Sakura doesn't stop watching the veil, not when the curly haired evil witch manages to drag herself far enough into coherence to start spitting threats, and not even when Hermione goes to kill her.

Damn, Sakura thinks, some distant part of her picking up on Neville and his friends stopping Hermione, guess I'll have to deal with that later then.

But not right now. Now, she's distracted, as are her companions, all of which refuse to tear their eyes away from the flickering veil stretched out in front of them. They've already won, there's no need to fight anymore. The death eaters are incapacitated and all of the Wizards are safe. The mission has been completed. Now, they only had to wait for Naruto to come back from wherever he had fallen, and then they could go home.

But then, the temperature within the room drops, and she's not the only one who feels it.

She's turns away from the veil. There's a man, though she uses the word quite generously, standing in the middle of the room. The robes he wears are pitch black and rugged, draped over his emaciated form. His skin is drawn painfully over his face, somehow managing to highlight the blood red glint of his eyes. Flanking him, on either side and behind, are at least twenty figures also draped in black cloaks, hoods pulled over their heads and floating just above the ground.

Voldemort, a tiny voice within her mind supplies. But the figures with him? She knows nothing about them, except that she wanted nothing to do with them. Dimly, she notes that those of the Order and Dumbledore's army have all moved simultaneously to block Harry from sight. Harry, face pale but also determined, goes to step forward, but a warning look from both Sirius and Dumbledore stops him in his tracks.

The temperature continues to drop. Screams of agony line the air. The figures surrounding Voldemort continue to float at his sides, skeletal hands poking out from beneath deep sleeves twitching in anticipation. Harry and Ginny's faces have both become drawn and pale, and Sakura feels something within her clench at the very sight of these black coated things.

Voldemort takes in the figures standing around, at the protective circle gathered around Harry, the group of Shinobi standing in front of the veil, and at his best death eaters hogtied in the corner.

His lip curls in displeasure.

"So," he drawls out, voice quiet and silken, "I see you've hired help, Dumbledore."

"Yes, Tom," Dumbledore says, just as quiet and controlled, "I'm not letting you take anymore from Harry than you already have. And you're not getting the prophecy."

Like a wave, the calm slips off of Voldemort's face, to be replaced with an ugly sneer and flared nostrils. With a flick of his wrist, a wand appears in his hand.

"We'll see, old man." And just like that Voldemort bursts into action. With seemingly little signal, the figures around him move all at once, half targeting the Shinobi, whilst the other half head for Harry and the rest of the Wizards. Dumbledore goes to cast a spell, arm whipping out in a movement that betrays his old age. Before he can even begin to utter a spell however, Voldemort has slashed his hand across the expanse of his body, sending out of wave of whip like fire that strikes Dumbledore across the chest, pushing him back and sending Dumbledore hurling twenty feet away from the rest of the group. He wastes no time in rising back to his feet however and sending a counter spell back at Voldemort. In despair, Sakura sees Harry break off from the group also and run behind Dumbledore. There's little she can do, though, because before she knows it, the figures are on her. She tries to ignore the crawling ache that is slowly growing within her chest, weighing her down and filling her with emptiness at the same time. The cloaked figures descend upon her and her friends, scaly arms outstretched and hoods pushed back just enough so that she can see the gaping holes where the faces should have been. Drawing her chakra and focusing it, feeling as if it is taking all her strength to do so, she plunges her fist into the chest of the figure.

It goes right through.

"Sakura!" Someone shouts in terror behind her, and some distant part of her is able to muster the effort to glance at Sasuke, the one who's shouted, and Kakashi. Both have two of their own cloaked figures of hell bearing down upon them, and Gai's team both have one each. The terror in their eyes is large and overwhelming, aimed not at her, but at these beings which incite such terror.

You need to snap out of it, An inner part of her shouts, desperate and scared. But the crawling in her chest is everywhere now, spread throughout her body and eroding it. And, at the back of her head, a little voice whispers.

Why?

Why do I have to do anything?

Sasuke will never love you. Naruto, if he's not dead already will never forgive you, and in the end, can you really forgive yourself?

Letting her head fall back, she looks into the face of hell, and tries to ignore the rattling breaths it takes in and out.

It's cold, but familiar.

The air is filled with a tang of loneliness and heartbreak that no human should ever have to experience or feel. But it's familiar to him and he's not sure he'll ever be ready to explain to his friends why exactly that is. However, with practise born of years of experience, he pushes it away into a little box to be observed later.

He stumbles out of the veil, feels his body materialize back into existence and feel everything that is him mold back together, more comfortable and present than it has been in a long time.

But no time to be thinking about all these things now.

Dumbledore and Harry are off to the side, Dumbledore dueling Voldemort in an awesome display of power whilst simultaneously trying to keep Harry safe. At the moment, Naruto thinks it's the safest place Harry could possibly be. He sees the Wizards in the corner, sees the adults of the Order protecting Dumbledore's army. His heart squeezes in fear at the sight of the ugly things (Dementors, his mind supplies) bearing down on the Wizards, but then Lupin steps forward. There's a look of fierce determination on his face, mirrored by Sirius and Moody and Tonks and Kingsley as they step up with him. As one they all lift up their wands and point it at the cloaked figures, shouting in unison.

"Expecto Patronum!"

Out of their wands bursts light, so pure and beautiful that Naruto feels the loneliness within his heart recede just at the sight of it. Naruto tries to squint and make sense of the figures he can see floating within the light, but it's so bright that his eyes begin to water and he turns his head slightly away to shield from the blinding light. It engulfs the Wizards, creating a protective dome around them made of shimmery hope and happiness. With a gut curling scream, the Dementors soar away, and he has just enough time to feel relieved and gladdened at the sight before he catches sight of his other friends.

Team Gai minus Tenten lies on the ground, halfway from the others, as if they had tried to run away but couldn't quite make it that far. Five Dementors surround them, gaining closer and closer. Sakura is suspended above the ground, one scaley hand clutched in the front of her garment and the creatures face slowly drawing close enough to kiss. A short distance behind her, are Sasuke and Kakashi. Neither of them look to be putting up any kind of fight at all, no resistance or battle. Instead, they are both on their knees, eyes wide and blank and arms uselessly at their side, gazing into the dead faces of these inhumane beings. In fact, Naruto's only ever seen that expression on Sasuke's face once before in his entire lifetime.

Once was more than enough.

But, looking at the Dementors and remembering what he can about them, he knows that punching through them isn't going to help. Neither is talking to them, because some part of his brain tells him that talking to these things isn't going to work.

"Dammit!" he screams in frustration.

The Dementors are getting closer and closer to his friends. Dumbledore and Harry are busy, the Wizards are focused on looking after themselves, and there's no one around to help his comrades.

Flicking his wrist, his wand appears at his side, feeling slightly foreign in his grasp after being back in Konohagakure and not using it for a while. Hand rising, he points his wand and shouts in a hoarse voice.

"Expecto Patronum!"

A short burst of life comes from the tip, small and weak. The Dementors briefly pause to look at him, before writing him off as not a threat and continuing to focus on his friends.

"Dammit!" he screams again, panic rising within his chest. "Expecto Patronum! Expecto Patronum! EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

But still, the spell splutters out immediately after it's cast, and after a while the creatures stop pausing to look at him. There's a well of panic he can feel growing and coursing through his chest, but he forces it down. This was no time to lose his head. He takes a deep breath in through his nose, and closes his eyes.

"The Patronus charm is one of the most important spells I have ever learnt." Harry says solemnly from the front of the room. The entirety of Dumbledore's Army watches him quietly, no one daring to say a word. Something about the heavy lines around Harry's eyes tell them that this isn't a subject to be taken lightly.

"It brings you protection against the Dementors, makes it so that they can't kiss you."

There's a collective shiver amongst the crowd at the memory of the Dementors. Naruto himself has never faced the creatures before, but from the stories he has heard he would not want too.

"To cast a Patronus Charm, you have to focus on a happy memory, or a thought. And you can't be thinking about something only slightly happy, like riding a broomstick for the first time." A small ironic smile pulls at Harry's mouth. "It has to be something so bright and large and enormous that it fills your very soul with the memory."

"It has to be something that you can hold onto, in even the most darkest of times."

Releasing his breath out through his mouth, Naruto straightens his back, lifts his wand to eye level, and says in a strong, powerful voice.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

Out of the end of his want bursts, not a shapeless cloud or mist, but a blinding, dazzling, silver animal. He screws up his eyes, trying to see what it is. It looks like a cat almost, but bigger, more fur, and sturdier. Maybe a small leopard? It was hurtling quickly away from him. He hears it give a loud growl, and charge straight at the Dementors standing over his friends...now it was sprinting around and around the figures of his friends, and the creatures were falling back, scattering and retreating back up the chutes of the department of mysteries...they were gone.

The Patronus turned. It was trotting back towards Naruto across the room, all of the rooms occupants having stopped to watch it's journey, except for Dumbledore and Voldemort who continued to rage on in the background. It wasn't a cat. It wasn't a leopard, either. It was a fox, and it was shining as brightly as the moon...it was coming back to him.

It stopped just out of reach, small but lithe, and whilst it raised its head slightly to look at him, Naruto was under no illusions that this creature was anything but his equal. It's silvery stare continued to look into Naruto's, eyes knowing and wise. Something niggled within his mind, and with no small amount of reverence, he looked down at his stomach, and then back at the magnificent creature in front of him.

"You...Could you be...Are you…" Naruto's words trail off, unsure. But the Fox doesn't hesitate, simply waits until his eyes meet it's shimmering ones, and bows it head slightly whilst still maintaining eye contact. The moment he bows back, the Patronus disappears in a shimmer of silver light. He closes his eyes.

"Thank you, old friend."

"Anytime."

A loud bang echoes throughout the Department of Mysteries, Naruto's eyes shooting open suddenly, a large group of wizards appearing, members of the ministry judging from their robes. At their head is the Minister of Magic, who has a dumbfounded expression on his face as he stares into the eyes of Voldemort, the person he had most feared.

With a snarl, Voldemort breaks off from his fight with Dumbledore and Harry, apparates by Bellatrix's side, and disappears with her in tow. The Minister of Magic can't quite seem to comprehend what he has seen. Dumbledore, who is crouched next to Harry on the floor, rises and makes his way over to to Cornelius Fudge, authority in his step. Naruto ignores the group of Ministry officials, knowing that Dumbledore would take care of it.

From his companions, a silence descends. Everyone is staring at him in wonder and bewilderment, Shinobi slowly rising from their places on the ground to stare up at him in dazed confusion. He's just caught sight of Harry and the rest of his Hogwarts friends staring at him in utter relief and happiness, before his vision is obscured by a large mass of curly hair and he's being tackled to the ground.

His first instinct is to tense up and throw whoever it is on top off of him. However, the sound of muted sniffling at the base of his neck stops him, as do the arms that are hugging him in a vice like grip. And suddenly, Naruto's arms are coming up to surround her also, drawing Hermione close to him in a tight embrace and burying his head into her hair.

"You came back" Hermione sniffles around snot and tears that he can feel dripping onto his shirt. Somehow though, he doesn't mind.

"Yeah," He whispers, softly and ever so gentle, "I did."

The trek back to the castle passes in a blur, all of them travelling via floo powder into Dumbledore's office, and from there they are whisked away by a frantic Mrs Potts to the infirmary who had received a message of their arrival shortly beforehand. So there they all sit, as Ron and Ginny and the rest of Naruto's Hogwarts classmates are treated for their wounds and injuries.

Harry has refused to let Sirius leave his sight, and so Sirius was brought along for the ride with them, a fond smile adorning Sirius's face at his Godsons antics. But, Naruto saw it for what it was, the terror filled anxiety of nearly losing a loved one something that Naruto had experienced many times throughout his life. A part of him wants to go over to Harry and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, however after the way he and Harry had left things between each other, he's not sure if the gesture would be welcomed. Therefore he feels a swell of thankfulness rise within him when Hermione takes it upon herself to talk Harry down from the edge he's worried himself onto. Questions had arisen at first about Sirius's current "murderer" status at the moment (Mrs Potts looking quietly terrified the first time she had seen him) but had been reassured by Dumbledore that now that Cornelius knew of the truth, they would be able to clear up Sirius's status as well. Parents and concerned teachers were beginning to pour into the infirmary, Molly Weasley running over to her children and Harry with a wobbly lip and tears in her eyes, Professor McGonagall hovering at the edges.

As for the Shinobi, Team Gai had returned back to Konohagakure shortly after arriving at Hogwarts and leaving a mission briefing for Dumbledore on his desk, with promises to report to Tsunade about the events of that night. Team Seven had opted to stay at Hogwarts for the time being. Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi had all refused medical treatment from the motherly Mrs Pott's, instead choosing to crouch in a corner whilst Sakura looked over them. Every once in awhile, his teammates would glance over at him with tense eyes, unsure. It was an emotion that Naruto understood.

He needed to have a conversation with them. Eventually.

"Naruto."

Naruto starts slightly in surprise, from where he has been standing on the fringes of the two groups, unsure of where he belonged. Harry is sitting in one of the hospital beds, Sirius perched on the bed beside him. Harry gestures with his hand for Naruto to come over. Naruto hesitates for a second, before obeying. Naruto stops just at the foot of Harry's bed, fingers worrying at the corner of his sleeve. Harry looks at Naruto, then at his Godfather.

"It's okay, Sirius."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

With a little reluctance, Sirius gets up off his place seated on the bed. Just as he goes to walk pass Naruto however, he stops. Naruto eyes Sirius warily for a second, trying not to shrink under his disgruntled gaze.

"Thank you for saving my life."

And without another word, he goes on his way. Naruto feels momentarily stunned and maybe even a little embarrassed, but after a small while turns back to Harry. He's observing him from his place in his bed, and Naruto feels his earlier nervousness return, glancing back down at the small mountain under the blankets at the very end of the bed that is Harry's feet.

"I'm sorry I lied to you."

The words are quiet, hesitant.

"I'm sorry as well."

Naruto lifts his head at that, meeting Harry's gaze. Harry's sharp green eyes are fixated on him, full of regret. Naruto automatically feels drawn in, circling around the bed to stand at Harry's side.

"Voldemort, he...he's been messing with my head this entire year. I...there was a point there where I just felt so unbelievably angry at everyone and everything, you know? People tried to teach me how to control it but I blew them off because I thought that I knew better and basically I just really messed up."

Harry has taken to tugging angrily at his hair, and Naruto places his hand on Harry's to stop him.

"Harry, you're hurting yourself."

Harry stops his tugging, a tired hand running down his face.

"What I'm trying to say is that I wasn't in my right mind when I found out about you, okay? I'm not trying to use it as an excuse, I just want you to know. When I found out you weren't who you said you were, my emotions were all over the place because of Voldemort, and so I didn't even let you have any time to explain yourself. I was just so angry for no reason all the time, and I don't expect you to understand or forgive-"

Naruto stops him with a raised hand, a small, sad smile on his face. "Trust me Harry, I understand what you're trying to describe perfectly. Besides, you're not the one who should be apologising, that's me. I'm the one who fucked everything up."

There's a silence between them, as each considers the others words.

"I know why you didn't tell me." Harry says slowly, "I understand that. In the end, I don't think I was angry that you were secretly some kind of badass Ninja. I think I was really angry because someone who I had grown to consider a really good friend had been lying to me since the day we met. I guess, in a nutshell, I felt betrayed."

Naruto's heart tugs at Harry's words, guilt pooling in his stomach.

"You had every right to feel the way you do, Harry. I was your friend and I betrayed your trust. I just…"

Here Naruto pauses, shaking fists clenching into the blankets with an iron-like grip, not meeting Harry's gaze.

"I just hope one day that I can make it up to you, and that you can forgive me."

"Hey."

Harry's fist bumps gently against Naruto's forehead, prompting him to look up. There, Harry looks at him with a gaze filled with fondness, and Naruto's feels a weight lift just at the sight of it.

"It'll take some time, but I'm sure we can get there. I don't want to lose you as my friend."

Face scrunching, Naruto pretends to have something stuck in his eyes, whilst Harry looks on in amusement.

It's quieter now, the previous adrenaline that had been holding them all together draining from there bodies, leaving a lot of very tired individuals. Molly Weasley had given her children, Harry and Hermione a quick kiss on the cheek before disappearing back to Grimmauld place to tend for her still recovering husband. Harry was the only one in the end who Mrs Pomfrey declared needed medical attention, shooing the rest of them out of the infirmary so Harry could rest. Those who were Hogwarts students had made their way back to their Dormitories to rest, having been given permission to take the next day off of school by Dumbledore himself.

Which left Naruto standing awkwardly outside the infirmary with Team Seven.

Despite having been at home for over a month, Naruto had gone out of his way to avoid members of Team Seven for the entirety of that month. This was the first time they had had the chance at a real conversation since Naruto had blown up at them what seemed to be an age ago. Kakashi seemed (for once in his life) to actually be paying attention to the tension in the room, no little orange book in sight. Sasuke was staring at the floor, seemingly unsure. Sakura was the only one who met his gaze, chin wobbling slightly.

"Naruto, I…" Sakura began, but trailed off unsure.

Naruto waits for her to finish, letting her collect her thoughts. Sasuke beats her to it.

"I'm sorry for treating you the way that I did."

Never before had Naruto heard the word "sorry" leave Sasuke's lips, the word looking like it took him an incredible amount of effort to force out. Naruto isn't the only one who's surprised, Sakura and Kakashi both staring at Sasuke in bewilderment. Shaking off her shock, Sakura continues where Sasuke left off.

"I treated you like an idiot and gave you no respect, never once considering your feelings. I think, somewhere along the way, I forgot just how important you were to us. To me. I know that there are things I can do to improve myself. I'm gonna try my hardest to make it up to you. I promise." Sakura's words are like a balm on his soul. And whilst they don't heal over old wounds, they do elevate the pain.

Kakashi is the only one who hasn't spoken now, Sasuke and Sakura both looking at him intently whilst Naruto feels anxiety building in his chest. The silence is broken by Kakashi's quiet timber.

"I should have done better. I was entrusted to teach you, and I disappointed not only you, but myself. I'm sorry, Naruto, for all the pain that I've caused you."

Naruto feels slightly overwhelmed by all of this. Here are the words he has wanted them to say to him for years, the recognition he had long since craved. Now that he had it, though, he's not quite sure what to do with it. They're a broken team, people who have been shattered and remade so many times that they no longer resemble their original shape. They are people who have been through hell and back, fought side by side with each other, and at the end of it all have had to reevaluate their positions in eachothers lives because of the way they have each individually evolved throughout the years.

Maybe they would never be perfect. Maybe the bond between them all would forever be frayed, stilted, and awkward, silences filled with too many broken promises and heart wrenching history. Maybe they would never be the perfect team.

But.

They had gone through too much together, lost too much and felt each others pain to such a level that it would be impossible for Naruto to ever completely untangle himself from them. Despite how much they had hurt him, here they were now trying to make amends. And when Naruto really thought about it, he loved them all (damn him but he did) too much to ever disown them.

"Thank you." Naruto said. "I accept your apology. But I am going to need time."

"That's fine." Sasuke grunts, his expression the most sincere Naruto has ever seen it.

"Take all the time you need Naruto. We'll be here when you're ready." Sakura says, expression earnest.

Kakashi gives a small nod in agreement.

Maybe they would never make it back to where they used to be, before Sasuke left and everything became so damn complicated. Maybe they would never be as close as Kurenai's team, as carefree as Asuma's or as well-refined as Gai's.

But maybe that was okay too.

"I understand why you did it."

Naruto, having heard Ron walking up behind him, doesn't move from his perch on one of the Gryffindor common room castle window sills that overlook the Quidditch pitch. The night is dark, casting the pitch in shadow, but if Naruto squints he can just make out the round hoops of the Quidditch posts. Tipping his head back on his shoulders, he gives Ron a questioning stare with a raised eyebrow.

"Lie to us, I mean." Ron elaborates. "I understand why you had to do it."

"For what it's worth," Naruto offers, "I am sorry."

"I know." Ron says, leveling him with a measuring look. "Maybe it's because I wasn't the one you were protecting, but I never felt as strongly about all of it as Harry did. But, you gotta understand, he is my best mate." He says, a tad sheepishly.

"I know Ron." Naruto says, racing a placating hand. "Trust me. I get it."

"Good, good." Ron says, running a hand through his hair. "Also...I have a question for you."

"Yeah?"

Ron hesitates, before asking. "I remember one time, while you were changing, I saw that you had a lot of scars. Especially this huge one in the front of your chest. It looked like a burn mark or something. Did you get those from being a Ninja?"

"Uhh…"

"Oh sorry," Ron rushes out, "didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, you don't have to-"

"No, Ron, it's fine. It's just that it's a bit complicated and long."

"I don't mind listening." Ron says. Naruto gives him an appreciative smile, chuckling slightly. "Remind me," Naruto says, "to remind you that you asked for this when you start wondering why you're listening to me ramble."

Ron chuckles, but otherwise doesn't say anything in return. Naruto himself remains silent for a second, gathering his thoughts. He decides to go with the most basic version of the story.

"See, the thing is, I shouldn't actually have any scars at all. Not that I don't get beat up enough, more that I heal really quickly. Let's just say it's a skill I was born with. Anyways, over the years I've accumulated a shit load of injuries that should've healed quite quickly. But because of the regrets I had attached to those memories, I never let them. I used to re-open the wounds and let them fester, just because of the guilt and anger I used to feel that was attached to those injuries. It's...they were reminders, I guess."

"Oh." Ron says, looking slightly stunned and unsure of what to say, "And now?"

"Now? Now I think I'm at a place in my life where...well...I'm ready to let old wounds heal."

The smile on Ron's face is happy for him, and Naruto feels and answering one spread across his own.

"Well then. It's been a really fucking long night, and I need to get some rest. Goodnight Naruto."

"Goodnight Ron."

Ron turns to the steps to the rooms, pace brisk. Just before he climbs the first step however, he stops, foot poised in mid air. Naruto watches him curiously for a second.

"I'm glad you're back, Naruto. And...thanks,"

"For what?" Naruto asks curiously.

"For looking after my best mate."

And with those parting words, Ron sprints up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Unfortunately for him, he's not fast enough to hide the shade of red his ears have taken, something Naruto knows happens sometimes when Ron is embarrassed.

Naruto smiles to himself, chuckling lightly.

"Naruto."

Naruto twitches slightly at the sudden appearance of Sasuke, but doesn't let his surprise show. Sasuke stands behind him, expression as blocked off as ever. Naruto resists the temptation to smirk at the memory of Sasuke's earlier apology. Judging by Sasuke's scowl, he fails.

"Dumbledore wants to talk to us."

Naruto's smirk falls swiftly. With a brisk nod, he follows behind Sasuke to Dumbledore's office, foreboding in his stomach. It takes them only a few short minutes to reach their destination, and when they do it is to find Sakura and Kakashi already standing at attention in front of Dumbledore's desk whilst Dumbledore himself sits with a serene expression adorning his face, eyes sparkling over half moon spectacles. Sasuke and Naruto both fall into line with their teammate and Sensei, arms behind their backs and shoulders straight.

"Stand down, please," Dumbledore says. "And take a seat." With a wave of his wand, four chair appear behind each of them. Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto all cast questioning glances at Kakashi. Divided though they may be, he is still their team leader. Kakashi gives them all a nod, and so in one smooth motion they all relax into their chairs.

"So," Dumbledore begins, hands clasped in front of him, "I would just like to thank you all for the considerable work and dedication you have show to me and Harry throughout the year. I know there has been some ups and downs, but all in all I am very happy with the service you have provided. I thank you." Team seven all gives small bows of their heads in acknowledgment.

"Now, as to what happens from here." Naruto feels his shoulders tense up. He sees similar reactions from his teammates, unseeable to the untrained eye.

"I would like to offer you a full time job here." Naruto starts in surprise, his heart jumping into his chest.

"Like I said, there have been trials, but you have all shown that you are highly proficient at protecting Harry from danger. Also, if what Harry and his friends tell me to be true, they have forgiven you for your earlier deception and are now in a comfortable place with you all. It would be a bother to find Harry new guards that he doesn't immediately hate, and since he is already familiar with you all this seems like the most logical approach."

Naruto's heart is beating a mile a minute in his chest, part of him not quite able to believe it.

"Because of circumstances that arose during Harry's birth, he is a constant target for trouble. Therefore, I would you to have him under twenty-four hour surveillance seven days a week. You would be needed to protect Harry until his seventeenth birthday, which is two years away. I would be willing to pay you handsomely."

Naruto can't believe this, His heart feels as if it's about to soar through the sky with his happiness. The idea of returning home hadn't been completely horrible (The thought of Shikamaru, Hinata and the rest of his friends always softened the blow of the Villagers glares), but it was something Naruto had been dreading ever since returning to Hogwarts, especially now that he had managed to repair most of his bonds with his friends there. He felt as if he might float off the ground with how happy he felt, and could feel a large smile blooming across the expanse of his face. To think, he would be able to stay at Hogwarts with his friends, and repair his relationship with his team? He didn't think it was possible before. From the looks on his teammates faces, he could tell that they weren't completely sold on the idea, but Naruto knew that with a few nidging words he could convince them. The hope within his chest blossomed.

"One more thing." Dumbledore says, rifling through one of the drawers at his desk, "I talked to your Hokage about my request, and she said to give you this." Pulling a scroll out of his desk, he tosses it to Kakashi who catches it deftly with one hand. Breaking the seal, Kakashi unrolls the scroll and begins to read. Sakura and Sasuke, who are closest, are reading the message over Kakashi's shoulder. No space for Naruto, he simply waits for them to pass him the scroll for him to read.

He feels panic cut through the hope in his chest when their faces all simultaneously pale. All three of them, having finished reading the message, look at him with dread filled faces. Resisting the urge to scream as his stomach plummets, he snatches the scroll away from Kakashi's hands.

Team Seven

Dumbledore has informed me of his mission request, and if it were not for sudden, recent circumstances, I would have agreed without a second thought. But, something has happened, and it is only fair that you know.

Asuma is dead.

Two Akatsuki members ambushed him and his team and murdered him. I fear that it might have been in search of our own Jinchuriki. It is because of this, that I think you should consider carefully this mission request.

Naruto. The choice is yours. I will not force you to fight, nor will I force you to hide. To either return to the village or keep hidden to protect yourself are both wise decisions. I, nor anyone else will judge you for what you chose. There is no shame in retreat. You have three days to make a decision.

Sincerely

Godaime Hokage Senju Tsunade.

Naruto feels his heart break all over again.

"Naruto," Sakura says hesitantly, "are you okay?"

Naruto's breathes come out in deep, heaving gasps, brain screaming at him and chest feeling as if it were being torn inside out. The whiskers along his cheeks have become slightly darker, and red has bled into his eyes. His team, seeing his transformation, take a step back.

"Naruto," Sasuke says, a calming hand raised towards him. "You need to calm down."

To the right of Sasuke, Naruto can see Sasuke and Sakura both looking at him warily, but also with deep sadness in their eyes. Dumbledore himself has risen from his desk in alarm, wand out and raised protectively in front of himself.

Fuck

Taking one last look at the occupants in the room, Naruto flees.

Naruto is a blur, red chakra pumping out from every orifice of his body in a red frenzy, growls escaping his lips as he sprints out a tenth story window and lands in a small clearing just outside the castle. Pumping more chakra into his legs, he runs.

I should've known.

He appears in the forbidden forest like a demon, chakra eroding at the earth and destroying everything in sight.

I should've. Known. Better.

Throwing his head back, Naruto screams. The power from his scream pulses out, decimating all the trees in the area and reducing them to stumps. Naruto screams, and screams, and screams, the sound tearing through his body like the sharp, wining keen of a injured dog, the sounds heartbroken and terrified. As he screams, his chakra flares out around him like an inferno, eating away at everything that comes into its path. His chakra roars, large and intimidating, encasing the entire area in it's flame to ashes. Then, just as suddenly as it began, the chakra disappears, the sound of Naruto's scream dying on the wind. The inferno disappears, leaving the clearing impossibly quiet and still, except for the small sobs that break through the silence.

How much more, Naruto cries, looking to the sky with tears in his eyes, can you take away from me?

Nobody answers.

Team seven had briefly debated whether or not to go after Naruto, but had decided against it. This was something Naruto needed to sort through and decide by himself. This was his decision.

And so there in the office of Dumbledore, they waited. Ten minutes passed. Twenty. They told Dumbledore a few details of the curse that Naruto carried, trying not to flinch at the pity in Dumbledore's eyes at the revelation, Already Dumbledore knew and cared more for Naruto than most of the village did. Thirty minutes passed. Fourty. They debated once more whether they should go look for him, Sakura ringing her hands nervously and Sasuke pacing from one corner of the room to another. Kakashi had whipped out of book once more, but his eyes remained stationary on the same page. Another ten minutes passed. Five. Sasuke had just about decided to go and look for Naruto with Sakura in tow, when the door opened.

Sasuke has seen Naruto at a lot of low points in his life. Seen him when he's lonely, sad, depressed, smiling-but-not-really, and half dead. He's seen the way his shoulders sag when a villager glares too hard or one of Ino's comments strike too close to home.

He thinks he would rather see a combination of all those looks put together, than the one adorning Naruto's face now. His eyes a raw, a sadness and anger to them that rips Sasuke to the core. His teeth gnaw at the bottom of his lip to stop it from wobbling, drawing blood. His fists are clenched tightly at his side, knuckles bloody and shredded apart. Sasuke knew that this would happen, from the moment he had read the message. Naruto was a man of striking conviction, who fought for any and everyone no matter what, and always made the right decision.

Even when that decision tore him to the core, Naruto was not someone who ran from his problems. Naruto knuckled down and endured through the toughest of times. Naruto was a survivor.

"I'm sorry Professor Dumbledore," Naruto says stiffly, voice raw, "but we can't accept your request. My village needs us. It needs me."

Professor Dumbledore levels Naruto with a measuring stare, understanding and sympathy in every line of his face. But there is also a look of deep respect. Sasuke feels the same feeling swell within him.

"That is unfortunate," Dumbledore says. "However, I do understand the importance of duty. But know this."

Dumbledore stands from his chair and circles around his desk to stand in front of Naruto. Laying a strong hand on Naruto's shoulder, he looks him square in the eyes.

"Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home."

The smile that Naruto gives in return is watery, but real, and Sasuke feels glad to see it.

Shikamaru, Naruto thinks, will be devastated. I'll need to check up on him.

And so, in no time at all they are packed and ready to leave. Dumbledore had graciously offered them a portkey, which all of the Shinobi present had rejected, hating the sick feeling portkeys gave them and preferring the long used method of running. It would be a long and tiresome journey, considering they would have to cross over water as well, but if they ran fast they should make it in under a week. Tsunade's letter had not sounded urgent, more informatory, and so whilst they would make haste, they didn't believe a portkey necessary. And so, after having sent a hawk ahead to inform Tsunade of their decision, they all execute a quick but deep bow to Dumbledore who returns the gesture, and one by one sprint out through the castle halls and head towards Hogsmeade. There they will make there way to the ocean, and then back to Konohagakure. They are just about to leave the school grounds via the Forbidden Forest when a voice sounds behind them.

"Wait!"

All four ninja stop in their tracks, arms raised to defend against any potential enemies. Turning to the source of the voice, Naruto is the only one not surprised at who he sees. Hermione stands a small distance away from them, making her way across the clearing towards the ninja's at a sprint, hair flaring out behind her and breathes coming in pants. Naruto has to suppress a groan. Out of everyone Naruto has talked to since his return to Hogwarts and then his recent decision to leave, Hermione was the absolute last person he wanted to talk to. And not because he didn't like her or felt uncomfortable, quite the opposite in fact. The thought of having to say goodbye to people he had just recently reconnected too was hard enough. But Hermione, strong, courageous, smart, heartbreakingly beautiful Hermione? Naruto didn't know if he could bring himself to say the words.

"Naruto."

Naruto turn to Sakura, who looks at him with measuring eyes and a soft smile.

"Talk to her. Uzumaki Naruto doesn't run away from anything, remember?"

Naruto sighs, before nodding. "Okay. I'll catch up with you guys." And with a hand, he waves them off.

"Don't be too long." Sasuke says, jumping up into one of the tree and taking off. Kakashi runs after him with a knowing look in his eye. Sakura whispers a quick "good luck" before following.

Hermione has caught up to Naruto now, breathes a little shaky and she tries to recover from her run. She watches Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi bounce from tree to tree with wide eyes filled with wonder. Naruto smiles endearingly at her.

"It's chakra." He says. "Helps improve our strength and speed, among other things. It's our version of magic, I guess."

"Wow." She says. "That's amazing."

Naruto shrugs. To him, western magic was much cooler.

An awkward silence descends now, both unsure of what to say. Hermione breaks it first.

"So…" She trails off.

"So…?" He prompts?

"So I felt something weird, about half an hour ago, and was looking around this area that looks like it got burned to the ground, when I see you and your team sprinting across the field like mad people. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were running away."

The words are said half jokingly, but her laughter quickly dies out at the guilty look that crosses Naruto's face.

"Oh."

"I'm not running away." He rushes out, "But I have to go. My village needs me. My friends need me. There are things I need to do."

"What about us, Naruto?" She says softly, looking at him with earnest eyes, "Don't we need you too?"

"You'll all be fine without me. It'll be like I never existed." He says, self-deprecating smile creeping onto his face.

"No." Her grip on his hand is strong and hard, forcing him to look her in the eyes. There's an anger lying there, fierce and full of power. "You're not slipping through my fingers Naruto, not again. I need you."

"Liar," he laughs, "you've never needed anyone a day in your life, Hermione Granger."

"You know what I mean."

His smile dips now, turning into something sadder, but gentle, eyes crinkling with soft edges and reflecting the moon that lights the sky. Wriggling his fingers so that their fingers are interlaced, his other comes up to rest gently in the curve where her neck meets her jaw, thumb stroking the side of her cheek with tenderness in his eyes.

"Hermione, if I could, I would stay here with you forever. God, do I wish I could."

Drawing her closer and lowering his head, he places his forehead against hers, breathing her in with closed eyes. Her other hand has come up to rest on top of the one that caresses her neck, eyes closing also. Every molecule of his entire being screams at him to stay with her and the warmth she brings into his life forever, bathe in it until he eventually dies. But he knows that he can't. And so there they stand, breathes evening out to match each other, in and out, in and out.

"This" he says, "is for you, Harry and Ron." He presses a letter into her hand. "And tell them again, I'm sorry."

Drawing back slightly, Naruto places a lingering kiss to her forehead, ignoring the tears that stream down his face as he does.

"I will be back." He whispers against her skin. "I promise."

And before he can second guess himself further, he breaks off his kiss, and runs.

Hermione stands there, all alone in that clearing, face flushed and with tears that fell like tidal waves down her cheeks. The wind captures his words and keeps them as a vow.

"Believe it."

"How was it?" Sakura asks, his team having slowed down slightly to let him catch up. Naruto doesn't answer for a while, aware that Sasuke and Kakashi are both listening curiously. He thinks of Harry, with his strong personality and feisty attitude. He remembers Ron, who could come off prickly at times but was ultimately as loyal a friend as any. And finally, he thinks of Hermione.

He thought of the way her neck curved, how she tapped her foot when she was irritated and how her hair puffed up in the heat. He thought about the softness of her palms and the pink that dusted her cheeks. He thought about the tenderness of her smile and the gentleness of her eyes.

"It went well."

Hermione opens the letter, Harry and Ron looking over her shoulders so they can read it also. It's not long, comprised of only four sentences.

Dear Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

You three were my happy memory.

I love you

Don't forget me.

One year later.

The members of the Order of the Phoenix all clamber around number four Privet Drive loudly, sacks of clothes similar to what Harry wears spread around and about. Hermione herself is shrugging on a zip-up jacket similar to ones she seen Harry wear before, when Mad-Eye Moody stomps to the front of the room with an angry scowl.

"Right, you lot! The plan was to 'ave seven identical Harry's racing 'round. The Death Eaters will all be on us the moment we leave the protection of this place, so we need to all be prepared. Now, we 'ad planned to use Mundungus as one of the Harry's, but seeing as he's a right pile of shit" here Moody sneers, "we were grateful to 'ear that someone else was willing to fill his position, and is able to offer Hagrid an extra 'and to protect Harry with. Said something about it being 'is job, wouldn't shut up 'bout it."

Who on earth? Hermione wonders, a sentiment Harry obviously shares judging by the look on his face.

"He also said," Moody grunts, eyeballing Harry, Hermione and Ron, "that he's an old friend of yours."

No, Hermione thinks, excitement replacing the nervous anxiety floating about in her stomach, It can't be.

Hermione, Ron and Harry all share a look.

"You don't think?" Ron asks, hope in his voice.

There's a knock at the door. The other members of the Order quiet their background conversation, Lupin, Remus, Kingsley all drawing their wands out to point at the door.

"Put yer ruddy wands away," Moody grumbles, "that's our guest."

"How do you know this person can be trusted, Mad-Eye?" Remus asks, skeptical about the validity of this stranger. The rest of the room is also unsure, surprised that Mad-Eye Moody would be willing to trust a stranger.

"Because I vouched for him."

Sirius breaks away from the back of the room, striding forward. The knock sounds again, this time louder. Sirius looks at them all, eyes resting on Hermione, Ron and Harry. He smiles.

"Go on then, you three. You know who it is."

Hermione looks around the room at the other members of the order, at Sirius, and then at Harry and Ron. Slowly, the three of the walk over to the doorway for number four Privet Drive, and throw open the door. Despite having expected him to be there, all three of them still draw in a collective startled gasp of surprise.

He looks different, his blonde hair cropped slightly shorter, his clothes holding less orange on them than usual and the entire length of his right arm is wrapped in bandages. But, his smile still stretches from ear to ear, filled with sunshine and happiness, and there's a love in his eyes that can never be replicated. Hermione throws her arms around Naruto's waist, excited laughter bubbling up through her mouth and Naruto gives a small winded grunt. The arms of Harry and Ron are rising up and encircling them all now, a giant group hug that brings them all to their knees.

"You're here!" Harry keeps on saying, "I can't believe you're here!"

Ron has taken to just sniffling quietly. Hermione doesn't say a word, burrowing further into his chest and the comfort Naruto provides. All the anxiety that had been coursing through her before has now left, replaced with a calm certainty that things would be okay. Judging by the smoothes lines on Harry's face and the unclenching of Ron's fists, they all felt the same way.

"Of course!" Naruto says, voice loud with happiness but at the same time meant only for them, "you didn't think I would let you do this alone, would you?"

All would be well.

"A lesson without pain is meaningless. For you cannot gain something without sacrificing something else in return. But once you have recovered it and made it your own... You will gain an irreplaceable Fullmetal heart."

-Fullmetal Alchemist

Final Authors Note.

One quick thing that you need to know before I say my goodbyes. For those of you who have been reading this story from the very start, I have edited most of the chapters. Chapters 1-9 I pretty much completely rewrote, and then after that I just fixed up mistakes and plot holes here and there in the others. The essence of the chapters are all the same, but the writing is much better and I've added some extra things that I believe add more depth to the story, so I hope you enjoy!

As for the ending of this story, just in case people start asking if I'm going to write a sequel, I'm going to let you know now that I will not be doing that. FInishing this bloody thing took me long enough already, haha. In my head, all the events of Naruto shippuden (starting from Asuma's death and stopping at the ending of the war) takes place in Harry's sixth year, and then he joins Harry, Ron and Hermione on their quest to find a Horcrux for their last and final year, but other than that things pretty much progress exactly as they did in the books, just with the extra added help from Naruto.

But anyways, here we go. Wow. I can't believe I finally finished this story. Five years ago today, on January the 10th 2013, little thirteen year old me had an idea to write a Harry Potter and Naruto Fanfiction. Today, I am eighteen years old and can't believe how much my life has changed since then. Thank you to all the people who stuck with me until the very end, through my long ass hiatuses and short chapters and shoddy writing. I've grown a hell of a lot in my writing since I was thirteen years old, and can't believe the progress I have made since then. If you have been with this story from the very beginning, thank you for your continued support and love, you have been a driving force behind this story and I would not have finished it if not for you all. For those who have just recently discovered this story, whether that be one day or ten years from now, I just want to say welcome, and I hope you enjoyed your experience!

I love you all so much, you have all been so supportive of me and my (many) mistakes and plot holes and have helped me to improve not only as a writer, but also as a person. Thank you for all your criticism and compliments and even flames, you've all helped me grow and I am so greatful to you all.

Sincerely

Ezra Scarlet.