Madara waved his hand lazily. "Yeah, yeah. Enough. It's late. I'm going back to sleep." He glanced around, frowning. "Where's that idiot? Sneaking off again? Whatever. Wake me when he gets back."
With that, he closed his eyes again. "Understood, Lord Madara," White Zetsu replied softly, casting a glance at the carved signature on the floor. His thoughts drifted. 'That idiot... Has he already forgotten our mission? I better check with Black Zetsu…'
Just as he turned to leave, a soft voice rang out from behind him, loud and clear, "A grateful heart…"
"...Huh?" White Zetsu turned back, startled.
Madara opened his eyes again, blinking. "Is it morning already? I feel like I just shut my eyes."
White Zetsu sighed. "Well… technically, you did just shut your eyes, Lord Madara."
Lately, White Zetsu has been really worried. There's no denying it, Madara just can't seem to focus these days. The once cold and distant lord has started talking nonstop, almost like a chatterbox.
For example, before, whenever the White Zetsu clones approached him, as long as the topic didn't involve the Sage of the Six Paths or Hashirama, Madara would simply respond with a curt "Hmm, yeah, got it!"
Even when he was younger, the most he'd do was lean back, interlace his fingers behind his head, and let out a hearty laugh. But now? What's going on? He's suddenly spouting grand philosophies!
When did that happen? Sure, Madara has spent a long time observing the shinobi world's changes from the sidelines, mostly lurking in the shadows. But White Zetsu is pretty sure it all started after the Land of Grass was rebuilt.
Originally, they thought the Land of Grass, a place constantly torn by war but otherwise overlooked, would be the perfect spot to settle Madara in his later years. Even as he aged, at least he could live out his twilight days here in peace.
Then, when the time was right, they'd find the moment for his rebirth, to become the living embodiment of Madara's will and carry out his plan. The Land of Grass was despised by shinobi everywhere and ignored by other villages.
It was also conveniently close to both the Land of Fire and the Land of Earth, making it a strategic location for their scheme. On top of that, the climate was mild, the scenery pleasant, and unlike the Land of Rain, they didn't have to worry about constant flooding. Overall, it seemed like the perfect hiding spot.
But… they didn't expect someone to come along and bring peace to this chaotic place so quickly. Honestly, it didn't seem like a big deal at first, the shinobi here weren't exceptional, especially the Kusa Shinobi, who were hated by many and barely noticed by most villages. So initially, they just ignored this small Grass village.
Yet… it hasn't been long, and already this Grass Village is different from all the others. It's even gotten Madara talking about grand philosophies! Seriously, why can't he just stay the same and let them wait for the right time?
"Maybe Lord Madara's just getting old," the original White Zetsu said with a chuckle, having slipped away unnoticed. He glanced sympathetically at the other White Zetsu.
"I mean, the guy's basically hooked up to IV drips just to stay alive these days. You know how people get when they age, tending to ramble, get nostalgic, and throw around grand ideas about the 'good old days.' But even though Madara's still powerful, he's only human after all. And hey, at least he hasn't forgotten what he stands for."
White Zetsu nodded slightly, feeling a bit comforted by those words. It was a small relief amid all the trouble. Maybe Madara was trying to prove something to Hashirama, or maybe he genuinely hoped for peace in the shinobi world.
Whatever the case, even if Madara had started going on about lofty ideals, he hadn't given up on their plan. Especially with that lord from the Grass Village starting some kind of "literacy class," trying to teach ninjutsu to more people.
Under Madara's guidance, chakra was seen as the root of the world's problems, and he wanted to take back control over it. Now, with people spreading chakra carelessly, Madara saw only more chaos brewing. Such reckless behavior could never win his approval.
Thinking this over, White Zetsu sighed, furrowing his brow but also feeling a bit relieved. "Well… maybe that guy can be 'cooperated' with. He seems to share this idea of 'peace,' and Nagato is even his student."
He sighed again, a hint of resignation in his voice. "Forget it. Right now, the priority is to stick to the original plan and wait for the right time. Cooperation can come later, if at all."
Then he looked back at the White Zetsu clone and asked, "By the way, you mentioned that Uzumaki Zetsu hasn't been acting right lately?"
The White Zetsu's face lit up immediately. He glanced around nervously and lowered his voice.
"White Zetsu, listen! While we were gone, that Uzumaki one actually went and bought sweets for Lord Madara!
Tri-colored dango, of all things! Madara's old and barely has any teeth left, and that guy's feeding him sweets?
What if he chokes? And sometimes he doesn't even come home at night, who knows what he's up to?"
White Zetsu stared blankly at the White Zetsu, who sounded more like a tattletale than anything else. 'Sweets? Uchiha Madara?'
"That Uzumaki really was something else. He was supposed to be keeping an eye on Madara, yet he kept wandering off all over the place.
Just the other day, he went out to buy paintbrushes and a sketchpad, almost got into a fight because he didn't have any money! It made no sense at all. "
Thinking about Uzumaki, it was strange, he was actually Madara's own creation. No one really understood why Madara had inserted some of Hashirama's cells into him.
And now, he'd changed. Another White Zetsu had been born, one with a mind of its own but a little... off.
Still, that didn't matter as long as he remained loyal to the mission. "Don't worry about him," someone said. "As long as he doesn't blow our cover, we can just ignore him. But about his late-night escapades… we'll look into what he's up to."
Before White Zetsu could say more, the White Zetsu suddenly stopped, staring blankly ahead. It was already dark outside.
They stood right on the main street of the Grass Village, but their disguises kept them hidden from view. Noticing the White Zetsu zoning out, White Zetsu frowned. "What is it?"
"T-that…" White Zetsu shivered, raising a trembling hand to point forward. "I think I know what that guy's been doing on his nights out."
"What?!" White Zetsu was surprised at how quickly he had an answer. He looked in the direction indicated, and his face immediately showed disbelief. Not far away, there was a commotion.