Maybe walking would help. Or at least, that’s what he hoped. Or perhaps he was just running away from her. From that young Hyūga woman who, with each passing day, blurred the line between the girl she once was and the woman she was becoming.

The golden sun caressed the village, filtering through the buildings and casting long shadows over the cobblestone streets. The laughter of young couples floated in the air, light as petals carried by the wind. Genma clenched his jaw, biting down harder on the senbon he always carried between his lips. His gaze lowered, thoughtful.

She was so young. So intense. Not long ago, she had still been a genin. Her insinuations were anything but subtle—every lingering glance, every smile that lasted a second too long, every casual touch he pretended not to notice... Everything was a reminder that time did not stand still. And that she was no longer a child.

"Tch damm.." He clicked his tongue and looked away, suppressing the thought before it could take root. Why couldn’t she fall in love with someone else, like any other girl her age? Someone like… Neji Hyūga, for example.

The name crossed his mind at the same time he turned a corner, nearly stumbling upon the sight of her, standing there, bathed in the warm light of the setting sun. She was laughing, her face glowing with an expression he had never seen directed at him. She walked beside someone—a young man with an elegant posture and a calm gaze. Genma recognized him instantly.

Neji.

Something bitter settled in his throat. An irritating, unexpected sensation. His instincts whispered for him to turn around, to leave before she noticed him. But before he could make a decision, her eyes—large, bright—met his. And then, without hesitation, she ran toward him.

He would never say it out loud, never admit it. But when he saw her break away from Neji without a second thought and come straight to him, he felt something close to relief.