"I want to learn Senjutsu, Great White Snake Sage," Itachi said without hesitation after hearing the White Snake Sage's words.
"So, you want to learn Senjutsu…"
The White Snake Sage pondered for a moment, her gaze distant.
"Child, you should rest here for a while. Get your body back to full health and replace that other eye. Then it won't be too late to start learning Senjutsu."
After a brief pause, the White Snake Sage spoke softly.
What she said made sense.
For one, Itachi's body was currently too weak. And with both eyes, his efficiency in mastering Senjutsu would greatly improve.
…
"Alright, then. I'll trouble you, Great White Snake Sage…"
Hearing her agreement, Itachi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Though he didn't fully understand why the White Snake Sage treated him so kindly, it was undoubtedly better than being met with indifference.
"Ichikishima, take Itachi to the guest room to rest," the White Snake Sage said, her beautiful eyes glimmering. Her delicate head tilted slightly as she addressed Ichikishima behind her.
"Oh…"
Hearing that the task had fallen on her again, Ichikishima pouted slightly in displeasure.
"Uchiha Itachi is an honored guest of Ryūchi Cave. If you dare slack off… hmph!"
Before Ichikishima could fully process the command, a voice echoed in her mind.
The White Snake Sage and her two sisters had already disappeared.
…
Looking at the young man and his crow standing before her, Ichikishima was momentarily lost in thought.
"Come with me. I'll take you to rest," she said softly after a long pause, her tone much gentler than when they had first met.
"Alright. Thank you, Miss Immortal," Itachi replied softly upon hearing her voice.
"My name is Ichikishima. Please don't call me an immortal," she said, feeling slightly awkward at how effortlessly flattering Itachi's words sounded.
What a smooth talker…
"Then I'll call you Ichikishima," Itachi said, seizing the opportunity to grow closer.
He was hungry—he hadn't eaten in days—and Ichikishima was now his only hope of getting something to eat.
"Hmph, how shameless. Calling me by such a familiar name when we've only just met…"
Though Ichikishima found Itachi's sweet words amusing, she still retorted with feigned sternness.
She suddenly realized this boy wasn't bad at conversation.
"It's not shameless at all. The moment I saw you, Ichikishima, I felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity, as if we'd known each other for a thousand years…"
Itachi followed Ichikishima as she led the way. Watching her slender waist sway as she walked, he found it oddly captivating.
"Tell me, are you up to something? If you are, I might just indulge you a little~"
Noticing Itachi's constant gaze and his clichéd attempts at small talk, Ichikishima felt a peculiar mix of intrigue and amusement. She stopped abruptly, turned back with a bewitching smile, and looked at him with playful suspicion.
…
"Well then, Ichikishima, if you say that, I might just take you up on it," Itachi replied, his remaining eye lighting up slightly, his voice a bit louder.
"Really?" Ichikishima smiled faintly, her voice soft yet tinged with shyness.
But inwardly, she was smirking coldly. If Itachi dared to make an inappropriate request, she'd make sure to teach him a lesson.
"I'm hungry. I'd like some meat…"
Hearing her words, Itachi's lone eye gleamed with a hunger familiar to those who loved food.
"Huh?"
Hearing Itachi's words, Shichijima-hime froze for a moment.
Her mind buzzed endlessly...
Deep down, she felt a twinge of disappointment. If Itachi had any designs on her, she wouldn't be happy about it.
But if Itachi didn't have any interest in her, she would feel even worse... Wouldn't that imply she wasn't attractive at all?
...
"You'll stay here."
Shichijima-hime pointed toward the guest room ahead, showing no intention of helping Itachi open the door.
Ever since Itachi mentioned wanting to eat meat, Shichijima-hime had turned into an icy and distant person...
Even the air seemed to carry a chill, making Itachi hesitant to speak.
In his heart, he silently exclaimed, *"How terrifying..."*
Itachi opened the door and surveyed the room.
The setup inside was simple: a bed, a table, a teapot, two cups, and two stools.
He walked over to the table, shook the teapot, and found there was no tea inside.
Thankfully, the room was quite clean—no dust or cobwebs to be found.
Itachi placed the crow on the table, rested his left fist on the surface, and propped his chin on it.
With his right hand, he idly played with the crow in front of him.
...
"Do you have a wife?"
Feeling bored, Itachi adjusted the crow's head and asked softly.
"Caw caw..."
"You're so handsome. You must be the king of crows and probably have a wife, right?"
"Caw caw..."
"Is your wife beautiful?"
"Caw caw..."
...
"Pfft..."
Just as Itachi was about to continue his questions, a soft laugh came from behind him.
He turned to see Shichijima-hime standing there, holding a basket of fruit.
At some point, the door he had closed earlier had been silently opened again.
"If crows could talk, it'd probably be cursing you out," she said, rolling her eyes at his peculiar expression.
She walked up to the table, set the basket of fruit down, and held a handful of grains in her other hand.
"Cooking meat is too much trouble. Just make do with some fruit for now," she said gently.
"Little guy, time to eat."
Shichijima-hime placed the fruit on the table and spoke softly to Itachi.
Without waiting for his response, she sat on a stool not far from him and held the grains near the crow's beak, teasing it playfully.
...
Itachi stared at her, slightly dazed.
"What a thoughtful young woman..." he muttered to himself as he picked up a piece of fruit, wiped it with his sleeve, and prepared to take a bite.
"Hmph, as if I need you to say that~"
Hearing Itachi's comment, Shichijima-hime rolled her eyes but secretly felt delighted. Being praised felt strangely satisfying.
"Actually, birds can eat fruit too," Itachi said casually, unable to suppress his mischievous streak after seeing her smug expression.
The ultimate conversation killer—none other than Uchiha Itachi.
...
Hearing Itachi's remark, Shichijima-hime immediately bristled, glaring at him.
"Eat it if you want, or don't. These are for the bird, anyway. It needs to eat some grains and fruit for balanced nutrition," she retorted.
Shichijima-hime initially wanted to take the fruit off the table, but remembering that Itachi was a guest and someone favored by the White Snake Sage, she restrained herself.
Instead, she vented her frustration by sarcastically jabbing at the annoying little brat with her words.