A/N: Well, the demand for this was pretty popular when I posted the last tidbit, so I decided to finish it.

This takes place before Painless, but after the events of Colorless and Smoke and Lightning. It's the story of Miki's past history with Jun and how the two met. There is the warning, however, that this story does reveal a few not-yet revealed details about Jun's past and who exactly he is. While not a major plotpoint in the books, it may bother some people to learn ahead of time, so I figured I should warn you. Oh, and the events of this are not set in stone, as Painless develops, the past is subject to possible change.

Hope you enjoy this peek at the past!

P.S. I wasn't sure about who to dedicate it to, I had two possiblities in mind, but then settled on PortgasDMaria because she seems fond of the character! :D Definitely no pressure to read this, however, because I can completely understand not wanting the spoilers. Ah, and I'm being sincere, that's hard to read over the internet, XD.

Anyways, enjoy!

“The third offered me a position in ANBU.”

Miki’s eyes stayed settled on the water flowing beneath the bridge. Kakashi stiffened, but didn’t say anything right away.

“Offered?”

She nodded.

“Offered. Said that he thought I’d fit in, but that he also thought I’d make a good team leader and that if I waited a year or two, he’d give me the chance. Said I’m still a bit young at the moment.”

“So he gave you a choice.”

She nodded once again. With a frown beneath his mask, he braced his arms against the railing. His eyes swept over the water, much like hers did. Since that time a year ago that they’d stood there and decided to be friends, they’d often met in this place. It was mostly an unconscious effort. The place held sentimental value for Miki- something that was far and few inbetween for the girl.

“Did he say which team you’d be placed in if you choose ANBU?”

Miki’s lips twisted upwards and she gave a small nod. Behind his mask, Kakashi’s expression mirrored hers as he easily picked up on where her amusement was coming from.

“Of course,” he continued with a small shake of his head. “Where else would he consider?”

Silence fell between them for a moment. It wasn’t the sort that needed to be broken, it was more of a comfortable one as they both lapsed into their own thoughts.

“Do you know which you’ll choose?” Kakashi asked eventually. “ANBU isn’t easy.”

He wouldn’t lie to her and say that he didn’t think she could do it. There was a certain darkness required for the assignment, and as much as others might ignore it, it was in her. The third must have realized that when he’d given Miki the choice. At the same time, she wasn’t controlled by it. She wasn’t like him when he was assigned- a person diving headfirst into it all.

“I haven’t…” she began, hesitation clear in her tone. “But… can you imagine me leading kids?”

He didn’t respond and she took it as a sign to continue.

“It’s not just teaching them how to be shinobi, it’s helping them grow. I’m not normal-”

Kakashi chuckled and she frowned in his direction.

“-I’ll admit it. Would it really be possible for me to help a bunch of kids? I’m not the outgoing, encouraging type,” she added, then paused, her lips twitching up. “I’m not someone like Guy.”

Kakashi nodded his agreement.

“Tru-”

He cut off as the sound of someone running reached the two of them. As one, they spun in the direction, their instincts telling them something was wrong. At the sight of the two of them, the approaching shinobi paused, breathing heavily.

“What is it?” Kakashi asked, his serious tone a quick change from the absent one he’d been using while taking to Miki.

“A murder. I’m to let everyone know. There was a murder in the Kurama house- the killer’s missing and the only witness was a child. Squad Ro are to report to the scene immediately.”

____________________________________

She shouldn’t have been there.

Miki eyed the people swarming outside of the Kurama house, her mind acutely aware that the air was eerily still. Perfect if she was to do what she wanted to do- but shouldn’t. Slipping closer to the house, she activated her bloodline limit, her entire form shifting into smoke. Within a moment she’d managed to enter the house without drawing attention to herself.

A murder and a child witness.

It was the child part that had caught her attention.

When she was certain there was no one else in the room she’d slipped into, she solidified herself once again. Her eyes swept over the furniture, lips pursed as the meanings of it all registered. A small bed to the left, much smaller than her own. To the right a slightly larger one. Toys were strewn about the room, the closet hanging open.

She’d come into the child’s room.

The door snapped open and she froze, her eyes flickering to the doorway. Standing there, mask on, was a person she instantly recognized. They stared at each other for a moment before he sighed and gestured for her to follow him. Relaxing, she did as requested and followed him into the main room. ANBU were standing all around, accompanied by the third and a few people she faintly recognized as Kurama clan members. What she noticed the most, however, was the small child with her arms crossed over her chest, dark hair blocking the view of the majority of her face. The kid was pale and dressed in what she easily assumed was night clothes.

The witness?

As she and Kakashi drew closer, the third stopped talking to the clan members, his hand resting on the child’s shoulder. It was only then that she noticed the kid’s hands were stained a faint pink shade and there were dark splotches all over her clothing.

“Ah…” the third commented, spotting Miki. A second later his eyes dropped down to the child, then he nodded to himself as if deciding on something. “That will work perfectly. As I was saying, until everything is sorted out, I’d like to have the child stay outside of the compound for his safety.”

His?

It was a boy?

“But with who?” one of the Kurama clan members demanded, her eyes red and puffy. “I’m his family! I have a right to know.”

“With her,” he replied simply, and gestured in Miki’s direction.

“Her?” another questioned.

“She’s practically a child herself!”

“I always said that he should have come to the main house, why can’t we just bring him there now? Yakumo would love to have him around!”

Miki stiffened as the third let out a tired chuckle.

“Perhaps, but I think she and him will be able to understand each other a bit. Maybe he’ll talk to her and until the killer is caught, it’d be safer to keep him nearby.”

Miki’s head was spinning at the unexpected announcement, but she simply nodded as the third turned his questioning eyes to her. She wasn’t going to turn him down, it wasn’t in her nature. The child in question turned his dark eyes towards her, his hair falling out of his face for the first time since she’d entered the room.

“Miki, this is Jun. It was his mother who was killed.”

The kid’s eyes were dry. He hadn’t cried at all.

Her first impression of Jun was that he was a lot like her.

_________________________________

“And this is the room you’ll be using.”

The child stared into Miki’s guest room, then looked back up her. His arms were still wrapped around his own body. Not once since she’d managed to escort him away from his relatives had Jun spoke a word. When this thought crossed her mind, she suddenly recalled her earlier observation of the kid. A quick look-over of him confirmed the thought, his clothing was blood splattered and his hand stained.

“This way.”

He didn’t react beyond simply following along as she showed him to the bathroom. Within a moment she’d slipped the bag of his things that had been tucked over her shoulders off and dug through it for a new set of night clothes. Once she’d located them, she held it up for his inspection.

“How’s this?”

Faced with the actual need to respond, Jun nodded. Satisfied, she sat the outfit aside then studied him for a moment before moving on.

“Alright, strip.”

He simply stared at her.

“What?” she questioned, a frown appearing on her lips. “Go on, strip. Just down to your underwear, of course.”

Reluctantly, he followed her instructions. Her eyes skimmed over his slender frame when he’d finished and she wasn’t all that  surprised to discover a few scratches but nothing that would have contributed to the blood on his clothing. The idea was unsettling, however, as it meant the blood had to have come from somewhere else. Without a word, she turned the faucet on the tub and adjusted the water and plug so that it began to fill up at a warm temperature. Her best guess was that the blood wasn’t going to come off easily.

It wasn’t until she looked closer that she noted the strange seal settled on his shoulder. When she leaned forward to brush it, he stiffened but said nothing. Concentrating all of her focus on sensing the chakra laying beneath the marking, she discovered that it was not only weak, but old. Whatever it was for, it’d been in place for a long time.

The kid wasn’t that old, why would he need a seal?

Neither one of them said a word while waiting. He simply stood where she’d directed him to, his eyes still settled on her with what she was beginning to realize was a wary expression. She on the other hand was simply knelt down next to him and the tub, wondering how in the world she ended up in this position. When there was a layer of water covering the bottom, she directed him inside and shifted back on her heels so she could grab a washcloth out from under the sink. She would have left him alone to wash up, but wasn’t that certain that the kid was actually paying enough attention to everything to do as he was told.

Pulling out soap as well, she offered both the cloth and the soap to him. It became all too obvious to her within a moment that Jun was more interested in the water that had already begun to turn a slight shade of pink around his feet, which she just now noticed were also stained pink with blood.

What exactly had happened?

With a small shake of her head, she got the cloth wet and decided to settle on just getting the blood off, first, then move onto the soap. Perhaps the kid could handle that himself. This in mind, she took one of his arms and began scrubbing it. His eyes finally pulled away from the water as his skin began to turn a different sort of pink from the combination of her rough treatment of his soft skin and the rather warm water.

“That hurts.”

Startled, she stopped and stared at him.

“What sort of adult puts a kid in scalding hot water? You have no clue how to treat kids, do you?”

“So, you do speak,” Miki mused, ignoring the biting tone to his voice.

Jun tugged his arm away, a small frown on his lips.

“Of course. I’m eight, not two.”

Then, without saying anything else, he snatched the cloth away from her and slowly began scrubbing himself. Slightly satisfied, she slowly pulled herself to her feet, never taking her eyes off of him.

“Think you’ll be alright?”

He paused, eyes flickering to her. A wry smile appeared on her lips and she gave a small shake of her head, red strands of hair slipping into her face.

“With washing. I’m not going to ask about everything else just yet. I don’t think you’d have a truthful answer.”

Jun didn’t say anything, simply turned his eyes back to his chest, arms, and legs. Everywhere that the blood had stained. With slow, deliberate movements, he went back to scrubbing at his skin. With a small nod of acknowledgement, she simply turned and started her way out of the bathroom.

“Get dressed and come find me when you’re done. I want to ask a few things, if you don’t mind.”

_________________________________________

It was quite some time before the kid shuffled into her bedroom. Miki was perched in front of her mirror, habitually brushing her hair. Kaminari had always told her that in order to keep her wild hair tamed, she’d need to make sure to brush it each night. She’d never discarded the habit, even after she’d insisted on moving into her own apartment.

When she’d noticed he’d arrived, she stood, steering him into the seat she’d been occupying up till that point. Then, without another word, she simply picked up one of the smaller brushes laid out on the table and moved behind him so that she could brush out his wet hair. The boy tensed, but didn’t argue.

“I’m not sure how long you’re going to be here, so I thought I’d clear some things up,” she informed him after a moment. “You’re right, I have no clue what to do with kids. Can you cook?”

Jun glanced at her in the mirror, not bothering to answer.

“Ah, alright. Well, my cooking won’t kill you like a friend of mine’s, but it’s not the best. We might go out a lot while you’re here. Also, let me know when you’re going to take a bath, it’d be awkward if I walked in on you. Are you a student?”

He simply stared at her for a moment before slowly nodding.

“Alright, I’ll escort you to the academy in the mornings, then. I can’t imagine it’d be a good idea for me to just send you on your own. Is there anything else I should know about you?”

“... you aren’t going to ask?” he muttered.

She stopped brushing, her eyes meeting his in the mirror.

“Do you want to answer?” she countered.

“... not about that,” he continued after a moment. “The seal, don’t you want to ask about it?”

After a moment’s thought, she shrugged.

“It’s the same answer as before, only if you want to give me the answer.”

“It’s because they were scared of me,” he answered, then stiffened. “I guess it doesn’t matter now.”

She searched his face as she lowered the brush to her side. What was the kid thinking? His expression was even, his voice strangely calm despite the circumstances. His mother had just been killed right in front of him- yet beyond the strange silence whens he’d escorted him here, he seemed unaffected.

“Why would they be scared?”

Abruptly, Jun suddenly stood, turning to face her with that same, even expression.

“Can I go to bed, now?”

After a few moment’s hesitation, she nodded.

“I’ll get you up in the morning if you’d like, that way you can attend classes.”

“Do what you want.”

______________________________

She awoke to screaming.

Without a second thought, Miki scrambled out of bed and darted down the hall to the guest room. She was only partly relieved when it became obvious that the boy was having a nightmare and wasn’t being attacked. Settling the weapon she’d grabbed from her bed-side table on a nearby surface, she slowly began making her way to where Jun was thrashing on the bed. Whens he began to reach out to wake him, however, she caught sight of her hands and froze.

They looked as if they were being blown away.

Stumbling backwards, she found herself almost glued to the floor in disbelief as the room appeared to be shifting around her. As the boy’s nightmare seemed to get worse, the room became more twisted, objects seeming to melt away in a manner that sent shivers down her spine. The way her limbs seemed to be disappearing only made it worse.

‘Genjutsu.’

The word flashed through her mind in an instant and she could only stare at where Jun laid.

He was using genjutsu in his sleep.

“Jun-kun.”

Her voice was calm, soothing even. Still, he continued to cry out, whatever he was seeing only causing the scenery to become more twisted. Focusing her chakra, Miki closed her eyes and moved her hands as if they hadn’t seemed to disappear like she’d seen.

“Release.”

When she opened her eyes, the guest room was back in place. That uneasy feeling continued to grow in her chest, however, as she closed the distance between her and Jun and planted her hands down on his shoulders, shaking him gently.

What sort of eight year-old child could use genjutsu to that extent, especially when unconscious?

“Jun-kun, wake up. You’re fine.”

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. Unlike the dull expression she’d seen in them for the majority of the time since they’d met, his eyes were wide and frightened. They darted around the room as if checking whether or not his dreams had followed him to reality. His entire body was trembling, tears suddenly flooding to the surface when all he saw was her.

“Okaasan…Jin-chan..”

The was quiet- almost as if he was begging for his eyes to be wrong when they focused on Miki.

“She… Otousan… I… my imouto...”

Hesitation swept through Miki.

How did you deal with a crying child? That wasn’t something they taught in the academy or during training. It wasn’t something Yukio had deemed a needed skill, either. If she’d cried, he’d always begun to laugh.

Somehow that didn’t seem appropriate. As panic began to set in when the tears rolled down his cheeks, she simply did the first thing that came to mind. Her arms wrapped around him and pulled the child against her chest.

“I’d like to say it’d be alright…” she mumbled after a moment. “But that’d be a lie, wouldn’t it?”

“Why’d he do it?” the boy asked, his voice just as quiet and begging as before. “Why’d Otousan do it?”

She stiffened.

The killer was his father?

“Why’d he k-kill Okaasan? Why’d Jin-chan disappear?”

“... I don’t know.”

The boy didn’t say anymore and neither did she. Eventually, he pushed her away, rubbing the back of his hands against his eyes and glancing around the room, as if searching it once again for something.

“... I’m going back to sleep.”

“... I’ll stay here,” she told him after a moment and turned, sliding to the floor and settling with her back against the side of the bed.

“Don’t be stupid.”

“It’s my house, I can be stupid in it if I want.”

“... baka.”

____________________________

In the morning, after she’d dropped him off at the academy, Miki felt restless. Almost without a conscious thought on the matter, she found herself heading for the hokage’s office.

“Who is he?”

The third glanced up from the stack of reports on his desk, not all that surprised to find the small red-head standing in his doorway. The girl never had really picked up on the idea of knocking before entering, just like several other social niceties that most people seemed to generally understand.

“Kurama Jun.”

“No, I knew that,” she replied instantly. “But who is he, really? That kid… he’s strange.”

The third rose a brow and she rolled her eyes.

“Yes, I know, I’m strange, but he’s my level of strange. He performed jutsu in his sleep. He saw his father kill his mother, but other than a nightmare, he acts like nothing happened. He mentioned someone who’d disappeared. Who is he?”

“So the rumors were true,” the third mused.

She blinked.

“What?”

He shook his head, settling both hands on his reports as he studied her thoughtfully.

“Explain to me exactly what happened.”

Hesitantly, Miki began retelling the event, starting from waiting up in the middle of the night. The third’s expression as she spoke was cryptic, although if she had to guess, he seemed tense. As she’d finished, he simply shook his head.

“This does not go outside of this room.”

Miki nodded.

“Understood.”

“That child… is a Kurama. It may not mean anything to you since you weren’t born here, but they were once a rather great clan. Just like how the Asari have fallen, however, so have they. The main house is down to only one child, and her body is rather frail. Most believe that the clan will end with her generation.”

“Jun?”

“His mother was the sister of the clan head, but she separated from them shortly after her decision to marry his father. She, like the current heir, had a weak body. Becoming a shinobi was impossible for her and most believed having a child was as well, which is why there wasn’t much objection. She did, however, manage to have one, Kurama Jun. Only a few years after his birth, however, there was a big stir in the clan. Apparently some of the members had visited and seen the kid practicing genjutsu at a level that should have been impossible.

“The rumor spread that he’d inherited the bloodline limit of the clan. Shortly after, the head requested for the child to be brought to the main house, obviously planning on testing him. When Jun was brought in and requested to perform the jutsu that he had been seen practicing, he wasn’t able to do anything. When questioned, his mother announced that they must have been mistaken, that the child only knew the basics of chakra molding, and had only begun to perform the most simple illusions.

“They tested him on several more occasions, but nothing ever came of it. The rumors began to die out with the birth of the head’s daughter, who did prove to have inherited the skill. Jun’s family was allowed to settle back into their lives outside of the clan.”

Miki’s mind, almost on it’s own accord, pulled up the image of the seal on the child’s shoulder.

“They were wrong,” she guessed.

The third was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded.

“Perhaps… but there’s no need to share that. The boy has enough on his shoulders as it is. ANBU located his father early this morning.”

When the third paused this time, she easily guessed why. At the same time, Miki waited for him to speak the words.

“When they confronted the man, he refused to return. It’s unfortunate, but he died in the battle. Our best guess is that he was a spy and his wife must have discovered this. He had a scroll on him with the seal of another village.”

“What of the sister he mentioned?”

“Missing and while I’ve widened the search, I have a feeling we’re not going to find her.”

“What’s going to happen to Jun?” she asked instantly.

“He’ll probably end up living with his relatives. There is another couple that separated themselves from the clan, I’m looking into their opinion on the matter.”

“What about his bloodline limit?”

The third studied her for a moment, then smiled slightly.

“Well… if you’re interested… there is something we could do. Have you given any more thought into becoming a team leader?”