After their brief greetings, Menma quietly took a seat beneath one of the old trees at Training Ground 3. He crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and steadied his breathing. According to how things had played out in the original timeline, Kakashi Hatake wouldn't appear until around ten or even eleven in the morning. That meant at least five or six hours of waiting ahead.
So, instead of wasting energy, Menma chose to conserve it. Meditation and patience—those were the true tools of a shinobi.
Naruto noticed Menma's calm demeanor and sighed, scratching his head in frustration. He had thought that now they were officially on the same team, they might be able to bond a little. But both Menma and Sasuke remained as distant and quiet as ever.
Sakura sat awkwardly to the side, fidgeting with her hands, her eyes flicking between the boys but never quite finding the courage to speak. The tension between them was a far cry from the easy camaraderie Team 7 was meant to have.
Hours crept by.
One hour.
Two.
Three.
The morning sun had climbed high into the sky, and yet, there was still no sign of their jōnin instructor.
By the time the clock passed eight, Naruto's patience finally snapped. A thick vein pulsed on his forehead.
"Arrrrgh! That damn Kakashi-nii! I knew it! He's late again! It's already past eight!"
Sakura flinched at his outburst, forcing a weak smile. "M-Maybe something urgent came up on the way?" she offered, her voice barely convincing even to herself.
But deep down, she was seething. She had woken up at four in the morning, skipped breakfast, and rushed here just to sit and wait for hours. Any normal person would have cracked by now.
Sasuke's expression grew darker by the minute, his arms crossed as he leaned against a tree. His sharp eyes stayed focused on the empty path ahead, his silence louder than any complaint.
Menma, on the other hand, remained perfectly still. Calm. Collected.
Of course, it wasn't because he was patient by nature—it was because he already knew Kakashi's game. Using his powerful sensory abilities, enhanced through his Uzumaki bloodline and refined chakra control, Menma had already pinpointed Kakashi's chakra signature long ago.
He was nearby. Watching.
The jōnin had cloaked himself using a simple concealment technique—something that would easily fool most genin. Unfortunately for him, he was dealing with someone who possessed the Kagura Shingan, the "Mind's Eye of the Kagura," a near-unparalleled sensory ability.
Few in the entire shinobi world could hide from that level of perception.
Menma smirked inwardly. So you're testing us, huh?
Meanwhile, Naruto continued to vent, pacing in circles. "Urgent my foot! He's just late again! I swear, when this is over, I'm gonna report him to Grandpa Hokage! This is totally unfair!"
It wasn't the first time Kakashi had ditched him, either. He'd promised to take Naruto out for ramen once—and never showed. The memory still stung.
Not far away, the very same man hidden behind a cluster of trees scratched his head sheepishly as he listened in.
Still as loud as ever, Kakashi thought with a sigh. Naruto's got the fire, but no patience. Sakura… well, she's trying, but she's still just a civilian-born girl thrown into a shinobi's world. Sasuke's focused, though his anger runs deep. And Menma…
His single visible eye narrowed slightly. Menma's too calm. Not just mature—calculating. I'll have to be careful with him.
Unlike his usual tardiness, this delay was deliberate. Kakashi's true purpose was to observe them—to see how they handled pressure, boredom, and frustration.
Patience was one of the core virtues of a shinobi. Missions often demanded long periods of waiting, concealment, and restraint. Impulsiveness led to failure—and sometimes death.
So this wasn't merely a prank. It was a test.
Hours continued to tick by.
By ten o'clock, the morning sun blazed high, and the heat shimmered across the training field. Sakura sat slumped with exhaustion, Naruto fumed under his breath, and Sasuke stared ahead coldly.
But Menma hadn't moved an inch.
He sat there, eyes half-lidded, his chakra perfectly stable. No irritation, no fatigue, just quiet focus.
Watching through his hidden vantage point, Kakashi's expression softened behind his mask. He gave a small approving nod.
He's steady. That's good. Especially for someone carrying the burden of the Nine-Tails.
The Third Hokage's words echoed in his mind: "Pay attention to Menma's state of mind, Kakashi. A jinchūriki's emotions are the key to their control. Stability is everything."
Kakashi sighed quietly. Understood, Lord Third.
Finally, after nearly six hours, Kakashi straightened and decided it was time to make his appearance.
"Whoosh!"
With a brief flicker, his figure blurred into existence before the team, hands casually in his pockets.
"Good morning, everyone," he said cheerfully, as if he hadn't just kept them waiting half the day.
"Good morning!? It's already almost eleven!" Naruto exploded, stomping his foot. "You're five hours late, Kakashi-nii! Five hours!"
Kakashi scratched the back of his head with a lazy grin. "Ah, sorry about that. You see, a black cat crossed my path this morning. Had to wait for it to pass before heading out. You can't be too careful, you know?"
Naruto's face twisted in disbelief. "Do you even believe that yourself, Kakashi-nii?"
Sakura covered her face, torn between exasperation and awe at how casually he lied.
Kakashi gave a half-hearted chuckle, then clapped his hands once. "Alright, alright, let's get started. As I mentioned yesterday, today's exercise will be a test—a very important one. In fact, depending on the results, this might be your first and last mission as a team."
The air instantly tensed.
Kakashi's tone had shifted—calm, but serious now.
"If you fail this test," he continued, "you'll be sent back to the Academy to redo your training."
The words hit like a cold gust of wind.
Naruto's eyes widened in disbelief, Sakura froze mid-breath, Sasuke's gaze sharpened, and Menma, who already knew what was coming, simply adjusted his posture and feigned mild surprise to keep up appearances.
Their true trial as shinobi… was finally about to begin.