After Ying Yue successfully stabilized the Ninja World, Black Zetsu and Uchiha Obito, lurking in the shadows, began their sinister plan.
Having previously been won over by Ying Yue and learned that Rin had been revived by him, Uchiha Obito secretly rejoiced.
Nohara Rin had been settled in the Land of Whirlpools, while Uchiha Obito became a spy at Black Zetsu's side. Though he appeared to work diligently, he was actually slacking off and stalling for time.
During this period, Uchiha Obito and Black Zetsu had not grown particularly close.
Black Zetsu had long realized that although Obito outwardly pursued the Eye of the Moon Plan, both his capabilities and willingness were severely lacking.
Black Zetsu secretly recruited several rogue ninja, including Kakuzu, Hidan, and Kisame Hoshigaki of Kirigakure, but the organization remained limited in scale and struggled to pose any real threat.
Even so, they had obtained detailed intelligence on the Ninja World's various tailed beasts and their locations, secretly preparing for an opportunity to capture them.
During this great recession in the Ninja World, Black Zetsu had fanned the flames from behind the scenes. Yet he had never expected Ying Yue to resolve the situation so swiftly, preventing the Ninja World from falling completely into chaos.
Though the Ninja World's situation remained turbulent, it gradually calmed under Ying Yue's mediation, causing Black Zetsu and Obito's plan to capture the tailed beasts to fail once again.
In a dark underground cavern somewhere in the Ninja World, Uchiha Obito secretly met with Black Zetsu to discuss their future plans.
"Nagato of the Uzumaki clan, whom we have been observing all this time—Lord Uchiha Madara's Sharingan has been nurtured sufficiently, and his strength is now enough to use the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique to revive Lord Madara," Uchiha