"Forget it. I didn't have much hope to begin with. Let him do as he pleases." Uchiha Madara added, turning his gaze back to the water mirror before him.
As his hands lightly formed seals, the image on the water mirror instantly changed. Countless scenes spun past at high speed before finally stopping on a bustling village.
Konoha!
Within the village, a young boy wore a radiant smile as he chatted with a girl beside him. A silly pair of goggles rested on his forehead, making his current smile seem both a little foolish and a little sunny.
"Obito Uchiha." Madara murmured, the Three Tomoe in his eyes slowly spinning. "What a cheerful Uchiha. He's a good candidate too. I look forward to seeing what you can do."
"Lord Madara." White Zetsu suddenly spoke from the side. Uchiha Madara turned to glance at him. "What is it?"
White Zetsu hesitated. "Is it really all right not to inform Lord Shin about what we're doing? I think we should at least let him know."
Madara leaned back against the stone chair behind him, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his lips. "There's no need. Nagato or this Obito—they're nothing more than pieces I've planted for the future."
As he spoke, he suddenly sighed. "Do you know why shinobi generally don't live very long? Naturally, many die in battle, but there are also plenty of lucky and powerful shinobi. Yet you rarely hear of any living to a hundred. The reasons are complicated, but the most important one is that a shinobi's training and battles in their youth inflict too much damage on the body. Especially the recovery after one battle after another—it is actually draining the body's potential.
I was born during the Warring States Period. Back then, conditions