Chapter three
Chapter three
Harry Potter was furious. After Dumbledore's sudden appearance, he had hoped the professor would stay and talk to him; but the second he was done talking about the bodyguard he had hired for Harry, he was gone again.
Which brought him to his second problem.
What the bloody hell were they thinking?
Hiring a kid the same age as him to protect him against someone like Voldemort; Harry was starting to think he was the only sane person in this Order they refused to him to join, and if things went on the way they were, that sanity wouldn’t last long.
He was pacing back and forth in the room he shared with Ron with gritted teeth; it had been a few days since he arrived at his godfather's house, yet he hadn’t talked with Uzumaki properly; the only times he saw the boy was during meal times, and even then Harry tended to avoid looking at the boy. It only brought him frustration. He noticed that he wasn’t the only one in the house avoiding the strange boy though, which only made him more curious about him.
He heard a quick knock on the door, and not a second later the door was opened and in came Hermione and Ron, followed by the Weasley twins who hurriedly closed the door behind them.
"Well?" harry asked expectantly.
"I haven’t been able to find out much about him, to be honest. Its like everyone's ignoring his existence, and they refuse to talk about him when I ask! Its quite annoying if I'm honest.." Hermione trailed off with a frown.
Harry sighed. He had asked his friends to see if they could find out anything about their new guest, but he should’ve guessed it wouldn’t be that simple.
"But!" Ron piped up excitedly. "Fred and George have extendable ears, and the Order is about to have a major meeting. We can listen in on them."
"Extendable ears?"
"Oh, dear harry, let me introduce you to one of our most prized inventions," Fred grinned as he pulled out a single disturbing ear connected to a wire.
"With this beauty, we'll be able to hear whatever they say in the meeting room from where we are." George finished devilishly.
Hermione looked nervous, but even she knew better than to try warning them of the consequences.
"Come on, I think they're starting," Ron whispered hurriedly and went out of the room to crouch near the stairway.
They all huddled close to each other and tried to listen to the muffled voices of the Order as they discussed, to Harry's surprise, the Uzumaki fellow.
"...could he be thinking?! With what he said of his kind, I don’t trust that boy anywhere near harry, let alone in Hogwarts," Moody was growling.
"You have to trust Dumbledore's intuition, moody. He wouldn’t let anyone he suspected to be dangerous near the kids-" Lupin was cut off by an irritated Mad-eye.
"Then why has he been visiting the lad the past days without telling us what they talk about? We can't know for sure the boy hasn’t put a spell on Dumbledore!"
Harry's stomach sank. Dumbledore's been visiting Naruto?
"Oh, stop it!" Mrs. Weasley's shrill voice cut through. "He is just a boy; he is not a danger-!"
"You heard what Dumbledore said of his kind!" This time the angered voice belonged to Sirius. "he's not just a kid, Molly. Even the headmaster admitted that he is dangerous, and we don’t know shit about who he is or his abilities!"
"Like I said, we have to trust-"
The voices were suddenly cut off.
"Crookshanks!" Hermione hissed and went to go after the cat who apparently stole the ear they had extended down the stairs.
Harry's head was spinning. Naruto's kind? Could that possibly mean that he was not a wizard? Did that mean they had hired a bloody muggle to protect him? And how could he be dangerous? The boy was always smiling or doing something dumb whenever Harry saw him. He just couldn't comprehend what he had just heard.
"Guys," Hermione's breathless voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "We need to talk about this." She said solemnly as she came back, Crookshanks in her arms, and walked towards the room they'd been in minutes before.
Uzumaki Naruto was already bored. He had thought that when he was given a bodyguarding mission, that there'd be things he would actually have to protect the client against, but as the days went on and as he talked more with Dumbledore-sama, he realized that wouldn’t be the case. The nearest action he would be getting was Harry Potters upcoming hearing at their magic ministry or whatever, where he'd get to accompany him.
The old mad had visited him a couple of times, always probing for more information about shinobi and their nature while giving Naruto more details of his mission and the wizarding world. It bored Naruto to hell, but he sat through all of them and took it like a champ. He was careful not to reveal too much, or things that could potentially risk the safety of the hidden leaf village. Even though their barrier protected the elemental nations against all the outside countries perfectly, you could never be too careful.
He was starting to get restless though; he had been told by the creepy one-eyed man to stay away from the kids for the time being -and out of respect- Naruto had complied, but he was thinking of approaching them soon.
He sighed and looked around the tiny room that was given to him. the lump of stuff that lay near the bed caught his eye; the things Dumbledore had given him for his year at the magic school.
The length of the mission worried Naruto; it was far too long for him to be missing without anyone knowing, and he was hoping he could cut it short somehow, although he knew that this way was his best shot at getting back home, as the headmaster had promised him resources, and also the payment he would be getting for the mission would greatly benefit his village after the toll the war took on it.
The other thing that he worried about was how he would fit in their school without attracting much attention to himself as he, surprisingly and most definitely, was not a wizard.
Dumble-sama (Naruto found it easier to refer to the old geezer that way) had assured him that he would fit in just fine if he used his shinobi abilities that could influence the mind, which Naruto decided could only be referring to genjutsu.
The only problem was that Naruto sucked at genjustu, but he kept convincing himself that it shouldn’t be too hard to do what these wizards did with his own normal jutsus, and if he was really in a bind, he would resort to genjutsu. Plus, he could always try summoning his toad friends and begging them to teach him the art.
Where was a sharingan bearer when you needed one?
Naruto's heart panged at the thought of the last Uchiha. It had almost been a week, and by now he was sure Sasuke would be looking for him. At least that’s what he hoped his best friend was doing.
He tried to think of something else, anything else, but memories of their last interaction rose up to the surface of his mind.
------
Flashback
Naruto's heart raced as he waited for Sasuke to get to The Valley of the End. He watched the waterfall that separated the enormous statues of Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama, and his eyes were drawn to the numerous cracks and missing chunks on the statues- results of their previous battles in this site. Why had Sasuke asked to meet here? Naruto had been avoiding the Uchiha for months. He had been trying to suppress his feelings, to leave Sasuke alone for once in his life. Isn’t that what Sasuke had wanted all along?
He felt the air ripple behind him and turned around. Blue eyes met the single black eye.
They stayed there, holding eye contact for what seemed like an eternity, until the raven-haired boy broke the silence.
Uchiha Sasuke was livid, and the fact that he was mad made him even more angry. This bastard had chased after him for years, refusing to leave his side when he finally came back to Konoha. The bond he had tried so hard to protect had become even stronger, simply as a result of being around him all the damn time. But then Naruto had suddenly started to avoid him. Was he trying to cut the bond, the ties they had together? He needed an explanation.
"What the hell are you doing?" Sasuke growled out. This was not like him, he did not like his emotions being out of control.
He focused on Naruto's stupid face. He had the audacity to look confused.
"Wha-"
"Don’t play dumb. You’ve been avoiding me. Why?"
Naruto looked solemn; he had dark bags under his eyes. this was not a look Sasuke was used to seeing on the blonde boy. He was always so carefree, constantly having the biggest smile on his face; He could light up a room just by walking into it, and the Uchiha would never admit it, but he had learnt to find comfort in the others brightness.
So why was it gone?
"Well?" he demanded harshly.
Naruto swallowed hard. He never expected Sasuke to confront him like this; the broody, distant Uchiha who avoided everyone and kept to himself.
"Isn’t that what you wanted?" Naruto retorted before he could stop himself. he saw hurt flash in Sasuke's one visible eye, for just a fraction of a moment, before it turned back into the cold, emotionless gaze that he always had. Sasuke watched him with a hard look for a few seconds, his expression unreadable. He turned around to leave, but Naruto rushed forward and grabbed the boy's elbow before he could stop himself.
"Wait-"
"Don’t touch me." Sasuke spoke harshly, shoving Naruto's hands off him.
"I'm sorry. For avoiding you."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "I did not come here for an apology. Tell me why you're avoiding me."
Naruto's heart was racing. What could he say? He couldn’t let Sasuke find out about his feelings; that would destroy their friendship. He looked at the man before him; the incredibly beautiful, pale face. The cold eyes that sent shivers down his spine. He thought of the rare occasions when they softened, the warmth that would radiate all over his body just by the gentle look he received from Uchiha.
He closed his eyes. The pain had been almost too much the past few months, without Sasuke. He had tried desperately, for years, to bring the other boy back to him. And when he finally succeeded, these.. these feelings had surfaced and he had to stay away from him, because it wouldn’t be fair to Sasuke. Fate could be so cruel sometimes.
"I can't." Was all Naruto murmured back.
"What?"
"I can't do this-"
"Don’t mess with me, Naruto. Just tell me what the fuck is going on!" the hint of anger in Sasuke's voice surprised Naruto.
"you’ve chased after me for years, and now that I'm here you avoid me? Do you want me to chase you now? Because I won't," Sasuke continued when Naruto didn’t reply. He took a step forward and grabbed Naruto's collar with narrowed eyes. "What, you're tired of me now? Now that you have me you’ve realized you don’t like me anymore? Are you trying to break the bond you worked so hard to protect?"
Naruto's heart sank. Even though he tried to hide it, he could hear the hurt in Sasuke's voice. Is that what the Uchiha thought? That couldn’t be further from the truth. Naruto's gut clenched, and he did the only thing that came naturally to him.
He kicked Sasuke back.
"Teme, don’t say that," he said, anger evident in his voice. "Our bond is not something that can be destroyed so easily; it’s a bond built over generations of history, don’t you dare underestimate it like that!" he was yelling now, and he went forward to grab Sasuke's collar this time. His hair had moved out of the side of his face, and now he could see both of his eyes -black and purple- staring back at him coolly. It sent shivers up his back.
Sasuke looked down at Naruto's hands on his collar, his face only inches away from his own. He could feel the others boy breath on his face; he did the only thing that came naturally to him.
He punched Naruto in the gut.
The boy was thrown back, clutching his stomach, the air knocked out of him. It didn’t take long for him to recover though, and in an instant, he was back in Sasuke's face.
Sasuke blocked the incoming blow, way too familiar with his partners moves at this point.
"Then tell me why you’ve been avoiding me!" Sasuke snapped. Naruto was not making sense. He dodged another kick, landing a punch of his own which was blocked. It pained Sasuke to admit it, but being away from Naruto had hurt. He had always run from him, from everyone in his life who cared for him. He had chosen a life of solitude. Naruto's fist landed on his jaw. He kicked the other boy behind the knees. But Naruto had never given up on him. He was the only soul on this earth, who always believed in him no matter how horrific his crimes were. He had chased after him to the ends of the earth. Another kick, a jab. He had pleaded for him, begged for him. Naruto made several clones; Sasuke activated his sharingan. The Uchiha would never admit this out loud, but Naruto was the only thing he had left. The only thing that meant something to him, the only thing that mattered. He dodged a rasengan, and activated his own Chidori. Sasuke couldn’t let the boy treat him as if he didn’t exist, without an explanation. He could feel Naruto's frustration in his movements. The pent-up anger, the frustration, the immense pain.
Where was all of this coming from?
They had always been able to read each other's hearts when they fought.
So, they did just that.
They fought.
And fought.
Until they were both exhausted, bloody and unable to stand anymore, they fought.
Naruto collapsed, and he felt Sasuke fall next to him. They were both panting; it was nighttime now and he could see the stars; or maybe it was just jus vision blurring from the damage he had taken.
"Sasuke," Naruto muttered, his voice cracking. "You and I, we work together. We understand each other beyond the bonds of friendship. It's much deeper; I know you feel that too."
Naruto saw Sasuke looking at him with wide eyes, probably too exhausted to hide his emotions.
"It makes me feel whole, Sasuke. You.. you make me feel whole."
Naruto know he should’ve stopped there. He should’ve let it go, let him go.
But he didn’t.
He tried to reach out, to get a hold of the boy he cared so deeply about, when he saw a flash of purple and everything went black.
------
Harry Potter was almost done with the lengthy list of chores Mrs. Weasley had assigned him to. He had dusted every surface possible, tackled out the doxies from the upstairs curtain and cleaned Hedwig's cage. He was about to head back upstairs to his bed, to start worrying about the damned hearing he had to attend, when he heard a faint sobbing noise.
He stopped in his tracks and focused more intently; the noise was coming from the drawing room, where Mrs. Weasley had last been.
Before his mind could process it, his body started running towards the room. When he entered the room, he saw Mrs. Weasley's figure cowering against the wall, shaking with sobs with her wand her wand in her hand.
The sight in front of Mrs. Weasley made the air leave Harry's lungs and his brain go icy-cold.
Ron lay on the ground, dead.
Ron, dead- no, it could be.. Ron was just downstairs..
As he watched in horror, the figure changed. Ginny, Fred, George – all dead.
Harry snapped out of it. It was a boggart; before he could do anything though, he was roughly pushed out of the way.
Harry watched with wide eyes as a blonde boy pushed Mrs. Weasley aside as well, positioning himself in front of the boggart.
Nothing could have prepared harry for what he saw next.
The boggart changed, taking the form of a black-haired boy. Harry had no interest in men, but even he could appreciate the handsome features of the boy. He had a white long-sleeved shirt, which was left open in the front exposing the toned chest and abdomen, and a weird purple rope-belt that held a piece of blue cloth which covered him from stomach to his knees, with dark pants underneath and the same type of sandal Naruto wore. He also saw a katana hanging by his side, which confused the wizard.
What horrified Harry, was the fact that the beautiful boy was covered in blood, with a gaping wound on his torso near where his heart should have been; the red a stark contrast against the pale skin.
Harry heard Naruto suck in a sharp breath and step back in surprise, eyes widening with terror. Harry opened his mouth to say something, to banish the boggart, but his words died in his mouth when the black-haired boy fell to his knees in front of Naruto.
He started talking to Naruto in another language, which startled harry. Naruto talked back- almost yelling at this point.
Harry could see the pain and panic on the blonde's face when the scenery changed.
This time it was a pretty girl with pink hair and red clothes, and a masked man with white hair and a scar running down the side of his face, over an eye. They were scowling at Naruto, talking to him in their foreign language, when they too, dropped down when horrible wounds appeared on their bodies, soaking them blood.
Harry was snapped out of his trance, watching the scenes play out in front of him with wide eyes, when he heard his name being yelled.
"Potter!" it was Naruto's voice. His voice shook, his eyes still glued on the dead bodies that were being added to the pile on the floor, but it was enough to snap Harry back to his senses. Apparently the teenager had realized the sights in front of him were not real.
"Riddikulus!" Harry yelled, pointing his wand at the boggart. The dead bodies on the ground turned into balloons and disappeared as they flew off.
He heard a thump and turned to see Naruto fall on his knees; his eyes were unfocused and filled with unshed tears.
Harry was feeling sick. The sights he had seen, all that blood; he had never seen anything like it. With Mrs. Weasley's boggart, at least the deaths had been clean. He wanted to throw up, but he stopped himself.
He went over and offered a hand to Naruto.
Wide, blue eyes stared back at him. They looked darker than usual, and Harry felt a shiver just looking into them. He remembered the words of the Order, about Naruto's kind; he was different than them. Was that why harry felt terrified looking into those darkened blue eyes?
And in an instant, it was all gone again. Naruto shook his head, took his hand and stood up, although a bit shakily. He plastered a smile on his face, though now harry could see it didn’t quite reach his eyes.
"Thank you, potter-san; for banishing whatever the hell that was," Naruto chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.
Harry just stared at him dumbfoundedly. Was this guy serious?
"Are you okay? That looked pretty horrible," harry blurted out before he could stop himself. He cursed himself for his bluntness when Naruto looked at him with blank eyes.
"Thank you for your concern, but I'm okay; I've dealt with worse," he smiled again, this time more convincingly.
Harry wanted to ask what he meant by that, but he stopped himself. he needed time to process all this. Who were those people? What had they said to Naruto? And why had they all died so violently?
Harry nodded to Naruto, and turned to leave. He would have to tell Ron and Hermione as soon as possible.
"Potter-san," Naruto's voice called out. Harry stopped and turned his head, his hand still on the doorknob "I would appreciate it if you.. uh.. kept what you just saw between us."
Harry nodded, and left the room, his heart still beating furiously against his chest.