Ten days later.
The reconstruction of Konoha was proceeding in an orderly fashion.
Among the ruins of the Hidden Leaf Village, the usual hustle and bustle had vanished, replaced by a heavy silence and desolation. However, atop these ruins, hope and vitality began to stir.
Groups of villagers and shinobi moved through the broken walls and collapsed pillars. Though fatigue was etched onto their faces, their eyes shimmered with a resolute light. They swung tools, hauled stones, and cleared rubble; every person was pouring their heart into rebuilding their home.
At the village entrance, several elder shinobi were directing the efforts. Experienced and intimately familiar with every inch of the land, they led the reconstruction with meticulous coordination.
In the center of the village, a new Hokage Residence was rising from the ground. Laborers busied themselves transporting materials while architects carefully refined their blueprints.
Inside a newly established meeting room, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire sat in the seat of honor.
"As Tsunade-sama remains in a coma, the village cannot be left without a leader. Our first priority must be to select a candidate for the new Hokage," Danzō Shimura proposed.
"I suppose it should have been Jiraiya's turn this time... It is a pity he is no longer with us. I was quite fond of him," the Daimyō mused.
"In that case, who else is available?" the Daimyō inquired.
"Regarding that, I—" Before Danzō could finish, Shikaku Nara spoke up with his own recommendation.
"I recommend Kakashi Hatake!"
A nameless fire of rage flickered in Danzō's eyes. From that old fool Hiruzen until now, he had outlasted the Third and the Fourth. Now that even the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, had met with disaster, he could not allow this hard-won opportunity to slip through his fingers.
"Whose student was Kakashi?" the Land of Fire Daimyō asked.
"He was the student of the Fourth Hokage!"
"Oh! Is that so? I remember now. The Fourth Hokage was Jiraiya's student, and Jiraiya was the student of the Third Hokage."
"Then there should be no problem, right?"
"Very well, if there are no objections—" Just as the Daimyō was about to make the announcement, Danzō spoke up sharply, interrupting him in a fit of calculated indignation.
"Which is to say, it was the Third Hokage's weakness that nearly brought the village to total ruin!"
"Nagato, the leader of the Akatsuki who destroyed this village, was also once a student of Jiraiya."
"This is the result of sympathizing with those of other nations and teaching them ninjutsu."
"It is precisely this naive weakness, passed down through generations, that led to the betrayal of our ally, the Hidden Sand!"
Danzō continued his tirade. "It fueled Orochimaru's attack on Konoha... and allowed the Akatsuki's influence to rise. Furthermore, the remnants of the Uchiha, the true culprits behind the village's destruction, Kanon Uchiha and her brother Sasuke Uchiha, are now active as rogue ninja."
"This is all due to the Third's weakness at the time. Had you listened to me, would we be facing such a result?"
"If you appoint someone connected to Hiruzen, Konoha will only continue to be weak. Therefore, what we need now is someone who can handle this most dire situation, bring transformation to the shinobi world, and enforce the iron laws of the shinobi."
Danzō stood up, wearing a mask of self-righteousness. He coughed slightly and said in a low voice, "I shall take up the mantle of the one and only Hokage."
Hearing this, the Daimyō offered no further resistance and made his decision: "Hmm, it is settled then. Danzō, I appoint you as the Sixth Hokage!"
…
Elsewhere, Sai and Anko Mitarashi were in the middle of a mission when they received word: Danzō had been named the Acting Hokage.
Upon returning to the village, Sai knelt before Danzō.
"What are your orders?"
"Keep Naruto under surveillance. Report any abnormalities to me immediately!"
"Yes!" After nodding, Sai hesitated before asking, "Um... may I take the liberty of asking a question?"
"What is it?!"
"How do you intend to deal with Naruto?"
"Do not worry. Naruto is currently a hero to the village," Danzō said flatly. "The villagers trust him deeply, far more than they trust me as the Sixth Hokage."
Danzō then analyzed the pros and cons for Sai; after all, moving against Naruto now would be more trouble than it was worth. This was a critical period for the confidence vote following his appointment.
"However, Naruto is a Jinchūriki. As Hokage, I must monitor him. He cannot be left to his own devices as he was under Tsunade." With that, Danzō dismissed Sai.
Watching Sai's departing figure, a smile touched Danzō's lips.
"The day has finally arrived. The moment for me to become Hokage is finally here."
…
At that moment, Karui, Omoi, and Samui of Kumogakure stood atop the high walls of Konoha, looking down at the village in shock.
Two Konoha shinobi stepped forward to intercept them.
"Who are you?!"
"I am Samui of the Hidden Cloud! I was sent by the Raikage, the leader of Kumogakure."
Upon hearing this, the two shinobi nodded and led the trio into the ruins of Konoha. Karui and Omoi stared at the surrounding wreckage, their eyes wide with disbelief.
"Apologies, but everyone in the Leaf is on high alert lately," the Hyūga clan shinobi said softly. "Konoha no longer has its surveillance personnel, and the village has ended up in this state."
"We were wondering what exactly happened here," Samui inquired.
"It was the work of the Akatsuki. They were led by their leader, Nagato, and the one who actually destroyed Konoha was an Akatsuki member, Kanon Uchiha."
"What?! An Uchiha?!" Samui was stunned. "In any case, please take us to see the Hokage immediately! We carry a letter from the Raikage."
Samui soon learned that the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, was in a coma. Ultimately, the Raikage's letter was delivered into the hands of the Sixth Hokage candidate, Danzō.
After scanning the letter, Danzō understood the message. It was a formal interrogation from the Raikage, demanding to know why Konoha had shielded Sasuke for years while he was a rogue ninja, and addressing Sasuke's involvement with the Akatsuki in the abduction of Killer Bee. Finally, it announced a Five Kage Summit called by the Raikage to discuss the Akatsuki threat.
"Sasuke..." Danzō muttered. "So it has come to this."
Samui looked at Danzō and asked quietly, "And the Sixth Hokage's... response?"
"Sasuke Uchiha will be placed on the same SSS-rank wanted list as Kanon Uchiha. I will dispatch men to eliminate him. Is this response satisfactory to the Hidden Cloud?"
Samui let out a cold smirk and nodded slightly. "It seems there are still people in Konoha who understand reason. This is exactly what Raikage-sama intended."
"You may all rest in Konoha for now. I must prepare for the upcoming Five Kage Summit."
…
The Flower Realm.
The bandages still covered Kanon's eyes, but she could already sense a new light. It was a sign that she would soon be able to remove her blindfold.
"What have you been doing, keeping yourself cooped up these past ten days?" Konin asked.
"Thinking about the past. But every time I do, the memories are replaced by despair," Kanon said softly. "I wonder how the world outside is doing."
"Rest easy. Your eye transplant was a success. You will see a new light soon."
"I can already feel the light... but within this light, there is only a fresh darkness. They should all be dead. Perhaps my senpai's plan is back on track. The peace the Akatsuki hopes for shouldn't be far off."
"Who knows," Konin replied nonchalantly.
"I am somewhat looking forward to it, the peaceful future my senpai spoke of. Konin, it's time to start today's ninjutsu practice."
"What jutsu should we practice?" Kanon fell into thought.
"Your eyes haven't healed yet, so the jutsu you can learn are limited. I recommend waiting until you've recovered your sight before studying further," Konin said in a commanding tone, leaving Kanon no room for argument. "Until then, get some proper rest. You've been through too many battles lately; your exhaustion is immense."
Helpless, Kanon lay back on the field of flowers with her legs crossed. Though the bandages prevented her from seeing the blood-red sky, she still tilted her head upward.
Gradually, Kanon drifted off to sleep. Her long, black hair fanned out as she slept soundly.
From somewhere, Konin brought a blanket and gently draped it over Kanon. She sat there, gazing at Kanon's face, a face so exquisite it looked like it had been plucked from a painting, as if she could see through everything just by looking at her.