The ward fell into silence once more, leaving Sasuke and Kanon alone in a heavy, shared stillness. Finally, it was Kanon who broke the quiet.
"Sasuke-nii... why? Why did he do it?"
"I don't know," Sasuke replied, shaking his head.
"I hate him... I hate him so much for killing everyone down like that..." Kanon's voice trembled violently.
"Kanon... don't think about revenge. Leave that to me. It's my responsibility!" Sasuke raised his hand as if taking a solemn oath. "I will make Itachi pay for this. I swear it to you!"
But Kanon reached out and gripped Sasuke's other hand, her voice shaking. "I... I don't want revenge. I just want you to stay alive, Sasuke-nii... and stay with me."
Kanon's trembling words pierced Sasuke to the core. Yet, inside, his hatred only burned hotter against the man who had reduced his siblings to this state. On that day, Sasuke's resolve crystallized: he would have his revenge. He would kill Itachi Uchiha.
…
News of Kanon's awakening spread through the upper echelons of Konoha, though many met the report with grim silence. Gradually, the word filtered through the village. Everyone knew that of the entire Uchiha clan, only these two siblings remained to depend on one another.
Early the next morning, Naruto took the savings he had painstakingly gathered and bought a box of high-end liquid supplements for Kanon. His heart was heavy with a mix of guilt and apology; he didn't care about the money. To him, the coins were just numbers compared to Kanon.
Clutching the 500-ryo supplements, he entered the hospital. He paused before the door, staring at the names on the patient list.
Sasuke Uchiha
Kanon Uchiha
The familiar names were still there. Sasuke had already left for the Academy, but Naruto had decided to cut class this morning. He felt a wave of anxiety. How is she doing? She must be in so much pain... her whole clan gone, and she barely made it out alive.
Naruto raised his hand and knocked on the door. A familiar voice responded, making him freeze for a second.
"Please, come in."
Naruto pushed the door open, and his eyes landed on her immediately. Kanon was leaning quietly against her pillows, gazing out the window. Her eyes were dull and filled with uncertainty. The bandages visible beneath her gown were a stark testament to the trauma she had endured.
Sensing someone's presence, she turned her head. When she realized it was Naruto holding a box of supplements, she blinked in surprise.
"Naruto?"
"Kanon... I'm sorry." Naruto immediately bowed low in apology.
Seeing Naruto's sincere display of regret, Kanon's heart filled with a complex mix of emotions. "This... this wasn't your fault. Why are you apologizing to me?"
Seeing that Naruto refused to lift his head, Kanon tried to shift toward him, but her body lurched, and she tumbled off the bed. A sharp, drilling pain shot through her, drenching her in cold sweat.
Naruto scrambled to her side, lifting her back onto the bed. "Kanon! Don't move!"
Kanon gritted her teeth, looking at Naruto. She forced a tiny, strained smile. "It wasn't your fault... you don't need to apologize..."
"I..." Naruto was at a loss for words. Seeing her pale face struggling to maintain a smile for his sake made his heart ache. "If only I had been by your side that night..."
"I'm glad you weren't."
Naruto was stunned. He looked at her in shock, only to see tears spilling from her eyes.
"I've already lost everything..." she sobbed. "I can't lose you or my brother, too."
Having endured such soul-crushing agony at such a young age, she knew that if her best friend had died before her eyes as well, she would have truly shattered.
Feeling the shift in the air, Naruto quickly presented the supplements he had bought. "Kanon, I bought these for you. Please take them. It'll make me feel better."
His words were so direct that Kanon found it impossible to refuse. She took the box and examined it, but her first words made Naruto blink.
"These... you must have spent so much money. Can you still return them?"
"This is my savings," Naruto said firmly. "It's much better spent on this than on junk food."
"It's too expensive. I can't take this—"
"Oh, just take them!" Naruto said, standing up abruptly. "I have to get to class. I'm going now!"
"Wait!" Kanon watched his retreating figure, feeling helpless as she looked at the supplements. She knew Naruto's financial situation; buying this must have been incredibly difficult for him. She didn't want to be a burden.
Unable to do anything else for now, she set the gift on her bedside cabinet.
[Kanon, when are you coming to the inner world to practice ninjutsu?] Konin's voice echoed in her mind, urging her to train.
"I'm coming..."
She didn't refuse. Having lived through that battle, she finally understood that strength was everything. If she had remained helpless, she would have died at the masked man's hands. Now, her pain and hatred were buried deep, fueling a new drive to grow strong, strong enough to help Sasuke kill the man who had cast them into this "Hell."
In her mind's eye, her three-tomoe Sharingan flared to life.
In her inner world, while she couldn't physically train her broken body, she could master the theory and logic of complex techniques. Kanon's potential was immense. Once she understood the fundamental principles of chakra natures, she began experimenting with new concepts, knowledge she planned to manifest in reality as soon as her wounds healed.
…
By evening, Sasuke returned. He was wearing his black Uchiha clothing, his backpack slung over his shoulder as he pushed open the door.
"Sasuke-nii..."
"Kanon. Are you feeling any better?"
"Mhm..."
"Here. I brought the medicine the nurse left. Take it."
"Okay. Thank you, onii-chan!" Kanon gave him a sweet, genuine smile. In this world, only this boy, one year her senior, remained. She refused to lose him.
After Sasuke helped her take her medicine and adjusted her pillows, he turned to leave. "I'll go down and get you something to eat. Wait for me."
"Niichan..." Kanon called out, stopping him. "Can you... stay with me a little longer?"
Hearing her plea, Sasuke nodded softly. Facing his only sister, he gave her the only tenderness he had left in his heart.