"Why is Kanon here?!" Naruto gasped in shock.
Had he really run into her before even reaching the main battlefield?
The Raikage and Tsunade stepped forward, standing firmly in front of Killer B and Naruto.
"Kanon Uchiha!" A barked, his teeth gritted as he met Kanon's cold, emotionless gaze.
"This girl..." Tsunade looked up, her hands already weaving signs. The markings of the 100 Healings Jutsu began to crawl across her forehead.
Kanon looked down at the two Kage. Seeing them prepared for battle, she slowly lowered her crossed arms.
But the moment her hands dropped, the pupils of both the Raikage and Tsunade contracted. In a blur of speed, Kanon had already closed the distance, her Kusanagi Sword slashing through the air.
CLANG!
Only Naruto was fast enough to react. A heavy collision echoed as Naruto was sent tumbling back by the force of Kanon's blade. Although he had managed to track her movement, he hadn't been able to muster enough strength to counter the blow.
With a graceful backflip, Kanon landed back on her feet, facing down the two Kage and the two Jinchuriki.
A single Shadow Clone against two Kage and two Jinchuriki?
Kanon's expression remained flat, but she was no fool. In this state, her clone could not manifest the Flower Realm, and her Susanoo was restricted to its second, skeletal form. She had used the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu far too many times during this war; while clones were manageable near the original body, she was currently "countless miles" away from her true self.
This meant she had to rely entirely on Sage Mode and Susanoo. Sage Mode would provide her with a steady stream of chakra, while Susanoo was her only viable defense against the Kage-level powerhouses.
In truth, her mission was technically complete the moment she intercepted Naruto and B. However, if she could eliminate two Kage and capture both Jinchuriki here, the Fourth Great Ninja War would essentially be over.
Regardless of the odds, this version of Kanon was going to fight. Even if the probability of defeat was high.
As she calculated her moves, the Raikage's hand-chop came whistling toward her.
"Going to phase through it?!" A roared.
But Kanon didn't use intangibility. Instead, a crimson ribcage manifested, blocking his strike. The impact sent Kanon flying backward, crashing through the small hill behind her.
Before she could recover, Tsunade descended from the sky, leg extended.
"Heavenly Foot of Pain!"
BOOM!
The earth shattered under the impact. Simultaneously, the Raikage's speed doubled. Shrouded in his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, he lunged forward, throwing a punch directly at Kanon.
Kanon, having just dodged Tsunade's strike, allowed the Susanoo ribs to brace her body as she slid backward. A spark of anticipation finally flickered in her eyes. The Uchiha clan's innate battle lust was beginning to stir. Using the Susanoo framework to propel herself, she performed a mid-air flip to evade the Raikage's high-speed strike. As she passed, a Rasengan silently detonated behind him.
"What!" A gasped, unable to dodge in time.
CRASH!
The energy surged, hitting the Raikage squarely in the back. His body spun wildly before slamming into the ground.
However, the moment Kanon landed, Tsunade was already on her. Tsunade unleashed a rotating punch followed by a kick, engaging Kanon in a high-speed taijutsu exchange. But every one of Tsunade's strikes carried Monster Strength. Kanon, currently in a clone state, chose not to trade blows directly, instead using the Susanoo ribs to absorb the force and create distance.
As she pulled away, Killer B ambushed her. He had already drawn his seven blades, moving with a speed even greater than their previous encounter. B's swordsmanship was masterful; his blades danced in a chaotic blur against Kanon's Susanoo, forcing her to retreat step by step.
"Brother! Now!"
Behind Kanon, the Raikage had already raised his arm.
"Lightning Release: Lariat!"
This was the secret Taijutsu of the Land of Lightning, the Double Lariat, performed by A and B simultaneously from opposite sides. It was the very move that had once decapitated Kisame Hoshigaki. Now, Kanon was about to face it.
B's arm rose in tandem. From front and back, they charged toward her.
In that split second, Kanon's rose-patterned Mangekyo Sharingan began to spin.
Tsukuyomi!
Kanon cast the genjutsu on A, causing his movements to stutter for a fraction of a second. In that opening, she ducked her body low.
B's eyes widened in horror. With Kanon suddenly dropping out of the line of fire, he could no longer pull back his momentum. Kanon's Susanoo gave her an extra push, launching her away, just as B's Lariat smashed directly toward A's chest.
"Brother!" B screamed.
A's pupils still held the rose-shaped pattern, showing he was still trapped within the Tsukuyomi, but B's arm was already inches away. Just before the impact, Tsunade's foot swept in, kicking B squarely in the face.
"Thanks, Hokage!" B yelled in relief as he was sent flying back by the kick.
Having put some distance between herself and the group, Kanon no longer looked quite so effortless. Across from her, Tsunade dispelled the genjutsu on the Raikage. All three stared at Kanon with newfound gravity.
In that brief exchange, even though Kanon hadn't gone on the offensive much, her prowess had stunned them all.
"As expected of those who bear the title of Kage. I suppose it's time for Kanon Uchiha to get serious."
Kanon crouched down, placing one hand on the ground. A smile slowly spread across her face. Around the corners of her eyes, pink eyeshadow began to manifest.
Seeing this, Naruto finally steeled his resolve. He prepared to join the fray against Kanon. But as he stepped forward, Tsunade blocked his path.
"Naruto, stay back."
"But... Granny Tsunade!"
"Stay back!" Tsunade commanded in a voice that brooked no argument.
She knew Naruto. Against this girl, he wouldn't be able to deliver a killing blow. If he couldn't fight to kill, he would only be a hindrance. It was better to keep him out of the fight from the start.
Naruto retreated helplessly. This was a battle he truly did not want to fight.
Suddenly, a high-pitched screech and terrifying wind pressure erupted. Naruto and Tsunade looked over in shock.
"It's the Sage Art: Rasenshuriken!" Naruto cried out.
Kanon held the spinning shuriken of chakra aloft and hurled it toward the A-B brothers. B extended a massive octopus tentacle, intending to catch it.
"B-otchan! Don't touch that move!"
"What?!" B flinched and desperately dodged.
A terrifying mushroom cloud erupted behind them, the energy shredding everything in its path. In that same instant, Tsunade, A, and B all charged at Kanon simultaneously.
Having entered Sage Mode, Kanon's physical capabilities and sensory perception had skyrocketed. She performed a sharp side-step, narrowly avoiding the Raikage's strike, and landed a heavy punch directly on Tsunade's face.
Tsunade staggered back, but as the punch landed, Kanon's lithe body performed a mid-air twist, her heel slamming into the top of Killer B's head.
BOOM!
B was driven face-first into the dirt, creating a deep crater. Just as Kanon touched the ground, the Raikage's fist was already there.
But in that heartbeat, a pillar of rock erupted from the ground beside her, knocking Kanon's body just out of the Raikage's reach.
With the power of Sage Mode combined with the insight of the Sharingan, Kanon was actually managing to hold her own against three opponents at once.
And those three were the Raikage, the Hokage, and the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki.