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[Dec. 17th, 2017|03:10 am]

tousaki_ryouma
Genma said, "You're right."

Sen hesitated in turn, looking suspicious. Harubi's hand clenched on the girl's shoulder. The tanuki around them grew silent, listening. The kit in Genma's lap craned up to look at him in alarm.

"Some people do suck," Genma acknowledged. "But most of us—" He swept a hand out, indicating his team— "know and care about people who've been hurt by other mean, terrible people."

"I knew it!" the tanuki kit in his lap announced.

Genma patted her head gently, without looking down. "We don't want to help you because we feel guilty about killing people. We want to help you because you remind us of people we care about that we couldn't help, because we were too young, or too powerless, or it was too late to do anything."

Or because we were those people. Ryouma looked down, at his fingers in Kin's fur, at his knee under Kin's head.

Sen said, "You're kind of a sap for a ninja."

Genma laughed, ruefully, and didn't disagree.

Maybe sappiness was enough. The girl's tightly held arms had relaxed a little, and she leaned back into her mother's side. "I suppose Fire Country could be nice."

Harubi wrapped her arm around Sen's shoulders, expression tilting between apology and pride. Her thumb brushed the scar on Sen's cheek. Her mouth firmed. She said to Kurenai, "I'll try your Daimyou."

"If you will be happy there," Himself rumbled above them, "we will be happy for you." His black gaze bored down at the ninja, over a warning edge of tooth. "Harubi-san and her kits will remain under our protection, whether she's here in our mountains or yours."

Kakashi and Pakkun announced in tandem, "Liar."

Oblivious to stares, Kakashi added, "You're tied to the mountains, aren't you?"

"Yep," Pakkun said wisely.

Tanuki bristled and hissed — even the kit, standing up in Genma's lap with its paws on the alarmed cage of his arms. Himself merely licked his teeth, took a long draw on his pipe, and blew three perfect smoke rings around Kakashi and Pakkun. "I live here. Other tanuki live elsewhere. And I have many friends. Tengu, foxes, kappa…"

Ryouma stiffened. Kakashi's eye narrowed. Raidou said mildly, "Our village doesn't have the best history with foxes. Perhaps you already knew that, but I'd like to think you didn't. Hatake isn't really on speaking terms with diplomacy, but he is very sorry for any offense he just caused."

Kakashi dropped his gaze, and reached over to scratch Kin's ears.

"Harubi and her children will be safe in Fire Country, for as long as they choose to stay," Raidou promised. "And if they ever want to leave, they'll be free to do so. If your sense of smell is anything like Hatake's, you should be able to tell I'm not lying."

Himself blew another smoke ring, rolled up the dried calligraphy scroll, and tossed it at Raidou's knees. Then he slapped his belly like a drum. "Sake!"

"I'll see what's keeping them…" An older tanuki darted off the edge of the platform.

Raidou said, "We don't have to stay here forever if we eat the food, right?"

Genma's face froze. "I...certainly hope that's not how it works."

A couple of adolescent tanuki dropped their bristling enough to snicker. The cuddly little male in Genma's lap rose onto his hind legs and patted at Genma's face. "Eating doesn't make you have to stay!" He added, a little forlornly, "But don't you want to stay, Genma-san? Your, um… friends… can stay too. If you want. If they promise not to hit anymore."

Genma's tension faded into a soft smile. He patted the kit's ears. "We have to go home, Hideki-kun. Our families will be sad if we don't. But maybe if I'm here during the festival again, we can see each other."

"No more kidnapping humans unless I say so," Himself rumbled at the kit. "Ah, here we are at last!"
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