"Hey, Itachi, stop staring at my dango all the time."
The girl's voice drew Itachi's gaze away from the three-colored dango.
Itachi paused. Today was the day he graduated from the Ninja Academy.
"Sorry."
Sunlight fell on Izumi's face, making the beauty mark beneath her right eye look especially lovely.
Itachi touched his head, his gaze shifting from the dango to Izumi's face. Then his face flushed slightly, and he looked toward the riverbank.
It was spring, the sunlight was warm, and fish played in the clear river.
"Well, since you chose to graduate early, you'd better be ready to grow up."
Izumi watched Itachi looking toward the riverbank, her slightly playful voice ringing in his ears.
"Izumi, do you think..."
Itachi turned, wanting to ask Izumi whether he had made the right choice, only to see two skewers of dango.
"Ta-da! Here, your graduation present."
Izumi interrupted him, taking the dango she had bought out of the bag and offering them to him.
"Honestly, I bought them for you in the first place."
"Go on, try them."
Itachi accepted the dango from Izumi and nodded as he looked at her smile.
And so, under Izumi's expectant gaze, Itachi ate the first skewer of dango.
Mm, original, taro, and strawberry.
Sooo good.
"Well? Good, right?"
As Izumi watched Itachi eating with bliss written all over his face, a smile curved her lips too.
"Mm, mhm."
Itachi nodded, looking at the other skewer in his hand, then at Izumi.
"Huh? No, no, I bought them all for you. I can make my own."
Izumi looked a little flustered, but Itachi didn't notice.
But Izumi said she could make them. Yes, he seemed to have heard her mention learning to make desserts before.
Life like this seemed pretty nice too.
With that