ANBU Child

Classmates or Family

The children decided to take matters into their own hands and saw past the mask the nine year old had. They knew Naruto and had grown up hearing everything about this child that their parents would tell. Ino and Hinata would braid his long hair, hug the smaller kid, and praise him whenever he got stuff right even though they knew he could do all of this in his sleep. They mothered him and would bring food for him that wouldn't cause him to be ill as his body was starting to reject food that wasn't ramen. Chouji noticed that he was still too skinny and managed to start planning with all the kids on who would bring extra food for him.
One time Ino had packed a whole lunch for him and the teacher had punished him for it while she was forced to get rid of the food. Since then at least three kids would bring extra food and eat their normal portions and pretend that their parents kept forgetting to pack a smaller portion and would ask Naruto, who never had a lunch if he wanted it. Naruto always agreed. The portion he ended up eating was still smaller than half of their portions but he would get sick eating more. Chouji was on snack duty while the others would distract him or if he was staring off into the distance, they would be able to get him to absently eat a few snacks.
They didn't tell Naruto that Kakashi was training them because Kakashi always looked so sad when they would mention him. From that, they found out that the reason Naruto was forced to be at the Academy by the highest of authority. It was clear that the ANBU hated this. There was always a squad guarding the blonde until school was over. They were kept at a distance. Kiba and Shino learned how to cause a disturbance so that Shikamaru or Sasuke could pass messages from the ANBU to Naruto and back. Sakura learned medical ninjutsu to the degree that she could heal most of Naruto's wounds before the ANBU could go head hunting. Sakura and Sasuke were pretty much Naruto's private bodyguards. They followed him everywhere. The Civilian Council nor the Elders could do nothing to stop the 11 and three 12 year olds from flocking to the demon. Sakura's parents kicked her out when she chose Naruto over them. She was severely beaten but a few ANBU that had been around healed her up, gave her a scroll full of belongings, food, and money before dropping her off close to Naruto's appartement. She walked up the stairs and knocked on the door. A battered and bruised kid opened the door. Shock covered the blonde's face.
"Hey Naruto! You'll never believe what just happened!" Sakura entered the appartement and cataloged everything they would need as she sat on the blonde's ratty mattress. "My parents told me that I could either continue living with them or be your friend. Obviously, I chose to stick around because you need a roommate anyway! They got mad and kicked me out. Snake decided to give me this scroll thingy and said that you would know what to do so here!" Sakura beamed at the still confused blonde. He was confused because even though he knew that the ANBU had been trying to leave food and money, his landlord would steal it all before Naruto went to look. Sakura realized that there was something wrong when the blonde started to tear up. She realized after a few seconds that whatever his mission was, he was forced to be alone. Naruto took the scroll when she hinted for him to.
"Thanks, Sakura. I wouldn't have blamed you if you had chosen differently." Naruto whispered as he undid the seals gently. There were two bunk beds, four mattresses, all the food they would need for the next month, and enough money in there that neither child would have to worry about that until they graduated. Naruto looked confused as a war hammer appeared. Sakura laughed as she picked up her hammer.
"Should have known Kakashi-sensei would send the hammer. He's super worried about you, you know?" Sakura placed her hammer against a wall. Naruto looked so painfully hopeful.
'Really? Papa was worried about me?' He mouthed because he couldn't speak out of fear. Sakura realized that whatever happened to Naruto was coming from a high enough level that they could hide it from the Hokage but she wasn't sure that he didn't know. She hugged him, forgetting about her massive strength. Luckily Naruto was more durable than the others.
"Of course he is. Now we should finish emptying the scroll while I make dinner, okay?" She took charge of the situation. Naruto was dragged into the small kitchen/family room and started pulling other things out while Sakura made their supper. The scroll had a couch that Sakura place against a wall plenty of blankets as it almost the dead of winter, plenty of scrolls that he had to study for some strange reason (Hokage training but he didn't know that), and plenty of scrolls filled with techniques for Sakura and his two other house mates that would be showing up within a few months. There were more scrolls that were storage scrolls that had clothing and everything he would need for sealing. They had even packed his special kunai that his dad also used for the Flying Thunder God technique.