Afternoon.
Sasuke lay in the center of the hall, cold sweat beading on his forehead. The words Itachi had spoken that night echoed relentlessly in his mind.
"You are not even worth killing."
"My foolish little brother."
"If you wish to kill me, then settle for hating me... detesting me... and survive in such an unsightly way."
"Run, run, and cling to life."
"Then, once you possess the same eyes as I do, come before me."
Itachi's voice was like a curse, coiling around Sasuke's heartstrings and turning his face a ghostly pale.
"No!"
With a sharp cry, Sasuke jolted awake. Beside him, Kanon, who was busy preparing a meal, was startled by his sudden outburst.
"Was it... was it just a dream?" Sasuke looked at his trembling hands. The images burned into his mind were always the same: that night, Itachi's cold, indifferent face, and those crimson, blood-soaked eyes.
"Damn it..." Sasuke brushed a hand against his cheek. Part of him still refused to believe it was real. But now, he had no choice but to face this cruel reality.
"Nii-chan, are you alright?" Seeing Sasuke drenched in cold sweat, Kanon hurried over with a basin of water. She used a damp towel to gently wipe his pale face.
Suddenly, Sasuke pulled Kanon into a tight embrace. In the twilight hour, the hall was dim and grey without the lights on. His body shook slightly, and silent tears traced paths down his face.
Feeling her dark hair grow damp with his tears, Kanon hugged him back, her small hand rhythmically patting his back.
"Sasuke-nii... Kanon is still here..."
"I'm just glad you're alive..." Sasuke whispered, baring his heart.
According to Itachi's original plan, Kanon should have certainly died. Her survival was a fluke, something even Itachi likely hadn't foreseen.
Sasuke felt a surge of gratitude that he still had a sister to depend on in this world. It was the memory of the brutal treatment she had endured, having only just been discharged from the hospital today, that stoked the fires of rage within him.
He stroked Kanon's face, a silent vow taking root in his heart. No matter what, he would have his revenge on Itachi. Even if it cost him his life, he would not hesitate.
That evening, the two sat at the dining table. Kanon had already tidied the kitchen. Seeing her still wrapped in bandages, Sasuke said sheepishly:
"Kanon... I intended to cook for you today. How did it end up being you cooking for me again?"
"It's fine. I should be the one cooking from now on," Kanon replied with a bright smile, though inwardly she was speechless.
If I let this idiot brother of mine near the stove, I probably won't live to see seven, let alone my prime.
Sasuke moved on to a different topic, looking at his sister.
"Come to think of it, you're almost at the age to enter the Academy. Kanon, do you want me to teach you some Ninjutsu?"
Kanon paused, then politely declined. "I think I'll pass. If you teach me everything now, what will be left for me to learn at school?"
"Fair point," Sasuke replied with a helpless smile. "The moon isn't full tonight, but do you want to go out to the courtyard and watch it with me anyway?"
"Okay," Kanon nodded. She could never say no to her brother.
Before they knew it, another month had passed.
During this time, Kanon focused on physical conditioning. Her frame was still too small and frail. While her Ninjutsu was sufficient and her Genjutsu, specifically those involving the Sharingan, was already formidable, her Taijutsu needed work.
As Konin put it: Taijutsu requires daily accumulation, whereas Ninjutsu only needs occasional practice. At her current age, knowing too many techniques would only be a burden if her body couldn't keep up. Thus, Kanon spent her days tempering her physique.
However, Konin never mentioned the "Flower Realm." When Kanon asked, Konin would only say softly: "You're still too young. Keeping the Sharingan active is a drain on you. We'll train that later."
Kanon stopped asking. She knew Konin meant well; the Sharingan indeed consumed a significant amount of Chakra.
Sasuke attended the Academy as usual. Both siblings buried their hatred deep within, stoking the embers of revenge in the darkest corners of their hearts. After all, life had to go on.
Meanwhile, Naruto's visits became less frequent. The reason was simple: a new girl had joined the class, Sakura Haruno.
Every time Naruto did find Kanon, he would talk about this girl, and Kanon would always listen patiently. It seemed the girl's presence at school had utterly captivated him.
Because their meeting times were usually late afternoon or evening, Naruto's visits dwindled as he spent more time chasing after Sakura. As the saying goes: The one you can't have is always the one you want most.
Kanon enjoyed the peace. Naruto had his own path to walk, and so did she; she couldn't look after him forever. Still, Naruto would occasionally drop by to chat with his best friend. Of course, every time he came, he would polish off Kanon's food, making her wonder if he was just coming over for a free meal.
They remained the best of friends, though their different ages and grades meant they lived somewhat separate lives. It was a bond of pure friendship.
The seasons turned.
Eventually, the first day of school arrived. It was the day Kanon was to start at the Academy, but with one twist: the one going to school was Kanon's Shadow Clone.
The real Kanon stayed at her "secret base" to continue her training.
Being one grade below Sasuke and the others, Kanon became incredibly popular. She was cute, beautiful, lively, and most importantly, she ranked first in her entire year.
Even Naruto heard the rumors and couldn't help but sigh, "As expected of that guy's sister!"
"Sakura-chan, do you want to play with me today?"
"Naruto, get away from me!" Sakura snapped. Then, turning gently to the taciturn Sasuke, she asked, "Sasuke-kun, do you want to play cat's cradle?"
Sasuke looked away and said coldly, "Pointless."
In these daily routines, everyone struggled to "live" their lives. It seemed they had all forgotten the tragedy at the beginning of the story, simply enjoying the passage of childhood.
Several years passed in this manner.
Finally, graduation was at hand. Today was the day Naruto and the others were set to graduate.
After Iruka-sensei caught Naruto, who had been busy defacing the Great Stone Faces with red paint, the exam began.
"Naruto! I'm not letting you run off today!"
"Hmph! Iruka-sensei, I've been practicing a brand new Jutsu!"
"A new Jutsu?" Everyone in the exam room looked at Naruto in surprise. Since when did a dead-last like him learn something new?
Even Kanon, sitting in the back row, looked at Naruto with a hint of surprise.
Over the past few years, she hadn't learned many new Ninjutsu, but her Genjutsu and Taijutsu had become exceptionally powerful. Simply put, she was more than qualified to be a Genin.
Until the day before the exam, Kanon had continued sending her Shadow Clone to school. But today was different. She would take the graduation exam seriously, not just out of respect for her teachers, but out of responsibility to herself.
Kanon was here early because of her outstanding grades. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had made an exception and allowed her to skip ahead to this graduation exam.
Initially, many teachers felt the Hokage was being too demanding of the girl, but Kanon had accepted with a smile.
And so, Kanon sat there with the rest of the class, her eyes fixed on Naruto at the front of the room.