"Kakashi-sensei, Naruto must be training his heart out right now, don't you think?"
"Who knows? But for the sake of bringing Kanon and Sasuke back, he'll put his life on the line and keep getting stronger. There's still one year left until the promised time," Kakashi said, nodding slightly.
"Pops, I'll have the Miso Chashu Pork Ramen, Naruto's favorite," Kakashi said softly to the owner of Ichiraku Ramen.
"Coming right up! What about you, Sakura and Ino?"
"The same as Kakashi-sensei," Sakura replied.
As the three of them sat there engaged in idle chatter, the curtain to the shop was pushed aside. Sakura, Ino, and Kakashi paid it no mind, continuing their conversation.
"Kakashi-sensei, there's been a steady stream of news regarding the Akatsuki lately. Apparently, many people have spotted their signature cloaks."
"You're right, Ino. Once this year is up, I feel we'll need to start being on high alert against them."
"By the way, Sakura, how is your special training with the Fifth Hokage coming along?" Kakashi asked with a note of concern.
"I'm still learning. I hope to become a shinobi like Tsunade-sama... and then catch up to them."
Just as Sakura was about to continue, her pupils suddenly constricted. Ino, noticing Sakura's reaction, looked on in confusion. Since Kakashi was facing Sakura, he was also puzzled by the look of shock on her face.
Then, a familiar voice drifted from behind him.
"Pops, give me an order of Miso Chashu Pork Ramen."
Kakashi whipped around instantly. His eyes landed on a girl with twin-tails, roughly 161 centimeters tall with slender legs. But most importantly, the fox mask resting on her face was a symbol Kakashi would never forget.
"Sakura, Kakashi-sensei, who is she? Why are you both making those faces?" Ino asked, perplexed.
Other than hearing descriptions from Naruto and Kakashi about what Kanon looked like now, Sakura hadn't seen her in years. Seeing her now, the perfect silhouette, the cute twin-tails, and the signature straight bangs, it was unmistakable.
"You... what are you doing here?" Kakashi's voice trembled slightly.
"I was hungry. I came for a bowl of ramen," the girl replied calmly.
"Who exactly is she? Do you guys know her?" Ino pressed.
Both Sakura and Kakashi were stunned to the point of silence. Even when the ramen was served, they remained paralyzed with uncertainty. To see such a stunned expression even on Kakashi made Ino even more bewildered.
A moment later, the girl reached up, slid the mask to the side of her forehead, and revealed her true face. Ino froze.
She recognized her immediately. That exquisite, overly beautiful face paired with the signature red trench coat made her identity painfully obvious.
"U-Uchiha... Kanon!" A shocked Ino shouted the name out loud.
Kanon, however, ignored her, focusing entirely on slurping her noodles.
"Why have you come to Konoha at a time like this?" Kakashi asked, his tone laced with caution.
Faced with Kakashi's interrogation, Kanon remained unmoved. Even Sakura felt a sense of helplessness beside her. This was Sasuke's sister, the once bright and cheerful girl was now chillingly indifferent. There was a peculiar sense of distance about her, as if the Kanon standing before them was no longer the person they once knew.
Ten minutes later, having finished the bowl, Kanon let out a satisfied sigh.
"Ah... it really has to be Ichiraku."
"Alright, now that you've had your fill, Kanon, why are you in the village? You surely realize you are an S-Rank rogue ninja," Kakashi said quietly, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table.
"I just came back to see some old friends."
"Naturally, that includes you three," Kanon said as she stood up. She pulled her mask back down, left the money for the ramen on the counter, and pushed through the curtains to leave the shop.
From the slight smile lingering on her face, it seemed seeing her old friends was a genuine source of happiness for her.
Inevitably, Kakashi, Sakura, and Ino followed her out. Kanon walked ahead, leading a small crowd of people trailing in her wake. Thanks to Ino's loud exclamation, everyone else now knew that the person in front of them was Kanon.
Her objective remained a mystery until she arrived at Naruto's house. Only then did the group realize she was looking for Naruto.
Kanon knocked gently on the door, but there was no response. The doorknob was covered in a thick layer of dust.
"Naruto doesn't seem to be home. Perhaps someone should tell me where he went?"
"What is your objective in seeking Naruto?!" Shikamaru frowned, being the first to bark at her. He understood clearly that the Kanon before them was different from Sasuke; she was an S-Rank wanted criminal, the same rank as Itachi Uchiha.
"Don't be so tense." Kanon looked down at her feet, noticing she had already been caught by the Shadow Possession Jutsu, and let out a soft chuckle.
"I really am just here to see a friend. It's been two years; I wanted to see if that scruffy idiot has grown up at all."
"A rogue ninja doesn't need to worry about him!" Choji shouted from behind Shikamaru, his voice filled with hostility.
"It seems no matter how much time passes, it's all the same. Konoha isn't very welcoming to the Uchiha."
Hearing those words, Kakashi, standing near the teenagers, felt as if a sword had pierced his heart. Kanon's remark was a direct jab at him.
"I..." Kakashi started to speak, but Kanon cut him off.
"But it doesn't matter if I'm welcome or not. After all, my target for revenge is the entirety of Konoha."
Sakura stepped forward, her eyes filled with a complex swirl of emotions. Looking at Kanon, who was currently restrained by the shadow, she said softly:
"Kanon... if Sasuke saw you like this, he wouldn't be happy..."
"What exactly happened to you? Why did you become a rogue ninja?"
Listening to Sakura's sorrowful gaze, Kanon said nothing more. Although she was a rogue ninja and her goal was the destruction of Konoha, the members of Team 7 were the only source of warmth left in her heart.
Whether it was Kakashi, Sakura, or Naruto, she didn't want to hurt them. The current Kanon only showed kindness to those she cared about. As for everyone else...
"I have to say, this binding technique is really annoying."
The moment the words left her lips, she took a light step forward. A distance away, Shikamaru suddenly coughed up a spray of blood. Kanon's raw strength was so overwhelming that the Shadow Possession Jutsu couldn't hold her back!
"Leaf Whirlwind!" Seeing Shikamaru injured, Lee charged forward with a high-speed kick aimed at Kanon's neck. Even though it was Kanon, he would not hold back; he was a shinobi of Konoha.
"Stop! Lee!" Kakashi screamed.
But it was too late. Lee's leg passed right through Kanon's neck, the strike hit nothing but air, leaving him completely exposed.
BAM!
A heavy, bone-jarring impact echoed through the street. Rock Lee took a massive punch from Kanon directly to the gut.
He was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing through a nearby house and reducing it to rubble.
"I told you, I'm just here to see a friend. What's the rush to attack me for?"
Kanon brushed the dust off her mask and spoke softly to the crowd.
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