Way of the Warrior

Raised by the greatest swordsman in Magical Japan, it is a very different Harry Potter that arrives at Hogwarts. In fact, he is no longer called Harry Potter. How will Magical Britain take Jubei Yagyu, the Heir of the Yagyū Shinkage-ryū school of swordsmanship?

So I've decided to continue this story, mainly because I think it'll be quite interesting. For those just joining us, this story is an answer to DZ2's Way of the Warrior challenge, rules below:

DZ2's 'Way of the Warrior' Challenge

Plot: On the night that Dumbledore left Harry on the doorstep, a second being was there with one purpose in mind: they knew Harry would be in a war, so they took it upon themselves to give him the strength that he needed.

Rules: Grey or Dark Harry

The being that takes Harry away MUST be part of some 'warrior' race (Valkyries, Amazons, Ninja, Samurai, Magical Priests, etc.)

Harry's upbringing with this race MUST be in the story (so a few chapters BEFORE Hogwarts)

The one that takes Harry away MUST either adopt Harry or give him some sort of protection, keeping him with the warriors

Harry/Hermione, Harry/Luna, Harry/Daphne, Harry/Tonks OR Harry/OFC pairings ONLY

When Harry goes to Hogwarts, he uses his warrior abilities as well as his magical ones

Harry's strength and abilities unnerve, annoy and even frighten some people

At least ONE other student of Hogwarts (OCs included) must be from the same race

At some point in the story, Harry MUST offer training to at least ONE person

Guidelines: Harry is trained to become the new leader of the race No

Reasonable Creature Races (Elves, Centaurs, Goblins etc.) no

Harry's weapon can be disguised somehow

Harry has a familiar

The race gets Sirius free and cleared

Lily and/or James are actually bloodline members of the race

Crossovers

A prophecy speaks of the warrior wizard

Forbidden: Slash

Any pairings other than the ones mentioned

The Dursleys raising Harry

Harry giving up his newfound abilities/powers

Weak, naive Harry

Dumbledore and/or Voldemort gaining the allegiance of Harry and his 'family'

Other than that, it's up to you...

No crossovers, well, not directly. Enjoy!

Chapter 1

The sound of wood on wood echoed through the compound from the Dojo as the morning sun slowly rose over the mountains, dyeing the valley orange in its light and making the ancient cherry blossom tree in the corner of the walls seem to burst into pink flames. The servants, already up and about to prepare for the day, ignored the sound of their Master and his son training, being well used to the sounds as the came every morning at the same time.

Inside the dojo, a Japanese man in his late 20s with black hair tied in a topknot, armed only with a fan and a disapproving frown, faced down a panting 7 year old boy armed with a training Bokken.

Unlike the man he had called Father since he was a child, the boy was British, with long, messy, black hair that was tied back with a white ribbon to keep it out of the way and intense green eyes that shone with determination and focus. Both men were wearing white Hakama and Kimono tops for there training with the Shogun family crest on the back to show their loyalty to the leaders of Magical Japan.

Like many Magical societies around the world, Japan was still very much stuck in the past, in the Edo period specifically, meaning the Magical side of things was still run by the Shogunate and the Samurai clans were still very powerful, those who had magical branches at least.

The boy charged, aiming to strike his father with his training sword, but the man simply stepped to the side and smacked him on the head with his fan, sending the boy tumbling across the hardwood floor.

"No no, you are much to eager boy," said the old man, "You are striking without thinking. Doing such a thing in battle will only serve to get you killed. Now come, on your feet. A Samurai does not scurry in the dirt."

"Yes Father," said the boy as he got to his feet and took a shaky stance.

Yagyū Munenori sighed and shook his head at his sons sloppy stance, before he threw his fan at the boys head. He reacted, trying to block the projectile, but his tired and battered body was to slow and it bounced off his forehead, knocking him on his behind.

"That will do for today," said Munenori, pulling another fan out of his sleeve, "You are clearly at your limit if that hit you."

"Yes sir," said the boy, looking down at his shoes.

Munenori sighed and walked over to his son and knelt down in front of him.

"Look at me," he said.

The boy flinched and looked away.

"Jubei, look at me."

Jubei did as he was told, wide green eyes meeting black.

"Yagyu Jubei, you are named for one of the greatest swordsmen in Japanese history," said Munenori, resting his hands on the boys shoulders, "I expect you to live up to your namesake's legacy. However, you are only a child of five years. You have a lot of talent and potential, but even the greatest of masters start from where you are. Understand?"

"Yes Father," said Jubei.

"Good boy, now go get washed up. The Princess will be here soon."

Jubei nodded and ran out of the Dojo. Munenori sighed as he watched the boy go, reaching into his robe and pulling out a locket that held a picture of an english woman with fiery red hair, a devil-may-care grin and emerald eyes that were the exact same shade as Jubeis.

"He's coming far Lily," murmured Munenori, "Don't worry, I'll make sure he survives."

Yagyu Jubei, formally known as Harry Potter and, unknown to him, the Boy-Who-Lived, let out a relaxed sigh as he relaxed into the bath, feeling is bruises and other injuries heal rapidly in the special waters that filled the bath. Truth be told, he was well used to the feeling, what with him sparring with his Father every morning since he was able to hold a sword and would continue to do so even after he took over from his Father as head of the family in the far future. Still, even after two years of training, he had yet to lay a finger on his Father. Was he really improving.

Jubei shook his head and sat up, slapping his cheeks. He couldn't think like that, not when he was comparing himself to the man who was charged with training the Shogun and was recognized as the single greatest swordsman in Japan. The man had decades of experience and training on Jubei, so he shouldn't judge his level based on the old man.

Jubei dunked his head under the water, his long hair waving about his head like an ebony halo, before he surfaced, shaking his head like a dog.

"I'm thinking too much," he said.

"Jubei-sama?" said a voice from outside the bathroom, "Are you nearly done?"

"Yeah," said Jubei.

"I've put some clothes out here for you sir," said the servant, "Please hurry and put them on. Your Father wants you to join him in the Great Hall to meet the Princess."

He heard the door open and close. Jubei sighed and stood, clambering out of the bath and heading out into the changing area where he dried himself and slipped into the silk kimono that had been left for him, picking up his training sword where it rested against the door. While he wasn't a Samurai yet and, as such, hadn't received a real sword, his Father still insisted that he carry his Bokken. He slipped the weapon into his obi and left the bath, heading through the halls of the house until he reached the Great Hall.

It was a fitting name for the room, situated at the front of the house, with hardwood floors and rice paper walls painted with murals depicting great battles and heroics of past members of the Yagyu family, including Jubei's namesake. Munenori knelt on a silk cushion in the middle of the room before a silk screen, behind which the figure of a large man could be seen, the head of the Tokugawa clan and current Shogun of Magical Japan. Flanking the Shogun was a pair of Samurai in full armour, as well as two men in Shinobi gear knelt before the screen.

As Jubei entered, Munenori looked up.

"Ah, Jubei, you're finally here," said Munenori, "Come, sit."

Jubei did as he was told, taking the cushion beside his Father and bowing the the hidden Shogun.

"Raise your head boy," said the Shogun in a deep voice that sounded like rocks grinding together.

Jubei did so and in doing so, saw the young girl sat beside the Shogun. She was his age and had short, brown hair in a short bob cut, purple eyes and marble white skin. She was wearing an expensive looking kimono patterned with birds and flower petals, along with the Shogun clan crest on the wide sleeves and back. Seeing his eyes on her, the girl scoffed and turned away.

"So, I take it that you are the kid I've heard so much about," said the Shogun, "Hmm, you don't look like much to me."

Jubei blinked at the Shoguns blunt statement as Munenori hid his smile behind his fan.

"Then again, neither does your old man," continued the Shogun, "Well, no matter. I trust Munenori-san's judgement."

The shadow indicated to the girl.

"This is my Daughter, Sen. She is about your age and is in need of a bodyguard. I would like for you to fulfil that role."

Jubei's eyes widened in surprise as Sen looked sharply at her Father.

"B-but my Lord, I'm just…" protested Jubei.

"You are a Yagyu, are you not?" asked the Shogun.

"Y-yes, but…"

"Then it shouldn't be any problem," said the Shogun, "You are the son of my closest friend and that means I will place my trust in you. I expect you to protect my Daughter with your life."

"But I...Yes sir, I understand," said Jubei.

"But Father!" protested Sen.

"I've made my decision," said the Shogun, "Yagyu-san will be your bodyguard. End of discussion."

"Yes Father," said Sen, looking mutinus.

"Good, now run along," said the Shogun, "I have much to discuss with Munenori-san."

The Princess scowled and stood, storming out of the hall. Jubei hurriedly bowed to the Shogun, before he hurried after Sen. He followed the Princess through the halls until they exited the house at the back where she stopped.

"Why are you following me?" asked Sen as Jubei stopped a few feet from her.

"Your father…" started Jubei, before Sen cut him off.

"I don't need a bodyguard," she said, "Especially not a boy who hasn't even received his sword yet."

"We're the same age!" protested Jubei.

"Thats not important!" snapped Sen, "You're not a Samurai, you're not even Japanese! I don't need someone like you as a guard."

Jubei flinched and took a step back. Sen sniffed and turned away, vanishing around the corner, leaving Jubei alone in the courtyard. That hadn't been the first time that someone had viewed him as unworthy because he wasn't Japanese and its doubtful it would be the last. The first time, it had torn him up, but his Father had comforted him, telling him to ignore those that would put him down for being a foreigner and to prove his worth with his actions. Jubei had lived by those words of wisdom for years, ignoring all who would put him down for his nationality, but this time was different. This wasn't just some minor Samurai Lord or other Magical, this was the Princess, the Heir to the Shogun clan.

But why? Why was the Princess any different? Sure she was more important than the others, but that didn't mean he couldn't prove himself. And besides, the Shogun had given him an order and, as a Samurai, it was his duty to carry it out. Resolve now steeled, Jubei wiped his eyes and set off after the Princess.

"Damn that old man," grumbled Sen as she slipped out the side door of the Yagyu compound, "Why does he insist on sticking his nose in?"

The Princess shook her head and smiled, before she took off through the thick forest that surrounded the compound, leaving her Kimono in a heap by the door and revealing the jeans and shirt she wore underneath. She ran lightly through the forest, breathing the clean air of the mountains and relishing in the freedom she felt. While she did love her Father and appreciated all he did for her, ever since Sen's Mother had died, the Shogun had become extremely protective of his only child, assigning her more guards than ever and restricting her even more than she had been previously. For a free spirit like Sen, such restriction was chafing and she slowly began to resent her Father for his overprotectiveness, doing all that she could to get away from the stifling environment by giving her guards the slip and wandering through the streets of Tokyo, both Magical and Mundane, for hours until her Fathers guards finally managed to track her down and drag her back to the Tokugawa compound for a scolding.

Her Father had tried everything to get her to stop acting out, but stubbornness ran in the family and Sen would be damned before she gave up what little freedom she had just to appease her Father. His latest plan had him assigning someone her age to be her watcher, likely hoping that they'd be able to keep up with her better than adults. His choice of Yagyu Jubei hadn't been a total shock, not when his Father was one of the Shogun's oldest friend and the one who taught him to use a sword.

Sen paused as her mind turned to the green eyed boy, a flicker of guilt appearing in her gut as she remembered the look on his face when she had insulted him, before she shook it off and continued on her was. She really shouldn't have said that to him, but it was the only way she could think of to get him to leave her alone. Still, she would have to make sure to apologise, if only to get him to stop looking so much like a kicked puppy.

She had to admit, Yagyu Jubei intrigued her. She hadn't been sure what to expect from Yagyu Munenori's adopted son, as she had heard a lot of rumors, both good and bad, from listening into the Samurai and other Lords who made up her Fathers court. When he had first entered the Hall, she had been a little disappointed. She wasn't exactly sure what she had been expecting since she heard he was a foreigner, but with his black hair and pale skin, he had seemed like any other Japanese boy. His features did speak of his heritage, but it was his eyes that had really caught her attention. She had never seen anything that shade of green before, not even the emeralds in her mother's old jewelry box. Looking at those wide, emerald orbs, Sen had thought that she could fall deep into them and that black hair, messy despite being pulled back with a length of white ribbon made her want to run her hands through it…

Sen stopped and violently shook her head. Now was not the time to be thinking about her new 'bodyguard'. She was outside, she was free and she was going to enjoy herself.

It was at that point that Sen looked around her for the first time since she had entered the forest. She wasn't worried about getting lost, she had always had a good sense of direction and a part of her mind had stayed aware during her little trip so she knew the way back to the Yagyu compound. However, there was something about this area that set her on edge. It felt...cold and dark, as if she had strayed into a place she really shouldn't have. The Princess gulped and took another step, only for her foot to land on something that crunched loudly. She slowly looked down, only to see a grinning skull staring up at her. Her eyes widened in terror that only increased as she heard heavy footsteps come up behind her and felt a hot breath on her neck. She turned and screamed.

Jubei cursed as he ran through the woods, desperately searching for Sen. Exactly how she had managed to get so far in such a short time he had no idea, but he had to find her soon. These woods could be extremely dangerous as a number of dangerous creatures called the mountainsides there home. It was safe close to the town where the Yagyu compound was located, but the further you went, the more wild the mountains became. Jubei had just stopped to catch his breath, when a loud scream reached his ears coming from deeper in the forest. The young Swordsman in training froze, before he took off through the trees, heedless of his own safety, following the sound as another scream rang out. His feet crunched on something and he spared a look down, only for his blood to turn to ice as he saw that the forest floor was covered in human bones.

"SEN!" he shouted, speeding up even more, not noticing as his feet were covered with a faint red aura.

"HELP ME!" screamed Sen, allowing Jubei to lock onto her location.

He burst through the trees, pausing for a moment to take in the scene before him. The clearing was located at the base of a cliff with a large cave set into the wall that was clearly the lare of something extremely dangerous if the many bones scattered around the clearing was anything to go by. Many of the bones wore the shattered remains of armour and there were more than a few weapons scattered throughout the boneyard.

Near the center of the area, the creature that no doubt called the area home crouched, its massive, clawed hands holding Sen down as it loomed over her. It was a hideous creature, with sickly white skin that was pulled so tightly over its emaciated body that Jubei could see every single bone, long arms that were tipped with huge, spider like hands tipped with filthy looking, yellow talons and legs like those of a deer. Its head also looked like that of a deer, albeit emaciated and with blood mattered in what little fur it had, not to mention jagged teeth that had no business being in the mouth of a herbivore. Its eyes were nothing more than white orbs that still seemed to be filled with madness and pure, unending hunger. A pair of jagged antlers emerged from its skull, covered in rotting scraps of flesh and blood.

However, the monster's hideous appearance was meaningless to Jubei, who had already charged it, drawing his Bokken as he did. He slammed the wooden weapon into the monster's head...only for it to splinter without having any affect. The monster let out a growl of irritation at the annoying pest that was interrupting its meal, lashing out with one hand while the other kept a firm hold on Sen, sending Jubei flying across the clearing. Satisfied that the irritant had been dealt with, it turned its attention back to Sen.

Jubei landed in a heap, letting out a groan of pain as he slammed into a tree. He struggled to move, despite the pain of the impact, looking around for anything he could use as a weapon to replace the useless shattered Bokken that lay near his hand. To his surprise, he saw a rusted old Katana stuck into the tree next to his head. It was old, rusted and looked like it would break after a single use, but it was a weapon. He struggled to his feet and grabbed the hilt, pulling on it in an attempt to free it from the tree, only for it to not budge.

Behind him, Sen screamed and struggled as the Monster slowly lowered its head, clearly taking its time and enjoying the kill as its crooked teeth slowly got closer, covering her in its pungent breath. Jubei desperately threw himself back, putting his whole weight against the sword in a desperate attempt to free it. The sword came loose, causing him to tumble backwards. He quickly scrambled to his feet, taking the sword in a two handed grip and turned to face the Monster. He charged it again and swung the rusted sword, the weapon biting into the monster's arm. It let out a shrieking roar of rage and pain, lashing out with its other arm as Jubei grabbed Sen, sending both children flying across the clearing once more.

"Sen, are you OK?" asked Jubei, not taking his eyes of the monster as it thrashed around the clearing.

When she didn't answer, Jubei looked down, only to see that she had fallen unconscious. A quick check proved that she was fine, other than a few cuts on her arms where the Monsters claws had cut her. Jubei let out a sigh of relief and stood, turning back to the Monster, which had stopped its thrashing and was now glaring at Jubei with hate in its eyes. It snarled and flexed its claws as Jubei slipped into a ready stance, holding the rusted sword at the ready. The child and the Monster slowly began to circle each other, watching each other for the smallest opening. The Monster was the first to move, charging Jubei with incredible speed with its claws raised. Jubei twisted out of the way and swung his sword, but hit nothing but air as the Monster barreled past him. Jubei twisted, his eyes widening as he saw that it was heading straight for Sens unconscious form. Without thinking, Jubei leaped after the Monster, his body taking on a red glow as he leaped far further than any normal human could. His sword arched through the air, slicing a deep gash in the Monsters back. It roared and spun around, lashing out with its claws and catching him across the face in a shower of blood. Jubei ignored the blinding pain as he spun, the red aura spread from his hands down the blade making it look like the blade was on fire, before it bit into the Monsters throat.

This time the sword bit deep, slicing straight through its neck and sending it rolling across the forest floor in a shower of black blood as the rusted sword turned to dust, leaving him with only the hilt and tsuba. Jubei stood there, panting as what had just happened sank in, before the pain of his injury suddenly slammed into him like a freight train and he fell, grabbing his sliced eye, only to find an empty socket. The Monster had clawed out his eye, leaving him with a deep gash across the socket. Jubei tried to ignored the pain and the blood now pouring down his face as he struggled to his feet and stumbled over to Sen, who woke with a jerk, looking around wildly, before her eyes fell on the Monsters headless body, before moving to Jubei as he stumbled over to her.

"Y-yagyu-san, your eye," she whispered when she saw the mess of his eye.

"I'm OK," said Jubei, "Are you OK Princess?"

Sen stared at Jubei in disbelief.

"Am I OK?" she asked in disbelief, "Look at you, you're covered in blood! And your eye!"

"My wellbeing doesn't matter," said Jubei, "All that matters is that...your...O...K."

He trailed off as his injury and blood loss got the better of him and he collapsed.

And thats the end of that. I aged Jubei/Harry up from the Vault entry since I wanted him to lose his eye and I felt a little uncomfortable with putting a kid that young through something like that.

I had a guest review bring up some interesting stuff for me to think about and, while I don't really feel like going over everything, there was a few points I felt I should discus.

First, the magic that the Magical Samurai use is the same stuff as is used in England and has the same properties, however, the Japanese use it differently. There a three main groups who use magic, the Samurai, who use it to enhance their physical abilities and enchant their weapons with special effects and the like, the Onmyoji are the closest to European Wizards in Japan who use tags, seals and the like to channel their magic and can create Shikigami, and the Shinobi who use it to help there stealth, not to throw around fireballs and the like. Anyone can learn these techniques since they all use the same stuff and many Magicals in Japan learn different techniques from all three branches.

The Monster was actually a Wendigo, a creature from Native American mythology, but since they are born from people who eat human flesh out of desperation, they can logically be born anywhere

Anyway, I hope you liked this. Please leave a review!