It took a minute for Kakashi to realize that Ginta had stopped speaking, ending his weary-voiced answer with a sentiment that sounded a lot like something Obito would have approved of. Sometimes you had to break the rules to save lives, and that was always, always the right thing to do...

It didn't surprise him that Ryouma had been the one to do it.

"Probably," he murmured, in answer to Ginta's not-quite-question, "but not a lot. Especially if you managed to complete your mission."

Ginta's hand was on his arm. Ginta's words were in his head, painting a picture of younger days: Ryouma, before he'd ever gotten into ANBU; Ginta, before he'd ever met Kakashi--and still getting into, and out of, trouble, which was oddly comforting.

Team Baddass. It was so typically young male that he smiled a little beneath his mask. Kept smiling, even when Ginta said non-love triangle and pulled a noise Kakashi didn't recognize out of his own throat.

Ginta's hand was on his arm. Maybe it was exhaustion that made it feel like some kind of forgiveness. He almost reached out and tangled their fingers together blind, but--

Don't start things you don't want to finish.

He was already far too close. He didn't have the strength to move away.

"Ginta," he said, words beginning to slide together. "Why did you join ANBU?"