tsume.hack: what? no one to say the usual disclaimer?

toboe: you're not tsume.

tsume.hack: shut up, runt.

toboe: but you're pretty close.

tsume.hack: thanks.

toboe: but you don't own wolf's rain, so ha.

tsume.hack: . . . Oh! Hey, thanks to all you reviewers out there who enjoyed/are enjoying/will enjoy the story. It gives a writer "warm fuzzies" to know that they're being read. (Again, Kiba, you're probably the only one who'll know what the hell I'm talking about.) And, yes, sadly(?), it does involve a certain scantily clad wolf. So, without further ado, here's the third chapter! Woot! (But it is kinda long, so . . .)

" Is she gone yet?" came Kiba's voice from the shadows in which he had been lurking for the past twenty minutes, and out of which they had been trying to coax him for the last fifteen.

" God, for the millionth time, she left a half hour ago!" Hige said in exasperation.

" I know you're traumatized, Kiba, but we really should get a move on," Toboe said a bit more patiently. There was no answer.

After some more chiding and wheedling, Kiba eventually slid out of the huge pipe and looked around suspiciously. Then, evidently convinced the coast was clear, he sighed in relief and joined his packmates at the picnic bench. They both looked at him with raised eyebrows and amused smirks, but stopped the moment he glanced at him.

" What?" he said defensively. " Is there something wrong?"

" No," Hige said, doing his valiant best to hold back a laugh, " I was just wondering what it was Granny back there saw in you."

Toboe did a poor job holding back a snort, then nodded. " I've never seen her that interested in a guy before."

Kiba shuddered, and shoved his hands in his pockets. He was going to erase the memories of this last hour if it took him a year. He glanced sideways at his two sniggering packmates with reproach and stalked off. They followed him, unable to hold back their laughter any longer. It echoed off the walls of the apartments around them.

"HA HA HA HA HAAA!"

Kiba continued to walk.

Near the middle of the city, a group of young men were working feverishly around a large moving truck. In smaller groups of two and three, they were hauling out tables, chairs, and rugs from the tall apartment building out to the truck. One of the teenagers, standing by the truck, was looking at the driver's side seat in concern, though the occupant's face was hidden in shadow.

" Boss, is something wrong?" he asked.

" No, I thought I heard something . . ."

The teen cocked his head, puzzled. " I didn't hear anything."

" It's nothing. Get back to work."

The teen shrugged and hopped off the running board.

" . . ."

" Hey, Hige," Toboe bounded up alongside the older wolf, " I was wondering, where do you and Kiba live? I mean, you guys have been here all this time, and we never knew we were within the same zip code!"

" Well, I live not too far from where I found Kiba," Hige rested his hands behind his head as he walked. " I stay in the Yukon House at the college downtown. I room with a couple buddies of mine."

" College, huh? I never thought you'd be one for school."

" Yeah, well, I do it mainly for the social life. They have parties every night!" Hige let out a happy sigh and closed his eyes. " And the chicks are so hot . . ."

" Cut it out, I can practically see your tail wagging," Toboe rolled his eyes.

" Well, what about you, runt? Where do you stay?"

" With my grandma, O observant one."

" Psh. I knew that."

" Hey, Kiba, what about you? Where do you crash?"

Kiba looked back. " Do you guys smell that?"

Hige stopped and sniffed. " Smell what?"

" Aw, way to avoid the question," Toboe pouted, then sniffed as well.

" Does that smell familiar?" Kiba looked at them as they continued to sift the air.

" Let's see . . . I smell . . . mm, cheeseburgers," Hige responded. " And I think I can detect a hint of perfume in there as well . . .but what are you talking about, Kiba?"

" I can smell someone we all know."

Toboe and Hige looked at each other before looking at Kiba.

" Tsume?"

Kiba simply nodded once, and turned to continue walking. They followed him closely now. Toboe looked excited.

" Wow, all of us in one day," he said. " It's like something guided us to find each other, y'know?"

" Yeah, I'd never thought I'd see you guys within weeks of each other, and yet here we are," Hige agreed. Then he added under his breath, " Not that I'm in that much of a hurry to be called Porky again."

" We're getting closer," Kiba said, not looking at them.

They could all smell it now: Tsume's unmistakable scent, mixed with something that none of them could quite put their finger on . . .

They passed a large truck with bold letters stenciled on the side, and what looked like three long parallel slashes running diagonally across it as decoration. Kiba stopped in his tracks and read what the truck said. The other two followed his example.

" ' Tsume's Moving Company'?" Hige said in disbelief. " Of all the people –"

" He must be a busy guy," Toboe said in admiration. " He's got his own company. That's too cool."

" But I don't see him around here –"

" Hey, you guys want something?" a lanky teenager said, appearing on top of the truck.

" Or do you need someone to move your junk?" said another, hopping out of the storage section. About eight others appeared in various places where they had been lounging around the truck, all of them rather rough and mean-looking. They were all dressed in coveralls and jeans, which made them look ready for work.

" Do you guys know someone named Tsume?" Kiba asked bluntly. The teens were starting to come slowly off from their stations on the truck, and silently surround the three wolves. Toboe and Hige braced for a fight, but Kiba remained where he was, staring at the lanky one that had first spoken.

" Yeah, we know him," the first one said. " What's it to you?"

" We're looking for him," Kiba answered. " Do you know where he is?"

" Can't say I do," the teen replied with a sneer. " The boss comes and goes as he pleases."

" Kiba," Toboe said worriedly. " These guys look dangerous."

" Yeah, but Tsume can't be too far off. His scent's all over the place."

" I don't really want to fight," Hige sighed under his breath. " I just want a couple of hot dogs and I'll be fine."

The lanky teenager smirked. " Just for that comment, Porky, you'll be the first to go."

Hige's head snapped up, and he eyed the teen warily. " Okay, now I know you've been hanging around that jerk lately. No one's ever called me that but him."

The lanky teen only sneered. " And with good reason, ya fluffy –"

POW!

The lanky teen landed on his face, sprawling at Kiba's feet.

" Don't screw with us, beanpole," Hige said, rubbing his fist. " I wouldn't say that it's a good idea for someone your size."

The other teens around them shifted and got ready to charge, but at a single deadly glance from Kiba they all backed down.

" Where can we find him?" he asked quietly. The beanpole, now sporting a bloody nose, pointed at the apartment behind them.

" A-apartment thirty-five, fifth floor," he stammered. He watched them ascend the stairs and ventured to ask, " What, are you friends of his or something?"

" You might say that," Hige said over his shoulder.

What Kiba said next really confused them.

" We're his pack."

" Okay, Kiba, I know you don't trust elevators, but I don't think going up the stairs was too bright an idea either," Hige panted as they headed up the fifth flight of stairs. Toboe was waiting for them at the top. He had bounded up the stairs, come back down to run a couple of circles around them, and dashed back up to the top again.

Kiba didn't say anything. Hige sighed and dragged himself up the last few stairs.

" Come on, you guys! We're going to see Tsume!" Toboe took off running down the hallway, reading the numbers on the doors. Hige called after him.

" Wrong way, runt. Thirty-five's this way."

Toboe skidded to a halt and reversed direction.

" Let's see, thirty-three . . . thirty-four . . . ah! Here we go. Apartment thirty-five."

Toboe knocked on the door, barely able to keep from squirming with delight. Hige plonked his hand down on his head to keep him in one spot.

" Easy there. I don't think Tsume'll want you jumping all over him, even after a couple hundred years."

There was no response, even after they rang the doorbell a couple of times.

" Aw. . ." Toboe whined. " He's not here."

Kiba tried the door. It was unlocked.

" Hey, wait, Kiba!" Hige looked from the door to the hallway and back again in panic. " We can't do that! What if this isn't his apartment?"

" Well, we'll just have to find out, won't we?"

Kiba, Hige and Toboe poked their heads in through the open door. Yep, Tsume lived here all right. There was no denying his scent.

But he was nowhere to be seen. The apartment was empty. Not of furniture or anything, but Tsume didn't seem to be around.

The three slid in quietly after listening a moment for any sounds.

His apartment was well-furnished; evidently his moving company was doing well. It was doubtful that Tsume could hold down any job for any significant length of time, so he had taken it upon himself to create his own job. That seemed just about right for Tsume. As for the customer service he gave out . . . well, they didn't dare speculate.

It wasn't a huge apartment, but it was nice nonetheless. He had a big screen TV in the living room, a couple of leather sofas, a coffee table with some magazines on it: the usual apartment clutter. Toboe was about to go look at his reflection in the TV, but Hige stopped him.

" Don't," he advised, and with that they wandered into the next room. Kiba was the first to enter. He spotted Tsume's beloved knife on top of the dresser, lying on a folded cloth. It had evidently seen much use . . . again, they wouldn't ask.

They made their way through his bedroom. Kiba was just looking around at things; Hige was inspecting something on the chair, thinking in the back of his mind that somehow they shouldn't be here; Toboe, meanwhile, was drifting to the closed bathroom door.

Kiba turned, and sniffed. " Is that . . . steam?"

Hige picked up the something on the chair and turned it over, examining it. Toboe bent down to look at the bathroom doorknob. His eyes widened.

" Ooh . . . shiny," he said, mesmerized. His hand reached out for it. Hige turned around.

" Hey, I don't think-" he began, then froze. Toboe had his hand on the knob. " No, don't do it," Hige warned, the note of panic creeping back into his voice. " You don't want to –" The door clicked open.

Too late.

Steam came billowing out of the door like fog in a cheap special-effects flick, and sure enough, there was a tall figure that could be seen through the haze.

" Darth Vader?" Hige and Toboe whispered together. Kiba shook his head in disbelief and turned away, thinking What idiots.

Tsume, midway through the process of brushing his teeth after a relaxing hot shower, stood there staring back at them, wearing a towel around his waist, and another over his shoulder, but not much else.

He blinked.

Toboe fell over, twitching and foaming at the mouth.

Hige turned away, muttering," My eyes . . . must gouge out . . ." There was a pronounced group of sweatdrops sliding down the side of Kiba's face as he concentrated very hard on something fascinating outside the window.

Tsume was the first to speak.

" What the hell are you doing here?" he asked, a little indignantly. " Ever hear of a doorbell? Or knocking?"

" We caught your scent and went to see if you were around," Kiba said flatly.

" Well, I guess you found me," Tsume replied with a slight sneer. " And caught me too, fresh out of the shower. What good timing."

Hige sniffed the air, his back to Tsume.

" That scent . . . is that . . . coconut-scented shampoo?" he asked, then snapped his fingers and exclaimed, " It is! So that's what we were smelling!"

" Yeah? What about it?" Tsume growled, rubbing his hair vigorously with the towel over his shoulder. " Something wrong with coconut-scented shampoo?"

" No, no . . ." Hige replied meekly. " Just asking."

Tsume made a sound of disapproval, something between "Feh" and a " Hmph," and started into the room. As he did, a small voice asked, " Uh . . . Tsume? Could – could you put on some pants?"

He looked down. Toboe was staring up at him teary-eyed. Toboe, whom he hadn't seen in years.

" Yeah, sure." Resisting the urge to pick the pup up and hug him to death for being alive, Tsume stalked past him over to Hige, snatched the leather pants from the chair out of his hand and marched back into the bathroom.

" How does he get those on?" Hige muttered.

" I'd rather not know," Kiba answered.

Tsume came back a moment later, tightening his belt and fixing his earrings. He looked around for his jacket, spotted a grinning Hige holding it up, and proceeded to snatch that from him as well. They all watched with amazed faces as he put it on and zipped it up.

" My life is now complete," Hige said, clasping his hands in front of him and looking up. " I've seen Tsume put on his jacket. The mysteries of the universe unfold before me."

" Shut up, Porky," Tsume snarled, shooting death rays from his eyes at Hige and hooking his thumbs in his pockets (hands in pockets was a foreign concept to him, being both impossible with his pants' snug fit, and being extremely uncomfortable if he ever did get them in. He'd tried once . . . but only once. It had taken him an hour to free them from their snare).

" So, uh, what now?" Hige asked, mainly to break the silence and to get Tsume to stop glaring at him.

" Let's go to the park!" Toboe exclaimed, bounding up from where he had been poking at Tsume's DVD collection.

" And do what?"

" We could run! And – and play fetch!" Toboe bounced around Hige and Kiba. " Then we can chase butterflies!"

Kiba, Tsume, and Hige exchanged glances.

" Hey Tsume!" The pup came racing toward him at warp speed. " Do you have a frisbee?"

Tsume caught Toboe's arm as he passed and flung him into a chair, but not roughly.

" Stay there," he ordered, jabbing his finger at the squirming Toboe, who was protesting, " But – but – but . . ."

" No. We are not playing fetch, you hear me?" He glanced at the other older wolves, and they nodded. " We are not chasing butterflies, either." He stopped at the look on Toboe's face, which was a mixture of pleading and " But I'm so cute you can't resist the power of my tearful eyes." He sighed, and stood up.

" Fine. But not the park, runt."

" But where?" Hige wanted to know.

" How about Main Street?" Kiba suggested. His proposal was met with three very different responses: a "Yay!" followed by a heart from Toboe; " But all the hot chicks are working by now" from Hige; and an unintelligible grunt from Tsume, carrying the meaning, " I just got out of the shower and frankly I don't care."

" Main Street it is, then," Kiba resolved, and the four wolves filed out of the apartment, but not before Hige had ransacked Tsume's stash of chocolate bars and earned himself a whack to the head.

" Porky," Tsume muttered, annoyed.

" I guess things haven't changed, have they?" Toboe asked Kiba.

" No, they haven't."

Well, I guess that's it for today. This was the longest chapter yet, but then again, it's only the third one, so... Anyhow, thanks again to all who read this, and don't mind that ninja lurking in the corner, it's probably just me . . . Later!