Raidou stared at him. "How did you--when did you--" He gave up, laughing at Genma's beaming pride in himself and his sticky finger skills, and plucked the battered little gift from his friend's fingers. "I hope you know how to turn off that oxygen canister, because I don't plan to spend my afternoon scraping your crispy-fried remains from the hospital shrubbery."

Already twisting to fiddle one-handed with the green canister fixed to his wheelchair, Genma barely paused to deliver a smug, well duh look. Raidou snorted another laugh and glanced at the chakra monitor around his own wrist. Its green LED light pulsed gently, registering a steady chakra flow.

"Guess it's too much to hope that you managed to steal a lighter, too," he said absently, already teasing out the barest thread of energy it would take to conjure a tiny flame. A spark glinted on his thumbnail. The monitor didn't stutter. Grinning, he started to put the cigarette between his own lips, then paused.

Bandages and naked flame. Burned flesh underneath.

Smoothly, he reached around to twitch Genma's nasal cannula down, fitted the cigarette into the corner of Genma's grinning mouth, and created a single dancing flame in the pinch between his index finger and thumb. Tobacco and paper caught in an instant, glowing cherry red, and cast a warm light over too-pale skin. Raidou pulled his hand away and closed his fist, extinguishing the tiny chakra fire. His monitor stuttered once, then steadied.

And nothing exploded.

He smiled at the thin, blue-metal stream of smoke streaming between Genma's lips, feeling a nostalgic tug, and eased his weight onto his other hip. Then back again. His legs were starting to ache. His burns were doing worse, but they always did. Prosaically, he moved around to Genma's side and folded his legs to sit stiffly down on the cold tile floor, reorganizing his IV lines so they remained untangled. The view wasn't quite so good, but at least he wouldn't fall over. He leaned his right shoulder against Genma's chair and held up his hand for the cigarette.

The first rush of nicotine made his head swim a little. His smile broadened, tugging up the right side of his mouth; the left side still didn't move. "Have I ever told you that you're my best friend and I love you? Because seriously. And if you have something decent to eat tucked away in that sling, I'll get you crowned Hokage."