Because I seem to have forgotten it several times: I don't own Naruto, any of the characters, yada yada yada yada…Yoda?
In Yoda voice Naruto I do not own. Copy right infringement I must avoid.
Chapter 7
"…And Seiseike has something to say, too," said Seiseike's Mother. When the boy didn't say anything, she nudged him forward, causing him to stumble slightly. "Don't you Seiseike."
Seiseike looked back and saw the fire's of the hell that awaited him burning in his mother's eyes if the task wasn't carried out. Swallowing his pride (and to clear his anxiety), he approached Hagaimaru, "I'm sorry for using a high powered genjutsu against you and putting you in the hospital."
"Hey, don't worry about it," Said Hagaimaru, once again his oh-so-chipper self, and gave his team mate a hardy slap on the back, causing the boy to flinch, "A little bit of training, and you won't be able to pull that one over on me again!"
Seiseike was about to explain why genjutsu could only be thrown off by a person's mind, or a sudden imbalance of chakra to disrupt the illusion, and that no amount of training could make Hagaimaru's mind any better than a newt's, Yaezaki dragged them both away to where Gaara was waiting.
"Our first mission is today," he announced once the genin assembled around him.
Hagaimaru quivered with excitement. "Our first mission…our first mission!" He repeated like a broken record.
"We will be dusting the library's collection, and checking the older scrolls to make sure that they aren't falling apart," Gaara announced.
Nothing could compare to the look of disappointment that Hagaimaru had in that moment. Yaezaki looked at him, and privately considered him to be melodramatic.
He just needs to let it sink in, no one could care that much about our first mission being boring, She thought, it's just something you have to expect.
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Naruto stopped talking to the team he had been briefing on their mission and listened closely. The ninja by his desk did the same. They would all later swear they had heard someone screaming, "Nooooooooooooo!" somewhere in the distance.
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The makeshift sand ear plugs popped out of Gaara's ears. He looked to his other students, both of which who's hair was standing on end. He hoped the damage wasn't permanent. He walked in the direction of the library, checking back once to make sure everyone was following him. All accounted for, they continued on to their first mission.
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The flow of D-rank missions followed a fairly consistant pattern: They would get one or sometimes two done a day, spend one or two days training, and have the occasional day off. Until one day, when the pattern was broken.
The Kazekage looked at team 6 and their instructor. He glanced briefly over at the various scrolls spread over his desk. Hagaimaru tried to look tough, Yaezaki looked ready to whack him on the head, and Seiseike tried to peer over at what the scrolls said.
"Alright," The Kazekage finally said, "I've made a descion."
"Is that a first for you," Gaara said, with out any of the wit that would normally accompany the comment.
The Kazekage brushed it off, and addressed the children instead, "I'm going to give you a C-rank mission. Shouldn't be too hard, just a simple bodyguard job to the border, no chance of ninja attacks."
"Finally!" Exclaimed Hagaimaru, "A real mission! Something where my talents might actually be of some use!"
Yaezaki punched him in the head, "Idiot! This won't be any harder than our other missions. The only reason it is C-rank is because of the type of job it is."
Hagaimaru stood back up, rubbing the newly formed lump on his head, "So, who are we protecting? A feudal lord? Maybe a world-famous…celebrity…guy? Who, who?"
"Probably just a civilian from another country that doesn't know his way around the desert," said Gaara impartially.
"Actually," The Kazekage corrected, "You'll be the bodyguard for the Hokage of Konohagure."
If Gaara was one to look shocked, now would be when he would choose to do so. If Gaara was surprised to the point of overwhelming disbelief, he would have looked so surprised that his non-existent eyebrows would rocket off his head. But, of course, Gaara is not one to express such strong emotions. His students on the other hand, had not picked up on his habits in this way.
Hagaimaru looked shocked beyond greatest delight, Yaezaki was torn between making sure the former didn't do anything stupid and utter astonishment, and Seiseike simply believed that his ears were playing tricks on him, and proceeded to whack himself in the head to clear them of any sand that might have gotten stuck.
Hagaimaru, unable to contain his excitement regained vocal control first. Well…as much control as he could ever have.
"This is…UNBELIEVABLE!" He turned to Yaezaki, "Did you Hear? Did you Hear? We're escorting the Hokage! The best ninja in all of Konoha!"
Yaezaki returned to herself, and whacked Hagaimaru again to give his first lump a twin, then holding him in a choke-hold spoke with a nervous laugh, "No offense to you, Kazekage-sama lord sir."
The Kazekage laughed, "None taken. I'll admit that he is a rather incredible ninja. Probably even stronger than myself. And a peer of your instructor, if I remember correctly."
Seiseike, now certain he had heard correctly and stopped hitting his head, said, "If Gaara-sensei is a peer of the Hokage, than why isn't he the Kazekage?"
Yaezaki and Hagaimaru both looked at him with greater shock than when the mission had been announced. Even Hagaimaru knew not to say something that bone-headed. The Kazekage, though, just chuckled softly again.
"Well…it's a long story involving GET OUT OF MY OFFICE!" He roared.
And they did. Ran out like they had never ran before. As stupid as that guy looked in the hat that marked his position, he sure was scary when as angry as that.
Gaara, on the other hand, watched them run by, turned to the Kazekage and stated simply, "Really, Kazekage-sama, was that entirely necessary?"
He then left the Kazekage to fume over the young boy's remark and Gaara's not-so-lightly masked insult.
Sorry about taking so long to update. Next chapter the mission begins.
So long for now.