"Boundaries, Ueno," Raidou said. "Remember boundaries?" His chakra was still dampened out, but the spark of his tattoo blazed up. Ryouma could almost fix it in space now, without looking, and he was beginning to sense the subtle differences between the four of them, like pinewood burning beside oak, or the unique read of their chakra signatures. Genma's was a little cooler, Kakashi's less controlled, though he had it nearly three-quarters clamped down by now. Raidou's had jagged edges around a steady core, and Katsuko's--

Well, it was there, beneath her chakra. That was about all he could tell.

"Right," she drawled, leaning back, arms crossed over her chest. "Boundaries." Dry skepticism saturated her voice.

Nanami scooted her stool back and stood, clapping Ryouma gently on his good shoulder. "I'm going to wash up. Take all the time you need before you stand up. You did well."

"You too," Ryouma said, which was probably in the running for one of his lamest rejoinders ever, but at least he hadn't passed out yet. He took a moment more to breathe, as water ran in the sink at the corner. Then he swung his legs over the side of the chair and stood up, with a hand on the arm-rest.

His knees stayed steady beneath him. "Hah!" he said, inordinately pleased. "It's a triumph for coffee and curry rice." He took a step, leaving the chair behind, and decided, "And me."

"Congratulations," Kakashi said sourly from the door.

Grinning at him didn't do much good when there was a ceramic mask in the way. Ryouma flipped him a cheerful thumbs-up instead.