The battle between Naruto and Sasuke raged on, and Kanon had nearly reached the Valley of the End. The collision of such massive chakra shocked her—could this really be Naruto and her brother?
But there was no time to lose. She could already hear the thunderous echoes of explosions.
"What is happening over there?!"
With that thought, Kanon accelerated. The air ahead was thick with the weight of a terrifying struggle.
…
Naruto was sent flying by the hand-like "wings" protruding from Sasuke's back. He stared grimly at the mutating boy across from him.
A pair of grotesque wings had sprouted from Sasuke, and an aura of pure, malevolent chakra made Naruto falter for a moment.
"Sasuke... you..."
Sasuke's eyes were as cold as Orochimaru's. A cross-shaped pattern had appeared across the bridge of his nose. As his chakra surged, it was accompanied by a suffocating power fueled by hatred.
Suddenly, a sharp pang of agony shot through him, causing Sasuke to grunt in pain.
This body... I have no time to waste.
Sasuke looked at Naruto, noticing his own hand was trembling slightly. "That power of yours… it comes with risks too, doesn't it?"
"Do you know? People call this place the Valley of the End."
"It's a fitting stage, isn't it? Right, Naruto?"
Naruto glared at him, his eyes burning with a mix of sorrow and rage. "Yeah. Like I said, enough talk."
"Then it's time to settle this! This fight... and everything that's led up to it!!"
Sasuke began to charge his Chidori, lightning coiling violently around his hand. "Chidori!"
Seeing this, Naruto gathered the Nine-Tails' chakra into his right palm, molding a swirling sphere. "Rasengan!"
The grey Chidori collided with the crimson Rasengan! A titanic shockwave rippled through the valley, the earth beneath them groaning as a purple sphere of pure chakra enveloped the two boys.
The sheer force of the impact scattered the falling water of the great cascade. In that blinding instant, Sasuke shifted his fingers into a fist and struck Naruto's abdomen—at the final second, he had held back!
Simultaneously, Naruto's claws raked across Sasuke's headband, leaving a deep horizontal scar. He, too, had stayed his hand.
The massive chakra sphere on the valley floor expanded as thunderclouds swirled overhead.
Kanon, just as she attempted to get close, was slammed back by a violent gust of wind, flying dozens of meters before crashing into a rock wall.
When she looked up, her pupils shrank. It was as if she were six years old again, watching Naruto and Sasuke perform the Seal of Reconciliation at the Academy.
As memories flooded her mind, tears began to stream down Kanon's face. She walked forward slowly and silently. Sasuke was still standing, while Naruto lay unconscious on the ground.
The sun began to dip below the horizon. As the final ray of light faded from Naruto's face, Sasuke's headband slipped off and fell beside the boy.
"Nii-chan," Kanon whispered.
Sasuke turned. One look at Kanon's hollow, haunted eyes told him everything he needed to know.
"Is it you, Kanon? Tell me... just how much pain have you suffered?"
Kanon remained silent, simply staring at him.
"Kanon, no matter where we go or how far apart we are, you will always be my sister, and I will always be your brother."
"I know."
"If you know that, then you should understand..."
"I won't interfere with your choice, nii-chan. Go do what you must." Kanon's expression was a mask of complex emotions.
"Don't worry, Kanon. I won't lose to Orochimaru. I need the power. I won't interfere with your path either. No matter where we are, we are the closest family each of us has left."
"If you ever cry out for me, or if you ever need me, no matter what I am doing, I will come to you immediately."
Hearing those words, Kanon's icy heart felt a flicker of warmth. This was the only person left on earth she could call "Brother"—her own flesh and blood.
Her eyes blurred as hot tears fell. Sasuke was right. No matter what happened, nothing could change that bond.
"Nii-chan... I wanted to say the same thing to you..."
The sky opened up, and a heavy rain began to drench the siblings. Neither spoke for a long moment. Suddenly, Sasuke stumbled. The side effects of the Curse Mark surged, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Nii-chan!"
"I'm... I'm fine."
Sasuke looked down at Naruto for a moment, lost in thought. Finally, he straightened up and looked at Kanon.
"Kanon, I'm going. What are your plans?"
"I'm going to get stronger, too."
"I see. Then... until we meet again."
Sasuke turned to leave.
"Nii-chan!"
Hearing the sobbing cry from his sister, Sasuke started to turn, but Kanon had already thrown herself into his arms, weeping uncontrollably.
"Why... why do we have to suffer like this, Nii-chan?"
"I just wanted to be with you... why can't even such a small wish come true?"
"Nii-chan... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
Kanon wailed in his arms, her heart breaking. Stimulated by her grief, tears fell from Sasuke's eyes as well, though he didn't sob like she did; he simply let the tears fall in silence.
After the darkness of the village, the hunt by a hundred ninja, and Itachi's Tsukuyomi, this eleven-year-old girl had no emotional pillar left to lean on. She had endured agony that would break anyone else. Only here, in front of her brother, could she finally act like the fragile little girl she actually was.
Her heart-wrenching cries cut through Sasuke like a knife. He realized he had to hold her.
As Sasuke wrapped his arms around her waist, her crying intensified. This was a catharsis she hadn't allowed herself since the night of the massacre. It was as if they were back in the afternoon he found her at the shrine; back then, she had been even more desperate, more hopeless.
After a while, the crying subsided. Kanon wiped her eyes, which were swollen and red. Though the world knew Kanon Uchiha as a peerless genius, they all forgot one simple fact: she was only eleven. She was just a child.
Yet no one had treated her like one. They had used the cruelest methods and the harshest realities to systematically destroy everything she loved.
"Kanon... do you feel any better?" Sasuke wiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye, offering his most tender smile.
"A... a little," she choked out.
"Kanon, I'm not strong enough right now. But once I am, I promise I will make you the happiest girl in the world."
Kanon froze. Her eyes welled up again at his words. Seeing the absolute conviction in his gaze, she couldn't stop the tears from falling once more.
Sasuke's promise felt like it had filled the void in her soul. Hearing him say those words brought her a sense of profound happiness.
"Thank you... nii-chan..."
In her heart, Sasuke had just handed her the most precious gift of all.
"Then I'm off... Kanon, you should go too. Walk your own path well."
"I will. Goodbye, onii-chan!"
"Oh, Kanon. Come here for a second."
Confused, Kanon stepped closer. Sasuke raised his hand and poked her forehead with his index and middle fingers.
"Take care of yourself, Kanon. Stay safe."
Watching his retreating figure, Kanon smiled through her tears and whispered to herself:
"Stupid nii-chan... with those words alone... I don't care what anyone else says. I feel like I've finally been filled with happiness."