Life in Konoha's ANBU by Shezza

Chapter 11: Unsanctioned Betting: Part II

The door behind him closed quietly yet Naruto didn't move. He felt frozen, stuck to the spot, as his eyes widened and his cheeks paled from behind his mask. Never before had he seen the Third Hokage in such a state, clinging to his bed-rail with feeble hands than trembled under the strain of movement. The ANBU Commander gently brushed past him and the sensation was enough to get Naruto to recover. As when faced with anything that threatened to disturb his stability, Naruto fell back to his training and cleared his mind of all emotion.

"Hokage-sama," he greeted quietly and bowed deeply.

The ANBU Commander hovered by the Hokage's side as the old man studied a pile of papers on his blanketed lap. Naruto waited patiently as Sarutobi studied the document in front of him and gestured to something. The Commander nodded and rolled the document up into a scroll. One of the ANBU silently moved out of the shadows to take it, promptly disappearing in a blur as the Commander turned back to the Hokage.

"Ferret," Sarutobi said in a quavering voice. He coughed as Naruto straightened. "Make us some tea."

Naruto obediently walked over to the other side of the room as the Hokage and the Commander conversed in low, serious tones. With deft hands, Naruto carefully assembled a cup of tea from the steaming pot of water, adding just the right amount of sugar and tea leaves that he knew that Hokage liked. Once finished, he carefully balanced the cup of tea and took it over to the bed. The Hokage paused in his discussion and looked up, showing a look of wearied gratefulness.

"Ah, thank you," he murmured quietly as he took the cup of tea.

He took a sip, mulling it over in his mouth. Suddenly, he burst out into a round of coughs and the Commander quickly took the tea out of his hands. Naruto hovered around the bedside hesitantly, unsure of what to do, until Sarutobi beckoned him over. He approached, trying to hear the Hokage as something croaked from his throat.

"Hokage-sama?" Naruto asked quietly.

"Closer," Sarutobi coughed. Naruto obeyed. "Closer..."

Naruto bent- and realised his mistake too late. With a sudden flash of movement, the Hokage wrenched his arm up, grabbed his ear and twisted.

"Ow! Ow ow ow ow ow ow!" Naruto cried out. "What the hell...ow!"

"There's too much sugar in this tea!" Sarutobi barked into his ear. He released the young ANBU and huffed, folding his arms. "As to be expected from my stupid assistant- you can't even make tea!"

Naruto clutched at his ear. "You like it this way!" he snapped, all formality gone. "Two teaspoons of leaves and three of sugar!"

"Fool!" Sarutobi thundered. His arm blurred and a scroll was propelled into Naruto's forehead, which sent him sprawling back on the ground. "I have three teaspoons of leaves and two of sugar! I have for years – " He paused and frowned.

As Naruto climbed back to his feet with a noticeable red mark on his face, he watched as the Hokage took his cup of tea and had another sip. He swished it around his mouth, with a look of consideration on his face, before swallowing and glancing down at the cup.

"Oh," the old man said in a surprised voice. "It is how I like it. Excellent. However..." with a crash, the cup of tea fell to the ground. "It's too hot! You, boy!" He thrust a finger in Naruto's direction. "Are you trying to assassinate your poor infirm Hokage?"

"Infirm, my arse!" Naruto growled. "You crazy old bastard!"

"You incompetent little brat!" Sarutobi thundered.

The two butted heads, two pairs of narrowed eyes glaring into each other. Naruto's lips were twitching and he let out a rather high-pitched giggle of hysterical laughter, his fingers constantly furling and unfurling. Was this it? Was this the moment when he finally snapped?