A Chance to be Happy

Hey I know this is out later then I said it would be, but with exams coming up and a trip down to London my week has been rather hectic. So I made this chapter longer then the others to make up for it.

I am aware that the first line of my chapters has been doubling. I have tried and failed to get rid of it. If anyone knows how to if you could drop me a line it would be most appreciated.

Warning: Will contain slash! Possibly a threesome! If you don’t like that sort of thing then don’t read it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor do I own Harry Potter, I am making no money from this.


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Last time:

With a disdainful snort Itachi deactivated his Sharingan and turned to face the cat. It had collapsed on its side, clearly hurt. Itachi sighed and gently scooped it up. He lifted it so he could get a better look. The cat, sensing that it was now in better hands, lifted its head and Itachi was met with very familiar, very green, eyes.

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Harry couldn’t quite belief the mess he had gotten himself into.

He had slipped into the village and found, to his amazement, that its inhabitants seemed to be a mix of magical nulls (apparently the ordinary citizens of this country) and people with the same strange energy source as the man from the stream. What’s more the two types seemed to mingle with little to no resentment that some had power and others not. Well when he said no power, those who were nulls still had a trace of the energy; it was somehow locked away and very small in quantity. Upon further investigation he found that those with power seemed to be trained as ninja from a young age. From what he gathered they served both as a fighting force to protect the village and as a way of bringing income to the village through these ‘missions’ that he had over heard people talking about.

He had been finishing up his exploration (as well as eyeing up a lovely fresh fish in one of the stores nearby), when he had the misfortune of attracting the attention of a group of bored little boys. Next thing he knew he was running for his life through the streets with the annoyances on his tail. He would have been fine, as he had been pulling away from them as they tired, but unfortunately he had tried to take a short cut through an alley and found himself trapped. He had done his best to fend off the lads. However a nasty hit to the ribs had knocked him down. Closing his eyes, he had steeled himself for more blows. Instead he heard a commotion and then felt himself being carefully lifted up.

Harry had been cradled gently in a pair of warm hands. With the lack of further violence to his body he had raised the courage to look up at his apparent saviour. This led his to be in the aforementioned mess.

He froze upon recognizing the stranger from the woods. The startled stare he was receiving suggested that the stranger also was in the process of working out exactly who Harry was as well. Harry realised with alarm that the stranger was rapidly looking more and more sure of Harry not being an ordinary cat. Panicking, he also realised that the man’s hands were tightening reflexively around him, preventing escape. Harry forced himself to relax and rub his chin along the man’s thumb before giving a tiny mew, in a display of cat like behaviour. This caused his rescuer to loosen up slightly, obviously second guessing himself. In the split second that the hands around him relaxed Harry dug in with all of his claws. The stranger yelped and dropped him. Not giving himself time to recover from the pain in his leg from landing so suddenly on solid concrete, nor paying any attention to the still present jabbing feeling in his ribs from earlier, Harry took of down the street as faster as his paws could carry him.

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Itachi was sure that that the cat in his hands wasn’t normal, those eyes were so like his Harii’s. Also the way that the cat had frozen upon looking at his face. He was half inclined to check for a henge. However the lack chakra present and the fact that he would have needed to use his currently occupied hands to do so stopped him. He did however tighten his grip on the small animal just in case. His cat-is-soulmate theory was seemingly shot to pieces a second later when the feline in question mewed and rubbed its head against his hand. It was cute, undeniably so, but not the action of a human caught by someone he was scared of.

Itachi felt his heart sink in disappointment, for a second he had been so sure he had found the boy again. His grip relaxed subconsciously. Then all of a sudden he had lines of pain running across each hand. He dropped the furball on automatic reflex and then swore as he realised that he had been tricked. He had been right the first time round. His Harii was the cat and he was swiftly getting away. With further cursing under his breath Itachi sprang after the jet streak. He was damned if he was going to lose the lad again.

He ran after the cat trying to work out where it was headed, so he could cut him off. Eventually after following Harii at high speeds through the centre of Konoha he realised the cat was headed in a roundabout route towards the main gates. With a smile he began to let himself fall back. Trying to give the impression that Harii was managing to get away from him, rather then him stopping the chase. He began to form a plan he could get to the gates much quicker then his boy could, but he couldn’t catch him at the gates, as it would cause a commotion. Not to mention that he needed Harii to change back so he could prove it was the lad. He would have to follow him, but quietly, so he didn’t know. Using a flicker jutsu Itachi transported himself to the gates and hid himself in a convenient tree just outside of Konoha. He waited watching the gates from his hideout.

Just as he was beginning to worry that Harii had taken another route a small black shadow slipped unobtrusively out of the village. Itachi found himself sneering at the fact that the guards didn’t even notice the cat’s presence. Following the cat silently Itachi smirked when he realised that he had been right his soulmate had been hiding somewhere near the stream where they had met.

Harii was moving at an increasingly slow pace and the further they travelled the more pronounced it became that he was favouring his left side. He was injured. Itachi was seriously considering catching him before he changed back, as the stupid boy obviously was straining himself and they still had quite a way to go yet. Just as he had decided to stop this nonsense for him mate’s own good, they reached the river, about three miles down stream from where he had first met Harii.

The cat stopped, and then Itachi looked on in wonder as, before his eyes, fur melted away and limbs twisted and grew seamlessly, until instead of the cat his beautiful Harii stood not ten meters from him. He noted with slight disappointment that he seemed to be clothed this time, in outlandish garb Itachi had never seen before. Itachi looked on in worry as Harii stiffly stretched down to drink from the stream, pain and exhaustion visible in his every movement. The silly child had pushed himself too far. Well, thought Itachi, from now on he would be looking out for his little mate; Harii wouldn’t have to work himself into such a state again.

Gathering himself together Itachi leapt in to action running at the boy at full speed. Harii only had time to look up and realise that Itachi was coming at him. Itachi swept him up in his arms, careful not to let Harii take the impact from their collision. Once he had his arms securely round his soulmate, Itachi gently brought them both to the ground. He held Harii back to chest, securely tucked in the ‘V’ of his thighs. The boy struggled violently for a few seconds before stilling. Itachi, predicting what was coming next and readying himself for the shock, was not at all surprised when a bolt of electricity slammed through him. He gritted his teeth and tightened his hold slightly, but did not let go as his boy wanted him to. He was worried to realise that the shock he had just received was significantly weaker then the first had been. He looked down at his mate cradled against him and was alarmed to see the harsh quick movements straining the boy’s ribcage. He had to calm the boy down, and fast.

Slowly, making no sudden movements, he leaned down so his mouth was right next to the boy’s ear and began, in reassuring quiet tone to try and convince his little love that he wasn’t in any danger.

“Hush little one, I’m not going to hurt you. I just needed to talk to you. You aren’t in any danger, I promise.”

Repeating the fact that he didn’t mean the lad any harm over and over whilst rocking them both slightly back and forth, eventually seemed to help him calm. Itachi felt Harii’s heart slow from the racing tempo that it had been, to a more natural rhythm. Finally after what seemed hours the boy relaxed in his arms before twisting his upper body round to make eye contact with Itachi. Doing his best to seem as unthreatening as possible Itachi gazed down into wary green eyes.

“My name is Itachi, I am a Konoha shinobi” he murmured.

Itachi’s own heart rate began to pick up as he looked down at his souls other half. He let the statement he had made hang in the air giving the petite teen a chance to say something. After a long moment, in which Itachi felt like he was judged and found wanting, the green eyed beauty replied.

“You already know my name is Harry. If you would please let go of me. . .” The end of Harii’s sentence trailed off not quite a statement but not a question.

Itachi, who was enjoying holding the boy, smirked. He felt much more confident now he had his mate in his arms and was in no way inclined to let go. Leaning down he swept his lips over the other lad’s, stealing a sweet kiss. Watching in delight Itachi noticed the subconscious way the lad tilted his head back and the pretty blush spreading across his cheeks. Swooping down he stole another, slightly deeper kiss.

“You are very beautiful. Especially wearing that blush.” Itachi told his young mate in a low teasing voice. Causing said blush to darken.

“You need to let me go, I have to get back.” Harii’s voice was firm despite how embarrassed he was.

Itachi glanced down at him thoughtfully. Before announcing, “You are in no fit state to be walking the rest of the way. I will take you.”

He proceeded to scoop Harry up in his arms bridal style despite the boy’s protestations and leapt into the trees setting off at a rapid pace which caused Harii to squeak and cling on to him.

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Harry was panicking, he had escaped the man in the village and begun to make his way home when he realised how exhausted he actually was, and how much pain he was in. His side ached something fierce, and his legs were all shaky. When he reached the stream he had to change back before he did not have enough energy to do so. If he had stayed in his feline form he risked not being able to regulate his body temperature, and despite the fact that the afternoon was not a particularly cold one his tiredness would mean that he would not have enough energy to produce the heat he needed. Due to size to skin surface ratio his human form was much better at conserving heat even without the fur.

So gathering his energy together he started the change. As always the receding fur felt ticklish and the change to his senses made the world seem much duller. He bent down to get a drink from the stream. After drinking his fill he stood up all of his limbs aching. The animagus transformation and being forced to run for his life twice had taken its toll.

He felt something tingle at his senses and looked up in time to see a person moving fast at him. He didn’t even have a chance to brace for collision never mind move out of the way. The hard impact of the tackle Harry expected didn’t come. Instead he was swooped up in an embrace. He wriggled madly trying to get away. He even tried to shock the man into letting go. After that he collapsed back unable to do anything more then trying to get enough air into his lungs. Slowly he became aware of the man whispering reassurances in his ear. Against is better judgment he began to relax. The other man’s arms were nice and comfortable and he had recognized the voice, identifying the man behind him was the one who had kissed him in the clearing. Reassured that he wasn’t in any danger for now, he turned to face the other. Dark eyes glinting with amusement met his, and Harry carefully assessed the situation. After a while he decided that there were no ill intentions in the other’s expression. He firmly ignored the little voice that whispered to him that if being in the stranger’s arms wasn’t quite so comfortable, that he would be in much more of a hurry to leave them. The dark stranger introduced himself. Itachi. The name suited him Harry decided.

To Harry’s shock, not only was his request to be released completely disregarded, but he was given another of those kisses which made his head spin and his heart pound. He found it quite hard to gather his scattered wits and insist on being allowed to go back to his home. This request as also denied.

So Harry found himself clinging to Itachi as they bounded through the trees at speeds only rivalled by Harry Firebolt.

In no time at all they reached the clearing near Harry’s cottage. He was gently set down before being turned to face Itachi.

“Little one, if I let you go now will you let me come back and visit you?”

It took a moment for Harry to realise that he was being asked and not told, what to do.

“Yes.” The word was out of his mouth before he had a chance to think things through.

However, despite the fact that he knew that contact with Itachi was probably dangerous, he couldn’t quite persuade himself to regret his answer, nor to retract it. A small smile lit Itachi’s face. It made him look younger and less guarded, Harry thought abstractly.

“I will come to see you tomorrow then.” The words were spoken softly, and before he knew what was happening yet another kiss had been pressed to the corner of his mouth.

Harry watched in a daze and Itachi turned around and then disappeared into the trees, back the way they had come. He wandered slowly through the wards and into his cottage, two fingers pressed against his lips. Finally he collapsed onto the bed a warmness he hadn’t felt since before the fall of Voldemort filling his chest. The last though he had before exhaustion dragged him under, was that maybe, just maybe, life would have some meaning after all.

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Itachi felt like he would burst from elation. His soulmate would see him again and he had kissed the petite boy. His day could hardly get better then this. The journey back to Konoha seemed to take no time at all and even the sober colours of the Uchiha compound could not dampen his mood. He whizzed past members of his clan a small smile still etched into his normally stoic face. In his wake people stared, was that Itachi? Smiling? They had never seen such a thing. Even as a little boy he had been a solemn child, wrapped up in becoming a better ninja, not playing with the other children.

Itachi could not bring himself to care about Uchiha propriety at that moment though. He swept into his house, and spotting his little brother, he swung him up in the air and then round in a circle. Sasuke, after he recovered from the shock, giggled at the show of high spirits.

“Come little brother, I will help you with you kunai practice.” Itachi stated before hoisting his little brother onto his back, grabbing a spare weapons pack and kissing his mother on the cheek before leaving in flurry of movement.

His parents looked on in surprises neither moving until the last strains of Sasuke’s excited laughter could no longer be heard.

“What was that?” Fugaku questioned of his wife. Confused by his elder son’s actions and not all together sure that he approved of such an emotional scene.

Mikoto laughed, “Isn’t it obvious, our son has fallen in love. It’s wonderful to see him happy.” She smiled wistfully.

Both of her boys made her very proud, but sometimes she felt that they hadn’t done them any favours by expecting them not to show emotion.

“That’s nonsense” her husband blustered, “The boy can’t be in love, I would have been told if he had shown any attention to the eligible girls in the village. Besides, I have already agreed to write up a contract between Itachi and my second cousins only daughter, Nasume.”

Mikoto felt her heart sink. Nasume Uchiha was a very beautiful young lady, however she had chosen not to become a kunichi, instead she spent her time squandering her father’s money on new clothes and leading her group of friends. She was not a good match for Itachi, who would need someone at his side he could respect. Not only that, but the girl had a reputation for being a spiteful little besom.

“Are you sure you should make such an arrangement without consulting you son?” Mikoto questioned softly, “Maybe we should wait to see if Itachi brings anyone home first, it would be sad for him to have to give up the girl he loves purely to honour an unwanted arrangement.”

“I think my choice of wife for him is solid. He needs someone to tie him to the clan more. He’s been taking far to may long, dangerous missions with the ANBU. The lad is eighteen it is time he started thinking about the future of the clan” Fugaku stated imperiously.

Mikoto would be damned if her little boy would be married off to that young Harpy,
“But didn’t your father intend for you to marry one of the clan girls before you met me? Would you rather of been forced to marry someone else?”

She knew that this if nothing else would make Fugaku reconsider, as for all that they were not an emotional family, their’s had been a love match.

“Fine.” Fugaku stated, giving his wife a glare, “I will hold off writing the contract for six months. If by that time Itachi has not brought home a prospective bride of good family he will marry the girl I arrange for him.”

Relief swept through Mikoto, she was confident that she could persuade Itachi to bring home the girl that he had fallen for in six months. First, however, it would be helpful if she could work out who the young girl in question was. So with no further ado she set of to compile a list of the village girls, determined to help her eldest son.

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Sasuke was in seventh heaven. His brother had taken him out to the training area and proceeded to show him kunai tricks and ways to improve him aim all evening, until it was to dark to easily see the targets. Itachi then treated him to a meal at a nice restaurant before giving him a piggy back ride back to the compound. Finally his older brother was acknowledging him. With a happy grin he laid his cheek against his brother’s broad back.

Sasuke didn’t see a pair of sky blue eyes under a shock of sun blonde hair, as they watched the brothers interacting, a wistful expression shining out of them.

Naruto, the village’s most hated person, watched the one boy in his class that he wanted to be like, as he spent time with his elder brother. His chest tightened as he wished that somebody would look at him with the same expression that Sasuke’s big brother was looking at Sasuke with. With a dejected sigh he let himself melt back into the shadows of the alley he was standing in. If anyone saw him there he would undoubtedly be shouted at, despite that fact that he hadn’t done anything wrong.

Feeling cold, Naruto turned and silently made his way through the back streets of Konoha towards his small, over priced apartment. His face was set in a smile, in case anyone should bump into him. At eight years old Naruto had already been fending for himself for three years. Nobody wanted him and no one ever would.

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Wow, well for me that was a long chapter to write. I’ve finally got round to introducing Sasuke and Naruto. Next chapter probably won’t be out until next Sunday. Please do leave a review instead of just putting an alert on the story; it is much more encouraging for me. Until next time, have a good week, those with exams good luck!!! ^^!