Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and Kudozaki Lucine. The rest belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

Uchiha Sasuke

It turned out that when we arrived, Kakashi wasn't even there yet, despite arriving two minutes late. Naruto and Sakura were already there, looking tired and worn, as it was so early. It was quiet the entire time we waited for Kakashi to arrive. Even Naruto remained quiet, trying to fight of sleep, while Sakura was staring into space, her eyes unseeing, most likely sleeping with her eyes open. Lucine looked tired, but still awake enough to slap my hands away when I tried to intertwine my fingers with hers.

It took hours before Kakashi arrived as well. "Good morning everyone. Ready for your first day?" he greeted nonchalantly.

"Hey! You're late!" Naruto and Sakura shouted at the same time, now completely alert and awake as they pointed accusing fingers at him.

"Well a black cat crossed my path. So I had to take the long way." I saw Lucine roll her eyes at his stupid excuse, she had obviously grown impatient while waiting for him for so many hours. "Let's get started." He put a clock on a post and pressed the top button. "It's set for noon."

Everyone looked curiously at him and the clock as he showed us three bells. "Your assignment is very simple. You just have to take these bells from me. If you can't get them by noon, you'll go without lunch. You'll be tied to those posts and watch me while I eat your lunch in front of you."

"So that's why..." I whispered. Thank God I let Lucine eat. Lucine glanced at me for some seconds, making my heart skip a beat as I looked back, she didn't say anyting but I figured that she probably felt grateful. The moment lasted for mere seconds before she looked back at Kakashi. That was Lucine's way of saying thank you.

Sakura groaned, "He told us not to eat breakfast to make it harder on us." Naruto's and Sakura's stomach growled. "But wait a minute, there's four of us. Why is it only three bells?" she asked, and I frowned in confusion. I have been wondering about that too.

"Because that way at least one of you will be tied to a post, and that one will be sent back to the academy."

I widened my eyes in surprise as I looked Lucine, she didn't visibly express her surprise, but by the slight raise of her eyebrow I could tell that she wasn't pleased to hear that. That means that I have to make sure Lucine and I get two of the bells, or else we'd be separated.

"You can use any weapons you want, including shuriken. You will not get the bells if you're not prepared to kill me." He said the last part more ominously. "Ready? Start!"

As soon as he said that, we all separated and hid under bushes or in trees. Or, almost everyone. The idiotic blonde of our team stayed where he was and confronted Kakashi to fight him head on without any strategy. But I didn't have time to care about him, first I had to find Lucine so that we could together make a plan to take the bells. I didn't care if Naruto or Sakura got one, but I knew that if Lucine and I worked together we'd have a better chance of beating Kakashi.

I started looking for her, scanning every place, but she was no where to find, and I had never been the best at detecting chakra signatures. This made me frown, as I felt concern flow through my body. Where is she? I jumped through the trees, deeper in the forest to look for her, until I started to grow suspicious. Lucine had concealed herself too well... She's not hiding from me is she?

The thought made me smirk as I felt a thrill of excitement run through me. I licked my lower lip, as multiple possibilities ran through my mind. It was not the most suitable timing, but we still had time before the clock would signalize noon. If she's hiding from me, then Lucine deserves a punishment.

Kudozaki Lucine

This was an opportunity for me. If I let Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura get the three bells I'll probably be sent back to the academy and I could create more distance between Sasuke and I. My career as a kunoichi could wait one more year, if it's for the sake of Sasuke's health at least. While I know he's always been... unstable, it seems like he's just getting worse for every year. He clings to me to a point of pure dependency, and that is something that I cannot allow.

I am almost certain that Sasuke could get a bell, maybe not alone, but with some help from Sakura or Naruto, or both. I am sure Sakura at least is more than willing to assist him if Sasuke were to ask her. Which means that all I have to do now is wait till the alarm rings.

But I have to hide first or he will find me, probably wanting to 'work together' or just wanting me close to him for no apparent reason. It had been a long time since we played hide and seek, and I had never been good at hiding. Yet, if I manage to evade him long enough for him to give up, it would be enough.