from Academy to Anbu by theriku260

chapter 40

Previously, on From Academy to ANBU…

Naruto blinked in surprise at Deidara, Yugao, and a newly bandaged Hikaru sleeping side by side in their beds an hour later. Tsunade-sama was set to look at them in the morning, but Naruto had wanted to visit regardless. Seeing his senpai who should have still been on a mission, instead looking like death, was unnerving.

"Senpai… what happened to you?" Naruto asked the comatose man, aware that none of his squad could answer him.

"It was… hell." A female voice he recognized spoke from the doorway. Naruto had sensed her coming but didn't bother to acknowledge until now.

"Hana." Naruto greeted. "Am I cleared to know what happened?"

"…No." Just as he thought. A part of him wanted to push her, or try and weasel the information out, but honestly it did not matter when his team was so injured. All that mattered was he was staying with them before his shift at the rebuilding station tomorrow. So, Naruto sat down on the visitor's chair with a sealing scroll, deciding that making bigger explosions was just what he needed.

Finally ( I lied before), with Gaara…

Gaara looked back at the cell, the place he had begun to think of as his. In there, no one had caused him actual harm, he was fed quality food, and every ANBU used his name. They didn't fear him.

Then again, why fear the One when they had the Nine?

Gaara almost turned back, almost woke the now unconscious- not dead, he didn't want that- ANBU that were clearly over worked and at him saying he wanted a shower, let their guards down. It took awhile, but his chakra had broken the seal, or rather he learned to use his powers without it. He shook his head. No, he had to do this. Naruto Uzumaki beat him, because he had people to fight for. Gaara never had that. But he would.

He would find these people, no matter how long it took.

"May we meet again, Naruto," Gaara said, before letting his sand whisk him away.

Onto the new chapter material!

With Naruto, next morning….

Naruto arrived at the academy along with the sun, alone. Angel had been too ashamed to come with, and he respected the decision, no matter his personal feelings on the matter. Instead, she was going to help the Inuzuka hounds patrol the forests behind the Hokage Monument.

A shinobi overseer— chunin by the looks of the eyebags and slouch— was handing out assignments for the day to a gaggle of shinobi and civilians. Naruto waited patiently for the man to give him his orders. Thankfully he had been prepped by Dragon-sama with the knowledge that Naruto would be a grunt worker that would supply thousands of clones if need be. The chunin glanced up, saw Naruto in his chunin garb, and nodded, signing that he would be with him soon.

"Boss!" Four voices shouted in unison, and Naruto let out an amused chuckle as his supposed minions ran towards him.

The academy was basically rebuilt by this point, only a few scorch marks littering the roof from stray jutsu remained. The rest of the village— and walls, if Naruto remembered correctly— were an entirely different story; collapsed or almost collapsing buildings were not uncommon, and many more roofs were in need of repair. As such, even the students were helping, Dragon-sama declaring it a way to build strength and knowledge in civilian skills when a few parents complained that they sent their child to the academy to learn, not be free labor.

Of course, if the grumblings Naruto had overheard from some older students were correct, they still got packets to fill out from their senseis, specifically over geography and war procedures. Apparently, Dragon-sama wanted all his troops prepared for the brewing conflicts.