Chapter Seven — All Hail the Problem Child

"What are you doing up?"

Kyoko didn't look up, still sitting lotus-style and focused on the book open in her lap. "Woke up early. Decided to get some reading in."

"Did you get any sleep?"

"Plenty."

Kagami crouched down next to her and cast a critical eye over the book. "Studying?"

"Iryo-chakra molding." She finally looked up at him. "Are you about to make breakfast? Can I help?"

"I'd appreciate it." He straightened up with a groan and moved to wash his hands. "Any thoughts about what you'd like to do today?"

"I want to go to the Academy."

Kagami faltered and looked back at her. She was on her feet and setting her book on the table. When she looked at him, her expression was set.

He sighed. "Kyoko-chan, we talked about this."

"I know."

"Multiple times."

"I know."

"For a week now."

She huffed, crossing her arms. "I know. I've kept count, and you've said no twenty-seven times."

"How many more times do you plan to ask?"

"Until you say yes," she said, smiling. "What do you need me to do to help with breakfast?"

"Shisui?"

"I have him pulling weeds in the garden."

"And Kyoko?"

"I distracted her with Itachi. She'll be focused on him for a while. Relax," Mikoto said, sitting down across from him and accepting the tea he handed over. "We have enough time to talk. Now, what is it?"

"Kyoko is insisting upon starting the Academy early."

Mikoto blinked. And then she hummed and nodded, flicking her gaze away as she considered that. She sipped at her tea for a moment before setting it down. "I entered the Academy at four. As did Fugaku. There's precedent."

Kagami frowned. "Precedent isn't the point. She's not ready."

"If she's not ready but isn't believing you about that, then let the Academy itself tell her. If she isn't ready, then the entrance exam won't even let her in the front door."

"And if she passes it?"

Mikoto paused, raising an eyebrow. Then she laughed. "Oniisan, if you're worried about the possibility of her passing the entrance exam, then deep down inside you think that she may actually be ready."

He sighed, pushing aside his untouched tea. "They're both brilliant," he murmured. "Kyoko and Shisui. Both of them. Far beyond what Obito was at that age. Being too smart can be a dangerous thing, and I've just been hoping that . . . . Well, I could at least try to minimize that danger. Try to keep them as children while they still have a chance to be that."

"An Uchiha clever within his clan is a god beyond it," she recited. Then she smiled tightly. "Is Kyoko going to stop asking?"

"I doubt it."

"Then do something about it."

"Kyoko is your youngest, correct?"

"Technically, she's thirty-eight minutes older than Shisui, but he doesn't like people knowing that." Kagami shifted in his chair, staring at the portrait of their sensei hanging on the back wall.

Hiruzen chuckled, lowering his pipe. "Kagami, please. Relax. I made time to meet with you, and it really has been too long since we've talked."

Kagami forced a breath and sank back a little in his seat. "It's not you, really. Kyoko's had me stressed."

"She's four?"

"Four and stubborn."

"I see." Hiruzen brought his pipe back up and chewed on the end for a bit as he thought. "And she's what? Bullied you into letting her take the entrance exam?"

That got a laugh from him. "You could say that. Every other question out of her mouth is about starting at the Academy."

"And you really want to shatter her dreams with the exam instead of having to keep dealing with the questions?"

"Well . . . ." Kagami hesitated. "She won't listen to me when I say she isn't ready. And if she fails the exam, maybe she'll listen to that."

"If?" A pause. "You think she could pass it?"

"It's . . . a fear of mine. Kyoko is smart."

"How smart?" Then he shook his head. "No, the exam can speak for itself. I'll let a proctor know to expect her in the morning. And I look forward to seeing how she does."

"You don't have to do this, you know."

Kyoko frowned. "I know. I want to."

"I'm just saying that if you feel like you need to do this to prove something or because—"

"I want to be a shinobi," she interrupted, firm. "And if I fail the exam this time, I'll just try again until I get it right."

He sighed. "Okay. Just don't feel like you have to." Kagami reached out and combed through her bangs with his fingers, forcing a smile. "I'll be proud of you no matter how you do."

"Thank you."

He wanted to linger a little while longer, but he could see the way she was starting to fidget in frustration. Kagami straightened up and nodded to the door. "Alright. Go on."

Kyoko beamed up at him. Then she turned and pulled aside the door. "Junpei-sensei? I'm Uchiha Kyoko. I'm here for the entrance exam."

Kagami felt like he wasn't able to breathe the entire time he waited. There were several times he considered sneaking in and checking in on the exam. It wasn't like the chunin instructor would be able to notice him, after all. He would be able to get away with it. But Kyoko had looked so determined, so confident, and it felt wrong in a way to think about spying just to reassure himself that she wouldn't make it.

So instead, he waited. He waited and thought about telling Hiruzen to replace the seats at the front of the Academy. They were incredibly uncomfortable.

"Uchiha-san?"

Kagami snapped to his feet. The chunin was standing at the end of the hall, a thick stack of papers in hand. Kyoko was at his side. And oh, kami, she was smiling.

"Yes?" Kagami rasped.

"Kyoko-chan and yourself are scheduled to meet with the Hokage at seven tomorrow morning to go over her paperwork. And then she'll be in class at eight. We'll be placing her in Masuyo-sensei's class. Anything that needs to be covered to bring her up to speed, Masuyo-sensei will be able to do. Though, given her scores, I doubt Kyoko-chan needs it."

"Her . . . her scores?"

"I'm on my way to turn this in to the Hokage, but you can take a look at it." Junpei picked up the top paper and held it out. "Personally, I've never seen anything like it."

Kagami snatched up the paper and studied it. Hand seals, reading, math, comprehension, everything. Perfect scores. All around. Kagami's heart sank as he got farther and farther down the list and found nothing but great marks, occasionally coupled with a note detailing the specifics of how she had matched or exceeded previous records.

When he reached the bottom of the page, he gave a mild sigh of relief. "Oh, thank kami," he muttered, looking at the half score next to her physical performance. That there was something he could hold on to. She wasn't perfect. At that point, less than perfect seemed to be all he could really ask for.