BOOM!
Following a violent explosion, Kidomaru was sent flying back like a cannonball, a spray of fresh blood trailing from his lips.
In the distance, the massive feline specter had achieved its Full Tailed Beast Mode. Tayuya and the others were reaching their limits; the fierce battle had already reduced the underground complex to a graveyard of rubble. Even as the morning sun began to crest the horizon, a victor had yet to be decided.
Despite their growth, the overwhelming power of a Tailed Beast had proven grueling for the four members of Team Hana.
Kanon surveyed the battlefield-turned-ruins and finally raised her hand.
"That's enough."
Abruptly, a terrifying roar echoed as the three boys separated from the Two-Tails, leaping back to create distance.
"What's wrong? Is this all the strength you have?" Yugito Nii, now towering in her Full Tailed Beast Mode, mocked them with a distorted, guttural voice.
But before she could continue, the Kusanagi Sword embedded in the wall suddenly erupted with blue electrical sparks, resonating with the lightning dancing in Kanon's hand. A terrifying current tore through the air, surging in harmony with Kanon's touch.
A swift bolt of lightning pierced through the air, skewering the colossal beast before the Kusanagi Sword flew back into Kanon's grasp.
Looking at the Two-Tails in its complete form, Kanon spoke softly to her team.
"You've all worked hard to push a Tailed Beast this far. From here on... leave it to me."
The four members of Team Hana retreated. Kanon stepped forward, Kusanagi Sword in hand. Seeing a girl who appeared no older than thirteen approaching, Yugito Nii deactivated her Full Tailed Beast Mode. The girl's strength was clearly superior to the other three; remaining in a massive form would only make her a larger target for concentrated attacks.
As the rising sun cast its golden light upon them, their shadows stretched long across the debris. Kanon stood upon a high vantage point, her gaze fixed with unwavering resolve on her target. Yugito Nii leaped nimbly between the jagged rocks, her tails swaying with her movements, radiating a feral, untamed power.
Catching a glimpse of the Sharingan behind Kanon's mask, Yugito realized her opponent's identity.
"An Uchiha?"
"Let's see if your Sharingan can see through my Cat Dance!" Yugito Nii challenged, her voice laced with absolute confidence.
Kanon said nothing. She simply closed her eyes. When she snapped them open, the three tomoe of the Sharingan were spinning within her crimson irises.
Yugito Nii struck first. Her body moved like a phantom across the battlefield, the power of the Two-Tails pushing her speed to the absolute limit. Her claws, wreathed in razor-sharp wind blades, slashed at Kanon.
It was a terrifying, unstoppable strike, yet it passed harmlessly through Kanon's head.
"How is this possible?!"
Before she could react, Yugito felt her hand seized in an iron grip.
"Let me go!"
Ignoring Yugito's screams, Kanon's expression remained cold and indifferent. In the instant she had reached out to grab the Jinchūriki, she had already finished her hand signs.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A massive sphere of flame erupted toward Yugito Nii. A heatwave swept the surroundings as the fireball engulfed her; Yugito let out a piercing shriek of agony.
Having suffered heavy injuries in the opening exchange, Yugito's heart sank. This girl was infinitely more dangerous than she had initially imagined.
But Kanon's blade followed immediately. The Kusanagi Sword clashed with Yugito Nii's claws, sending a cascade of sparks into the air. To any observer, Kanon's swordsmanship was incredibly fluid and ethereal; every strike seemed to tell a story of sorrow and pain, the momentum continuous and unpredictable.
The blade-light flashed like lightning, weaving an airtight web of steel. The cold glint at the tip of her sword was like the brightest star in the night sky, shimmering with a lethal beauty.
During the exchange, Yugito was struck multiple times by Kanon's blade, though she continued to use the Tailed Beast chakra to knit her wounds shut. Kanon constantly shifted her sword style, probing for a fatal opening. For a time, sword slash crisscrossed the field and blade-light fell like a waterfall, shrouding the battlefield in a forest of steel shadows.
In such a high-tempo duel, a single mistake meant total defeat. Yet, whether it was the angle of a slash or the timing of a thrust, Kanon was flawless. Amidst the relentless assault, Yugito felt a surge of horror as she couldn't land a single blow on this girl.
"Did you think we were only dueling with swords?" Kanon asked suddenly.
Startled, Yugito lunged backward. But by the time she realized the danger, it was too late. The countless shards of debris scattered around them instantly transformed into Kanon's Shadow Clones. In a heartbeat, hundreds of Kanons appeared.
"It's over," the original Kanon whispered.
Hundreds of Chidori Sharp Spears lunged forward, skewering Yugito Nii's body. In an instant, she was riddled with hundreds of puncture wounds.
As Yugito Nii lost consciousness, her eyes rolling back as blood pooled beneath her, Kanon's gaze remained flat and emotionless.
As a massive surge of Tailed Beast chakra erupted and Matatabi's true form began to manifest, three Gracious Deity Gates slammed down from the sky, pinning the Two-Tails firmly to the ground.
Once the Tailed Beast chakra was suppressed, only the dying Yugito Nii remained, twitching on the ground in a pool of her own blood. Her wretched state sent a shiver of dread even through the likes of Jirobo.
"With this, the capture of the Two-Tails is a success."
"Mission accomplished," Kanon said. To prevent any chance of a desperate escape, she used the Kusanagi Sword to transfix Yugito Nii's hands, pinning her to the earth.
Another shrill scream rang out. To Kanon, the pain of having one's hands pierced was a familiar sensation; had it been her, she wouldn't have made a sound. Physical agony could never fill the desolation in her heart; she had long since become desensitized to pain.
In this battle, Team Hana had endured much of the initial hardship and exhausted a significant portion of the Two-Tails' chakra, allowing Kanon to win so decisively.
Kanon was not one to hoard the glory. She turned to the four members of Team Hana, who had been watching from the sidelines, and offered a smile. As they approached, she patted them on the shoulders.
"Well done. Our mission was a success," Kanon said with a light, self-deprecating laugh.
"It's thanks to all of you wearing down the Two-Tails' chakra that I was able to win. Thank you, everyone." Kanon gave them a sweet, genuine smile.
Seeing her sincerity, Tayuya and the others were nearly moved to tears. In truth, they knew they had fought with everything they had but were still no match for the Two-Tails. They hadn't truly "helped" in the final capture, yet seeing how much Kanon cherished them filled the rest of Team Hana with gratitude. Their resolve to follow her only deepened.