Sanemi was a strong willed man with a stubborn streak as wide as a chasm, and when he sunk his teeth into an ideal, it was hard to get him to let go. Which is why he decided it was better to let you go.

Months after you joined the corps he found himself enjoying your company. He’d watch you fight from a distance, admiring how strong and adaptable you were whether on your own or in a team. And despite his lack of experience with communication, he found it easy to talk to you.

For weeks you two toed the line between partners and something more, and when Sanemi realized the flutter in his chest at the mention of your name, it soon twisted into something harsher. A memory of something familiar. His family and an old friend he’d almost trusted with his heart, lowering his guard enough only to have it stripped away when she was taken from him.

In the weeks that followed you noticed him distance himself from you. He no longer made small comments of approval towards your fights, no longer shared lunches with you, no longer waited for you before trainings. It was as if the bond that’d grown between you two disappeared into thin air.

It wasn’t until he heard a voice, your voice, as he walked the streets of the Swordsmith Village. Sanemi couldn’t help but frown, of course the one time he chips his sword is the one time you needed to replace yours. He was too deep in thought he didn’t realize you’d already stepped out into the street in front of him.