On Deidara's side, the giant clay bird descended. Kanon and Deidara leapt onto the ground in unison.
"Capture complete. The One-Tail is ours," Deidara said with a grin.
"You took your time. I told you I don't like to be kept waiting," Sasori muttered, his expression dark.
"I'm sorry, Sasori-nii... I just really wanted to test my skills against him. That's why we're late," Kanon said, putting on an adorable, pleading look.
"Hmph. Since it's Kanon-chan, I'll let it slide this once..." Sasori turned his head away.
"You can't put all the blame on Kanon, though. This kid was actually pretty tough," Deidara added, glancing at the unconscious Gaara.
"That's why I told you two to prepare properly," Sasori said, sounding slightly exasperated.
"And what about your preparations, Sasori-nii?" Kanon asked.
"Mine have been ready for a long time."
"I've been waiting forever, of course I'm ready."
"And unlike you two, my preliminary preparations were quite thorough."
Kanon maintained her piteous expression.
"Sasori-nii, please don't scold us anymore. Kanon was wrong." She widened her eyes, her gaze so bright and endearing that Sasori finally stopped speaking.
"Then let's withdraw. Kanon, Deidara."
With the giant bird hovering overhead, the three began making their way out of the Hidden Sand Village. Sasori glanced back over his shoulder.
"I suppose I won't be coming back here again."
"Perhaps, Sasori-nii. It's your hometown; there's no harm in taking one last look," Kanon said softly, adjusting her straw hat.
"There is no point. I abandoned any lingering attachment to this village long ago."
…
Kankuro led his team to the Sunagakure border defense perimeter. The moment they stepped inside, the metallic scent of blood saturated the air.
As they drew closer, their pupils constricted. Dozens of shinobi lay dead, the blood already dry. It was clear they had been killed a long time ago; their bodies had already begun to stiffen, emitting a cold, chilling aura.
"This is horrible..."
"They weren't just killed."
"They must have died even before the fight with Gaara started."
The Jonin behind Kankuro lowered his head.
"There were elite members of the Anbu here, too..."
Kankuro had thoroughly vetted the village when Gaara took office as Kazekage; it was impossible for there to be traitors within the Hidden Sand.
"Looking at the scene, the people who took Gaara must have stopped here. There are sword marks on the corpses."
"Hurry, after them!" Kankuro ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
Suddenly, one of the bodies twitched.
"Hey! Someone's still alive!"
A shinobi immediately rushed over to help the man up.
"Stop! Don't get close!" Kankuro barked, but he was too late.
As the dying man was lifted, a paper bomb pinned to his chest ignited.
BOOM!
A chain reaction of explosions followed, causing the border canyon to collapse instantly. Aside from Kankuro, the entire team was wiped out, buried beneath the falling rock.
…
Feeling the shockwaves of the explosion, Kanon paused and looked back toward the horizon.
"It looks like they fell for Sasori-nii's trap," Kanon murmured.
"Kanon-chan, while explosions are a beautiful art, a real man doesn't look back at the blast. It ruins the cool factor," Deidara remarked.
"Deidara-nii, I'm a girl, not a man," Kanon replied softly.
Deidara blinked, stunned for a moment. She actually had a point.
"Still, Sasori-nii's trap had quite a bit of destructive power." Deidara turned back himself, watching the plumes of dust and smoke rise in the distance.
"Naturally. A trap is only a trap if it's designed to be fallen into," Sasori said.
"I see."
…
Back at the border, Kankuro, having desperately pulled a few Jonin from the rubble, was consumed by rage. The reinforcements that arrived looked even more grim.
"Kankuro..."
"I only managed to save two. They're injured, please treat them!"
"What are you going to do?" one of the reinforcements asked.
"Is that even a question?"
"I'm bringing Gaara back!"
Ultimately, Kankuro couldn't be dissuaded. He set off alone, tracking the footprints of the three intruders at high speed.
Finally, as the morning sun began to rise, Kankuro caught up. Sasori and Kanon suddenly came to a halt.
"What is it? Master Sasori? Kanon?" Deidara asked.
"I didn't expect anyone to actually follow us," Sasori muttered.
"You've got guts, kid. You really dared to chase us this far?" Kanon turned around, a mocking expression on her face as she looked at Kankuro.
"I found you, bastards! Give Gaara back!"
"Hmph. You think you can take him, Kankuro?" Kanon's lips curled into a slight smirk. She reached behind her to draw her Kusanagi Sword, but Sasori's hand blocked her.
"Deidara, Kanon. You two go on ahead. I'll handle this." Sasori leaped forward, landing right in front of Kankuro.
Kankuro's face paled. Looking at the distant Deidara and Kanon, his expression grew heavy enough to drip with tension.
"Kanon Uchiha! Why are you helping the Akatsuki do this?!"
"Do you have any idea how worried Naruto is about you?!" Kankuro shouted, trying to stall for reinforcements, but Kanon wasn't buying it.
"Sasori-nii, you'd better hurry up, or I'm going to lose my patience and step in." Hearing him mention Naruto sent a surge of irritation through her.
Kankuro pulled three scrolls from his back, summoning his puppets before Sasori.
"Not bad. You've improved since last time," Kanon nodded slightly. During their first encounter, he could only control one; now he was wielding three.
"Puppet Theater... I'll show you what I can do!"
"Karasu! Kuroari! Sanshōuo!"
"I'll say it one more time. Give Gaara back!"
"Puppetry, is it?"
Deidara smirked and suddenly slung Kanon over his shoulder.
"Hey! Deidara-nii!"
"If I don't do this, you won't leave." Deidara jumped onto the giant clay bird, taking Kanon with him as they took to the sky.
"We're heading out then."
"Mm," Sasori grunted in response.
"Don't you dare run!" Kankuro immediately sent a puppet lunging toward Deidara and Kanon.
Kanon, positioned in front of Deidara, spun around. Blue lightning surged from her hand, extending into a sharp blade.
"Chidori Sharp Spear!"
The massive discharge instantly blew the puppet Karasu into splinters.
"What...?" Kankuro's face twisted in shock. In their previous fight, he had at least been able to trade blows with her. Now, his puppet was destroyed in a single strike.
"Kanon, I'll take it from here. Go!" Sasori urged loudly.
"Got it!" Kanon turned back around and flew higher into the sky with Deidara.
"I hate keeping people waiting, and I don't like being kept waiting myself."
"So, I'll finish you off with extreme speed!"
At that moment, Kuroari was caught by Sasori.
"Just like catching a dead fly," Sasori mocked.
High above, Deidara seemed to recall something.
"I remember now. This Jinchuriki has a couple of siblings."
"I heard one of them was a puppet user."
"That's probably this guy."
"You should know him, right Kanon?"
"Yeah, but we aren't close."
"His name was... Kantaro? No, Kanpachi, right?" Deidara asked.
"It's Kankuro. Don't underestimate him that much," Kanon said with a helpless shrug.
Watching the two on the giant bird mock him like a comedy duo, Kankuro flew into a rage. He commanded Sanshōuo to strike at the pair in the sky.
Sasori's Hiruko tail flicked effortlessly, slamming Kuroari into the ground.
"Didn't I say your opponent is me?"
"You two, stop gawking and get going. You're in the way!"
"Fair point. We're off." Deidara maneuvered his Explosive Clay Bird, carrying Kanon and Gaara into the distance.
Seeing them leave, Kankuro roared.
"Hey, wait!"
But Sasori's next attack was already upon him.
"How many times do I have to say it? Your opponent is me," Sasori's low voice vibrated.
"Tch. Fine... I'll just have to take you down quickly and then go after them." Kankuro showed no fear.
However, within just a few exchanges, the pride of the Hidden Sand fell, succumbing to the sting of Sasori's poison.