As time flowed on, two months passed in silence. During this period, Naruto frequently visited that familiar clearing to talk with Kanon. Their conversations felt endless, as if they were born to be confidants.
Naruto would talk incessantly about the funny things happening at the Academy and the teachers' most embarrassing moments. Kanon, in turn, would rest her chin in her palms, listening patiently until he finished before offering her thoughts.
Over these two months, Kanon's progress in ninjutsu was staggering. She had not only mastered multiple C-rank techniques across all five nature transformations but had also gained proficiency in the Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu.
However, she knew these skills could not be shown to the world. These techniques came from the Ninjutsu Tome, and Konin had warned her that if the Konoha higher-ups discovered her abilities, she might be hauled off to a lab and treated as a research subject.
Because of this, Kanon became even more discreet, often retreating into her mental landscape to practice A-rank jutsu in secret with Konin.
On another ordinary day, after confirming no one was around, Kanon slipped into a secluded cave. Suddenly, the cavern erupted with brilliant lightning. The sharp, piercing sound of electrical discharge echoed like the cry of a thousand birds, harsh and deafening.
Moments later, amidst a violent explosion of sound, Kanon stumbled out of the cave, gasping for air.
"Phew... that one is really hard!" she panted.
[Can you only manage ten times a day now?] Konin's voice echoed in her mind.
"What do you mean 'only' ten times?! Using it once or twice is already exhausting!" Kanon gripped her shins, struggling to catch her breath.
[It only proves your training is still insufficient. However, with my guidance, your chakra reserves are already significantly higher than the average Uchiha,] Konin said proudly.
Kanon sighed at her counterpart's ego. "Look at you, getting all smug."
[Don't slack off, Kanon. You have new jutsu to learn,] Konin urged.
"There's more?!" Kanon let out a sound of pure desperation.
[B-rank Ninjutsu: Earth Release: Mud Wall!] Konin announced.
"Ah… give me a break for today, please!" Kanon pleaded.
[Negative. There is still time. I will teach you the theory now.] Konin remained firm, beginning her explanation of the B-rank Earth Release technique.
Ultimately, despite her wails of protest, Kanon followed Konin into the next lesson.
When Kanon returned home, her brothers were already waiting for her.
"Kanon, were you out training again today?" Itachi asked, stepping out from the kitchen with a smile.
"Mm!" Kanon nodded.
"Where are Mama and Papa?"
"They have to stay overnight for an errand tomorrow. Besides," Itachi added, emphasizing the word, "I have the day off tomorrow."
"Eh!" Kanon stared at him in surprise.
At that moment, Sasuke walked out from his room. "That means Itachi-niisan is going to train with us!" he told Kanon excitedly.
"That's amazing!" Kanon jumped for joy.
"Well then, tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, we gather in the courtyard!" Itachi told his younger siblings with a grin. "But for now, we eat. Kanon, go wash your hands."
The meal was exceptionally warm. Itachi watched his siblings, and as he saw Kanon reach over to pick a stray grain of rice off Sasuke's lip, his eyes threatened to well up.
He felt a profound, crushing realization of how much he didn't want to lose those he loved. He resolved right then to become the obstacle they must eventually surpass. To ensure these two most precious people lived on in this world, he would endure even their hatred.
This was his duty as the eldest brother!
"Itachi-nii, you look like you're crying... is work too tiring?" Kanon asked concernedly, pulling a handkerchief from her pocket and handing it to him.
In response, Itachi activated his three-tomoe Sharingan and pulled Kanon into a tight embrace.
"Itachi-nii..." she whispered.
"Kanon... just let me hold you for a moment, okay?" Itachi asked softly.
"I want in too!" Sasuke pouted, joining the hug.
"Alright... everyone together then." Itachi's voice trembled, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
With the tension between Konoha and the Uchiha clan reaching a breaking point, Itachi was caught in the chasm between his family and his village, facing an impossible choice. Only these moments with his family allowed him to feel a sliver of warmth.
…
The night passed. Early the next morning, while Kanon was still in bed, Sasuke was already pounding on her door.
"Kanon! Kanon Uchiha! Wake up! Itachi-niisan is taking us to train!"
Hearing Sasuke's voice, Kanon finally blinked her bleary eyes open. By the time she was ready, Sasuke and Itachi were already standing in the courtyard.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!"
"Kanon, you're so slow!" Sasuke complained.
"I'm sorry... Sasuke-nii, don't be mean..."
Once Kanon was in position, Itachi led them to a small wooded area near the Uchiha district. This was the very spot where Itachi had practiced his shurikenjutsu as a child.
Without hesitation, Itachi drew a gleaming shuriken from his pouch. With a subtle flick of his wrist, the sharp blade traced a beautiful arc through the air, embedding itself dead-center in the bullseye.
He stepped aside to let Sasuke go next.
Sasuke gripped his shuriken, his eyes shining with a quest for perfection. He knew that to become a shinobi as great as his brother, he had to push himself harder. He took a deep breath, steadied his heart, and threw. The blade cut through the air with a whistle, nearly hitting the center; not quite as perfect as Itachi's, but very close.
When it was Kanon's turn, her small frame stood at the throwing line, looking somewhat out of place.
Yet, there wasn't a hint of fear in her eyes, only steady resolve. she had watched Sasuke's movements closely, memorizing his posture and power control.
Then, she raised her hand, gripped the shuriken firmly, and with a swift motion of her small arm, sent the blade spinning. It flew in an almost unbelievable trajectory.
With a soft clack, Kanon's shuriken was redirected mid-air by another hidden blade she had thrown, knocking it toward the target. It struck the center perfectly.
For a six-year-old, it was a miracle. A flash of surprise crossed Itachi's eyes, quickly replaced by a warm smile.
He realized then that Kanon had not only inherited the Uchiha bloodline, but she possessed potential and insight that rivaled his own at that age.
"Very good, Kanon." Itachi walked over and gently patted her head. "It seems your daily training has been quite rigorous."
Sasuke walked over as well, looking at his sister's result with genuine astonishment. He hadn't been paying much attention to her training before, only knowing she went out every day. He never imagined her shurikenjutsu would be this strong!
Kanon caught Sasuke's stunned expression, a hint of pride gleaming in her eyes.
"How was that, Sasuke-nii? Pretty cool, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, you're amazing," Sasuke said, throwing his hands up in mock surrender.
The three of them continued their practice, shuriken flying one after another, each strike more precise than the last.
————
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my p-atre-on: p-atre-on.c-om/Overgod [Just remove the hyphen to access normally]