Sasuke stared at Kanon in disbelief. That last move had been a strike with lethal intent, there was no mistaking it. In all his life, he had never seen Kanon truly come at him with everything she had. At this moment, his heart felt like a tumultuous sea.
"Sasuke, don't lose focus! Our little sister has reached the point of no return," Itachi shouted toward him.
Itachi had already activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, his gaze fixed firmly on Kanon and Kabuto.
"Itachi, you always said 'next time.'"
"You used that excuse to deceive me over and over, only to end up dead."
"So this time, I'm holding you to your promise."
Sasuke finally stepped up to Itachi's side, their eyes locked onto Kanon and Kabuto in unison.
"They say a person's nature never changes until death, but I've already died once," Itachi replied softly. "I will keep my word."
Kabuto let out a cold laugh, glancing at Kanon beside him. "Look at that, Kanon. The brothers are teaming up to cast you out."
"It doesn't matter. I stopped caring a long time ago." Kanon raised her kunai, the three tomoe in her eyes spinning rapidly.
Behind Kabuto, countless white snakes began to emerge as he pulled up his hood.
"Those snakes can sense body temperature and use their tongues to track scents in the air. I know your tricks," Sasuke sneered.
"You've certainly done your homework. You're like a regular 'Snake Professor,'" Itachi remarked.
"I did my research," Sasuke replied with a smirk. "All for the sake of taking down Orochimaru."
"A mere 'Snake Professor' cannot defeat us," Kabuto countered, his hands weaving signs as natural energy began to surge around him. "This cave is the home turf for Kanon-chan and me. Nature itself is our ally."
"What?! A geographical advantage?!"
"Sasuke, watch out for traps." Itachi noticed the pink pigment around Kanon's eyelids and immediately sensed something was wrong.
"You think we need traps to deal with you?!" Kanon huffed.
Behind her, Kabuto struck first. His giant snakes lunged directly at the Uchiha brothers. A terrifying explosion followed, instantly shearing through the stalactites. Two Susanoo forms flickered into existence simultaneously as Itachi and Sasuke activated their absolute defense. In the same breath, Sasuke's Susanoo swung its blade, decapitating the snakes in a single stroke.
"Susanoo, hm? A pity. We have one here as well."
"Kanon-chan."
"I'm on it!" Kanon's eyes shifted violently. Suddenly, a rose-red Susanoo manifested behind her.
"Don't be too reckless. We can't afford to kill him, or Kanon," Itachi warned Sasuke.
"Kabuto has acquired Orochimaru's abilities. He won't die that easily," Sasuke responded.
Hearing their exchange, Kabuto shed his cloak and stood tall behind Kanon.
"Arrow of Kagutsuchi!"
Sasuke fired a black-flame arrow directly at Kabuto, but in the next instant…
"Yasakani Magatama!"
BOOM!
A massive explosion rocked the cavern. Both Sasuke and Itachi turned their focus toward Kanon.
"Hmph. Don't act like I'm not here."
On the other side, Itachi scanned their surroundings warily. "Sasuke, his chakra is everywhere. I can't tell which one is the real body."
As Itachi watched a severed snake head liquefy in his hand, Sasuke was reminded of Suigetsu's hydration technique.
"You've transplanted Suigetsu's abilities? It seems you have Jugo's as well. Did you get them through Orochimaru's Cursed Seal?"
Kabuto gave a cold, faint laugh. "No! Those were nothing more than temporary measures. I cultivated this body myself, at Ryūchi Cave!"
Itachi was visibly shaken. He knew of Ryūchi Cave; it was a treacherous place. The trials required to master Senjutsu there were not something a normal person could endure.
"Ryūchi Cave? Then... Kanon, your Sage Mode isn't from Mount Myōboku?!"
Faced with Itachi's shock, Kanon simply gave a thin smile. "I have always used the Senjutsu of Ryūchi Cave." She had indeed never told Itachi the true source of her power.
"You have no idea," Kanon began, her hands moving into hand seals. "You have no idea how much I've endured just to kill a beast like you, who slaughtered our entire clan."
Beside her, Kabuto's form began to warp as numerous great snakes merged into one.
"Hahaha! I found it too, the sacred land that stands equal to Mount Myōboku and Shikkotsu Forest."
"It isn't just Kanon-chan. I reached that place as well."
"Just like her, I trained under the White Snake Sage and mastered these powers. Now, I have finally surpassed Orochimaru-sama. We are the disciples of Ryūchi Cave!"
Itachi and Sasuke looked at Kanon with complex, pained expressions. To gain this power, this young girl must have suffered through unimaginable agony. It was Ryūchi Cave, after all. What kind of hellish trials had Kanon survived to stand where she was today?
Sasuke's Susanoo shifted instantly into its third stage and lunged at Kabuto, only to be swatted aside by the blade of Kanon's Susanoo.
Kabuto shook his head at Sasuke, gesturing dismissively. "We are disciples of Ryūchi Cave. Our reaction speeds and sensory abilities are beyond anything you've known. Natural energy is on our side."
"Natural energy... damn it..." Itachi's expression grew grim. He realized that he and Sasuke were now facing two opponents in Sage Mode.
"Listen well..." Kabuto began to shed his skin from within the mass of snakes. "While Kanon-chan possesses the most perfect Sage Mode of Ryūchi Cave, I have my own methods. Even she, with her perfect Sage transformation, could not achieve this form."
Kabuto dropped to all fours, his body covered in the scales of a white snake. The sight was enough to make Kanon feel a surge of nausea; Orochimaru's techniques were as repulsive as ever.
"Is that so? Two Sage Modes..."
"You're just like Orochimaru," Sasuke taunted. "A pathetic snake."
Kabuto brushed the insult aside with disdain. "Since you're such a 'Snake Professor,' I hope you realize that I am no longer a snake. The complete power of a Sage has allowed me to shed my skin..."
"And ascend into a dragon!"
A violent burst of natural energy erupted from Kabuto. Kanon watched Sasuke, the corners of her mouth curling into a smirk.
"You call others pathetic? Look at yourself."
In a flash of movement, Kanon vanished, reappearing instantly in front of Itachi and Sasuke.
"So fast!" Itachi gasped.
Two Rasengans had already slammed into the exterior of their Susanoo. The massive explosion sent them both flying backward.
"Sage Art: Spiralling Serial Spheres!"
BOOM!
Terrifying cracks spider-webbed across both of their Susanoo armors, leaving Sasuke and Itachi in a state of shock. Meanwhile, Kabuto's eyes darkened; he was shutting out his visual perception.
"Are you using that move?!" Kanon asked, activating her Susanoo's ribcage for protection.
"Yes," Kabuto nodded slightly.
"Sage Art: White Rage Technique!"
He spat out a red dragon-like form that clutched a black orb. The orb spun wildly in the air before exploding. Intense light flooded the cavern, accompanied by a deafening roar and atmospheric vibrations that paralyzed Sasuke and Itachi. Their hearing and vision were completely neutralized.
"My ears... it feels like my bones are being crushed..." Sasuke clutched his head.
In that split second of vulnerability, Kanon's leg swept toward Sasuke.
CRACK!
The orange-red Susanoo sustained more fractures, but it held, protecting Sasuke.
"You bastard!" Kanon screamed, seeing Itachi prioritize Sasuke's protection over his own.
Kanon's hands flew through seals, and she unleashed a massive, Sage-infused fireball from her mouth.
BOOM!
Sasuke and Itachi were blown back, crashing into the stone walls. Kabuto seized the opening and charged.
"Dammit, I can't maintain the Susanoo!" Sasuke hissed through gritted teeth.
With their roles clearly defined, Kanon grabbed Sasuke by the throat and hurled him toward the other side of the cavern. She would handle him; Kabuto would deal with Itachi. This was the optimal strategy. With the ability to seal Reanimations, Kabuto was the best match for the undead Itachi.
"Sasuke!" Itachi cried out. Seeing his brother separated from the battlefield, he tried to give chase.
"Your opponent is me!" Kabuto intercepted him, clutching a kunai with a sealing tag, intent on turning Itachi back into his puppet.
CRASH!
Itachi and Kabuto's hands collided, the sheer force of the impact sending both reeling backward.
"What does it matter if there are two of you? Your makeshift partnership can't overcome the bond of fellow disciples from Ryūchi Cave."
"Besides, you're just a pair of brothers who spent years trying to kill each other because of one's lies. How ironic, Itachi Uchiha. Your family can never go back to the way it was." Kabuto laughed loudly, glancing over at Kanon, who was currently trading blows with Sasuke.
Sasuke's swordsmanship was being completely suppressed. This was even worse than his encounter with Killer B. Kanon's single blade was moving at a speed more terrifying than B's eight-sword style, she was faster, and her strikes were heavier.
CLANG!
In a swift exchange, Sasuke's Kusanagi sword was knocked flying. His body was already covered in shallow gashes.
"Kanon! Get out of my way! I have to save Itachi!"
"Then kill me," Kanon said coldly.
"Move!" Sasuke's body crackled with Chidori Current. Kanon responded in kind. Their Chidoris clashed, but Sasuke was utterly overwhelmed. He was sent spiraling through the air like a kite with its string cut.