Hayate snapped a hand out to steady her when she staggered back, palm settling between her shoulderblades. She was short, but decidedly compact, a little heavier than he would have first thought. He held the contact only as long as she needed to get her feet back under her, pulling away quickly.

Keeps people worried, huh? he thought, rather amused. That was a very Inuzuka-like thing to say. He wondered, briefly, if all Inuzuka were that brash and ready for mischief. Touga and this lady certainly were.

And then she asked him to clear a path. "Eh?" he uttered, surprised. He glanced up at the jostling crowd, mostly people vacating the area very quickly. Probably because of the lady's "pup," which Hayate severely doubted was anything "pup"-sized.

"I suppose," he said, voice fraying a little at the end. He cleared his throat and eyed the crowd again with some dismay. For a twiggy teenager and a shorter-than-average woman, the crowd was quite an obstacle. Hayate, alone, could have eeled his way through without much trouble, but he doubted the Inuzuka would manage his tactics.

After a moment of consideration, he settled on her suggestion. It wasn't killing intent, just a little snap of chakra with warning in it. In a larger crowd, it wouldn't have worked. It didn't exactly clear a path, either, just made the people around them suddenly less eager to get in his way. He pressed forward, knowing the effect wouldn't last long.