Chapter Twenty — Three-Fourths Full

"We'll start with iryo practice this morning. After lunch, we have a D-rank scheduled. And then I want you to come over for dinner. You should officially meet my fiancé, since the last time you saw him you ignored him in favor of your plan to annoy me into submission. Also, this is for you." Tsunade held out a tanto, harness and all. "I don't have a kenjutsu background."

"I have some books for guidance," Kyoko said, taking the tanto. "Thank you." She slipped the harness on her back, keeping it adjusted so the tanto was titled towards her right shoulder. She fastened the harness across her front. "What are we doing for iryo practice?"

"I want to measure your skills. From what I understand, you're familiar with this." Tsunade held out a tomato. "After that, I have a bottle of saltwater that I want you to separate."

"Look, all I'm saying is that it was carrying groceries. There really aren't that many different ways to do it to make it more efficient. You just . . . carry the groceries."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Tsunade shook her head, clearing her throat. "Anyway, I'll fill out the report. This way." She gestured at a street up ahead to the left. "You'll want to look it over afterward because the next D-rank report is on you."

Kyoko nodded, curling her fingers around her tanto harness at her shoulders. "I can handle that. Will you need help with dinner?"

"Dinner? Definitely not. Listen, tiny, I can make medicines, mix poisons, and make damn good tea. But I tried to cook once and I'm pretty sure I burned the water."

"Burned—" She frowned up at Tsunade, slowing down as the woman did the same. "That impossible."

Tsunade shrugged, stopping and digging out her keys. She unlocked the door. "If you want to help with dinner, be my guest. But I'm not the one you'd be helping out." She shoved the door open. "I brought the brat!" she yelled.

"Great!" someone yelled back. "Dinner just finished!" The volume dropped as he said, "Shizune, go greet our guest."

"Yes, Oji." A girl turned the corner into the hallway. She lit up. "Kyoko-chan!" she squealed, launching herself forward. She collided with Kyoko just as the younger girl was halfway through taking her shoes off. She spun around, holding her tight. "I was wondering why you'd disappeared! Are you really Tsunade-sama's student? Are you going to be here all the time now?"

"First, could you let me finish taking off my shoes?"

"What? Oh, I guess." Shizune released her and stepped back, crossing her arms. "So?"

Kyoko set her shoes neatly beside the rest near the door. "I'm apprenticing under Tsunade-shisou. I'm assuming this means that your uncle is the fiancé, then?"

"He sure is. Do you want to meet him? I know you have a lot of questions for him." Without waiting for any sort of confirmation, Shizune grabbed Kyoko's wrist and dragged her farther into the house. "Oji!" she called. "You need to tell Kyoko-chan what you learned about heart surgery!"

"Kakashi-san," she called, stopping at the edge of the training ground.

He swung around, a collection of kunai in one hand and his loose kunai pouch in the other. His gaze narrowed at her. "You're Obito's sister."

"Kyoko." She knew that he didn't actually need to be reminded of her name, but she missed the familiar way she was used to him saying it. "I was wondering if I could share your training ground."

"Why? What for?"

"I've heard good things about your tanto use. I'd like to practice my own kenjutsu kata while having the ability to watch and learn from yours."

He stared at her for a long moment. Then he shrugged and started storing the kunai away in his pouch. "I won't stop you. I'm done for today, though. It's late."

She smiled, turning so that she was still facing him as he walked past her. "Thank you. When are you normally here?"

"After team training," he said vaguely. "Show up or don't. I don't care."

"Perfect timing," Mikoto greeted. "Itachi was just about to go down for the night. It's late."

"It is," Kyoko agreed. "I missed him." She held out her arms. "Could I?"

Mikoto nodded past her at the engawa. "Let's sit down. You can hold him while you tell me about your time with Tsunade-sama."

The girl nodded and quickly sat down on the edge. Shoulders squared, she reached her arms out again. "She says I'm doing well."

"To be expected." As Mikoto settled Itachi into her arms, she said, "Careful, now. He's going through some sleep regression, so he's been extra fussy."

"He's teething a lot," Kyoko murmured, returning the gummy smile Itachi gave her. "That's probably not helping."

"No, it's not. He does seem happy to see you, though." Mikoto combed her fingers through Kyoko's bangs, attempting and failing to straighten out her curls. "Do you feel you made a good choice?"

Kyoko looked up with a frown. "Sorry?"

"Graduating as early as you have. You don't regret it?"

"No. I don't."