Spring, Year 51 of Leaf Village.
Uchiha Madara sat upright atop the enormous Gedo Statue, like a dead tree, utterly motionless. His skin was shriveled, his eye sockets deeply sunken, and his breathing so faint it was almost imperceptible. Only his eyes occasionally flashed with a glimmer of light, proving that he was still alive.
In the distance, Uchiha Obito was training. The innocence had long faded from his face, replaced by a dark, calm, efficient air.
Every movement he made carried killing intent, and every technique was precise and lethal. The boy burdened by hatred had now grown into a qualified ninja.
White Zetsu hovered around Obito every day, asking all sorts of strange questions. "Obito, why do you eat? Why do you poop?"
Obito never answered. He merely trained in silence, grew stronger in silence, and waited in silence for that moment.
That day, Uchiha Madara slowly spoke, his voice so hoarse it was nearly inaudible. "Obito, the time has come."
Obito stopped training and turned his head in confusion. "Madara, what time has come?"
Madara looked at him, a flicker of excitement passing through his eyes. Decades of waiting, decades of planning—it was finally about to begin.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, and his voice became solemn. "Obito, from today onward, the Eye of the Moon Plan is yours."
Obito's pupils contracted slightly.
Madara continued, "I do not have much time left. But my will, my plan, and my name—all of them must be inherited by you."
He paused, his gaze growing deeper.
"Until the day you revive me... you are Uchiha Madara."
Obito fell silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. "I understand."
Madara looked at him, a trace of satisfaction flashing through his eyes. Then he reached out and pulled out the tubes