"Hehe, Iruka-sensei! This Jutsu of mine is actually super powerful, you know?"
"What?" Iruka looked on, utterly confused.
"Here goes!"
With a shout, Naruto's hands snapped into a seal. Deep blue chakra surged around him, a fluctuation so intense that it startled everyone in the room. Even Iruka watched in astonishment; for a student to possess such a massive volume of chakra... just what kind of technique was this?
"Sexy Jutsu!"
Following Naruto's roar, a cloud of white smoke erupted. From within emerged a curvaceous, twin-tailed blonde girl with blue eyes, striking a provocative pose.
Iruka's nose bled instantly, his blood spraying like a fountain. While the boys stared with wide eyes, the girls turned beet-red, covering their eyes and screaming at the top of their lungs.
Sitting in the back row, Kanon stared at "Naruko Uzumaki" with a look of pure shock. She glanced at Naruko's figure, then traced a circular motion in the air in front of her own chest, letting out a soft, melancholy sigh.
"Sigh... how can they be that big? It's fake. It has to be fake."
Beside her, Sasuke watched the display below and muttered under his breath, "Pointless."
"Sasuke-nii, do you know how to do that?"
"Kanon, don't even think about learning Jutsus like that," Sasuke warned sternly. He had no desire to see his sister practicing something as ridiculous as the Sexy Jutsu.
"Actually, that technique is just a variation of the Transformation Jutsu. It might actually have some unexpected strategic value," Kanon replied, offering a deadpan analysis of the Jutsu's application in specific scenarios.
"Impossible. There's no way a Jutsu like that could ever be useful."
"Well... Sasuke-nii, you never know."
As the siblings whispered to one another, Naruto was being subjected to a brutal lecture from Iruka on stage.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the village, a different gathering was taking place.
Inside Ramen Ichiraku, Might Guy and a few others noticed four photographs laid out on the table by the Third Hokage.
"Lord Third, what are these?" Guy asked.
"Ah, this is still classified..." Hiruzen Sarutobi replied. The files on the table belonged to Sakura Haruno, the Uchiha siblings, Sasuke and Kanon, and Naruto Uzumaki. "These are the Academy graduates Kakashi will be responsible for this year."
…
Another day passed.
Kanon and Sasuke had naturally passed their graduation exams. To celebrate Kanon's early graduation, Sasuke presented her with a gift.
"Kanon, this kunai is for you."
Kanon took it, noticing the Uchiha crest engraved upon the blade. She beamed at Sasuke. "Thank you, onii-chan!"
Seeing his sister's smile, Sasuke felt a gentle warmth, but before he could say more, Itachi's voice echoed in his mind once again.
Damn it... Itachi.
"Thinking about him again?" Kanon murmured.
"Yeah... I will kill him. I have to."
She had heard that vow for years now and was used to it. She had grown quite a bit; her long black hair now reached her waist, swaying gently in the breeze. She wore her brown genin headband with pride, dressed in a blue Uchiha coat and ninja boots that perfectly accentuated her grace.
She looked like she was carved from the same mold as Sasuke, perhaps even surpassing him in presence.
Once the two headed out, the Uchiha manor felt hollow and empty.
At that moment, the Third Hokage was walking along the streets of Konoha with Kakashi Hatake.
"About the Genin I'm putting you in charge of this time..."
"You're still making me do this?" Kakashi asked, sounding slightly exasperated.
"Don't look so reluctant," Hiruzen chuckled. "Guy has already taken his team out on a mission. Don't you want to start training your own disciples soon?"
The Third Hokage sighed at Kakashi's indifferent expression. "Fine. But I think you'll find this particular group interesting."
The Third stopped in his tracks.
"This place?" Kakashi was surprised. He knew this location well.
"Yes. Naruto Uzumaki's home." Hiruzen adjusted his Hokage hat and patted Kakashi on the shoulder.
"The Fourth Hokage's child... making that boy a ninja..." Kakashi trailed off.
"So, you are interested."
The two entered Naruto's apartment. It was filled with expired ramen cups and old milk, though there were also several bento boxes that Kanon had clearly sent over.
"So this is where Naruto lives," Kakashi remarked, looking around with a hint of melancholy.
"Indeed."
Seeing the messy state of the room, Kakashi said helplessly, "It's hard to imagine he's the son of the meticulous Minato-sensei..."
The Third Hokage smiled. "The boy is a bit of a handful, but that's exactly why you're the best fit for him. Plus, your squad will include the Uchiha siblings."
"First, come with me to the girl's house."
However, Kakashi and Hiruzen were essentially hijacked by Sakura Haruno's parents and forced to stay for a brief visit. Finally, the two arrived at the Uchiha District.
"Do you know why I made an exception and added a fourth person to your squad?" Hiruzen asked.
"Why?" Kakashi looked at the quiet Uchiha grounds, puzzled.
"Because Sasuke's sister, Kanon Uchiha, possesses potential equal to that of Itachi Uchiha."
"What?!" Kakashi gasped.
Even though Itachi was an S-rank criminal, no one could deny his genius. To join the ANBU at age eleven, who else in Konoha could claim such a feat?
"Do you want to know why I'm so certain she's a genius?"
"Why?" Kakashi asked, genuinely perplexed.
"Like Sasuke, she was top of her class. But her abilities reached graduation level long ago; there was nothing left for her to learn at the Academy."
"But Sasuke also—"
Hiruzen cut him off. "The other reason I've deemed her a genius is because I happened to pass by the Uchiha grounds once and witnessed her training. From her technique, I could tell she had been practicing for a long time."
"My guess is that she started training herself at age six."
"Training at that age?" Kakashi felt a pang of sympathy for Kanon. At six, most children should be playing.
"The night of the massacre likely changed everything for her. She was the only Uchiha who was severely wounded but didn't die, and she wasn't one of the people Itachi chose to spare. You could say she was abandoned by her brother from the start, yet she survived through sheer will."
"It's highly likely that event made her realize the absolute necessity of strength."
Kakashi fell silent. After a long pause, he asked, "But... why are you so certain about the 'genius' label?"
"Because during that training session, I saw her perform the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Kakashi blinked, wondering if he had misheard. "What did you say, Lord Third?"
"You heard me. I saw her use the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu." He gave Kakashi a firm look. "But she only used it that once. I covertly observed her for several days afterward, and she never used it again."
"You mean—!" Kakashi's eyes widened in realization.
"Exactly. She realized I was watching her. After that, I never went back to observe her practice."
"That child has endured a pain heavier than most, which is why she is so cautious. But I can see it in her, she is a kindhearted girl who longs for the light."
"She is a shinobi who truly possesses the Will of Fire," Hiruzen said softly, his voice full of deep recognition for Kanon.
————
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