Michael
Shyly, Hikari looked toward Nagiha — no, Nagiha-sensei — and smiled back, a blush rapidly intensifying on her face. She was such a dummy! Of course Nagiha-sensei wouldn't mind bein' called a sensei, she'd taught Hikari lots of stuff! That's what a teacher was supposed to do, so it was just common sense! 

... But inwardly, the validation Nagiha-sensei gave her just now was more precious than anything in the world. The redhead wasn't the smartest girl around, but Nagiha-sensei saying that Hikari understood what she was being taught by the sand-using kunoichi was clear enough to her — Nagiha-sensei did think of her as a student, and specifically her, so long as "One little brat" Was more exclusive than inclusive. And, even then, Hikari didn't think she minded too much. Nagiha-sensei had probably helped genin before Hikari, and surely did so after her, too. Where was she going with this? Ugh, thoughts were so hard.

Instead of trying to say anything profound, Hikari just ducked her head and ate some more ramen. It always made her thoughts a bit more controlled.

"Uhm..." She said at last. "Thank you, Nagiha-sensei."

Hikari didn't really know how to describe her emotional state. It was a different sort of pride-happiness-satisfaction than learning a technique or getting praise from Tou-chan and Kaa-chan. The former was triumph and the latter was something more akin to familial affection. Hikari knew she felt close to her mentor, but gratification she felt was something similar to that brand of affection.
Emily
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Small Office Building in the Shinobi Ward
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With the Kage's Office gone, the AMC had been forced to make a few temporary relocations. A small office building, just a few blocks down from their old HQ, had quickly been refurnished to serve as a replacement. Down the road, she could hear every hammer blow as the construction workers spent the day out in the sun, giving the village back what it'd once lost. With limited space, her office doubled as their official meeting room, with chairs and tables enough for everyone, alongside a few scribes to note down what had been said. The small oak desk was not nearly equivalent to what she'd left, but they would all have to make sacrifices. 

The newly appointed Grand Major had put in a request for a certain Keizo Murano to be advanced to Jonin. The boy had some remarkable accomplishments under his belt, most of which involving his instrumental role in the liberation of Kamakura City. But at the end of the day, it didn't matter. The Akimichi boy was the new Grand Major and if she'd learned anything during her years in the village, it was that one would always benefit from being on good terms with the Military Police. She'd sent him a short summons, earlier during the day, telling him to arrive by her new office a few minutes before noon. Hopefully, he wouldn't be late.
Roman
Murano wouldn't dare to be late to such an important meeting. The AMC, despite their new smaller HQ, was still an extremely important and vital part of their government. He arrived just a few minutes before his appointment, wearing a clean and freshly pressed outfit so as to make himself more presentable. The promotion to Jonin was one thing, but this was also his chance to learn more of the inner workings of the AMC and make a good first impression. His eventual goal was to join their ranks and move his way up the ladder, a sentiment he'd say that was rare amongst his peers. 

Assuming there was some sort of secretary he had to speak with first, Murano would give them a polite bow of his head and maintain a small and cordial smile. "Greetings. I am Captain Keizo Murano. My appointment should be just a few minutes before noon, I believe?"