Chapter 12
It was a sunny Saturday morning when Sasuke was woken by a soft hand towel striking his face. “Time to get up, young Uchiha. You have a large task ahead of you today.”
Groaning, Sasuke removed the towel that lay above his eyes and saw a poised Kurama standing above him on the bed. The fox spirit held a side grin, his red sword was sheathed and mostly covered by his flowing white kimono. Kurama held the handle of a blue bucket in his right hand, which was filled to the top with sponges, cleaning solutions, and scrubbing brushes. In his left hand was a broom and mop, his grip tight around the wooden handles.
Sasuke rubbed his eyes and sat up as Kurama jumped off the bed, “Wha- What’s going on?” Kurama’s eyes twinkled at Sasuke with delight, “Your next lesson has begun. A clean home and living space will bring peace to your inner self. You will clean your house, and especially your sleeping space.” As Kurama said this he grimaced slightly at the candy and fast-food wrappers that covered Sasuke’s floor.
Sasuke drowsily rose from bed and grumbled, “Are you serious?” His grumbling silenced when he saw Kurama furrow his brow. The fox spirit handed Sasuke the bucket of cleaning supplies. “Get started- I have a list for you-” Kurama motioned to a written task list tacked on the bedroom wall. “And don’t leave any job less than complete.” Scowling, Sasuke obeyed and began the first item on Kurama’s list – the kitchen.
This is stupid. It will just get dirty again anyway.
Sasuke stood before the mountainous pile of dishes and silverware that ranged from the countertops to the sink. Last night’s pots, pans, and dishes from their gyoza and tempura cuisine sat on the top of the mound. Oh boy…
Sasuke opened the dishwasher to find it was filled with dirty dishes. Oh no… He pulled the dishwasher pods from below the sink and as he straightened, he felt a smack on the back of his head and sharp pain.
“AGH! What the hell Kurama?!” The fox spirit gave him a cold look, “You must wash and dry each and every dirty dish by hand.” Sasuke returned Kurama’s cold stare. Shit.
Washing and drying every dish in their apartment was quite a feat, and it took Sasuke nearly two hours to complete. Once all dishware was clean and put away, Kurama moved Sasuke along to the next several tasks. Dusting, scrubbing, and wiping down every surface. Sasuke went through four different rags and two bottles of disinfectant spray. Mopping the hard surfaced flooring brightened the gray tiles and gave them a new hue. The vacuum hummed over the carpet, drawing in the particles that previously consumed the yarned fabric with must and dirt. Underneath and in between the couch cushions caused the machine to crackle, like popped corn over a stovetop. The laborious work made Sasuke break out into a sweat.
Kurama stood quietly outside Sasuke’s bathroom and once that room was next on the list he said, “I will not step foot in this space until it has been dealt with.” The warning in Kurama’s voice unsettled Sasuke and he peered his head into his bathing area with a set of new eyes. The porcelain that was once white was now clearly not. The sink had stains, bodily fluids, and soap scum smeared all along its bowl and handle. His shower appeared to be the cleanest, though, mostly due to lack of use. Gulping, Sasuke pulled up his sleeves, proceeding to drown his pride down the grimy loo.
The amount of bleach required to remove the stains and discoloration of his bathroom made Sasuke’s eyes sting terribly, both turning bright red from strain. Rubbing them did not help, so this endeavor took him another hour and half due to taking multiple breaks.
Kurama was very thorough with his review of Sasuke’s cleaning – which was why the task took up the entire day. At 8pm, Sasuke found himself sprawled out from exhaustion on the couch as Kurama lit an autumnal scented candle.
“Very well done, young Uchiha.” Kurama spoke with his rumbly low voice.
Sasuke closed his eyes, his limbs aching, “Can I go to bed now?” He heard a tsk for a response. Rising, Sasuke saw Kurama walk into his bathroom with a motion to follow. Reluctantly, he followed the fox spirit.
In the white and sparkling bathroom, Kurama held out a new shower cady to Sasuke.
“The other part of inner peace is found through adequate grooming. I would like you to excel in this part.”
Sasuke felt his stomach drop. He would then lose his defense mechanism. He would lose a big part of him currently driving others away. Kurama raised his eyebrows and looked at the products within the cady. Grabbing each one, one-by-one, he listed them off, “This is shampoo- for your hair cleaning. The woman at the store said it was their #1 product! And this, this is to condition your hair and will make it soft-“
Sasuke interrupted him with a snap, “I know how to take a shower!”
Kurama reciprocated Sasuke’s outburst with a deviant smile, “Then get to it, young Uchiha. For you would not like it if I had to bathe you.”
Cheeks flushed red from the teenager as he snatched the cady from Kurama.
“This cleaning needs to be half an hour at minimum, use every product correctly or I will clean you myself!”
The bathroom door slammed on Kurama, who let out a hearty-deep voice laugh.