The food looked amazing, and it smelled even better. White rice with fragrant wild mushrooms, cucumber salad, miso-glazed eggplant, simmered cubes of wild boar belly. There were corn croquettes and grilled brook trout, tempura sweet potatoes and black soy beans. Tea eggs, pickled plums and daikon, dumplings both steamed and fried—

"How d'you expect us to eat all this?" Ryouma asked, overwhelmed. He'd put the third tray down in front of Genma, and there was still one more.

Kaori looked puzzled. "There are chopsticks! And spoons for the sauce, if you need more."

"Kaori-chan can help us eat when our bellies get too full," Genma added.

The little tanuki beamed at him. "I'll be back!" She swept her tail out of the way and waited for Ryouma to hand the next tray down.

Warm afternoon sunlight was beginning to shade into evening. Kenta had got the bonfire lit and left a throng of gleeful tanuki leaping about it. He came back with a giant cask over his shoulder and a sake cup big enough even Ryouma would need both arms to carry it. "Greatest Grandfather," he said deferentially. "Should I pour?"

Himself gave a lordly nod. A couple of burly young tanuki came up to hold the sake cup while Kenta tapped the cask and poured. The earthy, floral smell of the sake bubbled out to mingle with the rich scents of food. Ryouma's mouth watered.

He set the last tray in front of Sen. She looked up, still wrist-deep in Kin's golden fur. This time he didn't try mustering a smile.

"It'll get better," he said.

She stared back at him. He ducked his head, scratched Kin's ears, and went back to Kakashi.

Kaori's sister had set out trays for both of them. Ryouma tucked down at Kakashi's side. There was no formality to the beginning of the meal; Himself was already eating, his rice-bowl the size of Ryouma's head. The tanuki kits curled in Genma's lap and against his sides, blissfully shoving Raidou out of the way, and plied him with their favorite treats.

The first bite of sweet potato tempura reminded Ryouma how hungry he was. Coffee at dawn, and one rat bar since then; Genma hadn't been around to remind them to eat. He forced himself to go slowly, to pay attention to the crackle of golden tempura and the smooth potato within. The fatty richness of pork belly, and then the sour crunch of takuan pickle cutting through it. He bit into a dumpling, and it flooded his mouth with savory juice.

If the tanuki ate like this every day, he wouldn't blame Harubi if she hesitated to leave for Fire Country.

A few more older tanuki came up onto the platform, with their own trays and small jugs of sake. They chatted and laughed with each other and with Harubi, sneaking sly glances at the ninja in their midst. Out in the gathering space the party was in full flight, with the drummers setting a lively beat while young tanuki pounded their paws around the fire.

At last Himself drained his cup of sake and announced, "Time to share a drink. All of you!"

Ryouma swallowed his last bite of creamy croquette. Himself was holding his cup out; Kenta upended the cask over it. Genma looked down at his empty trays, blinked, and looked suspiciously at the tanuki kits. They beamed, and tugged him to his feet.