Three days had passed. At last, the Four-Tails was sealed within the Gedo Statue.
"Sealing Tailed Beasts is honestly exhausting," Tobi complained. "How many more times do we have to do this? Just thinking about it wears me out."
"So, where to next?" Deidara asked tonelessly.
"Wait a second, Senpai! What do you mean 'where'?" Tobi asked, sounding confused.
"Do I really have to say it?! Toward the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and Kakashi!" Deidara's voice rose. "And toward Sasuke Uchiha!"
"No, no, no! Let's just not go anywhere," Tobi pleaded. "Besides, haven't we completed our objectives? And Sasuke isn't even a Jinchuriki."
"Are you kidding me?!" Deidara barked. "I have a score to settle with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, and Kakashi tore off my right arm! Furthermore, Sasuke Uchiha killed Orochimaru. That was my kill. He's unforgivable!"
"Ah, geez... once this guy makes up his mind, he stops listening to anyone," Tobi muttered helplessly.
"Deidara-nii, didn't you promise me you wouldn't cause trouble for Sasuke-kun?"
Deidara stiffened. He looked toward Kanon's astral projection with a trace of helplessness; he had indeed given her his word.
"Let's talk in person," Kanon's projection said calmly. "I'm almost at your location."
"Fine. Let's go, Tobi," Deidara said, dispelling his projection.
…
The rain was pouring heavily, as if a shroud of grief covered the entire Land of Fire.
Outside the gates of Konoha…
"I see. You've really put thought into this," Tsunade said, a small smirk playing on her lips. She was clearly satisfied with the roster.
"Hey, don't we need more people?" Naruto turned to ask.
"It's not just about numbers, Naruto," Kakashi explained. "In this situation, a two-squad formation is ideal. Our targets are few, likely only one or two people. If we send more than three squads, we'll be spotted too easily. The chain of command would get messy, and our movement speed would actually drop."
Jiraiya nodded in agreement, adding his own insight. "Capturing a target alive requires far more skill than simply killing them. Considering the need for teamwork, it's best to select shinobi who already have a history of working together."
"I appreciate the praise," Naruto grumbled, "but this weather is lousy for a departure. Seriously!"
Regardless of the rain, Naruto shouted to the group, "Alright! Let's head out!"
"For a hothead like him, isn't this rain the perfect way to cool off?" Sakura noted.
Seeing the determination in their eyes, Tsunade gave the final order. "Now, I officially assign the mission to search for and capture Itachi Uchiha alive. Everyone, please... exercise the utmost caution."
…
Within the borders of the Land of Fire, Deidara and Tobi materialized.
"No problems here. But where's Kanon?"
"Right here."
In the center of the wasteland stood Kanon. She had shed her Akatsuki cloak, revealing long sleeves adorned with the crests of Ryuchi Cave and the Uchiha clan. Now fifteen, her frame had matured into a refined, graceful silhouette. Her features had sharpened into a delicate beauty, and with her twin-tails and the fox mask resting on her forehead, even Tobi and Deidara found themselves staring for a moment longer than usual.
Kanon removed her conical hat and looked at them, her expression neutral. "Deidara-nii, it's been a while."
"It certainly has, Kanon-chan. Still missing my art?"
"It's alright," Kanon said, walking up to him. "Deidara-nii, do you really believe Orochimaru is dead?"
"What do you mean?" Deidara blinked.
"Everyone knows how hard that man is to kill. Picking a death-match with Sasuke-nii is pointless. Orochimaru is simply lying in wait."
Deidara paused. He wasn't sure if she was telling the truth, but Kanon had never lied to him, and he knew firsthand that Orochimaru was a cockroach.
"Then what am I supposed to do? I'm already here!" Deidara grumbled.
"If you want to spar with Sasuke-nii, I can introduce you. But only a spar."
"A spar? I suppose that works. Just testing the waters, then?"
"My brother has the same goal as you and me: he wants to kill that monster, Itachi Uchiha. There's no reason for you to be enemies."
Deidara considered it. It made sense.
"Senpai, what's the verdict?" Tobi asked.
"We go spar with Sasuke. Kanon-chan, you can ride on Tobi's clay bird."
"Senpai! No! Not in a million years!" Tobi started shaking, terrified that Kanon might actually execute him if they were in close quarters.
"Sigh... fine. You ride with me," Deidara said, waving a hand.
"That's fine with me," Kanon replied. She didn't care about Tobi. Her primary focus was revenge against Itachi. Once Deidara and Sasuke finished their exchange, it would be time for her to hunt her brother down.
Stepping onto Deidara's Clay Bird: Giant Bird, Kanon closed her eyes to meditate. She was running mental simulations, calculating every possible outcome of a duel with Itachi. She had spent months preparing, but a lingering sense of unease remained.
Ten minutes later.
Sasuke walked onto a grassy clearing, sensing movement behind him. "Come out. Who's there?"
Elsewhere, Naruto, Yamato, and Hinata encountered Kabuto Yakushi, who handed over a library of intel his organization had gathered on the Akatsuki.
Back at the clearing, Kanon stepped out from the trees. "Onii-chan, it's me."
Sasuke nodded at her, then shifted his gaze to Deidara and Tobi behind her.
"Sasuke-nii, before you go after Itachi, I want you to have a spar with him."
Tobi stepped forward, his voice light. "So you're Kanon's brother, Sasuke? You really do look alike!"
"Hmph. So you're Sasuke Uchiha," Deidara said with a smirk. "Our goals are similar, we both want Itachi dead. Let's spar. I want to see if you actually have what it takes to kill him."
Kanon walked to Sasuke's side. "It's just a spar. Deidara-nii is a man of his word; he won't break a promise."
"Very well," Sasuke agreed. He wanted to test his limits before the final confrontation. He stepped forward to face the artist. "Thank you for looking after my sister during this time."
"Eh?" Kanon blinked, surprised by the sudden courtesy.
"What a polite brother," Deidara muttered. "Now I almost don't want to hit you. Since it's a spar, we'll keep it professional. No trump cards, no killing blows."
"I understand."
"After the spar, Sasuke-nii, you should consider working with Deidara-nii to find that man. With his help, your chances of success will be higher."
"I see," Sasuke nodded. He reached out and shook Deidara's hand. If they were Kanon's friends, he wouldn't make things difficult.
Deidara's opinion of Sasuke shifted slightly. Perhaps not all Uchiha were insufferable; only Itachi deserved his pure hatred.
"Let's begin."
As the two began their bout, Kanon whispered to herself, "Deidara-nii, please just keep him busy. I don't want Sasuke-nii getting hurt because of Itachi. The task of revenge... let it be mine."
With a thought, Kanon activated her Flower Realm and vanished from the clearing. Once Deidara and Sasuke were finished, they would need at least three or four days to recover. That was more than enough time for her to find Itachi and end him.
However, as she left, Tobi also vanished into a space-time swirl. He had no interest in watching a friendly spar. His eyes were fixed on the coming storm between Kanon and Itachi.
Inside the Flower Realm, Konin, the twin-tailed girl who looked exactly like Kanon, flashed a beautiful smile.
"It's finally time, isn't it?"
"Yes," Kanon nodded. "It's finally time."
"What's your plan now?"
"I'm going to pay my respects to Papa and Mama. Before Itachi dies, I want to search for my old memories one last time."