Night fell. Tsume's arms burned, her legs growing weary with the constant steady loping. She switched the cubs around when the one on her back grew tired of holding on, and kept going.

It was dark when they finally reached Konoha. The cub in her arms--they'd switched several times, but at the moment her nose was full of Aoi--slept. Tsume paused along the wall and glanced toward Raidou and Kuromaru. Both looked tired. Kuromaru was pale and tight-lipped with pain, but he no longer reeked of it. That was hopeful.

She needed to take him to the hospital. She had the sneaking suspicion that if she put the kids down, she wouldn't be able to pick him up--not even on her back. She wasn't sure the cubs would go without her, anyway. They'd curled more tightly against her as the night had worn on, smelling more and more bonded. In most cub views, women were safer. Raidou had saved them, but she'd been carrying them for hours now.

She took a breath and regarded the two men. "Why don't I take them to the shelter, fill out the paperwork. Can you take him to the hospital?"

Kuromaru's blue eyes focused on her. His nostrils flared as he sniffed and looked around. Blackened dogtags, on a small chain around his neck that was normally hidden by thick fur, shifted against his collarbones. He sighed and rested his chin on Raidou's shoulder once more.