Two days later.
Amegakure.
Pain and Konan stood before Kanon.
"Kanon, how did it go?" Pain inquired.
"It's done," Kanon murmured softly.
A vortex of roses swirled within her palm, and Han, looking like a beaten dog, tumbled out of the Flower Realm space, crashing onto the ground.
Kanon's three-tomoe Sharingan spun, dispelling the genjutsu bound to Han. He finally jolted awake, and the moment his senses returned, he saw Konan and Pain standing over him.
"Who are you people?!" Han demanded.
Pain stepped toward him, his voice devoid of emotion. "We are Pain. We are God."
"God?" Han's expression faltered. He stared at Pain, his face freezing in shock. The Rinnegan reflected in his eyes, causing his spirit to tremble. "Are those... the legendary Rinnegan?"
Crack.
Before he could process the thought, a black receiver pierced through his hand.
"Aaaaaagh!" As Han screamed, Pain turned his gaze toward Konan.
"Summon the others. Prepare the ritual for the Sealing Jutsu: Nine Phantom Dragons."
"Understood!"
"With this, the capture of the Five-Tails is a success."
Hearing Pain's words, Kanon prepared to take her leave.
"Where are you going?"
"My mission is complete. I'm going out for a stroll."
"I see... there truly is nothing required of you until the next assignment. Go then."
With Pain's permission, Kanon departed. Upon leaving the room, she immediately headed into the Hidden Rain Village to indulge in a shopping spree.
Kanon couldn't suppress the impulse; she bought several beautiful outfits, some lovely hairpins, and various elastic bands for her hair. Currently, Kanon was a "little lady of means"—if it looked good, she bought it!
"Boss, I want this one. How much?"
"It's just a crystal ball! Why so expensive? Can't you give me a discount?"
"No, no, that's too much. Boss, look into my sincere little eyes, give me a better price, please!"
The shopkeeper looked into Kanon's bright, crystal-clear eyes, framed by her exquisite face and twin tails.
"Alright... alright! I'll give you fifty percent off."
"Yay!" Kanon flashed a peace sign at the boss. Her adorable appearance made her look like a delicate porcelain doll, leaving the shopkeeper with a sudden protective urge toward the girl.
Afterward, Kanon headed to the wet market to "do battle" with the vegetable aunties.
As the saying goes, bargaining is like warfare. Kanon was currently locked in a tactical standoff with an elderly woman over a few cuts of beef. The habit of haggling she had acquired back in Konoha remained firmly intact.
After an hour of bickering, they reached a stalemate. Seeing that the woman refused to budge, a huffing Kanon immediately went to fetch reinforcements.
"What is it, Kanon-chan?" Konan asked, looking somewhat puzzled.
"Konan-nee, you're the only one who can help me with this!"
"Me?" Konan was slightly surprised. The fact that Kanon was actually asking her for a favor brought a touch of warmth to her heart.
However, when Kanon led Konan into the Hidden Rain's vegetable market, Konan's brow finally furrowed.
"Kanon-chan... this is..."
"Konan-nee, you'll help me, right?"
"Well, yes... but why are we in a meat market?"
"There! Right there!" Kanon pointed toward a woman at a meat stall.
"Yo, little girl, back for more? No discount, not a chance!" Clearly, the woman hadn't noticed Konan yet.
The surrounding shoppers, however, had gone silent and averted their eyes. The stall owner quickly realized something was wrong.
"The... Angel-sama!!" the woman cried out in shock.
"Ahem," Konan began, adopting a formal tone. "Does this meat stall have a valid business license?"
The woman's face turned pale. It was over, she actually didn't have one. She looked at Kanon in terror, unable to believe this customer had actually managed to summon the Angel herself.
Meanwhile, Kanon was snickering off to the side, looking thoroughly vindictive.
'That's what you get for not selling me that meat!' Kanon thought, hands on her hips.
Since this was within the legal jurisdiction of the Hidden Rain and the vendor was indeed in the wrong, there wasn't much to be said. Kanon didn't feel a shred of guilt. After Konan sent subordinates to thoroughly investigate the stall, Kanon happily walked away with her meat.
"Kanon-chan, are you leaving the village now?"
"Yeah, I want to travel a bit."
With that, Kanon left the Hidden Rain.
…
Three days later.
She arrived at the border of the Land of Sound. Night had fallen, and moonlight bathed the quiet village in a silver glow.
"So this is Otogakure?" Kanon muttered, staring at the eighth-note symbol, lost in thought.
Since Orochimaru's departure, the Hidden Sound Village hadn't seen a new visitor in a long time. This village, which wasn't even a quarter the size of Konoha, had remained stagnant.
Kanon grew cautious, approaching the border with care. The village was surrounded by dense woods; the chirping of insects and the whistling wind felt like a warning that something was amiss.
"Sound-based traps?" Kanon's three-tomoe Sharingan flickered in the darkness as she scanned her surroundings.
After pushing through a thick bamboo grove, she arrived at a seemingly ordinary wooden gate. There, a figure emerged. He had two heads. Kanon immediately recognized the man.
She had caught a glimpse of him once during her defection from Konoha.
"It's you. You're actually alive?" Kanon said softly.
"And who are you?" Sakon and Ukon stared at the girl, their expressions cold.
During the fight with Kankuro, Sakon had been defeated and should have died. However, a sudden gale had swept through the forest, miraculously blowing him to safety and allowing him to survive.
From what he knew, that gale had originated from the center of the battlefield, caused by Sasuke Uchiha's younger sister, Kanon Uchiha.
When Kanon had manifested the Susano'o, that single strike had inadvertently saved the Sound Four. Since Orochimaru had abandoned them, they had been searching for Kanon's whereabouts. Though they were villains, they felt a deep sense of gratitude toward the girl who had unintentionally saved their lives.
Sakon looked at Kanon, his face grim. "What is the Akatsuki doing in the Hidden Sound?"
"I'm just traveling. I didn't expect to find you still breathing."
"You know me?" Sakon asked suspiciously.
"I don't." Kanon shook her head. She was wearing her fox mask, her expression hidden.
Even though they had only crossed paths briefly, seeing him reminded her of her days in Konoha, and of that hateful old dog, Danzo.
"We have no interest in consorting with the Akatsuki. Get lost, or we'll kill you right here," Sakon snarled.
"Kill me? You?" Kanon's tone turned cold beneath the mask.
A terrifying surge of killing intent erupted. The sheer pressure caused Sakon to stagger and collapse onto the ground.
In his eyes, he wasn't facing a young girl who stood shorter than him; he was facing someone on the same level as Orochimaru.
That horrifying sensation was something he hadn't felt since Orochimaru left the Hidden Sound.