Life in Konoha's ANBU by Shezza

Chapter 10: Unsanctioned Betting: Part I

He awoke feeling warm and comfortable. He could here hushed murmurs whispering all around him and tried to open his eyes. But the effort was too much and he couldn't summon the strength to move his eyelids. Feeling a pang of regret, he drifted off into sleep again.

The next time Naruto woke, he was much more coherent. He blinked, transitioning from sleep into active almost instantly. He seemed to be lying down in a small tent and the sun was shining brightly through the small open flap. The sound of confident and relaxed laughs of men and women filled the air as Naruto observed his surroundings. He was lying in a cot, dressed in a hospital gown and covered with pure white blankets. The tent was empty and medical equipment and charts were stacked and pinned up all around him.

Somebody moved and Naruto watched as a man in scrubs entered the tent. He was carrying a clipboard and seemed genuinely surprised to see Naruto awake and observing him.

"Oh, hello!" the Medic said cheerfully. His black eyes regarded him in good humour. "Welcome back to the land of the living. How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," came Naruto's automatic response. He paused and regarded the state of his body. "Actually, I'm...good. I'm really good."

"Excellent!" The man said excitedly. He jotted something down on his clipboard. "Upsilon Squad were happy with your progress. They did say you were more banged up than usual, though."

"Heh," Naruto scoffed, closing his eyes. "This isn't the first time I've had the ANBU medical corps treating me," he admitted.

"I see." The medic jotted something else down on his pad and looked up. "I suppose you have some questions for me."

"Where am I?" Naruto asked quietly.

"You're in Secured Zone Alpha," the medic answered. "You've been here before. We're at the edge of the Sea of Whirlpools, near the wreckage of the Sky Country naval fleet."

"Wreckage?" Naruto echoed. "Then the Hokage received my message?"

"He did," the medic confirmed with a nod. "Two ANBU platoons were sent to deal with the fleet. The counterattack was a complete success."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. Only one thing remained. "Konoha... is it..." His question went unanswered.

"From what I've heard, there were a few casualties," the medic admitted. "However, they were nothing when you think of what would have happened if Konoha hadn't been warned. The aerial attack was surprisingly effective."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. Konoha still stood.

The medic shot Naruto a side-along glance. "Rumour has it that you had a big part in defending Konoha," he said with no small amount of respect. "I guess it's to be expected of the Right Hand of God."

The right hand of what?

Naruto opened his mouth to say something when the opening to the tent flapped again and more people walked in. His eyes lit up and he grinned brightly as Komachi and Towa entered. Their masks were off, Komachi's head was covered in bandages and Towa was limping with a cane but they were alive!

"Hey, Boss!" Towa called cheerfully.

He waved exuberantly with the hand holding the walking stick. The stick blurred and something fragile and made of glass smashed. Towa winced, and then winced again when Komachi whacked him across the back of the head. He shot her a wounded look, to which she responded with a huff and turned back to the bed-ridden Naruto.

"Squad Captain," she greeted him formally with a respectful nod.

"Squad Captain," Naruto greeted back.