"Unprovoked?"

"Admittedly they started it. Insulted you. Couldn't let that slide, you know."

"So it was a friendship thing after all."

"Possibly."

Snrk.

"Who was it that got punched? Anyone I know?"

"Possibly. Old lady, name begins with Chi, kinda full of herself..."

"Old lady Chiyo? The founder of Suna's Puppet Corps?"

"Think that was it!"

"I'm surprised you're still alive. She must be at least eight percent poison by volume at this point.

"Nine Tails helped! - His name's Kurama, by the way, he said I could tell you since you're important to me; he just didn't want Hisame hearing his name."

"Tell him hello, then."

"I haven't heard Shukaku bitching at me yet. I presume Akatsuki was successful in sucking him out."

"He says hello back." That is definitely not what Kurama just grumbled.

"And yeah, we think so, though I didn't ask what happened to that statue thing the Akatsuki were using..."

"Well, no great loss to me."

"Yeah. Know he bothered you a lot..."

"We weren't what you'd call friends, no."

"Don't know why. You're horribly charming."

"Whereas Shukaku is just horrible."

"Somehow managing to be the unfriendliest person I know, despite rather stiff competition."

"But at least no longer my problem."

"Yeah. Maybe he can go be grouchy in some corner of the desert."

"It'd be the best thing for everyone, really."

Laugh.

He rubs the back of his head a bit sheepishly, too - "Man, I just - wanna keep you to myself for - I guess until it sinks in you're alive, but... Guess you wanna get more info at some point?"

"That'd be nice."

"We can go talk to alt-Hisame and the others, then?"

"Yeah."

Portal time.