In the hallway, Katsuko and Ryouma had decided to combat boredom with bladed weapons. They were standing ten feet apart, tossing three kunai between them in a fast, complex pattern, unhindered by Katsuko’s sling-bound arm. The air hummed with the song of warm steel.

“—said he’s going to start making our masks out of rubber,” Ryouma was saying.

Kakashi blinked once, momentarily distracted. “If you’re not talking about the QM, Tousaki, I’m going to start wondering about your weekend life.”

Ryouma snagged two kunai neatly out of the air. “Anytime you want to know, just say the word.”

Katsuko caught the last kunai with a bark of laughter.

“I’m good,” Kakashi said firmly. “And you’re up, Tousaki.”

Ryouma saluted with one of the kunai, hid both away beneath his clothes, and said, “Guess I’ll see you both tomorrow?”

Katsuko paused, glanced at Kakashi, and then looked back at Ryouma. “You… don’t want us to wait for you?”

Ryouma stopped with his hand on the door, bewildered. “Got no reason to, do you? It’ll probably take longer, if the lieutenant has to read me the whole thing. And we can’t go clubbing til you’re both healthier.”

The thought of waiting forever in the hallway was about as appealing as pulled teeth, but returning to an empty bedroom to fixate on mastering the basics was even less attractive. And what if Ryouma’s report didn’t go well?

(Or what if it went really well and he did something stupid to celebrate?)

Kakashi said, “Isn’t it a team thing, not to leave a man behind?”

“Well, yeah, but—” Ryouma stopped. “I dunno how long it’ll take, though. What about — what if we meet up for dinner, after?”

Katsuko’s face lit up, and a subtle harp-string of tension left her. “Luckily for you, I know all the good restaurants around here. Also the Akimichi clan really likes me for some reason. I go to their barbecue a lot. We should go there.”

For some reason, Kakashi reflected, probably had a lot to do with the Akimichi seeing Katsuko as a kindred spirit trapped in a woefully underfed body.

“I could go for barbeque,” he said.

Ryouma gave a decisive nod. “Akimichi barbecue. Give me—” he glanced back at the closed door, “—two hours, just to be safe. Don’t kill each other in the meantime.”

Kakashi glanced at the kunai still in Katsuko’s hand, which she was casually spinning between her fingers. “No promises.”

“Aw, don’t be like that, fluffykins,” she said happily.

Kakashi sighed. Ryouma snorted and made his escape.