He buried his head against her chest, tears freely running down his face, already knowing that if V'elen hadn't done as it had, both Amaterasu and Inari would have died in the attack before he could respond, even with time travel. The self hate, though, was very much real, and he still couldn't separate himself from it, only wait for his penance to end and for him to get back on onto a path where he could live with himself. That Kyuubi had been hit dozens of times with supersonic cold iron bolts was not something he could have changed, but he had saved dozens of kitsunes and other beings by showing up when he had. But the self hate didn't let him take refuge in that, only allowing him to constantly assault himself with the knowledge that his inadequacies had let Kyuubi die, a man he had respected and called friend. He kept his face buried against his lover's chest, unable to do anything but howl and sob in grief, as yet another friend went ahead, leaving himself, a worthless carcass, standing above yet another good man, wondering why trash like him was still alive at the end of yet another battle.