Chapter 30 - 28

As expected, the after-effect of the dragon form took a toll on Hikaru's body the very next morning. This time, however, it's a little less mild than the last one. He don't know why, but he thinks that it's because he spent a little more than 2 minutes in that form, so the after-effects were a little bit mild.

He felt like in just one day, this fever will go down soon.

He has enough energy to cook Azumi some food and for himself and go to the training ground later. Since Kakashi is always late by three hours, he figured that he should just go there at 9 am, 1 hour before Kakashi shows up.

After cooking their breakfast, he also cooked both for their lunch. A nice egg and bacons for breakfast and a fancy spaghetti for lunch.

He decided not to use any weapons in that survival training because he knew he could kill Kakashi with it. And he doesn't want that. Though, his mind is quite fatigued from his fight against Artorias, so he will probably not be able to control his strength properly.

He prepared 2 bentos for the both of them after eating their breakfast, and that's where he put the steaks, rice, and some side dish.

"Hey, Hikaru, didn't Kakashi-sensei told us not to eat?" Azumi asked.

Hikaru looks at her as he wash their plates, and explained, "You're right, he did told us that, but he did not order us not to eat. Think Azumi, if you go to a real mission without eating, you'll die almost instantly."

She cups her hands and said, "Oh, that's why, " then she looks down, "You always need to explain things to me, I'm so stupid."

Hikaru sighed and washed his hands and dried them before patting Azumi in the head.

"Umu?" She looks at him cutely.

"You're not stupid, you're bright, it's just that you're still inexperience. Remember, even the greatest and strongest shinobis started like you, a child, " he said with his eyes so soft that Azumi felt like she was laying in his body.

"Un, you're right! All of them, even the four Hokages, started just like me! If so, then I will be the greatest and strongest first female Hokage ever!" She's all pumped up and she jumped a lot because of excitement.

"Atta girl! Hahaha."

As both of them prepared themselves, time passed without them noticing until it was 9 am and Hikaru used shunshin with her by his side to get to the traninig ground easily. Hikaru wore Chester's outfit without his mask. He figured it would be cool to show up like this.

(At The Third Training Ground)

Sasuke and Sakura waited by a tree while their stomachs would rumble every now and then. It seems like they didn't eat a single thing this morning, or, in Sakura's case, did not eat DINNER and breakfast because she was on a "diet".

And it seems like they have been waiting for Kakashi here since 7. Stupid, aren't they?

Hikaru suddenly arrived in front of them with Azumi holding his right hand. He looked around first before seeing both of them. He just waved his hand at them with a friendly smile before going to the statue near them to sit.

Earlier, after packing their meals, Hikaru put them inside his bottomeless box. He can take them out anytime, so it was no big deal.

For the rest of the time, he ignored both of his other teammates and just focused on Azumi. They talked a lot, mostly Azumi was the one speaking but he enjoyed this peaceful times. Not dying, and not fighting those damned monsters.

Another hour passed before Kakashi finally showed up with an... alarm clock?

Sakura saw this and schreeched, "Why are you so late, sensei?! And you had an alarm clock on you!"

"Hmm, that is a really great question. You see, I saw superman flying in the skies and I thought maybe if I followed him I could get his autograph, so I searched for him for two hours with no luck, then when I finally saw him, it was nothing but a shinobi bird that had the same color as his suit! Can you believe that? Then a black cat walked in front of me, so I took the long way around and came here."

It was so obvious that he was lying through his teeth, because he just arrived with a shunshin.

"Liar!" Sakura accused.

"Ma, ma, don't be so excited after seeing me. I know I'm pretty popular around the village, but I don't like underage girls, especially with the one that has no b.r.e.a.s.t to speak of."

"Pervert! Pervert-sensei!"

As Hikaru saw this, he couldn't help but shake his head. He decided to end this and and said, "Sensei! Just the start the test!"

"Fine, fine, just give me a sec. I'll turn the timer on in this alarm clock, " he did some things in the alarm clock before putting it on top of a tree stump.

He then took out two bells tied with a red string and said, "You see this two bells? These will decided whether you guys are ready to be a shinobi or not, I will conduct a test. The bell test. If anyone can take these away from me, then you will instantly become a genin under me, " a lie.

Then Sakura pointed out, "But sensei, there are only two bells and there are four of us."

Then, Kakashi's tone changed to a darker one, "That's right, only two will pass this test, and the losers will watch me eat these two bento boxes, " he took out two bentos, "in front of them. Hahaha."

'That's why he told us not to eat! Bastard!' Sasuke said in his thoughts.

"And also, be sure to have the intent to kill me, and now..."

All of them tensed up.

"... the test has officially started!" He announced.

The three of them disappeared in the forest but Hikaru stayed where he stood.