Chapter 2

Meeting the Team

The room had cleared except for three lone figures, two of which were standing at an awkward distance from each other. Aimi hadn't stepped forward from her spot at the back of the room, and Kakashi hadn't bothered to acknowledge her presence. The Hokage's eyes shifted uneasily between the two figures. He knew, of course, that neither were pleased with the arrangement, he was positive Kakashi was nearly murderous based on how his two fists clenched in such a way that his knuckles were white. Sarutobi took a deep breath before confidently stating:

"I'd like you both to accompany me to Naruto's apartment."

Aimi let out the shaky breath she has been holding in since she walked into the meeting, nodding her head.

Kakashi still hadn't shifted his stance, in fact his ears hadn't stopped ringing. He had turned completely numb the minute her name slipped from the Hokage's lips. He didn't hear the rest of the teams called. He didn't hear all other jounins leaving the room. And he certainly didn't hear the Hokage's request. However, like a soldier, his feet moved on their own accord, taking stride with the Hokage. The only thing his brain managed to process was that to the Hokage's left stood the one woman he had hoped to never see again. Deep down, he knew that that was a lie. It wasn't until they reached Naruto's dingy apartment that reality had set in. Aimi was really in the same room as him, and Kakashi was going to have to face her.

Aimi looked around the dusty apartment. It was clear that Naruto didn't know how to care for his space, that wasn't unlike another ninja she knew.

Kakashi, on the other hand, looked perfectly at home in the cramped apartment.

"So this is where Naruto lives..." Kakashi said, looking around the room. Sarutobi sat pleasantly at the table, which was covered in old ramen packages, a mouldy bowl, a kettle and a carton of milk.

"Yes, he'll be on your team along with Sakura, and Sasuke from the Uchiha clan, good luck, the two of you will need it."

Ah… the Uchiha clan, one of the most formidable clans, however Sasuke was the last remaining member in the village. His older brother Itachi, though still presumed to be alive, has become a missing nin. Working with two inexpressive shinobi was not high on Aimi's list of things to do. Timidly, Aimi reached for the carton of milk left on the counter, originally intending to place it back in the fridge before it went bad. Lifting it to her nose confirmed her sneaking suspicion.

"This milk is way past its expiration date, one sip of this and he's be running to the bathroom all day, seems like this kid is one big problem."

Kakashi looked up from his feet, the one part of him that had become oh so interesting since her heard Aimi's name. She stole the words right out of my mouth.

She always had.

Kakashi stared at the back of her head, watching her as she pulled her long light brown hair into a high ponytail. Kakashi was hoping that over the last two years she would have changed so dramatically that she would be unrecognizable. That wasn't the case.

Aimi still stood shorter than he did, coming up just below his chin. She had always been thin, and that didn't change either. Her muscles looked more toned and her skin more tan, a clear indication that she had been spending a great more amount of time outside and training.

At least it was a clue as to where she's been for the last two years.

Aimi's eyes were still a shocking combination of blue and coral green, they had always reminded Kakashi of the ocean, something he had wished he had the chance to tell her. Kakashi's eyes snapped forward as the Third Hokage addressed Aimi.

"He's a fool, but it would be best if you looked after him. You have good instincts." Aimi nodded her head, she always enjoyed compliments from the Hokage, but she knew he was just trying to sweeten her up. She was still livid that he was making her do this with him.

"Sure." Her reply was curt. Sarutobi rolled his eyes slightly as he stood up from the table, passing Kakashi.

"Kakashi… you were a student of the Fourth Hokage and you possess the Sharingan. Who would have thought that you would end up looking after these two? I trust you both infinitely to look after the well being of this team, and I need you to work together to keep it well balanced and rounded. I know you have some… personal issues… with each other, but I need you to look past what happened and focus on this team." Turning towards Kakashi, he continued; "Your sharingan and your previous training and intellect will only get you so far, and probably only with the two boys, but with Aimi not only will you be more attentive, and on time, but also she will be able to pick up where you slack off. That's how you two have always been."

"I'm not so naïve that I'd go easy on them because of personal feelings." Kakashi's fist once again clenched. Now he knew why she was here, in this apartment listening to the Third alongside him.

"I know. I wish you the best of luck." The last statement was directed to Aimi, whose hands were clasped together. The Third Hokage left the two jounin in the small apartment, locking the door as he left. A small smile graced her lips as she looked towards Kakashi. Her glance was soft and filled Kakashi with a familiar guttural feeling.

"I guess… we'll just have to try, Kakashi." She stated softly, her gaze had dropped, fearing what she might find in Kakashi's lone eye. They were facing each other fully now. Aimi started reaching her hand out to him, but stopped before it reached its destination. Kakashi had his eyes closed, ready and willing to accept the familiar gesture. He wanted her to place her on top of his flak jacket, right above his heart.

Where it belonged.

Aimi watched as Kakashi's face pained as she retrieved her hand. "We should head down to the Academy to meet our genin." A mischievous glint found it's way into Kakashi's eye as he looked down at her.

"I think we should spy on them a bit, just to see what they're like." A soft chuckle escaped from Aimi's mouth. It was so typical of him to make assumptions about the team before he even had a chance to test them.

To Kakashi, her voice was like nectar, sweet and delectable. But her laugh only brought back the dull ache he's been feeling deep in his chest since she's been gone. He watched as she shook her head at him.

"Really, Kakashi? You can't just wait it out?" Shaking her head some more, she finished her thought; "Sorry I can't. My new apartment is sorely lacking in the furniture department and I'd like to get those before I'm forced to sleep on that god awful raggedy bed."

Another stab to Kakashi's heart. In previous years, whenever he was assigned a team, the two had spied on his new genin's dynamics. Joking and making bets on what would happen. She used to say to him, laughing the whole time: "This year your genin will actually pass!"

Before Kakashi could process that Aimi was moving, she was out of the apartment, chuckling softly as she went.

An hour and a half and a new bed later, Aimi stood outside of the classroom where she would meet her first genin team. A jolt of excitement ran through her body. Apparently she was more excited about this assignment than she originally thought. It will be a good way to reintroduce her to working in a team on regular missions. She doesn't love kids, but who really does at her age. At 24 years old, and a shinobi, the last thing on Aimi's mind was kids. Since she became a chunin, she saw kids only as things that got in the way. But today she would become a sensei. She would be responsible for guiding and instructing a small batch of youth through their most difficult years. And, as it turns out, Aimi was quite excited about that.

As the hour went on, more jounins went into the classroom to grab their genin. A few stopped to chat with her, most were just curious as to why she left. Something even Aimi couldn't quite answer. Kurenai, however, was who Aimi was most scared to see. Kurenai had been her closest friend before Aimi left Konoha.

Kurenai was anxious to see her friend. She had waited two years to see her and today she was determined to get some answers. As she rounded the corner in the Academy, she spotted Aimi lounging against the wall. She wasn't dressed in anything unusual, in fact she looked the same as ever: an open flak jacket covered her shoulders but displayed the black strapless top that was characteristic of Aimi. Her middrift was bare and her hitai-ate was tied to her arm, but that wasn't new. Her legs were partially covered by loose fitting pants that tightened around her calfs and her feet adorned by the typical ninja sandal. To Kurenai she looked the same as she ever did. Kurenai picked up her pace when Aimi noticed her, determined to make sure she wouldn't escape her grasps again.

Backing off the wall, Aimi considered running. Kurenai was never going to let Aimi forget how much pain she put her through. Yuuhi Kurenai was not the kind to forgive and forget. But instead of running, Aimi opted to stay where she was and braced herself for the inevitable clash. Kurenai practically jumped on Aimi as she pulled the younger girl into her arms.

"Where the hell have you been?" were the first words out of Kurenai's mouth, still holding Aimi to her chest. Chuckling Aimi replied with a simple:

"Training with Tsunade, where else would I be?" Kurenai rolled her eyes at the young girl.

"We've all been so worried about you. Asuma and I almost left the village to look for you, but the Hokage insisted that you were fine and forbid us to go looking for you." Aimi looked down at the floor. Her aim wasn't to hurt any of her friends. She just needed to leave.

"I'm sorry I left, I didn't mean to hurt you."

"Trust me, I'm not the one who was hurt. Anyways, let's not talk about that. Tonight I'm taking you out for dinner and you're going to tell me everything. You left in such a rush that we didn't know what happened or what was going on."

"Fine but only if you're paying, and you have to help me paint my new apartment. It's an awful shade of dull white." Chuckling, Kurenai gave her one last glance and a wink before walking through the door towards the genin.

"I thought you would be use to that boring colour by now, you lived with it for some time."

Aimi waited another 2 hours outside the classroom. She knew Kakashi was going to be late, he always is. She also knew that the three genin left had set a very menial booby trap. When Kakashi finally showed up, she stepped away from the wall, blocking his path.

"And?"

"They're amusing, but they lack teamwork. I don't think they can pass my test." Of course, when did anyone ever pass the test? Aimi stepped out of the way, and followed Kakashi through the door. Before Kakashi could even get more than two steps into the classroom an eraser dropped onto his head then bounced onto the floor. Aimi didn't withhold her laughter. She began to laugh, loudly, as she stepped into the room beside Kakashi, who was now sporting a nasty scowl. She jabbed his ribs a couple times with her elbow, still chuckling beside him.

"Oh lighten up Kakashi that was the best thing I've ever seen. It's what you get for being so late!" Kakashi looked over at the still laughing girl, narrowing his eyes a bit.

"You've been here for a while, you couldn't warn me?" his voice was low and husky. Aimi's body reacted involuntarily by sending a shiver up her arms and neck, consequently stopping her laughter.

"It's your just deserves." The three genin looked between the two jounin. The pink haired girl was the first to clue in that there was in fact two jounins in the room.

"Why are there two of you? Aren't each genin team only supposed to have one jounin teacher?"

Aimi shrugged her shoulders, indicating that they may explain later, but at the moment they were to follow her and Kakashi. When they reached the roof of the building, the three genin, like good students, sat in front of Kakashi and Aimi. Hoping to get some answers, the loudest of the three spoke up.

"Seriously, why are there two of you?" His voice was loud, almost grating, but Aimi couldn't help but think the boy as endearing.

"Well you guys are just lucky, take it as it is." Kakashi's voice was bored and unimpressed, his visible eye drooping. Aimi knew Kakashi didn't want her there. Hell, Aimi didn't want her there. However there was nothing that they could do about it and she was just going to have to make the best of it.

Staring out into the group, Aimi was confused. All three were so different from each other. The girl on the left, with vibrant pink hair, kept glancing at the boy seated in the middle. She was infatuated and Aimi could see why. He was obviously the Uchiha. However school-yard crushes weren't warranted in the shinobi world. This was something Aimi had learned the hard way. The boy on the right was Naruto, loud mouthed and intrusive. Why had the Hokage and the Academy placed these three on one team? Aimi smiled contently at the group before breaking the silence.

"Alright, why don't you introduce yourselves one at a time?"

"Introduce ourselves? Well what are we supposed to say?" Clearly Sakura was a perfectionist, wanting to impress in the right way even from the beginning. The next words came out of Kakshi's mouth, mirroring Aimi's thoughts perfectly.

"Things you like, things you hate, dreams for the future, hobbies… things like that…"

"Why don't you tell us stuff first, I mean before we talk tell us about you so we can see how it's supposed to work?" Seemed as though Naruto was just an idiot. Kakashi looked over at Aimi with a pleading eye, this was not something he wanted to do, so therefore, she had to go first.

"I'm Momoko Aimi. I like clear sunny days and sweet things." Kakashi smiled softly at this. "I hate… liars. I haven't really figured out my dreams for the future." At this, Kakashi's expression returned to a scowl. "As for hobbies… well I guess I have a few of them." Aimi's voiced trailed off, unsure if she should elaborate that much into her life, especially since she was just starting to rebuild it. The genin turned their attention to Kakashi.

"Me? Well I'm Hatake Kakashi. Things I like… things I hate, I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future.. I've never really thought about that. As for hobbies, I have lots of hobbies." Doesn't sound any different than the Kakashi I knew before.

Aimi watched as Sakura turned to her peers and whispered; "That was totally useless all he really told us was his name" That's how he likes it. Aimi thought.

Kakashi was always a mystery, even to her, and he wasn't going to change that now. In tow the three introduced themselves as Sakura, Sasuke and Naruto, and based on Kakashi's expression, it was time to get down to business.

"Good you're each unique and you have your own ideas. You'll have your first mission tomorrow." Naruto's face immediately lit up.

"What kind of mission are we going to have?" He was intrigued, a good and bad sign for a shinobi.

"It's a task that the five of us will do together." Aimi answered plainly. A few more grunts from Naruto before Aimi finally caved and said "A survival exercise." Sakura was the first to speak up, not impressed that her current accomplishment was being challenged.

"I thought we were supposed to have a real mission, not more practice. We already did this stuff at the academy that's how we got here."

"This is not like your previous training."

"So what kind of training is it then?" Naruto blurted. Kakashi's chuckle was quiet at first, becoming increasingly louder and boisterous. Aimi knew he was just riling them up. Of course, tomorrow was going to be hard, but Kakashi was being unusually cruel. Aimi wasn't going to do anything about it. Kakashi's test was hard, but necessary. She's seen him test many students before, and not one team has ever passed.

"Hey! Hold on, that's a normal question, what's so funny?" Now Sakura was antsy.

Kakashi's expression darkened. "Well if I tell you the answer, you're not going to like it. Of the 27 graduates that just came here only 9 will be accepted as genin, the other 18 will be weeded out and sent back to the academy. In other words this is a make it or break it pass-fail test and the chance that you'll fail is at least 66%." Upon seeing their disheartened faces, Kakashi let out an exasperated sigh. "See? Didn't I tell you you wouldn't like it?"

Naruto let out another huff or two before continuing to complain, seemingly stealing the words right from Sakura's mouth. "That's crazy we worked hard to get here believe it. What was that graduation test for anyways?"

"Huh… that? That was to select those who might be genin, or not. That's how it is. We decide whether you pass or fail. Be at the designated training spot at 5 am and bring your ninja gear."

With that Kakashi jumped off the ledge, leaving all three genin and Aimi thoroughly confused.

"That's it you're dismissed. Oh and tomorrow you better skip breakfast or you'll puke."

AN:

Hey guys!

1. I just wanted to say thanks to everyone that added the story to their story Alert. And a special thanks to LoneWolfPack (Sweet name btw) for reviewing. It filled my heart with happiness.

2. I don't know when the next chapter will be out. Mostly because I have a lot of school work I should be doing right now. But I'm done my summer class by mid june so the story should really pick up around then. Don't worry! I'll still update :)

3. Please keep reviewing! It makes me feel happy on the inside and I like hearing from you!