Another day in Konoha began, the morning air always carrying a sense of vibrant vitality.
As the first rays of dawn broke, the horizon gradually tinted with a warm, golden hue. The sun rose slowly from the east, breathing a new day into this energetic world of shinobi.
On that familiar cliff overlooking the village, covered in blossoms, Naruto sat as he often did, with Kanon by his side.
"Naruto, thank you for everything you've done for me. We will always be best friends," Kanon said with a smile.
"Yeah... we'll always be best friends."
Naruto and Kanon bumped fists, both wearing the most sincere smiles.
But soon, a voice echoed in Naruto's mind, pulling him out of the dream world.
"Naruto! Wake up!" Kushina shouted from the living room.
"Just let me sleep a little longer..." Naruto mumbled in bed, sluggish and lazy.
But just then, Minato pushed open the door to Naruto's room and said softly, "Naruto, it's time to get up."
"Dad... five more minutes..."
"The entire ninja world is gathering today to erect a cenotaph for Kanon. Are you sure you want to stay in bed?"
Naruto froze. At the mention of Kanon's name, he sat up instantly, his grogginess vanishing as he became wide awake.
"Right..." Naruto stood up, looking at Minato with a resolute expression.
After breakfast, Naruto, Minato, and Kushina stepped out. They were still living in the bridge dwelling for the time being, though their new home was nearly complete. Naruto looked back; Minato and Kushina were walking together. Minato carried a basket for Kushina, filled with offerings for the memorial.
Kushina's eyes never left Naruto. At seventeen, the boy had grown into a fine young man, standing in stark contrast to the infant she had first held. Looking at his back, it was as if she were seeing the younger Minato.
Without realizing it, Kushina's eyes filled with tears. Thinking of Naruto's childhood and her own failure as a mother, her heart felt as if it had been pierced by a blade. Minato, walking beside her, felt exactly the same. They were just grateful they had made it in time for Naruto's seventeenth birthday.
Outside the village gates, a vast crowd had already gathered. The modern Five Kage, including Ōnoki and Mei Terumī, were present. Though they held the title of Kage, they no longer reigned supreme as they once did. There were no individual villages anymore, only the unified Ninja World. And among them stood the absolute leaders: Madara, Hashirama, Naruto, and Sasuke.
Tens of thousands of people had converged outside Konoha, nearly every ninja in the world, along with countless civilians. They were all deeply grateful to Kanon for bringing their lost loved ones back to this world; on this special day, no distance was too great to keep them away.
The site for the cenotaph had been chosen: the very place where Naruto and Kanon had first met. Seeing Naruto and Minato emerge from the village, a roar of recognition went up; the fame of the "Hero of the Ninja World" and the Fourth Hokage remained unmatched.
But a moment later, an even louder swell of voices rose, drawing everyone's attention, including Naruto's.
From another direction, the Uchiha clan, led by Fugaku and accompanied by Madara, walked out. Sasuke carried mementos of Kanon, his expression hollowed by loss. Itachi was no different; Kanon was a ghost that haunted their very souls.
"If only... we had been kinder to Kanon..." Sasuke's voice trembled.
"Sasuke..." Itachi patted his brother's back, attempting to offer comfort, but what right did he have to comfort anyone? He, who had cast Kanon aside from the start, had no place standing beside those who had truly loved her.
Itachi looked up at the sky, desperate to ask: Why grant him happiness when he had done so much to hurt her? Why?
His scarlet Sharingan gazed into the blue expanse, and a single petal drifted down, coming to rest gently on his shoulder. It felt as fragile as Kanon's hand. He remembered how he had always pushed her away.
He recalled how he would return home with Kanon on his back, only to leave her behind to go train with Shisui. Kanon would stand there waiting, only to receive a poke to the forehead and a cold, "Forgive me, Kanon. Go play with Sasuke instead."
As they grew older, when Kanon mastered advanced shurikenjutsu at age six and wanted to show him, all she received was: "Forgive me, Kanon. I'm busy today. Maybe next time."
Years later, when she turned rogue and he found her battered and helpless, all she received was a heavy blow and: "Foolish little sister, your hatred is not yet deep enough."
And at the very end, in their final death-match, forced to cross blades with the sister and brother he loved most, watching a terrified Sasuke unable to cope, when Kanon suddenly appeared to pierce his heart, she was still met with: "Forgive me, Kanon... Sasuke... This is the last time."
Itachi gently picked up the petal from his shoulder, his expression desolate. Looking at his own healthy body, his family behind him, and Izumi standing at his side, tears finally slid from his eyes. He followed behind Sasuke. Izumi, noticing his distress, took a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped his tears away.
Itachi held the petal with trembling hands, feeling as though his gentle sister were right before him. He realized now that she had never truly left; she had always followed behind him and Sasuke, supporting them with a restrained, silent love. Just as she had always done, she never sought to overtake them, she only stayed in the shadows to bolster their steps. She had even shared that final, hard-won happiness with him and Sasuke. Was this not the true meaning of family?
"The trees desire stillness, but the wind never ceases." Itachi's face was a mask of grief. Once, he had obsessed over how to eliminate her, or regretted why he hadn't killed her sooner. But now, the true weight of regret shattered him. Itachi broke down into a wail of agony, a sight neither Sasuke nor Shisui had ever witnessed.
Izumi supported him, her own eyes streaming with tears; she understood that Itachi was mourning the loss of the sister he had finally begun to see.
Seeing Itachi in such a state, the others, Sasuke, Shisui, and Mikoto, who collapsed into Fugaku's arms, were overcome. No parent can face the pain of burying a child, especially not their youngest, their most beloved. The love Kanon had craved in life had arrived only in death, shattering the hearts of Mikoto and Fugaku.
Watching the people weep behind him, Madara walked at the very front. He could not find joy either. The bonds they had fought for, the dreams they had pursued, now that the dreams were broken, he was left with only the memory of a young girl who, upon closer reflection, hadn't even reached her sixteenth birthday. She was only fifteen.
At this thought, Madara's expression grew somber. The fact that the entire world had come to see her off spoke volumes of Kanon's contribution to the ninja world.
Soon, the procession was assembled. At the front stood Madara and Hashirama. Behind them were the four members of Team 7, Kakashi, Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke, followed by Kanon's and Naruto's families, then Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru.
Behind the families were the White Snake Sage and the serpents of Ryūchi Cave, along with Fukasaku, Gamahiro, Gamabunta, Gamakichi, and the rest of the toads of Mount Myōboku.
Then came the members of the Akatsuki. Even Sasori's family had come; his parents had been brought back to this world, and he stood holding their hands, with Chiyo trailing behind. Hidan, usually so irreverent, stood with a grave expression; he had been fond of his junior, and her death left a hollow ache in his own heart. Kakuzu stood with his head bowed in remembrance, alongside Kisame, Kabuto, and the rest.
Deidara wiped his eyes continuously. Seeing the "Empty" ring belonging to Kanon held in Nagato's hand, and the [Team Hana] Akatsuki cloak worn by Konan and Yahiko, he was inconsolable. His mind flooded with memories of their interactions; the sound of her calling him "Deidara-nii" echoed in his ears as if it were only yesterday.
Although Yahiko had never met Kanon in life, her story would be passed down for generations, ensuring that all in the ninja world would remember her name forever.
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NOTE: This fic has been completely translated. If you want to read the whole story head over to my p-atre-on: p-atre-on.c-om/Overgod [Just remove the hyphen to access normally]