from Academy to Anbu by theriku260

chapter 3

"It is an honor to work with you, captain." Naruto's heart raced- so close was he to finding out about his past!

"Respect- good for one so young. Which squad do you come from?"
"Team Ro, captain."

"Hmm that explains it, Tenzo's team? Next time you see him remind that idiot he owes me six hundred ryo, okay?" Trout says offhandedly, like he really didn't care that Naruto's captain owed him so much money.

"O-of course, sir." Best to go with the neutral route.

"Good, my little kohai." He pats Naruto on the head, much to the blonde's hidden ire. "Follow me, I'll teach you the ropes today and tomorrow you'll be assigned a sector to watch over." And with that, Naruto learned the ins and out of Konoha's house of secrets.

That evening…

Naruto trekked to Anko's playground, the Forest of Death, for his first poisons lesson, mainly how to properly gather the needed herbs and storing them to prevent spoilage long term. Gliding over the rooftops Naruto focused on the small notebook in his hands, where he was carefully mapping out his plan for the rest of the week. From his time with captain Trout, he had deduced that each ANBU was given half a floor to patrol and report any trouble in, as well as sweep/dust to keep the files clean, though Trout said the mice were an ongoing problem to not bother with. Naruto figured that he would focus on his actual job while pairs of clones transformed into mice would work their way down, from the 'least restricted' section to the 'darkest village secrets' files. Naruto wasn't stupid- reading his file could be excused, but digging into other files would result in having the Kyubi extracted and put into another child- in other words, execution.

So, the clones had orders to only open the boxes labeled 'Naruto Uzumaki', 'Kushina Uzumaki' and 'October tenth'. Anything else was off limits. He could only hope that saved him if anyone ever figured out what he was doing. Arriving outside the tall, seal enforced fence (because no way would Konoha have a simple playground grade fence to keep out the tigers, leaches, and whatever other mythical beasts that lived there) He flared his chakra and waited for Anko. He had to spend hours every week with his squad in the hell hole- no way would he go in there alone.

"Hey, Mouse-chan! Welcome to paradise!" Anko's exuberant greeting came from behind him and a kunai was at his jugular. Naruto flinched despite himself. Big mistake. "Oh ho, I can smell your fear. I like it- almost as much as I love your blood." A cut appears above his mask Anko licks the liquid off of her kunai.

"I payed your Dango tab for help with poisons, not seduction lessons." Naruto said. Anko sniggered but released him.

"Aww, is little Mouse afraid of the big bad Snake? Well anyway, let's go- the best species of poppy seeds and sleeping herbs are just up ahead!" Anko jumped over the fence without a glance back and after an eye roll Naruto followed. Over the following three hours Naruto learned the ingredients for not just the sleeping drug, but also a paralyzing one- Anko insisted- and found that the problem was what part of the plant he was gathering from- the top leaves led to death if not treated, while the flowers on the ground of the plant just sedated the victim. "Now, Mousey-chan, it's time for your immunity training!" Anko said happily. Naruto paled and backed away.

"No, no, that's okay. I have patrol tomorrow anyway." He tried to reason but Anko's grin turn viscous.

"And I know that shift isn't for sixteen hour- the dose I'm giving will knock you out for eight the first time." She sticks him with a senbon as he attempts flight. "Don't worry- before the week is up you'll be immune to three times that amount."

Her cackle was Naruto's last remembrance of lucidity.

Last Day of patrol…

'Naruto Uzumaki- born October tenth to Kushina Uzumaki and… Minato Namikaze'. Naruto sucked in a breath at that last name- the fourth Hokage was his father. He, the village scape goat, was the son of their greatest hero. Oh, the irony. Blinking away tears the young ANBU reads on through the thick box that told him the truth, from his birth to the decision to enlist him in ANBU.