Another day passed.
The rain gave way to clear skies, and sunlight spilled through the rifts in the clouds to drench the earth. A rainbow stretched across the heavens like a beautiful painting, drawing the gaze of all below.
However, this rain seemed to have washed away everything Kanon possessed.
The ruins remained, and amidst the broken walls and fallen debris, a young girl planted a banner. Upon this banner was written the character "Hana" (Flower). The girl's eyes no longer held even a trace of hesitation.
Gazing at the desolation surrounding her, her hands began to sway in time with her body. Kanon danced alone among the shattered remnants of the village. The fox mask she wore seemed to bear an exaggerated smile, yet it could not mask the absolute despair in her eyes.
A melody played in her mind, a twisted, eerie rhythm that wound around her soul like invisible tethers. The warm, bright sunlight cast her lonely shadow against the earth, making her look like a ghost trapped in an endless darkness.
Yet, Kanon's expression was one of joy. Her movements were abandoned and wild. In this place that was once a field of flowers but was now scorched earth, she laughed aloud, her body jerking to the cadence in her head.
The old Kanon had been gentle and kind, a girl who followed the rules of the shinobi world and clung to the dream of a peaceful flower realm to anchor her heart. She had pushed her hatred aside, choosing to believe in bonds, in the village. After losing her parents, she had forced herself to strive upward and maintain an optimistic facade so as not to worry her brother, believing truly in the existence of the Will of Fire.
In return, she received only assassination attempts from the village and a path fraught with obstacles and hardship. She had finally managed to leave the village, only for her former bonds to judge her path as "wrong" and try frantically to drag her back.
Because of her kindness, she had lost her master and her brother; she had been abandoned once again by her other brother; and even her comrades and her village had been utterly wiped out.
Now, she had discarded everything of her past. She began to indulge in the hatred and darkness flowing through her veins. She danced amidst the wreckage, her expression one of manic laughter even as tears escaped the corners of her eyes.
Her shinobi boots splashed through the puddles remaining in the ruins. Within the flying droplets of water, every memory of her past seemed etched for a fleeting second. Then the droplets hit the ground and vanished. Kanon moved with reckless abandon; in this moment, she finally felt truly alive.
She was the center of her own universe.
…
A few days later.
The Hidden Rain Village.
The masked man sat opposite Konan and Pain.
"Have you finally gathered seven of the Tailed Beasts?"
"Yes," Pain replied flatly. "We can move to hunt the Nine-Tails immediately."
"Good. You killed Jiraiya; Konoha must have their eyes on you now," the masked man reminded him. "The longer we wait, the more likely they are to make a move. Act before things become difficult."
Konan gave a faint, confident smile. "Pain is invincible. No matter what happens, he will capture the Nine-Tails."
"There is still one other Tailed Beast," the masked man said tonelessly.
"Aren't there two remaining?" Konan asked, puzzled.
"I have already sent Sasuke to capture the Eight-Tails. He will succeed."
"I see."
As Pain stood up to announce their departure, the masked man suddenly froze. Behind Konan and Pain, the Six Paths of Pain also went rigid.
At the center of the room, a rose-colored spatial vortex began to swirl. Everyone recognized it instantly.
"It's the Flower Realm," Konan whispered.
"Is Kanon here?" The masked man watched as a figure gradually emerged from the vortex.
She had long, slender legs and wore a blood-red Uchiha trench coat over the standard Akatsuki cloak, paired with her usual shinobi boots. However, her hairstyle had changed from twin tails to long, flowing black hair. Her exquisitely beautiful face was deathly calm. Traces of blood-tears remained at the corners of her eyes, but they did not diminish the fact that her beauty remained at the absolute peak of the shinobi world.
Yet, the aura Kanon projected felt unprecedentedly foreign to the three of them. She stood in their midst and turned her gaze toward Pain.
"You should know what I am here for." Kanon's voice was flat and devoid of emotion. The sheer coldness of it made Konan flinch.
"I know. Because I intend the same," Pain nodded.
"Kanon-chan..." Konan called out to her.
Kanon turned her head, looking at Konan with a hollow stare. "Konan-nee, is there something you need?"
The tone was the polar opposite of her former self. The energetic girl was gone; she was now like a glacier, chilling to the bone.
"It's nothing..."
"If it's nothing, then let us depart." Kanon turned her gaze toward the masked man. "Do you have nothing you wish to say to me?"
"We will talk after the mission is complete," the masked man said.
"Fine. Senpai, let us go." The corners of Kanon's mouth tilted upward into a sickly, morbid smile.
"Understood. Konan, prepare immediately. We head for Konoha."
…
The morning sun shone gently over the Hidden Leaf Village. This peaceful shinobi settlement was gradually waking up to a new day. Patrolling ninja moved through the streets as usual; so far, everything was normal. Young ninja were engaged in morning drills, drenched in sweat but with eyes sparkling with determination and passion. Amidst such a tranquil scene, everyone was living their lives within this "quietude."
Outside a patrol station, four Jonin walked out.
"Well then, let's go write the scheduled report..."
At that exact moment, a young girl with long black hair, wearing an Akatsuki cloak and a fox mask, materialized before them. Their pupils shrank as they prepared to leap back, but Kanon's speed was far too great. With a slight movement of her hand, blood-red lines appeared across three of their throats.
As Kanon returned her Kusanagi Sword to its sheath, the three Konoha Jonin collapsed to the ground, dead in an instant.
"Nicely done," Pain remarked flatly.
One Konoha ninja was left slumped on the ground, staring at Kanon's attire and the fox mask.
"You... you are the Akatsuki's Uchiha Kanon..." Before he could finish his sentence, Kanon raised a slender palm. Suddenly, a white light flashed—Dust Release!
In a mere heartbeat, the Jonin was disintegrated into atoms.
Outside the village walls, the Six Paths of Pain appeared beside Kanon, with Konan standing on her other side. Deva Path began to issue commands.
"We will split into two groups: Diversion and Discovery."
"Let me confirm."
"The Diversion group consists of: Kanon, Asura Path, Animal Path, and Preta Path."
"The Discovery group consists of: Konan, Deva Path, Human Path, and Naraka Path."
"Is that clear?"
"Understood," Konan whispered, but Kanon's silhouette had already vanished.
"Kanon-chan has already moved out."
"Sigh, I really can't stand her impatience," Deva Path muttered, frowning slightly. "She can ignore the barrier, but we cannot. According to the plan, launch Animal Path over the village from above to make the enemy misjudge our numbers and throw them into chaos."
Konan walked up to Pain. "Kanon-chan, Itachi, and Kisame seemed to enter quite easily before."
"Itachi and Kanon were once of the Konoha; they likely have a way to bypass the barrier. I have my own methods." Deva Path spoke as the Animal Path crouched down.
"From here on... the world shall know pain!"
BOOM!
Animal Path launched into the air, hurtling toward the village.
…
The Main Gate of the Hidden Leaf.
Having lost his partner Izumo Kamizuki, Kotetsu Hagane was now stationed at the gate with Special Jonin Raido Namiashi. Suddenly, a girl in an Akatsuki cloak appeared before them. Kotetsu recognized her immediately.
"It's Kanon Uchiha! But she feels different than before!" Kotetsu shouted.
Abruptly, Kanon raised her hand again. In an instant, the light of Dust Release flared.
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique." Following Kanon's murmur, a cylindrical beam of light shot from her palm, instantly reducing Raido Namiashi to atoms.
Such a terrifying strike caused Kotetsu's pupils to contract violently. But Kanon was not about to let this chance slip by; beneath her manic expression was a smile of pure despair.
Suddenly, she moved. Holding her sword in both hands, she lunged forward and pierced Kotetsu's heart, pinning him to the ground. Kotetsu died instantly, but Kanon pulled out the blood-stained Kusanagi Sword and stabbed it through his brow before letting go.
This sudden assault allowed Konoha's sensory team to immediately detect the intruders.
"Intruders! Two targets! One at the Main Gate, one at West Entrance Point B!"
Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon had just finished a meal and stepped out of a shop when they saw Animal Path land on a nearby roof. Upon landing, all Six Paths of Pain were summoned forth.
"Scatter!" Deva Path commanded, and the six vanished instantly.
Asura Path led the charge, detaching its wrist from its arm to reveal a cluster of missiles within the arm segment, firing them into the sky. Terrifying explosions plunged the entire Hidden Leaf into a state of panic. The other Paths of Pain also began their operations.
At the Main Gate, Kanon was intercepted by several Konoha ninja. However, she had no need for Ninjutsu against these opponents. Her peerless swordsmanship alone left a pile of corpses beneath her blade.
As Kanon was cutting down every ninja in her path, a powerful straight punch swung directly toward her.
"You bastard, Kanon Uchiha, what are you doing?!"
"To do this while Guy-sensei is away on a mission!"
Kanon did not dodge; Rock Lee's fist passed right through her body.
"What...?" Lee had intended a sneak attack, and after finally finding an opening, this happened.
But in the next moment, his expression turned into one of pure horror. His hand had been severed. Blood sprayed from Kanon's Kusanagi Sword, splashing across Lee's face.
The agonizing pain of his severed limb caused Lee to break out in a cold sweat. He screamed, but the sound only caused the silent Kanon to burst into laughter.
"That shrill sound... that's what wakes me up. Scream louder!"
CRACK!
Kanon grabbed Lee's other arm, the bones snapping instantly under her grip. She kicked him away, but she wasn't finished. As Lee flew backward, Kanon's silhouette blurred. In an instant, she had shattered the bones in Lee's remaining arm and legs.
Lee's screams grew louder, but in the next second, they were cut short. Kanon's blade pierced through his brow, leaving him dead on the ground.
The boy who had once shone so brightly during the Chunin Exams had ultimately fallen beneath the blade of the Uchiha genius.
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