Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Notes: A bit of bonding? Filler? Both? The kids wait for Kakashi and well...That's it.

Ya'll are awesome, dattebayo!

Wait

Graduates gather in excitement to their classroom's one last time as a bell rings in warning. Three loud rings echo throughout the academy before its deafening sound ends. Chattering children replaces the sound while anticipation swells within the academy walls. The formed teams attach themselves to each other and eagerly await for the assigned jounins to arrive.

After five minutes exactly, men and women enter through the closed door one by one as they announce their assigned team. Without order by number, slowly but surely a group of three becomes four as the classroom becomes empty.

Team 7 is the last.

Sitting in between the two members of team 7, I wait. One minute becomes two then five then an hour passes by. Frustration, confusion, and irritation takes the small space between us while we share the same emotions concerning our late sensei.

Naruto practically bounces in place with fidgeting muscles begging to have the freedom and sweet release of movement. Sasuke adopts his signature pose, his head sitting on top of folded pale hands with his arms and elbows standing and holding the weight of his head. And I find myself adopting the pose of a lady; straight back, crossed knees, and hands folded together on my lap.

Two out of three have the ability to sit still for long periods of time.

A pitying look crosses the face of a grading Umino when he looks up from organized stacks of papers. Quickly he looks toward a ticking clock and sees the time, 1:12pm. Anger crosses his features before he huffs, "Look, I am sure your sensei will be here soon. Until then, Naruto-kun could you go get a pen from the supply closet?" The man shakes his pen in emphasis,

"This one seems to be broken."A sheepish look spreads across Iruka's face as he continues to shake the pen. Without any surprise the ADHD child springs from his seat with wild enthusiasm and a wide smile stretching his face, "Of course, Iruka-sensei! Of course, dattebayo!"

The orange clad boy pumps his fist in victory before he runs to complete his mission. A brotherly smile moves Umino's lips while he stares at the door where the boy fled from. His head shakes before he looks back at the two remaining people. "If you want, I could use some help grading." His eyes hold warmth and acceptance as he awaits an answer.

An answer of 'no' comes from the boy beside me by the sound of 'Hn.' Dark eyes disappear when eyelids shut out the world with a slow close.

The lone Uchiha distances himself from the world.

A look of sadness flows across the young man's eyes before the emotion disappears by an almost motherly warmth.

His eyes lock on to mine, "Of course, Iruka-san." Answering my old sensei's question, I gracefully leave my seat to help the scarred man. With light and silent steps I walk toward the man's desk, "Here, Hinata-chan."

A pen and a stack of papers appear in my line of sight. "The paper on top holds the correct answers," I take the given items and another sheepish look forms on his face while his hand scratches the back of his head.

"Ah, don't worry, the pen does work and so does mine." His pen held gently in his hand waves in the air. "Naruto-kun needed something to do and handing him paperwork wouldn't end well. So..." Tanned cheeks blush with closed eyes and a small smile as he trails off his sentence.

A slight shrug forms as his mouth begins to open and close for the right words to come out. "I understand Iruka-san." Giving the man a reprieve from over thinking thoughts, I begin to bow. "I will do my best, Umino-san. Nor will I tell Uzumaki-san."

As I end my action the man before me stutters at my politeness. Words jumble and fall out of his mouth, "Ah, there is no-"

He sighs and cuts off his next words with defeat slackening his form, "Arigato, Hinata-chan." Another bow and I leave the grumbling man alone to occupy myself with the long wait.

Three papers completed and graded, Uzumaki finally appears with a pen in his hand. White teeth shine in a triumphant smile brightening the room. With a skip in his step the scuffled and dirty boy jabs a pen towards Umino with a victorious air. "See Iruka-sensei?! I got the pen for ya. I did it, dattebayo. Easy." Blue eyes close with a thumb pointing toward the gloating boy. Iruka has a look of exasperation as he looks the boy up and down.

A worried suspicion enters brown eyes, "What did you do Naruto-kun?"

The questioned boy smiles even wider, "Well ya see, I got this idea as I was gettin' the pen ya asked for. What if I prank tha' teme Goro? Whatever his last name is? An' I did." The boy obliviously continues his tale while Iruka gets steadily more angrier. "But, ya see, he came back earlier than I expected an'," His blue eyes open as a mischievous light glints within them. "I couldn't let 'em catch me."

With the acquired pen still in hand he pulls on his dirty orange suit, "So, I jumped out a window." He pauses for a dramatic second before he leans in towards the angry reddening man, "Then I heard it. Wha'bam! Blaaaap! an' arrrgh!"

"Tha' was Goro-teme screams by the way!" The boy's face scrunches with extreme mischief and amusement written on his features, "Man! I looked back so quickly sensei an' it was great, dattebayo"

"Ink everywhere! Ohho man, ya' should have told me about that closet sooner Iruka-sensei!" The oblivious boy smiles a fox like smile while the angry man finally burst in anger, "NARUUTOOOOO!"

Naruto pouts beside me with the shaking of his right leg as I finish grading the last given paper. Meticulously stacking the paper before me in alphabetical order, I stand to move. With papers clutched into my right hand I vault over desk avoiding any body checks toward the boys who showed no signs of moving for me. A unusual quiet 'woah' comes from Uzumaki while I move to give a staring Umino Iruka the graded papers.

"All graded and organized in an alphabetical order, Iruka-san." The stack of papers are quickly taken away as the man smiles at me before glancing at the clock for the thirteenth time within the past two hours.

3:47pm

"Arigato, Hinata-chan." The man bows quickly before he stands to clean the desk of loosely organized papers. "Gomen everyone, but I need to get going. Your sensei will be here soon," Irritation filtered itself on his face before vanishing back to a smile. "I promise, just stay here."

Filling his bag with the last of the papers he quickly strides to the door before he glances back at the orange boy, "Naruto-kun be good!" With that as his last words, the chunin disappears behind a closing door.

Uzumaki ignored the man's words as he continues to stare at me, "Oi, you gonna sit down again." Naruto's eyes squint and haphazardly pats the spot between him and Sasuke. Curiosity and mischievousness light up his blue eyes as he watches my moving form. Giving into the child's way I move to vault back into the empty space between the two boys. Seeing that I am going along with the blonde boy's command, a smile filled with blinding happiness constructs on his face.

Uzumaki steps left to make the space smaller between him and the distanced boy when I make the action. Quickly adjusting the angle and movement of my body I fit like a missing puzzle piece between the sun and the moon. Only air with a brush of my arm against an orange outfit touches the rest of team 7.

With a pump of his fist in the air the whiskered boy screams, "Yatta!"

Without a pause he fully turns his body towards me in a squatting position. Unfiltered happiness and determination fills the boy as he throws his index finger to point at me. The pointed finger halts an inch from my white eyes.

"How'd ya do it, princess!?" Unabashedly he stares with hope in his eyes while he practically demands. Part of me wishes to just tell and be done with it, but the sunshine incarnate learns by hand and action then words and show. Another vault over the desk and I beckon the eager boy to follow me to an empty desk. Like a puppy he trails after me with shining white teeth showing.

Pointing at the desk beside me, "Go there and copy every move I make, understand Uzumaki-san?" The blue eyed boy nods his head vigorously as he follows my orders. "Yeah Yeah, dattebayo!"

Watching him watch me I begin to move with a speed he can follow. Balancing my weight between my feet I can feel his blue eyes on me. He copies the action with a sloppy and untrained form.

Without thought I walk over to him and physical adjust his form. I speak commands with ease and move his body accordingly without an ounce of disgust, repulsion, or reluctance. Blue eyes become wide with the thought and emotion of unknown.

Stepping away from the boy I give him a slight nod to continue to watch. I bend my knees slightly and lean on my dominant side adjusting the weight between my legs. Again he copies and again I adjust him. Then I move over to the unoccupied desk beside his and place my hand in the center. Confirming he copied, I vaulted over with my bent legs under my chest.

Uzumaki's legs arc to one side with a hard swing. He lands, but instead with ease and discipline, he lands with an awkward stumble. A disappointment and a slight flinch enters his body and becomes defensive when I move toward him. "I can do it dattebayo! Just you wait!" He stands with determination as he snaps at his assumed reaction of me.

"Of course, Uzumaki-san, but it may help to know that you should bend your knees underneath your chest for better balance and landing." Eyes go wide in surprise before a quick shake of his blonde head. His shouts with a vigorous nod of his head before he immediately tries again.

The boy does not get it within the two hours we have waited, but has improved slowly as time went on. Despite the whiskered boy's stature which indicates malnutrition, his endurance is extremely high. Barely winded he continues with enthusiasm and vigor as he tries again and again. The breaks he has, is spent arguing with the lone Uchiha who instigates and insults. Time for them goes by fast while they occupy themselves with each others childish quips and baits.

Watching the ticking clock and the rest of my bickering team for entertainment, I finally hear a door slide open. A spiky silver haired man enters in a lazy slouch with the bottom of his face covered and a hitai-ate covering his left eye. He gazes upon us and I gaze at the ever ticking clock to check the time he arrived.

5:27pm

Four hours late.

"Maa Maa" His words fall slow as disinterest seeps within them, "How should I put this?" The occupied boys with lightning in their eyes turn to finally notice the Jounin. "My first impression of this group," His gloved hand reaches and clasps his covered chin in a mocking gesture, "I hate you all."

I narrow my eyes at our new sensei.