3.

Shikaku knew a lot about deer, as was to be expected of someone who cared for a herd of them essentially in his backyard. He did not, however, know much about hawks. Specifically, the hawk that was currently, and very calmly, resting on the antlers of the current herd leader, Rikumaru.

If he weren't a suspicious, intelligent man, he might have passed it off as a one time, strange but not necessarily unbelievable, occurance. As it was, he hadn't had that much to drink and he knew damn well it wasn't natural. He was also pretty sure it was the same hawk from yesterday. And the day before. And the week before that. Always resting calmly on the top most prong, preening as if there was nothing remotely unnatural about what it was doing.

So, naturally, and it was a perfectly natural thing for a ninja to do, he investigated. When he strolled lazily up to the deer, stopping only a few feet away, and neither animal startled, that feeling that something just wasn't quite right solidified.

The buck blinked at him. The hawk stopped its preening, cocked its head, and stared at him. Hell, he could almost hear them commenting to each other about his interuption.

It was too early for this.

Shikaku put his hands in his vest, face impassive. "Well? Care to tell me your secrets?"

The buck blinked at him again. The hawk continued to stare.

"How troublesome." He ran a hand lazily through his hair, tilting his head ever so slightly. To continue talking or to go about his day? Did nin-birds exist? Hell, while he was at it, did nin-deer?

He needed a nap.

He sighed, shoulders dropping deceptively just as his eyes sharpened. "If you're ever interested in sharing, I'll be playing shogi on the porch. I'm sure you'll figure out which house it is." With that, he straightened, turned his back on the strange pair, and walked sedately back to his house. He'd even put out something for the bird to land on, just for the hell of it. Why not?

Within ten minutes of sitting down to that game of shogi, the hawk landed on said post and proceeded, again, to stare at him, head cocked to the side so it got a full view of his position.

Scratch the nap, he needed a drink.