Interlude II
They didn't make it into ANBU the next year, or the year after that.
Nothing came of Hayate's courting ceremonies; Yugao's father wanted her to wait to be married until after she was off the ANBU squad. He also didn't want her to marry Hayate unless he was on it.
Genma smiled at all the pretty girls in town, and they usually smiled back, but nothing lasted more than a couple dates.
In their field, the tracks grew over, and an old bicycle fell to rust.
But even this was still theirs, on the days when they remembered to be friends instead of just teammates.
