To avoid any adverse effects from the raw, volatile power of the Nine-Tails, Kagami spent a full day meticulously devouring every last remnant of its flesh and blood, absorbing its chakra until his own reserves swelled to a terrifying, monstrous level. It was no exaggeration to say he had become a humanoid Tailed Beast, one whose power dwarfed that of the legendary Gold and Silver Brothers.
After consuming so much of the beast, he had even begun to take on some of its characteristics, such as the ability to rapidly heal from any injury and, theoretically, the power to manifest a chakra cloak of his own. With this vast well of new energy, Kagami could finally practice the one jutsu he had coveted most: the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.
With this jutsu, he could accelerate his learning exponentially, mastering countless other powerful techniques in a fraction of the time. He could also dispatch clones to act on his behalf, allowing him to leave Konoha without ever truly leaving his family unprotected. Once he had mastered his new abilities, he could imbue each clone with chakra comparable to a Tailed Beast, creating an army of Kage-level—or even Six Paths-level—entities. With the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, he could single-handedly crush all the other ninja villages combined.
Of course, this was all contingent on the Sage of Six Paths not intervening. To become blindly arrogant because of a sudden surge in power would be a fatal, foolish mistake. When you are weaker than your enemy, you play the long game. Only when you are stronger do you strike with overwhelming force.
Kagami was confident that with just a few more children born from powerful templates, he would possess the strength to suppress any and all threats. Then, he would not have to fear the Sage of Six Paths anymore.
Because the Shadow Clone was the key to his rapid growth, Kagami didn't hesitate. He retrieved the Scroll of Seals from the Hokage's office, intending to begin his training immediately. However, he did not start right away. First, he spent his time diligently 'training' Rinne and kurenai in the bed. After all, the "Many Children, Many Blessings" system was his true path to power; it took priority over everything else.
While Kagami was focused on his "training," the news of Konoha's upheaval—the annihilation of the Uchiha clan, the death of the Third Hokage, and the decimation of the Anbu and Root—inevitably leaked, despite the village's best efforts to contain it. The whispers spread like wildfire, and upon learning that Konoha's leadership and elite forces had been gutted, the other great ninja villages began to stir.
The Land of Lightning, Hidden Cloud Village.
The Fourth Raikage, A, slammed his fist on the table, shattering it into splinters. "Konoha's strength is at an all-time low!" he roared, his eyes blazing with opportunistic fervor. "We must seize this chance!" Konoha had always been the strongest of the five great villages, but now, it was wounded. He could already envision the Cloud's forces storming the Land of Fire, crushing the weakened Leaf under their heel. The land, the resources, the sheer glory—it was all there for the taking.
"Hurry! Assemble all the shinobi and prepare to go to war with konoha! The other villages will have heard this news as well, and we must not fall behind!" he commanded. He would not be left with scraps while others feasted.
The Land of Earth, Hidden Stone Village.
The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, listened to his subordinate's report, his aged face furrowed in a deep frown. "Are you certain of this information?" he asked, his voice a low growl. "This isn't some trick by Konoha?" The Uchiha clan wiped out, the Third Hokage dead, the Anbu and Root decimated... it sounded too unbelievable to be true. Even against the Nine-Tails, Konoha shouldn't have suffered such catastrophic losses.
"Lord Tsuchikage, the information is from our spies within Konoha. It is absolutely true," his subordinate insisted. "We sacrificed several agents to confirm it."
Hearing this, Onoki's small eyes flashed with a brilliant, greedy light. "Excellent," he wheezed, a tremor of excitement in his voice. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We will immediately gather our forces and launch a full-scale assault on the Leaf!" After years of living in the shadow of Konoha and its monster, Uchiha Madara, the time for revenge had finally come. With Konoha's greatest warriors dead, he was certain they could not withstand the Stone's might.
The Land of Wind, Hidden Sand Village.
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, upon hearing the news, made the same decision. But his plan was even more radical. He would commit every last shinobi to the invasion, a desperate, all-or-nothing gamble for a greater share of the spoils. The Sand Village was poor, its strength lagging behind the other great nations. This was their only chance to compete.
"Rasa, is it not too reckless to send our entire force at once? What if we fail?" the elder Chiyo asked, her voice heavy with unease. For some reason, she felt a deep sense of foreboding.
"Don't worry, Elder Chiyo. We will be victorious," Rasa replied, his face a mask of supreme confidence. With Konoha's power shattered and the other villages attacking alongside them, how could they possibly lose? Finally they would be able to seize some land from the land of fire which would help them with their food crisis.
Chiyo opened her mouth to argue further, but seeing his conviction, she fell silent, choosing to trust in his judgment.
The Land of Rain, Hidden Rain Village.
Obito, still masquerading as Uchiha Madara, spoke to the Six Paths of Pain, his voice carefully controlled. "Pain, a variable has appeared in Konoha. His strength is immense, no less than my own. He may affect our plans." Whenever Obito remembered being sliced to pieces by Kagami, a cold dread washed over him. If he hadn't used Izanagi at that exact moment, he would be dead. The psychological scars remained, and it had taken him days to recover.
"Oh?" Pain, controlled by the distant Nagato, tilted his head, a flicker of surprise in his Rinnegan eyes. "Such a powerful being exists in Konoha? For you to hold him in such high regard..." He was still deeply wary of the man claiming to be "Madara," whose ability to phase through attacks was a frustratingly difficult power to counter. To hear this man speak of another with such caution... his interest was piqued.