"It's mutual," Raidou said with a disgusted snort. His fingers flexed and re-gripped the wheelchair handles, leaving dents in the smooth plastic-cloth coating. Kaori's eyes ticked to him, amusement fading into a warning look.

"Balcony's down the hall on the right," Mai interjected quickly, before anyone could sling another argument. "Big flat shelf attached to the building. You can't miss it."

Three pairs of eyes blinked at her. Kaori snorted, Genma chuckled, and Raidou blew out a short breath. He managed to pull up a smile that was only mostly bitter. "Thanks. Better get to your other patients, sweetheart. They'll be missing that quick wit."

Mai just winked at him and ghosted out the door, graceful as a swan. Kaori followed in her wake, but paused to hold the door open. Her eyes followed them as Raidou figured out how to push the wheelchair without jostling Genma or hurting himself, and Genma wriggled a little to make himself more comfortable.

"No shenanigans," she delivered as a parting shot, and vanished into the next patient's room.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Raidou muttered. "Mostly on account of not being twelve."

Genma smothered a laugh in his surgeon's smock.

When they reached it, the balcony patio was much as advertised: a big flat shelf attached to the building. At four floors up, they had a view that showcased a decent chunk of Konoha's main throughway, shaded by hanging plants someone had spent time and effort lining the railing with. Flowering greenery framed the bustling village centre, frantic with people and market stalls and the general chaos that happened when lives were being led. The sun-dappled river cut a broad swathe through the centre, before winding off in a slow, lazy curve that took it straight through Genma's rioting cherry trees. The blossoms were violently pink, like nature's version of sweeter-smelling bubblegum.

"I think I'm getting a craving for candy floss," Raidou murmured, drinking in the sights. The wind touched cool fingers to his right cheek, whispering down the unbandaged side of his throat. Distantly, he could see a slice of the outer wall. And beyond that, the deeper, richer darkness of encroaching forest. Much closer, the Hokage's sculpted monument loomed; red-stone faces gave them wise, weathered looks.

He couldn't see the Hero's stone. But he could see part of the path that led to it.

Raidou inhaled, tasting home, and leaned his forearms carefully on the back of Genma's chair. Tilted his face towards the sun. "Kind of makes you want to go dancing barefoot, doesn't it?"