A/N: I don't know if I'll ever finish it, but here, have this. First Team Miki meeting. I found it in my files and didn't really edit it, so there could be tons of mistakes in it for all I know. 

"You have no idea how proud I am seeing all of you sitting here with your forehead protectors."

Shifting anxiously in her chair, Kazue kept sneaking glances at Noriaki's face next to her. Try as she could, she couldn't keep her attention on their sensei's speech. It was impossible- really. Her thoughts had stuck on the fact that in a few moments she would know whether or not she was about to be separated from Noriaki. Her family would have spoke up about their traditions. The third probably would have taken the tradition and the need for it into consideration.

Then again, most teams didn't consist of two people from the same clan.

"I guess I should get onto the part that you're all waiting for. Team one..."

She straightened in her seat, fists clenching into tight fists in her lap. As the names of the members in the first team were rattled off, she only tensed further. Their names weren't part of it and that only made the tension worse. As this thought crossed her mind, her eyes flickered over the graduates littering the room. She could pick out a few familiar faces- although she'd never taken much interest in those outside of her, Noriaki, and their immediate friends. Lee-whom she only knew as Noriaki's other friend- was sitting near the front, looking about as excited as she was nervous. A few seats down, a bemused smile on her face and her chin settled atop of one hand, was Tenten. Her eyes never shifted from their sensei. Then there was Neji, not someone she'd really term as a friend, but someone she knew none-the-less, and he was sitting in the front row, more relaxed than anyone else there even if his posture was perfect.

"Team two--"

The door burst open, revealing a sheepish, black-haired boy. Kazue grimaced, well aware of what his appearance meant. The runt had graduated as well. How he'd managed it was questionable- she'd never seen him perform anything beyond genjutsu- but it appeared that he had something tucked away.

"How great of you to join us, Jun-kun," their teacher remarked dryly.

Jun laughed, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand.

"Sorry Sensei!" he replied, not looking the least bit apologetic. "Couldn't get the kid back home to let go of me."

At this, Kazue almost took an interest in Jun. As she'd mentioned, she cared little for those outside of her small circle, therefore she knew little about this boy before her beyond that his parents had died the year he was promoted to their class. That little interest- however- disappeared the moment that their sensei ordered Jun to take his seat and moved back to introducing the teams. The names he rattled off continued to be faintly familiar- but none of them hers.

"Team Five, Kurama Jun--"

"Finally! Jeez, Sensei, took you long enough."

Their teacher sighed, shooting the loud mouthed boy a raised brow.

"Would you like to lecture me," Sensei drawled. "Or can I continue introducing your team?"

"Hard choice," Jun mused. "Oh, I suppose you can continue, Sensei."

"... thanks. As I was saying, Team Five, Kurama Jun, Asari Noriaki--"

Kazue shot a panicked look in her cousin's direction, almost forgetting that this placed him on the team with the dreaded "runt." No, all she cared about in that split second was that her name would be called next. She could take however long she'd be with Jun, as long as that meant Noriaki was there.

"--and Asari Kazue."

"Eh? Sensei, that group seems boring," Jun complained. "I don't wanna be stuck with them. Can't you give me someone more badass?"

Kazue's temper flared, her fears forgotten now that the matter of her and Noriaki's placement together had been settled. She glowered down at the boy, fingers curling into fists.

"Who said we wanted to be with you?" she retorted sourly. "Runt."

Jun, of course, simply cocked his head back with a cheeky grin.

"Hey, you do know how to talk! I don't think you've said a word to me before!" he replied chipperly.

She opened her mouth to snap that of course she had, but faltered when she picked up on the rather annoyed look their teacher was sending them. Kazue instantly sunk back down in her seat- cheeks flushing red when Jun snickered but spun back around to face the front of the class.

"It couldn't be helped, Kazue-chan," their teacher explained. "The teams are meant to even each other out... and Noriaki-kun does score rather lowly in most aspects, whereas Jun-kun is surprisingly a great student. Now, for Team Six..."

Kazue simply shot another glower down at Jun as he continued snickering. Forget being okay with the teams as long as she was with Noriaki- she couldn't stand that boy.

__________________

"Miki."

The girl in question glanced up, her arms draped over the bridge railing. Instantly, she brightened at the sight that met her eyes.

"Kakashi."

He took up position at her side, head cocked back to examine the stars stretching across the sky. His face was unreadable as she comfortably resumed watching the stream flow beneath the bridge using the light of the moon. After a moment, however, the jounin dropped his gaze to Miki.

"... I didn't see you at the academy," he commented.

Miki furrowed her brow, meeting his gaze with confusion.

"The academy?" she questioned. "Why would I... oh, was that today?"

Amusement threatened Kakashi's gaze as he simply nodded. Miki blinked a few times and straightened, her arms dropping from the railing..

" I doubt they're still waiting for me," she replied a moment later. "I'll ... go pick them up tomorrow."

"They were still there when I passed by ten minutes ago."

"... really?"

Kakashi simply nodded in response. Miki glanced in the direction he'd come from, cocking her head to the side as she attempted to recall what she knew about the team she'd been given. Jun, of course, she knew everything that was open to the public and more. The other two... well, she couldn't remember the third's name, but Kazue she was well familiar with. She'd never actually held a long conversation with the girl since she'd gotten older, but she'd seen her on the occasion that she stopped by to talk to Hisoka. Well, she'd have to make sure not to forget the last one's name this time, it would seem she'd been landed with an interesting group. She almost smiled, sticking her hands in her pockets as she started around Kakashi and off of the bridge.

"In that case, I suppose I should go get them. Hey, can we just... meet up with y--"

"No."

"... fine, I'll deal with them on my own," she grumbled.

"Try not to send them to the hospital this time."

"No promises."

__________________________________

Kazue shifted uneasily in her seat, shooting the classroom door an uneasy expression. The sun would be beneath the trees soon; surely their sensei was supposed to show up before this. Noriaki seemed as calm as ever, which wasn't helping matters. Even Jun seemed unworried by it all (he'd long since propped his feet up on the desk ahead of him and pull a book out of his backpack).

Still, she wasn't the only one startled to attention when the faint sound of footsteps could be heard from the hall. Nerves stole her ability to think (was she supposed to stand or stay seated?) and she found herself clumsily leaping to her feet the second a small, familiar red-head peaked through the door. Her hasty action sent the chair behind her clattering to the ground, earning her a snicker from Jun. Their presumed sensei simply cocked a brow, only studying Kazue a second longer than the others before stepping fully into the room.

"I'll take it that you all are Team Five?" the woman questioned.

Kazue nodded eagerly, and would have answered if it wasn't for how Jun was staring at the woman in a mixture of shock, relief, and something unidentifiable.

"Miki!"

"Miki-sensei," the woman corrected, her tone a bit teasing.

"You're..."

"I am."

Jun stared at her for a moment longer before laughing and pushing his feet against his desk and causing his chair to balence back on two legs.

"That's perfect," he announced. "At least my teacher is badass. Makes up for the boring team."

Kazue's temper flared, hands curling into fists at her side.

"Like I said, we don't want you either, runt!" she snapped.

Jun grinned.

"Well, there is that side of you," he consented. "So you have one entertaining thing."

Miki, seeming content to let Jun's mouth run, simply watched them with something akin to amusement. The second Kazue realized this, it was as if a bucket of icewater had been dumped over her. Great. The first impression she'd given was of someone who couldn't control their emotions. That was fantastic.