"You cannot be serious," Kasai's inflectionless voice said firmly, making Hiruzen slant a brief look up at him.
"I am very serious," he refuted calmly.
"The child is eight," the man pressed, clearly unamused. "She'll be unable to keep up with the physical demand, if nothing else." He paused. "No matter her lineage or prodigal status."
Hiruzen finally put down the report he'd been looking over, giving his friend his full attention.
He considered him thoughtfully a moment, before he leaned down to rummage through one of his secure desk-drawers.
Kasai caught the scroll he threw at him with thoughtless ease, not taking his eyes off of Hiruzen's face. He knew it, even though he couldn't see it.
"Read it, and tell me you maintain your stance," he challenged calmly.
Kasai stared at him a second longer, before he turned his considerable focus onto the scroll in his hand.
A few minutes passed by, the calm of his office belying the constant activity and work between the walls of this whole building. Never pausing, never resting. Only going through shifts of different people to keep it all up and running smoothly.
"…we're going to have to make some small exceptions," Kasai finally said, lowering the scroll and rolling it up again. Re-sealing it. "Afford her some considerations," he mused.
"It won't be long-term," Hiruzen assured him. "I want her to survive this war," he stated evenly, smoothing a hand over the wooden surface of his desk. "Imagine what we can do with that, given time and the correct training," he added, nodding at the scroll.
"You gave her to Katsurou," Kasai huffed, and Hiruzen was fairly sure he was amused under the seals on his mask.
"I must admit I hadn't expected it to work out, most assuredly not as well as it did, but," he smirked faintly, mostly unamused, "with the later information, it made more sense."
Kasai thought it over a moment. "I'll find her a team, granted she does pass," he decided. "And we'll work something out to make sure she's not sent on any missions that will be beyond her current limitations."
"Better get started on that, then," Hiruzen drawled.
Kasai gave a quiet huff. "Confident, aren't you?" he muttered. "I'm not handing anyone a place on ANBU for no reason."
Hiruzen smiled thinly. "The girl's more than proven herself in my eyes. She's the reason Katsurou's still breathing," he added, knowing just that simple reminder would motivate the man to track down Shiranui Kyo's personal file for a more thorough read in the near future.