Chapter Ten — Three Weeks on a Rock

"Tousan, my sensei said to give you this."

It took everything in him not to jump in surprise. He was, though. Surprised, that is. Which was ridiculous, because there was no way it made sense for Kyoko to have gotten inside the house without him noticing. Shisui was just as surprised, it seemed, because the boy squeaked in alarm and tumbled from his place atop the couch cushions he'd stacked.

Kagami set down the plate he'd been washing and dried his hands off with a towel, turning. "Kyoko-chan, I didn't hear you come in." He smiled at the genuinely confused look she gave him and reached out for the envelope she was holding. "What's this? A note?" He frowned. "Did you get in trouble today?" Because that was a ridiculous thought. Smart, well-behaved, quiet Kyoko causing trouble at the Academy? Though . . . he supposed it wouldn't be the strangest thing she'd done in the past month.

She handed the envelope over and sat down at the table, dragging her bag up onto the bench next to her. With a shrug, she said, "I don't think so." Kyoko dug in her bag and pulled out a large textbook that she then dropped on the table with a thud.

Kagami paused halfway through unsealing the envelope. He stepped forward and put his hand down on the front cover before she could open the book. "Where did you get this?" he murmured, running his fingers across the words Illusions and Reality: The Art of Genjutsu. "You didn't take this from the Archives, did you?"

"Of course not." She looked up at him, clearly unimpressed by the question. "The Academy library has a decent selection, though. I checked this out yesterday."

"Ah." He pulled back and watched as she opened the book, flipping through the pages until she stopped over halfway through. "Yesterday?"

She just hummed in response to that. Kagami finally finished opening the envelope and took out the paper inside. It was a short note, but he read it with a frown. He did a poor job of holding back a distressed sigh.

Kyoko's head snapped up. "Tousan? Are you okay?"

He caught his breath. How long had she been like this? Why hadn't he noticed sooner the way she took any sign of discomfort, of unhappiness, in anyone around her and internalized it as her own fear? Kagami smiled. "I'm fine, Kyoko-chan," he murmured, watching the way the anxiety in her eyes unraveled at those few words. "Did—" He paused. "You showed off your ability to do kawarimi in class today?" Then exactly what he'd read and said settled in. "Wait, you can do kawarimi?"

She wrinkled her nose. "I wouldn't call it showing off. Masuyo-sensei asked me to identify what jutsu a series of hand seals were for. I said kawarimi and asked if she wanted me to demonstrate."

"And she said yes?"

"She said yes."

"And you did it?"

"I'm very good at it. Is that what the note is about? She said I could demonstrate."

"No, it's—" Kagami stared at the appointment time stamped at the bottom of the page. "She just wanted to let me know." He folded the paper up and tucked it away in his pocket. "I have a mission in the morning. Do you want me to walk you to the Academy, still? We'd have to leave earlier than normal."

She beamed, and there wasn't a hint of suspicion in her expression. "Of course!"

"Tousan," Kyoko said, a warning edge entering her voice that really didn't sound like it could be coming from his daughter. "Why are we going to the Hokage?"

Kagami looked down at her and tried to smile, continuing to lead her up the stairs. "Your teacher arranged a meeting for us. I'm sure it's nothing to be concerned about."

"You didn't tell me that the note mentioned this."

"I didn't want you to worry." He guided her into the building ahead of him. "And I really do have a mission."

"I know. You'll be safe, right?"

He chuckled. "Of course. Oh, looks like they're waiting for us." He stepped through the open door. "Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen looked away from his conversation with Masuyo and smiled. "Ah, Kagami. Kyoko-chan. I'm glad you made it. How are you, Kyoko-chan?"

Kyoko folded her hands behind her back. "I'm well. Thank you, Sandaime-sama."

"I've heard some interesting things from your teacher."

Kagami glanced nervously at Masuyo, anxiety stirring in his gut. Some of it alleviated at the smile he found on Masuyo's face as the teacher looked at his daughter. He cleared his throat. "Interesting, Hokage-sama?"

Hiruzen nodded to Masuyo, and the instructor straightened. "Kyoko-chan, I've noticed that you seem to have trouble paying attention in class. Could you tell me why?" she asked.

Trouble paying attention? Kyoko? No, that couldn't possibly be right. Kagami looked down at his daughter incredulously.

Kyoko worried her lip for a second. "It's . . . boring. I'm sorry, Masuyo-sensei. I do like the way you teach, but none of it is new."

"I gathered as much." Masuyo glanced at Kagami for a brief moment before stepping back and nodding to Kyoko. "Please demonstrate kawarimi for Hokage-sama."

Kyoko smiled and brought her hands up into a single sign. Kagami caught his breath as, in a puff of smoke, his daughter was replaced with chair. He looked to the side to find her five feet away from where she'd been previously.

Hiruzen made a sound of interest and leaned forward, lacing his fingers together. "Do you know the rest of the Academy Three, Kyoko-chan?"

"The rest?" Kagami asked, barely able to keep the incredulous squeak out of his voice. That, that was ridiculous. Of course she didn't—

"I know henge," Kyoko announced. "I don't have bunshin down just yet."

"Show me," the Hokage said.

Kyoko straightened and went through several hand signs this time. Another puff of smoke, and then there were two Masuyo. A couple seconds later, a third puff of smoke returned his daughter to him.

Hiruzen nodded and picked up a piece of paper, holding it out. "Here's an overview of Kyoko's grades and a summary of Masuyo-san's assessments from the past three weeks."

Kagami took the page, proud of how little his hand shook. He looked it over, holding his breath. Really, there was only one conclusion he could come to. "You want to move her up a year."

Kyoko lit up as if nothing in the world could have possibly made her happier than that statement. Masuyo looked proud. Hiruzen smiled. "With your approval, of course. But it's clear that Kyoko-chan will do nothing but stagnate in her current class."

"That—" Kagami swallowed. "That would put her on track to graduate at the age of six. They— Students usually graduate the Academy at nine."

"Tousan," Kyoko said. When he looked at her, she was smiling. "I'd like to advance."

She was so smart. Too smart for her current class. Too smart for him to want to let her move on. Kagami took a deep breath. "Okay," he murmured. "Just this once."

Kagami's leg hurt from a doton jutsu he hadn't dodged, his eyes hurt from sharingan overuse, and his head hurt from a week and a half of worrying about how Kyoko was doing in his absence. Was she adjusting well to her new class?

A terrible part of him hoped she wasn't. Because maybe, just maybe, if she didn't like her new class, then she'd ask to go back a year.

He tried to focus as he delivered his verbal report to the Hokage. Tried to concentrate. But between the exhaustion and the anxiety, it was clear that he was struggling. Clear enough that Hiruzen seemed to take pity on him. The Hokage said he could get everything he needed from the written report and would ask him back for follow up questions if needed. So with the order to have the written report completed by the next evening, Kagami trudged out of the tower.

"Oniisan."

Kagami stilled and looked to the side. "Mikoto-hime," he murmured, shoulders rising. "Is something wrong? Kyoko and Shisui, are they—"

"They're fine. I just wanted to catch you so I could let you know." She reached out and fit her hand into the crook of his arm, guiding him forward.

He stumbled alongside her for a moment before managing to match her stride with an awkward limp. "Let me know what? What happened?"

"I caught Kyoko-chan practicing summoning iryo-chakra."

He stumbled again. This time, Mikoto's grip turned to iron as she kept him up, her other hand coming around to press up against his chest. Kagami stared at her. "Iryo-chakra?" he rasped. "She was— Are you sure?"

Mikoto's sharp features pulled into a frown.

"I'm sorry. Of course you're sure. I just—" He let out a shaky sigh. "Is she asleep? Right now? Is she asleep?"

"She is," she murmured. "I checked on her before coming to wait for you. Whatever talk you want to have with her should wait until the morning, okay?"

"Okay."

"And whatever you do," —Mikoto looked up at him, squeezing his arm— "make sure she still knows that you love her."