"That will do well, yes," Hayate confirmed, with a crooked little smile lighting his face. "I'll look forward to it, Itachi-san."

And he would, because he enjoyed Itachi's company. They often had a great deal to talk about, because conversation flowed naturally between them and they would hit any topic from the latest Academy graduates to the price of dango in Suna. Hayate had long ago learned not to question the strange turns of conversation with Itachi. Half the time neither of them knew how they'd ended up on a particular subject.