Ryouma glanced sideways. "Does it come with a lecture on group effort?"

The corner of the lieutenant's mouth twisted. "Only if you really want to give it."

That didn't sound quite so much like a Sit down and shut up, Tousaki. Ryouma shoved his hands in his pockets and studied Genma a little more carefully.

If anyone on the team was going to be nominated for a Most Likely To Remain Professional At All Times award, so far he'd have put his money on Genma. The lieutenant always showed up early to team practice, stayed late, provided juice boxes and rat bars and bruise balm from a seemingly inexhaustible supply. He'd kept it together on the mission, when he was paralyzed and bleeding out; issued orders even from a clinic bed; turned his attention to healing others as soon as he was back on his feet. He did actually have a sense of humor, Ryouma was fairly sure, but for the most part he kept it battened down under a thick coat of responsibility.

So was this just responsibility again, like the juiceboxes and the rat bars? Rescue the rookie, make sure he's eating right, send him on his way? Or was it just the impulsive offer of an off-duty man who wanted lunch and didn't particularly want to eat alone?

"I'm not so good at lectures," Ryouma said, testingly. "Tend to fall asleep in 'em. I'm sure you've noticed."

"Harder to fall asleep when you're the one lecturing," Genma said, which yeah, okay, Ryouma deserved that. "But I'd just as soon not get lectured by my own rookie, anyway." He struck off down the hall, throwing Ryouma a nod and a fleeting smile that invited him to fall in. "In case you were wondering, you did great with Morita-san. He only offers the pretty rice sacks to guys he likes."

"He's a bit old for me," Ryouma said, shortening his stride just a little. Genma wasn't quite limping, but his gait had lost a little of its quick grace. That angry red line across the hard planes of his stomach had looked healed, but not comfortable. Ryouma thought uneasily of the chakra Genma had poured out like water in Hayama and on the boat, healing others while his own belly was only held together by a handful of catgut stitches.

He said, "You're doing better?"

"Much, thanks." Genma stretched a little, swinging his shoulders, like a man enjoying new freedom of movement. "I was annoyed when they made me stay overnight, but it was definitely the right call."

"In the hospital?" Ryouma hadn't known that. Then again, he and Kakashi had taken off while the officers were still mired in paperwork. He eyed the lieutenant again. "You didn't really fry your kidneys, did you?"

Genma scrubbed a sheepish hand through his hair. "Eh. A little. And my liver. No beer for me for the next week or so."

"That's a wise decision," Ryouma told him earnestly. "I'll support you in it. I can drink all my beer and yours, too."

That won a snorting laugh. "So noble. You're a true hero, Tousaki. Definitely ANBU material to the core."

"I told you I'd be a good addition to the team," Ryouma said. He held open the door to the stairwell, and hesitated. "I should've asked earlier, but... Did the girl pull through?"

Genma'd stepped onto the first stair already; he paused, looking back. The laughter had fled from his pale eyes. "She survived surgery, which was the main thing. They're not sure if her chakra system will fully recover, but since she's not a ninja, and she's so young, it may not be a big problem even if she has some issues."

Some issues, Ryouma suspected, would be understating it. How long had she spent underground, slowly dying in the dark? Would she ever sleep without a light again? Bear children, with the memory of the parasite growing inside her? Even assuming she could. He had no idea what the growing demon-eggs had done to their hosts, and no desire to ask.

He let the door swing shut. "D'you think they're gonna send anybody out to clean up? We left kind of a shambles. Or is that the local lord's job?" He pondered this for a second. "Do we get paid more for wiping out a nest of demons than for bandits? We sure got hurt more."