Raidou'd made it off the ground, though he was nearly as muddy as Kakashi. His cheek was bleeding from a nasty three-cornered gouge; he prodded its edges gently, smearing his fingers. "That was a nice piece of strategy," he said. "Almost worked for a moment there."

Genma lifted his hands, palms up, in silent offering. Raidou glanced at the blood on his fingers, grimaced, and tipped his cheek down.

"It helps when you have surprise numbers on your side," Genma said, as his hands lit green. "I don't think I've seen you summon dogs before, Hatake."

Kakashi offered an open hand to Tsuyoshi. She ignored that, too. But when he delicately carded his fingers through her fur, she leaned into his hand. He looked back at Genma. "It's a high chakra cost, lieutenant."

"Good to know," Genma said, tracing chakra-bright fingers over Raidou's cheekbone. He tipped his chin at Kin and Pakkun. "Are these your regular crew? How many are verbal?"

Kakashi broke the summoning on Tsuyoshi with the barest of chakra ripples: a flare of smoke, the scent of ozone, and a sudden absence in the air. He stood up, planted his hands on his hips, and stretched his back. "Tsuyoshi's been out with me on a few hunts. Baiji—the big mastiff—is a regular. Kin's still too young."

Kin's tail beat cheerfully at Ryouma's thighs. She'd somehow managed to crowd her hindquarters into his lap, too, which resulted in Ryouma flattening onto his back again, and Kin oozing up even further to sprawl over him. Maybe she'd always dreamed of a human mattress.

At least she'd stopped washing his face. And her fur was very soft.

"Pakkun—"

"Is special," Pakkun said smugly. He added to Kin, "Would you have some dignity?"

Kin tucked her head under Ryouma's chin and sighed in contentment. Her tail still thumped against his leg.

Resigned, Ryouma threw an arm over her shoulders and craned his neck to see his teammates. "Neither of you have secret summons waitin' somewhere to bite our asses, right?"

Kin's skull bumped his chin. For a moment, her tail stopped wagging.

Pakkun huffed. "She wants you to know she didn't bite your ass."

No, that was Tsuyoshi, who'd efficiently hamstrung one clone before finishing it off. Ryouma scrubbed a hand down Kin's spine. "Yeah, and I appreciate you not chewin' my hand off, either."

She licked his chin.

Raidou chuckled, deep in his throat. "She tackled me just fine." He touched his cheek, where Genma's healing had reduced the bloody gouge to a dark scab, and nodded his thanks. "We've got an hour left for Hatake to convince me that counted as his win. The lieutenant can heal his own face." His eyes lingered for a moment on Genma's split lip and bruises, then veered away.

"And I want some deep stretches out of everyone. Then we'll do lunch."

"You promised yakiniku," Ryouma told Genma, and set about coaxing Kin to let him go free.