PART 2

"I've been thinking," the Uindo leader said thoughtfully, folding his hands and looking at the Shinobi. The Uindo leader was a young man, only in his early thirties, but he possessed a great maturity and gentleness about him that made him as responsible and wise as the Hokage of Konoha. It seemed that he and the Shinobi were quite alike.

"What have you been thinking about, Hisakata?" Kakashi asked, slightly intrigued by the smile on the young man's face.

"I've been thinking," Hisakata continued, "That it's time she was sent to the Chunin exams." Kakashi felt his head snap up in attention.

"What?" he asked, fearing he didn't hear the sentence clear enough, "You mean…?"

"Yes," Hisakata smiled through his silk white hair, "She's definitely Chunin material." Kakashi was silent for a second as memories of his own Chunin experience ran through his mind. He remembered the challenges, the fear, the danger…

"…Are you sure she's old enough?" Kakashi asked; his voice dropping into almost a whisper.

"Of course," Hisakata smiled confidently, nodding gently as he leaned back in his seat slightly, "In fact, she should have applied years ago, at the age of six, even, if we knew that she was the Kaze Koneko. Unfortunately, we didn't know until about three months ago, so at her age right now, she'll fit in perfectly with the other Nekos. She's still a kitten, but this is the prime age that most Nekos take the exam at anyway," he shifted through a couple papers on his desk, scanning them briefly as Kakashi stared at him, slightly aggrieved, "And from what you've told me, she sounds more than ready," Hisakata continued, looking at the Shinobi, "Anyway, she'll have to go back to Kaze to take the exams, but only for a little while. There are special Neko exams that are taken, which will start in three months. So when that time comes, you and her will go up to Kaze and take the exams."

Kakashi sighed, shaking his head slightly in disbelief, his shoulders sagging. How could she be old enough already? She still seemed like only a kitten to Kakashi. She was always eager to run and play; she was still amazed by the smallest things. Was she really old enough?

"Do you not think she's ready?" Hisakata asked the quiet Shinobi, slightly concerned by his silence. Kakashi snapped back to attention, looking at the Uindo leader.

"Huh?" he asked absentmindedly, "Uh, well—you know—it just seems so soon …I mean, she's only eight—well, I took my exam around that age, it's just—for her—she's just so…" Kakashi trailed off.

Hisakata smiled at the Shinobi, who stared off into nowhere in particular, lost in thought.

"You don't want her to grow up, do you?" he asked, a faint smile behind his voice. Kakashi looked at him.

"What do you mean?" he asked, fidgeting nervously in his seat.

"I don't blame you," Hisakata laughed slightly. "She's a great kid. Spending all that time training her and getting to know her, well, she must have grown under your skin by now, right?"

Kakashi never really realized it, but the times that he had spent with Kira were some of the brightest, happiest days he could remember. He remembered how his life was before he came to Uindo to teach the untrusting energetic kitten, and how tense and somewhat dark his life was before. There were days when he would teach Kira a new move and proudly watch as she mastered it, her skills growing right before his eyes. There were days when the weather was so good that they would just sit by the water, Kakashi reading to Kira (skipping a few chapters in the process due to content) as she listened intently. And there were some days when Kakashi just talked and Kira just listened. She was so happy just being with Kakashi, exploring and learning everything with him, and he was so happy watching her learn and laugh and play. The thought made Kakashi's heart twist with an emotion he hadn't felt in a long time.

He did not want her to grow up at all.

"Well…," Kakashi fixed his voice quickly so it had no trace of sadness in it, "Like you said, she's a great kid. I'm just a little worried, I guess."

"Please, Kakashi, don't worry," Hisakata said kindly, "She can do it. There's still a lot her have to learn about her."

Kakashi looked up at the young man and smiled sadly.

"All in good time," he smiled softly.