Kuromaru wagged again, finally rolling slowly up onto his distended stomach. "It's a hamster. I caught it myself. I was gonna give you a lot more of it, but Tsume tried to take the rest away. If you like, I'll show you where I buried it, though." His jaw dropped, tongue lolling out happily.

The hamster was right there. Slowly, he licked the raw meaty bits still attached to the bone. It was torture.

"You were gone a really long time," Kuromaru said, not quite accusingly. "An' if you don't want puppies, I guess Kakashi's a good choice." He sat upright, waiting for the door to open, and added in an undertone, "But you and Tsume would have really cute puppies. And I'd make an excellent helper. I know what to do with them, you know. Both canine ones and human ones."

He continued on before Ryouma could refuse him, tail drifting back and forth. "Also, there's a new ninja who falls out of trees." The door opened, and he picked up the remnants of his meal and started inside.

A leg blocked his path. He looked up.