Author's note : Yay my exams for this year are all done!!!! Thanks for the best wishes!!! The results will be thrilling but who cares.... Sorry for not updating for a while..... I have intended to update this chapter as a Christmas present but I forgot it (please don't throw eggs at me!!!) so this is a present for Christmas and the new year. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!

To ChaosD, I hope this one contains less grammatical mistakes ).


Summary : Hakuryuu plus Hakkai and the angry Sanzo.


There are not many things to be cooked in the desert. That's clear. That's why merchants bringing over food supplies are really appreciated here. And Hakkai has done the shopping very well, since he is really good at bargaining. Gojyo who accompanies him is just amazed of him. They return back with double so many stuffs they normally afford to buy with the same amount of money. And Gojyo regrets the moment as he told Goku to stay at home. At least he can help carrying these items!!

Hakkai stands there, in front of a super duper cauldron. He looks at some carrots, some potatoes, some other strange vegetables… and tries to make out a nice mixing up out of them. At that time Gojyo enters the tent.

"Do you still need any help?" he asks.
"No, it is just that… it would be great when we have some meat. Hmm."
"Meat? That will be a feast." Gojyo remarks. "It is hard to get any meat here, even the merchantsconsider it as a very precious object. They will probably eat it themselves when they ever get their hands on it."
"Mmm-hmm." Hakkai agrees.
But still, a piece of meat will be great... just a piece…

"Hakkai Hakkai!!! See what I got!!"
Hakkai looks at the happy Goku who rushes into the tent, swinging something white between two chopsticks.

"I find something! Can you cook it?"
Hakkai turns to look at the thing held loosely by Goku, but its sound reaches his ears first.

"Kyuuuu!!"

"Hakuryuu??!!"
"Kyuuu kyuuu!!"

The white dragon looks desperately at Hakkai, trying his best to free itself from Goku.
"Hakuryuu, you are here, too??!"
Hakkai snatches Hakuryuu from Goku's hand. Goku and Gojyo look at each other.

"Er…. You should give no name to your food, so that you won't be sad ifyou have to cook it." advises Gojyo.


Despite Goku and Gojyo's whining, Hakkai doesn't cook Hakuryuu. The white dragon recognizes his owner--strangely. And it is the original Hakuryuu. The dragon is getting calm as Goku and Gojyo leave the tent. Hakkai cleans him up with a wet cloth, happy that Hakuryuu is also here with him. He really has forgotten him, maybe because he is just too confused upon arriving here.
"Hungry, Hakuryuu?"
"Kyuuu!!"

And Hakuryuu perches on Hakkai's shoulder all the time. It is quite strange to see a dragon on Hakkai's shoulder when he cooks. Goku and Gojyo have given up begging Hakkai to cook Hakuryuu, and accept Hakuryuu as Hakkai's pet.

"Where is Sanzo?"
Goku and Gojyo suddenly look angry. They don't answer and eat faster.

Shi Wei forces herself to smile. She takes Hakkai aside by the elbow, and whispers, "Apparently they are still mad at Sanzo. Sanzo doesn't appear since morning, too."
"Just let him do what he wants. Don't care too much about him." says Gojyo with full mouth.
Goku says nothing and eats more.

"Goku…"
Goku glances at Hakkai. Hakkai hands Hakuryuu over to him. "I entrust Hakuryuu to you for a while."


"Sanzo? May I enter?"

Sanzo stares at Hakkai, one of his dangerous looks. But Hakkai is smiling, with one hand holding a tray of food.
"I am not hungry." Sanzo says shortly, averting Hakkai's eyes.

"Really? But you haven't eaten anything since last night. You must be very hungry."
"I say I am not hungry so leave me alone." Sanzo snaps at him.
"May I enter, then?"

Sanzo's mouth could have dropped open upon hearing Hakkai's last sentence. Hasn't he told him to leave him alone? And why is he still asking if he may enter or not? And this guy is smiling cheerfully.
"Thank you." says Hakkai carefreely and takes seat just in front of Sanzo. Sanzo looks away.

"How are you then? Have you had a nice sleep last night?" asks Hakkai, still in this cheerful way.
"No." answers Sanzo nonchalantly. He is not in mood for any conversation.

Hakkai feels somehow uneasy.
"Well, I want to talk about yesterday if you don't mind…."
"I don't want to talk about it." Sanzo cuts him off.
"It is not the best way to handle this problem, Sanzo,"

"So what? What is the best way, then?"
Hakkai is a bit shocked upon hearing his mocking tone.

"You came as a stranger to us, and that only a few days ago. Are you trying to give me a lecture concerning how I am to handle such problems?"

Sanzo smirks. He has touched the wound spot. Hakkai doesn't intend to interfere any farther. He stands up and throws a last smile at Sanzo before he leaves.

"Eat the food. It won't harm you anyway."


"Kyuu kyuu."
Goku teases Hakuryuu playfully.

"Where do you think he is going?" asks Goku.
"What? Oh, you mean Hakkai. Don't know. Perhaps to Sanzo." answers Gojyo, lying lazily on a sort of couch.
"Oooh." says Goku.

"Is Sanzo still angry at us?"
Gojyo sighs. "I thought you are angry at him, too."

Goku glances at Gojyo. "Yes, but it is Sanzo. And… we are supposed to be a solid team. Maybe it is just our fault."
Gojyo scratches his head and sighs once more. "Okay, I the idiot have forgotten about Dokugakuji. But I am no man for such strategies."
"That is true," mumbles Goku.

"He, kid, stop that. He will bite you when you keep teasing him."
"Oh, he won't. Hakuryuu is a nice guy, aren't you, Hakuryuu..? Ouchh!!"

Hakkai enters the tent and Goku stamps around holding his finger.
"Ouch. Ouch, he bites me, he really doooeeesss!!"
"Haven't I told you before?!" Gojyo snaps at him impatiently. "And… how is Sanzo? You were with him, weren't you?" he asks Hakkai.
Hakkai puts on a grim smile on his face.

"Well, he is not in the best condition, after all."