Half a Month Later

Hidden Rain Village.

As usual, Konan carried a small basket of fruit to the hospital.

But when she reached Itachi's hospital room, she froze.

She had planned to sense whether anyone was inside. If there was, she would wait for them to leave before going in.

But when she checked, she discovered that there was no one inside...

That was right. No one...

Itachi Uchiha, who should have been lying in the hospital bed, was gone...

Konan blankly pushed open the door and stared at the empty room in silence.

Not only was he gone, even the bedsheets, pillow, and nutrient medicine were gone?

"Lady Angel, we don't know where that lord went either. We were discussing a treatment plan the whole time. The nutrient medicine over there could last for a week, so we didn't dare disturb his rest..."

Faced with Konan's questioning and furrowed brows,

the doctors before her trembled nervously...

After hearing them, Konan wearily waved her hand, signaling that they could leave.

"Where could you have gone, kid..."

After the doctors left, a figure appeared in Konan's mind as she murmured softly.

Although the missing sheets, pillow, and nutrient medicine made Konan feel that something was slightly off,

this was Hidden Rain Village territory. No one would dare cause trouble here.

This was their authority...

"Fine. Live well, then. Enjoy what little time you have left..."

Konan lingered in the somewhat empty room for a moment before vanishing from the spot.

Her voice echoed through the hospital room...

When Konan appeared again, she was already in Pain's office.

"Leader, Itachi Uchiha has defected..."

Konan looked at Pain, who was bent over handling documents, and spoke softly.

Upon hearing Konan's words, Pain frowned slightly, and the movements of his hands stopped...

A moment later, a masked figure appeared in his mind.

"I understand. Go take care of your work..."

In Hidden Rain Village, how could anyone possibly slip away beneath his nose? Pain immediately knew there was something suspicious about this.

And he had a few suspects in mind.

But what could that change? Was the truth really that important?

Yes... Most of the time, the truth was not that important. What mattered was whether you had value worth exploiting...

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed.

After half a month of recuperation, Itachi's body had finally returned to normal.

Although he did not look much different on the outside, his genes, DNA, and even his blood had all been replaced.

It had all happened with great force, yet without a sound...

"Itachi, time to eat."

Itachi, who was sitting on the bed refining chakra, heard Ichikishimahime's voice.

Itachi opened his eyes and looked at the bright, though somewhat incomplete, world before him.

His mood immediately improved.

People could not always dwell on the past or hope for the future. They should cherish the time they had in the present.

The present was what mattered most...

Itachi put on his coat and watched as Ichikishimahime entered directly without knocking, just as she always did.

She set the food on the table, then sat to one side and teased the crow.

"Little guy, you're still faster than certain people. Even with someone bringing them food, they aren't eager to eat."

Ichikishimahime still held a stalk of grain in her hand as she teased the crow.

The crow buried its head in the food, its beak constantly pecking at the grain.

Itachi looked at the bowl of rice and plate of chicken on the table, then at the woman sitting there feeding the crow. He paused slightly.

This was Ryuchi Cave. Where had the food come from...

Most likely, she had gone outside to get it for him.

"Thank you for your trouble..."

Looking at everything before him, Itachi felt that it was strangely harmonious and spoke gently.

"Hmph. Hurry up and eat, or it'll get cold."

In response to Itachi's thanks, Ichikishimahime merely turned her head away and snorted.

But her tone was no longer as cold as before.

Instead, she gently watched the crow in her hand, occasionally stroking its feathers.

She did not care in the slightest that crows symbolized misfortune, nor did she care about its somewhat ugly appearance with one eye missing.

"I'm planning to leave after I eat. I won't be back for a while."

Itachi picked up the small bowl, took a piece of chicken with his chopsticks, and bit into it. Then he set down the bowl and chopsticks, looked at Ichikishimahime's back, and spoke softly.

Ichikishimahime's movements froze upon hearing Itachi's words...

The crow tried to raise its head to swallow the grain, but Ichikishimahime's hand held it down, nearly choking it to death...

Noticing something was wrong with the crow, Ichikishimahime quickly raised her delicate hand.

"Mm, I understand. I wish you all the best..."

After a moment of silence, Ichikishimahime resisted the urge to turn around and look at Itachi. She merely stared blankly at the crow and spoke softly.

After spending these days together, she had become accustomed to seeing this kid every day...

Itachi's appearance had made the original gloom of Ryuchi Cave brighten.

The desolation that covered the ground had also become full of life.

But Itachi's words now caused the wilderness in her heart to rapidly return.

She realized that Itachi could not stay by her side forever. This little man's gaze had always been fixed on the stars and seas of the outside world...

Of course, she did not have romantic feelings for Itachi. She had merely grown used to the company of this kid who talked too much, sometimes acted cool, and sometimes acted like an idiot.

It was like someone who had not had a friend for a very long time suddenly gaining a playmate, bringing a different kind of scenery into her unchanging life.

"Mm, I don't think it'll be long before I return. After all, I still need to practice Sage Jutsu."

Itachi did not notice the disappointment in Ichikishimahime's voice.

He merely spoke softly, picked up his bowl and chopsticks, and started eating.

Last time, he had only casually mentioned wanting to eat a meal. He had not expected Ichikishimahime to actually bring him food today.

This little bowl was a bit too small, though...

Itachi sighed inwardly.

Still, his mood was excellent...

"Mhm. You're so smart. You'll definitely learn it very quickly."

Noticing Itachi happily eating his rice, Ichikishimahime felt the disappointment in her heart rapidly dissolve. Only a trace of melancholy lingered there, refusing to fade for a long time...

"Are you taking the little guy with you too..."

A moment later.

Ichikishimahime turned her head slightly, stroked the crow's little head, and looked seriously at Itachi as she asked.

"Mm. I'm going to find it a new eye. Besides, it's my companion. It has to stay by my side..."

Itachi swallowed the food in his mouth and looked gently at the crow as he spoke softly.

"Companion... Then do we count as companions too?"

Ichikishimahime looked at Itachi's gentle face and asked softly.

The scene of their first meeting appeared in her mind. She remembered how Itachi had said something irritating and made her angry.

She remembered how, the next day, she had deliberately brought food over very late, leaving Itachi starving~

She remembered how Itachi had told her stories to curry favor with his provider of food and clothing.

She remembered the beautiful story of Bai Suzhen and Xu Xian...

She remembered making little chess pieces together...

She remembered the two of them building a small wooden house for the little crow...

Those memories gradually filled and completed her once-empty life... She really liked playing with this kid...

"Of course. We're comrades-in-arms."

Seeing Ichikishimahime acting a little like a young woman, Itachi was briefly distracted.

Then he answered seriously.

Giving Ichikishimahime a certain response.

"Then after you finish eating, can you tell me what happened later between Xu Xian and Bai Suzhen?"

Hearing Itachi's affirmative answer, Ichikishimahime smiled faintly.

"I'm telling you, Xu Xian isn't a good person. Don't let him fool you."

Hearing how interested Ichikishimahime was in Xu Xian, Itachi spoke irritably.

"Hmph! None of your business."

PS. A listless Itachi lay sprawled over the table: "Fairy, why are you so late? I'm about to starve to death..."

Ichikishimahime set the food on the table: "Hmph! That's what you get for saying such irritating things. Starve to death!"

The full Itachi said: "Let me tell you a story..."

Ichikishimahime, feeding the crow, said: "Let's hear it. If it isn't good, hmph hmph!"

Ichikishimahime, her eyes red: "Itachi, do you think Xu Xian really exists in this world?"

Itachi secretly laughed to himself: "This story is entirely fictional. Any resemblance is purely coincidental~"

Ichikishimahime set the food on the table: "Lazybones, get up. This fairy has mercifully come to feed you..."

Itachi lazily stayed in bed: "Fairy, wait a moment. I'll get up right away..."

Ichikishimahime curiously examined Itachi: "What are you making?"

Itachi, holding a carving knife after his meal: "This is something good. It's enough to pass the time~"

Ichikishimahime, eager to learn: "This thing is too difficult. I'm not playing anymore..."

Chess master Itachi: "Now you know how amazing I am, right?"

Bored Ichikishimahime: "Little crow, are you laughing at me?"

Crow: "Caw caw caw..."

Itachi: "Caw caw caw?"

Ichikishimahime: "Should we make a home for the little guy?"

Itachi perked up: "Sure, I'm bored anyway..."

Ichikishimahime: "You're so stupid. How is the crow supposed to get through such a tiny door?"

Crow: "Caw caw caw?"

Itachi rolled his eyes and spread his hands: "Why don't you do it?"

The storyline was too packed, so there was no point writing it all in detail. A brief dialogue format would do~