from Academy to Anbu by theriku260

chapter 26

Within the shadows of the village…

Team Ro stalked the sand trio constantly over the following days, switching out with Hawk's team at night. Kakashi popped in from time to time, only to be scolded by Tenzo for abandoning his vulnerable genin he was supposed to watch.

Currently such an encounter was happening.

'Maa, maa, Tenzo; Sasuke is perfectly safe with Guy's squad!' Kakashi defended in sign, giving an eye smile in the cramped tea shop rafters, sand siblings drinking their beverages below in the abandoned shop. The place had emptied after Gaara let his sand rise up and kick a customer out of their seat; the poor man had to be escorted home by a pair of chunin he was so frightened.

Naruto and Yugao mirrored each other's eye rolls. 'Besides, as Mouses' sensei it's my job to make sure he isn't nervous about his first chunin exams.' Kakashi attempted to pat the blonde on the head only to be stopped by a vine. A masked Tenzo gave the cyclops a ghostly look.

'Senpai, I suggest you leave.'

'Ne, kohai, I mean no harm.' Kakashi signed in an equally ghostly way.

As the 'argument' continued, Naruto could have had a shuriken flashed in his face without reacting, for the battle in his head was fierce.

'Kurama, stop! Just leave me alone, I'm on duty.' Naruto mentally shouted.

Oh I'm sorry, but I can't leaf you alone, we're kind of rooted to one another. The giant fox replied in a dead pan voice; ever since Yakumo had gifted them the pun book, Kurama had become obsessed despite his original protests- much to Naruto's surprised chagrin.

'Please, I'll do anything if you stop, we can take an assassination mission if you want, or ask to be stationed in Kiri for a month? Come on, that would satiate your bloodlust, right?' The blonde begged.

Pfft, you're barking up the wrong tree, gaki; the great Kurama tree demands more blood than that to be properly watered.

Naruto went slack jawed for a moment, unable to respond due to shock.

'W-wait.' He sputtered, 'You think you're a TREE now?! Kurama, I'

Naruto's rant was cut off by a painful cuff to the head. Blinking he saw Yugao with her sword drawn.

'Gucci,' she signed, 'I didn't want to get my sword dirty. Stay alert.' She ordered. Naruto nodded, and noticed their target- and subsequently his team- were moving north at a civilian pace, towards the academy. Kakashi had sauntered off somewhere, probably to scare his team, Naruto realized.

The first exam was set to begin in an hour and around them the various teams were beginning to converge onto the building, ANBU squads alert for potential sabotage or spying. The senseis were being kept in a separate part of the village, supposedly to stop any outside help, but all the Konoha chunin and up knew; that Iwa sensor. So far Dragon's planning had paid off, but the real test would begin should the Iwa teams pass to the third round.

And that's why Ibiki was in charge. Naruto and the rest of Ro ghosted their psychopathic charge and his siblings after they reached the examination room, perching in a room that had a hidden window into the classroom below. Hawk's team gave haughty salutes as they materialized nearby, with Kakashi's and Kurenai's teams entering the crowded room.

'Hawk, your team can leave, Ro is capable of handling security.' Tenzo signed. To which the entirety of Hawk's team gave the bird.

'And miss out on prime genin suffering? Not to mention our bets? Not a chance, Tiger.' Hawk signed in mock offense. Hikaru scoffed but held a retort at Tenzo's hand.

"Of course not, Hawk. Why not have another bet? After all, your squad is looking after the Hyuga girl and ours the Uchiha in the forest of death. Why not make a little wager?" Tenzo said, whispering in a mocking tone. Naruto and the others perked up; bets in ANBU tended to have…extreme amounts of collateral.

"Sure thing, kitty," Hawk retorted, "What's the wager?"

"Whichever team reaches the tower first wins."

"The loosing squad…has to take any mission the other team desires….Any mission at all." The words hung in the air; the stakes were high, for any mission meant they could be sent on anything from an S-ranked war mission to the horrid escorting of the Fire Daimyo's wife. For a moment it appeared like Hawk would not take the bait, that he would be the better man and stop the childishness. Naruto held his breath.

He's definitely going to fall for it and take the bait. Kurama quipped with a pun. Naruto scoffed.

'Yeah right fuzz ball, Captain Hawk wouldn't dare take that bet when we have the team with a Root agent, an Uchiha that has a Sharingan, and…Sakura most of all. Captain Hawk is going to-'

"You're going down." Hawk whispered and the pair shook on it.

HA! I knew that foolish human would fall for it. Take that, gaki, I told you so.

Naruto kept a clear mind and ignored his furry tenant, focusing back on the room. The blonde and Kyubi repressed snorts as Sakura and Sai kicked Kiba in the groin and nose respectively after the dog boy tried a pass at the pink haired kunoichi.

It was time, he noticed dryly, as Ibiki and the chunin made a dramatic entrance using the chakra smoke to the max; Ibiki complained every day about Anko's excessive entrances, but Naruto began wondering as he watched if it was just a cover for the scarred jonin's own love for the dramatic.

Or it could be the prospect of destroying genin, who could say.

ON THE FLOOR…

Ibiki gave a cruel grin to his new play things. A dark chuckle rose as he increased his killing intent, just to get the point across. The head of T and I didn't actually relish destroying the genins' confidence…much…but orders were to run them hard. And Ibiki was a stickler for the rules.

"Listen up, pathetic maggots! I am Ibiki, your host. I'd like to welcome you to the chunin exams," Here he paused for effect. The entire room of genin save Sai, Gaara, and a few veterans, gulped. "And to tell you to have happy nightmares." With a mad cackle the room erupted in a powerful knockout gas, and the genin started falling like flies.

Back with Naruto…

Hikaru swung his arm around Naruto and Deidara, a bag of popcorn materializing.

"So, think they'll actually fail the Iwa genin?" Hikaru asked happily. Naruto sighed.

"Senpai, you tell me; if you were an Iwa genin"

"He'd be executed for his stupidity" Deidara interjected.

"Would you pass this test?" Naruto asked, ignoring his fellow blonde.

"…Good point. Popcorn?"

Finally, back on the floor…

Gaara stood emotionlessly, his siblings on the ground, unconscious. A nervous chunin approached with a clipboard, fully aware of how dangerous his job was.

"U-um Sabaku-san? P-p-please come with me." The young man asked, clearly wondering why he let himself get promoted to Ibiki's division at seventeen.

"Will I get to kill people?" The insomniatic teen inquired threateningly. The proctor was about to say of course not then looked at his chart.

'Better them then me.'

"Well that's your provocative, sir."

"Very well then, I must prove my existence." Gaara consented and followed, bloodlust thick.