Otogakure.
Everyone was training as usual.
"Hey, Jirobo, stop slacking off. What if the boss sees you?"
"Relax, I'm just taking five minutes."
"Honestly..." Tayuya sighed, throwing her hands up. Looking at the sweat-drenched Jirobo lying on the ground, her expression was one of total exasperation.
Suddenly, a rose-colored vortex appeared in the sky. Space began to twist and warp, and then Kanon's body stumbled out, crashing right onto Jirobo's stomach.
"Kanon-chan!" Tayuya gasped in shock, rushing over to support the staggering girl.
"Ah... it's Tayuya." Kanon grinned sheepishly as she sprawled across Jirobo's belly, her face flushed but looking relieved.
She promptly drifted off into a deep sleep, leaving Tayuya and Jirobo to exchange a confused glance.
"What are you staring at? Get her back to her room, she needs rest!"
"Right! I'll get the boss back inside." Jirobo nodded, hoisting the sleeping Kanon onto his back and carrying her toward Tayuya's room.
Kanon slept soundly as the night began to fade.
In her dreams, she returned to the sight of her family living in harmony. Her father and mother were there; Itachi and Sasuke were practicing with shuriken, and even Naruto was there, training alongside Itachi.
"Kanon-chan, look what I brought you!"
A voice drew Kanon's attention away from where she sat in the courtyard.
"Izumi-neesan! Is that... my favorite cream puffs?!"
"Hehe, that's right. Now hurry up and tell me what Itachi's schedule looks like for the next few days."
"No way! You think you can buy me off with a few puffs? Izumi-nee, I'm not that easy!"
"Then... how about another bag?" Izumi appeared behind her, teasing.
"If you want Itachi's schedule, you should be asking me." Shisui walked out from the kitchen, carrying a tray of sliced watermelon.
"Hmph! Shisui! It's your fault for hogging all of Itachi's time!" Izumi pointed a finger at Shisui, scolding him.
"Is that really my fault?" Shisui replied, looking helpless.
"Shisui-nii, I blame you too! It's because of you that onii-chan won't practice shuriken with us!" Kanon joined in, pointing at Shisui alongside Izumi.
"Hey, hey, hey, are you ganging up on me?" Shisui's helplessness deepened.
"Shisui!" A sudden authoritative voice made Shisui freeze. He turned his head with a slight tremble to see Fugaku.
"Since they're all blaming you, you can take charge of teaching my daughter the basics of shurikenjutsu."
"Yes, sir!"
The scene was incredibly warm, but it existed only in a dream, a reality that could never be regained.
The dream was like a gentle scroll, slowly unfurling before Kanon's eyes before quietly rolling back up. The scene that had appeared so many times in her sleep once again blurred at the edges of her reality.
Kanon reached out, trying to grasp the fading memory, but her hand touched only emptiness. It was the feeling of happiness she once knew. Even as time flowed on, the Uchiha's place in Kanon's heart remained unchanged.
In the dream, she and Naruto were still so close. Their smiles met at a familiar street corner; sunlight danced on his brow, and his laughter was warm and familiar. Kanon and Naruto talked about their dreams for the future, their eyes filled with hope and longing.
In that moment, Kanon felt as if she had returned to that carefree age where all worries were cast aside.
However, when the first light of dawn pierced through the curtains and touched her face, she knew the dream was over.
Kanon opened her bleary eyes and saw Tayuya, who had fallen asleep while watching over her. A small smile played on Kanon's lips, though it was tinged with deep nostalgia.
The family and friends who had once shared those beautiful times were now gone. She could only meet them in the world of dreams.
Kanon sat up. Tayuya had removed her hair ties; her long, straight black hair cascaded down like a waterfall, making her look quite adorable.
But her heart was heavy with emotion. Time flies; both she and Naruto were no longer the children they used to be. Thinking back to how Naruto had directed his anger at her because of Gaara, Kanon felt a sense of estrangement. During the Chunin Exams, they weren't particularly close. Gaara had even tried to kill both Naruto and her back then.
But Kanon pushed those thoughts aside, letting the memories bury themselves deep in her heart.
Sensing Kanon's movement, Tayuya woke up. She rubbed her eyes and saw that Kanon was preparing to get out of bed.
"Kanon-chan! You're awake!"
"Yeah... the side effects of the Mangekyo Sharingan... I think I went a bit too wild back then..."
Before Kanon could finish, Tayuya pulled her into a tight hug.
"Kanon-chan! You scared the life out of me!"
"I'm okay now, Tayuya..."
"How long was I out?"
"Three days," Tayuya said softly, pouring a glass of water for her.
"What?! Three days?!"
"Yes, and a lot has happened in those three days." Tayuya handed a newspaper to Kanon.
Kanon looked confused as she took the paper. As she read, her expression froze, and her pupils dilated in shock.
The lead story was about Sunagakure and Konoha establishing a strong cooperative relationship, featuring a headline photo of Gaara and Naruto shaking hands.
But Kanon didn't care about that. Her eyes were fixed on a report further down the page.
Sasori of the Red Sand was dead. The news reported that Deidara was missing and Sasori had been killed.
"Sasori-nii..." Kanon's hand trembled, the newspaper fluttering in her grip as she remembered the time she spent with Sasori and Deidara.
"I'm sorry... if only I had stayed a little longer, maybe Sasori-nii wouldn't have died." Kanon's eyes grew moist. If there was anyone left in the world who truly cared about Sasori's death, it was her, especially now that Chiyo was also gone.
"Kanon-chan, are you all right?" Seeing Kanon try to stand only to stumble back toward the floor, Tayuya rushed to support her.
"Sasori-nii... it's all my fault..." Kanon's legs were shaking.
The sudden news of Sasori's death was more than she could handle. After Tayuya heard the full story, she embraced Kanon tightly.
"Kanon-chan, you can't blame yourself for this."
"But..." Kanon tried to protest.
"Sasori-san was powerful. I believe he could have escaped if he wanted to. If he died, it must have been his own choice."
"Kanon-chan, stop blaming yourself. His death isn't on you." Sakon and Ukon walked in at that moment, carrying a lunch box.
"Sakon, Ukon..."
"Eat. This is breakfast."
Kanon felt a surge of warmth in her heart. She nodded weakly.
"Thank you, guys..."
"Feeling better?" Tayuya asked.
"Yeah, a little."
Once Kanon finished eating, it was time to leave. The group helped her don her Akatsuki cloak once more.
"Boss, what's the plan now?" Jirobo asked.
"Capturing the Tailed Beasts isn't going to be easy anymore. Konoha has already started making moves. I'm sorry... I still can't take you with me."
"It's okay, Kanon-chan! Otogakure is the 'home' of Team Hana, and it's your village too. If you're tired, you can come back anytime. We'll be waiting for you here."
"Mhm! Thank you, everyone." Kanon hugged each member of Team Hana before waving goodbye.
"I'm off then. Take care of yourselves. I'll be back to check in."
"And Jirobo! Stop calling me 'Boss'!"
"You got it, Boss!" Jirobo grinned foolishly.
"Sigh!" Kanon facepalmed, adjusted her backpack, and departed.
The weight of recent events and the loss of a comrade she truly liked left her heart aching. She realized she hadn't seen her brother in a long time, having been consumed by the organization's business. Since Pain hadn't issued any new orders, she decided it was time to find him, her brother, Sasuke Uchiha.