Spoilers for the Kakashi Gaiden arc n.n;
Team 7 had always met at the bridge, while other teams would often times meet at different locations every time they got together. It wasn't something that Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke found odd though, because when you lived in Konoha and you were a ninja, there were odd things all over the place. But, although they didn't know it, there was a slight ghost of a reason as to why they always gathered on the bridge.
Simply put, it'd been where Kakashi's team had usually met.
Yondaime had always been the first one there, and then Rin usually came a bit early and Kakashi right on time. Obito had always been late without fail. Sometimes, they'd meet at different spots, but mostly it was at the bridge. The bridge hadn't been as clean back then. Often times kids peeled away at the red paint or etched names and messages into the wood. Not anymore.
But Team 7 didn't know about any of that.
"He's late," Naruto pointed out for the millionth time that morning, aggravated.
"He's always late," Sakura answered. "When has Kakashi-sensei ever been on time?"
"Never," Naruto responded automatically. He scanned the nearby foreground again for any sign of the silver-haired jounin. It was obvious from all the fidgeting he was doing that he wanted to get started with training. He always did. Sakura, on the other hand, always ogled Sasuke and Sasuke ignored both Sakura and Naruto, usually leaning silently against the railing with his usual, bored expression. Sasuke didn't really have many expressions.
Today, however, Sasuke actually spoke. "He's unusually late today," he said, standing up straight for once and joining Naruto in the search for Kakashi.
Sakura immediately agreed with Sasuke because, well, he was Sasuke. "Ah, Sasuke-kun, you're right, he is unusually late…" She, too, joined her teammates in staring off at the horizon looking for movement.
"Bah," Naruto snorted. "Maybe we should all just go home, and come back much later, show him how it feels to be kept waiting…"
"Knowing Kakashi-sensei, if he didn't find us here he'd either search us out or just take the day off for himself," Sakura pointed out. "Whatever he'd do, he wouldn't wait here for us to come back."
"Maybe, Sakura-chan…"
Naruto trailed off as footsteps came nearer. The team turned around as one and immediately spotted Gai's team…or what was left of them.
Rock Lee was apparently in the hospital, or somewhere else recovering, because wherever he was, he wasn't with his other teammates. Still, Gai was Gai, and he was always exuberant. Neji and Ten Ten…well, they looked like Neji and Ten Ten, completely normal.
They stopped walking to stare at Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke for a moment, and then Gai asked, "Why are you three out here? Training by yourselves? Ah, the youth of Konoha today, such a spirited group!"
"We're waiting for Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said, crossing his arms and scowling. "He's really late this time!"
"We saw him when we passed by the memorial stone," Neji said, expression stoic as usual. "He was just standing there."
"Yeah," Ten Ten said, nodding affirmatively. "So, he didn't give you the day off or something?"
"No…" Sakura and Naruto answered at the same time.
"Ah…well, then, you should go find him!" Gai exclaimed, giving them the infamous 'nice-guy' pose. "Make sure to yell at him for not being able to stick to his word!" The three passed by and went on.
The mention of Kakashi, and the memorial stone, all in one sentence, made both Naruto and Sakura think about the ghost again. "Let's go find him," Naruto immediately said, cracking his knuckles. "What does he think he's doing, making us wait for so long?" he growled, looking as ominous as he could look.
"Well, I don't want to waste any more time here," Sakura said. "Let's go."
Kakashi wasn't the only one who'd been at the memorial stone that day. Genma had dropped by as well, and he hadn't been the slightest bit hesitant to intrude on Kakashi's solitude. He'd walked right up and stood next to the other jounin, and asked, "So, who're you here for?"
"Obito."
Kakashi didn't worry about telling Genma, or any of the other jounins. Most of them knew Obito, excluding the newer jounins, though in their death-filled lives, he was just another old face to them, now gone. Kakashi seriously doubted that any of them remembered anything else about Obito aside from appearance.
"Ah" was all that Genma said, chewing absent-mindedly on his senbon.
"What about you?"
"Hayate. And a hell of a lot of other people, but for today, mostly Hayate."
"Did you ever find out who killed him?"
"No, but it obviously had to be one of those Sand or Sound bastards."
"Going to get revenge?"
"No point in that. Killing the murderer never brings anyone back from the dead." A lot of jounins thought that way. Some had different idea about revenge, such as Asuma's idea that there were just too many dead friends to get revenge for all of them. The jounins and a few chuunins, having lived in the world for so long, knew that revenge never helped, unlike Sasuke who was hell-bent on killing Itachi.
"That's true," Kakashi responded, and then both of the jounins had been silent. Genma left.
"Kakashi-sensei!"
Kakashi blinked and his lip twitched. Who'd told them that he'd be there? Or was it possible that they simply figured it out themselves? Sakura was a pretty smart girl, after all…
"Yes?" he asked, turning around and staring blankly at the three rather irritated genins.
"You told us to meet at the bridge at six! And now it's ten thirty! That's…" Naruto quickly did some counting in his head. "Four and a half hours! Four and a half hours late, Kakashi-sensei!"
"I said six…?"
"Yes, you did," Sakura said, glaring. However, her glare oddly evaporated along with her anger and she asked, "What are you doing here, anyway? Neji said that you were just standing around…"
Damn, Kakashi thought. Now that he thought about it, he did hear Gai pass by not too long ago. So that was how his students had found him. Curse Gai.
"You do know that ghost, right? You're waiting for him!" Naruto exclaimed, looking triumphant.
"No…"
"Ghost?" Sasuke gave Naruto a skeptical look. "Ghosts don't exist…"
"Well, I saw one!" Naruto said, crossing his arms and glaring at his rival. "A Uchiha, too!"
Kakashi's lip twitched again. If there was anyone in his team who might know who Obito was, it was Sasuke…Doubtful, perhaps. But Sasuke was Obito's nephew. Still, doubtful. Obito had died before Sasuke was ever born.
Then again, even in the Uchiha family, not many awakened their Sharingan…perhaps Obito's name was recorded somewhere as one of those who'd awakened it.
"A…Uchiha?" Although his expression had barely changed, it was obvious that he was interested and wanted to hear more.
"Yeah! I can even describe him to you, he had orange-"
Kakashi cut him off abruptly. "Well, since you've found me and four and a half hours have already passed and gone, we'd better get started right away. We're sparring today, Naruto, you can go up against Sakura, Sasuke, you can fight whoever wins…"
Naruto only glared at Kakashi for cutting him off, but Sakura, who was much sharper than both of her teammates, gave Kakashi a suspicious and slightly triumphant look.
Damn her intelligence, Kakashi thought as Naruto and Sakura got ready to spar.
Thanks to mkh2 for the idea that Kakashi would be even tardier than usual! XD;;