It was fascinating how much you could gather about an Inuzuka's mood by the way their canine familiar acted, Ginta thought. When Tsume's laugh changed tone it was like someone had thrown a switch in Kuromaru: he shifted in an eyeblink from wary and on guard, to joyfully suggesting torments for their mutual enemy Botan. Ginta joined in the laughter on general principal (and possibly because the alcohol was doing its work on his own mood.)

"You know Asuma? And he knows Botan? What's the deal with him dropping water on people? Did he use a jutsu? When we were kids, he tried to show me this water jutsu once. Probably shouldn't have done that indoors."

He refilled their glasses again, and eyed the bottle. "We're gonna need to go get more soon. Also I still think you should let someone else kill Botan, if he needs killing. I mean, that way it won't look like revenge, even though it is. Or can you kill him and have it be like, a clan thing?"