Tsunade's brow furrowed, and Jiraiya's pupils contracted to pinpricks at the declaration.
"What did you just say?!"
"Is your hearing failing you?!" Kanon laughed, a manic edge to her voice. "I said, my purpose is to destroy Konoha!"
"A flock of people who care for the village but have no home... when did you all start losing yourselves?!"
The words struck like a poisoned blade, leaving both Jiraiya and Tsunade speechless. The statement pierced straight through their hearts.
"Hmph. I have nothing left to say to the ninja of Konoha. As I said, the Uchiha stand above all."
Kanon's gaze turned sharp and cold. "Go back and tell that old dog Danzō... wait for me. My revenge is coming."
"It won't be long."
With that, Kanon's body began to warp into a swirling vortex, vanishing from the clearing.
She left behind only a heavy, sorrowful silence between the two Sannin.
"What could have happened to that child to turn her into this?" Tsunade muttered, her voice tight.
"I don't know for certain," Jiraiya replied, "but I'd bet my life Danzō is at the center of it."
"That bastard," Tsunade hissed, her fist clenching. "After all these years, he still hasn't learned to stop?"
"Let's head back... It's clear Kanon isn't coming home."
"Then what?" Tsunade asked. "She already has the Mangekyō Sharingan. If she continues to grow, she'll become a threat to Konoha on par with Itachi Uchiha."
"Worse than Itachi," Jiraiya corrected grimly. "Itachi's motives remain a mystery, but Kanon's objective is crystal clear: the total destruction of the village."
Jiraiya bit his lip, an agonizing choice tearing at his soul. Kanon and Naruto were among his most cherished students. Every breath he took felt heavy with the realization that if Kanon truly became a threat like Orochimaru...
"If it comes to that... I will kill her with my own hands..." Jiraiya whispered, his face twisted in pain.
Tsunade looked at him, feeling his agony as if it were her own. "Let's not talk about this anymore. Let's go get a drink..."
…
Konohagakure.
The village was bustling with renewed life. Among the Genin who participated in the finals, only Shikamaru Nara had been promoted to Chūnin. Kanon Uchiha was supposed to have been next, but she had vanished from the village rolls.
Ino and Chōji looked at Shikamaru in his new Chūnin flak jacket with envy, while the other teams resumed their training and missions.
Today was the day Tsunade officially succeeded as the Fifth Hokage. Surrounded by a cheering crowd and wearing the Hokage hat, she stood before the people, her commanding presence undeniable.
"The Fifth Hokage is here!"
"Tsunade-sama!!!"
The sight of her brought back memories of Konoha's golden era for the older shinobi. As one of the Sannin and the granddaughter of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, no one questioned her right to lead. Aside from Jiraiya, there was no one better suited for the position.
That afternoon, Tsunade arrived at the Konoha Hospital.
"I'm coming in," she announced, stepping into Sasuke's room.
"Who are you?" Sakura asked, confused.
Naruto jumped out from behind Tsunade, brimming with excitement. "Sakura! Sakura! Everything's okay now! I brought someone amazing!"
Naruto looked at the still-unconscious Sasuke. "Sasuke's gonna be just fine."
"Naruto... besides Sasuke, have you found any leads on Kanon?"
The light in Naruto's eyes died instantly. The fact that he hadn't been able to bring Kanon back was a weight he carried every second. Seeing his dejection, Sakura sighed softly and didn't press him further, turning back to Tsunade.
"I heard from Guy-sensei... please, save Sasuke..." Sakura's voice was small, terrified of offending the woman before her.
"Mm. Leave it to me!" Tsunade smiled, walking to Sasuke's bedside.
So this is Kanon's brother? Tsunade thought, looking at Sasuke's face. The Uchiha really do have top-tier looks.
Under Tsunade's expert care, Sasuke slowly regained consciousness. As his eyes fluttered open, Sakura and Naruto broke into joyful smiles.
"Sasuke!"
They shouted his name in unison. Sakura threw her arms around him, her body shaking with sobs of relief.
Sasuke was still groggy. Looking at Naruto and the crying Sakura, he seemed to hallucinate for a moment.
"Nii-chan's okay... Kanon..."
"Huh?!" Sakura froze, realizing Sasuke's mind wasn't quite clear yet.
Sasuke blinked, the fog lifting. "Oh... Sakura."
Watching them, Naruto felt a familiar pang of bitterness. The girl he chased didn't love him, and his best friend had deserted the village. He felt Sakura drifting further away, her focus entirely on the boy in the bed. He quietly turned his head away.
In that moment of turning away, a hollow void opened up in his chest. Normally, Kanon would be right behind him, offering encouragement and looking out for him. Now, she was gone.
Naruto walked out of the room, feeling more alone than ever. Since childhood, whenever he was troubled, he went to Kanon. She could always see right through him. He remembered how she always followed him, the person who understood him best… and now? She had left Konoha, become a rogue ninja, and he had failed to bring her back.
The memory of that day played in his mind: Kanon forcing his hand, plunging her own gift into her body. She hadn't made a sound. The thought made his heart ache as if it were being squeezed.
But there was no time for self-pity. He led Tsunade to Kakashi's room next.
"How embarrassing, being put out of commission by two petty crooks," Tsunade mocked Kakashi mercilessly. "And I thought you were a genius."
Kakashi hung his head. "I... I'm sorry."
"Alright, Kakashi-sensei is done. Next is Bushy Brows!" Naruto shouted.
However, Rock Lee's situation was much grimmer. He required surgery with an incredibly high risk. If it succeeded, he could continue his path as a ninja. If it failed... it would be fatal.
After a grueling day of soul-searching between Lee and Guy, the master and student decided to proceed with the operation.
Meanwhile, Sasuke had learned the truth about Kanon. Kakashi had told him directly: Kanon was now a rogue ninja.
He refused to believe it. There had to be a reason. Digging through what information he could find, he learned that many ninja had died during the "Crush Konoha" invasion, but nearly a hundred of them had died before even joining the battle.
Sasuke remembered the day he fought Gaara. From deep within the forest, he had felt a terrifying surge of power.
That was where the ninja had died, but he couldn't find a single scrap of information regarding what had happened there. The official story, that Kanon simply betrayed the village, felt wrong. But Kakashi wasn't about to tell Sasuke the village scandal: that Kanon had been hunted by a hundred Anbu black ops. Only the high command, Jiraiya, and Kakashi knew the truth.
Relieved that she was at least alive, Sasuke's mind turned to darker thoughts. He remembered Naruto's performance against Gaara, the Summoning Jutsu he had never seen before. He gritted his teeth.
Sakura, sitting by his side, began peeling an apple for him. Usually, this was something Kanon did. Sasuke felt a wave of discomfort.
Then, Itachi's voice echoed in his mind.
"You are weak. Why are you so weak? Because you lack hatred!"
"It's ready! I'll just cut it into bite-sized pieces…"
"Here, Sasuke!"
Sasuke looked at Sakura with cold, piercing eyes. With a sharp motion, he slapped the plate out of her hand.
Naruto, startled by the noise, stood up immediately. "What's going on?! What happened?!"
Sasuke stared at Naruto with eyes full of icy contempt.
"Hey. Naruto."
"What?"
"Fight me. Right now."
The request left Sakura and Naruto stunned. "What? Tsunade-baachan just healed you!" Naruto argued. "What are you talking about?!"
"Shut up! Just fight me!" Sasuke roared.
The two-tomoe Sharingan flared to life in Sasuke's eyes.
"She thinks she 'saved' me?" Sasuke hissed. "I don't care about the Fifth or anyone else meddling in my business!"
"What?!" Naruto gritted his teeth, his own anger rising.
"Haven't you always wanted to fight me?" Sasuke challenged. "I'm giving you the chance to test yourself against me, Naruto. Or are you scared?"
Seeing the tension escalate, Sakura tried to intervene. "Sasuke, what's wrong with you two? Naruto, say something!"
Usually, this was when Kanon would step in and settle things. In this moment, Sakura realized just how uncontrollable these two were without her.
Naruto's lips curled into a smirk. "Fine by me. I've been wanting to settle this with you for a long time!"
"Please, both of you, stop!"
Sasuke ignored her entirely. "The roof." He gestured toward the ceiling and walked out alone.