While Kabuto was still processing what he had seen, Kanon moved again. She drew her Kusanagi Sword and held it in a defensive guard before her. From deep within the crater, Orochimaru's neck suddenly elongated, a Kusanagi blade of his own sliding out from his maw.
The sword from Orochimaru's mouth slammed into the blade Kanon held across her chest, the force of the strike pushing her backward. Her feet skidded across the ground, kicking up a massive cloud of dust as the friction ground against the earth.
"What...?" Orochimaru's expression froze. Behind him, the cold hum of a Chidori-infused blade was already pressed against his spine.
"When did you use a Shadow Clone...?"
"The moment you summoned the Rashomon." Kanon didn't bother hiding it. Even while gathering natural energy for her Chidori, weaving a single hand seal was a simple task for her.
With a sharp exhale, Kanon swung her blade in a horizontal arc, cleaving Orochimaru clean through the waist. She watched impassively as his body fell into two distinct halves.
Slowly, Kanon sheathed her Kusanagi Sword. As expected, Orochimaru's upper and lower halves slithered back together, fusing into a whole once more.
"I concede. You truly are Sasuke's sister."
"Enough. Where is my brother?" Kanon asked coldly.
"Patience. I'll take you to him in a moment." Orochimaru's lips curled into a faint smirk. "But first, let's take care of those pests."
"You noticed them too? They've been peeping for quite a while now. It's a bit perverted, honestly," Kanon murmured.
"Shall you do the honors, or shall I?"
"I'll do it. Konoha ninja usually fetch a decent price on the black market, after all."
Deep in the distant treeline, two Konoha Chunin, stationed there to monitor Orochimaru, realized that the Sannin was staring directly at them. Even Kanon had turned, her refined profile coming into view.
"Crap! We've been spotted! Fall back!"
The two turned to flee, but a rose-shaped vortex swirled behind them. In an instant, Kanon materialized at their backs.
"Hey there, onii-chans. Why the rush? Are you in a hurry to get reincarnated? Because I can certainly help you with that." Kanon flashed a sweet, innocent smile.
"You—!"
Kanon's eyes narrowed, and three tomoe began to spin slowly within her crimson irises.
"The Sharingan! You're Kanon Uch—"
Before the man could finish, he slumped over, unconscious. The second ninja fell just as quickly, trapped within the Genjutsu of her Sharingan.
"Hmm, let me check the Bingo Book first." Kanon looked over their faces and pulled a small booklet from the pocket of her red trench coat.
"Oho! You two are actually worth a fair bit!"
Orochimaru and Kabuto walked up beside her.
"Are they dead already?!" Kabuto asked, slightly startled.
"A lethal Genjutsu of the Sharingan?" Orochimaru asked with keen interest.
Kanon didn't bother answering them. She extended both hands, pressing her palms against the chests of the two bodies. In a flash, a rose-colored vortex sucked both of them into her Flower Realm.
"A fascinating ability," Orochimaru noted with a nod. It was a power far beyond his own reach. He realized he no longer had the strength to take Kanon's body for himself; his only hope now rested with Sasuke.
"What do you want with two corpses?" Kabuto asked, puzzled. Does Sasuke's sister have a penchant for research as well?
"To visit a collection point. I need spending money, and I'd like to build up some savings." Kanon's answer was short and practical. "Now, take me to my brother already. Orochimaru, Kabuto!"
"Orochimaru-sama..." Kabuto looked to his master.
"Take her."
…
Kanon followed Orochimaru and Kabuto deep underground, through a hidden, forgotten passage.
The corridor was steeped in a deathly silence, draped in shadows that felt like an eternal night. The plaster on the walls was cracked and peeling, revealing the cold, hard concrete beneath. A few scattered torches provided a flickering, dim light.
Cobwebs hung from the low ceilings like dusty, ancient maps of history. Kanon took one look at the surroundings and wrinkled her nose.
"Why is it so filthy in here?"
"We'll be moving bases in a couple of years, so there's no point in keeping it tidy," Orochimaru said smoothly.
"Tch. I wonder how my brother has been living in a dump like this," Kanon muttered.
As the three of them entered a central chamber, a cold voice rang out from the shadows.
A figure sat atop a set of stone stairs, looking down at Orochimaru with an icy gaze. In the darkness, three tomoe flared with a brilliant, blood-red light.
"You're late."
"We're going to train right now, Orochimaru!" Sasuke stood up.
"Wait a moment, Sasuke. I've brought an old friend to see you."
"I don't have time for 'friends.' Let's go train!"
"I think you'll want to see this one." Orochimaru's smirk widened.
His curiosity piqued, Sasuke paused and looked past Orochimaru and Kabuto.
There, standing behind them, was a young girl in a red trench coat. She was slender and graceful, the coat perfectly outlining her growing silhouette.
Sasuke froze. The iconic twin tails and the fox mask on her head made his heart skip a beat; even his Sharingan seemed to tremble.
He recognized her instantly. At that moment, the girl's own eyes shifted into the triple-tomoe Sharingan, meeting his gaze as if to confirm her identity.
"Onii-chan!"
Kanon hopped out from behind Orochimaru with a playful grin and stuck her tongue out at Sasuke.
For two years, Sasuke had pushed himself through hellish training, never allowing himself the luxury of a smile. But seeing his sister's face again, prettier and more refined than ever, a look of genuine relief and joy broke across his features.
"So, Kanon actually came."
In a blur of movement, a Body Flicker so fast it even startled Orochimaru and Kabuto, Kanon lunged forward and threw herself into Sasuke's arms.
"Nii-chan!! I missed you so much!!!"
The impact sent Sasuke stumbling backward, but he didn't care. He was laughing.
"Kanon! You've gotten fast!"
"Of course! But I'm sure I'm still no match for you. After all, you're the big brother!"
Sasuke clearly enjoyed hearing that. He pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Let me see... have you gotten thinner or fatter?"
"Hey!"
Kanon hugged him back with everything she had. This was her only living relative in the world; she would gladly give her life for him.
As he held her, Sasuke's mind drifted back to the aftermath of the massacre, to the moments behind the shrine tablet. They had both grown so much, but their bond remained unshakable.
Feeling a dampness on his chest, Sasuke looked down at the girl in his arms. She had endured so much as well; she was bound to have tears to shed.
"Kanon... you've been holding it in for a long time, haven't you?"
"The only places I can cry... are under the covers or in my brother's arms..." Kanon's voice cracked with a sob.
Seeing his sister show her most vulnerable side touched a rare warmth in Sasuke's heart. The fact that she laid bare her weaknesses to him proved just how much he meant to her.
Orochimaru and Kabuto had already slipped away, leaving the siblings to their private reunion.
"I had Aoda tell you about the variations of the Chidori. Did you learn Chidori Current?"
"I learned it! And Chidori Sharp Spear, too!"
"Good. And what about the jutsu I told you about? Did you learn those?"
"No. I've been training with Orochimaru. I appreciate your selflessness, Kanon, but you have to consider chakra natures!"
Sasuke frowned and reached out to pinch Kanon's cheek.
"You silly girl. Did you forget your brother's primary natures are Lightning and Fire?"
"Who else but you can use five different natures?"
"Ow! Sorry, nii-chan!"
"You need to reflect on this! Giving me things like Particle Release and Lava Release... how am I supposed to learn those?!"
Kanon stuck her tongue out sheepishly, giving him an adorable, playful look. "Well, you didn't train with me when we were little... I didn't know if you had any secret extra natures hidden away..."
Sasuke was momentarily speechless. She actually has a point.
"Ahem. Moving on. I want to see exactly how strong you've become."
"And I want to see how strong you are!" Kanon laughed.
"Care to spar?"
"You're on!"