If you are going to get the tree, it will do well in 9b. I am growing one, and we had the harshest winter we've had in 30 years, and it did just fine--only losing about 6"-12" of upper branch tips.
That said, it is certainly much more tropical than other persimmons, and I doubt it would thrive in anything colder than zone 8.
Mine is grafted, and upon planting it, I decapitated it to a 30" stump at a 1" thickness--leaving only one small branch at about the 20" mark (was a tough call, because the former canopy looked quite nice and developed, but the roots looked "bleh").
The following spring, the little stump that could came to life, and vigorously fast--reaching 6 feet by the end of the year and produced a few fruit.
Give them severe pruning each year, because they make a lot of prolific greenery.
I am able to keep mine under control with annual decaps at around 8 feet.
It seems to like a mound also. I elevated mine 6" overground at the center with a 6 foot circle and traced it with cypress mulch.