BOOM!
Sakura was sent flying by a punch, only to be steadied by Naruto as he rushed to her side. Naruto glared at Karui and Omoi in the distance, his teeth gritted in frustration.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Naruto roared.
"You were just talking about Sasuke, weren't you?" Omoi asked indifferently. "Tell us everything you know about that guy!"
Sakura clutched her stomach, shouting back at them, "This has nothing to do with you Hidden Cloud ninja!"
"It has everything to do with us! Your Sasuke Uchiha attacked our village!" Karui barked. "Your rogue Uchiha took our master away! Our master's life is still hanging in the balance, you bastards!"
Sakura's pupils shrank in shock. She couldn't believe Sasuke would do such a thing. "Why? Why would Sasuke do that?!"
Faced with Sakura's questioning, Omoi's temper flared. "How the hell are we supposed to know what the Akatsuki is planning?!"
At the mention of the "Akatsuki," everyone froze.
"Akatsuki? What does that have to do with this?" Naruto asked.
"Are you kidding me?! Sasuke and his sister are members of the Akatsuki!" Karui screamed. "It's because you let your rogue ninja run wild that Raikage-sama sent us here! Even your Hokage has given us permission to execute the Uchiha!"
Naruto went numb. He still couldn't wrap his head around the idea of Sasuke capturing Karui and Omoi's master.
"We will have our revenge!" Karui and Omoi shouted in unison. "We will be the ones to defeat the Uchiha!"
…
In a forest elsewhere.
The four members of Team Taka were making their way toward Konoha, their target being the high-ranking official, Danzō. Karin was the first to sense something was wrong.
"Sasuke! Someone's ahead!"
"I know," Sasuke replied, his gaze fixing on the masked man standing in their path.
"Yo, Sasuke," the masked man greeted him casually.
Annoyed at being intercepted, Sasuke's expression darkened. "How did you know I was here?"
"Don't underestimate me. I have my ways," the masked man said smoothly.
"What do you want now? Taka has left the Akatsuki. We have nothing more to do with you," Sasuke said flatly, treating the masked man with cold indifference.
"You didn't keep your promise to me."
"What are you talking about?" Sasuke asked, confused.
"The hunt for the Tailed Beast."
The four members of Taka were stunned. Hadn't they already captured the Eight-Tails?
"Didn't we hand the Eight-Tails over to you?" Karin asked.
"That was merely a substitution. In other words, you failed."
The group stood in silence. The masked man was telling them that after a life-and-death struggle, they had brought back a fake?
"Yes, the Eight-Tails played you for fools."
Sasuke immediately realized that the tail he had severed with his Chidori Sharp Spear was likely the medium the Eight-Tails used for the substitution.
"To be honest, I am quite disappointed in you," the masked man's voice carried a hint of irritation.
"Then what do you want us to do? This has nothing to do with us anymore," Suigetsu interjected with a smirk. If Sasuke gave the word, he would be the first to charge.
"No, I expect you to finish what you started. Though, I'll let the Eight-Tails matter slide for now. I have something else for you to handle."
"And if we refuse?" Sasuke asked, staring the man down.
"Then we'll settle it here. Which means you'll never reach Konoha."
"Then we'll force our way through!"
Chidori crackled in Sasuke's hand. In a single stride, his blade pierced the masked man's chest. However, Sasuke's eyes widened. His three-tomoe Sharingan spun rapidly. He had passed right through the man's body.
Is it the Flower Realm?! No, it's different! The thought flashed through Sasuke's mind. If he could pass through the masked man, it might mean Kanon's eyes had been stolen. At this point, he was unaware that the masked man possessed his own Intangibility.
In that instant, Sasuke's mind raced. Memories of his sister's smile flickered in his head. He felt a sudden, sharp pang of regret for pushing away his only remaining family that day. If the masked man was indeed using the Flower Realm... Sasuke didn't dare think further.
"Relax. This isn't the Flower Realm. Kanon Uchiha is still alive, though even I don't know where she is," the masked man said, answering the question in Sasuke's heart.
Knowing it wasn't the Flower Realm, Sasuke let out a breath of relief.
"Regardless, it's too late for you to go to Konoha. Your goal can no longer be achieved. It's a pity," the masked man said tonelessly.
"What do you mean?"
"The Hidden Leaf Village no longer exists."
Sasuke and the rest of Taka froze, looks of bewilderment on their faces.
"What happened?" Karin stammered.
"Allow me to explain," Zetsu said, emerging slowly from the ground beside Obito.
"What the hell is that thing?!" Karin looked at Zetsu with pure disgust.
"Don't worry, he's an ally. So, who took over as Hokage?" the masked man asked Zetsu.
"Danzō!"
"Just as I thought."
"Danzō? Danzō is the Hokage?!" Sasuke's face contorted with rage.
"That's right. The very man from the Konoha high command who hounded your brother to the end is now the new Hokage."
"What exactly happened to Konoha?!" Sasuke demanded, desperate for answers.
"Your sister, Kanon Uchiha, destroyed the entire village single-handedly. Well, along with my subordinate, Pain." Zetsu explained. "Because you, your sister, and Pain went too far, the Five Kage are starting to mobilize."
The news hit Sasuke like a physical blow. Kanon destroyed Konoha?!
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?!" Sasuke roared. As his sister, she had been taking such risks... she had destroyed Konoha alongside Pain?!
After his outburst, Sasuke lowered his head. He felt a wave of guilt. Now that he was calm, he realized how much pain Kanon must have been in that day. He was her last family member, yet when he learned the truth, he had used her as a target for his rage and pushed her away.
Sasuke desperately wanted to apologize to Kanon, but he had no idea where she had gone.
"What would telling you have accomplished? You were too weak at the time to do anything," the masked man said. "Better to think about the Five Kage."
"The Five Kage?"
"The upcoming Five Kage Summit," the masked man clarified. "Now, listen as I explain the plan."
…
Konoha.
Once Sakura learned for certain that Sasuke was responsible for the attack on the Cloud, she broke down in tears, collapsing to the ground.
Watching her, Naruto's heart felt heavy. Sakura still loved Sasuke as much as ever, while Kanon, the girl who used to care for him so deeply, had become Konoha's most unforgivable criminal.
Naruto fell into a grim silence, but Karui had reached her limit.
"What are you crying for?! We're the ones who want to cry!" she snapped. "Your tears won't bring back Killer Bee-sama or Yugito-sama! If you have time to cry, tell us everything about Sasuke right now!"
Sai stepped in, sensing the escalating tension. "Wait a moment. I suspect that once you receive the official promise to execute Sasuke, Konoha will hand over all relevant information to you. There's no need to harass them here."
Naruto then told them that the Eight-Tails might still be alive, explaining that the Akatsuki needed to capture Jinchūriki alive. "So, instead of worrying about Sasuke, you should focus on saving your master first."
…
The Flower Realm.
The bandages fell away. Kanon's pupils were now entirely different, the old rose pattern was gone, replaced by a complex, new design. These were the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, born from the eyes of Fugaku and Mikoto.
"I can feel a boundless power surging through me."
"It's incredible..."
Kanon looked at the white bandages in her hand; her vision was sharper than it had ever been.
"Kanon, you still need a couple of days to adjust. Don't rush it," Konin cautioned.
"I understand..." Kanon nodded slightly. She closed her eyes again, covering her Eternal Mangekyō with the bandages once more.
She could feel an inexhaustible well of visual prowess within her. It surprised her, but more than that, it filled her with excitement. She was eager to return to the outside world, and she felt a flicker of genuine anticipation for the peace Nagato had promised.