"Kagami!" Uchiha Rinne cried out, sitting up abruptly the moment she awoke. The last thing she remembered was the horrifying image of Kagami being consumed by Amaterasu's black flames before she lost consciousness. Her sudden movement startled the sleeping Sukuna in her arms, and he began to cry.
Seeing her panic, Kagami quickly took her hand. "Rinne," he said softly, "I'm fine."
Relief washed over her, and she threw her arms around Kagami, hugging him tightly as she sobbed. "My love, I'm so glad you're okay!" When she had seen him engulfed in those black flames, she had truly thought she had lost him.
Kagami didn't say anything, simply holding her and gently patting her back, comforting his crying wife until her sobs subsided. Once she had calmed down, Rinne, without another word, turned her attention to coaxing little Sukuna back to sleep.
It wasn't until their son was sleeping peacefully again that she asked what had happened after she fainted.
Kagami smiled slightly and gave her a brief account of the events that followed. When Rinne heard that Obito had rescued Itachi, a fresh wave of anger ignited within her, and her eyes flashed with resentment. The slander from Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura made her grit her teeth, a fierce desire to tear them to pieces welling up inside her.
However, when Kagami told her that he had dealt with Hiruzen and Danzo, her anger was replaced by a deep-seated worry. She looked up at him, her eyes filled with concern. "You killed the Third Hokage... this is a huge problem. We should leave Konoha as soon as possible, before they rally their forces against you..." She feared that the entire village would now turn on Kagami, and she wanted them to flee before that could happen. She felt that if they could just leave the village and go into hiding, Konoha's shinobi would never be able to find them.
Thanks to Kagami's healing technique, Rinne's body had completely recovered from the ordeal of childbirth. She hugged Sukuna and stood up from the makeshift bed.
Kagami gently placed a hand on her shoulder, signaling for her to calm down. He understood her fears, but she had no idea of the true extent of his newfound power. He had nothing to fear from Konoha.
Then, a defiant, profound smile touched Kagami's lips. He shook his head slightly. "We don't need to leave. On the contrary, I'm going to become the Hokage of Konoha."
"What?"
Rinne's mouth fell open in surprise, her Sharingan eyes flashing with disbelief. In her mind, the fact that Kagami had just killed the Third Hokage made his declaration completely insane. She had no idea what was going through his head.
Seeing her confusion, Kagami lovingly stroked her hair, his smile filled with an unshakeable confidence and arrogance. "With my current strength, I have nothing to fear from anyone in this village. If they don't agree to me becoming Hokage, I'll kill them all."
As he spoke, his eyes became incredibly sharp, like hardened steel, sending an involuntary chill down one's spine.
Hearing his conviction, Rinne's own eyes filled with determination and trust. Although she didn't fully comprehend the power he now wielded, a deep-seated faith in him welled up from her heart, and she nodded without hesitation. Her voice was gentle but firm. "No matter what you decide to do, I will be by your side."
Kagami held her hand, a warm smile on his face. "Don't worry. I am absolutely certain that I can do this."
His gaze then shifted to their old home, which was now nothing more than a ruin of broken walls. He shook his head with a wry smile. "But first, let's find a place to rest for the night. We'll deal with everything else tomorrow."
Rinne nodded in agreement.
Then, Kagami led Rinne over to where Sasuke lay unconscious.
"Are you going to kill him?" Rinne asked, her voice hesitant as she looked down at the boy. Even though Itachi had destroyed their clan and tried to harm their family, she couldn't bring herself to condone attacking a defenseless child.
Kagami considered this for a moment before answering. "No, we can't kill him. Not yet."
Sasuke was the reincarnation of Indra's chakra, one of the Sage of Six Paths' sons. Kagami might need that chakra to awaken the Rinnegan in the future. Killing him now would be a waste. Moreover, Sasuke was likely an important piece in the Sage's own plans. Killing him could force the Sage's hand, provoking him into a direct confrontation. Kagami wasn't yet certain he could win such a fight. Killing Sasuke out of a simple desire for revenge on Itachi was irrational; it would bring only a fleeting moment of satisfaction at a potentially catastrophic cost.
Although he could annihilate the entire space within his domain, and was confident he could even take the Sage down with him, he feared the Sage might have tricks he couldn't predict. He might not even be able to find the Sage to force a final, mutual destruction. Therefore, until he was absolutely certain he could kill the Sage of Six Paths, he had no intention of harming Sasuke or Naruto, the reincarnations of Indra and Ashura.
And besides, compared to simply killing Sasuke, wouldn't it be a more fitting revenge to train the boy into his own loyal, unquestioning soldier? He not only wanted to end Itachi's life, but he wanted to make him feel true, soul-crushing despair first. He imagined it would be far more interesting to make Itachi watch as his beloved younger brother was forged into an emotionless machine, loyal only to Kagami. It might even be a way to find a weakness in the Sage of Six Paths' plans.
Rinne nodded, saying nothing more. Although she knew Sasuke was innocent, she couldn't help the flicker of hatred she felt in her heart.
Seeing this, Kagami gently squeezed her hand. "Don't worry," he said softly. "I will make Uchiha Itachi pay for what he's done." He didn't want Rinne to be consumed by pain and hatred; he wanted her to live a happy life.
Feeling the warmth from Kagami's hand, Rinne's heart warmed as well, and much of the anger dissipated.
Afterwards, Kagami stepped forward and picked up the unconscious Sasuke, then continued walking toward the main village with Rinne by his side.
Soon, they arrived at the barrier that covered the Uchiha territory. The Four Violet Flames Formation, carefully erected by the Root, flickered with a strange light in the night, a silent warning to all who might try to approach.
Kagami frowned slightly, then snorted with contempt. A single, fierce slash erupted from his hand, shattering the solid barrier into pieces.
As the barrier dissipated, Kagami and Rinne walked out, bold and unopposed. But the moment they stepped out, they were surrounded by a horde of Root and Anbu agents.
One of the Root shinobi stepped forward, his voice grave.
"Where is Lord Danzo? And why are you coming from the Uchiha clan's territory?"