“Can she see us?” asked Kiba.

“Probably, but I think we blend in too well with these statues for her to notice.” Okuri answered. “It’s definitely the tall one. She’s got the all features. Except for the body hair.”

Kiba sniffed the air again. Then he smiled. “It’s Inuko Tadaka, Masanori’s daughter!” Akamaru sniffed, and then barked his confusion.

“True, her scent resembles Masanori’s enough for them to be considered family.” Okuri muttered. “But tell me, Kiba, how do you know her name?”

A look of shame suddenly appeared on Kiba’s face. “I….I…….I……. remember when that traveling artist wandered by? He told me about her. I’ve sort of had a crush on her since then. A big crush. She’s the girl in the pinup on my wall.”

“Wow, you’re pretty lucky she can’t hear us. If she could, you’d never get a chance with her.” Okuri said, shaking his head. He then leapt away. Akamaru soon followed, but Kiba lingered a while, savoring her image and her scent, before retreating from the midday sun, into the darkness of the cave.