White Zetsu Tobi

"Heave-ho, heave-ho..."

A comical figure moved through the Forest, his steps light as if on a picnic, making it impossible to tell that he was carrying two people on his shoulders.

"I'm exhausted—I've been carrying two people all by myself. Living alone is such a hassle..."

He muttered to himself, and if one had to describe any expression on his strange, featureless face, it would probably be a bizarre state of "being tired but also quite happy."

"Huh? Wait a minute."

He suddenly stopped and tilted his Uzumaki head.

"I won't feel that way, because I'm White Zetsu! Hahaha!"

He burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the silent Forest and startling a few night birds.

After laughing, he continued carrying the two unconscious people on his shoulders and ran in a certain direction.

Under the moonlight, you could clearly see the faces of the two people.

One is Nohara Rin, and the other is Yamato.

White Zetsu Tobi.

That's his name.

After running for a while, passing through a dense Forest and around several huge rocks, Tobi finally reached his destination—a huge cave hidden deep in the mountains.

The entrance to the cave was hidden by vines and weeds; anyone unfamiliar with the area would never notice it. Tobi easily slipped inside, followed the winding passage for a long time, and then the view suddenly opened up before him.

This is a huge underground space. Inside the cave, there is some simple furniture—a stone table, a few stone stools, some daily necessities piled in the corner, and a simple bed.

This is one of Uchiha Madara's hiding places before his death.

That once-powerful man once plotted his "Moon Eye Plan" here, and waited here for the right opportunity to arrive.

He is long dead now.

Only White Zetsu Tobi remained here.

"Lord Madara--! Good evening--!"

Tobi casually put the two people on his shoulder to the ground, then shouted loudly at the empty cave.

"I'm back! Even though you're dead, I still want to say hello to you!"

He waited for a while, but of course there was no response.

"Even when you're around, I'm afraid you'll scold me..."

Tobi scratched his Uzumaki head, a hint of melancholy in his voice. "But now that no one's yelling at me, I'm even more scared."

There has still been no response.

Only his voice echoed in the cave.

Tobi stood there, staring at the empty stone bench, and remained silent for a few seconds.

Then, he reverted to his carefree demeanor.

"Hey, hey--wake up--!"

He crouched down and shook the two bound people on the ground forcefully.

"The sun's already high in the sky! Even though it's night, wake up quickly! That's what it means!"

He continued talking to himself as he shook himself.

Rin's eyelids twitched, Yamato frowned. Finally, the two of them slowly opened their eyes.

"Wh... what?!"

Lin's eyes widened suddenly, and a look of undisguised terror flashed across her face for a moment.

A pure white monster, devoid of any features except for a Uzumaki face, was crouching in front of her, "looking" at her in a way that defies description!

"Who are you?!"

Lin shouted the words almost instinctively, but the next moment, she forced herself to calm down.

Yamato woke up too.

His reaction was even faster than Rin's—the instant he opened his eyes, his chakra surged wildly, ready to strike at any moment.

However.

Nothing happened.

He was stunned; the chakra within his body was completely empty, not a single drop remained.

"Don't bother!"

Tobi's voice rang out from the side.

"Your chakra has been completely drained! But it wasn't me who did it, so don't be afraid of me."

Lin looked up at the dark rock wall above her head, and a wave of panic welled up inside her.

She wasn't afraid of death; the moment she chose to crash into Kakashi Reicheltsu, she was already prepared to die.

But what she feared was something else entirely.

She feared being captured again, feared being used by the enemy again, and feared that her existence would once again become a weapon to harm her comrades.

Last time, her death caused Obito to fall into depravity.

Those decades of darkness, those countless killings, those heinous sins—all began with her death.

Don't be afraid!

Tobi squatted down in front of Rin and Yamato, saying, "I'm your friend! If it weren't for me, those guys would have done some really awful things!"

His voice still had that comical, carefree tone.

"About who I am...?"

He suddenly changed his tone.

The voice deepened, taking on a feigned air of world-weariness.

"I have no identity, and I don't want to live under anyone's name."

Lin was stunned for a moment, Yamato so was Yamato.

Tobi remained motionless, maintaining this subdued posture.

If he had eyes, he'd probably be looking at the two of them with that "Am I not cool?" kind of look right now.

This line was one he had heard Obito say before.

Tobi thought that line was really cool, so he wrote it down.

I'm thinking that I'll definitely use it when I have the chance in the future.

"But--!"

He abruptly switched back to his original comical voice, and his deep, resonant demeanor instantly crumbled.

"I do have a status! But before that question—may I ask one?"

"What does the urge to defecate feel like? Can you give an example?"

"Wh... what?!"

Lin's eyes widened instantly, her face filled with disbelief. She was completely at a loss for words and stood there dumbfounded.

"Huh? You don't want to answer?"

A hint of disappointment crept into Tobi's voice, "But I've gotten used to it—it's really quite difficult to feel like there are living people talking."

"Alright!" Yamato's voice rang out, his body still weak. "Who are you? What is your purpose?"

As he asked the question, he slowly circulated the chakra within his body that was gradually recovering.

As long as we can stall this monster, as long as we can buy a little more time, and wait for our chakra to recover to a certain level, we can subdue it.

"Oh oh oh--!"

Tobi suddenly jumped up, "That's a great question!"

The next moment.

His body began to slowly disintegrate.

It's not a metaphor; it's a literal division.

From that white, twisted body, one after another identical white figures split off. Each one was just like the original, with pure white skin, Uzumaki face, and no facial features.

In the blink of an eye, five or six Tobi appeared in the cave.

"Smack."

One of the Tobi snapped his fingers.

The campfire that had been used for lighting inside the cave went out instantly.

The surroundings were plunged into darkness.

Rin and Yamato's hearts tightened at the same time.

Then—a beam of light shone straight down from the top of the cave.

Like a spotlight on a stage.

Lin and Yamato followed the beam of light and saw a Tobi standing on a protruding rock at the top of the cave, holding something that was glowing... a flashlight.

"Cough cough..."

Another Tobi stepped forward and stood in the very center of the beam of light.

Its body was slightly hunched, and its gait became unsteady, like that of an old man in his twilight years.

"No, I'm getting old, I can't even walk anymore..."

It spoke in an old, trembling voice.

"My junior, what should I do...?"

"That's right!"

The "old man Tobi," suddenly raised his head, his voice becoming excited.

"I must create a special existence! So that even after I die, I can still complete my plan!"

Another Tobi jumped out from the side, holding a ball of invisible air in his hands, as if showing off something precious.

"Hashirama Cells... White Zetsu base... plus the world's most handsome face..."

"It's done! A special White Zetsu! From now on, you'll be Tobi!"

Then, another Tobi jumped out.

The Tobi stood in the center of the beam of light, chest puffed out.

"Tobi Fei, the embodiment of my will."

Another Tobi —the Tobi playing the "old man"—stepped forward and spoke in a deep, entrusting tone.

"From the moment you were born, the entire forests of the Land of Fire have been whispering your name."

"From now on, my life can't be without you."

"Um--!"

The "entrusted Tobi" nodded vigorously, his voice full of determination.

"Don't worry, Lord Madara! I will definitely take good care of you!"

Lin watched this comical scene unfold.

Those white monsters, under the beam of light, put on a one-man show, directing and acting themselves, asking and answering their own questions, performing with such dedication and seriousness that it left one unsure whether to laugh or be afraid.

But when that name came out of their mouths—Lin suddenly had some images flash through her mind.

Those scenes I saw in the Pure Land.

"You..."

Lin stared at Tobi, who was still entertaining himself, at his Uzumaki face without features, and the images in the mirror kept flashing through her mind.

"You are... that thing Obito's side?!"