At the Valley of the End, Obito sat alone atop the head of Madara's statue.
A single petal drifted past his eyes; he caught it firmly between his fingers. Looking at the pink blossom, Obito let out a cold snicker beneath his mask.
"Everything is progressing smoothly."
"Will the next flower bloom, or will it wither and fall?"
"Or perhaps, will it bring forth a surge of life and create an entire field of flowers?"
"I truly look forward to it, Kanon."
…
Deep within a forest, Kanon emerged from the Flower Realm. At this moment, her mind held only one intent: to fulfill her long-premeditated revenge.
Suddenly, Naruto's voice rang out from the trees.
"Kanon! I found you!!" Naruto yelled, lunging toward her.
But Kanon passed through his Shadow Clone with an expressionless face. The Naruto she phased through was visibly stunned, but in the next heartbeat, a kunai slashed across his throat, causing the clone to dissipate instantly.
Kanon, her desire for vengeance at its peak, didn't care for Naruto's shouting.
"Naruto? Tsk, how annoying," Kanon clicked her tongue. Of all times for him to show up. She couldn't let Naruto interfere with her revenge; she had to pick up the pace.
With the Shadow Clone destroyed, Naruto now knew Kanon's exact heading.
"Found her! Over here!"
"Nice work!" Kiba Inuzuka laughed.
"Is it Sasuke or Kanon?!" Kakashi asked.
"Kanon!"
"Right! There she is!"
Naruto pivoted mid-air. "Over here! I won't let you get away again, Kanon!"
…
As she neared the Uchiha Hideout, Kanon suddenly paused. Kisame Hoshigaki materialized before her.
"Kisame-nii? Are you here to stop me?" Kanon asked calmly, staring him down.
"Not at all. I'm just checking to see if you brought anyone else along."
"My purpose is to intercept anyone else and let you through to have your duel with Itachi-san."
"Those are Itachi-san's orders. Though, it seems there's no one else here anyway."
The corner of Kanon's mouth twitched into a smirk. She gave a curt nod. "I see. That suits me just fine."
Meanwhile, Naruto and the others were already being intercepted and stalled by Obito.
…
Konohagakure.
In a deep underground chamber, Danzo Shimura stepped out from the shadows.
"The time has come. My ascension to Hokage is finally within reach."
"Fū Yamanaka, if the intelligence is accurate, we can deploy our forces immediately."
"Yes, sir!" Fū bowed his head.
"But Danzo-sama, we may be short-handed," Torune Aburame added softly.
"It's fine. I'll borrow some men from that woman."
Five minutes later, Danzo walked into the Hokage's office accompanied by the former advisors, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane.
"You?" Tsunade was busy processing documents. She looked up, puzzled by the arrival of the three elders.
"My subordinates have located an Akatsuki stronghold," Danzo stated, dropping a bombshell that made Tsunade freeze mid-penstroke.
"Akatsuki? Whose stronghold is it?" she asked.
"Kanon Uchiha's."
"Her?!" Tsunade stood up abruptly.
"I have come to request that you order the Anbu directly under the Hokage to join my Root in an all-out assault to annihilate this Akatsuki cell." Danzo's tone was flat, but it made Tsunade's brow furrow.
"Is this intel verified?" she questioned.
"It is absolute," Homura chimed in.
"Where is the location?"
"Otogakure."
Tsunade was visibly stunned by the answer.
"The Root has already finalized the battle plan. Tsunade, you only need to dispatch the Anbu to assist us."
Tsunade nodded slowly. Kanon Uchiha was currently an enemy of Konoha; an opportunity to strike was something they couldn't pass up. However, rather than total annihilation, she preferred to capture her alive to extract intelligence.
But under the weight of the elders' pressure, she had no grounds to argue.
"Fine. I will dispatch the Anbu to assist you immediately."
Danzo let out a faint chuckle. Everything was going as expected; Tsunade lacked true resolve. Just like Hiruzen, she was far too merciful.
Homura and Koharu left once Tsunade agreed, but Danzo lingered, eyeing the Hokage's office. Seeing him still there, Tsunade added quietly, "Try to capture them alive. Do not kill everyone."
Danzo's face darkened with immediate displeasure. As expected, she was exactly like Hiruzen. Under such people, Konoha would only grow weaker.
"You were Hiruzen's student. Just like him, you are far too soft. This mercy of yours will be your undoing."
"Konoha will only continue to grow weak in the hands of people like you."
Frustrated by Danzo's lecture, Tsunade snapped back, "Danzo! I am the Hokage now!"
Danzo let out a cold huff and glared at her. "Tsunade-hime, you will regret this!"
He stormed out of the office, the door slamming shut with a violent bang.
"That bastard..." Tsunade gritted her teeth, but the order had to be carried out. This was a prime chance to wipe out a piece of Akatsuki.
She turned to her stunned assistant. "Shizune, pass down my orders. The Hokage's personal Anbu are to mobilize with the Root for this mission."
"Understood..."
…
Kanon moved swiftly. After passing Kisame, she was nearly at the Uchiha Hideout.
"I'm almost there. Wait for me, Itachi!" she said coldly.
The stronghold was situated on a high mountain. Itachi sat in the shadows of the ruins, his gaze deep and unwavering, as if piercing through the surrounding darkness. The interior was dilapidated, with crumbling walls and ancient floors bearing witness to the passage of time. The wind wailed through the gaps like a mourning cry, speaking of past joys and sorrows.
He closed his eyes, his expression indifferent. He was ready to kill the sister who should have died long ago, ensuring his plan returned to its proper path.
"My foolish sister... you've arrived, haven't you?"
"How much can those Sharingan of yours actually see?" Itachi asked softly.
"How much?" Kanon walked slowly into the light. "Right now, I see Konoha in ruins and you dead by my hand."
The corner of her mouth curved up as she shed her Akatsuki cloak, revealing a white short-sleeved shirt. Her silhouette was sharp, her twin tails still adorned with her mask, but her delicate face now wore a manic, crazed smile.
"The sight of my death? Then recreate it for me."
With a Body Flicker, Itachi appeared instantly behind her. He struck with a killing blow, driving a kunai toward the center of her brow, but the blade of a Kusanagi sword swept up to block the masterful strike.
Kanon stomped her foot down; the ground cracked instantly as a Shadow Clone attempting to ambush her from below was crushed.
Kanon had seen right through Itachi's opening gambit. She stared at him with her three-tomoe Sharingan, showing no mercy, while Itachi withdrew his kunai and prepared for another lunge.
Kanon spun her body mid-air, her Kusanagi sword parrying the kunai away. In that same heartbeat, the parry turned into a horizontal sweep. Itachi's throat was slashed, and a spray of blood erupted.
Sensing his throat had been cut, Itachi kicked off Kanon's sword to gain distance. He stumbled, falling to one knee, but as he prepared to land…
"What?!" Itachi gasped.
Right then, a Shadow Clone of Kanon burst from the ground. The roar of a Rasengan echoed through the room.
BOOM!
The devastating Rasengan exploded against Itachi's chest, launching him toward the ceiling. But on that very ceiling, another Shadow Clone was waiting.
A Kusanagi sword impaled Itachi through the chest, and crimson blood sprayed backward.
However, the Shadow Clone didn't look at the skewered Itachi. Instead, it looked back at the Itachi still sitting in the stone chair. Sure enough, the "Itachi" under the blade dissolved into a swirl of crows.
From the beginning, Itachi hadn't moved. His three-tomoe Sharingan slowly revolved, revealing that everything that had just happened was a genjutsu.
Before he could speak, a Chidori Sharp Spear pierced through his chest. Another Kanon clone appeared, and she sat on the stone steps, amping up the lightning current in her hand.
Not only had the sitting Itachi been seen through, but Itachi's true body had nearly been caught by the piercing strike. He had barely dodged it at the last second.
"Let's end these tedious genjutsu games, shall we?" Kanon smirked.
The illusions shattered. Kanon's Akatsuki cloak was still on her shoulders, but cold sweat was already forming on Itachi's brow.
Itachi stared at Kanon in disbelief. Had she actually surpassed him in the realm of genjutsu?
Itachi's eyes shifted, his pupils taking the shape of a shuriken. The Mangekyo Sharingan was active.
Kanon's eyes mirrored the change, her pupils forming a rose pattern. Her Mangekyo had also awakened.