In a makeshift conference room established amidst the reconstruction, Tsunade sat a short distance from the Daimyō of the Land of Fire. On either side of her sat the two elders, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane. Seated before them were other high-ranking Konoha officials and elite Jōnin; virtually every prominent figure from the village's noble clans was present.
Leading these elites were Inoichi Yamanaka, Choza Akimichi, and Shikaku Nara, only the veteran generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio possessed the status required to sit in such a meeting.
"The war council is now in session!" Tsunade commanded.
"First, we begin with the stockpiling of ninja tools and food provisions," Koharu began, laying out the logistical necessities of war with practiced efficiency. "The shinobi will be divided into two sectors: combat units and support units. We will discuss the formation of combat divisions in squad structures. Bring the rosters of all active shinobi here!"
Homura and Koharu were veterans of the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars, and Koharu's instructions were remarkably methodical and orderly.
"War, huh..." Shikamaru shook his head. "It's finally time to take action."
"You may have been called to this meeting, but you are still young," Shikaku Nara reminded his son. "Listen carefully. Do not miss a single detail."
Shikamaru watched as shinobi began bringing information over to Koharu. "I know that. I'm putting my whole brain to work to memorize everything."
At that exact moment, the heavy doors were suddenly thrown open. Everyone turned, brow furrowing at the sight of the intruder.
"Tsu... Tsunade-sama..."
"What is it?"
"Help me..."
The moment the words left the man's mouth, the pupils of everyone present constricted. They could see the man's eyes were clouded by a three-tomoe pattern; he was clearly under the influence of genjutsu.
"Uchiha—!!!"
Tsunade didn't even get to finish her sentence before a beam of Dust Release light instantly pierced through the brow of the Land of Fire's Daimyō. The speed was so blinding that no one could react. The Daimyō was dead in an instant. Tsunade hadn't even had the chance to move; the suddenness of the assassination was beyond anyone's expectations. Chaos was already erupting in the other four nations, and no one had been able to send word to Konoha.
In that heartbeat, everyone stared at the puppet shinobi at the door. He stumbled and fell to the ground, and in the silhouette of the sunlight, a girl who looked no older than fifteen slowly walked in. Her expression was as calm as still water, and the three-tomoe Sharingan slowly rotating in her eyes confirmed her identity beyond doubt.
She wore a straw hat, and the tinkling of wind chimes accompanied her slow steps. Every step seemed to trample upon the hearts of those present, like a sword hanging overhead.
"How is the reconstruction coming along, everyone?" Kanon asked softly.
In that instant, the floor beneath her feet was snared by the Shadow Possession Jutsu.
"Kanon Uchiha, you dare show your face in Konoha!" the crowd roared. Tsunade, in particular, glared at Kanon with unbridled fury.
Sensing Tsunade's rage, Kanon actually used her left pinky to pick at her ear, seemingly unbothered by the Shadow Possession.
"I'm saying... if you only focus on me..." Kanon's expression turned mocking. "It won't end well for you."
Suddenly, Tsunade's eyes widened in horror. From the ground beneath Homura and Koharu, two shadow clones identical to Kanon erupted. The moment they made contact, the Flower Realm was activated. Both elders vanished into the spatial void of the Flower Realm without a trace.
The two advisors who had assisted the Third Hokage for most of their lives were gone in a heartbeat. Meanwhile, a red skeletal frame flickered into existence around the Kanon who was being held in place. With the titanic strength of the Susanoo, she threw a heavy punch directly at Shikaku and Shikamaru.
The two were sent reeling, their Shadow Possession Jutsu breaking. Above them, Tsunade's Heavenly Foot of Pain was already crashing down toward Kanon.
BOOM!
A massive explosion sent everyone flying, and the entire wooden building was torn apart. Kanon performed a backflip out of the smoke, carrying the corpse of the Land of Fire's Daimyō. With a swirl of her Sharingan, the corpse was sucked into the Flower Realm. Her shadow clone's objective was complete.
"Fifth Hokage, congratulations on waking up. Let's catch up," Kanon sneered.
"I told you! Don't look down on the Five Kage!" Tsunade, her chakra surging, charged at Kanon with incredible speed. She was in front of Kanon in an instant.
But Kanon simply tilted her body, narrowly dodging the collision. Lightning crackled in her right hand as a massive amount of lightning-natured chakra gathered.
"Lightning Release: Lariat," Kanon whispered, and she blurred forward.
Tsunade felt as if she had been struck in the abdomen by a mountain. She saw Kanon's slender hand buried in her gut. Her body doubled over like a shrimp, and she was sent flying, tumbling across the ground and smashing through dozens of trees before finally coming to a halt.
"I believe I also said... the Uchiha stand above the Five Kage."
Kanon murmured as she flipped into the air, narrowly avoiding a Shadow Stitching Jutsu that lunged from the ground like a spear. Above her, Choza Akimichi began to roll; the terror of the Super Multi-Size Jutsu needed no explanation.
Kanon's red skeletal Susanoo flickered, and a great blade pierced directly through the spinning Choza. As an Uchiha prodigy, she was one of the few who could accurately find his fleeting weakness even while he was rotating at high speed.
"Choza!" Inoichi Yamanaka roared as he saw his friend's abdomen skewered by the Susanoo blade.
"Shhh... he probably can't hear you anymore," Kanon said, placing a finger to her lips. The rose pattern in her eyes began to rotate.
"Get back!" Shikamaru tackled Inoichi out of the way just as a terrifying pillar of black flames erupted where Inoichi had been standing.
"Well then, it's time to go."
Kanon stepped into the air as a giant clay bird caught her. She looked down at the half-rebuilt Konoha, a slight curve appearing at the corner of her mouth. She flew higher into the sky as Tsunade bit her lip in frustration.
Because of the ongoing reconstruction, most of the village's civilians were living in camps outside the perimeter. The village itself was populated mostly by construction shinobi, Yamato, and his team. Seeing Kanon ascend, Tsunade immediately gave the order.
"Quick! Get everyone out of the ruins!"
The moment the command was issued, Kakashi came running back. "Tsunade-sama, the repair crews are already evacuating!"
"Good work, Kakashi!" Tsunade nodded, leaning on him for support. Looking up at the giant bird, Kakashi saw Kanon in her straw hat.
"What is she doing?" Kakashi asked, perplexed.
"It couldn't be that move again, could it?" Tsunade feared that Kanon would use the Susanoo to level the village as she had before. But she did not realize how much stronger Kanon had become since their last encounter.
Reaching a certain altitude, Kanon slowly extended her slender left hand. At the corners of her eyes, Sage Mode markings appeared and vanished in a flash. That single moment exhausted all the natural energy she had gathered.
In her hand, a Rasengan Fire Dance no larger than a standard Rasengan appeared, a sun-like orb of fire surrounded by a planetary ring, but compressed to a tiny size. If it detonated, its power would be ten times greater than the standard version. Looking down at the embryonic Konoha, Kanon spoke with cold indifference.
"This is a parting gift. The age of shinobi is coming to an end. Enjoy your final moments."
She let go, gently tossing the compressed Rasengan Fire Dance downward. Her shadow clone then banked the giant bird and flew away.
Suddenly, a massive shadow swept over the ground, blotting out the sun as the compressed orb expanded instantly. A massive Rasengan Fire Dance with a titanic planetary ring plunged into the center of the rebuilding village. Its rotation was so violent it created a hurricane, sucking leaves, dust, and even small buildings into the air.
It began to release a tide of chakra. Energy waves radiated outward from the ring, forming destructive shockwaves. The outer buildings of the village were the first to go, torn apart like wet paper. The newly laid foundations exploded instantly, and a pillar of white light rose like a mushroom cloud over Konoha.
The shockwave spread, leveling homes and facilities. Shinobi tried to resist with jutsu, but their efforts were insignificant against the Rasengan Fire Dance. The ground shook so violently that many couldn't even keep their eyes open. The heart of the village erupted, foundations were uprooted, and temporary housing vanished in a flash.
Most of Konoha was razed to the ground. Everything that had just been rebuilt was annihilated. Some younger, headstrong shinobi who failed to follow orders lost their lives.
Watching the energy surge, Kiba shouted behind him. "Shino! Hurry up! Let me help you!"
"Kiba! Go! I'm not fast enough, if you stay, we both die!" Shino roared. With a sudden burst, a kikaichū bug pushed Kiba away, sending him flying. Left behind, Shino let out a sharp cry before being reduced to ash by the surging energy.
Kanon Uchiha's revenge continued. Konoha had just suffered one catastrophe, only to be destroyed by her once again. Among the Five Great Nations, Konoha was the most ravaged, with at least several hundred more dead.
The Daimyō was dead, the high elders slaughtered, the Hokage beaten, and the village leveled once more. And the culprit, Kanon Uchiha, was laughing manically atop her giant bird. Having chosen this path, she would carry it out to the very end without a moment's hesitation.