BOOM!
A terrifying sandstorm surged directly toward the four Kage.
"Oh? Quite a spectacular sandstorm," Gengetsu Hozuki noted with a nod.
"This is the power of the One-Tail, Shukaku!" Rasa understood the situation instantly. He slammed his palm onto the ground, and countless waves of Gold Dust rose to meet the encroaching storm.
"Gold Dust..." The Third Raikage, a true Kage-level powerhouse, grasped the nature of Rasa's power in a split second. "I see. You use Magnet Release to manipulate Gold Dust."
The storm of golden dust collided with Gaara's sandstorm. Yellow sand churned violently, the sheer force bringing the distant sandstorm to a grinding halt.
"It stopped?" the Third Raikage remarked.
"Gold Dust is heavier than sand. By mixing Gold Dust into the sand, one can slow the sandstorm's movements or even neutralize it entirely," Kanon said, a slight smirk playing on her lips.
"Excellent analysis, Kanon," Gengetsu Hozuki added.
"Whenever Shukaku went on a rampage, this was the method I used to stop its sand," Rasa said indifferently.
"It's just the One-Tail, nothing more than a former loser I've already defeated." Kanon looked up at the sky, a cold smile crossing her face.
High above, Gaara stood atop a platform of sand, looking down at the five individuals below.
"It's not Shukaku, but Gaara?" Rasa was somewhat surprised.
"The war officially begins today, and I will not show mercy, Gaara!" Kanon shouted.
"Neither will I!" Gaara replied with a nod. He extended a hand, and countless hands made of sand reached out, snaring the legs of the three Kage.
Kanon's form blurred into an intangible haze; the sand could do nothing to her. She slammed her palm into the earth, and massive stone walls erupted where the sand had bound the three Kage.
"Earth Release: Mud Wall!"
The massive stone walls, carved with numerous flower patterns, instantly severed Gaara's control over the three Kage. The four Kage looked up toward Gaara in the sky.
"Up there?" Mu saw Onoki pressing his palms together as a white cone of light emerged.
"You've lived quite a long time, Onoki!"
"Is that thanks to Dust Release?!" Mu released his own Dust Release at that moment.
"Dust Release: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!"
A blinding white light flared as the two attacks collided, causing the entire surrounding area to begin crumbling.
"Don't forget about me, old man Onoki!" Kanon shouted. She pressed her palms together, and a white cone of light shot forth.
"Dust Release: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!"
BOOM!
"What?!" Onoki was stunned. Kanon's Dust Release was actually larger and more powerful than the ones unleashed by him and Mu.
The intrusion of this third force sent both men flying backward. Everyone on the field, save for Kanon, was left staggering and tumbling.
"Kanon Uchiha... I didn't expect you to be capable of this as well," Mu said, his voice tinged with surprise.
"The real surprises are yet to come." Kanon took a step back, her hands moving in a blur of seals. In an instant, a Great Fireball the size of a meteorite roared toward Onoki.
It was too fast. Having just released his Dust Release, Onoki was momentarily unable to dodge.
"Onoki-sama!" Gaara shouted, manipulating a vast amount of sand to block the attack.
Kanon's lips curled into a smirk. Pink eyeshadow appeared around the corners of her eyes.
"Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation."
With a flick of Kanon's arm, Gaara's sand instantly disintegrated. Indeed, at this moment, she was manipulating the sand herself.
BOOM!
Just before he was hit, Onoki forced himself to take a counter-hit, barely grazing the edge of the Great Fireball. Even so, the shockwave from the impact sent Onoki hurtling away.
"Incredible..." The former Kage watched Kanon, each of them swallowing hard.
"Only fifteen years old, yet she possesses such strength. The younger generation truly is fearsome," the Third Raikage, A, said softly.
"The one who just used Dust Release... is that Mu's disciple, the brat Onoki? It's like traveling through time," Gengetsu Hozuki quipped.
But at that moment, Kanon stepped into a swirling vortex of rose petals. When she reappeared, she was atop a massive mountain hundreds of meters away.
Although Kanon was in charge of the main battlefield, as the enemy commander, she decided to leave the fighting to the four Kage for now. She wanted to see what the Shinobi Allied Forces were planning.
"Father, it's been a long time," Gaara said calmly.
"Gaara, where is Shukaku?!" Rasa demanded.
"That thing has been gone for a long time."
"I am no longer the Jinchuriki you created, Father!"
Seeing Gaara as he was now, Rasa finally told him the truth about his mother and his uncle. As Rasa spoke, his guilt deepened. He called himself a failure of a father, but declared that Karura was truly a magnificent mother. It was she who had remained by Gaara's side in the form of sand as he grew; that power was enough to protect him for a lifetime. It was also she who watched as Gaara became the Kazekage he was today.
Learning the truth, Gaara's face was already masked with tears. Rasa looked at the sand-shaped image of Karura behind Gaara and nodded with relief.
"Even in death, she still believed in you and protected you."
"It was she who helped you get this far."
"She gave you a life as the Kazekage, gave you friends, gave you bonds with your sister, your brother, and others."
"She gave you back everything I stripped away."
"As a father, everything I did only hurt you."
"No... I have no right to be your father."
Watching this scene unfold, Kanon felt the corners of her eyes grow moist for reasons she couldn't explain. She did not strike. Instead, she pulled down the fox mask on her forehead, concealing her exquisite face. Her three-tomoe Sharingan spun as she watched the confrontation between Rasa and Gaara in the distance.
At any given moment, Kanon's longing for her family and comrades remained. Even though much time had passed, she still missed her father and mother; she missed seeing the smiles of those from her past.
But now, she had nothing. Nothing remained, as if she were the only person left in the entire world.
In the distance, Gaara spoke softly to Rasa through his tears.
"Mother was indeed incredible."
"And for the first time... I've received medicine for my wounds from my father."
At that moment, Rasa's heart was finally at peace.
"Gaara, you..."
"You have long since surpassed the previous Kazekage..."
"I leave the village to you, Gaara!"
The Gold Dust fell away as Gaara successfully sealed Rasa.
Kanon stood with her arms crossed, looking down from behind her fox mask.
"The Reanimation Jutsu was sealed? What a waste. Remaining three Kage, let me see what you're capable of."
…
Meanwhile, by a lakeshore, the white-haired Nagato was being supported by Itachi Uchiha.
"Itachi Uchiha, I will never forgive you for what you did to Kanon..." Nagato called out to the man assisting him.
"Indeed... I cannot forgive myself either."
"Only in the moments before death can a person truly see what kind of person they are..."
"Kanon was a strong, kind child who yearned for peace... It was all my fault..." Itachi lowered his head.
"Sigh, we're both dead... I wonder if Konan is taking good care of Kanon," Nagato murmured.
"Thank you for the care you showed her, Nagato. You were more of an older brother to her than I was..." Itachi said in a low voice.
"Sigh, before I died, I also did things that wronged Kanon. I don't know if she will ever forgive me..." Nagato said helplessly.
"We've been walking for a long time since dawn. It seems we're finally about to see combat," Itachi noted calmly.
"Who's coming?"
"To think it would be him..." Nagato sensed Naruto's chakra.
"Is he close?" Itachi asked.
"It feels nostalgic..." Nagato looked ahead. Sure enough, Naruto and Killer B appeared.
"Itachi Uchiha and Nagato?!" Naruto was shocked.
"You know them, Naruto?" Killer B asked.
"Yeah, I know both of them. One is Kanon's older brother, and the other was an apprentice to my master, just like Kanon and me," Naruto replied.
In the distance, Nagato looked toward Naruto with a hint of helplessness.
"I didn't expect I would have to fight you, Naruto."
"It's been a while since we last met, hasn't it? But since I'm already dead, it feels like only the blink of an eye has passed," Nagato lamented.
"You've changed, Naruto," Nagato observed.
"You mean this?" Naruto looked down at the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode enveloping him. "This is a chakra mode where I've controlled the Nine-Tails' chakra. Kanon and my parents helped me master it."
"What?! Kanon helped you?!" Itachi was astonished.
"Yeah. Even before you died, she left her chakra inside me. It must have been to help me," Naruto said with a light chuckle.
"I see. No wonder I felt you had changed."
"Your expression is more confident, too," Nagato said, nodding.
"Itachi, Kanon is my best friend. I can understand why you did what you did, but I can never forgive you." Naruto looked at the reanimated Itachi.
"You've already controlled the power of the Nine-Tails? Your growth speed is staggering..." Itachi was still somewhat surprised.
"He is my junior apprentice. He's just as I thought he'd be," Nagato said with a touch of pride.
Beside him, Killer B began to take some credit as well.
"Does that mean you have overcome your hatred, Naruto?" Nagato asked.
"Yeah! My senior apprentice and Kanon told me about those pains, and I trained with B-otchan at the Falls of Truth."
"And my mom and dad... anyway, thanks to everyone, I was able to get this far."
"Is that so..." Nagato nodded with satisfaction.
Itachi frowned as he looked at Naruto. "Naruto, I have something I want to ask you."
"Right. I have something to ask you too, Itachi Uchiha."
Naruto pointed a finger at Itachi.