Kakashi brushed his thumb over his palm. A few flakes of ash drifted away.

(sorry I could only be your senpai for a short while)

“Helping Tousaki study, I guess,” he said. “If he needs more flashcards.”

Ryouma gave him a tight, grateful look. “I will.”

Genma nodded approval. “Good. I think our best strategy will be to continue as ordered until we hear otherwise. I met with Kuroda about Ueno’s departure today, and he didn’t give me any change in plan. Tousaki studies with me and Hatake, I do the damned filing, and Hatake can report to T&I if he feels fit.”

Oh good.

Genma looked over at Raidou. “When we meet with Kuroda day after tomorrow, I want him to have to try hard to find fault.”

Raidou didn’t smile, or even look like he wanted to, but there was satisfaction curled around his mouth. “Worthy goal. I’ll get through Benihime’s training as fast as I can. With any luck, we can survive our second month without injuries, suspensions, or losing any more teammates. Agreed?”

As a team, they managed a collective weary nod.

“We beat demons in unmapped mining tunnels,” Genma said. “And we took down an S-class bounty and his team. We can survive a couple of weeks of recuperation, training, and bad management.”

Kakashi traded a glance with Ryouma, then raised a fist. “Rah.”

Ryouma, however, frowned. “Did you ever apply for the bounty, Kakashi?”

“Yuuhi brought me the paperwork,” Kakashi said. “Intel’s Bounty Office liaison said it could take six months. Some of it belongs to you and the lieutenant, probably.” He held his thumb and forefinger a fractional distance apart. “About this much.”

Ryouma squinted. “I liquified his liver. Or at least some of it.”

“I pulled down actual lightning,” Kakashi said. “You made soup.”

“Everyone will get their share,” Genma said quellingly. “I already turned in the mission report detailing exactly what each of us did to bring down Iebara and his team, and sent a copy to the Bounty Office.” He gave Kakashi a significant look. “The hero who gets the biggest share gets to treat the rest of the team to dinner.”

There was an empty space there, where Katsuko would have said something.

With effort, Kakashi leveled a smug smile at Ryouma. “So long as we’re acknowledging I’m the hero.”

Ryouma waved a hand in weary surrender. “It’s your day to be brave, remember. I guess you can be a hero too.”

It wasn’t quite the comeback he’d wanted, but it did remind him that Ryouma had just been through a day of old terrors and surgery before Katsuko had even delivered her landmine. Kakashi dropped the smile and straightened up, turning back to Genma and Raidou (who both looked baffled). “If there’s nothing else we need to go over, I should probably take Tousaki home. The doctor wants him to rest.”

Raidou blinked. Genma’s eyebrows flicked up to his hairline; he gave Raidou a mystified look, and then said in a slow, careful voice: “Good plan. Thanks, Hatake.”

Did they think he was incapable of being helpful?

Kakashi decided not to examine that thought closely.

Ryouma, at least, looked relieved, but he put in: “We should still do dinner, though. Soon.” He fixed a hard stare on Raidou. “Not in another two weeks.”

Raidou winced faintly. “I’ll stay closer.”