White Zetsu tunneled swiftly beneath the ground, quickly returning to the pitch-black underground base.
Deep within the base, the grotesque Demonic Statue of the Outer Path sat in a cavern.
An elderly man with a head full of white hair and shriveled skin sat upon a stone slab before the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
Sensing White Zetsu's return, the aged Madara Uchiha opened his eyes, revealing a pair of blood-red Sharingan.
Near the end of his life, Madara Uchiha had accidentally awakened the Rinnegan.
However, his aged and decaying body was completely incapable of bearing the Rinnegan's power, so he had secretly implanted them in Nagato to nurture them.
Through the Rinnegan, he saw the final contents recorded on the Uchiha Clan's stone tablet and began plotting the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
Using the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path as a medium, he cultivated Hashirama cells and created numerous White Zetsu, ordering them to gather intelligence outside and learn of the changes in the ninja world.
Madara Uchiha had always kept an eye on the Uchiha Clan, hoping to select a suitable successor who could carry out his will and fulfill his plans after his death.
From the day Indra made contact with Nagato in Amegakure, Madara Uchiha had chosen him.
According to his investigation, Indra was too normal, too resilient under pressure, and fairly talented in ninjutsu.
"The more normal an Uchiha is, the greater the [love] in their heart. And when they lose that love, even stronger hatred will take its place."
Madara Uchiha murmured in a deep voice. His objective was clear: as long as an Uchiha like this was properly controlled, he would become the perfect pawn.
"Lord Madara, I'm back."
White Zetsu emerged from beneath the ground and spoke respectfully.
White Zetsu then recounted