"You... you... you..."
Naruto stuttered the word "you" three times in a row, unable to finish his sentence.
"But your personality is nothing like Sasuke's. At least you aren't cold!"
"Is that so?" Kanon picked up her water bottle, took a sip, and handed it to the boy beside her. "Want some?"
Reminded of his own thirst, Naruto nodded gratefully. He took the bottle and held it up, drinking a few gulps without letting his lips touch the rim.
Afterward, Naruto began regaling Kanon with the "exciting" things he had encountered over the past few years. His stories were relentlessly sunny, but every time Kanon couldn't help but burst into laughter, Naruto felt a wave of warmth in his chest.
It felt as though he truly had an honest, kindred friend who understood him.
"Ah... clearly you were just being greedy for ramen, so why blame the teacher?" Kanon giggled.
"Kanon, you don't get it! Iruka-sensei was the one who bought it, so the stomachache was totally Iruka-sensei's fault!"
…
In the evening, after the sun had set, Kanon returned home.
Mikoto handed a dish to Kanon. "Careful, it's hot!"
Once Kanon and Mikoto had prepared the meal, the mother and daughter sat in the seiza position, waiting for the men of the house to return.
"Kanon-chan, it seems you made a new friend today."
"Mama, how did you know?"
"I went to your training spot this afternoon to check on you, and that's when I saw."
"I see," Kanon nodded, neither confirming nor denying the details.
Mikoto took Kanon's hand, frowning as she looked at the lingering scars and calluses. "Kanon, you're training too hard. You're still in the middle of a growth spurt."
"Mama, if I don't work hard, how can I catch up to my brothers? How will I ever find the vibrant flower field in my heart?"
Seeing the sheer determination in her daughter's eyes, even Mikoto was momentarily stunned.
"Kanon..."
Mikoto pulled her into a hug. Enveloped by her mother's embrace, a surge of wordless love seeped into Kanon's soul, finally allowing her heart to find a sense of calm.
Ten minutes later, the door creaked open. Sasuke was the first one home, carrying his school bag as he walked through the entryway.
"Onii-chan!" Kanon called out.
"Hey, Kanon." Sasuke smiled and ruffled her hair. "Here, these are the shuriken I used today. I'm giving them to you. Don't push yourself too hard in your training." Only a year older than Kanon, Sasuke was already starting to act the part of a protective older brother.
However, Kanon noticed the scuffs and bruises on Sasuke's face and arms. They were undoubtedly the results of his own grueling practice.
After helping Sasuke bandage and disinfect his wounds, Kanon asked, "Onii-chan, do you want to bathe first or eat?"
"Kanon, could you start the bath for me? I'll wash up first."
"Okay!"
While Sasuke was in the bath, the door opened again. It was her father, Fugaku Uchiha.
Kanon dashed out of the dining room and sprinted to the entryway, throwing herself into Fugaku's arms.
"Oof! My little sweetheart!" Fugaku, usually stern with his sons, finally let out a doting smile. He couldn't help it; his daughter was adorable and exceptionally thoughtful.
"Papa, you're back late today!"
"Forgive me, Kanon. Things have been a bit busy lately."
"Well, today you have to enjoy the feast Mama and I cooked for you all!"
"Alright then, I'll have to see if I can taste Kanon's handiwork today." He walked toward the dining room, but just as he entered, another person opened the front door.
"Itachi-nii!"
Itachi, looking weary, offered Kanon a small smile. "Kanon, you seem to be in high spirits today."
"Is it because your training is progressing?"
"Mm! Itachi-nii, just you wait, I'm definitely going to surpass you one day!"
"I see. Well, I'll be looking forward to that day, then."
"But, Itachi-nii... can you come practice shuriken with me? Sasuke-nii is already busy with the Academy."
Predictably, Itachi raised his hand and lightly poked Kanon on the forehead.
"Forgive me, Kanon. Maybe next time."
"Hmph! Blehh! I bet you're just going off to play with Shisui-nii again!" Kanon stuck her tongue out at him.
"Who said that?" Suddenly, another young man, roughly Itachi's age, appeared in the doorway.
"Wait! Shisui-nii!" Kanon blinked. The newcomer was indeed Shisui Uchiha.
"Shisui... sorry you had to see that," Itachi said, sounding resigned.
"Haha, Kanon is pretty cute, isn't she?" Shisui knelt down and pinched Kanon's cheek with a grin. "How about this? Next time, Itachi and I will practice shuriken with you together."
"Then it's a promise!" Kanon held out her hand, wanting to pinky-swear.
Shisui gave a helpless laugh and knelt to hook pinkies with her. Even Itachi wasn't spared; he was forced to join in on the oath.
After Shisui left, the family finally sat down at the dinner table. However, two people remained noticeably silent: Fugaku and Itachi.
A cold atmosphere seemed to settle between them. They didn't exchange a single word, acting as if they were nursing a deep grudge.
Kanon and Sasuke both watched them with worried frowns. Kanon tugged on Sasuke's sleeve and whispered, "Onii-chan, did Itachi-nii and Papa have a fight?"
Sasuke shook his head slightly, indicating he didn't know either.
…
The next day, as usual, once Sasuke, Itachi, and Fugaku had departed, Kanon was the last to leave the house for her training.
She returned to the same forest training ground, but today, Kanon was prepared to tackle something new. This was the task Konin (the Ninjutsu Tome) had assigned her before she went to sleep the previous night.
Lately, Konin had become increasingly "humanized." Her snarky comments and complaints were becoming quite varied. Kanon wondered if this was still the same emotionless Ninjutsu Tome from before.
In her mental landscape, Kanon was currently complaining to the book about a certain technique's name.
"The name 'Eight Inner Gates' sounds like a turtle's technique! Konin, can't we change the name?" [1]
[Stop complaining. Do you want to learn it or not? If not, I'm taking it back.]
"I'll learn it! Who said I wouldn't!"
Kanon muttered under her breath, tossing every insult she could think of at the mental projection that looked exactly like her. If it weren't for the fact that Konin shared her face, Kanon would have tried to pick a fight already.
[Your Taijutsu training and physical conditioning over this period are just barely enough to begin learning the Eight Inner Gates,] Konin stated before ejecting Kanon from the mental space.
"The A-rank Forbidden Jutsu, the Eight Inner Gates..." Kanon whispered to herself as she began the grueling process.
Before she knew it, afternoon had arrived. Having successfully pushed through to the second gate, the Gate of Healing, Kanon lay collapsed on the ground, completely spent. Not only had she learned the first two of the Eight Inner Gates today, but she had also mastered Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.
Her progress was a massive success. Tomorrow, she planned to learn more C-rank jutsu. Having realized she had an affinity for all five basic nature transformations, her heart felt light and satisfied.
Soon enough, Naruto arrived. He had ditched class again to come find Kanon and chat. According to Naruto, the Academy was far too boring; talking to Kanon was much more interesting.
[1] 'Eight Inner Gates' is written as 八門遁甲 in kanji, with each character meaning 'eight,' 'gate,' 'escape/hide,' and 'armor,' respectively.