"Do you really have to go?" Nao asks for the nth time despite having been the person complaining about his presence the most. Shukaku sticks his tongue out at her. She makes a face back. Tobirama isn't quite sure if they actually don't like each other or if this is simply how they interact. Kawarama and Itama had been a lot like that with each other, he remembers, although with fewer tendencies to light each other on fire. (Walking in on Shukaku being a ball of fire had been the singularly most terrifying experience of his life.)

"I do," Tobirama says firmly. "I have a lot I need to do. When I'm done, I promise to visit again." The children all pout at him, except Shukaku who seem relatively unaffected by being separated from his new friends. Maybe he should ask the cult if they can do a daycare-like thing so that Shukaku can hang out with more people his age… or at least, his mental age. It would be good for him, he thinks.

"Fine," Kyo grumps, "but only if you give us a hug." Everyone looks to Kyo in various stages of disbelief. Then, all the kids turn to Tobirama with hopeful looks. Even Shukaku, despite the fact that the youngest bijuu will be coming with him. Tobirama frowns at the children and he can see Michiko waver for a moment but then they all hold strong, keeping up with their pleading expressions. He sighs, immediately sending the children into a hopeful and victorious celebration before crouching down and opening his arms. The group practically attacks him in their excitement, throwing themselves at him excitedly. He has to use chakra to keep himself up and it makes his new seal pulse strangely. Something he'll have to look into later.

"Alright," he says firmly, pulling himself away from the children as the hug starts to feel never-ending. Shukaku grabs his hand immediately as if Tobirama would actually leave him behind. He decidedly ignores the fact that he had left Matatabi behind not too long ago. He blames that on chakra exhaustion and the leech.

"Bye Uncle Tobi," they chorus. Tobirama's heartstrings tug pathetically. He scoops up Shukaku just to keep himself from trying to take the kids with them and nods his own farewell.

"Remember to take care of the lab," he reminds, to groans and whines. "And to clean up after each experiment." Asuka makes a face. He wavers for another moment, seriously considering staying, but… he had promised Aiko he would return in a reasonable amount of time and his team probably wants to return home to Konoha. (Part of him twinges, cries out that Konoha is his home too, and he shoves that tiny voice down into a box labeled "emotions" to deal with never.)

"You seem different," Shukaku informs, long after they've left the town behind them.

"Do I?" Tobirama asks. Thinking back, he had been rather… scatterbrained these last few months. He blames all of it on the leech. All of it. Matatabi probably won't take it as an excuse though…

"Mhm," Shukaku says, twisting in Tobirama's grip to climb up onto his shoulders. "Your chakra feels different too." Tobirama frowns, wondering just how far the leech had dug itself into this body before he could cut off it's influence. Hopefully, it won't be able to find a way around his seal.

"I'm glad," Shukaku continues a bit more quietly. "Your chakra had felt bad before. Sorta sick."

"Well," Tobirama says, "I'm glad too."