from Academy to Anbu by theriku260

chapter 37

Previously, on "From Academy to ANBU"…

"You… YOU BASTARD! I'LL KILL YOU" Tsunade rocketed off the branch, destroying the tree, fist cocked. She aimed at Orochimaru's smug smile, only to have the entire group just disappear, a snake taking the hit instead.

"Ku ku ku, Tsunade. Come to the clearing outside town in two days, alone. Agree to help me and I'll not only give you your brother and lover back, but Shizune-chan will remained unharmed. Decide not to, and… well you know. Oh, and Naruto-kun? I'll see you soon." Orochimaru's voiced echoed from everywhere, before it and his presence vanished once more.

She lost the last link to the living. She lost Shizune.

"Well… perhaps some introductions are in order." The boy from earlier said uncertainly. "I'll go first. Naruto Uzumaki at your service. This is Angel, my partner." In place of the brunette was a copy of the last Hokage, Minato Namikaze.

"The fourth's brat. Hah! I lose Shizune and am stuck with the spawn of a Hokage; oh the irony." And Tsunade broke, crying in the dying light with dust settling around her.

"I suppose this isn't the best time to mention you've been ordered back immediately to the village, huh?"

Immediately after, with Naruto…

When Tsunade didn't respond, Naruto thought it was safe to continue his orders.

"Hokage-sama needs your expertise- your village needs your expertise, Tsunade-sama. We have hundreds dead and injured, and many are facing retirement without you. I have orders to bring you back to the village. However, I understand we have" Here he was cut off from giving the plan to save Shizune.

Tsunade scoffed a bitter laugh. "You, a snot nosed brat, are ordering me back to the village? Don't make me laugh. I've been out of your league since before your parents were tots." Naruto held in what he desperately wanted to say as it would result in his untimely demise.

So instead he bit out a polite "It's not me ordering you back, Tsunade-sama. Hokage-sama- well, the acting one while the third is indisposed- has issued a recall on your absence. You must return, or Hokage-sama and many others will die."

Silence spread between the sannin and ANBU, dust still setting from Tsunade's attacks. Suddenly Naruto found himself becoming very familiar with the tree trunk. He heard the familiar snap of a broken rib but couldn't bring himself to care once he saw Tsunade's face. It looked as if a demon was staring at him.

"You… how dare you" Tsunade seethed. She straightened out from the punch she just sent, and dodged Angel's surprise attack from behind, the feline enraged that her partner was attacked without warning. Instead of digging her claws in Tsunade's flesh she was flung harshly into Naruto, shrinking back from her enlarged size. "I gave up everything for the village! Everything except Shizune- and you expect me to just leave her here and rush off to save an old man already destined to die and some half cocked shinobi too stupid to stop fighting when they're injured?"

Naruto felt his anger rise as she continued her rant about the errors of shinobi and how the Hokage was a fool to even try fighting a younger opponent. It began bubbling over, surprisingly mixed with Kurama's own rage.

"This human is annoying, I vote we kill her and feed her flesh to the crows." Kurama said. His suggestion sounded delightful but they had a mission to complete and Dragon-sama would not be happy if they brought back their only hope dead in a seal.

'We can't kill her and you know it- Dragon-sama would be disappointed in us! Our perfect mission record would be tarnished!' Naruto said mentally.

"It would be so worth it" Kurama said. The petulance was oozing out of every word.