Within the Land of Fire.
The sun shone especially brightly, its warm rays bathing the land.
In the dense Konoha Forest, birdsong and the roars of beasts rose and fell, as if cheering for the beautiful spring.
At a ravine, a towering waterfall plunged swiftly from high above, like a silver hook!
Under the warm sunlight, the silvery-white spray reflected a brilliant rainbow, breathtakingly beautiful.
Every so often, plump fish leapt from the deep pool below, as if trying to cross the rainbow bridge and break free of their constraints.
And in a hidden cave near the pool—
The scene inside was utterly different!
A profound darkness seemed to have swallowed every last trace of light.
In that darkness, a gaunt old man sat hunched over on a rock.
A campfire burned before him, its dim glow seeming just like the old man's life, on the verge of going out.
The old man sat perfectly still, gazing silently at the flames.
"Rustle, rustle!"
Suddenly, strange sounds came from a dead tree behind him.
A writhing white mass slowly oozed out of the dead tree. Before long, it had gathered into a human shape.
"Tap!" "Tap!"...
The white figure slowly walked over to the old man.
Seeing what the old man was doing, he gave a faint, teasing chuckle.
"My, my. Don't tell me you've been sitting like that ever since I left. That can't be good for an old man."
Hearing his irreverent words, the old man slowly turned his head. His eyes, deep as the darkness, fixed on him as he rasped,
"How did the task I gave you go, Zetsu?"
At his words, the white figure called Zetsu suddenly looked taken aback. He glanced around and stammered,
"Uh... well..."
White Zetsu's reaction did not faze the old man.