| [Dec. 17th, 2017|03:03 am] |
That stony mask shattered over Raidou's crooked grin. "Yeah. Broke some ribs, healed by wolves. Long story." He headed for Genma, but pulled up short as a sea of tanuki flooded between them: some still four-legged, some yukata-clad, all of them mulishly stubborn. Thunder darkened Raidou's eyes. He jerked toward Himself. "Seriously? We haven't hurt any of your people."
Himself gazed thoughtfully down at Raidou, and said, "Bring the kits' human here."
The sea surged forward. One of the kits squealed protest, and was quickly shushed. Tanuki heads bobbed around Genma's shoulders, herding him forward. Himself leaned over to study Genma's face.
"The chocolate was very tasty," he observed.
Genma's eyes widened. Himself chuckled. "So, what shall I do with you now?"
"Send him home," Ryouma said.
Himself's ears tilted. Ryouma plunged on. "Your kits must’ve seen Genma and the captain sparring and thought it was a real fight. So that's, that's— understandable. Really sweet of 'em. But they got it wrong. Genma's our lieutenant, we'd do anything for him. He's teaching me healing. And Raidou's teaching him not to drop his elbow in a fight. And we need him back. Hell, we went to the wolf gods for him! So if you could just...give him back. Please. We'd appreciate it." He seemed to be running out of steam; he finished, lamely, "We won't even sic Kakashi on you."
Genma was staring at him. They all were: Himself shrewd, Kakashi narrow-eyed, the smallest tanuki kit hugging its tail. Big Kenta had worked his way over to stand next to Azami, bracing the three miscreant kits. Newly arrived tanuki murmured at the mention of the wolf gods, and Genma gaped, searching Raidou and Kurenai's eyes for confirmation.
Kurenai nodded tightly. Raidou looked rueful, and shrugged.
Pakkun heaved himself up from Kakashi's ankles, wormed between two tanuki, and plopped his haunches down on Ryouma's foot. His oversized head cocked at Himself. "Tanuki are tricksters. Never heard you were slavers or killers. If you plan to keep the kids, the hell are you gonna do with 'em?"
Himself grinned down at Pakkun. "Show them a good time."
His teeth were far smaller than the wolf gods', but looked just as sharp. Kurenai found that she was not, particularly, curious about what the tanuki lord's idea of a good time might be.
The silver tanuki turned back to Raidou, blowing a smoke ring over the shinobi's heads. "But first they're going to tell me why they went to the wolf gods, of all the gods they had to choose from. How they got there. And what they said to get those mange-crusted old crocks to help."
Genma bowed respectfully. "I want to know, too. But please untie them. They aren't going anywhere, and just one of you could flatten them if they tried anything." He snapped a glance at his team. "Do not try anything."
"I think he means you," Kakashi told Ryouma, making no effort to lower his voice.
"No one is doing anything," Raidou said sternly.
Himself smirked and waved a lazy paw-hand. The ropes binding Kurenai's wrists slithered free and slipped to the ground as dry pieces of grass. She flexed her hands carefully against the rush of blood back into cramped fingers.
Chakra was still beyond her, her senses as numb as any civilian's. But it was good to have her hands back. She saw Ryouma shaking his wrists out with an expression of undisguised relief, and she wondered again at the suicidal courage that had drawn him to offer his arm to the wolf god's jaws.
Or… not courage, perhaps. Devotion.
Genma was six steps and four tanuki away from them. Ryouma took the distance in a rush, vaulting right over one alarmed tanuki, and grabbed Genma up in a bone-jarring hug. The kits squeaked outrage. Ryouma ignored them utterly.
After that first startled moment, Genma's arms came up. He squeezed Ryouma's ribs just as tightly, his head snug against Ryouma's shoulder. Raidou loomed up behind them and grabbed them both. Kin leapt around them, barking joyously. |
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