Mikuru stood on the roof of Kakashi's apartment, the wind lightly blowing her hair over her eyes.
"After this moment," he said, "there is no turning back. Are you absolutely sure you want to do this?"
"Yes, Hatake-sama," she replied, taking her hair in her hand and putting it up with a zebra-striped pony. "I'm absolutely sure."
After a nod, Kakashi went downstairs to get something. Mikuru turned around, and watching as birds flew by. She had spent her entire life in Nagoya, never realising how beautiful it was as the sun set; the sky a brilliant pink and orange.
"It's beautiful, huh?" Kakashi's voice came from the other side of the roof. Mikuru glanced over her shoulder at him, noticing a target in his hands.
"It is," she responded softly, walking back up to him. "Is this how I'll start my training?"
"Indeed, Sanaka-sa—oh, I'm sorry. Densetsu." He winked at her, or so Mikuru believed. She was still curious what had happened to his other eye. She replied with a smile, and he handed her a cold, black .45 automatic. She eyed it curiously, and Kakashi said, "what, you thought you'd kill the criminal with words?"
Mikuru shrugged. "It just..." she fell silent, staring at the target. "I don't know."
"Having second thoughts?"
"No sir. I never will. It's just going to take me time to get used to it."
Kakashi nodded, adding, "fair enough." He walked behind her and whispered, "aim it." Her hands shaking, she did as she was told, pointing the gun at the target. Kakashi reached around and held her hands steady, centering her shot.
"You ready?" he questioned.
"I think," she responded, tightening her grip on the gun and the trigger.
"Fire."
Mikuru squeezed her eyes shut as she pulled the trigger. A loud bang resulted, and Mikuru reopened her eyes to witness a bullet lodged right in the center of the target. "Well done, Sanaka-san."
"T-Thank you," she responded, still in somewhat disbelief at what she saw.
"Let's try a few more rounds and see how you do."

Two hours later, they were finished for the night. Bullets were all over the target, with most of them in the center. Mikuru was laying down, her head against the barrier around the roof. She had pulled the short-sleeved plaid button-down she was wearing off long ago, revealing the simple white lace camisole she had underneath. Her breaths were coming in short, quick puffs. All Kakashi did was stand over her, smirking.
"Hatake-sama, aren't we done yet?" she asked, crinkling her nose in discontent. Kakashi shook his head, pulling a gun out of the pocket of his suit coat.
"You will be when you can do this." Without looking, he aimed it at the target and pulled the trigger. A few of the bullets Mikuru had shot fell to the roof with a clatter, and the one Kakashi had shot stayed perfectly in place; perfectly in the center.
Mikuru was speechless. Her eyes enlarged, and all she could think to do was scoot closer to the barrier.
"I will never be done," she mumbled. Kakashi pulled his jacket off and tossed it to the side as he sat down next to her.
"Sure you will. It'll just take practice."
"And practice takes patience," responded Mikuru, "which I didn't get dealt a lot of when I was born."
He shrugged. Kakashi never really knew how he had gotten so good over the years; he guessed it was just because of how many people he had apprehended and killed.
After the two were quiet for a few minutes, only watching the now black sky; illuminated by the lights of the city, Kakashi glanced over to his protegè. He figured she was no less than eighteen. Maybe she went to college nearby. She looked pretty in the lights the nearby skyscraper gave off, even prettier in the daylight. That was partially why he picked her. Two of his past assistants, Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto, were picked by their skills. His last, a girl named Haruno Sakura, was picked for her brains. But Mikuru was picked almost entirely by her appearance. A young, pretty girl. That's what he wanted this time.
"Hatake-sama," she said softly.
"Hmm?"
"Tell me about yourself."
He looked at her inquisitively. He shrugged, and then said, "well. You know my name, you know my job. My likes and dislikes...eh, I don't feel like talking about them. As for my interests...well, I have lots of interests...ambitions, I feel that's nobody's business..."
She stared at him as he trailed off and as the light of the moon played across the roof. "You didn't tell me anything!"
"You'll find out more the longer we're together," he responded. "But what about yourself?"
Mikuru looked over to him and snickered. "Well, you know MY name, you know MY job. Uhm...I like to read, spend time with friends, draw, shop. My dreams..." As she thought of what her dreams and aspirations were, she smiled. "I want to see the world. I want to see all the people in it. All their cultures, all their ways of life."
Kakashi smiled, and Mikuru knew it. "I think your dreams are going to be fulfilled, Sanaka-san."
After another snicker, she replied, "you know, you can always just call me Mikuru. We're going to be working together for what I feel will be a long time."
"Okay, Mikuru-san."
"Hatake-sama, what time is it?" He pressed a button on his watch and it lit up. 10:04.
"It's...late."
"How late?" she questioned, raising her eyebrows.
"10:05 PM."
"I should go." Kakashi nodded and got up, offering a hand to Mikuru. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For this opportunity...for...a lot."
He smiled again, and responded, "you're welcome." As Mikuru waved to him and walked away, she glanced back to him. "What is it?"
"I'm sorry," she replied. "For freaking out so much earlier."
"Not a problem."
She turned back to face him and smirked. "Although in my defense, one tends to freak when she hears they're perfect for something and they don't know the person that's telling them such."
Kakashi shook his head. "You're a mess, Sanaka Mikuru-san." Mikuru continued smirking.
"Yeah, tell me something I don't know."