With all of his women now carrying his children, Rinne and the others came to a unanimous, practical decision. They approached Kagami together, their expressions serious, and suggested that they won't be sad if he gets more women and after a heartfelt conversation they all hugged him together.

They all understood the foundation of his power: the more children he had, the stronger he would become. They didn't want him to waste his time. The stronger Kagami became, the safer their growing family would be.

Kagami was moved by their pragmatic, selfless devotion. Having wives like these, he thought, was a blessing he must have earned over several lifetimes. Or it was an effect of his special body but he didn't want to think too much about it if it favours him. He nodded silently. His own strength had reached a temporary plateau. Without a new, powerful template, the only way to advance was to continue learning and pumping more babies. And his family, his clan, was still far too small. He needed more children to expand his lineage. His ultimate goal, after all, was to rule the ninja world with his family as its center. He would repay their devotion with all the love and protection he could offer.

Having made the decision, his mind immediately began to calculate. At this point in time, aside from the girls like Hinata and Sakura who were still too young, there were two prime candidates: Mei Terumi and Konan. In the original timeline, their talents were wasted, both remaining single until their deaths. He would change their fate. He would send clones to make contact with them, and while one was in the Land of Rain, it could also investigate the Akatsuki and see if Naruto was there.

With his plan set, Kagami dispatched two clones, one to the Land of Water and the other to the Land of Rain.

Shortly after they left, as he was basking in the sun, Nara Shikaku rushed into the courtyard.

"Kagami-sama," he said, his voice strained, "our spies in the other villages have sent word. The other four great ninja villages have united. They're preparing to attack Konoha!"

"What?" Kagami sat up, a flash of genuine confusion in his eyes. "Weren't they thoroughly defeated and humiliated enough? How do they still have the courage to attack?" His face hardened, the confusion replaced by a chilling frost. "It seems i was too gentle. This time, I'll make sure they never return."

He had spared them before out of a cautious respect for the hidden Sage of Six Paths. But for them to regroup and try again in just a month... it was a direct provocation. This time, there would be no mercy. He would let them know the consequences of spurning the face he had given them.

As for the Sage, his clones had already made progress in their research on the soul. Though he couldn't yet perform an instantaneous soul-cleaving slash, he could now, with a brief time, launch an attack that directly targeted the soul. Combined with his mastery of Sage Mode and the various other bloodline limits he was developing, his power had grown exponentially. His caution regarding the Sage had diminished. This time, he would kill every last one of the invading shinobi and let their deaths be a lesson to the world.

At that moment, Shikaku spoke again. "Kagami-sama, according to our spies, this alliance seems to be orchestrated by an organization called 'Akatsuki'."

"Akatsuki?" Kagami's brow furrowed. He had been intentionally leaving the organization alone, allowing them to collect the Tailed Beasts so that Black Zetsu could eventually revive Kaguya. He had known Itachi and Obito were members, but he hadn't interfered. But now, they were organizing an attack on Konoha? It made no sense. Why not just continue hunting the Tailed Beasts?

"Could it be those two, Obito and Itachi, are behind this?" he wondered. "Or... have they already collected the other beasts and now they're coming for the Nine-Tails?" It was possible Obito wanted revenge from me.

"But that's not right," he thought, a sudden inconsistency striking him. "I thought Obito had already captured Naruto. So it must not be that reason?" He felt that he was missing a key piece of the puzzle.

"Shikaku," Kagami asked, his voice sharp, "it's been some time. Have you found any trace of Naruto's whereabouts?" He had been so focused on mastering Sage Mode that he hadn't followed up on the search.

Shikaku nodded. "Three days ago, our border patrols gathered intelligence from civilians. It seems Naruto fled to the Land of Rain... alone. But they haven't found any sign of him since."

"Naruto went to the Land of Rain... alone?" Kagami's eyebrows shot up. The pieces clicked into place, and the picture they formed was deeply unsettling. How could Naruto, a child in a deep, autistic coma, escape Konoha undetected and travel all the way to the Land of Rain? The Akatsuki's base was in the Land of Rain. A child who had never left the village going straight there... it was too much of a coincidence.

"Yes," Shikaku affirmed. "The information is consistent across multiple sources. Naruto went to the Land of Rain alone."

Hearing this, Kagami knew with absolute certainty that something far more significant was at play. "Could it be... the Sage of Six Paths?" A cold dread, not of fear but of dawning comprehension, settled in his heart. He had assumed Obito had taken Naruto, but this... this had the Sage's influence written all over it. There was no other explanation for how Naruto could have made that journey. This alliance, the attack on Konoha—it was all being orchestrated by the Sage, fanning the flames from behind the scenes. If not for this strange chain of events, he never would have discovered it.

"He appeared, took Naruto, and I didn't notice a thing. The power of the Sage of Six Paths should not be underestimated." He was now almost certain that the Sage was preparing to make a move against him. "But why?" he murmured to himself. "If he is my true enemy, why not attack me directly? Is he afraid of me? Or... is there some limitation that prevents him from acting?"

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