While he was treating the injured, shinobi from the various clans, drawn by the sound of the explosion, finally arrived. Under the command of a newly-healed Hyuga Hiashi, they began to clean up the gruesome scene.
More than ten minutes later, Kagami had treated everyone who had survived the blast.
After this display of both overwhelming destruction and miraculous healing, any lingering resistance to Kagami becoming Hokage vanished from the hearts of the clan leaders, replaced by a profound and fearful gratitude.
As for the tradition of requiring the Fire Daimyo's approval for a new Hokage, Kagami couldn't care less. If the Daimyo dared to object, he would simply be replaced. Kagami was certain that many other nobles had been eyeing that position for years. The other clan leaders understood Kagami's attitude perfectly and simply smiled grimly, saying nothing more. With Kagami's strength and character, they knew the Fire Daimyo would have to be suicidal to disagree with his appointment.
"From now on, all village matters not critical enough to risk its destruction will be decided by Nara Shikaku and Hyuga Hiashi," Kagami announced, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Unless it is an emergency of the highest order, do not disturb me."
After leaving his final command, Kagami turned to leave without a backward glance. He had no interest in spending his days buried in the paperwork of managing Konoha. If he had that kind of time, he would rather spend it having more children.
Reaching the door, he paused as if remembering something. "By the way," he added, his voice casual yet deadly serious, "deal with Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura. They dared to disobey my summons. They no longer have a reason to exist."
With that, he walked out of the meeting room, leaving Nara Shikaku and Hyuga Hiashi staring at each other in stunned disbelief. They never imagined that Kagami, upon taking power, would immediately hand over the reins to them. Wasn't he afraid they would abuse their authority or conspire to undermine him? But then, the memory of his terrifying power sent a chill down their spines, and they immediately banished such suicidal thoughts.
They had no way of knowing that Kagami didn't care what became of Konoha, so long as it remained a stable source of income for his family. As for them usurping his power, the thought had never even crossed his mind. They were merely tools. If they became inconvenient, he would simply replace them with a new set. Strength was the only foundation that mattered. As long as no one could defeat him, any attempt to usurp his authority was a pathetic joke.
When Kagami returned to his temporary residence and opened the door, he found Sasuke kneeling on the floor, his eyes vacant and lifeless. He knew instantly that Rinne must have told him the truth about the Uchiha clan's demise.
To forge Sasuke into a loyal and useful tool, Kagami took a moment to consider his approach. He walked slowly toward the boy and spoke, his voice a low rumble. "You're lost, aren't you, Sasuke?"
Sasuke's eyes flickered slightly, but he remained silent, his expression a mask of cold indifference. After learning that his own brother, Itachi, was the one who had murdered his parents and his entire clan, he had collapsed, unable to accept the horrifying truth. But the evidence Rinne had provided was undeniable. He wanted to kill Itachi, and he wanted to kill the masterminds, Hiruzen and Danzo, to avenge his family.
But Hiruzen and Danzo were already dead, killed by Kagami. Now, faced with the thought of his once-beloved brother, he was lost in a sea of confusion. Forgive Itachi? How could he, when Itachi had slaughtered their parents and everyone they knew? But kill Itachi? The man had supposedly done it all for his sake. How could he bring himself to strike him down? Both choices were a form of torture, and Sasuke didn't know what to do.
Kagami saw the turmoil in the boy's eyes and knew this was the perfect moment to shatter his will and cultivate his loyalty.
He began his careful manipulation. "Sasuke, although Itachi was following Hiruzen's orders, it is an undeniable fact that he personally killed his own people."
"He could have chosen another path, a way to avoid this tragedy. But he chose, without hesitation, to murder his own mother and father, to wipe out his entire family. He wouldn't even spare the children."
"He didn't just betray the Uchiha clan," Kagami said, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "He betrayed your parents. He betrayed the love you had for him. Such a person, devoid of kindness, justice, loyalty, and honor, does not deserve your forgiveness."
Kagami crouched down, placing his hands on Sasuke's shoulders and looking directly into his eyes. "Think about your gentle, loving mother. Think about the other children, some your age, some even younger. What did they do to deserve their fate?"
"They all died because of Itachi's cruelty."
"You must kill him, Sasuke," Kagami commanded, his voice firm. "Not just for your parents, but for every innocent clan member who died that night."
As he spoke, he slowly channeled a sliver of his cursed energy into Sasuke's body. Cursed energy was the embodiment of negative emotion; it could amplify a person's hatred and despair infinitely. As the corrupting energy seeped into him, Kagami's words became like the whispers of a devil, fanning the flames of Sasuke's anger until his hatred for Itachi became an all-consuming inferno.
Seeing his words take root, Kagami didn't stop. He activated his Sharingan, trapping Sasuke in a genjutsu. He forced him to watch the brutal murders of the Uchiha children over and over, to see the last moments of his parents' lives on a continuous, horrific loop. The tragic scenes flashed in Sasuke's mind, a relentless assault on his sanity, until his feelings for his brother finally, completely, shattered.
Sasuke clutched his head, roaring in pure, unadulterated agony. "Uchiha Itachi, you monster! I swear, I will kill you with my own hands!"
At the same time, his single-tomoe Sharingan spun wildly, evolving in an instant into a fully-matured, three-tomoe Sharingan. The intense psychological trauma was too much for his young body to bear, and he fainted, collapsing into Kagami's arms.
Seeing that Sasuke's Sharingan had only evolved to three tomoe, Kagami felt a flicker of disappointment. "It seems he's still too young. Otherwise, with that level of stimulus, he should have awakened the Mangekyo." He knew that while emotional trauma was the trigger, physical maturity and chakra capacity were also factors. The body would instinctively limit the evolution to prevent self-destruction.
But it didn't matter. Sasuke was only seven. A three-tomoe Sharingan was already far ahead of schedule. While Kagami didn't care if the Mangekyo would eventually consume Sasuke's life, he needed the boy alive, at least until he was strong enough to deal with the Sage of Six Paths.
Then, Kagami picked up the unconscious boy and unceremoniously tossed him onto the sofa.
He went upstairs and saw his wife breastfeeding their child. A rare, genuine tenderness flashed in his eyes.
"I'm back."
"Welcome home," Rinne replied, a soft blush on her cheeks as she smiled warmly.
Kagami kissed her on the cheek, careful not to disturb the feeding child, then went to lie down on the bed alone.
Closing his eyes, he spoke in his mind. "System, open my personal interface."