Genma shifted up to his knees. His hands moved in seals, a jutsu Ryouma didn't recognize; no healing light kindled. He reached up to slip a hand around the side of Fukuda's neck, just at the base of her skull, and said clearly, "May the name of the Amitabha Buddha draw you to rebirth in the Pure Land."

Chakra pulsed.

Fukuda's next breath never came.

Genma withdrew his hand and sank back. His face was closed off, locked and shuttered. He asked Raidou, "Any major injuries besides your throat?"

Raidou was still staring at Fukuda's body. He didn't quite startle when Genma spoke, but his eyes landed first on Genma's hands. He pulled his gaze away, touched his face, and blinked down at bloody fingertips. "I don't think so."

"It may take me a minute to isolate Hound, if he's in range. Tousaki, do what you can for their injuries." Genma repacked syrettes into his medkit, moving quickly, with steady hands; he didn't seem to be looking. He pushed the kit at Ryouma without quite seeming to see him, either. "Use glue for scalp wounds. It's in the green bottle with the white nozzle."

Ryouma clambered to his feet. Kimiko didn't move, bent over her sister's corpse, her shoulders rounded with repressed sobs. Her maimed hand pushed tangled hair away from Fukuda's face, and then cradled her sister close.

If Ryouma'd succeeded in killing Fukuda in that rain-drenched grove outside Ibaragashi— If Genma hadn't saved her then—

He crouched at Raidou's side. "Here. Your forehead's cut." A long, shallow slice above the brows, just where a hitai'ate would have protected. Ryouma imagined the whirling tip of a kusarigama, Raidou dodging not-quite-far enough. Or perhaps not dodging at all, with Kimiko at his back.

No flinching, as Ryouma began to clean the wound. Raidou was watching Genma again, but after a moment, as Ryouma switched from disinfectant to wound glue, Raidou reached up to grab his wrist.

Ryouma held still, or meant to.

His hands were shaking.

Raidou squeezed, thumb and forefinger meeting over the bones. He breathed in, very slowly, and out again.

Ryouma forced himself to match. Breathe in, count seven, breathe out. Repeat. The vise on his wrist ground tendon against bone, but his hands steadied.

Raidou released him, hand dropping back to his lap, and looked to Genma again. Ryouma breathed out, and worked on sealing Raidou's wound.