"I'm afraid to ask him anything I don't already know," Tsume said, with a sidelong glance toward Kuromaru. "All right, then. Tell me, why a ninja? You were old by the time you joined the Academy. Would've been easier to do something else, I'd imagine."

"Ooh," Kuromaru said. "That's another good one!" Tsume chuckled, reaching out to ruffle his fur. "I would've asked him what his favorite kind of rodents were."