1-2, 2-3, 3-1, and repeat

Saburo and Kururu were a perfect match, first off, undeniably on the same wavelength since day one; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Kururu had brought something bright and wonderful into Saburo's life, and in a way that was mutual, because Kururu had realized abruptly one evening that if Saburo passed out of their life, she would take something vital with her.

Saburo could spend ages in comfortable silence with Kururu, but they weren't the only one, as no silence ever felt heavy or awkward with Dororo; they both loved being outside, under open skies in the gentle breeze, and Dororo liked her poetry, and for her part, Mutsumi liked learning better shogi skills by playing against the ninja (though even Dororo couldn't teach Mutsumi to focus on the game enough to actually beat her, it seemed).

As for Dororo and Kururu... Well, Dororo could be patient. She was coming to understand them, she thought, and as she saw more of that care that hid under the off-putting surface -- and came to appreciate their immense genius more over time -- she felt that if it took Kururu some time to lower their walls enough to let a second person in... That gradual process was, like many things in life, well worth waiting for.