Somewhere in Hokage World, in a dark, damp underground chamber.
The enormous Demonic Statue of the Outer Path stood in the center like a slumbering demon god. Countless pipes and vine-like substances extended from its body, connecting to the withered figure seated on a stone throne at its center.
Madara Uchiha.
His eyes were tightly closed, as though he had fallen into an eternal sleep alongside the enormous statue.
However, when a pure white figure slowly rose from the ground like bubbles surfacing on water, Madara's head, covered in long white hair, shifted slightly. His eyelids lifted, revealing a pair of black-and-white eyes.
"Lord Madara! Tobi's back!"
The White Zetsu, Tobi, called out in his distinctive, somewhat comical and exaggerated tone, wriggling a few times like waterweed.
"How did it go?"
Madara's voice was deep, carrying the indifference of someone weathered by the years.
"Reporting, Lord Madara! You told me to keep an eye out for anything interesting in the Shinobi World, and Tobi really did find something!"
Tobi gesticulated excitedly. "It's about a kid from Konoha called Lin Ze!"
"Lin Ze?"
Not a ripple stirred in Madara's eyes. The name was utterly unfamiliar to him.
"That's right, that's right!"
Tobi nodded vigorously.
"I hear he's a kid around thirteen, with the ANBU codename 'Aoda.' A while ago, in the Land of Lightning, Kumogakure sent a huge force to hunt him down! Even the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, Killer B, went out, and apparently even that Third Raikage fellow rushed over himself in the end!"
"Oh?"
Madara's brow twitched almost imperceptibly. "And the result?"
"He got away!"
Tobi spread his hands.
"We don't know exactly what happened. We have too few people in the Land of Lightning, and by the time they arrived, the battle was almost over. But from what we