The Truth Behind the Scenes

"Obito!" Kakashi and Rin, having escaped the ruins, cast one last look at their companion. With no time to mourn, they hurriedly fled into the forest, dozens of Rock Ninja pursuing relentlessly behind them. Before long, everyone vanished...

The battlefield, piled high with rubble, fell silent once more. After a long while, a patch of earth beside the ruins gradually bulged upward. A Pitcher Plant emerged from the ground, then opened to reveal a figure half black and half white. It was Zetsu, who had long vanished from the Shinobi World!

"So this is the successor you chose? He looks rather ordinary, doesn't he?" Black Zetsu said with a strange grin as he looked at the heap of rocks.

"This child's temperament is a rare kind of talent. With proper guidance, he will certainly grow into a suitable successor!

"After all this time, I have finally found such a fitting candidate.

"Hurry and pull him out! If he dies, who knows how long it will take to find another." The white half of the face spoke expressionlessly, its voice extremely aged. Its eyes glowed scarlet, three black Tomoe slowly rotating within them—it was the Sharingan.

The Pitcher Plant burrowed back underground and vanished. Less than a minute later, it resurfaced, this time holding a small, mangled body in its arms. It was Obito.

"Tsk, tsk! Those are serious injuries. He looks like he's about to die!" Black Zetsu looked teasingly at the unconscious Obito. "Are you sure your successor can contend with that Skywalker? Even if he survives wounds like these, he'll probably be crippled."

"The body is only a minor matter. What I value is his temperament. Hashirama already has a fine successor. We cannot fall too far behind!" From the tone of this White Zetsu with the Sharingan,