The Great Medic (discontinued?)

21: Test of Patience

A/N - *scratches head* Heyyyyy, what's up? How have yall been? Thanks for letting me take my two... three-month hiatus. Spent that time very well. I did what I set out to do, working with others to help my country with the fact that afab people lost their rights. But, other than that, I also worked on my happiness and am now doing quite well mentally. I've gotten back into art and writing - I have a lot of work-in-progress stuff that I'm working on every chance I get. I started a new fanfiction in a different fandom, but I'm still going to try to work on this (even though I'm falling out of the Naruto fandom a bit).

Well, that's all from me. I don't really have anything else to report. So, until next time!

Team 7 sat closely together, hunched over in their quiet conversations. It had been three hours since the first of the genins had arrived at the clearing, waiting on their sensei. It didn't take long, though, once the clock hit eight in the morning, their teacher appeared in the clearing within a plume of smoke. "Good morning!" He greeted with an eye smile and a wave of his hand, "Did you all sleep well?" The three jumped at the intrusion, three heads whirling around to stare at the newcomer.

Sakura sprang to her feet immediately, pointing accusingly at him, "Kakashi-sensei?! You're late!"

Naruto hummed from where he sat, a bored look on his face, "Yeah, I was starting to think you'd never show." He moved to stretch his arms out, a popping noise coming from his back. "I do hope this doesn't become a habit of yours, Kakashi-sensei." He grumbled out, moving to stand up as well although with less aggression than his teammate, "If it does, I'll just spend my time at the hospital helping people there instead of wasting my time here."

The silver-haired jounin ignored the slightly condescending tone from his student. Instead of correcting Naruto on his lack of respect towards someone who, frankly, was older and more experienced than him, Kakashi decided to give his genins a bored look. "You see," He drawled out, waving a hand vaguely, "A black cat crossed my path, so I had to take the long way around."

"Well, even if you had to take the long way around, it shouldn't have taken you three hours to get here." Sasuke hissed out, arms crossed over his chest as he joined his teammates in their standing position.

"If I had any say in it, I'd say you're lazier than a Nara." Naruto huffed, turning his nose up at his sensei. Shikaku was right, Kakashi was lousy at keeping the time. Hopefully, this doesn't reflect on his teaching habits.

"Ehm, well, that's up for debate." Kakashi smiled once more, hands raised in front of him as if it would help dampen their apparent anger, "Let's get started, shall we?" He walked over to one of the three logs that were standing up in the center of the clearing and moved to set a clock on it. "This clock here will be set for noon - that gives you all about four or five hours to complete your task." The silver-haired jounin pressed a few buttons, setting the clock.

Sasuke narrowed his dark eyes, "And what task is that?"

Pulling out two rather aged bells from one of his vest pockets, their jounin teacher held them up in front of him at eye level, shaking them slightly for emphasis, "Your assignment is very simple. You just have to take these bells from me - that's all there is to it. If you can't get them by noon, you all will go without lunch and you'll be tied to those posts there." Kakashi waved a hand at the logs in the center of the clearing where the clock was at. "While tied up, you will watch me eat my lunch in front of you." He gave the three a knowing smile.

"Oh, so that's why you didn't want us to eat breakfast." Sakura nodded her head in understanding before patting her blond-haired teammate on his back, "Good thinking, Naruto. You really saved us this time! If it wasn't for your bento, my stomach would probably try to eat its way out of my body." Her words ended in a hearty laugh.