

Thanks to the helpful review of CloakSparks25485, I decided to look back at my series to make sure I didn't miss any details going forward. I'll be honest, I genuinely forgot I even had the Monster Book of Monsters in this story.

When I did read through more, chapter by chapter, well… goodness me. I cringed so much at my old writing style, format, and, well, everything. So, I decided to go back and essentially reformat the entire story written so far, chapter by chapter. It took a lot longer due to my job (which I have been forced to leave late spring, but I'm relived as it was getting worse the longer I stayed, so no loss there, apart from good friends I made) but I managed to fix up the entire story to make Naruto and Harry's journey more cohesive, enjoyable, funnier, wittier, and a lot less cringey.

I also made quite a few changes, but the overall direction of the story remains largely the same.

I improved the dialogue drastically, trimmed down the descriptives to be less repetitive, added some surprising creature encounters apart from the phoenix in Book 2, I made Iruka A LOT LESS of a terribly irresponsible parent in Book 3, changed it so that Iruka is Naruto's legal guardian from the end of Book 1 onwards, and Naruto is also something of a Merlin fanboy-wishing to be more like his favorite Slytherin as he starts authoring his own field guide.

I also added and changed interactions between characters as well as changed certain motivations: such as Iruka scolding Naruto for staying up all night practicing magic in Book 3, which I thought was a fun interaction. I also added a scene with Sarutobi in Book 1 better explaining to Naruto why he cannot know his father's identity but he can know his mother's: his explanation is that his father made too many enemies, including the current Raikage. So, he promises to tell Naruto who his father is once he turns sixteen and becomes a chunin. So, that is Naruto's primary motivation to be in the Chunin Exams, which makes Kakashi training Sasuke over both of them all the more hurtful. I also added a scene in the Forest of Death that solidifies Team 7 actually being friends for a change. I won't detail it here, but I personally love that addition and wish I thought of it sooner. With that said, I'm also leaning away from character bashing unless it's warranted.

With that said, I made a very drastic change that I must address now: Naruto no longer has a crush on Sakura after the bell test.

When I read the reviews and edited the earlier chapters, I hated how Naruto kept taking Sakura's abuse. This version of him should have more self-respect. When I look back on it, I'm tired of the anime trope of female characters beating up the MC for dumb or unnecessary reasons. I decided to nip that in the bud earlier on during the re-write and I think it makes Naruto and Sakura's dynamic a lot more enjoyable. He stops calling her Sakura-'chan' when he's angry at her and he doesn't hesitate to call her out, verbally snip back, or even yell at Sakura to shut the hell up when she's wrong or treating him terribly.

I also changed a key scene during the bell test where Kakashi acknowledges Naruto figuring out the purpose of the test and allows him to eat. I also gave Naruto an important moment that forces Sasuke and Sakura to respect him, which is referenced in their new scene in the Forest of Death and later in this book and the next. Basically, Naruto has the chance to be Kakashi's sole student, but he gives it up to give Sasuke and Sakura a second chance to be genin. I felt like this version of Naruto was too selfish without me realizing it at the time and gave him a lot of moments to make him more selfless. I feel it was necessary going forward, especially with what's coming up.

One more detail: I will be changing the name of the fifth book, from Dark Path of Shinobi to the Crossroads of Destiny. It's more fitting especially with what I got planned.

So, if you do feel inclined, I would suggest going back to re-reading the series sometime in the coming weeks as I will begin replacing chapters in the days after posting this chapter.

Without further delay, let's get into the latest chapter!

Reviews are welcome and wanted!

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto

Harry Potter and Wizarding World belongs to JK Rowling

Chapter 22: The Hybrid

Naruto felt like he could faint as he held his head. He started shaking his head in denial once he found his voice and took everything Tsunade said in.

"Whoa," he breathed before he started hyperventilating, "No, no, no, no, no, no, no way! No way! No way! That-that can't be true! I would have known! That's impossible!"

Tsunade raised her hands as she tried to calm the boy down, "I know it's a big revelation to drop-"

"You think?! You just told me my mum was a witch," he started stammering, as his skin turned pale, "I doesn't-I don't-I can't-I am so confused right now; this has got to be a prank or I'm still dreaming!"

Jiraiya slunk in close to Tsunade, looking rather smug, albeit somewhat justifiably.

He slyly murmured through the corner of his mouth, "Maybe you should have eased him into it a bit more gently-OOF!"

She elbowed him in the gut, Jiraiya's fat belly saving him from a worse injury than another broken rib. Naruto jumped, snapping him out of his stupor as Tsunade placed a gentle hand on his forehead. He immediately felt better at her touch, as color instantly returned to his face.

"Perhaps I should explain what we already know," she said calmly, "Before you tell us anymore about how you learned to use magic or how you managed to make a real magic wand-"

"Did you mention earlier it's made of a phoenix feather?" Shizune butted in, which visibly annoyed Tsunade.

Naruto blushed slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck while brandishing his wand.

"It's, uh, erm, it's made of English oak-I think. Probably more like Konoha oak, to be honest. I had to find a tree with wand-quality wood, which is easy to find if branches of bowtruckles inhabit them. Mine's twelve inches long exactly, not sure about the flexibility, but it's solid, I think. I can't really bend it much at all," he explained as he fiddled with the roughly carved wood, wishing it were a bit smoother as he couldn't help blurting out information he'd been keeping secret for years as it came out like word vomit, "I found a phoenix feather in the Land of Waves and used it as my magical core, which all wands require to channel magic. Sometimes troll whiskers, thestral tail hairs, or Veela hair will do. But the best wand cores are usually phoenix feathers, dragon heartstrings, or unicorn tail hairs."

"A phoenix?!" the kunoichi screeched in surprise, "You've seen a real phoenix?! And did you say dragons and unicorns?!"

"Shizune!" shouted Tsunade as she shot her a look.

The woman immediately quieted down as she bowed her head to the Sannin, "Right, sorry, ma'am."

The senior kunoichi cleared her throat as she seemed to gather her thoughts. She took a deep breath and let out a long sigh as she seemed to be dreading what she was about to tell him.

"Let me start by saying whatever you know about the Uzumaki clan, whatever little you already knew or were ever taught in school, is-in all intents and purposes-true. But what most people don't know is that the Uzumaki clan have been hiding a very dangerous secret for centuries. Something they would be willing to kill to keep from getting out, only trusting a select few who swore to secrecy. The Uzumaki clan… is descended from a very old-ancient family of people who could use magic, just like you did the other day."

The boy's eyes widened as he couldn't help imagining the coastal town of Uzushiogakure and all the red-haired people comprising her mother's clan. Naruto couldn't help but liken them to another family he remembered from the Pensieve.

"Like… a pure-blood family?" he asked, "Like the Abbotts, Avery, Black, Lestrange, Longbottom, Potter, Malfoy, Rookwood, Shacklebolt, Prewett, or the Weasleys?"

"Pure-blood? That sounds like something one of the clans with major sticks up their butts would say," the older kunoichi smirked in slight amusement before she pondered aloud, "The name Rookwood does sound slightly familiar, but not in a good way," the genin froze as he listened intently, "I'm pretty sure I met a swindler named Rookwood once… or twice," her eyes narrowed in resentment while Naruto eyed her curiously, although he figured the name was a coincidence as he couldn't imagine the Rookwood family having any business in a non-magical casino unless they were running it, "But I suppose the Uzumaki clan could have been related to one of these 'pure-bloods' you mentioned," she shook her head and reiterated, "It's unknown what the Uzumaki clan called themselves before they called Uzumaki. But what is known is that the clan originated from a… sort of… secret society comprising of other similar families."

Naruto felt his heart race in his chest, as did Harry's. They assumed for many years they were likely the only wizards in the entire world. If there were other magic families out there, they figured they would have contacted them. Unless it was too dangerous and there was no way for them to detect their magical activity.

Naruto already had a million questions, "Where is it? This society? Where?"

Tsunade raised her hand to silence him as she shook her head.

"It's a complete mystery, Naruto," she said, "Nobody in the history of the Uzumaki clan has ever known exactly where they came from. It was," she paused, trying to think of the right words, "Blocked out. There are only a handful of accounts but not even the earliest known members knew anything. It was as if it were erased from their minds."

The boy blurted out, "That sounds like a Memory Charm! It's erases specific memories from people's minds! The memories of my ancestors could have had their memories wiped! That means magic, for sure!"

Jiraiya blinked as he gave Naruto a befuddled look. It was simply a bizarre experience for him to see the boy be more knowledgeable about something he felt he should know more about.

"I suppose," replied Tsunade as she was equally perplexed, "Anyway, this secret society, while the Uzumaki could not remember its location or origin, they knew it existed and had every intention of returning one day. But not before they completed a very important mission that would take countless years to complete."

"What was this mission?"

Tsunade paused again. Naruto feared he might have annoyed her with his constant questions. But that didn't seem to be the case as she seemed reluctant to divulge more to someone as young as Naruto.

"Before we get into that, there's something we need to clear up," she said as she sat more comfortably and gave Jiraiya a look, who Cho he responded by nodding, "Not much is known about the very beginning of shinobi history, where we come from, most history has been lost to time," she paused again to sigh before she strictly said, "Keep in mind, what I'm about to tell you is confidential information, unknown to anyone outside the inner circle of every Hokage in Konoha's history. Not even the Konoha Council knows about this. But since this involves you and now we know you have magic too, Naruto, you ought to know too," she gave him a cross look and pointed at him, "So, do keep this a secret as best you can."

"I probably won't," the boy shrugged, "I have a terrible track record."

Tsunade gave the boy a flat, annoyed look as a vein on her forehead throbbed before sighing again and shrugging as well.

"Well, I can say I tried," she said airily before switching her tone back to serious and informative, "What little is known is that at some point… shinobi, kunoichi, samurai, rikishi, and others were not the only warriors that roamed our lands. Our world used to be populated by witches, too."

Naruto and Harry were instantly captivated as they listened intently.

"But something happened… most people these days don't truly believe witches or magic ever existed. Before our time," she quickly gestured to herself and Jiraiya, "Witch trials were a thing and people really were executed out of fear of witchcraft, despite the ninja arts being similar to magic. But shinobi at the time thought witchcraft was wildly unpredictable, chaotic, dangerous, disturbing, unnatural, and in certain ways stronger and faster than ninjutsu. To put it simply, they feared and felt threatened by their magic. They simply didn't understand them, and most shinobi decided to act against them. Those trials and executions I mentioned are looked back on now as a shameful and embarrassing part of our history as most believe magic never really existed. And those poor victims were gravely misunderstood and wrongfully persecuted out of fear."

Naruto swallowed hard as one of his worst fears had been him sharing the fate as those poor victims. A simulated boggart in the mindscape once assumed Naruto's form, tied to wooden post and set on fire. His boggart changed a few times since then, but it sometimes came back on a bad day.

He told her, "I read somewhere that people thought those witches were just missing-nin or rogue kunoichi with a gimmick."

"Most of them were fake," the kunoichi nodded, "But some of them were real; the truth is… as to be expected in the world we live in; shinobi don't usually get along with others outside their kind. Tensions were high between shinobi and the samurai until most countries outside the Land of Iron opted to use shinobi. Witches were no exception but represented a much bigger threat to the shinobi with their immense powers. The vast majority of magic-kind presumably left the ninja world behind, isolating themselves somewhere else."

Naruto nodded, feeling disappointed and disgusted at how untrusting and jealous shinobi seemed to be back then and now.

"Eventually, witches and magic were thought to have gone extinct as no trace of their culture survived," she then slyly smiled before shrugging, "But if that were true, the Uzumaki clan would not exist… Well, what few of us are left."

Naruto blinked, "Us? You mean, you're an Uzumaki? But I thought you were from the Hokage's clan, the Senju clan-"

"I am the granddaughter of the Shodai Hokage. But his wife, my late grandmother, was Mito Uzumaki," the boy's eyes widened in surprise, having no idea he could possibly even be distantly related to one of the founders of Konoha, as Tsunade's cheeks turned rosy as she beamed, "Which means, you, your late mother, and I are distant cousins."

The boy stammered in shock, "We-we're family?"

"Technically speaking, yes, we are. But one thing at a time, cousin," the older kunoichi grinned mischievously before returning to the matter at hand, "Mito Uzumaki informed my grandfather about the secret of our clan's story before they married: the surviving witches retreated underground after a devastating war that completely reshaped the world, making it virtually unrecognizable."

Harry blinked at that, remembering showing Iruka the differences between the globe he knew in his lifetime and the shinobi world. He also remembered theorizing the possibility of a devastating war breaking out and feared he might have been right.

"Unrecognizable?" the genin repeated as he had a similar sinking feeling in his stomach.

Tsunade nodded, "Yes, the witches took refuge in an unknown safe haven. The last safe haven where not even the ninja could ever hope to find them. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, magic went extinct while the age of the ninja began. Countless centuries passed and the ninja believed magic and witchcraft were nothing more than myths or fairytales. Although there were rumors that some witches stuck around, tormenting shinobi from the shadows they dare not use to their advantage for centuries, or at least they were pretending to be. But several centuries ago, one of these magic families decided to leave the safe haven and return to the ninja world with a particular goal in mind. This was the family that would eventually become the Uzumaki clan."

Naruto asked her with trepidation, "The mission?"

Tsunade seemed to recognize the fear in the boy's eyes; fear that the clan he was born into had some nefarious mission in mind. But she was quick to shoot it down.

"Their mission wasn't to set out and establish themselves as the dominant race or get revenge on shinobi, or anything like that… No."

Naruto nodded, feeling relieved as he waited for Tsunade to collect herself again, "This is going to sound insane, but their mission was to bring magic back into the ninja world. To integrate themselves into shinobi society without them even realizing it. Almost like a slow, benevolent invasion, slowly incorporating magic into the shinobi world seamlessly. All so that shinobi and magical kind can share this world and live together in peace, as equals."

No one said a word as Naruto and Harry sat in silence processing what they just learned. Harry in particular was completely caught off guard by this revelation as he never would have guessed he'd become entangled in a much greater plot than winding up in Naruto's body. He sometimes wondered what would have happened if his soul clung onto someone else that night. How different their lives in this world would have turned out. But now it seemed his connection to Naruto was inevitable as no one else could have been compatible.

Naruto felt similarly but he also felt elated by this revelation. He and Harry never had a very clear goal in mind apart from eventually earning the village's trust, becoming Hokage, and coming out as a wizard afterward or perhaps sometime in between. He wanted the people to understand and accept him, proving through his actions that they didn't have to fear his power and love in peace. Naruto thought, maybe one day, he could open the village up as a safe haven for anyone else with similar powers if they were out there. He thought he was alone apart from Harry and maybe Iruka. But to learn his clan had already been secretly doing something similar, he was overwhelmed but also sad as he knew the Uzumaki were practically extinct now.

"If I didn't have magic, I'd think you're messing with me," he said finally, before he brought himself to joke, "And if that is the case and really are messing with me, shame on you."

Tsunade gave him rueful smile, while Shizune and Jiraiya let themselves smile a little bit, "Very funny, you little brat."

Tsunade stood up to look out the window, facing northeast, probably in the general direction of where the remains of Uzushiogakure remained.

"Jokes aside, the Uzumaki clan was convinced peace could be achieved and their intentions were genuine," she reassured him, "They were, and I suppose they still are, rather optimistic. But the only way the Uzumaki clan could think of to possibly broker this peace would be," she paused before looking to Jiraiya as he nodded again, "Well, to hybridize chakra and magic. Through very careful and selective breeding and nurturing, the clan hoped to one day produce an heir and their possible descendants capable of wielding both magic and chakra… simply known as the Hybrid."

Naruto felt goosebumps when he heard that while Harry looked at the boy with concern. He couldn't imagine how the Uzumaki clan could have possibly achieved such a thing, but he was standing in the mindscape of what he assumed was the end result of their efforts.

"This Hybrid could one day potentially bring forth a new era that would force the worlds of chakra and magic together once again," Tsunade said as she turned away from the window to look at the boy, "Obviously, they were not successful in creating this fabled Hybrid. Almost all of their offspring turned out to be either shinobi or witches as the magic in the clan slowly faded away with every generation. But magic most certainly survived in our bloodline for as long as the Uzumaki clan has existed."

"How?" he asked.

"Longevity," the kunoichi answered with a smirk, "Grandma Mito once told me a story that witches could experience two lifetimes in the span of their whole lives. I used to think it was a metaphor, but it was no joke. The average lifespan of an Uzumaki is two hundred years."

Naruto balked while Harry would have done a spit take if he were drinking something, "You're kidding!"

"I'm afraid not," the Sannin replied, "In fact, it's due to that inherit longevity that make Uzumaki clan members some of the best candidates to become jinchuuriki."

Naruto frowned at that, having completely forgotten about the demon fox in light of all these revelations. But then he couldn't help but think about that for a hot minute. He soon wondered, seeing as his mother had just given birth at the time, if no one else in the village could have possibly taken his place as the jinchuuriki.

Tsunade noticed his frown and quickly moved on before he could dwell on it further.

"Sadly, not a lot of Uzumaki clan members have survived the lifestyle of a ninja to backup those claims. But those few that have indeed make it clear that we still have magic in our blood even if we cannot use it like you can."

Naruto distracted himself from his thoughts about jinchuuriki by flexing his magical knowledge, "It's true that most witches and wizards can live pretty long lives. I think it's around two hundred years if they take care of themselves… and blood purity is taken into account, as long as said family isn't plagued with a blood curse or haven't resorted to incest or inbreeding. Which, unfortunately, a lot of 'pure-bloods' did, as a lot of pure-blood families were related in some way."

All the adults in the room turned a sickly shade of green when they boy said that. Jiraiya even stifled a concerning belch of disgust.

"Gross," grimaced Tsunade, "But the other sign that the Uzumaki clan shows their magical ancestry is their auburn red hair (although that genetic trait seems to have skipped you) and our incredible capacity for chakra," the kunoichi couldn't help finding the boy's pout over not getting his mother's hair adorable, "Our clan also tends to produce very powerful shinobi and kunoichi."

It was Naruto's turn to smirk as he pompously shrugged, "I can see that."

"So humble," she replied with a flat look and dry tone, "Still for a while, the Uzumaki clan did not succeed in making their Hybrid. The closest they ever got was me."

"You?!"

Tsunade put her hands on her hips and fired back, "What's that tone of surprise for?! I have some magic in me, but it's only limited to my medical ninjutsu. I can amplify my medicinal abilities by focusing what little magic I have into them. In addition to having superb control of my chakra and the fruits of loads of grueling hard work and training. I've taken on plenty of students in my life so far, but none of them have," she paused and shrugged, "Well, most of them were unable to match my ability to heal the body. It took me years to perfect my craft, but I learned how to harness the little magic I feel within me and channel it to breathe life into damaged cells and tissue," she stopped again as she looked more somber but she braved through her pain, thinking about Dan, "But sometimes it's not always enough and I cannot save everyone no matter how much magic I pour into their wounds."

Naruto nodded in respect, understanding who she was probably referring to. But she surprised him by nudging him in the arm lightly but with disproportionate strength as she smiled.

"But sometimes, I can save someone if I'm willing to risk it all," she said, "You're living proof of that now, you lucky little brat."

Naruto couldn't help but find her smile contagious. He still found it hard to believe this was the same woman he was ready to attack over a week ago.

"Everything changed after your mother Kushina was born," she said, earning Naruto's attention again, "She began showing far more signs of her magical ability than I ever had. No one else in our clan ever displayed so much raw magical talent; she could actually fly across entire fields in a single bound and raise ships out of the Uzushiogakure harbor with her mind! I once saw that girl transform a flurry of shuriken into red flower pedals with a single flourish of her hand! Not to mention she was an exceptionally skilled kunoichi; like most in the Uzumaki clan, she was skilled in fūinjutsu and a variety of elemental ninjutsu as well, including wind and water techniques. She was exactly what the Uzumaki clan had been dreaming about for generations."

Naruto had a lot of questions again, but he first asked, "How was she able to use magic without a wand? Did she use a wand?"

Tsunade shook her head.

"I taught her how to channel her power into her ninjutsu and helped her learn how to control and express her true power," she looked nostalgic as she thought about the late kunoichi, "When she was eleven years old, she emigrated to Konoha and attended the Ninja Academy. Her magical abilities were top secret; only the Sandaime Hokage, myself, and Jiraiya knew she was a witch. The secret of the Uzumaki clan was entrusted to Sarutobi many years ago when before I became his student. He also helped me learn to channel my power. That man," she stopped again as she had a complicated look on her face, showing regret, resentment, frustration, sadness, or perhaps simply more nostalgia as she said, "He went out of his way to keep our family secret safe and still does so to this day, it seems."

Naruto froze in shock upon hearing this as he looked to the other adults, "The Professor knew?" he then turned to Jiraiya, "You knew? You knew all along and you never told me?!"

Jiraiya didn't look as phased as he did back when the boy called out upon their first meeting with Tsunade. The large man gave him a look as he raised an eyebrow at the boy.

"What part of 'top secret' did you miss, kiddo?" Jiraiya asked, "And didn't you mention to me you went out of your way to hide this secret from him?"

Naruto opened his mouth to protest but he paused to think it over before admitting, "… Fair enough."

Tsunade took control again.

"Anyway, Kushina trained under me between missions with her team and time spent with her friends," she said, "During our training sessions, she eventually learned how to cast spells or 'hexes' as she liked to call them through physical hand movements, concentration, willpower, and the desired effect she wanted from her magic. Her emotional state also factored into her powers which either made her spells weak or incredibly powerful. But she knew how to reign in and embrace her emotions before turning them into power. It was a long and exhausting process that took years of trial and error to perfect. But in the end, she became a highly skilled and powerful witch. Needless to say, it's a safe bet that she really was the fabled Hybrid the clan had been trying to produce for centuries. She was as strong as she was in magic as I am in physical strength."

Naruto stared at her in awe as he thought about all the photos of his mother he'd spent hours looking at. He couldn't believe, between photos of his grandparents, and old friends, Kushina had been casting spells with waves of her hands.

"She never had a wand," he said aloud, "Did you teach her any incantations? Did the clan have spell books?

Tsunade gave him a look.

"Like, magic words?" She questioned before shaking her head, "No, she and I never used anything like that."

Naruto unexpectedly exploded on his bed as he nearly found the energy to jump up and hop around with pure, childish excitement as he beamed.

"That's insane! That's-like-pure wandless magic! I can do some wandless magic but it's insanely hard and all my spells are weak without a wand! I have to snap my fingers like a house elf and all my spells are so weak! All I can do fairly well is something simple, like a Summoning Charm! But my mum could do so much more without even thinking of the incantations or snapping her fingers?! That should be almost impossible! There's nonverbal magic but you have to say the incantation really loudly inside your head! How did she do it exactly?! What other kind of magic could she do?! Did she learn how to Apparate?! Did she know how to fly?! Did she ever learn how to brew potions?!"

"SHADDUP!"

Tsunade exploded back comically just to get the boy to stop bombarding her with questions. Jiraiya and Shizune silently thanked her while the blonde woman quickly composed herself.

"We can get into those details later, you little brat," she tried to refer to him affectionately, "There's still a lot more to discuss… Although, for the record, she could fly a bit for a short period of time and vanish but not as snappy as Jiraiya said you did."

Naruto silently awed. He opened his mouth to ask more questions, but he quickly quieted down when she gave him a warning look.

"Like I mentioned before, only the Hokage, myself, and Jiraiya ever knew about Kushina having magic. Orochimaru would have known, but Sarutobi didn't trust him; he had been growing distant for a while, and he was seen having private conversations and meetings with Danzo at that time."

Naruto frowned at the mention of those horrible people. He gave Jiraiya a look but the man made a gesture, urging him to listen to Tsunade as the woman sighed.

"Jiraiya informed me what you know about Danzo so far and what he tried to do to you. Sarutobi did everything to make sure Danzo never found out about your mother, her powers, or the top-secret arrangement he and his predecessors made with the Uzumaki clan to ensure their ambition to unify magic and shinobi. He understood and wished to help their dream become a reality."

"I can understand not trusting Danzo because of the ROOT, but why couldn't you risk him ever finding out?" asked Naruto, "Is it because he would have forced the Hybrid to be a weapon he could use for his idea of the greater good or something?"

"Quite the opposite, Naruto," she said ominously, before she growled hatefully, "Danzo Shimura is a mentally unstable, hateful, dangerous, xenophobic, evil bastard that absolutely despises everything about magic. Sarutobi-sensei once told us a story about Danzo's past: the clan he comes from, the Shimura clan, were primarily known for being formidable on the battlefield, but they were also a clan of witch-hunters during the Warring States Period."

Naruto questioned, "That was the time before the hidden villages were founded, right?"

"Correct," she nodded, "Unfortunately, the Shimura clan's passion for warfare and hunting the 'wicked' led to unfortunate results for them; most of their clan were either killed in action or slaughtered by people claiming to be witches, be it self-defense or seeking revenge for slaying their kin. There was a chance some of them had magic, but nothing was ever confirmed. Danzo, back when he was a young man, experienced horrors he seldom repeated."

Naruto and Harry found the idea of Danzo being a young man hard to imagine. They also found it difficult to empathize with him after the horror he forced them to experience.

"He and some of his clansmen were captured and tortured by a supposed witch coven. He was the only survivor, but whatever happened, there was barely anything left of his brethren or the witch to determine if they even had magic. That trauma seeded a lifetime of fear and hatred for all things magic. No one could convince him witches weren't real and he believes all things magic are inherently evil. That experience left him damaged beyond repair, but then again, he was always a nutcase. After that, he went out of his way to eliminate anyone and anything to do with magic, often times whipping up his fellow countrymen into a frenzy to hunt down people even suspected of witchcraft."

Naruto's eyes widened as he and Harry had the same realization, "It was him… he's the one who kept the law against witchcraft alive. That's why it wasn't abolshit-sorry-abolished."

Jiraiya chimed in, "There are a few crazies other than Danzo who still believe in black magic."

"Dark magic," corrected Naruto, "It's any type of magic that is mainly used to cause harm to, control, or even kill people and creatures. But lesser Dark magic is commonly used by all witches and wizards without turning them dark. Such as jinxes and hexes."

The large man gave the boy another bewildered look and replied as he shook his head and crossed his arms, "I don't know which is scarier, you having your mother's powers or an encyclopedic knowledge about magic."

"I'm surprised I wasn't a fit for Ravenclaw," the boy smiled somewhat smugly.

Harry sighed in annoyance as he felt the need to nip this in the bud before Naruto's head swelled up anymore, 'You're a bright student, Naruto, but let's face it, you would have been locked outside the common room every term. Let's be honest.'

Naruto shrugged in acceptance before he and Harry came to a frightening realization, "Wait… if Danzo ever found out I was a wizard-"

"He would have had you killed immediately," Tsunade told him as Naruto and Harry felt their stomachs coldly sink and the kunoichi explained, "Which is why I'm on your side over whether he tried to kill you three months ago. Both scenarios are equally possible; having you assassinated for real or speaking in code to his subordinates to fake your death in order to isolate you and convert you into a weapon," the kunoichi shook her head in disgust as she clearly harbored a lot of hatred for Danzo, "He always showed signs of mental instability, always paranoid, never trusting anyone, changing his mind like flipping a switch. But if he found out about you having magic, he would have you killed on the spot. I was amazed to see you were capable of such power and skill when I fought alongside you the other day. You've clearly been training and honing your skills. But it's a miracle you haven't been caught by that horrible old man, let alone the Hokage."

Naruto and Harry would be taking even more precautions moving forward to hide their magic. They really were unbelievably lucky to be alive, not counting any of their previous deadly encounters.

The genin blushed at Tsunade's compliments and couldn't resist letting slip out, "Well, I had some help."

Tsunade's amber eyes narrowed at the boy's answer as a surreptitiously victorious smile teased at her lips. She caught him right where she wanted him.

"Which reminds me, it's your turn now," she said slyly, "How do you know so much?"

Naruto realized he might have said too much, as he had hoped to avoid talking about Harry. He knew he had to tell them about him, but he dreaded the adults might jump to conclusions and immediately assume Harry was the Kyuubi in human form like Iruka initially suspected.

"There's no way you were self-taught. Someone had to have trained you," she pointed out and asked gently, "Who taught you how to use magic?"

Naruto knew he couldn't avoid it forever and sighed.

"This is going to sound mad, and I know exactly what you're going to suspect once I tell you. But let me tell you, right here and now, the Kyuubi had nothing to do with my learning magic! Okay?!" he emphasized as the adults looked at him warily, "Here we go."

He really wanted to be done with everything and took an extremely deep breath before talking faster than he had ever spoken in his life as he had to have used magic to do it, "A seventeen year old wizard named Harry Potter died and his soul went to purgatory. But he got out and accidentally got sucked into my body the night of the Kyuubi attack. He eventually met me when I was six years old, instantly knew who I was, and decided to help teach me how to control my magic when he realized I was a wizard too. We formed a bond and he taught me all about the wizarding world and how to control my powers. Harry tried to help me during my Academy years but we had some trouble along the way and learned about how witchcraft is illegal in Konoha and helped me keep my powers a secret. He told me the truth about the Kyuubi when I was eleven, so I've known about it for over a year. So, I can access the chakra anytime, I just choose not to because I hate that monster's power and Harry helped me keep it contained even more. Anyway, we eventually trusted my former Academy teacher Iruka-aniki about my secret and he helped protect us while going on some adventures together sometimes. He also helped me construct my wand, which accidentally caused a freaky lightning storm that wound up electrocuting me but I survived and got my wand, so I can use magic even better no. Then the Chunin Exams and Danzo happened, so now I'm here! EVERYBODY GOT THAT?!"

Naruto panted, completely out of breath and nearly fainted as all three adults stared at him with eyes as wide as saucers.

They blinked before their faces relaxed while the kunoichi scratched their heads at the exhausted genin.

Shizune shook her head, "I did not."

"One more time," requested Tsunade.

Jiraiya called out to him from across the room, cupping his hands around his mouth as he sarcastically demanded, "Say it faster!"

Naruto closed his eyes, truly dreading having to retell his whole story all over again. But if he could explain it all like he did for Hayate many months ago, he was confident they would eventually believe them. He was simply not looking forward to the inevitable misunderstandings.

"Fair enough. Let me try that again. Slowly," he took his wand, prepared to draw out some of his memories, "This is going to take some time."

Naruto spent the next hour and half explaining his story as best he could. Like he'd done for Hayate many months ago, he projected his memories as best he could without a Pensieve; bringing his wand to his temple, drawing them out and floating them for the adults to see. He could only project still images, glimpses of his memories as they looked on in utter awe while the boy explained.

The genin told them about the mindscape, which, surprisingly was a concept they weren't unfamiliar with. Jiraiya clarified everyone, but especially jinchuuriki, had the capacity to hold a mindscape of their own. He rambled on a bit, spouting about metaphysics but speaking about it as if it were a matter of fact and not simply a subjective concept. He wouldn't stop until Tsunade roughly cleared her throat and angrily motioned back to Naruto. This caused the boy to fight back a smile while the oversized man squirmed in his chair.

The genin also made corrections along the way, properly explaining what dementors were and (while flattered he was technically referred to as a witch earlier, as it made Naruto feel like part of a coven) clarified the term 'wizard' was the term referring to a male human with magical ability. He also said 'wizard' was sometimes used as a gender-neutral singular noun in the same way 'man' refers to humans. Tsunade and Shizune seemed slightly annoyed by this while Jiraiya eyed the women nervously. Naruto shrugged, not understanding their irk at the unintentional sexism, but they calmed down when he explained that witches were not to be mistaken for hags, which was considered to be a great insult to most witches in the wizarding world. Jiraiya seemed relieved especially as he could stop assuming witches regularly fattened up and ate people. He also muttered something about 'magical vixens' as he discreetly scribbled something down in a small notebook.

When he finished and almost collapsed back into bed, Jiraiya was the first to break the silence again as he whistled, leaning back into his chair, "That is one crazy story, kid."

Naruto sighed, giving the adults a blank and tired look.

"You don't believe Harry is real, do you?" he asked, sounding as exhausted as he looked, "Do you think he's the Kyuubi in disguise trying to trick me or something?"

Tsunade admitted, "We did at first. But we heard you out."

"It does kinda spring to mind, to be honest, Naruto," shrugged Shizune as she looked guilty, "It's just so hard to believe."

Jiraiya shrugged, throwing his arms in the air, "Can you blame us? It was the first thing that came to mind."

"I can't really blame you," the boy admitted, "But I can let him take over my body for a bit if you need proof. Probably best I don't summon shadow clones right now," the genin offered as he got into a more comfortable position, but then he stopped and turned to Tsunade, "Wait, you believe me?"

Jiraiya laughed and loudly pointed out, "You showed us your memories of the guy!"

"I don't believe something as potentially ancient as the Kyuubi would be willing to pretend to be nice to you for seven years and not do anything to either destroy you or free itself," Shizune logically reasoned, "That thing would kill you the second it got close enough to you in that mindscape."

"We know he's real, and I know because I saw him fight alongside me and you," said Tsunade, "He took over one of your shadow clones, right? He had black hair, green eyes, and glasses? He used that powerful green spell that missed Orochimaru near the end? I was healing myself, but I could feel that power even from such a distance."

Naruto was relieved and delighted he wouldn't have to convince them further. But his smile faded at the mention of the spell the older kunoichi referred to. Naruto could still feel the force of that curse in his chest as he remembered, like being in the presence of an intensely powerful explosion. He and Harry never got the chance to discuss it and what he tried to do still disturbed him.

The boy nodded, "Yes… Harry tried to use the Killing Curse on him."

Jiraiya eyed Naruto, sensing his distress as the genin looked mildly disturbed.

"Is that so bad?" he asked, "Shinobi kill all the time. It's unavoidable."

Naruto shook his head and looked at him, looking a little more upset, "This is different. He never used that one before. I've seen his memories in his Pensieve-a device used by wizards to store and recall thoughts and memories. I wish I had one with me outside the mindscape," he took a moment to gather his thoughts and carefully explained, "The Killing Curse is one of the three Unforgivable Curses. Harry used the other two in his past life because he had to or someone truly deserved it, like Carrow," he said the name with venom in his voice, remembering what he'd done and planned as he reminded him of another cowardly former teacher, "But Harry never used that one before."

Jiraiya asked him, "My guess is that this Killing Curse is really bad?"

"Yes," the boy nodded his head solemnly, "It causes instant death-Orochimaru would have died before his body even hit the ground had the curse struck him, no matter where it hit him."

Shizune spoke up as she asked nervously, "Why are they called Unforgivable?"

Naruto bit his lip, reluctant to share more as he instinctively feared the ramifications of using such Dark magic. But he had to remind himself that he had to share everything with the Sannin and Shizune moving forward. There couldn't be anymore secrets between them. None at all.

"In Harry's time," he said with trepidation, "The use of any one of them on a human being resulted in a life sentence to Azkaban prison without parole. Unless it's proven the castor was under the influence of the Imperius Curse, one of the other Unforgivable Curses-which places the victim completely under another's control," he thought about everything Tsunade had told them about the known origin of their clan and said, "But things might've changed if there is no Ministry of Magic around to enforce those laws, I suppose neither of us will have to face any punishment."

"Us?" repeated Jiraiya as he eyed the boy seriously, "You've used them before too?"

Naruto didn't hide it as he frowned, nodding as he admitted, "Twice, but only once successfully. I was protecting my teammate Sasuke at the time, fighting another jinchuuriki during the Konoha Crush. I used the Imperius Curse to control him to get him to run away to safety. But I think he fought it, or I lost control of the curse when I got hurt," he hesitated again before admitting, "I tried to use the Cruciatus Curse on Orochimaru right before he stabbed me. It's also known as the Torture Curse; it's pure torture and it can drive its victims insane if it's used on them way too long. You don't need screws, knives, needles, water, or acid to torture some. The Cruciatus Curse doesn't leave any visible mark."

The adults' eyes widened in surprise as they were reasonably disturbed by the nature of the curses. But what disturbed them more was the fact Naruto knew how to use them and could use them. Especially when the boy mentioned someone his age wasn't usually capable of using it until he was at least an O.W.L. student.

"I was scared and enraged after everything Orochimaru did and kept coming after me to kill me," he said shakily and angrily, "But it wouldn't have worked anyway. Unforgivable Curses can't work unless you mean them. Righteous anger or fear aren't enough, I probably only would have caused him a moment of pain at most," he slowed down and his lost it's edge, "But what I tried to do was still wrong-even though Orochimaru would have deserved it."

The boy looked visibly ashamed and the adults could clearly see he regretted having tried to use them. They nodded in understanding while Shizune inched forward to hold Naruto's hands within her own.

"We don't judge you, Naruto," she said emphatically, "You clearly only used those curses to protect people or to defend yourself. We all see that."

Naruto nodded in thanks before saying, "Still, it felt wrong seeing Harry using that spell. I know he was trying to protect me, probably trying to get rid of one of the people trying to kill or use us," the boy frowned deeply as he remembered and said aloud, "That curse killed his parents and so many of his friends back in his lifetime. Not to mention he's the only wizard in history to survive the Killing Curse twice. It's why he has this scar."

The genin lifted his hair, showing off his lightning-bolt scar to them. The adult's eyes' all widened slightly upon hearing Harry survived the curse before. Jiraiya seemed to recognize the scar, as did Tsunade, probably having seen it once or twice earlier. But Shizune seemed surprised by it as she stared at the mark in awe.

"I only have it too due to our connection. He once said I took on some of his characteristics," the genin said as he lowered his blonde bangs, "Killing Orochimaru with the Killing Curse would have saved us and countless others… but I don't want him to damage his soul because of me," he bared his teeth and shook his fists in anger before shouting, "He's been through enough! How could he use a spell that caused him so much pain?!"

"You feel betrayed by him for trying to use that curse," frowned Shizune as she could understand how the boy felt, "Even if it saved your life."

Naruto calmed down and frowned sadly, looking and feeling ashamed while nodding.

"But I have no right to judge him," he admitted, "I'm not innocent."

He looked up at the adults, particularly the two Sannin as he felt an eruption of word vomit bubbling to the surface. Deep shame and hypocrisy racked his conscience as he felt a mixture of shame and disappointment in himself upon reflection.

"I was planning to use the Imperius Curse on baa-chan," he blurted out as the adults looked surprised, "I'm not going to hide that… I was going to force her to return to Konoha to heal the Hokage and keep Danzo away somehow."

The boy couldn't stand looking at their faces and looked down at his lap to hide from their judging eyes and disguise his own shame.

"But I never planned it out," he admitted, "I didn't know if it would even work. I didn't even know if I had to leave Ero-Sennin behind during the fight or not, which I don't think I could bring myself to do. I would never do that to him, I would never do that to anyone I care about, I want to save everyone!"

Tears welled up in Tsunade's eyes as she turned and glared back at Jiraiya. The large man looked away, guilt eating at his face while Shizune was simply too shocked to speak.

Naruto's eyes turned glassy as he raised his voice, getting increasingly upset with every word, "I don't even know how I would have kept Danzo away if I used the Imperius Curse… I don't know how I would have explained what happened and I wouldn't have known anything about how dangerous it was to use my magic with Danzo around! I don't know what I would have done if Danzo refused to stand down. I thought because I have magic, I could make all my problems go away, but I can't. How could I even consider doing all that? I'd be no better than a Dark Lord!"

He broke down and started sobbing hysterically as he remembered Tsunade's complete personality change. She was kind and affectionate to him, the true Tsunade, Naruto realized. This was the woman she used to be, the one Shizune defended. He would never have known that side of her had he used the Imperius Curse. He quickly grew fond of this new version of the kunoichi and could only feel an overwhelming sense of shame. His efforts could have been for nothing, he realized, as the full weight of his choices, the entire mission, and all the dangers surrounding him had finally gotten to him after four long months and he couldn't stop the tears or wrenching.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry for even thinking about it," he cried miserably, "But I was scared and I wanna save my friends! They're everything to me and I can't lose them because I don't have anybody else! I already lost my mum and dad! They're gone," he sobbed before curling into himself despite the pain it caused him, as he regressed and cried as if he were a much younger child, red-faced as tears streaming down his cheeks as felt a terrible wave of homesickness and hopelessness, "I wanna go home! I want Iruka-aniki! I want Anko-nee! I want my friends! I want my family back!"

He kept sobbing, feeling like he could throw up at any moment as he shook uncontrollably. But he was instantly silenced when he suddenly found himself in Tsunade's arms. She was hugging him, holding him close and affectionately. It reminded him slightly of Anko, but he seldom felt such tender affection apart from a very distant and obscure memory. He wasn't even sure if it even was a real memory and not simply a sensation he once dreamed about.

Naruto leaned into the embrace as the tears kept flowing, letting out unsteady gasps of breath. The Sannin calmly rubbed his back, which helped him calm down enough to breathe evenly again.

"It's okay. Let it out. Just let it all out," she gently urged as she pulled him in with incredible but reassuring strength as the boy started sobbing again.

He didn't know how long he'd been in Tsunade's arms crying his eyes out. But it may as well have been an hour as he eventually calmed down and felt utterly exhausted again.

"You're forgiven, Naruto," she said gently as tears of her own flowed down her cheeks, "Always and completely forgiven. I can't blame you for coming up with that kind of scheme. But you need to realize you couldn't bring yourself to do it in the end."

Naruto sniffed, "That's only because I didn't get a chance-"

"Yes, you did," she said firmly, "You had lots of chances. You could have cursed all of us in that tavern with Harry's help, but you didn't."

Naruto shook his head into her large chest without realizing it, denying her insistence. Jiraiya and Shizune both frowned, wishing the boy hadn't suffered as badly as he had in the last few months.

But then she said, "I know exactly how you feel. I'm ashamed to admit I was planning on accepting Orochimaru's deal," that caused Naruto to stop and open his bloodshot eyes, while the Sannin's shined with a wave of fresh, shameful tears, "Removing his curse in exchange for resurrecting my loved ones. I feel like I could do it if I really tried. And I was going to accept it… but I couldn't go through with it. I'm ashamed I ever humored the idea," she placed a hand on the back of Naruto's head as she pulled him in affectionately, "You've been though a lot the past few months. I know you suffered. But you're not alone. You have friends here too."

Jiraiya couldn't help but give the scene a half-smile at Tsunade's sentiment. Shizune had tears in her eyes as well as she smiled gratefully to have her mentor back.

The older kunoichi let Naruto back down onto the bed so she could face him. After the boy wiped the tears off his face and sniffled, he tried to put on a brave face.

"I never would have thought you had Kushina's gift, that you were another Hybrid like her, but you didn't show any signs at the time, like she did. If I had known," the kunoichi frowned in shame before admitting sadly, "I wish I never left Konoha," she looked back at Shizune who tearfully nodded back in agreement before the Sannin shrugged, "We could have had a coven of witches in a ninja full of villag-" she stopped at her word fumble and let out an embarrassing snort of laughter, followed by a fitting cackle.

Naruto couldn't help but snort and cackle too, finding the Sannin's laughter contagious as he shared her wish, imagining what it would have been like growing up with his cousin.

When she calmed down, Tsunade looked determined as she said, "I'm returning to Konoha with you and I'm staying. Konoha is my home. I'm going to-we are going to get you home, Naruto. We are going to protect you and your friends from Danzo, Orochimaru, and the Akatsuki," she frowned slightly as she added, "All the while, we're going to learn as much as we can about our family history. I don't know what direction your life is going to take knowing what you know now, but you have my full support, cousin," she then reached out and took Naruto's hands as she looked straight into his eyes, "And I am so sorry I was such a bitch to you."

Naruto would have laughed but he was too surprised and tired, so he simply smiled and replied, "Apology accepted. Thank you."

They hugged it out one more time as Naruto looked like he could pass out at any moment. Jiraiya eyed their affection, feeling a tad jealous and uneasy. He then noticed the exhausted look on the boy's face when Tsunade let him go and decided to speak up.

"He should get some rest," he insisted, "We can talk more tomorrow and make plans to get back home."

To Be Continued…

Sorry it took so long to get this out but you lovely readers can expect chapters earlier than 11 months. Now that my old job is behind me, I can write more freely without abusive people constantly breathing down my neck! Yay!

As I said before, I will start replacing previous chapters soon after posting this chapter as I feel it is the better version of the same story. It will take time though, so it won't be updated overnight.

I think that's about it, I will try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can!

Please leave a review if you can! I love constructive criticism!