Chapter 36 – Gaara's D-rank Missions
"Talk"
'Think'
"Bijū Talk"
Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto sensei. So…yeah.
Day 1
"So…how to do this?" asked Gaara looking at rice seedlings.
"Easy" said Naruto "You just do like this" he showed Gaara how to transplant rice and Gaara followed. He bent down and planting the rice seedling in the soft, squashy soil.
'Luckily Noriko reminded me to leave my sand with Kakashi-san' thought Gaara.
After a while, Gaara began to sweat profusely and feel an ache on his back and legs 'Wow…this is challenging. Look at them, they do it like it was easy. Who would have thought that doing chores would challenge your muscles'
Later, while carrying the manure to be applied to the transplanted rice seedlings, Gaara thought 'This is easy. I used to carry my gourd. Though the soft soil adds more resistance thus requiring me to use more energy than walking on the normal ground'
During lunch, to Gaara's embarrassment, he ate more than Naruto to the point that Naruto and Noriko stared at him in shock while Kakashi and Tenzō pretended not to notice Gaara's changed of appetite.
"Gaara, you okay? I never see you eating this much" asked Naruto while Noriko looked worried.
"I'm fine. Just a bit hungrier" said Gaara with face as red as his hair.
'Just a bit hungrier? How much would you eat if you are a lot hungry?' thought everyone.
That afternoon, they took the dogs for a walk. 'This is…fun. I never walk like this. The dog was not terrified of me. See it runs around gappily'. Without realizing it, Gaara began to hum happily.
'Did Gaara just hummed?' thought everyone with a sweatdrop. This is a side of Gaara that they've never seen before.
Day 2
Mission to the farm was met with much excitement from Gaara. First they had to build chicken coop and Gaara offered to sand the wood until they were smooth. Then they weed and watered the garden before the farmer's wife offered them their lunch.
After lunch they were asked to mend the fence and later, milked the cow. Gaara's first time milking the cow ended with the milk squirted on his face, only to be blocked by his sand. Unfortunately, no one reminded Gaara to wash his sand.
Day 3
"This cat will challenge your speed, agility, patience, mental and toughness" said Naruto about Tora.
"What? How?" asked Gaara.
"It's fast, it's vicious, and the worst is, you cannot kill it nor wound it" said Noriko while Tenzō nodded in agreement.
"Kakashi-san. Please allow me to do this by myself" Gaara asked Kakashi.
"Are you sure?" asked Kakashi, unsure about Gaara who seemed to show a whole new personality in Konoha.
"Yes" Gaara said with burning eyes.
"O…kay then" consented Kakashi hesitantly.
Gaara used his sand and Daisan no Me to locate Tora. Unfortunately, Gaara's sand attracted a lot of cats to do their business, to the amusement of everyone. Many hours have passed before Gaara find Tora.
Initially, Gaara enveloped Tora in a ball of sand until Kakashi reminded Gaara that the cat might suffocate. Fearing that he might kill the cat thus failed the mission, Gaara opened tiny airways for the cat to breathe.
When he unwrapped the cat in Hokage's office, everyone laughed when they saw that the cat had left his poop as present.
That night, while meditating, Gaara found himself drawn into Shukaku's room and saw that the Tanuki was groaning and moaning while holding its nose "Oh, it's killing me…I'm dying…I'm dying…please…help me…the smell is suffocating"
The Gaara smelled it, the mixture smell of bad milk and cats' wastes. Looking at the moaning Shukaku, Gaara had an evil smile.
The following morning, Gaara went to visit Shukaku and he saw the Tanuki was looking so miserable and muttered tiredly "air…fresh air…"
"What would you give for me to take away the bad smell?"
"I promise not to kill you"
"Good bye then"
"WAIT! Fine! I'll not take away your sanity when you sleep"
"How do I know you'll keep your word?"
"I promise on my father's name, Rikudō Sennin"
Gaara proceeded to ask Shizuka (whose house he's staying) how to clean his sand. With Noriko's and Naruto's help, his sand was cleaned and dried within few hours.
After that, he went to talk to Shukaku again. He saw the Tanuki jumping around and shouted "Clean air! Fresh air!"
"Remember your words"
"Yes. Now go away human"
Kazekage Office
Three days later, Gaara reported his missions to the Kazekage.
"How's the missions?" asked Rasa.
"Physically and mentally challenging"
"Really?" asked Rasa in disbelief.
"Yes"
"Doing chores challenged you physically and mentally?"
"Yes. Also, Shukaku promised to behave and I can sleep now"
"What? How do you do that?"
"By doing chores" with that, Gaara left, leaving behind a stupefied Kazekage. He looked at the report by Hatake Kakashi, stating that Gaara hummed while walking dog.
"Did I fall into an alternate universe? It's the only logical explanation here" muttered Kazekage to himself.
End Chapter 36
Daisan no Me – Eye of Sand
Rikudō Sennin – Sage of Six Paths