"Think we ought to get going now?" Naruto spoke into his earpiece.
"Hell no, we'd only be five minutes late! Give them at least fifteen more," Sasuke's reply crackled in his ear.
"But I'm bored! Why do we have to make sure we're late? It was always annoying when Kakashi-sensei was," Naruto huffed.
"Think about it, baka, it made us angrier, more likely to pass. Or at least, that's the way I thought about it. Hopefully our teams are short on patience," Naruto felt a rush of wind pass over him briefly as Sasuke appeared on the same branch as him. Naruto glanced out of the peephole of leaves at the six assembled genin waiting on the southern bridge.
"Thinking back on it, Kakashi was a great teacher," Sasuke mused aloud.
"Yeah," Naruto agreed. "Though sometimes I wonder how in Kami's name he put up with the three of us."
Sasuke released a light huff of laughter. "Yeah, that man's patience was something else."
"Would you quit talking about me like I'm dead?" came a deep voice from behind them.
The two jonin did not turn around. "Ha, Naruto, I won," Sasuke said.
Naruto grumbled, stalling as he tried to figure a way out of the bet.
"Won what?" Kakashi asked, taking a seat on the branch nearest them.
"We bet on when you'd come out of hiding. Sasuke guessed three minutes, twenty seven seconds, and was spot on, I said three minutes sixteen seconds," Naruto growled.
Kakashi released a sigh. "I've lost my element of surprise?"
"That's what happens when you turn thirty-six and have spent eight years with your students. Not to mention you're practically a geezer," Naruto kidded.
"Or maybe it's because I spend too much time around you two. Shinobi-" Kakashi began, but was cut off in mid sentence by his former students speaking in monotone unison.
"Should always know the most about their opponent, and never reveal anything about themselves. Shinobi, even as lovers, should keep some secrets." The boyish jonins cracked smiles as they finished their instructor's lecture.
"You really need some friends, Kakashi-sensei, we know you too well," Naruto smirked good-naturedly.
"Too bad for you boys I know you all too well, too," came an ominous, evil, spine-shivering voice from behind them. They twisted the necks around to see a particularly intimidating Haruno Sakura with her arms folded across her chest, dangerous shadow covering her eyes.
"AAAIEE!" came the multiple cries as she whacked them each on the head in one swipe, strong enough to send the three jonin to the forest floor before they could understand what happened.
"IDIOTS! WE'D BEEN WAITING FOR TWENTY MINUTES ALREADY!" she shook them by their collars.
"Alright, alright!" Naruto held up his hands in defense. "We'll go, we'll go!"
As the three male jonins trudged over the bridge, Sakura chanting "three little idiots, sitting in a tree F-A-I-L-I-N-G," as they went, they exchanged suffering glances.
"You're late, Naruto-sensei," one of three students, Naruto's students, who was poised coolly, nonchalantly against the scarlet painted wood, made no effort to call. Naruto smiled to himself. Two weeks in and Yamizaki Seiya, Mataki Kumori, and Yamashita Hideki really had established themselves as Sasuke-type genin.
"I'm here now, aren't I Seiya?" Naruto rebuttled. The dark haired genin did not reply, instead, he glared at something on the ground.
"Sasuke-sensei!" Naruto turned his head slightly to see a dark haired kunoichi-in-training waving feverishly, joyfully as she saw her sensei approaching.
"Oi, Ayami!" Sasuke called back to his student. Hyuuga Ayami? Naruto thought to himself. Sasuke landed himself a Hyuuga?
"Why don't my students get excited to see me?" Naruto complained to his self-satisfied looking companion.
"You weren't kidding when you said they were a bunch of Sasukes, were you?" Kakashi asked.
Sasuke glared at his teacher, but it melted into an amused smirk. "So they're all incredibly talented, handsome prodigies?"
"I was thinking the more like arrogant, overconfident, stick-up-my-ass, types," Naruto returned his smirk with a mocking one of his own.
"Very funny-" Sasuke began, but Kakashi cut them both off.
"Don't argue in front of your pupils," the silver-haired sensei chastised his former students.
They looked down at their feet. "Sorry Kakashi," they muttered in unison, just before reaching their own pupils.
"Sensei!" the energetic Hyuuga's eyes twinkled with excitement. "Is it true that we're fighting you today?"
Sasuke gave a rare genuine, almost paternal smile. Aie! Sasuke must really be fond of this student! Naruto thought. Sasuke's glance found Naruto's, and the smile disappeared. "In a way, you'll see once we get to training ground three," he said. "Let's go, we're already running late."
"I bet it's all Naruto-sensei's fault," the silvery-blond haired Kumari growled.
Naruto shot her a glare. "Treat your sensei with respect."
She snorted at this remark.
"While I agree that things usually are Naruto's fault," Sakura spoke from behind them. "In this case, we must blame a different sensei for this habit," she shot a glance at Kakashi who hid behind an old copy of Icha Icha Paradise.
"Thank you, I think, Sakura-chan," Naruto was slightly confused by his friend's words. "Anyway, let's go," he waved as he turned around, the entire group following him.
"So, you're training a Hyuuga?" Naruto asked Sasuke as the students were busy socializing or, in Naruto's students case, freezing out the rest of the world.
"Yeah, she's got some real talent. My other two are Nishi Katsu and Kou Raito, Katsu is taijutsu type, amazing potential, but I've yet to see an inkling of dedication, where as Raito is genjutsu, has great potential, and is very dedicated, just a little klutzy," Sasuke explained his team's dynamics to Naruto.
"Seiya, Hideki, and Kumari really are a lot like you were, they've nailed every challenge I've presented them with." He frowned. "Something about Kumari . . ."
"What?"
"I can't tell, in the middle of a fight she gives off this aura, I've never heard of or experienced it. Do you know anything about the Mataki clan? Any kekkei genkais?" He turned inquisitively to his raven-haired friend.
Sasuke's brow knit in thought. "No, I haven't," was his reply, meeting the blond's gaze.
"Hn, well, I'll find out eventually."