Hiruzen takes in the boy standing before him, with black hair darker than night and a pair of haunting green eyes. The boy stands unbothered by the attention and surveys the room with an indifferent look. His pale skin is a side effect of being underground for all his life.
The boy has an enormous amount of chakra simmering underneath his skin, so deep and dense he would have thought the small boy not even 10 was a bijuu, if not for the flesh and heartbeat he can blatantly hear.
"What's your name?" He asks his grandfather instincts kicking in, he can only be as personal as the Hokage but he pulls as many strings as he can.
It's why Naruto doesn't experience the brunt of the hate that he could have. He knows his village all but spits in the boy's face, but he has his hands tied, as much as people like to think he's a pushover, he has no control over the masses' opinions.
Maybe this boy before him would like Naruto as a companion.
"Hari," the boy's voice is soft, and respectful but still dull, like he's dissociated from the whole situation, and given the way they found him Hiruzen can't help but give the boy a sympathetic and warm smile.
"Hari, I as your Hokage would like to apologize on behalf of our negligence." The boy gives him a nod but doesn't take his apology to heart, with an aged sigh he continues. "The council has agreed to give you a monthly allowance, along with an apartment rent-free until you become a chunin."
The small boy blinks in surprise, most likely suspecting, "Thank you Hokage, it's more than I expected."
He gives the boy a kind smile, "Go on, and enjoy the day, a team of Anbu will be tailing you for your safety." He warns the boy, not that he suspects the other of nefarious activities but to let the child know he has a target on his back.
"I understand Hokage." The boy is younger than Tenzo but among the same experiments as that of Danzo and his former student. He suspects that Danzo was trying to make his own version of a Jinchuriki, only they ended up creating a boy who wields an amass of power and now it's Hiruzen's problem.
The boy has enough chakra to rival Naruto, and that's a terrifying thought. Thankfully the boy doesn't seem to harbor any negative feelings against the village for the unkind circumstances he was given. He lets the boy leave after getting assurance that the boy knows the severity of keeping the knowledge of Root hidden.
Hari looks up at the building that will be his home for the foreseeable future. The building is bland and beige with a curved roof, and a specific type of tile made to withhold the chakra output of a Shinobi. He lowers his gaze to the number on his keys and follows his gaze along the doors until his apartment number appears.
Top floor, that's good it means he can sit on his window and stare out into the city like he used to in-
He shakes his head, thinking of that time it's dangerous around here if they were to find out he had a whole second life and is a byproduct of a failed experiment and Death's whims.
His magic isn't the same, it's still there but seems to manifest differently, instead of a singular core, he feels it pulsating throughout his body like an ocean current. During the honorable training that Danzo gave him, he learned a lot of interesting things about this world and the way his new body works.
He is fortunate that he has a face of a child or he would be like Kinoe and still be in Anbu. Hari is grateful that Danzo wasn't able to hide the fact that he harbored a wicked experiment of Hari's caliber.
He knows the only reason he is even given this opportunity is because they want him to have a chance to build connections they can use, as he is already too powerful to contain in a hidden society. The Hokage is betting on him finding a home here and will use his raw power to the village's advantage.
He rocks on his feet and leaps up onto the ledge of the patio leading to his apartment, he mentally scans the area and relaxes when he doesn't find any monitoring seals or devices anywhere. He found that his experience in occlumency and having intimate knowledge of the revealing charm has made it like child's play to use his sensory abilities to pinpoint the smallest details.
He finds it entirely ironic that he was blind as a bat in his past life and now he's got the ability to enhance his eyesight through chakra, while also being able to mentally project what he senses.
"Goodnight," he says quietly to the Anbu tailing him, knowing they can hear them, it doesn't hurt to use his childlike charm and use it to endear them.
He doesn't bother to look around having scanned the layout when he looks for the monitoring devices and heads straight to the last room where he senses the cheap bed with a tired sigh he closes his eyes and basks in the first time he gets to sleep on his schedule.
If there is one thing he will do is make sure Danzo gets his due for all the pedo child shit he is doing. He just has to wait until he has the opportunity and strength to back up his actions if he is to be deemed a missing-nin.
Right now he is all raw power and no finesse, a raging bear facing a group of experienced hunters.
Iruka looks up as he hears the door open, it's after school hours and he is grading the kid's papers before he heads to the bar to meet up with the others.
Seeing the formal robes he jolts and goes to stand up but ever so kind the Hokage is, he simply waves him and indicates to the boy beside him.
"Evening Iruka," Iruka only knows the surface-level information that the general public, shinobi public that is, knows.
"Lord Hokage," he nods his head in respect and wonders if he's going to have a new student, though if this boy is who he thinks then Iruka wonders what he is doing here.
"It's good to see you," Hiruzen says kindly.
"I would like to introduce you to your new student who will be attending your class. Children need to have a childhood and experience the joys of youth, and what better way than the academy." He says the last part more towards the black-haired boy, whose green eyes seem to glow. The boy has a civil expression on his face, but he can tell the other seems wary.
"Oh," he says
"Well hello, it's nice to meet you?" He pauses and lets the finish even if he already knows the boy's name.
"Hari, Just Hari."
Giving the boy a warm smile, "Well, Just Harry, I am looking forward to having you in my class," he then reaches for the syllabus of his class, which is buried under everything else they've done, but he has a feeling the boy is mainly here to gain connections and emotional intelligence.
If the rumors of him being a former Root is true.
And by the way the other looks confused as he tries to smile as he takes the paper, it's almost diluted. Iruka thinks the rumors are true and rehabilitation is necessary.
'Why me?' He mentally despairs already having Naruto and the clan heirs to deal with.
Shikamaru lazily blinked his eye, the one not tucked into his shoulder open as he heard the door open and it was not the usual pattern he'd absently noticed while he'd been in the academy. Sasuke is always here first, followed by Choji and him, because his troublesome mother makes him leave early.
He looks down slightly as his seat is elevated on the second row and sees a boy whose hair could rival a Uchiha or Hyuga for how dark it is. The only thing that separates him from the two clans is the bright startling green eyes that sweep across the room with an eye too keen. The way the boy seems to survey the room reminds him of a more experienced shinobi and not a boy transferring from somewhere.
Choji swallows a mouth full of chips and says, "Looks like we have a new one." This is strange since this is a class full of clan heirs and that means it's harder to have someone transferred to this class. Nepotism and all that jazz, the only reason there are civilians in this class is so the council doesn't whine, at least that's what his dad complains about over a bottle of sake with his former teammates and best friends.
"Troublesome," Shikamaru mutters into his arms. He turns his head in his arms and watches as the boy moves to sit in the seat at the back by the window and pulls out a bunch of sheets. The boy pauses and glances down, Shikamaru doesn't sense any negative emotions at being stared at, just a dull curiosity about who is staring at him.
Blinking lazily he watches as the other offers him a slight smile, though his eyes stay dull.
He lets his mind wander and plays a game of shogi in his head as he waits for class to begin.
"Alright class, it's a different day than usual as we have a new classmate, if you feel like it, would you stand and introduce yourself, Hari." He opens his eyes as Iruka speaks. The boy takes in all of them and stands up his movement fluid as he straightens.
"I'm Hari," Hari says and gives an awkward wave before sitting down.
Hari, huh?
Maybe the class won't be so boring after all.
"Naruto! You're late!" Shikamaru sinks into his arms with a wince at the volume of their sensei.
Naruto scowls as the lady who sells him takes all the money he has, he knows they are overpricing him but it's not like anyone would care if he complains. He takes his bag of ramen and turns around to go home only to stop as he almost bumps into the new guy in class.
"Are you following me?" He asks only to flush, why would anyone follow him? Well besides to harass him.
Hari? Yeah, Hari gives the clerk a once over before shaking his head, "No, I was shopping too," here he holds up the carry cart holding a few items.
"You know they are overpricing you right." Hari points out and Naruto feels a glare coming on.
"Yeah! I'm not that stupid."
"So you're a little stupid?"
Yes- Wait!" He fumbles only to pause as the other laugh and Naruto basks in the fact that he made someone laugh and it's not a mean one, he would know since he's been able to feel the malice of everyone around him forever.
"Stay here," the green-eyed boy says, and bypasses him to pay for his food, and whatever he says makes the clerk pale and Hari looks satisfied and takes his food and the money he was going to give to the clerk.
"Come on," the other says and doesn't look back, expecting him to follow.
Too stunned to resist the temptation of a friend he scrambled to catch up, "Where are we going?" He asks, feeling giddy.
The other looks at him, but his gaze doesn't feel Judgmental, "to my apartment, it's only fair that I feed you since you paid for my food." He says causally.
"I- what, no I didn't!" He would remember and-
"The lady said that the amount you gave her would cover the extra food I had, so if you want I would like to repay you."
"You mean you'd cook for me?" Naruto asks quietly, stopping to stare at the other.
The other stops to give him a look, one that says obviously, "Of course, you seem cool and I don't like eating alone anyway."
"C-Cool." He says, hiding his tears that weld up with a laugh.
A/n:
I am putting the pairing already because they are already set and planned, but they themselves won't be thinking of romance until at least after the time skip.
What do you think? I hope it's an interesting way of having Harry in the world.
What would you like to see happen? Any other side pairings you'd like to see incorporated?
Tenzō being a mother-hen big brother anyone?