"Yo," Genma said, pulling a chair around to sit backwards, facing Tsume and Kuromaru. "Feeling better then? Last time I checked you were sound asleep and looking like death, but that was a couple days ago." He looked up at Raidou with a grin. "This is the Inuzuka chick I told you I found puking in an empty apartment the other day. Kind of ironic we got a mission together so soon after." He turned back to Tsume with a slightly more serious expression. "You are alright now, right?"

She looked alright. Color in her cheeks, an alertness in her posture and eyes. And her dog looked better too, now that he didn't have that worried half-snarl marring his features.

"Never did get your companion's name til today," he added, and turned his grin towards the dog. "So now the briefings over, hey, Kuromaru."

The dog still had a feral wariness that matched the woman's. Still seemed distrustful. Well that was an Inuzuka for you. Undoubtedly assigned for their tracking abilities. So long as they could work well together, Genma thought. That's all that counted.

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Raidou stayed on his feet, content to lean against the wall while Genma played the social charmer. He studied the Inuzuka and her dog with thoughtful eyes, noting the little cues that backed up her claim as a returned veteran rather then a newly inducted rookie. The age was one thing, and the few visible scars were another--though ninja of any age had scars, it came with the turf--but it was the calm that really marked her out. No rookie was ever that calm, not all the way through. There was a difference between pretence and actually having solid cornerstone to base your composed mission-head on that only came through real experience.

Of course, if she also spent her spare time throwing up in empty apartments, he wasn't about to leap up on a rooftop and sing her praises just yet.

She also looked vaguely familiar, but he wasn't sure why. He didn't tend to work with Inuzuka. Raidou offered a simple nod for a greeting--adding another one for the pony-sized dog--and said, "I've heard of kunoichi using some damn weird tactics to grab Genma's attention, but up-chucking is a new one. Next time just go with the traditional flowers routine, it's much less hassle."

It was always a good idea to start a mission with a new partner on the right note.

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She might have answered that she was feeling much better, thanks, but the flower comment just needed a reply. She flashed a broad grin at Namiashi, almost a baring of teeth except it was friendly, and said, "Flowers are over-done. I thought hurling was a nice change of pace. Wait'll we get out in the thick of things and I start again. That'll really get his attention."

Kuromaru dropped his pretense of being semi-serious and heaved a great sigh, rolling his eyes up toward Tsume as if begging her to stop now.

"Kunai coming for the head and--whammy--projectile vomiting. Works better'n anything. He'll be carrying me home in no time," Tsume continued gleefully, only encouraged by Kuromaru's look.

"She's feeling much better, thanks," the canine growled. "Our bathroom is vomit-free." Then he turned to give his human familiar a dark look. "You're the oldest here, you know."

She snorted. "He started it."

Kuromaru looked at Tsume. He glared at Raidou. Then he moved the few feet he needed to so he sat next to Genma and lowered his muzzle down onto the man's thigh.

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Dog head in lap was something you couldn't fail to notice and respond to, especially giant black wolf-dog. Genma dropped a hand to pat a little awkwardly through the brushy fur. "Don't worry, Kuromaru, Raidou's really rock solid," he told him. He looked up at Tsume next, still smiling. "Truth is, vomit isn't really my fetish. You could try just asking nicely..."

Actually she was pretty good looking, if you liked the wild type. She was a little on the small side, and a little on the savage side, but that might mean she was feisty in bed too. He wasn't exactly looking, and really if he had a choice here... A quick glance at Raidou, and a tiny smile... But yeah, he'd give her a ride, if she asked.

She probably wouldn't, which was fine with him. And this was mission prep, not a time to be thinking that way anyway.

"So what do we need before we muster out?" he asked, and shifted a little, adjusting his posture to one that spoke a little more of mission readiness and a little less of carnal desire.

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Raidou's attention flicked from Tsume to Kuromaru when her dog decided Genma's lap was apparently a good resting place. Inuzuka dogs tended not to go for Konoha-nin without a damn good reason, but very sharp teeth placed within easy reach of his friend did not exactly grant Raidou peace of mind. Genma could more then take care of himself, but Raidou wouldn't consider himself the backup material he did unless he took into account every threat, no matter how small.

Rock solid. Damn right he was.

Which meant he was looking right at Genma when the man turned to flick him a small but puzzling smile. Raidou blinked, but Genma turned away before he had the chance to give one back. Simple reassurance maybe? I'm fine with the giant black lapwarmer... Probably.

"Just the basics for this one, I think," he said finally, "Unless you need any special gear?" He lifted an enquiring eyebrow at Tsume without looking away from her dog.

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"No vomit. Got it," Tsume said with a bland little smile. Then Genma's eyes flicked up, and his scent warmed for just a moment. Shifting quick as chemistry from relaxed, to relaxed and pleased as he gave a tiny little lip-quirk to Raidou.

Tsume's gaze switched between them. She sniffed inaudibly. Namiashi didn't have the same heat to his scent that Genma did, but it didn't mean much. Just that he wasn't as horny. Or as aware that there was an accessible body.

One of her eyebrows climbed. She grinned at Raidou, and hooked her thumb toward Kuromaru. "I have my special gear."

"You mean I have my special gear," Kuromaru corrected, picking his head up to look at her out of lazy light eyes.

"Whatever, mutt," she shot back, picking her arms up from their sprawl across the nearby seats and cracking her knuckles.

"That'll give you arthritis."

"And your diet gives you gas, but you don't hear me complain." Tsume pushed to her feet, grinning down at Genma, then up at Namiashi.

Not quite his chin. More like his throat. Flea-breeding crotchticks. "Got anything needs to be done before we hunt?" Her smile was just a little more feral. Kuromaru stood up, head dropping predator-low, lips pulling off his teeth as he panted. Pupils dilated until there was only the faint shine of yelow iris around them.

Tsume grinned at him. His tail twitched once in response.

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Genma watched the bickering woman and dog and laughed, pushing himself to his feet as well. "You two gonna keep it civil while we run?"

The question of what he needed for the mission was where his head turned next. "Alright, we have maps from Intel, I have a terrain map of the region too, with some stuff marked on it. Safehouses. Bunkers. Places to avoid. I'm pretty sure there's a Kusa safehouse in Kawago." It was something that to a certain extent, you turned a blind eye to. Ninja sometimes had to run missions in each other's territories. If they were technically allies, as Grass was, you overlooked it if they set up a place for their guys to hide out, and in turn they overlooked your safehouses in their land.

Of course you also knew exactly where to look if there was a change in village relations.

"Obviously you two are tracking," he said to Tsume and Kuromaru. "So I just want to get my weapons in order, stuff like that. Stop by the lab, maybe. Oh, and let's head out for this one fully fueled. So food." He hoped Raidou had odds and ends to use up in his fridge, and he'd be able to mooch a meal, but if not there was always the cafeteria.

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Raidou knew where his place in the mission ranked without Genma having to say it. He needed to keep pace, hit people until they died, and stop his teammates from taking similar hits. Simple, really. He was content to let Genma handle the rest, trusting his friend's ability to plan and lead. That was sort of the definition of teamwork, really.

In his own head Raidou was already ordering his levels of importance; Genma was first; he was a field medic, and of the three of them, the least adept at taijutsu, which made him vulnerable to a physical attack if he took a hit that damaged his hands. A ninjutsu-user without their ninjutsu was an easy kill. Tsume was second, her abilities made her much less expendable. Her dog was third for exactly the same reason--animals and summons would always be worth just a shade less then people. And Raidou came last. Of the four of them, the simple cold truth was that he was the most replaceable. That was not a thought he ever let bother him.

He eyed Tsume and her dog again, eyes flicking from her grin to his bared teeth. Something itched under his skin for his moment, a little twist in his chest. Raidou knocked the feeling to the back of his mind.

"There's some stuff that needs eating at my place," he said with a one-shouldered shrug, pushing himself away from the wall. "I need to give my kit a last check over, then I'm good to go. You're welcome to help clear out my fridge," he added, with a second glance at Tsume and Kuromaru.

It really was important to start a mission with a new partner--partners--on the right note.

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