from Academy to Anbu by theriku260

chapter 4

Sasuke grinded his teeth. He didn't use to be this unhinged, but the last time he saw Naruto had showed him how far behind he was falling, if a loser could over take him.

"If you won't fight me willingly, I'll make you! Fire style: fire dragon jutsu!" He snarled. Naruto's eyes widened slightly at this. Sasuke believed it was because he was impressed or scared, and smirked.

No however, the real reason Naruto's eyes widened was his disbelief at Sasuke's stupidity. He replaces himself with a trash can from a nearby alley.

"You moron! Fighting between comrades in the village streets is prohibited!" Naruto shouted in anger. The Sasuke he knew would never be so stupid- but when Naruto saw his eyes filled with lust for power he groaned; the reports of the Uchiha becoming a flight risk in his search to kill Itachi were not exaggerated. Sasuke prepares another attack, when he suddenly slumps down. Anko, Dango in hand, glares down at the boy in disgust.

"Foolish maggot. Naruto, you alright?" She asks. Naruto nods.

"Yes- he was no threat, but thanks. What should we do with him?" Naruto asked. Normally a shinobi who pulled such a stunt would spend the night at T & I to cool off, be interrogated, and then taken to the Hokage for punishment. With the Uchiha, though, it was likely nothing would happen.

Anko snorted at Naruto's question.

"He'll get the same treatment as everyone else, the Hokage doesn't care if he is the last of his bloodline. Weren't you the one who told me the old geezer promised that 'the village' comes before any individual- isn't that what he told you during your talks?" Naruto winced a bit at his own unsaid accusations- he had patched things up with the Hokage completely when they had their 'heart to heart' and Naruto made him wear orange all day- and rubbed his hair sheepishly.

"Sorry, sorry: you're right. I'll leave him to you then!" And Naruto takes off before Anko can yell an indignant 'hey! You should take him' and slips into his apartment through the window.

The next morning Gai woke Naruto up at the normal four am time, somehow bi passing all of his seals-again.

"YOSH! MY YOUTHFUL MORNING STUDENT! LET US BASK IN OUR YOUTH AND DISCOVER WHAT THE SPRINGTIME OF YOUTH HAS IN STORE FOR US TODAY. WE SHALL SPEND THE MORNING TOGETHER BEFORE YOUR YOUTHFUL SHIFT STARTS." Gai shouted in Naruto's tiny room, his flailing arm almost knocking over the book case. Naruto blinked blearly.

"What'd you say?" He mumbled through his mask- he never did get a shower as Anko showed up demanding Dango after he checked his traps and fed the plant, and thus was still wearing what he had on yesterday, making him seem more like Kakashi than ever.

"OH! YOU'RE TOO HIP AND COOL, MINI-KAKASHI. NEVER FEAR, I SHALL SHOW YOU THE WAY BACK TO YOUTHFULNESS!" Gai swung the still half-asleep Naruto over his shoulder. "WE SHALL TAKE AN ICE COLD SWIM IN THE RIVER BEFORE RUNNING AROUND KONOHA ON OUR HANDS!"

By the time Naruto fully awoke he was cursing Gai with his very soul as the water bit into his skin. Note to self: research better security seals. With that thought in mind Naruto begrudgingly swam the laps with the green monster, never noticing Dragon observing from a nearby tree.

"I know what you're thinking, Mouse- but just like with your ramen, your house will never be safe from Gai. Your training with him is too amusing. Though perhaps I should have let you sleep in, seeing as your squad did just complete an A-rank escort mission…nah." Dragon continued muttering to himself as Naruto crawled out onto the bank and was given the leg and chest weights he wore while training with Gai. Grumbling curses the almost thirteen year old slid them on and started on his run six hour run with Gai, who alternated between hands and feet.