As Jiraiya's figure receded into the distance, Kanon approached from afar. Seeing her, Tsunade's brow furrowed; she held nothing but contempt for Kanon Uchiha.
"You brat... what exactly are you doing in Konoha?!" Tsunade's intoxication vanished instantly. She hadn't forgotten the many Konoha shinobi who had died because of this girl. Now that Jiraiya was gone, Tsunade had no intention of showing Kanon any mercy.
"Same as always. Do you need me to give you another 'parting gift'?" Kanon said flatly. She ignored Tsunade's hostility, offering only a question of her own: "Where is the Pervy Sage going?"
Tsunade froze. A thought flickered in her mind, she wanted to see if she could draw any intel out of Kanon.
"Do you really want to know?" A slight smirk played on Tsunade's lips.
"Suit yourself. It's fine if you don't tell me." Kanon turned and began walking in the direction Jiraiya had taken.
Watching her back, Tsunade called out: "He's going to the Hidden Rain Village."
Kanon's footsteps halted abruptly. Her pupils shrank as she whipped her head back to glare at Tsunade. Seeing this reaction, Tsunade's expression turned grim; this was exactly the confirmation she had been looking for.
"What did you say?! He's going to the Hidden Rain?" Kanon didn't doubt the truth of the statement; if Tsunade mentioned that specific village, it wasn't a random guess.
Tsunade didn't offer a direct answer. Seeing the tension in Kanon's face, she had her answer. "So, the leader of the Akatsuki is indeed in the Hidden Rain?!"
"Why didn't you stop him!" Kanon roared, her eyes blazing with fury.
"I—"
"You can't let him go there! He'll die!" Kanon's voice cracked with desperation. She understood Pain's power better than anyone. If Jiraiya infiltrated the Hidden Rain alone, he would inevitably clash with the Six Paths of Pain. Without precise intelligence, he was walking into a death trap. She couldn't fathom why Tsunade would ever allow such a mission.
Insulted by Kanon's rebuke, Tsunade snapped back: "What right does a rogue ninja of the Konoha have to lecture me?!"
"What do you know, you Uchiha brat! Jiraiya's strength is not something someone like you can measure!"
Tsunade knew the journey was perilous, but she chose to place her faith in her comrade's power.
Kanon's gaze shifted. A thick, suffocating aura of killing intent and hatred radiated from her. "You damn..."
She realized there was no point in speaking with Tsunade anymore.
"You'll never understand," Tsunade spat. "A rogue who only cares for her clan will never understand what a village is, or the Will of Fire that maintains peace."
As the confrontation escalated, dozens of Anbu materialized in front of Tsunade, surrounding Kanon.
"Tch."
Kanon hadn't come to Konoha to pick a fight. She had something far more urgent to do. She had to stop Jiraiya. Knowing Nagato's strength, she knew Jiraiya wouldn't make it back alive.
She cast a cold, hollow look at the Hokage, who was on the verge of an outburst. "Typical. To hell with your Will of Fire. A village like this might as well be destroyed. The next time we meet will be the moment of my revenge."
With those words, Kanon's body spiraled into a spatial vortex, leaving behind only the silent Anbu and Tsunade, who stood with her head bowed.
…
Outside Konoha.
The sky had darkened. Jiraiya, having walked only a few kilometers from the village, stopped and turned around.
"Come out. No need to hide."
From behind a towering ancient tree, Kanon stepped into the light.
"Kanon? Is there something else?"
Night had fully fallen, draping the sky in deep blue velvet, dotted with stars that flickered with a faint but steady light. They stood by a small river where the moonlight pooled on the surface like liquid silver, a shimmering ribbon flowing from the heavens to the earth. Willow trees swayed gently, their leaves silvered by the moon, whispering in the cool breeze that carried the scent of night-blooming flowers.
The master and disciple sat by a small campfire. Jiraiya placed a fish Kanon had just stunned with Chidori onto the flames.
"Thirty more minutes," Jiraiya said softly.
"Pervy Sage, are you really going to the Hidden Rain?" Kanon asked, cutting straight to the point.
Jiraiya let out a hearty laugh. "If you were willing to divulge everything you know about the Akatsuki, maybe I wouldn't have to. But regardless, I have to verify the truth myself."
"Please... don't go..." Kanon whispered.
"I can't do that." Jiraiya shook his head.
Kanon sat on a stone, hugging her knees. Her gaze pierced through the flickering flames toward the river, calculating the odds of Jiraiya surviving an encounter with the Six Paths of Pain.
Before she could finish her thought, Jiraiya handed her a roasted fish. Half an hour had already passed.
"Thanks, Pervy Sage."
"Good grief, don't thank me for that." Jiraiya patted off a charred bit. "Careful, it's hot."
Kanon nodded and took the fish.
"You came to the village today because you're planning something big, aren't you?" Jiraiya asked in a casual, conversational tone.
Kanon didn't hide it. She gave a small nod.
"So, what's next for you?"
"I'm going to fulfill my revenge. I'm going to kill that animal, Itachi."
"I thought as much..." Jiraiya nodded. He had expected this; now that Sasuke was on the move, how could his sister stay idle? "Do you think you can win?"
"I'll find out when I fight him."
"Sigh. If only I had been sharper back then. It's my fault for not protecting you better."
"Pervy Sage, don't blame yourself. Forget my plans, just don't go to the Hidden Rain." Kanon looked him in the eye. "You will die."
Jiraiya laughed again, as if her words were merely a joke.
"Pervy Sage!" Kanon shouted, her voice echoing. "Are you even listening to me?!"
Jiraiya blinked, startled.
"You really will die! I've already lost so many people important to me... I don't want to lose you too!" Kanon lunged forward, grabbing Jiraiya's collar, her eyes swimming with tears. Under the moonlight, her eyes bled red, manifesting the three-tomoe Sharingan.
Shocked by her sudden outburst of grief, Jiraiya went still. Realizing her loss of composure, Kanon let go and wiped her eyes, slumping back into her seat. She buried her face in her knees, her fox mask gleaming white in the moonlight.
"If even you die... what am I supposed to do...?"
Looking at the student who had once entered his tutelage alongside Naruto, seeing her so broken, Jiraiya understood her heart. But no matter how bitter or dangerous the road ahead, he had to see it through, not just for himself, but for the sake of the entire world.
Jiraiya placed a hand on Kanon's head like a kind grandfather, his long white hair cascading over his shoulders. "You really are a kind soul, aren't you?"
"I said this to Tsunade earlier, and now I'll say it to you."
"I am not going to die."
"Happiness is not something a man should pursue, Kanon. As your master, it was my failure that I didn't teach you more. But a disciple's Ninja Way is destined to be passed down by the master. You and Naruto both have a persistence that never gives up. But there is one more thing you must remember."
Kanon looked up, tears still tracing paths down her cheeks.
Seeing her sitting there like a vulnerable little girl, Jiraiya reached out and wiped her tears away. The moonlight illuminated her delicate features, lending her an ethereal beauty. Even though she had left Konoha, she had never truly gone far; she was still that sweet, kind girl she had always been. It was Konoha that had pushed her away.
"The other thing is... learn to trust."
With that, Jiraiya stood up. He swung his scroll onto his back. Kanon moved to stop him, but realized a Sealing Jutsu had been placed on her body.
"Pervy Sage!" Kanon's Sharingan flared as she prepared to use her intangibility to break free, but Jiraiya simply shook his head gently.
"Go back. Don't worry about me. I won't die."
And then, he vanished beneath the moon.
Kanon was left alone by the river, the dying embers of the campfire her only company. Unburnt wood hissed and popped as the flames consumed it, the only sound in the night. The air smelled of smoke and the chill of the dark, heightening the sense of desolation.
She sat there, sometimes lost in thought, sometimes staring into the distance, her eyes flickering with sorrow and longing. Everything was so quiet she could hear her own heartbeat, and the sound of her tears hitting the ground.
By the fire, there was no laughter, no warmth, only loneliness and silence.
————
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