Hayate blinked, took the food, and trailed obediently after Tsume. He found he had to shorten his usual long-legged stride to keep comfortable pace with her. "Grudge? Oh, no, not at all."

It would be difficult indeed for him to hold a grudge against Touga, Hayate thought, considering how the man and his team had looked after him on their missions. They had tolerated--and corrected--a very green chuunin's blunderings with considerable grace. And even if Touga himself was not fond of Hayate, his dog certainly had been. Hayate grinned a little at the memory. Lovin' given by a dog up to your waist and weighing more than you was certainly memorable.

It was a relief to know Touga was still alive. In a ninja community, losing track of someone even briefly might mean the next you heard of them you were attending their memorial service. Life was short, especially for those who dealt in death for a livelihood.

"I ran a few missions with him," Hayate explained. "And...just kinda lost track of him." Which was a shame, really, given how kind the man had been to him.

He paused and coughed twice, briefly. Kuromaru's ear pointed at him, and both dog and woman gave him a stern look. Hayate knew his cough sounded bad, but that was all...