Kagami's words made Naruto's eyes go wide with disbelief. "Impossible... Grandpa would never do something like that!" He couldn't bring himself to believe that the kind old man who had always treated him so well could be such a monster.
"Hmph!" Naruto's unwavering defense of Hiruzen made Sasuke's blood boil. He sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "Impossible? So, I suppose our entire clan just decided to kill itself?"
In his heart, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo Shimura were the true villains who had destroyed his family. If it weren't for them, his beloved brother Itachi would never have been forced down the path of murdering their parents and their entire clan. To him, Hiruzen was the enemy he hated most in the world, a man unworthy of anyone's defense. Still, he had no intention of attacking Naruto; he was just infuriated by his naive attitude.
Hearing Sasuke's bitter retort, Naruto couldn't help but remember the shocking sight of the Uchiha district, which had been reduced to a field of rubble overnight. He wanted to argue, but a seed of doubt had been planted in his heart, and the words caught in his throat. To call Sasuke a liar... but the destruction of the Uchiha clan was an undeniable fact.
Naruto's mind reeled. "Could it be true? Did Grandpa Hokage really order the Uchiha clan to be wiped out?" The noble image he held of the Third Hokage began to crack and crumble.
"No... I don't believe it! He would never do something like that. I knew him!" Naruto shook his head, trying to deny the horrifying possibility, then turned and ran, a lost and confused look on his face. He had to find out the truth. He had to ask someone else.
Kagami watched Naruto's retreating back, a calculating smile on his face. To truly bring Naruto to heel, he first had to shatter the boy's faith, then reshape his character, twisting him into something new. However, as Naruto was the reincarnation of Ashura, Kagami wasn't certain if his efforts would succeed. But it was worth a try. It didn't matter if he couldn't completely corrupt him. If Naruto still refused to submit, he could always be turned into an unconscious, mindless tool.
Afterwards, Kagami paid for their meal, ignoring the stunned Teuchi and the still-flustered Ayame, and led Sasuke out of the shop. As a man of immense power, he would never stoop to something as dishonorable as dining and dashing.
As they were walking, he suddenly felt a prickle of killing intent directed at him. A cold smile touched the corner of his mouth. "I didn't expect a little pest would have the nerve to attack me."
He pulled some money from his pocket and handed it to Sasuke. "Go to a restaurant and get a meal packed for your sister-in-law Rinne. I have something to take care of."
Although Sasuke was confused, he didn't question the order. He simply nodded and left.
After Sasuke was gone, Kagami turned his head, looking toward an alleyway, a playful smirk on his lips. "As a shinobi, didn't your instructors ever teach you to conceal your killing intent when you're trying to assassinate someone?"
As he spoke, he flicked his wrist, sending an invisible slash toward a nearby wall. Under the immediate threat, a curvaceous female ninja dropped her disguise and quickly used a substitution jutsu to evade the attack.
Looking at the kunoichi now standing before him, Kagami was slightly startled. "Kurenai Yuhi?" Then, he licked the corner of his mouth, a flicker of heat in his eyes.
As one of the more prominent female shinobi in Konoha, Kurenai's appearance and figure were certainly noteworthy. Although her strength wasn't exceptional, she was a capable Jonin. If he had to guess, her rating would at least be a D-Rank. He had been a little disappointed with Ayame's F-Rank, but now Kurenai had delivered herself to him.
As for the fact she was here to assassinate him, it didn't matter. Under the influence of his Pure Yang Holy Body, even if she hated him with every fiber of her being, he was confident he could completely tame her.
"Heh, why is it that every time I see a beautiful woman, my first instinct is to add her to my collection? Is this an effect of the Pure Yang Holy Body?" Kagami mused, a fleeting thought crossing his mind. He quickly dismissed it, attributing it to the change in his temperament after his sudden surge in power. As a man of strength, what was wrong with wanting a few more women?
He looked at Kurenai and smiled. "Are you here to assassinate me because of Asuma Sarutobi?" He knew Kurenai was Asuma's lover, but he didn't mind. For him, she was just another potential asset, a tool to improve his own aptitude and expand his family.
The influence of the Pure Yang Holy Body was already at work. Kurenai felt a strange, heart-pounding sensation toward Kagami, a feeling that warred violently with the hatred she felt for the man responsible for her lover's death. She desperately tried to suppress the strange attraction.
"Kurenai, how can you be so shameless?" she cursed herself internally. "To feel this way about your enemy!" She had to admit that Kagami was handsome, but she had to avenge Asuma.
"Uchiha Kagami," she said, her voice filled with rage. "You killed Asuma. I will kill you and avenge him!"
She quickly formed a series of hand signs and shouted, "Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!"
It was one of her signature genjutsu, causing a tree to spring from the ground and bind the opponent, allowing her to emerge from the trunk for a final strike. However, for some reason, as she looked at Kagami's face, the burning desire for revenge began to fade, and she couldn't help but weaken the power of her jutsu.
But even at full strength, she would have been no match for Kagami. With her holding back, the attempt was pathetic.
In the illusion, a tree grew from under Kagami's feet, its branches wrapping around him. Kurenai emerged from the trunk, a kunai in her hand as she lunged for his throat.
But the next second, the illusion shattered. Kurenai gasped, finding herself back in the real world. At some point, Kagami had appeared behind her, his arms wrapped around her, pinning her hands.
"Asuma blew himself up. You've come to the wrong person for revenge," Kagami's low voice rumbled in her ear. He hadn't laid a hand on Asuma; the man's death was entirely his own doing.
Feeling the warm breath on her ear, Kurenai's face flushed a deep red. Her heart hammered against her ribs, and she struggled in his grip, trying to break free.
"Let me go, you bastard!"
"Let you go? Hahahaha..." Hearing her words, Kagami laughed, a low, menacing sound. "You dared to try and assassinate me. For that, I have to teach you a lesson."
"Wh-what... what are you going to do?" Kurenai stammered, her face burning with a mixture of fear and humiliation.
Seeing her reaction, Kagami gained an even deeper appreciation for the power of his Pure Yang Holy Body. It was an absolute cheat when it came to the opposite sex. And as he grew stronger, its influence would only increase.
"What am I going to do?" Kagami tightened his grip, a cruel sneer on his face. "I'm going to have you help me with my 'training'." This audacious woman had dared to come for his life. He would make her understand that when you do something wrong, you must be punished.