The sun shone warmly, and birds flew freely among the branches, chirping away about who knew what.
Yet at that very moment, a soft laugh suddenly rang out in the quiet, peaceful forest.
"Does that senior intend to make an enemy of me?"
As the soft laugh sounded, Aizen stood on a patch of level ground, the corner of his mouth curving upward as he gazed at White Zetsu with a hint of amusement in his eyes.
At Aizen's words, White Zetsu fell silent for a moment, then slowly nodded and replied softly,
"That's what Madara said. After all, Nagato is currently in the hands of Las Noches. That's probably the one thing Madara finds hardest to endure... The Rinnegan has the power to control life and death, and Madara would never let anyone else have it."
Aizen listened, then gave a soundless chuckle and said lightly,
"To think he'd have such ambitions with nothing but a remnant of a body. I have to say, the Uchiha Clan's senior really has a lot of nerve... Of course... he hasn't used that nerve to face death... What a pity."
As he spoke, a glint flashed in Aizen's eyes. He murmured,
"If that's the case, then let's do as he wishes."
"After all, that man knows certain secrets that even we can't uncover. Without him, the secret hidden in the history of the Ninja World will likely remain buried."
"In some ways, the two of us are very much alike..."
At Aizen's words, White Zetsu stared in shock and stammered,
"B-but, Lord Aizen, Madara intends to kill you... How can you..."
Seeing White Zetsu's bewildered expression, Aizen's lips lifted slightly as he chuckled.
"Is that so difficult?"
As Aizen spoke in a teasing tone, a shadow suddenly appeared beside him, moving too