Team Seven has been healed for about two weeks now, so Kakashi is often busy, but he tries at least a couple of times a week to train his daughter. Her confidence level has sky rocketed and so has her abilities, not that she's noticed. Sure, she knows that she's happier and feels better about herself, but she has yet to notice her ability level increase. And even if she did it's not like she's all that concerned. The Chunin exams are being held in the Leaf this year and, personally, Mayu is looking forward to rooting Lee and his team through to the end - he'd broken his weird silence with her to excitedly tell her all about Gai entering them in the exams.
The smiling girl happily walks down the street towards her house, twirling her dad's chakra blade through her fingers – which coincidentally has become her favorite tool – only slightly aware of the weird stares she's been getting for the last two days. As far as expectant stares, Mayuri's used to them; she's been stared at plenty of times before in the Academy considering who her father is so the stares now, while strangely sudden, don't bother her at all. She opens the door and heads inside, expecting to be alone, and finds her father sitting in his usual place on the couch.
"Oh, hi Dad. I didn't think you'd be home this early." She quickly deposits the blade in its holster on her thigh, not wanting him to know she'd just been playing with it. That's when she notices a brown cloth wrapped package on his lap. "What's that?"
"Mayuri, why don't you sit down so we can talk for a minute." Kakashi smiles at his daughter and notes her immediate tense. Sure he probably could have worded that a little bit better but he didn't really know how else to say it. He watches as she slowly sits next to him, hands crossed in her lap and hesitation in her eyes.
"What's going on?" she asks, and Kakashi notes just a hint of fear in her voice. Not exactly sure how to soothe her fears he leans forward and ruffles her hair.
"Don't worry, this is a good kind of conversation." He sits back and clears his throat. "You know Mayuri, you've really grown in the last few weeks. Greatly beyond my expectations and I hope you know how proud of you I am."
"As I'm sure you know, the Chunin Exams are coming up in the next week and a lot of the teams are entering. I've even entered my own team."
"Naruto is going to be in the exams?!" Mayuri leans forward. "He's going to be so excited!"
"Well yes I know but I haven't told you the best part." Kakashi smiles and closes his eye. "You're also entering the Chunin Exams as an extension of Team Seven. Starting tomorrow you'll be training with me."
Mayuri just stares at him, almost as though she hadn't heard him. Kakashi hadn't known what to expect when he told her the news but he'd certainly thought she'd at least react.
"Me? You... You have to be joking." She smiles nervously. "I mean I'm not ready for the exams."
"I thought you'd say that, so I got you this." Kakashi holds out the package and Mayuri slowly begins to unwrap it. "I had it made especially for you, to give you an ace in the hole so to say. Everyone else has their own special technique and style, and after watching you train over the last couple of weeks I figured it out."
Mayuri stares down at the equipment in front of her. It's an arm gauntlet and, from the looks of the design, it's for her right arm. She lifts it up and looks it over, leather and cloth make it easy to adjust to her arm and keep the metal plating on the top from rubbing against her. A pointed blade just barely sticks out from the rest of the metal plating. It's weight is nice, evenly distributed throughout the whole gauntlet but it's slightly heavier towards the blade. Mayuri looks from the gauntlet to her father. "Is this...mine?"
Kakashi beams at her through his mask, proud of his gift and knowing she'll do great things with it. "Yes. I had it made especially for you." He leans forward and smiles. "Why don't you try it on?"
Mayuri looks back down at her gift and undoes the straps, sliding it on her arm and re-strapping it. It fits perfectly and stretches from her wrist to her elbow.
"Now, I noticed that when you activate the Lightning Blade you slide your left hand down your right arm." Kakashi leans forward and drags his finger down the length of the gauntlet. "Act like you're going to activate the Lightning blade and put only a little chakra into it."
Mayuri does as asked, surprised when the pointed blade suddenly extends to just over two inches past her first set of knuckles. Kakashi, getting slightly more excited every passing moment, points to the blade. "It's made from the same material as my chakra blade so you can easily forge a Lightning Blade with it."
Kakashi sits back and smiles at his dumbstruck daughter. "Look Mayuri, if I didn't think you were ready for the exams I wouldn't have asked the Hokage himself to let you participate. And you won't be alone. Naruto and Lee will both be there, not to mention Arianna is entering as an extension of Kurenai's team."
Mayuri stays silent, not really sure how to respond. She doesn't believe she's ready for the exams but her dad does, enough that he had specialized equipment made just for her. And she loved it. Forcing a smile on her face she looks up at her father and nods.
"Alright Dad, you win. I'll do my best!"