299Side Story 2: The Legend of the White Snake (Part 2)AI Model: gemini-3.0-flashChapter 299 Side Story 2 legend of the white snake (Part 2)
Uchiha Itachi did not like the weather in the Hidden Rain Village.
It was fine and lingering.
It always reminded him of a night he should have forgotten.
The night he raised his butcher's knife against his own clansmen.
The sky was gloomy, much like the curtain of rain at this moment.
The dense raindrops formed a hazy gray net.
He had nowhere to run.
At the end of the street, an unusual sound suddenly came.
Uchiha Itachi looked up, his eyes narrowing slightly.
He saw a monk in a red cassock holding an umbrella in the rain.
The sound he heard was exactly the sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella's surface.
Uchiha Itachi didn't recall any temples nearby.
The monk gradually approached.
Under the umbrella was a rather handsome young man.
He was smiling at him now.
Uchiha Itachi stood expressionless in the rain.
But in his heart, he was already alert.
"This poor monk is Fahai, from the Great Tang in the East... oh no, from the Fire Temple."
The Fool reflexively spoke Tang Sanzang's lines.
Uchiha Itachi knew the Fire Temple; located within the Land of Fire, it was a fairly decent force of ninja monks.
"Excuse me, benefactor, have you seen a girl in a white dress? Her name is Bai Suzhen, and she stole the Fire Temple's supreme treasure, the Spirit Ganoderma Fairy Herb."
The Fool said with a solemn face, "This Ganoderma only grows once every thousand years and has the effect of bringing the dead back to life."
"No."
Uchiha Itachi frowned.
Was there really a fairy herb that could bring the dead back to life?
No, that's not right.
Something is wrong with this monk.
If it really existed, why would he tell a stranger about the herb's effects so casually?
Wasn't he afraid of someone being tempted by wealth?
"If you see her, you can contact me."
The Fool pulled a card from his bosom.
Instantly, the curtain of rain froze.
Uchiha Itachi stood in place like a lifelike wax statue.
It was as if a supreme power had made all time stop at this moment.
Character Card: Great Sage Equal to Heaven.
A second later, Uchiha Itachi woke up from his trance.
The monk Fahai had already disappeared without a trace.
Only a piece of paper remained in his hand.
The content was just one sentence.
There is someone by the lake outside the Hidden Rain Village who can resolve your regrets.
"Playing tricks."
Uchiha Itachi threw the paper away.
After taking a few steps, he suddenly stopped again.
He took a deep breath, wondering why he thought of that night again.
If there were any regrets, he only had this one.
He had failed to prevent the conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha.
Ultimately, for the Will of Fire and Sasuke, he had committed a tragedy that provoked both gods and men.
But he always understood his actions and was prepared for death.
Uchiha Itachi silently picked up the paper.
Because of the rain, the writing on it was already blurred.
He turned and walked towards the outskirts of the village.
There was indeed a lake to the west of the Hidden Rain Village, about half an hour's walk away.
Uchiha Itachi looked around.
It was quiet, with only the sound of rain.
Raindrops hit the surface of the lake, creating countless ripples.
Just as he thought he had been deceived, a boat slowly approached in the distance.
As the distance shortened, Uchiha Itachi saw the girl standing at the bow clearly.
She wore a white dress.
More importantly, her face was exactly the same as someone in his memory.
Uchiha Izumi.
For him, a very special girl.
In a tea shop in Konoha, she had once told him she wanted to walk the same path as the person she liked.
But that path was ultimately not what he pursued.
Uchiha Itachi had buried her life with Tsukuyomi.
"The rain is heavy."
The girl offered an umbrella with a smile, saying, "If you want to go to the other side of the lake, I can take you across."
As if possessed, Uchiha Itachi nodded.
"What is your name?"
He opened the white umbrella and asked.
"Bai Suzhen."
The girl replied.
Uchiha Itachi immediately thought of the monk he had met earlier.
Could such an absurd thing actually be true?
He stared at the lake in a daze, not knowing what to say.
"I call this lake Daming Lake."
Bai Suzhen explained, "A lake of openness and brightness; I think all regrets should be compensated for by this lakeside."
Uchiha Itachi looked up and said, "That's impossible."
"You're right."
Bai Suzhen actually agreed with him, which slightly surprised Uchiha Itachi.
"If a regret could be compensated, it shouldn't be called a regret. Just as you appeared here, there must be an unshakeable reason."
After a moment of silence, Uchiha Itachi said, "My reason is very complicated."
"But I have plenty of time."
Bai Suzhen laughed, just like Uchiha Izumi's shy smile at the tea shop back then.
Uchiha Itachi suddenly felt a desire to confide.
This had never happened during his long time on the run.
It turned out the burden he carried was so heavy.
It made it hard for him to breathe.
Bai Suzhen moved closer to him, sharing the umbrella.
"In this curtain of rain, no matter what you say, it won't escape the range of this umbrella."
Hearing this, Uchiha Itachi couldn't help but want to laugh.
This girl was far too naive.
But somehow, he let down his guard and spoke of his past stories.
At least at this moment, he forgot the blood debts on his hands, forgot his plans, and forgot Konohaand Sasuke.
"How pitiful."
Bai Suzhen hugged him and said, "I'll lend you a shoulder; let out a reckless rainstorm."
Uchiha Itachi was slightly taken aback but remained silent.
Even under the influence of the Character Card, Uchiha Itachi was still Uchiha Itachi.
He never shed tears.
But he experienced a rare warmth.
The lake surface seemed silent.
Only the breathing of two people remained.
"Hmph, bold demon! To dare bewitch others! Dawei Tianlong!"
Suddenly, Fahai appeared.
He raised his hand, unleashing a torrent of water.
The lake surface surged up, rushing towards their lonely small boat.
Uchiha Itachi grabbed Bai Suzhen, leaped up, and spat out a fire dragon from his mouth.
Mist rose.
Bai Suzhen's face turned pale, and she hurriedly said, "Go, quickly! You're no match for this old bald donkey!"
Uchiha Itachi frowned.
He didn't think so.
But just then, he noticed the eye shadow on Fahai.
Sage Mode?
Uchiha Itachi glanced at Bai Suzhen, turned, and left.
"Monster, where do you think you're running?!"
Fahai pursued relentlessly.
But ultimately, he didn't catch up.
Under Bai Suzhen's guidance, Uchiha Itachientered a temple.
"Can you stay with me?"
Bai Suzhen, completely drenched, asked pitifully.
It was hard for Uchiha Itachi to refuse.
Plus, with the ripples in his heart today, it was even more impossible to leave.
The details of what transpired are not for others to know.
A month later, Uchiha Itachi's spirit suddenly jolted.
It was like waking up from a long dream.
The surrounding temple disappeared, turning into an ordinary residence.
The Bai Suzhen in his arms hadn't changed, though.
But the burning emotion in his heart had faded.
"Who are you?"
Uchiha Itachi pulled up his pants with a dark expression.
He was definitely caught in a genjutsu.
Otherwise, he couldn't have done such an absurd thing.
He had a bad feeling.
Thinking carefully, Fahai's appearance was exactly the same as The Fool's.
Damn it!
Uchiha Itachi drew his long sword and asked again, "Who are you?"
Bai Suzhen touched her belly and said, "Do you really want to kill us, mother and daughter?"
"..."
Uchiha Itachi was on the verge of collapsing. "Who on earth are you?"
Bai Suzhen sighed softly, stepped back, and said, "Orochimaru."
Then she quickly ran away.
Uchiha Itachi stood dazed on the spot, and after a moment, he roared towards the sky: "The Fool!"
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