"Let's head inside to talk," Kanon invited. To her, the White Snake Sage was like a grandmother. She would never question the Great Sage's judgment; if she had sent Kabuto to assist her, Kanon would not object.
"Wait," the masked man spoke up, his tone skeptical. "I want to know exactly how you intend to help."
"Then I'll show you." Kabuto adjusted his glasses. After tucking Kanon's handkerchief into his cloak, he stepped forward.
He clasped his hands together. In an instant, four coffins erupted from the ground, causing both Kanon and the masked man to widen their eyes in shock.
"Zabuza Momochi the Demon, Sasori-nii, Nagato-senpai... even Itachi's body is there?" Kanon was confused, sensing that these were not mere corpses. "Is this the Reanimation Jutsu?"
"Precisely. Junior, you should be capable of using the Reanimation Jutsu as well, correct?"
At this, Kanon scratched her head awkwardly and stuck out her tongue. "I can... but my precision isn't very high."
She suddenly recalled the days when Konin would crack a "whip" over her, forcing her to learn the Reanimation Jutsu. Within her inner space, Konin's exasperated voice rang out:
"You brat! When I told you to learn it, you complained it was too disgusting! You're coming back in here tonight to study!"
"Ugh, fine..." Kanon sighed helplessly.
Kabuto stepped out from behind the coffins. Even the masked man was stunned by these reanimated constructs. These were Reanimation vessels cultivated from the individuals' cells, not the original physical corpses.
"This is a Forbidden Jutsu that only the Second Hokage and Orochimaru-sama could use, and I suppose my junior here counts as one now, too. Since your precision isn't as good as mine, you won't mind if I claim the rank of 'Third Best' in the world, will you?" Kabuto teased with a light laugh.
"I won't..." Kanon replied sheepishly. It was true; she wasn't as proficient in the nuances of the Reanimation Jutsu as Kabuto or Orochimaru.
"However, I have surpassed them both. Tobi, here is a small performance for you, proof of my strength and a sign of my sincerity in helping Kanon. I am here to provide support."
"Support?" the masked man questioned.
"You are about to go to war, are you not? Here we have Itachi, Sasori, Zabuza, and Nagato, all top-tier masters. And the pawns I hold extend far beyond just these."
Listening to Kabuto, the masked man narrowed his eye. "And you require no compensation?"
"I previously wanted Sasuke Uchiha as my reward. But since Kanon is here... my only reward is that she remains safe. As for Sasuke, much as I wish to research him, I doubt she would permit it."
Fifteen-year-old Kanon, standing half a head shorter than both men, found herself unable to get a word in. She was speechless; the two were acting like they were in a high-stakes negotiation, yet it was clear Kabuto was truly there for her sake.
Feeling a bit left out, she puffed out her cheeks and glared at them both. "Hey! What are you two arguing about!"
"Kanon, wait a moment," Kabuto said. He clasped his hands again, and another coffin rose from the earth.
When the lid fell away, Madara Uchiha was revealed within. Kanon looked on with curiosity; her suspicions were confirmed. Madara was indeed dead, and the man beside her possessed abilities remarkably similar to Kakashi's.
She had lacked proof before and remained silent, but in this moment, the truth became clear. As a child, she had visited Obito's grave with Kakashi. Since the masked man's eye matched Kakashi's, he was almost certainly Obito Uchiha, who was recorded as a casualty in the clan registry.
Kanon studied the masked man. As an Uchiha herself, and one possessing a similar space-time dōjutsu, she had fully deconstructed his identity. However, if he wished to go by Tobi or Madara, it mattered little to her. As long as she could use him to complete the Infinite Tsukuyomi and achieve the ultimate goal shared by her and Konin, that was enough.
Kabuto walked to Madara's coffin and whispered, "Did you think I would come to see you unprepared? It's true I am here for Kanon, but you cannot refuse me."
"You bastard... where did you find that!" The masked man's Sharingan was instantly bloodshot.
"It took quite a bit of effort. Rest assured, I haven't told a soul. Currently, only you and Kanon know."
"Hmph... Hahaha!" The masked man suddenly burst into laughter. "Kabuto Yakushi, I didn't realize you were such a talent. To fight you now would only weaken our combat effectiveness. You chose the perfect moment to come here. Truly a meticulous fellow."
"Meaning?"
"Fine. The Akatsuki will form an alliance with you. I look forward to the results of this war."
"A sensible man. As expected of 'Madara Uchiha,' your caliber is quite extraordinary," Kabuto said provocatively.
"Arrogant brat. Once I have fully verified your combat strength, I will restructure our battle plans. Follow me."
Kabuto's lips quirked up as the coffin sank back into the ground.
Walking inside, Kanon looked at Kabuto and asked, confused, "Why does your Sage Mode look so strange?"
"It's the result of absorbing Orochimaru-sama's cells. It's different from yours, the 'perfect' Sage Mode designated by the White Snake Sage herself."
"Your skin is so pale," Kanon noted, reaching out to inspect his hand.
"Hey, quit staring at my skin," Kabuto said, pulling his hand back.
"I'm just curious. Anyway, shouldn't we deal with the 'rats' outside?" Kanon asked.
"No rush; they still have a use," Kabuto said softly.
"Hyuga, Anko Mitarashi... wait, I definitely sense Hyuga chakra," Kanon muttered.
"My snake clones are monitoring them. Leave it to me for now," Kabuto said.
"Then you'd better keep a close eye on them," the masked man sneered.
…
In Konoha, Naruto had just returned from Mount Myōboku after receiving a prophecy and the Key to the Nine-Tails' seal. What he saw was the center of the village completely leveled.
Stunned, he tried to move forward but was stopped by Sakura.
"Sakura? What happened?"
"Kanon was here... The third of the village that everyone worked so hard to rebuild was destroyed again."
Naruto noticed Sakura's expression was hauntingly grim. "Why do you look so somber?" He grabbed her shoulders. "Tell me everything that happened when Kanon was here!"
After Sakura recounted the events, Naruto was paralyzed. He collapsed onto the ground, his strength leaving him.
"You're saying... Kanon killed the Daimyō, and two of the village elders... she leveled the village again... and even Shino is dead?!"
Naruto hung his head. Faced with Kanon's cold, ruthless actions, he was utterly powerless.
While he was at Mount Myōboku, he had heard the Great Toad Sage's prophecy: He would meet an octopus, then face a boy whose eyes harbored great power. This would lead to a great war where the two would fight side-by-side. Naruto hadn't understood the rest.
But now he had returned to find the rebuilding village in ruins once more, and the culprit was Kanon.
Naruto clenched his teeth. Did Kanon intend to destroy the village every time she visited? The Kanon of today was entirely different from the girl he once knew...
At that moment, a dark thought crossed Naruto's mind: perhaps Kanon now took pleasure in the destruction of Konoha.
That day, everyone in Konoha was immersed in an inescapable atmosphere of grief and agony. Among the Aburame clan, Shino's father, Shibi Aburame, knelt before Shino's gravestone, tears streaming down his face.
Kiba kept his head low, teeth gritted in rage, and Akamaru whimpered beside him. They could never forgive Kanon Uchiha for what she had done.
Looking at the more than one hundred stone monuments, Naruto felt a knife twisting in his heart. He couldn't say a single word. Kanon was his best friend, but now, she had committed sins that were truly unforgivable.