Tobirama wakes up suddenly. His fingers and toes are a bit too cold but he's otherwise fine. Yukiko is still curled around him, tense. Above him looms a young girl with flickering blue fur and ears and two tails twisting hypnotically behind her. Matatabi. Her not-quite-human form is older than Shukaku's but only by a year or two. He thinks he'd put her at about eleven, if given the choice.

"The snow leopards are your summons," she remarks. Her voice has lost it's heaviness and it's more masculine quality but the power remains, thrumming in every word.

"They are," he agrees, one hand threading through Yukiko's fur. The snow leopard relaxes but only just. Matatabi watches with a critical eye before shrugging.

"I'll help you with your problem as much as I can," she says. Tobirama raises a brow.

"You will?" The why isn't spoken but it is implied heavily. In the corner of his eye, he sees Ayame slink out behind an outcropping and freeze midstep.

"Shukaku trusts you," Matatabi explains.

"And you don't think I could have tricked him?" He asks curiously. Matatabi snorts, giving him an unimpressed look.

"I think you forget that we're hundreds of years older than you, human. We all know how to tell manipulation from sincerity, even Shukaku. Anyway," Matatabi eyes Yukiko. "The snow leopards generally have decent instincts when it comes to summoners." Tobirama quirks a half smirk when Ayame quivers with insulted rage behind Matatabi.

"Now come on," Matatabi continues. "Shukaku will be absolutely unbearable if his pet human dies of hypothermia." Tobirama twitches. Harshly. Being called a pet is not a nice feeling, he decides. He gets up without complaint regardless because he knows cats better than any other and he really doesn't feel like getting on the bad side of a cat bijuu. He can survive many things, but he's pretty sure that's impossible to make it out of.

Cats always get what they want, in the end.

He makes it into the cave with only one almost-stumble, feet numb from the cold and from having a snow leopard draped across his lap. She's not exactly light, though he'd never say that to her face. Again, cats are finicky. And a bit terrrifying. Shukaku is still in his humanoid form, splayed across the floor and dead asleep. Both he and Matatabi give him fond looks but Tobirama is certain neither of them would ever admit it.

"We can stay here until tomorrow," Matatabi says. "We'll have to leave, after. The humans here have an annoying habit of seeking me out if I stay in one area for too long." Tobirama hums in agreement. He hadn't been planning on staying here longer than necessary, anyway. Matatabi moves farther into the cave, keeping several paces away from Tobirama. Taking the hint as it is, he moves to the wall of the cave, searching for anywhere semi-comfortable to sit. Across the cavern, Matatabi shifts. Ayame gives the bijuu worried looks as she slinks over to Yukiko and himself.

"So?" He asks quietly.

"It took some convincing but the Uzukage agreed," Ayame supplies. "And your cubs are doing alright, though when they found who sent me they complained that you didn't come visit yourself." The snow leopard gives him an amused looks. He just rolls his eyes, huffing out a fond sigh.

"I suppose I'll have to find time to visit them."

"I suppose you will," Yukiko drawls, knowing full well that any annoyance on his part is a poorly put together mask. The smile, slight as it is, slips away and he sighs again, this time with true aggravation. There's so much he could be doing, all of which leagues more productive, if he could just get rid of the chakra leech. The snow leopards, who know him better than anyone else in this universe, are silent. They know useless platitudes are just that- useless.

He thinks he couldn't be luckier to have them with him here, when the alternative would be being isolated and on his own in a universe that he doesn't belong to.