"So... so strong!" Zetsu muttered, visibly shaken.
That combination of jutsu had been terrifying. The thought took root in his mind: Itachi's younger sister might have already surpassed Itachi himself.
Beside him, Tobi stared at the scene, his Three-Tomoe Sharingan narrowed in a solemn gaze. This was a miscalculation on his part. The person before them had become nearly impossible to kill, and he certainly couldn't manipulate her will, perhaps only Kotoamatsukami could manage that.
But who could say for certain if Kanon didn't already have a way to break such a genjutsu?
"Kanon Uchiha... I should have killed you back then," Tobi murmured.
For the first time, a sliver of genuine regret pierced through him. He should never have let her survive that night.
…
At the center of the battlefield, Kanon sat on the scorched earth. She had shed her Akatsuki cloak, revealing a short-sleeved shirt emblazoned with the Uchiha crest. Aside from being somewhat flat-chested, she was a picture of lethal perfection.
"Why... why are you doing this?" Han asked, his voice a mere rasp as he clung to life.
"For peace," Kanon replied calmly. "And besides, Han-jisan, you should stay quiet. I need to rest, and you put up a decent fight yourself."
Kanon leaned back, bracing herself with her hands as she looked up at the vast blue sky.
I wonder how onii-chan is doing...
"You said... your name is Kanon Uchiha, right?"
"Didn't I tell you to stop talking?" Kanon pouted.
"I know of you," Han continued painfully. "The S-rank rogue ninja wanted by Konoha. The girl who left her home behind at only eleven years old."
"Knowing doesn't change anything."
"You shouldn't have joined the Akatsuki. Your future didn't have to be this dark..."
"My future?"
"Even if Konoha abandoned you, other villages would have taken you in. There was no need to choose such an extreme path..."
Listening to Han's persuasion, Kanon took a deep breath and pulled her Akatsuki cloak back on.
"You're right. It's true," she said, her expression suddenly turning predatory. "But my eyes can no longer see the path ahead. Even the Mangekyō cannot see through this darkness!"
"Child... what is your goal in joining the Akatsuki?"
"To crush Konoha!" Kanon declared, her face twisting into a slight, manic grin.
Just the thought of Konoha reduced to the rubble by her own hand sent a thrill of pure ecstasy through her. It was a refreshing, invigorating feeling, like the crispness of putting on a pair of fresh underwear on New Year's morning!
"To think Konoha would drive out a talent like you... Hiruzen has truly grown senile."
"Alright, Han-jisan, that's enough." Kanon activated her Three-Tomoe Sharingan, instantly plunging Han into a genjutsu-induced sleep.
Just then, a massive boulder plummeted from the sky, hurtling directly toward Kanon's head. It passed harmlessly through her masked form, followed immediately by a long, slender leg aimed at her face.
"So long," Kanon remarked, mentally comparing Kurotsuchi's legs to her own. "Whoa, the difference really is huge."
"You bastard! What have you done to Han-sama?!" Kurotsuchi cried, her face etched with fury.
In the distance, Kitsuchi launched a massive stone fist. Kanon's Kusanagi Sword flashed, cleaving the rock in two instantly. But as the halves fell, Kanon was already there, a Rasengan spinning in her palm.
BOOM!
Because his vision had been obstructed by his own shattered rock, Kitsuchi failed to react to Kanon's lightning-fast charge. The Rasengan slammed into him, sending him spiraling backward.
"Kitsuchi!" Kurotsuchi screamed, her face paling.
Blood sprayed from Kitsuchi's mouth as he crashed into the earth, creating a massive crater.
"And who are you? Reinforcements from the Stone?" Kanon asked nonchalantly.
"That outfit... you're with the Akatsuki, aren't you? What is your objective?!"
Kanon didn't bother answering. With a wave of her hand, she pulled the unconscious Han into the pocket dimension of her Flower Realm. She stood up slowly, facing the recovering Kitsuchi and the glaring Kurotsuchi.
"Where did you take Han-sama?!"
"Hand him over, now!" Kurotsuchi was on the verge of a violent explosion.
Kanon remained motionless, watching her. She seemed to be waiting, waiting for Kurotsuchi to lose herself to hatred and strike.
Predictably, Kurotsuchi snapped.
"Lava Release: Quicklime Congealing Technique!"
She spat out a burst of quicklime, intending to mix it with Water Release to form instant cement and bind Kanon's movements. However, Kanon's Sharingan spun, her fingers blurring through seals.
"Lava Release: Quicklime Congealing Technique!"
The two identical jutsu collided, but Kanon's was far more potent, overwhelming Kurotsuchi's cement and washing back over her.
"How is this possible..."
"Who even are you?" Kanon asked, genuinely curious.
Kurotsuchi's follow-up attacks were relentless, but without exception, they all phased through Kanon's body.
"Earth Release: Stone Pillar!"
A massive pillar erupted beneath Kanon to launch her into the air. Kanon leaped gracefully.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower!"
A volley of fire-imbued shuriken swarmed toward Kurotsuchi's forehead. Kanon was too fast; Kurotsuchi couldn't even track the movement, let alone react.
At the critical second, Kitsuchi finally slammed his hands together.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
A massive stone wall rose to block the strike. But before either of them could breathe a sigh of relief—
Chink. The sound of flesh being pierced echoed, accompanied by the high-pitched chirping of a thousand birds.
A blue Chidori Sharp Spear had lanced through the thick stone wall, skewering Kurotsuchi through the abdomen. As the wall crumbled into debris, everyone saw the cold, murderous glint in the eyes behind Kanon's mask.
"You're all so annoying. I'll just send you to the afterlife myself." Kanon's voice had turned arctic.
She felt a genuine impulse to end them. In the distance, Tobi and Zetsu froze.
"Zetsu, go stop her! If this continues, Ōnoki is going to show up!" Tobi frowned. He wasn't ready for the Akatsuki to be fully exposed to the world just yet.
Sure enough, in the far distance, the diminutive figure of Ōnoki, the Third Tsuchikage, was already visible, flying toward them like a high-speed potato.
Zetsu merged with the ground, racing toward Kanon.
Kanon's expression remained indifferent as she retracted her Chidori Sharp Spear and reached for her Kusanagi Sword. These Stone ninja were getting in her way. Just as she prepared her next move, Zetsu emerged from the earth beside her.
"It's time to go, Kanon-chan."
Kanon blinked, startled by the sudden intrusion. "Who are you?"
"I am Zetsu, a member of the Akatsuki. Don't let side-shows distract you. The Tsuchikage is almost here."
"Then let us fight," Kanon said coldly. "I can prove that the Uchiha stand above the Five Kage."
"The mission comes first. We're leaving."
"But these two..."
"There will be other chances to kill them."
"Fine... alright." Kanon sighed. Since Zetsu had come personally to remind her, she couldn't well refuse. Her goal had been to capture the Five-Tails; with the mission accomplished, there was no reason to linger.
Kanon activated her Sharingan. A rose-shaped spatial vortex swirled beside her, drawing her in and vanishing without a trace.
She left behind only the unconscious Kurotsuchi and Kitsuchi. They had come inches from death without even knowing who their opponent was, only that the Akatsuki had taken Han.
…
Inside the Flower Realm, Konin was thoughtfully examining the bound Han.
"What is it, Konin? Is there a problem?"
"I'm just checking if your genjutsu is holding up. Kanon, can you use Tsukuyomi yet?"
"Tsukuyomi is a Mangekyō technique. I can't use it without activating those eyes."
"True. Come to the inner world when you sleep tonight; I'll teach you some more jutsu you'll need."
"Good. Now, it's time to report back."
"What are your plans after that?" Konin asked.
"Since the Five-Tails is captured, I think I'll travel for a while. I want to see more of the world and grow my experience."
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