Kakashi stepped back, against Kurenai's side. "Doing okay?" he asked quietly.

Kurenai looked at him, startled. His eye flicked down to hers. She touched fingertips to the soft skin below her eye, blinked, and rubbed the wetness away. "I'm surprised you're not joining the puppy pile."

"No, you're not," he told her, without any bite. "You could, though."

She looked up at him. He gazed steadily back.

One didn't ask Hatake Kakashi You don't mind? He'd already said as much, in his own way.

"Thanks," she said, and went to slip under Raidou's arm.

They drew her in. Genma eased out of Ryouma's squeeze, reaching for Raidou and Kurenai. Touching Raidou's shoulder, Kurenai's hair, anything he could reach.

Half of Kurenai's attention caught Ryouma drawing back, looking for Kakashi. A splinter was still observing the tanuki around them. The rest was lost to the sunlit warmth of Genma's eyes, the hard pressure of Raidou's arms, the musky scent of their sweat, here and solid and grounding. Safe.

She reached up, catching Genma's jaw between her palms, feeling the scratch of his stubble against her fingers. He was tall enough that she had to stretch to kiss his cheek.

Genma leaned into her hands. His head tilted down, tipping against Raidou's shoulder. His arms tightened, drawing Raidou closer, pressing Kurenai between them. He inhaled deeply, and she felt his breath against her skin.

A young tanuki said doubtfully, "Well, maybe, but where's the red moon demon?"

The moment broke. Genma threw his head back with a laugh. "There is no red moon demon, Kaori-chan. That's what I keep trying to tell you. Raidou has a moon on his mask, but he's a human. These are my friends."

Raidou leaned back, loosening his grip without letting go, and looked down. "Are these the kits I should be thanking for the rib-thumping?"

The kit in question was barely waist-height, standing upright in a flowered yukata. She planted fisted paws on her hips, head tipped back so far that only the fluffy tail counterbalanced, and said firmly, "You shouldn't hit your friends."

Raidou extricated himself slowly from Genma and Kurenai, his hands skimming Genma's biceps, Kurenai's sides. He crouched down, elbows braced on his knees, to meet Kaori's eyes. "No, you shouldn't. But we're not just friends, we're soldiers. Our job involves a lot of fighting, so we have to practice."

Kaori's black nose crinkled, whiskers waggling. She looked up at Genma again, doubtfully.

Genma crouched down and slung an arm over Raidou's shoulder. "Really. It's true."

"Well…" Kaori looked back at Raidou. "You should take care of your friends. He's only going to live for a hundred years, you know. That's not a long time."

Kurenai's heart clenched, just a little. She wasn't sure any ninja had ever lived that long.

There was a noise from the platform: the massive tanuki lord heaving up to his feet and stepping back. The wooden platform quivered under him. His vast silver testicles expanded as he sank down again, swelling out to cover the entire platform like a pillowy fur futon. "You may join me, humans."

Genma straightened into a bow. "We would be honored, Greatest Grandfather-san."

Ryouma and Kakashi were standing well back, Ryouma's arm wrapped loosely around Kakashi's shoulders, Kakashi's jaw stiff beneath his mask. They didn't look honored. But Genma beckoned to them, and, reluctantly, they came.