Four days later.
Land of Lightning, Kumogakure.
Team Hana had already arrived at their destination. At the moment, they had not entered the Hidden Cloud Village directly. According to intelligence gathered by Sasori, the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, Yugito Nii, had very few people around her lately, only a few Kumogakure Jonin kept her under surveillance.
As the Jinchūriki of the Two-Tails, being monitored was a routine part of life. Thus, Kanon's objective was not to cause a massive scene within the village itself.
"Jirobo, you need to pay the most attention during this mission!" Tayuya remarked from the side, her words carrying a sharp, cautionary edge.
"I get it, Tayuya. I'll complete the mission properly this time."
"It's difficult to move during the day. Kanon, I suggest we wait until nightfall to strike," Kidomaru offered.
"Mhm. I agree that daytime isn't ideal for movement. We'll remain concealed first and close in on the target location." After Kanon issued the command, she began her sensory pulse.
There were many shinobi in the vicinity; she had to devise a swift, precise, and ruthless tactic to ensure Team Hana could minimize their risks.
As the final rays of the sun gradually faded beyond the horizon, the night acted like a mysterious weaver, slowly drawing down a curtain of darkness to cover the land. In this moment, stars flickered in the sky, and amidst the tranquil peace, a pair of scarlet Sharingan eyes shone with exceptional clarity in the black of night.
Kanon quietly pulled down the fox mask resting on the left side of her forehead. After tightening the bands of her twin tails, she delivered a sharp hand-chop to the head of the already dozing Jirobo.
"Big idiot, wake up!" Kanon muttered in exasperation.
"Oh, oh! Is it time to move?"
"Yes. Prepare to move out. Everything goes according to plan."
"Understood, leave it to us!" The male trio of Team Hana vanished in an instant, leaving only Tayuya and Kanon waiting at the original spot.
…
On this night of high winds and a dark moon, a Kumogakure Jonin let out a yawn.
"Murakami... why do you think Raikage-sama sends us to monitor Yugito-sama every single day?"
"Yeah... I think it's boring too. Day after day, I'm bored to death. A-rank missions really are more my style."
"Think about it, monitoring is one thing, but why assign four Jonin of our caliber just to ensure Yugito-sama's safety?"
"She's a perfect Jinchūriki just like Killer Bee-sama! She's way stronger than we are..."
Suddenly, out of the darkness, a spiderweb shot forth and instantly bound the two of them. It happened so fast they couldn't even make a sound before the white webs had them suspended in the air.
Immediately after, a single arrow pierced through both of their throats. They were dead before they could even realize it.
"Assassination successful. Time to withdraw."
With those words, Kidomaru's form faded back into the night.
Meanwhile, Jirobo and Sakon/Ukon arrived at another guard post Kanon had sensed.
"Don't step in this time, Jirobo. Your jutsu's destructive power is too high. Let me handle it," Sakon said. He activated his Kekkei Genkai, striking himself with a palm to disperse his body.
Two minutes later, those two Kumogakure Jonin lay on the ground, a bloody, mangled mess.
Upon seeing the male trio return, Kanon nodded slightly, offering them unreserved praise.
"Well done. Next, it's the Two-Tails Jinchūriki's turn."
As Kanon spoke, she had already locked onto the Two-Tails' location. The place was a structure situated in the center of a remote forest. At that moment, as if sensing she had been targeted by a sensory ninja, Yugito Nii opened her eyes in the darkness.
"What's happening?"
Yugito pushed open the door. What met her eyes was Team Hana, clad in Akatsuki cloaks, standing under the moonlight. The girl leading them in the center appeared shorter than the rest, her face obscured by a fox mask.
"You're with the Akatsuki?" Yugito Nii asked, her gaze heavy with gravity.
"There are no other shinobi around now; feel free to speak as loudly as you like," Tayuya remarked from beside Kanon with a confident smirk, as if she had already pronounced the woman's death sentence.
"Tch. You Akatsuki bastards... are you here to throw your lives away?!" Yugito Nii snapped in a fit of rage.
"Rodent Hairball!"
Yugito Nii spat a ball of flames from her mouth, which broke apart into a swarm of blue fire tracking bullets, surging toward the five of them.
Sakon and Ukon slammed their hands onto the ground. Rashomon erupted from the earth, the massive gate blocking the Rodent Hairball from the group in an instant.
By the time the Rashomon gate vanished, Yugito Nii had already disappeared.
"Kanon, can you sense her position?"
"I can. Follow me."
With those words, the five of them turned into blurs, giving chase.
Through the pitch-black night, a shadow flickered as Yugito Nii sprinted across the terrain. Team Hana trailed closely behind her. It seemed she was intentionally luring them; soon, she and the entirety of Team Hana entered the basement of a large building.
The moment she leapt inside, a Kusanagi Sword came whistling through the air. Fortunately, Yugito's speed was immense; she evaded the strike with a mid-air leap.
Seeing the Kusanagi Sword embedded half an inch into the earthen wall, Yugito's pupils constricted. The sheer power behind that single throw was evident.
Then, from the darkness of the corridor, Kanon slowly emerged in her Akatsuki cloak. The members of Team Hana followed behind her, their expressions somber.
"So, you really are from Akatsuki, aren't you?"
The only response Yugito Nii received was an arrow from Kidomaru. The speed was so great that it caused Yugito to stumble, barely managing to dodge.
Looking at her labored breathing, Sakon let out a cold laugh.
"Hey, would you mind just surrendering quietly?"
"You think you've cornered me... but the truth is... I'm the one who lured you here!"
As she spoke, the surrounding exits were detonated by explosive tags. Countless rocks collapsed, transforming the area into a completely sealed space.
"Kanon, the path is blocked," Jirobo noted quietly.
"It doesn't matter. This suits my purposes perfectly."
Yugito Nii's expression grew increasingly solemn, and increasingly ferocious.
"I will stake the name of Kumogakure's Yugito Nii... on killing you all."
"Kill us? You're welcome to try!" Jirobo's expression flared with anger. How dare she be so boastful?
Blue flames began to flicker across Yugito Nii's body, and her hair drifted upward, caught in the surge of a massive amount of chakra. She was entering her Version 1 state; blue, cat-like flame patterns of chakra manifested across her skin.
This semi-tailed beast state erupted with a terrifying volume of chakra, causing the four members of Team Hana, excluding Kanon, to knit their brows.
"Kanon, let us handle this."
Jirobo and the others volunteered. Kanon swept her gaze over them and nodded slightly. They might not have been strong in the past, but the present was a different story.
"I'll leave it to you..." Kanon agreed.
"Leave it to us!" the four replied excitedly.