A Ninja Calamity is a Hufflepuff at Hogwarts

The dense canopy of the Forbidden Forest loomed overhead, shrouding the trio in an oppressive darkness. Kouchi moved swiftly but deliberately, his hand firm on Draco's arm to keep the Slytherin boy steady. Happy, his feline companion, flitted ahead like a ghost, his golden eyes glowing faintly in the gloom.

Draco's breathing was uneven, hitching every so often as they trudged through the undergrowth. He had been shaken before, but now he seemed truly afraid, his usual arrogance stripped away by whatever they had encountered.

"Keep moving," Kouchi whispered, his tone soft but commanding.

Draco nodded mutely, his lips pale and trembling. Kouchi felt a pang of sympathy but didn't let it slow him down. They needed to find the others—and quickly.

The forest was alive with unsettling sounds: the faint rustle of leaves, the snap of twigs under unseen feet, and the occasional distant howl that made even the trees seem to shudder. Kouchi's shinobi instincts screamed at him to stay alert. Whatever was out here, it wasn't finished with them yet.

Ahead, a warm light flickered through the trees. Relief washed over Kouchi as he recognized the glow of Hagrid's lantern. With a final glance around to ensure they weren't being followed, he guided Draco and Happy into the clearing.

Hagrid stood at the center of the group, his massive frame casting long shadows in the lamplight. Harry and Hermione were nearby, both looking anxious. Hagrid turned at the sound of their approach, his thick eyebrows shooting up in surprise.

"Kouchi?" Hagrid's deep voice rumbled through the clearing. "How in Merlin's name are yeh back here already? Thought yeh were just with me a second ago!"

Kouchi's mind raced, but his expression remained impassive. "Must've been someone else," he replied smoothly, adjusting the tone of his voice to carry just enough plausibility. "The forest does strange things at night."

Hagrid scratched his beard, clearly puzzled. "Aye, maybe," he muttered, but his attention quickly shifted as he noticed Draco. "Blimey, what happened to yeh, Draco?"

Draco's pale face twisted into an expression that hovered between anger and fear. "There was… something," he stammered, unable to articulate more.

Harry, who had been standing silently, spoke up. "It was a unicorn," he said quietly, his voice trembling. "It was dead. And… there was something drinking its blood."

Hagrid's face darkened, his usually warm eyes narrowing. "Dead unicorns… That's a terrible thing. Terrible." He stepped closer, his massive hand resting on Harry's shoulder. "Did yeh see what it was?"

Harry hesitated, his gaze dropping to the ground. "Not clearly. Just… shadows. And red eyes."

While the group's attention was firmly on Harry and Draco, Kouchi moved subtly to the side. His sharp eyes had already spotted the source of Harry's fear—the shimmering pool of unicorn blood on the forest floor. He crouched low, pretending to adjust his sandal strap, and pulled a small vial from his pouch.

The silvery liquid seemed almost alive, catching the faint light from Hagrid's lantern and refracting it in strange, hypnotic patterns. As he carefully collected a sample, Kouchi felt an eerie chill run through him. There was something profoundly unnatural about this blood. It pulsed faintly, as if imbued with some dark energy.

"Not natural," he murmured under his breath, corking the vial and slipping it into his robe.

"Oi, Kouchi!" Hagrid's booming voice jolted him upright. He turned to see the half-giant gesturing for him to join the group. "We're headin' back to the castle. Stay close, alright? Don't want anyone else wanderin' off."

"Understood," Kouchi said, falling into step beside Draco, who was still trembling slightly.

The group began their trek back through the forest, Hagrid leading the way with his lantern held high. The light carved a narrow path through the shadows, but the oppressive atmosphere lingered. Kouchi could feel it—the presence of something watching them, just out of sight.

Harry and Draco walked side by side, their earlier rivalry forgotten in the wake of shared terror. Hermione, ever practical, kept close to Hagrid, her wand clenched tightly in her hand.

"What do you think it was?" Hermione asked in a hushed voice, breaking the silence.

Hagrid shook his head. "Nothin' good, that's fer sure. Unicorns are pure creatures. Killin' one's a monstrous thing, somethin' only a desperate soul would do. An' drinkin' their blood…" He trailed off, his expression grim.

"Why would someone drink unicorn blood?" Harry asked, his voice tinged with both curiosity and fear.

"It keeps yeh alive," Hagrid said after a pause. "Even if yeh were on the brink of death. But it comes at a price. Yeh'll live a cursed life, worse than death itself."

Draco shuddered visibly at the explanation, and even Harry seemed to pale further. Kouchi, however, was deep in thought. The curse Hagrid mentioned could explain the unnatural energy he'd felt in the blood. But who—or what—would be desperate enough to commit such a crime?

The group pressed on, the forest growing denser and darker with each step. Kouchi's heightened senses picked up subtle movements in the periphery of his vision—branches shifting without wind, the faint crunch of leaves underfoot where no one stood.

"Hagrid," he said quietly, his tone sharp enough to catch the half-giant's attention.

"What is it?"

"Something's following us."

The group froze. Hagrid swung his lantern around, illuminating the trees, but the light revealed nothing.

"Stay close," Hagrid muttered, gripping the handle of his lantern tightly. "Don't let yer guard down."

Kouchi moved to the front of the group, his hand resting on the pouch where he kept his kunai. If it came to a fight, he'd be ready.

The tension was palpable as they continued, every step feeling heavier than the last. The forest seemed to close in around them, the air thick with unease. Kouchi's mind raced through possibilities. The unicorn blood was a clue, but he needed more information.

When the lights of the castle finally came into view, the group let out a collective sigh of relief. Hagrid ushered them inside, guiding them to safety.

As the others dispersed, Kouchi lingered for a moment, his mind still on the vial tucked securely in his robe. He didn't know what answers it would yield, but he was certain of one thing—this was far from over.

Whatever had harmed the unicorn was still out there. And Kouchi would do whatever it took to uncover the truth.

The journey back to Hogwarts felt like an eternity. The shadows of the Forbidden Forest seemed to follow them even as they left the trees behind. Kouchi's sharp senses remained alert, the eerie tension in the air gnawing at him. He had already sent Happy ahead to alert the staff, but something still didn't sit right.

As soon as they had cleared the immediate danger of the forest, Kouchi decided to take a moment to act. He discreetly formed the necessary hand seals, his mind focused on one of the most versatile techniques in his arsenal—the Shadow Clone Jutsu.

The air around him shimmered as the clone appeared beside him, identical in every way. The clone gave a silent nod before darting back toward the forest, vanishing into the trees with a swift, silent motion.

Kouchi watched his clone disappear, a sense of unease prickling his skin. His thoughts churned with suspicion about the unnatural blood they had found and the feeling that something—or someone—was still lurking in the woods. The atmosphere seemed to have a strange pulse, as though the forest itself was watching them.

The rest of the night passed in uneasy silence as Kouchi rejoined the group and returned to the castle with Hagrid. Harry, Draco, and Hermione had calmed somewhat, but their eyes were still wide with fear. Hagrid continued to murmur comforting words, but Kouchi couldn't shake the sensation that something had been left unresolved.

The next morning, sleep had been a distant luxury for Kouchi. His mind kept replaying the strange feeling in the forest, but his thoughts were particularly fixated on the shadow clone. His clone had never returned.

By the time dawn had broken, Kouchi had already decided what to do. He needed answers, and waiting wasn't an option. Kouchi made his way to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, standing by the gates to the castle, his fingers gently tapping against his thigh as he waited for the inevitable return of his clone.

The minutes stretched on, but the clone did not return. There was no signal, no sign of anything amiss—just the calm of the morning air.

It bothered him. He couldn't put his finger on why, but the forest had felt wrong, and the lack of answers from the clone ate at him. No danger had been detected. No traces had been found. Yet he knew—he knew—there was something more beneath the surface of this mystery.

Later that evening, Kouchi found a quiet corner in the castle, his mind heavy with questions. He could feel the weight of the unicorn blood vial nestled in his robes, a reminder of the anomaly he had uncovered. It had to be connected somehow. The unnatural shimmer in the blood, the energy pulsing within it, it all pointed to something beyond the ordinary.

Sitting cross-legged, Kouchi called upon a trusted summon—a small, ethereal creature with translucent wings. The summon hovered in front of him, its glowing form giving off a faint, otherworldly light.

"Take this to the village," Kouchi ordered, his voice steady. "Have it observed. I need to know what we're dealing with."

The summon chirped, its wings fluttering in agreement. With a swift motion, it gently took the vial of blood from Kouchi's hand and vanished in a burst of light, the shimmering trail fading into the distance as it traveled toward the Hidden Village.

Kouchi exhaled, his mind still troubled. The forest felt wrong, and the missing clone lingered in his thoughts like an itch he couldn't scratch. What had the shadow clone missed? Why had it failed to return?

As night fell, Kouchi prepared himself for whatever was to come next. The village would have its answers soon enough, but there was one thing he knew for sure: the threat in the Forbidden Forest was far from over.

He would not rest until he uncovered the truth.