"Go get 'em, Kanon!" Naruto held out his fist toward her.
"Leave it to me!" After bumping fists with Naruto, Kanon leaped down into the arena.
She reached the center of the field in a few fluid bounds, coming face-to-face with Shikamaru Nara.
"What a total drag! I with—"
Before Shikamaru could finish saying "I withdraw," Naruto shoved him from the balcony into the pit.
"Good luck, Shikamaru! I want to see you go up against Kanon, too!"
The crowd went quiet as Shikamaru tumbled into the arena. Most of the spectators had come to see the big names—Kanon Uchiha, Sasuke Uchiha, and the genius Neji. With Neji's shock defeat and Sasuke nowhere to be found, the battle between Kanon and Shikamaru took center stage.
"Second match... begin!" At Genma Shiranui's signal, the fight officially started.
Kanon immediately flashed Shikamaru a smile, her blue Uchiha coat billowing in the breeze.
"Shikamaru, let's settle this!"
"Just looking at you is a drag..."
"Then I'll take the lead!" With a single step, Kanon's form blurred, vanishing from her starting position.
"So fast!" Shikamaru gasped. Before he could even finish the thought, Kanon was already in his face. In the split second it took to reach him, her hands moved like lightning, weaving dozens of signs.
"Oh no!" Shikamaru's jaw dropped. Two massive walls of water erupted on either side of him.
"Water Release: Water Wall!"
He couldn't go left or right; his only option was to retreat! But as he moved to back away, a towering wall of earth surged up behind him.
In a literal heartbeat, she had chained three separate jutsu. The audience watched in stunned silence. Sakura, eyes wide, whispered to Ino, "She... she's incredible."
"Well, she is the Uchiha genius... it makes sense," Ino replied with a helpless shrug.
Seeing a ball of chakra swirling into Kanon's palm, Shikamaru knew he couldn't afford to take a Rasengan to the face. Since she was too fast for him to set up the Shadow Possession Jutsu, he had to force his way through one of the water walls. He chose the left; the pressure was manageable, even if it would slow him down.
But that was exactly what Kanon expected.
"You're smart, Shikamaru, but I'm not a fool!"
The spectators realized it immediately. On both sides of the water walls, Kanon's Shadow Clones were already lying in wait. Shikamaru looked at the Kanon in front of him, the one offering that beautiful, encouraging smile that had cheered up so many people before. To him, in this moment, it looked like the grin of a demon deciding his fate.
"Water Release: Water Prison Jutsu!"
Kanon thrust her hand out, and a massive sphere of water encased Shikamaru.
It's over.
That was the thought in everyone's mind. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi was nodding in approval.
"Kanon Uchiha... her potential is limitless," the Hokage remarked to the Kazekage.
"Indeed. To be this powerful at such a young age… truly an Uchiha."
"She won!" Naruto cheered. Looking down at Kanon's radiant smile, he laughed at the trapped Shikamaru. "You give up?"
"I gave up a long time ago..." Shikamaru sat grumpily inside the water prison.
The battle had lasted barely two minutes. Yet, the sheer complexity and speed of her execution left the crowd breathless. Only the Chūnin and above, along with the other Konoha rookies, realized the truth: the moment Kanon made the first move, Shikamaru had already lost.
"Tell you what, as an apology, come over to my place for dinner tonight! I'll cook a huge feast for everyone, so don't be so gloomy."
Kanon felt a bit bad seeing Shikamaru looking so defeated inside her jutsu.
"Fine. It's been a few months since I've been over. I'll look forward to it," Shikamaru said, shaking his head as he exited the arena.
"Winner of the second match: Kanon Uchiha!"
As Genma made the call, the stadium erupted in thunderous applause. Shikamaru hadn't even been able to mount a counter-attack. The fight was short, but its impact was no less than Naruto's victory. It was a contest of intellect vs. absolute power and speed; Shikamaru had been forced into a defensive position the entire time, his movements and escape routes perfectly predicted by Kanon.
Kanon returned to the stands, where the next match should have been Sasuke vs. Gaara. Sakura clapped for her.
"Congratulations, Kanon!"
"Thanks, Sakura." Kanon nodded, giving her a genuine smile.
"No need for thanks! We're best friends, right?" Sakura teased, poking Kanon's shoulder. If I stay close to Kanon, maybe I'll have a better shot with Sasuke!
Kanon, however, immediately shot down that logic. "What do you mean 'best friends'? You're one of my best sisters!"
Sakura blinked. For a moment, she felt a lump in her throat. Kanon's words were so warm and sincere it touched her deeply.
Ino suddenly popped up. "Kanon! What about me? What about me?!"
"You're a great friend, too, of course."
"What?! Why is Sakura a 'sister' and I'm just a 'friend'?"
"What's wrong, Ino-pig? Jealous?" Sakura taunted.
"Forehead Girl! You want to go?!"
"Bring it on!"
Watching the two of them bicker, Kanon shook her head and escaped the crossfire. She walked over to Kiba, gave Akamaru a pat on the head, and flashed a thumbs-up to Kiba before heading back to Naruto.
"Naruto, I won!"
"I saw!" Naruto looked at her with pure pride. "Next up is Sasuke vs. Gaara. Is he here yet?"
"Not yet."
"Huh? Still not here?"
Just as Kanon was about to respond, Genma Shiranui made an announcement.
"The match between Sasuke Uchiha and Gaara will be delayed one round. The next match is: Temari vs. Kanon Uchiha!"
"Ugh, onii-chan... I really can't deal with him," Kanon muttered, heading back down to the field.
"Good luck, Kanon!" Naruto roared once more.
"Don't worry, Naruto. I'll see you or onii-chan in the finals!"
"Hey! Sasuke isn't gonna beat me, believe it!"
"Hahaha! I'm going back in."
The crowd didn't mind the delay. Seeing the Uchiha girl, hailed as a genius sister to the missing Sasuke, fight again was more than enough entertainment.
However, the schedule was tough on Kanon. Having just finished one fight, she had to jump straight into another. She saw Temari already standing in the arena, her giant Three-Starred Fan resting on her shoulder. Kanon felt a prickle of worry.
Onii-chan, where on earth are you?
With that thought, Kanon stepped into the center of the ring. Temari stared her down.
"So, you're the Uchiha genius girl..."
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