Hello everyone~

Hope everybody is doing okay! I am finished with my program~

So now I can put some more focus on this story!

Anyways, I hope you enjoy the next chapter!

~.~

Last Time:

Kyoko fell asleep almost immediately when Shikamaru started carrying her on his back.

"Man, you're such a drag," Shikamaru sighed, "Such a stubborn girl."

Shikamaru made it to Kyoko's house. He went up to the door and knocked it, the door opened and he was faced to face with the silvered-haired Jounin.

"She fell asleep so I carried her here," Shikamaru explained.

"I see," Kakashi said, "I'll take her off your hands," He said, picking Kyoko up, "Thanks for bringing her home," He thanked, giving him a one eyed smile.

"No problem," Shikamaru lazily said, bringing his hands to the back of his neck.

"Hope she isn't giving you too much trouble," Kakashi told him.

"She seemed like she was having fun," Shikamaru told him, "She's troublesome, but she's learning to have fun."

"I see," Kakashi said, "Have a goodnight."

Shikamaru simply nodded,

The Nara left the Hatake's home and went to the direction of his own home.

My mind slowly woke up, I wanted more sleep. My arms wondered the side of my bed.

'Something feels off...' I thought, eyes still closed.

I moved closer to the side of the mattress, and ended up falling off the bed face first.

'Ow...' I looked around, Akumu was on the foot of my bed, looking at me.

'Where's Shikamaru?...' I thought, '...right, the projects over.'

I thought for a moment, remembering last night.

"Man, he carried me home twice," I sighed.

'…it's 11:30...' I sat there was a minute, then quickly looked back at my clock, 'What? It's 11:30? Oh no, this just messed up with my training schedule,' I groaned.

I had my whole weekend and next week planned out, and the first day is already behind schedule. I quickly rose out of bed and did my morning stuff. I recently learned that I didn't really like the clothes I was wearing before, so I changed it to make myself more comfortable. Same black shorts, a meshed shirt and a black top that only covered my chest.

I was about to walk out when I noticed my forehead protector on my desk.

'...eh...' I grabbed it and tied it around my neck.

As I went down the stairs, I tied my hair up with the hair tie Ino gave me.

"I'm leaving," I said, not knowing if Kakashi was home or not, and left the house.

I closed the door behind me and stretched a bit.

The moment I was about to run, a voice startled me.

"You woke up a little later than usual."

I turned to the voice to see Kakashi, reading his book.

"How did I not notice you?" I asked.

"Cause you have a one – track mind," He said, closing the book before putting it away, "The moment you wake up, you're up and running."

"Cause I woke up late, Kakashi," I told him.

"So why are you so adamant about training?" Kakashi asked.

"W-Well..." I avoided his eyes.

I heard him sigh.

"Let's get some lunch," He told me, walking ahead of me.

I gave a strange look but followed.

I followed him to a tea shop, serving various teas and sweets. We sat down and I gave another look.

"I don't think sweets should be considered as lunch," I told him.

"Lighten up," Kakashi told me, "Order whatever you want."

I continued to give him a weird look before looking through the menu.

"Mitarashi Dango," I said, putting the menu down.

"That's all?" Kakashi asked.

"And green tea," I said.

He pushed the menu towards me, telling me to choose another one.

"Uh..." I sighed, looking through the menu again, "Mizu Yokan."

"What else?" He asked.

"Kakashi," I said sternly, "What are you trying to do?"

"Fine, fine," He said, waving a waitress over.

He ordered our food and started a casual conversation.

"That's a pretty hair tie, where did you get it?" Kakashi asked.

"Ino," I answered.

"You're usually not into stuff like that," He said.

"She made me keep it," I told him.

"You're getting pretty chummy with them," He told me.

"I guess," I said, looking into my tea cup.

'What are you getting at?' I wondered.

"Here you are," The waitress said, giving us our food.

"Thank you," Kakashi gave a one eye smile and looked back at me, "Dig in."

"Kakashi," I started, poking at the yokan, "What's the reason for this meeting?"

"Can't I treat my little sister out?" Kakashi asked.

"You've never done it before," I told him.

"I don't think we've went out to eat before," Kakashi said.

"I don't ask to go out to eat," I told him.

"You never do," He told me.

I cut a piece of the yokan and ate it.

"Does it bother you?" I asked.

"Not really," He told me, "Although, I don't mind doing it every now and again."

"It saves money," I said.

"You're a little too young to be thinking of money," Kakashi told me.

"I'm almost 12," I told him, "And I just graduated."

"That's true," He said, "You're a full fledged ninja now. But you're also just 11."

"What's your point?" I asked.

"What makes you wanna grow up so fast?" Kakashi asked.

I thought for a moment, finishing the yokan and moving onto the dango.

"I didn't have much of a childhood," I said, "Training is all I do, there's nothing wrong with that."

"But what's your reasoning?" He asked.
"...I dunno," I said, taking a bite.

"Is that so?" He asked.

"Mhm," I said, taking another bite.

"I think you do know," He told me.

"I really don't," I said, eating more.

"Don't choke," He told me.

"I won't," I told him, drinking some tea.

I then realized I ran out of food.

"...can I order more?" I asked.

"That depends," He told me, "Are you gonna buy out the whole shop to avoid the question?"

"There's no answer," I said, looking through the menu.

"I didn't say you could order more," He said.

"But you did say you'd treat me," I told him.

"You think I'm made of money?" He asked.

"You earlier told me I don't ask to eat out and that you wouldn't mind it," I told him.
"Well," He took the menu out of my hands, "You answer the question and you can get something else."

"Uhh.." I picked up my tea cup and started drinking the tea.
"You really are a nervous eater," Kakashi chuckled, "Come on, Kyoko, I just wanna know what your goal is."

"..." I sighed, "You...you graduated from the academy in a year when you were 5, became Chunin when you were 6. Promoted to Jounin when you were 10, and ANBU at 13. I'm gonna be 12 soon and I'm only Genin, how am I suppose to compete to that?"

Kakashi gave me a look, "That's why you train so much?"

I nodded, "Not only that, you quit ANBU to take care of me...I need to be able to become ANBU one day to-"

"I didn't quit ANBU because of you," Kakashi told me.

"What?" I asked.

"The Third Hokage relieved me of my duties of ANBU and assigned me to a new position as a Jounin leader," Kakashi told me, "It had nothing to do with you."

"That...raises more questions," I told him.

"I don't have any expectations that you'll live the same life I did," Kakashi told me, "In fact, I hope you don't live the same life I did. Grow at your own pace. You're growing to become a great Ninja. But you can do it on your own pace."

He handed me the menu.

"I didn't have much of a childhood," Kakashi told me, "You didn't have the best one either, but you can still have one."

"Even though I just graduated?" I asked.

"You have a week before you're assigned to teams, have some fun," He told me, "Then you can be back to serious for missions and such."

I let his words sink in.

"...I've seen you leave, saying you're meeting with the new Genin to form a team," I said, "And you always come back saying that you sent them back. Why is that?"

Kakashi sighed, "Actually, speaking of that, I'm a little late for a meeting to be appointed to teams, so.."

"Alright," I said, "...I'll try not to train today."

He ruffled my hair.

"You made some good friends-"

"Acquaintances," I told him.

"Go find your friends and hang out with them," He told me, ignoring me, "Don't worry about dinner, I'll make it tonight."

He paid for the food, we walked out of the restaurant, and said bye before Kakashi left.

"...he's gonna use me as an excuse for being late," I realized, "Alright...let's see if I can actually not want to train."

~.~

I went back home and went into my room. I sat at my desk and stopped myself.

"...week off, take a week off of everything," I told myself, "Why doesn't Kakashi want me to have the same life as him?"

I thought for a moment, 'I don't know too much about his past actually.'

I sighed, 'Probably cause I never ask.'

I leaned back on my chair, "What to do?"

I heard scratching at my door and got up to let Akumu in.

"Hi Akumu," I said as the black cat rubbed up against me, "...I haven't brushed you in a while..."

~.~

"...I need to brush you more often," I said, the trash can filled with how much loose fur I was able to brush out.

"Now what?" I sighed, laying down on my bed Akumu curled up next to me.

"Oh! I can start on dinner...no, Kakashi said he'd make dinner," I remembered, "...I can make dessert."

~.~

I had been in the kitchen for the rest of the day, making random sweets. I heard the door open and walked over to greet Kakashi.

"Welcome back," I said as Kakashi walked in.

"Kyoko, I thought I said I'd make din-" He paused, seeing the abundant amount of desserts that I had made.

"So...this is what you did today," Kakashi said.

"Yeah, I made dorayaki, a variety of daifuku, yokan, dango, kuzumochi, melon pan, checker board cookies, and there's some mochi ice cream in the freezer," I told him.

"You need a different hobby," Kakashi said, "How about after dinner, you give some of these to your friends?"

"Acquaintances," I corrected.

"Friends," He told me, patting my head.

I frowned.

'Friend,' I heard Fuzen told me.

'Acquaintances!' I told her.

Kakashi chuckled, "We can't finish all of these, you'll give them to your friends later."

I opened my mouth to correct him again.

"Friends," Kakashi said, "Let's go out for dinner."
~.~

"I thought you were gonna make dinner," I told him as we were walking through the village.

"After that meeting, I don't really wanna cook," Kakashi told me.

"I can make dinner," I told him.

"We'd have to wait," He told me, "What are you feeling for?"

"I'm not picky," I told him.

He gave me a side glance.

"You want something with soup?" Kakashi asked.

"I don't mind," I told him.

"Yes or no," Kakashi told me

"Uh..." I thought for a moment, "I don't want ramen today."

"Alright," He said, "Hmm...fish or meat?"
"Sushi," I said.

"Then we're getting sushi," Kakashi smiled.

We were seated at a restaurant and placed our orders.

I poured the tea while Kakashi let out a sigh.

"Did something go wrong with the meeting?" I asked, handing him his tea.

"Not necessarily," Kakashi said.

'She has a chance to succeed, but not with me,' Kakashi sighed, remembering his argument with the Hokage.

"Hmm," I looked at him quizzically, "Why did you order so much food?"

"I thought you would enjoy having a feast," Kakashi told me.

"Is that why you made me choose a restaurant?" I asked, "...thank Kami I didn't choose ramen."

"Are you excited to be put on a team?" Kakashi asked.

"To be honest, not that excited," I said, "I don't know who I'll be on a team with, and I don't know if we'll get along or not. It's enough work to tolerate the people who I was around, I don't wanna start another friendship mission again."

"Well," Kakashi said, "The Hokage chooses who he believes will be able to work together, as well as keeping the skill level balanced."

"I see," I said, looking into my tea, "Have they chosen the teams yet?"

"Uh, they're still going over it," He told me.

"Is that so?" I said, taking a sip, "As long as my team members don't get in my way, I don't care too much."

"Well, working together is important too," Kakashi told me.

"What was your team mates like?" I asked.

"Hmm," He thought for a moment, "We were able to work together."

'...that information wasn't helpful,' I sighed.

'If you want, we can look into his memories later and see~' Fuzen pipped up.

'What? No! That's invading privacy,' I told them, 'I don't need to know that badly.'

'Doesn't it seem like he's hiding something?' They asked.

'...I know,' I looked up at Kakashi, who gave me a questioning look.

"So...why haven't you taken on a team?" I asked, "I've never seen you with a team of Genin."

"Didn't you ask this question already?" He asked.

"Your answer didn't satisfy me," I told him, looking into his eye as if I was searching for the answer in it.

Kakashi sighed, "...I can tell you after the day," He said, referring to the day we meet our Sensei.

"Alright," I said.

'That's it? Nag him more!' Fuzen told me.

'He said he would tell me, I trust him on that,' I told them.

'Or you could know now,' They told me.

'Or I can be patient,' I told them.

Our food was then served. The amount of food was a little intimidating. I was scared I wouldn't make a dent in it.

"Dig in," Kakashi told me with a smile.

I gave a small smile, "Okay."

~.~

Thanks for reading~

Reviews are appreciate :)

Signing off,

BlueBirb