AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Please don't skip them; if you skip: should you find this story worth a read by its first few chapters, please take a moment to read them. Thank you.
Before we start:
Although I am not a very good writer, I have written fan-fiction in the past. However, I hadn't ever dared to push my limits as with this one. I intend to make this–at least–a Harry/Multi pairing. But I am vehemently against this relationship arrangement–rationally, that is. It would be a treasure to be able to spun the good out of the tragedy, and the impact this kind of thing would have–but those worlds already have their share of dread; a silly story like this is best taken lightly or not at all.
Though this kind of thing is, in my opinion, absolutely objectionable in real life, fiction–and especially fan-fiction–has a way to rose-tint things that just wouldn't do normally–it pays, however, to be careful and prudent when writing these kind of stories, lest we fall too deep and try normalising things that we should not; but it should be a daring challenge nonetheless.
On Naruto's universe:
There are so many points in the shinobi world which I am totally uncomfortable to write about–things that if taken into account, lead to distasteful conclusions. I am not one of those that enjoy breaking down the parts of it, making compelling narrative out of the inconsistencies–I'd much prefer a healthy amount of suspension of disbelief. I'd appreciate if you'd do the same for this story.
While writing this, I noticed there were a lot of inconsistencies with my knowledge of Naruto's storyline, since it's been years since I've watched it or read it. I'm trying to re-watch and re-read the story to hopefully patch some of the plot-holes.
As this is a lengthy task, and I have so little time nowadays, I thought that it would be a shame if this stayed in my files, so I decided that I should at least publish its first few plot-points. Even if I can't manage to continue the story, I'd like to have this posted–maybe someone will find value in this short excerpt. I'll try to catch-up to canon, however.
THE STORY PROPER:
REPORT NO. 329 OF THE 200TH YEAR SINCE THE FOUNDING OF KONOHA
Notarised translation of this report to English performed by Yamanaka Gen following the manual set forth by Harry of the Ruby Sword
Header information:
Herein is contained information meant exclusively for the eyes of the Director of Konoha Intelligence Division, the honoured Lord Hokage, and the bearers of the Sword of Gryffindor (provided they present it and receive a note of authenticity by the Lord-in-matters-Kamon).
Content (excerpt):
This translation is severely modified since the first transcripts, made for the comfort of reading in English, and much different from the version that was allowed for printing to the general public, including the content censored by Konohagakure Intelligence Division, while attempting to preserve the informal, whimsical and very personal style of Yakumo-sama, for the sole benefit of those listed in the header, protected by a masterful layer of sealing and magic. The embellishments provided by Jiraiya the Toad Sage were adapted for a more tasteful reading.
山中ゲン
Yamanaka Gen
木ノ葉隠れ情報部部長
Director of Konoha Intelligence Division
RUBĪKEN NO HARĪ
ルビー剣・の・ハリー
or
The grand story of heroism and friendship of
HARRY OF THE RUBY SWORD
or the tragedy thereof
Here follows the story of Harry of the Ruby Sword (ルビー剣のハリー), as told by his friends and family, noted down, reconstructed, ornamented and fictionalised, with genuine attempts to preserve his noble and kind spirit, by me, Yakumo Kurama (鞍馬八雲), for the benefit of inspiration and recreation of the youth of his much cherished Village Hidden in the Leaves (木ノ葉隠れの里), in the Common Language (or Japanese), and in English–his first, marvellous and mysterious language.
This I dedicate to Harī-sensei,
With utmost respect and love,
From this one, of the many lives saved by your ever-rebounding heart.
May we meet again in your next great adventure.
Inset to this edition of Rubīken no Harī by Yamanaka Gen:
Yūhi Kurenai's last preface, before official censoring, to the special edition limited to those that studied the path of Harry of 'An introduction of Majutsu, and its relations to Genjutsu' before her passing:
While writing this preface, I deemed it more valuable to take this endeavour with a lighter, more personal tone. It should be, after all, the last one I manage to write. Age is getting on me, and the further advancement of magic need not these old hands anymore–much more fit nowadays to make sparks and little dancing stars in the evening sky for my grandchildren.
Magic is becoming something much more different than that which Harī-sensei used to describe to us. He would tell stories by the fire to me and to the rest of the team of a power that spelled catastrophe and misery wherever it was lighted upon, of a force of nature destructive enough to mar his dreams and to tear the edges of the soul. However, this same master of chaos and doom would also use this oh-so terrible and mighty power to cover us to sleep with a warming charm when we set camp, or to soothe our aches in the best way he possibly could, or spoke of it as the light and joy of his life. I look back in fondness to the soft and gentle master, the sole reason our shinobi world was blessed with magic–and may his spirit guide you, future apprentice.
He was very disheartened in the first years of his life on this plane, thinking himself the last bearer of this blessing, and of this curse, as he sometimes thought about it. He was quite ready to take this gift with him to his death, if he could ever find a way to meet it again in our violent world. But just as he would later shape this world, this world shaped Harī-sensei, and he deemed magic not a burden, but a gift, which he was meant to share at his another chance at life.
Mahō (魔法), as it was initially called, or majutsu (魔術), as it was later referred to, when it gained equal standing amongst the shinobi arts, seemed to be transformed in his passing onto this plane–firstly by the temperament and valour of my master, who mellowed the harshest aspects of it; secondly, by the presence of the Sword of Gryffindor (グリフィンドールの剣), which allowed him to temper the more destructive aspects of his magic as his instrument of justice; thirdly, by the mental aspects of fighting and the art of legilimency that were employed by Harī-sama, the latter serving both as a bridge between majutsu and genjutsu, empowering him more in his shinobi life, and as a stepping stone for those of us who study the field; fourthly, by its resourcefulness in the field of iryōjutsu, and the use of Potions that make the base of our practice today; lastly, by Harī's profound studies with fūinjutsu, in his efforts to comprehend Japanese (as he called it) and to destroy the knowledge of jujutsu on this plane.
It is fundamental to understand the difference between majutsu and jujutsu: Harī-sensei staked his life and death, fielding techniques reserved only to the eyes of the Shinigami to banish the technique of curses (jujutsu or 呪術) from this realm, which encompassed the less savoury parts of his gift, which he'd once called the Dark Arts or the Dark Magic (闇の魔術), but that is, today, completely separate from majutsu as we know it.
But as we grow more familiar to it, we shall dedicate not to fall prey to its traps. Harī-sensei deemed it worthy to always explain the tragedy of those that held themselves as superior in magic by virtue of their blood. We must be conscious of his tale, and derive important lessons applicable there and onto this world–for once upon a time, there wasn't ninjutsu, but ninshū. Magic is a gift we should learn to appreciate and stoke, but never be consumed by or let it draw lines of prejudice or injustice.
In his investigations, he had not found a single source of his power in this world. In his first years, Harī-sama was encouraged by third parties to spread the gift of magic the only way he thought it would be possible–that is, to his direct descendants. In his time, there still reigned the abominable practice in some hidden villages of the breeding programs–and although Konoha thankfully never instated one for itself, there wasn't a shortage of disgusting individuals who seemed to be ready to push Harī-sensei in that direction. Harī-sensei refused, of course, but he still dreaded the possibility of magic failing to take root. He refused, of course, because on top of it being an indignity to the eventual recipients, the greatest component and most subtle and powerful of magics is love–and he told us a tale of his greatest enemy in his other life, a magic user that had not the chance for it in his life, becoming a vortex of chaos and destruction.
But love he did endeavour to find, especially in his youth, and especially stoked by the then-young Jiraiya, and that is perhaps one of the reasons Harī's tale is so riveting to shinobi and to less-than-a-understandable part of the kunoichi of this generation. And love he found, and all that came with it; and it seemed to effortlessly find him later, even if he was not trying–it was an easy task to love Harī-sensei, after all.
Were he any other man, he would not have my respect. But knowing him as deeply as I had, and as his other students and partners had, none would be ready to judge him too harshly. He was a creature of kindness and love–and only because of this he managed to make such an arrangement. And he honoured those that gave him their love.
But if he did find happiness in it, he did not have the need to do so for the spreading of his gift in the end. The brilliance of Senju Tsunade and her disciples could not be denied as they found the key to it and kept on developing new ways to ignite the magic in the hearts of shinobi.
Harī-sama wouldn't have it in any other way, however. This was attested, too, by his great and numerous family.
It would be a credit to our kind if Harī-sama's desire for magic to be used as a means of healing and of spreading love and kindness was honoured. To this, I dedicated all my life since his passing; and I count on his future apprentices to do the same.
This I hope should be an honour worthy of Harī-sama,
With my dedication and love–it being truly one of the greatest magics,
May this one meet you again in a grand next adventure.