Inside the training grounds established by Orochimaru, both Kabuto Yakushi and Orochimaru sat on chairs flanking the arena. They watched with great interest as this duel between the Uchiha siblings unfolded.
A confrontation between Uchiha brother and sister was bound to be spectacular; even the usually composed Kabuto felt a surge of excitement.
Sasuke, clad in white, rested one hand on the hilt behind his back and slowly drew his Kusanagi Sword. Kanon followed suit, placing her slender hand on the hilt of her own Kusanagi Sword hanging at her waist.
The two blades, nearly identical in appearance, were gripped by the siblings. Both had turned the blunt edge of their blades forward, signaling that this was merely a spar.
"Kanon, come."
"Here I come!"
The moment the words left her lips, Kanon lunged forward! Her footwork was as light and graceful as a swallow as she circled, searching for a gap in Sasuke's defense.
Sasuke was the first to activate his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, and Kanon immediately followed, her own crimson eyes awakening in response.
The siblings observed each other's every twitch. Sasuke remained unfazed; his Kusanagi Sword whistled with a heavy, oppressive wind whenever he swung. Each strike seemed to cleave the very air itself. He met Kanon's fluid, agile offense with steady footwork and an airtight defense.
Amidst the flashing steel and dancing shadows, Orochimaru and Kabuto found it hard to look away. Their kenjutsu was exceptional, fitting for members of the Uchiha clan. Two distinct styles, yet they appeared perfectly matched.
However, Orochimaru knew the truth: Kanon was holding back. Her true strength was far beyond this.
After dozens of exchanges without a breakthrough, Sasuke was the first to weave hand signs.
"Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu!"
A massive sphere of flame roared toward Kanon.
"You aren't going to let this catch you, are you?" Sasuke's lips curled into a slight smirk.
He watched as Kanon swung her blade downward, cleanly bisecting the giant fireball. Yet, she did not follow up with a counterattack.
"If she had struck at that exact moment, Sasuke might have been in trouble," the veteran Orochimaru remarked, seeing through the exchange.
"The fireball obscured his vision. If she had followed the split with a high-speed strike, Sasuke would have suffered for it. He's still a bit green, after all."
Orochimaru spoke softly to Kabuto, shaking his head slightly.
The swordplay duel ended in an instant, followed immediately by a shuriken exchange. The two unleashed a flurry of projectiles at one another; countless sparks erupted in the center of the arena as the metal collided with a rhythmic, crisp clatter.
When the shuriken duel proved equally fruitless, the siblings finally transitioned into ninjutsu.
"Kanon, I'll control the power of my Chidori Current. You don't have to hold back—you won't be able to hit your big brother anyway!"
Seeing Sasuke's confident expression, Kanon felt a wave of helplessness.
"Nii-chan, you really should be more careful with me."
"Alright, Kanon. Show me what you've got."
As he spoke, the blade in Sasuke's hand began to chirp like a thousand birds. Intense Lightning Release chakra gathered along the length of his Kusanagi Sword. Opposite him, Kanon mirrored the action, her own white Chidori flashing brilliantly.
BOOM!
As the two Chidori clashed, a massive explosion rocked the training ground.
Kanon's Kusanagi Sword spun through the air and embedded itself in the ground. As the dust settled, Sasuke had already sheathed his sword. He looked down at Kanon, who was lying on the ground playing dead, and let out a doting smile.
"Keep faking it and I'll give you a kick."
"Pfft! Mean onii-chan, you don't even know how to go easy on me."
At a distance, the corners of Orochimaru's and Kabuto's mouths twitched. You clearly held back an entire ocean's worth of power, they thought. But seeing Sasuke so happy, they chose to remain silent.
After Sasuke pulled Kanon up, she lightly brushed the dust off her clothes, maintaining a look of feigned disappointment.
"Geez, I really can't beat nii-chan anymore."
"Just admit you were holding back," Sasuke retorted, his own lip twitching. He knew perfectly well his sister was pulling her punches.
Seeing Kanon stick her tongue out at him, Sasuke reached out and playfully ruffled her twin-tails.
…
That evening, in the kitchen of one of Orochimaru's secret bases, a mouth-watering aroma wafted through the halls. A literal feast was laid out on the table, making the mouths of Kabuto, Orochimaru, and Sasuke water.
"Alright, everyone wash your hands. Dinner's ready!"
Sasuke sat at the head of the table. It had been a long time since he had eaten a meal this delicious. His sister's cooking still tasted exactly as he remembered.
"Sasuke, your sister really is a talented cook," Orochimaru remarked, swallowing a piece of meat and smiling at Sasuke.
"Of course. Kanon is the pride of the Uchiha clan!"
"It's not that big a deal..." Kanon sat down and prepared to eat. Hearing Sasuke praise her like that made her feel a bit shy.
"The 'pride' title should belong to nii-chan..."
Kabuto took a bite, nodded in appreciation, and then asked the question that had been on his mind for a while.
"Kanon, Konoha has placed a 50 million ryo bounty on your head. What are your plans now?"
"Me?" Kanon pondered for a moment, glancing at Sasuke. "I want to go see a friend."
"A friend?" Orochimaru and Kabuto were puzzled.
Sasuke, however, asked calmly, "You mean that Naruto guy?"
"Yeah. It's been two years. I wonder if he's grown any taller. I hope he's been eating properly."
"If you want to see Naruto, you'll have to go back to Konoha. Isn't that dangerous?" Sasuke asked with a frown.
"Don't worry, nii-chan. The Konoha shinobi can't do anything to me."
"Since you're going to Konoha, I have some ninja tools here. Take them. If you run into danger, they might help."
"Okay!" Kanon didn't refuse, ready to accept the massive hoard of tools Sasuke was offering.
The meal continued with plenty of food and drink.
"Onii-chan... isn't this a bit much?" Kanon's mouth twitched as she looked at the mountain of shuriken, paper bombs, and oddly shaped kunai piled before her.
"Is it? I feel like it's still a bit lacking."
"No, let me get you a few more things."
"Sasuke-kun, if you take any more, you're going to empty the base's entire armory..." Kabuto couldn't watch anymore. Since Orochimaru wasn't saying anything, he felt he had to speak up.
"Shut up. This is none of your business." Sasuke turned a cold gaze toward Kabuto.
A terrifying surge of killing intent washed over Kabuto, making him collapse onto the floor instantly.
"Are you okay? Really, you don't know your own strength," Kanon said, helping Kabuto up.
"I... I'm fine."
"Kanon, take all of this with you!" Sasuke said, pulling Kanon toward the mountain of gear.
"Ehhh, nii-chan, it really is too much."
Muttering to herself, Kanon extended her hand. A rose-shaped spatial vortex emerged, sucking the entire mountain of ninja tools into her Flower Realm space.
That night, Kanon was truly happy. The feeling of being with her only living relative was something she hadn't experienced in years.
The next morning, Sasuke and Orochimaru stood outside the hideout.
"Are you sure you won't stay a few more days?"
"No, nii-chan. It's time to start the journey to see my friend." Kanon straightened the collar of Sasuke's white robe and gave him a sweet, radiant smile.
"You really are something..." Sasuke said, gesturing for Kanon to lean in closer.
"Hmm?" Kanon was confused, thinking Sasuke had more instructions for her.
Sasuke extended his index and middle fingers and gave Kanon's forehead a gentle poke.
"Kanon, have a safe trip!"
Stunned by the poke, Kanon stood frozen for a moment. She hadn't expected that. A warmth spread through her chest, leaving her deeply moved.
"Mmhmm! Onii-chan, I'm heading out!"