"You look better," Genma agreed. "It was making me wince to see that exposed wound, and that's just because I'm a field medic. No one wants to see their partner hurting." He glanced up at Tsume, wondering if he'd just spilled a secret she didn't want told. But it was obvious, painfuly obvious, even to Kuromaru, that Tsume was distressed. Although Kuromaru didn't seem too upset. In fact, for a patient as badly hurt as he was, he was about the most cheerful ninja Genma had ever encountered.

"So you were playing cards. That why you're in guy form instead of dog form? So you have hands?" He gathered up the medical supplies, re-rolling unused bandages, re-sealing the container of salve. It all went back into his kit easily--he'd have to restock before his next mission--and since he was going to restock anyway... "Here," he said, taking rolls of gauze and the jar of salve back out and setting them neatly on the bed. "You can use this when you're a dog shape, too, if it helps."

There was a pricking in Genma's consciousness, an awareness of a pissed-off little chakra, violet and intense. Way more chakra than a body that size ought to contain. Kuromaru's head snapped up, eyes riveted on the open door. Genma was already moving, putting himself in the path the dog-man might take before anything untoward could happen.

"Shinobu, wait!" he shouted. Too late, because a little black and white rat came darting in across Tsume's bare floor. It hopped up Genma's leg, climbing him with astonishing speed, coming to rest on his left shoulder.

"You owe me money!" Shinobu said indignantly. He settled down next to Genma's ear, and started to groom the lobe. "And I don't see why you can't run your own errands. Or stay in one place for five minutes. Workout, that's what you told me. Workout, then shower, then you'd be back in your apartment. I had to hunt all over the third floor for you!"

"Um..." Genma said. He put a hand up to his shoulder, taking hold of Shinobu's tail. "You guys remember Shinobu from our mission, right?" Damn, was Kuromaru salivating?